A Real Love Story

By and large, the Movie Night Group devotes our screenings to fictional films, but this week we screened a documentary - Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story (2015). The film tells the story of Harold and Lillian Michelson, two behind-the-scenes forces in Hollywood history. Harold was a storyboard artist and later an art director, while wife Lillian was a researcher for films (and the owner of an extensive library). Both a romance and a look into the history of Hollywood, this was one that we had to view together.

The beauty of this film is the genuine warmth that the director shows in portraying his subjects.  According to this TCM article, Daniel Raim had considered a film about Mr. Michelson after talking to him for his documentary on art directors (Something's Gonna Live (2010)) and a short film (The Man on Lincoln's Nose (2000)). At the same time, he envisioned a second film that would explore the research process in film, with a focus on Ms. Michelson and her library. But once he talked to them and their friends more extensively, he realized that their stories were so interwoven, that the best way to discuss them was to do one film about them both.

Despite his admiration for the couple, Mr. Raim is not creating a hagiography.  For one thing, it's quite apparent that Ms. Michelson would not allow it. She talks openly about her own limitations - her trepidation about marrying Mr. Michelson, when she really didn't know him very well; her problems dealing with her autistic son (her knowledge about autism proved useful when she researched for Rain Man (1988). However, she would not allow Dustin Hoffman to follow her son around, feeling it was a violation of they young man's privacy). We are presented with a story about two real people, not an idealization of a perfect life.

Ms. Michelson is the linchpin of the film - she  tells her tales with humor.  For example, she recalls being fired from her job with the telephone company when she was seven months pregnant because she was "an affront to the public." Her stories about her research - getting access to a closed FBI office so she could see what it looked like; connecting with elderly Jewish women so she could get an example of turn-of-the-20th Century undergarments (for a scene in Fiddler on the Roof (1971)); interviewing a drug lord for the movie Scarface - are both humorous and awe-inspiring. A voracious reader, Ms. Michelson developed a love for science fiction, which resulted in Mr. Michelson agreeing to become the art director for Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). When Robert Wise asked him to do the job, Harold initially  said no; he didn't care for science fiction. But Lillian insisted he do it - turn down Star Trek? Unthinkable!

While photographs of the couple help to tell the story, a great contribution to the film is the illustrations provided by Patrick Mate, a colleague of Harold's at DreamWorks. These drawings provide a visual focus to the unfolding story.  Likewise, Mr. Michelson's hand-made greeting cards, which he would present to his wife for her birthdays, Valentine's Day, and their anniversaries, show his quirky sense of humor, and his deep love for his wife.

Harold's amazing storyboard clearly demonstrate the influence of the story-board artist to film. His work on The Birds (1963) and The Graduate (1967) outline the films shot-by-shot. Interestingly, Mr. Michelson recalled that he viewed The Graduate as a serious film, and was amazed when director Mike Nichols took his work to create a film that was sarcastically funny.

Interviews with colleagues and friends show the affection that the couple engendered inside the film industry. When Harold became ill, Lillian took him to work with her at DreamWorks (one of the many homes that she was able to find for her collection). Harold would sit with the staff animators, and tell them of his experiences. The result: the couple ended up as King Harold and Queen Lillian in Shrek. (Harold and Lillian website)

The reviews for the film were raves. Check out Variety, The New York Times, and Point of View Magazine as examples. We wholeheartedly agree, and recommend that you give this one a look.  We'll leave you with the trailer, and hope you will enjoy the film yourself!

The Real Joan Crawford

As we leave Ms. Crawford for awhile, we ended our viewing with Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star, a TCM production from 2002. The documentary, narrated by the wonderful Angelica Huston, looks at Crawford's life, through the lens of her films.  It does not shirk the issues that came from Joan's daughter's autobiography, Mommie Dearest. In fact, Christina is interviewed, and at times does shed some insight into her mother. Of course, Christina's bitterness towards the difficult mother-daughter relationship is quite obvious. The documentary also looks at the issues that resulted from Joan's inclusion in the notorious "box office poison" list.  Luckily for us all, Ms. Crawford managed to prove that she was far from being a has-been - some of her greatest roles, of course, came after that horrid incident.

It was a treat to see clips of some of the films we were unable to see, like Crawford's early silents, and films like Mannequin (which I personally have wanted to see for awhile).  The documentary presents, in a 90 minute slot, a real look at the many faces of Crawford - the flapper, the party girl, the romantic lead, the melodrama actress, and the scream queen.  It also demonstrates the breath of her work; she really covered a wide range of film genres.  Taken over several months, one can lose track of how versatile she was.  Seen in such a short time, her talent is even more evident.

We thought that some comment on the whole Mommie Dearest controversy deserved some notice here.  Having read her autobiography, I had no doubt that Christina was abused.  However, I think that, on some levels, she vilified her mother for things that, in another circumstance, would not be looked at twice.  Take Crawford's determination to not overindulge her children with Christmas gifts.  The children publicly opened all the gifts they were sent (by fans, co-stars, fellow film studio workers, family); afterwards, the gifts were taken away. Most were given to charity. Is this cruelty? When one thinks of the number of gifts these kids probably received, probably not? Did Crawford take it to extremes? I think probably she did.  And then, there is the incident of the 60ish Crawford replacing her 30ish daughter on a soap opera, when Christina took ill.  Did Christina never consider that it is possible that her mother saved her job? Crawford stepped out when Christina recovered.  How many other actresses on soaps lost their roles to their successors? Luckily, Christina never found out.

So, for a look at the real woman, keep an eye out for this excellent documentary.  And join us next week as we view another film.