Tag Archives: Joan Blondell

Thinking Aloud About Film: Cinema Rediscovered Round-up Day 1, 2022

July 21, 2022UncategorizedA Free Soul, Blonde Crazy, Christina Newland, David Lynch, James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Karen Alexander, Norma Shearer, Pamela Hutchinson, Sarah Madoror, Sarah Moldoror, So MayerNotesonFilm1

We continue our discussion of Cinema Rediscovered 2022 with a round-up of the first full day of programming and two of the events that kicked off the program yesterday: The Philip French Memorial Lecture with Samira Ahmed and the UK premiere of the restored version of Lost Highway. We touch on two key strands of the program. The first is Pre-Code Hollywood: Rules are Made to be Broken, curated by Pamela Hutchinson and Christina Newland, with two of the five films that kickstart that strand: Blonde Crazy with James Cagney and Joan Blondell, one of the great couples of classic cinema, shown at their characteristic AND best as hotel workers turned wisecracking swindlers: urban, beautiful, loose of limb and tongue, a joy to watch at every turn. We also take in A Free Soul, an emblem of a 1931 version of female sexual emancipation and modernity, a full-blown courtroom melodrama with Norma Shearer at her chicest and sexiest, if not always at her acting best. We also discuss two films by Sarah Maldoror, Sambizanga, and also A Dessert for Constance, part of the other strand of the program under discussion today: Karen Alexander’s Black Paris: Josephine and Beyond Programme. A day full of films and discussion on films in which the Rewriting Film History (With the Women in It) and Pre-Code Hollywood: Rules Are Made to Be Broken are particular standouts. A fantastic start to the festival.

The podcast may be listened to here:

The podcast can also be listened to on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/show/2zWZ7Egdy6xPCwHPHlOOaT

and on itunes here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/first-impressions-thinking-aloud-about-film/id1548559546

Those of you who are interested in African and Caribbean emigré cinema might want to follow up on our discussions of the films Richard mentions in the discussion:

Pressure (Horace Ové, 1976): https://notesonfilm1.com/2022/07/21/thinking-aloud-about-film-cinema-rediscovered-round-up-day-1-2022/

Soleil Ô/ Oh Sun (Med Hondo, France, 1970): https://notesonfilm1.com/2022/06/03/thinking-aloud-about-film-soleil-o-oh-sun-med-hondo-france-1970/

Ali In Wonderland/ Ali aux pays des merveilles (Djouhra Abouda, Alain Bonnamy, France/Algeria, 1975): https://notesonfilm1.com/2022/01/03/ali-in-wonderland-ali-aux-pays-des-merveilles-rachid-boudjedra-achmed-rachedi-france-algeria-1975/

….and others, through the search function.

aJosé Arroyo

Eavesdropping at the Movies: 341 – Nightmare Alley (1947)

January 28, 2022Eavesdropping at the MoviesBradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Coleen Gray, Crime, Guillermo del Toro, Joan Blondell, Nightmare Alley, noir, Thriller, Toni Collette, Tyrone Power, William Lindsay GreshamNotesonFilm1

Listen on the players above, Apple Podcasts, Audible, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

Listen to our discussion of 2021’s Nightmare Alley here.

We explore 1947’s Nightmare Alley, directed by Edmund Goulding, and compare it to Guillermo del Toro’s new adaptation of the material, which we find superior in almost every way. Mike in particular finds, in the reflection of Goulding’s version, useful ways to appreciate del Toro’s, which at first blush he found uninspiring. We discuss the portrayal and use of the geek, the differences in the introduction of the protagonist (played by Tyrone Power and Bradley Cooper in the old and new films respectively), del Toro’s greater focus on mood and scene setting, and how thoroughly Goulding’s film adheres to the noir genre. And we express our joy at seeing del Toro’s version at the grand reopening of the Electric, the UK’s oldest working cinema, which we completely forgot to do in the last podcast.

With José Arroyo of First Impressions and Michael Glass of Writing About Film.

The Greeks Had a Word For Them (Lowell Sherman, 1932)

April 5, 2021UncategorizedIna Clair, Joan Blondell, Lowell Sherman, The Greeks Had a Word for ThemNotesonFilm1

Smart wise-cracking pre-code, with the always vivacious Joan Blondell and Ina Clair giving an expert performance in a role that should have made her a star. I here just want to register the opening title cards for future reference:

José Arroyo

Cats, the original, from Footlight Parade

January 15, 2020UncategorizedAndrew Lloyd Webber, Dick Powell, Footlights Parade, Frank McHugh, James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, Tom HooperNotesonFilm1

Is this where Andrew Lloyd Webber got the idea? At least Footlight Parade has the wit to be funny with it. The clip below is a montage of scenes demonstrating the conceptualisation, orchestration and choreography of the cat number.

…and then the cat number itself. Camp but not as cringy as the recent Tom Hooper film.

José Arroyo

First Impressions

Notes on Films and Culture

Tag Archives: Joan Blondell

Thinking Aloud About Film: Cinema Rediscovered Round-up Day 1, 2022

Like this:

Eavesdropping at the Movies: 341 – Nightmare Alley (1947)

Like this:

The Greeks Had a Word For Them (Lowell Sherman, 1932)

Like this:

Cats, the original, from Footlight Parade

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: