R.I.P. Stanley Donen

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Reza
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Re: R.I.P. Stanley Donen

Post by Reza »

Uri wrote:
Reza wrote: I last watched this in 2012 and here are my notes on it:

The Grass is Greener (Stanley Donen, 1960) 5/10

Chic drawing room (literally) comedy with four huge stars. Kerr, married to Grant, falls in ''love'' with visiting tourist Mitchum. Simmons is the best friend who adds to the confusion. Extremely slow talkfest with Kerr and especially Simmons coming off best. Grant overdoes the staid boring husband role while Mitchum is totally deadpan and at sea amongst the droll British goings on. However, the four stars seem to be having fun and I kept thinking back to their previous pairings - Kerr with a very young Simmons in Black Narcissus, Simmons and Mitchum in Angel Face, Grant and Kerr in An Affair to Remember and Kerr and Mitchum in Heaven Knows, Mr Allysson and The Sundowners. A pity Grant was never paired before with Simmons because he really comes alive in his scenes opposite her in this film.
I guess I can live with this assessment. I'll just add that Kerr and Simmons had a more substantial onscreen pairing in Young Bess as Catherine Parr and Elizabeth I, respectively.
Yes they did.
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Re: R.I.P. Stanley Donen

Post by Uri »

Reza wrote: I last watched this in 2012 and here are my notes on it:

The Grass is Greener (Stanley Donen, 1960) 5/10

Chic drawing room (literally) comedy with four huge stars. Kerr, married to Grant, falls in ''love'' with visiting tourist Mitchum. Simmons is the best friend who adds to the confusion. Extremely slow talkfest with Kerr and especially Simmons coming off best. Grant overdoes the staid boring husband role while Mitchum is totally deadpan and at sea amongst the droll British goings on. However, the four stars seem to be having fun and I kept thinking back to their previous pairings - Kerr with a very young Simmons in Black Narcissus, Simmons and Mitchum in Angel Face, Grant and Kerr in An Affair to Remember and Kerr and Mitchum in Heaven Knows, Mr Allysson and The Sundowners. A pity Grant was never paired before with Simmons because he really comes alive in his scenes opposite her in this film.
I guess I can live with this assessment. I'll just add that Kerr and Simmons had a more substantial onscreen pairing in Young Bess as Catherine Parr and Elizabeth I, respectively.
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Re: R.I.P. Stanley Donen

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Big Magilla wrote:The Grass Is Greener sounded great with Cary Grant just a year after North by Northwest, Deborah Kerr and Robert Mitchum released at the same time as The Sundowners with memories of Grant and Kerr An Affair to Remember still fresh and Jean Simmons still glowing from her career high performance in Elmer Gantry. It was quite a letdown with Simmons under-used and the others ill-used.

Originally a London stage play that never made it to Broadway, it was intended for Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall who might have handled the bon mots of this drawing room comedy better. Grant and Kerr were brought in when Kendall died and Harrison withdrew. It would have been better if they had just shelved it.
I last watched this in 2012 and here are my notes on it:

The Grass is Greener (Stanley Donen, 1960) 5/10

Chic drawing room (literally) comedy with four huge stars. Kerr, married to Grant, falls in ''love'' with visiting tourist Mitchum. Simmons is the best friend who adds to the confusion. Extremely slow talkfest with Kerr and especially Simmons coming off best. Grant overdoes the staid boring husband role while Mitchum is totally deadpan and at sea amongst the droll British goings on. However, the four stars seem to be having fun and I kept thinking back to their previous pairings - Kerr with a very young Simmons in Black Narcissus, Simmons and Mitchum in Angel Face, Grant and Kerr in An Affair to Remember and Kerr and Mitchum in Heaven Knows, Mr Allysson and The Sundowners. A pity Grant was never paired before with Simmons because he really comes alive in his scenes opposite her in this film.
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Re: R.I.P. Stanley Donen

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The Grass Is Greener sounded great with Cary Grant just a year after North by Northwest, Deborah Kerr and Robert Mitchum released at the same time as The Sundowners with memories of Grant and Kerr An Affair to Remember still fresh and Jean Simmons still glowing from her career high performance in Elmer Gantry. It was quite a letdown with Simmons under-used and the others ill-used.

Originally a London stage play that never made it to Broadway, it was intended for Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall who might have handled the bon mots of this drawing room comedy better. Grant and Kerr were brought in when Kendall died and Harrison withdrew. It would have been better if they had just shelved it.
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Re: R.I.P. Stanley Donen

Post by Uri »

Big Magilla wrote: At the other end of the spectrum, though, he made some of the most awful films all time. Kiss Them for Me, Once More, with Feeling, Surprise Package, The Grass Is Greener, Staircase, The Little Prince, Lucky Lady and Blame It on Rio are virtually unwatchable.
Aren't you a little harsh with The Grass Is Greener? I haven't seen it in many years, but I remember it fondly, especially Jean Simmons' breezy performance.
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Re: R.I.P. Stanley Donen

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Jewison is at 92 just two years younger than Donen was, but he didn't direct his first film until 1962. Donen, who co-directed his first film in 1949 was the last.

My favorite Donens were, in chronological order, Singin' in the Rain, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, It's Always Fair Weather, Funny Face, The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees, Charade and Movie Movie, great films all.

At the other end of the spectrum, though, he made some of the most awful films all time. Kiss Them for Me, Once More, with Feeling, Surprise Package, The Grass Is Greener, Staircase, The Little Prince, Lucky Lady and Blame It on Rio are virtually unwatchable.
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Re: R.I.P. Stanley Donen

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Was Stanley Donen the last living director from Hollywood's 'Golden Age'? I can't think of anyone else.

As for directing in general the only director still living that directed a cinema feature film during the 1950's is Anges Varda. Richard Lester & Norman Jewison directed TV, Jean-Luc Godard, Costa-Gavras, Alain Tanner, Robert Frank, Claude Lelouch made short films - none of them directed a feature film until 1960 at the earliest.

We have lost an awful lot of directors in the past 12 months.
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Re: R.I.P. Stanley Donen

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That's how our minds work around here: my first thought was, is it too late to edit him into the In Memoriam tape? I think they can do it with 36 hours. A couple of people in recent years -- Harold Ramis and Bill Paxton -- died on the day of the ceremony, as I recall, and they didn't make it, but each was mentioned by a presenter (and then included in the following year's reel).

As to Donen's career: he'll no doubt be remembered best for his part in Singin' in the Rain, but I cherish him most for Charade, Bedazzled and (especially) Two for the Road. His post-Bedazzled resume got pretty dire, but I did find Movie Movie mostly a delight.

And his Honorary Oscar acceptance was an all-timer.
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Re: R.I.P. Stanley Donen

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Big Magilla wrote:Too late for this year's In Memoriam?
I'm sure (hope?) he will be at least mentioned by one of the presenters if not officially included in that segment.
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Re: R.I.P. Stanley Donen

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Too late for this year's In Memoriam?
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R.I.P. Stanley Donen

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