I really enjoyed posting two straight weeks of blogs on Hollywood films from the 1930's, and so for the 1940's I'm going to up the ante and try for three weeks worth. Looking at titles I have left from the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die book, this shouldn't be a problem. As before, I’ll list my expectations for each film going in and state whether these expectations are reached or not. And I’ll once again give each film my Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award because there was such a bounty of great supporting performers from this period and I just like doing it.
Gaslight (1944)
Expectations: This is a movie I’ve heard about since I was a kid, but have never seen. I know that Charles Boyer tries to drive his wife Ingrid Bergman insane. To what end? I don’t know. I guess I’ll have to watch.
After viewing: A good psychological thriller. And why do movie trailers (Like the one for this film) show scenes from the last parts of the movie? If you show me how it ends, I’m much less likely to want to see it. This was true of trailers in the 40’s and true of movies today. I’m just wondering.
I can see why they gave the Oscar to Ingrid Bergman. She loses her marbles with great aplomb.
And “to gaslight” someone-I imagine comes from the play and subsequent movie (technically movies since there is a British version of Gaslight as well). But does anyone use the term any more? It never really comes up that much for me.
And the Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award goes to...Angela Lansbury. Who’d have thought Angela Lansbury was ever a teenager, let alone a teenager with an attitude?
This movie is amazing, but have you seen the darker 1940 film?
ReplyDeleteI have seen part of the older version. It was an extra on the DVD for the 1944 version. You are right from what I've seen, it wasn't nearly as slick as the remake, which isn't always a bad thing.
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