Humphery Bogart. Casablanca, Gilda and Shawshank Redemption.

 

My house has a through-lounge, on one chimney breast is the poster for The Shawshank Redemption (1994), on the other is the poster of the lovely Rita Hayworth in Gilda (1946).

In my previous home the living room was covered with A4 black and White pictures of movie stars from the 1920s to 1960s. Many male stars of that time were very handsome but the actor whose picture took center place was Humphrey Bogart. He is sitting side angle in a suit with a cigarette burning away creating a upward smoke trail. Not handsome or even good looking. 'How can an ugly man be so handsome?' asked Marta Toren in Sirocco (1951), Bogart was one cool dude.

'Here's looking at you kid' is quoted by most but my favourite Casablanca (1942) one liner is; 'Are my eyes really brown?'. Rick (Bogart) looks in the note book of the German Nazi sitting next to him, in it are Ricks personal details. In real life Bogart's eyes were brown, but who can tell from a black and white film?.

I have an old copy of A.B.C Film Review magazine which has an interview with Bogart by R.Quilter Vincent. The journalist informs Bogart 'You have a way of making some quite commonplace remarks seem very funny' to which Bogart replied 'Well, I don't play for laughs unless I have funny lines'.


The connection between Shawshank Redemption and Gilda?, the inmates are watching Gilda when Red says he loves when she bends forward and stands up flicking back her hair. Had Shawshank Redemption been written and made around its set year of 1947 Tim Robbins part of Andy Dufresne could have been played by Montgomery Cliff and a then 48 year old Bogart would have been perfect for old timer Red.

Marilyn Monroe: Some Like It Hot. Seven Year Itch. Gemtlemen Prefer Blondes. How To Marry a Millionaire. Niagara. Charlie's Angels.

What can I write that has not been written before about Marilyn Monroe? Miss Monroe's death 50 years ago is still surrounded in conspiracy theories; personally I don't know what to believe, therefore let us just concentrate on the lady's wonderful film career.

One of my all time favourite films is Some Like it Hot (1959). Tony Curtis said kissing Marilyn 'was like kissing Hitler' and just how many takes did she need to ask for her ucalaly? who cares?! I love Sugar Kane. The moment she walks past the steam escaping from the Florida bound train in that fur trimmed coat; WOW!

The Seven Year Itch (1955) is not a classic for me despite being produced and directed by Billy Wilder, my favourite director. I find the lead character Richard Sherman talking to himself irritating.  One strange moment is towards the end when his friend Tom McKensie asks him who is the blond in the kitchen to which he replies 'Marilyn Monroe'. Just before the end credits Marilyn looks out of a window to wave goodbye to Mr Sherman and although she is only wearing a white dressing gown she looks magnificent.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) and How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) would possibly be top of the bonfire pile if feminists had a DVD burning protest.

GPB is classic Monroe dizzy blond, my favourite moments are the interactions between Marlyn's character Lorelei and Mr Sparford. Lorelei looks over a passenger list for the names of wealthy males to hit on whilst on a cruise with her friend Dorothy (Jane Russell); unfortunately the list does not contain the age of Mr Sparford who happens to be very rich but only about 8 years old!

The 3 females in How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) are played by Marilyn, Betty Grable and Lauren Bacall. The three girls share an apartment and remind me of an early Charlies Angels, the TV show which ran from 1976 to 1981. Blond Farah Fawcett is Marilyn, the dark intelligent Lauren would be Kate Jackson and Betty's nice but dim character is a died ringer for the girl later played by Jaclyn Smith.

My favourite Marilyn role is the scheming wife Rose Loomis in Niagara (1953). Mrs Loomis wants her husband died so she can run off with her Latin lover Patrick, however things do not go according to plan and the two men are in a fight to the death near the falls. After visiting the mortuary to identify her husband, Rose faints and is hospitalised. She comes around from her sedation when she hears the nearby Carillon Tower play their lovers tune on its bells, the bells play music on request all day.

What follows is a nail biting finale in which Rose runs into the tower to escape a male pursuer and seeks refuge at the top of the tower where he catches up with her. As she is attacked the bells stay silent.

 

To kill a Mocking Bird, Sergeant Rutledge and Town on Trial.

Many years ago during a television documentary about films the British Director Alex Cox said when he and his girlfriend settled in to watch a pre 80s film they would have a friendly bet on how long into the film before the black guy was killed or falsely accused of a terrible crime. Of all the thousands of old films I have watched only twice has the plot involved a false accusation of rape and in both films the accused men were black.

The most famous of all is of course To kill a Mockingbird (1962) starring Gregory Peck. Although obviously innocent the whole town convicts Tom Robinson on his colour alone and he is killed trying to 'escape'. This is one of those films where you know that despite the dignity of Tom Robinson his innocence will not save his life.

I have not seen the film Sergeant Rutledge (1960) in years, it stars Woodrow Wilson Woolwine 'Woody' Strode (What a name!). The plot again centres around a false accusation of rape. Thankfully in this film the accused innocence is proved when another man confesses.

In the 1957 British film Town on Trial starring John Mills during the latter part of the film at a dance hall surrounded by woodland a young lady's scream is heard by men inside the hall, one male says 'what was that' to which another replies 'probably some dame saying no', then they all return to their drinking.

Today I find it distasteful how easily writers throw in sex in modern films, there seems to be more attention to this and the special effects than character building and a good plot, or am I just getting old?

Harry Belafonte. Sing Your Song. Carmen Jones and Island in the Sun.

This week I had the good fortune of attending a preview screening of Sing Your Song, the bio-documentary of the life, art and political involvement of Mr Harry Belafonte.

My parents were 50 and 43 when I was born so all my grandparents passed away before I was born or whilst I was still a toddler. During my life I have experienced the falling of the Berlin wall, the tragic death of Lady Diana and the inauguration of the first non-white President of the United States, these will be my tales to tell but I was not there in the midst of it all, I watched it on TV or read in the newspapers.

From the beginning of the film I felt like I was sat at the feet of a grandfather being told the story of his wonderful life. Mr Belafonte has encountered racial segregation of a degree I can only imagine, his determination is still present in his 80th decade, having taken part in the march to Washington, gone to Ethiopia during the 1980s famine and participated in protest marches against the war in Iraq.

As a fan of vintage films and old musicals I love Carmen Jones (1954) and Island in the Sun (1957), these and his calypso songs are what I best knew Mr Belafonte for.

Carmen Jones

Island in the Sun

After the film we were delighted when Mr Belafonte sat on the stage and answered a number of questions about his south African album with Mariam Makeba, his meeting with Malcolm X (they did not agree on racial segregation) and a lovely closing statement from an elderly Jamaican gentleman who was also a singer and poet.

I queued in line for his book My Song to be signed and the evening came to a close. This had been much more than a plugging of a film and flogging of a book, I feel I acquired an education from a man who during the Q & A said he thought himself a great actor only because he has managed to convince the world he can sing.  

'So go ahead, Sing!'; Key Largo, My Darling Clementine & Be My Baby, Dirty Dancing and Mean Streets.

A coastal hotel is used as a hide out by a bunch of criminals whilst they await a boat to take them to Cuba, unfortunately a storm hits the area knocking out the power and causing their getaway to be delayed. This is the story of Key Largo (1948), a brilliant film starring Lionel Barrymore, Lauren Bacall, Edward G. Robinson and Humphrey Bogart. Claire Trevor had a supporting role as a gangster mole; an alcoholic ex night club singer. 

 In my opinion the films' most memorable moment is Ms Trevor's performance as Gaye Dawn singing Moanin' Low. This is a classic song of a woman being treated badly by her companion and has been covered by singers including Billie Holiday and Leona Horne.

This is the film's trailer.

The song 'My Darling Clementine' (1946) is also the name of a film starring Henry Fonda and Victor Mature. This song is the type once heard you can not help humming along and it then stays in your head. It has been featured in other films including the end credits of North to Alaska (1960) and even the gorgeous George Hamilton sang a couple of bars whilst looking in a mirror (No surprise there) in All the Fine Young Cannibals (1960). In the film HUD (1963) members of the cast are watching My Darling Clementine at the cinema.

Mr. Henry Fonda.

 

How cool am I?

What does Dirty Dancing and Mean Streets have in common? They have the same song playing over the opening credits. The Ronettes'  'Be My Baby'. 

On Dirty Dancing I can understand as the female lead characters' name is Baby but the use of it in the rough tough Mafia wannabes film is genius.

Legend has it that Phil Spector went to see Martin Sorcese's Mean Streets (1973) in a New York cinema with John Lennon and was not happy when he heard one of his most famous songs being used without his consent. Lennon managed to convince him his music would reach a far greater audience and make him more cash if he did not take action to stop The Ronettes 'Be My Baby' being used. The rest as they say is history.

  

My favourite 'Weepies', Love Stories starring Bette Davis, Jane Wyman, Cary Grant, Claude Rains and Rock Hudson.

Ever since Romeo and Juliet cinematic love has had to endure many difficulties; terminal illness, blindness, deafness, other disabilities and of course non approving parents.

All these adversities are categorised in movie terms as 'The Weepie'; films made for us girls. The most famous weepie is Love Story (1970) starring Ali McGraw and Ryan O'Neal. I must confess I have never seen this film, (wrist slap myself), but I know all about it; rich boy meets poor girl at university and they get married against parental advice then discover she is dying.

'Love means never having to say you're sorry'

Bette Davis is one my favourite actresses, I have never seen her give a bad performance in a film and she is marvellous in Mr Skeffington (1944). Claude Rains plays her long suffering wealthy husband of the title, despite his wife flirting with other men he still adores his wife. She is a selfish vain woman who gets her come-uppance when her looks at affected by a serious illness. 

'A woman is beautiful when she is loved, and only then'


Among my box sets is movies directed by Douglas Sirk. It contains the film Magnificent Obsession (1954). It has the type of plot only Julia Roberts would consider today. Hudson is a selfish young man from a wealthy family who likes fast cars, expensive boats and beautiful women. When he causes an accident in which widow Wyman is blinded he studies and qualifies as a surgeon so he may operate on her and restore her sight. (Hankies at the ready).

'The Great Love Story'


An Affair to Remember (1957). A couple meet on a ship and fall in love, when they decide to marry they arrange a meeting a the top of The Empire State Building, however things do not go as planned. 

'If you can paint, then I can walk'

Villains; Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, and Eric von Stroheim.

I have a great movie box set called 100 Film Noir Mystery Classics. Some of the films are so faded you can barely make out the actors in dark scenes but I love old films like these before they are digitally remastered.
I have never seen any of the films in this box set before and am slowly making my way through them all.
The films all have the usual formula of good and bad guys and a female somewhere in the story. In Hollywood today it is not unusual for the bad guy to be a British actor and it was much the same in old Hollywood as European actors seemed to be the preferred choice for villainy roles.

 
Boris Karloff was born in London in 1887. He co-starred in the film Dick Tracy meets Gruesome (1947) in which he plays a criminal who uses a nerve gas to freeze people which enables him and his associates to rob a bank. Of course there are no special effects but it is amusing to me how the director got the bank's cat to stay still, I can only assume they used a stuffed one from the props department and then arranged hanging wires as the cat is caught in mid leap!
 

Boris Karloff played Mr Wong in the detective series, in my box set Mr Wong is also played in one or two films by Bela Lugosi. Born in Hungary in 1882 Mr Lugosi is the one and only Dracula and also the actor on which the lovely Count in Sesame Street is based; Ha, Ha, Ha.

 

 
Peter Lorre was Austrian and usually cast as some shady character up to no good, in Mr Moto's Last Warning (1939) he is a spy in disguise. Lorre had large set apart eyes which made his a favourite face for cartoonists.

 
    
Eric von Strohelm was a man of many talents; an auteur as well as an actor. He like Lorre was of Austrian parentage.  His twisted smile and shaven bullet head made Von Strohelm look every part a menace to society. His most famous acting role was the butler Max from Sunset Boulevard (1950) and he featured in the excellent 15 part documentary on the television channel 'More 4' called The Story of Film; An Odyssey. He is regarding as one of the silent eras greatest directors and was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award (Oscar) for Sunset Boulevard.