A Summer Place 1959
Posted by spheer2002 | Filed under Films of the 1950's
“As for you Troy Donahue, I know what you wanna do!”
If you are Familiar with the ‘Notebook this is a must see this is the godfather of period thwarted teenage love ,but when they made this when it was actually based in its time, the dawning of the golden age of Camelot in American which ended abruptly with bye bye birdy and the assignation of JFK in 1963..
After 2o years of absence Ken Jorgenson (Richard Egan) comes back to Pine Island a Wealthy ,Exclusive Isolated community of the coast of Maine where he worked as a lifeguard as a teenager,Now A Millionaire he brings his family to the mansion belonging to the Hunters who’s servants quarters he used to sleep in . Now a Holiday House as the Hunters have lost their fortune Bart Hunter a chronic alcoholic ( Arthur Kennedy) is indignant at the prospect of having the former help Lord it over him, however when he arrives that is the very least of his troubles, and Old Flame between Ken and Barts Wife Sylvia (Dorothy McGuire) is rekindled and the Children of both Ken and Bart
Johnny (Troy Donahue) and Molly (Sandra Dee) fall madly in love, all Goes belly after Johnny and Molly spend the night washed overboard from a dingy alone on and island, when Molly’s Mother played Mercilessly by (Constance Ford) a morally bankrupt hypocrite , demands Molly have a Medical Examination by a doctor to see if her “Virginity” is in tact.After the examination Molly Runs away and Johnny threatens to kill Molly’s Mother because of whats shes made her daughter go through, its then revealed that Johnny’s Mother is Having an affair with Ken Molly’s dad.
The children are separated by the Lawyers the hatred for their family but Johnny and Molly Still Try to write to Each over despite that happens hoping upon hoping they will meet again someday.
This Film had Risque Dialogue and Subject matter for 1959 including infidelity, divorce and premarital sex , and you still feel for the who you consider to be the good people in this case the adulterous married lovers, and despise the morally superior and upper Middle Class for their greed and their selfishness .
The only things people will remember (if anything at all) about this film if the popular theme by Max Steiner (Gone with the Wind) and a little song from grease called ‘Look at me Im Sandra Dee” The Film may seem like a soap in all its 1959 CinemaScope glory , but it still has the desired affect,you do feel for Johnny and Molly and what terrible consequences brought the two together
and you hope against hope nothing will pull them asunder
Tags: Alcoholism, Based off Novel, Divorce, Forbidden Love, Infidelity, Lost Love, Love for Children, Love Triangle, Marriage, Max Steiner
Johnny Guitar 1954
Posted by spheer2002 | Filed under Film, Films of the 1950's
Im gonna Kill you......
Camp western classic with hidden Mcarthy agenda and subtle glbt themes
Vienna (Joan Crawford) has built a saloon outside of town, and she hopes to build her own town once the railroad is put through, but the townsfolk want her gone. When four men hold up a stagecoach and kill a man the town officials, led by Emma Small (Lesbian Icon Mercedes Mccambridge’ the Voice of Reagan in the Exorcist) come to the saloon to grab four of Vienna’s friends, the Dancin’ Kid and his men. Vienna stands strong against them, and is aided by the presence of an old acquaintance of hers, Johnny Guitar(Sterling Hayden), who is not what he seems,
This is a Watershed Lesbian Classic That the French critics have raved about Calling its a ”Western” Beauty and the Beast Story..
Of Course the Beauty in this case is Sterling Hayden
There was not a lotta love lost between Crawford , Hayden and Mccambridge apparently , Crawford Wanted Claire Trevor for her arch Enemy Mistress who had been a big Feature in Westerns Featuring John Wayne (specially stagecoach 1939)and had an Oscar for her troubles in ”Key Largo”, But they Opted for ‘younger’ Mccambridge, which kind of makes the Animosity between the characters Believable
One of the last feature film produced by the Independent studio Republic Pictures better know for their John Wayne Movies
Like Destry and Ranch Notorious (both with Marlene Dietrich) The Woman Takes Center Stage in a Male dominated Gene . and Does a Damm good Job of it!
Tags: Camp, Closeted Lesbian, Cowboy, Desert, Guns, Hidden Agenda, Lost Love, Of Lesbian Interest, Red Scare, Saloon
The Lost Moment 1947
Posted by spheer2002 | Filed under Film, Films of the 1940's
Directed by Martin Gabel
based off a Henry James Short Story
which is in turn based The actual incident involved a cache of love and private letters of by Lord Byron.
Robert Cummings (Dial M for Murder)is a publisher who is trying to find a trove of love letters that were supposedly written by one of early 19th Century great romantic poets, Jeffrey Aspern. - a sudo Lord Byron
He ends up in Venice, where he enters the house of Aspern’s still living lover over 100 years old (Agnes Moorehead) and her niece (Susan Hayward),where these famous letters are kept hidden away , as a lodger He succeeds better than he expects, because the letters do exist - but to get to them he has to be nicer and nicer to the niece who is a hard cold woman.During the Night there are noises of haunting piano scales echoing over the flowing streets of venice, there are things seen that should never been seen or heard of long buried in this Gothic drama
that brings the dead and the living together,
its really worth a look
Tags: Based off Novel, Henry James, Lost Love, Mysterious Death, Mystery, Poetry, Venice, Victorian Era
