In April, I mentioned the latest DVD release of The Song of Songs. Dave Kehr of The New York Times has written a comprehensive review of the DVD itself. Kehr asks a question that has also been on my mind, "Why this relatively minor effort when perhaps the most visually stunning of the Dietrich-Sternberg films, 'Shanghai Express' (1932), has never been released on DVD in this country [The United States]?"
As you know, by now, SHANGHAI EXPRESS is available. That, and THE SONG OF SONGS, are my two favorite M.D. films! I think that her beauty and talent are showcased perfectly in them. Since I am an artist, SONGS has a special appeal for me. I love Marlene, and also love Brian Aherne. Other than Gary Cooper, Aherne was one of her best leading men . I also love John Wayne with Marlene, especially in SEVEN SINNERS. One of my disappointments in RANCHO NOTORIOUS is that there are not any interesting leading men for our Marlene. Ty Power was also great with her, in WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION.
ReplyDeleteYes, Marlene had excellent chemistry with Aherne and Wayne. To me, Edward G. Robinson in Manpower was the most perplexing choice of a leading man, and I have seen on IMDB that Humphrey Bogart would have played the role if it weren't for George Raft. That would have been something to see!
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