Fredric March as Star of the Month?

[moira finnie]

Well, The Eagle and the Hawk (1932) made it on to TCM last night as part of the Carole Lombard SOTM celebration, but frankly, in my mind, it belongs to a potential, much needed Fredric March Star of the Month fest sometime in the future, (or possibly, only in my dreams). I am so grateful that TCM unearthed this film for those of us who have only heard of it as one of the better WWI aviation stories by John Monk Saunders brought to the screen. Using remarkable footage leftover from Wings (1927), and featuring a rough around the edges Cary Grant in a role well before his screen persona had been indelibly established, along with an unlikely rambunctious Jack Oakie as a fellow, amenable flier, (who spends his spare time reading "A Night in a Turkish Harem" and teaching a Frenchwoman English based on this text), the mood grows from boyish enthusiasm to somber realization of the futility of war. This may seem well trod ground to moviegoers today, but the acting of March truly raised the film's impact to another level.

Grant, Lombard & March in a still for the movie. I'm glad that Carole lost the bangs later on.

Lombard, who appeared to lovely effect in one brief sequence as "The Beautiful Lady", who takes pity on Fred's near the breaking point WWI pilot on leave in London, is barely in this movie for five minutes. TCM must have received one of those 1939 prints of this movie, since a significant scene, reportedly showing Carole awakening and finding a flower on her pillow as a goodbye from March after a night of blessed forgetfulness, never appeared! It's probably lost, I suppose. Darn that PCA!

The primary reason to make this movie part of a Fredric March fest? His great performance which builds with mounting disquiet after his first day in the air in France to his nearly honest conversation with a small, bellicose boy about the nature of war, and culminating in his still powerful speech to his fellow pilots celebrating his nailing a German ace who turns out to be a blond boy of 20. In this climactic banquet scene, he seems to be drunk as he claws at his medals, calling them bits of flesh, and asking what it was all for. This may sound melodramatic, but thanks to March's expressive performance, his interplay with Jack Oakie and a very young, gruff Cary Grant, and the beautifully framed scenes photographed by Harry Fischbeck.

Though March could occasionally be a bit of a ham when a part was poorly written or he was badly directed, (see the hootworthy The Sign of the Cross as primary evidence), when he relished a well-conceived part, such as this one, his parts in The Royal Family of Broadway, Les Miserables, Death Takes a Holiday, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Dark Angel, Design for Living, Nothing Sacred, and others from this very early part of his career, the guy was incredibly good even when fairly young.

I think that there was something of value in each decade of his career, whether So Ends Our Night, I Married a Witch, The Best Years of Our Lives, An Act of Murder, Death of a Salesman, Middle of the Night, Inherit the Wind, Hombre, or The Iceman Cometh. This actor may not be among the best remembered, but I really think that his career deserves a real retrospective. TCM is one of the few places that is capable of doing this well. They literally don't make actors like him anymore.

[myrnaloyisdope]

Crud, I've been looking for The Eagle and The Hawk for a while now. Anyone manage to record it? Gotta check the TCM schedule more closely.

[feaito]

Fredric March is indeed one of my favorite actors and he deserves to be the star of the month. His performance in "The Best years of Our Lives" (1946) for one, might be one of the most, honest & sensitive portrayals I've ever witnessed.

I cannot say I've ever disliked a film in which he has appeared, not matter how hammy he has been

Besides all the films you mention, I think he was also fine in "The Barretts of Wimpole Street" (1934) and in such adventure films, in which he played less demanding roles, as "The Buccaneer" (1938) and "Anthony Adverse" (1936).

Recently I enjoyed his elaborate performance in the tongue-in-cheek "The Affairs of Cellini" (1934) and his intense portrayal in the very dramatic "The Desperate Hours" (1955). He also fared well in "The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit" (1956) and in "Executive Suite" (1954).

Moira, have you seen him in "Trade Winds" (1938)?

[coopsgirl]

It’s funny that you posted this b/c beginning yesterday with Design for Living, the Austin Film Society is doing a tribute series for Frederic March showcasing 5 or 6 of his more comedic films. They are showing many of the films you listed Moira, including Nothing Sacred which I can’t wait to see. I saw Design for Living yesterday and I’ll post a review of it in the precodes section later today. March was a very good actor and out of the films I’ve seen of his, he’s never given a bad performance yet.

[movieman1957]

I've always liked "Seven Days In May." Also, though I haven't seen it in years "An Act of Murder" is pretty intense as I recall. March plays a judge in a story about a his wife's cancer and the effect on the family.

[moira finnie]

Moira, have you seen him in "Trade Winds" (1938)?

Regretfully, no, Fernando, and I've been looking for it for years since I've heard many good things about this movie's blend of romance, comedy and adventure drama. It is particularly interesting to me in part because it is an example of a Walter Wanger-produced film, gives us a chance to catch Fred in one of the last of his youthfully heroic & romantic roles, and features the producer's future wife, Joan Bennett's first appearance with her natural blonde hair dyed dark brown, which truly made a difference in her career.

Here's a nifty clip from Trade Winds that blends all three elements:
[youtube][/youtube]

[jdb1]

Sorry, gang. Yet another classic star who leaves me stone cold.

Interesting to read all these raves, and "he never gave a bad performance." When I look at March, I see the same reading, the same intonations, the same expressions, the same gestures, no matter what the character. Boring, boring, boring.

And he's another one who talks in that back-of-the-throat way, like Carole Lombard. What's up with that? Were they hard of hearing, maybe? Or is that what they were taught in movie studio school?

[srowley75]

I recently bought Manslaughter, Laughter, and Sarah and Son from various sellers and hope to watch them soon.

I'd love to see Merrily We Go to Hell, if for no other reason than the title seems so daring considering that it was made in 1932. I realize that's the precode era, but still, you'd think it'd have gotten under the skin of one morality watchdog group or another.

[charliechaplinfan]

I'm a fan. I've never seen him in anything bad. Death Takes A Holiday, Design For Living and Nothing Sacred are superb.

[feaito]

Moira,

It's also a film which has intrigued me for years. Thanks for posting that clip.

[rudyfan]

Death Takes a Holiday is one of my favorites. He's also good fun in The Sign of the Cross (not as much fun as the over the top Charles Laughton and Claudette Colbert). Also love him in A Star is Born. BYOOL is a great film, across the board, and March is wonderful.

I can see how some might find Freddie March boring, but not me.

[myrnaloyisdope]

Well Best Years of Our Lives is among my very favorite films, and March is certainly a big reason why. He wonderfully blends comedy and drama, and his rapport with Myrna is wonderful.

Of course there is Design for Living and Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, which are both wonderful, but you probably already know that.

I Married a Witch, is a cute film, with some nice visual touches by Rene Clair. March and Veronica Lake have a pretty good chemistry, although apparently the two did not get along at all.

I've seen Manslaughter, and thought it was pretty good, March is quite good a a prosecutor who ends up sending his girl to prison for manslaughter. The girl of course is Claudette Colbert. It's not a classic or anything, but it's pretty enjoyable if you like either of the leads (which fortunately I do). He also did Honor Among Lovers with Claudette around the same time, which is also pretty watchable. The plot would work better if you could believe that Claudette would choose Monroe Owsley(the guy makes David Manners seem competent) over March, but the two leads are good as usual.

Then there is Sign of the Cross which is just wickedly good fun, with a bit of heart too. For all the talk of his over-acting in the film, the final conversion scene with him and Elissa Landi is very touching.

Of course A Star is Born is very good too. Not as good as the Cukor one I don't think, but still a classic. March basically patented to self-destructive drunk, and did it many times, but probably never so heartbreaking as in this film.

March is one of the few male actors who I'll watch a film for, along with a few others like James Cagney, Cary Grant, and Kirk Douglas, because he is always fun to watch even when the material isn't very good. Not many actors or actresses can pull that off.

[Ann Harding]

I think March is definitely underrated and overlooked. But being a Paramount contract player for years doesn't help with TCM showing mostly RKO, MGM & Warner features.....
Fredric March is an absolutely brilliant performer. He knew how to tackle talking pictures from the beginning. To be convinced, just watch Harry D'Abbadie D'Arrast's Laughter (1930). He is inventing screwball comedy with lovely Nancy Carroll when everybody else was stiff and starchy. He delivers his line with a breakneck speed and a sense of fun which is infectious!

And again, his parody of Barrymore in The Royal Family of Broadway (1930) is a hoot! Again, none of these performances should be taken for granted at a time when most performers had difficulties adjusting to sound.
He could also play a menacing type: just look at his nasty executive, constantly wiping the palms of his hands in Executive Suite (1953); it's again a brilliant creation. Shelley Winters recalls how impressed she was by his technique.
I can't wait to see Tonight is Ours on Sunday!