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^He's excellent in this, maybe best when he's listening to manic-depressive Franchot Tone shout at him that he'll never get the goods on him. (Tone and director Meredith were both big lefties, and both show up w/ Laughton in Advise & Consent of course.) The film itself is a bit traveloguey and has a few unfortunate musical stings, but 1949 Paris is something to see, and the Hitchcock-style chase on the Tower has nearly no process shots, nearly all in the sunlight with the actors and their stuntpeople.
(It's been restored by UCLA from the only existing materials -- prints, not good ones -- so watch on YT if you don't see it on the rep schedule.)
― touch of a love-starved cobra (Dr Morbius), Friday, 27 February 2015 02:38 (nine years ago) link
Recently read a version of the anecdote below in James Harvey's excellent book about movie acting, Watching Them Be, which includes a verygood chapter on Laughton (I think Harvey found it in the Simon Callow biography):
Laughton's worst fear materialized while directing Henry Fonda in the play The Caine Mutiny Court Martial (1954). Fonda, angry at the play's development and execution, lashed out at Laughton by sneering. "What do you know about men, you fat faggot?"
http://lareviewofbooks.org/review/present-accounted-james-harveys-watching
― sʌxihɔːl (Ward Fowler), Friday, 27 February 2015 09:38 (nine years ago) link
three months pass...
man, Ruggles of Red Gap is pretty much the bomb. CL is brilliantly reactive, and the supporting cast supplies everything he needs. Well-oiled McCarey, prob one of his 3 best comedies.