This year those in charge of the Oscar ceremony were scrambling for something better than last year. After last year’s horrible ratings they became, shall we say, worried? I don’t watch the Oscars, I haven’t for many years. I have many reasons why I don’t, but one sticks out. The Oscars has become a political platform for “wannabe” politicians. The stars are so much into fantasy land that they actually believe we listen to their rant. Talk about being one with the role, this is the epitome. I haven’t heard anything about the ratings last night, but I am sure they were no different, if not worse than last year. I did hear that they changed the “dog and pony” show in hopes of better ratings. Here’s an idea, maybe they need to take a hard look at their starlets and their rhetoric.
Thank goodness we don’t have to be tortured with contemporary Hollywood productions. We have DVDs, and Classic movies on cable! And on that note let me tell you about a DVD release coming in April. Universal Studios Home Entertainment is releasing their “Backlot series” with a collection of Pre-code films. The series will include the 75th anniversary edition of DeMille’s “Cleopatra” plus six “saucy” pre-code classics, The Cheat, with Tallulah Bankhead as a woman willing to do anything to pay off her gambling debt; Merrily We Go to Hell, with Fredric March as an abusive alcoholic; Hot Saturday, with Cary Grant; Torch Singer, with Claudette Colbert; Murder at the Vanities, best remembered for the musical number “Sweet Marijuana”; and Search for Beauty, with Buster Crabbe and Ida Lupino.
All movies were produced before 1934 so we can expect to see a little more “smut” in these films than we see in the 40′s and so on. Although the public demanded movies dealing with subject matters such as illegal drugs, scandal, adultery, and just about all vices, back in the 20′s & 30′s, the production code stopped it. The films then after were a little more tamed, but the public still went to the movies, and Hollywood did not go under. I just spoke to someone who had just seen for the first time, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” (1932) and was shocked at the openness and sexual innuendos in the movie. Do you think these films will shock some classic movie newbies?
2 Responses to “Saucy Pre-Code Release”
I thought this year’s show was pretty good, quite entertaining. Hugh Jackman did an outstanding job as host, and it didn’t seem to drag as expected.
Thanks Millenia for dropping by…they try, got to give them that. But the Oscars is not what it used to be, and because of that the ratings go down. Maybe they should look to Old Hollywood for pointers. Thanks again!