harlowkeatongirl Posted April 8, 2004 Share Posted April 8, 2004 Thoughts, from whoever watched the Cecil B. DeMille specials Monday and Wednesday? I think he was a damn fine director and seemed to be a very good man. I think the intimidating persona was for the studio only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 8, 2004 Share Posted April 8, 2004 Indeed he was a great director, and, as a person, he didn't seem any worse than anyone else. ...Da way I see it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bansi4 Posted April 8, 2004 Share Posted April 8, 2004 Whatever he was he was most of all a great showman. Can't blame him for getting hot under the collar when he had the burden on his shoulders of getting a motion picture finished on time and under budget (just like any other director in those days). Also under the circumstances with his wife you couldn't blame him for getting a little nooky on the side. Afterall when a man takes weeks to part the Red Sea he needs some release from the tension. I was miffed as to why his son-in-law Anthony Quinn wasn't included in the documentary. DeMille produced the remake of "The Buccaneer" and Quinn directed it. Quinn also had much respect for his father-in-law as he stated in an interview with Robert Osborne. All in all it was an entertaining two hours and made me hunger for the movie "Samson and Delilah" with Victor Mature and the gorgeous Hedy Lamarr. Mongo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harlowkeatongirl Posted April 8, 2004 Author Share Posted April 8, 2004 I think is directing style is wonderful. I bet everyone ever directed by him took every great lesson of his with them to all the rest of their sets after that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
classicsfan1119 Posted April 8, 2004 Share Posted April 8, 2004 Perhaps the words "Sadistic" and "Charming" aren't as important to equate with Cecil B. DeMille as the word "Professional". Here was yet one more man who refused to settle for anything less than the best (like Chaplin), and he expected the same of people working with and all around him on set. Thank God for men like this...we have the greatness of their life's achievements forever on film, and isn't that what matters the most when we remember them or mention them still today? ;)ML Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harlowkeatongirl Posted April 8, 2004 Author Share Posted April 8, 2004 Well, everyone has their own idea of perfection. God bless perfectionists such as Charlie Chaplin and Cecil B. DeMille for the art they left us with. It is excellent insight into their vision. But what's one person's idea of perfection isn't everyone's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harlowkeatongirl Posted April 8, 2004 Author Share Posted April 8, 2004 Oh and "Sadistic" and "Charming" aren't words I'd use to describe DeMille. I was taking directly from the special. Those were how some other people described him. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
classicsfan1119 Posted April 9, 2004 Share Posted April 9, 2004 Oh, I wasn't pointing a finger at you HKG...I was merely considering that there might be a "better" word to describe men like DeMille and Chaplin, or any others like them who refused to settle for shoddiness, second-best effort, or mediocrity within the frame-work of their work ethics. "Professional" was the one word that seemed to best describe them. I don't believe that I used the word "perfectionist" in my previous post...I'll go back and look, though. ML Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harlowkeatongirl Posted April 9, 2004 Author Share Posted April 9, 2004 Cripes we're getting so busy at work I don't even have time for a morning break anymore. And ohkay, Classicsfan.. I can see what you're saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinemetal Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 Both! I'm a big fan of C.B., but the story behind the DGA meeting ca. 1950 always leaves a bad taste in my mouth. DeMille veered a little too close to antisemitic rhetoric for my liking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts