Change is a good thing...maybe?

Greetings, all.

Lately I've been feeling the great conviction as both a book and movie lover, to shed some light on film adaptations, which I think we can all agree are tricky. This is probably due to the fact that I keep running into more and more buzz, news, and speculation on upcoming movies (i.e.- The Great Gatsby), and have also been reading up on some articles on that infamous discussion which will undoubtedly never be resolved--BBC Pride & Prejudice vs Joe Wright's Pride & Prejudice (Matthew Macfadyen is my leading man, in case you were wondering).

When discussing something like this which tends to be so controversial and which holds the great potential of the looming threat of people breaking out in passionate argument, there is something you should know about me and my personal opinions: I love books, I love movies, and I don't usually get too ruffled about details that have been skewed, providing that they don't change the entire outcome of the story. I'm the person you were sitting next to in the theater at the midnight premier of the Harry Potter movies who just shrugged and said, "That's not so bad," much to the chagrin of people around me. Although even I, like everyone in this world, have my limits.

Now, that also leads me to point out one of the number one things which I encourage people to keep in mind when it comes to film adaptations of books:

It is never going to be perfect.

Never. There is always going to be something that isn't quite the same, and to that same effect--you can't make everybody happy. Even if a film adaptation is outstanding and nearly perfectly done, there is always going to be somebody who is bent out of shape because that one line wasn't said right, or that one scene was cut off, or because what's-his-name doesn't look the way they imagined. 

Having said all that, in my personal opinion, I feel that good and sometimes even excellent film adaptations are entirely achievable on a general level if these most basic of guidelines are adhered to:

1) Do your best to cast actors and actresses who actually look like the characters they are expected to portray.

    I made this #1 because it generally seems like it doesn't matter what else happens in the rest of the movie--if the leading man or lady makes their grand entrance and they don't look the part, then people are automatically going to be moaning their distress. I stick by what I said earlier when I mentioned that you cannot make everyone happy when you bring a character to life on the big screen. Minor changes are acceptable. However, that doesn't give you license to get "creative" and pick someone who looks nothing like the person they are expected to portray. Daniel Radcliffe has dark brown hair and blue eyes, but he still made a great Harry Potter. On the other hand, I can't even begin to list the cringe-worthy differences between the novel version of Little Women's Professor Bhaer and Gabriel Byrne, no matter how good of an actor he is. And, for the love of all that is holy, please choose someone who is at least somewhere within a 5-yr range of their character (cough*Greer Garson*Pride & Prejudice*cough). On the totally opposite side of the coin, I'd have to say the best on-screen character representation I've seen would have to be Gemma Arterton in Tess of the D'Urbervilles, hands-down.

Such a basic thing to make your target audience happy. So just remember:

TRAVESTY:

BAD:

BETTER:

BEST:

2) Do not change the story.
    You can be forgiven for the occasional line fub, and we won't entirely hold it against you if you mesh some scenes together for times sake. We will probably even overlook a small number of location details, but if these things or anything else are part of an overall equation that leads to a totally and completely different story, then you're condemned.

3) Don't make a character into a person that they are not.
    So, the movie has started and most of the theater is grumbling about the imperfect presence that is the main character but that's all they're doing for now--grumbling, huffing, sighing, etc. I guarantee that will instantly become much more vocal and violent if this impostor opens their mouth and says things in a manner, tone of voice, or with such facial expressions that it gives them a different personality than what was originally insinuated or intended in the book. I just hate to add fuel to the fire here, but my case in point would be Colin Firth's Darcy vs Matthew Macfadyen's Darcy. Entirely setting aside the fact that I think MM is McDreamy, the main reason I approve of him over CF is because he actually portrays some emotion towards the end of the movie, which is what happens in the book the last time I checked. Honestly, CF is too stiff and you can never discern any of the discomfort or emotion or love for Elizabeth that should be there--not even by the final scene.

FITZWILLIAM DARCY:

FAKEWILLIAM FARCEY:

4) Don't eliminate the entire ending of the story.
    I'm not talking about changing the outcome, as mentioned above. I'm talking about completely and totally cutting it out, like it never happened. When the 2011 version of Jane Eyre came out, I was excited to see it because I really enjoy the book. I went to see it, and the imagery was beautiful! The characters were okay. Overall, I was thinking, "You know, this is a pretty okay film adaptation. I might even watch it again." And then what happens?Nothing. It just ends....and not where it is supposed to. It doesn't show the proper ending of the story which is the whole point of the story. Never watching that one again.

Cute but not good enough. Shame on you, Cary Joji Fukunaga.

Those are the main and most basic rules I have on the list, however even I must admit there are some adaptations that will probably fail even if they do follow the rules (which are not more like guidelines). Unfortunately my main example of this would be the 2013 adaptation of The Great Gatsby. Naturally, as I'm sure you would probably guess, I love the book. I think it is an interesting and sad story that is told through amazing verbal images of life as the elite in the 1920s. Unfortunately, most people don't realize that film adaptations of that story have already been done and they were not at all successful. Every once in a while you just run across a story that is wonderful in book form, but it just does not translate on the big screen. Besides The Great Gatsby, another example would be The Portrait of a Lady.

So, to be honest, I guess the main point of this was just a rant that led up to the fact that I will probably just watch The Great Gatsby from Redbox in the comfort of my home if I choose to invest in viewing it at all. And to say that Matthew Macfadyen wins.Always.

New things for a new year..

Hello everybody!

Do you like the new page and logo? It was time for a bit of a makeover since it is now officially 2013. We were kind of thinking "less is more."

That's not all that's new around here, though. This year you can still look forward to our regular posts and stories in conjunction with the TCM Star of the Month. You can also count on having special seasonal posts again this year like A Very Vintage Christmas. But we're excited to announce a couple of new ideas that we are going to test out in an effort to catch the attention of people who hold an interest in more specific genres.

The first one, inspired as you can no doubt guess by our most recent post, is a new segment titled Silent Saturdays. We often overlook silent films even though we love them, and we'd love to share that interest with you. So, one Saturday a month we will be doing a post on great actors, actresses, and their movies of the silent film era. We'll also post full features and short silent films in conjunction with that on our Facebook page as they are made available.

The second one we are going to do is Musical Mondays. It hasn't escaped our notice that musicals also tend to have their own special following these days because they are so often automatically dismissed and brushed aside unjustly for supposedly  being "corny" or "cheesy." Well, we love musicals (of course we do). So here's another chance to highlight a specific genre that isn't getting much love anymore. It'll work just the same as the other new segment--one Monday a month we'll highlight a different musical and why we love it, and we'll upload hit songs onto our Facebook page to go along with it.

We hope you'll be cinematic nerds along with us and get jazz hands over these new posts, as well as all the old ones!

hahaha...I couldn't resist. Punny.

"..I just took life and poked fun at it..."-Harold Lloyd

I love to laugh and I love watching comedies. I especially harbor a love of silent comedic films which are usually comedies of errors or rather unfortunate circumstances. Whether I am watching Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, or the subject of today's post, it always amazes me as I watch how they can truly portray comedy from tip to toes without speaking a single word. And while I love many of the comedians from the silent era, today I just wanted to share with you one of my personal favorites, who also happened to star in the first silent film that I ever watched...

Harold Lloyd

Born April 20, 1893

Died March 8, 1971

Named for his paternal grandfather who hailed from Wales, Harold Clayton Lloyd was born Burchard, Nebraska at the end of the 19th century. Given the bright spotlight that centered on Harold, many people do not know that he had an older brother named Gaylord who was also moderately successful in the film industry, having acted at the beginning of his career, but later settling for jobs behind the camera. It is perhaps because of his older brothers involvement in motion pictures that young Harold took an interest from an early age in theater. He took it upon himself to get involved in vaudeville and exercise/develop his talents even before his family moved to California when he was in high school. After he graduated from San Diego High School, he went on to study at the San Diego School of Dramatic Arts.

Lloyd quickly tapped into the industry after his move to California. He soon made an affiliation with Thomas Edison's film company and was creating one-reel comedic films. When the then not-so-famous Hal Roach formed his own company in 1913, he took on Lloyd and the two of them collaborated together on many projects. One of the first things that Lloyd undertook was hiring a co-star. He eventually chose Bebe Daniels. The two worked together on many projects for the next 6 years and were as much of a hit off screen as on, since it was common knowledge that the two were a couple. Audiences affectionately referred to them as "The Boy & The Girl." In 1919, Daniels felt like she was being confined to the studio and wanted to branch out on her own, so she left the company and Lloyd to build her own career.  Lloyd only suffered from the heartache for a short period of time until Mildred Davis was hired as his new co-star that same year. The two married in 1923.

During those beginning years, Lloyd formed a comedic persona all his own. His friends and co-workers frequently joked to him that he was far too handsome to star in screwball comedies, so he created his own look. Along with the customary heavy stage makeup, his character developed the trademarks of a straw boater hat and thick-framed round glasses. Lloyd also created a reputation during this time as a creative yet sometimes reckless stuntman. He was very athletic by nature, and whenever his character was caught in a sometimes physically trying predicament, Lloyd would insist on doing the work himself. He sustained many various smaller injuries over the course of his career, but seriously hurt himself in 1919. Ironically, Lloyd was merely posing for a promotional photograph when the accident occurred. He was holding a small bomb that was thought to just be a prop, yet it promptly went off in his hand causing him to lose two fingers. For the rest of his career he wore a prosthetic glove while acting in his films. Due to the pictures being in black and white, most people never knew the difference.

By 1921, Lloyd and Roach were still working together and decided to make a move into feature length films. They produced several successful films such as Grandma's Boy (1922), Why Worry? (1923), and one of his most memorable films, Safety Last! (1923). After the success of these films, Lloyd decided to expand and begin producing his own films beginning in 1924, so as to have more room for his creativity. It was once he branched out on his own that Lloyd then starred in his most accomplished films such as Girl Shy (1924), The Kid Brother (1927), Speedy (1928), and his highest-grossing film The Freshman (1925).

Speedy proved to be his final silent film. The film industry was taking a turn that promised growth and expansion with the development of sound equipment. Talkies were rolling into production. As with many silent film stars, there was some concern in the film industry as to whether or not Lloyd's career would transfer successfully when he could be heard. Lloyd did not ruffle his own feathers about it and just went on with business as usual. Since he was one of the highest paid stars during the silent film era, audiences everywhere were excited to see how Lloyd would do, and what he would sound like, in these new films. Welcome Danger (1929) was one of the last films released before the chaos of the Great Depression ensued. It was enormously successful. Once the stock market crash occurred and the Great Depression took hold of the nation, Lloyd's career slowed down a bit for the next 10 years, but he still continued to work. He trudged on through most of the 1940s, although he eventually sold the land of his production company to a branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which remains there today. In 1944 Lloyd began to dabble in the realm of radio, hosting The Old Gold Comedy Theater for its duration. Once that program died out, Lloyd slowly began to sink into retirement, but he took it in stride, becoming very involved in many different charities. He was also a family man throughout his life. He and his wife, Mildred, were married until her death in the 1960s, and they were kept very busy with their 3 children.

Harold Lloyd was a revolutionary worker of creativity and comedic talent in the film industry. He starred in 188 comedic films in his early career, and 17 feature length films. He did much experimentation with color, technicolor, photography, and 3D, and he was also one of the founding members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. His film Safety Last! remains the oldest film listed on the American Film Institute's list of 100 Most Thrilling Movies. He died in 1971 at the age of 77 due to cancer.

"The man who tries to be funny is lost. To lose one's naturalness is always to lose the sympathy of your audience."

-Harold Lloyd

"The more trouble you get a man into, the more comedy you get out of him."

-Harold Lloyd

"Comedy comes from inside. It comes from your face. It comes from your body."

-Harold Lloyd

"A charming woman is a busy woman."-Loretta Young

Before I really get started on this post, I'd just like to say a HUGE thank you from Think Classic for your support and views as readers during our A Very Vintage Christmas campaign.It was another very successful holiday season, and we already can't wait for next year!

However, now it's time to get back to business. The new year has come and a new month has started, which means that there is a new Star of the Month for Turner Classic Movies!

STAR OF THE MONTH

Loretta Young

Born January 6, 1913

Died August 12, 2000

Michaela Gretchen Young was born in 1913 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Even after her family relocated to Los Angeles when she was three, she was brought up in a religious background. She officially began to act along with her two sisters (Polly Ann and Sally Blane) the next year, at the age of four, and she would remain active in her career for the rest of her life. Her very first moving picture was the silent film The Primrose Ring (1917).  It was not long after when she was given a contract by John McCormick, who investigated the young girl at his wife Colleen Moore's urging. She had roles in 6 more films, including The Sheik (1921), and she was billed Gretchen Young for all of them. It was not until the year 1928 that she was given the name Loretta by Colleen Moore, who later revealed that she came up with the name because it was the name she had given to her favorite, most beautiful doll at one time.

Loretta continued to act throughout the late twenties and early thirties, but she would often be given roles that flew under the radar and which were not credited. It was not until her film Three Girls Lost (1931) was released that she gained some good notoriety and began to build a firm and stable career. She starred in films of many different genres including the drama Life Begins (1932), the romance Second Honeymoon (1937), the mystery A Night to Remember (1942), and the holiday favorite The Bishop's Wife (1947). She also had prominent roles in such pictures as The Hatchet Man (1932) and She Had to Say Yes (1932), which were films released before the Production Code took effect. Because of this they contained many things that were banned from the big screen beginning two years later in 1934--things such as drug use, depiction of violence/murder, and sexual content.  While she was quite successful in all genres, Young excelled in comedies such as I Like Your Nerve (1931), Ladies in Love (1936), Bedtime Story (1941), Mother Is a Freshman (1949), and many others.

Since she had been acting since the age of three and had already built quite a career for herself, Young retired from film in 1953. She then opened the door to the realm of television. She hosted her own show, The Loretta Young Show beginning in 1953. It lasted for 9 years and, at the time, was the longest running prime-time network television show hosted by a woman.

Young had a troublesome personal life, which she went to great lengths to keep private, although her attempts sometimes failed. She was first married by elopement at the age of 17, though the marriage only lasted for one year after which time it was annulled. In 1935, Young was working on the film adaptation of The Call of the Wild when she met fellow actor Clark Gable. The two had an affair, which they tried to keep secret due to moral standards that were set for workers in the film industry at the time. Things got very tricky when Young discovered she was pregnant. If the details of her pregnancy were uncovered it could have destroyed both her and Gable's careers. Young tried to be discreet, claiming a lasting illness she had contracted as a child, disappearing for several months to travel Europe. Her daughter Judy was born in secret and then placed in an orphanage for a very short period of time until Young's mother picked her up and brought her home. From that time Young publicly claimed that she had adopted Judy, and she raised her with her second husband Peter Lewis, whom she married in 1940. Unfortunately, as Judy grew older, many hereditary features from her father became more prominent--especially her "Gable ears." Young had her daughters ears pinned back via cosmetic surgery when her daughter was 7 years old, but rumors continued to fly. Young vehemently stuck to her story of adoption until her own daughter asked her about it when she was an adult, and then she finally admitted the truth. In her later years, Young devoted her time to charity work with lifelong friends and fellow actresses, Irene Dunne, Rosalind Russell, and Jane Wyman.

Loretta Young starred in over 100 films over the course of her career. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1947, and was nominated for another in 1949; she also was awarded 3 Emmy Awards for The Loretta Young Show, and was awarded a Golden Globe in 1986. She died of ovarian cancer in 2000 at the age of 87.

"Giving credit where credit is due is a very rewarding habit to form. Its rewards are inestimable."

-Loretta Young

"Nearly everyone I met, worked with, or read about was my teacher, one way or another."

-Loretta Young

"I'm grateful to God for His bountiful gifts..He gave me courage and faith in myself."

-Loretta Young

As January's Star of the Month, you can watch some of Loretta Young's movies every Wednesday night this month, beginning at 8pm ET on Turner Classic Movies.

For this month's schedule, click on the link:

TCM January Schedule