|
Celebrate the Golden Age of the Silver Screen!
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
| |
|
MAY 3
CAPTAIN BLOOD Condemned to a life of slavery, Peter Blood battles his way to freedom. This dashing, daring outlaw leaps into piracy and swashbuckling adventure, wenching, and swordfights on the high seas. The role that made Errol Flynn a star. "Flynn conveys the essence of a rakish buccaneer... a rollicking good time."--Reel.com. 1935 "We, the undersigned, are men without a country. Outlaws in our own land and homeless outcasts in any other. Desperate men, we go to seek a desperate fortune... We, the hunted, will now hunt!"--Errol Flynn, dedicating his ship's crew to a life of piracy
|
Errol Flynn's Captain Blood relishes being a lawless pirate
|
FYI
Flynn's fourth American movie, and his first starring role. Also his first movie with director Michael Curtiz. They would make 12 together, including The Adventures of Robin Hood three years later, also with Olivia deHavilland. Indeed, this was the first of 11 pictures the two actors made together. Flynn was famously hedonistic, a chauvenistic rogue, who was convinced that the purpose of a woman -- any woman -- was to make him happy. He just wanted to have a good time. "I intend to live the first half of my life," he said. "I don't care about the rest." Good thing, too... because he died when he was 50.
|
|
JUNE 14
DARK VICTORY A Bette Davis triumph. When spoiled rich girl Judith learns she has a fatal brain tumor, she lashes out at her doctor, her lovers, her best friend. But she finally discovers a reason to live: she falls in love. And then she dies, beautifully, to stirring music. "Packs a potent emotional wallop... profoundly affecting."-Joe Leydon 1939 "I think I'll have a large order of prognosis negative!"--Bette Davis furiously announcing that she's discovered her fate Note: this movie screens on the second Saturday in June
|
Davis's Judith Traherne struggles with her mortality; Humphrey Bogart hopes to help
|
FYI
It's obvious from the beginning that Judith is doomed. Even though we know the ending, it's fascinating watching her get there. Bette Davis runs the gamut from loving and sweet to petulant, evasive, and outraged. Plus she suffers. And nobody was more fun to watch suffer. Tallulah Bankhead starred as Judith in the Broadway production of the original play, which ran for 51 performances in 1934. The movie received three Academy Award nominations: best actress, best movie, and best original score. Any other year, Warners may have succeeded. But this was 1939. So of course Davis lost to Vivien Leigh and the movie lost to Gone With the Wind. And Max Steiner's score lost to The Wizard of Oz. But what great competition!
|
|
JULY 5
LAVENDER HILL MOB Everyone underestimates Alec Guinness, which makes his daring scheme all the more delicious. With help from Stanley Holloway, the unassuming bank clerk plots to steal gold bullion from his bank and smuggle it into France. Who needs the lottery? "The most nearly perfect fubsy comedy of all time. It's a minor classic, a charmer."-Pauline Kael. 1951 Manager: The trouble with you, Holland, if I may speak frankly, is that you do not have enough ambition. When a good opportunity comes along grab it with both hands. May not occur again.
Guinness: Very good, sir. I'll follow your advice.--Guinness's fubsy clerk, plotting to do exactly as he's told
|
Life is good for Alec Guinness and Stanley Holloway -- all that money!
|
FYI
The understated, satirical tone of this movie is typical of Ealing Studios, the production company responsible for it. So are the star, the director (Charles Chrichton), and the writer (T.E.B. Clarke). According to The Film Encyclopedia, Ealing comedies were "typically British in their irreverent, self-deprecating, understated humor." Alec Guinness received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He lost to Gary Cooper in High Noon. But five years later, he received an Oscar for his role as Col. Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai. Guinness attracted the attention of a younger generation as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars, a role he hated... and he hated that people liked it so much. "I shrivel up every time someone mentions Star Wars to me," he said.
|
AUGUST 2
THE 39 STEPS
Alfred Hitchcock explores a favorite theme: the innocent man who stumbles into trouble. Accused of murder and handcuffed to Madeleine Carroll, Robert Donat struggles to outwit the cops while he hunts for a treacherous cadre of spies. "Zippy, punchy, romantic... The entertainment holds like steel cable from start to finish." --Variety. 1935 "One thing he cannot disguise -- this: half of his little finger is missing. So if ever you should meet a man with no top joint there, be very careful."--Ill-fated spy telling ill-fated Robert Donat -- and us -- how to recognize the bad guy
|
Robert Donat thoroughly annoying Madeleine Carrol
|
FYI
HItchcock wanted to film the book by John Buchan for one reason: he loved the implied difficulties presented by a man and a woman who hate each other forced to spend hours handcuffed together. The situation tickled him: what about when they needed to use the bathroom? Oh, how much fun.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
