June 2021 Round-Up
TOTAL FILMS SEEN IN JUNE: 35
(see the film posters at the bottom of the post, arranged in watching order)
NEW-TO-ME: 33 (27 features & 6 shorts)
REWATCHES: 2
SEEN ON THE BIG SCREEN: 4
MOST WATCHED ACTOR: Stephen McNally (6 in total)
Joan Crawford, 1935, photographed by George Hurrell
With summer in full swing in Barcelona, we spent plenty of time outdoors, sitting on terraces for a drink and tapas, exploring other neighbourhoods for a possible move. We live very close to the beach (with a sea view!), and though this may sound perfect, we're really fed up with the noise disturbance every single night and especially on weekends when hundreds of young people meet on the beach for drinking parties (botellones). We've been living in the city center for 4 years now and would really love to move up north to a residential area for more peace and quiet.
I also finally booked a trip to my native country The Netherlands, scheduled for the beginning of September. Hopefully I'll be fully vaccinated by then. Very excited to go home as I haven't been there since November last year. Our siblings also made plans to come this way, so in that respect things are slowly turning back to normal (sort of). Towards the end of June some of the Covid restrictions in Barcelona were abandoned: it's no longer obligatory to wear a face mask outside and nightclubs and discotheques were reopening their doors.
With the relaxation of the Covid restrictions the occupancy rate in film theaters was also going up again. Our beloved theater Filmoteca went from 50% to 70% occupancy. I know the increase is good for business for the theaters, but personally I loved the low occupancy rate. Yet with the 70% rate you're allowed to sit together again with your film buddy (in my case my sister) and there's still a seat between us and the next person/couple.
Our Dancing Daughters with Joan Crawford and Dorothy Sebastian
So what did I have planned for the month, movie-wise?
*watch films of Alexis Smith and Jane Russell, since both actresses would be celebrating the centennial of their birth this June; (I wrote a centennial tribute post for Alexis Smith, here)
*watch Dorothy Arzner films at the Filmoteca;
*watch Joan Crawford films (I came up with this plan later; Dorothy Arzner's The Bride Wore Red was scheduled towards the end of the month at the Filmoteca and I knew I was going to see it; I thought I might as well continue Crawford's filmography and catch some of her earlier work);
*watch more silent films.
Macao with Jane Russell, Centennial Girl
I'm happy to report I can tick all the boxes of my month's resolutions. Let's start with the theater viewings.
The following titles were programmed for the Dorothy Arzner retrospective at the Filmoteca: Working Girls, Get Your Man, The Wild Party, Sarah and Son, Anybody’s Woman, Honor Among Lovers, Christopher Strong, Merrily We Go to Hell, The Bride Wore Red, Craig’s Wife, First Comes Courage and Dance, Girl, Dance.
I wanted to watch quite a few of those (except for Dance, Girl, Dance, which I'd already seen at the Filmoteca; Sarah and Son, which I didn't like at all; and the recently watched Christopher Strong, which I found only mediocre) but in the end I only saw four films: Merrily We Go to Hell, The Bride Wore Red, Craig’s Wife and First Comes Courage. The Bride Wore Red and First Comes Courage were first watches. The only rewatches I saw this month were Merrily We Go to Hell and Craig’s Wife.
By the way: The Swimmer with Burt Lancaster was also scheduled and I really wanted to see it on the big screen (which would have been a first watch) but I didn't feel very well on its viewing date so I had to let it go.
Joan Crawford is My Most Watched Actress of the month with a total of 8 films seen: The Unknown, Chained, Laughing Sinners, Our Dancing Daughters, Our Modern Maidens, Strange Cargo, The Bride Wore Red and Harriet Craig. One was seen on the big screen (The Bride Wore Red) and three are silents (The Unknown, Our Dancing Daughters, Our Modern Maidens).
I also met my other film goals of the month:
*I watched 4 films starring Alexis Smith (Steel Against the Sky, Dive Bomber, Split Second and Wyoming Mail);
*I watched 3 films starring Jane Russell (The Paleface, Macao and His Kind of Woman);
*I watched 10 silent films, of which 6 were shorts (Suspense, Now or Never, Falling Leaves, The Unchanging Sea, The Musketeers of Pig Alley, Never Weaken) and 4 were feature films (Shoes, The Unknown, Our Dancing Daughters, Our Modern Maidens).
Stephen McNally and Coleen Gray in Apache Drums (screenshot by me)
After I'd watched Split Second with Alexis Smith, I wanted to check out films with Stephen McNally in a leading role, preferably heroic (he played a lot of supporting roles and got third billed often). He became My Most Watched Actor of the month (unplanned) with a total of 6 films seen (Split Second, Hell’s Five Hours, The Lady Pays Off, Apache Drums, Wyoming Mail and The Stand at Apache River). I never thought much of him but really grew to like him.
There were other actors I saw multiple films of: 4 with Franchot Tone (The Bride Wore Red, Because of Him, Exclusive Story, The Stranger’s Return), 3 with Clark Gable (Chained, Laughing Sinners, Strange Cargo), 2 with Coleen Gray (Hell's Five Hours, Apache Drums), 2 with Harold Lloyd (Now or Never, Never Weaken), 2 with Robert Mitchum (Macao, His Kind of Woman), 2 with Craig Stevens (Steel Against the Sky, Dive Bomber) and 2 with Sally Eilers (They Made Her a Spy, Danger Patrol).
My highest rated films of the month are Shoes, Apache Drums, The Unknown and Craig’s Wife. Also noteworthy are Our Dancing Daughters, Show Them No Mercy!, Strange Cargo, Merrily We Go to Hell, The Musketeers of Pig Alley, Harriet Craig, The Stranger’s Return, His Kind of Woman and First Comes Courage.
The lowest rated films are Steel Against the Sky, Laughing Sinners and Exclusive Story.
My absolute favourite screen couples of the month are Clark Gable and Joan Crawford (Chained, Laughing Sinners, Strange Cargo) and Jane Russell and Robert Mitchum (Macao, His Kind of Woman). Both couples have great sizzling chemistry.
Breaking the 35 watched films down in decades:
1910s - 5
1920s - 5
1930s - 10
1940s - 6
1950s - 9
1960s - 0
NOW LET'S MOVE ON TO THE FILMS!
(read notes with caution as they might contain spoilers; ratings go from ½ to ★★★★★)
STEEL AGAINST THE SKY (1941) ★★
Watched: 03.06.2021
Watched this for Alexis Smith, in the run-up to the centennial of her birth, on the 8th of June. I was not expecting anything from this B-production about the construction of a bridge and the steel workers involved. Lloyd Nolan, Craig Stevens and Edward Brophy play brothers, with Nolan and Stevens both falling for the daughter (Alexis Smith) of their boss (Gene Lockhart). Since Nolan has first billing, I initially concentrated on him as Smith's love interest, but it soon became clear that it wasn't going to be him. Smith and Stevens have good chemistry and were to be married in real life a couple of years later. They had a long-lasting marriage until Smith's death in 1993. Apart from the romantic subplot, there's another storyline with a very unfunny Walter Catlett as a professor, helping Stevens to make some quick money. He's doing experiments in the basement and things start to explode, and frankly, this comic relief didn't make sense at all. The final act with the storm is pretty dramatic and it was exciting to see the men on the bridge under dire circumstances. I just wondered whether they really did those things back in the days without any safety measures. All in all, this film was tonally uneven and a bit of a mess, but it was nice to see Alexis Smith this young and beautiful and to watch her with husband-to-be Craig Stevens. Too bad Nolan didn't get the girl because I like him. (Photos: Lloyd Nolan, Alexis Smith and Craig Stevens / Alexis Smith)
Watched: 04.06.2021
Watched this film because I had read some good reviews about it and I want to see a couple of silent films every month. I had also never seen a Lois Weber film before, had vaguely heard about her, but had no idea she was an early film pioneer, apparently among the most important and prolific film directors in the era of silent films. This film has a simple story premise and immediately appealed to me. A shop girl wears worn-out shoes and has her eyes set on a beautiful new pair shown in a shop window close to her work. Since she is the sole breadwinner of her family — her lazy good-for-nothing father is out of work and reads all day instead of looking for a job — and she earns only a meager salary, her mother needs all the money she brings in and there's nothing left to buy shoes. Every morning the girl cuts out cardboard soles to cover the holes in her torn shoes, every evening after work she soaks her sore feet in a bowl of hot water. When a nightclub singer shows an interest in her (clearly with dishonourable intentions), she avoids his advances at first, until her longing for a new pair of shoes drives her to desperation. So many poignant moments here: the girl getting ready to meet the cad and catching her expression full of despair in the cracked mirror, realising what she's about to do; the girl sitting on a park bench during lunch break, watching the pretty girls with their pretty dresses and shoes go by; walking to work and back again in the pouring rain, her shoes falling apart; and the heartbreaking ending where she's wearing new shoes and her father comes home announcing he found a job. Mary MacLaren gives a deeply moving performance as the poor working girl, her face conveys so much emotion. A truly engaging watch, which makes me curious about Weber's other work. Note: I watched the restored version by Eye Filmmuseum in Amsterdam. Amsterdam used to be my hometown and I've visited the Eye Filmmuseum numerous times. I'm very happy they've preserved this beautiful film. (Photos (3): Mary MacLaren)
Watched: 04.06.2021
Decided to watch this Lois Weber short since it's only 11 minutes long and it has some innovative visuals. The story is simple again: a housekeeper quits her job (as the location is too remote for her) and puts the house key under the doormat. A tramp observes this (in a wonderful crane shot) and with the key he gives himself access to the place where the lady of the house and her baby are present. The woman just received a call from her husband that he'll be late from work, but when she discovers the burglar, she phones her husband back who then hurries home in order to save his wife and child. Despite the very short runtime, this is a fully accomplished little thriller with tense moments. Director Weber (who's also an actress) plays the lady of the house. Most noteworthy is the use of the split-screen (in three), never used before. The car chase scene with the rear view mirror shot is great too. (Photo: Lois Weber, Val Paul and Sam Kaufman)
DIVE BOMBER (1941) ★★½
Watched: 05.06.2021
If it wasn't for the cast, this aviation film would have been a bit of a bore. I liked the story of flight surgeons developing a high-altitude suit to prevent pilots from blacking out, but there's absolutely no excuse why this should be 132 minutes long. The story isn't executed very well and the pace is way too slow. There are also no surprises in the narrative, everything is predictable, like the fate of pilots Fred MacMurray and Regis Toomey. I love Errol Flynn so it was nice to see him again but there was nothing special about his performance. Alexis Smith has a shockingly small part for a film with such a long runtime. She looks beautiful and young, though, and in Technicolor! This film was made before the recently watched Steel Against the Sky, where Smith stars with future husband Craig Stevens, and Stevens has also a supporting part in this film. Too bad Smith and Stevens don't share any scenes together here. There are some exciting aerial scenes but also annoying comic relief by Allen Jenkins and Dennie Moore. The thing I noticed — and this has also been commented upon by other reviewers — is how everyone is lighting up a cigarette all the time! The most absurd thing (considering today's sensitivities towards smoking) is how doctor Flynn immediately lights up after having performed surgery and keeps smoking while giving Fred MacMurray and Regis Toomey the bad news about their pilot friend. (Photos (2): Errol Flynn, Alexis Smith and Fred MacMurray)
SPLIT SECOND (1953) ★★★
Watched: 05.06.2021
Enjoyable film noir, directed by Dick Powell, about escaped convicts who take some people hostage in a ghost town where a nuclear bomb test is to take place. One of the convicts is suffering from a bullet wound and they wait till the doctor (the husband of one of the hostages) shows up. Will they get away in time before the bomb goes off? I thought the story premise was interesting and executed well. Also, the characterisation is above average. Stephen McNally (who looks really good, by the way) gives a nuanced portrayal of the villain. He's brutal and doesn't give it a second thought when bumping off someone, but at the same time he cherishes his friendship with wounded fellow convict Paul Kelly and is shown as kind and caring towards his friend. Alexis Smith is one of the hostages, a rich woman on her way to Reno to get a divorce from her doctor husband (Richard Egan) whom McNally has contacted to treat Kelly. Smith's character is not very likeable, she's a weak and selfish woman who'll do anything in order to survive. I really liked Jan Sterling, her character and performance, also her relationship with Keith Andes. The visuals inside the deserted house are beautiful, no wonder when the DP is none other than Nicholas Musuraca. All in all, a good way to spend 85 minutes. It also has a satisfying ending! (Photos: Alexis Smith and Stephen McNally / Jan Sterling and Alexis Smith / Keith Andes and Jan Sterling)
HELL'S FIVE HOURS (1958) ★★½
Watched: 06.06.2021
Sought this out for Stephen McNally (was looking for a film where he's playing the lead). It's a thriller about a disgruntled worker (Vic Morrow) of a rocket-fuel plant who threatens to blow himself up on the plant's premises. What he doesn't know is that the fuel is being diverted to some faraway place. McNally is the plant's manager and Coleen Gray plays his wife who's been taken hostage by Morrow so he can force his way into the plant. There's an unnecessary introduction with stock footage of rockets taking off before the opening credits start. Though it became a fairly entertaining watch, the script is pretty bad, at times even laughable. I felt for poor Coleen Gray; of all roles/performances I liked her the most. McNally didn't impress me much, and although Morrow wasn't bad, I thought he was extremely unpleasant, so in that regard he played his role well. The best thing about this film is the cinematography by Ernest Haller, it's often striking. (Screenshots by me: Stephen McNally and Coleen Gray / cinematography by Ernest Haller / Coleen Gray and Vic Morrow)
THE LADY PAYS OFF (1951) ★★★
Watched: 06.06.2021Another Stephen McNally film, one that I had been meaning to watch for some time (in fact for Linda Darnell). I have a vague feeling, though, that I've already seen this a long time ago. This romantic comedy is directed by Douglas Sirk, and for both director and the leads this genre was a change among their usual films and I thought it would make for an interesting watch. The story premise is simple: Darnell loses a lot of money while gambling, and McNally as the casino manager proposes to pay her debt off in exchange for her taking care of his daughter (Gigi Perreau) during the holidays. There's nothing special about the story or the performances, nothing we haven't seen before, but I had a good time with this and it was nice to see the leads in comedy roles. They also have nice chemistry. I especially liked the scene on the fishing boat with Darnell getting drunk and seasick. (Photos: Linda Darnell, Gigi Perreau and Stephen McNally / Linda Darnell and Stephen McNally / Linda Darnell and Stephen McNally)
APACHE DRUMS (1951) ★★★★
Watched: 07.06.2021
I noticed a lot of love for this western (the last film of producer Val Lewton who died at the age of 46) on Letterboxd, and since I was watching films with Stephen McNally, I decided to prolong my little binge (this being my fourth McNally film in a row). I was happy to watch a decent print because the cinematography by Charles P. Boyle is very good, at times even stunning, with exterior shots baking in sunlight and interior shots in beautiful colours (all in Technicolor). That great first shot of the door opening from the inside is a taste of what's coming. The story is pretty standard: a gambler (McNally) is run out of town for gunning a man down in self-defence but returns to warn the townspeople after having come across an attacked stagecoach with the passengers killed by Apaches. Fortunately the story is well executed, inhabited by well-rounded characters. McNally's gambler is deeply flawed but redeems himself in the end. The scene with McNally and the reverend Arthur Shields in the desert where they single-handedly fight the Apaches is thrilling and a defining moment in the relationship between the two men. From the beginning I was already pleasantly surprised with this film but the best was yet to come. I had not expected that final act. The sequence in the church, where the townspeople hide from the Apaches till the cavalry arrives, is close to perfect. It's very suspenseful and tense, filled with dread and fear. Seeing those Apaches, painted in bright colours, flying through the high windows, is very impressive. The whole act is gorgeous to look at (those colours!), with the burning of the door an exciting finale. I also liked the relationship between McNally and Coleen Gray. I particularly loved the scene where he is handcuffed to the bar rail with the Apaches approaching and telling Gray to go but she refuses to leave him behind. Also McNally's soft side shines through when doing magic tricks in front of the kids who are terrified. I liked the supporting role by James Griffith as the lieutenant who is very knowledgeable about the Apaches, their beliefs and superstitions. Highly recommended! (Photos: Stephen McNally, Coleen Gray and Willard Parker / Stephen McNally and Arthur Shields / Stephen McNally and Coleen Gray)
NOW OR NEVER (1921) ★★½
Watched: 09.06.2021Mediocre Harold Lloyd short with few stunts and not enough gags. Harold is tasked to look after a little girl on the train, taken on a trip for a couple of days by her nanny Mildred Davis (Harold's girlfriend) without her parents knowing (so she basically kidnapped the child). The father happens to be on the train and the nanny joins him in a separate coach to keep him from seeing his daughter. I liked Harold's stunt under and on top of the train, and the little girl is kind of cute, but other than that there's little to recommend here. I have to admit there was some lack of engagement on my part because I was supersleepy so I give this the benefit of the doubt and might return to it some other day. (Gif: Harold Lloyd)
THE UNKNOWN (1927) ★★★★
Watched: 10.06.2021Decided to continue Joan Crawford's filmography with her early films and chose to watch this silent film. Had no idea what to expect, apart from the fact that I knew there was some horror element. Well, it's a mad and bizarre story but totally compelling. It's unsettling and eerie in tone and gets quite tragic, frankly. Lon Chaney plays an armless circus artist in love with his assistant Joan Crawford. She is tired of men touching her and feels comfortable with the armless Chaney. I think it's better not to know too much about the plot, because there are some exciting twists. Suffice to say that Chaney gives a terrific performance, very strong in his emotional scenes, never overdoing it, and even eliciting sympathy from the viewer. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Also, the way he uses his feet as hands was quite impressive (yet I read later that he used a foot double). Joan's role is less challenging but it's nice to see her this young and in a silent film. I watched the 1997 Turner version with a commissioned score by the Alloy Orchestra. It has a modern feel and there were some nice piano intervals but also obtrusive ominous tunes. (Photo: Joan Crawford and Lon Chaney / Gif by me: Joan Crawford and Lon Chaney)
FALLING LEAVES (1912) ★★½
Watched: 11.06.2021
I wanted to like this more than I did, this little short directed by one of the female pioneer directors, Alice Guy-Blaché. It's a story about a teenage girl sick with tuberculosis while a doctor is working on a miracle cure. When the girl's little sister overhears the family doctor saying "when the last leaf falls, she will have passed away", she ties the leaves to the trees to prevent her elder sister from dying. It's the most poignant scene in the film and most effective in eliciting emotions on part of the viewer. Also visually it's the most beautiful moment. Other than that, this is not really special, but it won't hurt to invest 12 minutes of your time in a silent film of historical significance. (Gif by me: Magda Foy)
CHAINED (1934) ★★★
Watched: 13.06.2021
"I adored him. Just adored him. I don't believe any woman is telling the truth if she ever worked with Gable and did not feel twinges of a sexual urge beyond belief. I would call her a liar." (Joan Crawford on Clark Gable)
There is no denying that Clark Gable and Joan Crawford have great sizzling chemistry, especially in this film. They play so well off each other and their playful banter is very natural. I loved their scenes together! Crawford is in love with married millionaire Otto Kruger who sends her on a luxurious cruise so she can think things over while he tries to get a divorce from his wife. Aboard the ship Joan meets Clark Gable and they fall in love. When Kruger's wife finally agrees to a divorce, Crawford chooses Kruger over Gable since he's given up everything for her. I wasn't sure with whom Joan was going to share her happy ending and admittedly the conclusion is awfully rushed but I was glad she got together with Gable. Costumes by Adrian are a bit of a hit-and-miss and some are less beautiful. Also, Joan's hairdo leaves a lot to be desired at times. (Photos: Otto Kruger, Clark Gable and Joan Crawford / Joan Crawford and Clark Gable / Clark Gable and Joan Crawford)
LAUGHING SINNERS (1931) ★★
Watched: 13.06.2021
Casting Clark Gable (without moustache) as a Salvation Army Officer is a bit laughable and certainly provoked some giggles on my part. He saves Joan Crawford (blond here) from committing suicide (because of Neil Hamilton) and as a result Crawford (who had been a dancing and singing Bunny prior to the suicide attempt) becomes a Salvation Army Officer herself. Though I like the supporting cast (Marjorie Rambeau, Guy Kibbee and Roscoe Karns), I liked the scenes with them and without the leads less. Joan has some good moments, and the last shot with her and Gable walking away as Salvation Army Officers was quite funny, but overall this is not recommendable. (Photos: Neil Hamilton, Clark Gable and Joan Crawford / Joan Crawford and Clark Gable / Clark Gable and Joan Crawford)
Watched: 13.06.2021
"Joan Crawford is doubtless the best example of the flapper, the girl you see in smart night clubs, gowned to the apex of sophistication, toying iced glasses with a remote, faintly bitter expression, dancing deliciously, laughing a great deal, with wide, hurt eyes. Young things with a talent for living." ( F. Scott Fitzgerald)
This was Joan Crawford's big break into stardom, playing a rich flapper girl during the Jazz Age. The scenes of her energetic dancing are iconic and infectious. Joan's party girl (virtuous and with a heart of gold) is contrasted with Anita Page's golddigger (who appears to be decent from the outside). Page portrays her bitchy role well and the scene where she has a drunken fit and then falls down the stairs is memorable. Crawford is also very good, especially in her emotional moments, and I loved her friendship with Dorothy Sebastian. This late silent with sound effects was really enjoyable and I'm definitely going to check out more of Joan's silents. (Gifs by me (2): Joan Crawford)
Watched: 14.06.2021
MERRILY WE GO TO HELL (1932) ★★★½
THE BRIDE WORE RED (1937) ★★★
I was curious about this one as it has some good ratings and reviews. It turned out to be totally engrossing with a good cast and some nice tense moments. The film is about a young couple (Rochelle Hudson and Edward Norris) who finds themselves hiding from a storm in an abandoned farmhouse where four crooks (Cesar Romero, Bruce Cabot, Edward Brophy and Warren Hymer) also have taken shelter. The crooks have just collected the ransom for a kidnapping and have released the abducted kid. I liked the humour and the scenes where the crooks are making fun of each other and are laughing their heads off. I like how their human sides are shown, like Romero dancing. The best sequence is the one where the young couple enters the house and you don't know whether they already have company. It's really suspenseful. The cinematography by Bert Glennon is very good by the way. One of the final scenes where Rochelle Hudson operates a machine gun came as a surprise and was also out of character but it was a nice twist just the same. It also surprisingly passed the Hays Code which had been rigidly enforced in mid-1934. (Photos: Rochelle Hudson, Edward Norris, Cesar Romero and Bruce Cabot (in the background) / Rochelle Hudson and Edward Norris)
OUR MODERN MAIDENS (1929) ★★★
Watched: 15.06.2021
This is Joan Crawford's last silent film, in the same vein as Our Dancing Daughters (yet not really a sequel) with Joan playing a wealthy socialite. It's the only film in which Joan and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. appear together (they were married in real life from 1929 till 1933). There is a memorable house party where Joan is playing the drums and Doug is doing imitations on John Barrymore, John Gilbert and his own father Fairbanks Sr. (there's quite a resemblance there). The repetitive music score becomes a bit annoying but the art deco sets are lush and beautiful. The ending is quite melodramatic but I liked it. Also with sound elements. (Photos (2): Joan Crawford and Douglas Fairbanks Jr.)
STRANGE CARGO (1940) ★★★½
Watched: 16.06.2021
I love Frank Borzage's work and the lyricism and spirituality in his films. So when this film started out as a standard prison-break film, I wondered where the Borzage touch was (I had not read the synopsis beforehand). Well, it came in the form of Ian Hunter, a Christ-like figure who makes people contemplate their lives and sins while facing death and makes this into a religious allegory. When you state it like that, it sounds rather corny but somehow it all worked. Also, Hunter's character never becomes overbearing. Clark Gable and Joan Crawford play tough hard-boiled characters who redeem themselves in the end. They have good chemistry again. I especially liked Crawford's character arc and how unglamorous she looks towards the end. (Photos: Clark Gable and Joan Crawford / Ian Hunter, Joan Crawford and Clark Gable / Peter Lorre and Joan Crawford)
THE UNCHANGING SEA (1910) ★★★
Watched: 17.06.2021
Watched this D.W. Griffith 14-minute short because I was too sleepy to watch anything with a longer runtime. Though the narrative and performances are somewhat lacking, there's some beautiful visual poetry here, of the waves crashing on the shore and the wives (with their backs to the camera) waiting for their fishermen husbands to come back. It creates a deeply melancholy mood. The version I saw had a lovely score, no idea if it's the original one. With Mary Pickford in an early supporting part. (Photo: The Unchanging Sea, cinematography by Billy Bitzer)
Rewatched: 18.06.2021
"I spent the morning realizing that we're living in a modern world — where there's no place for old-fashioned wives. You seem to want a modern wife and that's what I'm going to be. In other words, I'm going to unpack my trunks. You see, I'd rather go merrily to Hell with you than alone." (Sylvia Sidney as Joan Prentice)
Watched this pre-code film at the Filmoteca on the big screen in a good print, as part of the Dorothy Arzner special. Had seen this before a while back but then it didn't impress me much. Now I thought it was pretty good, with great dialogue and solid performances by the leads Fredric March and Sylvia Sidney. March plays a writer, a perpetual drunk, who marries rich Sidney, much to the displeasure of her father. Sidney's love temporarily keeps him off the bottle and he writes a successful play before lapsing into drunken misery again. It gets quite melodramatic and I had preferred another ending, but overall I enjoyed this. I also liked Adrianne Allen as March's former crush. The moment at the party where she and March are rehearsing a kissing scene while Sylvia walks in is so embarrassing! Look out for a young Cary Grant in a small supporting part as Sidney's date. (Gifs: Sylvia Sidney / Fredric March / Photo: Cary Grant, Sylvia Sidney and Fredric March)
THE MUSKETEERS OF PIG ALLEY (1912) ★★★½
Watched: 20.06.2021
D.W. Griffith short of 17 minutes, considered to be the first gangster film. It stars Lillian Gish as The Little Lady, whose boyfriend is a struggling musician coming back from the city with money in his pocket and finding himself robbed of his earnings by the leader of the Musketeers gang, Snapper Kid (Elmer Booth). Snapper Kid also fancies Gish. When he meets her at a ball where a rival gangster tries to woo her and spikes her drink, Snapper Kid comes to her rescue. A gang war ensues and we are witness to some wonderfully shot sequences where the rival gangs hide in Pig Alley in order to surprise the other gang, with the gangsters walking in and out of the frame. It culminates in a great alley shootout. Overall a pretty impressive short film with a fully realised plot. Gish doesn't have a lot to do, unfortunately, and though Elmer Booth gets more likeable after he saved Gish, I didn't really understand why the couple got so friendly with the gangster at the end and didn't give him away to the policeman. (Photos: Harry Carey and Elmer Booth / Alfred Paget and Lillian Gish / Walter Miller, Lillian Gish and Elmer Booth)
THE PALEFACE (1948) ★★½
Watched: 21.06.2021
In celebration of Jane Russell's 100th anniversary of her birth today, I decided to watch one of her films. I've only seen her in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Fate is the Hunter in a cameo. The western spoof The Paleface is one of her more popular films, and though it's not really my kind of film, not being a Bob Hope fan, I had hoped for a good time with some laughs. And indeed, there are some funny moments to be had but unfortunately too few. Also, Russell plays Calamity Jane but I didn't find her badass enough. She might as well have played another character because there was little Calamity in her. Best thing about this film is the beautiful Technicolor and the photography by Ray Rennahan. Worst thing: the way the Indians are depicted. (Screenshots by me: Bob Hope and Jane Russell / Jane Russell)
Watched: 22.06.2021
A noirish film in a tropical setting with Jane Russell looking beautiful and wearing very flattering and classy dresses (nothing compared to what she was wearing and looked like in The Paleface). She also gets to sing a couple of songs. The story of stolen gems and people being taken for someone they're not gets a bit convoluted but this was enjoyable and good fun. The main draw are the leads. Jane Russell and Robert Mitchum have such great chemistry, of the sexual steamy kind. I really liked their romance, even though it happens too fast. I also like Russell's character with the chip on her shoulder and cynical about love. Gloria Grahame is in this too but she is vastly underused. Josef von Sternberg directing and Nicholas Ray taking over might have something to do with Grahame's part (Grahame and Ray were married from 1948 till 1952). (Gifs by me: William Bendix, Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell / Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell)
Watched: 23.06.2021
Seen this at the Filmoteca in a good print and with a fairly responsive crowd. (This was part of the Dorothy Arzner special.) The film opens strongly with George Zucco as a rich Count and Robert Young as a socialite engaged in well-scripted dialogue, going from a gambling casino for the wealthy to a rundown bar discussing the topic of lottery by birth and how luck, not breeding, is the defining factor of the way one comes into this world. The Count tries to prove his point by offering singer Joan Crawford a luxurious stay for two weeks at a upper class resort and posing as his wealthy friend, the daughter of an aristocrat. Will she pull it off? I like this rags-to-riches story premise, and though I had expected more of its execution (for one, it would have been nicer if the Count had not completely disappeared from the film and would have come to some sort of conclusion to his scheme), Joan Crawford gives a good performance and looks radiant in various close-ups (I have my doubts about her hairdo, though, but my sister liked it). She has two men vying for her love, the rich Robert Young and Franchot Tone playing the postmaster. Crawford gets increasingly unlikeable once she has tasted the luxurious life and makes up her mind of marrying rich. Yet, not so surprisingly, eventually she chooses love over money and gets her happy ending. She and Tone have good chemistry, married in real life at the time (their marriage lasted 4 years, from 1935 till 1939), and I like Tone, looking handsome here. On the whole this was an entertaining watch, made more enjoyable due to the experience of seeing it on the big screen. There's a good supporting cast of Billie Burke, Reginald Owen and Lynne Carver, and I especially liked Carver as Young's sweet fiancée. Also look out for an uncredited Ann Rutherford as the peasant girl going after Tone at an annual costume party. (Gif: Joan Crawford / Photos: Joan Crawford and Franchot Tone / Robert Young, Joan Crawford and Franchot Tone)
Watched: 23.06.2021
I actually watched this for Franchot Tone but I love Deanna Durbin. Durbin plays an aspiring stage actress who schemes in order to get a part in a play (written by Franchot Tone) by having a letter of introduction signed by famous Broadway star Charles Laughton (unbeknown to him because she tricked him). Not as funny as I'd hoped it would be, but it works well because of the chemistry between Durbin and Laughton. They really play well off each other (though not nearly as good as in their other collaboration, the great It Started With Eve). Of course Deanna gets to sing a couple of songs and especially her rendition of Danny Boy is beautiful. Her romance with Tone is okay, but there is something lacking in their chemistry and it's not because of the age difference (16 years). The studio must have thought they fitted well together because they cast them in two other films, Nice Girl? (where Deanna ends up with Robert Stack) and His Butler's Sister. I've seen these films too and found there was something off with their romantic pairing in His Butler's Sister as well. Still, this was all good fun and it makes me want to watch more Durbin films but also Tone films. (Photos: Deanna Durbin and Franchot Tone / Franchot Tone, Charles Laughton and Deanna Durbin / Deanna Durbin and Franchot Tone)
CRAIG'S WIFE (1936) ★★★★
Rewatched: 24.06.2021
"People who live to themselves — are generally left to themselves."
Had seen this a couple of years ago and was impressed with Rosalind Russell's dramatic performance. Yet I thought it was an average drama overall. Being programmed as part of the Dorothy Arzner retrospective shown at the Filmoteca this month, I was eager to revisit it. The film is based on a 1925 play written by George Kelly, uncle of Grace Kelly, winning the 1926 Pulitzer Prize for Drama (made into two other films as well). Russell plays Harriet Craig, an upper-class woman more concerned with her house, material possessions and social status than with her husband Walter (John Boles) — who adores her, by the way — and people in general. When their mutual friends are found dead in their apartment, Walter becomes a murder suspect. Even then, Harriet cares more about their reputation than what happens to her husband. Along the way she alienates her servants and the ones closest to her. When her husband leaves her and she receives a telegram saying her sister has died, we see her crack while she realises she has lost everyone. With this viewing I appreciated the other performances as well, because they're all good and especially John Boles surprises. Yet Russell is the main reason to see this. If it wouldn't be for her, I think this would have been just a mediocre drama. She is excellent in this demanding role, giving a subdued and layered performance, and you cannot help but feel sorry for her in the end. It's all quite tragic. Her character is cold and mean, almost as if she doesn't know how to be anything else, and though her actions are deliberate, I also found some of her behaviour apathetic. The final scene where Billie Burke as Mrs. Frazier comes around the house with flowers for Miss Austen (who has already left) is heartbreaking. When Harriet wants to reach out for the first time (and does this by literally outstretching her hand), the door falls shut and Mrs. Frazier is gone. What a magnificent scene! And how beautifully acted! Another thing, Rosalind looks absolutely stunning in this film (wardrobe and hairdo)! The best Dorothy Arzner film I've seen so far. (Gif: Rosalind Russell / Photos: Rosalind Russell and John Boles / Billie Burke and Rosalind Russell)
HARRIET CRAIG (1950) ★★★½
Watched: 24.06.2021
Harriet Craig: "No man's born ready for marriage; he has to be trained."
Was really curious to see the Joan Crawford version of the play Craig's Wife. I was surprised how very different it is in tone from the Rosalind Russell film, and also the character of Harriet is a bit different. On the whole I found Harriet Craig less tragic than Craig's Wife, I also noticed how the music score is often uplifting and cheerful. Joan's Harriet is a control freak and very manipulative. She's a compulsive liar, with the purpose to control the lives of others (Rosalind's Harriet is more concerned with her own life and wants to keep people from interfering with the way she runs things). I didn't feel sorry for Crawford like I felt for Russell in the 1936 version. The only time Joan's Harriet was shown as human and I felt sympathy for her character, was when she visited her mentally ill mother in the sanitarium and we get a little backstory on why she behaves the way she does. The plot element with the deaths of the Craigs' friends (from the 1936 version) is left out here and a plot element with Walter Craig's boss and his wife (Lucile Watson) is added. Crawford is of course in her element as the controlling Harriet and Wendell Corey is also very good as Walter (he has more screen time than John Boles in the 1936 version but this film also has a longer runtime). Overall this version felt more coherent and fluid, a solid and enjoyable melodrama, yet also bordering on being campy. (Photos: Joan Crawford and Wendell Corey / Viola Roache and Joan Crawford / publicity shot with Joan Crawford and Wendell Corey)
EXCLUSIVE STORY (1936) ★★
Watched: 25.06.2021
Watched this for Franchot Tone. For a film that has him top-billed he didn't get nearly enough screen time. The plot is a bit confusing and it could have been paced better. Especially the beginning where the racketeers with their crooked business are introduced takes up a lot of time. Tone's character, a society lawyer, is lazy and he'd rather go to parties and drink champagne than actually work. It's predictable how he saves the day and eventually ends up as the hero. Billed as the leads, Tone and Madge Evans seem destined to become a couple, yet Tone has a girlfriend (Louise Henry) and there seems to be little chemistry and interplay between Tone and Evans. When Tone and Evans' father go missing and are presumed dead, Evans seems unaffected by the news of Tone's disappearance as she is only concerned about her father. She lets Tone's girlfriend do the worrying for Tone. Of course Tone and Evans share a happy ending, but the development of their romance didn't make a lot of sense. I know I shouldn't expect things to make sense in B-films like this, but it still bugs me and makes me lower my rating. (Photo: Madge Evans, Franchot Tone and Stuart Erwin)
THE STRANGER'S RETURN (1933) ★★★½
Watched: 25.06.2021
Wanted to watch a better film starring Franchot Tone (better than the previously watched Exclusive Story) and discovered a lot of love for this King Vidor pre-code, apparently one of the favourite films of Japanese director Yasujirō Ozu (I have yet to see his films). Recent divorcée Miriam Hopkins goes from New York to the countryside to her grandfather's (Lionel Barrymore) farm where she meets neighbouring farmer Franchot Tone, his wife (Irene Hervey) and kid. She befriends the couple who seems to have a steady marriage, and can't help falling in love with Tone, a feeling he reciprocates. There's actually not much happening in this film, just a depiction of every day family life in the countryside. There's no big drama, only towards the end there are some incidents that have a profound effect on the lives of all concerned. The biggest acknowledgment this film gives is that life goes on. Director Vidor treats his characters with sympathy and the adulterous relationship between Tone and Hopkins (that never goes beyond a kiss in the car) is handled with care and sensitivity. Had Tone and Hopkins surrendered to their affair without thinking about Irene Hervey, this would have been a totally different film. The ending is a bit sad and I felt for Tone and Hopkins and thought how unfortunate it is that one cannot control whom to love. A well-acted drama, with great rapport between Hopkins and Barrymore and good supporting roles for Stuart Erwin, Beulah Bondi and Grant Mitchell. (Photos: Miriam Hopkins and Franchot Tone / Lionel Barrymore and Miriam Hopkins / Miriam Hopkins and Franchot Tone)
Watched: 26.06.2021
HIS KIND OF WOMAN (1951) ★★★½
WYOMING MAIL (1950) ★★½
Hadn't expected anything from a little B-programmer like this that I watched for Sally Eilers. Yet it was surprisingly enjoyable, even though the whole plot is silly and not very believable. The most ludicrous thing ever is how Eilers just walks into the Bureau and walks out as a Secret Service Agent, just because she wants to investigate the murder of her brother. The strength of this nonsense film is the chemistry between the leads Eilers and Allan Lane. I liked their scenes together and I really like Eilers. Going to check out more of her films soon. (Photo: Sally Eilers and Allan Lane)
Watched: 27.06.2021
Wow! This is possibly the weirdest film noir I have ever seen. It starts as a normal noir, with an intricate plot that I wasn't even trying to understand and with the leads Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell oozing great and sexy chemistry in their first film, engaging in witty banter and Russell looking beautiful and singing a couple of songs. When Vincent Price's character is introduced, I was a bit surprised that he was such a dope and clearly no mean romantic competition for Mitchum. But I had no idea what he had in store for us. When we come to the third act, we find ourselves in a different film, a wacky comedy, with some noir scenes interspersed. While Mitchum is being tortured by Raymond Burr and his cohorts, the main focus now seems to be on Vincent Price who (playing a film actor on vacation) is hamming it up, quoting Shakespeare and having a blast fighting the bad guys for real. The image of him, swishing his cape around his shoulders and going to battle in a sinking dingy full of Mexican cops, is absolutely hilarious.
"Why don't you tell them to turn off that light?"
"I have yet to shun the welcome glare of a spotlight, or run away from applause."
"Applause? I'm thinking of bullets! We can see nothing, but they can shoot us whenever they like. Only pigs wait for slaughter."
"Who are you calling a pig? Apologise!"
"Very well, Señor Cardigan. You are not a pig. You are what a pig becomes. It is sometimes eaten between two pieces of bread!"
Haha, otherwise known as a HAM! My rating is for the fun experience I had, but of course this uneven noir is not the best in its genre. It's extremely messy and the showdown at the end gets a farcical undertone. Even though I loved Price's fun part here, I would gladly have traded in his screen time for more screen time with Mitchum and Russell. It's such a shame they only made two films together because they make a great couple. I love Russell's sassy noir attitude and it's a disgrace that her character is sidelined in the final act and shoved in a closet. I wouldn't have minded seeing a bit more of her and Mitchum together, ironing money bills and kissing. Will I be seeing this again? Heck, yeah! (Photos (2): Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell / Gif by me: Vincent Price and Jane Russell)
DANGER PATROL (1937) ★★½
Watched: 27.06.2021
Interesting because of the subject matter which I knew nothing about. Didn't know that they used nitroglycerin in torpedoes for the purpose of shooting oil wells. The surrounding rock at the bottom of an oil well is fractured to stimulate the flow of oil. In order for the nitroglycerin to get to the oil wells men were paid generous sums of money to handle the transport. John Beal is new to the job, wanting to earn some quick money to help him through medical school. Sally Eilers plays the daughter of Harry Carey, one of the seasoned workers, always worrying about whether her father will come home safe. The plot holds little surprises and it's predictable what Carey's ultimate fate is but it all moves at a nice pace, with some nice photography by Nicholas Musuraca. Also nice supporting role by Lee Patrick. (I watched this for Eilers, I really like her.) (Photos: film poster with Harry Carey, Sally Eilers and John Beal / Harry Carey, Lee Patrick and Sally Eilers)
Watched: 28.06.2021
This film didn't get my full attention as I was working from home watching this and was constantly interrupted but it had also to do with the film itself. It's entertaining alright but nothing we haven't seen before. Yet the leading actors (Stephen McNally and Alexis Smith) are appealing and there's action, romance and some beautiful images, courtesy of Russell Metty. McNally plays a prizefighter turned G-man tracking down a gang (responsible for robbing the railroad mail service) and getting himself imprisoned (undercover) in order to get information. He romances Alexis Smith along the way, who's also not who she pretends to be. I like Smith but sometimes Technicolor doesn't show her at her best. I prefer her in black-and-white. With supporting roles by Howard Da Silva, Ed Begley and James Arness. (Photos (2): Stephen McNally and Alexis Smith)
FIRST COMES COURAGE (1943) ★★★½
Watched: 29.06.2021
Seen at the Filmoteca, as part of the Dorothy Arzner special, this being Arzner's last film (she fell ill during production and was replaced by Charles Vidor). It's an unexpectedly entertaining WWII drama with Merle Oberon in a prominent role as a spy, working for the Norwegian underground and getting romantically involved with Nazi commandant Carl Esmond in order to obtain valuable military information. When the Germans become suspicious of her, British Captain Brian Aherne is sent to rescue her and kill Esmond. Part of my enjoyment had to do with the experience of seeing this on the big screen in a clear 35 mm print, but overall it was quite suspenseful, well paced and with good production values. The action scenes during the raid towards the end of the film are first-rate. And Oberon is really good here in a meaty and challenging role, playing a strong-minded heroine (which is not too surprising considering this film's director). She pairs nicely with Aherne and they have good chemistry. Aherne comes off worse with his role, as he hasn't that much screen time, but I love him just the same. Also great supporting role by Isobel Elsom as the Norwegian nurse. The ending with Oberon's renunciation of love to the cause of her country is rather surprising, but I liked it. (Photos (2): Brian Aherne and Merle Oberon)
NOTE: In November and December 2016 I started a Brian Aherne binge, never having seen an Aherne film before that. In total I watched 22 Aherne films in a row in about four weeks time. I also saw him in another pic with Merle Oberon, Beloved Enemy. Cannot remember much of it now, but I do recall their on-screen chemistry and how beautiful they looked together in close-up.
THE STAND AT APACHE RIVER (1953) ★★★
Watched: 29.06.2021
Wanted to watch a short feature film and why not watch another Stephen McNally western since he's going to be my most watched actor of the month anyway? This reminded me a bit of Apache Drums (also with McNally and seen earlier this month) where a group of people, confined in one location, is also under siege by Apache Indians. This is enjoyable and moves at a brisk pace but it's not as good as Apache Drums and not as claustrophobic. Stand-out is the cinematography by Charles P. Boyle who also shot Apache Drums. He worked with DP Winton C. Hoch on John Ford's She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (for which Hoch won his only solo Oscar) so Boyle must have learned something from the master. The production values are good, and I also love the set of the cabin's interior, it looks very attractive. Though the performances are okay, there's no character development (due to the short runtime) and the romance between McNally and Julie (billed Julia) Adams (wearing numerous different outfits) is very rushed. It's a shame not more of their backstories is revealed. Also, there's an unconvincing portrayal of the chief of the Apaches but I appreciated the fact that the Apaches are pictured in a positive light. It's actually Hugh Marlowe's cavalry Colonel who comes across as cruel. (Photos: Hugh Marlowe, Jack Kelly, Stephen McNally and Julie Adams / Stephen McNally and Julie Adams)
NEVER WEAKEN (1921) ★★★
Watched: 30.06.2021
Harold Lloyd short, my last film for the month of June. It was entertaining, and though not laugh-out-loud funny, there were humorous moments for sure. Harold is in love with Mildred Davis, and when she's about to lose her job at the osteopath's practice, Harold decides to give her boss some business. The second part of this film has Harold mistakenly thinking his girlfriend loves somebody else and he tries several ways to kill himself. All of a sudden he finds himself stranded on the beams of a building under construction. What follows is a sequence of impressive stunts and inventive gags. This short is accompanied by a nice music score. (Photo: Harold Lloyd / Screenshot by me: Harold Lloyd)
So that was another round-up, a pretty satisfying one. I really enjoyed going to the cinema again, yet it was a bit of a bummer I missed The Swimmer. In July the Filmoteca starts a Melodrama special, also running through August. Cannot wait to see more films on the big screen! Seeya next time!
