The movie in question is Torch Song starring Joan Crawford. Now, until this movie I had only ever seen TWO, yes, just TWO Joan Crawford movies. They would be: What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? and Johnny Guitar. One where she played alongside the incomparable Bette Davis and the other, well the other she was quite a force to be reckoned with. If all I had to go to base her worth as an actress of the late 30's to 60's were those two movies I'd say she's a damn good actress! And I'd be right. Both showed excellently her strength for the dramatic and the empowering side of a woman. I love old movies mostly because they show a time when female independence was cool and classy and there was nothing wrong with combining beauty with brains. It was what every man fought and died for in classic movies. But here I am getting nastalgic...
Since I've seen those two movies already I probably won't review them but I'm sure I will feature Joan Crawford again in my "Actor Spotlight" series I plan on starting up very soon to go along with my "Author Spotlight" I've already begun.
On to the movie. I started watching it the second I got home from work and I could not take my eyes off the screen for a second. There is something about her eyes, or maybe it's her eyebrows, that gives her face a sort of "woman scorned" yet yearning to be loved kind of effect. She is not the most beautiful actress of that era by a long shot but what she lacks in looks she makes up for in voice and stature and her commanding presence in every scene she's in. Her voice is almost as distinct as that of Bette Davis who wasn't a bombshell either.
This movie tells the tale of a comedic singer and dancer from her "hey-days" who's getting a bit older and in her many years of performing on stage has developed quite a thick skin. She does what she wants, says what she wants, and almost always gets what she wants. I say almost because along comes a blind piano player (played by Michael Wilding) who gives her a run for her money. She can't stand him instantly. Just because he's blind everyone assumes she'll feel pity for him and treat him a little better than she treats everyone else. On the contrary, they are like vineagar and water together from the very beginning. He hates that she went from singing sweet love songs to cheap and tawdry numbers while she hates that he can't see her and fawn all over her like every other man in her life always has.
Her ability to make every man around her do as she says without much effort has left her cold and rigid but for some reason she doesn't understand and first she is drawn towards this blind piano player. She is itching for him to say nice things about her to her and mean them but she is too proud to beg.
It's a wonderful game of cat and mouse where you never know exactly who is the cat and who is the mouse in every scene they are in together.
There are two really outstanding moments in the film that made me want to write this review right away.
1. It's a silent scene where Joan Crawford is being lazy around her apartment on a Sunday morning. She's conflicted about her feelings towards the blind piano player and doesn't know what to do with herself. To me it shows beautifully what a woman torn between her head and her heart might do when they're alone in their bedroom. The fight she has is shown so easily through ever step she takes as she paces her room. She plays with a gadget by her bedside that controls various devices in her bedroom (very modern for that era). Then she wonders what his life must be like being blind and that's when the scene gets better. She closes her eyes and randomly changes the time on her wall clock then tries to guess what it is, getting it wrong. She tries to light her own cigarette the way he did for her days before by feeling the flame and guiding it to her, she burns herself. She even tries to dial his number with her eyes closed and dials the wrong one. Frustration quickly develops on her face. It's probably a 5 minute scene but without a single bit of dialogue Joan Crawford spoke volumes.
2. As a stage performer naturally there is at least one full routine in the movie. I had NO idea she could move like that! It was no Cyd Cherise but it was darn close! She's got some legs. What made this scene even stand out more is it was done in black-face. She was supposed to be a Black night club singer, just singing a song. Why Black? I don't know and I honestly don't care. But I find it significant how much movies could and did get away with back then as opposed to today when people will be slandered and just about crucified by the media if that were ever done in a movie. Shameful! The song is called "Two Faced Woman" and I've put the YouTube video of it below so you can tell me what you think:
As I'm finishing this review I realize I have seen Joan Crawford in one more movie, The Women. I almost forgot since flanked by the likes of Rosalind Russell and Norma Shearer she could easily be overlooked. But she was great there as well. If you get a chance to watch a Joan Crawford movie might I suggest this one, clocking in at only an hour and a half.
There are other great aspects of the movie but I don't want to give it all away. I feel I've said too much already. Just go watch it and see what exceptional acting looks like.
Synopsis:
Jenny Stewart is a tough Broadway musical star who doesn't take criticism from anyone. Yet there is one individual, Tye Graham, a blind pianist who may be able to break through her tough exterior.
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