man of iron is a 1972 hong kong film by shaw studio .

the film was directed by chang cheh with pao hsueh lieh .

man of iron ( 1972 film )

original man of iron ( 1972 ) movie poster in c8 condition for $ 30 . 00 | urltoken
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man of iron  good shaw bros . vehicle for kung fu star chen kuan tai
taking on a big role is ty simpkins , 12 , who appeared in this summer ' s iron man 3 .
sure , tony stark’s iron man suit can survive a massive chitauri attack , but is it strong enough to withstand a copyright lawsuit ? that’s the question at the heart of a new legal battle over stark’s ensemble and allegations that marvel may have cribbed from a pair of lower - profile artists when designing the iron man suit for its massively successful film franchise .
the studio ( universal pictures ) , directors and even any actors linked with the film have stayed unusually quiet for a film of such stature , until now .
2008’s iron man may be over eight years old , but the reverberations of that film are still being felt today . not only is robert downey jr . still playing tony stark on a regular basis—we last saw him in may’s captain america : civil war —but the whole marvel cinematic universe was launched by jon favreau’s surprise mega - hit . however , that film’s success was far from a foregone conclusion during production . in fact , iron man villain jeff bridges recently acknowledged that the shoot was something of a mess .
transcontinental film corporation u . s . one - sheet poster original ( 27x41 ) folded re - release of 1980
ant - man and the wasp director explains how he landed a legen . . .
man of iron was positioned as something of a follow - up to boxer from shantung , the rise - and - fall story of ma yung chen and it reunites the directors and some of the cast in a similar but much slighter tale of a lesser gangster ' s rise and fall in shanghai . while the opening narration specifically recalls the events and tragic conclusion of boxer , this one is set 20 years later in the same section of shanghai but otherwise has nothing to do with the events or characters of the previous film .
ben lai and ray lai , the brothers and comic book artists who run horizon comics , allege that marvel drew inspiration from their 2001 comic book series radix when designing iron man’s cinematic costume . in the lawsuit ( which is available in full here ) , they claim that while the iron man comics feature the character in a “simple spandex - like attire and minimal armor , ” in the film he is seen “wearing a fully mechanized suit of body armor” similar to their radix design .
it’s all the more reason for sam rockwell to mourn the role that got away . as cinemablend reminded us yesterday , favreau came close to casting rockwell as tony stark . ultimately , the actor had to settle for a role in favreau’s 2011 flop cowboys & aliens , leaving an iron man - shaped hole in his filmography . to visualize the intriguing—but far less enduring—film that might have been , keep rockwell in mind while watching the iron man trailer below .
man of iron immediately sets itself up as a sequel to the boxer from shantung , but the only returning character is the street where everything happens . i’ve also heard the film referred to as a remake of the previous film , but this is also a misnomer as the stories are vastly different . the boxer from shantung is a re - telling of the classic gangster tale scarface , but man of iron bears little resemblance to this rag - to - riches gangster tragedy . instead , we just have chen kuan - tai playing a character who wants to move up in the gangster hierarchy , but the characters themselves , while sharing some similar goals , are pretty far from being actually similar .
in 2008 , paltrow launched her lifestyle website goop , which sends out a weekly newsletter on a range of topics , from parenting to fashion tips . that year , she also joined the ranks of a - listers making the leap to movies based on comic books , appearing in iron man as pepper potts , opposite robert downey jr . & apos ; s tony stark . the film earned rave reviews and garnered the highest box office numbers of any film involving the actress to date .
the key idea of the lawsuit actually expands beyond the films , asserting : “it was not until after the lai brothers’ submitted their work in radix to marvel that marvel began depicting iron man wearing the [ fully - mechanized ] suits . ”
bryce , 32 , appeared in spider - man 3 , 50 / 50 and terminator salvation .
ant - man and the wasp director knows he can’t out - depress the endin . . .
man of iron may not be a great film , but it is an enjoyable one that contains a lot of great , inventive fights . the drama is a little forced and the story itself could have used some work , but it’s an action movie that delivers fun action so you can’t complain too much . definitely check it out if you’re a fan of chen kuan - tai or gangster - based kung fu tales !
this film is not currently playing on mubi but 30 other great films are . see what’s now showing
man of iron is set 20 years after the end of the boxer from shantung . the street and the people who populate it have moved on , and new gangs have grown to control the area . there are two major gang bosses : chang gen bao ( chu mu ) and yu zhen - ting ( yeung chi - hung ) . one day , yu chow - kai ( tin ching ) , the son of the gang boss yu , is gambling and has all of his money taken by qiu lian - huan ( chen kuan - tai ) , a man with a small gang of friends that’s tired of being small time . yu’s son is a man who has inherited his place in the gangster world , so he is easily bested and intimated by qiu , a man who has fought to be where he is .
the wait is over for jurassic park fans as director colin trevorrow has revealed the first of his star cast for the new film , jurassic world .
in addition to proving marvel directly copied their work , there’s a separate issue of whether the lai brothers filed their suit in a timely manner ( the first iron man film was released in 2008 ) . the final question is whether a mammoth company like marvel could ever be challenged by a small , independent force—marvel reportedly ignored a cease and desist letter from the lai brothers ( obviously ) , which is what prompted the lawsuit in the first place .
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paltrow reprised her roles in the second and third iron man films , released in 2010 and 2013 , respectively , as well as in other related features from the marvel franchise , including the avengers ( 2012 ) and spider - man : homecoming ( 2017 ) . during that period , she also appeared in films like the drama country strong ( 2010 ) and the comedy mortdecai ( 2015 ) , alongside johnny depp .
all this probably sounds like it makes for a thrilling little tale of the streets , and while it is rather entertaining , it’s not all that unique or special in its own right . the boxer from shantung may have had a well - worn story that made it predictable and a bit ho - hum at times , but it is a far superior film without a doubt . what man of iron makes up for with having an original story , it loses in having an original story that’s not all that engaging .
last month trevorrow revealed his desire to incorporate new dinosaurs into the film following reports that jurassic park world will feature underwater dinosaurs and return to the setting of spielberg ' s 1993 original in isla nublar .
three young martial arts students and their teacher are beaten up badly by a wandering man who proclaims himself ' ' a corrector of bad kung - fu . ' ' determined to avenge their teacher and . . . see full summary »
the film is is set to hit cinemas on june 12 , 2015 , and steven spielberg , frank marshall and pat crowley are the producers for the fourth instalment .
chen is a charismatic bad ass with his leather jacket and motorbike , kicking anyone ' s ass that gets in his way . sure the plot of the film boils down to 50 or so men dying because he fancies the wrong girl , but damn if it isn ' t a fun violent…
part of the lais’ lawsuit involves proving marvel was aware of and influenced by their work , rather than merely developing a similar idea independently . they actually have a couple of strong pieces of evidence in that column : the massachusetts institute of technology used a radix - inspired illustration for a grant proposal before subsequently apologizing to the lai brothers in 2002 . according to the lawsuit , “the controversy and mit’s apology were widely reported in the media . ”
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chen kuan - tai battles assassins that use a deadly , beheading weapon to kill dissidents . based on true events , the film ' s weapon was completely fabricated because in real life , no one ever . . . see full summary »
the decision paid off—paltrow won a string of roles in films like malice ( 1993 ) , co - starring nicole kidman and alec baldwin , flesh and bone ( 1993 ) and jefferson in paris ( 1995 ) , co - starring nick nolte . in 1995 , paltrow appeared in the controversial film se7en , with morgan freeman and brad pitt .
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leaving the poverty of his life in shantung to seek fortune in shanghai , the boxer is instead drawn into a world of corruption , gang warfare and evil . . . where his only protection is his famed fighting technique .
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and joining him is the kings of summer star nick robinson , 18 , who will play his older brother .
die quasi - fortsetzung von der pirat von shantung . es mag an chen kuan - tai liegen , dass ich hier nicht groß in den ansonsten recht sorgfältig gemachten film eintauchen kann . der hauptdarsteller des films ist etwas zu steif in seinen spielszenen , was die sich langsam aufbauende handlung ausbremst . zudem fühlt sich diese auch etwas aufgebläht an ; hier wäre reduktion recht gut gewesen . daran krankt auch der bereits erwähnte
vorgänger
. die action geht in ordnung ; das herzstück - die finale keile am ende - ist ein wahrer brecher . leider ein shaw - film mit einigen schwächen , der aber doch noch gut anzuschauen ist .
wu sung , a military swordmaster , is acused of murdering his adulterous sister - in - law and a thug , and sent to exile in meng chou . at the prison camp , shih en , son of the camp commander , . . . see full summary »
a noble swordsman , whose arm had been chopped off , returns to his former teacher to defend him from a villainous gang of rival swordsmen .
a highly versatile artist , cher is an american singer and actress who got her start as half of sonny and cher in the 1960s . she has since amassed international fame with an array of top 10 hits and screen roles , winning an oscar for her role in ' moonstruck . '
halle berry won an academy award for best actress for her role in ' monster ' s ball , ' becoming the first african - american woman to win the honor . she has starred in films including ' swordfish , ' ' die another day , ' ' gothika , ' the ' x - men ' film franchise and ' kidnap . '
the grindhouse cinema database is an online database of cult / exploitation / grindhouse movies from the ' 30s to the mid / late ' 80s . i found…
ty made his acting debut in steven spielberg ' s war of the worlds . his other credits include insidious , revolutionary road and the next three days .
do you like punching and funky 70s music with enough cowbell to send christopher walken into a coma ? if so this film is for you . fun super punchy kung - fu flick with a weak story but still a fun watch . my wife liked this and she isn ' t a kung - fu fan so that says something . this does not deserve 4 stars but . . . so much cowbell !
released later the same year , this is often called a
follow up
to chen kuan - tai ' s first big hit , the boxer from shantung , and that ' s a better term than
sequel
or
remake .
the opening narration refers specifically to the events of boxer taking place 20 years earlier , but those events have no bearing on what transpires here , even though this story hits a lot of the same beats , with the same co - directors and some of the same cast . chen is back as cocksure crime boss chou , who lusts after the girlfriend ( ching li ) of another boss ' son ( tin ching , one of boxer ' s four champions ) . the rival lover ' s world - weary dad ( yeung chi - hing ) makes tin give up his romance because he admires chou ' s…
in march 2014 , via her website goop , paltrow announced that she and martin had separated :
it is with hearts full of sadness that we have decided to separate ,
she stated .
we have been working hard for well over a year , some of it together , some of it separated , to see what might have been possible between us , and we have come to the conclusion that while we love each other very much , we will remain separate .
their divorce was finalized in 2016 .
qiu also takes a liking to the younger yu’s girlfriend , shen ju - fang ( ching li ) . he’s the type of guy that takes what he wants , so he decides that now is the time to push back against the bigger gangs . he first rides his motorcycle to shen’s house , and after beating up the yu gangsters outside the residence , he drives his motorcycle right through the front window of the building . i guess that’s one way to try to impress a girl ! this is the first salvo in qiu’s attempt to challenge the old bosses of the street , and because he’s such a suave badass , you actually believe that he stands a chance against them , even though in every fight he’s basically single - handed against a group of 30 + thugs .
chen kuan - tai is again the star of this awesome movie . all my prefered extras are in this movies so the fighting are really great . chen kuan - tai screen presence is really cool
academy award - winning actress nicole kidman has starred in a wide array of films that include ' dead calm , ' ' moulin rouge ! , ' ' the hours ' and ' lion . '
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julia roberts is an academy award - winning actress and one of hollywood ' s top stars , known for such films as ' steel magnolias , ' ' pretty woman ' and ' erin brockovich . '
gang war in 1940 ' s shanghai with chen kwan tai beating people up with a racing bike ! action packed , dramatic and punctured by a lot of knives / stabbings and some choice / funky tunes .
the shaolin temple is the last place to resist defeat by the manchu dynasty , mostly because of their unique fighting style . men from far and wide come to wait outside the temple , hoping . . . see full summary »
a mogul king decides to take stealthy action to help overpower his greatest rivals . he chooses nine out thirteen of his loyal generals ( who he treats as sons ) to embark on the mission . . . . see full summary »
after defeating the long - armed devil and his armies , our nubbed hero has been living in retirement as a farmer , but circumstances causes him to come out of retirement and take on the eight . . . see full summary »
a town is taken over by a brutal gang , which has taken a safe in a robbery of another town and needs to find someone who can open it for them . they terrorize the townsfolk , beating up and . . . see full summary »
angelina jolie could lose primary custody of her six kids if she doesn’t give brad pitt access . judge ruled it was harmful to the kids and outlined steps jolie could take , like providing pitt with the kids’ cell numbers . jolie filed for divorce in september 2016 .
chen kuan - tai exuded incredible power on screen , which his directors used to great advantage in this fight - filled follow - up to the smash hit the boxer fom shantung . all the lead character did was win some money gambling with a shanghai gangleader ' s playboy son , but that ' s enough for the father and child to want obsessive revenge . it all culminates in an incredible climatic fight , choreographed by the legendary liu chia - liang and chen chuan , co - star of bruce lee ' s fist of fury . ( ivl )
lei li lost his right - arm in a sword duel with the master of a martial arts school , long ago . now , he is able to defend himself well with just his left arm , and kung fu techniques . that he . . . see full summary »
in late 2001 , paltrow donned an unflattering fat suit for some of her scenes in the crude comedy shallow hal , co - starring jack black and directed by peter and bobby farrelly . she also joined an all - star cast , including gene hackman , anjelica huston , ben stiller , bill murray , danny glover and luke and owen wilson , in the royal tenenbaums , directed by wes anderson . in 2002 , she starred in the screen adaptation of possession , as well as in miramax & apos ; s romantic spoof a view from the top .
kathy bates has joined kim dickens , kevin costner and woody harrelson in netflix’s 2018 drama , ‘the highwaymen . ’ based on true events , has two texas rangers are drawn out of retirement to hunt down bonnie and clyde . bates also has roles in upcoming flims on robert graves and ruth bader ginsburg .
in 1999 , paltrow starred with matt damon in director anthony minghella & apos ; s lush production of the talented mr . ripley , a novel by patricia highsmith . in 2000 , she starred in the karaoke comedy - drama duets , directed by her father , bruce paltrow , and the romance bounce , opposite affleck .
chen kuan - tai stars as qiu lian - huan , a small time gangster with his own gang that has a tendency to rub the bigger bosses the wrong way due to his cockiness . things really get violent when he decides he wants the girlfriend of the big boss ' s son and he decides to let everyone know about by crashing through their front door with his motorcycle .
the willowy blonde also made a name for herself in the gossip columns with much - publicized relationships and break - ups with both pitt and ben affleck , the oscar - winning co - screenwriter of good will hunting ( 1997 ) . affleck also appeared ( in a relatively small role ) in shakespeare in love . he and paltrow broke up amicably in early 1998 after a yearlong romance .
but thankfully action films do not succeed on engaging stories alone , and that’s where the fights come in . the fights themselves are all quite fun and well - choreographed , with reckless energy and brutality that goes a long way . for instance when chen kuan - tai is thrown against a wall and he lands on a thug , he doesn’t simply hit the guy once and move on . no , he elbows him viciously a couple of times in the stomach , grabs him by the collar , throws him into an open car door and slams the door on his body a few times . then there’s the fight when chen uses a bicycle as a weapon , at one point smashing a thug’s head through the spokes of the wheel… all before he rips off the bike’s chain and starts using that as a weapon ! so yeah , the fights are quite enjoyable .
a romance with the latter helped propel paltrow into the headlines , just as she began to win starring roles in the pallbearer ( 1996 ) , emma ( 1996 ) , great expectations ( 1998 ) , sliding doors ( 1998 ) and a perfect murder ( 1998 ) , with michael douglas . paltrow confirmed her superstar status with an inspired performance in 1998 & apos ; s shakespeare in love , as the immortal bard & apos ; s purported muse . the role won her a best actress oscar and made her one of hollywood & apos ; s most sought - after female performers .
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chen kuan - tai exuded incredible power on screen , which his directors used to great advantage in this fight - filled follow - up to the smash hit the boxer from shantung - - which culminates in . . . see full summary »
trippy indie madeline ' s madeline is the movie that lakeith stanfield and boots riley from sorry to bother you want to see the most .
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when the ruling dynasty in china sends soldiers to destroy the shaolin temple , students use their martial arts to defend the school .
assassin chang and his brother hung meet up with a soldier , mu . together , they form a small mountain army , but when hung ' s wife arrives , emotions swell , and mu leaves for the army . after . . . see full summary »
chen kuan - tai exuded incredible power on screen , which his directors used to great advantage in this fight - filled follow - up to the smash hit the boxer from shantung - - which culminates in an incredible climatic battle , choreographed by the legendary liu chia - liang and chen chuan .
no one could bend him . . . not even the kung - fu killers !
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the silver emulsion podcast : ep . 77 – zu : warriors from the magic mountain
the silver emulsion podcast : ep . 84 – kaijune spectacular ! gamera vs . jiger
he ' s an amateur . not worth worrying about . - yu zhen - ting
all the lead character did was win some money gambling with a shanghai gangleader’s playboy son , but that’s enough for the father and child to want obsessive revenge .
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even more damning , the lai brothers were hired by marvel a month later . “the timing and negotiations leading to the lai brothers’ hiring confirmed that the lai brothers’ artistic work on radix was a key reason for their employment , ” the lawsuit claims . the brothers also allege they regularly distributed their radix material to marvel employees , even before they were hired .
kinja is in read - only mode . we are working to restore service .
nick sprung to fame with his lead role in the american street comedy , but also had a key role in tv series boardwalk empire .
there are also reports that bryce dallas howard has been cast to play a lead role .
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that strategy obviously paid off , as it resulted in bridges’ biggest hit , paving the way for the career - defining year ( 2010 ) that gave him two more blockbusters ( tron : legacy , true grit ) and an oscar for crazy heart .
“beauty , to me , is about being comfortable in your own skin . that . . . or a kick - ass red lipstick ! ”
gwyneth paltrow is an american actress known for such films as ' se7en , ' ' emma ' and ' great expectations . ' in 1999 , she won an academy award for her role in ' shakespeare in love . '
gwyneth paltrow appears on stage during mtv & apos ; s total request live at the mtv times square studios september 16 , 2004 in new york city . ( photo : scott gries / getty images )
in october 2002 , while vacationing in italy to celebrate her 30th birthday , gwyneth & apos ; s father , bruce , succumbed to complications from pneumonia after a battle with throat cancer .
in 2003 , paltrow married chris martin , frontman for the british rock group coldplay . their daughter , apple blythe alison martin , was born in may 2004 . two years later , the couple welcomed a son , moses bruce anthony martin .
meanwhile , paltrow began dating glee co - creator brad falchuk . in january 2018 , the couple announced their engagement .
we feel incredibly lucky to have come together at this juncture in our lives , when our collective successes and failures can serve as building blocks for a healthy and happy relationship ,
paltrow and falchuk said in a joint statement .
we strive for accuracy and fairness . if you see something that doesn ' t look right , contact us !
diane keaton is an oscar - winning actress who earned early acclaim for her work in several woody allen films and her dramatic turn in ' the godfather ' series . she ' s also known for comedic hits like ' the first wives club ' and ' something ' s gotta give . '
actress elizabeth taylor starred in films like cat on a hot tin roof and butterfield 8 , but was just as famous for her violet eyes and scandalous love life .


a shot in the dark is a 1941 american drama film directed by william c. mcgann and written by m. coates webster , starring william lundigan , nan wynn , and ricardo cortez .

it was released by warner bros. on april 5 , 1941 .

the film was based on the short story " no hard feelings " by frederick nebel in the black mask magazine .

the movie is also a remake of the torchy blane film smart blonde ( 1937 ) .

a shot in the dark ( 1941 film )

a shot in the dark ( 1941 ) directed by william c . mcgann • reviews , film + cast • letterboxd
whistling in the dark ( 1941 ) - - ( movie clip ) . . .
shot in the dark , a ( 1964 ) - - ( movie clip ) a . . .
shot in the dark , a ( 1964 ) - - ( movie clip ) a rit . . .
whistling in the dark ( 1941 ) - - ( movie clip ) i am . . .
shot in the dark , a ( 1964 ) - - ( movie clip ) back . . .
red skelton , in his first starring role , is a radio detective forced to plan the perfect murder in whistling in the dark ( 1941 ) .
wham shot : the shot near the end showing the name
rosebud
on kane ' s old sled .
red skelton , in his first starring role , is a radio detective forced to plan the perfect murder in whistling in the dark ( 1941 ) . >
peter sellers steals the show in a shot in the dark . it is the beginning of his pink panther career as the inept , bumbling , endlessly confused inspector . . .
opening title sequence for the mgm programmer whistling in the dark , 1941 , the first in the series starring red skelton , co - starring ann rutherford and conrad veidt . >
matte shot : the outside of xanadu is mostly a series of matte paintings .
inspector clouseau ( peter sellers ) is eager to interrogate maid maria ( elke sommer ) about the murder of her chauffeur boyfriend , early in blake edwards ' a shot in the dark , 1964 . >
chocolate soldier , the ( 1941 ) - - ( movie clip ) song . . .
chocolate soldier , the ( 1941 ) - - ( movie clip ) my . . .
chocolate soldier , the ( 1941 ) - - ( movie clip ) mon . . .
just the ending of the famous encounter at the billiard table between inspector clouseau ( peter sellers ) and his gracious if droll prime suspect ballon ( george sanders ) , early in blake edwards ' a shot in the dark , 1964 . >
epic tracking shot : both the tracking shot into el rancho , and the tracking up the ladder during susan ' s opera performance - and yes , it used a visual effect ( miniature ladder ) .
snoozing inspector clouseau ( peter sellers ) inevitably leads to his first clash with his man kato ( burt kwouk ) , and a call from the boss ( herbert lom ) , in blake edwards ' a shot in the dark , 1964 . >
book ends : the same shot of kane ' s house and the fence in front with a sign reading
no trespassing
.
, the technical advances of the film had a lot to do with this trope .
( 5 ) and some film histories consider “the maltese falcon” the first film noir . it put down the foundations for that native american genre of mean streets , knife - edged heroes , dark shadows and tough dames .
cinematographer gregg toland appears as a reporter in a brief scene in the opening montage .
pretty much every male in the cast plays also one of the reporters in the opening projection room scene . that is one of the reasons why it was shot so dark and shadowy , even compared to the rest of the film . joseph cotten is still clearly visible in the corner , however , when the editor is asking
what were his last words ?
.
radio sleuth wally benton ( red skelton ) and his cast ( ann rutherford as
carol
) doing their schtick , fran ( virginia grey ) , buzz ( eve arden ) and villain jones ( conrad veidt ) in the audience , in whistling in the dark , 1941 .
radio sleuth wally benton ( red skelton ) and his cast ( ann rutherford as
carol
) doing their schtick , fran ( virginia grey ) , buzz ( eve arden ) and villain jones ( conrad veidt ) in the audience , in whistling in the dark , 1941 . >
the maltese falcon ( 1941 ) is one of the most popular and best classic detective mysteries ever made , and many film historians consider it the first in the dark film noir genre in hollywood . it leaves the audience with a distinctly down - beat conclusion and bitter taste . the low - budget film reflects the remarkable directorial debut of john huston ( previously a screenwriter ) who efficiently and skillfully composed and filmed this american classic for warner bros . studios , with great dialogue , deceitful characters , and menacing scenes .
the gay nineties : a good chunk of the film takes place in the 1890s , when kane is at his height as a media mogul .
film noir films ( mostly shot in gloomy grays , blacks and whites ) thematically showed the dark and inhumane side of human nature with cynicism and doomed love , and they emphasized the brutal , unhealthy , seamy , shadowy , dark and sadistic sides of the human experience . an oppressive atmosphere of menace , pessimism , anxiety , suspicion that anything can go wrong , dingy realism , futility , fatalism , defeat and entrapment were stylized characteristics of film noir . the protagonists in film noir were normally driven by their past or by human weakness to repeat former mistakes .
a jealous husband tests his opera singer wife ' s fidelity by pretending to be another man in the chocolate soldier ( 1941 ) starring nelson eddy and rise stevens . >
among the movies we not only love but treasure , “the maltese falcon” stands as a great divide . consider what was true after its release in 1941 and was not true before :
future learning and skills – giving everyone the opportunity to build a lifelong relationship with film .
in the newsreel , a ground level shot features kane with adolf hitler played by carl ekberg , a norwegian - born actor who would portray hitler in several other movies , in addition to portraying german soldiers among other roles throughout his career .
jump scare : the screeching cockatoo near the climax of the film . quite possibly the best non - horror example in cinema history .
face framed in shadow : the film has a few shots of kane ' s face framed in shadow and stepping into light , or the other way around .
a reporter and a police detective sort through the clues in a night - club owner ' s murder .
welles ' s achievements in this film marked a new direction in cinema . many critics argue that citizen kane , with its inventive use of lighting and shadow , is the first film noir , or at least the direct predecessor of noir , a genre that employs dark , moody atmosphere to augment the often violent or mysterious events taking place . citizen kane introduced hollywood to the creative potential of cinematic technique . even apart from the controversy the film stirred , a multitude of innovations made citizen kane the most exciting movie in the history of cinema at that time .
exty years from now : the present year is 1941 , young kane was taken from his parents in 1871 ( 70 years ago ) and he ran for governor in 1916 ( 25 years ago ) .
during the war : kane manipulates the public sentiment to incite the war . bear in mind that the film came out before america entered wwii .
the ballad of narayama
is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice , telling a story of startling cruelty . what a space it opens…
many sources have claimed that director boris ingster ' s and rko ' s stranger on the third floor ( 1940 ) was the first full - featured film noir . the expressionistic film starred peter lorre as the sinister ' stranger ' ( cast due to his creepy performance in m ( 1931 ) ) , in a story about the nightmarish after - effects of circumstantial testimony during a murder trial . others claim orson welles ' masterpiece citizen kane ( 1941 ) was also an early and influential pre - film noir .
( 1963 ) . although he stole the film , the character was not the focus of the story but only a supporting player to the suave jewel thief played by david niven . it wasn ' t until the second film featuring clouseau ,
after a dissolve , the next scene is on a dark street at the corner of bush and stockton streets . [ this is the only scene in the film without the presence of sam spade . ] the half - smile of recognition on archer ' s face as he approaches the camera [ and an unknown person ] quickly turns to a look of disbelieving horror as an unseen assailant [ suspect thursby never appears in the film ] pulls a gun and shoots him dead at close range . miles is blown backwards through a fence barrier and he tumbles down a steep hill .
produced by michael balcon for ealing studios , the south wales - set mining drama the proud valley would be one of only three films directed by the talented pen tennyson before his career was tragically cut short when he was killed in a plane crash in 1941 . shot on location in the welsh mining heartlands , tennyson’s tale of resilience and self - sacrifice starred paul robeson in his first film after a self - imposed two - year hiatus from the big screen . robeson was cast as miner and singer david goliath ; a role loosely based on the experiences of a black american miner whose search for work took him all the way to wales .
stock footage : the film contains a lot of this . for example , the newsreel has a scene where a man speaks to a political rally , denouncing kane as a fascist . the crowd was simply stock footage and the man was an actor , filmed in a low - angle shot to hide the fact that no crowd was present . the background jungle footage for the picnic scene was lifted from the son of kong and , in an infamous case of stock footage failure , you can plainly see pterodactyls .
film noir : although there ' s no crime involved , the movie has a lot of tropes associated with the genre .
titles of many film noirs often reflected the nature or tone of the style and content itself : dark passage ( 1947 ) , the naked city ( 1948 ) , fear in the night ( 1947 ) , out of the past ( 1947 ) , kiss me deadly ( 1955 ) , etc .
citizen kane is a 1941 film , produced by rko pictures and mercury films . it is orson welles ' first feature , and he produced , co - wrote ( with herman j . mankiewicz ) , directed and played the leading role as charles foster kane .
important note : strictly speaking , film noir is not a genre , but rather the mood , style , point - of - view , or tone of a film . it is also helpful to realize that ' film noir ' usually refers to a distinct historical period of film history - the decade of film - making after world war ii , similar to the german expressionism or the french new wave periods . however , it was labeled as such only after the classic period - early noir film - makers didn ' t even use the film designation ( as they would the labels
western
or
musical
) , and were not conscious that their films would be labeled noirs .
digital destruction : the film got an accidental taste of this . in one scene , out the window there was supposed to be rain ; the person in charge of the film ' s restoration thought it was excessive film grain , so it was digitally edited out of the restored print . later , the blu - ray boasted a new restoration , which brought back such details as the aforementioned rain .
the film actually attempts to avert this by having hearst mentioned by name in an early scene ( the reporters discussing the newsreel ) , establishing kane as a different individual .
a reporter and a police detective sort through the clues in a night - club owner ' ' ' ' s murder .
the first detective film to use the shadowy , nihilistic noir style in a definitive way was the privotal work of novice director john huston in the mystery classic the maltese falcon ( 1941 ) , from a 1929 book by dashiell hammett . [ actually , huston ' s film was not the first version - it had been directed earlier by roy del ruth in 1931 , starring ricardo cortez in the lead role . ] it was famous for humphrey bogart ' s cool , laconic private eye hero sam spade in pursuit of crooks greedy for a jewel - encrusted statue , and bogart ' s foil - mary astor as the deceptive femme fatale .
: orson welles was the trope namer . refers to the practice of shooting a solitary figure from a slightly lower angle . this magnifies the figure ' s height and presence in the mind of the viewer . greatly popularized by the film .
anachronic order : the film starts with the title character ' s death , gives us a brief newsreel outline of his life , then fills in the details of his life with a series of flashbacks . the flashbacks are not in chronological order ; their order depends on the order in which a reporter interviews people .
alternative character interpretation : in - universe with the opening newsreel in which kane is denounced as both a communist and a fascist .
one steve limit : averted . the film has characters named jim gettys and jim kane .
the credits wash down the screen over a view of the legendary maltese falcon - a black figurine that casts a dark shadow from an angular source of light . [ all four major stars ' names , bogart , astor , george , and lorre - in that order - appear on the second screen , following the film title . ] the mysterious legend of the fabled , treasured statuette ( a fictional account ) scrolls up the screen ( above the falcon ) to set the stage : :
aiming to test her loyalty , viennese opera star karl ( nelson eddy ) appears at the club where his wife maria ( rise stevens ) and best pal bernard ( nigel bruce ) are in the audience , disguised as a romantic russian , in mgms the chocolate soldier , 1941 . >
chiaroscuro : like many tropes , the usage of chiaroscuro in film was widely popularized by citizen kane , although it was already common in german expressionist cinema . this ties into the film ' s use of
deep focus
( one of the techniques cinematographers rave about in the movie ) . the way they managed to bring foreground and background objects into focus in the same shot required the more distant objects to be extremely brightly lit , encouraging the heavy - shadow chiaroscuro compositions . which is why welles put gregg toland ' s name on the same card as him .
classic whodunit mystery film about a gold - digging variety show actress who has many enemies and is found dead in her private railroad car at grand central station in new york .
soundtrack dissonance : this is a pretty sad film but don ' t worry , the end credits should pick you right up .
betty hutton stars as annie oakley in the film version of irving berlin ' s musical annie get your gun ( 1950 ) . >
victor fleming ' s ponderous mgm production ( which won the academy award for black and white cinematography ) dr . jekyll and mr . hyde ( 1941 ) , starring spencer tracy in the title role and ingrid bergman as the
wicked
prostitute
classic film noir developed during and after world war ii , taking advantage of the post - war ambience of anxiety , pessimism , and suspicion . it was a style of black and white american films that first evolved in the 1940s , became prominent in the post - war era , and lasted in a classic
golden age
period until about 1960 ( marked by the ' last ' film of the classic film noir era , orson welles ' touch of evil ( 1958 ) ) .
mgm offers their new star , rise stevens from the metropolitan opera in her first movie scene , paired with nelson eddy , as viennese light - opera singers maria and karl , with a song from the ferenc molnar - based operetta testor , the chocolate soldier , 1941 . >
arlo ( guthrie ) pulls out , ray ( james broderick ) says goodbye , and alice ( pat quinn ) in her wedding dress is seen in arthur penn ' s famous closing shot by cinematographer michael nebbia , in alice ' s restaurant , 1969 . >
huston was convinced that he could remake the film with a more precise screenplay and better acting than the other two adaptations . the idea of a sequel following the film ' s success , to be titled the further adventures of the maltese falcon , was scrapped when huston became unavailable and when hammett demanded an exorbitant financial guarantee .
he ' s dead , jim : the film opens with kane ' s hand falling and dropping the snow globe .
mouthscreen : one of the most iconic examples in film history . the first we see of the title character is a close up of his lips as he says his last words :
rosebud
after a dissolve , spade arrives in a taxi at the street corner of the film - noirish murder scene - a deserted blind alley , one lone street lamp , dark shadows against a brick wall ( displaying a dilapidated poster for swing your lady ( 1938 ) - a comedy starring humphrey bogart ) , and a broken fence . there , a cool - headed spade talks with plainclothes police sergeant tom polhaus ( ward bond ) , who shows him the location of miles ' body sprawled near some rocks and the murder weapon . they rehearse the crime - the evidence reveals that archer was caught off guard - he was shot at close range with one bullet , and his overcoat (
the blast burnt his coat
) was buttoned with his gun unfired and tucked away on his hip . someone he trusted must have fired the shot . polhaus asks sam if miles was working , but sam refuses to tell the police much about their case - and is in too much of a hurry to view his dead partner ' s body closeup .
orson welles ' films have significant noir features , such as in his expressionistically - filmed citizen kane ( 1941 ) , with subjective camera angles , dark shadowing and deep focus , and low - angled shots from talented cinematographer gregg toland . welles ' third film for rko , the war - time mystery journey into fear ( 1943 ) , was one in which he acted and co - directed ( uncredited ) - it was set in the exotic locale of istanbul . the film ' s story was inspired by eric ambler ' s spy thriller about the flight of an american arms engineer ( joseph cotten ) on a black sea tramp steamer where he was threatened by nazi agents intent on killing him .
the film received three nominations , but no academy awards : best picture , best supporting actor ( almost 300 lb . sydney greenstreet in his talkie film debut ) , and best adapted screenplay ( by the director - john huston ) . competition from john ford ' s how green was my valley ( 1941 ) took the best picture and best supporting actor oscars ( donald crisp ) , and here comes mr . jordan ( 1941 ) took the screenplay honors . however , in the same year , its un - nominated star mary astor , in the best performance of her career , was actually the recipient of the best supporting actress oscar for her role in the great lie ( 1941 ) . neither astor nor bogart were nominated for their immortalized roles . bogart would go on to make more films with huston : the director ' s oscar - winning the treasure of the sierra madre ( 1948 ) , key largo ( 1948 ) , the african queen ( 1951 ) - bringing bogey his only oscar , and beat the devil ( 1954 ) .
in the first of chaney ' s two other horror masterpieces , he appeared in one of the earliest versions of victor hugo ' s novel about the hunchbacked quasimodo - a tortured bellringer living in a cathedral tower in love with gypsy dancer esmeralda ( patsy ruth miller ) in director wallace worsley ' s the hunchback of notre dame ( 1923 ) - it was another silent film version of the classic tale . [ an earlier version was the darling of paris ( 1917 ) , a lost film starring vamp theda bara as esmeralda . ]
timeshifted actor : being a fictionalized biopic , the film presents kane in all ages . all of them are orson welles in makeup , except for eight - year - old kane , played by buddy swan .
the miser ' s conversion ( 1914 ) ( aka the miser ' s reversion ) was the first film to depict a screen transformation by using a series of dissolves with footage of the character ' s different stages of makeup , rather than a single jump - cut . this was later used to great effect in many films including dr . jekyll and mr . hyde ( 1931 ) and the wolf man ( 1941 ) . in the film , the title character miser ( sidney bracey ) , 75 year - old john grisley , obsessed with the idea of evolution , acquired a rejuvenation serum that transformed him into a 40 year - old man with just a few drops . to intensify the effect , he drank the entire bottle of serum and reverted into an ape .
the man is sticking it to the man : a subversion . orson welles made this film for a hollywood studio and the film was a general satire of the american dream , yellow journalism , the hollywood style and narrative , and it states that capitalism is bad . this was made at the invitation of the studios themselves but as a result of hearst ' s interference on account of
perceived
libel , the film ' s release was sabotaged , welles ' reputation was smeared and hollywood learnt its lesson from
the man .
throughout the opening montage showing kane ' s vast xanadu estate , a single lit window is visible on the upper right hand corner of every shot , getting closer all the time . at the end , the light goes out , leading to the memorable scene of kane uttering his dying word .
thursby was shot four times in the back with a . 44 or . 45 from across the street , with no witnesses . [ by the end of the film , it is revealed that a gunsel named wilmer killed thursby . ] spade proclaims his innocence :
i ' ve never seen thursby dead or alive .
but dundy , a tough uncompromising cop , suspects that sam is now involved in two murders - he possibly killed thursby to avenge his partner archer ' s death :
. an avant - garde theatre director and radio star , his first film as a director was a technical breakthrough in cinematic storytelling and pioneered several achievements in cinematography , set design and special effects . the film was also controversial for its protagonist ' s thinly - veiled resemblance to real - life media mogul william randolph hearst , who subsequently
evans’ downbeat but impressive first outing , house of america – which scooped four awards at the 1998 bafta cymru ceremony and won evans himself the best directorial debut gong at the stockholm international film festival – is a dour tale of a dysfunctional family living in a run - down mining town . national identity , and the inherent pride or lack thereof in being welsh , is a key theme in a tale in which an absent father , american pop culture and diminishing opportunities also play important roles in shaping the lives of the characters .
: kane is an obsessive collector of everything , who then treats people like objects and dies a lonely old man , surrounded by glorified junk in a ridiculously opulent estate . the last line of the film is , in fact ,
toss that junk .
father barry ( karl malden ) with a fiery sermon in the hold . . .
whatever dark , primitive , and revolting traits that simultaneously attract and repel us are featured in the horror genre . horror films are often combined with science fiction when the menace or monster is related to a corruption of technology , or when earth is threatened by aliens . the fantasy and supernatural film genres are not synonymous with the horror genre , although thriller films may have some relation when they focus on the revolting and horrible acts of the killer / madman . horror films are also known as chillers , scary movies , spookfests , and the macabre . see also scariest film moments and scenes ( illustrated ) - from many of the greatest horror films ever made , best film death scenes ( illustrated ) , and three great horror film franchises .
burn baby burn : the last shot is of kane ' s childhood sled burning . ultra close up on the sled ' s name , which is rosebud but come on , you should know this already .
last year i helped fund a kickstarter for a documentary called a shot in the dark that follows a blind wrestler who tries to win a state title . last night my kids and i had an opportunity to screen the movie at a small film festival in providence , and i have to say it was an amazing story . we got to meet and talk with the wrestler anthony ferraro , his coach , the director - something my kids will not soon forget . although this is a documentary , it flows like a movie and even my 11 and 10 year old sons were glued to their seats . i thought the director did an amazing job of telling anthony ferraro ' s story , and i think he told it in a way that captures feelings from all sides - the wrestler , his coaches , and his family . they are still working on distribution for this movie , but if you ever have the opportunity to see it , i highly recommend checking it out .
starts with their funeral : the film start with kane ' s death , and then moves onto a newsreel about his life , before diving right into the flashbacks .
future a - lister alan ladd can be seen as the reporter smoking a pipe .
a tribute to the late tab hunter , a gay matinee idol and hollywood trailblazer .
b - movie lead character humphrey bogart , now introduced as a ' good guy ' , presented the definitive anti - hero sam spade in the mystery thriller classic - as a cynical , cool san francisco sleuthing private - eye who lives by his own code of ethics . bogart had just finished another warner bros . film high sierra ( 1941 ) , in a role that was also turned down by wb ' s contract player george raft . geraldine fitzgerald was originally chosen to play the role that mary astor eventually portrayed .
ince , a film director - turned - studio boss , died aboard hearst ' s yacht in november 1924 . no inquest was held for ince ' s death , leading to long - standing rumors that hearst , or someone in his employ murdered ince . peter bogdanovich ' s 2001 film the cats meow fictionalizes this incident .
charles foster kane repeatedly finds himself isolated from the world around him , whether he is young or old , happy or unhappy , alone or surrounded by others , which suggests that his final isolation is inevitable . the camerawork in citizen kane emphasizes this isolation . for example , we see kane as a happy child playing alone in the snow , and a short time later , the camera isolates him between his mother and mr . thatcher as they plan to separate kane from his home . he is still alone , but no longer happy . we next see kane seated by himself in the center of a room ringed with dark - suited men , who watch him as he opens a gift from thatcher . kane’s isolation follows him into adulthood , where we see him sitting on his own in his newspaper office amid a celebration in his honor . the camera locates kane in a triangular shot between bernstein and leland as the two men discuss kane’s increasingly depraved tactics . the three men may be in physical proximity , but the nature of bernstein and leland ' s discussion and the way the shot frames kane mark him as an outsider . eventually leland leaves kane , and kane barricades himself in his fortress with susan . but susan too leaves kane , and in the end he dies alone , never having formed a lasting bond with anyone .
the bejeweled , priceless ' maltese falcon ' [ a 50 - pound plaster cast , seven in all , made by the props department at warners ] is at the center of the intriguing film as an elusive but valuable object that is greedily desired , for different reasons , by all the principals , in the labyrinthine , noirish plot . [ the black bird serves as the film ' s mcguffin , a plot device that propels the story forward but is proven ultimately worthless - although it wasn ' t termed that at the time . hitchcock would later popularize the use of a mcguffin in his films . ]
malevolent mugshot : regardless of whether one views the titular character as a villain protagonist , this image ◊ certainly counts as the trope maker in film , beating out nineteen eighty four by seven years . since the point of the film is to tell kane ' s story and let the audience decide if he is a hero or villain ( or both ) , it is also an unbuilt trope .
hey , have you seen citizen kane ? you probably should ; it ' s practically the citizen kane of film .
let the past burn : the ending is a loose example , differing only in that the whole house isn ' t burnt .
decoy protagonist : the film is a double subversion . even though kane is the title character , he ' s actually the person we learn about through multiple third - person perspectives of him , since he died at the beginning . the real protagonist is jerry thompson , whose goal throughout the film is to find out what
rosebud
meant .
adapted from j . b . priestley ’s 1927 novel benighted , and featuring an impressive ensemble cast headed by boris karloff , melvyn douglas , charles laughton and gloria stuart , the old dark house sees numerous travellers taking overnight refuge in the titular dwelling during a particularly fierce storm in a remote part of rural wales . rather than a restful night , however , the guests of the bizarre femm clan experience a night of psychosis , obsession and dangerous familial secrets that threaten the safety of everyone present .
welles actually tried to get around this by including a line in the film in which a journalist makes a reference to both kane and hearst , thus indicating that hearst actually exists as a separate entity in the citizen kane universe . in later interviews , welles stated that hearst along with howard hughes and other industrialists were certainly influences on kane , but that kane was never intended as a parody / critique / insult to hearst specifically or other industrialists , it was meant as a serious exploration of an american mythical hero , the tycoon and capitalist .
rise stevens , with her second song in her first movie , is observed by her husband ( nelson eddy , with pal nigel bruce ) , indulging her urge to move from her vienna musical theater career into high opera , with a song from saint - saens , in mgms mix - and - match musical the chocolate soldier , 1941 . >
phil richards is selling his nightclub to an out - of - town buyer , and the local mob express this dissatisfaction with the arrangement . when the buyer arrives in town , he is shot and killed . richards ' friends , homicide detective bill ryder and nosy newspaperman peter kennedy , work on the case .
mockumentary : early in the film . welles was good at these . kind of an example of aluminum christmas trees . people in the 1940s who were used to seeing the
march of time
newsreels regularly would have been much more amused by the satire . possibly the earliest example of an in - movie fake newsreel .
this is how they did it , the transition in which the . . .
in the town for which the movie is named , sheriff shaw . . .
the movie debut of albert finney , at work in the raleigh . . .
despite a lifetime of adversity , a blind high school wrestler attempts to win a state championship before the end of his senior year .
chaney ' s most memorable portrayal was in the ground - breaking , vividly - frightening , beauty - and - the - beast silent film , rupert julian ' s costume horror classic the phantom of the opera ( 1925 ) , as devil ' s island escapee erik - a disfigured , deranged , bitter and vengeful composer / ghost of the paris opera ( based on the character in gaston leroux ' s 1911 novel ) . this film was a technical achievement , with a two - color technicolor ' bal masque ' sequence , the falling chandelier and underground lake scenes . its dark expressionistic tones helped set the tone for horror films in the 30s . its most famous scene was ingenue christine ' s ( mary philbin ) unmasking of lon chaney ' s mask - revealing a hideous skull - face , lipless mouth , rotten teeth , snouty nose , and bulging eyes .
kinetic and anarchic , kevin allen ’s cult black comedy crime flick twin town has one of its lead characters mockingly refer to the film’s main setting , swansea , as a “pretty shitty city” . populated by a rogues gallery of junkies , small - time gangsters , corrupt coppers and pensioners with a fondness for magic mushrooms , twin town was never going to be a film that the local tourist board would be banging the drum for .
: pauline kael has written in the citizen kane book ( 1971 ) , that the production wanted to use massenet ' s
thais
but could not afford the fee . but miss kael never wrote or approached me to ask about the music . we could easily have afforded the fee . the point is that its lovely little strings would not have served the emotional purpose of the film . i wrote the piece in a very high tessitura , so that a girl with a modest voice would be completely hopeless in it .
sleds , each representing a time in his life . the second sled was
crusader
. )
video credits : a clip of each major character is shown in the credits , except kane himself .
[ note : there were many attempts to copy or remake the film . german director werner herzog ' s faithful shot - by - shot color remake nosferatu the vampyre ( 1979 ) starred klaus kinski as the nauseating count dracula and beautiful isabelle adjani as lucy harker . producer / director augusto caminito ' s sequel was vampire in venice ( 1988 , it . ) ( aka nosferatu a venezia ) with kinski as nosferatu and christopher plummer as inept vampire hunter professor paris catalano . at the turn of the century , shadow of the vampire ( 2000 ) fancifully retold the making of the 1922 classic , with john malkovich as obsessive director f . w . murnau . it asked the question :
what if max schreck ( oscar - nominated willem dafoe ) , who played the character of count orlok , was indeed a vampire ?
]
the oner : long shots zooming into susan ' s cafe through a skylight and up a ladder at the opera .
welles ' mexican border - town b - movie classic touch of evil ( 1958 ) is generally considered the last film in the classic cycle of film noirs . it starred charlton heston as vargas - a naive mexican - american narcotics cop , janet leigh as his imperiled , honeymooning wife susan , and welles ' own corrupt and corpulent local cop hank quinlan . the film also featured a comeback appearance by cigar - smoking bordello madam marlene dietrich , and a breathtaking opening credits sequence filmed in a single - take . later , welles ' expressionistic noir and psychological drama the trial ( 1962 ) was an adaptation of franz kafka ' s classic novel , with anthony perkins as joseph k - a man condemned for an unnamed crime in an unknown country .
actor conrad veidt and german expressionistic director paul leni were recruited by universal ' s boss carl laemmle in the mid - 1920s . paul leni was already known in his homeland for the spooky horror classics backstairs ( 1921 , ger . ) ( aka hintertreppe ) and the expressionistic anthology waxworks ( 1924 , ger . ) ( aka das wachsfigurenkabinett ) . after moving to hollywood , leni directed the cat and the canary ( 1927 ) , a derivative from a stage - bound 1922 melodrama . the influential film is considered the first gothic ' haunted house ' horror film . veidt was cast as an ever - smiling , grotesque carnival freak named gwynplaine in leni ' s next film for universal , the man who laughs ( 1927 ) , a superb romantic melodrama .
johnny damico botches a murder case and is suspended from the force . in reality , he is put undercover to identify the mysterious boss of the ny waterfront who has murdered everyone in his way . will johnny be next in line ?
in an in - universe take that , emily is reading the chronicle , kane ' s biggest rival newspaper .
he who fights monsters : kane , who envisions himself as a crusader for the little guy against corruption , becomes a cynic and a reactionary .
the precocious director huston was very faithful to dashiell hammett ' s 1929 novel the maltese falcon , that had originally appeared as a five - part serialized story in a pulp fiction , detective story magazine publication named black mask . however , for an early preview audience , the film took a different , short - lived title , the gent from frisco . there were two major differences between the book and film : ( 1 ) gutman was killed by wilmer , and ( 2 ) the last quotable line of dialogue , with a shakespearean reference , was thought up by bogart on the set .
: a very clever use of this trope to illustrate the deterioration of kane ' s first marriage in a brief montage . the kanes are shown at a small breakfast table being intimate and affectionate . we see snippets of arguments at other breakfasts . then the scene ends with the kanes dining in silence at opposite ends of a long table .
as the 2016 fire season rages in california , the brave backcountry firefighters race to put out the flames , save lives and protect homes in this docuseries .
( 2 ) it was the first film directed by john huston , who for more than 40 years would be a prolific maker of movies that were muscular , stylish and daring .
the phantom of the opera ( 1983 ) , d . robert markowitz , a made - for - tv movie starring a miscast jane seymour and maximilian schell as the phantom , set in budapest
film noir films were marked visually by expressionistic lighting , deep - focus or depth of field camera work , disorienting visual schemes , jarring editing or juxtaposition of elements , ominous shadows , skewed camera angles ( usually vertical or diagonal rather than horizontal ) , circling cigarette smoke , existential sensibilities , and unbalanced or moody compositions . settings were often interiors with low - key ( or single - source ) lighting , venetian - blinded windows and rooms , and dark , claustrophobic , gloomy appearances . exteriors were often urban night scenes with deep shadows , wet asphalt , dark alleyways , rain - slicked or mean streets , flashing neon lights , and low key lighting . story locations were often in murky and dark streets , dimly - lit and low - rent apartments and hotel rooms of big cities , or abandoned warehouses . [ often - times , war - time scarcities were the reason for the reduced budgets and shadowy , stark sets of b - pictures and film noirs . ]
the phantom of the opera ( 1990 ) , d . tony richardson , a two - part nbc - tv mini - series , with burt lancaster starring as the baron - the phantom ' s father ( in one of his final film appearances ) , teri polo as christine , and charles dance as the phantom
in his second adventure , inspector clouseau ( peter sellers ) must solve a murder while avoiding an ambushing manservant and a twitching superior .
. as jerry muses over a box of jigsaw puzzle pieces ,
rosebud
is only a piece of the puzzle . ( in addition , there were
one actor who helped pave the way for the change in outlook and acceptance of the horror genre was lon ( alonso ) chaney , sr . , known as
the man of a thousand faces
because of his transformative , grotesque makeup and acting genius as a pantomime artist . he appeared in numerous silent horror films beginning in 1913 at universal studios . he was soon to become the first american horror - film star and hollywood ' s first great character actor . his first grotesque character role as a fake cripple ( a contorted figure named the frog ) , his breakthrough role , was in the miracle man ( 1919 ) ( a film that only partially survives ) . chaney ' s films , collaborating with director tod browning on ten feature films over a decade , included these examples of lurid melodrama ( and horror ) and crime :
how we got here : the film starts with kane ' s death . thompson ' s investigation then serves as the framework for telling kane ' s life story , which is then told in roughly chronological order .
consider an astonishing unbroken seven - minute take . grobel ' s book the hustons quotes meta wilde , huston ' s longtime script supervisor : “it was an incredible camera setup . we rehearsed two days . the camera followed greenstreet and bogart from one room into another , then down a long hallway and finally into a living room ; there the camera moved up and down in what is referred to as a boom - up and boom - down shot , then panned from left to right and back to bogart ' s drunken face ; the next pan shot was to greenstreet ' s massive stomach from bogart ' s point of view . . . . one miss and we had to begin all over again . ”
a condemned murderer on the eve of his execution decides to tell the authorities who hired him to commit the murder . however , he ' s killed by a poison dart in front of a roomful of officials . . . see full summary »
without resorting to an existing literary horror figure , such as frankenstein , dracula , dr . jekyll and mr . hyde , or the invisible man , universal also created a new and ' original ' creature in two films - the werewolf - the last of its great original horror characters . the first us werewolf film was stuart walker ' s well - made the werewolf of london ( 1935 ) with henry hull as dr . glendon - the scientist who brought the ' wolf ' curse upon himself . the second , most famous and definitive wolf man character was in director george waggner ' s excellent b - grade film , the wolf man ( 1941 ) with lon chaney , jr . in his first appearance as the accursed larry talbot - his portrayal came to be his best - known role . the
transformation
scene from man - to - wolf , involving complicated cosmetic / makeup artistry , was remarkably realistic . [ the makeup artist used yak hair and a rubber snout . ]
a number of students at a wealthy east coast campus have been murdered when a detective and his son , a student at the school , set out to solve the increasingly ingenious murders . another chesterfield classic with charles starrett
[ james cagney played the role of chaney in man of a thousand faces ( 1957 ) and recreated the star ' s roles as the phantom and quasimodo in two of horror ' s greatest achievements . ]
: no one , except the audience , will ever know what rosebud really means or signifies . it becomes a missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle and a
in his second adventure , inspector clouseau ( peter sellers ) must solve a murder while avoiding an ambushing manservant and a twitching superior . >
he was forced to star in a series of very poor sequels , teamed up with other universal horror stars in b - grade films including frankenstein meets the wolfman ( 1943 ) ( in which chaney , jr . portrayed the wolf man and lugosi was the frankenstein monster ) , and in two films adding dracula to the mix :
the camera cuts to an indoor shot , a close - up of a telephone ringing urgently . an alarm clock shows 2 : 05 am in the background , blowing curtains flutter . a hand gropes for the receiver , and a grunting , sleepy voice responds off - camera to the call . spade is informed of his partner ' s death [ from police sergeant tom polhaus , we learn later ] at the corner of bush and stockton . after receiving the news , spade seems unaffected and unmoved . with an impassive face , he phones his secretary to notify iva , miles ' wife :
the atrocity in question is a mezuzah , a box containing sacred hebrew texts ( usually the ten commandments ) , affixed to a doorpost , often believed to act as a warding or protection ( and thus a protection over the child ) . additionally , if
mr . bernstein is apt to pay a visit to the nursery now and then
, he ' d kiss his fingers and then touch the mezuzah upon entering and leaving the room .
three rival freelance stringers scour the streets at night to film crime scenes , fires , accidents - and anything else they can sell to news outlets .
this wasn ' t just a
feud
as it has been portrayed . harlan lebo in his book citizen kane , a filmmaker ' s journey reveals the massive scope of hearst ' s plot to destroy welles and his film . they even smuggled an underage girl into welles ' hotel room and had two photographers standing ready . fortunately , a police investigator warned welles in time .
trade your passion for glory : kane , a young crusading newspaper owner , becomes the man in his later life .
another of universal’s classic horrors to be set in wales was george waggner ’s hugely influential the wolf man . a highlight on waggner’s jobbing , eclectic cv , the screenplay was written by curt siodmak , who went on record to state the film was welsh - set despite it never being specifically mentioned onscreen . both commercially and critically more successful than the studio’s initial venture into lycanthropic themes , werewolf of london ( 1935 ) , waggner’s much loved film saw lon chaney jr cast as the eponymous creature , a role he would subsequently reprise for universal in four more horrors during the 1940s .
biopic : it ' s a biopic of an entirely fictional character ( albeit one inspired by real - life figures ) but citizen kane more or less invented and codified many of the tropes of the biopic genre and actively inspired many later works on real - life figures . this has to do with the fact that the film ' s narrative actively tries to dramatize , as the newsreel colleague says ,
70 years in a man ' s life
. a major problem with any film biography is telescoping the key incidents and shaping a proper dramatic arc to a life . kane ' s approach , using the character death as an excuse plot inspired later films , such as lawrence of arabia and others , which managed to avoid the foregone conclusion nature of the story while still finding room for dramatic possibilities . welles putting on aging makeup and other aspects to show kane in different times , paved the way for other actors in later films to portray characters in different stages of life , for instance , leonardo di caprio in j . edgar . likewise , the film ' s focus on kane ' s interior struggle and ambitions as a way to make the character somewhat relatable often led to many films using a macguffin to tell the story .
. it would be the first of several attacks , one of which ultimately killed him in 1980 . at the time of his death , sellers was 54 years old , and he and edwards were preparing another clouseau film ,