Prompt: Here, Sinatra vies with Bing Crosby. How has the crooner rivalry changed? Where does Sinatra fit musically in this film, which locates Bing amidst jazz culture?
While Sinatra and Crosby's characters do vie with one another for the affection of Grace Kelly's character in the film, there is still a good rapport between the two of them, that is friendly and competitive at the same time. In the one duet that the two of them have together, the combination seems to really work well and it seems like they feed off of each other. Crosby plays C.K. Dexter-Haven, the ex-husband of Tracy Lord (Kelly). Mike Connor (Sinatra) and Liz Imbrie (Celeste Holm) are reporters from Spy Magazine who are supposed to be covering Tracy's upcoming wedding to a man named George. Dexter and Mike are both attracted to Tracy, and while the two males do share some characteristics they also are different from one another.
Crosby is strongly tied to jazz music and that culture, while Sinatra stays more true to his normal performance style. Jazz was becoming more of a popular musical style, but some people considered it to be somewhat vulgar or not 'real' music. In the beginning of the movie Tracy scathingly calls Dexter a "jukebox hero" because of the popular jazz music that he's made, and then tells him that he could have been a great composer and done something great with his life. She feels like he's completely thrown away his talent and doesn't understand why he is so drawn to jazz. Not only does Dexter write music that Tracy doesn't really approve of, but he is also hosting the Jazz Festival at his house. The influence of jazz and its welcoming of improvisation are seen in some of Crosby's singing numbers; at one point he starts randomly humming and singing along to the music that Louis Armstrong is playing, and while it probably was staged, it has a feeling of spontaneity to it.
It feels like there is not much improvised or spontaneous in Sinatra's performances, and that he is much more traditional in his style and approach to musical numbers. However, I will add that his songs fit well with the story and what is happening at a particular moment. Twice in the film Sinatra sings directly to Kelly in attempt to woo her, and this is very unusual for one of his characters in a film to do. In contrast, the night of Tracy's bachelorette ball, Crosby sings a song about her that she overhears from her bedroom window.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Guys and Dolls 9/21/10
Prompt: Compare Sinatra and Brando. What mode of performance does each represent? What model of masculinity?
At the beginning of this movie it seemed like Sinatra's and Brando's characters had different ideologies when it came to women, but by the end of the movie they were both on the same page. Sky Masterson (Brando) doesn't believe in monogamy, and compares dolls to cough drops (just something nice to have around every once in awhile) which I thought was a really amusing analogy. Even though Sky talks a big game, like saying all dolls are the same, he does end up falling in love with Sarah Brown (played by Jean Simmons), and ends up in the same position that he was making fun of Nathan for being in. Nathan (Sinatra) doesn't want to get married, even though him and his fiance have been engaged for fourteen years, but he's also not ready to let her go like Sky suggests because he feels like there's no other doll like her.
Even though Nathan is involved in the gambling wold and he hangs out with a rough crowd, he still is more sensitive than Brando and some of his friends. He's not really into chasing after dolls and always having multiple different options, which seems to be how men are supposed to feel in this movie in order to be considered a force to contend with. After Nathan and his fiance, Adelaide, get in a huge fight because he's still setting up craps games, it seems like Nathan fully realizes that he loves her and he is really down and sad. His two lackeys try and convince him that dolls are only trouble, and that he's better off without having one particular girl.
Once Sky starts hanging out with Sarah his more sensitive side starts to come out even though he tries to resist admitting that he truly has feelings for her. He wants to be with her, and in a way proves himself wrong from his earlier statements. However, there's still always an air of toughness about him, as if he's not quite ever going to be as vulnerable or emotional as Nathan is about a girl. Brando was very much in the Actors Studio acting genre of method acting, and that comes across in Guys and Dolls. There's a sense of him always being somewhat anti-social no matter what situation he's in, which is interesting to observe when watching one his films.
On another note, today our review papers are due. For this I chose to look at the film Pal Joey, which not only has Sinatra in it, but also the legends Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak. I won't go into everything that I wrote in my paper, but in doing my research I came across two really fun and interesting things so hopefully the links work! One is a quiz to test your knowledge on Sinatra and his films (I got a 10 out of 10!) which was published in the Washington Post in 1990. The other is the movie trailer for Pal Joey, which is so much fun to watch because Sinatra explains some of the "hep" language that is used in the film and also shows scenes from it. It is so funny and fun to watch!
http://proquest.umi.com.proxy.library.nd.edu/pqdweb?did=868690902&sid=2&Fmt=10&clientId=11150&RQT=309&VName=HNP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-chWouJQflw
At the beginning of this movie it seemed like Sinatra's and Brando's characters had different ideologies when it came to women, but by the end of the movie they were both on the same page. Sky Masterson (Brando) doesn't believe in monogamy, and compares dolls to cough drops (just something nice to have around every once in awhile) which I thought was a really amusing analogy. Even though Sky talks a big game, like saying all dolls are the same, he does end up falling in love with Sarah Brown (played by Jean Simmons), and ends up in the same position that he was making fun of Nathan for being in. Nathan (Sinatra) doesn't want to get married, even though him and his fiance have been engaged for fourteen years, but he's also not ready to let her go like Sky suggests because he feels like there's no other doll like her.
Even though Nathan is involved in the gambling wold and he hangs out with a rough crowd, he still is more sensitive than Brando and some of his friends. He's not really into chasing after dolls and always having multiple different options, which seems to be how men are supposed to feel in this movie in order to be considered a force to contend with. After Nathan and his fiance, Adelaide, get in a huge fight because he's still setting up craps games, it seems like Nathan fully realizes that he loves her and he is really down and sad. His two lackeys try and convince him that dolls are only trouble, and that he's better off without having one particular girl.
Once Sky starts hanging out with Sarah his more sensitive side starts to come out even though he tries to resist admitting that he truly has feelings for her. He wants to be with her, and in a way proves himself wrong from his earlier statements. However, there's still always an air of toughness about him, as if he's not quite ever going to be as vulnerable or emotional as Nathan is about a girl. Brando was very much in the Actors Studio acting genre of method acting, and that comes across in Guys and Dolls. There's a sense of him always being somewhat anti-social no matter what situation he's in, which is interesting to observe when watching one his films.
On another note, today our review papers are due. For this I chose to look at the film Pal Joey, which not only has Sinatra in it, but also the legends Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak. I won't go into everything that I wrote in my paper, but in doing my research I came across two really fun and interesting things so hopefully the links work! One is a quiz to test your knowledge on Sinatra and his films (I got a 10 out of 10!) which was published in the Washington Post in 1990. The other is the movie trailer for Pal Joey, which is so much fun to watch because Sinatra explains some of the "hep" language that is used in the film and also shows scenes from it. It is so funny and fun to watch!
http://proquest.umi.com.proxy.library.nd.edu/pqdweb?did=868690902&sid=2&Fmt=10&clientId=11150&RQT=309&VName=HNP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-chWouJQflw
Thursday, September 16, 2010
From Here to Eternity 9/14/10
Prompt: Consider Sinatra's performance. What does he do here that is different from his acting in musical films? How does the role relate to those earlier roles (re: ethnicity, class, masculinity, etc.) and how does it differ?
I was excited that we watched From Here to Eternity this week, because I have never seen the entire thing but have always wanted to. I normally am not a fan of war movies and instead enjoy lighter films, but for a drama I thought this was very good. The acting of some of the characters seemed a little stilted and forced at times, but I thought Sinatra did an excellent job as Pvt. Angelo Maggio and I see why he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. It seemed to me that Sinatra was not on screen for the majority of the movie, but that he made the most of his time and tried to be as memorable as possible. Portraying Maggio is a big departure from the acting that Sinatra did in the other films we've seen so far. This is an extremely dramatic role, and he has to convince the audience of the pain he's in when he's dying. Maggio is kind of a funny, wise cracking guy, and somewhat of a smart alec, which seems to be different from the other characters that Sinatra has played. He's also extremely positive and determined to try and not let life get him down. A good example of this is when he's on KP duty and is bringing lots of dishes back and forth, he has a big smile on his face and is determined to do the best that he can. One similarity between the character of Maggio and the other's that we've seen Sinatra play is that they come from a working class background. In From Here to Eternity, Maggio, as well as a lot of the other guys in his company, don't speak with the best grammar and use words like 'ain't' a lot.
One thing that really stood out to me in this film is how strong Maggio's Italian identity was. In the other three Sinatra films that we've watched, he's always been an Italian from a working class family but never this strongly Italian. Angelo Maggio is also the first believable, Italian name that Sinatra's character has had. I was also surprised to hear all of the racial slurs directed at Maggio about Italians (wop, Mussolini). As someone whose grandparents are from southern Italy I took a slight offense to the slurs, and felt glad when Maggio got angry and stood up to Fatso.
While there were moments when Maggio needed someone to step in and try and protect him, in general this character is a lot more assertive and ready for a fight than Sinatra's other characters. When Maggio almost fought Fatso in the bar, it was kind of like seeing a little dog pick a fight with another dog who the little dog thinks is his size but is actually a lot bigger. I have a feeling that the fight would not have gone well if Burt Lancaster's character hadn't have stepped in. After walking out on guard duty and getting court martialed and sent to the stockade for six months, he gets beaten daily by Fatso who is in charge of the stockade. Maggio tries his best to not let his spirit break, and only shows some weakness right before he's about to die in Prewitt's arms. Maggio was also the one who tried to look out for his friend Prewitt, and help make his transition into their company easier. In the other three Sinatra films that we've watched, Sinatra's characters have been the more shy ones when it comes to the opposite sex, but in From Here to Eternity Maggio is the one who convinces Prewitt to go to the New Congress Club to meet some girls and have a fun night.
I was excited that we watched From Here to Eternity this week, because I have never seen the entire thing but have always wanted to. I normally am not a fan of war movies and instead enjoy lighter films, but for a drama I thought this was very good. The acting of some of the characters seemed a little stilted and forced at times, but I thought Sinatra did an excellent job as Pvt. Angelo Maggio and I see why he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. It seemed to me that Sinatra was not on screen for the majority of the movie, but that he made the most of his time and tried to be as memorable as possible. Portraying Maggio is a big departure from the acting that Sinatra did in the other films we've seen so far. This is an extremely dramatic role, and he has to convince the audience of the pain he's in when he's dying. Maggio is kind of a funny, wise cracking guy, and somewhat of a smart alec, which seems to be different from the other characters that Sinatra has played. He's also extremely positive and determined to try and not let life get him down. A good example of this is when he's on KP duty and is bringing lots of dishes back and forth, he has a big smile on his face and is determined to do the best that he can. One similarity between the character of Maggio and the other's that we've seen Sinatra play is that they come from a working class background. In From Here to Eternity, Maggio, as well as a lot of the other guys in his company, don't speak with the best grammar and use words like 'ain't' a lot.
One thing that really stood out to me in this film is how strong Maggio's Italian identity was. In the other three Sinatra films that we've watched, he's always been an Italian from a working class family but never this strongly Italian. Angelo Maggio is also the first believable, Italian name that Sinatra's character has had. I was also surprised to hear all of the racial slurs directed at Maggio about Italians (wop, Mussolini). As someone whose grandparents are from southern Italy I took a slight offense to the slurs, and felt glad when Maggio got angry and stood up to Fatso.
While there were moments when Maggio needed someone to step in and try and protect him, in general this character is a lot more assertive and ready for a fight than Sinatra's other characters. When Maggio almost fought Fatso in the bar, it was kind of like seeing a little dog pick a fight with another dog who the little dog thinks is his size but is actually a lot bigger. I have a feeling that the fight would not have gone well if Burt Lancaster's character hadn't have stepped in. After walking out on guard duty and getting court martialed and sent to the stockade for six months, he gets beaten daily by Fatso who is in charge of the stockade. Maggio tries his best to not let his spirit break, and only shows some weakness right before he's about to die in Prewitt's arms. Maggio was also the one who tried to look out for his friend Prewitt, and help make his transition into their company easier. In the other three Sinatra films that we've watched, Sinatra's characters have been the more shy ones when it comes to the opposite sex, but in From Here to Eternity Maggio is the one who convinces Prewitt to go to the New Congress Club to meet some girls and have a fun night.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
On the Town 9/7/10
Prompt: Consider Sinatra's relationship to women in films. Also, consider what model of masculinity he and his male co-stars each represent.
The film of the week was On the Town, which I have seen multiple times and own. I think Betty Garrett (who plays the character of Hilde the cab driver) is hilarious, and that Ann Miller (the character of Claire Huddesen) is such a fun dancer to watch. On the Town is an interesting film to look at because Sinatra is paired with two male foils, and they each show somewhat different types of masculinity in my opinion. Frank Sinatra is once again placed in uniform, this time as a Navy sailor named Chip. Gene Kelly plays the character of Gabey, and Jules Munshin is Ozzie. The three friends have a 24 hour leave in New York City, and are determined to make the best of their day off.
I feel that this male character that Sinatra is portraying is one step closer to the image of masculinity that he is most remembered by today, and is also one step farther in the evolution of his screen persona. Chip seems to have a little more game when it comes to the ladies, but he is still more reserved than his friends in terms of pursuing women. Chip does join in with Gabe and Ozzie in making the wolf whistle, but then he seems to revert back to the more naive and inexperienced guy that we've seen him play before. When all three of them are talking about what they're going to do during their day, Ozzie and Gabe want to go and find some women, but Chip really wants to go sightseeing; this is Chip's chance to see a big city and experience things that he wouldn't see in the small town of Peoria where he's from. Chip sometimes gets talked down to like a kid, which seems to be a common theme throughout his early movies. One example is when Chip asks Gabe why he has to run after girls all the time, and Gabe says he'll tell Chip the answer to that once Chip's voice changes. Gabe also calls Chip 'junior' on a few occasions, and even Hilde calls Chip 'kid.' Towards the end of the movie, when talking about Chip, Hilde describes him as being a "skinny little runt," which echoes a lot of the actual descriptions of Sinatra at the time.
It was very interesting to watch this film and consider the prompt question, because I noticed that there were alternating moments where Chip would be very forward with Hilde or clueless and scared. Hilde the cab drive is EXTREMELY direct with her intentions towards Chip, and has no reservations about going after what she wants. This is really the first time that we've seen Sinatra's character paired with a woman who openly and actively pursues him, so that is interesting. It seems that she takes on the more traditionally masculine role of the forward pursuer, but there are also moments where Chip takes the lead in their relationship. Hilde will only drive the guys around if Chip sits up front next to her, and within a few minutes of their interaction she invites him up to her place. Chip tries to rebuff her and says that he really wants to go see the sights of New York, to which Hilde says "stick with me kid, I'll show you plenty" (lots of sexual innuendo in that), tries to get Chip to kiss her, and throws her legs over his lap. Chip doesn't know what to make of these advances, and seems like a scared little boy who isn't sure how he got put in this situation. Eventually, however, Hilde wears him down and gets him to go up to her apartment. As soon as they get up there, the 'little boy Chip' disappears and is replaced by a man who certainly knows how to embrace a woman and kiss her passionately. The not so smooth Chip re-appears when they're at the top of the Empire State Building and he's completely ignoring Hilde and looking through the telescope at Manhattan. Once he realizes she's really sore though, he throws his guide book over the railing and focuses on her. Another similarity that I found between Sinatra in this movie and others that we've watched of him is that he always becomes extremely more confident in himself and his relationships once he starts singing. When they're at the top of the Empire State Building he tells Hilde that he can't whisper sweet nothings in her ear because the words get all tangled up, but he can sing to her and let her know that he cares. Sinatra's strongest talent is his ability to sing, so once again that is played up to his character's advantage to help him get the girl. Gene Kelly is the strongest in his dancing, so it is perfect that he's paired with Vera-Ellen who is quite a talented dancer, in my opinion, and can keep up with him.
Gabe is once again the guy who seems to feel that he has to put on a big show to impress a girl, and that he also has to play up his exploits for the other guys in the service. Once Gabe realizes that acting cocky and condescending is not the way to impress Ivy, his shell disappears and he is very nice and humble. Just like in Anchors Away when Joe makes up a big story about the dames they found to impress the other servicemen at the hostel, Gabe kind of does the same thing here. He can't resist bragging about having a date with Miss Turnstiles that night, and how she was attracted to him because of his sheer magnetism. Even though he has that cocky exterior, he really does fall hard for Ivy Smith (played by Vera-Ellen) and tells her that he wants something serious that will last beyond his one day on leave. Ozzie is the guy who continuously makes jokes, but gets down to business when it comes to wooing Claire. Claire seems to be a good match for him because she has a very dry sense of humor and can hold her own in her interaction with Ozzie.
As I was looking back through my notes from the movie earlier, I noticed that I have a few on the interesting relationship between Sinatra and Kelly's characters. In one of my other classes, Men in America, Women in America, we have been reading and talking about same sex relationships and friendships and how they've changed over the centuries. Back in the 19th century it was not unusual for men to form extremely close relationships with one another, or to be affectionate in their letters. Having that kind of relationship and expressing their affection for one another did not necessarily mean that they were having a sexual relationship of any kind, which is the stigma that gets attached to people today who show loving emotions for someone of the same sex (especially males). In the two movies that we have seen Kelly and Sinatra in, even though they have a very close relationship, do almost everything together, and look out for one another I do not feel that there is any insinuation of homosexuality. I might be alone in thinking that however. I feel like at the time when these movies were released though they were just seen as devoted friends and nothing more, and that it was still okay for men to display their close relationships with friends. One scene in On the Town that really stands out to me is when Chip is worried about Gabe being upset and depressed because Ivy ditched him. When Chip expresses his concern and knows Gabe is taking it hard, Gabe replies "I know you know, that's why I love ya." I feel like in films and on tv today you would rarely see one guy say I love you to another guy who was not related to him.
As I was searching online for things about this movie, I came across this event from a few years ago where On the Town was played in the middle of Times Square in NY. I thought it sounded pretty cool!
http://www.timessquarenyc.org/about_us/MemorialDayMovie.html
The film of the week was On the Town, which I have seen multiple times and own. I think Betty Garrett (who plays the character of Hilde the cab driver) is hilarious, and that Ann Miller (the character of Claire Huddesen) is such a fun dancer to watch. On the Town is an interesting film to look at because Sinatra is paired with two male foils, and they each show somewhat different types of masculinity in my opinion. Frank Sinatra is once again placed in uniform, this time as a Navy sailor named Chip. Gene Kelly plays the character of Gabey, and Jules Munshin is Ozzie. The three friends have a 24 hour leave in New York City, and are determined to make the best of their day off.
I feel that this male character that Sinatra is portraying is one step closer to the image of masculinity that he is most remembered by today, and is also one step farther in the evolution of his screen persona. Chip seems to have a little more game when it comes to the ladies, but he is still more reserved than his friends in terms of pursuing women. Chip does join in with Gabe and Ozzie in making the wolf whistle, but then he seems to revert back to the more naive and inexperienced guy that we've seen him play before. When all three of them are talking about what they're going to do during their day, Ozzie and Gabe want to go and find some women, but Chip really wants to go sightseeing; this is Chip's chance to see a big city and experience things that he wouldn't see in the small town of Peoria where he's from. Chip sometimes gets talked down to like a kid, which seems to be a common theme throughout his early movies. One example is when Chip asks Gabe why he has to run after girls all the time, and Gabe says he'll tell Chip the answer to that once Chip's voice changes. Gabe also calls Chip 'junior' on a few occasions, and even Hilde calls Chip 'kid.' Towards the end of the movie, when talking about Chip, Hilde describes him as being a "skinny little runt," which echoes a lot of the actual descriptions of Sinatra at the time.
It was very interesting to watch this film and consider the prompt question, because I noticed that there were alternating moments where Chip would be very forward with Hilde or clueless and scared. Hilde the cab drive is EXTREMELY direct with her intentions towards Chip, and has no reservations about going after what she wants. This is really the first time that we've seen Sinatra's character paired with a woman who openly and actively pursues him, so that is interesting. It seems that she takes on the more traditionally masculine role of the forward pursuer, but there are also moments where Chip takes the lead in their relationship. Hilde will only drive the guys around if Chip sits up front next to her, and within a few minutes of their interaction she invites him up to her place. Chip tries to rebuff her and says that he really wants to go see the sights of New York, to which Hilde says "stick with me kid, I'll show you plenty" (lots of sexual innuendo in that), tries to get Chip to kiss her, and throws her legs over his lap. Chip doesn't know what to make of these advances, and seems like a scared little boy who isn't sure how he got put in this situation. Eventually, however, Hilde wears him down and gets him to go up to her apartment. As soon as they get up there, the 'little boy Chip' disappears and is replaced by a man who certainly knows how to embrace a woman and kiss her passionately. The not so smooth Chip re-appears when they're at the top of the Empire State Building and he's completely ignoring Hilde and looking through the telescope at Manhattan. Once he realizes she's really sore though, he throws his guide book over the railing and focuses on her. Another similarity that I found between Sinatra in this movie and others that we've watched of him is that he always becomes extremely more confident in himself and his relationships once he starts singing. When they're at the top of the Empire State Building he tells Hilde that he can't whisper sweet nothings in her ear because the words get all tangled up, but he can sing to her and let her know that he cares. Sinatra's strongest talent is his ability to sing, so once again that is played up to his character's advantage to help him get the girl. Gene Kelly is the strongest in his dancing, so it is perfect that he's paired with Vera-Ellen who is quite a talented dancer, in my opinion, and can keep up with him.
Gabe is once again the guy who seems to feel that he has to put on a big show to impress a girl, and that he also has to play up his exploits for the other guys in the service. Once Gabe realizes that acting cocky and condescending is not the way to impress Ivy, his shell disappears and he is very nice and humble. Just like in Anchors Away when Joe makes up a big story about the dames they found to impress the other servicemen at the hostel, Gabe kind of does the same thing here. He can't resist bragging about having a date with Miss Turnstiles that night, and how she was attracted to him because of his sheer magnetism. Even though he has that cocky exterior, he really does fall hard for Ivy Smith (played by Vera-Ellen) and tells her that he wants something serious that will last beyond his one day on leave. Ozzie is the guy who continuously makes jokes, but gets down to business when it comes to wooing Claire. Claire seems to be a good match for him because she has a very dry sense of humor and can hold her own in her interaction with Ozzie.
As I was looking back through my notes from the movie earlier, I noticed that I have a few on the interesting relationship between Sinatra and Kelly's characters. In one of my other classes, Men in America, Women in America, we have been reading and talking about same sex relationships and friendships and how they've changed over the centuries. Back in the 19th century it was not unusual for men to form extremely close relationships with one another, or to be affectionate in their letters. Having that kind of relationship and expressing their affection for one another did not necessarily mean that they were having a sexual relationship of any kind, which is the stigma that gets attached to people today who show loving emotions for someone of the same sex (especially males). In the two movies that we have seen Kelly and Sinatra in, even though they have a very close relationship, do almost everything together, and look out for one another I do not feel that there is any insinuation of homosexuality. I might be alone in thinking that however. I feel like at the time when these movies were released though they were just seen as devoted friends and nothing more, and that it was still okay for men to display their close relationships with friends. One scene in On the Town that really stands out to me is when Chip is worried about Gabe being upset and depressed because Ivy ditched him. When Chip expresses his concern and knows Gabe is taking it hard, Gabe replies "I know you know, that's why I love ya." I feel like in films and on tv today you would rarely see one guy say I love you to another guy who was not related to him.
As I was searching online for things about this movie, I came across this event from a few years ago where On the Town was played in the middle of Times Square in NY. I thought it sounded pretty cool!
http://www.timessquarenyc.org/about_us/MemorialDayMovie.html
Thursday, September 2, 2010
It Happened in Brooklyn
Prompt: Compare this film to Anchors Away and consider the difference between Sinatra and his male costars here. What aspects of his image are strongest? How does his image relate to his recording persona?
I really enjoyed watching this film on Tuesday because I have never seen it, but it has always been on my long list of movies to look at. Frank Sinatra plays the character of Danny Miller, a soldier in the U.S. Army who was posted over in England during WWII and cannot wait to get home to Brooklyn. At the beginning of the movie Danny seems to be very much cut from the same cloth as Clarence, Sinatra's character in Anchors Away. All of the other servicemen are downstairs socializing or dancing, but Danny is just sitting upstairs by himself. One of the nurses (played by Gloria Grahame) is incredulous when Danny says he's from Brooklyn, because that's where she is from and she feels that he's not extremely friendly like any of the guys she's ever known in Brooklyn. She also points out that compared to most of the other men in the military Danny is kind of an oddity; he doesn't have pictures of pinup girls (besides a picture of the Brooklyn Bridge which he says is his pinup), he doesn't whistle at her, and he doesn't even trade stories with the other guys. Clarence was also kind of a misfit in the Navy, and seemed to lack a lot of the social skills that the other guys had especially when it came to women. Not only do Sinatra's characters stand apart because of their personalities, but also because they don't quite fill out their uniforms which gives him a boyish air in both. Also in these two films Sinatra's character really appears to come out of his shell and be comfortable in his own skin when he is singing. It Happened in Brooklyn was made two years after Anchors Away, and Sinatra's singing voice seems to have a bit more confidence in it.
The two other main male characters who offer comparisons to Danny are Nick Lombardi (played by Jimmy Durante) and Jamie Shellgrove (played by Peter Lawford). When Danny is in England he meets Jamie, who is the grandson of an English duke. Jamie is repeatedly referred to as a "square," and he really has trouble talking to any women. Danny comes up with a whole plan to loosen Jamie up if Jamie ever wants to come and visit Brooklyn. It's kind of hard to tell if this sudden bravado is real or a show, but either way it works to convince Jamie's grandfather that Danny is the man who will be able to help his grandson start enjoying life. Once Jamie does travel to Brooklyn to stay with Danny for a bit, Danny tries to help him become comfortable with himself and find a girl. This is exactly what Joe tried to do for Clarence in Anchors Away, so it's interesting that now Sinatra plays the role of the helper. Also, Danny is the one who really works to put together the concert for Leo and takes the lead in getting support for it and organizing everything. While Sinatra's character is more assertive in this film, he still has some of the same complete cluelessness that Clarence had. Danny doesn't realize that Jamie and Anne have fallen in love with one another, and just continues to take it for granted almost until the very end that Anne is still his girl.
The other main male character is Nick, who is the janitor at Danny's old school. Nick really takes Danny under his wing and fills in the place of a father figure for him. One scene between Nick and Danny when they first get to Nick's apartment seems to echo Sinatra's real life; Nick has pictures of Mr. Chips all around his apartment and says that he went to see the picture 11 times, and he even read the book, but he still can't figure out why the kids like him so much. Many critics of Sinatra said the exact same thing, that they never could understand why all of the girls went so crazy for this skinny and gangly young man. Nick also brings up Bing Crosby a few times, and in real life Sinatra was compared to the legendary Crosby who was held up as a star that others should attain to be like.
One other scene that stands out to me as pertaining to Sinatra's life and his recording persona is when Danny is in the music store singing the song "Same Old Dream" for some of the kids who wanted to hear it. Danny sings it in a way that still seems to be based in the style of the crooners, which is not well received by the kids who go up and play the song in a much more upbeat, swing style. Danny is not convinced though and sings the song again in the style he thinks is best suited to the song, and this time once he finishes a bunch of the girls present in the store start screaming and stare at him in adoration. Sinatra's singing came under scrutiny even more after the war was over because it was geared towards a female audience and it still had a hint of the older, crooner style in it, and this is reflected in the musical taste of the kids in the film and how they only want to listen to upbeat, swing songs.
I really enjoyed watching this film on Tuesday because I have never seen it, but it has always been on my long list of movies to look at. Frank Sinatra plays the character of Danny Miller, a soldier in the U.S. Army who was posted over in England during WWII and cannot wait to get home to Brooklyn. At the beginning of the movie Danny seems to be very much cut from the same cloth as Clarence, Sinatra's character in Anchors Away. All of the other servicemen are downstairs socializing or dancing, but Danny is just sitting upstairs by himself. One of the nurses (played by Gloria Grahame) is incredulous when Danny says he's from Brooklyn, because that's where she is from and she feels that he's not extremely friendly like any of the guys she's ever known in Brooklyn. She also points out that compared to most of the other men in the military Danny is kind of an oddity; he doesn't have pictures of pinup girls (besides a picture of the Brooklyn Bridge which he says is his pinup), he doesn't whistle at her, and he doesn't even trade stories with the other guys. Clarence was also kind of a misfit in the Navy, and seemed to lack a lot of the social skills that the other guys had especially when it came to women. Not only do Sinatra's characters stand apart because of their personalities, but also because they don't quite fill out their uniforms which gives him a boyish air in both. Also in these two films Sinatra's character really appears to come out of his shell and be comfortable in his own skin when he is singing. It Happened in Brooklyn was made two years after Anchors Away, and Sinatra's singing voice seems to have a bit more confidence in it.
The two other main male characters who offer comparisons to Danny are Nick Lombardi (played by Jimmy Durante) and Jamie Shellgrove (played by Peter Lawford). When Danny is in England he meets Jamie, who is the grandson of an English duke. Jamie is repeatedly referred to as a "square," and he really has trouble talking to any women. Danny comes up with a whole plan to loosen Jamie up if Jamie ever wants to come and visit Brooklyn. It's kind of hard to tell if this sudden bravado is real or a show, but either way it works to convince Jamie's grandfather that Danny is the man who will be able to help his grandson start enjoying life. Once Jamie does travel to Brooklyn to stay with Danny for a bit, Danny tries to help him become comfortable with himself and find a girl. This is exactly what Joe tried to do for Clarence in Anchors Away, so it's interesting that now Sinatra plays the role of the helper. Also, Danny is the one who really works to put together the concert for Leo and takes the lead in getting support for it and organizing everything. While Sinatra's character is more assertive in this film, he still has some of the same complete cluelessness that Clarence had. Danny doesn't realize that Jamie and Anne have fallen in love with one another, and just continues to take it for granted almost until the very end that Anne is still his girl.
The other main male character is Nick, who is the janitor at Danny's old school. Nick really takes Danny under his wing and fills in the place of a father figure for him. One scene between Nick and Danny when they first get to Nick's apartment seems to echo Sinatra's real life; Nick has pictures of Mr. Chips all around his apartment and says that he went to see the picture 11 times, and he even read the book, but he still can't figure out why the kids like him so much. Many critics of Sinatra said the exact same thing, that they never could understand why all of the girls went so crazy for this skinny and gangly young man. Nick also brings up Bing Crosby a few times, and in real life Sinatra was compared to the legendary Crosby who was held up as a star that others should attain to be like.
One other scene that stands out to me as pertaining to Sinatra's life and his recording persona is when Danny is in the music store singing the song "Same Old Dream" for some of the kids who wanted to hear it. Danny sings it in a way that still seems to be based in the style of the crooners, which is not well received by the kids who go up and play the song in a much more upbeat, swing style. Danny is not convinced though and sings the song again in the style he thinks is best suited to the song, and this time once he finishes a bunch of the girls present in the store start screaming and stare at him in adoration. Sinatra's singing came under scrutiny even more after the war was over because it was geared towards a female audience and it still had a hint of the older, crooner style in it, and this is reflected in the musical taste of the kids in the film and how they only want to listen to upbeat, swing songs.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)