1930s List Discussion and Suggestions (Lists Project Vol. 3)

[Tommaso]

A little round-up of my viewing last week, this time all French films:

First, G.W.Pabst's version of Don Quichotte (1933). Not entirely sure what to make of it, I'm afraid. The film, while essentially faithful to the main ideas of Cervantes, suffers a little from the fact that it was also a vehicle for the great opera singer Fjodor Chaljapin, which means that the action is occasionally interrupted by Quichotte singing some arias, which wouldn't be a problem if the film as a whole had been designed as a musical/opera, which it wasn't. What's worse is that the dvd (on some small US label), while carefully made and presenting both the French and the English language versions with subs in several languages, doesn't seem to have the complete prints of both versions. The English one runs 55, the French 60 minutes, whereas imdb gives about 80 minutes as original runtime. And it shows in a far too quick pacing which makes this already episodic story even more episodic (because the transitions between the episodes are apparently gone), and one clearly has the feeling that something is missing. Nevertheless, I mostly enjoyed what I saw, fine direction and sets, a nice fight against the windmills and a genuinely touching ending in which Quichotte's books are burned (particularly relevant probably if you consider that Pabst was German and this film was made in 1933...). Not major Pabst, but certainly worth a look.

While I merely liked the Pabst, I have to say that the next one blew me out of my socks: La petite Lise (Jean Grémillon, 1930). Only my third film by this director, but I now begin to understand why everyone is raving so much about him. Very simple story: a father comes back from prison to Paris, finds his now grown-up daughter whom he dearly loves and who has become involved in shady pursuits, and in the end takes on the responsibility for a crime she has committed (at least that's my interpretation of the slightly ambiguous ending). But the film is amazing in various respects: first, the sound design. The film starts with a very haunting and unusual song apparently representing the music of French Guayana where the father is in prison, and throughout the film there's a backdrop of very modern sounding, often eerie ambient music and sounds that I hadn't experienced in a film of that age before. Secondly, and more importantly, it's an incredibly 'economic' film in the best sense of the word: a film of gestures, very few words, important events being shown off-screen (like the first meeting of the father and the daughter), often with a semi-documentary approach. There's a fabulous sequence when we hear a conversation on the soundtrack, but in which Grémillon shows us ravishing images of the awaking city; glimpses at reality, but at the same time incredibly poetic. And if that wasn't enough: a very touching performance by Pierre Alcover, gentle at heart, and the beautiful Nadia Sibirskaia of "Menilmontant" fame in the title role. Try to see this by all means, folks, you're in for a treat. Unfortunately it's only floating around in the backchannels, but at least it's subbed.

Which cannot be said about the third film I'd like to talk about (i.e., it's not subbed), but thankfully, you don't really need to understand the dialogue to be ravished by Les Aventures de Roi Pausole (Alexis Granowsky, 1933). This one gave me the chuckles all around and lots of delight about the many beautiful ladies and the glorious sets that grace it. It's based on the novel of the same name by Pierre Louys, and it's a highly ironic story about an utopian island and its king (who has 365 wifes, one for each day) whose idyllic peace is disturbed when a plane discovers that remote place and its pilot falls in love with the king's daughter.... The film is pure sensuality, strikingly photographed by the great Rudolf Maté, and incredibly beautiful. Imagine a Lubitsch musical with a little bit of an avantgarde touch, and you have a rough idea. And don't miss the chance to see two of Cocteau's leading ladies, the lovely Josette Day as the king's daughter and the magnificent Edwige Feuillière in early roles. I have to say: I really, really love this film.

And if you want to see more Granowsky, try to find his German satire Die Koffer des Herrn O.F. (1931), too. It's less sensual, but in other respects perhaps even better (and you can again see a great Margo Lion performance there).

[domino harvey]

My Preminger wish just came true on that site which shall not be named (without English subs, yet)

[Ann Harding]

First, G.W.Pabst's version of Don Quichotte (1933). The English one runs 55, the French 60 minutes, whereas imdb gives about 80 minutes as original runtime.

I checked my own print of the Pabst film. It's 81 min. The film is certainly not among his best. I recall my awe at being able to watch Féodor Chaliapine singing. Jacques Ibert composed three songs (on Alexandre Arnoux text) which are also performed nowadays by baritones. (Ravel was asked to do the same but missed the deadlines. The 3 songs is available also on CDs.) I guess the film will interest more opera lovers than film lovers.

I watched Sternberg's Crime and Punishment last night and was dismayed at the result. Ballard's cinematography is good, but the film lacks tension, atmosphere and composition. Sternberg seems to be going through the motions and losing interest completely. Lorre is very good. But beyond that, it's clearly a failure.
I can only advise you to get hold of Pierre Chenal's Crime et Châtiment also shot in 1935 which has all the menace and tension missing from the American version. The relationship between Sonya (superb Madeleine Ozeray) and Raskolnikov (Pierre Blanchar) is far more powerfully delineated (no censorship there!). And the cat and mouse play between Raskolnikov and Porfiry (Harry Baur) is truly masterful. He knows how to frame his actors in close-up to create a real claustrophobia and the camera angles suggests fear. It's a shame the Chenal is not better known and not on DVD.

[Murdoch]

Slavko Vorkapich's The Furies (not to be confused with Mann's film) is perhaps the most brilliant use of three minutes I've seen, he packs the film with his gorgeous montage and superimposition methods and the short is bursting at the seams to hold it all in. I'd seen his Life and Death of 9413 before, but it didn't prepare me for this.

edit: and now I see that this is just the opening to Crime Without Passion, something I am going to track down immediately.

[Tommaso]

edit: and now I see that this is just the opening to Crime Without Passion, something I am going to track down immediately.

Ouiii... that's a knockout. I'm tracking down "Crime without Passion" with you. In case anyone can't find it: the film as a whole wasn't directed by Vorkapich, but by Ben Hecht.

[Murdoch]

The best that's available seems a DVD-R that's floating around, there's a few copies on ebay. And you're right, Vorkapich was editor for the film (and thank god for that!)

[knives]

Just wanted to bop in for a quick mention of Norman McLaren (who probably rightly has only gotten one mention in the thread so far). I've seen a few of his '50s and '60s films before hand so it's been nice looking at his roots though his '30s are fairly less than spectacular with even his first film just barely amounting to more than a home movie. That said he evolved awful quick with Camera Makes Whoopee being the crowning jewel of the decade for him. There's a lot of great overlay effects and usage on montage that is highly reminiscent of Vertov. In fact the thing that keeps it from being just a rip off is how intimate the camera is with the constant closeups that leave the frame feeling like half a picture. The Cohl-esque stop motion sequence in utterly fantastic too. I doubt it will actually make my list, but it's worth searching out all the same.

[swo17]

I had a bit of a Pagnol marcelathon over the weekend, starting with the very satisfying Fanny trilogy. The story is pretty well worn and borders on melodramatic but Pagnol imbues it with plenty of wit and charm. At well over six hours in runtime, the story has plenty of breathing room, though it's rare that Pagnol allows his characters to actually breathe as that would prevent them from saying as many words. So there might actually be about 8-10 hours of a leisurely paced epic love story here, just condensed into a more manageable form, and all for the better. I particularly liked little moments like Panisse's resistance in Fanny to relinquish the hypothetical right to murder his bride if she were to make him a cuckold. I think I'm with domino though in the sense that if one of the films must stand for the whole, it should probably be Marius. The two subsequent films follow it quite naturally, but Marius seems like the only one that could work on its own, and I think the ending works wonderfully whether or not you see the resolution in the two subsequent films.

All that being said, I think I have to give the edge to the wickedly funny Le schpountz (thanks for touting this one, knives!), which was a bit more up my alley. Fernandel is perfect in this, in a part that elicits both scorn and empathy. I even just love saying the title. Le schpountz. Le schpountz. Very soothing. I can't imagine why someone felt the need to give it the English title of Heartbeat.

[swo17]

I also just watched Libeled Lady after someone recommended it in the OOP Heads Up thread, and absolutely loved it. Can anyone recommend any other lesser known screwball comedies?

[domino harvey]

I assume you've seen my highest-ranking Hawks from this decade, Twentieth Century, right? Because that's probably the best (though Libeled Lady is certainly up there)?

[knives]

Fernandel is perfect in this, in a part that elicits both scorn and empathy.

Every time I think of this movie I see his grinning face and can't help from bursting with laughter. If anyone was born to do comedy it was him. That face is one in a million.

[Murdoch]

Another vote for Twentieth Century, my favorite Hawks so far and currently #6 on my list. Lombard and Barrymore are a comedy dream team.

[Cold Bishop]

You guys are crazy. Team Only Angels Have Wings all the way!

[domino harvey]

My next highest ranked 30s Hawks (and both in the top ten, natch)

[swo17]

I've seen Twentieth Century but there are a couple other 30s Hawks films I'd place above it. I should revisit it apparently.

Surely someone besides Hawks was making movies in the 30s though? I dug up this old quote from the Alternate Oscars thread:

Libeled Lady is a lot of fun, but there are a lot of fantastic screwball comedies from the time missing from these nominations.

I would love if zedz could elaborate.

[domino harvey]

Surely someone besides Hawks was making movies in the 30s though?

[citation needed]

My second-favorite screwball comedy, It Had to Be You, isn't eligible 'til the next list, but put it on your radar. From this decade... I assume you've seen Nothing Sacred and My Man Godfrey, one of which, according to whom you believe, may or may not have been the inspiration for the term "screwball comedy" with regards to Carole Lombard being "one screwy dame"?

[swo17]

Haven't seen It Had to Be You, but having recently become hopelessly smitten with Ginger Rogers I'm very much looking forward to it. I have already seen the two Lombard films. My Man Godfrey was one of the first screwballs I ever saw and it's still one of my favorites.

Spoiler

What is food?

[Hopscotch]

Bombshell, Theodora Goes Wild, The Good Fairy, Thirty Day Princess, and Easy Living are all on my to-see list.

[movielocke]

add Merrily We Live to that list, it's an underseen gem, imo.

[Titus]

It's a Wonderful World is pretty underrated, which is a little odd given the talent involved. Claudette Colbert was absolutely unbeatable in these screwball/romantic comedy roles.

[zedz]

I don't have much to add to the suggestions above. Has anybody mentioned Midnight yet? My top Hawks and top screwball will be Bringing Up Baby, which is probably my favourite sound comedy, but I don't think anybody needs to be told about that film.

[PillowRock]

I wouldn't put it at the level of Libeled Lady, but Vivacious Lady is pretty entertaining (or at least I thought so) and it has what I think was one of the best single scenes in 1930s movie comedy (last I checked, that scene could be found on YouTube by searching for "Ginger Rogers cat fight"; it helps some of the jokes to know the situation).

Was there some kind of law prohibiting anybody but Beulah Bondi from playing Jimmy Stewart's mother in a movie, or does it just seem like it?

[reno dakota]

I would add Bluebeard's Eighth Wife to the suggestions (though, since it's Lubitsch, it's probably already on everyone's radar).

[matrixschmatrix]

Bombshell, Theodora Goes Wild, The Good Fairy, Thirty Day Princess, and Easy Living are all on my to-see list.

In case anyone hasn't seen it, there's a solid essay on TCM's blog about Theodora Goes Wild. (There's also an essay David Kalat just did the week before last on there about another pre-Code comedy, Girl Missing, which sounds like sort of a screwball detective story- has anyone seen it? Is the Archive disc worth getting?)

[myrnaloyisdope]

I would add Leisen's Midnight to the list as well, it's another wonderfully funny screwball comedy, scripted by Billy Wilder and boasts among it's many highlights John Barrymore doing baby talk.

A lesser known, sort of proto-screwball comedy that is a lot of fun is Havana Widows, which is pretty much 70 minutes of Joan Blondell and Glenda Farrell sass talking along with the usual cast of Warners faves (Guy Kibbee, Allen Jenkins et al).

Also check out Blonde Crazy, with Blondell teaming up with James Cagney as a couple of con-artists. Again it's fast and furious and very funny in the standard Warners pre-code style.