rosebette

The three-strip Technicolor process was extremely effective and durable, unlike later processes which faded. If you look at an unrestored color film made in the late 40s or 50s using some of the other color processes, you'll notice the difference. While the colors of both The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Red Shoes are brilliant, the use of color is very different in those films. In Robin Hood, the colors enhance the natural setting, outdoor filming, and the costumes and natural attractiveness of its young stars. The color in The Red Shoes seems to be theatrical and intentionally intense to highlight the extreme emotions in that film.

Thanks for sharing these clips. I remember watching SCTV in college. It would be on after the 11:00 news on one of the syndicated stations. If we were at home, we'd try not to laugh too hard and wake our mother up. I remember one skit that I couldn't find where Ed Flaherty plays Robert Mitchum and Catharine O'Hara plays a Maureen O'Hara type. Flaherty had Mitchum down pat, and it was a hoot.

It's always nice to return from a hard day of dealing with near illiterate college students and be able to climb into a good discussion. TomJH, thanks for mentioning John Garfield in The Breaking Point, which is also the more faithful film version of Hemingway's To Have and Have Not than the movie by that name. I haven't seen Lives of a Bengal Lancer in years, and I'm looking forward to it. I remember liking Tone in that, as well as in another Paramount picture, Five Graves to Cairo. I also like him in Three Comrades, which is an MGM picture, but I think it's just because it's a Frank Borzage picture and has a great script. He was also good in his later career Advise and Consent. Perhaps those films gave him more to do than just be the body in the tux in Joan Crawford films. I'm of the disposition to want to dispense with the "what if" speculations about Flynn and Grant's careers. Without Flynn as Captain Blood, we would not have the greatest Robin Hood ever. Without Sylvia Scarlett, we would not have The Awful Truth or Holiday the following year. I'm content to enjoy what was. Both these men had remarkable gifts and left great film legacies.

Overall, I think Warners' had much more interesting male stars than MGM. Gable was the hunk and Spencer Tracy the workmanlike serious actor. However, I find Robert Taylor, Robert Montgomery, Franchot Tone, and some of the other MGM male stars to be rather bland. Then comes the 40s, and there are fellows like Van Johnson, who can't keep me awake for more than 10 minutes. While Warners had Cagney, Robinson, Bogart, Garfield, and for adventure and romance, Flynn. You can't look away when these guys are on screen -- it's just electric.

Well, I would have loved to see that love scene in The Adventures of Robin Hood that William Keighley directed. If that one was "warmer" than Curtiz's version, the celluloid might very well have melted! I must admit I melt a bit whenever I see the Curtiz version that ended up in the final film. The chemistry between Errol and Olivia is so powerful that even Curtiz's "cooler" version exudes their warmth and attraction for each other. While I think TARH is as near to a perfect and seamless film as I've ever seen, I must admit, I do notice the difference in tone between the first half of the film and the second. The lightness and humor of the scenes with Robin's men in the forest and the encounters with Little John and Friar Tuck show a deft touch, warmth, and flair for comedy that are not qualities Curtiz is typically known for. The second half is much darker and more atmospheric. Both halves work equally well, and I think the film would not be as beloved if it weren't for the humor and marvelous interplaying of all those perfectly cast character actors in the first half.

I remember seeing this movie as a child, and I have a great fondness for it. I find the scene in the church especially moving. Some people can't bear its sentimentality, but I think it's a great performance by Gleason. Also, I'm of French descent, so I enjoy the Gallic humor and depiction of French village life. Edited by: rosebette on Feb 18, 2014 6:19 PM

I can't say it's a great movie, but I have a hard time watching "Too Much, Too Soon," the biographical film about Diana Barrymore, with Errol Flynn playing John Barrymore. While it's a wonderful performance by Flynn, it saddens me to see his ravaged and dissipated face. What a waste of talent, and he died at an even younger age than Barrymore.

Irene Dunne was a wonderful soprano, but also a terrific actress who could do drama or comedy. I think she was probably one of the most underrated actresses of the classic Hollywood era. Compare her performance in Showboat to Kathryn Grayson's in the prettified MGM version. There are also a few actors who were singers, but not known for singing -- Maureen O'Hara and Walter Pidgeon for example, as well as George Sanders, who did sing in Call Me Madam.

TomJH, I enjoyed reading your speculation about casting Basil Rathbone, who was the original Dr. Sloper in the play The Heiress, in Wyler's film version. As a Rathbone fan, I've speculated on it, too. Rathbone won the Tony award for his performance. Folks might be interested in reading this posting on the subject on the blog, The Baz at http://thegreatbaz.wordpress.com/2012/11/02/the-heiress-2012/ From my own reading about Rathbone, he was such a gentleman and so innately generous to other performers, I don't think he would be distracting Olivia with his glove. He may have been distracting in other ways, though, as apparently, despite his screen persona as villains or the cool Sherlock Holmes, he was apparently quite a charming man and gracious to the ladies. My own feeling about the matter is that in The Adventures of Robin Hood and earlier Captain Blood, Rathbone had been cast as a romantic rival for Olivia's affections, so that link may still have been present in the public's mind. However, Rathbone was in fact more than 20 years older than Olivia, so he could very well have played her father. Also, I've seen a few candids posted of the two together during the making of The Adventures of Robin Hood which make me wonder whether there was actually some sexual chemistry between the two that might end up being transmitted on the screen. The idea of Flynn as Morris is an intriguing one, although Flynn had aged so much by then (even though he would have been under 40) that he would have been too old for the part. In some ways, Morris is a bit like the Flynn's character in The Sisters, but without the nobler streak.

I'm not "slamming" Marty. I like Marty very much; I am just saying that many of the qualities attributed to him -- social awkwardness, being dominated by a parent, and an average intellect -- are similar to Catherine's, yet he is not judged to be "defective." Topbilled, you certainly have the right to interpret Melanie in your way, but I prefer to interpret characters based on the evidence that is presented in a film. If you can present some evidence of a scene or dialogue in which Melanie is another portrait of one of the "privileged women who are not fully equipped to handle the complexities of an adult world," I'm willing to listen to that argument. However, I don't see evidence for that in GWTW. In fact, that doesn't seem to be a theme that is traced in Melanie's narrative (although it's certainly one in Ashley's, who can't seem to adapt to life after the Civil War).

I think that TopBilled is misinterpreting both the remarks made about Marty in relationship to Catherine Sloper in The Heiress and also that she is misinterpreting the character of Melanie Hamilton. First the comparison to Marty was to demonstrate the somewhat misogynist characterization of a woman with average intelligence and limited social skills with the opposite sex as mentally deficient or "****" by some of the posters, while a male exhibiting some of the same characteristics is just seen as an ordinary guy, and maybe even a beloved character. Secondly, to identify Melanie Hamilton and de Havilland's work as Catherine Sloper as an extension of the ideas she began presenting with Melanie Hamilton as part of a trajectory of characters played by DeHavilland who were "privileged women who are not fully equipped to handle the complexities of an adult world" is a major misreading of Melanie's character. DeHavilland said once in an interview that Cukor once said in directing her as Melanie to remember that Melanie truly means everything she says. Melanie is presented as a completely sincere, honest person who is able to see the true reality within everyone she meets. This is exhibited in her treatment of Belle Watling, a prostitute and an outcast in decent society. It's clear in the end that Melanie's not "duped" by Scarlett, but that she understands that Ashley doesn't truly love Scarlett and therefore, Melanie doesn't feel threatened by Scarlett. Melanie consistently shows quiet strength and compassion, reaching out to others when they are in need; observe the scene with Rhett Butler after the death of Bonnie, when he is on the edge of mental collapse. She is brave throughout the movie -- working in the confederate hospital, helping Scarlett after she shoots the Yankee soldier, risking a pregnancy that ultimately costs her life. She is even described by other characters as being brave. What makes Melanie interesting is that she's not really the "mealy-mouthed" submissive creature Scarlett assumes her to be -- she is real with everyone she meets. The other assumption is that towards the end of her career, deHavilland had the same choices that she had earlier. Are her characters in Libel or Light in the Piazza her choice or the director's? What roles were available for a "mature" actress? Dirk Borgarde gets to play the jucier role in Libel because he is now the up and coming star, not because Olivia chose that. You are also assuming that everything about these movies were the actress' perogative. Even the interpretation of the character in The Heiress is as much Wyler's as hers. She herself stated that Wyler created the environment on the set that would elicit the performance he envisioned. Edited by: rosebette on Feb 15, 2014 3:14 PM

"Giving voice to characters that suffer mental setbacks" is exactly what deHavilland did in The Snake Pit, when she played a young wife suffering from mental illness. I don't believe that this is what she was doing in The Heiress. In an interview she gave about her career, she describes Catherine Sloper as someone who feels inadequate, unloved, and uncomfortable in her own home. In fact, she talks about how Ralph Richardson, by playing with his gloves during key scenes, would unnerve her, and that Wyler allowed this to increase the tension in the scenes between them. DeHavilland describes Wyler and Richardson creating what you might consider a "hostile" work environment so that she would feel inadequate, the way Catherine feels: "None of the two gentlemen speaking, no one paying any attention to me at all, and it is entirely possible that Willie did that deliberately to make me feel sort of inadequate and sort of uninteresting and well, certainly not the focus of attention." This supports the idea that The Heiress is not about a person with a mental deficiency or mental illness, but someone trapped in an emotionally cold environment where she felt "less than." If Catherine Sloper was mentally challenged, ****, disabled, or however you may term it, how does that explain the calculation, dignity, and resolve that she shows in the last scene? Could a mentally disabled person change that dramatically? If she were mentally challenged, wouldn't she just be "taken in" by Morris' character again? Instead of diagnosing or seeing meanings that aren't there, go back to the film or the text.

Are your friends all geniuses in Mensa? 100 is the average IQ. I used to call myself "technically ****" because I'm not good at technical things, but began to stop doing so because one of the places where I work is an educational environment where there may be people who work with the disabled. I never thought of Olivia deHavilland's portrayal as that of a **** person. In fact, I believe the lady would be insulted by that interpretation. Edited by: rosebette on Feb 13, 2014 9:29 PM

I was also surprised at how closely Plummer's voice an mannerisms resembled Barrymore's. I hope they repeat the program.

Henry James wasn't the Nicholas Sparks of his day, writing "bestsellers" to please the crowd. He wrote quite complex novels that expressed his closely observed reflections on character and the social mores of the day. Why would someone have to be "abnormally deficient" to experience growth? Most human beings experience growth and change in their adult lives without being abnormally deficient. I guess by that definition most people, except for rigid personalities who don't change all once they reach maturity, could be seen as ****. If you look at the medical definition of mentally ****, that is a person with an IQ of 75 or below, typically someone not capable of learning beyond the 6th grade level (and sometimes not even able to reach that stage of learning). Catherine is na?ve and socially awkward, perhaps immature, but not ****. The woman who is capable of the kind of self-reflection an resolve that James described is not "****." Fred also seems to think Morris is "****" because he drifts and doesn't get work. Back in the day, we'd call him a "wastrel," a young man of some ability who doesn't settle down an work to his full potential, but lives off the generosity of others. However, there are many people, young and old, both in the past an today, who may not be using their full potential or lacking in goals. For instance, many students graduate from college and drift around for a couple of years trying to figure out what to do with their lives. Are all those people "****"? Do we apply this term to everyone who does not fulfill society's standards of a successful life? Perhaps immature and lacking direction, but "****" is not simply politically incorrect, but inaccurate and offensive in this context. Are we all watching the same movie? Or are we mistaking The Heiress for another movie in which Olivia deHavilland appears, The Light in the Piazza, in which the daughter who suffered a head injury may very well be what we would call mildly ****?

I can't say I really know the answer to that question. I think lavenderblue's interpretation is a good one. Certainly dramatically clipping the thread to indicate she's done with that "project" creates a strong impression, maybe cutting the "thread" of affection that tied her with Morris? It's also different from the ending of the book, where she continues the embroidery, which is a solitary activity. What makes the film so interesting is that there are clearly some "loose threads" and plenty of room for interpretation, or this "thread" wouldn't be so active!

John Huston tends to stick very close to the text in his movies. For instance, The Maltese Falcon keeps the dialogue intact almost line for line. If you read Gene Fowler's bio of Barrymore, I wonder if you caught Christopher Plummer's portrayal of him on PBS. It was quite wonderful, comic and tragic at the same time.

Nicely said, Lavenderblue

Ah, but the ending of The Heiress, Morris is in a longer shot, banging on the door, the victim. It's the close-up of Catherine with the lamp, climbing the stairs, that sticks. Also, the scene of her climbing the stairs recalls the earlier scene of the weary, bedraggled, and jilted Catherine climbing the stairs with her heavy bags. In the last scene, her face is strong and even triumphant. I think it's Olivia's show all the way here. As much as I like Clift as an actor, any young actor could have played that role.

This is the ending of the novel Washington Square Catherine has the converstation with Morris where she essentiall rejects him: [Morris says] "Well, I was in hopes that we might still have been friends." [Catherne] "I meant to tell you, by my aunt, in answer to your message--if you had waited for an answer--that it was unnecessary for you to come in that hope." [A couple paragraphs later, Morris leaves and speaks to the aunt, Mrs. Penniman.] "She doesn't care a button for me--with her confounded little dry manner." "Was it very dry?" pursued Mrs. Penniman, with solicitude. Morris took no notice of her question; he stood musing an instant, with his hat on. "But why the deuce, then, would she never marry?" "Yes--why indeed?" sighed Mrs. Penniman. And then, as if from a sense of the inadequacy of this explanation, "But you will not despair--you will come back?" "Come back? Damnation!" And Morris Townsend strode out of the house, leaving Mrs. Penniman staring. Catherine, meanwhile, in the parlour, picking up her morsel of fancy-work, had seated herself with it again--for life, as it were. (Washington Square, Chap. 35) From the novel, it's pretty clear there is no "cheerful" ending. Catherine rejects Morris and is resolved to remain single. Also, the novel states earlier that after her father's death, she had other proposals of marriage after Morris' that she rejected. Catherine is choosing to be alone; after all, she's a woman who now can be financially independent. The addition of the line, "I've been taught by masters," to the film and that great scene where the determined Catherine snaps the thread, is not what I would call a happy ending, but I think it does show that Catherine has become a strong and determined woman who wants to remain independent. One of the lines she speaks to her aunt is, "He has become greedy. He wanted my money before. Now he wants my love." I think she is unwilling to lavish her affection again upon someone who is unworthy; the expression on her face as she reaches the top of the stairs is almost triumphant. Who is to say that choosing to live alone rather than accept a marriage to someone unworthy is such a terrible thing?

I can't believe that FredCDobbs said that the protagonist in The Heiress was mentally ****. I find FredCDobb's assessment of Catherine's character offensive on so many levels. Clearly, she is a shy, socially awkward young woman whose emotional growth has been stifled, possibly because her father never loved her and felt she never "measured up" to his memories of her mother. Is every shy, social awkward person "****"? Catherine could be "Asperger's", which is a form of high-functioning autism, which causes limited social skills, but Asperger's is not mental retardation. In fact, many folks with Asperger's are highly intelligent and have above-average IQs. However, I'm not convinced that Catherine is Asperger's either. She clearly loves and desires Morris, and there is a point where she even has an awareness that he's a fortune hunter, but that she wants to be with him anyway because of her father's coldness. I think she's a woman who has been emotionally damaged by an unloving parent. The scene at her father's death as well as the final scene show her emotional development; she is now clearly her own woman, but also someone who has chosen emotional detachment as a way of life because she has been wounded too many times.

I haven't seen this film in many years. I read a great deal of Hardy and did some work on Hardy for my first Master's Degree, and I remember the film as beautiful and very faithful to the book. Natacha Kinski at some points resembles a very young Ingrid Bergman.

I adore Strawberry Blonde precisely because of the vulnerability of Cagney's character, that he is basically taken advantage of. The reunion scene you describe, TomJH, is a masterpiece of underplaying by Cagney, who seldom underplays any scene! As far as Olivia's beauty, my father always used to say that Rita Hayworth's looks appear harsh compared to Olivia's, but he was hardly an unbiased source. I actually think Rita's a knockout in Gilda, Cover Girl, and You Were Never Lovelier, but these roles also rely on her physicality as a dancer and sex appeal. Rita's all hair, teeth, and body, while with Olivia, "the eyes have it." As far as Olivia playing "plain," after a few viewings of The Heiress, I realized what change transformed her into the ugly duckling of that story. She has big ears, and the period hairstyle with the bun and the hair draping just above the ears, making them stick out a bit. In the last scene, when she emerges as the spurned woman triumphant, her hair is draped covering her ears and she is wearing a more becoming gown so that she appears mature and elegant, thus making her rejection of "Morris" all the more ironic. Regarding Flynn's lack of a true Australian accent, both his parents were well-educated, and he was thrown out of some of the best boarding schools, so he probably picked up the proper English accent of a "toff" during his bumpy academic journeys!

Great pictures. I might offend some Rita Hayworth fans, but in black and white, Olivia stands out as a great natural beauty in these photos, and the warmth of her characterization shines through.

Thanks TomJH for sharing some of those charming stories about The Strawberry Blonde. I sure could use another viewing of that movie on this snowy day to warm my heart. And yes, considering Cagney's coloring, his mother probably would have been a Strawberry Blonde!