JackFavell
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Posts posted by JackFavell
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Oh my gosh, movieman Chris! Thanks, I was about to jump in with Donald MacBride. I haven't seen Room Service for a long time, but it was my first Marx Bros. movie. There's a lot of fun in it, even if it isn't like the early ones. Is this the one that has the furniture moving scene between the two rooms? I love that part - every time Donald MacBride enters the room it's in a different configuration! They just keep going around and around.
I am so overwhelmed that *The Roaring Twenties* came in first on your list, Frank! I thought that you would not like it as much because of Cagney, and the music, and that it was like High Sierra. It's actually one of those movies for me like MissG said, it was so high up my list and I loved it so much as a young woman that I actually have had to stop watching it for a number of years, to get back to the point where I can see it with fresh eyes.
Gladys George is completely moving to me here, as is Cagney when he's really down and out. And it has my sweetie, Frank McHugh. That last scene where Cagney goes to Bogart all forlorn and weak looking and Bogart thinks he's just this bum, well, it doesn't get any better from then on in. The ending makes me cry for an hour! This one would have been at the top of my list a few years ago, and made me a lifelong Raoul Walsh and Cagney fan. It ain't often that a director can make two so perfect pictures of the same basic story. Though I guess all three giants did it.
>I thought a very interesting scene, with Mollot (Sanders), was the dinner party. It was VERY much like the one in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, where the protagonist's ideas are explained. Did you notice the politician's reaction? How at first he stood up, pretended to be outraged and about to leave? Then Mollot just watched, waiting to see if his hunch that this man was nothing but a phoney hypocrite like the rest, would be proven true. And it was. The man was tempted by the feast (he was a fat glutton) and the company. Mollot looks so supremely, cynically satisfied. Mollot is really the "mad scientist" and Dorian his Frankenstein's monster.
That's really great! I always thought Mollot was the real evil one, not Dorian. He's always proved right, which is the kind of thing I can't stand - he really is monstrous! In fact, as good as Sanders is, I find his performance amazingly hard to watch, he's got nothing redeeming about him, speaking of redemption stories. Not one thing. Sanders is absolutely faultless in his portrayal though.
> {quote:title=MissGoddess wrote:}{quote}Jackie I loved your post. You wrote what I feel about the characters, well, except for M. Pig.
Haha! I don't know why I liked him so much.
> That's great! I think you have it, there. "Mocking" is Gable's forte. It's a word that Margaret Mitchell used more than any other when describing her "Rhett Butler". And his (Gable's) mocking characters are almost all summed up when Rhett confessed to thinking very little of himself when he left her on the road to Tara, and that he wasn't even sure of his own motives for going off to fight when the fight was nearly lost. It goes all the way to Gay in The Misfits. He doesn't give in until he's left himself no other alternative, but it has to be his choice. This is his own stubbornness and hard-headeness as much as it is individuality. His character in *Strange Cargo* really took it to the last gasp before he finally broke, but ever true to form, he wasn't half-baked about it, he really repented all the way. That takes personality!
That's it! Wonderful! He's got to spend it all, really get it all out before he is going to commit or give in. There can't be any doubt about it left in him, and he'll fight all the way to the death. I hate to say I am the exact same way. Bull headed! So I recognize it when I see it.
I really liked what you said about him leaving himself no other alternative, and even then being too stubborn to give all the way, till it's his choice. Again, I am nothing if not stubborn.
We torment ourselves with it, we rebellious obstinate folks. Things could be a lot easier if we just saw sense and did it. > I totally go for your idea about casting Victor McLaglen. though I do like Dekker as an actor, imagining Gable going toe to toe with Vic in a movie is tantalizing. They'd have made a much more fun and interesting pair than Gable and Beery did in their films together. Dear Vic.
oh and he could have wrung every bit out of that part too! The sweetie. I am now upset that he and Gable never made a movie together. I wish I hadn't thought of it. I swear it was written for him, or maybe Beery. I could hear Vic saying the lines.
> Agreed, too, about the ending. I think it must have been some conflict over the direction of the picture, maybe producer-itis hit and Borzage's original ideas were canned.
They must have just hacked the end to death, I think, and superimposed one of those MGM moralistic endings on it. I guess we should be glad they didn't kill them.
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We went a few years back. The line up is great this year, a little too well known for my liking. I'd probably get trampled!
I miss the crawdads. And the beignets. And everything else too.
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Yes, I ranked them as I thought you would.
I forgot to rank the films for myself. Here is how I like them:
Summertime
Beauty and the Beast
Ninotchka
The Thing from Another Planet
How to Marry A Millionaire
Little Giant
The Roaring Twenties
Dark Journey
Picture of Dorian Gray
Heaven Can Wait
Room Service
Murders in the Zoo
In Name Only
Carefree
The Mark of Zorro
Edited by: JackFavell on Feb 17, 2012 11:31 PM
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I skipped her list because I didn't want to be swayed.
Here's mine:
The Thing from Another Planet
tie: Summertime - Beauty and the Beast (1946)
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Ninotchka
Murders in the Zoo
The Little Giant
The Roaring Twenties
The Mark of Zorro
Dark Journey
Room Service
Heaven Can Wait (1943)
Carefree
In Name Only
How to Marry a Millionaire
These I don't know well enough to rank:
The High and the Mighty
Born to Be Bad (1950)
Buchanan Rides Again
City Streets
Thieves' Highway
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Oh my gosh, there'd be no question for me! Dorian is creepy! So completely blank and maleficent somehow.
I think I'd even be scared to be in a room with Hurd Hatfield!
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I'll say! I can't figure out those rankings either!
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1 spot (2)
2 spots (2)
3 spots (2)
4 spots (2)
5 spots (2)
6 spots (2)
8 spots (2)
9 spots
11 spots
12 spots (2)
13 spots (2)
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>I may be just reading more into Gable's character than I should have.. but I did seem him as someone to be pitied more than once. (but maybe not in the "usual" sense of that term. I just felt sorry for him that he felt SO compelled to be that hard.. imagine the life he must have lived up to that point that made him that way. Very tragic.
>He was tough.. and he was determined to NOT be anything else. And yet.. he did have a side to him that could be hurt (emotionally) and it made him very "pitiable" even if he was not very "lovable" for a lot of the story.
>I mean.. how pitiful WAS it to see him out there in the jungle in the rain.. hiding out just waiting for Joan Crawford to show up. Just sitting there soaking wet and absolutely on 'survival mode" looking like some poor hunted animal. Almost tragic. I felt a measure of sadness for him, just watching him.
>*But then he turns right around and is hideous to Crawford and mocks her w/ scripture in the scene right after that. In fact pretty much every time he quotes scripture.. he is mocking someone..* but mostly mocking the words themselves He had NO room for faith in anyone but himself.. and was bound and determined to not be "taken in" He was certainly a hard case.. with a hard heart. And yet, still easy to find sympathy for, as well. I have to confess that the more I think of him, the more I find him to be a very intriguing character.(due in no small part to the way he was portrayed by Gable, I am sure. This may be one of my most fave Clark Gable roles ever, if I think on it enough)
>*Oh, yes, lots of mockery. Julie is very taken by the language and he finds it all to be silly.*
Now, I am coming into this movie at a different angle - after having read what you guys have written, and I wonder...did he mock her? Because to me there is an element in his reading that is _self_-mocking, and actually another side of him that is completely serious. He read the words almost respectfully straight, at least to me. I also thought I saw sparks of other emotions in him at the same time like "Can you believe this hooey" and even a fourth that says to me "if you believe it, maybe I can believe it"....all these emotions rolled into one. I never felt he actually mocked HER. He mocked _belief_, and that is something those in doubt do, to protect themselves. Then he's back to his strong I-don't-need-anyone mode for most of the picture. I felt a seriousness from him underlying that scene and I was very taken with it. To me it almost felt like he was floating it out there to see if it would fly. He was making love to her through the force of his will, but also he knew the words were powerful.. I felt a lot of push-pull from him, very human, as if he wanted her but couldn't say in any way that could be construed as serious. It was the perfect Gable blend, and I see now that what he does in other movies, that mocking, taunting quality, is very hard to do. Only Gable can add layers of meaning to a mock like that. It seemed a high point of the film to me, like just the fact they were talking about it was a sign that something was happening to them deep inside.
Did you notice how Joan reacted to the line "Thy body is a temple" or whatever the line was? You could see it make a physical impact on her, and also see her thinking that she wouldn't hold herself cheap anymore, she suddenly felt respect for her body in a way she hadn't before. I loved that. And you are right Molo, it's almost exactly the same as Rain, a movie I too really love. I don't think she did a thing wrong in that very good movie, it';s just the timing was off, having come right after Jeanne Eagels and Joan was a youngster without a real reputation. Joan is a very effective actress, she almost always hits home with her roles. It's taken me years to appreciate her, she's almost always quite good. She's been moving steadily up my list of actresses now for a couple of years. I admire her strength and her honesty.
>One thing about Gable that strikes me is that he's a great crier. When he cries, it's very impactful.
Oh my gosh, you are not kidding! He was wonderful in this picture, and it doesn't hurt that he was at the peak of his looks. Wow, to be able to play so tough, that's a feat in itself - he carried that picture on his own back - the others were good, but definitely supporting. I mean that is star power, to be able to retain the audience through everything he did. He was the fixed point on which the entire plot hinged! I cannot imagine anyone else holding it all up in such a way as to make the audience like him, and at the same time be such a catch for Ian Hunter's "the fisherman. " And when he realized what he had done at the end, to let Cambreau die, and then let those floodgates of tears go, my gosh, he was superb. I don't think I've ever seen a more tearful, lost face in my life. His eyes are so deep when he gets choked up, which isn't often. I guess that's the trick. It really makes me wonder what kind of actor he could have been, with just a few more really great roles. He was marvelous, and I don't think I could have watched this movie without him in it.
I loved Eduardo Cianelli, he was wonderful (ha! I just saw him on Lucy yesterday, in a totally different role). He really sold it to me, and I am so glad he got a chance to shine, once in a picture without being so creepy (although his crawling act was particularly frightening when he showed up at the campfire).
Paul Lukas was very good, another actor who has grown on me over the years - well, he's a never fail actor, always incredibly fine, usually above the rest. I've never seen him give a bad performance. I loved the moment of second thought that they gave him at the end, as he willfully turned his back on God. There was not so much difference between him and Gable's character, but somehow you knew he was irredeemable, whereas you knew Gable had a nugget of goodness in him.
I adored Peter Lorre - I don't know why everyone thought he was so terrible, I thought he was a sweetheart....just because he turned everyone in doesn't mean he didn't have any feelings.... that awful Flaubert ( J. Edward Bromberg) was far worse, ewwww, he made me cringe, he was far worse than M'sieur Cochon. He tried to get the boy to murder Eduardo, then finally did it himself without any remorse. Though he did have a great ending scene, and his acting was flawless. I would have wished that Lorre had more to do, he was so good in this film. He really caught my attention every time he showed up. Like he was giving it his all, even though it was not a huge role. I found him to be the most fascinating and I would have liked some emphasis on his story, he's one of the few actors who could carry off something this offbeat and charged.
Ian Hunter was remarkable. I've always liked him, from the first time I set eyes on him in Sherwood Forest. Like I said to Molo, I would recommend him in *The Long Voyage Home*, he's simply superb in it. It makes a great Ian Hunter double feature with *Strange Cargo*. Half the time he looked like he was floating, and he walked a fine line between reverence and humanity... Any other actor might have seemed a little too one way or another, and you might have wanted to kill him if he was too "holier than thou".
I thought Albert Dekker did a fine job, it's just for some reason I saw Vic MacLaglen right from the beginning in that role of Moll. I couldn't get him out of my mind. I would have loved to see those two go at each other, backing off and then confronting each other again. It's a shame, because I thought that MacLaglen would have added a stronger character for Gable to bounce off of. More conflict, and what Vic could have made of that water scene!
And although the boy had a beautiful voice, I would have liked to see Marshall Thompson as that character, someone with a few more acting chops, but I think he wasn't quite around yet.
I really wish that the guy Joan went with, Marfeu, instead of M'sieur pig, had been played by Joseph Calleia. Now he could have really made something out of that little role. I didn't feel this actor was threatening enough - in fact, I thought Joan could have taken this guy in a fight.
All in all, I really liked the movie - I am not sure about the ending. I felt it was very perfunctory, and could have been spiced up a little, with a bit of a tussle. Gable coming on board and fighting to get in, or something, I felt the ending let me down a bit, they just ran out of time or money or something adn stopped without thinking about it.
Edited by: JackFavell on Feb 17, 2012 1:12 PM
Edited by: JackFavell on Feb 17, 2012 1:16 PM
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Well, thank you so much, wouldbestar! I am so glad you came by. I always enjoy reading your posts and talking to you! You've brought a lot of fun to these creaky old message boards. I only wish I knew as much as you do about westerns and such.
Ha! I don't live in Denver, in fact, I've never been there! That's my nickname, because my favorite western heroine is Denver from Wagon Master.
I'm waay out here in the east - in New England, Connecticut to be exact....far from the open spaces on the plains I grew up in. I was born in Texas, lived in Oklahoma after that, and then Illinois and Wisconsin. And you know, I still miss it.
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Scottman, thank you so much for the birthday wishes! It's nice to see you over here. You are one of my favorite people to chat with.
While you're here, do you have any favorite second bananas, supporting players, bit part actors, etc?
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I don't think so, Jeff, i dont remember it.
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I've never seen that one! Love the outfit!
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That makes me ecstatic, Jeff! Though I doubt I'll be seeing it any time soon. I have had pictures from this movie for a long time, and you know I love Tom as well as Mabel.
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*Dodging a Million* with Tom Moore
I believe these are from *The Floor Below* with Tom Moore
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I love Professor Longhair! Thanks for playing him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JESFMO1Hl4M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-fdhWDmor4&feature=related
Edited by: JackFavell on Feb 16, 2012 9:35 AM
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I agree, it would be wonderful if they were to do a special month featuring silents.
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That was beautiful, Scottman!
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Hahaha! Oh my gosh, I love it! Those goofy mugs sure brought a smile to my face this morning. But how did you know I got the Lucy box set for my birthday?
Molo, it's birthday present enough just to see you on the boards again. Thanks, sweetie pie.
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Can I keep him, huh? Can I? I've always wanted my very own, dapper gentleman's gentleman.
Oh, Maven, I can't think of a better birthday present than a carriage ride and an evening with Bill Powell. sigh! I'm so glad you didn't take me seriously about Sam Jaffe......
Thanks for thinking of me.
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Ah, chocolate and nuts, my favorite! Thanks my friend, for the sustenance! And calorie free too - just the kind of chocolate I need right now!
And yes, my birthday was wonderful... even more so because you thought of me.
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Oh yeah! I would be in bed and hear that music coming down the hallway...
daa daaah, da DAH
daa daaah, da DAH
shiver....I would throw the blankets up over my head and plug my ears!
The Annual FrankGrimes Torture Thread
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Yes, and he represents society to some extent too, and it's strictures and cruelties.
On another topic, I am one of those who adores the beast, and simply can't get over his transformation into Jean Marais, even if he is perfect looking. I miss my beast!