someone at the door ( 1936 film )
screen plays ,
someone at the door
. urltoken (accessed 09 jul 2018 )
1949 bbc live studio production of the comedy thriller someone at the door by dorothy christie and campbell christie .
someone at the door .
videohound' s golden movie retriever. . retrieved july 09, 2018 from urltoken urltoken
someone at the door is a 1950 british crime comedy film directed by francis searle and starring michael medwin, garry marsh and yvonne owen .
a short yet entertaining thriller from the thirties, someone at the door starts off lighthearted and finishes with quite a tense scene .
toughest job i ever had: selling doors, door to door .
- bill bailey
someone at the door .
videohound' s golden movie retriever. . encyclopedia. com. (july 9, 2018). urltoken
the film was based on a hit west end play by campbell christie and his wife dorothy, which had previously been turned into a film in 1936 .
this film had a short production schedule between june 15 - july 25, 1936. it premiered in october to mixed reviews .
nominated for three academy awards for 1936: best picture, best original story, best sound recording .
previewed in late december, 1936, in los angeles. released in new york on january 24, 1937 .
the film
metropolis
, after its premiere yesterday at the ufa - palast am zoo, will be screened from to - day on at the ufa pavilion at nollendorfer platz .
gail patrick, jan wiley, constance collier, ginger rogers, and lucille ball in stage door .
stage door screens february 18–20 at the museum of modern art in new york as part of the series “acteurism: ginger rogers, ” which runs through march 27 .
toronto film society presented three smart girls (1936) on monday, november 29, 1976 in a double bill with the short every sunday and his butler’s sister as part of the season 29 monday evening film buff series, programme 3 .
gregory la cava, stage door, 1937, 35 mm, black - and - white, sound, 92 minutes .
this somewhat zany mystery film stars jean arthur and joel mccrea in their second film together .
called the film an
effective little chiller that packs a surprising punch for a film of its age .
meanwhile, joel mccrea was starring in a variety of films, including screwball comedies such as the richest girl in the world (1934), dramas such as barbary coast (1935) and these three (1936), and even a shirley temple film, our little girl (1935). like arthur, he was on a roll when he made adventure in manhattan and would also star in five films in 1936 !
is a masterpiece. funny to think that american critics looked down their noses at the film at the time of its release. maybe they took offense at the inescapable scent of welles’ passion for rita hayworth, his wife at the time and his ex shortly after production wrapped. he captures her in close - up with a hungry, enraptured eye, the most coherent image in a film that’s built on logical incoherence .
fortunately, there wasn’t a back door so the newly glamorous woman re - emerges later that evening in an evening dress and curls, all paid for by george .
the radio times preferred the film' s 1950 remake ,
although, in this case, that' s not saying much, as the 1950 version of campbell and dorothy christie' s old theatrical chestnut wasn' t very good either. contrived only goes part way to describing this creaky thriller
; while infernal cinema described the film as
a little like a game of cluedo come to life ,
and appreciated ,
a short yet entertaining thriller from the thirties ,
concluding ,
brenon is sometimes under appreciated in the history of cinema, someone at the door is a brisk reminder of his talent .
to those readers well - acquainted with the film version of stage door, the preceding plot and character summary must seem somewhat bizarre. george s. kaufman got that same feeling, but in reverse after he saw the movie, slyly referring to the film version of his play as ,
screen door .
the blame, or perhaps, more rightly, the praise, for these changes must ultimately be laid at the feet of one man, gregory la cava, the film' s director. a talented, sad soul, he utilized an alcohol - fueled improvisational style with his collaborators that powered his better films but also hastened his decline and death .
nightmare is a 1964 horror / suspense film from hammer films. the film was directed by freddie francis and written by hammer films regular jimmy sangster. the british film institute has the only 35mm print in the uk .
treats redemption as a cruel joke, a spell of relief that lasts only long enough for us to view its obsolescence. the film takes jabs at
as the group leaves the house, gunshots echo from the mansion next door. everyone rushes over and learns that a valuable painting was just stolen. the crime has all the trademarks of the koor - hal ruby gang and berlea .
a remake of the 1936 film of the same title has medwin plotting to make it appear as though he has murdered his sister (owen) to advance his own reputation as a reporter. however, things do not go exactly according to plan, and medwin narrowly escapes hanging for the supposed crime .
in three acts spanning a period of over two years the play stage door looked at a group of struggling actresses who live at the footlights club, a theatrical boarding house for women somewhere in the west fifties in manhattan. co - author edna ferber who had the original idea, based it on the rehearsal club, founded in 1913. interestingly, margaret sullavan actually was a past resident of the house .
review: a remake of the 1936 film of the same title has medwin plotting to make it appear as though he has murdered his sister (owen) to advance his own reputation as a reporter. however, things do not go exactly according to plan, and medwin narrowly escapes hang… (more )
experience modern times, the iconic film written by, directed by and starring charlie chaplin as a factory worker at the beginning of the industrial revolution. the orchestral score, also ...
the 1936 broadway play on which the film stage door was based was touted by the critics, and it was considered one of the hits of the season. however, when it was transferred to film, the likelihood of it becoming an enduring classic might have seemed slim. the director of the film version brought to the set an unorthodox working style and a proclivity for drinking. the cast included an aloof actress whose recent, sputtering career carried the odor of decline; a workaholic actress regarded as the lightweight half of a popular team; and a talented texas teen, just - arrived in hollywood, whose dark secret, if revealed, could land the studio' s top brass in hot water. sounds like some sort of disaster - in - the - making .
freder fredersen struggling at the clock machine, as he approaches the end of a ten hour shift. the christian imagery of freder suffering as in christ on the cross is clear in this photograph from the film .
one very lucky person is going to win a restored copy of behind the door (1919) on blu - ray / dvd from flicker alley! legendary producer thomas h. ince and director irvin ...
she was under contract to columbia at the time, and they kept her very busy after those hit films. in fact, she would make five films released in 1936! after mr. deeds, the studio loaned her to rko to make the ex - mrs. bradford, and then cast her in adventure in manhattan, the plainsman, and more than a secretary .
film commentator hal erickson writes the film is
arguably the best of shirley temple' s 1930s vehicles
, and thinks jane withers
terrific
as the film’s villainess. he notes that some critics believed withers stole the show, and it was this
as much as anything else, that earned withers her own starring series at 20th century - fox
.
in the film role of kay hamilton - the movie drops the
e
from her character' s name in the play - was newcomer, andrea leeds, described by gregory la cava as
the best natural actress
he had ever worked with. born antoinette lees in butte, montana, the daughter of a mining engineer, she went to ucla where an interest in writing and acting led to the movies. after some bits in a few shorts and features from 1933 to 1936, she landed a major supporting role in, come and get it (united artists, 1936), a contract with producer samuel goldwyn, and a new stage name .
marguerite: are you following me? armand: yes, you, well you did smile at me a moment ago, didn' t you? marguerite: well, you tell me first whether you smiled at me or at my friend [ olympe ]. armand: what friend? marguerite: you didn' t even see her? armand: no. marguerite: that' s very nice. armand: i was just wondering if you' d ask me to sit down if i knocked at the door of the box. marguerite: why not? we really seemed fated to meet this evening, didn' t we ?
when baron de varville arrives at the box after marguerite and prudence have left, he cannot be distracted from being
engaged
with olympe. in the theatre, marguerite looks down toward the foot of the staircase at the adoring eyes of armand gazing back at her. they have their first conversation after he pursues her - it is a fateful meeting :
critical reception: upon release, the film received generally positive reviews from film critics. the website rotten tomatoes states that 86% of critics gave the film a
fresh
rating. on metacritic, the film has a score of 64 / 100, indicating
generally favorable
. it also received
two thumbs up
from siskel and ebert .
play synopsis comedy mystery play in which a journalist comes up with a scheme to boost his career by inventing a fake murder. he soon becomes embroiled in trouble when a real killing takes place. production history first staged in 1935; twice adapted as a film, in 1936 directed by herbert brenon and in 1950 directed by francis searle .
future learning and skills – giving everyone the opportunity to build a lifelong relationship with film .
welford beaton,' metropolis', the film spectator, hollywood, 3 september 1927 .
reporter medwin arranges to be suspected of killing his sister, thus providing him with a good story and advancing his career. his plan almost backfires, when he is almost executed. remake of a 1936 film of the same name. 65m / b vhs. gb michael medwin, garry marsh, yvonne owen, hugh latimer; d: francis searle .
at this juncture it is only reluctantly that one decides to continue. fritz lang worked for over a year with superhuman energy and tenacity. the detailed technical work accomplished here is, in its scope alone, so absolutely astounding that i would not contradict someone who told me that this film has been five, six years in the making. in fact, it sounds unbelievable that this incredibly detailed, prodigious work was really accomplished within the span of a year or a year and a half - which is usually an enormous amount of time for a film. but this should not be the last or even the most decisive word on a film of such enormous scale and ostentation .
and rutger hauer, as well as some of the most emotionally intense action set pieces ever put to film. moreover, a good portion of the film’s appeal lies in its incorporation of film noir aesthetics—shadow - filled, rainy metropolitan exteriors, a brooding yet resourceful investigator hero, retro ’40s fashion—into its dreary, dystopian setting. at one point, the film even boasted a philip marlowe - esque voiceover narration that was thankfully excised from future cuts. once regarded as a failed experiment ,
the ending of three smart girls contains one of the finest bits of emotional pantomime i’ve ever seen, as poignant and memorable as chaplin’s reaction to being recognized by the blind girl at the end of city lights. in three smart girls, the parents of the three girls are finally reunited, and durbin stands between them, looking at their locked hands, then at one parent, then at the other. her face vacillates extreme joy and sadness in several different shadings and nuances, all in the matter of five seconds. it is a kind of sensitive acting that cannot be taught at any age, let alone to a girl of fourteen !
.) kubrick’s work here is no - frills and elegantly straightforward: sterling hayden plans one final holdup before retiring and settling down with coleen gray. no twists and turns, just good old - fashioned theft at the racetrack. the film revels in the gray morality of hayden’s good intentions. crime pays, at least until it doesn’t. —
{ welford beaton,' metropolis', the film spectator, hollywood, 3 september 1927. }
jennie linden was an 11th hour casting choice replacing julie christie who dropped out to do the film billy liar. this was the final film performance of american actor david knight who subsequently focused on theatre work .
this is a perfectly fine film of its type. based on a play, so it' s talky and restricted in action. the story is a mild situation comedy, nothing hilarious, but it' s the plot twists that are the point. as good as any british mystery comedy of the time i think. a hammer / exclusive film, anthony hinds producer, and james sangster assistant director. as said elsewhere, brother and sister inherit this large house. brother is a writer who needs to make more money. he thinks by concocting a story that he killed his sister he will make a fortune. in parallel, there is treasure hidden in the house and the thieves are trying to get the two to leave the house by making it sound haunted. in the opening scene there is
someone at the door
, who enters at night and starts making spooky noises. don' t get the idea that the writer goes to trial for murder and then is dramatically saved. it never goes to that point, the plot is wrapped up without anything like that. no story is published about him murdering his sister or anyone else .
onions, apparently! it’s a rare moment of screwball humor in this otherwise dramatic film .
willy haas,' metropolis', film - kurier, berlin, 11 january 1927 .
chris shares logan’s picture with rod. rod identifies him to be andre. chris freaks out and quickly asks rose to pack up. he wants to leave. in the store room, chris finds a box with a whole bunch of photographs. photographs of rose with other black folks. this includes walter and georgina. as chris gets to the door, the rest of the armitage family approaches. the main door is locked and chris yells for the keys. rose finally discloses that she is in on the whole thing. rose’s mom uses the cup and spoon to send chris to the sunken space. they take him and tie him in the basement .
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filming had started on june 7, 1936, the day that jean harlow died from uremic poisoning, the news of which led to a bonding of the actresses. by then, the script largely
consisted of index cards and a loose leaf notebook containing the life stories of all the characters .
to further the identification of the actresses with their roles, the director even had them wear their own clothes rather than costumes. (it should be noted, however, that renee conley is credited with creating costumes for the film. )
references to the 1961 version of the film: as this film is a remake of the 1961 the parent trap, it features a number of references to the film it is based on. among them are: the use of the sherman brothers song
let' s get together
, which also plays over the walt disney pictures logo. , meredith talks to a
reverend mosby
, named after a character in the original film. , some of the dialogue is almost identical to the 1961 film. , actress joanna barnes, who played vicki robinson (a character like meredith blake) in the original film, plays meredith' s mother (also named vicki) in this film. , the camp counselors, marva kulp sr. and jr. , are named after nancy kulp, who played the younger camp counselor in the original film. , many of the camping scenes were taken from the original film, such as: the use of the sugar and water mosquito repellent which the twins give meredith was also given to vicki in the original film. , the use of clapping two sticks together to scare away mountain lions, even though there aren' t any. , the use of the lizard on meredith' s canteen. , ,
response: the film was met with generally positive reviews, holding an 86% approval rating on rotten tomatoes. it entered the box office charts at number 2 on july 31, 1998. it ended up with a gross of over $ 66 million in the u. s. and $ 92, 108, 518 worldwide. the film debuted on united lands television (the family film channel) on october 4, 1999, and had 5. 43 million viewers .
the incognito aristo’s ease with ripostes—and her willingness to stand up to a thoughtless producer on behalf of her sistren—earn her the begrudging respect of some footlighters. but terry will become suspect once again when she, a neophyte, lands the lead in a play called enchanted april, a part desperately wanted by kay (andrea leeds), a beloved housemate who, buffeted by the vagaries of the profession, is slowly slipping into madness. a tragic incident leads terry to cry in her dressing room on opening night, “does someone have to die to create an actress? ” uncannily, the line echoes another i had read—in an ingenious article by george toles about david lynch ’s mulholland drive that ran in the fall 2004 issue of film quarterly —just the night before i revisited stage door: “the only earthly identity that might be strong enough to undo death is that of an actress on the verge of stardom. ” made sixty - four years apart, la cava’s film and lynch’s are highly dissimilar in style and sensibility. but they share a star—ann miller, who was only a teenager in stage door and who made her final screen appearance in mulholland drive —and a boundless compassion for women in the cruelest of vocations .
life is represented a hundred years hence, but there is little attempt to foresee the changes in any but superficial details. even these are not consistent, for while television goes on in one room, doctors use that new invention, the thermometer, in another. the famous heart - machine is not much more than an enlarged accumulator, and means of locomotion are much the same. the future is disappointing; one has, apparently, to run rather more than usual. not only down streets, in crowds, but singly through catacombs and even from door to door in the same room. eric had need of that race at the beginning, to keep him fit, and as for his fight with the inventor on the cathedral roof - he saw that in a twentieth - century film. the fight lost its terror for me because i had always been told pulverising rays would be more common than telephones .
anyway, during the play there is an absurdly long combat scene with lots of fake gunshots, explosions, and general commotion. gregory’s men take advantage of the noise to blow the vault door, steal the sunburst diamond, and skedaddle through a tunnel leading from the bank to the theater. but claire notices her suave producer descending into a hole in the floor and gets suspicious .
both stars were on the rise in hollywood: arthur had been working in movies since the early 1920s, but she really hit her stride in the mid ’30s with the whole town’s talking (1935) and mr. deeds goes to town (1936). in fact, as you can see from this lobby card, the publicity for adventure in manhattan emphasized arthur’s star turn in mr. deeds .
american airlines and the douglas aircraft company, recognizing the potential of the film in advertising air travel, cooperated in the production and distribution. they provided a dc - 2 aircraft for the exterior shots while a true to scale mock up was provided for the interior scenes. in the famous good ship lollipop scene, members of the university of southern california football team served as extras. in the second flying scene where temple' s character sneaks aboard the plane and they were forced to bail out of it, both temple and dunn were strapped into a harness hoisted up into the studio rafters. they were supposed to drift down with the aid of a wind machine. in the first take, someone inadvertently opened an airproof door just as they landed, creating a vacuum that sucked out the parachute and dragged them both across the studio floor. marilyn granas served as a stand - in for temple as she had for her previous movies. she would later be replaced by mary lou isleib who would remain as temple' s stand - in for the rest of her tenure at 20th century fox .
once stage door hit the screen, it was obvious to those in the know that the whole seemingly crazy process had worked beautifully. the new york times named, stage door, to its year' s ten best list, as did many other publications. in his review in the times, frank s. nugent vindicated producer berman' s intention of boosting the film' s two stars when he wrote ,
miss hepburn and miss rogers, in particular, seem to be acting so far above their usual heads that, frankly, we hardly recognized them .
the film went on to be nominated for four 1937 academy awards - and lost them all. best director went to leo mccarey for the awful truth; best screenplay was given to the life of emile zola; best supporting actress was presented to alice brady for in old chicago; and the life of emile zola was named the year' s best picture .
after all of this for the serious side, and before the picture has been running very long, one is inclined to launch at its plain absurdities, its open face scheme of story and the merciless persecution of poor mary. mary is probably the most chased girl of the screen. they chased her everywhere every minute, up alleys, into rooms, over roofs and what not. if mary saw a chance to escape, the open door closed just before she reached it. the only thing muffed was a blackface comedian to get the laughs in this stupendous scene of a' haunted house', a nd eric, the son of his father, who went down into the subterranean town for the first time in his 20 years to see the village and mary. caught by the skirt as he was wranglingwith some vamps in burlesque wheel costumes, eric fell for the dame. this was mary, also about 20, and [ at ] the first time she ever had seen inside of a two - story home. mary had large blue eyes. someone had told her to stare, and plenty. mary did .
h. g. wells,' metropolis - the silliest film', new york times, 17 april 1927 .
an outsider called it. a bystander observing a uniquely american phenomenon. and, for decades, a largely unacknowledged bystander at that .
some of koster’s notable films include: the rage of paris (1938) –a sophisticated, charming comedy which was the only non - durbin film koster made fro 1936 to 1941, the bishop’s wife (1948), come to the stable (1949), the inspector general (1949), harvey (1950), mr. belvedere rings the bell (1951), no highway in the sky (1951), my cousin rachel (1952), the robe (1953), desiree (1954), the virgin queen (1955), my man godfrey (1957), mr. hobbs takes a vacation (1962) and his final film to date, the singing nun (1965) .
fun fact: this was one of mitchell’s first film roles, but he had worked in the theater for a while. in an interview with his son, mccrea remembered that he was impressed by mitchell’s acting chops, and mitchell was impressed by mccrea’s film experience. “ [ mitchell ] knew i knew the film thing, ” mccrea recalled :
herman g. scheffauer,' an impression of the german film metropolis', new york times, 6 march 1927 .
{ willy haas,' metropolis', film - kurier, 9, 11 january 1927. enthusiastic, though also somewhat disappointed review of the film following its premiere in berlin on 10 january 1927. the following is an edited translation. }
anyway, george strides down the street in search of a story when a woman (jean arthur) begs him for some money. he is uncharacteristically moved by her pitiful appeal and reaches for his wallet. but then someone gets run over by a car or something (we’re never quite sure what happens) and george runs off. a moment later he realizes that his wallet is missing…
fritz lang' s metropolis - the subject of much publicity in germany during the period of filming (1925 - 6) - was widely reviewed following its berlin premiere at the ufa palast am zoo on the evening of 10 january 1927. metropolis was a film which naturally drew comment, and further viewing, largely as a result of the many themes it attempted to address, and the ground - breaking nature of the filmmaking. it was an intellectual as well as a visual feast. this process of critical assessment continued with the re - release of edited versions in 1928 and 1936, and the issuing of modern restorations since 1972. the georgio moroder coloured and pop - music enhanced edition of 1984 generated much comment in the media, while its straight - to - video release in a number of countries resulted in the film reaching a large international audience for the first time since its period of initial release during 1927 - 8 .
adventure in manhattan hasn’t worn quite so well. in fact, it feels older than its 1936 release date. that sometimes happens with these heist or crime films in the ’30s, partly because the detective or police methods seem ridiculously old - fashioned and unscientific to our csi - addled ears. but this movie also has a vaguely illogical, topsy - turvy feeling that i associate with early mysteries .
bright eyes was the first film to be written and developed specifically for temple, and the first in which her name was raised above the title. in february 1935, she received a special academy award for her 1934 contributions to film, particularly little miss marker and bright eyes. in 2009, the film was available on vhs and dvd in both black - and - white and colorized versions .
that la cava incorporated into stage door ’s script (which was written by morrie ryskind and anthony veiller) the banter that his actresses—some of the finest comic talents of the era—shared during the film’s rehearsals only enhances the verbal pyrotechnics. the movie’s distaff ensemble provides not only a trove of 1930s slang, show - biz argot, and one - upping insults but also an invaluable lesson in sentence rhythm, as when the more seasoned housemates instruct a newbie on where the stress should fall in her sole line in her stage debut: “let’s go up to westchester. ”
randolph bartlett,' german film revision upheld as needed here', new york times, 13 march 1927 .
george is so certain of his (erroneous) prediction that he alerts the authorities, and they believe him. phil lets him write the story in advance and has it ready to go for the first edition. on saturday night, the area around the bank (which coincidentally is next door to claire’s theater !) is crawling with fbi and police. george and claire wait for news in the park. but the robbers never show .
box office: in its opening weekend, the film grossed $ 11, 148, 497 in 2, 247 theaters in the united states and canada, ranking # 2 at the box office, behind saving private ryan, was the best debut for a disney film that week. by the end of its run, the parent trap grossed $ 66, 308, 518 domestically and $ 25, 800, 000 internationally, totaling $ 92, 108, 518 worldwide .
garbo' s portrayal of the beautiful but sickly parisian courtesan, who fatefully falls in love with a young french nobleman (25 year - old robert taylor), is widely considered the definitive version of the camille story. garbo' s first talkie film, anna christie, was advertised with the promotional line :
garbo talks !
- so naturally, jokes at the time suggested that this film should be advertised as :
garbo coughs !
at home, she is assigned a nurse. janet begins having more nightmares this time concerning an unknown woman with a scar and a birthday cake. the dreams get worse and worse. finally, her guardian brings home his wife, whom janet has never met. janet is introduced to the woman at her birthday celebration .
aestheticizes violence without fetishizing it. bullet holes and knife wounds help color the film in dark brushstrokes—such is the coens’ wont—and careful attention to shot composition ratchets the film’s morbid elements to almost intoxicating heights. you’ll want to look away, but the coens keep your eyes glued to their somber fatalism. —
forty years before the blair witch project popularized the idea of a film being told from the camera’s perspective, actor / director robert montgomery gave this radical idea a spin with lady in the lake, his adaptation of one of raymond chandler’s philip marlowe detective stories. ultimately, the case proves to be minor marlowe and the first - person gimmick does eventually wear thin over the course of the film’s runtime. putting aside these reservations, however, the film is most certainly worth a watch if just to witness montgomery’s sheer audacity and inventiveness. it’s the textbook example of a film being ahead of its time. — m. r .
adaptation at paramount to convince them the story and its mature themes were a viable gamble. even before that, cain’s book had been unofficially adapted into two foreign productions—
{ anon. , new york times, 16 january 1927. brief notice of the film' s successful premiere in berlin. }
we went to this film with greatest expectations - details are indeed fascinating but the whole disappoints. film in general, especially this one, can no longer be a question of technical know - how only. to - day we are capable of much, also fritz lang is very capable, but to make a film dealing with
weltanschauung
( trans. note: the whole concept of our looking at / realizing things - i. e. universal serious concerns) without
weltanschauung
cannot be realized no matter how clever .
plays a wide - eyed actress newly arrived in hollywood who stumbles upon a beautiful young woman who can’t remember who she is. that pithy logline only touches the tip of the iceberg, as the film delights in throwing numerous other subplots and mysteries at its audience only to violently pull the rug out from under them in its latter half .
ufa production, german - made, released through famous players - laskey. no player starred or featured in american presentation. without press sheet as yet available, technical information not at hand. opened at rialto (publix), new york, march 5, indefinitely. running time, 107 minutes .
{ evelyn gerstein, the nation, 23 march 1927. insightful, largely positive review, placing the film within the much wider context of german filmmaking and contemporary art movements }
was a rarity in its heyday, though if you didn’t know lupino held the reins, you might not guess the film was directed with a feminine touch .
another fun fact: a 1927 film called three hours was based on the story, and both are credited as inspiration for adventure in manhattan. but this film only inserts their plots briefly as the prank on george. the novel and the 1927 movie didn’t have anything to do with a heist and a crack reporter .
, flopped at the box office only to be revived later as a beloved cult classic. the film casts rufus swell as an amnesiac who wakes up one night to discover that his city is (quite literally) being manipulated by a band of mysteriously pale men in jet - black trench coats and fedoras. along for the ride is
puts male toughness on trial and makes it look ridiculous, but the study of manliness might be a smokescreen for kurosawa’s veiled jabs at the board of censors installed by the u. s. government in post - world war ii japan. note the western clothing. observe the recurring image of the bubbling muck that serves as one of the film’s central locations. the american occupation whitewashes and corrupts japanese culture in equal measure, and
for the film, what matters primarily is that the actor represents himself to the public before the camera, rather than representing someone else. one of the first to sense the actor’s metamorphosis by this form of testing was pirandello. though his remarks on the subject in his novel si gira were limited to the negative aspects of the question and to the silent film only, this hardly impairs their validity. for in this respect, the sound film did not change anything essential. what matters is that the part is acted not for an audience but for a mechanical contrivance – in the case of the sound film, for two of them. “the film actor, ” wrote pirandello, “feels as if in exile – exiled not only from the stage but also from himself. with a vague sense of discomfort he feels inexplicable emptiness: his body loses its corporeality, it evaporates, it is deprived of reality, life, voice, and the noises caused by his moving about, in order to be changed into a mute image, flickering an instant on the screen, then vanishing into silence... . the projector will play with his shadow before the public, and he himself must be content to play before the camera. ” this situation might also be characterized as follows: for the first time – and this is the effect of the film – man has to operate with his whole living person, yet forgoing its aura. for aura is tied to his presence; there can be no replica of it. the aura which, on the stage, emanates from macbeth, cannot be separated for the spectators from that of the actor. however, the singularity of the shot in the studio is that the camera is substituted for the public. consequently, the aura that envelops the actor vanishes, and with it the aura of the figure he portrays .
i have recently seen the silliest film. i do not believe it would be possible to make one sillier. and as this film sets out to display the way the world is going, i think [ my book ] the way the world is going may very well concern itself with this film. it is called metropolis, it comes from the great ufa studios in germany, and the public is given to understand that it has been produced at enormous cost. it gives in one eddying concentration almost every possible foolishness, cliché, platitude, and muddlement about mechanical progress and progress in general served up with a sauce of sentimentality that is all its own .
in the final analysis, it wasn' t his maverick directing style that undermined him; it was his unfortunate alcoholism. in the years since, the positive aspects of his directing approach have become more commonplace in making films. embracing many of his techniques, la cava' s spiritual heirs have included such recent diverse talents as elia kazan, and sidney lumet. gregory la cava' s stage door is both a testament to his artistic talent then at its peak, and to the golden age of hollywood when such enduring classics were produced with a regularity that seems a marvel today .
i don’t want to prejudice you against this film because it is definitely worth watching, but don’t expect an especially tight narrative. it’s not that filmmakers couldn’t make neatly plotted films–not at all–rather, a perfect heist or surprising but well - explained mystery seems to have been less prized back then. (this same quality resurfaces in some film noirs in the 1940s with their convoluted plots and shifting motives. no one knows who killed the chauffeur! )
like a fast - paced burner. it’s not fincher’s most famous film, but it’s absolutely one of the most underrated thrillers since 2000. —
essentially closed the book on the classic noir era—and rewrote his own legacy in the process. welles was 20 years into his career and a hollywood has - been at 42 when he signed on to adapt whit masterson’s novel
houses that played variety won' t miss with metropolis. it' s the same ufa and its wierdness will at least stand up. but don' t invite the readers of the american mercury to see it .
[ notes ] metropolis, which is now on view at the rialto, was originally in sixteen reels. for this country it has been cut down to nine. some odea of the enormous task of producing this film can be gathered from figures furnished by frederick wynne - jones, managing director for ufa in new york .
enter the private detective and his antihero ilk—a scarred, brooding fella who for his considerable flaws was sympathetic. you couldn’t say the same for the ladies, what with that madonna - whore complex running rampant through noir’s icky freudian gender dynamics. unless they were a good, subservient girl, women were brazen, sexual bitches, more often than not smarter, and more powerful, than the guys—at least at the outset. extrapolated to the off - screen world, the logic was, solve the crime, solve the problem. put the femme fatale in her place, show the girl—the world—who’s boss. take it all back. the nightmare was made wish - fulfillment. it’s not overreaching to read all of this from the 300 or so titles generally considered the classic noir canon. remember: the folks at the
but at least they are able to engage in that repartee and cute chemistry that makes them such an enjoyable screen duo. here they are filming the scene with director edward ludwig :
and it didn' t end there. la cava lifted the lines that begin ,
the calla lilies are in bloom again... ,
directly from the american production of the lake. he had hepburn recite them in the film' s rehearsal scene in the most monotonous way possible that underscored how terrible an actress her character was at that point. but from all accounts, this type of delivery was not too different from what prompted dorothy parker, reviewing the lake, to pen one of the most famous criticisms in theater history: that kate' s performance in the lead role
ran the gamut of emotions from a to b .
how did hepburn like being reminded of that debacle at this point in her then - fragile film career ?
prudence recommends baron de varville (henry daniell) -
one of the richest and most elegant gentlemen in paris .
marguerite scoffs at the age of the proposed suitor :
one foot in the grave, i suppose, and a wig on his head .
not so, says prudence :
he' s young and handsome ,
and she plans an arranged introduction during their evening together at the theatre .
cukor (who had already directed the classic dinner at eight (1933), and would go on to make further screen greats such as the philadelphia story (1940) and my fair lady (1964) ), captured the most exquisite, poetic, restrained performance of the great screen actress. in her most popular and luminous film, garbo was recognized for her performance with the film' s sole academy award nomination, but she lost to luise rainer who won for another, heavily - promoted mgm classic, the good earth .
: at first confused, then maybe a little angry, but then ultimately delighted by how fooled they’d just been. perfectly paced, brilliantly scored by director bryan singer and editor / composer john ottman—the film never lets the marks know they’re being conned by the irresistible ensemble or christopher mcquarrie’s dark, mischievous script. and then like that … it’s gone… —
andre sennwald in his december 21, 1934 new york times review praised dunn, wilson, and withers. sellon was singled out for his
great humorous skill
in portraying crotchety uncle ned. sennwald thought the film was at its best during temple’s delivery of the lollipop song and at its worst in the scenes involving the villainous smythes, who, for him, were so over - the - top as to be unrecognizable as human beings. he decided the film was composed of
old standbys of the hearts - and - flowers drama
, and noted that, “shirley romps through all her assignments with such persuasive charm and enkindling naturalness that she succeeds in being refreshing even in her most painfully arranged scenes .
this then is the most fabulous film which german industry has ever fashioned, the truly great ufa film, the photography of which soars with never before seen excellence - the hunt through the catacombs, up close to the walls, fiendishly nailing the sight of a child within the parameters of a flash - light - children fleeing a tidal wave, gigantic machinery at work and then explosively disintegrating, workers in revolt, a young man' s feint optically explored, the seven deadly sins coming to life in stone before the cathedral, man evolving in the electronic age, a view of the future through virtuoso cross - cutting (otto hunte' s) .
never for a moment does one believe any of this foolish story; for a moment is there anything amusing or convincing in its dreary series of strained events. it is immensely and strangely dull. it is not even to be laughed at. there is not one good - looking nor sympathetic nor funny personality in the cast; there is, indeed, no scope at all for looking well or acting like a rational creature amid these mindless, imitative absurdities. the film' s air of having something grave and wonderful to say is transparent pretence. it has nothing to do with any social or moral issue before the world or with any that can ever conceivably arise. it is bunkum and poor and thin even as bunkum. i am astonished at the toleration shown it by quite a number of film critics on both sides of the atlantic. and it costs, says the london times, six million marks! how they spent all that upon it i cannot imagine. most of the effects could have been got with models at no great expense .
{ herman g. scheffauer,' an impression of the german film metropolis', new york times, 6 march 1927. critical review by a n american writing from berlin. scheffauer is somewhat disappointed with this' wonderful' film' s failure to suspend disbelief and carry the audience into the future. he feels it is held back by too many contemporary references and failings, though he recognises it as a' master - film of the times.' }
the distracted person, too, can form habits. more, the ability to master certain tasks in a state of distraction proves that their solution has become a matter of habit. distraction as provided by art presents a covert control of the extent to which new tasks have become soluble by apperception. since, moreover, individuals are tempted to avoid such tasks, art will tackle the most difficult and most important ones where it is able to mobilize the masses. today it does so in the film. reception in a state of distraction, which is increasing noticeably in all fields of art and is symptomatic of profound changes in apperception, finds in the film its true means of exercise. the film with its shock effect meets this mode of reception halfway. the film makes the cult value recede into the background not only by putting the public in the position of the critic, but also by the fact that at the movies this position requires no attention. the public is an examiner, but an absent - minded one .
except it wasn’t that easy. like the ink on those yellow hard - boiled pages, film noir was a smeared affair from the start—hard to define and harder to reconcile. its characters were dirty, displaced, disillusioned, distrustful, just plain dumb. everyone was running some kind of scam, even the cops—especially the cops. everyone was out for themselves, phonies subject to their basest fears and vices. the attraction was as ugly as the repulsion. when he wasn’t a truth - seeker, our protag was often a criminal, at the very least someone of ambivalent moral code or weakness, a fall - guy running out of time, and hope for redemption. the world was a cruel and perilous place, be it the crowded streets or open road, the inner city or a rural outpost. there was no escape, no forgiveness. in fact, perhaps the only clear - cut element of noir was the razor - sharp, imminently quotable dialogue, and its venomous sense of humor .
in both quality of filmmaking and cynicism of spirit. this film not only announced hanson as a filmmaker well beyond his previous work (
someone at the door is a 1936 british drama film directed by herbert brenon and starring aileen marson , billy milton , noah beery , john irwin and edward chapman . a journalist comes up with a scheme to boost his career by inventing a fake murder but soon becomes embroiled in trouble when a real killing takes place . it is based on a successful west end play by campbell christie and his wife dorothy . 
someone at the door is a 1936 british drama film directed by herbert brenon and starring aileen marson, billy milton, noah beery, john irwin and edward chapman. a journalist comes up with a scheme to boost his career by inventing a fake murder but soon becomes embroiled in trouble when a real killing takes place. it is based on a successful west end play by campbell christie and his wife dorothy.
someone at the door is a 1936 british drama film directed by herbert brenon and starring aileen marson, billy milton, noah beery, john irwin and edward chapman. a journalist comes up with a scheme to boost his career by inventing a fake murder but soon becomes embroiled in trouble when a real killing takes place. it is based on a successful west end play by campbell christie and his wife dorothy.