Thursday, September 23, 2021

Thursday Movie Picks-Femme Fatales

 


Hi Everyone, I was late with my music post yesterday because I am lost and a bit down. I read all your posts last week and my heart brims with the concern, comments and uplifting comments you all gave. I can't retire because I am not getting a ton of money. 2 years ago, I had to be "laid off" from my Regional Niagara job so I could be hired by the Toronto agency. At that time, I thought I would get a large amount only to find out that, since they are a non profit agency, there was a cap so I got the same as everyone else(2 others). I am getting almost the same amount as I got 2 years ago and with the surgeries coming up, especially mine, I just signed the forms. Anger and resentment does not help in any situation especially ones' own health. If my hubby could work and was not on a pension, I was not going for surgery, I may have fought for more but, in the end, after speaking to a lawyer, the cost of the lawyer would take the bulk of it so...I need to move forward.

Oh, hubby had his kidney stone operation and he is good. When he pees it feels like glass shards but that is lessening plus he is relaxing and resting! Next Tuesday is his hernia operation... also day surgery(wow!) and I know he will be more incapacitated with this one. Now let's talk movies...

This is another biggie because there are loads of Femme Fatales out there (Actually my Gun Crazy gal, Peggy Cummins would have been perfect as a Femme Fatale). I had a tough time choosing 3 so it will be interesting what Wandering Through The Shelves, the guru,  and everyone else will pick. Here are my 3...

1. SCARLET STREET-1945


Joan Bennett played the Femme Fatale in a unique way, she never portrayed herself as a true lady but as the slovenly, high-maintenance broad that the poor helpless hack, played by Edward G Robinson, falls in love with. He has worked as a trusted bank clerk for over 25 years receiving a nice banquet and watch from his employers and employees before running into this sexy bitch. He is nagged and unloved by his wife, but his one escape is his painting. He paints at the apartment he sets up for Miss. Priss and when someone sees the painting, her real boyfriend, says that Kitty painted it. Sad Sack Robinson goes along with it but how long can this go on? Fritz lang(The director) paints(hahahaa) a great film forever changing Ms. Bennett's acting from blonde innocent to the exact opposite. Poor Joan was in a major scandal herself when her director/producer husband, Walter Wanger, shot her agent, Jennings Lang, in the nuts because he thought they were having an affair. Her career was really hurt by this unfortunately. 

2. THE KILLERS-1946


Who could stay away from Ava Gardener? Talk about a Femme Fatale who drove her husband, Frank Sinatra, to try to commit suicide to having many lovers including Howard Hughes and many Spanish matadors. She was a free spirit and she is one of my favs to be honest. Ok, on to the movie...this is the film debut of Burt Lancaster who is known as The Swede, an ex-boxer, who gets embroiled in the double dealings of mob people and, yes, good ole Ava. Gosh, her name is also "Kitty" and, when Burt sees her, thinking with the wrong head, promptly dumps his good girlfriend to hook up with this cooing meanie in a sleek black satin dress. No film Noir would be right without plot twists galore. It is taught, well acted and established Lancaster as a major actor. Well worth seeing and one that Ernest Hemingway, who wrote the short story,  was quite happy with. He generally hated the Hollywood interpretations of his written works but he loved Ava Gardner and found her the perfect Hemingway heroine.

3. OUT OF THE PAST-1947


There was a remake done in the 1980s with Jeff Bridges, James Woods and Rachel Ward called, "Against All Odds"..forget that one (except the song is good by Phil Collins..not my fav, but good) and stick with this original. Jane Greer plays the Femme Fatale (she was in the remake too but not the Femme Fatale as that would be too weird). Robert Mitchum plays the sad sack who has started over in a small town and has a wonderful girlfriend but his past comes out and he explains, in a backstory, what went on in his life. He was asked to find this rich dude's girlfriend. The rich dude is Kirk Douglas in only his second film and was not well known. of course, this bad gal makes Mitchum's head do a double take (think which head I am talking about) and he goes with her, the money she stole and double crosses her boyfriend. Now cut to present day, Mitchum knows he is going into a trap, but he must see things through. This is a great Noir film with many twists and turns leaving you wanting more. It is well worth a look. 

Which Femme Fatale films would you choose and for fun...whom would you abscond with (if you had no loving wife/girlfriend with you). Hey even the women can get in on this. I would choose Ava. 

                                                         Joan Bennett                                             


Ava Gardner


Jane Greer

                                               

26 comments:

  1. Hi again, Birgit!

    Thanks for the update on your status, dear friend. You are certainly in a tough situation, and I hope something breaks in your favor soon. At least your hubby made it through his first procedure AOK and is recovering in advance of his next operation. At a time like this I know it is difficult to set aside anger and resentment over your plight, but if you can focus on the task at hand and, as you stated, move forward, something good is bound to come of it. Yessum, you can see that we are all in your corner, your many friends.

    I love the category of film femme fatales. I'm surprised that I haven't seen Scarlet Street. In fact, I haven't seen any of your featured films, but I suspect that I'd like them all. Did you catch the noirish dialogue used by the nogoodnik and the femme fatale in that clip from SS as he tells her they'll be on "easy street" and she exclaims "Jeepers"? From what I know about Edward G Robinson, the character he plays in this movie, a lover of art and culture, is closer to who he was in real life than the tough guy gangsters he is known for playing. Joan Bennett's (Kitty's) speech at the end of the clip is so cruel and hurtful that it makes me wanna wring her neck. So, you're saying that a guy named Wanger shot another man in the nuts? That's one for the books. Call the house dick!

    Moving on the The Killers, who in their right mind would buy into the far fetched notion that a man would dump his good girlfriend and hook up with a femme fatale poured into a black satin dress? Such things never... ever... happen in the real world. :) Burt Lancaster is a favorite of mine, and my mother adored him. The movie appears to live up to its billing as "raw, rugged and ruthless." Me likey "the treachery of a girl's lips," and I'll bet they had fun rehearsing that smooching scene. Yessum, you can smell the testosterone in the air as fists fly and passions rage. Ain't life grand?

    I also like Bob Mitchum, and wanna see Out of the Past. His line: "Baby I don't care!" spoken by his Mini-Me, says it all. Yessum, when a pretty woman smiles as two men beat the crap out of each other over her, you get the feeling that the universe is, as "Desiderata" reminds us, "unfolding as it should."

    I enjoy watching the noir films of three of my favorite actresses, Cathy O'Donnell, Teresa Wright and Marsha Hunt. The first two are gone, but Marsha is still with us and, God willing, will turn age 104 a few weeks from now.

    I hope the rest of your week trends upward, dear friend BB. I'm thinking about you!

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    1. Anger never helps and I don't feel anger just more sadness. I love this theme and there are so many to choose from. I think you would like all 3 of these films. I never thought about Wanger's name but now...I am laughing. I do like the slang talk from the 40s and the hard hitting ways. Bless Marsha Hunt who seems to be in good shape for 104 but I do hope she is not like Olivia De Havilland from last year. She turned 104 and died a month later.

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  2. Glad your husband is getting better.
    If you can't retire, then are you seeking another job in the thick of all this?

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    1. Yes, I will be looking for another job but I can't right now because who would hire me when I have to go off work for 6 to 8 weeks. Christmas time and onward is when I will be looking.

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  3. First thought was Hedy Lamarr in Samson and Delilah. Then Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction. And Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct. Tried not to tax my brain too hard this week as I am taking care of the 4-year-old granddaughter since her school does not have enough teachers. This COVID thing is going to make us all crazy.

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    1. You chose great picks! Oh my, so you have your granddaughter who has to take school remotely? It's been tough for the kids and parents during this time.

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  4. Sorry to hear about the job situation. I know what it's like. I've settled for my meager retirement pay. Thankfully my wife gets a better retirement check so that helps pull us through. I wish I could find a job suitable for me, but at age 70 I don't see that coming my way.

    I know I've seen a lot of films that fulfill this category but as usual I'm mostly drawing a blank.

    The first one that popped into my head is Jessica Rabbit from Who Killed Roger Rabbit?. She seems like the ultimate caricature of a femme fatale.

    Also the Faye Dunaway role in Chinatown.

    I'll also go with the title character of Angelina Jolie's film Salt. She was a pretty tough cookie in that film.

    I wish you well in the days and weeks to come.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

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    1. "Im not bad...I was just drawn that way." She is a perfect Femme Fatale. Faye in Chinatown was quite good and tragic. That is an interesting choice to pick "Salt." Jolie would be a great Femme Fatale.

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  5. I'm glad to head your husband is getting better.

    I had no idea Wanger did that to Bennett's agent. That's insane!

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    1. Thank you..he is getting better. Yes, this was big news in the 50s and it is crazy what happened.

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  6. That's a whole lot on your shoulders Birgit! With so much on your plate don't let it overwhelm you difficult though that may be, handle each situation as it happens then move on to the next. Again it's great that you're tech savvy, that's a powerful tool to possess in a job search.

    Now on to your choices. Yes, yes and yes to your picks!!! Love them all!!

    Scarlet Street even though it's venerated is also underestimated I think. This is the place that both the great EGR and Joan should have picked up Oscars....but not even nominations!!! Mind boggling.

    The Killers is a film I had to watch a couple of times to appreciate. I found more in it each time, but it only took once to fully admire Ava Gardner. She was a wild woman and even by her own admission a handful but she blazes when she's on camera. I was just saying the other day that it was a pity that she and Anne Bancroft never had a chance to work together, preferably as sisters, there was a definite resemblance and both possessed a powerful energy. To see them spark off each other would have been fascinating.

    You watch Jane Greer in Out of the Past and have to wonder how she didn't have a bigger career. The vagaries of fame. It's a fantastic film with both Bob Mitchum and Kirk being bested by the succubus that Jane plays.

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    1. Thanks Joel...it is a lot but I am taking each day and, for right now, just laying low. I'm glad you love my picks and I just don't get how Robinson and Bennett were not even nominated for their performances which were brilliant. I think Ava and Burt had great chemistry but never thought of Anne Bancroft...those 2 would have been brilliant together. You do have to wonder why some, who were great actors/actresses never hit it big.

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  7. I had to split my comment, I guess I got carried away. 😊

    I LOVE this theme!! I thought of all three of yours but knew I'd used them before and since my original list had dozens of choices, all from the classic noir period, I whittle until I had four that I was relatively sure I hadn't used before. But I hated to leave out some of the more venerated gals of noir-Audrey Totter, Marie Windsor, Yvonne de Carlo and Coleen Gray especially. Anyway I love all four of mine, how about you?

    Murder, My Sweet (1944)-Private dick Philip Marlowe (Dick Powell) is hired by lumbering Moose Malloy (Mike Mazurki) fresh from the slammer to track down his former girlfriend Velma. Simultaneously he's commissioned to accompany flashy playboy Lindsay Marriott (Douglas Walton) to buy back a stolen necklace. When the exchange goes wrong and the playboy is murdered Marlowe can't leave the case alone, and soon discovers it's related to Malloy's. As he pursues answers he is drawn deeper into a complex web of intrigue by the sweet Ann Grayle (Anne Shirley in her final film) and her detested stepmother, the mysterious and potentially lethal Helen (Claire Trevor). Suddenly the detective finds his own life in increasing jeopardy. A seminal film in the noir canon which turned the already famous Claire Trevor into the acknowledged Queen of Noir.

    Hangover Square (1945)-In Victorian London composer George Bone (Laird Cregar) is struggling to complete his concerto, the stress of which is causing periods of blackouts where he fears he is committing unspeakable acts. Instructed by his doctor (George Sanders) to relax Bone begins to frequent a dance hall and becomes obsessed with the beautiful but duplicitous saloon singer Netta (Linda Darnell). Netta leeches onto the hapless musician manipulating him with false promises to extract songs to further her career. When George realizes he’s being played for a fool destruction is eminent for all. This was famed villain Cregar’s shot at leading man stardom which he desperately craved. A big man who tipped the scale at over 300 lbs. he went on a crash diet to lose 100 of those before production began leading to a heart attack and his death at 29 shortly after the film’s completion.

    Too Late for Tears (1949)-With the cops in hot pursuit fleeing robber Danny Fuller (Dan Duryea) frantically tosses a valise full of cash from his car with it fortuitously landing in the passing car of Jane and Alan Palmer (Lizabeth Scott & Arthur Kennedy). The Palmers at first plan to return the money but then Jane realizes she can escape her humdrum life and transforms into a rapacious and ruthless schemer who will do whatever is necessary to keep the loot no matter the cost or who will have to pay.

    Human Desire (1954)-After instigating a fight brutish Carl Buckley (Broderick Crawford) is canned from his railroad job. Bitter and frenzied he coerces his young wife Vicki (Gloria Grahame) to use her wiles on her former paramour Mr. Owens (Grandon Rhodes) now Carl’s boss to try to gain his job back. It works, but Carl in a jealous rage convinces himself that Vicki and Owens are involved romantically and murders the man, forcing Vicki to become his accomplice. Sick of her husband's violent ways, Vicki seduces Jeff (Glenn Ford), one of Carl’s coworkers, and ensnares him in a plot to murder her husband but that path may lead to doom for them all.

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    1. Love the gals you speak of who were so good. Murder, My Sweet is an excellent pick and one that firmly established goody boy singer Dick Powell into a hard-edged PI. I have read about Hangover Square and it is on my radar to see. I knew about laird Cregar who died too young but may have been prevented if he sought out a doctor to lose the weight. Lizabeth Scott plays such nasty types eh? This was a good and under-rated film. Human Desire is another film I have yet to see but, I have Silver Screen Classics so, when i am convalescing, It might come on TV.

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  8. Oh Birgit, I feel for you and the situation you are in. Life can be so hard. At least over here we have our NHS, which is free medical service at the point of need, after having paid in all of our working lives. However our Tory party want to privatise it.
    I hope things will sort themselves out for your. Good to hear that your hubby is getting better.
    I've not seen any of your movies this week and only hear of Ava Gardner, she was one beautiful lady, you take care, Kate x

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    1. We have free medical care here too so I don't have to worry about my operation or stay in the hospital. The Conservative party would love to privatise it here too which angers me to no end. Ava was a beauty.

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  9. I knew you'd have some picks I haven't seen this week. I'll have to look into these.

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    1. I hope you see these 'cos I think you would like them.

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  10. You must be exhausted, Birgit. So much going on. This is a rare occasion because I haven't seen any of your film choices. I'll go with Barbara Stanwyck in Double Indemnity and Gene Tierney in both Laura and Leave Her to Heaven. Hugs to you, sweetie.

    Love,
    Janie

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  11. I'm glad the kidney stone surgery is in the rear view mirror. Toes crossed the others go well.

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  12. Not great timing for things, but at least you'll get your surgery. Sending healing thoughts to both you and your hubby.

    The only movie that came to mind was "The Truth About Youth" which stars one of your favorites (<--sarcasm). But, I'm not sure if it totally applies. I have not seen any of your picks.

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  13. Hi Birgit - it all sounds very challenging, but I'm glad you're here - blogging always has positivity around it. I sincerely hope things work out - they will ... it's just getting past this time; take care and I'll be thinking of you.

    Re your selections - as usual I don't know them ... but I think I'd go with Faye Dunaway in the Thomas Crown Affair - mainly as I enjoy gliding!; then of course Faye in Bonnie and Clyde ... I love her cheekbones! Cheers to you - take care, stay safe ... all the best Hilary

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  14. I've not see the Killers but now I really want to. They don't make femme fatales the way they used to. Also, sending positive thoughts to your husband and to you. It sounds like its been a very rough go of things for you both <3

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  15. Birgit, my heart goes out to you! I was turfed from my corporate job back in 1992, but from those ashes rose my pet care business, which was successful until COVID hit. With all of your experience, any employer would be lucky to have you. Moving forward is the best you can do. ((HUGS)) As for the movies, I'm not familiar with Scarlet Street, but it sounds like a good one! The other two I've seen and like you, I love Ava Gardner. My pick is The Barefoot Contessa. Glad your hubby is resting and recovering. Here's hoping the next surgery goes well also.

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  16. I've not only not heard of any of these films, I've not heard of two of the actresses. I HAVE heard of Ava Gardner. Interesting factoid about Joan Bennett, her husband, and that director.

    Glad to read your husband has come through his first surgery in good shape. Now on to he second one and yours that is upcoming, too. I'm hoping for some good news soon, dear.

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