For most of his films, I have always thought of Tyrone Power as a stiff, "pretty boy" actor, famed more for his good looks than his talent. But this perfomance is a revelation! Subtle, nuanced and poignant, Power shows he could really act. Perhaps, it was the influence of director John Ford and Ford's "repetory company" -- Ward Bond, Donald Crisp, Maureen O'Hara, etc.
shareI absolutely agree. Power was an adequate actor but not a powerhouse and in this role, I think he outshined his own career. I read on this page that John Wayne had originally been pegged for the role of Martin Mahar. I have nothing but respect for The Duke and have always been a huge fan, but I don't think this would have been the roll for him. This was a roll that needed a softer touch and Tyrone Power showed he could give that soft touch. Wayne could do comedy, drama and everything in between, but to see him tearing up would have been... shall I say,awkward?
Fantastic movie. No, by some of today's standards it could be considered a bit 'lame', but it's a wonderful story and beautifully done and honestly, isn't that what most of us really want in a movie?
Power was always more than an adequate actor, as his performances in "This Above All," "Nightmare Alley," "Blood and Sand," "Abandon Ship," "The Long Gray Line," and "The Mark of Zorro" prove. He just wasn't given much of an opportunity to show what he could do. One thing I've always loved about him is that in some very mediocre films, he always made bad dialogue sound better than it was.
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The man may have been still alive at the time she wrote her book because she names people in other parts of her book being seen in bathhouses, etc. She doesn't seem like one to mince words. As for Ford, she seems to have had a very volatile relationship with him. I saw her on a documentary about him and in the middle of her interview, she burst into tears. Lots of history there.
Tyrone had a big involvement with Anita Ekberg during and after his marriage to Linda. In fact, she went to lunch with him and his family in Cincinnati while he was still married. That story in Debby's book about Linda in the bushes with Edmund Purdom is hilarious.
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I am a big fan of John Ford and loved TLGL very much but somehow Maureen O Hara has warped it for me when in her book she saw John Ford kissing a great male star whom she would not disclose.
From what I know of Ford, it was likely one of his outrageous stunts or it may have been that he went "GAY all of a sudden." There's an echo of that in the film when after Koehler and Marty fight at the beginning, Koehler says, "let's hit the showers." The Military has a long history of homoeroticism you know.
Somehow it seems very strange that after a great career many in Ford films Maureen would drop that bomb, and btw not identify the Man Ford kissed.
It's not a bomb. It's an autobiography and she wonders what kind of man Ford was and it's clear in the book that she loved him very much and partly she wonders if Ford might be gay(which by the way is a rumour that's quite old) which isn't something very big or earthshaking, unless of course you think homosexuality is unnatural and the like.
"Ça va by me, madame...Ça va by me!" - The Red Shoes
Thank you blanche-2 for your comment! I totally agree! Tyrone Power could not help that he was probably the most beautiful man on earth... but anyone who thinks he was just a pretty face is dead wrong! He made numerous movies that were all memorable... including "The Razor's Edge," "Witness for the Prosecution," "Marie Antoinette," and those you mentioned, just to name a few. He was a very powerful actor, and those piercing eyes just increased his effectiveness. He did have a wonderful speaking voice and I love his Irish accent in "The Long Gray Line." Excellent movie....
share I read on this page that John Wayne had originally been pegged for the role of Martin Mahar. I have nothing but respect for The Duke and have always been a huge fan, but I don't think this would have been the roll for him.
Have you seen They Were Expendable or Fort Apache or She Wore A Yellow Ribbon and The Wings of Eagles(the companion piece of this film). Wayne would have made perfect sense.
Tyrone Power however is stunning in this film. His very greatest performance and far beyond the expectations of any popular star of his day and ours. It's amazing how completely he disappears into the role but his romantic image perfectly gelling with Marty's dreamy idealism and sentimentality.
"Ça va by me, madame...Ça va by me!" - The Red Shoes
"I have nothing but respect for The Duke and have always been a huge fan, but I don't think this would have been the roll for him. This was a roll that needed a softer touch and Tyrone Power showed he could give that soft touch. Wayne could do comedy, drama and everything in between, but to see him tearing up would have been... shall I say,awkward?"
I'm sure John Ford made the right choice. I too couldn't imagine John Wayne in this role. It definitely required the lighter touch that Tyrone Power was able to bring to the table IMO. He was very good.
As far as what Maureen wrote in her book, there seem to be rumors about every star and director being gay, at least on some message boards. And who knows about Ford, and is any of that really important when taking the measure of someone's work? It's not important professionally, and it has nothing to do with the kind of person he or she was.
shareThere's no denying that Tyrone Power was stunningly good looking. So much so that I think you get sidetracked by that, instead of watching what he's actually doing.
I've heard a few of his radio performances, and in a way it's easier to judge just how good an actor he was, when you're not distracted by his looks.
Likewise, I think it's no coincidence that many people think his best performances were later in his career, when his looks weren't so startling (though actually I don't think he looked that much worse than others the same age at the time, but he had further to fall in that respect). His looks no longer distracted from his performances.
I think he was very, very good in a lot of films - and just as good in some before the war. He could always really act. He just wasn't necessarily given the chance to act. I'd suggest This Above All, Blood and Sand (particularly the last half, where the look in his eyes at one point is of pure unadulterated hatred), and Nightmare Alley.
As to the gay thing... If you ask some people, everybody in Hollywood was gay...
Does it actually matter?? Does anybody become a better or worse actor / director / writer if they are or aren't gay? If anybody finds out somebody is gay, and likes their work any more or any less, they need to examine their motives.
I am watching it now, he loved playing Irish guys, since it was his heiritage. He is quoted as saying he wanted to lose his looks as he aged. I guess he got his wish to some extent. He did look older than his years in his final days. But I guess he got tired of being labeled a "pretty boy". I got addicted to his films during the early days of the pandemic.
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