"I reach out to grab it, it just won't stand still": Montage from "Blues in the Night" (1941)

Don Siegel's excellent montage work from Warner Brothers 1941 movie "Blues in the Night"

Clip starts off with Richard Whorf's character, Jigger, being unable to play his song on the piano. Then the montage starts, showing how Jigger has a nervous breakdown and then finally, after professional help and the help of his friends, he regains his confidence and musical ability. Montage starts at about 1:30 in, but I included the first part for some context:




Now, wouldn't you say this kind of montage is a lost art in today's commercial films? I can't think of any movie in the last couple of decades that has attempted anything like this (doesn't mean the films don't exist, I just can't think of any examples). I'm struck by the idea that "montage" nowadays is more closely associated with cheesy 80s movies and that (hilarious) song from the "Team America" movie than with anything on same level as the surreal, dream-like stuff from "Blues in the Night."

Is it time to bring back the crazy, expressionistic montage?

Warner Brothers Forever

I can't be sure if it's the fact that TCM has filled its schedule for fifteen years with Warner Brothers movies -- and so I've simply been inundated with them to the point of brainwash -- but I think Warner Brothers is my favorite of the old time studios.

This opinion was confirmed when I recently read "The Hollywood Studios" by Ethan Mordden. I'm less familiar with Paramount, Universal, and to a lesser extent Columbia (mostly because TCM doesn't always play a lot of movies from these three studios because of rights issues and such and also because the studios themselves release very little onto DVD), so reading about these studios and their movies from the Golden Age has made me eager to find some of these films and explore some new cinematic territory.

But the chapter on Warner Brothers was enough to remind me that even if/when I do see more Paramount or Universal films, they probably won't be enough to dislodge my love for the WB studio.

So Much WORD

I've read that she doesn't want to make any public appearances anymore, but who cares. Get James Garner to accept for her or something. Doris Day for Honorary Oscar! Do it, Academy!

I once had a professor in college, who -- on the first day of class -- made some disparaging, "joking" remarks about the 1959 "Ben-Hur" and Doris Day comedies and the whole class laughed and laughed, hardy-har-har, 'cause yeah, weren't the 50s so goody-goody and repressive! Bwah ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!

Bleh.
I wasn't laughing. I raised my hand and when called on, boldly proclaimed: "Doris Day rocks. She's a great actress. Those movies are funny and she's funny in them. They're a heckuva lot more fun than half the pretentious, yawn-fest movies you put on the syllabus this semester."
(Okay, well, maybe I didn't say that last part, but you get the idea)

She's a phenomenal talent who deserves to be recognized for her achievements and for her historic place in movie history. And, as the article in the NYTimes points out, she was a great comedienne, and so rarely does the Academy award for comedy that it should give her an Oscar to show that comedic acting deserves respect too.

Doris Day all the way!

Racy Stuff. And it's all retro.

From 1933's "Baby Face," starring Barbara Stanwyck. Notice the overt sexuality and racy content. This is Pre-Code Hollywood and it's still kinda shocking.

Quick Hits

I'm not much of a movie reviewer, but here are some quick bits on movies I've seen recently (I guess *minor* spoiler warning for all, but I don't really spoil much):

Mystery Street: B+
More Jan Sterling, please! Also, John Alton's cinematography is fab -- the first ten minutes are Noir-licious (will I do screengrabs later? Mebbe...) Montalban is sexy and competent in his role. Elsa Lanchaster is the best thing about the movie after Sterling's character bites it. The wife of the guy accused of murder is annoying. Basically, a nice noir/CSI mystery combo.

Nora Prentiss: B+/A-
Ann Sheridan is fab (why am I just now discovery her?). Twisted, weird Romance-Noir. A phantasma-parable about lust, love, adultery, sin -- but it doesn't turn the adulterous love into something wholly evil, which manages to give the thing a perverse, romantic beauty. A dark and strange noir.

Retro Vision

I can't be sure, but I think this:



Might be part of the reason I became a retro head freak.

I saw this movie when I was nine. Nine. How does something like this not cause a tender nine-year-old brain to go a little loopy?

"Born and raised proper, I guess life just bugged him"

Reason #1,754 why Elton John is better than Billy Joel: "Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909-34)"

Reason #1 why Elton John is better than Billy Joel? Bernie Taupin

"I guess the cops won again"