The Silver Screen Oasis

RedRiver wrote:Sam and Brigid have seen a lot of the seedy side of life.

In Hammett's format establishing "Continental Op" stories, the detective dives right into this pool. He loses days to an opium binge. Wakes up to gin. He's just about as comfortable with the underworld as with the law. I was young when I read these stories. I was shocked! I thought, This is the good guy! This is Dashiel Hammett.

How do two guarded people let their guard down enough to fall in love?

Sam and Brigid are in love. That's what makes the situation so tragic. I'm glad fans of the movie see that. The book makes it abundantly clear. The movie could almost take a little time to develop that aspect. It looks a little like they're just playing around. But this bolt of cinematic lightning is not inclined toward extra footage. Anything that would have hampered that exquisite pace had to go. I can't fault that choice. How could I? This is one of my favorite movies!

I'm going to have to read some Dashiell Hammett, I loved Chandler when I read his work but it sounds like Hammett's pushes the envelope even further.

Hammett is not as poetic as Chandler. Some of his stuff is less than brilliant. But if you're looking for hardcore, it doesn't get any harder than this real life Pinkerton man!

one has to give up love for the greater good

Even Captain James T. Kirk wrestles with this choice in STAR TREK 3.

"You have lost so much. Your ship. Your son."
'If I hadn't tried, the price would have been my soul."

A real life Pinkerton man too, I am going to have to read him.

"BEHIND OFFICE DOORS" ( 1931 )



MARY ASTOR, ROBERT AMES, & RICARDO CORTEZ

Silly me...I was two-thirds through this movie when I realized, "I saw this before." Well...no matter. I watched it again ( and so should you - just click on the foto ) and really liked it. Pre-code. Ahhh. Ames takes Mary's cigarette and smells it: "It's not hashish," he says. (( )) Ha!! Welll now. I think moviegoers back then were a lot smarter than I am now. The subtler they were, the more people understood. And today? The more they show the less I understand subtlety. The plot behind office doors? You know the score: secretary - smarter than her boss; puts him over swell so he becomes a big success thus becoming too good for her. He has to go through some trauma to see that he really needs her and loves her. And she has to go through...well...Ricardo Cortez. He's nice here. Yes, he makes his moves on her, but that's to be expected; it's the law. But Mary's always in control. You could see she'd do just as well in the business world as with home & hearth...or in "Atlantic City." She's light, breezy, in command. With a voice as clear as a bell, she's mature, classy, sexy. Yeah, I think that's the trait that describes Mary Astor best: class. Imagine, this is two years before "RED DUST." And four years before "DODSWORTH." AND ten years before "THE MALTESE FALCON."

What took Hollywood so long?

Time for me to leave the pre-code world of lingerie and light drama, and get a little "feisty". Yep. I think I'll step into the dark brooding world of noir thanks to director Felix Feist and ChiO.

Ooh, thanks for posting, Maven! I think I've seen this one before too, but I'll have to take a gander at it. Yay! Another Cortez movie, and with my favorite, Mary Astor! I can't wait!

[u]CineMaven[/u] wrote:Imagine, this is two years before "RED DUST." And four years before "DODSWORTH." AND ten years before "THE MALTESE FALCON."

What took Hollywood so long?

I can't resist...

• "Who's Mary Astor? Get me Mary Astor. Get me a Mary Astor type. Get me a young Mary Astor. Who's Mary Astor?"

She's so good in DODSWORTH. I love that she could play a kind, spiritual woman as well as a deadly, unpredictable one. Quite the versatile performer.

When she looks at Ruth Chatterton and simply says "Don't". The best line in the movie next to Walter Houston's parting shot to his wife.

CarrieLiz wrote:I can't resist..."Who's Mary Astor? Get me Mary Astor. Get me a Mary Astor type. Get me a young Mary Astor. Who's Mary Astor?"

By the by...What an eagle eye you have noticing that foto of Frances Dee in the background ( already I forgot the thread you posted that in )...I first noticed in her in a little nothing of a film with William Holden: "MEET THE STEWARTS" and was hit right between my eyes. She's very soulfull. Is that the right word?

Soulful, yes. That's very much the right word for Frances.

Hmm... It seems several threads have been Dee-railed lately. ( *whistles, looks innocent* ) By way of amends, and to put at least this one thread back on track, I offer a favorite still of Mary from my collection: this smashing bit of publicity for "The Palm Beach Story".


( Click the image for a better view. )

Mary Astor is one of my top screen crushes. I just can't get enough of her. Sometimes that's a problem because she seems to play supporting roles more often than leading ones. I love Behind Office Doors because it's all about Mary. As you say Maven, the story itself is a little shopworn, but she makes it much more than it ought to be. Heck, she even makes Robert Ames look good. That's one that I watch again and again.

She aged with such dignity. Maybe I should say she PLAYED maturity. In reality, MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS was only three years after "Falcon;" ACT OF VIOLENCE a mere four years after that.

intothenitrate wrote:I love Behind Office Doors because it's all about Mary. As you say Maven, the story itself is a little shopworn, but she makes it much more than it ought to be. Heck, she even makes Robert Ames look good. That's one that I watch again and again.

She was great in it. Have you, or you Red, seen her in "DESERT FURY"? There's Something About Mary...

Love that portrait from Palm Beach Story! Love Palm Beach Story for that matter...