This month we have largely reverted to sound films - but only temporarily. And apart
from "Transatlantic Tunnel", planned for the near future, there are NO other sound
films on our horizon. In any event, we're happy to say that the newest of our sound
films in May is still nearly a quarter-of-a-century old!
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Program One: May 21st. A PROGRAM OF MYSTERY AND MELODRAMA
"HER AWAKENING" (Majestic, 1914) Directed by Christy Cabanne; supervised by D.W. Griffith;
starring WALLACE REID and BLANCHE SWEET, with Josephine Crowell, Ralph
Lewis, Andre Beranger, Al Fillson, Howard Gaye, Mrs. Marconi.
Having left Biograph, Griffith was paid $1000 a week by the Mutual-Reliance-Majestic-Fine
Arts combine to supervise the one, two and three reelers of this type. Despite the fact
that Griffith was also turning out full-length features ("The Escape", "Home Sweet Home",
"The Avenging Conscience") and was preparing for "The Birth of a Nation", he seemed to
devote sufficient time to the shorts-program so that each film bore the signs of his
influence, if not his outright participation. "Her Awakening" is a well-done little
melodrama of a crooked guardian attempting to steal an heiress' inheritance; the plot
stretches coincidence a little too far perhaps, but otherwise it is a neatly constructed
film. Cabanne seemed to do his only really interesting work under Griffith, later
becoming merely a competent hack director of everything from "Annapolis" to "The Mummy's
Hand".
"THE MISER'S HEART" (Biograph, 1911) Directed by D.W. Griffith, with Eddie Dillon,
Wilfrid Lucas, Charles Mailes, and Robert Harron and Donald
Crisp as extras.
Although fairly late at 1911, "The Miser's Heart" is a delightful throw-beck to
"The Adventures of Dollie" and the really early Griffith subjects - heartily
unsubtle in both its melodramatics and its sentiment, it is a strange follow-up
to such sophisticated films as "A Corner in Wheat" of two years earlier. Probably
D.W. was just having fun with this one but at the same time not forgetting to pile
up the suspense with all the cross-cutting devices at his command. The climax, which
we won't spoil by revealing here, is a real corker.
"A WOMAN OF NERVE" (Reliance, 1915) Directed by Joseph Delmont; supervised by Griffith,
Starring Howard Gaye and Olga Gray, with Fred Kohler as Two Fingered Mike.
"Nerve, the quality which enables a man to bet into a pat hand with a pair of tens,
and a woman to go through fire with a smile".
This rather whimsical opening title suggests a light-hearted mood, which however is
dispelled as soon as Fred Kohler, his missing two fingers exploited as much here by
Joseph Delmont as they were by Ford in "The Iron Horse", puts in his sinister appearance.
The film, more than a little reminiscent of "The Lonely Villa", is a taut little thriller
with a pronounced stress on closeups. The many exterior shots of suburban Hollywood and
Los Angeles lend added interest, and it's always pleasant to watch the polished work of
Olga Gray. Incidentally, the last scene or two of the film are missing -presumably
a clinch fadeout between husband and wife - but otherwise it is all there.
"SOUL OF THE BEAST" (excerpt only) Thanes H. Ince-Metro release 1923; directed by
John Griffin Wray; starring CULLEN LANDIS, MADGE BELLAMY, NOAH BEERY.
This Ince production is not the horror film its title might suggest, but an all-out
backwoods and circus melodrama. Our sequence runs for about half-a-reel, and is one of
the action highlights. Enhancing its appeal, even though it does mean. running it at sound
speed, is the use of the old agitato "Storm and War", used as background music in many an
early sound western and thriller, net to mention serials. A word of explanation for
the brief opening and closing scenes featuring Mae Busch, Luana Walters and Ernie Adams.
In the early thirties, an independent producer acquired a great deal of silent Ince
stock footage from "Soul of the Beast", "Typhoon", "Barbara Frietchie", "The Busher" and
other films, and from them made a little epic called "Secrets of Hollywood", in which
top-line Hollywood star (!) Mae Busch took a young would-be starlet (Luana Walters) in
tow. Every so often somebody would rush up to Miss Busch with a batch of stills for her
"collection", and as she looked at them, they dissolved into lengthy sequences from the
old Ince pictures. It was all great fun - especially the "guest" appearance of "one of
Hollywood's top male stars, Wally Wales" (!!) - to say nothing of equally notable guest
appearances by producer George M. Marrick and character player Lafe McKee. It is from
"Secrets of Hollywood" that this "Soul of the Beast" excerpt was made.
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INTERMISSION
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"T H E B A T W H I S P E R S" (United Artists, 1931) A Roland West Production
Based on the stage play by Mary Roberts Rinehart and
-starring-- Avery Hopwood, produced by Wagenhals and Kemper;
photographed by Ray June; settings designed and
CHESTER MORRIS, UNA executed by Paul Roe Greeley; production assistants:
MERKEL, and GUSTAV Roger H. Neman, Ned Herbert Mann, Charles H. Smith,
VON SEYFFERTITZ Helen Hallett; edited by James Smith; in charge of
sounds J.T., Reed; Sound technician: O.E. Legerstrom;
WRITTEN, PRODUCED AND DIRECTED BY ROLAND WEST.
The Cast (in order of appearance): Police Lieut. (Chance Ward); Hr, Ball (Richard Tucker);
Butler (Wilson Bengs); Captain (DeWitt Jennings); Sergeant (Sidney D'Albrook);
Man in the Black Mask (S.E. Jenings); Cornelia Van Gorder (Grayce Hampton); Lizzie Allen
(Maude Eburne); The Caretaker (Spencer Charters); Dale Van Gorder (Una Merkel); Brook
(William Dalewall); Dr. Vanrees (Gustav von Seyffertitz); Detective Anderson (Chester
Morris); Richard Fleming (Hugh Huntley); Detective Jones (Charles Don Clark);
The Unknown (Ben Bard);
Frankly we were quite overwhelmed when we ran this a few days ago. Expecting good, stylish
fun in the "The Cat and the Canary" tradition, we were absolutely bowled over by the
marvellous stuff in this film. This is one of the most fascinating and interesting
"re-discovered gems" we've evert played.
Roland West's first version of "The Bat", made as a silent, was a huge success. This
early talkie remake was a flop. Today it is easy to see why. In an era when movies were
expected to talk and do nothing else, and when transplanted stageplays were all the
vogue (especially at UA and RKO) this one broke all the rules. It remained determinedly
a movie rather than a talkie; despite its stage origins (apparent only once or twice),
it tells its story visually, in the best tradition of the silent greats. As such in
1931 it probably seemed terribly old-fashioned. Today, ironically, it seems wonderfully
fresh and invigorating - oh, for some of the style and imagination of this film in some
of today's films!
As an "old-school - old-house thriller" it has some plot familiarities of course, and
more than casual resemblances to "The Cat and the Canary", "The 13th Guest" (which
copied one whole sequence from it) "The Old Dark House" and others. But even the cliches
seem fresh here, and West deliberately kids (without ridiculing) certain elements of
the plot which semmed a little corny to him.
What makes the film so great is its tremendous, stylistic, visuals: great moving camera
shots, ingenious miniatures, strikingly dramatic compositions, fantastic - and effective -
angles. A remarkable bank-robbery scene is done in an almost impressionistic manner, shot
at a distorted high angle, reminiscent of Frtiz Lang in his golden period. (A black,
gloved hand snuffing out a candle is a happy plagiarism from "Metropolis" too).
In fact, pictorially the file is often reminiscent of both Lang and Maurice Tourneur, but
rarely lazily imitative. Some of the pictorial, effects -- the great bat's shadow
melting into nothing for example - are among the most striking images the screen has
created, bar none.
Roland West was obviously a dynamic film-maker, and it is surprising that he is so little
remembered today. He was obviously held in high regard at the time, for all of his
relatively few films had the billing "A Roland West Production" before either title or
star. Born in 1887, he was an actor, playwright, producer and director. His films
were always one-man shows, although he surrounded himself with the best technicians
available. Ray June was a top-notch cameraman, as this film so evidently shows, and
the editor of "The Bat Whispers", James Smith, was also Griffith's favorite editor.
After years as a juvenile actor, West produced short dramatic and comedy skits for the
Loew's circuit. With Joseph Schenck he produced and directed their first picture,
"Lost Souls", became a production executive temporarily, and then switched back to
making films, with time out for producing "The Unknwn Purple" on the legitimate stage.
His handful of films include "The Monster" (a Lon Chaney horror vehicle, with a good
sense of fun), "The Dove" and "Deluxe Annie" (both Norma Talmadge vehicles), "The Bat",
and three Chester Morris melodramas - "Alibi", "The Bat Whispers" and "The Corsair".
West's pictures were never easy to follow - his plots always seemed to be complicated
and to abound in unexplained motives and characters. This is true of "The Bat Whispers",
and especially so of "The Corsair" in which he turned a drama of gangsterism and bootlegging
into something nearly resembling a Greek tragedy.
Not the least of West's accomplishments was his rare good taste in selecting the lovely
Jewel Carmen, one of the most graceful of all the old Griffith Girls from Triangle, as
his bride.
"The Bat Whispers" is still presented occasionally on stage under its original title, and
is an old reliable at summer stock theatres. Zasu Pitts played well, in a recent version.
Good as "The Cat and the Canary" and "The Old Dark House" were, we think this one has them
beaten a mile. Even if you don't agree however, we think you'll go away confirmed
Roland West admirers.
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Program Two May 28
WILLIAM WYLER AT UNIVERSAL
Two Films from the Early 30's.
At a later date, we plan to screen one of Wyler's beat silents for Universal, "Shakedown".
Tonight's progran, consisting of "THE GOOD FAIRY" and "TOM BROWN OF CULVER", made between
1932 and 1934, provides a good cross-section of the highly competent work he was turning
out in the early sound era. While not necessarilly his best films of that period, they do
provide an interesting illustration of both his capabilities - and his limitations.
His best Universal, films, "Counsellor at Law" and "Hell's Heroes", were probably also his
best from any period, and far superior to the stodgy, pretentious and overblown films
that lured him in over his head ...from "Wuthering Heights" to "The Best Years of Our
Lives". How many of the really good directors of the early thirties - William Wellman,
Howard Hawks, Mervyn LeRoy, Archie Mayo - emulated Wyler by following him into "prestige"
pictures that were far less interesting than their early, peppy, punchy and truly cinematic
pictures. Perhaps only William Keighley - a lesser director admittedly - really stayed
within his own orbit, and wisely so. His "Street With No Name" of a few ycers ago was
very pleasantly akin to hie earlier Cagney opus, "G-Men".
"TOM BROWN OF CULVER" (Universal, 1932) 8 reels; directed by William Wyler, photographed
by Charles Stumar, screenplay by George Green and Tom Buckingham,
additional dialogue by Clarence Marks.
The Players: Tom Brown, H.B. Warner, Richard Cromwell, Slim Summerville, Ben Alexander,
Sidney Toler, Russell Hopton, Andy Devine, Willard Robertson, Norman Phillips jr.,
Tyrone Power, Kit Wain, Dick Winslow, Matty Roubert, Kit Guard, Betty Blythe, Lew Kelly,
Eugene Pallette.
"Tom Brown of Culver" is a prime example of Wyler building a great deal out of very
little. The plot is slim and not even markedly eventful, but in Wyler's hands it
becomes fast-paced, dramatic, and surprisingly moving at times. Thanks to sharp
editing, imaginative camera composition, and frequent utilisation of the moving camera,
a rather static story is kept constantly on the move. Certainly this is one of the
better early Wyler talkies, and a better film than its 1939 remake, "Spirit of Culver",
which starred Jackie Cooper, Freddie Bartholomew and Tim Holt. Itself quite a good
film, it was a reel longer than this version, and added a melodramatic motor-cycle
chase, through a storm for its climax. Its basic inferiority to this version was in the
scenery-chewing playing of Henry Hull; H.B. Warner's quieter performance here is a
great deal more poignant. Warner, who acts with his sensitive hands almost as much as
with his face, adds tremendous power and depth to this Wyler film. Incidentally, there
seems to be almost a conspiracy to keep Tyrone Power, in an early bit role, off the screen!
In the background in mary scenes, he always seems to be just off-screen or behind someone
else's head! However, he does have one good scene - and dialogue - mid-way though the film.
"THE GOOD FAIRY" (Universal, produced 1934, released 1935) Presented by Carl Laemmle,
produced by Henry Henningson, directed by Wyler, script by Preston Sturges
from a play by Ferene Molnar; camera - Norbert Brodine; edited by
Daniel Mandell. 10 reels.
The Players: Margaret Sullivan, Herbert Marshall, Reginald Owen, Frank Morgan, Alan
Hale, Beulah Bondi, Cesar Romero, Eric Blore, Al Bridges, George Davis, June Clayworth.
For such a sumptuous and large-scale production, and one with such talent in front of and
behind the camera, "The Good Fairy" is rather a disappointment. Part of the blame can
attach to the manner of its making: its script behind schedule, the film was written as it
went along, Sturges handing Wyler a few pages of script, and then bounding back to a
hideaway to write more! This undoubtedly accounts for some of the uneven quality, and
especially the excess amount of time devoted, in the middle portions of the film, to
Frank Morgan's buffoonery. However, one cannot blame Sturges entirely, for the
film is a little on the stodgy side, lacking the wit and sparkle that a Lubitsch could
extracted from the same script as it stood. Nevertheless, it has some very enjoyable
things in it, especially the earlier scenes at the orphanage, and the priceless moments
in a gigantic movie theatre. Disappointing or not, Sturges is still a more interesting
writer than Molnar, and its main drawback seems to have been that Wyler just was not a
comedy director. (Even the delightful "Roman Holiday" scored more on it's charm, and its
playing, than on comedy content). However, "The Good Fairy" is lush, lavish, and full
of polished performances from Herbert Marshall, Margaret Sullivan and other old friends
from the thirties, and we think you'll agree it's well worth this revival today.
A WILLIAM WYLER INDEX, outlining Wyler's career, and giving full credits and other
details on all of his films, ha sbeen compiled and published by one of our members,
Charles Shibuk. These will be on sale at the screening, price 75¢ to society
members. Those of you unable to attend who would like a copy of this index, which
contains fine research material, should contact Mr. Shibuk at 2084 Bronx Park Last,
Bronx 62, New York.
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Program Notes & Enquiries: Bill Everson, Manhattan Towers, 2166 Broadway, New York City
Committee of the film society: Bill Everson, Edward Corey, Dorothy Lovell, Charles Shibuk.
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ERICH VON STROHEIM: It is sad indeed to note the passing of Erich von Stroheim, one of
the last great rearguards of the silent cinema. Who is left of the old school? Perhaps
only Carl Th. Dreyer in a creative sense, although Vidor, Ford, Rene Clair, Lang, Von
Sternberg and of course Chaplin, in an active sense, are happily still with us.
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