The Horse's Head

#217) Grand Hotel (1932)

OR “Irving’s Berlin”

Directed by Edmund Goulding

Written by William A. Drake. Based on his play and the novel “Menschen im Hotel” by Vicki Baum.

Class of 2007

The Plot: Berlin’s luxurious Grand Hotel oversees the intersecting lives of five guests over two days. There’s the bankrupt Baron Felix von Geigern (John Barrymore) whose attempt to rob the reclusive ballerina Grusinskaya (Greta Garbo) finds the two falling in love. There’s Flaemmchen (Joan Crawford), the model/aspiring actress who has to avoid passes by her temporary boss Preysing (Wallace Beery). And there’s Otto Kringelein (Lionel Barrymore), Preysing’s former employee, whose dying wish is to truly live. The hotel’s resident doctor, war veteran Otternschlag (Lewis Stone) sums up the Grand Hotel with, “people coming, people going, nothing ever happens”. Clearly he’s not paying attention.

Why It Matters: The NFR cites “Grand Hotel” as “arguably the first use of the all-star formula”, singles out Garbo’s iconic line, and praises Edmund Goulding for handling the egos off his all-star cast.

But Does It Really?: It’s definitely on the historical side of significance, but I had a good time at “Grand Hotel”. The combined star power of the five principals helps move things along, and Goulding keeps them all in check without any one star walking away with the picture. On top of being a well-crafted film, there’s an aura of star quality that radiates from the screen. “Grand Hotel” is a perfect example of the kind of all-star affair that could only be made in the studio system.

Everybody Gets One: This being a studio film, most of the creatives will be back in other entries. The only major holdout is screenwriter/playwright William A. Drake. On a more technical scale, this is Edmund Goulding’s only film as a director on the list, and Wallace Beery’s only sound film to make the cut.

Wow, That’s Dated: There’s a lot of sexual harassment aimed at Joan Crawford through the whole film. Heck, she meets Preysing in his hotel room while he’s in a towel. Run, Joan, Run!

Seriously, Oscars?: A blockbuster hit in 1932, “Grand Hotel” won the Oscar for Best Picture and…that’s it. Not only did “Grand Hotel” not win any other Oscars, it wasn’t nominated in any other categories. The Academy was still working out the kinks in its fifth ceremony, and there were fewer categories and fewer nominees than there are now. Had the Supporting categories existed back then, surely the likes of Lionel Barrymore and Joan Crawford would have been nominated. Wallace Beery didn’t get nominated either, but he did win Best Actor that year for “The Champ”.

Other notes

• “Grand Hotel” was produced by MGM’s boy-wonder Irving Thalberg. Studio policy of the time dictated that only one or two of your stars could appear in the same film, but Thalberg had the revolutionary idea to put five of MGM’s stars in one film, bringing in five fanbases to one picture. His gamble paid off handsomely.
• The opening sequence is a fun setup, plus it’s a precursor to “The Telephone Hour”.

• Brothers John & Lionel Barrymore share the screen in “Grand Hotel”. This is one of five films the brothers did together while under contract at MGM. In addition to sister Ethel Barrymore, you are probably familiar with John’s granddaughter Drew.
• For those of you who only know Lionel Barrymore as Mr. Potter, his performance as Kringelein is a delightful 180. It’s as if Lionel is channeling Burgess Meredith in “Time Enough at Last”.
• I’m enjoying what I’ve dubbed the “French braid shots”: characters from one scene walking past the characters in the next scene. It helps with the ensemble atmosphere.
• “You’re a little stenographess.” Oy.
• It’s nice to see Joan Crawford in a performance before the “Mommie Dearest” persona overshadowed everything.
• Garbo’s continuity is way off in this film. And it looks like she was the only one allowed to have movie star close-ups.
• Was a movie about an elegant hotel in Europe’s cultural capital escapism or insulting for a Depression-era audience?
• It’s really saying something when Greta Garbo and John Barrymore share a scene together and he’s the subtle one.
• Wallace Beery gets the weakest plotline. Beery was worried his character was too unsympathetic, and he was right. That being said, his eyebrow raise is quite impressive.
• Shoutout to Lewis Stone, Judge Hardy himself, for his dramatic turn as Harvey Dent.
• Nice lighting effect for the elevators.
• I love that Garbo is a world-famous ballerina that we never actually see dance. I was hoping for at least a body double.
• Here’s how good this ensemble is: It wasn’t until after the movie was over that I realized there is no scene with all five stars.

Legacy

• Five words: “I vant to be alone”. Garbo hated when the line was applied to her intensely private life, but if the shoe fits…

• MGM followed this film up with the first all-star comedy: 1933’s “Dinner at Eight”, also starring Wallace Beery and the Barrymores!

• “Grand Hotel” was remade as 1945’s “Week-End at the Waldorf”. [Footage not available]
• Speaking of remakes, MGM released a musical short in 1933 called “Nothing Ever Happens”, that condenses the film down to 18 minutes, and I’m pretty sure uses the same sets. It’s weird, but it’s proof that “Grand Hotel” lends itself naturally to the musical genre.

• Composers Robert Wright and George Forrest attempted to musicalize the material in 1958 as “At the Grand”. The show closed out-of-town, but was resurrected 30 years later with new songs by Maury Yeston and direction/choreography by Tommy Tune. The renamed “Grand Hotel: The Musical” was a hit on Broadway, launching the careers of Jane Krakowski and the late great Michael Jeter.

Bonus Clip: The Forbidden Broadway parody of “Grand Hotel”. People come, people go, people move chairs.

#216) St. Louis Blues (1929)

OR “Gateway to Distressed”

Directed & Written by Dudley Murphy. “St. Louis Blues” by W.C. Handy.

Class of 2006

The Plot: Bessie (Bessie Smith) comes home to find her no-good gambler boyfriend Jimmy (Jimmy Mordecai) with another woman (Isabel Washington). Distraught, she goes to a local nightclub to sing the blues, in what would turn out to be Bessie Smith’s only film appearance.

Why It Matters: Most of the NFR’s description is devoted to a quote from film historian Donald Bogle, who praises Bessie Smith’s performance, though admits the film is “marred by its white director’s overstatement”. There’s an essay by “jazz on film” preservationist Mark Cantor that calls the film, among other things, a “flawed masterpiece”.

But Does It Really?: It’s the only existing footage of Bessie Smith. Done. Preserve it. Next!

Everybody Gets One: After a childhood I’ll understatedly call “troubled”, Bessie Smith got her start as part of a traveling troupe that included Ma Rainey. Her career took off when her first record “Down Hearted Blues” became a number one hit (see “Listen to This” below). She spent most the ‘20s at the top of her game, eventually earning the nickname “Empress of the Blues”.

Wow, That’s Dated: The Mark Cantor essay goes into detail about how many negative African-American stereotypes are in this film, and the ripple effect this and other films of the era had on this country’s history of racism.

Title Track: Now THAT’S a title song! Though now that I think about it, do they ever reference being in St. Louis in this film?

Other notes

• The story goes that this was shot concurrently with Dudley Murphy’s other music short/NFR entry: “Black and Tan” with Duke Ellington. I’m pretty confident that’s the same apartment set in both films.
• The film “St. Louis Blues” is produced by the same person who wrote the song: W.C. Handy. Nicknamed “The Father of the Blues” (I don’t know how that compares to “Empress of the Blues”), Handy didn’t invent the blues, but he combined it with a folk music sound to give it the form we recognize today. William Christopher gets a shout-out during the “Seventy-Six Trombones” number in “The Music Man”.
• I know it’s early sound, but this movie is miked like an Altman film; I have no idea what anyone is saying.
• Speaking of sound, Jimmy has one of the most grating voices in film. I suspect he didn’t make the transition to talkies.
• Oooh, prohibition era drinking. Very risky.
• Sure Bessie Smith is giving the definitive version of “St. Louis Blues”, but she’s no Minnie Mouse.
• Apparently the harmonizing choir and orchestral backing was Dudley Murphy’s idea. The Cantor essay stresses how out of place it sounds against Bessie’s singing.
• Jimmy the character is reprehensible, but Jimmy Mordecai sure can dance!
• Shoutout to “Rhapsody in Blue”.

Legacy/Further Viewing: There’s a lot about Bessie Smith we didn’t get to in this post, and a lot of art has been created to honor her. I recommend starting with that HBO movie Queen Latifah did a few years back. It’s standard biopic stuff, but it gets Bessie’s story across.

Listen to This: Bessie’s first hit, 1923’s “Down Hearted Blues”, was among the first 50 National Recording Registry entries in 2002. You can learn more from this essay by Library of Congress employee Cary O’Dell.

#215) Giant (1956)

OR “There Won’t Be Blood”

Directed by George Stevens

Written by Fred Guiol and Ivan Moffat. Based on the novel by Edna Ferber.

Class of 2005

The Plot: “Giant” spans 25 years in the life of Jordan “Bick” Benedict (Rock Hudson), and his wife Leslie (Elizabeth Taylor). When purchasing a horse for his ranch, Bick meets Leslie and the sparks fly immediately. They marry and she moves into his ranch in Texas with him and his controlling sister Luz (Mercedes McCambridge). There’s multi-generational family squabbles, a contemplation of white Texans’ subtle and not-so-subtle racism towards Mexicans, and increased tension when ranch hand Jett Rink (James Dean) strikes oil and becomes Bick’s professional (and personal) rival overnight.

Why It Matters: The NFR praises this one to the hilt, calling it “a breathtaking example of the American film as spectacle” and singling out George Stevens and the cast.

But Does It Really?: Well I’m not as crazy about this one as the NFR is. I’ll chalk this film’s induction up to “historical significance”/”minor classic”. It’s James Dean’s last film, and was quite the hit in its day. “Giant” is still entertaining, but definitely doesn’t pack the punch it used to, and the slow first half makes this 200-minute epic seem longer. The film is one of those NFR entries that is on here primarily by its reputation.

Everybody Gets One: Most of the main cast show up elsewhere on the list. The only major exception is Fran Bennett as Judy, the Benedict’s least interesting child. Bennett got her role thanks in part to having the same agent as Rock Hudson. She left showbusiness in her mid-20s and is still with us, occasionally recollecting publicly about her time on “Giant”.

Wow, That’s Dated: Given the film’s ongoing plot thread of bigotry, lots of references to “wetbacks” in this one.

Title Track: Characters use synonyms like “big” and “huge” throughout the film, but no one says the secret word.

Seriously, Oscars?: One of the biggest hits of 1956, “Giant” led the Oscars that year with 10 nominations, including Best Picture. It managed only one win, but it was a major one: Best Director for George Stevens. “Giant” lost in most of its other categories to “Around the World in 80 Days” and “The King and I”. James Dean received his second posthumous Best Actor nomination, but he and co-star Rock Hudson lost to Yul Brynner in “The King and I”.

Other notes

• The exteriors of “Giant” were filmed on location in Marfa, Texas. George Stevens encouraged the townspeople to watch the shoot, participate as background extras, and help out the crew (which surely must have violated some teamster union rules).
• James Dean’s fatal car accident occurred only a week after he completed shooting this film. Thanks to George Stevens’ extended editing process, the final film was released 14 months after Dean’s death. Fellow up-and-coming actor Nick Adams was brought in to dub a handful of Dean’s extra-mumbly lines.
• The opening credits are over a shot of the ranch’s cattle. I guess you could call it “stock footage”. Thank you!
• Shout out to Mercedes McCambridge, who is playing essentially Texan Mrs. Danvers. She doesn’t have a lot of screentime, but she makes the most of it, and managed an Oscar nomination for her troubles.
• Is this a prequel to “Dallas”?
• Among this film’s many character actors are Chill Wills (four years before his way-too-eager Oscar campaign for his performance in “The Alamo”), former Shirley Temple foil Jane Withers, Robert Nichols (aka “Wienie Man” from “This Island Earth”), and Sheb Wooley, two years before his surprise hit single “The Purple People Eater”.
• James Dean is the broodiest wallflower ever. Speaking of, Method Acting plus Texan drawl equals I have no idea what Jett’s saying. This may be the second movie this week where I need subtitles.
• Side Note: The role of Jett is more of a prominent supporting role, but sympathy for the late James Dean (and I’m sure studio politics) put him in the Lead Actor category.
• This is one of those movies where the piece as a whole outweighs any of the individual parts. Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean are giving good performances, but they are all somehow overshadowed by the scope of everything.
• Today in Code era profanity substitution: “no-good wildcatting so-and-so” and “you stinking sons of Benedicts”. Nice workaround.
• Like its Texas backdrop, this film’s first half is big and spacious. Perhaps maybe too spacious. Things really don’t pick up until Jett strikes oil and the kids grow up to become better actors.
• It just doesn’t feel right seeing James Dean in old-age makeup.
• Dennis Hopper! Sal Mineo! Did everyone from “Rebel Without a Cause” catch the next flight to Marfa?
• Carroll Baker must have been pissed when Lee Remick became a thing.
• Apparently “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” is the only song any band in this movie knows how to play. Did Warner Bros. have a falling out with its own music department? [Update: It’s been brought to my attention that the bands are playing the UT Austin fight song “The Eyes of Texas”, which has the same tune. That makes a lot more sense.]
• A weird thing I noticed: Throughout the film there are several shots where Elizabeth Taylor delivers her lines with her back towards the camera. Not monumental, but consistent enough to catch my eye.
• James Dean’s last line in his last film is some drunken mumbling that was probably looped by Nick Adams.
• When you think about it, everything that happens in this movie is the horse’s fault.

Legacy

• The main takeaway is James Dean’s final performance. His death and its connection to this film is a major plot point in “Come Back to the 5 and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.”

• The characters in the 1985 film “Fandango” visit the remains of the original set of the “Giant” mansion in Marfa.

• Here’s a weird one: during the climactic fight at the diner, the Mitch Miller cover of “Yellow Rose of Texas” is playing in the background. Thanks to its appearance in “Giant”, that recording became a hit. I think you missed the point, 1956 America.

• “Giant” was adapted into a musical in 2012. It skews closer to the original novel. I hear good things.

#214) Daughters of the Dust (1991)

OR “No Family Is An Island”

Directed & Written by Julie Dash

Class of 2004

The Plot: “Daughters of the Dust” is a fictional account of the Gullah people, a culture of African-Americans descended from slaves, living on St. Helena Island – just off the coast of South Carolina – isolated from white influence. In 1902, the Peazant family gathers together for one last meal before moving to the mainland for better opportunities. The family matriarch Nana Peazant (Cora Lee Day) refuses to go and insists on holding onto the family’s deep spiritual roots, while her granddaughter-in-law Haagar (Kaycee Moore) is leading the charge to migrate and abandoning everything about the island. Among the other family members are Christian convert Viola (Cheryl Lynn Bruce), free-spirit Yellow Mary (Barbara-O), and conflicted Eli (Adisa Anderson), whose wife Eula (Alva Rogers) was raped and may be carrying an illegitimate child. This “Unborn Child” (Kay-Lynn Warren), serves as the film’s narrator, linking the family’s past, present, and future.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls the film “a poetic, impressionistic collage of gorgeous colors, music and imagery”, and points out the film’s claim-to-fame as “the first feature-length film by an African-American woman to receive a wide theatrical release.”

But Does It Really?: When determining a film’s preservation worthiness, I ask the same question: What piece of ground does this film stand on that no other film does? In the case of “Daughters of the Dust” it not only stands on unique ground, but a whole unique island. Aided by the history and customs of the Gullah people, “Daughters of the Dust” is a unique look at a culture of America that tends to be ignored, presented in a refreshingly unconventional way. It can be difficult to understand at times, but once you let yourself give into the film, it immerses you into its world. Its daring point-of-view and historical significance for African-American filmmakers earns “Daughters of the Dust” an uncontested place on the NFR. If you’re uncultured about the Gullah (like me), do a little bit of research and familiarize yourself with some of the basics. It will help your viewing immensely.

Everybody Gets One: Julie Dash spent the better part of 15 years trying to get this film made, basing the script not only on her research, but also on her father’s own experience with his Gullah family migrating to the mainland. “Daughters of the Dust” is the only NFR appearance for practically everyone in the cast, most of whom were/still are New York-based stage actors.

Wow, That’s Dated: That synthesizer score is very ‘90s. Julie Dash also loves the freeze-frame slow-motion move that I always associate with the early ‘90s.

Take a Shot: No one says the title, but the real drinking game is whenever anyone swats away a mosquito or gnat during a take. No wonder they want to leave the island.

Seriously, Oscars?: No Oscar love for “Daughters of the Dust”. The Academy was too busy snubbing “Malcolm X”.

Other notes

• First off, a confession. Julie Dash has said she intentionally did not subtitle the film because she wanted the audience to listen to the characters’ thick Creole accents, an experience akin to watching a foreign film. Forgoing Ms. Dash’s advice, I put the subtitles on about 20 minutes in. I still didn’t pick up everything, but I got a better understanding of what was going on, albeit at the expense of immersing myself in the Gullah dialect.
• My main takeaway from “Daughters of the Dust” was its perception of culture. The Peazant family runs the gamut from those who embrace the ways of their ancestors to those who have abandoned it completely, and everything in-between. The importance of preserving culture is stressed, but at the same time, any culture has to evolve or it will die. It all comes down to how much weight you want to carry on your shoulders going forward.
• Shoutout to cinematographer/Julie Dash’s then-husband Arthur Jafa. There are some beautiful compositions throughout that really showcase the island as a living, breathing part of this family’s life. Apparently Jafa wasn’t able to bring a generator onto St. Simons Island, so he had to rely on natural light for every scene. Take that, “The Revenant”!
• As tough as it was for me to crack this film’s outer shell, I still enjoyed it and ultimately gave a damn about these characters. The film’s pacing clips along well enough, though it does start to unravel near the end when everyone starts hysterically monologing at each other.

Legacy

• Following the success of “Daughters of the Dust” Julie Dash’s film career…never really took off. Hollywood found the film “too different” and kept Julie from making the leap to mainstream movies. Dash has, however, been consistently working over the last 30 years, directing primarily for television, most notably the much more conventional “The Rosa Parks Story”.

• Did you know Julie Dash also directed the music video for Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason”?

• Julie Dash penned two books about “Daughters of the Dust”: one on the making of the film, and the other a novel set 20 years after the film’s events.
• Dash’s film career didn’t take off, but at least she opened the door for the likes of Ava DuVernay and Dee Rees.
• Is this where we get “Gullah Gullah Island” from? This culture was right in front of me this whole time!

• You might not have seen the movie, but you’ve definitely seen its influence. The visual style of “Daughters of the Dust” is referenced throughout Beyonce’s “Lemonade”.

#213) (nostalgia) (1971)

OR “Burn After Filming”

Directed & Written by Hollis Frampton

Class of 2003

The Plot: Experimental filmmaker/photographer Hollis Frampton showcases 12 of his photos from over the years. Fellow experimental artist Michael Snow narrates a transcription of Frampton’s recollections of the photo. Not interesting enough? Well what if I told you they burn the photos over a hot plate while the narration is happening? What do you think of that?

Why It Matters: The NFR calls it “eloquent and evocative in its exploration of memory and family” and…that’s it. The description of this one is literally one sentence. They do, however, include an essay that is just the liner notes from the DVD.

But Does It Really?: At first I was pretty “meh” about this film’s NFR inclusion. But the more I read about Hollis Frampton, the more I came around to the idea. As his avant-garde photography evolved into film he started to push the boundaries of what film could be. His concepts were deceivingly simple, yet quite thought-provoking. “(nostalgia)” is a perfect representation of Frampton’s work. It is not only a unique piece of filmmaking, it’s also, appropriately enough, about preservation and memory. These photos were long destroyed, but they live on in film. Makes ya think, don’t it?

Everybody Gets One: Both a high school and college dropout, Hollis Frampton knew early on that he wanted to be a poet. After a brief but illuminating correspondence with the poet Ezra Pound, Frampton realized that poetry was not his calling, and moved to New York with his former classmates Frank Stella and Carl Andre. He quickly took up photography, which quickly became filmmaking. I’m not sure when Frampton met Michael Snow, but they were both in the New York art scene of the early ‘60s, and that seems like a small enough group where everybody knows everybody. Michael Snow is a successful artist and experimental filmmaker in his own right, and at one point did an experimental music piece based around the Whitney Houston song “How Will I Know”.

Wow, That’s Dated: Mainly the practice of developing film. “One photograph left on the roll” would be replaced today with “low battery on my phone”.

Seriously, Oscars?: No nominations for “(nostalgia)”. I’m a little uncertain as to whether it would qualify as a live-action short or a documentary short. Weirdly enough, the film “Sentinels of Silence” won in both categories at the Oscars that year. Oscar rules were quickly changed so that documentary shorts could not also compete in the Live-Action Short category. It’s the kind of genre-bending head-scratcher that would feel right at home in one of Frampton’s films.

Other notes

• Of course every time they burn a photo all I can hear is the “Bonanza” theme. I have got to update my references.
• Michael Snow hails from Toronto, and that is a strong Canadian accent coming through the narration.
• “(nostalgia)” is part of a series of Frampton films called “Hapax Legomena”. Roughly translated from Greek as “being said once”, it is the term used for words that only show up once in either a single work or a body of work. For example, this is the only one of these “Horse’s Head” write-ups to include the word “glockenspiel”.
• What hapax legomena has to do with “(nostalgia)” I’ll never know. I’d have to look at Frampton’s other work, and a lot of his early stuff has been deemed lost (possibly burnt over a hot plate while a Canadian acquaintance narrates about another film).
• It took me longer than I care to admit to realize that the narration is out of sync with the photos. Snow’s narration is describing the next photo we will see being burned. It keeps you engaged and forces you to create a mental image of the picture before you see it. As if setting these photos on fire wasn’t interesting enough.
• “A Cast of Thousands” Booooooo. I’m glad the world of avant-garde art still has room for puns.
• But why the parentheses in the title? Is the idea of nostalgia not the main focus? Is it secondary to something else?
• “As you can see…” No I can’t, you tease of a movie!
• Two words: time-lapse photography. This could have been much shorter.

Legacy

• Hollis Frampton continued with film (as well as lecturing at SUNY Buffalo) before his untimely death in 1984. His final and most ambitious project was called “Magellan”, and was going to consist of one film for every day of the year.

• Michael Snow is still with us and, in addition to his continued contributions to art and music, has been getting more lifetime achievement awards than there are lifetime achievement awards.
• And of course, “Frampton Comes Alive!”