So, just to recap, these are the movies I had for January for the very first Oscars ever:
-7th Heaven
-A Ship Comes In
-The Last Command
-The Noose
-The Patent Leather Kid
-The Racket
-The Way of All Flesh
-Sadie Thompson
-Street Angel
-Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
-Wings
If there is one thing I learned so far from starting this project, it's this.... it is so hard to find some of these older films! In some cases even, there is no known footage of some of them. This is going to make this project a little difficult but I still plan on doing it.
Here we go...Ladies first...
Nominees for Best Actress
Gloria Swanson
 |
| (Gloria Swanson in Sadie Thompson)
First one I watched was Sadie Thompson. In this film, Gloria Swanson plays a prostitute who is looking for a fresh start. Lionel Barrymore is also in this and oh my gosh, I cannot stand his character! He plays the perfect a-hole with a holier than thou personality. Ugh!
Let me just say how much I loved Gloria Swanson in this film! Silent but so powerful. As the lead actress, she was so full of spunk and was so carefree, I absolutely loved the way she carried herself. She definitely deserved to be nominated and you just love her immediately. She has such an intense look and her personality just shines through the screen and she easily gets along great with everyone she interacts with (except Barrymore). Even though you are aware of her past as a prostitute, she never came off as a bad person or someone you didn't take a liking to. I was cheering for her from the very beginning and got mad each time she was mistreated by Barrymore's character.
One interesting thing about this film is that the last 8 minutes have been completely destroyed. I didn't know that at first when I rented the movie but the last 8 minutes are reconstructed with pictures and title cards.
|
Louise Dresser
 |
| (Louise Dresser in A Ship Comes In)
Next up, A Ship Comes In. I knew I was going to love the plot from the get go. Stories about immigrants have a very special place in my heart. Louise Dresser plays Mama Pleznik, mother of 3, with her oldest boy, Eric just turning 18 and wanting to become a soldier. When the film ended, I really wished that Louise Dresser would have gotten more screen time. Even though she received a nomination for this role, I believe she deserved more for such an important character in this film.
When Mama Pleznik sees Eric in his soldier uniform for the first time, her expression and sorrow just dig into your soul. She is so worried and I couldn't help but feel like reaching into the screen wanting to put my arm around her and comfort her in some way as a mom. The scenes where the sad news about Eric are revealed, I just couldn't help but feel her sadness. Dresser's face and body language is just heart breaking. Even though it wasn't as much screen time as the other nominees, I do think it was well deserved and I really enjoyed watching her and the film.
|
Janet Gaynor
She was nominated for 3 different roles! But they counted it as one nomination.
 |
| (Janet Gaynor in 7th Heaven) |
 |
| (Janet Gaynor in Street Angel) |
 |
| (Janet Gaynor in Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans)
Last but definitely not least, we have the lovely Janet Gaynor. She was the winner for the first Academy Awards. I really loved all 3 of the films she was nominated for and was excited to see her in action. I do have to say though, Janet Gaynor has the saddest facial expression I have ever seen! Even when she was smiling in different scenes, I still wanted to reach in and hug her. In 7th Heaven, she plays Diane, a sweet, innocent girl who has turned to prostitution. When police are coming to arrest her, a sweet street sweeper named Chico, tells them that they are married, so they are both forced to keep that lie going unless they both don't want to be arrested. Janet Gaynor plays the role perfectly, especially with her sad puppy dog eyes.
Next movie I watched that she was nominated in was Street Angel. I hardly ever saw her smile in 7th Heaven, so within the first 10 minutes of this film, she was like a completely different woman. I just really assumed she had that sad expression ALWAYS. To be able to pull off such convincing characters in silent films... yup... she's pretty amazing. In Street Angel, Gaynor plays Angela, a woman who is desperately trying to help and save her sick mother. She is so desperate that she turns to prostitution. After getting caught stealing and running from police, she finds really kind circus performers who take her in. Angela has a very devastating story from the beginning and throughout the film, it was always a game of being so close to happiness but it just keeps getting yanked away from her. Gaynor rocked this role.
Last movie I watched from her nominations was Sunrise: A Tale of Two Humans. Out of the 3 I watched with Gaynor, this one was definitely my favorite. Again, since we don't get to hear her voice, I am seriously impressed with how versatile her face is. She is so easy to follow and read, especially in this role. In Sunrise, Gaynor plays "The Wife". I don't even want to write too much about the movie itself because I think everyone should watch it. I know it's a movie from the 20's, but I still wouldn't want to spoil it for anyone. I will say this though so you kind of get an idea of what kind of film it is: this film seriously felt like THE ORIGINAL FATAL ATTRACTION. If you don't know what I'm talking about, Google it. Anyway! Back to Gaynor... when the Wife and the Man are together, and all seems well and they are enjoying themselves, Gaynor's smile is just so pure and contagious. I am just so in love with her. Throughout the film, she has such an angelic face and the way the wig she wears frames her face, I don't know, it just adds to her innocence.
Okay.... time for a verdict. The big question is, do I agree with the winner of that year? This is a little tough because I seriously loved Janet Gaynor in all 3 of the roles. But if I am being completely honest, I think Gloria Swanson in Sadie Thompson should have won. Janet Gaynor did have 3 amazing roles and I am thinking she was probably the favorite or something for that first year. I just couldn't stop thinking about Gloria Swanson though with her dramatic stare and gutsy personality. Swanson was the main character that stood out to me out of all 3 nominees. All 3 ladies did fantastic in their respective roles but for me, Swanson's character was so different and must have definitely stood out, especially for that time.
Official Winner- Janet Gaynor
Winner In My Eyes- Gloria Swanson
Now on to the gentlemen...
Nominees for Best Actor
Emil Jannings
He was nominated for two roles but like Gaynor, it counted as one nomination
(Emil Jannings in The Way Of All Flesh)
(Emil Jannings in The Last Command)
The Way Of All Flesh is nowhere to be found! I was so upset but I knew this would be a possibility with the earlier films. I did find Emil Jannings in a short surviving clip on YouTube. The clip is a little over 3 minutes but I was glued to my laptop the entire time! I wish the whole film was preserved because those 3 minutes are just not enough.
Emil Jannings plays August Schilling. In the the short clip, Jannings plays embarrassment, shame and regret perfectly! After reading about the plot, I seriously am just wanting to watch it more. Schilling plays a family man who has made mistakes even though he seemed to have the perfect life and family. Due to a another mistake, he is announced as dead and his family believes it too. Rather than return and cause his family embarrassment, he abandons them without them knowing he is alive. Years later, he sees that his son, August Schilling Jr. has become a successful musician. This is where the scene is from. Just watch it. Grrr... each time I watch it, it makes me sad that the film is completely lost.
(Here is the YouTube vid to check out yourself. Does it peak your curiosity too??)
Second movie was The Last Command. I was able to watch this film on YouTube. Thank goodness people are uploading these gems or else I would have no way to watch them. In this film, Jannings plays General Dolgorucki and Grand Duke Sergius Alexander. When we first see Jannings, we see him as a frail old man, weak and clearly confused. We go to flashbacks and wow, what a difference. He is shown as a bold, confident and even cocky man in the past. It really did make me wonder what happened to him to make him turn into such a sad looking man. There is an overthrown situation, betrayal, Jannings gets treated like absolute garbage (and rightfully so!). This movie has so many twists. I loved it. He did such a great job in this role and when you combine it with the short clip from The Way Of All Flesh, it's no wonder he was nominated.
Richard Barthelmess
He was also nominated for two roles
(Richard Barthelmess in The Patent Leather Kid)
(Richard Barthelmess in The Noose)
I was really excited to watch The Patent Leather Kid, so I was very glad to have found the film on YouTube. Seriously! Huge shout out to all the people who upload these classics. You are the real MVP's.
Boxing. How I love watching it. It seems that from the very beginning, the Academy has loved it also. Barthelmess plays the Patent Leather Kid, a pretty boy who may be a little conceited but is a great fighter. Things start getting difficult for The Kid once romance enters the picture. Barthelmess has the best little smirk and it's so cute how well he portrays a smitten young guy. Then comes the war and The Kid has to decide if he is going to enlist. I really felt bad for The Kid. Barthelmess does such a great job showing the stress of being pulled into different directions all at once and feeling the pressure from everyone around him. He suffers a lot and in the end, I couldn't help but feel so incredibly sorry for him. I was very happy with the ending though. He definitely deserved to be nominated.
Just like Emil Jannings, I was only able to watch one film for Richard Barthelmess. Sadly, I could not find The Noose ANYWHERE. This made me a little sad but at least I got to see him in action in The Patent Leather Kid.
Okay, verdict for these two gentlemen now...
Do I agree with the winner for this year? I most certainly do. Emil Jannings just blew my mind in The Last Command and maybe it was a little unfair I didn't get to watch all 4 films but that short clip from The Way Of All Flesh also helped seal the deal for me. Richard Barthelmess did an excellent job also but Jannings acting was just too great in comparison in my opinion.
Official Winner- Emil Jannings
Winner In My Eyes- Emil Jannings
Nominees for Best Picture
First, let's talk about 7th Heaven. There is a quote on there that I absolutely loved; "For those who will climb it, there is a ladder leading from the depths to the heights- from the sewer to the stars- the ladder of courage." That quote summarizes the entire film. It is such a great story of courage and finding love when you least expect it. The chemistry between Diane (Janet Gaynor) and Chico (Charles Farrell) is perfect. It was fun seeing their relationship blossom from nothing to everything. There is one short scene that I loved and I pretty much freaked out over. Have you ever seen the 2011 film The Artist? It is black and white and also a movie about Hollywood's silent era. Anyway, there is a scene that happens in The Artist where the lead actress, Peppy, is playing around with the jacket of the lead actor, George. Well, I have no idea if this was intentional or not, but when I watched 7th Heaven for the first time, Diane did the same thing with Chico's jacket! I instantly thought of The Artist. It did make me wonder if it was a small shout out to 7th Heaven. Either way, I loved it.
(Isn't that adorable? Even if it wasn't something intentional, I still think it's pretty neat)
Next up, The Racket. Just like The Patent Leather Kid, it seems like the Academy has been in love with mob/crime films from the beginning. This film was great; ruthless killings, payback for family, no mercy-Scorsese style. Basically, it was right up my alley and I was pleasantly surprised to see this genre being nominated for the first Academy Awards. The casting was great for this film and I really enjoyed the plot. It seems like this was the prime example for gangster movies for years to come. This movie really makes you think. Sure, the bad guy gets killed but with all of the corruption and blackmail happening, was he the only bad guy? Great film and I am so glad it was nominated.
Last nominee and last film I watched was Wings. All of the Best Picture nominees are great but Wings definitely had the biggest production and for being filmed in the 20's, had some of the most impressive shots. Especially the aerial shots! Even for movies now, when they can easily use CGI, this film was rather impressive. For me, it is incredible what they were able to pull off with this film.
I really loved this story. It focuses on unrequited love, friendship, what people will do to protect friendships and all of this is happening during a war. Two guys that started out as foes, become the best of friends and it's all because of a girl. Isn't that the most classic story of them all? Great story, sad ending, lots of twists, lots of heartbreak, especially as a parent.
Official Winner- Wings
Winner In My Eyes- Wings
I will be completely honest because I had a tough time choosing Wings over 7th Heaven. Yes, I talked about the production of Wings and when it comes to that, I don't think it's really very fair to compare these two. Story wise, I would say I slightly prefer 7th Heaven over The Racket and Wings. When choosing Best Picture though, I had to look past what kind of genre I prefer and look at what the best film of that year was and Wings definitely deserved to win. It just has that "Wow" factor that cannot be overlooked.
What do you think? Have you watched any of these films? Do you think the Academy got them right?
-Next up-
2nd Academy Awards (February 2019)
movies to watch
Alibi
Coquette
Hollywood Revue
In Old Arizona
Madame X
The Barker
The Broadway Melody
The Divine Lady
The Letter
The Patriot
The Valiant
Thunderbolt
P.S. I am due to have my baby at the very end of February, so this month will be interesting on how things are handled. Ideally, I will get them all done before my little one arrives. Wish me luck!
QUIET ON SET!
Ready?
AND ACTION!
|
No comments:
Post a Comment