The Programme

The Third Man

The first film to be shown in the h2g2 Rep Cinema is truly a classic. A true combination of writing, directorial and acting talent, The Third Man is truly a masterpiece.

Released in 1949, The Third Man tells the story of a prolific writer of Westerns who travels to Vienna Austria to see what has happened to his friend, Harry Lime. Harry has had an accident - or has he?

Written by Graeme Greene (Our Man in Havana), directed by Carol Reed and starring Joseph Cotten, Trevor Howard and Orson Welles, The Third Man is a classic of the post war, film noir genre. The chiaoscuro lighting (half light, half dark) gives the film its threatening tone and expresses the darker sides of all the characters involved and the music, by Anton Kras keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat even when there is nothing of any consequence happening.

The film is also remarkable for its setting and backgrounds. It was one of the few post war, anglosaxon flicks that showed war torn Europe. The site of Vienna, riddled with bullets, crumbling around the characters' ears and trying desperately to rebuild itself after the fall of the Reich lends the film an even more melancholic feel. The film is also famous for the sequence filmed in the beautiful Victorian sewers under Vienna - which leads to the film's nail-biting climax.

The film won an Oscar for its photography and nominations for editing and Carol Reed as Director. There is no justice.

Quotes

In Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had 500 years of democracy and peace - and what did they produce? The cuckoo clock.

Gone with the Wind

Released in 1939 Gone with the Wind (GWTW) is the stuff of Hollywood lore. The novel by Margaret Mitchell was a runaway success and tells the story of the trials and tribulations of the O'Hara family and centres on the daughter Scarlett and her relationship with the devil-may-care, Rhett Butler before, during and after the American civil war.

The film was much hyped due to the year-long search for the actress who would play Scarlett. The public had already decided that they wanted the idol Clark Gable to play Rhett but who was to play his leading lady? the names of those who auditioned for the part is a roll-call of Hollywood's leading ladies - Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Lana Turner, Susan Haywood et al. It was finally decided that Paulette Goddard, then wife of Charlie Chaplin, summed up all that southern grace and charm and was well on her way to playing Scarlett. That was until fate played her a cruel trick but gave the silver screen one its most precious jewels. Laurence Olivier had been brought to Hollywood to Make Rebecca and brought with him his wife, Vivien Leigh. Leigh auditioned for the part and got it. The public outcry that an English woman born in India should win the part of the all-American Southern Belle was enormous. These critics were silenced when they saw Ms Leigh in action.

GWTW is also famous for having several directors. The producer of the film, David O Selznick was a notorious perfectionist and had sacked George Cukor (famous 'woman's' director - and one of Greta Garbo's favourites) and Sam Wood before settling with Victor Fleming who had just completed The Wizard of Oz.

The film was also applauded for its sets and scenery. The famous scene where Scarlett wanders through the wounded of the civil war and is surrounded by thousands of moaning soldiers. What few people realise is that in fact there was only about a third of the people there, the rest were dummies operated by the extras.

The plantation, Tara, actually never existed - the whole scene was painted on glass. If you watch the opening scene more carefully, you'll see horses and carriages actually passing through one of the pillars.

The scene of the burning of Atlanta was actually filmed with the actors in front of the fire and Vivien Leigh was almost wounded in the action. The material used for the scene was in fact the old set for the 1933 film King Kong.

The film swept the board at the Oscars that year with awards going to Vivien Leigh (Best Actress), Victor Fleming (Director) and Hattie McDaniel (Best Supporting Actress). The latter award was a first in motion picture history - Hattie McDaniel being the first black actor to win an Oscar.

Quotes

Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.
- Rhett Butler to Scarlett O'Hara

Casablanca

Released in 1942, Casablanca is not only famous but infamous. It was produced by the Warner studio who held the film making philosophy 'Pile 'em high and sell 'em cheap' . The story is essentially a love triangle set in war time Casablanca, Morocco and centre's around Rick's Café. Humphrey Bogart plays Rick who runs an under-the-counter visa operation and he has been enrolled to help a man and his girlfriend escape occupied Europe. The lady in question is Ilse, a former girlfriend of Rick and the man, Victor, is Ilse's new love interest.

Ilse is played by Ingrid Bergman (mother of Isabella Rossellini) and the film marked her as a firm favourite in the American eye. She arrived in the US three years before to film Intermezzo and went on to star in several classics - notably Notorious by Alfred Hitchcock. Victor is played by Paul Heinreid, in real life a German exiled by the Third Reich.

The actors who were originally cast for the roles make an interesting list - Ronald Reagan, Ann Sheridan and Dennis Morgan. Had this been the case, cinema would have been robbed of a prize jewel from its crown.

Legend has it that thhe film was beset by problems, mainly due to the fact that the film had to have a happy ending (to boos morale for the war effort) but the Warner bosses couldn't decide how to end the film. In the end three finales were filmed :

• Ilse leaves with her new love, Victor, and leaves Rick behind.

• Ilse leaves with Rick and leaves Victor behind.

• All three leave.

To find out what happens, you'll have to watch...

The film won the Best Picture and Best Director (Michael Curtiz) Oscars and Bogart won a nomination for his role. Bogart would have to wait until The African Queen (1951) to finally win an academy award.

Quotes

Casablanca is a film from the era when script writers knew their audience and the film provides literally hundreds of quotes that have now passed into Hollywood lore. However, the line 'Play it again, Sam' is not said in the film.

How extravagant you are throwing woman away like that. Someday the may be scarce.
Louis (Claude Rains)

I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you'll understand that. Not now. Here's looking at you kid
Rick (Humphrey Bogart)

Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Rick to Louis

Greta Garbo

Although not a film, Greta Garbo shaped the female role for the rest of the 20th Century with her denure charm and surprising comic ability. For other Swedish actors, go to the Sweden entry.

Greta Garbo, née Gustafson, was a silent screen actress who was only brought to Hollywood because her director, Mauritz Stiller, insisted on it. It's ironic to think that he died in poverty while Garbo went on to greater glory.

In her silent era days, Garbo was classed as a European mystery and was adopted by MGM studios who were noted for their glamour. She was partnered by the screen idol of the time, John Gilbert, and rumours of an affair were rife. In 1927 they starred in a film called Love. This gave the publicists the chance to say:

Garbo and Gilbert in 'Love'

With the advent of sound, MGM were nervous. With her heavy accent it was feared that she wouldn't make the transition very easily. Her co-star, John Gilbert, had already had his career flushed down the tube because his voice was too high-pitched and this didn't sit comfortably with his manly image.

The cinema-going world waited with bated breath. Garbo was to make her speaking debut in Anna Christie (1930). The public were kept in suspense for the first 20 minutes of the film and then Garbo uttered the immortal words,

Gimme a whisky with ginger ale and don't be stingy, baby.

The public loved her and the studio breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Throughout the 1930s, Garbo played heroic, historical women such as Camille, Mata Hari and Anna Karenina. She was notoriously press-shy and was famed for having the tag line, 'I want to be alone'. She never actually said this of her own volition.

Garbo and Gilbert teamed up in one talkie - Queen Christina. This tells the story of the Swedish queen who renounced her throne for love. She chose Gilbert as her love interest over Laurence Olivier. Gilbert died shortly afterwards.

Garbo also headed the cast in one of the first ever all-star cast productions. Grand Hotel (1932) starred, among others Garbo, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Joan Crawford and Wallace Beery. The stars would not join up to have a group photo and even Crawford stated that she only saw Garbo once on set. This is also the film where Garbo was forced to use those immortal words 'I want to be alone' which, as we've already seen, came to be inextricably associated with her in her own personal life.

With the advent of war, Garbo's popularity went into steep decline and she then decided to do comedy. In Ninotchka she plays a diplomat who has to sell some jewels. The scene where Garbo gets drunk is a classic. Her only other comedy, and also her final film, Two Faced Woman, was slammed by the decency board. Garbo retired after this - she said that the spirit of the 1930s had gone for good.

Garbo never made another film and became a recluse and the dinner guest of the exceptionally rich and famous - Aristotle Onassis, Winston Churchill, Swedish nobility and the sometime lover of Mercedes D'acosta - an American writer/poet who was famous for her tricorn hats.