skimpole Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 The movies are full of romances. Of all the romances which one are you least sympathetic to? Which successful suitor least deserves his (or more rarely, her) success? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dargo Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 The movies are full of romances. Of all the romances which one are you least sympathetic to? Which successful suitor least deserves his (or more rarely, her) success? My pick: Cary Grant walking off with Jean Arthur at the end of THE TALK OF THE TOWN (1942) instead of her with Ronald Colman. Colman's judge character was not only a more reasoned, intelligent and successful man, which although normally might denote a character being on the "boring" side, but Colman also plays him as the debonair sort (his usual forte, of course), and whereas Grant's character seems much too footloose, glib and aimless to have had the intelligent and caring Jean Arthur character pick Grant over Colman. (...but then again, you know how women often fall for those glib and aimless bad boys...just ask my wife) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesJazGuitar Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 My pick: Cary Grant walking off with Jean Arthur at the end of THE TALK OF THE TOWN (1942) instead of her with Ronald Colman. Colman's judge character was not only a more reasoned, intelligent and successful man, which although normally might denote a character being on the "boring" side, but Colman also plays him as the debonair sort (his usual forte, of course), and whereas Grant's character seems much too footloose, glib and aimless to have had the intelligent and caring Jean Arthur character pick Grant over Colman. (...but then again, you know how women often fall for those glib and aimless bad boys...just ask my wife) Have you seen The Graduate (yea, I pulling your leg because I'm sure you have). Well a marriage with the Colman character would have been a 'good fit' and they would have had a fine partnership, but the song that would be featured at their wedding would be "what's love got to do with it'. (oh, and the Colman character was gay!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dargo Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 Have you seen The Graduate (yea, I pulling your leg because I'm sure you have). Well a marriage with the Colman character would have been a 'good fit' and they would have had a fine partnership, but the song that would be featured at their wedding would be "what's love got to do with it'. (oh, and the Colman character was gay!). Ya know, I've heard that mentioned before about the Colman character in that movie, James. Perhaps it's his "genteel" manner which gives people this impression, I don't know. (...but seein' as how and as I've said around here a few times in the past that my "gaydar" has never worked all that well, you and those other people who've said this COULD be right, I suppose) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingrat Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 There's something about the Ronald Colman character in THE TALK OF THE TOWN that suggests he might be more interested in his valet than in poor Jean Arthur. Ann Todd must like bad boys and verbal abuse, or she wouldn't end up with the successful suitor in THE SEVENTH VEIL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesJazGuitar Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 There's something about the Ronald Colman character in THE TALK OF THE TOWN that suggests he might be more interested in his valet than in poor Jean Arthur. Ann Todd must like bad boys and verbal abuse, or she wouldn't end up with the successful suitor in THE SEVENTH VEIL. The key scene in TTOTT that suggest something to me is when he decides to shave off his goatee so he can go out with a gal to get info on the crime. His valet cries over this. Now the valet is married so I assumed he was sad because he felt the Colman character was changing his "lifestyle". So at a minimum the character was asexual in that he didn't date or have any romantic attachments and the goatee represented a type of shield against such involvement. That type of character typically doesn't make a very good spouse (regardless of orientation). So Jean made the right choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricJ Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 Why are we supposed to be so happy that Esther Williams ends up with Victor Mature at the end of Million Dollar Mermaid, after a years-long off-again-on-again courtship of discovering what an unreliable jerk he is? (Even claiming he discovered Rin Tin Tin, when history proves he didn't, probably another flimsy excuse...Seriously, where the heck did THAT come from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skimpole Posted March 10, 2017 Author Share Posted March 10, 2017 Has there ever been a successful romance where the successful suitor argues "I have loved you all my life, and the fact that I never told you this and spent a decade sleeping with other women is entirely your fault." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelenBaby2 Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Clark Gable usually got the gal but sometimes wasn't the best fit. There were a few films when he strayed but ended the film with the leading lady, like Boom Town. He didn't get Scarlett at the end of Gone With the Wind but only because they were both horrible people. Even in Wfe Vs. Secretary he was this close to cheating with Jean Harlow even though he claimed to love his wife Myrna Loy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Kimble Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Watch Satan Never Sleeps (1962) and then try to tell me that the successful suitor at the end of that movie is not the least deserving ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Gorman Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 GEORGE BRENT isn't awful to RUTH CHATTERTON in "FEMALE" (1933), but he's still nowhere near as nice as he should have been. And she goes off a long-distance automobile ride at the end of the 1 hour movie to chase him down. And I asked myself "Why?" I blame the script more than I blame George because it's too drastic a turnaround. Ruth is In Charge. Ruth is In Control. And then . . . she just tosses it all aside in a flurry to track GB. Good gosh. FEMALE is not one of my favorite oldies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomJH Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Patric Knowles winning Olivia de Havilland over Errol Flynn in both The Charge of the Light Brigade and Four's A Crowd. In the latter film, a screwball comedy, Olivia is playing an air head so, in that respect, maybe it does make sense. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomJH Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Clark Gable usually got the gal but sometimes wasn't the best fit. There were a few films when he strayed but ended the film with the leading lady, like Boom Town. He didn't get Scarlett at the end of Gone With the Wind but only because they were both horrible people. Even in Wfe Vs. Secretary he was this close to cheating with Jean Harlow even though he claimed to love his wife Myrna Loy. Rhett Butler was a horrible person? He was a world weary cynic and less than totally chivalrous, at times, but a mature man of the world and rather admirable, I think. Certainly the warmth of his character came out in his relationship with his daughter, Bonnie Blue. And Gable, of course, was at the peak of his roguish charm in the best written role of his career. Scarlett was a manipulative **** but a tough survivor. She had guts and then more guts, but I sure wouldn't have wanted to know her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swithin Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Jean Harlow was undeserving of Clark Gable in China Seas. He should have gone with Rosalind Russell. (I'm unsexing the definition of suitor.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesJazGuitar Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Rhett Butler was a horrible person? He was a world weary cynic and less than totally chivalrous, at times, but a mature man of the world and rather admirable, I think. Certainly the warmth of his character came out in his relationship with his daughter, Bonnie Blue. And Gable, of course, was at the peak of his roguish charm in the best written role of his career. Scarlett was a manipulative **** but a tough survivor. She had guts and then more guts, but I sure wouldn't have wanted to know her. So forcing a women to have sex doesn't make one a horrible person? Yes, Scarlett was clearly a more unsavory character (e.g. the fact she didn't care how her workers were paid or treated), but Butler wasn't much of a catch (IMO). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomJH Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 So forcing a women to have sex doesn't make one a horrible person? Yes, Scarlett was clearly a more unsavory character (e.g. the fact she didn't care how her workers were paid or treated), but Butler wasn't much of a catch (IMO). Yeh, I forgot about that scene, James. Good point. Interesting how 1939 audiences were not repulsed by that scene. Sure they show Scarlet smiling the next morning, seemingly wanting more, that has a lot to do with it. If she had been weeping and screaming at him it would have been a different story in audience reaction to Rhett's drunken behaviour. Still, rape scene or not, I'll wager that the vast majority of film goers have a favourable attitude towards Rhett. He's still regarded by them as a good guy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesJazGuitar Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Jean Harlow was undeserving of Clark Gable in China Seas. He should have gone with Rosalind Russell. (I'm unsexing the definition of suitor.) Great example. Of course Chester Morris would say Gable got a great gal compared to the character Harlow played in Red-Headed Women. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesJazGuitar Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 GEORGE BRENT isn't awful to RUTH CHATTERTON in "FEMALE" (1933), but he's still nowhere near as nice as he should have been. And she goes off a long-distance automobile ride at the end of the 1 hour movie to chase him down. And I asked myself "Why?" I blame the script more than I blame George because it's too drastic a turnaround. Ruth is In Charge. Ruth is In Control. And then . . . she just tosses it all aside in a flurry to track GB. Good gosh. FEMALE is not one of my favorite oldies. Why would one ever blame an actor for saying the lines provided in the script? Anyhow, I agree that the feminist character Chatterton played in Female could have found someone that wasn't a sexist and willing to let her be herself. At least a man secure enough to meet her halfway. Good gosh is right! While the film is a pre-code it just goes to show that social conventions were still strong enough to impose that bogus ending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepiatone Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 Yeh, I forgot about that scene, James. Good point. Interesting how 1939 audiences were not repulsed by that scene. Sure they show Scarlet smiling the next morning, seemingly wanting more, that has a lot to do with it. If she had been weeping and screaming at him it would have been a different story in audience reaction to Rhett's drunken behaviour. Still, rape scene or not, I'll wager that the vast majority of film goers have a favourable attitude towards Rhett. He's still regarded by them as a good guy. Let's not forget Tom, that back when the story takes place and even when the movie premiered, the belief was that "there's no such thing as r a p i n g your wife." So the audience's lack of repulsion is somewhat understandable. Probably seen as "keeping your woman in line" by making her do "her wifely duties". Al in all though, I'd have to say that ANY man would be an "undeserving suitor" for Scarlett. By that I mean that NO man deserves to spend their lives with a shrew like that. Sepiatone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownGoesFrazier Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 Let's not forget Tom, that back when the story takes place and even when the movie premiered, the belief was that "there's no such thing as r a p i n g your wife." So the audience's lack of repulsion is somewhat understandable. Probably seen as "keeping your woman in line" by making her do "her wifely duties". Al in all though, I'd have to say that ANY man would be an "undeserving suitor" for Scarlett. By that I mean that NO man deserves to spend their lives with a shrew like that. Sepiatone How about Clyde Barrow in BONNIE AND CLYDE? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesJazGuitar Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 How about Clyde Barrow in BONNIE AND CLYDE? Thanks for helping me start my day! Yes, Scarlett and Clyde; now that is a power couple! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepiatone Posted March 12, 2017 Share Posted March 12, 2017 Thanks for helping me start my day! Yes, Scarlett and Clyde; now that is a power couple! How about Scarlett and CODY JARRETT? Sepiatone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomJH Posted March 12, 2017 Share Posted March 12, 2017 Al in all though, I'd have to say that ANY man would be an "undeserving suitor" for Scarlett. By that I mean that NO man deserves to spend their lives with a shrew like that. Sepiatone How about Clyde Barrow in BONNIE AND CLYDE? What have you got against Clyde Barrow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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