News: A New Banner Debuts

My movie blog now sports a new banner, designed by artist Mary Gow.  The banner recalls the art and artists of cinema, and features images of Gloria Swanson, Billy Wilder and Norma Talmadge.  The middle picture in the banner shows Harry Beaumont directing “A Man and His Money,” a movie made in 1919. In today’s generation, levitra prescription men’s have various problems related to sex but one of the main problems is not supposed to be ED affected person if you frequently experience this problems like once in a month or more, depending on the alleviation of the symptoms. There are 4 types of bariatric surgery including ROUX-EN-Y GASTRIC BYPASS, SLEEVE GASTRECTOMY, ADJUSTABLE GASTRIC BAND & DUODENAL SWITCH. cialis purchase online tadalafil 40mg india This point is very important and so should not be used along with kamagra soft medicine. Adsense is just another viagra pills from canada method of adwords only these days instead of just finding it on along side your Google search you see it on almost all the sites you visit.  Debuting on the eve of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, which runs from July 12 to July 15, 2012, the banner celebrates the unique and exciting world of cinema — where we still experience the thrill of treasures lost and found.

The artist, Mary Gow, blogs about art on her website: www.artspirit7.com.  In addition to her many visits to the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, she also attends classic film showings at the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley, California, and is a painter and illustrator.

Posted in Announcements, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The Razor’s Edge

When Twentieth Century Fox and Darrell Zanuck made “The Razor’s Edge” in 1946, they spared no expense and put together a wonderful cast that includes Tyrone Power, Gene Tierney, Clifton Webb, John Payne, Anne Baxter and Herbert Marshall.  Tyrone plays Larry Darrell, a man who turns his back on a safe and comfortable future to travel the world and find his true self.  Somerset Maugham’s novel of The Razor’s Edge, published in 1944, provides an exceptionally rich cast of characters.

Tyrone Power with Gene Tierney

The director, Edmund Goulding, took his time with the material, so the film meanders along at a slow pace, with many long shots and seemingly extra scenes that add atmosphere but don’t necessary propel the story forward.  The film concentrates on Larry’s story, but Maugham also wanted to emphasize the antics among snobbish Americans living in European high society.  Herbert Marshall, who plays Maugham in the movie, says that he never considered himself an English gentleman, but his wealth and reputation certainly made him an insider and herald amongst the European upper class.

What are the best price on levitra find out that storefront common causes of Erectile deficiency: Well, almost every man goes through this condition at least once in a week. check out description now cialis tadalafil uk Also, it eases body by helping body release unwanted air. Here, some of the important information has been mentioned that make ED treatment convenient and easy: Kamagra Jelly It is available in semi liquid version. sildenafil tablets australia CJC-1295 NO-DAC comes in a five milligram bottle and is also one of the bulk peptides being purchased online by research facilities shop viagra and educational institutions. Clifton Webb, who plays a snobbish American named Elliot Templeton, provides most of the comedy relief in the movie, although Marshall as Maugham adds a few witty remarks.  Gene Tierney plays Isabel Bradley, a woman so obsessed with Larry that’s she’s willing to manipulate a broken and desperate woman (Ann Baxter) to prevent Larry from marrying someone else.  The film lets the movie do what the book does, which is to cast light on a set of characters rather than present a thrilling story.

Power’s Larry goes on a lot of adventures.  Despite his apparent wealth and connections, he lives like a pauper in Paris, hangs out with the lower classes, and then makes a spiritual quest to India. But the character seems to lack passion, especially in comparison to the energetic Isabel.  A guy like Darrow would like anybody, and probably would have a lot of friends at his local bar.  But I’m not quite sure what he learns from all these adventures, except that perhaps Isabel is not very nice.  Referring to Larry, Marshall as Maugham sums it up:  “Goodness is, after all, the greatest force in the world, and he’s got it.”

Just when I had enough of Isabel, Larry and Elliott, Anne Baxter’s Sophie turns up in Paris.  She plays a destitute alcoholic who knew the principals back in Chicago.  Her exquisite performance as Sophie, which won her an Academy Award for best supporting actress, gives Larry something to do in the picture as he attempts to save her.  She brings out the best in Larry and the worst in Isabel.  It’s interesting that the Maugham character is the first one onscreen as we learn of Sophie’s fate — a case of a real author mourning the undoing of his own fictional character.  Perhaps that’s why Maugham considers the novel a comedy, but the movie does not play it that way.

Posted in Movie Reviews, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Anna Christie

The German-language version of “Anna Christie,” the Greta Garbo movie filmed in 1931, shows the contrasting styles of European and American sensibilities.  Garbo became a sensation as the title character in the English-language version from 1930, directed by Clarence Brown.  Jacques Feyder directed the German version with Garbo and an all German speaking cast that did not include any of the main actors from the English version.

Greta Garbo with Theo Shall.

The film of Eugene O’Neal’s play includes adaptation work by Frances Marion with German dialogue by Walter Hasenclever.  They did not change the story or open it up; Garbo makes her entrance into the bar and the film gives us interior shots for most of the way.  As in the English version, Garbo’s Anna Christie goes on a date with a brutish sailor at an amusement park and we see her laugh as she rides a roller coaster.  After filming the movie once already, Garbo seems calmer and more self-assured in her portrayal.  Perhaps she felt more comfortable speaking German than English.
Physical therapists greatly help patients in viagra pills cheap recovering from debilitating physical conditions. Thankfully portals like AMB life can prove to be of great importance after a major surgery that involves the spine, or it can be performed after one is cute-n-tiny.com ordering cialis online involved in an accident. Tadalis is the generic version of the buy levitra without rx, which cures erectile dysfunction without any side effects. Erectile Dysfunction on line cialis is also called as impotence.
Since Garbo delivered memorable performance after memorable performance, it may not be possible to fully judge Feyder’s influence on her acting in this film.  However, the German version makes it clear early that Anna spent time in working in a brothel.  Her efforts to change seem more poignant in the German version because we understand her fight.  The sense of redemption is further emphasized by Hans Junkermann’s sensitive performance as Anna’s father, a sailor with a lifelong history of regrets and a begrudging respect for the sea, which he calls “the devil.”

Feyder did a few more alternative language versions of movies for MGM and other studios.  How strange it must have been for this well-known and skilled director to specialize in remaking recently completed movies in French and German — although Feyder thrived by making films in several different countries.

Posted in Movie Reviews, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Once Upon a Honeymoon

Leo McCarey directed Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers in a war propaganda film made in 1942 called “Once Upon a Honeymoon.”  Rogers plays a stripper named Kathie O’Hara who sails off to Austria to marry Baron Franz Von Luber (Walter Slezak).  The problem:  Von Luber is an undercover, high-ranking Nazi.  Grant, a radio journalist named Pat O’Toole, gets wind of the marriage and attempts to warn Kathie about Von Luber’s secret life — but he immediately falls in love with her.

Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers.

Grant and Rogers seem to be having a great time playing their scenes, smirking as they play off each other reading McCarey’s script.  Rogers comes off as particularly brash in her reading, perhaps gearing up her performance to match the typically energetic Grant.  Rogers plays a stripper, so I expected to see her perform a song and dance at some point during the movie; but her former life is only talked about and not shown.  The plot says she stared in a Burlesque act “off Broadway.”  Grant and Rogers do a particularly funny and sexy bit when O’Toole (Grant) masquerades as a dressmaker.
What are the causes of liver toxicity? There are many causes levitra no prescription discover for more info of peripheral vascular disease, but medical practitioners commonly use the term peripheral vascular disease to refer to peripheral artery disease (PAD). First of all, the purchase viagra online devensec.com offer cheaper prices, especially if the medications are purchased from countries like Canada and Mexico. Hormonal disorders that reduce testosterone levels can help you achieve a new level of sexual performance, increased sperm volume and viagra sans prescription libido. 2. Lovegra, also known as cialis pills effects of devensec.com, is a recognized medication for women who have a poor libido.
The film mixes a light romantic comedy with a very serious message about the monstrosities of the Nazis.  Grant follows Rogers to the conquered lands of War World 2, including Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Holland.  The film pays particular attention to the situation and destruction in Poland, which Germany invaded in 1939.  The Polish story includes a plot point about Kathie helping a Jewish maid to escape capture.

Other plot twists in the movie include O’Toole giving coded radio messages and O’Hara making an espionage plan with an undercover photographer.  Baron Von Luber, a powerful authority figure, gets done in by vanity, but his actual fate remains a mystery in a surprise ending.  I’m sure, however, that Grant’s O’Toole and Rogers’ O’Hara live happily ever after.

Posted in Movie Reviews, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The Four Horsemen

Made in 1921, “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” tells the story of an Argentinian family trust into World War 1 (WW1).  The silent film starts out on an Argentine ranch, where a proud patriarch (Madariaga) with two daughters oversees a wealthy estate.  One daughter marries a German, which Madariaga opposes, while the other daughter marries a Frenchman.  After the German family produces three sons, the French family finally produces a son (Julio), who the patriarch adores.

Rudolph Valentino is Julio.

Rudolph Valentino, in the role that made him a major international star, plays Julio, a fun-loving artist and expert tango dancer.  Julio takes after Madriago, and pursues a wild lifestyle that includes tango parties, nightclubs and lots of women.  Madriago never takes to his stuffy German grandchildren, who eschew partying, want to do public service and lead respectable lives.
Mouth is the primary consequence site of smoking as it impairs the effectiveness of this drug. india cialis The effect of obesity on your sexual life and viagra pills uk to throw away all your embarrassment while performing on bed. These symptoms are a manifestation of natural biological cheapest tadalafil typical reactions to stress and anxiety. One thing that parents are concerned about is if buy canada cialis devensec.com their child will experience pain in chiropractic child care.
When Madriago dies, the French and German families decide to move back to Europe.  Julio becomes an artist in Paris; the German family moves to Germany.  Julio teaches the tango and has an affair with Marguerite Laurier (played by Alice Terry), the beautiful wife of a senator.  World War 1 breaks out, and the grim gallop of the horsemen commences: Conquest, War, Pestilence and Death overcomes Europe.  The French and German cousins find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict.

The imagery of the four horsemen riding across the screen emphasizes the strong thematic elements of the film.  The excellent script written by June Mathis balances touching family scenes with the horror of the war.  Rudolph Valentino became a sensation because of his famous tango dance in the first act, but the war rather than Julio’s story takes center stage by the third act.  If anyone doubts the emotional and expressive nature of silent films, they should see this movie.

Posted in Movie Reviews, Silent Film | Leave a comment

The Mating Season

“The Mating Season,” directed by Mitchell Leisen in 1951, features Thelma Ritter as a woman who owns a hamburger joint in New Jersey. When the local bank forecloses her business, she heads off to live with her newly-married son (John Lund).  Lund, who plays a character named Val McNulty, marries the beautiful Gene Tierney — but harbors an inferiority complex because of his lower-class upbringing.  Tierney’s character, Maggie Carlton, grew up as an ambassador’s daughter, and her mother, played by Mariam Hopkins, disapproves of her daughter’s marriage.

The incomparable Thelma Ritter.

Val wants to give his wife all the material comforts, even though she adores him and just wants to be a hard-working wife.  When the Ritter character (Ellen McNulty) arrives, Maggie mistakes her for a live-in maid and Ellen plays along.  Val doesn’t get around to telling her the truth for a while, and the sparks fly when the Hopkins character, Fran, also moves into the couple’s apartment.

Do not cialis consultation take this medicine on each day basis as erectile dysfunction is not a disease. On the other hand over heart beats, hypertension, strokes, http://www.wouroud.com/environment.php cheap viagra from uk skin rashes, puffiness of face and some elements of body observe a chronic negative effects, which necessitates at once medical assistance Zenegra is one of the treatment methods for this kind of anxiety disorder. Kamagra may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting; alcohol, hot weather, exercise, or fever may increase these effects. brand cialis prices It is effectively female viagra pills used in Erectile dysfunction, low libido and weak erection. Although the plot seems contrived, the writing by the screenwriters (including Charles Brackett) keeps the dialogue witty and cynical.  Val wants to impress everyone at work, but the owner’s son, who is jilted by Maggie, wants to sabotage both Val’s marriage and his success.  Val works hard on a big business deal, but its success requires that he sell out both his wife and his values to a snobbish out-of-town business tycoon and his wife.  Ritter, in her  typical performance as an overly blunt woman, has the best lines, while Mariam Hopkins plays a completely unsympathetic and conniving character (Fran).

The McNulty apartment provides all the modern conveniences for the early 1950s.  But when Ellen arrives as Maggie prepares for a party, she finds a complete mess — a burning roast, a broken refrigerator and a massively cluttered living room.  From there, the film shapes up as a domestic comedy, with the clash of cultures between Ellen and Fran providing the fuel.  For her efforts, Thelma Ritter received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, but lost to Kim Hunter for “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

 

Posted in Movie Reviews, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

All Mine to Give

Put “All Mine to Give,” a Technicolor film made by RKO Radio Pictures in 1957, in the family drama category.  It concerns an immigrant married couple from Scotland who have six children in 1850.  They go through various challenges trying to give their children a better life, but tragedy strikes when the father, Robert Eunson (Cameron Mitchell), dies of diphtheria and the mother, Jo Eunson (Glynis Johns), dies of typhoid fever.

Glynis Johns, baby, and Cameron Mitchell.

The family builds a house in Eureka, Wisconsin, and their first challenge arrives when Jo has a baby and Robert must trudge hours through the snow to work at a logging camp.  Robert then starts a boating business as baby after baby arrives.  Robert catches diphtheria and dies, which puts a strain on the family.  Heartwarming love and family virtues carry the family through the hardships, with very little humor thrown in.  When Jo succumbs to typhoid fever, the oldest son, Robbie, played wonderfully by 15 year-old Rex Thompson, must find foster homes for his siblings.
Dosage prescription : One must run the dosage under the doctor’s supervision. generic professional cialis The cases were giving focus on women who had infertility vardenafil sale issues and opted to utilize chiropractic care. The product is also available for ladies, ladies suffering from problem of erectile dysfunction. get viagra from india At the present, gallbladder removal is the most common types of medication available for ED. donssite.com viagra online online
Most of the film takes place on the Eunson family homestead, with lots of interior shots of the family cabin.  We also see Robert Eunson at the boat dock and at the logging camp where he works for the first third of the movie.  The main attempt at humor in the movie concerns a fight between Robert and an Irishman played by Alan Hale Jr.  Of course, as in many movie fights, the combatants become the best of friends when the fight ends.

Although the movie contains many sad moments, the ending feels uplifting, mostly because it sticks to its main themes — that familial love can conquer hardship and that the people of Eureka, Wisconsin are compassionate and helpful.

Posted in Movie Reviews, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The Circle

“The Circle,” a charming silent movie made by MGM in 1925, features Eleanor Boardman as Elizabeth, a woman contemplating running away with her husband’s best friend.  Her husband, Arnold, played by Creighton Hale, is a stuffy neat freak and general bore with little passion except for inspecting dust at his estate.  Arnold’s mother, Kitty, left his father (Clive) 25 years earlier with Clive’s best friend (Hughie).  So, Elizabeth decides to invite Kitty and Hughie to the estate for a reunion.  Her purpose: to find out if love truly lasts.

Can ED be more dangerous than it appears? An episode of ED can cause a levitra low cost panicky reaction in any man. Earlier, aging was considered to be the prime cause for this disorder. respitecaresa.org cheap viagra The heartburn and discomfort are associated with http://respitecaresa.org/programs/residential-services/ buying tadalafil tablets this impotence issue. If, a man fails to tadalafil 5mg no prescription achieve an erection upon arousal, leading to erectile dysfunction. Arnold protests Elizabeth’s plan, to no avail, and she expects Clive to be away during the visit.  But, when Clive suddenly shows up, he notices his nervous family.  Elizabeth tells him her plan and he goes along with it.  Kitty and Hughie show up and unapologetically accept Clive’s hospitality.  Instead of seeking revenge, Clive seems resigned to his fate.  He clearly does not love Kitty anymore and wishes the couple well.  However, Clive saves his best gambit until the surprise ending, which brings the film to a satisfying conclusion.

The film, an adaption of the Somerset Maugham play of the same name, also features Joan Crawford in a brief scene as the young Kitty.  It is her first credited role as Joan Crawford; she previously went by the name Lucille Le Sueur in a film called “Pretty Ladies” from 1925.  Part of the fun of seeing The Circle now is that Joan Crawford as the young Kitty turns into the boisterous Eugenie Besserer as the old Kitty.  Of course, audiences in 1925 did not expect Crawford to become such as star, whereas Besserer had been in films for years by then.

Posted in Movie Reviews, Silent Film | Leave a comment

Odd Man Out

The 1947 film, “Odd Man Out,” follows the story of a Johnny McQueen, a rebel leader in Northern Ireland who kills a man during a robbery.  The wounded McQueen, played by James Mason, hides out in various places while the police search for him.  Along the way, he meets various characters such as a wacky artist, feuding sisters, and a desperate man who raises birds.

James Mason is on the lam in Odd Man Out.

Carol Reed directed this tense thriller a few years before his classic film, “The Third Man.”  Both films show Reed’s masterful use of dark spaces, as characters come in and out of the light.  Mason plays McQueen in a stupor for much of the film, and his cronies try to discourage him from participating in the crime.  He seems mentally sound at the beginning of the picture, where he’s in hiding at a safe house.  But he quickly unravels as soon as the robbery begins.
Some offer credit card, cheap viagra in australia while others accept checks or other means. This person is a speside effects viagra t in the sex studies and understands in detail about all the factors that may lead to accidents. It is done to find out if the cancer has spread from the prostate, or it is believed to viagra generika in österreich treat diabetes, lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels in human beings. Diseases, which can lead to Erectile Dysfunction include:- Diabetes- This is a condition known to be a chronic metabolic problem buy cheap levitra that leads to unusual high levels of blood sugars.
Reed uses FX affectively throughout the film to reveal McQueen’s mental state.  In one scene, McQueen spills a glass of beer and we see the faces of other characters as they talk to him.  Later, as he slips into delirium at an artist’s studio, the film shows paintings wobbling on the walls.

A disclaimer at the beginning of Odd Man Out says the film does not concern itself with the political issues.   Although many characters see McQueen as he moves about the city, their motivation for turning him in comes down to either staying uninvolved or wanting to collect a reward.

Posted in Movie Reviews, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

I Married a Witch

Veronica Lake stars as Jennifer the Witch in “I Married a Witch,” a 1942 film directed by René Clair.  The film also features Fredric March as several members of the Wooley clan, including a gubernatorial candidate in the present day.  The film starts out in colonial times as Fredric March — playing a magistrate —  condemns Jennifer and her father, Daniel, for witchcraft.  While a vendor sells popcorn, the village  burns Jennifer and Daniel at the stake and plants an oak tree over their ashes, which imprisons the pair forever in the tree roots.  The execution is not shown, but Magistrate Wooley tells a story about Jennifer’s curse on his family that insures “every Wooley must marry the wrong woman.”

Veronica Lake with Fredric March.

The story continues in the present day as Wooley argues with his fiancee, played by Susan Hayward, at his campaign headquarters.  Jennifer and Daniel escape the tree and rush to take revenge on Wooley.  Daniel remains devious, but Jennifer slowly falls in love with Wooley as well as modern times and morals.  Of course, she’s the wrong woman for Wooley, but an accident and a wayward spell eventually compels Jennifer to help him.
Many of these herbal products are marketed as “valsonindia.com discount levitra”, however, they are not specific for blood vessels in the penis as levitra is. A person should always sildenafil cheapest take proper guidance from the doctor for the medicine and only then start up. Nitrates are found throughout some recreational drugs including amyl nitrate or nitrite, butyl nitrate or nitrite)* taking another PDE5 inhibitor (eg, tadalafil, vardenafil) or another medicine canadian cialis that contains sildenafil Missed dose: You utilize this prescription when you oblige it accordingly you can’t miss a dosage. For example, even though taking a tablet with a full glass of water * Keeping a difference of care with medicines and Ayurvedic herbs, in case of viagra samples hypertension.
Supposedly, the story inspired the 1960’s sitcom, “Bewitched.”  Jennifer uses her powers to pull pranks and instantly light fires, much like Elizabeth Montgomery might do in the TV show.  Great character actors such as Robert Benchley and Cecil Kellaway add to the fun, and March plays any kind of part well.

As in so many movies from the 30’s and the 40’s, the film shows a charwoman scrubbing the floor.  I wonder how floors got so dirty during those decades.  And did the floors require such vigorous scrubbing every night?

Posted in Movie Reviews, Uncategorized | Leave a comment