Classics (Page Two)
Freaks/ Hell's Angels/ Munchausen (1943)
All appeared in www.filmsinreviews.com
Freaks/ Hell's Angels/ Munchausen (1943)
All appeared in www.filmsinreviews.com
FREAKS
Imagine walking through MGM studios in 1932. You’re bump into glamorous people
like Jean Harlow and Clark Gable. You’re also bump into a few pinheads, Johnny
the legless boy and other "mishaps of nature". You wonder, this is MGM, home of
beautiful movie stars, why are these "freaks" here? MGM steered from their usual
brand of glamorous, glossy productions to make FREAKS, a very odd, fascinating
horror/drama set amongst a carnival side-show. Upon it's release, FREAKS was
condemned, censored and basically pushed off the screen. FREAK's director, Tod
Browning, watched his once illustrious career dry up. In the sixties, FREAKS
gathered a cult following of adventuresome movie-goers. Today, it is regarded as
one of the most respected horror films ever made.
FREAKS begins with Hans, a baby-like midget (Harry Earles, one of the singing
Munchkins from THE WIZARD OF OZ) becoming infatuated with Cleopatra, a tall,
sexy trapeze artist. Cleopatra and her muscle-man boyfriend learn that Hans is heir
to a mega-fortune. She plays along with Hans' flirting. Hans and Cleo have a
bizarre wedding feast. (Get a load of the wedding ballad the freaks sing for them!
Boy, does it stick with you!) Cleopatra begins slipping poison to Hans. As he grows
weaker, his suspicious circus freak cronies are watching Cleopatra's sinister moves.
FREAKS was green-lighted for production thanks to MGM's co-manager Irving
Thalberg. Thalberg wanted to make, once a year, a modestly budgeted "art-house"
film. It would lose money for the otherwise profitable studio, but do wonders for the
studio's prestige. Some of the other experimental features Thalberg okayed were
King Vidor's HALLEJUAH, a drama set amongst poor African-Americans in the deep
south, and Woody Van Dyke's ESKIMO (1934), an Arctic murder mystery that
unfolds using the Eskimo language. (Writer's note: I now know how to threaten
people with harpoons in Eskimo-ese)
Warners' DVD release of FREAKS, besides being gorgeously mastered, is a
treasure chest of vintage horror. It comes with an hour long documentary tracing
the making of this bizarre, enjoyable classic, including biographical bits on each of
the "freaks." We learn that the pinheads (medically known as microcephalics) had a
wonderfully dry sense of humor they applied to their side-show acts. Johnny Eck,
the handsome legless boy was part of a macabre magic act that surely blew the
minds of depression-era audiences.
Another thing you will learn from FREAKS, and the accompanying documentary,
is that very often the outwardly beautiful people can be very freaky, and vice versa
Imagine walking through MGM studios in 1932. You’re bump into glamorous people
like Jean Harlow and Clark Gable. You’re also bump into a few pinheads, Johnny
the legless boy and other "mishaps of nature". You wonder, this is MGM, home of
beautiful movie stars, why are these "freaks" here? MGM steered from their usual
brand of glamorous, glossy productions to make FREAKS, a very odd, fascinating
horror/drama set amongst a carnival side-show. Upon it's release, FREAKS was
condemned, censored and basically pushed off the screen. FREAK's director, Tod
Browning, watched his once illustrious career dry up. In the sixties, FREAKS
gathered a cult following of adventuresome movie-goers. Today, it is regarded as
one of the most respected horror films ever made.
FREAKS begins with Hans, a baby-like midget (Harry Earles, one of the singing
Munchkins from THE WIZARD OF OZ) becoming infatuated with Cleopatra, a tall,
sexy trapeze artist. Cleopatra and her muscle-man boyfriend learn that Hans is heir
to a mega-fortune. She plays along with Hans' flirting. Hans and Cleo have a
bizarre wedding feast. (Get a load of the wedding ballad the freaks sing for them!
Boy, does it stick with you!) Cleopatra begins slipping poison to Hans. As he grows
weaker, his suspicious circus freak cronies are watching Cleopatra's sinister moves.
FREAKS was green-lighted for production thanks to MGM's co-manager Irving
Thalberg. Thalberg wanted to make, once a year, a modestly budgeted "art-house"
film. It would lose money for the otherwise profitable studio, but do wonders for the
studio's prestige. Some of the other experimental features Thalberg okayed were
King Vidor's HALLEJUAH, a drama set amongst poor African-Americans in the deep
south, and Woody Van Dyke's ESKIMO (1934), an Arctic murder mystery that
unfolds using the Eskimo language. (Writer's note: I now know how to threaten
people with harpoons in Eskimo-ese)
Warners' DVD release of FREAKS, besides being gorgeously mastered, is a
treasure chest of vintage horror. It comes with an hour long documentary tracing
the making of this bizarre, enjoyable classic, including biographical bits on each of
the "freaks." We learn that the pinheads (medically known as microcephalics) had a
wonderfully dry sense of humor they applied to their side-show acts. Johnny Eck,
the handsome legless boy was part of a macabre magic act that surely blew the
minds of depression-era audiences.
Another thing you will learn from FREAKS, and the accompanying documentary,
is that very often the outwardly beautiful people can be very freaky, and vice versa
MUNCHHAUSEN (1943, German)
If this clever, intelligent and visually stunning 1943 German version of the
Baron Munchausen story was made elsewhere, and not under Nazi rule, it
would surely rank as one of the great classic fantasy films. Films made in
Germany during World War II received almost no worldwide distribution.
Up until now, the only way to view MUNCHAUSEN was through faded video
bootlegs. Kino Video, with the assistance of the F.W Murnau Foundation
(who helped preserve Fritz Lang's METROPOLIS) has released a
handsomely restored version of this colorful, dreamlike fantasy treat.
MUNCHAUSEN begins with a great visual gag regarding an elaborate
18th century costume ball attended by the charming but constantly fibbing
Baron Munchausen (Hans Albers, whom film fans will recognize as the
strong-man who steals Marlene Dietrich away in THE BLUE ANGEL)
Munchausen tells of his wild adventures. One moment he rides a
cannonball to a sultan's grand palace, at others he takes a trip to the
moon, does battle with flying barking clothing, and encounters a
man-hungry Catherine The Great.
MUNCHAUSEN was filmed in Agfacolor, a bright and stunning color
process developed in Germany. It was first used in Germany's first color
film, WOMEN ARE BETTER DIPLOMATS (1941) (One of the Special
Features on Kino's MUNCHAUSEN DVD is a segment from WOMEN...)
You will see the storybook-like colors that make this film so enjoyable.
MUNCHAUSEN also has some really wild moments for a film made in 1943.
In one scene, topless slave girls are auctioned off. In other scenes,
Russians are depicted as weasely gluttons slobbering over vats of caviar.
As MUNCHAUSEN neared completion, the Germans suffered a crippling
blow at Stalingrad. Any jab at the victorious Russians would have been
welcomed by German audiences.
MUNCHAUSEN was the film that heralded the 25th anniversary of UFA,
Germany's grandest film studio. During the bombing raids on Berlin, UFA
studios and its vast achieve were severely damaged. It is true miracle that
MUNCHAUSEN survived as well as it did.
Other Special Features on the MUNCHAUSEN DVD include a making of
documentary and samples of Agfacolor restoration. (It really is a more rich
version of Technicolor) My favorite Special Feature here is DIE ABENTEUR
DES BARON MUNCHAUSEN, an animated short with an overly macho
Munchausen. He has one hell of a creepy smile.)
While watching MUNCHAUSEN, you will see where Terry Gilliam got a lot
of material for his big budgeted 1989 film THE ADVENTURES OF BARON
MUNCHAUSEN. His film at times is almost an exact remake.
.
If this clever, intelligent and visually stunning 1943 German version of the
Baron Munchausen story was made elsewhere, and not under Nazi rule, it
would surely rank as one of the great classic fantasy films. Films made in
Germany during World War II received almost no worldwide distribution.
Up until now, the only way to view MUNCHAUSEN was through faded video
bootlegs. Kino Video, with the assistance of the F.W Murnau Foundation
(who helped preserve Fritz Lang's METROPOLIS) has released a
handsomely restored version of this colorful, dreamlike fantasy treat.
MUNCHAUSEN begins with a great visual gag regarding an elaborate
18th century costume ball attended by the charming but constantly fibbing
Baron Munchausen (Hans Albers, whom film fans will recognize as the
strong-man who steals Marlene Dietrich away in THE BLUE ANGEL)
Munchausen tells of his wild adventures. One moment he rides a
cannonball to a sultan's grand palace, at others he takes a trip to the
moon, does battle with flying barking clothing, and encounters a
man-hungry Catherine The Great.
MUNCHAUSEN was filmed in Agfacolor, a bright and stunning color
process developed in Germany. It was first used in Germany's first color
film, WOMEN ARE BETTER DIPLOMATS (1941) (One of the Special
Features on Kino's MUNCHAUSEN DVD is a segment from WOMEN...)
You will see the storybook-like colors that make this film so enjoyable.
MUNCHAUSEN also has some really wild moments for a film made in 1943.
In one scene, topless slave girls are auctioned off. In other scenes,
Russians are depicted as weasely gluttons slobbering over vats of caviar.
As MUNCHAUSEN neared completion, the Germans suffered a crippling
blow at Stalingrad. Any jab at the victorious Russians would have been
welcomed by German audiences.
MUNCHAUSEN was the film that heralded the 25th anniversary of UFA,
Germany's grandest film studio. During the bombing raids on Berlin, UFA
studios and its vast achieve were severely damaged. It is true miracle that
MUNCHAUSEN survived as well as it did.
Other Special Features on the MUNCHAUSEN DVD include a making of
documentary and samples of Agfacolor restoration. (It really is a more rich
version of Technicolor) My favorite Special Feature here is DIE ABENTEUR
DES BARON MUNCHAUSEN, an animated short with an overly macho
Munchausen. He has one hell of a creepy smile.)
While watching MUNCHAUSEN, you will see where Terry Gilliam got a lot
of material for his big budgeted 1989 film THE ADVENTURES OF BARON
MUNCHAUSEN. His film at times is almost an exact remake.
.
HELL'S ANGELS
In Martin Scorsese's newest film, THE AVIATOR, we witness three burning passions that guided a young Howard
Hughes: flying, beautiful starlets and film-making. With the DVD release of HELL'S ANGELS, the epic war film Hughes
made in 1930, we see those passions first-hand.
HELLS ANGELS follows the aerial adventures of Roy and Monte Rutledge, two Oxford students who enlist into
England's Royal Flying Corp at the start of World War I. After sharing a few death-defying adventures, as well as
sharing the same sexy volunteer, Helen, Roy and Monte are called upon to lead a dangerous air attack against the
Germans.
Hughes is credited as this epic's sole director, but he had assistance from skilled directors like Edmund Goulding
(GRAND HOTEL), horror maestro James Whale and action film pioneer Howard Hawks. It would be fascinating to
know who were the creative forces behind some of this film's amazingly visual moments.
These moments include a nighttime zeppelin battle that has truly eerie and suspenseful images. During a climatic
air battle, vast wide shots of battling planes are intercut with scenes where the camera stays with screaming and
bleeding pilots spiraling into tailspins. These scenes make HELL'S ANGELS a DVD keeper.
The Rutledge boys date the film. Ben Lyon, as Monte, overacts at times, you would think he's doing a parody of
old-fashioned acting. James Hall, as Roy, is too bland and cheerless. One wonders why the sexually charged Helen
attaches herself to him. 19 year old Jean Harlow plays Helen with energy and spunk. It's appropriate she makes her
grand entrance during this films' soft pastel eight minute two-tone Technicolor sequence (By the way, this is the only
time Harlow appeared in a color film.)
The other stars of the film are the war planes themselves. Hughes flavors HELLS ANGELS with tidbits of aeronautic
info, such as how to control a crashing plane, or how to boost a zeppelin to gain speed, and more.
In 1930, Hughes produced three amazing films, this one, THE FRONT PAGE (directed with hyperactive zip by Lewis
Milestone) and SCARFACE (with Howard Hawks as director. I prefer the Hawks/Hughes SCARFACE over the Pacino
remake.) As Hughes conquered other businesses, built his empire, and hosted phobias, his film legacy wobbled. His
later films, like THE OUTLAW (1943, with Jane Russell in a bra based on egg-head engineering) and VENDETTA
(1950, with one of his last discoveries, Faith Domergue) lacked HELL'S ANGELS' energy.
In Martin Scorsese's newest film, THE AVIATOR, we witness three burning passions that guided a young Howard
Hughes: flying, beautiful starlets and film-making. With the DVD release of HELL'S ANGELS, the epic war film Hughes
made in 1930, we see those passions first-hand.
HELLS ANGELS follows the aerial adventures of Roy and Monte Rutledge, two Oxford students who enlist into
England's Royal Flying Corp at the start of World War I. After sharing a few death-defying adventures, as well as
sharing the same sexy volunteer, Helen, Roy and Monte are called upon to lead a dangerous air attack against the
Germans.
Hughes is credited as this epic's sole director, but he had assistance from skilled directors like Edmund Goulding
(GRAND HOTEL), horror maestro James Whale and action film pioneer Howard Hawks. It would be fascinating to
know who were the creative forces behind some of this film's amazingly visual moments.
These moments include a nighttime zeppelin battle that has truly eerie and suspenseful images. During a climatic
air battle, vast wide shots of battling planes are intercut with scenes where the camera stays with screaming and
bleeding pilots spiraling into tailspins. These scenes make HELL'S ANGELS a DVD keeper.
The Rutledge boys date the film. Ben Lyon, as Monte, overacts at times, you would think he's doing a parody of
old-fashioned acting. James Hall, as Roy, is too bland and cheerless. One wonders why the sexually charged Helen
attaches herself to him. 19 year old Jean Harlow plays Helen with energy and spunk. It's appropriate she makes her
grand entrance during this films' soft pastel eight minute two-tone Technicolor sequence (By the way, this is the only
time Harlow appeared in a color film.)
The other stars of the film are the war planes themselves. Hughes flavors HELLS ANGELS with tidbits of aeronautic
info, such as how to control a crashing plane, or how to boost a zeppelin to gain speed, and more.
In 1930, Hughes produced three amazing films, this one, THE FRONT PAGE (directed with hyperactive zip by Lewis
Milestone) and SCARFACE (with Howard Hawks as director. I prefer the Hawks/Hughes SCARFACE over the Pacino
remake.) As Hughes conquered other businesses, built his empire, and hosted phobias, his film legacy wobbled. His
later films, like THE OUTLAW (1943, with Jane Russell in a bra based on egg-head engineering) and VENDETTA
(1950, with one of his last discoveries, Faith Domergue) lacked HELL'S ANGELS' energy.
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