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Friday 15 November 2013

THE BLUE VEIL (1951) WEB SITE

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CRITICA EN EL PERIODICO "ABC DE MADRID" (19-2-1952)

No estoy Sola, titulo español dado a la película "The blue Veil" "El velo Azul" estrenada ayer en el Palacio de la Música, es la historia de una "nurse". Traía la fama de que se necesitan tres pañuelos en lo que dura la proyección para enjugarse las lagrimas, que fluyen sin parar, provocadas por la sucesión de escenas que van aumentando hasta el culmen, su intensidad emotiva. Y es cierto que al menos las mujeres, por tradición más propias al llanto, llorarán a gusto y de lo lindo y a la postre se sentirían confortadas y satisfechas con el consolador desenlacen. El argumento está compuesto por diversos episodios, de los que el personaje central, una mujer a la que encontramos joven y llena de gran encanto al comienzo, y la despedimos anciana, en la apoteosis íntima, que para ella supone la entrega a sus solicitos cuidados de los hijos de uno de aquellos niños a los que ella fue consagrando su existencia plena, y sus maternales desvelos. Así el papel tiene bastante concomitancia con el de Robert Donat en "Good bey mr Chips", que obtuvo el premio de interpretación correspondiente a 1939, porque contemplamos el desenvolvimiento de un ser humano celoso de su deber a lo largo de casi toda su vida. Y aquí la del tipo femenino que asume Jane Wyman es de sacrificio a la infancia con absoluto renunciamiento a las oportunidades que se van presentando como incentivos para la propia felicidad. Los distintos episodios que van encadenándose en el transcurso del film, son folletinescos, algunos dentro de un procedimiento escénico sobrio y directo, y algunos otros con concesiones, acaso demasiado generosas, a los recursos sensibleros. Puede ser que el mejor logrado de todos sea el de la actriz frívola y su hija, y el que peque de morosidad, el de la madre que abandona por unos años a su retoño. Pero en la cinta, llevada con sabiduría "sabiduría efectiva" por su director Curtis Bernhardt, lo que resulta verdaderamente encomiable es la interpretación; en primer termino la de Jane Wyman, consumada primera figura del "cine" universal, y la del resto del reparto formado por nombres cimeros. Intervienen fugazmente, en cometidos episódicos, y llevan a término magistrales actuaciones; Charles Laughton, en un papel de viudo bondadoso, que se desvive por su chiquillo y desea una madre para él: Joan Blondell, Richard Carlson, Agner Moorehead, Don Taylor, Audrey Totter, Cirel Cusack, Everett Sloane, Natalie Wood, etc, pero como ya he apuntado, el máximo aplauso lo merece Jane Wyman. DONALD


 
 
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 World War 1 Tearjerker as Wyman Shines Taking Care of Children
 
Remember Channel 9 in New York City? So many times they would show the classic THE BLUE VEIL with Jane Wyman, Richard Carlson, Charles Laughton, Vivian Vance, Natalie Wood and Joan Blondell. It was part of what was known as THE MILLION DOLLAR MOVIE.
Go know that this magnificent film would disappear. Jane Wyman is now past 90 years of age. It would be a tribute to her to show this outrageously good movie.
While Wyman was nominated for best actress in it in 1951, she lost to Vivien Leigh in A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE. Few people know that Wyman won the Golden Globe Award for best actress of the year for this remarkable film.
The film pulls out every emotional stop imaginable in depicting the life of a woman who cares for other people's children. The film begins with a newly widowed World War 1 Wyman losing her child after giving birth. From that point on, the viewer is taken on an emotional roller-coaster, as the film shows every situation she encounters while caring for other people's children. Affectionately known as Lulu, Wyman is at her best.
In tribute to the long career of Jane Wyman, this film should be released while she is still living. We should demand this.
After all these years, I was able to obtain a copy and I saw this wonderful film the other day. The picture is even better after all these years. Wyman is better than terrific here. She always played the part of the victim in her pictures. Those sad-dreary eyes will get to you. After 56 years, my eyes filled up with tears. This is an unforgettable tear-jerker of the highest quality. They sure knew how to make pictures in those years. What a wonderful supporting cast.
Wyman sacrifices her life to care for other people's children. How many women would do that in today's society? The opportunity was there to marry for convenience. Please note the fabulous performance of Charles Laughton in a supporting role, as a lonely widower left with an infant. He is totally out of his usual domineering character here. His performance is marvelous and well understated. Natalie Wood is just fine as Stephanie. She will also tug at your heart when she refers to Lulu (Wyman) as her mother when her own mother, played by nominated supporting actress Joan Blondell fails to arrive at her communion.
 
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One of the finest "lost films." 
 
There are several truly excellent movies that have apparently vanished from general distribution. THE BLUE VEIL sadly lies in a vault somewhere, for some unknown reason. My guess: some copyright dispute, be it literary or musical. Please, someone, "PAY THE TWO DOLLARS!"
As Louise, a governess, Jane Wyman gives a performance that is easily the equal of JOHNNY BELINDA. In two scenes alone, Miss Wyman could, and does, wring tears from a stone. She is supported by a fine cast which includes Joan Blondell, Charles Laughton and Natalie Wood. Performances which are of this caliber should not be allowed to disappear, unknown and unappreciated.
This was an RKO release, which spells TED TURNER. Why don't we bring pressure to bear where it counts? THE BLUE VEIL deserves to be seen.
 
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A First Rate Tear-Jerker 
 
If you LOVE a tear-jerker then have the tissues ready. This one will have you bawling. It tugs at the heart strings and doesn't let go. If you love movies that involve high emotional soap opera drama then this movie is for you. The ending wraps everything up into a beautiful neat package and I love this movie. I wish it were out on DVD. Jane Wyman give a very convincing performance. The children will break your heart. This kind of soap opera is no longer made and is definitely a chick flick. I never tire of watching this film and certainly recommend it to all of you. If any of you have ever watched "About Mrs. Leslie" with Shirley Booth and loved it then you'll probably love this one too.
 
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53 years old and still going strong

After searching for 21 years I finally got a copy, albeit not a great one, but at least I got to see it. Jane Wyman as the self sacrificing nursemaid makes your heart break and eyes water as she puts her "children" ahead of her for her entire life. After losing her own baby shortly after birth and being a widow with no skills, she goes to an employment agency where she is encouraged to take a 2-3 week stint with a new born. Understandably she is hesitant but accepts and in what will become a pattern for her, has to move on to new children. The last one is a heartbreaker, after raising a child for 8 years, she has to give him back to his mother and stepfather who finally resurfaced after spending time in England during and after the war. Now she is elderly, and winds up cleaning in a school just to be around children. When her eyesight fails, the doctor she goes to turns out to be one of her "children". She recognizes his name and tells him who she is. He invites her to his home for dinner the next week where he gives her the greatest surprise imaginable. I recommend doing whatever you have to in order to see this movie.
 
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Another great (and unavailable) 50's film

As another reviewer noted, "The Blue Veil" is apparently entangled in rights litigation, which would certainly explain why this wonderful movie is never shown on TV nowadays; nor, sadly, is it available for release on video. Over the years I have noticed that a number of the great Jane Wyman's 1950's movies seem to have fallen off the radar screen. "Magnificent Obsession" and "All That Heaven Allows" seem to be the only titles that have been released to video or warrant reasonably frequent TV airings. While these two Douglas Sirk titles are undeniably fine, what about the others? I clearly remember seeing such Wyman films as "The Blue Veil", "So Big" and "Lucy Gallant" on TV in the 1960's and very early 1970's. Since that point, many of these 1950's and early '60's movies have disappeared into oblivion (at least in my immediate TV viewing area). As there does not appear to be any hurry to release these great films on video, I can only lament the loss.
 
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Raising The Children Of Others


Get out the bath towels for The Blue Veil. Jane Wyman will have you weeping before this film is halfway through.
Set over a 40 year period Jane Wyman gradually ages throughout the film, a tribute to the subtle yet effective makeup job done on her. When we first meet her she's a recent young widow who has just suffered a double tragedy. She lost her young baby in infancy and now has to survive. To fill a true ache in her heart Wyman takes the first of many jobs as nurse/ governess to the children of others. Sad to say though she sometimes lets the boundary lines erase between an employee and an actual parent.
One such time was with young Natalie Wood when she raises her literally in the absence of Wood's actress mother Joan Blondell. In this case Wyman recognizes the problem and voluntarily moves on.
This happens again, but the situation is truly forced upon her. When World War II starts, Audrey Totter follows her English husband back overseas and does war work there. She and husband Dan O'Herlihy leave their son Dee Pollock in Wyman's care. O'Herlihy is killed flying for the RAF and Totter is in service there. Eventually she marries Harry Morgan, but all that takes a number of years. Meanwhile Wyman is back on this side of the pond raising Pollock and who could blame her for thinking of him as her own.
District Attorney Everett Sloane does not want to prosecute Wyman either, but he works a way out to keep her out of jail for kidnapping. Still she has to give Pollock up. It's a gut wrenching scene.
Which sets up my favorite scene in the film. She takes a job as a cleaning lady in a public school and she tries to mother young Jimmy Hunt. The kid is suspicious, we know her motives, but he runs from her, leaving her with yet another ache.
Wyman was nominated deservedly for Best Actress losing to Vivien Leigh for Streetcar Named Desire. Joan Blondell got an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress but she lost to Kim Hunter for again Streetcar Named Desire. In a fine cast that RKO and director Curtis Bernhardt assembled, Wyman really dominates this film.
Charles Laughton is in this film as well in a strangely brief role for an actor of his stature. He plays the widower father who first hires Wyman. It's a kindly role for Laughton with very little to work with to make him noticed. Cyril Cusack plays an iconoclastic owner of a toy and novelty shop who has a thing for Wyman, but Jane just wants to take care of children and fulfill her needs. He waits for years for her.
The Blue Veil is such a moving film that it will be impossible to view without a sense of poignancy. Some argue that this is even a better role for Jane Wyman than her Oscar winning Johnny Belinda and they may be right. 
 
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 Tour de force for Jane Wyman
 
Rumor has it that Hollywood wanted Bette Davis and Greta Garbo for the heroine in The Blue Veil, but neither lady would have been as good a choice as Jane Wyman. Normally I don't even like Jane Wyman, but in this tearjerker, she does a fantastic job and completely earned her Oscar nomination.

Jane stars as a war widow who seeks employment as a nanny after her baby dies shortly after the delivery. Her first job is taking care of Charles Laughton's infant son, and she learns to enjoy her work so much that Charles proposes, hoping to make her a permanent fixture in the family. Jane refuses, and when he marries someone else, she knows she won't last long in the house. The story continues, in a seemingly unrelated string of vignettes as Jane ages and travels from family to family. If you think it's just another O. Henry's Full House, you're going to be quite mistaken. Keep watching and keep your Kleenexes handy.

Joan Blondell was nominated for an Oscar for her supporting role in the film, but I have no idea why. Her daughter is played by Natalie Wood, and foreshadowing her future role in Gypsy, Natalie grows up in the shadow of her mother's love of showbiz. Joan sings a little and wiggles her shoulders in a semi-burlesque number, but that's about it. I don't know why she was singled out.

A wonderful touch to the story is that in every household Jane visits, when it's time for her to leave, the children in her care don't want her to go. It's very sad, and I'm sure you'll wish, as I did, that she stayed forever at someone's house, but she's just an employee who has to move on to where her work is needed. I can't stress enough how wonderful Jane is in this film. She's warm and loving, but at the same time, her early sadness in the film is always hiding behind her face. You can tell she's thinking of her own baby with every child she cares for. As the film continues and she becomes an old woman, she moves slower, changes her voice, and shows she's tired of life's struggles. My dad walked in and asked, "Who's that?" I said it was Jane Wyman and he said, "But who's the old lady?" Rent this drama to find out what she can really do. It's easy to see why it was her favorite role.
 
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