My preferred involved ones off the thirties years: #11

It would be easy to dismiss Ronald Colman’s talent due to his effortless presence on film.In nearly role after role, he was a gentleman even in the tightest of positions. But there was often strength behind the suave reserve, along with an intelligence that he used to great advantage. It kept him active in film from the silent era through the late 1940s, after which he made infrequent appearances.His career began after World War I, when Colman turned to the stage and then short films in his native England. After a few feature film roles he came to the U.S., where he went largely unnoticed until Lillian Gish plucked him from a play for her film “The White Sister” in 1923. Producer Sam Goldwyn took note, signe! d the actor and helped turn him into a star. With his first talking picture, “Bulldog Drummond” in 1929, Colman discovered audiences loved his rich, cultured voice, and he became one of the first silent screen actors to successfully make that transition to sound films.Perhaps his first strong role of the decade came in 1931’s “Arrowsmith,” John Ford’s adaptation of the Sinclair Lewis novel. This film today may fall under the “good try” column, although it was a prestige production for Goldwyn. While the talky film rarely allows for subtlety, it provided everyone involved with some good moments. Colman’s intelligence as an actor was certainly on display in his role as a doctor dealing with personal conflicts.He became very good at playing conflicted characters, and conflict was entering his professional like off-screen. His relationship with Goldwyn became strained, as Colman began doubting the material being given to him and wanted a break. After several b! attles, Goldwyn was willing to release Colman from his contrac! t if Col man made one more movie, but Colman refused. He ended up back in England for a while and was off screen for nearly two years while his Goldwyn contract ran out.But upon his return, he went to work re-establishing himself, and it didn’t take long. First came a sequel to “Bulldog Drummond” called “Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back” in 1935. Perhaps his greatest role of the decade came with “A Tale of Two Cities” for another strong producer, David Selznick. I’ve blogged about this film earlier this year and how magnificent it is, with Colman shaving off his famous moustache to play Sydney Carton (above). Colman showed poise finding the right combination of self-loathing and determination to do ! good.While I haven’t seen the foreign legion romance “Under Two Flags,” I am a big fan of Frank Capra’s “Lost Horizon,” with Colman playing Robert Conway (below, with Jane Wyatt), a man who manages to find Shangri-La but wrestles with others regarding the philosophical implications of its Utopian society. Capra’s film has a dreamy quality to it, and Colman leads the audience through this dream, acting much like we would if discovering such a place. That same year came the terrific “The Prisoner of Zenda,” with Colman playing a dual role as a commoner who must impersonate the king, who has been kidnapped. This action/romance/adventure film was produced by Selznick after he formed his own c! ompany, and the results couldn’t be better.With many of thes! e roles, Colman gave us someone to identify with, and we’re willing to go where he goes, willing to think what he thinks, and cheering for him to succeed. Not many actors have that capability to hook an audience like this nearly every time. Colman is, without doubt, a class act.
Great classic films, best all time movies