Obligatory Christmas Post No. 2

Norma Shearer has nobody to kiss her under the mistletoe. I know I would. 

The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg (1927)

With the exception of my bargain-bin copy of Nosferatu, the first proper silent movie I ever watched was 1927's The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg. In retrospect, I could not have asked for a better introduction to that era of film making. With a great cast, superb direction, top-notch production values and nary a word of spoken dialogue, The Student Prince is one of the primary examples of just how great silent movies could be.

The Student Prince in question is Karl Heinrich of the fictional kingdom of Karlstadt, played here by Ramon Novarro (in the films first few scenes, the Prince is played as a boy by Phillipe De Lacy). Karl Heinrich is stuck in the stifling rigidity of court life, his only friend being his kindly tutor Dr. Jüttner (Jean Hersholt). Upon the completion of his primary education, Karl Heinrich in granted leave to complete his studies in the picturesque city of Heidelberg with Dr. Jüttner as his chaperon. In Heidelberg Karl Heinrich tastes freedom for the first time, carousing and tossing back steins of beer with the vivacious cadets of the Corps Saxonia. Most importantly, however, Karl Heinrich meets a beautiful barmaid named Kathi (Norma Shearer), and the two fall truly, madly and deeply in love. 

In some of the most beautifully shot scenes in the film, Karl Heinrich and Kathi share a positively idyllic romance. Their bliss comes screeching to a halt, however, when Karl Heinrich receives news that the king of Karlstadt has fallen terminally ill and is compelled to return home. With the king on his deathbed, Karl Heinrich is forced to chose between his duty to Karlstadt and his love for Kathi.

Although the plot is far from groundbreaking, the picture is so well put together that what in other hands would be a strictly formulaic affair is quite touching. The film was produced at the very height of the silent era, and it shows. This is due, in large part, to the the excellent direction of Ernst Lubitsch, who amply demonstrates in The Student Prince his singular talent as a director of romantic pictures. Norma Shearer is as charming as ever as Kathi, and Jean Hersholt is particularly likable as Dr. Jüttner. Ramon Novarro carries the picture quite well, giving a highly sympathetic performance as Karl Heinrich. 

One thing that really enhances the viewing experience is the musical accompaniment. One wouldn't normally expect that from a silent film, but here is one area where the march of time has worked out to our advantage. The print which TCM usually shows is accompanied by a full orchestral score, composed by Carl Davis and performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Davis has composed new scores for several silent films, including Ben-Hur, The Big Parade and Phantom of the Opera, to name a few. Davis' score is a perfect counterpart to the picture, and the man deserves mad respect for his contributions to the survival of silent films. 

I just recently saw The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg for the third time, and I found that I enjoyed it just as much as the first time (if not more so, now that I have become a bit more learned in the ways silent pictures). Although it has been released on VHS, The Student Prince is not yet available on DVD (here's hoping it will see a release through the Warner Archive collection before too long). Fortunately, the film airs on TCM with relative regularity. I strongly recommend watching The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg the next time you get a chance. 

[Poster via Dr. Macro]

When Legends Gather

I'd like to know what led to this meeting of Jean Arthur and Norma Shearer in their younger and more vulnerable days. Was it some sort of neck-wear convention? The world may never know.

En Profil

Was there ever in history a profile as perfectly lovely as Norma Shearer's? Not likely.

Idiot's Delight (1939)

I just watched Idiot's Delight earlier today, and I have to say that I was quite pleasantly surprised. This was one of those movies that I watched largely because of who was in it--in this case Norma Shearer--but wound up liking for its own merits. Clark Gable was very much likable in the role of Harry Van, a veteran of the Great War turned showman. His only ever song-and-dance number (the celebrated "Puttin' on the Ritz" routine) is especially great, although it is quite clear that Gable is, by any stretch of the imagination, no Fred Astaire. As for Norma, her performance as an expatriate Russian noblewoman is enjoyable (if a little hammy, thanks to her decidedly Garbonian accent, and also in spite of her disconcerting wig). It is also worth noting that Norma not only speaks passable Russian (albeit only a few words and phrases), but also hangs by her teeth in an acrobatic act (although that was probably a double in that scene).

There are, however, more important matters than romantic comedy addressed in the picture. Idiot's Delight was released in 1939, when the storm clouds of World War II were gathering. The reality of global politics was not lost on the film's producers. The impact of the impending war on the various guests of the alpine hotel where Clark and Norma find themselves is well-illustrated: a pacifist (played by Burgess Meredith) is arrested and shot for seditious talk against the war, a German scientist abandons his pursuit of a cure for cancer in order to design weapons instead and an industrialist heads back to his factories to oversee the production of munitions. Once the war actually breaks out, the hotel is severely damaged by bombs.

Another point of interest about this picture is the fact that it actually has two endings. It might not be the first film to do so, but it must be among the earliest. In the "domestic" (i.e. American) version of the film, Clark and Norma survive the bombing raid unscathed and plan to begin a show business career together. In the foreign version, however, the bombing raid is much more dramatic and the two stars maintain their composure by singing a hymn as the bombs explode around them. In my opinion, the latter ending is much more interesting, and also a much more honest take on the nature of the impending war.

Idiot's Delight is a romantic comedy, to be sure, but it is a romantic comedy with a much more profound message behind the smooching.

A Sure Sign of Obsession

I fell asleep extremely early last night, with the result that I had many quite vivid dreams. One of these took the form of a picture that starred Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Myrna Loy and Clark Gable (rather an ensemble cast, to say the least). As is so often the case with dreams, the details are sketchy, but I do remember that Myrna Loy was some sort of con-artist-cum-jewel thief, and Norma Shearer was the intended victim. What role Joan Crawford and Clark Gable played is somewhat less clear, but I'm fairly certain that they would have struck up a romance that would have complicated Myrna's diabolical schemes in some way or another.

There was also a merry-go-round involved, but I'm not sure that that detail doesn't make things even more confusing.

Ultimately, I am left with two nagging, unanswered questions: Why wasn't this movie ever made? And why can't I have more dreams like this?

Lady of the Night (1925)

Lady of the Night is, for all intents and purposes, a vehicle for Norma Shearer, still a relative newcomer and a nascent star in 1925. Norma plays two characters of of decidedly different backgrounds--on the one hand is Florence, a respectable daughter of a judge and a society darling, and on the other is Molly, a girl who was raised on the mean city streets. Another interesting contrast between the two girls is the fact that Florence grew up without a mother, while Molly grew up without a father (we see Molly's father hauled off to jail at the beginning of the picture, having been proclaimed guilty by none other than Judge Banning, Florence's father). By a cruel twist of fate, Florence and Molly both fall in love with the same man, a successful inventor named David Page (played by Malcolm McGregor, who, by the way, was a native of Newark, New Jersey). The situation is complicated by the fact that Molly was previously entangled in a shaky relationship with David's friend "Chunky" Dunn (played by George K. Arthur). Although Molly spurns him in favor of his more successful and more handsome friend, Chunky nevertheless tirelessly venerates her.

It's less than revolutionary plot notwithstanding, Lady of the Night is a surprisingly good movie. Norma demonstrates just how good an actor she was in her day, turning in highly believable performances as two extremely different characters. Norma's Molly is especially sympathetic--she communicates with great effectiveness the exterior toughness, the interior nobility and the profound sadness and loneliness of a woman who feels unworthy of the man she loves (not that such a sentiment in inherently feminine, mind you).

Even if it were not a well-acted production, Lady of the Night would still be notable simply for being a damned lovely picture to look at. Rather than appearing simple black and white, Lady of the Night was shot on film that employs a variety of color tints that, aside from enhancing the various moods of the picture, also make Lady of the Night a beautiful sight to behold. That the film survives in remarkably good condition also enhances the visual aspect of the picture.

Finally, the enjoyability of the film for a modern viewer is enhanced by a modernized piano score (courtesy of Turner Classic Movies and composer Jon Mirsalis). The musical accompaniment fits the tone and feeling of the picture quite well, and never sounds out of place or exaggerated.

Lady of the Night was quite a pleasant surprise for me--it exceeded my expectations rather greatly. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a masterpiece of the cinema, but it nevertheless was a delight to watch. It also helps that Norma Shearer is rather pleasant to look at, especially when she appears as Molly; despite--or perhaps because of--Molly's somewhat trampy makeup, she is disquietingly beautiful (evidence of this can be seen on the right). But I digress. For fans of silent film, I can recommend Lady of the Night without a hint of hesitance.

[Image Source]

Ein Volk, Ein Reich...

Ein(e) Shearer.

[Image Sauce]

Free Associations

Whatever, it makes perfect sense to me.

The Women (1939)

Few movies are as true to their titles as is The Women. There's not a Y chromosome in the entire film. Not that I minded terribly; men can be very annoying, and I found myself glad to be rid of them while watching this movie.

The Women follows the story of socialite Mary Haines, whose husband, unbeknown to her, has been unfaithful to his wife (to put it blithely), seeing perfume saleswoman Crystal Allen on the side. Hilarity ensues as, thanks to a loose-lipped manicurist, Mary learns of her husbands extracurricular activity, and files for a divorce. Mary's so called friends, among them the odious Sylvia Fowler, delight in her downfall, wretched gossips that they are. Of course, this being 1939, everything works out in the end, with everyone getting their just desserts.

Mary Haines is played by Norma Shearer, who gives an admirable and sympathetic performance of the wronged wife. Joan Crawford plays Crystal, the gold-digging homewrecker par excellence, and she turns in quite a performance (although her hairdresser, it must be said, deserves a traitor's death. Joan sports a rather unflattering coiffure throughout the flick, sad to say). The two work extremely well as rivals in the film, since they were fierce studio rivals at MGM in the 1930s, and probably hated each other. Seriously, there's a cat fight that I'd pay good money to see.

The character I really loathed (as I no doubt was supposed to) was Sylvia Fowler, played well by Rosalind Russel. Russel does a fine job of being a manipulative, obnoxious, conniving shrew--I wanted to backhand Mrs. Fowler no fewer than a half-dozen times.

The film is in black and white, with the exception of a Technicolor fashion show, apparently inserted into the movie with the sole purpose of showing off the haute couture of costume designer Adrian. This, I thought, was a bit much, and I can understand why the sequence isn't always included in showings of The Women. On the other hand, it was enjoyable to see some of the incredibly gaudy outfits, some of which I can't possibly imagine any respectable woman wearing, even back in the day. Of course, The Women was produced on the even of the 1940s, and I find 40s styles in many ways atrocious, especially when it comes to women's hairstyles.

As a personal note, I was glad to see Dorothy Sebastian back on screen, even if hers was only an uncredited, bit part. I could barely recognize her with blond hair (which, I might add, was done up in hairdo on par with Joan's. I don't know who was responsible for styling the hair in this movie, but they are dire need of a beating).whoops, never mind that part.

I rather enjoyed The Women. I found the recurring references to Jungle Red particularly amusing, especially Mary's remark about her "claws" at the end of the movie. If I ever find myself leading an armored division into battle, rest assured that "Jungle Red" will be our battlecry.

And did I really just write several paragraphs arguing about costume design and hairstyles? Good God. Pardon me, but I have to go play some violent video games while listening to Death Metal.

Relevant to my Interests, Ep. 8

Norma Shearer was America's lazy-eyed sweetheart; the de facto imperatrix of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during the 1930s. It helped that she was married to producer Irving Thalberg, a fact her studio rivals--chief among them Joan Crawford--were wont to dwell on. Of course, Norma was a perfectly good actress in her own right, and wielded great influence in Hollywood until her impromptu retirement in 1942.

Vignettes of Absurdity: Hell's Cafeteria

It was just another routine lunch break in the cafeteria, when suddenly...

[Door flies open]

Norma Shearer: Am I famished! (shoves her way past everyone and skips to the front of the line) You there, peon! Give me your finest Penne all'arrabbiata, and try not to get any of your stink in it!

Barth: Excuse me, Miss, but there's a line.

Norma: A line? A line? Let me explain to you how this works. I don't have to stand in line! Don't you know who I am?

Barth: Are you Greta Garbo?

Norma: What!? How dare you mistake me for that Swedish dildo licker! I'm Norma Shearer!

Barth: Oh, are you married to Jeff Shearer?

Norma: Who in the name of God is Jeff Shearer?

Barth: He's head of catering.

Norma: Catering? I could kill catering with a thought! Now start shoveling that slop onto a plate and hand it over, will you?

Barth: Well, you'll need a tray.

Norma: I don't need a tray!

Barth: No, you probably should get a tray.

Norma: Don't you dare tell me what to do! Nobody tells Norma fucking Shearer what to do, especially not some trouser stain cafeteria employee! I am a golden goddess given flesh, and you are but an ant in the afterbirth! I could snuff out your pathetic existence with a single glance! I could just as easily kill you with one of your damned trays by hacking at your neck with the thin bit until the blood flows across the canteen floor, if I so chose! So don't you dare tell me I need a tray!

Barth: No, I mean the food's hot, and you'll want a tray to carry it.

Norma: ...oh. (reaches for a tray) This one's wet. And this one's wet. And this one's wet! DAMNATION! I WILL KILL EVERYONE IN THE WORLD! IRVING! PULL UP THE HUMMER! (Storms out the door, frothing at the mouth)

Barth: God damnit, I hate my job. This day can't possibly get any worse.

[Door flies open]

Joan: (stumbles in, carrying an almost-empty 40 oz. of Olde English 800) HEY MOTHAFUCKAS! Y'ALL BETTA RECOGNIZE!

Barth: Oh dear Lord, I spoke too soon.

{Fin}

I owe apologies to Eddie Izzard for stealing his jokes. but you see, I just couldn't help it.