I'll be seeing you (1944): a great "Christmas movie"

Ahhh, the holidays. The season where you feel socially compelled to buy and eat. A lot. The season where you ask little kids if they believe in Santa and they don't. But you do. Kind of. The season where you listen to Christmas songs and they finally make sense (yep, I listen to Christmas music all the year, The Elf soundtrack is amazing). 

Seems that it was also the season where people returned home from the war or jail and a little brat not so little Shirley Temple was there to point her judgmental finger at you.

What a great movie I'll be seeing you is (and what a great song it has). It's a film that, just like The best years of our lives, shows what war does to people, without even showing the battlefield, without any patriotic speeches given by a character looking to the horizon. It also shows the life of the people who stayed, old people, young people, some showing the calmness that being accustomed to resignation projects, others trying to help with written messages of hope for people fighting abroad. And, very surprisingly, it also tells the story of a imprisoned woman that is paying for a mistake, an accident, even when the result wasn't her fault.

Director William Dieterle (Portrait of Jennie, The Hunchback of Notre Dame) and the writers constructed a measured movie. It feels real. 

It shows people that laughs at the table at spontaneous, not so funny jokes. People that try to maintain their dignity even when their circumstances are difficult and not always succeed. Characters, like Shirley's, that aren't sweet and kind, because usually adolescents are not. They have too many things to deal with. Ginger, the inmate that goes home for the holidays, tries to combine her few clothes to look normal for a while and makes an effort to answer difficult questions, overlook prejudices...or just tries to hide her situation from new acquaintances. And one night Joseph Cotten, the troubled soldier, tries to control his mental and physical scars, to calm down, talking to himself, but completely fails, and just lays there, sweaty, tired. 

There are so many moments from this movie that stay in your mind. For example, the dog attack is so well filmed that the scene shocks you, just like reality. It occurs without warning, in a moment that was preceded by a calm walk, with no suspense music. The actors are so well in they roles that you empathize with their humanity (after watching this film, my dad said that Ingrid Bergman is no longer his favorite actress).

And it happens to be Christmas time, and everyone is making an effort to forget and smile, to share a supper, a song, a present, a smile. Whatever. Because sometimes life is tough and you just have each other to hang on. And, sometimes, like in I'll be seeing you, life smiles you back, even if it's for a moment, outside the prison where you live.

----Written for Sally's 12 Days of Christmas movies. Have a great Christmas people, enjoy yourselves and leave milk & cookies for Santa!!

 

"Duel in the Sun": In my own words (PART II)

Previously on "Duel in the Sun"

• Tanned Jennifer Jones suffers from a bipolar love: looks in love with Charming Joseph Cotten but goes wild with Bad Gregory Peck.
• Lillian Gish looks fragile.
• Selznick, Vidor and the dozen writers forgot this one was a western.
• Lionel Barrymore always preferred Bad Gregory, but now he exiled Charming Joseph from his ranch
  
• Bad Gregory visited Tanned Jennifer one night. And we literally see lightnings and hear thunders...

Poor Charming Joseph says goodbye to his mom, Fragile Lillian Gish. She's very sad and looks like a little bird. Joseph wants to say goodbye to Jennifer, too. He politely knocks the door.

Silence.

Then Tanned Jennifer asks him to go away.

Then Bad Gregory invites him to come in.

Then another person talks from the inside. A dog barks. A whale...makes its sound. A fourth person laughs...Just kidding. Just the whale...made its sound.

Poor Charming and Lawyer Joseph. He knows what lightnings and thunders and this music mean in a movie. He enters the room. Jennifer cries, Bad Gregory smiles. He politely apologizes for the interruption and walks away.

Jennifer goes after him. She literally says that Bad Gregory is hard to resist and she's trash. Joseph says that's too bad because he loved her and wanted her with him. But he won't forget this night of thunders and lightnings. He goes away, but before leaving the ranch, he politely slaps his brother Gregory.

Some minutes later...Jennifer...I don't know how to describe this scene, see for yourself...

TEST: SCENE COMPREHENSION. In the previous scene... (multiple selections allowed)

Fifth day at her new home (can you believe so much time has passed? Time flies)

Jennifer Jones just freed her wild passion for Bad Gregory. Now she's a big fan of him and every two seconds gives him weird looks and assumes weird poses that according to her acting codes means she's very attracted/but regrets it.

Now she's the one that wants to go to the pond. But when she sees lightnings and thunders approaching she refuses to stay in the storm. She wants to marry Bad Gregory before. They decide they will announce they engagement in a super barbecue Lionel Barrymore is organizing.  

The day of the barbecue

So many things happening.

1. Tanned Jennifer is very happy. She's wearing a pretty white dress. 

2. Lillian Gish is informed that Charming Joseph has become a very successful personality in the city.

3. Bad Gregory is calming down his pops Lionel: he's just fooling around with Jennifer Jones.

Bad Gregory starts dancing with Jennifer Jones. She asks him when are they telling the happy news. And Bad Gregory is all "what happy news? what are you talking about?".

They go to discuss to a little office.

In this little office Jennifer's dreams and hopes are completely shattered. Basically Bad Gregory tells her to stop nagging, he won't marry her, and she can go away if she wants and adds some racist comment

Jennifer Jones leaves. Not really, she goes to the garden. And cries. Then a man approaches. He's a new worker and says that he doesn't really like balls (dances). He looks like an old Joseph Cotten:

Jennifer decides he's a good guy...to make Gregory jealous. So they go back and dance to the techno music while Bad Gregory looks at them (trying to copy their techno moves).

Some days later...

Old Joseph Cotten Look-Alike, the worker, asks Jennifer to marry him. He's really a good guy. He offers her a modest but happy life. She says yes.

More days later...

The Real Charming Joseph Cotten arrives in a train...with his Charming Bride. Some cowboy notifies him of Jennifer's situation: she is going to get marry the worker ...only if Bad Gregory wants to.

Then one day....

Apparently Bad Gregory didn't want to: she shoots Old Joseph Cotten Look-Alike. Now he's an outlaw and a reward is offered for his capture. In the funeral, we can see in Jennifer Jones' eyes she wants revenge.

In the ranch...

Lionel Barrymore is arguing with Lillian Gish. She looks more fragile than ever. They blame each other. He wants Jennifer out; she says she will stay as much as her.*Coughs*

Then in some secret place...

Lionel asks Gregory to stay away for awhile. The situation is serious. He asks his son to take care of himself.

Then in some railroad...

Bad Gregory didn't quite get the message. From the words of his dad he understood: "provoke an accident in the train and make it explode". So he does.

Then he visits Jennifer in the ranch.

In the ranch...

Jennifer is definitely bipolar, she forgot everything about her revenge and wants Gregory back.

The sheriff or someone like that arrives to the ranch asking for Bad Gregory. Lionel doesn't know, Fragile Lillian Gish doesn't know, Jennifer doesn't know...well, she knows that Bad Gregory is hiding behind her door, but she doesn't want to say. 

When he's safe, he decides to go away again to Mexico. She wants to go with him. He doesn't agree: he just want to visit her some nights and nothing more.

Jennifer is being treated like trash (again). But now she takes the pieces of her shattered pride and puts them together. She won't accept this situation anymore, she's a good girl and her pride means a lot to her...she...

Just kidding...she says she won't talk about marriage anymore, that she will be his servant, that she can't love another man...and takes his leg, while he walks, cleaning the floor with her pjs (now she has pajamas)...

PLEASE, TAKE ME WITH YOU, BAD GREGORY!

Bad Gregory kicks her and then almost hits her head with door when he leaves (Jennifer's health: -4). She stays on the cold floor, abandoned.

In Lillian Gish's bedroom...

She's dying. I told you she looked too fragile and delicate.

Lionel is there, and Lillian points out that is the first time he's been there since she tried to abandon him, many years ago. He starts getting angry, while she starts dying in a very silent-film-way. Then he recognizes that everything was his fault and gives a long speech about how much he really loved her...while dying Lillian crawls to his side.


*Dies*

Some days later...

Charming Joseph wants to see her sick mother. The only problem is that she passed away already. Now he talks to Jennifer. He understands everything. He wants to take care of her. With his bride.

In some near town

Charming Joseph Cotten receives a message from Bad Gregory: he's pissed off because he took Jennifer away. If she doesn't go back, he'll be there next morning.

The next morning...

Gregory arrives. He orders Joseph to take a revolver, he will start shooting from a distance anyway.

Joseph doesn't take the revolver and Gregory shoots him from a distance anyway.

*Falls wounded*

(You think that was the most boring DUEL IN THE SUN ever)

Then in front of a fake painting of mountains

Lionel Barrymore recognizes before a friend that Bad Gregory was bad and Charming Joseph was good.

Back in town....

Tanned Jennifer meets the Charming Bride. She realizes Charming Bride is very kind and the perfect wife for Charming Joseph (he's recovering from the attack). She also realizes she had forgotten her revenge. She wants it NOW!

DUEL IN THE SUN!

Tanned Jennifer gets more tanned, because she wants to "meet" Gregory before he crosses the border, so she rides her super horse under the hot sun.

She arrives, and Gregory says hello from the hill...

She shoots him.

She thinks he *died* and kind of regrets it. But he didn't die and starts calling her names. Now she's pissed off again and wants more revenge. She starts climbing the hill and very cleverly stands in a rock in her discrete red skirt.

He shoots her.

She's wounded. Her chest is bleeding. She falls, hitting the dusty rocks (Jennifer's health: -500).

He thinks she *died*. He first smiles but then kind of regrets it. Starts calling her name.

He receives another shot for an answer.
He starts crawling in her direction. Then she starts crawling in his direction to finish her work.

When Jennifer, with her bleeding heart has crawled 70% of the hill (according to Imdb real Jennifer Jones' health: -20). Gregory calls her: he's really dying.

Now Jennifer forgets everything again. She forgets that she was there to kill him. And now she "rushes" by his side.

By the time she reaches Gregory's dying place, she's dying too.

He: Let me hold you
She: Hold me.

They hold and *die*

(Jennifer's health: N/A).

THE END.

"Duel in the sun" (1946): In My Own Words! (PART I)

For those who don't know what "IN MY OWN WORDS!" implies: when I see a movie that's so strange (like The Fountainhead) or bad (like The Garden of Allah), I re-tell it, from beginning to end...in my own words. So obviously there are spoilers ahead.

Well, the other day I was doing a bit of research for my post on Prissy, played by Butterfly McQueen. In her filmography I noticed she worked in a movie called Duel in the sun with this minor cast:

• Gregory Peck
• Joseph Cotten
• Jennifer Jones
• Lionel Barrymore
• Lillian Gish
• Herbert Marshall
• Walter Huston
• Otto Kruger

You know...little people. I thought: "OMG, I need to watch this". And I did, obviously, otherwise I wouldn't be writing this...thing.

So here it goes....DUEL IN THE SUN

David Selznick's usual grandiose titles:

[Epic Music] Ahhh, this is so epic...this the story of Pearl who died young. Ahhh.[/Epic Music]

The place: it doesn't matter. Picture this: cowboys, Herbert Marshall, Indian/Mexican women (Hollywood doesn't care about the differences) on a set.

The people:

a) Really tanned Jennifer Jones aka Pearl. The daughter.

b) Herbert Marshall as a very refined gentleman. The father.

c) Some Indian/Mexican woman dancing wildly and then getting a room with some random guy (obviously). The mother.

Chapter 1. Jennifer becomes an orphan

b) kills c) and then he dies because it's the law. a) is sent to live with her dad's rich ex- girlfriend, Lillian Gish. 

First day at her new home. 

a) is very happy, because she meets Lillian's son, who is very polite and nice and a lawyer and Joseph Cotten (altogether: sighs). Lillian is a very kind lady too (and looks fragile as a little bird) and makes her feel at home and gives her a free tour around the house (like: these are the cows and those, the horses).

But Lionel Barrymore, Lillian's hubby and owner of the ranch, hates Jennifer and doesn't want her there because: 

1. She's the daughter of his wife's ex.

2. Because she's half breed.

3. Because Jennifer Jones is too tanned. 

4. He was tired of being the nice uncle in every movie he made.

When a) thinks that she finished meeting new people...another Lillian's son, Gregory Peck looking super young, arrives in his horse. And when you're thinking how nice Gregory always is...he isn't. HE'S THE BAD GUY! You can tell by the way she looks at a), it's like "I want you with fries on the side". Obviously, Lillian doesn't notice the evil look in her son's eyes.

Anyway, Lillian plays the piano for Jennifer Jones and then she sends her to bed. It's been a long day, but before arriving to her room, Jennifer makes three stops to be:

1. Harassed by Lionel Barrymore ("How did they come to name you Pearl? Couldn't have much eye for color, couldn't they? HAHAHA!")

2. Impressed by Joseph Cotten's good looks and charm and kindness (she looks in love with him).

3. Practically abused by Bad Gregory Peck.

Everything in less than 10 minutes.

Second day at her new home.

Bad Gregory Peck starts showing off his riding skills to impress a). For some reason, she is still talking to him, especially after he gave her a super horse. The only problem is that she doesn't know how to control a horse and she falls (Jennifer's health: -1). And for another reason we don't get, she falls and stays this way:

So obviously Bad Gregory has a super idea: wanna go swimming?. And she's like offended and rides her horse back home yelling "I WON'T, I WON'T" (but we get that someday SHE WILL, SHE WILL).

Joseph Cotten is more puzzled than us, of course. But Jennifer says she doesn't care about Bad Gregory and urges Joseph to go for a walk by the light of the moon (looking in love with him)...while Gregory pretends he's singing and playing the guitar (and you think: "oh, so Gregory and Joseph are gonna be in a DUEL IN THE SUN").

Third day at her new home

Some sweaty cowboys are finishing their work in the ranch. Jennifer decided to go swimming by herself, but for some reason we don't get she makes herself very visible. 

Because she couldn't ride behind the hill, right?

One of the cowboys notices her riding to the pond and alerts Bad Gregory. He arrives to the pond and sees naked Jennifer swimming (you could sell bathing suits and become a millionaire). Annoying Gregory stays there, watching.

And that's basically how the third day is spent: Jennifer can't come out all naked, even if she's very tanned.

Finally, she arrives all wet to dinner, furious and very late. Delicate and fragile Lillian Gish politely asks if she went swimming with Gregory and she says no. Bad Gregory enters and is all: "oh, what fun we had swimming, etc etc".

Awkward.

Lillian is shocked.

Later that night.

Lillian invited a priest to talk to Jennifer. Apparently, she didn't like to use a proper pjs (you could sell pajamas and become a millionaire). The priest doesn't seem to mind that fact. 

He says some words to save her soul and gives her a medallion. Lillian is relieved.

Fourth day at her new home.

Selznick, King Vidor and the dozen writers they had working in the script, remembered this one was a western and introduced some random action: some guys wanted to build a railroad in Lionel Barrymore's land and he goes riding with like 1,345,567,597,400 of his workers to stop them. 

Joseph Cotten is against this fight and he agrees with the train people. Then the army arrives and the dispute is over. Lionel Barrymore always preferred Bad Gregory Peck, but now he just hates Joseph Cotten: he can't live in his ranch anymore.

That night. 

We see Jenifer Jones washing the floor in her room. Bad Gregory Peck arrives with his evil face. He has the worst intentions. And she doesn't fight anymore. Quite the opposite really.

[Lightings and thunders on the background.]

And then...

To be continued...here.