"Lost" Movies Found on YouTube

Films, TV shows, and books of the 'modern' era
feaito

Re: "Lost" Movies Found on YouTube

Post by feaito »

April, in my opinion "The Road to Glory" (1936) is a good film, but since I saw first the original French version of the story on which this Hawks' film was inspired (Raymond Bernard's "Les Croix de Bois" (1932) it did not make an impression on me, because it pales compared to the original.

Here's what I wrote in March 2009 when I saw both:
"Les Croix de Bois" (Wooden Crosses) (1932). Simply one of the most harrowing Anti-War films I have ever seen. I have read it was made to rival with "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1930). The film has a different style though because I almost felt I was watching a documentary and the real WWI was going on onscreen -which does not detract from AQWOTWF which is still my favorite War film. Everything is so real, so truthfully depicted. The battle scenes are among the best ever made. Stunning! Some scenes were so hard to take; so harsh, grim and tough! When all the soldiers were moaning and dying after a tremendous battle, I was in awe and completely moved. One of the main assets of this film is that it achieves to depict War as an absolute stupidity; as something so senseless and useless, in terms of suffering and loss of valuable human life. Human life is above all richness, territory or power and if Man does not understand it we will never be able to improve and move on to the next stage of evolution. Some of the featured players were actually veterans of WWI and the two of the leads were among the finest actors of the French Cinema: Pierre Blanchar, whom I recently saw in the excellent Silent "Le Capitaine Fracasse" (1929) and Charles Vanel, a very prolific actor who played, among many other roles, "Javert" In Raymond Bernard's "Les Misérables" (1934). This film is very different to any Hollywood picture that was being made in those days, especially since more than focusing in one particular character or developing specific relationship between the characters, it focuses on the situation as a whole, like a slice of real life. Impressive and very unique.

After watching the former film I had to see Hawk's take on the story: "The Road to Glory" (1936) and I knew it was going to be totally different: more Hollywoodized. Well it was, but it's not bad. It's better not to compare it with the 1932 masterful film and take it for what it is: a good drama. There's a romantic subplot that's thrown in to the story and one of the main characters -Warner Baxter, who plays the tortured captain- is reunited with his father (Lionel Barrymore) who's too old for War, but still wants to fight near his heroic son. Some portions of the story do not ring true and the situations are more overly dramatic and sentimental, but this does not mean that the film does not have its merits and entertainment value. June Lang, who plays the love interest is very beautiful and has a contemporary look; I mean, not only does she not look like a lady from 1916 -when the picture is set-, but not even a girl from 1936! She's so slim and slender that she looks like a model from the 1990s. Her hairstyle was made -I guess- to make her look more "French" & sophisticated, which is a little bit out of place, since she's supposed to be a small-town girl, not a Parisian. Also, to make her look more attractive, she wears a suit that does not look like a nurse's outfit. On the other hand, she performs quite well, except in her first scene with Warner Baxter, where she plays a dramatic scene a bit artificially. Warner Baxter and Fredric March (who plays a Lieutenant under Baxter's orders) are very good in their roles and Lionel Barrymore and Gregory Ratoff ditto. What is a real shame is that all the action scenes and some scenes shot in the church were completely borrowed from the 1932 French film. And since I had just seen it I noticed it very much. In all, a good dramatic film in Hollywood's terms, but very different and inferior than the 1932 French original. As an anti-war film it pales in comparison to "Les Croix de Bois" and most certainly in comparison with AQOTWF.
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MissGoddess
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Re: "Lost" Movies Found on YouTube

Post by MissGoddess »

Hi, Feo!

I can well believe the French film is much more harrowing and effective...Hollywood seldom went down that road, AQOTWF excepted and maybe a couple of others. A pity with all the anti-war movies and literature, no one has learned to stop war, ha.

I am curious to see Hawks' earlier version of the same film, which he made as a silent in 1926, but I believe it's lost. I was impressed with the seriousness of The Real Glory in comparison to Hawks' later emphasis on humor in such situations. And then compare this movie to Sergeant York, in terms of point of view, it's quite a switch. He rarely would take the tragic line ever again.

I noticed the same thing about June Lang's "look". I could see Hawks' hand in that already. He liked a very sleek look in his leading ladies. That she resembled nothing so less than a small, village nurse was not important to him, I guess! :D I remember thinking like you, that she had a very modern style, and I even wondered if she was a "town girl" if you get my meaning, her outfit in her first scenes was so low-cut and form fitting. No wonder the Captain took care of her and her family.
:)
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feaito

Re: "Lost" Movies Found on YouTube

Post by feaito »

I agree with your assessments April. I still haven't watched SY though...shame on me

The 1936 "The Road to Glory" is not a remake of Hawks' same-titled Silent film from 1926. A review from 1926 describes it as "The story of a speed-mad girl and the bitter road she followed before finding her real self and happiness." It stars May McAvoy and Leslie Fenton and Carole Lombard has a bit part.
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Re: "Lost" Movies Found on YouTube

Post by MissGoddess »

Thanks for letting me know that! Until now I'd assumed they were the same story.

I'm sure Sergeant York has its fans, but I can't say it's one of my favorites.
"There's only one thing that can kill the movies, and that's education."
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feaito

Re: "Lost" Movies Found on YouTube

Post by feaito »

Wilkommen April...I've never gotten around to watching SY, because its plot has never appealed to me -firsthand.
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Re: "Lost" Movies Found on YouTube

Post by knitwit45 »

Sergeant York is probably 'hokey' by today's standards, but I really like it. I'm not a Gary Cooper fan, as in 'anything he's in, I'll watch', but this is tailor-made for him. Do yourself a favor, 'Nando, and check it out!
feaito

Re: "Lost" Movies Found on YouTube

Post by feaito »

Okay Nancy, thanks for the recommendation.
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Jezebel38
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Re: "Lost" Movies Found on YouTube

Post by Jezebel38 »

OMG!!!!! Was in the Conrad Veidt thread, and looking on YT to see if there was a good copy of CV's 1926 version - there is but it is very bad - and lo and behold found this!!

Student of Prague (1935) with ANTON WALBROOK - click on CC to get the closed captions in English!

[youtube][/youtube]
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moira finnie
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Re: "Lost" Movies Found on YouTube

Post by moira finnie »

Thank you for finding this film, Jezebel. I am always on the lookout for anything with Walbrook in it. Here is another obscure, English language film with Edith Evans and Anton Walbrook in a harrowing Pushkin story set in St. Petersburg in the 19th century--The Queen of Spades (1949-Thorold Dickinson)
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JackFavell
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Re: "Lost" Movies Found on YouTube

Post by JackFavell »

Oooh, thanks for the Walbrook finds!
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Re: "Lost" Movies Found on YouTube

Post by MichiganJ »

Pretty good and rare version of Tolkien's tale:

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feaito

Re: "Lost" Movies Found on YouTube

Post by feaito »

Thanks Moira for posting the link to "The Queen of Spades" (1949), I have just seen it and it's indeed a magnificent, atmospheric, eerie, altogether completely absorbing movie. It should be better known indeed. Edith Evans and Anton Walbrook are superb! They convey so well the decadence and the despair of their characters... 10/10
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JackFavell
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Re: "Lost" Movies Found on YouTube

Post by JackFavell »

Thanks Moira, for posting Kiss the Blood Off My Hands.

I am slowly working my way through youtube movies posted on various threads here, and have been on a Burt Lancaster kick lately. I think this is one of Burt's best early performances. He really gets a lot to chew on here, and shows tons of sensitivity and angst. And ever since you pointed me to that Wallace Ford backstory, I have had the mother instinct come out in full force - Burt definitely needed mothering in this movie. :D :D

Somehow, I really like Fontaine and Lancaster together. I was unsure how they would pair up, but it worked quite well with Fontaine typed again as the lonely shy Brit and Burt typed as the POW/possible ex-con who has anger issues. They still manage to make new, different characters out of these types. Personally, I think both are at their best in these kinds of roles, though Burt later did a great job playing megalomaniacs - I love Fontaine playing shy, and I love Burt playing hurt and trapped, like an animal. I felt a very sincere relationship between the two and wanted them to work out their problems and be free. Such a romantic story, with a romantic, hopeful but sombre ending. The movie felt a little like an American Odd Man Out, but it had it''s own charms - to compare the two films would be a shame, because Odd Man Out is a great film, and Kiss the Blood Off My Hands is not, but it's so worth seeing. I'll go back to this one when I feel a darkly romantic mood coming on.... or when I want to look at Burt Lancaster's gorgeous mug and hurt eyes.

I am also a really big Robert Newton fan, so this was definitely a treat! He turns very frightening in that second to last scene with Fontaine, and yet, there are many layers to his character. One can't help liking him just a smidge up to that point.

Thanks again.
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Re: "Lost" Movies Found on YouTube

Post by MissGoddess »

Wendy, your post urged me to get to Kiss The Blood Off My Hands and it's just a few minutes in and I'm already hooked. I can't think of anything better than to have Burt Lancaster jump in my bedroom window and tell me he's "staying for a while so I might as well get used to it." :D :D :D
"There's only one thing that can kill the movies, and that's education."
-- Will Rogers
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JackFavell
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Re: "Lost" Movies Found on YouTube

Post by JackFavell »

heeheeheeheehee! Oh I agree! I think you'll really like the movie. He's very sexy in this one, rather tortured. I love it.
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