A Study in Cheese: Harlow, Gable and Gorgonzola

I blame Clark Gable.

He's the reason I followed a bunny trail down a rabbit hole and into a wonderland of Pre-Code debauchery. Red Dust (1932) was the first time I ever knowingly watched a Pre-Code movie, and while Gable might have been the initial draw, it's the women of this picture that keep me coming back for more.

A Pre-Code film was a "talky" made and distributed by Hollywood during the early 1930s. It usually refers to a movie made after the silent era of the 1920s but before the enforcement of the MPAA decency code in July of 1934. There is quite a bit of detail wrapped up in the code and why it came about but I'll try to keep it simple for my purposes here. With the economic collapse beginning in 1929, Hollywood felt the financial blow through dwindling box office returns. Film Moguls were looking at bankruptcy and company collapse as well as a drastically changing audience mindset. The excess lifestyle of the Roaring Twenties had become the enemy, the reason why so much of the nation was jobless and desperate.

The major film companies countered by introducing new types of characters. The silent stars were largely
replaced with actors trained in the theater and directors moved the action out of the penthouses and down into the streets. A Pre-Code film is generally characterized by violence, slums, prostitutes and most importantly, SEX. Film makers ushered in a new wave of cinematic shock and awe. Pre-Code movies are vulgar and eye-popping even for today's public. Perhaps even more so because most people don't consider old movies to be capable of such graphic material. That's one of the reasons I love them so much... they never fails to surprise!

The film code came about because... well... to put it bluntly... because Catholics got mad. The Catholic League of Decency threatened to boycott movies if they didn't start adhering to a fixed set code of ethics. The Catholic population of the 1930's made up a strong majority of the American populace and the film companies surrendered fearing severe backlash if they didn't. Everything from screenplays to advertising had to go through Breen's Office for approval before they could be distributed. This was the Hollywood norm for the next THIRTY years!! Watching a movie from 1933 and one from 1934 is a drastically different viewing experience. Watching a Pre-Code means embracing rebellious classic cinema... and learning to enjoy it.

When it comes to a steamy Pre-Code, no other film does it better that Victor Flemming's Red Dust. It stars a very young (clean shaven) Clark Gable as the owner of a remote jungle rubber plantation. At the beginning of the film he voices discontent with his given circumstances, wishing for a richer, grander life as opposed to his current harsh lifestyle. He's unhappy and grumpy to say the least. As luck would have it, a steam boat breaks down delivering a sexy Saigon prostitute right into Gable's bed... quite literally. The first time the audience meets Vantine (an incredibly gorgeous Jean Harlow) she's attempting to kick a drunk fat man out of her bed. Not only is Harlow dressed in a very daring negligee, she's announcing to the men in her room and the audience that she might be a harlot, but she has her standards.

The first significant interaction between Harlow and Gable happens over a discussion of cheese. Gable hasn't given his new house guest a second glance, "I've been looking at her kind ever since my voice changed." He's already made up his mind about her and isn't interested in the same old type of girl. Harlow doesn't give up, however. She's absolutely charming, countering Gable's gruff attitude with sass and wit, telling him all about Gorgonzola and Roquefort cheese. By the end of the scene, Gable's pulling her into his lap for a kiss and the shot fades out. Oh, and by the way, Harlow is in nothing but a satin robe this whole time.Once the steam boat is fixed, Gable calls Harlow a "cute little trick",  shoves cash down her cleavage, pats her on the bottom and sends her on her way.

If Pre-Codes were known for their sharp prostitutes, they were also made popular by another type of shocking female: the cheating wife. In walks Mary Astor, wife of Clark Gable's new plantation worker, and the third point of this provocative triangle. Astor's character isn't what you would expect. She's tough, strong and stands up for both herself and her weakling husband. After all, it's only after she slaps Gable across the face that he begins to see her feminine potential.

Cheating wives are often times portrayed as either morally weak or simply bored with their current life/spouse. This isn't the case with most Pre-Code straying wives. Norma Shearer  made famous the wife who evens the playing field with an adulterous husband, other character types were wives who "sold the goods" to pay the bills while husband were out of work, or the wife who discovers a wild life outside her sheltered four walls. Astor was the wife who fell for a new kind of man. The kind of "barbarian" man that Tarzan made famous. And while Gable wasn't exactly walking around in a loin cloth, he wasn't a charismatic smooth talker either. He was all Alpha and poor Astor never stood a chance.

After Gable has made up his mind to go for the married goods, the unthinkable happens... Harlow walks back through the door. The boat broke down again. All of a sudden Gable is sandwiched between two very different types of women, and two very different types of life style. Astor being everything he's always wanted but never had and Harlow encompassing the wild world he's always known. Like any good Pre-Code man, Gable reaches for the forbidden fruit and feels no shame. He sends Astor's husband on a traveling trip through the monsoons rains and keeps the lonely wife all for himself.

My favorite part through all of this drama is how the women interact. They both know what the other is up to but never resort to pulling each other's hair out. They simply live and let live. Harlow doesn't like sharing her man, but she doesn't fight for him either. She understands instead why Astor can't resist the temptation and tries to offer up cautious advice at the beginning of the affair. Astor in turn knows that Harlow is a prostitute but chooses to ignore both the words of wisdom as well as Harlow's given profession.

The whole film is rather sexy. Harlow walks around most of the picture in varying degrees of undress, Gable first kisses Astor while both are dripping wet and the three of them are all stuck inside one hot little house during weeks of pouring rain. It leaves very little to the imagination. It all comes to a head when Gable takes the "noble" route and decides against pursuing Astor any further. Instead he decides to brutally make out with Harlow on the kitchen table. Astor walks in and has her pride snapped in two. What else is left for a jilted adulterous woman to do but pull a gun and shoot her betraying lover?

But no worries, Harlow shoves a sterile (dubiously sterile) rod through the bullet hole and saves Gable's life. Prostitute to the rescue! This is yet another scene that would never have made it past the code. The audience sees Harlow push the rod through Gable and out the other end. It isn't a quick and clean scene. Gable is sweating and grimacing and Harlow is shaky and all nerves. The code office would have deemed this as violent and vulgar. They would have ordered it to be cut out.

I love when a movie has a happy ending... and this one definitely ends on a cheerful note. Astor and her husband leave for America (him thinking his wife a hero for denying the advances of a lecherous plantation owner... little does he know, poor guy) and Harlow reading Gable a bed time story about a rabbit going "hippity hop  hippity hop" before giving into his flirtatious fingers. After the enforcement of the code, this ending would never have happened. Under the code, every act of "sin" had to be punished accordingly so none of these characters would have gotten away with anything. The fact that this movie allows for flaws in human nature is part of it's appeal. As you watch it, you want it to end exactly the way it does... happily with each couple going their separate ways.

Pre-Codes are so great because they allowed women to embrace new levels of sexuality and feminism. This is the only time in film history where females were the ones who ruled the box office. To this day, it is rare that a woman can carry the full weight of a movie (unless your Jennifer Lawrence and even then it's not a sure bet). These actresses played characters that weren't tied to typical boxed stereotypes but instead reveled in what it mean to be a powerful woman living in a man's world. They played raw, unapologetic, fierce characters that were fully capable of taking their lives into their own hands... And none did it better than Mary Astor and Jean Harlow in Red Dust.

I promise more Pre-Code fun in the future... I won't be able to resist!

Nick and Nora!

The Thin Man is one of those movies that I've never been able to resist, and when I put it in, you can almost guarantee that I'm going to keep it on a loop for the next 24 hours. Most Thin Man fans will tell you that you don't watch any of the Nick and Nora movies for the plot. They all have similar story lines, Nick (a dashing reluctant private eye) solves a difficult case with the aid of his uber witty and wealthy wife, Nora and faithful pup, Asta.

You watch The Thin Man films for Myrna Loy and William Powell. The two of them were positively perfect for each other on screen. They were so effective at enthralling audiences, that the studio capitlized and paired the two actors for a total of 14 films (6 portraying Nick and Nora Charles).

They made marriage look like fun. They drank together, embraced each other's faults, trusted one another and genuinely enjoyed being together. My favorite scene from the first Thin Man is when the two of them are sitting after opening presents on Christmas morning. Nora sits in her huge fur coat and watches her goofy husband use his pellet gun to pop balloons off the Christmas tree. He starts with simple straight shooting but quickly builds until he's shooting between slipper-ed feet and over the shoulder. You can see that Nora knows this isn't going to end well, but she is obviously amused that her husband is enjoying his present. The inevitable happens and Nick breaks a window. He immediately drops the pellet gun and curls into a fetal position pretending to be asleep like a 6 year old boy. It's adorable. The whole scene is simple and natural. You can tell that Loy and Powell were incredibly comfortable with each other, you would swear that Nick and Nora were real people shaking up martinis every night of the week.

If you've never seen the first Thin Man, a few words of caution:

1. The first 10 minutes of exposition are incredibly dull, push through to Nick's entrance teaching bartenders how to mix the perfect drink to the appropriate song... things pick up from there.

2. If you get confused by the actual plot, don't worry about it... It isn't really all that important anyway.

3. Sensitive to drinking? Don't even start this movie... Nick and Nora's constant alcohol consumption is all a part of the fun!

"Those Frenchies Seek Him Everywhere..."

 Errol Flynn undoubtedly takes first prize when it comes to classic adventure heroes. No one will ever be able to compete with that dizzying smile and devilish charm, and let's face it, green tights aren't easy to pull off. No other film of the early '30s came even close to matching what Robin Hood was able to achieve in the adventure genre (thanks in no small part to a brilliant supporting cast and stunning use of technicolor). However, had it been given the same studio treatment, I think The Scarlet Pimpernel could have come real close to capturing that same brand of magic.

I absolutely adore this movie. It has everything you never knew you wanted: French villains, suave Englishmen, disguises, melodramatic misunderstandings, mistaken identities and a "love conquers all" vibe that is swoon worthy. Quick plot outline: The Scarlet Pimpernel (a.k.a. Sir Percy Blakeney) dons disguises to sneak into France and save French aristocracy from the guillotine during the French Revolution. He does it in part because his French wife admitted to denouncing (sentencing to death) some "friends" at the beginning of the French killing spree. His wife is guilty of the crime but there is more to that story than meets the eye. Because of this misunderstanding, Percy and his wife, Marguerite suffer from a strained relationship. It's kind of like a 1700's version of a separation. In the meantime, a super villainous French agent is sent to England to find out the identity of The Scarlet Pimpernel and blackmails Marguerite into helping him. No one suspects Sir Percy (not even Marguerite) because he pretends to be a "dandy", a fop, a shallow English aristocrat who feigns more interest in men's fashion than he does in political affairs. I mean, come on, doesn't that sound amazing?!

Production was right on the money when it came to casing it's leading man. Leslie Howard plays Sir Percy brilliantly. Most American audiences only know Howard from Gone With the Wind. He played Ashley... you know, the guy that Scarlet was obsessed with? The guy everyone thought looked incredibly underwhelming next to Clark Gable's enigmatic Rhett Butler. I think it is incredibly sad that most people don't know just how amazing Howard really was. Lest we forget, he actually bests Gable in the film A Free Soul protecting Norma Shearer. Howard was a British national treasure, a ladies' man to end all ladies' men and a creative force to be reckoned with. He could hold his own with Bette Davis on screen (a feat worthy of note) and is partially responsible for thrusting Humphrey Bogart into Hollywood. Howard refused to sign onto The Petrified Forest unless Bogart was also hired to reprise his Broadway role in the film production. Bogart even named his daughter after Leslie Howard. How's that for film trivia?!

Howard was also in the forefront of WWII, building support for the troops both in England and in America. He wrote articles, made radio broadcasts and devoted his energies to aiding the war effort. In 1943, he was shot down by Nazi pilots over the Bay of Biscay. I think to truly appreciate actors from classic cinema, it's important to know more about them than just the roles they played. It helps to build a background, character motivation, career choices, why they did what they did. Knowing that Howard was a patriot helps define why he may have decided to take on the persona of another British hero fighting worldly injustices. 

I think the Pimpernel still has a place in contemporary cinema. Not only the 1934 version but perhaps as a modern day produced reboot. The Pimpernel has only been remade a couple of times (a mini-series in the late '90s and a 1982 film version...I will admit that I haven't seen either one). Out of curiosity and because I tend to be just a tad bit obsessive, I decided to read the original story of the Pimpernel and see if I could pinpoint why modern day film makers haven't tried their hand at it yet.

If you've never read Baroness Orczy's book... I highly recommend it. Everyone knows that when books are transitioned onto the big screen, things tend to get a bit twisted. Plot outlines, characterizations and timelines of events are subject to change. The '34 version did a really good job considering... but I have to admit, the book has layers that the film doesn't even begin to delve into. The largest difference between the book and the movie is the definition of the hero. Both stories are called The Scarlet Pimpernel, therefore, you go into it assuming the story is about the Pimpernel, that he is the main hero, the main focus. However, if you read the book, the character driving the plot, the one generating and defeating conflict isn't the Pimpernel... it's his wife. The story is Marguerite's. She's the one overcoming Chauvelin, saving her husband the Pimpernel, making the drastic mistakes and in the end, it's her heart that grows and develops and changes. She's a beautifully human character with deep flaws and a pride that Jane Austen would have loved.

In 1934, they treated Marguerite like a secondary character. She had moments of truth but overall she comes across as scared and unsure almost more villain than white hat. Orczy writes her so differently. The print Marguerite is strong, calculating. She is described as the most fascinating woman in Europe. Chauvelin backs her into a corner but she never once lies down and stops fighting. Her motivation is love. Devoted love for her brother, curious love for the Scarlet Pimpernel and once discovered, a deep all-consuming love for her husband. She sacrifices everything to save her hero and her brother.I truly adore and admire this character, and in the end, I think she is the singular reason why this story hasn't been re-told.

Men don't always know how to handle strong female characters... neither do actresses know how to play them oftentimes. To make the film true to Orczy's original, you would almost have to make Marguerite the key role, build the story and the plot around her. That's risky business especially when the story isn't called Marguerite Blakeney. I would love to see how Joss Whedon would approach this story. Not only does he know how to write courageous no-nonsense women, he does it to perfection. It's a production I would love to see happen. I think Hollywood has so many wonderful actresses that could step up and make Marguerite the hero she deserves to be, not to mention the bountiful crop of British men that could rival Errol Flynn in the charm department and take Sir Percy to new heights.

The take-away:
Leslie Howard is AMAZING
Don't judge Marguerite, the girl's got gumption!
Watch movies, Read books, find new heroes!

Easter Ginger Marathon

Since moving away from home, I've had to learn how to occupy myself alone on holidays. I try to do something unique to wherever I'm at and then I normally watch movies that no one else I know would be interested in.

So I began Easter 2014 at the Studio City Farmer's Market. I bought the most beautiful blueberries and the sweetest peaches. I also picked up some green chili tamales to have for lunch. Then this afternoon I settled in for the main event: 1930's Ginger Roger movies (without Fred Astaire).

First up: Bachelor Mother (1939)

TCM screened this film a couple weeks ago during it's annual film festival but I was unable to attend. I was sorry to have missed it because I do adore this movie. Ginger Rogers plays a store clerk who by happenstance finds an orphan baby. Everyone mistakes the baby for her's, including the owner of the store where she works. David Niven plays her overworked boss and through the course of the movie, the two of them fall in love (as one does when in the presence of Ginger Rogers for any period of time). I like how the film deals with the subject matter. Rogers is believed to be an unwed mother in 1939! Not only is everyone trying to help her succeed, but they are going above an beyond to make sure she is successful. Rather than ostracizing Rogers, they are embracing her. A very unconventional idea for the time.

It's a sweet movie with a sweet story and isn't melodramatic in the least. In fact, it's quite funny. The on-going gag with the wind up ducks is wonderful.

Second on the agenda was In Person (1935). This time, Rogers is paired with George Brent. This movie isn't near as cute as Bachelor Mother but I do like seeing early Ginger before she found her "grit" so to speak. This was back when the studio was still playing up her sweetness. I think they found out through the course of the 1930s that Ginger was much more than just a pretty face, the woman was dynamic and could act with the best in the business. When I watch In Person, it's to see the career foil of where Ginger Rogers was in '35 and where she would end up in only a few years time. Her character in this movie is a shy, nervous-breakdown starlet who spends her time at a isolated cabin with George Brent. The film doesn't really have any depth and the ending is a bit unresolved but the dance numbers are fun and George Brent really knew how to let his leading ladies shine.


Last up: Vivacious Lady (1938). Ginger Rogers and James Stewart! It doesn't get much better than this! These two made such a wonderful couple on screen. Rogers plays a nightclub singer who marries Stewart, a botany professor. They keep the marriage a secret because they know his father (who is president of the university where Stewart works) wouldn't approve. This movie has one of my favorite all time things: a scene with a drunk Jimmy Stewart! I love when this man plays loaded! He is absolutely adorable. Rogers is at her best balancing her sweetness with a bit of a bite. She even has herself a hair pulling cat fight! Lady isn't to be missed if you are a fan of either Rogers or Stewart.

So I will round out my Easter with church tonight and pizza with friends afterwards. I always miss when I spend holidays away from home but today wasn't a bad day in California after all.