George Brent
TCM celebrated with a Birthday salute to George Brent. Quite a few people on the site think that he is bland. It is true his is not the most overpowering charismatic actor but he is talented. Last week Robert Osborne stated that women in Hollywood wanted to work with him because he didn't overshadow his leading ladies. I thought that was the perfect way to describe him. I would have liked a Kay Francis film, but there was a nice variety shown. I think he is very talented. He may not outshine the leading woman, but he does outshine the men in the film.
I watched They Called it Sin with Loretta Young. Loretta plays a Kansas woman who dates a New York man, Jimmy traveling through the state. She spends the day with him until almost midnight, telling her mother that she had nothing to be ashamed of. Her mother tells her that she is not her mother, her mother was a singer passing through and they don't know who her father is, she took her in because her husband asked her to. Loretta goes to New York to find Jimmy. When she gets to his apartment George Brent is also there as a doctor friend. He takes her to a hotel as Jimmy's fiancee comes over for dinner. When Jimmy tells his fiancee he met the girl in church her father spits out his drink (I love that). The next day Loretta finds out that he is engaged and leaves the hotel without a forwarding address. She applies as chorus girl at every agency. At this point she doesn't drink or smoke. At one agency she meets Una Merkle as a cartwheeling southern dancer. Una who has been in the business a long time ambushes the producer to watch her dance to Loretta's piano playing. The producer likes how Loretta looks and plays music. They are both hired and become roommates. Una as a dancer in front of the chorus and Loretta is hired to play at rehearsal. The producer decides to help her with her music compositions. They record her playing the songs. The story of Jimmy's marriage is on the front page of the newspapers. At a party George sees Loretta with the producer, who is a rouge and goes to talk with her. Loretta is now smoking and drinking. When the producer calls her “Sweets” George whips his head around to look at him with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. They occasionally date, but Loretta acts like she doesn't really care for him. George asks him to marry him but she refuses since she doesn't love him, she sees him as a friend. At a party the producer tells Loretta that she is invited to a breakfast party of which she is the only guest. She refuses. The producer sees her and Jimmy kiss and decides he is through with her. He leaves her a check stating “we are closing you as of today”. The next day Una is getting ready for rehearsal and sings a song. It is a new song in the show, which Loretta wrote. Loretta furious that the producer has taken her music she goes down to the rehearsal theater to confront him. Both Loretta and Una stand up to the producer. The producer stated that he wrote the numbers and has the two women thrown out. It takes two big men to get rid of each woman. There is a story in the newspapers about the incident. Jimmy goes to Loretta. He then goes to confront the producer at his apartment. They argue. The producer who is already drunk, falls off the balcony. Jimmy scared runs away. Loretta goes to the police to admit that she was the reason he was hurt to protect him. The producer is in very bad shape. George wants to clear Loretta and performs surgery so that the producer can talk to tell what really happened. After the surgery the producer wakes up for a brief time and states what really happened. It was accident and Loretta is cleared. Jimmy decides to leave his wife, but Loretta states she is going to marry George. There are some great stylized framing of the actors, especially Loretta.
I then watched Weekend Marriage. Loretta Young also stars in this film. She is interested in a man who won't commit to marriage. Her sister-in-law played by Aline MacMahon (who is a working married woman) helps her trick the man into marriage. At first Loretta resists, but falls into the temptation of marriage. The man did not want to marry until he had enough money to live in proper style. He was going to take a job offer in Brazil, but they get married instead. Loretta quits her job and is completely bored. She decides to go back to work. It is a pre-code film so the husband and wife share a bed and even kiss and become romantic, first thing in the morning. She works long hours and the husband gets upset. One of which is after a day of work she goes home and cleans, makes the bed and does the dishes. The husband went to visit a friend in his workshop. George works at the same company as Loretta. One day a female co-worker asks Loretta come home with her and help her stand up to her father who wants her to marry a man. The father forces her to marry the man by physically abusing her. Loretta's husband who was making dinner when she called to say she would be home late, left the food where it was and left the apartment. When Loretta gets home about 10:30 PM he is not home. A few hours later she gets a phone call, he is in jail for drunkenness. When she goes down and bails him out a woman was also arrested with him and she pays her bail. When Loretta gets to work, her boss offers her a job in St. Louis as his executive assistant. She and her husband argue, he won't go to St. Louis even though he does not have a job. He leaves her and blames her for his lost opportunity (which I knew would come up at some point). While there George states that he is interested in her. At her birthday party she gets a telegram that her husband is ill. She leaves on a mail cargo plane. George looks at her when she leaves, knowing he will never see her again. When she gets to her husbands apartment, the woman who she bailed out is there. She has been taking care of him. The doctor (who spends hours with the patient) gives her a lecture about woman's role in the house (old fashioned, egotistical and chauvinistic lecture in my opinion). She sees her husband telling him she was fired and will be staying. The woman who was taking care of him packs her suitcase and leaves. There are a lot of really great scenes in this film, better than the doctors lecture. Aline going through the whole scenario of how to trap the man, writing the notes in shorthand in a book for easy reference. At the very beginning of the film the couple are at the theater to see a Lee Tracy film, while in line they hide behind a large man to kiss. At a restaurant Loretta and her co-worker talk about what they want out of life doesn't matter, it is the men who run everything and are selfish with their desires and careers.
I also watched So Big and The Painted Veil. I had planned to go to bed early, but I got so engrossed in the films I had to stay up and watch them.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
March 14
Happy Birthday to Michael Caine and Billy Crystal.
For Michael Caine's I watched Educating Rita. It had been awhile since I had seen it, I forgot how good it was. I can identify with both main characters of the film. The music is loud. It is an 80's synthesizer sound. It is composed, performed and arranged by David Hentschel.
Michael played a bored university professor who use to write poetry. At first you think that he is a pompous arrogant professor. He drinks before class (a bottle is hidden in the book shelf behind a copy of The Lost Weekend) to both forget his problems and his boredom and his students. He has to tutor an open university student, played by Julie Waters (the real character's name Susan but she decides to be Rita after her favorite author). Julie is a 26 year old hairdresser who wants to improve her life and her husband and parents don't understand her. She has a common accent and uses a lot of slang. She has very little self-confidence. Her husband wants children and she states she has stopped taking the pill 6 months earlier, but she continues to take them on the sly. When he finds out he burns her books and tells her to stop going to school. Michael invites Julie to a party, but he stands outside looking in and doesn't go in. She goes to a pub to be with her family and looks in the window. She doesn't fit in either world. When she went to see Michael the next time she stated that her mom was crying during a song, she asked her why she was crying and she said “There must be better songs to sing than this”. Julie says “that is what I am trying to do, to sing a better song”. I thought that was a great analogy. Michael and Julie become friends and Michael becomes her mentor. Julie and her husband separate. Julie goes to summer school in the a different city where she gains confidence and quits smoking. Her language also starts to change to a more socially acceptable tone and little slang. When she comes back she rooms with a woman and picks up her mannerisms and works as a waitress. Michael reads her letters very animated.
Michael is married, but is separated from his wife. He lives with another woman who is having an affair with a married man. The man always pretends to use the phone to speak to his publisher when Michael comes in the house. One time Michael comes in and tells him the phone was disconnected that morning. Micheal's girl-friend tells him she is leaving. Michael's drinking is getting worse and is disrupting his classes. He is called on the carpet by the university staff, but not fired. He gives his poetry to Julie to read. She likes it, but Michael being drunk decides that it is crap and tears up the papers. They argue and she leaves. Her roommate overdoses and Julie takes her to the hospital and spends the night. Michael drunk tries to find her and tell her the exam is the next day. He wakes up the dean in the middle of the night. The next day Julie takes her test and goes to see Micheal. He is being transferred to Australia. Michael asks her to go with him. She says no, she doesn't know what she is going to do with her future. In the final scene he leaves for Australia and she is at the airport to say goodbye. He went to the school to get her test results. She passed with distinction.
For Michael Caine's I watched Educating Rita. It had been awhile since I had seen it, I forgot how good it was. I can identify with both main characters of the film. The music is loud. It is an 80's synthesizer sound. It is composed, performed and arranged by David Hentschel.
Michael played a bored university professor who use to write poetry. At first you think that he is a pompous arrogant professor. He drinks before class (a bottle is hidden in the book shelf behind a copy of The Lost Weekend) to both forget his problems and his boredom and his students. He has to tutor an open university student, played by Julie Waters (the real character's name Susan but she decides to be Rita after her favorite author). Julie is a 26 year old hairdresser who wants to improve her life and her husband and parents don't understand her. She has a common accent and uses a lot of slang. She has very little self-confidence. Her husband wants children and she states she has stopped taking the pill 6 months earlier, but she continues to take them on the sly. When he finds out he burns her books and tells her to stop going to school. Michael invites Julie to a party, but he stands outside looking in and doesn't go in. She goes to a pub to be with her family and looks in the window. She doesn't fit in either world. When she went to see Michael the next time she stated that her mom was crying during a song, she asked her why she was crying and she said “There must be better songs to sing than this”. Julie says “that is what I am trying to do, to sing a better song”. I thought that was a great analogy. Michael and Julie become friends and Michael becomes her mentor. Julie and her husband separate. Julie goes to summer school in the a different city where she gains confidence and quits smoking. Her language also starts to change to a more socially acceptable tone and little slang. When she comes back she rooms with a woman and picks up her mannerisms and works as a waitress. Michael reads her letters very animated.
Michael is married, but is separated from his wife. He lives with another woman who is having an affair with a married man. The man always pretends to use the phone to speak to his publisher when Michael comes in the house. One time Michael comes in and tells him the phone was disconnected that morning. Micheal's girl-friend tells him she is leaving. Michael's drinking is getting worse and is disrupting his classes. He is called on the carpet by the university staff, but not fired. He gives his poetry to Julie to read. She likes it, but Michael being drunk decides that it is crap and tears up the papers. They argue and she leaves. Her roommate overdoses and Julie takes her to the hospital and spends the night. Michael drunk tries to find her and tell her the exam is the next day. He wakes up the dean in the middle of the night. The next day Julie takes her test and goes to see Micheal. He is being transferred to Australia. Michael asks her to go with him. She says no, she doesn't know what she is going to do with her future. In the final scene he leaves for Australia and she is at the airport to say goodbye. He went to the school to get her test results. She passed with distinction.
Monday, March 14, 2011
March 13
Henry Hathaway
There are two things I have learned since I have been doing these blogs, 1) my spelling has not improved as much as I have been trying and 2) I don't know directors as well as I thought I did.
Henry Hathaway is know for directing westerns, but in looking up his films he did a number of different styles. To honor his work on his birthday I watched The Dark Corner a film noir. There are a lot of circles of light moments in the film, some to show the actors and some to show the silhouette of the actors. It is very atmospheric.
The film stars Mark Stevens as a private eye and Lucille Ball as his secretary. While the two are on a date at an arcade a man follows them, a man in a white suit played by William Bendix. They meet up at Mark's office where William said he is also a private detective. When he empties his pocket there is a close up of a role of nickles “a poor mans brass knuckles” and a horseshoe key chain. When asked how long he was following him William says “Two days. I was climbing in your pocket all the time.” “Who buys the tickets?” (just the beginning of great dialog). William states that Jardine hired him. Jardine was Mark's partner in San Francisco, a charming man with a hobby of blackmail. Years ago Jardine drugged Mark and Mark caused an accident which killed a man and he was sentenced to jail for 2 years. The next night Mark was knocked down by a car. William was driving that car. He drops it off at Clifton Webb's house and he honks the horn. William goes into his own car. The next scene Clifton is meeting with Jardine. Clifton looks at his watch and calls it an end to the meeting he has an appointment. It is Jardine's car that William was driving. Jardine is having an affair with Clifton’s wife, who is a much younger woman who visits him. Mark got a partial license plate and was able to trace it to an apartment. Mark goes to that address and Jardine is surprised. Jardine denies any knowledge of hiring a private defective. They fight and the woman calls the police.
The movie takes a strange turn when art gallery owner Clifton shows a select few an old Italian painting that he was obsessed with that looks just like his wife. Jardine and Clifton's wife talk about going away that night, just a few feet away from Clifton. He sees their shadow in a circle of light as they kiss. William then meets with Clifton and makes an arrangement to meet with Mark with Clifton sets up Jardine. Mark goes to apartment where William is waiting for him and Mark gets chloroformed. William hits Jardine with a poker and puts the poker in Mark's hand and trashes the place and stomps on Mark's thumb. Mark wakes up to Lucille ringing the door bell. He stashes the body and Lucille cleans up the apartment. Music from the night club down the street plays in the background during the entire scene. He tries to track down William. “I'm backed up in a dark corner and I don't know who is hitting me.”
Clifton goes to his wife to see if she is ready to leave for a party. He said he needs to meet with Jardine at the party to talk about one of his friends who has discovered his wife is having an affair and to find out a way of getting rid of him legally. He tells his wife that Jardine was in love with another woman a Mrs. Wilding. The wife states jealously that he loathed her. Clifton states “he loathed her rather intimately” in his dry witted humor style. He continues “My love for you is the only malady I've contracted since the usual childhood diseases and it's incurable.”
Mark comes up with the idea of tracking down cleaners for William's white suit which he rubbed ink on in his office. They finally come up with a positive match. They go to that rooming house. William has already left. A little girl heard a phone conversation and told Mark where William went to, but Mark did not understand everything she said. At the same time Jardine's body was discovered at Mark's house. William goes to meet Clifton. When Clifton goes to give him the money he drops some, William bends down to pick it up and Clifton pushes him out the window. This gets me every time. You just don't realize it is coming. Mark sees the role of nickles and the horseshoe key chain on the ground by the body. Mark steals the cab with Williams belongings with the police in hot pursuit Mark gets away and goes to his office where he and Lucille go through the belongings. They then figure out what the girl was saying as the police show up. Mark gets away and goes to the art gallery. Pretending to purchase a statue he waits for Clifton in his office. Clifton's wife comes in while he is waiting and he recognizes the perfume. She faints and Clifton comes in with a gun, upset that Mark is touching his wife's hand. Clifton takes Mark down to the safe. I won't give it away, but hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
There are two things I have learned since I have been doing these blogs, 1) my spelling has not improved as much as I have been trying and 2) I don't know directors as well as I thought I did.
Henry Hathaway is know for directing westerns, but in looking up his films he did a number of different styles. To honor his work on his birthday I watched The Dark Corner a film noir. There are a lot of circles of light moments in the film, some to show the actors and some to show the silhouette of the actors. It is very atmospheric.
The film stars Mark Stevens as a private eye and Lucille Ball as his secretary. While the two are on a date at an arcade a man follows them, a man in a white suit played by William Bendix. They meet up at Mark's office where William said he is also a private detective. When he empties his pocket there is a close up of a role of nickles “a poor mans brass knuckles” and a horseshoe key chain. When asked how long he was following him William says “Two days. I was climbing in your pocket all the time.” “Who buys the tickets?” (just the beginning of great dialog). William states that Jardine hired him. Jardine was Mark's partner in San Francisco, a charming man with a hobby of blackmail. Years ago Jardine drugged Mark and Mark caused an accident which killed a man and he was sentenced to jail for 2 years. The next night Mark was knocked down by a car. William was driving that car. He drops it off at Clifton Webb's house and he honks the horn. William goes into his own car. The next scene Clifton is meeting with Jardine. Clifton looks at his watch and calls it an end to the meeting he has an appointment. It is Jardine's car that William was driving. Jardine is having an affair with Clifton’s wife, who is a much younger woman who visits him. Mark got a partial license plate and was able to trace it to an apartment. Mark goes to that address and Jardine is surprised. Jardine denies any knowledge of hiring a private defective. They fight and the woman calls the police.
The movie takes a strange turn when art gallery owner Clifton shows a select few an old Italian painting that he was obsessed with that looks just like his wife. Jardine and Clifton's wife talk about going away that night, just a few feet away from Clifton. He sees their shadow in a circle of light as they kiss. William then meets with Clifton and makes an arrangement to meet with Mark with Clifton sets up Jardine. Mark goes to apartment where William is waiting for him and Mark gets chloroformed. William hits Jardine with a poker and puts the poker in Mark's hand and trashes the place and stomps on Mark's thumb. Mark wakes up to Lucille ringing the door bell. He stashes the body and Lucille cleans up the apartment. Music from the night club down the street plays in the background during the entire scene. He tries to track down William. “I'm backed up in a dark corner and I don't know who is hitting me.”
Clifton goes to his wife to see if she is ready to leave for a party. He said he needs to meet with Jardine at the party to talk about one of his friends who has discovered his wife is having an affair and to find out a way of getting rid of him legally. He tells his wife that Jardine was in love with another woman a Mrs. Wilding. The wife states jealously that he loathed her. Clifton states “he loathed her rather intimately” in his dry witted humor style. He continues “My love for you is the only malady I've contracted since the usual childhood diseases and it's incurable.”
Mark comes up with the idea of tracking down cleaners for William's white suit which he rubbed ink on in his office. They finally come up with a positive match. They go to that rooming house. William has already left. A little girl heard a phone conversation and told Mark where William went to, but Mark did not understand everything she said. At the same time Jardine's body was discovered at Mark's house. William goes to meet Clifton. When Clifton goes to give him the money he drops some, William bends down to pick it up and Clifton pushes him out the window. This gets me every time. You just don't realize it is coming. Mark sees the role of nickles and the horseshoe key chain on the ground by the body. Mark steals the cab with Williams belongings with the police in hot pursuit Mark gets away and goes to his office where he and Lucille go through the belongings. They then figure out what the girl was saying as the police show up. Mark gets away and goes to the art gallery. Pretending to purchase a statue he waits for Clifton in his office. Clifton's wife comes in while he is waiting and he recognizes the perfume. She faints and Clifton comes in with a gun, upset that Mark is touching his wife's hand. Clifton takes Mark down to the safe. I won't give it away, but hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
March 12
Gordon MacRae
I watched On Moonlight Bay for Gordon MacRae birthday. I don't care for Gordon MacRae. I don't know what it is. He is a great singer and a talented actor. I like the films, the stories, the actors, the crews, but something about the films he is in annoy me. I have of course never meet the man, his family or remember reading anything bad about him.
When his films are on TCM I will watch them and maybe things will change or I will figure out what my problem with the actor may be.
I watched On Moonlight Bay for Gordon MacRae birthday. I don't care for Gordon MacRae. I don't know what it is. He is a great singer and a talented actor. I like the films, the stories, the actors, the crews, but something about the films he is in annoy me. I have of course never meet the man, his family or remember reading anything bad about him.
When his films are on TCM I will watch them and maybe things will change or I will figure out what my problem with the actor may be.
March 11
Dorothy Gish
For Dorothy Gish's Birthday I watched Orphans of the Storm by DW Griffith. It is almost like watching 2-3 different movies. One of the French Revolution and of the girls. I am going to focus on Dorothy and Lillian's story. The story starts off as a noble woman married a commoner and has a child and the commoner is killed by her family. The family takes the baby and leaves her at a foundling house. The woman leaves a note in a locket that her name is Louise and to take care of her. Another man goes to leave a baby at the foundling home and finds Louise. He realizes what will really happen to his child and takes her and the other baby back home. When he shows the baby to his wife they discover the note and a packet of coins. They raise the two girls as sisters. Louise is played by Dorothy and Henriette the Lillian Gish. They first appear in the about 15 minutes into the film as young ladies 16-18 years old I think. They do not have a credit in the beginning with the other actors but do have the their name listed on single title cards, whereas the other actors don't. Their parents have died from the plague a few years earlier and Dorothy is blind (dare I say spoiled) by mother hen Lillian. The sisters go to Paris where a doctor may help Dorothy regain her sight. When the girls get to Paris Dorothy is abducted by and Louise is left to fend on her own. She is taken in by a street Hag. The hag and her crew want her to sing so the Hag can beg for coins. She refuses and is locked in a cellar complete with rats. Dorothy meanwhile has been taken to a royal/society party, I don't know if it is an orgy but it is scandalous. Several men grab her and she begs for help. One man helps her. They go to where she was abducted and tries to find Dorothy but they can't find her. A doctor sees the girl and tells the hag that he can cure her, but the hag tells the girl there is nothing he can do for her. The hag takes her shawl so that she will really shiver in the cold. The Countess is Dorothy's mother. She sees the girl in the streets and gives her a coin. The Countess then goes to see Lillian who is involved with her nephew, the man who rescued her. While in Lillian's rooms Dorothy's voice is heard. She is begging in the street. Dorothy and Lillian finally find each other. As Lillian is going to the door the police come in and arrest her. She is taken to the jail kicking and screaming. Dorothy is taken away by the hag. At the jail, Lillian meets the doctor that saw her sister and finds out where she is staying. Then the French Revolution happens. The women are freed from jail and she goes right to the area. Lillian sees the hag wearing Dorothy's shawl and hag tells her Dorothy is dead. Devastated Lillian goes back to her apartments. Where she is turned in for having housed a nobleman. Dorothy is not dead she was begging in the streets. When they get back to their place one of the gang members attacks her and another gang member defends her and they fight. Dorothy and the man get away after the other man is wounded.
At the court Lillian and the man she loves are sentenced to die at the guillotine. Dorothy is one of the peasants in the courthouse. Lillian is given an hour to spend with her sister before she is taken away. The next part, which is the climatic part of the film, is very long. One blog I read stated that the the film could have been cut down, but the editing to prolong the anticipation of the actual death sentence is very good. At the court Lillian and her friend are defended by an impassioned speech, cut to Lillian getting on the cart to be taken to her execution. Back to the court, cut to Lillian several times, including one time seeing Dorothy in the streets. The court gives Lillian and her friend a stay of execution. As they try to get to the guillotine there are many obstacles. Lillian is put on a platform and lowered and locked into the guillotine that has a sticky catch. I have great respect for Lillian on doing that, she was in there for a long time. When the moment of execution comes the man who saved Dorothy comes onto the platform and knifes the executioner, but is knocked down by guards. As the hand rises to commence death the men from the court finally reach the platform and execution is halted. I have to admit, I did not think she would be saved, I had too sigh in relief. The last scene Dorothy and her mother are reunited and Dorothy can now see. Lillian is going to marry her man and life for them is good.
I am a little mixed on Dorothy's performance. At times she underacts and at times she overacts. Part of the overacting can be due to the fact it is a silent film. I first thought in comparison to Lillian, Dorothy was not as good. But the end of the film but them on an even level. At the end of the film when Dorothy gets her sight back she was happy and childlike in her exuberance.
For Dorothy Gish's Birthday I watched Orphans of the Storm by DW Griffith. It is almost like watching 2-3 different movies. One of the French Revolution and of the girls. I am going to focus on Dorothy and Lillian's story. The story starts off as a noble woman married a commoner and has a child and the commoner is killed by her family. The family takes the baby and leaves her at a foundling house. The woman leaves a note in a locket that her name is Louise and to take care of her. Another man goes to leave a baby at the foundling home and finds Louise. He realizes what will really happen to his child and takes her and the other baby back home. When he shows the baby to his wife they discover the note and a packet of coins. They raise the two girls as sisters. Louise is played by Dorothy and Henriette the Lillian Gish. They first appear in the about 15 minutes into the film as young ladies 16-18 years old I think. They do not have a credit in the beginning with the other actors but do have the their name listed on single title cards, whereas the other actors don't. Their parents have died from the plague a few years earlier and Dorothy is blind (dare I say spoiled) by mother hen Lillian. The sisters go to Paris where a doctor may help Dorothy regain her sight. When the girls get to Paris Dorothy is abducted by and Louise is left to fend on her own. She is taken in by a street Hag. The hag and her crew want her to sing so the Hag can beg for coins. She refuses and is locked in a cellar complete with rats. Dorothy meanwhile has been taken to a royal/society party, I don't know if it is an orgy but it is scandalous. Several men grab her and she begs for help. One man helps her. They go to where she was abducted and tries to find Dorothy but they can't find her. A doctor sees the girl and tells the hag that he can cure her, but the hag tells the girl there is nothing he can do for her. The hag takes her shawl so that she will really shiver in the cold. The Countess is Dorothy's mother. She sees the girl in the streets and gives her a coin. The Countess then goes to see Lillian who is involved with her nephew, the man who rescued her. While in Lillian's rooms Dorothy's voice is heard. She is begging in the street. Dorothy and Lillian finally find each other. As Lillian is going to the door the police come in and arrest her. She is taken to the jail kicking and screaming. Dorothy is taken away by the hag. At the jail, Lillian meets the doctor that saw her sister and finds out where she is staying. Then the French Revolution happens. The women are freed from jail and she goes right to the area. Lillian sees the hag wearing Dorothy's shawl and hag tells her Dorothy is dead. Devastated Lillian goes back to her apartments. Where she is turned in for having housed a nobleman. Dorothy is not dead she was begging in the streets. When they get back to their place one of the gang members attacks her and another gang member defends her and they fight. Dorothy and the man get away after the other man is wounded.
At the court Lillian and the man she loves are sentenced to die at the guillotine. Dorothy is one of the peasants in the courthouse. Lillian is given an hour to spend with her sister before she is taken away. The next part, which is the climatic part of the film, is very long. One blog I read stated that the the film could have been cut down, but the editing to prolong the anticipation of the actual death sentence is very good. At the court Lillian and her friend are defended by an impassioned speech, cut to Lillian getting on the cart to be taken to her execution. Back to the court, cut to Lillian several times, including one time seeing Dorothy in the streets. The court gives Lillian and her friend a stay of execution. As they try to get to the guillotine there are many obstacles. Lillian is put on a platform and lowered and locked into the guillotine that has a sticky catch. I have great respect for Lillian on doing that, she was in there for a long time. When the moment of execution comes the man who saved Dorothy comes onto the platform and knifes the executioner, but is knocked down by guards. As the hand rises to commence death the men from the court finally reach the platform and execution is halted. I have to admit, I did not think she would be saved, I had too sigh in relief. The last scene Dorothy and her mother are reunited and Dorothy can now see. Lillian is going to marry her man and life for them is good.
I am a little mixed on Dorothy's performance. At times she underacts and at times she overacts. Part of the overacting can be due to the fact it is a silent film. I first thought in comparison to Lillian, Dorothy was not as good. But the end of the film but them on an even level. At the end of the film when Dorothy gets her sight back she was happy and childlike in her exuberance.
Friday, March 11, 2011
March 10
Happy Birthday Barry Fitzgerald and Gregory La Cava.
Gregory La Cava was spotlighted for his birthday on TCM. I was really looking forward to the films there is a nice mixture, pre-code, comedy, drama and Gene Kelly. I have seen Living In a Big Way before and loved it. It is more of a drama than musical, but Gene does have a few dance and song numbers. Gene always looks good.
I watched Smart Woman with Mary Astor. Mary is married and meets a rich noble British man on the boat from Europe to America. She and her husband are separated and he is interested in another woman. Mary, the Britain, her husband, his girlfriend, the girlfriend's mother, Mary's sister and sister-in-law all meet up at Mary's house. Mary acts like she love the Britain, but she really loves her husband. The brother-in-law and the Britain each encourage the girlfriend to the Britain, so the couple can stay married. The Britain convinces the girlfriend and her mother to leave on their own. Great fast paced story pre-code story.
I also watched The Half-Naked Truth. It is a 1933 film and what I feel most intrigued about is the variety of voices in the film. The fast talking Lee Tracey, the accented Lupe Velez (wearing a racy costumes for most of the film and who sings without an accent, and when she is angry she speaks Spanish very fast), the deep voiced Eugene Pallette and the bumbling stuttering Frank Morgan.
Lee plays a carnival hawker for Lupe. He comes up with the idea for Lupe to admit that a man in the town was Lupe's father who “deceived” Lupe's mother. Lupe will tell the town the man's name at the evening show. At the nights show the police come arrest the workers as a fraud. There is a big fight and Lee, Lupe (in costume with her little dog) and Eugene go to NYC. Lee convinces people that Lupe is a Turkish princess and stays in a swanky Broadway hotel. Lee hires a lion and gets raw meat as a photo op for reporters. Lee goes to Follies producer, played by Frank Morgan to hire Lupe. Frank kicks Lee out of the theater. Lee doesn't give up and plants a story in the newspaper that Frank has hired Lupe. Lee writes a contract for Lupe to work in the Follies for Frank. He doesn't like the contract, but signs it anyway. Lupe then sings for Frank. It is not good. Since he signed the contract he keeps her in the show as an exotic dancer. When she dances the people in the audience are bored. Lee decides to cause a ruckus off stage stating that a Turkish man in the crew is upset because the dance is sacred. Lee has Lupe go into the song that she sang for Frank and modern jazz dancing. This the audience likes. It is a combination Bessie Smith, Josephine Baker and Fanny Brice in a skimpy costume. The musicians give their best, the people on stage start dancing and the audience is riveted.
The next night Lupe has dinner with Frank and Lee is jealous, of Frank or what Frank can do for her publicity wise I can't tell. Lee and Eugene leave. Lee starts his own publicity agency and the first thing he does is create a nudist colony. The nudists cover themselves with straw, that looks like bird nests. Lee does his best to ruin Lupe. He puts a story out who Lupe is really. He puts a huge picture of Frank and Lupe on the building across the street. He then takes the nudists out for a ride through NYC, which a huge crowd follow them. Of course the police stop them. Lee blackmails Frank into taking one of the nudists into his show. Lupe is then fired. Eugene buys a carnival and Lupe joins him. Eugene asks Lee to join him while they are in town. The last line is that Lee says “I've a big surprise for you” to Lupe as she dances on stage. As “The End” comes up the wedding march plays. This is probably the most unique and different film I have seen. Or maybe second to The Loved One. It is very much a comedy, but the actors play it straight like they are in a drama and let the story carry the comedy. That is probably due to La Cava's direction. That also happens in My Man Godfrey.
Gregory La Cava was spotlighted for his birthday on TCM. I was really looking forward to the films there is a nice mixture, pre-code, comedy, drama and Gene Kelly. I have seen Living In a Big Way before and loved it. It is more of a drama than musical, but Gene does have a few dance and song numbers. Gene always looks good.
I watched Smart Woman with Mary Astor. Mary is married and meets a rich noble British man on the boat from Europe to America. She and her husband are separated and he is interested in another woman. Mary, the Britain, her husband, his girlfriend, the girlfriend's mother, Mary's sister and sister-in-law all meet up at Mary's house. Mary acts like she love the Britain, but she really loves her husband. The brother-in-law and the Britain each encourage the girlfriend to the Britain, so the couple can stay married. The Britain convinces the girlfriend and her mother to leave on their own. Great fast paced story pre-code story.
I also watched The Half-Naked Truth. It is a 1933 film and what I feel most intrigued about is the variety of voices in the film. The fast talking Lee Tracey, the accented Lupe Velez (wearing a racy costumes for most of the film and who sings without an accent, and when she is angry she speaks Spanish very fast), the deep voiced Eugene Pallette and the bumbling stuttering Frank Morgan.
Lee plays a carnival hawker for Lupe. He comes up with the idea for Lupe to admit that a man in the town was Lupe's father who “deceived” Lupe's mother. Lupe will tell the town the man's name at the evening show. At the nights show the police come arrest the workers as a fraud. There is a big fight and Lee, Lupe (in costume with her little dog) and Eugene go to NYC. Lee convinces people that Lupe is a Turkish princess and stays in a swanky Broadway hotel. Lee hires a lion and gets raw meat as a photo op for reporters. Lee goes to Follies producer, played by Frank Morgan to hire Lupe. Frank kicks Lee out of the theater. Lee doesn't give up and plants a story in the newspaper that Frank has hired Lupe. Lee writes a contract for Lupe to work in the Follies for Frank. He doesn't like the contract, but signs it anyway. Lupe then sings for Frank. It is not good. Since he signed the contract he keeps her in the show as an exotic dancer. When she dances the people in the audience are bored. Lee decides to cause a ruckus off stage stating that a Turkish man in the crew is upset because the dance is sacred. Lee has Lupe go into the song that she sang for Frank and modern jazz dancing. This the audience likes. It is a combination Bessie Smith, Josephine Baker and Fanny Brice in a skimpy costume. The musicians give their best, the people on stage start dancing and the audience is riveted.
The next night Lupe has dinner with Frank and Lee is jealous, of Frank or what Frank can do for her publicity wise I can't tell. Lee and Eugene leave. Lee starts his own publicity agency and the first thing he does is create a nudist colony. The nudists cover themselves with straw, that looks like bird nests. Lee does his best to ruin Lupe. He puts a story out who Lupe is really. He puts a huge picture of Frank and Lupe on the building across the street. He then takes the nudists out for a ride through NYC, which a huge crowd follow them. Of course the police stop them. Lee blackmails Frank into taking one of the nudists into his show. Lupe is then fired. Eugene buys a carnival and Lupe joins him. Eugene asks Lee to join him while they are in town. The last line is that Lee says “I've a big surprise for you” to Lupe as she dances on stage. As “The End” comes up the wedding march plays. This is probably the most unique and different film I have seen. Or maybe second to The Loved One. It is very much a comedy, but the actors play it straight like they are in a drama and let the story carry the comedy. That is probably due to La Cava's direction. That also happens in My Man Godfrey.
March 8
Happy Birthday to Cyd Charisse and Claire Trevor.
TCM showed films to celebrate Claire Trevor's birthday. At first I wasn't looking forward to the the films. The films being shown didn't really appeal to me. The films shown really encompass her long career.
I watched Allegheny Uprising (1939) co-starring John Wayne. Claire played a daughter of a saloon owner during and after the French and Indian War. It was a good role where she plays a rough and tumble yet feminine colonialist.
I also watched Borderline (1950) co-starring Fred MacMurray and Raymond Burr. Claire plays a police officer who goes to Mexico to infiltrate a Mexican drug cartel led by Burr. MacMurray plays a rival cartel member who takes out Burr and abducts Claire. That cartel decides to have Claire and Fred pose as man and wife to bring drugs into the states. The smuggle bags of drugs in a false bottom tray in a parrot cage and music box. The first night they stop Claire dusts the drugs in the music box for fingerprints and takes pictures. Fred does the same to her handbag. They have adventures on the road and fall in love or maybe it is just part of the game. As a married couple they did share a room but Fred slept in a chair. Burr catches up with them by the border and Fred arrests him. At the border they find out they are both police officers and they brought each other to the border to arrest each other. I thought their reactions, both to being used amusing. After that it becomes your typical police drama, they continue their charade meet up with the smugglers and there is a shoot out. Fred and Claire kiss at the end. Claire is really good in this film also. She plays a mature, dignified woman who shows intelligence, becomes a flirty chorus girl to attract Burr, fits into the situation she is forced into and angry at Fred for leading her on. She is a very strong independent woman.
I also watched Two Weeks In Another Town (1963). She played a shrewish wife of director Edward G. Robinson. She yells mostly at Edward, to encourage, defend and argue with him. The film also co-starred Kirk Douglas as another actor/director in love or having an affair with several women (I couldn't keep track really of all the women). It is strange watching Kirk watch himself in the film within a film (Bad & the Beautiful) mouth the words he is saying in the other film. Cyd Charisse is also in the film as the woman that Kirk loved years ago, as a gold-digger. The big scene for Claire is at a party in a restaurant. Edward is standing speaking and his leading lady is touching his side or back and Claire drunk is jealous and verbally and physically attacks the leading lady. That scene is great. There is a lot going on in the film, but it is all enjoyable.
TCM showed films to celebrate Claire Trevor's birthday. At first I wasn't looking forward to the the films. The films being shown didn't really appeal to me. The films shown really encompass her long career.
I watched Allegheny Uprising (1939) co-starring John Wayne. Claire played a daughter of a saloon owner during and after the French and Indian War. It was a good role where she plays a rough and tumble yet feminine colonialist.
I also watched Borderline (1950) co-starring Fred MacMurray and Raymond Burr. Claire plays a police officer who goes to Mexico to infiltrate a Mexican drug cartel led by Burr. MacMurray plays a rival cartel member who takes out Burr and abducts Claire. That cartel decides to have Claire and Fred pose as man and wife to bring drugs into the states. The smuggle bags of drugs in a false bottom tray in a parrot cage and music box. The first night they stop Claire dusts the drugs in the music box for fingerprints and takes pictures. Fred does the same to her handbag. They have adventures on the road and fall in love or maybe it is just part of the game. As a married couple they did share a room but Fred slept in a chair. Burr catches up with them by the border and Fred arrests him. At the border they find out they are both police officers and they brought each other to the border to arrest each other. I thought their reactions, both to being used amusing. After that it becomes your typical police drama, they continue their charade meet up with the smugglers and there is a shoot out. Fred and Claire kiss at the end. Claire is really good in this film also. She plays a mature, dignified woman who shows intelligence, becomes a flirty chorus girl to attract Burr, fits into the situation she is forced into and angry at Fred for leading her on. She is a very strong independent woman.
I also watched Two Weeks In Another Town (1963). She played a shrewish wife of director Edward G. Robinson. She yells mostly at Edward, to encourage, defend and argue with him. The film also co-starred Kirk Douglas as another actor/director in love or having an affair with several women (I couldn't keep track really of all the women). It is strange watching Kirk watch himself in the film within a film (Bad & the Beautiful) mouth the words he is saying in the other film. Cyd Charisse is also in the film as the woman that Kirk loved years ago, as a gold-digger. The big scene for Claire is at a party in a restaurant. Edward is standing speaking and his leading lady is touching his side or back and Claire drunk is jealous and verbally and physically attacks the leading lady. That scene is great. There is a lot going on in the film, but it is all enjoyable.
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