SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950) - COUGAR TOWN!

This is my contribution to the CMBA Fabulous 50s blogathon and also serves as an entry into my 2014 series, Hooray for Hollywood.

Joe Gillis makes a fateful turn

Billy Wilder, that old softy, he's like a cynical hard-as- nails brass ring on the outside and all sentimental and gooey on the inside. Sunset Boulevard: hard, unforgiving, ghoulish black comedy, right? I used to think so, but now I see it differently. I used to see Norma Desmond as a grotesque old relic who lost touch with reality. Now, older than Norma was at the time of the story (50), she seems perfectly normal (well, except for that monkey....).

Norma invested wisely in oil, real estate, jewels and cigarette holders.
 If she really was nuts, she would have been broke.

Norma normal? Let's examine the facts:

1. Norma is 50 years old. Dead to Hollywood, but hardly finished. She still has passion and when hunky Joe Gillis happens by, well, can you blame the girl? Cougar spotted on Sunset Boulevard!

So, in the 1950s this was considered grotesque......

but THIS was okay? All I can say is  - Norma - you go, girl!

2. Norma says:

 "we didn't need dialogue. We had faces." 

You bet they did, Norma. They had Garbo, Fairbanks, Valentino, Pickford, Pola Negri, Norma Talmadge and Gloria Swanson.

the great face of La Swanson

 "I am big. It's the pictures that got small."

And so they did. The gritty films of the depression married with sound and the true magic of film was lost.

 "They took the idols of the world and smashed them, the Fairbankses, the Gilberts, the Valentinos! And who've we got now? Some nobodies!"
Yes, once they opened their mouth,  out came words, words - and suddenly, stars were just like real folks.

The woman was a prophet! But like so many prophets, she is deemed to be a nut case.

Wilder's affection and sadness over the passing of an era is evident (Kevin Browlow's great book about the silent era, "The Parade's Gone By," drew it's title from Joe's observation that Norma was "still waving proudly at a parade that had long since passed her by"). The beauty of Swanson in a clip from Queen Kelly stops the heart. Seeing the face of Buster Keaton melts the heart. They are both beautiful and they evoke not ridicule from the viewer, but awakening of a forgotten longing.

By 1950, the silent screen seemed as old as the Rosetta Stone. The silent stars were ancient relics, either dead,  playing small parts or living in obscurity - or even worse, appearing on television.  The glamour, the mystery, the size of Hollywood stardom had all shrunk to merely lifesize. Wilder, who grew up on the Hollywood glamour of the silent films, never forgot the sheer magical fantasy of the era, even though film had moved so far from it by 1950. We never forget that which first enchants us, do we?

And so, what once seemed to me to be a story about a crazy old bat living in a crumbling mansion is now anything but that. The greatness of this film lies in the push of the realism and the pull of the past. The casting of Swanson, Erich Von Stroheim and those Waxworks (Keaton, Anna Q. Nilsson, and H.B. Warner) was true inspiration and a bouquet of roses to the past just to show the audience what they might not realize they still missed.

All right, maybe Norma was nutty, but there is real cause for her pain. She lived the dream, but it was only a dream (and a big nightmare for poor Joe Gillis).And as one of the wonderful people in the dark, I appreciate the effort, Madam and Max.

In 1950, Valentino would have been 55, Clara Bow was 45 , Mary Pickford was 58 and Greta Garbo was 45. Too old to be seen. Too old be idolized, thus, too old to be useful. Hollywood is a cruel town.Wilder makes that clear in this greatest of films. And if you think its funny, you're not yet 50.

a cougar's instinct is to hunt

THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (1924): NEVER WERE MOVIES MORE MAGICAL

Last night I had a dream fulfilled: I saw Douglas Fairbanks' THE THIEF OF BAGDAD on the big screen. 

I'm a modern movie goer who is a fan of film of all eras. I love the earliest to the latest, as long as it suits my fancy. And, boy, did this film suit! It embodied all that I absolutely hold dear about movies: innocence, magic, and adventure of the heart and spirit. 

Fairbanks, with all of his charm and adolescent swagger, is the human star, but the magnificent sets of William Cameron Menzies overwhelm all humans (and flying carpets, winged horses, and dragons and the like) on the screen.

The gates of the palace of the Caliph. The sets for this film filled 6 acres

The princess is a deep sleeper

The Moorish/deco design of the palace is breathtaking

who wouldn't swoon in Doug's arms?

Director Raoul Walsh, not normally a man drawn to fantasy, seems to share Doug's spirit of fun and we go off on a glorious adventure. 

The film opens with a wise man pointing out a lesson written in the stars:

Meanwhile, back in Bagdad (spellcheck wants me to use Baghdad, but I'm going with the way it is spelled in the title), Our Doug is a cheerfully amoral thief who manages to pickpocket jewels and even a magic rope. His motto is "if I see something I want, I take it." He and his partner in thievery (the wonderfully named Snitz Edwards) decide that what they really want is a chest full of jewels from the palace. However, once in the palace, Doug sees something he really wants: The Princess Beloved.

The Princess Beloved played by Julanne Johnston

But no magic rope can lasso this dame. He must win her love through hard work, courage and determination by bringing her the rarest of treasures and outdoing her 3 other princely suitors (including the evil Mongol prince who not only wants the Princess, but the entire city). Doug battles fire, dragons, giant bugs and sea monsters to gain the cloak of invisibility and a tiny box filled with magic powder. Doug trumps the treasures found by the other suitors (a magic carpet, a magic apple that can bring the dead back to life and a crystal ball), rushes back to the Princess on a flying horse and saves the city from the evil Mongol prince by using his magic powder to create a fearsome army.

rushing back to his beloved

Doug uses his cloak of invisibility in many clever ways, especially to spirit his darling away from prying eyes. At last, happiness has been earned and the princely hero and his beloved ride on their magic carpet and share a romantic kiss.

Doug frequently scratches his palm in the film: it means "I want this"

A real highlight of the film is the slinky, exotic and sensual presence of 19 year old Anna May Wong.

2 1/2 hours flew by. It was everything I hoped it would be.

Bad Mamas

Who doesn't love Dame Angela Lansbury? Her devotion to her craft is awe inspiring, as is her talent, longevity and just general niceness. As Mom's Day approaches it's time for a little fun with a few of her best roles.

Everyone loves Jessica Fletcher, right? But, let's peer beneath the sunshine of Mrs. Fletcher and examine the dark yin to her bright yang and start with a question: What do we really know of Mrs. Fletcher's life before Cabot Cove?

I offer these facts up for consideration:

Check out this cold mama in THE WORLD OF HENRY ORIENT. 

she saves her best stuff for an affair with her daughter's fantasy crush

Self-absorbed and shallow, she neglects her child and ends up having an affair with her teen-age daughter's crush. Bad mama! After divorcing her first husband, it appears she moved on to Washington, D.C.

Bad Mama love

just plain wrong

Look familiar? As Mrs. Iselin, the Communist operator in THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, this woman colluded with the enemy, tried to have her brainwashed son assassinate the President and, instead, was allegedly murdered by her son. I am not so sure she was murdered, as she was a crafty wench.

she played possum until it was time to escape

My theory

Mrs. Iselin, that murderous fiend, managed to survive and decided that she needed to "lay low." What better place to lay low than the sleepy little seaside town of Cabot Cove, Maine? There, she recreated her life as an upstanding citizen.

But did she? Let's examine the facts: her husband, Frank, died (big surprise). She had a way with a story (like the liar she is and was) and - most damning of all - everywhere this woman went murder followed. Thankfully, Mrs. Fletcher had no children (as far as we know!), as her prowess as a serial killer makes Dexter look like a dabbler.

But, cheers to Jessica Fletcher for getting away with it all and cheers to all the great mamas out there on their special day.

Bell, Book and Candle: What Wizardry is This?

This post is part of the James Stewart Blogathon hosted by Classic film & TV Cafe. You can view the complete blogathon schedule here.

Bell, Book and Candle (1958)

Okay, I know this film is not that great, but I have to count it as a guilty pleasure. I've seen it more times than many worthy classics and I confess, I am under its spell. Maybe it's the Greenwich Village ambiance (I would have loved to go to the Zodiac Club), maybe it's the witchy theme (I was a fan of Bewitched, too) or maybe it is the comfy and familiar supporting cast. I vote "yes" for all of the above, but mostly it is the great tinsel town chemistry of James Stewart and Kim Novak.

Jimmy mainly looks shocked throughout the film

We know they sizzled in "Vertigo," but I like them better together here. It is light, and  fun and nobody falls off of a bell tower. While Stewart carried the Hitchcock film, Novak is the center of attraction here. While she may not have been the best or most versatile actress, she was bewitching and just perfect as the restless, other-worldly Gillian Holroyd. With her bare feet and lavender hair, she needed no special powers to attract a man. But, she worries that she can't keep one without those powers. Enter "Shep" Henderson, the man upstairs.

Gillian and Pyewacket

Stewart is clearly too old for the part (this was his last role as a romantic leading man), but in Hollywood in the 1950s almost all of the leading men were too old for the leading ladies. That being said, he and Novak have such an easy chemistry. She melts nicely in his arms and they exchange a few hot kisses. Stewart is a bit of a pill here, but he often played the irksome guy you wanted to smack. He ignored Grace Kelly in "Rear Window," dumped the superior Barbara Bel Geddes in "Vertigo" and was a general pain in the ass (albeit a cute one) in "The Philadelphia Story." Shep should have been falling all over Gillian, as he did when under her spell, but eventually love clobbers him over the head (after Gillian has given up her witchy ways and resorted to selling sea shells instead of African art). If I were Gillian, I would never have surrendered my powers (but I digress).

The supporting cast is aces. Although Jack Lemmon was not happy about being cast in the supporting role as Kim's mischievous brother, Nicky, it's always good to have him around. Elsa Lanchester makes for a charming eccentric aunt Queenie and Ernie Kovacs and Hermione Gingold are around for the fun.

A super swell supporting cast

And fun it is. No need to over analyze here. It is a delightful Hollywood product of the 1950s with star power to spare. And, just for the record, Jimbo was a swell kisser!

Jim and Kim mush noses

VENUS (2006): Peter the Great's Last Hurrah

This is my entry in the Diamonds and Gold Blogathon hosted by Caftan Woman and Wide Screen World. Click on their links for more about frisky cinema seniors.

A ruin at sunset

I love this film. I love Peter O'Toole and I love him in this film. I have had a mad crush on this man from the day he sat atop a camel. He can do no wrong in my book and here, playing and actor who is a ruin of his former beautiful self, he throws the autumn roses of his brilliance to all of us who have adored him for so long.

As Maurice, a washed up and burned out actor, O'Toole gives his last Oscar nominated performance (don't get me started on that particular snub). His career is a thing of the past, he is suffering from prostate cancer, his family are strangers and his days are filled with hours passed just being old. But, for Maurice, there is one last chance to grasp life with both hands, as into his life comes a girl. The grand-niece of his friend, Jessie (played by Jodie Whittaker) is young, lovely, frightfully modern and a hell raiser. One imagines that Maurice was quite a hell raiser in his day (as we know O'Toole surely was). She is no match intellectually or emotionally for Maurice, but, reluctantly, needs him. For one last time, he can play the gallant knight. Taking her under his wing, Maurice takes her to the National Gallery to view his favorite painting, Velazquez's Rokeby Venus. In his eyes, she is as lovely as the woman in the painting and he begins calling Jessie Venus.

Sharing his love of beauty

Sadly, his Venus is no Gueneviere. She is just a common young girl who likes boys her own age. But she  gives our knight one last chance at romance - a romance of the mind and heart, if not the flesh. Her's is the true purpose of beauty - to adore, to inspire and to live for.

In the beginning of the film there is a photo of the young O'Toole on display on a dresser. God, how beautiful he was. And here he is now, truly a wreck. But, what is outside is not on the inside. Inside he is still beautiful. Inside he still craves romance. His frame is old, but his heart is young. Venus is a love song to the last gasp of romance of an ancient with the spirit of a youth. The love of beauty is the secret of youth. This film comes ever so close to the dirty old man dance, but it never crosses that line because the touch, the warmth and closeness that Maurice craves is romance, the romance that stirs not just the loins, but the soul. Who cares that he chose not see the common and the tacky and the rough edges? How lucky for Maurice that he found his Venus to adore before the end. How lucky for Jessie to have been so adored.

Her gift was youth and kindness;
his was a glimpse into the soul of a romantic

Dolores Del Rio: Orchidaceous

Rumor had it that the dramatically beautiful Dolores Del Rio survived on a diet of orchids. No doubt the reason for her hot-house beauty. 

Caption, please. What is the Ordcidaceous Miss Del Rio thinking?

Right now, I am a fan of her look. 2014 will be a year I take a look at her art. But, until then, feast your eyes on the in-your-face beauty of Dolores Del Rio:

Can anyone give me some suggestions of some must-see films of Miss Del Rio?

Film Fans are Fierce: The Power of Movies

I am going share an amazing journey with you that started with the love of movies.

Like so many other bloggers, I started writing A PERSON IN THE DARK to share my love of movies. In the beginning, before I branched out a bit and met more like-minded writers, I really did feel alone in the dark. Was anyone out there? Being very impatient and extremely self critical, I almost threw in the towel before long. But, someone near and dear to me had encouraged me to go on Facebook ("why do I need to do that?" I whined) and I decided to make a page for my blog. Day 1: 2 people were on it and I posted a link to my blog. My alter ego was FlickChick and I looked just like Norma Desmond.

FlickChick's first look - an homage to the woman who
lived for those wonderful people in the dark

I promptly forgot about it.

Imagine my surprise when, checking back a few weeks later, other people had "liked" my page. Who were they? Why were they there? No matter, I began to feel the need to make them want to stay.

4 years later FlickChick had over 6,500 followers. The page had evolved into a movie question of the day with more than 100 or so movie lovers checking in each day and playing along. I admit this required a fair amount of work on my part - preparing questions, photos and movie clips daily (I have hundreds of pages of movie questions saved). However, it was a labor of love. Truly. 

The evolution of FlickChick

Classic film lovers often find it difficult to find someone with whom they can share their love of film. it's always easy for folks to find buddies to share a passion for football or baseball, but James Cagney or Charlie Chaplin? Ann Dvorak or Kay Francis? For me, this is the beauty of social media. Facebook offers a place for film lovers from, not only all across the country, but around the world, to share their love of film. We taught one another, fought with one another, entertained each other, and established some wonderful friendships.

After 4 years, I have enough stories to fill a book. There were the juvenile jerks who had to get booted off the page, my heroes who always came to my rescue when I was attacked, the great ARISTOCATS battle, the wonderful group viewings and the beyond fantastic Oscar parties. Best of all are the dozens of real friendships that have developed from that little page that could. It recently warmed my heart when one east coast friend of the page actually stopped in on a west coast friend while traveling in California and shared it with all of us. A cyber connection became a face to face meeting. it was the love of movies that brought them together.

It has come time for me to bring the FlickChick Facebook page to a close. After 4 years I think we've covered every film topic under the sun. I feel a little sad, but many of the FlickChick Nation (as our resident wit and epic poster John P. calls us) have migrated to FlickChick's Movie Playground, a Facebook group with many of the usual suspects and a place where everyone can post and converse and generally share the love of that common bond that unites us. We plan more fun, more giveaways and, hopefully, will strengthen the bond that unites us as friends.

And I do consider these folks my friends. In fact, we are in the beginning discussions of a FlickChick Film Festival in New York in the near future. It will take some planning, but how wonderful that folks who only know one another through  cyberspace, and who were brought together by the love of movies, are willing to make the effort to meet in person. I hope it all comes true. It would be a wonderful testament to the power and passion of classic film lovers.