These two are airing on TCM on March 4, in the morning. I haven't seen either, but the names John Garfield, Shelley Winters, Dalton Trumbo, James Wong Howe (HE RAN ALL THE WAY), Robert Wise and Lee Garmes (CAPTIVE CITY) caught my eye.
I don't think they're available to rent. So, you Noirists: Worth warming up the ol' DV-R?
"He Ran All the Way" & "Captive City"
"He Ran All the Way" & "Captive City"
Everyday people...that's what's wrong with the world. -- Morgan Morgan
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
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moira finnie
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He Ran All the Way makes me sad because it is John Garfield's last movie (and he looks waxy throughout the film). I also can only take a small dose of Shelley Winters, (sorry). Two reasons why I might enjoy this movie: Norman Lloyd as a hoodlum and Wallace Ford as Winters' father. I'm sure others are far more enthusiastic about this movie than I am.
Of the two, I'd really recommend The Captive City (1952). It is an excellent Robert Wise film shot in a noirish documentary style. The director, intentionally echoing the Kefauver hearings of the time, and the McCarthy era paranoia so well reflected in Wise's previous film, The Day the Earth Stood Still, works well with with cinematographer Lee Garmes in this movie. Garmes was using an innovative Hoge lens to photograph the movie,and they create a stark style that helped to make this movie very striking visually and psychologically. The lens, which allowed for extremely detailed closeups and a stark black and white beauty to many scenes on the street and in the cramped offices and homes of the film's settings, was developed by Ralph Hoge, who had worked as a key grip on Citizen Kane and as an assistant to Wise on this picture. This lens allowed an incredibly detailed depth of field, (going beyond even what Gregg Toland had achieved), and allowing more setups in more actual locations and realistic settings.
Though shot on location in the larger Reno, Nevada, the filmmakers create a real feeling of small town life in this movie, its coziness, its comfortable shabbiness, as well as its claustrophobia. In terms of the acting, watch for a few brief, but powerful scenes with Marjorie Crosland as a small town mobster's ex-wife. She is a wonderful actress, investing a small character with a lifetime of realism. I also liked Ian Wolfe's turn as a minister. The events depicted in this movie were based on the real life experiences of Time magazine reporter Alvin Josephy, Jr. when he returned from WWII and was working for a chain of weekly newspapers near Hollywood, where mob figures threatened his boss for investigating local bookies. (Josephy also wrote an excellent autobiography "A Walk Toward Oregon: A Memoir" about his lifelong interest in a variety of topics, including crime, American Indian history, and his adventures as a screenwriter in Hollywood, along with other topics. )
In Robert Wise on His Films by Sergio Leemann, the director said that "[t]he movie didn't cause any attention here [in the U.S.], but I remember getting a review from England that called it 'the sleeper of the year.' I was very proud of it, especially for its documentary-like visual texture." I thought that it must have influenced Don Siegel quite a bit when he came to make the much better known The Invasion of the Body Snatchers too.
Here's a terrific rundown of some of the publicity attempted by Aspen Pictures which was an indie production company formed by Wise, Mark Robson and former RKO producer Theron Warth in 1949. I believe it was this production company that Val Lewton had hoped to be a part of before he became ill, (and was reportedly shut out by his creative partners). Aspen pictures was not ultimately successful.
Of the two, I'd really recommend The Captive City (1952). It is an excellent Robert Wise film shot in a noirish documentary style. The director, intentionally echoing the Kefauver hearings of the time, and the McCarthy era paranoia so well reflected in Wise's previous film, The Day the Earth Stood Still, works well with with cinematographer Lee Garmes in this movie. Garmes was using an innovative Hoge lens to photograph the movie,and they create a stark style that helped to make this movie very striking visually and psychologically. The lens, which allowed for extremely detailed closeups and a stark black and white beauty to many scenes on the street and in the cramped offices and homes of the film's settings, was developed by Ralph Hoge, who had worked as a key grip on Citizen Kane and as an assistant to Wise on this picture. This lens allowed an incredibly detailed depth of field, (going beyond even what Gregg Toland had achieved), and allowing more setups in more actual locations and realistic settings.
Though shot on location in the larger Reno, Nevada, the filmmakers create a real feeling of small town life in this movie, its coziness, its comfortable shabbiness, as well as its claustrophobia. In terms of the acting, watch for a few brief, but powerful scenes with Marjorie Crosland as a small town mobster's ex-wife. She is a wonderful actress, investing a small character with a lifetime of realism. I also liked Ian Wolfe's turn as a minister. The events depicted in this movie were based on the real life experiences of Time magazine reporter Alvin Josephy, Jr. when he returned from WWII and was working for a chain of weekly newspapers near Hollywood, where mob figures threatened his boss for investigating local bookies. (Josephy also wrote an excellent autobiography "A Walk Toward Oregon: A Memoir" about his lifelong interest in a variety of topics, including crime, American Indian history, and his adventures as a screenwriter in Hollywood, along with other topics. )
In Robert Wise on His Films by Sergio Leemann, the director said that "[t]he movie didn't cause any attention here [in the U.S.], but I remember getting a review from England that called it 'the sleeper of the year.' I was very proud of it, especially for its documentary-like visual texture." I thought that it must have influenced Don Siegel quite a bit when he came to make the much better known The Invasion of the Body Snatchers too.
Here's a terrific rundown of some of the publicity attempted by Aspen Pictures which was an indie production company formed by Wise, Mark Robson and former RKO producer Theron Warth in 1949. I believe it was this production company that Val Lewton had hoped to be a part of before he became ill, (and was reportedly shut out by his creative partners). Aspen pictures was not ultimately successful.
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Mr. Arkadin
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He Ran All the Way (1951) is an amazing close to Garfield’s career in the fact that the isolationism and pressure implied in this film mirrored his real life experience in being blacklisted, followed by the FBI, and down on his luck commercially. Garfield is less forced/more natural here and taps a huge range of emotions from subtle to full out hysteria. This is a great film that never gets the press it deserves and is unfortunately often overshadowed by his death. Highly recommended.
Josephy and Wellman
I recently had the privilege of several extended conversations with director Arnold Laven who was the script supervisor on HE RAN ALL THE WAY. He said that the fireworks on and off screen between Garfield and Shelley Winters livened the entire shoot of HRATW.
Re: Alvin M. Josephy Jr.
He became one of the preminent historians on the American Indian and his book, THE PATRIOT CHIEFS still adorns one of my too-numerous to mention bookcases. Josephy was a fine writer who did a lot of scribing for American Heritage and was the founding chair of the Museum of the American Indian- a magnificent place to visit.
Another ex-newspaper reporter turned Western novelist and historian ( JUBAL, The COMMANCEROS, APACHE) was Paul I. Wellman. For those with an historical bent towards Western Americana, Wellman's books about the Indian Wars of the West, Death on the Prairie and Death in the Desert are as good as it gets.
Re: Alvin M. Josephy Jr.
He became one of the preminent historians on the American Indian and his book, THE PATRIOT CHIEFS still adorns one of my too-numerous to mention bookcases. Josephy was a fine writer who did a lot of scribing for American Heritage and was the founding chair of the Museum of the American Indian- a magnificent place to visit.
Another ex-newspaper reporter turned Western novelist and historian ( JUBAL, The COMMANCEROS, APACHE) was Paul I. Wellman. For those with an historical bent towards Western Americana, Wellman's books about the Indian Wars of the West, Death on the Prairie and Death in the Desert are as good as it gets.
"First is First and second is nobody"
Re: "He Ran All the Way" & "Captive City"
Watched and recorded both. As a "Come On Gang, Let's Put On a Reform" movie, I found THE CAPTIVE CITY lackluster except for Lee Garmes' cinematography and the always-a-joy Ian Wolfe. Phil Karlson nailed it three years later with THE PHENIX CITY STORY. I'll stick with BORN TO KILL, THE SET-UP, HOUSE ON TELEGRAPH HILL, and ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW for my Robert Wise film noir fixes (not that I'd ever contend that Lawrence Tierney, Robert Ryan and Richard Basehart are more engaging than John Forsythe).
I don't consider myself a big fan of Garfield or Winters, and TENSION is the only other John Berry movie I've seen, but this film hit all of the right notes for me. Garfield's performance is right there with that in FORCE OF EVIL, conveying both a terrifying and yet sympathetic man with nothing going for him. Winters captured the self- and other-victimized and confused young woman (although I must admit that when she first appears and it's in a swimming pool I thought, Oh, no, poor Shelley in the water...again). As a movie observing and commenting on family (and faux-family) interaction, I want to watch this back-to-back-to-back with TOKYO STORY and MAKE WAY FOR TOMORROW. James Wong Howe's cinematography is classic...all white, black and shadow. This shoots way up on my list of favorite films noir for story, acting and look.
I don't consider myself a big fan of Garfield or Winters, and TENSION is the only other John Berry movie I've seen, but this film hit all of the right notes for me. Garfield's performance is right there with that in FORCE OF EVIL, conveying both a terrifying and yet sympathetic man with nothing going for him. Winters captured the self- and other-victimized and confused young woman (although I must admit that when she first appears and it's in a swimming pool I thought, Oh, no, poor Shelley in the water...again). As a movie observing and commenting on family (and faux-family) interaction, I want to watch this back-to-back-to-back with TOKYO STORY and MAKE WAY FOR TOMORROW. James Wong Howe's cinematography is classic...all white, black and shadow. This shoots way up on my list of favorite films noir for story, acting and look.
Everyday people...that's what's wrong with the world. -- Morgan Morgan
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
Re: "He Ran All the Way" & "Captive City"
I agree completely. I've never had anyone ask me to screen THE CAPTIVE CITY. Quite surprising for a Robert Wise helmed film; it just isn't very good.I found THE CAPTIVE CITY lackluster except for Lee Garmes' cinematography and the always-a-joy Ian Wolfe. Phil Karlson nailed it three years later with THE PHENIX CITY STORY
HE RAN ALL THE WAY is coming out May 4 in a REGION 2 (PAL) DVD in the United Kingdom.
One of Garfield's best... and Happy Birthday to Julie, btw.
"First is First and second is nobody"
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movieman1957
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Re: "He Ran All the Way" & "Captive City"
I watched John Garfield in "He Ran All The Way." (That's a great title.) The story isn't really anything new but the performances make this one worth watching. Garfield plays a man on the run for a killing who holds up in Shelley Winters' home with her family. Always keeping one of the family members with him to keep the others in line Garfield's "Nick Robey" runs the emotional roller coaster from thug to caregiver to paranoid tough guy afraid of the shadows.
The underlying story revolves around him and the relationship with Shelley Winters. Garfield meets her in a public pool on his escape from his crime. They are taken with each other. He sees her as a means to escape but he becomes fond of her. Through the film she seems to love him but then seem to only say it so she can save her family. Only at the end do you find out for sure.
Garfield is great in what would be his last performance. He manages to strike fear into this family while at times giving a sense that he is not all seems. Wallace Ford is really good as the father trying to protect his family. Unsure of sticking it out or finally going to the police. Winters is good as the girl who takes a fancy to Garfield I think just because he showed interest in her. In spite of all that is going on you take her feelings that this may be her only chance at a romance. Surely, she couldn't have that kind of interest in him.
The underlying story revolves around him and the relationship with Shelley Winters. Garfield meets her in a public pool on his escape from his crime. They are taken with each other. He sees her as a means to escape but he becomes fond of her. Through the film she seems to love him but then seem to only say it so she can save her family. Only at the end do you find out for sure.
Garfield is great in what would be his last performance. He manages to strike fear into this family while at times giving a sense that he is not all seems. Wallace Ford is really good as the father trying to protect his family. Unsure of sticking it out or finally going to the police. Winters is good as the girl who takes a fancy to Garfield I think just because he showed interest in her. In spite of all that is going on you take her feelings that this may be her only chance at a romance. Surely, she couldn't have that kind of interest in him.
Chris
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."