February 2022 Round-Up
TOTAL FILMS SEEN IN FEBRUARY: 35
(see the film posters at the bottom of the post, arranged in watching order)
NEW-TO-ME: 35
REWATCHES: 0
SEEN ON THE BIG SCREEN: 0
MOST WATCHED ACTOR: Ronald Colman, Thomas Mitchell, Charles Boyer, Richard Carlson & John Boles (2 in total)
Lost Horizon with Ronald Colman and Jane Wyatt
February marked the decline of new Covid cases worldwide and restrictions were lifted everywhere. I'm at the end of my holiday in my native country The Netherlands where masks are no longer mandatory indoors nor does the 1.5 meter distance apply anymore. Spain hasn't abandoned those measures yet, but it probably won't be long before they do. I'm still cautious but at least I had my booster jab about two weeks ago.
The good news about Covid was seriously dampened by the shocking headlines of Russia invading Ukraine and starting a war. It seems very insignificant now to write a post about what films I watched in February, while millions of people are fighting for their lives or are on the run and seek shelter in other countries.
This February I did a little film project in celebration of Valentine's Day and I managed to see all of the 19 unseen romantic films mentioned in my previous post, taken from the book The Great Romantic Films by Lawrence J. Quirk. I was going to read the book and all the entries of the films I've seen for the first time this month, but I didn't get around to it. So I cannot really comment on Quirk's written content. I read in the book's introduction that he focused on films from 1932 to 1973 dealing with various aspects of romance, but why exactly he chose the selected titles I don't know. Personally I would never have chosen certain films since I didn't really enjoy them.
In my film notes following this introduction, I will mention whether the film in question is part of my February Project. I watched the films in the exact order as mentioned in the book's index, as I was afraid that if I would start with the nice films first I wouldn't feel like watching the less appealing titles anymore.
The Blue Veil with Jane Wyman and Richard Carlson
I didn't have One Most Watched Actor and Actress this month. Several actors shared this honour. There were 3 actresses with 3 films watched: Margaret Sullavan (The Moon’s Our Home, Back Street, Appointment for Love), Margaret Lindsay (The House on 56th Street, Fog Over Frisco, British Intelligence), and Merle Oberon (Lydia, A Song to Remember, This Love of Ours). There were a couple of actors with 2 films watched this month: Ronald Colman (Lost Horizon, The Light That Failed), Thomas Mitchell (Lost Horizon, Alias Nick Beal), Charles Boyer (Back Street, Appointment for Love), Richard Carlson (Back Street, The Blue Veil), and John Boles (The Life of Vergie Winters, Careless Lady).
Two actresses had two watched films to their names: Antje Weisgerber (Das Doppelte Lottchen, Föhn — Sturm in der Ostwand) and Audrey Totter (Alias Nick Beal, The Blue Veil).
There was one film starring Margaret Sullavan that I watched for my February Project, Back Street, which reminded me that I wanted to finish Sullavan's short filmography. Apart from Back Street I had only 6 more Sullavan films to see. Unfortunately I only watched two more films (The Moon’s Our Home and Appointment for Love), but I intend to finish her filmography in March.
The House on 56th Street with Kay Francis
In total I watched 4 German films: Das Doppelte Lottchen, Die Weiße Hölle Vom Piz Palü, Föhn — Sturm in der Ostwand, and Kitty und die große Welt.
I watched 3 silent films, all features, no shorts: The Navigator, Die Weiße Hölle Vom Piz Palü, and Hot Water.
There were no trips to my favourite film theater, The Filmoteca, and as a result there were no rewatches.
My highest rated film of the month is The Navigator. Also worth mentioning are the following titles: The Moon’s Our Home, No Greater Glory, Das Doppelte Lottchen, Die Weiße Hölle Vom Piz Palü, Lost Horizon, Alias Nick Beal, Back Street, That Hamilton Woman, Hot Water, Enchantment, Madame X and Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men.
The lowest rated films of the month are Kept Husbands and The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone, followed by Careless Lady, Lydia, A Song to Remember and Lady Behave!.
The Light That Failed with Ronald Colman and Walter Huston
I enjoyed the following screen couples: Margaret Sullavan and Henry Fonda in The Moon’s Our Home, Buster Keaton and Kathryn McGuire in The Navigator, Ronald Colman and Jane Wyatt in Lost Horizon, the bromance between Ronald Colman and Walter Huston in The Light That Failed, Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier in That Hamilton Woman, David Niven and Teresa Wright in Enchantment, Farley Granger and Evelyn Keyes in Enchantment, the mother/son relationship of Lana Turner and Keir Dullea in Madame X, and Charles Farrell and Wynne Gibson in Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men.
Breaking the 35 watched films down in decades:
1900s - 0
1910s - 0
1920s - 3
1930s - 14
1940s - 10
1950s - 6
1960s - 2
NOW LET'S MOVE ON TO THE FILMS!
(read notes with caution as they might contain spoilers; with ratings going from ½ to ★★★★★ and watched date)
THE MOON'S OUR HOME (Paramount, 1936) is not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, I had a really good time with this zany screwball comedy (I was probably in the mood for it but might be rating this too high, though). Sure, it's silly and the characters are not that likeable, and Margaret Sullavan's child-like temperamental tantrums are somewhat annoying, but there are also lots of things to like here. I absolutely loved the snow scenes, especially Sullavan's skiing and sledding accidents, and the scene where she's trying to stand up after falling is pure physical comedy. It was also funny how Sullavan (pictured with Henry Fonda) fell with her head upside down in the snow and Fonda was trying to pull her out. It seems like they were really having fun. They have great chemistry, by the way, and seem to be so comfortable around each other (they were married in real life before this film, from 25 December 1931 till 14 March 1933). What else did I like? The lovely meet-cute; the split-screen moment with Sullavan and Fonda being in adjacent train cabins; the marriage scene conducted by justice of the peace Walter Brennan and the timing in the dialogue (Brennan was trying to have Sullavan and Fonda say I do but they were bickering and were saying I do in another context); the moment when they talk at the same time trying to confess their real names to each other; and the great moment with Charles Butterworth and Beulah Bondi in the police car. The script has added dialogue by Dorothy Parker and the supporting cast is strong (I already mentioned Butterworth, Bondi and Brennan, but there's also Henrietta Crosman and Margaret Hamilton). So a surprisingly engaging watch and it went by very swiftly. William A. Seiter directed. ★★★½ / 01.02.2022
THE HOUSE ON 56TH STREET (Warner Bros, 1933) is a tonally uneven melodrama about motherly love and sacrifice, trying to cover a lot of ground in a short runtime. The second part is notably better, and though some plot elements are straining credibility, there's never a dull moment and I had a good time with this. Kay Francis looks great after her prison time and makeover, not so much before that (I especially disliked her end-of-the-century hairdo). Ricardo Cortez (illustrated with Francis) only makes his appearance after about 37 minutes and Margaret Lindsay as Francis' grown-up daughter even later. I love the shots of Francis in prison, playing cards, with the newspaper headlines flashing across the screen (cinematography by Ernest Haller). Pre-code signs: gamble addiction and Margaret Lindsay getting away with murder. Rounding out the cast are Gene Raymond, John Halliday and Frank McHugh, and direction by Robert Florey. ★★★ / 03.02.2022 — February Project: the unseen films from the book The Great Romantic Films by Lawrence J. Quirk (only pre-1970s) — 1/19
It's very unfortunate that Mitchell Leisen's DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY (Paramount, 1934) — with a truly great story premise of Death (Fredric March) temporarily laying down his tasks and falling in love during his holiday — doesn't capitalise on its potential and one wonders what could have been. The last part is very talky and therefore feels stagy. I really liked Katharine Alexander and Gail Patrick together, both having a crush on March. There's some nice moody photography by Charles Lang, especially when Death all of a sudden materialises in bodily form, concealing his figure under a dark cloak. Further support by Evelyn Venable (pictured with March), Guy Standing, Helen Westley, Kent Taylor and Henry Travers. I'm a big fan of Leisen's work, but for me this is one of the lesser entries in his filmography. ★★½ / 05.02.2022 — February Project: the unseen films from the book The Great Romantic Films by Lawrence J. Quirk (only pre-1970s) — 2/19
Frank Borzage's NO GREATER GLORY (Columbia, 1934) is an anti-war allegory where two juvenile street gangs fight over a piece of playground/battlefield. It took me some time to get into this — the pace is a bit slow in the beginning — but George P. Breakston captured my attention right away. It was really his great performance which elevated this film for me and made it affecting and memorable. Frankie Darro and Jimmy Butler as the leaders of the rivalling gangs, and Lois Wilson (pictured with Darro, Breakston and Butler) and Ralph Morgan as Breakston's parents give good support. The strength of this film is the touching camaraderie between the boys and Breakston's death is heartbreaking. ★★★½ / 05.02.2022 — February Project: the unseen films from the book The Great Romantic Films by Lawrence J. Quirk (only pre-1970s) — 3/19
I love Ann Harding! She's classy, and has a great voice and diction. In THE LIFE OF VERGIE WINTERS (RKO, 1934), she plays one of her suffering roles, sacrificing love for the good of others (i.e. giving up John Boles and not wanting to stand in the way of his political career). Though living apart (Boles married to Helen Vinson), Boles made Harding (both pictured) part of his life and came to visit her regularly. It all ends quite melodramatically, but I loved the sentimental final moment with Harding and her daughter Betty Furness. Support by Frank Albertson, Lon Chaney Jr., Sara Haden and Donald Crisp, and uncredited roles for Bonita Granville and Walter Brennan. Max Steiner composed a lovely melodious tune and Alfred Santell directed. ★★★ / 05.02.2022 — February Project: the unseen films from the book The Great Romantic Films by Lawrence J. Quirk (only pre-1970s) — 4/19
Watched CARELESS LADY (Fox Film Corporation, 1932), directed by Kenneth MacKenna, for John Boles and its short runtime. It's a comedy romance with leading lady Joan Bennett (portrayed with Boles) being cute and naive, posing as Boles' wife in Paris without him knowing. It gets more interesting when husband Boles shows up and they, of course, fall for each other. Silly and predictable, I still enjoyed it to some extent. Fortunately I watched a decent print and Bennett looks lovely so young. ★★ / 05.02.2022
I love both versions of The Parent Trap (from 1961 and 1998) where identical twin girls, separated at birth as a result of their parents' divorce (one girl living with the mother and the other with the father), swap places and scheme to reunite their parents. I had been meaning to see the original German version and decided to watch it now, as I'm planning to watch more foreign films pre-1970s (other than Hollywood/British films). Based on the children's book written by Erich Kästner, the writer himself narrates DAS DOPPELTE LOTTCHEN (Carlton-Film / Bavaria Film, 1950) — English title: TWO TIMES LOTTE — directed by Josef von Báky. It's a bit more serious than the other two versions since it's less of a comedy. The humorous scheming from the remakes is absent here, the girls merely swap places to spend quality time with the other parent. Another difference is that in the remakes the twins are being played by one actress in a dual role (Hayley Mills in the 1961 version and Lindsay Lohan in the 1998 film) but here actual twins, Jutta Günther and Isa Günther (both pictured with Antje Weisgerber and Peter Mosbacher), portray the girls and I loved their scenes together during camp. There's also some nice black-and-white photography by Franz Weihmayr and Walter Riml. Overall I had a good time with this, though it's less fun than the remakes, and it was a good way to practice my German listening skills (watched this without subtitles). It was also nostalgic to watch a German film, since I watched a lot of Hollywood films dubbed in German and original German films in my childhood. And I still have no problem understanding the language (I'm Dutch, and German comes easy to me). Going to look for more German films. ★★★½ / 06.02.2022
KEPT HUSBANDS (RKO, 1931), directed by Lloyd Bacon, was not very good and that's an understatement. I had only seen Dorothy Mackaill in Safe in Hell and I liked her. Too bad her snobby character here is a bit insufferable. But ... Joel ... oh ... Joel McCrea (portrayed with Mackaill) ... he looks sooo good this young and in his three-piece suit that he almost makes one forget this pre-code's shortcomings (his performance is a bit stiff, though). I was very sleeping watching this but there's no denying the story is boring and the characters are not very likeable. Ned Sparks provides the usual comic relief with his dry wit. ★½ / 06.02.2022
I only learned of DIE WEIßE HÖLLE VOM PIZ PALÜ (Sokal-Film GmbH, 1929) — English title: WHITE HELL OF PITZ PALU — a couple of days ago when I was looking for German films starring Liselotte Pulver and I stumbled upon Föhn — Sturm in der Ostwand (1950), a remake of Die weiße Hölle vom Piz Palü. Intrigued by the original silent — directed by G.W. Pabst and Arnold Fanck — and images of the beautifully photographed Leni Riefenstahl, I decided to watch this film first despite its running time of over two hours. Though too long, it's a great adventure film and held my attention until the end. The black-and-white photography is stunning (cinematography by Hans Schneeberger, Richard Angst and Sepp Allgeier), with great outdoor snow scenes. The sequence with the search and rescue party and their burning torches is breathtaking, also the moment when they recover the bodies fallen into the gorge. There's a rich orchestral score which is both obtrusive and beautiful — with some Bolero-like tunes too. I read some more about Riefenstahl after watching this, and her strong Nazi sympathies and friendship with Hitler put a serious damper on my liking her in this film. Lead actor Gustav Diessl (pictured with Riefenstahl) is very handsome, by the way. ★★★½ / 09.02.2022
Watched FÖHN – STURM IN DER OSTWAND (Sokal-Film GmbH, 1950), remake of Die Weiße Hölle Vom Piz Palü, after watching the original silent, and fortunately the runtime was only 80 minutes. It's a faithful remake so no surprises here, they even reused footage from the silent version. Richard Angst photographed — he was one of the three cinematographers who worked on the original film. I think it's a bit lazy to reuse footage and it's unbelievable sloppy to insert the scene from the original version with the mountain guide catching the parachute with the message attached, when it's clearly the actor from the 1929 film. In this version the guide who heads the rescue team is being played by another actor, Heinrich Gretler. I love Liselotte Pulver and she's okay in her first big role, but Leni Riefenstahl in the silent version makes more of an impression. Pulver has good chemistry with Adrian Hoven, though. It might be thanks to Pulver that I sensed a Heimat-film vibe, despite the bleak turn of events. Hans Albers (illustrated with Pulver and Hoven) is good in his emotional moments, and Antje Weisgerber plays Albers' wife (I just recently saw her in Das Doppelte Lottchen). Rolf Hansen directed. ★★★ / 11.02.2022
Exploring more German films, I opted for a comedy starring Romy Schneider and Karlheinz Böhm, who of course played together in the legendary Sissi films. I grew up with the Sissi films, and seeing Romy and Karlheinz together in KITTY UND DIE GROßE WELT (Rhombus Film, 1956) — English title: KITTY AND THE GREAT BIG WORLD — and hearing their voices, brought back childhood memories. The film itself is nothing special but is elevated by the cast (I also liked O.E. Hasse) and especially young Romy. The story is a bit reminiscent of Roman Holiday with Hasse as an English minister walking away from his diplomatic duties and meeting Schneider by chance. It's too bad Romy and Karlheinz (both pictured) don't meet until we're about 50 minutes into the film. I was of course waiting for their scenes together and it doesn't surprise that love comes quickly. I really like watching these German films in the original language (without subtitles), and this makes me want to watch more. Directed by Alfred Weidenmann. ★★½ / 11.02.2022
Frank Capra's LOST HORIZON (Columbia, 1937) is probably my most anticipated film of the month, which I watched for my little February Project. The spiritual story of the paradise-like Shangri-La appealed to me and I overall really enjoyed this, but it loses a bit of steam in the final act. And Ronald Colman ... how I love him! He's so beautiful and I love his voice. He makes a nice pair with Jane Wyatt (both portrayed), an actress I like very much, who's mainly sweet and kind here. Edward Everett Horton provides the comic relief, and John Howard, Thomas Mitchell, Margo and Isabel Jewell round out the cast. Great cinematography by Joseph Walker and fine music score by Dimitri Tiomkin. Also, the set design deserves some praise. ★★★½ / 12.02.2022 — February Project: the unseen films from the book The Great Romantic Films by Lawrence J. Quirk (only pre-1970s) — 5/19
Rose Marie was the only Jeanette MacDonald/ Nelson Eddy musical I had seen so far (watched it for Jimmy Stewart, though) and I'm not really a fan of the famous duo, but I do like MacDonald and her sparkling appearance. MAYTIME (MGM, 1937) is one of MacDonald/Eddy's better collaborations (both pictured), with plenty of drama in it, and it also has a poignant ending. I thought the old-age makeup of MacDonald looked fine and it suits her sad demeanour. There's a lot of opera singing here, so be warned, but I didn't mind. John Barrymore gives a solid performance and also gets to show a bit of a villainous streak. There's a small part for Tom Brown and I like his love interest Lynne Carver. Though a bit on the long side, it's an entertaining and lavish production. Costumes by Adrian and direction by Robert Z. Leonard. ★★★ / 12.02.2022 — February Project: the unseen films from the book The Great Romantic Films by Lawrence J. Quirk (only pre-1970s) — 6/19
Watched THE LIGHT THAT FAILED (Paramount, 1939) for Ronald Colman, playing a painter going blind. The best thing here is the bromance between Colman and his best friend Walter Huston, and both actors give solid performances. I had hoped Colman would end up with his childhood sweetheart Muriel Angelus (both portrayed), but she had other plans. Ida Lupino puts in a fine performance as well and adds some spice to the proceedings with her cockney street character. Nice photography by Theodor Sparkuhl and bonus points for Binky the dog. The great William A. Wellman directed. ★★★ / 12.02.2022
ALIAS NICK BEAL (Paramount, 1949), directed by John Farrow, has an interesting story premise with Ray Milland playing a sexy devil incarnate, trying to seduce Thomas Mitchell into committing corrupt practices. It was an engrossing watch and I liked the unusual plot with fantasy elements. Audrey Totter gives a great subdued performance as the femme fatale. I loved the scene where Milland tells Totter to seduce Mitchell (all three pictured), describing how the conversation will play out, and when that scene happens word for word, exactly like Milland told, Totter's reaction to it is quite funny. Familiar faces among the supporting cast are George Macready, Fred Clark and Henry O'Neill. With a bit of Faust, a bit of noir, and beautiful photography by Lionel Lindon, this was great entertainment. ★★★½ / 13.02.2022
BACK STREET (Universal, 1941) is the second film adaptation of Fannie Hurst's novel of the same name and is considered to be the best of the three versions (other versions are from 1932 and 1961). I really enjoyed this sad melodrama with Margaret Sullavan and Charles Boyer (both illustrated). Due to circumstances the wedding Boyer had planned for him and Sullavan doesn't happen and ultimately he marries someone else. Sullavan is perfectly cast as the long-suffering mistress, always effacing herself. I really like her, she has such a radiant smile and personality, also shining in her dramatic moments. The ending with paralysed Boyer lying in bed and talking on the phone with Sullavan is simply heartbreaking. I thought Boyer played that scene really well and also Sullavan managed to tug at my heart strings. Support by Richard Carlson (Sullavan would have been better off with him, such a likeable guy), Frank McHugh, Tim Holt, Esther Dale, Samuel S. Hinds and Nella Walker. Robert Stevenson directed. ★★★½ / 13.02.2022 — February Project: the unseen films from the book The Great Romantic Films by Lawrence J. Quirk (only pre-1970s) — 8/19
APPOINTMENT FOR LOVE (Universal, 1941) is not as bad as I thought it would be. Admittedly, it's not good and lacks sparks but I still enjoyed it to some extent. I liked the meet-cute with doctor Margaret Sullavan falling asleep during a play, written by Charles Boyer (both portrayed). This of course leads to them falling in love and marrying. But wait ... Sullavan has progressive views on marriage and the working woman and prefers to live in separate apartments. I liked the confusion with Boyer staying in Sullavan's apartment and her staying in his. Okay ... it's all silly, and Rita Johnson has an annoying part as one of Boyer's former flings. l liked the scene best where Boyer waits for Sullavan after her shift, that was very sweet. Further support by Eugene Pallette, Reginald Denny and Cecil Kellaway, and William A. Seiter directed. ★★½ / 13.02.2022
There's a lot going on in FOG OVER FRISCO (First National Pictures/Warner Bros, 1934) and there are also a lot of characters, jammed in a runtime of 68 minutes. Despite the convoluted plot, it's mostly fun, and this mystery flick is fast-paced and over before you know it. It stars a young and energetic Bette Davis, playing a rich socialite, entangled in criminal activities. Margaret Lindsay is her half-sister, unaware of Bette's dodgy affairs, and is persistent in finding Bette when she disappears. Many familiar WB stock players: Donald Woods, Lyle Talbot (pictured with Woods, Lindsay and Davis), Hugh Herbert, Arthur Byron, Robert Barrat, Henry O'Neill, Irving Pichel, Douglass Dumbrille, Alan Hale, Gordon Westcott and William Demarest. Cinematography by Tony Gaudio and costumes by Orry-Kelly. William Dieterle takes the directing honours. ★★★ / 13.02.2022
Never would have thought I'd like THAT HAMILTON WOMAN (Alexander Korda Films/London Films Productions, 1941) so much. I probably would have seen this eventually since it's one of Vivien Leigh's more acclaimed films and the best of her three collaborations with real-life partner Laurence Olivier (the other two being Fire Over England from 1937 and 21 Days from 1940), but I'm not keen on historical films and only prioritised this because it's part of my February Project. Yet I really enjoyed it! Vivien Leigh (portrayed with Olivier) is exquisite in this. Beautiful and enchanting. Married to Olivier at the time (their marriage lasted from 1940 until 1960), they display such a natural chemistry on screen and I loved all of their scenes together. I lost a bit of interest with the big battle sequence at the end, but I was happy the war scenes were few and it's mainly a love story and a great one at that. Gladys Cooper is wonderful as the bitter Lady Nelson. Great romantic music score by Miklós Rózsa and good production values too. Reliable support by Alan Mowbray, Sara Allgood, Henry Wilcoxon and Heather Angel, and assured direction by Alexander Korda. ★★★½ / 15.02.2022 — February Project: the unseen films from the book The Great Romantic Films by Lawrence J. Quirk (only pre-1970s) — 9/19
Maybe I wasn't paying proper attention to LYDIA (Alexander Korda Films/United Artists, 1941), because I watched the entire movie during working hours and was constantly interrupted. But overall this was rather boring, with characters that weren't particularly interesting. The main characters are wearing pretty bad old-age makeup. They are reunited to reminisce about their past, all men having courted Lydia when they were young and having their marriage proposals rejected. Best part of the film is Joseph Cotten and his character is also the most amiable of them all. Merle Oberon looks pretty but her Lydia is not an exciting or engaging person. When after about 45 minutes into the film Oberon starts a school for blind children, you think her character gets some more depth, but then soon after there's no mention of the school anymore and the focus is again on Merle and her suitors. She is especially lovely in her scenes at the ancestral home of the Macmillan family, with and without Alan Marshal. The ending is poor, and sorry, but I wasn't moved. Further supporting cast consists of Hans Járay and George Reeves as the other two suitors, and Edna May Oliver (pictured with Oberon and Cotten), John Halliday and Sara Allgood. Sweeping score by Miklós Rózsa and cinematography by Lee Garmes. Julien Duvivier directed. ★★ / 16.02.2022 — February Project: the unseen films from the book The Great Romantic Films by Lawrence J. Quirk (only pre-1970s) — 10/19
Wasn't looking forward to the Chopin biopic A SONG TO REMEMBER (Columbia, 1945), and indeed it was a dreary experience. Paul Muni is annoying as Chopin's bumbling and often comical teacher and Cornel Wilde may not be the best choice to play the famous pianist and composer. Merle Oberon (pictured with Wilde, screenshot by me) as novelist George Sand gives a stiff performance at first and then she gets a bit better, especially during her last speech, but her character comes across as cold and mean and I just didn't understand why she was so controlling and vicious. George Sand is a historical figure but I didn't know anything about her and Oberon's portrayal didn't really get me better acquainted with her. I didn't feel like reading up on her life online but other reviews make it seem like Sand's portrayal here is not true to life and that she was villainised for no reason. I happily buy that because I didn't get her, the way they portrayed her, nor her romantic relationship with Chopin. It was nice to find out that Chopin and Franz Liszt were acquainted. With almost two hours of runtime, this film definitely overstayed its welcome. I was very glad when it was over. Fortunately I enjoyed the music (especially Nocturne No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 9 No. 2.) and the film looks very good in Technicolor with Tony Gaudio's photography. I also liked Nina Foch. Charles Vidor directed. ★★ / 18.02.2022 — February Project: the unseen films from the book The Great Romantic Films by Lawrence J. Quirk (only pre-1970s) — 11/19
Of the three films seen with Merle Oberon for my February Project (Lydia and A Song to Remember being the other two), I liked her best in William Dieterle's THIS LOVE OF OURS (Universal, 1945). The story is pure soap. Oberon plays the wife of doctor Charles Korvin (both portrayed), who jumps to the wrong conclusion when seeing her with another man. In a jealous impulse, he takes their little daughter and leaves Oberon, letting their child believe her mother is dead. It's a likeable role for Oberon, where she elicits sympathy from the viewer, and she gives a mature and natural performance. Claude Rains as a stage caricaturist is underused but it's always a pleasure to see him lending support. ★★½ / 19.02.2022 — February Project: the unseen films from the book The Great Romantic Films by Lawrence J. Quirk (only pre-1970s) — 12/19
I have no idea what is historically correct in SONG OF LOVE (MGM, 1947), a musical biopic about Robert Schumann (Paul Henreid), Clara Wieck Schumann (Katharine Hepburn) and their friendship with Johannes Brahms (Robert Walker). The portrayals by the lead actors (all three pictured) are solid and I liked the fact there was also some humour, notably in the kitchen scene with the killing of the chicken. Supporting cast consists of Henry Daniell, Leo G. Carroll, Gigi Perreau and Ann Carter. Clarence Brown directed. ★★★ / 19.02.2022 — February Project: the unseen films from the book The Great Romantic Films by Lawrence J. Quirk (only pre-1970s) — 13/19
ENCHANTMENT (Samuel Goldwyn Productions, 1948), directed by Irving Reis, is a lovely film starring David Niven and Teresa Wright (both portrayed). I thought the flashbacks were really well integrated into the story and it made the film flow in a natural way. Farley Granger reminded me of Van Johnson here, also the way he talked, and it's very much a kind of role Johnson would have fitted perfectly. Granger makes a nice pair with Evelyn Keyes. I'm not really familiar with Jayne Meadows but she's wonderful as the bad stepsister, and Gigi Perreau is also good as the child Lark. Love the scene with David Niven buying a present for Teresa Wright in the middle of the night, waking up shop owner/jeweler Melville Cooper. Also loved the opening and ending narration by the house! Cinematography by Gregg Toland and lovely music score by Hugo Friedhofer. By the way, the old-age makeup on Niven is really well done, I hardly recognised him at first. ★★★½ / 20.02.2022 — February Project: the unseen films from the book The Great Romantic Films by Lawrence J. Quirk (only pre-1970s) — 14/19
Only bad copies of THE BLUE VEIL (Wald/Krasna Productions, 1951) roaming the internet but I was on a mission for my February Project, so had to content myself with a blurry copy. I've seen copies of other films with worse quality, though, and at least here the faces were discernible. It has a role well suited to Jane Wyman, playing a woman losing her baby and then dedicating the rest of her life to taking care of the children of other families. We follow Wyman first working for Charles Laughton (leaving her job when he gets married to Vivian Vance), then for Agnes Moorehead (while becoming romantically involved with Richard Carlson, tutor of one of the children), for Joan Blondell (taking care of Natalie Wood), and finally working for Audrey Totter (who abandons her baby in the care of Wyman, marries Harry Morgan and then returns after years to claim her child). With such a great cast this could have been better, but Wyman (pictured with Wood and Blondell) has some really good scenes, and I got a bit teary-eyed with the finale. Cinematography by Franz Planer and music score by Franz Waxman. Curtis Bernhardt directed, together with uncredited Busby Berkeley. ★★★ / 21.02.2022 — February Project: the unseen films from the book The Great Romantic Films by Lawrence J. Quirk (only pre-1970s) — 15/19
Jennifer Jones (pictured) plays Elizabeth Barrett in Sidney Franklin's THE BARRETTS OF WIMPOLE STREET (MGM, 1957), based on the play of the same name by Rudolph Besier. Its stage origins are apparent because the film is really talky and stagy. For some reason I had thought this would be awful and I had not expected to like it but I did, probably because I love British costume dramas. I think Jones is the only American in an all-British cast, and she's not bad at all, surprisingly. The film tells about the romance between poets Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett, with Barrett's father strongly opposing to their desire to marry. John Gielgud as the tyrannical father is good but a bit over the top. He has a very strong scene with Jones towards the end where the display of his incestuous tendencies is rather shocking. Bill Travers as Browning is weak and unconvincing, and worse is that he doesn't have any chemistry with Jones. I liked Virginia McKenna as one of Barrett's sisters — though she's a bit miscast — as well as the strong bond between the Barrett siblings. Extra points for Flush the Dog. ★★★ / 23.02.2022 — February Project: the unseen films from the book The Great Romantic Films by Lawrence J. Quirk (only pre-1970s) — 17/19
Had no expectations of THE ROMAN SPRING OF MRS. STONE (Seven Arts Productions/Warner Bros, 1961) and sadly it wasn't a very good viewing experience. Based on the novel by Tennessee Williams, I should have known I might not like this, because over the decades I have fallen out of love with Williams. Admittedly, this film might be slightly better than the rating I gave it but I really had to struggle my way through. I normally don't like Warren Beatty and here he is just terrible with that dreadful Italian accent. I didn't like the characters and couldn't care less about what happened to them. The performance of Vivien Leigh (portrayed with Beatty) is the only positive thing here (and her apartment and that great terrace), but she couldn't save this film on her own. And that ending with the creepy stalker boy ... don't talk to me about that ending .... Directed by José Quintero. ★½ / 24.02.2022 — February Project: the unseen films from the book The Great Romantic Films by Lawrence J. Quirk (only pre-1970s) — 18/19
If somebody tells you Lana Turner can't act, just show them MADAME X (Universal, 1966), or Douglas Sirk's Imitation of Life for that matter. Turner's acting doesn't start off in a distinctive way here, but as the plot becomes more complicated and throws all kinds of obstacles in her character's way, she ends up giving a stellar performance. The story is pure melodrama: Turner plays the wife of an influential and wealthy politician (played by unexciting John Forsythe), and when her lover (Ricardo Montalban) is killed by accident, her mother-in-law (Constance Bennett) coerces her into abandoning her husband and child and staging her own death. It's a bit far-fetched but it gives Turner ample opportunity to show some serious acting chops. When she murders blackmailer Burgess Meredith, she's represented at the trial by a public defender, her own grown-up son Keir Dullea (pictured with Turner). I knew this was going to elicit tears, and sure enough, I couldn't help shedding some. Apart from Turner's performance, another name should be mentioned with praise and it's DP Russell Metty. The cinematography is beautiful, so many great shots with gorgeous lighting. Further credits: music by Frank Skinner and gowns designed by Jean Louis. David Lowell Rich directed. ★★★½ / 25.02.2022 — February Project: the unseen films from the book The Great Romantic Films by Lawrence J. Quirk (only pre-1970s) — 19/19
Apart from the fact that I was very sleepy while watching LADY BEHAVE! (Republic Pictures, 1937) and probably didn't catch all scenes, it felt like there was something missing. Undoubtedly it had something to do with seeing the edited version of 53 minutes instead of the official version of 70 minutes of runtime. The story premise of mistaken identity is predictable and nothing special, but the film is elevated by the charm of Sally Eilers. I liked her pairing with Neil Hamilton (both pictured) and it was a shame their romance was rushed and not well developed, which was to be expected. Lloyd Corrigan directed. ★★ / 27.02.2022
Watched AGGIE APPLEBY, MAKER OF MEN (RKO, 1933), directed by Mark Sandrich, for Charles Farrell because I really like him. I had also expected to enjoy this comedy and fortunately I did. Wynne Gibson (pictured with Farrell) is terrific as the streetwise Aggie and Farrell with his high-pitched voice is well-suited to play the part of the upper-class softie. The dialogue is above par and the performances of the lead actors are energetic and they have good chemistry. Supporting actors William Gargan and Zasu Pitts also give spirited performances and I really liked Betty Furness's role. I won't spoil the ending but it was unexpected and I actually would have preferred another ending. Yet overall I was entertained and I would easily watch this again. ★★★½ / 28.02.2022
Well, this concludes another round-up! See you next time!
