|
Post by BunnyWhit on Mar 31, 2024 20:39:27 GMT
So what happens to Hazel? Jail time? Perhaps she will become a kindergarten teacher and spend her spare time knitting things for charity.
Or jail.
Yes. Definitely jail is where a dame like that belongs.
|
|
|
Post by Fading Fast on Mar 31, 2024 20:42:39 GMT
So what happens to Hazel? Jail time? Perhaps she will become a kindergarten teacher and spend her spare time knitting things for charity.
Or jail.
Yes. Definitely jail is where a dame like that belongs. It would be neat to know how it all plays out for her. She didn't master mind it and was never there physically present for the bad stuff - a good lawyer could probably get her off with no jail time.
|
|
|
Post by BunnyWhit on Mar 31, 2024 20:47:29 GMT
Perhaps she will become a kindergarten teacher and spend her spare time knitting things for charity.
Or jail.
Yes. Definitely jail is where a dame like that belongs. It would be neat to know how it all plays out for her. She didn't master mind it and was never there physically present for the bad stuff - a good lawyer could probably get her off with no jail time. Agreed. I wonder if Daphne is the type who would be able to get a good lawyer. She strikes me as the kind of gal who'd have to settle for a it's-my-first-case-night-court-public-defender kind of stereotype lawyer we see in films. But if she sells that bracelet.....
|
|
|
Post by Fading Fast on Mar 31, 2024 20:52:40 GMT
It would be neat to know how it all plays out for her. She didn't master mind it and was never there physically present for the bad stuff - a good lawyer could probably get her off with no jail time. Agreed. I wonder if Daphne is the type who would be able to get a good lawyer. She strikes me as the kind of gal who'd have to settle for a it's-my-first-case-night-court-public-defender kind of stereotype lawyer we see in films. But if she sells that bracelet..... "But if she sells the bracelet." LOL
If she knows how to use her God-given gifts, I think she could wangle a very good lawyer to take on her case. But what we saw of her here, she might not have the patience and strategic thinking to execute on that kind of plan.
|
|
|
Post by topbilled on Mar 31, 2024 20:54:25 GMT
Thanks everyone for joining the fun this month.
|
|
|
Post by Andrea Doria on Mar 31, 2024 21:00:50 GMT
It's going to be quite the dinner discussion at Andrea's house tonight. Thank goodness they have lots of Easter left overs to get through while I tell this one!Loved all the acting, Robert Cummings was so charming, and Hazel just slithered with evil. Great pick, Topbilled!
|
|
|
Post by topbilled on Mar 31, 2024 21:03:30 GMT
In April, Andrea Doria is going to take us into the world of Warner Brothers romance with...
“Four Melodramas"
4/7 FOUR DAUGHTERS (1938)
4/14 FOUR WIVES (1939) 4/21 FOUR MOTHERS (1941) 4/28 YOUNG AT HEART (1954)
|
|
|
Post by Andrea Doria on Apr 1, 2024 0:22:44 GMT
Agreed. I wonder if Daphne is the type who would be able to get a good lawyer. She strikes me as the kind of gal who'd have to settle for a it's-my-first-case-night-court-public-defender kind of stereotype lawyer we see in films. But if she sells that bracelet..... "But if she sells the bracelet." LOL
If she knows how to use her God-given gifts, I think she could wangle a very good lawyer to take on her case. But what we saw of her here, she might not have the patience and strategic thinking to execute on that kind of plan.
Yes, Daphne has already admitted to being impatient. She may be able to convince the police she knew nothing about the murder plot, but even then, her modeling career will be over without four eyes and his business. In desperation she may end up going back to The Maple and dancing with the ogler.
|
|
|
Post by Fading Fast on Apr 1, 2024 10:15:45 GMT
Sleep, My Love from 1948 with Claudette Colbert, Robert Cummings, Don Ameche, (sizzling) Hazel Brooks, George Coulouris and Raymond Burr
If Gaslight and Dial M for Murder were mashed up, you'd have something like Sleep, My Love.
It has Gaslight's husband trying to make his wife think she's going insane so he can get control of some money, but as in Dial M for Murder, there is also a love interest serving as the wife's white knight.
Claudette Colbert plays the rich wife of a seemingly nice man, played by Don Ameche. But Ameche is really attempting to convince his wife she's going insane through the use of psychotropic drugs and scripted events to make her question her sanity.
Part of his plan includes the use of a man, played by George Coulouris, to come to the house to talk to Colbert as her psychiatrist. Coulouris then disappears unseen by anyone else, which has Colbert further questioning her mental state.
In one of Colbert's fugue episodes, she meets a kind man, played by Robert Cummings (in a similar role to the one he'd later play in Dial M for Murder), who proves to be a pleasant but tenacious man convinced Colbert isn't nuts.
All of this is motivated by Ameche's desire to replace his wife with his girlfriend, played by Hazel Brooks, while keeping the wife's money. Not surprisingly, with all the moving parts, Ameche's plan gets knocked about requiring several on-the-fly adjustments.
One wrinkle is when Colbert insists they go to the police to have the authorities look for the "missing" psychiatrist, which puts Colbert, Ameche and their house on the radar of the local detective, played by Raymond Burr.
There's also a good but convoluted side story about Cummings having an honorary Chinese brother, which is used to get Colbert away from Ameche a few times, but it often feels forced. A biological brother would have served equally well.
With that very busy setup, the story plays out to its predictable climax, but it's still an enjoyable trip. Colbert is good as the damsel in distress, but she doesn't quite bring the feeling of terror and confusion as the victim that Ingrid Bergman did in Gaslight.
Ameche, too, seems a bit too passive as the genesis of so much evil. He's convincing as the sincere husband, but you never quite believe that his passion for Brooks or willingness to hurt his wife runs very deep. If it doesn't, then none of the rest follows.
Cummings is excellent as the "friend in need is a friend indeed." His combination of boyish charm and honest suspicion of the husband makes him a quiet, almost harmless looking, but quite-formidable opponent to Ameche.
Cummings has never been more comfortable in his acting skin than he is here. He tosses off quips with ease, while showing an internal perception that is hard to convey on screen. He all but takes over the movie.
Coulouris is in his acting sweet spot here playing, once again, a greedy and immoral man whose ambitions and avarice exceed his limited intelligence and capabilities. He made a career of playing small, evil men who want more than they can ever achieve.
The real question raised by Sleep, My Dear is where the heck has Hazel Brooks been all these years? This long and shapely legged brunette's frightening portrayal of harridan femme fatale from hell makes you wonder why she wasn't a noir regular.
You wish her role had been expanded as you can't take your eyes off her. However, she's so mean in her brief time, you'll wonder why Ameche wanted her so badly. In the end, you can only have so much sex, after that, you still have to live with the woman.
Also given way-too-small a role is noir regular Raymond Burr. You'll wish his detective character had been woven into the story throughout both stalking Ameche and bumping up against Cummings who would annoy him as an "amatuer" investigator.
Sleep, My Love is a good entry in the film noir genre at the peak of its popularity. Despite underutilizing a few of its characters, it's an engaging picture that provides a solid hit of entertainment.
|
|
|
Post by Andrea Doria on Apr 1, 2024 10:56:05 GMT
Thank you for the review, Fading Fast!
Thank you, also, for re-attaching Hazel's head. Her hair is the ultimate in long, luxurious and just perfect for the femme fatale, it's impracticality contrasting nicely with the pretty, but controlled, off-the-face hair of a busy wife like Claudette Colbert.
Hazel's cigarette in her hand, as she walks down the stairs, also hints at her bad-girl status. Ladies at that time, never walked with a cigarette. If they had to get up from their seats they put it out first or left it in the ash tray. I'm going to look for her other roles. I want to hear her tell more men to shut-up.
|
|
|
Post by Fading Fast on Apr 1, 2024 11:07:19 GMT
Thank you for the review, Fading Fast!
Thank you, also, for re-attaching Hazel's head. Her hair is the ultimate in long, luxurious and just perfect for the femme fatale, it's impracticality contrasting nicely with the pretty, but controlled, off-the-face hair of a busy wife like Claudette Colbert.
Hazel's cigarette in her hand, as she walks down the stairs, also hints at her bad-girl status. Ladies at that time, never walked with a cigarette. If they had to get up from their seats they put it out first or left it in the ash tray. I'm going to look for her other roles. I want to hear her tell more men to shut-up. It is one of the best heads of hair we've seen and, as you note, it is perfect femme fatale impracticality. But then again, a femme fatale's purpose is to seduce men to do bad things are her behalf, so maybe it is quite practical for its purpose.
Hazel, unfortunately, was only a credited actor in five movies. Just reading IMDB, "Body and Soul" and "Arc of Triumph" look to be the most promising of the ones we haven't seen.
|
|
|
Post by topbilled on Apr 1, 2024 14:25:47 GMT
I will post my review a bit later today. (I am also going to post it over in the Neglected Films area this week.)
Re: Fading Fast's review...I agree that Burr's detective character could have been woven into the story more, but then it would have seemed a lot like DIAL M FOR MURDER, or IMPACT with Charles Coburn constantly snooping around. Probably what the writers realized is that there did need to at least be the nominal presence of police, but that Cummings' character should do most of the (unofficial) detective work, since he will have a greater interest in the heroine's rescue.
I have specific thoughts about the subplot with the Chinese brother. Some of it I mention in my review. First, it could have been any ethnicity...this adoptive type brother for Cummings could just as easily have been someone he met in the war from Greece or Italy or North Africa. So I never really felt Keye Luke's Asian-ness played too much significance in the story, except that his wedding was meant to be a cultural diversion. And I do think that's the key word here, diversion.
This diversion in the story serves a few distinct purposes. First, it's a chance to show Claudette Colbert's character in a more relaxed and normal manner...so that it isn't just 90 minutes of one-note terror. Second, the writers need to show how she is already becoming part of Cummings' world (hence, her not going to the party where Rita Johnson's character went) and thus will probably end up marrying him later.
Third, and most importantly, there has to be a way to split her scenes with Ameche, so that the love story with Cummings can begin, but more integral to the main plot, we have Ameche freed up from scenes with Colbert so we can develop Ameche's relationship with Brooks. Otherwise, Ameche would logically have to be hovering over his "sick" wife all the time and we'd never see him meet up with his sultry mistress or learn more about the gaslighting that's going on.
As for Brooks' character, I think she could have been fleshed out a bit more...where we see that she's calling the shots and had introduced Coulouris to Ameche to speed up her plans to get Colbert out of the way, so she can become Ameche's next wife sooner rather than later. Also, I would have hinted that she wasn't above sexually manipulating Coulouris, under the nose of his naive and gullible wife (Queenie Smith). So that really Brooks was "competition" for both Colbert and Smith, since I felt that Smith was a poorer version of Colbert as the unsuspecting wife.
Making Brooks a bit more scheming would have added believability to Ameche's nicer husbandly moments...that maybe in the beginning he was a loving and attentive spouse to Colbert, till he met Brooks and fell under her evil spell...which is what prompted him to decide he didn't want Colbert anymore and could get rid of her (really, Brooks' idea that she suggested to him in the throes of passion). Ameche would still be the main villain of the piece, but in a way, he was a pawn like Coulouris was in Brooks' overall plan to get everything she wanted.
|
|
|
Post by topbilled on Apr 1, 2024 14:39:27 GMT
One more thing I wanted to add here, as I did not include any reference to it in my review...but I read a review online by a graduate film student (some guy in the midwest working towards his Ph.D. in cinema) who focused on the carafe that contained the hot cocoa.
There are different scenes of the cocoa being taken up to Colbert's bedroom. So if you re-watch the film, pay close attention to it...the carafe has the initials A and C on both sides, for Alison Courtland. When the female servant takes the carafe up to Colbert, the side with the letter C is facing the camera. But whenever Ameche's character takes the carafe to Colbert, the side with the letter A faces the camera.
Yes, this does seem like a deliberate staging of how to use the prop, which Sirk may have intended. According to the graduate student, we are meant to see the A on the side of the carafe when Ameche is carrying it, because that suggests the letter A for Adultery (as in The Scarlet Letter) and Ameche's character is an adulterer.
I couldn't find anything else online where Sirk was ever interviewed and asked about this, but I think it's a potentially valid theory. But the reason I did not reference this in my review is because if the A stands for Adultery then what does the C stand for, when the female character is carrying the carafe...does it just stand for Courtland or Cocoa, with no other implied meanings? Sometimes film scholars have a tendency to overanalyze scenes in classic motion pictures.
Anyway I did want to mention the monogrammed letters on the sides of the carafe, so that when any of you rewatch SLEEP MY LOVE you can decide for yourself if Sirk was channeling Nathaniel Hawthorne.
|
|
|
Post by topbilled on Apr 1, 2024 16:30:24 GMT
Interesting side note--
I've been watching episodes of Family on Tubi. This morning I watched a season 2 offering called 'Skeleton in the Closet.' The subplot has young Buddy (Kristy McNichol) observe an elderly woman shoplifting at the grocery store. So she decides to help the woman with some money, since the gal is on a fixed income and is starving.
The elderly woman is played by Queenie Smith, age 77. I guess after her husband fell through the skylight in Alison Courtland's home and died, Grace Vernay couldn't make a go of the photo shop on her own and ended up destitute!
|
|
|
Post by topbilled on Apr 2, 2024 2:08:27 GMT
No chance of insomnia just murder
This suspense thriller from United Artists was produced by Mary Pickford and her husband Charles ‘Buddy’ Rogers. The first member of the cast that Pickford & Rogers hired was Don Ameche who plays the story’s evil husband. Ameche, formerly of 20th Century Fox, specialized in devious characters who would sometimes take things a bit too far. The hiring of Ameche paved the way for Claudette Colbert to sign on as the wife.
Colbert and Ameche had previously costarred in Paramount’s raucous screwball comedy MIDNIGHT (1939) as well as another genial farce, United Artists’ GUEST WIFE (1945). This was their third and final motion picture collaboration. They have a way of completing each other’s thoughts on screen, and are most believable as spouses, even if Ameche spends considerable time trying to off her.
As the murderous hubby, Ameche’s character intends to kill his wealthy wife by poisoning her with hot chocolate (I guess that’s a sweet way to go!), so he can marry a sexy chick (Hazel Brooks) who works at a downtown photo shop. Part of the plan involves her photographer employer (George Coulouris) and his wife (Queenie Smith) who is deceptively manipulated into keeping tabs on Colbert.
In a way it’s rather ironic that both Colbert and Leonard are unsuspecting wives embroiled in their husbands’ villainous schemes. Not quite sure what Coulouris gets out of it, except maybe a generous payoff by Ameche once they’ve gotten Colbert out of the way and Ameche gains control of her finances.
Some of the plot goes off in misleading directions. These are not red herrings per se, but one does get the idea the writers enjoy keeping the audience guessing how it will all turn out. We’ve seen Cary Grant possibly poison Joan Fontaine with a glass of milk in SUSPICION; and we’ve seen Humphrey Bogart poison two wives in THE TWO MRS. CARROLLS, also with milk. So to make this plot different, Ameche uses hot chocolate. But his plan doesn’t lead to the wife being killed; the plot shifts dramatically in the final act, to where he is now setting her up to kill Coulouris!
Before we get to the end, there are scenes of Colbert being drugged and winding up in strange places, then undergoing analysis. She becomes haunted by the recurring image of a man with horn-rimmed glasses (Coulouris).
Part of the ruse includes hypnosis; so that her behaviors turn increasingly bizarre and come to the attention of a police detective (Raymond Burr) and others who consider her on the verge of a crackup.
Fortunately, there is a bright spot in the arrival of two friends. One is a gal pal from Colbert’s school days, played by Rita Johnson who adds some moments of levity.
Along with Johnson for the visit is a single bachelor (Robert Cummings) who takes a shine to Colbert and eventually helps her escape the ongoing nightmare she’s been experiencing.
German immigrant Douglas Sirk is the picture’s director. He’d soon begin a successful run helming melodramas at Universal. (Sirk and Colbert teamed up again at Universal for 1951’s THUNDER ON THE HILL). Sirk keeps the drama well-paced, and he likes to focus occasionally on macabre elements like a strange ‘hand like’ object that visitors to Colbert’s home use to knock on the front door.
I should mention that there is an interesting subplot involving an Asian man (Keye Luke) who is the honorary brother of Cummings’ character. Luke gets married in the middle of the film, and the ethnic wedding reception provides a gentle distraction from the unrelenting murder plot.
Of course, the Asian wedding could have been any non-Anglo type celebration, but it works fine and it gives this movie a bit more multiculturalism than most mainstream productions from the postwar period.
But first and foremost, this is a Claudette Colbert movie. She’s the star. The left side of her face is never out of focus, even when she’s running from Ameche and about to commit suicide or trying to shoot Coulouris in the downstairs hallway of her opulent home.
Colbert is a wiz at melodrama, almost as good as she is as comedy. And you do come away from watching the story, glad that she’s overcome such a nefarious man; and that she’s managed to find a new guy who will be a better replacement in marriage.
|
|