FANTASIA (1940), DUMBO (1941)

HOLLYWOOD'S GOLDEN AGE

(Post 14 of 50)

The Rites of Spring from Fantasia

Now critically praised as a classic, Fantasia did poorly during its initial run at the box office. 

 From Walt Disney: Hollywood's Dark Prince by Marc Eliot.

"When asked Roy (his brother) what the thought, his brother decided Fantasia did poorly at the box office because of his "unfortunate" choice of music.'I'll never understand why we couldn't' have sneaked a little Tommy Dorsey in there.' he remarked to Walt after studying the film's receipts. That was the last time Walt ever asked his brother his opinion about anything."

It's not too hard to see why Fantasia didn't do as well as other Disney films of the era. Classical musical being played in the background to various animated vignettes didn't exactly make for a Snow White or Pinocchio sized hit. But Fantasia is undoubtedly filled with great moments and you have to give credit to Disney for really going out on a limb with this one. It is hard to not list everything when listing the highlights of Fantasia, but the Rites of Spring played as we see the days when dinosaurs ruled the earth and the last days of the dinosaurs is certainly a favorite of mine. The Night on Bald Mountain Finale is pretty spectacular, too.

Jumbo and Dumbo

From Walt Disney: Hollywood's Dark Prince by Marc Eliot on Dumbo.

"The main problem with the film was that Disney had essentially done it before , and better."

"Dumbo's big ears recalled perhaps to vividly Pinocchio's awkwardness. Jiminy Cricket's mission of moral rectitude made him a metaphor for Pinocchio's conscience, a more vivid than Timothy's sidekick, who functioned as Dumbo's subconscience. And the "pink elephant" sequence's bubbly visuals resembled nothing so much as an outtake for Fantasia. Dumbo's retread themes and characters, increasingly familiar style of animation and noticeable lack of new technical wizardry, left some critics with a heavy sense of Disney Vu."

My two favorite parts of Dumbo are the awful and snooty Elephants ragging on poor Dumbo and the circus clowns in the tent when the viewer hears them speaking but can only see their shadow.I think Mark Eliot is being a little hard in his criticism of Dumbo, though I admit I probably would have opted for Lady and the Tramp or 101 Dalmatians for the 1001 book before I'd list Dumbo, but you really should see all the classic Disney cartoons (From Snow White to The Jungle Book, at least) at least once.

And the Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award goes to…The mice. 

Even most kids that may have been bored with sections of Fantasia still love The Sorcerer's Apprentice section with Mickey Mouse. We can all relate to not doing what a parent (or wizard) tells you to do and getting into a bit of trouble over it. And Mickey in the Sorcerer's Hat may be the most iconic image in the history of Disney.

Mickey Mouse

Timothy J. Mouse of Dumbo makes his appearance not a moment too soon. Wonderful mother Jumbo is locked up and little Dumbo with the big ears is alone crying and having to hear the barbs of the other elephants. But our little mouse friend comes along just in time to befriend Dumbo, frighten the mean elephants, make Dumbo the star of the circus and eventually reunite Dumbo with his Mom. A nice day's work, I'd say. 

Timothy J. Mouse

ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)

HOLLYWOOD'S GOLDEN AGE

(Post 13 of 50)

Writer Sam Staggs called All About Eve "the bitchiest movie ever made." 

Joesph L. Mankiewicz put all his formidable writing talents into the script for this story of show business back stabbing and career opportunism. There is no shortage of great dialogue, great performances led by Bette Davis and Anne Baxter and it's just fun to watch.

But should this have won Best Picture over Sunset Boulevard? I'll have to get back to you on that one.

And the Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award goes to…George Sanders. All About Eve is known for having many memorable performances, but it is George Sanders as the acerbic critic Addison DeWitt that really steals the movie. Almost every movie that I've seen him in he plays a charming, insufferable cad. In All About Eve, he is a totally insulting and condescending throughout, but you manage to like him anyway (At least I do). I really enjoy every line he utters in this movie.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1956)

HOLLYWOOD'S GOLDEN AGE

(Post 12 of 50)

In the beginning...there was Cecil B. Demille! At the beginning of narrative cinema, that is. DeMille's films date all the way back to 1914 and The Squaw Man! Known for such silent epics as the original Ten Commandments and King of Kings, Demille not only made a successful transition to sound movies (unlike his contemporary D. W. Griffith), he became one of the biggest directors of the golden age of Hollywood with epics like Cleopatra and Samson and Delilah. His most famous (as well as his last) film is his 1956 remake of his own silent movie, which is an unabashedly unapologetic biblical epic. Great sets, great detail, great cast led by Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner and you still gotta like the special effect of the parting of the Red Sea. Demille is certainly not remembered as a directorial auteur, in fact The Ten Commandments is the only Demille movie in the 1001 Films You Must See Before You Die book. His biographer Katherine Orrison calls the film "an anti-film noir"-what you see if what you get. But I do agree that if you're going to see just one Demille film, this would be the one to see. 

And the Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award goes to…Edward G. Robinson. The unfortunate thing about Robinson in this movie is Billy Crystal's lampooning of Edward's performance in a comedy routine where Crystal speaks in an exaggerated gangster voice, "Moses? Moses? Where's your Moses now?" It's pretty funny and Demille biographer Katherine Orrison even mentions Crystal's routine on The Ten Commandments commentary track! But if you can overlook the fact that Eddie G played Little Caesar and a lot of other gangsters, he actually does a pretty good job as the scheming and opportunistic Dathan in The Ten Commandments. 

GUNFIGHT AT THE O. K. CORRAL (1957)

HOLLYWOOD'S GOLDEN AGE
 (Post 11 of 50)

Boot Hill...Dodge City...Tombstone...The O. K. Corral...Men who live by the gun and drink their whiskey straight! Gunfight at the O. K. Corral is not a Western you watch expecting plot twists and turns. It is pretty predictable plot wise. Sick, drunken Doc Holliday teams up with straight arrow lawman Wyatt Earp to eventually take on the Clanton boys at the big finale at the O. K. Corral. Wyatt and Doc don't get along to well at first, but eventually come to need each other and even call themselves friends. Wyatt has a romantic interest who you know is going to get the short end of the stick when he gets called out to join the fight with his brother. Doc has an ongoing feud with Johnny Ringo, that we know won't be settled until the final showdown. Wyatt has an ongoing dialogue with himself about staying a lawman or starting over. Doc also has a love/hate relationship with a prostitute that doesn't seem destined to end well. But I don't have a problem with the plot, despite the lack of surprises. It is well done. The dialogue is good and there is plenty of action. But really the main to see Gunfight at the O. K. Corral is the teaming of Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas.  Burt as Wyatt the contemplative lawman and Kirk as the more emotionally charged Doc really make this one go. They appeared in several films other films together and if there is a male screen team I like better, I can't think of one at the moment. 

Interesting credit: Screenplay credit to writer Leon Uris, who I associate more with novels like QBVII and Exodus rather than Westerns.

Interesting credit (take two): Frankie Laine sings the opening theme with the same zest he would sing the opening theme to Blazing Saddles a few years later. He reprises the theme during the middle of the movie with lyrics that supply a lot of exposition for viewers that haven't been paying close attention to the plot during the first half.

And the Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award goes to....Lee Van Cleef. Desperado Lee comes into town gunning for Doc Holliday in the opening scene. Lee's temperamental character is brutish, drinks his whiskey straight and is quick to pull a gun and not afraid to fight dirty. We see all this in the first few minutes of the film because we know he's going to quickly encounter Doc Holliday and we know it isn't Lee who is going to win. With those beady eyes, Lee rarely played anything but a heavy, but in a Western, somebody's got to take that first bullet (or knife).

Gunfight had several other notable supporting performers.

We have future TV stars Martin Milner, DeForrest Kelley and Earl Holliman

We have future easy rider Dennis Hopper

We have future Dobie Gillis dad Frank Faylen

We have the lovely redhead Rhonda Fleming

We have the over-hill-hooker Jo Ann Fleet

We have the steady but miscast John Ireland as the evil Johnny Ringo (I would have rather seen Van Cleef as Ringo.)

We also have another Western stalwart, Jack Elam

But I got to go with Lee on this one.