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Month: May 2012

Farmer’s Daughter, The (1947)

Farmer’s Daughter, The (1947)

“When someone asks you for your vote, you must be jealous of that vote. You must ask yourself, who is it I am voting for?”

Synopsis:
The Swedish-American daughter (Loretta Young) of a stalwart farmer (Harry Shannon) heads to the city to attend nursing school, but is swindled out of her savings by a lecherous acquaintance (Rhys Williams), and finds temporary work instead as a maid in the house of a congressman (Joseph Cotten) and his mother (Ethel Barrymore). Soon she becomes unexpectedly caught up in a world of politics, while falling in love with Cotten.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Charles Bickford Films
  • Cross-Class Romance
  • Ethel Barrymore Films
  • Joseph Cotten Films
  • Loretta Young Films
  • Political Corruption
  • Servants, Maids, and Housekeepers

Review:
In his Alternate Oscars, Peary lambastes the Academy for providing Loretta Young with an award for her title role performance in this H.C. Potter-directed film, calling her “upset victory” the “most boring choice ever made in the Best Actress category”. He argues that “despite being a lovely and warm presence in the cinema for twenty-six years (1927-53), she made only a half-dozen noteworthy movies, and wasn’t all that impressive in any of them.” Personally, I can understand why the Academy was entranced by Young’s performance here: her character is refreshingly feisty and independent, and — speaking as a Scandinavian-American myself — I believe she manages her Swedish accent quite admirably.

With that said, the film itself leaves quite a bit to be desired. The first half is reasonably engaging, as we get to know Young’s Katrin Holmstrom and see how remarkably capable she is in just about every way; it’s easy to see why Cotten falls for her.

However, once the film’s corny political elements come into full force, the screenplay becomes an unwelcome variation on Frank Capra’s overly simplistic portrayal of the corrupt Political Machine; I was immediately bored, and lost all interest in Katie’s fate.

Another minor quibble: While Young’s accent is just fine, why in the world weren’t the actors playing her three strapping Swedish brothers (Lex Barker, Keith Andes, and James Arness) given better coaching for their mixed-bag accents?

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Loretta Young as Katrin Holstrom

Must See?
No, though most film fanatics will be curious to check it out simply to see Young’s award-winning performance.

Links:

Show Boat (1936)

Show Boat (1936)

“Love is such a funny thing; there’s no sense to it.”

Synopsis:
When the lead singer (Helen Morgan) on a show boat is discovered to be a half-black woman married to a white man (Donald Cook), she leaves and is replaced by the daughter (Irene Dunne) of the boat’s owner (Charles Winninger), despite the disapproval of Dunne’s shrewish mother (Helen Westley). Meanwhile, Dunne falls in love with her leading man (Allan Jones), a riverboat gambler, but their marriage remains a decidedly rocky affair.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Actors and Actresses
  • African-Americans
  • Irene Dunne Films
  • James Whale Films
  • Marital Problems
  • Musicals
  • Paul Robeson Films
  • Play Adaptation

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary notes that this James Whale-directed adaptation of the “Jerome Kern-Oscar Hammerstein musical” (which retains “soap-opera elements from Edna Ferber’s novel“) is “flavorful, schmaltzy, and rewarding”, with “lavish production, wonderful music, and a splendid cast”. He points out that “dramatic highlights include the scene in which the play is performed on the Show Boat, and conversations between Paul Robeson and Hattie McDaniel” (playing married servants on the boat); he also points out some of the film’s “musical highlights”, including “the McDaniel-Robeson duet, Helen Morgan giving a soulful rendition of ‘Bill’, some surprisingly effective singing by Dunne (in a role that would have been ideal for Jeanette MacDonald), and, of course, Robeson’s spellbinding ‘Ol’ Man River’.”

I’m in agreement with most of Peary’s assessment points: the production is indeed “lavish”, the cast is in fine form, and many of the songs are quite enjoyable. I also appreciated the opportunity to see Show Boat-theater so lovingly revived for modern audiences, who otherwise would have little understanding of this erstwhile form of traveling entertainment. However, I don’t find the film as a whole nearly as engaging as Peary seems to. The primary problem is that the central narrative — about Dunne’s rocky road to fame and troubled marriage with Jones — simply isn’t all that interesting, and the most compelling characters — Morgan, McDaniel, and Robeson — are relegated to supporting roles. The miscegenation subplot which propels the earliest portion of the screenplay is quite fascinating, and Whale deftly handles a pivotal scene in which Cook takes unusual measures to demonstrate his commitment to Morgan; but other than a critical appearance once more later in the story, Morgan’s tragic story is left sadly unexplored.

Meanwhile, Robeson’s performance of “Old Man River” does indeed remain (for me) the film’s indisputable highlight, leading me to wish we could learn more about his soulful character as well (the Expressionist montage flashing across the screen while Robeson sings could easily morph into a film of its own). To that end, as Peary notes, “the film’s portrayal of blacks is a sticky issue”, given that “on the one hand, they fit into stereotypes”, but “on the other, they display class, talent, [and] strength”, and are “given quality screen time”; overall, I think Whale does a respectful job handling the film’s thorny race issues, despite the unfortunate yet historically realistic appearance of Dunne in black-face at one point. Indeed, Whale’s direction is never at fault, and fans of his work will surely be interested to check out his foray into a genre completely different from the one he’s best known for (horror). But unfortunately, I can’t quite recommend this title as must-see viewing for all film fanatics.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Paul Robeson’s incomparable rendition of “Ol’ Man River”
  • Irene Dunne as Magnolia
  • Helen Morgan as Julie
  • An amusing glimpse at 19th century small-town entertainment
  • John Mescall’s cinematography

Must See?
No, though it’s recommended.

Links:

Beat Generation, The (1959)

Beat Generation, The (1959)

“The world is full of moldy figs: they’re the squares who eat, sleep, go to work, vegetate, and while they vegetate — I swing.”

Synopsis:
A surly detective (Steve Cochran) and his partner (Jackie Coogan) search for a psychopathic rapist (Ray Danton) known as the “Aspirin Kid”, who finagles his way into Cochran’s house and rapes his wife (Fay Spain). When Spain discovers she’s pregnant, she and Cochran face the difficult decision of whether or not to abort; meanwhile, Danton blackmails his buddy (Jim Mitchum) into instigating a copycat rape against a woman (Mamie van Doren) in order to throw the police off his trail.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Detectives and Private Eyes
  • Mamie van Doren Films
  • Rape

Review:
It’s difficult to know where to begin in assessing this painfully insensitive detective flick, conveniently situated within a Beatnik milieu simply for its novelty and exploitation value. Danton and Cochran are posited as two sides of the same flawed coin — one a psychopathic killer, the other a determined cop, yet both with an inbred distrust of (and/or hatred for) women:


The intersection of their two characters seems designed to provide psychological complexity to the script, but instead just leaves us cringing. The rape scenes are disturbing, as expected — but what’s genuinely shocking is how Cochran treats the victims he interrogates, essentially accusing them of complicity in the crimes. (We’re reminded that his former wife was a tramp, which excuses his behavior, I guess.) Meanwhile, when Cochran’s current wife learns she’s pregnant but isn’t sure whether the father is Cochran or Danton, the storyline veers into a truly bizarre pro-Choice subplot that must be seen and heard to be believed. There’s some curiosity value to be had in the sight of a short-haired Vampira in Beatnik get-up, spouting a moronic poem about parenthood while stroking a white rat perched on her shoulder, but this ultimately just feels wildly incongruous to the plot. And while Mamie van Doren brings a bit of life to the second half of the film as a would-be victim, her presence once again feels superfluous, and is clearly designed simply to bring sexual star-power to the film.

What’s most astonishing is that the screenplay for this clunker was co-written by the estimable Richard Matheson (who clearly must not have had any final say in what appeared on screen).

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Good use of L.A. locales
  • An occasionally campy Beatnik sensibility: “There’s no tomorrow — not while the sky drools radiation gumdrops.”

Must See?
No; definitely feel free to skip this one.

Links:

Jitterbugs (1943)

Jitterbugs (1943)

“I just love the way you show people carry on.”

Synopsis:
A pair of well-meaning jazz musicians (Oliver Hardy and Stan Laurel) team up with a con-artist (Robert Bailey) to help a singer (Vivian Blaine) recover money stolen from her wealthy mother.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Comedy
  • Con-Artists
  • Laurel and Hardy Films
  • Mistaken Identities

Review:
Jitterbugs is the last Laurel and Hardy film included in Peary’s book, and while it’s not one of their must-see films, it remains a reasonably enjoyable tale of mistaken identities and double-crossing cons. Unlike many of the L&H titles listed in GFTFF, this film has a clear and fairly engaging storyline, moving quickly through its 75 minutes; even the incorporation of a few musical numbers (including an opening ditty by the boys as they play their two-man band, and several songs by Blaine) feels natural rather than bringing things to a halt. Watch for Laurel in drag, and Hardy convincingly portraying a womanizing southern colonel.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • A reasonably entertaining long-con storyline

Must See?
No, though Laurel and Hardy fans won’t want to miss this one.

Links:

Tom, Dick, and Harry (1941)

Tom, Dick, and Harry (1941)

“Every day you read about girls marrying rich fellas — every day!”

Synopsis:
A telephone operator (Ginger Rogers) whose ambitious car-salesman boyfriend (George Murphy) has just proposed to her meets a happy-go-lucky car mechanic (Burgess Meredith) who becomes equally smitten with her — but she remains hopeful that she’ll finally meet and marry the real man of her dreams, a noted millionaire (Alan Marshall).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Burgess Meredith Films
  • Ginger Rogers Films
  • Gold Diggers
  • Love Triangle
  • Romantic Comedy

Review:
Garson Kanin is best known as a highly regarded screenwriter, but he also directed a few feature films, including this creatively conceived romantic comedy about a socially ambitious telephone operator trying to decide between three radically different suitors. Unfortunately, Rogers is at her most annoying here, inappropriately affecting a girlish tone of voice — much like the one she would use the following year to better purpose in The Major and the Minor (1942) — and blithely shifting romantic allegiances with little concern for anyone other than herself. Setting that enormous caveat aside, however, the rest of the film remains a witty delight, thanks to a consistently sharp screenplay (by Paul Jarrico, based on his own story), and the incorporation of several eye-popping fantasy sequences, which are unlike anything you’ll see in similar films of the period. Meanwhile, Burgess Meredith gives one of his best, most appealing performances as a proto-hippie living a life of penniless contentment; it’s easy to see how he manages to become a viable contender in Rogers’ quest for marital satisfaction (though what he sees in her is an entirely different question).

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • The incredibly creative fantasy sequences


  • Burgess Meredith as Harry

Must See?
No, though it’s strongly recommended simply to check out the fantasy sequences.

Links:

Quality Street (1937)

Quality Street (1937)

“Women have a flag to fly as well as men, Mr. Brown.”

Synopsis:
In early-1800s England, a young woman (Katharine Hepburn) living with her unmarried sister (Fay Bainter) falls in love with a man (Franchot Tone) who she believes will ask her to marry him, but who instead becomes a soldier. Upon his return ten years later, Tone is disappointed to find that Phoebe (Hepburn) has become an aging spinster, but quickly becomes enamored with her in a different form, as she pretends to be her much younger and more vibrant niece, Livvy.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Fay Bainter Films
  • Feminism and Women’s Issues
  • Franchot Tone Films
  • George Stevens Films
  • Historical Drama
  • Katharine Hepburn Films
  • Mistaken or Hidden Identities
  • Play Adaptations
  • Revenge
  • Spinsters

Review:
George Stevens directed this adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s farcical historical play, about a young spinster who takes revenge on her would-be suitor by magically turning herself into a young vixen he can’t resist, intending to break his heart just as he broke hers.

Naturally, the film’s very premise is absolutely ripe for disbelief, given that it’s predicated entirely on the notion that a shift from tightly-bound headcap and serious expression to springy curls and gay demeanor is enough to fool a man into believing he’s seeing an entirely different woman.

Yet Stevens has fun milking this scenario for all its worth, particularly through the incorporation of a Greek chorus of meddling old biddies (ring-led by wide-eyed Estelle Winwood), whose sole aim in life appears to be to get to the root of Livvy’s identity.

Set roughly during the same era as Jane Austen’s novels, Quality Street evokes a similar social milieu of (non-working class) women whose only options in life are to marry or become spinsters; indeed, there’s an undercurrent of quiet desperation to the entire affair. Yet the mistaken identity plot keeps it lighthearted throughout, and it will certainly be of interest to Hepburn fans.

Note: Watch for Joan Fontaine in an early, uncredited role.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Katharine Hepburn as Phoebe/Livvy
  • Fay Bainter as Susan

Must See?
No, though it’s worth a one-time look.

Links:

Corn is Green, The (1945)

Corn is Green, The (1945)

“Don’t you ever get tired of lessons?”

Synopsis:
Upon moving to the Welsh countryside, a schoolteacher (Bette Davis) decides to establish a classroom in her own house to help teach the village children. One student (John Dall) stands out as particularly gifted, and she helps him begin preparations to attend Oxford — but the tarty daughter (Joan Lorring) of her housekeeper (Rosalind Ivan) has other plans in mind for Dall.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Bette Davis Films
  • Femmes Fatales
  • Irving Rapper Films
  • John Dall Films
  • Mildred Dunnock Films
  • Play Adaptations
  • Teachers

Review:
Irving Rapper directed Bette Davis in no less than nine films, including this adaptation of Welsh author Emlyn Williams’ semi-autobiographical play about a gifted young coal-miner attempting to gain entrance into Oxford. The storyline is often overly theatrical, and certain scenes (such as when the coal-miners sing impossibly beautiful ditties while walking to and from work) come across as heavy-handed — but Davis is such a nuanced and compelling actress that she consistently elevates the material, helping us remain invested and engaged throughout.

In his film debut, Dall — best known for his starring roles in Hitchcock’s Rope (1948) and Joseph Lewis’s Gun Crazy (1949) — received a Best Supporting Actor nomination, and does an impressive job portraying his character’s deep sense of conflict:

It’s easy to understand why this strapping young man would both appreciate and resent the attentions paid to him by Davis. However, I’m less enamored with Lorring’s performance as a trollop who sets a key plot hitch in motion:

While Davis apparently hand-picked her for the role, I find her performance overly broad; sure, she’s written as a no-good femme fatale whose very mother confesses to not liking her when she was born (poor thing!), but she’s a tad too one-dimensional in her sociopathic glee for my tastes.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Bette Davis as Lily Moffat
  • John Dall as Morgan Evans

Must See?
No, though it’s recommended.

Links:

Tales of Manhattan (1942)

Tales of Manhattan (1942)

“Do you know what it is to look into a woman’s eyes when she’s lying?”

Synopsis:
An actor (Charles Boyer) embroiled in a dangerous love triangle with a woman (Rita Hayworth) and her suspicious husband (Thomas Mitchell) is the first owner of a tailcoat which is eventually passed down to a variety of individuals in diverse circumstances.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Cesar Romero Films
  • Charles Boyer Films
  • Charles Laughton Films
  • Edward G. Robinson Films
  • Elsa Lanchester Films
  • Episodic Films
  • George Sanders Films
  • Ginger Rogers Films
  • Henry Fonda Films
  • Jules Duvivier Films
  • Paul Robeson Films
  • Rita Hayworth Films
  • Roland Young Films
  • Thomas Mitchell Films
  • W.C. Fields Films

Review:
Episodic (a.k.a. omnibus) films can be notoriously difficult to get “right”, often leaving one with a wish that certain segments had been deleted altogether, or others expanded. Julien Duvivier’s delightful Tales of Manhattan remains an exception to this rule. Only one vignette (a comedic skit with W.C. Fields) doesn’t really seem to “fit” — and lo and behold, it was actually taken out before the film was originally screened! (How in the world was such good sense actually exercised?!) The connecting “storyline” (the fate of a tailcoat) is thin but sufficient to hold the narratives together — beginning with an opening segment involving Boyer’s doomed romance with a dubiously committed married woman (Hayworth) whose husband owns a scary number of guns.

This story is likely my least favorite of the bunch, but “works” on a visual level (Joseph Walker’s cinematography is appropriately noir-ish) and provides a neat twist ending.

The second vignette — a comedic gem involving Ginger Rogers’ discovery of a love note in the pocket of her fiance (Cesar Romero), who quickly calls in his friend (Henry Fonda) to cover for him, with truly unexpected results — is probably the film’s highlight, neatly showcasing how to move a zingy storyline from A to Z within just over 20 well-used minutes.

The next story — about a poor composer (Charles Laughton) given a life-altering opportunity to conduct an orchestra, only to find that the too-small second-hand tailcoat his wife (Elsa Lanchester) has purchased for him causes him unexpected grief:

— is decidedly bittersweet and almost surreal, ending with a powerful visual statement. (Indeed, this vignette could easily have been filmed without dialogue.)

The fourth vignette — about a down-on-his-luck man (Edward G. Robinson) who dons the patched tailcoat to attend a college reunion, making up tales about his recent successes — is the one most often cited by viewers who remember the film, and it is indeed a bittersweet, surprisingly touching tale; watch for George Sanders in a typically caddish supporting role.

The fifth story (the one cut from the original screening version) is the shortest, and — as indicated previously — the least satisfying. W.C. Fields embodies a variation on his classically tippling self, though with the ironic twist that his character’s tee-totaling lecturer gets drunk accidentally when the coconut milk he’s touting to his audience is spiked with liquor. It goes absolutely nowhere, and fails to entertain on any level (though it’s always nice to catch a glimpse of Margaret Dumont, here playing the event’s hostess).

The sixth and final vignette involves a crook (J. Carroll Naish) who steals the tailcoat, robs a casino, then drops the coat from his getaway plane when it catches fire, pockets full of stolen cash. It lands in the hands of a poor sharecropper (Paul Robeson) and his wife (Ethel Waters), whose faith leads them to believe that they should share the money with their neighbors, only doling it out for items that were sincerely prayed for.

It was criticized by Robeson himself as demeaning to Blacks by presenting them as “childlike and innocent”, but while I sympathize with his perspective, I can’t quite say I agree. Rather, the characters here seem to me to be fully human, with the best interests of all at heart — and the closing scene, in which the tattered tailcoat meets what is likely its final fate, is surprisingly moving. This segment is an entirely fitting finale to a most enjoyable film overall.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Joseph Walker’s cinematography

Must See?
Yes, as a delightful omnibus film.

Categories

  • Good Show

Links:

Male and Female (1919)

Male and Female (1919)

“Would you put a Jack Daw and a Bird of Paradise in the same cage?”

Synopsis:
A butler (Thomas Meighan) with a crush on the aristocratic Lady (Gloria Swanson) he works for is given an unexpected chance to romance her when she and her family are shipwrecked on a deserted island, and Meighan becomes their de facto ruler.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Cecil B. DeMille Films
  • Class Relations
  • Cross-Class Romance
  • Gloria Swanson Films
  • Play Adaptations
  • Silent Films
  • Survival

Review:
Despite Gloria Swanson’s status as one of the most popular and beloved actresses of the silent era, Peary only lists two of her pre-Sunset Boulevard titles in his GFTFF: Erich von Stroheim’s notoriously unfinished Queen Kelly (1929), and this much earlier Cecil B. DeMille title (which is credited with helping the 20-year-old Swanson achieve fame as a romantic lead). Adapted from J.M. Barrie’s play The Admirable Crichton, it tells a farcical fable about what might happen if all class-based trappings were suddenly stripped away, leaving both the nobility and the working class to fend for themselves in nature. Naturally, the aristocratic ninnies in this story haven’t the first clue how to survive, leaving it conveniently up to Meighan to take charge and show them how to build a fire, construct shelter, etc. Things turn undeniably silly when Meighan abuses his privileges to become a petty tyrant, fending off advances from not only the reformed Swanson, but a pretty young maid (Lila Lee) with a ferocious crush of her own on Meighan. However, while this film hasn’t dated well enough to remain must-see viewing on its own merits, it’s worth a look simply to see beautiful young Swanson in one her best-known early roles.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • An amusing exploration of class relations

Must See?
No, though it’s worth a look to see young Swanson at the height of her beauty. Listed as a film with Historical Importance in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

Dangerous (1935)

Dangerous (1935)

“I’m bad for people. I don’t mean to be, but I can’t help myself.”

Synopsis:
A down-and-out actress (Bette Davis) seduces an admiring architect (Franchot Tone), who breaks off his engagement with his socialite girlfriend (Margaret Lindsay) to help revive Davis’s failing career.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Actors and Actresses
  • Alcoholism and Drug Addiction
  • Bette Davis Films
  • Femmes Fatales
  • Franchot Tone Films
  • Has-Beens

Review:
Bette Davis’s Oscar-winning performance in Dangerous may be one of the first instances of an Academy Award being given to an actor or actress as a consolation prize for not winning the previous year, when he or she more clearly deserved it. In this case, most (including Peary) believe that Davis should have won an Oscar instead for her breakthrough performance in Of Human Bondage (1934), which is certainly the much better film. Indeed, Dangerous — based on Laird Doyle’s story “Hard Luck Dame” — remains a poorly written and conceived melodrama with a ludicrous ending and no clear sense of who to root for or why. Tone comes across like the ultimate fool:

From the moment he naively believes he can bring a beautiful but notoriously damaged young actress:

… back to his country home for the weekend and not cause potential risk to his happy engagement with Lindsay, we lose all respect for him, making it difficult to care much about either him or the story’s resolution. Yet Davis’s performance shines through the dross of the narrative, presenting us with a fully dimensional, deeply flawed femme fatale with a host of “dangerous” demons in her closet. She alone makes this film worth seeking out for a one-time look.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Bette Davis as Joyce Heath (nominated by Peary as one of the Best Actresses of the Year in his Alternate Oscars)

Must See?
No, though it’s worth a look simply for Davis’s Oscar-winning performance.

Links: