Browsed by
Month: November 2019

Americanization of Emily, The (1964)

Americanization of Emily, The (1964)

“I’ve had it with heroes. Every man I’ve loved has died in this war.”

Synopsis:
During World War II, a military adjutant (James Garner) tasked with keeping a Navy admiral (Melvyn Douglas) happy on the home front falls in love with a widowed chauffeur (Julie Andrews) who has mixed feelings about Garner’s access to rationed goods and his cynical insistence on keeping himself out of harm’s way. When Douglas has a nervous breakdown and insists that a film be made of the first Naval officer to die during D-Day, Garner is pressured by his buddy (James Coburn) to take part; but will Garner follow orders or save his own skin — and how will Andrews feel about his choice?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Corruption
  • James Coburn Films
  • James Garner Films
  • Julie Andrews Films
  • Keenan Wynn Films
  • Melvyn Douglas Films
  • Mental Breakdown
  • Military
  • Romance
  • Widows and Widowers
  • World War II

Review:
Paddy Chayefsky wrote the ultra-cynical script for this film in which, as DVD Savant writes, “War may be Hell, but… its glorification is a worse obscenity.” Garner plays a self-professed proud coward whose primary goal is to stay alive while the machinery of war works its lethal way around him. Andrews — in her second movie role, just after Mary Poppins (1964) and before The Sound of Music (1965) — is appropriately wary of Garner at first, but soon decides she’d rather enjoy a fling than continue to mourn the string of heroes she’s lost in her life (including not just her husband, but her father and brother as well). Unfortunately, the presentation of “dog-robbing” in the military is so blatantly womanizing that it’s hard to stomach, as women are literally objectified and treated as “procurement” for officers (complete with happy willingness to dye their hair and offer sex in exchange for chocolates, drink, and dresses); a running gag has Garner walking in on Coburn as he’s bedding various beautiful women, all positioned as brainless and vapid. Level-headed Andrews is presumably meant to be the counter-balance to this portrayal, but Chayefsky ultimately has her give in and agree she “shouldn’t be a prig”. Meanwhile, hearing dialogue like, “Do the Russians still like their girls short, fat, and reactionary?” becomes not only tiresome but radically unfunny. With that said, the rest of the narrative does eventually pay off, to an extent; but the road to get there — while expertly filmed, especially during the D-Day sequences — isn’t worth it.

Note: Another minor irritant, as pointed out by DVD Savant, is “the women’s hairstyles: Andrews, [Liz] Fraser and all of Garner’s good-time motor pool girls have poofy 1964 big-hair hairdos … there’s little or no period feeling.”

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Philip Lathrop’s cinematography

Must See?
No, though film fanatics may want to check out beautiful Andrews in one of her earliest roles.

Links:

Lady for a Day (1933)

Lady for a Day (1933)

“It’s for Apple Annie, see? She’s in a tough spot, and it’s up to us to give her a break.”

Synopsis:
When a destitute apple vendor (May Robson) learns that her grown daughter (Jean Parker) will be arriving from Spain with her noble fiance (Barry Norton) and his father (Walter Connelly), she enlists the help of a superstitious but grateful gangster (Warren William) and his moll (Glenda Farrell) in putting on an elaborate charade to present herself as a “lady”, including finding a man (Guy Kibbee) to pose as her husband.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Do-Gooders
  • Frank Capra Films
  • Gangsters
  • Jean Parker Films
  • Mistaken or Hidden Identities
  • Single Mothers
  • Warren William Films

Review:
Frank Capra’s first adaptation of Damon Runyan’s short story “Madame La Gimp” — remade as A Pocketful of Miracles in 1961 — earned him a Best Director and Best Picture nomination, though he didn’t win until the following year for It Happened One Night. Lady for a Day remains a touching tale of collective support for a down-and-out friend with a complicated request — and the fact that the level of deception necessary to sustain Parker’s belief in her mother’s status would never last (Robson is only made a “lady” for a day) is part of the story’s fairy-tale charm. It’s impossible not to compare this with Pocketful of Miracles, which pales in comparison despite its vibrant Technicolor hues: Robson embodies Apple Annie and her transformation in a much more convincing and pathos-driven fashion than Bette Davis, and it’s nice to see William and Farrell’s characters mutually supportive of Annie (rather than quibbling and taking up screen time, as Glenn Ford and Hope Lange do in the remake). Joseph Walker’s cinematography bathes the entire movie with an appropriately melancholy yet magical atmosphere. This early Capra flick is worth a look.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • May Robson as Apple Annie
  • Fine supporting performances
  • Joseph Walker’s atmospheric cinematography

Must See?
Yes, as an enjoyable Oscar-nominated classic. Listed as a film with Historical Importance and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

Categories

Links:

Three Godfathers (1948)

Three Godfathers (1948)

“I want you — all of you — to be my baby’s godfathers.”

Synopsis:
When three bank robbers (John Wayne, Pedro Armendariz, and Harry Carrey Jr.) are driven out of town and into the desert by a sheriff (Ward Bond) who’s shot holes in their water bags, they shortly encounter a pregnant widow (Mildred Natwick) who gives birth to a baby boy and asks the men to be his godfathers.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Cat-and-Mouse
  • Deserts
  • Do-Gooders
  • Father and Child
  • John Ford Films
  • Outlaws
  • Survival
  • Ward Bond Films
  • Westerns

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that this “minor John Ford film is, of course, a Christian parable — the Christmas story”, and argues that while it’s “sentimental, funny, [and] overly symbolic,” it also “suffers because of sharp changes in tone”. He points out that the “story bears some resemblance to The Searchers, in that Wayne plays a character with a shady past who exorcises his bad qualities while returning a child to civilization — only here Wayne is welcomed (in Welcome, Arizona) with open arms by the citizens because they realize he has reformed and can fit into their town.” I’m a little fonder than Peary of this quirky tale, which plays as though the Three Wise Men were on the lam in the Wild West trying to survive a dust storm. There’s a kind of surreal magic in the scenes of the men making their way across desolate landscapes, happening upon a dying widow (Natwick is a tad too old to be playing a first-time mother) who gives birth to a son and therefore to a new life and sense of meaning for the bandits. Their need to care for this helpless creature trumps all other considerations, leading to the unexpectedly happy ending. Beautiful on-location cinematography and typically fine direction by Ford make this a one-time must-see for film fanatics.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Strong direction by Ford

  • Excellent on-location cinematography
  • Many memorable moments

Must See?
Yes, as a charming film by a master director.

Categories

Links:

Song of Bernadette, The (1943)

Song of Bernadette, The (1943)

“She sees this lady; no one else does.”

Synopsis:
A devout Catholic girl (Jennifer Jones) in 19th century France sees a vision of a beautiful woman (Linda Darnell) in a grotto, and soon the entire town is transfixed by Bernadette’s visits with “the beautiful lady” (presumed to be the Virgin Mary). Among those who remain at least temporarily skeptical of Bernadette’s visions are her hard-working mother (Anne Revere), a cynical nun (Gladys Cooper), the local priest (Charles Bickford), a doctor (Lee J. Cobb), and a prosecutor (Vincent Price) determined to show that rationality will triumph over faith.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Character Arc
  • Charles Bickford Films
  • Christianity
  • Henry King Films
  • Historical Drama
  • Jennifer Jones Films
  • Lee J. Cobb Films
  • Linda Darnell Films
  • Nuns
  • Religious Faith
  • Strong Females
  • Vincent Price Films

Review:
Peary doesn’t review this adaptation of Franz Werfel’s novel in his GFTFF, but he discusses Jennifer Jones’ Oscar-winning performance in Alternate Oscars, where he writes: “As was surely the case with Best Actor winner Paul Lukas [in Watch on the Rhine], the Academy probably voted as much for her noble character [Bernadette] as they did for her.” He argues that Jones “wasn’t really given a chance to act” but rather “had to play every scene identically, with a kind, simple smile but little emotion”. He asserts that “the scenes themselves are repetitive, with her character refusing to alter her story despite interrogations by one stern person after another”, and notes that he much prefers Jones’s “later, hot-blooded temptresses.” I’m not in agreement with Peary’s assessment, instead concurring with DVD Savant’s statement that the film remains “an unimpeachably good production, with an intelligent script, fine direction and performances by actors that don’t behave as if told to, ‘hurry up and be enlightening.'” In terms of Jones’s performance, Bernadette is nothing if not steadfast: great pains are taken to establish this from the outset, and to emphasize the critical role it plays in what transpires. While Jones does consistently present a “kind, simple smile”, she also displays enough authentic emotion to carry us steadily through her travails, and we root for her the entire time. Indeed, Jones’s performance grounds this character-rich film, with Bernadette’s unwavering faith allowing or prompting countless others to experience profound shifts in their own assumptions and beliefs.

The lengthy film merits its 156 minute running time. We’re first introduced to Jones (part of a large family) living in extreme poverty, with her mother (Revere) and father (Roman Bohnen) scarcely knowing where the next meal will come from — thus making it all the more powerful when Bernadette’s visions bring about both a seeming-miracle of healing AND a gift of plentiful food from neighbors. Time is taken to establish Bernadette’s lack of spiritual knowledge in school (due to asthma-induced absences), which leads to her stern nun-teacher’s (Cooper’s) refusal to allow her to accept a beautiful “miracle card” from the local priest (Bickford); could Bernadette’s later vision be a manifestation of this simple gift taken so quickly and cruelly from her? We simply don’t know, and to the film’s credit, we’re not asked to necessarily believe one version of reality over another. The film’s final “act” come as a bit of a surprise, given that a logical denouement has already occurred — but we soon learn that a sideline involving Cooper’s character (who becomes unexpectedly pivotal to the plot) must be given time to mature, and that Bernadette herself

SPOILER ALERT

will be given more than a simple send-off to a nunnery. Price gives a notably powerful performance as Bernadette’s primary foil, who earnestly believes that “To wipe out an epidemic, you must eliminate the cause” — but the entire cast is uniformly excellent (as is Arthur Miller’s cinematography).

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Jennifer Jones as Bernadette Soubirous
  • Vincent Price as Prosecutor Vital Dutour
  • Gladys Cooper as Sister Maria Theresa
  • Anne Revere as Louise Soubirous
  • Charles Bickford as Father Peyramale
  • Convincingly atmospheric sets
  • Arthur Miller’s luminous cinematography

Must See?
Yes, as a fine spiritual drama.

Categories

Links:

Stella Dallas (1937)

Stella Dallas (1937)

“Such women don’t deserve to have children!”

Synopsis:
A working class woman (Barbara Stanwyck) marries an executive (John Boles) and has a child, but the couple find themselves drifting apart and soon live separate lives. As their daughter (Anne Shirley) grows older, she becomes more aware of her mother’s lack of social refinement — and when Stanwyck realizes it’s best for Shirley to live with Boles and his kind socialite girlfriend (Barbara O’Neil), she makes the ultimate maternal sacrifice.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Alan Hale Films
  • Anne Shirley Films
  • Barbara Stanwyck Films
  • Class Relations
  • Cross-Class Romance
  • King Vidor Films
  • Single Mothers
  • Social Climber
  • Suffering Mothers

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that this “prototypical soap opera” — based on a novel by Olive Higgins Prouty — “was one of the first to advance the form’s most important tenet: whatever a woman’s faults, she will be a devoted, loving, sacrificing mother.” (If only this fantasy were remotely true…) He notes that Stanwyck’s Stella — “a smalltown girl who marries above her class” and “is well-meaning but restless for the wild life” — is “not upset about separating from Boles” (he points out “this is one of the screen’s first amiable divorces”); however, “she can’t bear not being with her teenage daughter… who gives meaning to her otherwise drab life.” Peary writes that “thematically this picture, is, of course, dated, but it’s still worth watching because of its classic status, the strong and sympathetic performances by Stanwyck and Shirley, and director King Vidor’s interesting portrait of smalltown America. Even considering the snobs who naively make fun of Stella, this film contains some of the nicest people…” I’m in agreement with Peary’s assessment. Stanwyck brings pathos and nuance to a challenging role: we’re willing to believe in her character’s story given that no easy answers are presented or accepted. It is indeed refreshing to see how nicely the major players (though certainly not all of society) treat one another other. Stanwyck and Shirley’s dilemma becomes simply an old-fashioned (albeit class-soaked) take on the recurring challenge of custodial privileges, which haven’t disappeared.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Barbara Stanwyck as Stella Dallas
  • Fine supporting performances
  • Rudolph Mate’s cinematography

Must See?
Yes, for Stanwyck’s performance, and as a classic soaper.

Categories

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

Links: