Schneider Steven - Steven jay schneider стр 53.

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1930s

BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935)

Despite Boris Karloffs reluctance, it was decided that the Monster should now be able to pronounce a few chosen words. His humanization here makes him more complete and faithful to Mary Shelleys novel, and his desperate search for a friendly companion could hardly be more

touching. Though it was of course played down at the censors request, the Monster is mostly depicted in Bride of Frankenstein as a Christlike figure who is led to kill because of his circumstances and the fear he inspires in society. Even the monstrous mate intended just for him is repulsed at first glance by his physical aspect. Without a doubt, Elsa Lanchesters bride remains to this day one of the most astonishing creatures ever seen on screen: her appearancein a sort of grotesque version of a marriage ceremonyis still a highlight of the horror genre, what with her mummified body, her swan-like hissing, and her weird black-and-white-streaked Egyptian hairdo.

Bride of Frankensteins plot relies heavily on sharp contrasts that make the spectator jump from terror to pathos or comedy. Whales particular sense of humor, which has often been described as camp, is mainly brought out by Minnie (Una OConnor), the household maid, along with the outrageously effeminate acting of Ernest Thesiger, who plays the devilish Dr. Pretorius.

The immense interest in Bride of Frankenstein also stems from its portrayal of sexual relations, a portrayal that is considered by many to be at least potentially transgressive. The introduction of a second mad scientist (Pretorius) who forces Colin Clives Henry Frankenstein to give life again, emphasizes one of the fundamental and disturbing implications of Shelleys myth: (pro)creation as something achieved by men alone. Four years later, Whales masterpiece itself gave birth to a son, but the father of the bride would have nothing to do with it. FL

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1930s

TOP HAT (1935)

U.S. (RKO) 101m BW

Director: Mark Sandrich

Producer: Pandro S. Berman

Screenplay: Allan Scott, Dwight Taylor

Photography: David Abel

Music: Irving Berlin, Max Steiner

Cast: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edward Everett Horton, Erik Rhodes, Eric Blore, Helen Broderick

Oscar nominations: Pandro S. Berman (best picture), Carroll Clark, Van Nest Polglase (art direction), Irving Berlin (music), Hermes Pan (dance)

There is no clear-cut classic among the Fred AstaireGinger Rogers musicals of the mid-1930sall are mostly marvelous with crucial flawsbut Top Hat probably comes the closest. Its plot follows the series basic formula: Fred instantly falls for Ginger, but a silly misunderstanding (here, she mistakes him for his married friend) stokes her hostility until the final moments.

The director is the underrated Mark Sandrich, whose impeccably superficial touch maximizes the swanky, syncopated slickness so essential to the series. The films most famous number is Top Hat, featuring fancy canework among Fred and a chorus of top-hatted gents, but the heart of Top Hat is its two great romantic duets, Isnt It a Lovely Day and Cheek to Cheek, the first set on a London bandstand during a thunderstorm, the second beside the sparkling canals of RKOs goofily glossy Art Deco version of Venice. Such dances, with their progression from resistance to surrender, are Freds main weapon in winning over Ginger, but it would be a mistake to read this process as simple sexual conquest. As Gingers suppressed amusement makes clear, the two characters approach their respective roles of hot-to-trot and hard-to-get with playful irony, collaborating to prolong and intensify a deliciously elegant erotic game. MR

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1930s

UNE PARTIE DE CAMPAGNE (1936)

Cast: Sylvia Bataille, Georges St. Saens, Jane Marken, André Gabriello, Jacques B. Brunius, Paul Temps, Gabrielle Fontan, Jean Renoir, Marguerite Renoir