MovieChat Forums > Bright Road (1953) Discussion > unusual opening

unusual opening

posted 12 years ago by miriamwebster
2 replies | jump to latest

When I saw this on Turner Classic Movies, I thought network was running a trailer before actual movie began. Dorothy Dandridge enters, in character, then identifies herself by her real name, runs through a brief rehash of plot and even names several other actors, including Harry Belafonte, as co-stars. . .then movie begins. Has any other other movie featured such a strange prologue? Instead of immediately drawing audience into story, seems to be distancing them from it by reminding them everyone is just acting. This kind of thing might have worked in a comedy but regardless of how well you liked movie (and many people apparently did) certainly seems a baffling way yo kick off a serious drama. Any idea what thinking behind this was? People who were seeing this had already bought a ticket so it wasn't like they needed to sold.

[–] BigJohnPilgrim 8 years ago

I see no one has ventured an answer yet, so I'll give it a shot.

From the movie's summary:
"Based on the story, 'See How They Run,' which ran in the June, 1951 issue of 'The Ladies' Home Journal' and subsequently won that year's Christopher Award. The story was written by Mary Elizabeth Vroman, a fourth-generation school teacher from the British West Indies."

This was a popular story at the time, still fairly fresh in peoples' minds. And this is not an unknown format. I can't name the movies right off the bat, but I have seen other movies from the era that began similarly. And it seems to me I've seen movies developed from plays that were started similarly, so maybe it came from Broadway? In any case, it clearly didn't survive the era, and was probably short-lived.

Come see a fat old man sometime!

[–] heyteegs (1207) 4 years ago

That is definitely an unusual opening. I have never seen another film in which the actor introduces themself. This is called 'breaking the fourth wall' in theatre.