The Maltese Falcon is the second movie I've seen recently in which the bad guy pulls a gun on the good guy, good guy gets the gun away from the bad guy, they talk for a minute and halfway resolve the situation, the bad guy says "may I have my gun back," the good guy returns the gun, and the bad guy, lo and behold, turns the gun on the good guy again. I can't remember the other movie but I think it may be Harper, maybe (or The Big Sleep . . . .). That just struck me as funny.
So this one has a bit of a convoluted plot line but the basics are lots of people are in search of the Maltese Falcon (a gem-encrusted gold statue of a falcon) and they involve Sam Spade (Bogart) to sort it all out (well, not really--they all involve Spade because they think he can get them the falcon). Twists and double crosses ensue as well as Bogart inevitably falling in love with the damsel in supposed distress, Brigid O'Shaughnessey (Mary Astor). It's definitely recommended.
I'd seen The Long Hot Summer several times before but it was on TV and I like it so I watched it again. It is an excellent example of a movie that's not in the book but should be. Based on stories and a novel by Faulkner, the basic storyline is something of a twist on The Taming of the Shrew (ANOTHER movie that should be on the list but isn't). Ben Quick (Paul Newman) comes to town and ingratiates himself in the Varner household (old old Southern money) through the patriarch Will (none other than Orson Welles). The family has one good-for-close-to-nothing son, Jody, who is married to the incessantly cat-called Eula who does little more than file her nails. Jody runs the family store until Ben shows Will that he can sell wild horses to poor people then Will gives it all over to Ben to run. Will also has a daughter, Clara (Joanne Woodward), who is an ancient 23 (maybe 24, I forget exactly), a school teacher, and a bit of a bookworm. Will wants her to marry now, right now, and give him grandsons, lots of grandsons. She's had a long term flirtation with Alan Stewart but he's too concerned with being a mama's boy to actually consider marrying Clara. Will gets fed up and decides that Clara will marry Alan ASAP or she's marrying Ben Quick. My favorite parts may be Angela Lansbury as Minnie, Will's pretty and saucy girlfriend who wants him to marry her but, instead of wasting her breath trying to convince him, she just goes ahead and plans the wedding (sending out invitations and all). Obviously I like this one quite a bit.
2 comments:
You know, I've never seen LHS. My Faulkner-lover membership should be revoked. Don't tell Neil Polk!
Did you like the "You'll get slapped and like it" line from TMF? And the way Cairo strokes his cane and rolls it around his mouth? Verdict = Gay.
Keep an eye on Fox Movie Channel. They've been playing LHS like it's going to be banned . . . well, actually, nevermind. I just looked and they're not playing it again until Oct 3--I guess it's their go to beginning of the month movie. I'm totally e-mailing the entire Faulkner list-serv.
That's exactly the line I was trying to remember! While I was watching it I made a mental note to remember it but, obviously, forgot. I was just amazed at how much shorter Cairo is than Bogart!
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