I was born and raised a Catholic and have remained so for 85 years. Frankly, I have to say that I still like being a Catholic. One of the many reasons is the great feast of Easter. At Mass the other day, we heard the story of a woman who was about to be stoned to death for adultery by an angry crowd of accusers who had apparently caught her in the act. They brought her to Jesus to get his opinion before proceeding. His reply still resounds through the ages. "Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone."
Hearing those words, the crowd melted away, and the woman was left alone with Jesus. He said that since no one would condemn her, neither would he. But he just told her to sin no more. He had in effect raised her from the brink of death and then showed her the way to live thereafter. Her resurrection is a sign of his own resurrection that we celebrate on Easter.
There are many other signs that remind us of Easter. Some have become secularized and commercialized but I still like them. The Easter egg is a symbol that refers to the tomb from which Jesus arose on Easter Sunday. The Easter bunny itself is a sign of the risen Christ seen by believers in the Eucharistic host. The great Renaissance artist Titian featured it in a painting that is usually called the Madonna of the Rabbit.
More often the risen Christ is depicted as the Lamb of God from the Book of Revelation. More than 500 years ago, Jan van Eyck painted the most famous version of the Mystical Lamb in the Ghent altarpiece. In my own parish church of Our Lady of the Assumption in Fairfield, Connecticut, the Lamb is shown in the center of a beautiful Rose window at the back of the Church. The Lamb reclines on the Book of the Seven Seals with a triumphal cross and banner.
The word "Easter" comes from a Germanic goddess of spring. Latin peoples use the word pasqua from the Jewish pasch or passover. When the Germanic peoples were converted the Church wisely associated the word for Springtime with the feast of the Risen Lord. All around us new life is springing from the dead of winter.
One of the many traditions associated with Easter was the famous Easter Parade, especially on New York's 5th Avenue. Here is a link to the ending of the film Easter Parade that featured Fred Astaire and Judy Garland. He was a little old but she was never lovelier than when she sang the title song. The film is one of the most joyful I have ever seen, and so, despite the absence of any overtly religious imagery, is all about Easter.
With the coming of sound, Americans came to love musicals. In 1929. only the second year for Academy Awards, MGM's Broadway Melody won the award for Best picture. Below are brief reviews of two early movie musicals that feature spectacular dancing. Use the links to see for yourself.
Swing Time.
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are universally regarded as the greatest dance team of all time. Starting with their first appearance in Flying Down to Rio where they danced the Carioca, they appeared in a series of films whose dance numbers have never been equaled. No one else danced together as a team as they did. My personal favorite is Roberta, but Swing Time, which opened in 1936, is generally regarded as their best film.
It includes two great songs by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields, the Academy Award winning, “The Way You Look Tonight,” and “A Fine Romance,” as well as four of their greatest dance numbers: “Pick Yourself Up,” the most popular of all their dances; the effervescent “Waltz in Swing Time;” the dramatic finale “Never Gonna Dance;” and the solo “Bojangles of Harlem,” Astaire’s spectacular homage to the great black dancer Bill Robinson.
Speaking of homage, Ginger Rogers never gets enough credit for her performances opposite Astaire. She is said to have quipped that she did every step that he did, but backwards and in heels. To my mind she was much more than a beautiful singer and dancer. One only has to look at her facial expressions and posture while she dances to see that she was a great actress as well. In her book on the Astaire Rogers films, Arlene Croce paid homage to Ginger.
“It’s easy to underrate Rogers’ dancing because she never appeared to be working hard, and because, with a bold nonchalance that irritates women more than men, she sometimes threw away stuff she never had. But Rogers danced with love, with pride in the beauty of an illusion—and with one of the most elegant dancer’s bodies imaginable. She avoided any suggestion of toil or inadequacy. She was just physically incapable of ugliness.”
A few years ago, the complete set of Astaire/Rogers films was made available on DVD. Even though streaming has largely replaced DVDs today, the DVD versions often include commentaries and other features. John Mueller’s commentary for Swing Time is one of the best I have ever heard. 103 minutes.
Broadway Melody of 1940.
The firstBroadway Melodyfilm appeared in 1929 and won an Academy Award for Best Picture. Six years later, MGM producedBroadway Melody of 1936 that made a star of newcomer Eleanor Powell, who would become famous for her extraordinary dancing. She became known as the Queen of Tap, but she was able to do anything from tap to ballet. The success of the film led MGM to follow withBroadway Melody of 1938, andBroadway Melody of 1940.
Despite weak story lines the series is worth watching today not only for Powell’s dancing but also because MGM used these films to spotlight up and coming talent. For example, inBroadway Melody of 1938, a young Judy Garland has a small role but does get the spotlight on her for an unforgettable rendition of “You Made Me Love You,” sung to a photograph of Clark Gable. But only inBroadway Melody of 1940did Eleanor Powell find a partner to dance with. In this film the Queen of Tap is paired with Fred Astaire who had recently ended his long career with Ginger Rogers. Famed ballet star Mikhail Baryshnikov once said, “Fred Astaire is dancing, and the rest of us are doing something else.”
And so, in Broadway Melody of 1940, despite a weak script and the inevitable comic interludes that including a fantastic female juggler, the "Begin the Beguine" finale of this film is perhaps the greatest dance number ever filmed. MGM created a huge set for this number with countless light bulbs sparkling in the dark background, and a dance floor of glass that would mirror every step.
The first half of the finale is a Latin dance introduced by a female singer intoning Cole Porter’s famous words, but soon the camera pans to a chorus of beautiful girls in lovely white gowns dancing to the Latin music. Then, almost as if she was Venus rising from the sea, Eleanor Powell appears, also in a flowing white gown, and takes over in a solo featuring her incredible back bends and high kicks. Finally, she is joined by Astaire who first appears as a mirror image in a bolero outfit. They complete the dance beautifully and twirl off stage, but there is more to come.
Now, a female quartet appears singing Begin the Beguine in an upbeat swing rhythm. They finish and move off camera as Powell and Astaire, now dressed in contemporary outfits, come tapping into view and launch into a sprightly, up-tempo number where they almost seem to be competing to outdo each other. The King and Queen of Tap match each other step for step in a dance number that has never been equaled. Heaven, sheer Heaven.
For those who do not want to watch the whole film, the Begin the Beguine number can be watched in two parts on YouTube, but I still prefer the DVD in order to view it in its entirety. The film includes other fine Powell/Astaire numbers including “I’ve Got My Eyes on You,” “I Concentrate on You”, and “Jukebox Dance” which Powell regarded as her personal favorite.102 minutes. CC
This is the time of the year when various top ten film lists appear. Coincidentally, there was an article in the paper today claiming that most older people do not go to the movies anymore. Blame was placed on the pandemic but most senior citizens, like myself, cannot watch or even follow today's movies with rapid cutting and computer special effects. So, here is a list of films that I have watched this year from the 1930s that have more than withstood the test of time. They not only bring me back to the world of my parents and grandparents, but I think my own children and grandchildren would enjoy them as much as I still do.
Greta Garbo
Grand Hotel: This 1932 film stars the legendary Greta Garbo in her greatest role. The silent screen actress from Sweden did not miss a beat with the coming of sound. In a world reeling from the Great Depression, she plays a famous Russian ballerina who just wants to be alone. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer put together a huge production set in a posh Berlin hotel with spectacular photography, and an all-star cast that included John and Lionel Barrymore, Wallace Beery, and a young Joan Crawford. It was a huge box office success and won the Academy Award for best picture.
It Happened One Night: Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert starred in this 1934romantic “road” comedy about two strangersfrom completely different worlds who meet on a bus traveling from Florida to New York.Neither star wanted to be in this film, but under the guidance of director Frank Capra, they both turned in the most memorable performances of their careers. The film is filled with iconic scenes: bus passengers giving a rousing rendition of “the Man on the Flying Trapeze;” Colbert adjusting her stocking to hitch a ride; and Gable undressing in a motel cabin with only a blanket hung on a rope separating the two strangers. This sleeper film swept all the Academy Awards for 1934.
Dodsworth. Director William Wyler brought Sinclair Lewis’ best-selling 1929 novel to the screen in 1936. Walter Huston, in what some consider to be his finest performance, plays a wealthy industrialist who sells his business and sets off with his wife of 20 years to discover Europe, and re-discover themselves. Co-star Ruth Chatterton gives a powerful performance as a wife seeking more than wealth, and Mary Astor gives one of her usual fine performances. Selected as one of the most important films of all time by the Library of Congress, Dodsworth surpasses the book on which it is based.
Pygmalion. George Bernard Shaw wrote the screenplay adaptation of his own stage masterpiece about linguistics professor Henry Higgins’s wager to turn a low-class flower vendor into a “lady”. This 1938 film starred Leslie Howard, at the height of his career, before his untimely death in WWII, and Wendy Hiller, who would go on to become one of Great Britain’s greatest actresses. The film was later adapted into the famed musical, “My Fair Lady.”
The Petrified Forest. Leslie Howard stars in this 1936 adaptation of Robert Sherwood’s hit play. Bette Davis co-stars and demonstrates all the qualities that would make her a huge star. Also, Humphrey Bogart has a break-out role as Duke Mantee, a killer on the lam, who holds hostages in a bleak diner on the edge of the Arizona desert. Unfortunately, Bogart’s success led him to be typecast as a gangster for the next few years until he emerged as a leading man in 1941 with unforgettable films like the Maltese Falcon, and Casablanca.
Our Town: Thornton Wilder’s play about ordinary people and ordinary life in a small New England town at the beginning of the twentieth century, was an immediate success when it first appeared on stage in 1938. It won a Pulitzer prize and has become an enduring favorite. It was turned into a fine film in 1940 but poor DVD copies make it hard to watch today. For modern viewers I suggest a filming of a stage version originally performed in 2003 at the Westport Country Playhouse, and subsequently aired on PBS. This version stars Paul Newman as the stage manager. Newman, a Westport resident, was at the end of his career, but was coaxed to return to the stage after a long absence. His performance, supported by a cast of relative unknowns, matches anything he did in his illustrious career.
Sons of the Desert: Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are regarded as the greatest comedy team in film history. They began during the silent era with some of its greatest comedy shorts, and became huge stars in the Thirties where, in addition to shorts, they appeared in a number of full-length classics. The best of these is the 1933 film, Sons of the Desert. The boys vow to attend the annual convention of their fraternal order, the Sons of the Desert, but they are opposed by their dominating wives , one carrying a shotgun over her arm on her return from duck hunting, and the other, played by Mae Busch, brandishing a large kitchen knife like an accomplished fencer. One gag follows another in this classic comedy that includes a charming rendition of the song, “Honolulu Baby.”
Swing Time: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are universally regarded as the greatest dance team of all time. Starting with their first appearance in Flying Down to Rio where they danced the Carioca, they appeared in a series of films whose dance numbers have never been equaled. No one else danced together as a team as they did. My personal favorite is Roberta, but Swing Time is generally regarded as their greatest film. It includes “Pick Yourself Up,” the most popular of all their numbers; the effervescent “Waltz in Swing Time;” the dramatic finale “Never Gonna Dance;” and the solo “Bojangles of Harlem,” Astaire’s spectacular homage to the great black dancer Bill Robinson. (click on the link, or view the brief video below. "Sheer Heaven."
Bonus pick. Woody Allen’sRadio Daysis set in 1940 on the eve of the Second World War. It brings to life the world of the thirties as few films have done. The world is seen through the eyes of a young boy, obviously Allen, growing up in a Jewish neighborhood in Queens. The cast of charactersis excellent, and the soundtrack is filled with the music of the day. This film is a perfect way to usher in the New Year.
Below find a
short list of foreign films that will rival any to be found on the usual
year-end “ten best” lists.
All of the
films on the list are personal favorites of mine. I must confess that I have a
preference for “feel good” films. For example, I understand the greatness of
Italian neo-realist films but find them almost unbearable to watch. Also, I
avoid films where the emphasis is on violence and eroticism.
Although I am
a great fan of American films, I believe that foreign films provide an opportunity
to see and understand other cultures. In addition to being great stories with
great characters, they can open up a window to other worlds. For example, the
Israeli film “The Band Visits” not only depicts current tensions in Israel and
Egypt but also shows that ordinary Israelis and Egyptians are not much
different from each other or anyone else.
The Band Visits: A charming comedy from
Israel that depicts a day in the life of a small band of Egyptian musicians that
mistakenly winds up in a remote Israeli settlement.
The Importance of Being Earnest: The
classic version of Oscar Wilde’s play of the same name. It stars Michael
Redgrace and the inimitable Joan Greenwood.
Wings of Desire: A German film that began
as a homage to post-war Berlin but ended up as a homage to life and love. It
stars Bruno Ganz and Peter Falk in a surprising role.
Bread and Tulips: A modern Italian comedy
that depicts the adventures and travails of a housewife stranded in Venice.
Callas, Forever: Franco Zeffirelli’s homage
to Maria Callas depicts his imaginary understanding of the last year of her
life. French actress Fanny Ardant is magnificent as Maria Callas.
Mao’s Last Dancer: This Australian film is
based on the true story of a Chinese ballet dancer who after getting permission
from the Chinese authorities to perform with the Houston ballet, decides to
stay in America.
Johnny Stecchino:This film stars famed Italian comic Roberto Benigni in a
dual role as a simple school bus driver and as a Mafioso. One of the great
comedies of all time but only available in VHS.
Roberto Benigni as Johnny Stecchino
Always: Sunset on Third Ave.: A charming Japanese film set in 1958 as
Japan is emerging from the devastation of WWII. It provides an eye opening view
of Japanese culture while at the same time showing that the hopes and dreams of
ordinary Japanese were not much different from those of Americans of the same
era. This film is hard to find.
I realize that
the great majority of foreign films are probably just as trashy as most
American films. But this list is taken from the cream of the crop.They were made by adults for adults. ###
