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SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR (1952)
Permlink Replies: 21 - Pages: 2 [ 1 2 | Next ] - Original Post: May 22, 2012 11:16 AM Original Post By: TopBilled

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a long and rambling quasi-answer to a very short question
Posted: May 24, 2012 8:21 PM   in response to: Hibi in response to: Hibi
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Hibi wrote:Who has dismissed (Ray Milland's "Lost Weekend" performance?)
Ooooh. Good question. The only concrete answer I can give for now is Danny Peary. who wrote the excellent book Alternate Oscars for which he gives his own picks for actor, actress and picture from 1927 to 1991. Not only did he not think Milland even worthy of a nomination in 1945, but he argues that Boris Karloff should've taken the prize for his role in The Body Snatcher ! (For the record, Boris is fine, but it's supporting.)

It seems in my rusty file cabinet of a mind that I've read other reviews and blurbs here and there that've been a trifle dismissive of Milland and/or The Lost Weekend, arguing that the film with which his performance goes arm-and-arm pales when compared to Scarlet Street and They Were Expendable from 1945- neither one of which would've made sense as a best picture winner. Also, I think because Milland didn't go on to do a lot of other great films post- Weekend, and some of his later stuff really reeks (anyone see Frogs!, Love Story or the thing where his head is glued to Rosey Grier's shoulder?) he gets some rough judgment courtesy of that old B*tch hindsight.

I do wish I could cite more present-day critics who kind of dismiss Milland, but I know when I finally saw Weekend a year ago I did not expect much from him (again, due to what I recall as dismissive blurbs here and there by present day critics going back and time and kvetching about Oscar decisions past.) Again, I wish I could cite examples.

I was not impressed greatly with the film (due in no small part to the weak support from Jane Wyman and Phil Terry) but I was surprised at how AWESOME Milland was. In mon opinion he most certainly did deserve the Oscar, no matter what anyone today has to say about it (and whether or not I remember who said it.)

Edited by: JonnyGeetar on May 24, 2012 8:31 PM


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Re: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR (1952)
Posted: May 24, 2012 11:44 AM   in response to: JonnyGeetar in response to: JonnyGeetar
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Who has dismissed it?

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Re: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR (1952)
Posted: May 24, 2012 11:20 AM   in response to: JonnyGeetar in response to: JonnyGeetar
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JonnyGeetar wrote:
TopBilled wrote:Teresa Wright is sensational in TRACK OF THE CAT. Each nuance, even in a scene with routine action, carries significant meaning.
Yes, but it's very tough for me to watch her in that film. Shadow of a Doubt is one of my ten favorites of all time, and I worry as I watch Wright in Cat that this is how sweet little Charlie ended up, once her (perfectly understandable) issues with men ruined things with MacDonald Carey.

Think of how alarmed I became to turn on THE STEEL TRAP and find that Charlie had MARRIED her dead homicidal uncle!


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Re: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR (1952)
Posted: May 24, 2012 10:00 AM   in response to: TopBilled in response to: TopBilled
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TopBilled wrote:Teresa Wright is sensational in TRACK OF THE CAT. Each nuance, even in a scene with routine action, carries significant meaning.
Yes, but it's very tough for me to watch her in that film. Shadow of a Doubt is one of my ten favorites of all time, and I worry as I watch Wright in Cat that this is how sweet little Charlie ended up, once her (perfectly understandable) issues with men ruined things with MacDonald Carey.

...Oh, and I do stand by me original assertion that the star wattage of the terrific trio of Wright, Milland and La Fontaine was (a tad?) dimmer in the early fifties. Although Fontaine managed to star in the occasional big hit ( The Emperor Waltz and the later rather risque Island in the Sun )she missed the chance to do From Here to Eternity (a shame!) and some of her other stuff of the period- The Bigamist and Born to be Bad come to mind- as having a "B" aura about them.

I used to be "meh" on Milland, but then I finally saw The Lost Weekend. It's a shame his performance int hat film has since been underrated and dismissed by more than one present-day critic as I thought he was utterly amazing.

Edited by: JonnyGeetar on May 24, 2012 10:02 AM

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Re: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR (1952)
Posted: May 24, 2012 9:13 AM   in response to: ginnyfan in response to: ginnyfan
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My favorite performance of Teresa Wright's occurs in THE LITTLE FOXES with Bette Davis. Also, I think she's sensational as Robert Mitchum's spinster sister in TRACK OF THE CAT. Each nuance, even in a scene with routine action, carries significant meaning.

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Re: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR (1952)
Posted: May 24, 2012 8:41 AM   in response to: TopBilled in response to: TopBilled
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Double post.

Edited by: ginnyfan on May 24, 2012 8:43 AM

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Re: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR (1952)
Posted: May 24, 2012 8:41 AM   in response to: TopBilled in response to: TopBilled
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TCM showed a really nice Screen Director's Playhouse episode ( No. 5 Checked Out) with Teresa Wright last year. William Talman and Peter Lorre were also in it.

I thought Teresa looked better and younger in that than in THE STEEL TRAP which I watched on TCM last week.

My first exposure to Joan was when she played the society gal who almost ruins Mario Lanza's life in Serenade. Not the best film, but we played a lot of Lanza records in my house in the '60s. He was sort of my mom's Elvis.

Ray Milland made an easy transition to character actor. He just took off his toupee.

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Re: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR (1952)
Posted: May 23, 2012 11:27 PM   in response to: JonnyGeetar in response to: JonnyGeetar
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Teresa Wright would soon find more work on television. She made occasional returns to motion pictures, usually in high-profile productions. Fontaine continued to do leading roles in A-budget pictures into the 1960s. Milland worked extensively in film for the rest of his career, though by the 1970s he had become a supporting actor.

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Re: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR (1952)
Posted: May 23, 2012 11:23 PM   in response to: twtpark in response to: twtpark
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It doesn't surprise me that Milland worked with her on the role. He would soon start directing films, and I can see him trying to coach a fellow actor to produce the best performance.

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Re: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR (1952)
Posted: May 23, 2012 2:26 PM   in response to: TopBilled in response to: TopBilled
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When Joan was assigned the role of the actress susceptible to the bottle, she said she was doubtful about being able to create an authentic character.It was a stroke of luck for Joan when her good friend Ray Milland, who as an alcoholic in "The Lost Weekend", was assigned to be her co-star. Ray who was well schooled in all the acting devices needed to portray the type was able to give Joan many helpful tips based on his own Oscar winning experience. Together they worked out all the problems that confronted Joan. Joan was entirely convincing in the film and gave Ray a lot of her credit.

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Re: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR (1952)
Posted: May 23, 2012 1:15 PM   in response to: Sepiatone in response to: Sepiatone
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Was he in love with repeated takes a la Wyler? (I've never read about his technique) I remember Joan complaining about doing endless takes for a scene in Something because he couldnt get an effect with a window curtain in the background to his liking..........

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Re: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR (1952)
Posted: May 23, 2012 12:06 PM   in response to: JonnyGeetar in response to: JonnyGeetar
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Stevens made some mighty fine films in his time, but then again...

Max Von Sydow once complained that Stevens was "too catholic" to shoot an historically correct "last supper" scene in The Greatest Story Ever Told . Despite the cast's insistence to do so, he still chose to recreate the DaVinci painting.

Sepiatone


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Re: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR (1952)
Posted: May 23, 2012 12:01 PM   in response to: JonnyGeetar in response to: JonnyGeetar
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I take it you dont like Jean Arthur? Shame! I've never been wild about Giant (too long) but most of his others I've liked (have never sat through Greatest Story or seen his last, Only Game in Town) I think this film is forgotten as it flopped badly...........

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Re: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR (1952)
Posted: May 23, 2012 11:56 AM   in response to: TopBilled in response to: TopBilled
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Count me in, totally disagree with you. I'm not getting into a rebuttal but I'm never bored by Giant, and shame on you about Diary of Anne Frank. Just the fact that the story was told made the film worthwhile.
I love Talk Of The Town. Just curious, are you the poster that was bored by Friendly Persuasion?

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Re: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR (1952)
Posted: May 23, 2012 11:45 AM   in response to: TopBilled in response to: TopBilled
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How inn-teresting! I like the title, I love the cast (esp. Wright and La Fontaine), but I too have never hoid of it.

In imdbing Stevens, i see that it came right before Shane and GIANT , so- clearly- he recovered all right critically, although he did not make many more films after this. It's inn-teresting that this came hot on the heels of his Oscar for A Place in the Sun - I assume all three principle actors were excited to be working with Stevens at this time, especially as the star wattage of all three former Oscar winners was decidedly dimming.

I run the risk of de-reailing the thread when I bust this out on you: I do not particularly care for a good many of the films of George Stevens.

!

For the record: Shane is a great film. I love Gunga Din, Swing Time, and Penny Serenade. I like I Remember Mama. I'm so-so with Woman of the Year. I'm bored by A Place in the Sun, The Diary of Anne Frank and Giant. and I really dislike The Talk of the Town and The More the Merrier (although in both cases that is due more to the presence of Jean "The Human Car Alarm" Arthur) and I think Anne Oakley stinks.

Sometimes I wonder if Stevens became increasingly obsessive to near-Kubrickian levels and drowned everyone in hours of footage and countless retakes. The end result is so often strained, filled with superfluous moments and/or lacking a certain vitality.

All right. How many of you am I p*ssing off with this?

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