Anthony Adverse

Anthony Adverse is based off the novel by Hervey Allen about the trials of an orphan that only get more intense in his adulthood.  Before we can meet the little orphan Anthony, the details surrounding his unfortunate circumstances must be made clear.  The film begins as a young woman is leaving on her honeymoon with a much older, and conveniently injured husband, Marquis Don Luis (Claude Rains).  While his leg heals in a cast, she meets her young lover, a soldier, and they pledge to run away together before her husband’s leg has healed.  But time runs out, she watches her husband kill her lover in a sword fight and soon she dies in childbirth.  Rather than raise the lovechild on his own, the husband leaves the crying baby at a convent, and lies to his father-in-law, Mr. Bonnyfeather (Edmund Gwenn), saying that the child died as well.  The lines between good and evil are obviously drawn between Don Luis’s cold indifference and Mr. Bonnyfeather’s heartbreak.

The film moves forward ten years, showing us young Anthony (Billy Mauch) at the convent.  Since it is an all girls school, he is only allowed in a small part, surrounded by high walls.  The boy is obviously lonely, but thankful for Father Xavier (Henry O’Neill), who serves as the boy’s teacher and main parental figure.  The nuns seem to be the type that simply don’t like boys and say it’s high time Anthony leaves the convent and become an apprentice.  Father Xavier sets Anthony up to work for Mr. Bonnyfeather, who senses immediately that the boy is his lost grandson and gives him the last name Adverse.  His speech about the boy’s adversity is only slightly cheesy.

From here out is supposed to be the meat of the film.  Anthony grows to a smart, well-rounded young man (Fredric March) with eyes for the beautiful Angela (Olivia de Havilland).  Their life seems perfectly sweet and simple for only a moment, then Angela is taken away when her father wins the lottery.  Next thing we know, Anthony finds her singing in a show and they’ve secretly gotten married.  While Anthony is supposed to meet her, he’s detained by Bonnyfeather, who wants him to leave for Havana the next morning and Angela doesn’t get the message to sail with him.  Thus beings Anthony’s adventures sailing the world, becoming part of the slave trade and finding exotic women in the jungle.

Honestly, that whole chapter goes way too fast and seems like it should have more focus.  Once Anthony attempts to get his old life back in order in Europe, it seems to slow down to a decent pace again, but things are still convoluted with the Angela’s marital status and old villains trying to cheat Anthony out of Bonnyfeather’s will.

For me, the first half hour of the film was more exciting than the rest.  Forbidden love, a sword fight, murder and dumping babies off at the convent, it’s good and juicy.  Then everything turned very flat, rushed and boring.  Even when Anthony is traveling the world, conveniently running away from the possibility of loving his love, everything seems a bit watered down.  Perhaps because this is the part of the story where Anthony is supposed to have a positive life change that propels him back to Europe.  Unfortunately, it starts to feel like unstable mush and never lets us find more solid ground.

While I have complaints about the story and its pacing, many of the technical film aspects help made this film more enjoyable.  Anthony Adverse won the Oscar for Best Cinematography and Best Editing.   Visually, this film is lovely and can bring out the sense of adventure the story tends to lack.  While my heart wasn’t hanging on why Anthony was running through the jungle in the rain, my eyes were hooked and soaking it in.

“Those who are destined to live during times of war and social upheaval are victims of cruel fate, unable to find comfort in the past or peace in the present.  They are the spiritual orphans of the world.”

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.”

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

I’m no expert on Shakespeare, but I’ve always found his play A Midsummer Night’s Dream to be fun, whimsical and wonderfully weird.  This film, directed by Max Reinhardt, is just that and incorporates a ton of simple, elegant early movie magic.

Theseus (Ian Hunter) is about to marry Hypolita, Queen of the Amazons (Verree Teasdale) and all ofAthenswill celebrate.  A band of performers are preparing do a play at the ceremony.  There is also a love triangle/square going on.  Both Lysander (Dick Powell) and Demetrius (Ross Alexander) are in love with Hermia (Olivia de Havilland), but she only loves Lysander, who does not have her father’s approval.  Then there is Helena (Jean Muir) who loves Demetrius but isn’t getting any love in return.  The four mismatched lovers take a rendezvous in the forest and the band of performers go there to practice.  When a fight between Oberon (Victor Jory) and Titania (Anita Louise),the King and Queen of the fairies, breaks out, Oberon enlists the energetic little goblin, Puck (Mickey Rooney) on a few errands.  But Puck makes a mistake and starts a bit of mischief, including turning the lead in the performers play, Bottom (James Cagney) into a donkey.

For those unfamiliar with the play, that sounds like a bunch of nonsense.  That is a fine assessment for a first timer, but don’t turn that into a negative.  The best thing to do with this play, on screen or on stage, is just relax and enjoy it.  There are some philosophical and intelligent elements to analyze, but on a first go around it is best just to have fun.  That is mostly what the film does.

With the film’s wonderful use of simple visual movie magic, it is easy to have fun and enjoy.  Before anything mythical happens, we are shown beautiful, natural shots of this forest.  Once the fog sets in, female figures start dancing in it and soon they are swirling up around a tree and into the starry sky.  So many shots in this film have a wonderful twinkling element that just shines and sparkles at you.  Cagney’s donkey head is more creepy than whimsical, but still quite a feat making the mouth move.  Between the beautiful, elaborate costumes and the intelligently constructed set design this has to be the best visual piece of film I have encountered from the 1930’s.

My favorite from this long list of familiar names and odd characters had to be Mickey Rooney’s Puck.  He had to have been a late bloomer the way he looks no  more than ten at age fourteen in this film, but it works out perfectly for him here.  From the moment he just becomes a person from the leaves on the ground, I was intrigued. Then he became this energetic, sometimes bouncy creature full mischief, mimicking and creepy laughs.  I loved it.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream may be one of the oddest and most artful films I have seen from the 1930’s.  That should be taken as both praise and warning.  If you do not care for Shakespeare or artsy-fartsy sparklies, stay away.  But for those who do (and oh my goodness, do I do!), this film is awesome.  You will enjoy the simple and beautiful movie magic that can only be this wonderful in black and white.

“I have had a most rare vision.  I have had a dream.”

Captain Blood

This weekend, after begin subjected to the whopping two-star reviewed newest installment of Pirates of the Caribbean, people may be looking for a more satisfying swashbuckling movie.  Something with classic action, not the kind that melts your eyeballs and all laws of physics. A wholesome hero you won’t be too embarrassed about your kids emulating is helpful, even if it is entertaining to see your four year old stagger around asking why the rum is gone.  Add in just a dash of romance and Michael Curtiz’s Captain Blood from 1935 may be a perfect way to balance out this pirate weekend.

When Doctor Peter Blood (Errol Flynn) goes to treat men injured in an attempt to throw King James II off the throne, he is arrested for treason with the others.  Rather than waste the men on hanging, they are shipped to Port Royal in the Caribbean colonies to be sold as slaves.  As the men are being bought like livestock, the Governor’s niece, Arabella Bishop (Olivia de Havilland), buys Peter to save him from an even crueler slave-driver than her uncle.  Nonetheless, the conditions Peter and his comrades endure are terrible and the punishment for trying to escape is branding.  When his owners realize that Peter is a doctor, he is given less manual labor jobs and makes house-calls, mostly for an old big wig’s flares of gout.  This also helps Peter plan an elaborate escape for all of the slaves.

You know what works better than their plan?  Pirates blasting Port Royal into chaos.  In all the confusion, Peter and the men escape and take over the pirate ship.  Since they are not welcome in England and will only become slaves again in Port Royal, they band together as pirates and go pillaging on the high seas with Peter acting as captain.

This is old fashioned, good time pirating we see in Captain Blood.  We see how they share the treasure equally and those injured or missing limbs from battle get a hefty bonus.  Peter enacts some rather strict rules for for these pirates, including never taking women hostages.  This code is more honorable and followed through more than just guidelines.  Yet, there is still some time to spend in Torguga living up a drunken yo-ho pirate’s life.

The French pirate, Captain Levasseur (Basil Rathbone), is an interesting opposite to Captain Blood.  He is a more ruthless man, drinking more rum and having several wenches.  I love his spot on the beach with a hammock strung between palm trees and barrels of rum around.  He proposes that he and Blood work together, making a sort of a pirating franchise, but when he wants to take Arabella as his personal prize (a big no-no in Blood’s code) he and Blood duke it out the best way pirates can, a sword fight on the beach.

I can only think of one downside to Captain Blood:  It takes a while to get to the juicy, fun pirate part of the film.  But once we’re there, there’s no going back and it is quite a fun ride full of blasting cannons, sword fights, lots of loot and wind in the sails.

“Up that rigging, you monkeys!  Aloft!  There’s no chains to hold you now.  Break out those sails and watch them fill with the wind that’s carrying us all to freedom!”

Hold Back the Dawn

With hopes of entering the United States faster, Georges Iscovescu (Charles Boyer), originally from Romania, moves to a Mexico boarder town.  As he applies for his visa, he learns that it will take five to eight years before he can become an American citizen.  This feels like a prison sentence to him and he sinks into depression.  On the Fourth of July he learns how a friend of his, Anita (Paulette Goddard), became a citizen so quickly, she married an American.  What a great idea, so Georges starts scoping out available American women.

He finds Emmy (Olivia de Havilland), a school teacher having car trouble that he met earlier in the day.  With his ultimate goal in mind, Georges offers Emmy multiple acts of kindness, including letting Emmy and the children stay overnight in his apartment building.  Throughout Emmy’s stay, Georges puts on an act of mystery and charm.  It’s not cheesy, but a wiser kind of manipulation, just as sultry.  He talks about being lonely and she connects with it, hook, line and sinker.

On July fifth, they marry, meaning that Georges can enter the US in about four weeks, but inspector Hammock (Walter Abel) is in town.  He tries to casually keep track of all the people awaiting immigration and he is becoming wiser to how some people will marry just to get into America.  For a while, Georges has to juggle Emmy and the Inspector to keep them both in the dark to his plan.

As Georges and Emmy travel Mexico together for their honeymoon, they start to connect more and Georges starts to regret the way he is taking advantage of sweet naive Emmy.  Just as Georges is feeling his lowest, Emmy is in an accident and he risks everything, including his passage to America to try to help Emmy.

Along with Georges’ struggle to become an American citizen are smaller tales of people just as desperate.  Most of them can only wait patiently in anxious hope, but for a young couple with a child on the way, time is running out.  The mother sneaks across the boarder to give birth, ensuring that her child is an American citizen.

While we may not like Georges for taking blatantly taking advantage of Emmy and manipulating the system, by the end he has made up for his wrongdoing.  As happy as that is, the film is not very satisfying.  These issues with immigration are brought up but nothing is done about them.  It seems that the only quick way across the border is marriage, just make sure you are honest about your intentions and find an understanding host to latch onto.

“You see, we are like … two trains, halted for a moment at the same station. But we’re going in different directions. We can’t change our course, any more than we can hold back the dawn.”

The Heiress

Have you ever been stood up on a date?  Did your parent ever forget to pick you up after practice on a rainy day?  Have you ever feared an ulterior motive to a friendship or relationship?  If you answered yes, or can twist minor details of any of those questions to fit you personally, then you will probably identify with poor Catharine, the titled heiress.

All Catharine’s life she has not been able to live up to the image of her mother that her father, Dr Austin Sloper (Ralph Richardson), holds in such high esteem.  Catharine (Olivia de Havilland) is a sweet and naive girl, but doesn’t have any qualities that find her very marriageable in the 1850’s.  She does not sing, play the piano or care to dance.  Instead she is clumsy, unsure of herself and very awkward in social situations.  Beauty-wise, she is a step above homely, but not exactly a knock-out.  Basically, the only good qualities left are her excellent needlepoint skills and the loads of money she will inherit.  Her father sees these shortcomings and uses them to emotionally abuse her.  There is still her eager, sweet and trusting personality, but that won’t make anyone a good wife in upscale 1850.  It just makes her a target.

So when Morris Townsend (Montgomery Clift) starts courting Catharine, she is overjoyed but her father is skeptical.  This seems like the first time Catharine has been the object of any one’s affection and it is so wonderful to see her face just beam over it.  However, Morris seems like a deadbeat, since he has no job and blew all his inheritance to travel.  Dr. Austin is concerned that Morris is just a gold-digger and he threatens to disinherit Catharine if she marries him.  Certain that their love can provide better than money, Catharine decides to elope, but Morris may be a little unsure about their plans, now that they will not have any money.

Honestly, you can probably draw some conclusions from this review, but I don’t want to ruin the big ending.  I’ll just say it made my day, it made me jump off the couch and cheer.  Of course, I’m very cynical and love these kind of endings, other viewers may find themselves less overjoyed.

Olivia de Havilland won her second Oscar for portraying Catharine.  Her performance is so genuine, darling and awkward that anyone who has suffered the pains of puberty will be drawn in.  When she thinks she has found love, the expressions of bliss and anticipation are priceless.  And when they are crushed, we are crushed beside her.  Nothing stings more than rejection without even being acknowledged.  She becomes the personification of a half-healed wound about to be opened back up again.  Amazing.

Of all the films of 1949, The Heiress drew me in the closest and left me the most satisfied.  I could easily identify with the plain, awkward Catharine and that tingling excitement of hope that is only too good to be true.  If you’re looking for a film with a compelling story that won’t insult your intelligence and an excellent performance, check out The Heiress.

“Yes I can be very cruel.  I have been taught by masters.”

The Adventures of Robin Hood

Ah, now this is classic Robin Hood.  It’s not gritty action and realistic CGI arrows whizzing by, nor is it overtly cute and turned our heroes into singing cartoon animals.  The Adventures of Robin Hood is probably the best story told on film featuring the legendary outlaw of Sherwood Forrest.  The thrill of adventure, romance and action are in perfect harmony here, while still keeping the legend in tact.

The film tells the classic story of Robin Hood.  While King Richard the Lionhearted (Ian Hunter) is off fighting in wars and becomes captured in Vienna, Prince John (Claude Rains) takes advantage of his absence and taxes the Saxons to no end, claiming it will pay for Richard’s release.  When Saxon Lord, Sir Robin of Locksley (Errol Flynn) learns of Prince John’s plan to seize the throne he begins a rebellion against Prince John and his Norman supporters who prey on the Saxons.  Robin gathers and protects all who support King Richard and along the way meet timeless characters like Friar Tuck (Eugene Pallette), Little John (Alan Hale), and Lady Marian (Olivia de Havilland) who becomes lover and a great help from the inside to Robin.

There is, of course, the classic archery tournament, set up as a trap by Prince John.  It’s one of the most iconic scenes in any Robin Hood story.  It’s here the the award for art direction was won.  From Marion’s elegant dress to Robin’s thrifty disguise the costumes in this scene are very detailed and beautiful.  All around are brightly colored banners and tents that make me really appreciate the early film in color.  And somehow, there is that unbelievable shot where Robin splits an arrow down the middle.  I don’t think there was a special effects award yet, but that shot would have wont it.

I believe this film has some of the biggest and best action scenes you will find in the 1930’s.  Director Michael Curtiz, who took over for William Keighley at times, became the man behind the great action sequences.  It’s amazing to watch whole castle halls suddenly turn into epic sword fights with hundreds of extras clanging metal.  There’s even a wonderfully ingenious shot where a sword fight goes off camera, but the shadows are projected onto a wall until they come back into the frame.  And it’s not all swords and arrows, there’s a horse chase and a moment where Robin releases a gate, rides the pulled rope up and scales the wall to slow his enemies down.  It’s a wonderfully simple mechanic idea that we’ve seen in countless films, but here it just seems grander without any CGI.

If you want to see any Robin Hood film, I strongly suggest The Adventures of Robin Hood over all the others out there.  You won’t find a better mix of fun, action and romance in any others.  And you certainly won’t find a more charismatic Robin than Errol Flynn.

“Where’s your sense of adventure?”

The Snake Pit

From the opening credits with loud daunting music, you realize this is going to be a heavy film.  Those set within a mental institution aren’t usually light or breezy.

We meet Virginia Cunningham (Olivia de Havilland) not long after she has been checked into the institute.  She’s usually confused about where she is, what month it is and has difficulty recalling the past.  Sometimes there’s an inner voice (the conversations seem like a less haunting Gollum) and we realize that she is rightfully there.  The film follows her journey through her time at the institute.  Doctors try to help her through terrifying remedies like shock therapy and more sedate humanizing techniques like psychotherapy.  We bare witness to her ups and downs (which correspond to what ward number she’s in) discover the mysterious past she’s hidden from herself.

The terrors and cruel treatment portrayed within the institution seem more important to Virginia’s personal growth.  The nurses order the women around and herd them up like crazy sheep in skirts.  Frail women look down through the bars with pity and no hope.  Due to overcrowding, beds are lined wall to wall with hardly room to walk between.

The best scenes come later in the film, when Virginia is in more “social” wards.  It seems that the main activity many of these woman have, is to simply wander around a room together, and hopefully stand by the window a while.  In one instance, they’re lucky enough to have a rug in their room, but no one is allowed to walk on it.  Just after a nurse reprimands Virginia for this, an elderly lady starts to sing and dance on it, just crazy enough to be creepy and funny at the same time.  Maybe that’s the only way to rebel in this place, just make sure you act crazy while you do it.

One activity within the institution seemed too odd: a co-ed dance.  Yes, that’s getting some crazy men to come down and dance with these crazy women.  Isn’t that just asking for trouble?  I didn’t want to believe that really happened.

It’s hard to compare The Snake Pit to one of my favorites, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.  Poor Virginia really is genuinely messed up, there’s not much comradery and there’s no focus on one Ratchety nurse.  They’re different sides of the same coin over twenty-five years apart.

That being said, Cuckoo’s Nest is more heartfelt and soul-stirring.  The Snake Pit is more of a focus on women in an institute and the psychotherapy process Virginia goes through.  If you’re looking for something with a more mystery/horror feel, pick The Snake Pit, otherwise, Cuckoo’s Nest can be a fine substitute.