ANN HARDING

[feaito]

I think you might like Double Harness Ali and maybe When Ladies Meet...

[charliechaplinfan]

I have When Ladies Meet, I'll be watching it soon, hopefully I'll appreciate her more once I've seen it.

[feaito]

Thanks to Knitty today I watched "Prestige" (1932), one of Ann's weakest films but nevertheless worthwhile as an historical document of an Era. On Scott's Bio I read that Ann did not want to do the film and after it was finished she wanted to destroy it or something like that. The film is instilled with "White Supremacy" and a Colonialist point of view. Ann is betrothed to a French Officer who's sent to Indochine to take charge of a Penal Colony. She's the daughter of an Army Officer herself and she follows him and marries him in the middle of the jungle. Melvyn Douglas plays the thankless role of the Officer; a weakling. Ann manages to give a good performance and has some sincere moments on the screen. Especially noteworthy is the sequence with her father in the picture, which might have been quite reminsicent -to her- of her own father who was US Army General. That moment is particularly honest, in spite of what her screen father tells her (that she has to go to Douglas and take him her race as a gift and the prestige of White Men). Of course the natives are portrayed as drunkards, delinquents, mentally inferior, wild et al...In one scene Douglas even gets to whip furiously the natives to demonstrate his supremacy. There's even a black actor (Clarence Muse) whose presence among Asians is not explained (and who ends being a hero, the only one in the film). Adolphe Menjou is fine as cynical captain, giving a portrayal reminiscent of his performances in "Morocco" and "A Farewell to Arms". The location shooting in the Florida Everglades IMO captures the atmosphere of Indochine. BTW, everyone sweats like hell in the film save for Ann's character and Menjou's.

[Ann Harding]

If Prestige carries some terrible racial prejudices, it contains some amazing tracking shots. I thought Tay Garnett directed the film brilliantly. IMHO it's one of Ann's best directed pictures. I find it better than When Ladies Meet which is totally lacking any visual sense.

[feaito]

Cinematically and visually you are right, this film is superior, because it's not static and the tracking shots are impressive, sorry I forgot to mention that, but in terms of plot and acting I very much prefer When Ladies Meet.

I forgot to mention that another thing I liked from the film was the Rooster on the RKO-Pathé logo at the beginning....I haven't seen it many times

[charliechaplinfan]

All hope is not lost, I watched Enchanted April today and enjoyed Ann's performance very much.

[feaito]

It's a beautiful little film, I also liked it.

[feaito]

In relation with "Prestige's" cinematography, I found on the net this interesting piece written by author William K. Everson, whom I admire very much:

Curiously and coincidentally of course, "Prestige" seems almost like a prequel to the earlier Ann Harding/prison colony movie "Condemned" (1929); by reversing their order, they could play as a solid Devil's Island saga for Miss Harding! The title (the prestige is that of being white!) seem like a careful attempt to make Harry Hervey’s original story seem less like his usual exotic melodramas (“Passport to Hell”, “Shanghai Express”) and more like a typical Harding vehicle. It’s less exciting and inventive tan most of director Garnett’s early talkies, but it has to overcome the liability of being unable to surpass its stunning opening scene: a technical tour-de-force taking in back projection, elaborate camera mobility, miniatures and other devices, all winding up with a zoom shot and with only one discernible cut in the whole single-shot opening, which though shorter, must rival the elaborate openings to Welles’ “Touch of Evil” and Altman’s “The Player”. Thereafter Garnett uses zooms and good cuts and much virtuoso mobility, but never to such breath-taking effect. Since its inherent racism is French rather tan American, one can stand back an be intrigued by the attitudes rather tan emotionally involved with them –difficult anyway in a film as basically absurd and dramatically overwrought as this one, which often goes out of its way to be unpleasant. It’s a pity, in a sense, that it didn’t go further. Adolphe Menjou, though second billed, has a relatively small role and plays it along urbane Lubitsch lines –although as you will see from the climax, he is basically a scoundrel. Stroheim (making a brace of films at RKO at the time) could have had a field-day with the role, downing whiskies with that unique neck movement of his, and possibly coming to a really sticky end. Unlike “The Squall”, it has virtually no music –the big scoring “comeback” didn’t occur until later in 1932—and not much more actually happens, the last reel excepted, but whatever does happen does so at a much livelier pace!

[feaito]

Ann Harding has impressed me again and quite unexpectedly!

Here’s the story….for many months I had believed that I had lost my chance of watching many films taped on EP mode on many VHS I own, due to the fact that my AOC LCD TV did not show correctly images from such tapes (the images came and go, intermittently, the sound was OK though). I tried the two Video connections of the TV Set and there was no doin', so I imagined that there was something wrong with my VCR-DVD combo machine (the DVDs played all right and the films recorded in SP also played quite well, but most of my collection is comprised of films recorded off TCM & Cinecanal Classics in EP mode).

Well today I took my VCR-DVD and connected it to my Samsung LCD which is in my bedroom and surprise!! It worked there, so the problem is the AOC LCD TV and not the VCR!! Hurrah!! Many films I hadn’t seen can be watched now!! I had almost gave up hope, because today it is almost impossible to obtain a VCR player.

So I immediately watched two goodies I taped off TCM many years ago (while visiting relatives) and one of them was “The Flame Within” (1935) directed by Edmund Goulding, which I had never seen before but about which I had read quite a lot.

I did not have many expectations, especially due to some lackluster reviews of the film, the ending “imposed” by the Code, etc., but being an Ann Harding admirer I of course had to see it and I’m also fond of Goulding and Herbert Marshall.

It’s good to have no expectations, because sometimes you’re in for treats/surprises... and I was!!

Ann’s performance is splendid: natural, sincere, modern, heartfelt, multi-layered, etc. She’s at her best here. Her approach to the role reminded me of “Double Harness” (1933), the story is very involving, the dialogue very interesting, the psychology of the characters well worked and I "bought" it completely! Herbert Marshall did what he had to do, given the role he was handled, but Louis Hayward surprised so much. I’ve never seen him give such and intense and interesting performance. Maureen O’Sullivan is fine as the neurotic, spoiled patient -hopelessly in love with Louis- and Henry Stephenson is vey good as Marshall’s and Harding’s colleague; but the film belongs to Ann and then Louis Hayward. By the way, the beginning of the film with Marshall and Harding attired in costumes for a party, was quite reminiscent of the previous year’s “Riptide” with Norma Shearer and Herbert Marshall, Norma’s last Precoder.

**Spoilers ahead** Here’s how I “got” the story, Ann as the psychiatrist has always been completely immersed in her profession and job, and romance has no place in her life; she likes and is fond of Marshall, but in reality it’s more a fraternal feeling than anything else. Then she gets to know this patient, the young, handsome, insecure and bold Louis Hayward and true sort of maternal instincts arise, but not only that, for the first time she falls in love too; unwittingly, hopelessly and almost not being able to control it. She’s always had control over everything in her life, but she lost it. She lies to herself, but deep down inside she knows she has fallen for him….the scene back in her apartment when she finds the dog he left for her as a farewell gift is quite telling, especially when they meet again after he’s back in the USA with her wife. One can realize by the look in her eyes, that when he sees this new man, recovered, back from the living death, re-born like the Phoenix, that she loves him. She finally comes to terms with her true feelings: she has fallen in love with a patient and with a man who belongs to another woman, a woman whose whole life depends upon this man and she feels wretched. Doctor Marshall tries to make her believe that she is confused, that her maternal insticts where awoken, maybe so, but that’s not the only thing, she also fell in love with him; with the new re-born man; now secure of himself, bolder than ever and with the world on his hands… he wants her, he confesses his love…she reciprocates his feelings, but she feels it’s not right…he was her patient, she committed a terrible mistake; she broke a rule, she got involved sentimentally with a patient….so the ending for me worked as self-inflicted punishment; Hayward and Harding know they love each other, but must do what they must do. He has to stand by for O’Sullivan in order to save her from collapsing, he has to be the man and do what he is expected to do. Be brave! Doctor Harding, could continue working as a doctor, but no she commits “professional suicide” and punishes herself marrying a man she’s fond of, but who she’ll never love….she’ll probably carry a torch for Hayward all of her life, but for that she punishes herself marrying Marshall and leaving a career she no longer feels worthy of. It's not only for her love that she feels guilty is having been unprofessional whihc hurts her the most.

A truly engrossing, adult film which worked and made sense to me on many levels, with incredible performances. In spite of the Production Code and all; an intelligent film that at least worked for me completely!

Thanks to Ann Harding and Mr. Goulding I’ve discovered yet another gem I did not know that existed. Bravo Ann!

A happy customer!!

[CineMaven]

Hi there,

For those of you who are fans of the beautiful, ethereal, strong, fey and talented ANN HARDING, TCM will be airing a film of hers this Thursday at 1:00pm. Check this out:

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1:00 PM RIGHT TO ROMANCE, THE (1933)

A lady plastic surgeon jeopardizes her marriage when her ex-boyfriend is scarred.
Dir: Alfred Santell Cast: Ann Harding, Robert Young, Nils Asther.
BW-67 mins, TV-G,

* * * * * *

Short and sweet. Enjoy.

[charliechaplinfan]

Hmm, I like Nils Asther, sounds interesting.

[Jezebel38]

For the benefit of other SSO fans of Ann Harding, I just found this rare title of hers on Youtube yesterday - HOLIDAY (1930). Enjoy!

[youtube][/youtube]

[moira finnie]

Oh, Jezebel, thank you so much for sharing this link. I have always wanted to see this version of Holiday. Her biographer Scott O'Brien mentioned that it was by far, one of Ann Harding's very favorite films. I've loved the Hepburn-Grant version but seeing this is great, especially since it also features a young Mary Astor. Edward Everett Horton plays the same character in the 1930 production as he did in the 1938 movie. I am going to have to save this one.

[charliechaplinfan]

I really did appreciate Ann Harding today and not just ann Harding, I found William Powell quite attractive to boot. Double Harness is the best of Ann's films that I've seen so far, a precode, thank goodness. Ann's character Joan does not want to marry for love but as a busines proposition but she picks on the wrong man, William Powell who is rich and a playboy but she falls in love with him after tricking him into marrying her. She has a sister who needs a good slap and a husband who after being forced to marry her after being caught in an uncompromising position plans to divorce her after 6 months. I like the way ann's character is written, she plays William Powell's character so well and is prepared to resig from the game when all the cards are on the table, thankfully he comes through for her. This script does justice to Ann's loveliness and intelligence, some actresses just strike one as intelligent and she is one of them. William Powell is believable as the slightly long in the tooth, been round the block a few times but not completely jaded lover, he's quite romantic, he's just forgotten how to enjoy romance and is more routed in his love of being free, one can see why Ann would fall for him so completely, he's such a urbane man about town.

[JackFavell]

Wow, you captured that movie really well, Alison!