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Lilly Turner1933 US Dir William A Wellman Cast Ruth Chatterton, George Brent, Frank McHugh, Robert Barrat IMDb |
Here I become definitely an ardent Wellmaniac, admiring as ever his swift pace, clever compositions, and flair for the absurd. Really if anyone could watch one of his one-hour frenzies and tell me it’s a thing like what his contemporaries were putting out there I’d laugh myself silly. Oh, the story’s much like all the rest: innocent girl runs away with vaudevillian, gets knocked up and dumped, learns the ways of the world and indulges in all manner of pre-Codely sin all in an entirely maudlin context. But what he does with it bears no resemblance.
And oh my god, is it steamy! I really don’t know anything about Chatterton & Brent’s brief marriage, but this must have been filmed at the very height of their love affair or at least in the midst of some terrific brawls because lawdy. I’ve never been a fan of Brent and in fact he has brought down an otherwise fine romance once or twice in my view. But here he’s good, he’s more than good, and the green-light glances he elicits from his gal are borderline obscene. “Well, why don’t you?” she purrs, flashes some leg, winks, smokes in his general direction… No one can do this in 2008.
I’m okay. Okay. I mean, this is a really fun movie & stuff. And quality! 
I don’t know why anyone’s ever wondered why I like these things; I think I make my perversions quite clear. But if you require (or desire) elaboration, I’ll refer you to some key scenes:
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I think it impossible to explain such pervesions to a society as engulfed in sex as we are. What makes sex so powerful and perverted in the classics is its restrictions (same for violence, profanity, etc.)–we are now in a culture of excess where prudery is more dramatic than pervesion. We do not understand what it means to be shaken by a glint in one’s eye, by a glimpse of one’s thigh. In fact, when it is not there, we become bewildered and bored.
But I understand. We are so few. The art of contrast, the art of anticipation, the art of repressing vulgar desire till climax is now entirely lost. Shall we blame it on Freud?
You are a Pre-Code fiend.
Comment by Mango — 27 July 2008 @ 27 July 2008You are so damn right and that deserves such a more thoughtful response (really a whole blog post of a response) but for right now your post serves to remind me that I composed a youtube mashup illustrating the hotness of this film for a friend. I’m embedding it presently — you will certainly understand.
PS, how much Wellman have you seen? I adore Wellman, and wonder where I should turn next with him.
Comment by Lauren — 27 July 2008 @ 27 July 2008Wellman? Hmmm… I have seen more than I realized but less than is acceptable for a classics connoisseur. Which reminds me, Wings is on TCM right now and I meant to watch it, but it’s too late now. Odd that I forgot that. Anyway, I am bad person to ask about him.
That clip made me much more interested in Ruth. I did not think too much about her in Female, but there is a definite and fascinating persona to be explored.
I look forward to the blog and other blog-length discussions about sex. They are stimulating in innumerable ways.
Comment by Mango — 27 July 2008 @ 27 July 2008