Last night we saw a great pre-Code flick, "Framed"(1930), starring Evelyn Brent as "Rose Manning", a nightclub hostess who's out for revenge against the local police chief. Five years earlier, as the movie opens, Rose is being questioned at the station. She's just a schoolgirl, but detectives are giving her the third degree. They're badgering the daylights out of her, wanting info on a robbery pulled by her father's gang. When the chief breaks it to her that her Dad was shot dead, she acusses him of being a murderer, and swears she'll get even one day.
Fast forward five years, and she's now the hostess at "Rose Manning's Casino". Though it's her name on the marquee, the joint is owned by "Chuck Gaines" (Ralf Harolde), a slick hoodlum. Gaines figures he owns Rose, because he's promoting her, but she's sweet on a regular at the club, handsome young "Jimmy Carter" (Regis Toomey). Gaines doesn't like this, and makes plans to put a hit on Carter, but then he finds out that Jimmy is using an assumed name. His real name is MacArthur; he's the police chief's son. Gaines gives this info to Rose, thinking she'll dump him like a hot potato. But Rose has been using Jimmy, to get close to his Dad the police chief. She's gonna kill the old man if it's the last thing she does, because she thinks the cops murdered her father.
The chief, in turn, doen't like Rose, but he dislikes Chuck Gaines a whole lot more. He knows Gaines is responsible for a string of drive-by shootings, to get rid of business rivals. He also knows his son Jimmy visits Gaines' nightclub, to see his girlfriend Rose Manning.
Chief MacArthur tells Gaines he'll shut his club down, if Jimmy ever sets foot in there again. Then he tells Jimmy he's forbidden to see Rose. Jimmy finally stands up to his dad, telling him he'll see Rose if he wants to. "I'm going to marry her and you can't stop me." Rose, meanwhile, is falling in love with him, despite her original plans. She starts to forget about killing the chief, because he's Jimmy's father.
Meanwhile, the Chief does shut down Gaines' nightclub. Then he has his policemen trash it. They bust the place up good, smashing everything in sight. Gaines is furious, and puts a hit on the Chief. He sends out his henchman "Bing" (Maurice Black) to do the job. Bing is supposed to kill Jimmy as well, but he can't find either of the MacArthurs, so he goes to see Rose at her apartment. He's got a crush on her and he's not very smart, so she uses the attraction to frame him. I can't tell you how, or for what. That part you'll see for yourself.
"Framed" has that weird yet wonderful pre-Code style, where the acting is idiosyncratic and non-uniform. Some actors ham it up, others are stilted. There are measured pauses in between the dialogue response, so when an actor says his line, there's a beat before the other actor answers. The pauses aren't long, but they're in place throughout the film and you notice them. I've seen this in pre-Code before, and have wondered if it had anything to do with the transition to sound technology. Ralf Harolde is outstanding as the fingernail-buffing Chuck Gaines. He delivers his lines like a pinstriped Snidely Whiplash. You've gotta love the different acting styles on display. Evelyn Brent, meanwhile, lets loose with go-for-the-throat realism. So does William Holden (not the one you know) as Chief MacArthur. Maurice Black plays "Bing" like a cross between Baby Huey and Oliver Hardy. Two Huge Thumbs up for "Framed" (not as an epic but in the context of pre-Code). The younger stars were all born around 1900, and the character actors were born in the 1880s! I love it when we go that far back. Kudos to Evelyn Brent, who tears up the screen. You have to see this movie! It's highly recommended and the picture is good but slightly damaged. ////
Next, how about a young Barton MacLane, in "Prison Break"(1938)? And not only young, but handsome, too, and (can you believe it?) sensitive! MacLane is "Joaquin Shannon", the captain of a tuna boat. As the movie opens, he and his crew are heading back to port. They've made a good haul, and Shannon is ready to celebrate. He goes to see his girlfriend "Jean Fenderson" (Glenda Farrell). They make plans to marry. Then Shannon goes out to a bar, to celebrate with his first mate "Chris Nelson" (Edmund MacDonald). Nelson is also engaged, to Shannon's sister "Maria" (Constance Moore). But trouble arrives in the form of "Joe Fenderson" (Edward Pawley). He and his father don't approve of Joaquin Shannon, and he's not about to let Shannon marry his sister. Joe starts a fight, from which Shannon walks away. "I don't want trouble with you, Joe, but if you push me, you'll get what's coming". As the situation stands, Shannon has enough to deal with for one evening, because Chris Nelson is drunk, so drunk that he's making a fool of himself. Shannon takes Chris outside for fresh air, but in the bar, a drifter is watching Joe Fenderson.
Joe has pulled out a big wad of cash to pay for his drink. The drifter sees this and follows him out of the bar. He mugs Joe and robs him, but Chris Nelson staggers over. He's so drunk he passes out, and when his brother Joaquin comes looking for him, he thinks it was Chris who mugged Joe Fenderson. Joaquin covers up for Chris, because Chris is engaged to his sister. When the cops arrive, Joaquin tells them he knocked Joe out. Witnesses in the bar saw their earlier confrontation. But then Joe dies, from a fractured skull. Even though Joaquin is innocent, he's tried, convicted and sentenced to one year on a manslaughter charge, all because he made a phony confession.
Once he gets to San Quentin, he pledges to do his time quietly so he can get paroled, but the arrival of a new convict spoils his plans. The new guy is "Big Red Kincaid" (Ward Bond), a career criminal and troublemaker, who is known for causing havoc in prison. Big Red singles Joaquin out, because Joaquin won't go along with his plans to disrupt the prison order. Red organizes strikes, he hides weapons in the factory. Shannon just wants to do his time and leave, but Red keeps implicating him in disciplinary infractions. After two weeks in solitary, Shannon is a broken man. But he redeems himself with the warden when he foils a prison break led by Big Red. He is granted parole for his heroics, and then the plot takes a social agenda turn.
Now, the issue is can Joaquin Shannon go straight? Well, he was a fishing boat captain before he framed himself, and he isn't a criminal, so it should be easy. But no one will give him a job because of his prison record. He looks and looks, but it's hopeless, and all this time, his girlfriend stands by him. Then one day, he runs into a prison acquaintance named Soapy (Paul Hurst). Soapy has a job offer for Shannon, to captain his boat to South America. Shannon thinks the gig sounds fishy, but he really needs the money. He's on the lam now, anyway, having failed to report to his parole officer for two months. But when Soapy is ready to sail, Shannon discovers he's partnered up with Big Red, who's out of prison. The job is a scam. They've hooked Shannon into sailing with them, and now he's involved in more crime.
This is a 180 degree turn from the typical Barton MacLane role. He's usually gruff and irreverent, and we love him that way, but who knew he could play sincere? He's really good here as a stand-up guy who takes the fall to protect his brother. Based on this performance, I think ol' Bart could've had a career as a leading man. Who knows, maybe he didn't want one. According to Wiki, he was a very talented man, who - in addition to being a football star in college - played violin, piano and guitar.
Two Big Thumbs Up for "Prison Break". The script has depth, the acting is excellent, it's more than just another Prison Movie. Like "Framed", it's a must-see. The picture is good but not perfect. ////
That's all for tonight. I'm working hard on my book. I'm reading "On Writing" by Stephen King for tips, and I'm three-fourths of the way through the second draft. Gotta make every sentence perfect. Can't write with abandon like here at the blog, haha. I should be done with the second draft by the end of this month, then (hopefully) one final draft will do it. That will be the Prose Draft, to beautify the language, and change all the "it"s to nouns (or most of 'em, anyway). The whole thing should be done by the end of Summer.
I hope you are having a good week so far. I send you Tons of Love, as always.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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