Cheryl Draper (Barbara Stanwyck) awakens one night, and goes to her bedroom window. She sees her neighbor, Albert Richter (George Sanders) murder a woman. She calls the police, but when officers Lawrence Matthews (Gary Merrill) and Eddie Vincent (Jesse White) investigate, they find nothing. Was Cheryl really a Witness to Murder (1954)? Though this is perhaps not one of Ms. Stanwyck's best roles, she takes control of the character with both hands, and brings it up to a new level (check out this wonderful discussion from the TCM website). What could have been a weak and helpless woman, in Ms. Stanwyck's capable hands, become someone of power and sense. Sure, she's afraid, and she makes some mistakes, but she learns from them. Case in point is the scene with the psychiatrist (Lewis Martin) in the mental hospital to which Cheryl has been taken. She's terrified, but she knows the only way to get out of the hospital is to take command of the situation - which she does. The disinterested psychiatrist is forced to sit up and take notice of this thoughtful woman. Though the plot is nowhere near as good as other films in the genre, the film is reminiscent of other movies like Rear Window(1954; released AFTER this film), Gaslight(1944), and Sorry Wrong Number (1948). There is a certain amount of voyeurism - we watch Cheryl purchase binoculars to spy on her neighbor - as well as a great deal of menace perpetrated on women by men. While our trusty police officers aren't trying to gaslight Cheryl, it's what they succeed in doing. And, like Leona trying to convince the police of a pending murder, Cheryl too is ignored as she tries to convince some really stupid men of what she has witnessed. According to Stanwyck by Axel Madsen, the producers were aware that Rear Window had a similar premise when they began production on Witness to Murder, but believed their film had the punch to compete with it. Frankly, it just didn't.
Witness to Murder is saved from true lameness not only by Ms. Stanwyck's strong performance, but also by the presence of George Sanders as the villain. Mr. Saunders is an excellent actor; he doesn't try to whitewash Richter or attempt to make the audience like him. Richter is a cad through and through, but you enjoy every minute that he is on the screen. That he is a former Nazi is merely fodder for thought. He doesn't need to be anything but what he is - a self-absorbed, hateful bully who is enjoying his cat and mouse game with Cheryl. George Sanders started his career in the U.K. He'd been born in Russia, but the family emigrated when he was 11 (at the start of the Russian Revolution). He began appearing in films in Great Britain, like 1936's Strange Cargo (not be be confused by the 1940 Joan Crawford film of the same name). That same year, he played the despicable Lord Everett Stacy in Lloyd's of London. But the wonder of George Sanders is that he played a variety of remarkable characters, from the devious Addison DeWitt in All About Eve to the heroic Simon Templar in The Saint series. He was a weak philanderer in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947), and a dastardly pirate in The Black Swan (1943). He even did a musical (Call Me Madame 1953). There really wasn't much he couldn't do - and do it well. He married five times (including marriages to both Zsa Zsa and Magda Gabor). His marriage to Benita Hume Colman (after she was widowed) lasted 8 years, until her death in 1967. He published his autobiography (Memoirs of a Professional Cad) in 1960; in 1958, he did a record of Songs for the Lovely Lady. He continued working in film and television, but by 1970, he was ill. He committed suicide in 1972, age 65. His friend and colleague Brian Aherne published a biography, A Dreadful Man (1979) and David Niven discussed Mr. Sanders in his memoir, Bring on the Empty Horses (1975).
Where George Sanders is always memorable, the same cannot be said of Gary Merrill. While he is certainly likeable as Larry, he's also frustrating. He's smart enough to think that Cheryl is a remarkable woman, but he can't really accept that she is telling the truth. It takes him WAY too long to realize that Richter is the bad guy. By the end, you really want Cheryl to save herself and not end up as a damsel in distress. She's the only one with any real brains. There was one small point that rather irked us as city dwellers. Cheryl's door only has a snap lock on it, making it easy for Richter to access her apartment when she is not home. We found it hard to believe that a single woman would have such a flimsy lock and that she would not check to see that the latch had caught when she left her apartment. It works as a plot devise, but not so well as "realistic" drama. (We also found it hard to believe that Cheryl would - SPOILER ALERT - run to a high place when Richter's goal seems to be to throw her out a window. But the lock was more aggravating.)
The film was adapted for the Lux Video Theatre in 1956, with Audrey Totter in the role of Cheryl (AFI catalog). It's probably not surprising that it wasn't a huge hit at the box office, since Rear Window would open a mere three months later, with a far superior plot line. While not a bad film, this isn't really all that good. The saving grace is the opportunity to see Ms. Stanwyck and Mr. Sanders bounce off one another in their only screen appearance together. We'll leave you with a trailer from the film.
This month TCM Presentsoffered a theatrical screening of the story of the woman who is #23 (on the Villain side) of the Greatest Heroes and Villains of all time (according to the American Film Institute). We are speaking, of course, of Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter) in All About Eve (1950) The event was hosted by TCM's own Ben Mankiewicz. In his commentary, he spoke briefly about his Uncle Joe, who at the 1951 Oscar ceremony took home two Oscars for the film as Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. The was the second year in a row for him to receive the same awards: he had won the previous year, for A Letter to Three Wives, and he remains the only person in Oscar history to accomplish this feat. All About Eve was nominated for 14 awards (a record at the time. It has since been tied by Titanic), and won 6, including Best Picture. Two of the nominations were in the category of Best Actress. Both Bette Davis (Margo Channing) and Anne Baxter vied for the Award (Ms. Baxter was not willing to be nominated in the Supporting Category, since she was the title character). It's been speculated that they split the vote, resulting in Judy Holliday winning for her performance in Born Yesterday (certainly a worthy winner as well) If you are not familiar with the story, a few words are in order. On the evening of the annual Sarah Siddons Society Awards, Broadway actress Eve Harrington is being presented with its highest honor. From the audience, fellow awardees director Bill Sampson (Gary Merrill) and playwright Lloyd Richards (Hugh Marlowe), Lloyd's wife Karen (Celeste Holm), and famed actress Margo Channing look on. As she watches the action, Karen recalls the night she met Eve, introduced her to Margo, and changed their lives forever.
The film has a fascinating history, and I heartily recommend the book All About "All About Eve" by Sam Staggs. The film was based on a short story that appeared in Cosmopolitan. "The Wisdom of Eve" is allegedly based on a real incident involving actress Elisabeth Bergner and her secretary Martina Lawrence, but it has also been speculated that supposed impetusis a rivalry between Tallulah Bankhead and Lizabeth Scott, when Scott understudied Bankhead in The Skin of Our Teeth. Regardless of who was the factual inspiration, the screenplay gives us a portrait of a woman who will stop at nothing to achieve her goals - a woman who is just one in a long line of ambitious individuals. Once you've seen the film, it's hard to imagine anyone but Bette Davis in the role of Margo. She literally inhabits the character. However, Ms. Davis stepped in at the last minute when Claudette Colbert severely injured her back, and had to bow out. At age 42, Davis was fast becoming a has-been - her last part was in Beyond the Forest (1949), after which she and Warner Brothers studio bid each other a not-so-fond farewell. Beyond the Forest has one major claim to fame - it's the film in which Davis uttered the immortal - and often parodied line - "What a dump." When Joseph L. Mankiewicz called and offered her the part, if she could be ready in 10 days, she jumped. She credited Mankiewicz with "resurrecting her from the dead." (TCM article) Tallulah Bankhead would claim that the film was "all about" her. And while Ms. Davis steadfastly denied Ms. Bankhead as an inspiration, some aspects of the role do seem to very much hearken up images of Ms. Bankhead. When she started filming, Ms. Davis had laryngitis, so she maintained a lower
vocal range throughout the film - a voice that closely resembles that of Ms. Bankhead. The "surprise"
curtain call as Margo stands alone on the stage of "Aged in Wood" was
also taken directly from Ms. Bankhead, who it was reported used that
gimmick when she did her own curtain calls. And accidentally or not, Ms. Davis' most famous dress in the film looks amazingly like dresses worn by Ms. Bankhead (see below).
About the dress - Edith Head had to quickly alter or remake dresses for her new star. When Ms. Davis tried on the party dress, Ms. Head was horrified to realize that the dress was too big above the waist. Davis saved the day by pulling the neckline down around her shoulders, giving the dress a sexy (and coincidentally more Bankhead-like) look. Ms. Davis' is not the only stellar performance in the film. Anne Baxter is an impressive Eve, going from wide-eyed innocence to malevolence with the merest flick of an eye. Eve will use anyone and anything to get what she wants, and it is never more apparent than when she sets her cap at Lloyd Richards. Watch as she sexually manipulates her friend (Randy Stuart) to call Lloyd for her. There's a hint of relationship that's more than just friendly between the two.
Marilyn Monroe, in an early role as would-be actress Miss Casswell is quite amusing - the scene in which she sets set her sails to accost Max Fabian (Gregory Ratoff) after calling him an "unhappy rabbit" is priceless. And Celeste Holm brings charm and poise to the part of Karen. But for me, it's the "character" performances that make this film what it is. Let's start with Thelma Ritter as former vaudevillian, and Margo's dresser, Birdie Coonan. It sometimes seems that Birdie gets a good portion of the wonderful lines. For example, after Eve tells the story of her life, Birdie retorts "What a story! Everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." Or, when Bill asks her what message she would like delivered to Tyrone Power once Bill arrives in Hollywood - "Just give him my phone number; I'll tell him myself." But more than the lines (and this is a phenomenal script for good lines), it is Ritter's delivery that makes them. Her Birdie is smart and cagey - she is the first person to spot Eve as a phony. As always, Thelma Ritter is a gem, and it is always sad for me that Birdie disappears in the last third of the film. But can any discussion of the perfect delivery of perfect lines be complete without a discussion of George Sanders. His Addison DeWitt (who may have been based on critic George Jean Nathan - AFI catalog). is a masterpiece of wit and malice. A theatre critic who describes himself as: "My native habitat is the theater. In it, I toil not, neither do I spin. I
am a critic and commentator. I am essential to the theater." We learn quickly that Addison is an impressive judge of people. Without a word, Sanders shows us that Addison, like Birdie, knows that something about Eve is not right. Eve, who has managed to play nearly everyone like a violin, does not realize Addison is not be played. Sanders is a perfect partner for Eve, and a perfect foil for Bill Sampson and Lloyd Richards, both of whom remain far to oblivious of Eve's manipulations for a very long time.
Claudette Colbert was not the only person considered for Margo - Susan Hayward (deemed too young), Ingrid Bergman (didn't want to leave Italy), Marlene Dietrich, and Gertrude Lawrence were all in the running at one time or another. Jeanne Crain was also considered for Eve, but her third pregnancy prevented her from getting the role (she and her husband eventually had 7 children). John Garfield and Ronald Reagan were discussed for Bill, and both Jose Ferrer and Clifton Webb mentioned as Addison. The film would be performed four times as radio productions (the last one, in 1954 featured Claire Trevor, Ann Blyth, William Conrad and Don Randolph). It would ultimately be remade as a musical - Applause, which starred Lauren Bacall as Margo in the original cast. (I saw it after Ms. Bacall left. Her replacement - Anne Baxter!) As I mentioned before, All About Eve is an awards favorite, and the praise just keeps on coming. It was #28 in AFI's 100 Years, 100 Movies, and in 2014, Richard Brody of the New Yorker discussed the film as a commentary on the difference between film and theatre. But All About Eve was not just a film that was discovered later in its life. These reviews in Variety and the New York Times demonstrate that the film was immediately a critical hit. I'll leave you today with a clip from the film - perhaps the most famous line in the film (though there are others that are just as magnificent). It was voted #9 in AFI's 100 Greatest Quotes; so here's Ms. Davis warning us to "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night"
"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again..." is perhaps one of the most famous opening lines of a novel. Last night, I too went to Manderley again, submerging myself in the wonder that is Rebecca (1940), Alfred Hitchcock's first American film, and his only film to win a Best Picture Oscar. Aired as part of TCM's Summer Under the Stars tribute to Joan Fontaine, Rebecca is a remarkable film. Starring Joan Fontaine as the nameless second Mrs. deWinter, Laurence Olivier as her husband - and the widower of the unseen, but always felt, Rebecca - Maxim, and Judith Anderson as the always creepy Mrs. Danvers, it faithfully represents the Daphne du Maurier novel, yet creates compelling cinema AND manages to placate the Production Code.
The story of Rebecca open in Monte Carlo. Our heroine is wandering the cliff-side, when she sees a man gazing over the edge of the precipice. Alarmed, she cries out. He reacts violently, telling her loudly to mind her own business. That evening, as she sits in the lobby of the hotel with her employer, the crude Edyth van Hopper (played by the always wonderful Florence Bates), who should appear but That Man - Maxim de Winter, the wealthy owner of Manderley, and a lion of the social set. Mrs. van Hopper tries to ingratiate herself to him, to no avail (though she is oblivious to Maxim's disregard of her). Maxim is much more intrigued by her paid companion, and when Mrs. van Hopper is relegated to her room by a cold, the girl and Maxim begin to keep company. She, of course, is immediately smitten by him. He treats her as a child, needing constant care and correction. But, when Mrs. Van Hopper decides to drag the girl back to America, Maxim proposes marriage. Following a happy honeymoon, the couple returns to Manderley, and the second Mrs. De Winter finds that her life is a constant stream of insecurity and fear.
Joan Fontaine is really perfect as the second Mrs. De Winter. Her mannerisms, which can sometimes be annoying, work beautifully here; they highlight her naivety and anxiety. Laurence Olivier provides the perfect balance of superciliousness and affection as Maxim. One is never quite sure of his love for his second wife, nor his feelings for Rebecca. Which is as it should be - Rebecca needs to hover over the proceedings, as her minion, the magnificent Mrs. Danvers attempts to destroy Maxim's marriage, as well as his new wife. Ms. Anderson was rightfully nominated for an Oscar for her performance (losing to Jane Darwell in The Grapes of Wrath). Watch her as she shows the second wife Rebecca's room and belongings. Her obsession with, and passion for, Rebecca oozes from her. She is frightening and fascinating. Also notable is George Sanders as Rebecca's "cousin" Jack Favell. Sanders revels in his "hail fellow well met" persona, as he tries to figure out the best way to wring some money out of Maxim, and intimidate the second Mrs. De Winter. Just seeing his character, you get a clearer picture of who Rebecca really was (and don't like her much, as a result). TCM has a wealth of information about this film. One place to start is this article which discusses the uneasy relationship between director Hitchcock and David Selznick. Where Hitchcock had intended to use the novel of Rebecca as merely a jumping-off point, Selznick required an exact retelling of the novel. Though one change did have to be made - Rebecca's death in the book is somewhat different than the circumstances described in the movie. The Production Code would not have allowed the film to end as it did with the original story line. So great was Hitchcock's antipathy for Selznick, that he used him as the model for Raymond Burr's character in Rear Window! A trailer from the film is below. If you've never seen Rebecca, do yourself a favor and put it at the top of your list.
