Newsgroups: bit.listserv.cinema-l
Date:         Mon, 27 Jul 1992 12:07:33 EDT
From:         "George V. Chastain" <U0E53@WVNVM.BITNET>
Subject:      Re: THREE GODFATHERS

On 07/26/92 at 19:32:00 Peter.Giordano@WILLIAMS.EDU said:
>Many years ago there was a tradition (at least in the New York area) of
>broadcasting the John Ford version of THREE GODFATHERS at about 2AM on
>Christmas eve (the other traditional film was KING KONG on Thanksgiving
>and I still can't figure out why) -

The DeLaurentis version of KONG would be more appropriate...

>TNT just broadcast the 1936 version
>(starring Chester Morris and Lewis Stone) - the differences between
>the two are startling - I've read that there were two other versions
>done before 1936 (I disregard the made-for-TV version) - Does anybody
>know anything about these earlier versions?

This subject came up on CINEMA-L early last year; here's what I
posted then:

>I looked up John Ford's silent version of Peter B. Kyne's novel
>about western badmen redeemed by their sacrifices to save a baby:
>MARKED MEN (1919), starring Harry Carey (Sr.), J. Farrell McDonald,
>and Joe Harris.  Carey, a great silent western star (and a major
>influence on John Wayne's mannerisms) is also remembered for warm
>character parts in RED RIVER, MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON, and
>other talkies.

(p.s. Ford dedicated his talkie version of THREE GODFATHERS "to the
memory of Harry Carey -- bright star of the early western sky.")

>His son, Harry Jr., is also a notable figure in
>westerns, especially teamed with Ben Johnson in Ford films like
>WAGONMASTER and RIO GRANDE, but he's fine in other roles like
>the Yankee handyman in THE WHALES OF AUGUST.  J. Farrell McDonald
>played a lot of old codgers like the barman in MY DARLING CLEMENTINE
>and the crotchety Potterville resident with the banged-up tree in
>Capra's IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.  Don't know what became of Joe Harris.
>     Ford wasn't the first to film this story -- Edward J. LeSaint
>made THE THREE GODFATHERS in 1916, also starring Harry Carey.
>William Wyler also filmed it in 1929 as HELL'S HEROES, and
>Richard Boleslawski in 1936 as THREE GODFATHERS.  Ford's second
>attempt, with John Wayne, Harry Carey Jr., and Pedro Armendariz,
>was in 1948.
>     I'd bet the premise has been done on lots of television shows
too...
>     With renewed interest in the Horse Opera, it seems an update
>is inevitable:  THREE GODFATHERS AND A BABY?  (A great opportunity
>for Tom Selleck.)

I liked the 1936 version of THREE GODFATHERS a lot -- maybe even
(gulp!) better than Ford's talkie version, which seems overblown
to me, more heavyhanded than most Ford films. The director,
Richard Boleslawski, was a Moscow Art Theatre veteran who made
several classic Hollywood films including the Charles Laughton/
Fredric March LES MISERABLES, Garbo's THE PAINTED VEIL, and
Dietrich's THE GARDEN OF ALLAH.  The 3 badmen are well played
by Chester Morris, Walter Brennan, and Lewis Stone, and there are
some fine moments. Stone's character is an intellectual who reads
Schopenhauer by the campfire, and the ending is much more somber
than Ford's version.

Incidentally, someone recently said something to the effect that
they don't understand why any of John Ford's films are considered
classics. I don't mean to be snotty, but it may be a case of "if
you have to ask, don't mess with it."  Ford is an acquired taste,
and his lifework really has to be considered as a whole -- it's
very difficult to find just one film that will fairly represent
what he's all about.  To me he's one of the greats, and I think
anyone willing to spend a little time getting to know his films
will be richly rewarded. Truffaut wrote a nice little essay about
the way his attitude about Ford changed as he got older --
specifically regarding Ford's treatment of women, which Truffaut
understood better when he realized what a magnificent character
Maureen O'Hara plays in Ford films.  Ford's treatment of Indians
has been given a lot of undeserved bad press too, largely because
of popular misconceptions without basis in the films. Regrettably,
there are some things in Ford films that will challenge and/or
irritate the superficial viewer (and even a few things that will
make his staunchest admirers wince a bit).  But very few directors
are able to bring such rich, complex characters and stories to life
with such economy, technical mastery and visual beauty.

George Chastain -- WVNET, Morgantown, West
Virginia U0E53@WVNVM or U0E53@WVNVM.WVNET.EDU
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