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Post by mrslorre on Dec 12, 2010 17:25:32 GMT
I haven´t seen that version of the film but I read that Dwight played the role of Wilmer (who later in 1941 would be played by Elija Cook Jr.)
I know that this adaptation of Dashiel Hammet´s novel was not that good since the director Del Ruth took some liberties with the novel.
Have you seen the film? so you could tell me better.
P/S: As a Peter Lorre fan you can guess I saw the 1941 adaptation of the film
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Post by Luna on Dec 12, 2010 17:49:26 GMT
I have seen the film, as well as seeing the 1941 version with Bogart and of course Lorre, and I have also read the book.
It's true- Del Ruth took liberties with the book- however if my memory serves me correctly (it's been awhile since I read the book) he didn't run off the path that far. That is to say he didn't completely trash the novel in his attempt to bring it to the screen. Some of the acting is rather stagey and dry. Ricardo Cortez is nowhere near as polished as Bogart, however he does bring a certain....perverse twist to the role that was kind of missing in Bogie's portrayal, probably due to the fact that the 1931 version was pre-code, and the 1941 version was not. There are a few decent "if you blink you will miss them" performances by Thelma Todd and Una Merkel. Otto Matieson is NO Peter Lorre however, and the same can be said of Dudley Digges vs. Sydney Greenstreet. There is no contest there.
Cook's performance of Wilmer was a great one. He took the character to the height of fear and loathing. However I really do admire Dwight's performance more. Yes, yes I know. I am bias. But Dwight was given very little to work with. Del Ruth Fulton and Holmes reduced the role of Wilmer to almost cameo status and he had very little dialogue, yet he still managed to turn in a masterful performance, skulking and smoldering on the edge of the film like a caged animal. His portrayal was understated yet passionate. The best in the film.
So that is my two cents:)
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Post by Luna on Dec 12, 2010 17:55:15 GMT
I have a few clips at "You Tube" on my channel and I am attaching one here.
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Post by mrslorre on Dec 13, 2010 3:51:32 GMT
I have seen that cliip out of curiosity when I was watching some Peter Lorre clips, it looked different from the 1941 version but I liked it anyway!
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Post by Luna on Dec 13, 2010 4:32:14 GMT
I have a few other clips from the film at YT as well, if anyone is interested:)
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Post by Mrs Vindecco on Dec 13, 2010 21:53:11 GMT
Apparently John Huston hated this 1931 adaption though I can't see why because it's not that different. Obviously there's some technical things associated with early cinema like a lack of incidental music that make it seem flat at points. However this is still an enjoyable movie. As Luna stated Lorre and Greenstreet are far superior Matieson and Digges. To compare Ricardo Cortez to Bogart is rather pointless as they give performances that are increadibly different, Cortez is young, cocky with a wondering palms where Bogart is older, weary of the world and doesn't suffer fools gladly. The same can be said when one compares Bebe Daniels with Mary Astor, in fact as I am personally not convinced with Astor as a femme fatale so in certain respects Daniel's is better but then again I am never convinced Daniels would spend too much time looking for the Falcon. Dwight was given less to do than Cook but he does make the best of it. I've read someone say that Dwight was too old to play Wilmer but Cook was actually seven years older when he played the part.
Also I seem to remember reading in Lorres biography "The Lost One" that while the 1941 version was in the planning stages he was considered for the role of Wilmer at one point but I'm glad they decided to cast him as Cairo.
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Post by herald7 on Jan 9, 2011 22:48:49 GMT
It's interesting, this scene from 1931 contains a lot of the same (or similar) dialogue as the 1941 version, yet it doesn't feel like the same movie at all to me. I do think the 1941 film is superior in the rapid fire and endearing delivery of the actors. Especially the Gutman and Cairo characters. They barely make an impression in the 1931 Falcon, yet Greenstreet and Lorre went on to be a hugely successful film duo, mainly because of their 1941 Falcon. Dwight Fyre does have an intriguing vibe about him though as a sort of furious, gun happy youth, hehe. And it's nice to see him playing a "normal" guy. Also want to say that while Mary Astor may not have been the "knock out" the 1931 actress was, she brought a lot of personality to the role. She seemed like a woman who had lived a rough life, the same as Bogart had.
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Post by Mrs Vindecco on Jan 11, 2011 20:40:42 GMT
For me, Lorre and Greenstreet ARE Cairo and Gutman though I don't think Digges and Matieson did a poor job, it's just that Lorre and Greenstreet really through themselves into the roles that anyone else would come a poor second. I don't think Mary Astor is necessary bad in the role or is worse than Bebe Daniels, I just don't think either are nevessary convincing as criminals. I'm guessing that's because the idea of the femme fatale was relatively new. In my head someone like Barbara Stanwick would have been more effective but then again the great Bette Davis played the part and even she couldn't get it right. In defence of Mary Astor, I always like the scene where she and Lorre are fighting and she kicks him in the leg... always makes me laugh
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Post by herald7 on Jan 13, 2011 2:22:00 GMT
For me, Lorre and Greenstreet ARE Cairo and Gutman though I don't think Digges and Matieson did a poor job, it's just that Lorre and Greenstreet really through themselves into the roles that anyone else would come a poor second. Yeah exactly, I don't think anyone in the 1931 version did a bad job. It's just that the chemistry just didn't gell the way it did for the 1941 cast. Can't predict these things! Oh me too! "Why don't you make him tell the truth?!" ::KICK!:: LOL. And the horrified look on Lorre's face is priceless, lol. Something I forgot to mention before, I just loved listening to Dwight's voice as Wilmer. Definitely one of those rich stage voices. I haven't seen Dracula for awhile and this made me remember part of why I liked him in the first place.
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