She (1935)
Director: Irving Pichel, Lansing C Holden
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
The first talkie version of Rider Haggard's much (and unsatisfactorily) filmed yarn. Though produced by Merian C Cooper, who was very much at home in the jungles of King Kong and Count Zaroff, the action was for some ineffable reason shifted in locale from Africa to the Arctic, so that the fantastic underground kingdom of She (who bathed in the mysterious Flame of Life centuries ago and tries to entice Scott away from his mortal love) nestles picturesquely among the snowscapes. Frequent recourse to backdrops rather undercuts the spectacular effect (though the furnishings and costumes prevailing in She's domain have a certain tacky splendour); the dialogue is routine Hollywood period adventurespeak; and it's difficult to decide, between Gahagan and Scott as the two leads, who gives the more inexpressive, uncharismatic performance.Author: TM
Cast & crew
Director: Irving Pichel, Lansing C Holden
Producer: Merian C Cooper
Cast: Helen Gahagan, Randolph Scott, Helen Mack, Nigel Bruce, Gustav von Seyffertitz, Noble Johnson full cast
Genre(s): Action/Adventure
Duration: 95 mins
Most popular on this site
Features
To the letter
Forty years later, Costa-Gavras's Z still brims with fury.
Mind over matter
David Cronenberg reflects on a most bizarre body: his own corpus of work.
Fool's gold
Can an Oscar win lead to a cursed career? Here are five stories of postaward professional meltdowns.
We are the championed
Terrorists and teens abound in this year's "Film Comment Selects."
A history of violence
Matteo Garrone's kaleidoscopic Gomorrah wallops you with Italy's crime crisis.
True romantic
James Gray exchanges urban amorality for amour in Two Lovers.
Playing in the dark
MoMA salutes pianist Stuart Oderman's 50 years as the one-man sound of silents.
Junk bonds
Cast and crew recall the making of the classic NYC drug drama The Panic in Needle Park.



What do you think?
Post your review now