The Horse's Head

#16) The Blue Bird (1918)

OR “French-Belgium Expressionism – Now For Kids!”

Directed by Maurice Tourneur

Written by Charles Maigne. Based on the play by Maurice Maeterlinck.

Class of 2004

View the film here; restoration courtesy of “Saving the Silents”, with support from the NEA and the NPS. Please support them while we still have them!

The Plot: The film is a fairy tale about two children named Tyltyl & Mytyl (Robin Macdougall & Tula Belle) who are instructed by the good fairy Berylune (Lillian Cook) to find the “Blue Bird of Happiness”. They are aided on their journey by the souls of such things as light, water, milk, and their pet cat and dog. And then things just keep getting weirder from there.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls it “one of the most aesthetically pleasing films” and praises the film’s message of the simple joys of everyday life. An essay by Professor Kavesh Askari delves a bit more into the Symbolism of the piece.

But Does It Really?: For what it is, I liked it. I found the whole thing to be a very simple, charming fairy tale. Maybe not the most beautiful film ever made – as some claim – but quite enjoyable and visually appealing nonetheless. It is a rare silent film with a budget, and that helps to showcase the more fantastical elements. A very sweet film with a good message (though maybe a few too many Christian overtones for my taste).

Everybody Gets One: I’ll give a shout-out to the kids; Robin Macdougall and Tula Belle. Neither one of them really continued acting (this is Macdougall’s sole film appearance), but they both lived to be 89 and 86, respectively. They’re not the Barrymores, but I thought they were both very good.

Other notes

• This was released as a Famous Players-Lasky Corporation Picture. A few years later, the studio would move from New Jersey to Hollywood and change its name to Paramount Pictures.
• Did the Widow Berlingot have her daughter when she was 70?
• Speaking of, for no reason I can think of, Berlingot is played by a man in drag. Edward Elkas is definitely no Louie Anderson.
• The print I saw had what appeared to be glue marks on the film for a good chunk of a reel. For a moment it looked like the kids were going to be beamed up “Star Trek” style.
• A tip of my hat to the special effects team. This film uses every trick of the trade – process shots, film reversal, stop-motion – and it all really works.
• I love that the dog calls his child masters “my little deities”.
• This film uses color tinting to differentiate the dream sequences from the real world. This predates similar usage from “The Wizard of Oz” by a full 21 years!
• And then the kids go to a graveyard and visit their deceased grandparents and siblings! This film got real morbid real quick.
• If those ladies represent the Joy of Pure Thoughts, then I like how this film thinks.
• Ummm…so the light bulb was invented in Heaven? Looks like Edison and Tesla were both thieves. Also, the film purposefully never states what time period it is, but light bulbs had been around for about 40 years at this point. Did we need to be sold on them?
• Just in case you missed the film’s message, they REALLY hit you over the head with it at the end.

Legacy

• While this film (and the play) didn’t invent the phrase “bluebird of happiness” it kept the phrase going until the 1934 song solidified things.

• “The Blue Bird” has been adapted into film a few times over the years, including Shirley Temple’s first flop and a bizarre ‘70s vehicle for Elizabeth Taylor.

• And Mr. Bluebird (possibly of happiness) appears in a certain Disney film that I suspect is not making it on the Registry anytime soon.

“Second Screening” is devoted to watching alternate versions of NFR entries and determining which version is most worthy of preservation. Our first film is the 1942 re-release of Charlie Chaplin’s “The Gold Rush”. You can read my thoughts on the original 1925 version here.

What’s Different?: The 1942 version of “The Gold Rush” is notable for the inclusion of an original score and narration by Chaplin himself. In addition, Chaplin speeds up the frame-rate (from 16 fps to 24 fps) and slightly re-edits the film, eliminating most of the footage that doesn’t pertain to the Tramp. This deemphasizes a lot of the additional characters, particularly Georgia, and the film is no longer the “dramatic comedy” it was originally subtitled as.

Does It Help?: All of that said, the aforementioned cuts do not hurt the film. The faster pacing makes the comedy much funnier, and it now makes sense to me why most film buffs consider this one of the funniest films ever made. At no point did I notice any particular scene that got cut. It was only after reading about the changes that I remembered those scenes were ever there. The narration gets in and out without ever feeling in the way, and the soundtrack and effects help accentuate the story.

The Verdict: The 1942 re-release wins by a landslide. I still don’t think “The Gold Rush” is Chaplin’s finest work, but this version makes the case for it much stronger. If you’ve never seen the film before, start with the 1942 version. If you really like it and want to see more, move on to the original 1925 version.

#15) Matrimony’s Speed Limit (1913)

OR “Love Uses the Carpool Lane”

Directed by Alice Guy

Class of 2003

View the whole thing here, courtesy of a Dailymotion channel that has done its homework.

This is my original write-up for “Matrimony’s Speed Limit”, but trust me, read this revised, expanded version instead. You’ll thank me later.

The Plot: Fraunie (Fraunie Fraunholz) loses his money in the stock market. His wealthy girlfriend Marian (Marian Swayne) wants them to marry and offers to support him financially for a time. He refuses (this being the teens and all), so Marian concocts a plan; she sends him a fake telegram saying he will inherit his late aunt’s fortune if he marries by noon that day. With 12 minutes to go, hilarity has no choice but to ensue.

Why It Matters: The NFR cites the work of pioneering female director Alice Guy and includes an essay by University of Minnesota professor Margaret Hennefeld.

But Does It Really?: Okay, so the answer is yes and no. While female directors weren’t rare back in American film’s infancy, they sure are now and we need to celebrate them when we can. Plus, this is one of a handful of Alice Guy’s over 300 films that has survived. This is what I call a “Belloq film”; not very substantial in its day, but because it has survived it has increased in value. All of that aside, the film has not aged well. It’s very static and, perhaps its greatest sin, not very funny. But I’ll give it a pass because it brought me around to Alice Guy, who is an awesome unsung hero of early film.

Everybody Gets One: But in all seriousness, please take some time to learn more about Alice Guy. She is a badass in the history of film. The Women Film Pioneers Project is a good starting point, and provides a wealth of other great sources of information.

Wow, That’s Dated: There’s the usual stuff; stock ticker tape, telegrams as the fastest communication, etc. And then there’s the Wow. While frantically searching for a woman to marry, Fraunie comes across a woman with a white veil over her face. He proposes, she lifts her veil and…gasp! She’s black! And he runs off in horror. My note for this scene simply read, “WHAT?” Alice Guy gets a lot of credit for being among the first to include interracial casting in her films, but in this case it’s tainted by a cheap joke on racial relations. Definitely cringe-worthy watching it today.

Other notes

• Boy, I know it’s a movie and everything, but Fraunie’s wearing a LOT of makeup.
• The Justice of the Peace Marian grabs looks like a cross between older Bela Lugosi and Alec Guinness in “Scrooge”.
• How close/far away is Marian’s house to Fraunie’s office? It takes Fraunie five seconds to run over to her, but it takes Marian the whole movie to drive to him. Did M.C. Escher design their town?
• Also, I’m pretty sure they filmed all of Marian’s driving scenes on the same stretch of road.
• Ah, back when drivers were just supposed to comply with a pedestrian’s suicide. Simpler times.

Legacy

• The NFR’s essay on the film cites “Matrimony’s Speed Limit” as the inspiration for such similarly plotted films as Buster Keaton’s “Seven Chances” and the Chris O’Donnell rom-com “The Bachelor”. Yeah, I forgot about that movie too.

#14) In the Heat of the Night (1967)

OR “The ColberT Report”

Directed by Norman Jewison

Written by Stirling Silliphant. Based on the novel by John Ball.

Class of 2002

Enjoy the film’s fast-paced and oddly-cropped trailer.

The Plot: In the sleepy town of Sparta, Mississippi, a man named Colbert is murdered one night, and Police Chief Gillespie (Rod Steiger) investigates. His police bring in a potential suspect named Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) who turns out to be an expert homicide detective passing through from Philadelphia. Under circumstances that neither of them can control, the two men must work together to solve the case. Clues unravel and secrets are revealed, as the citizens of Sparta do not take kindly to the “boy” who has come to town.

Why It Matters: The NFR highlights Jewison’s “effectively flashy” direction. Also included is an essay by film expert Michael Schlesinger that praises this film, while putting down Poitier’s other 1967 offering, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”.

But Does It Really?: Oh hell yes. A story of racial tension that doesn’t brutalize its black characters or coddle its white characters, this film is just as edgy and effective as it was in 1967. Part of that is how this country has (or hasn’t) changed, but a lot of it is the actual film. “In the Heat of the Night” is well written without hitting you on the head with it, directed with a fine balance of heavy and light, and acted impeccably by the whole cast. Poitier and Steiger both play complex, flawed men who do not want the other one around, and it makes the whole thing worth watching. A top-notch film that shows us where we were, where we are, and where we still need to go. Now that’s a classic.

Everybody Gets One: Amazingly this is the only film on the registry for Oscar winning actor/producer/director Lee Grant. Also on hand is William Schallert, who had just finished playing Poppo on “The Patty Duke Show”, and Beah Richards, who would go on to play Sidney Poitier’s mother in “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”**. And special mention to Jack Teter as Mr. Colbert (aka “The vic” in “Law & Order” parlance).

Wow, That’s Dated: ‘60s phrases like “Ya dig?” and “this scene”.

Wow, That’s Not Dated: Literally everything else about this movie. Come on people, step it up. It’s been 50 years for crying out loud.

Take a Shot: No one actually speaks the phrase “In the heat of the night” in this film, but Ray Charles sings the hell out of it during the opening and closing credits.

Seriously, Oscars?: In a very competitive year, “In the Heat of the Night” managed to snag five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. In an equally crowded Best Actor category, they gave the award to Steiger (overdue from his work in “The Pawnbroker”) but managed not to nominate Poitier’s more subtle yet equally impressive performance. Also missing out on nominations were Quincy Jones for his score and Haskell Wexler for his cinematography. And despite helming the best picture of the 1967, Norman Jewison did not win Best Director (See “The Graduate”).

Other notes

• When a film from 1967 begins with a nude woman walking around, it’s their way of saying “Goodbye, Hays Code!”
• Title number aside, the songs in this film are pretty bad. Mainly because they are Alan & Marilyn Bergman trying to write country lyrics. Stick to “The Way We Were”, kids.
• The internet says that Steiger’s performance is partially based on the Dodge Sheriff, but I can’t find any evidence of that character’s existence prior to 1969, two years after this film was released. Perhaps it’s the other way around?
• Ladies and Gentlemen, Officer Shagbag.
• Speaking of Gillespie’s staff; Peter Whitney (Courtney) has the best eyebrows in the business.
• There’s a point when the thugs are driving after Virgil that the score turns into the “Jaws” theme just for a second. I mean, two notes aren’t that hard to copy, but Quincy may have a good lawsuit on his hands.
• I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the iconic moment when uber-racist suspect Endicott slaps Virgil, and Virgil slaps him right back. It’s still quite powerful watching it today, though keep in mind that at the time of this writing Nazi-punching has become America’s favorite pastime again.

Legacy

• Two sorta-sequels of Virgil’s further adventures; “They Call Me Mister Tibbs” & “The Organization”. They are sequels in the sense that Sidney Poitier plays a character named Virgil Tibbs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxzhHSSim5g

• A TV series in the late ‘80s, with Howard Rollins as Virgil and Archie Bunker himself as Gillespie.

• I blame this film for that time Rod Steiger played W.C. Fields.

• And that time Sidney Poitier fought Mecha-Streisand.
• This Sparta resident who is a little too proud of his hometown.

• Everyone who says, “They call me Mister Tibbs”; most notably this cartoon warthog voiced by Ernie Sabella.

Listen to This: If you can’t get enough of that title song, you’ll enjoy Ray Charles’ first hit, 1959’s “What’d I Say (Parts 1 and 2)”. Widely considered one of the best recordings ever, it was selected for the National Recording Registry in 2002, the same year “In the Heat of the Night” was added to the NFR. Coincidence? I think…yes.

** 2017 Update: And wouldn’t you know it, that’s Beah Richards’ other film on the Registry.

 

#13) National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978)

OR “Frat’s Entertainment!”

Directed by John Landis

Written by Harold Ramis & Douglas Kenney & Chris Miller

Class of 2001

The original trailer, narrated by Otter for some reason, and including footage not in the film.

The Plot: It’s 1962 and Delta House is the lowest, dirtiest, least respected (but most fun) fraternity at Faber College. The film chronicles frat orientation for Pinto & Flounder (Tom Hulce & Stephen Furst), as well as the antics of established members Otter (Tim Matheson), Boon (Peter Riegert) and Bluto (John Belushi) as they rally against preppy frat Omega and the college’s no-nonsense dean (John Vernon).

Why It Matters: “Animal House” was the first film produced by college humor magazine National Lampoon. The NFR also quotes one the film’s reviews by calling it “low humor of a high order”.

But Does It Really?: Oh man. So on one hand, this film is at times side-splittingly funny. On the other hand, there’s something about the whole “Boys will be boys” mentality of frats that just rubs me the wrong way. When the boys at Delta are being the underdog and sticking it to the Dean and the Omegas, the film works for me. When they’re taking advantage of women, it gets a little tougher to root for these guys. Its cultural impact would get “Animal House” on this list sooner or later, but if you’re looking for another film to represent the various combos of Landis and Ramis and producer Ivan Reitman, you could also go with the likes of “The Blues Brothers” or “Caddyshack” or later NFR entry “Ghostbusters”.

Shout Outs: In a continuation of the film’s somewhat morbid humor, the women on the Omega float at the end are dressed like Jackie Kennedy is in the Zapruder film.

Everybody Gets One: This movie launched the careers of a lot of actors who would continue to work in film for the next 30 years; the aforementioned Matheson, Reigert, Hulce and Furst – as well as Karen Allen and Bruce McGill. And at long last, this blog has its first (and so far only) Kevin Bacon sighting.

Wow, That’s Dated: With period pieces it’s always tough to know what’s dated and what’s just commentary on the past. The Dexter Lake Club scene is one such example, but I expect that the film is trying to make a point about race relations – or dare I say just trying to be funny. What’s definitely dated is the mandatory late ‘70s jab at the Nixon administration at the end.

Take a Shot: Amazingly, no one actually says the phrase “Animal House” until the song during the credits. If you extend the game to include the phrase “Delta House”, you might have something there.

Seriously, Oscars?: As is often the case with comedies, the film was completely ignored by the Academy. The film did, however, snag a Writers Guild nomination for Best Original Comedy (back when that was a category).

Other notes

• I suspect that this is one of those movies where they just let the actors do whatever they wanted and kept the cameras rolling. Thanks to Landis and editor George Folsey Jr., it works. Other films that have tried this have not fared so well.
• They cut this film to shreds on basic cable. It’s cut so short I think it airs during a commercial break for something else.
• Belushi is to this film what Steve McQueen is to “The Great Escape”; the breakout performance in a movie filled with them. Also he was 28 when he filmed this.
• This is the second movie I’ve watched for this blog where something bad happens to a horse.
• The song playing during both “Lovers’ Lane” scenes is “Dream Girl” by Stephen Bishop, one of the few original compositions in the film. It has a late ’70s Bee Gees vibe to it that I’ve always thought was out of place.
• Oh how I fantasized about smashing a guitar during my college years…
• For the record, while I was not in a fraternity in college, I did attend a toga party. (Photo not available)
• Why does Hoover have a Confederate flag in his room?
• Part of the reason this film has lasted is because college life really hasn’t changed in 40 years, for better or worse.
• Wait, so they all still graduated from college? I’m confused.
• And finally, when in Hollywood, visit Universal Studios. Ask for Babs.

Legacy

• Every movie about rowdy college life and the deans who try to harsh everyone’s buzz.
• The return of toga parties.
• Not one, not two, but three failed TV series (on three different networks no less) based on this film.

• Every National Lampoon film, from the “Vacation” series to “Van Wilder” and countless other dorm movies.
• Robot House!

• Elmer Bernstein’s second act composing film comedies with utmost seriousness.
• Heir apparent “Old School”.

• This poster:
• And Donald Sutherland as the clumsy waiter.