The Horse's Head

#278) It’s a Gift (1934)

OR “W.C., WTF?”

Directed by Norman McLeod

Written by Jack Cunningham. Based on a story by Charles Bogle (aka W.C. Fields) and the play “The Comic Supplement” by J.P. McEvoy.

Class of 2010

No trailer, so here’s a clip of W.C. Fields trying to eat a sandwich.

The Plot: Harold Bissonette (W.C. Fields) is a long-suffering husband and father who runs a grocery in Jersey. When his Uncle Bean dies, Harold moves the family to California and buys property to start his own orange grove. And that’s it plot-wise. The rest of this movie is populated by one W.C. Fields bit after another.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls Fields “one of the greatest American comedians of the 20^th century” and gives special mention to the “sleeping on the back porch” comic set-piece.

But Does It Really?: Am I missing something with W.C. Fields? I’ve always heard what a landmark comedian he is, but I gotta say, so far he’s not impressing me. “It’s a Gift” is several of Fields’ vaudeville routines strung together into a film. This, of course, was more than enough entertainment value in 1934, but unfortunately the bits suffer today from a deadly combination of dated and slow. I may have to retract my post about “So’s Your Old Man” not being Registry-worthy: at least it attempted a plot. “It’s a Gift” gets a slight pass from me on its reputation, but “The Bank Dick” better bring its A-game.

Everybody Gets One: Norman Z. McLeod has directed several comedies I would deem “minor classics” should they ever make the NFR. No one thinks of “Horse Feathers” when you list off the classic Marx Brothers movies, nor “Topper” when talking about great Cary Grant comedies. But the main takeaway from “It’s a Gift” is child actor Ronald Le Roy Overacker, billed as “Baby LeRoy”. He was two years old when he filmed “It’s a Gift”, and was the youngest person ever signed to a studio contract. Baby LeRoy squared off with W.C. Fields in three films, and apparently Fields actually didn’t like working with his two-year-old co-star.

Wow, That’s Dated: In addition to the very dated comedy bits about a henpecked husband and his shrewish wife, we get the lost profession of grocer, plus married couples with separate twin beds.

Other notes

• Why do comedians always have such domineering wives in the movies? You know what, don’t answer that. I think I know why, I just don’t want to admit it.
• Speaking of, Kathleen Howard (Amelia) was an opera singer in the 1910s, and “It’s a Gift” was one of her earliest film roles. It shows. You can clock her stage background from a mile away.
• Is there any greater comedy word than “kumquat”? It has two K sounds!
• Oh man, this film is so grating. The kids are annoying, Fields can be a lot, even the guy shouting “kumquat” gets old.
• Uncle Bean died from choking on an orange. Was he in “The Godfather”?
• And then we get to the comic set-piece of Fields trying to sleep on the back porch of his housing unit. It’s so…long. Part of that is the extended pauses, because films were edited to give large theater audiences time to laugh. Watching this film by myself 84 years later, the delayed timing dragged down the comedy.

• Everyone in this movie hates each other and has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I don’t need to sympathize with film characters, but I do need a reason to keep watching.
• Once the family moves to California things pick up. The trouble is there’s only about 20 minutes left in the movie. I suspect Fields’ work would be better off being divvied up into shorts, but I can’t fault him for wanting to be a movie star.

Legacy

• Fields’ next role would be one of his most acclaimed: that of Wilkins Micawber in MGM’s film version of “David Copperfield”.

• Not necessarily connected to “It’s a Gift”, but it bears repeating: In 1939, comedy writer Leo Rosten was a speaker at a tribute to W.C. Fields, and summed Fields up by saying “any man who hates dogs and babies can’t be all bad.” This has evolved over the years to the nonexistent W.C. Fields quote “Never work with animals or kids.”

#277) The Muppet Movie (1979)

OR “Heart Felt”

Directed by James Frawley

Written by Jerry Juhl and Jack Burns. Songs by Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher.

Class of 2009

The Plot: While singing and playing his banjo in a swamp, Kermit the Frog (Jim Henson) is approached by a Hollywood agent (Dom DeLuise), who encourages him to go into show business. Kermit is motivated when he realizes he can fulfill his dream of “making millions of people happy”. En route to Hollywood, he meets struggling comedian Fozzie Bear (Frank Oz), eccentric weirdo Gonzo (Dave Goelz), love-struck diva Miss Piggy (Frank Oz), and a whole gang of lovable marionette/puppet hybrids. As Kermit gets closer to the end of his rainbow, Doc Hopper (Charles Durning) and his assistant Max (Austin Pendleton) are right behind, scheming to make Kermit the spokesfrog for Doc’s frog legs restaurant chain. There’s music, mayhem, and a plethora of celebrity guest stars in the Muppets’ first theatrical outing.

Why It Matters: The NFR praises Henson and Oz for “immers[ing] their characters into a well-crafted combination of musical comedy and fantasy adventure.” “Rainbow Connection” also gets a shoutout.

But Does It Really?: I realized about three minutes in there was no way I could objectively watch “The Muppet Movie” for this blog. These characters and songs (as well as those from the other Muppet movies) are inseparable from my childhood, which is a pretty good legacy for any movie. I will argue that “The Great Muppet Caper” is the best of the original Henson Muppet films, but “The Muppet Movie” is the correct choice for the NFR. The film has a timeless quality, an unapologetically goofy sense of humor, and one of the biggest hearts of any quote-unquote family movie ever. Plus it has “Rainbow Connection”, that’s vault-worthy right there.

Shout Outs: Brief references to “King Kong”, “Gone with the Wind”, and “High Noon”.

Everybody Gets One: Jim Henson was tired of his puppetry being pigeonholed as children’s entertainment a la “Sesame Street”, and pitched “The Muppet Show” as a more adult oriented TV series. All of the American networks passed, but British producer Lew Grade was able to sell the show to the syndicated markets. Jerry Juhl and Jack Burns were both veteran “Muppet Show” writers, while James Frawley was a television director who never worked with Jim Henson before or after “The Muppet Movie”.

Everybody Gets One – Bonus Round!: Of the film’s special guests stars, this is the only NFR appearance for Telly Savalas, Paul Williams, Milton Berle, and Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy. And although he is one of the co-writers for “Blazing Saddles”, this is Richard Pryor’s only on-screen appearance on the list.

Wow, That’s Dated: A running gag about the Hare Krishna movement, and let us not forget the ‘70s throwback that is the Muppets’ house band: Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem.

Seriously, Oscars?: One of the top 10 hits of 1979, “The Muppet Movie” received two Oscar nominations. Williams and Ascher’s songs lost Best Adaptation Score to “All That Jazz”, while “The Rainbow Connection” lost Best Song to…the song from “Norma Rae”? That doesn’t seem right…

Other notes

• Contrary to popular belief, the Muppets were never intended to be enjoyed solely by children. That’s a myth. Myth!

• To give you an idea of how fast the Muppet star was rising in the late ‘70s, every major Muppet character (except Kermit and Rowlf) was created specifically for “The Muppet Show”, so they had only been around for about three years when “The Muppet Movie” was released.
• I’ve been compared to Statler & Waldorf many times in my life, and I always take it as a compliment.
• I’m already crying at “Rainbow Connection”. It’s a straightforward, beautiful song with a powerful message. Plus I’m a sucker for sweeping orchestrations.

• The thing that The Muppets lost when Jim Henson died was the impetus to advance the art of puppetry. Even in a deceivingly simple film like this, there are several shots where you see the Muppets’ full bodies, including a scene where Kermit rides a bike!
• Madeline Kahn’s doing her Lily Von Shtupp voice! I definitely didn’t get that reference as a kid!
• If Kermit won’t do commercials for Doc Hopper, what about for Wilkins?
• “You don’t go to Bombay to be a movie star.” Shows what you know, Fozzie.
• Legendary ventriloquist Edgar Bergen passed away shortly after filming his cameo. Jim Henson cited Bergen as an inspiration to go into puppetry, and the film is dedicated to his memory.
• My favorite part of “Never Before, Never Again” is imaging quiet, reserved Frank Oz in the recording booth giving this song his all as Miss Piggy.

• I forgot how leisurely paced “The Muppet Movie” is. Everybody assumes the Muppets were a rapid-fire joke machine, but Henson et al gave a damn about character development. That’s the biggest puzzle piece missing from the later films.
• Steve Martin’s cameo as the waiter is very…Steve Martin. Kudos to Martin, plus David Odell, who helped rewrite the cameo roles to suit the specific guest stars.

• God how I love the Swedish Chef.
• Snake Walker (the frog hunter) was supposed to be Clint Eastwood, right? Eastwood had just finished co-starring with an orangutan; surely the Muppets would have been a step up.
• “I’m Going To Go Back There Someday”. And I’m crying again.

• Without planning it, this is Orson Welles’ first appearance on this blog. Forget “Citizen Kane” or “Touch of Evil”, this is Orson Welles’ definitive performance!
• The closing shot of the finale features 250 Muppet characters, performed by 137 puppeteers, including a young Tim Burton.

Legacy

• The Muppets film series is…still going? This film’s direct follow-ups are still the best: “The Great Muppet Caper” and the underrated “The Muppets Take Manhattan”. The post-Henson films have their plusses, but they never quite capture the alchemy that made the first few movies special.

• Henson and Oz learned their lesson from the experience of hiring an outsider, and directed the subsequent Muppet movies themselves. This would lead to such non-Muppet films as “The Dark Crystal” and “Little Shop of Horrors”.

• Despite the positive collaboration, Paul Williams wouldn’t compose songs for another Muppet movie until 1992’s “The Muppet Christmas Carol”.

• Producer Lew Grade parlayed the success of “The Muppet Movie” to start his own film distribution company, but then… “Can’t Stop the Music” happened.

• “It’s called ‘A Salute to All Nations, But Mostly America!’”

Further Viewing: Easily the best “Muppet Show” skit. You earn that EGOT, Rita Moreno!

#276) The March (1964)

Directed by James Blue

Class of 2008

As is usually the case with my write-ups of historical events, this post is a massive oversimplification of The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and is not the be-all and end-all on the subject. There’s a lot of information out there about the march, and you should check it all out. Educate yourself!

August 28^th, 1963: American citizens and organizations take to the streets of Washington D.C. to peacefully protest the lack of civil rights for African-Americans; an event coinciding with the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation. Starting at the Washington Monument, The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom is attended by over a quarter of a million Americans, some holding pre-approved signage calling for unity and an end to Jim Crow, and many singing such protest songs as “We Shall Overcome”. Appropriately enough, the march ends at the Lincoln Memorial, with speeches by such civil rights leaders as Roy Wilkins and John Lewis, and performances from Marian Anderson and Mahalia Jackson. But the main event is when Southern Christian Leadership Conference leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. takes the podium and delivers his instantly iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. The march is a turning point in the Civil Rights movement and, while not without its detractors (Malcolm X called it a “farce”), would eventually lead to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Documentarian James Blue was commissioned by the United States Information Agency to cover the march and create a film to be viewed by various government agencies. The result is a streamlined version of the day’s events, but the hope of the marchers comes across, as does the overall feeling of history in the making. Watching this march 55 years later, obvious parallels can be made to the protests of recent years, and this film gives me the cautious optimism that peaceful protests can still be successfully orchestrated by concerned citizens. Any footage of the March on Washington is deserving of preservation, and “The March” is a succinct film that gives you healthy sample of what that day was like.

Everybody Gets One: I admit to not knowing anything about James Blue prior to researching this post, but it turns out the University of Oregon has all the information you want on the man. Although “March” is his only NFR entry, Blue was a prolific documentarian and his 1968 film “A Few Notes on Our Food Problem” (another USIA commission) was nominated for the Best Documentary Oscar.

Other notes

• If the United States Information Agency sounds familiar, you may remember them from my write-up of “Czechoslovakia 1968”. With rare exceptions, USIA films were not meant for public viewing, until a congressional act passed in 1990 allowed them to be viewed after 12 years.
• Kudos to the restoration team; this film looks amazing. Of all the documentaries I’ve covered so far, “The March” has easily the cleanest print.
• I understand that it was still summer, but it seems weird to hold the pivotal moment of the Civil Rights movement on a Wednesday.
• Among the notable attendees of the march (though not appearing in “The March”): Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson, Dick Gregory, Marlon Brando, Ruby Dee & Ossie Davis, Lena Horne, Charlton Heston, Harry Belafonte, and James Baldwin (who was controversially not allowed to give a speech). Side note: Keep an eye out for Bob Dylan in the crowd while Joan Baez is performing.
• At age 23, Civil Rights leader and future Congressman John Lewis was the youngest speaker at the Lincoln Memorial. His speech was preemptively edited by march organizers to remove anything that may be perceived as antagonistic, including a line calling President Kennedy’s Civil Rights bill “too little, too late”. Lewis is still going strong and fighting the good fight representing Georgia’s 5^th
• If you watch “The March” on the US National Archives YouTube page, you’ll notice something very weird: “I Have a Dream” is completely muted. Closed Captioning gives the disclaimer “The audio has been redacted due to a copyright restriction from Dr. King’s family.” Turns out that after a legal dispute with CBS, the audio of the “I Have a Dream” speech is the copyright of the King estate, and this YouTube upload either couldn’t or wouldn’t get clearance. Definitely tarnishes the viewing experience.
• For the curious, here’s the full “I Have a Dream” speech (“The March” cuts it down to about six minutes). I can’t say anything that hasn’t already been said: it’s one of the most important speeches in world history, and if nothing else, Dr. King knew how to work a room. The actual dream part of the speech wasn’t originally included, making that section History’s Greatest Ad-Lib.

• You know who the real hero is? Whoever decided that no one should follow Martin Luther King. There were closing remarks by March organizer A. Philip Randolph, but King was the last speaker. Good call, everyone.
• According to the Baltimore Sun’s coverage of the march, despite fears from White America that there would be violence and riots, only three arrests were made that day, none of them African-Americans.
• To reiterate, I am deeply under-qualified to talk about any of this, and a 1000 word blog post can only scratch the surface. There are countless websites that chronicle the March on Washington, but I’ll always recommend any video or audio you can find from that day. Words can paint a picture, but the recordings are a powerful way to revisit the march and to truly see how far we’ve come and still have to go.

Listen to This: There are a lot of recordings that go along with the Civil Rights movement, and several of them have made their way onto the National Recording Registry. First and foremost is Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, which is embedded above. There’s also Pete Seeger’s rendition of “We Shall Overcome”, a song heard frequently throughout “The March”. And last but far from least is Marian Anderson’s recording of “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”. While the NRR selection is her 1936 rendition, Anderson reprised the song for the March on Washington.

#275) 12 Angry Men (1957)

OR “The Jury Dozen”

Directed by Sidney Lumet

Written by Reginald Rose. Based on his teleplay.

Class of 2007

The Plot: An 18-year-old slum kid (John Savoca) is on trial for the murder of his father, and a verdict of guilty will lead to the boy’s execution. In the jury room, 11 of the men are ready to vote guilty, but one dissenting juror (Henry Fonda) has a reasonable doubt that the boy committed the crime. The 12 go over every detail of the case, from recounting witness testimonies to examining evidence, and slowly other jurors start changing their votes to “not guilty”. Will #8 convince the others that there is a reasonable doubt, or will #3 (Lee J. Cobb) keep everyone in line with his prejudiced “one of them” viewpoint?

Why It Matters: The NFR calls the film “a classic” and suggests it can be viewed as “commentary on McCarthyism, Fascism or Communism.” There’s also an essay by Sidney Lumet expert Joanna E. Rapf.

But Does It Really?: “12 Angry Men” is definitive proof that a great movie can be made out of people in a room talking for 90 minutes. Sidney Lumet’s execution of this film is flawless, as is the finest ensemble of actors in any one movie. “12 Angry Men” is the rare movie that highlights our judicial system without either over-praising or condemning it. The jury process is flawed, but the power falls on the people, and the responsibility should not be taken lightly. “12 Angry Men” is one of my favorite movies and only gets better with age.

Shout Outs: No direct references, but Juror #7 does whistle the Laurel & Hardy “Dance of the Cuckoos” theme at one point.

Everybody Gets One: Writer Reginald Rose, jurors Ed Begley (Sr.), Jack Klugman**, E.G. Marshall, George Voskovec, and Robert Webber.

Wow, That’s Dated: The crime hinges on such dated things as double features and New York’s elevated trains.

Seriously, Oscars?: “12 Angry Men” was a critical hit, but United Artists didn’t give the film a proper release, and it suffered financially. The film did, however, manage three Oscar nominations: Picture, Director, and Adapted Screenplay, but lost all three to “The Bridge on the River Kwai”. How Fonda and Cobb weren’t nominated for their performances is just unforgivable.

Other notes

• You do not need to watch the original “Studio One” teleplay of “Twelve Angry Men”. The film delves into the characters and their motivations on a much deeper level than the TV version, which lacks overall energy. Being shot for live TV, the teleplay also suffers from actors flubbing their lines and the occasional camera gaffe. That being said, the side-by-side comparison is an intriguing reminder of a time when film and TV were two distinctly separate media.

• The line “The alternate jurors are excused” unexpectedly tickled me. I just enjoy the notion that these two extras were so close to being in a classic movie.
• Juror #2 is John Fiedler, aka the original voice of Piglet. Now you know why he sounds so familiar.
• “You can’t dispute facts”. That’s not just a quote, it’s a reminder.
• This film is easily one of the most impressive directorial debuts. Lumet knows exactly what he wants and he knows how to get it from everyone. Every aspect of the film is expertly crafted, from the cinematography to the editing. I recommend reading Lumet’s book “Making Movies” to learn about the specific way “12 Angry Men” was shot (plus insight on his dislike of teamsters).
• The close-ups of #9 staring directly into the camera are a bit unsettling. Did Jonathan Demme direct those shots?
• Everyone’s great, but George Voskovec as #11 is the unsung hero. The “guilty” voters are the flashier parts, but the subtlety Voskovec brings to his character is brilliant.
• It’s comforting to know that even film greats like Henry Fonda and Martin Balsam sweat in the summer heat.
• “The Remarkable Mrs.….” Maisel?
• Speaking of, that plot point always bothered me. Jurors are swayed because #4 can’t remember details from four nights ago. That’s very different from the kid not remembering where he was two hours ago, “emotional stress” or not. But whatever Fonda, you made your point.
• Jack Klugman is many things, but a street tough is not one of them.
• The most impressive shot in the whole film is one long take that contains two monologues: #10’s racist rant, and #8’s “prejudice always obscures the truth” speech. Kudos to everyone involved.

• I always laugh at E.G. Marshall’s maybe-too-serious reading of the line “No one wears eye glasses to bed.”
• It’s really hard to single out any one actor in this film; they’re all so great. But Lee J. Cobb might clinch it with his final monologue. It’s so emotionally raw, I found myself actually tearing up as #3 finally recognizes his prejudice. Cobb made me see the tragic figure inside Juror #3, not surprising considering Cobb played THE tragic figure: Willy Loman.

• I’ll argue that this film doesn’t need that last shot. You could just fade to black after they exit the jury room. The awkward exchange between #8 and #9 on the steps takes away from the anonymity of the courtroom.
• The only juror I haven’t mentioned yet is #6, played by Edward Binns. He’s great too!

Legacy

• “12 Angry Men” launched the 50-year directing run of Sidney Lumet.

• You have watched “12 Angry Men” either as a team-building exercise, a dissection of conflict resolution, or a lesson in critical thinking.
• “12 Angry Men” returned to television in 1997 with an update directed by William Friedkin, starring Jack Lemmon as #8 and George C. Scott fulfilling his destiny as his generation’s Lee J. Cobb.

• Speaking of remakes, practically every country has made their own version. Among them, the 2007 Russian movie “12”, which was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.

• Your community theater is doing a production of “12 Angry Jurors” right now, because they’re the first ones to recognize how relevant it still is.
• Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor has cited “12 Angry Men” as influencing her decision to study law. By comparison, Brett Kavanaugh was inspired to study law after a viewing of “Animal House”. But seriously, fuck that guy.
• Every sitcom has done a “12 Angry Men” spoof, but will anything ever top “Inside Amy Schumer”?

Further Viewing: Did you know that Rob Reiner does an impression of Lee J. Cobb’s performance in this film? Well now you do, Meathead.

** 2018 Update: Jack Klugman now also has “Days of Wine and Roses” on the list. Way to go Quincy!

#274) Flesh and the Devil (1926)

OR “Garbo Cheats!”

Directed by Clarence Brown

Written by Benjamin Glazer. Based on the novel “Es war” (English title: “The Undying Past”) by Hermann Sudermann.

Class of 2006

The Plot: While on leave from the German military, Leo von Harden (John Gilbert) meets and falls for the beautiful Felicitas von Rhaden (Greta Garbo). The sparks fly immediately and a great romance begins, but abruptly ends when Felicitas’ husband the Count (Marc McDermott) comes home and finds them together. The Count challenges Leo to a duel, which Leo wins with a fatal shot. The military sends Leo to Africa for five years, but he is able to get his sentence reduced to three years, thinking of returning to Felicitas the whole time. When Leo does return home, he discovers Felicitas is now married to Ulrich von Eltz (Lars Hanson), his best friend since childhood. And this little love triangle just gets more melodramatic from here.

Why It Matters: The NFR acknowledges the “blistering chemistry” between Greta Garbo and John Gilbert, while calling the film “[o]ne of the last silent film classics”.

But Does It Really?: I will give the film the historical significance of Greta Garbo and John Gilbert, but that’s about as generous as I’m feeling. On the whole the film, like many other silent movies, just doesn’t hold up. Everything in this movie goes on a little too long, and melodrama as a genre is very hard to view through a modern lens. I give “Flesh and the Devil” a slight pass, but I’m in no rush to watch it again.

Everybody Gets One: It’s the studio system in its prime: I’ve really got to start calling this section “Everybody Gets At Least Two in the Studio Era”.

Wow, That’s Dated: Among other things, this movie features a ball where the women carry actual dance cards.

Take a Shot: No one says the title, but Pastor Voss does tell Leo, “When the devil cannot reach us through the spirit…he creates a woman beautiful enough to reach us through the flesh.” So there’s that.

Other notes

• Despite the poster, the Devil does not actually appear in this movie.
• Every time the MGM logo shows up in a silent movie I keep hoping for an intertitle that says, “Roar!”
• Lars Hanson kinda looks like young Peter Cushing. Where was he during “Rogue One”?
• Leo and Ulrich are physically close to each other a lot. Forget Gilbert and Garbo, I think this is the romance.
• The kids on the “Isle of Friendship” made the same blood pact as the kids from “It”.
• Oooh, early matte paintings. That was cutting edge for 1926.
• But seriously, is Garbo a beard for these two? Get a room!
• Wow, that is one bright lighter. Is it powered by Marcellus Wallace’s soul?
• I’m sure this is what the filmmakers were going for, but having Leo and Felicitas smoking cigarettes strongly implies that they did it.
• You know Leo, if you want your moustache to be that tiny, do you really want a moustache to begin with?
• Shoutout to cinematographer William Daniels (no, not that one). There’s some really good use of light and shadow throughout the film.
• John Gilbert definitely paved the way for your Errol Flynn’s and your Kevin Kline’s.
• The Felicitas montage is unintentionally hilarious. Someone had fun with those intertitles.
• The second half of the movie gives you a better idea of why most silent movies don’t hold up today: too dialogue heavy. If it’s not being conveyed visually, you might as well just read the book.
• The running gag with the twins is a bit weird, and without a real payoff either. Fun Fact: one of the twins is Cecila Parker, best known as Marian Hardy in the “Andy Hardy” movies.
• Boy, the Pastor is really preaching fire and brimstone because of one infidelity. This is why I distrust organized religion.
• At one point Hertha calls Leo “a surly old bear”. I’ve been called something along those lines.
• Nice optical effect for the snowfall. Are they inside the Rosebud snow globe?
• One of my notes simply reads, “Oy, these two.” I know it’s a melodrama, but all this “it’s okay because we love each other” crap is really too much.
• Now Gilbert’s giving me an early Clouseau look.
• Maybe it’s just the print I’m watching, but that last reel needs a bit of a cleaning. “Decasia” looks better.
• This movie’s ending is the ultimate cinematic depiction of “bros before hoes”.

Legacy

• “Flesh and the Devil” helped launch Garbo’s star. She was so grateful to director Clarence Brown and cinematographer William Daniels that she ensured they work on as many of her subsequent films as possible.
• Garbo and John Gilbert made three more romantic pictures for MGM, and continued their chemistry off-screen as well. After their relationship ended, Garbo tried to get Gilbert more work, but his alcoholism led to a fatal heart attack at the age of 36.
• The relationship between Garbo and Gilbert was turned into the 1980 TV movie “The Silent Lovers” with Barry Bostwick and Kristina Wayborn.