Nominees: Queen Christina, King Kong, Duck Soup, Trouble in Paradise, Fanny, The Water Magician, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse
Oscars pick: Cavalcade
Nominees: A Farewell to Arms, 42nd Street, I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, Lady for a Day, Little Women, The Private Life of Henry the VIII, She Done Him Wrong, Smilin’ Through, State Fair
1932-33 has been a most troublesome alt-Oscar season. I've gone over and over these films, trying to find one that would distinguish itself above the others, and instead, they insist on huddling tight within this sphere of magnificence.
Trouble in Paradise, for example, is elegant, sexy, witty, and the acting is aces across the board. There's not any meat on the story, it's just a sweet, delightful dessert.
King Kong? It established the standard for future giant monster flicks (which steal from it liberally). Its appeal for me is in its technical achievements - the work and innovation put into the animation and FX.
The Marx Brothers, Duck Soup is total chaos, and I admit to having a low tolerance for Harpo’s brand of physical mayhem. But Groucho’s quick rejoinders make the movie for me. His dictator of Freedonia, Rufus T. Firefly, had me in stitches.
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang? Fabulous start, fabulous finish... sags with a dullish middle section (regardless, Muni is incredible throughout). Queen Christina? It's notable for Garbo's layered performance and Mamoulian's penchant for creating a poetic look, rather than going for stark realism. Key scenes include Christina touching objects in the room she shared with her love, in an attempted to commit them to memory. And her haunting enigmatic expression at the films end. Again, I like these a lot, just as I liked The Eagle and the Hawk, Wild Boys of the Road, Liebelei, Movie Crazy, Dragnet Girl, 42nd Street, and the others I nominated up top.
What a vexing decision I had before me.
With brow furrowed and mind conflicted, I elected to go with a picture that scarred me, rattled my nerves, and fed my intellect - Island of Lost Souls, in which Charles Laughton outshines his own Oscar-winning performance as Henry the VIII. While the energetic scenery chewer is superb as the infamous King, I liked him even more as Dr. Moreau (a mad scientist who's been conducting experiments on animals). It’s a plum role, one that sadly Marlon Brando pissed down his leg in a remake. But Laughton doesn't squander the opportunity. Moreau’s a chilling figure: Behind his cherubic smile lays cruelty and in his eyes, arrogance, and madness.
It's philosophical horror - though apparently, it wasn't philosophical enough for writer H.G. Wells. However, as Christine Smallwood points out in her Criterion essay, "Wells’s book is all setup, a premise without a plot." If he'd had his way this would have been more a lecture than a movie. There's enough philosophy here, to go with the brute horror (those terrible cries of pain) and raw sexuality. At a mere 70 minutes, the film is lean, not a second is wasted. But I never felt like I was being rushed through it haphazardly. All its themes and nightmares are addressed efficiently, smartly.
Erle C. Kenton was an odd directorial choice as he was best known at that time for his knockabout comedies. He wasn't an A-list filmmaker, but he certainly captured lightning in a bottle here. Of course, he was aided by a remarkable story and screenplay (which has been quoted in several songs I own and adore), moody, shadowy cinematography by the talented Karl Struss (oh those wonderful close-ups) and astonishing makeup by Wally Westmore.
Acting? I liked Richard Arlen as our hero. No he's not Cary Grant, he doesn't have that kind of scene presence, but he is solid, and his outrage was convincing. Bela Lugosi has a small but important role and I took a shine to Kathleen Burke's panther woman, and her mix of the animal and the innocent. Ultimately though, this is Laughton's show, and without his great skill, I'm not sure the film works half as well. His Moreau is cold but personable, with a sadistic streak that bleeds through every pore (and without the empathy to counter it). Wearing that white suit, cracking that whip, and sneaking in those quick smiles, which makes him look like the naughty schoolboy whose privy to some dirty, inside joke - and relishing the idea of being hailed as a God. In all of it, Laughton is pitch-perfect.
This tale of science without soul ran me through the emotional wringer, and of the pictures I've examined, it was Island that left the deepest impression.
Of note: After this, the Academy would switch to a standard calendar year, which meant that since they extended 1933 to the end of the year, this Oscar season was 17 months long.
Honorable Mentions:
Robert Lynen & Harry Baur, Poil de carrotte * Paul Muni, I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang * Paul Robeson, The Emperor Jones * Fredric March, The Eagle and the Hawk * Groucho Marx, Duck Soup * Herbert Marshall, Trouble in Paradise * Michel Simon, Boudu Saved from Drowning
Best Actress: Greta Garbo, Queen Christina
Honorable Mentions:
Miriam Hopkins & Kay Francis, Trouble in Paradise * Magda Schneider, Liebelei * Michiko Oikawa, Japanese Girls at the Harbor * Takako Irie, The Water Magician * Sumiko Kurishima, Every-Night Dreams * May Robson, Lady for a Day * Jean Harlow, Red Dust * Katharine Hepburn, Morning Glory, Christopher Strong, Little Women
Supporting Actor: John Barrymore, Dinner at Eight
Honorable Mentions:
Miriam Hopkins & Kay Francis, Trouble in Paradise * Magda Schneider, Liebelei * Michiko Oikawa, Japanese Girls at the Harbor * Takako Irie, The Water Magician * Sumiko Kurishima, Every-Night Dreams * May Robson, Lady for a Day * Jean Harlow, Red Dust * Katharine Hepburn, Morning Glory, Christopher Strong, Little Women
