Grand Hotel Beat Sheet

Grand Hotel Movie Poster

Here is my attempt at the Beat Sheet for Grand Hotel (1932). If you would like more information about beat sheets and the 15 beats every great movies shares, check out this page. 

First, before beginning this beat sheet, I decided that there really wasn't one character whose story is being told. With this in mind, I decided that the protagonist for the story, at least in my mind, is the Grand Hotel itself. I used this throughout this Beat Sheet

Opening Image – The film opens in a busy switchboard room at the Grand Hotel. The operators are busily connecting calls. 

Set-up – The filmmakers ingeniously introduce the various characters by having them talk on the phone. The camera switches from one to the next so we see all their major issues. One wants a business deal, one plans to steal something, one's wife is pregnant, one is dying and spending his days enjoying himself, and the last person is the maid to the famous ballet dancer, Grusinskaya, who is afraid her mistress will not perform.

Theme Stated  – Nothing ever happens here. This makes no sense when looking at the stories themselves. However, if you think of the hotel as the protagonist, then nothing really does change. People come and people go but it remains the same. 

Catalyst – This was a tough one for me. Each individual story had its own catalyst. For example, the Baron needed to pay a debt which was the catalyst for him to plan and steal Grusinskaya's pearls. However, the catalyst in terms of the movie was simply that everyone was coming to stay at the same hotel. 

Debate – If the catalyst of the movie was everyone coming to stay at the hotel, the debate section involved each of the individual characters dealing with their specific problems. 

Break Into Two  – Act Two is usually the 'upside down' world - where the protagonist is thrown into something it is not used to. In this story, the individual characters each have their own 'funworld' versions of reality. I believe that Act Two begins when we understand the backstories for each character and what it is they want. 

B Story – There are a number of love stories, however I think the true B Story is the love of the Baron for  Otto Kringelein. He can't steal from him, and he ensures that Flaemmchen, the stenographer, is there for Otto too.  

Fun and Games –  The Baron is planning his theft but also planning to date Flaemmchen. He helps Otto learn how to enjoy himself. Flaemmchen begins working for General Director Preysing. Basically, we are learning more about each of the characters and watching how they interact. 

Midpoint - To me, the midpoint comes when the Baron decides not to steal from Grusinskaya and instead falls in love with her. They quickly pair up. This is definitely a false victory. 

Bad Guys Close In – The Baron needs to get money to pay a debt. He has refused money from Grusinskaya and resists the temptation to steal from Otto. 

All is Lost – The Baron decides to steal from Preysing. However, he gets caught and Preysing kills him. 

Dark Night of the Soul – Everyone including the hotel staff is upset about the death of the Baron. 

Break Into Three – Flaemmchen and Otto decide to join together and travel to Paris together in the hopes of finding a cure for Otto. 

Finale – Grusinskaya leaves the hotel, still thinking that the Baron will come to meet her at the train station. Flaemmchen and Otto leave for Paris. Preysing is arrested. Only the Doctor who seems to live at the hotel remains and states as he did at the beginning that people might come and go but nothing happens at the Grand Hotel. 

Final Image – We draw back from the revolving door of the hotel to see a conveyance bearing the title Grand Hotel pulls up with new arrivals.

5. Grand Hotel

Grand Hotel Movie Poster

And so we turn to Grand Hotel. Ensemble movies like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Love Actually can trace their roots to this movie which was based on a play of the same name that based on a novel written  by Vicki Baum. This is the first film on the list that relied on characterization more than setting or events happening to the main characters. The actors in Grand Hotel truly stepped up to the plate, and watching it was like watching a virtual who's who of old Hollywood: Greta Garbo, Joan Collins, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore. These are all names that have lived through the years. Another name that I have heard over the years watching the Academy Awards is Jean Hersholt. The humanitarian award named after him is periodically given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to humanitarian causes. In this movie, he played the porter who's wife is in the hospital about to have a baby.

John Barrymore and Greta Garbo in Grand Hotel

Both Barrymore's played quite interesting roles. John was the main love interest of both leading ladies as the 'Baron' who is planning to steal from Garbo to pay off a debt he owes. Lionel played the dying working man who has decided to finally live life to the fullest. As he says, "For the first time in my life, I tasted life." I really enjoyed both their performances. It was hard to believe that the Lionel would someday play 'Old Man Potter' in It's a Wonderful Life.

Joan Crawford and John Barrymore in Grand Hotel

I have read that when they filmed the movie, they never wanted to have Garbo and Crawford in the same scene together because they'd be afraid they would overshadow each other. I could definitely see why after watching the film. While both played their roles well - Garbo as the long-suffering dancer and Crawford as the young stenographer trying to make her way in the world - I enjoyed Crawford's character more. Garbo utters her famous line, "I want to be alone," near the beginning of the film. She plays a diva with such gusto. But Crawford has a comic glint to her eye that brings humor to every scene she graces. Her lightness of touch is refreshing after all the overacting of the previous films. She and John Barrymore are closer to modern day actors than most of the others in the film. It's crazy to think that she is the same woman as portrayed in Mommy Dearest. I guess some people just aren't cut out to be parents.

SPOILERS AHEAD

The film starts and ends with the same sentiment stated by Dr. Otternschlag: "Grand Hotel . . . always the same. People come, people go. Nothing every happens." And then the movie goes on to prove otherwise. Yet at the same time, there is something unchanging about a hotel. While little dramas are occurring all around, these do not change the essence of the place.

One interesting thing that I found about the film was that it was able to combine a number of different elements into one cohesive plot. There was a thief, an unscrupulous businessman, an attempt at adultery, a love affair, a dying man, a drunkard doctor, and a murder, and all the stories worked.

The method for introducing the wide range of characters was quite unique: each was making a telephone call explaining their situation. From that point, the plot moved easily from humor to drama, from love to lust, from love of life to death by murder. There is much for a writer to learn from this early example, and I finished the movie feeling as if I had left a master class on ensemble films.


After only five films, I have to say that I am already seeing how films have begun to evolve and how they relate to the films of today. Blake Snyder says that when any good screenwriter in Hollywood decides to sit down and write a film, he goes back and watches the films in that genre to see how it was done before. So many scenes from later movies can be traced directly back to these early films.

Cimarron Beat Sheet

Cimarron Movie Poster

Here is my attempt at the Beat Sheet for Cimarron (1931). If you would like more information about beat sheets and the 15 beats every great movies shares, check out this page. 

Opening Image – The film opens with the Oklahoma Land Run in 1889. The wagons, horses, and pioneers are waiting at the starting line until noon for the run to begin. 

Set-up – Yancey Cravat is beaten to his land by Dixie Lee, a lady of ill repute. He then travels back to his family and his in-laws in Wichita, Kansas to tell them about the Land Run.

Theme Stated  – According to the Blake Snyder, someone typically states the 'theme' to the protagonist around the fifth minute of the movie.  I believe in this case, the theme was stated by Yancey that Oklahoma is a miracle and a land of opportunity. However, it will be seen that the opportunity is for Sabra to grow into an independent woman. 

Catalyst – Yancey has decided that he wants to move to Oklahoma and be part of the town of Osage which has popped up overnight. His wife, Sabra, agrees to move with him. 

Debate – Sabra's mother is opposed to her moving to Oklahoma, just like she was opposed to her marrying Yancey. She tries to talk her out of moving. 

Break Into Two  – They arrive at the town of Osage and see what a frontier town complete with outlaws is really like. 

B Story – The love story is between Sabra and Yancey. 

Fun and Games – The two of them set up a home, and Yancey establishes a newspaper called the Oklahoma Wigwam. He is seen as a leading citizen and gives the first sermon at a makeshift church, during which he kills the leader of a gang who is wreaking havoc on the town. He later kills "The Kid" who has planned on robbing the bank. Sabra has a baby girl. Yancey decides to leave his wife in 1893 when a second Land Run is going to happen. Sabra does not want to leave the life they are building in Osage. She stays behind and runs the paper in his name.   He returns in 1897.

Midpoint – By 1907, Yancey has risen in stature and is running for governor of Oklahoma. Things look great for the pair. This is a false victory. 

Bad Guys Close In – Man approaches Yancey and asks him to compromise his values and help seize oil that has been found on the Osage Reservation. 

All is Lost – Yancey decides to throw away his chances to be governor by printing a piece in the paper supporting Indian citizenship. He then leaves his wife for a second time. 

Dark Night of the Soul – Sabra is left alone once again. This part of the movie is lacking as it does not show her struggles at all - almost like they don't exist. 

Break Into Three – Sabra has to make things work on her own. Sadly, this part of the movie is also missing and we move forward in time. 

Finale – Sabra has grown in independence and stature until she is elected to Congress. When visiting an oil refinery with other dignateries, a disaster is averted when Yancey sacrifices himself. She is able to talk with him before his death. 

Final Image – A statue modeled on Yancey is revealed celebrating the pioneer spirit of Oklahoma. 

4. Cimarron

Cimarron Movie Poster

I love old westerns. They bring back memories of childhood, watching John Wayne with my Daddy. That's why when I saw that #4 on the list was a western, I got really excited. What I found was that while this western wasn't exactly what I expected, it was fascinating in many ways.

Cimarron takes place in the early days of the Oklahoma Land Run in 1889. The tale starts on the morning of the Land Run, and the scene that ensues once it begins is utter chaos as wagons laden with people and men and women on horseback ride off to find their perfect claim. There's even a man on a bicycle in the run. It was amazing to me to watch this scene, and I wonder how many people and animals got hurt in its filming.

SPOILERS AHEAD

The tale centers around a pioneering newspaper editor named Yancey Cravat who moves to Oklahoma with his wife and son to be part of the excitement. He likens the results of the land run to the miracle of creation. They are joined by a stowaway, Isaiah, an African-American boy who has escaped the harsh realities of life as a servant in Wichita, Kansas.

Irene Dunn as Sabra and Richard Dix as Yancey Cravat
 in Cimarron

Yancey is an enigmatic figure. He is well known throughout the state and the territory. He was once a lawyer before becoming a newspaper editor. And he has a unique way at looking at the world. He truly believes in treating those around him with complete and utter respect. Where others look down on the Cherokee and treat them with disdain, he understands their plight and sympathizes with them. Along with the Indians, he also stands up for a Jewish man and a woman of ill repute. Further, he's an excellent shot and one of the first actions he does when he moves to town is to kill the leader of a gang. Ironically, this takes place in the middle of a sermon he's been asked to give since there is no preacher in town. The realities of the wild west! When he kills the outlaw called 'The Kid', he turns down the idea of a reward. He knew 'The Kid' before he had turned bad and felt that circumstances had led him to a life of crime. He felt bad for killing him but knew that he had to protect his family and community.

All of the above makes Yancey seem truly heroic. However, there was a huge chink in his armor: as the Allman Brothers would sing many years later, he was born a ramblin' man. He told his wife that the longest he'd ever been in a place was five years and it felt like a jail sentence. Once they were established in Osage, Oklahoma, Yancey decided to leave his wife Sabra with a son and a baby daughter in 1893.

Irene Dunne in Cimarron

To me, this is when I realized that the story was really not about Yancey, but instead about Sabra. She takes over the paper and makes it flourish. She still is true to him and leaves his name on it as editor. She knows he'll return. And he does in 1898 after serving in the Spanish American War.


Things look good again. Time flies and in 1907, he's running to be governor. Oil has been discovered on the Osage Reservation. When a city elder tries to get him involved in a scheme to take the oil from them, he is disgusted and chooses to write an editorial about the plight of the Indians. In this, he calls for them to get complete citizenship in the United States. His wife begs him not to do it because she knows it will ruin his chances in the election, but he says he must. Then he leaves her again.

Statue at the end of Cimarron

We jump forward to 1929 and see Sabra has modernized the paper, and it is thriving under her. She still believes in Yancey and has kept his name as the editor. Then by 1930, we see that she has been elected to Congress. She goes to visit an oil well with visiting dignitaries when an explosion is averted by a man who has sacrificed himself to save the rest. It is Yancey. His last words to her are: "Wife and Mother. Stainless woman. Hide me. Hide me in your love." At the same time, a statue is being unveiled to the pioneer spirit. When the cloth is ripped off, it looks exactly like Yancey and a woman is crouching behind him.

Okay, so I finished the movie and was confused. Was Yancey a hero or not? While the movie portrayed him as larger than life throughout and his wife never truly complained or got angry with him for his leaving, I felt cold at the end. I knew the story was originally written by a woman, Edna Ferber. So I decided to do a little research. What I found made the entire story make sense to me: Cimarron is a satire. Here, the backbone of building the community was this strong woman, Sabra. In the book version of the story, Sabra is shown as being even more self reliant. She only found her own power because Yancey left her, becoming a feminist in the process. Plus, she understood the importance of women to 'civilizing' the territory. Without Sabra and women like her, the author implies, the territory would never have truly been tamed. The irony comes to full fruition at the end of the movie when the statue is revealed to not be a woman but a man, Yancey, portrayed as the protector of the weak and the true pioneer.

The movie was adapted from the book by screenwriter Howard Estabrook. His treatment of the story left out the irony and left a much weaker story for it, in my opinion. Nonetheless, I marvel at the scope of the movie for the time it was created. It cost more than $1.5 million dollars to create, extraordinarily expensive for the time. The Land Grab scene included more than 5,000 extras. It is one of only two films to receive Academy Award nominations in every category. (The other was Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?)

Other thoughts:

1. I was amazed at the job the filmmakers did at showing how Osage developed from its earliest days where lawyers were working out of tents to settle land disputes to 1929 where it is a thriving metropolis. Each new year brought new buildings and modes of transportation. Further, the characters changed with the times. Really well done.
2. The filmmaker heavily relied on title cards to move from period to period. While some of this was fine, the ones that were full of exposition hearkened back to the days of silent pictures and seemed overly intrusive to the story. 
3. The evolution of Sabra from a bigot to an independent and tolerant woman was fascinating to watch. 

I will be putting up the Beat Sheet for this one soon. 

All Quiet on the Western Front Beat Sheet

All Quiet on the Western Front

Here is my attempt at the Beat Sheet for All Quiet on the Western Front (1930). If you would like more information about beat sheets and the 15 beats every great movies shares, check out this page. 

Opening Image – The film opens with title cards describing the war. Then we see a woman washing the floor and a man opens a window on a scene of soldiers marching through the town to songs and cheers. 

Set-up – The war has begun and young men are enlisting everywhere. A teacher calls on his students to enlist, inspiring them to take up arms in defense of the 'fatherland'. When the teacher turns to the student's 'leader' Paul, he says that he will enlist and the others join suit. 

Theme Stated  – According to the Blake Snyder, someone states the 'theme' to the protagonist around the fifth minute of the movie.  However, I believe that the theme of this movie is the final title card before the movie begins which states, "It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped its shells, were destroyed by the war." 

Catalyst – Teacher talks them all into enlisting. 

Debate – Typically, there is some debate before the protagonist begins his journey in the main part of the film. However, once the young men decide, the next scene is in the training camp. This is the beginning of their understanding that life is going to be different. The question, however, in this part is about surviving these changes. 

Break Into Two  – The soldiers are sent to the upside-down world of the Front. 

B Story – The love story is between Paul and Katczinski who acts as his mentor and friend throughout the story. 

Fun and Games – The men learn about what war is really like. They experience the trenches and no man's land. 

Midpoint – Paul's friend Franz has died and Paul is losing his positive attitude. According to him, he never truly understood what death was about, and he never valued his own life so much as before. 

Bad Guys Close In – Fighting gets worse. Paul gets caught in the foxhole where he kills a Frenchman with a knife. He is later wounded and sent to a hospital. He is then sent home. 

All is Lost – Once Paul gets sent home, he realizes that the people there are clueless to the realities of war.

Dark Night of the Soul – Paul doesn't really fit in. He decides to tell the young students in his old school what war is really like to his teacher's chagrin. 

Break Into Three – Paul realizes he must return to the front. 

Finale – He goes back to the front to find Katczinski. Once he finds him, they reconnect. However, Katczinski is killed. Then as Paul reaches for a butterfly, he is shot by a sniper. 

Final Image – The young men are shown marching, just like in the beginning, but this time against the backdrop of a field of soldier's gravestones. 

3. All Quiet on the Western Front

Movie Poster for All Quiet
on the Western Front

This is the first movie on the list that I have seen before. In high school, we read the book and watched the movie. I found that watching it as an adult, now that I have taught over a thousand students and have children of my own, has brought new and deeper to me.

The movie is a realistic look at war. In that way it is related to so many modern war movies like Full Metal Jacket, Platoon, and Saving Private Ryan. In fact, I had forgotten how realistic and disturbing the battle scenes were in the movie. In fact, 68 years later people would be talking about how realistic and bloody Saving Private Ryan was in its opening scene. However, All Quiet on the Western Front did it first. The first time that the newly trained unit moves up to the front and experiences life in the trenches with the enemy rushing towards them through 'No Man's Land', Paul, the protagonist, watches as a man who has grasped the barbed wire near him is hit by a bomb. When the smoke clears, only two hands cut off at the wrist are still grasping the wire. Jarring, disturbing, and created in 1930.

The fact that the story from the German point of view makes it even more moving for me. Typically, we 'root' for the protagonists not only because they are the focus of the story, but also in war movies because we are from the same culture, the same background. However, the point of the movie is exactly that: it doesn't matter whose side the fighters are on, the men at the front are all the same. While some might have a bit of a clue about why they are fighting, they didn't start the war. However, many of them will die. It begs the question, why?

While I'm not a pacifist, I do believe in war for a purpose. When I look at past wars, World War I is one that stands out as so stupid. Countries were pulled in based on their previous agreements without having been directly attacked or even threatened with attack. I guess, for me, it is much easier to understand a war like World War II where the men and women were fighting a true evil. However, just having this train of thought makes me feel somewhat like the old men in All Quiet who sit around and comment on the war without having actually been on the front lines.

Compared with the previous two winners, All Quiet on the Western Front was so much better. The actors were believable, the emotions were real, the movie had a good mix for small laughs with large tragedies, the filming was a step up from just two years previous, and the sound problems seem to mostly have been worked out.

SPOILER ALERT

Boys in a Fervor After They've Decided to Enlist in
All Quiet on the Western Front

All Quiet on the Western Front starts in a classroom, quite a statement about education and youth. An old professor who probably never saw the hint of a gun stirs up his youthful students to join en masse - for the Fatherland. It is SO IMPORTANT to remember the effect we teachers have on our students. The students led by Paul Baumer, the groups unofficial leader, leave the classroom with visions of heroism. But these ideas start to be stripped away on the first day of training.

Local postman Corporal Himmelstoss is in charge of their platoon. And he is merciless and cruel. Case in point: when his higher ups tell him to give the men leave until midnight the day before they move to the front, he causes them to miss it. He is not dissimilar from the Drill Sergeant in Full Metal Jacket.

When the group gets to the front, the reality of war sets in quickly. There is no food. They stay in burnt out buildings, finding places to sleep where they can. Luckily they have Stanislaus Katczinski who takes on the role of the mentor and father figure for the soldiers. Over the course of the movie, he and Paul grow incredibly close.

When the men move to the trenches, the constant bombardment leads many to go crazy. Once the bombardment stops, the soldiers rush out and wait for the attackers to run across No Man's Land. This is when things really get brutal. The opposing forces overrun the trench and bayonets and fists fly. Death surrounds the men.

Over the course of the movie, the soldiers have brief respites between intense battles. At one point, only 80 out of 150 come back. As the men get to rest and eat double rations, the famous scene of the movie occurs where they discuss how the war started and how they really don't have anything against the men they are fighting and killing. Paul and two of his buddies also get to spend one night with some French women.

Paul With French Soldier in a Foxhole
All Quiet on the Western Front

At one point, Paul has sheltered in a foxhole when a French soldier jumps in. Paul knifes him, but he doesn't die immediately. Over the course of the long bombardment, Paul alternates between anger at the man and regret for having hurt and eventually killed him.

When Paul gets wounded, he gets sent home on leave. He finds that things have changed from his perspective. The people don't have any understanding of what he has gone through and  he feels little connection to his old life. When his old teacher asks him to help him inspire his new class of students to join up and fight in the war, Paul can't say much more than that war means death. In the end, Paul realizes that he feels more at home on the battlefield with Kat than back at home.

He returns to the front and immediately reconnects with Kat who is out looking for food. However,on the way back to the rest of the men, Kat is killed. Paul has lost his only true friend. The movie closes soon after when he reaches for a butterfly and gets shot by a sniper. All noises cease - all is quiet. Finally, we see images of the young soldiers marching superimposed over an immense soldier's graveyard.

Closing Images of All Quiet on the Western Front

I will be posting my attempt at the Beat Sheet for this later today. Stay Tuned.

Broadway Melody Beat Sheet

The Broadway Melody

Here is my attempt at the Beat Sheet for Broadway Melody (1929). If you would like more information about beat sheets and the 15 beats every great movies shares, check out this page. 

Opening Image – The film starts by panning across New York City from above before settling in a loud, cacophonous music studio where many acts are practicing until finally the male star, Eddie, sings his newest hit that's been picked up by the famed theater producer, Francis Zanfield. 
Set-up – Eddie is saving the song for a sister act that's coming into town: the Mahoney Sisters. He's planning on marrying the older one, Hank. However, he immediately falls in love with the younger sister, Queenie. 

Theme Stated  – The sisters are looking over New York and the younger sister says she's scared about playing New York. Her sister says, "Back to those opera houses and town halls, those cheap hotels... just to save money enough to get to New York to show our act." To me, the theme is the drive to make it on Broadway. 

Catalyst – Eddie promises to get them a role in the Broadway Melody revue with Zanfield. 

Debate – The girls try out but Zanfield only wants one of them. Queenie talks him into taking them both on one person's salary. 

Break Into Two  – They have made it into the show and they are in the upside world of Broadway where fame is fleeting. 

B Story – The love story is one between the two sisters. Queenie shows her love for Hank when she gets Zanfield to make Hank think he wanted them both. 

Fun and Games – Queenie and Hank perform and get to be in the show. 

Midpoint – Everything is going okay. Then Eddie makes a pass at Queenie, and she moves to protect Hank by deciding to get involved with Jacques Warriner who wants to set her up in an apartment. 

Bad Guys Close In – Queenie starts spending more time with Jacques and her personality changes. Hank is distraught by this and doesn't understand why her sister would do that. 

All is Lost – Queenie leaves to take up residence in the apartment provided her by Jacques which of course means that there is no turning back. At the same time, Hank realizes that Eddie really loves Queenie and not her. Hank is devastated as she sends Eddie after her sister. 

Dark Night of the Soul – Hank sobs over what has happened with her sister. 

Break Into Three – Hank decides to call her uncle and get him to set her up with a new partner. 

Finale – Queenie and Eddie have gotten married. Hank has a new partner and is heading to Peoria where they've been booked on an extended engagement. 

Final Image – Hank is in a taxi headed towards the train station with her new partner. She says I'll have you back on Broadway and in the Palace in less than six months. "It's cream in the can, baby." But the viewer is not sure that Hank believes it. The camera rests on a New York street scene.

2. Broadway Melody of 1929

Broadway Melody of 1929

Let me preface today's movie by saying that I 'heart' musicals. I truly do. My best friends and I once stayed up all night watching Singin' in the Rain over and over again. I always loved the show That's Entertainment because it showed the best musical numbers from all musicals. I never have had a problem with the way that the actors just slip right into song. Even today I can't turn down a good musical like Bride and Prejudice which I thoroughly enjoyed.

With that said, I looked forward to watching Broadway Melody of 1929 despite the terrible reviews I had heard over the years. It is considered the precursor of the musicals that I love. After finishing it I can definitively say two things:

1. I'm glad I watched it.
2. I never want to watch it again. 

Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse in
Singin' in the Rain

I think that anyone who loves Singin' in the Rain will gain a greater appreciation of that movie by watching this one. For one thing, a number of the songs are included in the movie: "Broadway Melody," "You Were Meant for Me," and "Wedding of the Painted Doll." Seeing them in their original context helped me realize what a tongue-in-cheek tribute Singin' was to the old musicals. However, after hearing "Broadway Melody" 5 TIMES in an hour and a half movie, I have no real interest in watching that particular scene from Singin' for quite awhile. (I'd just skip through the dream sequence until we get to the enchanting dance sequence with Cyd Charisse!)

Anita Page (left) and Bessie Love in Broadway Melody.

In addition, the main beauty of the show played by Anita Page was a cross between Lina Lamont (the high pitched meanie in Singin') and Tony Curtis as a 'dame' in Some Like It Hot. She was supposed to be the love interest of a 'sugar daddy' and the main star of the show. However, while not ugly she wasn't to my eyes a stand out. She wasn't the best dancer. She was kind of horsy with terrible posture. And she had the worst nasally, lower East side accent around. I was wondering if the writers of Singin' weren't using her as their model for a woman who was better in silent films but couldn't make the transition to the talkies because of her accent. That was until I read about her life. At the height of her popularity she was the second most popular star in Hollywood behind Greta Garbo. Benito Mussolini sent her multiple marriage proposals. She 'retired' from movies at the age of 23. However, she revealed that in 2004 she was pushed out because she wouldn't sleep with Irving Thalberg.

SPOILER ALERT.

Broadway Melody was about two sisters, Hank and Queenie, who had a sister act which travelled around the country performing. The older sister, Hank, always protected her sister. The male star of the show, Eddie, played by Charles King, was in love from Hank from their youth, never having paid attention to her 'kid sister' Queenie. That is until he met her again in New York City where the sisters travelled to 'make it' on Broadway. When he saw that she was all grown up, he immediately fell in love with her. Of course, he still kisses Hank and has no compunction with leaving her embrace to then turn to Queenie and express his love for her. He even says he wrote 'You Were Meant for Me' for her. Queenie, too, is in love with Eddie. But Queenie is a good and devoted sister. Instead of hurting Hank, she rebuffs Eddie and turns to sugar daddy Jacques Warriner. Even though her sister warns her he's after only one thing, she blithely accepts gifts and an apartment. But when Jacque tries to make an advance on her, she acts as if she had no clue what was coming. Hank realizes Eddie loves Queenie and sends him in to save her sister. He charges in and gets punched and thrown out, but not before saving her. They go on to get married. Her sister finds a new partner and goes back on the road, leaving Broadway behind. But it's not a happy ending. She's sad as she leaves for Peoria, vowing she will return to Broadway. And that's the end!

My Thoughts:

1. As I tried to figure out the structure of this movie, I realized that Blake Snyder was right. There were serious gaps in the structure of the story. I never felt that the writers could decide whose story was being told. Over time, it became apparent that Hank was the real protagonist, but the message is quite a sad one. In fact, their Uncle sums it up when he says:
   
   "Troopers are all tramps. Here today and gone tomorrow. No love and no nothing. Hank you're just a born trooper."
   
   But I didn't feel that Hank was that. She wanted to settle down, but she wanted to make sure that Queenie was taken care of. She lost the man and the dream of Broadway. She ends sad as she leaves it behind with a new partner who is rude and brash.
2. I know that a lot of early films are full of stereotypes. However, as film evolved it seemed that these stereotypes were not played so much for meanness as for comic effect. Not the case here. In this movie, there was a stutterer as an uncle. He reminded me to some extent of Uncle Felix in Christmas in Connecticut. However, where Felix had a thick accent that made his lines humorous, the uncle in this film is a stutterer. Many of the jokes center around his stuttering. While his nieces don't seem mean-spirited, there are others who roll their eyes or push him along to get his words out. But this is nothing to how the gay man is treated in the Zanfield's theater. Zanfield's wealthy friends who hang out at the show are downright mean and mocking of him. It was shocking to me. Women too were treated like children. They were told to "Run along and be a good little girl," and when the matron who works in the chorus line's dressing room sends them out on stage, she gives a few of them slaps on the bum.
3. The dialogue really stunk. I mean bad. There were jokes made that I hope would have made sense in the past, but they sure made no sense to me today. Here are a few examples:



"Your profile was ruined the day you were born."

Singer:
"I can't sing without a spotlight."
Technician
"You couldn't sing if you had a searchlight."

And then there were stellar lines by Queenie like:
"I can't say anything but I really like it a lot."
"You dirty bum you!" (After a man just tried to force himself on her.)
"I've never taken my clothes off in my life before.



4. The fact that sound was new is evident from the first moment. The movie starts in the cacophony of a music studio with acts singing in rooms throughout the building. Every few seconds, the sound focuses on one of the groups then goes back to all the sounds interacting. See what I mean: 
   
   In addition, when large groups of people were together, the sound got muddled. Further, there is an underlying noise thorughout the whole movie that gets louder at times. 
5. The older sister basically bathes and dresses her younger sister who has to be at least 19 or 20 in the film. She even dries her off when they got out of the shower. I found that a bit odd to say the least.



Bessie Love and Charles King in Broadway Melody

6. The two sisters kiss on the lips a few times. This is not something that is commonly seen these days. It's odd how our concerns about sexuality have led to people being less demonstrative with those in their family.
7. Charles King should have stayed in Vaudeville. His histrionics were just over the top. Further, he kind of gave me the creeps with his shows of affection for the two girls. It was really odd.
8. The best scene in the movie, acting-wise, was when Hank realizes that Eddie loves Queenie and sends him after her. She then cries jaggedly for quite some time, and I truly felt her pain. In fact, I would say that even though she went over-the-top at times, Bessie Love was the best actor or actress in the film. 

Wings (1927) Beat Sheet

Here is my attempt at the Beat Sheet for Wings (1927). Blake Snyder published his version of the 15 Beats that every excellent screenplay must have. Wings does not hit every beat precisely in terms of where they should be located in the screenplay. This is partly because it is silent and partly because screenplays were still in an evolutionary phase. With that said, I've attempted my best shot at filling in the blanks. If you would like more information about beat sheets and the 15 beats every great movies shares, check out this page. However, realize that once you see the man behind the curtain, movie watching changes forever. 

Opening Image – The film starts with title cards about the early years of aviation. The last title card before the action card says, "A small town - 1917 - youth and the dreams of youth." The scene opens with Jack taking a nap on the ground where he was daydreaming about flying. 

Set-up – Jack loves to work on cars. His next door neighbor, Mary, is a tomboy who is in love with Jack. They work on his car together which she names the 'Shooting Star', They laugh and have fun together. But when it comes time for him to court a girl, he turns to Sylvia. David is from a wealthy family and is also in love with Sylvia. 

Theme Stated  – Typically the theme of the movie is stated within the first five or so minutes of a movie. However, this being a silent movie, the silent movie isn't 'stated'. However, almost eight minutes into the movie, a title card is put up that says: "So Youth laughed and wept and lived its heedless hour, while over the world hung a cloud which spread and spread until its shadow fell in some degree on every living person." I believe that this is the theme of the movie: that war is hell and that youthful dreams fly away with the realities of war. 

Catalyst – The two men decide to train as aviators to fight in World War I. 

Debate – Jack and David each have to say goodbye to their family and friends. Both men love Sylvia who truly only loves David. However, she doesn't want to send Jack off to war disappointed, so she gives him her picture. Jack also says goodbye to Mary who is obviously in love with him.

Break Into Two  – Jack and David leave their comfortable lives and the innocence of youth behind as they start training camp to become aviators. 

B Story – This is usually the 'love story'. To me, the true love story of this movie was that between Jack and David. They start out as enemies because both love the same girl, but quickly become fast friends.

Fun and Games – Jack and David learn how to fly and then use their skills to win battle after battle. 

Midpoint – The two men have been decorated as war heroes and are sent to Paris for leave. 

Bad Guys Close In – The fighting is fierce. Before Jack and David go up for the huge battle, they get into a fight over Sylvia. They both like her, but David realizes that she will just break Jack's heart as she does not love him. 

All is Lost – Jack thinks that David is dead, even though he is still alive behind enemy lines. He vows to go out and kill the enemy for David.

Dark Night of the Soul – Jack realizes that he has shot down and killed David who was escaping in a German airplane. 

Break Into Three – Traditionally, the third act lasts for about 20% of film. However, that is not the case in this movie. The break into three happens when the the main character chooses to try again or move forward. After David's death, Jack finds a letter that Sylvia wrote David that states she never really loved Jack even though Jack thinks she does. He realizes that David kept this from him out of friendship. He also finds his friend's good luck charm. While it's not clearly stated, this implies his willingness to move past Sylvia and to return the stuffed animal charm to David's parents.

Finale – Now that Jack realizes the truth about Sylvia and David, he realizes that true love was waiting for him in his own backyard - Mary. He comes home at war's end to a hero's welcome and her. 

Final Image – Jack and Mary are in the car, a shooting star goes by and they kiss. 

1. Wings - 'C'est la guerre!'

Poster Advertising Wings

The winner of the very first Academy Award for Best Picture in 1928 was Wings. Ironically, until 2012 it was the only silent movie to win the award. Wings was an interesting first challenge for me. It was corny, overwrought, frustrating at times, and had really, really long dogfight scenes. However, at the same time, it was quite a moving film. I got choked up twice during the film - something I did not expect to happen.

I found the story to be interesting at its core. Two guys who both like the same girl, another girl who likes one of them, World War I, dogfights, and a tragic case of mistaken identity combine to create a compelling tale. In the course of watching the movie, I realized that to truly understand and enjoy it I had to leave behind the 2013 me and pretend that I was seeing it back in 1929. Once I did that, many things that I would normally find to be silly or uninteresting  proved fascinating and new.

SPOILER ALERT. 

The rest of the post will include details that you might not want to know if you haven't seen the film.

Gary Cooper in Wings

While the movie starts on a happy note, it leaves the 'blush of youth' quickly behind. The two main characters, Jack and David, become aviators to fight in World War I. I was quite moved by the scene where David leaves his Mother and Father, taking a stuffed teddy bear from his youth with him. However, I didn’t realize that we were truly in a tragedy until Gary Cooper bit the bullet soon after we meet him at the front. He’s the ‘elder’ flier who’s been there for quite awhile. Before he leaves on a mission, he forebodingly says, “Lots of fellows carry something for luck. But I never have. Luck or no luck, when your time comes, you’re going to get it!” Sadly, he never returns and the two stars of the show have to pack his belongings to send to his parents. The half-eaten candy bar he had left behind on his bed was, to me, quite poignant.

Clara Bow, one of the biggest silent film stars in the history of cinema, was the main actress in the movie. But even though she is in love with Jack, it is not their love story that takes center stage in the movie. Instead, this honor goes to the bonds of friendship between Jack and David.  

The film's ending was tragic. However, once David stepped into the German plane to try to get back to American lines, I felt the writing was on the wall. I just didn’t expect it to be quite as tragic as it ended up being. (Trying not to give the ENTIRE plot away here).  

                                                                                 

Jack Powell (Charles "Buddy" Rogers), Mary Preston (Clara Bow),
and David Armstrong (Richard Arlen) in Wings

Things that surprised me: 

• How free men were at showing affection with each other. Growing up in a world where men are afraid to do much more than a ‘man hug’, these men walked with their arms around each other and showed true affection towards each other. There was no question about their sexuality – it all felt quite natural and kind.
• The strong portrayal of violence. I grew up watching ‘old’ movies from the forties and fifties where when people got shot they simply held their chest and fell over. Therefore, when I saw a man in a biplane get shot and blood stream out of his mouth, I was shocked. Also, when one of the characters dies, the response of the French officer who witnessed it is to simply shrug his shoulders and say, 'C'est la guerre!' (This is war!)
• The dogfight scenes. While they quite drawn out and in my opinion could have been cut in half, just watching the way that they were shot and considering the real danger those early fliers were in was amazing. I found, however, that keeping the good guys from the bad was difficult in black and white and with no sound.
• The animation and stunts. I’m sure this can just be chalked up to my ignorance, but I was fascinated by the ‘bubbles’ in the scene where Jack gets drunk and by the portrayal of the crashes and deaths. Also, there were some cool sequences, like when David and Sylvia at the very beginning are on a swing while she plays an instrument and sings. I almost felt sick from the movement of the camera.

Things that I found silly:

• The overwrought symbolism. Two examples: when the allies had finally won, the word VICTORY was flashed on the screen over a young German’s dead body lying on a huge iron cross. Then later, Jack stands on top of a cloth iron cross.



Jack sees 'bubbles' when he gets drunk in Wings.

• The need for comic relief. In what was a very tragic drama, they included a stock ‘German’ who wants to fight for the allies. He’s more silly than serious. When he is at the Aviation Examining Station, he’s questioned about why they should let a German in the war. He takes off his shirt like he’s gonna fight, but instead shows a Stars and Stripes Forever Tattoo which he wiggles around. Everyone laughs, and he's accepted.
• The stereotypical portrayal of the Brit. In one scene, Jack is shot down near a trench and is helped to safety by a British soldier who says, “Hello, Yank. Welcome to a very merry little war!” And this is in the middle of heavy artillery fire during trench warfare. He continues, “ – and now how about a wee drop for the King and Uncle Sam?”
• The ‘Bubbles’ scene. Yes, I know. I put this in as something that surprised me. However, the actual premise of the scene was silly. For a man to get so drunk that he sees bubbles everywhere is a little corny.
• A few of the death scenes. While some of them were fine, a few were over the top. Near the end, a man who has just been shot with a machine gun as he is storming the trench sees a plane destroy the machine gun and says, “Attaboy, them buzzards are good after all.” Then he drops his head and dies. Cringeworthy. 

Things that frustrated  me:

• The length of the dogfights. I know that at the time Charles Lindbergh was being hailed as a hero for his solo crossing of the Atlantic and flying was the national craze. However, the dogfights went on for so long and there were so many of them. I think this was compounded by the fact that since the sky was so bright and the planes were hard to make out, it was difficult for me to see who was who.
• Not enough title cards. I got frustrated when the actors would speak for quite a long time without cards telling what was said. While it was sometimes obvious what they were emoting, there were times that I would have loved to gotten a little more of the ‘dialogue’.

Overall, the movie made me think which, to me, is the sign of a good flick. It made me think more deeply about the realities of World War I pilots and trench warfare. Also, the scene where Jack returns home to a hero’s welcome while David’s Mother and Father sit behind the star in their window was quite moving and thought provoking. What must it have been like for parents of the fallen to watch other children return home?

Would I suggest this movie to a friend? Probably. But I would warn them about the length of the dogfights and its corniness. It’s a great movie to watch and compare to modern movies. 

See my next post for my attempt at the Beat Sheet for this movie.