ILX Film Club, The (1924-2019)

fantastic film. rewatched it with my dad a while back and he loved it.

Welles was right about Make Way. Pretty sure that, outside of Only Angels Have Wings, this is my favorite golden era Hollywood movie

Saw it once ages ago, thought it was very good. Going My Way--the way it handles Barry Fitzgerald's character--is also an excellent film about getting old.

In case Eve -- sorry, Eric -- doesn't know to which Welles quote he refers:

Orson Welles said of the film, "It would make a stone cry,"

It would.

This is a good film, but I couldn’t help being frustrated by how useless the husband is and how his wife shelters him from the realities of their situation. In a way, it makes the film more potent, because we see her perspective and how she has to bear the burden of understanding the end of the relationship on her own. Still, it’s hard for me to embrace a film based around keeping someone ignorant of the truth of their prospects and fate.

Why not? The keeping up -- the shattering of -- illusions is in part what it's about. Many films have a similar theme.

It might make me heartless that I’d prefer to see the husband’s illusions broken.

Sure! But is that a reason to recoil? Sorry if I'm pressing.

I wouldn't say "recoil", just that the film didn't reach a potential level of dramatic tension; although I do feel for the wife having to protect a fool from the consequences of his actions. Maybe, in a way, it's cruel of her to allow him to keep his optimism, only for it to (presumably) be shattered, later, when he is alone?

I don't think it will be shattered, he'll keep on trying to find work, I think he knows too, deep down, but he just always tries to put a positive spin on things. Reminds me of my dad, and of me to a certain extent.

Anyway, finally watched this this evening, agreed with Orson that it's very affecting stuff, all the more so because the children aren't monsters, they're just dealing with their own shit.

It’s really close to Renoir, as Hollywood filmmaking goes

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4c/Holiday_poster.jpg

Holiday, George Cukor, 1938
Morbsies #144

Maybe Hepburn's best early performance, close to Grant's best, period, and while the film's message is weird (i.e. we all need holidays) it's so damn un-American I'm surprised people weren't arrested.

Much prefer this to The Philadelphia Story

yep

It might be the most modern of all the screwball era comedies, in that it has a progressive message and none of the more manipulative/abrasive gender relations stuff.

It's certainly not the funniest of them. But it's so kind hearted and warm that I don't really mind that.

the kindheartedness is the key

https://archive.org/details/ld-4y-1938

it's odd how many of these films take ages to grab me but by the end I'm absolutely sold. loved Grant and Hepburn, in this, loved the leisurely pace and the way they were just fooling around, but at the same time making massive decisions that would affect their whole lives, a perfect match of feel and message. the scene with the two of them doing circus tricks in the attic, and the punch & Judy show were perfect, and the ending felt completely earned. really enjoyable hour and a half, and one I'll come back to.

I've said this before but Lew Ayres is my favorite screen alcoholic: sad, ironic, possibly gay.

yeah he was a lot more convincing here than in All Quiet On The Western Front.

Also: Julia isn't a villain. She loves her sister. You can see the sparks of their former camaraderie. No one's a villain in this picture except for Henry Daniell.

Yup, even Henry Kolker was far from being an ogre.

Anyway, here's a biggie...

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c3/La_regle_du_jeu.jpg

The Rules of the Game, Jean Renoir, 1939
Morbsies #7
Sight & Sound Critics #13
Sight & Sound Directors #38

oh I've heard of this one

It's on youtube but without subtitles.

Of all the movies that regularly get called, more or less, the best of all time, Rules is the one where you just have to go "Yeah, of course it is."

I've had mediocre experiences teaching this one to college students the last five years.

I've seen it one (1) time, in my first month at film school, my script-writing tutor (this guy) showed it to us on a little TV before he let us write anything.

That was a quarter of a century ago and I remember very little

^Studied under Thorold Dickinson = UK film studies royalty (only a degree of separation from Raymond Durgnat would score you higher!)

Rules definitely one of those films that genuinely gets better every time you see it (wld say the same about Vertigo, and perhaps explains why they're often in GOAT competition).

Yeah he was easily one of the best tutors on the course (and I only had him the once) - he also showed us his debut feature, a relentlessly grim film about prostitutes in the old west called Painted Angels, I appreciated it but don't think many of my classmates agreed.

Loved this of course, how could I not? Nothing stood out as being spectacular in terms of script, acting or cinematography, it was all just perfectly pitched, not a moment wasted, every character seemed alive and full of contradictions. It was heavily stylised without ever seeming artificial or mannered. Feel like I want to go back and watch the whole thing again, but should probably move on as it's Monday.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/His_Girl_Friday_%281940_poster%29_crop.jpg

His Girl Friday, Howard Hawks, 1940
Morbsies #115
Sight & Sound Critics #129

This one is on youtube, but looks like a crappy rip. ANy other links would be welcome.

Every public library in the country carries a DVD if you can't find it online.

which country?

In Soviet Russia His Girl Friday rents you!

Not a fan of this film but I've discussed that on here semi recently.

God I run hot and cold on Hawks, even still ...

Cary Grant is so sexy as an unrepentant asshole, especially in that hat.

Thought I had seen this before but seemed entirely unfamiliar. Enjoyed parts of it a great deal and a lot to admire, but something about it just didn't sit right with me - the middle third (restaurant scene to criminal climbing in window) just didn't seem to work in terms of plot or characters. The scene where she's typing up the story and not listening to her fiancée was the highlight for me, something very relatable and not often seen on screen.

https://i.imgur.com/Qb9ILTr.jpg

The Maltese Falcon, John Huston, 1941
Morbsies #62

By gad, sir, you are a character, if you don't my saying so!

Bogart looks a bit weird in that poster?

I suspect it's a promo shot for High Sierra, for which I think he sported a crew cut.

Too formative for me to evaluate disinterestedly. I guess Peter Lorre's performance is problematic on at least two levels but it also just rules, love Joel Cairo.

I know Lorre and Greenstreet got paired on a couple of films but they really should have gotten a Thin Man-like franchise.

This one is also available on archive.org here in decent enough quality though not sure if it is available everywhere.