the Ox-Bow Incident (1943)

Thoughts:

*Henry Fonda was incredibly handsome as a young man. I've never liked him. But his voice is oddly comforting.

*There's Henry-Harry-Morgan. Is he in, like every movie ever made? He can never decide how to credit himself so I just call him Henry-Harry-Morgan. That, or Nostril Morgan. Because let's face it, those suckers are BIG. Not that it looks unattractive, by any means...

*I love Dana with wavy hair. LOVE LOVE LOVE. It's so light and fluffy. Pity he couldn't use his natural hair all the time.

*Anyone who thinks Dana is a stonefaced mumbling actor has obviously never seen this film. Anyone who thinks he's incapable of range needs to watch this and then Laura (and then the Best Years of Our Lives, for good measure).

*His breakout role, and no wonder. What a performance! Why was he not at least nominated for Supporting Actor? Ugh. Dana's crying and now I'm crying.

*Love the beginning theme music, with the chorale and the preacher. Very soulful. I also liked that the preacher was African American, and although he talked with the "dialect" given to all African American roles at the time (or so it seems) the inclusion of him as the voice of conscience is very unusual.

*After watching the ending, this film is really starting to remind me of Mister Roberts, another Fonda flick. Only Jack Lemmon was the breakout role in that performance. He actually won the Oscar. 

* The whole subplot with the girl seemed pretty superfluous. Whatever.

*And were we never told how Kincaid was hurt? What was up with that? Am I missing something here?

*Headcanon: Henry Fonda's character ends up marrying Donald Martin's wife and Henry-Harry-Morgan stays on as cowhand.

*This film isn't very long, but it packs a punch. I think it's probably one of the few motion pictures ever that deserves a remake. The issues brought up in the film are still applicable today, I feel. And they need to be brought to a new audience; unfortunately this movie isn't very well known. I have no idea who would star in it though. Despite the fact that Henry Fonda got top billing, his character isn't really the main character--there are no main characters--and his character is a very slack protagonist too. He sort of blends in during the middle of the film and pops back out at the end.

Dana Andrews: Fedorable Man

 **WARNING: This post contains extreme fangirl feels and gushing over fedoras. Proceed at your own risk.

So...in my continuing quest for the good guy, the everyman, the boy next door (so far I've racked up Jimmy Stewart, Gregory Peck, Eddie Bracken and Jack Lemmon--not to mention Captain America) I have now fallen for yet another--Dana Andrews. *cue cymbals*

I watched Laura (1944) and the Best Years of Our Lives (1946) both in the same week, and both for the first time. Before that I had no idea Dana existed; he is not exactly well-known. (Pity.) I mainly picked up Laura because Gene Tierney the Eternal Goddess of Perfection was in it and I had heard everyone raving about it and everyone likes a good murder now and then, don't they? (Who knew I was going to like the detective even better. ;)

See?? FEDORABLE!!!

I have now determined that Dana is like a less-famous, more...shall we say, virile...version of Jimmy Stewart. That devastatingly handsome grin! That deep-as-bass voice! THAT FEDORA! Which brings me to my newest vocabulary acquisition: fedorable. That's a word. It means looking adorable in a fedora. Look it up in the dictionary, you'll find a picture of Dana. THAT WORD WAS MEANT FOR HIM. He was born just to wear a fedora. If he did nothing except wear a fedora he would have accomplished his life's purpose.

(Let me stop right here and just apologize for this incoherent set of ramblings from my addled fangirl brain. :D)

For the most part Dana seems like a solid family man who tried to live with integrity--and succeeded, apart from his alcoholism, which he duly confessed and triumphed over later in life. He even seemed to enjoy his miniscule star status, getting upset with preferential treatment from the adoring public. What can I say, I love the ordinary guy. He seems relaxed and easy-going, not letting his inner self out too much but a deep thinker underneath (what I would give to read his diary entries--yes, he kept a diary!). How do I know all this? Read the articles here! Plus--get this--he was trained as an opera singer!! I WANT TO HEAR HIM SING. I also really really really want to see all the other movies he starred in with Gene Tierney. I love that duo. It's just perfect.

FEDORABLE!!

 
I also love the characters he plays--men who are seemingly tough yet with a shade of vulnerability that they struggle to keep hidden. He can be cheerful, he can be moody, but most of all he's relateable. And handsome. ;) In fact the first thought that struck me was that he looked like an older Jack Lemmon! And speaking of Jack Lemmon, Dana has what I call the "Jack Lemmon complex"--just the normal guy. But so extraordinary underneath! Aren't all ordinary people like that? It's amazing.

aaaaand you guessed it---fedorable.

 He needs to be more well-known. And we need more of his movies on DVD!! He's just so...manly. Where are all the manly men/actors today? (Don't answer that, we'll start a whole politically-charged discussion on here and I'll end up with a headache and a frustrated blogger complex.)