I just kept thinking the suave English gent was up to something, I thought maybe it's all a set up and he's the ringleader but no, not at all. He really did it. Drunk on his own romantic whimsy.
Leslie stole the film for me BTW and I'm a big Bogey fan.
Perhaps Hollywood has conditioned me into thinking every Englishman is evil!
The first time I watched this, I felt some sympathy for Mr. Squire, but after repeated viewings, it sunk in what a emotional fool he was. I know that Boze is supposed to be portrayed as a buffoon, and I did find his come-ons to Gabby awkward and off-putting, but he was the only hostage who understood that in the end, after all the Wild West romanticism of the gangsters, Duke Mantee was nothing more than a murderous criminal who should have been called to task for his crimes. And he was the only one brave enough to risk his life to stop him. I expected nothing so noble from Alan Squire, who was ultimately a self-involved dreamer.
shareOh no doubt he was a buffoon, as was Boze for different reasons. who was the biggest fool, it depends on whether you prefer self-delusional romantic fools or meat-headed gorilla fools. I think it's got to be the former for me.
I can see your point though in that at least he was trying to stop Duke. But Squire also did something noble, in his own way. Signing away his life for the girl he loves, or his romantic delusion convinces him he loves. I personally think Boze was more saving his own skin than everyone elses and that Squire's gesture was more noble.
Obviously open to interpretation though.
I just watched the film a couple of days ago, to try and understand Chris Elliot more (with his Traveling Poet film).
I guess that must have been a different time, where people could fall in love in 30 seconds. I could understand Squire giving his life if he had to, in defense of others. But, he came off as a drifter who had nothing to live for, so he just threw it away to give Gabby a chance. Not a very hopeful film at all.
it depends on whether you prefer self-delusional romantic fools or meat-headed gorilla fools
@ "meat-headed gorilla"
But they are both very annoying, and ridiculously self-centered, each in his way. Fortunately, romanticism can come in other shapes too. Er, meat-headedness cannot
there's a highway that is curling up like smoke above her shoulder
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No, by that time I had the thing twigged and expected him to do exactly what he did. Anyone who could describe himself as "an intellectual" without ever saying anything remotely intelligent and describe Bette Davis's rather ordinary and uninteresting character as "another Joan of Arc" (?!...I mean, just ??!!) is clearly not a rational actor and will do whatever idiotic thing strikes his fancy.
Are you the great Judge of what's intelligent, and what's rational?
Sure he was a disillusioned cynic but a romantic fool at heart, and all that. Very "unintelligent", as you say. But Alan Squier saw something in Gabrielle Maple that you couldn't, from where you sitting in your comfortable chair, sir. And he had the courage of his convictions to die for the one thing he finally found he could believe in ... yeah, such an idiot, hey?
Personally what I hoped would happen is that towards the end, instead of Duke shooting Alan, to let him live and allow Alan to "capture" him and collect whatever reward money was out there, thus doing the right thing by taking responsibility and allowing Alan and Gabby to be happy together and travel to France on the reward money.
I was hoping so, anyway...guess I'm a little romantic myself, plus it looked to me like Duke was going to go back on his promise to Alan at first anyway.
No I didn't because the scene where their signing the insurance papers was there for a reason
shareRemember when this was made, 1936, The Great Depression was in it's 7th year. Despair was common. It seems that the irony of being poor and desparate while owning an asset that was valuable only after you died (Life Insurance)made a deep impression, judging from the mention in various movies and plot devices, "It's a Wonderful Life" for one. Also Tale of Two Cities, was out the year before. Squire asks " Have you ever read Tale of Two Cities?, just before he explains the insurance bit. Tale is Ronald Coleman's finest work, and his final line " Tis a far, far better thing I do, than I have ever done before, Tis a far far better rest I go to than I have ever know" will send shivers down your spine even today. That quote was very much in the air. Foreshadowing if anything. I think the tension was more was Duke really mean enough to do it, rather than was Squire serious. There is some effort to make Duke sympathetic, he defense and protection of the grandfather, for example. The end is in tune with the times. You ARE worth more, dead than alive, you ARE better off dead. The Government Won't do anything to help you (As Chisholm claims, and as in every western's deus ex machina, calvary coming over the hill). Deeper and richer, and a lot of social commentary. Sorry for the long post.
shareTO lwi101:
I found your post to be very insightful and appreciate your sending it. It is very helpful to understand the historical context in which the film was made. I definitely have a better understanding and appreciation for the film now.
Leslie stole the film for me BTW and I'm a big Bogey fan.
Id say the newcomer Bogey, stole the film from the well respected and stablished star Leslie.
Anyway, great film, with fantastic and memorable performances from all involved.
Expectations are the ruin of many, and the source of all disapointment. So I didn't expect anything.
Leslie and Bette both stole the film for me, but Gramps and Bogey were great too.
I think Hollyweird is trying to condition me into expecting bad films. However whenever I watch a new film, I refuse all temptation to fall for it. It's difficult, but I endure!
My body's a cage, it's been used and abused...and I...LIKE IT!!
Just saw this for the first time and thought it was great. I view his death as the death of Romanticism. I also liked to think that Duke Mantee was killed; he also represented a romantic figure - the American outlaw. He's Billy the Kid, except he's worn out, tired, and just an evil thug. After WWI, the loss of innocence in the twenties, the Depression, and the looming threat of another World War, Romanticism from the 1800's is dead.
This movie really made me think!
Nuke the whales! (Gotta nuke somethin')
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