Appreciation Post Archives - Page 3 of 6

August 13, 2014 By iluvcinema 2 Comments

Good Night, Betty

With sultry looks and a voice to match, Lauren Bacall epitomized the allure, glamor and resilience required of the 1940s film noir heroine/femme fatale. To the masses, she is probably most recognized for her professional and personal partnership with the legendary Humphrey Bogart, but that is only one part of the picture. Over the course of her decades long career, she held her own, through her extensive work on stage and on the screen.

Born in the Bronx in 1924, Bacall’s striking appearance made it easy for her to find work as a model while pursuing an acting career. Her breakthrough came in 1944 when the 19-year old was plucked from obscurity and cast alongside one Humphrey Bogart in Howard Hawks’ production of To Have and Have Not. And the rest, as they say, is history …

In recent years, she appeared in more than a few prominent features, winning the Golden Globe and SAG Awards in 1996 for her performance in The Mirror Has Two Faces; she was also nominated for an Academy Award, but lost out to Juliet Binoche (The English Patient).

As one of the few remaining survivors from Hollywood’s golden age, her passing at age 89, serves as a reminder that as the days increase, our direct links to that shared cinematic past are continuing falling away. We are well served to remember and appreciate the contribution that she, and others, made to the art form.

Here are a few films I recommend you take a look at:

(With Bogart)
To Have and Have Not (1944), dir. Howard Hawks
The Big Sleep (1946), dir. Howard Hawks (be warned, do not think about the plot too much)
Dark Passage (1947), dir. Delmer Daves
Key Largo (1948), dir. John Huston (fourth and final film with Bogart)

(Post-Bogart)
How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), dir. Jean Negulesco
Written on the Wind (1956), dir. Douglas Sirk – although she plays it rather straight here, this is a melodrama of epic proportions.

I know some people may be asking where is a film like Designing Woman (co starring Gregory Peck) on this list? Well I admit, I have not seen it.

What are some of your favorites?

WRITTEN ON THE WIND - American Poster by Reynold Brown 3

August 12, 2014 By iluvcinema 3 Comments

Fare Thee Well, Friend

When someone as well known and entertaining as Robin Williams passes away rather unexpectedly, the response is profound and immediate. Over the course of his vaunted career, he left audiences in fits of unbridled fits of laughter at his manic displays, but he could also reach moving, sentimental heights through the power of performance in films such as Good Will Hunting and Dead Poets Society. He even pleasantly popped up in some unexpected places too (Dead Again).

Which is funny, because as a youth, I had quite the opposite reaction. Allow me to elaborate.

My brothers and I grew up in the time of Mork and Mindy. Apparently, my parents assumed that my brothers (especially) were huge fans – so much so that they bought a poster of Robin Williams in rainbow suspenders. This poster found residence for a number of years prominently displayed in their room. I tell you something – that poster was the source of many a bad dream. I swore his eyes staring down at me with the sole intent of tormenting my 4-5 year old soul.

Of course, this was all worked up in my head because as the years wore on, this response was replaced with a feeling of fondness when I would see him on the big screen and small because at the end of the day, he laid it out there for you to enjoy. Sure, there may have been a few “misses” along the way – no artist worth their salt will have a 100%, perfect track record. In fact, the ability to take that leap and see how everything shakes out, is something to be respected and admired. And in that regard, I truly respect the man and the gifts he shared with the world.

It has been said over and over in the 24+ hours since the news of his passing, but there is that bitter irony that a person who could make us laugh and leave us so full, also has within themselves something quite the opposite. Not surprising because I think that is a central theme of the human condition but, I would like to think that for fleeting moments, Williams’ art allowed him to exorcise just a little of that darkness. And through our joy in his performance, he was able to experience some measure of pleasure and satisfaction.

And while I may be permitted momentarily to be selfish, wishing that he was able to continue to share that energy with us, I also recognize the punctuated loss felt by those who were nearest and dearest to him. For them, I extend the deepest of sympathies.

June 26, 2014 By iluvcinema 2 Comments

That Time I Spent an Evening with Eli Wallach …

… well, that is not 100% true. Sure I was there and he was there, but so were about 100 other movie fans and collectors of memorabilia. You are probably wondering the wheres and whys – so gimme a sec, I am getting there …

It was late June 2005 (almost 9 years to the day as a matter of fact), and I stood in line outside Christie’s auction house in Rockerfeller Center, giddy with anticipation about the I was about to attend – a sneak preview of Marlon Brando’s personal effects that were about to hit the block. Sure, in hindsight the idea of gawking at one’s items that were likely never meant for public eyes, is a rather morbid curiosity. But the main attraction for me came a couple of hours later after walking through the labyrinthine halls of the famed establishment. Film director Arthur Penn, Eli Wallach and renowned critic Richard Schickel joined us lucky attendees for a panel discussion where they shared with the audience stories about Brando’s life and their thoughts on the influence his career had on screen acting.

Whenever I attend a discussion like this, I am always in awe of the fact that I am in the presence of people who have first-hand knowledge and tales to tell concerning individuals, ‘idols,’ who are otherwise so distant to me. It was wonderful to not only hear Wallach talk about working with Brando, but this was a moment to reflect on and remind myself of the immense talent that sat before me.

Though not as lauded as many of his contemporaries (Brando, James Dean, Montgomery Clift), Wallach was principally referred to as a “character actor,” having the ability through through the power of his performances, to transform himself into whatever the role required, regardless of medium (film, television or stage). Many of you may not be so intimately acquainted with his body of work (see IMDB), and might find yourselves surprised by his roles in some of Hollywood’s greater films of the middle-late middle part of the last century. When you get a chance, be sure to check out these notable classics:

The Good The Bad and the Ugly (w/ Clint Eastwood)
How the West Was Won
The Misfits (*an ILC personal favorite)
The Magnificent Seven
Baby Doll (feature film debut)

So when I heard of the news of his passing early yesterday, I recalled fondly that warm summer evening when I had the privilege of being in the company of a great talent.

eli wallach, carol baker, baby doll — Eli Wallach and Carol Baker in **Baby Doll** (1956)

For a good retrospective read on Wallach, check out my blogging buddy, leopard13’s post: http://le0pard13.com/2014/06/25/my-favorite-films-of-a-master-character-actor-eli-wallach/.

And check out TCM on Monday, June 30th starting at 9:00AM for an 11-hour marathon of his films.