WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

[RedRiver]

Film noir doesn't have to be black and white. This thing looks like a Disney film!

[feaito]

On Sunday, I also revisited one of my very favorite films: "The Constant Nymph" (1943) of which I had seen three or four times, a so-so bootleg copy I bought from a private collector many years ago (and which I shared with many film-buff friends), but watching the beautiful, pristine print released by the Warner Archive made a great difference, because in a way, it was like watching it for the first time.

The only thing that detracted a little bit from the enjoyment of the film was the fact that with the better image, it is far more apparent that the scenes that take place in Switzerland are studio-bound.

Joan Fontaine's performance as Tessa Sanger is secondary only to the one that she gave in “Letter from an Unknown Woman” (1948), under Max Ophüls’ deft direction. It’s indeed quite amazing that a 26 year old woman, was able to convey so well the personality and traits of a teenager; her physical language, her clumsy movements, her awkward posture and way of looking down; her shyness and that otherworldly ethereal quality that relates her to other heroines such as Jennie Appleton (“Portrait of Jennie” (1948)). Her portrayal is superb. She repeated this feat in the aforementioned masterpiece. Her coyness and honesty moved me completely, especially when the film ended.

On the other hand, Alexis Smith as Tessa’s English cousin, Florence Creighton is the epitome of the sophisticated, worldly woman; alluring, sophisticated, full of feminine resources….absolutely the opposite of Tessa Sanger and Ms. Smith manages to give a very good performance as well.

I’d say that this movie belongs primarily to both actresses and that Charles Boyer’s role is like a moon that rotates around two planets; his skill as an actor serve as a reflection of the glorious performances of Fontaine and Smith.

I did not find Erich Wolfgang Körngold’s score intrusive or distracting in this film, as other people have; in fact the Main Theme was pivotal in making this film an unforgettable experience and touching me completely at the end.

A film that I’d like to show to many friends, but alas, it has no subtitles and some of them do not speak the language.

Last night I saw Max Ophüls’ “Caught” (1948), a superb realistic, gritty drama with Noir touches (does it classify as a Noir?) starring Barbara Bel Geddes, in perhaps her most notorious role ever?, James Mason and Robert Ryan.

Geddes is an aspiring, childish and ambitious model who thinks she wants to be rich and marry for money, but who’s really looking for love and fine partner with whom to share her life.

She meets a tortured, ruthless and sadistic multi-millionaire, impressively portrayed by Robert Ryan (I had never seen him playing a powerful, affluent man) and marries him, but he treats her as another possession and dirt under his feet.

A disenchanted Geddes’ leaves Ryan and ends working as a secretary for an idealistic doctor (James mason in a very different role) who befriends her.
The film is devoid of artificiality and everything breathes realism.

My wife and I loved the film and were pleasantly surprised.

[Robert Regan]

Alison, I first saw Leave Her to Heaven when I was quite a small lad, and I never forgot the two scenes you mention. Her work was shamefully underrated throughout the forties and fifties, in spite of excellent performances in Heaven Can Wait, Laura, Dragonwyck, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Where the Sidewalk Ends, and Advise and Consent. So often, "they" just don't take the extraordinarily beautiful women and men seriously. It's still happening today.

[CineMaven]

Ha! Well you take Benicio, but you better stay away from my man.... uh..... men...(all of whom are dead and gone for about 50 years).

Yes ma'am. I have not, nor will I ever try and steal away Joseph Calleia or William Powell. They won't leave you. Besides, I don't want a beatdown or have you sic Lily on me.

Survived Oliver Stone's film "SAVAGES." I enjoyed the film. Sex. Drugs. Violence. Revenge. All the things that'll probably keep SSO members away in droves. But it was damned good story telling, believable acting, suspense, and yes...there's Benicio and Salma burning a hole in the screen. Travolta does a nice turn as well. What would you do for love? The story of this triangular love affair mixed with drug cartels gives the plot its impetus and energy.

[CineMaven]

Hi Alison. “LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN.” Is this your first time seeing it or are you revisiting this? Oh boy, what a towering classic of the 1940’s this movie is. Gene was phenomenal, wasn’t she? She was nominated for an Academy Award for this. Bob, I like how you mention some of her other worthy performances. Yeah, she's been unfairly overlooked in favor of work of more “serious” actresses. ( At TCM's film fest, Kim Novak sadly said her beauty was "a crown of thorns." ) I enjoy watching her insidious jealousy worm its way throughout her entire family. Frankly I think they need a SWAT team to rescue the family from their hostage situation. ( “Ellen always wins.” ) The cinematography was fantastic. A friend of mine said the color gave her a headache ( huh? ) Me, I wanted to dive in it was so saturatingly enticing. Yes Wilde is overshadowed. I think a stronger actor wouldn’t have worked as well. Gene is a tsunami, a torrent of pathology overwhelming him and everyone in her path.

What was your favorite scene in the movie? And what'd you think of Vincent Price. He was besotted with Gene too.

Jeanne Crain has got to be the prettiest girl of the 1940’s. But she’s got the chops to back things up, if she’s given a chance to be more than just a pretty face. Just watch the first two minutes of this YouTube clip to see Jeanne blast Gene with both barrels. Just the first two minutes. Yes, Gene’s never looked more beautiful. She’s breathtaking and deadly. She ramps up the stakes. You've got to give it to a girl who'll go the lengths she goes to to hold onto her man...even her own death: ( "I'll never let you go." ) There's a hole inside her that she can't fill from the outside in.

She’s a Venus flytrap. She is poison.

[charliechaplinfan]

Bob, I completely agree with you, some of these actresses, particularly get hardly a mention when it comes to performances rather they were clothes horses or poster girl. Gene was so beautiful, the kind of beauty that makes one stare only at her and miss what else is going on. Then we see Gene and Jeanne, now if I were man, I don't think I could decide, it's like when I was choosing a puppy, I could have the final say, only I couldn't they were all too adorable. That's Gene and Jeanne, how does one chose, that's it, go for a pyschopath not the one with sweet charm.

It's my first viewing Theresa prompted by your moviechat clip, I realised I'd never seen it and saw it looked stunning. I didn't know where to put the post but thought that more people would see it here. She's deadly and yet can be so sweet like in The Ghost and Mrs Muir, we were talking about Jennifer Jones, Gene is anothre actress that I haven't really fully appreciated until I've been through a few movies.

Cornel Wilde was the right casting, it's not a role that called for a top rung leading man but a good solid leading man who could get buffeted between the two of them.

[Robert Regan]

"A CROWN OF THORNS"

Theresa and Alison, this comment from Kim Novak is a real heart-breaker.

To many of us men and women whose looks are somewhat less than "gorgeous", it may sound facetious, but it is true. During the fifties and sixties, the height of her popularity, she was generally not taken seriously as an actress, but rather thought of as Columbia's blonde bombshell and answer to Marilyn Monroe whose aspirations to art and developing her craft were also widely considered laughable. Novak was never given credit for her professional skill, in spite of her excellent work from her first roles in Pushover and Phffft through The Man with the Golden Arm, Middle of the Night, Strangers When We Meet, Kiss Me Stupid, and her last film Liebestraum. To my embarrassment, and even shame, I too was one of those who did not recognize this remarkable woman's talent until quite a few years later.

Even in a business which places a high value on physical appearance, beauty can be a liability. Though there are some people whose primary goal is to be a movie star (apparently Joan Crawford for one), most of these men and women are deeply hurt when considered "just another pretty face". They are actors, artists who wish to create and be recognized for their work.

Thus, one of my mottoes, in life as well as film, is "Don't underestimate the cute blonde!"

[RedRiver]

"Don't underestimate the cute blonde!"

I'm still spinning over a redhead!

What was your favorite scene in the movie?

Definitely the drowning scene. Spine tingling! I appreciate a dark story presented in rich, beautiful colors. It's refreshing. You can't challenge the black and white classics. But variety is nice.

[JackFavell]

I think what makes Leave Her to Heaven work so well is a big dose of real life.... this movie seems to me to be exactly what 1940's women would understand (and maybe modern women too). The intrusion of the in-laws just as the marriage is starting, the doubts a bride might have about a rival, the little brother who would be like a grown child, left to her to bring up.... all these things are something any married woman would groan and complain and worry over. I find myself somewhat sympathetic with Gene when I watch, the greatness of the movie is turning it upside down and making a normal women's picture a noir masterpiece, she's twisted and horrible yes, but are her feelings actually natural? Would any man still take her over Jeanne? I say yes. She's only looking for love, complete and total love, without rival. Those poor women in the 40's..... here they are told that to be jealous, to be upset over intrusions into their marriages is sick and twisted.... for shame!

[RedRiver]

I took a playwriting class where the teacher said, Everybody is a potential murderer and a potential saint. All it takes is that one little event that puts them over the edge. Can any of us say for sure, "I would NEVER do that"? This is what film noir, and classic drama, are all about. Make the choice. Left or right. Now live with the consequences.

[charliechaplinfan]

I thought she was cold, cold, cold. How it dawns on the audience just like her husband how twisted she is, only we're one jump ahead of him. The scene of the lake is spine tingling and has to go into movie lore as one of those most memorable of scenes, the beauty and the scenery and the deadliness and coldness of the water.

I watched another classic last night, this time one I'd seen before. Marty, I'd been meaning to watch it again and given present news I thought now was as good a time as any. I knew it was special the first time I watched it and I'm not sure I can think of a film were the two leads play characters that are described as losers quite as much as these two are, especially poor Betsy Blair, how many times is she refered to as a 'dog' in the course of the picture? If Marty is in need of sympathy, on the surface at least he is bluff about it whereas Clara carries that misery for all to see, like a dog left in a pound, the one that nobody wants. Under the surface Marty is hurting badly and every well meaning or not so well meaning Italian housewife who goes in his butchers shop is pushing the knife further in. He's pushed around by everyone, a soft touch for a loan, a man to make up numbers, a cousin in law who is too preoccupied to give him advice. No one listens to Marty, apart from his Mum when she wants him to go to The Stardust ballroom, that speech is tinged with so much pain and Mamma feels for her boy. The irony is when he does bring a nice girl home, she isn't willing to like her and neither are his friends. The meeting with Clara doesn't bode well, Marty is tapped up to take her home after her arranged date feels like he's got a dog, he refuses but another guy has a go, Marty sees her crying and gives her his big manly shoulder to cry on. They dance, the talk, Marty talks, a lot, the man who nobody listens to can't stop talking, a lot of talking, hopes and dreams, life. he takes her home, he tries to kiss her, she won't let him, he's hurt then just as they make up Mum comes home. Then he takes her home and he's so happy but the next day the doubts creep in, followed by the ciritcism of Mamma and jealous friends and the big fool doesn't ring her like he should. For anyone who hasn't seen it, I'm not saying anymore. It's a movie for anyone who has ever been wrongfooting by love, or felt rejected, unsure, ugly etc who couldn't understand Marty, they'd have to be hard hearted. I couldn't imagine anyone else playing Marty, a pity we didn't get to see more of Betsy Blair on the big screen, I couldn't imagine anyone else playing Clara.

[movieman1957]

I like "Marty." I was quite surprised by it the first time. I never saw Borgnine do anything like it. It's a film I can understand. Before I met The Bride I knew exactly what Marty was feeling. Doubt, low self esteem, unsure of yourself, nerves, frustration and wondering if you are going to spend your life alone. (I still share many of those feelings except for the last one.)

It is a melancholy film. Marty and Clara are both fine people but I couldn't help wondering if the biggest hurdle was their own feelings of themselves. "I'm not good enough" seems to bring them where they are.

Saying anymore would be too much too so I'll let it go.

[charliechaplinfan]

Unlike most pictures that are made with people who look far better than most mere mortals can aspire too, Marty is about real people. It does hold up really well.

[RedRiver]

I couldn't imagine anyone else playing Marty

Rod Steiger created the role in a live TV play. Hollywood went on to film it with a higher level of production and a different star. Borgnine is fine in the role, and Betsy Blair simply breaks my heart. The scene where she quietly waits for Marty to call, trying hard, but not successfully, to conceal her anguish, is painful to watch. She's exceptional in the role.

This is a classic in every sense. It's beautifully scripted, filmed with a gentle intimacy, and tells a timeless story. Who among us hasn't felt like this at one time or another? My guess is, we all have. As has twice been stated, this master work holds up very, very well. I think the reason is, we all know the story. We've lived it ourselves.