#646) Ninotchka (1939)

#646) Ninotchka (1939)

OR “Commie Dearest”

Directed by Ernst Lubitsch

Written by Charles Brackett & Billy Wilder and Walter Reisch. Based on an original story by Melchior Lengyel.

Class of 1990

The Plot: Sure I could give a detailed plot description of “Ninotchka”, but I will never be able to top Melchior Lengyel’s initial pitch for the film: “Russian girl [Greta Garbo] saturated with Bolshevist ideals goes to fearful, capitalistic, monopolistic Paris. She meets romance and has uproarious good time. Capitalism not so bad, after all.”

Why It Matters: The NFR calls the film a “sparkling romantic comedy”, praising the work of Garbo, Lubitsch, Wilder, and Brackett.

But Does It Really?: Oh yes. I had a good time watching “Ninotchka”. So many great films of the studio system are the magical combination of a solid script and the right star power, and “Ninotchka” has both in spades. “Ninotchka” holds up better than most romantic comedies because its core concept isn’t a battle of the sexes, it’s a battle of the ideals. Both Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas play their sides of the Communism vs. Capitalism debate quite well, Garbo in particular is giving her most human performance here. On top of the solid love story is the assured direction of Ernst Lubitsch and the expected brilliance of a Billy Wilder/Charles Brackett screenplay. “Ninotchka” is one of the jewels in the 1939 Classic Hollywood Crown, and while the film may not be as well remembered today, its NFR induction is certainly warranted.

Shout Outs: Garbo comes very close to quoting her famous “I vant to be alone” line from “Grand Hotel“, giving us such near-misses as “We want to be alone”. Such a tease.

Wow, That’s Dated: You should probably brush-up on your 1930s Communism in order to fully appreciate the film’s political commentary. For instance: I didn’t realize the Soviets had a five-year plan. Is this what they’re asking about in job interviews?

Seriously, Oscars?: A hit upon release, “Ninotchka” received four Oscar nominations: Best Picture, Actress, Story, and Screenplay. In another year “Ninotchka” would have had a legitimate shot at winning one or two of these categories, but unfortunately it was 1939, aka The Greatest Year for Movies, and the film lost three of these categories to “Gone with the Wind” and the fourth to “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington“.

Other notes 

  • Melchior Lengyel conceived “Ninotchka” during a conference to come up with star vehicles for Greta Garbo, whose film career took a hit when she was labeled “Box Office Poison” by the Independent Theater Owners Association in 1938 . Originally, Ernst Lubitsch was only meant to produce this film, with George Cukor set to direct. Once Cukor left the project in favor of “Gone with the Wind”, Lubitsch agreed to direct, as long as MGM allowed his next project to be “The Shop Around the Corner“. Lubitsch ordered a re-write, and apparently made enough contributions to the script that Wilder & Brackett unsuccessfully lobbied the Writers Guild to give Lubitsch a credit.
  • That Wilder/Brackett dialogue comes at you fast and furious in the opening scenes. Lubitsch handles the screenwriters’ trademark repartee with the delicate touch synonymous with his movies. The pacing is quick enough to keep the momentum going, with time to let the dialogue sink in without feeling tossed off a la “Ball of Fire“.
  • This is my first experience with young Melvyn Douglas, being more accustomed to his later career as an Oscar winning elder statesman. Here Douglas is quite charming as Count Leon, the kind of romantic cad you would expect to see Don Ameche play (apparently Cary Grant and William Powell were in consideration).
  • Wasn’t Garbo in this? Seriously, it is a very long twenty minutes before she shows up. In the meantime there’s a lot of plot setup, plus some comic interludes with the three Russian Board of Trade agents (Sig Ruman, Felix Bressart, and Alexander Granach). There’s also a running gag about the agents ordering French maid/cigarette girls to come up to their hotel room. This is of course back when French maids still dressed like…well, French maids.
  • The best exchange in the movie: Ninotchka, upon learning that a porter’s job is to take her bag, “That’s no business, that’s a social injustice.” The Porter: “That depends on the tip.”
  • We have previously covered Garbo’s other two NFR films on this blog, and yet have never really talked about the woman herself. Garbo’s work in “Flesh and the Devil” and “Grand Hotel” plays to her established screen persona, the stoic woman caught in a forbidden and/or doomed romance, and I had nothing substantial to say about either other than “Yep, that’s a Garbo performance.” With “Ninotchka” Garbo still plays to type, but also gets the chance to be funny while doing it. Having Garbo play the first half of the movie with a total stone-face is the right choice; milking every laugh out of how thoroughly unamused Ninotchka is by her surroundings. It makes her eventual warming up all the more satisfying. This is the first Garbo performance I actually enjoyed watching; her statuesque exterior giving way to her proverbial feet of clay.
  • The scene in the cafe when Leon finally gets Ninotchka to laugh is worth the wait. Side note: The film’s tagline “Garbo Laughs!” is a play on “Garbo Talks!”, the tagline for Garbo’s first sound picture “Anna Christie”.
  • I like that Ninotchka is a little awkward upon being with Leon when she buys the hat. Again, it goes with letting Garbo actually play a nuanced character rather than her persona. It’s more entertaining to watch, and helps the film age better.
  • Garbo drinks! Apparently Garbo had misgivings about playing a scene where Ninotchka gets drunk on champagne, which she consider vulgar. Lubitsch himself expressed his frustration in the press, calling Garbo “the most inhibited person I have ever worked with.”
  • Wow, even Vladimir Lenin gets a laugh in this. There’s your Lubitsch Touch!
  • Shoutout to Ina Claire, a stage actress making one of her rare film appearances as the Grand Duchess Swana, the woman Count Leon has a casual dalliance with. Unlike other rom-com third wheels, Grand Duchess Swana is more like 2E from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s“: yes she’s the other woman, but she’s holding all the cards. Claire doesn’t have much to do until the Grand Duchess’ confrontation with Ninotchka at the end, but she nails the scene, making us understand that this woman does not live or die by the love of one man. Interestingly enough, Ina Claire was briefly married to John Gilbert after his famous love affair with Garbo, so I can imagine there was a little extra friction behind the scenes that day.
  • Wow, the last chunk of the movie when Ninotchka returns to Russia really drags. I don’t care about how bleak communist Russia is or what happened to the three agents, I just want to know how Ninotchka and Leon get back together.
  • During the lulls of the final half hour, I thought, “Didn’t I see Bela Lugosi’s name in the opening credits? Did I miss him?” Turns out Lugosi only has one scene, right before the finale as Commissar Razinin, his only non-vampire NFR appearance. “Ninotchka” was one of Lugosi’s last forays into an A picture before being permanently typecast by his work with Universal monsters. Despite his brief screentime here, Lugosi receives 4th billing for his performance. Either someone at MGM really liked Lugosi or he had a great agent.
  • And then we get a weird tag after Ninotchka and Leon’s “happily ever after”: a throwaway gag about the agents and their restaurant business. Once again, I don’t care about these subplots, just end the movie!

Legacy 

  • “Ninotchka” was the hit Garbo needed to combat her “Box Office Poison” label. MGM immediately re-teamed her with Melvyn Douglas for another rom-com, 1941’s “Two-Faced Woman”. The film was not well-received by critics, and while it did okay at the box office, didn’t make its money back and became one of many reasons Garbo left MGM. Garbo had every intention of returning to film after World War II, but every opportunity that arose either fell through or was rejected by Garbo, until eventually she opted for retirement. “Ninotchka” proved to be the penultimate film of Garbo’s career, and her last hit.
  • Unsurprisingly, “Ninotchka” did not go over well with Soviet Russia, and an attempt to release the film in Vienna after the war was met with controversy. Vienna finally played “Ninotchka” in 1951 after the city reclaimed its full sovereignty from Russia.
  • A musical adaptation by Cole Porter called “Silk Stockings” played Broadway in 1955 staring German actress Hildegard Knef and Don Ameche (I told you he’d be good in that part). The inevitable film adaptation came in 1957, starring Cyd Charisse and Fred Astaire, and was one of the last MGM musicals under the fabled “Freed Unit”.
  • Other movies that share a bit of “Ninotchka” DNA include 1940’s “Comrade X” and 1956’s “The Iron Petticoat”.
  • But the person who got the biggest career boost from “Ninotchka” was one of its screenwriters. “Ninotchka” was the first major hit for Billy Wilder, who would be directing his first Hollywood movie within three years of this film’s release, paving the way for his nearly 30 year run as one of Hollywood’s most celebrated writer/directors.

#645) Ringling Brothers Parade Film (1902)

#645) Ringling Brothers Parade Film (1902)

OR “The Greatest Show Unearthed”

Produced by the Selig Polyscope Company

Class of 2021

The full film, with a delightful introduction from film historian David Kiehn.

The Plot: As per the Selig Polyscope Company’s listing, “Ringling Brothers Parade Film” is “the finest circus parade caught by a moving picture camera.” Filmed on May 12th, 1902, the film documents the Ringling Brothers Circus parading down Capital Avenue in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana ahead of their performance in town later that day. In three minutes we see all the sights (but not sounds -it’s a silent film) of the fabled Ringling Brothers Circus: cages of wild animals, riders on horseback, a marching band, clowns, camels, and a finale of elephants! The Selig Company calls it “the greatest and grandest circus parade ever seen on a motion picture film”, though to be fair in 1902 it was probably the only circus parade ever seen on film.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls the short a “delightful gem” and highlights the film’s “rare glimpse of a prosperous northern Black community” at a time when African-Americans were rarely seen on film.

But Does It Really?: Yes, because why the hell not? “Ringling Brothers Parade Film” is not the most important or significant movie on the list, but you know what: it’s fun. While I never went to the circus as a kid, I enjoyed watching this footage of a circus in its prime, and equally enjoyed hearing David Kiehn talk about the film’s rediscovery in the video embedded above. The NFR’s spin about the film’s depiction of a Black community is commendable, but it strikes me as an attempt to justify the inclusion of this film on a list of more diverse selections (this is the year of “Selena” and “The Watermelon Woman” after all). Yes, there are Black people in this film, but in terms of representation this ain’t exactly the “Solomon Sir Jones Films“. Overall, “Ringling Brothers Parade Film” delivers what the title suggests, and I’m glad this little oddity has found its way onto the Registry.

Everybody Gets One: Albert, Otto, Alfred, Charles, and John Ringling started performing their juggling act together around 1882 in their hometown of Baraboo, Wisconsin (there were two additional brothers – Gus and Henry – who weren’t part of the act). Once the boys started touring, the act continued to expand, officially becoming a circus in 1884 with their purchase of the Yankee Robinson Circus. Over the next thirty years, the Ringling Brothers Circus traveled the country, keeping tabs on their main competition, Barnum and Bailey’s. With declining attendance and the death of co-founder Jonathan Bailey, the Ringlings officially merged with Barnum and Bailey in 1919, and toured for the next 98 years as “The Greatest Show on Earth”.

Wow, That’s Dated: I was ready to add “circuses in general” to the list, but I guess they’re back? While Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus closed in May 2017, Feld Entertainment (the circus’ operating company) announced recently that Ringling will resume touring in September 2023, sans animal acts. Feld, if you really love circuses, let them go.

Other notes 

  • First and foremost, a shoutout to David Kiehn and the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum in Fremont, California. All information we have about this film stems from Kiehn’s research. Side note: Like myself, David Kiehn is an alumni of SFSU! What’s up, fellow Gator?
  • Among the details Kiehn used to determine the film’s identity: background signs for “Park Theatre” and “Cleveland Club” (what the latter was doing in Indianapolis I have no idea), the carvings on the wagons (unique to Ringling Brothers), and a trolley car labeled “Blake”. This is the kind of deep-dive researching that makes me love film history. It’s amazing what you can figure out with internet access and a thirst for knowledge. By the way, one of the resources Kiehn used was the Internet Archive. If you love any sort of film history research projects like this one, please donate anything you can to them.
  • The Polyscope description says the parade is lead by “Mr. Ringling”, though it never specifies which one. They were all still alive in 1902, so it’s anyone’s guess.
  • I love the little moment where a female onlooker is tapped on the shoulder and asked to stand back. I wonder if they knew she was partially blocking the shot. “Would you step back miss? You’re obstructing the posterity.”
  • There are several parade watchers holding umbrellas. Turns out Indianapolis was unusually hot that day, with a high of 85 degrees! And everyone’s wearing suits and dresses! I would not have survived back then.
  • Yes, there are lions and tigers and bears in the parade, but their cages are so dark you can barely see them. I’ll take your word for it, movie.
  • Wait, are the clowns the guys on top of the wagon playing instruments? Either that or the bit of film with the clowns is missing from this reel. Regardless, those of you with a fear of clowns should be able to watch this with no problem.
  • Everyone in this movie is dressed like they’re in “The Man Who Would Be King“.
  • After seeing all the horses in this parade, I have come to the conclusion that circuses smelled awful.
  • And there’s elephants too? Yeah, nothing about this experience smelled good. The people of Indianapolis must have been really starved for entertainment in 1902. Thank god the Motor Speedway was only a few years away.
  • Did you know that David Letterman, Brendan Fraser, Jane Pauley, Madam C.J. Walker, and John Dillinger are all from Indianapolis? And so is “Double Dare” host Marc Summers! Sorry; I’ve fallen into a research rabbit hole, where were we? Oh right, the circus.

Legacy 

  • “Ringling Brothers Parade Film” was released in July 1902, and was available for purchase to be screened at your exhibition hall for $18 (over $600 in today’s money!). The film was still advertised by the Selig Company as late as 1908, but seemingly disappeared after the company folded in 1918. Cut to the Niles Essany Silent Film Museum in 2011, when an elderly couple from Oakland donated an unmarked reel of film they discovered in their home in 1969 (you may be thinking, “Why did they wait 42 years before turning it in?” but don’t we all have items on our To Do list that we keep putting off?) Thanks to the detective work of David Kiehn, the unmarked reel was identified as “Ringling Brothers Parade Film” and received a 5K restoration. The restored film was uploaded onto the Niles’ YouTube channel in October 2020, and made the NFR 14 months later.

Further Viewing: This viewing made me realize how few circus movies are on the Registry (the only other ones I can think of offhand are “Dumbo” and “HE Who Gets Slapped“). As for possible future entries, I suppose DeMille’s “The Greatest Show on Earth” has a shot. Sure, it routinely ranks among the worst Oscar Best Picture winners of all time, but as I recently learned from “The Fabelmans”, it’s the film that gave young Steven Spielberg his love/fear of the movies. That’s a legacy!

#644) Naughty Marietta (1935)

#644) Naughty Marietta (1935)

OR “The French Maid’s Tale”

Directed by W.S. Van Dyke

Written by John Lee Mahin & Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett. Based on the operetta by Victor Herbert and Rida Johnson Young.

Class of 2003

The Plot: In 18th century France, the Princess Marie (Jeanette MacDonald) is unhappy with her arranged marriage to Don Carlos (Walter Kingsford). Wanting to find true love, she disguises herself as her servant Marietta (Helen Shipman) and takes her place on a ship bound for New Orleans with casquette girls sent to marry the French colonists. After their ship is overtaken by pirates, the women are rescued by Captain Richard Warrington (Nelson Eddy) and his band of mercenaries. Marie initially is unimpressed by Warrington’s boasting, but eventually the two warm up to each other. Marie’s arrival in New Orleans leads to more romance, mistaken identity, and a whole bunch of songs.

Why It Matters: No real superlatives in the NFR write-up, other than that MacDonald and Eddy are a “sensational singing duo”. The films production and Oscar stats are also mentioned.

But Does It Really?:  The early 2000s was the NFR’s “What haven’t we gotten to yet?” era: checking off major movie series and performers that were so far unrepresented on the NFR (We get Our Gang, the Three Stooges, and Elvis on the list during this period). Among those pieces of movie culture is a Jeanette MacDonald/Nelson Eddy MGM operetta, and “Naughty Marietta” fits the bill. On its own “Naughty Marietta” is a fun, enjoyable musical; not outstanding, but a pleasant enough viewing experience. “Naughty Marietta” is on the list for what it is as much as for what it represents: the kind of escapist romantic movie musicals that delighted Depression-era audiences. An indifferent but understanding pass for its NFR inclusion.

Everybody Gets One: Born into a musical family, Nelson Eddy got his start singing in the church choir, eventually performing with the Philadelphia Civic Opera Company. A last minute booking in Los Angeles earned him acclaim, as well as the attention of several studios. Eddy signed with MGM, and was shortly thereafter assigned the leading role opposite Jeanette MacDonald in “Naughty Marietta” when MacDonald’s first choice Allan Jones was unavailable (he was filming “A Night at the Opera“).

Everybody Almost Gets One: “Naughty Marietta” was originally to be directed by Robert Z. Leonard, known for helming MGM’s more sophisticated fare like “Strange Interlude” and “A Tale of Two Cities”. After one day of filming, Leonard asked to be taken off the project. His reason for leaving remains unknown, as does whether any of his day’s footage is in the final film.

Title Track: Once again we have a Lebowski situation, as the real title role is the minor character Marietta, played by Helen Shipman during her brief tenure at MGM. Sadly we never learn what makes Marietta so naughty.

Seriously, Oscars?: A hit upon release, “Naughty Marietta” received two Oscar nominations. The film lost Best Picture to fellow MGM release “Mutiny on the Bounty”, but prevailed in the category Best Sound Recording, with the statuette going to sound engineer Douglas (older brother of Norma) Shearer.

Other notes 

  • Not a lot of info about the original operetta “Naughty Marietta” or how it became a film, but we know that MGM purchased the film rights originally as a vehicle for Marion Davies. The film follows the overall plot of the musical, omitting a few subplots and streamlining the story.
  • I’m only a few minutes in and I already have no idea what is happening or what anyone is singing. In retrospect the plot doesn’t really get going until about 10 minutes in, and the first numbers are just table dressing reiterating how nice Marie is.
  • Jeanette MacDonald seems to be having a good time playing Marie. There’s a sense of fun in her performance, especially her first few scenes posing as Marietta; a chance to play a “character” rather than her screen persona. Also wow what a voice. If Jeanette sings any higher she’s gonna start setting off car alarms.
  • I assume the boat set and all its colonial aesthetics are holdovers from “Mutiny on the Bounty”, later to be redecorated for “Captains Courageous”. Also, jeez Louise this boat farewell number is so long. Stop singing about leaving and just go already!
  • I appreciate that Marie’s uncle figures out the Marietta switch almost immediately, with only the lengthy voyage to America delaying his pursuit of her. It becomes the movie’s ticking time bomb; we’re always worried for Marie because we know her uncle is on the way.
  • For whatever reason I wasn’t expecting this film to have pirates. The lead pirate Bras Pique (French for “Spade Arm”) had a much more pivotal role in the operetta, trimmed to a minor role in the film for time and possibly censorship (he was a bit effeminate, a “Be Careful” in the Production Code handbook).
  • Nelson Eddy IS Davy Crockett. Much like MacDonald, Eddy seems to be enjoying himself in this film, and has a voice that packs a wallop. The relationship between Warrington and Marie is very much “He’s a jerk but she’s okay with it”.
  • We arrive in New Orleans and are greeted by Governor and Madame d’Annard, played by Frank Morgan and Elsa Lanchester, aka the Wizard and the Bride. Morgan’s performance is about 90% stammering, but his timing is flawless. Lanchester is stuck in the thankless role of nagging wife, but it’s always nice seeing her in a movie, especially one where she has actual dialogue.
  • The whole casquette girl thing is a trip. Good thing we don’t commodify women in any way, shape, or form nowadays, right? ….Right?
  • Question: Are these songs diegetic? I get the sense that everyone in this movie is aware that other characters are singing; the songs are being “performed” for other characters’ amusement. I wonder if ’30s audiences weren’t ready to make that suspension of disbelief just yet.
  • Ah yes, that time in American movies when we conflated the Italians and Romani for the “gypsy” stereotype. That being said, this movie has more Italians in the cast than any movie this side of “The Godfather“. One of the young Italian women is Adrianna Caselotti, making her film debut in a rare on-screen appearance before becoming the voice of Snow White. Sadly, her operatic voice is not on display here.
  • I assume Douglas Shearer’s Oscar win was for the overall recording of the songs, especially those extended high notes. I detect some audio doctoring.
  • The marionette theater number “Ship Ahoy” is truly bizarre. I never expected to see Jeannette MacDonald doing a “Weinerville” style puppet show. Man, remember “Weinerville”? I loved that show.
  • For those of you playing along, this is the second Jeanette MacDonald movie on the NFR in which a description of medical symptoms turns into rhyming couplets and then a song.
  • I assume Walter Kingsford was cast as stuffy betrothed Don Carlos because Edward Everett Horton was unavailable.
  • Oh my god, Frank Morgan is just full on stammering in lieu of actual dialogue. He’s like a proto-Goldblum. Did preview audiences demand more stammering? This all being said, Morgan gives some great double takes throughout, as well as a spit take!
  • After being teased as a leitmotif throughout, “Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life” gets a full number at the film’s climax. It’s the only time MacDonald and Eddy share a duet, and it’s worth the wait. I understand why they held off having these two sing directly at each other. Their voices are so strong I was expecting a tornado to start forming between them.
  • Marie’s uncle after her duet with Warrington: “That’s the most disgusting exhibition I’ve ever seen in my life.” Clearly the man has never seen “Pink Flamingos“.
  • What a cute ending. Of course MacDonald and Eddy get together, and they travel west, the reality of which was do doubt a full one 180 from this rose-colored happy ending. Somebody in that group died of dysentery that’s for sure.

Legacy 

  • “Naughty Marietta” was a surprise hit upon release, earning a healthy profit at the box office and eventually receiving a reissue (the reissue’s trailer is embedded above). From 1936 to 1942, Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy made seven more films together, three of which were directed by Robert Z. Leonard, who apparently stuck around for the whole shoot this time.
  • Although both of their film careers peaked with their collaborations, both MacDonald and Eddy continued to perform on radio, records, and the stage for the rest of their lives. I remember Eddy best from his performance as every character in “Willie the Operatic Whale”, the best short not on Disney+.
  • The stage version of “Naughty Marietta” has rarely been seen since its original staging in 1910, and the only other major adaptation was as a TV special in 1955 with Alfred Drake and Patrice Munsel.
  • The legacy of both the operetta and film is “Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life”, which gets referenced every so often in pop culture, especially in the decades immediately following the film. I can just imagine nine year old Melvin Kaminsky sitting in the balcony of some Brooklyn movie house watching “Naughty Marietta” and filing away “Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life” for later use.

Further Viewing: Victor Herbert’s other major contribution to pop culture was the 1903 operetta “Babes in Toyland”. There have been several film adaptations over the years, each straying further and further from the source material. Still, you got to love the variety of performers these films have attracted: Laurel & Hardy, Annette Funicello, Drew Barrymore.

Listen to This: Victor Herbert and his “Naughty Marietta” score are on the National Recording Registry by virtue of a 1911 Edison cylinder recording of “Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life”, added to the Registry in 2017. Herbert expert Alyce Mott guest writes an essay about the recording.

#643) Employees’ Entrance (1933)

#643) Employees’ Entrance (1933)

OR “Not My Department”

Directed by Roy Del Ruth

Written by Robert Presnell Sr. Based on a play by David Boehm.

Class of 2019 

The Plot: New York’s monumental Monroe department store is losing revenue as the Great Depression takes it toll. Kurt Anderson (Warren William) is brought in as the store’s new general manager, and while Monroe makes its biggest profits in years, Anderson’s management style is ruthless; firing anyone who disagrees with him and using his female employees as sex objects. Anderson seduces young Madeline Walters (Loretta Young) and hires her as a dress model in the ladies’ department. Madeline begins a whirlwind romance with Martin West (Wallace Ford), Anderson’s promising young assistant, and the two marry in secret, not wanting Anderson to learn about their relationship for fear it will damage their careers. But of course Anderson finds out, and gets to work trying to break up the couple for his benefit. If you think you can guess the ending, remember this is pre-Code and guess again.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls the film “a superb pre-Production Code film” and “one of the studio’s best” features of the 1930s. Warren William’s “devastating” and “superb” performance is also highlighted.

But Does It Really?: We have a rarity: I don’t think I can justify having “Employees’ Entrance” on the NFR. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the movie, but it lacks the unique standing I’m looking for on a list of culturally significant films. We’ve already got racy pre-Code movies on the list (see “Baby Face“) and plenty of films that encapsulate Depression-era living (see “Wild Boys of the Road“). “Employees’ Entrance” is one of your “TCM at 10am on a Wednesday” kinda movies; an enjoyable watch, but not ready for primetime. I can’t help but think that this slot could have gone to another movie.

Everybody Gets One: Roy Del Ruth started his career as a writer for Mack Sennett before pivoting to directing. He doesn’t have a lot of classics on the resume, but he did direct the first film adaptation of “The Maltese Falcon” a full decade before John Huston took a stab at it. Loretta Young started out in silent movies before successfully making the transition to sound, and was already an established ingenue at Warner Bros. when “Employee’s Entrance” came around. Young was 19 when she filmed this! She’s so…not old!

Wow, That’s Dated: First and foremost: department stores. If Monroe was still around today that building would be a multiplex, two escapes rooms and a Boba tea shop. Also dated, the profession of department store dress model. Had mannequins not been invented yet?

Seriously, Oscars?: No Oscar love for “Employees’ Entrance”. Warner Bros.’ major contenders that year were “42nd Street” and “I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang“.

Other notes 

  • Weirdly enough I can’t find anything about the original play “Employees’ Entrance” is based on. It never played Broadway, and there’s no record of it being performed anywhere. Any leads?
  • Warren William may be the most ’30s man who ever lived, with his slicked back hair, pencil mustache, and double-breasted suit. Also he looks and sounds like Christopher Plummer as John Barrymore.
  • I know this movie goes out of its way to make Anderson as unscrupulous as possible, but did you have to name him Kurt? A bit on the nose, don’t you think?
  • Madeline is living in the department store? When did this become “Evening Primrose”?
  • Tops on the list of this movie’s pre-Code insinuations: Anderson, seeing Polly; “Oh it’s you. I didn’t know you with all your clothes on.” Whoa.
  • This apparently was a comeback vehicle of sorts for Alice White, who had found success in the late ’20s as a flapper-type. With her short bob and unapologetic sex appeal, White’s Polly is like a live-action Betty Boop (and no I don’t mean Helen Kane). Sadly, shortly after this film’s release, Alice White was caught up in a public scandal involving her fiancé Sy Bartlett and former lover John Warburton, and her career never recovered.
  • I’m gonna go ahead and assume that Monroe doesn’t have an HR department. Either that or Anderson is the HR department, just moving over to another desk when people want to file a complaint.
  • Say what you will about Anderson, but instead of laying off a bunch of employees, he makes the executives (and himself) take a pay cut. The same could not necessarily be said for other organizations during COVID.
  • According to the characters in this movie, the word “employee” is pronounced “EM-ploy-YAY”, and “brassieres” is pronounced “BRAH-see-ERS”. Have I been saying them wrong this whole time?
  • Wait, Madeline and Martin are getting married? They met like 20 minutes ago. Also, I correctly called that the man playing the priest is a real priest and not an actor. The Rev. Dr. Neal Dodd was an L.A. based priest who played various ministers, reverends, and justices of the peace in dozens of Hollywood movies for over 30 years. He appears in at least three other NFR titles: “It Happened One Night“, “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington“, and “The Killers“.
  • I’m enjoying this movie’s comic interludes on the department floor. “Young lady, where’s the basement?” “On the 12th floor, madam.” Somebody in the Warner Bros. writing pool worked retail. Points deducted, however, for the cutaway involving a stereotypical Jewish customer who refuses to buy a pigskin football. They can’t all be winners.
  • Classic Movie Cliché #18: Drunks in a movie singing “Sweet Adeline” (we will also accept “How Dry I Am” as an alternate).
  • Here’s your big pre-Code moment: When Madeline is passed out at the party, Anderson closes the door, turns off the lights, and a fade to black implies everything that happens next. In case you can’t figure it out, Madeline says later she feels like “someone you pick up off the streets”.
  • [Spoilers] Wow this all escalated quickly. Warren William receives the 1933 Clark Gable prize for best reaction to being shot: “You can’t even shoot straight, can you?”
  • In addition to salacious dialogue throughout the film, “Employees’ Entrance” ends with another pre-Code staple: no punishment for the villain. You think Anderson is about to get his comeuppance and be voted out by the board, but at the last minute he’s saved, and does not grow or change from this experience. Adding insult to injury (or vice versa), the movie ends with him throwing an actual real-life dog into a wastebasket. That’s the worst offense of the whole movie!

Legacy 

  • “Employees’ Entrance” opened in August 1933…and I have no information on how it did. I assume as a B picture (released through the Warner Bros.’ subsidiary First National Pictures) it didn’t set the box office on fire. I know that it started airing on local TV stations in the mid-50s, so at least it has that going for it.
  • Roy Del Ruth continued to direct movies for the next 25 years. Among his later films were “Broadway Melody of 1938” (in which Judy Garland sings “(Dear Mr. Gable) You Made Me Love You”), and “The Babe Ruth Story”, a biopic so bad even Del Ruth didn’t like it.
  • Both this film’s screenwriter and original author would go on to receive Oscar nominations for their later screenplays: Robert Presnell Sr. for “Meet John Doe” and David Boehm for “A Guy Named Joe”.
  • Warren William continued his leading man streak throughout the 1930s (playing opposite Claudette Colbert in both “Imitation of Life” and “Cleopatra”) though he never matched his early ’30s run as “King of Pre-Code”. Fun Fact: William was the first actor to play Perry Mason, portraying the lawyer in four separate films.
  • The actor with the biggest post-“Employees’ Entrance” career was definitely Loretta Young. In the ensuing decades, Young became a big movie star, an Oscar winner for her performance in “The Farmer’s Daughter”, and eventually a TV star with the long-running “Loretta Young Show”.

#642) Scorpio Rising (1963)

#642) Scorpio Rising (1963)

OR “Look Back in Anger”

Directed by Kenneth Anger

Written by Ernest D. Glucksman

Class of 2022 

Ugh, no YouTube clip I embed here will show the thumbnail image (I keep getting the “Video unavailable” screen). You can watch the film on YouTube here.

The Plot: The avant-garde, occult influenced, homoerotic work of Kenneth Anger is on full display in “Scorpio Rising”. Set to an inspired playlist of ’60s hits, the film follows a biker named Scorpio (Bruce Byron) as he prepares for a night of racing and partying. It’s an experimental examination of the different groups society has deemed outsiders throughout history. Or maybe it’s a condemnation of hero worship. Or maybe Kenneth Anger just thought this guy was cute.

Why It Matters: The NFR gives a heap of superlatives to “Scorpio Rising”, calling it “one of the key works in Avant-Garde/Experimental cinema” and “a one-of-kind, rapid-fire exploration and juxtaposition of symbolism”.

But Does It Really?: Oh sure. “Scorpio Rising” is a great representation of the late legend Kenneth Anger. I would go so far as to say that “Scorpio Rising” is a better representation on this list for Anger than his previously inducted film: 1953’s “Eaux d’Artifice“. While “Eaux” has all the markings of an early experimental film (and is one of those “Staring at Water” movies the NFR loves for some reason), it lacks the hallmarks of Anger’s other films; the surreal blend of pop culture and his own sexuality that he is known for. “Scorpio Rising” fits the bill, and is a testament to one of filmdom’s first openly gay creators.

Shout Outs: I’m pretty sure James Dean’s photo on Scorpio’s wall is from “Rebel Without a Cause“. We also get a very brief shot of a Bela Lugosi-looking vampire.

Everybody Gets One: Richard MacAulay was a biker in Greenwich Village who went by the name Bruce Byron (a tribute to James Dean, whose middle name was Byron). A chance encounter with Kenneth Anger in Times Square led to him appearing in “Scorpio Rising”. Much of the character of Scorpio is taken from Byron’s real life: His Greenwich Village apartment was used for filming, and the photos of James Dean on the wall were really his (as is the Dishonorable Discharge from the Marines). The character’s name came from Byron’s astrological sign, as well as the scorpion amulet he always carried with him. When the film was released, Byron would occasionally show up at theaters to greet audiences.

Title Track: The title “Scorpio Rising” is written in metal studs on the back of a leather jacket. That tells you exactly what kind of movie you are in for.

Seriously, Oscars?: What? No Oscar nomination for “Scorpio Rising”? I’m shocked! (Can you sense the sarcasm?) For the record: 1963’s Live Action Short winner was Robert Enrico’s “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge“, which would go on to be re-edited and aired as one of the final episodes of…”The Twilight Zone”.

Other notes 

  • Part One of this film (known as “Boys & Bolts”) feels like the film adaptation of “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”. At one point I though the whole movie was just going to be this guy fixing his bike. What is this, “Andy Warhol’s Garage”?
  • Longtime readers know I’m a sucker for a good soundtrack, and “Scorpio Rising” is no exception, with each track masterfully chosen to either comment on or subvert the film’s imagery. In order for “Scorpio” to compete at film festivals without getting pulled for copyright infringement, Anger paid for the clearance rights of each song, which cost about $8000 (about $80,000 today), roughly the same amount it cost to make the film!
  • At one point we hear Bobby Vinton’s rendition of “Blue Velvet”, which reminds me: When is David Lynch’s “Blue Velvet” gonna make the NFR? I remembered to submit it for consideration this year, so hopefully that helps.
  • In Part Two (“Image Maker”) Scorpio is watching a TV airing of “The Wild One”, another movie I’m surprised isn’t on the NFR yet. It’s always odd when an independent film makes the NFR before the more iconic film it’s referencing does. Apparently, “Wild One” just happened to be playing on TV when Anger was filming in Byron’s apartment, but as with any piece of Kenneth Anger trivia I will take that with a grain of salt.
  • Looks like Scorpio picked the wrong week to keep snorting methamphetamines.
  • Anger starts laying on the symbolism pretty thick with shots of Scorpio juxtaposed with clips of Jesus from the ’50s educational film series “The Living Bible”. These images appear while The Crystals’ “He’s a Rebel” plays on the soundtrack. You know, Jesus was something of a rebel himself. Shoutout to Nelson Leigh, the actor playing Jesus in the clips from “Living Bible”. Leigh plays bit parts in fellow NFR films “Lassie Come Home“, “Imitation of Life“, and the aforementioned “Rebel Without a Cause”.
  • And now the great “Art vs. Porn” debate. During the “Living Bible” clip when a blind man kneels before Jesus, Kenneth Anger interjects a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot of someone’s penis. This, combined with some of the more overt physical acts at the party led to the film’s obscenity charges (more about those in “Legacy”). Now I’m no expert (I tend to fall on the “I know it when I see it” side of things), but all of the sexual acts in this movie happen so quickly you’d have to really be paying attention in order to find it titillating. But that’s just me; you do you.
  • Speaking of, I assume the debauchery in Part Three (“Walpurgis Party”) is what hard-core conservatives think happen at all liberal parties. Well we used to party like that, but then COVID hit. Safety first, you know.
  • Of course this kind of homoerotic imagery was ahead of its time in 1963, but I got to wondering if it was even too much for the NFR team of 1993, the year “Eaux d’Artifice” was inducted. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was an agreement among the Film Preservation Board that Kenneth Anger should be on the Registry, but that a film like “Scorpio” was too extreme for a list that included the likes of “An American in Paris“. If there’s any gay subject matter in “Eaux”, it’s so subtle that I definitely missed it.
  • Okay I get it, he’s like Jesus! Stop it! I think Anger’s going for a “Let he without sin cast the first stone” deal. Or maybe “Don’t knock it ’till you’ve tried it.”
  • Wait, are the bikers Hitler now? Anger starts using photos of Hitler as well as Jesus in Part Four (“Rebel Rouser”) when the bikers start racing each other. Is this commentary on the danger of hero worship? Also during this part they cut to a shot of a checkers set with swastikas on all the pieces. I definitely did not have “Nazi Checkers” on my list of things to watch for in an NFR film.
  • Another classic film repurposed by Anger: 1935’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. Mickey Rooney’s Puck makes a quick appearance, a reference to Anger’s production company Puck Film, as well as Anger’s claim that he played the changeling child in the film (a claim repeatedly debunked over the years).
  • The closing shots of a solitary police beacon light flashing in the dark looks like the opening of “Police Squad!” (In Color).
  • That was awesome. Thanks, Kenneth.

Legacy 

  • “Scorpio Rising” premiered in October 1963 at the Gramercy Arts Theater in New York City, and shortly afterwards ran at the legendary Bleecker Street Cinema in Greenwich Village, where it became a popular attraction. The controversy with “Scorpio” began almost immediately when the film was pulled from theaters following a public obscenity charge. Cinema Theater manager Mike Getz was convicted for showing the film, but the case was appealed by the California Supreme Court, creating a precedent for seemingly “pornographic” films containing “redeeming social merit”.
  • Speaking of lawsuits, we have perhaps the funniest bit of trivia I’ve ever read while researching a blog post. In 1964, the American Nazi Party sued Kenneth Anger for defamation because of his use of their flag in “Scorpio Rising”. That story again: The American Nazi Party sued someone for damaging their reputation. Riiiiiight. I can’t find the results of that lawsuit, but I assume the judge’s verdict was several minutes of unbridled laughter.
  • Among the filmmakers who have cited “Scorpio Rising” as an influence are John Waters and Martin Scorsese. You can definitely see the Anger influence on these two: Waters with his subverted look at ’50s pop culture, and Scorsese with his choice needle drops.
  • Kenneth Anger continued making films for the next 45 years, his last being 2010’s “Missoni”. And while he wrote “Hollywood Babylon III” around the same time, the book was never published due to its chapter criticizing the Church of Scientology. Anger passed away earlier this month at the age of 96. And I’m sure wherever he is right now, he’s cursing all of us.

Listen to This: None of the songs in this film have been inducted into the National Recording Registry, though some of their performers have (Elvis, Ray Charles, Martha & the Vandellas, etc.). That means the NRR currently lacks such classics as “Blue Velvet”, “Hit the Road Jack”, “(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave”, “I Will Follow Him”, and “Wipeout”. Now available on two CDs or two cassettes!