(6/2/00)
It's riveting from start to finish. This is powerful movie-making. And it was made with a sense of outrage. This is about a man who was sentenced to a chain gang for a minor offense. Really, the only thing he did wrong was run from the police. He escapes and makes a success of himself, but his identity is dicovered. He agrees to voluntarily rerturn to the state he escaped from, having been promised a pardon. The pardon doesn't happen. He escapes again and at the film's end is a man who can only flee--and steal.
It's exciting stuff. It's even more exciting in that it is based on a true story. This film is the equivalent of muckraking journalism. And it points its finger directly at authority. James Allen's speech when he learns that his promised pardon was denied is pure rhetoric--but it is forfceful and scathing.
I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang presents a vivid and convincing picture of life in America. It is a raw, tough, down-to-earth picture. James Allen comes home from World War I. He wants to go into construction, but is instead persuaded to resume his pre-war desk job in a mill. He finall gives that up to follow his dream. But work is hard to find and he becomes a bum. This is "real life" with which 1932 audiences were all too familiar.
The life on the chain gang is a sharply-drawn picture. I remember in particular how Allen was hit for simply wiping the sweat from his brow. None of this is glamorous; it is all gritty and down-to-earth.
The most shocking part of the film is when Allen goes back to the chain gang voluntarily, believing in promises which were made to him but were not kept. It seems like a stupid thing for him to do, but this basically decent man believes in "the authorities." He doesn't question authority, even after what it did to him in the first place. That, I think, is the real lesson of the film--that belief in institutionalized authority is a very dangerous illusion. And it is stated with such a sense of outrage. This is a pretty subversive film.
And of course the second escape appears to ruin his life. After having spent a decade (or thereabouts) making something of himself he is unable to keep a job because someone or something alwys turns up. The final, pointed indictment of the criminal justice system are Allen's last words in response to the question "How do you live?" He answers, "I steal."
So much of the impact of this film is communicated visually. I forget the specific details that impressed me, but this is a very visual film. I remember one very effective scene when the camera dollies in to Allen's face at a crucial moment. But it is full of great moments, such as when he is told, after having returned to the chain gang for a year that the commission had suspended
decision on his pardon--indefinitely.
And some of the minor characters are wonderfully etched characterizations. Allen's clergyman brother who sits back and asks Allen to "tell us all about the war" is memorable as is the southern lawyer who assures him that he'll get the pardon, but that the clerical job they promised him "isn't so definite."
It is also worth mentioning how Allen is preyed upon by a woman who blackmails him into marrying her and then turns him in when he wants a divorce. There are a great many things to admire in this film, not the least being that heartbreaking final scene when he visits the woman he loves but can never have, then hears the sound of someone approaching and fades into the darkness.
I would really like to know more about the man on whom this film was based. What was the rest of his life like after that film came out?
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
42nd Street. 1933. Directed by Lloyd Bacon.
(5/30/00)
This is probably the classic musical about putting on a Broadway show and it is probably the most famous of the musicals that Busby Berkeley made at Warner Brothers in the 1930s. And I think it deserves to be. It is not a silly comedy, but a film about believable characters and what goes on behind the scenes.
It doesn't have Footlight Parade's relentless energy. Instead it has a series of scenes which genuinely involve the viewer on an emotional level. The scenes are allowed to breathe--we don't have a sense of being bombarded. I felt more relaxed watching 42nd Street--and more interested.
The center of the backstage story is the character played by Warner Baxter. He has done great shows, but doesn't have anything money-wise to show for it. He's not well and is risking his life for this one. It is his last chance. And at the end of the film he sits alone, unacknowledged, after his show has succeeded. Poignacy doesn't hurt a picture like this.
Then there is the intrigue about the leading lady. A wealthy admirer (and she is probably sleeping with him) is bankrolling the show on her behalf. Meanwhile, she is seeing her ex-boyfriend on the sly. It is an arrangement that is making no one happy.
What was interesting for me was the realization that both the wealthy man and the leading lady feel degraded by this arrangement. He certainly knows that people are laughing at him behind his back and she knows that everyone knows that she only has the part because of her relationship with this man. That really came through. And the situation is resolved when, after spraining her ankle, she finally realizes her true values and gives up her dubious career to marry the man she really loves.
Guy Kibbee comes up with another discovery to do the part, but there is a truly touching moment when Joan Blondell admits to Warner Baxter that she can't do it justice, but that she knows someone who can. She does the right thing and points him in the direction of newcomer Peggy Sawyer, played by Ruby Keeler.
Warner Baxter is just right as he gives pep talks to Ruby Keeler. It seems a little too much, but it isn't. The man is desperate; this is his last chance. And it is quite a metamorphosis as Sally changes from an amateur into a star. Those scenes are archetypal, practically.
But 42nd Street is, more than anything else, about its musical numbers. And they are classics. They are, first of all, a first-class group of songs. "You're Getting to Be a Habbit With Me," "Shuffle Off to Buffalo" and "42nd Street" have deservedly become standards that everyone knows.
It's Busby Berkeley's show all the way, but I'm not going to say very much except that the scenes are well worth the wait. It's too bad that "You're Getting to Be a Habit With Me" doesn't get a big production number. I would have liked to see Ruby Keeler paired with Dick Powell for "Shuffle Off to Buffalo," but you can't have everything. "I'm Young and Healthy" is one of the best examples of Busby Berkeley's overhead shots of dancers arranged in moving abstract patterns. It is an art deco fantasia, brilliantly set off by its black background. And "42nd Street" provides an exuberant finish.
Ruby Keeler has her one memorable role as Peggy Sawyer. It was the right woman in the right role at the right time. She has major chemistry with Dick Powell which was not repeated in Footlight Parade. And it is fun to see Ginger Rogers sporting an affected British accent.
Gold Diggers of 1933 and Gold Diggers of 1935 also have some very fine production numbers, but 42nd Street just has a special something.
(6/2/00)
I want to qualify my comments on Ruby Keeler and say that I thought she was quite fetching as "Shanghai Lil." And I very much liked the scene (Footlight Parade) in which Herman Bing goes over the titles of songs in the music library that have something to do with cats.
This is probably the classic musical about putting on a Broadway show and it is probably the most famous of the musicals that Busby Berkeley made at Warner Brothers in the 1930s. And I think it deserves to be. It is not a silly comedy, but a film about believable characters and what goes on behind the scenes.
It doesn't have Footlight Parade's relentless energy. Instead it has a series of scenes which genuinely involve the viewer on an emotional level. The scenes are allowed to breathe--we don't have a sense of being bombarded. I felt more relaxed watching 42nd Street--and more interested.
The center of the backstage story is the character played by Warner Baxter. He has done great shows, but doesn't have anything money-wise to show for it. He's not well and is risking his life for this one. It is his last chance. And at the end of the film he sits alone, unacknowledged, after his show has succeeded. Poignacy doesn't hurt a picture like this.
Then there is the intrigue about the leading lady. A wealthy admirer (and she is probably sleeping with him) is bankrolling the show on her behalf. Meanwhile, she is seeing her ex-boyfriend on the sly. It is an arrangement that is making no one happy.
What was interesting for me was the realization that both the wealthy man and the leading lady feel degraded by this arrangement. He certainly knows that people are laughing at him behind his back and she knows that everyone knows that she only has the part because of her relationship with this man. That really came through. And the situation is resolved when, after spraining her ankle, she finally realizes her true values and gives up her dubious career to marry the man she really loves.
Guy Kibbee comes up with another discovery to do the part, but there is a truly touching moment when Joan Blondell admits to Warner Baxter that she can't do it justice, but that she knows someone who can. She does the right thing and points him in the direction of newcomer Peggy Sawyer, played by Ruby Keeler.
Warner Baxter is just right as he gives pep talks to Ruby Keeler. It seems a little too much, but it isn't. The man is desperate; this is his last chance. And it is quite a metamorphosis as Sally changes from an amateur into a star. Those scenes are archetypal, practically.
But 42nd Street is, more than anything else, about its musical numbers. And they are classics. They are, first of all, a first-class group of songs. "You're Getting to Be a Habbit With Me," "Shuffle Off to Buffalo" and "42nd Street" have deservedly become standards that everyone knows.
It's Busby Berkeley's show all the way, but I'm not going to say very much except that the scenes are well worth the wait. It's too bad that "You're Getting to Be a Habit With Me" doesn't get a big production number. I would have liked to see Ruby Keeler paired with Dick Powell for "Shuffle Off to Buffalo," but you can't have everything. "I'm Young and Healthy" is one of the best examples of Busby Berkeley's overhead shots of dancers arranged in moving abstract patterns. It is an art deco fantasia, brilliantly set off by its black background. And "42nd Street" provides an exuberant finish.
Ruby Keeler has her one memorable role as Peggy Sawyer. It was the right woman in the right role at the right time. She has major chemistry with Dick Powell which was not repeated in Footlight Parade. And it is fun to see Ginger Rogers sporting an affected British accent.
Gold Diggers of 1933 and Gold Diggers of 1935 also have some very fine production numbers, but 42nd Street just has a special something.
(6/2/00)
I want to qualify my comments on Ruby Keeler and say that I thought she was quite fetching as "Shanghai Lil." And I very much liked the scene (Footlight Parade) in which Herman Bing goes over the titles of songs in the music library that have something to do with cats.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Footlight Parade. 1933. Directed by Lloyd Bacon.
(5/29/00)
It's frenetic. The viewer gets caught up in the sheer energy of the whole thing. It's about the trials and tribulations of a showman who, facing extinction due to talking pictures, decides to produce prologues to accompany those pictures.
A young James Cagney plays the showman. He faces a competitor who steals his ideas, partners who are screwing him out of his share of the profits, a woman who wants to marry him for money, and a host of other plagues. He fights his way through all these troubles in a manner reminiscent of the performance he was to give so many years later in Billy Wilder's One, Two, Three. And we even get to see him sing and dance.
This is film of the depression. It is about struggle, hard work and an aggressive attitude towards life's challenges. It shows show business as just that--business--and damn hard work as well.
This picture has a wonderful ensemble, including Cagney, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Huy Kibbee, Frank McHugh and Hugh Herbert. They are all fun to watch, although Hugh Herbert grates on me a little. Dick Powell is likable and eager and all that, though why he is so interested in Ruby Keeler when she looks so dowdy is a little beyond me.
The film takes a tough, cynical stance, particularly where relationships are concerned. I addition to being pursued by a mercenary woman, Cagney is married to a woman who doesn't go through with a divorce when it looks like Cagney will make good and then wants $25,000 to leave him alone.
The musical numbers are what the audience waits for in this film. They are strung together at the end. They are elaborate fantasies concocted by Busby Berkley. "Honeymoon Hotel" is a lot of fun with its midget dressed as a child and ending up in bed with Powell, but I was a little disappointed with "By a Waterfall" which has no story, but does have elaborate visual designs. Perhaps the song itself didn't grab me.
"Shanghai Lil" is the finale of the film and quite memorable. It is clever how we hear the music of "Shanghai Lil" throughout the film, preparing us for this finale. I loved it how the male performer didn't feel he can go on and he and Cagney come to blows. A figure falls onto the stage just as the curtain goes up, but we don't see who it is. The camera follows the unidentified figure through the first part of the sequence and then finally reveals that it is Cagney himself. I really liked that.
"Shanghai Lil" goes a little overboard towards the end with its legions of sailors, performers forming a great American flag with a picture of FDR and then the NRA symbol. But then, the whole picture tends towards the over-the-top. But it's certainly enjoyable.
(5/30/00)
One great moment I neglected to mention is when Frank McHugh rehearses a love duet with Dick Powell. (They hadn't chosen the female singer yet.) He sings the lines that were meant to be sung by a young woman with a cigar in his mouth. I really enjoyed that.
It's frenetic. The viewer gets caught up in the sheer energy of the whole thing. It's about the trials and tribulations of a showman who, facing extinction due to talking pictures, decides to produce prologues to accompany those pictures.
A young James Cagney plays the showman. He faces a competitor who steals his ideas, partners who are screwing him out of his share of the profits, a woman who wants to marry him for money, and a host of other plagues. He fights his way through all these troubles in a manner reminiscent of the performance he was to give so many years later in Billy Wilder's One, Two, Three. And we even get to see him sing and dance.
This is film of the depression. It is about struggle, hard work and an aggressive attitude towards life's challenges. It shows show business as just that--business--and damn hard work as well.
This picture has a wonderful ensemble, including Cagney, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Huy Kibbee, Frank McHugh and Hugh Herbert. They are all fun to watch, although Hugh Herbert grates on me a little. Dick Powell is likable and eager and all that, though why he is so interested in Ruby Keeler when she looks so dowdy is a little beyond me.
The film takes a tough, cynical stance, particularly where relationships are concerned. I addition to being pursued by a mercenary woman, Cagney is married to a woman who doesn't go through with a divorce when it looks like Cagney will make good and then wants $25,000 to leave him alone.
The musical numbers are what the audience waits for in this film. They are strung together at the end. They are elaborate fantasies concocted by Busby Berkley. "Honeymoon Hotel" is a lot of fun with its midget dressed as a child and ending up in bed with Powell, but I was a little disappointed with "By a Waterfall" which has no story, but does have elaborate visual designs. Perhaps the song itself didn't grab me.
"Shanghai Lil" is the finale of the film and quite memorable. It is clever how we hear the music of "Shanghai Lil" throughout the film, preparing us for this finale. I loved it how the male performer didn't feel he can go on and he and Cagney come to blows. A figure falls onto the stage just as the curtain goes up, but we don't see who it is. The camera follows the unidentified figure through the first part of the sequence and then finally reveals that it is Cagney himself. I really liked that.
"Shanghai Lil" goes a little overboard towards the end with its legions of sailors, performers forming a great American flag with a picture of FDR and then the NRA symbol. But then, the whole picture tends towards the over-the-top. But it's certainly enjoyable.
(5/30/00)
One great moment I neglected to mention is when Frank McHugh rehearses a love duet with Dick Powell. (They hadn't chosen the female singer yet.) He sings the lines that were meant to be sung by a young woman with a cigar in his mouth. I really enjoyed that.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
I Walked with a Zombie. 1943. Directed by Jacques Tourneur.
(5/28/00)
I kept thinking that this film could have been a pilot for Strange Paradise. It has a sort of highbrow feel to it with fine photography and dignified action, but I found it disappointing.
It is hard to follow, or maybe part of it was that I kept expecting more--more secrets to be revealed. Two brothers were in love with thye same woman. She was married to one of them. She is in a coma or is a zombie or something similar. The nurse is determined to bring her back to health, believing that her husband loves her and wants her back. But he indicates that he doesn't want her to be restored to himin a way that suggests that we are going to learn something startling about their relationship. We don't.
The big revelation is that the mother used voodoo to kill thye woman. She's really dead. Or is she? The doctor points out that she still has the characteristics of the living. This is never resolved. Is the woman alive or dead?
The scenes of voodoo ceremonies are nice to watch. I didn'tfind them frightening or anything like that. This could be from living in a more sophisticated time and having seen the same sort of thing in Live and Let Die. If the filmmakers could have developed more intrigue about the voodoo I might have become more involved.
There is a fantastic character of a black man who seems to be a zombie. He has large, bulging eyes. He comes to the house where the people live and his presence there, since we don't know what he is there to do) is genuinely unnerving. But I think that the best, most haunting scene in the film is when the nurse and one of the brothers go to a cafe. A singer sings te tale of the family's story, not knowing that one of the brothers is there. When informed of this he immediately desists and comes over and obsequiously apologizes. But after the brother passes out he takes on a totally different demeanor and finishes the story (the song). He is like a figure of fate or something.
We keep seeing a statue of St. Sebastian pierced by arrows, which was the figurehead of a ship. It was a slave ship or the ship that first brought the family to the island. I don't know what it was intended to symbolize.
I kept thinking that this film could have been a pilot for Strange Paradise. It has a sort of highbrow feel to it with fine photography and dignified action, but I found it disappointing.
It is hard to follow, or maybe part of it was that I kept expecting more--more secrets to be revealed. Two brothers were in love with thye same woman. She was married to one of them. She is in a coma or is a zombie or something similar. The nurse is determined to bring her back to health, believing that her husband loves her and wants her back. But he indicates that he doesn't want her to be restored to himin a way that suggests that we are going to learn something startling about their relationship. We don't.
The big revelation is that the mother used voodoo to kill thye woman. She's really dead. Or is she? The doctor points out that she still has the characteristics of the living. This is never resolved. Is the woman alive or dead?
The scenes of voodoo ceremonies are nice to watch. I didn'tfind them frightening or anything like that. This could be from living in a more sophisticated time and having seen the same sort of thing in Live and Let Die. If the filmmakers could have developed more intrigue about the voodoo I might have become more involved.
There is a fantastic character of a black man who seems to be a zombie. He has large, bulging eyes. He comes to the house where the people live and his presence there, since we don't know what he is there to do) is genuinely unnerving. But I think that the best, most haunting scene in the film is when the nurse and one of the brothers go to a cafe. A singer sings te tale of the family's story, not knowing that one of the brothers is there. When informed of this he immediately desists and comes over and obsequiously apologizes. But after the brother passes out he takes on a totally different demeanor and finishes the story (the song). He is like a figure of fate or something.
We keep seeing a statue of St. Sebastian pierced by arrows, which was the figurehead of a ship. It was a slave ship or the ship that first brought the family to the island. I don't know what it was intended to symbolize.
Monday, November 16, 2009
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. 1948. Directed by John Huston.
(5/28/00)
It is strange seeing this again. This is one of the films that I grew up with, that I watched over and over on television. I haven't seen it in many years and I found it difficult to reconnect with it.
It is a film about gold and what gold does to those who pursue and obtain it. Walter Huston talks about how gold affects prospectors and how they never get enough. He seems to be a figure of wisdom. But what is interesting is that the film which unfolds does not bear out his words.
Three men go out seeking gold. They find it. Two of them remain basically sane, decent people. It is only one who goes crazy. So the film does not bear out Walter Huston's words. Yes, gold can affect people as he describes--but that shouldn't be taken as a foregone conclusion. And, in fact, Huston is specifically proved wrong because when they have about $35,000 apiece they agree to call it quits.
Humphrey Bogart's performance as Fred C. Dobbs is considered by many his greatest performance. It is a portrayal of a man going mad. The problem I had with it was that as he does his "mad scene" you are one hundred per cent aware that you are watching acting. And that, of course, takes you out of the picture. Still, I don't know how else he should have played it. And it is quite possible that I might have been overly sensitive to it because I have seen this film many times when I was younger.
I said that the other two men remain basically decent and sensible people. They do, but the love of gold does exact a price. Curtin consents to the murder of Cody. Cody met Curtin at a trading post and got a pretty good idea of what was going on. He followed him back to the camp and told the three men that he wanted to join them as a partner. They couldn't just send him away because he would report their illegal activity and claim a share of their gold. Dobbs wants to kill him and Howard (Walter Huston) is willing to take him on as a prtner. Curtin has the deciding vote and the vote is for murder.
This is very sad to see, although Curtin had done everything from the beginning to discourage his questions and the three told him he wasn't wanted. Cody really brought this on himself, but still the love of gold almost put blood on their hands. (The Mexican bandits got him first.)
Curtin finds and reads a letterfrom Cody to his young wife in which he promises that this will be his last trip in search of gold. This seems like a cliche to me, although it certainly seems appropriate.
The great moment in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre comes when Curtin and Howard discover that the Mexicans, not knowing what it was, let the gold blow away. Howard takes it as a great joke on the part of some power and bursts into hearty, almost convulsive laughter. His laughter is indescribable and can only be experienced to its full effect in a theater.
His laughter is the laughter ofacceptance and I think there is a meaning there. I was disappointed when the gold was found to have blown away and I think that is a common reaction. Huston's acceptance of the situation is like a rebuke, because most of the audience cannot share that acceptance.
There is a sense of the earth in this film. When they are ready to leave Howard insists on binding up the wounds of the mountain and thanking it. And when the gold blows away there is that howling wind which seems almost to have a personality. Nature is a powerful force in the sense that it was in the silent Swedish pictures.
Walter Huston's performance occasionally seems too much. I'm thinking of when they were looking for gold on the mountain. I've already mentioned what I thought of Bogart, but his final encounter with the Mexicans was quite fine.
The whole sequence in which Dobbs and Curtin are recruited to work for a man who tries to swindle them out oftheir pay is a very nice introduction to the theme of gold (or money) and its effects on human character.
It is strange seeing this again. This is one of the films that I grew up with, that I watched over and over on television. I haven't seen it in many years and I found it difficult to reconnect with it.
It is a film about gold and what gold does to those who pursue and obtain it. Walter Huston talks about how gold affects prospectors and how they never get enough. He seems to be a figure of wisdom. But what is interesting is that the film which unfolds does not bear out his words.
Three men go out seeking gold. They find it. Two of them remain basically sane, decent people. It is only one who goes crazy. So the film does not bear out Walter Huston's words. Yes, gold can affect people as he describes--but that shouldn't be taken as a foregone conclusion. And, in fact, Huston is specifically proved wrong because when they have about $35,000 apiece they agree to call it quits.
Humphrey Bogart's performance as Fred C. Dobbs is considered by many his greatest performance. It is a portrayal of a man going mad. The problem I had with it was that as he does his "mad scene" you are one hundred per cent aware that you are watching acting. And that, of course, takes you out of the picture. Still, I don't know how else he should have played it. And it is quite possible that I might have been overly sensitive to it because I have seen this film many times when I was younger.
I said that the other two men remain basically decent and sensible people. They do, but the love of gold does exact a price. Curtin consents to the murder of Cody. Cody met Curtin at a trading post and got a pretty good idea of what was going on. He followed him back to the camp and told the three men that he wanted to join them as a partner. They couldn't just send him away because he would report their illegal activity and claim a share of their gold. Dobbs wants to kill him and Howard (Walter Huston) is willing to take him on as a prtner. Curtin has the deciding vote and the vote is for murder.
This is very sad to see, although Curtin had done everything from the beginning to discourage his questions and the three told him he wasn't wanted. Cody really brought this on himself, but still the love of gold almost put blood on their hands. (The Mexican bandits got him first.)
Curtin finds and reads a letterfrom Cody to his young wife in which he promises that this will be his last trip in search of gold. This seems like a cliche to me, although it certainly seems appropriate.
The great moment in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre comes when Curtin and Howard discover that the Mexicans, not knowing what it was, let the gold blow away. Howard takes it as a great joke on the part of some power and bursts into hearty, almost convulsive laughter. His laughter is indescribable and can only be experienced to its full effect in a theater.
His laughter is the laughter ofacceptance and I think there is a meaning there. I was disappointed when the gold was found to have blown away and I think that is a common reaction. Huston's acceptance of the situation is like a rebuke, because most of the audience cannot share that acceptance.
There is a sense of the earth in this film. When they are ready to leave Howard insists on binding up the wounds of the mountain and thanking it. And when the gold blows away there is that howling wind which seems almost to have a personality. Nature is a powerful force in the sense that it was in the silent Swedish pictures.
Walter Huston's performance occasionally seems too much. I'm thinking of when they were looking for gold on the mountain. I've already mentioned what I thought of Bogart, but his final encounter with the Mexicans was quite fine.
The whole sequence in which Dobbs and Curtin are recruited to work for a man who tries to swindle them out oftheir pay is a very nice introduction to the theme of gold (or money) and its effects on human character.
Sullivan's Travels. 1941. Directed by Preston Sturges.
(5/26/00)
Veronica Lake shines. She has tremendous presence in this picture and for me she has a lot more impact than Joel McCrea. It is a joy to watch her in the diner as she offers to buy him eggs. This is a very assertive, modern young woman and the slow, laid-back way she speaks her lines is thoroughly engaging. I would really like the opportunity to see more of her films.
Sullivan's Travels is supposed to be a classic. I find it uneven on a first viewing. By that I mean that it is inconsistent in tone. The first part of the film seems like a pretty silly comedy. When Sullivan loses his memory and gets trapped in a chain gang it takes on a seriousness and a power.
When Veronica Lake is dressed as a hobo I thought of Louise Brooks in Beggars of Life. I think those two films--both produced by Paramount--would make a great double feature.
One scene that made an impression on me was when Sullivan went out distributing $5 bills to the homeless. That had impact, especially the looks on their faces. Probably the most affecting scene was when he has been brought low and is in the black church where the prisoners have been invited as guests to see the movie. You can feel the kindness and how much it means and the blessed relief of laughter.
When Sullivan finds himself trapped in the maw of the criminal justice system with no way out he is granted his wish to really experience life and hardship. He gets it with a vengeance. But the funny thing about Sullivan is that he seems sincere in his quest for this knowledge. He really does want to learn. Why the gods seem to thwart his attempts in the first part of the picture don't make a whole lot of sense to me.
And the beauty of Sullivan's Travels is that what Sullivan discovers is his own value, or the value of his talent. He aspires to making something serious instead of the comedies he has been making, but the lesson he learns is that there is value in making people laugh, because laughter is all that some people have. His search for knowledge validates the worth of his talent.
I liked very much that there are a few digs at the income tax. Sullivan is trapped in a loveless marriage which was a business arrangement designed to save him money in taxes. When caught driving his expensive sports car and asked why he's wearing those clothes he says, "I just paid my income taxes."
And there is a very sharp comment on the criminal justice system. Sullivan gets out of the chain gang by getting his picture in the paper so people will know that he is alive and where he is. He does not clear himself of the crime he was charged with. The only thing that changes is the perception of who he is. If you're somebody you don't sweat on a chain gang even if you committed the very same offense. "And justice for all."
Veronica Lake shines. She has tremendous presence in this picture and for me she has a lot more impact than Joel McCrea. It is a joy to watch her in the diner as she offers to buy him eggs. This is a very assertive, modern young woman and the slow, laid-back way she speaks her lines is thoroughly engaging. I would really like the opportunity to see more of her films.
Sullivan's Travels is supposed to be a classic. I find it uneven on a first viewing. By that I mean that it is inconsistent in tone. The first part of the film seems like a pretty silly comedy. When Sullivan loses his memory and gets trapped in a chain gang it takes on a seriousness and a power.
When Veronica Lake is dressed as a hobo I thought of Louise Brooks in Beggars of Life. I think those two films--both produced by Paramount--would make a great double feature.
One scene that made an impression on me was when Sullivan went out distributing $5 bills to the homeless. That had impact, especially the looks on their faces. Probably the most affecting scene was when he has been brought low and is in the black church where the prisoners have been invited as guests to see the movie. You can feel the kindness and how much it means and the blessed relief of laughter.
When Sullivan finds himself trapped in the maw of the criminal justice system with no way out he is granted his wish to really experience life and hardship. He gets it with a vengeance. But the funny thing about Sullivan is that he seems sincere in his quest for this knowledge. He really does want to learn. Why the gods seem to thwart his attempts in the first part of the picture don't make a whole lot of sense to me.
And the beauty of Sullivan's Travels is that what Sullivan discovers is his own value, or the value of his talent. He aspires to making something serious instead of the comedies he has been making, but the lesson he learns is that there is value in making people laugh, because laughter is all that some people have. His search for knowledge validates the worth of his talent.
I liked very much that there are a few digs at the income tax. Sullivan is trapped in a loveless marriage which was a business arrangement designed to save him money in taxes. When caught driving his expensive sports car and asked why he's wearing those clothes he says, "I just paid my income taxes."
And there is a very sharp comment on the criminal justice system. Sullivan gets out of the chain gang by getting his picture in the paper so people will know that he is alive and where he is. He does not clear himself of the crime he was charged with. The only thing that changes is the perception of who he is. If you're somebody you don't sweat on a chain gang even if you committed the very same offense. "And justice for all."
Saturday, November 14, 2009
(Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Home Movie). c. 1940. Directed by Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
(5/22/00)
What a different experience a home movie can be when itis made by a professional! This is just a home movie of Fairbanks' infant daughter. She gets a bath, plays in her crib, etc. Fairbanks is seen bathing and dressing her, but he is hardly visible. The film is interspersed with "cute" intertitles, supposedly representing the baby's thoughts. And there are beginning and end titles which add to the professional look.
The infant isn't especially adorable, although there are a couple of cute shots of her face as she is being bathed. The intertitles aren't especially clever, but the film was certainly able to engage my interest for nine minutes.
What a different experience a home movie can be when itis made by a professional! This is just a home movie of Fairbanks' infant daughter. She gets a bath, plays in her crib, etc. Fairbanks is seen bathing and dressing her, but he is hardly visible. The film is interspersed with "cute" intertitles, supposedly representing the baby's thoughts. And there are beginning and end titles which add to the professional look.
The infant isn't especially adorable, although there are a couple of cute shots of her face as she is being bathed. The intertitles aren't especially clever, but the film was certainly able to engage my interest for nine minutes.
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