264 of 1001 Movies: Destry Rides Again (1939)

If I had to pick a favorite classic movie actor it would be James Stewart. So far of the main actors from that time he plays characters that have interesting personalities, and imperfections that seem to make them more like real people. Whether it be It’s a Wonderful Life or Anatomy of a Murder, Stewart was starring in some of the best scripted movies of the time. Destry Rides Again falls a lot into the idea of how movies from the 30’s were, but it does go a bit different as well with a more bold story line involving women and a lead who was opposed to using guns.

Summary: After the local sheriff disappears when going to investigate a rigged poker game, organized by Kent, a new sheriff has to be named. Kent basically is running the town because his rigged poker games are giving him a stronghold over the town residents and their cattle. The mayor who is on Kent’s side, appoints a town drunk, Washington Dimsdale, to be the new sheriff. They view him nothing more as a dimwit, and don’t believe that he at one time rode with Tom Destry, a famous lawman. Now he is able to enlist his son, Tom Destry Jr., to be his deputy, bringing more serious law to the town.

Acting: For a movie made in the 30’s there are a lot of great performances in this movie. I know that statement may offend, but having just come out of silent films people were still learning to not be so over the top with their emotions. James Stewart stars as Tom Destry Jr., and he’s honestly as likable as any other character you’ve come to know him as in other movies. Stewart was only just starting out as well, and had just hit the scene big the year before in 1938. Marlene Dietrich was around longer in the scene, and it’s said that Destry Rides Again was a revival for her career. She does great at going from being the bad guy to getting us to feel for her character. She also performs a song that would be a hit for her. Charles Winninger also does a good job at portraying Washington. He is a bit of a goofball, but I like how he keeps the character from getting too into the slapstick humor, so we still can feel a bit for him. Brian Donlevy portrays Kent, the bad guy, and I think he does a good job at least of giving the movie a good villain.

Filming: I love how the stage setting of 1930 movies were. For some reason they feel much more grand, and blockbuster than some of the following black and white movies. It’s like Jezebel from Billy Wilder. The stage production was just amazing of the scenery and vibe they created in the mid-30’s. It’s the same for Destry Rides Again. Of course it’s obvious a screen is being used in some scenes, but for a time before Westerns could be like John Wayne movies I love how they created the bar scenes and outdoors to give us the Western vibe. George Marshall isn’t a director I’ve become familiar with yet, but I enjoyed the set up.

Plot: The plot also gets us attached to the characters. For some reason black and white movies haven’t proven to be as happy and go lucky as we think of older times as. Don’t get me wrong, there are some that are a little bit too happy and unrealistic, but there are others that still are tainted in some sad events and obscure futures for the characters. Destry Rides Again gives an uplifting ending, but it isn’t afraid of lost and giving the characters controversial perspectives that will make them memorable personalities. The most memorable scene of the whole movie is after Frenchy rounds up the women to stop the men from shooting each other down in the bar, and they march in with the weapons they have to fight by hand. It’s a powerful scene.

Destry Rides Again is one of the few Westerns I’ve seen. So far the list has been lacking on the genre in comparison to others. There is a lot of action and adventure, and for a movie that is only an hour and a half they give you a lot to cover so you can get into the story, and also understand the characters. It almost feels like you just watched a 2 hour epic.

Rating 8.5 of 10.

https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/XBBKJTCxYNQ&source=uds

31 of 1001 Songs: Billie Holiday’s Strange Fruit

So far there has been no song as impacting on the list, and probably won’t be, as Billie Holiday’s Strange Fruit. It’s got to be the darkest yet as well with the imagery created throughout. Holiday though uses her vocals to bring the tone of the song to life, and get the listener’s attention. The whole arrangement shows why it is a song that has stood the test of time.

History: The song is said to be inspired by a photo of lynchings and a poem that contains very similar words to the song. Holiday though would have a tough time getting this song to the audience because of the subject matter, especially with it still be 1939, and a country still bending to racism. She performed the song for the audiences she could though, and even with the fear of how it would be perceived in the South the song would get to listeners. It’s still a popular song today even with Time listing it as song of the century.

Vocals: Holiday’s vocals sound very unique. They have a smoky and very deep sound that gives her voicing power. The power is needed to just convey how strong the content of the song is. The lyrics by themselves are quite eerie, but when you take the voice and put it on top of that you get something even stronger that resonates with you. I don’t think it’s the instrumentals that exactly make this the lasting song it has been, but more so the bold message of the time, and the harsh realities of what African Americans were living in the 30’s, and for a long time.

Instrumentals: The music has a very jazz sound to it, but with the way the tone of the song is channeled in the instrumentals are very toned down so they don’t overwhelm the vocals nor the lyrics. Even during a live performance one venue owner wanted it to be the last song with only the spotlight on her face for the effect to resonate with audiences. With this song it just isn’t about the instruments even though they are well played.

Lyrics: The lyrics are dark, and if you look at the poem and image that inspired them it only makes the song a lot darker. Lynchings were still common happenings in the 30’s, and up to the Civil Rights movement. It shows how bold Holiday was especially as a woman and African American to be so vocal on something that no one could really not smooth over as not horrific. This song is just a dark look at a history involving America that isn’t pretty.

Holiday’s song shows why she was one of the power women of her genre. She had songs that moved people and shook up controversy. She even got some people who may have not been listening to listen when they heard this song. Now this song lives on through the hit it became for Holiday, and through the numerous covers and inclusions, even in Kanye West’s recent album, which utilizes a cover that Nina Simone did.

Rating 9 of 10.

https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/h4ZyuULy9zs&source=uds

173 of 1001 Movies: Gunga Din (1939)

Gunga Din is a movie that couldn’t be made nowadays. There were just things about it that wouldn’t fly now. Anyways, George Stevens puts me a bit in mind of a very early epic, adventure storyteller. Indiana Jones actually put me in much mind of this movie. The thing is Gunga Din takes a while to get to where the plot is going. It also uses a premise that over time hasn’t become too popular in the minds of people, and that is then the movie was perceived as the British helping the Indians colonize their land and become more “civilized” when the Indians themselves were okay with their own societal workings. Also, you have Cary Grant speaking in an American accent the whole time while being in the British army, and everyone else has British accents.

Summary: It’s 19th century India, and three men have proven to be very successful at their British army service in India. When one man, Cutter, runs away to find gold though he discovers a plot to murder his fellow men. He sends his waterbearer, Gunga Din, to warn them, but it may be too late before the Thuggee cult that is plotting gets far enough to enact their plan.

Acting: You have three big leads in the movie, Cary Grant, Victor McLagen, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. You also have Sam Jaffe who plays the lead that the movie is named after, Gunga Din. Too bad they didn’t consider putting his name on the cover. He was probably one of the most known character actors there was of classic movies. Cary Grant plays Cutter, and Grant for some reason just seems to have been in his weakest role in this one. He seemed like he was playing too young for the age he looks. Also, while he is British his accent in this felt very forced. I think he had begun losing the flare of his accent at this point. His fascination with the gold, and his facial expressions were just too over the top. The other two actors worked much better. Victor McLagen was MacChesney, and while not as bad as Grant he was okay. The strongest was Douglas Fairbanks Jr as Ballentine. He just seemed to have the look and personality for the part that made him the most interesting to watch. His girlfriend in the movie was Joan Fontaine, who really didn’t have enough spotlight in the movie.

Filming: The movie is set in California, which is understandable considering movies at this time did not have the budget to film on location. They work with the scenery very well though, and unless you’ve been to this part of India you should be fine watching the movie. It looks very desert and suits the atmosphere well. This movie also cost over $1 million to make, and ended up losing money. Most films that featured the action and modern vibe couldn’t make back what they did then because it was way more than people would spend at the theater. This movie did set the path for many more movies in the future to follow in the same route of action capturing though.

Plot: As said, the plot takes way too long to get started. We spend about an hour it seems just dancing around with the characters, and the lead Gunga Din, never gets the focus he does. The movie also mixes in some screwball humor, which I’m just not a personal fan of. I think it interrupts the intense nature of the movie as well. Finally at an hour the movie kicks into gear and Cutter kick starts the story by heading out to find the gold that will set things into motion. I guess if anything the first hour doesn’t explain that well to me what it should. We should have a better grasp as to why the British are there, and what the Indians don’t like about it, but instead it feels vacantly glazed over.

Gunga Din is one of the earliest action adventure movies there is. It takes a subject that feels like it should be more serious though and mixes it in with screwball humor, and some acting that just doesn’t make sense. By the hour being in it hooks you a bit, but the flow of the movie has disconnected you enough that you don’t feel quite connected to the key characters you should.

Rating 5 of 10.

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60 of 1001 Movies: Babes in Arms (1939)

Where to begin with this one? It’s one of the reasons American going into the mid-1900s got stereotyped as it did as a very “gee-golly” time. For Judy Garland fans it is something you want to see just to see her in probably one of the highest moments of her career as this was released the same year as The Wizard of Oz. Also, while some may have their tiffs with this film you can’t deny the amazing fact that this is one movie in a very long career for Mickey Rooney.

Mickey was born into show businesses with his father, Joe, being a big Broadway guy himself at the time of his birth. Wanting to follow in his father’s footsteps he hopes to go out again with his mom and dad one of their troupe tours, but his parents deny him this go about, and instead he is faced with the prospect of going away to a ranch with his sister, Molly, in their absence. Mickey has a plan though to team up with Patsy to put on a show to keep them in town to help, and hopefully further themselves in show business.

As said, you might need to be a hardcore fan of musicals, or both actors to get into this one. It doesn’t really have any relatable content that makes it accessible to most audiences, and while it is clean enough to be watched by the family it doesn’t have anything in it that can imaginably entertain younger kids. The teens are way too perfect, and by today’s standard don’t seem realistic. It paints the portraits of how great American used to be to people who live in the idea that America has fallen into something worse. To get through this movie the best thing to do is to try to place yourself in that setting because there will be many things that are outdated or questionable to an audience in 2012.

It’s difficult to review this one, and not mention the one glaring piece of this movie that will be too noticeable not to, and that is the use of the black face. The white actors do paint their faces black at one point in this movie during their play to portray black people. Robert Downey Jr. did this a couple of years ago in Tropic Thunder, and it caused a stir. A lot of people questioned why the director Busby Berkeley didn’t just hire African Americans for the role, and that is applying thinking from 2012 to 1939. No one would have thought to do that at a time where it wasn’t as controversial to have that piece in your movie. To be honest though it will be a very awkward scene to watch for anyone if you choose to pick this one up.

As for the acting it is very over the top. Mickey Rooney may have had a very long career, but his acting was very in your face. He sort of topples over Judy Garland, and the rest of the cast with his acting. He may be suited for the stage, but for movies he wasn’t the niche. Judy Garland can’t really be measured as far as acting in this film. Her voice is nice, and she sings great, but she wasn’t complex enough. That is something that is lacking with this one as a whole. The characters just have nothing substantial about them.

Either you will like it or love it, but there might not be much in between as far as feelings toward it. There are also might be some mixed sentiments about how it portrays America. This film had a certain audience for that time, and unless that audience is older most younger audiences may not really be able to relate to any of those ideas or concepts. Keeping in mind that this film was made in 1939 will hopefully help some though. America was just coming out of the Great Depression around this time, and you will find that there was a lot to celebrate for some people, and this in some ways is trying to capture that innocent celebratory attitude. If you want a musical from the 30s that really shows the genre at one of it’s highest then go for 42nd Street.

Rating 2 of 5.