I have to say, after watching Garfield's entire filmography, I think my favorite films are : Four Daughters, Saturday's Children, Air Force, Humoresque, Body and Soul and The Breaking Point.
I would add Force of Evil and He Ran All The Way. Jack Warner fought with all of his big stars: Bogart, Cagney, Bette Davis, Edward G.Robinson. He just wanted them to repeat a formula instead of act.
@@maartenlemmens8628 Jack fought bitterly with his family as well, brothers Harry and Albert (Sam died young right after getting Vitaphone going) and was a 'governor' on Jack). That includes his son Jack Jr. and talented son-in-law William T. Orr who built Warners into a TV powerhouse (77 Sunset Strip etc.) in the early 1960s and helped the studio survive and thrive in a dry period. Just fired him one day after he got out of the hospital instead of building up a new generation.
An added note: Both Betty Davis and John Garfield insisted that the Hollywood Canteen not be segregated. Davis is usually given credit for the racial integration of the Canteen because she used her considerable star-power to fight the racists who wanted to exclude non-white people. But both Garfield and Davis insisted on this anti-racist policy and both should be given credit.
Bette Davis credited John Garfield with a lot of the organising of the Hollywood Canteen, but John Ford's anti-Semitic wife wanted him out. She got her way when he died of a heart attack caused by stress brought on by the Un-American anti-Semitic McCarthy Witch Hunt's persecution of him.
@@CinemaCities1978 My favorite movies are ‘The Best Years of Our Lives, All About Eve, The Night of the Hunter, Out of The Past, In a Lonely Place, Intruder in the Dust and Cinema Paradiso.’
@@sonnysantana5454 He was not under appreciated in his own time. He was a massive star, but today he's not as well known as he should be. Considering his box office appeal, and his talent he should be more present in the public consciousness.
You're very welcome. I've been a fan of your father for as long as I can remember, and this video was a true labor of love. It was created with the intention of sharing some of his life story and his incredible body of work, including both his famous films and some of the more obscure ones. Your father was a genuine trailblazer and an iconic figure, and I will remain a devoted fan for the rest of my life.
@@CinemaCities1978 Right!! And thank you for all the effort you put into these videos, they are an amazing glimpse into a fascinating era of Hollywood. You're a great storyteller!
@@CinemaCities1978 Totally. I feel heartbroken! You don't experience a human journey like that and not know what life is about and it showed in his choices. What a man.. a beautiful man.. and what an actor! Soo much more nuanced and rich than Brando or Dean. Him and Clift.. man oh man... really something. Hollywood is just horrific. Sob.
One of the greatest actors in film history. However, he had a serious prior heart condition (caused by scarlett fever) was separating from his wife and engaged in strenuous exercise against his doctor's orders shortly before he died. The HUAC didn't kill him.
I would LOVE to see you do one on Oscar Levant. I've been re-watching some of his movies and re-reading his biography (A Talent for Genius), and honestly feel he was under-rated both as an actor and a musician. Classics like An American in Paris would be a little too sickly-sweet without his sardonic asides. It was common for him to have third billing, but under stars like Garfield and Joan Crawford, which is not too shabby! His piano playing is so incredible, with rapid-fire, blazing technique, that it's hard to believe what you are seeing and hearing, and even mediocre films like The I Don't Care Girl are lit up and redeemed by his artistry. But like Mario Lanza, he was actually looked down upon as a "sellout" because he was in the movies and not a purely concert performer. Levant was a very complex and tortured human being, but was so much loved by his family and friends that there was obviously a great soul under all the torment.
@@patrickryan1515 They were friends, and Oscar idolized him, but GG could be rather arrogant and dismissive towards him. There was that train ride they took with the sleeper car, and George looked at it and said, "Upper birth, lower berth. The difference between talent and genius." So he took the lower birth while Oscar had to climb the ladder. GG's sense of entitlement was legendary.
John Garfield had an undeniable charisma. I would have loved to have seen him in Golden Boy and it's interesting to think of how much differently his career may have turned out if he got the chance. Thank you for another insightful video!
That's a brief time travel trip I'd love to take. I would pop in to 1952 to see Golden Boy and then over to 1949 to see him as Charles Castle in The Big Knife.
I watched Body and Soul and The Postman Always Rings Twice many years ago and that's how I came to know about John Garfield. But it wasn't until quite recently that I dived deeper into his filmography. I rediscovered him in a movie called Between Two Worlds in which, in spite of having a pretty impressive cast (Paul Henreid, Eleanor Parker, Edmund Gwenn), he stands out and steals every scene he's in. He was a force of nature.
This channel fills such a huge gap on RUclips. There are some others who delve into retro stuff very well, but it always seems to be through a post-modern lens, rather than taking the films on their own terms. As someone who grew up with the old classics on TV and in movie houses in the '70s, '80s and '90s I feel like you've found the kind of experience with movies that I've always had. Really appreciating all that you're doing here.
There is a passage in A Talent for Genius (a superb biography of the sardonic pianist/wit Oscar Levant) in which Garfield tells Hedda Hopper that his inspiration for Mickey Borden was, in fact, Levant. "When I read the script, that mad, sardonic genius of music flashed through my mind. And I based my character on him." The authors (Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger) go on to say, "It is clear from the wrinkles in his suit to the limp curl hanging over his forehead that Garfield had imagined Mickey Borden as Oscar Levant." I highly recommend this biography, because it goes far beyond Levant's turbulent life and career as a "wise guy"/sidekick in Hollywood movies (including Garfield's accompanist/buddy in Humoresque). It creates an atmosphere of bubbling excitement, incorporating more stars than you'd see in the heavens, including Garfield, George Gershwin, Fred Astaire, Clifford Odets, and musical legends Arnold Schoenberg and Vladimir Horowitz. Oh, and Judy Garland had a massive crush on him!
Terrific profile! I have all his movies. Garfield trivia....Before Lancaster and Kerr did their famous beach scene, Garfield had Lana Turner, Gerldine Fitzgerald and Joan Crawford on the beach!! What a guy!
Excellent commentary/story on John Garfield. NO contest between Garfield/Turner vs. Nicholson/Lange in, "Postman....." (they burn up the screen just looking at each other.) You can see Garfield for one second in the 1933 Busby Berkeley musical, "Footlight Parade", during the, "Shanghai Lil"number.
Thank you for this brief history of John Garfield. He was my father’s favourite actor which he mentioned several times. This video of yours has reconnected with my father’s memory and made me appreciate cinema as a wonderful medium. I love old Hollywood and your retrospectives make it special. Thanks again. Thanks dad for John Garfield.
He was one of my dad's favorite actors. Although my dad's top 2 were Bogart and Cagney, Garfield came in 3rd. For me, Garfield was and will always be #1. Garfield was sexy and charismatic. My dad was familiar with his theatre work but didn't live in NYC at the time. I later found out that he died down the block from my grandparents' NYC apartment in Gramercy Park. I've since learned more about how he was blocklisted. It still breaks my heart. He had so much more to give. There's nobody that comes close to him for me. He was one of a kind.
Thank you for this interesting work on John Garfield. Would have loved to have seen him in the film, Golden Boy. He would have been amazing in it. Garfield was one of the most talented, yet least recognized actors in Hollywood. So glad I discovered your channel. It’s one of my favorites. Thanks for all the hard work you put into it.
I’d only seen Garfield in “The Postman Only Rings Twice” his most famous film, and I thought that he was great in it. After watching this I’m going to try and see his other films.
Garfield movies will always remind me of being a child and watching his movies with my dad. "They made Me A Criminal", "Body and Soul". Takes me way back.
This was outstanding! I'm a very new subscriber and a big Garfield fan and I still learned new things about the man from this video. It was well researched, well written and edited beautifully. Please take great pride in this video, Cinema Cities!
Actor Sterling Haden always regretted that he named names of suspected communists whereas John (Julie) Garfield didn't snitch, which cost him more film roles. I hope that the film industry would remember him as a dynamic actor who showed great courage in his film roles and in real life! He and Bettye Davis bucked the system!
I watched several of your videos and am never disappointed. Your writing is insightful, polished and super researched. Don't be modest. Plug subscription requests, 'likes' and support. You deserve it.
Watched, We Were Strangers . WOW 😮! Plot twist made me literally yell, "No!". Ensemble cast outstanding, of course, Garfield beautiful in every way. Highly recommend this Houston movie. Tried watching Saturday's Children. Other than this being watchable due to Garfield's gorgeous self, thought it was a bit too trite. Four Daughters next on my list. Check in with you later
Your videos are a revelation to me, every time, and I love the learning experience and pure cinema joy I get from watching them. I await the new ones eagerly.
Thank you so much for the super thanks!!! This video was a real beast to make (there was a period of time when I really didn't think I could do it) so I'm glad that you enjoyed it.
@@CinemaCities1978 my wife and I decided to watch the movie “Air Force“ after seeing that mentioned in your video. I’m a USAF vet as well. It was a remarkably enjoyable World War II era film. And we had a really good time watching it, thanks!
@@JackMyersPhotography It's so good! I watched it for the first time as I was working my way through Garfield's filmography. It's now one of my favorites. I'm so glad that you guys enjoyed it too.
John Garfield was an actor head of his time . A terrific actor . Both he & Bette Davis did so much work for the Hollywood Canteen. It's a shame he was wrongly accused & died so young. RIP
yes, that's so true. That's one of the ways his arrival in Four Daughters disrupts the happy, chripy domestic bliss of the film. You feel that dark cloud arrive as soon as he walks through the door.
@@CinemaCities1978 Your hard work is evident, not to mention that not much is available on John Garfield... I'm glad you mentioned Humoresque (a personal favorite)... it was also a high point for Joan Crawford... Looking forward to your videos... :)
Well, how about that, then! A fitting tribute to Garfield, wonderful to see you making longer videos. I know you love John Garfield, and now I know why.
Excellent video! John Garfield is great in everything I've seen him in. He deserves to be better remembered today than he is and I wonder what more he could have done had he been given the chance.
Excellent work very well researched you are obviously a dedicated Garfield fan. I listened to actor Robert Blake before he passed talking about working with Garfield on humoresque Blake was having a hard time with a scene Garfield was the only person on set to protect him and look after the young child actor
Thank you so much for watching! I read Blake's account of his filming of Humoresque and he said that Garfield was very supportive and really helped him when he had trouble with certain scenes.
It was great to hear about John Garfield and his short but highly impactful career. Such a fantastic video! I learnt about Golden Boy's casting as I also admire William Holden but I wish he had played that role. Always felt Bill looked too 'green' for the part even though it initiated his film career. I love The Postman Always Rings Twice, also the book is a favorite of mine. I also love The Breaking Point and Force of Evil. I also read many years ago about HUAC and the pressure and the toll it represented for him and many others. He always reminds me also of John Hodiak who died far too soon as well, even though trajectories and circumstances are different. Thank you for taking the time and effort to make this video. I must seek Saturday's Children! Love John Garfield.
Another great job! The thoroughness of your research amazes me. I mean, who else finds a contemporary review from The Oklahoma News to illustrate their point? 😵
Great job on this Garfield career retrospective. Your research led me to some earlier films I had not seen. Always appreciate your links to the sometimes more obscure films.
You're welcome, and thanks for watching! I'm glad you took the time to explore some of his more obscure films. A lot of my personal favorites from his filmography come from his earlier works. There are truly some real gems in that early period.
As a “Late, Late Show” movie-loving kid I favored the Warner Bros. gangsters: Cagney, Edward G. Bogey and John Garfield. He is one of those actors you love to watch. As an adult my two favorites are “Force of Evil” and “The Breaking Point.” Even more recently Garfield’s final film “He Ran All the Way” is a third favorite.
Those three films are really the exclamation point on his career. All of them are excellent and his performances are dynamite. He deserves to be a real legend in the culture.
Great and comprehensive. Been a fan of Garfield since watching as a child, old movies after school with mom. Thank you for this. I thought I saw all of his films , but haven't.
"There are 8 million stories in the naked city. This is one of them." Thanks for that allusion, one of my favorites. And thank you for highlighting Julius Garfinkel, one of my favorite actors! 🎥🎭🎥 BTW, love "Force of Evil". Great shots of old NYC street scenes especially uptown and near the George Washington Bridge.
Thank you so much for watching! Those location shots at the end of Force of Evil are so forlorn and bleak. Kind of like a visual exclamation point on the film's themes.
"Force of Evil" was one of the last films I checked out from the Library for the Performing Arts before the pandemic closed the libraries. Those scenes when they are scrambling down stairs to the river, and don't they actually scramble across the rocks for a bit? (I think there is a park down there now near the Little Red Lighthouse", but I'm not sure.) Little did I know that soon we would all be scrambling in lots of other existential ways. You just reminded me to return to the Library for the Performing Arts to look for another cinema gem. 🎟️🍿🎟️
When he acted it was as if he wasnt. It was so real. I listen to him on a few Radio Shows and felt that vibe there too. Never let them see YOU sweat!!❤
Yeah the end of that movie just slaps you across the face. It's absolutely brilliant but also heartbreaking. The entire cast was firing on all cylinders in this film and John Garfield was never better. It's a masterpiece.
You have by far one of the best movie channels around. I love your shorter videos, but would love to see more of these longer biographies. I'm about to watch Four Daughters thanks to you!!
@@CinemaCities1978 Very old fashioned, but I enjoyed it! So interesting to see John Garfield at the very start of his career. And I loved Priscilla Lane! I saw the remake Young At Heart a bunch of times when I was growing up. It was shown 5 consecutive nights on a local channel in L.A. Frank Sinatra and Doris Day in the Garfield/Lane roles, but only 3 sisters this time. The car crash scene really stuck with me.
Tortilla flats ,my favorite small movie, when I fell in love with Hedy Lamarr. Also another great performance by Spencer Tracy! BTW that's Hedy! Not headly!
Great to see the effort put into this. Enjoyed it. Subscribed! Hope you could do something similar for these stellar actresses: Geraldine Page, Kim Stanley, Jill Clayburgh. Cheers!
My favourite actor. He had it all. My favourite movies of his are Daughters Courageous, Four Daughters, Body and Soul, Pride of the Marines, The Breaking Point, Force of Evil, The Sea Wolf, Dust Be My Destiny, Humoresque. There are others I like and admire, especially his role in Gentlemen's Agreement and of course The Postman Always Rings Twice. X
He did have it all! He was believable in crime films and heavy romantic melodramas. I'd never seen the Sea Wolf until I started working on this video and it became one of my favorites.
I love how you referenced the Winnipeg Tribune in the same breath as the New York Times and the National Board of Review. The city of Winnipeg had a population of around 200,000 chilly souls in the late 1930’s. The review from Oklahoma was so Bible Belt. It’s a shame John Garfield’s talent wasn’t realized. The oppressive entanglements of art and commerce seem all to common with art usually drawing the short stick.
The Winnipeg Tribune's review was fantastic, and the Oklahoma review was a full spread just raving about Garfield and Four Daughters -I just had to include it!
Was I your last caller on KGO Radio in SF? That voice from decades ago, the enthusiasm and joy for the passion of movies was memorable. Mischievous smile and haute culture hats was beautiful to behold and to be invited with 2 millions exclusive listeners for conversation if only by 50,000 watts. I hope she is well and happy.
Brilliant video, shedding light on a (now) little-known star of yesteryear. What a voice! "To shoot people with, sweetheart!" haha. A tragic story really, but I respect him so much for not naming any names and sacrificing his career as a result. If only he had lived longer and out-lasted all that McCarthy nonsense. Fantastic epic video CC. I learned a lot here and have added several of the films featured to my to-see list. Pure class.
He really stayed true to his beliefs. He never wavered from his commitment to social issues. If he'd made it, he would've been a super star in the 60s and 70s making gritty social dramas and neo noirs like Mitchum.
I have to say, after watching Garfield's entire filmography, I think my favorite films are : Four Daughters, Saturday's Children, Air Force, Humoresque, Body and Soul and The Breaking Point.
I would add Force of Evil and He Ran All The Way. Jack Warner fought with all of his big stars: Bogart, Cagney, Bette Davis, Edward G.Robinson. He just wanted them to repeat a formula instead of act.
I loved Humoresque! Garfield and Crawford do it right!!!!
I want to see that anti-capitalist movie right away.
@@numbersix8919 me too! It's so romantic and that music is amazing.
@@CinemaCities1978 same. And I agree that you either loved it or hate it because it's pretty intense. I did love it.
@@maartenlemmens8628 Jack fought bitterly with his family as well, brothers Harry and Albert (Sam died young right after getting Vitaphone going) and was a 'governor' on Jack). That includes his son Jack Jr. and talented son-in-law William T. Orr who built Warners into a TV powerhouse (77 Sunset Strip etc.) in the early 1960s and helped the studio survive and thrive in a dry period. Just fired him one day after he got out of the hospital instead of building up a new generation.
An added note: Both Betty Davis and John Garfield insisted that the Hollywood Canteen not be segregated. Davis is usually given credit for the racial integration of the Canteen because she used her considerable star-power to fight the racists who wanted to exclude non-white people. But both Garfield and Davis insisted on this anti-racist policy and both should be given credit.
Yes! Also, Garfield would speak to black organizations in support civil rights much to the chagrin of the powers that be.
Bette Davis was too much for HUAC. The cowards.
God bless them both.
Bette Davis credited John Garfield with a lot of the organising of the Hollywood Canteen, but John Ford's anti-Semitic wife wanted him out. She got her way when he died of a heart attack caused by stress brought on by the Un-American anti-Semitic McCarthy Witch Hunt's persecution of him.
@@nicfewer8393 Thank you for telling the suppressed history of this repressive injustice.
Mr John Garfield Was One Of The Greatest Actor Ever
He was a truly under appreciated actor. I will watch every Garfield movie on TCM. He is great in ‘Gentlemen’s Agreement’.
Right now the Watch TCM page has a bunch of his films. Do you have a favorite?
@@CinemaCities1978 My favorite movies are ‘The Best Years of Our Lives, All About Eve, The Night of the Hunter, Out of The Past, In a Lonely Place, Intruder in the Dust and Cinema Paradiso.’
he was never under appreciated boy oozed star power , class style and finis
@@sonnysantana5454 He was not under appreciated in his own time. He was a massive star, but today he's not as well known as he should be. Considering his box office appeal, and his talent he should be more present in the public consciousness.
He was Jewish in that. I like when he talks about speaking up at people's racist jokes.
Thank you for doing such a beautiful job on this piece about my great father. Sincerely, Julie Garfield
You're very welcome. I've been a fan of your father for as long as I can remember, and this video was a true labor of love. It was created with the intention of sharing some of his life story and his incredible body of work, including both his famous films and some of the more obscure ones. Your father was a genuine trailblazer and an iconic figure, and I will remain a devoted fan for the rest of my life.
How fortunate you are to be the daughter of such a fine man, a fine actor.
My favorite actor of the golden age. John passed too soon.
So tragic that he died at the age of 39. I would have loved to see him reappear on the big screen in the 60s and 70s.
He would've been great in a gritty 70s neo-noir.
@@CinemaCities1978 Right!! And thank you for all the effort you put into these videos, they are an amazing glimpse into a fascinating era of Hollywood. You're a great storyteller!
@@Ciffblar Thank you!
Only 39 years old, R.I.P.
We lost him too soon.
I now understand Remington Steele's fascination with old movies. Truth and inspiration in art is timeless.
God he was incredible. My heart was in my mouth when you said he died of a heart attack in 52! Shocking. The McCarthy witch-hunt was pure evil.
I can't even think about what happened to him without getting emotional.
He died at 39. So sad.
@@CinemaCities1978 Totally. I feel heartbroken! You don't experience a human journey like that and not know what life is about and it showed in his choices. What a man.. a beautiful man.. and what an actor! Soo much more nuanced and rich than Brando or Dean. Him and Clift.. man oh man... really something. Hollywood is just horrific. Sob.
@@sandisteinberg731 oh wow... I was wondering how old he was. Never thought it would be 39!!!
One of the greatest actors in film history. However, he had a serious prior heart condition (caused by scarlett fever) was separating from his wife and engaged in strenuous exercise against his doctor's orders shortly before he died. The HUAC didn't kill him.
Thanks for making this. Generally, Mr. Garfield doesn't get the love he deserves.
You're welcome! He deserves so much more love!
I’m a huge John Garfield fan, thank you for telling his story. ❤
You're welcome!
You'll see how Garfield noticeably aged during the war between the heart condition and stress in these clips😊.
did that change his great acting ability!
Definitely an underrated actor.
One of the all time greats. I had to give him some flowers.
He wasn't underrated at the time.
He was hugely popular and then he feel out of the public's consciousness.
Before Brando, Clift and Dean he was the original Rebel!
From the studio that brought you Rogues, Rebels and Gangsters, Warner Brothers Studios!
I would LOVE to see you do one on Oscar Levant. I've been re-watching some of his movies and re-reading his biography (A Talent for Genius), and honestly feel he was under-rated both as an actor and a musician. Classics like An American in Paris would be a little too sickly-sweet without his sardonic asides. It was common for him to have third billing, but under stars like Garfield and Joan Crawford, which is not too shabby! His piano playing is so incredible, with rapid-fire, blazing technique, that it's hard to believe what you are seeing and hearing, and even mediocre films like The I Don't Care Girl are lit up and redeemed by his artistry. But like Mario Lanza, he was actually looked down upon as a "sellout" because he was in the movies and not a purely concert performer. Levant was a very complex and tortured human being, but was so much loved by his family and friends that there was obviously a great soul under all the torment.
100% agree!! As Levant put it about himself "the body scrawny" is being forgotten
Didn't he have a professional relationship with George Gershwin?
@@patrickryan1515 They were friends, and Oscar idolized him, but GG could be rather arrogant and dismissive towards him. There was that train ride they took with the sleeper car, and George looked at it and said, "Upper birth, lower berth. The difference between talent and genius." So he took the lower birth while Oscar had to climb the ladder. GG's sense of entitlement was legendary.
@@ferociousgumby Interesting. Thank you, and have a nice day!
John Garfield had an undeniable charisma. I would have loved to have seen him in Golden Boy and it's interesting to think of how much differently his career may have turned out if he got the chance. Thank you for another insightful video!
That's a brief time travel trip I'd love to take. I would pop in to 1952 to see Golden Boy and then over to 1949 to see him as Charles Castle in The Big Knife.
It would have been interesting indeed to see him play opposite the GREAT Barbara Stanwyck!
I watched Body and Soul and The Postman Always Rings Twice many years ago and that's how I came to know about John Garfield. But it wasn't until quite recently that I dived deeper into his filmography. I rediscovered him in a movie called Between Two Worlds in which, in spite of having a pretty impressive cast (Paul Henreid, Eleanor Parker, Edmund Gwenn), he stands out and steals every scene he's in. He was a force of nature.
I agree with you about Between Two Worlds. He has the most dynamic energy of anyone else in that cast. When he wasn't on screen I wanted him to be.
Wasn't that about the life stories of those on a ship at sea bound for the final outcomes of each passenger's life?
This channel fills such a huge gap on RUclips. There are some others who delve into retro stuff very well, but it always seems to be through a post-modern lens, rather than taking the films on their own terms. As someone who grew up with the old classics on TV and in movie houses in the '70s, '80s and '90s I feel like you've found the kind of experience with movies that I've always had. Really appreciating all that you're doing here.
I so agree!
...so very well stated.
Kudos!😊
Thank you Cinema Cities!
You're welcome!
One of the greatest actors ever-i'd put him right up there with Humphrey Bogart and Robert Mitchum.
Yes! He deserves to be right up there along side them both.
Actually, to me, just a bit better than either.
There is a passage in A Talent for Genius (a superb biography of the sardonic pianist/wit Oscar Levant) in which Garfield tells Hedda Hopper that his inspiration for Mickey Borden was, in fact, Levant. "When I read the script, that mad, sardonic genius of music flashed through my mind. And I based my character on him." The authors (Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger) go on to say, "It is clear from the wrinkles in his suit to the limp curl hanging over his forehead that Garfield had imagined Mickey Borden as Oscar Levant." I highly recommend this biography, because it goes far beyond Levant's turbulent life and career as a "wise guy"/sidekick in Hollywood movies (including Garfield's accompanist/buddy in Humoresque). It creates an atmosphere of bubbling excitement, incorporating more stars than you'd see in the heavens, including Garfield, George Gershwin, Fred Astaire, Clifford Odets, and musical legends Arnold Schoenberg and Vladimir Horowitz. Oh, and Judy Garland had a massive crush on him!
Oscar deserves your treatment, CC!
Terrific profile! I have all his movies. Garfield trivia....Before Lancaster and Kerr did their famous beach scene, Garfield had Lana Turner, Gerldine Fitzgerald and Joan Crawford on the beach!! What a guy!
He was always a trailblazer! 😀
All I’ve seen of his is Out of the Fog, but this made me want to explore his movies more!
He has so many wonderful films. I'm a big cheerleader for Saturday's Children, a little seen gem of a movie.
"Between Two Worlds" is my favorite Garfield film. His performance is fantastic!
He’s the best part of the movie.
Excellent commentary/story on John Garfield. NO contest between Garfield/Turner vs. Nicholson/Lange in, "Postman....." (they burn up the screen just looking at each other.) You can see Garfield for one second in the 1933 Busby Berkeley musical, "Footlight Parade", during the, "Shanghai Lil"number.
And his showing up in the Shanghai Lil number is not part of this timeline.
Thank you for this brief history of John Garfield. He was my father’s favourite actor which he mentioned several times. This video of yours has reconnected with my father’s memory and made me appreciate cinema as a wonderful medium. I love old Hollywood and your retrospectives make it special. Thanks again. Thanks dad for John Garfield.
Wow! I'm honored this video had such an impact. Your dad picked a great actor to call his favorite.
He was one of my dad's favorite actors. Although my dad's top 2 were Bogart and Cagney, Garfield came in 3rd. For me, Garfield was and will always be #1. Garfield was sexy and charismatic. My dad was familiar with his theatre work but didn't live in NYC at the time. I later found out that he died down the block from my grandparents' NYC apartment in Gramercy Park. I've since learned more about how he was blocklisted. It still breaks my heart. He had so much more to give. There's nobody that comes close to him for me. He was one of a kind.
Your documentaries are so brilliant. As a classic film fan, I always learn something new and interesting. Thank you.
Thank you so much for the compliment!
Thank you for this interesting work on John Garfield. Would have loved to have seen him in the film, Golden Boy. He would have been amazing in it. Garfield was one of the most talented, yet least recognized actors in Hollywood. So glad I discovered your channel. It’s one of my favorites. Thanks for all the hard work you put into it.
I agree, his energy would've ignited the screen if he's appeared in Golden Boy. Also, Garfield and Barbara Stanwyck together would've been amazing.
I’d only seen Garfield in “The Postman Only Rings Twice” his most famous film, and I thought that he was great in it. After watching this I’m going to try and see his other films.
Garfield movies will always remind me of being a child and watching his movies with my dad. "They made Me A Criminal", "Body and Soul". Takes me way back.
That was one heck of a story , and I hard a hell of a time watching it !!!!!
I read that thousands of fans attended the viewing after his death.
Yes, according to newspaper headlines from the time it was as big a crowd as Valentino's.
I've seen a clip of that on TCM years ago.
Wonderful actor. Great body of work. Love his films.
Four Daughters is my all time favorite movie! Mr Garfield made so many fantastic movies
It makes me so happy that Four Daughters is your favorite movie! I love that movie. I even love the sequels as flawed as some of them are.
This was outstanding! I'm a very new subscriber and a big Garfield fan and I still learned new things about the man from this video. It was well researched, well written and edited beautifully. Please take great pride in this video, Cinema Cities!
Thank you for watching! I’m happy the Garfield fans are enjoying the video!
thank you for this!
You're welcome!
Actor Sterling Haden always regretted that he named names of suspected communists whereas John (Julie) Garfield didn't snitch, which cost him more film roles. I hope that the film industry would remember him as a dynamic actor who showed great courage in his film roles and in real life! He and Bettye Davis bucked the system!
Hayden named names and his conscience never had a moments peace after. He was consumed by guilt and he was public about his shame.
@@CinemaCities1978only because it cost him roles. He was right to name names.
I watched several of your videos and am never disappointed.
Your writing is insightful, polished and super researched.
Don't be modest. Plug subscription requests, 'likes' and support. You deserve it.
Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the videos. Yeah, I've got to get better at promoting myself. . .
Thomas Mitchell
What a character actor. Just look at all the great ones he was in during 1939 alone!
(8,000,001) story.❤
Great documentary. Will be watching so many more of his movies. What I would have given to see him on stage.
Let me know which movies you end up watching! I would love to time travel to see him on Broadway.
Watched, We Were Strangers . WOW 😮! Plot twist made me literally yell, "No!". Ensemble cast outstanding, of course, Garfield beautiful in every way. Highly recommend this Houston movie. Tried watching Saturday's Children. Other than this being watchable due to Garfield's gorgeous self, thought it was a bit too trite. Four Daughters next on my list. Check in with you later
Only way I know to contact you is through comments. If there's another way, let me know . Thanks
you can email me at cinemacitites1978@gmail.com 😀
Hope you receive this. Keep sending, but not received. Loved We Were Strangers and Tortilla Flats.
Your videos are a revelation to me, every time, and I love the learning experience and pure cinema joy I get from watching them. I await the new ones eagerly.
Thank you so much for the super thanks!!! This video was a real beast to make (there was a period of time when I really didn't think I could do it) so I'm glad that you enjoyed it.
@@CinemaCities1978 my wife and I decided to watch the movie “Air Force“ after seeing that mentioned in your video. I’m a USAF vet as well. It was a remarkably enjoyable World War II era film. And we had a really good time watching it, thanks!
@@JackMyersPhotography It's so good! I watched it for the first time as I was working my way through Garfield's filmography. It's now one of my favorites. I'm so glad that you guys enjoyed it too.
@@CinemaCities1978 James Brown, as Tex Rader; I felt he stole every scene he was in. But performances across the line were excellent.
I love Tex Rader. Brown is also in Objective, Burma! (1945) with Errol Flynn. That's another top notch war film.
John Garfield was an actor head of his time . A terrific actor . Both he & Bette Davis did so much work for the Hollywood Canteen. It's a shame he was wrongly accused & died so young. RIP
One of your best and most informative. And thanks for remembering "Fallen Sparrow", a near miss but much appreciated.
Right! Fallen Sparrow is almost great. . .if only they'd tightened up that script.
Thank you Cine Citti for featuring John Garfield. I hadn't known many things about him that you explained so well.
You're welcome! Thank you for watching!
Excellent summary of John Garfield's career and life. Thank you!
Wonderful piece. Did not know any of this. Fascinating story. Garfield's performances seemed to deliver fatalism like no one else could.
yes, that's so true. That's one of the ways his arrival in Four Daughters disrupts the happy, chripy domestic bliss of the film. You feel that dark cloud arrive as soon as he walks through the door.
We love your videos.... excellently scripted and very well narrated...... thank you for fantastic work !!!!
Thank you!!!!! I worked so hard on this one so I'm glad it's connecting with everyone.
@@CinemaCities1978 Your hard work is evident, not to mention that not much is available on John Garfield... I'm glad you mentioned Humoresque (a personal favorite)... it was also a high point for Joan Crawford... Looking forward to your videos... :)
Humoresque is also one of my personal favorites.
Wonderful documentary on a great movie legend!
Thank you!
Omg i love John garfield my favourite actor .please put his films on ❤xxx
I love that he's your favorite actor!
Well, how about that, then! A fitting tribute to Garfield, wonderful to see you making longer videos. I know you love John Garfield, and now I know why.
Thanks you for watching! I do like making longer videos, they just take A LOT of time.
Excellent video! John Garfield is great in everything I've seen him in. He deserves to be better remembered today than he is and I wonder what more he could have done had he been given the chance.
I think he would've been right at home in the more thematically complex films of the 1960s.
The greatest actor ❤️ of his time
100%
Excellent work very well researched you are obviously a dedicated Garfield fan. I listened to actor Robert Blake before he passed talking about working with Garfield on humoresque Blake was having a hard time with a scene Garfield was the only person on set to protect him and look after the young child actor
Thank you so much for watching! I read Blake's account of his filming of Humoresque and he said that Garfield was very supportive and really helped him when he had trouble with certain scenes.
TCM this Saturday May 27 - Hollywood Canteen, Pride of the Marines, The Fallen Sparrow (Noir Alley)
Good line up!
It was great to hear about John Garfield and his short but highly impactful career. Such a fantastic video! I learnt about Golden Boy's casting as I also admire William Holden but I wish he had played that role. Always felt Bill looked too 'green' for the part even though it initiated his film career. I love The Postman Always Rings Twice, also the book is a favorite of mine. I also love The Breaking Point and Force of Evil. I also read many years ago about HUAC and the pressure and the toll it represented for him and many others. He always reminds me also of John Hodiak who died far too soon as well, even though trajectories and circumstances are different. Thank you for taking the time and effort to make this video. I must seek Saturday's Children! Love John Garfield.
This was excellent! Thank you for your wonderful commentary. I love old fims & you have opened my eyes to many new films
Thank you! One of the best things about this channel is being able to share the films I love and introduce them to a wider audience.
I hope that you will one day do a video on Veronica Lake. Good work on the John Garfield video!
I've actually thought about it. I have some ideas. . . .
really enjoying these .... how about doing one on Ray Milland
Another great job! The thoroughness of your research amazes me. I mean, who else finds a contemporary review from The Oklahoma News to illustrate their point? 😵
That Oklahoma News reviews was amazing! When I came across it I knew I was putting it in the video.
Great job on this Garfield career retrospective. Your research led me to some earlier films I had not seen. Always appreciate your links to the sometimes more obscure films.
You're welcome, and thanks for watching! I'm glad you took the time to explore some of his more obscure films. A lot of my personal favorites from his filmography come from his earlier works. There are truly some real gems in that early period.
As a “Late, Late Show” movie-loving kid I favored the Warner Bros. gangsters: Cagney, Edward G. Bogey and John Garfield. He is one of those actors you love to watch. As an adult my two favorites are “Force of Evil” and “The Breaking Point.” Even more recently Garfield’s final film “He Ran All the Way” is a third favorite.
Those three films are really the exclamation point on his career. All of them are excellent and his performances are dynamite. He deserves to be a real legend in the culture.
One of the best!
Yes! An absolute legend!
I truly enjoy your commentary on this and other films. Thank you🌹
You're welcome
I love your videos.
One note; it's not HAVING A WONDERFUL TIME, it's
HAVING WONDERFUL TIME.
Betty Davis and John Garfield were two incredible actors who made a difference in the world of entertainment. My they both RIP.
Teho231 ...Bette*
Thank you for your corrections
garfield class act.its a shame,what THEY did to him.
My favorite actor. He and James Cagney were the Face and Spirit of New York City.
Excellent bio! These deep dives are really enjoyable ❤
Thank you!!
I watch body and soul last night. I loved it but you have to love old movies imo. I cant wait to see another one.
Great and comprehensive. Been a fan of Garfield since watching as a child, old movies after school with mom.
Thank you for this. I thought I saw all of his films , but haven't.
You're welcome! I'm glad I could introduce you to some new Garfield films.
somehow, I missed this one.
until now.
most excellent!
Great job! Wonderful tribute to an awesome actor and a really cool guy!
Thank you!
Before Brando, before Dean, before Clift. There was Garfield!
Yes! He was a trailblazer!
"There are 8 million stories in the naked city. This is one of them." Thanks for that allusion, one of my favorites. And thank you for highlighting Julius Garfinkel, one of my favorite actors! 🎥🎭🎥
BTW, love "Force of Evil". Great shots of old NYC street scenes especially uptown and near the George Washington Bridge.
Thank you so much for watching! Those location shots at the end of Force of Evil are so forlorn and bleak. Kind of like a visual exclamation point on the film's themes.
"Force of Evil" was one of the last films I checked out from the Library for the Performing Arts before the pandemic closed the libraries. Those scenes when they are scrambling down stairs to the river, and don't they actually scramble across the rocks for a bit? (I think there is a park down there now near the Little Red Lighthouse", but I'm not sure.) Little did I know that soon we would all be scrambling in lots of other existential ways.
You just reminded me to return to the Library for the Performing Arts to look for another cinema gem. 🎟️🍿🎟️
Love Garfield. He ain't the "first" Hollywood rebel, but definitely a cool dude.
When he acted it was as if he wasnt. It was so real. I listen to him on a few Radio Shows and felt that vibe there too.
Never let them see YOU sweat!!❤
The Breaking Point was just brilliant! The last scene was like.."AND..WHA???" What an actor!
Yeah the end of that movie just slaps you across the face. It's absolutely brilliant but also heartbreaking. The entire cast was firing on all cylinders in this film and John Garfield was never better. It's a masterpiece.
You have by far one of the best movie channels around. I love your shorter videos, but would love to see more of these longer biographies. I'm about to watch Four Daughters thanks to you!!
Thank you for the compliment! What did you think of Four Daughters???
@@CinemaCities1978 Very old fashioned, but I enjoyed it! So interesting to see John Garfield at the very start of his career. And I loved Priscilla Lane! I saw the remake Young At Heart a bunch of times when I was growing up. It was shown 5 consecutive nights on a local channel in L.A. Frank Sinatra and Doris Day in the Garfield/Lane roles, but only 3 sisters this time. The car crash scene really stuck with me.
Excellent story! Thank you for this! Just loved his acting and films! Up there with Cagney and the best in my opinion!
Tortilla flats ,my favorite small movie, when I fell in love with Hedy Lamarr. Also another great performance by Spencer Tracy!
BTW that's Hedy! Not headly!
I love John Garfield. My favorite of his is Pride of the Marines
Thx for making this video. I enjoyed it very much.
You're welcome.
Extremely well done and moving.
Thank you so much for watching.
Great to see the effort put into this. Enjoyed it. Subscribed!
Hope you could do something similar for these stellar actresses:
Geraldine Page, Kim Stanley, Jill Clayburgh.
Cheers!
My favourite actor. He had it all. My favourite movies of his are Daughters Courageous, Four Daughters, Body and Soul, Pride of the Marines, The Breaking Point, Force of Evil, The Sea Wolf, Dust Be My Destiny, Humoresque. There are others I like and admire, especially his role in Gentlemen's Agreement and of course The Postman Always Rings Twice. X
He did have it all! He was believable in crime films and heavy romantic melodramas. I'd never seen the Sea Wolf until I started working on this video and it became one of my favorites.
Interesting and informative. Good acting that I enjoyed watching years ago. I forgot all about him till viewing this documentary.
Thank you for watching. I'm glad I could reintroduce you to him!
More excellent work; congratulations!
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
This is absolutely wonderful ❤️
I have always been a fan of John Garfield...my favorite movie is They made me a criminal. I even own a copy
Great job; really interesting.
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
I love how you referenced the Winnipeg Tribune in the same breath as the New York Times and the National Board of Review. The city of Winnipeg had a population of around 200,000 chilly souls in the late 1930’s. The review from Oklahoma was so Bible Belt. It’s a shame John Garfield’s talent wasn’t realized. The oppressive entanglements of art and commerce seem all to common with art usually drawing the short stick.
The Winnipeg Tribune's review was fantastic, and the Oklahoma review was a full spread just raving about Garfield and Four Daughters -I just had to include it!
I love John Garfield’s films. The late Scottish singer Billy MacKenzie is his double. ❤
I had to look up some photos of MacKenzie and you're right!
Was I your last caller on KGO Radio in SF? That voice from decades ago, the enthusiasm and joy for the passion of movies was memorable. Mischievous smile and haute culture hats was beautiful to behold and to be invited with 2 millions exclusive listeners for conversation if only by 50,000 watts. I hope she is well and happy.
Well done, and many thanks.
You're welcome! Thank for watching!
Excellent ❤❤❤
Thank you!
I love John Garfield! Thanks for the upload! 🙂
You're welcome!
My favorite actor of pre-Brando Hollywood.
Mine too!
Do not forget Between two Worlds my favorite. Although Postman rings twice was runner up for me.
Garfield really is a scene stealer in Between Two Worlds. His character brings a needed energy to that film.
He had true bravery. I never understood until the McCarthy blacklisting crimes came out
Brilliant video, shedding light on a (now) little-known star of yesteryear. What a voice! "To shoot people with, sweetheart!" haha. A tragic story really, but I respect him so much for not naming any names and sacrificing his career as a result. If only he had lived longer and out-lasted all that McCarthy nonsense. Fantastic epic video CC. I learned a lot here and have added several of the films featured to my to-see list. Pure class.
He really stayed true to his beliefs. He never wavered from his commitment to social issues. If he'd made it, he would've been a super star in the 60s and 70s making gritty social dramas and neo noirs like Mitchum.