O Primeiro Beijo

I was told that Frank Borzage could not read,at least at the beginning of his career.That may account for the extraordinary compassion he displays for his characters.A man who did not learn his work at the university,he is one of the greatest American directors of all time,and as far as the twenties and the thirties are concerned ,simply my favorite.I could not mention one of his films I do not like.Some are masterpieces ("Seventh Heaven "Street Angel' "No greater glory"the river" "little man what now?" "the mortal storm " "strange cargo" ),some are just good ,some such as "Stranded".

Lynn is a marvelous woman;we would like to see such characters in today's movies.She works for Travellers Aid ,she dedicates her life to helping stranded people ;she asks nothing in return and she carries on with little victories (the young boy and his father in jail) and big defeats (the old man);a thing that the man who is in love with her cannot understand:a selfish macho,he wants Lynn to be home as soon he is back from work.One realizes how much this female character is modern for 1935:in the melodramas of those years ,woman sacrificed her life when she was denied love ("only yesterday" "imitation of life" ;but Lynn is different ;she does not work for money or to make her way of life.She cares for the others,period.Like the doctor in "green light", the "three comrades" would do .

When the film begins ,Mack (George Brent)is not unlike Velma ,a girl who cannot understand Lynn (Kay Francis),for she only cares about herself.It will take a strike and horrendous events to make him understand Lynn's high-mindedness.

... before she was even well known! The outline makes this romantic movie sound like it could be a heavy melodrama: Mack Hale (George Brent) is a self-made construction engineer with no soft edges working on the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge - no person will get in the way of the construction of this monument. Lynn Palmer (Kay Francis) is a social worker with the Traveler's Aid Society - no monument will get in the way of her helping people. These two knew each other years ago when Lynn was 15 and renew their friendship and romance when Mack comes to the Traveler's Aid looking for one of his ace employees (Robert Barat as Stanislaus Janauschek) who has a bad habit of buying a train ticket back to Chicago to see his wife every time he gets drunk.

After the two begin dating, Mack begins to resent the fact that Lynn is constantly having their dates interrupted by this or that emergency at Traveler's Aid, and tells her that she is wasting her time trying to help people who "had their chance in life and couldn't cut it". Only when Mack is facing being ousted as construction engineer due to a protection racket that is causing trouble among his workers does he suddenly realize that no man is an island and everyone can use some help now and again. Although, like the congressman who suddenly becomes a champion of improving prison conditions after he goes to jail, his transformation seems a bit self-serving.

As in their other films, Kay and George have wonderful chemistry from the moment they are first on screen together. The film does give Kay an excuse for her gorgeous fashions and spacious apartment considering she is a social worker probably getting minor renumeration in exchange for her hard work - She has an independent income and is free to choose how she spends her time.

One of the most humorous scenes in the film is when Lynn is supposed to be on a date with Mack and she has to make "a few stops" first on behalf of her job. The two end up sharing a car with four giggling immigrant brides Lynn must deliver to their grooms and an expectant mother who has been abandoned by her husband that Lynn must take to the maternity hospital, with Mack's impatient comments being hilarious.

This is one of Kay Francis' most likable roles as she deals sympathetically with all of the poor souls tossed about by the Depression, and could have been one of Brent's most unlikeable ones, but like Lynn, the audience realizes underneath all of that bluster is a good person just waiting to get out. I highly recommend this little programmer for fans of films of the 1930's.

Kay Francis works for Traveler's Aid in San Francisco, helping people get to where they are going to, whether they're mail-order brides from overseas, or girls who think they can't go home with the baby from the dead husband her family disapproved of. George Brent is in charge of building the Golden Gate Bridge. Naturally they fall in love, and he wants her to quit her silly job, which she won't, so bye! Meanwhile protection racketeer Barton MacLane wants $5,000 a month, which Brent says no to. So Maclane gets some of his workers drunk, falling off the construction site to become splatters far below, and blaming Brent.

It's got a provenance that includes Frank Wead. That explains the muscular side of things, with men riveting red-hot rivets, and using an oxy-acetylene torch to light their cigarettes. All very phallic. But most of the time it seems like a Public Service Announcement for Traveler's Aid, which is doing good work even as Brent scoffs, and is still doing good work as I do this. Most of the mysticism is missing from this Frank Borzage movie, but what remains is a well-paced movie, with funny and sad vignettes, and a lynching at the end. Too bad the prowl cars pull up as it begins.

STRANDED would be more aptly named THE GOLDEN GATE. There is some fascinating footage of the actual construction of the bridge and it adds to the excitement as the drama unfolds. George Brent is solid as the foreman on the construction job -- trying to keep his men in line and up against gangsters who want pay-off for "protection". George meets Kay Francis who plays with her usual self-assurance and grace as a Traveler's Aid worker.

Francis' role focuses on a compassionate look at the assimilation of foreign brides, assisting "lost" elders and children at the train depot. Her role also shows an understanding for the problems of unwed mothers. Francis' has a natural knack for making it all plausible -- she believes in her work and her role and is wonderful to watch. The surprise ending is a real switch from the usual 1930-60's fare as far as male-female roles are concerned.

Lots of great character actors show up: Ann Shoemaker, Robert Barrett, Frankie Darro, Henry O'Neil, Barton MacLane. Borgaze's direction and Delmer Daves pen add some nice comic touches keeping the drama light.

Ever read George Brent's bio? He fled Ireland with a price on his head. It was reputed that he was a member of the IRA Active Service Unit, though he claimed he was simply a courier for Michael Collins. Dashing background, eh? More than his character here, the foreman of the team building the Golden Gate Bridge (more dashing glamor). But in this humble role, Brent positively shines as a comedic talent. Romancing Kay Francis, and fending off protection racketeers, he flies through the movie with apparent ease, making acting as they say "look easy." The scene when he takes Francis out for a date, and ends up chaperoning around four mail order brides and an unwed mother is hilarious -- his double takes are marvelous. One day, Warner will release this, and a new generation can appreciate George Brent.