Mama Irene

Katrin Hanson (Barbara Bel Geddes) reflects on her life with her Norwegian immigrant family in San Francisco. Her sisters, brother, father, aunts, uncle, and cousin are all recalled, but Katrin tells us, mostly, I Remember Mama (1948).
 
When asked several years ago to list five movies I would have with me on a desert island, I Remember Mama was one of my choices. Our group had not watched it in recent memory (though all but one member had seen it before), and when the opportunity arose to view it, we were thrilled. No matter how many times you see this film, it is one of which you will never tire.

I Remember Mama is a series of vignettes, all centered around the Hanson family. Mama Marta (Irene Dunne) and Papa Lars (Philip Dorn) came to the United States just after their marriage to join Marta's family - Uncle Chris Halvorsen (Oskar Homolka), and sisters Jenny (Hope Landin), Sigrid (Edith Evanson), and Trina (Ellen Corby). The children were all born in San Francisco - Nels (Steve Brown), Katrin, Christine (Peggy McIntyre), Dagmar (June Hedin), and Sigrid's son Arne (Tommy Ivo). The Hansons and Halvorsens are hard working people. They are not wealthy, but they are getting by, and Marta and Lars are working and saving so that their children can have a better life through education. 

There are many memorable performances. But the film must anchor itself on Mama, and Irene Dunne does not disappoint. She was not the first choice for the role - Greta Garbo was approached (and said no), Katina Paxinou was also considered (the family would have been changed to Greeks), and Marlene Dietrich campaigned for the part (she was deemed too sexy) (AFI catalog). When Irene Dunne was asked, she said yes, on the condition that the director was selected from a list she provided.  Luckily, George Stevens (his first film since he returned from Europe during World War II), who was already on the film was also on Ms. Dunne's list (TCM article). He guides her to a subtle, yet strong performance as the heart of this family. Perhaps the incident that most demonstrates Ms. Dunne's power is that of Dagmar's hospitalization. Ms. Dunne gives us a purposeful and wise woman who does what is needed to get to her ailing child. 

Philip Dorn is a low-key actor who is used to good effect. He seems at first glance to be nothing compared to Mama, but he is clearly a partner in the marriage. He's a calming influence - he is observant, supportive, and acts when necessary. Watch him when he realizes his son has begun smoking, or when Katrin makes what is a very grown-up choice. It's Lars who is the leader in those situations. 

His counterpoint is Uncle Chris. Oskar Homolka provides a brusk, noisy man who loves his family, but brooks no nonsense. His conversation with his nieces, who he discovers fear him, is a remarkable one. His care for his grand-nephew Arne is warm and understanding - the scene with young Tommy Ivo is handled beautifully. Uncle Chris is a man who likes to shock. Marta knows this - watch her attitude to Jessie Brown (Barbara O'Neill in another beautifully, subtle performance), which is why she is the only one of his nieces Uncle Chris can stand!

Barbara Bel Geddes has to age over a period of nearly 10 years and does it splendidly. When we first meet her, she is a grade school student; we see her through her teen years, as she advances in school and in maturity. One incident in particular shows her growth - as she and her mother travel by train to visit the ailing Uncle Chris, we see the girl staring out the window of the train, a sandwich in her hand, almost oblivious to the import of what is happening. But the narrative tells us what she, in retrospect, remembers of the event and the scenes that follow reveal the impact of her uncle's distress.

Ms. Bel Geddes started on stage, most notably as the original Maggie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.  After well-received performances in six films (including Panic in the Streets), she was blacklisted. Eventually she was cast by Alfred Hitchcock in Vertigo; he included her in four episodes of his television show Alfred Hitchcock Presents, among them "Lamb to the Slaughter," perhaps the most wicked of all his teleplays. In 1978, she joined the cast of Dallas as Miss Ellie Southworth Ewing, the matriarch of the family; with the exception of a one-year break in which she was recovering from surgery, she played the part until 1990; at which point, she retired from acting. Married twice, with two daughters, she died of lung cancer in 2005. 

The number of remarkable character performances in the film is astonishing. Edgar Bergen has a rare dramatic part as the shy undertaker Mr. Thorkelson, He's paired with Ellen Corby, equally shy and perhaps the sweetest of Mama's sisters.  Sir Cedric Hardwicke uses his impressive speaking voice to bring dignity to Mama's boarder, Mr. Hyde, the man who brings literature to the family. Rudy Vallee, also in a dramatic role, is Doctor Johnson, physician who cares for Dagmar. And finally, the frequently underrated Florence Bates as Florence Dana Moorhead, a successful author and gastronomist, who meets Mama for "two glasses sherry."

Some portions of the movie were filmed in San Francisco, which adds to the verisimilitude of the story.  When it opened at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, Bosley Crowther's New York Times review was glowing. It was also #24 on the list of top grossing films for 1948 (Variety). It was nominated for 5 Academy Awards: Irene Dunne for Actress (she lost to Jane Wyman in Johnny Belinda); Oscar Homolka for Supporting Actor (lost to Walter Huston in Treasure of the Sierra Madre); Barbara Bel Geddes and Ellen Corby for Supporting Actress (lost to Claire Trevor in Key Largo); and Nicholas Musuraca for Cinematography. Ellen Corby did win the Golden Globe for Supporting Actress.

The story was based on the novel Mama's Bank Account by Kathryn Forbes, which became a Broadway play by John Van Druten. The play starred Mady Christians and introduced Marlon Brando as Nels - Oscar Homolka was the only cast member to appear in the film. Later, Irene Dunne, Oscar Homolka, and Barbara Bel Geddes reprized their roles for the Lux Radio Theatre production in August 1948. The story aired as a television series with Peggy Wood, which ran from 1949 to 1957.  In June of 1961, British ITV did a television play with Stella Bonheur as Mama. There were also two musical versions. One, Mama, featuring Celeste Holm in the title role, but closed in 1972 before it reached Broadway. In 1979, it was made into a Broadway musical (with music by Richard Rogers) I Remember Mama with Liv Ullmann as Mama. 

If you've never seen this film, please consider finding it. It is heartwarming, but in a good way. We'll leave you with this trailer:

Does Jean Love Cary or Ronald?

The members of our group have all seen Talk of the Town (1942) before, but it has been some time since we visited this fantastic movie, and decided it was time to reacquaint ourselves with this splendid cast of characters.  The film opens with the trial of Leopold Dilg (Cary Grant).  Dilg, an ardent activist, is accused of setting file to the Lochester Mills, and in the process, killing the night watchman Clyde Bracken (Tom Tyler).  The town is ripe for a lynching; in desperation, Leopold escapes from his cell, injuring his ankle in the process.  He arrives at the country home of Nora Shelley (Jean Arthur), a childhood friend.  Nora is in the midst of cleaning the house, which she is renting for the summer.  Though she is not eager to assist Leopold, his injured ankle and the town's angry attitude convince her to give him shelter, at least until she can contact his lawyer, Sam Yates (Edgar Buchanan).  However, a complication arises - Professor Michael Lightcap (Ronald Colman), a noted Harvard jurist, arrives a day early.  Nora has to scramble to not only keep Leopold hidden and but also keep herself in the house, to hide him from the reclusive professor.  And if that isn't a big enough problem, the following day, Professor Lightcap finds out he is being proposed for the Supreme Court, so any kind of scandal will endanger his appointment - and a murderer living in his house is not the kind of publicity he needs.

In his book Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War, Mark Harris discusses the previews of the film.  It's widely known that Columbia decided to use audience previews to help them decide on the film's ending.  Two conclusions were shot: one with Cary Grant leaving with Jean Arthur; the other with Arthur selecting Ronald Colman.  That the film ends, thanks to audience reviews, with Grant is the result of those polls.  But what isn't as widely known is WHY the audience selected Grant.  According to Harris, the war-time audience (the film was released on August 20, 1942)  felt that Arthur should marry the man of draft age because "later on, the mature men will have [the women] all to themselves." (p. 167)  The idea that Nora would marry Leopold, see him off to war - and death - and ultimately end up with Michael (who is over 40 and therefore ineligible to serve)  is somewhat disturbing.  We wondered, had the survey been done a few years earlier, who would have won?  As much as our group adores Cary Grant, the consensus here was for the more stable, more mature, and more intelligent Michael Lightcap.  Leopold Dilg is just too much of a loose cannon (an unusual role for Mr. Grant) to appeal to our simpler tastes.  This TCM article goes into more detail on the tension between Colman and Grant, neither of whom was used to playing second fiddle to another actor, and on Colman's reluctance to appear in a Columbia film, due to his intense dislike of Harry Cohn (Stevens promised Colman that Cohn would never be on the set - and kept his word).

Director George Stevens was well-respected for romantic comedies, like The More the Merrier (for which he received his first Academy Award nomination as best picture) and Woman of the Year, as well as for dramatic romances like Alice Adams and Penny Serenade.  However, upon his return from World War II, where he was one of the first people into Dachau as the Allied forces entered Germany (his footage was used during the Nuremberg Trials), Stevens remade his career, never venturing into comedy again.  Instead, he chose films that, to his mind would "tell the truth and not pat us on the back" (Harris, p. 418).  The Diary of Anne Frank, Shane, Giant (Oscar-winning Director of 1956, and A Place in the Sun (Oscar-winning Director of 1951) are among his magnificent post-war efforts.   Steven would continue directing until 1970.  He died in 1975, aged 70.

There are some wonderful character actors in the film.  Edgar Buchanan, who had already worked with Grant and Stevens on Penny Serenade, appears as Sam Cade, Dilg's lawyer and an old school chum of Lightcap's. Glenda Farrell has a small part as Regina Bush, the rather crude and gabby girlfriend  of the "deceased" Clyde, and Lloyd Bridges has a brief appearance as Donald Forrester, Lochester's newspaper editor and reporter.  But the performance that stands out (and even rates a mention in this New York Times review) is that of Rex Ingram as Lightcap's valet, Tilney.  Though playing a servant, Tilney is a quiet, distinguished man.  More than just a valet, he serves as Lightcap's confidant and occasional adviser, for Tilney, unlike Lightcap, has seen something at the world.  He has even been married, albeit unsuccessfully.  Ingram had a relatively long career, beginning his film work in 1918's Tarzan of the Apes, and concluding with an appearance on The Bill Cosby Show in 1969.  A graduate of Northwestern University's medical school, he left for Hollywood, then for Broadway, where he appeared in 13 plays from 1934 to 1962.  He died in 1969, aged 73.

All in all, this is a film we highly recommend, and perhaps is close to being an essential.  We'll leave you with this video, to whet your appetite -  the first meeting between Professor Lightcap and Miss Shelley.

Shane Comes Back

For those of you who read Entertainment Weekly, you might have had the pleasure recently to read an excerpt of Mark Harris' new book Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War.  The book focuses on five directors: John Ford, Frank Capra, George Stevens, John Huston, and William Wyler, all of whom served in the military during WWII, and all of whom were involved in film-making within the armed services.  Their war experiences, not surprisingly, colored their post-war films, and this book looks in detail at their work during and after the war.   In conjunction with the book's release, AFI Silver featured a screening of the 1953 Shane, one of director George Steven's post-war films.  

Shane features an all-star cast: Alan Ladd as the title character, a gunfighter who is trying to escape his past; Van Heflin as Joe Starrett, Jean Arthur  as his wife Marian Starrett, and Brandon de Wilde as Joey Starrett, a family trying to create a home on the frontier; and Jack Palance (here listed as Walter Jack Palance) as Jack Wilson, the gunfighter who is trying to drive them off their land. It's a fairly simple film: the Starett family is trying to build a farm on the prairie, much to the disgust of Rufus Ryker (Emile Meyer) a cattleman who claims rights to the whole valley.  The lives of the Staretts and all the settlers have been made miserable as Ryker attempts to run them off.  Enter the loner, Shane, who attempts to restart his life by working for Joe as a handyman.  But given the environment, Shane soon finds that the only way he can help the family he has come to love is to return to his old occupation.

Interestingly, Ladd and Heflin were not the first choices for Shane and Joe.  Montgomery Clift and William Holden were the first choice of director Stevens for the roles of Shane and Starrett.  When they were unavailable, Stevens selected Ladd and Heflin who were under contract to Paramount. This article from TCM discusses some of the studio's attitudes towards the film.

Stevens was able to coax Jean Arthur (with whom he had worked on The More the Merrier) out of retirement for this, her final film role.  Ms. Arthur is quite wonderful as Marian, a strong woman who loves her husband, but who is also attracted to the stranger in their midst.  The scene in which she tries to decide what dress to wear - all but her wedding dress are work clothes - as Shane talks to Joey outside, is gently amusing and poignant.  

Shane is shot in Technicolor, and while it's not a widescreen film, it has an exquisite use of color and vistas.  The film emphasizes the size of the country through the use of widescreen shots.  This serves to elaborate on the greed of Ryker, who desires so much land in an area that is so vast it surely could hold a few more people.  Yet Ryker is given time to explain his need for the land.  In fact, all of the characters are allowed an opportunity to explain their feelings about the range dispute, leaving us, the audience, to decide who is in the right.

And there are quite a few characters: Elisha Cook, Jr., as Stonewall Torrey, a former Confederate soldier with a bad temper and a deep thirst; Ben Johnson as Chris Calloway, a ranch hand for Ryker who starts the film as Shane's adversary, but who ends as his friend; Edgar Buchanan as Fred Lewis, another of the settlers who fears the effects of Ryker's wrath.  We also have two familiar female faces in this group: Nancy Culp (Mrs. Howells) and Ellen Corby (Liz Torrey) have brief moments as settlers' wives.

Ultimately, though, Shane is a love story between a grown man and a little boy, and Brandon de Wilde as the hero-worshiping Joey turns in a wonderful performance.  There is a real rapport between him and Ladd, and their chemistry gives the film its strength.  Sadly, after a career in which he appeared in films such as The Member of the Wedding, All Fall Down, and Hud, de Wilde died in a traffic accident at the age of 30.

We leave you with a clip from Shane, in which the title character demonstrates the proper use of a revolver to young Joey.  One thing to notice is the loudness of the gunfire - director Stevens purposely made the gunshots extra loud: "a gun is a tool," Shane tells us.  But in a sense, it is a tool that destroys lives.