The AFI had a double feature this weekend of of two early Barbara Stanwyck films. Being an old movie enthusiast, I've seen many of Stanwyck's films, but I wouldn't count her as one of my favorite actresses. I adore Ingrid Bergman, Katherine Hepburn, Jean Arthur, Judy Holiday, Claudette Colbert, Lauren Bacall, Marilyn Monroe.... But Barbara Stanwyck (born Ruby Stevens)? I wouldn't usually include her. Yet, she's in some of my favorite movies, or at least one, The Lady Eve. And she's in many more that I greatly enjoy. I think I need to add her to the list.
These two early films were quite entertaining. Night Nurse works mostly as a historical document of how nurses used to be trained. The plot gets complicated in the second half of the film and Clark Gable makes an appearance as a heavy. Not a great film, but fun.
The second feature, The Bitter Tea of General Yen, was a lot more interesting and a thousand times more bizarre than the first. The film is set in Shanghai during a civil war. The young American heroine is kidnapped by a renegade Chinese general. There is plenty to object to in the portrayal of the Chinese in this film, but in some ways it's rather progressive. And the ending is...unexpected. It's certainly interesting enough to recommend but beware of the racial stereotyping.
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