Post by gagman66 on May 30, 2010 14:41:36 GMT -6
This is a magnificent picture, and perfect for Memorial Day weekend! I can't help but think that John Ford was inspired by OVER THE HILL and Mary Carr, when He fashioned the character of Mother Bernle, brilliantly portrayed by Margaret Mann. James Hall, Ralph Bushman and the other brothers are great. And June Collyer is so easy to fall in love with. Wow, what a beautiful lady.The article in the Silent Sunday profiles seems to suggest that TCM might be playing the vintage Fox Movie-Tone track version, which I greatly prefer. But I rather doubt this to be the case. To my knowledge, the only restoration from Fox has the Christopher Caliendo score. It isn't a bad score, but pales in comparison to the Erno Rapee' Lew Pollack, Maurice Barron original. I hope that we may still see WHAT PRICE GLORY? which was initially scheduled, and for that matter LILAC TIME later on.
Even though it is on DVD now, this movie continues to be a sadly overlooked film. Chris Caliendo's new score doesn't help any. It is not a bad score, in-fact for Caliendo it is among his better works,. But without the touching "Little Mother" theme and the subtle handling of the dying shoulder sequence FOUR SONS is just not the same film.
fan.tcm.com/_Four-Sons-1928-Little-Mother-Theme-Mutterchen-Vocals-By-Vaughn-De-Leath-Composition-Erno-Repee39-Lew-Pollack/audio/698436/66470.html
www.tcm.com/thismonth/article.jsp?cid=310645&mainArticleId=297162
fan.tcm.com/_Four-Sons-1928-Little-Mothe-Ending-Segment-Lew-Pollack-Erno-Rapee/audio/699420/66470.html
Thankfully, Fox learned their lesson, keeping the unforgettable Movie-tone scores to SEVENTH HEAVEN and STREET ANGEL. But at the very least the original score should have been included with the FOUR SONS DVD as an Alternate track. It's a shame that the plans for a Raoul Walsh/Howard Hawks At Fox Collection were canceled. This certainly would have included WHAT PRICE GLORY?, and probably FIG LEAVES.
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I The cinematography was excellent. Ford used contrast, light, shadow, silhouettes and fog to create stunning visual images which enhanced the drama. For example, in the scene when the village mailman is bringing bad news, his moving shadow appears ominously on the wall before he walks into the frame. I also appreciated the way Ford focused on the wonderful faces of some of the minor characters.
Whoops, I goofed!. This is the version of the "Little Mother" tune I thought I had posted the link too. The other was cut off at the end from the original Movie-Tone track. Obviously, it went on quite a bit longer, but we don't hear that anymore. And now with the new score replacing the old we don't hear any of it now. So sad because it is so beautiful. 
