Best Pictures #44: 1930-31 (4th) Academy Awards Outstanding Production Winner Cimarron (1931)

by A.J.

Best Pictures #44: 1930-31 (4^th) Academy Awards Outstanding Production Winner

Cimarron (1931)

Cimarron, RKO’s big budget western that was the Academy’s choice for Outstanding Production of 1930-31, has not aged well. It was well received by critics at the time, but a modern viewer would be likely to disagree. I know I did. As of 2017, Cimarron holds a 53% rating on RottenTomatoes.com, based on only 17 reviews. It did not perform well at the box office and actually lost money for RKO in its initial theatrical release. Its poor box office performance was more than likely due to the onset of the Great Depression, which was in full effect by 1931. It was rereleased in 1935 and made back most of its money. 

Cimarron tells the decades spanning story of 19^th century newspaper editor Yancey Cravat who settles his family in the boom town of Osage, Oklahoma just after the Land Rush. Richard Dix plays Yancey and though he received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, his performance comes across as overly grandiose and exaggerated even for an era with heightened acting styles. Dix uses big gestures the way a silent film actor would, and one must keep in mind that talkies were only three years old when Cimarron was made. Yancey is determined to settle on a piece of one of the last frontiers of the United States. In the most exciting scene in the movie, Yancey takes place in the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889. This reenactment took one week to film, used 5000 extras, and required 28 cameramen to shoot. We see horses and covered wagons at the starting line waiting for the starting pistol. Despite not getting any land in the Rush, Yancey moves his family to Osage against the protestations of his wife, Saba, played by Irene Dunne. Yancey is set on building a new home in a new land for his family. 

As a modern-day viewer, I found Cimarron old fashioned and dated, and not in a charming way. The very first thing we see and hear in the movie is a couple of cowboys yelling at some American Indians, calling them “redskins.” Yancy’s wife, Saba, is especially repulsed by the native peoples, calling them “dirty” and “filthy” and scolds her son for playing with a Native American boy. It is mentioned briefly by another character that Yancey is sympathetic to Native Americans, which does not win him any favor with the white settlers. However, aside from naming his son Cimarron, there is only one scene showing his sympathy for Native Americans when Yancey objects to a businessman’s scheme to steal Native American land on which oil was recently discovered. This scene takes place in 1907 when Yancey is running for governor. He jeopardizes his campaign by printing an editorial that states: “the time has come to give the redman full citizenship.” 

A young black boy named Isiah moves with Yancey to Osage and Yancey is kind to him, but he also points out a watermelon patch to Isiah when they first arrive in Osage. Isiah is the most servile character in the movie and is meant to be comic relief; this character portrayal is one of many things that has not aged well. His scenes would make a modern audience cringe. However, at least Isiah is a character. There are no Native Americans with speaking parts in a film called Cimarron. The portrayal of the treatment of blacks and Native Americans is unfortunately period appropriate, but does not enhance the film with any sense of realism. 

Female characters fair only slightly better in terms of portrayal and treatment in Cimarron. In a scene which I was only able to half enjoy, Sabra marches right up to the town bully and scolds him for shooting her husband’s hat off his head—bullets were more accurate back then, I guess. Yancey marches up to her and tells her not to interfere in a “friendly shootout” between two men. He tells her that it will all over town that he hides behind his wife’s petticoat. Yancey may be out to tame the west but it is Sabra that runs the home and the newspaper on the many occasions when Yancey gets “wanderlust” and leaves his home and family at the drop of a hat to take part in a new land rush or settle new lands. We’re supposed to accept and even admire that he cannot set down roots for more than a few years. He disappears for years at a time without a word sent home which is something I cannot admire, no matter much land there is to tame. In her husband’s absence Sabra becomes a congresswoman, but the film barely pays attention to that. At least Irene Dunne received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role as Sabra.

Despite Cimarron’s epic scope, it does not have breathtaking visuals or memorable set pieces aside from the Land Rush scene at the opening of the film. The cinematography was nominated for an Oscar and while I’ll concede that what is on screen is well photographed, there is no distinct visual style or flair to any scene of the movie. Cimarron did win an Oscar for Art Direction, which is an impressive element of the movie. RKO bought 89 acres of land outside of Encino, CA to build the “boomer town” of Osage. The sets and look of the town make the shots of the crowded downtown area impressive. The set design likely helped the cinematography get a nomination, but much more likely the Academy voters liked the film so much they nominated it for every category for which it qualified. Cimarron had the most nominations of any film at the 4^th Academy Awards with a total of seven. It was the first film to be nominated for all of the “major categories” (Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Director, Screenplay). Cimarron would be the most awarded film of the night with 3 wins: Art Direction, Writing Adaptation, and Outstanding Production. It was the only film produced and released by RKO to win Best Picture. 

Cimarron is technically a Pre-Code film but has none of the daring or boldness associated with Pre-Code movies. It feels dull and bland today. Even with shoot outs and the Land Rush scene, this movie lacks thrills and excitement. The characters and dialogue are stock, stilted, and bland. Dix’s character is overblown. He is THE MAN in Osage; he runs the newspaper, shoots down outlaws, becomes the town minister, is known by everyone, shoots a whiskey bottle out of someone’s hand, and when he shoots an outlaw, the outlaw essentially thanks Yancey before he dies. It’s a bit much. Yancey is practically a superman and because of this I never felt any danger or concern for him or his family. There is no challenge that is not immediately and easily conquerable for Yancey, aside from the Land Rush. His character feels artificial, perhaps because Dix’s dated performance and the way the character is written. Yancey has a vision of taming the West that many male characters have in classic westerns, but Cimarron does not feel like a classic western. A film has no control over which elements will become dated and effect the way it is viewed by later audiences. There are countless films that have dated themes, acting styles, or dialogue but still retain their entertainment value and a sense of charm. Cimarron, however, is not one of those films. 

Nominee: RKO
Producer: William LeBaron
Director: Wesley Ruggles
Screenplay: Howard Estabrook, based on the novel by Edna Ferber
Cast: Richard Dix, Irene Dunne, Estelle Taylor
Release Date: February 9^th, 1931
Total Nominations: 7, including Outstanding Production
Wins: 3, including Outstanding Production, Writing Adaptation-Howard Estabrook, Art Direction-Max Rèe
Other Nominations: Actor-Richard Dix, Actress-Irene Dunne, Director-Wesley Ruggles, Cinematography-Edward Conjager

Best Pictures #43: 1930-31 (4th) Academy Awards Outstanding Production Nominee East Lynne (1931)

by A.J.

Best Pictures #43: 1930-31 (4^th) Academy Awards Outstanding Production Nominee

East Lynne (1931)

East Lynne is fortunately not a lost film, but it is unavailable to the general public. There is only one print of the film in existence and it is kept at the UCLA Film Archive. It is a non-circulating item, but can be viewed by appointment. I fully intend to make such an appointment to view East Lynne (along with the other Best Picture nominee that only exists in their archive, The White Parade (1934)) once a trip to Los Angeles fits my schedule and budget. Until then, what I know about East Lynne I have gathered from IMDB.com, Wikipedia, the blogs of people that have seen the film at UCLA, and, most importantly, the reviews from the New York Times and Variety from the film’s initial release. 

Produced and released by the Fox Film Corporation, East Lynne is a Victorian era set melodrama based on a novel by Ellen Wood. It stars Ann Harding as Lady Isabella Carlyle, Conrad Nagel as her husband Robert, Clive Book as Sir Francis Levison, who is in love with Isabella, and is directed by Frank Lloyd. The movie follows Lady Isabella, a member of society’s upper echelon, who suffers misfortune after misfortune including the sabotaging of her marriage, a divorce, and ostracization. The film’s finale has her rushing to see her son again before she goes completely blind. The story had been adapted as a play and the movie is based on the stage version as much as the novel though it makes changes to both. 

The review in Variety (the author credited is “Variety Staff”) published on December 31st, 1930 has the has the headline: “An excellent piece of work in taking a legendary meller [melodrama] play and transposing it into a screen drama of strength and charm.” In his review for the New York Times, published on February 21^st, 1931 just as the film was released nationwide, Mordaunt Hall writes, “Many a dainty handkerchief was dabbed on a pretty face during some of the episodes in the career of the unfortunate Lady Isabella; this alone was a testimonial to Miss Harding's impressive performance.” Hall goes on to praise Harding: “when Miss Harding appears, always attractively gowned, she captures one's full attention.” The Variety review agrees, stating that Harding gave an “outstanding performance.” Both praise the sets and interior design by Joseph Urban and have positive things to say about director Frank Lloyd. Both reviews are positive overall though each has one complaint. Variety states that the scene in which Isabella meets her father in Paris is a “false note.” The sole complaint of the Times’ review is: “The actual ending of the film is a trifle too melodramatic, but what happens just before is accomplished in an appealing fashion.”

The modern reviews from the blogs of other people dedicated to watching every Best Picture nominee range from very negative to mixed. The consensus from those reviews is that East Lynne is an outdated melodrama. It will be some time before I can concur or disagree with the modern reviews or the reviews from the movie’s theatrical release. As far as I can tell only from what I have read, it seems that East Lynne, being an adaptation of a well-known novel and play with decorative sets and costumes and heavy melodrama would be considered “Oscar bait” today. Even then the Academy couldn’t resist, but only gave it one nomination, for Outstanding Production. 

Nominee: Fox

Producer: William Fox
Director: Frank Lloyd
Screenplay: Tom Barry and Bradley King, based on the novel by Ellen Wood
Cast: Ann Harding, Conrad Nagel, Clive Brook
Release Date: March 31^st, 1931
Total Nominations: 1, including Outstanding Production
Other Nominations: N/A

Best Pictures #42: 1930-31 (4th) Academy Awards Outstanding Production Nominee: The Front Page (1931)

by A.J.

Best Pictures #42: 1930-31 (4^th) Academy Awards Outstanding Production Nominee

The Front Page (1931)

You shouldn’t judge a remake by its earlier version. That would be ideal, but it’s hard to be ideal. Likewise, you shouldn’t judge a movie by its much more notable remake. In this case the remake is His Girl Friday, one of the prime examples of screwball comedy. Surprisingly, I didn’t think about His Girl Friday as much as I was afraid I would while watching The Front Page. 

Based on the play by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, The Front Page was produced independently by Howard Hughes and released though United Artists. It was directed by Lewis Milestone, who had just won the Best Director award at the previous year’s Academy Awards. Milestone already had two Oscar wins for Best Director under his belt, for Two Arabian Knights (1927) and All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), and picked up a nomination for his work on The Front Page. The last film I saw directed by Lewis Milestone that was based on a play was, The Racket (1928), an Outstanding Picture nominee at the 1^st Academy Awards. I did not care for the results, especially the staging of dialogue heavy scenes and bland visual style. That film was silent so the scenes of men dressed similarly talking to each other in rooms were a bit hard to follow. The reporters in The Front Page dress mostly the same, however, since this is a talkie, each actor’s voice helps to distinguish them in the many scenes in which the reporters are gathered together. Milestone and his cinematographer, Glen MacWilliams, are able to give visual flair to very verbal material. Visually interesting shots and camera movements are plentiful. The most interesting and oddest visual moment happens when the gang of reporters, gathered around a table in the press room, mock the Sheriff by singing at him derisively. Instead of just panning around the room to each reporter, the camera tilts quickly up and back down from one reporter to the next. 

The Front Page is a film that could not have been made just a few years before in the silent era. The fast paced dialogue and sharp, wry sense of humor are what make the movie. This material needs the technology of sound; a silent version of this movie would be rather dull. Though the stars of this movie are Adolphe Menjou as Burns and Pat O’Brien as Hildy, we spend a great deal of the film—the entire second act—with the gaggle of character actors as fellow reporters cramped together in the courthouse pressroom. The standout of that bunch is Edward Everett Horton with his very distinctive voice. All of the characters, including the two main characters, were based on real courthouse correspondents that Hecht and MacArthur spent time with while researching their play. The reporters are crass and acerbic about their jobs and subjects. Their utter contempt for anyone involved in the running of the city (especially the sheriff and the mayor) feels completely genuine. One character even gives the mayor the finger—this is a Pre-Code film after all.

The big story all these reporters are trying to get a scoop on is the imminent hanging of a convicted murderer and anarchist named Williams. Everyone calls him a Bolhevik, though he is actually an anarchist but no one listens or cares when he explains the difference. Walter Burns, the editor of the Post connives to keep his star reporter, Hildy Johnson, in town and on the story. All Hildy wants to do is get married and leave town, but he can’t pass up a good story, and the story gets even better when Williams escapes. As for the movie, despite the quick paced dialogue and acerbic humor, it feels like it is treading water whenever Menjou is offscreen. The reporters are literally sitting around biding time until execution and though they provide humor and social commentary (they accuse the mayor and the sheriff of moving up the execution to just before election day to nab votes), they are too undeveloped for how much time we spend with them. Menjou surprisingly has only a few scenes and is largely absent until he returns for the final act and dominates the film. The pace picks up significantly when Menjou is present. It’s no surprise that he received a nomination for Best Actor. Edward Everett Horton is eccentric and funny in his role, and Mae Clark gives a solid performance in the small role of Williams’s girlfriend.

With its limited sets and distinct acts, The Front Page feels undeniably of the theater, but director Milestone finds ways—some subtle, others less so—to keep the eye engaged while the fast, funny dialogue entertains the ear. This is an uneven film that perhaps could have benefitted from trimming some scenes but it manages to end strong thanks to Menjou. This is the beginning of what would grow into screwball comedy and would be an interesting film for fans of the genre to watch. The DVD print is readily available, but is not of the best quality. The audio track is mostly good but visual irregularities are present. The Front Page was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2010. I’m not a big fan of this movie, but I’m glad to know it is preserved and available.

The Front Page (1931) Academy Restoration-HD from California Film Institute on Vimeo.

Nominee: Caddo, U.A.

Producer: Howard Hughes, Lewis Milestone

Director: Lewis Milestone

Screenplay: adaptation by Bartlett Cormack, additional dialogue by Charles Lederer, based on the play by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur

Cast: Adolphe Menjou, Pat O’Brien, Mary Brian, Edward Everett Horton

Release Date: April 4^th, 1931

Total Nominations: 3, including Outstanding Production

Wins: N/A

Other Nominations: Actor-Adolphe Menjou, Director-Lewis Milestone

Best Pictures #41: 1930-31 (4th) Academy Awards Outstanding Production Nominee: Skippy (1931)

by A.J.

Best Pictures #41: 1930-31 (4^th) Academy Awards Outstanding Production Nominee

Skippy (1931)

As of 2017, Skippy, released in 1931, has the distinction of being the only Best Picture nominee based on a comic strip, comic book, or graphic novel. I can’t say I’ve heard of the Skippy character or comic strip, but I have heard of Jackie Cooper, who received a nomination for Best Actor for his role as the title character. Cooper was nine years old making him the youngest person (as of 2017) to be nominated for Best Actor. Cooper does indeed give a pretty good performance, making this mischievous child of privilege lovable and endearing. Young Cooper’s acting style leans into exaggeration, but so do the performances of the other actors and actresses, child and adult alike. Movie acting styles were still adapting from the hyperbolic performances necessitated by the recently passed silent era. 

Skippy is the son of the director of the Board of Health and his family is obviously well off. There are two neighbor kids, Eloise and Sidney, that Skippy tolerates, but he gets along much better with the kids in Shantytown, the abjectly poor and dilapidated part of town that is literally on the other side of the tracks (railroad tracks). He meets Sookie, a Shantytown kid, and they quickly become friends after Skippy notices that Sookie was the only kid that didn’t run away when an adult came to break up a fight. When Sookie’s unlicensed dog is taken by the dog catcher, Skippy promises to help Sookie pay the $3 license fee before the dog is put down. 

Most, if not all, of this movie’s charm comes from its naturally cute and adorable child actors. Most of the child actors give one note performances, except for Cooper and Robert Coogan as Sookie, but that is all that is required of them. The adult performances are one note too, but I think this is forgivable since children Skippy’s age do not understand subtlety very well. So, Skippy’s loving mother is purely loving and the mean dog catcher is purely mean. Skippy’s father says that one day he’ll sit down and have a long talk with Skippy about responsibility and other grown up things. There’s a distance between Skippy and his father and it is ultimately the father’s actions, not a long talk, that show Skippy another side of his father and teach Skippy important life lessons. 

Skippy is the only child of a wealthy family, with a politically powerful father, but he is not spoiled. He treats being a kid like having a job. He is also clever. When his parents forbid him from going over the railroad tracks to Shantytown, he goes under the tracks through a drain pipe. Skippy does everything he possibly can to help raise money for the dog license. He could’ve just gone home and forgotten all about it, but Skippy is a good kid. Instead he hatches a number of schemes including a very funny sequence in which the kids put on a vaudeville show and charge for admission.

Director Norman Taurog took home the Oscar for Best Director and, at 32 years old, remained the youngest person to win the award until Damien Chazelle won for directing La La Land (2016). Skippy’s visual style is basic and straightforward. There are not many complex shots or stylistic flourishes, but thanks to the story and performances, Skippy is not visually boring. Taurog got Cooper (his nephew) and Coogan to cry convincingly for a scene by telling Cooper that his real dog had been shot and had an out of sight crew member fire a gun with a blank. This very likely was not the best way to get the kids to cry. According to some sources, Cooper never forgave his uncle for that trick. 

It's not easy to make a mischievous, wealthy child character likable and relatable but thanks to Jackie Cooper and a smart story this film succeeds at just that. Skippy is ultimately a coming of age story about the first time that two kids experience unexpected responsibility and heavy emotions. The plot moves into dramatic, even upsetting, territory, but still remains light and pleasant in its overall tone. Skippy, the film and the character, develops a big heart and surprising amount of pathos and depth for a movie based on a comic strip about cute kids. This movie may come across as dated because of its over the top performances and wholesome tone, but there is still plenty of charm to keep it watchable. Skippy is a rare film, unavailable on DVD/Blu-ray or streaming services, but, fortunately, it airs from time to time on TCM and is well worth watching.

Nominee: Paramount Publix

Producer: Louis D. Lighton

Director: Norman Taurog

Screenplay: Joseph L. Mankiewicz , Norman Z. McLeod, Sam Mintz, additional dialogue by Don Marquis, based on the comic strip by Percy Crosby

Cast: Jackie Cooper, Robert Coogan, Mitzi Green

Release Date: April 5^th, 1985

Total Nominations: 4, including Outstanding Production

Wins: Director-Norman Taurog

Other Nominations: Actor-Jackie Cooper, Writing, Adaptation-Joseph L. Mankiewicz and Sam Mintz

Classic Movie Picks: August 2017

by Lani

Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies schedule for upcoming films that I can't miss. The highlights are posted here for your reading and viewing pleasure! (All listed times are Eastern Standard, check your local listings or TCM.com for actual air times in your area. Each day's schedule begins at 6:00 a.m.; if a film airs between midnight and 6 a.m. it is listed on the previous day's programming schedule.)

August is a special month for classic movie fans. TCM's annual Summer Under the Stars programming festival devotes each day of the month to a different classic film star. From icons such as Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne, to character actors like Slim Pickens and Claire Trevor, every star gets a full 24 hours. It is always fun to look for "new" films with your favorite stars, as well as discover the work of actors you aren't as familiar with. This isn't a month to play favorites, so I've chosen one film for each featured star. Of course, the best way to enjoy Summer Under the Stars is to just pick your favorite star and watch all day! 

8/1: Marilyn Monroe
2 AM - How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)
Marilyn does "Marilyn" to perfection as a model on the prowl for a rich husband in this bubbly ensemble comedy.

8/2: Ray Milland
10 PM - Dial M for Murder (1954)
Milland gives a wonderfully restrained performance as a straying husband who plots to kill his wife - just watch the panic flash across his face as his plans begin to unravel.

8/3: Lon Chaney
8 PM - The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
A early entry in the Universal Monsters horror series, this silent film provided an iconic role for the "Man of A Thousand Faces" using innovative makeup techniques to transform Chaney into the deformed Phantom who haunts the Paris Opera. 

8/4: Claire Trevor
2 AM - Key Largo (1948)
Trevor won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance as an alcoholic gangster's moll, one of several people trapped in a hotel during a hurricane.

8/5: Gene Kelly
3:15 PM - The Three Musketeers (1948)
Kelly's athleticism shines in this high-spirited swashbuckler notable for its stunning Technicolor, lavish production value, and outstanding fight choreography. 

8/6: Robert Mitchum
8 PM - The Night of the Hunter (1955)
Mitchum is unforgettably chilling as an evil reverend who menaces his young step-children while searching for a hidden cache of money.

8/7: Eleanor Parker
8 PM - The Naked Jungle (1954)
In this suspenseful adventure story, Parker plays a mail-order bride sent to South America who must help her husband fight off an approaching horde of destructive Marabunta ants.

8/8: Franchot Tone
10:45 AM - Fast and Furious (1939)
Don't let the title fool you, there's no stunt driving in this breezy, Thin Man-esque flick about a husband and wife who solve a murder at a beauty pageant.

8/9: Sandra Dee
5:45 PM - Imitation of Life (1959)
This is the film that made Dee famous (her starring vehicle, Gidget, would come out later the same year), for her role as Lana Turner's daughter in this tearjerker about parallel mother-daughter relationships.

8/10: Sidney Poitier
8 PM - To Sir, With Love (1967)
Poitier is both formidable and endearing in this crowdpleaser about an inexperienced teacher saddled with a class of "incorrigables" at a tough East London high school.

8/11: Ginger Rogers
10 PM - Top Hat (1935)
This glossy musical with a screwball plot is one of the best Rogers and Astaire team-ups, with plenty of gorgeous gowns and delightful dancing "cheek to cheek."

8/12: John Wayne
5:45 PM - The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
It's the film that launched a thousand John Wayne impressions; the Duke called someone "Pilgrim" for the first time in this dramatic Western that also gave us the quote: "when the legend becomes fact, print the legend."

8/13: Barbara Stanwyck
1:30 AM - Baby Face (1933)
A very young Stanwyck is tough and spunky in this Pre-Code drama about a victimized woman who turns the tables on men and uses them to get what she wants.

8/14: Vanessa Redgrave
8 PM - Julia (1977)
Redgrave gives her Academy Award-winning performance as the title character in this film about childhood friends who become involved in the anti-Nazi movement prior to WWII.

8/15: Ricardo Montalban
10 AM - Two Weeks with Love (1950)
Montalban romances Jane Powell in this musical about a turn-of-the-century family on a Catskills vacation.



8/16: Elvis Presley
8 PM - Elvis: That's the Way It Is (1970)
See Elvis in all his jump-suited glory in this behind the scenes documentary as "The King" prepares for a series of live concerts after over a decade of making films in Hollywood.

8/17: Rosalind Russell
10 PM - My Sister Eileen (1942)
Russell shows her talent for madcap comedy as the sensible one in a pair of sisters making their way in New York City amidst a slew of wacky characters.

8/18: Rod Taylor
8 AM - The Liquidator (1966)
In this twist on the spy genre, Taylor plays a secret agent who enjoys the swinging London lifestyle, but has to hire his own hitman to complete the jobs. 

8/19: Angela Lansbury
8 PM - The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
In one of her most acclaimed film roles, Lansbury plays the mother of a war hero brainwashed by the enemy.

8/20: Cary Grant
2 PM - Suspicion (1941)
Grant is perfectly cast as an irresponsible playboy who marries a shy heiress, and may or may not be scheming to bump off his new bride.

8/21: Ann Harding
11:15 PM - When Ladies Meet (1933)
Harding locks horns with Myrna Loy as a wife and the woman trying to steal her husband, respectively...witty banter ensues.

8/22: Glenn Ford
8 PM - Experiment in Terror (1962)
In this under-appreciated noir thriller, Ford is an FBI agent protecting a bank teller forced to cooperate with a ruthless criminal.

8/23: Greer Garson
1 PM - Mrs. Miniver (1942)
Winner of six Oscars, including Best Actress for Garson, this uplifting story centers on an ordinary British family which carries on during WWII.

8/24: Dennis Morgan
12:30 PM - Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
A bit out of season, but Morgan is terribly charming as a war hero who falls for a magazine columnist while spending the holidays at her country home. 

8/25: Simone Signoret
10:15 PM - Diabolique (1955)
In this French-language masterpiece of suspense, a mistress and a wife conspire to kill the cruel man to whom they are both bound.

8/26: James Cagney
10 PM - The Roaring Twenties (1939)
A free-wheeling Cagney elevates this above-average gangster film about three Army buddies mixed up with the mob.

8/27: Leslie Caron
5:45 PM - Father Goose (1964)
In a non-dancing role, Caron plays French teacher who, along with several pupils, is stranded on a Pacific Island during WWII. Cary Grant is there, too.

8/28: Slim Pickens
10 PM - Blazing Saddles (1974)
Pickens memorably plays a henchman to a villainous politician in Mel Brooks' hilarious spoof of classic westerns.

8/29: Marion Davies
10:15 PM - Show People (1928)
Davies shows off her talent for slapstick in this silent comedy about a newcomer trying to make it in Hollywood.

8/30: George Sanders
2 PM - The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)
Sanders is known for his scene-stealing supporting performances, and this film is no exception with Sanders as an upper crust slimeball who leads the title character down a path of debauchery. 

8/31: Elizabeth Taylor
8:15 AM - Father of the Bride (1950)
This was a signature early role for Taylor as the young bride whose father has difficulty adjusting to her impending marriage.

Best Pictures #40: 1930-31 (4th) Academy Awards Outstanding Production Nominee: Trader Horn (1931)

by A.J.

Best Pictures #40: 1930-31 (4^th) Academy Awards Outstanding Production Nominee

Trader Horn (1931)

Trader Horn is an old-fashioned adventure film about men surviving, persevering, and adventuring in a strange, untamed land. Until recently Trader Horn was a rare film but now it is readily available on DVD from Warner Archive. It stars Harry Carey as Aloysius “Trader” Horn, a veteran white trader touring through Africa by river with his sidekick Peru (Duncan Renaldo), who wears a comically large pith helmet. The film is based on a book written by the real Aloysius Horn. Their adventures are mostly episodic until they encounter a missionary widow who is searching for her long-lost daughter that was kidnapped as a baby many years ago. After the missionary dies, Horn and Peru take up the search.

It’s safe to assume that Trader Horn’s nomination for Outstanding Production was meant to recognize and acknowledge its epic production. It received no other nominations. This was the first non-documentary film to be shot on location in Africa, which would have been a big deal at a time when nearly every scene of every movie made by every studio was shot on soundstages and backlots. The reason for keeping productions close to studio headquarters was to have control over the production and cut down on problems that might cause costly delays. The production of Trader Horn photographed authentic African landscapes and wildlife but suffered many troubles, some of them tragic. Several crew members were stricken with malaria, including director W.S. Van Dyke and co-star Edwina Booth. It would take Booth six years to recover from her case of malaria. She retired from acting, sued MGM, and settled out of court. Two crew members were killed during filming, both native Africans. One fell off a boat and was eaten by a crocodile. The other was killed by a stampeding rhinoceros. His death was caught on film and used in the movie. It’s a quick shot and not graphic at all—you would never guess it wasn’t just a visual effect—but knowing that the death is real makes it a most disturbing moment to watch. 

Harry Carey is believable as the experienced adventurer that knows his way around the wilds of Africa and the other main actors give good performances, though the characters are thin. An adventure film like this does not require overly complex characters or plot—though those could only help the movie—but underdeveloped characters and a simple plot mean that the action scenes and exotic locations are what is left to engage the audience. A typical scene in Trader Horn will have Horn and Peru in a boat or on a trail, then cut to the wild animals or vistas. For long stretches of the film the characters watch animals graze and hunt. Horn and Peru stroll through the savanna at one point and come across nearly every kind of African animal you’d hope to see if you were on safari. Horn points out and names all of the different animals to Peru like a zoo tour guide and the movie cuts to shots of these animals and the cuts don’t always match well.

I think what would have been most appealing to audiences about Trader Horn at the time of its release are the scenes of African animals, people, and the promise of thrilling adventure. There is some excitement to be found in Trader Horn, but not as much as you’d hope to find in an adventure picture. I must admit that I did feel a flourish of excitement when Horn and his native guide swung on vines like Tarzan over a pit of crocodiles (the first sound Tarzan film would be made a year later in 1932, starring Johnny Weissmuller). The scene in which Horn and Peru are about to be sacrificed by a native tribe by being crucified upside down is also suspenseful. However, the preceding scene of Horn and Peru in a hut listening to the tribal drums beat faster and faster goes on for far too long, well past the point of building suspense. There are a few other sequences that go on longer than needed dramatically but show off the footage shot in Africa. The most notable these scenes happens early in the film when Horn and Peru arrive in a native village to trade. Shots of the native villagers and their version of daily hustle and bustle goes on and on but shows quasi-documentary footage of an exotic, far away people that audiences normally would not have seen. Trader Horn, being a Pre-Code film, even gets away showing topless native women; something I did not expect to see in film made in 1931.

Trader Horn was directed by W.S. Van Dyke, who had worked on films shot in exotic locations before, but also had the nickname “One Take Woody” for shooting scenes as quickly and efficiently as possible. I can understand why MGM would hire “One Take Woody” to helm an expensive production shot in a faraway land where safety is not guaranteed, get the shots required to make an exciting adventure movie, and get out quickly and inexpensively. The result, however, is underwhelming. All of the scenes of African wildlife and landscape are shot from a still, motionless camera. There are some shots that are impressive because of what they show (like a raging waterfall), but many feel dull.

There are many aspects of Trader Horn that are dated by today’s standards and that modern audiences would find offensive. Horn’s native gun bearer, Rencharo (Mutia Omoolu) is a mostly mute and faithful sidekick who would be an interesting character if the film had thought to portray him as such. A rhinoceros is shot and killed, along with other exotic, now endangered, animals, and the close-up shot of the dying rhino’s face is incredibly depressing. Big game hunting was viewed differently in the 1930s, as exciting and manly, and the rights of animals on screen did not exist. According to the IMDB and Wikipedia pages for Trader Horn, many of the scenes of animals attacking other animals were shot in Mexico by a second unit. The reason for this is because in Mexico at the time laws regarding the treatment of animals were lax. The big cats were starved in order to ensure vicious attacks on other animals.

The most curious thing in Trader Horn is the White Goddess character (Nina, the missionary’s long-lost daughter played by Edwina Booth) that rules a native tribe. Peru implores her to help him and Horn when they’ve been captured by her tribe because she is white like them and white people should help each other. Booth herself is as good as she can be playing an over-the-top character that does not speak any English—none of her dialogue, or any native dialogue is subtitled. The trailer for the film advertises “See the cruelest woman in all Africa rule pagan tribes.” I’m not sure how to feel about this character, but I am sure this would not happen in an adventure film made today.  

I couldn’t help but think of Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness, nominated for Unique and Artistic Picture at the 1^st Academy Awards, which managed to make an exciting, entertaining film that treated native people respectfully, made them the stars of the movie, and worked with animals far better than in Trader Horn, even though both involved killing real animals. The most objectionable treatment of animals in Chang was the kidnapping of a baby elephant to get its mother to stampede and tear apart a hut, but the mother frees her baby and both return to the jungle. Leopards and tigers were killed in Chang and it is a sad thing to see, but these animals had been menacing the native Lao people and, as a result, death by big cats decreased in the following years. Trader Horn is MGM’s attempt to capture the thrill and excitement of exotic animals and locations, the danger and adventure of a quasi-documentary like Chang, and couch it in the more broadly appealing framework of a mainstream narrative. The result is a blend of fictional narrative and real nature documentary that has only some of the excitement it was it was aiming to capture. 

Nominee: MGM

Producer: Irving Thalberg

Director: W.S. Van Dyke

Screenplay: Richard Schayer, adaptation by Dale Van Every and John T. Neville, dialogue by Cyril Hume, based on the book by Alfred Aloysius Horn

Cast: Harry Carey, Edwina Booth, Duncan Renaldo

Release Date: May 23^rd, 1931

Total Nominations: 1, including Outstanding Production
Wins: N/A

Other Nominations: N/A

Classic Movie Picks: July 2017

by Lani

Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies schedule for upcoming films that I can't miss. The highlights are posted here for your reading and viewing pleasure! (All listed times are Eastern Standard, check your local listings or TCM.com for actual air times in your area. Each day's schedule begins at 6:00 a.m.; if a film airs between midnight and 6 a.m. it is listed on the previous day's programming schedule.)

7/4, 4 AM - Miss Firecracker (1989)
This slice of Southern Americana is perfect programming for the Fourth of July, if you are in the mood for something slightly bittersweet and satirical. Holly Hunter stars as Carnelle, a young misfit obsessed with winning the annual beauty contest in her small town of Yazoo City, Mississippi. After seeing her elegant cousin Elain (Mary Steenburgen) win the pageant 10 years earlier, subsequently marry up, and become a local celebrity, Carnelle is sure that the title of Miss Firecracker will be her ticket to a new life outside her hometown. 
While not her first film, Miss Firecracker may be the first time I saw Holly Hunter on screen. Mild-mannered child that I was, Hunter's intensity and energy, not to mention her flame red hair, were a bit frightening; however, I did admire her determination and spirit. The highlight is the performance by Hunter, as well as a very strong supporting cast including Steenburgen, Alfre Woodard, and Tim Robbins. The film was adapted from an off-Broadway play, and while far from perfect, it - like Carnelle - is worth giving a chance. 



7/7: Hitchcock in the UK
8 PM - Number Seventeen (1932)
9:30 PM - The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)
11 PM - The 39 Steps (1935)
12:45 AM - The Lady Vanishes (1938)
TCM is spotlighting filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock on Wednesdays and Fridays this month, moving chronologically from 1927's The Ring on July 5 to his final film, 1976's Family Plot, on July 28. You're sure to find something interesting on any evening devoted to Hitchcock's work, but I've chosen to focus on this batch of films from the 1930s. At the time Hitchcock was working in England making films with steadily bigger budgets and production value, and not only gaining acclaim in the UK, but in America with his first trans-Atlantic hit, The 39 Steps. 
The 39 Steps also made a film star of British stage actor Robert Donat (four years later Donat would win an Oscar for Goodbye, Mr. Chips). Donat plays that favorite Hitchcock character: an innocent man accused. After a spy is killed, and Donat blamed, he goes on the run across Scotland, all the while handcuffed to the woman who turned him in; together, they must discover the real killer and expose a spy ring. 
Among the other films tonight is the original version of The Man Who Knew Too Much, a big hit in Britain and the first English-language film for character actor Peter Lorre. Hitchcock liked this story about a vacationing family accidentally drawn into international espionage so much, he remade the film in 1956.
The low-budget thriller Number Seventeen is not one of Hitch's most celebrated works, but it is notable for possibly introducing the director's signature gimmick, the "Macguffin" - an object that drives the plot, but is basically irrelevant to the overall story. In this case, the Macguffin is a stolen necklace which draws the characters to a spooky old house where they encounter a string of mysteries, including a man's corpse.
1938's The Lady Vanishes was Hitchcock's biggest hit to date and helped him to secure a lucrative Hollywood contract. The plot - including a sudden disappearance, a plucky heroine, secret agents, and plenty of sly humor - is a treat for any Hitchcock fan.

7/25: Lili Damita Double Feature
10:45 AM - Friends and Lovers (1931)
12 PM - The Woman Between (1931)
French actress Lili Damita was one of the many foreign beauties brought to Hollywood during the silent era - including Pola Negri, Greta Garbo, and Marlene Dietrich - to play exotic temptresses. Cast for their ability to give meaningful glances rather than speak lines, not all the imports made a successful transition to talkies. However, Garbo, Dietrich, and, yes, Damita were among the few who did. Today she's remembered as Errol Flynn's first wife; although, when they married in 1935, Flynn was just a handsome newcomer and Damita was the star. An old-fashioned gal, Damita gave up her career after marrying Flynn...which may be why she's better known for the divorce which bankrupted Flynn than for her own movies, but that's a story for another day.
Today's double feature includes two films made in 1931 with director Victor Schertzinger for RKO Studios. In Friends and Lovers, Damita flirts her way through British society in India, blackmailing her conquests under the (monocled) eye of her unscrupulous husband, played by Erich von Stroheim. Adolphe Menjou and Laurence Olivier, in his first American film, star as young British officers ensnared by Damita's charms. 
In the second film, Damita is the titular Woman, this time unintentionally coming between a father and son. Happily married to a rich older man, Damita is shocked when her husband's son returns from WWI and it is revealed that her stepson is also her former lover. (Since we're all thinking it, I'll just say that I have found no evidence that this film was the inspiration for the classic 1997 TV-movie My Stepson, My Lover.) You may recognize O.P. Heggie, who plays Damita's husband, as the blind hermit from Bride of Frankenstein.

7/27: Star of the Month Ronald Colman
8 PM - A Double Life (1947)
10 PM - Random Harvest (1942)
12:15 AM - The Talk of the Town (1942)
The suave British actor Ronald Colman is TCM's Star of the Month with his films scheduled in primetime each Thursday in July. Colman was a top leading man from the silent era through the 1940s, equally popular with men and women for his dashing manner and handsome good looks. I plan on watching several of his movies this month, including early hits like Bulldog Drummond (1929) and Raffles (1930), but I am recommending three of his most popular films from the 40s.
In the politically-tinged comedy The Talk of the Town Colman shares leading man duties with Cary Grant. Grant plays an accused arsonist on the lam who hides out in the home of schoolteacher Jean Arthur. He enlists Arthur's help to convince Colman, a respected law professor, of his innocence. Of course both men develop romantic feelings for the lovely Ms. Arthur and the film leaves you guessing until the end as to which man she will choose. This may be the only instance in which a love triangle involving Cary Grant felt equally weighted. Apparently alternate endings were filmed, one in which Arthur chose Grant and one in which she chose Colman; see if you agree with the final outcome. 
The Talk of the Town was Oscar-nominated for Best Picture and breathed new life into Colman's career and he followed it with another hit, the romantic drama Random Harvest. The plot is a bit convoluted, but basically it involves Colman getting amnesia - twice! - and forgetting the love of his life, played by Greer Garson. Director Meryn LeRoy quipped that "the English language was never spoken more beautifully on film." The film received seven Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Director, and Best Actor. However, most of the awards that year went to Garson's other hit, Mrs. Miniver; Colman lost out to James Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy.
For Colman, fourth time was the charm when he finally won the Best Actor Oscar for A Double Life playing an actor in a production of Othello opposite his own wife who finds his character's jealousy seeping into his own psyche. Married writing team Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin originally wanted Laurence Olivier for the lead role, but jumped after Colman when their first choice was unavailable. It was Colman who wasn't sure if he was right for the role; despite a stage background, he had never been a Shakesperean actor. However, the Kanins got Colman to sign on by promising him that the role would earn him that elusive Oscar - and they were right!