Friday, July 20, 2012

Bogart

Still making my way through my classic movie collection. There are occasional disappointments - some I definitely won't watch again. Others will be enjoyed time and time again.
Have noticed many actors popping up repeatedly as I continue with this. I'm looking forward to adding up the statistics at the end. I think I may find that certain actors I always considered favourites are not represented in this list as much as I expected.



"It's a Wonderful Life" (1946), tells the story of George Bailey (James Stewart) who decides to end his life one Christmas Eve after a lifetime of shattered dreams and many sacrifices for his family and small-town community. He is visited by his guardian angel, Clarence, who shows him what life would be like if he had never been born, and just how much he has influenced the lives of everyone he knows.
An absolute tearjerker. You'd have to have a heart of stone to not be moved by the finale of this treasure of a film.

 




"The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946) is about three servicemen returning home after several years of war and experiencing varying degrees of difficulty adjusting to civilian life.
Great performances by Fredric March, Dana Andrews and Harold Russell in the lead roles. ( March and Russell both won oscars)
Tissues were needed for this one, especially during the homecoming scenes and the closing moments.





"The Big Sleep"(1946) is based on the novel by Raymond Chandler and is well known for its extremely convoluted plot. Really hard to keep track of who did what to who, but a fun ride all the same. Humphrey Bogart is perfect as private detective Philip Marlowe, and he and Lauren Bacall are incredible together as usual.





"Dark Passage"(1947) is yet another Bogart and Bacall vehicle. Film noir at its best.
Bogart escapes from prison where he is serving time for supposedly killing his wife and attempts to uncover the real murderer.
Unusual in that the first 45 minutes of the film is seen literally through Bogart's eyes, so although we hear his voice, we don't actually see him. He then undergoes plastic surgery to conceal his identity which means he is not seen for about an hour.
Intriguing.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

As you know, I watch "It's a Wonderful Life" every Christmas. G watched it under duress last year. Will keep an eye out for "The Best Years of Our Lives". Sounds like it would be just my cup of tea. N x