guidon7
Joined Dec 2004
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guidon7's rating
Before I get to the main point of my comment let me first say that Gilda is without doubt one of Hollywood's greats, this due in no small measure to Hayworth, Ford and Macready who give the performances of their lives.
I note that some have claimed here that a homosexual relationship exists between Johnny (Ford) and Ballin (Macready), even so far as to include Ballin's sword-cane in the relationship. (Dr. Freud, please take note.) However, I maintain this premise to be totally false.
While these claims may just be a misunderstanding by those who make them, nevertheless I do have to wonder: could it be instead that those who make the claims have an agenda of their own to promote?
Timewise, as late as the 1946 Gilda at least, loyalty was alive and well and still considered a virtue by a majority of Americans. Alas, in today's world loyalty no longer seems to be held in such high regard; instead, in my estimation anyhow, examples of loyalty seem to be viewed with skepticism along with unfounded suspicions that ulterior motives are in play.
The relationship between these two is in fact a strong bond of friendship and loyalty; nothing more, nothing less. In spite of the obviously false attempts to read something else into Johnny and Ballin's relationship, I am sorry -- homosexuality is just not there.
I note that some have claimed here that a homosexual relationship exists between Johnny (Ford) and Ballin (Macready), even so far as to include Ballin's sword-cane in the relationship. (Dr. Freud, please take note.) However, I maintain this premise to be totally false.
While these claims may just be a misunderstanding by those who make them, nevertheless I do have to wonder: could it be instead that those who make the claims have an agenda of their own to promote?
Timewise, as late as the 1946 Gilda at least, loyalty was alive and well and still considered a virtue by a majority of Americans. Alas, in today's world loyalty no longer seems to be held in such high regard; instead, in my estimation anyhow, examples of loyalty seem to be viewed with skepticism along with unfounded suspicions that ulterior motives are in play.
The relationship between these two is in fact a strong bond of friendship and loyalty; nothing more, nothing less. In spite of the obviously false attempts to read something else into Johnny and Ballin's relationship, I am sorry -- homosexuality is just not there.
When the L&H Fan Club "The Sons of the Desert" was formed in the early 1960's, Stan, who had sustained a crippling stroke, nevertheless gave his blessing to the formation of the club and supplied the motto for it, which I have repeated above. (Another of his witticisms which I like is "You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead").
Theo Robertson in his comment above wondered whether either of the boys were fishermen. I don't believe Hardy was but Laurel in his younger days was a keen big game fisherman and fished regularly off Catalina Island for swordfish or marlin. Catalina Island, Theo, is about an hour boat trip from Los Angeles, for your information. He loved the water and had his own boat in those days.
In 1962 I visited Stan at his apartment in the Oceana Hotel in Santa Monica. A wonderful experience and a fond memory for this writer. One question I asked him was about Walter Long, the villain of villains in many of their films. His reply was that surprisingly, Long was one of the mildest men he had ever known and absolutely would not hurt a fly. That came as a big surprise for me.
Theo Robertson in his comment above wondered whether either of the boys were fishermen. I don't believe Hardy was but Laurel in his younger days was a keen big game fisherman and fished regularly off Catalina Island for swordfish or marlin. Catalina Island, Theo, is about an hour boat trip from Los Angeles, for your information. He loved the water and had his own boat in those days.
In 1962 I visited Stan at his apartment in the Oceana Hotel in Santa Monica. A wonderful experience and a fond memory for this writer. One question I asked him was about Walter Long, the villain of villains in many of their films. His reply was that surprisingly, Long was one of the mildest men he had ever known and absolutely would not hurt a fly. That came as a big surprise for me.