Herbert Marshall is another one of those names that will elicit blanks stares from most everyone today. When Turner Classic Movies (TCM) included him their lineup of featured stars in the 2014 edition of 'Summer Under the Stars," it was the first I'd heard of him, but after I saw a just few of those films, I became a big fan. Many will cite his fine, deep velvety baritone voice with the upper class British accent as his best asset, and perhaps rightly so. But given the right vehicle and quality direction, he was a compelling, strong screen presence with ability to portray so much more than the staid, suave, and often cuckolded gentleman roles into which he was typecast. I noted with distinct pleasure that TCM had scheduled a day of his rather obscure 1930s films tomorrow (Jan 19th), and I will be looking forward to watching the ones I haven't yet seen -- Make Way for A Lady, and Woman Against Womanon DVR, of course. In honor of Mr. Marshall, and in celebration of his recent turn on TCM, I was inspired to share my favorite five performances of his here.
Marshall was born in England in 1890 to a theatrical family, but came to the profession only after he gave up a career in accounting shortly after college. He then enlisted to fight in WWI and was a casualty of fighting in France, where he lost a leg (some reports say it was his right, but observing his movements closely, it seems to me it may be his left; he never really discussed it publicly). He resumed his acting career after a long convalescence and learning to walk with a prosthetic. He came to Hollywood in the early 1930s and rose to relative stardom with leading man roles as a free-lance actor who never signed a long term contract. Later in life he had numerous character roles and starred in many radio programs. He was known as a polite, charming, if not an attention-seeking personality. He had five marriages, and a somewhat scandalous romance with Gloria Swanson in the mid-1930s, which broke up his marriage to English actress Edna Best. He had two daughters, the first his daughter with Best, who became actress Sarah Marshall. He continued to work almost until the end of his life; he died at age 75 in 1966.
Here are five performances of his I've enjoyed the most, so far, in chronological order.
Jeanne Eagels as Leslie Crosbie
and Herbert Marshall as Geoff Hammond
1) The Letter(1929, D.: Jean de Limur)This is not the much more famous 1940 William Wyler film of the same Somerset Maugham novel, which Mr. Marshall also starred alongside Bette Davis. No, this early talkie was a pre-code version starring doomed actress Jeanne Eagels, and Marshall as the lover. (In the 1940 version, the lover was not an actual role on screen). This was a very early film role for Marshall, and he sinks his teeth into the few moments of screen time he has -- he comes across as a caustic, privileged young cad who is eager to move on from his dalliance with Mrs. Crosbie (Eagels). He does have a few moments of tenderness with his new lover, Lady Tsen Mei. I wasn't as impressed with Eagels, and thought Reginald Owen was one-dimensional as the husband, but it's interesting to watch in comparison to the later version; the ending, in particular is distinctly different.
Kay Francis, Herbert Marshall, and Miriam Hopkins
in Trouble in Paradise
2) Trouble in Paradise(1932, D.: Ernst Lubitsch) This sophisticated comedy is considered one of the best pre-code films and one of Lubitsch's best, as well. It's in my top five favorite films of all time; in fact, it may just be perfect. From the romantic love triangle, to the clever visual and verbal innuendo, some sight gags, terrific pacing, and spot on performances that were ever-so-slightly tongue-in-cheek, you absolutely cannot go wrong with this film. In the first example of Marshall's talent being brought to the fore by the skill of a good director, as jewel thief Gaston Monescu, he is perfectly understated, yet slyly comic here. He's more than handsome and charming enough to cause two gorgeous women (Kay Francis & Miriam Hopkins) to fall for him, believably so. His line readings are a delight. One of my favorite exchanges: Lily: "Who ARE you?" Gaston: "You know the man who walked into the Bank of Constantinople, and walked out with the Bank of Constantinople?" Lily: "Monescu!" Marshall worked for Lubitsch again in 1937's Angel, but that did not have nearly the same magic.
Marshall and Margaret Sullavan bond over coffee in The Good Fairy
3) The Good Fairy (1935, D.: William Wyler). Another comic role of a different kind came to Marshall in this William Wyler film, starring Margaret Sullavan in the "title" role. It's a screwball gem, scripted by soon-to-be director Preston Sturges -- if that provides context about the quality of the writing -- from the play by Ferenc Molnar. Marshall is a delight as a poor legal scholar who is too "honest" to be successful and becomes the unwitting beneficiary of Margaret Sullavan's 'good deed'. He is definitely NOT suave, and has a nervous habit of running a comb once or twice through his beard. He also has a hilarious solo scene in which he prattles excitedly about a new pencil sharpener (!). His chemistry with Sullavan is very strong, and the two make a very lovely couple. Frank Morgan and Reginald Owen are amusing as variations of their stock comic characters.
4. The Little Foxes (1941, D.: William Wyler). Another Wyler film -- he clearly was a terrific director for Marshall. This one was his second film with Bette Davis, and he played victimized husband Horace Giddens to her poisonous Regina Giddens in this adaptation of the Lillian Hellman play about a dysfunctional Southern family. The tone is mostly dark throughout, but it's a riveting production with good performances by the entire cast. Marshall, by turns warm and sympathetic, then angry and righteous, plays the role of a dying man so convincingly that you feel his pain almost viscerally. His subtlety as an actor is revealed when you know he wants to trust his family, but because he's smart, he cannot hide the growing realization of dishonest motives and crimes being perpetrated. Interestingly, Davis and Marshall had a warm relationship off-screen.
Davis & Marshall in The Little Foxes
5. High Wall(1947, D. Curtis Bernhardt). In this noir, Robert Taylor is a veteran with PTSD, employed by Marshall, who finds himself accused of murder. It's a psychological thriller as well, with Audrey Totter as the doctor who tries to help Taylor. In this one, Marshall shows his ability to be slimy, two-faced, and scary. It takes some questionable narrative turns, and I'm not enamored of Taylor's performance particularly, but it showcases the often underappreciated range of Marshall, who in my opinion, really steals the movie.
Don't miss him in the Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode "Little White Frock," or his appearance on the popular "What's My Line?" TV show in which, as the 'Mystery Guest, he gracefully responds to Dorothy Kilgallen's question as to whether he considers himself a 'character man,' with, "The day has come, yes." Video link is below.
Finally, for a greater appreciation of his fight to overcome his war injury, read this article published in 2014 by SAG-AFTRA, image below:
Not unlike today, movie stars of the classic Hollywood era were in high demand beyond their film appearances. They made public showings at film premieres, war bond drives, and other charity fundraisers. They were, of course, featured in popular film publications, and were paid to hock all kinds of products, often liquor and cigarettes, in print ads. With the advent of television in the 1950s, movie stars had the opportunity to promote themselves in this new medium by joining game shows such as Password, and the popular panel show "What's My Line?".
Now that so many of the show's episodes can be sourced online, we can treat ourselves to a fascinating time travel experience, when even well-acquainted men and women addressed each other primarily as "Mister", "Miss" or "Missus." The primary portion of the show was devoted to panelists asking non-celebrities questions to identify their 'line' of work. Often these were unusual, like, 'Mud Bath Attendent' or 'Dynamite Salesman'. The later part of the show always featured celebrity 'mystery guests'. I find it fascinating to watch these classic stars as they were in real life, interacting with the host, John Daly, or the panelists, who, while blindfolded, tried to guess the star's identity using only yes or no questions. Despite the stars' often humorous attempts to disguise their voices, they could not conceal their basic personalities, nor their natural wit (when present). It was a special joy to see the lovely Ms. de Havilland in her four appearances on the program between 1958 and 1965, when she was an already long-established star in semi-retirement, but only halfway through her life to that point. Her first appearance: May 25, 1958.
Note for this and the other clips -- fast forward to about 2/3 of the way through
Here she initially appeared a bit nervous as she took her seat alongside Daly, at first wearing a broad charming smile but then turning serious as she contemplated being 'interrogated'. She answered the questions yes or no in French, and then put on a charming French accent for her longer, English, responses. This approach is not surprising because she'd been living in France for a few years by this time and seemed to be very happy there -- she'd moved there to start a life with second husband Pierre Galante. She is altogether delightful in the mode of a modest French coquette.
Panelist Arlene Francis: "Are you a happily married actress?"
de Havilland: "OUI!" (with a big smile). And "call me madame!"
Her identity is revealed by Ms. Francis asking "are you the star of THE PROUD REBEL?" which Ms. Francis and long-time panelist Bennett Cerf had just seen the night before; both commented about how much they loved it, to which de Havilland said "I haven't seen it yet." Cerf then made the insightful comment "It's a tender, beautiful picture". In this western, featured in the blogathon here, De Havilland starred with Alan and David Ladd, and according to Ladd's biographer, Beverly Linet, had warmed the elder Ladd considerably when she told him she thought he'd have made a great Ashley Wilkes.
2nd Appearance: March 4, 1962
In this appearance Ms. de Havilland is as charming as before, but she seemed a bit more worldly, or less coquettish. After eight years of marriage, this is the year she would separate from her husband. Instead of French, she put on a rather Appalachian-sounding accent -- instead of 'yes', it's 'YAY - ess' . It's delightful how she surprised herself with that accent, almost chuckling after her answers.
At this time, de Havilland was in New York starring in the Garson Kanin play "A Gift of Time" alongside Henry Fonda. The play ran 92 performances and about three months. It was common for Hollywood stars, when acting in a show in New York, to stop by 'What's My Line?'; if so, it was easy for the panelists to ask about this and quickly identify the guest. In this episode we learn that Random House, panelist Bennett Cerf's company, was in the process of publishing de Havilland's memoir Every Frenchman Has One. He very shrewdly mentioned the book, without its title, to what I expect was a very interested audience.
3rd Appearance: August 9, 1964
In this episode the panel includes regular, noted journalist Dorothy Kilgallen, Cerf, Francis, and as special guest panelist, celebrated film writer Joseph Mankiewicz, who, in case you've never seen him before, as I hadn't, provides an extra bonus to viewers. While a guest panelist in only three episodes, he added an interesting depth and seriousness to the proceedings. One of the questions to de Havilland, asked by Francis, was "Have you ever appeared in a picture written by Mr. Mankiewicz?", to which de Havilland had to say no, with a look of regret. Bennett Cerf, again, slyly referenced his publisher relationship with de Havilland, when she sweetly mentioned how all the panelists were her friends. In this episode, rather than putting on an accent or speaking a language other than English, de Havilland disguised her voice by using a husky, hoarse whisper. This prompted a joke among the panelists that they should have recognized her from her low husky voice!
While appearing in this episode, de Havilland had recently finished LADY IN A CAGE, a horror/thriller also starring James Caan, released a couple months before the show aired. She seemed a bit embarrassed when the film was brought up, and no wonder -- it hadn't been particularly well received. New York Times critic A.H. Weiler had commented on its "aimless brutality", although he said some positive things about de Havilland's performance. Kilgallen was nice enough to compliment de Havilland by stating 'Another wonderful performance, Olivia."
4th Appearance: August 8, 1965
Almost a year to the day since her previous appearance, and now an 'old friend' according to John Daly, de Havilland joined the show again as mystery guest. She now answered the questions in Russian, using the familiar 'Da' and 'Nyet', and some other longer Russian words that were the source of great amusement for the panel. The guest panelist this time was the humorous Carol Channing. In quite the contrast from her previous film, de Havilland was now fresh off the critical success of HUSH HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE, with Bette Davis, Robert Aldrich's follow-up to the highly successful WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? This one was nominated for seven Oscars and won a Golden Globe for Agnes Moorehead. Check out this post on the film for the current blogathon.
One glimpse into de Havilland's acting style and preference could be gained from her definitive 'Nyet! when asked whether she had been associated with the Actors' Studio, at this point quite notorious for turning out a new style of method actor like Marlon Brando. She also denied being anything other than a serious, as opposed to comic, actress, and also to not being associated with singing or dancing in her films. Interestingly, despite this being her fourth time on the program, none of the panelists guessed her identity and Daly had to call time and reveal her.
It was fun to learn more about Ms de Havilland through her appearances on this popular show. While there were no great revelations, my image of her as a gracious, generous, strong, and charming woman were all reinforced, and I felt as if I had met her, even for only a brief moment. Here's adding my wish for her for many more years of health and happiness!
Herbert Marshall is another one of those names that will elicit blanks stares from most everyone today. When Turner Classic Movies (TCM) included him their lineup of featured stars in the 2014 edition of 'Summer Under the Stars," it was the first I'd heard of him, but after I saw a just few of those films, I became a big fan. Many will cite his fine, deep velvety baritone voice with the upper class British accent as his best asset, and perhaps rightly so. But given the right vehicle and quality direction, he was a compelling, strong screen presence with ability to portray so much more than the staid, suave, and often cuckolded gentleman roles into which he was typecast. I noted with distinct pleasure that TCM had scheduled a day of his rather obscure 1930s films tomorrow (Jan 19th), and I will be looking forward to watching the ones I haven't yet seen -- Make Way for A Lady, and Woman Against Woman on DVR, of course. In honor of Mr. Marshall, and in celebration of his recent turn on TCM, I was inspired to share my favorite five performances of his here. 
5. High Wall (1947, D. Curtis Bernhardt). In this noir, Robert Taylor is a veteran with PTSD, employed by Marshall, who finds himself accused of murder. It's a psychological thriller as well, with Audrey Totter as the doctor who tries to help Taylor. In this one, Marshall shows his ability to be slimy, two-faced, and scary. It takes some questionable narrative turns, and I'm not enamored of Taylor's performance particularly, but it showcases the often underappreciated range of Marshall, who in my opinion, really steals the movie. 
