1930s Hall of Fame

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Oh...I so need to watch The Bride of Frankenstein, maybe tonight. That way I can know what you guys are talking about. I swear one day an Hof should have a movie per week, where everybody watches the same film. I think that would get conversation going.



I think it may had to do with how it was a "?" in Frankenstein and to play on that, they simply left it as his last name only. (this is PURELY a guess and no actual fact to back it up)
Which, I think, going by that guess they did the same "?" with The Bride.
I haven't seen Frankenstein in almost two decades as well, so I forgot about that aspect.

In the opening credits to Bride they do have a "?" next to "The Monster's Mate", which I assumed that was a reference to the plot of the film itself. I thought that was clever, but in retrospect it was probably just following the trend from the first film's credits.

Warning: Potential Spoilers for Penny Dreadful below.
So, what was irritating about her, Cosmic?

I enjoyed her as well, and, at first, I had a hard time getting used to the path her character, which did make sense.
WARNING: "It did seem a little too much of a wrap up" spoilers below
on how her and her "followers" were all taken out, though. Perhaps they saw it has a little TOO big a subplot to allow to go any further than it had.
Basically everything.

Her accent at the start was absolutely horrible, though thankfully it did get dropped later on. I didn't like her relationships with the other characters, though towards the end when she started taking more control of her life, I did start to respect her a tiny bit. I still really wanted her character to get killed off though.

It's funny because I remembered being fine with her when she was in Doctor Who, but when she reappeared in a later season, there was something about her I just didn't like, and that seemed to have carried over into Penny Dreadful. A sort of unfounded, immediate resentment that I can't explain.



I swear one day an Hof should have a movie per week, where everybody watches the same film. I think that would get conversation going.
I do think that's an interesting idea, but it would take quite a bit of planning, especially since everyone would need access to the same films each week. There'd probably need to be extra time granted after the nominations are revealed to track down each film before things really kick off.



I do think that's an interesting idea, but it would take quite a bit of planning, especially since everyone would need access to the same films each week. There'd probably need to be extra time granted after the nominations are revealed to track down each film before things really kick off.
It's too late now, but what I was thinking for future Hofs is: that after the reveal everyone would post back in a day or two what films they can easily find and we could collectively come up with a watch list, 1 movie title per week....BUT strictly optional as I know people like to go at their own pace and do their own thing. So just as a fun thing and not a rule. Well maybe next time.





Pépé Le Moko (1937)
Director: Julien Duvivier
Starring: Jean Gabin, Lucas Gridoux, Mireille Balin

While it does lack the sharp contrast and dominant shadows that became a key visual component to film noir, there are a number of distinct “pre-noir” elements in Pépé Le Moko's aesthetic and story that I naturally appreciated. Parts of the film did seem incredibly familiar, so it's possible that I may have seen the American remake at some point, likely on TV without even knowing what I was watching, which was typically the case for these older films.

I loved every shot of the casbah terraces that showed their labyrinthine construction, and any scene that showed those narrow streets, whether they were crowded or eerily empty, were brilliantly done. The most visually interesting part of the film was when Pépé starts to run through the streets against a misaligned, and increasingly foggy and angled backdrop. While it could mistakingly be interpreted as poor editing (until the background turns into an obvious fantasy), I found that the intentional disconnect worked very well.

Initially, I didn't find Jean Gabin to be charming enough for his role, though I did ultimately like his performance. Pépé and Slimane made great frenemies, and their scenes together were always fun to watch. Despite their relationship being my favourite part of the film, the most memorable scene for me didn't focus on either of them. Instead, it was the moment when Tania started to sing along to the recording from her youth. It was genuinely touching. I also appreciated the final scenes, which thankfully didn't go for a sappy or Hollywood style ending. I'm quite glad that this was nominated, because I likely wouldn't have stumbled across it on my own.

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Women will be your undoing, Pépé
I haven't seen Frankenstein in almost two decades as well, so I forgot about that aspect.

In the opening credits to Bride they do have a "?" next to "The Monster's Mate", which I assumed that was a reference to the plot of the film itself. I thought that was clever, but in retrospect it was probably just following the trend from the first film's credits.

Warning: Potential Spoilers for Penny Dreadful below.

Basically everything.

Her accent at the start was absolutely horrible, though thankfully it did get dropped later on. I didn't like her relationships with the other characters, though towards the end when she started taking more control of her life, I did start to respect her a tiny bit. I still really wanted her character to get killed off though.

It's funny because I remembered being fine with her when she was in Doctor Who, but when she reappeared in a later season, there was something about her I just didn't like, and that seemed to have carried over into Penny Dreadful. A sort of unfounded, immediate resentment that I can't explain.
done that before. You see an actor or actress and for some reason, you just hate them. They hit that nerve and grind it.
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Women will be your undoing, Pépé


Pépé Le Moko (1937)
Director: Julien Duvivier
Starring: Jean Gabin, Lucas Gridoux, Mireille Balin

While it does lack the sharp contrast and dominant shadows that became a key visual component to film noir, there are a number of distinct “pre-noir” elements in Pépé Le Moko's aesthetic and story that I naturally appreciated. Parts of the film did seem incredibly familiar, so it's possible that I may have seen the American remake at some point, likely on TV without even knowing what I was watching, which was typically the case for these older films.

I loved every shot of the casbah terraces that showed their labyrinthine construction, and any scene that showed those narrow streets, whether they were crowded or eerily empty, were brilliantly done. The most visually interesting part of the film was when Pépé starts to run through the streets against a misaligned, and increasingly foggy and angled backdrop. While it could mistakingly be interpreted as poor editing (until the background turns into an obvious fantasy), I found that the intentional disconnect worked very well.

Initially, I didn't find Jean Gabin to be charming enough for his role, though I did ultimately like his performance. Pépé and Slimane made great frenemies, and their scenes together were always fun to watch. Despite their relationship being my favourite part of the film, the most memorable scene for me didn't focus on either of them. Instead, it was the moment when Tania started to sing along to the recording from her youth. It was genuinely touching. I also appreciated the final scenes, which thankfully didn't go for a sappy or Hollywood style ending. I'm quite glad that this was nominated, because I likely wouldn't have stumbled across it on my own.

I really, really love that scene. And amazed they didn't keep it for the American remake. Considering HOW MUCH they did take. There was so much emotion in that scene.

WARNING: "This ending is far more fitting for the story than the Hollywood remake," spoilers below
Pepe dies in the American remake but he's running toward the boat on the pier, crying out Gabby's name, and one of the police shoots, and kills him, thinking, he was trying to escape.
And you don't see Ines at all. It's just Slimane and Pepe saying their goodbyes as he dies.



I really, really love that scene. And amazed they didn't keep it for the American remake. Considering HOW MUCH they did take. There was so much emotion in that scene.
She literally puts a voice to Pépé's own melancholic feelings of nostalgia for Paris and a time when he wasn't trapped in the casbah, so removing that scene doesn't seem like it would be right at all.

WARNING: "This ending is far more fitting for the story than the Hollywood remake," spoilers below
Pepe dies in the American remake but he's running toward the boat on the pier, crying out Gabby's name, and one of the police shoots, and kills him, thinking, he was trying to escape.
And you don't see Ines at all. It's just Slimane and Pepe saying their goodbyes as he dies.
WARNING: "Pépé le Moko ending" spoilers below
So does Inès not betray Pépé to the police in Algiers? The fact that she would rather see him behind bars rather than run away with Gaby was quite powerful.





The Scarlet Empress
(1934)

Director: Josef von Sternberg
Starring: Marlene Dietrich, John Davis Lodge, Louise Dresser

The Scarlet Empress is visually fascinating, and almost feels like a silent film at times with long sections accompanied only by an orchestra, an abundance of title cards, and movement that sometimes matches perfectly with the music. Almost every shot is mesmerizing, and it was difficult to tear my eyes away from the screen.

Though the sets are not historically accurate, the architecture on display is nothing short of stunning. Tormented and nightmarish figures are carved onto every surface of the palace, with skeletons on the dining table and doors so large it takes half a dozen women to open them. The décor is grotesque, yet immensely fascinating. There are recurring motifs throughout the entire film, and I could easily spend hours breaking down and evaluating the film's mise-en-scène.

The lighting, being Expressionist in nature, is naturally incredible. There's an interesting use of textures and veils or sheer curtains to diffuse the light in a number of shots, and I wouldn't want to count the number of candles seen in the frame, let alone any that may be outside of it. The costumes were fabulous as well, adding volumes to the film's visual elegance. The film's content definitely takes a back seat to its aesthetic, but that's perfectly acceptable to me when it's done as well as it is here.

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Did you think of it the way you thought you were going to, given that you've seen bits and pieces before?
The start of the film did catch me a little off guard with how innocently everything is framed for young Sophie. Yes there's a startling contrast between her life and the brutal imagery in the stories she's told, but it doesn't seem to have any impact on her, probably because it seems like a far off fantasy. The real horror doesn't come until she is moved to Russia, where it surrounds her every second of the day.

Since I had only previously seen parts from the latter half, I had been missing the change that occurred to her character throughout the film. So witnessing that play out was definitely a pleasant surprise.



It seems that a lot of the film's fans feel the same as you, as I saw many people praising the style. I feel the same, but I was also surprised to love the story, performances, and especially the humor.



I feel the same, but I was also surprised to love the story, performances, and especially the humor.
I did thoroughly enjoy Sophie/Catherine's story, and found most of the performances to be engaging. John Davis Lodge was incredibly charming, and Louise Dresser never failed to be entertaining. The only one I didn't really like was Sam Jaffe. Well, one scene of his I did love:

WARNING: "The Scarlet Empress" spoilers below
His dismissal of the people coming to congratulate him on "fathering" a son.

I did enjoy the story, but I was too engrossed in the visuals to really say anything substantial about it in my post. I sometimes get so carried away talking about cinematography that I forget to mention the rest of the film haha.




The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Damn, now I've got that song Weird Science stuck in my head You know I thought I'd seen this before, but geez I didn't remember a scene of it. Well except for the 'He's alive!' line by Colin Clive...and now I can't forget it!

I really thought I'd enjoy this one as I've seen the original and it's great and people are always saying this one is even better than the 1st one....Sorry I just don't see it.

The film felt like one of those matinee serials they use to make, like Flash Gordon. I guess you'd call it the pacing, as the scenes are choppy. They start and finish without any set up or without furthering: the story, the theme or the characters plight. It's like it was made for a kid audience and the scenes are just the bare bones minimum, without any nuances. There's a couple of exceptions: the blind hermits cabin scene and the last 20 minutes in the lab. BTW the lab set is extremely cool looking as was the lighting and cinematography for that scene.

I found the music score annoying and loud, and yeah I watch a lot of old movies and they often have heavy scores. And Una O'Conner? At first I thought she'd be a favorite character but the movie goes to her with these over done-long close ups of her ranting and shrieking, which does nothing to tell the tale, and is just filler material. I blame the director, not her, it's like James Whales just didn't care to do great work.

In the original I found the monster both freighting and sad. I felt bad for him and yet I could see why he was being persecuted. Those themes of being persecuted as an outsider worked in the original. There were no themes in Bride, at least none that struck me.

I liked Colin Clive in the last 20 minute but it was Dr. Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger) who stole the show. Now that dude could act! Too bad the fiance of Frankenstein was flat in her acting. And when she was taken to the cave, why wasn't that scene played out more? It would seem to be a pivotal moment when suspense and drama come to a head. In the cave scene we could have learned more about the mindset of the monster and seen the fiances fear and loathing of it, which would then make the ending more of an emotional punch.

I have to say this might be the most overrated film I've ever seen. BUT I'm super glad it was nominated as I wanted to see it and it's an important film in the lexicon of cinema.
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The Scarlet Empress (1934)


A third Dietrich-von Sternberg watch this year for me. This is definitely of the same kind of calibre as the previous two (The Blue Angel, Shanghai Express) and it might be my favourite. One of the things I love about von Sternberg is his knowledge on when to let scenes breathe. A good example in this film is when Catherine enters the council chamber and the score completely bottoms out, and it's such a great way to build suspense. Other filmmakers at the time were just getting used to the best ways to use sound effectively but Von Sternberg is the master and takes to it so well.

Many great things to touch on here with quality editing, set design and costume design. There's a lot of shots of the Cross in this film, I couldn't figure out whether there's a deeper meaning to that or it's just highlighting the influence the Orthodox Church had on the Russian elite? Dietrich's outfits get increasingly extravagant the more Catherine loses her innocence which is a nice touch. I imagine the actors were in their element shooting for this film. It's supremely stylish.

I was a little concerned early on as the first few scenes with Catherine and the Count are very awkward but thankfully that doesn't continue. Peter III is portrayed in his classic idiot persona taken from Catherine's memoirs. It works here as I don't think portraying him as progressive would lead to the kind of conflict and triumphant resolution that Von Sternberg would want the film to end on. Plus, it brings more weight to the feeling of entrapment around Catherine.

Great nom @cricket



The discussion about Pepe Le Moko is pushing it up the watchlist. It might be next for me depending on time.

Way to go, you're rocking it! much appreciated I haven't seen The Scarlett Empress, but it sounds like people are really liking it.
Seems like we're all rocking it at this rate



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
She literally puts a voice to Pépé's own melancholic feelings of nostalgia for Paris and a time when he wasn't trapped in the casbah, so removing that scene doesn't seem like it would be right at all.


WARNING: "Pépé le Moko ending" spoilers below
So does Inès not betray Pépé to the police in Algiers? The fact that she would rather see him behind bars rather than run away with Gaby was quite powerful.
WARNING: "Actually had to rewatch the ending to be sure," spoilers below
she does, reluctantly, but you don't see her that final moment in his death, just when he steps off the gangplank and they exchange looks.