Raoul Walsh

[JackFavell]

Great stories, Ann! I feel the same way about Walsh.

I went looking for the book yesterday, but my small town is not cosmopolitan enough to carry it, it seems. time to order online.

[MissGoddess]

i read his autobio a long time ago, too, and love his storytelling, adventurous spirit and humor. i'm interested in the new book as well.

wendy...i like what you wrote about those Walsh "heroes"...they were definitely men who had outlived their times...and the times became too "small" for them.

[JackFavell]

Thanks, I wasn't even sure what I wrote made sense, it was late last night when I was trying to get my thoughts together. What I really like about Walsh is his ability to bring tragic elements into his films without getting saccharin or mushy in any way. It's beautiful.

[Gary J.]

As everyone here has stated Walsh's autobiography is a great read for the many marvelous tales he spins.

He speaks of his early days as an actor. A scene called for him carrying the heroine across a shallow stream.
Because of the speed of early filmmaking they basically met as the scene was being shot. She was very attractive
and didn't seem to mind being lugged around by a total stranger. After shooting the scene a few times the two
actors were getting noticeably acquainted with each other and she didn't seem to want to leave Walsh's arms.
It was only when the director bellowed "CUT" in a disgruntled tone that Walsh realized the lady was his wife.

I sure hope the new book doesn't set out to disseminate all of Walsh's tales. I'm a firm believer in the Ford
axiom, "Print the legend.' It's more entertaining.

[MissGoddess]

Gary...I had the same thought/fear on the new book...i'm waiting for someone here to "review" and then I'll bite.

[JackFavell]

That would be terrible... in some ways the man is the stories he told. What a charmer.

[MissGoddess]

Some of these autobios recently have been very "dry" and fail to capture any of the personality of their subjects. Let's hope that is not the case here.

[RedRiver]

Miss Goddess,

Nice thoughts on Roy Earle and the people around him. Very insightful. And that dog! What a great character! I'm a big fan of this well written drama.

[MissGoddess]

Hey everyone. If you're a fan of:

1930s movies
Spencer Tracy
Joan Bennett
Raoul Walsh (director)
Depression Era settings
Raucous Irish humor
Beer
Dogs
Gangsters

Then check out the Fox film, Me and My Gal (1932), one of the most entertaining movies I've seen lately from the early 30s. It's the most "Walshian" movie I've seen by the director after his *What Price Glory?[/b], in fact, it's in many ways a real commentary on the world after the "Great War", good and bad. But don't look for serious social commentary like in a William Wellman or Frank Capra movie, Walsh clearly was having a blast in those days and it shows. Most fun to watch is the incredibly sexy repartee between Spencer Tracy and Joan Bennett, which makes me want to sink Father of the Bride et al., into the ocean. To think they started out having so much fun and ended up in separate beds. :p

I hope TCM will try hard to get the broadcast rights to this wonderful romp (with a slightly serious vein of gangsterism). It's too cute and fun to be so little known (I only heard of it myself for the first time a few weeks ago, and never thought I'd find it anywhere). Enjoy, "IT'S JAKE!":

[youtube][/youtube]

[RedRiver]

I really don't know this one. Sounds like it might have things in common with STRAWBERRY BLONDE. Great cast!

[CineMaven]

Awww, what a nice movie. Easy, breezy. The drunk fisherman started to wear on me a little, but it was great to see Spence and Joanie. Yes, by the time they made "Father of the Bride" they were an old married couple; all secrets revealed. Nice and comfortable with each other as a great pair of slippers. But here...here are their beginnings. Spicy, sexy...and chewing gum. She was a good foil for him. Their banter was good.

Tracy: "Do you realize I never knew how much I liked you until you gave me the air."

Bennett: "I guess it's the same with girls. They never fall hard 'till they're dropped."

Tracy chastely kisses Bennett.

Bennett: "Now THAT'S the way to kiss."

Tracy: "Sure, I'm acting like a gentleman."

Bennett: "Yeah. Acting."

The wedding party scene would probably be worthy of Rohanaka's movie food thread. And I liked how Pop got right in front of the movie camera and invited the audience to drink.

I was astounded by the bank robbery. What? Really? I chuckled when I thought of the finesse the heist was handled in "The Asphalt Jungle." I liked in the beginning how Tracy interacted with everyone. Walsh had the action/activity moving moving ever moving forward; it'd rest on Joanie and Spencer...and that back to activity. For me it was seeing Tracy with (a blonde) Joan Bennett that was the lynchpin for me. I liked their "Strange --InnerTube-- Interlude" scene.

Looking over Raoul Walsh's IMDB entry of films, I've seen:

The Roaring Twenties (1939)
They Drive By Night (1940)
They Died With their Boots On (1941)
The Horn Blows At Night (1945)
Silver River (1948)
The King and Four Queens (1956)
Band of Angels (1957)
The Naked and the Dead (1958)

and of course, White Heat (1948)

Walsh can be gritty...but he can be playful as well. Glad I saw it.

[RedRiver]

I hope you've seen HIGH SIERRA. If not, we need to talk!

[CineMaven]

Ooops, Ida, the little doggie...a crippled girl. Yes. Yes, I've seen "HIGH SIERRA."

[charliechaplinfan]

Thank you April for this little gem, I'm downloading it to watch later

[intothenitrate]

I had one of those rare opportunities to screen one of my films for the kids over the weekend. Actually, just one of them, the 11 year old (his brother was sick and decided to stay home with his mom).

We watched Desperate Journey, starring Errol Flynn and directed by Raoul Walsh. He keeps things moving along and doesn't let celebrity get in the way of story. The picture got a thumbs up from my son, which is saying a lot.