Una O'Connor

I’m writing this brief post as part of the fourth ‘What A Character’ blogathon. Many thanks to Paula, Aurora and Kellee for doing this again this year and putting in the work to promote beforehand and during the ‘push week’. 

Character actors are often the glue the holds a film together. Without them, there’d be a hole in many films.

There’s a reason I proudly proclaim ‘UNA!’ on twitter whenever this fair maiden of scream appears on my TCM screen: She’s delightfully charming and slightly off-key. And while--at five foot, two inches--she’s slight in stature, she makes up for it with a unique voice, great facial expressions and (last but not least) a great high-pitched screech of a scream.

Young Una O'Connor

The New York Times biography aptly describes her as having “...the body of a scarecrow, the contemptuous stare of a house detective, and the voice of an air-raid siren…”


I’d be remiss if I only talked about her elastic face and screeching voice, because there were performances that were quieter. Take for example her role as Mrs. Wilson in Ernst Lubitsch’s Cluny Brown (1946). In this film she gives a subtle performance without one line of dialog.

Cavalcade w/Herbert Mundin

Una O’Connor was born in Belfast, Ireland in 1880 as Agnes Teresa McGlade. Her early career began on the stage in Ireland and England. Appearing in productions like “The Starlight Express” and “Autumn Fire”. In fact her work on the stage continued through her entire career. On the screen she was frequently cast as the meddlesome housekeeper and was frequently used for comic relief.


Let’s look at some of the amazing films and stars she worked with:

• The Invisible Man (1933)
• Claude Rains
• Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
• Boris Karloff
• Elsa Lanchester
• Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936)
• Dolores Costello
• Freddie Bartholomew
• The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
• Errol Flynn
• Olivia de Havilland
• The Strawberry Blonde (1941)
• James Cagney
• Christmas In Connecticut (1945)
• Barbara Stanwyck
• The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
• Bing Crosby
• Ingrid Bergman
• Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
• Charles Laughton

That’s an impressive list of talent to be working with.


Like many actors, her later career included a lot of television roles including shows like “Martin Kane”, “Hopalong Cassidy” and “Tales of Tomorrow”.

Witness For The Prosecution

In Witness for the Prosecution, O’Connor reprised her role from the stage. ‘Witness’ was her final film, she retired after making this film in her 70s and died two years later in New York City having never married and having no children.

The next time you're watching a classic film and see Ms. O'Connor in the film...don't be shy.  Shout out to the Twitter world "UNA!" :)

I'll Be Seeing You

I want to take a moment to tell you all about a great film that I first saw on TCM on Christmas Day in 2013.  The film is I'll Be Seeing You (1944), directed by William Dieterle.  He's a director I'll admit that I don't know a lot about.  He directed The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) and a handful of other films I've seen.

Since then I've seen the film a total of five times.  Here's my complete watch list for this film if you're curious.  

Before I dive into the details of this film, I need to say this post is being written as part of the "TCM Discoveries Blogathon" hosted by the passionate 'The Nitrate Diva' who for years I thought was blonde and smoked.  She may not know this, but she's an inspiration to me.  Young and so very knowledgeable about classic film.  Quick with a smile or a kind word...it's a pleasure to call her a friend.

Enough mush...onto the film!

This isn't grand cinema by any means...it's a small film about two people who meet and fall in love.  A 'nice little romance' if I had to sum it up.

The film has three stars in it:

• Joseph Cotten, who plays Zach, a WWII soldier who's returning home on a ten day leave from an Army hospital where he's recovering from 'combat fatigue' (what we'd today call Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.)
• Ginger Rogers, who plays Mary, a woman who's in prison for homicide and is on a ten day furlough for the Christmas holiday.
• Shirley Temple, who plays Mary's younger cousin, Barbara.

Along with these are the wonderful Spring Byington who plays Ginger's aunt.  A quick word about Ms. Byington...she's one of my favorite character actors and usually plays a slightly offbeat character, but here she's the solid rock that Mary needs.

Shirley Temple is quite good in this, too.  One of her great adolescent roles, I'd say.  There's an interesting story about how George Cukor was brought in to pull a performance out of Temple in the most dramatic scene in the film.  Cukor was tough on her.  They shot the scene twelve times.  In the end, Cukor got what he wanted...emotion.  But the experience rattled Temple.

Many folks know I'm a huge Ginger Rogers fan.  I like her dance films, but I particularly like her dramatic films like this one.  A few others to check out (if you've never seen them) are Stage Door (1937), Bachelor Mother (1939) and Kitty Foyle (1940).  

So what makes this film so special?  Two things:

First, it's one of the first films about men returning home from war...some in a delicate condition...all with their lives having been changed forever.  It was released two years before that sub-genre's ultimate film: The Best Years of Our Lives (1946).  I think it must have given the movie-going public an idea of the horrors of war and what can do to a man's psyche.

Next, it's a story of two people, each with a secret that they're trying to keep from each other (and the world at large.)  Each whose lives have been altered...maybe permanently.  Sadly...while they try to keep their secrets in, what they really need is to share their struggles and offer their support and empathy of the other person.

The two of them slowly fall in love, but I won't give away how it turns out (I have a strict no spoiler policy on this blog...ha!)

If you've never seen it, try to catch it when it airs on TCM...usually around Christmas.  Or just watch it on YouTube here.

Happy viewing!

Harry Dean Stanton: A Uniquely Modern Character Actor

When I heard that Aurora (@CitizenScreen), Kellee (@IrishJayHawk66) and Paula (@Paula_Guthat) were hosting another 'What A Character' blogathon, I quickly raced to one of their blog sites and read the rules and looked at who had chosen which actor.  I was pleased to read that they were accepting entries for both classic and modern character actors.

I decided to write on Harry Dean Stanton, whom I've always loved.

I was amazed to read that Stanton was born in 1926 (making him 88 as I write this.)  He's appeared in a ton of films (over 100 according to the IMdB bio), many that I'd call 'important'.  Here's a very short list which incorporates some classics and some modern titles:

• HOW THE WEST WAS WON (1962)
• COOL HAND LUKE (1967)
• IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (1967)
• THE GODFATHER: PART II (1974)
• ALIEN (1979)
• REPO MAN (1984)
• THE STRAIGHT STORY (1999)

To me, one of the fascinating things about Harry is his appearance and 'style' of acting.  He has a disheveled look in a lot of the roles he plays.  His delivery is very natural, his face is unique...weathered.  His voice is smooth and low and he can burp out a string of curse words like nobody's business.

Recently, I watched the documentary HARRY DEAN STANTON: PARTLY FICTION (2012) ...it's available via streaming on Netflix.  I was amazed at how musical he is...playing harmonica and singing (a lovely voice at such an advanced age.)  I also learned in the documentary that he's never been married, struggled with his relationship with his mother and father (who divorced when he was a teenager) and he smokes a lot of cigarettes.

Let's look at his character in two of these modern films.  (And if you haven't seen either one of these, I'd strongly urge you to watch them.)

Bud and Otto looking for a Chevy Malibu

REPO MAN (1984)

Believe it or not, this is one of my favorite films.  I used to watch this film once a week for a period of about a year.  So, I know the dialog pretty well!  (Hey, as a single 20-something...you have a lot of time on your hands.)  Stanton plays one of the leads here...so I'm cheating a bit by choosing this film.  But this film typifies the type of independent film and quirky characters that I love Stanton in.

Stanton plays Bud (in fact all of the repo men are named after beers: Bud, Miller, Lite, Oly.) Bud pulls Otto (Emilio Estevez) into a repo career and then the two become friends and partners at the 'Helping Hand Acceptance Corporation' (a play on GMAC, an auto finance company.)

Their relationship deteriorates over the course of the film, but by the end Bud asks Otto to join him for the trip of a lifetime.

A final note on REPO MAN: the soundtrack is great--especially if you love punk music.  Groups like Black Flag, Suicidal Tendencies, The Circle Jerks (and more) make up a great soundtrack.  Remember this film was written and directed by Alex Cox, who also wrote and directed SID AND NANCY (1986).

Lyle is shocked to see his estranged brother

THE STRAIGHT STORY (1999)

The only G-rated film directed by David Lynch (I'm pretty sure.)

I'm stretching the definition of 'character actor' again here because in this film, Stanton only has one scene, the final one.  And it's a beautiful scene between two brothers.  The story focuses on Alvin (played wonderfully by Hollywood veteran Richard Farnsworth) who is making a 250 mile trek from Iowa to Wisconsin on his John Deere riding lawn mower.  Why?  Because his eyesight is too poor and his legs are too weak to drive an automobile...and he's on a personal mission--to reunite with his estranged brother, Lyle who's recently suffered a stroke.

The film features a beautiful soundtrack and sweeping aerial shots of mid-west farmland.  And you can't help but love Richard Farnsworth's character.  The final scene when Lyle realizes the effort that his brother has shown in travelling to be with him is so touching.  Stanton does a lot of acting here with just his eyes, really amazing stuff for such a short amount of screen-time.



So, that's a wrap on Harry Dean...a modern character actor who has played a bunch of memorable roles over the years.  If you've never seen him in anything, I hope you will soon!

Anthony Quinn - Man of Many Faces

When Aurora (@CitizenScreen) and Kay (@KayStarStyle) announced their idea for a blog related to Hispanic Heritage, I thought "what a wonderful opportunity to write on a topic that deserves more attention."

So, I weighed my options and decided to write something on Anthony Quinn.  Quinn has always fascinated me by his versatility as an actor...he has played a wide range of characters and each of them comes across as a unique individual.

Born Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca in Chihuahua, Mexico, Quinn grew up in El Paso, TX and Los Angeles, CA.  Early interests in boxing and architecture are an indication of his varied talent.  It was his friend and famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright who suggested he look into acting.

Quinn won the best supporting actor Oscar for his portrayal of Eufemio Zapata (opposite Marlon Brando in the lead role) in Viva Zapata! (1952) making Quinn the first Mexican-American to win an Academy Award.

Enough copying facts from Wikipedia about Quinn's past...let's discuss some of his most popular film roles!

LA STRADA (1954)

What can I say about this film?  Directed by Federico Fellini, co-starring Giulietta Masina, it's a tour-de-force of acting by both of these wonderful talents.  Quinn plays Zampano, a one-trick-pony travelling showman who purchases (yes, purchases) the simple-minded Gelsomina (Masina) and incorporates her into his act.

He's brutish...that's the only way I can describe him.  He pays almost no attention to Masina (except for pleasures of the flesh, along with physical and emotional cruelty.)  Eventually he abandons her on the road after she becomes despondent from a 'broken heart'.

It's a heart-breaking film...and at the very end of the film, we see the culmination of Quinn's wonderful performance.  This man who seemingly has no emotional bone in his body,  breaks down realizing what he has lost.

Seriously watch this for Quinn, but also watch for Masina, who is absolutely amazing in everything she's in (one of my all-time favorites is Nights Of Cabiria [1957].)

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962)

This is one of the best 'character study' films that exist.  Of course, the character that we're studying is the titular character of T.E. Lawrence who understood Arab culture and helped the British (along with Arab tribes) defeat the Turks in WWI.  However, there are other characters here that we get to know fairly deeply as well.

One is Auda Abu Tayi played by Quinn.

There are a handful of memorable scenes and quotes from Quinn here:

• His character introduction - riding down the large dune on horseback with his son confronting Lawrence in his new white flowing Arab robes (then later confronting Sherif Ali with some verbal sparring.)
• Meeting with Lawrence in his tent with the amazing "I am a river to my people" speech.  I get chills every time I watch that scene.
• After looting the train, his exchange with Colonel Brighton regarding the desertion of various Arabs from the fighting: "when you find what you are looking for you will go home."

Quinn plays Auda with such passion in this film.  Never over-the-top...even in anger when Auda realizes there's no gold (as he was promised) in Aqaba.

This film is in my top four...essential viewing in my opinion.

ZORBA THE GREEK (1964)

This film represents the peak of Quinn's career.  And it's the film that most identify as the definitive Quinn.

Quinn plays Zorba...a man brimming with life, who meets Basil (played by Alan Bates) a man who finds no joy in life.  They are at two opposite ends of the spectrum.  But soon, the brimming life is overflowing and Basil learns to 'loosen up'.

There are a million great lines from Quinn in this film, I'll spare you, and just let you watch the film and enjoy it.    I've actually only seen this film once before, but it has one of the great endings in film history with Basil and Zorba dancing...you can't help but smile.



So, here we have Quinn--a native Mexican--in three of his most popular roles, playing at different times an Italian, an Arab and a Greek.  And he played them all so well...that's a lot of talent.

Ocean's 11

When I saw that Kellee and Aurora were doing a blogathon on Billy Wilder, I jumped at the chance to participate. Here's a light piece on Ocean’s 11 (1960) which Wilder was listed as an uncredited writer. There are many great things about this film, I’d like to discuss a few of them.

The Title Sequence

Classic Saul Bass Title Sequence

Starting at the very beginning, the opening title sequence is done by none other than the great graphic designer Saul Bass. He’s done many opening title sequences including some of my favorites: Vertigo, Anatomy of a Murder, The Man With the Golden Arm, Psycho, North By Northwest...and more recent films like Casino, Goodfellas. Seriously, the man was a genius...in addition to his great title sequence work, he created many iconic corporate logos, here’s a Google image search that’ll give you a quick idea of his work: http://goo.gl/ybXh4A.

The Cast

The Rat Pack & Friends

Next, let’s talk about the cast. Ring-a-ding-ding...we’ve got the great Dean Martin along with Rat Pack buddies Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. Here’s the complete list of eleven:

• Frank Sinatra as Danny Ocean
• Dean Martin as Sam Harmon
• Sammy Davis, Jr. as Josh Howard
• Peter Lawford as Jimmy Foster
• Richard Conte as Tony Bergdorf
• Joey Bishop as Mushy O'Connors
• Henry Silva as Roger Corneal
• Buddy Lester as Vince Massler
• Richard Benedict as Curly Steffans
• Norman Fell as Peter Rheimer
• Clem Harvey as Louis Jackson

Along with “the crew” we've got sexy Angie Dickinson and a knockout performance by Cesar Romero in a supporting role. Make no mistake most of the film is focused on the Rat Pack (and specifically Martin, Davis and Sinatra.)

The Plot

Let’s talk about the heist genre. This is one of my favorite genres and the original 1960 version of Ocean’s 11 uses the standard three-act heist progression:

1. The crew plans the heist
2. The crew carries out the heist
3. The plan falls apart and the crew ends up with nothing (or worse)

If you've ever seen the remake (released in 2001) you know that act three doesn't follow the standard heist plot. One reason I much prefer this original version.

Great Musical Numbers

Davis belting out Eee-O Eleven

Dino sings 'Ain't That a Kick in the Head' w/Red Norvo (on vibes) & his quintet

There are a few great numbers in the film...the first is by Sammy Davis Jr. (who plays--of all things--a garbage man) and it’s a knockout number called Eee-O Eleven. The song is about one day making the big score and living the lush life. The second is Dean Martin singing Ain’t That a Kick In the Head accompanied by the Red Norvo jazz quintet...quite a swingin’ number.

Lovely Late 50s/Early 60s Style

Watching this film, I keep pointing to things and say “I want that.” The furniture, clothes, cars, etc.  The look, the feel, the overall aesthetic are wonderful to my eye. Clean lines, simple design...good stuff.  For a great overall overview on the clothes style of this film, check out Kimberly's penultimate blog post: Toasting to 2014 with Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack in OCEAN'S 11

Classic Ending

The Crew files out

Once the boys accept their ruin, they exit out of the funeral home and walk down the sidewalk in Las Vegas passing by a marquee touting their very names. As Will would say, “how meta.”

One of the great iconic shots in film

  

If you want to check out other great heist films, I suggest THE ASPHAULT JUNGLE (1950) and RIFIFI (1955).

Thomas Mitchell - What a Character

First, I need to thank the co-hostesses of the What A Character blogathon.  This is a wonderful idea that Kellee (@IrishJayhawk66), Paula (@Paul_Guthat) and Aurora (@CitizenScreen) execute so well every year.  Kudos, ladies!



No discussion about Thomas Mitchell can begin without first acknowledging 1) the sheer amount of work this great character actor has been in (IMDB has him listed with an acting credit in 106 film and television roles) and 2) how many of these films were big hits.

In this video, I take a quick tour through some of these big hitters:

Stagecoach (1939)

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Gone With the Wind (1939)

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Foreign Film Oscars from the 2000s

This is the fifth (and final) in a series of five blog posts dedicated to the 2013 '31 Days of Oscar Blogathon' hosted by the blogging divas Kellee (of Outspoken and Freckled), Paula (of Paula's Cinema Club) and Aurora (of Once Upon a Screen).

(For a complete summary of what I'm writing about, check out this post.)

Post 1: Foreign Film Oscars from the 1950s
Post 2: Foreign Film Oscars from the 1980s (Part 1)
Post 3: Foreign Film Oscars from the 1980s (Part 2)
Post 4: Foreign Film Oscars from the 1990s

In this final post, just two films.  I'm going to examine the following Oscar nominated films from the 2000's:

• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Taiwan - 2000)
• Amelie (France - 2001)

Zhang Ziyi kicks ass

CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON (2000)
This is Ang Lee's best film (in my opinion.)  It's a wuxia film set in Qing Dynasty China, it has actors from many different nationalities and terrific martial arts sequences choreographed by Yuen Wo Ping.

Basic Plot:
Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat) is an accomplished swordsman late in his career looking to avenge the death of his master (his master was killed by Jade Fox.)  Meanwhile Governor Yu, his wife and daughter, Jen (Zhang Ziyi) are guests at Sir Te's estate.  Li Mu Bai's sword, the Green Destiny is stolen; he and Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) track it down, fall in love, and battle with Jade Fox.

Great Scenes:

• All of the martial arts scenes are out of this world. The scenes dabble in fantasy (people have ability to temporarily 'fly')  but if you can get past that bending of reality, you'll enjoy the film much more.
• I love the quiet scenes like when Li Mu Bai and Shu Lien are drinking tea in the bamboo forest.  There are moment of no dialog and they're very nicely done.
• The ending scene with the bridge is so surreal and beautiful (I won't give away what happens for those that haven't seen this.)  The music is wonderful here and throughout the film (the combination of the cello and percussion is amazing.)

Why it's a great film:

• Martial arts scenes are unbelievable...paired with percussion music in many cases
• Cinematography is wonderful
• The music (cello solos by Yo-Yo Ma)
• Kick-ass women

If you liked this film, also consider:

• House of Flying Daggers (2004)

Amelie (2001)
I've only seen this film once...but it left its mark.  One word: quirky.

Basic Plot:
A sheltered girl with a terrific imagination becomes a waitress at a cafe inhabited by eccentrics. Quirkiness ensues.

Great Scenes:

• Escorting the blind man across the street while describing in some great detail all things around them
• The list of the small things that Amelie likes...love when she pushes her fingers into the bag of grain.
• Amelie wonders: 'How many couples are having an orgasm now?'

Why it's a great film:

• Audrey Tautou is so good in this.
• Cinematography is very nicely done
• If you're a fan of 'light quirk', I think you love this...the filmmakers put just enough in to make it interesting.

If you liked this film, also consider:

• Gotta be honest...not much else like this!

Foreign Film Oscars from the 1990s

This is the forth in a series of five blog posts dedicated to the 2013 '31 Days of Oscar Blogathon' hosted by the blogging divas Kellee (of Outspoken and Freckled), Paula (of Paula's Cinema Club) and Aurora (of Once Upon a Screen).

(For a complete summary of what I'm writing about, check out this post.)

Post 1: Foreign Film Oscars from the 1950s
Post 2: Foreign Film Oscars from the 1980s (Part 1)
Post 3: Foreign Film Oscars from the 1980s (Part 2)

Hope you like director Ang Lee, because he directed two of the three films in this post!  In this post, I'm going to examine the following Oscar nominated films from the 1990s:

• The Wedding Banquet  (Taiwan - 1993)
• Eat Drink Man Woman  (Taiwan - 1994)
• Life Is Beautiful  (Italy - 1997)

A marriage of convenience

THE WEDDING BANQUET (1993)
This was my introduction to Director Ang Lee.  And what an introduction it was!

Basic Plot:
Wai-Tung Gao and Simon are a gay couple living in New York City. Wai-Tung's parents don't know this and want him to marry a woman and have a baby boy to continue to the family name.  To appease them, he marries one of his tenants (a marriage of convenience, it appeases his parents and she [Wei-Wei] is a starving artist from mainland China who needs a green card.)  Wai-Tung's parents fly to the US from Taiwan to throw an elaborate wedding banquet...a series of events unfold and things start to get out of hand.

Great Scenes:

• Simon giving Wei-Wei the run-down of all the tiny aspects of Wai-Tung's life so she'll come off looking like his long-time girlfriend. The "de-gaying" of the apartment is reminiscent of a scene from The Birdcage.
• At their wedding luncheon...when Old Chen offers his banquet hall for a real wedding banquet.  He's so gracious and humble towards 'The Commander' and his family.
• The wedding banquet scene itself is great...it's cool to watch some Asian wedding customs alongside American ones.  (And Ang Lee himself makes a brief cameo!)
• Shivaree!
• When Mr. Gao admits to Simon that he knows about their relationship

Why it's a great film:

• Sihung Lung plays Wai-Tung's father.  I just love him...he's in a lot of Ang Lee films. He was retired, but came out of retirement to do Ang Lee's first feature film: Pushing Hands. Ended up doing many other films after that with Lee.
• I like films with ethnic weddings in them, it's so interesting to me to see how other cultures celebrate weddings...and this film does not disappoint.

If you liked this film, also consider:

• Eat Drink Man Woman
• Brokeback Mountain

Family Style

EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN (1994)
This, in my opinion is Ang Lee's second best film. (More in my next post on what I consider his best film.)

Basic Plot:
A widower lives with his three grown daughters.  As the daughters meet male suitors and leave the nest, there is tension between them and with their father.

Great Scenes:

• The opening credit sequence is an amazing series of Chinese cooking styles.  An elaborate meal is being prepared for what appears to be dozens of people (we find out later that it's just the father and his three daughters.
• Then scene where Chu trades his expert lunch with the girls plain lunch and everyone in her class in keenly aware that her lunch is the best 
• The final scene when the father regains his sense of taste and rekindles his relationship with his 

Why it's a great film:

• It's chock full of great relationship stories, daughters to father, sister to sister, girlfriend to boyfriend, friend to friend, etc.
• The meal scenes are tremendous...everything looks so good!  You really need to watch this, then go out for good Chinese food.
• Sihung Lung (Chu), yes he's in this one, too!

If you liked this film, also consider:

• Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
• The Wedding Banquet
  

Father and son

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL (1998)
Who can forget the exuberance and passion of Roberto Benigni's reaction when he won two Oscars for his film Life Is Beautiful? This is a wonderful film that eloquently mixes humor and tragedy together in war story.

Basic Plot:

Jewish-Italian Guido (Benigni) meets and falls in love with Dora (Benigni's real-life wife Nicoletta Braschi) before the beginning of WWII.  They have a son and during WWII are captured and sent to a Nazi concentration camp.  There, Guido employs a game to shield his son from the horrors of the war and the camp.

Great Scenes:

• The one scene that stands out in my mind (it's been a while since I've seen this) is when Guido is led off by the Nazi guards (to his death)...he is still hamming it up for his son who is hiding but can see him.

Why it's a great film:

• Benigni has a comedian's face...it's elastic, expressive.  He looks a little funny. He uses this to great comedic affect. But it's also a dramatic film. This mixture of his comedic ways and the sobering drama of the story makes this film great.

If you liked this film, also consider:

• Black Book
• Au Revoir les Enfants