June 2019 Round-Up
TOTAL FILMS SEEN IN JUNE: 18
Summer has really begun in Barcelona with very warm days in the last week of June, so a lot of time is spent outdoors. I didn't watch as many films as I would have liked to see (my monthly goal is to reach one film a day on average) and much had to do with the fact that I was just too tired to watch films (but the intention was always there!). I went to visit my family in my native country The Netherlands at the beginning of the month and fortunately didn't miss any must-see films shown at the Filmoteca. I took a total of seven trips to the film theater (which isn't bad at all) and also started binge-watching Joseph Cotten films. I was a bit disappointed that the Filmoteca hadn't dedicated a tribute to Doris Day. Hopefully they will show some of her films later on in the year.
My most loved film this month was East of Eden. I was very eager and excited to see it when I saw the Filmoteca June program published mid-May, because it had been such a long time since I'd seen it last (still haven't read Steinbeck's masterpiece). To be able to see Elia Kazan's classic on the big screen in CinemaScope in a great print made me really happy. Apparently only part of the novel was used for this adaptation but the film is a coherent whole (based on the biblical story of Cain and Abel) with excellent performances, especially from James Dean. I kept thinking what great films Dean could have made had he lived longer and how wonderful it would have been to see him play mature roles. This film has great supporting roles by Julie Harris, Raymond Massey, Richard Davalos and Jo Van Fleet. I also love the music score by Leonard Rosenman and the cinematography by Ted D. McCord. I knew beforehand that the ending would choke me up and it did and I shed a tear or two. (Kazan made some wonderful movies, also one of my fave films ever, On the Waterfront, but I always feel ambivalent when marvelling at his masterpieces considering the fact that his successful career was built on his betrayal during the HUAC hearings. Just wanted to mention this.)
My most loved film this month was East of Eden. I was very eager and excited to see it when I saw the Filmoteca June program published mid-May, because it had been such a long time since I'd seen it last (still haven't read Steinbeck's masterpiece). To be able to see Elia Kazan's classic on the big screen in CinemaScope in a great print made me really happy. Apparently only part of the novel was used for this adaptation but the film is a coherent whole (based on the biblical story of Cain and Abel) with excellent performances, especially from James Dean. I kept thinking what great films Dean could have made had he lived longer and how wonderful it would have been to see him play mature roles. This film has great supporting roles by Julie Harris, Raymond Massey, Richard Davalos and Jo Van Fleet. I also love the music score by Leonard Rosenman and the cinematography by Ted D. McCord. I knew beforehand that the ending would choke me up and it did and I shed a tear or two. (Kazan made some wonderful movies, also one of my fave films ever, On the Waterfront, but I always feel ambivalent when marvelling at his masterpieces considering the fact that his successful career was built on his betrayal during the HUAC hearings. Just wanted to mention this.)
Apart from East of Eden, there were six other Filmoteca viewings this month, making it a total of seven films seen on the big screen: *)
Gun Crazy (with Peggy Cummins and John Dall)
Sleep, My Love (with Claudette Colbert, Don Ameche and Robert Cummings)
Park Row (with Gene Evans and Mary Welch)
The Magnificent Ambersons (with Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorehead, Dolores Costello, Anne Baxter and Tim Holt)
Rosita (with Mary Pickford)
Too Late For Tears (with Lizabeth Scott, Arthur Kennedy, Dan Duryea and Don DeFore)
*) I had planned to see The Crowd on the big screen but in the end I decided not to go because it was part of the DJ program. I have already seen a couple of silent movies with DJ music and it was either very distracting or caused a headache. And my sister had never seen The Crowd before and it's such a great movie, so to see it for the first time with DJ music is not recommendable.
Of the Filmoteca films three were rewatches (East of Eden, Gun Crazy and Too Late for Tears), the only rewatches of this month, ánd they were also my highest rated June films.
I still remembered most of the terrific film noir Gun Crazy since I had just seen it last Noirvember but watching it now on the big screen was a great experience. The cinematography by Russell Harlan is so amazing with all those shots from the back seat of the car. Peggy Cummins and John Dall have such intense chemistry, they make one of the most memorable noir couples. In my opinion this is required viewing!
The Magnificent Ambersons (with Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorehead, Dolores Costello, Anne Baxter and Tim Holt)
Rosita (with Mary Pickford)
Too Late For Tears (with Lizabeth Scott, Arthur Kennedy, Dan Duryea and Don DeFore)
*) I had planned to see The Crowd on the big screen but in the end I decided not to go because it was part of the DJ program. I have already seen a couple of silent movies with DJ music and it was either very distracting or caused a headache. And my sister had never seen The Crowd before and it's such a great movie, so to see it for the first time with DJ music is not recommendable.
Of the Filmoteca films three were rewatches (East of Eden, Gun Crazy and Too Late for Tears), the only rewatches of this month, ánd they were also my highest rated June films.
I still remembered most of the terrific film noir Gun Crazy since I had just seen it last Noirvember but watching it now on the big screen was a great experience. The cinematography by Russell Harlan is so amazing with all those shots from the back seat of the car. Peggy Cummins and John Dall have such intense chemistry, they make one of the most memorable noir couples. In my opinion this is required viewing!
The same goes for the outstanding Too Late for Tears. I had seen this recently as well, just last March, and I was happy to see this at the theater and enjoyed it as much as I did the first time. Lizabeth Scott is so good. Her character is as bad as they come but she manages to give a nuanced performance. She's especially good in the scene where she poisons Dan Duryea. The way she seems horrified by her act, seeing her victim lying dead on the floor, but then instantly composes herself, is a great piece of acting.
Sleep, My Love is an average noir by Douglas Sirk but seeing it on the big screen made it a little bit more special. For me the biggest flaw is the casting of Don Ameche. I found it hard to believe that sultry femme fatale Hazel Brooks would have the hots for Ameche but come to think of it, probably it was just his money. Or his wife's money, that is. The story of a man trying to kill his wife for her wealth and in order to be with his mistress is of course not very original, but it still manages to thrill, also because of the solid performance from Claudette Colbert. She makes a bit of a strange pair with Robert Cummings, but at least he fits the noir genre better than Ameche. There's some nice cinematography by Joseph A. Valentine (who also shot Shadow of a Doubt) and Raymond Burr makes a short appearance as the cop. This is a far cry from Ameche and Colbert's other collaboration, Midnight, and it's not so difficult to guess which of the two films I prefer. But I did like the scene very much where Ameche tries to get a sleepwalking and drugged Colbert to jump off the balcony.
Two more Filmoteca films to mention (I will save The Magnificent Ambersons for my list of Joseph Cotten films later on in this post).
Sleep, My Love is an average noir by Douglas Sirk but seeing it on the big screen made it a little bit more special. For me the biggest flaw is the casting of Don Ameche. I found it hard to believe that sultry femme fatale Hazel Brooks would have the hots for Ameche but come to think of it, probably it was just his money. Or his wife's money, that is. The story of a man trying to kill his wife for her wealth and in order to be with his mistress is of course not very original, but it still manages to thrill, also because of the solid performance from Claudette Colbert. She makes a bit of a strange pair with Robert Cummings, but at least he fits the noir genre better than Ameche. There's some nice cinematography by Joseph A. Valentine (who also shot Shadow of a Doubt) and Raymond Burr makes a short appearance as the cop. This is a far cry from Ameche and Colbert's other collaboration, Midnight, and it's not so difficult to guess which of the two films I prefer. But I did like the scene very much where Ameche tries to get a sleepwalking and drugged Colbert to jump off the balcony.
Two more Filmoteca films to mention (I will save The Magnificent Ambersons for my list of Joseph Cotten films later on in this post).
Park Row was shown in a rather dark print. I went to watch this because of the reputation of the director, Samuel Fuller, even though there are no familiar acting credits here. Gene Evans' name rings a vague bell and apparently he's in films I have seen (like Ace in the Hole and Criss Cross). I love the story premise (I generally like newspaper stories), and although the film builds up slowly, it becomes compelling and draws you in. The weak link is the romance between the two leads but I actually don't mind because I like romances. Leading actress Mary Welch made only one film and she's okay, her better moments are the ones where she shows her emotions. Based on historical facts, I loved to see the early stages of the printed newspaper. Gene Evans' character is fictionalised (in the film he starts to collect donations for the Statue of Liberty project but in real life it was publisher Joseph Pulitzer who took care of this) but the character of Ottmar Mergenthaler was a real-life German inventor who, like in the film, invented the linotype machine, a device that would revolutionise the art of printing.
Rosita is an early silent Lubitsch film, shown in the restored version by MoMa, with live piano music by Joan Pineda. The story is captivating, though I needed some time to get into it. One of the funniest scenes is when Rosita is invited to take up residence at the King's villa and her parents and siblings invite themselves over too. They cram themselves into the King's carriage and even take the dog. The film is lighthearted so it didn't come as a surprise that George Walsh as Don Diego has been spared a death by execution and that he shares a happy ending with Rosita. I liked Irene Rich as the Queen, especially in the visually great scene where she's spying on Rosita and the King with her small pocket mirror. This comedy is noteworthy for being my first Mary Pickford film.
Done with the theater viewings! I will continue with the films that don't star Joseph Cotten and I'll conclude this post with the Cotten list. So here goes (only two films!):
I Walk Alone (with Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Lizabeth Scott and Wendell Corey)
For Heaven’s Sake (with Joan Bennett, Clifton Webb and Robert Cummings)
I Walk Alone I saw on a plane ride from Barcelona to Amsterdam. It's a solid noir with great performances from the leads Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas. Lizabeth Scott starts to grow on me but I'm still not a fan (though she is fantastic in Too Late for Tears). I probably need to binge-watch her films to become converted. I do like Wendell Corey and felt sorry for the way he met his death.
Rosita is an early silent Lubitsch film, shown in the restored version by MoMa, with live piano music by Joan Pineda. The story is captivating, though I needed some time to get into it. One of the funniest scenes is when Rosita is invited to take up residence at the King's villa and her parents and siblings invite themselves over too. They cram themselves into the King's carriage and even take the dog. The film is lighthearted so it didn't come as a surprise that George Walsh as Don Diego has been spared a death by execution and that he shares a happy ending with Rosita. I liked Irene Rich as the Queen, especially in the visually great scene where she's spying on Rosita and the King with her small pocket mirror. This comedy is noteworthy for being my first Mary Pickford film.
Done with the theater viewings! I will continue with the films that don't star Joseph Cotten and I'll conclude this post with the Cotten list. So here goes (only two films!):
I Walk Alone (with Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Lizabeth Scott and Wendell Corey)
For Heaven’s Sake (with Joan Bennett, Clifton Webb and Robert Cummings)
I Walk Alone I saw on a plane ride from Barcelona to Amsterdam. It's a solid noir with great performances from the leads Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas. Lizabeth Scott starts to grow on me but I'm still not a fan (though she is fantastic in Too Late for Tears). I probably need to binge-watch her films to become converted. I do like Wendell Corey and felt sorry for the way he met his death.
I watched For Heaven's Sake when I was very tired, so during this film I was struggling to keep my eyes open and many scenes I had to watch again. In the end I think I caught most of the film and even thought it was fairly enjoyable. I chose this film in the first place for Joan Bennett because I might start binge-watching her films in July. I like her here and she looks great. Also love her voice and drawl. Her pairing with Robert Cummings seems a likely match. I like the story premise of the kids (Gigi Perreau and Tommy Rettig) waiting to be born and Clifton Webb and Edmund Gwenn as the angels trying to help the children to find a family. Though Webb as a Texan cowboy (complete wíth the accent) is stretching the imagination a bit ...
Now coming to my binge-watching Joseph Cotten films ... I was very happy to explore his filmography this month and get to know him a little better. I even wrote a post about him (here).
Now coming to my binge-watching Joseph Cotten films ... I was very happy to explore his filmography this month and get to know him a little better. I even wrote a post about him (here).
These are the Cotten films seen in June (all first watches), in watching order:
Peking Express (with Corinne Calvet and Edmund Gwenn)
The Steel Trap (with Teresa Wright)
Love Letters (with Jennifer Jones)
Portrait of Jennie (with Jennifer Jones, Ethel Barrymore, Lillian Gish and Cecil Kellaway)
Walk Softly, Stranger (with Alida Valli, Spring Byington and Paul Stewart)
The Farmer's Daughter (with Loretta Young, Charles Bickford and Ethel Barrymore)
Hers to Hold (with Deanna Durbin)
The Magnificent Ambersons (with Anne Baxter, Agnes Moorehead, Dolores Costello and Tim Holt)
Journey Into Fear (with Dolores del Río, Ruth Warrick, Agnes Moorehead and Orson Welles)
The Killer Is Loose (with Rhonda Fleming and Wendell Corey)
Peking Express (with Corinne Calvet and Edmund Gwenn)
The Steel Trap (with Teresa Wright)
Love Letters (with Jennifer Jones)
Portrait of Jennie (with Jennifer Jones, Ethel Barrymore, Lillian Gish and Cecil Kellaway)
Walk Softly, Stranger (with Alida Valli, Spring Byington and Paul Stewart)
The Farmer's Daughter (with Loretta Young, Charles Bickford and Ethel Barrymore)
Hers to Hold (with Deanna Durbin)
The Magnificent Ambersons (with Anne Baxter, Agnes Moorehead, Dolores Costello and Tim Holt)
Journey Into Fear (with Dolores del Río, Ruth Warrick, Agnes Moorehead and Orson Welles)
The Killer Is Loose (with Rhonda Fleming and Wendell Corey)
I didn't really plan on watching so many Cotten films but I knew that The Magnificent Ambersons was programmed at the Filmoteca and I just wanted to see a couple of other Cotten films prior to that. In the end I watched a total of 10 films!
Let me start with the worst of the Cotten films seen this month: Peking Express. It's apparently a remake of Josef von Sternberg's Shanghai Express (haven't seen that one yet) but it's not very good. Corinne Calvet looks beautiful but her accent and the sound of her voice really annoyed me. In fact, her character annoyed me too. Also Marvin Miller's oriental villain is plain ridiculous. Fortunately Cotten is watchable and there is also some chemistry between him and Calvert. Will not be seeing this again any time soon, if ever.
Love Letters and Journey into Fear were both enjoyable but also very average.
Let me start with the worst of the Cotten films seen this month: Peking Express. It's apparently a remake of Josef von Sternberg's Shanghai Express (haven't seen that one yet) but it's not very good. Corinne Calvet looks beautiful but her accent and the sound of her voice really annoyed me. In fact, her character annoyed me too. Also Marvin Miller's oriental villain is plain ridiculous. Fortunately Cotten is watchable and there is also some chemistry between him and Calvert. Will not be seeing this again any time soon, if ever.
Love Letters and Journey into Fear were both enjoyable but also very average.
I was a bit disappointed with Love Letters, though I was already aware of the fact that Jennifer Jones and Cotten's other collaboration Portrait of Jennie is regarded as the best of the four films they made together. Love Letters suffers from an improbable plot but fortunately the leads have great chemistry and at least make their romantic feelings for each other seem believable. Some impressive crew names: Lee Garmes was responsible for the beautiful cinematography, Ayn Rand wrote the screenplay (based on the novel by Chris Massie), Victor Young composed the score and Edith Head designed the costumes.
I'm not the most reliable person to judge Journey into Fear because I was very sleepy while watching this so I missed parts of it. What I did notice was the great cinematography by Karl Struss, who also shot Murnau's Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans. Cotten's character is cranky and I found his acting a bit brusque. I like Dolores Del Rio in her leopard suit, and the scene where she's wearing it and the magician gets killed is thrilling, but otherwise I'm pretty indifferent to her. The screenplay was written by Cotten, and though Orson Welles has no directorial credit, it looks like he helped director Norman Foster with the visual aspect of the film. Welles also plays a small role here but he didn't impress me much. I also got confused with the other characters and couldn't tell them apart in my sleepy state. Agnes Moorehead's character was a bit weird and Ruth Warrick's role as Cotten's wife was pretty much superfluous. But I think it would be fair to this film to rewatch it.
The Farmer's Daughter, Hers to Hold, The Killer is Loose and Walk Softly, Stranger were all a bit more enjoyable.
I'm not the most reliable person to judge Journey into Fear because I was very sleepy while watching this so I missed parts of it. What I did notice was the great cinematography by Karl Struss, who also shot Murnau's Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans. Cotten's character is cranky and I found his acting a bit brusque. I like Dolores Del Rio in her leopard suit, and the scene where she's wearing it and the magician gets killed is thrilling, but otherwise I'm pretty indifferent to her. The screenplay was written by Cotten, and though Orson Welles has no directorial credit, it looks like he helped director Norman Foster with the visual aspect of the film. Welles also plays a small role here but he didn't impress me much. I also got confused with the other characters and couldn't tell them apart in my sleepy state. Agnes Moorehead's character was a bit weird and Ruth Warrick's role as Cotten's wife was pretty much superfluous. But I think it would be fair to this film to rewatch it.
The Farmer's Daughter, Hers to Hold, The Killer is Loose and Walk Softly, Stranger were all a bit more enjoyable.
Let me first start by saying how adorable Joseph Cotten looks in The Farmer's Daughter, referring to the scenes where he's wearing glasses and a skating outfit. He's also most adorable in his PJs and especially when Loretta Young is giving him a Swedish massage and he gets all ticklish. This is an enjoyable comedy that turns into a political drama but for me the comedy part works better and is much more entertaining. When Young runs for congress, I was less interested and it's not very believable either. I also don't really get why Young got an Oscar for her role. Her performance is nothing out of the ordinary, not on a comedy level nor on a dramatic level. Reading online that Joan Crawford was also nominated for Possessed makes Young's win even more incomprehensible. Though I really love pre-code Loretta Young, I'm not so fond of (late) 1940s Young. Fortunately she has okay chemistry with Cotten but I would have preferred to see him with another leading lady. Also look out for a young Lex Barker as one of Young's brothers, and I loved the solid performances from Ethel Barrymore and Charles Bickford.
Hers to Hold is not one of Deanna Durbin's best (which I watched for Cotten anyway) but enjoyable enough and I couldn't help swooning over handsome Cotten. He looks especially good in his tuxedo! This film is the third film in the unofficial Three Smart Girls trilogy and the sequel to Three Smart Girls Grow Up with Deanna repeating her role of socialite Penelope Craig, all grown up now. Cotten plays the pilot Durbin falls in love with and in order to be close to him she gets a job at an aircraft factory. Needless to say this film also serves as wartime propaganda and Deanna's song Say a Prayer for the Boys Over There was nominated for Best Song at the Academy Awards. On paper the pairing of Cotten and Durbin looks a bit strange but I liked them together and thought that the 16-year age gap wasn't apparent at all and Durbin looks mature enough.
The Killer is Loose is well worth watching because of Wendell Corey's convincing performance as the killer on the loose. His bad persona is not the ruthless tough guy act, but he's merely a quiet-mannered bank teller who made the wrong choices and acts out of revenge. Corey is especially good in the scene where he sits quiet at the kitchen table and loses control and kills someone. We really sense his anxiety. Too bad Joseph Cotten's role isn't more interesting. He didn't even come across as a capable detective. Also Rhonda Fleming's character was a bit dumb.
The Killer is Loose is well worth watching because of Wendell Corey's convincing performance as the killer on the loose. His bad persona is not the ruthless tough guy act, but he's merely a quiet-mannered bank teller who made the wrong choices and acts out of revenge. Corey is especially good in the scene where he sits quiet at the kitchen table and loses control and kills someone. We really sense his anxiety. Too bad Joseph Cotten's role isn't more interesting. He didn't even come across as a capable detective. Also Rhonda Fleming's character was a bit dumb.
Walk Softly, Stranger didn't succeed in blending the romance with the noir bit. Cotten plays a likeable petty crook and in his romantic moments with Alida Valli he is very handsome. I love his eyes, quiet gaze and sweet smile, and it's actually the first time that I found him really attractive (not that he wasn't in former films I've seen him in but I just wasn't aware of it yet). He gives an understated performance and keeps the two sides of his character separated. I didn't detect a hint of his bad side during his moments with Valli. That part feels very much like a romantic melodrama and it makes you forget about the dark side of the film. But when Paul Stewart appears at Cotten's house all of a sudden and steps out of the shadow, we're back into noir territory. The scene where Cotten knocks Stewart down looks downright brutal and gone is our romantic lead. Alida Valli is beautiful but her Ingrid Bergman accent annoyed me a bit. And one can't help loving Spring Byington here. She is one of my fave supporting actresses, even though she plays the same role over and over again, but I'd wish I had a landlady like her. Nice photography by Harry J. Wild, a prolific film noir cinematographer who also shot (among others) The Woman on the Beach, The Big Steal and Murder, My Sweet. All in all, it was a nice viewing experience but the ending ... (spoiler!) ... with Cotten surviving the gunshots and the car crash is pretty unbelievable and the romantic final scene is a bit unsatisfactory.
The Magnificent Ambersons I watched on the big screen but unfortunately I wasn't feeling too well, also had a night of very little sleep, so this affected my viewing experience. I didn't exactly know beforehand what this film was about and hadn't expected it to be a straightforward family drama. I thought it had a darker side and was waiting for something bad to happen. The pace is a bit slow but the performances are all solid, Agnes Moorehead having the most challenging role. I was disappointed how small Cotten's part was in this film. But his character is very likeable and he plays the perfect gentleman. My main criticism with this film is how distant it is. You never really feel involved with the characters. There's no emotional impact, not even during the most emotional moments. The scene with Tim Holt at his mother's (Dolores Costello) bedside didn't evoke any strong feelings on my part. One of the best things about this film is the great cinematography by Stanley Cortez and the unconventional end credits.
I also love the narrative by Orson Welles, especially the introduction to the film: The magnificence of the Ambersons began in 1873. Their splendor lasted throughout all the years that saw their midland town spread and darken into a city. In that town, in those days, all the women who wore silk or velvet knew all the other women who wore silk or velvet, and everybody knew everybody else's family horse and carriage. The only public conveyance was the streetcar. A lady could whistle to it from an upstairs window, and the car would halt at once and wait for her, while she shut the window, put on her hat and coat, went downstairs, found an umbrella, told the girl what to have for dinner, and came forth from the house. Too slow for us nowadays, because the faster we're carried, the less time we have to spare. During the earlier years of this period, while bangs and bustles were having their way with women, there were seen men of all ages to whom a hat meant only that rigid, tall silk thing known to impudence as a stovepipe. But the long contagion of the derby had arrived. One season the crown of this hat would be a bucket; the next it would be a spoon. Every house still kept its bootjack, but high-top boots gave way to shoes and congress gaiters, and these were played through fashions that shaped them now with toes like box ends, and now with toes like the prows of racing shells. Trousers with a crease were considered plebian; the crease proved that the garment had lain upon a shelf and hence was ready-made. With evening dress, a gentleman wore a tan overcoat, so short that his black coattails hung visible five inches below the overcoat. But after a season or two, he lengthened his overcoat till it touched his heels. And he passed out of his tight trousers into trousers like great bags. In those days, they had time for everything. Time for sleigh rides, and balls, and assemblies, and cotillions, and open house on New Year's, and all-day picnics in the woods, and even that prettiest of all vanished customs: the serenade. Of a summer night, young men would bring an orchestra under a pretty girl's window, and flute, harp, fiddle, cello, cornet, bass viol, would presently release their melodies to the dulcet stars. Against so home-spun a background, the magnificence of the Ambersons was as conspicuous as a brass band at a funeral.
And I also love the narrative at the film's ending: Something had happened. A thing which, years ago, had been the eagerest hope of many, many good citizens of the town, and now it had come at last; George Amberson Mainafer had got his comeuppance. He got it three times filled, and running over. But those who had so longed for it were not there to see it, and they never knew it. Those who were still living had forgotten all about it and all about him.
This film is based on the novel by Booth Tarkington and the quotes indeed read like parts of a literary novel. Beautiful! Will definitely watch this film again.
My most liked Cotten film of this month is Portrait of Jennie. I had some expectations of this film, because of the positive reviews, and was glad that it wasn't a disappointment. I didn't know exactly what it was about but I found myself in the mood for this melodrama with fantasy elements and time travel (reminiscent of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir) and enjoyed it immensely. Both Cotten and Jennifer Jones perform well and I like Jones when she portrays a quirky character (here quirky at a younger age). I also enjoyed the fine supporting cast of Cecil Kellaway, Lillian Gish and Ethel Barrymore. The film opens in an unconventional way, without opening credits (and with an annoying voice-over), so it wasn't until the end credits that I discovered who the cinematographer was. Joseph H. August did a splendid job, giving the viewer beautiful images, at times noirish. I read that August suffered a fatal heart attack during production and that Lee Garmes finished the job, uncredited (August received an Oscar nomination posthumously). The only Oscar the film had been awarded was the one for Special Effects. I love the shots with the canvas effect. I also find the storm sequence impressive but I'm not sure whether I like the green and sepia hues. Yet the last shot of the finished painting in colour is very effective, more so because it's a beautiful painting*). Also noteworthy is the beautiful music score by Dimitri Tiomkin, an adaptation of the works of Claude Debussy.
*) The portrait of Jennifer Jones was commissioned to artist Robert Brackman. It became one of producer David O. Selznick's prize possessions and was displayed in the Selznick home after he and Jones married.
So that's a round-up again! It was great seeing all those Joseph Cotten films, and although I didn't even reach 20 films this month, I'm still content with what I watched and glad to see such great classics on the big screen. See you next month!
The Steel Trap was good and véry véry suspenseful! At times I couldn't stand the tension and had to look away. The built-up suspense is of the-edge-of-your-seat kind, so well done that it makes you overlook the improbabilities and plot holes (and believe me, there are plenty). Joseph Cotten and Teresa Wright make a fine pair, here husband and wife. I also really need to see more of Wright because I love her.
The Magnificent Ambersons I watched on the big screen but unfortunately I wasn't feeling too well, also had a night of very little sleep, so this affected my viewing experience. I didn't exactly know beforehand what this film was about and hadn't expected it to be a straightforward family drama. I thought it had a darker side and was waiting for something bad to happen. The pace is a bit slow but the performances are all solid, Agnes Moorehead having the most challenging role. I was disappointed how small Cotten's part was in this film. But his character is very likeable and he plays the perfect gentleman. My main criticism with this film is how distant it is. You never really feel involved with the characters. There's no emotional impact, not even during the most emotional moments. The scene with Tim Holt at his mother's (Dolores Costello) bedside didn't evoke any strong feelings on my part. One of the best things about this film is the great cinematography by Stanley Cortez and the unconventional end credits.
I also love the narrative by Orson Welles, especially the introduction to the film: The magnificence of the Ambersons began in 1873. Their splendor lasted throughout all the years that saw their midland town spread and darken into a city. In that town, in those days, all the women who wore silk or velvet knew all the other women who wore silk or velvet, and everybody knew everybody else's family horse and carriage. The only public conveyance was the streetcar. A lady could whistle to it from an upstairs window, and the car would halt at once and wait for her, while she shut the window, put on her hat and coat, went downstairs, found an umbrella, told the girl what to have for dinner, and came forth from the house. Too slow for us nowadays, because the faster we're carried, the less time we have to spare. During the earlier years of this period, while bangs and bustles were having their way with women, there were seen men of all ages to whom a hat meant only that rigid, tall silk thing known to impudence as a stovepipe. But the long contagion of the derby had arrived. One season the crown of this hat would be a bucket; the next it would be a spoon. Every house still kept its bootjack, but high-top boots gave way to shoes and congress gaiters, and these were played through fashions that shaped them now with toes like box ends, and now with toes like the prows of racing shells. Trousers with a crease were considered plebian; the crease proved that the garment had lain upon a shelf and hence was ready-made. With evening dress, a gentleman wore a tan overcoat, so short that his black coattails hung visible five inches below the overcoat. But after a season or two, he lengthened his overcoat till it touched his heels. And he passed out of his tight trousers into trousers like great bags. In those days, they had time for everything. Time for sleigh rides, and balls, and assemblies, and cotillions, and open house on New Year's, and all-day picnics in the woods, and even that prettiest of all vanished customs: the serenade. Of a summer night, young men would bring an orchestra under a pretty girl's window, and flute, harp, fiddle, cello, cornet, bass viol, would presently release their melodies to the dulcet stars. Against so home-spun a background, the magnificence of the Ambersons was as conspicuous as a brass band at a funeral.
And I also love the narrative at the film's ending: Something had happened. A thing which, years ago, had been the eagerest hope of many, many good citizens of the town, and now it had come at last; George Amberson Mainafer had got his comeuppance. He got it three times filled, and running over. But those who had so longed for it were not there to see it, and they never knew it. Those who were still living had forgotten all about it and all about him.
This film is based on the novel by Booth Tarkington and the quotes indeed read like parts of a literary novel. Beautiful! Will definitely watch this film again.
My most liked Cotten film of this month is Portrait of Jennie. I had some expectations of this film, because of the positive reviews, and was glad that it wasn't a disappointment. I didn't know exactly what it was about but I found myself in the mood for this melodrama with fantasy elements and time travel (reminiscent of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir) and enjoyed it immensely. Both Cotten and Jennifer Jones perform well and I like Jones when she portrays a quirky character (here quirky at a younger age). I also enjoyed the fine supporting cast of Cecil Kellaway, Lillian Gish and Ethel Barrymore. The film opens in an unconventional way, without opening credits (and with an annoying voice-over), so it wasn't until the end credits that I discovered who the cinematographer was. Joseph H. August did a splendid job, giving the viewer beautiful images, at times noirish. I read that August suffered a fatal heart attack during production and that Lee Garmes finished the job, uncredited (August received an Oscar nomination posthumously). The only Oscar the film had been awarded was the one for Special Effects. I love the shots with the canvas effect. I also find the storm sequence impressive but I'm not sure whether I like the green and sepia hues. Yet the last shot of the finished painting in colour is very effective, more so because it's a beautiful painting*). Also noteworthy is the beautiful music score by Dimitri Tiomkin, an adaptation of the works of Claude Debussy.
*) The portrait of Jennifer Jones was commissioned to artist Robert Brackman. It became one of producer David O. Selznick's prize possessions and was displayed in the Selznick home after he and Jones married.
So that's a round-up again! It was great seeing all those Joseph Cotten films, and although I didn't even reach 20 films this month, I'm still content with what I watched and glad to see such great classics on the big screen. See you next month!
PHOTOS/GIFS IN THIS POST FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:
*For Heaven’s Sake (1950) with Joan Bennett and Robert Cummings;
*Joseph Cotten; (2 photos)
*Peking Express (1951) with Joseph Cotten and Corinne Calvet;
*Peking Express (1951) with Joseph Cotten and Corinne Calvet;
*Love Letters (1945) with Joseph Cotten and Jennifer Jones; (gif and photo)
*Journey Into Fear (1943) with Joseph Cotten and Dolores del Río;
*The Farmer's Daughter (1947) with Joseph Cotten, Loretta Young, Charles Bickford and Ethel Barrymore;
*The Farmer's Daughter (1947) with Joseph Cotten and Loretta Young;
*Hers to Hold (1943) with Joseph Cotten and Deanna Durbin;
*Hers to Hold (1943) with Joseph Cotten and Deanna Durbin;
*The Killer Is Loose (1956) with Joseph Cotten, Rhonda Fleming, Virginia Christine, Michael Pate and Wendell Corey;
*The Killer Is Loose (1956) with Joseph Cotten and Rhonda Fleming;
*Walk Softly, Stranger (1950) with Joseph Cotten and Alida Valli;
*The Steel Trap (1952) with Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten;
*The Steel Trap (1952) with Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten;
*The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) with Joseph Cotten and Agnes Moorehead;
*The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), behind the scenes with Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorehead, Dolores Costello, Orson Welles and Anne Baxter;
*Portrait of Jennie (1948), commissioned painting of Jennifer Jones by Robert Brackman;
*Portrait of Jennie (1948) with Joseph Cotten and Jennifer Jones;
*Portrait of Jennie (1948) with Joseph Cotten and Cecil Kellaway;
*Portrait of Jennie (1948) with Jennifer Jones.
*East of Eden (1955) with James Dean;
*East of Eden (1955) with James Dean and Julie Harris;
*Gun Crazy (1950) with Peggy Cummins and John Dall;
*Gun Crazy (1950) with Peggy Cummins and John Dall;
*Too Late For Tears (1949) with Lizabeth Scott and Dan Duryea;
*Sleep, My Love (1948) with Claudette Colbert and Robert Cummings;
*Park Row (1952) with Gene Evans and Mary Welch;
*Rosita (1923) with Mary Pickford and Holbrook Blinn;
*Rosita (1923) with Mary Pickford and George Walsh;
*I Walk Alone (1947) with Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas and Lizabeth Scott;*For Heaven’s Sake (1950) with Joan Bennett and Robert Cummings;
*Joseph Cotten; (2 photos)
*Peking Express (1951) with Joseph Cotten and Corinne Calvet;
*Peking Express (1951) with Joseph Cotten and Corinne Calvet;
*Love Letters (1945) with Joseph Cotten and Jennifer Jones; (gif and photo)
*Journey Into Fear (1943) with Joseph Cotten and Dolores del Río;
*The Farmer's Daughter (1947) with Joseph Cotten, Loretta Young, Charles Bickford and Ethel Barrymore;
*The Farmer's Daughter (1947) with Joseph Cotten and Loretta Young;
*Hers to Hold (1943) with Joseph Cotten and Deanna Durbin;
*Hers to Hold (1943) with Joseph Cotten and Deanna Durbin;
*The Killer Is Loose (1956) with Joseph Cotten, Rhonda Fleming, Virginia Christine, Michael Pate and Wendell Corey;
*The Killer Is Loose (1956) with Joseph Cotten and Rhonda Fleming;
*Walk Softly, Stranger (1950) with Joseph Cotten and Alida Valli;
*The Steel Trap (1952) with Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten;
*The Steel Trap (1952) with Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten;
*The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) with Joseph Cotten and Agnes Moorehead;
*The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), behind the scenes with Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorehead, Dolores Costello, Orson Welles and Anne Baxter;
*Portrait of Jennie (1948), commissioned painting of Jennifer Jones by Robert Brackman;
*Portrait of Jennie (1948) with Joseph Cotten and Jennifer Jones;
*Portrait of Jennie (1948) with Joseph Cotten and Cecil Kellaway;
*Portrait of Jennie (1948) with Jennifer Jones.