My old college friend (and Theresa's) Brian Camp posted an interesting article on his blog about Borzage's China Doll and Daniel Mann's The Mountain Road.
http://briandanacamp.wordpress.com/2012 ... /#more-515
His focus is on the two films' racial attitudes and the depiction of the Chinese characters, particularly the leading women. Though I consider the late Borzage movie to be far superior to the other, he makes some valid points and provides a lot of fascinating information about Chinese actresses in American films. If you read this, let Brian know what you think.
If any of you Borzage fans haven't seen China Doll yet, watch for it. It's very good, Victor Mature is at his best with Frank. I'm going to take another look at it today or tomorrow, keeping Brian's thoughts in mind. Borzage dealt quite honorably with race a few times during his long career, but as I recall this is his only interracial couple.
FRANK BORZAGE
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feaito
Re: FRANK BORZAGE
Yesterday I finished watching Borzage's first picture for MGM during the thirties "Big City" (1937) starring Luise Rainer and Spencer Tracy and I enjoyed it. Rainer plays a Rumanian immigrant who is married to an independent NYC Cab driver (Tracy). Their scenes together are very well handled by the masterful director and although Tracy's technique is very different from Rainer's, IMO they have good chemistry and rapport onscreen. I liked the contrast of Rainer's ethereal, dreamy quality and Tracy's tender, down to earth, naturalistic approach. ***spoilers*** The film's ending, which features a huge fight in which such prizefighters as Jack Dempsey and Bull Montana participate, seems to belong to other film altogether and was reportedly filmed by a Contract "B" Director (Robert Sinclair?).
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moira finnie
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Re: FRANK BORZAGE
[youtube][/youtube]
It's time for a bit of visual poetry to flicker past us, friends.
As part of the disability on film being explored throughout the month on TCM, Lucky Star (1929), a story of a wounded veteran's return to life, with Charles Farrell and Janet Gaynor, premieres tonight, Tuesday, Oct. 9 @ 8:00 PM (ET).
This is one of several Frank Borzage films I'm looking forward to seeing for the first time. The estimable film scholar, Dan Callahan has an intriguing review of this movie at Slant magazine:
http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/revie ... -star/2279
It's time for a bit of visual poetry to flicker past us, friends.
As part of the disability on film being explored throughout the month on TCM, Lucky Star (1929), a story of a wounded veteran's return to life, with Charles Farrell and Janet Gaynor, premieres tonight, Tuesday, Oct. 9 @ 8:00 PM (ET).
This is one of several Frank Borzage films I'm looking forward to seeing for the first time. The estimable film scholar, Dan Callahan has an intriguing review of this movie at Slant magazine:
http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/revie ... -star/2279
Re: FRANK BORZAGE
I *adore* Lucky Star, kind of to the point of obsession. It is my favorite of the three silent films Borzage made starring Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell. It is Farrell's best performance IMHO and shows you what he really could do, given the right direction and material. If you are not a puddle of goo by the end, check into the hospital -- you might be dead! Or need a stint in the Reformatory for the Eternally Cynical. :) It is NOT corny (sorry, person quoted in Dan Callahan's review). It is about an emotion so powerful, transcendent and elemental that it makes miracles happen and it works because this is an expression of Borzage's personal vision, not just some tear-jerker studio product. He was a romantic through and through; unfortunately, the woman who won his heart and married had another way of looking at the world.
Speaking of miracles, Lucky Star was lost for decades. A complete print of the silent version finally surfaced in a Dutch museum in (I think) the early 90s. There was a talkie version but it is still lost.
By the way, I did screencaps for Lucky Star a while back. :) http://paulasmoviepage.shutterfly.com/silents
The art direction for this film is very expressionistic, and the scene where Tim (Farrell's character) comes over the hill on crutches is probably a direct visual quote from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
Speaking of miracles, Lucky Star was lost for decades. A complete print of the silent version finally surfaced in a Dutch museum in (I think) the early 90s. There was a talkie version but it is still lost.
By the way, I did screencaps for Lucky Star a while back. :) http://paulasmoviepage.shutterfly.com/silents
The art direction for this film is very expressionistic, and the scene where Tim (Farrell's character) comes over the hill on crutches is probably a direct visual quote from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
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MissGoddess
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Re: FRANK BORZAGE
It's my favorite of their movies, too. I highly recommend it.
"There's only one thing that can kill the movies, and that's education."
-- Will Rogers
-- Will Rogers
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moira finnie
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feaito
Re: FRANK BORZAGE
Paula's words reflect my feelings exactly....Corny? (person quoted in DC's review) Borzage never indulged in that; his films are pure art.
Last edited by feaito on October 9th, 2012, 4:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: FRANK BORZAGE
Moira, I would love to hear what you think of it after you see it so I hope you post something. :)
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: FRANK BORZAGE
I'd like to know what you think of it too, Moira. I love the partnership of Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell and as good as Seventh Heaven is, Lucky Star tops it, a difficult thing to do. Charles Farrell's role gives him chance to show what he could do and Janet Gaynor's role could have been played by Mary Pickford had it been filmed earlier. The romance is developed as only Borzage could manage, it's one of Borzage's best romances, by the end of the film I was on the edge of my seat.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
Re: FRANK BORZAGE
Boy oh boy did I blow it. I had it on and let it slip through my fingers. Silents aren't my thing. And even seeing the hunky Charles Farrell ( who could have given George O'Brien a run for his money ) in a wheel chair, I let my remote control do the talking. Reading the reviews here, particularly yours Paula ( since you're mostly making "time" with Ben Johnson ), deepens my regret. And having heard my friend Bob speak so admiringly of Borzage, and doing a little trepidacious discovery of Borzage myself, I really now must sit in the corner with my nincompoop hat on. Facing the wall.[u]PVITARI[/u] wrote:I *adore* Lucky Star, kind of to the point of obsession. It is my favorite of the three silent films Borzage made starring Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell. It is Farrell's best performance IMHO and shows you what he really could do, given the right direction and material. If you are not a puddle of goo by the end, check into the hospital -- you might be dead! Or need a stint in the Reformatory for the Eternally Cynical...
I'll have to catch this classic on its next go 'round.
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: FRANK BORZAGE
You will indeed, do give it chance Theresa, silents are an acquirred taste but this one is one of the very best and if you were going to dip your toe into silents it's as good as any place to start.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
Re: FRANK BORZAGE
Cinemaven, I assure you, my love for Charles Farrell is entirely Borzagean (sorry Ben). ;)
The Borzage Farrell-Gaynor silents were all released on standard DVD in that giant Murnau and Borzage box set from Fox, but after that Fox's classics program went bust and there were never any separate DVD releases or Blu-rays.
But -- you can get them on Blu-ray from France in region-free editions!
Box set of the three films:
7th Heaven:
Street Angel:
Lucky Star:
For more wonderful Charles Farrell, the U.K. company Masters of Cinema has a region-free Blu-ray of City Girl:
Definitely worth spending the shekels (or should I say, francs).
I often wonder what Charles Farrell's career would have been like if silents had lasted for another 10 years. He was an extremely appealing physical presence, not just because of his good looks, but for his physical grace and his ability to convey emotion wordlessly, but sound sadly diminished him. His voice was a nasally tenor with a pronounced Massachusetts accent -- probably what everyone thought John Gilbert sounded like (but didn't) when they read stories about his not having a good voice for silents.
The Borzage Farrell-Gaynor silents were all released on standard DVD in that giant Murnau and Borzage box set from Fox, but after that Fox's classics program went bust and there were never any separate DVD releases or Blu-rays.
But -- you can get them on Blu-ray from France in region-free editions!
Box set of the three films:
7th Heaven:
Street Angel:
Lucky Star:
For more wonderful Charles Farrell, the U.K. company Masters of Cinema has a region-free Blu-ray of City Girl:
Definitely worth spending the shekels (or should I say, francs).
I often wonder what Charles Farrell's career would have been like if silents had lasted for another 10 years. He was an extremely appealing physical presence, not just because of his good looks, but for his physical grace and his ability to convey emotion wordlessly, but sound sadly diminished him. His voice was a nasally tenor with a pronounced Massachusetts accent -- probably what everyone thought John Gilbert sounded like (but didn't) when they read stories about his not having a good voice for silents.
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Robert Regan
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Re: FRANK BORZAGE
Friends, I am so thrilled to see so much admiration and love for Lucky Star, a film I have loved dearly ever since its rediscovery. Borzage's four last silents, Seventh Heaven, Street Angel, The River, and this are all so good that my favorite is invariably the one I have just seen! Of these four, the only one known to exist back when I first became interested in him was Seventh Heaven. Frequently, when a lost classic is rediscovered or when we finally catch up with a movie we have wanted to see for eons, there is a bit of disappointment. Not the case with these! All three are at least as good as the wonderful Seventh Heaven.
There is so much to praise in Lucky Star, starting with the fascinating variation on what had already become the standard Gaynor-Farrell roles. In Borzage, one of the lovers usually teaches the other how to be a better person. Here, each learns from the other. Charlie removes the grime from the amoral tomboy to reveal, to his shock, a budding young woman. She shows him that he can use his legs. As usual in his films, their eyes tell much of the story, and here Borzage is especially adept and poetic in the way he shows their hands and feet.
The last couple years of the silent era produced so many moving films of such incredible beauty. They must have felt that the change was coming and that soon their way of telling a story would be altered forever. Among others, the Borzages, Sjostrom's The Wind, Stroheim's The Wedding March, and especially Sternberg's The Docks of New York are beautiful touching dramas that show just what the silent film could do.
There is so much to praise in Lucky Star, starting with the fascinating variation on what had already become the standard Gaynor-Farrell roles. In Borzage, one of the lovers usually teaches the other how to be a better person. Here, each learns from the other. Charlie removes the grime from the amoral tomboy to reveal, to his shock, a budding young woman. She shows him that he can use his legs. As usual in his films, their eyes tell much of the story, and here Borzage is especially adept and poetic in the way he shows their hands and feet.
The last couple years of the silent era produced so many moving films of such incredible beauty. They must have felt that the change was coming and that soon their way of telling a story would be altered forever. Among others, the Borzages, Sjostrom's The Wind, Stroheim's The Wedding March, and especially Sternberg's The Docks of New York are beautiful touching dramas that show just what the silent film could do.
Re: FRANK BORZAGE
Ron, thanks for reminding me of The River, one of Borzage's most sensual films -- but just as transcendent as his others. Sadly it has not survived in its entirety, but the most essential scenes are extant and are must sees for fans of Borzage, Farrell and his City Girl co-star Mary Duncan.
The film has been reconstructed from an incomplete print in the Fox vaults with an additional scene found on a Swedish print.
Unfortunately, The River also is not available on a separate DVD in the U.S., but it is in Germany. :) This is a standard DVD and you'll need a multi-region/format DVD player as it is Region 2 and PAL.
Kind of pricey (31 Euros) but worth it as it is a two disc set:
Edition Details:
DVD 1
• The River 1929, 55'
• Murnau and Borzage at Fox - The Expressionist Heritage 2007, 36'
• Stills and production stills from The River
• Rare original documents about the film and Frank Borzage's early films as PC ROM feature
DVD 2
• The Pitch o'Chance 1915, 25'
• The Pilgrim 1916, 28'
• Nugget Jim's Pardner 1916, 25'
• Music accompaniment by Günter A. Buchwald (grand piano, violin and viola)
• Production stills showing Frank Borzage as actor and director in the beginning of his career
Ron -- Janet Gaynor was quite the feisty little girl in Lucky Star, wasn't she? I loved her ability to play ornery and to let that tough shell melt under the tender tutelage of Farrell's wounded vet.
The film has been reconstructed from an incomplete print in the Fox vaults with an additional scene found on a Swedish print.
Unfortunately, The River also is not available on a separate DVD in the U.S., but it is in Germany. :) This is a standard DVD and you'll need a multi-region/format DVD player as it is Region 2 and PAL.
Kind of pricey (31 Euros) but worth it as it is a two disc set:
Edition Details:
DVD 1
• The River 1929, 55'
• Murnau and Borzage at Fox - The Expressionist Heritage 2007, 36'
• Stills and production stills from The River
• Rare original documents about the film and Frank Borzage's early films as PC ROM feature
DVD 2
• The Pitch o'Chance 1915, 25'
• The Pilgrim 1916, 28'
• Nugget Jim's Pardner 1916, 25'
• Music accompaniment by Günter A. Buchwald (grand piano, violin and viola)
• Production stills showing Frank Borzage as actor and director in the beginning of his career
Ron -- Janet Gaynor was quite the feisty little girl in Lucky Star, wasn't she? I loved her ability to play ornery and to let that tough shell melt under the tender tutelage of Farrell's wounded vet.