The hurricane hit Florida last week, an old story made new by Mother Nature. The story is so old that there's a great film about it - the 1948 movie Key Largo staring Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, and Claire Trevor. The great Max Steiner wrote the score which delivers (ignore the picture in the video which is from a different Humphrey Bogart/Max Steiner film):
Claire Trevor won the Oscar for best supporting actress, playing a washed up, alcoholic bar singer. She wants a drink and the villain makes her sing a song before she gets one. The song is about a cruel boyfriend, and Edward G. Robinson plays that part to perfection. Trevor realizes as the song goes on that she's in the same position as the girl in the song. Her despairing performance is what is said to have won her the Academy Award that year.
More impressive is that Trevor repeatedly asked the director (John Huston) to rehearse the scene. He repeatedly put her off because "there's plenty of time". Then one day he told everybody to shoot the scene. Trevor sang the song both unrehearsed and a Capella which is unbelievably impressive and way more than Huston deserved. Here's her one take wonder:
5 comments:
Ah, a good sign! Music class back on a Sunday after a weather disaster. I hope all is well in Florida and that you and the QOTW can have a little R&R.
That is a classic in so many ways... Thanks!
What does Rocco want? More.
One version I read was he told her it was the rehearsal and rolled the cameras without her knowing.
And the description of the devastating hurricane that took out the Veteran's train is poignant.
Post a Comment