ON THE BIG SCREEN

Saturday, July 10, 7:30 p.m.

"The Sea Hawk" (Associated First National, 1924)
This silent film features the adventures of Oliver Tressilian, who goes from English gentry to galley slave to captain of a Moorish fighting ship, all the while trying to regain his lady love. Directed by Frank Lloyd, the film stars Milton Sills, Enid Bennett, Lloyd Hughes and Wallace Beery.

Live musical accompaniment will be performed by Andrew Simpson.

At the Library of Congress, Packard Campus Theater

ON THE SMALL SCREEN

MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY

1935

JULY 27TH, 1:45PM ON TCM

PAST EVENTS

Recently shown at the Stanford Theater, If I Were King (1938) Preston Sturges wrote the screenplay for this non-musical version of The Vagabond King, with Colman as the poet François Villon. Basil Rathbone is outstanding as the reptilian King Louis XI. With Ronald Colman, Basil Rathbone, Frances Dee, Ellen Drew, C.V. France, Heather Thatcher, Henry Wilcoxon, Sidney Toler.Directed by Frank Lloyd. Screenplay by Preston Sturges. Photographed by Theodor Sparkuhl. Music by Richard Hageman. Paramount. 101 minutes.

The Marie Dressler Vintage Film Festival screened "Cavalcade" on October 25th in Port Hope, Ontario, CANADA

PAST EVENTS

UNDER TWO FLAGS at the Hammer Museum

Close to a full house recently enjoyed the crisp and stunning director's cut print of Under Two Flags (1936), part of "From Casablanca to Sahara: Hollywood's North Africa" series at the Hammer Theater.  Many thanks to UCLA's film archives, to the enthusiastic audience and to UCLA Professors Jonathan Friedlander and Lia Brozgal who set the ambiance with masterful introductions.

Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum

Released exactly 73 years ago, this entertaining adventure drama, made with a budget of $1.5 million, offers cinematic escapism through Frank Lloyd's deft direction: heroes and villains, the Casbah of the "real Africa", horse chases and camel trains, secrets, light moments, social commentary, romance, desert warfare and love gained and lost. Both Ronald Colman and Claudette Colbert are meant to be see on the Big Screen; the personalities of their characters seep out to the sympathetic audience, pulling us into their (pretend) world, urging us to root for them.

The Director's Cut,  from UCLA's Archives and Department of Film Preservation, added 11 minutes to the currently available commercial print (109 min vs. 98 min).   Both Frank Lloyd and John Ford were upset with and Twentieth Century Fox and studio boss Darryl Zanuck, because of the obvious manner in which minutes were edited out/cut from their films. The cinema houses wanted short films, to be able to play them more often and Zanuck complied. Both Ford and Lloyd left the Twentieth in protest, vowing never to return. Lloyd kept his promise, moved to Paramount and in quick succession made three highly profitable films, Maid of Salem (1937) (with Colbert), Wells Fargo (1937) and If I Were King (1938)(with Colman).

These missing 11 minutes were found by UCLA Archives and patiently edited back into the film. In the opening scene at the French Foreign Legion's Camp in Abajel, Algeria, more time is spent, adding "color" interest to create the experience of being in the actual North Africa. More scenes were added to the light moment when Colman's character Sgt. Victor and his men indulge in "one last meal" of officers' wine and pate. We see more of the Casbah and Sgt Victor, who understands the local language, eavesdropping to learn of an impending attack; more time was added to the sandy desert scene when Sgt Victor carries Cigarette back to camp; more time is added to the moonlight romance scene at the oasis with Lady Venetia and Sgt Victor, with the implication that they spent the entire night there; more time is added to the scene when the soldiers are out looking for Lady Venetia as she dashes into an alcove to hide. Major Doyle, played convincingly by Victor McLaglen, gives Cigarette, Claudette Colbert's bar owner character, a gold bracelet as a testament of his affection. And minutes were edited into the raging battle scene when Cigarette anxiously looks for Sgt Victor. The extra minutes create both a richer scenic ambiance and fuller character development. Under Two Flags director's cut is delightfully superior to the abridged version usually shown on television.  .   We hope the restored version will become available to a wider audience.
Send us  your comments. Were you entertained? Intrigued? Felt the sand in your uniform? Disappointed by the 1936 film depiction of Arabs of Northern Africa? Blown away by the brilliant black and white scenes and crisp sound? Hope to see a remake? Left wanting to see more of Colman, Colbert, Russell and McLaglen?     Let us know! 

"Film in the Spotlight"

"If I Were King"