Showing posts with label film: 1928 the cardboard lover. Show all posts
Showing posts with label film: 1928 the cardboard lover. Show all posts
Saturday, 22 October 2011
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
Picture of the day: holding hands with Marion Davies
 | ||
| Nils Asther, Marion Davies, The Cardboard Lover, 1928 |
click on the image to see it much bigger
Friday, 26 August 2011
blog rot! and favourite Asther films
Last night there was an attack of page rot on this blog, for no apparent reason. I lost information from the end of my blog pages in a very random way. That means the pictures, links and information I had gathered about all of Nils Asther's films from about 1932 onwards were deleted. It seems to be unrecovereable.
I backed up everything that is left relating to his early films left on the pages, but it was a bit of a shock.
Anyway, I'm taking it as an excuse to reorganise the pages and hopefully they'll be better than ever when I'm finished.
As a cheer-me-up, I've been making a list in my head and deciding on my 5 favourite Nils Asther films of all time:
1. The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933)
WHY: It's beautiful, complex and sexy. And it takes me on a thoughtful journey every time. At the start, it genuinely seems to be borderline racist, with the missionaries in their own little self-enclosed, superior world, not to mention with Asther playing Chinese. Then it twists and turns and becomes intensely philosophical with a plea for mutual understanding.
2. The Single Standard, 1929
WHY: Okay, it's not the most complex of stories. Young attractive woman has love affair. But Arden's (Garbo's) decision to go for freedom and equality in love uplifts me every time, especially when you consider that was the 20s. And Garbo is breathtaking, and she sizzles onscreen with Asther.
3. The Cardboard Lover, 1928
WHY: Okay, I've not actually seen this one yet. But it's still my third favourite because it looks so funny and amazing, and Marion Davies is a hoot. Plus I totally have a thing for men who can do comedy, and Asther totally can.
4. Laugh, Clown, Laugh, 1928
WHY: The tragic ending of this moves me every time. Frankly, Asther is acted off the screen by Loretta Young and Lon Chaney, but that's why it's so good. There is that one shocking pre-code moment where Asther goes in for a bit of a fumble with Loretta Young... totally in character, but still. Wowzers. I think he was a bit of a bad boy.
5. By Candlelight, 1934
WHY: This is a polished little gem of a comedy from director James Whale, and it's guaranteed to make me feel better on any dismal soggy afternoon. I do tend to skip the rest and only watch Asther's scenes... just being honest. He's the best thing in it. So suave and adept at farce.
Other films of his I've seen so far (or part seen, with rough appreciation ratings)
Starring Roles
Make-Up **
The Man in Half Moon Street ***
Submarine Alert **
The Marriage of Corbal **
The Right to Romance **
Supporting Roles
Son of Lassie ***
Behold we Live **
The Cossacks ***
Topsy and Eva *
Himmelskibbet ****
Samson and Delilah **** (he's only on screen for 30 sec)
Do I want to see them all? You bet.
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
picture of the day: fun with Marion Davies
Nils Asther and Marion Davies in The Cardboard Lover, 1928
I found some more stills from this film. It looks pretty fun.
more posts about The Cardboard Lover
I found some more stills from this film. It looks pretty fun.
This would be the scene at the start where she asks him for his autograph.
Sunday, 10 July 2011
picture of the day: postage stamp, Nils Asther & Marion Davies
Marion Davies and Nils Asther on a postage stamp from Benin, 2009,
in a scene from the silent comedy The Cardboard Lover, 1928.
click the image to make it bigger
Monday, 4 July 2011
picture of the day: with Marion Davies
The Cardboard Lover, 1928, MGM
Ditzy American Marion Davies is hired by European tennis champ Nils Asther to be his 'cardboard lover' and fool his vamp ex-girlfriend;
butler Tenen Holtz looks on.
Monday, 30 May 2011
The Cardboard Lover, 1928 (silent)
I haven't yet seen this film but I would love to.
From IMDb: A ditzy American girl visiting Monte Carlo (Marion Davies) is hired by a tennis champ (Nils Asther) to be his "cardboard lover"-- to pretend to be in love with him so he can teach his two-timing fiancé (Jetta Goudal) a lesson and win her back. What he doesn't realize is that the girl isn't pretending--she actually is in love with him, and she sets out to win him for herself.
Review: "...worthy of much praise is Nils Asther as Davies' leading man. In some of his others silent films I've seen, Asther strikes me as rather dull--exotic, to be sure, but oddly lacking in much charisma. Here, though, he absolutely comes to life in a role that calls for much physical comedy (the scene with the chest plaster is a truly hilarious bit), but also leaves him with his dignity intact as a romantic lead. He and Davies make an excellent screen couple and they look like they were greatly enjoying their scenes together."
Update: Just after I did this I noticed that jackpickfordisaluteyou has posted a wonderful entry about this film with about a hundred screencaps. Hooray! The film looks even more fun than I imagined.
From IMDb: A ditzy American girl visiting Monte Carlo (Marion Davies) is hired by a tennis champ (Nils Asther) to be his "cardboard lover"-- to pretend to be in love with him so he can teach his two-timing fiancé (Jetta Goudal) a lesson and win her back. What he doesn't realize is that the girl isn't pretending--she actually is in love with him, and she sets out to win him for herself.
Review: "...worthy of much praise is Nils Asther as Davies' leading man. In some of his others silent films I've seen, Asther strikes me as rather dull--exotic, to be sure, but oddly lacking in much charisma. Here, though, he absolutely comes to life in a role that calls for much physical comedy (the scene with the chest plaster is a truly hilarious bit), but also leaves him with his dignity intact as a romantic lead. He and Davies make an excellent screen couple and they look like they were greatly enjoying their scenes together."
Nils Asther, Marion Davies
Marion Davies, Nils Asther, Jetta Goudal
Nils Asther, Jetta Goudal
Director Robert Z Leonard sends Marion Davies off set after she nearly runs over
Nils Asther and cameraman John Arnold during the filming
Jetta Goudal, Marion Davies
Update: Just after I did this I noticed that jackpickfordisaluteyou has posted a wonderful entry about this film with about a hundred screencaps. Hooray! The film looks even more fun than I imagined.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)