Thursday, March 31, 2005
STARS OF YESTERYEAR
If you want to see John Barrymore, his brother Lionel, Jean Harlow, Marie Dressler, Wallace Beery, Billy Burke, Lee Tracy, Gene Hersholdt, and other thirties stars at their best, this might be the picture for you:
Dinner at Eight (1933).
It is, deservingly, one of the NY Times Best 1176 Films. This film version of the Ferber/Kaufman play was directed by George Cukor. Comedy and tragedy keep rolling off the screen allowing all the stars to give top of the line performances. There are lots of good zingers Don't miss the very last one between Dressler and Harlow. Turn up the sound.
The only caveat I have is that the DVD version is not very well restored or rehabbed. There are unaccountably dark closeups and some disconnects between scenes which make me think that parts of the film were not good enough to reproduce. In any event, it is a minor distraction and I will give it all a 4 out of Netflix5.
