By: Al Lowe

Al Lowe — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:38:26 +0000

There are some screen teamings that make you wince before you even see the movie.
For example, Red Skelton and Fred Astaire in Three Little Words.
Seven Days Leave with Cornel Wilde and Simone Signoret is another. How in the world did that happen? It was released the year after Shockproof.
Sam Fuller and Doug Sirk sounds like another partnership that would make you shudder. But, according to your article (and I haven’t seen the film) it works in Shockproof.
Wilde is interesting because he seems like he was consistently underrated. And whenever he had a huge hit they were projects that earned critical scorn, either when they were released or years later.
There are Greatest Show on Earth and Forever Amber.
But perhaps the best example was A Song to Remember.
I finally caught it up a year or two ago and, to steal one of the great James Agee’s lines (about another movie) it seems by conservative estimate the damnedest thing I have ever seen.
Now, remember, this is wartime. Many men are away stationed in the Armed Services and women are missing them. Columbia then makes this movie about an affair between Chopin (Wilde) and George Sand (Merle Oberon). Chopin is depicted as weak in character and body and dominated by Sand, who is aggressive, surly and bossy. She wears men’s clothes sometimes (as Sand allegedly did) in contrast to Chopin with his curls and coats with lace shirts. (Merle’s male attire was considered unusual in the 40s.)
And the ladies lined up to see it! He was also nominated for an Academy Award as best actor, not the first or last lame nomination from the Academy.
As a director Wilde later became involved with unusual if not always successful projects. He also starred in another fascinating Noir with his second wife, also a pretty blonde, named Jean Wallace. This was The Big Combo. Trust director Joseph Newman (Gun Crazy) to devise some phenomenal scenes. I would like to write about this one but it really deserves its own post like Shockproof.

By: Suzi

Suzi — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:07:19 +0000

Thanks so much for bringing the boxed set to my attention. Love Sam Fuller and Cornel Wilde. One of my professors in school had interviewed Wilde extensively and often included Wilde’s films in his classes. Though he focused on Wilde more as a director than an actor, the experience of seeing Wilde’s films in classroom setting made me a lifelong fan. Great post.

By: R. Emmet Sweeney

R. Emmet Sweeney — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:52:51 +0000

I’ve wanted to see this for a long time now, Moira, and am really looking forward to the box set. Thanks for the entertaining write-up.

Comments on: Moth Meets Flame: Not So Shocking

By: Al Lowe

By: Suzi

By: R. Emmet Sweeney