tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post871253618737570558..comments2023-07-23T09:45:33.199-05:00Comments on the last lullaby (and) peril: 1935: The 39 Steps (Alfred Hitchcock)Jeffrey Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06464544798603030406noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-18798485938166346352010-02-11T22:36:38.914-06:002010-02-11T22:36:38.914-06:00Thanks, MovieMan! Will be great to have you here....Thanks, MovieMan! Will be great to have you here.Jeffrey Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464544798603030406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-36047265816079087002010-02-11T22:27:12.216-06:002010-02-11T22:27:12.216-06:00Well, I hadn't seen this until now. I'm a ...Well, I hadn't seen this until now. I'm a sucker for this sort of thing... I'll be back.<br /><br />(This refers to the list, not the movie, btw)Joel Bockohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11238338958380683893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-32226524174843352162010-02-11T13:47:41.158-06:002010-02-11T13:47:41.158-06:00Dave, thanks for the great comments! I'm look...Dave, thanks for the great comments! I'm looking forward to seeing your top pick. It's one I've unfortunately missed up to this point.<br /><br />Really enjoying your noir countdown! Like this countdown, it's making me well aware of how much I still need to see.Jeffrey Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464544798603030406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-64625904762650614532010-02-11T13:40:14.153-06:002010-02-11T13:40:14.153-06:00In my countdown I went with Boleslawski's Les ...In my countdown I went with Boleslawski's Les Miserables and probably will stick with that one now. That being said, this is another year that I don't find to be as strong as others in the decade, so it really is a three-way toss up for me. The other two that contend have already been mentioned - your own choice of Hitchcock's The 39 Steps and James Whale's The Bride of Frankenstein. All three are very close, but I'll stick with my original choice on the strength of great performances from Charles Laughton and Fredric MarchDavehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07134196370913749544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-45387080127363207792010-02-11T12:26:27.332-06:002010-02-11T12:26:27.332-06:00Adam:
Thanks so much for the comments! I had act...Adam:<br /><br />Thanks so much for the comments! I had actually forgotten about the Mr. Memory character. But I agree, he is such a fun and inventive part of the film. <br /><br />And, believe it or not, I have never seen TRIUMPH OF THE WILL in its entirety. But I will rectify that soon, too.<br /><br />Thanks, Adam!Jeffrey Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464544798603030406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-1990741368634211042010-02-11T12:15:54.704-06:002010-02-11T12:15:54.704-06:00Doniphon:
I can't wait to see THE LADY VANISH...Doniphon:<br /><br />I can't wait to see THE LADY VANISHES. It's one some way, somehow I've missed all these years. But I'll take care of that very soon.<br /><br />And I actually haven't seen any of the three Whale films. But I've already got the two FRANKENSTEINs on my queue and will add SHOW BOAT, as well.<br /><br />I also plan on watching THE INFORMER soon. <br /><br />Thanks, Doniphon, you're exposing some gaps, but it's great to have your knowledge here!Jeffrey Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464544798603030406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-87823674822133169882010-02-11T12:10:23.962-06:002010-02-11T12:10:23.962-06:00Sam:
I love what you have to say about THE 39 STE...Sam:<br /><br />I love what you have to say about THE 39 STEPS. This part rang particularly true for me, "...it's doubtful that there's ever been a more stimulating relationship in such a tame and repressed setting." <br /><br />I hate to admit that I've never seen THE LADY VANISHES, but I'll rectify that soon.<br /><br />I also hate to admit that I've never seen any films from Mikio Naruse. It sounds right up my alley though, and I can't wait to see some of his work. <br /><br />That is incredibly nice of you to offer to share some titles with me. Let me work my way through the couple of hundred I can acquire and then I might definitely take you up on the offer. I find it always a somewhat frustrating thing when you keep hearing about a film but can't get your hands on it. <br /><br />Thanks, Sam, for the excellent comments, and wonderful perspective!Jeffrey Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464544798603030406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-20873735768634873732010-02-11T11:58:00.775-06:002010-02-11T11:58:00.775-06:00I own The 39 Steps as part of that box set of 20 f...I own <i>The 39 Steps</i> as part of that box set of 20 films from Hitchcock's early years- I basically treasure that film along with <i>The Lodger</i> and <i>The Lady Vanishes</i>, even when I've forgotten the specifics of the plot. What sticks in my mind most of all is that ending when Donat approaches the Mr. Memory character. In Francois Truffaut's book <i>Hitchcock</i>, he and the Master of Suspense have a jolly conversation about just how brilliant of an idea it was to have a "Mr. Memory" character in that film.<br /><br />My personal favorite from 1935, which Sam listed among his favorites, is <i>Triumph of the Will</i>. I never thought I'd live to see the day when somebody would call me an anti-Semite because of my appreciation for Riefenstahl's filmmaking, but that's exactly what happened a couple weeks ago when I started arguing with this person in charge of a blog called "Media Sickness", and I was baffled at the accusation.Adam Zanziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14524618281515322239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-92130451434499600512010-02-11T11:29:58.196-06:002010-02-11T11:29:58.196-06:00Oh, and The Informer of course, which I don't ...Oh, and The Informer of course, which I don't rank as one of Ford's best but which is very enjoyable (if heavy-handed). McLaglen is great.Doniphonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02407443845368110678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-69456162501554726612010-02-11T11:07:48.114-06:002010-02-11T11:07:48.114-06:00While I do think The 39 Steps is kind of a mixed b...While I do think The 39 Steps is kind of a mixed bag, and wouldn't rank it as high as you and Ed (unlike 1938's The Lady Vanishes, which I consider as good as anything Hitch ever made), the scenes in which Robert Donat and Madeliene Carroll are handcuffed are some of the most playful and joyous in all of Hitchcock. I really really love those scenes. I like Ceiling Zero, although I agree with Ed that it's stagy. My pick is Whale's The Bride Of Frankenstein, a film you really need to see. Whale is one of the great directors, and this and Frankenstein and 1936's Show Boat are some of the most wonderful movies of the thirties, or any decade.Doniphonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02407443845368110678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-26386189282315035472010-02-11T11:03:00.696-06:002010-02-11T11:03:00.696-06:00With the possible exception of NORTH BY NORTHWEST ...With the possible exception of NORTH BY NORTHWEST no other Hitchcock film boasts such irresistible set pieces,a fact that was underscored by the recent staging of the property on Broadway, which was well-received critically and at the box-office. I personally found it utterly delightful and enjoyed humorous transcription. In any case, the 1935 film could rightfully be seen as a model for all future romantic thrillers from Hitch, and it's doubtful that there's ever been a more stimulating relationship in such a tame and repressed setting. Certainly this film vies with THE LADY VANISHES as Hitch's finest film of the early British period, but I guess it would all depend on what day of the week I was asked the question. Ah, then there's Robert Donat, the actor who may have the most wonderful voice in movie history. In this and his later GOODBYE MR. CHIPS he's utterly divine.<br /><br />Again, like the previous year, your top choice comes within a breath of my own, but there's no comparing here, as both - and a few others - are unquestioned masterworks.<br /><br />My own top film of 1935 may well be the most obscure of all my annual first-place finishers, but as of late it has gained in exposure and reputation. It's Mikio Naruse's WIFE! BE LIKE A ROSE! and I first saw it four years ago at the Film Forum's exhaustive and highly-successful Naruse Film Festival in Manhattan, which showcased this film and 30 odd others. This study of familial divergences and reassessment perfectly wedded austerity with lyric stoicism, and the resuly was a sublime work of art, that certainly rates with this great director's best works: FLOATING WEEDS, LATE CHRYSANTHEMUM, WOMAN WHO ASCENDS THE STAIRS, REPAST, THE WANDERER'S NOTEBOOK and FLOWING. But I think this is the first time Naruse achieved cinematic unity in style and narrative in navigating psychological issues in the traditional family prism. It's a striking work with deep emotional resonance too.<br /><br />The other seemingly certain masterworks for this year would include (of course) THE 39 STEPS, John Ford's expressionistic, THE INFORMER, James Whales' delightfully imaginative THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN - the best of the Universal horrors - Leo McCarey's classic comedy with Charles Laughton - RUGGLES OF RED GAP, and the Marx brothers gem, A NIGHT AT THE OPERA. But the others that I list after these can surely be thought of in the same company.<br /><br />My Own #1 Film of 1935:<br /><br />Wife! Be Like A Rose! (Naruse)<br /><br />Runners-Up:<br /><br />The 39 Steps (Hitchcock)<br />The Bride of Frankenstein (Whale)<br />The Informer (Ford)<br />Ruggles of Red Gap (McCarey)<br />A Night at the Opera (Wood)<br />Man on the Flying Trapeze (Bruckman)<br />An Inn in Tokyo (Ozu)<br />The Band Concert (Jackson)<br />The Good Fairy (Wyler)<br />Top Hat (Sandrich)<br />A Tale of Two Cities (Conway)<br />La Kermesse Heroique (Feyder)<br />Les Miserables (Boleslawski)<br />Triumph of the Will (Riefenstahl)<br /><br />Jeffrey: Since the matter has been broached I would also like to let you know that I have thousands of titles, including virtually every film I've listed on this countdown and all those to come. You are certainly welcome at any time to these. My e mail addtress is TheFountain26@aol.com.<br /><br />The theatrical SYLVIA SCARLET is definitely noteworthy for the transvesite suggestions, but I am counting the film for 1936.<br /><br />As always a wonderful presentation here.Sam Julianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-68323546954969028202010-02-11T09:27:42.540-06:002010-02-11T09:27:42.540-06:00Ed, no problem! Both these sound great and will b...Ed, no problem! Both these sound great and will be seen in short order. I will write you at some point, as I hate that I haven't seen many of these early Hawks, one of my favorite directors, too. <br /><br />Thanks again for the excellent comments!Jeffrey Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464544798603030406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-18996596154233624972010-02-11T09:02:58.463-06:002010-02-11T09:02:58.463-06:00Oops, I just noticed that those were things you st...Oops, I just noticed that those were things you still needed to see rather than runners-up. <i>Ceiling Zero</i> really is great. Its one weakness is a slight staginess — it was adapted from a play and obviously had a pretty minimal budget, so it's a very claustrophobic film mostly shot on one set. Hawks turns it into a virtue through some typically sharp dialogue. I've seen it, along with most of Hawks' other early films, through downloaded copies mostly ripped off of TCM showings and such. A lot of stuff not available on DVD is readily available online if you know where to look. Drop me an email if you want some more info...<br /><br />Anyway, I just saw <i>Sylvia Scarlet</i> is on your to-see list too. I like that one as well; it's not a perfect film by any means but there are SO many interesting sexual tensions and ideas in that film. It's pretty startling for a Hollywood film of that era to deal so openly with cross-dressing and hints of gay desire, even if in the end everything's naturally restored to the "norm."Ed Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-88939150911341840592010-02-11T08:51:26.781-06:002010-02-11T08:51:26.781-06:00Ed, great comments! I love this sentence, in part...Ed, great comments! I love this sentence, in particular:<br /><br />"It's like the distilled essence of Hitch with the finer points stripped away: just the raw energy of the set pieces and the sexual frisson remain."<br /><br />Obviously, I couldn't agree more. I've never seen YOUNG AND INNOCENT but will definitely track it down.<br /><br />And CEILING ZERO sounds awesome. How were you able to track down so many of these early Hawks? I know that they're not terribly easy to find.<br /><br />Thanks again, Ed!Jeffrey Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464544798603030406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-62155624426782247632010-02-11T08:14:25.139-06:002010-02-11T08:14:25.139-06:00Hard to argue with this choice. Yeah, it's nar...Hard to argue with this choice. Yeah, it's narratively sloppy and maybe not one of Hitch's absolute best, but it is so much fun, so thrilling to watch. It's like the distilled essence of Hitch with the finer points stripped away: just the raw energy of the set pieces and the sexual frisson remain. I love <i>Young and Innocent</i>, another fun British Hitchcock, for similar reasons.<br /><br />I'm also so happy to see <i>Ceiling Zero</i> on your contenders list. I consider that one of Hawks' best early works, a pivotal film that looks forward to both the aviation thrills and the aura of death hanging over <i>Only Angels Have Wings</i>, and the crackling dialogue of Hawks' later screwball comedies. It's kind of like <i>His Girl Friday</i> playing out in the setting of <i>Only Angels</i>. Such a great movie. The plane crash scene, where the actual crash plays out almost entirely offscreen, is harrowing.Ed Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.com