First, I've just finished watching Turner Classic Movies' documentary on the Pre-Code Era entitled Thou Shalt Not Sin. If you've been reading Cinema Styles for a while you may remember that the Pre-Code era (as well as the Production Code era through 1968) was covered here in November so I was excited to see the documentary. Coming in at a little over an hour it just had time to cover the basics but even so I was a little disappointed. I thought it was a good introduction to the Pre-Code Era and for the novice very informative. And I love TCM and all of it's documentaries so I'm not giving it a negative review, just wishing they had provided a little more depth.
One thing that stuck out for me was the omission of any mention of Clara Bow. As documented here on Cinema Styles in November, Clara Bow was to Pre-Code as carbonation is to soda: You can have one without the other but without the one it's just flat and fizzles. Surely, I thought, given the amount of nude appearances of Clara (either suggested by showing her bare back in Wings or all out frontal as in Hula) they would mention her in the nudity section. Nope. Nothing.
They also glossed over the language bans of the code and completely ignored the fact that "willful offense" to race was included in the original 1927 guidelines, then ominously dropped for the full 1930 Production Code, also covered here.
Ah well, it was still an enjoyable hour and a well-done documentary with plenty of great clips from the early thirties, a period regular readers know I love. So for anyone interested in the period I recommend giving it a look the next time it airs (and if you're so inclined afterwards, please peruse the November 2007 archives here).
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Secondly, with so much talk of acting in the air lately I just wanted to say a quick word in defense of actors. Now I know this may seem a little odd but reading all the different posts on acting recently on Scanners, The Siren's site and here (as well as voting on the Best and Worst Best Actor Oscars over at Ed Copeland's site) got my acting ire up. I got my degree in Theatre specifically, not film (although I studied it and have a few old textbooks) and spent a great deal of time on stage before and after. As such I have a defense mechanism that kicks in when I see too many people being overly critical of actors.
So I just wanted to say this: While there are cases of actors and actresses making it in Hollywood and Beyond based on looks or luck most of the ones there really, truly can act. I don't even know 
why I'm writing this but it's been bugging me so I'll continue. When I read that Jack Nicholson or Al Pacino deserved Best Actor for Chinatown or The Godfather, Part II respectively I am in complete agreement. What I don't like is reading the comments that then go further to say that Art Carney was a joke in Harry and Tonto. He wasn't. He was excellent. And, honestly, how many of the people griping over Carney winning in 1974 have even seen Harry and Tonto? I would have gone with Nicholson, but Carney was a damn fine actor and I'm not going to disrespect him for winning.
Or the year before? I love Marlon Brando in Last Tango In Paris. I think it's a great personal performance. Okay, great, but why is Jack Lemmon's win for Save the Tiger considered so weak? I would have gone with Brando yes but I think Lemmon was at the top of his game as a dramatic actor in Save the Tiger.
Now I know, I submitted my own list for the Worst Best Actors and had some choice words for Roberto Benigni and his win for Life is Beautiful. But... But... I think Benigni, especially in the films of Jim Jarmusch, is a good actor. He's not great (although in Jarmusch's work he's pretty close) but he's good. I have more problems with the film and his choices as an actor in that film than anything else.
I guess that's all I wanted to say there. I think the Art Carney stuff (which I believe but can't say now for sure came from a commenter on Scanners) is what set me off. It's one thing to say someone else should have won, quite another to write off a fine actor with a quip about Norton stealing the Oscar. And check out The Late Show for further evidence of Carney's terrific abilities as an actor.
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And thirdly, from now on when I do Acting Up posts (where I focus on a particular performance by an actor or actress) they will not be written. They will be (gasp) video posts instead. My apologies to all who will not be able to watch them at work (admit it, it's where most of us do our surfing) but I've decided to jump into the game of video posting (for the acting posts only though). Several blogs now video post and while I prefer writing a post over recording one, for acting it's simply easier to show the parts of the performance I'm talking about. It just makes more sense. Plus it would be nice to use my voice for something in this damn world after sinking tens of thousands of dollars into four years of college majoring in Theatre - I'm sure as hell not using it to pay the bills. The first will be making its appearance next week (and no, it's not going to be Art Carney - but maybe in the future).
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And fourth and finally, thanks for stopping by.
