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| “Manpower,” with mega-watt star energy of Marlene Dietrich, Edward G. Robinson, and George Raft. |
Raoul Walsh was a WB director as much as the duty of placing
high-voltage stars like Edward G. Robinson, Marlene Dietrich, and George Raft
by way of their paces within the motion triangle, 1941’s Manpower. Walsh specialised in masculine tales, but in addition with
robust feminine characters. The star trio is recreation right here, however the script is
strictly by the numbers.
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| Bachelor # 1! The lovable lug Edward G. Robinson, gaga for Marlene Dietrich, in 1941’s “Manpower. “ |
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| Bachelor #2! George Raft’s robust man performs onerous to get, however so does Marlene Dietrich, in WB’s “Manpower.” |
In a nutshell, Robinson and Raft play Hank and Johnny, greatest
buddies who work as California electrical line males. Hank is lovelorn however retains
up a gentle patter of lady speak; Johnny is a person of few phrases, however truly will get
the ladies. Their job is fraught with hazard, usually introduced on by lethal
climate. First, Hank’s leg will get electrocuted, and later, Johnny takes a nasty
fall. In between this, Johnny’s voice of doom outdated pal, Pop Duval, asks him to
take him to his daughter, Fay, who’s getting out of jail. Raft and Dietrich’s
characters have an instantaneous love-hate attraction. That is sophisticated when Pop’s
gloomy prediction comes true and he will get fried on the job. When Hank and Johnny
go to Fay to provide her the dangerous information, guess who additionally turns into gaga for Dietrich’s
robust cookie? From there, Manpower
alternates between the lads’s harmful occupation and their preoccupation with
her.
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| Marlene Dietrich has her fingers full in 1941’s “Manpower!” With George Raft and Edward G. Robinson. |
Off-camera, there was friction, as nicely. Raft resented being
third-billed, whereas taking part in the lead. He additionally didn’t like the best way Robinson was
performing sure scenes collectively. And rumor had it that Raft was romancing
Dietrich, and was suspicious that Eddie was smitten along with her, too! All of it got here
to a head when the boys acquired right into a heated argument and shoving match—all
captured on-camera by a visiting Life
photographer! For extra dish, right here’s the thin: https://starsandletters.blogspot.com/2018/12/controversy-on-set-of-manpower.html
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| George Raft and Edward G. Robinson play besties in 1941’s “Manpower.” Off-camera, issues acquired a bit beastly between the 2 stars. |
A lot of WB’s They
Drive by Evening, from the earlier 12 months, had the identical expertise: director,
author, producer, composer, and several other of the forged members. A part of what
enlivened They Drive by Evening was a
juicy subplot lifted from 1935’s Bordertown,
with Paul Muni because the male lead and Bette Davis because the sad spouse who
bedevils him. Evening’s Ann Sheridan
and Ida Lupino had been much more reasonable main girls in a WB melodrama than
languid and lacquered Marlene Dietrich. Not that Marlene is dangerous, simply very
miscast. And what would possess her Fay to marry a homely little man who has a
thankless job as {an electrical} line man?
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| Eve Arden’s fellow “hostess” reacts to Marlene Dietrich’s Fay and her ambivalence over marrying a person she does not love, in 1941’s “Manpower.” |
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| The lads of 1941’s “Manpower!” |
The juvenile method the Manpower
guys obsess about dames and intercourse continuous, plus Marlene’s character is referred
to as a “child” who makes plenty of dumb life choices is a watch roll,
since Eddie G. was 47 and Marlene and George had been 40 on the time. That being mentioned,
all of them play nicely, given the clichéd characters and script.
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| No-makeup scene with Marlene Dietrich in 1941’s “Manpower.” Okay, I did not say something about false eyelashes and a wig! |
Amusing when Marlene will get out of the joint and her first
request is to hit a drug retailer to purchase make-up—thoughts you she’s carrying false
eyelashes like awnings! From there on, Dietrich’s face is painted like a kewpie
doll, whether or not she’s working, sleeping, or making morning biscuits for her new husband!
Sitting subsequent to fellow clip joint lady Eve Arden—usually made up, Marlene in
her model make-up and wig seems to be like she’s from one other film.
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| And she will be able to cook dinner, too! Marlene Dietrich as Edward G. Robinson’s blase bride, in 1941’s “Manpower.” |
Whether or not sexy, drunk, or throwing punches,
over-zealous Eddie appears a bit absurd and never particularly convincing.
Particularly when he socks Ward Bond, who’s a head taller and constructed like a brick
shithouse! Eddie’s energetic emoting is in stark distinction to Marlene and George’s
deadpan model. And Dietrich shouldn’t be the one one clinging to ’30s make-up—Raft is
nonetheless carrying generously utilized guy-liner and eye shadow!
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| Good-looking George Raft, with smoky eye make-up to go along with his continuous smoking, in 1941’s “Manpower. “ |
And George Raft’s robust man act, throwing punches and
furnishings as a minimum provocation, trash-talking Dietrich’s character
continuous, and slapping her up close to the climax, does not age nicely in any respect.
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| George is getting offended! From WB’S 1941 motion flick, “Manpower. “ |
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| Edward G. Robinson beating the competitors, in 1941’s “Manpower.” |
Alan Hale is extra annoying than normal along with his
“lovable” buffoon persona. He’s much more excessive right here than because the
bumptious boyfriend of Stella Dallas or
the crass hubby of Ida Lupino in They
Drive by Evening. There’s method an excessive amount of comedian reduction, to the purpose they could
as nicely have introduced in The Three Stooges, what with Hale, Frank McHugh, and Walter
Catlett, going so overboard.
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| Alan Hale is the alleged comedian reduction in WB’s “Manpower.” |
I at all times beloved the WB depiction of the working class throughout
their golden period. A spotlight is the diner scene, the place the man behind the
counter calls out the orders to the cook dinner in slang. And for those who took a drink
each time George Raft calls Marlene’s shady girl “sister,” you’d be sloshed!
And the lady speak on the Midnight Membership clip joint is zingy. Manpower is kind of watchable, simply moderately
unoriginal.
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| George Raft and Ward Bond are hands-on assist when Edward G. Robinson will get zapped in 1941’s “Manpower.” |
My
take a look at Marlene Dietrich in an analogous function, however with a much better script, in
Billy Wilder’s post-war comedy/drama, A International Affair: https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2023/05/billy-wilders-adult-foreign-affair-1948.html
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| Love this montage of George Raft’s Johnny recovering within the hospital, as a nurse offers him a cigarette! 1941’s “Manpower.” |
