1948 - US
Director
George Stevens
Starring
Irene Dunne
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This is a perfectly good film of a sort that doesn’t necessarily interest me, but for a classic family drama with just the right balance of humor and pathos, it probably doesn’t get much better. What does interest me, of course, is Irene Dunne, giving if not her best performance then certainly her second best after her should-be iconic role in The Awful Truth: not so much for the more obvious accent work in the role of a first-generation Norwegian immigrant in an era when it was attempted seldomly and always poorly (ahhh, the vaguely British pan-European invented accent of Old Hollywood…), but for every expressive, deeply felt, utterly human glance and gesture. The Golden Age was full of personalities, types, and symbols, but there were far fewer real and versatile actors… Irene Dunne was such an actor, and could have worked her pure magic in any film era.
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Waterloo Bridge 1931, James Whale
Red-Headed Woman 1932, Jack Conway
Millie 1931, John Francis Dillon
The Woman Accused 1933, Paul Sloane
So Big! 1932, William A Wellman
The Awful Truth 1937, Leo McCarey
Conquest 1937, Clarence Brown
It’s Love I’m After 1937, Archie Mayo
The Mad Miss Manton 1938, Leigh Jason
Algiers 1938, John Cromwell
A short digression on Charles Boyer…
Yes, I am endeared. I am, in fact, ensorceled. His inhumanly arched eyebrows, his little winks and half-smiles, and that ability to at once maintain full control of his material while shining the spotlight on his costar: yes, that is talent; yes, this is love. And no, Cluny Brown, it’s not just the cocktails giving you that persian cat feeling… I think we both know too well it has a bit to do with Mr Charles Boyer. Rawr.
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» Waterloo Bridge 1931 James Whale
» Red-Headed Woman 1932 Jack Conway
» Millie 1931 John Francis Dillon
» The Woman Accused 1933 Paul Sloane
» So Big! 1932 William A Wellman
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Nothing better suited to Hollywood romance than three weeks out of time, away from life, falling in love with a stranger, spending days idly and nights actively.
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