MovieChat Forums > Leave Her to Heaven Discussion > Commentary by Schickel + Hickman

Commentary by Schickel + Hickman

posted 16 years ago by freakseed
38 replies | jump to latest

This topic is briefly discussed within other threads on this page, but I thought I'd start one specifically for it.

After seeing this film a few times in the past, a friend and I decided to watch it last night with the commentary for a change. It started out okay. Richard Schickel's approach reminded me a bit of Tim Lucas whose commentary on Mario Bava films are always quite informative and very interesting. Schickel would give some personal background on the cast and crew, and intermittently keep us up to speed on the plot. Hickman, who played Cornel Wilde's little brother Danny in the film, at first gives us some insight on the world of child actors.

It is immediately obvious that Richard & Darryl recorded their parts separately, which were later spliced together to form one commentary track.

As the film progressed we noticed that Schickel seemed to disappear for long stretches at a time, only popping in now and again to keep us abreast of a plotline or some social aspect of the time. As the film wore on Hickman became the main speaker and he began criticizing his co-workers and crew. I realize his thoughts are all memories from a child's point of view, but his criticism, particularly of his co-worker's acting skills, started getting a bit tiresome. One moment he would recall how "gorgeous" Gene Tierney looked, then seconds later he would point out what an inept actress he thought she was. Early on Hickman mentions that he teaches acting, and by the last half of the film it felt like his commentary was a self-promoting info-mercial for his teaching school. It got to the point where my friend and I joked that at any moment we wouldn't be surprised to hear him say, "and YOU too can own my secrets of method acting for three low monthly installments of only $19.95!"

Hickman also states that while he did not follow Miss Tierney's career after "Leave Her to Heaven", he had "heard" she had spent some time in a mental institution. If you are a Gene Tierney afficianado like myself, you know that not only is this true, but that she eventually had a very hard time coping with everyday life. The birth of her developmentally disabled daughter and the pressure of her profession would not only lead her into being institutionalized, but also a victim of shock therapy which would erase entire periods of her life from her memory. This ultimately led to her dropping out of Hollywood completely by the mid 1950's, only to appear again in a few small roles in the 1960's.

I thought the commentary on this DVD started strong, but as Schickel's contributions dwindled halfway through the film, it left the door open for Hickman to basically vent his feelings on how tough it was being a child actor. This would have been okay if this were an A&E special on this specific subject, but I was looking forward to a little more information regarding the filming of "Leave Her to Heaven". And in this respect I thought the commentary on this DVD fell quite a bit short. If I really wanted to hear Darryl Hickman's repeated criticism of his fellow cast members' inability to "act" and the hardships of child actors I would read his autobiography. But after listening to his commentary track, I won't have to now.

[–] 398 16 years ago

I agree entirely. Hickman was just a pain in the butt. And I found his comments on acting banal. There was a great deal of "insider" talk of technique which meant nothing to me as just a guy who watches and has watched films and actors for over half a century. It doesn't take a great acting coach to see that Cornel Wilde and Jeanne Crain were good looking people with limited acting skills. As for Gene Tierney, I thought she gave a fascinating performance, Hickman to the contrary.

It was too bad, in my judgement, that Schickel didn't just do the commentary alone, or perhaps with an expert on film noir, with Hickman reduced to a few comments on his own role in the film.

[–] lewis-51 16 years ago

I agree that Hickman's comments get repetitious and start to sound like an infomercial. Nonetheless, I enjoyed hearing about Elizabeth Taylor, as well as his specific comments on the filming of this movie. It was neat to hear about how Tierney and the director treated Cornel Wilde.

His comments about method acting were enlightening to me.

-- henry

[–] JenniferA585 16 years ago

I agree with you. I once started watching it with the commentary and I couldn't do it and turned it off at about the drowinging scene. First of all, snooze and second, he didn't seem to know what he was really talking about.

"Oh, I love living vicariously through the pain and suffering of others."~Waitress

[–] ckdh67 16 years ago

I've always thought Hickman's drowning was the most satisfying demise of an annoying child actor that I've ever seen. After having watched the commentary I again longed to be Gene Tierney to his Danny.

[–] fordraff 16 years ago

Love it! I'm with you all the way on this one. Hickman was an ugly, gat-toothed guy in this film and his attempts to be lovable were just irritating. And I agree that his drowning was a very satisfying moment. I would have wacked him over the head with the oar had I been in that boat. Wham! And the husband was a oaf, not realizing that his wife was sensitive to the fact that Danny could hear everything they did through the paper-thin wall of the bedroom. Cornel Wilde never "worked" for me in any movie he appeared in. So maybe she should have taken the boat out a second time, this time with the husband in it. Can you think of another actor of the time who would have been better in the part, someone hunky and hot?

[–] 398 16 years ago

fordraff---

"Can you think of another actor of the time who would have been better in the part, someone hunky and hot."

I will leave that "hunky and hot" part to you girls, but I wish they had waited until Tyrone Power got back from the war. He was only two years older than Wilde and I think would have given a much more intense reading.

Barring that, I might have considered switching Wilde with Price. Yeah, I know. Wilde was the "hunky" one, but Price would have been very convincing as a writer, I think, and the fact that he was less the pretty boy than Wilde would have added just an extra touch of perversity to the plot. After all, Ellen wasn't fascinated with Richard because he was "hunky" but because he reminded her of her father.

[–] JenniferA585 16 years ago

Eww! No! Not Tyronne Power. That guy couldn't act his way out of a paper bag. I'm glad it was Cornel. He was handsome.
AKA JenniferA585
Lick it up, baby. Lick. It. Up.

[–] dustinthewind25 16 years ago

Tyrone Power couldn't act his way out of a paper bag?!?!?!?

Did you ever see "Nightmare Alley" or "The Long Grey Line?"

[–] JenniferA585 16 years ago

No, he's the type of actor that if I see one of his movies on tv, I turn it. I just can't watch him. I have seen Blood and Sand (Valentino version is way better) and The Razor's Edge. I just don't like him. Just not my cup of tea.

AKA JenniferA585
Lick it up, baby. Lick. It. Up.

[–] dustinthewind25 16 years ago

Ah, but him not being your cup of tea is different altogether from whether or not he can act. I definitely understand not caring for a particular actor or actress, believe me. But in those two movies in particular, he showed that he did possess considerable acting talent beyond his looks. He also toured in a very fine Reader's Theater production of John Brown's Body in the 50's, with Judith Anderson and Raymond Massey, an extremely impressive array of talent, and Power held his own with them (they recorded the performance, which I've listened to, and he does a fine job in multiple roles).

Anyway, all that to say, I definitely respect your opinion but also respectfully disagree.

Boy we went afield of the original topic, eh?

[–] JenniferA585 16 years ago

I guess I just don't understand his appeal. I don't think he was a good actor or very good looking but next time any of those movies are on TCM, perhaps I'll give them a try.

AKA JenniferA585
Lick it up, baby. Lick. It. Up.

[–] srklondie 12 years ago

Duuuuuuuh

[–] marbleann 15 years ago

Power was a very good actor. I think like Cary Grant his looks got in his way. The two movies you mentioned along with Razors Edge and Blood and Sand are some of his greatest performances. And I doubt anybody else in those roles would do better. And I want to comment on the person who mentioned Jeannie Crain was not a good actress. Did they see her in Pinky? She was a very good actress, just as good as Tierney. I believe Wilde is a drip but he was ok in this part.

[–] srklondie 12 years ago

What an absolutely ignorant statement to make.

[–] PoppyCharteris 15 years ago

"Can you think of another actor of the time who would have been better in the part, someone hunky and hot?"

I can!

John Hodiak- Gorgeous green eyed hunk!

Turhan Bey

Don Ameche

[–] monticellomeadow 15 years ago

Appreciate your starting the separate thread for the commentary. While I agree that Hickman got very tiresome, he did say some things about Gene Tierney and John Stahl that, if true, were very unflattering. Of course, he was 12(?) at the time and even a young one can have an ax to grind. (Sounds like he wasn't pampered on this one, as he apparently had on all his previous movies.) However, it does sound like Stahl and Tierney treated Wilde like dirt. Why was that necessary? And it was very interesting to hear that after Zannuck saw the dailies of the drowning scene and complimented Stahl, Stahl began to treat Hickman much better and turned his wrath on Wilde for the rest of the filming. To the point where Wilde wouldn't shake Stahl's hand at the wrap and, instead, told him he would never forget nor forgive what he had done to him. Now, of course, the rest of the cast and crew are dead (I think), so we'll never know if this is the whole truth. But interesting, nevertheless.

[–] Doylenf 15 years ago

I too found Darryl Hickman's commentary very self-serving and expected any moment to be invited to take an acting course from him. Furthermore, his character of Danny was so insufferably obnoxious that I could understand Ellen sitting calmly in the boat and watching him disappear. Yes, that's how annoying he was!

But what I thought was interesting, was learning how Cornel Wilde was treated indifferently by Tierney (according to Hickman) and how the director had absolutely no empathy in dealing with his actors. Cornel does seem in a daze most of the time--he must have been terribly unhappy about his participation in the film. The only bright element in the cast was Jeanne Crain who seemed oblivious to whatever tensions were building all the time.

If most of what Hickman says is true, I can see why he disliked the experience of working on the film. Stahl, in my opinion, was unable to get a strong performance from Wilde--who was incredibly handsome but seemed to be sleep-walking through the part. Crain had all the animation of a mannequin. And Tierney coasted through the role like a pro but even she was not completely believable and seemed unsure of herself at times.

Interesting commentary on the whole, but I'm a bit skeptical about Darryl Hickman's viewpoint--though I'm sure some of it is true.

A chilling moment for Wilde at the end of the film when he walked over to director Stahl and told him, "I'll never forget what you did" (or something like that). Disappointing to learn that Tierney was not on Wilde's side during Stahl's harsh treatment.

And BTW, one plot development that I couldn't swallow was Vincent Price being assigned to prosecute the case when he had once been engaged to the dead woman. This would immediately mean "conflict of interest" and he would be barred from being the prosecutor when his personal involvement with the family of the deceased would obviously be a reason for him not to take the case.

"Somewhere along the line, the world has lost all of its standards and all of its taste."

[–] BishopsPita 15 years ago

I KNEW I would find a thread on this page about the commentary and I KNEW it would focus on Darryl Hickman's inane commentary. Richard Schickel, critic and film historian, is diminished in the commentary to focus on Hickman's condescending and critical comments on his fellow actors for 90 MINUTES! Yes, acting styles were different back then, but Hickman pounces on his costars with relish while failing to note that each one of them exceeded his success in the same field. Tierney was Oscar-nominated for this film and, that same year (1945), Wilde was nominated for "A Song to Remember". In 1949, Crain earned a nomination for "Pinky". The embittered Hickman's career was all downhill after this film. I don't think his vitriolic comments have anything to do with his age at the time of filming. This is retrospective reinterpretation by a failed "ARTISTE" who denigrates others in order to aggrandize himself. That 20th Century Fox chose to release such dreck as a commentary speaks to their indifference to film history or quality packaging.

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] sfulk 15 years ago

With all due respect, I couldn't disagree with you all more. I found Hickman's commentary one of the better one's on a classic movie DVD. Why? Because of all the inside information he gave about the actual filming of the movie, such as how the director and Tierny treated him, that he had to do the swimming scene himself because the stunt double refused to go into the cold water. I thought his comments on Tierny being distant and cold were fascinating, but he also explained that maybe she felt she wasn't up to the part, acting wise. Personally, this is what I listen to commentaries for.

I also don't understand the Hickman Haters who thought he was ugly and annoying in the movie. He's hardly in the film at all, so you guys must have a really low tolerance. And classic Hollywood didn't cast "ugly" children in parts.

[–] monifest 15 years ago

I just bought this film as part of a four-DVD package of great 20th Century Fox films and I grew very, very tired of Daryl Hickman's criticism and whining. I know that not every film shoot is a dream experience, but I felt that this man spent way too much time criticizing the film and the actors. The only thing he praised was the cinemotography. It made me sick to hear his constant whining about how mean Gene Tierney and the director were and how weak of an actress Jeanne Crain was. He even badmouthed his body double for not getting in the freezing cold water and claimed that he had to do the scene himself. He really needs to suck it up, get over himself, and consider himself that he was fortunate enough to have these kinds of experiences to learn from. His constant picking at everyone took away from the film and I'm pretty sure I will not watch it along with the commentary again. If the people he co-starred with in this film were alive, I wonder what THEY would have to say about HIM.

[–] djrosenblatt 14 years ago

I haven't heard Hickman's commentary, but I can't understand the criticism of him complaining about his stunt double. After all, how many stunts for Hickman were necessary, aside from the drowning bit? None, I think.

So here, they've hired a professional stunt person to do the drowning scene, the "pro" refuses to subject himself to water that was too cold for him, but evidently not too cold for Hickman. So Hickman ends up doing the scene himself! How weird is that?!! And he gets faulted for complaining about that?? Yikes! What am I missing here?

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] djrosenblatt 12 years ago

Wow, homework! Been a long time since I've had that assigned to me. Hope there's no due date for the valid comment.

Badgers? We don't need no stinkin' badgers! But if you could show us something in a nice possum...

[–] amyp3 15 years ago

The film intrigued me enough that I wanted to hear some insightful discussion on the content of what I thought were key and provacative, scenes, or to hear others' take on the last section of the film, which I thought was a letdown.

The first scene I went to was when she climbs into bed with her husband, only to have her amorous advances interrupted by the kid brother. (As others have said, you're almost sympathetic to her at this point.) But instead of talking about what was going on with the characters, one of the commentators referenced the look of the movie. Yes, it is interesting to know how long it took to light a lush Technicolor scene, but I'm still more interested in the content of the scene.

Finally one of them did talk about the acting, throwing out some technical jargon - telling us that Gene Tierney was "indicating," a put-down of how she revealed the character's emotion. OK, well that's your opinion of her acting, and it still doesn't address what's going on *with the story.*

But considering how annoying "Danny's" acting was, it is amusing to hear him dissing other performers in this film.

[–] anthony44 14 years ago

a few months ago, i saw a repeat of a private screenings episode on tcm in which the child actors jane withers, dickie moore, margaret o'brien and darryl hickman were interviewed as a group. in addition to talking about his "unpleasant experience" on leave her to heaven, hickman made snide, sarcastic and uncalled for comments about dennis hopper and the child actor butch jenkins.
he seems like a very opinionated person who has no problem dissing people publicly. like somebody said previously, the people whose acting he criticized had better and much longer acting careers than he had.