The Macaroni Club, Preston Sturges, A Disappointing Special Feature, Franklin Pangborn and Watching Problematic Actors

Fonda and Stanwyck in The Lady Eve

I start off with this interesting tidbit -- which has nothing to do with the rest of the post -- from the good folks at Merriam-Webster:

Have you ever wondered why in the old Yankee Doodle song he puts a feather in his cap and calls it 'macaroni'? In the 1760s, a group of young well-traveled English men who prided themselves in their appearance, sense of style, and manners founded a club in London. At the time, macaroni was a new and exotic food in England and so the young men named their club the Macaroni Club to demonstrate how stylish its members were. The members themselves were called macaronis. And eventually the word macaroni came to mean the same thing as dandy, or "a man who gives exaggerated attention to personal appearance." Like one who wears feathered caps.

The more you know.

Received my copy of Criterion’s new release of The Lady Eve (1941) a few days ago. It is a film I greatly admire as evidenced by its place among my top 100 films. From 1940 through 1944 Preston Sturges directed seven films that, in my estimation, ranged from very good to cinema classics. They were the first directorial efforts from a man who had previously been a screenwriter. After that amazing run Sturges only directed six more films and they ranged from flops to mediocrities. Go figure.

Sunday I watched the latest edition to my extensive DVD collection (which I believe now numbers around 250 films) and as with each previous viewing, thoroughly enjoyed it. Co-stars Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda mostly featured in dramas but in this slapstick comedy they were revelations. The usual Sturges supporting players also enhanced the film, led by William Demarest who delivers The Lady Eve’s great closing line, “positively the same dame.” After the movie I looked forward to diving into whatever special features the good folks at Criterion had conjured. Goodness me. There was really only one to speak of and speak of it I will as it was laughably bad. The idea was to have a group of cinema experts discuss the movie and let me just say that’s a helluva good idea. The group included Peter Bogdanovich (who I love to listen to talk about movies) LA Times film critic, Kenneth Turan, Leonard Maltin, James L. Brooks, Sturges’s son, Tom and a few others who I was unfamiliar with. They appeared to range in age from old to very old. Their conversation was done on Zoom. Yes, old people (older than me, even) using Zoom. It did not go well. When the “conversation” started Bogdanovich wasn’t there yet. Maltin logged on but had trouble with the his earphones and no one could hear him. He finally sorted it and interrupted a conversation to ask, “can you hear me now?” Brilliant.

Bogdanovich finally joined and his phone started ringing. It was beyond annoying. He said someone would pick it up but no one did so he reached over and hung it up himself. People talked over one another in the way that can happen when people are unfamiliar with Zoom. Questions weren’t heard and answers were ignored. Brooks was in the middle of a sentence when he froze. Then he called Sturges who informed one and all that Brooks had lost his internet. It was all too painful for me and 18 minutes into the 42 minute “conversation” I gave up. Criterion really thought this was worth putting on a DVD as “special feature?” I’m dumbfounded. It’s an embarrassment. I have since written a strongly worded email to Criterion to express my discontent.

Franklin Pangborn in Hail the Conquering Hero

Speaking of Sturges films. I also recently watched Hail the Conquering Hero (1944), the last of his great run. It was one of many excellent films (several by Sturges) which feature Franklin Pangborn in a supporting role. (It is his real name though it would perfectly suit many of the characters he played.) Pangborn, who was gay, generally played fussy, officious, vaguely effeminate men often having their feathers ruffled by the antics of others. I don’t know that he ever had more screen time nor was ever better than in Hero in which he played a character labeled as Reception Committee Chair. He is variously flummoxed, frustrated, flustered and flabbergasted, especially during the reception for a returning war hero. There are several different marching bands scheduled to play and they keep getting the wrong cues and get into a cacophonous competition that drives the poor committee chair batty. Pangborn received a best supporting actor award for his performance from the National Board of Review. It was well-earned.

I read about Pangborn and learned that he fought bravely at the Battle of Argonne in World War I, was injured and earned a medal. He was clearly playing against type. He ended up with 238 acting credits, many from the silent days and many of those in dramatic roles. With two exceptions he stuck to TV after 1950 and had a brief gig as the announcer on the Tonight Show before being canned for a “lack of spontaneity.” He died shortly thereafter at the age of 69. Someone should write a book about him or make a documentary or hell, do both.

Speaking of supporting players....Among the cast of The Lady Eve is Charles Coburn who featured in  many classic comedies. Watching Coburn in a film is problematic when you know his politics. It's not that he was Republican (Stanwyck was and I forgive her) he was a Mississippian and a member of the  racist organization, The Citizen's Council (often referred to as the White Citizen's Council). The council was formed in the mid 1950s as a reaction to the burgeoning Civil Right's Movement. Their stated aim was to protect the rights of white people in the south at a time when segregation and Jim Crow laws reigned. In other words Coburn was a racist asshole (not to put to fine a point on it). It can  similarly be difficult to watch Walter Brennan who was such a racist that he reportedly did a jig when told of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. John Wayne, of course, held odious views. I wrote about watching his films a few years ago.

Of course, if you're going to avoid watching films that feature or were made by dubious characters you'll be left with very little. Among directors Hitchcock, Chaplin and Polanski are problematic. Also if you're going to winnow out films based on actors' political views you're going to miss out on a lot of classics. Then again some people "cancel" directors or actors based on accusations, even disproven ones (note the hysteria regarding Woody Allen who was twice cleared of the lone charge against him). I understand the impulse. It simplifies the world to cross people off lists, to mute them, cancel them, boycott them. Less choices. Less critical thinking on your part. Easier.

Before I sign off I'd like to thank my sponsors who have stuck with me throughout the pandemic: Pan American Airlines, Tower Records, Polaroid (now with Instamatic Cameras!) and the tourist boards of these countries: Ceylon, Prussia, The Dutch East Indies and Yugoslavia.  You all rock!