Fifty Years of Film in 50 weeks, #14, a 'Hidden Classic': Death Takes a Holiday, 1934

Bad News: Due to a confluence of events I am now officially one week behind in my film-watching and blog updates for this series. I hope I can make up the difference to end the year on goal!

Good News: I'm thrilled to be submitting this post as part of the Classic Movie Blog Association's Spring Blogathon on 'Hidden Classics'. Click on the image below to access everyone's choices of films that you may not have heard of but definitely should watch.

My 'hidden classic' is: Death Takes a Holiday, from 1934.

Director: Mitchell Leisen
Writers: Maxwell Anderson and Gladys Lehman, adapted from the play by Alberto Casella
Cinematographer: Charles Lang
Visual Effects (not minor here): Gordon Jennings

Produced by: Emanuel Cohen and E. Lloyd Sheldon for Paramount Pictures
Starring: Fredric March, Evelyn Venable, Guy Standing, Katherine Alexander, Henry Travers, Gail Patrick, Kent Taylor, Kathleen Howard

Why I chose it
Once again, I reached out to a film friend for some recommendations of 1934 films I hadn't seen; this one was on her list and then it won my Twitter poll ( the other options: Lady By Choice, Crime Without Passion, and Cleopatra).

'No-spoiler' plot overview
A small group of wealthy, fun-loving families plans to enjoy some time together in an Italian villa, but challenges ensue when they are visited for three days by mysterious Prince Sirki, who seems to know little of common courtesies. Unknown to all but Duke Lambert, the owner of the villa, Prince Sirki is the earthly disguise for none other than the Grim Reaper, or Death himself, who has decided to take a few days off from whisking mortals to the afterlife. His objective? To better understand why humans fear him. He lives it up with fun and games, and enjoys the attentions of several women in the party. He's particularly enthralled with young Grazia, who is engaged to Corrado, son of the Duke. He's a quick learner and realizes love is the transcendent driver of the human experience.

Production Background 

• This film was director Leisen's second feature; his first was Cradle Song, also starring Evelyn Venable and putting her ethereal beauty to good use. (I saw Cradle Song at the Capitolfest Film Festival a few years back). 
• The play was translated into English by Walter Ferris, and this was the version adapted for the film. Ferris, for his part, went on to become a screenwriter himself. 
• According to an account by Leisen, the film succeeded for Paramount, and he received mail from fans saying they no longer feared death!
• A remake called Meet Joe Black was released 53 years later starring Brad Pitt. I'd feel better about death, too, if I knew it took the shape of a handsome leading man!

Some other notable film-related events in 1934*:

• The pre-Code Era comes to an end: An amendment to the Production Code established the Production Code Administration (PCA), which required all films to acquire a certificate of approval before release or face a penalty of $25,000. The members of the MPPDA agreed not to release or distribute any film that didn't carry the seal. The MPPDA appointed Joseph Breen as the director of the PCA to enforce the Production Code. The era of "separate beds" was inaugurated.
• The Catholic Church formed the Legion of Decency to boycott any film that didn't use the Production Code as a guideline.
• Louis de Rochemont began the documentary newsreel film series, The March of Time.
• The Thin Man was the first installment of a popular series of six MGM films casting a sophisticated, glamorous, pleasure-seeking, and urbane husband-wife detective team (William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles). The story was taken from Dashiell Hammett's 1934 detective novel of the same name. Eventually, Powell and Loy appeared in 14 feature films together (from 1934 to 1947).
• Famed child star Shirley Temple made her feature film debut in 1934, producing several films that year for Fox and Paramount. In 1935, Shirley won the Juvenile Academy Award for her film work encompassing 1934, and became the first female to receive a "special" Oscar.

My Random Observations

• Some movies blow you away when you first see them; others that leave you flat on first viewing come to life on the second. I'm glad I watched this twice as it fell in the latter of those two categories. At first, the film seemed a bit too mannered for me. But once you accept some of the conceits that are built into the script, and realize those conceits are part of the point, the film really comes to life. The characters are all well-drawn, even if the film doesn't reach 90 minutes, which is a delight in itself. I particularly enjoyed Guy Standing as the nervous Duke, who must keep the dreadful secret about his mysterious houseguest. 
• I smiled when I counted the various fairy tales and legends that seemed to find their way into this script; in particular, it seemed a mash-up of Cinderella, The Flying Dutchman, and Jekyll and Hyde (the latter aided by the presence of Fredric March, who had portrayed Stephenson's protagonist(s) two years earlier).
• Fredric March sure looked good at this stage in his career. That said, the accent he adopted here, made to sound 'foreign' no doubt, reminded me of Dracula. It didn't help that he had dark make-up around his eyes that hinted at his supernatural origin.
• Evelyn Venable had some amazing gowns in this film (yay, Edith Head & Travis Banton). And despite her beauty and attire, she totally convinced as the spiritual young woman not interested in the pleasures of earthly life. Maybe that is because she already had them (!).
• I love when Gail Patrick appears in a film - she is a willowy beauty from the early Hollywood days who had enough of a haughty air to prevent her from *ever* getting a lead role in a film and was always relegated to the part of romantic rival (Love Crazy), nasty sister (My Man Godfrey), or the like. She played these roles to perfection, and I suppose was grateful to have a long, fruitful career in Hollywood nonetheless. After her acting career, she got into producing, and was apparently named 'Los Angeles Woman of the Year' twice!

Screenshots

Just one of several times that Grazia (Venable) gives Corrado
(Taylor) a weary look when he presses her to marry him, again.

Cruising down a twisty road at night - the light on Venable
vs. the shadows on her friends was striking.

What kind of villa is this? Gothic-Greek-shabby-chic?

The shadowy figure of Death approaches at Midnight.

Duke Lambert tries to keep it together in a conversation with Death.

The guests are stunned to see the arrival of Prince Sirki...

...a vision in white, looking like Fredric March.

Gail Patrick's and Katharine Alexanders' characters are 
forced into a rivalry trying to be the first to get the attention
of the handsome Prince.

The Prince grins as his holiday has the effect of keeping 
people from the death that would have been inevitable had
he been on the job.

Cesaria (Travers) lectures the Prince on life and love.

Now this is scary -- when provoked, the Prince shows his dark side.

The Prince looks on after giving Alda (Alexander) the scare of
her life.

The Prince and Grazia have a dance before midnight.

Where to Watch

I watched the film on Archive.org here, but it is also available on DVD. 

Further Reading
A bit of production history and discussion of the special effects are shared in TCM's film article here.

I love reading snarky contemporaneous reviews, and this one by Helen Brown Norden for Vanity Fair fits the bill (you will have to scroll down the page a bit to find it). She made an observation that I also did above: "Fredric March plays Death as if he thought he might possibly be Dracula; and he intones all his words with an awesome, old-Shakespearian-actor solemnity." 

Don't forget to check out all the posts highlighting 'hidden classics' here, and have fun!

Planning my schedule--sort of--at the 10th Annual TCM Film Festival

Well, it's that time again and the annual Turner Classic Movies Film Festival will explode in Hollywood bigger than ever in under two weeks now. (It's the 10th anniversary of the Festival and the 25th anniversary of the TV channel, and all passes have sold out for the first time.) While I'm excited to be attending, I so far haven't succeeded in building my complete schedule ahead of time, because with up to five different films showing in every time slot, and great guests appearing, my decision-making abilities have vanished--I need help, people!

In any case, I've captured my thoughts here as my festival planning is still very much a work in progress. Perhaps it's good not to get too committed, as it's inevitable that things change at the last minute. So, here goes:

Thursday, April 11
So for opening night, I can eliminate a few films pretty quickly: When Harry Met Sally (1989) (only for higher-level passholders), Dark Passage (1947), (seen it recently), The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) (seen it recently on the big screen), Mogambo (1953) (sorry, no interest). The remaining films are all up for grabs.

Marilyn Monroe & Jane Russell

Option 1: I'll admit my first instinct was to head to the Egyptian Theater for Gentleman Prefer Blondes (1953) because it would certainly be fun to get the festival started with a rousing, fun musical with Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell--that, plus I've not seen the entire thing. If I did that, I could stick around and see another fun film, or at least I believe it's fun as I haven't watched the entire thing ever -- The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer (1947). (Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, and an adolescent Shirley Temple star).

Option 2: I'm also tempted to hang out by the pool for the outdoor screening of Ocean's 11 (1960). Angie Dickinson will be there, and outdoor screenings are usually a blast -- unless it's uncomfortably cold. In which case, it's best to be inside a warm cinema. This one ends late, so if I choose it, there will be no time to get to any other.

Gary Cooper as Sergeant York

Option 3: Sergeant York (1941) is screening at the Legion Theater (a new venue for the festival) and here's another Gary Cooper classic I haven't seen. In addition, members of the York family will be there to provide perspective to film-goers. What an amazing opportunity! If I choose this one, though, the timing is such that it will be my only film for the evening.

Friday, April 12
Morning Schedule: The first film of the day was an easy one for me: Merrily We Go To Hell (1932): it's a pre-code and who can resist a title like that? Fredric March plays a drunk and I'll be interested to see how it compares to his Norman Maine in A Star is Born (1937). After that, I may do something I've never done before: go to the Grauman's Chinese Hand & Footprint Ceremony for Billy Crystal, one of my favorite entertainers who so deserves this honor. For the second slot of the morning, my inner film geek will likely take over as I head over to the Legion Theater for What's Not To Love About Republic Serials? which promises film clips showcasing behind the scenes of the low-budget sci-fi/action short films from Republic pictures.

Afternoon schedule:  For the early slot, for me it's a choice between My Favorite Wife (1940),  (another Cary Grant classic) and the seminal silent film Sunrise (1927). I absolutely LOVE Sunrise, and it was one of the films that awakened my classic film obsession. However, my first view of this one was on the big screen with a new score performed live by the Berklee Silent Film Orchestra, so this screening wouldn't be a novelty for me. My Favorite Wife is a film new to me, and Jennifer Grant, Cary's daughter will be on hand to share her insights about her famous dad. It's a tough choice. Also, tugging at me will be the Hollywood Black Backlot meetup at 3:30, with a chance to meet author and film historian Donald Bogle, and get a free copy of his book.

Evening Schedule: For the later afternoon/early evening slot, I'm tempted to hang out near the Chinese cinema #6 for Vanity Street (1932) and Open Secret (1948). These are low-budget "discoveries" and are new to me. The former stars one of my favorites, Charles Bickford, in a rare leading man part. I'd be tempted to attend Steel Magnolias (1989) with the original playwright, Robert Harling, and star Shirley MacLaine in attendance (Wow!). The only thing is, this film will come to a local cinema later this year as part of the TCM/Fathom Big Screen Classics Series, and I will no doubt catch it then with our newly-minted TCM Boston Backlot chapter. The final and best option for me may be to head to Day For Night, a 1973 Truffaut film starring Jacqueline Bisset, with Ms. Bisset in attendance to offer her thoughts. I've not even heard of this one, (!) so a pleasant surprise may be in store for me here.

Late evening: Here it's a toss up between Road House (1948) and Winchester '73 (1950). The former, a film noir starring Richard Widmark and Ida Lupino, has been on my watch list for a while. And, it'll be shown in gorgeous black-and-white on nitrate. If I'm in a Western sort of mood, I'll head over to the Jimmy Stewart classic, to check another one off my watch list. And oh by the way, no midnight movie for me -- just can't do it!

Saturday, April 13

Barbara Rush in
When Worlds Collide

Morning schedule: It doesn't get much easier on Saturday. My first choice will be between All Through the Night, a comedy-thriller starring Humphrey Bogart from 1942, and When Worlds Collide (1951), a sci-fi "discovery" in which star Barbara Rush will be at the screening. The morning's dark horse is The Little Colonel (1935), a classic Shirley Temple film. Since I've not seen any of her films from her golden age--childhood that is--this is an opportunity to rectify that. For the second slot, I'm pretty much decided to see the classic British comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949); it's new to me, plus young Alec Guinness, people!

Afternoon Schedule: For the early slot, I'm tempted by A Raisin In the Sun (1961), which is universally acclaimed and stars the great Sidney Poitier. Alternatively, there is a double feature starring silent cowboy star Tom Mix -- with live piano accompaniment from Ben Model. I could be very happy there! For the second slot, it will come down to one of these two: 1) Nashville (1975) -- this one is considered a Robert Altman classic and I've yet to see it. And as far as special guests--there is huge list for this one, including Jeff Goldblum, Keith Carradine, and (gulp!) Lily Tomlin! 2) The other option is It Happened Here (1964) a documentary-styled war drama from film historian and preservationist Kevin Brownlow. Mr. Brownlow will be there also to receive the 2nd annual Robert Osborne Award, and I would love to see him be honored that way.

Acclaimed Western star of the
early cinema, Tom Mix

Late evening Schedule:  If there is time after Nashville lets out, I'll plan Indiscreet (1958) with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. It's directed by recently-deceased Stanley Donen. If I've decided I've had my fill of Cary Grant already, (I know, right?!) If I don't make it to that and still feel like continuing my film-watching, I'll probably go for Samson & Delilah (1949), shown in nitrate with Victoria Mature, daughter of star Victor Mature, there for the screening. Hmm...on second thought...maybe that should be my #1 selection!

Sunday, April 15
Morning Schedule: The last day of the festival is always bittersweet, but still full. There is also the issue of all the 'TBA' slots -- these get announced the day before when festival planners assess how many popular films from earlier in the weekend had to turn away attendees, and thus deserve another shot on the big screen. Assuming none of the TBAs is a huge draw for me, the day still starts out with a really difficult choice: Mad Love (1935), Peter Lorre's first U.S. film, The Defiant Ones (1958), which earned Sidney Poitier his first Oscar nod, or Holiday (1938), the Cary Grant/Katharine Hepburn romp? I've not seen any of them, and all will be great, so...dear reader, any suggestions?? It may all depend on how many of these stars' other films I've seen so far at the festival.

After this, I'll likely take a little break before the TCM Backlot Members' Meetup starting at 1:30. Since our Boston chapter just formed, with yours truly as co-chair, I want to meet other members and get ideas from established chapters.

Evening Schedule: Before the closing night party, I'll need to make at least one more choice for a late afternoon/early evening film. I expect I'll be strongly tempted by The Dolly Sisters (1945) starring Betty Grable and June Haver. It's a technicolor musical to be screened on nitrate, so I expect it'll be a fun way to close out the festival. No epics (Gone with the Wind, Godfather II) for me!

And that will be a wrap, folks! I'd love to hear your thoughts. The full schedule can be found here. Check back for my summary of my actual experiences!

William Wellman - Part 1: Four early films

William Wellman and friend (IMDb)

My love for the Harvard Film Archive* just gets stronger and stronger. Exhibit A: Their current William Wellman retrospective.  Wellman is one of those Hollywood directors that lacks the name recognition of a Hitchcock, John Ford, Frank Capra and the like.  But his talent produced some of the best and/or most entertaining films made in Hollywood over four decades, including a film I wrote about last year, The Ox-Bow Incident.  And, as I discovered, he's a native of my current town, Brookline, Massachusetts, and for that alone, this retrospective grabbed my attention.  [Go here for the full list of films in the retrospective.]

Sadly, I can't attend all the screenings, despite my efforts to look for ways to camp out on the grass at Harvard Yard(!)  But, in the first ten days of the series, I got to four of his early films.  This post is simply my appreciation for Wellman's craft as shown in these films, all of which were first-time viewings for me.  In a later post, I'll write about some of his later films.

First, some facts--and/or legends--about William Wellman:

• He was born in Brookline but attended high school in Newton, Mass., down the road, where he apparently got expelled for dropping a stink-bomb on the principal's head.
• He played professional ice hockey.
• He became a fighter pilot in WWI.
• He piloted his airplane onto the grounds of Pickfair (the Douglas Fairbanks-Mary Pickford Hollywood estate) when given a casual invitation to "drop by" after Fairbanks saw him play in a hockey match.
• He got his start as an actor in films in the silent era, due to his connection with Fairbanks, but quickly became much more interested in directing.
• He directed Fairbanks' son, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., in Love is a Racket (1932).
• For his escapades before and during his film career, he earned the nickname "Wild Bill" Wellman.  The picture above tells it all, doesn't it?!
• His film Wings was the first, in 1928, to win what is now known as the 'Best Picture' Oscar.
• His 1931 film The Public Enemy made a star of James Cagney and helped propel Jean Harlow out of obscurity.
• He directed the first-ever version of A Star is Born (1937).
• His directing style was wide-ranging, with an emphasis on action and movement, as well as on realistic settings.  His pre-code output in the early 30s was the greatest of his career. 

Battle scenes in Wings (IMDb)

Wings (Paramount, 1927 -- silent).

This is the first film in history to win the best picture Oscar. It tells the story of two friends in small town America who become fighter pilots in WWI. Their friendship is strengthened, but also is their rivalry, which stems from their love for the same woman back home.  There are heroic scenes aplenty, and some moments of tragedy.

The Wellman touch:  It's part action/war flick and part melodrama.  Wellman clearly put his flying expertise into this--the action shots were made by mounting cameras on actual airplanes and capturing real planes, carrying the real stars (!), flying up and down and over in the great skies. The film obviously was a huge success and played in some cinemas continually for over a year.

l-r: Charles Rogers, Clara  Bow,
Richard Arlen (HFA)

What impressed me:  The star power in this film is top caliber for the day, and oh my, the stars were stunningly gorgeous.  Richard Arlen and Jobyna Ralston in particular, but also Charles (Buddy) Rogers and Clara Bow, the 'IT' girl of the day, who unfortunately had a tendency to overplay in this one. Gary Cooper makes a brief appearance, but he would shortly eclipse all these stars in the popularity department.  Even El Brendel, as the comic relief, looked good here(!).

It's no secret that the action sequences are jaw-dropping, but seeing them on the big screen elicited gasps from me, and others, on more than one occasion.  The scope of the battlefield scenes reminds us that the silent era did not necessarily skimp on craft or quality compared to the sound era--directors like Wellman made the most of what was available to them, and often dreamed big.  Watch below for one of the big aerial scenes.

Beggars of Life (Paramount, 1928-silent).  

Richard Arlen again was the star in this one, but rather than a war story, this film shows the adventures of two young down-on-their-luck vagrants, the other being silent legend Louise Brooks.  The two fall in love while trying to run from the law, and get entangled with a dangerous gang.  This film was recently restored and released on Kino Lorber.

The Wellman touch:  Silent film melodrama works well when the emotions of the film's characters, the backbone of the film, are done justice by the choices the actors and director make.  The best directors work with the glory of the 'faces' they had back then to draw us in.  Wellman was terrific at this, using powerful close-ups in key moments.  But true to form, he also kept the pace moving quickly, with action sequences in this case on and around moving trains.

Louise Brooks sees Richard Arlen's character for the first time

What impressed me:  This film is a perfect demonstration of how great silent cinematic melodrama, like opera, often focuses on no more than three central characters confronting life-altering circumstances or choices.  Regardless of how realistic the scenarios are, the art is in us finding the universal feelings of the human condition and losing ourselves in the experience.  

Wellman was able to get his actors to be the best they could be: Louise Brooks, both androgynous and stunning, and Richard Arlen, handsome, virile, and yet sensitive. And for the "villain" Wallace Beery, an oafish presence in most of his films, but here his talent is inarguable.  There is a scene toward the end of the movie where his character goes through a change of heart.  With only pantomime and facial expression - Beery is so so good. I gained a new respect for Beery as an actor. 

Wallace Beery in Beggars of Life 

Beau Geste (Paramount, 1939)

The British colonial adventure novel, Beau Geste, by Percival Christopher Wren, was filmed so many times that a parody in 1977 was called The Last Remake of Beau Geste (note to self - I need to watch that sometime.) The basic story is that of the three Geste brothers, Beau, John, and Digby; they join the foreign legion and have to defend a fort in the Sahara under attack by Arabs.  In the meantime, one of them, unknown to the others, has stolen a jewel from his adoptive mother in order to protect her from scandal and bankruptcy.  Adventures ensue.  This particular film was the first 'talking' version, coming 13 years after the highly successful silent version starring Ronald Colman.

Robert Preston, Gary Cooper, and Ray Milland as the
Geste brothers, in civilian dress. (photo from HFA).

The brothers in their uniforms (IMDb)

The Wellman touch:  Here Wellman again used his love of realistic locales, and arranged for the filming of this in real sand dunes in 'Buttercup Valley' California, near the Arizona border, the same location as the 1926 film.  As usual he put his actors through the rugged treatment, but they all gained respect for him, as, according to Preston, on an off night in a Mexican border town, a character came to their table and reminded Wellman he served as his airplane mechanic in the war (from Majestic Hollywood: The Greatest Films of 1939, by Mark Vieira).

Brian Donlevy (from allposterimages.com)

What impressed me:  I was pretty sure I had not seen this version going in, but when it started, it looked so familiar I began to question if I indeed had seen it. It turns out, it was the silent version I had seen, but this one adhered so closely to the that the deja vu feeling was strong and understandable.  Despite being familiar with the story, I particularly loved the commitment and zest that Brian Donlevy put into his role as the sadistic commander of the troops at the fort.  He deservedly won the Oscar for supporting actor as a result.  Apparently, he was not popular on the set, having immersed himself a bit too deeply as Sgt. Markoff.

At the beginning, the camera pans over the fort, where men are stationed one per lookout point, across the top. It is creepy, in that all of the men are staring out at us, but we realize with horror that every face is that of a dead man, killed in action, but propped up to look like he is at his post.  This was also a choice made by the director of the 1926 version, Herbert Brenon.

Overall, the film won't be on my favorites list, but it is worth seeing if you're a fan of Wellman's, or any of the actors.

Nothing Sacred (Selznick International Pictures, 1937)

As a classic 'screwball comedy', starring Carole Lombard, the screwball queen, Nothing Sacred was a departure for Wellman. In this depression-era genre, typically a dizzy female heroine involves her male companions in a farcical situation that allows them to play off one another in an early Hollywood 'battle of the sexes'.  In this one, Lombard is Hazel Flagg, a young woman in a small Vermont town who is presumably dying of radium poisoning. A down-on-his-luck New York City reporter Wally Cook, played by Fredric March, sees an angle to exploit, and brings Hazel to the big city to be a one-woman human interest story, to impress his beleagured boss, played by Walter Connolly.  Little do they know, and Hazel isn't about to reveal, that she's just been declared healthy.  And, of course, as she tries harder to conceal this fact, she and Wally fall in love.  This 'battle of the sexes' becomes a real battle, when the two don boxing gloves and literally duke it out for several minutes near the end of the film!

The Wellman touch:  The pace of the film was perfect, with the farcical situations gaining momentum without the action ever rising to the level of the maniacal. There were many scenes in which the actors were placed in a perfectly symmetrical position, and I consciously appreciated the image composition while I was enjoying the performances.  

Fredric March and Carole Lombard (Wikipedia)

What impressed me:  While Lombard is dependably wonderful, I was surprised by how well Fredric March pulled off his role. I consider him as mostly a serious actor - think The Best Years of Our Lives, The Barretts of Wimple Street.  Come to think of it, he played in two other comedies that I've seen: I Married a Witch, and Design for Living, so perhaps not as much a stretch as I originally thought.  However, I learned that the role was written for John Barrymore, but at this point in his career, his alcoholism prevented him from getting the part.

It was a little jarring to see a 1930s screwball comedy in color, but once I settled into this, I could appreciate the top production values accorded the film, as was common for Selznick, including the music by Oscar Levant and the screenplay by Ben Hecht. Also, with Lombard's reddish hair, I kept thinking about the similarities between her and Lucille Ball, who idolized Lombard as a comedienne.  You can see how Ball adopted some of Lombard's facial expressions and kinetic acting style in her Lucy Ricardo character.  

Stay tuned for more of my Wellman experience, in the next couple of months.

*Sad note: The HFA lost programmer David Pendleton, this past week.  RIP David.  I enjoyed hearing him offer his tremendous insights introducing films over the last several years.  Here is a recent appreciation by critic Ty Burr.