Daily Archives: April 23, 2013

The Marines Are Coming (1934)

Posted on April 23, 2013 | 2 comments

The Marines Are ComingThe Marines Are Coming DVD
Directed by David Howard
1934/USA
Mascot Pictures
First viewing

 

Lt. William “Wild Bill” Traylor: Anybody can obey orders. It takes genius to win a war![/box]

Poverty row comedy about wise-cracking Marine Corps Officer Bill Traylor (William Haines) who is always in trouble with the brass.  When Traylor arrives in San Diego, he assigned to duty under his nemesis Captain Benton (Conrad Nagle).  He promptly latches on to Benton’s girlfriend (Esther Walston), while avoiding the advances of Rosita, a stereotypical Latin spitfire who has been following him from post to post insisting he marry her.  When Traylor is forced to resign his commission, he returns as an enlisted man and the shenanigans continue in an unnamed Latin American country where the Marines are fighting bandits.The Marines Are Coming 2

This film is notable mostly for being the last film William Haines ever made.  I didn’t like it much.  All the principals seem to have been instructed to plaster a big grin on their face and give it their all.  Everybody complied but that didn’t make the film amusing to me.

William_Haines_1930

William Haines in 1930

The film, however, did inspire me to look up Haines’s biography.  He was a very popular silent star, regularly named #1 male box-office draw at the end of the silent era.  He was released by MGM in the early thirties, reportedly due to a fight with Louis B. Mayer, who wanted Haines to end his relationship with his lover Jimmie Shields and marry a woman.  Haines and Shields went on to be a couple for over 50 years and Haines had a very successful 40-year career as an interior designer.

Clip: Opening

2 Comments

Posted in 1934

Tagged , ,

Broadway Bill (1934)

Posted on April 23, 2013 | 1 comment

Broadway Billbroadway-bill-poster
Directed by Frank Capra
1934/USA
Columbia Pictures Corporation
First viewing

 

Dan Brooks: Doesn’t anything ever change in this mausoleum?
Alice Higgins: Yes. Bedspreads and underwear.

Frank Capra made this pleasant comedy between It Happened One Night and Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.  Higginsville is a one-man town; all the business are owned by J.L. Higgins (Walter Connelly) and run by his various sons-in-law.  Dan Brooks (Warner Baxter) is married to eldest daughter Margaret (Helen Vinson) and is reluctantly managing a paper box business but his passion is his race horse Broadway Bill.  The youngest Higgins daughter, Alice (Myrna Loy), is a free spirit like Dan and is secretly in love with him.  Dan, however, treats Alice like a kid.  One fine day, Dan decides he can take no more of Higginsville and sets out with no money to enter Broadway Bill in an important Derby race with the support of faithful groom Whitey (Clarence Muse) and Alice.  The rest of the picture follows their trials and tribulations on the way to the big race.  With Margaret Hamilton in a small role as a landlady and Frankie Darro as a jocky.

Broadway Bill 1

Although the ending is weak and the story is a bit sentimental, I enjoyed this a lot.  Frank Capra seems to get good performances from all his actors. Warner Baxter, who is generally ultra-intense, is as relaxed as I have ever seen him and even funny at times.  Myrna Loy is great as always.  I was also pleased with the treatment of the character of the African-American groom.  Although there is some stereotyping of course, he is portrayed as a real member of the team.  It was so refreshing after a couple of Stepin Fetchin films in a row!

I read that Capra was not a big fan of this film because Warner Baxter was afraid of horses and Capra thought it showed.  I didn’t notice.  Capra remade the story in 1950 as Riding High with Bing Crosby and Colleen Gray.

 

1 Comment

Posted in 1934

Tagged , , ,

Les Misérables (1934)

Posted on April 23, 2013 | Leave a comment

Les MisérablesLes Miserables Poster
Directed by Raymond Bernard
1934/France
Pathé-Natan
First viewing

 

Jean Valjean to Inspector Javert: Each man has his own notion of duty.

Jean Valjean

Jean Valjean

 “Love is the foolishness of men, and the wisdom of God.” ― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

This excellent four-and-a-half hour adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel, noted as being the most complete rendering of the story, was released as three films. I watched one film a day over three days. Part One: “Une tempête sous un crâne” (Tempest in a Skull) covers Jean Valjean’s release from prison and redemption in the encounter with the Bishop through the death of Fantine.  Part Two: “Les Thénardier”(The Thenardiers) covers little Cosette’s treatment at the hands of the Thenardiers and her rescue then flash forwards eight years to Paris to relate Cosette’s romance with Marius and the Thenardiers’ threats against Jean Valjean.  Part Three: Liberté, liberté chérie (Freedom, dear Freedom) covers the Uprising of 1832 and the conflict at the barricades through the end of the novel.  There is certainly enough plot to justify the long running time!

Les Miserables 2

The highlight of the film is Harry Baur’s portrayal of Jean Valjean.  He is a powerful, taciturn, and unassuming man, equally convincing as a convict and as a gentleman.  Baur is one of those actors that can express a world of emotion with a glance and is superb.  Charles Vanel plays Javert as a relentless enforcer of the law, there is no evil posturing here.  The other performances are not quite up to these two but are quite adequate.

The film is filled with beautiful expressionist lighting and interesting camera angels.  Little Cosette’s trek to fetch water in the dark is unforgettable and reminiscent of Snow White’s adventures with its scary faces seen in every tree.  Although the filming was all done on the back lot, the set design and costuming are lavish and evocative of 19th Century France.  Finally, there is a fabulous score by Arthur Honegger.  Very highly recommended.

Jean Valjean and the Bishop

Leave a comment

Posted in 1934

Tagged , , ,