Bette Deceives

Christine Radcliffe (Bette Davis) races to a concert at a local college. A solo cellist, Karel Novak (Paul Henreid), new to the United States, performs to great acclaim. Before the war, he and Christine were lovers in Germany, but Christine has long believed him to be dead.  Their reunion is joyful, until the jealous Karel demands an explanation for Christine's luxurious life style. The Deception (1946) begins when Christine lies about her life since the war, and her relationship with the brilliant, but ego-maniacal composer Alexander Hollenius (Claude Rains).

Just who is the villain is one of the questions in this film. On the surface, one's instinct is to place Hollenius, a self-absorbed egoist if ever there was one, in that position. But, it's clear from the start that Christine has long ago learned how to deal with Hollenius' moods and demands, so why is she so spooked by him? The answer may be that Karel's jealousy is deranged. He almost strangles Christine when they meet again. His mania and her fears start the string of lies that lead to Christine's downfall.  What certainly is clear is that Christine has lousy taste in men.

Beyond a doubt, this is Claude Rains movie. As domineering as Hollenius is, it's hard to actually dislike him. He glories in his power and in his talent. He enjoys his life, and while he isn't actually mean, he doesn't appreciate anything that thwarts what he wants. The problem for Christine is that Karel thwarts Hollenius, and while she is immune to his head games, the troubled Karel is not. To see Mr. Rains at his absolute best, watch him manipulate Christine and Karel when they dine out. It is a masterwork of acting (TCM article).  In his commentary on the DVD, Foster Hirsch mentioned that some people claimed Mr. Rains stole the scene from Bette Davis - clearly (as Mr. Hirsch pointed out) no one steals a scene from Ms. Davis. If you watch her during the scene, she's reveling in Mr. Rains performance. 

Paul Henreid has the unenviable job of playing a man who is just short of being insane. His fits of anger are positively scary; he's worse then Hollenius in many respects because he has no clue that his self-absorption is so complete.  Mr. Henried does a good job playing an abusive individual and does make you feel that some of his behavior stems from his experiences during the war (though not all of it).

While Bette Davis could play the piano (and practiced hard to do the one scene in which she played), Jack Warner asked her to not worry about it - they would get a pro to do the actual music (but you can tell by her hands that she knows what she is doing).  Paul Henried, however, did not know how to play the cello, and had to have two actual cellists use their arms to make it appear that he was actually playing. 

This was the first Warner Brothers film in which Ms. Davis appeared that did not make money (partly due to the production running overtime, due to Ms. Davis' illness). She would only make three more films for Warners.

Based on the play Obsession, which was on Broadway in revival when the film opened, the original was a two-character presentation - just Karel and Christine. It was at one point intended as a vehicle for Barbara Stanwyck and Paul Henreid (AFI Catalog). 

The New York Times review by Bosley Crowther was not particularly complimentary - but Mr. Crowther didn't like the play much either.  He was, however, very taken with Claude Rains who "fills out a fascinating portrait of a titanic egoist".

This is not Ms. Davis' best film, but it is a tour de force for Mr. Rains, and as such worth your time.  We'll leave you with the trailer:

 

We'll Alway Have Paris

It is the 75th Anniversary of Casablanca (1942) and to celebrate AFI Silver featured the film for several days. I've seen the film more times than I can count on television and home video; I've also seen it several times on a big screen, but when your friend tells you that she's NEVER seen the film, what can you do but go again? The opportunity to see the # 1 film on AFI's list of 100 Years, 100 Passions, not to mention #2 on the AFI 100 Years, 100 Films list with a neophyte is just too good to resist. It really is like getting to see the film AGAIN for the first time.

If you are like my friend, and have never seen Casablanca, a quick plot rundown is in order (then again, if you've never seen Casablanca, stop reading this blog, and go watch the movie!)  It's December 1941, and Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) owns a successful cafe and (illegal) casino in Casablanca. The cafe is inhabited primarily by refugees, trying to get to America. But, on the night when black marketeer Ugarte (Peter Lorre) is arrested for the murder of German couriers (they were carrying non-revocable letters of transit), Rick's past catches up with him, in the form of his lost love, Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman).

It's likely that Casablanca is one of the most written about films in movie history - I know of four, one of which was just released: We'll Always Have Casablanca: The Life, Legend, and Afterlife of Hollywood's Most Beloved Movie by Noah Isenberg (2017); The Making of Casablanca: Bogart, Bergman, and World War II by Aljean Harmetz (2002), Casablanca: Behind the Scenes by Harlen Lebo and Julius Epstein (1992); and Casablanca: Script and Legend by Howard Koch (1995). As a result, it has a much storied history.

For example, the rumor (fed by a Hollywood Reporter news item) that Ronald Reagan and Ann Sheridan were to play Rick and Ilsa has been debunked by numerous sources (including Ms. Harmetz). Ms. Harmetz also clarifies the rumor that George Raft was offered the role - his name was suggested, however producer Hal Wallis wanted Humphrey Bogart. Ms. Harmetz also relates Paul Henried's (Victor Laslo) later antipathy for the part of Victor Laslo, and his disregard for Humphrey Bogart. He told the author in 1992 that "Mr. Bogie was nobody.... Before Casablanca he was nobody...he was a mediocre actor." To give him credit where credit is due, he had had a successful theatrical and film career in German before the rise of the Nazis, and had appeared on the New York stage as well.

Though Casablanca is really a fairly simple story of love and loss in time of war, what makes it unique and so thoroughly re-watchable is the dialogue. In AFI's list of  100 Years, 100 Quotes  for SIX of the 100 quotes, starting at #5 with "Here's looking at you, Kid."  The rest of this amazing list is: #20 - "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," #28 - "Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By'," #32 - "Round up the usual suspects, #43- "We'll always have Paris," and #67 - "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine."  It doesn't include the lines like "I was misinformed" (see the clip at the end), or "Are my eyes really brown?" I could go on, but you get the point. Check out these TCM articles for some quote that did not make the film!

Some of the more clever lines are uttered by that master of delivery Claude Rains as Louis Renault. Both my friend and I love "Serves me right for not being musical," said when Louis discovers where Rick hid the letters of transit, or "I'm shocked, SHOCKED to find out that gambling is going on in here," as Louis collects his gambling winnings. As always, Mr. Rains is an amazing actor; it is hard to keep your eyes from him when he is working - even in his stillness there is wit shining through.

The other actor who is impressive (besides our key three players, of course) is Conrad Veidt  as Major Strasser. A star of German cinema (Veidt is perhaps best remembered from his amazing performance as the somnambulist in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)), Veidt left Germany in 1933. His wife was a Jew, and Veidt despised the Nazis. He emigrated first to England, then to the United States, where it seems that his most memorable roles were as Nazis (such as All Through the Night (1942) and Escape (1940)). He donated large sums of money to the war effort (TCM article); Veidt also required that, if he were cast as a Nazi, that character must be a villain (Casablanca: As Time Goes By: 50th Anniversary Commemorative by Frank Miller). Unfortunately, Mr. Veidt did not get a chance to escape from the Nazi typecasting - he died of a heart attack in 1943, shortly after he finished filming Above Suspicion.

Of course, Mr. Veidt was not the only refugee appearing in the film: Madeline LeBeau (Yvonne), S. Z. Sakall  (Carl), Peter Lorre, Marcel Dalio (Emil the Croupier), Helmut Dantine (Jan Brandel), and Paul Henreid were among the actors who escaped from German and the occupied nations to work in Hollywood. (AFI catalog)

In 1944, Casablanca won 3 Oscars in 1944 (Film, Michael Curtiz (Director), Adapted Screenplay (Julius and Philip Epstein and Howard Koch)) and was nominated for 6 others including Best Actor (Bogart), Supporting Actor (Rains), Score (Max Steiner), Editing, and Cinematography. It appears on several other AFI lists:AFI 100 Years, 100 Cheers at #32, AFI's top Heroes, with Rick Blaine at #4, and 100 Years, 100 Thrills at #37. But the true test of the film is watching it again and again (which I have). It's a picture which you decide you will watch JUST this one scene and end up watching the whole movie.  I'll leave you this this conversation between Rick and Louis, and another wonderful Rick quote:

Olivia Writes a Novel

This week, we were able to watch Devotion, wherein Olivia plays Charlotte Bronte, and gets to write the novel Jane Eyre. Again, Ms. De Havilland plays second lead, this time to Ida Lupino, who is playing her sister Emily. Ms. Lupino has the meatier role, as the tortured, dying Charlotte, but Ms. De Havilland ends up with more screen time (and more to do than just be tortured).  Her Charlotte harkens back to some of the earlier teen roles we've seen, such as Call it a Day and It's Love I'm After, where she gets to fall in love with a man who is already taken (and be a tad silly about it). However, this is no screwball story.  Because in the end, both sisters end up in love with the same man - Paul Henreid as the Reverend Arthur Nicholls. And he is oblivious to one of them.

As history, this film rather plays fast and loose.  Yes, Bramwell (Arthur Kennedy) was an alcoholic, and yes, Emily did die of TB.  But so did Anne Bronte (played by Nancy Coleman) and you wouldn't know it from this movie. In fact, Anne died about 6 months after Emily.  Charlotte did go to London, but after Emily's and Anne's deaths.  And Charlotte's marriage to Arthur Nicholls was no happy ending.  Her father was totally against the marriage, because he feared that marriage would kill his only surviving child (of the 6 born to him). He was right. Charlotte became pregnant; she and the baby died, probably the result of hyperemesis gravidarum, or excessive morning sickness resulting in malnutrition.  Another point, the sisters were all very small and probably slender - at an exhibit of their books and item at the Morgan Library in New York City, I saw one of Emily's gloves. It was TINY. I have VERY small hands - the glove would not have fit me. None of these ladies is in the least bit tiny or frail-looking!! A couple of items that they did get right though, were rather fun. The sisters three books (Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey) did come out together (in fact Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey were published in the same three volume set). The other little piece that we enjoyed was that, when Charlotte visits Arthur Nicholls to give him a copy of her novel, she is holding three books. Indeed, Jane Eyre was published (as many novels were at the time - to accommodate lending libraries) in a three-volume set!

Like many historical films that play a little to fast and loose, this can be a problematic movie, but the acting is wonderful. We have some lovely character pieces here, especially Sydney Greenstreet as William Makepeace Thackeray, who manages to portray Thackeray as an adorable egoist!  Also fun to watch is Odette Myrtil as Mme Heger, who reminded us very much of Peggy Wood as the patient wife of the artist in Call it a Day.

We hope to see you again next week.  In the meantime, here's a trailer from the film: