Stream Selected Films of James Mason
The Seventh Veil 1945 Directed by Compton Bennett. THIS is a melodrama. Before Francesca Cunningham (Ann Todd) was a suicidal patient under the care of Dr. Larsen (Herbert Lom), she was a classical concert pianist. During therapy, “veils” are removed creating flashbacks. Francesca’s second cousin and guardian, Nicholas (James Mason) is a bitter, misogynistic, crippled musician, jealous of the young woman’s talent and of any man that comes near her. When she falls in love for the first time, Nicholas spirits her away to Paris. By the time they return, the man is married.
Maxwell Leyden (Albert Lieven) is commissioned by her guardian to paint a portrait of Francesca. The young people fall in love. Nicholas becomes violent. The girl flees, but more violence- an accident- occurs. She’s sure she’ll never play again. The last scene of the film is psychologically dark and deft. Mason is malevolence incarnate. Rent on Amazon Prime.
East Side West Side 1949 can be found in Stream Selected Films of Barbara Stanwyck
Pandora and The Flying Dutchman 1951 can be found in Stream Fantasy Films II: 1940s/50s
Julius Caesar 1953 Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. This splendidly cast version of Shakespeare’s classic is particularly cogent. Language falls tripingly off the tongue, sequence and relationships are clear. A restrained budget adds to intimacy rather than making the production look cheap. The performance of then-doubted actor, Marlon Brando as Mark Antony was reviewed by The New York Times with “Happily, Mr. Brando’s diction, which has been guttural and slurred in previous films, is clear and precise in this instance. In him a major talent has emerged.”
Featuring John Gielgud (Cassius), Louis Calhern (Julius Caesar), Edmund O’Brian (Casca), Greer Garson (Calpurnia), Deborah Kerr (Portia). Producer John Houseman decided against an all British cast. “I’d done a lot of Shakespeare in America,” he said. “If it was going to be cast all-English, it should be an English picture, made in England and we might as well forget about it.” MGM wanted to make the film in color but he and Mankiewicz refused, “…partly because we wanted people to relate to the newsreels, to the Fascist movements in Europe, which were still relevant” Rent on Amazon Prime.
A Star is Born 1954 can be found under Make It Again, Sam- Four Plus Versions of A Star is Born
Lolita 1962 Based on the novel by Vladimir Nabokov. Directed by Stanley Kubrick. Middle-aged British professor of French literature Humbert Humbert (James Mason) rents a room near his new college job from predatory Charlotte Haze (Shelly Winters- you can practically see her salivate) because he’s seen her overtly flirtatious daughter Lolita (Sue Lyon). When mom is hit by a car, it’s Humbert who picks up Lolita at summer camp – without telling her Charlotte is dead. They travel cross country, father and daughter in public, lovers in private.
By the time he tells the girl, she’s immobilized by grief and overwhelmed by his personality. They return home for fall semester. Humbert becomes more possessive, Lolita more able to manipulate. They take to the road again, but are followed by a car whose driver is pivotal to past and future. The heroine ends up in completely unforeseen circumstances. Humbert’s fury is unleashed.
The Hays Code required toning down provocative aspects of the novel, leaving much to imagination. Because written word gives us Humbert’s unsuccessful history with women and his experience in mental institutions, we know early on he’s unstable which doesn’t happen here. Mason must manifest signs of illicit desire while stringing Charlotte along. Notable for Peter Sellers’ multiple roles. Remade in 1997 directed by Adrian Lyne with Jeremy Irons, Dominique Swain and Melanie Griffith. Rent on Amazon Prime.
Georgy Girl 1966 Directed by Silvio Narizano. 1960s Swinging London. 22 year-old Georgina Parkin (Lynn Redgrave – wonderful) is overweight, dowdy, plain, and naïve. Her parents work for (live-in) successful businessman James Leamington (James Mason). Childless and in a loveless marriage to Ellen (Rachel Kempson, Redgrave’s mother), he’s treated Georgy like a daughter, providing a finishing school education and a studio in which she teaches dance to children. Now that she’s of age, he wants to set her up as his mistress. She’s not interested.
The heroine lives with beautiful, shallow Meredith (Charlotte Rampling) who treats men like Kleenex and her roommate like a servant. When she stands up boyfriend Jos Jones (Alan Bates), Georgy is more than happy to cover. She has a crush on Jos and they get on well. Meredith gets pregnant by Jos and with no interest in raising a child, marries him because she’s “bored.” The three live together. Over time, he realizes what she is and gravitates towards Georgy who can’t believe her luck but is scared out of her wits. A poignant film with wit. Rent on Amazon Prime.
The Age of Consent 1969 Adapted from semi-autobiographical novel by Norman Lindsay which was banned in its origin country of Australia. Directed by Michael Powell. A lovely film including the oft naked, 22 year-old Helen Mirren in her first major role. Australian artist Bradley Morahan (James Mason) has come to paint on a small, sparsely inhabited island near The Great Barrier Reef. His first glimpse of uninhibited neighbor Cora Ryan (Helen Mirren) is nude. She sells fresh fish and agrees to pose in order to make enough money to go to hairdressing school.
Bradley’s intentions are solely to paint. Cora becomes his muse. The idyllic situation is disrupted when old friend Nat Kelly (Jack McGowran) shows up hiding from the law. Nat gets involved with another resident, then flees taking money and canvases. The painter’s art dealer passes through as does an ex-girlfriend. Both are discouraged from staying. Sure of impropriety, Cora’s grandmother objects to her spending time with the much older man.. Bad blood between the women comes to a head. At the end, Bradley sees the girl in a new light.
Mason met his future wife, Clarissa Kaye (playing ex-girlfriend Meg) on the shoot. Their scene together was filmed in bed. (Columbia Pictures cut this.) Kaye, who was recovering from pneumonia, had a temperature of 103 °F After filming, Mason and Kaye began corresponding. They were married until his death. Rent on Amazon Prime.
Featured photo: Public domain studio publicity photo of actor James Mason.
