Dark Passage (1947)

"I was born lonely I guess"

Dark Passage was the third of four films made by Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. It tells the story of Vincent Parry (Bogart), a man wrongly convicted of killing his wife. He escapes from prison and is helped by a young woman, Irene Jansen (Bacall), who has taken an interest in his case. Parry accepts an offer to have plastic surgery on his face, and with this new identity he sets out to clear his name.

The first half of the film is very atmospheric. The audience does not see Parry's face, until after his operation, so it is shot from his point of view. When he receives plastic surgery it creates a strange atmosphere, with the bandages wrapped around his head, Parry resembles an Egyptian mummy. The stark white of the bandages stands out vividly against the darkness of the night.

One of the main themes in the film is loneliness. All the characters are lonely in their own way. Parry is seemingly alone in his quest for freedom, Irene has lost all her family and has become attached to a criminal case, Bob (Bruce Bennett) is looking for security with Irene after the breakup of his own relationship, the taxi driver makes frequent references to his own loneliness, the surgeon was fired from the medical practice he worked in, and we see him working under the cover of darkness. The controlling Madge (Agnes Moorehead) is also lonely but has used this to manipulate everyone around her. One of the starkest scenes of loneliness is when Parry visits his old friend George. George lives alone in a dark dinghy flat, he dreams of moving to South America to play his trumpet. Interestingly all the characters wish to escape to either Mexico or South America, warm sunny places, far from the darkness of San Francisco. 

The film is beautifully shot and Bacall is stunning, her rich lifestyle contrasting with the drabness of the rest of the city, the empty hotels and diners Bogart frequents. It is not one of Bogart's finest films, but he gives a solid performance, and the strangeness of the subject matter gives the story weight. Bacall later wrote in her autobiography that during filming Bogart began to lose his hair due to alopecia areata, and by the time filming ended he was wearing a wig.

4/5

Hollywood Retro Film Festival at Cinema Nova

If anyone is reading, and are in Australia, you might be interested in the Retro Film Festival being held at Cinema Nova.

Films being shown include, Casablanca, On The Waterfront, The Ghost and Mrs Muir, Sabrina, Gone with the Wind, All About Eve and The Searchers. 

You can find the full list of films on Cinema Nova's website:
http://www.cinemanova.com.au/event-v4948.php

Enjoy!

Judy:Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

Long time no see! Sorry for my absence  I'm getting back into the swing with a little piece I wrote about one of my favourite film characters, Judy, from Rebel Without a Cause. 

                                

Much of Judy’s emotional conflict comes from her father; she is torn between being a little girl, and being a woman, with all the sexual feelings that come with it. Her parents, like many in the fifties, appear to have given her very little guidance in relation to these emotions. Instead her father suppresses her love by berating her; at once telling her she can’t go out to seduce boys, but is not loved by him either. But its not just Judy’s father who is emotionally distant, her mother always seems to be in the background, never protecting or defending Judy. In many ways Judy is desperately seeking a complete and loving family. At the beginning of the film Judy is seen wearing a red outfit, she is the tormented lovelorn teenager, punished by her father, and seeking for a way of acceptance, trying to be older than she is. Judy’s confusion in part stems from the conflicting views of society, on the one hand she is encouraged to be a vibrant, sexy confident teenager by her own peers, on the other hand the more ‘adult’ world shuns her for it, trying to lie to her as a way of protecting her purity. 

Judy’s initial rudeness to Jim is compounded by her knowledge that he knows how she ended up in the police station. She feels threatened by his knowledge of her more vulnerable side, and consequently puts on a great show of being a disdainful young woman, “I go with the kids”. Judy is very much the typical American teenager in this scene, her clothing is more relaxed, but she still seems on edge, still trying to vie for her place amongst the rowdy group she runs with. Judy is swept away with the gang’s risqué behaviour, going along with their stunts and violence; she is a silent pursuer of these moments, as if she is unable to go against the status quo, unable to discredit her adopted family. Her attraction to Buzz is fleeting, he represents a figure of power who does accept her, he gives her somewhere to belong, but it is evident that she finds the alienated Jim a kindred spirit. 

Judy’s role becomes more active when she initiates the beginning of the chickie run, and the moments she shares with Buzz and Jim in the scenes leading up to it. Perhaps the most symbolic scene that depicts Judy is when she is standing at the cliff, looking over to where Buzz has died. All her other friends have abandoned her. She is completely alone, looking into the abyss, and she looks like a frightened girl. It is Jim’s hand of friendship that heals the wounds she has been carrying for a long time. He begins the new and more meaningful chapter in her life. 

Through Jim Judy comes to the realisation that love does not have to be painful or hard, “I love someone, and it’s so easy”. Unlike the other people in her life Jim reciprocates this love with tenderness and honesty. The look of surprise on her face when he kisses her after declaring, “Nobody acts sincere” is one of amazement and young emotions. Her gentle, “your lips are soft”, is a tender moment. Judy realising the love she can have, that she has been missing, and the audience can see Judy wrestling and embracing the thought that she has met someone who is sincere. 

They form a surrogate family around Plato, and Judy is able to step into the role of mother. It comes to her easily, and she seems at peace. Her maturation is evident. Giving the right relationships and opportunity’s Judy begins to blossom into a caring, tender young woman, someone who can dissipate the raging emotions previously carried within her. 

Her tender compassionate and earnest looks at Jim reflect a love not shown by Judy to any other character in the course of the film. She loves him, and as she says it is “easy”. Unlike with her father who wants her to act a certain way, whose authority she looks up to, or even Buzz who also gives her a status, creating Judy into one of the ‘kids’, Jim simply accepts her for who she is, recognising the loneliness and confusion in her heart. Jim allows Judy to be her own age, neither forcing her back into childhood, like her father, nor making her more adult and confident like her gang.
It is Judy who replaces the dead Plato’s shoe, a final act for her surrogate child. Now armed with the knowledge of the best and worst of humanity Judy stands next to Jim, ready to face the next phase of her life. 

1. Audrey Hepburn

"Audrey was meek, gentle and ethereal, understated both in her life and in her work. She walked among us with a light pace, as if she didn't want to be noticed. I regret losing her as a friend, as a role model, and as a companion to my youthful dreams"
-Sophia Loren

Arguably the most beautiful woman in the world, both inside and out, Audrey Hepburn has left her mark on film, fashion and charity. Her grace, kindness and compassion were evident from her first major role, who else could have played a runaway Princess with such believability?

The iconic little black dress, pearls, beehive and ballet flats have all become synonymous with Audrey Hepburn, but behind this fashionable facade was a woman who deeply cared about those around her, who was insecure and shy but had a brilliant sense of humour and became a champion of justice for those in need.

Audrey Kathleen Ruston was born in Holland and as a child was forced to endure the hardships of the Second World War. Despite living with starvation, illness and fear, Audrey never gave up on her dream of becoming a ballerina. After the war she went to ballet school, however her height and lack of training during her formative years saw the end of her dream. She took up acting instead, and after success in the stage production of Gigi, was cast in the 1953 film Roman Holiday. Audrey won an oscar for her role as Princess Ann. A series of Cinderella type roles followed, but Audrey challenged herself with  roles in The Nuns Story, Green Mansions, The Children's Hour, Two for the Road and Wait Until Dark. Her most famous role came in 1961, Breakfast at Tiffany's, it cemented Audrey's fashion legacy. Despite film success Audrey's greatest joy was being a mother, this love of children led to her becoming a UNICEF ambassador and she travelled the world, becoming a voice for underprivileged children. Audrey passed away at the age of sixty three from cancer at her beloved home in Switzerland.

Audrey's acting talent is often overlooked but she played many challenging roles throughout her career which proved her versatility as an actress, a Princess, Nun, party girl and blind woman were just some of the roles she played. She changed the face of cinema forever, but also changed the way the world viewed beauty. Her greatest legacy however was in the work she did for children, it took her all over the world and despite the horrors she saw she never lost hope. Audrey was a special lady in more ways than one.

"Life is like tearing through a museum. Not until later do you really start absorbing what you saw, thinking about it, looking it up in a book, and remembering- because you can't take it all in at once"
-Audrey Hepburn

2. Natalie Wood

"I think Natalie, underneath everything, was a very sweet, genuinely down-to-earth person who was slightly coloured by the warped life of being a star at such an early age. But she herself, as a human being, shone through that. She was a real person"
-Robert Redford

Bright, spunky, brave and lovely, Natalie Wood captivated audiences from the age of five. She was beautiful, but possessed a raw talent, her performances achingly real, Natalie became an actress millions of young women identified with. Her ability to make her characters 'real', often came from her own experiences, in a life that was not always easy, but which she was eventual able to make the best of.

Natalie was born, Natalia Nikolaevna Zacharenko. And for the rest of her life was torn between her true identity as 'Natasha' (her childhood nickname) and her film star persona, 'Natalie Wood'. She was brave enough to seek out roles which challenged her as an actress and defied Hollywood conventions.

Her parents were Russian immigrants, and her mother was the ultimate stage mother. She pushed Natalie into films at a young age were she had to change her name. As a young girl she gained early success in films such as, Miracle on 34th Street and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. Upon reaching her teens Natalie struggled for independence not only from her mother, but also from the childish film roles she was given. This changed when she was cast next to James Dean in the classic film, Rebel Without a Cause (1955). Natalie proved her talent as a serious actress and found further success in Splendor in the Grass, West Side Story, Love with the Proper Stranger and This Property is Condemned. Films in which she starred alongside Warren Beatty, Steve McQueen and Robert Redford. During the seventies she took more television roles, sometimes in collaboration with her husband Robert Wagner. At the age of forty three Natalie mysteriously and tragically drowned whilst on the family yacht with Wagner and actor Christopher Walken aboard.

Perhaps the greatest tragedy is that Natalie was so happy at the time of her death, having put her troubled past behind her she was embracing her role as a wife and mother, pursing acting opportunities in the theatre. Natalie has often been defined by her death, or by her famous leading men, but she was a brilliant and capable actress in her own right. Her determination and spirit saw Natalie rise above her own circumstances, she truly was a remarkable woman.

"The times that I have done something that I didn't respond to emotionally right away, it's generally not worked out too well"
-Natalie Wood

3. Grace Kelly

"You know, I just love Grace Kelly. Not because she was a princess, not because she was an actress, not because she was my friend, but because she was just about the nicest lady I ever met"
- James Stewart

Grace Kelly was the fairytale princess, a beautiful and talented actress, she was whisked away by a real Prince, living out the remainder of her days as Princess of Monaco. With her dignity and poise Grace's time was relatively brief in Hollywood but she fascinated a generation and continues to do so.

Born into a successful Philadelphian sporting family Grace knew she wanted to become an actress from an early age. Shy but determined Grace began her career as a model but it wasn't long before she became the favourite leading lady of some of the most famous actors and directors in Hollywood.

Early success on television saw Grace being cast in Fourteen Hours (1951) and the hugely popular Western, High Noon. Grace then went on to star in three Hitchcock films (Dial M for Murder, Rear Window, and To Catch a Thief) Which paired her with the likes of Ray Milland, James Stewart and Cary Grant. Grace proved she wasn't just a pretty face with her academy award winning role in The Country Girl (1954). Despite her talent Grace left the world of Hollywood behind when she married Prince Rainer of Monaco in 1956, it was dubbed the 'wedding of the century', and was broadcast live on television. After her marriage Grace settled down in her role as Princess, wife and mother. Her life was cut tragically short when she suffered a stroke whilst driving her car, she was fifty two years old.

For Alfred Hitchcock Grace was the ultimate 'Hitchcock Blonde', her apparent ice cold demeanour masked a passionate, fiery nature. Grace was also an incredibly brave woman, she fought hard for her career, but then gave it all up for the man she loved. Leaving her home, family and friends to forge a new life for herself in a strange country, where more was expected of her than of the average immigrant. Grace did all of this with her own quiet strength and dignity, taking an active interest in her adopted home's customs and people. Grace really was a Princess.

"I avoid looking back. I prefer good memories to regrets"
-Grace Kelly

4. Joanne Woodward

"Her loyalty and her unpredictability. Joanne can be one person before lunch, and completely different after lunch"
-Paul Newman

The southern girl famous for playing troubled young women and for being part of one of the most successful marriages in film history, Joanne Woodward appeared to be destined to become an actress. As a little girl who loved the movies her mother took her to the premiere of Gone With the Wind, whilst watching the parade nine year old Joanne ran over and sat in Laurence Olivier's lap!

Passionate, beautiful and dedicated Joanne started her acting career on the stage. In 1953 she met young actor Paul Newman, a friendship began which was kindled into romance whilst filming The Long Hot Summer (1958). Joanne won the 1957 academy award for best actress for The Three Faces of Eve. Her performance as a young woman with multiple personality disorder was a brilliant example of her acting talents. Her performance is raw, truthful and haunting. She and Paul were married in 1958 and motherhood soon followed. Still Joanne continued acting in a vast array of roles, showing her versatility as an actress. She and Paul starred in ten films together and she also starred in five more directed/produced by him, including the critically acclaimed, Rachel, Rachel. Joanne also starred with some of the most popular actors of the day, including, Marlon Brando, Yul Byrnner, Robert Wagner and Henry Fonda. Today Joanne is the director of the Westport County Playhouse.

Today Joanne is most recognised as being the wife of Paul Newman for over fifty years until his death in 2008, a lasting marriage, something of a rarity in Hollywood. However Joanne's talent as an actress should not be forgotten. She and Paul founded 'The Hole in the Wall Gang' camps for sick children, and she continues her husbands charitable projects and legacy. Also like her husband she has tried her hand at producing, directing and writing. Joanne was never one to become caught up in the Hollywood lifestyle, always interested in pursuing other interests, Joanne had made her own Oscar dress the night she won for Three Faces of Eve.

Humorous, compassionate, skilled and honest Joanne remains one of the greatest and most versatile actresses. Her ability to be anything from the girl next door, a seductress, wife, mother, tormented to full of life make her filmography surprising and enjoyable. Her dedication to her profession and her family and her daring film roles make Joanne a fascinating lady.

"Sexiness wears thin after awhile and beauty fades, but to be married to a man who makes you laugh every day, ah, now that's a real treat"
-Joanne Woodward