Monthly Archives: May 2013

The Lives of a Bengal Lancer
Directed by Henry Hathaway
1935/USA
Paramount Pictures
First viewing

[box] Lieutenant Alan McGregor: Why? Well – well, there’s some things they don’t teach you in military college – can’t, I guess. India is big, you know, there’s over three hundred million people, and run by just a handful of men. The – the job comes first. Like old ramrod. You can’t let death move you, nor love. And it’s like – and how can I tell you what it’s all about when I don’t know myself?[/box]

In this unexpected gem, Col. Tom Stone (Sir. Guy Standing) commands a regiment of the Bengal Lancers that is patrolling the northeast border of British India fighting skirmishes with rebels who hide out in the mountains (of Afghanistan?) .  Lt. McGregor (Gary Cooper) greatly resents the colonel’s by-the-books manner.  Two fresh replacements arrive, Lt. Forsythe (Franchot Tone) and Lt. Stone, the colonel’s son (Richard Cromwell).  Forsythe is a wise cracking pro but Stone is fresh out of Sandhurst and has a lot to learn.  To add to his problems, the colonel is determined that there should be no special relationship between father and son.   The tension rises when a shipment of ammunition is diverted by the rebels due to a miscalculation by Lt. Stone.

This was a really excellent film and even had me in tears at the end.  All the acting is good but I particularly enjoyed Guy Standing’s turn as the colonel who must balance duty with fatherly love.  It has the blessed advantage of no romantic subplot so it can concentrate on questions of honor and loyalty.  It also delivers on the action and bantering comedy fronts.  Warmly recommended.

The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVe9y1en6Kc

Trailer

Man on the Flying Trapeze
Directed by Clyde Bruckman
1935/USA
Paramount Pictures
First viewing

[box] Ambrose’s Secretary: It must be hard to lose your mother-in-law.

Ambrose Wolfinger: Yes it is, very hard. It’s almost impossible.[/box]

No trapeze here.  A day in the life of Ambrose Wolfinger (W.C. Fields) begins with two singing burglars in his basement.  We then follow the henpecked family man on his adventures in jail, at work, driving a car, and at a wrestling match.  All ends well, as usual.  With Kathleen Howard, Grady Sutton, and Vera Lewis as Ambrose’s obnoxious wife, brother-in-law, and mother-in-law and Mary Brian as his loving daughter.

The saving grace of this movie comes near the end when Fields actually stands up to his family and even punches his horrible brother-in-law!  Otherwise, watch the clip.  If you think Fields fiddling with his socks and putting off his encounter with the burglars is amusing, the rest of the film will be even funnier.  As for me, after the first minute of the clip, I am just waiting for him to get on with it already.

Clip – opening

Les Misérables
Directed by Richard Boleslawski
1935/USA
20th Century Pictures
First viewing

 

Jean Valjean: Remember to love each other, always. There’s scarcely anything else in life but that.

Hollywood adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel starring Fredric March as Jean Valjean and Charles Laughton as Inspector Javert with Cedric Hardwicke as the Bishop, Rochelle Hudson as Cosette and Francis Drake as Eponine.  The film makers managed to fit the plot into a 108-minute feature film by completely eliminating the Thenardiers, the innkeepers who mistreated little Cosette and went on to hound Jean Valjean.  The film, which benefited from cinematography by Gregg Toland, was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Editing.

Two more different interpretations of Jean Valjean could not be seen than those of Fredric March and Harry Bauer, who played the role in the 1934 French film.  Bauer says very little and March can scarcely stop talking.  That is not to say March is bad, he is very good.  Laughton is outstanding and restrained, playing Javert as a neurotic seeking to compensate for his low birth by a rigid adherence to the law.  I could have done without the celestial choir when Valjean has his redemptive revelation.  On the whole, I can recommend this film, though if you are going to pick just one I would say to definitely go for the 1934 version directed by Raymond Bernard.

Here is a very interesting article on film adaptations of Les Miserables.  I was surprised there have been quite so many!  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptations_of_Les_Mis%C3%A9rables

Clips from the film available at TCM:  http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/253377/Les-Miserables-Movie-Clip-Emile-Javert.html