1930s Hall of Fame Part 2

Both those Cagney film you mentioned are top level for me.

Good call....I don't know about in the 21st century but in the 20th century film styles at the start of each decade were markedly different than the styles towards the end of those decades. But like you said the 30s really had a change in film styles by the end.


Good, I'm glad you got something out of it, because I had you in mind when I nominated this I thought the dynamics of the relationship might be interesting to you. You've nominated some relationship movies in other HoFs, which I'm glad of. Yup! and this dialogue from the movie made it clear to early 1930s audiences just what was on Dr Jekyll's mind:

these are some great suggestions. Loved Angels With Dirty Faces and was on my possible list for both of the 30s HoF and Midsummer is one I need to see BEFORE the countdown. Especially since I do enjoy Shakespeare.
Has anyone seen Jimmy The Gent? That was one I had wanted to see at one point and forgot all about. Bette Davis is actually in that one as well.

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I should be able to get to my rewatch of The Thin Man tomorrow.

Olivia De Havilland is great in A Midsummer Night's Dream... so is Mickey Rooney.

I haven't seen Jimmy The Gent but it looks like it would be a good one.

Thanks for the Cagney recommendations. I think I'll start with Angels With Dirty Faces and see how far I get.

Anyone know if Mad Love is on youtube? I can't seem to find it or Red Dust to rent.

SPOILERS

Good depth to this one. I've seen some people elsewhere say it meanders a bit too much, making it difficult to draw emotion from but I dug it. It encompasses everything about the setting, the culture and the time period.

It's interesting right from the beginning but I didn't fully engage with it until the rain starts falling heavily and the plot points reach a sort of crescendo in this sequence. Unno getting blown off yet again by Mr Mouri is such a hit to his pride and him standing in the rain humiliated is a very powerful scene. The sense of pride in this place is oppressive to the point of being life threatening. For both Unno and Shinza.

My sympathies were with Shinza despite the fact that he's constantly putting his hand in the fire. Ultimately right from the start he's walking a tight rope and certain aspects of his character get the better of him in the end. His fate is all the more powerful because it isn't seen but only imagined. A quality character nonetheless.

A unique exploration of culture and a great period piece.

I sent you some links for both films. Give a shout out if they don't work. Happy movie watching

Actually found Jimmy The Gent and caught the first 10 min of it, definitely worth continuing on just from that.

and I've the same about both Cagney AND De Havilland.

(everytime I do CAPS now I find myself pausing and thinking about @HashtagBrownies lol)

D@MN him!!



Finished up Of Mice and Men and should be getting a review up in the next day or so

I just rewatched The Thin Man.


I had very little memory of it, I watched it because it has a high IMDB rating and that it was a murder mystery which is a genre I generally appreciate. I remember finding it alright no more no less, but very forgettable I didn't remember anything about the plot. Considering that, I was pleasantly surprised with the film which I thought was quite good. I would have enjoyed if the story was more centered on the mystery then on the fact that William Powell doesn't want to be a detective anymore. In other words, the 30's style humor didn't really work on me (I'm sure it works on some people, particularly older folks which grew with this style of humor), but the film was entertaining, had me interested on who murdered the guy and for one of the rare time I didn't guess who it was before it was revealed.



I'd give it 7,5/10

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It is a bit of a surprise on whodunit, isn't it?

Of Mice and Men

The best laid plans of. . .

It's kind of an interesting situation for me to finally see this, including a few tidbits that appeared in this HoF discussions:
The first, is personal experience of growing up on cartoons that had used Lenny and the voicing in countless favorites of mine that I couldn't help but meander back to them whenever Lon Chaney spoke.
This isn't a derailment of the character or my ability to appreciate Lenny and the child-like mentality and idealistic view of the world he had. Just an amusing aside of my cartoon drenched brain lumbering back to things that amuse.
One of the two tidbits include @cricket stating how Lenny was based on someone who was sent to an asylum. That made certain scenes far more poignant. Such as Crooks "supposesing" about if Lenny was alone, without George, and what would become of him. Suggesting being locked up in an asylum. The other was near the end as George and and Slim talked about what would be best for George and how an asylum would be a very terrible thing for him.
There was a very tangible gravitas to those scenes, having learn that bit of trivia.
The final tidbit was with how @pahaK felt that the old dog being shot gave away the ending and it got me to thinking, while watching it, if it would have given away the ending I was already aware of.
No idea if it would or wouldn't.
But I do see how it had a sort of relevance for giving George the argument of doing what would be needed to do, as well as to the viewers when that time came.

Still, I really enjoyed this and very happy that I got to finally actually watch it in full. The running theme of loneliness was done well and I thought the friendship between George and Lenny was very well done.

The Thin Man



I actually had watched this one in July but I watched it again. I feel pretty much the same on the second go around. The first half it had my interest but then it ended up fading for whatever reason. The biggest knock against it personally is that the humor and the jokes don't hit for me. Also I'm not as fond of the characters as everyone else seems to be for whatever reason. Not that there is anything necessarily wrong with them, I just don't find them too compelling. I think the film may have benefitted being a little more on the serious side. I feel it tried to balance the comedy a bit to much into it's act while still trying to maintain some seriousness, at least that's how it played off to me. Not terrible but certainly not a favorite for me.

OMG! I hadn't thought of that, but yup you're right old cartoons used that Lenny character/voice for the dopey guy. Ahhh....the good old days of watching Saturday morning cartoons


That's how it worked for me too. The film sets up the idea of mercy by death for the dog, with Lenny being in need of the ultimate mercy. Didn't Cricket's other nom They Shoot Horses Don't They, have a similar theme? I wonder if he will do 3 in a row?


I wasn't overly fond of the characters either, I liked them I guess, but not as much as I would have expected to. Though I think I will watch the second Thin Man, one of these days.

I suppose there's also another reason I disliked the dog part and it also explains why I drew my conclusions from its death.

I don't agree with the (universally accepted) concept that everything must have a purpose (like an example I've heard somewhere that if the film shows an ax it must later be used). To me it often makes things looks staged and predetermined (no, I'm not going to start a debate about freewill here) and feels like a cheap attempt to involve the viewer with tricks instead of the actual story.

Because I dislike that I tend to pay more attention to it. So with the dog I was instantly asking myself "why are they showing this to me?" and the answer felt obvious.

I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang is technically my last film before I submit a list. I will still watch It Happened One Night (seen it countless times) and have a write up for that too

Definitely interested in hearing your thoughts on It Happened One Night.

I do understand that and how easily it can be to follow that. I've done that before when I saw something and figured it was going to be put to use later on.
Which is why I took serious note of that incident and wondered if I would have thought the exact same thing.

Yeah, I was trying to find either a gif or a youtube for my favorite with the big Lenny cat and Sylvester where he tells him "You git me a mouse, George, or I will stroke your fur the wrong way!" and all I could find was a snipped of "But I can't say Sylvester, George."

And PLEASE don't put any ideas in cricket's head about a triple play of mercy killings -- that's just ASKING for trouble!!

Fugitive will be the final one that I had seen previously before checking the final three that I haven't seen and pretty excited to sit down to.