Charlton Heston - Tumblr Posts
Prayer
Lord Zeus, thunder bringer and rain soother, king of man kind and gods alike, proud king, may you let me stay at my mothers, may I not go to my fathers, may I stay at my mothers were the hearth is kind and were Hestia is gentle, may Hera seek mercy upon me and blessings and let me be at my mothers, and may Hermes persuade my father with clever words, I eat the meal I am going to receive in your honor, may Hermes and iris, the fast messengers deliver this prayer kindly and swiftly.
I sing your prayers gods, may you hear me kindly. Amen, mote it be, blessed be.
to viewers who see this may you pray for me to stay at my mothers
RUBY GENTRY (Dir: King Vidor, 1952).
A ripe slice of Southern Gothic with Jennifer Jones as gun toting, skinny jeans wearing, swamp wildcat Ruby; using her womanly wiles to ensnare local stud Charlton Heston and marrying wealthy, lonely chump Karl Malden.
Jones is literally wild in the part of Ruby and is undoubtedly the movie’s greatest asset. Heston is less effective in a role perhaps slightly underwritten and which does not particularly play to his strengths as an actor. Malden, by contrast, is fantastic in this sort of thing (see ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ and ‘Baby Doll’) and demonstrates why he was one of Hollywood’s most in-demand character actors.
Admittedly, there is, probably, an unpleasant, deeply misogynistic subtext about powerful women in this movie as Ruby, with her new found wealth, wreaks revenge on the townsfolk who hold her in distain and upon the man she thought was in love with her. A better writer than I would go into this in greater depth (and if anyone wishes to, please do so in the comments below - polite, serious discussion is welcome and encouraged!)
In spite of this, I must confess, I love a 50s melodrama, where what was once torrid and sexy has become overblown and camp. Ruby Gentry is hopelessly dated, but that is not to suggest that it isn’t also wholly entertaining if you are in the right mood!
100+ movie reviews now available on my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME! Link below.
THE BUCCANEER (Dir: Anthony Quinn, 1958).
Historical accuracy goes out the window in this less than epic war movie, masquerading as a pirate adventure; a fictionalised account of the real life events of the War of 1812 between the US and the British.
Famed privateer Jean Lafitte (Yul Brynner) is offloading his ill gotten gains to the good people of Louisiana, much to the chagrin of Governor William Claiborne (E G Marshall), while also romancing the governor's daughter Annette (Inger Stevens). The governor conspires with General Andrew Jackson (Charlton Heston) to put an end to Lafitte's pirating ways but eventually seek his assistance at the Battle of New Orleans.
Visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME to read the full review! Link below.
