OK, Lets talk about Raoul Walsh!

Raoul Walsh Stamp
Originally uploaded by livingfilm.

I am excited to start talking about another one of my favorite directors the Rowdy and Brilliant Raoul Walsh!

So Raoul Walsh is one of the most colorful and prolific directors in Hollywood history, and it is really a shame that his name is so foreign to most modern filmgoers. He directed his first film in 1912 and directed his last in 1964. In the 52 years between Walsh would direct some of the most memorable films in Hollywood history, and give several legendary Stars their greatest roles.

Born in 1887 and raised in New York, Raoul Walsh's life would be as exciting as one of his films. Growing up Walsh would meet several legends of the late 1890's such as Buffalo Bill, 'The Great' Caruso, Mark Twain, 'Gentleman' Jim Corbett and Edwin Booth brother of the notorious John Wilkes Booth -actually both Raoul Walsh and Myself have portrayed Lincoln's assassin, though his performance is perhaps a little more legendary than my own. Walsh would return to this era in several of his greatest films including The Bowery, The Strawberry Blonde and Gentleman Jim the wonderful biography of boxer Jim Corbett -whom of course Walsh had met as a boy.

As a young man Walsh would travel the country as a cowboy, and later would follow Pancho Villa through Mexico, documenting the Mexican Revolution.
In Hollywood Walsh would become protege of the brilliant and often controversial David Wark Griffith, and in who's Birth of a Nation Walsh would play John Wilkes Booth. Griffith is often credited as the man who invented the 'grammar' of filmmaking, and in a way Walsh would take that 'grammar' and run with it. One of Walsh's first major films is Regeneration. Filmed on location in The Bowery, Regeneration with the exception of D.W. Griffith's short The Musketeers of Pig Alley, would be the very first Gangster film, a genre that Walsh would later revisit and perfect with films such as The Roaring Twenties, High Sierra and the incredible White Heat.

Having established himself during the silent period as both a gifted director and leading man, with such films as The Thief of Bagdad starring Douglas Fairbanks and Sadie Thompson starring Gloria Swanson, Walsh was excited to venture into the sound period with the first talking Western In Old Arizona in 1929. This was very ambitious at the time and there was a high degree of skepticism around Hollywood that it was even possible, but Walsh was cocksure and preceded to direct and star in this landmark film. Then disaster struck. During the shooting Walsh was in a freak car accident when a jack rabbit jumped though the windshield of his car, the glass stabbing him in the right eye causing him to loose it, he would wear an eyepatch the rest of his life. A jack rabbit would later be the cause of a car accident in Walsh's 1941 film High Sierra. Walsh's In Old Arizona replacement Warner Baxter would win the academy award for the part.

In 1930 Walsh would again return to making a Western, it was called The Big Trail and starred an unknown prop boy of John Ford's by the name of Marion Morrison soon to be re-christened John Wayne. This time in a revolutionary Widescreen process that would quickly disappear for twenty years due to the fact that theaters that had just converted to sound could not afford to upgrade any new technology. The process was also blamed for the lackluster debut of the new star who without any close-ups seemed to blend into the beautiful scenery. Wayne would spend the rest of the decade in B-Western purgatory till Ford cast him as The Ringo Kid in Stagecoach in 1939.

Walsh would again, rise to the top of the heap with a body of work that is so full of life, and his love for life, that many of his best films still feel fresh, exciting and often beautiful. He was a tough director that could also create a tender love scene. He was a constant innovator that retained a classic beauty. For anyone anxious to discover classic filmmaking Raoul Walsh's films must be seen.

I really haven't even touched on the films themselves, so I have turned the title of this post into a link to a story about him and his films. Also, Walsh's rare memoirs are a fantastic read, copys of the book can fetch hundreds of dollars, but considering how few people know who he is it is possible to find it for much less.

Three on a Match -1932

Three on a Match -1932
Originally uploaded by livingfilm.

I just re-watched one of my favorite Pre-Code films Three on a Match, directed by Mervyn Leroy, and staring Joan Blondell, Ann Dvorak, Bette Davis and a very young Humphrey Bogart. It's a tough little picture and it is only 64 mins long. You really can't go wrong! It starts with three girls in grade school, one is the brains -Ruth, one is the beauty -Vivian, and one is a floosy -Mary. Ruth -Bette Davis, though smart cannot go to High School so she goes to business college and gets a job as a typist, Vivian -Ann Dvorak marries a rich Lawyer and has a child, and Mary -Joan Blondell goes to Reform School and becomes a Showgirl. After several years they all run into each other and decide to have coffee.

Now you might be wondering were the title of the film comes from. Well apparently there was a little phrase about if you lit three cigarettes with one match someone will die. As you learn from the film it was not originated during the first World War, were it was thought that if you had a match lit long enough to light three cigarettes the enemy could see you -like in Rosselinni's Paisan-. But actually, the phrase was created by a Match Baron, who became very rich because it caused superstitious bums to buy more matches. If I may digress.

Well, needless to say the girls light three cigarettes with one match during lunch. And the last girl lit -I'm not telling which one- is set on a path of self destruction and becomes a junkie hooked on Booze, Sex, Heroin, and Cocaine. And ultimately redeemed only by her suicide.

I love this movie! It is on VHS, and is carried in many video stores. I would imagine it will be released next year on DVD if you must wait. But why deny yourself? WATCH IT!

P.S. Look out for livingfilm favorite Frankie Darro, in the early part of the film as Bobby in an uncredited role.

Bass Wolf R.I.P.

Bass Wolf R.I.P.
Originally uploaded by livingfilm.

I tried to tell you, but you didn't listen. I am sad to report to you loyal readers about yet another celebrity death.
Just three weeks since touching his sweaty palm, Bass Wolf has passed away of a heart attack at the age of 38.

I'm afraid I saw this one coming. While watching one of the most astonishing live performances I will surely witness, I couldn't imagine a human capable of surviving that kind of intensity.

Again, Bass Wolf will be missed.
Watch Wild Zero!!!

P.S. I hope to stop writing obituaries soon, SO STOP DYING PEOPLE!!

The life and Art of Morris Engel

Lovers and Lollipops
Originally uploaded by livingfilm.

I just learned today that one of the Godfathers of independent Film passed away March 5, Morris Engel.

Engel's films are unfortunately not widely known, But they should be. I think that is partly why I was able to miss the news of his passing. His three films he made with his wife Ruth Orkin in New York during the 1950's The Little Fugitive, Lovers and Lollipops and Weddings and Babies*, would be a major influence on directors such as John Cassavetes and Francois Truffaut each of which would release their debut films in 1959, Cassavetes with Shadows, and Truffaut with The 400 Blows. Francois Truffaut would later tell The New York Times,

"Our New Wave would never have come into being if it hadn't been for the young Morris Engel...with his fine Little Fugitive"

When you watch his films it is no surprise that his films would influence the French New Wave. Engel's films feel much more like early films of the French New Wave than almost any film made in America during the 1950's I have seen. In a way Morris Engel's films fill the gap between the early Italian Neo Realist films, known for their use of actual locations, non-professional actors, low budgets and naturalistic stories -which by the mid 1950's most of the leaders of that movement Rossellini, De Sica, Visconti, and Fellini had changed and began to display films that appeared more stylized- and the many New Waves that would appear around the world during the 1960's.

I cannot urge you enough to rent his films they are all available on video, Little Fugitive is so far the only one available on DVD -if you need to you can borrow my copy. Just watch these films and learn about this influencial director and one of the great American Artists.

Again the title is a link to a brief bio, Read it!
* The titles are so charming, and so are the films!

I'm Back with a few words about John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands

John Cassavetes and Gene Rowlands
Originally uploaded by livingfilm.

Hi Again!
Sorry I have been so quiet over the past week. I have been writing a post that has become quite a project. I have also been catching up on a bunch of movies in my free time. I have been on a big Cassavetes jag for the past couple of days. I finally watched A Woman Under the Influence, and I thought it was amazing, it took me a while to gain the courage to watch it, but it was worth it. For anyone who is interested in seeing the greatest acting ever, just watch John Cassavetes' films. Gena Rowlands should get the credit she deserves, she is possibly the greatest actress I have ever seen. In any case her performances would be on a short list of the greatest performances of the 20th century. Truly Amazing.

Then I somehow managed to watch A Constant Forge, the 3 1/2 hour documentary about John Cassavetes. It had some interesting anecdotes, but I thought that for being 3 1/2 hours it really didn't say very much about the man. It was also obvious which films, the filmmakers were unable to use clips from, because there was almost no word about Johnny Staccato, Too Late Blues, A Child is Waiting, Husbands, Minnie & Moskowitz, Gloria and Love Streams. There also wasn't much of a linear biography -which isn't always necessary, but considering there was such a large part of his career that was hardly discussed, I don't know how they managed to fill 3 1/2 hours with people talking about how fun he was to work with!). Ultimately, I felt disappointed, and wished that the many missing parts of his life could be filled in somewhat for me.

Then I re-watched The Killing of a Chinese Bookie. I loved it all over again, it really is one of my favorites! Highly recommended!

John Cassavetes' films take getting used to, so if you see one or two and they don't grab you right away, please give them another chance, they are worth it. John Cassavetes' films are the most honest depictions of human behavior I have ever seen, I feel that I am somehow more human after watching them. It is a closer experience to actually knowing the people on the screen instead of being entertained by them, like most films. I obviously like both kinds of movies, but Cassavetes' films are so unique, there is nothing that compares. I would recommend starting with Minnie & Moskowitz because it has enough of the Cassavetes style, for you to get used to, and it is a charming, and unusual romantic comedy.

Well, I need to go again. I just made a 2 hour bus ride to Movie Madness and back and I had better start watching the movies I rented which are Heart of Glass -Werner Herzog, Young Torless -Volker Schlondorff, Gone to Earth -Powell and Pressburger, and Tristana -Luis Bunuel.

I hope to have a my post explaining why I love films of the 1930's up soon. Till then,
Peace Out.