Barbra is Funny

As Ziegfeld Follies star Fanny Brice (Barbra Streisand) awaits the return of her husband Nick Arnstein (Omar Sharif) from an 18-month prison stay, she recalls her career as a Funny Girl (1968) and her introduction to the gambler who would become her husband.

When Funny Girl opened on Broadway in 1964, the star, Barbra Streisand had appeared in only one other play - the musical I Can Get It for You Wholesale.  She had, however, become well known to the public due to television appearances - including The Tonight Show and The Ed Sullivan Show. Funny Girl ran from 1964 to 1967 (Ms. Streisand was in the lead for the first year, after which she appeared in the West End production). Regardless, Hollywood did not want her - Anne Bancroft, Carol Burnett (TCM Trivia), and Shirley MacLaine (Tribeca News) were all considered for Fanny. It was the film's producer Ray Stark who wanted Streisand, despite Columbia Pictures fear that Ms. Streisand was not pretty enough. The result - an Academy Award win for Ms. Streisand, in the only tie for the Best Actress category in Oscar history (Ms. Streisand shared the award with Katharine Hepburn for The Lion in Winter). It's not a surprise - Ms. Streisand is amazing Fanny Brice, bringing just the right amount of humor and passion to this story of a career and a marriage. And while most of the songs in the film were done in the conventional way, William Wyler decided film the song "My Man" live, as Ms. Streisand was having some issues with the emotion required for the scene (TCM Behind the Camera). 

The story of Ms. Brice - a comedienne and singer from the early days of Broadway, was put together by her son-in-law, Ray Stark (Mr. Stark was married to Frances Arnstein). Not surprisingly, he took some liberties with his mother-in-law's life. For one thing, her rise to fame was not as meteoric as stated in the film - it took her years, starting at Keeney's (Frank Faylen) Theater on Fulton Street, then on tour in the chorus, to Burlesque, and then to the Ziegeld Follies. Her marriage to Nick Arnstein was fraught - both had been married before, Arnstein had already been in jail and would end up there again, and he was perfectly happy to live off his famous wife's money. Ms. Brice finally divorced him when she discovered his record of infidelities. The couple had two children, however son William Arnstein did not wish to be mentioned in the film. (Encyclopedia of Jewish Women)

 

Omar Sharif is appealing as Nicky - he's very sexy and the relationship between the couple in the first half of the film is delightful. But this is also the story of the end of a romance, and Mr. Sharif makes Nicky understandable as a man who loves his wife, but wants to stand on his own. He almost lost the part, however. There was much anger against him because he was an Egyptian national, add to that his romancing of a Jewish woman. However, William Wyler insisted that he be kept on. A romance flamed between Mr. Sharif and Ms. Streisand that surely added to their onscreen relationship, but probably ended her marriage to Elliot Gould. Before Mr. Sharif came into the production, David Janssen (fresh off The Fugitive) was being considered for Nicky.

Kay Medford  (Rose Brice) was nominated for an Oscar as Best Supporting Actress as Fanny's mother. It's a relatively small part, but an important one, as Rose is the one person to whom Fanny will listen, and as her marriage becomes strained, it is Rose to whom she turns. At some point, Rosalind Russell was being considered for the role ( AFI catalog). 

Anne Francis (Georgia James) appears briefly as a showgirl in the Ziegfeld Follies. By the second half of the movie, Georgia has disappeared (sadly). Ms. Francis was frustrated by her diminishing role in the film - she would blame it on Ms. Streisand, however as much as we enjoy seeing Ms. Francis, it must be pointed out this is the Fanny Brice story. Ms Francis sued to have her name removed from the credits (TCM article).

Walter Pidgeon has a more visible role as impresario Florenz Ziegfeld. As always, Mr. Pidgeon brings just the right amount of veritas to the part. His interplay with Ms. Streisand is spot on - especially the scenes when she is auditioning for a place in the Follies. 

 

Though her part is small, Mae Questel (Mrs. Strakosh) is adorable as Rose Brice's friend. The mother of Sadie (the married lady), Ms. Questel is the original yenta, busily trying to get a husband for Fanny. Ms. Questel is probably best remembered today as the voice of Betty Boop and Olive Oyl.

Many of the train sequences on the film were shot at the and Jersey City and Hoboken Train Stations, both beautiful old stations. Hoboken has seen its share of issues in recent years, including flooding from Superstorm Sandy and a train which crashed through a bumper block into the concourse (Wikipedia).   

While the New York Times review by Renata Adler was extremely negative, many other reviewers were more enthusiastic about the film (TCM Critics Corner). It would eventually wind up with 6 Oscar nominations (including Picture, Cinematography, Sound Mixing, Film Editing, Original Musical) and the win for Ms. Streisand. It was added to the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 2016 and is #16 on the AFI's 100 Years, 100 Musicals.

It was a treat to see this film again, and we heartily recommend it.  Here is the re-release trailer:

Charlton, Prince of Judea

For the 60th Anniversary of the release of Ben-Hur (1959) TCM Presents featured a big screen re-release through Fathom Events. The story of Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) a wealthy and respected merchant and Prince of Judea, the film is an epic of impressive stature. Following Judah from Judea, to life in a ship's slave galley, to the return of prestige in Rome, Ben-Hur is also the story of the beginning of Christianity. And if any film deserves to be seen on the big screen, it is this one.

Charlton Heston won an Oscar for playing Ben-Hur; he's a good actor - not one of my personal favorites, but he is convincing in the part. Judah, for obvious reasons, spends a lot of the film angry, and Mr. Heston is quite convincing as a irate hero; his size alone (he was 6'3" and has an impressive physique) make him an imposing presence and a force to be reckoned with.

Stephen Boyd as Messala plays the antagonist to Heston. He too is full of rage, but where Heston's rage shoot out of his eyes, Mr. Boyd plays the character with anger seething under the surface. Messala is ambitious, cruel and without mercy. That he could turn on his friend, and his friend's family without even the blink of an eye is one of the most difficult parts of the drama to absorb.

This brings up a controversy that has been raging for years. In a 1995 documentary, The Celluloid Closet, writer Gore Vidal alleged that he approached William Wyler and suggested a subtext to the action: Ben-Hur and Messala were former lovers, and Judah was unwilling to begin that particular relationship again. Mr. Vidal said that Mr. Wyler agreed: "we'll try it.. you talk to Boyd.. but don't say anything to Heston."  Both Mr. Boyd and Mr. Wyler had already died, so there was no one to corroborate the story. While it is apparent that Mr. Boyd has a lot more in his delivery than the politics that supposedly drove the friends apart, I suggest that Mr. Vidal (who was always quite good at blowing his own horn), is taking responsibility for someone else's creativity. It's hard to imagine Mr. Wyler having someone else describe the scene to an actor, and Stephen Boyd is a fine actor, certainly capable of developing his own subtext. One thinks back to Charles Laughton in The Barretts of Wimpole Street; when told that the dialogue had been toned down to minimize Mr. Barrett's incestuous desire for his daughter, Elizabeth, Mr. Laughton stated "They can’t censor the gleam in my eye.” (The Concise Columbia Dictionary of Quotations by Robert Andrews). For more discussion of the controversy, see Sacred Profanity: Spirituality at the Movies by Aubrey Malone.

It has always been a surprise to me that neither Mr. Boyd nor Jack Hawkins (Quintus Arrius) were nominated for Best Supporting Actor, while  Hugh Griffith (Sheik Ilderim) was. Ilderim is not that big - nor that important a part, while Mr. Boyd and Mr. Hawkins both turn in excellent, complex performances. (In all honesty, I'm still miffed that Robert Vaughn didn't win for The Young Philadelphians.) Only Mr. Griffith and Mr. Heston were nominated in the performance categories (both won), in spite of excellent work from Haya Harareet (Esther), Finlay Currie (Balthasar), Martha Scott (Miriam), and Cathy O'Donnell (Tirzah).

Neither Mr. Heston nor Ms. Harareet were the first choices for their roles. Marlon Brando, Cesare Danova, Kirk Douglas, and Rock Hudson were considered for Judah (TCM article); Ava Gardner and Pier Angeli were in the running for Esther (AFI catalog). Chuck Conners and  Leslie Nielsen were tested for Messala.

The film is a remake of the highly regarded 1925 film, with Ramon Novarro and Francis X. Bushman as Judah and Messala. It's been said that the chariot sequence in the earlier film actually surpasses this version. If you're interested in comparing them, you can view both versions below, though I will say that, having just seen the 1954 version on a big screen, it is an experience that is an unfair comparison to this tiny screen.




In addition to winning 11 of the 12 Oscars for which it was nominated (it's currently tied for most wins with Titanic (1997) and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003), Ben-Hur also won 4 Golden Globe Awards (including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor to Stephen Boyd), the BAFTA Award for Best Picture, DGA Award for Best Director, and the NY Film Critics Award for Best Picture. It still remains on a number of the AFI lists: It's #100 on 100 Years, 100 Films (10th Anniversary Edition) and #72 on the Original List, #21 on the list of Film Scores,  #49 on 100 Years, 100 Thrills, and #56 on 100 Years, 100 Cheers. It was added to the National Film Registry in 2004. I'll leave you with the re-release trailer: 
 

Gary is a Farmer

It's 1862 in southern Indiana. The Birdwell family, Jess (Gary Cooper), Eliza (Dorothy McGuire), Joshua (Anthony Perkins), Martha (Phyllis Love), and Little Jess (Richard Eyer) are getting ready for First Day. Of course, it is not without issues - Little Jess is being plagued by his mother's pet goose, Samantha. Mattie is fantasizing about her love, Gardner Jordan (Mark Richman). Jess is planning his attack for his weekly horse race with neighbor Sam Jordan (Robert Middleton), Eliza is thinking over her sermon for First Day. And Joshua is pondering his potential role in the ongoing Civil War, for the Birdwells are Quaker, and reject violence of any kind. Welcome to Friendly Persuasion (1956)

AFI Silver had a special screening of this excellent film, along with a question and answer session featuring Catherine Wyler (daughter of director William Wyler) and Maria Cooper Janis (daughter of star Gary Cooper). Both women discussed their respective parents' affection for the film - for Mr. Cooper, it was his favorite film - and their belief that their fathers' statements about war are very much present in the film's tenets.

The film is a deliberation on the ability of mankind to avoid violence. The Birdwells are peaceful people. It is apparent that Jess is a convert to the Quaker way of life, whereas Eliza was born to it. Jess has, by and large, accepts the precepts of his religion, though on occasion, he finds the life a challenge. For example, he likes music and dancing. He also can be pushed to violence - when his son is attacked by some bullies, it takes all his will-power to not simply flatten them. Jess is contrasted to Mr. Purdy (Richard Hale), a man who's belief in a peaceable life is valid only til it affects him. With his low-key strength, Mr. Cooper is perfect in the role; it's hard to imagine anyone else being able to do it. We discovered that Bing Crosby was considered for the part when Frank Capra owned the rights to the story (AFI catalog); writer Jessamyn West wanted Mr. Cooper.

Dorothy McGuire provides a quiet dignity that is essential to the character of Eliza. She is the anchor of the family, and of their faith. She's by no means perfect - she too likes music, and is drawn to dancing. She can be moved to anger. But Ms. McGuire shows Eliza's faith, as well as her deep love for her husband and children. Ms. Cooper Janis commented in the q&a how doubly impressive the performance is on a big screen, and it is very true. Ms. McGuire shines in any environment, but in a theatre, she is magical.

I'm especially fond of Robert Middleton's portrayal of neighbor Sam Jordan. With his hearty laugh, and good-humored teasing of Jess, he is an engaging character. But more than that, he shows the depth of his goodness when we see him going off to fight at the river. After lambasting the mercurial Purdy (who now espouses a violent confrontation against the enemy), Sam encourages Jess to stay behind, in hope that someone can be true a vision of peace. (It's interesting that the German poster below shows an angry Jess with a gun, totally contrary to the vision of the film.

The interplay between Phyllis Love and Mark Richman is delightful. Phyllis Love's  career was primarily spent in television and in theatre (She appeared in 8 Broadway plays).  She became a high school drama and English teacher in California. Married twice, she died in 2011, age 85. Mark Richman (he would eventually change his professional name to Peter Mark Richman) still occasionally performs. He was 91 this year, and his last film credit was in 2016. He too did theatre (he appeared in two Broadway plays), and like his co-star, really made his mark in television, appearing in a huge number of shows in the 1960-1990s. He is a painter as well as an actor, and currently is a member of the board of the Motion Picture and Television Fund.

Though the part of Enoch is a small one, Joel Fluellen makes his screen time count. An escaped slave, who has lost his whole family, Enoch opts to fight rather than give in to his potential captors. Jess's support of Enoch, as well as Josh's regard for him speak volumes about their views of the rights of men. We'd seen Mr. Fluellen in Lucy Gallant, and liked him there. In this role, he's really given a chance to demonstrate his talent.

Jessamyn West would write a follow-up to Friendly Persuasion, Except for Me and Thee.  That would be made into a 1975 television movie (titled Friendly Persuasion), starring Richard Kiley and Shirley Knight (TCM article). 

Though Mr. Wyler always wanted Gary Cooper for Jess, other actresses were considered for the part of Eliza - Katharine Hepburn, Vivien Leigh, Ingrid Bergman (who was still in exile with Roberto Rossellini), Margaret Sullavan, Mary Martin, Teresa Wright, Martha Scott, Jane Russell, Eva Marie Saint, Maureen O'Hara and Eleanor Parker (the latter two actually screen tested). John Kerr and Susan Strasberg were considered for the roles of Josh and Mattie.

If you've never seen this wonderful film, please consider giving it a try. And if you have seen it before, I recommend a revisit. It is a film that always brings something new to each viewing. I'll leave you with a trailer from the film.

Myrna on the Home Front

The war is over and three servicemen are on their way home. Sailor Homer Parrish (Harold Russell), bombadier Captain Fred Derry (Dana Andrews), and infantry Sergeant Al Stephenson (Frederic March) meet on the plane to Boone City. Each returns to family, but each has changed: Homer lost his hands when his ship was torpedoed; Fred saw his friend crash, and now has horrible nightmares, and Al is tormented by his memories of the men who didn't make it home. Are The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) behind them or still to come?

In the first year of its existence (1989), the National Film Registry  added The Best Years of Our Lives to its list of films of "enduring importance to American culture." And indeed it is. It is perhaps the best film of the post-war period, if not one of the best of all time.  Directed by William Wyler after his return from the European Theatre of Operations, it was, in fact, his first film after spending over three years in bomber planes making documentaries for the U.S. Army Air Force. As a result of the noise in the planes, he lost his hearing, and was virtually deaf for several years. Wyler understood well the life facing disabled veterans. He therefore fashioned a movie (based on Time Magazine article "The Way Home," and a treatment by MacKinlay Kantor) that dealt with disability on a variety of levels. (For more on the film and it's creation, see this Film Preservation Board essay).

The most obvious examination of disability is the casting of double amputee Harold Russell as Homer. Unlike his character, Russell was injured in a training accident, and spent the war in the hospital. Mr. Russell was included in a training film Diary of a Sargeant (1944); when Wyler saw that film, he decided to change the character of Homer from a man suffering from severe spacticity. While clearly not an actor, Russell's gives a genuine performance; his scene, late in the film, with actress Cathy O'Donnell (as Homer's fiance, Wilma Cameron) is truly moving, giving real truth to the film. 

Mr. Russell became the only actor to receive two Oscars for the same performance: he was awarded a competitive Oscar for Best Supporting Actor (the other nominees were: Charles Coburn in The Green Years, William Demarest in The Jolson Story, Claude Rains in Notorious, and Clifton Webb in The Razor's Edge), as well as a Special Oscar for "for bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans." (TCM article). Years later, Mr. Russell sold one of the Oscars, in order to get funding for his wife's health care.

Fredric March won the Best Actor award that year, but  Myrna Loy as his wife, Milly Stephenson didn't even get nominated! If anything is a travesty of the Oscars, it is the fact that she was NEVER nominated for Oscars for any of her wonderful performances. (The Academy did try to finally rectify the oversight in 1991 by awarding her an Honorary Oscar. You can see her acceptance here). Her performance as Milly is inspired. Watch her face as she realizes that Al is in the house. Then, see if you can refrain from tearing up as she explains to daughter Peggy (Teresa Wright, who was only 12 years younger than her on-screen mother) why even her "perfect" marriage has its challenges. Her quiet dignity, as she silently, but sympathetically, observes the changes in her husband are beyond stirring.

Dana Andrews (who also was not nominated for this picture) is excellent as a man returning to a wife he finds he no longer loves (Virginia Mayo as the rather despicable Marie Derry), and who is forced back into the same dead-end job he left to serve his country. Fred Derry is still suffering the effects of the war. He has vivid nightmares of the death of his friend, he feels ill-equipped to take on a more responsible job ("I just dropped bombs" is his response to any queries about his ability to prove experience based on his war service), and his wife only wants him to wear his uniform and party. It is in the company of Peggy Stephenson that he is able to find any comfort or understanding, but his marriage is a block that he can't get around. Mr. Andrews gives us a character that shows the most growth throughout the movie - he really does go from a boy to a man.

Though they only have a few scenes, Roman Bohnen and Gladys George as Fred's father and stepmother Pat and Hortense are magnificent. Their most powerful scene occurs towards the end of the film; the scene is a simple one - Pat is reading a document aloud to Hortense which explains the citation Fred received from the military. With just Mr. Bohnen's voice and Ms. George's eyes, we see the love and pain that they feel for their son. The war, we see, impacted more than those who fought.

Equally effective is Hoagy Carmichael as Homer's uncle Butch Engle. Butch serves as the springboard to Homer's reentry into life - teaching him to "play" the piano, quietly encouraging him to open up to his parents and to Wilma, and perhaps more importantly, keeping him from slipping into alcohol as a refuge from his troubles. Another interesting casting note: Mr. Wyler used his 4 and 7 year old daughters in one of the drugstore scenes.

The film opened to enthusiastic reviews. The New York Times called it "this best film this year..." and Variety said it was "one of the best pictures of our lives." Since then, it has continued to be held in high regard, coming in at #37 in AFI's 100 Years, 100 Movies, 10th Edition (the same position as the original list) and at #11 in AFI's 100 Years, 100 Cheers. Richard Brody singled it out for a DVR alert in his New Yorker commentary. It also was financially successful, earning over $11,300,000 in its first North American release. It was even re-released in 1953 to note the return of troops for Korean, to equally favorable reviews (AFI catalog). Yet, despite this, Mr. Wyler was called before the House UnAmerican Activities Committee - certain scenes were deemed Communist propaganda!

If you have never seen The Best Years of Our Lives, we strongly urge you to get hold of a copy. It is worth your time. We'll leave you with the trailer from the film.

Audrey Takes a Holiday

TCM's Fathom Events series in November featured Audrey Hepburn's introduction to American audiences with Roman Holiday (1953).  Ms. Hepburn plays the Princess Anya, a young woman born into royalty, but oh so tired, after a long world tour, of the protocols that come with being a representative of her country.  After she has a stress reaction to her duties, her physician gives her a sedative, which only succeeds in making her, to all intents and purposes, drunk.  With her inhibitions gone, Anya makes a break for it, sneaking out of her country's Embassy in Rome.  She's found napping in the park by American correspondent Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck), who winds up taking her to his apartment, and dumping her on his sofa.  It is only the next morning that he realizes he has a princess - and a doozie of a story on his hands - as Anne Smith (Smitty) takes a day to explore the life of a commoner.

 As is outlined in one of these TCM articles, Gregory Peck, whose contracted stipulated sole star billing, called the powers that be at the studio and insisted that Audrey Hepburn be given star billing with him.  Ever the gentleman, Mr. Peck would later claim that it was merely enlightened self-interest - that he would look ridiculous being labeled as the only "star," when Ms. Hepburn so clearly dominated the film.  But it is also a mark of his total professionalism and dedication to his craft that he so quickly recognized the birth of a new star. 

For dominate she did - has any actress ever looked more radiant in her first starring role?  Of course, she had the magnificent William Wyler as her director - Wyler guided her (along with Bette Davis, Barbra Streisand (also in her first film role), Greer Garson, Teresa Wright - a grand total of 14 actors) to an Oscar in the acting category.  Hepburn is glorious here - she conveys both the innocence and strength of Anne.  Especially effective is a scene at the end of the film, which counterpoints a similar scene at the beginning.  In both, Anya meets with her courtiers, but the results of each scene are quite different.  Hepburn effectively grows the character before your eyes, and you believe in Anya's development as a future monarch.

Hepburn was not the first choice for the part - it was considered as a role for Jean Simmons, Elizabeth Taylor (the first choice of the Frank Capra, who at one point was going to direct), and Suzanne Cloutier (who was screen tested by Wyler).  Cary Grant (who declined the part) was the first choice for Joe Bradley (thankfully - he and Ms. Hepburn would work together FINALLY in Charade.  They were a match made in heaven!).  For more detail on the background of the film, see this extensive article in the AFI Catalog.

Eddie Albert plays photographer Irving Radovich, Joe's friend and conspirator in the quest to get a story about the runaway princess.  Mr. Albert gets to show off his acrobatic side - he was at one point a trapeze performer - becoming the victim of a number of "accidents," as Joe is continually trying to prevent him from spilling the beans about one secret or another (and Joe has lots of them).  Mr. Albert was working as a radio host when was offered a contract with Warner Brothers.  His first film role was Bing in Brother Rat, a role he had originated in the Broadway production.  He, in fact, appeared in 9 Broadway productions, including The Music Man (as a replacement for Robert Preston), and The Seven Year Itch (replacing Tom Ewell).  With a film career that started in 1938 and continued until 1994, he has a large body of work, including film such as My Love Came Back (1940), The Sun Also Rises (1957), and Oklahoma (1955).  His career might have been even more substantial had he and his wife, the actress Margo (they were married from 1945 until her death in 1985), not been caught up the Hollywood Blacklist.  Eventually, Albert segued into television - most famously in the series Green Acres, but also in Switch and a daytime variety show called The Eddie Albert Show.  He lived til age 99, dying in 2005 of Alzheimer's disease.

Eddie Albert wasn't the only person on this film touched by the Blacklist.  In 1992, AMPAS finally awarded to Dalton Trumbo his Oscar for Best Motion Picture Story, which had previously been credited to Ian McClellan Hunter (who himself was later blacklisted) as sole author.  Having just seen Roman Holiday, it was interesting to also see Trumbo, which goes into some detail about the help Hunter provided in getting Trumbo's screenplay to film.

Roman Holiday has been included in the Library of Congress's National Registry of Historic Films as well as being number 4 on the AFI's 100 Years, 100 Passions list. It's a lovely film, with a visualization of true emotions and adult responsibilities. I'm going to close with perhaps the most famous scene in the film, the Mouth of Truth.  Allegedly, Mr. Hepburn didn't know that Gregory Peck was going to pretend his hand had been bitten off, and her quite convincing scream was real.  Regardless, it's a joy to watch, and expertly done.  Enjoy!