Saturday, August 2, 2014

Mrs. DODSWORTH (1929)

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Quoting Mr. Lewis


Sam & Fran Dodsworth *
She could love him 
so much more
if they weren't...
a pair of 
old horses
in a treadmill








Fran Dodsworth made a high art of deflating him, 
of enfeebling him, with one quick 
innocent-sounding phrase. 

By the most careless comment on his bulky new overcoat 
she could make him feel like a lout in it

“The flappers think I’m as venerable 
 as the bishop’s wife. 
 They make me feel old, 
 with their confounded respectfulness
–and  their charming rejoicing 
 when I go home from a dance early
–I, who can dance better, yes, 
 and longer, than any of them...”         

Sinclair Lewis**






    starred in the 1936 film version  
    of Dodsworth. 


**In 1926, Sinclair Lewis 
    was photographed
     by Man Ray




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10 comments:

  1. In this Man Ray photo, Sinclair Lewis looks like
    a young Fred Astaire.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your right! There is a very strong resemblance.
      Man Ray would have loved it
      if the Fred Astaire look-alike
      could have danced along
      the threads of the big screw!

      Maybe the contemplative Sinclair
      was thinking of doing
      exactly that.

      Delete
  2. And would Man Ray reveal that man
    So many years in future time may
    find negative communication
    preferable still?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There is a subset of "negative" communication
      that can have more truth to it than
      positive communication.

      It used to be known as
      constructive criticism

      Delete
  3. Pfffffft–A word with 6 f 's–
    deserves quotation marks!

    ReplyDelete
  4. "ive igs with alala sprouts" use'm here!

    ReplyDelete