Clarence Brown (2)Rezensionen

C (Indifferent).

A horse-obsessed little girl enters a major race. It's surprisingly watchable for what it is, but I was never going to like this movie.

(Mar. 2024)½

2022 movie #121. 1944 Young girl (Taylor) lives her dream to ride her horse in the British National Open. 12-yo Taylor owned every scene in this movie. It's a great film, and in great color. She did all her own riding and eventually fell off her horse and broke her back. Yikes.

2022 movie #31. 1951. Gruff Pittsburgh Pirates manager is told by an angel that if he cleans up his act, the team will win. Then reporter (Leigh) hears of an orphan who saw angels at the park and the team rides a winning streak all the way to the pennant. Filmed at Ebbet's Field. This movie was in the theaters when I was born. Yes, I'm that old.

Stephen Ashe, brillant avocat malgré son penchant prononcé pour l'alcool, obtient l’acquittement du gangster Ace Wilfong (Clark Gable). Sa fille Jan, d’esprit indépendant et libre, est rapidement fascinée et séduite par Ace. Son fiancé Dwight est alors relégué aux oubliettes.
Le père, qui entretient une relation fusionnelle avec sa fille, est furieux de ce coup de coeur car il sait que Ace est un dangereux vaurien. Jan lui propose un pacte : elle ne reverra plus son amant si son père accepte d'arrêter de boire.
Lorsque Jan découvre la véritable nature de l'homme qu'elle aime, elle est épouvantée. Son ancien fiancé vole à son aide et décide d'endosser tous les torts.
Ashe, qui a entretemps de nouveau sombré dans l'alcool, est appelé à la rescousse par sa fille pour qu'il tente de sauver la vie de Dwight devant les tribunaux.
Le film, dans lequel souffle un véritable vent de liberté, est intéressant dans la mesure où il a pu échapper aux griffes de la censure en 1934. Dommage que le film vire au pathos assez ordinaire et décevant à la fin.

A man falls in love with a woman who marries his best friend.

It's nice to look at. And even though it's cheesy melodrama, it never manages to be boring. I just can't get behind this sort of story - a morality tale with the moral of "bros before hos."

Concept: F
Story: D
Characters: D
Dialog: D
Pacing: B
Cinematography: A
Special effects/design: A
Acting: B
Music: B

Enjoyment: C

GPA: 2.2/4½

Four horse-themed films are included on this entry into the 4 Film Favorites series. The titles featured are NATIONAL VELVET, INTERNATIONAL VELVET, BLACK BEAUTY, and THE STORY OF SEABISCUIT.

The Snows of Kilimanjaro
Anna Karenina
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Tale of Two Cities
Jane Eyre
Legend of the Sea Wolf
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Jungle Book
Call of the WIld
Macbeth
Of Human Bondage
Little Men
The Last Time I Saw Paris
David Copperfield
Cyrano de Bergerac

In the Garbo Silents Collection

This wonderful collection contains three Garbo silent films as well as the only extant fragment of a fourth. Included are:

Flesh and the devil (1927) / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; directed by Clarence Brown with actors Greta Garbo, Lars Hanson and John Gilbert (112 min.); The mysterious lady (1928) / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ; directed by Fred Niblo with actors Greta Garbo and Conrad Nagel (106 min.); The temptress (1926) / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ; directed by Fred Niblo with actors Greta Garbo, Antonio Moreno and Lionel Barrymore (106 min.); and the: surviving 9-minute excerpt of a lost 1928 silent, The Divine Woman. Commentary and other features are included as well.

Flesh and the Devil is a particularly important, exciting film. The character of Felicitas is brought to life magnificently by Garbo and remains one of the best femme fatale portrayals in cinema. Hanson also contributes a magnificent performance as a betrayed lover.