Ben Directs Silent Movies

Hugo (2011) (Asa Butterfield), is an orphan who lives in the clock tower at the Paris train station. There, he steals enough food to live, and tries to rebuild a broken automaton - a mechanical man Hugo's father (Jude Law) was working on when he died in a fire. But life takes a  turn when Hugo's pilfering is discovered by the toy-maker Georges Méliès (Ben Kingsley), who confiscates Hugo's notebook - his only hope of getting the mechanical man to work.

This week, we decided to view a recent film, but one that salutes the classic film era. Hugo is very much about the history of - as well as the love for - silent movies. Director Martin Scorsese was introduced to the book when he read it to his daughter - it was one of her favorite books (The  Christian Post). Best known for films like Raging Bull and Taxi Driver, this was Mr. Scorsese's first film to get a PG rating since The Age of Innocence (1993). Hugo has the feel of a fairy story - it could easily start with "once upon a time..." This was also an opportunity for Mr. Scorsese to create a film that discussed one of his favorite topics - the preservation of our cinema history (TCM article). He even appears in a cameo, as a photographer.

The heart of the film is Hugo Cabret; as portrayed by Asa Butterfield, he is a lonely boy who has seen nothing but the painful side of life since the death of his father. Hugo's Uncle Claude (Ray Winstone) is a drunk; he pulls the young boy from school, to work with him to maintain the railway station clock. The one advantage is that the task gives Hugo a place to hide and the tools (and a few more skills) to repair his beloved mechanical man. Uncle Claude's disappearance means little to Hugo, except that he must be even more careful to not be detected by the Station Inspector (Sasha Baron Cohen), a bitter man who will consign Hugo to an orphan asylum should he ever be discovered.

We are not fans of Sacha Baron Cohen, but he is fine as a man who has seen service in World War I, and lost a leg as a result. The Station Inspector is a bitter man; he yearns for affection, but can give none. He's very much in love with Lisette (Emily Mortimer), the flower seller, but is unable to tell her because of his self-pity.  In many ways, the Station Inspector mirrors the resentment that affects Georges as well.   

Ben Kingsley is outstanding as the angry Georges. Forced to support himself, his wife Jeanne (Helen McCrory) and his adopted daughter Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz) by working as a toy-maker, he has lost his life's work and his legacy because of the War. Like the Station Inspector, he too is defeated by life. Hugo's pilfering of his spare parts is just one more insult to his already deflated life view.

The relationship between Hugo and Isabelle is probably the best part of the film. She is a girl in love with books; he is boy entranced by movies. He's lost his love of books due to the death of his father; she's never seen a movie. They introduce each other to their fantasy world; as a result, they are able to make reality a better place. It's in those worlds that the audience is inaugurated into the universe of the silent film. Hugo mentions his love for the book Robin Hood and for actor Douglas Fairbanks - and it was Fairbanks who played Robin Hood in 1922.  The pair go to the movies and see Harold Lloyd's Safety Last (1923) - Hugo ends up hanging off a clock tower, much like in that film's most famous scene.  We see posters outside the movie theatre to Chaplin and Keaton coming attractions. We are introduced to the early films of the Lumière brothers, and finally, we see A Trip to the Moon - the magnificent film of Georges - and Jeanne - Méliès.

Based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, this is a visually stunning film from beginning to end - even in 2-D (the film was released in 3-D) on a television set, it still a breathtaking movie.  It won five Academy Awards, for Production Design, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects, Cinematography, Sound Editing, and nominated for six more - for Director, Editing, Score, Screenplay, and Costume Design, and Picture. Interestingly, it lost the best picture Oscar to The Artist, a silent movie. 

The New York Times review by Manohla Dargis was glowing, as were  Roger Ebert  and The Guardian. Because of the costs of the film and the marketing, it sadly lost money on release. We highly recommend this film to lovers of classic film - it's a delight not to be missed. We'll leave you with the trailer:

John Fought for Spain

Following his escape from a Spanish POW camp, John "Kit" McKitrick (John Garfield) has been hospitalized in the US. While there, he discovers his best friend police lieutenant Louis Lepetino has died, allegedly the victim of an accidental fall from the window of a New York City high-rise. Kit is convinced that his possession of a war standard is the cause of Louie's death - and will also bring about his death next.  Our film this week is The Fallen Sparrow (1943). 

John Garfield is perfect as a man teetering on the edge of sanity. Yes, Kit has been hospitalized for what we would now call post-traumatic stress disorder, and has been discharged, but the death of his friend has summoned back all the demons he'd hoped to put behind him. Mr. Garfield brings a vulnerability to the character that does not detract from his strength of purpose. Given that Kit is in nearly every scene in the film, it's important that the audience identify with and support him; Mr. Garfield makes him a character you take to your heart. He wasn't the first choice for the part - RKO originally wanted James Cagney, but he turned it down (he'd been under some scrutiny because of his support for Loyalist Spain); Cary Grant, Randolph Scott, and George Brent also said no. (TCM article). Mr. Garfield, himself a supporter of Loyalist Spain, very much wanted the part and campaigned to get it. (John Garfield: The Illustrated Career in Films and Stage by Patrick J. McGrath).Stage by Patrick J. McGrath). Warner Brothers got the rights to remake Of Human Bondage from RKO in exchange for Mr. Garfield's services in this film (AFI catalog).

Maureen O'Hara (Toni Donne) takes on an unusual role - that of a possible Nazi spy. Toni is rather a cypher - you want to like her, you know that Kit wants to believe her, but in the final analysis, neither the audience nor Kit trusts her.  She's good in the part, because she is able to keep the audience on edge as to her intentions throughout the film; why she is working for the enemy is a question that hovers over the viewer.

While Ms. O'Hara keeps the audience guessing in an atypical role, Walter Slezak (Dr. Skass) does not. You know from the instant you see him that he is the villain. Sure, Mr. Slezak's early career was spent playing villains, but it's more than that. He fairly oozes evil - Dr. Skass' first conversation with Kit is a discussion of the beauty of water torture. We're told that Skass is a researcher - it's pretty apparent that he's the head of the spy ring, and no amount of screen subterfuge will convince you otherwise. If we had one regret in this film, it was that we would have appreciated a little more mystery surrounding the identity of the spy leader. 

We particularly enjoyed Martha O'Driscoll (Whitney Hamilton) as one of Kit's close friends. She is sweet and appealing as the one of the few people in Kit's life who is sincere. We especially enjoyed Kit's nickname for her - Imp. It seemed to happily sum up her personality and their friendship. 

Another character to watch is Inspector Tobin (John Miljan). Unlike too many police roles in movies, this is a character to observe carefully. There is more going on than meets the eye, and Mr. Miljan plays the part with an attention to detail.

The film's score was nominated for an Oscar (It lost to The Song of Bernadette).  While the New York Times review by Theodore Strauss (T.S.), was not keen initially on the film's story, Mr. Strauss' regard for Mr. Garfield's performance won him over: "by virtue of a taut performance by John Garfield in the central role, and the singular skill with which director Richard Wallace has highlighted the significant climaxes, The Fallen Sparrow emerges as one of the uncommon and provocatively handled melodramas of recent months." It would become one of RKO's high grossing films for 1944 (Variety) The story would appear as a Lux Radio Theatre broadcast on 14 Feb 1944, co-starring Robert Young,  Maureen O'Hara, and Walter Slezak. 

This is a movie worth seeing if for no other reason than to watch Mr. Garfield in action, but it has much more than that. We highly recommend it. In the meantime, here is a trailer:

Bette's Negative Prognosis

Judith Traherne (Bette Davis) is suffering from frequent and disabling headaches. At the urging of her best friend, Ann King (Geraldine Fitzgerald) and her family doctor, Dr. Parsons (Henry Travers), she sees neurosurgeon Dr. Frederick Steele (George Brent). He diagnoses a glioma, and brain surgery. Will the results be a Dark Victory (1939)?

Bette Davis won an Oscar in for Jezebel (1938); her performance here is also Oscar-worthy. Of course, next to the juggernaut Gone With the Wind, it was not in the cards for her to win again, but she did receive a well-deserved nomination for the doomed Judith Traherne. In an era in which Elisabeth Kubler-Ross's stages of grief were unknown, Ms. Davis portrays Judith's reactions: first to her supposed cure, and then to the realization that, at age 23, she only has a few more months of life. Like Julie Marsden in Jezebel, Judith is alone in the world, but there the similarities end. Judith is very much alone in the world - her beloved father died of alcoholism and her mother has abandoned her to play in Europe. To make up for her lack of family, Judith surrounds herself with friends. And while she may burn the candle a bit at both ends, we soon realize that her devotion to her friends (and theirs to her) is real and lasting. Ms. Davis was not the first choice for the film. It had originally been considered for purchase by MGM for Greta Garbo; when she was not interested, Merle Oberon, Carole Lombard, and Janet Gaynor were considered. Eventually, Ms. Davis convinced Hal Wallis to purchase it for her. (AFI catalog).

Her dearest friend is played by Geraldine Fitzgerald in her first American film. The character of Ann was created for the film, and having her is an asset to the plot.  Ann acts as a buffer for Judith, while giving Ms. Davis someone tangible to bounce off. Since Ann is the first person to discover Judith's fate, it is HER grieving that we concentrate on. When Judith ultimately finds out her diagnosis, the audience is ready to empathize with her, having already experienced the initial shock with Ann. Without Ann, the audience would have no outlet for their grief. 

George Brent is the picture of professionalism as Dr. Steele.  He's strong when he needs to be, but you believe in his frustration with his career - the high death rate for his patients have worn him out. He still wants to practice medicine, but needs a respite from the daily grind of death. In our age of informed consent, it is appalling that holds back the facts from his patient, but this was standard practice before Kubler-Ross.

Mr. Brent was not the first choice for the film - both Fredric March and Spencer Tracy were early choices (Edmund Goulding's Dark Victory: Hollywood's Genius Bad Boy by Matthew Kennedy ). Mr. Brent's interplay with Ms. Davis is delightful - they spar, but you can see the affection growing between them. The couple would appear in 11 films together during their careers; prior to this film, both were married. But, on this set, both were unattached - Mr. Brent had recently divorced Ruth Chatterton and Ms. Davis was finalizing her divorce from Harmon Nelson. The result was a romance that lasted several years, though Mr. Brent was unwilling to marry, fearing they could not have a long-lasting relationship. Ms. Davis would later say "Of the men I didn't marry, the dearest was George Brent" (TCM article).

The commentary that accompanied my DVD of the film immediately launched into a diatribe against Humphrey Bogart as horse trainer Michael O'Leary - miscast, a leading man shoved into a supporting part, etc. Except, Bogart was only starting to take on leading roles (like the gangster in King of the Underworld). His portrayal of Michael gives the film a character who is an equal to Judith. He works well with Davis, and their good-humored, toe-to-toe arguments about her horse are a breath of fresh air.  He also brings a masculinity to the part that is important later in the movie. You can understand Judith's overtures to Michael when her life has literally fallen away from her.  His response is appropriate, and paves the way for Judith's eventual healing process.

Ronald Reagan (Alec Hamin), on the other hand, is pretty much invisible in the film. He's there (Alec spends most of the movie drunk), but we found you don't pay much attention to him.  Director Edmund Goulding wanted to make more of the part, and asked Mr. Reagan to play the part as a gay man - Mr. Goulding wanted to make it clear there was no possible relationship between Judith and Alec.  Unsurprisingly, Mr. Reagan refused. (Dark Victory: The Life of Bette Davis by Ed Sikov).

The film was based on a Broadway play ran for six weeks, with Tallulah Bankhead starring as Judith.  It premiered on the radio in 1938, when Barbara Stanwyck and Melvyn Douglas starred in a Lux Radio Theatre version. In 1939 Ms. Davis and Spencer Tracy starred in another Lux episode. The story was remade on film in 1963's Stolen Hours and starred Susan Hayward and Michael Craig. In 1976, NBC broadcast a television version starring Elizabeth Montgomery and Anthony Hopkins.

Frank S. Nugent review in the New York Times when the film opened at Radio City Music Hall was glowing, especially in his praise of Bette Davis:"Miss Davis is superb. More than that, she is enchanted and enchanting." The film received three Oscar nominations, for Picture, Actress, and Original Score (Max Steiner). It is #32 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions. 

This is a fantastic film, and one you should go out of your way to view. We'll leave you with a trailer from the movie.

Farley is on the Run

Following their escape from jail, Arthur “Bowie” Bowers (Farley Granger), Elmo “Chickamaw” Mobley (Howard Da Silva), and Henry “T-Dub” Mansfield (Jay C. Flippen) arrive at the home of Chickamaw’s brother (Will Wright) and niece, Katherine “Keechie” Mobley (Cathy O’Donnell). As the days go by, Keechie and Bowie gradually fall in love. But there is a catch - the escapees pull a job that results in the death of a guard. Any hope Bowie has of getting a lawyer to prove his innocence on his original crime is now gone. The lovers hit the road in an attempt to avoid the police. Today we’ll be discussing They Live By Night (1949).

An excellent cast makes this noir romance a classic must-see.  While you might shake your head at some plot points (like, why don't Bowie and Keechie head as fast as they can to Mexico?), the love story mixes well with the crime elements.

This was Farley Granger's first film after returning from service during World War II. He bring a pathos to Bowie that keeps the audience interested in him. He often seems too naive and trusting, but the viewer needs to keep in mind that he's been in jail since he was 16 years old. As Eddie Muller points out in his commentary on the DVD, both he and Keechie are virgins when they marry; their mutual innocence is imperative for our appreciation of the characters.  Mr. Granger would later count this among his three favorite films (Include Me Out: My Life from Goldwyn to Broadway by Farley Granger & Robert Calhoun). 

Cathy O'Donnell is equally good as Keechie. She's tough, yet innocent. Though not educated, she has the common sense that Bowie lacks, and her strength of character keeps the couple hopeful for their future. (Ms. O'Donnell actually worked in a gas station for two weeks in order to look natural in the film (AFI Catalog)). The relationship between the two actors is lovely - in fact, there were discussions that they should be paired on a regular basis. A complication to that plan arose when Ms. O'Donnell married Robert Wyler, the brother of director William Wyler. When William left Samuel Goldwyn's employ, Goldwyn insisted that Ms. O'Donnell divorce her husband. When she refused, Goldwyn cancelled her contract (More Magnificent Mountain Movies by W. Lee Cozad). Mr. and Mrs. Wyler were married from 1948 until her death from cancer in 1970.

Bowie's two accomplices are ably played by Howard Da Silva and Jay C. Flippen. Mr. Da Silva bring menace to the hot-tempered Chickamaw, a part that was coveted by Robert Mitchum. (Mr. Mitchum was eliminated from consideration, as his recent film successes made him too important for what was seen as a minor part. This TCM article says that Mr. Mitchum was being considered for Bowie, but Eddie Muller's DVD commentary and this Medium article confirm that it was Chickamaw that intrigued Mr. Mitchum). Mr. Flippen's T-Dub at first seems a reasonable, calm man, set in contrast to the volatile Chickamaw. But, we eventually learn beneath the surface is a cold nature that will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Mr. Flippen is scary as he flips from sympathy to menace.

Ian Wolfe (Hawkins) gives a well acted performance to interesting character - a man who runs a quickie marriage chapel.  Mr. Muller, in his commentary noted that the film was careful not to label Hawkins a Justice of the Peace. The PCA objected to the man being a legal official.  Hawkins has strange morals, that by the end of the film make you almost sympathetic to him. Mr. Wolfe was in two other Nicholas Ray's films: Rebel Without a Cause (1955) and On Dangerous Ground (1952).

In the middle of production, RKO was bought by Howard Hughes, who had no use for the film. Not being one to release a movie he didn't personally like, Mr. Hughes shelved it for several years. Eventually, it was given a limited released in England; the reviews there were so favorable that RKO finally released in the U.S.

The film was based on the novel Thieves Like Us by Edward Anderson; working film titles included Your Red Wagon and The Twisted Road. The Production Code Administration originally thought the book was unfilmable; it took a great deal of work to adapt the script so that the PCA would approve it. (Lonely Places, Dangerous Ground: Nicholas Ray in American Cinema edited by Steve Rybin & Will Scheibel).

The New York Times review by Bosley Crowther was moderately positive, though very complimentary of the actors, especially Ian Wolfe who he called "disturbingly shifty." Today, it is on Eddie Muller's list of the Top 24 Noir Films (at #14). We highly recommend this excellent film, and leave you with this trailer:

Teacher Bette

The Welsh mining town of Glansarno is in a tizzy - the new owner of one of the larger estates is arriving that day. They are shocked to discover that LC Moffat, M.A. is a woman - Lily Cristobel Moffat (Bette Davis), an educated woman who intends to use her inheritance to start a school for the local children. She enlists the services of Mr. Jones (Rhys Williams) and Miss Ronberry (Mildred Dunnock) to act as instructors in her free school but despite the high levels of illiteracy in the town, she finds herself in a battle with Sir Trevorby, the local Squire (Nigel Bruce) and pub owner Will Davis (Arthur Shields), both of whom see the school as a threat to their livelihoods.  Our film this week is The Corn is Green (1945).

Bette Davis shines as the tough-as-nails Miss Moffat in this retelling of the Broadway play.  Loosely based on the life of  playwright Emlyn Williams, the Broadway production starred Ethel Barrymore as the independent educator. Ms. Davis was only 36 when she took on the part - and would later say that she was perhaps a bit too young (Ms. Barrymore was 61 when she appeared in the play, and Miss Moffat was supposed to be in her 50s) - but Bette Davis was not averse to looking older for the film (TCM article). She brings grit and, when required, warmth to this single-minded woman.

The film introduced Joan Lorring (Bessie Watty) to the screen. Bessie is an avaricious, nasty piece of work, though with her mother, it's not hard to imagine WHY Bessie is the manipulator that she is. She especially loathes Miss Moffat (who she sees as the reason for everything that is wrong with her life), and goes out of her way to strike out at her nemesis.  Originally, Bette Davis wanted Ida Lupino for the role of Bessy Watty (Dark Victory: The Life of Bette Davis by Ed Sikov), but she was not available.  Angela Lansbury, Betty Field, and Andrea King were all tested - Ms. Davis selected Ms. Lorring, who got an Oscar nomination in the supporting actress category, and who called Ms. Davis one of her "teachers". 

Though Richard Waring (who played Morgan Evans on stage) was director Irving Rapper's first choice, Mr. Waring's military service prevented him from being cast. John Dall, like Ms. Lorring, was introduced for this film. He's convincing as Morgan, who goes from flippant to bitter to ambitious, and all done with great conviction. His scenes with Ms. Davis are especially strong - he would credit her with assisting in his performance - in his close up scenes, Ms. Davis stood "behind the camera, facing me, giving the scene the same acting as if she were before the camera."

Several wonderful actors repeated their Broadway roles. Mildred Dunnock who doesn't know how to give a bad performance, reprised Miss Ronberry; Rhys Williams as the minister Mr. Jones and Sara Pugh (Gwyneth Hughes) are also excellent (AFI Catalog),. Nigel Bruce, however, was new to the cast and is at his fubsy best as the rather clueless Squire.  Also added to the film cast was Arthur Shields, who makes a menacing publican. 

Also repeating her Broadway role was Rosalind Ivan (Mrs. Watty). Mrs. Watty is both funny and dismaying simultaneously. Her utter disregard for her daughter makes the viewer want to cringe - then again, with a daughter like Bessie, it's hard to argue with Mrs. Watty's attitude.  Ms. Ivan was over 60 when she played Mrs. Watty, yet you believe her as Bessie's mother - her face, while not that of a beauty, is also not old.  Because she frequently played women who were not very likeable, she acquired the nickname "Ivan the Terrible" (Accustomed to Her Face: Thirty-Five Character Actresses of Golden Age Hollywood by Axel Nissen). Ms. Ivan would continue in films for another nine years after The Corn is Green,  including Johnny Belinda (1948) and Scarlet Street (1945). After appearances in a couple of television shows, she retired.

One interesting aspect of the film (which is set in 1898) is that part of Miss Moffat's mission is to teach English to the locals. As was done in Ireland and Scotland, use of the native language was banned in place of English. Though it did not always prevent the locals from using the language, its use in the courts or even in places of business was illegal (Historic UK). As time progressed, Welsh began to die out; there were fears that it would no longer have any native speakers. However, in recent years, the number of native speakers has risen, and there is now hope the spoken language will continue to live (BBC).

As mentioned, the film was based on the 1940 Broadway play by Emlyn Williams with Ethel Barrymore as Miss Moffat. There were three other productions of the play: 1943 (with Miss Barrymore); 1950 (Eva La Gallienne); 1983 (Cicely Tyson). There was also an unsuccessful attempt of a musical (starring Bette Davis in the title role and Dorian Harewood as Morgan Evans) - Miss Moffat - that never made it to Broadway.  Helen Hayes took on the lead in the December 1947 Theater Guild of the Air radio production.  Lux Radio Theatre presented the story twice - with Olivia de Havilland and Richard Basehart as the teacher and student, in June of 1950 and again with Claudette Colbert and Cameron Mitchell in May of 1954. The story also made it to television in 1979, with Katharine Hepburn as Miss Moffat.

While Bosley Crowther enjoyed Bette Davis' performance in the film, his review in The New York Times was not complimentary of the director nor of the film overall, saying "this humble, human story is not as intimate and moving on the screen as it was on the stage." But, Mr. Crowther spends a lot of copy comparing the film to Ms. Barrymore's stage performance - a performance that (unfortunately) that the rest of us will never be privileged to see.

We all enjoyed the film thoroughly, and heartily recommend it for your enjoyment.  We'll leave you with a trailer: