Arturo
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Posts posted by Arturo
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Linda Darnell started out 1941 as 20th's most popular ingenue. Ranking higher than her in the studio hierarchy were the musical blondes for which Fox was becoming known for: top star Alice Faye, new sensation and rival Betty Grable, skating star Sonja Henie; plus the moppets, although Shirley Temple was leaving the studio just then, and Jane Withers was entering an awkward adolescence.
Linda did have a new rival, Gene Tierney, who was proving popular since arriving in mid-1940. Around that time Anne Baxter had also been signed to Fox, but as yet she was still getting supporting roles. Certain roles announced for Linda might be given to Gene or Anne, or other female players, and vice versa. Among these was SONG OF THE ISLANDS, which ended up being made in 1942 with Betty Grable. In the meantime, Linda was making her fourth film with Tyrone Power, BLOOD AND SAND, which like THE MARK OF ZORRO, was a remake of a silent classic (in this case starring Rudolph Valentino), and also directed by Rouben Mammoulian. It featured Power as a rising bullfighter, with Linda as his loyal wife. Coming between them is Rita Hayworh, playing a wordly temptress (in her breakout role). The back story behind the casting of Rita's part is quite interesting, but will be left for another post.
BLOOD AND SAND emerged a visually sumptuous classic, with a beautiful color palette. Linda did her finest acting to date, as noted by the critics. The strong supporting cast included Anthony Quinn, Laird Cregar, Nazimova and Lynn Bari.
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Linda Darnell's first full year in Hollywood, 1940, ended when 20th Century Fox released CHAD HANNA on Christmas Day. This colorful film, which deals with circus life in 1840s Upstate New York, was based on the novel "Red Wheels Rolling" by Walter Edmonds, the author of "Drums Along the Mohawk". And like the movie version of that frontier story, CHAD HANNA starred Henry Fonda. He played a small town boy beguiled by a horse rider with a traveling circus (Dorothy Lamour-again borrowed from Paramount). Fonda schemes to get $5.00 to see her show, and decides to raise it by disclosing the hiding place of a runaway slave, on the underground railroad,to a slaver. He then helps to slave to flee, then runs away with the circus to escape the wrath of the slaver. Darnell, playing the daughter of the slaver who believed Fonda and gave him the five dollars, also runs away to the circus. They both find success there, Fonda as an emcee, Darnell as a horseback rider.
While slow-paced for today's audiences, it is an interesting look at the daily running of a small circus outfit nearly one and three quarter centuries ago, and features a wealth of familiar character actors: among them, Guy Kibbee, Jane Darwell, and John Carradine.
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From the FMC Website:
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14:
6:00 am EST, 3 AM PST:
HELL AND HIGH WATER
Having agreed to go into service for a noted atomic scientist, an American submarine commander (Richard Widmark) soon finds himself involved in foiling a Communist plot.
*Cast:* Richard Widmark, Cameron Mitchell, Gene Evans, Bella Darvi, Victor Francen
*Director:* Samuel Fuller
1954
8:00 am EST, 5 AM PST:
PANIC IN THE STREETS
A medical officer (Richard Widmark) races against time after he discovers two gun-happy hoodlums (Zero Mostel and Jack Palance) are running around the streets of New Orleans carrying the virus to a deadly new plague.
*Cast:* Richard Widmark, Paul Douglas, Jack Palance, Barbara Bel geddes, Zero Moste
*Director:* Elia Kazan
1950
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15:
3:00 am EST, 12:00 AM PST:
THE LONGEST DAY
The Allied Invasion of Europe on June 6, 1944, is retold with an all-star cast.
*Cast:* Robert Mitchum, Sean Connery, Robert Wagner, Robert Ryan, John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Rod Steiger, Richard Burton, Stuart Whitman, Eddie Albert, Richard Beymer, Paul Anka, Tommy Sands, Fabian, Gert Frobe, Sal Mineo, Red Buttons, Steve Forrest, Curt Jurgens, Mel Ferrer, Alexander Knox, Peter Lawford, Jeffrey Hunter, Roddy Mcdowall
*Director:* Andrew Marton
1962
6:00 am EST, 3 AM PST:
LEGIONS OF THE NILE
Mark Antony and Cleopatra rule the eastern part of the Roman Empire. Octavian lands in Egypt with his superior forces are superior, but Mark Antony may still be a force to reckon with. The battle that will decide who will rule the Roman Empire looms ah
*Cast:* Georges Marchal, Linda Cristal, Alfredo Mayo
*Director:* Vittorio Cottafavi
1960
7:32 am EST, 4:42 AM PST:
HEMINGWAY'S ADVENTURES OF A YOUNG MAN
A fictionalized portrait of Ernest Hemingway's youth, based on his semi-autobiographical short stories.
*Cast:* Richard Beymer, Diane Baker, Corinne Calvet, Fred Clark, Dan Dailey, Arthur Kennedy, Ricardo Montalban, Paul Newman, Susan Strasberg, Whit Bissell, Jessica Tandy, Simon Oakland, Sharon Tate, Ernest Hemingway, Franz Waxman, Eli Wallach
*Director:* Martin Ritt
1962
10:00 am EST, 7 AM PST:
THE LONGEST DAY
The Allied Invasion of Europe on June 6, 1944, is retold with an all-star cast.
*Cast:* Robert Mitchum, Sean Connery, Robert Wagner, Robert Ryan, John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Rod Steiger, Richard Burton, Stuart Whitman, Eddie Albert, Richard Beymer, Paul Anka, Tommy Sands, Fabian, Gert Frobe, Sal Mineo, Red Buttons, Steve Forrest, Curt Jurgens, Mel Ferrer, Alexander Knox, Peter Lawford, Jeffrey Hunter, Roddy Mcdowal
*Director:* Andrew Marton
1962
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16:
4:57 am EST, 1:57 AM PST:
THE BULLFIGHTERS
This Laurel and Hardy laugher has the pair in Mexico as private detectives, sent from the States in search of a female criminal.
*Cast:* Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy
*Director:* Malcolm St. Clair
1945
6:00 am EST, 3 AM PST:
THE MAN IN THE GRAY FLANNEL SUIT
Based on the novel by Sloan Wilson, a Madison Avenue executive (Gregory Peck) on the fast track tries to further his career while not sacrificing his home life. The film explores the American suburban corporate culture emerging after WWII.
*Cast:* Gregory Peck, Jennifer Jones, Fredric March, Marisa Pavan, Lee j. Cobb, Ann Harding, Keenan Wynn, Gene Lockhart, Gigi Perreau, Deforest Kelle
*Director:* Nunnally Johnson
1956
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18:
3:00 am EST, 12:00 AM PST:
THE LONGEST DAY
The Allied Invasion of Europe on June 6, 1944, is retold with an all-star cast.
*Cast:* Robert Mitchum, Sean Connery, Robert Wagner, Robert Ryan, John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Rod Steiger, Richard Burton, Stuart Whitman, Eddie Albert, Richard Beymer, Paul Anka, Tommy Sands, Fabian, Gert Frobe, Sal Mineo, Red Buttons, Steve Forrest, Curt Jurgens, Mel Ferrer, Alexander Knox, Peter Lawford, Jeffrey Hunter, Roddy Mcdowall
*Director:* Andrew Marton
1962
6:00 am EST, 3 AM PST:
TONIGHT WE RAID CALAIS
British Intellengence dispatches Commando Geoffrey Carter on a one-man raid to destroy a munitions plant that manufactures bombs in Nazi-occupied France.
*Cast:* Annabella, John Sutton, Lee j. Cobb
*Director:* John Brah
1943
7:15 am EST, 4:15 PST:
THE LONGEST DAY
The Allied Invasion of Europe on June 6, 1944, is retold with an all-star cast.
*Cast:* Robert Mitchum, Sean Connery, Robert Wagner, Robert Ryan, John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Rod Steiger, Richard Burton, Stuart Whitman, Eddie Albert, Richard Beymer, Paul Anka, Tommy Sands, Fabian, Gert Frobe, Sal Mineo, Red Buttons, Steve Forrest, Curt Jurgens, Mel Ferrer, Alexander Knox, Peter Lawford, Jeffrey Hunter, Roddy Mcdowal
*Director:* Andrew Marton
1962
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*Seems to me that Stanwyck was pretty much the Queen of sad films in the 1930s. Bette was more of a fighter.*
Actually, the theme of mother love (and loss) was a big one in the 30s, and most female stars did at least one movie with this as a theme. Even Garbo and Dietrich suffered. Stanwyck was usually a fighter in most of her films, 30s films included. More suffering than her would be the likes of Ann Harding, Sylvia Sidney, Irene Dunne, even Kay Francis. -
A head's up for next week: One of the movies Linda Darnell made for RKO soon after leaving Fox will be featured on TCM. SECOND CHANCE (1953) will be on December 19 at 3:15 PM EST, as part of showing of several early 50s Robert Mitchum films. In this Linda plays a gangster's moll in on the run south of the border from Jack Palance. Taut and suspenceful, it has an exciting climax on a stranded cable car dangling high over a ravine. Originally released in 3-D.
Edited by: Arturo on Dec 13, 2012 9:44 AM
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*The all-star revues count, obviously, because they fulfilled contract obligations.*
While they obviously counted as far as the performer at hand, I didn't count them when discussing a star's prolific output, or lack thereof. Bette probably did her scene(s) in a day or two, certainly in no more than a week. So it's not like to two months or so she might spend filming her own movie in the 1940s.
*In Bette's case, she was competing with Joan Crawford for roles on her home turf at Warners.*
Well, since Better supposedly had rights of first refusal to all scripts at WB, the competition was on a different level, it seems. Plus Joan was not an exercise in activity, averaging about one movie per year there in the last half of the 40s, even less than Davis.
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All I can say is "Ditto, and double ditto"
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*So, anybody have any thoughts on my comparison between Christmas in Connecticut and *Remember the Night*? No?*
While I agree with you that REMEMBER THE NIGHT is the better film over CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT, I love them both. Unreal though CIC may be, it is one of the yearly XMas treats I look forward to, and for all the reasons you mention.
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Immediately after BRIGHAM YOUNG, 20th Century-Fox cast Linda Darnell once again with Tyrone Power in THE MARK OF ZORRO (1940). This remake of a Douglas Fairbanks silent, it became an undisputed classic upon its release, One of the all-time great swashbuckling movies, it has a fun performance by Power as a fop by day, Robin Hood-type by night, trying to right injustices in early 19th Century California. Linda is luscious as the beautiful niece of the corrupt mayor, repulsed by the fop and in love with her hero, the mysterious Zorro. The rest of the cast is first rate.
Under the working title of THE CALIFORNIAN, TMOZ was originally conceived to be shot in Technicolor; it was one of a number of productions in 1940-41 that were so conceived, but ended being Black and White. Nonetheless, director Rouben Mammoulian masterfully used the colonial California ambience in his filming of this classic.
Edited by: Arturo on Dec 12, 2012 11:15 PM
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*I dont understand why it hasnt been already (Amber/dvd).*
Hibi,
Neither do I. This colorful epic, with its starry cast: Darnell, Cornel Wilde, Richard Greene, George Sanders; excellent visuals, exciting action sequences, engrossing storyline, is an outstanding example of the studio-era movie making at its best. And, while I'm not enamored of the concept as others are, it even has a renowned director, Otto Preminger. While on first glance this movie is atypical for Otto, it does have many touches that aficionados can point out as classic Preminger. In fact, in a recent biography, the writer states that this is one of his best movies.
All in all, I would have thought Fox would have released this long ago as part of its Cinema Classics DVD series.
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After the semi-autobiographical STAR DUST, the studio was going to cast Linda in PUBLIC DEB NUMBER ONE (1940), which like her debut HOTEL FOR WOMEN, is also known by the preface ELSA MAXWELL'S . . . The studio did not cast her in this screwball comedy, but gave the role to Brenda Joyce, another Fox ingenue then enjoying her 15 minutes in A films; like Nancy Kelly, she would be relegated to B-films within a year or so.
Instead of PDNO, Linda was reteamed with Tyrone Power for the historical epic BRIGHAM YOUNG. When the studio decided to feature a relative unknown in the title role (Dean Jagger), they felt they needed boxoffice insurance in the form of Power and his popular new costar Darnell. They played young lovers in the westward trek of the Mormons. This was Fox' most expensive film up to then, and while it proved to be popular, it found it difficult to recoup its huge costs in the deteriorating boxoffice situation of 1940, with the threat of the then European-only WW2 looming.
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Bringing this back to the original content of the thread, I have a DVD (released by 20th?) that has both the 1935 and 1952 versions. Fox had contemplated remaking it in 1945, and was to have been directed by John Brahm and starred Laird Cregar, the winning combination of THE LODGER and HANGOVER SQUARE. Cregar's undtimely death put a stop to that.
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I've been trying to cut and paste here stills of Linda to illustrate the movies I am discussing, but am unable to do so. If anyone here would like to help me out with this, I'd be very appreciative, and would be a nice complementary service for those who visit the thread. Thanks in advance.
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*When Muni was giving the studio a hard time, they fell to Edward G. Robinson for a few of these things and I much prefer him, again, another man who appears to be enjoying his craft and not just insisting that his greatness be applauded.*
Eddie G. was the recipient of a script development department at Warners that had been geared to fine-tuning prestige screenplays for the demanding Muni and his wife. When Muni bailed from WB at the end of the 30s, Robinson inherited some of these roles, and made them his own. He was especially impressive in the biopics A DISPATCH FROM REUTERS and DR. ERLICH'S MAGIC BULLET.
I agree with the assessment here that Muni is not so well known today because he disappeared into his characterizations, rather than having his roles revolve around his establishe persona or image. However, i enjoy his biographical roles of the late 30s as well as his earlier movies. That said, his French accent in HUDSON'S BAY is a little hard to take (I much prefer Laird Cregar's joyful character as his sidekick here).
Edited by: Arturo on Dec 11, 2012 11:56 PM
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Linda Darnell's second movie role (not counting the aborted DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK) was in DAYTIME WIFE, where her name was above the title with that of co-star Tyrone Power. This lightweight entry proved popular upon release for the 1939 holiday season. The studio got plenty of fan mail requesting that the photogenic duo be reteamed. They thought of doing so in Power's next feature, JOHNNY APOLLO (1940), then known as DANCE WITH THE DEVIL. Also being considered was another promising ingenue, Nancy Kelly. 16 year old Linda would have played a gangster's moll. Since she wasn't trained as a singer or dancer, the studio thought better of casting her; for these same reasons, Fox also decided against Kelly. Director Henry Hathaway suggested Dorothy Lamour, with whom he had previously worked, and she was borrowed from Paramount to lend her sultry presence to this crime drama. Ironically soon after this, 20th signed to a long-term contract another player who had been at Paramount, but was only now making it big on Broadway, Betty Grable. A hoofer who could sing a bit, she would have fit the bill perfectly. Her starmaking turn would have to wait until later in the year, replacing Alice Faye in the technicolor confection DOWN ARGENTINE WAY.
Anyway, Linda was then cast in the story based loosely on her discovery and arrival in Hollywood, STAR DUST (1940). This movie did well upon release, and during the premiere, Linda (with sole billing above the title) committed her prints into the cement in the forecourt of Graumann's Chinese Theatre, just as in the movie. She was on her way up.
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*On a broader scale, we could say that all actors AND actresses had their film careers interrupted somewhat by the war. In 1945, Bette Davis has only one film. In previous years she has four or five each movie-going season.*
Well with Davis, she did have lessened film work, but it predated 1945. The previous year she only had one release as well (not counting cameos in all-star revues), MR. SKEFFINGTON. The year before it had been two: WATCH ON THE RHINE and OLD ACQUAINTANCE. What she and many other female stars were up to that lessened film work, was they were doing their part on the home front. Not all could travel here and/or abroad to entertain troops, as mentioned here for Dietrich, but some traveled the country selling war bonds, etc. In the case of Davis, she was a co-founder of the Hollywood Canteen, and would be found there many evenings dancing with soldiers or helping out in general.
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*I hope so! (Amber finally popping up on TCM...)*
Yes, but even better would be a fully restored and released DVD, with deleted scenes as bonus material. The 65th anniversary just passed, but maybe for the 70th? -
*Yes. I would say THE BAD SEED is Nancy Kelly's most-played film on TCM. I found her to be a very good actress, but it is clear that she found her niche on stage. Usually they go from stage to screen, but in her case, she went from screen to stage.*
I agree she was very good in TBS, but as I said, she was variable while under contract at Fox in the late 30s-early 40s. I think she was good in costume films (JESSE JAMES, STANLEY AND LIVINGSTONE) and seems she would have continued to be so in some films earmarked for her but didn;t do (SWANEE RIVER, THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES). I think that she was then not adept at playing comedy; she was derivative and very unsubtle (HE MARRIED HIS WIFE), and this may have helped the powers that be determine that she was not the all around player they were looking for (additionally, her turning 18 around this time might have had the men in charge there lining up...and she may not have been forthcoming, to the detriment of her career. This is all speculation on my part, but during this period, one promising starlet after another at that studio got strong roles initially, these then tapered off to supporting parts or B films...just saying). -
Over the years I have known and partied with some women who loved wearing vintage dresses/outfits they found at thrift or vintage stores. Being the Hollywood area where these shops were at, they sometimes wondered if the original owners might've been a name back in the day. Needless to say, their glamorous getups were at minimum conversation starters, and often great crowd pleasers,
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LadyE:
Welcome to the boards. Great first post. You expressed concisely and articulately your reasons for having Barbara Stanwyck so high on your list of favorites. She too is one of my absolute favorites (higher than the better known Davis or Crawford IMHO), as well as many of the others here on these boards. Again welcome.
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Here's a picture of Linda from a scene that was deleted from the released print of FOREVER AMBER. I first saw this still around 1980, in a Life magazine article on that movie dating from the time of its release in the fall of 1947. I marvel at what can be found on the internet these days.
Edited by: Arturo on Dec 11, 2012 2:19 AM
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I posted this on the Classic Movie Actors on Episodic TV thread awhile earlier this evening, but seems to be just as appropriate here:
I recently came across a series of videos on Youtube that shows the mystery celebrity clip segments on "What's My Line". I found this while looking for whatever clips were available for Linda Darnell. Hers is a good one, done in march 1956, talking in a good Italian accent, and looking glamorous and beautiful. of course in the comment segment I obviously didn't know Youtube etiquette, and being me, posted 1500 characters, when most had brief comments.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cef-S3oXSuA
There are many more movie star clips you can access, most are quite entertaining.
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Well confining my choices to those that were romantic leading men and women, as opposed to character actors, it's still a hard choice. of the cuff i'd go with:
For women:
Miriam Hopkins (especially as she aged)
June Allyson
For men:
James Mason
Jack Lemmon
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I recently came across a series of videos on Youtube that shows the mystery celebrity clip segments on "What's My Line". I found this while looking for whatever clips were available for Linda Darnell. Hers is a good one, done in march 1956, talking in a good Italian accent, and looking glamorous and beautiful. of course in the comment segment I obviously didn't know Youtube etiquette, and being me, posted 1500 characters, when most had brief comments.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cef-S3oXSuA
There are many more movie star clips you can access, most are quite entertaining.
Edited by: Arturo on Dec 10, 2012 11:59 PM
LINDA DARNELL for Star of the Month October 2013
in General Discussions
Posted
Sorry, Topbilled, but I'm not the most tech-savvy individual. The one picture posted here was a fluke; I've tried but haven't been able to do any more. I posted here a few days ago if anyone could help, illustrating the movies mentioned with appropriate stills. No one has done so.
Likewise, I wouldn't know the first thing about blogging (not even sure if I know what it is lol).