tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post114829764035632277..comments2023-07-23T09:45:33.199-05:00Comments on the last lullaby (and) peril: 1940: The Shop Around The Corner (Ernst Lubitsch)Jeffrey Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06464544798603030406noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-79591684951322136572010-02-16T18:45:58.360-06:002010-02-16T18:45:58.360-06:00Oh boy Donophon, I couldn't disagree with you ...Oh boy Donophon, I couldn't disagree with you more on THE GRAPES OF WRATH, which is as stirring and progressive a film as Hollywood has ever made, but it's a powerful indictment on capitalism and the cry for community. No novel - and let's face it, Steinbeck's book is one of the greatest written in the 2oth Century - in my view has been more perfectly translated to the screen, and the later scenes are for me especially "enlightening" as there is this familial progression to something more wide-reaching. Of course the unity of the film is derived from the leitmotiv of the rattling old truck in which the Joad family travels with their clothes, pots and pans and ramshakle furniture. Ford shows himself to be a master of visual language in this film, and the presentation runs the gamut from that highly stylized chiaroscuro lighting to the documentary realism of the encampment scenes. Considering Ford's own conservatism, this was a remarkably impassioned and faithful transcription from it's source. Few films in the history of American film show the possibilities of the form as art, but many subsequent films are indepted to this one.<br /><br />But I am thrilled to hear of that LOVE for HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY, which I also share!Sam Julianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-616289608837000152010-02-16T17:47:46.597-06:002010-02-16T17:47:46.597-06:00Sam, I admire your passion of course, but you'...Sam, I admire your passion of course, but you've got me all wrong on Ford. I like The Informer, and I love, love, love How Green Was My Valley. And I guess my comment implied piety is bad in film, or at least in Ford's films. Not so, and Ford never made a film that didn't have piety in some sense. But Ford focuses on the relationship between piety and blasphemy, between preachers and prostitutes, between the church and the saloon, and The Grapes Of Wrath does not have that balance for me. Of course that doesn't automatically damn it, and I'm not dismissing the contributions of Ford and Toland and Fonda, but I don't think it works as a film, and once the Joad family leaves the farm I think it becomes repetitious and dull in a particularly unenlightening way.Doniphonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02407443845368110678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-29232058341433632692010-02-16T17:29:03.850-06:002010-02-16T17:29:03.850-06:00Dave, great list! I've never seen THE LETTER ...Dave, great list! I've never seen THE LETTER either but have added it to my queue. Wyler is someone I think is slightly underrated. I'm a big fan of THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES, ROMAN HOLIDAY, and THE HEIRESS. <br /><br />Thanks, Dave, as always for the great insight!Jeffrey Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464544798603030406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-72998690804607639802010-02-16T17:24:13.493-06:002010-02-16T17:24:13.493-06:00Adam, I couldn't agree more! There's a ch...Adam, I couldn't agree more! There's a chilling realism at times, on top of everything else that Lubitsch does so well here. I'm totally with you on this one.Jeffrey Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464544798603030406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-8621201054038441472010-02-16T16:47:16.033-06:002010-02-16T16:47:16.033-06:00I chose Rebecca in my own countdown, but there are...I chose Rebecca in my own countdown, but there are a number of outstanding films this year. I'll stay with Rebecca now, but I'll also put in a good word for another of my favorites and one that is not always brought up in countdowns like this - William Wyler's THE LETTER. I love it... the cinematography is gorgeous and it has my favorite non-All About Eve performance from Bette Davis. In fact, I'll go ahead and make a rough list for this year:<br /><br />1. Rebecca (Hitchcock)<br />2. The Letter (Wyler)<br />3. Christmas in July (Sturges)<br />4. The Great Dictator (Chaplin)<br />5. The Grapes of Wrath (Ford)<br />6. The Shop Around the Corner (Lubitsch)<br />7. The Westerner (Wyler)<br />8. Remember the Night (Leisen)<br />9. Foreign Correspondent (Hitchcock)<br />10. The Great McGinty (Sturges)<br /><br />Really a great year! And I think I might try and watch The Long Voyage Home tonight, so hopefully I'll enjoy it.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07134196370913749544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-68918921473227362932010-02-16T16:30:25.687-06:002010-02-16T16:30:25.687-06:00This film was my first exposure to Lubitsch, and o...This film was my first exposure to Lubitsch, and oh, how I cherished it. It makes me want to see more of his films. Luckily I taped <i>Ninotchka</i> off TCM last week. Trying to reserve time to watch it.<br /><br />The scene where Frank Morgan fires James Stewart over suspicion regarding a possible infidelity is a surprisingly devastating scene in what is otherwise a very funny and touching romantic comedy. Ever since then my deepest fear has been for that to happen to me, too, over such a bewildering misunderstanding at work!Adam Zanziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14524618281515322239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-73018755918713026132010-02-16T15:32:04.803-06:002010-02-16T15:32:04.803-06:00Thanks so much, John! It seems like we're all...Thanks so much, John! It seems like we're all in about the same pocket. I hate that I haven't seen the Ford yet, but I will rectify that very soon.Jeffrey Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464544798603030406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-55229123354215747412010-02-16T15:27:51.089-06:002010-02-16T15:27:51.089-06:00"The Shop Around the Corner" presents Lu..."The Shop Around the Corner" presents Lubitsch at his best. An excellent film to always watch. My own personal selection is Ford's "The Grapes of Wrath" Fonda’s performance and his famous speech toward the end of the film always resonates with me. Greg Tolands photography is perfection here.<br /><br />Other works from 1940 I favor include:<br />Rebecca<br />The Shop Around the Corner<br />The Great Dictator<br />The Great McGinty<br />They Drive by Night<br />The Bank DickJohnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01808503055317962289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-17232519511962635892010-02-16T14:24:56.400-06:002010-02-16T14:24:56.400-06:00Hey Troy, sounds good! Just great to know others ...Hey Troy, sounds good! Just great to know others love this movie as much as I do. It's one you hear a little less talk about, it seems.Jeffrey Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464544798603030406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-33375871448594127802010-02-16T13:03:48.326-06:002010-02-16T13:03:48.326-06:00I think I gave my thoughts on SHOP in a Monday Mor...I think I gave my thoughts on SHOP in a Monday Morning Diary. I can't find any review I wrote, so Sam is likely thinking of that back and forth. I watched it during the 90's poll, so I probably didn't take the time to write about it.<br /><br />I'm also noticing a lack of reviews on it from my blogroll, where I swear Ed or someone else wrote about it at some point. Anyways, I think it may make my "watch every Christmas" rotation, so perhaps I'll write about it then.Troy Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14843741571724231174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-56352479179478605302010-02-16T12:53:27.792-06:002010-02-16T12:53:27.792-06:00LOL Donophon!!!
How clueless am I? Should I not...LOL Donophon!!!<br /><br />How clueless am I? Should I not have known how much you revere that alternative Ford film, from just gazing at the name of your blog?!? You wear your enthusiasm on your sleeve, which is something I tip my cap to you on!!Sam Julianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-70899866373006833832010-02-16T12:49:46.918-06:002010-02-16T12:49:46.918-06:00Hey, Troy, great to see you here! We're in to...Hey, Troy, great to see you here! We're in total agreement on this one. And I couldn't agree with you more, 1941 was a really fantastic year for film. I'd love to read your review on SHOP. Is it on your blog?<br /><br />Thanks so much, Troy!Jeffrey Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464544798603030406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-46303101733395056512010-02-16T12:44:03.390-06:002010-02-16T12:44:03.390-06:00Troy, I well remember your recent superlative revi...Troy, I well remember your recent superlative review of SHOP!!!Sam Julianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-55949060259715668962010-02-16T12:42:44.729-06:002010-02-16T12:42:44.729-06:00"It's a welcome alternative to the piety ..."It's a welcome alternative to the piety of Ford's other 1940 film The Grapes Of Wrath, which I've never been particularly fond of."<br /><br />Ah my friend Donophon, if there is piety, blame it on Steinbeck. It remains one of the masterpieces of American cinema, for it's stunning visual tapestry, brilliant script and thespian showcase. Yeah, that 'we the people' coda at the end may be tiring, but 90% of the film is a riveting portrayal of have-not transients trying to survive amidst the most sordid of circumstances.<br /><br />I like THE LONG VOYAGE HOME, but frankly it's nowhere in the same sphere as GRAPES, which is one of the greatest of all American films. Like CITIZEN KANE, the overwhelming critical accolades it has maintained over decades are well deserved. It's Ford's greatest film, even trumping THE SEARCHERS, methinks.<br /><br />Stanley Kauffmann's review is the best I've read, and McBride's volume on Ford is essential. I bet, Donophon, being as astute as you are you know these well.<br /><br />Donophon, let me make a prediction. You are NOT a fan of HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY nor THE INFORMER. Am I right?Sam Julianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-34091843301188662072010-02-16T12:24:01.208-06:002010-02-16T12:24:01.208-06:00I also love SHOP, which I watched for the first ti...I also love SHOP, which I watched for the first time a few months back. I was blown away at the subtle touch Lubtisch had with both romance and comedy (a subtlety he uses in all his film, I'm now seeing).<br /><br />As for best of the year, I'd have to throw in my vote for REBECCA, which has always been one of my favorite Hitchcock films. <br /><br />Still you can't go wrong with Hitch, Lubitsch, or Ford for any of the top spots. Throw in two of the best Disney films and two other classic comedies from Hawks and Cukor and this is obviously a great year for movies!Troy Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14843741571724231174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-6359666311004608132010-02-16T11:44:39.007-06:002010-02-16T11:44:39.007-06:00Doniphon, I expected nothing less! I assumed that...Doniphon, I expected nothing less! I assumed that was the inspiration for your blog's name. It's one I'm embarrassed to say I haven't seen yet. But it's definitely on the short list.<br /><br />Thanks for the great comments, as always!Jeffrey Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464544798603030406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-54487990726122748752010-02-16T11:41:00.960-06:002010-02-16T11:41:00.960-06:00Thanks so much, Sam! I love what you write here, ...Thanks so much, Sam! I love what you write here, particularly this, "...the one that is accessible for everyone, even those who have difficulty navigating or appreciating his sophisticated style."<br /><br />I can't wait to see THE GRAPES OF WRATH. For some reason, it's also one that has slipped through the cracks. <br /><br />I probably should have added THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT to my list of runners-up. I really like it, although I guess for me there's still a huge space between it and my top two picks.<br /><br />Thanks, as always, Sam, for the excellent perspective!Jeffrey Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464544798603030406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-4635208830617997162010-02-16T11:22:56.737-06:002010-02-16T11:22:56.737-06:00Perhaps unsurprisingly, I'm gonna go with Ford...Perhaps unsurprisingly, I'm gonna go with Ford's The Long Voyage Home, a film as beautifully drunk on Toland's photography as it is on O'Neill's words and the amount of liquor its characters consume. It's a welcome alternative to the piety of Ford's other 1940 film The Grapes Of Wrath, which I've never been particularly fond of.Doniphonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02407443845368110678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-68213871129384422242010-02-16T10:52:24.422-06:002010-02-16T10:52:24.422-06:00Yes indeed Jeffrey, this is a superlative choice f...Yes indeed Jeffrey, this is a superlative choice for your top spot. Personally it's my favorite Lubitsch, and the one that is accessible for everyone, even those who have difficulty navigating or appreciating his sophisticated style. Stewert is as marvelous and irresistible here as he is in MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON and THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, which he made right before and after this deliriously entertaining and superbly-written gem.<br /> Well, my own #1 film of 1940 is Ford's depression era epic THE GRAPES OF WRATH, though again, deciding between GRAPES, SHOP AROUND THE CORNER and Hitchcock's REBECCA is no easy task. But GRAPES is surely one of the supreme American masterpieces and Greg Tolan's black and white cinematography is about as stunning as has ever been crafted in the cinema. All the performances (Kael complains about Jane Darwell, but I don't see any fraudulence there) are top-rank, and I consider this one of the prime examples of brilliant transcription of literature to film.<br /><br />My Own #1 Film of 1940:<br /><br />The Grapes of Wrath (Ford)<br /><br />Runners-Up:<br /><br />The Shop Around the Corner (Lubitsch)<br />Rebecca (Hitchcock)<br />Pinocchio (Sharpsteen)<br />His Girl Friday (Hawks)<br />Fantasia (Sharpsteen)<br />The Philadelphia Story (Cukor)<br />The Mortal Storm (Borzage)<br />The Back Dick (Fields/Cline)<br />The Great McGinty (Sturges)<br />They Drive by Night (Walsh)<br />The Thief of Baghdad (Korda)<br />Abe Lincoln in Illinois (Cromwell)<br />Christmas in July (Sturges)<br />Pride and Prejudice (Leonard)<br /><br />Another great Golden Age recap!Sam Julianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-50972922728034655292010-02-16T08:33:54.222-06:002010-02-16T08:33:54.222-06:00Hey, Ed, thanks so much for the comments! I agree...Hey, Ed, thanks so much for the comments! I agree with everything you say here. I love Stewart in this, and then of course I love him just as much when he goes in the other direction with Hitchcock and Mann.Jeffrey Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464544798603030406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-70540916812237781742010-02-16T07:25:44.322-06:002010-02-16T07:25:44.322-06:00Great choice. Really, you can't go wrong with ...Great choice. Really, you can't go wrong with either this or <i>His Girl Friday</i>, two diametrically opposed takes on the romantic comedy genre that are nonetheless both great films. This film is probably the peak of Jimmy Stewart's "good guy" persona, his best role where he's not mining darker territory with Hitchcock or Mann.Ed Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.com