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Month: August 2012

Caged (1950)

Caged (1950)

“Home, sweet home — just like the big cage at the zoo, only you clean it up instead of the keeper.”

Synopsis:
A naive young widow (Eleanor Parker) convicted as an accomplice to a petty crime hardens when she enters prison, where a sadistic warden (Hope Emerson) makes life difficult for anyone unwilling or unable to ply her with bribes.

  • Agnes Moorehead Films
  • Character Arc
  • Eleanor Parker Films
  • Jan Sterling Films
  • John Cromwell Films
  • Prisoners

Review:
Caged was based upon a real-life exposé by writer Virginia Kellogg, who apparently got herself thrown into jail, Shock Corridor-style, to gather first-hand insights into the milieu. These days, it’s best remembered as the precursor for all later “women-in-prison” exploitation films, and possesses cult status for its latent yet obvious lesbian undertones (with several inmates presented as indubitably ‘butch’).

Eleanor Parker gives a sympathetic performance as a naive, poverty-ridden young woman who undergoes a drastic change in personality once she realizes how incurably corrupt the prison system is:

Her role here hints at the even more impressive performance she would later give as a woman with split personalities in Hugo Haas’s Lizzie (1957). Equally memorable is Hope Emerson as a truly sadistic warden with nary a shred of empathy in her bones; while she was apparently a lovely woman in real life, this remains (for better or for worse) the on-screen role she’s most commonly associated with.

Meanwhile, Agnes Moorehead (as the prison’s director) serves as Emerson’s moral counterpoint, wanting the best for “her girls” yet dealing with massive political resistance at every turn.

Carl Guthrie’s atmospheric cinematography adds to the film’s potency, effectively evoking the horror-ridden nature of the screenplay, which pulls no punches in its depiction of prison-life as a noxious brew of corruption.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Eleanor Parker as Marie Allen
  • Hope Emerson as Evelyn Harper
  • Atmospheric cinematography by Carl Guthrie

Must See?
Yes, as a cult classic, and for its status as the “template” for future women-in-prison exploitation flicks.

Categories

  • Cult Movie

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Band Wagon, The (1953)

Band Wagon, The (1953)

“Whatever I am — whether it’s a new me or an old me — remember, I’m still just an entertainer.”

Synopsis:
An aging performer (Fred Astaire) is invited by his songwriting friends (Nanette Fabray and Oscar Levant) to stage a comeback in a new musical they’ve written, to be directed by a pretentious new auteur (Jack Buchanan). Tensions soon arise, however, when Buchanan’s vision for the show saps it of any humor, and Astaire clashes with his balletic co-star (Cyd Charisse).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Cyd Charisse Films
  • Fred Astaire Films
  • Has-Beens
  • “Let’s Put On a Show”
  • Musicals
  • Oscar Levant Films
  • Vincente Minnelli Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary argues that this “extravagant MGM musical, directed with much flair by Vincente Minnelli”, co-written by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and featuring “impressive set design[s] for [the] musical numbers”, “starts out slowly but keeps getting better and better as great musical numbers keep piling up.” He notes that “musical highlights include ‘Dancing in the Dark’, ‘That’s Entertainment’, ‘Triplets’… and the lavish, episodic ‘Girl Hunt’ dance sequence, spoofing Mickey Spillane”. In his short review, Peary doesn’t provide much critique of either the film’s occasionally hokey “let’s put on a show!” storyline or the central performances, which perhaps speaks to how dominant the musical numbers really are; with that said, the narrative is guaranteed to tickle both fans of Astaire (who gamely pokes fun at his own waning popularity as an aging star) and theater insiders, who will surely appreciate its merciless skewering of artistic pretentiousness run amok.

In terms of the performances, I’m a big fan of Nanette Fabray’s turn as a character loosely based on Comden herself. She’s relentlessly cheerful, yet in a way that comes across as infectious rather than annoying (and film fanatics will be glad to have seen this big-name musical actress in at least one movie). Her musical number with Astaire and Buchanan (“Triplets”) remains my personal favorite in the film — though it’s a bit sad to know how painful it was for Fabray to film it. Equally memorable — in a film filled with memorable sequences — is Astaire’s early shoeshine number, danced with real-life shoe shiner Leroy Daniels. And naturally, all film fanatics will want to see the film where the infinitely hummable “That’s Entertainment!” was first showcased; it’s performed here with plenty of flair and creative choreography.

The Band Wagon is frequently compared with its predecessor, Singin’ In the Rain (also co-written by Comden and Green, and produced by Arthur Freed), with fans endlessly debating the merits of one versus the other, and many taking a decisive “side”. In truth, while I’ll admit to being a more devoted fan of SITR, both films remain vibrantly colorful, cheerily escapist, masterfully danced musicals in their own right. My primary complaint with The Band Wagon lies with the lackluster romantic subplot between Astaire and Charisse, whose “rivalry” never really poses much of a narrative threat — then again, when those two dance together, all such concerns melt away, and we remember why we’re sitting down to watch a film like this in the first place.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Many enjoyable, creatively choreographed, wonderfully danced musical numbers




  • Fine use of Technicolor
  • Nanette Fabray as Lily
  • A clever skewering of artistic pretensions in the theatrical world

Must See?
Yes, as a classic mid-century musical. Voted into the National Film Registry in 1995.

Categories

  • Genuine Classic

(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)

Links:

Westward the Women (1951)

Westward the Women (1951)

“On this voyage, there’s to be no he-ing or she-ing.”

Synopsis:
In the 1850s, the founder (John McIntyre) of a California farming valley hires a no-nonsense trail guide (Robert Taylor) to help bring 138 women over from the east, so that his workers will have wives.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Feminism and Women’s Issues
  • John McIntire Films
  • Robert Taylor Films
  • Settlers
  • Westerns
  • William Wellman Films

Review:
Frank Capra scripted this William Wellman-directed western, which is only loosely based on historical fact yet offers a fascinating perspective on the experiences faced by women during America’s “westward movement”. With just one big-name star (Taylor), the film is essentially an ensemble piece, aiming to depict the collective struggles of females who were bold enough to leave behind their lives in the east for a decidedly dangerous trek across unknown territory. Some — i.e., a young woman (Beverly Dennis) pregnant with an illegitimate child — feel they have no other choice; others — like Hope Emerson’s stalwart widow — simply want a new start for themselves (and/or a man to call their own). Capra’s script is refreshingly blunt in depicting the most immediate danger posed to the women: lecherous trail hands who view them as easy targets for predatory notions. Once this issue is unexpectedly “taken care of”, however, the women then face the daunting task of helping themselves to survive the perilous journey — which is presented in a shockingly realistic (for the time) fashion. Numerous characters — some quite likeable — die throughout the course of the film; as a result, we get an authentic feeling of just how random and senseless death could seem for these travelers.

Taylor is appropriately gruff and stalwart in the lead role, but it’s the motley women themselves who linger longest in one’s memory. Larger-than-life Emerson (best known for her performance as a prison warden in 1950’s Caged) had perhaps her noblest supporting role here; however, most of her fellow actresses are unknown faces, adding to the film’s sense of authenticity. Meanwhile, Japanese character-actor Henry Nakamura gives a refreshingly caricature-free performance as “Ito” the cook; his drunken scene with Taylor (see still below) provides one of the film’s most random yet memorable moments. Kudos also belong to Wellman and DP William Mellor, who bring the harsh western landscape to realistic life. (According to TCM’s article, camera filters were used “as sparingly as possible” to give “the film an intentionally stark, sunbaked look”.) While not all narrative threads work — obligatory romantic tensions between Taylor and a former showgirl (Denise Darcel) are simply yawn-worthy, for instance — the majority of the story is a compelling treat, making this a film ffs will want to return to from time to time.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Strong direction and cinematography

  • A refreshing glimpse at strong females surviving the West

  • Fine supporting performances by “the women”


  • Henry Nakamura as Ito

Must See?
Yes, as a fine mid-century western representing a unique perspective. Listed as a Sleeper in the back of Peary’s book.

Categories

  • Good Show

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