Kingrat's Adventures in Film Noir

User avatar
moira finnie
Administrator
Posts: 8024
Joined: April 9th, 2007, 6:34 pm
Location: Earth
Contact:

Kingrat's Adventures in Film Noir

Post by moira finnie »

In an effort to consolidate and gather the wonderful posts being entered on the board for the last week as TCM festival attendees reflect on their recent and past experiences, the following posts originally posted in the Noir Films thread has been copied here. Enjoy!

Kingrat discusses the difficult choices any noir aficionado faces, though his analysis of Try and Get Me makes it an understandable choice:
One of my toughest decisions at the festival was to choose between TRY AND GET ME (1950, dir. Cy Endfield) and MILDRED PIERCE with Ann Blyth in attendance. I happened to see Eddie Muller at the bar in Club TCM, an appropriate place for the czar of noir, and asked him about Cy Endfield, saying that he seemed to be a better director than his reputation. EM: “Which is zero.” We both like ZULU; Muller said that HELL DRIVERS is great; he hadn’t seen SEA FURY, which I like; and he urged me to see TRY AND GET ME. Which is why SueSue will have to tell you about MILDRED PIERCE and Ann Blyth.

Beau Bridges and several members of his family were present, and Beau said that he felt that his father was there in spirit. Beau said that Lloyd Bridges was particularly proud of four films: HOME OF THE BRAVE; TRY AND GET ME; HIGH NOON; and the live TV drama TRAGEDY IN A TEMPORARY TOWN, with a Reginald Rose script. This is the one where Bridges was supposed to bring a baseball bat on stage to smash the headlights of cars of a mob trying to lynch a Hispanic man, but he forgot to bring the bat when he entered. Instead, he went wild and accidentally used the word “g.d.” which was forbidden on television. Beau Bridges also said that his father was a great dad. According to Beau, his father was blacklisted because he had invited the African-American actor Jimmy Edwards home to dinner. They had worked together in HOME OF THE BRAVE.

Eddie Muller said that he had asked Beau if he wanted to bring his family to a film where his dad plays a psycho killer. Cy Endfield was blacklisted and moved to England to work. Because his name was Cyril Raker Endfield, people tended to assume he was English, just as Jules Dassin had to be French. By the way, Endfield is sometimes billed as Cy Enfield and sometimes as C. Raker Endfield.

As advertised by the czar of noir, TRY AND GET ME is quite good. It’s based on the same incident which inspired Fritz Lang’s FURY, an actual lynching in San Jose in the early 1930s. However, the stories are not at all alike except for the storming of the jail scenes. In FURY Spencer Tracy is innocent; I don’t think it’s spoiling the story to say that in TRY AND GET ME this is not the case. The film opens with Frank Lovejoy (excellent in the main role) returning home after failing to get a job. We’re in GRAPES OF WRATH territory. As a noirish fate would have it, instead he meets Lloyd Bridges, who cleverly recruits him for the dark side. Bridges is just terrific. These scenes are, in effect, seduction scenes, and that’s how Bridges plays them and Endfield directs them.

A major theme of the film is how the newspapers build up a series of small-time robberies into a “major crime wave,” probably by East Coast gangsters who have moved in. Richard Carlson, who looks and sounds amazingly like Hugh Marlowe, plays the columnist who fans the flames. He is then aghast when he realizes that he’s created a mob mentality. The voice of reason is his friend, an Italian nuclear physicist (based on Fermi, perhaps?).

That morning I’d seen CAPE FEAR—not exactly a day of light comedy—so I was particularly struck by the contrast between TRY AND GET ME’s emphasis on social breakdown as the reason for crime and Robert Mitchum’s totally evil predator in CAPE FEAR. Does TRY AND GET ME’s faith in social improvement now seem a bit naïve? There’s no explanation for the evil in CAPE FEAR: it’s just there, hard-wired into Max Cady, the Mitchum character.

A fun fact: Beau Bridges hadn’t known beforehand that his mother has a bit part in TRY AND GET ME, playing a reporter who’s come down from San Francisco to cover the case. Eddie Muller didn’t know that, either.
Later on, Kingrat posted about The Killing too:
Before The Killing was shown at the festival, Dennis Bartok interviewed Coleen Gray. She needed assistance getting on and off stage, but mentally was quite sharp and seemed very much like the sweet character she often played. Though it’s only hearsay, she has heard that Stanley Kubrick was looking for a “Coleen Gray type” and someone said, “What about Coleen Gray?” He did not interview her.

She had heard he was a brilliant up-and-comer, so she went to see Killer’s Kiss, which was playing in Inglewood on the lower half of a double bill with Summertime. [You have to love the way Hollywood marketed their films.] At the end of Killer’s Kiss, there was spontaneous applause, which hadn’t occurred for Summertime.

Sterling Hayden had been in the OSS. He was quiet and she was quiet; her code of conduct was not to interrupt another actor’s train of thought. Hayden was a gentleman who knew what he was supposed to do. She thought he was perfect in the movie. As she said, her scenes were “bookends” in the film, so she didn’t work with actors like Timothy Carey. She hadn’t met him before but had seen him baring his teeth in films.

Kubrick’s wife, Ruth Slobotka, was the art director. She remembers that Ruth Slobotka wanted the curtains to hang at a certain angle, then the set man later came by and straightened them, RS later came back on set and re-arranged them, etc. She said she wanted to watch the movie again to see how the curtains finally looked. (Darn it, I forgot to look for this.)

She had imagined that this new genius would invest her with new qualities. In actuality, Kubrick didn’t give her notes. He just printed the scene. (My take is that Coleen Gray gave the qualities her character needed, so Kubrick didn’t interfere with something that worked.) Kubrick did do a good bit of work with Marie Windsor, who has, as Coleen Gray noted, the leading female role.

Coleen Gray suggested that a good story is the apex of the triangle with the director at the left of the base and the actors on the right. She was thrilled and delighted by the finished film—which was indeed the reaction of the audience at the festival.

Really, what’s not to like about The Killing? I could note that the ending is taken from a famous John Huston film, but it works well here, too. Sterling Hayden is at his best (he did not seem remarkable to me in Johnny Guitar or The Asphalt Jungle, or maybe he just got overshadowed by gifted co-stars in the latter film). Coleen Gray is right as the nice girl who’ll go along with her man even against her better judgment. The script is a well-oiled machine. Hey, someone has to play a wacko killer: how about Timothy Carey? The audience loved him, just as they loved Elisha Cook, Jr. and Marie Windsor as a less than perfect couple. We relished every line and every glance. People left the theater talking about Cook and Windsor. I also loved Kola Kariani as the combination chessmaster/thug. What a marvelous conception.

CineMaven and I chatted after the film about the Jay C. Flippen character. She asked if I thought he seemed to have a crush on Sterling Hayden when he suggests that the two of them go off together and disparages the idea of Hayden marrying. Yes, that’s exactly what I saw, and I have little doubt that’s what the actor and director intended.

Kubrick’s direction is outstanding. Notice, for instance, the way he introduces several characters with panning shots which carry them past places which will be significant in the story. Some of the scenes with Marie Windsor and Elisha Cook, Jr. are done in long takes, which you may not notice because the dialogue is so good. One woman who teaches film said that The Killing changed her view of Kubrick, and I agreed. This is definitely my favorite; I prefer the films before 2001: A Space Odyssey where actors and story are as important as directorial effects. Concepts become much more important than characters in his later films, but The Killing is one of those fortunate films where everything seems to have gone right. One of the top noirs? You bet.
Avatar: Frank McHugh (1898-1981)

The Skeins
TCM Movie Morlocks
User avatar
Rita Hayworth
Posts: 10068
Joined: February 6th, 2011, 4:01 pm

Re: Kingrat's Adventures in Film Noir

Post by Rita Hayworth »

Thanks for posting this Moira ... I would love to go one of these someday and I afraid that I'll get lost in the shuffle. With all these things to do, movies to watch, interviews to listen and get a chance to see Robert Osborne, past Stars, and all that in between ... I would be flabbergasted by all of this. Reading this ... and all of those wonderful film noir ... all of you down there are in paradise!
User avatar
JackFavell
Posts: 11926
Joined: April 20th, 2009, 9:56 am

Re: Kingrat's Adventures in Film Noir

Post by JackFavell »

I hope so too, I'd love to see it. Kind Hearts and Coronets is a wonderful film.

I'm sure you've read about John Gielgud's arrest that happened a mere 5 years after this Hamer movie was made, how it came close to destroying his career. I think people now would be shocked to read about it, not realizing that it was against the law at the time. However the case actually helped turn things around eventually.
User avatar
Sue Sue Applegate
Administrator
Posts: 3404
Joined: April 14th, 2007, 8:47 pm
Location: Texas

Re: Kingrat's Adventures in Film Noir

Post by Sue Sue Applegate »

David, your recaps are wonderful. I am so glad you were able to write about these films. I also was torn between Mildred Pierce and Try and Get Me. But I wanted to see Ann Blyth talk about Mildred Pierce, and she was delightul. Your essays are the next best thing to being there, and I an grateful for your in-depth reports and delicious details.
Blog: http://suesueapplegate.wordpress.com/
Twitter:@suesueapplegate
TCM Message Boards: http://forums.tcm.com/index.php?/topic/ ... ue-sue-ii/
Sue Sue : https://www.facebook.com/groups/611323215621862/
Thelma Ritter: Hollywood's Favorite New Yorker, University Press of Mississippi-2023
Avatar: Ginger Rogers, The Major and The Minor
User avatar
JackFavell
Posts: 11926
Joined: April 20th, 2009, 9:56 am

Re: Kingrat's Adventures in Film Noir

Post by JackFavell »

Thanks for talking about Barrie Chase! Sounds like she's doing great! Those dancers (who don't have anorexia) live forever, thanks to all that exercise! Really interesting take she had on her experiences with J. Lee Thompson, Mitchum, and Peck. Loved hearing about Mitchum.
RedRiver
Posts: 4200
Joined: July 28th, 2011, 9:42 am

Re: Kingrat's Adventures in Film Noir

Post by RedRiver »

To me, CAPE FEAR is the ultimate in psychological suspense. It's terrifying, exciting and maddeningly deliberate. Every...CRACK...of a twig puts the viewer precisely where the talented director wants him to be. The quiet, seemingly peaceful, small town aura suits the story perfectly. It's much scarier here than it would be in a major city. You expect violent crime in the city. The dialogue is exceptionally well written. Most, if not all of it, serves the story; moving the plot along, rather than just "having people talk."

Mitchum's character is a monster. His treatment of poor Miss Chase is revolting. But more recent films by Scorcese, Tarantino and a score of less talented artists are much more graphic. Some may consider this classic too harsh. I long for the relative innocence. When suspense was about what MIGHT happen. Not what's spewing out all over the screen.
User avatar
Rita Hayworth
Posts: 10068
Joined: February 6th, 2011, 4:01 pm

Re: Kingrat's Adventures in Film Noir

Post by Rita Hayworth »

So true, of CAPE FEAR ... That's one movie that's alone worth watching - Mitchum made it memorable in more ways than one!
User avatar
moira finnie
Administrator
Posts: 8024
Joined: April 9th, 2007, 6:34 pm
Location: Earth
Contact:

Re: Kingrat's Adventures in Film Noir

Post by moira finnie »

kingrat wrote:I just remembered something else that Barrie Chase said when Cari Beauchamp interviewed her. The producer of CAPE FEAR wanted her to wear short shorts and a halter top (her gesture suggested tying a blouse or halter top around her chest). "Producers never change," Cari Beauchamp quipped. However, the director, J. Lee Thompson, wanted her to wear her own clothes, and that is what she did.
Speaking of Barrie Chase, an extended interview with Ms. Chase is here:

http://silverscreenoasis.com/oasis3/vie ... ase#p94974
Avatar: Frank McHugh (1898-1981)

The Skeins
TCM Movie Morlocks
User avatar
Sue Sue Applegate
Administrator
Posts: 3404
Joined: April 14th, 2007, 8:47 pm
Location: Texas

Re: Kingrat's Adventures in Film Noir

Post by Sue Sue Applegate »

RedRiver wrote:To me, CAPE FEAR is the ultimate in psychological suspense. It's terrifying, exciting and maddeningly deliberate. Every...CRACK...of a twig puts the viewer precisely where the talented director wants him to be. The quiet, seemingly peaceful, small town aura suits the story perfectly. It's much scarier here than it would be in a major city. You expect violent crime in the city. The dialogue is exceptionally well written. Most, if not all of it, serves the story; moving the plot along, rather than just "having people talk."

Mitchum's character is a monster. His treatment of poor Miss Chase is revolting. But more recent films by Scorcese, Tarantino and a score of less talented artists are much more graphic. Some may consider this classic too harsh. I long for the relative innocence. When suspense was about what MIGHT happen. Not what's spewing out all over the screen.
I have to agree with everything you've said, Red.

And I am so grateful for David's wonderful reports.
Blog: http://suesueapplegate.wordpress.com/
Twitter:@suesueapplegate
TCM Message Boards: http://forums.tcm.com/index.php?/topic/ ... ue-sue-ii/
Sue Sue : https://www.facebook.com/groups/611323215621862/
Thelma Ritter: Hollywood's Favorite New Yorker, University Press of Mississippi-2023
Avatar: Ginger Rogers, The Major and The Minor
User avatar
moira finnie
Administrator
Posts: 8024
Joined: April 9th, 2007, 6:34 pm
Location: Earth
Contact:

Re: Kingrat's Adventures in Film Noir

Post by moira finnie »

David, the way you described Barrie Chase reading the letter sent to her from Gregory Peck was so touching. Perhaps I am reading into it, but it seemed that she cherished that letter.

I was so glad to read her appreciative remarks about J. Lee Thompson, who is so well remembered for his big action movies but rarely recalled for his best small films made in the UK, such as Ice Cold in Alex and Tiger Bay. Both of those movies feature fine performances from members of the Mills family--John in both and a very young Hayley in the latter film. Sadly, in an interview near the end of his life, Thompson was his severest critic, commenting once that “I’ve been accused of selling out, and when I look back, I really can’t argue with that description of my career.” I don't think that he knew that any of his American movies would linger in memory, much less being revived at film festivals.
Avatar: Frank McHugh (1898-1981)

The Skeins
TCM Movie Morlocks
RedRiver
Posts: 4200
Joined: July 28th, 2011, 9:42 am

Re: Kingrat's Adventures in Film Noir

Post by RedRiver »

Certainly THE GUNS OF NAVARRONE is nothing to be ashamed of. A tense and atmospheric action film. I just checked his credits on the internet. Most of it, I haven't seen. Or even heard of. Maybe some of it's not what the director himself would have liked. But you know what? Everybody has to make a living. A filmmaker who made three or four top notch movies can be proud of his work. A couple of Planet of the Apes sequels? Well...it's not exactly Dr. Moreau, but I've seen worse!
Post Reply