RICK'S REAL/REEL LIFE: Michael Rennie

Showing posts with label Michael Rennie. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Lana & Burton Romancing ‘The Rains of Ranchipur’ 1955

"The Rains of Ranchipur." Charismatic Richard Burton & femme fatale Lana Turner
give each other the eye while her husband Michael Rennie seems oblivious...
This scenario seems familiar!

Burton would replay this scenario for real in 1962!

What happens when you mix soap suds with man-made or mother nature’s calamities? The result is Hollywood “disaster” movies, always a movie staple. The genre hit their peak in the 1970s when Irwin Allen set up beloved stars in the most basic scenarios, only to be knocked down like bowling pins.

The Rains of Ranchipur is a ‘50s example, with stars who suffer emotional and physical turmoil. A rich couple travel to India to buy a race horse. The wife is wealthy and does as she pleases, while the husband suffers stoically, and spends her money. At their host’s party, one look at an Indian doctor and the wife gets a fever! Theirs and some supporting characters’ plots plod along until the titled torrents wash some sense right into their brains. If this had been an Irwin Allen flick, a few of the supporting cast would have washed away. While not setting the silver screen ablaze, Lana Turner, Richard Burton, and Fred MacMurray do well enough in their roles in The Rains of Ranchipur. Lana gives an old-style movie star performance, Richard surprisingly underplays, and Fred offers up a veteran star going through his paces.

Michael Rennie's Lord looks on as Lady Lana Turner greets old pal Fred MacMurray.
Eugenie Leontovich looks skeptical as the Maharani in "The Rains of Ranchipur."

While The Rains of Ranchipur has been compared unfavorably to the 1939 version, The Rains Came, the former is no great shakes, either. Both are escapist entertainment done adequately. The original has Myrna Loy, Tyrone Power, and George Brent, at the height of their freshness. And new star Power at least looked exotic as the Indian doctor. The ’39 version made nearly three times as much at the box office as the ’55 version; the latter was only a moderate hit.

Cool poster for a lukewarm movie, 1955's "The Rains of Ranchipur."

There have been quotes attributed to Richard Burton regarding Lana Turner's acting abilities. Well, Turner wasn't Davis or Stanwyck, but she knew how to give a movie star performance when faced with lesser material. So did Joan Crawford and later, Elizabeth Taylor—it must have been in the MGM Handbook! Turner's rich playgirl is pure dime store romance, but she plays the stereotype quite entertainingly. Lana Turner was 34 here. Though Lana’s prematurely past her youthful freshness, it's still nice to see her glamour before it became shellacked in Imitation of Life.

Mid-stardom, Lana Turner is presented ravishingly, 1955's "The Rains of Ranchipur."

Yet in all the promo pics, Lana Turner looks ghostly!

As for Burton, he admitted over the years that he was not the best physical actor and relied much on his great voice. Fair enough. Still, he looks like a soldier standing at attention; sitting, he slumps in a not very leading man-like posture. Of course, the world's most famous Welshman looks absurd in a turban and brown face as Dr. Safti. Yet, Richard is striking to look at in his handsome youth, with blue-green eyes even more piercing with the makeup. It's been noted that as brown-faced Burton has more scenes with golden Lana, his skin tones become lighter. Love is strange, as the song goes! Richard doesn't over-act, as he could later do, but he is very minimal, which might be the right way to play this role, when so unconvincingly cast as another nationality.

Richard Burton's brilliant Hindu doctor also has brilliant blue-green eyes!

Michael Rennie has the unenviable role as cuckold husband Albert to Turner’s adventuress wife. Rennie’s stone face made him perfect as the visitor from outer space, but playing opposite one of the flashiest stars in MGM’s galaxy is a thankless task.

Fred MacMurray as Tom Ransome, a brilliant man who drinks too much in "The Rains of Ranchipur." Fred's expression reminds me of Benedict Cumberbatch here.

Fred MacMurray, as Lana's long-time friend Tom Ransome, is the rich drinking man. Fred's solid, but still on the stodgy side, and a bit on autopilot. His love interest is Joan Caulfield as Fern, who is supposed to be college age, while Fred was in his mid-40s. Joan was actually 33, a year younger than woman of the world Lana! Caulfield aims to go beyond the typical second lead ingénue role and is slightly overbearing. Here, Joan’s perky interactions with world-weary Fred are just a bit too precious.

Eugenie Leontovich has a field day as the willful Maharani, who spars with Lana
Turner's playgirl over Richard Burton's brilliant doc, in "The Rains of Ranchipur."

Russian actress Eugenie Leontovich, who plays Burton's mother-figure as the Maharani, is another light-eyed Indian. And she has a field day overplaying the Indian grande dame, which is saying something, since the role was originally played by Maria Ouspenskaya. Movie fans may recall Leontovich as the wheelchair-bound woman in William Castle’s cult classic, Homicidal.

The characters of "The Rains of Ranchipur" work together during the titled disaster.

As for Lana, though her character has married Michael Rennie's for the title, she's the money bags. So that explains how Lana is a "Lady," but how the heck did a Lana end up playing a character named "Edwina?!" I smiled every time she was addressed as "Lady Edwina."

Lana's Lady Edwina is shocked when Doc Burton's mind wasn't on HER
while tending to the survivors of "The Rains of Ranchipur."

Aside from Burton's disparaging quotes about Lana, Turner has protested perhaps a bit too much that she found Richard unappealing as a man and star. Joan Collins would make the same claims shortly after, with The Sea Wife. As neither woman was particularly discriminating when it came to men, I maintain a healthy skepticism toward their stances. It's amusing that Burton and Turner, two of Hollywood's biggest players, claimed to not get personal off the set. And it’s very amusing that Burton plays a character that has been chaste!

Turner's Lady Edwina redeems herself in a final reel from "The Rains of Ranchipur."

Fox's Travilla did not do Lana Turner’s wardrobe, and Lana brought her MGM style crew with her to Fox, including designer Helen Rose. Perhaps Travilla got his revenge on her later with the gaudy get ups of The Big Cube!

Jean Negulesco directs competently, if not with his usual sophisticated style. The 1950s was flooded with studio remakes of their golden oldies, and The Rains of Ranchipur was a by the numbers rehash. The location shooting was in Pakistan, but did any of the stars actually go there?

The chemistry between Lana & Richard doesn't set the Cinemascope screen on fire,
but they have their moments, in 1955's "The Rains of Ranchipur."

The Rains of Ranchipur is a mildly entertaining movie for some lazy time in your favorite chair, for movie stars and studio style.

After Lana Turner’s comeback in The Bad in the Beautiful, it was back to doing junk like The Rains of Ranchipur. Here’s one of Turner’s best, my take here:

https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-bad-and-beautiful-1952.html

My fave scene: after surviving illness & floods, Lana's first order of business is
putting her makeup back on, in "The Rains of Ranchipur."

Monday, July 13, 2020

‘Island in the Sun’ 1957

Only Dorothy Dandridge & Harry Belafonte rise above the soapy script of 'Island in the Sun.'

Island in the Sun, by British author Alec Waugh, made a huge splash, selling 900,000 copies in 1956. The novel mixed politics, race, and S-E-X. Former 20^th Century Fox head Darryl F. Zanuck, now the studio’s independent producer, envisioned Island as an international picture, with lush locations, torrid romance, and an unflinching look at interracial relations. Well, one out of three ain’t bad!

Darryl F. Zanuck's first independent production missed the mark depicting its subject matter.

The tensions between Island in the Sun’s characters stem from personal and power struggles over race in Santa Marta, a fictional Caribbean island. The Fleury family and their sugar plantation epitomize British power. David Boyeur is a black labor leader who wants to shake up the status quo and fight for the island people. Fleury scion Maxwell, an arrogant ne’er-do-well, decides to run against firebrand David for legislature. A news story reveals that the Fleurys have island blood mixed with their British blue blood. “I wanted to keep things as they were,” the Fleury father laments. This makes Maxwell even more insecure and his sister Jocelyn frets over her chances of marriage to the Governor’s son, Euan. Speaking of the Gov, his aide Denis Archer falls in love with black shop girl, Margot Seaton. Islander David is drawn to Brit aristocrat Mavis Norman. The consequences of all this, with added soap opera twists, causes the cast to drown in the ensuing suds.

'Island in the Sun' made a boatload of money in '57, but wasn't well-liked of by audiences or critics.

Zanuck thought that tough-minded director Robert Rossen was suitable to handle the racial/interracial themes. Either Zanuck or Fox copped out on that aspect. 20^th Century Fox was especially good at the Hollywood shell game, promising scandalous controversy, but delivering mildly salacious soap opera: Peyton Place, The Best of Everything, and Valley of the Dolls are prime examples. The resulting glossy soap opera wasn’t really Rossen’s greatest genre. He made his mark with gritty films, writing A Walk in the Sun, and writing/directing Body and Soul, All the King’s Men, and finally, The Hustler.

Sold as a sexy movie, the couples of Island in the Sun rarely get up close and personal. David and Mavis barely touch each other, Margot and Denis only hug, and Jocelyn (whose racial background is questioned) and Euan first kiss just 30 minutes before Island is over! Despite the pussyfooting around, Island deserves credit for the finale, when David and Mavis break up, and he admits it’s easier for Margot to marry a white man, than for him to be with a white woman.

As close to interracial romance as 'Island in the Sun' got, with a fervent hug from Dorothy!

Still, Island in the Sun received great pre-publicity and became one of the year’s biggest hits. The sun-kissed soap also got the kiss-off by critics, which is why it’s not well-remembered these days. While the look at race and island life is surprisingly direct, interracial romance is handled very demurely, which made Island instantly dated. Still, movies like Island in the Sun took the first baby steps. There have been so few interracial film romances since, which still makes Island a significant footnote in Hollywood history.

Dorothy Dandridge should have been at the peak of a movie career, not dead at 42.

Island in the Sun possessed a great cast of veteran and then up-and-coming stars: James Mason, Joan Fontaine, John Williams, Diana Wynyard, Michael Rennie, Patricia Owen, Stephen Boyd, Joan Collins, John Justin, Harry Belafonte, and Dorothy Dandridge. What really let this solid cast down, aside from the watered-down story, is the soggy script and dialogue.

Dorothy Dandridge's spirit and beauty was a breath of fresh air in 'Island in the Sun.'

Two exceptions are Harry Belafonte and Dorothy Dandridge. Their characters are no better written than the rest, but both have charisma to burn, and Dandridge in particular rises above the stale storytelling.

Dorothy Dandridge’s sweetly beautiful face belies her strong-willed personality. As Margot, she’s a shop girl who wants to better herself—shades of ‘30s Joan Crawford! Then Dorothy falls in love with the governor’s aide, routinely acted by British John Justin. Dandridge has that young Susan Hayward energy, all smart, snappy, and sparkling. Dorothy gets a hug from her white lover, though she demurely dodges a standard screen kiss, per censor cop out. She flies off with him at the movie’s end, just like a decade later, with Sidney Poitier and white fiancée Katherine Houghton in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? They kiss, though shown in a tax rear view mirror!

Harry Belafonte has a strong screen presence as David Fleury, the man of the people.

Harry Belafonte, as David Boyeur, is a naturally commanding presence. That he gets to sing the lovely theme song and a rousing “work” ballad with island fishermen is a bonus. Harry is best as the stubborn island labor leader, who wants to help his people, and is blunt regarding class structures. Belafonte’s David meets Joan Fontaine’s Mavis, a wealthy socialite who is kind but self-admittedly useless. Whatever draws these two to one another is ambiguous, so their romance goes nowhere.

However, Belafonte’s David gets in some pointed racial commentary that still rings true today. His labor leader candidate tells a reporter at a party: “One of the most important fights is against tradition. This island is shackled by tradition.”

After heated exchanges between Boyeur and plantation heir Maxwell Fleury, he tells David that his field hand father was treated well by the Fleurys, even when he was sick. Boyeur retorts, “That was charity, Mr. Fleury. What we want is equality.”

Stephen Boyd & Joan Collins don't kiss until the movie 3/4 over! Not the most sultry 'Island.'

Whereas Harry and Dorothy rise above the script, Joan Collins and Stephen Boyd barely stay afloat. Both are in the prime of their beauty and play their parts smoothly. And that’s the problem; they’re performing like graduates of a Hollywood charm school. For once, Joan wasn’t trying to play an American; here, she’s an English ingénue. Collins was in the middle of her Fox tenure and it was roles like this that buried her. Joan was not able to rise above the lackluster script, like other genuine movie stars. Stars that are born film actors connect with the camera, and are at home in front of the lens. Great stars can usually rise above bad scripts, dialogue, and uninspired directors. Joan Collins never could.

As an actor, Stephen Boyd shows off his best assets.

Stephen Boyd is perfectly pleasant—mostly visually—as the son of the island governor who wants to marry Joan, no matter what her heritage. While relaxed and easygoing, Boyd is a dramatic void on the screen. Stephen Boyd never became a lasting leading man, despite the buildup, because he lacked real depth or charisma. Compare Boyd to Sean Connery, a Scotsman to his Irishman from the same era, and the difference is obvious.

This is about as close to sizzling romance as Joan Fontaine & Harry Belafonte get in 'Island.'

As for Joan Fontaine, what to say? I never thought Fontaine had much range—lots of limpid eyes, the raised eyebrow, and her ubiquitous small smile or smirk. Fontaine could perform well, in an extremely small range, whether as a repressed heroine or smooth villainess. However, her patrician manner is utilized well here and Fontaine seems fond, if not wild about Harry. A still-telling scene is when Mavis and David buy local children sodas and a white mother makes her little girl give the soda back. Of the racism, Fontaine’s Mavis says, “The children don’t seem to know about that, do they?” David responds pointedly, “Not yet.”

The only overt sex scene in 'Island' is when James Mason's Maxwell commits husbandly rape.

As Maxwell Fleury, James Mason has a field day as the drunken son from a wealthy family, much like Robert Stack’s character in Written on the Wind: Self-loathing, ineffectual, and abusive. Maxwell is the personification of white privilege, especially when things don’t go his way. When he announces to his parents that he plans to run for office against David Fleury, they are rightly not impressed. Maxwell has a hissy fit, capped with, “I’d been better off if I had been born black!” This is rejoined by a slap from his mother and his father offering him a drink. Talk about a dysfunctional dynasty.

Mason’s Maxwell is a drag in other ways, too. His fatal assault and subsequent guilt trip hijacks Island in the Sun from its more topical issues. Michael Rennie’s Hilary Carson comes to an abrupt end. Rennie, a solid actor, barely has time to introduce his character, when Maxwell causes his demise.

Joan Collins & James Mason play rich kids in 'Island,' despite a quarter of a century age difference!

This was veteran British actress Diana Wynard’s last film, and is used mostly for her class, as the wealthy Fleury matriarch with a few secrets. John Williams is on duty again as an inspector, out to solve the murder of Hilary. Patricia Owen is sympathetic as Mason’s extremely put-upon wife, Sylvia.

The location cinematography— in Grenada, Barbados, and Trinidad—by Freddie Young, is superb. Young made his name in Great Britain, then in the U.S. at MGM, and finally, Freddie freelanced to great acclaim, especially as David Lean’s favorite cinematographer. As a travelogue, Island is lovely, and the few romantic scenes are artfully framed.

Island in the Sun deserves credit for stating the unfair economic, political, and social system in the Caribbean. The film gets applause for Belafonte and Dandridge getting to play strong characters, without stereotype or condescension. Island is worth watching on several levels, but the film sadly missed an opportunity to portray interracial romance with any real honesty or passion.

Things were apparently more lively off-camera than on, regarding 'Island in the Sun!'

FYI: I put all the movie overflow on my public FB movie page.

Check it out & join! https://www.facebook.com/groups/178488909366865/

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Dire Message of ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’ 1951

Stop your world, I want to get off! Michael Rennie as alien visitor Klaatu.

What if an unexpected event changed your daily life? Imagine living with a constant sense of dread, as fear and hysteria take everyone over. What happens next, when your world comes to a complete halt?

No, I am not writing about the unrest of today's world, caused by the Coronavirus, the economic fallout, and escalating racial protests. I'm talking about the still-timely message of The Day the Earth Stood Still, released nearly 70 years ago. Director Robert Wise uses the sci-fi "visitor from another planet" plot to symbolize the USA's collective fears in the '50s. When this Hollywood sci-fi classic was released, the United States had led a victory in WWII, but was already embarking on The Korean War, engaged in a Cold War with Russia, and the threat of atomic war between super powers promoted paranoia for more than a decade. All of this was the dark flip side to the sunny “Fab Fifties.”

'The Day the Earth Stood Still' still stands the test of time, since its 1951 release.

I watched The Day the Earth Stood Still over Mother's Day weekend with Mom, who was a child of the '50s, and she still enjoyed the film. Given what was going on with the Coronavirus pandemic, especially some of our fellow Michiganders fear and anger over staying-in-place, certain dialogue jumped out at us. Watching Day a second time to review, at the end of May, the story seems scarier than ever... and not from space aliens, but from our own people’s primal fears about one another, and how we act upon them.

Klaatu takes a bullet twice during his short stay in Washington, D.C. Rennie w/ Patricia Neal.

The Day the Earth Stood Still begins when Klaatu, representing an interplanetary league, arrives in a space ship, upon the Washington Mall. People whip themselves into a frenzy of speculation and the U.S. Army swiftly surrounds the ship. Despite Klaatu’s greeting that he comes in peace, when he reaches into his uniform for a gift to the President, a trigger-happy soldier shoots him—some things never change! Luckily, it’s not serious and Klaatu brings along an instant-healing salve that would sell like hotcakes on TV infomercials. Klaatu’s request to seek an audience with all of the world’s leaders is met with rejection—again, what a surprise. The alien visitor then decides to go incognito amongst the American people to see what makes humans tick, in less than 24 hours. Good luck with that. Klaatu takes the name Carpenter, from a dry cleaning bill on a suit he snags, and checks in at a boarding house. There, he befriends a war widow mother and her little boy, and also seeks out a genius professor for help. Meanwhile, the government is on the lookout for Klaatu, with the aid of the Army. This public’s fears are further stoked, and the Army finally gets their man, fatally shooting him. Luckily, Klaatu brought along a giant robot for the ride, which the widow memorably activates with three little words. Gort the ‘bot brings Klaatu back to the ship, where he is brought back to life, and goes back out to deliver his interplanetary ultimatum to the earthlings.

Klaatu: “I am fearful when I see people substituting fear for reason.”

Robert Wise came up through thrifty RKO studio, and won his first Oscar nomination for editing Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane, where he observed Orson’s cinematic sleight of hand to suggest great wealth. In the fledgling director’s first movies, like Curse of the Cat People and The Body Snatchers, Wise further learned how cinematography, soundtrack, and atmosphere could heighten suspense. And these skills came in handy later, with Wise’s subtle The Haunting.

Professor Barnhardt: “It isn't faith that makes good science, Mr. Klaatu, it's curiosity.”

At just over 90 minutes, there's hardly a wasted moment in The Day the Earth Stood Still. The simple (but not simplistic) story, Wise’s subtle direction, Leo Tover’s noir-ish cinematography, mesmerizing score by Bernard Herrmann, thoughtful dialogue by Edmund H. North, and an excellent cast, all elevate this beyond the sci-fi flick genre. While The Day the Earth Stood Still is interesting as a snapshot of '50s life, the bigger picture of the movie's message still holds true. The Washington, D.C. location footage gives the film a strong sense of place—the Arlington Cemetery, Washington Mall, and Lincoln Memorial—all very much on our minds—what with Memorial Day, the recent death toll in this country, and the Lincoln Memorial and Donald Trump recent sharing camera time together.

Klaatu: "Did all those people die in wars?" Bobby: "Most of 'em. Didn't you ever hear of the Arlington Cemetery?"
Klaatu: "No, I'm afraid not."

Originally, Spencer Tracy and Claude Rains were considered to play Klaatu. Great actors both, but visualizing stocky Spencer or shorty Rains in a space suit is a giggle. The film’s producer suggested a newcomer, Michael Rennie—good call. Rennie's imposing physical presence is a huge plus, with his 6'4" height, striking, chiseled face, and lean appearance. Robert Wise’s wise advice to the British actor was to play Klaatu with dignity, not superiority. Rennie plays the role with great subtlety, in an era that often wasn't the case, another reason this movie remains compelling, not campy.

Klaatu: "I'm impatient with stupidity. My people have learned to live without it."

Patricia Neal is widowed mother Helen Benson, who is drawn to Klaatu’s calm voice of reason. Neal is a great contrast to Rennie's cool demeanor. During a period when Patricia often overplayed, Neal is intense as usual, especially with her fervid, darting eyes. Yet, she is restrained as the mother, whose world is shaken by alien visitors, with fear for her son, and later, disappointment in her fiancee.

Those three little words that Gort needs to hear!

Here's my look at another sci fi classic with an underlying political message, 1956's Invasion of the Body Snatchers:

https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2020/11/invasion-of-body-snatchers-1956.html

The supporting cast is strong, in their archetypal roles: Sam Jaffe, born to play the Einstein-esque Professor Barnhardt, with his wild hair and wide eyes; Hugh Marlowe's nice guy persona gets a nice twist as Helen’s opportunistic beau, Tom Stevens; Billy Gray of Father Knows Best is Bobby, the personification of the nice '50s kid; and there’s many other familiar faces. Look for Frances Bavier, doing a dress rehearsal for her beloved Aunt Bea. Lock Martin, at nearly 7 feet tall, had the thankless task of donning the Gort robot suit. And several real-life correspondents, such as Drew Pearson, bring authenticity to this tale.

Klaatu (Michael Rennie) gets a tour of Washington, D.C. by Billy Gray's Bobby.

You can take The Day the Earth Stood Still at face value film entertainment or view the movie’s message through today’s eyes. Either way, it's a great Day. I’ll give Klaatu the final word, with his parting shot to planet Earth:

“I am leaving soon, and you will forgive me if I speak bluntly. The universe grows smaller every day, and the threat of aggression by any group, anywhere, can no longer be tolerated. There must be security for all or no one is secure. Now, this does not mean giving up any freedom except the freedom to act irresponsibly. Your ancestors knew this when they made laws to govern themselves and hired policemen to enforce them. We of the other planets have long accepted this principle. We have an organization for the mutual protection of all planets and for the complete elimination of aggression. The test of any such higher authority is, of course, the police force that supports it. For our policemen, we created a race of robots. Their function is to patrol the planets—in space ships like this one—and preserve the peace. In matters of aggression, we have given them absolute power over us; this power cannot be revoked. At the first sign of violence, they act automatically against the aggressor. The penalty for provoking their action is too terrible to risk. The result is that we live in peace, without arms or armies, secure in the knowledge that we are free from aggression and war—free to pursue more profitable enterprises. Now, we do not pretend to have achieved perfection, but we do have a system, and it works. I came here to give you these facts. It is no concern of ours how you run your own planet. But if you threaten to extend your violence, this Earth of yours will be reduced to a burned-out cinder. Your choice is simple: Join us and live in peace, or pursue your present course and face obliteration. We shall be waiting for your answer; the decision rests with you.”

Klaatu and Gort leave Earth with a message to ponder.

FYI: I put all the movie overflow on my public FB movie page.

Check it out & join! https://www.facebook.com/groups/178488909366865/