Best Movies by Farr

A Tale of Two Sisters: Hollywood's Longest-Running Feud

On the first of this month, actress Olivia de Havilland turned 94 in Paris. For some time, she has held the distinction of being the last surviving principal cast member of the storied film "Gone With The Wind".

Meanwhile, younger sister Joan Fontaine also survives at 93, living comfortably in Carmel, California.

What is exceedingly strange and more than a little sad is that the sisters have been estranged for many years, the result of an intense sibling rivalry which has never dissipated.

The rift was felt as recently as two years ago when both sisters were asked to a special Oscars party to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Bette Davis’s birth. Fontaine only agreed to attend after she learned her sister had declined; when Olivia changed her mind, Joan promptly pulled out.

Though tensions between the siblings began in early childhood (reportedly, Olivia resented having a little sister, while their mother’s preference for Olivia infuriated Joan), their parallel paths in the movie business only made things worse.

Olivia was the first of the sisters to gain fame, memorably appearing opposite Errol Flynn in a number of films beginning in the mid-thirties, but notably Joan was the first to win an Oscar.

It was 1941, and to exacerbate the tension, both sisters were nominated that year, an Academy first that would only be repeated twenty-five years later when Vanessa and Lynn Redgrave were both nominated (neither won).

When Joan got the nod for her performance in Hitchcock’s “Suspicion” (a part Olivia had also coveted), her elder sister looked at her coldly and tersely commanded her to “get up there.”

Five years later, when Olivia finally won her first of two Oscars, Joan presented her with the statuette, and her older sister, finally victorious, pointedly refused to shake her hand.

It’s unlikely we will ever fully understand the source of the sisters’ mutual antipathy or be able reasonably to take sides in this longest running of Hollywood feuds. We can however take solace in the impressive roster of classic films which both of these beautiful and talented ladies bequeathed to us.

In the end, even though Olivia and Joan could never enjoy each other, through these movies we get to enjoy them both.

Captain Blood (1935)- In this lusty recounting of the Rafael Sabatini tale, Errol Flynn is Peter Blood, a doctor unjustly sentenced to servitude by the British Crown. Chafing against captivity, Blood escapes and becomes a pirate on the high seas. He makes as good a pirate as doctor, wielding a sword in a way they don't teach you in medical school. Beyond zesty sword fights, there are grand sea battles, and of course, romance, as Blood falls for Arabella Bishop (de Havilland), daughter of Colonel Bishop (Lionel Atwill), cruel master of the penal colony where Blood is initially sent. "Blood" made an overnight star of the Tasmanian Flynn, and no wonder. His combination of good looks, athleticism, and sheer personality brought back the swashbuckler in one fell swoop. Veteran helmer Michael Curtiz's direction is predictably assured, and both Atwill and pirate nemesis Basil Rathbone make truly despicable villains. Finally, young de Havilland is the perfect match for Flynn; it's easy to see why they'd be paired in seven more Warner pictures.

The Adventures Of Robin Hood (1938)- Robin of Locksley, a noble Saxon (Flynn), sees the people of England exploited by the Normans and their leader, Prince John (Claude Rains), who's seized the throne in his brother Richard's absence. Robin and his followers work to undermine the corrupt regime until King Richard's return. With Maid Marion (Olivia De Havilland) as love interest and Sir Guy Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone) as nemesis, Robin is kept constantly occupied. This rousing, gorgeously photographed adventure movie exemplifies the magical heights Warner Brothers attained in the Golden Age of the studio system. Bolstered by a consistently clever script, with both humor and romance complementing the derring-do, Curtiz’s "Robin Hood" is a milestone in Hollywood cinema- the first, and perhaps best, color swashbuckler.

Gone With The Wind (1939)- At the outbreak of the Civil War, feisty, narcissistic Southern belle Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) meets her match in roguish charmer Rhett Butler (Clark Gable), who woos her despite her love for another man, Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard). Ashley however has chosen the gentle Melanie Hamilton (de Havilland) for his bride. All this sets the stage for one of cinema's most turbulent romances, with plenty of historic, cathartic moments in the background, as the progress and aftermath of the war leaves the Old South in ashes. One of the world's most cherished and enduring pictures, "Wind" was birthed in the mind of novelist Margaret Mitchell and incubated by the brilliant, obsessive David O. Selznick, who spared no expense in bringing this powerful, affecting story to the big screen. The ultra-lavish production features ornate costumes and art design, jaw-dropping set pieces and historical sequences (especially the burning of Atlanta, for which a Hollywood set was torched), all wrapped around the story of a resourceful, if not likable, heroine. Leigh plays the self-absorbed Scarlett to perfection, while Gable's Rhett is devilishly suave and fiercely masculine. Grand studio filmmaking at its aristocratic best, Selznick's brainchild nabbed an armload of Oscars, including Best Picture.

Rebecca (1940)- After meeting on the Riviera, a demure young woman (Fontaine) marries a wealthy widower, Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier), and returns to his sprawling English manor at Manderley. But Maxim’s glacial housekeeper Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson) instantly regards her new mistress with undisguised hostility, referring reverentially to the deceased Rebecca de Winter, whose death is veiled in secrecy. Bit by bit, the new wife uncovers the truth about her predecessor’s demise. Produced by the great David O. Selznick, Hitchcock’s multiple Oscar-nominated domestic mystery, sort of a cross between Jane Austen and Daphne du Maurier (who penned the novel it’s based on), was Hitch’s maiden outing in Hollywood. And he couldn’t have asked for a better cast: Fontaine is exquisite as the innocent new bride who narrates the film, and super thespian Olivier is masterful as ever playing the urbane tycoon with a secret. But Anderson has the choicest turn as the sadistic Mrs. Danvers, who has it in for the timid Fontaine. To top it all off, George Barnes’s expressive black-and-white camerawork marries beautifully with the inimitable atmosphere of psychological menace that was this director’s trademark. The only Hitchcock movie to win Best Picture at the Oscars, “Rebecca” endures as one of our finest suspense classics.

Suspicion (1941)- The shy but wealthy Lina McLaidlaw (Fontaine) marries suave, penniless Johnnie Aysgarth (Cary Grant) despite warnings that he's a gold-digging playboy. Before long, Johnnie appears to show his true colors when he gets involved in an embezzlement scheme-and his partner Beaky (Nigel Bruce) turns up dead. Though lacking hard evidence, Lina begins to suspect her husband is a killer, and fears he may come for her next. Hitchcock's psychological thriller is as tightly plotted and crisply directed as any of the master's finest works. The tension builds slowly and inexorably, as the bookish, increasingly frightened Lina waits passively for her nightly glass of (poisoned?) milk, fearing the worst. As mentioned, Fontaine won her first and only Oscar for her role as the rattled wife, while Grant, in his first of four Hitchcock outings, is superb as the cynical charmer. "Suspicion" is sure to thrill anyone in the mood for subtle romantic intrigue.

Jane Eyre (1943)- Sent to a girls' reformatory by a hateful aunt (Agnes Moorehead), young orphan Jane Eyre (Fontaine) endures ten years of harsh discipline and abuse at the hands of a sadistic headmaster. Ten years later, Jane finds work as a governess at the gloomy estate of gruff, imperious Edward Rochester (Orson Welles), where she cares for his coquettish, French-born daughter, Adele (Margaret O'Brien). Though Rochester is clearly fighting some inner demons, he's also increasingly fond of Jane, who becomes his most trusted confidante. Welles put his distinctive stamp on this haunting adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's canonical novel playing the brooding, ill-starred baron who falls for his humble governess, movingly played by the fresh-faced Fontaine. Director Robert Stevenson worked closely with author Aldous Huxley on the script, but apart from the excellent cast and writing, what makes this version so memorable is its oppressive, darkly romantic Gothic atmosphere: in particular, Jane and Rochester's first terrifying meeting on the fog-shrouded moors will surely etch into your mind. Look, too, for Liz Taylor early on as Jane's consumptive childhood friend.

The Snake Pit (1948)- Confined to a mental institution after a nervous breakdown, newlywed Virginia Cunningham (de Havilland) finds herself isolated in a world of nightmarish confusion. Mistreated by hostile nurses and accosted by her deranged fellow patients, Virginia's only hope of unlocking the puzzle of her madness resides in the attention of kindly, capable Dr. Mark Kik (Leo Genn). Long before Freud was a household name, Anatole Litvak's "Pit" powerfully addressed the problem of mental illness-and the beneficent effects of the "talking cure"-in this absorbing, often harrowing drama. de Havilland delivers one of her finest (and decidedly least glamorous) performances as Virginia, a young woman whose irrational antipathy to her loving husband Robert (Mark Stevens) escalates into a disturbing psychotic break. Amid the fine supporting cast of loonies and lock-up staff, British actor Genn's Dr. Kik is an urbane, soothing presence. While Litvak's evocation of the hospital's abject milieu is disturbingly frank, there is light at the bottom of this "Pit."

The Heiress (1949)- Socially awkward, plain-looking heiress Catherine Sloper (De Havilland) wants to marry dashing, penniless suitor Morris Townsend (Montgomery Clift), but her tyrannical widower father, Dr. Austin Sloper (Ralph Richardson), smells a gold-digging rat, and threatens to cut off Catherine’s inheritance if she elopes. Is Dr. Sloper coldly ruining his daughter’s only chance for happiness, or is he protecting her from the get-rich scheme of a disingenuous lover? Widely hailed as a masterpiece, and boasting an Oscar-winning performance from de Havilland, William Wyler's powerful and haunting drama was adapted from Henry James's novel, "Washington Square." de Havilland's transformation from dutiful and docile daughter into a grown-up who thinks for herself is one of the great rewards of seeing this film; Richardson shines, too, as an overbearing man who nevertheless feels conflicted about blocking Catherine's right to decide her own future. With a splendid score by Aaron Copland, majestic costumes by Edith Head, and Wyler's mastery of psychological tension, "The Heiress" (like its star) remains a Hollywood treasure.

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Huffington Post: Where Are All the Classy, Smart Female Stars Today? (Thank God - I Found One)

See John's latest piece at The Huffington Post: Where Are All the Classy, Smart Female Stars Today?

Video Entry - Nicole Kidman

To celebrate Nicole Kidman's birthday this June, I highlight three of my favorite Kidman movies which display her range as an actress. First, To Die For (1995), a thriller directed by Gus Van Sant starring Kidman and Matt Dillon, where Nicole portrays an ambitious-and deadly- news reporter. Second, The Others (2001), a gothic horror film that stars Kidman as a mother with two photo-sensitive children trapped in a house she believes is haunted. And third, The Hours, a story of how Virginia Woolf's novel "Mrs. Dalloway" affects the lives of three women, each living in different time periods. Kidman, playing Woolf herself, is outstanding, and won an Oscar.

TRIBUTE TO A LADY, DEBORAH KERR

Deborah Kerr’s death last week at 86, while merciful (she had suffered from Parkinson’s for years), represents the passing of a certain kind of star and personality we rarely see anymore: a lady first and foremost, who, even playing women of dubious virtue, exude an innate sense of class, even nobility.

Born in Scotland to an officer who’d been gassed in the First War, like an astonishing number of professionals, her naturally shy nature was able to transform itself above the footlights and on the set to create an actress of unusual distinction and versatility.

Like most all UK actors of the day, her training was hard-won on the British stage, and that hurdle cleared, it was not long before she appeared in front of a camera- look for her in 1942’s “Major Barbara”, starring the incomparable Wendy Hiller.

Starring roles in British productions ensued, followed by the siren call of Hollywood. Over her career, she was nominated six times for the Best Actress Oscar, but never won. In 1994, clearly ailing, she accepted an honorary Oscar, and her brief but eloquent acceptance speech spoke volumes about the special woman she was.

Though effortlessly elegant, by most accounts she was hardly always “proper”, and actually chafed at this image. This attitude is reflected in a number of strong, daring role choices, as in “Tea and Sympathy” (1956), where Kerr plays a college professor’s wife involved with a student. Reputedly, when making John Huston’s “Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison” in 1957, at the outset leading man Robert Mitchum was concerned about his co-star’s supposed primness, until he heard her hurling some well-chosen epithets after a bungled take. Mitchum promptly collapsed in laughter, and two remained close friends up until his death (they would also work together twice more)

Her film work is her enduring gift to us, so here are my own top Deborah Kerr picks:

The Life and Death Of Colonel Blimp (1945)- The prodigious British film-making team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, dubbed "The Archers", released this, their first color feature, at the end of the Second World War. The film recalls the life of a career military officer, General Clive Wynne-Candy (Roger Livesey), whose postings and exploits mirror the fortunes of his country. Less war film than human drama, we flash back to Wynne-Candy's younger days, his relationships with three key women in his life (all played by Kerr), and a sorely tested friendship with a German officer (Anton Walbrook). The lengthy but rewarding "Blimp" is a warm, fond salute to a colonial British Empire on the wane, and the officers who served it. Livesey is splendid as the beloved central character, who ages forty years over the course of the film, and Walbrook equally fine as Wynne-Candy's German friend, whom he must oppose in wartime. But a poised young Deborah was never more luminous than in this early role. Criterion deserves credit for a gorgeous high-definition transfer of this masterpiece, which makes the old new again.

Black Narcissus (1947)- When young Sister Clodagh (Kerr) is asked to open a convent-hospital in a former brothel perched high above a small Indian village, she agrees, knowing that many hardships lie ahead. Once there, she's greeted by sardonic Englishman Mr. Dean (David Farrar), who takes great delight in ruffling Sister Clodagh's habit. But it's jealous, unstable Sister Ruth (Kathleen Byron) who eventually succumbs to the dark allure of this exotic, windswept setting. Another success for the Powell-Pressburger team, "Narcissus" is an absorbing, finely acted British melodrama about the secular problems facing a new mother superior in an unfamiliar, potentially hostile environment. The directors even stirred controversy by developing a subtle yet palpable sexual tension between the angelic Kerr and the handsome Farrar. Jack Cardiff's Oscar-winning Technicolor photography and Alfred Junge's hand-crafted art design give this film exceptional production values to boot. And Kathleen Byron's celebrated turn as the unhinged Sister Ruth climaxes in a suspenseful sequence that's hard to forget.

King Solomon’s Mines (1950)- When a hunter disappears in wild, uncharted parts while searching for the fabled mines of King Solomon, rugged adventurer Allan Quartermain (Stewart Granger) is hired by the man's wife, Elizabeth (Kerr), to lead an expedition to find him. Of course, both Elizabeth and her brother John (Richard Carlson) insist on accompanying the group into the jungle, and despite misgivings, Quartermain reluctantly agrees. Shot on location in Africa, and featuring a winning team in Granger and Kerr, "Mines" is a handsome, pounding adventure film with plenty of thrills and romance. Thanks to spectacular camerawork by Oscar winner Robert Surtees, the movie is indispensable purely on a visual level, but Granger and Kerr emit powerful screen chemistry too, which makes the epic journey- including snakes, spiders, lions, rhinos, and assorted African tribes-that much more exhilarating.

From Here To Eternity (1953)- Based on James Jones' epic novel, a tough marine sergeant (Burt Lancaster) begins a torrid affair with the wife of his commanding officer (Kerr), while a lowly private (Montgomery Clift) becomes a tragic victim of his own boxing prowess. All this happens right on Pearl Harbor, just as that naval outpost-and the United States itself- literally get bombed into World War II. "Eternity" virtually swept the 1953 Oscars - and no wonder. It remains a fascinating, multi-layered human drama set within the larger canvas of impending conflict. The all-star cast is uniformly excellent. In particular, Frank Sinatra's Oscar-winning supporting turn as hot-headed, scrawny Maggio single-handedly revived his sagging career. And the torrid (for the time) beach scene with Lancaster and Kerr still qualifies as one of cinema's most indelible images. Also watch for that culminating Pearl Harbor attack sequence. A must-see.

The King and I (1956)- In the 1860’s, the King of Siam (Yul Brynner) finds himself with many children to be educated and cared for, so he hires Anna (Kerr), an English governess, for the position. What he does not count on is her firm and independent approach to the job, which creates some colorful, even volatile interaction between lady and monarch. Over time, bonds of mutual respect and affection grow. Walter Lang’s gorgeous production delivers a triumphant screen adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway play that turned Yul Brynner into a star. Sets and costumes are breathtaking, the story touching, and each song in the lilting score enchants. Deborah makes a perfect Anna (with help from Marni Nixon, who dubbed her singing voice), a woman strong enough to stand up to- and perhaps even love- a king. This title remains among the cream of family entertainment. It will sparkle eternally.

Separate Tables (1958)- This engrossing ensemble piece, adapted by Terrence Rattigan from his own play, portrays a group of mostly lonely, lost souls- including boastful war hero Major Pollock (David Niven), mousy spinster Sibyl (Kerr), her overbearing mother (Gladys Cooper), and alcoholic American writer John Malcolm (Burt Lancaster) - all staying at the same English sea-side inn. When Malcolm’s former wife, faded beauty Anna (Rita Hayworth) appears unexpectedly, the group's collective secrets and dreary emotional baggage come tumbling out into the open. What in lesser hands could have been a mucky soap-fest becomes instead a subtle, sensitive film, thanks to director Delbert Mann's deft handling of Rattigan's Oscar-nominated script. The first-rate troupe of players also includes Wendy Hiller, who (along with Niven) won an Oscar for her performance as Pat Cooper, the innkeeper having an affair with Lancaster. "Tables" stands as poignant drama of the highest order.

The Sundowners (1960) - In this, Kerr’s second outing with Robert Mitchum, drifting sheepherder Paddy Carmody (Mitchum) is content to roam the Australian countryside with wife Ida (Kerr) and son Sean (Michael Anderson Jr.). But Ida and Sean fantasize about buying a farmhouse and settling down, and convince Paddy to take a job as a sheep shearer so they can save up for a mortgage. Paddy is less than thrilled with this arrangement, and soon rebels against his new lifestyle. Filmed on location, this breezy Western from Down Under earned five Oscar nominations, and has weathered well over the years as a mini-epic about freedom and family bonds. Mitchum and Kerr square off nicely as hardworking but happily married roamers, and even manage to hold their Aussie accents in check most of the time. Peter Ustinov, playing a chipper ex-officer who comes to live with the Carmody family, provides some of the film's highest humor, especially in his flirtatious relationship with hotel owner Glynis Johns. Precisely what makes a man wander? "Sundowners", which also reunited Kerr with her “Eternity” director Fred Zinnemann, volunteers no easy answers, but it's still lots of fun to tag along.

The Innocents (1961) - Based on Henry James's "The Turn of The Screw", this shudder-inducing spookfest centers on one Miss Giddens (Kerr), a governess in late nineteenth century England hired to care for two orphaned children in an old English rural estate. Once settled in, she experiences odd sightings and sensations which convince her that supernatural forces are communing with the children. Whether or not she can make anyone believe her, she must protect her charges at any cost. Expertly directed by Jack Clayton and shot by the legendary Freddie Francis, this seminal horror tale uses muffled sounds and fleeting glimpses to cast its spell of dread and mounting terror. Kerr is terrific in the lead, a woman who must determine whether she's being haunted or going mad, and Martin Stephens and Pamela Franklin are eerily remote as the two possessed children. Also look for Michael Redgrave as the children's aloof uncle, who is just wise enough to stay away from the place. Fans of psychological horror should certainly pounce on “The Innocents”.