Gone with the Wind

As a young, slightly cynical film lover, I approached the four hours of epic Southern drama that Gone with the Wind would bring with caution.  A big part of me was afraid that I would hate it, and that would make for a long and miserable afternoon.  But when that huge title scrolled across the screen with a swell of sweeping music, I smiled and relaxed into my couch.  Somehow, I just knew immediately that I was in good hands.

The story follows Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh), a spoiled and manipulative Southern belle.  As talks of secession and war are on the rise, so is Scarlett’s love for Ashley (Leslie Howard), who has just married her cousin, Melanie (Olivia de Havilland).  The fact that he is taken makes no difference to Scarlett, who pursues him even further, confessing her love, only to be turned down and overheard by a charming but rebellious man who opposes war and has a with a scandalous reputation with women, Rhett Butler (Clark Gable).  As the Civil War breaks out, with the men celebrating and rushing off to join the army, there’s a rush for quick marriages as well.  Out of haste and jealousy, Scarlett marries and stays home with Melanie, as they pine over the same man.  They endure a string of hardships and tragedies throughout the Civil War, the destruction of the South and its recovery, with Rhett aiding and becoming part of their lives along the way.

Long movies about the drama of a conniving woman do not usually go over well with me, but I loved every minute of Gone with the Wind.  I loved how I hated Scarlett, yet felt so concerned with everything going on with her.  I loved how Rhett was so cool, coy and helpful, but I dreaded his eventual life with Scarlett.  I loved how the south was portrayed in it’s height of elegance and arrogance, and then how I completely sympathized with them as the war ended.  I hardly expected to feel so pushed and then pulled over and over again throughout this film, but it was wonderful.

The visual aspects of this film play perfectly off all the drama, and even help to enhance it.  Over and over again I was taken-aback by the lovely colors and lighting used.  At the most appropriate times it looks like the richest sunsets are lighting the entire scene.  This really gives the film the feeling of a hot, southern summer, everything looks so warm and humid.  During the infamous burning of Atlanta scene, the amount of fire everywhere is so good and real, it’s frightening.  And the scene is topped off flawlessly with the greatest explosion you’ll ever find in 1930’s cinema.  Later in the film, when things become more somber, so does the color pallet with dark reds, grays and purples.

If you’re one of those people who have put off seeing Gone with the Wind simply because of it’s intimidating length and greatness, my best advice is to just dive in.  Any classic film buff will be blown away, artistic and visual-minded people will soak in the beauty of this film and anyone who enjoys a good story will be hooked within minutes.  The acting is superb, with multiple Oscar wins (Leigh and Hattie McDaniel) and nominations (Havilland and Gable).  I would call this Clark Gable at his best.  Best of all, it’s streaming on Netflix instant right now, so most people only need four hours free and it is completely worth the time.  And let’s not forget about one of the greatest lines in the history of cinema:

“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”

Mutiny on the Bounty

Back when I reviewed the 1962 remake of Mutiny on the Bounty, I was left with many questions about the original, mostly was the remake necessary.  It was not.  Not at all.

The HMS Bounty is about to leave for a two year mission to Tahiti to bring back a supply of bread fruit.  Ran by the notorious Captain Bligh (Charles Laughton), he dishes out harsh punishments for minor infractions in order to keep the men in line.  The men are worked so hard by fear that first mate Fletcher Christian (Clark Gable) starts to question Bligh’s command.  Tensions nearly mount as they land in Tahiti and the six months the men spend on the island are bliss compared to the Bounty.  When it’s time to sail back, Bligh is worse than ever and decides to severely ration the water in order to keep all the bread fruit plants healthy.  Christian and the men can only take so much before they declare a mutiny against Bligh.

Laughton plays the perfect Captain Bligh.  With his half opened eyes and thick lips, he can strike a perfectly indifferent expression that can easily border onto cruel, especially during whipping scenes.  His round face ensures us that he is still eating while the forces extreme rationing on the men.  The great thing about Laughton’s Bligh is that the less he does, the more sinister and cruel he seems.  The whippings were less frequent and less graphic than the remake, yet I feared this Bligh much more than Howard’s portrayal.

In the first few minutes on deck, all I could think about was how wonderfully they captured the beauty of this ship.  We see the men climbing all over it so high with no harnesses.  These men have some balls.   When the sail opens and captures the wind, ah!  It was like the ship was coming to life and blooming before our eyes.  This is truly something to marvel at and the film captured this man-made majesty perfectly, much more satisfying than any CGI trick.

Some of the things I wondered about in the remake came through just as I thought they would in the original.  While the natives are still very friendly, the sex is not played up so much.  Neither is the whipping.  And we don’t have to watch these men suffer as long since the original is just over two hours long, as opposed to the remake’s grueling three.  Basically, the original has a little less of everything, but here, less is so much more.  It is better and more effective in every way.

“When you’re back in England with the fleet again, you’ll hear the hue and cry against me. From now on they’ll spell mutiny with my name.”

Test Pilot (Found!)

Test Pilot is a story where men put their lives at risk for the sake of aviation and women find that irresistible.  Clark Gable plays Jim, the cocky hotshot test pilot who tries to moonlight as a lady’s man.  Spencer Tracy is his right hand mechanic, Gunner, who spends most of his time keeping Jim on track with work and prying him away from the ladies.  When one of Jim’s test flights has mechanical trouble, he makes an emergency landing in a Kansas field and meets Ann, played by Myrna Loy.

A hunky pilot lands right in front of a little farmer’s daughter dreaming of more?  We know where this is going, but the writers decide to stretch this act out a bit.  See, Ann shouldn’t come off as easy and besides, she’s got herself a dopey farmer boyfriend.  She’ll just flirt with Jim for a while, have him take her out on the town to pick up Gunner (he’s got to get out there and fix the plane) and lead him on before the intro to farmer boyfriend.  Gunner sees the chemistry brewing when he arrives and being the sensible one, warns Ann against running off with Jim.  It seems she’s made the sensible choice when Jim starts his flight back to New York, but Jim is a loose cannon and turns around to whisk his sweet farm girl away.  They make a pit stop in Indianapolis to get married.

So now their married and can live happily ever after right?  Uh, no.  See, Jim and Gunner are roommates with no room, no money and Jim has a plane race on Thursday he has to be at or he’s fired.  Nothing like a new bride watching her hubby haggle for an apartment to share with his mechanic and then watching him in a death defying race.  Once Ann sees the dangers in Jim’s job she realizes the mistake she’s made.  Yes, we’re calling it a mistake here.  Who runs off their daddy’s farm to marry a man they’ve known for a day?  Dumb little girls who realize their husband could crash and die at work anytime, that’s who.  Have a nice honeymoon.

Though Jim wins, the race is a traumatising event for both Jim and Ann.  Now Ann realizes she could become a widow at anytime and is just waiting for Jim to die so she can be free.  How romantic.  And Jim goes on a long binge, all the way out to Chicago and loses all his winnings.  So much for providing for the new Mrs.

I realize how cynical I’m being about this film, I was siding with Gunner on everything.  He’s the one who’s got half a brain, yet no one listens to him until they realize what a mess they’ve stepped in.  Jim and Ann are lucky to have a guy like Gunner with them, he’s not going to sugar coat the rash things they’ve done, but he’ll stick by them until the end.

Sure, the plot is a little eye-rolling, but the plane scenes are fun and exciting.  Their edited so well that just a few seconds of plane footage against another few seconds can really put a story together.  The plane race scene is fast paced and the first time Ann can really see the dangers Jim faces.

To any classic film enthusiast, a film starring Clark Gable, Mirna Loy and Spencer Tracy is pure gold, no matter the air-headed plot.  It really is an enjoyable film because of these three great actors.  The fact that this film is hard to find makes it even more valuable.  Just keep checking TCM now and then, it was on last week it has to come back sometime.

“Just listen, I got so many words.”

Missing from 1938

Out of the ten nominated films from 1938, three cannot be found at the moment:  Test Pilot, Four Daughters and The Citadel.  I must say, I’m especially upset at not finding Test Pilot, which stars Clark Gable, Myrna Loy and Spencer Tracy.  These three actors have become new favorites of mine over the course of this project, especially Tracy.  If anyone has any leads on any of the the missing film, I’d consider it a very welcomed late holiday gift.

It Happened One Night

Ah yes, the classic that first shaped a romantic comedy.

Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert) has just married against her father’s will, so he takes his daughter back to his yacht, only for her to jump ship and try to return to her husband.  Peter Warne (Clark Gable) is an out of work newspaper reporter searching for a real juicy story that will get him back in the game.  Peter and Ellie end up sitting next to each other on a bus and Peter realizes soon who Ellie is and that there’s a search out for her.  Seeing that she’s a spoiled little rich girl, completely helpless and can’t even return to a bus on time, Peter decides to help her out in exchange for the story.  If she doesn’t accept, he’ll let everyone know where she is and she’ll be back with daddy.  Of course, along the way these two charming people fall in love with each other, compromising their original agendas.

Like I said, this is what many people consider to be the first romantic comedy and set a standard (that most today fall far below).  According to It Happened One Night, a good romcom needs:

-two good looking people we can enjoy watching

-put together by fate

-needing each other more as the story progresses, possibly rescuing each other

-a lot of fun moments that help them bond

-a conflict in their eventually realized romance

Am I missing anything?  That sounds like the minimalist sketch of any decent romcom.  Notice how sex jokes, flat characters, bad actors, the guy being a complete dufus, a final chase to the airport and a way too long kiss we all knew was coming with a top pop song of the week playing in the background are not part of that list.

Things are kept respectable, the Walls of Jericho are a prime example of that.  When Ellie and Peter are stuck sharing a little motel room together, it’s obvious they’re uncomfortable with the idea.  So Peter puts up a little clothes line in between and drapes a sheet over it to separate the room in half.  What a gentleman.  And to lighten the mood he dubs their barrier as the Walls of Jericho.  As we watch the relationship between Ellie and Peter grow, we realize the walls between them are starting to tumble, will the Walls of Jericho eventually fall as well?

Another great scene is where the two are trying to hitchhike.  I bet you’ve seen the punch line even without seeing the film.  Peter explains to Ellie the different kinds of hitchhiking that can make you appeal to drivers in different ways.  After a fruitless effort with cars whizzing by, Ellie decides to show him how it’s done.  She simply sticks her leg out and raises her dress to show just enough ankle and calf to get the next car to screech to a halt.  Classic!

Now come on, why wouldn’t you want to see this movie?  It’s got two of the greatest classic film stars together, the plot is engaging, the comedy is hilarious and the whole thing is a fun ride.  Let me put it this way, are you really going to waste your time with The Bounty Hunter this weekend when It Happened One Night can run circles around it in every way?  Here’s a good reason to chose wisely:

“I want to see what love looks like when it’s triumphant. I haven’t had a good laugh in a week.”

San Francisco

Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy and Jeanette MacDonald star in this film immortalizing one of the greatest cities on the west coast.  The film opens on New Years, 1906, being celebrated in the streets.  It’s joyful chaos with everyone dancing and singing together and streamers falling like snow, but then a fire breaks out (hint of foreshadow history buffs) and we watch children jump from a burning building onto the firemen’s trampoline.  Plenty of action, and we haven’t even found a plot yet!

The story rolls out at The Paradise Café, a club owned by Blackie Norton (Gable), one of the roughest, most Godless men in San Francisco.  Mary Blake (MacDonald) comes in looking for a job as a singer.  Blackie hires her, even though her voice isn’t exactly nightclub material.  One night, two men from the Tivoli Opera House see Mary and offer her a job singing opera.  This seems like Mary’s dream come true, but Blackie reminds the men she’s under a contract with him.  How sad, she’s got too much talent for a gin joint.

Between her numbers at The Paradise, Mary helps out singing at a local church.  There she meets Father Tim (Tracy).  He takes an interest in Mary for many reasons.  One, he worries about a good church girl singing in a bar.  Two, he also sees she’s better suited for opera.  And three, Father Tim and Blackie grew up together and he’s seen all sides of Blackie, including when he turned away from the ideas of church and God and the time he anonymously donated a new organ to the church.  He thinks that Blackie is “ashamed of his good deeds as others are ashamed of their sins.”

So that’s the set up.  What ensues is a tug of war for Mary’s heart and talent between Blackie and one of the opera managers.  Later, at a fundraiser dinner after Blackie’s Paradise is shut down and all his performers in jail, Mary volunteers to represent his establishment and sings San Francisco.  Just when it looks like Blackie does have a loyal friend willing to help him, he rejects the charity and like an act of God, the great earthquake of 1906 hits.

I hope I haven’t given away too much of the story, but I wanted to be able to talk about the earthquake.  There should have been a special effects award back in ’36, cause San Francisco would have won easily with the earthquake scene.  Buildings crumble, walls fall on actors, the ground even splits, it’s really more than I expected.

The earthquake is really a 180 turn in the film, suddenly all that stuff about pride doesn’t matter anymore when people are stuck under rubble and there’s no water to put out the growing fire.  As Blackie sees more and more people desperately running through the streets praying out loud, the gears in his head start to turn.  Perhaps his old friend Tim is right, maybe there’s more to believe than what one can see and touch.

This is a very enjoyable film for the 1930’s.  The story isn’t too out of date, there isn’t too much singing, the range of characters are believable and the fantastic classic actors are always a treat.  If your kids wrinkle their noses in confusion when talk about Clark Gable or Spencer Tracy, watch San Francisco.  It could also be a little history lesson about the great earthquake of 1906.

“Well, we certainly don’t do things halfway in San Francisco.”

***1936 is a year I’m split on.  The Great Zeigfeld is great, but if you want a more compelling story, less singing and that amazing earthquake scene you’ll have to pick San Francisco.***