Book Review – Ronald Colman: Hollywood’s Gentleman Hero

Title: Ronald Colman: Hollywood’s Gentleman Hero

By Carl Rollyson

Publisher: BearManor Media Books

ISBN 979-8-88771-437-0 (softcover)

In Ronald Colman: Hollywood's Gentleman Hero, author Carl Rollyson provides a long-overdue tribute to one of the most distinguished figures of classic cinema. The book corrects the notion that Colman has been forgotten, asserting his vital role not only as a leading man but as an influential artist across film, radio, and television. Rather than simply recount his life, Rollyson positions Colman as the quintessential “gentleman hero,” a persona he perfected on screen that embodied a complex and appealing set of virtues. The biography reveals a career that helped define the golden age of Hollywood.

A significant strength of Rollyson's work is its focus on Colman’s professional legacy and artistic contributions. The biography is less a sensationalized life story and more of a comprehensive analysis of his body of work. Rollyson corrects previous misconceptions about the actor, offering a carefully researched account of his performances. The book chronicles his seamless and successful transition from silent films to talkies, a feat for which Colman’s magnificent, resonant voice was a key asset.

Rollyson's approach is to delve deep into the critical reception of Colman's work, providing rich context that goes beyond simple storytelling. Though scholarly in tone, it is accessible to the casual film fan.

Ronald Colman: Hollywood's Gentleman Hero stands as a definitive biography of an often-underrated star. It succeeds in bringing Colman's remarkable life and career into focus, offering a case for his enduring relevance. For anyone with a serious interest in the history of cinema, the evolution of the actor's craft, or the specific influence of Ronald Colman, this biography is an essential read. It ensures that the legacy of Hollywood's original gentleman hero is remembered and properly celebrated for generations to come.

 

Carl Rollyson is a prolific biographer. He is the author of the best-selling Hollywood Enigma: Dana Andrews, A Real American Character: The Life of Walter Brennan, and The Making of Sylvia Plath.

Gregory Peck is "The Gunfigher"

The Gunfighter (1950) is an American western drama directed by Henry King and starring Gregory Peck. The cast members include Helen Westcott, Millard Mitchell, Karl Malden, and Jean Parker. The cinematography was by Arthur C. Miller (How Green is My Valley).

Gregory Peck stars as Jimmy Ringo, who is famous for being the fastest draw in the West. Because of his renown, he is constantly hounded by younger gunslingers who want to take him on. When Ringo is confronted by a young cowboy named Eddie, he has no choice but to defend himself. When Eddie’s three brothers find out they follow Ringo out of town. Ringo ambushes the brothers, disarms them and drives their horses away. He tells the brothers to walk back to town but they follow him on foot.

Ringo eventually arrives at the town of Cayenne where his wife and son live. He hasn’t seen either of them in eight years. Ringo wants to reunite with his wife (Helen Westcott) and son but Peggy doesn’t see how they could make a life for themselves and their son due to his gunfighter notoriety.

What remains for Ringo? Will he be able to carve a new life for himself or will his gunfighter’s reputation keep him from living a quiet, “normal” life?

Gregory Peck

Henry King (1886 - 1982) was an American actor and director. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Director and seven films that he directed were nominated for Best Picture including The Song of Benadette (1943) where he directed Jennifer Jones to a Best Actress Academy Award. While under contract to Twentieth Century-Fox he directed many films starring Tyrone Power and Gregory Peck. Some popular films directed by King include Lloyd's of London (1936), In Old Chicago (1937), Jesse James (1939), Twelve O'Clock High (1949), The Gunfighter (1950), David and Bathsheba (1951), The Sun Also Rises (1957), and The Bravados (1958).

Gregory Peck (1916 – 2002) was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. He had three Best Actor nominations early in his career for The Keys to the Kingdom (1944), The Yearling (1946), Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), and Twelve O’Clock High (1949). He had non-exclusive contracts with David O. Selznick and Twentieth Century-Fox, which gave him great flexibility in the roles he chose to play. Other classic Peck film roles include Roman Holiday (1953), The Big Country (1958), The Guns of Navarone (1961). He finally won a Best Actor Academy Award for his iconic portrayal of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).

The Gunfighter trivia

• The script was originally written with John Wayne in mind.
• The producers hated Peck's period mustache.
• The western street is the same one used in The Ox-Box Incident (1942).
• This was supposedly one of Gregory Peck's favorite roles.

To watch the movie on YouTube, clicked the link below.

To join the discussion on October 3, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, click here. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation and link to join the discussion on Zoom.

Discussion questions

1. Was Peck convincing as an outlaw on the run?
2. The producers hated Peck's mustache that fit the period and thought it contributed to the film's failure at the box office. Did Peck's mustache work for you or did you agree with the producers at Twentieth Century-Fox?
3. Do you think Peck's character had a chance at a new life with his wife and son?
4. Was the ending inevitable? Would you have written a different ending?
5. Why do you think audiences didn't embrace The Gunfighter in spite of the mostly glowing reviews from the critics? 

Gregory Peck and Helen Westcott

2018 Turner Classic Film Festival (#TCMFF) Day 4

Sunday the 29th was the last day of the TCM Film Festival. The last day is always bittersweet. Sweet because there are still some great moves to be seen and bitter because we know that the fun will end all too soon.

As usual, there were some great choices for morning screenings: Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), The Black Stallion (1979), Woman of the Year (1942), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935), and Tunes of Glory (1960). Once again, all of the choices were worth seeing on the big screen. I chose Woman of the Year, which was an unusual choice for me because I’m not a huge fan of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. But I am a big fan of director George Stevens and producer Joseph L. Mankiewicz (before he was writing and directing). We have Mankiewicz for bringing the two superstars together in this their first film. In attendance was actor Keith Carradine. Carradine is an engaging person and is always interesting to listen to, but I felt that some of the folks introducing movies at the festival talked more about themselves than the movies. It was fun to hear some of the stories about Carradine’s father and Hepburn, but I really wanted to hear more about the movie itself. Oh, well, we can’t have everything. I was curious how this film would play in the 21st century. There have been a lot of modern critiques of the film that say Stevens degraded Hepburn’s character at the end, but I’ve never felt that was so. The digital print looked beautiful on the big screen. The writing, acting, and direction was excellent; I truly enjoyed this film on the big screen with an appreciative audience.

Next was another film that I had never seen from beginning: Frank Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). Capra who helped James Stewart become the iconic movie star he is today, worked with Stewart the year before in You Can’t Take it With You. Stewart was under contract to M-G-M, but hadn’t been mostly relegated to playing supporting roles in a variety of film genres, including musicals! Who could forget Stewart serenading Eleanor Powell in Born to Dance (1936)? On loan to Columbia, Stewart as Jefferson Smith has his best role to date. He also earned his first Best Actor Academy Award nomination. Costarring with Stewart was Capra favorite, Jean Arthur who gets top billing since she was the bigger star at the time. Just as it was in You Can’t Take it With You, Arthur and Stewart’s chemistry was just perfect. As Mr. Smith’s assistant, Arthur is amazing; the role and the movie wouldn’t have been the same in the hands of a lesser actress. As usual, Capra cast all the supporting roles perfectly. We get to see some of the best character actors in the business, including Thomas Mitchell—what a great year he had in 1939!--, Beulah Bondi, Eugene Pallette, Guy Kibbee, Ruth Donnelly, Harry Carey, and Claude Rains. Amazing, right? The story about a freshman senator coming face-to-face with political corruption seems to ring true—unfortunately—with each new generation. Rather than being depressing though, the film was inspiring and reminds us what it is that makes America great…it’s people.

I was excited to see my next choice which was one of the “To Be Announced” films on Sunday. Finishing School (1934) was originally shown on Thursday night, but it conflicted with To Have and Have Not (1944), which I decided would be my first movie of the festival. This pre-code classic was a hoot from beginning to end. The film starred Frances Dee and Ginger Rogers as roommates in an exclusive and extremely snooty finishing school. Dee is pretty level-headed and decent, in spite of the fact that her amazingly irresponsible parents (Billie Burke and John Halliday) seem to have little interest in their daughter. Rogers is the hell raiser, always pulling pranks and breaking the rules by having parties off campus. She goes so far as to pay an actress to pretend to be a visiting aunt so she can get away from the school to party. Dee falls in love with a medical student (Bruce Cabot), but has to keep her romance a secret from the impossibly straightlaced headmistress played to annoying perfection by Beulah Bondi. Rogers gets all the best lines, many of which brought down the house. The film also featured a young Anne Shirley, while she was still billed as Dawn O’Day. Written and directed by Wanda Tuchock, who was the only woman to direct a film in the 1930s who wasn’t Dorothy Arzner. If you get a chance to see this gem, don’t pass it up; you won’t be disappointed.

The last film I chose to end my festival was A Star is Born (1937). For my money, this is the best—it’s also the original—version of the classic story of one star’s rise another’s fall. Directed by William A. Wellman, this was a rare Technicolor treat. The nitrate print shown in the Egyptian Theatre was beautiful. The print was courtesy of the George Eastman House and the Nitrate Picture Show. Having seen so many public domain versions of this classic that were horrible, this print was a revelation. The film was introduced by the director’s son, William Wellman Jr. Janet Gaynor was delightful as Esther Blodgett/Vicki Lester and Fredric March, who was a very popular leading man at the time, was perfect as the doomed Norman Maine. The character that I loved in this version was May Robson as Esther’s grandmother. As Esther’s biggest booster throughout the film, Robson was lovable and brought some wonderful comic relief, as well as some sage advice to her granddaughter. Why the other versions didn’t keep the grandmother character, I’ll never know. The supporting cast also included Adolphe Menjou, Andy Devine, Lionel Stander, and Edgar Kennedy. I couldn’t think of a better movie to end the festival with than the original version of A Star is Born. I was not disappointed.

Sullivan’s Travels: “There’s always a girl in the picture”

The posters for Sullivan’s Travels
emphasize “The Girl.”

Preston Sturges was one writer-director who could make fun of the American public and their conventions without insulting them. Even when he makes fun of motherhood, romance, and marriage, he never makes you feel foolish for believing in them. In 1941 Sturges took on the motion picture business that is both hilarious and poignant.

John L. (Sully) Sullivan (Joel McCrea) is a successful motion picture director best know for light comedies and musicals like Ants in Your Plants of 1939. However, at this point in his career he wants to tackle more serious fare. “Something like Capra” studio executive Mr. Hadrian (Porter Hall) says, to which Sullivan retorts. “What’s the matter with Capra?” He wants to film O, Brother Where Art Thou?, a novel that deals with “social significance” (think The Grapes of Wrath). Sullivan says “conditions have changed, these are troublous times.” The studio executives, Mr. Lebrand (Robert Warwick) and Mr. Hadrian, see their top moneymaker slipping away so they ask Sullivan what he knows about trouble? While Lebrand and Hadrian contrast Sullivan’s charmed life—boarding school, college—with their own hardscrabble youth—mostly fiction—selling newspapers and supporting their families. Sullivan has to admit that he doesn’t know what trouble is. At this point, Lebrand and Hadrian try to coax him into making Ants in Your Pants of 1941 with Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Mary Martin, Jack Benny and Rochester, all names movie audiences would have been familiar with. This name-dropping continues throughout, which makes it even more enjoyable for classic movie fans.

Preston Sturges directs Veronica Lake and Joel McCrea

But no, Sullivan is determined to learn about suffering by disguising himself as a tramp with only a dime in his pocket! The studio suits reluctantly give in to Sullivan, but plan to exploit his adventure. They enlist studio publicist Mr. Casalsis (Franklin Pangborn) who has renovated DeMille’s “land yacht” that he used while filming Northwest Mounted Police (1940) to follow Sullivan. Along for the ride are a doctor, a writer, a secretary, a radio operator, a cook, studio publicists, and a driver. Sullivan ditches this group and spends a day with two sisters working as their handyman. When one sister gets too amorous, he runs away and hitches a ride with a truck driver who lets Sullivan out in Hollywood, the town he’s been trying to get away from. Sullivan stumbles into a diner where he meets “The Girl”—“There’s always a girl in the picture” (Veronica Lake) who has decided to leave Hollywood and forget about a career in the movies. At first she takes pity on Sullivan thinking he’s a tramp down on his luck, even buying him breakfast, until it’s revealed that he is in fact a famous director who knows (Ernst) Lubitsch, the director she would most like to meet.

McCrea and Lake at a revival meeting

When Sullivan goes back on his journey The Girl convinces him to take her along. Dressed as tramps, they travel with the poor and downtrodden, eating at soup kitchens, and sleeping in shelters. At one point they’re reduced to looking through trashcans for food. Sullivan decides they’ve had enough and the two return to Hollywood. Sullivan feels he has now “suffered enough” to direct O, Brother Where Art Thou? Before he returns to directing, Sullivan secretly hands out five-dollar bills to the homeless folks in appreciation for those who were kind to him. Unfortunately one man wants more and assaults Sullivan, steals the money and loads the unconscious director on a freight train. The thief runs away accidentally dropping cash on the train tracks. While trying to pick up the money, the thief is hit and killed by a train. When his mangled body is discovered, a studio identification card sewn into his boots identifies him as Sullivan (the thief stole Sullivan’s boots earlier). The studio and The Girl are informed that Sullivan is dead.

Sullivan and the chain gang watch a Mickey Mouse cartoon.

Sullivan wakes up in a freight car with no memory of what had happened to him. Due to his confusion and memory loss, he ends up assaulting a railroad worker who finds him. This assault lands him on a chain gang. When his memory comes back, no one believes he is John L. Sullivan the famous director. As life on the chain gang becomes more routine, he and the other prisoners go to a black church where they see the Walt Disney cartoon Playful Pluto. At first Sullivan watches the cartoon looking glum and unhappy, but when he sees the audience laughing, he joins them. It’s at this point he has an epiphany. Maybe directing movies that make people laugh, helping them to forget their troubles for a while, is nobler than he thought. Out goes his plans to film O, Brother Where Art Thou?, but how does he get off the chain gang?

Sullivan has an epiphany!

While thinking of ways to get off the chain gang, he has a brainstorm. He says he killed John L. Sullivan, which gets his picture in the paper and he is quickly released. When The Girl, now a movie star, sees Sullivan alive on the front page of the newspaper, she leaves the set (where Sturges is the director). She runs out of the soundstage, where she almost mows down Ray Milland, who looks like he’s in costume for Reap the Wild Wind (1941). Sullivan is released and reunited with the girl and his studio, but he decides “There's a lot to be said for making people laugh. Did you know that that's all some people have? It isn't much, but it's better than nothing in this cockeyed caravan.”

Sullivan is too happy to make O, Brother Where Art Thou?

Sturges supposedly wrote Sullivan’s Travels as a response to other comedy films that he thought tended to be preachy. I like to think that he was commenting on Hollywood and its tendency to take itself too seriously. Preston Sturges loved movie comedy enough to make fun of it even if it was at his own expense.

This post is part of the Hollywood on Hollywood blogathon sponsored by the Classic Movie Blog Association (CMBA) running from October 17 to October 21, 2016. To read more posts in the Hollywood on Hollywood blogathon, click here.

Screening of Hitchcock’s “I Confess” at Daystar Center May 12, 2015

When: Tuesday, May 12, 2015 6:30 p.m.
Where: The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street

Father Michael William Logan, a Catholic priest (Montgomery Clift) has a crisis of faith when he hears the confession of Otto Keller, the caretaker at his residence. Otto confesses to Logan that he accidentally killed a lawyer during a robbery. By keeping Keller’s secret as part of his priestly duties, suspicion for murder falls on Logan. Will he keep Keller’s confession a secret, even if it means jeopardizing his own freedom and destroying the marriage of Ruth Granfort (Anne Baxter), a woman Logan once loved?

I Confess (1953) was released two years after Strangers on a Train and was the only time Alfred Hitchcock worked with Clift. Still in her teens, Baxter was in the running for the role of the second Mrs. DeWinter in Rebecca (1940), which eventually went to Joan Fontaine. 

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!
Before the movie, grab a cup of coffee from Overflow Coffee Bar, located within the Daystar Center. You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats. General Admission: $5 Students and Senior Citizens: $3.

Anne Baxter and Montgomery Clift in I Confess

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion
Once a month we screen a classic film and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. To purchase your ticket in advance, click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.


Daystar Center located at 1550 S. State St. works through a grassroots network of collaborations and partnerships with individuals and other nonprofit organizations. Through this web, they’re able to provide educational, cultural, and civic activities that enrich and empower their clients, guests, and community members. To learn more about classes and events offered at the Daystar Center, please visit their Web site.

2015 Turner Classic Movies Film Festival Recap: Day 4

Day four of the TCM Film Festival was bittersweet. Sweet because there were some great movies on the schedule and bitter because I knew the festival was soon coming to an end. As usual, several movies were running on or around the same time, so tough decisions had to be made. Once again I tried to see movies I hadn’t seen before or in a long time. I pretty much fulfilled that goal. My first movie was screening at 10 a.m. so I got to take my time, enjoy my breakfast, and leisurely make my way to the Chinese Multiplex. The first movie I saw turned out to be my most enjoyable experience of the festival.

Calamity Jane (1953) was a movie I saw once on my Kindle Fire over a year ago. Seeing it on the big screen with an enthusiastic audience was a treat I hadn’t expected. Cari Beauchamp, the award-winning writer and documentary filmmaker, introduced the film. Of course the history is all wrong; there isn’t that much we know for certain about Calamity Jane (Doris Day) and her relationship with Wild Bill Hickok (Howard Keel). We’re not even sure if they knew each other at all, but so what; it’s a movie. Beauchamp encouraged those in the audience to go to the Academy Award Web site and petition for a special Oscar for Day. She certainly deserves it, as the morning crowd at the Chinese Multi-Plex would attest. The fun started as soon as the credits began to roll. When Day’s name came on the screen, the audience broke out in applause. Keel’s name was also welcomed with a good round of clapping as was the rest of the cast and director David Butler. Each musical number was a joy to watch, with each followed by more clapping and hooting. The world premiere restoration was beautiful. The film was an amazing showcase for Day’s singing (what a voice!), dancing, and comedic acting and timing. The songs by Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster were catchy and the Oscar-winning “Secret Love” became one of Day’s signature tunes. After the movie concluded, I was humming the “Deadwood Stage” for the next two days all the way back to Chi-caw-gee!

After Calamity Jane, it was on line for Reign of Terror (1949), a movie I don’t think I ever heard of before. It was an unusual combination of historical drama with a film noir feel. The movie was introduced by Eddie Muller, founder and president of the Film Noir Foundation. Reign of Terror is an interesting tale set during the political struggle after the French Revolution. The machinations of Maximilien Robespierre (Richard Basehart) and his attempt to recover his “black book,” an enemies list that is the “McGuffin” and sets this film in motion. Charles D’Aubigny (Robert Cummings) who is impersonating Duval, a man he killed, who Robespierre and his right-hand man Fouche have never met before, has stolen the black book. Along the way, D’Aubigny meets Madelon (a ravishing Arlene Dahl) a friend of the Revolution who assists D’Aubigny expose Robespierre for the scoundrel he truly is. The low-budget production looks first-class thanks to the talent involved, including director Anthony Mann, writers Aeneas MacKenzie and Philip Yordan, and producer William Cameron Menzies. Others in the cast include the great Norman Lloyd, Richard Hart and Beulah Bondi. I found the film to be fast-paced and exciting. It was almost like an expanded version of the M-G-M serial series, The Passing Parade. And that’s a compliment!

Steward, Hussey, John Howard, Hepburn, and Grant

Next on the agenda was The Philadelphia Story (1940). While not a big fan of this classic (blasphemy, I know), seeing it on the big screen at the Chinese Theater (my first time in that movie palace) was a treat. Ileana Douglas and Madeline Stowe introduced the film. Stowe a big fan of classic romantic comedies, rattled off a string of favorites, including George Stevens’s The More The Merrier, and I thought, this woman has great taste (who knew?). Cary Grant (Dexter), Katherine Hepburn (Tracy), and James Stewart (Macauly “Mike”) all looked great on the big screen. It was also nice to see Ruth Hussey in her Academy Award-nominated performance as Elizabeth Imbrie, Mike’s coworker and sometime girlfriend. The plot is well known so I won’t go into that. The production was wonderful, even though not a single frame was shot anywhere near Philadelphia. Virginia Wiedler as Hepburn’s younger sister Dinah practically steals the movie; she’s even better than I remembered (it must be that big screen). During the end of the film, Kristina had to leave to catch her flight back to Canada. On the way out she ran into Ben Mankiewicz and actually talked with him for a few minutes. A nice consolation and a great memory for my friend.

Sophia Loren, Marriage Italian Style

Next I was back on line at the Chinese Theater to see Sophia Loren in Marriage Italian Style (1964). I had never seen this film before, but the real attraction for me was to see Loren in the flesh. She was interviewed about the film by Ben Mankiewicz before the screening. She looked amazing (she’s 80!?) and seemed very happy to be at the festival and was very appreciative of the audience. She talked about making the movie with frequent costar Marcello Mastroianni and director Vittorio De Sica. For me the movie was somewhat anticlimactic. There were parts that were enjoyable and Loren and Mastroianni were wonderful, but overall it’s not a film I need to see again. It was enough to see Loren in person, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

After the film it was back to the Roosevelt Hotel to say goodbye

to everyone. What a great thing it was to meet all the TCMParty folk: Joel, Laura, Kristina, Pam, Kellee, Aurora, Karen, Will, Annmarie and so many others.

Well it was time for bed and getting up early for the flight back to Chicago or is that Chi-caw-gee!

This was my first time at the TCM film festival. I had never been to a film festival before so the experience was completely new to me. It was both exciting and overwhelming, but great fun. If I have the good fortune to attend again next year, I’ll be better prepared. Look for my next blog post: Tips for First-Timers coming soon.

2015 Turner Classic Movies Film Festival Recap

2015 Turner Classic Movies Film Festival Recap: Day 1

2015 Turner Classic Movies Film Festival Recap: Day 2

2015 Turner Classic Movies Film Festival Recap: Day 3

2015 Turner Classic Movies Film Festival Recap

The 2015 Turner Classic Movies Film Festival ended Sunday evening, but here I am, on Tuesday still basking in the afterglow. As a first-time attendee, the festival exceeded my expectations.

I met attendees from around the country and the world, met fellow movie bloggers for the first time
that I’ve known online for years, and watched and enjoyed some favorite classic films—16 films in four days—on the big screen with fellow classic film enthusiasts. Honestly, what could be better than that?

Robert Osborne was missed, but the festival went forward without a hitch. With great hosts like Ben Mankiewicz—who my friend Kristina got to speak with right before she left—Illeana Douglas, Eddie Muller, and Leonard Maltin, who soldiered on with a twisted ankle, how could it go wrong?

I found it difficult to walk along Hollywood Boulevard with my mouth closed, viewing and taking photos of the stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the famous footprints—Jeanne Crain anyone?—in the courtyard of the TCL Chinese Theatre. And what a treat to actually see these classic films in legendary movie palaces like the Pantages, The Egyptian, and El Capitan.


Surely one of the benefits of the festival is meeting and making friends with fellow classic movie fans. It was wonderful to finally meet Laura (How could I not like someone whose avatar is a pic of Deanna Durbin?) and Kristina, two bloggers I’ve followed for years and whose writing I admire. It was also fun to meet Joel and Trevor, two of the managers of @TCM_Party Twitter account and Kelly and Aurora, two of the most enthusiastic movie fans and all-around wonderul and friendly women on the planet (and okay, they write pretty well too).

Over the next few days and weeks I’ll give you a day-by-day recount of my experiences at the festival and I’m compiling some suggestions for first-time attendees (I hope many get the opportunity to attend). I mean, what could be better than watching a restored print of Calamity Jane with a theater full of Doris Day fans? Answer: not much!

Hitchcock’s “Lifeboat” to screen November 11, 2014 at Daystar Center

When: Tuesday, November 11, 2014 6:30 p.m.
Where: The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street

A director’s challenge
Alfred Hitchcock loved challenges. He embraced new cinematic techniques (and probably invented or at least perfected a few) and was intrigued with the idea of filming a story in a limited setting. Lifeboat, as the title might suggest, takes place entirely in a lifeboat. In the hands of a lesser director, Lifeboat would be unbearable, but in the hands of the master, it’s compelling cinema.

Will they survive
After their ship is sunk by a German U-boat during WWII, a group of British and American citizens struggle to survive in a cramped lifeboat. When a German survivor is pulled aboard, against the wishes of some of the survivors, the tension begins. Is he a German officer? Is he helping them survive or does he have ulterior motives? Can the nine people band together until help comes?

Tallulah Bankhead heads a great ensemble cast that includes, William Bendix, Walter Slezak, Mary Anderson, John Hodiak, and Canada Lee.

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!
Before the movie, grab a cup of coffee from Overflow Coffee Bar, located within the Daystar Center. You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats.

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion
fans. Once a month we screen a classic film and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. To purchase your ticket in advance, click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

Backstory: As the film’s star, Bankhead received a salary of $75,000 ($1,013,513 today). She reportedly refused to wear undergarments, which caused quite a sensation on the set. Both Bankhead and Anderson became ill during filming. Bankhead came down with pneumonia twice. Other than during the opening and closing credits, there is no music during the movie. This was Hitchcock’s only film made at Twentieth Century-Fox. He was supposed to make another film at Fox after Lifeboat, but that never happened.

Classic Films in Context: Gone With The Wind

I decided to write this post about Gone With The Wind after I read “When It Comes To ‘Gone With The Wind,’ Do Kids Today Give A Damn?” at the NPR Web site. The article suggests that the 1939 Best Picture Winner hasn’t aged well. The author of the piece, Neda Ulaby interviewed 13 students studying film at Georgetown University. Ulaby assures us these students are “serious about movies” to support her thesis.

Not so critical analysis
Apparently the fact that the story took place during a time when it was legal to own slaves makes the film unworthy of any respect or a full viewing according to Georgetown film student Mike Minahan. This is what Minahan has to say about Gone With The Wind: “Everything I’ve seen about it says it, like, glorifies the slave era ... and I dunno, what’s the point of that? I don’t see that as a good time in history. ... like, oh, sweet, a love story of people who own slaves.” Notice the “Everything I’ve seen about it” portion of the quote. Did Minahan watch the film in its entirety? Is he basing his opinion, one that Ulaby says most of his fellow Georgetown film students agree with, on the opinions of others? Shouldn’t a film student be more critical in his analysis? Films are like history; they need to be put into context.

It’s Scarlett's point of view
We see Gone With The Wind through Scarlett O’Hara’s (Vivien Leigh) point of view. If the film were told through Mammy’s (Hattie McDaniel) point of view, for example, we’d have an entirely different film. But it’s Scarlett’s movie and it’s her story warts and all. Is plantation life romanticized in the film? Yes, but then again, it’s pretty typical for the past to be thought of fondly in the face of some pretty stark reality (like the American Civil War); it’s human nature. What Gone With The Wind makes clear is that war is always tragic and that personal relationships (and land if you’re Gerald O’Hara) are all that really matter in life. Unfortunately for Scarlett, she learns that lesson too late.

A well-worn epic
From a technical aspect, I was amazed at how well Gone With The Wind has aged. The fact that a film released in 1939 can hold its own against contemporary epics is in itself remarkable. Ernest “Ernie” Haller’s Oscar-winning cinematography is quite compelling. Who can forget the shot of Scarlett at the Atlanta train station as she walks among the wounded and the dead. At first the camera is close on Scarlett and you only see a few men on the ground. But then the camera pulls back and the number of the wounded and dead on screen is staggering. It’s one of the greatest visuals in all of cinema. And what about the scene of people fleeing Atlanta? How they were able to choreograph the action with star Leigh, not a double, moving against the crowds and running in front of horses and carriages we’ll never know. But on the screen it’s terrific.

Life is troubling
One of the other aspects that the film students find troubling is the scene of marital rape. It is a troubling scene, but put in context it’s true to the marital conventions of the time. The relationship between Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) and Scarlett is indeed a complicated one. I wonder if the same students would refuse to watch Alfred Hitchcock’s Marnie or Clint Eastwood’s High Plains Drifter?

Award-winning performances
The performances in Gone With The Wind are solid. Leigh’s portrayal of Scarlett is fresh, lively, and contemporary. The same can be said for Gable’s portrayal of Rhett. In the hands of Olivia de Havilland (still with us at 97!), Melanie Hamilton is not quite the “mealy mouth ninny” that Scarlett accuses her of being. And who can forget Hattie McDaniel as Mammy? She goes toe-to-toe with Scarlett, always speaks her mind, and is nobody’s fool. When did a black actress get as much screen time as McDaniel did prior to 1939?

Don’t know much about history
My background in educational publishing makes me suspect that today’s film students may be the product of political correctness gone amok. When I worked in school library publishing, we routinely airbrushed cigarettes, cigars, and pipes out of the hands and mouths of historical figures like FDR and pop culture icons like James Dean. We were told that school librarians wouldn’t buy our books if we left these photos intact. This is also the case in contemporary textbook publishing. Instead of explaining that in the not so distant past people didn’t think smoking was a serious health issue and open up a dialogue on the subject, it’s ignored entirely. For many, the history they’ve been taught has been sanitized to the point where it’s not history at all, but instead someone’s fantasy of what history should be. It’s also disturbing the way we in the 21st century look down on people in the past with a superior attitude. As if we would have been any different in our thinking than Scarlett, Rhett, Ashley, and Melanie had we been born during the 19th century.

They’ve got a lot of living to do
What the NPR piece revealed is a group of film students who are unwilling to look at what might be disturbing or upsetting to their worldview. This seems contrary to the whole point of studying film, which is in many ways, studying our history. Perhaps those 13 Georgetown film students need to experience a little more of life to have an appreciation for a classic like Gone With The Wind. And frankly, I do give a damn.

High Heels and Fedoras: Exploring Film Noir—2013 Film Club series begins in February

The 2013 Film Club is back at The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State St., Chicago. Hosted by Stephen Reginald, the film club will feature six film noir classics, including Double Indemnity and Mildred Pierce. Movies will be screened at 6:30 p.m. on the second Tuesdays of the month, starting February 12, 2013. The host will introduce each film giving background information before screenings, with Q & A afterwards. Reginald is a freelance writer/editor and popular instructor at Facets Film School in Chicago. He was also the original host of Meet Me at the Movies.

High Heels and Fedoras: Exploring Film Noir
Film noir conjures up images of detectives, criminals, dangerous men and women, all in shades of black and white. While possessing a very definite cinematic style, movies identified as film noir presented a darker vision of American life. This vision contrasted sharply with the Norman Rockwell worldview Hollywood was also grinding out during the height of World War II. But it was during the war years that the genre was at its peak.

Black film
The term film noir is French for “black film.” Nino Frank, a French film critic, is believed to have labeled these darker American films. In the states, they were labeled as melodramas; there was no preconceived formula from which directors and writers were working. But World War II did change America and the world. Filmmakers were exploring themes and situations that wouldn’t have been considered a decade earlier. Criminals and villains became heroes and the femme fatale—deadly woman—also came into prominence. In film noir, the lines between good and evil are blurred, but in many ways represent a more realistic view of the world. The noir vision still influences filmmakers today.

Explore film noir by discovering (or rediscovering) some of the established classics of the genre. Tickets per film are $5 for general admission or $3 for seniors and students. You can always purchase tickets at the door. If you’d like to purchase tickets online for one or all six films in advance, click here.

Film Schedule
Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. (CST)

February 12 This Gun for Hire (1942) This tough adaptation of the novel by Graham Greene stars Alan Ladd as Raven, a professional hit man who’s been double-crossed by one of his clients. He crosses paths with Veronica Lake, a nightclub entertainer who puts herself in harm's way when she volunteers to spy on her boss who authorities believe to be a link in a major crime syndicate.

March 12 Double Indemnity (1944) Based on the novel by James M. Cain (Mildred Pierce, The Postman Always Rings Twice) and nominated for seven Academy Awards, this movie set the standard from which other film noirs are judged. Directed by the legendary Billy Wilder, and starring screen legends Fred MacMurray, Edward G. Robinson, and Barbara Stanwyck.

April 9 Murder My Sweet (1945) Dick Powell stars as private investigator Philip Marlowe in this noir classic based on the novel by Raymond Chandler. Marlowe is hired by Moose Malone, an ex-con trying to track down his old girlfriend, who he lost track of while he was in prison. With each lead, Marlowe is pulled into a web of deceit, intrigue and murder.

May 14 Mildred Pierce (1945) Joan Crawford won an Academy Award for Best Actress playing the title role of a self-sacrificing mother who will do almost anything to gain her daughter’s love. Nominated for a total of six Academy Awards, this James M. Cain (The Postman Always Rings Twice) story has earned its place as a noir classic thanks to a great cast, snappy dialogue, and crisp direction from Michael Curtiz (Casablanca).

June 11 The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) Lana Turner and John Garfield generate some serious heat as Frank, a drifter and Cora, a diner waitress who is married to a much-older man. Turner has big plans for the diner that her husband owns. She has big plans for Frank too, but first she needs to get rid of her husband…with Franks’ help. Another tough, gritty drama from the pen of James M. Cain (Mildred Pierce) that film critic Leonard Maltin said “Packs a real punch.”

July 9 Out of the Past (1947) Considered by many to be the best film noir drama of all time, it also solidified the career of Robert Mitchum as a tough-guy leading man. Mitchum plays Jeff Bailey currently on the straight and narrow until his past catches up with him. Jane Greer costars as the ultimate femme fatale who brings Jeff to ruin. Costarring future-stars-in-the-making, Kirk Douglas and Rhonda Fleming. This film’s reputation continues to grow in stature with each passing year.