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    Of Human Bondage

    Reviewed by
    pietroantoni@

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    This is a must see early Bette Davis classic. She should have won the Oscar for BONDAGE, but the stuffy Academy Board was too frightened of her raw, realistic performance as the syphlitic Mildred way back in 1934, so they gave the award to the sweet, innocent performance of Claudette Colbert in IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, a charming performance, though hardly a stretch for any actress. Essentially it could have been played with success by any well established star. In fact, no actress wanted to play it, Claudette, the 5th choice, literally forced to make the film by her home studio. Case in point with Clark Gable, who won Best Actor of 1934 as MGM lent him to COLUMBIA studios to play the role of the reporter as a punishment for his bad boy ways at MGM. Similarly, no male actor had wanted the role. Colbert was so sure she would NOT win that as the Oscar Ceremony was being held in March of 1935,Claudette was on her way to New York. Upon her victory, they whisked her back to the celebrations as her train had yet to leave. NO ACTOR but DAVIS could have played Mildred in BONDAGE. She is the great legend she is because she dared to take risks throughout her career, never being untrue to the essence of the character she was playing. See the truth of this in her vitriolic performance next to Leslie Howard. Then take note of her dying scene. Just her look suggests a 1000 thoughts running through her mind. Kim Novak played MILDRED in the 1962 remake of BONDAGE with Lawrence Harvey, but it was utterly dismissed by the critics and public alike. OF HUMAN BONDAGE ***** out of ***** When viewing the film, you must remember it was made in 1934 when the code of production was very strict. The performances, unlike so many other films of that era, stand up very well over 70 years later. Run to the Bloor and see it on the big silver screen, the only way to truly enjoy a film. Peto Antoni.

    10
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    pietroantoni@  6.9.2009 age: 36-49 14,540 reviews

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