DVD Review
By William Bradley
Stage Struck, starring Marlene Dietrich, Jane Wyman, Richard
Todd, Michael Wilding, directed by Sir Alfred Hitchcock, 1950
[Normally a great if sullied* director like Sir Alfred
Hitchcock would be cited in the headline but since this review links tangentially
two aspects of Marlene Dietrich’s career she gets top billing.
* “Sullied” since earlier this year, 2017, during the height
of the sexual harassment and sexual crimes by high level powerful Hollywood men
and later others in high positions it was revealed by Tippi Hendron who most
famously starred in the Hitchcock classic The
Birds that he had incessantly sexually harassed her and moreover ruined her
career after she had rebuffed him. Greg Green]
******
Sometimes I can’t figure out the how or why of our new site
manager Greg Green’s madness in making assignments. Or in the case here linking
two different pieces of work only tangentially related together. Here’s what I
mean. A few months ago when I was first hired on by Greg to bring in younger
writers and give them decent assignments I happened to be headed to Washington,
D.C. on other business when he asked me to stop off at the National Gallery of
Art on the National Mall and view and review the big Vermeer and friends
exhibit (not the official museum title but that is what it is about) of 16th
and 17th Dutch and Flemish art. (That “younger writers” deserves
some additional comment since I am a little older at twenty-eight than the
youngest writer Kenny Jacobs but almost two decades younger that what under the
old regime, sorry I can’t mention his name under an agreement that we would not
do so with Greg, were considered young writers against the old guard who have
hovered around since the 1960s-and apparently never got over it-the 1960s that
is.)
I did as asked so and did what I thought was a good review
given that I didn’t know a damn thing about the subject. The subject of Dutch
and Flemish painting which mostly seemed boring and repetitious around family
portraits and infinite scenes of fruits, vegetables and game not art in general
where my tastes run to the Abstract Expressionists who I don’t know much about
either but appeal to my eye. Expressed my like/dislike views and left it at
that. I did make a mistake in citing another writer here, an old-timer, Frank
Jackman, and his quasi –Marxist views on art and we went back and forth about
it as he earnestly tried to “teach” me about this ancient painters and their “milieu,”
Frank’s word. You can read that exchange elsewhere under the archival title When Capitalist Was Young….
That was all well and good. What I had also done on that
trip as well was sneak after my business was over to the National Portrait
Gallery since it stays open until seven to view some American art that I was
interested in when I noticed that there was a photographic display on the
career of well-known (and much “drag queen”- imitated) German turned American
citizen actress Marlene Dietrich. I thereafter mentioned that exhibit in
passing to Greg who must have put that fact in the back of his mind because
when he had finished previewing the film under review Stage Fright a thriller by director Alfred Hitchcock starring Ms.
Dietrich he cornered me by the water cooler and gave me the assignment. Again I
knew nada about Ms. Dietrich other than what I had read at the exhibit not
being either a fan of Mr. Hitchcock, hers, or of old time movies. So here it is
as good as I can make it without much experience with this kind of film.
Marlene Dietrich had a certain style about her, a certain
independent don’t give a damn attitude which permeated her role as Charlotte
Inkwood, a chanteuse and actress who had both a lover, Johnny, played Richard
Todd and a husband she did not much like, wanted to see dead. So, yes, didn’t
like much is right if understated like her role here. That is
the drift of the storyline, with that not “much like” unseen husband lying on
the living room floor. The first twist and turn of the film which drives it in
a certain direction revolved around the very clear implication that Charlotte
had done the deed. It sure looked like it as every emotive breath she took when
she told lover-boy Johnny about it kept saying guilty as hell. Also in her apparent
duplicity looked like she had used Johnny to cover her tracks and make him the
fall guy.
Enter Eve, played by Jane Wyman, a friend of Johnny’s who
thought she was in love with him and did everything she could to hide him and
who was bewitched by his story that Charlotte had done the deed. Including producing
a telltale and fatal bloodstained dress she had allegedly worn to do the deed.
By hook or by crook to save darling Johnny Eve directly confronted Charlotte via
a ruse as her temporary dresser, an institution in the theater world. Enter
Detective Smith, played by Michael Wilding, who turns Eve’s head away romantically
from Johnny who made it very clear that he had gone over the edge for
Charlotte.
Meanwhile this Smith and his fellow police officers are
looking high and low for Johnny boy. Not getting anyway especially since Eve,
and her family, not suspecting anything untoward of him were keeping him a step
or two ahead of the law. With his help. As things moved toward a climax, toward
the capture of on the run Johnny it was revealed via another ruse by the
coppers that Johnny, under Charlotte’s cunning bidding had actually killed dear
sweet Mr. Inkwood. This revelation occurred while both he and Eve are hiding
under the stage of the theater that Charlotte played at. Oh no, Eve was a
goner. Not so fast since the clever Ms. Eve was able to put herself out of
danger and old Johnny got his just desserts. Of course Charlotte will get hers
as well taking as Sandy Salmon says quoting Sam Lowell the big step-off.
I
don’t know if this is a big time Dietrich work although she certainly could
emote when the deal went down, could act whatever she needed to act to stay out
of the clutches of the law. Perhaps know it all Frank Jackman will give me the
same working over he gave me on those freaking Dutch and Flemish painters who
grabbed up the great art when they ruled the roost and “teach” me what is what about
the legacy of Ms. Dietrich.
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