A lot of everything…where to begin
I know it’s been a long time since I wrote, but hell, there’s been a lot going on Chez Marziipan.
Well, to begin, I found it fitting that my first post after such long absence would come on the eve of a new chapter of my life. That of Marasan Festoff, the Executive Producer. I will try to do better in the upcoming months about posting, but we saw how well I did the last time I said that….2 months of silence!
Also, as I start this new chapter, I wanted to give you a bit of why I love working in the movie biz so very much. After all, I really do love it, all the ups and downs, the good, the bad…and the beautiful. Not sure if everyone got that reference (it’s actually two..let me know if you can catch them), but it is late, so I hope I even got it right myself. That bit of why I love movie-making? Well check out the video clips (there are a couple) from tonight’s post. ”The Philadelphia Story” is one of those movies that just makes my heart swell up with everything a movie should make your heart feel. It truly made me want to make movies, and that’s what this blog is mainly about (especially tonight’s entry). The film centers around Tracy Lord (Hepburn), a Philadelphia socialite, as she is about to remarry to a boring, neuveau riche George (played by John Howard). Her ex-husband C.K. Dexter-Haven (the impeccable Cary Grant) comes back into the picture as she is blackmailed into having an article written about her by Mike Connor (Jimmy Stewart). Grant and Stewart proceed to duke it out for her hand, while the pathetic George gets pushed to the sidelines.
The backstory behind the film is almost more interesting than the actual plot, in my opinion (though I do love the premise of the movie, and there are some killer lines). Katharine Hepburn, clearly one of the greatest actresses ever, had been labeled “box office poison” at this point in her career, following several severe flops. She was the driving force behind this film being made, which was highly unusual in the golden age of the “Studio System” of the 40’s when actors and actresses were mere employees. As she owned the rights to the film version of the play in which she starred as the same character (apparently Howard Hughes bought her the rights as a gift), she forced the studio’s hand and made them allow her to reprise her stage role. It was a ballsy move for an actress of her time, but it paid off for everyone involved. Jimmy Stewart went on to win the Academy Award for his role as Mike, the fast talking reporter smitten with Hepburn’s character. Donald Ogden Stewart (funny, both Stewarts) also won for Best Adapted Screenplay. Joseph L. Mankowitz (one of my favorite producers/directors/writers) as producer of the film was nominated for Best Picture. (I now understand why producers are the ones awarded for Best Picture, but that’s a whole other post…). Hepburn really won in the long run though, because the film cleared the “box office poison” label from her name and allowed her to go on to become one of the most well-known actresses of the silver screen.
I love Katharine Hepburn all the more for being the phoenix who rises from her own ashes, only to become bigger and better than she was before. What a classic and unforgettable woman. I can only dream to someday be as poised and successful as she. (And this goes to my wonderful girlfriends as well, who must fight through their own ashes right now).
Check out the second clip (especially at 1 minute, 58 seconds in) for one of the best lines in cinematic history.
Let the journey begin…
