The Horse's Head

#212) From Here to Eternity (1953)

OR “Swines Before Pearl”

Directed by Fred Zinnemann

Written by Daniel Taradash. Based on the novel by James Jones.

Class of 2002

The Plot: Based on James Jones’ experience with Hawaii’s 27^th Infantry, “From Here to Eternity” is the story of intertwined lives at the Schofield Barracks in 1941 O’ahu. Private Robert “Prew” Prewitt (Montgomery Clift) is transferred to Schofield due to his reputation as a middleweight boxer. Captain Dana Holmes (Philip Ober) wants Prewitt to join the boxing team to get himself a promotion. Prewitt refuses, and Holmes makes life for Prewitt a living hell in the barracks. The only support Prewitt gets is from First Sergeant Warden (Burt Lancaster) and fellow Private Angelo Maggio (Frank Sinatra). Along the way Prewitt falls for “hostess” Lorene (Donna Reed), while Warden has an affair with Holmes’ wife Karen (Deborah Kerr). But all this romance and drama is just the backdrop for a certain date at the end of 1941 which will live in infamy.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls the film “a lavish, star-studded blockbuster”, despite source material that is “unadaptable”. The write-up gives a plot recap and highlights “the famous lovemaking scene on the beach”.

But Does It Really?: The aforementioned beach scene is iconic enough to make the list but…that might be it. I don’t know, I just couldn’t get into this one. Perhaps its status as both “classic” and “Best Picture winner” builds it up too much, but “From Here to Eternity” is just fine. A well made film with good performances all around, but that’s about it. It took 14 rounds for “Eternity” to make the NFR cut, and it’s one of the few films to be dropped from the AFI’s Top 100, indicating that we all agree the film is above average, but not a bona-fide classic when compared to the others on the list.

Everybody Gets One: Despite a 40-year film career and six Oscar nominations, this is Deborah Kerr’s only NFR appearance. I suspect the argument for the inclusion of the increasingly insensitive “The King and I” is an uphill battle.

Title Track: No one says the title, but it comes from the Rudyard Kipling poem “Gentleman Rankers”: “Gentlemen-rankers out on a spree/damned from here to Eternity”.

Seriously, Oscars?: The mega-hit of 1953, “From Here to Eternity” led the pack with 13 nominations, and won eight, tying “Gone with the Wind” for the most Oscars ever. Among its win were Picture, Director for Fred Zinnemann, and the Supporting prizes for Frank Sinatra and Donna Reed. The Oscar wins for “From Here to Eternity” meant a virtual shut-out for fellow NFR entries “Shane” and “Roman Holiday”.

Other notes

• Like many film adaptations of the time, liberties are taken with the source material. References to homosexuality, gonorrhea, and suicide are eliminated, as well as a few plot points altered to appease the U.S. Army.
• Wow, this is the fastest opening credits sequence I’ve seen in a while. They really want to get this film started.
• Nice trick shot, Monty. Where were you when they made “The Hustler”?
• I must say Scotland-born, England-raised Deborah Kerr is doing a decent American accent.
• Speaking of, in what universe is Deborah Kerr’s performance a lead performance? It’s clearly a key supporting turn. I suppose studio politics prevented a movie star from being in the Supporting Actress category.
• That’s Superman himself, George Reeves, as Sgt. Stark. Despite subsequent rumors, his role was not significantly cut after test audiences recognized him as the Man of Steel, leading to his depression and suicide. Every scene that Reeves filmed is in the final cut.
• Maggio asks Prewitt, “You got any prejudices against girls?” I’m not touching that one.
• That’s Ernest Borgnine in his first major film role as the antagonistic Sgt. “Fatso” Judson. He is definitely not playing the piano in his first scene.
• And now we get to the iconic beach scene. Romantic? Sure. But when has sex on a beach ever been a good, hygienic idea?

• There’s a point about halfway through the film where everybody stops and monologues their backstories. I’ve never been fond of that trope, but I guess for me that all started when I was a child. Life was simpler then, until one summer…
• Donna Reed is wonderfully cast against type in this film. Especially if all you know her from is “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Deborah Kerr is also against type here, but most modern audiences only know her from this movie, so it doesn’t stick out as much as Reed’s work.
• When did Prewitt learn to play the bugle like that? From the sound of it, post-production.
• No knock against Sinatra’s performance, but he is aided by getting to play all the Oscar tropes: he plays drunk, he monologues, he’s sympathetic, and then…[Spoilers].
• Are there any native Hawaiians in this film? I suspect this movie isn’t a favorite of the Aloha State.
• This is another one of those classic movies that has a title song that does not appear anywhere in the film.

Legacy

• Frank Sinatra: Act II
• James Jones wrote two more novels about his time in the Army during World War II: 1962’s “The Thin Red Line” and 1978’s “Whistle”. “The Thin Red Line” has been adapted into film twice, most memorably as the 1998 Terence Malick comeback vehicle.

• The novel was adapted into a TV miniseries in 1979 starring William Devane and Natalie Wood. It is slightly more faithful to the novel than this film. The success of the miniseries led to a short-lived TV series following the characters after the Pearl Harbor attack.

• The original novel of “From Here to Eternity” was censored by the publisher, and James Jones’ unedited version went unpublished until 2011. It is this version of the book that the Tim Rice musical is based on. The West End production received mixed reviews (most people were expecting something closer to film, which did not feature nudity, swearing, or gay subplots) and has yet to be seen since its original run.

• And of course, everyone has spoofed the beach scene, including “Airplane!”, despite the filmmakers claiming they have never seen “From Here to Eternity”.

#211) It (1927)

OR “Pound Foolish”

Directed by Clarence Badger (with help from Josef von Sternberg)

Written by Hope Loring and Louis D. Lighton. Based on the novella by Elinor Glyn.

Class of 2001

The Plot: Betty Lou Spence (Clara Bow) works at the Waltham department store and catches the eye of store owner Cyrus (Antonio Moreno) and his friend Monty (William Austin), who both believe she has the “It” quality they both read about in “Cosmopolitan”. Cyrus is infatuated with Betty, but they come from two different social classes, which is a romantic comedy no-no. When Betty goes to defend her roommate Molly (Priscilla Bonner) by claiming Molly’s son is her own, word gets back to Cyrus and misunderstandings ensue. But Betty makes it all work out thanks to her defining…allure? Is that the word I’m thinking of?

Why It Matters: The NFR gives some historical context to the film, calls the plot “frothy”, but does praise Clara Bow’s “incandescence”. There’s also an essay by film preservationist Dino Everett.

But Does It Really?: Oh sure. “It” is a perfect encapsulation of the ‘20s flapper era, and has a love story simple enough to still hold up today. I laughed a lot during this film, and Clara Bow’s performance is justifiably praised.  “It” is the kind of female-driven film we need more of, where the woman goes out and gets what she wants and her male co-stars are the one-dimensional, uninteresting ones. And above all, from start to finish this film has a certain…enticement? No, that’s not right either.

Everybody Gets One: Author Elinor Glyn came to prominence in the early 1900s with a radical concept: romance novels that appealed to female readers. Such scandalous titles as “Beyond the Rocks” and “Three Weeks” led to worldwide fame and the inevitable call from Hollywood. She spent the last few decades of her life overseeing her work’s film adaptations, penning a few screenplays and even directing one or two. “It” is also the only NFR appearance for Clara Bow’s two leading men: Antonio Moren and William Austin.

Wow, That’s Dated: Phrases like “old fruit” and “hot socks”, and the social stigma of unwed mothers.

Other notes

• This film adaptation has very little to do with the original novella, but Elinor Glyn signed off on it, as well as declaring Clara Bow the “It” girl (according to the studio press at least).
• Director Clarence Badger fell ill during filming, and was briefly replaced by Josef von Sternberg, who would go on to direct such NFR entries as “Morocco” and “The Last Command”.
• Uh-oh, the intertitles were written by George Marion Jr., the guy who gave me all the flowery titles from “Ella Cinders”. I’m keeping my eye on you, Marion.
• Fun Fact: William Austin was the first actor to play Batman’s Alfred the Butler on film.
• Monty seems to be wearing a lot of eyeliner. That’s not smokey eye, that’s a forest fire!
• My favorite ‘20s phrase in this film is when Betty exclaims “Sweet Santa Claus!” I presume this is a substitution for taking the lord’s name in vain. But hey, if you gotta pray to someone…
• It’s a little tough to watch all this commercialism and decadence knowing that the economy will tank in two years.
• Toodles? The baby’s name is Toodles? Someone lost their marbles.
• Why does Betty have to alter her clothing to make a new dress? Surely Waltham’s offers an employee discount.
• The appetizers at the Ritz are $2, while their entrees are $4.50. Today those figures would be, respectively, roughly $30 and $65. Yeesh!
• When your girlfriend and her mother ask you who that woman is, never answer with “I don’t know, but isn’t she attractive?” Get the couch ready.
• This may be the only movie to reference its source material in the actual film. Not only do characters read the issue of “Cosmopolitan” the first installment of “It” appeared in, but Elinor Glyn makes a cameo appearance as herself giving her own definition of “it”.
• Is that the same beachside carnival they visit in “Sunrise”?
• There’s a brief shot where Betty has to hold down her skirt while the wind blows it up. Clara Bow Marilyn-ed before Marilyn!
• If that news reporter wants a real scoop he should just look in the mirror: He’s a young Gary Cooper in one of his early films!
• Between this and “Ella Cinders”, I feel like there were a lot more movies in the ‘20s that starred independent women who weren’t defined by their men. What happened? The Depression? The rise of the studio system and the institutional sexism within? Both?
• Hmmm, a ‘20s party that takes place on a yacht. Where did Eleanor get the idea for that one?
• “I feel so low, old chap, that I could get on stilts and walk under a dachshund!” Marion!
• The final shot has the best “Arrested Development”-esque sight gag this side of, well, “Arrested Development”.

Legacy

• Clara Bow’s star power rose exponentially thanks to the success of this film. She had several other hits throughout the ‘20s and, while she successfully transitioned to sound film, retired from film in the early ‘30s to live on a ranch with her husband, western movie star and future Lt. Governor of Nevada Rex Bell.
• The phrase “it girl” was first popularized when linked to Clara Bow and her performance in this film, and continues to be in common usage today.
• The screenplay was adapted into the 2001 musical “The It Girl”. The show played Off-Broadway from May 2001 to…May 2001. But the original website is still up and the show can be licensed out for performance. Let’s paint the barn and put on a show, kids!

#210) The Land Beyond the Sunset (1912)

OR “Duh-nuh Duh-nuh Nuh, Fresh Air! Duh-nuh Duh-nuh Nuh, Child Scare!”

Directed by Harold M. Shaw

Written by Dorothy G. Shore

Class of 2000

The Plot: Joe (Martin Fuller) is a poor newsboy who lives with his abusive grandmother (Mrs. William Bechtel) in a New York City tenement. One day he is invited to a picnic organized by the Fresh Air Fund, a non-profit that provides field trips for underprivileged youth. The children are taken to a park overlooking Long Island Sound, and Joe sees the ocean for the first time. Later, they are told a fairy tale about a “land beyond the sunset” and Joe dreams of escaping his current life to visit this magical land. Then Joe gets on rowboat and we get the most ambiguous ending this side of “Inception”.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls it “genuinely lyrical”, but that’s in quotations. Who are they quoting? There’s also a very brief essay by UC Davis professor and NFR go-to Scott Simmon.

But Does It Really?: I don’t know about this one. It’s an interesting watch, and a short running time is always a plus, but preservation worthy? If the NFR can’t come up with a good defense, what hope do the rest of us have?

Everybody Gets One: Unless I’m missing something, this is the sole NFR entry for everyone in the credited cast and crew. This may be the only one of the over 700 films that can make that claim.

Wow, That’s Dated: Newsies. That’s the main one.

Other notes

• As evident from the intertitles, this is a Thomas Edison production. According to the Simmon essay, the company’s downfall was sticking to one-reelers while the rest of the industry had moved on to multi-reel features. This film was one of their last successes.
• Of course Joe’s not going to sell any newspapers. He is clearly on a soundstage shot separately from the on-location footage.
• Every time something sad happens to Joe I want them to play the sad Charlie Brown music.
• Joe is invited to a picnic on “Saturday, July 30^th”. July 30^th was a Tuesday in 1912. Oh yeah, I did my research.
• Do you think these kids (or the adults for that matter) had any idea that someone would be watching this film over 100 years later? It’s kinda crazy if you think about.
• The witch in the fairy tale is played by Joe’s grandmother. Very “Wizard of Oz”.
• Early superimposition. Well done.
• Joe dresses like Pinocchio.
• That…is a weird ending. Everything leading up to it was pretty straightforward, so this comes as a surprise.
• My own take on the ending? That kid is dead. You better believe it.

Legacy

• The main takeaway is that the New York Fresh Air Fund is real and still going strong! Check them out and help almost 2 million New York City kids!

#209) The Ten Commandments (1956)

OR “Moses Proposes”

Directed by Cecil B. DeMille

Written by Aeneas MacKenzie & Jesse Lasky Jr. & Jack Gariss & Fredric M. Frank. Adapted from “Prince of Egypt” by Dorothy Clarke Wilson, “Pillar of Fire” by Rev. J.H. Ingraham, and “On Eagle’s Wing” by Rev. A.E. Southon. Also the Bible.

Class of 1999

Even the trailer is epic!

The Plot: Moses (Charlton Heston) is a Hebrew slave whose mother (Martha Scott) gave him up to save him from death. He is adopted by Bithiah (Nina Foch) and raised in the palace of the Pharaoh (Cedric Hardwicke) alongside Rameses II (Yul Brynner). As an adult, Moses learns his true heritage and is banished to the desert. He encounters a burning bush and vows to use the word of God to free the Hebrews of Egypt. Rameses has ascended the throne and won’t let his people go that easily. Stay tuned at the end for a handy shortcut through the Red Sea.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls it Cecil B. DeMille’s “most epic” film and praises the special effects.

But Does It Really?: Oh sure. It’s bloated and not without its flaws, but “The Ten Commandments” is iconic enough to earn a spot on the NFR. Their write-up correctly points out that the real star is the special effects, and while dated compared to today’s technology, they really do steal the show. “The Ten Commandments” is a textbook example of the kind of epic filmmaking Cecil B. DeMille was known for, as well as the type of spectacles Hollywood made throughout the ‘50s to lure people away from their newfangled televisions. It’s still a massively impressive feat of filmmaking.

Everybody Gets One: Most of the supporting cast, notably Yvonne “Lily” DeCarlo, and the screenwriters (Surprisingly, Hollywood never took notice of the writings of Philo and Josephus).

Wow, That’s Dated: With the exception of the chariot drivers (actually filmed on location in Egypt), no one in this movie is Egyptian. Brownface, lots of brownface.

Title Track: In the “Guffman/Godot” category: The actual 10 Commandments don’t show up until 3 ½ hours into the film. The title is spoken later, about 10 minutes before the end.

Seriously, Oscars?: The highest grossing film of 1956 and the biggest hit of Cecil B. DeMille’s career, “The Ten Commandments” received seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. It lost in six of those categories to either “The King and I” or Best Picture winner “Around the World in 80 Days”. The film did, however, take home the prize for Visual Effects, beating out fellow NFR entry “Forbidden Planet”.

Other notes

• This film is a partial remake of DeMille’s 1923 “The Ten Commandments”. Weirdly, only the first part of that film is about Moses and the Exodus. The bulk of it is a modern day parable about the commandments. Huh.
• An overture, an on-camera introduction by Cecil B. DeMille, and THEN the opening credits. When will this movie get started?

• I’m not the first person to make this point, but the beginning of this movie is very similar to the beginning of “Superman”.
• Yul Brynner with hair? Clearly this is a work of fiction.
• Anne Baxter as Nefretiri is giving what may be the worst performance on this list. Take it down a notch, Eve. In fact, take it down several notches.
• Moses was the Norma Rae of his time. ומןםמ
• A mini-“Laura” reunion: among the ensemble are Judith Anderson and Vincent Price. Coincidentally, both films were added to the Registry in 1999.
• It’s hard to watch Edward G. Robinson in a movie and not do a Chief Wiggum impression.
• The juxtaposition from on location shooting and in-studio blue screen is really jarring.
• He Who Has No Name? Voldemort? Clint Eastwood? Dewey Bunnell?
• Many have claimed to be the voice of God in this film over the years. For my money, He sounds like Charlton Heston with the track slowed down.
• Nice early morphing effect for the staff/snake. You earn that Oscar, John P. Fulton!
• If Moses can’t sway Rameses, perhaps he should send over Deborah Kerr.
• “They’ve been plagued by frogs, by lice, by flies, by sickness, by boils. We can’t show any of these on screen, but just take my word for it!”
• Moses would have been an excellent meteorologist.
• Just a reminder that Charlton Heston and Edward G. Robinson would work together again in “Soylent Green”.
• The actual Exodus scene is astonishing to watch. There’s your cast of thousands.

• That parting of the Red Sea is iconic for a reason. It still looks great.

• My main question with the actual Ten Commandments is what their definition of “neighbor” is. Two of the commandments involve your neighbor. Do they mean the literal person next door? What kind of beef did God have with His neighbor? George Carlin answers all other questions I have about the commandments.

Legacy

• “The Ten Commandments” continued the trend of biblical epics in Hollywood, most notably the other Charlton Heston convert movie: “Ben-Hur”.

• Many other adaptations over the years, including the 1998 DreamWorks film “The Prince of Egypt” which tells the same story in literally half the time.

• In another case of my film education crumbling around me, Edward G. Robinson never actually says “Where’s your Messiah now?” in this film. Billy Crystal coined the phrase while impersonating Robinson in his stand-up routine, and it stuck.

• As a publicity stunt for the film, large replicas of the Ten Commandments were placed in major U.S. cities. Many of them stayed up for years and caused no public outcry whatsoever.
• The shot of the slaves raising the obelisk was put to good use in “Naked Gun 2 ½”.

• “The Ten Commandments” got a sequel 25 years later: “Raiders of the Lost Ark”.

• And of course, “History of the World Part I”.

Further Viewing: My favorite from the “recut trailer” craze of the mid ‘00s: biblical epic/teen comedy “10 Things I Hate About Commandments”.

#208) Gun Crazy (1950)

OR “The Robber Bride & Groom”

Directed by Joseph H. Lewis

Written by MacKinlay Kantor and Millard Kaufman Dalton Trumbo. Based on the short story by Kantor.

Class of 1998

No trailer, but here’s the one scene you have to watch.

The Plot: Bart Tare (John Dall) is a man with a gun obsession. He doesn’t like killing anyone, but he enjoys being a perfect marksman. One night Bart and his friends visit a travelling carnival where he meets and is instantly attracted to Annie Laurie Starr (Peggy Cummins), the carnival’s resident sharpshooter. The sparks fly, so these two get married and do what every newlywed couple does: resort to a life of crime. Bart and Laurie drive around the country robbing banks and gas stations. But their reckless living takes a toll on their relationship. If only they weren’t so…Gun Crazy.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls the film a “quintessential ‘B movie’” and praises “its bold, stylized look”. There’s also an essay by film critic Richard T. Jameson.

But Does It Really?: More B-movies on this list, please! It’s definitely a product of its time, but “Gun Crazy” is proof that some B-movies are better than the main feature. Joseph H. Lewis and company don’t let a shoestring budget get in the way of creativity, and this film is brimming with taught direction, stunning cinematography, and outstanding lead performances by Dall and Cummins. “Gun Crazy” is a perfect example of the excellent work being done just outside the Hollywood studio system.

Shout Outs: I can’t prove it, but I’m pretty sure one of the flashbacks needle-drops the main theme from “Now, Voyager”.

Everybody Gets One: Director Joseph H. Lewis, and actor Peggy Cummins (who attended many a “Gun Crazy” screening in her later years). This is also the only film on the list for B-movie studio King Brothers Productions. They made “Gorgo”!

Wow, That’s Dated: Gun issues aside for one second, we get the exciting world of pre-digital cops & robbers. Cops get bulletins through teleprinters, while robbers don’t have to worry about security cameras. Simpler times indeed.

Other notes

• The original short story of “Gun Crazy” was published in 1940 in “The Saturday Evening Post”. One wonders what the Norman Rockwell cover painting looked like that week. Something like “Freedom from Want” but with guns.
• Hey Hollywood! Remember how you eradicated all Communists from your industry? Surprise! Millard Kaufman is a front for Dalton Trumbo! Not only is this film written by a blacklisted screenwriter, it’s written by THE blacklisted screenwriter!
• On the one hand, this film doesn’t condone or sensationalize gun violence like the similarly themed “Badlands”. On the other hand, this movie pushes the Freudian aspect of guns to its sexiest. Either way, I squirmed a lot because of this movie’s stance on guns.
• Young Bart is played by Russ Tamblyn, credited here as “Rusty Tamblyn”.
• This all started when young Bart got a BB gun for Christmas. Are we sure his real name isn’t Ralphie?
• John Dall seems to have been born with a permanent smirk. He looks like the kind of man who would kill a college friend with his gay lover as an experiment.
• For those of you wondering about Peggy Cummins’ accent, she’s of Irish descent, born in Wales, raised in Dublin, and studied in London. Put it together and it kinda sounds like Grace Kelly.
• Kids, the moral of the movie is “play with guns and you end up a carny”.
• Packett kinda looks like middle-aged Orson Welles. Not quite “Third Man”, not quite “Moby Dick”.
• If “Gun Crazy” is remembered for one scene, it’s the 3 ½ minute single take of Bart and Laurie robbing a bank in real time. The camera never leaves the backseat of their car. It’s quite impressive. Kudos to cinematographer Russell Harlan and everyone involved.
• Bart and Laurie survive the roadblock thanks to everyone’s Clark Kent syndrome. No one recognizes them with their glasses on.
• This film would make a great double feature with “The Hitch-Hiker”.
• Surprise cameo by Lassie!
• Bart and Laurie want to pull off one last job. What could possibly go wrong?
• Laurie gets tsk-tsked for wearing slacks at the office. Where’s that revolutionary Laura Petrie when you need her?
• This meat packing plant’s security team is one guy?
• Say what you will about the finale, at least they’re visiting a state park. This film is to the San Gabriel Mountains what “Rebel Without a Cause” is to the Griffith Observatory.
• Worst. Honeymoon. Ever.

Legacy

• While not an immediate hit, the reputation of “Gun Crazy” grew over time and its influence can be sensed in such later films as “Bonnie and Clyde”.

• “Gun Crazy” was loosely remade as 1992’s one-word “Guncrazy” starring a post-rehab Drew Barrymore.