Frankenstein (1931)

Frankenstein (1931)

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“Now I know what it feels like to be God!”

Synopsis:
With the help of his assistant (Dwight Frye), a scientist (Colin Clive) steals a human brain and brings a monstrous creature (Boris Karloff) to life — but the creature struggles to adjust to his new world, and soon causes both fear and havoc.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Boris Karloff Films
  • Colin Clive Films
  • Frankenstein
  • Horror
  • James Whale Films
  • Mad Doctors and Scientists

Response to Peary’s Review:
Although it’s consistently overshadowed by its esteemed sequel (Bride of Frankenstein), this classic Universal Pictures horror film “still holds up due to striking, innovative direction by James Whale, who employs bizarre camera angles, high-ceiling sets, imaginative set design (especially in the Baron’s lab), and sharp editing to create a remarkably tense atmosphere”. In his review, Peary also highlights the “excellent acting by Colin Clive” (though not all critics agree with him) and by “Boris Karloff, as the Monster he creates”, noting that “the timelessness of Mary Shelley’s morality play” adds to its enduring interest as well. He calls out numerous memorable scenes, including “Clive and [his] weasly assistant Dwight Frye robbing graves; the Monster coming to life; the Monster trying to make friends with a little girl”; and others.

In the remainder of Peary’s review, he provides an interesting analysis of the film’s themes and philosophical groundings. He argues that “Whale seems to go along with Shelley’s controversial belief that Frankenstein’s sin is not that he defies God by creating life but that once he becomes a creator he both emulates God and competes with him for sovereignty”. Indeed, this is evidenced by the powerful scene in which “Karloff beautifully conveys the recently born being’s newfound feelings of warmth and wonderment” as he “shuffles directly under the light” which is “flickering into the dark chamber”, only for Dr. Frankenstein to “block out the light, jealously refusing the creature any knowledge (symbolized by sunlight) that he didn’t offer himself, as well as any contact with the god who sent his sun ray.” Peary’s interpretation here is spot-on, and demonstrates the level of care taken with turning Shelley’s complex tale into more than just a standard horror flick.

What’s most tremendous about Frankenstein is the way in which we come to genuinely care about the Monster — even when (in perhaps the movie’s most affecting, devastating scene) his new friendship with a young girl goes tragically wrong. Karloff’s ability to convey depth of emotion through layers of expertly applied make-up (which apparently took five hours each day to apply, and two hours to remove) is truly impressive; it’s understandable why Peary chose to nominate him as one of the Best Actors of the Year in his Alternate Oscars book. Also impressive (if less astonishing) is Clive’s performance as Dr. Frankenstein. Knowing Clive’s personal history (he died just six years later, at the age of 37, from complications related to his alcoholism) adds an extra layer of pathos to his portrayal of a man who “has withdrawn into self-imposed isolation… and become an elitist”, ultimately neglecting “his fatherly obligations and abandon[ing] his ‘son’, leaving the creature to make its way in a world repulsed by grotesquery”.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Boris Karloff as “The Monster” (nominated by Peary as one of the Best Actors of the Year in his Alternate Oscars)
  • Colin Clive as Dr. Frankenstein (nominated by Peary as one of the Best Actors of the Year in his Alternate Oscars)
  • Fabulous set designs (reprised in Bride of Frankenstein)
  • Jack Pierce and James Whale’s copyrighted monster make-up
  • Arthur Edeson’s cinematography
  • James Whale’s direction
  • Many powerful, memorable sequences — including the initial “birth” scene, the “girl in the lake” scene, and others

Must See?
Yes, most definitely, as a genuine classic.

Categories

  • Genuine Classic

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

Links:

International House (1933)

International House (1933)

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“That guy’s invention must be plenty hot to drag us from all around the world like this.”

Synopsis:
A group of eclectic individuals — including a wealthy socialite (Peggy Hopkins Joyce), her jealous ex-husband (Bela Lugosi), and a professor flying an “auto-gyro” (W.C. Fields) — all gather in the town of Wu Hu, China to bid on an invention created by Dr. Wong (Edmund Breese).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Bela Lugosi Films
  • China
  • Comedy
  • Ensemble Films
  • George Burns Films
  • Inventors
  • W.C. Fields Films

Review:
Essentially a comedic variety show (some have likened it to “radio on-screen”), this typically bizarre W.C. Fields film (he’s not top-billed, but might as well have been) whizzes by in a flurry of vignettes featuring big-name stars of the era — many of whom are now forgotten, but some of whom remain a delight to see in their prime. George Burns and Gracie Allen, for instance, are given several moments of screentime to perform their characteristically deadpan banter together, while Cab Calloway’s band offers an energetic rendition of “Reefer Man” (ah, Pre-Code times!). The infamous socialite Peggy Hopkins Joyce does a surprisingly fine job playing herself, and may be of minor cultural interest to some viewers as well. Be forewarned: the central plot device is merely a MacGuffin to get all these random characters together.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • George Burns’ and Gracie Allen’s comedic rapport
  • A fun Pre-Code sensibility
  • The truly surreal teapcup/mug dance

  • Typically enjoyable (Pre-Code) one-liners by Fields:

    Peggy: I wonder what their parents were?
    Fields: Careless, my little dove cake, careless.

Must See?
No, though it’s certainly worth a look.

Links:

My Favorite Spy (1951)

My Favorite Spy (1951)

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“It’s nights like this that drive men like me to women like you for nights like this.”

Synopsis:
A vaudeville performer (Bob Hope) with an uncanny resemblance to wounded international spy Eric Augustine (also Hope) is recruited by the U.S. government to impersonate Augustine and obtain critical microfilm in Tangiers, where he falls for a beautiful but dangerous female agent (Hedy Lamarr).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Bob Hope Films
  • Hedy Lamarr Films
  • Mistaken Identities
  • Satires and Spoofs
  • Spies

Review:
The third and final film in Bob Hope’s My Favorite… “trilogy” is also the least successful of the bunch. Lamarr is as beautiful as ever (and truly stunning in some of Edith Head’s dresses):

… but ultimately lacks the comedic sensibility and timing necessary for her role as Hope’s foil; she takes everything far too seriously. Hope, meanwhile, seems to be merely repeating his character from My Favorite Blonde (minus the trained penguin); at least his protagonist in My Favorite Brunette had the unique job of being a baby photographer. Equally disappointing is the failed use here of Hope in doppelganger roles: as others have commented, the one scene in which they’re both present on-screen is shot from such an awkward angle that it doesn’t quite look realistic, and the two characters never even have a chance to talk to one another. My Favorite Spy ultimately ends up feeling oddly similar to entries in the Road to… series, complete with Paramount’s faux-exotic backlots and soundstages — which suddenly shift to real-life outdoor sets in California during the film’s wacky slapstick ending (involving a firetruck and Spanish-speaking firemen — in Tangiers??). Stick with My Favorite Brunette as the only one of the My Favorite… outings that’s must-see for all film fanatics.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Hope’s characteristically deadpan one-liners:

    “When I look into a girl’s eyes, I can tell just what she thinks of me. It’s pretty discouraging, too.”

Must See?
No; this one is strictly for Hope fans.

Links:

My Favorite Blonde (1942)

My Favorite Blonde (1942)

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“Do you know what it feels like, to be followed and hounded and watched every second?”

Synopsis:
A vaudeville performer (Bob Hope) goes on the lam with a British secret agent (Madeleine Carroll) after being framed for murder by a Nazi spy (Gale Sondergaard).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Bob Hope Films
  • Fugitives
  • Madeleine Carroll Films
  • Satires and Spoofs
  • Spies

Review:
The first of three similarly-titled satires which paired Bob Hope with a classic Hollywood beauty (followed by My Favorite Brunette with Dorothy Lamour in 1947, and My Favorite Spy with Hedy Lamarr in 1951), this comedic thriller — co-written by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama — allowed Madeleine Carroll the opportunity to spoof her most famous film, Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps (1935). While it’s full of plenty of humorously throw-away one-liners and gags, however, the film as a whole isn’t as consistently enjoyable as My Favorite Brunette (the best of the “series”). It’s interesting to know that Hope (in real life) was head-over-heels in lust with Carroll, who was going steady with Sterling Hayden at the time and eventually broke Hope’s heart by marrying Hayden on the sly; in the film, Carroll’s “push-me-pull-you” romantic teasing with Hope seems like an especially appropriate fictional approximation of these tensions. Watch for a cute shot showing Hope’s trained penguin, Percy, bowing to the audience in roller skates.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • A high-energy satire of Hitchcockian thrillers

Must See?
No, but it’s worth a look.

Links:

I.F. Stone’s Weekly (1973)

I.F. Stone’s Weekly (1973)

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“People read, but they miss most of what they see. Izzy misses nothing.”

Synopsis:
Blacklisted journalist I.F. Stone discusses the weekly political newspaper he founded in 1953, which eventually reached a circulation of 70,000.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Documentaries
  • Journalists

Review:
Peary’s recommendation of this hard-to-find documentary about investigative journalist Isidor Feinstein Stone — who published his own muckraking weekly after being blacklisted by major newspapers for his “radical” views during an era of anti-communist hysteria — clearly reflects his personal interest in championing films about social justice and liberal individuals fighting against The Machine. In an era of increasingly widespread, You-Tubed documentaries about nearly every subject and individual under the sun, it’s easy to take an hour-long film like this for granted — but one shouldn’t, as it remains invaluable documentation of an intriguing figure in the history of journalism. However, it’s not innovative enough as a film that I would recommend it as something all film fanatics need to seek out. With that said, it would make an interesting double-bill with All the President’s Men (1976), given the presence of a young Carl Bernstein as a talking head at one point.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • An invaluable glimpse at the life and times of a little-known iconoclastic journalist crusader

Must See?
No; this one is only must-see for those interested in the subject matter. If you’re curious to locate it, try checking your local university library for a copy.

Links:

Way Down East (1920)

Way Down East (1920)

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“Don’t worry; everything’s all right. Don’t you trust me?”

Synopsis:
A naive country girl (Lillian Gish) is deceived by a womanizing player (Lowell Sherman) into believing she’s married him, and bears a child out of wedlock. After the baby dies and Sherman abandons her, she starts her life over by working as a maid for a squire (Burr McIntosh), whose son (Richard Barthelmess) falls in love with her. But can she escape her “shameful” past?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • D.W. Griffith Films
  • Feminism and Women’s Issues
  • Lillian Gish Films
  • Play Adaptation
  • Silent Films
  • Womanizers

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary argues that D.W. Griffith’s adaptation of Lottie Blair Parker’s popular 19th century melodrama remains “the best of [his] pastoral films”, noting that rather than relishing “the chance to make a woman suffer, [he] doesn’t try to milk the audience’s tears”, and makes Gish’s Anna “resilient in her many hardships” so that we “want to admire Anna, not pity her”. Despite Gish’s fine central performance, however — and the justifiably famous finale in which “the freezing Gish walks perilously across ice floes during a blizzard” (using no stunt doubles) — Way Down East remains more of a curiosity than a true classic. There’s nothing particularly new about the heartbreaking storyline (one contributor on IMDb points out the uncanny narrative similarities with Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles), and Griffith’s portrayal of country yokels as foolish rubes quickly moves beyond “humor” into tiresome and offensive caricature. With that said, film fanatics will probably be curious to check this one out simply given its historical relevance; it was Griffith’s second most popular film after The Birth of the Nation (1915).

Note: Another contributor on IMDb notes that she’s shown this film to her high school students for years as an archetypical example of Victorian melodrama — which makes complete sense.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Lillian Gish as Anna
  • An occasionally heart-breakingly melodramatic script
  • G.W. Bitzer’s cinematography
  • The exciting icy climax

Must See?
Yes, but only for its historical relevance.

Categories

  • Historically Relevant
  • Important Director

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

Links:

Big Broadcast of 1938, The (1938)

Big Broadcast of 1938, The (1938)

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“Remember the last time we were in jail together, darling?”

Synopsis:
The owner (W.C. Fields) of an electrically-charged ocean liner challenges a rival ship to a race, while a radio show host (Bob Hope) with multiple ex-wives (Shirley Ross, Grace Bradley, and Virginia Vale) and a new fiancee (Dorothy Lamour) announces the ships’ progress and keeps listeners entertained with performances by Tito Guizar, Kirsten Flagstad, Martha Raye, Shep Fields, and others.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • At Sea
  • Bob Hope Films
  • Comedy
  • Dorothy Lamour Films
  • Ensemble Films
  • Mitchell Leisen Films
  • Musicals
  • Radio
  • W.C. Fields Films

Review:
The synopsis of this Paramount Studios musical variety film gives an accurate indication of how paper-thin its “plot” is. I suppose we’re meant to nominally care which ship “wins the race”, and then of course there’s the little matter of romantic entanglements between Hope, Lamour, Ross, and Leif Erickson (Hope is engaged to Lamour, who falls for Erickson; meanwhile, Hope falls BACK in love with Ross). But seriously, it’s all just an excuse to see the musical acts, which are a mixed bag but occasionally fun: the opening live action/animated orchestral sequence, for instance, is cleverly done, and it’s trippy to watch Martha Raye (playing Fields’s loud-mouthed daughter) contorting and bouncing her way across the shipdeck with the help of a bevy of buff seamen. This film (the fourth in a series of similarly titled movies with similarly structured “plots”) is perhaps best remembered today for starring Hope in his feature-length debut, singing “Thanks for the Memories” with more genuine feeling and pathos than one would expect.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Bob Hope singing “Thanks for the Memories” with Shirley Ross
  • The fun live action-animated sequence with Shep Fields’ orchestra
  • Martha Raye’s impressive gymnastic feats while dancing and singing “Mama, That Moon is Here Again”

Must See?
No. Listed as a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book — likely because of the presence of Fields (though he’s not particularly memorable).

Links:

Come and Get It / Roaring Timber (1936)

Come and Get It / Roaring Timber (1936)

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“In ten years, I’m going to be one of the richest men in this state! You wait and see.”

Synopsis:
An ambitious lumberjack (Edward Arnold) marries the daughter (Mary Nash) of his business partner rather than the woman he really loves — saloon singer Lotta Morgan (Frances Farmer). Years later, he meets Lotta’s daughter (also Frances Farmer), and falls immediately in love with her — as does his son (Joel McCrea).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Edward Arnold Films
  • Frances Farmer Films
  • Historical Drama
  • Howard Hawks Films>
  • Joel McCrea Films
  • Rivalry
  • Walter Brennan Films
  • William Wyler Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary’s response to this “well-mounted Samuel Goldwyn production of Edna Ferber’s novel” — “the only major film of Frances Farmer’s career” — is a bit of a surprise. He states that Farmer is “not so impressive that we can lament about how great her career would have been if Hollywood hadn’t destroyed her”, and argues that while “she is certainly capable and shows signs of intelligence”, “what’s most striking is how closely Jessica Lange resembles her in Frances“. I completely disagree. From the moment we first lay eyes on Lotta Morgan (Farmer in the first of dual roles), it’s difficult to look away: she’s both gorgeous and spunky, with a modern sensibility. In her second role (as Lotta Bostrom), she’s equally engaging, portraying just the right mix of a small town girl’s drive to make something of herself, and increasing dread at the realization of exactly what Arnold’s intentions are with her. Farmer is really the primary reason to see this movie, and film fanatics will be glad for the opportunity.

With that said, it’s a fine movie in many other respects as well. While it is a bit of a “conventional soaper” at times, the fact that it “becomes uncomfortable to watch in the second half [once] Arnold comes across as a ‘dirty old man'” simply adds to its authenticity. Indeed, the screenplay refreshingly never shirks away from dealing head-on with its somewhat disturbing premise, as married Arnold repeatedly fails to see exactly how creepy and inappropriate his advances towards young Lotta are. Clearly not a conventional leading man, Arnold (giving a “strong performance”) was an inspired choice to play the lead character here, with his bullish demeanor making it easy to sympathize with young Lotta’s dread. While I’m not particularly enamored by Walter Brennan’s Oscar-winning portrayal as Arnold’s best friend Swan (his broad Swedish accent comes across as a bit too heavy-handed at times), there are several fine supporting performances throughout — most notably Mady Christians as Lotta Bostrom’s concerned cousin, and Andrea Leeds as Arnold’s grown daughter (they have a particularly touching scene together). Watch for Brooke Shields’s grandfather, Frank Shields, in a bit role as Arnold’s daughter’s beau.

Note: This film was co-directed by Howard Hawks and William Wyler (with the latter taking over towards the end, and contributing far less).

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Frances Farmer as both Lottas

  • Edward Arnold as Barney
  • Fine supporting performances
  • The stunning, if disturbing, logging sequences near the beginning of the film

Must See?
Yes, primarily for Farmer’s performance, but also as a good show all around.

Categories

  • Noteworthy Performance(s)

Links:

Gore Gore Girls, The (1972)

Gore Gore Girls, The (1972)

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“That’s the second of my friends that have been killed in the last couple of days!”

Synopsis:
On behalf of her newspaper, a journalist (Amy Farrell) hires a dapper private eye (Frank Kress) to solve the grisly murder of a stripper (Jackie Kroeger) — just the first of many soon to be mutilated.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Detectives and Private Eyes
  • Herschell Gordon Lewis Films
  • Horror
  • Journalists
  • Murder Mystery
  • Serial Killers
  • Strippers

Review:
Herschell Gordon Lewis’s final film (apart from two “come back” films made in the 2000s) was this gore-sploitation of private eye flicks:

… complete with plenty of Lewis’s characteristically tasteless mutilation of female flesh (in this case, buttocks are tenderized and seasoned, faces are deep fried and ironed, heads are smashed in and scooped out — you know, that kind of thing). Meanwhile, the rest of the narrative consists of interminable stripping sequences that do nothing to further the story; naturally, I’m not naive enough to be confused about the rationale behind this (Gordon Lewis was nothing if not savvy about what would draw in crowds), but these sequences simply make the film just that much more excruciating to sit through. While it (naturally) has its diehard fans (one poster on IMDb writes in all sincerity, “the best part of GoreGore Girls [sic] is when the killer cuts off one nipple, and milk comes out, cuts off the second nipple and then chocolate milk comes out! hahaha genius”), feel free to distance yourself as far as possible from this one.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Nothing — unless you’re a fan of the genre, and enjoy the campily dark, low-budget trash humor

Must See?
Definitely not. Listed as Trash in the back of Peary’s book (and thus not considered, even by Peary, to be essential viewing for all Film Fanatics).

Links:

Scarlet Letter, The (1926)

Scarlet Letter, The (1926)

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“Take heed, therefore! If ye sin, ye must pay — there is no escape!”

Synopsis:
In Puritan New England, young Hester Prynne (Lillian Gish) has a child out of wedlock with Reverend Dimmesdale (Lars Hanson), and is forced to wear an “A” for “Adultress” on her clothing at all times. When her estranged husband (Henry Walthall) arrives in town after being held captive by Indians for years, she must deal once again with the consequences of her actions.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Historical Drama
  • Lillian Gish Films
  • Morality Police
  • Priests and Ministers
  • Silent Films
  • Star-Crossed Lovers

Review:
Victor Sjostrom is perhaps best known by film fanatics for his performance as the elderly protagonist of Ingmar Bergman’s Wild Strawberries (1957); but he was an esteemed silent film director before this, and several of his titles — including The Wind (1928), The Phantom Carriage (1921), and this film — are listed in Peary’s book. Lillian Gish successfully convinced the Hays Office to allow this adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic American novel to be made — and as silent films in general go, it’s among the more satisfying tales I’ve seen. The thematically dense novel is distilled into a series of vignettes which effectively portray both the authenticity of the lovers’ forbidden romance, and the repressive context within which they are each trying to survive. Gish is as lovely as ever, giving a typically moving performance; and while some accuse Hanson of “scenery chewing”, I find him nicely suited for his role as the kind-hearted minister who longs to do right by both his lover and his child. (Both occasionally “over-act” in typical silent-film fashion, but this is to be expected for the era and genre.) Also of note is the fine attention paid to historical detail — we get the sense we’re really eavesdropping on this little corner of society (as when we see a young couple courting by speaking to each other through tubes).

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Lillian Gish as Hester Prynne
  • Lars Hanson as Reverend Dimmesdale
  • Fine period detail

  • Victor Sjostrom’s masterful direction
  • Hendrik Sartov’s cinematography

Must See?
Yes, as a fine literary adaptation by a premiere silent film director. Listed as a film with Historical Importance and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

Categories

  • Genuine Classic
  • Important Director

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