kingrat

HITLER'S MADMAN is based on the same incidents as HANGMEN ALSO DIE. The two films have many differences, and HANGMEN ALSO DIE is the superior version. I would never have imagined casting Walter Brennan as a Czech professor of philosophy, but it turns out to be one of his very best performances.

Let's not forget the unintentionally hilarious scene in SHOCK CORRIDOR where the moronic hero wanders into the part of the loony bin where they keep the dangerous women who have the condition we're discussing.

Another effective use of voiceover narration for TV is the use of Brenda Strong to introduce each episode of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES. Gee, wonder what movie gave them the idea of narration by a dead person?

Sonny Tufts? Sonny Tufts?

Lorna, we are on the same page about CLASH BY NIGHT. Nothing is wrong except that excruciating, uber-pretentious script. Odets' dialogue is like brown gravy poured over everything. He was highly respected as a playwright back in the 1930s through 1950s, and that meant that his dialogue was often preserved without concerns for believability on screen. Take THE BIG KNIFE--please!!! I also agree that the blue collar setting of CLASH BY NIGHT is one thing the film gets right.

One of the most difficult things an actor can do is to give a good performance in a bad film. And The North Star is a bad film. It's worth seeing as a time capsule of the phase of WWII when President Roosevelt wanted the American public to have a more favorable view of our Russian allies. In theory it would have been possible to make a film saluting the genuine bravery of the Russian army and the Russian people without a story as mendacious as Lillian Hellman's screenplay. For propaganda reasons, it's obvious the film wouldn't have mentioned the starvation many in Ukraine experienced as the result of Stalin's policies, to the extent to some Ukranians initially welcomed the Nazis as liberators. Nonetheless, the film didn't have to be Andy Hardy Meets the Nazis. When the kids who are graduating from high school (on the very day the Nazis invade) put on a show--yep, that's Dana Andrews strumming the balalaika--I expected Mickey and Judy to pop up any minute. In the midst of all this nonsense is Jane Withers. In the films she made as a child actor and in later screen appearances, such as the role of Vashti in Giant, she brings a welcome comic energy. Her performance in The North Star is entirely different. The girl she plays is serious, intelligent, something of a bookworm, and yet an entirely plausible match for Dana Andrews. (In contrast, Anne Baxter seems years too old and experienced for Farley Granger; that relationship is kind of icky.) I wish that Jane Withers had had the opportunity to play more roles like this. Rarely have I have been so pleasantly surprised by an actor cast against type. Also worth mentioning in The North Star is Ruth Nelson, who has the small role of Farley Granger's mother. She will go on to have good supporting roles in two Kazan films, and she will be noted in my lists for both.

Although this wasn't one of the best years for Hollywood films, there were many fine performances. The top three candidates for best actor are pretty much in a dead heat. Best Actor for 1943: John Garfield, THE FALLEN SPARROW**** Joseph Cotten, SHADOW OF A DOUBT Cary Grant, MR. LUCKY Joel McCrea, THE MORE THE MERRIER Roger Livesey, THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP Honorable mention: Charles Boyer, THE CONSTANT NYMPH; Henry Fonda, THE OX-BOW INCIDENT; Paul Lukas, WATCH ON THE RHINE; Jean Marais, THE ETERNAL RETURN; Ray Milland, THE CRYSTAL BALL; Dennis Morgan, THE HARD WAY; Walter Pidgeon, MADAME CURIE Best Actress for 1943: Joan Fontaine, THE CONSTANT NYMPH**** Ida Lupino, THE HARD WAY Jean Arthur, THE MORE THE MERRIER Jennifer Jones, THE SONG OF BERNADETTE Paulette Goddard, THE CRYSTAL BALL Honorable mention: Irene Dunne, A GUY NAMED JOE; Paulette Goddard, SO PROUDLY WE HAIL; Deborah Kerr, THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP; Maureen O'Hara, THE FALLEN SPARROW; Ethel Waters, CABIN IN THE SKY Best Supporting Actor for 1943: Charles Coburn, THE MORE THE MERRIER**** Walter Brennan, HANGMEN ALSO DIE Charles Bickford, MR. LUCKY Anton Walbrook, THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP Lee J. Cobb, THE SONG OF BERNADETTE Honorable mention: Charles Bickford, THE SONG OF BERNADETTE; Jack Carson, THE HARD WAY; Charles Coburn, THE CONSTANT NYMPH; James Mason, THE BELLS GO DOWN; Erich von Stroheim, FIVE GRAVES TO CAIRO; Walter Slezak, THE FALLEN SPARROW Best Supporting Actress for 1943: Veronica Lake, SO PROUDLY WE HAIL**** Katina Paxinou, FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS Anne Revere, THE SONG OF BERNADETTE Jane Withers, THE NORTH STAR Gladys Cooper, THE SONG OF BERNADETTE Honorable mention: Patricia Collinge, TENDER COMRADE; Jane Darwell, THE OX-BOW INCIDENT; Gladys George, THE HARD WAY; Lena Horne, CABIN IN THE SKY; Lucile Watson, WATCH ON THE RHINE Scene Any Actor Would Love To Play: Veronica Lake's final scene in SO PROUDLY WE HAIL Unforgettable Moment from 1943: THE GANG'S ALL HERE--Carmen Miranda sings "The Lady in the Tutti Frutti Hat" as dozens of showgirls dance while wearing giant banana headdresses.

I have no interest in seeing FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF again, but am really looking forward to THE KING AND I in August. Those who saw the restoration of THE KING AND I at the recent TCM Film Festival said it looked absolutely gorgeous.

I thoroughly enjoyed J.R. Jones' biography of Robert Ryan and recommend it to RR fans. He would make an excellent host to talk about Ryan's films.

I forgot to include THE ETERNAL RETURN on my top ten list for 1943. This French film, written by Jean Cocteau and directed by Jean Delannoy, re-tells the story of Tristan and Isolde in a contemporary French setting.

I cracked up at this line from FAT CITY, which could be used on so many different occasions: Curtis Cokes (as Earl, referring to his girlfriend Oma, played by Susan Tyrrell): "She had an unhappy childhood and **** like that."

THE GANG'S ALL HERE is a Busby Berkeley movie in Technicolor. Carmen Miranda sings while dozens of showgirls strut their stuff in giant banana headdresses. This movie is a lot of fun. THE CRYSTAL BALL was shown by TCM when Ray Milland was star of the month. Because it's a Paramount film, it doesn't show up often. Ray Milland and Paulette Goddard make a great couple in this screwball comedy which involves a phony medium (Gladys George). Strong supporting cast. I have no idea why this movie isn't better known.

Top 10 for 1943: Day of Wrath Shadow of a Doubt The Hard Way Mr. Lucky The Crystal Ball The Gang's All Here The Constant Nymph The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp The Song of Bernadette The Ox-Bow Incident

A few notes about some of the films people mentioned they had not seen: ROXIE HART is the same story as the musical CHICAGO. Ginger Rogers is perfectly cast as Roxie, Adolphe Menjou is her lawyer, Spring Byington is a sob sister tabloid reporter, Iris Adrian is another reporter. William Frawley has a good part, too. The scene where Spring Byington and some of the others dance the Black Bottom is a highlight. Ida Lupino won the New York Film Critics' award for THE HARD WAY. It's one of her best "hard" roles, like THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT and THE LIGHT THAT FAILED. I actually prefer her softer roles like DEEP VALLEY and ON DANGEROUS GROUND, but she's very good in both. THE HARD WAY is based on Ginger Rogers and her overbearing stage mother, changed to an older sister in the movie. Ginger was offered the part of the older sister, commented that she felt she had lived it (she had!), and turned it down. Joan Leslie plays the sister Ida's determined to turn into a star (not sure I see JL's star power, but she plays the nice sister well). Dennis Morgan and Jack Carson are the men in the girls' lives, and Gladys George plays the actress Ida gets drunk to give Joan a shot at her big break. The beginning and end of the film are shot in film noir style. THE MOON AND SIXPENCE is the first film directed by Albert Lewin, one of the most intelligent and cultured of all directors. It's stagier and talkier than his subsequent films, but the basic story, based on the life of Gauguin, is fascinating. George Sanders, Herbert Marshall, Florence Bates, and the rest of the cast do justice to the material. MOONTIDE is based on a play, and I wish it had a more talented director than the unimaginative Archie Mayo. Still, Jean Gabin and Ida Lupino are excellent, and Thomas Mitchell gets to play a villain for a change. SON OF FURY is not a deep intellectual film. Suspension of disbelief time: Roddy McDowall grows up to be Tyrone Power. In his dreams! Power is done out of his inheritance by the evil George Sanders, and he's off to the South Seas where he meets a native girl in a sarong, played by Gene Tierney. Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney do make a gorgeous couple. Kay Johnson plays Ty's stepmother, a small part but more complex and interesting than would be expected. Elsa Lanchester plays a barmaid, and believe it or not, she's actually rather sexy. I was hoping she'd have a couple more scenes, but Elsa fans will not be disappointed. Dudley Digges also has a good scene late in the film as a lawyer. Frances Farmer and John Carradine are in the cast, too.

FORBIDDEN GAMES is one of my favorite films. Brigitte Fossey probably gives the best performance by a child in the history of movies. Perhaps it's the child actors: another unique film, never shown on TCM, is WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND, where some children believe that the escaped convict hiding in their barn is Jesus. There's also INNOCENT SINNERS, where a little girl, more or less abandoned by her mother, tries to plant some flowers in a patch of ground that has been devastated by the Blitz.

Agreed, filmlover. Though Lawrence does a great job in defense of Nicholson, I think Nicholson miscalculates and this hurts the film badly. Going from 1 to 100 is always more interesting than going from 99 to 100. Kubrick can fall in love with an actor's performance and not give it the editing or shaping it needs. I'm thinking especially of Peter Sellers in LOLITA. Kubrick loves what Sellers is doing and lets his scenes run on as long as Sellers wants. For me, most of Sellers' performance in LOLITA is fast forward material, and this did not have to be the case. Alec Baldwin made a similar point about Kubrick's indulgence of Sellers when he and Robert Osborne discussed LOLITA on the Essentials.

A quick shout out to all who mentioned Eugene Pallette's performance in Shanghai Express back in 1932. This past weekend I saw Shanghai Express on the big screen, and loved the comedy that Eugene Pallette and Louise Closser Hale add to the film. I had remembered Anna May Wong as having more screen time than she actually does. She builds up a complex character in the limited amount of time she has, which is an impressive achievement.

This is a most interesting exercise. 1981 was a weakish year. I would have no problem voting for Body Heat for all five awards. It was nominated for none of them. Raiders of the Lost Ark has equally strong claims for best picture and best director, but a Body Heat sweep would be perfectly reasonable. I'd give Gone With the Wind the top five for 1939, too, although the competition for best actor and best director is strong.

THE SEVENTH CROSS is an interesting film. This is one of the first American films to mention concentration camps, although clearly no one knew the full extent of the horror. Spencer Tracy, sounding exactly like Spencer Tracy, escapes from one and tries to survive, figuring out who he can trust. I love the brief role played by Agnes Moorehead. Signe Hasso, Hume Cronyn, and Jessica Tandy all make important contributions. Seeing this film helped me understand Fred Zinnemann as a filmmaker. His parents died in a concentration camp. His later film, THE SEARCH, was thus a very personal film. If you see his four films which deal with prison camps (THE SEVENTH CROSS), the war in Europe and its aftermath in America (TERESA), the aftermath of the war in Germany (THE SEARCH), and the behavior of American prisoners (ACT OF VIOLENCE), you will see familiar films like FROM HERE TO ETERNITY and HIGH NOON in a different light.

Back when the networks had Monday (Tuesday, Wednesday, etc.) Night at the Movies, I turned the TV on one evening, probably to avoid studying, heard the announcer say, "And now, MIRAGE." Got hooked very quickly and loved the film. One of the best thrillers of the 1960s. Much better than studying.

Tom, thanks for writing your reactions to Cagney's performance in YANKEE DOODLE DANDY. Most of us probably feel that way about one or more celebrated performances. With me it's Marlon Brando in THE GODFATHER. To me it's almost all fakery and acting shtik, maybe one-hundredth the performance Stacy Keach gave in FAT CITY that year (1972). So thank you for letting rip. Oscar is all about giving people awards because it's "their year" or because they should have won for another performance. We didn't give Jimmy Stewart one for MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON, so let's give him one for THE PHILADELPHIA STORY. We didn't give Joan Fontaine one for REBECCA, so let's give her one for SUSPICION. Bogie, I'm glad you mentioned Danny Peary's habit of juggling the results so that all of his faves get the Oscar some year or other. I think all of us are trying to choose solely on a year by year basis. I thought about giving Gary Cooper his win for BALL OF FIRE (in my book that's his only chance), but decided there was no problem with picking Bogart tops in both 1941 and 1942.

Tom, thank you for the great write-ups about Claude Rains and Joseph Cotten. I'm guessing Mr. Cotten will appear on a few other lists as the decade goes on. Today Florence Bates would not be cast as a woman who is part European, part Polynesian. For most of her career she was cast as society dowagers or other overbearing women, like the radio soap opera producer she plays in A Letter to Three Wives, and she played them very well. For me, her performance in The Moon and Sixpence was a revelation, completely unlike any other of hers I know. She plays a woman who is kind and wise, with the strength that comes from knowledge and experience. Florence Bates was the first woman to earn a law degree in the state of Texas, not much like the foolish women she often played on screen.

One of the fan programmers picked Went the Day Well?. He had seen it at the second TCM film festival, where it was a huge hit.

Watch on the Rhine is an interesting case. On Broadway Lucile Watson was considered the star. Playing the same role in the movie, she seems to be in a supporting role. Bette Davis agreed to play what is really a supporting role because she believed strongly in the anti-Nazi message. I'm willing to consider Paul Lukas a lead, though it isn't clear cut. But what about Paulette Goddard in So Proudly We Hail? I think she and Claudette Colbert are both leads, whereas Veronica Lake and all the others are supporting. She got her only Oscar nom as supporting, presumably because the studio was pushing Claudette in the Best Actress category.

Top Ten Films of 1942: CASABLANCA WENT THE DAY WELL? KINGS ROW NOW, VOYAGER THE PALM BEACH STORY THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS IN WHICH WE SERVE MRS. MINIVER IN THIS OUR LIFE REAP THE WILD WIND