Robert Montgomery
What a terrific actor -- and so handsome! I'd seen him in only one other film, a drama. He could do both drama and comedy well.
On another note, it is so weird that Hitchcock directed "Mr. & Mrs. Smith"...!
I love Robert Montgomery. I always seem to get him mixed up with Ray Milland; they looked alike, to me anyway. He is very funny. Most of the films I have seen him in are comedies. His dramas are good as well.
Hitch doesn't exactly seem like the man for this film, but it was good. A question just popped into my mind. How did the ending get past the censor? They aren't married and alone in a hotel kissing. it's obvious what will happen next. How did that pass? Maybe it's because you don't actually see it. I mean technically they could stop making love long enough to hike back to the lodge and wait for a minister to come and marry them. yeah right. Anyway, it is odd for Hitch but still clever.
Let me jump to my own conclusions --Honey Bear
You didn't pay attention. Ann and David have been living together as husband and wife for three years, creating a common law relationship as stated in the film. Also stated is that the woman has the beneifit of the doubt in such disputes so the marriage consisted solely on the approval or disapproval of Ann. Therefore they were indeed married or close enough.
The censors would never, and could never go that extreme. No films would ever be able to be made if they did. That is like saying, it is obvious what happened in Paris between Rick and Isla in Casablanca, because that is what happens in Paris, or it is obvious would happen next at the end of the Thin Man when Asta covered his eyes?
Don't you just love it when Asta covers up his eyes??? That is so great! The only thing better, or maybe is just as good is the look Nora gives Nick when, at the end of After The Thin Man, he quips that what she is knitting looks like baby booties! They're in the same situation, on the train, at the end of the story - it's a nice bookend to Asta covering up his eyes!
Well, the Code certainly was a pain, wasn't it? but the by product of extra contorting and extremely creative suggestions of sexual situations by film makers was terrific! And Hitchcock sure did a lot of it in this film! It's regrettable that there was this perceived need to impose a code, but whenever art is made within some confines, the human spirit and creativity of the artist still manages to flourish and even at times make something better than if they had been working without a constraint.
jackboot says > Well, the Code certainly was a pain, wasn't it? but the by product of extra contorting and extremely creative suggestions of sexual situations by film makers was terrific!This is why I actually liked the Code. I thought it forced film makers to be more creative than blatant in their portrayal of sex in movies. Those who are naive or just young would not understand what was going on. There were benefits to that.
For one, an entire family could watch the same movie and enjoy it on different levels. There's no need to cover the children's eyes or ears because something is inappropriate. Also, the same person could watch the movie over time and get more out it as they mature and grow.
My favorite thing is there's plenty of room for interpretation. When something is presented in a blatant or explicit way, there's only one way to see it. As a viewer, I like to think and not just sit in a dark room passively taking in what's on the screen. By the way, when I say blatant and explicit, I'm not referring only to sex. There's also violence, speech and a whole range of other behaviors.
I wasn't around when the Code was in effect but I miss it. I never thought I liked watching movies until I discovered older movies. Now I watch them a great deal more than the movies being made today. I find today's movies frustratingly boring. They may be visually stunning and creative in some ways. They stimulate the senses but there's not a whole lot demanded of the viewer mentally; just sit back and experience the sights and sounds.
The movies are also overly targeted for specific audiences. Even the general audience movies are aimed at very young, immature viewers. It can be a painful experience even for an intelligent child. The movies have also become long form commercials with so much product placement I often feel I'm being manipulated.
I don't know if the Code would have prevented some of the things I mentioned but I know many of them came about after the Code was no longer in effect. I have to assume the rating system brought about those shifts. Bring back the Code!
Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate] share