You Must Remember This
Posted on January 14th, 2008 in Uncategorized by Eugene Finerman ||
On this day in 1943, Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill set the standard for product placement by meeting in Casablanca. Perhaps FDR did owe a favor to Warner Brothers, the only Democratic studio in Hollywood. Jack Warner was not deeply imbued with liberal principles; however, he felt compelled to support the political opposite of Republican Louis B. Mayer. Churchill went along with the choice of Casablanca, although he hated being mistaken for Sidney Greenstreet. The alternative site would have been far more dangerous: the set of “Kings Row“.
Kings Row is now remembered as Ronald Reagan’s best film. In fact, it was also Robert Cumming’s best film. (Lourdes has yet to produce such a miracle.) The film tells of life in a small town at the turn of 20th century; mental illness runs rampant and the community is terrorized by a sadist physician (Charles Coburn in his nastiest role). Churchill also hated being mistaken for Coburn. The plot’s implications intimidated the allied leaders. Roosevelt and Churchill were prepared to fight Hitler, but not the American Medical Association.
Casablanca has a political resonance today. However inadvert, it led to the founding of Neo-Conservativism. Young Irving Kristol and Norman Podhoretz were indignant that Peter Lorre didn’t get the girl.
January 14th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Not just any small town, King’s Row. It’s factual equivalent was Fulton, Missouri, Henry Bellaman’s hometown and also the home of my first alma mater, Westminster College.
Now all I need is a Kevin Bacon tie-in and it’s a triple word score!
January 14th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Just to quibble — Cummings was in Hitchcock’s Saboteur, which, while not A.H.’s best, I think is better than King’s Row. Cummings was also in an enjoyable film called Princess O’Rourke, which while not that good a movie still has its pleasures (and also has Coburn and Mrs. then Reagan in it, not to mention Olivia De Havilland and Jack Carson, both of whom are very good in it).
Here are some degrees from Kevin Bacon, although I bet someone good could get it closer: Bacon was in Animal House with Tim Matheson, who was in the first Yours, Mine, and Ours with Henry Fonda, who was in The Lady Eve with Coburn.
January 14th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
To Leah: I’d say that “Saboteur” is Cummings’ second best film…and we are getting desperate trying to name the third place winner.
Of course, “Saboteur” is getting a revived interest because of that endearing nonagenarian Norman Lloyd. (And I would love to know his real name; I’m sure that it has no degrees of bacon in it.)
Eugene