ON THE BEACH

US, 1960, 130 minutes, Black and white.
Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Anthony Perkins, Fred Astaire, Donna Anderson, John Meillon.
Directed by Stanley Kramer.

On the Beach is based on Neville Shute's novel about the results of nuclear warfare and the death of the world. Originally it was much longer, but the final version is moving and frightening at times, strange also for an Australian audience as it is filmed so close to home and the significance is pointed. The film, in its situations, is rather low-key, a strange mixture of ordinary living with the prospect of death soon to come in the ba ground. The film questions values and ambitions of the world confronted by destruction. The acting is good. Melbourne looks convincing for the end of the world, especially in the final shots of its empty streets. Directed by Stanley Kramer in the years of - The Defiant Ones; Inherit the Wind, Judgement at Nuremburg.

1. The significance of the title and the end of the world?

2. What were audience expectations at the opening: a submarine emerging from the water to a dying world? How plausible was the story with Australia as the last nation to die?

3. Were the Australian locations well used - Melbourne, Williamstown docks, Frankston, Port Philip Bay, Philip Island etc?

4. What impact did the theme make? Was it frightening? How did the knowledge that everyone was to die change the perspective of life and values?

5. Each of the principal characters could be considered in the light of the previous question -
- Dwight - one of the last Americans alive, his responsibility for his submarine and men, the effect of the deaths of his family and country, finding friends in Melbourne, significance of his relationship with Moira, his mission to America, fear, returning to die?
- Moira - her reaction to the situation, growing relationship to Dwight, final separation?
- Peter and Mary - their relationship (especially the sequences on the beach and at home); a young couple with a normal, happy future simply cut off, the pills, final recollection of their married happiness?
- Julian - as a person, scientist, reaction to the situation, effectiveness in his job, recklessness, his chosen way of death?

6. What impact did the return to San Francisco make – seeing the dead city, possibility that someone was still alive, irony of the signals, speech of the American sailor?

7. How was life in these final months presented? Bikies in the Melbourne streets, parties, recklessness and deaths in speed racing, lining up for pills, Salvation Army rallies? what would your reaction be in these circumstances? What values would seem important?

8. What was the visual and emotional impact of the final sequence with the empty Melbourne streets?

9. Do you think this was an effective anti-nuclear war film?

ORDEAL

US, 1973, 73 minutes, Colour.
Arthur Hill, Diana Muldaur, James Stacey, Macdonald Carey, Michael Ansara.
Directed by Lee H. Katzin.

Ordeal is a remake of the 1950s 3 -D drama, Inferno, which starred Robert Ryan and Rhonda Fleming. This film is a more sombre approach, Arthur Hill not having the fierce screen presence of Robert Ryan and Diana Muldaur not having the glamour of Rhonda Fleming. However, the two stars offer strong performances.

The film is about a husband and wife, the wife having been unfaithful to her husband, stranded in the desert waiting for rescue. This leads, of course, to intense interactions.

The film was directed by Lee H. Katzin who directed quite a number of telemovies during the 1970s. During the late 60s and early 1970s he did make some theatrical feature films, The West and Heaven With a Gun, the horror film Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice and a version of Helen Mc Innes’ The Salzburg Connection. During the 1970s he made twenty-eight telemovies.

1. Audience expectations from the title? Their fulfilment? (The original was called 'Inferno'. Would this have been better?)

2. Comment on the TV techniques and their success close-ups, locations.

3. How important was the location and the desert for the theme and the plot? How contrived did the whole story seem? Did this matter?

4. How credible was the plot? Were motivations made clear and plausible? The background explanation of the inter-relationships leading to the abandoning of Damien?

5. How did the film centre on Damien? His rich background, his meanness, domination? His disregard of Kay, humiliation of Folson? The effect of the ordeal on him? The determination and the way that this meant his struggling down the mountain? How strong was the motivation of vengeance? The ordeal of the climb, the heat, water, rain? The symbolic use of animals and his encounter with them?

6. Did his character change during his ordeal? His vengeance, and then his finally being hunted? What did he wish at the end an he turned towards his wife and Folson?

7. How interesting was the character of Cathy? The quality of the marriage, the financial arrangements, the humiliations and hurt? Was it credible that she seized the chance against her husband? Her cool behaviour, her cruelty and yet her wondering about murder? Her relationship with Folson, fear, animal love? Her fear at the end?

8. Was Folson a credible character? His criminal background, his work for Damien, the humiliations? His deciding to go with Cathy? His cruelty towards Damian? The clash of the two and their pretences? The searching out of Damien?

9. What did the minor characters add to the films Frost and his friendship, explanation of Damien, the sheriff and the search parties?

10. The nature of the ending? How inconclusive, how appropriate?

11. The quality of the film and its short treatment of such themes as greed, cruelty, vengeance, hatred, lust and love?

OPERATION CROSSBOW

UK, 1965, 115 minutes, Colour.
Sophia Loren, George Peppard, Tom Courtenay, Trevor Howard, John Mills, Richard Johnson, Jeremy Kemp, Paul Henreid, Anthony Quayle, Lilli Palmer, Helmut Dantine, Richard Todd, Sylvia Syms, John Fraser.
Directed by Michael Anderson.

Operation Crossbow is one of the many big-budget war films made during the 1960s. During the 1950s, there were many more small-budget black and white war memoirs and tributes to particular individuals or particular groups. With the twenty-year anniversary after the war, there were much bigger-budget films more with the spirit of adventure films like The Great Escape, The Heroes of Telemark, The Counterfeit Traitor, The Battle of the Bulge.

This film is about a raid against Hitler’s rockets, especially the Doodlebug, which could have reversed Germany’s fortunes at the end of the war. The film also focuses on Hannah Reitsch, played by Barbara Rutting, who was a pilot who actually tested these planes and rockets.

With a foundation in fact, the film builds up a very tense and colourful adventure. While Sophia Loren and George Peppard have the star billing, the film is much more a British project with stalwarts like Trevor Howard, John Mills, Richard Johnson, Tom Courtenay, Jeremy Kemp and Anthony Quayle. Paul Henried, a star of many Hollywood films in the 40s, has a role as a German and the perennial German of World War Two films, Helmut Dantine, also appears. Richard Todd and Sylvia Sims, John Fraser are also in the supporting cast. The film is interesting with such a gallery of actors.

The film was directed by Michael Anderson who had a mixed career. He made one of the most significant war tribute films of the 1950s, The Dam Busters. He also directed, two years later, the Oscar-winning extravaganza, Around the World in Eighty Days. He had a mixed career until the 1990s with science fiction like Logan’s Run and a film version of John Paul II's The Jeweller’s Shop.

1. The appeal of this kind of war film? Enjoyment value, reflection value? As a film of the sixties considering the war of twenty years earlier?

2, The importance of the English framework of the film? The British attitude towards the war? The presentation of Churchill and his speeches and intentions? Duncan Sandys? The discussions about what the Germans were doing? The work on aerial photography and espionage? The picturing of British Intelligence work? The clash of opinions, especially from Professor Lindeman? The British consideration of intelligence and information?

3. Comment on the danger to England of Germany's preparation of aerial warfare? The nature of the bombs, the impact of the bomb on England and Germany? The consequent deaths?

4. The plan for sending the recruits to Germany? The details of their interviews, the importance of Bamford appearing and the later revelation of his being a spy?

5. The presentation of German success? The detailed testing of the planes? The interest of the German High Command? The pilots and the scientists? The risks to life?

6. Comment on the three characters and their taking over other people's identities? The morality of espionage? The consequences of torture and death?

7. The character of Henshaw: his background his impersonation, the fact that he was recognized by Bamford? his torture and the pathos of his death? The impact of his death within this film?

8. The contrast with Bradley: his style, his success, his final death for the success of the mission?

9. Curtis and the contrast with the others: the focus of the film, his personal style and ability for coping, the unexpected arrival of the wife? His encounter with her and holding her? His work in the factory, his heroics to sabotage the planes and the bombs? How convincing a hero?

10. The importance of the appearance of Nora? The threat to the plan? The element of human feelings? Nora's hopes for a permit and for her child? Her resignation to allowing Curtis to go on? The suddenness of her death? The role of Frieda, as a counter-agent? The reasons for her killing Nora?

11. The presentation of the Germans: the High Command, the supervising Generals, General Lintz and his supervision of the work, Bamford and his role in the factory?

12. How spectacular the final suspense and explosions? Their impact and significance?

13. The film's attitudes towards war and people? A good war film?

OPERATION AMSTERDAM

UK, 1959, 104 minutes, Black and white.
Peter Finch, Eva Bartok, Tony Britton, Alexander Knox.
Directed by Michael Mc Carthy.

Operation Amsterdam is one of the many war films and memoirs made during the 1950s. By 1959, the particular kind of black and white rather more stark presentations of war action were coming to an end. The 1960s saw the bigger, more colourful big-budget films like The Great Escape, The Battle of the Bulge, The Counterfeit Traitor and many more.

Peter Finch and Alexander Knox are to Dutch merchants of diamonds. The pressure is to get the diamonds out of Holland before the German invasion. The focus is on the merchants, the difficulties, the Jewish merchants in Holland and Amsterdam and the beginnings of persecution of the Jews. The merchants have a great deal of difficulty, have to team up with the Dutch Resistance, have to rely on the guidance of Anna (Eva Bartok) and the possibility that there is a traitor amongst them.

This is familiar material – but is made in a suspenseful and interesting and enjoyable way.

The director was Michael Mc Carthy whose last film this was. He had a short career during the 1950s as a writer-director. With this bigger-budget film he might have had a much longer and more successful career had he lived.

1. Expectations from the title? The original novel was 'Adventure in Diamonds'. A better title? The war film, audience expectations of it, the quality of this film within its conventions?

2. The atmosphere of authenticity, the background of 1940 Britain and its attitude towards the war, Germany and its mobilization and invasion of Holland, Holland being invaded and the beginnings of resistance, Churchill etc.? The commentary indications? that these events happened, but were not recorded? How authentic did the mission seem?

3. The use of black and white photography, the Dutch locations, the vast number of people especially in the port sequences, the recreating of the experience of Amsterdam on the eve of its invasion? The atmosphere of war? The importance of the use of popular Amsterdam music? Its being incorporated even into the plot?

4. How strong was the sense of mission, the sense of suspense? The importance of the structure being just the one day? The genuine nature of the mission?

5. How did the film show in detail the atmosphere of May, 1940, the Channel, the Dutch ports and people escaping, the spies, the deserted Amsterdam and the fighting in the streets, the need for diamonds getting out of Holland, sabotaging the oil installations?

6. How real did the mission seem: the hurry, the fact that Holland was so close, the details of the briefing and the clarity of the mission, the use of the destroyer and the trip across, the arrival?

7. How convincing were the three men: their backgrounds, the motives, the risks that they were taking, Dutch patriotism and English loyalty? How convincing were these motivations?

8. The portrait of chaos in Holland, ships, the planes strafing the refugees, the Dutch trying to cope, the decisions?

9. The melodramatics of Anna's car and her becoming the great help for the mission? The character of Anna, her background and her job? Her ingenuity in helping, her contacts with the Dutch War Office? Her helping then throughout the day?

10. The central focus on the jewellers, the father, his explanation of the problem to the men with the industrial diamonds, the background to their decisions, the risks, especially for Jews and concentration camps? Their motivation in sending the diamonds to England? The melodramatics of blowing the vault to get all the diamonds?

11. The details of Anna helping them, during the day, interrogations, the car chase, the shooting and the death of the lieutenant? The boy whose parents had been killed?

12. The melodramatics of the major, his delivering the explosives, his being followed, getting the explosives men to help with the vault, the final blowing up of the oil supplies?

13. The importance of Anna's decision to stay?

14. The atmosphere of hope, the sense of achievement, the atmosphere of patriotism? Why was this film made in the late fifties? Its impact then? Now?

ON THE DOUBLE

US, 1961, 92 minutes, Colour.
Dana Wynter, Wilfred Hyde -White, Margaret Rutherford, Diana Dors, Alan Cuthbertson, Gregory Walcott, Jesse White.
Directed by Melville Shavelson.

On the Double is an entertaining Danny Kaye vehicle. Once again he portrays something of a ninny who has a capacity for mimicry as well as a more serious role. Writer team Melville Shavelson and Jack Rose seem to have had an eye on The Man Who Never Was as well as I Was Monty’s Double in preparing this screenplay. While the character played by Danny Kaye as a weak-kneed ineffectual type is asked to impersonate a general, the general’s plane crashes and the private has to do the real thing. Of course, it is an opportunity to marvel at Danny Kaye’s mimicry as well as his verbal dexterity.

The film is very British in tone even though an American production. Shavelson had written the early Danny Kaye vehicles Wonder Man and The Kid From Brooklyn as well as the later film, The Five Pennies. Shavelson also wrote a number of films for Bob Hope including The Seven Little Foys and Beau James. In the mid-60s he was to write and direct the film about the formation of the State of Israel, Cast a Giant Shadow – an experience which left him somewhat shattered and about which he wrote a rather satiric book.

The film has Danny Kaye supported by a top English cast of character actors especially Margaret Rutherford and Wilfred Hyde -White. There is glamour with Dana Wynter as the leading lady and, of course, with Diana Dors.

One of the later Danny Kaye vehicles. He was to move into television and character roles by the mid-60s.

1. The success of the film as a Danny Kaye vehicle? The appeal of his personality and comedy? Danny Kaye character and their characteristics? His playing two characters and their contrast?

2. The humour in the title? The military overtones and the pun on the two characters? Typical of the kind of humour? The use of colour, English locations? The war setting and the parody on war films? The narrative comment and the humour in the commentary?

3. Danny Kaye's style in the Ernie Williams character? The qualities of this kind of simple characters simple, bungler, yet doing his job, not afraid to be afraid, enterprising, nice loving and tender? The defects of this character in cowardice, hypochondria? How the good qualities overcome the bad qualities? How heroic a comic character?

4. The contrast with the General MacKenzie? type? The parody of authority, the boorish Englishman, the womanizer and drinker etc.? The fact that he is a kind of villain in contrast with the Ernie Williams kind of character?

5. The quality of comedy in the impersonation by Ernie Williams? The humour of mistaken identities? The quality of the jokes and the situations? Ernie imitating as a joke, testing out the military, Lady Margaret? The humour of the party and the fight? The confrontation with his aunt? The Nazis not believing him? His final testing of Lady Margaret at the end? How does the comedy of mistaken identity interest audiences?

6, How could the film be seen as the growth of a personality and a nice person?

7. How attractive was Lady Margaret as a heroine? Her relationship to General MacKenzie? Her support of Ernie? The final love for him?

8. The satire on English military men in Somerset? The military type?

9. The satire in the Diana Dors kind of spy?

10. The quality of the spoof on war films, on the British for example, Williams' incomprehensible British talk to the Nazis, the spoof of spy stories, the details of the escape in Berlin, for example, the nightclub and Ernie's imitation of Marlene Dietrich etc.?

12. The value of this kind of comedy and spoof?

ONLY TWO CAN PLAY

UK, 1962, 106 minutes, Black and white.
Peter Sellers, Mai Zetterling, Virginia Maskell, Richard Attenborough, Kenneth Griffiths.
Directed by Sidney Gilliat.

Only Two Can Play is a lesser-known Peter Sellers vehicle. In its time, however, it received great acclaim, nominated for acting awards as well as best film in the 1962 BAFTAs and winning the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain award. It is an opportunity to see Peter Sellers in a more modest film and to see his capacity for mimicking particular styles, here a mousy Welsh librarian. He was on the verge of great fame as Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther which came out the following year.

The film has excellent credentials. It was directed by Sidney Gilliat who, with Frank Launder, was responsible for many striking films of the 40s and 50s ranging from thrillers like Green for Danger to comedies like The Belles of St Trinian’s. The film was based on a novel by Kingsley Amis and has a screenplay by Bryan Forbes, an actor who became a director but who had a long career in writing screenplays. Around this time he wrote The Angry Silence, The L -Shaped Room and Séance on a Wet Afternoon. Richard Attenborough appeared in two of these films and appears here as an aggressive Welsh poet.

With Peter Sellers is Mai Zetterling, the Swedish actress who made such an impression in British films in the late 40s and early 50s and had some international popularity with Knock on Wood where she appeared with Danny Kaye. In her later career, she was to become a director.

Only Two Can Play is a sex comedy – on the verge of the more permissive 1960s so the film is strong on innuendo and indirect humour rather than the more open and blatant humour of later years and decades.

1. The emphasis of the title, the original novel's title was 'That Uncertain Feeling'. Indications of titles?

2. The British tone of the film, British films around 1960? Black and white photography, Welsh locations, ironic music? The ironic touch to a romantic comedy, sex comedy?

3. The impact of the opening, the presentation of Wales, the town, the library, the married man's life in the town, the status of marriage? These as a background for the themes of the film?

4. The film's comment on this environment and its effect on people: the town itself and its way of life, transport, jobs, housing, neighbours, the difference between wealth and poverty, the middle classes? How ironic the comment?

5. The themes of success and ambitions? Lewis and his job, promotion, the need for extra money? His rival in the library and his manoeuvres to get the job? Wives and the relationship to their husbands' success? The irony of the playwright friend who had succeeded? Success and money?

6. The presentation of Lewis at work in the library, Peter Sellers' interpretation of this job? His skills as a librarian? His eyeing the girls? His work for the man who wanted dirty books? The manoeuvring for jobs?

7. The emphasis on sexuality and the seven-year itch? The girls in the library, the bus? Lewis's infatuation for Liz? The infatuation at the party, kissing her? His allowing himself to be seduced by her? His manoeuvring to go to her place? The lift in the car, the bedroom sequence and the hilarious consequences, the outing in the car while the theatre burned down? Liz's manoeuvring to get him the job? The irony of presenting Bill as the cast-off lover baby-sitting for the children? The film's comment on sexuality, the serious side, the comic side?

8. The contrast with the presentation of marriage? Liz and the formal marriage with her husband? His devotion to business and not realizing what was going on? Lewis's wife, the children and the details of life at home, outings, the drabness of their life? The importance of Lewis's straying, the showdown after the burning of the theatre, talking out the issues, forgiveness? By the end had Levis learnt or not?

10. The comic observation of the way of life, farcical situations and slapstick humour, the caricatures in the types? Humorous situations like the play not starting on time and the burning down of the theatre? The farmer confronting him and Lewis in the car etc.?

11. How well delineated were the main characters as characters? Or were they types representing particular attitudes?

12. How accurate was the comic observation of human nature? The moral tone taken? The insight into the life of the ordinary man?

ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS

US, 1939, 121 minutes, Black and white.
Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Richard Barthelmess, Rita Hayworth, Thomas Mitchell, Noah Beery Jr, Sig Ruman, Allyn Joslyn, John Carroll.
Directed by Howard Hawks.

Only Angels Have Wings is a very enjoyable aviation drama – with some romance tossed in. It comes from 1939, a year which is celebrated for top Hollywood production from Gone With The Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Stage Coach, Dark Victory and many other significant films.

The film was based on a story by Howard Hawks and the screenplay written by Jules Furthman who was to write a number of screenplays for Hawks films including The Big Sleep, To Have And Have Not and his final film, the John Wayne vehicle, Rio Bravo.

Commentators have said that John Wayne would have been at home in the central role. It is something of a surprise to find Cary Grant (who had worked at this time with Howard Hawks in comedy with Bringing Up Baby).

The setting is South America, the focus on the aviators who delivered the mail in very difficult circumstances over that continent. There also seem to be a lot Americans in South America. Cary Grant is the pilot in charge, a touch of the devil-may-care attitude. When a chorus girl, played by Jean Arthur, stays there she falls for him. However, things are complicated when a disgraced pilot (Richard Barthelmess) arrives with his wife (Rita Hayworth) who used to be in love with Grant. There is a complication because Barthelmess had been responsible for the death of Thomas Mitchell.

However, the film is strong with its aerial photography and special effects – and was nominated for an Oscar for best black and white photography as well as effects.

There is often a very macho feel about many of Howard Hawks’s films. He made quite a number with John Wayne including Red River and Rio Bravo. However, Hawks also had a lighter touch for example with musicals like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

There have been a number of aviation films. Aviator Howard Hughes was particularly interested in the 1930s and made Hell’s Angels. There was an IMAX short feature made by Jean -Jacques Annaud in 1993 which traced the history and drama of this kind of danger for aviation in the Andes, Wings of Courage.

1. The film is considered a classic of its kind. Why? The various ingredients of the director's style, his outlook on masculinity, self-respect and responsibility? The strong heroine? Adventurer challenge, easy dialogue and flow between characters and mutual influence?

2. The film as representing an achievement in film-making of the thirties? Black and white photography, acting, stock characters transformed into something more?

3. The introduction to Barrenca: the night, the ship, the nature of the place? The portrait of Dutch's Place, the planes, their destinations and dangers? A limited world and the film being confined within Barrenca, within Dutchy's Place? The establishing of the place and its way, giving the standards of behaviour, the code for all the characters? Behaviour within this code, loyalties? How convincing a portrait of a particular world? an optimistic outlook despite dangers, challenge, death?

4. How did the screenplay help the audience enter this world via Bonnie? An attractive heroine, her type, presence? Jean Arthur's style, swagger, talk, femininity? Curiosity, a wanderer, her explanation of her background? The implausibility of her being there as well as the audience watching this unknown world? Bonnie's values, particularly American? The encounter with the singers, with the pilots and her pro-American statements? Her easy way with the flyers, the rough encounter with Geoff Carter and her fascination? Curiosity? How did the audience watch the rest of the film through Bonnie's eyes and understand and judge the men and their work?

5. The dramatic effect of the initial crisis? The glib manner of the two pilots, their chasing Bonnie, the meal together? The irony of Joe's wanting to come back for his meal yet going on the flight? The background of the weather changes and the lookout, Tex and his role at the lookout? Bonnie wondering about the dangers, listening over the radio? The importance of Joe's return, being guided in by voice? Joe's rash decision to try again when warned against it? The tension of all those watching, the lights, the fog, the silence, the crash? Audience involvement and reaction at this stage?

6. Bonnie's response to the men's reaction to Joe's death? Their lack of regard, drinks, steak, the question of who was Joe? Her inability to accept this? Geoff's explanation and answers? Her sorrow, talking to Kid and the realization of how everybody felt? The code of death and the inability to reverse it? Her acceptance of this, her return to the piano, her professional playing and Geoff's singing peanuts? The end of the evening and her symbolic giving a relic of Joe to his girl friend? The build-up of Bonnie's and Joe's bonds with each other? Geoff flying out and her decision to stay? How well had they accepted each other at this stage, rubbed against each other?

7. Cary Grant portraying Geoff? An appropriate choice for the role, his handling of the role with his personal style and yet fitting into the atmosphere of Barrenca and his work? His skill with his job? His relationship with The Kid and The Kid's loyalty and the audience able to see Joe's good points via The Kid? The bond between himself and Dutchy and the need for getting the contract? The other pilots and Geoff's commanding manner with them? drinks, horseplay, friendship, even firing them? The significance of his judgments on Joe and the question of blame, and Joe not being good enough? His background, his story about his relationship with Judy and the disillusionment? His wariness with Bonnie and not asking a woman to enter this world? His skill as a pilot, the demonstration sequence where he was knocked unconscious? his work on the radio, his decisions? The importance of the arrival of Bat? His change of name and Geoff handling of the situation and the tensions especially with Kid? The decision about sending him on very difficult missions, helping him to be accepted? The growing relationship with Bonnie? Such sequences as the testing of Kid's work? How rounded a portrait of a man?

8. The strong character of Bonnie? An engaging heroine for this film? Her fascination with Geoff and love for him, Kid's warning, her decision and hanging around, her continued talk, watching the demonstrations, realizing her fear, not wanting to possess Geoff? The humour of the bath sequence and the encounter with Judith? Her decision to leave, her wanting to be asked to stay and the humour of the ending? A credible and attractive heroine?

9. The importance of the portrait of Bat and the fact that he had married Judy? His arrival, the preparations for it, suspicions, the men's immediate hostile reaction? His standing his ground, with the Kid? The bond between himself and Judy and their mutual secret&? The importance of his flight and the growing successes? The challenge to his final flying, with the Kid, his skill and staying with him and bringing the plane down? His being invited to drink with the men and Judy's presence? Geoff and the influence he had in rehabilitating and redeeming Bat?

10. Judy and her presence in Barrenca, the early Rita Hayworth? Her past, her marriage, happiness and unhappiness, drinking, being helped by Geoff to accept herself and her marriage?

11. The importance of Kid as an adoring friend, the veteran, the support? The importance of his eyes? his advice? The challenge with Bat? His flight, the pathos of his death and his final words and everybody going away, to die alone?

12. The portrait of Joe, Les and the others? Sparks and his presence and advice to Bonnie? Tex and the humour of his being at the lookout?

13. Dutchy and his background, friendship with Geoff, the contracts, his fear?

14. A portrait of deaths? The meaning of deaths in this kind of world?

15. Men's work, ethos, heroism and responsibility, self-respect and codes? The place of men and of women in this world? Love and support?

16. The work of the actors with one another, the dialogue and its ordinariness, humour? A fresh and exhilarating look at a particular world?

ONE TWO THREE

US, 1951, 115 minutes, Black and white.
James Cagney, Horst Buchholz, Pamela Tiffin, Arlene Francis, Howard St John.
Directed by Billy Wilder.

Billy Wilder adapted a play by Ferenc Molnar, a prolific playwright on whose plays both on the Continent and in the United States were based, including Olympia (A Breath of Scandal), The Swan and, especially, Liliom which became Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical Carousel. Wilder is writing in collaboration I.A.L. Diamond, who had written a number of American comedies, Let’s Make It Legal, Something for the Birds, and who from 1959 with Some Like It Hot collaborated with Wilder on eleven films (the only film that was not Wilder’s during this period was Cactus Flower).

Both Diamond and Wilder were experts at sparkling, fast-paced dialogue as witnessed in such films as Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, The Fortune Cookie.

The film was released in 1961, the year in which the Berlin wall went up. With its Berlin setting, its comedy about communist and east-west relationships, it was more than a touch daring (coming, especially, six years after the Mc Carthy hearings). The film is farce, working at great speed, quick repartee in the James Cagney 1930s style. He is a Coca -Cola executive who is ambitious for a position in London, is entrusted with the daughter of the head of the company. Pamela Tiffin is the daughter. She doesn’t behave according to expected American protocols and romances and suddenly marries an East German communist. He is played by Horst Buchholz who had just appeared in The Magnificent Seven and who was to have a long career both in Europe and in the United States. Arlene Francis is Cagney’s wife.

With the farce, Cagney organises the imprisonment of the young man – but, with the visit of the in-laws, he has to get him out of prison and indoctrinate him into the ways of capitalism.

While the film is very much of the 1960s and American foreign policy – it is an interesting parallel with American foreign policy and machinations and diplomacy in subsequent decades.

1. The film as a Billy Wilder comedy, topical in its time, satirical, even cynical? Audience response to this kind of comedy?

2. The satire on American types, capitalism vs Coca Cola, satire on the Communists and their interest in Coca Cola? How does Coca Cola symbolize America to the world? The implications of this?

3. The topicality of the film, Berlin in 1961, the Cold War attitudes? The impact that this makes now9

4. C.R.Mac Namara, as the typical U.S. businessman? The good and bad aspects of his character and way of wheeler-dealing? James Cagney and his swift vitality for this kind of role? his narrow outlook, his talking patter, his moving fast and his use of numbers and hence the title, his two-faced attitudes and behaviour, moral ambiguity, deals and pressurization, belief in his product and in America, his push, manipulating beliefs, toadying to officials? His relationship with his wife, to his secretary? his wanting the right thing to appear right? A typical American?

5. Mrs Mac Namara and the more gentle satire on the American woman? A foil for Mac Namara, her wisecracks, her estimate of the situation, her attitude towards her husband and his career, moving around the world and wanting to settle? A more sympathetic portrayal?

6. The presentation of the Hazeltines and Atlantis snobbery, money, society, Coca Cola business, the pressures of capitalism, their odd daughter and their attitude towards her?

7. The satire in presenting the younger generation of Americans in Scarlett, her "Gone With The Wind" name and the satire on the Southern Belle, boy-crazy, retarded, scatty style, enjoying life, the Grand Tour of Europe, the innocent abroad, her marrying, her attitude towards her wealth and taking capitalism for granted, her imposing it on her fiance?

8. Bifl and the satire on the Communist? the stilted rabble-rouser, his anti-capitalistic slogans, his falling in love with Scarlett, the irony of his torture, his being rescued, the double irony of his being transformed against his will into the capitalist? The way that he submitted to this? His hostility and final acceptance? The Irony of his being a 1,2,3 man at the end? What was the film satirizing about human nature in a Communist setting?

9. The portrayal of the Communist businessmen, capitalists at heart, their ogling of the secretary and MacNamara's using her as a bait for his own purposes? The irony of their escape to the West?

10. Ingeborg and the satire on German secretaries and their relationship with Americans? Her willingness to take easy jobs?

11. The presentation of German officials, Fritz and his impersonation of the woman for the purposes of Mac Namara’s plan?

12. The build-up for the marriage, the annulment, the pregnancy, the validation of the marriage? The irony of Mac Namara’s manoeuvrings yet his own marriage breaking up?

13. What was the point in showing the change of Communists into capitalists?

14. The verbal fun, the satire, the humorous situations, for example the car chase and the rescue?

15. What was the final impression that this film left about human nature and society?

OSCAR WILDE

UK, 1960, 98 Minutes, Black and white.
Robert Morley, Phyllis Calvert, John Neville, Ralph Richardson, Dennis Price.
Directed by Gregory Ratoff.

It is a strange phenomenon but quite often in cinema history, two films on the same subject emerge at the same time. This happened in 1960, the sixtieth anniversary of the death of Oscar Wilde. The Trials of Oscar Wilde, also known as The Man with the Green Carnation, was a big-budget film with Peter Finch as Oscar Wilde. At the same time, Gregory Ratoff directed a black and white feature, with smaller budget, with Robert Morley in the central role. Both of them are well worth seeing in terms of the portrait of the character of Oscar Wilde, the accusations against him, his behaviour in the trial, his status as a man around town and a playwright in London, as a prisoner in Paris dying in poverty in 1900.

Peter Finch is an interesting choice and portrays the flamboyance of Oscar Wilde, delivering his witticisms right throughout the film. Robert Morley, on the other hand, has something of the presence and girth as well as the aristocratic style of delivery, with a touch of camp.

Criticisms of the film at the time were that because they were not so explicit in presenting what really happened in the affair between and Oscar Wilde and Lord Douglas, Bosie, the impact of the jury’s decision is more difficult to understand. In Brian Gilbert’s 1977 film, Wilde, with Stephen Fry perfect in the role of Oscar Wilde, presence and delivery, the scenes are much more explicit and the impact of the Marquis of Queensberry’s reaction to his son’s behaviour, his condemnation of Wilde make much more sense.

While Tom Wilkinson was the Marquis of Queensberry in 1997, Edward Chapman is the blustering Marquis with Robert Morley, Lionel Jeffries is all bluster with Peter Finch. John Fraser is Bosie with Peter Finch, John Neville with Robert Morley and, later, Jude Law with Stephen Fry.

Each film has a very strong supporting cast including James Mason as Sir Edward Carson (Ralph Richardson with Robert Morley). Sonya Dresdell appears as Wilde’s mother, while Vanessa Redgrave had the role in 1997. Actresses who performed as Constant Wilde are Yvonne Mitchell here, Phyllis Calvert with Robert Morley and Jennifer Ely with Stephen Fry.

Irving Allen directed a number of small films. Ken Hughes began his work in English cinema in the 1950s with very small-budget films, although he did make a gangster contemporary version of Macbeth, Joe Macbeth with Paul Douglas and Jan Sterling. However, with The Trials of Oscar Wilde, he moved into bigger-budget films including a remake of Of Human Bondage with Kim Novak and Lawrence Harvey, was one of the contributors to Casino Royale and was most successful with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Cromwell. He had less success during the 1970s making a sequel to Alfie, Alfie Darling and the extraordinary film with an embalmed Mae West, Sextette in 1978. Gregory Ratoff on the other hand had been making films in Hollywood from the 1930s including Intermezzo, The Aspen Papers and many other interesting films.

The three films are complementary and throw light on performances of Wilde’s plays. There have been several versions of The Importance of Being Earnest, the classic version in the 1950s and the rather tongue-in-cheek and somewhat lewd version in 2002. There have been several versions of An Ideal Husband, in the 40s with Paulette Goddard and in 1999 a fine version with Cate Blanchett and Jeremy Northam. There have also been versions of Lady Windermere’s Fan. His other works include Salome (filmed by Ken Russell as Salome’s Last Dance with Glenda Jackson) and The Picture of Dorian Gray, filmed many times.

1. What atmosphere and dramatic impact did the flashback structure have? The significance of the poem read with the scene of Oscar Wilde's grave?

2. What was the atmosphere of the whole film, an objective biography of Wilde? An impression of him?

3. The film's establishing Wilde as a person, Robert Morley's presence, his performance, his epigrammatic style, his relationship with and love for his wife and children, his moral theories, his aesthetic theories, his views about affection, love and relationships along D.H. Lawrence lines?

4. The audiences' response to Oscar Wilde as a person? His reputation over the years? As a person, as a poet, as a playwright, as an expresser of the art theories of the nineteenth century?

5. The film's establishing Wilde as a successful playwright? The early sequences in the theatre, at the receptions afterwards?

6. Lord Alfred Douglas as a person? His being shown admiring Wilde in the theatre? His approach to Wilde in friendship? The Oxford situation, the homosexual situation, Wilde's handling of the blackmailing letters, the growing dependence of one on the other?

7. Why did Wilde become infatuated with Lord Douglas? did Wilde depend on him? What interested him in Lord Douglas? Why did Lord Douglas depend on Wilde? The visiting the London dens, peoples' attitudes and their reputations?

8. The mania of the Marquis of Queensbury? Why was he obsessed? His son? his main motivation in being a friend to Wilde? to put down his father?

9. The dramatic impact of the court case in the forcing Wilde to prosecute his father, why did Wilde not see the dangers in this? The interrogation by the prosecutor and its direct and accusing tone? The inability of defence to help him? Carson's ridiculing of Wilde? The relentless nature of the evidence, and Wilde's attitudes, his being shaken?

10. The withdrawing of the case? the change of Wilde's attitudes?

11. His becoming a victim? The pathos of his arrest? with the knowledge of his wife, and the attitude of his son? How hard was it for Oscar Wilde to have to face his family?

12. The effect of the film's short treatment of the prison term? What was this effect? How destructive?

13. On leaving prison, how could he resume his life? Did he have any option except to leave England?

14. Why was he left so alone in Paris? How was this symbolised in Robbie Ross's visit to him and his leaving him alone? The ironic statement of his theories in the Paris tavern? His being let completely alone and his defiant laughter? What had happened to Wilde?

15. How did the film use Wilde's novel The Picture of Dorian Gray in its presentation of Wilde and his seeking for youth, happiness and beauty?

16. Was this a helpful biography of Wilde? Did it show insight into human nature? Was it a warning? Did it illustrate well the atmosphere of English society at the end of the 19th century?

ON THE RIVIERA

US, 1951, 89 minutes, Colour.
Danny Kaye, Gene Tierney, Corinne Calvet, Marcel Dalio, Jean Murat, Clinton Sundberg, Sig Rumann.
Directed by Walter Lang.

Danny Kaye was very popular in the 1940s and 1950s. It is interesting to look back now and to see whether he makes such an impact with his patter songs and, especially, with his impersonations.

This film is a remake of the Maurice Chevalier vehicle, Folies Bergere. Danny Kaye portrays a comedian doing the clubs on the Riviera as well as a philandering industrialist. He is invited to impersonate the industrialist at an important party, even deceiving the wife (played by Gene Tierney, not an actress who appeared in comedies). Eventually, he is unmasked by other girlfriends as well as by the business rivals.

The film was considered very amusing in its time. It was directed by Walter Lang, who was about to direct such films as There’s No Business Like Show Business and The King and I.

Danny Kaye won a Golden Globe as best actor in a comedy for his performance.

1. The quality of this comedy and its use of comedy conventions?

2. The standard of the film as a Danny Kaye vehicles comedy, characterisation, music and songs, style?

3. The importance of the plot? Its slight nature, the question of mistaken identities, contrasting of identical-looking characters?

4. The importance of the structure for audience interest and involvement, the songs, events taking place over 48 hours, the significance of the finale and the happy ending?

5. Danny Kaye's contribution to the film? His skill in presenting two diverse characters? Jack Martin as a genial and soft kind of entertainer, Henri the celebrity, the womaniser, the businessman, the man who had to reform his relationships? Danny Kaye's ability to bring humanity even to comic characterisations? What were the elements which contrasted the two men? Relationships, business, success, attractiveness?

6. How attractive was Collette? The type of chorus girl and nightclub entertainer, her infatuation with Henri? her love for Jack?

7. The contrast with Lily, her suffering with Henri, her keeping up face, her enjoying the masquerade at the dinner, her worry about the night that she spent?

8. The importance of the identities and the truth? The truth about each character? The use of farce and mistaken identities during the dinner? The moralising about each character?

9. The importance of the supporting casts as types rather than as characters? The club manager, Henri's two advisors, his business enemy?

10. The quality of the humour of the film? Where did it get its main laughs?

11. The contribution of the songs?

12. The importance of Danny Kaye's style of comic humanity?