Dec 9, 2022
Our RKO 1941 episode turns out to be well-timed, giving us an opportunity to weigh in on the 2022 Sight & Sound Critics' Poll, canon formation, and the uses (if any) of canons. From there we segue into a discussion of Orson Welles' Citizen Kane and its place in the cinematic canon, and then into a discussion of the film itself, and especially Kane's relationship with Susan Alexander Kane. Our second film, another unique work of art from the brief period when RKO's motto was Genius Over Showmanship, is William Dieterle's The Devil and Daniel Webster. We talk about it as a Popular Front movie, and how it may succeed and fail in that regard, as well as about the way it presents human nature and the concept of evil.
Time Codes:
0h 01m 00s: 2022 Sight and Sound Poll
0h 23m 13s: CITIZEN KANE [dir. Orson Welles]
1h 08m 49s: THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER [dir. William Dieterle]
Studio Film Capsules provided by The RKO Story by Richard B. Jewell & Vernon Harbin
Additional studio information from: The Hollywood Story by Joel W. Finler
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* Marvel at our meticulously ridiculous Complete Viewing Schedule for the 2020s
* Intro Song: “Sunday” by Jean Goldkette Orchestra with the Keller Sisters (courtesy of The Internet Archive)
* Read Elise’s latest film piece on Preston Sturges, Unfaithfully Yours, and the Narrative role of comedic scapegoating.
* Check out Dave’s new Robert Benchley blog – an attempt to annotate and reflect upon as many of the master humorist’s 2000+ pieces as he can locate – Benchley Data: A Wayward Annotation Project!
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