Auteur List: Howard Hawks - Discussion and Defenses

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domino harvey
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Auteur List: Howard Hawks - Discussion and Defenses

#1 Post by domino harvey » Fri May 29, 2020 11:37 pm

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THE AUTEUR LIST: HOWARD HAWKS
June 01 - July 31


ELIGIBILITY SPECIFICS, EXCEPTIONS, AND SPECIAL CASES

Any film with Howard Hawks credited as director is eligible. Additionally, the following films without Hawks' directorial credit but with at least some direction provided by Hawks (as identified by Hawks biographer Todd McCarthy) are also eligible:

(in chronological order) the Little Princess (1917), the Prizefighter and the Lady (1933), Viva Villa! (1934), the Outlaw (1943), Corvette K-225 (1943), the Thing From Another World (1951)

You cannot vote solely for Hawks' contribution to the portmanteau film O. Henry's Full House and must vote for the entire film

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR LIST
Lists should be PMed to me, domino harvey, by July 31st

If you can read this, you are eligible to submit a list. If you are a lurker and want to participate, you should be able to PM me even if you cannot PM other members, as I am a moderator. If you are not able to PM me, please PM cdnchris, the forum's admin, who will either unlock your posting privileges or forward your list on to me

The minimum and standard number of submitted films for each participating member is 10, in ranked order (With number one being the best and so on down the line). But if you love Hawks so much that you can't limit yourself to ten, your final list may comprise of up to 15 films in ranked order, or any number between 10 and 15. Lists with only ten film listed and those with fifteen will have their top tens weighted the same. The final list will comprise of a Top 25, with supplemental recordings of also-rans and orphans, as in other list projects.

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Re: Auteur List: Billy Wilder - Discussion and Defenses

#2 Post by knives » Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:37 am

Rayon Vert wrote:
Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:20 am
Surprising indeed. Let's hope the trend continues for Hawks.
One would hope Hawks, a better director with a wider range of popular films, will do at least as well as Wilder.

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Re: Auteur List: Billy Wilder - Discussion and Defenses

#3 Post by therewillbeblus » Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:48 am

Hopefully people can (or are willing to) use their local libraries soon.. I'm not worried about members having a top ten already of great Hawks, but there are a few blind spots I've found a lot of people have to his best work. While Air Force is only $10 on Amazon, Twentieth Century is going for a whopping $40+ for the DVD, and it would be a shame if these were barriers to accessing a few of his best films. Wilder has the benefit of most of his stuff already released through boutique labels in either regions A or B on blu-ray.

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Re: Auteur List: Billy Wilder - Discussion and Defenses

#4 Post by knives » Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:57 am

That is definitely a problem. I was hoping to rewatch The Real Glory which is a potential top five for me, but the library situation means I'll probably have to buy it which isn't the worst proposition, just a pain when I'm trying to save up for a condo.

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Re: Auteur List: Billy Wilder - Discussion and Defenses

#5 Post by Rayon Vert » Mon Jun 01, 2020 11:06 am

I gather you mean The Road to Glory? A remake and to me anyway a pale version of Bernard's Croix de bois (Wooden Crosses), even lifting some of the footage if I remember right.

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Re: Auteur List: Billy Wilder - Discussion and Defenses

#6 Post by knives » Mon Jun 01, 2020 11:35 am

Yes. The beauty of autocorrect. I'd argue it's an equal to Bernard's film though I guess we can debate that when the real thread opens.

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Re: Auteur List: Billy Wilder - Discussion and Defenses

#7 Post by therewillbeblus » Mon Jun 01, 2020 11:41 am

And I prefer it to the Bernard, so we've got three different perspectives right away! Already looking forward to it

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Re: Auteur List: Billy Wilder - Discussion and Defenses

#8 Post by Rayon Vert » Mon Jun 01, 2020 11:43 am

knives wrote:
Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:57 am
I was hoping to rewatch The Real Glory which is a potential top five for me, but the library situation means I'll probably have to buy it which isn't the worst proposition
FYI it's up on YT.

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Re: Auteur List: Billy Wilder - Discussion and Defenses

#9 Post by dustybooks » Mon Jun 01, 2020 12:08 pm

therewillbeblus wrote:
Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:48 am
Hopefully people can (or are willing to) use their local libraries soon..
Most of the public libraries in my surrounding area remain closed but are doing curbside pickup for holds... including the one I run! Hopefully that trend spreads around quickly.

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Re: Auteur List: Howard Hawks - Discussion and Defenses

#10 Post by therewillbeblus » Mon Jun 01, 2020 12:59 pm

Approaching this project, I realized that I had seen every Hawks film from Bringing Up Baby on (most of them many times, excluding a couple uncredited jobs), but was spotty in the first half of his career (strange that I’ve stalled so long in the 30s, which feels like his strongest decade in many respects). Barring a very select few (I just rewatched Ball of Fire for the Wilder project; and I don’t know if I can do another Rio Bravo viewing so soon after my last) I’m currently going through his entire filmography again chronologically, starting with the silents - of which I had seen none. Since I got advanced notice about getting redeployed to work this week (where I am now), I got a bit of a head-start just in case things go down a certain road. I'm currently in the 50s, but I'll try to stagger my posts a bit so as not to just dump the 27 writeups I already have and run.

In the spirit of giving recs for those to prioritize who can or will not be doing this ridiculous undertaking, as far as titles that might be blind spots, as I mentioned earlier Twentieth Century is not only my favorite Hawks film, but my favorite pure comedy ever. I do think it requires meeting a wavelength that is far less accessible than his other comedies (I didn't laugh once on my first viewing) and especially for fans of screwball, as it's kind of its own animal. I have more to say about that in my writeup, but it's worth noting (and exhibit A for my own reminders of the power of revisits with an open mind, since it went from least-favorite Hawks to favorite a few years back!)

I may not love Air Force as much as Only Angels Have Wings (which hopefully everyone owns), but they're both practically perfect aviation camaraderie films that explore that thematic interest wonderfully, and are side-by-side in my top five. Don't sleep on Ceiling Zero either, which these two may edge out, but it has its own charms and is one of Hawks' best early dramas.

In a very unpopular opinion (probably) I was absolutely bewildered to find that I loved Hawks' A Song Is Born on a revisit far more than I remembered and also more than Ball of Fire by a good margin. I think it falls in step with the motives for comedy that film struggled with at times, especially given the dynamic between the new leads and flexible space allotted to letting these eccentric interactions play out.

The biggest swing for me has to be Sergeant York though, which I remembered (from long ago, in my defense) as a passable propaganda film with a terrific ending. When domino listed it in his top ten of the 40s I made a pledge to revisit it since I was puzzled that anyone could rank it so high. Well, I'm happy to report that I now consider it to be a masterpiece and one of Hawks' very best. Again, the power of second chances with a fresh perspective and an open mind yielding great rewards. It's also his most emotionally-affecting film, at least for me on a very personal level.

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Re: Auteur List: Howard Hawks - Discussion and Defenses

#11 Post by DarkImbecile » Mon Jun 01, 2020 1:15 pm

therewillbeblus wrote:
Mon Jun 01, 2020 12:59 pm
In the spirit of giving recs for those to prioritize who can or will not be doing this ridiculous undertaking, as far as titles that might be blind spots, as I mentioned earlier Twentieth Century is not only my favorite Hawks film, but my favorite pure comedy ever. I do think it requires meeting a wavelength that is far less accessible than his other comedies (I didn't laugh once on my first viewing) and especially for fans of screwball, as it's kind of its own animal. I have more to say about that in my writeup, but it's worth noting (and exhibit A for my own reminders of the power of revisits with an open mind, since it went from least-favorite Hawks to favorite a few years back!)
I've only seen about a dozen of Hawks' features, but I'll be pretty shocked if Twentieth Century doesn't end up at the very top of this list for me; I'm thrilled to have the excuse to watch it again, and I've already revisited once since my first viewing for the Screwball list:
DarkImbecile wrote:
Tue Feb 19, 2019 10:03 am
There are a few from the final list I still intend to seek out, none more than To Be or Not to Be, while the film that I caught the night before the project ended that I think I undervalued tremendously by ranking it at number three (behind what turned out to be the final list’s tied #1s) was Twentieth Century.

What an awesome performance from John Barrymore, who beautifully chews through what might be the most quotable character of the decade. The inherently theatrical and deceptive natures of the lead characters make the transitions between the different layers of the various performances they give to whoever happens to be in the room with them at the moment so enjoyable. The same applies to Lombard’s evolution from a meek amateur to a full-fledged Hollywood diva and Barrymore’s decline from regal theatrical tyrant to, well, just a poorer theatrical tyrant.

Upon more than twelve hours of reflection, this is the one I’d most enjoy rewatching and showing others, and I should have put at #1; probably not enough of a move to nudge it into the top five, but still a shame.

[Insert GIF of Barrymore hurling black paint over my original list and screaming “ANATHEMA!”]

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Re: Auteur List: Howard Hawks - Discussion and Defenses

#12 Post by bottled spider » Mon Jun 01, 2020 1:23 pm

I happened to watch Rio Bravo a couple days ago (unaware of the impending list), immediately after Trouble in Paradise. It was Wilder or Wyler, I forget which, who kept a sign reading How Would Lubitsch Do It on his office wall, but it might as easily have been Hawks. That opening to Rio Bravo shows the same questing for an original and enticing beginning. In a later moment, the camera pulling back to reveal that it is Angie Dickinson giving Dean Martin his shave might be called a 'Lubitsch touch'. Not that I want to attribute everything clever or funny in Hawks to the influence of the earlier director, it was just interesting to watch Rio Bravo in a Lubitsch frame of mind. I'll rhapsodize one more poetic moment among many: the blood dripping into the glass of beer. Perfect!

Returning to the beginning, that Dean Martin sure was something. He slinks in with the mien of a beaten dog, looking like death warmed over, but still somehow exudes presence and charisma.

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Re: Auteur List: Howard Hawks - Discussion and Defenses

#13 Post by senseabove » Mon Jun 01, 2020 1:41 pm

(Wilder had the Lubitsch sign)

Hawks is a relatively recent discovery for me, at least "as an auteur" and not just a name in the credits of several movies it turns out I'd seen. As much as I'd like to, I don't think I have the time or energy to do the complete filmography after last month's single-minded Wilder rush—I was motivated to do Wilder largely because I was about 2/3 of the way there already. But I'm hoping to making it through enough to at least compile a list for this one, since I already intended to seek out more Hawks...

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Re: Auteur List: Howard Hawks - Discussion and Defenses

#14 Post by therewillbeblus » Mon Jun 01, 2020 1:41 pm

DarkImbecile wrote:
Tue Feb 19, 2019 10:03 am
There are a few from the final list I still intend to seek out, none more than To Be or Not to Be, while the film that I caught the night before the project ended that I think I undervalued tremendously by ranking it at number three (behind what turned out to be the final list’s tied #1s) was Twentieth Century.

What an awesome performance from John Barrymore, who beautifully chews through what might be the most quotable character of the decade. The inherently theatrical and deceptive natures of the lead characters make the transitions between the different layers of the various performances they give to whoever happens to be in the room with them at the moment so enjoyable. The same applies to Lombard’s evolution from a meek amateur to a full-fledged Hollywood diva and Barrymore’s decline from regal theatrical tyrant to, well, just a poorer theatrical tyrant.

Upon more than twelve hours of reflection, this is the one I’d most enjoy rewatching and showing others, and I should have put at #1; probably not enough of a move to nudge it into the top five, but still a shame.

[Insert GIF of Barrymore hurling black paint over my original list and screaming “ANATHEMA!”]
Great reading, and one that I share a lot in. I'll wait to post mine til its point in chronology, but essentially I think that while His Girl Friday relies on a snappy script of interplay contingent on a structured collaboration, and Bringing Up Baby relies on setpieces and situational predicaments for its actors to play off of, Twentieth Century has a chaotic looseness where each performer is completely unhinged hamming it up individually responding to stimuli. When so much animated noise is happening in a room, characters trying to one-up each other, and experimenting with various reactions, you get a collaboration that evolves organically. That isn't a knock on the other two comedies, which will undoubtedly place very high on my list too, but Twentieth Century is the kind of film where, if I were to read the script, nothing would be funny. It's the actors' interpretations (specifically Barrymore's unpredictable and erratic behavior) that transform typical language, that could easily have been a Whiplash-like drama, into hysterics. This of course fits in line with Hawks' own quotes on comedy, but it's the best example of it.

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Re: Auteur List: Howard Hawks - Discussion and Defenses

#15 Post by knives » Mon Jun 01, 2020 1:56 pm

I'm incredibly excited for this as Hawks is a director who has grown with me quite strongly. My trajectory with him is the opposite of that of Wilder. It took me years to like any Hawks film with the first half dozen or so going over for me like a lead balloon. It wasn't until seeing 20th Century that I came to understand Hawks' cinema. That probably explains some of my eccentric likes and dislikes, I've only been able to sit through Rio Bravo once without falling asleep yet I may very well vote for both of his remakes, though again unlike Wilder revisits have shown my judgements to be wrong on a number of the those earlier films.

His Girl Friday was probably the very first Hawks I saw and decided to give it a second look finally after all these years. My memory was of an okay film that was bereft of laughs. I've grown a lot as a viewer and have fallen in love with the the Milestone variant (I've bagged on Wilder enough already) which I'd call a masterwork so perhaps this one was great too.

Well, some things don't change with age and the only change is now I can contextualize my nonplussed reaction. The distaff idea could be great, but making the sex tension explicit is a boring way to do it and makes that relationship seem all the more mild. The relationship is much less engaging for me than on the Milestone. The hook for Hildy to stay with the paper also doesn't make as much sense for this version of the character. Russell plays things cool and smart giving a sense that she's above it all. Her getting lost in newsmania just doesn't seem in character. What makes the other versions great is also all the bizarre background characters, but they're scrubbed clean. Except for the dull fiancé whose whole joke is that he's dull none of these extras amount to characters. No accounting for my taste, but I can't see why this is regarded as Hawks' classic over some more interesting, to me, films.

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Re: Auteur List: Howard Hawks - Discussion and Defenses

#16 Post by Rayon Vert » Mon Jun 01, 2020 1:57 pm

therewillbeblus wrote:
Mon Jun 01, 2020 12:59 pm
Don't sleep on Ceiling Zero either, which these two may edge out, but it has its own charms and is one of Hawks' best early dramas.
That's definitely a recommendation from me as well in terms of lesser-known Hawks films. (I've seen all his filmography from The Dawn Patrol up, excepting Rio Lobo, and have seen A Girl in Every Port among the silents.) But it's also certainly one that's harder to find.

My write-up in the 30s list:
Rayon Vert wrote:
Sun Sep 23, 2018 12:46 pm
Ceiling Zero (Hawks 1936). Such a dry run for Only Angels Have Wings in certain aspects that it isn’t surprising it gets forgotten. It’s nowhere in the same league as the later film, and it’s a much more humble, plain little WB piece (and Newark definitely ain’t no Barranca!), but it’s worth seeing. There’s some solid adult writing here, and a feel for the ensemble and the relationships among characters (with one of the earliest Hawksian women, one of the pilots among the men who goes by the name of “Tommy”), some good suspense, and Cagney of course who brings in his usual dynamo energy and persona. Not the great flight visuals we get in OAHV or The Dawn Patrol though.

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Re: Auteur List: Howard Hawks - Discussion and Defenses

#17 Post by Dr Amicus » Mon Jun 01, 2020 2:09 pm

Hawks was our set director-as-auteur in my first year of Film Studies at university and I got to see many of the films in 35mm, occasionally 16. I have to say, I did not get on with Twentieth Century at all - I can't remember why (this being over 30 years ago) but I remember actively disliking it. The only other one on the course that I remember that I was not keen on was A Girl in Every Port - that one sent me to sleep! I suspect print access may have been an issue, but surprisingly neither Only Angels Have Wings nor His Girl Friday were shown, and nothing later than Hatari! - even though in our course reader there was an article on Rio Lobo (talking of which - this seems to be on UK TV channels far more than any other Hawks)- but we did get to see Tiger Shark. Actually, I still have my course reader and the set book - Robin Wood's book on Hawks - so I'll fish them out. I've been meaning to do a rewatch for some years, ever since I picked up McCarthy's biography thinking it would be good to combine some viewing and reading.

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Re: Auteur List: Howard Hawks - Discussion and Defenses

#18 Post by therewillbeblus » Mon Jun 01, 2020 2:16 pm

I found Ceiling Zero to have more playful tonal shifts and actually emerged as distinct from those other air force films in some respects, though I agree it's not as good (I liked it more than Dawn Patrol though, which is still excellent). A Girl in Every Port is easily his best silent, and honestly the only one that really bears his trademarks (as has been discussed in critical discourse so hardly an original thought). You really don't need to scramble to find his others, though some have their moments. Ah, might as well post those writeups, to get them over with:


The Little Princess is a silly little fairy tale with Mary Pickford that has no Hawks brand whatsoever. I don’t know whether he was an AD or what, but it’s a minor work regardless of his participation.


Fig Leaves is an intermittently funny film, taking the initial story of interpersonal conflict in Adam and Eve and modernizing it. The best parts of the film are in the first 15 minutes where Hawks takes modern sexual politics and transports them into biblical (or apparently caveman) times. Those gags fire on all cylinders and if the film stayed in that timezone for longer, the film could have been better, but the ‘modern’ scenes have their brief laughs too, especially via similarities in the early transition. The film loses itself in a few repetitive sexist jokes, but quickly shares its scathing attitude with the men and the balance serves a higher purpose of social absurdism. After the first ten or so minutes of the modern timeline, unfortunately the laughs dwindle for good.

While the film isn’t great, Hawks demonstrates his comprehension of film language immediately, staging scenes and cutting effortlessly to contain action appropriately and keep the energy flowing. I was more impressed with his expertise in methodology than the humor though.


The Cradle Snatchers is the first indicator of Hawks’ attentive eye and staging of dynamic situations between people. There is an early ‘misunderstanding’ that escalates so quickly, and is extra funny simply because of the way Hawks has patiently, yet succinctly, set the stage. His ability to use space in medium takes, direct and capture body language and reactions to elevate the gags, is on full display. Unfortunately the film itself lags in parts, and doesn’t make a whole lot of sense (even with the missing reel) so there is a lot of unrealised potential following that early peak. Still, it was nice to see Hawks evolve between pictures to showcase a glimpse of the comic intelligence to come.


Paid to Love was a transition from comedy into more dedicated romance (although Hawks’ first (*lost) film, The Road to Glory, was apparently a drama). He still employs some mannerist humor interspersed throughout, and especially at the beginning and ending bookends this is well-executed, with a few hilarious gags. I actually thought this was a full-comedy for the first act, but Hawks slowed his action down to meditate on emotion for the bulk of the rest. There are some cute moments, and the mood shifts are where this film soars, but the unbalanced middle section didn’t do it any favors. The ending does feel earned, and the emersion of solemnity and cathartic romance following a particular gag is orchestrated with confidence.


A Girl in Every Port has been called the first Hawks to convey the strength of platonic male relationships, and there is certainly a vibe of brotherhood affection that transcends domesticity between a pair. The location shots of McLaglen wandering around urban and rural areas is not a journey of loneliness but of liberation and empowerment. Camaraderie is found in this flexibility, and the two men brawling and providing a gesture to fix their sprained hands is affection through unstated fellowship, even if they still hate each other at this point. The relationship develops through experience, as all do, but Hawks’ males who can be their ‘true selves’ with ‘equals’ can grow together more deeply than they can with another person of a ‘lesser sex’ (let's be honest, these early films are a bit sexist- not that we should expect more from the 20s). McLaglen in particular is great and very funny too, and the story shapes up to be quite a sweet bromance in the final moments.

The life on the sea, including the tourist relations with women that eliminates responsibility, is a version of freedom for Hawks. While dated in sticking to masculine-only visions of this idea, this energy continues to be prioritized and explored today: The development of an identity through individualism, and distance from binding institutions that carry imposed ideologies, is being viewed as more and more invaluable by the day (just look at the birth rates!); opportunities for people to shape themselves to be their best.

These are also safe spaces for men to form bonds, and take actions that speak louder than words. It’s key to differentiate this from other institutions though, because Hawks is absolutely an institutionalist, who strongly believes in the importance of ‘belongingness’ and groups. His view seems to be that these male-dominated environments, revolving around a commonality in adventure and personal passion, should not be trumped by the limitations of responsibility from domestication. The accountability to oneself and one’s collective unit is the highest moral code to abide by, and so compromising this with overlapping external groups also compromises the man.

Even when love does prevail in his other films, there is a compromise to allow for men to have their cake and eat it too, or to move onto their wavelength. Bringing Up Baby is the one exception where it appears that Grant needs to get on Hepburn’s wavelength and give up his defaultive self-serious attention to work to meet her klutziness, though it could be argued that his quest all along has been a romantic one, and that this final surrender is actually his step forward into the ‘group’ he wants to belong but hasn’t had the courage to shed parts of himself for just yet. Always concerned with people reaching their full capabilities, perhaps this is Grant’s way of becoming his best self.

Anyways, A Girl in Every Port remains the best of Ford’s silents based on technique as well. He is able to craft a travelography with lots of moving parts and ideas seamlessly.


Fazil doesn’t feel like Hawks outside of being extremely well put together. These silent romantic dramas are never sure-bets for me, but I would be lying if I said it didn’t affect me with some romantic warmth. A few of the shots are just mesmerizing, and burst through even in shabby quality. Not reminiscent of Hawks’ staples, but a solid effort that - although an outlier - demonstrates his potential for mastering technical experimentation when he wants to try something new.

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Re: Auteur List: Howard Hawks - Discussion and Defenses

#19 Post by Rayon Vert » Mon Jun 01, 2020 4:23 pm

I did a bit of a search to see which films were available to rent on youtube or Amazon, and places to find those not available on either platform (forgive the unsteady formatting!). (Those not found are The Cradle Snatchers, Trent's Last Case, The Air Circus and Viva ViIla!).

The Little Princess ********************** unofficial upload on YT
Fig Leaves ****************************** unofficial upload on YT (not great quality)
Paid to Love **************************** unofficial upload on dailymotion
A Girl in Every Port ********************* unofficial upload on YT
Fazil *********************************** unofficial upload on YT (not great quality)
The Dawn Patrol *********************** unofficial upload on archive.org (“Flight Commander”)
The Criminal Code ********************* unofficial upload on YT
Scarface ******************************* rent YT and Amazon
The Crowd Roars ********************** rent Amazon
Tiger Shark **************************** unofficial upload on YT (not great quality)
Today We Live ************************* unofficial upload on ok.ru
The Prizefighter and the Lady ********* rent YT
Twentieth Century ******************** rent YT and Amazon
Barbary Coast ************************* rent Amazon & unofficial upload on dailymotion
Ceiling Zero ************************** unofficial upload on ok.ru
The Road to Glory ******************** unofficial upload on YT
Come and Get It ********************** rent Amazon & unofficial upload on ok.ru
Bringing Up Baby ********************* rent YT and Amazon
Only Angels Have Wings ************** rent Amazon
His Girl Friday ************************ rent YT and Amazon
Sergeant York ************************ rent YT and Amazon + Criterion Channel
Ball of Fire **************************** Criterion Channel
The Outlaw *************************** rent YT and Amazon
Air Force ****************************** rent YT and Amazon
Corvette K-225 *********************** unofficial upload on ok.ru
To Have and Have Not **************** rent YT and Amazon
The Big Sleep ************************* rent YT and Amazon
Red River ***************************** rent YT and Amazon
A Song Is Born ************************ unofficial upload on ok.ru
I Was a Male War Bride **************** rent YT and Amazon
The Thing from Another World ******* rent Amazon
The Big Sky ************************** rent Amazon
O. Henry’s Full House **************** rent YT and Amazon
Monkey Business ********************* rent Amazon
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes ************ rent YT and Amazon
Land of the Pharaohs ***************** rent YT
Rio Bravo ***************************** rent YT and Amazon
Hatari! ******************************** rent YT and Amazon
Man’s Favorite Sport? ***************** rent YT and Amazon
Red Line 7000 ************************ rent Amazon
El Dorado ***************************** rent YT and Amazon
Rio Lobo ****************************** rent Amazon

(thanks to added info by Never Cursed & Toland's Mitchell)
Last edited by Rayon Vert on Sun Jul 26, 2020 5:04 pm, edited 19 times in total.

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Re: Auteur List: Howard Hawks - Discussion and Defenses

#20 Post by therewillbeblus » Mon Jun 01, 2020 4:32 pm

Thanks for that guide! Just one note: The Outlaw is on YT for free. Also a few of those Amazon films are free with prime (The Big Sleep, His Girl Friday, Rio Lobo) for those who have that service.

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Re: Auteur List: Howard Hawks - Discussion and Defenses

#21 Post by Rayon Vert » Mon Jun 01, 2020 4:40 pm

I'd urge people to take the opportunity to watch the excellent The Dawn Patrol if they haven't already and don't own or plan to own the Warner Archive dvd.

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Re: Auteur List: Howard Hawks - Discussion and Defenses

#22 Post by Altair » Mon Jun 01, 2020 4:45 pm

In anticipation of this Lists project, I watched three of Hawks' more minor films of the weekend which were all new to me. Hoping for hidden gems, I instead found...

Land of the Pharoahs (1955)

Joan Collins has fun playing a Wicked Temptress and the location shooting in Egypt is pretty, but this is really a middling epic. Jack Hawkins is desperately miscast as an avaracious pharoah and the rest of the cast is all too banal. There's some fun in the construction of the labyrinth, but really the whole thing is just inert and nothing raises the temperature. William Faulkner is credited as having a hand in it, but more brilliant minds than mine will have to struggle to figure out what he's responsible for here. Still, this was the best of the three films...

Hatari! (1962)

Going in, I knew it had a reputation for being plotless, but this really is plotless. Things happen, but there's no tension, very little excitement. John Wayne is the only actor in the cast with any charisma, and for a hang-out film this is deadly: with mediocre support, it just becomes a drag. There's some beautiful location shooting in Tanzania and at least there isn't too much back projection, but the whole thing just sits there on the screen, waiting for something to happen and nothing ever does. The 'climax', if you can call it that, is extremely cringe-worthy, like something out of a subpar Disney film, and the comedy never lands. At two and a half hours, this is a real chore.

Red Line 7000 (1965)

The worst of the three, somehow. A Hawks film about racing drivers should be an easy hit, but this suffers from a stiff, no-name cast, really cheap looking production design, and again, for a 'hang-out' film the characters are too uninteresting and the drama too petty to have any tension. The cut-aways to real racing footage are initially fun, even if it looks really rough in comparison to the rest of the film, but then you realise Hawks doesn't know what to do with it. The racing scenes are just there to punctuate the romantic triangles every few scenes or so. You never know who is racing who, who's winning, who's loosing, there's no tension and it quickly becomes boring. If you want to see dramatic car crashes, that's what YouTube is for now. Somehow ever tougher to sit through than Hatari!.


These three films really show the limits of Hawks: he needs a really strong cast for his films to take off, otherwise they can quickly drag and his late career preference for male hang-out films desperately need across the board charisma to work. Land of the Pharoahs seems like an anonymous studio obligation, but the other two are indubitably Hawks films, and their flaws are the flaws of Hawks' method.

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knives
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Re: Auteur List: Howard Hawks - Discussion and Defenses

#23 Post by knives » Mon Jun 01, 2020 4:49 pm

Thanks Rayon Vert.

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Rayon Vert
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Re: Auteur List: Howard Hawks - Discussion and Defenses

#24 Post by Rayon Vert » Mon Jun 01, 2020 4:54 pm

I'm a pretty big Hatari! fan - starting with Rio Bravo Hawks changed his approach and really relaxed the rhythm. But I'll wait for my revisit to write up my defense.

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domino harvey
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Re: Auteur List: Howard Hawks - Discussion and Defenses

#25 Post by domino harvey » Mon Jun 01, 2020 4:55 pm

Red Line 7000 is beyond awful and Hawks' worst because above all else, as you say Altair, it is B O R I N G

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