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Post by berkley2 on Dec 28, 2021 23:15:34 GMT -5
This discussion inspired me to finally watch The Man Who Knew Too Much from 1934. Very familiar with the remake with Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day which I've seen a number of times, but I never had seen the original (I'm not sure why, Peter Lorre is an absolute favorite of mine). I have to say, I absolutely loved this earlier production, it just has a different feel than the later film and is now my favorite version. Is Lorre in the Jimmy Stewart role? That would certainly give the story a very different perspective. I'm not sure why but Ive never really taken to Stewart as a performer. I dont dislike his screenwork and in real life, from the little I know, he seems to havebeenan admirable person, but his name in the cast is never a draw for me. |
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Post by Hoosier X on Dec 28, 2021 23:50:27 GMT -5
This thread has inspired me to watch films again for the first time in years. Last night, I watched The Great Road, a 1934 film by Chinese filmmaker, Sun Yu. I haven't seen much Chinese cinema prior to the 60s. This was a silent film that had sound effects and songs dubbed over the top. It was part of a movement called the National Defense Cinema and was essentially a leftist film with strong anti-Japanese sentiments. The protagonists are a group of workers who are determined to finish building a road so that the enemy invaders can be defeated. Personally, I was more interested in Sun Yu's filmmaking than his politics. It was a surprisingly romantic and elegant film, and I wasn't surprised to learn that Yu had spent time studying filmmaking in the US. A lot of the cinematography wouldn't have looked out of place in a Hollywood film from the same era. The fact that it was a silent from detracted from my enjoyment somewhat. It's not that I dislike silent films, but by this stage, the scripts were much more sophisticated than in the silent era, and this film would have been better with sound even if there may have been a ton of patriotic monologues. I’ve seen it. It’s been a while but I remember liking it quite a bit. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2021 11:14:47 GMT -5
This discussion inspired me to finally watch The Man Who Knew Too Much from 1934. Very familiar with the remake with Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day which I've seen a number of times, but I never had seen the original (I'm not sure why, Peter Lorre is an absolute favorite of mine). I have to say, I absolutely loved this earlier production, it just has a different feel than the later film and is now my favorite version. Is Lorre in the Jimmy Stewart role? That would certainly give the story a very different perspective. I'm not sure why but Ive never really taken to Stewart as a performer. I dont dislike his screenwork and in real life, from the little I know, he seems to havebeenan admirable person, but his name in the cast is never a draw for me. Peter Lorre is in the lead "bad guy" role actually (and does a fantastic job). The actor who does play the Jimmy Stewart role, Leslie Banks, I thought did a fairly nice job as well, slightly reminiscent of Cary Grant at times in his mannerisms and line delivery. Also should note, the plot/script were reworked quite a bit in the second version even though the basic premise is the same. I've read Hitchcock's famous quote on comparing the two versions of the film: "Let's say the first version is the work of a talented amateur and the second was made by a professional." And yes, the later movie has a whole other level of production values (and Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day turn in fine performances), but there's something a little more "sinister" about the 1934 version and I rather like the feel of the filmmaking overall. Plus, much as I absolutely adore Doris Day, I think I can only hear "Que Sera, Sera" so many times. |
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Dec 29, 2021 15:55:34 GMT -5
This discussion inspired me to finally watch The Man Who Knew Too Much from 1934. Very familiar with the remake with Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day which I've seen a number of times, but I never had seen the original (I'm not sure why, Peter Lorre is an absolute favorite of mine). I have to say, I absolutely loved this earlier production, it just has a different feel than the later film and is now my favorite version. Is Lorre in the Jimmy Stewart role? That would certainly give the story a very different perspective. I'm not sure why but Ive never really taken to Stewart as a performer. I dont dislike his screenwork and in real life, from the little I know, he seems to have been an admirable person, but his name in the cast is never a draw for me. Have you seen any of his collaborations with director Anthony Mann? If not, you should at least give Winchester '73 a watch. It was the pivot-point for Stewart from his 30s & 40s "everyman" persona in to a darker deeper tone. If you don't like him in that it's definitely him and not the persona of his earlier films. |
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Post by commond on Dec 29, 2021 15:58:21 GMT -5
I watched White Zombie, Black Cat, and Island of Lost Souls. All of them good films, but Island of Lost Souls was my favorite. I was impressed by the set design and makeup, and I thought Laughton was brilliant as Moreau. Fantastic cinematography from Karl Strauss, as well.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2021 16:03:20 GMT -5
Is Lorre in the Jimmy Stewart role? That would certainly give the story a very different perspective. I'm not sure why but Ive never really taken to Stewart as a performer. I dont dislike his screenwork and in real life, from the little I know, he seems to have been an admirable person, but his name in the cast is never a draw for me. Have you seen any of his collaborations with director Anthony Mann? If not, you should at least give Winchester '73 a watch. It was the pivot-point for Stewart from his 30s & 40s "everyman" persona in to a darker deeper tone. If you don't like him in that it's definitely him and not the persona of his earlier films. That reminds me as well of Stewart's role in After the Thin Man from 1936. An early display of his versatility portraying a deceptive and not-so-nice character I thought he handled well. |
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Post by badwolf on Dec 29, 2021 17:38:08 GMT -5
I've seen the later version a couple of times but I've never seen the original.
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Post by Rob Allen on Dec 29, 2021 19:33:32 GMT -5
I don't remember which Thin Man movie this was in, but this detail is stuck in my mind. At one point, Nick and the police get a tip that the person they're looking for in Manhattan is actually in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The immediate response is "When's the next train?" If that movie had been made in the last 60 years, they would have jumped in their car and headed for the Holland Tunnel and Interstate 78 and been in Allentown in 90 minutes. But in the mid-30s, New York-to-Allentown was a train ride. They don't even briefly consider any other way to get there.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2021 8:38:48 GMT -5
I don't remember which Thin Man movie this was in, but this detail is stuck in my mind. At one point, Nick and the police get a tip that the person they're looking for in Manhattan is actually in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The immediate response is "When's the next train?" If that movie had been made in the last 60 years, they would have jumped in their car and headed for the Holland Tunnel and Interstate 78 and been in Allentown in 90 minutes. But in the mid-30s, New York-to-Allentown was a train ride. They don't even briefly consider any other way to get there. That's true (not to mention the direct train line between Allentown and NYC has been gone for decades!). It reminds me, as an aside (and going a bit off topic), how much I wish I had lived in the era of trains being a more prevalent way of getting around. I say this as a native New Yorker, born and spending intermittent periods of my life there, but I had no desire to keep a car in the city. When I brought my wife to Manhattan in the 2000's where we lived for awhile, we didn't even keep our car garaged in the city. I absolutely loved riding trains whenever I could! Even just taking the subway in the morning down to Grand Central and back in the evening, and walking through all the marble and history that's been captured in so many movies over the years...I always felt transported back to a more elegant time. |
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Post by berkley on Jan 1, 2022 23:05:16 GMT -5
Is Lorre in the Jimmy Stewart role? That would certainly give the story a very different perspective. I'm not sure why but Ive never really taken to Stewart as a performer. I dont dislike his screenwork and in real life, from the little I know, he seems to have been an admirable person, but his name in the cast is never a draw for me. Have you seen any of his collaborations with director Anthony Mann? If not, you should at least give Winchester '73 a watch. It was the pivot-point for Stewart from his 30s & 40s "everyman" persona in to a darker deeper tone. If you don't like him in that it's definitely him and not the persona of his earlier films. I don't think so. I'll keep that title in mind. I don't dislike Stewart and his presence in a film wouldn't ever stop me from watching it but I'm probably just on the very slightly negative side of neutral. I've enjoyed lots of his films, but usually I get the feeling that I would have liked them as much or more if someone else had taken his role - always assuming that that someone else wasn't an actor I really dislike.
Speaking of Anthony Mann, I might try to see El Cid sometime in the coming year, depending on how fast I get through the mid to late '50s in my other viewing and reading.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jan 10, 2022 17:08:13 GMT -5
So much for being able to do this once a week. Oy! Onward to 1935! Where 1934 was a no-brainer, 1935 is super hard. So many great films that I really love. The contenders...
The Bride of Frankenstein - For decades, the go-to answer for sequels that are better than the original. I feel that you can go either way with that, but it's pretty clear that this is one of, if not the very, best Universal horror film. The art direction, cinematography and score are all first rate. Karloff is able to imbue his monster with all the pathos of the first film. Elsa Lanchester does double duty and makes The Bride one of the great film monsters. In most other years this would probably be a no-brainer. A Night at the Opera - I think I've made it adequately clear that I love the Marx Brothers. And I like this film. I just think it pales in comparison to some of their others. It lacks the trademark anarchy of their best work and there are times when the film absolutely drags (pretty much anything with Kitty Carlisle and Alan Jones). That said, it's still a great film and probably their last great film. Chico and Groucho are brilliant in the contract reading scene. The 39 Steps - This may be Hitchcock's best British film and it's my pick for the best film version of John Buchan's spy novel. Suspenseful, witty, and well acted, it showcases Hitchcock's ever-increasing talent and ability to frame shots. But, the winner is... Captain Blood! I'm a sucker for pirate movies. I'm a sucker for adventure movies. And this is one of the greats. Errol Flynn burst on to the screen and showed he was the natural successor to Douglas Fairbanks as the King of Swashbucklers. Olivia de Havilland emerged as a major star and Basil Rathbone as one of the great screen villains. For any problems with the script, it just doesn't matter because the film exudes fun and adventure. A few also rans that probably would have had more consideration, but it's been eons since I've seen them. Lives of a Bengal Lancer - This is one I really want to re-watch. It's been probably over 40 years, but it feels like a movie that I would love. Mutiny on the Bounty - the top grossing film of 1935, I remember really liking this version with Gable and Charles Laughton. I just haven't seen it in a terribly long time. The Informer - Again I haven't seen this one in eons. I recall it being a strong outing for John Ford and a great performance by Victor McLaglin. The Raven - I loved this Karloff/Lugosi film as a kid, but haven't seen it since I was a kid.
The Band Concert - One of the very best early Mickey/Donald shorts. Movies from 1935 for those who need help. |
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Post by badwolf on Jan 11, 2022 15:14:35 GMT -5
I have only seen three films from 1935. My favorite was The Whole Town's Talking.
(The other two were Werewolf of London and The 39 Steps.)
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jan 11, 2022 15:29:12 GMT -5
I have only seen three films from 1935. My favorite was The Whole Town's Talking. (The other two were Werewolf of London and The 39 Steps.) I have shockingly never seen The Whole Town's Talking. Directed by John Ford, starring Edward G. Robinson and based on a piece by W.R. Burnett. I can't imagine how I've never seen this one before. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2022 15:54:03 GMT -5
There are handful of films from 1935 that stick out in my memory-Captain Blood, Bride of Frankenstein, She, Midsummer Night's Dream, 39 Steps...
but I don't think I have seen any of them in the last 10 years or more than once or twice, so it's hard to pick a favorite. Captain Blood is sitting on my DVR, and I have 39 Steps and Bride on DVD, so it would likely come down to one of those three, but I couldn't really pick a favorite among them, though Bride would be the one I'd settle on if forced to choose right now, as it's the one I remember the most of both visually and narratively.
-M
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Post by Prince Hal on Jan 11, 2022 16:14:43 GMT -5
This is a tough year to pick a favorite. "Bride," "39 Steps," "Captain Blood"(!), "Mutiny on the Bounty," "Tale of Two Cities," "David Copperfield," "Midsummer," "Call of the Wild," "Scrooge," and "Bengal Lancer" are longtime favorites. I'm ashamed to say I have never seen "The Informer," despite my love for Ford and McLaglen, else I'm sure it would be on the list. I will have to go with... God, how do I make this kind of decision? Maybe I'll go watch "The Informer" and make that my choice.  |
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