It's Day 2 of Girl Week 2017 and Joel is taking the wheel.
Directed by Daniel Mann.
1961. Not Rated, 109 minutes.
Cast:
Susan Hayward
Dean Martin
Wilfrid Hyde-White
Ralph Meeker
Connie Sawyer
Martin Balsam
Frank Maxwell
Ford Rainey
Ada Dallas (Susan Hayward), a girl from "the wrong side of the tracks" working in a roadside honkytonk makes the acquaintance of Bo Gillis (Dean Martin), an amiable yokel being used by Sylvester Marin’s (Wilfrid Hyde-White) political machine to capture the governor's mansion. Taken with each other Ada and Bo elope much to the displeasure of Sylvester but Bo is still elected.
When Ada discovers Bo is being manipulated as a stooge she urges him to fight back and take charge. Bo, too easy going for his own good tells Ada “You must have been a tough little girl” without missing a beat Ada shoots back “I’m a tough BIG one!” When the Lieutenant Governor resigns Ada, ambitious and thinking she’s helping Bo, has herself appointed without his knowledge. He reacts negatively but when an attempt is made on Bo’s life and she assumes power the honest Ada immediately strides right in and gets down to business. Fireworks follow. Hayward’s Ada is no one’s fool or patsy but an incredibly strong woman who makes things happen and plows down anyone in her way.
A star vehicle, to be sure, slanted Susan's way much more than Dean's even though he gets a moment here and there. Spotlighted in a way stars never are today Susan commands the screen. Notice that she is surrounded only by colors that flatter her, the rooms she finds herself in are almost exclusively white or a soft green to highlight her flame colored hair. Even the roadhouse where she starts the story has that high class sheen that is a hallmark of the studio era.
Hayward, one of the most self-assured of all actresses, owns the film and while the other performers do their best only Wilfred Hyde-White stands out as the reptilian political operator who crosses swords with Susie. When these two pros square off their wrangles are a treat, although Susan gets a couple of other chances on her own to rip apart the unsuspecting when she discovers malfeasance.
A few interesting side notes. Connie Sawyer, the actress playing Susan's madam Alice Sweet, known as the oldest working actress in Hollywood, is still alive at 105 and until very recently was appearing in small parts.
The other note is more somber. As she entered the end of her cancer struggle, caused by exposure to nuclear fallout during the shooting of The Conqueror near a Nevada testing site that also lead to the death of over 40% of the cast and crew including John Wayne and Agnes Moorehead, Susan Hayward's friends arranged for her to see any of her films that she wished and she selected this much to their surprise. In hindsight though it's easy to see why. Every effort is made to make her look her best. Its set in the South which had been her home for many years during her happy second marriage and her part is tailor made to many of her strengths as a take charge dame.
Check out other guest posts by Joel:
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar