Hawks. The last five years have not been kind to Howard Hawks on my rankings here. He was not just a supervisor as a director. He’s no byproduct and benefactor of an efficient studio system. He worked within it much like John Ford and Alfred Hitchcock though his visual style is nowhere near as ostensible or exceptional and for me that’s critical. The depth of his filmography is probably better than Godard’s or Welles’. I did this thing where I scored each director on my spreadsheet and awarded points for masterpieces, must-see’s and top 10’s. I essentially score their filmographies. Hawks rated out better than several of the directors above him on the list. But, he isn’t the visual master the previous auteurs on this list were and probably isn’t as strong as several that will come after him. Eventually I’ll have more modern directors ahead of Hawks (the real difficult thing is picking which one(s)). But, for now, I have to respect Hawks rhythms (both dialogue and editing), genre work, gender work, and filmography. One would be very lucky to be stuck on a desert island (relatively) with all of Howard Hawks movies.
Best film: The Big Sleep I don’t feel extremely confident about this though – not that it’s not a worthy film. It’s my #100 film and I have three other Hawks’ films between 100-171 and 2 others within 11 slots of Big Sleep (Bringing Up Baby and Rio Bravo). Needless to say it’s very close.
total archiveable films: 20
top 100 films: 1
top 500 films: 6 (The Big Sleep, Bringing Up Baby, Rio Bravo, Red River, His Girl Friday, To Have and Have Not)
top 100 films of the decade: 9 (Bringing Up Baby, Only Angels Have Wings, Scarface, The Big Sleep, Red River, His Girl Friday, To Have and Have Not, Sergeant York, Rio Bravo)
most overrated: Hatari! is the #544 on TSPDT – a good film but it’s not Hawks’ 8th best film as TSPDT would have you believe. I’m a little shocked to see it on the top 1000 to be honest but I haven’t seen it since the VHS days so perhaps I’m missing something on this one.
most underrated: The Big Sleep is #296 on TSPDT and I have it at #100 on the dot. I dare you to pick 295 better movies like TSPDT does. It’s one of the best purely engaging narratives (even if it’s unfollowable), a Mount Rushmore film noir, and one of Bogart’s best performance.
gem I want to spotlight: Scarface– if you haven’t seen it check out it out and really pay attention to the opening as it will blow you away. Clearly the best of the early 1930’s landmark gangster films (including Edgar G Robinson’s Little Caesar in 1930 and 1931’s The Public Enemy with Cagney).
stylistic innovations/traits: Papers and books have justifiably been written about the male bonding relationships, strong females and fast pacing in Hawks’ films. Amazing work. Look at how important Hawks was to film genres. His top 10 includes: two film noirs, two screwball comedies, two westerns, two war movies, a sci-fi movie, a gangster movie. All of them are considered amongst the very best of their genre or the very best. The rest of his filmography includes a great prison film (The Criminal Code-1931), a desert epic (Land of the Pharaohs), and an African safari film(Hatari!). He also gave us some of the very best performances/films from Bogart, Wayne, Marilyn Monroe, Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Gary Cooper, Dean Martin, Montgomery Clift, Lauren Bacall.
top 10
- The Big Sleep
- Bringing Up Baby
- Rio Bravo
- Red River
- His Girl Friday
- To Have and Have Not
- Only Angels Have Wings
- Scarface
- The Thing
- Sergeant York
By year and grades
| 1931- The Criminal Code | R |
| 1932- Scarface | HR |
| 1934- Twentieth Century | R/HR |
| 1936- Ceiling Zero | |
| 1938- Bringing Up Baby | MP |
| 1939- Only Angels Have Wings | HR/MS |
| 1940- His Girl Friday | MP |
| 1941- Ball of Fire | R |
| 1941- Sergeant York | HR |
| 1943- Air Force | R |
| 1944- To Have and Have Not | MS |
| 1946- The Big Sleep | MP |
| 1948- Red River | MP |
| 1951- The Thing | HR |
| 1952- The Big Sky | R |
| 1953- Gentlemen Prefer Blondes | R |
| 1955- Land of the Pharaohs | R |
| 1959- Rio Bravo | MP |
| 1962- Hatari! | R |
| 1967- El Dorado |
*MP is Masterpiece- top 1-3 quality of the year film
MS is Must-see- top 5-6 quality of the year film
HR is Highly Recommend- top 10 quality of the year film
R is Recommend- outside the top 10 of the year quality film but still in the archives
D.W.Griffith asked me earlier to share my thoughts once I had seen Red River for the first time, which I have now done. Here we go:
This is a phenomenal film. We have superb work from actors Wayne, Clift, and more; solid editing and camera movement; a script with some wonderful moments; many beautiful Western shots; and a consistently creative and steady directorial vision from Hawks.
Wayne was obviously much younger than Tom Dunson for the majority of the narrative, but he is thoroughly believable as the ill-tempered old cattle rancher. I think the Duke was born to grow older, perhaps similarly to William Holden, Bette Davis, Gloria Swanson, Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, and others although this is a highly subjective idea. Clift’s performance style – although his character may be considered similar to Wayne’s in certain ways – is in complete contrast to other actors of the era. He would have better belonged, perhaps, as a New Wave actor in the line of Belmondo or Dustin Hoffman. How many movies can be logically suggested that have multiple performances at this level of greatness? I can think of many with a possibility, but few that I am certain can stand up to Red River in this respect.
Wayne and Clift are given a major advantage for their roles by the tight and engaging narrative. I suppose that an unskilled writer would have trouble creating such action and tension throughout a simple movement of cows on flat terrain.
In my opinion, the scene just as the cattle drive is beginning is Hawks most triumphant directorial moment. We have a slow, contemplative panning wide shot across the herd of cows and Dunson, perhaps reminiscent of Tarkovsky’s assured camera movement to come later on, and then a quick-cut montage of the workers whooping affirmations. From then on, we are granted an increasing number of breathtaking compositional moments involving the large herd, the characters, and the terrain. Man, this film must have had more extras than almost any other at that point, except they are all cows haha. I truly wonder how all of the animals were kept in check with wherever Hawks desired they go for each scene. Within the plot, I’m quite shocked the ranchers were able to successfully inspire them all to trudge across the river.
After the drive begins, we experience a sufficient amount of nice scenes, especially the stampede, until we reach the vital confrontation on the far side of the river. This standoff including the returning deserters and the sudden shift in control from Wayne to Clift is an extremely memorable narrative moment. We later meet Tess Millay, the type of engrossing female character that in effect never occurred throughout the Golden Age besides here and in a few noirs. There is a gorgeous scene in the foggy evening between her and Clift. However, Hawks has not discarded Wayne; at this point, he allows him back into the spotlight. Apparently, even John Ford was stunned the classic Western star could act so well. The final confrontation between the two protagonists is generally exceptional, although I feel that the very end may have been a bit too positive for the story. There was no catch or defeat in the happily-ever-after finale.
I think this may be the best of the Howard Hawks films I have seen thus far – admitted only three. I began a conversation recently about auteurs who have multiple great films that may be considered their very best. I cannot remember if Hawks was mentioned there, but he should have been. The Big Sleep is well-done, but the plot is simply too bewildering, and I prefer the visual style of a few other film noir movies, such as The Third Man and Out of the Past. Bringing Up Baby is one of the very top choices among the most entertaining films ever crafted, and Hepburn verbally sparring with Grant their is so absorbing to watch, but the stylistic mastery is more prevalent here. Red River is one of the greatest Western films.
The short version of the above comment for lazy people:
Red River is very good. Both actors are very good. The greatest stylistic moment is the beginning of the cattle drive, while the greatest narrative moment is the confrontation at the river where the power shifts from Wayne to Clift. There are really a lot of cows. There are many nice shots, especially those involving the herd, terrain, and people, as well as a scene in fog. The climax is great, although the ending is too happy. This may be the best Hawks film.
@Graham– thank you very much for sharing this- great work!
You make an interesting point about the Desert Island concept
The variety of Hawk’s movies, particularly his masterpieces makes his filmography a pretty
great candidate for the director whose filmography you would want if you were stranded on an Island
If you could pick just one director to have their entire filmography for the rest of your life who would you pick?
@James Trapp- Anxious to hear what others say– and of course I hope this never happens to any of us- haha. It is hard for me to think about doing WITHOUT so many of these. If forced to pick it would have to be someone prolific- so as much as I love Dreyer, Tarkovsky, Leone– I need more just overall films.
Hawks would be on my short list because of the depth and variation. Bergman is just so unrelenting. I think I’d have to skip him (though his body of work is so impressive). Woody Allen is right there- a massive filmography, masterpieces, and I love to laugh. My recent Kurosawa study has given me real pause here when getting to his name. I think it would be down to Scorsese, Kubrick or Hitchcock. I’ll take the variety in Scorsese’s work over Hitchcock and the sheer # of films advantage of Scorsese over Kubrick (24 to 12 in the archives so literally double). My answer is Scorsese.
I think there are 4 major elements to consider:
1. Sheer quantity or number of high quality films
2. Versatility/Variety – many forms of this in terms of Genre, tone, subject
matter, pacing, cinematography, etc.
3. Rewatchability
4. Quality of course
I also love Tarkovsky and Leone but there just aren’t enough movies and with Tarkovsky there isn’t nearly as much variety as many other top tier directors which isn’t to say that all his movies are the same of course just that the serious tone and slow pacing are very similar
Kurosawa would be one of my top choices as he has 30 movies, obviously insanely great in quality but also more variety than I think he gets credit for as too many people think of him as a director of Samurai movies when he has many other great movies, his movies also have lighter moments and underrated humor and vary in tone/mood (for example The Hidden Fortress is a Samurai movie but much lighter than say Throne of Blood) so Kurosawa is near the top of my list
Spielberg is up there as well even if he isn’t as great a director as some of the all time all time greats, like top 15 guys, but you get such great variety with him (Raiders of the Lost Ark, ET, Jaws, Schindler’s List, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, etc.)
Howard Hawks is one of my top choices
But ultimately I’m with you, it’s got to be Scorsese. He hits all 4 Categories and his Variety is underrated, he has far less gangster movies than most people think, he has it all Historical movies (Silence, Gangs of New York, Aviator) obviously gangster movies, thrillers (Cape Fear, Shutter Island) documentaries (many music related) even children movies! (Hugo) and Comedies (After Hours, Wolf of Wall Street, King of Comedy) you just cannot go wrong with Scorsese
Drake. Why was my comment deleted?
@Aldo- you said I changed my mind and I hadn’t. Last year I said Hitchcock would “be right there with 4-5 others…” and then mentioned the Coen Brothers, Woody and Scorsese.
For me, there’d be no going wrong if I selected Hitchcock, Kurosawa, Hawks, Scorsese, Allen or Ford. I think it is assumed that a director with many movies to their name would be a more life-sustaining choice. Bergman and Ozu have large and outstanding filmographies, but they may not be entertaining enough to sustain a lifetime. It would also be wise not to choose a director with heavy or unappealing themes (Scorsese may have these in some films, but others are more entertaining and lighter). A set of solely comedic films might wear off in humor after repeated viewings (Allen has mostly comedy movies, but there are some that are more dramatic).
François Truffaut has to be another great choice
His entire Antoine Doinel is superb, obviously only the 400 Blows is an all time great but the series as a whole is highly entertaining
He has in my opinion 4 masterpieces:
The 400 Blows
Shoot the Piano Player
Jules and Jim
Day for Night
Solid Quantity with about 20 feature films, not as many as some of the other greats but still respectable
And he has great variety between autobiographic (Antoine Doinel series), gangster/film noir (Shoot the Piano Player, The Woman Next Door, Confidentially Yours) Romance and Comedies which were his bread and butter, and movies that are tough to categorize (The Wild Child)
His movies are highly rewatchable and they strike a nice balance between serious and light heartiness/humor which I think is very important as going too far one way is a weakness as far as Desert Island goes
I often put on a movie when I am trying to sleep at night as I’m one of those people who actually finds it harder to sleep with complete silence and darkness. Funny enough The Big Sleep has been one of my go to movies to fall asleep too which may sound like an insult but it’s not. It’s simply one of those movies that you can just start watching at any given point and enjoy like The Departed (2006) or American Psycho (2000). The plot is so arbitrary (a big part of its brilliance) that it does not really matter.
Maybe there is some correlation between The Big Sleep helping you fall asleep and the fact that it is called The Big SLEEP, haha.
@Graham – yeah, corny I know. The meaning of The Big Sleep is actually referring to death. It’s famous for its convoluted plot which apparently even the author of the source material couldn’t adequately explain when he was asked about one of the characters deaths. My point in the initial post was simply that its precisely for this reason that it makes for a great movie to watch while falling asleep, you don’t really need to follow the plot since its secondary in importance to the noir atmosphere and watching Humphrey Bogart be Humphrey Bogart and watching Lauren Bacall be Lauren Bacall.
Red River is such a terrific film. If it is to be regarded as a Mutiny on the Bounty film, I think it is vastly superior to the 1935 best picture winner (I have yet to see the 1933, 1962 and 1984 versions) I believe Wayne’s Bligh (Dunson) is superior to Laughton’s because he is both menacing/ruthless and sympathetic/humane, while Laughton’s was just the former. Clift’s Fletcher Christian (Garth) is superior to Gable’s because his acting actually depicts the character’s moral conflict (not to mention the naturalism). I say this in spite of my being a fan of both Laughton and Gable. Also, Hawks direction is much more impressive than Frank Lloyd’s, with the start of the cattle drive as a particular highlight. The ending is a shame, but the psychological drama leading up to it is so well executed that it stands as one of the best westerns ever made.
To add to what I wrote, I of course acknowledge that the film has several flaws, and the ending nearly ruined it for me, but like The Searchers, I think its high points are as high or higher than those in any other western. The performances in particular make it a must see.
@Max- great work here. Thank you for sharing
I wholeheartedly agree with the masterpiece status of His Girl Friday. It manages to succeed both as a hilarious satire of journalistic and government corruption, an honest depiction of the tragic consequences thereof, and an equally hilarious comedy of marriage and gender roles. It’s endlessly quotable and rewatchable. One of my favorites.
Let’s rank performances in Hawks films because I’m bored:
1. Rosalind Russell, His Girl Friday
2. Katharine Hepburn, Bringing Up Baby
3 John Wayne, Red River
4. Cary Grant, Bringing Up Baby
5 Montgomery Clift, Red River
6 Humphrey Bogart, The Big Sleep
7 Dean Martin, Rio Bravo
8 Cary Grant, His Girl Friday
9.John Barrymore, Twentieth Century (This one’s so underrated, he’s over the top as always, but this time it’s for comedic effect and it works)
10 Carole Lombard, Twentieth Century
@Drake- would you say that Hawks is the best (highest rated) style minus director?
@RujK- I would say yes here
Hey guys,
Could anyone recommend a good place to start with Howard Hawks? I’ve watched The Thing From Another World and that’s it.
I don’t want to start with the big ones already – as I understand, Rio Bravo, The Big Sleep, His Girl Friday are all great films and perhaps his most popular work.
I’ve thought about watching his films chronologically, but I’m not sure whether that’s a good idea or not.
Someone just give me a direction, please
@Gabriel Paes- I usually recommend either going in order from best to worst (if you are limited by time or only plan on seeing a few to start with) or going in chronological order. This is Hawks so there aren’t like really opaque “difficult” films and “easier” ones if that’s what you’re worried about.
Bringing Up Baby hilarious, great, and one of his earlier notable movies. It’s a great place to start.
Great. Thanks guys. Might start with Bringing Up Baby.
I was doing a John Carpenter study and he’s always saying how big of a Hawks fan he is, so I feel obliged to check out Hawks’s work, haha. I also saw an interview with Tarantino, where he said Hawks is the greatest storyteller in the history of cinema.
@Gabriel Paes – Just saw Bringing Up Baby for the 1st time a couple of days ago. This is a fabulous film, I am already looking forward to a rewatch. I am a huge Hawks fan in general, he is one of my top 5 “desert island” directors due to his combination of quantity and variety. I mean you have so much great genre work to pick from; westerns, film noir, screwball comedies, gangster, etc.
If you are doing a chronological study I think it would be a mistake to skip Scarface (1932) as it is not only a great film but in many ways a landmark film as one of the first gangster films along with Little Caesar (1931) and The Public Enemy (1931). It has some obvious plot similarities with the De Palma/Pacino Scarface (1983) but is quite different overall.
Hey James, just saw your comment now.
Yeah, I’m definitely going to start with Bringing Up Baby. And don’t worry, I won’t skip Scarface when I start my Hawks marathon.
You being this big Hawks fan and I being this guy that only saw one Hawks film (THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD) and one that’s not even oficially directed by him – although I heard he co-directed it -, I have a question for you. What do you think about Hawks’s The Thing? Because I really loved it, even though Carpenter’s remake still gets the edge for me.
And NO, it has absolutely nothing to do with the monster in Hawks’s one. That monster is GLORIOUS!
@Gabriel Paes – I actually have not seen that one yet. Look forward to checking it out.
I haven’t seen much of Hawks’ work, but (considering that he is not a style plus director) is there any other movie of his that is more stylistically audacious than Scarface? Because everything, from the tour de force of the opening to the famous usage of crosses, I can’t think of any other of his movies so filled up with pure style.
@RujK- That is a good note- I do not think so.
I was about to comment something along these lines myself. It seems like early in his career he was trying to be as stylistically brazen as possible, and show off what he was capable of before settling into a much subtler directorial fashion.
The way I wrote this makes it seem like I prefer his later style, I don’t; I think Scarface is his greatest achievement from a purely directorial standpoint, even if it’s not his best film overall.
The Criminal Code R
Scarface HR
Twentieth Century R
Ceiling Zero —
Bringing Up Baby MS
Only Angels Have Wings HR
His Girl Friday MS
Ball of Fire R
Sergeant York R
Air Force —
To Have and Have Not R
The Big Sleep MS
Red River MS
The Thing R
The Big Sky —
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes R
Land of the Pharaohs —
Rio Bravo MP
Hatari! R
El Dorado HR
My ranking of Hawks` films that I`ve seen:
1. Rio Bravo MP
2. Red River MP
3. The Big Sleep MP
4. Bringing Up Baby MP
5. His Girl Friday MP
(these could all be his number one in my opinion)
6. Scarface: The Shame of a Nation MS
7. To Have and Have Not MS
8. Only Angels Have Wings MS
9. Sergeant York HR
10. Twentieth Century R/HR
11. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes R/HR
12. Ball of Fire R
13. Come and Get It R
14. The Criminal Code R
20 Best Performances
1. Wayne- Red River
2. Grant- Bringing Up Baby
3. Hepburn- Bringing Up Baby
4. Bogart- The Big Sleep
5. Russell- His Girl Friday
6. Muni-Scarface
7. Clift- Red River
8. Bacall- To Have and Have Not
9. Grant- His Girl Friday
10. Martin- Rio Bravo
11. Bogart- To Have and Have Not
12. Grant- Only Angels Have Wings
13. Arthur- Only Angels Have Wings
14. Wayne- Rio Bravo
15. Bacall- The Big Sleep
16. Barrymore- Twentieth Century
17. Cooper- Sergeant York
18. Mitchell- Only Angels Have Wings
19. Dickinson- Rio Bravo
20. Arnold- Come and Get It
@RujK – Good stuff, I have not done a full on Hawks study but have seen all of your top 9.
MP
1. The Big Sleep
2. Red River
3. Rio Bravo
4. Bringing up Baby
MS
5. Scarface
6. Angels Have Wings
7. His Girl Friday
HR
8. To Have and Have Not
9. Sergeant York
I agree that the top 4 is interchangable
I have only seen His Girl Friday (1940) and To Have and Have Not (1944) one time each
@James Trapp- I just think that His Girl Friday is more or less on the same level as Bringing Up Baby. The comedic writing is in both films perfect, maybe the two central performances are not as good as in BUB, but the film compensates with some superb visuals that were far from present in BUB.
For To Have and Have Not I would say it is a very weak MS, but MS nonetheless. It should be my number 8 and not 7, my mistake.
@RujK – Will definitely need a 2nd viewing of both of those films. Cary Grant has become my favorite actor other than Bogart of that era so look forward to rewatches of both of those films given that they feature Grant and Bogart.
Drake,
I noticed that The Thing (1951) was directed by Christian Nyby according to a couple of sources.
Just curious as to why it’s on the page?
@James Trapp- Good question- some would have this off Hawks’ list, but it is somewhat widely recognized that Howard Hawks really directed The Thing but let Christian Nyby take credit.
@Drake, interesting I think I will keep it on my list in that case, just started a Hawks Study
@James Trapp- I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. And if you want to study John Carpenter at some point (if you haven’t already) you cannot talk Carpenter without talking about Hawks and obviously this film is a fun one to compare and contrast.
Scarface (1932)
Notes:
Starts with low angle shot of streetlight and intersecting street signs with emphasis on the X shape
Choice tracking shot to start after zooming out of streetlight
4:45 great use of shadow to show unseen assassin kill Louis off screen before showing Louis lying on floor
7:35 first shot of Paul Muni playing the films main character, Tony who has X shaped scar on left side of face
Chicago setting with prohibition serving as the backdrop for the story
13:55 Tony’s boss Lovo and girlfriend Poppy introduced
18:48 Tony is protective of his sister similar to De Palma version and his mother is ashamed of him being a criminal
21:44 Tony’s friend Rinaldo played by George Raft is smitten with Tony’s sister
22:50 pan across the room in Louis (now deceased) office, everyone smoking cigarettes
26:48 Tony and gang riding around shooting and blowing up establishments that won’t buy their booze
28:40 great mise-en-scene at hospital with X on window of room and shadow of assassin on wall before shooting
28:58 creative exposition using rapid gun fires along with calendar flipping
43 min drive by shooting of bar Tony’s at with Poppy
44:52 frame with frame using shots through windows
46:38 POV from inside car
47:53 maybe best shot of film with high angle shot above X shaped streets signs following drive by shooting
48 min features one of strongest sequences with a row of X’s followed by a mass execution where victims seen only as shadows as they go down one by one
56:30 this version of Tony is much more gregarious than Tony Montana who is quite anti-social, this Tony enjoys hanging with his crew, going out to shows, etc.
57:49 X or a strike at bowling alley, great use of foreshadowing
58:42 dissolve edits from light up sign to nightclub
59:59 Tony and Lovo both reach across table when Poppy needs match for cigarette, Poppy chooses Tony
1:12:10 effective close up on Tony’s menacing face following his realization that his boss put a hit out on him, great suspense throughout this scene as tension builds leading to inevitable outcome
1:15:50 The World Is Yours Sign
1:19:33 piano used as frame
1:21:05 off screen murder of Tony’s right man Guino for his relationship to Tony’s sister
1:23:55 X on wall foreshowing final showdown
1:28:44 Tony and Sister barricaded in apartment by police
Film ends the only way a film like this can end
1:31:10 great use of smoke as Tony’s life is near the end
1:33:00 Frame resembling an Iris shot upon Tony making a run for it as he’s shot to death and camera pans to World Is Your Sign
Thoughts:
Compared to De Palma version this is more of a “cops vs robbers” film but much of the story is similar including the relationship between Tony and his boss and his bosses girlfriend and Tony’s relationship to his mother and sister
I love the using of X to indicate murders throughout the film
The opening 5 or 6 minutes is incredible camera work with the tracking shot and murder of Louis
This is very impressive stuff, one minor complaint is the overt attempts to make this a “message movie” about how gangsters are destroying the country, I don’t have a problem with a movie having a message just as much as I don’t have a problem with a movie not having a message, but here its so on the nose
Lean at just 93 min (the De Palma version is 170 min) with no unnecessary scenes
Great camera work, compelling narrative, great action, and depiction of the violence in the Chicago Gang Wars
Verdict: MS
Twentieth Century (1934)
Notes:
Starts with shot of outside of theatre before rehearsals
Oscar Jaffe as theatre owner
8:45 long and drawn-out rehearsal of a scene
10 min low angle shots used frequently so far on the stage
14 min effective close up shot on Jaffe’s face upon discovering the potential of model turned actress Mildred Plotka with stage name Lily Garland
15:56 close up on Jaffe’s hand holding pin right before Lily screams
16:32 a strong overhead shot of performance with audience clapping
16:38 curtains used to create frame in frame of Lily
24:31 strong shot of simple yet tastefully decorated apartment, and Jaffe standing back to Lily
28:38 letter as exposition
32:08 Jaffe has a mental breakdown and is enraged at seeing Lily’s success as he throws paint onto promotional signs and parades around stage screaming like a madman
36:44 another wipe edit, this has been the dominant editing style so far
49 min Jaffe learns Lily is on train
53 min low angle shot of outside of train
58:44 Jaffe’s physical acting is crucial with the face ticks and flailing of the arms, etc.
1:03:20 love triangle literally with Lily standing in the middle in all white with the two men, Lily’s new boyfriend and Jaffe both wearing all black
1:07:32 Jaffe and Lily on opposite sides of frame looking other way
1:11:59 effective close up on Lily who is amused by Jaffe but seems happy to be in same room
1:23:56 gun for dramatic effect
1:25:30 the energy never lets up
1:30:00 bittersweet ending as Jaffe ends up the same overcontrolling play director from the beginning of the film
Thoughts:
Hawks first of several screwball comedies, a genre I am a relative newbie on
The performances make this a fun viewing
There are some strong overhead shots early in the film but overall this film does not have a lot of breath-taking shots
Wipe edits used throughout the film
Energetic performances and funny scenarios make this a highly watchable 90 min, happy it did not go past this
Verdict: R
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Notes:
Starts with a long shot of Cary Grant as David Huxley, a paleontologist, working in Museum of Natural History and sitting near the top of a Brontosaurus which is missing one bone for completion, in this shot David seems in deep thought and oblivious to the presence of Alice and a co-worker
Grant’s character is a much different Cary Grant than I have seen before, here he is NOT smooth and certainly not a ladies man but rather meek and a bit of a pushover
1:43 great set piece with shot of Grant sitting just underneath the head of Brontosaurus and looking deep in thought with a zoom in
2:35 David’s uptight fiancée Alice is set up as the complete opposite as Susan
6 min Katharine Hepburn as Susan Vance makes her entrance as an Agent of Chaos as she hijacks David’s meeting with a potential Museum donator named Mr. Peabody
9:08 min Susan and David driving away in a car from golf course as David yells to Mr. Peabody that he will be back in a minute
17:13 Ritz Plaza David again forced by Susan to leave location while David yells to Mr. Peabody about talking to him later
23:10 leopard moves into foreground
24 min slapstick humor with Susan tripping
29:25 great framing in vehicle using car rearview window and the Leopard who they have named Baby in the back seat
37:50 Grant in the white robe is hilarious
39:44 nice composition with Susan and her aunt talking about David who is sitting meekly to the bottom left of the frame looking ashamed while Susan towers over him in right side of frame
41:48 dog running off with Bone great continuation of the films chaos
50:22 frame in frame shot using window
55:08 low angle shot of David following dog
1:02:10 Susan almost always is dressed in white, which is a contrast to Alice, his uptight fiancé
1:06:37 more slapstick comedy as David and Susan wander through the bushes looking for Baby and the dog who is named George
1:10:40 dissolve edit to Circus
1:13:18 nice composition in foreground but out of line of vision from David and Susan
1:18:18 tree creates frame in frame
1:21:40 David in prison cell followed by pan to Susan in adjacent prison cell
1:29:00 series of close-up shots as David and Susan try to talk way out
1:33:50 Alice seen for 1st time since early in film
1:34:50 good blocking as everyone gathered in jailhouse attempting to understand David’s story
1:36:06 leopard dragged by Susan; film is full of these bizarre images
1:38:38 great frame in frame using bones as film as film is back to the same room it opened
1:39:09 long shot resembling opening shot of film
1:40:42 Susan rocking back and forth in synch with David
1:41:18 great shot of Brontosaurus collapsing
Thoughts:
Hawks wastes no time here getting into this breathtaking film which moves from one hilarious scenario to the next, the two lead characters are constantly on the move, rarely siting or standing in one place very long
Katharine Hepburn plays a ultimate “Agent of Chaos” disrupting the life of David (Grant)
This is a physical performance for both Grant and Hepburn with frequent slapstick comedy which works perfectly for an awkward character
I’ve read that the animals in the film particularly the leopard are a representation for embracing animalistic sexuality or wild sexual emotions let loose within an uptight and ordered society with Susan encouraging David to embrace these natural human feelings from the repressed and sensible David while his fiancée Alice as a representation for the repressed society; I like this reading of the film not that it needs any message, but this seems to fit the story, also worth mentioning that the “Hays Code” era lasted from 1934 to 1968 and thus includes this film which was released in 1938 therefore relied heavily on innuendo
This is the quintessential Screwball Comedy as Double Indemnity is the quintessential Film Noir
Verdict: MP
Only Angels Have Wings (1939)
Notes:
Starts with images of boat moving through a thick layer of fog near the Port of South American town followed by images of bananas carried to the boat
1:42 nice use of frame
3:20 Jean Arthur as Bonnie Lee walks by 2 American men working as pilots setting story in motion
4:40 good use of close-up and medium shots to show Bonnie eagerly adapting into this new environment
7:45 medium shot of Bonnie positioned in middle of triangle flanked by 2 men competing for the attention of Bonnie
10:30 Grant makes his 1st appearance as Geoff Carter, the boss of their operation
14 min close up shot on Bonnie upon watching plane successfully leave the ground followed by close up on Geoff
14:40 medium shots of plane gliding through the fog
20:27 quick close-up with shaky camera during crash scene
28 min close up shots inside bar/restaurant create intimate environment
35 min noticeable silence for 1st time in film after Geoff and Bonnie only 2 people left in bar late into the night
40:33 dissolve edits from Bonnie to bar to Geoff getting on plane
43:10 Geoff and Bonnie in frame on opposite sides with Geoff wearing dark suit and Bonnie wearing light colored clothing similar to Grant and Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby
48:48 Richard Barthelmess makes entrance as Bat MacPherson, a man who is blamed for the death of The Kids brother
51:26 close-up of face of The Kid upon discovering Bat’s presence
The Great Rita Hayworth makes an entrance
57 min The Kid trying to line up rope, creative use of exposition
1:01:10 frequent shots throughout film so far, over Grant’s right shoulder with Grant’s back to viewer
1:03:10 reserve tracking shot of plane
1:05:30 breath taking aerial shots of plane
1:15:20 another great aerial shot, here with Geoff in the descending plane spinning around
1:32:20 similar shot of boat from opening scene only now with heavy rain
1:35:10 heavy rain and thunder upon discovering Geoff planning to take trip, feels like foreshadowing
1:45:11 The Kid and Bat flying together in rough weather
1:46:50 close up shots inside plane during the accident with the plane on fire, creates panicked feeling
1:54:10 Bat finds redemption and earns the respect from Geoff and his crew, having drink together
1:55:02 great composition with frame filled to the brim with crew listening to piano player
2:00:00 brilliant set up with double sided coin
Thoughts:
I don’t think you can seriously call yourself a movie lover if you don’t like this film; romance, humor, intriguing characters creative shots with the camera being put on planes, great storytelling
The film uses a 1.37:1 aspect ratio and many medium shots and close-up shots to create an intimate environment that feels like a sort of dysfunctional family
I noticed many similarities to Casablanca with the focus on a group of American expatriates living a dangerous but exciting lifestyle and Cary Grant’s character Geoff Carter who is quite similar to Bogart’s Rick Blaine only with Geoff he is not bitter like Rick, but he certainly is cynical
Hawks does not use score here, instead uses only diegetic music including street performers, radios, etc. which gives it a naturalistic feeling
Verdict: MS
His Girl Friday (1940)
Notes:
I love the newspaper background during opening credits
Starts with pan of newsroom
1:48 Hildy stands out immediately with the watching stripped dress and hat
Cary Grant again, 3rd and final pairing of Hawks and Grant
5 min to 13 min office scene with dialogue between Walter (Grant) and ex-wife Hildy (Rosalind Russell)
7:50 the writing is great but the acting and direction is crucial with the emphasis on having their movements synchronized with the rapid-fire dialogue
Walter and Hildy with new boyfriend Bruce, whom she is marrying the next day, all go out to lunch together, classic love triangle
19:20 Walter Bruce center of frame face to face with Hildy in foreground with POV from over Hildy’s left shoulder
27 min newspaper men playing poker and smoking cigars, this is a mans world yet Hildy fits in seamlessly
34 min Hildy visiting Earl, a man in prison after killing a police officer, maybe I am off here but I could not help but think the Hildy surrounded by bars and cages of local jail with Hildy being tied down to a Bruce, a nice but boring guy
43:26 Hildy in the center of the frame speaking on phone surrounded by four men, again showing Hildy’s complete confidence in a man’s world
46:08 great composition with Hildy in background with the rest of the newsroom in the foreground looking out the window
47:30 slow pan across empty newsroom
49:10 Hildy showing
52:25 min shot of Bruce with 3 levels of depth
59:59 Earl confronts Hildy with gun in hand
1:01:15 rapid fire conversations with Hildy switching between 2 phones
1:03:58 strong composition in newsroom with Hildy as focus
1:11:00 Hildy’s inevitable break from her boring fiancé is hilarious as Grant and Rosalind continue to talk at record speeds
1:19:52 medium shots with Hildy and newsroom all dressed in dark clothing with Walter standing off to the side in light clothes
1:22:37 Grant’s physical acting is really impressive, control of facial expressions can be hilarious
1:24:50 the handcuffed Hildy and Walter talking down police, Hawks moves from medium shots to close up shots as Walter and Hildy have become acquainted again
Ending credits with newspapers in background like introduction
Thoughts:
Each of the 3 Grant/Hawks collaborations have Grant with a distinct relationship to his love interest
This has some of the best writing of any film, up there with All About Eve with the fast speaking and boundless wit
Slow zoom outs used throughout
Given that so much of the film is set in a couple of locations you would expect some issues yet it manages to feel Cinematic with a combination of great blocking and framing as well as synchronization between Grant and Russell as their movements are matched with their rapid-fire dialogue
Hawks films so far seem to heavily focus on gender norms in society and how men and women co-exist in American society
I think I’m going to need some time to consider this vs Bringing Up Baby as the best Hawks screwball comedy
While it’s not a Hawks film, the Criterion Blu Ray includes a 2nd disc with the 1931 film, The Front Page, directed by Lewis Milestone, look forward to watching it
Verdict: MS/MP
Sergeant York (1941)
Notes:
Begins in a Church with singing congregate
6:38 nice shot of 3 horses lined up perfectly walking with the 3 men riding them singing in unison
15:20 close up shot on 3 faces with Alvin (Gary Cooper)
17:20 bar room ball set to upbeat piano music
21:28 slightly tilted camera on farmland near a hill, a very different environment from other Hawks films I’ve seen so far
32 min impressive composition using deep focus shot using tree branches to create frame in frame
41:06 beautiful shot on hill with sky covering about 80 percent of the frame
42 min editing more rapid for a few shots after the kiss between Alvin and Gracie
46 min frame filled with people attending shooting contest
54:40 beautiful shot of Alvin riding horse in rain along path followed by lightning strike
1:10:38 Alvin getting letter that he is being drafted, the pace in the film is slower than I imagined as I would have expected this scene earlier, but this is not a complaint as I think the first 70 min has set up 2nd half well
1:16:50 culture clash with army member explaining to Alvin the concept of a Subway
Alvin is Conscientious objector
1:22:00 min shooting practice with Alvin showing off his sharpshooting
1:38:33 great shot of men surrounded by a thick layer of smoke during trench warfare
1:40:50 low angle shots of men ambushing from the trenches
1:41:08 great use of framing and high angle shot of approaching men
1:49:37 strong use of frame from Alvin POV
1:51:56 a rare close up shot of Alvin’s face, right after Pusher is killed in battle
2:01:00 very Sgt York awarded metal for bravery
2:02:46 historical footage mixed into film
Thoughts:
Hawks with the 1st biopic I’ve seen from him and 1st war film
I love Walter Brennan, a frequent Hawks collaborator, although he plays a minor role here
I like the lightning strike as metaphor for fate
Biopics can be quite dull and formulaic, but I rather enjoyed this even if I don’t think its one of Hawks best films
There are not many stunning visuals but some of the shots during the storm around the lighting strike were impressive as were some of the shots during the trench warfare
I couldn’t help but notice many similarities with John Ford films, particularly the focus on communities like the film opening during a church congregation and the
Verdict: R
To Have and Have Not (1944)
Notes:
Starts with credits over globe, film is set in 1940
2:50 Bogart and Walter Brennan, this is going to be a fun one
Bogart as Harry Morgan who operates a boat near French Colony Martinique
5:45 shaky camera effective use of POV shot as boat moves through mildly disruptive waters
9:40 wood dock used to frame shot
13:36 Lauren Bacall great introduction scene standing in background with cigarette in mouth asking for a lite with Bogart in foreground, this followed by medium shots of Bogart then Bacall; a love connection is obvious
18:18 Bogart and Bacall positioned near center of frame looking opposite directions
19 min Moves to close up when they lite their cigarettes
24:40 min shoot out breaks out
28 min throughout police interrogation dim lite room resulting in characters with partial shadows over face
33:50 nice tracking shot through night club
44:25 close and medium shots inside room during day, shady deals conducted with Bogart played a far more relaxed not bitter version of Rick from Casablanca
54:14 shot of boat at night through fog followed by POV of land in distance
1:00:35 nice dissolve edits from boat on waters to Bogart and Brennan back on streets
1:13:30 venetian blind shadowing
1:17:00 close up shots throughout the scene shrinking the room as they converse at restaurant, never showing entire table in a shot
1:29:04 Bacall wearing black dress in center of frame singing in smoke filled bar surrounded by musicians wearing white suits
1:34:05 nice composition with Bogart and Bacall 2nd and 4th in row of 4 people both wearing black, Bogart takes command of room
Thoughts:
Apparently, Hawks was close friends with Ernest Hemingway and decided to make Hemingway’s book into a film during a boat trip with Hemingway
A 19-year-old Lauren Bacall makes her 1st appearance, and she is magnetic
Obvious comparisons to Casablanca (obviously not at the same level) with Bogart playing a somewhat similar character although a much milder version
This was my 1st viewing, its been on my list of films to watch for a while now
Verdict: HR
The Big Sleep (1946)
Notes:
Opening credits with great silhouette image of Bogart and Bacall who are back again with Hawks following success of To Have And Have Not
Starts with Bogart playing Private Eye Philip Marlowe, entering mansion to get details for a job
5:25 1st reference to Shawn Regan
6:55 zoom up close up on black mail letters
10:03 Bacall makes entrance as rich girl whose father hired Marlowe
12 min great on-screen chemistry between Marlowe and Vivian “people don’t’ talk to me like that”
13:13 nice use of dissolve edit followed by zoom out
18:18 using window as frame within frame
19:45 use of shadow outlines of criminals who kidnap Carmen, the rich and spoiled sister of Vivian
22:50 hidden camera discovered within statue
26:10 camera pans quickly and unevenly into a frame of Marlowe and Vivian
38:30 door in back of bookstore briefly opened revealing shady activities, this is a sort of motif with shady happening in plain site
46:08 snappy dialogue “you take chances Marlowe” “I get paid too”
49:49 Vivian and Agnes enter the screen from behind the curtains, the layers continually add up
52:10 another exchange where guns switch hands
56:39 repeat walk to door and use of shadows, this time leading to chase scene
57:38 car window used as frame in closeup shot of Marlowe
1:01:00 tracking shot of Vivian entering club and walking to bar to meet Marlowe
1:02:33 characters in club, one of the staples in Noir
1:07:37 nice use of doorway frame as Marlowe and her sister watch Vivian singing in club
1:12:36 dissolve edit of Marlowe leaving club
1:14:05 Marlowe watches Vivian confronted and robbed through a car window frame after leaving casino with money
1:17:42 close up and medium shots of Carmen, Hawks uses many close and medium shots in this film as everything is through the perspective of Bogart
1:23:04 a fight in alley on a very foggy night, could this be more noir?
1:23:30 silhouette image becomes the Elisha Cook Jr. character Harry Jones
1:28:00 min Marlowe surveillances with shadows
1:41:51 Marlowe brilliant move to get gun
1:42:35 great deep focus silhouette image through window
1:44:35 close up shots inside car giving Bogart and Bacall intimate connect
1:47:18 starting around here Bogart and Bacall sit in middle of frame in dark room, the next couple of minutes have numerous choice noir shots of characters in dark quarters and dimly lit rooms
1:51:31 another reference to “how’s it done in the movies” very meta
1:53:00 camera zooming in on Bogart and Bacall standing in middle of dark room with the darkness used as a frame
Thoughts:
An all timer of a noir, my personal top 5 in no particular order; Double Indemnity (1944), The Big Sleep (1946), Chinatown (1974), Touch of Evil (1958), and In a Lonely Place (1950), although the Robert Siodmak version of The Killers (1946), Out of the Past (1947), and Altman’s The Long Goodbye (1973) are not all that far behind
The story is famously convoluted to the point where the screenwriter couldn’t even answer questions about parts of the plot, and yet this does not hurt the film. On the contrary you could even argue that this even improves it in the sense that the films greatest strength, which its use of mood and atmosphere drive the film forward similar to Hitchcock’s North by Northwest (1959)
The strength of this film lies in the way Hawks blends all the great noir tropes together
Many similarities with Maltese Falcon (1941) which is an amazing film, but I think The Big Sleep is superior although Bogart’s Sam Spade might be the ever so slightly better character (it’s certainly close)
Hawks uses many close and medium shots in this film which is fitting as everything is through the perspective of Bogart’s Philip Marlowe, similar to Jack Nicolson’s JJ Gittes in Chinatown. The entire film we (the audience) are along for the ride as Marlowe goes through a nonstop avalanche of fighting on villains, tricking and being tricked by people all the while the non-sentimental love story slowly brews
There are a few fight scenes that are hilariously dated but they are more funny than anything else, these types of scenes might bother some people, but I don’t really care as the damage they do its extremely minimal
Verdict: MP
@James Trapp- Great work here James- I’m enjoying reading up on the Hawks’ study as you go
Red River (1948)
Notes:
Starts with herds of cattle crossing open Desert
2:20 Walter Brennan’s glorious voice is great to hear
John Wayne as Thomas Dunson and Walter Brennan as Groot
5:40 makings of an epic with long shot of men and cattle walking through the desert like landscape
7:05 great close up on Dunson staring across the open desert mentally preparing for possible attack
11:15 intro to Matt Garth as a kid, becomes Montgomery Cliff as adult
14 min series of nice silhouette shots
14:40 nice composition with the low angle shot of Groot, Tom, and Matt standing in a row seemingly as equals, nice counterpoint of low angle shot a couple minutes ago with Matt looking up at Tom who is towering over him after knocking him down
20 min dissolve edit takes story forward 14 years with Matt now an adult in his 20s
22:36 mock quick draw between Tom and Matt foreshadowing later events
23:48 grave crosses and cattle in background with Matt and Groot speaking about what Tom’s business “has cost him the only woman he loved”
25:15 Tom instructs a branding of the Cattle to mark them as his stock, high angle shot from Tom POV makes sense here as he views himself as the Boss of the operation
27:56 great blocking with Tom in middle of frame ordering instructions
36:16 gorgeous silhouette shot of Tom on horse
36:36 camera pans 360 showing hundreds of cattle and men ready to go
37:15 “take em to Missouri Matt” followed by famous “yee ha”
48:16 men resting at night with medium and close up shots giving a more intimate feeling to this group of men working hard during day
49:45 cross cutting of events leading to deadly stampede
50:50 combination of low angle shots, shaky camera, and close ups creating a feeling of chaos
57 min Tom and Matt showing another sign of tension after the water argument
58:54 frame filled to the brim with cattle during rainstorm
1:04:31 Tom kills men who try to quit
1:05:48 Shot of Tom sitting myself, Wayne always the stubborn loner
1:08:23 Groot narrates again
1:09:28 nice shot with trees used for frame
1:10:05 close up shots on Tom and Matt having another disagreement
1:11:00 the crossing of the Red River has numerous beautiful compositions, in particular at 1:12:05 with a POV shot from Groot crossing the river
1:13:13 another dissolve edit used to transition to night
1:17:20 Matt finally stands up to Tom who was become homicidal, Tom is often shown in middle of frame by himself while shots of Matt he is usually closer to people
Matt takes over as leader
1:20:57 close up shot on Tom then transitions to shot with Tom in foreground watching the rest of the crew riding away in background
1:24:16 arrow that is determined to be from Apache
1:29:45 shoot out with Apache
1:33:18 shot reserve shot including rare female character who is interested in Matt
1:34:40 beautiful shot with Matt as silhouette walking through fog, looks like a noir style shot
1:39:12 close up shots of Matt and girl named Bess
1:41:56 Tom leading new crew, Tess is coincidently in area and aware of Tom from speaking to Matt
1:50:08 sweeping shot as cattle cross train
1:51:13 dissolve edit to Matt riding way in front
1:55:50 frame filled with cattle
2:00:20 great shot of Tom arriving with new crew in background of shot then a transition to a low angle close up of Tom on his horse arriving at town
2:03:25 showdown between Tom and Matt with Matt taking beating before punching back
The ending is quite silly but apparently Hawks did not want it and was overpowered by the studio
Thoughts:
This has both elements of a coming-of-age story with the relationship between Tom and Matt and a buddy movie with relationship between Tom and Groot
Hawks isn’t a visual master like many other great auteurs, but this might be his strongest film visually, some gorgeous shots of landscape and the sheer volume of men and cattle traveling through desert, filling frames to the brim with cattle, use of distance framing shots as Tom is frequently alone in frames or in the foreground with others in background, as a counterpoint Matt shares frames more often and is not usually isolated from the crew
The “take em to Missouri Matt” is one of my favorite scenes from any film, I love that Bogdanovich uses it in “The Last Picture Show” makes sense given his love for Hawks
The narrative maintains tension as Tom and Matt start to clash leading to their inevitable confrontation
Character study with Wayne playing his usual determined, suborn, leader who carries himself in a similar manner to other roles like The Searchers and Liberty Valance to name a couple, and like the Searchers Wayne actually becomes the films Villain briefly when he declares war on Matt just as Ethan declares he will kill Debby
This is a damn near perfect film except for the ending but I can forgive it, it is either Hawks best or 2nd best film of the study so far with The Big Sleep
Verdict: MP
The Thing or The Thing from Another World (1951)
Notes:
Starts in Alaska with journalist inside of building with Alaska Air Command
5:40 Hawks again exploring culture of pilots and airplanes
7:55 dissolve edit used showing airplane flying over relatively uninhabited land
11 min Hawksian woman, I only learned of this word recently, but it basically is a highly confident woman who speaks her mind (and often a fast speaker) and has no problem challenging traditional gender roles for the time
16:21 overhead shot
17:31 silhouette image of men and dogs crossing open landscape with snow stretching for miles
23:02 chaos with multiple explosions and brief mysterious score
25:13 close up shots in back of airplane with crew and dogs packed into tight space
39:43 dissolve edit followed by another shortly after
40:11 shadow of Monster, about halfway into movie
42:40 snow and cold weather is crucial to atmosphere
50 min slow zoom in on crew
53:45 scientist wants to communicate with monster/alien while crew wants to handle in a more physical way, reminds me of Arrival (2016)
54:24 nice composition with plane in foreground and crew in their protective suits move in on Cabin
1:07:25 brutal landscape/weather serves as sort of character here
1:10:26 first time seeing monster/alien, 70 min into 86 min film
1:11:06 pan across room as fire blazes
1:18:14 medium and close up shots in crowded cabin create feeling of being trapped
1:20:20 inevitable show down with The Thing
1:22:06 great image of The Thing de combusting, bolts of lightning like energy
Thoughts:
While Hawks is not actually listed as the director here, I decided to include this film anyways; from what I have read he is considered to be sort of the de facto director even if Christian Nyby is technically listed as the film’s director
Some great shots of planes in sky and overhead shots of landscape below
This has many of Hawks calling cards; male bonding, strong willed female character (albeit smaller role than other Hawks films), adventure like atmosphere, etc.
Solid effort but far from spectacular
Verdict: R
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
Notes:
Starts in action with Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe singing on stage, both in red dresses and red shoes
3:05 back to stage, heavy use of brilliant red and dark blue
8 min the Men’s Olympic Team in royal blue jackets
12:08 use of door as frame in frame
14 min red and blue are dominating film so far
18:50 dissolve edit from outside of ship to inside continues the color themes
21:07 Jane Russell surrounded by Olympic Men’s Team in close up shot
28:35 optical illusion diamond
39 min frames shot of Monroe dancing using window as frame
40:55 composition uses Russell’s face in background using circular window
44:00 dissolve edit
46:24 a little boy to Marilyn Monroe “you have a lot of animal magnetism”
57:56 a montage of Russell and Monroe shopping in France
58:35 Hawks continues with using dissolve edits
1:08:50 chandelier candles with high angle shots and an all-red background
1:10:30 Monroe in pink dress surrounded by about 10 men while she sings “Diamonds are a girls best friend”
1:14:18 zoom out and rapid curtain closing
1:21:14 continuation of “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” in hilarious courtroom scene
1:29:44 a couple of dissolve edits bringing story to story book ending
1:30:00 strong composition with near perfect symmetry
Thoughts:
I was especially excited for this one as I have wanted to watch some Marilyn Monroe films, I love her in Wilder’s Some Like it Hot (1959)
This is the first color film of the study, although its not Hawks 1st film in color and it is impressive visually with the dedication to red and blue, especially in the opening 20 min or so
Hawks continues the diverse genre work, here with a musical/comedy
I am not sure Monroe is a great actress, but she certainly has a powerful presence, yes, she’s beautiful of course but she has a sort of magnetism and charm that undeniable
The opening 20 min is very strong, but the film never lets up that much
Hawks uses dissolve edits effectively; I have noticed this more and more over the course of the study
Verdict: HR/MS
Rio Bravo (1959)
Notes:
Starts with cast names in big bold yellow letters with red outlining
Dean Martin as “Dude” enters crowded bar with people’s mouths moving but no sound
2:45 Joe Burdette, movies Villain, taunts the alcoholic Dude
3:03 low angle shot of John Wayne as town Sheriff John T Chance in great introduction shot
4:42 Chance breaks silence with first line of film “you’re under arrest Joe”
8:58 Walter Brennan as Stumpy, the sidekick for Wayne’s John T Chance
13:13 Stumpy gives the film comedic relief but is also a great character
17:17 Angie Dickinson makes entrance
25 min Chance at bar tells him Pat about Dude’s troubled past with booze
27:32 effect zooms in on Chance’s face realizing cheating in card game
32 min tan, brown, and yellow used in mise en scene
35:16 window used to create frame within frame of shooting
41 min Dude and Chance interrogating bar is one of strongest scenes
41:36 high angle shot with perpetrator just out of sight from Dude
42:46 and 43:00 brilliant shots of Dude killing the perp
48:34 dissolve edits from jail to hotel
52:58 beautiful shot of skyline before sunrise
59:42 close up on Chance in right foreground of the frame as he holds his ground against Burnette’s crew towering over him on their horses
1:03:42 close up shot of Burnette brothers and Chance, brilliant set up for the rest of story
1:10:27 beautiful shot of skyline around sunset
1:26:54 impressive frame and shot of town in the background and crew in foreground as they prepare for shootout
1:27:27 beautiful shot of reflection in water
1:29:38 shot of town with narrowing path between buildings, this feels like a self-contained town
1:32:11 close up shot of 3 men with guns, shattered glass breaks the tension and serves as distraction
1:36:14 low angle shot of Chance on horse, this image gives him sense of authority
1:45:30 song with Ricky Nelson and Dean Martin characters, the scene is a bit odd by I enjoyed it none the less
1:56:13 tracking shot with Wayne leading Burdette’s men to jail
2:01:50 scenic long shot of Burdette’s crew arrival on horses
2:05:48 doorway frame with Wayne exiting
2:06:54 tension mounting all film giving a great and exciting showdown
The last 10-15 min brilliant shootouts and full of creative frames
2:12:55 dissolve edit as shootout ends
Thoughts:
This is about as purely entertaining as films get; amazing screenplay, there is violence, but it never feels
heavy, likeable characters, and great performances
I love the dialogue free opening 5 min which includes a great low angle introduction shot of John Wayne’s Sheriff John T Chance, the low angle shots of Wayne are used throughout the film, this gives his character a certain level of authority, a perfect role for Wayne
Not quite a single location but most of the film takes place in just a couple of locations; the hotel, the jail, a couple of bar rooms
Quentin Tarantino is a huge fan of this film; he calls it a “hangout film” and admires the simple set up produces both great suspense and a lot of down time which gives the viewer (audience) time to get to know the characters. It makes sense that Tarantino would admire this aspect of the film given his love of extended conversations and rich character detail
Verdict: MP
Hatari! (1962)
Notes:
Starts with pan across landscape in East Africa, Tanganyika Territory
A team working for the “Momella Game Company” captures animals for zoos and circuses using off-road vehicles, lassos, and cages; this team is led by John Wayne’s character Sean Mercer
John Wayne and crew riding in trucks while looking through binoculars
15:35 cross cutting of crew singing in vehicles
17 min venetian blinds style shot as Wayne prepares to sleep
27 min series of quick edits with lone female character wearing a standout red shirt with everyone else blending into landscape with green and beige
29 min great action sequences catching giraffe
32:02 nice dissolve edits from giraffe to zebra
48:58 nice composition of glass bottles placed hanging from trees for shootout
54:37 excellent action sequence chasing zebra
1:19:28 awkward kiss scene that would have been great with Cary Grant, I love John Wayne but this doesn’t really work the same
1:25:30 use of large wooden box to divide frame in half
1:26:16 alligator wades into water after Jeep is stuck
1:41:20 more silly romantic comedy, not a complete miss but not a strength
1:42:05 nice POV shot and framing shot through front windshield of vehicle during chase sequence
2:00:15 tightly packed frame to the left of rocket with character to left of Wayne looking like hockey goalie
2:01:48 rocket goes off, followed by cutting down of tree with monkeys, I can never again see monkeys and humans together in a movie and not think of Klaus Kinski at the end of Aguirre
2:07:00 one of the stronger long shots of Dallas in water with elephants accompanied by a great score (apparently nominated for AFI 100 years film scores) followed up with close up shots of elephants in water quenching their thirst
2:13:24 painterly shot during start of rhino chase sequence with open blue sky in background
2:17:54 close up shot of Rhino hitting vehicle which takes up about half the frame
2:36:16 repeat of sequence from earlier when Wayne walked into his room to be surprised by Dallas lying in his bed
Thoughts:
Hawks seems to be mixing in various genre elements from his past; you have a scene where John Wayne’s character is about to go to bed after a night of drinking and discovers an attractive woman who he does not know sleeping on his bed, this same woman tags along the next day like Katherine Hepburn’s character in Bringing up Baby, there is even a scene with a baby leopard let loose, and then you have adventure seekers similar to Angels Have Wings, Wayne certainly is not charming like Cary Grant but there are some similarities between Grant’s character in Angels Have Wings
I’m not sure the 157 min run time is really justifed
Overall not one of his stronger works but still worthy for at least one viewing, there are some great chase sequences
Verdict: R
El Dorado (1966)
Notes:
Starts with a montage of paintings depicting men riding horses
2:15 a classic “Old West” setting with town with Saloon and narrow dirt roads
3:20 John Wayne and Robert Mitchum
11:15 medium shot of Wayne on horse, Hawks frequently shoots Wayne characters as the sole person in the frame
15 min close up shots back and forth between Wayne and Luke who is dying after being shot
16:21 frame in frame as Wayne rides horse in middle of frame
25:25 doorway frame
28:28 James Caan makes his entrance, immediately turning up the tension
31:01 amazing rapid edit to a Wayne close up as he shoots gun out of hand
39:18 dissolve edits to Wayne on horseback
55:30 jail scene hard not to think of Rio Bravo
56:36 dissolve edits to Wayne and Caan walking through street
59:56 filling frame to the brim with men (and one woman) riding horses through town
1:05:18 Mitchum playing a lawman turned pathetic drunk like the Dean Martin character in Rio Bravo
1:12:55 the bell tower is a great set piece with frame in frame in low angle shot and then switch to high angle shot through the other characters POV
1:15:17 character shot and killed falls to ground from 180 degree shot with body falling toward camera
1:16:44 close up shots establish intimacy between team
1:27:30 creative use of framing
1:47:22 prisoner exchange like in Rio Bravo
1:54:27 Hawksian woman rides with Wayne
Shootout begins right at 2-hour mark
Thoughts:
Hawks with John Wayne and Robert Mitchum, other than in Ford’s The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance with Jimmy Steward this is the biggest star I’ve seen in a Wayne film
Even after seeing many John Wayne films, I still am not sure about his chemistry with much young women, I think he usually pulls it off
This is in a way a weaker version of Rio Bravo
Verdict: R
@James Trapp- I adore those paintings to open the films- the Western oil paintings from artist Olaf Wieghorst
Final Ranking and Grades:
MP
Red River (1948)
The Big Sleep (1946)
Rio Bravo (1959)
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
MS/MP
His Girl Friday (1940)
MS
Only Angels Have Wings (1939)
Scarface (1932)
HR
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
To Have and Have Not (1944)
R
Twentieth Century (1934)
El Dorado (1966)
Sergeant York (1941)
Ball of Fire (1941)
The Thing or The Thing from Another World (1951)
Hatari! (1962)
Study Summary:
If you’re a fan of Genre Cinema it is pretty much impossible to not appreciate Hawks. He excels at Screwball Comedies, Film Noirs, and Westerns in particular but also gives us one of the early great mob films with his version of Scarface (1932) Prior to this study I knew little to nothing about Screwball Comedies so that was in a way the highlight of the study for me even though my top 3 for Hawks consists of 2 Westerns and a Film Noir. Peter Bogdanovich, who I did a mini study on, was a big admirer and I believe friends with Hawks, he does the commentary on Criterion Blu Ray for Bringing Up Baby (1938I initially planned on watching The Big Sky (1952) which was on Amazon for rental, but the quality was brutal, so I ended up skipping it
Hawks does not have incredible visuals like many of great auteurs, but he is a tremendous storyteller and gets excellent performances from his actors/actresses. Tarantino calls Rio Bravo the one of the greatest “hang out” movies as you feel like you are bonding with the characters. Still I think Hawks uses framing effectively in his John Wayne films particularly. In Red River Wayne is often shot as the lone person in the frame, highlighting his lone wolf mentality compared to the Montgomery Cliff who usually shares the frame with the other characters he leads when he gradually overtakes Wayne as the leader on the way to Missouri. One of my favorite shots is the first shot of Wayne’s character in Rio Bravo when Hawks uses a low angle shot of Wayne’s sheriff towering over Dean Martin character, the town drunk. Red River is packed with great shots with Hawks filling the frame with cattle and men on horses, particularly with the stampede scene. Scarface starts with an incredible tracking shot of an assassination using shadow and of course the X’s in the mise-en-scene which Scorsese would use in The Departed 74 years later.
While he is not the greatest American director, he may be the most quintessential American director covering very American genres like Westerns, Noirs, Gangster, and Screwball Comedies. Hawks worked with American legends like John Wayne multiple times as well as Gary Cooper several times, Humphrey Bogart, and Marilyn Monroe once.
Hawks has consistent themes involving male bonding through groups working together on a job or some common goal, the strong-willed woman who breaks through the tough male exterior. He also was an adventure seeker with an interest in planes, safaris, boating, etc. Only Angels Have Wings (1939) might be my favorite of all his films even if its not his best, you have it all with that film, a perfect blend between adventure, comedy, intriguing narrative, and romance.
@James Trapp – Excellent stuff here- it feels like you were cranking through these as a quick pace. It’ll be interesting to see if you still hold Hawks in such high regard 3, 5 or 10 years for now.
@Drake – thanks, it’s funny because I actually thought about that while going through it, I admit I probably paused for note taking less than some prior studies and given my awareness of his lack of stunning visuals I perhaps graded a little easier although I was not doing it consciously so hard to say. I think there are other interesting things to consider. For example I think Hawks benefits from working with some legends like Wayne, Grant, Bogart, Cooper, etc. That doesn’t make him a better director but l know you’ve said that for Orson Welles to name an example his biggest enemy aside from Hollywood was himself and his ego. Films are art but also a business and Hawks was able I think to really maximize his abilities and talent resulting in one of the best filmographies even if he wasn’t the most talented.
@James – who is next?
@James Trapp – For sure – and hey – I admire the hell out of Hawks, what he did and his films. We don’t have to pit these films and directors against each other as a competition. I just sort of can’t help it. Even know I’m looking at this “29th Best director” on my own page and I’m shaking my head.
@Drake – have there been any other Hawks films downgraded from MP since the Rio Bravo page?
@Harry- Yes- a few here and there- all have moved down a grade or half grade I believe.
@Harry – mini Robert Siodmak study on 7 of his noirs then I was thinking Spielberg although the Coen Brothers is also a possibility
@James – exciting, I only saw The Killers a week ago and was really impressed so will keep an eye out for your notes.
@Harry – The Killers is amazing both visually and the narrative, its got all the staples of a great noir; hitmen, use of shadows and silhouettes, doomed protagonist, femme fatale, complex plot, etc.