Anna Christie
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Anna Christie
Plot
Accompanied by one of the most successful advertising campaigns in Hollywood history, Greta Garbo made her "talking picture" debut in this carefully chosen vehicle, the second screen version of Eugene O'Neill's 1922 play about the Minnesota-raised Swedish girl who desperately attempts to keep her unsavory past from her long-lost father, Kris (George F. Marion). But when she falls for a charming Irish sailor, Matt Burke (Charles Bickford), Anna can keep her secret no longer. Learning that the girl used to be a prostitute, Matt is at first repulsed, but quickly realizes that he cannot live without her. Working overtime, Garbo filmed both Swedish and German versions under the direction of Belgian Jacques Feyder. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, RoviReview
It is all too easy at this late stage to scoff at the presumed staginess of Anna Christie or of Greta Garbo's much-imitated opening line of "Gimme a vhisky, ginger ale on the side." In reality, however, the drama actually holds up fine in comparison with most talkies from 1930 and William Daniels' camera is surprisingly fluid. George F. Marion, who originated the role of Chris on Broadway back in 1922, makes Anna's old seadog of a father much more than a vaudeville turn and Marie Dressler deservedly won recognition for her downtrodden old sod of a waterfront floozy. As for Garbo herself, she makes Eugene O'Neill's heroine unforgettably her own. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, RoviCast
- Greta Garbo - Anna Christie
- George F. Marion - Chris Christopherson
- Marie Dressler - Marthy Owen
- Charles Bickford - Matt Burke
Credit
Cedric Gibbons - Art Director, Adrian - Costume Designer, Clarence Brown - Director, Hugh Wynn - Editor, William H. Daniels - Cinematographer, Clarence Brown - Producer, Frances Marion - Screenwriter, Eugene O'Neill - Play Author| Anna Christie (1923 Film), Anna Boleyn (1920 Film) | |
| Anna Christie (1957 Film), Anna Filmje (1992 Film) |
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Anna Christie
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Anna Christie (1930 film)
| Anna Christie | |
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 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Clarence Brown |
| Produced by | Clarence Brown Paul Bern Irving Thalberg |
| Written by | Frances Marion (screenplay) Eugene O'Neill (play) |
| Starring | Greta Garbo Charles Bickford George F. Marion Marie Dressler |
| Cinematography | William Daniels |
| Editing by | Hugh Wynn |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | February 21, 1930 |
| Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Anna Christie is a 1930 MGM Pre-Code drama film adaptation of the 1922 play by Eugene O'Neill. It was adapted by Frances Marion, produced and directed by Clarence Brown with Paul Bern and Irving Thalberg as co-producers. The cinematography was by William H. Daniels, the art direction by Cedric Gibbons and the costume design by Adrian.
The film stars Greta Garbo, Charles Bickford, George F. Marion, and Marie Dressler.
It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actress (Greta Garbo), Best Cinematography and Best Director. This pre-Code film is the movie that used the marketing slogan "Garbo Talks!", as it was her first talkie.
Of all its stars, Garbo was the one that MGM kept out of talking films the longest, to coach her in English and to add to her mystique. Her famous first line is: "Gif me a vhisky, ginger ale on the side, and don't be stingy, baby!"[1] In fact, Garbo's English was so good by the time she appeared in this film, she had to add an accent in several retakes to sound more like the Swedish Anna.[2]
George F. Marion performed the role of Anna's father in the original Broadway production and in both the 1923 and 1930 film adaptations.
In early 1931, MGM released a German-language version, also starring Garbo, with Theo Shall, Hans Junkermann and Salka Viertel. (In this version, the famous opening line became "Whisky – aber nicht zu knapp!" ["Whiskey, but not too short"].) The English and German language versions grossed a combined $1,499,000.
In addition to the English and German-language version of this film, a silent version with titles was also made.[3]
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Contents
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Cast
- Greta Garbo as Anna Christie
- Charles Bickford as Matt Burke
- George F. Marion as Chris Christofferson
- Marie Dressler as Marthy Owens
- James T. Mack as Johnny the Harp
- Lee Phelps as Larry
Academy Award nominations
The film received the following Academy Awards nominations:[4]
Modern critical reception
Despite its historic significance as Garbo's first talking film, film historian Richard Schickel today describes the film as "dull", with Marie Dressler providing "the only vitality in an otherwise static and ludicrous" film.[5]
References
- ^ Hay, Peter (1991). MGM: When the Lion Roars. Atlanta: Turner Publishing, Inc.. p. 68. ISBN 1-878685-04-X
- ^ Hay, p. 72
- ^ Alan Gevinson (1 October 1997). American Film Institute catalog. University of California Press. pp. 37–. ISBN 978-0-520-20964-0. http://books.google.com/?id=bsoUXGZSxZcC&pg=PA37. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
- ^ Osborne, Robert (1994). 65 Years of the Oscar: The Official History of the Academy Awards. London: Abbeville Press. p. 25. ISBN 1-55859-715-8.
- ^ Schickel, Richard (1962). The Stars. New York: Bonanza Books, a division of Crown Publishers, Inc.. p. 134.
External links
- Anna Christie at the Internet Movie Database
- Anna Christie at AllRovi
- Anna Christie at the TCM Movie Database
- Production notes and still gallery at GarboForever.com
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