Piddleville » Books

Jimmy Stewart rides again

Bill Wren — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 13:40:00 +0000

I’ve just started reading Marc Eliot’s book, Jimmy Stewart: A Biography. Having just begun, I can’t say anything about it’s merits, though I can say I read Eliot’s book from a few years ago, Cary Grant: A Biography and enjoyed it. I’m not sure why, but I like reading biographies of Hollywood’s luminaries of the “golden” years. I do have a theory, though.

I think I read these books because they prompt me to go back and rewatch movies, some I had almost completely forgotten about. In Stewart’s case, Wikipedia says he, “… appeared in 92 films, television programs and shorts.” So, although I have quite a few Jimmy Stewart films they are just a smidgeon of what he made. But they’re almost all good ones!

Last night, I decided to go through some of them and decided to start with 1939′s Destry Rides Again. If you haven’t seen Destry, you’ve no idea what you’re missing. It’s a western comedy, with Jimmy Stewart playing a gunshy lawmen brought in to bring order to the lawless town of Bottleneck. It also features Marlene Dietrich. You can take a look at my 2003 review here.

Jimmy Stewart, by the way, was named third Greatest Male Star of All time by the American Film Institute (AFI), just behind Humphrey Bogart and Cary Grant.

And some other Jmmy Stewart movies I’ve written about:

Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
You Can’t Take It With You (1938)
Mr Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Update:

I just found an old post, from 2005, regarding Eliot’s previous book (the one on Cary Grant). The post is titled: Cary Grant — who was that guy?

Movies, books and upkeep

Bill Wren — Sun, 17 May 2009 16:26:41 +0000

I guess you could say I did a bit of house-cleaning with my blogs today – a sisyphean task to complete, but I gave it a go.

Although Piddleville continues to be an organizational mess, I made a few changes – temporary ones, I hope. (It needs some fixing). One was to create a “book review” section because I have a few movie related book reviews here and there. I added two today (yes, a very small start):

My Wicked, Wicked Ways – the Errol Flynn autobiography from 1959, and a wildly entertaining read.

The combustible Ava Gardner – the Ava Gardner: ‘Love is Nothing’ biography by Lee Server from a few years ago, also tremendously entertaining.

I don’t do a lot of book reviews but when I do it’s usually because I really enjoy the book, as was the case with both of these.

While I was at it, I also added a brief (and sadly lacking) review of one of my favourite movies, The Night of the Iguana (1964).

Reviews

Bill Wren — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 18:03:13 +0000

Please note: While the majority of links work, there are currently a number of broken links as they are being updated. We apologize for any inconvenience.

A to C

3 Godfathers (1948)
7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964)
8 ½ (1963)
A Shot In The Dark (1964)
A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (2001)
The Abyss (1989)
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
Affair in Trinidad (1952)
An Affair to Remember (1957)
After the Thin Man (1936)
The Alec Guinness Collection

All That Jazz (1979)
Along Came Jones (1945)
Amelie (2001)
American Beauty (1999)
The Americanization of Emily (1964)
America’s Sweethearts (2001)
Anastasia (1956)
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
Anger Management (2003)
The Animal (2001)
Another Thin Man (1939)
Anything Else (2003)
The Apartment (1960)
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
Auntie Mame (1958)
Avanti! (1972)
The Aviator (2004)
The Awful Truth (1937)

Baby Face (1933)
The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)
Bad Company
Bad Santa (2003)
Bandits (2001)
Bandolero! (1968)
The Barefoot Contessa (1954)
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Beauty and the Beast (Disney)
The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
Ben-Hur (1959)
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
The Big Bounce (2004)
The Big Heat (1953)
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Blood Work (2002)
The Jason Bourne Trilogy (2002 — 2007)

Bowfinger (1999)
Brideshead Revisited (1981)
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Brotherhood of the Wolf (Les Pact des Loups) (2001)
Bruce Almighty (2003)
Bull Durham (1988)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

Casablanca (1942)
Casanova’s Big Night (1954)
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
Changing Lanes (2002)
The Cheyenne Social Club (1970)
Children of Men (2006)
Chinatown (1974)
Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
A Christmas Story
Cinema Paradiso (Nuovo Cinema Paradiso) (1988)
City Lights (1931)
Cleopatra (1963)
Cold Mountain (2003)
Collateral (2004)
Collateral Damage (2001)
Columbo – the Complete First Season (1968-1972)
The Core (2003)
Crimson Tide (1995)
Curse of the Golden Flower (2006)

D – H

Daisy Kenyon (1947)
Dangerous Beauty (1998)
Dark Blue
Dark Passage (1947)
Dave (1993)
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Death at a Funeral (2007)
Deep Impact (1998)
Destry Rides Again (1939)
Dinner at Eight (1933)
The Dirty Dozen (1967)
Dirty Harry (1971)
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
Doctor Zhivago (1965)
Dodsworth (1936)
La Dolce Vita (1960)
Donovan’s Reef (1963)
Double Wedding (1937)
Dragonfly (2002)
Dream Wife (1953)
Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)
Duel in the Sun (1946)

Easy Living (1937)
Ed Wood – Special Edition (1994)
Elf (2003)
E.T.: the Extra-terrestrial (1982)
Evelyn Prentice (1934)
Executive Suite (1954)

Far From Heaven
Father Goose (1964)
Femme Fatale (2002)
Finding Nemo (2003)
Five Card Stud (1968)
Fog, The (1979)
Force of Arms (1951)

Gaslight (1944)
Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The (1947)
Ghost Breakers, The (1940)
Ghost World (2001)
Gilda (1946)
Girl Next Door, The (2004)
Gone With the Wind (1939)
Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The (1966)
Gosford Park (2001)
Grand Hotel (1932)
Gunga Din (1939)

Hands Across the Table (1936)
Hang ‘Em High
Hart’s War (2002)
Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957)
Hellboy (2004)
Hereafter (2010)
Hero (Ying xiong) (2002)
Hidalgo (2004)
The High and the Mighty (1954)
High Crimes
High Sierra (1941)
His Girl Friday (1940)
Holiday Inn (1942)
Hollywood Ending (2002)
Hollywood Homicide (2003)
Hondo (1953)
The Hot Spot (1990)
The Hours (2002)
Houseboat (1958)
How to Murder Your Wife (1965)
Human Stain, The (2003)
The Hunt for Red October (1990)
The Hurricane (1937)

I – L

Ice Age
Identity (2003)
Ikiru (1952)
Illegal (1955)
I Love You Again (1940)
In a Lonely Place (1950)
Indiana Jones, The Adventures of (1981 – 2008)

Imposter (2002)
I, Robot (2004)
Insomnia (2002)
Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Invasions Barbares, Les (The Barbarian Invasions) (2003)
I Wake Up Screaming (1941)
I Was a Male War Bride (1949)

Jaws (1975)
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
Jerry Maguire (1996)
Johnny English (2003)
Just Visiting (2001)

Kagemusha (1980)
Key Largo (1948)
The King and I (1956)
Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
Kiss Me Deadly (1955)

L.A. Confidential (1997)
The Lady Eve (1941)
A Lady Takes a Chance (1943)
The Lady Vanishes (1938)
Land of the Pharaohs (1955)
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: the Cradle of Life (2003)
Last Holiday (2006)
The Last Samurai (2003)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Legally Blonde (2001)
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde (2003)
Legend of Hell House, The (1973)
Libeled Lady (1936)
The Long Goodbye (1973) — review 2011
The Long Goodbye (1973) — review 2003
Lost in Translation (2003)
Lord of the Rings, The: the Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Lord of the Rings, The: the Two Towers (theatrical) (2002)
Lord of the Rings, The: the Two Towers (extended) (2002)
Love Before Breakfast (1936)
Love Crazy (1941)
Love Song for Bobby Long, A (2004)
Lucky Jordan (1942)

M – O

The Male Animal (1942)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
The Manchurian Candidate, (1962)
Man Hunt (1941)
Man in the Middle (1963)
Man of La Mancha (1972)
Man on the Train (L’homme du train) (2002)
Man of the World (1931)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001)
Marie Antoinette (1938)
Master and Commander: the Far Side of the World (2003)
The Master of Ballantrae (1953)
Mata Hari (1931)
The Matchmaker (1997)
Matchstick Men (2003)
The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
Matrix Revolutions (2003)
McLintock! (1963)
Men With Brooms
The Mexican (2001)
Mildred Pierce (1945)
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Minority Report (2002)
The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek (1944)
The Missing (2003)
Mr. Arkadin (1955) — aka, Confidential Report
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948)
Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962)
Mister Roberts (1955)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) (original review)
Mogambo (1953)
Monkey Business (1952)
Monster’s Inc. (2001)
The Mothman Prophecies (2002)
Moulin Rouge (2001)
Mousehunt (1997)
Mumford (1999)
Murder By Decree (1979)
Murder, My Sweet (1944)
The Muse (1999)
Music and Lyrics (2007)
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
My Fair Lady (1964)
My Favorite Wife (1940)
My Favorite Year (1981)
My First Mister (2001)
My Man Godfrey (1936)
My Reputation (1946)

The Natural (1984)
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
The Night of the Iguana (1964)
North to Alaska (1960)
Notes on a Scandal (2006)
Now Voyager (1942)

Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
Office Space (1999)
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
On the Beach (1959)
Once Upon a Time in the West (1969)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
One Night at McCool’s (2001)
Open Range (2003)
Others, The (2001)
Outlaw Josey Wales, The (1976)
Out of the Past (1947)
The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)

P – R

Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)
People I Know (2002)
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Piddleville’s Top Ten DVDs of 2001
Piddleville’s Top Ten DVDs of 2002
Pink Panther, The (2006)
Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
Planet of the Apes (1968)
Portrait of Jennie (1948)
Postman Always Rings Twice, The (1946)
Predator (1987)
Pride & Prejudice (2005)
The Pride of the Yankees
The Prince and the Showgirl (1957)
Princess Comes Across, The (1936)
Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, The (1970)
The Professionals (1966)
Psycho (1960)

Queen Christina (1933)
The Quiet American (2002)
The Quiet Man (1952)

The Rainmaker (1956)
The Real Glory (1939)
Rebecca (1940)
Red River (1948)
Rio Bravo (1959)
River of No Return (1954)
Road House (1948)
The Road Show Series

Robin and Marian (1946)
Rose Red (Stephen King’s) (2002)
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
The Rules of the Game (La Règle du jeu) (1939)
Runaway Jury (2003)
Run Silent, Run Deep (1958)

S – T

Sabrina (1995)
Sahara (1943)
The Saragossa Manuscript (1965)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Sayonara (1957)
Seabiscuit (2003)
The Sea Hawk (1940)
Searchers, The (1956)
Separate Tables (1958)
Seven Year Itch, The (1956)
Shackleton (2002)
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
Shadow of the Thin Man (1941)
Shane (1953)
The Shining (1980)
So Long at the Fair (1950)
Shootist, The (1976)
Shop Around the Corner, The (1940)
Sideways (2004)
Silverado (1985)
Singin’ in the Rain
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Something’s Gotta Give (2003)
The Song of Bernadette (1943)
Song of the Thin Man (1947)
The Sound of Music (1965)
Speed (1994)
Spider-man (2002)
Spy Game (2001)
Stagecoach (1939)
Star Trek: the Motion Picture (Director’s Cut) (1979)
Star Trek VI: the Undiscovered Country (1991)
Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
Stepford Wives, The (2004)
Strange Cargo (1940)
Stranger, The (1946)
Stripes – Extended Cut (1981)
Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)
Sullivan’s Travels (1941)
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
The Sweetest Thing (2002)

The Talk of the Town (1942)
Tarzan the Ape Man (1932)
The Terminal (2004)
They Were Expendable (1945)
They Won’t Forget (1937)
The Thin Man (1934)
The Thin Man Goes Home (1945)
The Thin Man Series (1934 – 1947)
This Gun For Hire (1942)
This is the Night (1932)
Three Colors
Three Colors – Blue
Three Colors – White
Three Colors – Red
Thirteen Days
The Time Machine (1960)
The Time Machine (2002)
Titanic (1953)
To Be or Not to Be (1942)
To Catch a Thief (1955)
To Have and Have Not (1944)
Tombstone (1993)
Topper (1937)
Topper Returns (1941)
Trading Places (1983)
The Train Robbers (1973)
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
Trouble Along the Way (1953)
Trouble in Paradise (1932)
Troy (2004)
True Confession (1937)
True Grit (1969)
True Lies (1994)
The Truman Show (1998)
Truth About Cats & Dogs, The (1996)
Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970)

U – Z

Unbreakable (2000)
Ugetsu (1953)
Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
Underworld (2003)
Unfaithful (2002)

Van Helsing (2004)
Volver (2006)

Wall-E (2008)
The Watcher in the Woods (1980)
Water (2005)
The Weather Man (2005)
Week-end in Havana (1941)
We’re Not Dressing (1934)
West Side Story (1961)
Whale Rider (2002)
What About Bob? (1991)
Without Reservations (1946)
Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
The Woman in Black
The Woman in the Window (1944)

You Can’t Take It With You (1938)

My Wicked, Wicked Ways

Bill Wren — Tue, 17 May 2005 15:22:39 +0000

The Autobiography of Errol Flynn (1959)
by Errol Flynn

I just finished reading, and thoroughly enjoyed, My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Autobiography of Errol Flynn, originally published somewhere around 1959, available now through Cooper Square Press (part of Taylor Trade Publishing group).

Heavens, what a helluva good read. Is anything he says true? Well, maybe. Probably, at least some of it. But that’s not really the point, not for me.

It reads as if it’s the transcript of a recording of a great raconteur, a teller of tall-tales whose favourite tale is his own life.

You get the sense of a man who is totally self-absorbed but, somehow, has such a winning personality you love him for it.

I originally picked up the book because I was interested in finding a unique character I might make use of in a story, a model for a supporting player. I had a vague notion that Errol Flynn might have some of the qualities I was looking for.

Well, geez … did I ever get my money’s worth in Flynn. It’s not simply a matter of a long, episodic tale of the picaresque variety, but also one of style. The words, syntax … everything that goes into creating a “voice” in writing, is here.

Profile of the devilish Errol Flynn (Photo: George Hurrell, 1938)

It’s the breezy voice of a kid who never grew up. In its conclusion, it’s also the voice of a kid who doesn’t quite understand how or why his life has gone the way it has.

For me, the incidents are less important than the personality that comes across (although the incidents are quite remarkable). Together, personality and incidents, it makes for an incredibly entertaining book.

The breezy tone of the adventures carries through for roughly the first two thirds of the book. The fantastic, tall-tale quality is richest as Flynn recounts his early life and his various adventures as he travelled the world, especially Tasmania, Australia and the south seas.

His accounts of his Hollywood life are equally entertaining while also being salacious and gossipy. The raconteur quality comes forth through what the book relates and how Flynn relates it.

Although the book overall is chronological, he bounces back and forth in time. This almost mimicks on the page the way someone tells a story orally as one thought prompts another.

Sometimes the jumps in time and subject are almost non-sequiters. Yet it never seems excessive or sloppy, simply stylisticly casual.

As the book winds down you get the sense Flynn is winding down. It’s almost as if he becomes disinterested. There’s a melancholy quality to the book as he becomes increasingly reflective.

While Flynn’s most winning quality seems to be a boyish charm, as the book progresses the negative side of that charm is immaturity. It’s this that seems to catch up to Flynn in the end.

A pipe smoking, sailing Errol Flynn.

Finally, the man at the end of the book comes across as one who is close to but not yet quite grasping the meaning of his life (pompous as that may sound). Or, to put it another way, time seems to catch up to Flynn. Age. The image we end up with is of a somewhat faded Hollywood star, alone at his beautiful Jamaican home, not entirely sure what remains of his life or what to do with what remains.

As the Wikipedia entry on Errol Flynn says, “By the mid 1950s, Flynn was something of a self-parody: heavy alcohol abuse left him noticeably bloated in his last years.” He died of heart failure in Vancouver a short time before this book came out.

Knowing something of the final years of Flynn’s life amplifies the melancholy of the book’s conclusion for the reader and makes its final line resonate in a sad way.

However, while this may be how it winds down it is certainly not the tone of the majority of the book. It is flush with a sense of fun and adventure and humour.

Flynn is a character, in the truest sense. He’s marvelous and if I had known him, I don’t think I would have trusted him any further than I could throw him.

(By the way, it sounds as if the writing of My Wicked, Wicked Ways was a great story too, or so the book’s introduction suggests. As another aside, Flynn originally wanted to call the book, In Like Me, as a play on the popular phrase, “In like Flynn,” a line that came about due to one of the episodes in his life.)

Originally posted in 2005 (or earlier).

My Wicked, Wicked Ways:

- Amazon.com
- Amazon.ca

My Wicked, Wicked Ways – review

Bill Wren — Sun, 01 May 2005 15:39:03 +0000

The Autobiography of Errol Flynn (1959)
by Errol Flynn

Heavens, what a helluva good read. Is anything he says true? Well, maybe. Probably, at least some of it. But that’s not really the point, not for me.

It reads as if it’s the transcript of a recording of a great raconteur, a teller of tall-tales whose favourite tale is his own life. You get the sense of a man who is totally self-absorbed but, somehow, has such a winning personality you love him for it.