FREDRIC MARCH

[moira finnie]

Do you believe Hume Croyn's version? It's so well documented about his wandering hands that you think she might have found out about it in the intervening time, an unfortunate time to find out when he was dying, I hope she came to terms with it. In the written interview they both come through, a couple, supporting his career with hers fitting in around his, so much respect and shared views and he knows he was lucky to have her. Florence Eldridge reminds me of my grandma, even at a relatively young age, she looked middle aged, it was common in those days, whereas Fredric March aged quite well.

I think it likely that Cronyn caught sight of something that Florence Eldridge lived with all her married life in that moment. I don't think that incident described by Cronyn was the first time she knew about her husband's ways. I suspect that Cronyn included it because it was indicative of how vital the dying man had once been and Eldridge's reaction to the report of one more incident in his naughtiness may have struck her as ironic--even though her anger was tempered by her love for the man who was slipping away. Eldridge and March were often separated by their work, but always came back together eventually and often worked together, particularly on stage where Florence was his equal in many ways. I agree about Eldridge looking middle-aged even in her youth. In The Divorcée (1930) she appeared much older than the other characters even though she was meant to be their contemporary. She did have a few very good roles in the '40s opposite her husband in Another Part of the Forest and Act of Murder, both in 1948. Unfortunately, these are films that no one seems to be able to see now.

While I'm not advocating his randiness, I have lived long enough to know that infidelity or flirting is not necessarily an indication of a terminally bad marriage or a lack of love in every case. I actually found the way that March and Eldridge finished each other's sentences in the written and verbal interviews very touching. They were very close, I think, despite everything and because of everything they had lived through together.

[JackFavell]

That Bill Henry interview was fascinating. I'll have to investigate here in CT. and see if I can find out what happened to these recordings as well as others from the aborted series The Filmmakers.

[moira finnie]

On another note, is anyone else excited to see that Trade Winds (1938), the film in which Joan Bennett, being pursued by Fredric March, is finally going to be on TCM on May 11th? Joan goes from her natural blonde tresses to become a beautiful brunette on the lam, making her look like Hedy Lamarr--if Hedy had a way with a smart aleck dialogue like Joan. I've only seen clips from this movie, but it looked as though it was quite a lot of fun mixing a travelogue with a crime-comedy. I am hoping that the Dorothy Parker remarks were retained in the script. Doesn't it seem as though many of producer Walter Wanger's films are orphans, neglected and in need of restoration?



Here's an article from TCM about this movie:

Trade Winds(1938)

Part romantic comedy, part crime drama, Trade Winds (1938) was in the works since 1936, according to the Hollywood Reporter, when producer-director Tay Garnett planned to make it at Columbia with Cary Grant, based on a script by Gene Towne and Graham Baker. At another point it was reported that Garnett went to England to produce the film there but abandoned the idea. At any rate, back in the USA, he secured the considerable writing services of famous Algonquin "Round Table" wit Dorothy Parker and her husband Alan Campbell, along with Frank R. Adams, a former news reporter who wrapped up his screenwriting career with this project. Garnett teamed with independent producer Walter Wanger, who saw to it that his protégé -- and future wife -- Joan Bennett got the female lead opposite Fredric March.

Bennett plays Kay Kerrigan, a San Francisco socialite wanted for the murder of a millionaire playboy responsible for her sister's suicide. Faking her own death and dying her hair, Kerrigan takes off for the Orient, pursued by bumbling city detective Ben "Homer" Blodgett (Ralph Bellamy) and former policeman turned private eye Sam Wye (March) who specializes in tracking and romancing women. Kerrigan meets Wye on board a ship and, not knowing he's pursuing her, begins to fall for him.

The character's change of hair color proved to be more than a plot device for Bennett. Known as a blonde for the first decade of her career (like her older sister, thirties star Constance Bennett), Joan's change to brunette impressed Wanger, who had been guiding her career since she signed a personal contract with him some five years before Trade Winds. Wanger thought the new look bore a striking resemblance to another young actress just then making a big splash in Hollywood, Hedy Lamarr; her American premiere, Algiers (1938), was produced by Wanger. He insisted Bennett stay brunette from this point on. He wasn't the only one who noticed the similarities; songwriter Cole Porter penned this line in his song, "Let's Not Talk About Love": "Let's speak of Lamarr, that Hedy so fair; why does she let Joan Bennett wear all her old hair?" The success of Bennett's long career has been credited at least in part to this change in look, altering her image from fair-haired ingénue to sultry femme fatale.

Joan Bennett wasn't the only actress to get a professional boost from Trade Winds. Cast as March's wisecracking Gal Friday and would-be sweetheart, Ann Sothern, who had been languishing at RKO, showed considerable comic skills. Executives at MGM took notice, signed her to a long-term contract, and cast her in a similar role in Maisie (1939), a film originally meant for Jean Harlow before her early death. The success of that comedy led to eight sequels over the next eight years, all starring Sothern.

The two males in Trade Winds needed no help in their careers. March had just made two big hits, the drama A Star Is Born (1937) and the comedy Nothing Sacred (1937), as well as a turn as Jean Lafitte in Cecil B. DeMille's pirate adventure The Buccaneer (1938). Bellamy, the perennial "other man" in 1930s comedies and romances, had just cemented his reputation in that type of role as the guy who fails to come between Cary Grant and Irene Dunne in The Awful Truth (1937) and Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in Carefree (1938).

Also in the cast is Linda Winters, who would change her name back to Dorothy Comingore in a few years. Under that name, she played the second wife of millionaire newspaper publisher Charles Foster Kane in Orson Welles's landmark film Citizen Kane (1941). A promising actress, Comingore's career was cut short by the Hollywood Blacklist in the early 1950s.

Several sources, including Garnett's autobiography, note that some background footage in Trade Winds was made by Garnett on an Asian tour prior to developing the story. It's not clear how much of Garnett's footage was used, since other craftsmen are credited with "foreign exterior" and process photography. Reviews at the time attributed the film with the most extensive use of the rear-projection process to that date. It even figured prominently in Frank S. Nugent's New York Times review: "Tay Garnett earned the distinction yesterday of being probably the first man in history with the temerity to invite 80,000,000 persons to pay to see the movies he took on a world cruise. Mr. Garnett went abroad a few seasons ago and, having a rough outline of a script, he shot doorways in Japan, barrooms in Indo-China, the race track at Singapore, a pier in Bombay, a fishing village in the Laccadives, a twisting street in pre-war Shanghai. ... The result of it all is Trade Winds, which blew gently into the Music Hall yesterday and may be remembered by posterity as the process shot that went 'round the world'.... Mr. Garnett must have had a grand trip."

Director: Tay Garnett
Producers: Tay Garnett, Walter Wanger
Screenplay: Dorothy Parker and Alan Campbell, Frank R. Adams
Cinematography: Rudolph Maté
Editing: Otho Lovering, Dorothy Spencer
Art Direction: Alexander Toluboff
Original Music: Alfred Newman (uncredited)
Cast: Fredric March (Sam Wye), Joan Bennett (Kay Kerrigan), Ralph Bellamy (Ben Blodgett), Ann Sothern (Jeanne Livingstone), Thomas Mitchell (Commissioner Blackton).
BW-93m.

by Rob Nixon

[moira finnie]

That Bill Henry interview was fascinating. I'll have to investigate here in CT. and see if I can find out what happened to these recordings as well as others from the aborted series The Filmmakers.

That would be great, JF. Here's the link to the original article where I got the mp3. Too bad they didn't spell Fred's name correctly!:

http://www.cpbn.org/article/connecticut-basement-tapes-project-frederic-march

[JackFavell]

Thanks Moira, that's very helpful, as I seem to already have stalled out on an internet search, finding only one item listing Henry as a past announcer for WTIC. I think I will try WTIC and CTPR - maybe they can point me in the right direction.

[charliechaplinfan]

While I'm not advocating his randiness, I have lived long enough to know that infidelity or flirting is not necessarily an indication of a terminally bad marriage or a lack of love in every case. I actually found the way that March and Eldridge finished each other's sentences in the written and verbal interviews very touching. They were very close, I think, despite everything and because of everything they had lived through together.

Moira, you have a way of putting into words what I struggled to say myself. I'm sure she must have been aware of his penchant for the women he worked with but on balance the love and life they shared together ultimately won the day. March would not be the first man to appreciate women outside his marriage, in whatever form it took, without it compromising his marriage. He did say in the interview that he was lucky she'd stuck with him. Their inerview was very touching, I do find the Hollywood couples who stay together long term very refreshing, the fact that good solid relationships can exist in the screwy world of showbusiness and particularly Hollywood says somthing to me about the people in the relationships. Women like Florence Eldridge and Pat Patterson I have great respect for, it can't be easy putting your own career on hold and have women fawning over and falling in love with your husband.

I'm glad TCM are showing Trade Winds, please give me your impressions once it's been shown.

[feaito]

"Trade Winds" (1938) is a film I've been wanting to see for years. Great news!

[intothenitrate]

I loved that interview too. Thanks for the link, Moira.

Regarding March and his 'adventures,' I have Fealto to thank for providing an image that will be burned into my memory forever...it involved Carole Lombard and a certain 'accessory.' That probably did a lot for his marriage right there!

Thanks Fealto. That story scarred me for life.

[Ann Harding]

That Bill Henry interview was fascinating. I'll have to investigate here in CT. and see if I can find out what happened to these recordings as well as others from the aborted series The Filmmakers.

That would be great, JF. Here's the link to the original article where I got the mp3. Too bad they didn't spell Fred's name correctly!:

http://www.cpbn.org/article/connecticut-basement-tapes-project-frederic-march

Oh that was fun! Thanks for the link Moira. I have always loved Fredric, a great actor. Shelley Winters loved to play with him on Executive Suite. She was amazed he could pinch her bottom, while playing an emotional scene at the same time!

[feaito]

I loved that interview too. Thanks for the link, Moira.

Regarding March and his 'adventures,' I have Fealto to thank for providing an image that will be burned into my memory forever...it involved Carole Lombard and a certain 'accessory.' That probably did a lot for his marriage right there!

Thanks Fealto. That story scarred me for life.

Hi intothenitrate....I'm suffering from loss of memory....I forgot about the story!! I'll check the book where I'm guessing I read this story when I get home

[charliechaplinfan]

I remember that story too, I'm surprised you forgot Fernando. It sounds like Shelley was the kind of girl that could have handled him very well.

I enjoyed listening to that interview, I especially like the way they finish one another's sentences.

[feaito]

I looked back on this thread (page 3 I think) and thank God I don't have Alzheimer because I did not read or share the story, it was you that found it on imdb.com Alison and shared it with us (I had forgotten about it, hilarious!!)...Then I quoted some other stories -from a book I have- involving March, Charles Laughton and others....that's why I did not remember intothenitrate...

[moira finnie]

I enjoyed listening to that interview, I especially like the way they finish one another's sentences.

I liked the way that Florence Eldridge thought that Fred was talking about Clara Bow at one point, though he wasn't! Btw, I found The Wild Party (1929) with Clara and Fred on youtube if anyone would like to see it:
[youtube][/youtube]

Here's a fun one in Fred's early career--The Royal Family of Broadway (1930). He's great as a Jack Barrymore type. That part allowed Fred's inner ham to come out and play. Henrietta Crossman, the older actress who was effective in Ford's Pilgrimage appeared here as the family matriarch:
[youtube][/youtube]

The Eagle and the Hawk (1933), the WWI aviation film which I thought March was terrific in when it was on TCM. It's interesting to see Cary Grant as an aggressive type and I love Jack Oakie. Carole Lombard shows up for one and half scenes as a brief fling, (she has bangs in this one and that was not a good look for her. She was almost unrecognizable). The scene when March finally lets go is very potent.
[youtube][/youtube]

[charliechaplinfan]

They're all good films. I love Fredric March's turn as the 'John Barrymore' of the Broadway family. I bet Barrymore himself didn't mind fun being poked at him.

[charliechaplinfan]

For anyone who is interested Death of a Salesman is on youtube, I've wanted to watch it for the longest time.

[youtube][/youtube]

Also I found this last night, Fredric March on What's My Line, he's very entertaining, showing a side of himself that I didn't realise hid under the surface. They spelt his name wrong, guess he was used to it.

[youtube][/youtube]