"The Naked Jungle" or how to make an entertaining...mess

I know today wasn't very a very joyful day, but I'll try to write something funny to cheer you up. Last night I saw "The Naked Jungle" (Byron Haskin; 1954) and I learnt a lot about how to write an entertaining script based in a) the attraction of the main characters b) a wild natural menace. 

Just TEN easy steps!

1. Locate the picture in a very remote place. Like in a jungle in South America, inhabited by natives who give their children to strangers because they have too many. 

2. Introduce the main characters, making clear that wild things could happen between them. For example, invent that Charlton Heston, the guy living in the jungle, ordered a wife by mail (really) and Eleanor Parker answered. Not very believable, but works.

3. About the horrible natural menace: you should make clear that something very awful and deadly is going to happen. Make some random characters look to horizon and say cryptic lines like: "There have been many such birds lately. My government wants to know all about these birds." and then add "I hope it remains so, only a mystery."

4. Reinforce the idea that very wild things could happen between the main characters. Some examples: a)  make Eleanor Parker wear a very revealing pajama for the first time she says hello to her sweaty husband. b) give her lines like "I'm not undressed" or dialogs like this:

--I knew you needed me.

--I don't need anyone. 

--Not even for children?

Get the idea?

5. Now, we need an opposed force to the energy we just created. Let's say that Charlton founds out that Eleanor was married before and becomes angry and starts to make hurtful remarks. Examples: "The only condition I ever made about anything I brought up the river was that it be new" or "Madam, this piano you're sitting at was never played by anyone before it came here". Ouch. The idea is that he now hates her. But really loves her. These two last sentences could be mathematically explained in this equation: 

Energy + opposed force = ?

6. Oh, don't forget the horrible natural menace. Keep adding lines by random characters. "Something wrong with that bird. Hasn't said a word for three days..." Really effective. Kind of creepy. Makes the audience wonder. 

7. Back to the equation. The audience is expecting to see the final result (?). Let's give them some additional elements. For example, a physical confrontation, including a very drunk Charlton and Eleanor back in her pajamas (yes something like the scene from "Gone with the wind").
At the end nothing has to really happen, or the energy will be lost. Let's Charlton restrain himself, leave his wife's bedroom, but not before revealing something very meaningful:

 "I told you I was 18 when I came out here. Before that, I had no time for women. Afterwards... In the jungle, they have a name for the man who goes into the native villages at night. No one calls me by that name. You said I didn't know anything about women. You were right, madam. I know nothing about women. Nothing at all."

Exactly. He needs her.

8.  Keep boosting each element of the equation. Charlton decides to send Eleanor back to New Orleans (opposed force). He will give her a lift in his boat and then continue to investigate what's happening in the jungle, because something is driving the animals out and he thinks "it's something big". Oh, before they go, Charlton must change his attitude (energy), being more friendly, starting to call his wife for her first name, showing his sensitive side and saying things like :

--You don't dislike me anymore?

-- I never did.

9. As you can see, we're approaching to the climax. In the trip a) They must discover that the mortal natural menace is the MARABUNTA (the ants must seem like a huge shadow covering the hills leaving only destruction) b) the main characters have to be seen with less clothes and sweaty. A medicine rubbing scene would help:

(EDIT: sorry folks, Youtube couldn't handle the heat and the video is not longer available. Get a copy of the film to see it!)

Then, obviously Eleanor is staying with Charlton, even when she knows she could die.

10. To end the entertaining mess you'll need: a) A big plan to detain the MARABUNTA and scenes of natives fighting with them b) Leave alone the main characters in the house expecting the hungry MARABUNTA (and finally having their honeymoon). c) Charlton finally defeating the MARABUNTA and the main characters embracing. THE END.

(Interested in this entertaining mess? It's on Amazon: The Naked Jungle)

5 first mini reviews of 2011 including awesome "Caged"

For some reason, I haven't been in the mood of writing reviews lately, even when I started the year very well in terms of the quality of the films I've seen. I had very low expectations with some of them but they impressed me; others, didn't. Today I finally managed to describe my feelings towards these five films, take a look:

Since you went away (1944; John Cromwell)

Who's in it: A lot of great actors, Claudette Colbert, Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, Shirley Temple, Hattie MacDaniel, Agnes Moorehead, Lionel Barrymore, Robert Walker.

What's it about: The life of a family during the II World War.

The good: I like the movies about war that show the domestic life of the people who stay. It gives you more elements to understand historical events. I liked all the performances, but if I had to pick my favorite it would be Robert Walker's as the shy Corporal Bill. Even when it lasts more than 2 hours, it maintains the tension about the possible loss of the father in the war. David O. Selznick produced and wrote the screenplay, so expect a magnificent musical intro and intermission (by Max Steiner), varied locations and an overall well managed drama. On the frivolous side, I also liked this guy who played a minor character.

The bad: I didn't find any flaw. I only have a very personal thing with very melodramatic scenes, they always kind of distract me, no matter if they are needed and well acted.

Should I see it?: Yes.

The bigamist (1953; Ida Lupino)

Who's in it: Joan Fontaine, Ida Lupino, Edmund Gwenn.

What's it about: A guy marries Joan and then Ida. The end.

The good: I liked the performances by Ida and Edmund. Ida makes you feel that her character doesn't expect anything good from life and you understand why is she attracted to this unknown guy without asking questions; and even when Edmund's character is breaking the law, you could understand his acts. There's dramatic tension until the end. Also, I'm crazy about movies told in flash back, so kudos just for that. I loved the trip to see the famous actors houses in LA, like Barbara Stanwyck and James Stewart's (watch a tiny part of this scene).

The bad: I didn't like the end, so that's a big con. Joan and Edmund supposedly have a terribly boring marriage, but that's told and not shown, because when they're together I didn't notice they didn't get along. I found it kind of boring at some points.

Should I see it?: I know some of my fellow bloggers loved it, but in my humble opinion there are many movies you should see before this one.

Scarlet Street (1945; Fritz Lang)

Who's in it: Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett.

What's it about: Edward is a good person, efficient worker, but his life sucks. Then he meets bad Joan and when you think his life would be better, it painfully enters in the most terribly state of decadence.

The good: I liked everything in this movie. I even liked the ending despite the fact that it was far from what I was expecting. Edward's performance is terrific as always, Joan surprised me because she played an harpy but at the same time she showed a bit of decency that made you hate her but not completely. The real BAD guy is her boyfriend, one of the most despicable characters I've ever seen, a vicious, greedy bastard with not ethics or feelings. Fritz's usual dark photography fits very well the theme of the film, and makes everything even more painful to see.

The bad: Only that I wanted the bad guy to suffer more.

Should I see it?: If you're in the mood for a dark movie, totally.

Caged (1950; John Cromwell)

Who's in it: Eleanor Parker, Agnes Moorehead, Jan Sterling.

What's it about: A young Eleanor Parker is imprisoned because of a tiny criminal act and has to endure the terrible life in jail.

The good: I LOVED this movie. I loved it so much that I saw it twice. Eleanor Parker was surprisingly awesome in this film and I'm really impressed by her chameleonic appearance in the different films I've seen her in. She's able to show such vulnerably, such discomfort and frailty that you really suffer with her. This movie has another terribly cruel character, Evelyn Harper (Hope Emerson), the matron of the cell. She's an aggressive beast who thinks that prisoners are animals, and what's more terrible she has powerful contacts so she can't be dismissed by humanitarian Head of the prison played by Agnes Moorehead. It has great secondary characters and many intense and shocking situations to show so it's never boring. This is a movie that really makes you think of the reality of prisons and how people could change if they had a chance.

The bad: SPOILER -----When I saw it for the first time, I thought that they could have managed better the change in Eleanor's character personality, like showing it more gradually, but the second time I didn't care. 

Should I see it? YES!

In the good old summertime (1949; Robert Z. Leonard)

Who's in it: Judy Garland, Van Johnson, S. Z. Sakall, Buster Keaton.

What's it about: It's the same story of The Shop around the corner, You've got mail, etc...

The good: S. Z. Sakall! I always love to see him and here he funnily plays the owner of a music shop. Also, it's a pleasure to hear Judy singing. My favorite numbers were Play that Barbershop Chord (watch) and I don't care (watch). Plus, she's funny in this one. The story of two people hating each other when you know they're gonna end up together, is always fun. At the end, you can see Judy and her real life baby daughter, Liza.

The bad: There are some adapted situations that I felt kind of forced, like Van Johnson getting fired because he lend his boss' violin. One of my favorite scenes, the one when the couple is going to meet in a restaurant and he sends a co worker to check how the girl looks, here is delivered really fast and with less intensity. Plus some characters lost presence and identity in the adaption (the man who advices the couple; Keaton's character; etc).  

Should I see it? The shop around the corner and You've got mail are better in my opinion, but this one is fun anyway. 

That's all folks!

11 mini reviews including "Hold back the dawn" and "Topper"

When I started this blog, I wrote my posts  in Spanish. I translated and updated these reviews so you can read them :)

1. Der blaue Engel (1930; Josef von Sternberg)

Who's in it: Marlene Dietrich, Emile Jannings.

What is it about: A school teacher has the very bad idea of falling in love with Marlene Dietrich playing a cabaret dancer....

The good: the powerful and dramatic story, the character development, Janning and Dietrich's moving performances, the suffocating atmosphere achieved by director Josef von Sternberg.

The bad: Nothing, poor guy.

Should I see it? Yes, but it's really depressing.

2. Kiss and Make-Up (1935; Harlan Thompson)

Who's in it: Cary Grant, Helen Mack, Genevieve Tobin

What is it about: A plastic surgeon (Grant) thinks he's in love with one of his operated clients and not with his secretary....

The good: the initial idea of a plastic surgeon having to choose between fabricated beauty and natural beauty; the rather funny scene in which you see how many treatments one of the clients has to follow in order to look beautiful; Cary Grant sings...

The bad: the story is awfully developed, it just paces around and halfway trough the movie you still don't know what's the main story ; the 70% of the characters are not very interesting (I couldn't care less what happen with them at the end) and their actions are really unbelievable.

Should I see it? No.

3. Topper (1937; Norman Z. McLeod)

Who's in it: Cary Grant , Constance Bennett, Roland Young

What is it about: A wealthy young couple that LOVE parties have a fatal accident and reappear as ghosts... and to move on they need to help a guy that has marriage troubles...

The good: the story is original and very entertaining, the actors are great in their roles, but the best are the special effects...really, they are flawless and surprising: the ghosts appear and disappear, pencils and wheels float on the air, invisible lips smoke a cigarette, etc, etc...

The bad:  some parts are unbelievable and I'm not talking about the ghosts: how someone married to Cary Grant wants to chase an older man???

Should I see it? Yes.

4. Midnight (1939; Mitchell Leisen)

Who's in it: Claudette Colbert, Don Ameche, John Barrymore, Mary Astor.

What is it about:  A taxi driver falls in love with a broke party crasher girl that wants to marry a millionaire....

The good: The script written by Billy Wilder and Charles Bracket, full of hilarious and memorable moments and dialogs; the performance of the main actors, especially Miss Colbert and Mr. Barrymore (he has a really funny scene over the phone).

The bad: Nothing.

Should I see it?:  Yes.

5. Escape (1940; Mervy LeRoy)

Who's in it: Robert Taylor, Norma Shearer, Alla Nazimova

What is it about: During World War II, a (handsome) young man wants to rescue her mother from a concentration camp in Germany...

The good: the plot is interesting, there's tension present and it's generally well handled (will he save his poor mom?), and the relationship between the young American and his countrywoman with some influences on the Germans ends being credible.

The bad: the relationship starts being unbelievable; the German character was too stereotyped; some of the main characters reactions and dialogs are kind of repetitive.

Should I see it? Only if you want to see a very good and tense rescue scene and don't mind the unconvincing main relationship.

6. Hold back the dawn (1941; Mitchell Leisen)

Who's in it: Olivia de Havilland, Charles Boyer, Paulette Godard

What is it about: An European Casanova needs to cross from Mexico to USA...even if he must marry an innocent school teacher.

The good: Everything, starting with the script written by Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett, full of unique moments and a racconto storytelling that makes you wait expectantly for the end; the story is appealing (and melodramatic), the characters evolve and the secondary stories are all interesting, the main actors are excellent in their roles and the film leaves no loose ends. Oh, Mikhail Rasumny's scenes (the car mechanic) are hilarious!

The bad: Maybe that Boyer didn't have vision enough to accept a scene proposed by Wilder in which he talked to a cockroach about his problems..

Should I see it? YES.

7. I married a witch (1942, René Clair)

What is it about: A witch and her witch daddy want to take revenge on a descendant of a guy who locked them like 200 years ago.

Who's in it: Fredric March, Veronica Lake.

The good: the story is entertaining, Veronica Lake is fine in her role, there are some hilarious scenes (like the one of a woman trying to make a speech in a wedding being interrupted again and again), there are some interesting visual solutions supporting this fantasy film.

The bad: the emotional development of the characters is not very well defined, so you don't fully understand their actions or attitudes at some points; the end is a little bit abrupt.

Should I see it? If you don't mind some script problems, go ahead.

8. Never say goodbye (1946, James V. Kern)

What is it about: A comedy about a separated couple whose little daughter want them back together...

Who's in it: Errol Flynn, Eleanor Parker, Lucile Watson., Hattie McDaniel, (the always funny) S.Z. Sakall.

The good: Flynn is convincing in his role of the affectionate and relaxed daddy; the Watson kid is entertaining as Shirley Temple (only that she doesn't sing or dance...nor has jumping curls); Mr. Sakall scenes are really funny, especially those with Flynn in which he has to run from table to table trying to maintain two different conversations like Robin Williams in "Mrs. Doubtfire".

The bad: Eleanor Parker's character (the mom that wants to go back with her ex husband only that she's not sure) is not very powerful; the story isn't very well developed because the reconciliation is dragged out and gets more and more unbelievable.

Should I see it? Only if you want to see some nice scenes with Flynn, S.Z. Sakall and the little girl.

9. Letter from a unknown woman (1948, Max Ophüls)

What is it about: the ultra melodramatic story of a woman that loves a guy and he doesn't notice until she explains her crush in detail...

Who's in it: Joan Fontaine, Luis Jourdan

The good: the script (based on a story by one of my fave writers, Stefan Zweig) contains unforgettable moments (like the one on the fake train from the amusement park); Joan's performance playing an adolescent and then an adult, the photography.

The bad: That the guy didn't notice before  :)

Should I see it? Yes, keeping Kleenex handy.

10. The Sundowners (1960, Fred Zinneman)


What is it about: Dad, mom and son travel in a wagon around Australia...only that mom and son don't want to travel in a wagon around Australia anymore.
Who's in it: Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum, Peter Ustinov.
The good: The powerful performances by the main actors, Fred Zinneman's sharp direction, the attractive story, the character development, the locations.
The bad: It ends.
Should I see it?: Yes, totally.

11. Les demoiselles de Rochefort (1967, Jacques Demy)

What is it about: Two French singer sisters want to be famous and marry ideal guys.

Who's in it: Catherine Deneuve, Françoise Dorléac (she died a year after the movie was released), George Chakiris, Gene Kelly.

The good: everything, especially the joy that the film transmits via their lovely songs and melodies, the colors, the choreographies, the dialogs and the actors performances. The songs contain information that help the story to move, something that all musicals should do.

The bad: like most musicals, the story is a bit trivial but I didn't mind. I wish Gene Kelly was younger.

Should I see it? Yes, please. Oh, if you haven't seen it, you should also check "Les parapluis de Cherbourg" (reviewed here) a drama also directed by Demy and starring Miss Deneuve.