THE HARD WAY
US, 1942, 109 minutes, Black and white.
Ida Lupino, Joan Leslie, Dennis Morgan, Jack Carson, Gladys George, Faye Emerson, Paul Cavanagh, Roman Bohnen.
Directed by Vincent Sherman.
The Hard Way is a tough Warner Bros. melodrama of the early '40s. It has a strong role for Ida Lupino as a tough woman, devoted to the career of her sister, Joan Leslie. Dennis Morgan is quite successful as the hero/cad. Jack Carson has a fine role as a would-be/has-been comic and Gladys George also has a sequence as a has-been singer.
The film begins in a Pittsburgh mill town and then moves to the glamour of Broadway. In fact, the film seems to be a variation on the 'star is born' theme. There are many of the Warner Bros. songs from '30s films like 42nd. Street and Go Into Your Dance punctuating the action and the background, often giving comment to the action. The film was directed by Vincent Sherman.
1. An enjoyable '40s melodrama? Perennial themes?
2. Black and white photography, the mill town, the collage of the group on tour, New York and Broadway? The musical score and the use of popular songs of the period?
3. The familiarity of the plot, the variation on the 'star is born' themes? The suicide of the central character? The success of the star who is born? The flashback structure, the perspective of Helen's dying and looking at her life?
4. The ugliness of Green Hills, the Pennsylvania mill towns, people feeling trapped, the mines? The desire to escape? Helen marrying Sam and being caught? The graduation and the dress? The photo and Katy being laughed at? The ugliness of the town - and the audience wanting the characters to leave it?
5. Joan Leslie as Katy: pretty, the graduation, the dowdy dress, fighting with Sam, going out, the show, seeing Paul and Albert, imitating them at the drugstore, her boyfriend wanting to go home, AI bringing her home and confronting Helen, her wanting to go out again, her naivety, Al's proposal of marriage and going off with him to success?
6. Helen's story: the suicide and her being fished out of the river? Her memories? Hard life, married to Sam, having left him, fighting about the dress, wanting it for Katy, wanting Katy to get away? Challenging Al when he brought her home? Her change of manner, suave and insinuating style? Paul and the farewell at the station and her going? The act and its success? New York and buying dresses for Katy? Managing, her own life fulfilled in Katy? Back-stabbing and Paul calling her Lady Macbeth? Paul kissing her and leading her on? Her technique for ousting Albert? The nightclub and the contract? John Shagrue, success, the leading lady and her singing, Helen getting her drunk, insinuating that she should leave the show, getting Katy in?
7. Paul and his suave style, the girls, friendship with Albert, the act, kissing Helen, his comment about stabbing Albert, being out of town, confronting Helen with the truth?
8. Albert and his pleasant manner, in the show, afterwards in the drugstore, the encounter with Katy, falling in love, marrying her, the act, his hopes, not seeing the truth, the ousting and Helen's control, the nightclub act and its failure, his willingness to separate and let Katy succeed, the phone call after the first night, coming to the party, the confrontation, Katy's refusal to go with him, his listening to her record, Paul telling the truth, his killing himself? The lonely funeral with only three people there?
9. Katy and her success, Helen's success, Shagrue, Laura wanting to write the play, the pressure on Katy, her refusing to go with Albert, his death, her further success but her becoming weary? Encountering Paul, coming alive again? The discussion about the play and her tantrum? Going for the holiday, in love with Paul, the proposal, feeling she had to take Helen's side, the play, the opening night, Paul's coming and her not seeing him, the opening act and her forgetting lines, collapsing? The failure, walking with Helen and looking in the shop window, hating Helen? Meeting Paul and a happy future? Success, family?
10. Paul and his change, confronting Helen, offering Katy the choice, coming to see her, the support?
11. The actress turning into a has-been, singing her song, people interrupting, her drinking, Helen being her friend, her walking out? Gladys George's sketch of the character?
12. Shagrue as the producer, his hard decisions, Laura, her play, coping with Helen? The failure of the play?
13. Themes of success, stardom, working hard, back-stabbing and doublecrossing?
14. Helen, what had she achieved? Her defeat? Told off, hated, killing herself? The irony of the final words with the police saying that the rich have it all their own way?
15. The irony of the title and Helen and Katy's lives?
