Collar City Brownstone: Anthony Perkins

I wish that I could include this movie in my period drama challenge but it does not qualify. I had to watch it anyway because after I read the synopsis it looked really interesting. I streamed this movie on Netflix on Sunday and really enjoyed it.

Goodbye Again was released on June 25, 1961. In Europe it was released as Aimez-vous Brahms?. It is directed and produced by Anatole Litvak. The film stars three of the best actors the world has ever known; Ingrid Bergman, Anthony Perkins and Yves Montand.

Goodbey Again is a film about a 40 year old interior decorator named Paula Tessier (played by Bergman) who is deeply in love with a French businessman named Roger Demarest (played by Yves Montand). Paula has been in love with Roger for the past 5 years. Roger cares for Paula, but not enough to be faithful to her. Roger is a big time philanderer; a fact that he did tell Paula about right from the start but for some strange reason Paula told Roger that it was okay. Roger is ruggedly handsome and quite a charmer. Paula cannot help her feelings for Roger and after 5 years with him wants to be his one and only. Roger has been discreet but Paula was always able to tell when he was going to be with another woman. Countless times Roger would call to cancel dates with her at the last minute.

Paula is hired by Mrs. Van Der Besh, a socialite to decorate her apartment. On the day that Paula meets Mrs Van Der Besh, she also meets her son Philip Van Der Besh who is played brilliantly by Anthony Perkins. Philip who is only 25 years old is instantly attracted to Paula.

Anthony Perkins always seemed to fit roles where the characters have excessive behaviors. I always wondered if he was like that in real life because he portrayed these types of characters so well.

Philip immediately begins to constantly put himself in Paula's space. Just about everywhere Paula goes Philip is there. Paula tells Philip that not only is she too old for him, but she is in love with another man. Philip does not care about Paula's age and he is determined to take Paula away from Roger.

While Roger is away on a business trip Paula finally decides there is no harm in attending a Brahms concert with Philip. All through the show Philip cannot take his eyes off of Paula. It is actually really creepy and that should have been a clue to Paula.

One afternoon Philip spots Roger meeting this woman on the street for a rendevous. Roger told Paula that he was going on another business trip but Philip knows it is a lie. Roger went away to be with this woman.

When Roger returns from his "business trip" he slips up and Paula realizes that he was with another woman. Paula cannot stand by any longer and take Roger's philandering.

Paula resolves to move on from Roger.

Paula and Philip become lovers. Philip worships the ground that Paula walks on.

For the first time Paula really feels loved. She knows that Philip really loves her and all the attention and focus that Philip gives her is what she wanted from Roger. Paula is self conscious about her age though and she has to withstand looks and comments from others about the age difference.

One problem that Paula has with Philip is that he is a spoiled child that does like to work. While Paula is out working all day Philip is sitting around her apartment. Philip has a job that his mother got for him but he only shows up about once a week. Paula finally has to confront him about it.

Several months after breaking it off with Roger, she runs into him while she is out dining and dancing with Philip. Roger always knew that Philip wanted Paula and he could not stand the thought of Paula with another man, even though he was never faithful to her. Roger visits Paula at her workplace and finally tells her that he cannot live without her. Paula is elated (fool) and gets engaged to Roger. I wanted to scream at my laptop screen at Paula. I knew she was making a big mistake. Roger was simply jealous and did not want Paula to move on from him.

Paula tells Philip to news that she is going to marry Roger. Philip runs off and is a very broken and hurt man.

Philip is in tears as he walks away. I felt so sorry for him.

Paula and Roger get married and things seem fine at first. But one evening as Paula is getting ready to go out and have dinner with her husband he calls and cancels at the last minute. Deep down Paula knows he is meeting another woman and that his philandering has started again.

I have been madly in love myself a few times, so I know how Paula feels. She is madly in love with Roger and cannot purge him from her system which causes her to make the huge mistake of accepting a man who will not treat her with the respect and love that she deserves. Paula had that with Philip, but she has thrown him aside and now stuck with a husband who never had any intentions on being faithful.

Paula has a housekeeper-maid named Gaby who really cares about her and looks out for her.

Diahann Carroll makes a brief appearance close to the end of the film as a nightclub singer.

Goodbye Again did very well in Europe, but was not well received in America. Anthony Perkins won an award at the Cannes Film Festival for his performance. The previous year Perkins starred as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's film Psycho. I think it is a very good movie and at a loss as to why the critics in America would pan it. I would say that Anthony Perkins' performance stole the show in this film. Even though I thought Philip was one card away from a "full deck", at least he was consistent and Paula could count on him.

Anthony Perkins and Ingrid Bergman on the set of Goodbye Again.

Ingrid Bergman and Yves Montand in publicity photo.

Ingrid Bergman and Anthony Perkins in publicity photo.

Anthony Perkins, Ingrid Bergman, and Yves Montand at the Cannes Film Festival. Ingrid Bergman was 46 and Anthony Perkins was 29 when they made Goodbye Again.

This past Sunday I streamed Desire Under the Elms on netflix. This movie is based on a play of the same title written by Eugene O'Neill in 1924. The movie came out on March 12, 1958. The film stars Sophia Loren as Anna Cabot, Anthony Perkins as Eben Cabot, Burl Ives as Ephraim Cabot, Pernell Roberts and Frank Overton as Peter and Simeon Cabot. Some of you may remember that Pernell Roberts later starred as Trapper John MD on television.

The entire cast of this movie did an outstanding job. Let me start with Sophia Loren. As usual, Sophia is absolutely GORGEOUS in this film. Sophia's beauty is definitely in a category of its own. Also being Italian, no one can deny that Sophia's heavy Italian accent in the movie is genuine. It was also lovely to listen too. Of course Sophia had to speak English in this movie and she pronounced every word clearly and distinctly.

As Anna, Sophia Loren plays a 25 year old Italian immigrant. Anna works as a waitress and that is how she meets Ephraim Cabot. Ephraim is on old man of 76 years who has been widowed twice and has three sons. Anna marries Ephraim so that she will finally have a home and land to call her own. Ephraim though is a stingy and mean spirited. He hides his money so that no one can find it and does not want to leave his family anything after he dies. Ephraim would rather see the house burned down before anyone gets their hands on it, including Anna.

Eben Cabot knows where his father always kept his money hidden. When Eben was a little boy and his mother was still alive she showed him where his father hides his money and to never forget it. Eben's mother also told him that the land rightfully belongs to him when she dies. Eben who loves his mother dearly never forgot and vowed to make sure he gets what is rightfully his, which is the house and the land.

Eben Cabot is brilliantly played by Anthony Perkins. He is very handsome in this movie too.

Eben takes money out of the bag that his father has hidden and pays off his brothers Peter and Simeon to leave and also sign a legal document stating that both of them give up their rights to the house and land.

Pernell; Roberts and Frank Overton as brothers Peter and Simeon Cabot.

Ephraim Cabot, played by Burl Ives, brings home his new wife Anna.

Anna and Eben falll in love and start having an affair behind Ephraim's back

Eben is a nice enough guy, but he likes to blame everyone around him for everything. At one point Eben blames his affair with Anna on her alone as if he was not a willing participant and just as in love with her as she is with him. This Eben does just on the words of his father whom he never liked or trusted. All of a sudden Eben takes his father's words for truth in that instance which makes no sense.

This is the ending scene of Ephraim standing under a tree alone. Ephraim still has his land, house and money but he drove away everyone in his family so what good is it to have all of those things if no one loves you or wants to be around you. The ending did seem kind of sudden though. All in all this is a very good movie and it kept me engaged.