I perform classic movie scores as a concert pianist, so I am very appreciative of E.W. Korngold, one of The Great Three from the Golden Era (along with M. Steiner and A. Newman). Korngold was especially good at marches, though he takes his Kings Row theme and stretches it into many non-march tempos. Especially enjoyable is the super-fast version at at the early pond scene. It took me a few listens to realize that it was the main theme sped up to imitate child's play. However, his two major inner themes--one heard in Cassie's birthday scene where Paris enters the Tower house and the other used in the Letters Across the Ocean segment. I now hear "the Viennese" in the harmonic violins used in the Vienna scenes. Korngold was a musical genius and use of kettle drums, trumpets, french horns and especially harp and violins as heard on the CD of the score issued in 1980 shows this clearly. His other great score is the one he used in the 1937 epic The Prince And The Pauper.
Much has been written here about Korngold's opening stanza during the credits. This is true!! Those beautifully-built chords on top of other chords that don't seem to be related is a work of art! And he did the Opening Theme (during the credits) in the key of B, one of the most difficult keys to play in.
I agree in part with many posters here regarding the casting of Cummings. Yet those who would have preferred Tyrone to Cummings in the lead role would have been disappointed. It is not without irony that both Tyrone and Cummings were not "macho" men or "macho actors". They didn't exude "manliness" in ANY of their films, although Cummings tried to as the hero in The Black Book (aka The Reign Of Terror). IMHO, I very much doubt that Tyrone would have given anything "macho" to the role of Paris. It is true that the majority of our boys were in the services and off at war. Scotty Beckett is superb as Paris, the Boy. To be honest, I don't know "who" could have played him as an adult better than the sensitive liberal Cummings. The embarrassingly melodramatic "Evictus" recitation in the last scene with Reagan and Sheridan could have been removed, but it still works in this film and although it was way over Reagan's character's head intellectually, the last part "...bloodied, but unbowed" fits perfectly.
However, I disagree adamantly with those posters who say that Betty Field did a poor job as Cassie. I've seem the film 50 times, and each time I'm impressed by her acting. She had a much less meaty role in Bus Stop in 1960. Compare her role as Cassie to her role the year before in The Shepherd of the Hills, where she was terrific, too. Her two best roles, IMHO. But in this one, Kings Row, no one could play a "crazy" like her except perhaps Olivia deHavilland.
Raines was used to playing evil men, but comedic actor Charles Coburn? He is in his most evil in this film and proved to all fans that he could play a bloodthirsty evil man just as well as a comedic one. Harry Davenport is excellent though he doesn't seem to "age" in the film which spans at least 20 years. Nancy Coleman is excellent. I think it's one of the few films where two principal characters (Field and Coleman) are "nutso"--other than the nut house films like "Snake Pit". Raines was great in three other Warner Brothers films at that time--Mr. Skeffington, Now Voyager and of course, Casablanca. Although he is an evil, sick man in this one, he is perfect in the role.
There was no incest in the film. I thank a poster who read the book for telling us that there is incest between Raines' character and Cassie. That is revealing. But, censors are censors!
I completely disagree with those who state that it was a wonderfully produced and directed film. There are bad cuts and places where dialog seems out of place as the scene changes. I however watch the colorized version (which was done in 1989 and requires that my TV have the color turned up nearly all the way) and it is far more enjoyable than the b&w original. The typical cheap Warner sets (the train scenes) brought the film down a notch, but then even MGM used such cheap sets in great '42 films like Random Harvest.
No one has mentioned how the boy characters look very much as though they would grow up looking like Cummings and Reagan. It was superb casting.
I disagree with those posters who say that it was Ann Sheridan's best role. Her best was in They Drive By Night. Screenwriter Casey Robinson went way out on a limb in writing flowery, far too long dialog for Sheridan's Randy in this one. However, she IS believable as an Irish American in the film.
I wonder what happens in the book...Does the Bank president who absconded with Drake McHugh'sand others' dough get caught and brought back to the U.S.? One other thing about the production. Granted, it was during WWII and costs were trimmed in many films, but the phony train sets/backdrops really looked "cheesy". Also, the going from inside the WB studio set for some of the outdoor scenes to actual outdoor scenes left a lot to be desired.
Much has been written here about Korngold's opening stanza during the credits. This is true!! Those beautifully-built chords on top of other chords that don't seem to be related is a work of art! And he did the Opening Theme (during the credits) in the key of B, one of the most difficult keys to play in.
I agree in part with many posters here regarding the casting of Cummings. Yet those who would have preferred Tyrone to Cummings in the lead role would have been disappointed. It is not without irony that both Tyrone and Cummings were not "macho" men or "macho actors". They didn't exude "manliness" in ANY of their films, although Cummings tried to as the hero in The Black Book (aka The Reign Of Terror). IMHO, I very much doubt that Tyrone would have given anything "macho" to the role of Paris. It is true that the majority of our boys were in the services and off at war. Scotty Beckett is superb as Paris, the Boy. To be honest, I don't know "who" could have played him as an adult better than the sensitive liberal Cummings. The embarrassingly melodramatic "Evictus" recitation in the last scene with Reagan and Sheridan could have been removed, but it still works in this film and although it was way over Reagan's character's head intellectually, the last part "...bloodied, but unbowed" fits perfectly.
However, I disagree adamantly with those posters who say that Betty Field did a poor job as Cassie. I've seem the film 50 times, and each time I'm impressed by her acting. She had a much less meaty role in Bus Stop in 1960. Compare her role as Cassie to her role the year before in The Shepherd of the Hills, where she was terrific, too. Her two best roles, IMHO. But in this one, Kings Row, no one could play a "crazy" like her except perhaps Olivia deHavilland.
Raines was used to playing evil men, but comedic actor Charles Coburn? He is in his most evil in this film and proved to all fans that he could play a bloodthirsty evil man just as well as a comedic one. Harry Davenport is excellent though he doesn't seem to "age" in the film which spans at least 20 years. Nancy Coleman is excellent. I think it's one of the few films where two principal characters (Field and Coleman) are "nutso"--other than the nut house films like "Snake Pit". Raines was great in three other Warner Brothers films at that time--Mr. Skeffington, Now Voyager and of course, Casablanca. Although he is an evil, sick man in this one, he is perfect in the role.
There was no incest in the film. I thank a poster who read the book for telling us that there is incest between Raines' character and Cassie. That is revealing. But, censors are censors!
I completely disagree with those who state that it was a wonderfully produced and directed film. There are bad cuts and places where dialog seems out of place as the scene changes. I however watch the colorized version (which was done in 1989 and requires that my TV have the color turned up nearly all the way) and it is far more enjoyable than the b&w original. The typical cheap Warner sets (the train scenes) brought the film down a notch, but then even MGM used such cheap sets in great '42 films like Random Harvest.
No one has mentioned how the boy characters look very much as though they would grow up looking like Cummings and Reagan. It was superb casting.
I disagree with those posters who say that it was Ann Sheridan's best role. Her best was in They Drive By Night. Screenwriter Casey Robinson went way out on a limb in writing flowery, far too long dialog for Sheridan's Randy in this one. However, she IS believable as an Irish American in the film.
I wonder what happens in the book...Does the Bank president who absconded with Drake McHugh'sand others' dough get caught and brought back to the U.S.? One other thing about the production. Granted, it was during WWII and costs were trimmed in many films, but the phony train sets/backdrops really looked "cheesy". Also, the going from inside the WB studio set for some of the outdoor scenes to actual outdoor scenes left a lot to be desired.