{"id":3388,"date":"2007-06-28T15:34:29","date_gmt":"2007-06-28T22:34:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=3388"},"modified":"2021-01-09T13:32:50","modified_gmt":"2021-01-09T20:32:50","slug":"scoundrel-the-miracle-on-49th-street-1935","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=3388","title":{"rendered":"Scoundrel, The \/ Miracle on 49th Street (1935)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;How I wish that I were as nice as you think I am.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Poster2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Poster2-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-22971\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Poster2-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Poster2-96x128.jpg 96w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Poster2.jpg 366w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nRuthless, womanizing publisher Anthony Mallare (Noel Coward) falls in love with a young poet (Julie Haydon), then abandons her for another woman. When he is killed in a plane accident, Mallare&#8217;s ghost is given one month to find someone who will shed a tear for him, and he rests all his hope on Haydon.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Character Arc<\/li>\n<li>Ghosts<\/li>\n<li>Noel Coward Films<\/li>\n<li>Untimely Death<\/li>\n<li>Womanizers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nAs Peary notes, this &#8220;mix of Broadway satire and outright fantasy&#8221; by writer\/director team Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur &#8220;looks great&#8221; and &#8220;has exceptional dialogue&#8221;. Unlike Peary, however, I&#8217;m less impressed by the overall screenplay, which shifts from a &#8220;supersophisticated script&#8221; into a far-fetched fantasy with a &#8220;simple, tear-jerking ending&#8221;. I much prefer the first two-thirds of the film, in which Mallare &#8212; played with wonderful panache by Coward (he should have done more screen acting!) &#8212; is snide and bitchy; because he&#8217;s so upfront about his love-&#8217;em-and-leave-&#8217;em attitude towards relationships, it&#8217;s difficult to feel much sympathy for Haydon (though we like her as well). Once Mallare dies and starts wandering the Earth, the story&#8217;s delicious bite fades away, as does much of our enjoyment. Nonetheless, this hard-to-find film remains worth watching at least once, if you can locate a copy. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Noel Coward as Anthony Mallare<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Coward2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Coward2-1024x761.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"476\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-62516\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Coward2-1024x761.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Coward2-300x223.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Coward2-128x95.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Coward2-768x571.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Coward2-363x270.png 363w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Coward2.png 1255w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Julie Haydon as Cora Moore<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Haydon2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Haydon2-1024x760.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"475\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-62517\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Haydon2-1024x760.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Haydon2-300x223.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Haydon2-128x95.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Haydon2-768x570.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Haydon2-364x270.png 364w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Haydon2.png 1249w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Lee Garmes&#8217; cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Set.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Set-1024x771.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"482\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-62518\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Set-1024x771.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Set-300x226.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Set-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Set-768x578.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Set-359x270.png 359w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/06\/Scoundrel-Set.png 1253w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur&#8217;s witty, clever dialogue:<br \/>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;She&#8217;s the only woman I&#8217;ve ever met who seems shallower and more superficial than I am. It&#8217;ll be a perfect match: two empty paper bags, belaboring each other.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, simply for Coward&#8217;s excellent performance. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Noteworthy Performance(s)<\/li>\n<li>Oscar Winner or Nominee<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/imdb.com\/title\/tt0026970\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/fantasticmoviemusings.com\/2015\/06\/14\/the-scoundrel-1935\/\">SciFilm Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1935\/05\/03\/archives\/the-music-hall-presents-noel-coward-in-the-new-hechtmacarthur-film.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;How I wish that I were as nice as you think I am.&#8221; Synopsis: Ruthless, womanizing publisher Anthony Mallare (Noel Coward) falls in love with a young poet (Julie Haydon), then abandons her for another woman. When he is killed in a plane accident, Mallare&#8217;s ghost is given one month to find someone who will shed a tear for him, and he rests all his hope on Haydon. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Character Arc Ghosts Noel Coward Films Untimely&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=3388\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3388"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3388\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62520,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3388\/revisions\/62520"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}