Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2
Tales of Manhattan - 10 of 10
Stars list - Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth, Charles Boyer, Henry Fonda, Ginger Rogers, Charles Laughton, Edward G Robinson, WC Fields, Paul Robeson and more. This film has a hell of a cast and is beautifully directed by Julien Duvivier. It's also an anthology film that works both as short films and as a cohesive feature. The script(s) are absolutely fabulous and the whole film is a constantly charming delight.
A coat-with-tails arrives for a gentleman's important evening out, but the tailor nervously reveals to the valet that one of his tailors cursed the coat as he quit his job. the valet brushes this off. Cut to the gentleman getting shot. Then the curtain falls and Charles Boyer pops right up to take his curtain call. But he's not taking another curtain call he's off to an important party--he simply must brag to his former costar and lost love that he opened a hit without her. and He secretly hopes that this triumph will bring her back into his good graces, despite the annoyance of her being married now. Married to a gun collector and big game hunter who is somewhat drunk tonight. Rita Hayworth plays his old co-star and she is outstanding as she handles numerous transitions the script requires her to undergo. She's standoffish and icy, she melts, she's passionate, torn, foolish, panicy, conniving, sly and stunned. It's a pretty nice role for about fifteen minutes of screen time, and she's excellent in it.
From here the jacket is quickly passed on to another fellow. it becomes a very important spare coat to a philandering fool on the day of his wedding. Ginger Rogers is his affianced and Henry Fonda is the best buddy he calls in to save him when she discovers a love note from his paramour, 'Squirrel', in his pocket. Fonda uses the spare coat to pretend that he accidently grabbed the wrong coat the previous night at the wild bachelor party. And Rogers is a bit hot and bothered by the racy note and what it implies about Fonda who she thought to be very staid and nerdy. they start trading barbs, evolve into flirting then nudge themselves into suddenly falling in love with the other. Sparks fly and the dialogue is superb and then miss Squirrel shows up and the furniture and fur starts to fly. The coat gets pawned and then bought by the wife of an up and coming musician (Charles Laughton) to be worn at his first time conducting. This is an almost silent piece and Laughton's performance is simply superb. The coat is handed to charity, and Laughton declares it a rabbits foot. And so it passes to a down on his luck bum (edward G robinson) who is going to be forced by the circumstances (and fortuitous coat) to attend a class reunion. he has to face up to himself and his own failings (and successes) in life that has brought him to such a low point. And perhaps he gains some self respect and perhaps he dips back into the drink. The coat is sent back to the pawn shop and a thief steals it, bumps over a 'private' mobster casino and absconds in a plane with the coat now stuffed with cash. But the plane causes the coat to catch fire and the thief tosses it overboard. It floats down to a truly destitute farmer (Paul Robeson) and his wife, and they take the money to the pastor to figure out how to best do the right thing with it. Although this final bit is over the top and a bit hammy it's also a perfect emotional close to the film, and often quite affecting when Duvivier sticks to the expressive shots and steers clear from the impoverished black farmer dialect.
The whole thing is like something Mark Twain would come up with, and with such a pantheon of stars, it's a great film to (nearly) close out the stars list with, 568 down, 2 to go.
Last time I watched the film it seemed to still hold up, but I'll have to revisit it sometime soon.
Thanks for the wakeup Mike—I’m not sure how I miswrote (especialy as I got the name right in the second mention--good job that there was not a third reference), but I’ve corrected the error.
