Primary schoolteacher Jane Richards (Dorothy Dandridge) starts her first job at a rural school and becomes interested in C.T. Young (Philip Hepburn), a youngster with a history of underachievement in the school - now in 4th grade, C.T. has been left back in every grade. Determined to find something that will interest this child, Jane begins to find ways to draw him out. Our film this week is Bright Road (1953).
A gentle story that tells the story of the growing relationship between a young boy and his teacher, this is an effective film that features many outstanding performances. First and foremost is Dorothy Dandridge in her first major role as the schoolteacher who won't give up on this neglected child. So many films about teachers and students portray adversarial relationship. This one does not. Ms. Dandridge plays a teacher who wants to understand her students' needs, not just teach at them. Ms. Dandridge had worked for years with her sister, Vivian as part of The Dandridge Sisters, a singing trio (the other member was Etta Jones). She worked again with Vivian here - Vivian worked as a hairdresser for the cast, then filled in as Miss Nelson, one of the other teachers (AFI catalog).
Also remarkable is Philip Hepburn as the youngster who seems unable to learn. C.T. is never rude, but he does feel that the classroom is a distraction from the world, and that adults don't really help him all that much - he is more interested in his bees (a source of income for him and his family), in caterpillars, and in his younger siblings. It's a sad commentary that none of his prior teachers realized that the child was hungry - it's clear that the teachers know that C.T.'s father is a part-time laborer, but only Miss Richards puts this together. What does make this film different from other films about educators is that C.T. comes from a loving family. They may be poor, but his parents and siblings are caring people, who all love one another. This was Mr. Hepburn's only film - he made two more appearances on television, then left the business.
Barbara Ann Sanders (later Barbara Randolph) also had a short film. She's lovely as Tanya Hamilton, C.T.'s best friend. She would later go on to a successful career as a singer, working with a number of singing groups. She'd later appear in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), her final film appearance. She died in 2002 at the age of 60.
Harry Belafonte (Mr. Williams) in his first film role, has a relatively small part in the film - he's excellent in his few scenes. He brings authority to the principal, a caring man who is intrigued by the intensity of his new teacher. Mr. Belafonte even gets to sing a bit in the film. Later in his career, he would become a film producer - his HarBel Productions did Odds Against Tomorrow (1959), in which he also starred.
Other performances worth mentioning are Maidie Norman as Tanya's mother. She has only one scene (with Ms. Dandridge); it's a touching and sad moment that is beautifully done by Ms. Norman. Robert Horton (Dr. Mitchell) plays a dedicated doctor who is called to aid a sick child. He's very good in the part. It's also interesting that he is the only white actor in the film, nor is it called out that his practice is dedicated to a Black community.
The director of the film, Gerald Mayer, was the nephew of Louis B. Mayer, and spent most of his career in B films. He would eventually work successfully in television (TCM article).
The New York Timesreview by Bosley Crowther was lukewarm - he enjoyed the story, such as it was, but had expected more social commentary. We found this a warm and enjoyable film, that tells the story of a struggling community well. We'll leave you with a trailer:
Having lost his gas station, Joe Norton (Farley Granger) and his wife Ellen (Cathy O’Donnell) are forced to move in with her parents. The only work he can find is as a temporary mail carrier. With a baby on the way, Joe steals what he thinks is $200 from a man on his delivery route, only to find the file contains $30,000. When he tries to return the money, he discovers it has disappeared, and the criminals from whom he stole it are now after him. Today, we’re looking at Side Street (1950).
Our initial reaction to Farley Granger's Joe was that the character is a complete idiot. He starts out as almost listless and passive, then endangers himself, his wife, and his child by stealing from an office to which he's been delivering mail. Finally, to add insult to injury, he gives the money (wrapped in some brown paper) to a bartender to hold for him. These early scenes have the viewer constantly head shaking because Joe is SO stupid. Happily, the character begins to grow and Mr. Granger is ultimately able to make us care for him - first because of his family, but finally because he cares about his wife so much, and really does repent his actions.
The film starts with voice-over narration by Paul Kelly (Captain Walter Anderson); while some of it is interesting (especially the information about New York City, circa 1950), much is superfluous. Mr. Kelly is very good in what is really a very small part (removed from the narration), and perhaps his reassurances at the end of the film might be welcome to some members of the audience. Mostly though, it felt as though the filmmakers really wanted to be compared to The Naked City (1948).
Whether you agree with everything director Anthony Mann did, it is apparent that he hired actors who gave some amazing performances. The first that comes to mind is James Craig as Georgie Garsell. If your mind immediately goes to images of Editor Halverson in Our Vines Have Tender Grapes (1945) or reporter Mike Regan in Lost Angel (1944), think again. Georgie is a psychotic individual whose eyes gleam when he knows he is a going to kill someone. Mr. Craig plays him with some degree of relish, but never goes over-the-top. He makes Georgie both scary and human.
The always impressive Jean Hagen (Harriet Sinton) is wonderful in a part that is almost a cameo. This is only her third movie, and she is convincing as an alcoholic singer with the hots for Georgie. She has a brief scene with Mr. Granger (making an interesting foil to his real love interest), and then a scene with Mr. Craig. You will, however, remember her at the end.
Cathy O'Donnell's part is also relatively small, but she makes an impact in all of her scenes. A loving wife who is completely thrown by her husband's sudden secretiveness, she's the person that makes you initially understand that Joe has something worth liking. As with their appearance together the previous year, They Live by Night, they are an appealing couple, much of it thanks to Ms. O'Donnell's delicate performance.
Several other actors should be acknowledged, many in uncredited roles. Charles McGraw has a brief appearance as Detective Stanley Simon. Richard Basehart appears briefly - and uncredited - as a bank teller; likewise, King Donovan as Detective Gottschalk and Ben Cooper, in his first film role as Young Man at Cleaners are not listed in the credits.
Shot on location in New York City (AFI catalog), the cinematography by Joseph Ruttenberg is impressive. He uses aerial shots to increase the claustrophobic atmosphere of the city, making the skyscraper streets appear as mazes. In her book on Anthony Mann, author Jeanine Basinger comments that "[Joe's] world is one he can neither control nor see fully, trapped as he is in the small canyons below." There is also an impressive car chase scene in the narrow confines of New York's Wall Street area (TCM article).
If you are at all interested in New York City locations, I suggest visiting the NYC in Film blog and take a look at some of the amazing photos the author has compiled showing the City then and now.
While not well received by Bosley Crowther in his New York Timesreview, the reviews at the time were mixed, and the film has been more fairly judged in recent years. This is an enjoyable film that will keep you interested throughout. We'll leave you with a trailer:
Patrice Harkess (Barbara Stanwyck) sits holding her baby, Bill Harkess (John Lund) nearby. They are waiting for something, and Patrice believes that, when it comes, Bill will leave her. The phone rings - it's the police, and they are on their way over. Our film tonight is No Man of Her Own (1950), part of the Hidden Classics Blogathon, hosted by the Classic Movie Blog Association.
This has long been one of my personal favorite Barbara Stanwyck films, and it was one she was eager to do (Barbara Stanwyck: The Miracle Woman by Dan Callahan). She is perfection as a woman thrown into a morass, and comes back to look it square in the eye. For Patrice Harkness is a name forced on unwed mother Helen Ferguson. Abandoned by her lover, Stephen Morley (Lyle Bettger), with only a train ticket to New York to her name, she finds herself on the train, unable to find a seat, and with no money for food. She's "adopted" by Patrice (Phyllis Thaxter) and Hugh Harkness (Richard Denning), a young couple pregnant with their first child, en route to meet his family for the first time. In less capable hands, it would be hard to understand just why the Harknesses take on this needy young woman, but Ms. Stanwyck makes you understand from the start the inner goodness of Helen Ferguson, who only wants to be able to make a decent life for her and for her coming child. That Helen was originally to be a prostitute (AFI catalog) seems outlandish having seen the film. The audience must care for her, and Ms. Stanwyck wraps her audience around her lovely finger. She also has the inner determination to handle the problem that is Stephen Morley (TCM article).
While it is true that John Lund is not an actor in Ms. Stanwyck's league (then again, who is?), he does a good job in keeping their relationship on an even keel. A particularly telling scene is one in which his father (Henry O'Neill) adjusts his will. The audience is starting to realize that Bill is suspicious of Patrice; but when she reacts with horror at the news about the will, Bill's reaction sets us up for the rest of their relationship - it doesn't matter to him any longer who she is. He knows the kind of person she is and that is all the information he requires.
Jane Cowl (Mrs. Harkness) is superb as the loving mother who looks to Patrice and her baby as the final link to her deceased son. She's warm, friendly, and protective. But she is also smart;
she knows very quickly that Patrice is in some kind of trouble and she begins immediately to find a way to safeguard her family - including Patrice - from any danger. Ms. Cowl only made a total of seven pictures (in Stage Door Canteen, she played herself). However, between 1903 and 1947, she was in 33 Broadway plays, many of which she wrote and/or directed, including Smilin' Through (which was made into a film with Norma Shearer). She died in 1950, at the age of 65.
Lyle Bettger (Stephen Morley) is deliciously evil as a horrible man who keeps the audience on tenderhooks. We never really believe him, but at the same time, it's hard to think that anyone could be as bad as he is. In his first scene, we watch him ENJOY Helen's heartbreak. This is his lover, pregnant with his child, but he's done with her. He's like a peacock preening at her misery, which of course he sees as her need for HIM. A little hint of the future is given when we meet his new inamorata, Irma (Carole Matthews) who is disgusted at his treatment of Helen.
Using Phyllis
Thaxter (Patrice Harkness) and Richard Denning (Hugh Harkness) as the young married couple is an interesting conceit. Both are well enough known to the audiences that one is lulled into thinking they will be with you
for the whole movie. Sadly, that is not to be, but both are lovely in their brief scenes with Ms. Stanwyck. Their warmth echos what Helen will find when she inadvertently adopts Patrice's identity.
The film was based on a story by Cornell Woolrich, I Married a Dead Man (Senses of Cinema). The New York Timesreview by Bosley Crowther is unimpressive, but in a 2012 New York Timescommentary upon the DVD release, Dave Kehr discusses the intricacies of director Mitchell Leisen's work.
The Screen Director's Playhouse aired a version on television in September 1951 with Ms. Stanwyck in the lead. The film was remade in 1996 as Mrs. Winterbourne with Ricki Lake in the title role. Nothing, however, can beat Ms. Stanwyck, and we heartily recommend this wonderful film. We'll leave you with a trailer
Before you go, I suggest you visit the Classic Movie Blog Association page for this blogathon, and look at some of the other films being discussed for this celebration.
Welcome to our celebration of National Classic Movie Day for May 16, 2021. As part of a blogathon hosted by the Classic Film and TV Cafe, we're going to discuss six films - one from each decade beginning in 1920. We hope you've seen these films. If not, perhaps you'll consider giving them a viewing. All are worth your time.
We'll start our discussion right at the beginning of our first decade with Way Down East (1920). Lillian Gish stars as Anna, an unwed mother who is thrown out of her home after becoming pregnant. Following the death of her infant, she finds work as a servant girl and falls in love with David Bartlett (Richard Barthelmess), the son of her employer. But gossip reaches the Bartlett farm about her past, causing her to flee out into the storm. What follows is a spectacular scene in which Ms. Gish gets trapped on an ice floe, while Mr. Barthelmess attempts to save her. The scene was actually filmed in the midst of a blizzard and Ms. Gish suffered hand pain for the rest of her life (TCM article). You can see that scene below. In the meantime, you get to see some fine acting and an engaging script. It's a powerful film, primarily because of Ms. Gish's abilities. If you've never seen her in a silent film, this may be the one with which to start.
We'll go to the end of the 1930's for our next film. The Christmas rush over, Polly Parrish (Ginger Rogers) uses her lunch hour to begin job hunting; by Christmas Eve, she'll be unemployed again. She sees a woman abandoning a baby on the steps of an orphanage, and rushes over to make sure the baby doesn't fall - and is mistaken by the orphanage personnel for the mother. Bachelor Mother (1939) changes Polly's world as she becomes tthe mother of a strange child, and is wooed by the scion of the department store for which she works. Ginger Rogers is delightful as the reluctant unwed mother.
The beauty of this remarkable film is the way in which all around her treat Polly after discovering she has a child. David Merlin (David Niven) wants to give her a permanent job; Polly's landlady, Mrs. Weiss (Ferike Boros) volunteers to take on baby-sitting duty, and David's father John Merlin (Charles Coburn) decides the baby is his grandchild. The film circumvents the code by showing sympathy to a mother on her own, by making that mother an adoptive one. It's a remarkable and genuinely sweet film, and definitely worth viewing. The trailer will give you a good idea of this lovely movie:
The 1940s was an especially difficult decade to nail down just one film, so I opted to go to the directing master Alfred Hitchcock, and discuss Notorious (1946), which for me is one of his often ignored masterpieces. Alicia Huberman (Ingrid Bergman), the daughter of a convicted German spy, is recruited by T. R. Devlin (Cary Grant) to spy on another suspected spy, Alexander Sebastian (Claude Rains). Part of the beauty of this film is that Alicia is no innocent - she's been running with a fast crowd since her father's conviction, and knows exactly what comes with her mission, consenting to wed Sebastian to get the needed information.
The combination of Grant and Bergman is intoxicating. Their's is not so much a love story as a lust story that grows despite the reluctance of the leading man. Mr. Grant makes Devlin a dark and angry man, who finds himself loving a woman he thinks is unworthy of him, only to find that she is a far better person than he. Claude Rains turns the tables on the viewer by making the audience actually sympathize with him, despite the fact that he is a Nazi spy and murderer. It's a world turned upside down, and the viewer is given a wild ride to a tense ending. The trailer will give you a look at this absorbing tale.
The role of women had changed as the 1940s ended, and the 1950s began. Women who had left the home to work were now been forced back into the home. In response, Emily Dunning Barringer, a physician in New York, wrote an autobiography about her years as an ambulance surgeon in 1902 (she was the first woman to hold this position). The film that was made of her book is The Girl in White (1952). It's possibly the only biography of a female physician, and gives a clear picture of the kinds of abuse that women who were entering the field had to face.
June Allyson brings both innocence and strength to the young woman who is bucking the system. Arthur Kennedy is good as her suitor, who originally wants her to give up her career and become the supportive wife and mother. Without going into detail, the ending of the film is an eye-opener, and not the traditional Hollywood fare. If you've never seen this before, I strongly recommend it. This trailer will serve as an introduction.
I had to think long and hard in selecting a representative film of the 1960s. In keeping with my theme of strong women, I selected The Lion in Winter (1968). Katharine Hepburn is dynamic as the power-seeking Eleanor of Aquitaine; she won her third Oscar (tying with Barbra Streisand - the only time thus far the Actress category has resulted in a tie).
The interplay between Ms. Hepburn and Peter O'Toole is dynamic. Sure, the dialog is not period but they film crackles with superb lines. My favorite has got to be Ms. Hepburn musing on her marriage annulment from Louis VII of France: "Good, good Louis. If I'd managed sons for him instead of all those
little girls, I'd still be stuck with being Queen of France and we
should not have known each other. Such my angels is the role of sex in
history." You can see that scene in this discussion of Ms. Hepburn's career by Anthony Hopkins
Peter O'Toole had a discussion about Ms. Hepburn with Robert Osborne which is available here. He had approval rights for the film, and he wanted Ms. Hepburn. While there was a remake of the story in 2003, with Patrick Stewart and Glenn Close - both marvelous actors and favorites of mine - nothing can top the electricity between all the actors in the 1968 film.
If you've not seen it - please get hold of a copy. I hope this trailer will serve as an encouragement.
As the 1960s gave rise to more violent films, I admit to not seeing many of the "greats" of the 1970s, so making a selection took some thought. I decided on The Way We Were (1973). Again, a strong woman attempts to take on the world - or at least her part of it.
Katie Morosky (Barbra Streisand) is a college radical who falls in love - initially over her better judgement - with jock Hubbell Gardiner (Robert Redford). When they meet again during World War II, their love for each other flames and they decide to marry. But Hubbell's career takes them to Hollywood, where Katie's radical past becomes a threat to their future.
If there is one thing I regret about this film, it is the fact that a decision was made to cut a scene that explained the real reason for Hubbell and Katie's eventual divorce. You can see that scene and a few others in this excerpt from a documentary about the film. In my humble opinion, the inclusion of the one scene would have made an already great picture perfect.
I had my own personal connection to the movie - they filmed the scenes outside Katie's apartment a few blocks from where I lived in New York, and I got there just in time to see the trucks leave. Sigh. But it was exciting to see the finished scenes in the film. You can actually see that location in this trailer from the film.
In conclusion, Happy National Classic Movie Day. Please be sure to visit the other blogs that are posting for the day, and find out about some additional great films.
Blinded in an accident as a small child, Selina D'Arcey (Elizabeth Hartman), lives with her prostitute mother, Rose-Ann (Shelley Winters) and her alcoholic grandfather, Old Pa (Wallace Ford) in a small apartment. She keeps the home clean and to bring in some money, strings beads for Mr. Faber (John Qualen) who visits a few times a week. But Selina yearns to get out of the apartment; when Mr. Faber offers to bring her to the park one day, a new world opens for Selina, especially after she meets Gordon Ralfe (Sidney Poitier). The week, we discussed A Patch of Blue (1965).
On some levels, it is sad that this movie still resonates so clearly with us, since it is so much about racism. When you see the way Rose-Ann lives, as compared to Gordon and his brother Mark (Ivan Dixon), and then hear her refer to Black people as trash, it's all you can do to not scream. Rose-Ann D'Arcey is probably one of the ugliest characters in any film. She makes trash look good, quite frankly. But as we learn from her, and from Gordon's conversations with his brother, race is ever-present barrier to this story of love and friendship.
To say that Sidney Poitier is magnificent in the part is an understatement. His characterization of Gordon walks a very thin line - we can see his growing love for Selina, but it is mixed with pity, anger, and regret. Does he love Selina romantically? It's hard to tell, because Mr. Poitier tries very hard to subdue any romantic feelings for this lost lamb. Of course, the race issue is key, but there is more to it - he knows that this is a girl who has no concept of life and love. Her feelings may be gratitude; his may be pity. The romance needs time to see if it is durable and Gordon is careful to keep the barriers firmly in place.Likewise Elizabeth Hartman makes Selina both naive and worldly at the same time. Her vision taken from her when her mother tried to throw acid into her husband's face, but hit 5-year old Selina instead. She's been kept at home as a servant, taught nothing, raped as a teen-ager by one of her mother's clients, and been beaten and verbally abused by her mother. Ms. Hartman wore specially designed contact lenses to obscure her vision (AFI catalog); she invests the character with an intelligence that is admirable. We know that she has taught herself to maneuver within her small world. As it expands, so too does her ability to broaden her own confines.
Shelley Winters won her second Oscar (Best Supporting Actress) for her work in this film. She said that she always tried to find "something to like in the characters I've played, but not this time...I really hate this woman" (TCM article). Ms. Winters pulls no punches in her portrayal of this despicable woman. She's willing to put herself out there and make Rose-Ann the monster she needs to be in order to display the utter ludicrousness of this woman's bigotry. It was a well-deserved award for a performance that digs into the depths of cruelty to create a masterful performance. One does wonder how Rose-Ann managed to convince social services to allow her to keep her child!
The film is blessed with other fine performances. John Qualen's Mr. Faber is a gentle soul. His affection for Selina ("my best worker") is sincere. With his small gesture - taking her into the park a few times a week (where she can work in the fresh air) - he opens the door for her transformation. The character's goodness becomes even more apparent the further we get into the film, but Mr. Qualen's touch is one of kindness.
It's always a pleasure to see Ivan Dixon in any role, and he is excellent as Gordon's brother. A hospital intern who has had to struggle to get into his chosen profession, he worries that Gordon is over his head in taking on the responsibility for a poor, white, blind girl. Mr. Dixon got his acting start on Broadway, in The Cave Dwellers; later, he would appear in A Raisin in the Sun, a part he would recreate for the film version. He would continue to act in films and on television (notably as a regular in Hogan's Heroes for five years). He also became a director, primarily in series television. He died in 2008 of kidney failure - his alma mater North Carolina Central University has named their theatrical troupe The Ivan Dixon Players.
Elisabeth Fraser (Sadie) plays Rose-Ann's literal partner in crime. She's almost as bad as Rose-Ann. It's a small, but important role as Sadie sets in motion the final act, in which Selina's future hangs by a thread.
Wallace Ford had a long and impressive career. He started on Vaudeville; by 1921, he was appearing on Broadway (he did 11 productions between 1921 and 1939). He started in films in 1929; in 1931 he co-starred with Clark Gable and Joan Crawford in Possessed. He worked steadily in both films and television, frequently as the star, until A Patch of Blue. This was his final film appearance, and he is marvelous. A drunk, Ole Pa has wasted his life, but he genuinely cares for his grandchild and it is that which radiates through his performance.
The film was based on Elizabeth Kata’s 1961 novel, Be Ready With Bells and Drums (though the book's very downbeat ending was changed). The film was nominated for 5 Academy Awards (including Actress, Black & White Cinematography, Black and White Art-Set Direction, and Music).
One of the things we enjoyed about the film is that it is a story that you can discuss past the action of the film - what DID happen to Selina and Gordon after we leave them? We'll leave you to ponder that question, as well as a trailer:
Michael Lambert (Glenn Ford) is a down-on-his-luck mining engineer. He agreed to drive a truck to get to a place where he can find a job, but is arrested for running the truck into another car. He’s bailed out by Paula Craig (Janis Carter), but doesn’t know why. He is also doesn’t know he is about to be Framed (1947).
In the spirit of honesty, I'll start by mentioning that I'm not a fan of Glenn Ford. He's done some good work (Gilda, primarily), but by and large I find him a one-dimensional actor, who does self-pity or anger, and not much more. And I didn't find more than that in this film. In the final analysis, two members of our group liked the movie, and two didn't The two that enjoyed it liked the story, though they said it could have been tighter.
We know that Michael Lambert has managed to get to his destination to find a job as a mining engineer, but we know precious little more about him, except that he is an alcoholic. While the story doesn't tell us why he drinks so much, it works as a plot point - it makes it easier to set him up as a victim.
We were also not impressed with Janis Carter. From her first second on film, we know that Paula is up to no good; it's apparent that Michael knows it too. Yet, he still keeps hanging around her. This is no The Postman Always Rings Twice, because there is no chemistry or connection between the characters. It seems clear that they are not enamored of one another, nor are they trusting of one another. Ms. Carter was cast in hopes of creating a new Gilda for Mr. Ford (TCM article). Sadly, it didn't work
Barry Sullivan (Stephen Price), however is good as the dishonest banker who's clearly using Paula to his own ends. That there doesn't really seem to be much between them works in the movie's favor - their relationship is a business deal, pure and simple, and Mr. Sullivan's distancing works for the film.
Two minor characters are worth noting. Edgar Buchanan (Jeff Cunningham) plays a prospector who hires Michael as his mining engineer. It's the one clue we have that Michael is good at his job, because Jeff is a smart man, not the ditzy movie prospector we generally expect to see. Karen Morley (Mrs. Price) has a nice scene as Barry Sullivan's neglected wife. She does a lot with the character in very little screen time, and we were sorry not to see more of her.
The original title for the movie was They Walk Alone (AFI Catalog). The New York Timesreview by A. H. Weiler (A.W.) was positive. It's got a decent story, and if you can overlook some of the casting issues, it's an interesting enough film to watch. We'll leave you with a scene featuring our three leads:
Vince Grayson (DeForest Kelley) awakens from a nightmare - he dreamed he killed a man who was trying to strangle him. However, his nightmare enters the world of reality when he notices finger marks on his neck, and finds a key and button in his pocket. This week, we'll be talking about Fear in the Night (1947).
Based on a story by Cornell Woolrich, this taut noir took some of its inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock. Certainly, it is not of the caliber of a Hitchcock film, but the elements are there. And it is an enjoyable film - short, tightly crafted, and well-acted.
DeForest Kelley makes his feature film debut as the tortured innocent who cannot dismiss the idea that he may have killed someone. He puts just the right amount of angst into the character; though his brother-in-law, police detective Cliff Herlihy (Paul Kelly) poo-poos the idea that Vince's idee fixe is anything more than a dream, Vince cannot escape from the clues that point to a very real murder.
As a fan of classic Star Trek, Mr. Kelley has become inexorably linked for me (and for many others) to the character of Leonard "Bones" McCoy. But he had a long and varied career prior to joining the Star Trek universe. He did a great deal of episodic television, films, and also did some work on radio. In 1960, he appeared in an episode of Alcoa Theatre titled "333 Montgomery". It was written by Gene Roddenberry. In 1967, he appeared in another Roddenberry piece, Police Story, a pilot that never came to fruition. But Mr. Roddenberry liked what he saw, and offered Mr. Kelley his choice of either Spock or McCoy in Star Trek (Remembering DeForest Kelley). His choice helped to create in one of the most successful franchises in TV history. Mr. Kelley died in 1999 at the age of 79 - his legacy, as he saw it, was the number of people who had become physicians because of McCoy (New York Timesobituary).
When the film was released, Paul Kelly got lead billing. If you find a copy of it these days, you’ll notice a different Kelley listed first. Regardless, Mr. Kelly does a good job as a dedicated police officer and loving husband whose concern for his wife includes looking out for her younger brother.
The two women in the cast, Ann Doran (Lil Herlihy) and Kay Scott (Betty Winters) don't get a lot to do except look anxious. It's a shame in the case of Ms. Doran, who's a wonderful actress with an impressive list of credits, usually in character parts. For Ms. Scott, it's hard to know - this was her first film. She only made seven more, all uncredited, at which point she seems to have retired.
Robert Emmett Keane (Lewis Belknap) is worth mentioning - his performance is quite menacing and very convincing. The audience is pretty certain from the moment we see him that he is up to no good, but we really enjoyed watching him hover over the story like a dark cloud.
This film fell into the public domain some time ago, and thus the prints that you see are not really of superior quality. The film is very dark, and it's hard to know how much is the decision of the cinematographer, and now much is deterioration. Regardless, we found the opening of the film, with its dark, almost blurry look to be effective - its fits the mood of the film, rather like walking into a haunted house on Halloween.
When Fear in the Night was reviewed by Bosley Crowther of the New York Times, he not only expressed his disdain for it, he didn't even sign the review, which was credited to B.C. The subsequent years have been kinder to the movie, as you can see from this discussion by the Toronto Film Society
The director of this film, Maxwell Shane, decided he wanted one more try at the story, and remade in 1956 as Nightmare, starring Edward G. Robinson (AFI Catalog). While Fear in the Night is not the best film ever made, it is an enjoyable 72 minutes and worth a viewing.
We'll leave you with a scene with Kelly and Kelley:
After several thugs beat Dan Milner (Robert Mitchum) with claims that he owes a gambling debt, Milner is offered an opportunity - go to a ritzy resort in Mexico, all expenses paid, and stay for one year. En route, he meets Lenore Brent (Jane Russell), a wealthy woman who is also going to the resort. When he arrives, he meets various characters, including hunting-mad actor Mark Cardigan (Vincent Price), FBI Agent Bill Lusk (Tim Holt), and the threatening Thompson (Charles McGraw). But what is becoming clear is thatDan is in danger. Our film this week is His Kind of Woman (1951).
Any discussion of this film has to start with the fact that it is weird. It's classed as a film noir in many publications, but it is more than that - it's got a little marital melodrama, elements of the traditional gangster film, and a lot of comedy. This by no means is to intimate that it is a bad film - there is pleasure in weirdness, and there certainly is in His Kind of Woman.
The audience is often in the same situation as Dan Milner - going on an unknown ride, with precious little information to guide us. We know from the start that Nick Ferraro (Raymond Burr) is up to something, and that Dan's appearance is part of the factor, but we aren't sure of what, which adds to the suspenseful aspects of the film. There is supposed to be a resemblance between Dan and Ferraro, but the camerawork also makes it seem that Mr. Mitchum is much taller than Mr. Burr (there was actually only a 1 inch difference in their heights), so we finally see the two together, the similarities are slim at best.
Mr. Burr was the THIRD person cast in the role of Ferraro, a character loosely based on Lucky Luciano (TCM article). Lee Van Cleef had shot his scenes when Howard Hughes informed his second director, Richard Fleischer (more on that later) that he didn't like Van Cleef. So Fleischer re-filmed all the scenes with Robert J. Wilke, only to have Mr. Burr walk in one day to tell Fleischer that Mr. Hughes had ordered Mr. Burr to the set to again re-film the Ferraro scenes (Movies!TV). Mr. Burr is convincingly menacing as Ferraro - even in stillness, he has an air of danger around him. It's been said that, in one of the intense fight scenes, he accidentally knocked out Robert Mitchum (AFI catalog). We felt he was a real asset to the film, but three different filmings does seem a bit excess.
Robert Mitchum was Howard Hughes only choice for the role, and he's excellent as a man way out of his depth. In the extended ending, he is truly fearful - something you don't often see from a hero. Also, he has an excellent rapport with his fellow actors, especially with Jane Russell (who became his long-time friend with this film) and Vincent Price (who called Mr. Mitchum "an extraordinary actor" who was "heaven to work with").
Jane Russell brings just the right amount of street smarts to the
character of Lenore, who is really Liz Brady, a former singer trying hard to find a rich husband. She and Mr. Mitchum bounce off of
one another beautifully; she's also smart and gutsy. When the final
showdown begins, she's all set to storm the gates with Mr. Price's
ragtag army. She brings a sweetness to Liz that is refreshing - yes,
she's planning to marry Mr. Price for his money, but the audience never
feels that she is completely mercenary.
Some other supporting parts worth mentioning are Jim Backus as a professional gambler who is using his skills to railroad a newlywed into his bed - watch for the Casablanca-inspired scene with Leslye Banning (Jennie Stone), who was, in fact, Jane Russell's sister-in-law. Ms. Banning and Mr. Russell were divorced in the 1950s; she remarried and had a total of 10 children - 3 with Mr. Russell and 7 with her second husband Keith Rogers, to whom she is still married). Marjorie Reynolds (Helen Cardigan) as Cardigan's estranged wife and Tim Holt have far too little screen time, in our estimation, but both (especially Ms. Reynolds) make the best with what they have.
I've saved the best for last - Vincent Price is amazingly funny as the actor who takes on the villains. Mr. Price looks like he is enjoying himself in the part, and it brings some much needed relief at the end of the film when the sadism level reaches it's peak. Howard Hughes was particularly enamored with the character of Mark Cardigan, and insisted that it be substantially expanded. Watching Mr. Price spout Shakespeare (and for those who have watched the commentary by film historian and academic Vivian Sobchack, they is NOT all from Hamlet. Mark quotes Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest) and throw his cape around is immensely funny. At the same time, you have to admire his bravery, as well as his intelligence - watch him figure out exactly where an attacker is hiding.
It would take more space than we have here to go into detail on the varied and sundry changes made to this film - Eddie Muller's intro and outro for the film's presentation on Noir Alley will give you a really good overview. The short version is that director John Farrow refused to make the emendations that Howard Hughes wanted - the expansion of Vincent Price's scenes, and a long ending that involved beating and torturing Mitchum's Dan Milner (it's amazing that this film got through the PCA!). So, Hughes brought in Richard Fleischer and told him he would only release The Narrow Margin IF Mr. Fleischer subbed as director for the scenes he wanted. By the time the film ended, Mr. Mitchum had been on the production for one year, having shot some of the extremely intense scenes many times with different actors. He finally lost it one day, and destroyed much of the set when he was shooting a fairly violent episode yet again.
The New York Timesreview by H.H.T. (Howard Thompson) was abysmal, calling it "one of the worst Hollywood pictures in years". It lost money upon release, primarily because Hughes spent so much money in reshooting that the budget was overly inflated. In recent years, it has been viewed more positively, with Senses of Cinema say it is one of "classics of narrative perversity" and TimeOut saying that in spite of its oddness it is "an unforgettable delight".
If only to see Vincent Price, we heartily recommend of viewing of this peculiar film. We'll leave you with the trailer:
It’s a year After the Thin Man (1936) investigation, and Nora (Myrna Loy) and Nick Charles (William Powell) return to their San Francisco home on New Year’s Eve, To Nick’s dismays a command visit by Nora’s aunt, Katherine Forrest (Jessie Ralph) awaits them. It seems that Nora’s cousin Selma Landis (Elissa Landi) has been abandoned by her husband Robert (Alan Marshal), and Selma is frantic.
If this film doesn't quite have the magic of the original film, it's pretty darn close (and if you'd not seen the first one, you wouldn't care there was something better). Mr. Powell and Mr. Loy remain in top form, and Mr. Powell is given another character to bounce off - this time in the person of Jessie Ralph's domineering Aunt Katherine. Every time she calls him NICHO-LAAS, you fall down laughing.
What begins as a simple case of marital neglect becomes a series of murders, with Selma Landis as the key suspect. It's hard to sympathize with Selma - she's a doormat. Her husband is a boor, he's a serial philanderer, and she knows that he only married her for her money. When she begins begging him to return to her, one cringes. Selma has no gumption - she crawls to her husband and cowers from her aunt. Even her relationship with Nora - who really cares for her cousin - is that of a supplicant. It doesn't help that Ms. Landi really overacts the part.
That David Graham (James Stewart) would be passionately in love with Selma seems a stretch. The only time she seems to have rebelled against anyone is when she jilted David for Robert. But Mr. Stewart, who was starting to get lead parts (Born to Dance (1936) was released just before this film) is excellent in a very complex part. According to Ms. Loy's biography, he was thrilled to be in the movie, and ran around the set telling everyone "There ought to be a law against any man who doesn't marry Myrna Loy!" (Myrna Loy: The Only Good Girl in Hollywood by Emily W. Leider). They had already appeared in the same film (though with no on-screen time) in Wife vs. Secretary that same year.
This was the first big role for Dorothy McNulty (Polly Byrnes), who would change her name to Penny Singleton in 1938 (AFI Catalog) and go on to fame in the Blondie series - all 28 films of it. She's good in the part - Polly's a tough woman, and serves as an interesting counterpoint to Selma the wimp. In the long run, I think we ended up liking Polly a lot more (even if she is a conniver!)
Other supporting actors provide interesting performances. Joseph Calleia (Dancer) is properly menacing as the nightclub owner who is using Robert Landis for his own purposes. A short scene with Fingers (Harry Taylor), another of Nick's buddies, is very amusing. And finally, there is Sam Levene (Lieutenant Abrams), who takes on the part of the harried police officer. Mr. Levene is excellent, and he and Mr. Powell have the rapport that is necessary to make the relationship between the detective and the investigator work.
Asta gets a bigger part in this movie - he has a "wife" who is flirting with another dog, much to Asta's disgust. It's a cute bit, and was probably added because of the popularity of the animal from the prior film.
When Ms. Loy saw that she and Mr. Powell were being advertised as a screen team, she decided that receiving half the salary Mr. Powell was getting was not enough. So, she stood her ground and held out for an equal salary to Mr. Powell - and Louis B. Mayer gave it to her! (TCM article). And, if only for this film, Ms. Loy does seem to know how to knit.
The opening of the film makes of a big point of the fact that Nick and Nora are arriving in San Francisco on the Sunset Limited, a train that ran from New Orleans to San Francisco. Since, at the end of the first movie, the Charles' were on the train to San Francisco (and it is just after Christmas in that film), we know that the action in After the Thin Man is likely one year after the first movie.
The New York Timesreview by Frank S. Nugent was positive calling it "one of the most urbane comedies of the season". And indeed it is. We'll leave you with the trailer:
The disappearance of The Thin Man (1934), Clyde Wynant (Edward Ellis), and the suspicion that he is responsible for several murders, brings his friend, former police detective Nick Charles(William Powell) out of retirement. His wife, Nora (Myrna Loy) and their dog Asta come along to assist in the investigation.
The reasons this film is listed as an Essential (Jeremy Arnold The Essentials: 52 Must-See Movies and Why They Matter) are the two stars. The interactions between Ms. Loy and Mr. Powell are phenomenal. Their banter is clever and loving; it sparkles like the champagne they drink. It's easy to understand why the public thought them a happily married couple - they play the part so perfectly. As Jeanine Basinger said, "Loy and Powell know how...cooperate without losing individuality. They're Fred and Ginger OFF the dance floor" (I Do and I Don't: A History of Marriage in the Movies).
Ms. Loy had spent most of her career playing exotics. This role completely changed her image, and she would eventually do 14 films with Mr. Powell, six of which were part of The Thin Man series. She wasn't the first choice for the film - Louis B. Mayer wanted silent film star Laura LaPlante to play Nora, but director Woody Van Dyke, who had worked with her and Mr. Powell in Manhattan Melodrama (1934), insisted on Ms. Loy, and won the argument (TCM The Big Idea). She gives Nora an intelligence that, in lesser hands, would have made the character seem like a ditz.
Much of the credit for the success of the film goes to director Woody Van Dyke. He wanted the two actors to re-team, recognizing their easy relationship from his prior experience with them. He also encouraged his actors to be more spontaneous - when William Powell started shooting balloons off the Charles' Christmas tree with an air gun off-camera, Mr. Van Dyke just worked the routine in the the picture (TCM Behind the Camera).
Maureen O'Sullivan as Dorothy Wynant, the only appealing person in that family, didn't particularly like the film because her part was very small. She also disliked Mr. Van Dyke's fast shooting style - the film was completed in between 12 and 18 days (TCM The Essentials). Authors Albert Hackett & Frances Goodrich modified the character of Dorothy from the original Dashiell Hammett novel. Dorothy was far less appealing - "a rather silly, heavy-drinking girl" (Mystery Classics on Film: The Adaptation of 65 Novels and Stories by Ron Miller). This change works well, as it gives the audience someone who cares about the missing inventor with whom we can sympathize. Claude Wynant is not all that pleasant, and the rest of his family are distasteful. That we sympathize with Dorothy makes it more palatable that Nick would continue the investigation.
Thankfully, Nat Pendleton (Detective John Guild) gets to play a police officer who is good at his job. Sure, he's not brilliant like Nick, but he's smart enough to realize that he has the help of an outstanding detective, and he uses his colleague's skills with gratitude. We liked Detective Guild, and his easy relationship with Mr. Powell.
The film has the advantage of a number of excellent character performers. While all are pretty disagreeable characters, the actors give the right bite to their parts - Porter Hall as Lawyer MacCaulay, Minna Gombell as the unreliable former Mrs. Wynant (Mimi), and a very young Cesar Romero as her current husband, Chris Jorgenson.
William Henry, who Dorothy's odd brother Gilbert, would go on to have a long and varied career - the quintessential working actor. He appeared in films from 1925 until 1971 (in later years, often uncredited). In 1951, he added television to his credits, appearing in shows like Rawhide, Bonanza, and The Six Million Dollar Man (his final role). He died in 1982, at the age of 67.
While the ending is a bit convoluted - Mr. Powell complained that he was having trouble sorting out the complicated plot - the audience doesn't really care who did the murder, we are more interested in watching Nick figured it out. The popularity of the film, besides generating 5 more Thin Man films, also resulted is a spate of films that dealt with married sleuths like those found in There's Always a Woman (1938), Dangerous Blondes (1943), and A Night to Remember (1942). None of the copies were as good as the original.
The Thin Man received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Actor, Director,
and Adapted Screenplay. It also created a
craze for wire-hair terriers (though Myrna Loy said that Skippy, the dog who played Asta, bit her) (TCM The Thin Man).
The New York Timesreview by M.H. (Mordaunt Hall) called the film "an excellent combination of comedy and excitement," and other critics have also praised the film (TCM Critics Corner).
Mr. Powell and Ms. Loy recreated their roles for a Lux Radio Theatre broadcast on 8 Jun 1936. From 1957 to 1959, Peter
Lawford and Phyllis Kirk starred in a TV series, The Thin Man. It even generated a musical play called Nick and Nora, starring Barry Bostwick and Joanna Gleason, which opened on Broadway on 8 Dec 1991 (but closed on 15 Dec 1991) (AFI Catalog).
