A prophetic film which deserves to be remade for a modern audience

I never cease to be amazed by the treasure trove of forgotten gems which TCM continues to offer to the modern viewer. That Ann Blyth and Van Johnson were excellent and underrated goes without saying -- as well as a fine script even if corny, melodramatic and not sensational enough by modern standards.

But it is the prophetic nature of the film which perks my special interest here. Gossip columnists and damage done to the personal lives of celebrities was nothing new in 1957 when this film was made. But the film speaks to tragedy wrought through scandal mongers upon the lives of everyday citizens. Now we live in a culture where not only has the line between news journalism and entertainment gossip become horribly blurred but also, as a result of reality TV and self promotion via YouTube and social media, everyday people become celebrities and the everyday lives of celebrities are readily shared with whoever wishes to follow them on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, et cetera.

If an updated version of "Slander" were filmed today, I cannot even fathom what it would be like. No doubt a revised script would delve deep into the legal issues regarding libel, slander, publishing photos of and gossip about celebrities, what constitutes the legal definition of "celebrity" and how this legal definition may or may not have been revised to deal effectively with self-promotion, attaining followers and building a "fan-base" whether accidentally or intentionally. And then there is the massive incursion on our privacy which we all seem to have happily invited into our lives merely by participating in social media (seldom taking the time to read the user agreements one must accept in order to participate but which cede all manner of personal rights as regards shared content, reuse and consequences thereof.

Courtney Cox's excellent but short-lived television series "Dirt" attempted to explore some of these issues. I also still recall the controversy surrounding the role of paparazzi in the deal of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed. It's pretty undeniable in an era of 24/7 real-time news streams, that both gossip reporters and legitimate journalists cannot help but influence and become part of the news stories they report.

Perhaps that is why I was so taken with "Slander" from 1957. Because it foresaw all this and made the connection in the film's climax by inflicting tragedy on the scandal-monger himself.

Anyhow, I did not mean to so digress. I suppose I am envisioning a film which needs to be made for a modern audience.


[teal]Tom Farrell[/teal]

http://www.carolinatalent.us