The Horse's Head

#168) The Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912)

OR “Lower West Side Story”

Directed by D.W. Griffith

Written by Griffith and Anita Loos

Class of 2016

The Plot: A musician and his wife (Walter Miller & Lillian Gish) live in a poor apartment in New York near “Pig Alley” in Greenwich Village. Gangster “The Snapper Kid” (Elmer Booth) mugs the musician right outside his front door. The musician vows to get the money back, inadvertently getting him and his wife mixed up in the Snapper Kid’s turf war with a rival gang. Sounds exciting, right? Well I’ve got some bad news…

Why It Matters: The NFR calls it “the first gangster film” and hails its employment of “several innovative camera techniques”. And it’s not just them; this is all anyone has to say about this film.

But Does It Really?: I try to give silent movies the benefit of the doubt while viewing them, but I could not get into this film. There’s so little to latch on to with this one, despite the impressive pedigree of D.W. Griffith. It’s a breakthrough in genre and technological innovations, sure, but man is it slow. And it’s only 15 minutes! We’ve got other films from D.W. Griffith and other gangster films, so it’s the NFR’s defense that is keeping this thing afloat. This is a “D-” on the preservation-worthy scale: Not exceptional, but still passing.

Everybody Gets One: Elmer Booth’s film career was just getting started when he died in a car crash at the age of 32. D.W. Griffith was especially distraught by Booth’s death, and delivered the eulogy at his funeral. Elmer was survived by his younger sister, legendary film editor Margaret Booth.

Wow, That’s Dated: Common usage of the phrase “musketeers”, women’s hats the size of a tractor tire.

Other notes

• This is one of those movies where I understand each individual word in the title, but the name as a whole takes some getting used to.
• For those of you not versed in cinematography terms (like me), this film’s main innovation was the camera technique “follow focus”. This is the practice of focusing only on one part of a shot rather than the entire frame. It has since become the standard.
• Seeing as this is Greenwich Village, couldn’t the musician find work with the Blue Man Group?
• This is my first Lillian Gish film on the blog. Mercifully, this is far from her only representation on the NFR.
• Speaking of, that’s Lillian’s sister Dorothy featured prominently in one of the crowd scenes.
• One cut in this film makes it seem that the door to their apartment leads straight into the bar. Another successful design from Escher Architect!
• Can we PLEASE have dialogue intertitles? I am begging you!
• Everyone dressed liked Buster Keaton back then.
• Nice of the cops to show up instantly during the fight.

Legacy

• Follow focus. That’s the main one. I guess someone had to invent it.
• Martin Scorsese loves this film and is single-handedly keeping its memory alive. Scorsese, of course, would make his own film about the gangs of New York called…um….

#167) Hail the Conquering Hero (1944)

OR “Hey, Mr. Sham-Marine Man”

Directed & Written by Preston Sturges

Class of 2015

No original trailer, but here’s a preview from I’m guessing someone’s VHS.

The Plot: Woodrow Truesmith (Eddie Bracken) leaves his small hometown of Oakridge to become a Marine like his late father. Due to his chronic hay fever, he is discharged within a month, and spends a year working in a shipyard while telling his mother (Georgia Caine) that he’s fighting overseas. While commiserating at a bar, Woodrow happens on six Marines led by Sgt. Heffelfinger (William Demarest), who served with Woodrow’s father in WWI. To repay Woodrow for buying a round of drinks, the Marines tell his mother that he received a medical discharge and is coming home. Woodrow is reluctant to go along with the lie, especially when he gets home and finds the whole town cheering his heroism and requesting he run for mayor. Hilarity ensues.

Why It Matters: The NFR claims that Preston Sturges was the rare writer/director of the time who could “satirize the worship of war heroes”. After that, the NFR leaves the praise to contemporary reviews of the film by New York Times critic Bosley Crowther and French critic Andre Bazin. They seemed to like it.

But Does It Really?: It’s not the definitive Preston Sturges film, but it sure did make me laugh. There’s a lot of good stuff in here, from Sturges reliably airtight script to a performance from Eddie Bracken that is equal parts hilarious and heart-warming. The plot snowballs at a hilarious pace and the premise never outstays its welcome. Plus if you think about it, it’s kinda crazy that they got away with very subtly making fun of worshiping our military while we were still in WWII. “Hail the Conquering Hero” is a minor classic to be sure, but a classic nonetheless.

Shout Outs: Look closely in the finale for a poster advertising Sturges’ previous film, “The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek”.

Everybody Gets One: Most of the actors in this film were members of Preston Sturges’ stock company and appear elsewhere on the list. The few “one-and-done” performers include veteran character actor Raymond Wallburn and pin-up girl Ella Raines.

Wow, That’s Dated: Lots of ‘40s slang and WWII references in this one. And, as predicted, there are a few uncomfortable references to “Japs”.

Title Track: There’s one scene 21 minutes in where there is a debate about what song to play when Woodrow comes home. The song “Hail the Conquering Hero” is mentioned several times in a matter of seconds, and then never again.

Seriously, Oscars?: “Hail the Conquering Hero” received one Oscar nomination: Original Screenplay for Preston Sturges. His competition included…himself, additionally nominated for “The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek”. Whether he split the vote or not we’ll never know, but the winner that year was the screenplay for Best Picture-nominee “Wilson”.

Other notes

• Preston Sturges’ films always seemed to me like Frank Capra films that had leaned in to their comedic elements. Both filmmakers excelled at sweet stories of small town idealism, and while Capra’s are better known today, Sturges’ are a lot funnier.
• This film is from that point in the ‘40s when Eddie Bracken was your top choice over Donald O’Connor, and not the other way around.
• Movie bars: where the only thing on tap is “beer”.
• The scene where Woodrow meets the Marines and tells them about his father is done in one continuous take. Nothing flashy, just the man and his story. And that’s all you need.

• Woodrow’s father presumably got his nickname “Hinky Dinky” from the WWI song “Mademoiselle from Armentieres”.
• Franklin Pangborn plays the Committee Chairman, who I’ll just assume is one of them “confirmed bachelors”.
• Let the record show that Eddie Bracken is only five years older than his on-screen love interest Ella Raines. That’s an inoffensive misdemeanor on the Michael Douglas Scale.
• Everyone in this town goes to the same church. What is this, “The Simpsons”?
• Bracken’s reactions, though. They are worth the trip out.
• Don’t worry about that statue of you, Woodrow. They’ll just tear it down in 75 years anyway.
• Libby is lit with the Morticia Addams follow-spot.
• How many wry non-committal one-liners does Forrest need from Libby? She’s. Not. Interested.
• Werner Heymann’s score sounds like everyone’s going to break into song at any point.
• Woodrow is very concerned that his will be “an election based on fraud”. That is some low-hanging fruit; you can make your own joke.
• Woodrow and Libby take a late-night walk during the brightest evening on record. Was there a supermoon that night?
• Woodrow hatches his plan just as morning breaks. His idea literally dawns on him.
• “I’m as sane as a Dane.” You’re forgetting about Hamlet, aren’t you?
• We are informed at the end that people gravitate towards certain politicians simply because they like them. “They don’t need reasons anymore.” This film has way too much vague political talk that can still be applicable today. I guess that’s how you write a classic.

Legacy

• “Hail the Conquering Hero” was Preston Struges’ last great hurrah as a filmmaker. It was his last film under his contract with Paramount and, no love lost, he jumped ship to become an independent filmmaker. Unfortunately he chose Howard Hughes – already in his post-“Outlaw” decline – as his business partner, and Sturges’ film career never recovered.

#166) The Big Lebowski (1998)

OR “Farewell, My Rug-ly”

Directed by Joel Coen

Written by Joel & Ethan Coen

Class of 2014

The Plot: The Dude (Jeff Bridges) is an L.A. stoner who shares his real name with local millionaire Jeff Lebowski (David Huddleston). When the Dude is attacked by thugs who think he’s the other Lebowski, he gets mixed up in a plot involving Lebowski’s kidnapped wife (Tara Reid). Along for the ride are the Dude’s friend and angry Vietnam vet Walter (John Goodman), Lebowski’s estranged daughter Maude (Julianne Moore), a bowling tournament, some White Russians, and a rug that really tied the room together.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls the film’s chapters “alternately funny and disturbing”, hails the Coens as “unconventional visionaries” and deems Bridges’ performance “career-defining”. There’s also an essay by J.M. Tyree & Ben Walters, who have written several books about films, including one on “The Big Lebowski”. So, ya know, they’re qualified.

But Does It Really?: While I’m not as fanatic about this film as some are, “The Big Lebowski” is still one of the Coens’ better works. The film’s genre-bending keeps it fresh, with a script that praises Raymond Chandler without being slavish or too uptight. The entire cast is flawless, with Jeff Bridges, like the Dude himself, giving you a lot of layers underneath that laid-back exterior. It’s not the best Coen Brothers film, nor the funniest film ever, but the Dude abides, and “Lebowski” deserves a spot on the list.

Shout Outs: Several noir references throughout, including “Double Indemnity” and Chandler’s own “The Big Sleep”. Plus a nod to “42^nd Street“!

Everybody Gets One: Coen Brothers staple John Goodman, Future Oscar Winners Philip Seymour Hoffman and Julianne Moore, early ‘00s It Girl Tara Reid and, via archival footage, President George H.W. Bush.

Wow, That’s Dated: Such late ‘90s relics as answering machines and phone books. Plus the dream sequences include some early CG bowling balls and pins.

Title Track: The Dude refers to “the big Lebowski” just twice throughout the entire film. That’s right, it turns out David Huddleston was the title character this whole time.

Seriously, Oscars?: Well something had to follow “Fargo”. Perhaps this film’s release just a year after the Coens won an Oscar for the “Fargo” screenplay raised the bar too high for “Lebowski”. The film was met with critical and commercial apprehension, leading to zero Oscar nominations. There were, however, a few precursor awards (such as the Online Film Critics Society) that took notice: the first to join the cult of the Dude.

Other notes

• Co-editor Tricia Cooke is married to Ethan Coen. She shares her editing credit with the elusive Roderick Jaynes.
• You call them Ralphs, we in the Bay Area call them Foods Co.
• Bridges performance is fantastic. He really lures you in right from the beginning.
• This whole post could be me singling out each cast member; they’re all so good. John Goodman practically steals the show from Bridges, Steve Buscemi and Phillip Seymour Hoffman make the most out of parts that don’t spring to life on the page. Julianne Moore gets to play a character so radically different from her other work, David Huddleston finally gets a meaty role after decades of character parts, and don’t even get me started on the meal John Turturro makes of The Jesus.
• I unapologetically love The Gipsy Kings.
• This film and “Anchorman” have got to be the most quotable comedies of the last 20 years. Speaking of, when is “Anchorman” coming to the NFR?
• Shoutout to cinematographer Roger Deakins, especially for the shot from the bowling ball’s point of view. How does he still not have an Oscar?
• Is Julianne Moore doing a Katharine Hepburn impression?
• That’s stand-up comic Dom Irrera as the limo driver. “You know me, can’t complain.” His stand-up is pretty solid.
• Like so many of the recent films on this list, don’t watch “The Big Lebowski” on basic cable. Unless you want to know what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps.

• Metallica band member Kirk Hammett was pleased that Metallica was referenced in the film, even though the Dude calls the band “a bunch of assholes”. On the flip side, Eagles member Glenn Frey did not appreciate the Dude’s dislike of his music.
• For all of this film’s quotable moments, the one I’ve used the most is “Stay away from my lady friend”. Don’t ask me why, but that’s the one that sticks.
• Does Bunnie have “Viva Las Vegas” playing on a loop in her car?
• Oh Sam Elliott: to be blessed with that combination of voice and moustache. Like the Dude’s damaged rug, Elliott really ties the film together, does he not?

Legacy

• The film’s fandom and midnight screenings have led to the annual “Lebowski Fest”, a gathering and celebration of all things Lebowski. You don’t see this kind of fandom with “The Last Picture Show”, that’s for sure.

• Some films have cult followings, “The Big Lebowski” has a religion. Dudeism (aka the Church of the Latter-Day Dude) was founded in 2005 and has its share of followers. Like any new religion, give it 1000 years to catch on.

• Jeff Bridges’ band The Abiders take their name from one of the Dude’s most iconic lines.

• “Noodles, we’re in that movie you made me watch.” “Shhhhh. You’re ruining it, like so many other dudes have over the years by quoting it.”

• While the Coens have vowed to never make a sequel, John Turturro has been given permission to make a film revolving around his character, Jesus Quintana. “Going Places” has been filmed, but no release date has been set, and all we have right now is a Wikipedia page and this photo. What say you, readers from the future?

Listen to This: “Tumbling Tumbleweeds”, the Stranger’s leitmotif, was the signature song for Roy Rogers’ singing group Sons of the Pioneers. The group first recorded “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” in 1934, and the song found a place on the National Recording Registry in 2010.

#165) Men and Dust (1940)

OR “Mine Over Matter”

Directed by Lee Dick

Written by Sheldon Dick

Class of 2013

The Plot: Part documentary, part tone poem, “Men and Dust” is an examination of the life of coal miners in the tri-state area (Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri). The film looks at what the effect of mining has on the health of not only the miners, but of their families and fellow townsfolk.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls this “a stylistically innovative documentary and a valuable ecological record”. Also included is an essay by film lecturer Adrianne Finelli, who according to this also lives in the Bay Area. Hey Adrianne, wanna grab coffee and talk classic movies sometime?

But Does It Really?: This is an historical yes, primarily for its frank (albeit artistically manipulated) depiction of life in a mining town. It’s an interesting time capsule of an era and its liberal beliefs, plus an introduction to the works of Lee & Sheldon Dick. It gets a pass from me.

Everybody Gets One: Very little is known about director Lee Dick (Mary Lee Burgess), apart from her being married to writer/cinematographer Sheldon Dick. Sheldon was already an established photographer by 1939, having done several assignments for the Farm Security Agency. An assignment in Joplin, Missouri inspired Sheldon to make this film. The FSA did not support this decision, so Sheldon financed the whole thing himself.

Wow, That’s Dated: This thing has New Deal, Dust Bowl-era leftist filmmaking written all over it.

Other notes

• I know it’s the print’s fault, but that is a quick title card.
• Sheldon isn’t the writer, no sir. He’s the “Director of Commentary” (a title I’m pretty sure belongs to Kevin Smith).
• They keep saying that America is “the richest country in the world”. Give it a few decades, that’ll change.
• There’s so much Dust Bowl devastation I keep expecting Roy Rogers to show up and sing about it.
• The film has four different narrators! Three of them (Storrs Haynes, Robert Porterfield, Eric Walz) have languished in almost total obscurity, while the fourth (Will Geer) seems to be permanently stuck in the Dust Bowl era.
• Good thing the health and safety of our nation’s miners isn’t a major problem anymore, right? …Right?

Legacy

• Sheldon and Lee Dick separated at some point following “Men and Dust”. Lee’s life afterwards is not prominently documented, but we know that Sheldon married his third wife in 1950, and that definitely did not end well.
• “Men and Dust” was supported by labor unions across the country, and private screenings led to revised laws and safety regulations within various mining communities. Now that’s change I can believe in.

Further Viewing: Fellow NFR entry “Harlan County U.S.A.”, Barbara Kopple’s documentary on the struggles of coal miners in the ‘70s. Keep fighting the good fight!

#164) Born Yesterday (1950)

OR “Billie’s Holliday”

Directed by George Cukor

Written by Albert Mannheimer (More on that later). Based on the play by Garson Kanin.

Class of 2012

Thanks, Heather

The Plot: Wealthy junk dealer Harry Brock (Broderick Crawford) takes up residence in a Washington D.C. hotel suite while he’s in town to “buy” a senator. He brings along his equally brash fiancée Billie Dawn (Judy Holliday), a stereotypical dumb blonde and former showgirl. Realizing her lack of intelligence could ruin his chances of impressing the political elite, Harry requests Billie be tutored by freelance D.C. reporter Paul Verrall (William Holden). Though initially hesitant, Billie soon finds herself becoming enlightened and more self-assured through her lessons. As time goes on she starts to question the tumultuous relationship (both personal and professional) she has with Harry, and develops feelings for Paul. Hilarity (and political/social commentary) ensues.

Why It Matters: The NFR compliments the script, and calls Judy Holliday’s performance “one of the era’s most finely realized comedy performances.” An essay by film archivist Ariel Schudson gives an overview of production, as well as I’ll assume a mandatory emphasis on the film’s scenes in the Library of Congress.

But Does It Really?: I’m gonna chalk this one up to “minor classic”. It’s good, and still very funny, but the material shows its age in just enough places to prevent full enjoyment. This all being said, Judy Holliday’s performance is worth the trip out. She’s giving easily one of the best comic performances on film. I just wish the movie as a whole matched Judy’s level of comic genius.

Everybody Gets One: Though not a prolific screenwriter throughout his career, Albert Mannheimer got the plum task of adapting the hit Broadway play into a film. After the powers that be were unsatisfied with his screenplay, playwright Garson Kanin was brought in to adapt his own work to the screen. For legal reasons, Kanin remained uncredited, and Mannheimer received an Oscar nomination and an NFR credit, despite very little of his work actually being used.

Wow, That’s Dated: Evening papers, and the stigma associated with wearing glasses (he said while adjusting his glasses). Also pretty dated is the speech about how all senators are honest, hard-working, and not corrupt at all. Uh-huh.

Seriously, Oscars?: In a year dominated by “Sunset Boulevard” and “All About Eve”, “Born Yesterday” managed five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. With major competition from Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, and Gloria Swanson, Judy Holliday won Best Actress in a victory so surprising even Holliday herself didn’t think she would win. The film lost in all of its other categories to “All About Eve”.

Other notes

• A few words about Judy Holliday’s performance: For starters, it’s pretty damn perfect. Her Billie is somehow shrill and uneducated without being annoying or one-note. The joy of her performance is watching the gears turn in Billie’s head as she starts to think (or doesn’t) for herself. I suspect her Oscar win is considered an upset because the film is not the classic “Sunset Boulevard” or “All About Eve” is. But Judy is giving a performance that’s just as electric as the work of Swanson or Davis or Baxter. Plus there’s no way the Academy could have known which of these films would become classics. Further proof that awards of artistic merit are, in this film’s parlance, bull.
• Man, between this and “Sunset Boulevard”, William Holden had a great year. Don’t call it a comeback.
• If Harry’s looking for a corrupt politician I can think of a Huey Long-esque gentleman that he might get along with.
• I may need subtitles for Billie.
• Harry does the Donald Trump power handshake move. So that’s where he got it from!
• The gin game is pretty hilarious. The dialogue is scarce, but you still learn plenty about the relationship between Billie and Harry.
• Billie would understand politics a lot better if “Schoolhouse Rock!” was a thing back now.
• This on-location trip to D.C. takes up a lot of screen time. Are we going to see every historical monument?
• The concert Billie and Paul attend is at the Watergate steps, which housed outdoor concerts until the mid-‘60s. And yes, they are walking distance from that Watergate.
• The scene where Harry is abusive to Billie is tough to watch, even though Broderick Crawford is clearly not actually hitting Judy Holliday.
• “Wouldja do me a favor, Harry? Drop dead.” Classic.
• Paul pronounces Washington as “Warshington”, a regional pronunciation believed to have its roots in New England, with traces in the mid-west. William Holden was born in Illinois, and had ancestors who emigrated from England to Virginia. Dialects!
• The cop at the end is definitely played by a different actor in the on-location long shots. A little continuity is all I ask.

Legacy

• Judy Holliday leveraged the success of this film to sign an exclusive “one film a year” contract with Columbia, allowing her to continue living/performing in New York. She did mostly light comedies throughout the ‘50s, including something with Jack Lemmon called “Phffft!”

• The role of Lina Lamont in “Singin’ in the Rain” was written with Judy Holliday in mind. When she was unavailable, Stanley Donen cast Jean Hagen, who scored at her audition with a pitch-perfect Judy Holliday impression. Coincidentally, Hagen played Billie Dawn on Broadway after Holliday left the show.

• George Cukor would direct a similar play-turned-film about a woman who reinvents herself through tutoring: 1964’s “My Fair Lady”.

• “Born Yesterday” was also performed on live TV in 1956 starring…Mary Martin? Doesn’t quite seem like a match.
• Don’t worry, they remade this in 1993 with Melanie Griffith. It sucks the life out of everything this play has going for it.

• “Born Yesterday” has been revived on Broadway twice: in 1989 with Madeline Kahn and Ed Asner, and 2011 with Nina Arianda and Jim Belushi (whom critics were forced to admit was quite good as Harry Brock).