Happy Birthday to Joan Collins, Frank McHugh, Herbert Marshall and Douglas Fairbanks Sr.
I am glad that TCM did not celebrate a birthday today. That way I can watch films for Frank McHugh. About five years ago I watched One Way Passage for the first time. When I talked about the film friends they said the movie stared George Brent. That film was ‘Till We Meet Again (TWMA) a remake of One Way Passage (OWP) that stared Kay Francis and William Powell. That came on TCM and I watched it. Frank McHugh played the same exact character, even though a different name. Other than sequels or series I have never seen an actor play the same role in the same story remake. I watched the films side by side. That is very difficult to do. I know OWP passage pretty well and tried to focus on the differences.
OWP Frank is a thief and is run out Hong Kong. Frank meets up with William Powell right after he is arrested and states he is going back to San Francisco. When the boat leaves he runs up the steps as the gang way is pulling away and jumps on board. He sits on the edge of the boat as the Hong Kong police are backed away from getting on the gang plank.
TWMA Frank is drunk and hidden in a laundry basket and runs from the crowd around the basket. He runs up gang way and holds on to the edge of the boat with the police following him up. The crew grabs Frank and pulls him one board. The steward makes Frank pay for a ticket. Frank meet George Brent in a bar who explains he is going bank to San Quinton.
OWP Frank meet up with The Countess. He recognizes her as a friend and con-artist. He goes to the countess room to discuss plans. He explains the situation to her and tries to enlist her help to get William Powell free. Frank drunk, falls on the countess and the police officer assists the countess.
TWMA The Countess is a friend of George Brent. George asks Frank to meet up with the countess (who is a con-he artist) to assist him. The police officer is interested in The Countess. Frank tells her to ignore him. Frank goes to her room later after he put her escort to bed. Frank takes George to the countess room. The next day Frank plays cards with the escort again. He goes into the man’s room and takes the money from his wallet.
OWP Frank gets several free drinks at the bar. On is way out of the bar he sees himself in a mirror and thinks it is someone else and they are both trying to go through the door at the same time. Frank passes another doorway and sees the countess and the police officer dancing. The Countess gets the bullets from the gun and gives them to Frank.
Boat docks in Honolulu
OWP Frank tells the countess that William Powell is locked in the brig. The countess gets the key and hands it to Frank. Frank releases William Powell from the brig. In Honolulu Frank ties to pick a few wallets, but fails. The ship is ready to leave he once again runs up the gang way with police chasing him. He goes to the countess room to come up with another plan to help William Powell.
TWMA The countess slips the police officer a Mickey and gets the keys and gives them to Frank who George. Frank sees him leave with the girl instead of with escape. When the boat is getting ready to leave Frank is on the deck. He sees George come back onto the boat.
The two lovers agree to meet on New Years Eve at a bar in Mexico City.
TWMA the last scene a friend sits at a bar waiting.
OWP Frank sits at the bar waiting.
I like One Way Passage better. That film has a stark black and white tint and my favorite actors. There are beautiful shots of the beach. When they arrive in San Francisco Kay sees the city and William sees San Quinton and the hanging platform. My favorite scene is the very end. The camera sweeps across the room, the camera slows down as it passes Frank, he looks straight ahead and there is a strange expression on his face. The camera goes down the bar to shows two bartenders washing glasses. Glasses break and the final shot are of two glass stems crossed.
We Meet Again is grayish brown where everything seems to blend together: clothing, hats, staterooms and decks. The only thing that pops out are the crews white uniforms and the men’s tuxedos. Even Hawaii is blah.
It is the same story. An ill woman who wants to experience life while she can meets a man who has been captured to serve his sentence and they fall in love. A doomed love affair. When the man tells the woman he will not be getting back on the boat, the woman collapses. The man gives up his opportunity to flee by taking her back on board. It is close to the end of the voyage that they find out the truth about each other, but they pretend they don’t. The couple drink and break the glasses on the bar and cross stems on the bar. Both films were done at Warner Brothers based on Robert Lord’s story. The same music plays in each film. Orry-Kelly designed the clothing for each film.
One Way Passage
Tay Garnett director
William Powell
Kay Francis
Aline MacMahon the countess
Warren Hymer the police officer
Till We Meet Again
Edmund Goulding as director
George Brent
Merle Oberon
Pat O’Brien as policce officer
Geraldine Fitzgerald as friend
Binnie Barnes as the countess
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