NIGHT MUST FALL 1937

Based on a successful 1935 West End and Broadway play written by and starring EMLYN WILLIAMS, NIGHT MUST FALL was bought by MGM.
I don’t know if the studio ever considered allowing Emlyn Williams to repeat his starring role,but the part went to ROBERT MONTGOMERY who was eager to try something different.
The other leading role was played on stage by DAME MAY WHITTY and MGM decided she would not be replaced.

Smooth talking Danny (Montgomery) is a servant who worms his way into the affections of a rich old woman,Mrs Bramsen (WHITTY) who lives in an English village.
Mrs Bramsen is an invalid who is thoroughly nasty to everyone including her niece Olivia (ROSALIND RUSSELL) who lives with her.
Until Danny comes along,the only person who stands up to Mrs Bramsen is her cook,Mrs Terence (KATHLEEN HARRISON)

Dame May WHITTY

Although attracted to the always smiling Danny,Olivia quickly realises what he is like, “I think he is common,insolent and conceited and completely double faced.” And yet she too is drawn into his web.
Whereas, Mrs Bramsen is completely taken in, “I know human nature. I know that boy’s got a beautiful character.”

Both Dame May and Montgomery were Oscar-nominated and rightly so. Robert struggled with an unconvincing Welsh ( or Irish ) accent, but he was very convincing as this dark and complicated psychopath.
Rosalind Russell, at 24 wasn’t particularly well cast as the repressed niece – I was always aware she was putting on an English accent.
(It’s truly amazing to think how Rosalind sprung to life a few years later in THE WOMEN.)
I was surprised to see English character actress,KATHLEEN HARRISON – she had been in the English stage production. Unlike other English performers, Kathleen didnt stay in Hollywood – whether out of choice or not being offered a contract, I don’t know. She went on to a long career in British films and TV.

It doesn’t seem right that Rosalind Russell got top billing with Robert Montgomery ,her part being quite small compared to Dame May. It also seems a shame that for the rest of the 30s, Robert never got such a good role again.
(I’d like to see FAST AND LOOSE in which he was reunited with Rosalind in 1939.)
It’s always nice to see EILY MALYON as the nurse and BERYL MERCER as a shopkeeper. ALAN MARSHALL is the old lady’s doctor,in love with the niece.

NIGHT MUST FALL has a strong, complex plot written around two powerful characters and Dame May WHITTY and Robert Montgomery are excellent.BUT, under Richard Thorpe’s direction, some of the pace is grindingly slow and one is aware of the play origins.
Made in the 40s by a director like Hitchcock,it could have been a terrific thriller.

OSCAR QUOTES

OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND,accepting her second Best Actress Oscar for THE HEIRESS in 1949, spoke very formally and seriously:
“Your award for TO EACH HIS OWN I took as an incentive to venture forward. Thank you for this very generous assurance that I have not entirely failed to do so.”

GLORIA GRAHAME,accepting the Best Supporting Oscar in 1952 for THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, was short and to the point:
“Thank you vey much.”

RAY MILLAND, accepting Best Actor Oscar in 1945 for THE LOST WEEKEND, was lost for words, he bowed deeply to the audience , accepted his award and left the stage.
CORRECTION! I’ve just perpetuated this myth, but after seeing Ray’s Oscar acceptance on YouTube, here is the truth :
Ingrid Bergman presented the Oscar to Ray and he said,“Thank you. Thank you very much indeed. I am greatly honoured.”

JANE WYMAN ,accepting her Oscar for JOHNNY BELINDA made fun of herself:
“I accept this gratefully for keeping my mouth shut for once – I think I’ll do it again.”

EDMUND GWENN,accepting Best Supporting Oscar for MIRACLE ON 34th STREET in 1947, couldn’t conceal his pleasure:
“Whoow! Now I know there’s a Santa Claus……!”

KARL MALDEN got so excited when he received his award for A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE that he gave his speech before receiving the Best Supporting Oscar:
“I haven’t been here very long but I can tell you how I feel – great. thank you.”

HATTIE MCDANIEL gave a very emotional speech when she received her Oscar for GONE WITH THE WIND.
“…..My heart is too full to tell you just how I feel…”
(Prior to 1943, Best Supporting awards took the form of a plaque,and what looks like a miniature Oscar)

And my favorite from what I have researched so far is from JOSEPHINE HULL, accepting for her performance in HARVEY. All the others could take lessons from Josephine who seemed completely relaxed and happy to talk ,unscripted I’m sure:
“How wonderful of you. Thank you all very much. I’ve heard of these wonderful occasions for years and this is the first time I’ve been here.
I must thank that 6 feet,4 and a half inch ‘Harvey’. He has brought me happiness for the past 7 years. All the way from Boston and New York and through Universal-International.
They gave us a wonderful director,a wonderful star,a wonderful cast.
Thank you.

MARY ASTOR : JUST ONE SCENE “ANY NUMBER CAN PLAY”

MARY ASTOR: JUST ONE SCENE : “ANY NUMBER CAN PLAY”

MARY ASTOR’s seven year contract with MGM from 1943 didn’t really do her any favours . They cast her in what she called the ‘Metro Mother’ roles,even although she was only in her 30′s and early 40′s.
I think Mary would have been better off back at Warners ,or at RKO where her talent would have been better used.

By 1949 Mary was ready to leave Metro and was given a small role in CLARK GABLE’s ANY NUMBER CAN PLAY.Because the part was small,her billing was below WENDELL COREY,AUDREY TOTTER and FRANK MORGAN.(Gable and ALEXIS SMITH were top billed.)
Mary shares a 10 minute scene with Gable and you just feel, what a waste,why doesn’t she have a bigger role ( or why is she in this film at all, an actress of her ability.)
But, Mary is so good in this scene, I am glad she did it.

Reunited with her RED DUST costar, how things have changed. Although 5 or 6 years younger than Gable,Mary no longer had star roles whereas Gable was still big and played romantic leads – it was always thus in Hollywood. The actors could go on well into their 50s in leading roles.Actresses weren’t allowed to , with a very few exceptions.

It’s just one scene ,but it is well written and that’s all Mary needs to make her mark and remind us how good she is.
I love this movie and Mary’s memorable scene comes after Gable ( who plays’Charley’,a gambling club owner) has been told by his doctor (Leon Ames) that he must slow down and stop smoking and drinking as his heart is weak.
Mary (as ‘Ada’, though we never hear her name spoken) comes into Charley’s office,looking great in a fox stole. Just looking at this well dressed, sophisticated woman, we can guess the character is probably wealthy. It becomes obvious these two people know each other well.
As she comes in,Charley keels over at his desk and quickly takes a pill.Ada’s concern is obvious as she says,“Charley, what’s the matter?…I’ll call somebody.”
But he has recovered and she says,“Sure,you’re alright now.”,as if reassuring herself.
Charley says,“Sure”, as he comes over to her and touches her cheek with his hand.
She continues, ” You were kidding me, weren’t you?”

He is obviously distracted and walks over to the mantelpiece which has photos of his wife and son. He says,“That’s right.”
Ada says,“Gee,honey,you had me scared, real scared.”
She taps his shoulder and he,again with an air of distraction, kisses her on the cheek.
She says,“Is that all?”
Silently, he gives her a quick hug.
Ada,with a load of irony in her voice,says,“I couldn’t get any wrong ideas out of that either.”

He’s looking at the photos as she adds,“You’ve been faithful for 20 years. That’s a long rap.”
Charley suddenly looks directly at her and says,“Suppose I asked you to go away with me.Tonight. Right now.No questions asked. Would you go?
There’s a nice shot of Mary looking up at Gable as she says,“Are you asking me?”
He answers No and she turns it on him,“Suppose I was to ask you to go away with me tonight ..”
He doesn’t say anything. Ada adds,“Gee,honey,I’ve been waiting for this a long time, a long time.”
Charley says, “Is that why you got married three times?”
Ada smiles,“Four, but it never worked out – they all kind of looked a little bit like you.”
He’s only half listening. Ada says,“Gee, don’t take it so hard. I know how I rate. All I ask is for you to let me love you.”

Charley stares ahead as if he hasn’t heard her.
Ada :“Any contribution will be gratefully accepted.”
Charley silently looks at the photos.Ada says,“Ok,so you love your wife.”

There is then a little dialogue as Charley gets it off his chest that he can’t understand why his son doesn’t like him. Ada observes,“Maybe he wants something you didn’t learn how to give.”

The scene ends as Ada says,“Sure you’re alright now?”
Charley says,”Sure” and Ada says,“What was the matter?”
Charley smiles,“Too much tension.”
Ada leaves.

I found this scene very moving . Mary had most of the dialogue and her character of Ada is well drawn – she’s been carrying a torch for this man for a long time and seems to accept being in his company from time to time is all she is going to get.
I suppose you could take this scene out of the film without damaging the plot,but thank heavens they didn’t!
It would be the last time we’d see Mary on the screen for 7 years.

FLAXY MARTIN. 1949

I looked at this cast and thought,this should be good. Wrong. I keep forgetting a cast is only as good as its writer .
You might ask, what could go wrong when you have Virginia Mayo, Zachary Scott,Dorothy Malone,Elisha Cook Jr, Douglas Kennedy,Tom D’Andrea,Douglas Fowley. Even a one line summary of the plot sounds good – Virginia Mayo as a double crossing floozy who frames lawyer Zachary Scott for murder after he gets mixed up with mobster,Douglas Kennedy.

But oh, the script needed so much more to do all that talent justice.
Playing the title role, Virginia disappears for about half an hour of the film, whereas Zachary is in practically every scene.
Tom D’Andrea has about two scenes as an old friend of Scott’s.
Elisha Cook has a slightly bigger role,though all he does is run after Scott,trying to kill him.
Douglas Fowley also has about two scenes as the cop after Scott.

Dorothy Malone (who is a stranger to Scott) does a Lauren Bacall and rescues Scott when he’s on the run . But at least Lauren’s character in DARK PASSAGE had some reason to believe in the Bogart character. In Flaxy Martin, Dorothy simply says, “I know what it is to run away “( though we never learn from what ).
I laughed when Cook has Scott and Malone tied up and is digging a hole to bury them in. Dorothy,in a calm voice, says, “I’ve always had a dread of being buried.”

DARK PASSAGE it isn’t. What a mis-fire.

SAD NEWS: DEANNA DURBIN HAS PASSED AWAY

DEANNA DURBIN has died,aged 91.
What a star she was. Retired over 50 years yet still so well remembered.
Deanna left Hollywood forever at the age of 28,having made 22 films from the tender age of 15 in 1936. She was Universal’s biggest star,her beautiful singing voice was loved all over the world.
Two of my favorites of her songs are “MY OWN” and “MORE AND MORE”.
Such a beauty, here are some Deanna memories.

FORTY GUNS

Some opening to a film! – Barbara Stanwyck,clad in black,on a white stallion, comes thundering towards the camera followed by 40 horsemen. There is no music, just the sound of the galloping riders.

THUNDER PASS. 1954

Another story of strangers coming together to battle to safety. In THUNDER PASS, the Kiowa and Commanche Indians are joining up,as empty promises from Washington put them on the warpath.
A cavalry patrol led by DANE CLARK and his scout,ANDY DEVINE have 48 hours to gather up a small band of settlers and get them through Thunder Pass which is taboo to the Indians.

There are two prospectors,RAYMOND BURR and RAYMOND HATTON who don’t want to leave their mine. Dane says,“You can’t spend your money with an arrow in your back.”
NESTOR PAIVA is a travelling salesman, DOROTHY PATRICK is on her own after her father was killed.
There’s a family,father,mother and daughter and then there is JOHN CARRADINE who tells Dorothy Patrick to keep quiet about the fact they know each other.
And lastly, an injured,unconscious man who might be a gun runner, or an emissary from Washington.

I liked this western from Lippert Productions directed by Frank McDonald.It was interesting to see Andy Devine in a serious role,totally different from his usual jovial persona.
Dane Clark led the cast well.