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Post by topbilled on May 24, 2023 2:14:28 GMT
More weeper than thriller... from bmacv on the IMDb
Though its title contains a suggestion of film noir, I JANE DOE is more of a post-war women's weeper hung along a suspense plot. That plot can be swiftly summarized: War bride kills American husband and is then defended by bigamous husband's widow.
The bulk of the story is told in a courtroom during Vera Ralston's second murder trial (following the first, when she was sentenced to death, she was found to be pregnant).
Oh what a tangled web men weave... from mark.waltz on the IMDb
Ralston is a supposedly shady lady here, on trial for the murder of a man she knew during the war, minus the truth of his marital status. By chance, she ends up being defended by his legal wife (Ruth Hussey) who learns surprising truths about the man they both loved as the facts unfold. The nasty, media obsessed trial is more scandalous than any case Hussey has tried, and it's possible that the outcome may end up heartbreaking for both ladies.
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Post by Fading Fast on May 24, 2023 4:51:13 GMT
I'm looking forward to this one for, yes, the melodramatic story, but also Vera Ralston has become one of "our" Sunday Live! actresses.
She, along with the talented and adorable Rosamund John (sigh), are two actresses I didn't know until they showed up in Sunday Live! movies.
I'm curious to see if Ralston has any more energy in her performance in this one (my guess is no, but we'll see).
Vera Ralston
Rosamund John (sigh)
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Post by Andrea Doria on May 24, 2023 10:29:54 GMT
Don't forget the latest, Mona Freeman! I'm beginning to think you guys have a type.
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Post by Fading Fast on May 24, 2023 12:31:43 GMT
Don't forget the latest, Mona Freeman! I'm beginning to think you guys have a type. Good point. While I was vaguely aware of her existence (she stole "Dear Ruth" from Joan Caulfield), "That Brennan Girl" put Ms. Freeman on my radar in a whole new way.
Right after I put up my prior post, I saw this picture of Ms. Ralston and thought it beautiful because it showed some of her personality that the perfect "star" ones, like the one I posted earlier, often don't.
I am afraid that all this attention I'm giving to these three will make one of my perpetual favorites, Ella Raines, jealous. But I'll make it up to her at some point as I was thinking an Ella Raines month might be a fun theme for a Sunday Live! month.
Kidding aside, I've been kicking around either a single-star-themed month (you got me thinking that way with your Rosamund John movie) or, and I think I mentioned this before, an all-pre-code month. I'll, of course, chat with Topbilled about these ideas, but any color/feedback from you would be great and much appreciated.
"It would be fun to have my own month -" Ella Raines Potential Ella Raines Month titles: "Phantom Lady" "Hail the Conquering Hero" "The Suspect" "The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry" "The Web" "Impact"
It really is surprising she didn't have a bigger career as when you see enough of her movies, you see that she has everything it takes - talent, looks, range, screen presence and chemistry with co-stars. But alas...
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Post by topbilled on May 24, 2023 13:54:34 GMT
I think what happened with Miss Raines, as was the case with several starlets of the 40s, is that she was married just after the war (to an Air Force officer) and had kids. Motherhood and her husband's career took priority over her movie work. The husband was stationed in England in the mid-50s, where she would appear in her last film, a British thriller called THE MAN IN THE ROAD.
As for Vera Ralston, she came to the U.S. as a figure skater in an ICE CAPADES show, having been an Olympic skater for her native country (Czechoslovakia). Herbert Yates, the head of Republic, cast her in a few ice skating musicals and he became smitten with her. Vera would remain in the U.S. and become an American citizen. Yates started to give her acting lessons and he put her in westerns and noir thrillers. They would marry a few years later, after Yates was able to obtain a divorce from his first wife.
One thing that is kind of interesting about I JANE DOE, is that while Vera has the title role and considerable screen time, she is actually third billed. Ruth Hussey and John Carroll are billed over her. This would happen again, in the 1952 noir HOODLUM EMPIRE, where she was fourth-billed under Claire Trevor, Brian Donlevy and Forrest Tucker. So although Yates was promoting her as a star, he didn't always give her top billing. She may have married Yates and was for all intents and purposes the Queen of the Republic lot, but she did not always benefit from favoritism. She still had to keep paying her dues.
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Post by Andrea Doria on May 24, 2023 14:51:55 GMT
That picture of Ella Raines is simply stunning. I think it's the contrast between her dark hair and light, bright eyes that really makes her stand out. I never heard of her until she appeared in our afternoon melodrama chewing gum and dancing like a hula girl on speed to the jazz drums. I'm all for an Ella Raines month!
I'm also looking forward to having Vera tug at our heartstrings again in, "I Jane Doe." I think it's the sad down-slanted eyebrows that makes us worry for Vera and want to give our spare change to Mona (she of the perpetually lost coin purse.) Those eyebrows were a prominent feature in an even bigger box office star than either of them:
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Post by jamesjazzguitar on May 24, 2023 16:44:15 GMT
I think what happened with Miss Raines, as was the case with several starlets of the 40s, is that she was married just after the war (to an Air Force officer) and had kids. Motherhood and her husband's career took priority over her movie work. The husband was stationed in England in the mid-50s, where she would appear in her last film, a British thriller called THE MAN IN THE ROAD.
I believe why Raines didn't become a major star was due to her getting too much media attention too early in her career. As part of the PR campaign for Phantom Lady, Raines was on the Feb 1944 cover of Life magazine. While that put-her-on-the-map the films she was in after that were not big at the box office or where she gave an "IT" type performance. While getting Raines on the cover of Life must rate as one of the biggest PR successes in Life's history (for Raines agent), I believe it backfired in terms of making Raines an IT girl to US audiences during the 40s.
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Post by topbilled on May 25, 2023 15:34:38 GMT
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Post by Andrea Doria on May 27, 2023 20:00:58 GMT
Seeing that, "I, Jane Doe" would have Vera Ralston paired with John Carroll again, just as they were the previous year in, "The Flame," also directed by John H. Auer, I suddenly had to watch "The Flame," again.
I liked it even better the second time and this time I really appreciated the directing. Early on in "The Flame" John Carroll opens his apartment door and a woman we aren't expecting to see walks in, he shuts the door and sweeps her up for a big romantic kiss. A little later in the movie, John Carroll opens his apartment door and a different woman, who we aren't expecting to see, walks in, he shuts the door and sweeps her up for a big kiss. Hah! I'm loving John Carroll as the smooth talking cad! He may replace Zachary Scott as my favorite 40's playboy.
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Post by Fading Fast on May 27, 2023 20:03:19 GMT
...I'm loving John Carroll as the smooth talking cad! He may replace Zachary Scott as my favorite 40's playboy. That's awesome.
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Post by jamesjazzguitar on May 27, 2023 20:31:58 GMT
Yesterday I watched Ella Raines in the John Wayne film Tall in the Saddle (1944). The film was only OK, since I'm not much of a fan of Wayne hero type westerns. Raines lack of acting experience showed. Actress Audrey Long gave a better performance.
The screenplay was co-written by Paul Fix, best known as the Sheriff in The Rifleman. Fix had a long career starting in silent films as a supporting actor but mostly in "B" films, but some well-known ones like After the Thin Man, Red River and Johnny Guitar.
Raines played a cowgirl, and her outfits and overall look were somewhat masculine.
One very early Wayne line of dialog really threw me for a loop. The stagecoach driver was planning on driving the stage very ruffly because there were two woman in the coach and he wanted give them a hard ride. Wayne decides to ride with the driver. Someone asks Wayne about that and he replies with a line like: I don't care what happens to any woman at any time. Later they show the women in the coach being bounced around (which really hurts BTW), and Wayne is getting a kick out of that. I guess at this stage in Wayne's career he could have an a-hole, uncaring screen persona.
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Post by topbilled on May 27, 2023 21:00:22 GMT
Seeing that, "I, Jane Doe" would have Vera Ralston paired with John Carroll again, just as they were the previous year in, "The Flame," also directed by John H. Auer, I suddenly had to watch "The Flame," again.
I liked it even better the second time and this time I really appreciated the directing. Early on in "The Flame" John Carroll opens his apartment door and a woman we aren't expecting to see walks in, he shuts the door and sweeps her up for a big romantic kiss. A little later in the movie, John Carroll opens his apartment door and a different woman, who we aren't expecting to see, walks in, he shuts the door and sweeps her up for a big kiss. Hah! I'm loving John Carroll as the smooth talking cad! He may replace Zachary Scott as my favorite 40's playboy. THE FLAME is a great one. Hopefully you will like I JANE DOE just as much. John Carroll & Vera Ralston made a total of five films together. One of those other ones is a top drawer A western melodrama, which I plan to include later on, called WYOMING (1947).
John Carroll was a very likable guy off screen. He'd had a daughter with his first wife, but he and his second wife Lucille did not have any kids. Lucille Carroll was an executive at MGM (rare for women to reach the executive ranks in a Hollywood studio during the 1940s and 1950s). They allowed a ranch they owned to be used as a place for teen boys in trouble with the law, to come and rehabilitate. So they were known for their philanthropic efforts, in addition to their careers in the movie business.
Near the end of her life Vera Ralston was interviewed for a documentary about Republic Pictures. She stated that I JANE DOE was her favorite of all her films, and it contained the performance she was most proud of.
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Post by Fading Fast on May 28, 2023 18:50:52 GMT
The excitement is building for another Vera Ralston movie.
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Post by Fading Fast on May 28, 2023 18:54:18 GMT
"Don't forget about me, I'm in it too." Ruth Hussey
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Post by Fading Fast on May 28, 2023 18:57:23 GMT
I'm set.
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