tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post8416387632208900730..comments2024-03-29T03:05:28.466-07:00Comments on DREAMS ARE WHAT LE CINEMA IS FOR...: BONJOUR TRISTESSE 1958Ken Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-78971170805030274832020-03-08T17:37:07.354-07:002020-03-08T17:37:07.354-07:00Seberg in "Lilith" (1964). Kim Stanley ...Seberg in "Lilith" (1964). Kim Stanley in "The Goddess" and Falconetti. My personal trifecta of American female acting genius. Not much else. And all of them doomed. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-91251890924242453452019-12-03T23:21:39.193-08:002019-12-03T23:21:39.193-08:00After having recently watched SKIDOO, I have a har...After having recently watched SKIDOO, I have a hard time believing the two films were made by the same director. So much of this film comes together so well, and indeed, the intimacy achieved in spite of the use of Cinemascope is quite remarkable.<br />Thanks, Joseph!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-48048174052728684792019-12-01T19:37:16.864-08:002019-12-01T19:37:16.864-08:00I agree it is certainly one of Preminger's bes...I agree it is certainly one of Preminger's best films and his use of Cinemascope is very effective especially considering this an intimate drama not a spectacle. Kerr is lovely and marvelous as always and Seberg is wonderful as well. A surprisingly sophisticated and adult film from 1950s Hollywood.Joseph Kearnyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03360334357262197758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-54483200151309354882016-12-20T22:26:27.882-08:002016-12-20T22:26:27.882-08:00Thanks, Ken. I did find it and remembered I'd...Thanks, Ken. I did find it and remembered I'd read it, but it was all the more fun to read again!<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17398717936230097925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-90569592182040376262016-12-08T16:25:49.510-08:002016-12-08T16:25:49.510-08:00Hey Allen
Here's the link to the "Girs To...Hey Allen<br />Here's the link to the "Girs Town" post. So impressed you're a fan of it!<br />http://lecinemadreams.blogspot.com/2016/05/girls-town-1959.htmlKen Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-47074152214399463872016-12-08T12:22:03.640-08:002016-12-08T12:22:03.640-08:00Thanks, Ken. And yes to "Girls Town" ha...Thanks, Ken. And yes to "Girls Town" having some of the oldest looking teen-agers ever committed to celluloid. And I must say I don't know when I've ever read a more persuasive argument for choosing camp over culture than in what you wrote. A "hot second," indeed! :) <br /><br />I don't know how I missed you writing about "Town," since I thought I did a search for it and did not find it. I will try again.<br /><br />BTW, about "Tristesse," I meant to comment last time about one of the photos featuring David N. and la Seberg in what appear to matching halter tops, or whatever they might be called.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17398717936230097925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-84631121837368421452016-12-06T15:44:48.015-08:002016-12-06T15:44:48.015-08:00Hi Allen
I'm glad you came back, even if only ...Hi Allen<br />I'm glad you came back, even if only to discover you already been here! I think I should have used a semicolon or something in that sentence referencing Mamie van Doren. The point I was trying to make is that there are so many classic films out there I have yet to see (and claim to never have time for), yet when a van Doren film is available, I'll watch it in a hot second. It was a commentary on how my baser instincts can take over: "Breathless" or "Girls Town" presents me the option of camp over culture, and I invariably choose the former.<br />I have never seen "High School Confidential," but a few months back I did write about "Girls Town" a favorite from when I was a kid. It really is a genre masterwork, with some of the oldest-looking teenagers on film until "Grease." <br />I'm glad you've been enjoying the blog, and I've enjoyed receiving your comments! Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-67707544196410308392016-12-06T14:43:43.999-08:002016-12-06T14:43:43.999-08:00Hi Ken,
I was just coming on to write about "...Hi Ken,<br /><br />I was just coming on to write about "Tristesse" only to find not only that I'd already done so, but had received a welcome reply from you, to boot.<br /><br />I'm glad that others feel similarly about the film, "Breathless." But when you wrote Mamie van Doren, did you mean Jean S.? Not that there aren't some van Doren "classics" worth watching. In fact, if you've not seen them, I'd recommend "Girls Town," along with "High School Confidential." <br /><br />While the former is IMO a masterwork (featuring as it does Gloria "I Married a Monster from Outerspace" Talbot and Mel "Words and Music" Torme), "High School" is not far behind (featuring as *it* does a soon to be "Riff" in "West Side Story" but here playing the nephew of Mamie on whom she has "designs," Mr. Russ Tamblyn). Both brought to us by filmdom "genius" Albert Zugsmith.<br /><br />If you've seen either or both of these gems, would love to get your "take" on them.<br /><br />Thanks and all the best,<br /><br />AllenAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17398717936230097925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-6008805970741839852016-12-02T03:36:42.020-08:002016-12-02T03:36:42.020-08:00Hi Allen
I have so many classic movies on my "...Hi Allen<br />I have so many classic movies on my "should" watch list, it's not funny. A Mamie Van Doren movie I find time to watch, "Breathless" has eluded me for decades. You all make it sound wonderful, however. And it's actually very cool that the Jean Seberg of that film is how you prefer to remember her.<br />The broad consensus concerning Otto Preminger is that he is a mixed-bag, and liking one of his films offers no guarantee of being able to enjoy any of his others. I no longer remember why it took me so long to get around to see BONJOUR TRISTESSE, but I know I wasn't expecting much, and then i was bowled over.<br />I hope when one day I DO get around to seeing "breathless", I have a response similar to all of you here who have expressed such a fondness for it. I'm glad you felt comfortable expressing your indifference to a film I liked so much, in the comments section, if there are too many raves, I think folks with opposing opinions are reluctant to express them. So, thanks for contributing to the balance here, Allen! Much appreciated.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-45995793708737717032016-12-01T14:25:40.416-08:002016-12-01T14:25:40.416-08:00Hi Ken,
I tried watching this movie a few years a...Hi Ken,<br /><br />I tried watching this movie a few years ago, and while I don't remember much about it, I do remember feeling that it was a "should" watch. After all, the cast, the colors, the design, the "mature" subject matter--they all added up to a should-watcher, but truth be told, I'd have found something like "Beyond the Forest" a lot more fun. <br /><br />Actually, I'd forgotten what a gorgeous film it seems to have been. The costumes, the color, the composition; all gorgeous. But Otto Preminger movies are a mixed bag for me. Plus, you know the toxic fan relationship you wrote about in your review of "Misery?" I think I have one with Jean Seberg. You see, I only want to see her in "Breathless" and won't accept that she ever appeared in anything else. I'll never forget her walking along the street hawking her English-langue newspaper. That's the Jean I want to remember. :)<br /><br />Thanks again for your review. <br /><br />Sincerely, Allen (Gumm) Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-38087295557131144762016-12-01T01:07:39.190-08:002016-12-01T01:07:39.190-08:00Well, yes...Yves Montand is hard going for me in m...Well, yes...Yves Montand is hard going for me in most circumstances, but I'm hoping your mutual enthusiasm for the other virtues of the film will dull the sting. Or in Montand's case, sting the dull.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-51223500610824629342016-12-01T01:05:31.677-08:002016-12-01T01:05:31.677-08:00Hi Michael
Glad you came back to fill us in on you...Hi Michael<br />Glad you came back to fill us in on your "Bonjour Tristesse" viewing experience. Of all you observations, i was most struck by the reference to the evil stepdaughter and not the mother. I'd never thought of that, but it IS a neat twist on our expectations.<br />Its true that there is something about the look of the film (the vibrancy of colors and that gorgeous locale) that has the feel of unreality. <br />And I'm glad you mentioned Elsa's outrageous hat collection. The fashion sense of this movie is impeccable. Although I know what you mean about the father/daughter costume twinning, which I hope was an intentional creep-out calling attention to Raymond's immaturity and wanting to be more of a pal or brother to Cecile than a father.<br />Thanks, too, for the little bio bits regarding what you recall about moviegoing in the 70s, especially the roadshow attractions. That's one experience I missed- although my parents took my older sister to see "Sweet Charity" when it played roadshow, the rest of us had to wait to second-run (I guess my folks didn't want to pay all that money and risk having any of fall asleep in those reserved seats).<br />I so enjoyed reading your observations on "Bonjour Tristesse." Let's see if I'll telepathically wind up writing about the next film you acquire. Thanks!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-35857827361610366022016-11-30T00:52:38.967-08:002016-11-30T00:52:38.967-08:00Ken,
I think you're right about the late '...Ken,<br /><br />I think you're right about the late '60-'70s being a great time to discover movies. There was just so much variety on hand. In the 1960s you had the last gasp of old Hollywood, which for some reason I associate with roadshow musicals. I remember seeing Dr. Dolittle, The Happiest Millionaire and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in roadshow engagements and loving the overture and intermission, which I thought were very sophisticated. And of course there was New Hollywood in the 1970s. But there were also midnight movies, which weren’t always the Rocky Horror Picture Show, and revival houses. When I was in high school downtown Palo Alto had three revival theatres and three first run theaters, which almost always had double bills, so I always had something new to watch, or at least something I had never seen before. <br /><br />But I don’t recall Bonjour Tristesse ever being revived in the 1970s. After seeing it for the first time, my impression is that it is a weirder movie than I expected and that it seemed to be unmoored from its time. As you mentioned, Cecile was unlike any other late 1950s film teenager. And the running joke with the maids (maid?) Albertine, Leontine and Claudine, along with details like Elsa's odd hats and the bicyclist joining in the street dancing gave the color section the whimsical feeling of a romantic 1930s comedy. But David Niven's behavior, as you mentioned, echoed those dreary '60s sex farces, which were in Niven's future. And the relationship between Raymond and Cecile at times came very close to crossing the line from intimate to icky. The matching shirts tied at the navel that Niven and Seberg wore early in the film were almost too much of a muchness for me. Was the father or the daughter the fashion copycat? I’m glad you posted a screenshot of the shirts because the image was as disquieting to me as I recall. So, oddness everywhere.<br /><br />But much of the movie was magical, almost like a fairytale. The colors were almost too vivid for real life in the South of France section while the shadows were too deep in the Paris section. And then there was the twist that the evil character was the stepdaughter and the not the stepmother. The part where real life intruded on the fantasy, when Anne heard Raymond and Elsa canoodling was devastating. Deborah was magnificent in that scene. So, I really enjoyed the movie and thought you did a great job in your essay and screen caps of illuminating the movie. I wonder if Cecile ever passed her test on Pascal and Spinoza?<br /><br />Michael<br />Michaelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-85130063572645377872016-11-29T07:38:37.388-08:002016-11-29T07:38:37.388-08:00I second the recommendation for Goodbye, Again. In...I second the recommendation for Goodbye, Again. Ingrid Bergman is heavenly in it and Perkins very good plus there is the bonus of the divine Jessie Royce Landis as Tony's mother. <br /><br />The only downside is that Yves Montand is the other star. That might not be a deterrent for some but except in Wages of Fear I find him a stolid insufferable lump of nothing.joel65913https://www.blogger.com/profile/14526657073681774683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-39024222569752710672016-11-29T02:20:26.554-08:002016-11-29T02:20:26.554-08:00I think you'll like Goodbye Again, please let ...I think you'll like Goodbye Again, please let us know your thoughts on it later. As a hopeless Anthony Perkins fan, I've been subjected to quite a bit of hopeless muck featuring him, but that one is definitely one of the better movies he is in. He won Best Actor at Cannes for it, for a graceful and fairly subdued performance. <br /><br />- Callie WantonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-58253811784838831952016-11-28T16:44:13.442-08:002016-11-28T16:44:13.442-08:00Thanks, Callie!
Like you, I find movies I have not...Thanks, Callie!<br />Like you, I find movies I have nothing but praise for to be SO much more difficult to write about than uneven films or ones I totally want to trash (the most fun and easiest writing there is). You run out of superlatives and adjectives and you tend to hop from topic to topic, risking sounding like you're simply gushing all over the place.<br />I agree this is a very quintessential David Niven role (outside of a tuxedo and tweeds, I had no idea he had such a nice physique!), perhaps more accessible to me because it's not a romance (per se) and, in that his character is not intended to actually charm us, he seems to reveal more layers than usual to this particular suave character. He is so incredible in the black and white scenes. Every line and gesture of false frivolity has a"I'm dancing as fast as a can" feel to it.<br />I've never seen the film "Goodbye Again," but your relating it to this film has sold me...I'm going to check it out. I'm glad to hear this is one of your favorites. I may have been late to the party, but I've watched it many times. Like you say, watching it feels like going on vacation! Thanks!<br />Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-12710232435036932092016-11-28T04:36:29.883-08:002016-11-28T04:36:29.883-08:00Thank you for another elegant review. This is one ...Thank you for another elegant review. This is one of those movies where I have nothing but praise for it so it's difficult to write about it coherently. I love all of the performances and am happy of the love Mylene got from you. I still have to single out David Niven, because this feels like the quintessential Niven performance. He was cut from a very specific cloth and found a niche to play it. <br /><br />Watching this movie feels like going on vacation - I can feel the Riviera sun on me. The scenery and costume design are simply divine. This plays nicely as a double feature - albeit a very sad one - with another movie based on a Sagan novel: Goodbye Again, with Anthony Perkins and Ingrid Bergman. Really, the black and white scenes of this movie feel like a straight predecessor to that one.<br /><br />- Callie WantonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-44168987214609026172016-11-27T17:07:24.941-08:002016-11-27T17:07:24.941-08:00Hi Joel
Sometime you come up with the best descrip...Hi Joel<br />Sometime you come up with the best descriptive phrases (Seberg's "scarifying wig" in AIRPORT)!<br />You really have me beat when it comes to having seen more of Seberg's filmic output- I don't know that I ever heard of Macho Callanhan, short of forgetting it when I read the various bios of her life. I think her tragic and troubled real life was far more compelling than any film role, but until I catch up with some of her European work, BONJOUR TRISTESSE is how I like to remember her.<br />I like your sharp observations on the evolving style of Deborah Kerr (the woman I encountered in those awful sex comedies is nothing like the Kerr I'm discovering in some of her earlier films). Similarly, you reflect the consensus opinion of many who think Preminger had his ups and downs, but was never a director you could pin to a single genre. <br />Your expressed fondness for JUNIE MOON makes me want to check it out again. And I wasn't aware he was responsible for Daisy Kenyon, one of the few Crawford films I found to be a chore to sit through.<br />And of course, I like your memory association with RIVER OF NO RETURN. There were several films that always seemed to be on TV when I was growing up, and so I know how a happy memory can add a sheen to a otherwise lackluster movie. <br />Thank you for another knowledgeable contribution, and I'm pleased you enjoyed the post. Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-18142430372676412152016-11-27T16:30:39.290-08:002016-11-27T16:30:39.290-08:00Hi Joe
I've encountered many people who seem t...Hi Joe<br />I've encountered many people who seem to have discovered this movie rather late. I don't seem to recall it being on The Late Late Show much when i was growing up, and I never heard of it making the revival theater rounds. Terrific then that you had the opportunity to see it on the big screen.<br />I knew nothing of Geoffrey Horne until having to Google him for this piece. And you're right about his moving into teaching (although I don't know if I can recover from learning Adam Sandler was one of his students. I mean, who would have thought Sandler studied to be in a Sandler film?).<br />I've never seen "in Harms Way", but Preminger's work is definitely problematic at times. He can be so good, and then movies like "Hurry Sundown" and "Rosebud" are pure jawdroppers. Thanks so much, Joe!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-75687414264748491472016-11-27T05:36:24.010-08:002016-11-27T05:36:24.010-08:00Hi Michael!
Boy, that IS a coincidence! Especially...Hi Michael!<br />Boy, that IS a coincidence! Especially considering I was going to write about another film up until the very last moment.<br />I'm happy you happened upon the blog and I thank you for what is music to a writer's ear: that my words in some way reflect a reality you can relate to. Your having grown up in the Bay Area and knowing many of the local theaters is very interesting. You are close in age to one of my friends in high school I still stay in touch with (he was a freshman when I was a senior). He was younger, but our moviegoing experiences and tastes are very similar.<br />It's my personal experience, of course, but I can't think of a more exciting time to discover movies than the late-60s and 70s. A lot of loony movies came out of that time, but a many truly fascinating films as well.<br /><br />I love the Noel Coward quote and the attendant understanding you have for my particular philosophy when it comes to movies. Anything that take sup two hours plus of your life qualifies as an experience-not a time killer...how movies make you feel is as valid a point of discussion as anything relating to their content or construction.<br />I hope your experience with "Bonjour Tristesse" is a good one! Thank you for a very flattering and kind comment.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-34015579645788548082016-11-27T05:22:00.295-08:002016-11-27T05:22:00.295-08:00You're very kind, Joe. Thanks.You're very kind, Joe. Thanks.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-62859978029280491372016-11-27T05:10:08.599-08:002016-11-27T05:10:08.599-08:00Hi GOM
Excellent connection you make between the t...Hi GOM<br />Excellent connection you make between the themes of so many of Preminger's films! I think all artists (even the hacks) unintentionally reveal aspects of themselves through their work. Since Preminger was more selective about his projects than most, it's not too much of a stretch to find a thread of similar interests or themes running throughout the films he was drawn to.<br />It certainly doesn't hurt your point that the films you've mentioned are at least ones I've seen (save for "Laura" which I've never made it all the way through).<br />Very thought provoking observation! Thank you for commenting!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-71674440407157320602016-11-26T21:38:17.581-08:002016-11-26T21:38:17.581-08:00Hi Max
I'm with you when it comes to receiving...Hi Max<br />I'm with you when it comes to receiving a major hit to the gut when Deborah Kerr comes across the duplicitous Niven, and especially the ending. I can't think of any actress who could have done a better job. Seberg to me is so marvelous.<br />Thanks for the Godard quote. I had heard it before, but as I often say, what you guys contribute in the way of comments add information so many others may not know...all supporting the overall post. As I have not seen "Breathless" I can't vouch for the veracity of that observation, but I really love the idea. (I really think I'm going to go hunt out a copy of it soon...I feel out of the loop). <br />There is a unique quality about Seberg that seems to require special handling. in the right role, she's incandescent; in the wrong part she seems almost incapable of making an impression. When Hollywood movies moved away from women's films, and actresses were allocated to girlfriend/wife roles, Hollywood misused a lot of great talent (Romy Schneider comes to mind).<br />And funny youshould bring up "Junie Moon" ...I saw that film just once on TCM and I often wonder if I need to give it another look. I think I had a weird reaction to it. Preminger's films around this time had this really bright, flat, TV movie look (Such Good Friends, Rosebud) and it threw me. So many online seem to love it so maybe one day I'll check it out again without expectations.<br />Thanks a heap for commenting and of course for your kind words. Glad to hear you enjoy this film, too!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-81988385948478987192016-11-26T19:09:49.140-08:002016-11-26T19:09:49.140-08:00Hello, Wille
I'm glad you enjoyed the piece. I...Hello, Wille<br />I'm glad you enjoyed the piece. It's a movie I like so much I'm always so stunned that I never got around to watching it until I was in my 50s? I wonder what my younger self would have thought of it? Cecile's selfishness if the province of adolescence, I wonder if I would have seen it that way back when I was closer to her age.<br />I like Jean Seberg a great deal in this, but confess to not having seen her in much. I saw her two "matron" roles: Paint Your Wagon, Airport)- in neither of which she looked particularly happy. I have yet to see any of her European films (I should never have seen the Richard Gere version "Breathless" it killed all desire to see the original). <br />The whole Preminger thing must have seemed like a mixed blessing for her. He certainly made her a star, but it often sounded like he did everything to crush her spirit (Like Hitchcock with Tippi Hedren). <br /><br />Hope you have an opportunity to check out the digitally restored version sometime, it really is remarkable looking. And as for the film itself, it seems rather graceful in its sadness. My feeling about America these days is that in the pursuit of good life or the American dream, it has lost its humanity, just like Cecile. That very sad ending of "Bonjour Tristesse" makes me think that perhaps the only way our country can reclaim its decency again is (regrettably) to go through some kind of deep, profound tragedy. I hope not, but like Cecile, the US is in need of a LOT of introspection. Thanks for commenting, Wille!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-5786020901864972582016-11-26T18:58:35.506-08:002016-11-26T18:58:35.506-08:00Hi Ken,
Wonderful essay on this film. I really ne...Hi Ken,<br /><br />Wonderful essay on this film. I really need to rewatch it, it's probably been a decade since I saw it when I was trying to catch up on some Jean Seberg films after reading the gut wrenching story of her life. Up to that point I'd only seen her in Airport (where I love her despite that scarifying wig), Breathless, Pendulum and (heaven's above!) Macho Callahan so I had some work to do. <br /><br />This was probably the best of the lot but by the time I got to it a certain ennui had set in after the lumbering Paint Your Wagon, disastrous Saint Joan, mediocre Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! and a couple of equally undistinguished programmers had worn me out and I wasn't particularly swept away by it. <br /><br />I do remember the music as being lovely along with the cinematography and I love Deborah Kerr through she was moving into her more grand and if not exactly icy than a bit more constricted period. She was always class personified but in her peak years their was a slight kittenish element to her character that thawed her out but disappeared as she moved towards the sixties. <br /><br />Preminger has many fine films on his sheet. A miracle in a way since he was a nightmare for most of his performers and crews. He was more variable than some of the other great directors but just when you would have thought him finished by turning out the rock bottom Skidoo he turned around and made the lovely Tell Me You Love Me, Junie Moon although what followed that was a series of disasters. <br /><br />Aside from the obvious undisputed classics like Laura and Anatomy of a Murder Fallen Angel, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Bunny Lake is Missing and Angel Face are all fantastic films. While Margin for Error, The 13th Letter, Daisy Kenyon, Advise and Consent and Whirlpool are interesting if flawed. He made a hash of Forever Amber though the clothes, sets, Linda Darnell and George Sanders save it from total failure.<br /><br />I also have a big soft spot for River of No Return although objectively it's not that great of a film and neither Marilyn Monroe nor Preminger wanted to make it. It played endlessly when I was a kid, I think it was the Movie of the Week more than any other film, and one of my aunts and uncles would watch it whenever it was on so if we were visiting we were allowed to stay up and watch it too! Funny how memory adds luster to movies whatever their shortcomings.<br /><br />Thanks for inspiring me to give this one another look!joel65913https://www.blogger.com/profile/14526657073681774683noreply@blogger.com