tho. I really just wanted an undistracted view of the bunny mummer---
completely unrelated to the film "Harvey" itself. They're so disturbing
in their own right.
I'm not a big fan of overpraised Jimmy's 'aw shucks', idling motor
delivery. Especially coming from his younger self. But, I suppose he
was an okay hoomin bean, and I can usually take him or leave him.
He's pretty effective in the latter parts of "Rear Window". In "Vertigo",
tho, he's pretty much just a sad sack creep---he shoulda just married
Barbara Bel Geddes and been done with it. (At least she already loved
him, even throo his 'neurosis'. But, oh, those horn rims always make
for such a Hollywood 'ugly duckling', we are constantly retold).
The put-upon and timeworn 'Mattie Appleyard' in Davis Grubb's 'Fool's
Parade' arguably stands alone at one with Stewart's wulla-wulla-wullas,
tho' we also have the strange distraction of a fake glass eye ('Tige')
to account for.
I think 'George Bailey' should've just jumped, if only to avoid hearing
his treacly kid at the end. Anyone ever notice that ''Independence Day''
ends the 'same' as "It's a Wonderful Life"? YEE-UKH!
The best part of "Harvey" (1950) are the scenes with Jesse White &
'Myrtle Mae' (Victoria Horne).
But then I inevitably identify with the marginal within the marginal.
I'll choose my own favorite misfits, thank you.
And the old broad, Josephine Hull, (another player from 'Arsenic'),
is okay fun. Tho' all the faux hysteria is trying. It's not a hilarious
film, to me.
Even Stewart is said to've opined that he should have played his own
character, Elwood, more darkly. (Or how about not at all?). You 'can't'
get much darker than "Donnie Darko's" 'Frank'. Here's a little beaut of
a matchup shot [evidently created by I-can't-tell-which-guy for a catalog
page shown at http://www.behance.net/gallery/BFI-Mission-statement-
spreads/115739 (I cropped the text block) and used here, in the
Internet tradition, w/out permission].
I'm also not a fan of those hyper-talkative (with overlapping dialogue)
critics' pets like "Front Page" and "Bringing Up Baby". I find them
highly, highly aggravating. And no more 'realistic'. My own mind is wound
up enough already without purposely adding to its discomfort. I don't care
if the leads in such ever get together romantically. I hope they all fall
out a window.
"Arsenic and Old Lace" (1944) was forever ruined by Cary Grant's
ridiculously overplayed manic behavior. It eclipses all the other
characters, who would otherwise be great on their own if they weren't
noisily interrupted by Grant's 'Mortimer' every five seconds.
Allyn Joslyn would've been perfect for it. He actually did perform it
on stage prior to the film, and deserved the part, barring the usual
Hollywood pandering to so called sex appeal.
(Joslyn may be better remembered now as 'Sam Hilliard' the truant
officer on "The Addams Family" TV show, one of a handful of characters
garnering a repeat appearance in another episode.
He also can be enjoyed as one of the errant angels in "The Horn Blows
at Midnight" (1945), paired, coincidentally enough with John Alexander,
'Teddy' in the 'Arsenic' film. {Perhaps they were together in the play?}).
[Another aside: there was a TV version of 'Arsenic' in 1969, which I
watched as a boy. Possibly broadcast only once, with Bob Crane as the
'sane' brother and Fred Gwynne in the 'monstrous' Raymond Massey part].
shot, arm 'n' arm with the same mummer, (the suit at least).
The gals all purty enuff of course, (one an actress I'll save
for another post), but, again, I'm for the rabbit here. Note
his rather unfortuitous, 'carrotty' crease. You won't see that
on the 'real' "Harvey". I think. Tho I haven't checked. I'm
really not into bunny batch.
If you don't like my crude, 'The Commissar Vanishes' style
tinkering, there are still the original versions someplace
online, if you can find them, the Pookas willing, so you can
decide which shots are the most off putting.
