The Tyrone Power Centennial
May 5, 2014, marks the centennial of the birth of my favorite actor, Tyrone Power.
Please visit my 2011 birthday tribute to Power, which has been updated annually with links to additional reviews of Power's films.
My contribution to his Centennial Blogathon is a review of THIS ABOVE ALL (1942).
You can also check out an excerpt from my 2012 interview with Power's NIGHTMARE ALLEY (1947) costar Coleen Gray, in which she discusses what a fine man he was.
In honor of the day, here are just a few stills from some of my favorite Power films...
CAFE METROPOLE (1937) with Loretta Young:
JESSE JAMES (1938) with Nancy Kelly:
THE MARK OF ZORRO (1940), my favorite Power film, with Linda Darnell:
BRIGHAM YOUNG (1940) with Linda Darnell:
SON OF FURY (1942) with Gene Tierney:
CRASH DIVE (1943):
PRINCE OF FOXES (1949) with Wanda Hendrix:
I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU (1951) with Ann Blyth:
RAWHIDE (1951) with Susan Hayward:
Tyrone Power left us far too soon, but what a legacy he left behind!
posted by Laura @ 7:58 AM
2 Comments:
Seems like a good time for Universal Vault to get it together and put out the beautiful, captivating, highly romantic THE MISSISSIPPI GAMBLER (1953), with its wonderful art direction, music, Technicolor and with Piper Laurie and Julie Adams (Julia then) both, not to mention John McIntire, directed by Rudolph Mate who had his share of fetching films.
This was Power's first film after his Fox contract ended--his remaining three Fox films were all directed by Henry King, who had launched him as a star in LLOYDS OF LONDON (1937) and directed him in many others after that.
For me, Tyrone Power is like many stars--he got better as he matured, and most of my favorite of his movies were made after the war. THE RAZOR'S EDGE and (especially) NIGHTMARE ALLEY are both memorable. In John Ford's THE LONG GRAY LINE, Power is just superb in a very rich role, as his character has to age over the course of 50 years.
Despite claims that the actors are too old for their roles, I find THE SUN ALSO RISES works just fine with the people cast (Errol Flynn had a late career high in this), and I say this as someone who loves Hemingway's novel. The movie does not need to be the same to be good in its own right and it has its own character. Power is very moving in this.
I'll just add that I caught up with THIS ABOVE ALL just last year and so enjoyed your deeply felt piece which preceded this.
Blake, THE MISSISSIPPI GAMBLER is probably at the top of my Power wish list! I've never seen it and it sounds absolutely wonderful.
Until that day, I'll have to content myself with THE EDDY DUCHIN STORY and PONY SOLDIER -- I don't buy many Blu-rays but just got those Twilight Time releases because they're Tyrone Power films. :)
THE SUN ALSO RISES is another one I've never seen. Kind of amazing to contemplate Power and Flynn in the same film, even if it was late in their careers.
I'm so glad you also have seen THIS ABOVE ALL. It moved me very much.
Best wishes,
Laura
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