The east coast ice storms delayed our meeting for a week. We resumed with a rather unusual film, if only for the cast: 1941's When Ladies Meet.
Ms. Crawford plays Mary Howard, an author who has recently changed
publishers, primarily due to the fact that she has fallen in love with Rogers
Woodruff (Herbert Marshall), a philanderer who has enticed Mary to come
under his wings, in more ways than one. Mary's best friend is
Jimmy Lee (Robert Taylor); finally able to afford a wife, he proposes
to Mary, only to discover SHE has moved on to Rogers. Her new book
reveals her plan - confront the wife of her lover, and reveal her love
for him. Certainly, she assumes, no woman would willingly hold on to a
man who so truly loves another.
This is by no means a comedy. Though Jimmy's plan to break up Mary and Rogers - introduce Mary to Rogers wife Clare
(Greer Garson), in the belief that once Mary KNOWS Clare, she won't
want to break up the marriage - sounds like it SHOULD be the plot of a
comedy, it is wholely in earnest. Unfortunately, the plot line turns
out to be cruel, hurting the two women, and really having very little
impact on the two men who should have been penalized for their actions.
We
did NOT like either off the men. Taylor's Jimmy is a silly, vain,
unthinking moron, who cares about what he wants, and uses poor Clare as
his scapegoat to get his way. And then there is Marshall's Rogers -
WHAT a cad! Our hope was that Clare would dump his clothes out the
window and change the locks on him! We also thought that Mary would be
better off remaining single (she certainly is capable of taking care of
herself) than tying herself to either of these idiots.
The bright point in this movie is Spring Byington as Bridget
Drake. Bridget is a delight, a kind, caring woman who is sweet and
gentle. She claims to not be particularly bright, but give me her innate
kindness and regard for other people over the pseudo-intellectual
snobbery of Rogers and Mary!
Here's a trailer for your enjoyment:
Next week, we venture into WWII territory with our Ms. Crawford.
When we decided to view Joan Crawford's movies, A Woman's Face
(1941) was one of the movies I was most looking forward to seeing with
my friends. A totally underrated movie, with a beautiful, understated
performance by Ms. Crawford, I was sure everyone would love it. And they
did.
Joan plays Anna Holm, a young woman who works as a blackmailer,
and who was horribly scarred as a child. During one of her blackmail
missions, she encounters Dr. Gustav Segert
(Melvyn Douglas), a plastic surgeon with a remarkable record of
successes. Fascinated by Anna's scars, he offers to attempt a series of
surgeries that will possibly correct the damage. Anna consents; she
had recently met Torsten Barring (Conrad
Veidt), and hopes to be part of his life, scar-free. Unbeknownst to her,
Barring is far more interested in luring her into a murder plot, a murder that
would leave him the heir to millions.
Crawford
is just perfect in this role. Her acting is subtle; watch her
reactions to fire (Anna is terrified of fire), her mannerisms before
and after her surgery, and the restrained but definite reactions that
we see in her eyes as she reacts to a variety of frightening and
horrifying issues. Also magnificent is the always wonderful Conrad
Veidt. Veidt began his career in the silent cinema of his native
Germany, and generally played the hero. In the 1930s, he managed to
alienate the Nazis (he loathed Hitler and everything Hitler stood for),
and escape to England (where he became a citizen). Of course, his
career in American movies generally cast him as either a villain (as
here) or a Nazi (as in his most famous performance - Major Strasser in Casablanca).
While we know at the start that there is something a tad slimy about
Barring, we are able to watch Veidt construct a maniac before our eyes.
We watch as his insanity is more clearly and definitely revealed with
each passing scene.
Finally, we wanted to say a word about Richard Nichols as Lars-Erik. Nichols did not have a long career, but we've seen him in several films (most notably Kitty Foyle and All This and Heaven, Too).
Nichols has a rather childlike speech pattern that is hard to miss, but
he is SO much the little boy in this movie (and in everything he does),
that it is hard to remember he IS an actor. Witness Lars-Erik bouncing
around on a cable car, and then looking back to see if he will be
scolded for doing something so dangerous. So totally 5 year old boy!!
And with a sense of tension ably supplied by the astute direction of
George Cukor! We hope you will give this one a try. We think it is worth a viewing, especially if you've not seen it before. Here's a brief scene to give you a glimpse of the film:
Clark Gable and Joan Crawford ended their on-screen partnership with the 1940 film Strange Cargo.
And a very strange movie it is. Gable plays a convict in penal colony
in French Guiana. Though he only has a few years left on his long
sentence, Verne spends his days finding ways to escape. Verne meets
Julie (Crawford), a young woman working at a local dive; however his
advances only success in getting her ejected from the colony. Verne
becomes immeshed in a plot to escape; however he is beaten by Moll
(Albert Dekker). However, Verne is able to follow, thanks to
instructions left by Cambreau (Ian Hunter); he meets up with his fellow
prisoners - Julie in tow (having rescued her from a local nasty, Marfeu,
enroute). As the journey continues, and the prisoners begin to die,
each finds himself seeking comfort from the mysterious Chambreau.
The
Christian motifs are laid on with a trowel in this movie. Witness,
especially, the near drowing of Chambreau towards the end of the
picture! That being said, Ian Hunter plays the part with remarkable
restraint. We all felt that, with a less subtle performance and
direction (by Frank Borzage), this movie would have been impossible to
watch. Hunter takes a part that is rife for caricature and makes a
breathing human being out of it.
It's worth noting that
Crawford spends most of the movie without any
makeup, and dressed in rags, yet her beauty is still palpable. One wishes
she had more opportunities to play this kind of bare, unglamorous role.
Gable is rough and tough, of course, but he too gets some good moments,
especially towards the end. Having just release Gone with the Wind the
previous year, he was certainly at the top of his game. For Crawford,
who had already been labeled "box-office poison", her years at MGM were
numbered. However, her greatest movie role was still to come. Regardless of their status in Hollywood, the chemistry between
Crawford and Gable is still quite evident.
Here's a scene from the movie featuring the two of them:
Next time, join us for another Crawford film from the early 1940s.
Sadie McKee (1934) feature Joan Crawford as the title
character. The daughter of a cook, who works for a wealthy family, Sadie
has been raised quite happily with the scion of the house, Michael
Alderson (Franchot Tone). Newly returned from school, Michael
immediately alienates Sadie by criticizing her beau Tommy Wallace (Gene
Raymond). In anger, Sadie elopes with him to New York. However, before
their actual wedding, Tommy is lured off by stage singer Dolly Merrick
(Esther Ralston) to work in her act. While working in a club, Sadie
meets Jack Brennan (Edward Arnold), a very rich, but constantly drunk
gentleman who married Sadie on a whim, much to the disgust of his friend
and lawyer, Michael Alderson.
We really enjoyed this movie. It
is one that is rarely discussed, and seldom seem, which is unfortunate.
Given that Sadie spend the night with Tommy and is not punished, this
film certainly falls into the pre-code category. The scene is subtle,
but it is quite clear that Sadie has good reason to expect marriage the
next morning, and is truly devastated when Tommy betrays her. Another
interesting aspect to this film are the characterizations. Quite
honestly, with the exception of Dolly Merrick, there was something to
like about every character. Even Tommy is redeemed in the end. We were
particularly impressed with Sadie's relationship with her husband,
Jack. Her determination to see him back to sobriety and health because
"Mr. Brennan has always been good to me" shows us the essential kindness
of Sadie. But it is not just her goodness - take for example the
character of Phelps the Butler, here played by the every wonderful Leo
G. Carroll (in his first role, listed only as Leo Carroll). Phelps is
smuggling alcohol to Jack behind Sadie's back. In a rage, she fires him,
then discovers that Phelps thought he was helping his employer. Once
Sadie explains the situation, Phelps and every member of the staff vow
that no one will bring him booze.
Of course, the complicated
relationships of the movie all reach a satisfactory ending. And our Ms.
Crawford is truly wonderful as she takes on this ride into the
adventures of the kind Ms. McKee; a character one would love to meet
again! In this scene, Tommy serenades Sadie:
Dancing Lady, which stars Joan Crawford and Clark Gable, was
not the first time Ms. Crawford had danced, but it certainly put her in
with the most illustrious dancing company of her career. Her partner,
in his screen debut at MGM, is none other than the magnificent Fred
Astaire, playing himself. Of course, he would not continue with MGM,
moving over to RKO, where he would find fame with a remarkably better
dancer named Ginger Rogers. Crawford plays Janie Barlow, a would-be dancer who becomes involved with playboy Tod
Newton (Franchot Tone). Tod quickly falls in love with Janie, first
trying to help her career by getting her a job with Patch Gallagher's
(Clark Gable) new show; then sabotaging the show after he gets Janie to
promise to marry him if the show flops. Of course, Janie is a hit, and
Tod must give in gracefully.
As
with everything she does, Crawford attacks her dancing with a vengeance.
She is all arms and legs and ENERGY. When she dances with Astaire,
quite honestly, your eyes do keep moving over to Astaire, whose grace
and screen presence are already well in evidence. However, when she
dances alone, Crawford's joy is transparent. Even though she is not the
best in the world, she is fun. She makes you smile as you watch her.
Gable
is at his manly best as Patch. Witness the exercise scene with
Crawford. The sexual tension that bounces between the two of them is
transparent. (It's also very clear that this IS a pre-code film!) You
can feel the attraction through a screen (and through the many years).
With Tone (who would later become her husband), there is more of a
sibling relationship. It is interesting to note that Tone and Crawford
remained friends for life, and that Crawford actually looked after Tone
in his senior years when he was no longer able to care for himself.
Much like Grand Hotel, MGM
is showcasing some of there talent here. We have The Three Stooges
throughout the film (sorry, we are not fans, and could have lived
without them). Nelson Eddy briefly appears in the final play as
himself. And, of course, Astaire. Another nice surprise is Eve Arden
as an actress trying to land a part by affecting a southern accent. Any
time one gets even a peek at Eve Arden, it's a good day.
We
had actually seen this movie before - when we did the Precode series,
and I had blogged about it then. But, as with all good movies, each time
you see something a little different. This time, our concentration was
on Ms. Crawford. I hope we are not being redundant when we revisit a
movie! Here, we'll show you a scene without any music - just Crawford and Gable:
We hope to see you next time, with another early Crawford film.
Our latest movie is Grand Hotel, wherein Joan Crawford appears as Flaemmchen,
a stenographer who almost falls into a fate worse than death. Released
in 1932, this movie certainly falls into the Precode period. With
a stellar cast, that includes John and Lionel Barrymore, Greta Garbo,
Wallace Beery, and Jean Hersholt, the movie runs several different
plotlines that have all managed to intersect by the conclusion of the
film. Most famous as the source of Greta Garbo's most famous line ("I
want to be alone"), Grand Hotel is a showcase for MGM's biggest stars.
The
relationship of Crawford's Flaemmchen, John Barrymore's Baron, and
Lionel Barrymore's Kringelein is perhaps the most enjoyable part of the
movie. There is a real chemistry among the three, and watching the two
Barrymore brothers bounce off one another is a delight. We also get to
watch Crawford's character become infatuated with the Baron (who, of
course, is falling in love with the ballerina Grusinskaya
- played by Garbo). When we get to the conclusion, with Flaemmchen
falling into a temptation she finds almost impossible to resist, the
Baron getting into a predicament he cannot escape, and General
Director Preysing (Wallace Beery) finally getting his comeuppance, we
find ourselves mostly satisfied with the ending, if a little saddened by
its inevitability.
If you get the
opportunity to see the DVD of this film, do check out the excellent
mini-documentary that is included in the special features - it is a real
treat. This trailer will give you a look at all the stars:
As Dr.Otternschlag (Lewis Stone) tells us, "Grand
Hotel... always the same. People come, people go. Nothing ever
happens." But of course, it does, and with life-changing effects. Next
time, join us for another star-studded Crawford film.
We begin today a series of viewing devoted to the films of Joan
Crawford. We are rather bound to what is in our personal collections,
but I think we can promise you some interesting choices.
We begin with one of her odder films - 1954's Johnny Guitar.
First off, it is rather strange to see Joan in a Western. I don't
believe she had ever done one before, nor did she ever do another one.
As directed by Nicholas Ray, this is also a very peculiar western. For
one thing, the lead protagonists are two women: Vienna,
as played by Joan Crawford has opened a gambling saloon just outside
town, as she waits for her land's value to appreciate with the arrival
of the railroad; and Emma Small, a local rancher who loathes Vienna for a
number of reasons, not the least of it is Emma's attraction to The
Dancing Kid (Scott Brady), who rather has eyes for Vienna. In this scene, Johnny and Emma hint at their past:
The
whole movie is centered around the conclusion, the battle between
Vienna and Emma. More than a simple catfight, it is the kind of battle
one normally expects of the male rivals in the film. In fact, for the
most part, the men are rather weak. Sure, Vienna has hired Johnny Guitar
(Sterling Hayden) to work for her - he is a reformed gunfighter and her
former lover - but he revolves within her orbit, not she around his.
Vienna and Emma are clearly alpha females. The men do their bidding.
The
personal antagonism of Ms. Crawford and Ms. McCambridge has become the
stuff of legend. On screen, they spit fire at one another. The film is
both electric and fascinating for its oddness. It verges on film noir,
yet it isn't quite.
Costuming is an important feature in Johnny Guitar.
Witness Vienna, posed in her flowing white dress, positioned next to
Emma in her black mourning weeds: Even when Vienna switches to clothing
that is less conspicuous, she puts on a blazing red shirt - matched
precisely to Ms. Crawford's bold red lipstick. Crawford
looks tall and stately (though she was only 5'4"), next to the "tiny"
Mercedes McCambridge (who was 5'3"). Even Ms. McCambrige's name in the
story - Small - speaks to her personal and physical attributes. As a
result, Vienna always stands out. Ms. Crawford makes sure of that!
Next time, we'll go on to a much earlier Crawford film. Please join us.
We close our Olivia de Havilland film festival with a film that is a personal favority of mine, 1962's Light in the Piazza. Margaret Johnson (Olivia) and her daughter Clara (Yvette Mimieux) are traveling in Italy, when they meet Fabrizio
Naccarelli (George Hamilton), a young Florentine who is immediately
besotted by the dazzling Clara. Unfortunately, Clara has a secret:
injured as a child, she has the mental capabilities of a 12-year old.
Though Margaret initially discourages the growing connection between the
couple, as Clara falls more deeply in love with Fabrizio Margaret finds
her opposition weakening.
I think
this is a beautifully romantic movie. Ms. de Havilland's role is a
tricky one. You have to believe, with Margaret, that her choices are
the best ones for both Clara and Fabrizio, not merely the romantic
imaginings of a delusional mother. Most of this is achieved by the genuine caring that Ms. de Havilland shows for her child. But a great
deal is accomplished by her co-star, George Hamilton, who portrays
Fabrizio with such beauty and sensitivity. Watch the scene where Clara
becomes hysterical, and look at the way Fabrizio gently pulls her back
from her attack. And then there is the final scene. In both cases, it
is Margaret's commentary that provide the complement to Hamilton's
caring scenes. In this scene, the lives of Clara and Margaret Johnson change forever:
We all thought that Barry Sullivan (as Clara's father, Noel) is the weak link
in the movie. Sullivan plays Noel as rather cold and distant towards
his child. We felt that we should understand his frustration with
his wife's obsession towards his daughter, but that some of the lines
(like his comment "Don't skip, dear" to his naive daughter) just made
him distasteful. You almost would rather the lovely Margaret would
remain in Italy, and find herself a nice guy (though NOT Fabrizio's
father, Rossano Brazzi. He's a bit of a cad - and married).
Light in the Piazza
was made into a Broadway musical some years ago. Though engaging, it
is not comparable to the movie. Somehow, the musical did not really
portray the romance of this film.
Next week, we'll begin a new series with another Hollywood lady. Please join us.
As we near the end of our Olivia de Havilland Festival, we have saved
the best for next to the last (we have one more to go after this one).
It's The Snake Pit - Olivia's Academy Award nominated performance as the tortured Virginia
Stuart Cunningham, whose mental collapse lands her in a mental
institution. This is truly a tour-d-force performance. What Ms. de
Havilland does with a brief glance, other actors could not do with their
entire bag of tricks. Watch her reactions change from ignorance to
disbelief to suspicion to anger in the briefest second - it is truly
magnificent. That Ms. de Havilland did not win the Oscar for 1948 is
due perhaps to the fact that her competition was fierce - she lost to
Jane Wyman in Johnny Belinda.
This
film is full of wonderful performances, and features some of the
premiere actresses of the day. Let's start with Celeste Holm and Betsy
Blair as Grace and Hester, the bookends to Virginia's confinement.
Holm's Grace cares for Virginia as she begins her confinement; as
Virginia heals, she becomes mentor to the disturbed Hester (Blair).
Other patients in the hospital are portrayed by Beulah Bondi, Ruth
Donnelly, Lee Patrick, and Isabel Jewell. Though their parts are small,
each adds to the atmosphere of the hospital in their own unique way.
Another interesting performance is that of Natalie Schafer as Virginia's
mother, certainly high on the list of dysfunctional parents! On
the distaff side, we have Leo Genn as Dr. Kik, Virginia's psychiatrist,
Mark Stevens as her husband Robert, and Leif Erickson as her one-time
boyfriend, Gordon. The men however, merely serve as window-dressing.
It is the women who rule this picture. It is their performances you will
remember.
The Strawberry Blonde from 1941 is one of those wonderful
movies that I think people just don't know about. Here our Ms. de
Havilland plays Amy Lind, a gutsy nurse whose best friend is Virginia
Brush (Rita Hayworth), the titular Strawberry Blonde. Olivia is just a
delight as she attempts to shock James Cagney (as T.L. "Biff" Grimes)
with her suffragette ideas and outspoken manners. One of my favorite
scenes is Virginia, laying out her plan to entice Biff and Hugo Barnstead (played as a complete slime by Jack Carson) over, without looking forward. "That will show them we're good girls and they can't trifle with us" asserts Virginia. "What did we come for if not to be trifled with?" questions Amy with some indigence. Here is part of that scene:
It
is rather a shame that Olivia and James Cagney did not get to do more
pictures together. They are a quite delightful pair. And again,
combined with the stellar character actors that inhabit this movie, this
movie is a lot of fun. Rita Hayworth, in what is essentially a
supporting part, is excellent as the at first naive, and later
hard-as-nails Virginia. Watch her in the final scene. Her very voice
will make you cringe. George Tobias as Nick, Biff's best friend Nick, is
adorable. And then there are the always wonderful Alan Hale (as Biff's
father) and Una O'Connor (as a next door neighbor to Mr. Grimes). Oh,
let's not leave out George Reeves as the obnoxious college man who lives
next door to Biff and Amy.
The movie is told in flashback, a
technique that works beautifully here, as we see the growth of Biff and
Amy. We know something really awful has happened to them, but not what
or why. We know that Biff has reached a crossroad, but not how he will
deal with it. The ending is satisfying, and we come to love these two
people, who discover their love for each other though adversity and
conflict. If you've never seen it, do yourself a favor and try to catch
it the next time it is on. I think you will like it.
