John Ford

[whaleallright]

Thank you. I've also noticed that I've repeated myself from an earlier comment. That's what happens when you have too many things going on at once....

[scotty2]

Brief appreciation of O'Neill and Ford's The Long Voyage Home.

[Michael Kerpan]

I suppose this is a better place to discuss the _films_ in the Ford at Fox set. My family watched "Three Bad Men" -- and loved it. I got worried when our elderly Oppo DVD choked on it -- but our middle-aged Sony Blu-Ray player had no problems at all.

I had a complicated reaction to Tobacco Road (on my recent first viewing). A lot more complex (and interesting) than I anticipated, based on all the negative remarks. Did I have"reservations" about it -- yes, lots. But it seemed that there were a lot of positive aspects as well. The almost absurdist humor John Ford found in this seems a lot more appealing than the lurid seriousness of the original source.

[Michael Kerpan]

Another previous unknown (to me) gem -- Hangman's House. Excellent, very atmospheric silent film.

[ellipsis7]

This film contains the first glimpse of John Wayne in a Ford or any other film I guess... He apparently is both the condemned man on the gallows depicted in silhouette and a raucous spectator at the races as seen in the capture below...

[Michael Kerpan]

ellipsis --

Cool! How did you figure this out?

[ellipsis7]

I think I got it from Tag Gallagher's JOHN FORD book, or suchlike... Also mentioned in these programme notes...

[liam fennell]

I've only looked at the 3 Will Rogers movies recently from the box. They were all really fun if not particularly ambitious! I started with Steamboat Around the Bend and enjoyed it so much I went right onto the other two and they were equally satisfying. Ford and Rogers make a great team. Ford's humor is kept in check and Rogers it allowed to gracefully joke his way through all three pictures. The rhythms of the movies are matched to his performance, as with Fonda in My Darling Clementine, and to great effect. He is so easy-going as a rule that it is almost shocking when he encounters a serious situation and loses his cool, as in Judge Priest, or is faced with a potentially dangerous situations such as when encountering the swamp people in Steamboat. It's a shame they couldn't keep working together, in a way, one could easily imagine many more fruitful collaborations.

In fact, after those I looked at Donovan's Reef for the first time and couldn't stop thinking about how Will Rogers would've fit right into the thing with a little tiny bit of rewriting. Talk about a movie made in the wrong decade! Slight, perhaps, but perfectly enjoyable.

[Drucker]

I believe it's in the hour-long interview that accompanies the Stagecoach blu-ray where Ford makes a comment that nobody else he's ever worked with (or seen?) comedically holds a candle to Rogers.

[domino harvey]

Worth noting that Will Rogers was unfathomably popular in his day, at a level almost incomprehensible even to our modern era of celebrities. It's been said that Will Rogers' death had a greater effect on the nation (up to that point) than any other death save Lincoln's.

[Michael Kerpan]

Being an Oklahoman (in origin), Will Rogers was still quite a posthumous celebrity into the early 60s at least. I lost count of how many times I wound up in Claremore to visit the Will Rogers Memorial Museum.

[swo17]

I remember growing up with this book:

[domino harvey]

Now that I can see it, wow, I am pretty sure I read that when I was younger too (though being from Oklahoma, it shouldn't be too surprising)

[Michael Kerpan]

Now that I can see it, wow, I am pretty sure I read that when I was younger too (though being from Oklahoma, it shouldn't be too surprising)

Alas, I _can't_ see anything.

[domino harvey]

Refresh the page, I just changed swo's non-working image to a working one. Or click here

[swo17]

Thanks for fixing the link.

I am pretty sure I read that when I was younger too (though being from Oklahoma, it shouldn't be too surprising)

Which explains how we both came to value humor. Too bad they never made a "The Value of Being Serious and Taking Things Seriously" book.

[Michael Kerpan]

Refresh the page, I just changed swo's non-working image to a working one. Or click here

Firewalled for me, I guess. Oh well, I'll take a look this evening.

It seems like Rogers was very much in the tradition of the early-to-middle period Mark Twain.

[movielocke]

hah. I had that book too.

[Michael Kerpan]

hah. I had that book too.

Finally saw what this was. Way after MY time. Never encountered it.

On another topic -- anyone think that Zanuck actually _improved_ Clementine by his major re-editing?

[kingofthejungle]

On another topic -- anyone think that Zanuck actually _improved_ Clementine by his major re-editing?

I prefer the Pre-Release version. Aside from the goofy ass insert of the kiss that spoils the ending of the Theatrical cut, I think the extra space for character business and atmosphere in the earlier cut creates a more lyrical, contemplative flow that's entirely appropriate. IIRC, the score is much subtler in the earlier version as well. I think Zanuck's choices might have made it a more commercial picture (as did his ending to The Grapes of Wrath), but I prefer Ford's by a mile.

[Michael Kerpan]

It seems Zanuck cut out almost 20 minutes -- I wonder what all disappeared? My sense is that Ford preferred to establish atmosphere (and rhythm) with local color/environmental shots that took a little time to develop -- and that Zanuck wanted to cut right to the chase, using very pushy musical scoring to make up for what was cut.

Seen tonight -- Young Mr. Lincoln. Quite wonderful -- though the proto-Perry Masonesque trial resolution was a bit much.

[kingofthejungle]

I think you've got the right idea about Ford and Zanuck's different approaches to Clementine. I've never sat down and done a direct comparison between the two (which might be interesting), but I think one can certainly feel the difference between the two versions.

Young Mr. Lincoln is great, a film that grows on me every time I see it. For all the ink spilled on Wayne and Monument Valley, Ford's essence as an artist is found in the relaxed, digressive portraits of small communities (like Young Mr. Lincoln, and The Sun Shines Bright).

[Michael Kerpan]

> Ford's essence as an artist is found in the relaxed, digressive portraits of small communities
> (like Young Mr. Lincoln, and The Sun Shines Bright).

Four Sons, also -- even though in a German setting.

[AMalickLensFlare]

> Ford's essence as an artist is found in the relaxed, digressive portraits of small communities
> (like Young Mr. Lincoln, and The Sun Shines Bright).

Four Sons, also -- even though in a German setting.

And don't forget How Green Was My Valley.

[Michael Kerpan]

And don't forget How Green Was My Valley.

Definitely.