MM17: Cagney WAS Modernity!
Welcome to Movie Mindset season 2! Will & Hesse look at two films somewhat bookending the career of the great James Cagney: Lloyd Bacon’s Footlight Parade (1933) & Billy Wilder’s One, Two, Three (1961). The first is a pre-code musical spectacular, allowing Cagney to show off his song and dance skills as a promoter of live “prologues” for movie houses, the later a cold war screwball comedy, together they show the insane range of Cagney across a career also notable for roles as gangsters and tough guys. But here, we get to see his work making the most racist and offensive musical numbers imaginable to a depression-era crowd, and joke-a-minute comedy chops as a beverage exec trying to keep his boss’s daughter from eloping with a Communist while opening up east Germany to the wonders of Coca-Cola.
Tickets to Will & Hesse’s Movie Mindset screening & talkback of Death Wish 3 in NYC on May 4: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chapo-trap-houses-movie-mindset-screening-of-death-wish-3-w-will-hesse-tickets-877569192077
Comments (91)
watched White Heat a week or two ago, might be an all timer. will have to check these out.
Weird byproduct of Cagney's NYC origins: Dude spoke fluent Yiddish (including in a few of his movies).
Production on the Movie Mindset episodes is always so tight, good work
Poor Hugh Jackman forgotten as always
LOVE MOVIE MINDSET
Another possible meaning for “Cagney was Modernity” is that he was one of the first actors in the sound era to get famous while talking without that stupid Trans-Atlantic accent everyone always does in early sound films. Initially everybody thought it was the only way actors could be understood. But Cagney just sort of talked like himself. If the coming of talkies represented one of the first times modernism truly changed the film industry, then Cagney was the first one to truly bring a naturalistic acting/speaking style to them in response to it
Lyrics check- Will mentions the one black guy in honeymoon hotel; he says “I’s the captain of the comfort station”. Which is… the bathroom :/
Tar and feather me if it was mentioned during the episode, but one, two, three is available on the internet archive
I posted a link, but I will protect you from any mob justice :)
Chris thank you for ensuring the safety of the public at large with your cutaway about Sabre Dance/Entry of the Gladiators. I was driving down the highway in a 30 ton truck when they said that and I screamed "I'M GONNA OPEN THE PATREON WEBSITE AND TYPE AN ANGRY COMMENT WHILE I'M DRIVING BECAUSE THAT AIN'T RIGHT" and then I didn't have to! You truly earned your keep this day! Also that was a good episode.
Chris with his editors note was really the cherry on top of this episode, thank you Chris.
If you liked the racing in Ferrari, check out Le Mans from 1971 starring Steve McQueen. Huge chunks of the racing was shot durring the 1970 le mans, so if you want to see space frame tubs full of gasoline hurtle at 200 mph through the French countryside, it's the one for you.
This show got tha lobby song stuck in my head
Can’t believe you didn’t mention that Pepsi was the one to cinch the Soviet Union distribution deal — a prescient Billy Wilder moment! And what a deal that was — Pepsi received its payment in part in form of decommissioned military equipment and for a short while somewhere in 1971-1972 Pepsi had the sixth largest military in the world.
Ok now type in “Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta” and realize that they actually did make the sexiest car you’ve ever seen in your life.
Is Death Wish 3 the one where (slight spoilers) A woman is pursuing Bronson romantically throughout the film, only to be continuously re buffed cos Bronsons married to fighting crime. About half way through the film he relents and they make sweet love. The next day, while basking in the glow of their new love, Bronson leaves her in the car while he goes to pay for the gas, only for some thugs to reach in through the window, punch her out, roll the car off the handbrake down a hill where it explodes into flames like something out of the Simpsons. Bronson comes out to see his new lady turned to barbeque and is like - damn you crime !!!
I remember seeing just this part of the movie on tv while I was on vacation about twelve years ago. I was still in middle school and remembered thinking a car shouldn’t explode like that.
I liked "Ferrari" too, but the him being so callous about driver deaths in the movie did kind of take me out of it. Because even after 1963 when Enzo just flat out refused to get to know or even speak to any of his drivers. Ferrari would lock himself in his office for days and contemplate quitting racing when one of his drivers died. Also there's a great book called "When Sex was Safe and Motor Racing was Bloody Dangerous" about how deadly it was to be a race car driver till like 2003.
A song for clowns? Yeah a song for Hesse and Will after that flub. Immersion instantly broken.
GOT YOUR ASS, WOOOO!!! -Alex Jones, the Pride of Austin
hallelujah,, movie mindset is back! anyone who sees this, avoid paying for one of the films - https://archive.org/details/one.-two.-three.-1961.720p.-billy-wilder-film-james-cagney-howard-st.-john-pamel : ) : ) : )
I watched an auto-colourised version on YouTube, which was psychedelic
The secretary is Joan Blondell, right? It HAS to be Joan Blondell.
Yes, yes it is!! I haven't seen these movies in years but they are absolutely delightful. And Joan Blondell rules.
Cagney WAS modernity sounds like it might have been the Sopranos writers leaving a very subtle homage to film critic and painter Manny Farber. But I’m probably wrong about that, can’t find the direct quote anywhere. Anyway, it’s resonant at very least with the meta-insights on Cagney in JP Gorin’s essay doc “Routine Pleasures,” about his relationship with Farber and model train enthusiasts in San Diego, among other things. Fantastic little film. Check it out!
Chris's little insertion to explain the difference between the two clown songs had me laughing so god damn hard. Thank you sir!
Stoked Movie Mindset is back. Cool selections - there's no chance I'd ever watch these on my own
During the interrogation scene, you can clearly hear the stasi officer ask Otto about Allan Dulles
Spike Lee shows a child birth in his 2004 film She Hate Me.
did hesse listen to this edition? will chris and hesse challenge each other to a duel after chris's musical correction mid episode? season 2 is already really spicy!
I had such a huge spontaneous grin on my face during Honeymoon Hotel, triggered by the ole’ Aunt Mabel character and family
In season 3 you should do an End of Evangelion episode
https://youtu.be/YQ6N-DpNOco?si=KlYfPamxu0twGAph
Loved 1,2,3. the music from it reminded me of Conan O’Briens the masturbating bear.
If only Chester Kent had thought of that one it would have been a real hit
Hugh Jackman!
Can't believe Hesse missed Will's perfect joke about FDR and dancing.
she didn't stand up to the occasion one might say
period.
when you examine the working conditions of business executives in the 60s you have to remember that in most of the western world the top income tax bracket was 90-95% so corporations had to find really creative ways to remunerate their top guys (and I do mean men) with anything but cash money. It has a couple drawbacks but I think it's a more fair and interesting system than just paying executives 2 million per year plus stock options
Like in Mad Men!
It's just "By a Waterfall". Check out the cover done by the Bonzo Doo Dah Dog Band.
James hated Horst because he was a “scene stealer”… I’d be willing to bet james in his older age resented a young, hot, talented actor getting attention.
Love the show but the incorrect use of factoid is slowly killing me
hell yeah I'm currently levitating and emanating waves of overwhelming psychic power
this isn't interesting to me at all. really hope they move on to something new after this movie series.
🍼🍼🍼
In footlight, I loved the “girls” as a character….when they’re all getting tucked in…and saying “goodnight”…and running like mad for lunch
actual childbirth (stock footage?) in ADAPTATION.
Also Colegas by my favorite gay Basque communist filmmaker, Eloy de la Iglesia
I had never seen either one of these and they were so good. It blows my mind that One, Two, Three isn't a staple. It absolutely rips.
Yea they’ve really done a fantastic job picking movies just below the general awareness level that are as good or better than the commonly known classics
THANK YOU FOR TALKING ABOUT THE LITTLE PERSON GREMLIN IN FOOTLIGHT PARADE I felt like i was viewing one of david lynches dreams, i swear that shot has the highest definition of the film but it might have been my adrenaline
Definitely reminded me of the old couple from the beginning of Mulholland Dr. when they reappear at the end.
It's pretty funny that the premise of 'One, Two, Three' is that a Coca-Cola executive who oversaw manufacturing in South America has no idea how to make a communist disappear. Cagney's character definitely has a body count. I do have to warn people gearing up for the movie that you better be prepared to put up with shouting because the third act is a solid 30 minutes of Cagney in his office just barking orders at random extras.
we love hesse. we love hesse
I am so prepared! Downloaded most of these movies to my plex server a month ago. Let’s go!!!
Anyone with a link to 123?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De3C2so41yA&t=4150s&ab_channel=MovieMatrixClassic
Did they release the movie schedule for season 2 yet?
Yes. About a month ago
That first clip that you guys played sounds like Joe Biden when he was talking to Charlemagne
Lovely lived this. And cannot watch Cagny tap-dancing down a giant staircase without going woozy with terror.
golden age Hollywood musicals must have operated like Hong Kong era Jackie Chan films where the main production hindrance was waiting for all your extras to get discharged from the emergency ward after doing some revolutionary choreography. there's this insane dance scene i saw where Gene Kelly was tap dancing in roller skates.
Additional layer to the cuckoo clock gag, Cagney played the writer of “Yankee Doodle Boy” George M Cohan in the film “Yankee Doodle Dandy”
Got chills when the music started. So happy this is back. Missed you Hesse!!
my favorite part of the hays code is that every character that commits a crime has to be shown getting punished. just fun to imagine 1930s movie executives acting like puriteens.
no gods, no masters, only cola
Sorry if this path hath been trod on here already but holy cannoli Natalie from Weyes Blood is 💯 on the mindset. https://youtu.be/Wy_9YxJI1Yc?si=mTCgIlcT6GCwyhbQ
How's weyes blood as a musical act? Can u recommend a good place to start
NERTS
Really appreciate the intervention by Chris on this, was necessary.
loved both of these movies
Lots of the films are on Internet Archive for free
Hip tip: Julianne Moore is currently chewing scenery on the Starz series Mary & George. She plays a noble woman who's pimping her son (hot quarterback from Bottoms) to King James
Penelope Cruz is the GOAT at playing real historical women that I don't care about, except in movies. She fucking ruled as Donatella Versace
and shes a smokeshow
can't wait for the episode on Train Entering Station [1896] and Man Washes Horse [1899]
I'm having a rough morning and this gave me a lol
Such a good duo, Hesse and Will complement each other perfectly
Love that Movie Mindset drops on Wednesdays because it's the day movies are released in the best city for going to the theater (Paris)
La Filmothèque!
Wednesday just got a hell of a lot better
Going into this season with at least 1/2 of the films already watched for each episode, I'm ready.
🫡🫡
Watched footlight parade. A sentence I never thought I'd say: my soul left my body during the synchronized swimming.
And again when shanghai lil started singing
Let’s gooooo
Nyad-heads rise up 🏊
Szn 2 babeeeee
Fuck yeah