WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

[charliechaplinfan]

I think you put it very well, Fernando. I agree with your wife, I don't find Harlow beautiful and found Leila Hyams very beautiful, it's just got to come down to it being about her figure, her clothes. She is the female counterpart to John Gilbert's servant. It's an exciting precode, one I'll definetly watch again.

[feaito]

I've already watched it three times...

[charliechaplinfan]

I can see why.

[MichiganJ]

Watched Fine Manners, a programmer with a fairly basic plot but which also has one of the best performances I've seen Gloria Swanson give in a comedy. She's absolutely terrific playing Orchid Murphy, a dance hall girl who catches the attention of rich bachelor Eugene O'Brien. The plot centers around O'Brien having his Aunt try and change Swanson into a "lady", and while the outcome should have led to some great comedic moments, it's unfortunately played more seriously. Nevertheless, Swanson herself is great fun (when she's happy she does a series of cart-wheels, or rather a double does), and her performance is completely natural and an utter joy to watch.

Almost as good as Swanson's performance is the direction and especially the cinematography. There are some wonderful camera movements, which not only follow the action but reveal backgrounds and such that add to the film's verisimilitude. For instance, there's a terrific opening at Times Square during New Year's Eve (that is juxtaposed with a boring ballroom dance, which prompts Murphy's leaving and meeting Gloria). There's also a great traveling shot through the streets of Manhattan, and in the background is a brightly lit marquee proclaiming "Marilyn Miller" as the star in some show. Two thumbs up (which is a funny running gag in the film.)

[Uncle Stevie]

I had none before but now I just ordered six Harlowe movies from myoldmanmovies..com. At $3.75 per movie I could not resist. You all ruined my pledged layoff from buying any more movies for a month. But now I can't wait to see Jean in all her glory. By the way, I added a few Betty Grable movies. For some reason I adore her. She always seems so innocent.

[charliechaplinfan]

Jean wasn't the prettiest actress by far, she often played sweet girls that contradicted her looks. She had a luminence, she seemed to glow before the cameras, she was eminently watchable.

My favorite is still Red Dust but Red Headed Woman isn't far behind.

[feaito]

In terms of "look", I'd say that Jean is at her most beautiful in "Wife Versus Secretary" (1936), with softer make-up, less strident and with a more relaxed appearance in general.

[charliechaplinfan]

Yes, I think I'd agree with you there.

[feaito]

Yesterday I watched the Blu-Ray Edition of Fritz Lang's "M" -thanks for recommending to me the Blu Ray Kevin- and I was deeply impressed by the whole concept of this Masterpiece of the Expressionist German Cinema. Peter Lorre is superb and the film is deeply disturbing and powerful. Gustaf Gründgens who plays "Supercracker" (in English) gives a most impressive performance as the "commander in chief" of all the criminals. I have just realized he was the same actor who played the Baron in Ophül's excellent "Liebelei" (1933).The Blu-Ray has many extras and I've alredy watched William Friedkin's incredibly enlightening interview (1975) of Fritz Lang. The man was a true genius. I was very impressed by his views and by his attitude towards film-making. He said that M was his most personal film. The Blu Ray is absolutely recommended.

[MichiganJ]

Yesterday I watched the Blu-Ray Edition of Fritz Lang's "M"

This movie continues to impress me. The sound design alone, especially considering how early into talkies it was made, is pretty astounding. I love that Lang isn't afraid to use absolute silence in a sequence, and, of course, it's great that Lorre is identified by a blind man because Lorre loves to whistle Grieg.

[feaito]

Hi Kevin, I just finished watching all the extras included on the Blu-Ray, saved for the Englis version...The Nebenzal interview, the Claude Chabrol interview, his condensed version of M, the documentary!! Tons of info and enlightening background on Lang & the film. We are lucky of having had the chance of watching the restored copy and with Lang's original mise-en-scéne. AWESOME.

Now I'll go on revisiting Gary's & Marlene's "Morocco"...she looks very beautiful in it and Cooper dashing. They are perfectly matched in the two films they made together his naïveté -especially in "Desire"- and mischievous, boyish quality -in "Morocco"- and her extreme sophistication and "I've been there" attitude, blend most perfectly...

[drednm]

I also think Gloria Swanson was terrific in Fine Manners and also Stage Struck. There are inferior copies of these films floating around (I have them) which is sad since Eastman House has pristine copies of these fine comedies which prove that Swanson was a delightful comedienne as well as a great dramatic actress. The color sequences in Stage Struck are stunning. Eugene O'Brien was a solid leading man in the former; the underrated Lawrence Gray quite good in the latter.

I watched this weekend my copy of Getting Mary Married (1919) I bought from Library of Congress. This is a charming little comedy starring 22-year-old Marion Davies as a step-daughter who gets sent to live with relatives in Boston to fulfill the terms of a will. Of course the nasty Bostonians do everything they can to get Mary to break the will. But she has other plans. Norman Kerry and Matt Moore co-star as the guys who help her pull off a fast one on the relatives. Not a screwball comedy but very charming, and Davies is quite pretty.

[MichiganJ]

We are lucky of having had the chance of watching the restored copy and with Lang's original mise-en-scéne. AWESOME.

We live in a pretty great time to be a fan of movies!

[JackFavell]

I'm glad the blu-ray has such great extras. I was very disappointed in the commentary to M on the regular dvd. Still the movie is fantastic, without extras. Great point about the sound design. So true.

[Birdy]

Oops, jumping in a little late, but just had to pipe up about Jean Harlow. I just adore her, she seems more like a character actress than a serious (depressing) star to me. I like Red Headed Woman a lot, but one of my favorites is The Girl from Missouri. Okay, so there's one tiny little suicide in it, but she is ruthless and sweet at the same time. I don't ever trust Franchot Tone's character, though, and don't think she should have, either. Another favorite is Libeled Lady, and of course, the top is Dinner at 8 and oh...heck...I love them all!

Ok, I'm gushing and it's not attractive. I should be writing some sensible, well thought-out and critical comment.