“Wilfrid the Fox! That’s what they call him, and that’s what he is!”
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Response to Peary’s Review: Naturally, the less said about the plot of this gripping whodunit, the better. If you haven’t seen it in a while (and have thus forgotten all the many plot twists), you’re in for a treat; enjoy! Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“Every girl on every page of Quality has grace, elegance, and pizzazz. Now what’s wrong with bringing out a girl who has character, spirit, and intelligence?”
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Review: Yet the entire affair — like most musicals at the time — is best viewed simply as a fairy tale, one that shouldn’t be analyzed too closely; as DVD Savant puts it, “Funny Face is meant to be a carefree bubble of jokes and music, and on those terms there’s little to complain about.” While the age difference between Hepburn and Astaire really is too much to swallow (after all, Astaire is no debonairly graying Cary Grant), it’s nonetheless a delight to watch these two dancing on-screen together — or apart, for that matter. Indeed, Hepburn’s best dance is her stunning solo outing in the Beatnik cafe, which is out of sight, man! Meanwhile, Astaire does a fine ditty with a “red cape” outside Hepburn’s apartment window, and there are numerous other fun songs (courtesy of a fine Gershwin score) and dances sprinkled throughout. Film fanatics will also surely be interested to see polymath Kay Thompson — known, among other things, for being one of Judy Garland’s closest confidantes, as well as the creator of the children’s book character Eloise — in one of her precious few screen appearances, here playing the delightfully acerbic, Diana Vreeland-esque fashion magazine editor who drives the entire narrative. Note: Even non-fashion-lovers will be tempted to rewind the lovely Parisian fashion shoot montage several times — quelle magnifique! Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“A Harvey Girl is more than a waitress; whereever a Harvey House exists, civilization is not far behind.”
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“I can’t be spread so thin; I’m just one person.”
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Review: However, what saves the film from its own faults are the truly fine central performances by Garland and Bogarde, who somehow manage to transcend the limitations of both the script and their respective characterizations. Even if we (I) don’t believe in the viability of their romantic potential together, there’s nonetheless a clear “charge” between the two — one which, more than anything, comes across like immense professional respect and regard. Garland in particular immerses herself in her role to an extent light years away from her pallid performance in A Child is Waiting; more than ever before, we feel we’re being given a glimpse into the soul of Garland herself through her character here, particularly in her phenomenal final interaction with Bogarde. Phillips, for his part, holds his own admirably in the face of two such estimable co-stars; Garland’s enormous base of gay fans will surely be tickled by his cross-dressing performance in an all-boys rendition of HMS Pinafore (see still below). (What a curious choice to include in the script! It surely must have been intentional…) Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“The Follies is life, in one stiff jolt — life running, instead of walking; life speeded up to a mile a minute. But if you’ve got the right stuff, the pace won’t bother you.”
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Review: Meanwhile, Garland’s dilemma of old-versus-new performing styles is eerily reminiscent of that in Babes in Arms (1939), down to the presence of Charles Winninger as her resistant vaudevillian father (he was Rooney’s resistant vaudevillian father in Babes… — same difference). Clearly, audiences at the time were receptive to watching and exploring the angst inherent in this profound cultural and generational shift. One wishes Garland’s character were given more prominence, but at least she shines in several musical numbers, most notably her plaintive rendition of “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows”. Lamarr’s role is the least fleshed out and least interesting of them all; without giving too much away, her story seems to primarily serve as a counter-balance to the bad relationship choices consistently made by Turner. Stewart is fine but not particularly remarkable in the top-billed role as Turner’s rejected boyfriend, who turns to bootlegging out of cynical desperation; After making this movie, Stewart left to serve in the war and wouldn’t return to the screen until It’s a Wonderful Life (1946). Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“Just because I moved up here, did the Follies have to die, too?”
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Review: Thankfully, while several of the vignettes are somewhat snooze-worthy (viz. Kathryn Grayson’s tiresome finale song, “Beauty”), none are outright clunkers — and, as DVD Savant states, “The show [does have] plenty of good material”, with “at least a third of [the film] terrific, keeper material.” A personal favorite remains Judy Garland’s “A Great Lady Has an Interview”, wherein Garland is given a rare opportunity to mug mercilessly in front of the camera, and does a smash-up job impersonating — well, Greer Garson (who was originally slated to star in the role herself, but apparently wasn’t quite up for such rampant self-skewering). Perhaps the most noteworthy performances, however, are given by Fred Astaire and Lucille Bremer (best known for playing “the oldest sister” in Meet Me in St. Louis) in their two numbers together: the sleek “This Heart of Mine”, in which Astaire plays a gentleman thief, “Raffles”, intent on stealing jewels from Bremer’s society dame, and in the show-stopping “Limehouse Blues”, which remains the most visually stunning of all the vignettes (see stills below). Also of enormous interest is the opportunity to see Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire in their one and only dance performance together on-screen. Their vignette — entitled “The Babbitt and the Bromide” — is humorously conceived and executed, though sadly doesn’t really offer either one an opportunity to show off his uniquely gifted dancing chops. As indicated in my assessment of the Fanny Brice vignette, none of the comedic (non-musical) sketches in Ziegfeld Follies are really all that funny — but they do remain an interesting historical glimpse at what was once considered funny in the original Follies (Brice, after all, was a regular performer on the show). Red Skelton’s increasingly drunken turn in “When Television Comes” is about as dated as you could imagine, as is the central conceit in Keenan Wynn’s “Number Please”; and while Victor Moore and Edward Arnold do a fine job in “Pay the Two Dollars” (nicely portrayed as a Kafka-esque mini-nightmare), the sketch simply goes on too long. On a more positive note, the opening puppet show remains quite clever and unique; see still below. A final comment: if you blink for an extended period of time, you may miss Lucille Ball in her moment of glory early on, wielding a whip which she cracks at a bevy of black-clad “cat women”; it’s a strange visual, and doesn’t really pay off the way it could or should, but is mildly amusing. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“Hannah, you’ve got to live — whatever the price!”
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This film is also “notable” for including some explicit adult content. Be duly forewarned. Note: Finnish actress Sirpa Lane died from HIV/AIDS at the age of 47. Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:
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“A successful marriage is usually based upon what a husband and wife don’t know about each other.”
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Review: Ferrer’s performance is at times a bit too broad for comfort (it appears he was still getting his screen-acting legs wet), but definitely makes an impact; he’s fearless in his depiction of a truly despicable yet clever cad, someone we hate almost immediately yet can’t help admiring for his ingenuity. Richard Conte is fine if a bit too reserved as Tierney’s puzzled, distant husband, while Tierney is perfectly cast (though given little room to stretch beyond her stereotypically icy demeanor) in the central female role. Meanwhile, Preminger and d.p. Arthur Miller infuse the entire affair with an appropriately atmospheric air. Watch for a fine supporting performance by Charles Bickford as the lieutenant assigned to the murder case; in some ways, his performance feels more natural than any of the others. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“There’s something in the atmosphere that makes everything seem exaggerated.”
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Response to Peary’s Review: In his Alternate Oscars, Peary awards Kerr Best Actress of the Year — after venting about how that year’s Oscar was “wasted” on Loretta Young, who “made only a half-dozen noteworthy movies, and wasn’t all that impressive in any of them”, though he jokingly concedes perhaps she “deserved an Emmy for years of twirling through a door without once ripping her dress as the hostess of… The Loretta Young Show” — ouch! At any rate, in this text, Peary lauds Kerr’s ability to “not… let Kathleen Byron overwhelm her in a much showier part”; yet while Kerr holds her own admirably — she does phenomenal, subtle work representing her character’s emotional arc throughout the narrative — it’s hard to deny that Byron is the protagonist who first comes to mind when thinking back on this film. Her mental derangement — so brilliantly filmed and conceived by all involved (including the make-up artists; see stills below) — provides an unforgettable climax to a truly unique film, one which (surprisingly enough) may ultimately best “belong” to the horror genre (as suggested so persuasively by DVD Savant). Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“You want to put all this behind you. You old buzzard! You’re getting old and rickety… and scared!”
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Review: Gronberg and Andersson (the latter bodaciously sensual and earthy) represent the presumed self-loathing of those involved in the “low-brow” world of circus/carnival life, while Ekman’s detestable Frans (what a villain!) personifies the arrogance of theatre, with its stereotypically bombastic self-adoration; meanwhile, Tretow’s Agda embodies the stability and peace of mind to (potentially) be found in a life far removed from performing. The various confrontations between these four characters — and the emotive clown “Frost” (Anders Ek), whose nightmare flashback opens the film — drive the narrative forward, as each is forced to contemplate exactly where they stand in the world, and how much power they ultimately possess over themselves, their lives, and others. It all sounds awfully heady — but really, Sawdust and Tinsel boils down to an elegant chamber piece about dominance, love, and fear. It’s played remarkably well by all the central performers, and is consistently stunning to look at: the cinematography by Bergman’s regular d.p., Sven Nyqvist, doesn’t disappoint in the slightest, and Bergman’s directorial hand is remarkably well-assured. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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