1933 film Cavalcade?

[Dan Kappes]

The 1933 film Cavalcade by Frank Lloyd based on the play by Noel Coward briefly features a scene set on board the Titanic. However, it doesn't show the sinking.

Do you think there should be a remake of this film, with a longer Titanic sequence including the sinking? I'm thinking it could be as long as Gone with the Wind.

Let me know your thoughts!

 

[Julian Atkins]

Hi Dan,

Definitely NOT!

'Cavalcade' is quite a poor boring film and the stuff of UK class stratification that is Noel Coward at his worst, and I cannot for the life of me understand why the film was apparently so popular at the time and received numerous plaudits.

It's only merit these days is to show a young Dickie Henderson on film.

'This Happy Breed' (1944) in colour and restored is often shown in the UK on TV and is far more acceptable as showing the sort of world my grandparents and great grandparents lived in so is accessible.

'In Which We Serve' has attained something of a minor cult status and national importance in the UK, due to Lord Mountbatten and The Duke of Edinburgh (Prince Philip).

'Brief Encounter' has also become a 'classic'.

The film of 'Blithe Spirit' has also become a 'classic'.

'Cavalcade' should be consigned to the dustbin of history IMHO.

Cheers,

Julian

 

[Rob Lawes]

In Which We Serve' has attained something of a minor cult status and national importance in the UK, due to Lord Mountbatten and The Duke of Edinburgh (Prince Philip).

As an ex member of the RN it was required Sunday afternoon at sea viewing however it's a bloody awful film. Mountbatten was an awful skipper who drove one of his ships crews to near mutiny. Later, as first sea lord he created so much bitter inter-service bickering at a time when Government funds were limited, he set the armed forces of this country back a decade or more in development.

 

[Aaron_2016]

I thought the Titanic scene was beautifully done and would have made a wonderfully sad ending to the film. Two young lovers sailing to the new world on the grandest ship afloat.

Sunday April 14th 1912.

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[Robert T. Paige]

Just a nit-pick on the scene in "Cavalcade" ?
Shouldn't the life ring have "Liverpool" instead of "Southampton" ?

"Cavalcade" was apparently quite popular in the USA in 1933.
Box office receipts high.
Received several Academy Awards, including "Best Picture".
Also of note is that they used the USA version of "Nearer My God To Thee" for the ending of the scene as the Titanic life ring is shown.

 

[Robert T. Paige]

As an ex member of the RN it was required Sunday afternoon at sea viewing however it's a bloody awful film. Mountbatten was an awful skipper who drove one of his ships crews to near mutiny. Later, as first sea lord he created so much bitter inter-service bickering at a time when Government funds were limited, he set the armed forces of this country back a decade or more in development.

As an ex-member of the USN "The Fighting Lady" , a WWII movie starring Robert Taylor, was shown in "Boot Camp." Attendance compulsory.
Also "The Caine Mutiny" was shown at sea on the seaplane deck of the ship on which I served. Attendance was not required, but Bogart was at his best playing the part as being the worst.
During the showing of the typhoon scene a rain squall came up adding a bit of realism. LOL

Another one of those WWII cult films was "We've Never Been Licked" (1943). It was always shown to the Freshman Class entering Texas Agricultural And Mechanical College (Now Texas A&M University).
It has Japanese spies serving as exchange students. Noah Beery, Jr. plays the part of a cadet who tries to sell a Chemistry Professor's antidote to tear gas to the spies. He is drummed out of the Corps, goes to Japan, and becomes sort of a "Tokyo Rose" announcer. However, he redeems himself , gets a Japanese plane, and gets in radio contact with the leader of a USN torpedo-bomber group (who naturally was his old room-mate at A&M) leads them to the Japanese fleet and crashes his plane into one of the Japanese ships as the USN squadron sinks the fleet. Back at College Station he is hailed as a hero. A young Robert Mitchum (billed as Bob Mitchum) has a bit part as "Panhandle Mitch" in a group scene of cadets. The movie was narrated by Bill Stern, who was a popular Sports Announcer during that era.

 

[Rob Lawes]

The Caine Mutiny is one of my favourite war films of all time. Bogie and Jose are superb.

The RN war film of choice, requiring fancy dress and many, many cans of beer to watch, is "The Cruel Sea."

Say the line "Snorkers... Good oh" to any RN sailor and they'll know exactly what you're on about. (Or at least they blooming well should do).

 

[Robert T. Paige]

Rob-
Funny you should say that. I've seen that film, too and remember that line about the "Snorkers" .
I had never heard that term before.....Being a "Yank", of course ! LOL
Say "SOS" for breakfast to any USN sailor and they'll know exactly what you're on about. (Translation that is not exactly proper for this proper group.)

Just some trivia notes.
Jose' Ferrer has a bandage on one of his hands. This was for an actual wound in an actual accident he had.
Also Van Johnson had some scars on his forehead that were from an auto accident, but rather than perform some plastic surgery to remove them , they were left in as "battle scars."
Humphrey Bogart also had some scars where he had cut his lip, but they were also not covered up.
All of these apparently just left in for effect, rather than any attempts to cover or eliminate them

 

[Robert T. Paige]

Different post. Little different subject.

In "A Night To Remember" (1958) the American criticism is that the British film portrays Mrs.J.J. Brown as being some kind of a "hick" and the group that hails Lightoller ("Hey, Lieutenant ! ) are portrayed as the "Ugly Amercans".

In "Titanic" (1997) The British criticism is that the American film portrays the British as stiff upper lip and snobbish.

 

[Julian Atkins]

As an ex-member of the USN "The Fighting Lady" , a WWII movie starring Robert Taylor, was shown in "Boot Camp." Attendance compulsory.

Hi Robert,

I would have thought 'Tora! Tora! Tora!' would have been compulsory viewing for USN sailors?!

Cheers,

Julian

 

[Robert T. Paige]

My experiences were a bit earlier than "Tora! Tora ! Tora ! " :-(
I have seen it on the big and little screens, though.

I think "We've Never Been Licked" was shown just during or after WWII at A&M. I haven't heard any recent reports.
Incidentally, enrollment was about 6,000 or 7,000 when the movie was made. A&M was strictly all-male, all "Corps" (Army ROTC) at that time. Since then TAMU is co-ed and has an enrollment of around 45,000 ; about 2,000 in the "Corps". I think they have Army , Navy and Air Force ROTC now.

Hullabalou, Kaneck, Kaneck and Gig 'em Aggies,
Robert
I just attendend a Summer Session , but they say there is no such thing as "Ex-Aggie".

 

[Dan Kappes]

Here is a screenshot of the Titanic in the film. It definitely looks like a model.