Cast:
Tyrone Power (Don Diego de la Vega)
Linda Darnell (Lolita Quintero)
Basil Rathbone (Capitan Esteban Pasquale)
Gale Sondergaard (Inés Quintero)
Eugene Pallette (Fray Felipe)
It wasn’t long ago that I was watching Antonio Banderas starring as the famous character of Zorro. It was when I was watching this latest version that I decided to include a classic version of this adventure film in our “Movie Wednesdays”, and of course the fact that Tyrone Power could not be skipped out amongst out stars.
This film, together with the version starring Banderas, is one of my most preferred versions, par excellence, of this adventure story.
Together with the pirates, the African adventurers and the righteous bandits, Zorro was one of the public’s favorite heroes until the arrival of the modern super-heroes. Robin Hood, the Scarlet Pimpernel, the Black Tulip, Zorro and the Black Arrow; all these characters are extremely handsome, adventurous, educated, elegant and seductive men of integrity… Any of them would have been a perfect man for the youngsters of the time.
Tyrone Power, an actor with great charisma, marked a goal for the period’s hero: Errol Flyn. Ruben Mamoulian, an expert director of choreographies, practically made the film into a musical thanks to its magnificent soundtrack. The “dance” scenes and duels are exceptional.
Many consider The Mark of Zorro to be the best version. It is a very watchable, entertaining and fun movie. Basil Rathbone, one of the best “baddies” in cinema, is splendid. In my opinion, he is the strongest character, whilst Tyrone Power also makes his character come to life, performing one of his best interpretations in his whole career.
Which is your preferred version?
Awards:
It was nominated an Oscar for Best Film and Best Original Script in 1941.
In 2009 it was awarded by the National Film Preservation Board.
Director/s: Victor Fleming and (although they don’t appear in the credits) George Cukor and Sam Wood.
Producer: David O. Selznick. In this case the producer is very important, as Selznick is the creator, the “alma mater” of this film. Only he had enough faith to fight the battle to get this film out in public.
Cast:
Vivien Leigh (Scarlett O´Hara)
Clark Gable (Rett Butler)
Olivia de Havilland (Melanie Hamilton)
Leslie Howard (Ashley)
Sitting down on a November afternoon to watch Gone with the Wind, converted a regular day into an unforgettable one. I spent nearly five hours together with my daughter, who I had managed to convince to watch the film with me, hiding the fact that it was nearly five hours long, and who, consequently, didn’t take her eyes off the screen for a split second. It is clear that Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh continue to capture women of all ages and generations.
Gone with the Wind could be classified as “The FILM”, in capital letters. Adventure, love, conflict, suspense, comedy… It has it all. Although David O. Selznick made many other great films, he will always be remembered for this masterpiece.
It contains infinite memorable scenes in nearly five hours of film, which is an awfully long time. My preferred scene is when Scarlett is dressing with Mami, who is tightening her corset. For me, the black maid’s interpretation is one of the columns of success for the film. Not in vain was she the first colored woman to receive an Oscar from the Hollywood Academy, which she highly deserved.
Vivien Leigh’s interpretation is superb; her superior, jealous, greedy, hurt, desperate and mischievous expressions are masterly.
The scene when she enters the party when wearing the eye-catching scarlet dress is captivating, and where all the guests are dressed much more modestly, and more caste would be a shameless wink at “Jezebel”.
The meetings between Scarlett, totally distanced from the desperate love and charms of Rett Butler are mixed with love and hate. Clark Gable is impressive and one can never tire of watching him.
The unending, enormous stairs throughout the entire film are marvellous. The almost “Hitchcock-like” scenes (in fact, Selznick asked the suspense master’s advice on a few occasions), are slow with a ticking sound of a clock, where the women impatiently and desperately wait, immersed in an absurd and useless entertainment, for their husbands to gracefully leave the bandit’s assault.
Gone with the Wind will always be one of the most famous films in the history of cinema. Within this film the Golden Era of Hollywood amalgamates, by pure accident, surely. It is a simply unrepeatable film, and an icon for all lovers of classic cinema.
Awards:
Plaque of Honor for William Cameron Menzies for the use of color, reinforcing the film’s dramatism.
Oscar to Vivien Leigh for Best Actress; for Best Supporting Actress Hattie MacDaniel (Mami), being the first black woman to be nominated, and to receive an Oscar; for the Best Artistic Direction by Lyle R. Wheeler; for the best color cinematography; for the Best Director (Victor Fleming); for the Best Editing; for the Best Film; for the Best Adapted Script and a special award for the Best Technical Innovation.
Nomination for Best Actor (Clark Gable), for Best Supporting Actress (Olivia de Havilland), for the Best Special Effects, for the Best Soundtrack and for the Best Sound.
Curious Facts:
1400 actresses were interviewed to play the role of Scarlett.
Very few of the actors actually liked the roles that they were given to play. Amongst others, Clark Gable only accepted the role upon an extra pay that he received in order to settle his divorce with Carole Lombard. Leslie Howard thought that he was too old to play the role of Ashley.
Gary Cooper rejected the role, convinced that it would be a complete failure (“I’m glad it’ll be Clark Gable falling flat on his nose, not me” said Cooper)
The phrase “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn” is placed in the top 100 of best cinema quotes.
It was the first color film to win an Oscar.
The four main characters only appear together in one scene (following the attack on Shantytown).
Judy Garland was going to play the role of one of Scarlett’s sisters, however, she opted to do another film: The Wizard of Oz.
At the beginning, due to its length (nearly five hours) the film was going to be done in two parts.
All the existing Technicolor cameras were used for the fire in Atlanta scene. The firemen were ready to take action in the case of it getting out of control, and there was a 5000 gallon reserve (nearly 20,000 litres) of water for the eventuality (after the filming, the fire had to be put out).
Clark Gable was enormously reluctant to film a scene in which he had to cry. Olivia De Havilland was the one who finally convinced him.
If the film’s takings were to be adjusted to the current inflation, Gone with the Wind would continue to be the biggest box office success in history (in 2005 it had earned more than 3,700 million dollars and 200 million cinema tickets), with Star Wars being the second.
None of the interior scenes were filmed with a roof.
The actress who played Scarlett’s mother was 28 years old, whilst Vivien Leigh, at 25 years, played the role of a girl of 16 years.
It is the longest film to have won an Oscar.
In popular surveys to choose who would play the role of Scarlett, Vivien Leigh received only one vote.
Olivia de Havilland went to a maternity hospital to see what giving birth was really like, in order to make the scene of her daughter’s birth as real as possible.
Clark Gable never liked the film, categorizing it as a “Woman’s film”.
I leave you with the film’s trailer and a few memorable scenes:
Director: Officially Victor Fleming, although there were more: George Cukor, Mervy Le Roy, Norman Taurog and King Vidor who did the black and white beginning scenes in Kansas.
Cast:
Judy Garland (Dorothy)
Frank Morgan (The Wizard of Oz)
Ray Bolger (The Scarecrow).
Bet Lahr (The Cowardly Lion).
Jack Haley (The Tin-man).
Although it may not seem true, I remembered very little from this film. I think I saw it at a very young age, and my brother’s tale of what happened to him must have also happened to me; that upon seeing the scenes with the witch in the cinema, he was so scared that he had to leave. I barely remembered some of the scenes, for example even the part with Dorothy’s red shoes or, of course, the famous “Over the Rainbow” song.
Last week I proposed to my daughter of 22 years that we watch this movie together at home one afternoon. I am buying all the “Movie Wednesday” films on Amazon, and this section has provided a perfect excuse for the family to spend some afternoons together enjoying good classic cinema.
I’m getting carried away with something else here, however, why I made the previous comment is because I found it curious that neither my daughter at 22 years or me at 50 could take our eyes off the screen for even a second. We both thoroughly enjoyed Dorothy and her friend’s adventures.
I was impressed by the excellent characterization of the personalities: the Scarecrow, the Tin-man, and the Cowardly Lion. What charming and timeless characters! I’m sure that all children would fall in love with them if they saw this children’s cinema classic today, and of course they would all want a “Toto” at home.
Judy Garland is at her best. Her marvelous voice nearly makes you cry when, right at the start of the film, she sings “Over the Rainbow”.
Due to the use of this warm sepia black and white in the scenes in which Dorothy really lives, and the contrasting color in the fantastical scenes, together with the fantastic special effects in the Emerald City scenes and the music and the simplicity of the story itself, make an immortal children’s cinema classic of “The Wizard of Oz”.
Although referred to as corny by many, one cannot deny the intense emotions of a film thought of for a children’s public. It is film where the adult enters the world of the film with the same eagerness as the smallest of human beings.
Very few times, if ever, has a film thought up for the smallest and youngest, been kept so alive and continues to keep us stuck to our seats.
To those of you with children I propose to you a night of classic cinema with the youngest in your household. I would love for you to then tell me if they were at all frightened, or if the children of this generation don’t get scared as easily as we did.
Awards:
Oscar for the Best Original Song (Over the rainbow) to Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg (music and lyrics). Oscar for the Best Original Soundtrack.
Nominated Oscars for the Best Film, Best Photography, Best Art Direction and Best Special Effects.
Nominated at the Palme d’Or Cannes Film Festival for the Best Director (Victor Fleming) in 1939.
Curious Facts:
Many of Margaret Hamilton’s (the witch) scenes were deleted from the final editing, as they resulted too frightening and, after all, this was a film meant for young children.
Judy Garland had to wear a very tight corset to reduce her chest size, in order to give her a more infantile appearance. She was 17 year old.
Whilst the munchkins received a salary of 50 dollars per week of work, the dog got 125 dollars for the same period.
The song “Over the Rainbow” was nearly excluded from the recording for being too long. On one occasion, Judy Garland started to cry in the scene, together with all the film crew, due to the song’s sadness.
This same song is in the list of 100 best Hollywood songs of all time, according to the American Film Institute.
The jacket worn by Frank Morgan (The Wizard of Oz) has a very curious story. Whilst looking for a jacket that would adapt to the character’s personality, they found it in a second hand shop. Later, on one of its tags, the jacket confirmed that it belonged to L. Frank Baum, the author of the original “The Wizard of Oz” books. Upon terminating the filming, the jacket was given to his widow.
Judy Garland wanted to keep the dog (Toto) after two weeks of living together during the filming, however, unfortunately the owner refused.
Despite Judy Garland being the favorite for the role of Dorothy, Shirley Temple and Deanna Durbin also came close to getting the role.
In 2007 the American Film Institute placed it at number 10 of the Best Films of all times.
The lion costume weighed nearly 50 kilos and was made of real lion fur.
Walt Disney arrived too late to get the rights to the movie. Louis B. Mayer made sure to get them before, with the objective of improving the enormous success of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves”.
MGM paid 75,000 dollars for the rights to the film, an enormous sum for the time.
The film was reedited in 2013 in 3D, making it the oldest film to which this has been done.
Director: Ernst Lubistch, with script by Billy Wilder
Cast:
Greta Garbo (Ninotchka)
Melvyn Douglas (León)
Ina Claire (Swana)
Bela Lugosi (Razinin)
Ninotchka is perhaps Greta Garbo’s greatest film. She spent her whole life playing dramatic roles. Even in this film we are made to wait a good while to see her laughing and smiling, as a fair amount of time seems to pass until we see her roar with laughter in the scene where Melvyn Douglas falls of the chair. I can just imagine what happened on the day of the film’s premiere, the scene must have caused resounding laughter in all the cinemas at the time.
In this scene Garbo showed that she was not only prepared to act out all the dramatic scenes, but she also showed, as only an actress of her rank could, that she was more than capable of making her audience roar with laughter.
Under the sharp criticism of the Communist system in the grasp of the Bolshevik Revolution, only Ernst Lubitsch and Billy Wilder (both exiled from the Nazi barbarism and enormously warlike with totalitarian doctrines), were able to make a movie that loaded with cynicism, cunning and elegance, in a period in which the Soviet Union was governed by Stalin.
Greta Garbo, one of the great stars, in this interpretation of “Comrade Ninotchka”, shows us that she is capable of passing from a icey and inexpressive affiliate of the Communist party, to the most tender, mischievous and fun woman of a most exciting and genuine Paris.
She is a unique actress who we can enjoy in pure state in this intense and critical work.
Awards:
Nominated an Oscar for Best Film, Best Actress (Greta Garbo), Best Original Script and Best Adapted Script.
NBR Award from the National Board of Review in 1939 for one of the 10 best films of the year.
Award from the National Film Preservation Board in 1990.
Second Award from the New York Film Critics Circle Awards for Best Director and Best Actress.
Curious Facts:
The film used “Garbo laughs!” as its slogan, in reference to her first talkie for which the slogan was “Garbo speaks!”. In addition, until then hardly any comedies had been made.
Greta Garbo filmed the entire film without makeup.
It was seriously considered that Spencer Tracy be contracted to play the part of Leon. Cary Grant, William Powell and Robert Montgomery were also serious candidates.
Greta Garbo was very nervous about making a comedy and especially in the scene where she appeared drunk, for being considered excessively vulgar.
The film was prohibited in the Soviet Union and its Satellite States.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was studying Greta Garbo’s acting to prepare the character of Ivan Danko in the film “Danko: Red Heat”.
The hat worn by Greta Garbo, although made by her usual tailor, was designed by her.
Dialogues to remember:
Ninotchka: We don’t have men like you in my country.
Leon: Thank you.
Ninotchka: That is why I believe in the future of my country.
Ninotchka: Why should you carry other people’s bags?
Porter: Well, that’s my business, Madame.
Ninotchka: That’s no business. That’s social injustice.
Porter: That depends on the tip.
Ninotchka: The last mass trials were a great success. There are going to be fewer but better Russians.
Leon: Ninotchka, it’s midnight. One half of Paris is making love to the other half.
Ninotchka: As basic material, you may not be bad, but you are the unfortunate product of a doomed culture. I feel very sorry for you.
Cafe Owner: Now, what shall it be?
Ninotchka: Raw beets and carrots.
Cafe Owner: Madame, this is a restaurant, not a meadow.
Today in our “Black and White Friday” I wanted to reminisce about the great master Dalí and the exhibition I was able to enjoy this summer in Madrid.
This small photograph, in respect of its art and not format, was one of the pieces that most grabbed my attention. It depicts a hanging moment, with an analog camera, and in which nothing is left to chance…
Considered to be one of the Twentieth Century’s photographic icons, this image is inspired by the “Leda Atómica” (Atomic Leda) by Dalí, a masterpiece that appears in the right hand side of the photograph. The photograph is a creation by Philippe Halsman and Salvador Dalí himself.
To capture something like this in one single shot, without the help of Photoshop or retouching programs, would have been far from simple. He needed the help of eight people and immense synchronization.
Whilst three people threw the cats into the air, another threw the water, at the same time the artist jumped and a fifth person quickly pulled away the flooring beneath the furniture so that the pieces would be suspended in the air for a moment. And not only all this… at that moment Halsam’s wife, Yvonne, held the chair up in the air, which we can see to the left.
I read that there were 30 intents and more than five hours of work, of which, sincerely, does not seem too much for the amount of coordination that this image involves.
This image was a revolutionary work in its time; it appeared on the cover of Life magazine on a double page spread and was a resounding success. It has been reproduced and imitated an infinite number of times.
I was lucky enough not only to see part of this series of the Dalí exhibition in Madrid, but also to enjoy the expert explanations from two professional photographers that attended the show with me, Beatriz García Couriel and Martín Tirado, to whom I wish to thank here for their enthusiastic and professional explanations.
With all its trip-ups, stuttered words, costumes, nonsensical dialogues and unbelievable situations, the first few minutes of the film already indicate that we have before us one of the most enjoyable comedies in the history of cinema.
First we have the splendid Katharine Hepburn playing the role of a capricious, reckless and perhaps somewhat hyperactive rich heiress. Then we have the absent-minded, elegant and attractive Cary Grant.
It is a film charged with vitality and optimism, one of those which raises your spirits on a sad Sunday afternoon, and that makes your roar with laughter more than once whilst truly enjoying yourself.
These are three of my most memorable scenes:
The broken dress scene: a crazed Katharine that does not allow an absent-minded, muddle-headed and innocent Cary Grant speak, as he gullibly falls into Hepburn’s grip whilst she handles his every whim.
The scene of the robe, when Katharine’s aunt unexpectedly presents herself at the house to discover Cary Grant covered in feathers and gossamer.
Also, the prison scene, which nearly reminds you of a scene from one of the Marx Brother’s famous movies.
It is a comedy in which everything complicates itself to unexpected levels of romance and pure disorder, so absurd and silly that it makes you laugh. All this, together with splendid photography, an incredible atmosphere and, above all, a masterful interpretation by the two starring parts, make an unforgettable film that still provokes us to roar with laughter today.
Awards:
Awarded in 1990 by the National Film Preservation Board.
According to Entertainment Weekly it is placed at number 24 in the best films of all time.
Premiere magazine voted it “One of the best 50 comedies of all time”.
In 2007 the American Film Institute placed it at number 88 of the Best Films in history.
Curious Facts:
Katharine Hepburn had never done a comedy before. She had to be taught by various Vaudeville specialists, such as Howard Hawks. On the other hand, Cary Grant was already a specialist in comedies.
Katharine had no problem doing the scenes with the leopard, whilst Cary Grant was always substituted by a double.
In many scenes a baby leopard was used, however, in others a partitioned set technique was used, and mounted together later on. A real feat for the period.
It was a box office failure. Howard Hawks was fired and the nickname of “Box Office Poison” was given to Katharine Hepburn.
Howard Hawks modelled Cary Grant’s character around the actor Harold Lloyd’s personality, he even gave him glasses.
Cary Grant’s character makes references to Pato Donald and Mickey Mouse. RKO was the Disney distributor at that time.
The film has no soundtrack.
The scene in which Katharine Hepburn breaks the dress and Cary Grant helps her to cover up is based on a real situation that happened to Grant: he caught the zipper on a woman’s dress in a theatre and, impulsively, went behind her. Howard Hawks found it so amusing that he decided to include it in the movie.
Cary Grant was so scared of the leopard that in order to torture him, Katharine Hepburn placed a stuffed leopard toy in one of the open air vents. “He ran out of there like lightning”, she wrote in her memoirs.
The scenes in which the leopard moves freely (especially those in Susan’s apartment) were filmed inside a cage, in which the cameras were strategically placed.
It is the second of four films that saw Grant and Hepburn united.
In its day, although many now consider this to be Hawks’ best film, its director stated that Bringing up Baby was no good due to its characters being over-“irrational”.
One of the most zesty, sparkling and brilliant satires of America’s high society ever to be filmed. Although for my taste it was perhaps a little exaggerated and with over-the-top acting.
An attractive tramp is contracted to work as a butler by a wealthy family, in their luxurious mansion on the Fifth Avenue in New York.
The film is scattered with masterful gags worthy of the best and most classical American theatre. A “screwball” that would be loved by Groucho Marx.
We find ourselves before an entertaining comedy, in which the characters brush closely to being bizarre, reflecting the superficial and mundane life of the most wealthy families of the Great Depression period in America with extreme intensity.
Lively, delicious, intelligent and elegant. It is an absolute jewel of classic cinema. The incredible glamour of the costumes and room’s decorations, together with the absurd situations through which its people live and the nonsense that follows, makes one of the most well-remembered comedies of black and white cinema.
Awards:
Six Oscar nominations (of which the film did not win any):
-Best actor (William Powell)
-Best actress (Carole Lombard)
-Best supporting actor (Misha Auer -the protected-)
-Best supporting actress (Alice Brady)
-Best director (Gregory La Cava)
-Best adapted script
National Film Preservation Award in 1999.
Curious Facts:
William Powell was substituted in the scene in which he carried Carole Lombard on his shoulders.
Premiere magazine voted it to be “one of the best 50 films in the history of cinema” in 2006.
Although the two main actors were divorced, Powell declared that Carole Lombard was the only woman who could play the role of Irene.
The film was based on the book “1101 Park Avenue”, by Eric Hatch.
Jane Wyman (Angela Channing from “Falcon Crest”) makes an appearance in the film, although she is not in the credits.
In 2002 the film was remastered and colored.
Carole Lombard had the habit of saying curse words in the dialogues, resulting in many scenes having to be repeated.
It was William Powell that suggested for Lombard to play the role of Irene, as he said that she had many things in common with the character.
The “Waldorf-Ritz” Hotel does not exist. It is an amalgamation of two hotels in New York, The Waldorf-Astoria and The Ritz-Carlton.
Due to an error with the original copyrights, the film was of public domain, meaning that anyone could make a copy and sell it.
Slip-Ups:
Godfrey’s bedroom door, which opens to the kitchen, opens in both directions.
When the police arrive to resolve the necklace case, three officials appear. Upon leaving, we apparently only see two.
William Wyler makes Bette Davis the indisputable main star of this Southern melodrama.
Bette plays the role of an authoritarian, impulsive and capricious mother. Her character is a disobedient young girl who refuses to follow the strict rules of the late nineteenth century Southern American society. Julie is astute, proud, intelligent, but above all she is provocative and manipulative. All this makes her an immature and capricious youngster, who is ready to do anything in order to reach her objectives.
The need to always be the center of attention and to push every situation to its limit is what provokes her fiancé, Preston Dillard, the cold, calculating and workaholic role starred by Henry Fonda, to abandon both her and the city upon not being able to dominate such a tornado of a woman.
There are scenes which brush with perfect interpretation; always, of course, with Davis as the main star.
These are my most memorable scenes:
The dance scene when she decides to attend wearing a red dress instead of the white dress requested by the dress code.
The entrances where she takes control of the screen, and brightly and elegantly descends down the staircase are spectacular.
I do not have the words to describe Bette Davis’ face when her ex-lover introduces her to his wife: astonished, cold, desperate, hateful… all these feelings mixed into one and shown in a few seconds on the screen.
Bette Davis’ expression when she’s dressed in white, singing at the foot of a staircase surrounded by children, broken by pain and trying to hide it, is simply unforgettable.
This is not only a story of impossible love in the life of a rebellious and manipulative woman, but also a critique of the archaic strict and almost medieval customs of the time; a time when Julie is despised for dressing inadequately, whilst facing the conventionalisms and not caring for the social rejection that it provokes. All in all, she is a rebellious and brave woman.
Bette is immense on each level. Those enormous dresses framed by a refined bourgeois style convert her into a real Queen of the film, eclipsing everyone who comes beside her. Bette fills every corner of the screen with a sublime interpretation that is worth watching if only to enjoy her gaze.
Awards:
Oscars:
Award for Best Actress (Bette Davis)
Award for Best Supporting Actress (Fay Bainter – Aunt Belle)
Nominations: Best Film, Best Soundtrack and Best Photography.
It was one of the 10 Best films of 1938, according to the National board of Review.
Jezebel was awarded by the National Film Preservation in 2009.
A special Award went to William Wyler in the 1938 Venice Festival for his career. There was also a nomination for the Mussolini Cup in the same year.
Curious Facts:
A rumor that Bette Davis was offered the part of Jezebel upon having lost the opportunity to star in Gone with the Wind, is false. Jezebel began filming before they even decided who Scarlett would be.
According to Robert Osborne, the “red” dress was actually bronze, as it showed up better in black and white.
Henry Fonda was a last minute addition. The role was originally going to be played by Jeffrey Lynn.
The Oscar won by Bette Davis was auctioned by Christies for 57,800$ in 2001. Steven Spielberg bought it and immediately returned it to the Film Academy.
Bette Davis took 45 takes of the scene in which she lifts her riding skirt with the whip. An unforgettable shot that will definitely not go unnoticed.
One of the reasons for the film’s delay was due to the birth of Henry Fonda’s daughter Jane.
Warner Bros bought the rights of the film at a very low price as the Broadway Show had been a failure.
I leave you with a tribute video to Jezebel:
And a trailer for the film:
Images: Cine patas, wikipedia, lorenagil.com, unapizcadecmha, retornoamanderleyblogspot,
Cast: Fred Astaire (Jerry Travers), Ginger Rogers (Dale Tremont), Edward Everett Horton (Horace Hardwick), Helen Broderick (Magde)
We could not miss out a Fred Astaire film in our “Movie Wednesdays”. Astaire was considered to be the all-time King of Musicals and the best tap dancer in history.
From all the characters in this film, I would choose to highlight Helen Broderick’s role as Magde. I love the elegance and kindness with which she interprets her fun, rich, free, and easy fifty-something year old character. I also adore the good taste and distinction with which she shows off each and every one of the beautiful 1920s models that she wears throughout the film; they are all exquisite.
Although script-wise the film is perhaps a little weak, it is worth seeing for the fantastic dance numbers with the most glamorous, elegant and romantic couples of the Hollywood dance floors: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The couple literally eats up the whole screen. Unparalleled in style, elegance and class they masterfully interpret the catchy songs that Irving Berlin composed especially for this film. This would be the composer’s first collaboration with the couple, another five were to come later.
However, speaking of “Top Hat” is, above all, to speak of a song and a dress “Cheek to Cheek”, a feathered dress that is already an icon in the history of film. It is a dress so flowing that it seems to take on a life of its own when Ginger Rogers starts to glide over the dance floor.
If you are a fan of dance and good music, I assure you that only to see this dance number is already worth seeing the entire film.
Awards:
Nominated for the following Oscars: Best Art Director, Best Choreography, Best Original Song and Best Film. It was the first film in history to get four nominations. Although it did not manage to finally win any of them.
National Film Preservation Award 1990.
Satellite Award for the Best Classic DVD of 2005 and 2006.
Curious Facts:
For the “Cheek to Cheek” number Ginger Rogers wanted to wear an elaborate blue dress heavily adorned with ostrich feathers. When the director Mark Sandrich and Fred Astaire saw the dress, they thought it would be unpractical for dancing. However, Ginger went through with her wishes and danced in the sophisticated blue dress.
As there was little time for rehearsals Ginger Rogers wore the blue feathered dress for the first time during the filming and, just as Astaire and Sandrich had feared, the feathers became increasingly unstuck from the dress. Later on, Astaire commented that it was similar to a “chicken being attacked by a coyote”. In the film you can see a few feathers falling. This was how Roger’s nickname “Feathers” originated. The feathers episode was hilariously recreated in a scene of “Easter Parade”, in which Fred Astaire danced with a clumsy comical dancer interpreted by Judy Garland.
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers danced together five times. This is the film in which they dance together the most.
The two minute dance “The Piccolino” is filmed in only one take.
It was one of the productions that saved the RKO from bankruptcy (another was “King Kong”).
It is the first time that Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers had a special script for themselves.
The Italian characterization of Erik Rhodes (in the role of Alberto) offended the Italian government so much (Mussolini in particular), that the film was prohibited in Italy. The same had happened the previous year with “The Gay Divorcee”.
The Venice Canal’s stage set was so big that it required two phases of additional sound in the RKO studio. It was 100 meters long. At that moment it was the biggest set that had ever been built.
Fred Astaire wore out thirteen canes throughout the filming sessions. During the filming, he was such a perfectionist and would get so frustrated by his mistakes that he would break them all.
The dress that Ginger Rogers used for the filming of the “Piccolino” scene is exhibited in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, in Washington D.C. I leave you with a link to the museum’s page where you can see the dress. It was quite an effort to track it down, but I finally managed to do so.
– Actors: Katharine Hepburn (Jo), Joan Bennet (Amy), Paul Lukas (Professor Bhaer), Jean Parker (Beth), Frances Dee (Meg), Douglas Montgomery (Laurie).
A film about the adventures, projects, desires, aspirations and affairs of four sisters and their mother, who all fight to keep positive despite their poverty and absence of their father, who is fighting on the front with the Union Army.
The vain but rather selfish Amy; the shy and sensitive Beth; the jealous Meg and the valiant, shameless and daring Jo; together with their mother, and their fierce and wealthy aunt March, the four sisters form a model family.
George Cukor masterfully adapts the work of novelist Louisa May Alcott. In my opinion, it is the best adaptation of all that have been made up till now. It is a film that speaks to us of love, generosity, coexistence, respect, suffering…. however, overall it tells us a tale of family, childhood and the importance of values such as honesty, generosity and tolerance. Values that, if you learn about and receive them from a young age, the acts of giving and sharing will come to you more naturally, and make you happier when you finally reach adulthood. Values that are being lost with increasing frequency nowadays.
It is a charming story in which the superb interpretation of a very young Katharine Hepburn can be put in the spotlight. Only to see her in this role already makes the whole film worthwhile. She is the motivational soul of the story and, I would even dare to say, she represents her own personality. She is tightly attached to her role as Jo. As her beloved Professor Bhaer would say: “A free spirit”. A fighting, fun, dreaming, and above all, brave woman, capable of breaking the strict rules of the American Society at the time.
George Cukor manages to create a film of great visual beauty with an impeccable setting. The photography is by Henry Gerrard and it was to be one of his last works before his death.
Little Women is a film that reaches our most sensitive side. It will make you laugh, and if you are as emotional as me, it will also make you cry.
Awards:
The film received an Oscar for the best adapted script (1934). It was also nominated for best director and best film (1934).
It was awarded for being one of the best ten films of 1933 (National Board of Review).
Photoplay Awards of 1933: Medal of honour for David O. Selznick, Merian C. Cooper and Kenneth MacGowan for the production. The Photoplay Awards was one of the awards given by the Photoplay magazine. They only had an award for best film of the year and it was voted by its readers. The medal was made from Gold and it was designed and made by Tiffanys. It had an enormous influence on the decisions of the Oscar Awards, until 1934 when interest began to decrease. In 1939 it disappeared from the scene.
Venice Film Festival: Gold medal for best actress in 1934 awarded to Katherine Hepburn.
Nominated for the Mussolini Cup for best director: George Cukor.
Curious Facts:
Joan Bennett was pregnant when she started filming the movie. The costume designer had to redo all her costumes as Cukor, the director, was unaware of this.
Katharine Hepburn wrote in her autobiography that: “This picture was heaven to do – George Cukor perfect. He really caught the atmosphere”.
Katharine Hepburn asked that the costume designer Walter Plunkett copy a dress that her maternal grandmother had worn in a tintype that she kept.
Although he does not appear in the credits, David O. Selznick produced the film and was the main reason for the project to be carried out to the end. It cost him a lot of effort, seeing as in that period in Hollywood it was thought that a film about women without a Civil War atmosphere would be unsuccessful. Thanks to that, Selznick launched what would later become his greatest work: Gone with the Wind.
This version of Little Women was the third adaptation of the novel after two silent versions in 1917 and 1918. Two more would follow it, one in 1949 and another in 1994.
March’s house interior copies the author of the novel’s, Louisa May Alcott, real house in Massachusetts.
Slip-ups:
Jo takes off her hood twice when she enters to have tea.
The most famous quote?: When Jo exclaims “Christopher Columbus!” several times throughout the film.
