Random Thoughts

As musicals go… this doesn’t have a lot of music?

This is a pre Hayes code movie – I don’t think that costume would have flown afterwards?

This is a very odd movie. I just read the Criterion text on the DVD cover, and apparently this was going to be a George Cukor movie, but then Lubitsch got involved and re-shot a lot of the scenes, and… drama!

But I mean, it’s a fun movie, but it’s weirdly aimless. I feels like watching one of those 70s movies? About hippies wearing fringe coats and talking about freedom and stuff?

So it’s prescient and weird, but isn’t not actually that entertaining?

One Hour With You. George Cukor, Ernst Lubitsch. 1932.

This blog post is part of the Eclipse series.

Now that’s a train I’d like to ride.

This is very amusing. It’s not hilarious or anything, but it’s got a good flow going on, and the characters are good, and it never stops amusing.

I was disappointed in the previous two Lubitsch movies, but this works.

I really like this movie… but… I’d be hard pressed to actually say what the plot here is. It’s kinda effervescent?

They’re gonna fuck!!!

He’s very happy about that.

The Smiling Lieutenant. Ernst Lubitsch. 1931.

This blog post is part of the Eclipse series.

Those are some very complicated credits.

This is another 1.2:1 movie — the early talkies used a portion of the normal 1.37:1 film stock to carry the audio, so the movies became narrower. (The first few sound movies Lubitsch did, and were filmed twice, and released in both 1.37:1 silent versions and 1.2:1 talkie versons.)

So that’s where “simp” comes from!

That’s the simp.

This is fun! Lubitsch’s previous movie was a downer, but this is moving along most amusingly.

Sing it, girl! Sing it!

Jeanette MacDonald is great. But this just isn’t firing on all cylinders. It’s got scenes that should be hilarious, but instead they’re just vaguely amusing. I think it’s mainly a pacing problem? I mean, I know — this is from 1930 — but I’ve seen movies from 1930 that have more snap and zip.

Monte Carlo. Ernst Lubitsch. 1930.

This blog post is part of the Eclipse series.

Hey, this is brilliant. An early screwball comedy? It’s from 1929, so it’s part of the first wave of talkies, I guess? It’s in … 1.2:1?

And… they apparently made this in French and American at the same time?

Jeanette MacDonald name and face are both quite familiar to me, but looking over her imdb, I’m not quite sure which movies I’ve seen her in. I mean, she’s only done a couple dozen movies…

This is a very operettish musical. I mean, when they break into song (which hasn’t been too often so far), they basically continue the conversation they’ve been carrying on. Not breaking into some big dance number and a hit tune.

Amazing door!

I think they’re both wearing the same makeup? Lashes for days.

This started off nice and silly, but now it’s turning into… how tragic it is for Chevalier to be married to a queen? Because… he… doesn’t have anything to do?

I mean, this could have worked if the pacing had been snappier. I mean, it could have been a zany 80 minute whirlwind. But instead it’s a 110 minute whiny slog.

But I mean, this is a technically extremely proficient movie for it time. It’s just not funny or interesting enough.

It gets more tedious with every scene. I’m really surprised.

The Love Parade. Ernst Lubitsch. 1929.

This blog post is part of the Eclipse series.