THE LEGEND OF LYLAH CLARE

US, 1968, 130 minutes, Colour.
Kim Novak, Peter Finch, Ernest Borgnine, Rosella Falk, Valentina Cortese, Michael Murphy, Coral Browne.
Directed by Robert Aldrich.

The Legend of Lylah Clare was, perhaps, some years ahead of its time. It rather shocked people at the end of the 60s, although they would have thought they were unshockable. It is now regarded as something of a camp classic, focusing on Hollywood and its enclosed, artificial world.

Kim Novak had been already transformed into another character in Hitchcock’s Vertigo ten years earlier. Here she portrays a young actress who is to be transformed for her performance in a film about the legendary actress Lylah Clare who had died thirty years earlier. She is being coached as well as transformed by Lylah Clare’s husband, the director Lewis Zarken, portrayed by Peter Finch. In the background are a range of characters including studio executives (Ernest Borgnine), Italian nobilities and gossip columnists (Valentina Cortese, Rosella Falk), an interviewer who is based on Louella Parsons – though only worse. The film focuses on the Svengali transformation of the young actress by the director, the erotic and emotional relationships – including a lesbian encounter. This theme was to be further explored in Robert Aldrich’s next film, The Killing of Sister George.

The film was interesting in the career of Robert Aldrich. After some small-budget films and television, he began to make westerns like Apache and Vera Cruz in 1954 moving on to the Mickey Spillane’s Kiss Me Deadly and another film about Hollywood, The Big Knife. After some war films, some westerns, a biblical epic (Sodom and Gomorrah), some horror (Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte) he went on to more upmarket films, bigger and bigger budget like The Flight of the Phoenix and The Dirty Dozen. During the 70s he made quite a number of interesting films, though not so successful at the box office as his films of the 50s and 60s. They include The Longest Yard, Hustle, Twilight’s Last Gleaming, The Choir Boys. His last film was California Dolls in 1981.

1. A good or a bad film, critics were divided. How enjoyable, how serious? Straightforward, melodramatic, camp, parody? Combination of all these styles?

2. The indication of the title, the reference to Hollywood and the stars, the portrayal of Hollywood and its atmosphere, studios and their work, myths? Hollywood and the homes, the parties, the people and their style? The use of colour, music, song?

3. The importance of the stars and their mystique? Peter Finch and his serious approach? Kim Novak and her reputation? The Italian supporting cast? The indications of the European influence on Hollywood and its myths and traditions? The realistic overtones of the past glories of Hollywood? Their memory, mystique, as seen by the 1960s? The critique of the Hollywood of the past, this European influence?

4. How much of the film was a tribute to Hollywood, films, stars? Directors? How much was a sound criticism of Hollywood? The relationship between legend and reality? Truth and appearances? Fantasy and the relativity of truth? The events of Lylah Clare's career, death as seen by the various characters within the film? Their various viewpoints as seen by the audience? Was the audience able to say at the end what had really happened?

5. Audience interest in the project of a film about Lylah Clare? The initial focus on Bart Langner? His work in the past? Lylah Clare as his protege, his work for Zarkan? his impending death, his hopes about the film, a little immortality? The film about Lylah Clare transcending his hopes?

6, How well did the film communicate the mystique of Lylah? The melodrama of her life, her career, marriage to Zarkan, her death? Lylah's place In Hollywood? Her being moulded by Zarkan, directed by him, the
Svengali atmosphere? Marriage? Lylah's friends and their loyalty to her, reverence, Infatuation? The ambiguity of her power, sexuality? Her lesbian overtones? Sexuality and death?

7. Elsa and her likeness to Lylah Clare? The way in which Kim Novak portrayed both characters? With Elsa the possibility of myth being created again? How deep was the resemblance? Appearances, interior personality, ambitions and goals? How much did the audience see Elsa as a personality in herself, how much was the transformed Elsa? The detailed attention of the transformation in look, style? Elsa’s unwillingness to be Lylah and yet her surrender to it? Her manner of speaking, German? Lylah taking over Elsa’s personality? Her absorption in the mystery of Lylah's death and the various solutions?

8. Elsa and Zarkan and the repetition of the past? (comment on the varying reactions of the Hollywood producers, friends? Their fear for Elsa? Their memories of what had happened to Lylah? The contrast with Molly Luther and her acidic comments? The film as becoming the life of Elsa? The dependence on Zarkan? Love, marriage? Her rebelling and the details of her affair with Paclo? The hurt to Zarkan?

9. How well portrayed was the character of Zarkan? The overtones of actual Hollywood directors of the past? The memories of his skill and the moulding of Lylah’s career, his infatuation with her, marriage and his grief at her death? His inactivity since her death? The fact that Zarkan was transformed by the project and by Elsa? His dedication, involving himself In the Hollywood life, the deals with Barney Sheehan? On the personal level, his love for Elsa, his love for the image of Lylah? His jealousy, dominance, moulding her career, reaction to the affair with Paolo? Power to mould her, even to death?

10. Lylah's death and the various times that it was visualised? The places in which the present was punctuated by this picture of the past? The impact of the flashbacks? Their interpretation? Blame? Lylah's vertigo? Sexuality and vengeance? Zarkan's murder? The Build-up to Elsa’s re-enacting the death? The transferring to the more objective trapeze sequence? Elsa being infatuated and having the same experiences of vertigo as Lylah and therefore falling to death?

11. The contrast of the rugged Hollywood world as embodied by Barney? The real, harsh Hollywood, the deals, his arrogance, angry reaction? press previews and interviews, zealous for prestige? His son? His finally agreeing for financing the project? Did he understand Zarkan, Lylah, Elsa?

12. The significance of Rosella? Her place in Hollywood, her love for Zarkan, her infatuation with Lylah? Her life being ruined by drugs? Her jealousy? Pier memory of Lylah and reverence? The irony of her being the executioner of Zarkan?

13. The importance of the minor characters and their contributions the Countess and her role in Hollywood, Mark Peter Sheehan? Molly Luther and the melodramatics of the confrontation at the party? The critique of the Hollywood gossip columnists? Their motivation, bitterness, power?

14. The atmosphere of the ending? The audience left with Elsa’s death, reaction to Zarkan? The irony of the success of the film and people's reactions? Rosella lurking to execute vengeance? Could the audience identify with her?

15. The melodramatic style of the film, the lurid overtones, the baroque mounting of the story and its settings? Audience response to this lush style? The value of this kind of critique of Hollywood, the images that it produces for world consumption? Analysis of human nature?