Tag: Marraige

Two (Lesser Known) Films Starring Rita Hayworth

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Miss Sadie Thompson (1953)

[1] It’s always interesting to stumble on old movies like these that resonate more than 50 years later. How much and how little has changed when it comes to religious zealots…hhmmm?

[2] Sadie Thompson is a woman of questionable repute… trying to re-make her life. The Jose Ferrer character is effectively odious. A man hung up on projecting his moral issues on the nearest target. This happens to be Miss Sadie. 

[3] Look for a studly young Charles Bronson in a minor role, listed in the credits as Charles Buchinsky.

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews

At a remote military outpost on American Samoa, it’s either hot/humid or raining. A ship quarantine strands a small group of Americans, incl. Sadie Thompson (Hayworth), on the way to a new job on another island. She’s a “breezy dame” who ALL the Marines want to get to know, including Phil O’Hara (Aldo Ray). As she steps on the dock, men clamor for a bit of her company. As Sadie sings, some of the natives (even little kids) leave church to go to the bar next door, ignoring their preacher. Mr. Davidson (Jose Ferrer), the powerful/wealthy head of the Mission Board, suspects Sadie is one of the women who worked at the Emerald Club in Honolulu. He calls her a bad influence (on the Marines and local natives), who must be shunned. 

This island looks volcanic. -Dr. MacPhail comments 

It is – in more ways than one. All these isolated islands where our servicemen are stationed are volcanic. It takes constant vigilance to keep them under control. -Mr. Davidson replies

Hayworth looks gorgeous (as usual); she’s a redhead here who wears a lot of red (associated w/ evil, love, and during this era- Communism). Sadie is independent, tough, unapologetic, and quite jaded (though she puts on a fun-loving front). Phil, who will soon be finished w/ his service, suggests going to live in Australia. He quickly falls in love w/ Sadie and asks her to marry him; she is surprised, but pleasantly. Meanwhile, Davidson has put the gears into motion to get Sadie deported back to the States. 

This is a “Personal Pick” of Robert Osborne, who was host for TCM. It starts off as light and comedic (w/ songs), but takes a serious (and quite dark) turn. While it’s an uneven film, there are timeless themes w/in (based on a short story by W. Somerset Maugham).

The Story on Page One (1959)

[1] You’ll never see a movie with such long scenes again. It’s a shame, because they were very absorbing, with Franciosa really ratcheting up the fireworks.

[2] People who knew her say she was much like the character of Josephine – quiet, shy, insecure and sweet. Hayworth doesn’t exhibit much personality in this, but then, probably the unhappy Josephine wouldn’t have either.

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews

An elderly woman, Mrs. Brown (Katherine Squire), approaches a surly, down-on-his-luck  lawyer, Victor Santini (Anthony Franciosa), desperate for representation for her daughter. Mrs. Brown knew Victor’s (deceased) mother, who told her that he was a Harvard grad and experienced w/ trials. Victor (who’s more interested in drinking) tries to dissuade the woman, but she’s insists on him hearing out her story. 

L.A. housewife/mother, Jo Morris (Hayworth- then 40 y.o.), is very unhappy; her husband/police detective, Mike (Alfred Ryder), is emotionally abusive. Hayworth’s looks are underplayed in this film; she comes off as a bit tired, anxious, and isn’t dressed glamorously. Jo feels sympathy for an accountant/widower, Larry Ellis (Gig Young), and they start seeing each other. They break up, but Jo’s mother (Mrs. Brown) urges her to reach out again. Larry and Jo meet; she learns that his young son was killed in an accident. They finally spend one night at his hotel, and realize that they still love each other. Larry’s  mother, Mrs. Ellis (Mildred Dunnock), shows up on Jo’s doorstep one day, just as Mike is going to work. Jo is stunned when Mrs. Ellis explains that she hired a private detective to follow Larry; she threatens to reveal all to Mike (unless Jo stays away). One weekend, the family goes to a wedding, where Mike gets very drunk. When they get home, Larry is waiting to speak to Jo (after the others are asleep). She lets him into the kitchen and Larry explains/apologizes about his mother. Mike comes down the stairs (holding his gun), thinking there could be a burglar. When he sees Jo embracing Larry, Mike fights w/ Larry and the gun goes off. Mike is dead; the adulterous couple find themselves on trial for their lives (yet refuse to turn against each other). 

It turns out that Victor (who cleans up nice) is a fine lawyer; he’s confident in the courtroom and passionate about getting justice for his client. He faces some tough opposition from a tough/elderly prosecutor (played by Sanford Meisner, known as an acting coach). While Meisner was exposed to method acting (w/ its emphasis on “affective memory”), his approach was based on “the reality of doing.” Since most of this film is the trial, it will appeal to those who like courtroom dramas (and a lot of dialogue). There isn’t any flair w/ the direction; it was done by the writer, Clifford Odets. As several viewers have noticed, the supporting characters, esp. Victor and the two mothers, are more interesting than the leads. 

Reviews of Recently Viewed Films

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Terminal Station (1953) starring Jennifer Jones & Montgomery Clift

Last week, I saw this rare little gem of a movie one afternoon (on TCM); the David O. Selznick cut is titled Indiscretion of an American Wife. Then, I decided to check out the slightly longer version from the Italian director, Vittorio De Sica(Amazon Prime); it contains a a few more (ambiguous) lines/scenes. De Sica’s films are known for romantic neo-realism. My parents (fans of Sophia Loren) really enjoyed Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1963) and Marriage Italian Style (1964) which both won Oscars. 

If my art seems pessimistic, it is a consequence of my continuing optimism and its disillusion. At least I have enthusiasm. It is necessary to all professions to have enthusiasm in order to have success. -Vittorio De Sica

Why did you come with me? -Giovanni asks Mary

You didn’t look very wicked. I’m not an imaginative woman. It was you. It was Rome! And I’m a housewife from Philadelphia. -Mary replies

A married American woman, Mary Forbes (Jennifer Jones) has been involved for a month w/ a slightly younger Italian-American teacher, Giovanni Doria (Montgomery Clift), in Rome while visiting relatives. One rainy morning, Mary suddenly decides to return home to her husband and young daughter, but w/o telling anyone (aside from her nephew, played by a young Richard Beymer). She goes to the (newly built) train terminal, realizes that she is not at all sure about leaving, and agonizes over her decision. Giovanni joins her at the station, very confused and hurt, as she had just told him “I love you” the previous night.  

[1] This is such a contained, focused film, and demands so much of its two actors, every little nuance matters in a kind of exciting dramatic way. The closest thing this compares to, as two lovers or would be lovers talk in a train station, is Brief Encounter (1945), and that’s a masterpiece of acting and cinema both. Here, with Montgomery Clift and Jennifer Jones, it comes close.

[2] Jennifer Jones, beyond radiant in her prime-of-life womanhood, exudes a sensuality that both contrasts strikingly with her 1950s-prim exterior and celebrates the troubled woman within…

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews

There is plenty of drama behind this film! Producer Selznick (then married to Jones), wanted to have a slick romance depicted; De Sica wanted to show a ruined romance (which was fully supported by Clift). De Sica favored realism, so wasn’t interested in Hollywood-style close-ups; Selznick eventually hired cinematographer Oswald Morris to film some of these. Each day on the set, Selznick had critical letters for De Sica (who didn’t know English). The script was altered several times, as the two men had such different visions. Two scenes were written by Truman Capote, who gets screenplay credit. 

The Violent Men (1954) starring Glenn Ford, Barbara Stanwyck, & Edward G. Robinson

Never meet the enemy on his terms. -John says to his ranch hands

I’ll fight for the privilege of being left alone. -John explains to Lee 

A former Union Army officer, John Parrish (Glenn Ford), fully recovered from his war wounds, plans to sell his ranch to the wealthy owner of Anchor Ranch, Lew Wilkison (Edward G. Robinson) and move east w/ his fiancee, Caroline (May Wynn). However, the low price offered by Wilkison, and his hired mens’ bullying tactics, make Parrish think again. When one of his young ranch hands is murdered, he decides to stay and fight, using his battle know-how. At Anchor Ranch, Lew’s shrewd wife, Martha (Barbara Stanwyck), has been having an affair w/ his handsome younger brother, Cole (Brian Keith), who has a Mexican girlfriend, Elena (Lita Milan), that he supports in town. Lew and Martha’s 20-something daughter, Judith (Dianne Foster), has become distant and angry; she has suspected deception in her home.

I know what you’re thinking- whoa, there are a lot of ladies in this Western! I was watching this at my dad’s; even he noticed this fact. Well, not all of these women are well-developed. Caroline seems like she’d marry any guy to get out of her hometown. Elena loves Cole desperately, but we don’t know much about her; her sudden/violent action at the end is quite unexpected (bordering on soap opera). Judith, who’s very much a “daddy’s girl,” is intrigued by Parrish, yet also abhors the violence that ensues during the stampede. Some viewers commented that in order to get a big star like Stanwyck, the role of Martha must’ve been bulked up by the writers. Who doesn’t like Stanwyck!? But I was expecting this film to be more about Parrish. 

[1] The Fifties was the age of the adult western, themes were entering into horse operas that hadn’t been explored before. There’s enough traditional western stuff …and plenty for those who are addicted to soap operas as well.

[2] …the actors in question deserved a better story from which to work from, it is, when all is said and done, a plot that has been milked for all it’s worth, and then some. …still a very rewarding film regardless of the missed opportunities evident with the production.

I learned that this film was shot partly in Old Tucson; my dad noticed this before I did! The cinematography is well done, which is a must for a Western. The best action scene is the one between the unapologetic/violent cowboy, Matlock (one of Lew’s men), and Parrish in the saloon. Ford plays it so cool; he can handle himself w/ a gun man-to-man. This isn’t quite a hit, but worth a look.

The Candidate (1972) starring Robert Redford

…one of the many great movies about the world of politics. It holds up as well today as it did in 1972 (maybe even better). 

A sad commentary on the way things work. Very relevant. I recommend it for fans of Robert Redford or anybody interested in politics 

It’s fair to say that many Americans are fed up w/ politics these days- LOL! It’s refreshing to take a day (or even a few hours) avoiding the news, even if you’re a news junkie (like me). This film was recently shown on TCM; I’d heard much about it, but never watched it. Also, who doesn’t love Redford!? Peter Boyle plays the political expert who convinces Redford to run for Senate (Democratic side, of course). Look out for cameos from journo Mike Barnicle (currently seen on MSNBC’s Morning Joe) and Redford’s real-life pal, Natalie Wood (playing herself).   

 

 

 

A Star is Born (1937) starring Janet Gaynor & Fredric March

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In rural North Dakota, a petite redheaded young woman, Esther Blodgett (Janet Gaynor), goes often to the movies; she also wants to be in them. When she admits this to her family, her little brother laughs, her father is confused, and her aunt considers it foolish (saying Esther needs a husband). Her 70-something grandmother, Lettie (May Robson), is the only one supports her, even giving Esther her own life savings. 
Esther, everyone in this world who has ever dreamed about better things has been laughed at, don’t you know that? But there’s a difference between dreaming and doing. The dreamers just sit around and moon about how wonderful it would be if only things were different. And the years roll on and by and by they grow and they forget everything, even about their dreams. -Grandmother (Lettie) explains to Esther
After a month, Esther still has no job, but makes a new pal who also lives in her hotel- Danny (Andy Devine)- an aspiring director. In a few more months, Danny gets an assistant director job. One night, he recommends Esther for a waitress gig at the home of a studio head, Oliver Niles (Adolphe Menjou). Norman Maine (Fredric March), a handsome/successful/middle-aged actor, can’t take his eyes off her; this is the same man she watched growing up! 
Do you mind if I take just one more look? -Norman asks Esther (after dropping her off after the studio party)
With some prodding from Norman, Oliver prepares a contract for Esther (AKA Vicki Lester). It turns out that her artless personality and girl-next-door looks appeal to audiences. After they marry, the couple go on a honeymoon out West, and Norman even gives up alcohol. And the rest is what dreams are made of, right? Well, it’s not that easy… and Esther discovers the reality behind the glamour quick enough.
His work is beginning to interfere with his drinking. -A reporter comments re: Norman
Norman’s previous heavy drinking, as well as late-night practical jokes, have put off many directors. Though he brought the studio success for many years, Oliver explains that it’s no longer profitable to keep on Norman. The actor says he understands, yet finds it increasingly difficult (on his ego) to be a house husband. Alas, Esther’s love is not enough for Norman! 
[1] March displays just the right degree of brashness, of knowingness, and a combination of ego and a real actor’s almost complete lack of ego. It’s a miraculous piece of work. The script for this version was partly written by Dorothy Parker and Alan Campbell and it shows. It’s an acerbic and, at times, savage movie about the movies, quite cynical for a major studio picture of it’s day.
[2] March… strikes just the right balance between Norman’s vulnerability and his pomposity. You never doubt that he loves Esther.  
[3] I guess Hollywood knows itself better than anyone else and films about the industry can be scathing. The star is a creature with a fragile ego, one moment a whim can move mountains, a slip in public affections and no one wants to know you. March as Maine has been slipping for some time and he catches on, way too late. But as March is going down, Gaynor is on the up escalator and they meet mid point and fall in love. How they deal with their joint careers or lack thereof in one case is what A Star is Born is all about. 
[4] This movie has been done three times: this one in 1937, then in 1954 and finally 1976. Of course, this story – rags to riches in the acting business – was done first by others – principally Katharine Hepburn in Morning Glory (1933) and, oddly enough, again in Stage Door (1937), and again with Hepburn ably assisted by a host of well-known Hollywood actors… The difference with Star, of course, is it’s maybe the first movie to dig into Hollywood screen acting and make an attempt to lay it bare.
-Excerpts from IMDB reviews
Some Trivia Behind the Film
  • The first all-color film nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.
  • The movie got its story-line from What Price Hollywood? (1932).
  • It has been speculated that the story was inspired by the real-life marriage of Barbara Stanwyck and her first husband, Frank Fay.
  • The character of Norman Maine was based on several real actors, including John Barrymore, who was considered for the role.
  • During Esther’s screen test, she is dressed in an antebellum costume and surrounded by other actors in Civil War uniforms. This is an in-joke reference to the fact that the producer of A Star is Born, David O. Selznick, had recently bought the rights to adapt Margaret Mitchell’s novel Gone With the Wind and was undergoing a highly publicized national search for an actress to play the lead role, Scarlett O’Hara. 

What To Watch Next (OCT 2018)?

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Colette (now playing in limited release) starring Keira Knightley, Dominic West, & Eleanor Tomlinson

After marrying a successful Parisian writer known commonly as “Willy” (West), Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (Knightley) is transplanted from her childhood home in rural France to the intellectual and artistic splendor of Paris. Soon after, Willy convinces Colette to ghostwrite for him. She pens a semi-autobiographical novel about a witty and brazen country girl named Claudine, sparking a bestseller and a cultural sensation. After its success, Colette and Willy become the talk of Paris and their adventures inspire additional Claudine novels. Colette’s fight over creative ownership and gender roles drives her to overcome societal constraints, revolutionizing literature, fashion and sexual expression. -Summary from Bleecker Street 

First Man (opening OCT 12th) starring Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll, Jason Clarke, Pablo Schreiber & Ciaran Hinds

This is a biopic of astronaut Neil Armstrong (Gosling), a Midwestern family man and former pilot, and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the moon. Though it’s directed by La La Land’s Damien Chazelle, there are NO songs or dances (no worries- LOL)! Critics are suggesting that you watch this in IMAX (if possible). 

Museo (now playing) starring Gael Garcia Bernal

Two 30-something slacker pals (living w/ parents in Mexico City) decide to pull an art heist. This is based on a true story- WOW! This film has been getting good buzz, and I’m a big fan of GGB.

The Hate U Give (opening OCT 19th) starring Amandla Stenberg, Common, Regina Hall, Issa Rae & Russell Hornsby

This looks to be an unique twist on the coming-of-age story (already being praised highly by critics). It was based on best-selling novel by a young black woman, Angie Thomas. A working-class black teen girl from the inner-city, Starr (attending a mostly white private school), experiences the awakening of her racial consciousness after witnessing the killing of her childhood best friend, a black boy, by a police officer.

Venom (opening OCT 5th) starring Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Woody Harrelson, & Jenny Slate

I learned that Venom was in Spider-Man 3, though this movie is considered to be outside the Marvel universe. Mild-mannered investigative reporter, Eddie Brock (Hardy), uncovers a secret government experiment and eventually merges w/ a symbiote called Venom. I’m curious to see it mainly for Riz Ahmed (who plays villainous scientist Carlton Drake).

RBG (2018)

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People ask me “Don’t you feel uncomfortable being compared to a rapper?” Why would I? We have a lot in common like being born and raised in Brooklyn. -Ruth Bader Ginsburg

If you’re not watching #RBGMovie you are missing one of the great multi layered love stories. Love of the law, love of knowledge, love of equality and above all, love of marriage as a true partnership, bursting with mutual respect. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is an American original. -Tom Harrington (CBC Radio)

The love story between Ruth and Martin Ginsburg is nothing less than awe-inspiring. I love how she tells about her undergraduate years at Cornell where there was a four to one ratio of boys to girls. “Every mother wanted to send their daughter there because, if you couldn’t find a husband there, you were hopeless.” She reveals that during her freshman year, she never dated the same boy twice. That is, until she met Marty, who was the first guy that recognized she had a brain. -Excerpt from IMDB review

He was okay playing second fiddle. In fact, he joked about it… -Nina Totenberg (NPR legal correspondent) on Marty, a very successful tax attorney in NYC, who moved to DC when his wife’s career took off. 

The film traces RBG’s life from her childhood in Brooklyn through her years struggling to be taken seriously as a young female law student  and practicing attorney, and through her tenure on the SCOTUS and emergence as a pop culture icon. The storyline is mostly linear, but includes frequent jumps backward, forward, and even sideways as it examines different aspects of her life, personality, and public image. There’s a mix of historical photos, videos, but the main draw are the interviews. We hear from Ginsburg’s children, childhood friends, colleagues, admirers and a few detractors, as well as fellow feminist icon Gloria Steinem, former Pres. Bill Clinton, and Ginsburg herself.

Some of the cases RBG argued before the SCOTUS:

  • Frontiero vs. Richardson (1973): A young newly-married woman from Alabama, Sharron Frontiero, working in the U.S. Air Force, sues for gender discrimination when the housing stipend is denied her (unlike male co-workers).
  • Weinberger vs. Wiesenfeld (1975): A widower and father to baby boy, Simon Wiesenfeld, sues the Social Security Administration for sole-survivor benefits (then called “a mother’s benefit” and only avaiable to women). When the case reached SCOTUS, RBG had Simon come sit w/ the lawyers (putting a masculine face in front of the all-male justices).
  • Califano vs. Goldfarb: Leon Goldfarb, a widower, who applied for survivor’s benefits under the Social Security Act had his application denied (even though his wife Hannah had paid Social Security taxes for 25 years).
  • Edwards vs. Healy: Challenging the Louisiana law that allowed women to opt-out of jury service.

You may remember these (high-profile) cases that RBG presided over:

  • U.S. vs. Virginia Military Institute (1996): VMI boasted a long and proud tradition as Virginia’s only exclusively male public undergraduate higher learning institution. The U.S. brought suit against Virginia and VMI alleging that the school’s male-only admissions policy was unconstitutional insofar as it violated the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause.
  • Ledbetter vs. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (2007): Over her 19 yr. career at Goodyear, Lilly Ledbetter was consistently given low rankings in annual performance-and-salary reviews and low raises relative to other employees. Ledbetter sued for gender discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, alleging that the company had given her a low salary because of her gender.

A granddaughter, Clara Spera, who recently graduated from Harvard Law School, explains that this was the first year that the graduating class was 50% male and 50% female (WOW). Jane and James (her adult children) recall how their mother rarely laughed, stressed education and personal responsibility, and was a horrible cook (LOL). Her husband, Marty, worked hard by contacting people from the business and legal communities to get RBG (then aged 61) to the top of the list for Supreme Court justice in 1993. Pres. Clinton was very impressed by her interview. RBG, who even won the admiration of Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), was confirmed 96-3 in a quite partisan time. This is a MUST-SEE documentary (for people of ALL ages)!