Since Hearts of the World, Noel Coward had not appeared in an American picture until Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur induced him to join forces with them in a film they wrote, directed, and produced--The Scoundrel. It turned out to be the year's artistic success.
One of the thrillers of the year was Paramount's The Lives of a Bengal Lancer, based on the autobiography of Yeats-Brown. Henry Hathaway directed the film in a masterfully tense fashion. In this scene are Kathleen Burke, Gary Cooper, Douglas Dumbrille, Franchot Tone, and Richard Cromwell.
Frank Lloyd directed the exciting Mutiny on the Bounty for M-G-M, with a cast that included Charles Laughton, Clark Gable, Franchot Tone, and Dudley Digges. It won the Academy award for the best production of the 1934-35 season.
In a totally different vein was Laughton's performance, as the valet won in a poker game, in Ruggles of Red Gap, which Leo McCarey directed for Paramount.
Liam O'Flaherty's novel The Informer was filmed by RKO in 1935, and won Victor McLaglen the award for the best male performance of that year. Not only the acting was superb, but also the direction, for which John Ford was responsible.
Private Worlds, made by Paramount, dealt with mental derangement and psychiatrical therapy and handled this difficult theme with skill and sympathy. Gregory LaCava directed this Walter Wanger production. Above are Charles Boyer and Claudette Colbert in a scene from the film. Joan Bennett also gave a memorable performance.
Ginger Rogers had gone to Hollywood after scoring a hit in George Gershwin's Girl Crazy. There, after various roles, she was teamed as a dancer with Fred Astaire, whose sister-partner, Adele, had deserted her career to marry into the British peerage. The two speedily became the most popular dance team in pictures.
No comments:
Post a Comment