tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post5987974835776997226..comments2024-03-15T04:08:16.172-04:00Comments on Only the Cinema: Man's Favorite Sport?Ed Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-66823622160792808162010-01-07T21:53:27.656-05:002010-01-07T21:53:27.656-05:00I can't believe no one has mention that Hudson...I can't believe no one has mention that Hudson's fishing scene was derived from William Powell trying to pass <i>himself</i> off as an expert fisherman in the hilarious "Libeled Lady," one of the films that makes Powell's 1936 arguably the best year any actor has ever had.VP81955https://www.blogger.com/profile/11792390726196611188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-32524248673281452762009-07-31T11:33:19.313-04:002009-07-31T11:33:19.313-04:00Hah, yeah, I agree with you that the search for th...Hah, yeah, I agree with you that the search for that kind of subtext can be amusing. I mean, there's plenty of gay subtext in Hawks -- my favorite, and the most blatant, is the finger-pulling-as-male-bonding that appears in <i>A Girl In Every Port</i> and then recurs in <i>The Big Sky</i> -- but despite Hudson's presence, this film is perhaps one of the less obvious films in that respect.Ed Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-48892376492304136992009-07-31T11:21:46.636-04:002009-07-31T11:21:46.636-04:00Yes, the whole theme of Hudson being unable "...Yes, the whole theme of Hudson being unable "to fish" could indeed certainly be construed as a gay subtext (something Molly Haskell has also addressed in her <i>Village Voice</i> review of the film), but I was mainly just poking fun at the notion--repeatedly emphasized in Rappaport's film--that every Rock Hudson movie <i>must obviously</i> have some kind of implicit theme of Jeremy Nyhuishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17653775779381302557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-19547498194894550882009-07-31T09:04:20.076-04:002009-07-31T09:04:20.076-04:00J, I haven't seen Rock Hudson's Home Movie...J, I haven't seen <i>Rock Hudson's Home Movies</i> yet, I still have both that and Rappaport's Jean Seberg movie waiting in my long queue of stuff to see. What does Rappaport say is the gay subtext in this film? I think sometimes the inclination is to interpret everything Hudson did as gay just because HE was gay. This film is encoded with lots of sexual subtext -- Hudson's alwaysEd Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-469931493561819012009-07-31T02:25:15.413-04:002009-07-31T02:25:15.413-04:00J. Nyhuis-- wow, great comparison of Hawks to Almo...J. Nyhuis-- wow, great comparison of Hawks to Almodovar...agreed.Juliette.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02779055836350808401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-84299176028557967612009-07-31T02:20:01.602-04:002009-07-31T02:20:01.602-04:00What? An entire review of Man's Favorite Sport...What? An entire review of <i>Man's Favorite Sport?</i> with no mention of the obvious gay subtext? Haven't you seen <i>Rock Hudson's Home Movies</i>?<br /><br />All kidding aside, I enjoyed your write-up of this underrated film, especially your consideration of Prentiss's "dorky" sensuality (nicely put) as well as Hawks's anarchic view of heterosexual romance. Jeremy Nyhuishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17653775779381302557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-89498674927790645462009-07-28T17:18:40.184-04:002009-07-28T17:18:40.184-04:00Dave, I'm actually sad that I'm rapidly ap...Dave, I'm actually sad that I'm rapidly approaching a point where I'll have seen everything there is to see of Hawks (except for most of his early, hard-to-see silents, obviously). It's always nice to know that there's a whole big oeuvre to experience for a director you love; that there are so many more pleasures to experience for the first time. With directors like Hawks, oneEd Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-62294289366628158612009-07-28T11:17:58.358-04:002009-07-28T11:17:58.358-04:00Ed - Reviews like these remind me how far I still ...Ed - Reviews like these remind me how far I still have to go in fully discovering and appreciating some director's works... by this I mean that I would probably consider Howard Hawks among my 2-3 favorite directors of all time, but there are still films like these that I haven't even attempted to see yet. It's actually encourage, knowing that there is still so much out there to watchDavehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07134196370913749544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-74154512750286134822009-07-28T07:45:58.295-04:002009-07-28T07:45:58.295-04:00Thanks for the comment, Juliette. Prentiss was als...Thanks for the comment, Juliette. Prentiss was also pretty good in a small role in Preminger's <i>In Harm's Way</i>, if I remember correctly.<br /><br />Fox, I wouldn't discourage anyone from seeing this film, it's certainly not terrible. But then Hawks is one of my favorites, and I intend to see everything he's made; for the non-completists, the great, sprawling <i>Hatari!</iEd Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-32682674606071081112009-07-28T00:04:19.279-04:002009-07-28T00:04:19.279-04:00Ed-
Glad you reviewed this. I've been one th...Ed-<br /><br />Glad you reviewed this. I've been one that's fallen to the trap of ignoring any post-<b>Rio Bravo</b> Hawks. I know that's unfair to the man, but since he has such a big canon, I just haven't tapped that area of his yet.<br /><br />And even though you're kind of lukewarm to <b>Man's Favorite Sport</b> yourself, I still want to see it. Rock Hudson is a Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08067136509248849744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-76863450499829514402009-07-27T14:07:37.068-04:002009-07-27T14:07:37.068-04:00John-- I quite agree. Paula Prentiss brings someth...John-- I quite agree. Paula Prentiss brings something to even her smaller roles that is a thrill to watch. She was good in this and in the Jim Hutton movies she did, but my favorite role of hers is in The Stepford Wives. :)<br /><br />Ed-- Thanks for the interesting take on Man's Favorite Sport. Hudson and Prentiss aren't Grant and Hepburn, but they gave it a solid effort.Juliette.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02779055836350808401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-34976908945891354452009-07-27T13:35:11.838-04:002009-07-27T13:35:11.838-04:00I certainly agree Ed that Grant would have been a ...I certainly agree Ed that Grant would have been a better choice. When I wrote my review of Charade a while back, Grant had the same concerns about the older man/younger woman thing. They had to change the lines so Hepburn's character became the aggressor in the relationship to satisfy his concerns.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01808503055317962289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-88966575498775304022009-07-27T12:18:22.377-04:002009-07-27T12:18:22.377-04:00Thanks, John. Prentiss was uneven here but in her ...Thanks, John. Prentiss was uneven here but in her better moments I can see what you mean: she obviously has some comic talent and maybe a better film would've really showcased that. Having to play opposite the rather awkward Hudson probably didn't help matters much, I guess. It's a shame Cary Grant turned down the film: he didn't want to act opposite a woman so much younger than Ed Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-63476868701642490062009-07-27T12:09:43.615-04:002009-07-27T12:09:43.615-04:00Ed - I have not seen this film in many years but I...Ed - I have not seen this film in many years but I always thought Paula Prentiss has been underused throughout her career, rarely getting a part that would expose her comedic talents to their fullest potential. Hudson I thought always looked uncomfortable doing comedy. As you say, the film is recycled Hawks and pleasant. Thanks for reviewing a film that is rarely discussed.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01808503055317962289noreply@blogger.com