Was married to Ann also !rudyfan wrote:Oh, I do not mind Mr. Brent at all. He was not that hard on the eyes (although he did get rather burly toward the end, around the time of Spiral Staircase). He was rather wooden as an actor, but, as supportive eye candy for all the great leading ladies, he was fine. Hard to match up to all that talent he was up against on screen. He was certainly no William powell, but who was, besides William Powell?
He was a bit of a rogue and ladies man, if I recall correctly? I know he was married to Chatterton and had an affair with Bette Davis, right?
Mr. Brent
Re: Mr. Brent
- JackFavell
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Re: Mr. Brent
I don't know, he's never thrilled me, but he has a very nice cheekbone to chin area - the part that shades in nicely making him look rugged when he has good lighting. And he seems very good natured in his photos. I was actually surprised at how relaxed he looked in some of them. I also notice how many ladies he is actually propping up - he's like a nice, friendly, great big backdrop.
Re: Mr. Brent
I prefer the early George Brent. Or should I say, the pre-mustache George Brent. ;)
I always like that bit of Irish lilt to his voice. He couldn't hide the accent entirely, though he did a good job of it.
Last night I watched The Keyhole, which was Brent's first pairing with Kay Francis. It's a pre-Code from 1933, so the goings-on can be pretty sordid. Kay's slimy first husband is blackmailing her because he never filed the divorce papers, so her current marriage to a bazillionaire is fraudulent. Kay has already paid hubby no. one a lot of money but he keeps asking for more. Rich hubby knows something is going on, so he hires private detective George Brent to follow her. Brent's speciality is spying on married women and sometimes he produces the needed evidence himself by sleeping with the ladies. (!) (In fact, that's how we meet him -- in a rent-by-the-hour hotel where he's just "proved" his latest case.) But when he's hired to follow Kay, it turns into a Vertigo precursor and he finds himself falling in love. Well, who wouldn't, given how gorgeous Kay looks in her series of stunning Orry-Kelly gowns, and the enormous sets built to set her off.
It's not the snappiest pre-Code around but it has its moments. ;)
Comic relief provided by Allen Jenkins as Brent's sidekick and Glenda Farrell as the grifter who ropes him (Jenkins) in. ;)
This was a big hit for Kay Francis and helped seal her position as queen of the Warners lot.
I always like that bit of Irish lilt to his voice. He couldn't hide the accent entirely, though he did a good job of it.
Last night I watched The Keyhole, which was Brent's first pairing with Kay Francis. It's a pre-Code from 1933, so the goings-on can be pretty sordid. Kay's slimy first husband is blackmailing her because he never filed the divorce papers, so her current marriage to a bazillionaire is fraudulent. Kay has already paid hubby no. one a lot of money but he keeps asking for more. Rich hubby knows something is going on, so he hires private detective George Brent to follow her. Brent's speciality is spying on married women and sometimes he produces the needed evidence himself by sleeping with the ladies. (!) (In fact, that's how we meet him -- in a rent-by-the-hour hotel where he's just "proved" his latest case.) But when he's hired to follow Kay, it turns into a Vertigo precursor and he finds himself falling in love. Well, who wouldn't, given how gorgeous Kay looks in her series of stunning Orry-Kelly gowns, and the enormous sets built to set her off.
It's not the snappiest pre-Code around but it has its moments. ;)
Comic relief provided by Allen Jenkins as Brent's sidekick and Glenda Farrell as the grifter who ropes him (Jenkins) in. ;)
This was a big hit for Kay Francis and helped seal her position as queen of the Warners lot.
Last edited by pvitari on March 17th, 2010, 12:45 am, edited 2 times in total.
Re: Mr. Brent
How could I have missed Glenda and Allen? WAH
Great still of Mr. Brent in shadows on the spriral staircase. He was sort of wallpaper for the portraits of the leading ladies, wasn't he? But nice wallpaper.
B
Great still of Mr. Brent in shadows on the spriral staircase. He was sort of wallpaper for the portraits of the leading ladies, wasn't he? But nice wallpaper.
B
Re: Mr. Brent
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I looked him up because I knew he was married to one of my favorites, but couldn't remember which one. I don't know if he was in the army or not, but something happened to him in 1947 when he married 4th wife Janet Michaels. The marriage lasted until her death in 1974, but until then his record was: Ruth Chatterton 1-1/2 years, Constance Worth 8 mos., and Ann Sheridan, exactly 1 year. How he could have an affair with Bette Davis while married to Ann Sheridan is a total wonder to me, but I guess there's no accounting for taste. Not that Bette isn't cute, but she doesn't hold a candle to Ann, in looks, sexiness, or personality.
I prefer him with the mustasche, and I'm a gal who normally hates facial hair on a man. I convinced Mr. L. to shave his mustasche off after over 20 years of having it, and he never went back, Thank you!!!
I looked him up because I knew he was married to one of my favorites, but couldn't remember which one. I don't know if he was in the army or not, but something happened to him in 1947 when he married 4th wife Janet Michaels. The marriage lasted until her death in 1974, but until then his record was: Ruth Chatterton 1-1/2 years, Constance Worth 8 mos., and Ann Sheridan, exactly 1 year. How he could have an affair with Bette Davis while married to Ann Sheridan is a total wonder to me, but I guess there's no accounting for taste. Not that Bette isn't cute, but she doesn't hold a candle to Ann, in looks, sexiness, or personality.
I prefer him with the mustasche, and I'm a gal who normally hates facial hair on a man. I convinced Mr. L. to shave his mustasche off after over 20 years of having it, and he never went back, Thank you!!!
Anne
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