Murnau wanted to call it Our Daily Bread. I think it is a much better title. I think City Girl is just terrible.
Any thoughts?
- This comment is most likely authentic and fairly close to what I intended to say -
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I think that City Girl is, for a lyrical art film, a pleasantly idiosyncratic title. By comparison, Our Daily Bread seems rather portentous and prosaic.
I play a big toy who attacks a bunch of smaller toys.
- Orson Welles on Transformers
Murnau wanted the film to show the process of wheat growing (even to have time lapse photography) and to follow it from harvest to the changing of it into bread. He had a lyrical plan for it then didn't happen as his benefactor William Fox became involved in recovering from a car accident and fighting to keep from loosing the studio he had created (he lost). King Vidor would use this title for his early sound film. I think that Murnau would be very pleased with Terrence Malick's DAYS OF HEAVEN. In many ways I would say that this is close to what Murnau had intended for his CITY GIRL (which as it stands is still a masterful film).
shareHonestly, I like the "City Girl" title better. I mean, any pre-Code with the "girl" word in its title usually means plenty of fun, and this time was no exception! This was such a wonderful movie, but I don't think I would have felt much convinced to see it with the other title. (By the way, I loved the King Vidor's movie, which I came across just by chance). I just got the "Murnau, Borzage and Fox" boxed set, and this was the first one from the bunch I wanted to see.
Animal crackers in my soup
Monkeys and rabbits loop the loop