Friday, April 12, 2024
George Bernard Shaw on Film
- Commentary: Under construction.
Directed by Various.
- Major Barbara
Commentary: Under construction.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Wendy Hiller Major Barbara Undershaft Rex Harrison Adolphus Cusins Robert Morley Andrew Undershaft Robert Newton Bill Walker Sybil Thorndike The General Emlyn Williams Snobby Price Miles Malleson Morrison the Butler Donald Calthrop Peter Shirley Marie Lohr Lady Britomart Stanley Holloway Policeman Marie Ault Rummy Mitchens Penelope Dudley-Ward Sarah Undershaft
Release Date: 1941
Directed by Gabriel Pascal.
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
- Caesar and Cleopatra
Commentary: Under construction.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Vivien Leigh Cleopatra Claude Rains Caesar Stewart Granger Apollodorus Flora Robson Ftatateeta Francis L. Sullivan Pothinus Basil Sydney Rufio Cecil Parker Britannus Raymond Lovell Lucius Septimus Anthony Eustrel Achillas Ernest Thesiger Theodotus Anthony Harvey Ptolemy Robert Adams Nubian Slave
Release Date: 1945
Directed by Gabriel Pascal.
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
- Androcles and the Lion
Commentary: Under construction.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Jean Simmons Lavinia Victor Mature The Captain Alan Young Androcles Robert Newton Ferrovius Maurice Evans Caesar Elsa Lanchester Megaera Reginald Gardiner Lentulus Gene Lockhart Menagerie Keeper Alan Mowbray Editor of Gladiators Noel Willman Spintho John Hoyt Cato Jim Backus The Centurion Lowell Gilmore Metellus Woody Strode The Lion Strother Martin Soldier Sylvia Lewis Chief Vestal Virgin
Release Date: 1952
Directed by Chester Erskine.
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Labels: claude-rains, Criterion8, dramedy3, jean-simmons, wendy-hiller
Friday, October 21, 2022
Notorious
- Commentary: Under construction.
Roger Ebert christened this movie as one of his Great Movies.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Cary Grant T. R. Devlin Ingrid Bergman Alicia Huberman Claude Rains Alexander Sebastian Leopoldine Konstantin Madame Anna Sebastian Louis Calhern Cpt. Paul Prescott Reinhold Schünzel Dr. Anderson Moroni Olsen Walter Beardsley Ivan Triesault Eric Mathis Alexis Minotis Joseph, butler Wally Brown Mr. Hopkins Sir Charles Mendl Commodore Ricardo Costa Dr. Julio Barbosa Eberhard Krumschmidt Emil Hupka Fay Baker Ethel Bea Benaderet File Clerk Friedrich von Ledebur Knerr
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1946
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
Labels: §5, alfred-hitchcock, cary-grant, claude-rains, Criterion4, film-noir2, ingrid-bergman, melodramaB, spy, thriller3
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Lawrence of Arabia
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: We even had, the second time we watched it, a Watching Lawrence of Arabia party. Very successful.
Both my mother and I are surprised at the things we learn about my father knowing that this movie was one of his two favorite movies, the other being Khartoum. He and I saw Khartoum together, a very memorable event, one I'll probably remember as though I'm going through it when I'm old and mentally creative. It happened in Honolulu, probably 1966, the year the movie came out, and involved a long evening stroll along the Ala Wai.
I have, however, had no desire to see that one again. Lawrence of Arabia, though, sometimes I put the disc in and zone out on it for a half hour or so. My mother doesn't do this, but she enjoys the movie.
Roger Ebert wrote about this movie twice: first in 1989 and then again in 2001 as a "Great Movie", the review for which I linked to the title of this post.
Update 11/17/2021: This post was originally published February 6, 2005. It was one of the accidental deletions that occurred, which is covered in this post.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Peter O'Toole T. E. Lawrence Alec Guinness Prince Faisal Anthony Quinn Auda abu Tayi Jack Hawkins General Allenby Omar Sharif Sherif Ali ibn el Kharish José Ferrer The Turkish Bey Anthony Quayle Harry Brighton Claude Rains Mr. Dryden
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1962
Directed by David Lean.
Labels: adventure4, biography2, claude-rains, dad-favorite, dramaC, historical4, me-favorite4, political4, popcorn-and-soda6, war2
Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1* *2*
- Commentary: I think I've said quite a lot about our reactions to this movie throughout the main journal. We both find it entertaining and "feel good" inspirational.
There are a lot of movies, including many from this film's era, previous, post, and all the way through to now, that focus on populist vs. elitist politics. None of them, though, has yet approached the pointedness, pertinence and perceptiveness of this all time classic. I'll bet it will never, ever, not be a popular classic, because, at least in the United States, its story will always be contemporary.
Update 11/17/2021: This post was originally published February 6, 2005. It was one of the accidental deletions that occurred, which is covered in this post.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role James Stewart Jefferson Smith Jean Arthur Clarissa Saunders Claude Rains Joseph Harrison Paine Edward Arnold Jim Taylor Thomas Mitchell Diz Moore Beulah Bondi Ma Smith Astrid Allwyn Susan Paine Ruth Donnelly Mrs. Hopper
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1939
Directed by Frank Capra.
Labels: anti-fascist, beulah-bondi, claude-rains, dramedy2, frank-capra, james-stewart, political5, romance4, shared-favorite, thomas-mitchell
Saturday, January 16, 2021
Deception
- Commentary: What can I say? This is a Bette Davis movie, so it's a favorite of mine. It's a heart wrenching story of two musicians played by Paul Henreid and Claude Rains vying for the love of another musician (Davis), one of them doing it very badly with a sharp edge of jealousy, one of them doing it out of confusion and anger. The end leaves you wondering if either suitor deserved her, or if she deserved either of them. Great story. Very involving.
Update 8/15/2021: I could not end this post without leaving a link to Happy Birthday, Claude Rains: A Few Words about ‘Deception’, an article that well describes my own rapture over Claude Rains and that of his work I've seen. This article makes me want to search out more.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Bette Davis Christine Radcliffe Paul Heinreid Karl Novak Claude Rains Alexander Hollenius John Abbott Bertram Gribble Benson Fong Jimmy Richard Erdman Music Student Einar Neilsen Orchestra Conductor Neilsen Jean De Briac Maitre d' Andre
The Wikipedia write-up on this movie is here.
Release Date: 1946
Directed by Irving Rapper.
Labels: bette-davis, claude-rains, drama1, film-noir1, melodramaB, romance1, tragedy1
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
The Greatest Story Ever Told
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: Yet another one of Mom's "jesus-dvds" (I use this term tongue-in-cheek, as I also consider The Ten Commandments a "jesus-dvd"). I didn't think we'd ever own it because the last time we watched it on TV I noticed there were no English subtitles, which is essential for my mother's enjoyment of any movie. I found a cheap copy of it at the grocery store today, though, with closed captioning (although no English subtitles, which is unfortunate since closed captioning is sometimes kind of iffy on our set) so decided I'd get it for Mom. I think this is one of her favorites of this genre; not because it features yet another Nordic Jesus, but because of the scope and grand presentation. And, it's length. Weighty movies work better for her when they go to extreme lengths. This is not my favorite, but I am attracted to it's spectacle.
Now all we need to do is procure a copy of The Last Temptation of Christ [we finally did procure a copy of this movie] and Mom will figure we're set.
Update 2/7/18: Yes, I donated this movie to my local library. In the end, I knew I would never watch it again. Funny, because there are several jesus-dvds and bible epics in my/our collection that I enjoy, even when they are clearly cheesy. But this one? No can do. Sorry, Mom.
Update 5/16/2022: The cast in this movie is stupendous. Take a look at the Wikipedia segment about it; not the listing, but the paragraph below. An even better, more complete, list is the one at IMDb, as it attaches more actors to their roles than Wikipedia. It's a lot of fun to go through it. It was as though the production company decided to corral every actor signed to the overseeing studio into one movie before they started dying off. I mean, Pat Boone as The Angel at the Tomb? Really? Clearly, I mean, clearly a vanity project, and an unsuccessful one, at that. But, Mom loved it. I have a feeling there were, and are, a lot of Christian women "of a certain age" that feel the same.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Max von Sydow Jesus Dorothy McGuire The Virgin Mary Charlton Heston John the Baptist Claude Rains Herod the Great José Ferrer Herod Antipas Telly Savalas Pontius Pilate Martin Landau Caiaphas David McCallum Judas Iscariot Donald Pleasence The Dark Hermit - Satan Michael Anderson Jr. James the Less Roddy McDowall Matthew Joanna Dunham Mary Magdalene Joseph Schildkraut Nicodemus Ed Wynn Old Aram Pat Boone Angel at the Tomb Shelley Winters Woman Who Is Healed
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1965
Directed by George Stevens.
Labels: bible-movies1, charlton-heston, claude-rains, drama8, jesus-dvds, max-von-sydow, mom-favorite1, period4, spectacle2, van-heflin
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Now, Voyager - The Bette Davis Collection
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1* *2* *3*
- Commentary: Ahhh...be still my heart! I love this movie so much it's hard for me to decide whether this or All About Eve is my favorite Bette Davis movie. First, of course, Bette Davis. What a character she plays in this! What a wonderful job she does! Second, the story. I consider the end strikingly unusual, but, I reminded myself that this movie played in 1942: Women were losing men to war, revelling in their independence and sudden ability to make a living and be both needed and wanted by the workforce...I guess I shouldn't consider it quite so striking. And then, of course, there's Claude Rains. My infatuation with this man is absolutely unreasonable. I kept wanting and expecting Davis' character to become romantically involved with his character, a psychiatrist. And, then, of course, the cigarettes. Read the mentions for information about how they went over in our household...definitely a surprise.
I can't, unfortunately, comment much about Paul Henreid's performance. For me, he was simply an object off which Davis bounced. However, there was one other performance in the movie I considered devastating: Gladys Cooper as Mrs. Vale. Not only was her character wickedly written, her performance was flawless. her portrayal was so subtle, she transformed Mrs. Vale into a quiet horror; always much better than an obvious horror.
The first part of the title is linked to an alternate review in which quite a bit of dialogue is quoted. As well, once again, as with the Joan Crawford Collection, I've linked the second part of the title to a site that gets it done when it comes to collections (and other reviews, as well). His review of this movie is the fourth down the page. Thank you, DVD Savant, now CineSavant!
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Bette Davis Charlotte Vale Paul Heinried Jeremiah Duvaux Durrance Claude Rains Dr. Jaquith Gladys Cooper Mrs. Windle Vale Bonita Granville June Vale John Loder Elliot Livingston Katharine Alexander Miss Trask Mary Wickes Dora Pickford Frank Puglia Giuseppe Ilka Chase Lisa Vale Franklin Pangborn Mr. Thompson Janis Wilson Tina Durrance
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1942
Directed by Irving Rapper.
Labels: 20th-century-chick-flicks1, bette-davis, claude-rains, drama9, mother-daughter-dynamics1, popcorn-and-soda4, romance2, shared-favorite
Mr. Skeffington - The Bette Davis Collection
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: Although I'm nowhere near a Bette Davis expert, this movie seemed to me like a Bette Davis miscast, at first, although my inordinate love of Claude Rains took my mind off this for quite awhile. Despite this, it didn't take long for me to believe her portrayal; a credit to Davis, not the casting, I think. Mom loved the intense, obvious melodrama. She also got lost in the lush period flavor and imagined, afterward, that the movie had been in color; which I understand is a typical reaction to both this movie and Jezebel. I'd watch this movie again, just for the pleasure of watching Claude Rains again.
Once again, as with the Joan Crawford Collection, I've linked the second part of the title to a site that gets it done when it comes to collections (and other reviews, as well). The review for this movie is the second review on the page. Thank you, DVD Savant, now CineSavant!
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Bette Davis 'Fanny' Trellis Skeffington Claude Rains Job Skeffington Walter Abel George Trellis Richard Waring Trippy Trellis Jerome Cowan Suitor Edward Morrison Dorothy Peterson Manby Marjorie Riordan Fanny Rachel Trellis Johnny Mitchell Johnny Mitchell, Fanny's daughter's husband
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1944
Directed by Vincent Sherman.
Labels: 20th-century-chick-flicks1, bette-davis, claude-rains, drama9, melodramaA, period4, romance2, shared-favorite
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Casablanca
- Who's watched: M & G (finally)
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: The truth is, if this movie hadn't come bundled with four others we wanted, we wouldn't own it. I know, stating this is probably blasphemy. I had never seen the movie all the way through until maybe a month ago. Although, when I read the name of the movie to my mother off the cable schedule, she expresses interest in it and often watches it, it's not one either of us yearns toward and, often as not, when it's on the cable schedule, in this house, Animal Planet trumps it.
When we viewed this film the last (aforementioned) time, I remember Sidney Pollack, who introduced it as one of TCM's Essentials, slipped into a blur of words rhapsodizing Ingrid Bergman and her performance in this movie, nodding, as well, to his life long crush on Ms. Bergman. Anyway, from what he said I thought, "Oh, okay, well I'll watch the whooole thiiing and, if what he says about Ingrid Bergman's performance is true, I should really enjoy this. At the end of the movie I was thinking, well, I think men go crazy when they see Bergman on the screen and think her a better actor than she was. She was very good, obviously stellar, but not transcendental, like, say Streep or Kingsley.
I'll probably be lynched by the Klassic Movie Klan before morning.
Update 2/6/18: Since my mother's death almost a decade ago, I continued my contentious relationship with this movie. I've checked it out of the library (thank goodness I donated my copy to it) at least once every two years and struggled through it yet again. I enjoy Claude Rains in this movie. I've come to enjoy the machinations of the plight of people stuck in Casablanca. But, I'm sorry, the love story does absolutely nothing for me. Sometimes, immediately after watching it, I think the movie would have been a whole lot better, at least for my viewing, if the love story had been dumped. I'm hoping, at this point, that I don't feel I have to watch it again.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Humphrey Bogart Rick Blaine Ingrid Bergman Ilsa Lund Paul Henreid Victor Laszlo Claude Rains Capt. Louis Renault Conrad Veidt Mjr. Heinrich Strasser Sydney Greenstreet Signor Ferrari Peter Lorre Signor Ugarte Dooley Wilson Sam
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1942
Directed by Michael Curtiz.
Labels: claude-rains, dramaB, ingrid-bergman, mystery2
