Katherine McCue Film History: February 2015

1) Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.

In class, we learned that during the early 20^th century, Hollywood went through a period where it became highly sexualized, a far cry from the idealized versions of society portrayed by film coming out of the Victorian era. Nude women appeared on screen under the reasoning that it was for artistic purposes. Stars like Theda Bara and Jean Harlow, also known as “the Vamp” and “the Platinum Blonde” respectively, tantalized audiences. Just as the action onscreen was heating up, the stars themselves were becoming embroiled in scandals due to their wild behavior. At first, the movie studios tries to appease their stars by supplying them with drugs and alcohol and covering up their actions so that their images would remain pristine in the eyes of the public who were paying to see their films.

Theda Bara

Jean Harlow

Some scandals, however, were so big they could not be kept out of the press. These included the affair and eventual marriage of Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, Fatty Arbuckle’s murder trial for the death of Virginia Rappe, the murder of William Desmond Taylor and the untimely death of Wallace Reid. To protect the movie industry from being hurt by these controversies, the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America was created. The MPPDA was designed to self-censor the industry across the board, as opposed to the many state and local censorship boards that imposed different sets of standards and made film distribution difficult. The MPPDA, also known as the Hays Office, served not only to self-regulate, but also to improve the image of the motion picture industry. The Hays Office proved to be ineffective, and was followed by the Production Code, written by the Catholic Legion of Decency and headed by Joseph Breen. The Production Code was composed of both moral philosophy and a precise list of forbidden material.

Women, no longer permitted to act as sultry sirens in satin gowns, began wearing tailored suits and relying on quick wit rather than seduction to get ahead in films. The 1930’s were dominated by films about and starring women who were strong, smart, competent and working-class. One of these women was Claudette Colbert. As the power of women rose in films, screwball comedies began appearing on screens. These comedies showcased a war of the sexes without featuring the actual sex that was forbidden. Women and men could spar with each other verbally and women were shown to be equal or better than their male counterparts.

One of the most famous of these screwball comedies was the 1934 film It Happened One Night, directed by Frank Capra. The film told the story of a spoiled actress, played by Colbert, who runs away from her wealthy father in an effort to reunite with husband, meeting a reporter, played by Clark Gable, who offers her help in exchange for being the one to break the story, only for the two of them to fall in love along the way. It Happened One Night swept the Academy Awards, winning Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Picture and Best Writing and is still enjoyed by audiences 80 years later. (Londino, "Sound Censorship and It Happened One Night)

2) Find a related article and summarize the content. (on the film, director, studio, actor/actress, artistic content, etc.) You can use the library or the internet. Cite the article or copy the url to your journal entry. Summarize in your own words the related article but do not plagiarize any content.

http://www.glamamor.com/2011/09/cinema-style-file-clark-gable-and.html

It Happened One Night made history as the first film to win Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Writing (now called Best Screenplay.) No movie would achieve that again until 1975. Though the film won these prestigious honors after its release, production itself was troubled. The screenplay was considered uninspiring and the project was referred to as “just another bus picture.” No one involved expected the film to be a great success and Claudette Colbert stated to a friend “I’ve just finished the worst picture in the world,” after filming wrapped.

Colbert herself was not the first choice for the role of Ellen Andrews. Myrna Loy, Carole Lombard, Miriam Hopkins, Bette Davis and Constance Bennett were all considered before Colbert was finally cast. Colbert had previously acted in a movie directed by Frank Capra that she ended up hating and was reluctant to take another role from him. She only agreed under the conditions that her usual salary be doubled and filming be done in an incredibly short time span so that she could leave to work on a project that she had more desire for.

In 1934, Clark Gable was a contract player for MGM. While he was rising in popularity, studio executives were wary of his ego. MGM commonly punished its players who were misbehaving by “exiling” them. Columbia was considered the worst of the big studios at the time, referred to as “Poverty Row” and “Siberia.” Gable was loaned to Columbia as a sort of punishment and came into the project with a bad attitude, allegedly showing up to the first production meeting drunk. However, despite his initial misgivings, he grew to love both Capra and the character of Peter Warne.

Gable’s part in the movie became a sensation, due to both his acting and his outfits. His costume included a trench coat, Norfolk jacket, v-neck sweater and a button down shirt that set trends in men’s wear. Due to this, Gable considered the trench coat lucky and often wore won in his later films. Even in modern times, designers try to emulate Gable’s classic look from this movie. Gable’s biggest impact on fashion occurred in the scene where his character teases Claudette Colbert by demonstrating how different men undress. After audiences saw that Gable was not wearing an undershirt, sales for the garment dropped around 30%.

Robert Kalloch was the costume designer for It Happened One Night. Besides outfitting Gable, he also dresses Colbert in lavish silks befitting the character of socialite Ellen Andrews. He also used to expertise to create subtle changes in the characters’ outfits over the course of the film through use of layers. Though the film takes place over a short amount of time, there are a variety of looks that keep the visuals fresh for the viewers and it’s thanks to Kalloch.

3) Apply the article to the film screened in class. How did the article support or change the way you thought about the film, director, content, etc.?

I had seen the film on my own several times prior to viewing it in class and already knew some of its history. The article was able to shed light on an aspect of the film that I had not thought of previously – the costume design. Looking back, I realize and can appreciate how much work went into creating the unique pieces for each character, such as Peter Warne’s “reporter” ensemble and Ellie Andrew’s stunning silk wedding gown.

The article further supports my feelings that It Happened One Night is an exquisite film with a lasting impression on both Hollywood and culture, especially taking into account the low expectations and reservations the stars had about acting in it. Just as the picture’s success was largely unanticipated, the article also reiterated the great and unforeseen impact the movie had on fashion, particularly Gable’s short shirtless appearance affecting undershirt sales hugely, going to how that inspiration and success can come from the unlikeliest or most surprising of places and that underdogs should never be counted out.

4) Write a critical analysis of the film, including your personal opinion, formed as a result of the screening, class discussions, text material and the article. I am less interested in whether you liked or disliked a film, (although that can be part of this) than I am in your understanding of its place in film history or the contributions of the director.

It Happened One Night deserves its place in Hollywood history and all of the accolades it has received. Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert bring lifelike qualities to characters that in the hands of less talented actors might have been rendered two-dimensional. The romance in the film is also expertly portrayed and not at all overdone. Audiences can witness the subtleties as the characters slowly begin to realize they are falling in love with one another as real people would.

The movie’s humor is also a treat and holds up despite over eighty years passing since its initial release in 1934. The quick wit displayed by the main characters as they snipe at each other is almost a star in its own right and one of the defining elements of the film. Frank Capra directs the action onscreen brilliantly and while the characters are simply travelling, mostly unglamorously, from Florida to New York, the journey seems like an almost grand adventure as time goes on and hijinks ensue.

The scenes in It Happened One Night are iconic, and much like Charlie Chaplin’s roll dance from The Gold Rush, have been duplicated and parodied many times, especially the scene in which Claudette Colbert lifts her skirt to show off her leg and halt a passing car. This film has been paid homage to in such varied media as Sex and the City, Bandits, and Spaceballs, as well as many more and will no doubt continue to be honored in the future. Likewise, the characters themselves are memorable, without being cliché. Ellie Andrews and Peter Warne spend the majority of the film teasing, disagreeing and even outright berating each other at some points. However, it is evident throughout the picture that they do care for each other and by the end of the film are deeply in love and a perfect match. Overall, It Happened One Night is a fantastic film that will enthrall and delight viewers for years to come.

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

1) (x) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.

2) (x) If I have reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.

3) (x) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.

4) (x) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.

5) (x) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.

6) (x) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the sources within the paper and in the bibliography.

7) (x) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.

8) (x) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.

1) Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.

In class, we discussed the beginnings of silent film and Charlie Chaplin’s career starting at Keystone Pictures where he developed his own character under the eye of producer Mack Sennett. Chaplin made over 35 films with Keystone before moving onto Essanay and later, Mutual prior to establishing the United Artists film distribution company with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith. (Londino, "Silent Film, Comedy, and the Gold Rush) As his career progressed, Chaplin made more money while working on a lesser number of films, making him one of the highest-paid men in the world. This also meant that his films became grander as time went on, as he spent more time on them and was able to use greater budgets and employ his own artistic vision, using knowledge he gained from watching films being made early in his career. This is highly apparent in The Gold Rush, as the film uses subtle but inventive methods of telling the imaginative story, infused with Chaplin’s own auteur style.

We also discussed Charlie Chaplin’s character, known as “The Tramp.” The Tramp was a comedic underdog who had a toughness based on Chaplin’s rough childhood in London, though was also portrayed as kindhearted, generous and yearning for love and acceptance. (Londino, "Silent Film, Comedy, and the Gold Rush)He often provided a bright spot in scenes with darker themes, such as cannibalism and starvation in The Gold Rush and poverty and losing one’s child in The Kid. He also often used women, such as Georgia, as beacons of light in his films, who would see through to the Tramp’s good qualities and be won by him in the end. Finally, we learned that The Gold Rush was Chaplin’s favorite film and the one he wanted to be remembered by, taking over a year to complete and grossing over $6 million, an amount that was astronomical at the time. (Londino, "Silent Film, Comedy, and the Gold Rush)

http://www.charliechaplin.com/en/biography/articles/5-The-Gold-Rush

This article provides insight into the making of the film, The Gold Rush. Chaplin was inspired by a book he read about the infamous Donner Party, as well as stereoscope pictures he viewed of the 1896 Klondike gold rush. He decided to use his character of the Tramp to turn these horrific stories into comedy. The idea quickly took hold of Chaplin and The Gold Rush is actually the only one of his silent comedies to shoot after the story had already been made up entirely. Chaplin chose actress Lita Grey, who he had previously worked with, to play the love interest in the film. They began an affair, and Grey discovered she was pregnant, forcing Chaplin to marry her and shutting down production for three months, until Georgia Hale was bought in to replace Grey.

Charlie Chaplin with Lita Grey and their son Charles Chaplin Jr.

Part of the film was shot on location in the Sierra Nevada to recreate the image of prospectors working their way up the Chilkoot Pass, while the majority of the film was shot in a studio. Models were used to create special effects such as the hut being blown to the edge of a cliff. Chaplin later reissued the film after its initial release accompanied with an orchestral score. He also replaced the end shot of himself kissing Georgia with one of he and Georgia simply walking off together and often said this was the film he wanted to be remembered for.

3) Apply the article to the film screened in class. How did the article support or change the way you thought about the film, director, content, etc.?

I had always admired Chaplin for his work and contributions to film. However, the article makes me be even more in awe of him for his genius and creativity, specifically how he crafted an entire film based on ideas from a few pictures and a book he had read. I also have a great respect for the fact that he continued to work hard and persevere to get the film completed even after the controversy of his and Grey’s affair and the resulting marriage/pregnancy shut down production for a few months. That displays tremendous determination. I also believe that it’s amazing Chaplin and the rest of the cast and crew were able to make such a legendary film considering the circumstances. Watching the movie, it seems like everything is done perfectly. There isn’t even a hint that production was troubled or did not go as planned and that is a great credit to Chaplin and the others who worked on it.

Chaplin and Georgia Hale

The Gold Rush deserves all of the praise it has received in the ninety years since its release. The contrast between the comedy and the darker themes would be hard for some directors to pull off, however Chaplin executes it flawlessly, making for intriguing and poignant scenes, such as the juxtaposition between Chaplin’s character; the Lone Prospector, alone and depressed in the cabin with the scene of the other characters joyously celebrating New Year’s at the dance hall. The film’s circular structure makes it seem like a full journey that audiences go on with Chaplin. The film also has very memorable comedic moments, for instance Jim believing the Lone Prospector is a giant turkey and trying to hunt him. Though this would be a horrifying scene in reality, Chaplin adds a degree of whimsy that keeps it from becoming upsetting. Another iconic scene is when Chaplin imagines that Georgia and the other girls have come to his New Year’s party and performs a little dance for them with the rolls. This scene has been paid homage to several times, including where I first saw it; the film Benny and Joon starring Johnny Depp.

Though the film centers on Chaplin’s hijinks, the characters are fleshed out so that they seem human, rather than stock comedy characters. A prime example of this is Georgia, who is shown to be confident, flirty and a little cruel, in that she’s ready to lead on the main character and play a prank on him with her friends. However, once she sees the party he had made for them, she instantly shows remorse and later tries to protect Chaplin when she fears he will be put in irons for stowing away, thus earning her redemption and becoming worthy of the newly-rich Lone Prospector. Even, her title cards display her change, with the illustrations going from a flourishing flower to one that is wilted but still can be beautiful. The Lone Prospector himself shows his kind nature by caring for the dog in the cabin and offering his shoe for himself and Jim to eat when they are starving. The complexity of these characters makes them infinitely interesting and I found myself rooting for them. Overall, this film is a legendary comedy jewel and Charlie Chaplin did an amazing job making it.

The Happy Ending