Rebel Without a Cause (1955) @ the Park

On Thursday, I went to go see Rebel Without a Cause (1955) outdoors on the big(ish) screen. The film was screened at Nathan Tufts Park in Somerville, MA and it was part of the town's SomerMovie Fest where they show different films at different parks each Thursdy during the summer. The only classic film they were showing was this one and I invited my friend Kevin to come join me. Kevin's a huge fan of the film and has written about it for me as a guest post (check it out here). My friend Jeanine surprised me by coming along too. She saw that I had posted about it on Facebook and wrote to me about attending the screening. I hardly ever get to see her and really wanted to pick her brain about classic films, as she is a film buff like me. So it was great to have two good friends to see the film with.


Thursday just happened to have perfect weather. The evening was warm, not humid, the sky was clear and it didn't rain. We also weren't swarmed by mosquitos so it was easily just to relax and watch the film.

Here I am with my Rebel Without a Cause T-Shirt that I got from H&M. I'm not sure what the protocol about wearing a movie's design on a T-Shirt to the actual screening. Maybe it's taboo, like going to a rock concert and wearing that band's T-shirt. Kevin poked fun at me, but I wasn't about to wear my Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) or my Don't Bother to Knock (1952) T-Shirts to this screening. I thought it was great that I had the attire to suit the occasion. (So take that Kevin!)

Here are Jeanine and Kevin posing for me just as the opening credits are starting on the screen. The show is about to begin...

I snapped this picture of Natalie Wood for Sarah over at Cinema Splendor. Not the greatest shot, but I guess it's the thought that counts.

As the night progressed and the sky grew darker, the screen really lit up in the park. It was quite a treat to see a film outdoors like this. There were about 60 or so people in the park. Many folks had chairs, blankets, towels, etc. A lot of couples were snuggling in the dark, which made me wish that Carlos was there. Groups of people came prepared with drinks, snacks and dinner.

The experience was quite magical. My only complaint was the audience reaction to some scenes. Several people thought dramatic points were funny and laughed at the expense of the film. Jeanine and I looked at each other several times and asked what people were laughing at. It saddens me that these people don't have the capacity to appreciate a film like Rebel Without a Cause at it's full glory and chose to poke fun at things they don't understand. Oh well, it's their loss.

It was great to watch this film after having not seen it in so many years. After the film had ended, Jeanine pointed out the use of garments in the film which I thought was interesting. I hope she'll consider writing a post about it for me! If not, I'll take a crack at it later.

Have any of you seen an outdoor screening of a film? If so, what was your experience? I'd love to hear from you.

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And a special Happy Birthday to Nicole from Classic Hollywood Nerd. She turns 20 today. Feliz Cumpleano Nicole!

Queen Norma Shearer ~ The Trial of Mary Dugan (1929)

While Jonas of All Talking! All Singing! All Dancing! is away in Thailand, I wrote him a guest post for his site. Go check it out: http://talkieking.blogspot.com/2009/07/guest-blogger-raquelle-trial-of-mary.html .

Harvard, Mystery Street (1950) and Me!

Did you know that the film Mystery Street (1950) may very well be the first movie filmed on location in Boston?

I recently wrote a review of this film for Film Noir of the Week. It's up now, so go check it out: Review of Mystery Street (1950).

I was simply delighted that real Massachusetts locations were used in the film and I had fun watching as the characters traveled in and out of Boston. One particular shot caught my eye. Ricardo Montalban's character drives up to the gates of Harvard University. He parks his car at a metered spot (and doesn't pay of course) and walks through the gates. I know this may seem mundane to the average person, but being from the area and having walked through those same gates countless of times, I was giddy with glee to know that my beloved Ricardo Montalban walked through those same gates almost 60 years ago.

My friend Kevin took this picture of me (with his iPhone no less) in front of the gates. We happened to be in Harvard Square and I had just finished writing the review.

I hope you'll take an opportunity to read my review over at Steve-O's wonderful Film Noir of the Week blog and watch Mystery Street (1950) for yourself. It's a wonderful jewel of a noir that shouldn't be missed.

Leave Her to Heaven (1946) @ the Brattle

On Sunday afternoon, Kevin, H., Gina, Lisa, Carlos and myself went to the Brattle Theatre to see Leave Her to Heaven (1946). I've always really loved this movie, most notably the visuals, Gene Tierney's character Ellen (spawn of Satan?!) and Tierney's performance. For one weekend only, the Brattle was showing a newly restored print of the film, so I had to take advantage of seeing this on the big screen, and what better way to do this than to share the experience with the people closest to you?

It's an interesting dynamic watching a favorite classic film with friends (and with strangers) in a theater. You never quite know what to expect. I always find myself getting really self-conscious when I bring friends to see a personal favorite of mine. I get very worried that they will not like the film, will question why I dragged them to the theatre to see it or even worse, will think less of me after the experience (what's wrong with her?!). This never really happens, but I'm always scared that it will. This fear changes the way I watch the film in the theatre.


In the case of Leave Her to Heaven, I became very conscious of how over-the-top, or to use a modern colloquialism "cheesy", the film can be. It's as though we are supposed to be in a trance with Gene Tierney's red pouty lips and the gorgeous scenery, that we wouldn't be overwhelmed by the melodrama. Also, I noticed how weak the dialogue seemed to be at different points in the movie. There is one particular scene in which Ellen (Gene Tierney) and Richard (Cornel Wilde) are having a conversation after Ellen's swim. The conversation is filled with short questions and directly answered short replies. From what I understand about screenwriting (from taking a screenwriting class in Grad school) answering a question with a direct response results in boring dialogue. Here is an example: Q: Are you going to the movie? A: Yes or Q: Are you going to the movie? A: If I don't get hit by a bus first... . In this particular scene, I can see how the direct question and answer sequence can work. Ellen's character is intense and her constant questioning can demonstrate her inquisitiveness. She has to know everything about Richard in order to posses him. Yet I feltthat it could have also been done differently with the same effect.

However, none of this lessened my opinion of the film. It just changed the way I saw it. This is still a superb film and I even have the inkling to watch it again at home by myself (too bad I don't own the DVD!). Very few can walk away from this film without some appreciation of it. All of my friends and Carlos seemed to enjoy the film and I'm so grateful for that. While we were outside of the theatre, we partook in some post-show bonding and I brought up the fact that Kate Gabrielle (of Silents and Talkies fame) did a superb painting of the famous boat/drowning scene that makes this film so iconic. Kate did a wonderful job capturing Gene's cold facial expression and the vibrancy of the scene.

Silents and Talkies Etsy Shop

Gene Tierney Signed Art Print

Gene Tierney Signed Mini Art Print