Citizen's Top 62, 1930s Actors & Actresses

Finally starting on the 1930's again. Watching four Wellman's first, just finished Night Nurse next i'm watching Safe In Hell, Heroes For Sale and Wild Boys of the Road. Night Nurse was awesome. Despite watching a fair amount of 30's films i'm not really familiar with pre-code ones so seeing the women half naked so much was actually pretty shocking. It was like an unintended joke in itself since their underwear was still so conservative, it's just crazy imagining that being scandalous. Think i'm going to read into pre-code soon, i'm interested in who were the many objectors to the content and if there was major objections to implementing strict rules. I'm guessing the filmmakers were the main ones as it was obviously restricting them artistically, although some were probably clean cut and against the more risque directors. I'm also interested in the most scandalous films that were major catalysts in ending the pre-code era. I've never had a problem with the more clean restricted classic era but i do wonder what would have come about if directors had more freedom. I'm guessing there'd be good and bad, Hitch's films would have probably been sleazy porno's :laugh.

LMAO at how shady and sinister this got, i was expecting a screwball comedy. This was only the second time i'd seen Stanwyck after Double Indemnity which is one of my favourite performances. She was great again, loved the scene she shouted at the mother then slapped the dude, she was a real caring badass in this. That bucket throw was hilarious. Had no idea Clark Gable was in this and it took me a minute to realize it was him without the moustache, only seen his leading roles in It Happened One Night and Gone With The Wind so it was weird seeing a small villain role from him. He was really goofy in his first scene but i liked his suave charm coming through while he was standing smirking in the doorway. Also is it just me or was he dressed like a Confederate Soldier in the last scene? I liked Ben Lyon too, he seemed ridiculous but it worked a lot i especially love how it turned out "the ride" was real Really good looking forward to more from Wellman. Kinda want to rewatch Wings now i think i'd like it alot more now.

Oh yeah just remembered the reason it was mentioned in this thread was because Joan Blondell was in it. She was pretty good, she was fun as her friend during the first half it just wasn't an important role so she isn't that memorable compared to the other three.

I've seen all of those, liked them all too. They were part of one of the Forbidden Hollywood DVD precode sets. There's a number of those sets, and each have like half dozen precode films on it.Anyway, yeah Wellman is a ballsy director. I've seen some docs on him and he was quite the character and force of nature. Sort of like John Huston.

Night Nurse was awesome. Despite watching a fair amount of 30's films i'm not really familiar with pre-code ones so seeing the women half naked so much was actually pretty shocking. It was like an unintended joke in itself since their underwear was still so conservative, it's just crazy imagining that being scandalous.

I loved Night Nurse! and I'm a huge fan of Barbara Stanwyck...and Joan Blondell too. That's the only film you can see Barbara and Joan in their undies I don't know who I know this, but the bottom part is called bloomers, yeah very conservative undies, ha.

It's a fascinating story about the reasons for the Hays Code which ended the pre-code era and why it came about...and how the film makers got around it. When I first got into films, it was pre code that I was into. I think you'll enjoy reading about it.

Ha

Gable is really kind of a bad dude here. I got a kick out of how she won't date him because he's been a bootlegger, but when he kills someone she's like, oh what the hell I get in the car with you and drive off into the sunset.

Find the restored version of Wings, it looks so much better than the first time I watched it which was a poor copy. Wings was also done as a special edition road show picture, which has extras included that regular movie release doesn't have. Like hand drawn fire from the planes.

In one of those Wellman film that you just seen, does Joan Blondell have a line as a waitress, where she says, 'I'm APO....ain't puttin out' I know that was from some precode film.

It's actually even better than that. She is already in the car and she hears a siren and says she feels kinda bad about Gable getting arrested, then he says "oh no he won't be arrested" and she's like "what?", then it shows you it's an Ambulance not the Police the two Ambulance workers then mention how Gable was "taken for a ride" showing that all his wise talk that sounded like BS was actually true

Will do. I saw Wings on Netflix when i was about 16, not sure which copy. I didn't have the sort of patience i do now for Silent films i believe that was my first Silent Drama so i found it boring then. I know i'd like it more now though.

The only one i've seen so far is Night Nurse, i'll be watching those other three over the next few days. Will tell you if that's in any of them. Actually just checked Letterboxd and Blondell isn't in any of those three, must be something else.

This is a Wellman film where she plays a waitress - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Other_Men%27s_Women

I seen Wings first when I was in my early 20s, I caught it on PBS...I didn't know what to make of it, but I had a huge crush on Clara Bow so never forgot it. In fact if it wasn't for Clara Bow I wouldn't have got into old movies and wouldn't be here at MoFo.

Check out my review of Wings. I talk about the roadshow version and different scores for the movie

Wings review by CR

Yup, that was it. Good one too.

I know he was a movie icon and all, but I have never gotten all the fuss about John Wayne...maybe it has to do with the fact that I've never been into westerns, but I have never understood the appeal...he made well over a hundred films and I've seen three...i don't think he's a very good actor and I have no desire to see any of the other films he's made.

Watched Safe In Hell earlier, have you seen it Citizen? It was a tad disappointing. I really loved the story but i thought Dorothy Mackall was horrible, she really dragged the film down. Someone like Stanwyk in that role could have made this a new favourite. Still quite like it though.

I have not seen that one. I'm not sure if I've ever seen Dorothy Mackall. It looks like she never did any well known movies. Now I'm kind of curious to watch that one, and I do need to start watch 30s films again. The fact that you loved the story is enough to put it on my watch list. Do you still have a link? If not I can probably find one.

Gave True Confession a whirl and I have to say that Una Merkel was quite a delight in it, reminded me a little of a youngish Shirley MacLaine. Looking forward to seeing what else of hers from the 30s I can locate, partly to see if she continues to give me that vibe.

update: Just watched The Merry Widow as well in which she only has a brief supporting role but does what is asked of her adequately enough.

Rewatched Destry Rides Again just now, not a fan of the songs but do like the story and it's pretty well cast. Both Ms. Dietrich and Ms. Merkel acquit themselves ably - the former in a role well suited to her strengths, the latter once again only supporting but gives her character enough identity and I'd say the two had fun shooting their set-to.

(Wouldn't recommend the copy of this I watched on Dailymotion - once again too many interruptions for ads (that I turn the sound off for so what's the point really?) and the rendition of the print isn't that great either)

Ready for actress #19 whenever you are CR

My #19 Favorite 30's Actress is

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I've only definitely seen one from the 30s with Sylvia Sidney in and that's Merrily We Go To Hell and she was very good in it so a timely reminder for me to try and check out more of her work from that period. I may well have seen Hitch's Sabotage but if I have it was aeons ago so even if I have I wouldn't count it anyway .... needless to say that was already on my list to try and find - as were You Only Live Once and Dead End. Of her earlier output Miracle Man and City Streets look most appealing so they'll be other alternatives to try and find as well.

I'm going to start pouring into 30s movies for the up coming countdown...I need to get watching real soon!
Merrily We Go To Hell well be on my watch list. And I have seen Hitch's Sabotage recently my review, and wasn't impressed by it.

I hope you can find a few of her films, City Streets was one where she had a substantial role, as opposed to playing just the girlfriend. Even though that's exactly what she plays, the girlfriend.

She has a prominent role in Merrily too. If I have seen Sabotage before I remember the sum total of squat about it lol so it'll be like a new watch for me anyway (as are most of the 30s I've been watching regardless of whether I've seen them or not - the joy of getting old).

I saw her in Fury and she was so good-looking there. Oh, good film also!

The Trail of the Lonesome Pine has a special place in my heart as it was one of my departed Dad's favorite movies. He had it on VHS for years and would ask me and my wife almost every time we visited over the years, "Say, have you seen this movie called Trail of the Lonesome Pine?" We'd always say, "No," but we didn't have time to watch it. He'd always tell us the good points of the movie: "Sylvia Sydney is good-looking in this (which she was), Henry Fonda and Fred MacMurray are in it. Spanky from "The Little Rascals" is in it. Have you ever heard of Fuzzy Knight? He sings 'Twilight on the Trail' in this at a funeral. It's a good movie." He would tease us with this spiel all the time till one day we surprised him and said, "All right, let's watch it!" He was surprised but pleased, and it was just as good as he promised. I think of him every time I hear that movie mentioned. Need to see it again.

__________________
"Miss Jean Louise, Mr. Arthur Radley."

Sylvia Sydney was superb in Hitchcock's Sabotage. The scene with the carving knife at the dinner table with her husband is a classic; and one that only an actor with silent film experience could excel at.

I didn't realize until looking it up that Sydney won awards later in life when she was old: an Oscar nomination for Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams (with Joanne Woodward), a Golden Globe for An Early Frost, and a Saturn Award for Beetlejuice; the last two in the 1980s. Great career. Good choice.

~Doc

Watched both City Streets and Street Scene earlier, she's very good in the former and decent in the latter which is more an ensemble piece. About to start Hitch's Sabotage shortly.

I know what you mean!

Great story Dadgum, thanks for posting that. Your dad had good taste in movies and actresses too I didn't remember that Spanky was in it. It's been a long while since I seen it and the old memory isn't as good as it use to be.

Yup, the knife scene was good. I love this photo still of her from Sabotage.