The Classics

I was delighted to discover the latest adaptation of Bronte’s Jane Eyre on the ABC recently. It is a terrific production and I confess, a DVD in my collection that is already showing the telltale signs of one watched too often!

Many a new film adaptation from classic novels has been released in the past decade. There have been four new versions of Pride and Prejudice alone! We’ve had CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde, Shakespeare… And those are just the literary adaptations. Lately there’s also been an influx of remakes on our screens – Casino Royale, King Kong, The Italian Job, Ocean’s 11, Alfie, Thomas Crown Affair, Sabrina, The Longest Yard, Mission Impossible, Charlie’s Angels, Miami Vice, Starsky and Hutch, Transformers, and, most recently, I Am Legend.

With so many remakes and adaptations bounding into the cinematic fray, I thought it might be worth revisiting the original classics upon which many of these are based.
I have found that many of my friends are reluctant when it comes to the classics. They whoosh past this section in favour of finding a ‘guaranteed’ gem in more recent dramas, actions, thrillers or comedies. But don’t be so quick to dismiss the classics.

Classic isn’t code for boring or slow. They became classics because they were the finest films of their time. Many of them won just as many Oscars as Titantic.

But the thing I love most about the classics are the women. And when it came to babes, this was the era. There are basically two kinds of women in classics, the strong, independent female and the bombshell, with little to recommend her but her looks. (This is of course thanks to the majority of writers in classic Hollywood being male and with the emotional range of stucco!). For a great (albeit brief) description of how great classic film females can be, check out the Kate Winslet storyline of ‘The Holiday’. Now, personally, I much prefer the former, the best example being Katharine Hepburn. I particularly love the screwball comedies, pitting our heroine against Cary Grant or Jimmy Stewart – sometimes both! You can probably already guess that I’m not especially an Audrey Hepburn or Marilyn Monroe fan, however I do enjoy many of their films despite the characters they were often pigeonholed into playing.

So pick up a screwball comedy, spaghetti western or a grand sweeping love-story next time you’re at the DVD store. After all, they are considered classics for good reason.

So which classic should I start with??

CALAMITY JANE (1953)

For my part, it has always escaped me why some characters in film instead of getting to the point and stating their intentions, spontaneously break into song. Why sing what you could say? Perhaps if I had Randy Newman or John Williams in my pocket I’d feel differently? For many, Doris Day is the epitome of the classic movie babe. I like this film in particular because she breaks the mould a little and, despite random musical interludes this is a terrific Pygmalion tale.PLOT: Calamity Jane is a hard-riding, loudmouthed, gunslingin’ Indian scout. But her inclination to boast and yell, rather than impress her handsome army lieutenant crush attracts much taunting from her oldest friend and adversary, Wild Bill Hickok. One particularly grand boast takes Calam to Chicago to persuade an actress to return with her to the frontier. But in doing so Calam has produced a more feminine rival for the affections of the two men in her life.

DIRECTOR: David Butler (Tea for Two, High Society Blues)

CAST: Doris Day (The Man Who Knew Too Much, Love Me or Leave Me), Howard Keel (Showboat, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers)

LOCATED IN: Classics

FOR MORE CLASSICS SEE:

• North by Northwest
• The Great Escape
• To Catch A Thief
• The Birds
• 7 Brides for 7 Brothers
• The King and I
• Born Free
• Psycho
• Rear Window
• Bringing up Baby
• Some Like It Hot
• Lawrence of Arabia
• Philadelphia Story
• My Fair Lady
• Gone with the Wind
• Roman Holiday
• Funny Face
• Breakfast at Tiffany’s
• It’s a Wonderful Life
• Dirty Harry
• African Queen
• Stand By Me
• The Way We Were
• Casablanca
• Showboat
• An Affair to Remember
• The Seven Year Itch
• The Apartment
• Marnie
• All About Eve

TRIVIA TIP
Did you know that Grace Kelly’s films are not allowed to be screened in Monaco ?
As ever, enjoy!
I wanted to take a moment to say that our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and colleagues of the talented, late Heath Ledger at this tragic time. Please take the time to check out some of my favourite of his performances:

DRAMAS

• The Four Feathers
• Brokeback Mountain
• The Patriot

ROM COM

• Ten Things I Hate About You
• A Knight’s Tale
• Casanova