Another post-WWI ‘Lost Generation’ tale, this one patterned closely on Hemingway’s THE SUN ALSO RISES in John Monk Saunders script from his story collection THE SINGLE LADY. And while no masterpiece, director William Dieterle (in a first English language assignment, still sorting out Early Talkie jitters) makes a far stronger impression than Hemingway’s ill-served classic did in either 1957 or '84. Here, a quartet of physically/emotionally wounded American fliers put off going home and stay abroad to drink & carouse from Paris to Portugal with a rich, flighty gal pal they’ve picked up, more mascot than love interest. Helen Chandler can’t quite put over this character, coming across as dumb rather carefree hedonist, but the male side of things is exceptionally well drawn & strongly particularized by Johnny Mack Brown (loud, overly confident); Elliot Nugent (secretive, deadly); Richard Barthelmess (wounded in hand & heart); and David Manners (in the performance of his career) clear sighted in spite of injured eyes. Flaws and all, a remarkable, haunting achievement.
SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: The story template may be Hemingway, but the tone is more F. Scott Fitzgerald.
DOUBLE-BILL: Barthelmess in another John Monk Saunders WWI aviation piece from the year before, THE DAWN PATROL/'30, a big hit for Howard Hawks.
No comments:
Post a Comment