Great reaction, Henry, to one of my favorite films!! Everyone did a fantastic job on it. Loretta Young won the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Farmer's Daughter, which she made the year after this one was made. In it she starred opposite Joseph Cotten, who was a prominent member of Orson Welles's Mercury Theater.
They were on an old game called the “Paper Chase”… also known as "Hare and Hounds" or "Hares and Hounds". It was an old outdoor game that involved one group, called the "hares," being chased by another group, the "hounds." It was popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries and is considered a precursor to modern cross-country running and orienteering. • How the Game is Played: 1. **Participants**: The game involves two teams: the hares and the hounds. Typically, a small group (one or two) acts as the hares, and a larger group acts as the hounds. 2. **Objective**: The objective for the hares is to create a trail that the hounds will follow, and the objective for the hounds is to catch the hares. 3. **Creating the Trail**: The hares start ahead of the hounds and leave a trail of paper scraps (hence the name "Paper Chase") or sometimes flour, sawdust, or other biodegradable markers. These scraps are dropped intermittently to create a path for the hounds to follow. 4. **Delay and Chase**: After giving the hares a head start (usually a few minutes), the hounds set off to follow the trail left by the hares. The hounds must try to follow the exact route laid by the hares by finding and interpreting the paper trail. 5. **Course Complexity**: The hares often try to trick the hounds by creating false trails or doubling back on their route to confuse them. The complexity of the route adds to the challenge and excitement of the chase. 6. **Winning the Game**: The game ends when the hounds catch up with the hares or when the hares reach a designated finish line without being caught. • Purpose and Popularity: - **Physical Exercise**: The game was valued for its physical demands, making it a popular training exercise among schoolboys, athletes, and the military. - **Strategic Thinking**: It involved not just speed and endurance but also strategy, as both hares and hounds needed to think about the route and how best to achieve their objectives. - **Social and Outdoor Activity**: It was also a social outdoor activity that fostered teamwork, camaraderie, and the enjoyment of nature. • Decline and Legacy: The popularity of Paper Chase declined with the rise of organised sports and more structured activities, but its legacy continues in the form of cross-country running, orienteering, and other trail-based activities that retain the spirit of pursuit and navigation.
Welles, as The Third Man's war profiteer, Harry Lime, said, " You know what the fellow said - in Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace - and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock." Hoisted on his own petard?
I'm really fond of this film. After all the scandal over Kane and Ambersons and being fired by RKO Welles wanted to prove he could make a film on budget and on time, which he did. John Huson who co-wrote the screenplay suggested to the producer Sam Speigel that his friend Orson could direct. Orson did shoot a longer sequence about Meineke's escape and how he was being followed across continents and Orson wanted to open the film with a dream sequence of Mary walking to the clock tower with weird shadows following her and throughout the film there were references to her not sleeping well and having bad dreams,which would've explained more explicitly why she's often in a state of uncertain hysteria and why the film ends with Wilson's rather obscure comment to her, "Pleasant dreams, Mary " Originally, Welles wanted Agnes Moorehead to play Wilson and I think that would have been really interesting. She was a very skilled actress
If Mary's bad dreams and insomnia were included, then the final line "pleasant dreams" would make a lot more sense. Agnes Moorehead as Wilson? 🤔 Interesting indeed. They would need to craft another character that's more suited for her 👍🏻
Yeah! Great commentary, as usual! Yes.....Mary did not hesitate! 😆 That fake heart attack scene was hilarious! I love the ending; I always love a movie that delivers a good ending! I also agree about Edward G. Robinson; this is NOT my favorite performance from him, at all. He's actually most known for gangster roles in the 1930s, he's like the first gangster, him and James Cagney. "Little Casesar" from 1931. I always say this is the best Hitchcock movie that Hitchcock never directed. (there are other contenders, though, lol). This is Welles' most "commercial", straight-forward film.....before heading towards Shakespeare! Best Shakespeare on film, in my opinion!
Welles was masterful in his use of shadows. The Stranger (1946) throws shade to create an impression. The Lady from Shanghai (1947) was his next film. Rita Hayworth turns up the heat. Loretta Young was a child actor during the silent era. She starred in some notable pre-code films that hold up well, including Platinum Blonde (1931), Taxi! (1931), and Born to Be Bad (1934). Edward G. Robinson cut his teeth on Little Caesar (1931) and Larceny, Inc. (1942), but Key Largo (1948), from two years after The Stranger, finds him at his most vicious.
I like seeing the actors' stylistic changes (revolution? upheaval?!!) between Edward G's CAESAR (1931) and his next 1931 thru 1933 films. The stiff and poorly timed dialog was delivered 'normally' for the most part. Same with (or maybe worse?!!) was Cagney's fellow actors' dialog in PUBLIC ENEMY. But those early '30s musicals were pretty outstanding - considering I dislike musicals generally... but that's from growing up with only '60s musical as my foundation Gag...
"Well, who but a Nazi would deny that Karl Marx was a German because he was a Jew?" Fun Fact: Theatrical movie debut of Johnny Sands. Final Bow Fact: Philip Merivale, who plays Mary's (Loretta Young) father, died before the film's release. On Your Left Fact: By this time in her career, Loretta Young, like older contemporaries Claudette Colbert and Jean Arthur, was photographed almost exclusively from the left side, or left three-quarters; never was this more evident than in this film. Deep Freeze Fact: When walking in from a snowy day outside, there is real snow on Orson Welles' coat, as it clearly melts (and otherwise acts like real snow) as the scene continues. This is notable for its realism, as most directors at the time regularly used fake snow and just had actors brush it off as they walk into an interior. Music Enthusiast Fact: Although Orson Welles was not entirely pleased with the music for the film, he was nonetheless the first American director to take the trouble to spell the forename of composer Bronislaw Kaper correctly. On all his previous American films, the name had been mis-spelled. Kaper's forename was not given the correct spelling again until the 1960s, when he was nearing the end of his long Hollywood career. Location Location Fact: The vast New England town exterior sets, including the church with its 124-foot clock tower, were constructed in Hollywood on the back lot of the United Artists studio located on Santa Monica Blvd. In some production shots taken by Life Magazine, the circular metal scaffolding of a huge collapsible natural-gas storage tank can be seen behind some of the sets. The only such tank near a Hollywood studio was a block away from UA.
Were the scenes with Loretta Young taken from her left side? I didn't even notice! The snow was something I didn't take note of at all. You're super observant to have noticed the snow melt 👍🏻 Thanks for sharing! 😊
Can you imagine if every movie bad guy was shot IMMEDIATELY instead of someone giving them a soliloquoy! I think Edward G. carried his DOUBLE INDEMNITY character for most of his subsequent films, too.
Hi there! I don't know if you do old films outside of the US, but I suggest you watch & react to OFFICE ROMANCE (1977) if you please. It's a beloved Soviet/USSR film and it's available here in RUclips. Thank you!
Great reaction, Henry, to one of my favorite films!! Everyone did a fantastic job on it. Loretta Young won the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Farmer's Daughter, which she made the year after this one was made. In it she starred opposite Joseph Cotten, who was a prominent member of Orson Welles's Mercury Theater.
They were on an old game called the “Paper Chase”… also known as "Hare and Hounds" or "Hares and Hounds". It was an old outdoor game that involved one group, called the "hares," being chased by another group, the "hounds."
It was popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries and is considered a precursor to modern cross-country running and orienteering.
• How the Game is Played:
1. **Participants**:
The game involves two teams: the hares and the hounds. Typically, a small group (one or two) acts as the hares, and a larger group acts as the hounds.
2. **Objective**:
The objective for the hares is to create a trail that the hounds will follow, and the objective for the hounds is to catch the hares.
3. **Creating the Trail**:
The hares start ahead of the hounds and leave a trail of paper scraps (hence the name "Paper Chase") or sometimes flour, sawdust, or other biodegradable markers. These scraps are dropped intermittently to create a path for the hounds to follow.
4. **Delay and Chase**:
After giving the hares a head start (usually a few minutes), the hounds set off to follow the trail left by the hares. The hounds must try to follow the exact route laid by the hares by finding and interpreting the paper trail.
5. **Course Complexity**:
The hares often try to trick the hounds by creating false trails or doubling back on their route to confuse them. The complexity of the route adds to the challenge and excitement of the chase.
6. **Winning the Game**:
The game ends when the hounds catch up with the hares or when the hares reach a designated finish line without being caught.
• Purpose and Popularity:
- **Physical Exercise**:
The game was valued for its physical demands, making it a popular training exercise among schoolboys, athletes, and the military.
- **Strategic Thinking**:
It involved not just speed and endurance but also strategy, as both hares and hounds needed to think about the route and how best to achieve their objectives.
- **Social and Outdoor Activity**:
It was also a social outdoor activity that fostered teamwork, camaraderie, and the enjoyment of nature.
• Decline and Legacy:
The popularity of Paper Chase declined with the rise of organised sports and more structured activities, but its legacy continues in the form of cross-country running, orienteering, and other trail-based activities that retain the spirit of pursuit and navigation.
I cannot thank you enough. Did not know paper chase was a game, too.
Interesting. This is my first time hearing about this game. Seems like it's best played in the woods.
Thanks for explaining the game 😊👍
Welles, as The Third Man's war profiteer, Harry Lime, said, " You know what the fellow said - in Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace - and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."
Hoisted on his own petard?
A film that is always underrated, but we are used to it and we pay no attention to anything other than our own pleasure.
I'm really fond of this film. After all the scandal over Kane and Ambersons and being fired by RKO Welles wanted to prove he could make a film on budget and on time, which he did. John Huson who co-wrote the screenplay suggested to the producer Sam Speigel that his friend Orson could direct. Orson did shoot a longer sequence about Meineke's escape and how he was being followed across continents and Orson wanted to open the film with a dream sequence of Mary walking to the clock tower with weird shadows following her and throughout the film there were references to her not sleeping well and having bad dreams,which would've explained more explicitly why she's often in a state of uncertain hysteria and why the film ends with Wilson's rather obscure comment to her, "Pleasant dreams, Mary " Originally, Welles wanted Agnes Moorehead to play Wilson and I think that would have been really interesting. She was a very skilled actress
If Mary's bad dreams and insomnia were included, then the final line "pleasant dreams" would make a lot more sense.
Agnes Moorehead as Wilson? 🤔
Interesting indeed. They would need to craft another character that's more suited for her 👍🏻
@@henryellow I think they could have kept the dialogue exactly the same throughout and she would have made it her own.
Yeah! Great commentary, as usual! Yes.....Mary did not hesitate! 😆 That fake heart attack scene was hilarious! I love the ending; I always love a movie that delivers a good ending! I also agree about Edward G. Robinson; this is NOT my favorite performance from him, at all. He's actually most known for gangster roles in the 1930s, he's like the first gangster, him and James Cagney. "Little Casesar" from 1931. I always say this is the best Hitchcock movie that Hitchcock never directed. (there are other contenders, though, lol). This is Welles' most "commercial", straight-forward film.....before heading towards Shakespeare! Best Shakespeare on film, in my opinion!
Great point about "best Hitch film that Hitch never directed". And yes, other contenders only make the pool of films even richer, deeper.
Orson and Edward G play such villainous characters in some films. Heck, Orson plays a villain in most every film!
Welles was masterful in his use of shadows. The Stranger (1946) throws shade to create an impression. The Lady from Shanghai (1947) was his next film. Rita Hayworth turns up the heat. Loretta Young was a child actor during the silent era. She starred in some notable pre-code films that hold up well, including Platinum Blonde (1931), Taxi! (1931), and Born to Be Bad (1934). Edward G. Robinson cut his teeth on Little Caesar (1931) and Larceny, Inc. (1942), but Key Largo (1948), from two years after The Stranger, finds him at his most vicious.
I like seeing the actors' stylistic changes (revolution? upheaval?!!) between Edward G's CAESAR (1931) and his next 1931 thru 1933 films. The stiff and poorly timed dialog was delivered 'normally' for the most part. Same with (or maybe worse?!!) was Cagney's fellow actors' dialog in PUBLIC ENEMY. But those early '30s musicals were pretty outstanding - considering I dislike musicals generally... but that's from growing up with only '60s musical as my foundation Gag...
The Sound of Music was too much for you? 😄
@@mikecaetano A supposedly historical drama set to song, dance, glee? Just a typical Hollywood musical by that time.
"Well, who but a Nazi would deny that Karl Marx was a German because he was a Jew?"
Fun Fact: Theatrical movie debut of Johnny Sands.
Final Bow Fact: Philip Merivale, who plays Mary's (Loretta Young) father, died before the film's release.
On Your Left Fact: By this time in her career, Loretta Young, like older contemporaries Claudette Colbert and Jean Arthur, was photographed almost exclusively from the left side, or left three-quarters; never was this more evident than in this film.
Deep Freeze Fact: When walking in from a snowy day outside, there is real snow on Orson Welles' coat, as it clearly melts (and otherwise acts like real snow) as the scene continues. This is notable for its realism, as most directors at the time regularly used fake snow and just had actors brush it off as they walk into an interior.
Music Enthusiast Fact: Although Orson Welles was not entirely pleased with the music for the film, he was nonetheless the first American director to take the trouble to spell the forename of composer Bronislaw Kaper correctly. On all his previous American films, the name had been mis-spelled. Kaper's forename was not given the correct spelling again until the 1960s, when he was nearing the end of his long Hollywood career.
Location Location Fact: The vast New England town exterior sets, including the church with its 124-foot clock tower, were constructed in Hollywood on the back lot of the United Artists studio located on Santa Monica Blvd. In some production shots taken by Life Magazine, the circular metal scaffolding of a huge collapsible natural-gas storage tank can be seen behind some of the sets. The only such tank near a Hollywood studio was a block away from UA.
Were the scenes with Loretta Young taken from her left side? I didn't even notice!
The snow was something I didn't take note of at all. You're super observant to have noticed the snow melt 👍🏻
Thanks for sharing! 😊
Can you imagine if every movie bad guy was shot IMMEDIATELY instead of someone giving them a soliloquoy! I think Edward G. carried his DOUBLE INDEMNITY character for most of his subsequent films, too.
Hi there! I don't know if you do old films outside of the US, but I suggest you watch & react to OFFICE ROMANCE (1977) if you please. It's a beloved Soviet/USSR film and it's available here in RUclips. Thank you!
I'll add it to my list, thanks for your suggestion 😊
Entertaining for sure but not my favourite work from anyone involved. Loretta Young the most annoying character in film in this 🤔