Comments on: Drums Along the Mohawk (1939, John Ford) http://www.thestopbutton.com/2009/03/05/drums-along-mohawk-1939/ distinct . . . diverse . . . divisive . . . snobby. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:10:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: R. D. Finch http://www.thestopbutton.com/2009/03/05/drums-along-mohawk-1939/comment-page-1/#comment-4334 R. D. Finch Thu, 05 Mar 2009 22:11:01 +0000 http://www.thestopbutton.com/2009/03/04/drums-along-mohawk-1939/#comment-4334 I saw "Drums Along the Mohawk" a few months ago, and while I wouldn't judge it quite so harshly as you, I did find it to be an unexciting experience, given the talent involved. Colbert is one of my very favorite actresses of the period, but I agree that she is absolutely wrong for this role. It's the worst performance I've ever seen her give. She has no chemistry at all with Fonda; it's impossible to imagine them as husband and wife. The friend I saw the movie with said she looked like a "painted doll," almost the same reaction you had! Colbert made more than one movie with certain directors, and Ford tended to use the same actors over and over again. Yet I don't believe either one of them did another movie together. Fonda and Ford, on the other hand, made several movies together (until they had that falling out in the middle of "Mister Roberts"), and he can be a fine actor. But he's not especially memorable here. His low-key style needs to be channeled into some purpose, and I agree that it happens only in this movie at the very end (which for me was the only part where Ford's considerable directing skills were evident). I thought you put your finger on the film's greatest assets--the sets, especially the outdoor ones, and Edna May Oliver's irascible/lovable performance. It was interesting to see Ford work in color, but the Technicolor of that era always looks artificial to me, rather like those colorized b&w movies of the 80's. I'm glad you do classic movies (which are my main interest) as well as newer ones. I'm now going to check out some of the links at the end of the review.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('4334','R. D. Finch'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('4334','R. D. Finch','I saw \"Drums Along the Mohawk\" a few months ago, and while I wouldn\'t judge it quite so harshly as you, I did find it to be an unexciting experience, given the talent involved. Colbert is one of my very favorite actresses of the period, but I agree that she is absolutely wrong for this role. It\'s the worst performance I\'ve ever seen her give. She has no chemistry at all with Fonda; it\'s impossible to imagine them as husband and wife. The friend I saw the movie with said she looked like a \"painted doll,\" almost the same reaction you had! Colbert made more than one movie with certain directors, and Ford tended to use the same actors over and over again. Yet I don\'t believe either one of them did another movie together.\r\n\r\nFonda and Ford, on the other hand, made several movies together (until they had that falling out in the middle of \"Mister Roberts\"), and he can be a fine actor. But he\'s not especially memorable here. His low-key style needs to be channeled into some purpose, and I agree that it happens only in this movie at the very end (which for me was the only part where Ford\'s considerable directing skills were evident). I thought you put your finger on the film\'s greatest assets--the sets, especially the outdoor ones, and Edna May Oliver\'s irascible\/lovable performance. It was interesting to see Ford work in color, but the Technicolor of that era always looks artificial to me, rather like those colorized b&w movies of the 80\'s. \r\n\r\nI\'m glad you do classic movies (which are my main interest) as well as newer ones. I\'m now going to check out some of the links at the end of the review.'); return false;">Quote</a></div> I saw “Drums Along the Mohawk” a few months ago, and while I wouldn’t judge it quite so harshly as you, I did find it to be an unexciting experience, given the talent involved. Colbert is one of my very favorite actresses of the period, but I agree that she is absolutely wrong for this role. It’s the worst performance I’ve ever seen her give. She has no chemistry at all with Fonda; it’s impossible to imagine them as husband and wife. The friend I saw the movie with said she looked like a “painted doll,” almost the same reaction you had! Colbert made more than one movie with certain directors, and Ford tended to use the same actors over and over again. Yet I don’t believe either one of them did another movie together.

Fonda and Ford, on the other hand, made several movies together (until they had that falling out in the middle of “Mister Roberts”), and he can be a fine actor. But he’s not especially memorable here. His low-key style needs to be channeled into some purpose, and I agree that it happens only in this movie at the very end (which for me was the only part where Ford’s considerable directing skills were evident). I thought you put your finger on the film’s greatest assets–the sets, especially the outdoor ones, and Edna May Oliver’s irascible/lovable performance. It was interesting to see Ford work in color, but the Technicolor of that era always looks artificial to me, rather like those colorized b&w movies of the 80’s.

I’m glad you do classic movies (which are my main interest) as well as newer ones. I’m now going to check out some of the links at the end of the review.

Reply — Quote
]]>