(Guest Post by B.J. Bethel)
Finding great directors today is like finding cheap gas. That means requisite visits to Hollywood’s past, a trip film buffs usually partake in not too long before delving into the long miles of their cinematic journey.
My journey began several years ago through Westerns. It left me addicted to relentless viewings of Turner Classic Movies, American Movie Classics, and DVD bargain bins the state over. It also left me marked indelibly by immigrant filmmaker Michael Curtiz.
Curtiz came to the United States too late to remove his foreign accent – one that often left actors struggling to decipher his instructions. But his personal experience left a profound mark on cinema history. He’s my favorite classic director.
The early to middle portions of his career are as fine as any director that ever lived. Once he was able to grow beyond the bounds of the studio system, he struggled. The later stages of his career are left with mediocre outputs, at least in comparison to the Curtiz who directed “The Adventures of Robin Hood.” This is a familiar trend that has harmed modern actresses, actors and directors frequently. The curses of the old studio system were also its blessing to some. For Curtiz, those blessings were great in both quality and number – here are five of my favorites:
- “Virginia City” - Critically, this Western was a flop. It still inhabits only two-and-a-half stars on most critical ratings, but it’s an underrated treasure. Errol Flynn is in his rip-roaring prime, facing off against Randolph Scott, with an eager and fiery Humphrey Bogart scrapping in screen time as a Mexican bandit of all things. The sheer star power is immense, and it’s immediate. Some of the action scenes (particularly a sequence involving a stagecoach chase) are pure magic. The best moment, a confrontation between Flynn and Scott at a saloon that rouses more than mutual competition over Mirian Hopkins. The sheer scope of the movie is evident in how most blockbusters are filmed now, yet Curtiz was doing it nearly 80 years ago, and it’s pure magic to behold. The sheer volume of greatness in the direction and cast is overwhelming.
- “Captain Blood” – “Blood” set the template for the Hollywood adventure/swash-buckler. It also introduced the world to Flynn and a gorgeous Olivia de Havilland, who was only 19 years old when this movie was shot. Nearly ever scene is iconic. This was the duo’s first pairing. It launched Flynn into space as the world’s foremost adventure star and made Haviland an A-List actress. Another Curtiz favorite, Basil Rathbone, plays the heavy years before he was Sherlock Holmes.
- “Casablanca” – Curtiz’s brought an immigrant vision to many of his films, none more so than this classic. The film is quintessentially American, yet takes place in Morocco, features a group of disheveled ex-patriots, and has only one United States citizen in the entire film. It’s beloved for good reason – Curtiz’s heart is on full display, and the entire drama leading up to the United States’ involvement in World War II is put to screen in a manner so meticulous no director today would dare attempt it. The most politically and socially conscious director today wouldn’t be able to blend the different nationalities together without resorting to stereotype – Curtiz made them human.
- “Passage to Marseille” – Another critical slam, the film has its flaws, but it’s also rousingly patriotic and features tough-guy Bogart at his best, especially paired with Claude Raines, who escape the clutches of the Nazis and start bombing them in return. Some call it sappy, but it comes off as exquisite in today’s world of soulless CGI and cardboard characters.
- “White Christmas” – Imagine Michael Bay or Christopher Nolan directing “Burlesque.” It doesn’t happen in this day and age, but Curtiz could put his swashbuckling past aside and direct a movie that became a family staple, and he did it on a regular basis. It’s not as good as “Holiday Inn” (how many movies are?), but it’s clearly a classic and shows how Curtiz, along with Howard Hawks, were in a class of their own when it came to versatility. While today a James Mangold may stretch a bit and do an action-comedy with Tom Cruise, this is far from the days when directors had to jump genres film-by-film. I believe this process made them better directors, and was one reason why Hawks and Curtiz had such a profound impact.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Hmm I didnt pay attention to who directed some of Errol Flynn’s classics, but I have enjoyed all but White Christmas, which was not really to my taste. I need to find Virginia City as I think I have seen it but it slips my memory right now.
I’d also add Yankee Doodle Dandy, a delightful and very patriotic film, back when Hollywood was allowed to make patriotic films. It’s a shame that Curtiz is often overlooked when classic directors are listed, as I would certainly put him in the same category as William Wyler (another immigrant), Preston Sturges, or the other popular directors from that era.
I’d have to disagree with your take on Holiday Inn and White Christmas. To me, the latter was a far better and more entertaining film, but I suppose that’s the nature of diverse opinions.
Personally I love KING CREOLE. Elvis’ best movie.