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"Anna Christie," adapted from Eugene O'Neill's Pulitzer Prize play, stars Charles Bickford, George F. Marion, Greta Garbo, James T. Mack, Lee Phelps and Marie Dressler and was made in 1931. The film was obviously not a big budget production, but was an early introduction into the glamorous Greta Garbo, and audiences loved when she entered the stage and said in her first talkie, "Gimme a whiskey?"
"Anna Christie," adapted from Eugene O'Neill's Pulitzer Prize play, stars Charles Bickford, George F. Marion, Greta Garbo, James T. Mack, Lee Phelps and Marie Dressler and was made in 1931. The film was obviously not a big budget production, but was an early introduction into the glamorous Greta Garbo, and audiences loved when she entered the stage and said in her first talkie, "Gimme a whiskey?"
Anna Christie © Warner Home Video
Swedish born Greta Garbo got her start in a commercial for a department store and went into silent films, making quite a few before switching over to talkies. Warner Bros. new The Greta Garbo Signature Collection is a 10-Disc set that highlights Garbo's sensational and alluring screen presence and includes: "Grand Hotel, " "Camille, " "Ninotchka, " "Anna Karenina, " "Mata Hari, " "Queen Christina, " "Anna Christie," and the features.
Included are two special discs "The Garbo Silents" and the documentary "Garbo."
In "Anna Christie" Garbo plays Anna Christie, a young woman who goes looking for her father, Chris Christofferson (George F. Marion), 15 years after he abandoned her to live with relatives in Minnesota after her mother died. Chris is an old sailor who runs a barge and drinks a lot. When he hears that Anna is coming to see him, he's anxiously nervous to see her but also worried about what to do with his companion Marthy.
Marie Dressler does an incredible job as Marthy. She and Chris are pretty much slobbering drunks and have a good time while they talk out the basic beginning of the story. Finally Anna arrives and is soon lodged on the barge with her dad, and Marthy disappears from the story.
While out to sea one night, they come upon a couple of sailors who need rescuing and take them on board. Matt (Charles Bickford) is a well-built brawny Scot who falls for Anna immediately. When they get close to land, he courts her and soon she's in love with him, too. But when Matt proposes to her, Anna regrettably says no. She feels guilty about the life she led after running away from the farm and doesn't want Matt to know how she made a living.
Not able to understand why she won't marry him, Matt finally gets Anna to spill the beans about her past, and just as she feared; he's repulsed and wants nothing to do with her. Chris lets Matt know that's he a low-life in the way he treats Anna, but really he's glad about the breakup. He prefers Anna find a more respectable mate who will treat her properly and give her children. The film is typical of an early talkie. Dialogue is often disjointed, sets are limited and there are few transitions, scenes jump ahead with little knowledge of what happened in between.
Still, this was early Hollywood, and it's exciting to have these films remastered by Warner Bros. for the enjoyment of the viewing public. It's also swell to see a blossoming Garbo in her early stages. There was a German version of the film made on the same sets as this film right after the English one was completed. A different director and cast were used and Garbo claimed it was the better of the two.
That seems strange since "Anna Christie" was nominated for three Oscars - Garbo for Best Actress, William H. Daniels for Cinematography and Clarence Brown for director. For those who want to check out the German version, it's generously included on the disc as well.
The Greta Garbo Signature Collection © Warner Home Video
Special Features:
Director: Clarence Brown
Writers: Frances Marion; Eugene O'Neill (play)
Rating: Unrated
Classic Movie Guide Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Run Time: 175 minutes
Studio: Warner Home Video
Black & White
DVD Release Date: 9/06/2005
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