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March 27, 2012 By iluvcinema 20 Comments

Tuesday’s Overlooked Film: Island in the Sun (1957)

This week’s selection as part of TODD MASON’S weekly series OVERLOOKED FILMS is the 1957 feature directed by Robert Rossen, Island in the Sun. The film has an all-star cast that includes Stephen Boyd, Harry Belafonte, Joan Fontaine, Joan Collins, Dorothy Dandridge and James Mason.

Controversial at the time of release, the film deals with the topic of miscegenation. Check out the trailer below:

 

Surely the film has some flaws, namely the lack of chemistry in the Fontaine/Belafonte dynamic. I for one never buy them as a plausible couple. And the Dandridge / John Justin coupling is only that much more believable. Much like Darryl F. Zanuck’s other attempt to tackle racial issues, Pinky (1947), Island in the Sun fires but ultimately does not strike a resonate chord.

At the time of the film’s release, critical reception was largely negative with several groups concerned with the ‘unsuitability’ of the film’s central plotline. In spite of this, the film was financially successful for the studio (20th Century Fox).

So you may ask, why am I highlighting it as an overlooked film? Despite its shortcomings, I think that it is a film that should be seen for the following reasons:

  • Given the era in which it was produced, it was an admirable effort to tackle racial politics. In that way, it is a ‘successful failure.’
  • Any opportunity to see Dorothy Dandridge on screen is well worth it. She was an immense talent who unfortunately did not fit the mold of Hollywood starlet and her career tragically suffered for it.
  • For viewers who only know Joan Collins (below) from her TV role in Dynasty, here is an opportunity to see her in an earlier role. Stay tuned for a plot twist involving her character.

Until next …

Filed Under: Overlooked Films Tagged With: dorothy dandridge, harry belafonte, island in the sun, james mason, joan collins, joan fontaine, overlooked film

July 19, 2011 By iluvcinema 8 Comments

Tuesday’s Overlooked Film: Letter From an Unknown Woman

I was first made aware of Max Ophüls’ Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948) when it was featured in one of my favorite books specifically about the treatment of women in the movies – From Reverence to Rape (written by Molly Haskell). As a result of her analysis of the film, I made it a personal mission of mine to seek it.

In a nutshell, Letter from an Unknown Woman is a story of unrequited love and the desperation, obsession (and mania) that can follow. It stars one of my favorite actresses from the era; Joan Fontaine is in the central role of a girl who grows into a woman who cannot seem to let go of a supposed romantic attachment (Louis Jourdan) of her youth. This steadfastness and devotion is disastrous and leads to tragic consequences.

The films works for me on many levels but principally the visuals are what have always captivated me; Letter always had a mystical, dreamlike for me.

FUN FACT (primary source: Wikipedia): In doing my research for this post, I discovered that film ending an the book ending differ. While both endings are equally ambiguous, the latter leaves the reader with more questions than answers about the fate of our male protagonist. There are also a few other structural changes to the plot but overall this film still reveals itself as a tragic love story.

* the film is available on DVD but it looks a little hard to come by – you may have to do some digging around.


Must give a mention: Last week while I was making my rounds in the film blogo-sphere I visited M. Carter at the Movies (LINK UPDATED) where they have reviewed a film that I think is worth a look at. I too is a film that I do not feel like got much sunlight on it during its initial run.

Filed Under: Recommendation Tagged With: 1948, joan fontaine, letter from an unknown woman, Louis Jourdan, love, max ophuls, obsession, overlooked cinema, romantic drama, tragedy

March 30, 2010 By iluvcinema Leave a Comment

“Rain is Lucky for Us ….”

Here on the East Coast, it is raining cats and dogs. This morning as I lay in bed amidst the torrential downpour, I am reminded of one of my all time favorite rainy-day movies, From this Day Forward (AKA All Brides are Beautiful). I previously mentioned it in my 24 Hour Birthday marathon and in my belated b-day wishes to Joan Fontaine, the star of the film.

For a synopsis of the film, I gladly defer to the TCM Movie Database, powered by the American Film Institute (AFI).

The reasons it makes such a great film for weather like this are as follows:

  1. It stars Joan Fontaine!
  2. The narrative structure is somewhat centered on the theme of a NYC downpour (hence the title of this entry)
  3. For a slightly younger person such as myself, it is cool seeing a pre-M.A.S.H. Henry Morgan

The one problem that I see is … where to find a copy of the movie. I have it on an old VHS tape but have been searching for it on DVD; this is all I have been able to come up with so far on Amazon.com:

From This Day Forward [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import – France ]; in other words, if you have a multi-region DVD player – have a blast!

So on a day when I lost ANOTHER earring and I arrived at work soaked and would LOVE to be cuddled up in my bed with hot cocoa, thinking about this film brightens up my day just enough.

P.S. Your feedback is welcomed – What is YOUR favorite “rainy day” film?

Filed Under: Recommendation Tagged With: from this day forward, joan fontaine, rainy day movies

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