noir friday

[theholyinnocent]

Remember Ernest and Bertram? No? Well, with all the recent chitter-chatter amongst the flist about The Children's Hour, I found a clip on YouTube of the scene that inspired E & B:

Oh, Martha. I see why you fell for her. That voice, the arch of her neck. I wish I had been there to make you a drink and say, Choose it, Martha. Choose that life. You needed a Mephistopheles on your shoulder telling you to knock James Garner upside the head with a milk jug, kiss that girl, and run off to Italy with her. She would've gone for it, sweetheart. Sure, she may have dumped you sooner or later, but hell, there are other frosty little brunettes in the sea.

Great way to end Gay Pride Month, huh?

Bonus item. Take two of my favorite things, the film A Touch of Evil and Nina Simone, and :

Marlene Dietrich: Has ever a woman done so much with such a tiny role? And can you beat Heston playing a Mexican? WWCS? (What Would Charo Say?)

Comments

[noir-moll.livejournal.com]

Take two of my favorite things, the film A Touch of Evil and Nina Simone...

I just had a mind-blowing noirgasm. That was goooood. So good that I now want a post-coital cigarette.

Bless you

[spikyzora.livejournal.com]

Baby doll...sweetie, you just always seem to make me smile. I've not seen that movie in years. I was confuses at first and as I watched this movie on a late saturday night.I thought, Martha's like me...or rather I'm like her.
In the 7th grade, I kissed...we kissed. My best friend and I at a sleep over at my house. I had wanted to so badly for so very long...weeks. I was a kid with her first girl crush. I'm not counting my school teacher crushes. I didn't fight it...I went with it. I thank my mother for being the person she was. Later babes...

[old-wp.livejournal.com]

LOL But Charo's not Mexican! *snerk*

[anomalys.livejournal.com]

I've never gotten around to watching this version of "The Children's Hour"... just the de-lesbianized original film version, These Three. (Merle Oberon was so lovely.)

But now I'm contemplating whether I should try to rent this or just dig out my 'Six Plays by Lillian Hellman'.

[stargazer1960.livejournal.com]

You know, it's good to rent and watch it just to get a perspective. I mean, it's sad and tragically beautiful in so many ways. It is, by know means, a positive message. But somehow, it encourages you and makes you more resilient and more determined.

It does that for me anyway.

[anomalys.livejournal.com]

I'm guessing it stayed pretty faithful to the play. Which I've always loved to read... hauntingly fateful heartbreak and all. So, many thanks for the recommendation. I'll have to see if my local video store carries it.

[psimilarity.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love A Touch of Evil. I went and saw it when it was re-released a few years ago. I sat as close to the screen as possible, as I usually do. Up back were half a dozen dolled-up suburbanites who chattered through the film. When the lights came up I was, like most people there, in a kind of daze of admiration and excitment. Cackling from the back one beehive said to another "that's the last time YOU get to pick the film!"

[maroukian.livejournal.com]

Aw yes, "The Children's Hour"... the masterpiece that effectively sent and entire generation of lesbians into the closet for 40 years.
But thank heavens (!) as luck would have it, they all married men and PROCREATED making lots of cute gay and lesbian babies--
and here we are today!
strong and healthy as ever,
buying Subarus and hosting the Academy Awards and all that.

note: in Earnest and Bertram's performances, I was truly convinced they were in love. It utterly broke my heart to see his lifeless little orange body lying on the floor.

[return2zero.livejournal.com]

Aw yes, "The Children's Hour"... the masterpiece that effectively sent and entire generation of lesbians into the closet for 40 years.
Was the movie INTENDED to portray lesbians as confused lusty creatures? Under what guise was the film even released? I LIKE the film for its 'innocence' of the time, but I never got around to the insight of what its purpose was...

And do confessions like that ("I did love you. I DO love you! In the way they said!") *ever* work?? Never worked for me... :P

[maroukian.livejournal.com]

My goodness, I have got to watch my sarcasm! THI would never take me seriously (on most things), but I forget that others might read my irreverent, ridiculous comments. First, I feel compelled to say that I have a great deal of respect for "The Children's Hour"-- its most overt message being about the dangers of hearsay, gossip and what a disastrous and hurtful impact trashing the reputations of others can ignite. (a VERY relevant message today-- almost 75 years after it was written.)

Was the movie INTENDED to portray lesbians as confused lusty creatures?

I don't think so! If so, the casting of demur Hepburn and girl-next-door McClain was a catastrophe! I don't know too much about the screenplay other than it was based on the play, "The Children's Hour" by American playwright Lillian Hellman. Hellman was a liberal and long-time friend of Dorothy Parker... so my guess is she didn't have a iota of a problem with lesbians-- lusty or not! :)

but I forget that others might read my irreverent, ridiculous comment

[return2zero.livejournal.com]

I just never read about what the reaction to the movie (at the time) was... so I was kinda curious!!!

[maroukian.livejournal.com]

...what the reaction to the movie (at the time) was... so I was kinda curious!!!

and now I am too! :) Here is a review of the film, in the context of it being a "remake" (of sorts) of the play...

http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/29/childrenshour1.html

veddy interesting...

[return2zero.livejournal.com]

I can't even comment; my jaw is on the floor... oh, the changes they made...!

GOOD article! Gracias!!!

double feature

[raginhoops.livejournal.com]

Ah, to love and to have lost...It is sad that Shirley chose to play it with self-loathing. I think it was on the "Hollywood Babylon" documentary that she said that she'd do it differently today. Too bad we can't ask Ms. Hellman how she'd have had it done.
Now for the noir that dared- it's been a while since I saw that racy flick. Heston nearly ruined it for me. I swear Keanu is a better actor.
Must check out "The Third Man" again for more Orsenlly Noir Movies.
Coochie coo.