Classic movies are not just antiquated films from a bygone era...rather, they are beautiful, well-acted, well-written gems that ought not to fade into obscurity. Truly, Hollywood just doesn't make 'em like they used to!!! I hope you'll discover some must-sees by your visit here.
My husband and I began our holiday viewing last week, and the first film on this year's "must watch" list was 1944's I'll Be Seeing You. This movie is one of my 25 all-time favorites, and though I've reviewed it here before, that was back in 2011---the first year of They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To's life; therefore, I'm going to re-run that article, as I think the Christmastime setting (including a singing of "O, Come, All Ye Faithful") makes this a perfect movie to add to your holiday viewing schedule.
A touching wartime romantic drama, I'll Be Seeing You stars Ginger Rogers and Joseph Cotten, with Tom Tully, the always-delightful Spring Byington, and a teenaged Shirley Temple taking on supporting roles. Directed by William Dieterle, this charming film just might bring a mist to your eye.
The story is about Mary Marshall (Ginger), who is on furlough from a women's prison. (You'll find out during the movie why she was sent to prison.) While on a train traveling to visit her aunt, uncle, and cousin for Christmas, she meets Zachary Morgan (Joseph Cotten), a handsome soldier who has recently left an Army hospital, where he was being treated for the effects of what we now know as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Mary and Zach both disembark the train at the same stop, and upon Zach's request, Mary gives him her uncle's telephone number. They begin spending time together and soon fall in love. However, since Zach's emotional state is still quite tenuous, Mary doesn't tell him that she's been in prison and will soon be going back. And with Zach working through his own personal demons, can there possibly be a future for these two hurting souls?
I'll Be Seeing You is a sweet and tender movie, and although it doesn't bring huge sobs, it definitely gets me misty-eyed a couple of times. I think all hopeless romantics will love it. With its Christmastime setting, it's a lovely film to watch this time of year. Out on DVD, it should be quite easy to track down; plus, it's on TCM's schedule twice this month---Friday, December 18th at 8:00 p.m. and Friday, December 25th, at 12:45 p.m. (ET).
Seems like Pat O'Brien spent his career playing cops or priests, and in The Great O'Malley nothing is anything different for him. From 1937, this touching, 71-minute, William Dieterle drama features Humphrey Bogart, Ann Sheridan, and child star Sybil Jason in supporting roles.
James O'Malley (O'Brien) is a New York City police officer with a penchant for handing out tickets. For Officer O'Malley there are absolutely no gray areas---black is always black. With his overzealous, no-room-for-discussion ways, he hands out tickets left and right. Continually citing people for old-fashioned ordinances that no one even remembers anymore, such as too many bells on a wagon or a storefront awning being the wrong length, Officer O'Malley has become a pain in the neck to the people on his beat. His superior warns him that justice needs to be tempered with mercy, but O'Malley just doesn't get it.
One day, he pulls John Phillips (Humphrey Bogart) over for having a loud muffler on his car. Although Mr. Phillips asks O'Malley to quickly write the ticket because he is on his way to the first job he's had in years, the officer takes his time about things. By the time Phillips arrives at his job, he's late, and the job has been given to someone else. With a wife and lame daughter at home, Phillips is desperate and tries to pawn his gun; however, when the pawnshop owner won't pay the amount of money Phillips wants, Phillips clobbers the man on the head and then robs the store, a crime for which he ends up being sentenced 2-10 years.
Officer O'Malley's superior believes that O'Malley's focusing on minor infractions drove John Phillips to crime...had O'Malley not stopped Phillips for something as petty as a noisy muffler, he wouldn't have missed out on the job and wouldn't have been driven to the breaking point. The police chief believes that O'Malley needs to get a heart and stop harassing people, and in an effort to either make or break the officer, the police captain demotes O'Malley to the position of school-crossing guard. And it just happens to be the school which John Phillips' daughter, Barbara (Sybil Jason), attends.
Barbara, who walks with a limp, is a kind and loving child, and she soon has stolen the heart of the gruff crossing guard. She tells him her father is working in Canada, but when Officer O'Malley escorts Barbara home one day, he sees a photo of her father and realizes that he is none other than John Phillips. At this point, Officer O'Malley is a changed man, and he seeks to undo the damage he caused the little girl's family. How everything works out is the balance of the film.
Though not spectacular, this really is a gem of a film. It's tender and touching and even gets me mildly misty-eyed. It affords the opportunity to catch Humphrey Bogart before he became the huge star that he did (this film came just after ThePetrified Forest); plus, the little girl, Sybil Jason, is adorable. Also, the message of tempering justice with mercy is a good one. I actually came close to giving this 4 stars, but in the end, I went with 3, simply because in films this short, I don't feel the characters or the story are developed enough. So, this really is a "could have been 4 stars if it was a bit longer" kind of movie.
TCM will be airing The Great O'Malley on Tuesday, July 15th, at 1:30 p.m. (ET). Plus, the film is out on DVD as part of the Humphrey Bogart Essential Collection. I do hope you get a chance to see this, as I think it's worth it.
In honor of Mother's Day, I wanted to give a brief shout-out about a touching little pre-code tearjerker I caught recently. The Sin of Madelon Claudet, from 1931, is what I call a "mommy" movie---you know, a movie in which a mother's sacrificial love for her children shines through. The film, which is adapted from Edward Knoblock's play The Lullaby, stars Helen Hayes, with Lewis Stone, Neil Hamilton, and Robert Young taking on supporting roles. Miss Hayes' husband, Charles MacArthur, was the co-writer of the screenplay.
After her lover (Neil Hamilton) returns to America and is railroaded by his family into marrying a more suitable woman, French farm girl Madelon Claudet (Helen Hayes) gives birth to their illegitimate son. By becoming the mistress of the wealthy Carlo Boretti (Lewis Stone)--who unknown to Madelon is a jewel thief--- she is able to send money to the friends who are caring for the little boy.
A few years later, just as Carlo---who has known about Madelon's child's existence all along---is about to marry her and bring the youngster to live with them, his real identity as a jewel thief is discovered. Rather than go to jail, Carlo shoots himself, leaving Madelon unable to prove that she was not his accomplice. Convicted, she is sent to prison for ten years.
Upon her release from prison, Madelon wants to spare her son the shame of having a "jailbird" mother, so she allows him to be told that she has died. Wanting to do all she can to give the boy a good future, Madelon falls into prostitution, providing her earnings to a friend who sees to it that the young man goes to medical school. Years later, when Madelon is very old and sick and her son (now played by Robert Young) is a successful doctor, their paths cross again.
The Sin of Madelon Claudet is definitely worth seeing. While the subject matter (illegitimate children) is, of course, dated, the story of a mother's sacrificial love is timeless. Helen Hayes---in what is essentially her film debut---is brilliant in her portrayal of Madelon, and that is not just my opinion. The Academy thought so too, for Miss Hayes' performance graced her with a Leading Actress Academy Award win. Also worthy of mention is Lewis Stone's performance, as well as the work of the makeup artist. The job of aging Miss Hayes, who was 30-years old at the time of filming, was spectacularly done. I highly recommend this film and am going with 4 stars on it.
Out on DVD, this film ought to be fairly easty to track down. I do hope you get a chance to see it.
Near the top of the list of my favorite Tyrone Power films and what I deem one of the absolute best performances of his career is 1957's Abandon Ship!. A meaty, intense British drama---also known as Seven Waves Away---Abandon Ship! features Mai Zetterling, Stephen Boyd, and Lloyd Nolan in supporting roles. Produced by Tyrone Power and directed by Richard Sale, the film is loosely based on the 1841 incident of the William Brown.
After hitting a mine in the waters of the South Atlantic, a luxury liner explodes, and in seven minutes, all but just over two dozen of its 1,156 passengers perish. Those few had managed to get into one of the ship's dinghies before the ship went down. One of the survivors is ship's officer, Alec Holmes (Tyrone Power), who is given command of the small boat just before the captain dies. With the words, "Save as many as you can," Holmes becomes the captain and assumes responsibility for the lives of his passengers.
The small craft, which was meant for nine passengers, is filled far beyond its capacity. A total of 26 people are depending on the tiny vessel for life...some of them are in the water and desperately hanging onto the side of the craft. Since there had not been time to send a distress signal, reaching the African coast---1,500 miles away---is their only hope. Overloaded as they are, and with only one gallon of water, a tiny amount of canned food, several serious injuries, and an upcoming storm, can they possibly reach land?
Although some of the people believe that it is the duty of the strong to protect the weak, a well-respected ship's officer counsels Alec to evict the tenants who cannot pay the rent, to save half of them instead of losing them all. Much as it horrifies him to do so, Alec may just have to begin choosing which passengers will remain in the boat and which ones will not.
This is an incredibly powerful, thought-provoking, "discussion piece" kind of movie---you know, the kind that makes you really think about the hard questions in life. Was Holmes right in his actions? Or was he wrong? What would you do if you were in his shoes? Tyrone Power is totally stellar in this role; in fact, I think this is up there with Witness for the Prosecution and The Eddy Duchin Story as one of his absolute best performances. He is thoroughly believable as the reluctant captain who was forced to make the hardest decisions anyone could ever make. For those who say Power couldn't act, see this film, and your mind will be changed.
As stated above, Abandon Ship! is loosely based on an actual incident. In 1841, the William Brown departed Liverpool for Philadelphia, 65 passengers aboard. After hitting an iceberg off the coast of Newfoundland, the ship sank, taking nearly half its passengers to their watery graves. The entire crew (including one Alexander Holmes) and the remaining passengers took to two boats, but before their eventual rescue, many of them would be sacrificed in order to lighten the load. For more information about the incident, check out thisWikipedia article or this article from the County of Tyrone Ireland.
To my knowledgeAbandon Ship! is not available on DVD; however, it is available in VHS format and is on YouTube in its entirety (HERE). Also, TCM does air it periodically. Definitely catch it if you can. When comparing this film to the similar Lifeboat, Abandon Ship! easily comes out on top for me. In fact, in my opinion, it's a 5-star, gem of a film.
Happy viewing!!
NOTE: This article is part of the Power-Mad, Tyrone Power 100th birthday blogathon being hosted by The Lady Eve's Reel Life and They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To. Go HERE or HERE to check out all the other fantastic entries.
Impossible as it may be to believe, it wasn't until they were both 75-years old, that screen legends Bette Davis and James Stewart ever made a film together (both were born in 1908). While both are extremely beloved, iconic stars of the golden age, it took until 1983 for their film paths to cross for the first (and only) time. That film, an emotional, heart-tugging, made-for-Cable-TV drama called Right of Way, also stars Melinda Dillon. Based on Richard Lee's play of the same name, Right of Way is my addition to the "Diamonds and Gold Blogathon" hosted by Wide Screen World and Caftan Woman. This event---dedicated to celebrating stars who were working well into their senior years---is sure to have a multitude of terrific entries. You can access all the other articles HERE.
Elderly and long-married Teddy and Minnie Dwyer (Stewart and Davis) have recently learned that Minnie is afflicted with a terminal blood disorder. Although there are complex treatments which could possibly buy her a bit more time, Minnie's prognosis is bleak, and the couple, who have lived together as one for years, have determined that they will die together as one. Wanting to inform their daughter, Ruda (Melinda Dillon), of their plans, Teddy phones her and requests that she come for a visit.
Shocked by her parents' suicide plan---yet unable to talk them out of it---Ruda contacts Human Services, and after a social worker visits the Dwyer's unkempt home, Teddy and Minnie are rendered unable to care for themselves. Knowing it is only a matter of time until they are under the state's care and no longer free to do as they please, the couple realize they will have to act quickly if they hope to be in control of when and how they die. How it all plays out is the balance of the film.
It seems amazing to me that the only pairing of these two screen legends did not take place until the tail-end of both their careers. While I don't know how they got along on set (Bette Davis, Larger Than Life doesn't say), they gave every appearance of being a loving, devoted, decades-married couple. The tender scenes between them easily reminded me of my own parents, grandparents, and in-laws. I found Jimmy and Bette both to be wonderful and very believable in their roles. Bette was typical Bette---sharp-tongued and not inclined to tolerate any foolishness. Jimmy, too, was his usual self---lovable, slightly confused, somewhat-stammering. If I closed my eyes and just let my mind go, I would have thought Margo Channing and Elwood P. Dowd had come together. What a testament to both of them that their iconic All About Eve and Harvey characters could still be envisioned at the end of their careers.
While patient suicide and euthanasia generate much controversy here in the 21st century, back in the early 1980's, they did even more so, making Right of Way quite bold for its time. I want to make clear that while I enjoyed this film and give it 4 stars, because of my faith, I absolutely cannot condone euthanasia or patient suicide. However, the subject is handled with dignity and sensitivity and makes for a powerful discussion-piece kind of film. Also, with many of us Baby Boomer/Generation X'ers currently watching our own parents age, Right of Way will probably hit close to home for the bulk of us.
Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that Right of Way is out on DVD; it is, however, available on VHS, as well as on YouTube (HERE). I do hope you get a chance to see it, especially if you are a Bette Davis or Jimmy Stewart fan.
Working my way through the titles highlighted in Majestic Hollywood, The Greatest Films of 1939, I recently enjoyed a re-watch of The Old Maid, a period drama starring Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins. George Brent gets third billing, although he is only around for the first fifteen minutes or so. Based on Zoe Akin's Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name, The Old Maid features Donald Crisp and Jane Bryan in supporting roles.
Misses Davis and Hopkins portray cousins, Charlotte and Delia Lovell. As the film begins in the early 1860's, Delia (Hopkins) is about to be married, and on her wedding day, her former love, Clem Spender (George Brent), arrives back in town and stops by for a visit. Clem had left town a few years before---off to make his fortune---and when he didn't return, Delia assumed he no longer loved her and, thus, made plans to marry another man---one who was wealthy and socially prominent. When Clem, who is still in love with Delia, declares his intent to make a scene at the wedding, cousin Charlotte (Bette Davis), in love with Clem herself, sets off to reason with him. Wanting to comfort him, she ends up spending the night with him; the next day, however, Clem, now part of the Union Army, sets off for war...and he never returns, having been killed in battle.
Fast forward a few years...Charlotte, now engaged to Delia's husband's brother, is running a home for war orphans. It is expected that when she marries, she will give up the home; however, there is one particular child---a girl named Tina---whom Charlotte has no intention of giving up.
On Charlotte's wedding day, Delia discovers that Tina's full name is Clementina and that she is Charlotte's own child, from a man who died in the war; putting two and two together, Delia realizes that Tina is Clem's child...a fact that enrages her. To think that Charlotte had been with Clem---her love---is more than she can stand; determined to make Charlotte pay, she lies to her brother-in-law and he calls off the wedding.
After Delia's husband dies several months later, Charlotte and Tina are invited to come live with her. Since Charlotte was never married and cannot publicly call Tina her child, Tina calls her "Aunt Charlotte." Delia becomes rather a mother to the little girl, and once, to Charlotte's incredible heartbreak, she even calls Delia "mommy."
Fast forwarding several more years, Tina has become a young woman (played by Jane Bryan), and Delia, not Charlotte, receives her love, praise, and affection. Aunt Charlotte, who has sacrificed for years, is despised and mocked by the girl. Yet to tell Tina the truth---that the unwed Charlotte is her mother---would destroy all hopes for a legitimate beau, so Charlotte says nothing, all the while being totally brokenhearted because the daughter she loves has rejected her and now calls Delia "mother." Will Tina ever change? Will Charlotte's broken heart ever heal? These are the questions which will play out in the balance of the film.
Pairing two such strong, formidable actresses, who already had hatred/jealousy issues between them, found director Edmund Goulding "more often refereeing than directing; filming went slowly, as each woman fought for every scene she was in. One co-worker said "Working with these two ladies is a slow drag." Goulding himself was to say, "There were times when they behaved like perfect little bitches". . . However, the women's intense dislike for each other did have a positive side, for it not only added to their pleasure in making the picture but also proved so mutually stimulating that Warners production chief Hal Wallis planned to team them again." [1] The women were paired again, in Old Acquaintance.
A huge Bette Davis fan, I enjoy having the opportunity to catch Bette in a sympathetic role for a change. She's terrific here---as she is always. What I find so impressive about Bette is that beyond her brilliant acting, she was always willing to take on unglamorous roles and be seen as dowdy, ugly, and unsophisticated. Her acting was so great that she didn't have to get by on looks alone.
The Old Maid is a lot like one of my top 25 films, Stella Dallas, in that it is the story of a mother's sacrificial love for her daughter. However, while I give The Old Maid 4 stars, I do prefer Stella Dallas, mostly because of the daughters' character. Here in The Old Maid, Tina is selfish and obnoxious, whereas Lolly, Anne Shirley's Stella Dallas character, is loving and caring. Because of Clementina's attitude, I just never had the affection for her that I had for Lolly.
Out on DVD, The Old Maidshould be fairly easy to track down. I hope you get a chance to see it.
Happy viewing!!
[1] Majestic Hollywood, The Greatest Films of 1939, by Mark A. Vieira, Running Press, 2013.
It's Ingrid Bergman as you've never seen her before---icy, hard, and incredibly vindictive--- in 1964's The Visit. Also starring Anthony Quinn, this gripping drama features supporting help from (among others) Claude Dauphin, Irina Demick, and Valentina Cortese. Based on Friedrich Durrenmatt's play Der Besuch der alten Dame, The Visit received an Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design. (For the record, I think Ingrid ought to have received a Lead Actress nomination.)
Two decades after leaving her small European hometown, Carla Zachanassian (Ingrid Bergman) returns for a visit---but it is not any kind of happy reunion she's seeking. Rather, she has returned to destroy the man who disgraced her when she was a teenager. Serge Miller (Anthony Quinn) had been her boyfriend/lover, but when Carla found herself pregnant, he refused to marry her. Beyond that, he bribed two men to testify that they had had relations with her, implicating her as a promiscuous woman. Driven out of town because of her reputation and pregnancy, Carla fell into prostitution.
Now a rich and powerful widow, Carla wants revenge on Serge, and the way she accomplishes it provides for a powerful, riveting film---tackling such issues as greed, corruption, and hypocrisy.
As expected, this is not a feel-good film. In fact, it's rather difficult to watch, especially as one by one, the townspeople, corrupted by greed, turn on Serge. While both Ingrid Bergman and Anthony Quinn are fantastic in their roles, Ingrid's performance is absolute mesmerizing. I have never seen her this icy, hard, bitter, and unforgiving. Wow! She really "blew me away" with her portrayal of the revenge-minded Carla. Her acting is what takes this from 3 stars to 4.
Made available on DVD in late 2012, The Visit is part of the inventory of Classic Flix. It is also periodically on Fox Movie Channel (which is where I caught it). If you like Ingrid Bergman (as I do), you will want to track this film down to catch her in what I feel is probably her most evil role. Her fabulous performance will not disappoint.
Regular readers of They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To know that within the last year, Kirk Douglas began his ascent up my favorite actor list. Once I discovered what sensational work he does, I began seeking out more and more of his films. Last August, during Summer Under the Stars, TCM had a day for Kirk Douglas, so I set my DVR for several of the titles, and now, over six months later, I finally had the chance to watch one of them---1963's The Hook. Also starring Robert Walker (Jr.) and Nick Adams, with Nehemiah Persoff and Enrique (Pancho) Magalona in support, this George Seaton Korean War-era drama is meaty, powerful, and incredibly gripping.
In the waning days of the Korean War, a small group of American soldiers is responsible for loading oil onto a neutral freighter. Before the job is completed, an enemy plane shoots at them, killing one of the GI's. The remaining three soldiers capture the downed bomber, taking him aboard the freighter with them. Speaking with his South Korean headquarters, Sgt. Briscoe (Kirk Douglas) receives an order to execute the prisoner, and with 19 years of service under his belt and a military pension on the line, Sgt. Briscoe is determined that the orders be carried out; he instructs Private Dennison (Robert Walker) to do the job.
Insisting that killing a man out of combat is murder, Pvt. Dennison refuses to do as commanded, which puts him at odds with his superior. Having seen a fellow GI refuse to kill a Japanese soldier at Guadalcanal during the last war, Sgt. Briscoe insists that to refuse to kill the enemy is to be soft and that being soft will result in one's own death at the hands of the enemy. Besides, he tells Dennison, an order is an order, and it must be obeyed. But Pvt. Dennison will not be swayed---he will not execute the prisoner, whom he has come to see as a man like himself, with a name, a wife, a child.
Sgt. Hackett (Nick Adams), too, begins to suffer an agony of conscience and will not obey the command to kill the prisoner. If the man is to die, it will be at the hands of the one given the order---Sgt. Briscoe. But will he do it? Or will Privates Dennison and Hackett be able to convince him that such an order is one not to be obeyed? How it all plays out is the balance of the film.
Based on the French novel L'Hamecon, The Hook is a gripping, wonderfully-acted film. Kirk Douglas gives a terrific, mesmerizing performance. He is absolutely superb. Nick Adams is very good too, as is Robert Walker, in his first film appearance. Though billed as Robert Walker, this is Robert Walker, Jr., son of Jennifer Jones and Robert Walker. Wow, does he look like his dad. Enrique (Pancho) Magalona is also terrific. Because of the language barrier between the men, his character speaks very little---at least with his mouth. His eyes, on the other hand, speak volumes.
One word of warning---the racial slur "gook" is used dozens of times in this film. Of course, given that it is a war film and was made in the 1960's, that is to be expected, but I always want to point out those things which viewers will find offensive. The final line of the film---"Any day a war ends is a good day"---is as meaningful and powerful now as it was then.
A great discussion-piece kind of film, The Hook may, unfortunately, be a little difficult to track down. I don't believe it is out on DVD, nor is it on the TCM schedule anytime soon. I think it's well worth keeping an eye out for, though. For me, it is easily a 4-star film.
When I see Sidney Poitier's name among a cast, I know I am in for an incredible treat. Mr. Poitier excels at meaty, hard-hitting, dramatic roles, and since those are some of my favorite kinds of films, I always set the DVR, whether I've ever heard of the film or not. Looking through the TCM February guide, I discovered one such film---a never-heard-of Sidney Poitier title called The Slender Thread. Also starring Anne Bancroft, with supporting help from Telly Savalas, this 1965 Sydney Pollack drama was my best film discovery for the month of February. It's a 4-star film for me.
When her husband refuses to forgive her for a premarital indiscretion, Inga Dyson (Anne Bancroft) sees no point to go on living. She downs a bottle of barbiturates, then, wanting someone to talk to while she waits for death to come, she calls the local crisis center, where college student Alan Newell (Sidney Poitier) volunteers once a week. On this particular night, Newell is alone when the crisis call comes in; he soon discovers that the voice on the other end of the line is not the usual "prank call," but is, indeed, a woman in dire need of help. With only a short time left before the pills take their effect, Alan engages the troubled woman in conversation, desperately yearning to find out why she has chosen to end her life. (Her story plays out through the phone call.) Meanwhile, after a trace is put on the call, the authorities race against time to reach Mrs. Dyson before her life is snuffed out. How it all plays out is the balance of the film.
The Slender Thread is an engrossing, exciting, mildly suspenseful film, with the usual superior performance I've come to expect from Sidney Poitier. Anne Bancroft, as well, gives a brilliant performance. Featuring a Quincy Jones score, this meaty drama features future stars Ed Asner and Dabney Coleman in bit parts. A recipient of Academy Award nominations for Best Costume Design and Best Art Direction, The Slender Thread was Sydney Pollack's film debut, and it's easy to see why he would go on to enjoy the success he did.
Although not on the TCM schedule anytime soon, The Slender Thread is out on both DVD and Blu-Ray. If you are a fan of Sidney Poitier, Anne Bancroft, Sydney Pollack, or hard-hitting dramas, you ought to enjoy this. I hope you get a chance to see it.
Another of the films highlighted in Majestic Hollywood, The Greatest Films of 1939 is Golden Boy, a boxing drama starring Barbara Stanwyck, Adolphe Menjou, and---in one of his earliest film appearances---William Holden. Based on Clifford Odets' 1937 play, this Reuben Mamoulian film, which features Lee J. Cobb, Joseph Calleia, and Sam Levene in support, garnered a Best Music Academy Award nomination.
Joe Bonaparte (William Holden) is a sensitive young violinist, who lives with his father (Lee J. Cobb), sister, and brother-in-law above the family's grocery store. Although Joe plays the violin beautifully and could possibly have a future in music, he wants to make money quickly and, therefore, begins boxing for Tom Moody (Adolphe Menjou).
Joe becomes an overnight sensation in the boxing ring, but since a violinist needs his hands and he could possibly injure his hands boxing, he talks about backing out. Moody knows that he has a money-maker in Joe, though, so he's not about to let him walk away and, therefore, instructs his secretary/mistress, Lorna Moon (Barbara Stanwyck), to change Joe's mind. Joe has fallen in love with Lorna, and after she leads him to believe she loves him too and that there can be a future for them, Joe returns to the boxing world, much to the disappointment of his father.
Because Joe is such a sensation, he quickly attracts the attention of another promoter, one who promises him bigger and better things. Joe jumps at the opportunity and leaves Moody's organization, which infuriates Moody and sends Lorna, once again, to Joe's side in an attempt to change his mind.
Joe soon becomes disillusioned with boxing....but does he quit? Does he return to the violin? Does he really love Lorna? Does she really love him? Those are the questions which play out in the balance of the film.
Though Golden Boy is not one of my favorite Bill Holden films (or even one of my favorite boxing films), it is a solid, interesting, well-acted drama, and it gives an opportunity to catch Mr. Holden before his star had begun to rise. Although it's easy to see why he went on to become the star that he did, at the outset, it would have appeared that Holden's career was over even before it began. The seemingly-endless boxing lessons, violin lessons, and dramatic coaching were exhausting to Holden; according to Majestic Hollywood, "It was a dreadful period for the young actor, and he expected to be replaced at any time. However, Barbara Stanwyck believed in Holden and went to bat for him. Telling Columbia boss Harry Cohn that he hadn't given the young man a chance, she promised to work with him. With Miss Stanwyck coaching him, Holden regained his confidence and was able to take direction from Mamoulian; after Golden Boy, Holden was suddenly in demand and on his way to a successful, Academy Award-winning career. He never forgot Barbara Stanwyck's support and help; in years to come, he would always send her flowers on April 1, the anniversary of Golden Boy's first shooting day." [1]
Beyond Bill Holden's performance, is that of Lee J. Cobb. He is absolutely terrific! He would reprise his role in 1952, when Golden Boy, again, played on Broadway. Interestingly, in that production, one of my other great loves---John Garfield---would take on the Joe Bonaparte role.
Barbara Stanwyck is my #3 gal (sometimes even #2), and William Holden is one of my "terrific 10," so even though Golden Boyisn't a favorite, I do enjoy their pairing here. They have great chemistry together. I'm calling this 3 stars, but it's more like 3.5
Out on DVD, Golden Boy should be quite easy to track down.
Happy viewing!!
[1] Majestic Hollywood, The Greatest Films of 1939, by Mark A. Vieira, Running Press, 2013.
New for 2014---the "Best Film Discovery of the Month" series, in which I will highlight the best "new to me" film I watch each month. For January, that film is 1932's I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, starring Paul Muni and featuring Glenda Farrell and Helen Vinson in supporting roles. Not only is this pre-code drama the best "new to me" film I saw in January, it is also my first 5-star film "discovery" of the year. Based on Robert Elliott Burns's autobiography, I Am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain Gang, this Mervyn LeRoy film received three Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Mr. Muni.
After being convicted of a crime he did not commit, WWI veteran James Allen is sentenced to 10 years of hard labor on a Southern chain gang. When he is unable to cope another minute with the horrid conditions and the brutality of the guards, James convinces another inmate to break his chains, then he sets out on the run.
Escaping to Chicago, James changes his name to Allen James and eventually becomes a successful, respected businessman. When his landlady (Glenda Farrell) discovers his past, she blackmails him into marrying her; it's a union void of love, however, and a few years later, in a fit of jealousy because Allen/James has fallen in love with another woman (Helen Vinson), the wicked woman turns him in to the authorities.
Although Allen/James had not committed any crime and has been a model citizen for years, he is returned to the chain gang, with the promise that his sentence will be for a period of only 90 days. Because he had spoken out about the inhumanity of the chain gangs, however, the "establishment" has no intention of honoring that promise, and once again, the man is forced to break his chains and live a life on the run. How everything plays out is the balance of the film.
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang is a masterpiece of a film. It's gritty, meaty, powerful, deeply troubling and features an absolutely brilliant performance by Paul Muni...and the final line of the film is about as haunting an ending line as there ever was.
This film is out on DVD; however, I believe it is only available as part of the Controversial Classics Collection, which is a spendy $79.98. Adding to the nearly cost-prohibitive price, TCM doesn't seem to air Chain Gang very often, so it might not be an easy film to catch. Keep your eye out for it, though, as it is a spectacular must-see.
The Search, from 1948, is a somewhat sentimental post-war drama, directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Montgomery Clift in his second film appearance. Also starring Wendell Corey, Aline MacMahon, and Ivan Jandl, The Search provided Mr. Clift with his first Best Actor Academy Award nomination. According to Clift's biography, Monty considered The Search to be "the most fulfilling artistic experience of his life." (From Montgomery Clift, a Biography, by Patricia Bosworth.)
The movie begins with a trainload of displaced children arriving at a relief center, where they will be temporarily housed while a search is made for their relatives. Though the intent of the center is to help, many of the children, having previously been herded onto trains and shipped off to concentration camps, are understandably terrified and untrusting. One little boy in particular, Karel Malek, is so frightened that he actually finds a way to run away, escaping on his own into war-torn Germany.
Ralph "Steve" Stevenson (Monty Clift), an American soldier still stationed in Germany, happens upon the hungry and frightened little boy.
Feeling that the boy shouldn't be wandering around on his own, Steve feeds him and then takes him back to his apartment, with the intent to locate his parents.
Though fearful and untrusting at first, Karel comes to realize that Steve is his friend and wants to help him.
Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Hannah Malek is combing the relief centers in search of the son from whom she was separated at Auschwitz, hoping against hope that he still lives.
A sweet, mildly heart-tugging film, The Search always gets me misty-eyed. Montgomery Clift is extremely good in this Oscar-nominated role, and his chemistry with the little boy (Ivan Jandl) is terrific. Wanting to be completely prepared for his role, before shooting began, Mr. Clift lived for a time in an army engineer's unit, dressed in army fatigues, and toured U. N. Relief and Rehabilitation camps in Germany. He was totally driven to make his character and the film authentic, which resulted in numerous improvisations of the script and endless battles with the film's producer. In the end, though, the film received unanimous acclaim and Monty, who was pleased with his performance, became one of Hollywood's hottest stars.
A solid 4-star film, The Searchisdefinitely worth watching, and since it is available on DVD, it ought to be fairly easy to track down. If you are a Montgomery Clift fan, or if you like post-war films, definitely see this. You're sure to enjoy it.
The Great Imaginary Film Blogathon begins today over at Silver Scenes. A "wishful thinking" event, this blogathon gives us the chance to do whatever we can imagine with a film. We might make a movie that's never been made, shake-up the cast of a perennial favorite, even use a different director or locale. In my case, it's about imagining a non-existent scene in my all-time favorite movie. With nearly two dozen participants, this is sure to be a fantastic blogathon. Go HERE to visit all the other entries.
As stated, my addition to this terrific blogathon is a scene I've imagined from my all-time favorite movie, 1951's A Place in the Sun. Starring October's star of the month (and one of my most beloved guys), Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, and Shelley Winters, this George Stevens film won six Academy Awards (including Best Director for Mr. Stevens) and was nominated for three more. I absolutely love love love this movie, and no matter how many times I watch it, I always wish it had a different ending than it does. While I'm not one for spoilers and almost never give any, because of the scene on which my story is based, I will be letting out a bit of the story. So, if you haven't seen A Place in the Sun, be warned---there are spoilers in this post.
You can read my full synopsis and review of this fantastic movie HERE. However, for purposes of my imaginary scene, all you need to know is that I see Montgomery Clift's character in a sympathetic light. While some (make that most) people I know consider George Eastman as no good and rotten to the core, I don't see him that way at all. Since we're not privy to what is actually going on in George's mind in that very pivotal scene on the lake, I've imagined what he might be thinking. Of course, my scene---had it actually been a part of the film---would give me the different ending I so desire. When George took the stand in his murder trial and was grilled by none other than beloved Perry Mason in a prosecuting role, these events would have been recalled, proving that Alice's death really was an accident. While many of y'all may not agree, that is okay, as it seems I often march to the beat of my own drum. So, alone on the planet or not, this is how I see George Eastman.
After a long, hot summer, the early September evening air
felt chilly----downright cold even---to George Eastman as he paddled the shabby canoe on the
far side of LoonLake.
A shiver racked George's body, but it wasn’t just the setting sun’s lack of warmth which brought about the
shiver. No, it was much more
than that…it was the venomous, coldblooded thoughts coursing through his mind.
Like the proverbial “life flashing before the eyes” final
thoughts of a dying man, the pictures flashing through George Eastman’s mind
were coming fast and furiously…instantaneously almost…one right on top of the
other. Barely three minutes had passed,
but an entire summer’s worth of living had been re-lived in his mind, bringing
him to his reason for being on a remote lake just as the sun was setting.
Angela…her exquisite beauty had captivated him from the
moment he saw her. Never had he seen
such a stunning creature; truly, she took his breath away. Yet she hadn’t even noticed him…hadn’t given
him the time of day---at first. God must
have been looking with favor upon him, though, because the next time he saw
her---at the party at his uncle’s house---she had not only noticed him, but she
had talked with him…and danced with him for hours. By the time the evening ended, George knew
there could never be any other woman for him---he was completely, totally, and
forever in love with Miss Angela Vickers.
They saw each other again, and to the utter shock of a poor boy such as
he, Angela---in all her beauty and wealth---loved him in return. What he had ever done to be given such a
gift, he didn’t know. All he could do
was thank his lucky stars that he was given it.
With Angela by his side and in his arms, life for George promised to be
pure bliss.
George’s delirious joy---and the vivid image of Angela’s
stunning beauty---was immediately eclipsed by the picture of another face…one
which he did not love and, in fact, had come to hate. He had never loved Alice…not for a minute. She had been nothing more than a kindhearted
person with whom he could spend time.
God knew how lonely he was…how starved for friendship…for someone to
talk to. Moving to California to take a job at his uncle’s
factory, George had expected to be welcomed into the family fold…to be a part
of their social circle. Alas, nothing
could have been further from what he got.
While his uncle gave him a job at the factory---feeling obligated to, no
doubt---friendship with the family was not part of the deal. They looked at him as the poor relation, and
George knew it. He wasn’t good enough to
run in their social circle, so they ignored him….tended to look right through
him as if he wasn’t there. But George was there, and he was desperately
lonely. How he longed for a friend…and
Alice offered that friendship.
He had never loved Alice…he
had liked her, yes, but he had never loved her, and he had never lied and told
her that he did. So how it was that they
ended up in bed together, he was never sure.
Just loneliness, he guessed….loneliness which engulfed both of
them. Things had just gone too far that
evening, and he ended up spending the night at her place. Oh, how he wished he could turn the clock
back and relive that night…how he wish he would have walked away from Alice’s
apartment before indulging in---as his mother would have said---the sins of the
flesh. It was that one mistake…that one
“should never have done it” moment…which was now coming back to haunt
him…threatening to rob him of Angela and the happiness he knew with only her.
A new image moved into George’s mind….that of a baby. He couldn’t believe his one night of passion
with Alice had
resulted in pregnancy. And now she was
insisting that he marry her…something he did not want to do…something he could
not do. To marry Alice would be to lose Angela forever, and he
would just as soon die as be without her.
Angela was his reason for living, his sun, moon, and stars all rolled
into one. To be separated from her would
be more torturous than anything he had ever known. If only there was no baby…if there was no Alice.
No Alice…well, there was a
way to remove Alice
from his life, and the image of that moved into George’s mind. He knew Alice couldn’t swim, and it was for
that reason that he had come up with the plan to take her out in a canoe. It was easy...all he had to do was capsize
the canoe and Alice
would drown. He would swim to
safety…back to Angela. Alice would die
on the far side of Loon Lake, and no one would ever be the wiser…no one would
know that it wasn’t an accident…no one would know that George, in fact, had
murdered her.
With the word “murder,” the image of his devoutly religious
mother came to George’s mind. She and
his late father had devoted their entire lives to the call of God, and they had
instilled a knowledge of God’s Word into their son. Commandment Number 6, “Thou shalt not murder”
filled his mind. It was a sin to kill
someone, George knew that. But, his mind
argued, no one would ever know it was murder; they would think it was an
accident, and George would be in the clear.
On the heels of that thought came Jeremiah 16:17, “I am watching them closely, and I see every
sin. They cannot hope to hide from
me.” Someone would know what he had done.
While he might be able to hide the truth from everyone else, and while
he might even be able to deceive himself, he could not pull the wool over God’s
eyes. Even now, God could see the evil
that was in his heart. God would always
know that he had broken the commandment against killing, and no matter where he
went, no matter what he did, he would never be able to hide from God.
Brokenhearted because he knew Angela would be lost to him
forever, George realized that he couldn’t go through with his plan…he could not
murder Alice. It was one thing to hide his actions from
everyone else, but it was entirely another thing to hide from God. To stay in the sun---that beautiful, warm,
radiant, breathtaking place he knew with Angela---would require him to try to
hide from God for the rest of his days, and he knew that such an endeavor was
futile. He would have to leave the sun
in order to be able to live with himself.
The image of Angela’s beautiful, beloved face and their time spent together moved once
more into George’s mind. “Goodbye, my
darling. I will always love you” were
his final thoughts before Alice
stood up in the far side of the dilapidated canoe, causing it to tip
precariously to one side and then capsize completely, sending them both into
the dark waters of the mountain lake. By
the time George resurfaced, Alice was nowhere to be seen…
If you have never seen A Place in the Sun, I highly, highly, highly recommend it. It is a 5-star, "love it," "can't get enough of it" film for me. The story is meaty, intense, and thought-provoking; the acting is fantastic---both Montgomery Clift and Shelley Winters received Lead Performer Academy Award nominations for their work here (Monty is spectacular in all of his 17 films, but for me, this is the performance of his career---he is absolutely brilliant); Clift and Elizabeth Taylor are both breathtakingly beautiful; and the chemistry between them is fantastic. Everything about this film just works perfectly. And if you throw in my scene, well, you will get the happy ending you long for!
Although Montgomery Clift won't be taking center stage here at They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To until next month, he's making an appearance a week early, as the 1958 drama Lonelyhearts is my contribution to the "Breaking News" blogathon. Hosted by Comet over Hollywood and Lindsay's Movie Musings, this blogathon is all about journalism in classic film. It's sure to be a fantastic event, so you'll want to visit as many of the entries as you can. Go HERE to get involved.
Lonelyhearts, from 1958, is a bold, mature-themed drama, starring Montgomery Clift, Robert Ryan, Myrna Loy and Dolores Hart and featuring Maureen Stapleton in her Academy Award-nominated film debut. Based on the 1933 Nathanael West novel, Miss Lonelyhearts, this story had a 12-day run as a Broadway stage play in 1957. I originally sought the film out because I was on a quest to see all of Monty Clift's work; however, subsequent viewings are more to enjoy the brilliance of Robert Ryan, who I believe is one of the most under-rated actors ever.
Adam White (Montgomery Clift), a kind, gentle young man with a desire to do right, hopes to land his dream job on the local newspaper, The Chronicle. Having made the acquaintance of Florence Shrike (Myrna Loy), the wife of the paper's managing editor, he hopes to garner an introduction to said editor (Robert Ryan, who is absolutely stellar in this role). Although Adam makes a bad first impression, Bill Shrike offers him a job.
Bill Shrike is a cynical, unlikeable man who believes it is impossible for people to be good, that people are all frauds and can't be trusted. His relationship with his wife is condescending and ugly; ever since he caught her in an affair ten years earlier, he has treated her like a tramp, never forgiving her and constantly belittling her and humiliating her.
Bill promises Florence that he'll hire Adam, but only to prove the point that the man is a phony. It's not just Shrike's wife who is the target of his contempt---he informs one of his employees that he is as important to the department as Shrike's tonsils, which were lost 40 years earlier.
Adam is given the job as the editor of the Lonelyhearts column, and his responsibility is to respond to the advice-seeking letters that are sent to him. At first, Adam laughs about the problems his readers are experiencing, but eventually, he begins to really care about the people behind each letter. He longs to give them sound advice to help their hurting hearts; he begins to care too much and is somewhat emotionally involved with his audience. For his part, Bill Shrike insists that the readers are all frauds and that they deserve what they have gotten; he challenges Adam to meet with one of the letter writers, just to prove his point.
Adam does meet with one of Miss Lonelyhearts' readers---Faye Doyle (Maureen Stapleton)---and she informs him that her husband was injured in an accident and that, as a result, they haven't had physical relations for seven years. She needs advice as to what to do...but, within minutes, Mrs. Doyle is after more than advice---she wants Adam to kiss her, which he does, and before long, they are sexually intimate, an act which causes Adam to feel ashamed and Bill Shrike to triumphantly gloat that he was right all along, that Adam really is nothing more than a phony do-gooder. How everything plays out is the balance of the film.
Upon my first viewing of Lonelyhearts, I gave it 3 stars (on Net Flix). While it is an interesting, extremely well-acted drama, it is quite painful for me to watch, mostly because of the appearance of Montgomery Clift. Right up there with Rock Hudson and Tyrone Power as one of the most beautiful men I have ever seen, Monty is fabulously gorgeous in all of his early works; however, his 1956 car accident dramatically altered his appearance, and it was here in Lonelyhearts that I caught my first glimpse of the post-accident Monty. I have to admit, like movie-going audiences of the 1950's, I was shocked by the change in his facial appearance. (I think he even sounds different post-accident.) Since seeing Lonelyhearts for the first time, I've read Clift's biography, and I know how deeply grieved he was by the loss of his perfect looks. "While the man had confidence in himself as a creative artist, as a damaged commodity in an era of handsome rebels, he did not, and he continually wondered if his new face would keep him from being considered for parts." (p. 313-314) "Self-conscious about his new face, Monty even took down most of the mirrors in his home...and he hated being photographed." (p 314)
Besides his distress over his appearance, here in the late '50's, Monty was in a deep, dark, troubled period (which would last the remainder of his too-short life); he was in poor health and constant pain, addicted to drugs and alcohol, angst-filled over his sexuality, and, due to his bizarre, erratic behavior, on the "outs" in Hollywood. Because I love Monty so much, and because Lonelyhearts was made during such a difficult time in his life, this film is exceedingly painful for me to watch (as are all his post-accident works). Looks and personal demons aside, though, Monty, who was always adept at portraying men with deep inner struggles, gives his usual top-notch performance here in Lonelyhearts. Knowing the severe drug and alcohol addiction Mr. Clift was facing at this time of his life, I find it remarkable that he was able to perform at all, let alone to do so as wonderfully as he does. His portrayal of the troubled, guilt-ridden Adam is really great, and his chemistry with Dolores Hart, who plays his girlfriend, Justy, is terrific, as is his chemistry with Ryan and Loy.
Clift's chemistry with Loy may well have been no acting job. According to Montgomery Clift, a Biography, "Monty was impressed with Loy---by her wit, her compassion, her commitment to liberal causes...For several years, she was entangled in his romantic life. They saw each other frequently and traveled together...Many of Myrna's friends thought she was deeply in love with Monty and that she wanted to marry him." (p. 336-337)
While my first-time viewing of Lonelyhearts garnered 3 stars, subsequent viewings have seen me going with 4 stars. Yes, it's still painful watching the troubled Montgomery Clift, but I've gotten past that and am able to concentrate on the good. For one thing, it is a very bold, mature story. (I love meaty dramas and will take one any day of the week.) And the performance of Robert Ryan, who was always super at playing the unlikeable, is totally spectacular. I love Ryan when he is playing nasty...he is simply brilliant. In my opinion, he is even better than Clift here; in fact, I feel he steals the show. Mr. Ryan was in his late 40's here, and I must say, I think he aged well...I love the little touch of gray at his temples.
Myrna Loy's part is fairly small and it is out of character for her, but she does a great job. She is in her early 50's here, and I think she, too, aged well.
Maureen Stapleton is spectacular in her screen debut. It's easy to see why she received a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination.
Finally, and I greatly appreciate this, the sexual encounter is left totally to the imagination, unlike today, when graphic sex and nudity fill the screen. I really don't need to see everything we're privy to today; for me, less is more.
While some people might find the film's ending (which differs from the book) to be lame and unrealistic, I rather like it. As one who believes in the power of forgiveness, I can easily accept what happens. (I won't say more, so as not to give anything away.)
To my knowledge, Lonelyhearts is not out on DVD (at least in Region 1); however, it is available on You Tube, both as a whole and in several parts. I hope you get a chance to see it...even if just for the opportunity to watch Robert Ryan doing what he does so well---playing a cynical, hardened, unlikeable man---and to catch Monty Clift doing what he does so well---portraying a deeply troubled man in the midst of a moral crisis.
Happy viewing!!
NOTE: All quoted material from Montgomery Clift, a Biography, by Patricia Bosworth, Limelight Editions, 1978.
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