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The dialogue IS really sparky, even in the translated subs, and I’m sure it’s even better in the original French. Philipe is very charismatic, and watching this right after Such a Pretty Little Beach, you can see had quite a range. He’s well and truly on my radar now

A young man, Gérard Philipe, talking through the bars of a prison cell. A subtitle reads, "Don't be sad! I don't love you!"

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Paul C. Dobbs @steadytiger.bsky.social · 7h

It comes to life in the last half-hour with a desperate mission to rescue Gina Lollobrigida. The action scenes are fast, kinetic, and funny, though I wish they'd given the cast some fencing lessons. There’s never any sense of a real sword fight, they just wave their sabres about like French sticks

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Paul C. Dobbs @steadytiger.bsky.social · 7h

Fanfan la Tulipe (1952). Gérard Philipe cuts a fine agile figure in this comic swashbuckler, but is let down by a lack of story. Fatally for a swashbuckler, there’s no proper baddie, no noble cause, so for most of the film he has nothing to do except prance about being witty, which he is great at

Poster for Fanfan la Tulipe. A dashing young man in 18th century costume with a sword. A beautiful woman and scenes of battle in the background

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Paul C. Dobbs @steadytiger.bsky.social · 11h

The direction is pretty unobtrusive except for an impossible shot at the very end that seems to have been achieved by having the actors walk and talk backwards, then playing the film backwards with dubbed dialogue. They would only have had one chance to do it, and it works pretty well!

A middle-aged couple standing on a beach in the rain. A subtitle reads, "It's such a charming little beach"

The same couple on the beach, in the middle distance now. The camera appears to have receded from them, but there are no tracks in the sand

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Paul C. Dobbs @steadytiger.bsky.social · 11h

Every character turns out to be key to the story, and most of them are victims, even the exploiters. You end up feeling sorry for everyone. It’s terrible. I would definitely watch more from this director, Yves Allégret, and more from Gérard Philipe, who tragically died of cancer aged 36

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Paul C. Dobbs @steadytiger.bsky.social · 11h

This film is relentlessly cheerless, claustrophobic, and rainlashed, but you wouldn’t want it any other way. The little hotel and the people in it are so freighted with secrets that you’re glued to them just moping in rooms, bursting into tears, and trudging about in downpours without umbrellas

A young man, Gerard Philipe, standing at an open window in the rain, looking melancholy

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Paul C. Dobbs @steadytiger.bsky.social · 11h

Such a Pretty Little Beach (1949). Marlene Dietrich said in a 1971 interview that she considered Gérard Philipe to be the greatest of all actors. I have never seen him in anything until now, and he doesn’t have much to do in this except look existentially gloomy, but he is very good indeed at that

Poster for Such a Pretty Little Beach (1949) showing the original French title, Une si jolie petite plage. A handsome young man and beautiful young woman look melancholy

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Reposted by Paul C. Dobbs

Shot Zero @shotzero.bsky.social · 19h

shotzero.substack.com/p/cat-people...

Art of the Chase: Editing for Feel Over Real in CAT PEOPLE

Happy Halloween! As a treat, let’s look at this iconic, historic (more below on how it shaped cinema forever) low-speed chase scene in heels! First, the Ebert notes “Her night walk seems to pass the…

shotzero.substack.com

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Paul C. Dobbs @steadytiger.bsky.social · 1d

This looked like a proper drum tuition video. When I clicked on it though the bloke is in his car hitting the fucking wheel with sticks

A man in a car with drumsticks. There is drum music notation across the bottom of the screen

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Paul C. Dobbs @steadytiger.bsky.social · 1d

Describe your BlueSky account in a single image

A shelf of DVDs of Hollywood classics from the 30s and 40s

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Paul C. Dobbs @steadytiger.bsky.social · 1d

She seems very uncomfortable with it, almost like she's speaking a foreign language. (Or maybe it's just camera fright?) It's notable how faltering her voice is compared with the fearlessness and of her writing style

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Paul C. Dobbs @steadytiger.bsky.social · 1d

Muriel is full-on aristo with her "thet ettitude"

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Paul C. Dobbs @steadytiger.bsky.social · 1d

Drumming diary: I've been concentrating on rolls the last few days, just playing rolls and nothing else for about an hour, and am aching for the first time. They're the sort of 'suddenly using muscles you never knew you had' aches, so will probably pass. My rolls are sounding great btw

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Paul C. Dobbs @steadytiger.bsky.social · 1d

There's no line between noir and melodrama I don't think. I just think of it as a boxing pic - I love the way it uses real fighters and the documentary feel to bits of it. It may also be my fave Bogie performance, that or In a Lonley Place. Prize of Gold is good, yes, haven't seen those other two

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Paul C. Dobbs @steadytiger.bsky.social · 1d

This looks really good. I do mostly associate Robson with Val Lewton now, but then he did The Harder They Fall, which is one of the great boxing pics for me, and Von Ryan's Express which I've loved since I was a kid. Never associated him with melodramas before - a varied career!

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Reposted by Paul C. Dobbs

SvenThe @sventhe.bsky.social · 2d

A young Peter Lorre in Frühlings Erwachen
A play by Frank Wedekind
Volksbühne
Berlin, 1929
#PeterLorre #FrankWedekind

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Reposted by Paul C. Dobbs

P.M.Bryant @pmbryant.com · 3d

“The Lupino Legend” in Cosmopolitan magazine — first of a two-part article on Ida Lupino published in January and February 1943.

“She can break your heart or make you laugh. She's five feet two of dynamite and she has Hollywood on its ear.”

2 page magazine layout. Left has large photo of Lupino in long-skirted dress kicking leg high in the air in a dance pose. Right page has article text and three small photos of Lupino with pets, husband and family.

The article begins with title in large text and its lede in medium size font:

The Lupino Legend

By Adela Rogers St. John

She can break your heart or make you laugh. She's five feet two of dynamite and she has Hollywood on its ear. Here begins the fascinating life story of the "Mad Lupino" born to the theater, daughter of a famous clown, and destined, some say, to be the greatest actress of our time

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