Errol Escapes

When their bomber crashes in Nazi Germany, a group of Allied airmen make a Desperate Journey (1942) to get out of the country with information that may help the war effort. 

Let's begin by admitting that this is very much a wartime propaganda film.  According to this movie, five Allied officers can take down the entire Nazi war machine and defeat it without breaking into much of a sweat.  Regardless, it's an interesting adventure, with snappy (albeit somewhat jingoistic) dialog and a good rapport among the lead and supporting actors.

Errol Flynn gets top billing as Flight Lt Terrence Forbes, an Australian working with the Allied command in Europe.  This is one of the few times in which Flynn gets to play someone from his native land, and he's quite good as the cocky, but competent Forbes. Errol Flynn was examined by the draft board, but physicians discovered that he had tuberculosis.  Knowing that he would be unable to work (and would not be entitled to any money during his recuperation), Mr. Flynn declined to let the studio know of his illness, nor accept any of the treatments available to him (TCM article). As a result, he lost  a tremendous amount of weight (forcing wardrobe adjustments). Frequently late for work, he was difficult to work with during the shoot.

Ronald Reagan (Flying Officer Johnny Hammond) was just off his rousing success in King's Row (1942), and gets second billing above the title with Errol Flynn.  He's good as the devil-may-care American, and got to be the hero of the piece, knocking out Major Otto Baumeister (Raymond Massey), albeit off-camera.  Errol Flynn wanted to the the one to do that particular deed, but he was told no.  Mr. Reagan was called up for military service while shooting the picture - they allowed him a week to finish up the production.  His three years of service did not help his career; he was never able to regain the momentum following King's Row. However, he eventually had other career goals.

The role of Kaethe Brahms was originally intended for Kaaren Verne, but she was replaced by Nancy Coleman (AFI Catalog). It's not a big part, but Ms. Coleman does her best to make Kaethe heroic and appealing.  If there is one fault in the film, it is the scene where the escaping flyers share a meal with Kaethe's parents. Relaxing for the first time in awhile, the men talk liberally - something no soldier would do in these circumstances.  

Raymond Massey has the most thankless part. Major Otto Baumeister is downright stupid, and his Nazi soldiers resemble nothing more than the Keystone Kops.  Massey is a good actor, but you wouldn't know it here.  He's really given nothing with which to work.

We have a number of other good actors in the film - Alan Hale as Flight Sergeant Kirk Edwards gets to do some of the comic relief. Arthur Kennedy (Flying Officer Jed Forrest) is the conscience of the group - trying to keep them on task towards getting home with the information they've obtained.  This would be Ronald Sinclair (Flight Sergeant Lloyd Hollis) last acting role (he'd been a child actor) -  he became a film editor, working with Roger Corman.

Bosley Crowther, in his The New York Times review, was unimpressed with the movie - "an invasion of Nazi Germany which would put the Commandos to shame." It was nominated for an Oscar for Special Effects (it lost to Reap the Wild Wind). While this is not the best movie ever made, it's fun, with an enjoyable cast.  We'll leave you with this trailer:

Greer's Bad Marriage

Told in flashback after the death of Philip Bosinney (Robert Young), That Forsyte Woman (1949) introduces us to Irene Herenford Forsyte (Greer Garson).  Irene's husband, Soames Forsyte (Errol Flynn) decided he wanted Irene as a wife - she was beautiful and dignified, and Soames is a man who gets what he wants. So, despite the fact that she is honest and tells him she does not love him, Soames cajoles her that love will come and she consents. But love does not come, primarily because Irene feels controlled by Soames: he picks her clothing, tells her where to go and when, and who to meet. For this Man of Property, Irene is one of his treasured possessions - she is a fine piece of art that he has purchased and now displays with pride.  Irene's one joy is her relationship with her niece June (Janet Leigh), who is madly in love with architect Philip Bosinney. The problem - Irene is falling in love with Bosinney as well.

This is an excellent film with a great deal of nuance. The script, which is taken carefully from John Galsworthy's first novel in The Forsyte Saga, The Man of Property, deals only with the marriage of Soames and Irene (whereas the 1967 and 2001 BBC series covered The Man of Property (1906), Indian Summer of a Forsyte (1918), In Chancery (1920), Awakening (1920) and To Let (1921), and A Modern Comedy (1928)). The story of Irene and Soames' marriage is fraught with problems in the novel - Irene has an affair with Philip, and Soames rapes Irene - issues the film could only suggest (or raise the ire of the censors!). But the hints are there; it only takes a little imagination to understand exactly what is going on.

Errol Flynn was borrowed from Warner Brothers to play Young Jolyon Forsyte (the role that ultimately went to Walter Pidgeon). (In exchange, Jack Warner got William Powell for Life with Father (AFI catalog). Once at MGM, Flynn refused to play young Jolyon. He was then offered the role of Bosinney; again he refused. Flynn wanted to play Soames - a drastic change from his usual swashbuckling roles (TCM article).  MGM finally agreed, and Flynn gave an impressive performance as a man who is involved only with the financial value of everyone and everything in his life. Once finished with this film, he was back to Warners, again making westerns and swashbucklers. It's amusing that he ends up in the video of the MGM 25th Anniversary Lunch, chatting happily with Greer Garson. Jack Warner must have been furious!

Greer Garson is intriging as a woman who is torn between an unhappy marriage and financial security. Irene is down to her last cent - she can only survive teaching piano, and her only client is her landlady. Soames' campaign to win her (he enlists the help of the landlady) catches her at a low point in her life and she succumbs. Likewise, Philip catches her as she begins to doubt her decision to marry Soames; it seems that her love for Philip really is a remembrance of the love she lost many years before. She comments that Philip is much like that idealist and untidy young man. Irene is a woman who wants to be strong, but often lets herself be led, against her better judgement.

Philip, however, comes off as thoughtless, at the least, and insincere at most. He pursues June when he first meets her; likewise, he is hot on the heels of Irene after their first encounter. We felt that, once Irene accedes to his advances, he will fall in love with someone else. We found it difficult to believe Philip, much less sympathize with him, he is so flighty.

Janet Leigh is lovely as June. She plays a genuinely nice girl, who is blasted into anger by betrayal. The character certainly deserves better than Philip! Ms. Leigh literally burst into stardom after Norma Shearer saw her photo on her father's desk at the ski resort where he worked. Her first film, The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947) starred her opposite MGM heartthrob Van Johnson, and she starred in a succession of films afterwards, including Little Women (1949), Holiday Affair (1949), Angels in the Outfield (1951), and Scaramouche (1952). But it was Psycho (1960) that most people remember today. Among my personal favorites is her performance in The Manchurian Candidate (1962). (In a recent discussion of the film, William Friedkin posited that Rosie is a double agent. I'm never going to watch that movie again in the same way!) Ms. Leigh was married 4 times, most famously to the father of her daughters Kelly and Jamie Lee, Tony Curtis (the marriage lasted 11 years). She wrote four books (two novels, a memoir, and a book about Psycho). By the 1960s, she was making frequent television appearances (including another of my favorite, the sadistic Miss Diketon in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. episode, The Concrete Overcoat Affair). She died in 2004, aged 77, three years after the death of her fourth husband, Robert Brandt - they had been married for 38 years.

This was the last filmed performance of Harry Davenport (Old Jolyon Forsyte), a remarkable character actor who is probably most remembered as Grandpa in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) and Dr. Meade in Gone with the Wind (1939) [Two films would be released after this: Tell it to the Judge (1949) and Riding High (1950)]. The descendant of a long line of actors, Mr. Davenport began his career at the age of five (he was born in 1866). By 1894, he was appearing on Broadway. By 1934, he had appeared in 37 Broadway plays.  His film career began in 1913; he transitioned from silents to talkies, and spent much of his sound film career playing kindly grandfathers and professional men. In 1913, he co-founded (with Eddie Foy) the Actors' Equity Association. When his marriage to his first wife ended after three years, he married actress Phyllis Rankin - they were together for 33 years, until her death in 1934. They had three children together (Harry also had a daughter with his first wife, and Phyllis had a son - who would become the father of Arthur Rankin, Jr.). Mr. Davenport died of a heart attack in 1949, at the age of 83 - he was in the process of securing a new screen role when he died.

With exquisite costumes by Walter Plunkett (for the women) and Valles (for the men), lush technicolor photography by Joseph Ruttenberg, and art direction by Cedric Gibbons and Daniel Cathcart, this is a truly beautiful film. While the New York Times review was not kind to anyone but Ms. Garson, we enjoyed the film immensely. (It opened at Radio City Music Hall - definitely a prestige venue!). We'll leave you with the trailer, for a quick look at this lovely film.

Errol Fights the Nazis

The 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor just passed; our film this week commemorates the occasion with a look back to a film from the second World War.  Edge of Darkness (1943) takes place in Norway, circa 1942.  Told in flashback, the film tells the story of the village of Trollness.  The Nazis have taken over the country, and the populace are being starved and murdered by their conquerors.  Gunnar Brogge (Errol Flynn) a local fisherman, chaffs at his inability to fight for his country, and is about to leave the woman he loves, Karen Stensgard (Ann Sheridan) to join the resistance in England.  But when word comes that the British are planning to arm the population up and down the coast in an effort start a revolution in the country Gunnar determines to stay and fight.  He becomes the official leader of a resistance movement which includes Karen, Gerd Blarnesen (Judith Anderson), and Lars Malken (Roman Bohnen).  But not everyone is willing to fight. Karen's father, Dr. Martin Stensgard (Walter Huston) and his wife Anna (Ruth Gordon) prefer to live quietly within the strictures of the dictatorship.  And there remains the danger from the local Quislings, who include Karen's uncle Kaspar Torgerson (Charles Dingle) and brother Johann (John Beal).

When this film was released on April 24, 1943, America had been at war with Germany for just over a year.  Certainly, there had been films that dealt with Nazi atrocities before (To Be or Not to Be (1942) and The Mortal Storm (1940) are two examples), but this was perhaps the first one to portray ordinary people resisting the Nazi juggernaut.  And a powerful statement it is.  Even though the film starts showing the carnage of a decimated Nazi stronghold, and a Norwegian flag flying above it, we've no idea of who did it and what became of them.  The strength of this movie is the fact that many incidents are unexpected.  It keeps you engaged with both the multidimentional storyline and the characters. For more information on America's view of the situation in Europe during this period, see this New York Times book review of The Holocaust in America.

The depth of the characterizations is best exhibited by the minor characters that we expect to be tropes, but are not.  The talkative grocer, Lars Malken, as ably portrayed by Roman Bohnen, is the best example.  From the minute we meet him, we expect that he will betray the resistance with his anger and his need to express show off his commitment.  Another is the relationship between Gerd and the German soldier whom she loves.  Our initial reaction is that he will come to side with the resistance, and love will triumph.  But this film is not about the standard Hollywood tropes.  It's attempting to create a glimpse into the real horrors of the war in Europe.

Ann Sheridan is an actress who, in my opinion, is not given enough credit for her excellent portrayals, and she excels here.  Especially notable is the scene in which she discovers her brother, who has been working for the Nazis, is returning to Trollness.  Her reactions are subtle, but pointed.  Ms. Sheridan's career began in the sound era (and her lush voice is perfect for sound), and worked steadily through the 1930s and 1940s.  As her film career slowed in the 1950s, she segued into television, including a year on the soap opera, Another World.  In 1966, she accepted the lead in the TV series Pistols and Petticoats, but died of cancer (age 51) before the end of the first season.  She was married three times, including a one-year marriage to George Brent.  Allegedly, it was this film which ended the marriage, as Ms. Sheridan may have gotten a little too close to co-star Errol Flynn.  See this TCM article for more on the sexual shenanigans that plagued this film.  If you are not familiar with Ms. Sheridan, this film is an excellent start.  Then consider viewing The Man Who Came to Dinner, Nora Prentiss, I Was a Male War Bride, and (my favorite of her films) Tropic Zone. 

We were not as impressed with Ruth Gordon, who plays Ms. Sheridan's mother, Anna.  I personally am not a member of the Ruth Gordon fan club, and this is not a film that will make you one.  Anna is rather whiny, and comes across as peculiar and rather stupid.  Ms. Gordon didn't have an especially impressive film career, but with 33 Broadway plays to her credit (she was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance as Dolly Gallagher Levi in The Matchmaker in 1956), she kept busy.  She was also writing with her husband, Garson Kanin (they were nominated for three Oscars: for A Double Life (1947), Adam's Rib (1949) and Pat and Mike (1952).  But Ms. Gordon's film and television performances skyrocketed after she won the Oscar as Best Supporting Actress for Rosemary's Baby (1969). You can view her amusing acceptance speech here.  She died, aged 88, in 1985.  She was survived by her husband of 42 years, Garson Kanin, and her son Jones Harris (born in 1929), the result of a long-term affair with producer Jed Harris - though they never married, the couple openly acknowledged their son.

Edge of Darkness is based on William Woods novel of the same name (see this AFI Catalog entry  for more information on the film's background).  Though it got a tepid review from the New York Times, we highly recommend it.  With a strong story, and impressive acting, it is definitely worth your time.  We'll leave you with a scene from the end of the movie:

Kay Loves the Desert (and Errol)

In 1936, the Chicago Daily Tribune quoted Kay Francis as saying "I don't do much in it,  Things just happen about me. I am just a wife who has been unfortunate in love, as usual."  She was speaking about Another Dawn (1937) in which she plays Julia Ashton, a woman who has turned her back on love after the death of her aviator fiance.  But, when Colonel John Wister (Ian Hunter), who she likes and admires, proposes marriage, she agrees.  His deep love for her convinces her that they can be happy together, and she is ready for an adventure - his post is in the Sahara.  The presence, however of Captain Denny Roark (Errol Flynn), creates a problem, as Julia and Denny fall deeply in love, with neither of them willing to hurt John.

The fairly conventional ending is probably the weakest part of the film.  Nevertheless, the movie is worth watching for the interplay between Kay Francis and Errol Flynn.  As the wife who is unwilling to betray her husband, Ms. Francis is beautifully stoic.  And Flynn, as the loyal officer is - well, just beautiful.   This article from TCM sums it up nicely:  "Even if Another Dawn doesn't reach the heights of some other Errol Flynn vehicles, it is still a treat to see this iridescent specimen of masculinity at his peak in his mid-twenties, handsome and dashing in a British Army uniform."  And while this is no Adventures of Robin Hood, Flynn is very good as the conflicted officer.  Flynn can act, and act well - the fact that this film holds up at all is really due to him - he makes you believe that Denny cannot be dishonorable.

Frieda Inescort has a relatively small role as Grace Roark, Denny's sister.  We've seen Ms. Inescort before in a very different role - as the rather bitchy older sister in The King Steps Out.  But in Always in My Heart. she not only appeared with Kay Francis, she also was in the similar role as the "other woman;" for Grace claims to be in love with John.  One strange thing about the way Ms. Inescort plays the role occurs early in the film.  As John is about to leave for his holiday, he asks Grace if he can kiss her.  She looks rather uncomfortable, and as he leans over to lightly kiss her on the lips, she turns her head so the kiss lands on her cheek.  It's rather a shock when she later confesses her deep love to her brother (close as they are, he doesn't know either).   Is Grace so deeply in love that she fears his touch will unlock her reserve, or is it something else? It's hard to know, but Ms. Inescort makes Grace a more interesting character.

Also in the cast is Herbert Mundin as Wilkins, John's aide-de-camp - a soldier who has been accused of cowardice by his comrades.  Naturally, part of the plot of the movie has to demonstrated that he is not, in fact, a coward.  We've seen Mundin before in The Adventures of Robin Hood, as Much.  He was also in David Copperfield as Barkis.  After a stint in the Navy during World War I, Mundin appeared on the London Stage and on Broadway, then landed a contract with Twentieth Century Fox in 1931.  After a successful career, in which he played a variety of character roles, Mundin died in a car crash, aged 40, in 1938.

The film took awhile to be released, and was not really the first choice for either of our lead actors.  Kay Francis, due to her schedule, became exhausted, so there was a filming delay while she recuperated.  Errol Flynn found the script uninteresting; his dislike of director William Dieterle compounded his disregard for the film.  And other actors also were unimpressed with the script.  First considered for the role of Julia was Bette Davis, but she accepted a suspension rather than take the part.  Tallulah Bankhead was also considered as Julia, but that idea was discarded.

One of the impressive aspects of the film is the music by Erich Wolfgang Korngold.  The militaristic air hits at the men's love for the military and their lives.  He'd only scored a few films, and his English was not strong, so Korngold was surprised and distressed that the whole of his score for the film wasn't used. But, he used the music (the love theme) for his Violin Concerto in D Major, and in 1995, the full score was reassembled and recorded by Naxos.

And we can't have a Kay Francis film from this period without magnificent costuming, here by Orry-Kelly.  A nice job is also done with the special effects.  One does feel the desert in the film.

All in all, this is a good film about good - and very British - people.  Colonel Wister especially has a very progressive view of world politics - he is hoping that he can help the process of seeing the native population of the Sahara region ready for self government within a few years. 

We leave you with the trailer for Another Dawn, which features Korngold's glorious score.

Barbara Suspects Errol

Five months after the opening of The Two Mrs. Carrolls, the next Warner Brothers pairing of Barbara Stanwyck and Peter Godfrey was released.  Cry Wolf (1947) stars Stanwyck as Sandra Marshall Demarest, a newly married woman who arrives at the home of her recently deceased husband to find a mystery.  Sandra's marriage to James Demarest (Richard Basehart) was a secret one, much to the consternation of his guardian, Mark Caldwell (Errol Flynn).  Sandra is quite open that the marriage was one of convenience for her and for Jim - the marriage would allowed Jim to gain access to his inheritance. In exchange, Jim promised Sandra (his close friend from school) a stipend to support her graduate work (she is studying for a doctorate in geology) and a divorce in 6 months.  But, on his visit home to notify his family of his wedding, Jim died suddenly.  Now Sandra has arrived at his family home to find out exactly what happened to her young husband.

Stanwyck is really impressive in the film.  Her athleticism stands her in good stead as she rides horses, journeys through the house in a dumbwaiter, drops from ceilings, and climbs fences in search of the truth (TCM calls her a midlife Nancy Drew!).  She also has a magnificent wardrobe, designed by her favorite costumer, Edith Head.  (Ms. Stanwyck ALWAYS looked amazing in riding clothes!  Take a look at her 20 years later in The Big Valley!)  But, while we are told Sandra is a PhD student in geology, that point is never pursued.  She could be anyone, not a highly intelligent graduate student.  We wished that her training had been actually used to solve the mystery.

As to Errol Flynn, if you are expecting him to be a romantic swashbucker, think again.  His Mark Caldwell is a stiff, unattractive liar.  And Flynn is not afraid to play him as such; it has been said that he ultimately relished the role BECAUSE it was so different from his usual fare, finally giving him a chance to play a more dramatic part.  That the film attempts to tack on a romantic ending is a betrayal of the work of both actors.  It's clear that Mark is genuinely suspicious of Sandra from the outset, and she doesn't like or trust him one little bit.  He's also quite the male chauvinist: “Next time you hear some odd noise in the night, just follow the memorable custom of your sex and stick your head under the bedclothes."  Why an educated woman would want him is beyond our ken.  As a result, the ending of the film seems like it belonged to a different movie.

Quite frankly, a lot of the film doesn't make sense.  Mark claims to be protecting Jim and sister Julie (Geraldine Brooks, in her first film role) from [spoiler] the family's hereditary strain of insanity, but he does little to actually CARE for them.  He just keeps them hidden.  And, when Sandra arrives, claiming to be Jim's bride (regardless of her claim to a marriage of convenience), Mark makes no inquiries to determine if Sandra might also be bringing an heir to the Demarest fortune within her.  One would think he would confide in her, regardless of his fears that the family skeleton could have an impact on the political career of his brother. 

Much of the suspense focuses on just WHAT is going on in Mark's laboratory.  He is not called Doctor, so he isn't a physician (heck, his lack of knowledge about mental illness proves that).  So, WHAT is he doing?  We never find out (and when we see the lab, it doesn't look like anything was ever DONE in it.  It's too clean to even be Mark's library!)  The lab is more of a MacGuffin - just stuck in because working in a lab sounds mysterious and Frankenstein-y.  Visions of Mark trying to reanimate Jim's dead corpse run through one's mind.

Errol Flynn was not the first person considered for the role of Mark - Dennis Morgan was the original thought (which would have been a reunion for him and for Stanwyck).  And Dorothy Malone was to be Julie.  Unlike Ms. Brooks, Malone would have come to the production with some film credits under her belt - including her standout performance as the bookstore clerk in The Big Sleep.    But Brooks does a good job with a fairly thankless character.  That same year, she would graduate to a better part as Joan Crawford's stepdaughter in Possession. Ultimately, Ms. Brooks would make her name in television, as a featured guest star in such shows as Dr. Kildare, The Fugitive, and Bonanza (where she appeared as Ben Cartwright's first wife - and Adam's mother - Elizabeth Stoddard Cartwright), and in the theatre.  She died in 1977, aged 51 of a heart attack.  

Totally wasted is Jerome Cowan as Mark's brother, Senator Charles Caldwell.  We enjoy seeing Cowan, and one wonders why he was even bothered with this virtual cameo.

The music by Franz Waxman is quite excellent, and the costuming by Edith Head is exceptional.  Her designs are classic, and could easily be worn today.  Head was Stanwyck's favorite designer - according to Criterion, "Stanwyck was so enamored of the clothes that Head created for her characters that she hired her to design her personal wardrobe."  According to Edith Head: The Fifty-Year Career of Hollywood's Greatest Costume Designer, Stanwyck was so impressed with Head's designs when they worked together in Remember the Night, that she asked for Head to be her costumer in all her films.  Stanwyck had a notoriously long waist, which Head was able to camouflage, changing the direction of Stanwyck's film career to include more "dress roles".

So, while Cry Wolf starts well, by the end it feels rushed and is not really all that convincing.  The New York Times was also not a fan of the film.  As this TCM article points out, critical opinion in general was not very kind.  However, you do have an opportunity to see Errol Flynn in a role that was very unconventional for him (and hints at the character of Soames in That Forsythe Woman), Stanwyck looking stylish, and a young actress at the start of her career.  Here's a trailer to the film:

Olivia Goes to Sherwood Forest

This week, our discussion looks at the ever wonderful The Adventures of Robin Hood.  I have to admit that it is hard to add anything worthwhile to a discussion of this movie.  Oh, I'm willing to admit to some flaws - perhaps Errol's tights are a little to green and shiny; perhaps Sherwood Forest is a TAD too perfect, but still - has ANYONE ever approached a role with a more appropriate swagger than Flynn.  His introduction to our Ms. de Havilland is perfect: "Welcome to Sherwood, my Lady", issued with aplomb from a tree limb! And then there is Olivia - so beautiful, radiant even, as Maid Marian.  She is spunky, in all the best senses of the word, brave, and daring.  Here, she is put on trial for helping Robin's cause:



And then, there is the perfect character castings - the ever wonderful Claude Rains as Prince John. He is unctuous, supercilious, and all-together bad to the bone.  His perfect match in evil is provided by Basil Rathbone as Sir Guy of Gisbourne. His fencing scene with Flynn is magical - and it so delightful to remember that Rathbone was himself an excellent fencer; easily the match of anyone to whom he (almost always) lost to.  

Eugene Pallette as Friar Tuck is delightful (though I always seem to see him in The Mark of Zorro, bopping the enemy on the head as he mutters, in his gravel voice, "God forgive me"). And of course, let us not forget Alan Hale as Little John, and Una O'Connor as Marian's maid Bess.  This is an exceptional cast - a representation of the brilliant character casts available at Warner Brothers.

Tune in next time for another Olivia de Havilland movie. 

Olivia Rides the Wagon Train

This week, we're discussing Errol Flynn's first western, 1939's Dodge City. In it, Olivia plays Abbie Irving, a young woman who is forced to move to the godless Dodge City after the death of her father.  Unfortunately, she has to get there with her drunken brat of a brother (William Lundigan), who starts a cattle stampede with his gun-play, and ends up getting himself killed.  Of course, Abbie blames wagon master Wade Hatton (Flynn).  Wade meanwhile, enters Dodge City to find it being run by former adversary Jeff Surrett (Bruce Cabot), and after a horrible incident decides he is the one to bring law and order to Dodge.

This movie is full to the brim with wonderful character performances. We have the usual Flynn sidekick, Alan Hale as well as Guinn "Big Boy" Williams.  We have a rare character visit from the gorgeous Ann Sheridan (one wonders if Jack Warner was angry at her that week to give her such a small part), as well as the ever-wonderful Frank McHugh as newspaper publisher Joe Clemens. And the adorable Bobs Watson as Harry Cole, the reason that law comes to Dodge.  With a cast like this, (and these names are just the tip of the iceberg) can you really lose?

I have major problems with seeing Bruce Cabot in pretty much anything since I heard about his horrible actions to Errol Flynn later in their careers.  But one must admit he is truly loathsome here. Olivia is spunky, in all the best senses of the word, especially in the later portions of the movie (it is as though we get to watch Abbie grow up).  Here is one of their love scenes:

It is truly funny to see the screenwriters making an excuse for Flynn's presence in a Western (Wade is from Ireland, and has traveled the world).  Finally, we all adored Frank McHugh - he is funny and touching in this small, but important role. His performance in the film is well worth emphasizing.

Join us next week for another Olivia epic.

Olivia and Errol Get Married

This week, another Olivia/Errol adventure flick, and again we get history via Warner Brothers.  It's They Died with Their Boots On (1942), wherein Errol Flynn plays an unrecognizable (but wonderfully heroic) George Armstrong Custer, and Olivia plays his devoted wife, Elizabeth "Libby" Bacon.  The film starts with Custer's arrival at West Point (we are told he scored lower at the Point than did U. S. Grant), and where he meets his future wife.  He also meets his nemesis Ned Sharp (played with mustache-twirling nastiness by Arthur Kennedy).  During Custer's tenure at West Point, the Civil War erupts, and he is graduated early to serve in the active army.  Finally, he is able to get back to Olivia (having become a hero in the war) and wed her (despite her father's dislike of the Custer, who has a tendency to drink too much).  

There is an excellent documentary on the DVD, and if  you have a chance to get your hands on the DVD, do take the time to watch it.  There is a bit of discussion about the actual history of Custer (and of course, he was no way near as dashing as Errol. Nor was he anywhere near as pleasant as the character created by the talented Mr. Flynn).  Olivia's Libby is just lovely, and she gets to do a bit more here than in (say) The Charge of the Light Brigade.  Of course, her parting scene with Flynn (much cited when her performances are discussed) is gut-wrenching.  But also lovely are her scenes with Hattie McDaniel (as her servant Callie).  Finally, there is the scene in which Libby delivers Custer's "deathbed" statement.  Her quiet power is obvious.

Some other people to look out for here are Regis Toomey as Fitzhugh Lee, who leaves his position at West Point to join the Confederate Army (very nicely done) and Errol Flynn's scenes with Sydney Greenstreet (as Lt. General Winfield Scott) are quite funny, with Scott portrayed as a gourmand with a taste for onions.  And I must not omit Anthony Quinn as Crazy Horse; his Chief is Custer's military equal - a nobleman who is in the right, pretty much throughout the picture.

We'll be back soon with a much later Olivia film. We'll leave you with the trailer to the film:
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Olivia Doesn't Love Errol

This week, we looked at The Charge of the Light Brigade, another Warner Brothers attempt at rewriting history.  Errol Flynn plays Major Geoffrey Vickers, a military officer in India who is engaged to Elsa Campbell (Olivia de Havilland).  Only problem is, Elsa had fallen in love with Geoffrey's younger brother Captain Perry Vickers (Patric Knowles) while both were in Calcutta (and Geoffrey was off on a mission).  Naturally, this causes a falling-out between the brothers, and some antagonism from Elsa's father (Donald Crisp), who MUCH prefers the gallant Major Vickers to his office-bound sibling.

When all the inhabitants of Chukoti are massacred by Surat Khan (who spares Geoffrey and Elsa because of a debt he owes to Geoffrey), revenge becomes the goal of the Light Brigade.  And Geoffrey, who has nothing to live for without Elsa, is the leader in the Light Brigade's charge to kill Surat Khan (who has escaped to the Crimea!)

What any of this has to do with the actual Charge is a mystery.  They use a few lines from Tennyson, and the costuming is pretty much on target, but any other relation to history is purely coincidental.  The appeal of the film though, lies not in its plot; the movie is all Flynn.  If there is a problem with it, it's just that it is hard to understand why Olivia would prefer Patric Knowles to Flynn (No offence to Knowles, but he has NOTHING on Flynn.  An attractive man, Patric Knowles just does not have the electricity that Flynn brings to all his roles.)

The ending scene is glorious. So what if it is totally wrong? Only the Warner Brothers could make you think that the British actually WON the Charge of the Light Brigade! Here's a trailer:

Next week, we'll join Olivia and Errol again as the rewrite history.

Olivia Meets Errol

1. This time, we're looking at 1935's Captain Blood - Errol Flynn's first major film role and his introduction to our heroine, Olivia de Havilland.  This film, seventy-five years later, is still magic.  The chemistry between the leads is palpable (yes, the word chemistry is overused. But with Olivia and Errol, it is the only word that works), and the sense of adventure is in the air.  Our Ms. de Havilland glows as Arabella Bishop, Flynn has a rakish air as Dr. Peter Blood, and love-hate relationship between the two characters is beautifully portrayed. 

Perhaps one of our favorite characters here, though, is Captain Levasseur, as beautifully portrayed by Basil Rathbone.  I'm sure all here know that Rathbone was a brilliant fencer, and could have beaten any of his co-stars without even breaking a sweat; the fight sequences between him and Flynn are wonderful - like watching a dance, but a dance where the prize is Olivia.  We also talked a bit about Ross Alexander, who plays Blood's friend Jeremy Pitt.  Alexander died only two years later, a suicide.  This was to be Alexander's breakthrough role; unfortunately his wife's suicide and his own private issues (according to the IMDB, Mr. Alexander was gay. Of course, one didn't admit to that and remain a successful actor in 1926) proved too much for him.

We also noticed that the pirate ship Captain Blood sails is named the Arabella.  It's never dwelled upon - unfortunately, on a small TV screen, it's hard to notice; but it must have been quire apparent on a big screen.  Such a little thing, but it tells us so much about Blood and his passion for Arabella.  Here's a trailer from the movie, for your enjoyment:

Next week, we'll be back to visit Ms. de Havilland and Mr. Flynn in somewhat different roles.

Olivia & Errol & Rosalind & Patric

This week, our movie is the 1938 comedy Four's a Crowd.  Olivia plays Lorri Dillingwell, the daughter of a wealthy businessman.  She is engaged to publisher Patterson Buckley (Patric Knowles), who is being forced to shut down his newspaper. Jean Christy (Rosalind Russell), a reporter about to lose her job, decided to entice former reporter (and now successful PR man) Robert Kensington Lansford (Errol Flynn) back to the paper.  Easier said than done, of course; Bob decides to use Pat as a means to potential client Dillingham (thought Lorri, of course). Jean is in love with Bob; Pat is in love with Lorri; Lorri develops a mad crush on Bob. And Bob? Well, we THINK he loves Jean. Or maybe he loves Lorri. Or maybe he just is in it for the money.  We're not exactly sure for quite a while.  But, it's a WB comedy, so it all turns out right in the end (and I won't tell you who ends up with whom.  You'll have to watch the film).

Sure, this is a little piece of fluff. Rather silly at times, but with such wonderful actors, how can you go wrong? Olivia is back playing a character very similar to Marcia West in It's Love I'm After - somewhat silly, and rather easily swayed.  Errol Flynn gets to be decidedly silly - the scenes of him running from the dogs that guard the Dillingham mansion are a riot (and it doesn't hurt that we get to see him without his shirt. The man had QUITE a nice physique).  

Rosalind Russell is very adorable as Jean, who knows what she wants, but can't seem to quite get him into her grasp.  And while none of us are particular fans of Patric Knowles as a rule, he's actually pretty good here.  He manages to hold his own, for the most part, with this powerhouse of talent.   

 

As always, we see some nice character parts - Walter Connolly as Mr. Dillingham, is, as always, very funny. And Margaret Hamilton as Amy, who would easily walk on hot coals for Bob.  Both actors it is a pleasure to see.  We do get to see a lot of Connolly. Not enough of Hamilton.

Next week, we'll be watching something none of use were familiar with: Call it a Day. In the meantime, here's a trailer to introduce you to the characters:

Oliva Goes West

Our film this week was Santa Fe Trail, with Olivia de Havilland as Kit Carson Hailliday, the love interest of J.E.B. Stuart (Errol Flynn) and George Armstrong Custer (Ronald Reagan).  The three are caught up in the terrorist activities of John Brown (played here with great gusto by Raymond Massey), a provocateur who is attempting to being a war to eliminate slavery in the United States.  Most of the plot in this film has to do with Stuart and Custer trying to catch Brown, as he travels through Kansas wreaking havoc. 

There is quite a bit of rhetoric in the movie - how Stuart and Custer only need to obey the law, and the evil of slavery will EVENTUALLY be realized and eliminated, and the history in this movie is so weak as to be nearly laughable. For example, J.E.B. Stuart never married (sorry Olivia),  and the real Custer wed Elizabeth Clift Bacon - a brunette, not the blonde Charlotte as is implied in this movie.  Never mind the fact that Custer graduated from West Point in 1861, a Stuart graduated in 1854 (he actually did end up in Kansas, while Custer went right out of the Point into service in the Civil War). They certainly were not classmates. They weren't even in the school at the same time.  Did they even ever meet? - maybe on the field of battle at Bull Run. They were on opposite sides, though.

Like our film last week, Olivia is window-dressing to the bromance between Flynn and Reagan.  She flirts with her two suitors, eventually deciding on Flynn as her love interest (and are we really surprised?).  Her best scene is not with Flynn, however, it is with Gene Reynolds as Jason Brown, John Brown's drying son.  Her kindness radiates through as she listens to the boy describe the horror of his life with his father.  Here's the film's trailer:


Next week, we'll be doing a movie with a little more meat for the talented Ms. de Havilland.  Hope you'll visit us then.

Welcome to Ms. de Havilland

We begin our latest film festival with The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex. It's true, our guest for this film festival has only a small part in it, but it is such a good movie, we decided to start with Ms. de Havilland in a supporting role.  She plays Lady Penelope Gray, lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth (Bette Davis).  Madly in love with the Earl of Essex (Errol Flynn), it is her manipulations that help bring about his downfall.  We did a little reading after the movie. Ms. D. did NOT want to be in this film - after all, it really isn't much of one for her (though she is still wonderful in it).  The movie is all about Bette Davis' Elizabeth and Errol Flynn's Essex. When they are on the screen, you watch them. When they are NOT on the screen, you wait for them to come back. Lady Penelope is just window dressing to propel the action forward. But when you have an actress of the caliber of Olivia de Havilland doing it, the part becomes memorable as well. (And, is this the only movie in which she appeared with Flynn, in which she DIDN'T end up with him in one way or another?)  We were able to find a scene with Davis and de Havilland:

Again, our reading reminded us of the story that I heard on TCM some time ago. That Davis loathed Errol Flynn, feeling he was not an actor worthy of her talent. But that, years later, she re-saw the movie (in fact, with Ms. D. in attendance) and admitted that it was, in fact, a wonderful movie and that Flynn was excellent in it. Just the final scene, as he goes to the block, demonstrates the subtlety of his acting. 

We also enjoyed seeing the very young Nanette Fabray as Mistress Margaret Radcliffe, another lady-in-waiting who is yearning for the return of her lover - a soldier in Ireland.  She is delightful; it is a treat to see her in a very different part from the musicals we were used to.

Next week, more Olivia. Join us for a comedy.