Starring: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds
Directed by: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly
Number on the AFI List: 5
Year: 1952
The only thing I knew about Singin' in the Rain before last night was that in order for the rain to show up on film, the production team used milk instead of water for the famous "Singin in the Rain" number. So I was kind of surprised there isn't a lot of singing in the rain in this film. It's only one moment. Maybe I'm the only person in existence who didn't know that (fact).
HOWEVER, this movie is a fantastic musical comedy filled with great singing and TAP DANCING (that I ALWAYS love). I consistently enjoy movies about making movies, and this one was no exception. I must say, Lina Lamont, played by Jean Hagen, was my favorite character. Her voice! So funny. The three leads were fantastic dancers and singers; I must say though, Donald O'Connor stole the show with his quirky and hilarious depiction of Cosmo Brown. I also enjoyed the use of "special effects" in this movie; I don't think I've seen any sort of special effects since King Kong! Overall, Singin in the Rain was a funny and charming movie that I will be glad to watch over and over again!
Wow, what an adventure! Filmed on location in Congo, The African Queen is a tremendous story
about Charlie Allnut (Bogart) and Rose Sayer (Hepburn) travelling along a river
in Africa after the outbreak of WWI in order to blow up a German ship. This
unlikely duo-one a poor Canadian outcast and the other a British missionary who
has just lost her brother-find love in the midst of hardship along the way. The
acting of course is spectacular, with Bogart winning the Academy Award for his
performance (beating out Brando in “Streetcar,”
no less!) in 1952. Watching their love story unfold is endearing, with many
humorous moments while Rose tries to resist the temptation of falling for
Charlie. Of course, who can resist a man who takes you on an epic journey
through the African jungle!
What makes the film more spectacular is the cinematography;
even though there is nothing remarkable about the shooting style, the fact that
they shot most of it in Africa (in glorious Technicolor!) is quite the
achievement for that day in age. The Technicolor camera was HUGE, with three
rolls of film being shot at one time.
The crew had the arduous task of
travelling along the river with the Technicolor camera, lights, and other
equipment, all while suffering from any and all illnesses the African jungle had
to offer.
Overall, this movie is a treat to watch and one that will be
remembered through the ages.
Favorite moment: The moment when Rose finally gives into Charlie and allows herself to fall in love!
Starring: Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Kim
Hunter
Directed by: Elia Kazan
Number on the AFI List: 47
Year: 1951
Confessions of a bad former theatre major: I’ve
never read, nor seen, Streetcar
before, either in play form or film form, so this was my first experience with
either. I know, I know. Express your outrage. But at least I’ve
seen it now!
From all advertising, it seems like this movie belongs to
Marlon Brando (considering it was his film debut, I understand), but let’s
be honest: this film belongs to Vivien Leigh. She portrays Blanche Dubois with
dramatic flare only closely matched by Gloria Swanson in Sunset Blvd. Leigh fully commits to Blanche’s
erratic behavior, manipulating flirtation, and spiral into insanity, all of
which were riveting to watch. She was by far the most interesting character of
the film. Brando was also fantastic as Stanley; I would never say anything
negative about the greatest actor of all time. He has magnificent control and
dedication to Stanley that never seems over the top or showy. While Blanche’s
manipulation is more obvious, Stanley sucks those around him in-namely Stella-
with his threatening anger and charm. I can’t forget Kim Hunter’s
fantastic portrayal of Stella; she is the victim of everyone’s
ills and yet the glue trying to keep everything together. Stella has also
fallen from her former high society life but has been able to move on; her
insistence to compliment her sister to keep her sane, coupled with being stuck
with an abusive husband, is heartbreaking. Kudos of course goes to Tennessee
Williams for writing such complex characters with dark secrets and troubled
pasts. Tragically, not one character can break out of the downward spiral they're on. As Stella’s neighbor tells her at the end:
“We gotta keep on going, baby. No
matter what happens, we gotta keep on going.”
Favorite moment: The final moment between Blanche and
Stanley.
Will I Watch it again: Yes!
MOVIE 30! This means I get to update my own AFI list. This is getting more and more difficult as these movies get better and better!
1. City Lights
2. It's a Wonderful Life
3. Modern Times
4. Sunset Boulevard
5. Sunrise 6. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 7. Wizard of Oz 8. Gone with the Wind 9. A Streetcar Named Desire 10. Citizen Kane 11. All About Eve 12. Sullivan's Travels 13. Double Indemnity 14. Casablanca 15. Bringing up Baby 16. The Gold Rush 17. The Best Years of our Lives 18. The Maltese Falcon 19. Yankee Doodle Dandy 20. It Happened One Night 21. A Night at the Opera 22. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre 23. The Grapes of Wrath 24. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington 25. The General 26. King Kong 27. The Philadelphia Story 28. Intolerance 29. Swing Time 30. Duck Soup
Starring: Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, Celeste
Holm
Directed by: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Number on the AFI List: 28
Year: 1950
“Fasten your seatbelts. It’s
going to be a bumpy night.”
Way to go Joseph L. Mankiewicz for directing a
film with great female characters back in the 50s. I knew something was wrong
with Eve, played by Anne Baxter, from the moment I first saw her on screen. As
suspected, she turned out to be a conniving wannabe actress looking to ride the
coattails of an already successful actress, Margo Channing, played by Bette
Davis. What’s infuriating about the movie is Eve becomes successful
(not a spoiler-it’s the opening scene). What’s
satisfying is that it’s not exactly in the way Eve had
intended. I was captured by the story from the moment the movie began until it
ended, and appreciated the discussion of theatre and what it takes to make it
as an actor/actress. How far will one go to achieve fame and fortune? How many
people will one manipulate, step on, or even blackmail in order to achieve
their dreams? Unfortunately, this is done far too often in an industry where,
one “gives so much for so little,”
and yet is addicted to praise and applause-like Eve.
I can’t express how great the acting is
from every actress in this movie. Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, and Celeste Holm,
dominated this movie with power, conviction, and believability. And get this-
no need for overt sex appeal! All three leading women were distinct in their
character work. Davis avoided stereotypical actress clichés with great control
and beautifully carried the film. Baxter played Eve with wonderful poise and
subtleties, feigning innocence and playing her hidden motives like a skilled
poker player. Holm was a breath of fresh air as the kindhearted, matronly Karen
Richards, whose sweetness and naiveté kept the others down to earth. None of
these women got the Oscars they deserved, but I’m glad the movie won the
well deserved best picture!
“All playwrights should be dead
for 300 years!”
“That would solve none of their
problems because actresses never die! The stars never die and never change!”
Favorite moment: The conversation on the staircase at Margo's house where they talk about what it is to be a theatre person. I can't find a clip online but it's a great moment!
Starring: Gloria Swanson, William Holden, Erich Von Stroheim
Directed by: Billy Wilder
Number on the AFI List:
Year: 1950
“You can’t
leave a star, that is what makes one a star!”
Led by Gloria Swanson, one of the greatest actresses of the
silent film and film noir era, Sunset Boulevard exposes the harsh reality that
is fame in Hollywood from both the beginning stages to the end. Joe Gillis,
played by William Holden, is a struggling writer from Ohio who can’t
catch a break, and ends up at Norma Desmond’s home (played by
Swanson) after experiencing a flat tire. Little did he know he was entering a
washed up silent film star’s home, a woman who has gone
literally insane over her loss of fame over the years, so much so that she will
manipulate anyone she can in order to keep them by her side. The two are struggling
with the exact same thing, a lack of fame, though one is trying to break in and
the other is living under the illusion she is still famous. Thus, the curtain
has risen and we see the great and powerful Oz is not who he says he is, but a
phony (wait, that was a different movie). Nevertheless, the metaphor still
applies: what you see on screen doesn’t show the cruel reality
that is living up to Hollywood standards. If you’re not careful, you’ll
find yourself lost in a dream world having to pay to keep people around you, or
worse, dead.
I’ve admired Swanson’s
role in this film for many years. Her commitment to this washed up woman may
seem overdone and fake, but while re-watching it this time I realized that is
exactly who Norma Desmond is- a woman lost in her own world, over dramatic with
no sense of reality. This is especially proven when she decides to perform her “Desmond
follies” for Joe, taking on different silly characters one right
after the other. Her Charlie Chaplin impersonation is spot on.
After doing some research, I realized Swanson had a similar
career path as Desmond’s, although Swanson had a successful
shift into talkies. This movie was Swanson’s first major motion
picture in nine years. She was one of the best silent film actresses and had a
great connection with Cecil De Mille (as depicted in the movie), she was apparently
demanding to work with, and had a plethora of husbands. I wonder how much of
her life inspired the writing of the movie, and if Swanson was anything like
her character in real life.
I could keep talking about and quoting this movie. It's definitely one of my favorites of all time. Many thanks to my theatre teacher, Mr. Parker, for recommending I watch it for inspiration for my role as Medea in 11th grade. This movie made me want to be an actress. So, thank you.
Favorite scene: While this isn't the full clip, I love the initial meeting between Desmond and Gillis. Her next famous quote is "There once was a time in this business when I had the eyes of the whole world! But that wasn't good enough for them, oh no! They had to have the ears the whole world too. So they opened their big mouths and out came talk. Talk. Talk!" As someone who greatly appreciates silent films and have yet to watch a talkie better "City Lights," I couldn't agree more!
