A friend is taking a film class- 10 directors who challenged the typical Hollywood formula of the 1950’s (1 Viewer)

[Nelson Au]

A friend of mine is taking a film class at the University he works at for fun. The class focuses on the time period these films were made and how the directors were pushing away from the standard Hollywood formula of the era. The class will discuss and critique these titles.

He gave me the tiles as I was curious what they are and I plan to watch them at my leisure. For this project, I’ve been collecting the films on discs. If anyone is interested, here’s the list and I’ll try to post my thoughts on the films after I’ve viewed them. I have seen some before, but most I’ve never seen before. This will be an interesting education. Of course I am not participating in the class itself so I’m going to hear the comments from the students. I’ll be curious if anyone cares to comment too.

Here’s the list:

1. John Ford:
THE QUIET MAN
THE SEARCHERS

2. Billy Wilder:
SUNSET BOULEVARD
ACE IN THE HOLE
Bonus film: Mervin LeRoy’s THE BAD SEED

3. Alfred Hitchcock:
STRANGERS ON A TRAIN
NORTH BY NORTHWEST - I’ve seen this many times, I look forward to see the new 4K disc.
Bonus film: Jacques Tourneur’s NIGHTFALL

4. Fritz Lang:
THE BIG HEAT
*RANCHO NOTORIOUS* the instructor is replacing this film with:
WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS
Bonus film: BLUE GARDENIA.

5. Vincente Minnelli:
THE BAND WAGON
SOME CAME RUNNING

6. Nicolas Ray:
*REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE* the instructor just replaced this film with:
ON DANGEROUS GROUND.
JOHNNY GUITAR

7. Elia Kazan
A FACE IN THE CROWD
*EAST OF EDEN* the instructor has replaced this title with:
INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS directed by Don Siegel.

8. Ida Lupino:
THE HITCH HIKER
OUTRAGE

9. Samuel Fulller:
PICK UP ON SOUTH STREET
FORTY GUNS

10: Stanley Kubrick:
THE KILLING
PATHS OF GLORY

 

[bujaki]

Not a single dud here. Watch them for your own film education course.

 

[JohnRice]

Things like that are always an interesting idea.

I have to admit, I'm not a big fan of this "Classic" era. It's not a judgment. Just that I personally prefer more modern filmmaking styles, generally starting in the '70s.

However, several years back I bought an Elia Kazan set, and I loved them all. A Face in the Crowd has always especially impressed me.

I guess I'm a little surprised Douglas Sirk isn't on the list. So, who would I replace to add him? Probably Fritz Lang, since he was shaking up filmmaking long before the '50s.

 

[darkrock17]

Otto Preminger, he challenged Hollywood period. He started the fall of the Hayes Code with The Man With The Golden Arm.

 

[Nelson Au]

Guys, I’ve edited the main list of titles above as my friend told me the instructor made some title changes by substituting a title and adding bonus titles that have similar themes from other directors. These are optional titles to watch. So as the course moves on, I’ll update the list as it changes. The class is in its third week and will be on the 4th week this coming week. So the films from John Ford, Billy Wilder and Hitchcock have been viewed and discussed.

I have watched so far, The Quiet Man, The Searchers, Sunset Boulevard and Ace in the Hole. I’ve seen Strangers in a Train right before the pandemic and I did another viewing last night to refresh my memory of viewing it. I’d seen Sunset Boulevard many years ago, so it was good to re-see it on the recent blu ray. I’ll wait for the new 4K blu ray of North By Northwest before watching that, I’ve seen this film many many times, it’s a favorite Hitchcock, but it’s good to watch again to see what else I can learn. I’ll post my impressions soon when I have a bit of time to write something halfway coherent. Thanks for the comments so far.

FYI, I’ve received from my friend emails the instructor sends out the week of the film viewings with reviews of each film from the time the film was released and links to videos of info from each film. For example, a link to a YouTube video of a Scorsese interview about The Searchers.

 

[Nelson Au]

John Ford and his two films chosen by the instructor are The Searchers and The Quiet Man.

I have not seen either film before, but I had known of The Searchers because of the cast and the most minimal amount about the plot. I watched The Searchers via the most recent blu ray on my 83” OLED several weeks ago. I had actually, and coincidentally, seen My Darling Clementine several weeks ago as part of of my recent interest to view some westerns as it’s not a genre I had spent a lot of time with. I could see John Ford is known for his use of wide vistas and Monument Valley. So it was great to see that outdoor photography in The Searchers and in color.

I had posted my impressions of The Searchers already in the Western Appreciation thread. My thoughts of the film as of today is the same and this is just from one viewing. This was such an epic story of Ethan Edwards as his family are all killed and his nieces are kidnapped by Scar. Ethan spends the next 5 years in search of his kidnapped nieces Lucy and Debbie.

I could not help but notice how influential that one shot of Ethan's brother’s house burning is. It’s nearly identically re-imagined in a Galaxy Far Far Away. As Ethan is introduced at the start of the film, he’s a confederate officer after the civil war who’s shown to have been a mercenary in the time after the war to when he returns home. So he’s an outsider. He’s also a racist when it comes to the native Americans. He’s shown to have spent time with them to understand their ways of life and religious beliefs. He’s not a very likable character and I found that interesting. I had seen John Wayne in Rio Bravo the week or so before, and he was who I always thought of as the John Wayne character of the westerns. Ethan Edwards is different character who has very different rules he lives by. His racist attitude drives him to search for Debbie to kill her because in his mind, she is no longer white and part of the Comanche tribe. Debbie’s half brother is Martin who is part Indian and Ethan makes no apology to let him know he’s not fond of him. But allows him to come along in the search.

I did some reading and also read the replies to my post in the Western thread. This was very much a disruptive film in showing Ethan as such an anti-hero. Perhaps it was a time of changing attitudes in America. Ethan wasn’t a very likable character and it was a nice change as in the end, he don’t kill Debbie and brought her home. What further struck me was how the last shot of the film shows Ethan. He brings his niece home to the Jorgenson’s and they adopt her into their family. Martin is able to re-unite with his love Laurie Jorgensen and they all enter the house, but from the doorway, we see Ethan not enter, he stays outside and we see him turn and walk away as the door closes. He remains the outsider who appears to continue to roam who has no home now.

Next I viewed The Quiet Man. I wasn’t sure what to make of this film. It again makes great use of outdoor photography in Ireland. John Wayne plays Sean Thornton who leaves America to return to his native home to buy the land and house he was born in and settle there. He’s an outsider in this film too. He’s seen as the American who has come to town and in doing so, he’s disrupting their existence. He has a secret in that he was a boxer in America and in his last fight, he accidentally kills his opponent. So he’s shown to resist the need to fight as he tries to settle down in his new house. All the while, he sees and meets Mary Kate and falls for her and starts to pursue her. She is shown to also be attracted to Sean. But Sean finds resistance because Mary Kate’s brother Will Danaher had wanted to purchase the house and land that Sean wanted, but the land owner decided to sell the land to Sean from under Will. In retaliation, Will tries to start a fight with Sean in the local bar, but he won’t have that. To further retaliate, Will will not allow his sister to be courted by Sean, let alone marry her. Sean and Mary Kate do court each after some back door negotiations are done to satisfy Will. Sean and Mary Kate court in accordance to the local traditions and they marry. But due to a difference in personal beliefs right after the ceremony, Mary Kate cannot be happy with Sean unless he can accept family money from her brother and all her possessions. It all comes to a head when Sean finally decides to accept the money. But to finish it, Sean does indeed have a long fist fight with Will that captures the entire town’s interest. Sean prevails and Mary Kate can now accept Sean as her husband.

It’s quite an adventure filled with some fun and romance. It was quite the opposite of The Searchers. But both films seems to show the hero as the outsider. In one film, the hero remains the outsider. While the other film, the outsider is eventually accepted and integrated into the community.

After just one viewing of each film, I felt that The Searchers was the stronger movie that invoked a strong impression. I can see why it’s a well regarded western. I still do not have a good feel for The Quiet Man. It was to me, a boy meets girl and boy gets girl story with obstacles the hero must overcome to win the girl. It was just placed in Ireland with the added cultural elements to help add to the obstacles. It was a pleasant film and the cast do very well in their roles. It looks like a different kind of part for John Wayne too.

I did notice that Ward Bond is often cast in the Western films John Wayne does. So it was interesting to see Ward Bond in The Quiet Man. My friend related that the students in the class had a simular reaction. They reacted more strongly to The Searchers and did not like the John Wayne character as he was so racist. I definitely will be revisiting The Searchers. Not so sure I will revisit The Quiet Man anytime soon.

Next up is Sunset Boulevard and Ace in the Hole. Perhaps I’m seeing a pattern develop here. The leads in these two films are not very likable people either.

 

[Desslar]

I'd be interested to know what aspects of the 50s Hollywood formula (not sure of the exact definition here) these films are said to have challenged.

 

[Nelson Au]

I'd be interested to know what aspects of the 50s Hollywood formula (not sure of the exact definition here) these films are said to have challenged.

Yes, me too. I’ve asked my friend what was discussed on the John Ford films. I’ll post as soon as I find out.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

John Ford and his two films chosen by the instructor are The Searchers and The Quiet Man.

I saw The Quiet Man again not too long ago. It's probably my favorite John Wayne film and performance.

 

[Nelson Au]

I saw The Quiet Man again not too long ago. It's probably my favorite John Wayne film and performance.

That’s cool. I thought it was an interesting film, different from Wayne’s typical action western or war films.

 

[Nelson Au]

I just updated the list with a new film my friend said the instructor changed. Rebel Without a Cause is replaced with On Dangerous Ground.

 

[Nelson Au]

I'd be interested to know what aspects of the 50s Hollywood formula (not sure of the exact definition here) these films are said to have challenged.

The syllabus of this class is how the 1950’s marks a turning point for Hollywood films. Many directors of that period led the way for change. A film like Ace in the Hole was not liked at the time, but is seen today as a forerunner.

 

[Robert Crawford]

The syllabus of this class is how the 1950’s marks a turning point for Hollywood films. Many directors of that period led the way for change. A film like Ace in the Hole was not liked at the time, but is seen today as a forerunner.

The Searchers wasn’t well received and now look at its status.

 

[Nelson Au]

The Searchers wasn’t well received and now look at its status.

Thanks Robert. I did not know that. From the way Martin Scorsese talks about seeing it in his youth, I had the impression it was liked. But I understand that he may have liked it, but he’s not the general audience.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Thanks Robert. I did not know that. From the way Martin Scorsese talks about seeing it in his youth, I had the impression it was liked. But I understand that he may have liked it, but he’s not the general audience.

People weren’t used to seeing John Wayne playing a character like Ethan Edwards. Don’t get me wrong, The Searchers had its fans but the film’s stature has grown in the years after its initial release. It’s now considered an iconic and influential movie which is strange because I don’t think it received one Oscar nomination.

 

[Walter Kittel]

When the AFI ( American Film Institute) published their original list of the top 100 films, The Searchers was ranked near the bottom of that list at number 96. When the list was updated a decade later in 2007, the film had skyrocketed to number 12 in the top 100. There was speculation at the time, that the DVD release of the the film was instrumental in getting more eyes on the feature and this led to its dramatic rise in the rankings. I have no idea whether this was the case, or not.

- Walter.

 

[Nelson Au]

People weren’t used to seeing John Wayne playing a character like Ethan Edwards. Don’t get me wrong, The Searchers had its fans but the film’s stature has grown in the years after its initial release. It’s now considered an iconic and influential movie which is strange because I don’t think it received one Oscar nomination.

Thanks Robert. Yes, I can imagine that during that period, John Wayne was known for a certain kind of character, so Ethan Edwards was very different. Which is interesting as I saw an interview with Kirk Douglas who said Wayne criticized Douglas for making Ace in the Hole as the character was so unlikeable. Douglas said he’s an actor first and was portraying a character. I can see that Wayne’s point of view is not only is the character not very nice and goes against what the actor is known for, it can also hurt the film’s box office. Of course this is Douglas relating a story about what Wayne said. We don’t know what was in Wayne’s mind.

When the AFI ( American Film Institute) published their original list of the top 100 films, The Searchers was ranked near the bottom of that list at number 96. When the list was updated a decade later in 2007, the film had skyrocketed to number 12 in the top 100. There was speculation at the time, that the DVD release of the the film was instrumental in getting more eyes on the feature and this led to its dramatic rise in the rankings. I have no idea whether this was the case, or not.

- Walter.

Home video certainly made it possible for generations of people to revisit or see for the first time many titles. So that makes sense a film can get a new lease on life! Modern attitudes in the audience could appreciate or not appreciate a classic film. Plus the audience can discover something they’ve never seen before.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

I would have chosen Vertigo for Hitchcock instead of North By Northwest.

Another film that wasn't appreciated in its time.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Next I viewed The Quiet Man. I wasn’t sure what to make of this film.

Besides the more obvious things that it is - a romance, a comedy, a drama, a romantic comedy, it’s also something to a certain segment of Americans, particularly Irish-Americans: a fantasy.

You probably wouldn’t guess it from my name but I have a lot of Irish heritage. So many people of Irish descent landed here not because they necessarily wanted to leave their homes but because of the famine, and their American offspring picked up on that nostalgic longing for their homeland. The Quiet Man presents a vision of a beautiful land untroubled by the passage of time, where life seems to move at a less hectic pace, with its own set of quaint rituals that emphasize community and tradition. Everyone seems welcome and accepted, giving you the feeling as a viewer that you’ll be warmly embraced for showing up. In a sense, it’s probably no more realistic than Star Wars or James Bond or Disneyland, but it feels real - that’s one of John Ford’s greatest gifts as a storyteller.

When someone like me says that they want to see Ireland before they die, most of the time we’re not really saying we want to visit a modern country with 21st century with advantages and disadvantages like our own; we’re saying we want to step into that fantasy and enjoy a place where time seems to move slower, where nature seems unobstructed, where we can take a deep breath and let that chip fall from our shoulders and experience a kind of tranquility that our modern life doesn’t often seem to allow for.

 

[SD_Brian]

What's interesting is that most of the films on that list have become such established parts of the film canon that it's hard to fathom they were once revolutionary.