Frank Borzage - Forgotten Greatness ?

[feaito]

To all Frank Borzage admirers I highly recommend Hervé Dumont's Book on him titled simply "Frank Borzage (The Life and Films of a Hollywood Romantic)", which I'm currently "devouring".

It is a very well written, scholarly book, that primarily focuses on his films, analyzing them in depth and which was originally published in French.

[MissGoddess]

I loved A Man's Castle and agree it is a must-see for Tracy or Young fans, and of course, a Borzage gem.

Thanks, Feo, for the tip on the Borzage book. I may look for a copy online.

[moira finnie]

Has anyone ever seen Bad Girl (1931)?

It was directed by Frank Borzage and stars James Dunn & Sally Eilers. It was nominated for an Oscar as Best Picture and won an Academy Award for Borzage and screenwriter Edwin J. Burke. Despite that hotsy-totsy poster for the movie above, it was alleged to be a rather realistic look of the impact of the Depression on a young couple.

Word around the internet by the few who've seen it is that it hasn't held up terribly well as a drama. Now that it looks as though we might have a chance to see the legendary flick Man's Castle on Aug. 31st on TCM, (or at least, we are currently scheduled to see it), I'm hoping that this rarity shows up as well. I think it may be one of those Fox Film "lost" movies, unless FMC has a flash of recognition, and begins to sort out some of the gems lying around in their vault....we live in hope...

If anyone knows where it might be found on dvd-r that would be great too. Thanks.

Btw, If you've never had an opportunity to see Borzage's legendary Janet Gaynor-Charles Farrell pairing in Seventh Heaven (1927), here it is in 12 parts on YouTube. (I think the subtitles--with English translations are in Italian). Beggars can't be choosers.

[Ann Harding]

I actually have a copy of Bad Girl. I haven't watched it yet, but I'll certainly have look at it ASAP and let you know what I think of it.

[Ann Harding]

As promised, I watched Bad Girl (1931) last night. First of all, I'll give you a bit of background informations about the film. First it was a bestselling novel by Viña Delmar which was adapted to the stage with Sylvia Sidney in the lead. All the studios were interested to buy the film rights as it was a big success because it dealt with 'taboo' subject: maternity problems and even abortion were mentioned. The film landed in Fox who gave it to Borzage. He didn't want to do it but Fox insisted. In the end, the film script whitewashed most of the taboos. Fox provided Borzage with a shoestring budget of less than $ 100,000 and two unknown actors in the lead parts: Sally Eilers and James Dunn. In the end, the film was a big success at the box-office to the big surprise of Fox which thought it would be Borzage's last production in their studios....

The print I watched was far from wonderful: a video transfer from a washout 16 mm print as I can gather. My first feeling is that the film reminded me of Vidor's Street Scene (1931) with also a long scene outside a staircase which allows us to discover all the people living in the building. This is a very straighforward story of a young girl who meets a boy and they decide to get married. Once married, they starts to drift apart due to mutual misunderstanding regarding the birth of their first child. I had seen Sally Eilers before only in one precode, Wellman's Central Airport (1933) where she plays a pretty tough lady (rather well actually!). She is again a tough talking lady at the beginning, until she meets Eddie (James Dunn). The film has definitely some of the lovely touches of Borzage in his handling of domestic scenes, but, it's certainly not among his best pictures dealing with a young couple. Man's Castle and Little Man, What Now? are infinitely superior visually and in terms of acting. Apparently Borzage had wanted Spencer Tracy for the lead, instead James Dunn is a bit palid. I even found him rather irritating at times: his delivery is rather monocord... Sally Eilers is far more colorful. So overall, not a masterpiece by any rate, but an interesting feature.

[feaito]

Thanks for the through review of this little known Borzage film Christine.

BTW, did you know that there's a city in Chile called Viña del Mar?

[feaito]

Moira has written an excellent essay on "Man's Castle" (1933) and Borzage, which can be read on the following link:

http://tinyurl.com/62qwaz

[myrnaloyisdope]

Well Borzage's greatness will soon be less forgotten with the release of this.

[feaito]

This one is a must-have, but too expensive -at least the list price- if you ask me. Thanks for posting it Myrnaloy

[charliechaplinfan]

It is expensive, I'm glad at least these films are seeing the light of day.

[feaito]

It is expensive, I'm glad at least these films are seeing the light of day.

That's true and there might be chances that this Boxed set will become more "affordable". I want to have it!!

[moira finnie]

I thought that others who enjoy the different qualities of Frank Borzage's movies might like to know that TCM has several of his films--other than the touching Man's Castle (1933), on tap for September.

These include two movies as part of Kay Francis month on TCM: Living on Velvet (1935) (on 9/4), and Stranded (1935) (on 9/25) in which Kay looks for love with George Brent, (who is much more alert than usual). Living on Velvet is set in a lost generation atmosphere and though it is not wholly successful due to an abrupt ending, there are several moments--especially the meeting of Brent and Francis for the first time--that are memorable. If you've ever had the experience of meeting someone and realizing, instantly, that you have a connection beyond words, this film may be for you. In Stranded, Kay Francis appears as a Traveler’s Aid Society worker in a busy San Francisco depot. The love story is a little underdeveloped, but Borzage brings a nice eye for detail to the briefly glimpsed lives of those Kay tries to help through her job.

An evening of Borzage films is set for Friday, 9/12/08 for TCM.

First up for that Friday is Three Comrades (1938), starring Borzage’s muse of the sound portion of his career, the enchanting Margaret Sullavan. The only film to show a touch of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s attempts to write screenplays in its tale of post WWI comrades in a disintegrating society in Germany, it features Franchot Tone, Robert Young and rising star Robert Young. If you've never seen Sullavan, this may be a good film to start with (though I'd probably choose William Wyler's The Good Fairy as her best early role).

Next up that Friday is Secrets (1933), a rarely seen film featuring Leslie Howard at the beginning of his stardom and Mary Pickford at the end of hers, (this was her last film). It is one part romance, (natch), and one part Western, telling the story of California ranchers, (yes, you read that correctly. Not a subject you automatically think of when you read the names of Howard and Pickford, is it?). Sounds curiously intriguing to me.

Lastly, there is one of the attempts of Warner Brothers to put Borzage (a square peg) into one of their profitable round holes in Shipmates Forever (1935), a musical with Dick Powell & Ruby Keeler.

You might think it impossible to slip any of Borzage’s metaphysical musings into such a script, but watch Powell and Keeler’s evolving love and the touching scene when a plebe washes out of Annapolis. The relationship of the leads is much more delicately handled than usual, and there are moments of reflection along with the razzmatazz of the period musical, especially as it dawns on Powell that there might be more to life than his own wants and desires.

Sept. 21st at 8am brings Stage Door Canteen (1943): one of the best of the all star extravaganzas saluting the troops and the stars who served them at the enlisted men’s outpost in major cities. Notable for the only time that Katharine Cornell appeared in a movie, during a brief scene in which she shares a few lines from Romeo and Juliet’s balcony scene with a young soldier (played by Lon McCallister) while handing out oranges to the GIs.

Sept. 29th at 6pm you can see Frank Borzage the actor playing a silent film director in one of his last jobs of his long career in the Kim Novak-Jeff Chandler film based on the life of the legendary actress of stage and very early screen, Jeanne Eagels (1957). (In real life, Borzage never directed Eagels).