HARTLEY DIRECTORS, 4 EDItION reform school, was enacted by former inmates who improvised HARTLEY. Hal dialogue. For Hani, truth emerges from the juxtaposition of fiction and fact. He also believes that all people have an innate capacity for acting. Subsequent films, which deal with the effect of post-war urban Nationality: American Born: Lindenhurst, New York, 3 November realities on the lives of the young, include Children Hand in Hand and 69. Education: Attended Massachusetts College of Ar, late 1970s ferno of First Love. The former depicts young children in a pro State University of New York at Purchase Film School, graduated cial town and especially one backward child who becomes the butt with honors, 1984. Family: Married to actress Miho Nikaido ca- the other childrens malicious teasing and pranks; the latter is a story reer: Freelance production assistant, mid-1980s; worked for Action of two adolescents in modern Tokyo, each of whom has been (public ser exploited, who find with each other a short-lived refuge sored Hartleys first feature, The Unbelievable Truth, 1989; this Like his earlier documentaries, these films explore themes relatin film's success at the toronto film Festival led to its commercial to broken homes, the alienation of modern society, the traumatic release by Miramax, 1990. Awards: Deauville and Sao Palo Interna effects of childhood, the oppressiveness of a feudal value system, and tional Film Festivals, Audience Awards, for Trust, 1990: Tokyo the difficulty of escaping, eve en in an alternative social structure. To International Film Festival. Silver Award for Amateur. 1994: Cannes all these films Hani brings a deep psychological understanding of the Film Festival, Best Screenplay, for Henry Fool,1998.Address: c/o orkings of the human psyche. Finally, each of these films focuses on True Fiction Pictures, 12 w. 27th St, New York, NY 10001, U.S.A. individual growth and self-awakening, although Hani is clear indicate that the problems cannot be solved on a personal level. Both topics-growing self-awareness and a critique of the existing social Films as Director order-connect these works with Hani's second major theme, the emergence of women. nis first film on this subject was A Full Life, which deals with 1987 The Cartographer's Girlfriend(short)(+ed, pr) the efforts of a young wife, married to a self-involved older man, to 1988 Dogs(short)(+pr, co-sc forge a life of her own in the competitive world of modern Tokyo. 1990 The Unbelievable Truth(+sc, ed, pr) After demeaning work and involvement in the student demonstrations 1991 Trust(+ sc); Theory of Achievement(short, for TV)(+sc of the early 1960s, the wife returns home, a changed woman. mus); Surviving Desire(for TV)(+ SC, ed); Ambition(short, Hanis other films on this topic are She and He, the depiction of for TV)(+ sc) a middle-class marriage in which the wife gains independence by her kindness to a local ragpicker, and Bride of the Andes, the story of 1992 Simple Men(+ Sc, co-pr, mus) a mail-order Japanese bride in Peru who finds personal growth through her relationship with South American Indians. As in A Full Life, none of these women are able to make a full break with their usbands. However, through personal growth(usually affected by contact with a group or person marginal to society), they are able to challenge the patriarchal values of Japanese society as represented by their husbands and to return to the relationship with new understand ing and dignity. Both films starred Sachiko Hidari, who was then his wife Contact with a non-Japanese society and challenging Japanese kenophobia also occur in The Song of Bwana Toshi, which was filmed Kenya and deals with Toshi, an ordinary Japanese man living in Central Africa. Here he cooperates with natives and rises above his isolation to establish brotherhood with foreigners Hanis subsequent work, Timetable, combines his interest in contemporary youth with his continued interest in modern women. The story deals with two high school girls who decide to take a trip ogether. The fiction feature, which is narrated, was filmed in 8mm and each of the major actors was allowed to shoot part of the film Further, the audience is informed of who is shooting, thereby ac knowledging the filmmaker within the context of the work The use of 8mm is not new for hani. more than half of his fourth film originally shot in &mm. Likewise, the use of a narrator dates back to A Full Life. Throughout his career, Hani has concerned himself with people who have difficulty in communicating with one another. His documentaries, narratives on social problems, and dramas on emerg ing women have established his reputation as one of the foremost psychologists of the Japanese cinema. Patricia erens Hal Hartley
HARTLEY DIRECTORS, 4th EDITION 420 reform school, was enacted by former inmates who improvised dialogue. For Hani, truth emerges from the juxtaposition of fiction and fact. He also believes that all people have an innate capacity for acting. Subsequent films, which deal with the effect of post-war urban realities on the lives of the young, include Children Hand in Hand and Inferno of First Love. The former depicts young children in a provincial town and especially one backward child who becomes the butt of the other children’s malicious teasing and pranks; the latter is a story of two adolescents in modern Tokyo, each of whom has been exploited, who find with each other a short-lived refuge. Like his earlier documentaries, these films explore themes relating to broken homes, the alienation of modern society, the traumatic effects of childhood, the oppressiveness of a feudal value system, and the difficulty of escaping, even in an alternative social structure. To all these films Hani brings a deep psychological understanding of the workings of the human psyche. Finally, each of these films focuses on individual growth and self-awakening, although Hani is clear to indicate that the problems cannot be solved on a personal level. Both topics—growing self-awareness and a critique of the existing social order—connect these works with Hani’s second major theme, the emergence of women. Hani’s first film on this subject was A Full Life, which deals with the efforts of a young wife, married to a self-involved older man, to forge a life of her own in the competitive world of modern Tokyo. After demeaning work and involvement in the student demonstrations of the early 1960s, the wife returns home, a changed woman. Hani’s other films on this topic are She and He, the depiction of a middle-class marriage in which the wife gains independence by her kindness to a local ragpicker, and Bride of the Andes, the story of a mail-order Japanese bride in Peru who finds personal growth through her relationship with South American Indians. As in A Full Life, none of these women are able to make a full break with their husbands. However, through personal growth (usually affected by contact with a group or person marginal to society), they are able to challenge the patriarchal values of Japanese society as represented by their husbands and to return to the relationship with new understanding and dignity. Both films starred Sachiko Hidari, who was then his wife. Contact with a non-Japanese society and challenging Japanese xenophobia also occur in The Song of Bwana Toshi, which was filmed in Kenya and deals with Toshi, an ordinary Japanese man living in Central Africa. Here he cooperates with natives and rises above his isolation to establish brotherhood with foreigners. Hani’s subsequent work, Timetable, combines his interest in contemporary youth with his continued interest in modern women. The story deals with two high school girls who decide to take a trip together. The fiction feature, which is narrated, was filmed in 8mm and each of the major actors was allowed to shoot part of the film. Further, the audience is informed of who is shooting, thereby acknowledging the filmmaker within the context of the work. The use of 8mm is not new for Hani. More than half of his fourth film was originally shot in 8mm. Likewise, the use of a narrator dates back to A Full Life. Throughout his career, Hani has concerned himself with people who have difficulty in communicating with one another. His documentaries, narratives on social problems, and dramas on emerging women have established his reputation as one of the foremost psychologists of the Japanese cinema. —Patricia Erens HARTLEY, Hal Nationality: American. Born: Lindenhurst, New York, 3 November 1959. Education: Attended Massachusetts College of Art, late 1970s; State University of New York at Purchase Film School, graduated with honors, 1984. Family: Married to actress Miho Nikaido.Career: Freelance production assistant, mid-1980s; worked for Action Productions (public service announcements), whose president sponsored Hartley’s first feature, The Unbelievable Truth, 1989; this film’s success at the Toronto Film Festival led to its commercial release by Miramax, 1990. Awards: Deauville and Sao Palo International Film Festivals, Audience Awards, for Trust, 1990; Tokyo International Film Festival, Silver Award, for Amateur, 1994; Cannes Film Festival, Best Screenplay, for Henry Fool, 1998. Address: c/o True Fiction Pictures, 12 W. 27th St., New York, NY 10001, U.S.A. Films as Director: 1984 Kid (short, student thesis film) (+ sc, ed, pr) 1987 The Cartographer’s Girlfriend (short) (+ ed, pr) 1988 Dogs (short) (+ pr, co-sc) 1990 The Unbelievable Truth (+ sc, ed, pr) 1991 Trust (+ sc); Theory of Achievement (short, for TV) (+ sc, mus); Surviving Desire (for TV) (+ sc, ed); Ambition (short, for TV) (+ sc) 1992 Simple Men (+ sc, co-pr, mus) Hal Hartley
DIRECTORS, 4 EDITION HARTLEY 1994 Amateur(+ sc, pr, mus): NYC 3/94(short)(+ pr, sc): Opera House of Games as well as certain plays) and Harold Pinter(chiefly No. 1(short)(+ sc, mu) the period of The Homecoming), Hartleys dialogue tends toward the 1995 Flirt(+ sc, mus, role) laconic and the absurd: occasionally downright hilarious and almost 1997 Henry Fool (+ pr, sc, mu) always droll, especially when spoken by mostly humorless charac- 1998 The Book of Life(for TV)(+ sc) ters. Of the actors whom Hartley has used a number of times, Martin 2000 Kimono(+ sc) Donovan is supreme in his deadpan delivery of lines, with exactly the right amount of dry irony, anger, or cluelessness, as the moment calls for-though stage actor Thomas Jay Ryan, making his film debut as Publications Henry Fool, speaks as if born to the Hartley world. cinematic influences, Jean-Luc Godard has constantly been By hartlEy: books- singled out. Occasionally Hartley appears to be doing a conscious homage, as in the sudden burst into dance in Surviving Desire, a nod to Bande a part(Band of Outsiders)but a dance scene in Simpl Simple Men and Trust(screenplays), London and Boston, 1992 Men, similarly unexpected but more elaborately choreographed and Amateur(screenplay), London and Boston, 1994 integrated into the story, seems altogether original. The stylization of Flirt(screenplay ), London and Boston, 1996 violence in Amateur also recalls Godard, though the shoving matches Henry Fool(screenplay), London and Boston, 1998 of most of the earlier films are pure Hartley. Perhaps more subtly Godardian, Weekend vintage, are the vacant landscapes of"Long By harTLEY: articles- Island(actually Texas, for the most part) in Simple Men, where characters more or less stumble through their peculiar lives The Particularity and Peculiarity of Hal Hartley, interview with The Unbelievable Truth displays Hartleys unmistakable style and Justin Wyatt, in Film Quarterly, Fall 1998 tone. With a plot suited for either soap opera or film noir in its HalHartley-nobody'sFool,interviewwithDovKirnits,http://melodramaandromanticentanglements-anex-conreturnstothe filmink-online. com/hbs. cgi/feature=37, May 2000 town where he caused the deaths of two people, and where he is shunned by most but loved by a rebellious young woman-the film is On hartley articles instead a black comedy with a bent toward real romance all centered around the question of trusting people enough to accept their versions Fuller, Graham, Hal Hartleys World of Trouble and Desire, in of"the true story. Hartleys hometown of Lindenhurst, a rather Interview(New York), September 1992 ramshackle-looking small town half metamorphosed into a commuter Hogue, Peter, " "Bands of Outsiders, in Film Comment(New York) suburb, seems the perfect pale backdrop for his oddball characters January-February 1993. Trust superficially resembles The Unbelievable Trth, with Adrienne Sarris, Andrew, Trusting Hal Hartley, in Film Comment(New Shelley again as a rebellious youth, Lindenhurst as locus of American York), January-February 1993 family dysfunction, and some of the same droll comedy. Yet it has Bauer, Douglas, "An Independent Vision, in Atlantic Monthly a considerably darker tone overall, with its brutal parents, severely Boston), April Is asocial hero(Martin Donovan), and unexpected violence-as in the omer. Brooke. "Amateurs Tenebrous Images in American Cinem liquor store clerks attack upon the Shelley character. In its confident tographer(Hollywood), August 1995 handling of mixed moods it foreshadows the emotional complexities of Henry Fool. Simple Men, set on a more rural Long Island after Jones, Kent, "" Hal Hartley: The Book I Read Was in Your Eyes, ' in Film Comment(New York), July-August 1996. a brief stop in Lindenhurst, has a wilder plot than Trust and if anything more outrageous comedy, as two sons-a criminal and a college Gilbey, Ryan, "Pulling the Pin on hal hartley, "in Sight and Sound student--follow clues in search of their long-missing father, a reputed ( London), November 1998 Hernandez, Eugene, " Digital Video: Catch the Wave, in The terrorist bomber. The cynical Bill, who notes that you don't need an Independent, January-February 1999 ideology to knock over a liquor store, has been betrayed in love, and so is determined to seduce women by appearing to be"mysterious, thoughtful, deep, but modest"and then"throw them away. Of course he falls for a woman who claims to find him all of those things (she manages to use all four adjectives in a short conversation Well known in Europe, but more of a cult favorite than a box- although the words seem to apply much more to her. The less- office draw in his native United States, Hal Hartley has been held in experienced Dennis falls for an eccentric Rumanian who turns out to high critical esteem for his quirky feature films and shorts and, be his father's new girlfriend. When he points out that his father is a womanizer-a married man who has also stood her up-she tells locales. Writing his own screenplays, punctuating the dramas with his him he should be more respectful. Including two actors from The own sparse music, and working often with the same actors and Unbelievable Truth who essentially reprise their roles technicians, Hartley is a model of the resolutely independent film mechanic and assistant--and featuring a nun who answers a question artist. His 1997 Henry Fool, given wider distribution and greater about a medallion with, ""It's the Holy Blessed Virgin, you idiot,' media coverage than any of his previous works, is still far from before wrestling the man to the ground-Simple Men often crosses mainstream American fare the border into farce, then withdraws to a dryer detachment. Again Hartleys screenplays are among the most distinctive features of issues of truth and reliability are central, though this film is in addition his cinema. Reminiscent of both David Mamet(perhaps the film more directly concerned with masculine values and behavior than any 421
DIRECTORS, 4 HARTLEY th EDITION 421 1994 Amateur (+ sc, pr, mus); NYC 3/94 (short) (+ pr, sc); Opera No. 1 (short) (+ sc, mu) 1995 Flirt (+ sc, mus, role) 1997 Henry Fool (+ pr, sc, mu) 1998 The Book of Life (for TV) (+ sc) 2000 Kimono (+ sc) Publications By HARTLEY: books— Simple Men and Trust (screenplays), London and Boston, 1992. Amateur (screenplay), London and Boston, 1994. Flirt (screenplay), London and Boston, 1996. Henry Fool (screenplay), London and Boston, 1998. By HARTLEY: articles— ‘‘The Particularity and Peculiarity of Hal Hartley,’’ interview with Justin Wyatt, in Film Quarterly, Fall 1998. ‘‘Hal Hartley—Nobody’s Fool,’’ interview with Dov Kirnits, http:// filmink-online.com/hbs.cgi/feature=37, May 2000. On HARTLEY: articles— Fuller, Graham, ‘‘Hal Hartley’s World of Trouble and Desire,’’ in Interview (New York), September 1992. Hogue, Peter, ‘‘Bands of Outsiders,’’ in Film Comment (New York), January-February 1993. Sarris, Andrew, ‘‘Trusting Hal Hartley,’’ in Film Comment (New York), January-February 1993. Bauer, Douglas, ‘‘An Independent Vision,’’ in Atlantic Monthly (Boston), April 1994. Comer, Brooke, ‘‘Amateur’s Tenebrous Images,’’ in American Cinematographer (Hollywood), August 1995. Jones, Kent, ‘‘Hal Hartley: The Book I Read Was in Your Eyes,’’ in Film Comment (New York), July-August 1996. Gilbey, Ryan, ‘‘Pulling the Pin on Hal Hartley,’’ in Sight and Sound (London), November 1998. Hernandez, Eugene, ‘‘Digital Video: Catch the Wave,’’ in The Independent, January-February 1999. *** Well known in Europe, but more of a cult favorite than a boxoffice draw in his native United States, Hal Hartley has been held in high critical esteem for his quirky feature films and shorts and, incidentally, for putting Long Island on the map of famed cinematic locales. Writing his own screenplays, punctuating the dramas with his own sparse music, and working often with the same actors and technicians, Hartley is a model of the resolutely independent film artist. His 1997 Henry Fool, given wider distribution and greater media coverage than any of his previous works, is still far from mainstream American fare. Hartley’s screenplays are among the most distinctive features of his cinema. Reminiscent of both David Mamet (perhaps the film House of Games as well as certain plays) and Harold Pinter (chiefly the period of The Homecoming), Hartley’s dialogue tends toward the laconic and the absurd: occasionally downright hilarious and almost always droll, especially when spoken by mostly humorless characters. Of the actors whom Hartley has used a number of times, Martin Donovan is supreme in his deadpan delivery of lines, with exactly the right amount of dry irony, anger, or cluelessness, as the moment calls for—though stage actor Thomas Jay Ryan, making his film debut as Henry Fool, speaks as if born to the Hartley world. Of cinematic influences, Jean-Luc Godard has constantly been singled out. Occasionally Hartley appears to be doing a conscious homage, as in the sudden burst into dance in Surviving Desire, a nod to Bande à part (Band of Outsiders)—but a dance scene in Simple Men, similarly unexpected but more elaborately choreographed and integrated into the story, seems altogether original. The stylization of violence in Amateur also recalls Godard, though the shoving matches of most of the earlier films are pure Hartley. Perhaps more subtly Godardian, Weekend vintage, are the vacant landscapes of ‘‘Long Island’’ (actually Texas, for the most part) in Simple Men, where characters more or less stumble through their peculiar lives. The Unbelievable Truth displays Hartley’s unmistakable style and tone. With a plot suited for either soap opera or film noir in its melodrama and romantic entanglements—an ex-con returns to the town where he caused the deaths of two people, and where he is shunned by most but loved by a rebellious young woman—the film is instead a black comedy with a bent toward real romance, all centered around the question of trusting people enough to accept their versions of ‘‘the true story.’’ Hartley’s hometown of Lindenhurst, a rather ramshackle-looking small town half metamorphosed into a commuter suburb, seems the perfect pale backdrop for his oddball characters. Trust superficially resembles The Unbelievable Truth, with Adrienne Shelley again as a rebellious youth, Lindenhurst as locus of American family dysfunction, and some of the same droll comedy. Yet it has a considerably darker tone overall, with its brutal parents, severely asocial hero (Martin Donovan), and unexpected violence—as in the liquor store clerk’s attack upon the Shelley character. In its confident handling of mixed moods it foreshadows the emotional complexities of Henry Fool. Simple Men, set on a more rural Long Island after a brief stop in Lindenhurst, has a wilder plot than Trust and if anything more outrageous comedy, as two sons—a criminal and a college student—follow clues in search of their long-missing father, a reputed terrorist bomber. The cynical Bill, who notes that ‘‘you don’t need an ideology to knock over a liquor store,’’ has been betrayed in love, and so is determined to seduce women by appearing to be ‘‘mysterious, thoughtful, deep, but modest’’ and then ‘‘throw them away.’’ Of course he falls for a woman who claims to find him all of those things (she manages to use all four adjectives in a short conversation), although the words seem to apply much more to her. The lessexperienced Dennis falls for an eccentric Rumanian who turns out to be his father’s new girlfriend. When he points out that his father is a womanizer—a married man who has also stood her up—she tells him he should be more respectful. Including two actors from The Unbelievable Truth who essentially reprise their roles as garage mechanic and assistant—and featuring a nun who answers a question about a medallion with, ‘‘It’s the Holy Blessed Virgin, you idiot,’’ before wrestling the man to the ground—Simple Men often crosses the border into farce, then withdraws to a dryer detachment. Again issues of truth and reliability are central, though this film is in addition more directly concerned with masculine values and behavior than any
HAWKS DIRECTORS, 4 EDItION of the others The brothers and their s is almost always focused upon the two Donovan in the lead role and singer P J. Harvey as Mary Magdalene). des toward their father, or their confusion But whatever directions Hartley pursues, one may expect his work about women: the women are rarely seen apart from men observing still to feature a curious balance of artifice and passion, melodrama them; the talk is very often macho, though at one point the two and cool wit couples and another would-be lover preposterously launch into a discourse about madonna and modern women's*'control over the -Joseph Milicia exploitation f their own bodies. Amateur, more or less commissioned by Isabel Huppert, who stars in it, is yet more melodramatic, featuring an amnesiac(Donovan again), evidently a sadistic criminal in his former life, who HAWKS. Howard befriended by an ex-nun who wants to write pornography-the pair of them having to flee various crazed and criminal types. Here the Nationality: American Born: Howard winchester Hawks in Goshen, themes of trust and the knowability of a mysterious person's past are Indiana, 30 May 1896. Education: Pasadena High School, Califor- developed through the most lurid situations. Flirt is equally about nia, 1908-13: Phillips Exeter Academy, New Hampshire, 1914-16: love and betrayal, but is also an experiment in structure: Hartley arnell University, New York, degree in mechanical engineering fth feature is actually a trilogy of short films, each using some of the 1917. Military Service: Served in U.S. Army Air Corps, 1917-19 ame dialogue and following the same dramatic trajectory, but with Family: Married 1)Athole( Hawks), 1924(divorced 1941); 2)Nancy different settings(New York, Berlin and Tokyo)and gender relations, Raye Gross, 1941(divorced), one daughter; 3)Mary(Dee)Hartford ccording to whether the character accused of flirting-i.e, being (divorced), two sons, two daughters. Career: Worked in property unwilling to commit-is straight or gay, male or female. Some critic dept of Famous Players-Lasky during vacations, Hollywood, 1916-17 found the film boring and pretentious because of its schematic nature designer in airplane factory, 1919-22; worked in independent pro- and extreme self-reflexivity (in the tokyo .o f ground a can of of story dept. at Paramount, 1924-25: signed as director for Fox, ent the director duction as editor, writer, and assistant director, from 1922; in charge himself plays a character named"Hal"who a film called"Flirt). However, those content to enjoy some very 1925-29; directed first feature, Road to Glory, 1926; formed Motion itty variations on the first segment's patterns, and to savor contrasts Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, with Borden of locale-e. g, the Tokyo is unexpectedly in a dance-studio with Chase, 1944. Awards: Quarterly Award, Directors Guild of America, performers in white makeup and gauzy outfits-may find Flirt Red River. 1948/49: Honora delightful( though with the usual disturbing edge of violence), even if filmmaker whose creative efforts hold a distinguished place in world lacking‘ profundity Henry Fool features the Hartley style on what he himself has called a more"epic'scale, beginning with length(it's more than a half hour longer than any of his other features). Once again we have a man with a mysterious criminal past ("An honest man is always in trouble, Simon. Remember that .. I've been bad Repeatedly. But why brag?"), dead-end blue-collar lives, a contrasting pair of pals (like the brothers in Simple Men), sudden violence(more vicious, less stylized than usual), themes of trust and betrayal, and splendidly non- sequitur dialogue from characters who take themselves very ser ously. (Henry looking through Hustler: I refuse to discriminate between modes of knowing. )A parable with an ambiguous mes sage, the film is initially less focused upon Henry than upon Simon Grim, a despairing garbage man whom Henry encourages to write down his thoughts. The poem Simon comes up with has profound but unpredictable effects on everyone who reads it: a mute Asian clerk at World of Donuts begins to sing; his mother commits suicide; many nd it obscene, but Camille Paglia(as herself) loves its"pungent, the authentically trashy voice of American culture; Sweden gives him the Nobel Prize for Literature, while Henrys much talked about" confessions"are rejected as bad by Simon and his publisher. Henry Fool must have more moments than any film in history in which people read intently, their lives changed by words on a page. Hartley could be accused of conde sending to his often pathetic Queens characters, but the film shocking than and certainly as funny as any of his previous work. All of Hartleys films call attention to their own artifice, most typically through their stylized dialogue and distinctive manner of cting. The Book of Life, an hour-long work commissioned by French television for an end-of-the-millennium series, pursues some new Howard Hawks(center), John Wayne, and Joanne Dru on the set of Red score for a Second-Coming tale of Jesus in Manhattan(with Martin River
HAWKS DIRECTORS, 4th EDITION 422 of the others. The story is almost always focused upon the two brothers and their attitudes toward their father, or their confusion about women; the women are rarely seen apart from men observing them; the talk is very often macho, though at one point the two couples and another would-be lover preposterously launch into a discourse about Madonna and modern women’s ‘‘control over the exploitation f their own bodies.’’ Amateur, more or less commissioned by Isabel Huppert, who stars in it, is yet more melodramatic, featuring an amnesiac (Donovan again), evidently a sadistic criminal in his ‘‘former life,’’ who is befriended by an ex-nun who wants to write pornography—the pair of them having to flee various crazed and criminal types. Here the themes of trust and the knowability of a mysterious person’s past are developed through the most lurid situations. Flirt is equally about love and betrayal, but is also an experiment in structure: Hartley’s fifth feature is actually a trilogy of short films, each using some of the same dialogue and following the same dramatic trajectory, but with different settings (New York, Berlin and Tokyo) and gender relations, according to whether the character accused of flirting—i.e., being unwilling to commit—is straight or gay, male or female. Some critics found the film boring and pretentious because of its schematic nature and extreme self-reflexivity (in the Tokyo segment the director himself plays a character named ‘‘Hal’’ who carries around a can of a film called ‘‘Flirt’’). However, those content to enjoy some very witty variations on the first segment’s patterns, and to savor contrasts of locale—e.g., the Tokyo is unexpectedly in a dance-studio with performers in white makeup and gauzy outfits—may find Flirt delightful (though with the usual disturbing edge of violence), even if lacking ‘‘profundity.’’ Henry Fool features the Hartley style on what he himself has called a more ‘‘epic’’ scale, beginning with length (it’s more than a half hour longer than any of his other features). Once again we have a man with a mysterious criminal past (‘‘An honest man is always in trouble, Simon. Remember that. . . . I’ve been bad. Repeatedly. But why brag?’’), dead-end blue-collar lives, a contrasting pair of pals (like the brothers in Simple Men), sudden violence (more vicious, less stylized than usual), themes of trust and betrayal, and splendidly nonsequitur dialogue from characters who take themselves very seriously. (Henry looking through Hustler: ‘‘I refuse to discriminate between modes of knowing.’’) A parable with an ambiguous message, the film is initially less focused upon Henry than upon Simon Grim, a despairing garbage man whom Henry encourages to write down his thoughts. The poem Simon comes up with has profound but unpredictable effects on everyone who reads it: a mute Asian clerk at World of Donuts begins to sing; his mother commits suicide; many find it obscene, but Camille Paglia (as herself) loves its ‘‘pungent, squalid element. . . the authentically trashy voice of American culture’’; Sweden gives him the Nobel Prize for Literature, while Henry’s much talked about ‘‘confessions’’ are rejected as bad writing by Simon and his publisher. Henry Fool must have more moments than any film in history in which people read intently, their lives changed by words on a page. Hartley could be accused of condescending to his often pathetic Queens characters, but the film is more shocking than and certainly as funny as any of his previous work. All of Hartley’s films call attention to their own artifice, most typically through their stylized dialogue and distinctive manner of acting. The Book of Life, an hour-long work commissioned by French television for an end-of-the-millennium series, pursues some new directions, experimenting with digital video and a prominent musical score for a Second-Coming tale of Jesus in Manhattan (with Martin Donovan in the lead role and singer P.J. Harvey as Mary Magdalene). But whatever directions Hartley pursues, one may expect his work still to feature a curious balance of artifice and passion, melodrama and cool wit. —Joseph Milicia HAWKS, Howard Nationality: American. Born: Howard Winchester Hawks in Goshen, Indiana, 30 May 1896. Education: Pasadena High School, California, 1908–13; Phillips Exeter Academy, New Hampshire, 1914–16; Cornell University, New York, degree in mechanical engineering, 1917. Military Service: Served in U.S. Army Air Corps, 1917–19. Family: Married 1) Athole (Hawks), 1924 (divorced 1941); 2) Nancy Raye Gross, 1941 (divorced), one daughter; 3) Mary (Dee) Hartford (divorced), two sons, two daughters. Career: Worked in property dept. of Famous Players-Lasky during vacations, Hollywood, 1916–17; designer in airplane factory, 1919–22; worked in independent production as editor, writer, and assistant director, from 1922; in charge of story dept. at Paramount, 1924–25; signed as director for Fox, 1925–29; directed first feature, Road to Glory, 1926; formed Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, with Borden Chase, 1944. Awards: Quarterly Award, Directors Guild of America, for Red River, 1948/49; Honorary Oscar for ‘‘A master American filmmaker whose creative efforts hold a distinguished place in world Howard Hawks (center), John Wayne, and Joanne Dru on the set of Red River
DIRECTORS, 4 EDITION HAWKS cinema, 1974. Died: In Palm Springs, California, 26 Decem- Publications HAWKS: book Films as director: Hawks on Hawks, edited by Joseph McBride, Berkeley, 1982. 1926 The Road to Glory ( story); Fig Leaves(+ story) By HAWKs 1927 The Cradle Snatchers; Paid to Love Fazil 1928 A Girl in Every Port(+ co-sc); The Air Circus (co-d) Interview with Jacques Becker, Jacques Rivette, and Francois Truffaut, 1929 Trent's Last Case n Cahiers du Cinema(Paris), February 1956 930 The Dawn patrol Interview in Movie(London ) 5 November 1962 1931 The Criminal Code Mans Favorite Director. Howard Hawks interview in cinema 1932 The Crowd Roars(+ story): Tiger Shark: Scarface: The ( Beverly Hills), November/December 1963. Shame of a Nation(+ pr, bit role as man on bed) Interview with James R. Silke, Serge Daney, and Jean-Louis Noames 1933 Today We Live, The Prizefighter and the Lady(Everywoman's in Cahiers du Cinema (Paris), November 1964 Man)(Van Dyke; d parts of film, claim disputed) Interview, in Interviews with Film Directors, by Andrew Sarris, New 1934 Viva Villa! Conway: d begun by Hawks); Twentieth Century 1935 Barbary Coast; Ceiling Zero Interview with Jean-Louis Comolli. Jean Narboni. and Bertrand 1936 The Road to Glory: Come and Get It(co-d Tavernier, in Cahiers du Cinema(Paris), July/August 1967 938 Bringing up Bab Gunplay and Horses, 'with David Austen, in Films and Filming London), October 1968 1940 His Girl Friday Do I Get to Play the Drunk This Time, an interview in Sight an 1941 The Outlaw(Hughes: d begun by Hawks); Sergeant York; Ball Sound (London), Spring 1971 Interviews with Naomi wise and Michael Goodwin in Take One (Montreal), November/December 1971 and March 1973 1944 To Have and Have No "Hawks Talks, interview with J. McBride. in Film Comment(New 946 The Big Sleep York), May/June 1974 1947 A Song ls Born(remake of Ball of Fire) " Hawks on Film, Politics, and Childrearing interview with C 1948 Red River (+ pr) Penley and others, in Jump Cut(Berkeley), January/February 1975 949 I Was a Male War Bride(You Can't Sleep Here You're Goddam Right I Remember, interview with K. Murphy 1952 The Big Sky (+ pr): "The Ransom of Red Chief'episode of C and R.T. Jameson, in Movietone News(Seattle), June 1977. Henrys Full House(episode cut from some copies)(+ pr) On hawKs. books- 1953 Gentlemen Prefer blondes Bogdanovich, Peter, The Cinema of howard Hawks, New York, 1962. 1955 Land of the Pharaohs (+ pr) 1959 Rio Bravo(+ pr) Missiaen. Jean-Claude. Howard Hawks. Paris. 1966 Wood, Robin, Howard Hawks, London, 1968, revised 1981 Gili, J -A. Howard Hawks, Paris, 1971 963 Man's Favorite Sport (+ pr) 1965 Red Line 7000(+ story, pr) Willis, D.C., The Films of Howard Hawks, Metuchen, New Jer 1975 1966 El Dorado (+ pr) Murphy, Kathleen A, Howard Hawks: An American Auteur in the 1970 Rio Lobo(+ pr) Hemingway Tradition, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1978 Giannetti, Louis D, Masters of the American Cinema, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1981 Other films Mast, Gerald. Howard Hawks, Storyteller, New York, 1982 Poague. Leland, Howard Hawks, Boston, 1982. 917 A Little Princess(Neilan)(d some scenes, uncredited; prop boy) Belton, John, Cinema Stylists, Metuchen, New Jersey, 1983 1923 Quicksands( Conway)(story, sc, pr) Simsolo. Noel. Howard Hawks. Paris. 1984 924 Tiger Love(Melford)(sc) Branson, Clark, Howard Hawks: A Jungian Study, Los Angeles, 1987 1925 The Dressmaker from Paris(Bern)(co-story, sc) McCarthy, Todd, Howard Hawks: The Grey Fox of Hollywood. New 1926 Honesty-the Best Policy (Bennett and Neill)(story, sc); York. 1997 Underworld(von Sternberg)(co-sc, uncredited) 1932 Red Dust(Fleming)(co-sc, uncredited On HAwKS: articles- 936 Sutter's Gold( Cruze)(co-sc, uncredited) 1937 Captain Courageous(Fleming)(co-sc, uncredited) Rivette, Jacques, and francois Truffaut, Howard Hawks, in FiIn 938 Test Pilot(Fleming)(co-sc, uncredited) in Review(New York ). November 1956 1939 Gone with the Wind(Fleming)(add'l dialogue, uncredited): Perez, Michel, "Howard Hawks et le western, " 'in Presence du Gunga Din(Stevens)(co-Sc, uncredited) Cinema(Paris), July/September 1959 1943 Corvette K-225(The Nelson Touch)(Rosson)(pr) Dyer, John Peter, "Sling the Lamps Low, in Sight and Sound 1951 The Thing(The Thing from Another World)(Nyby)(pr) London), Summer 1962
DIRECTORS, 4 HAWKS th EDITION 423 cinema,’’ 1974. Died: In Palm Springs, California, 26 December 1977. Films as Director: 1926 The Road to Glory (+ story); Fig Leaves (+ story) 1927 The Cradle Snatchers; Paid to Love; Fazil 1928 A Girl in Every Port (+ co-sc); The Air Circus (co-d) 1929 Trent’s Last Case 1930 The Dawn Patrol 1931 The Criminal Code 1932 The Crowd Roars (+ story); Tiger Shark; Scarface: The Shame of a Nation (+ pr, bit role as man on bed) 1933 Today We Live; The Prizefighter and the Lady (Everywoman’s Man) (Van Dyke; d parts of film, claim disputed) 1934 Viva Villa! (Conway; d begun by Hawks); Twentieth Century 1935 Barbary Coast; Ceiling Zero 1936 The Road to Glory; Come and Get It (co-d) 1938 Bringing up Baby 1939 Only Angels Have Wings 1940 His Girl Friday 1941 The Outlaw (Hughes; d begun by Hawks); Sergeant York; Ball of Fire 1943 Air Force 1944 To Have and Have Not 1946 The Big Sleep 1947 A Song Is Born (remake of Ball of Fire) 1948 Red River (+ pr) 1949 I Was a Male War Bride (You Can’t Sleep Here) 1952 The Big Sky (+ pr); ‘‘The Ransom of Red Chief’’ episode of O. Henry’s Full House (episode cut from some copies) (+ pr); Monkey Business 1953 Gentlemen Prefer Blondes 1955 Land of the Pharaohs (+ pr) 1959 Rio Bravo (+ pr) 1962 Hatari! (+ pr) 1963 Man’s Favorite Sport (+ pr) 1965 Red Line 7000 (+ story, pr) 1966 El Dorado (+ pr) 1970 Rio Lobo (+ pr) Other Films: 1917 A Little Princess (Neilan) (d some scenes, uncredited; prop boy) 1923 Quicksands (Conway) (story, sc, pr) 1924 Tiger Love (Melford) (sc) 1925 The Dressmaker from Paris (Bern) (co-story, sc) 1926 Honesty—the Best Policy (Bennett and Neill) (story, sc); Underworld (von Sternberg) (co-sc, uncredited) 1932 Red Dust (Fleming) (co-sc, uncredited) 1936 Sutter’s Gold (Cruze) (co-sc, uncredited) 1937 Captain Courageous (Fleming) (co-sc, uncredited) 1938 Test Pilot (Fleming) (co-sc, uncredited) 1939 Gone with the Wind (Fleming) (add’l dialogue, uncredited); Gunga Din (Stevens) (co-sc, uncredited) 1943 Corvette K-225 (The Nelson Touch) (Rosson) (pr) 1951 The Thing (The Thing from Another World) (Nyby) (pr) Publications By HAWKS: book— Hawks on Hawks, edited by Joseph McBride, Berkeley, 1982. By HAWKS: articles— Interview with Jacques Becker, Jacques Rivette, and Francois Truffaut, in Cahiers du Cinéma (Paris), February 1956. Interview in Movie (London), 5 November 1962. ‘‘Man’s Favorite Director, Howard Hawks,’’ interview in Cinema (Beverly Hills), November/December 1963. Interview with James R. Silke, Serge Daney, and Jean-Louis Noames, in Cahiers du Cinéma (Paris), November 1964. Interview, in Interviews with Film Directors, by Andrew Sarris, New York, 1967. Interview with Jean-Louis Comolli, Jean Narboni, and Bertrand Tavernier, in Cahiers du Cinéma (Paris), July/August 1967. ‘‘Gunplay and Horses,’’ with David Austen, in Films and Filming (London), October 1968. ‘‘Do I Get to Play the Drunk This Time,’’ an interview in Sight and Sound (London), Spring 1971. Interviews with Naomi Wise and Michael Goodwin, in Take One (Montreal), November/December 1971 and March 1973. ‘‘Hawks Talks,’’ interview with J. McBride, in Film Comment (New York), May/June 1974. ‘‘Hawks on Film, Politics, and Childrearing,’’ interview with C. Penley and others, in Jump Cut (Berkeley), January/February 1975. ‘‘You’re Goddam Right I Remember,’’ interview with K. Murphy and R.T. Jameson, in Movietone News (Seattle), June 1977. On HAWKS: books— Bogdanovich, Peter, The Cinema of Howard Hawks, New York, 1962. Missiaen, Jean-Claude, Howard Hawks, Paris, 1966. Wood, Robin, Howard Hawks, London, 1968, revised 1981. Gili, J.-A., Howard Hawks, Paris, 1971. Willis, D.C., The Films of Howard Hawks, Metuchen, New Jersey, 1975. Murphy, Kathleen A., Howard Hawks: An American Auteur in the Hemingway Tradition, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1978. Giannetti, Louis D., Masters of the American Cinema, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1981. Mast, Gerald, Howard Hawks, Storyteller, New York, 1982. Poague, Leland, Howard Hawks, Boston, 1982. Belton, John, Cinema Stylists, Metuchen, New Jersey, 1983. Simsolo, Noel, Howard Hawks, Paris, 1984. Branson, Clark, Howard Hawks: A Jungian Study, Los Angeles, 1987. McCarthy, Todd, Howard Hawks: The Grey Fox of Hollywood, New York, 1997. On HAWKS: articles— Rivette, Jacques, and François Truffaut, ‘‘Howard Hawks,’’ in Films in Review (New York), November 1956. Perez, Michel, ‘‘Howard Hawks et le western,’’ in Présence du Cinéma (Paris), July/September 1959. Dyer, John Peter, ‘‘Sling the Lamps Low,’’ in Sight and Sound (London), Summer 1962
HAWKS DIRECTORS, 4 EDItION Sarris, Andrew, " The World of Howard Hawks, 'in Films and each of these films could well serve as one of the very best examples Filming(London), July and August 1962 and artistic embodiments of the type: gangster (Scarface), private eye 'Hawks Issue" of Cahiers du Cinema(Paris), January 1963 (Bringing up Baby), newspaper reporter(His Girl Friday), Pmo, (The Big Sleep), western(Red River, Rio Bravo), screwball come Hawks Issue"of Movie(London), 5 December 1962 Comolli, Jean-Louis, Howard Hawks ou I,ironique, in Cahiers du picture(The Criminal Code), science fiction(The Thing), musical Cinema(Paris), November 1964 (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), race-car drivers(The Crowd Roars, Red Brackett, Leigh, " A Comment on the Hawksian Woman, in Take Line 7000), and air pilots(Only Angels Have wings). But into each One(Montreal), July/August 1971 these narratives of generic expectations Hawks infused his particular Wise, Naomi, "The Hawksian Woman, in Take One(montreal) themes, motifs, and techniques April 1972 Born in the midwest at almost the same time that the movies ' Hawks Issue"of Filmkritik(Munich), May/June 1973. themselves were born in America, Hawks migrated with his family to Wood, Robin, To Have(Written) and Have Not(Directed), in southern California when the movies did; he spent his formative years Film Comment(New York), May/June 1973 working on films, learning to fly, and studying engineering at Cornell Haskell, Molly,""Howard Hawks: Masculine Feminine, in Film University. His initial work in silent films as a writer and producer Comment(New York), March/April 1974 would serve him well in his later years as a director, when he would phen, M,""Hawks in the Thirties, in Take One(Montreal), produce and, if not write, then control the writing of his films as well. Although Hawks work has been consistently dis ly discussed as exemplary Special issue, Wide Angle, vol. 1, no. 2, Summer 1976. of the Hollywood studio style, Hawks himself did not work for Richards, Jeffrey, The Silent Films of Howard Hawks, in Focus on a single studio on a long-term contract. Instead, he was an indepen- Film(London), Summer/Autumn 1976. dent producer who sold his projects to every Hollywood studio. Durgnat, Raymond, ""Hawks Isn't Good Enough, 'in Film Comment Whatever the genre of a Hawks film, it bore traits that made it New York), July/August 1977; see also February and March/ un nmistakably a Hawks film. The narrative was always elegantly and symmetrically structured and patterned. This quality was a sign of Hawks Section"of Positif(Paris), July/August 1977 Hawks' sharp sense of storytelling as well as his sensible efforts Dossier: le cinema de Howard Hawks, in Cinematographe(Paris), work closely with very talented writers: Ben Hecht, William Faulkner March 1978 and Jules Furthman being the most notable among them. Hawks Rohmer, Eric, and others, ""Hommage a Hawks, in Cinema(Paris), films were devoted to characters who were professionals with fervent March 1978 vocational commitments. The men in Hawks'films were good McBride Hawks, in Film Comment(New York), March/ what they did, whether flying the mail, driving race cars, driving cattle, or reporting the news. These vocational commitments were Burdick, D M, ""Danger of Death: The Hawksian Woman as Agent usually fulfilled by the union of two apparently opposite physical of Destruction, 'in Post Script (Jacksonville, Florida), Fall 1981. types who were spiritually one: either the union of the harder, tougher. M c Carthy, T,""Phantom Hawks, in Film Comment(New York) older male and a softer, younger, prettier male (John Wayne and September/October 1982. Montgomery Clift in Red River, Wayne and Ricky Nelson in Rio Lev, P,""Elaborations on a Theme, in Quarterly Review of Film Bravo), or by a sharp, tough male and an equally sharp tough female Studies(New York), Spring 1984 Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday, Bogart and Jewell,RB, " How Howard Hawks Brought Baby Up, in Journal Bacall in To Have and Have Not and The Big Sleep, John Barrymore of Popular Film(Washington, D. C ) winter 1984 and Carole Lombard in Twentieth Century). This spiritual alliance of Big Sleep, in Cine physical opposites revealed Hawks unwillingness to accept the Action&excl: (Toronto), no. 13/14, 1988 cultural stereotype that those who are able to accomplish difficult Davis, Teo, interview with Walter Hill, "Hill on Hawks, in Sight tasks are those who appear able to accomplish them and Sound (London), vol 7, no 2, February 1997 This tension between appearance and ability, surface and essence Gross, Larry, "" Hawks and the Angels, in Sight and Sound (Lon in Hawks'films led to several other themes and techniques. Charac- don), vol. 7, no. 2, February 1997 ters talk very tersely in Hawks' films, refusing to put their thoughts Younis, Raymond, Hawks and Ford Resurgent, in Cinema Papers and feelings into explicit speeches which would either sentimentalize or vulgarize those internal abstractions. Instead, Hawks'characters reveal their feelings through their actions, not by what they say On hawKs films- Hawks deflects his portrayal of the inner life from explicit speeches to symbolic physical objects-concrete visual images of things that Bogdanovich, Peter, The Great Professional-Howard Hawks, fc convey the intentions of the person who handles, uses, or controls the television, Great Britain, 1967 piece of physical matter. One of those physical objects-the coin Schickel. Richard. The Men Who Made the Movies. Howard Hawks which George Raft nervously flips in Scarface-has become a mythic for television. United States. 1973 of American culture itself, symbolic in itself of American Blumenberg, Hans, Ein verdammt gutes Leben(A Hell of a Good gangsters and American gangster movies(and used as such in both Singin in the rain and Some Like It Hot). Another of Hawks favorite actions, the lighting of cigarettes, became his subtextual way of showing who cares about whom without recourse to dialogue. Consistent with his narratives, Hawks visual style was one of Howard Hawks was perhaps the greatest director of American dead-pan understatement, never proclaiming its trickiness or bril- genre films. Hawks made films in almost every American genre, and liance but effortlessly communicating the values of the stories and the 424
HAWKS DIRECTORS, 4th EDITION 424 Sarris, Andrew, ‘‘The World of Howard Hawks,’’ in Films and Filming (London), July and August 1962. ‘‘Hawks Issue’’ of Cahiers du Cinéma (Paris), January 1963. ‘‘Hawks Issue’’ of Movie (London), 5 December 1962. Comolli, Jean-Louis, ‘‘Howard Hawks ou l’ironique,’’ in Cahiers du Cinéma (Paris), November 1964. Brackett, Leigh, ‘‘A Comment on the Hawksian Woman,’’ in Take One (Montreal), July/August 1971. Wise, Naomi, ‘‘The Hawksian Woman,’’ in Take One (Montreal), April 1972. ‘‘Hawks Issue’’ of Filmkritik (Munich), May/June 1973. Wood, Robin, ‘‘To Have (Written) and Have Not (Directed),’’ in Film Comment (New York), May/June 1973. Haskell, Molly, ‘‘Howard Hawks: Masculine Feminine,’’ in Film Comment (New York), March/April 1974. Cohen, M., ‘‘Hawks in the Thirties,’’ in Take One (Montreal), December 1975. Special issue, Wide Angle, vol. 1, no. 2, Summer 1976. Richards, Jeffrey, ‘‘The Silent Films of Howard Hawks,’’ in Focus on Film (London), Summer/Autumn 1976. Durgnat, Raymond, ‘‘Hawks Isn’t Good Enough,’’ in Film Comment (New York), July/August 1977; see also February and March/ April 1978. ‘‘Hawks Section’’ of Positif (Paris), July/August 1977. ‘‘Dossier: le cinéma de Howard Hawks,’’ in Cinématographe (Paris), March 1978. Rohmer, Eric, and others, ‘‘Hommage à Hawks,’’ in Cinéma (Paris), March 1978. McBride, J., ‘‘Hawks,’’ in Film Comment (New York), March/ April 1978. Burdick, D.M., ‘‘Danger of Death: The Hawksian Woman as Agent of Destruction,’’ in Post Script (Jacksonville, Florida), Fall 1981. McCarthy, T., ‘‘Phantom Hawks,’’ in Film Comment (New York), September/October 1982. Lev, P., ‘‘Elaborations on a Theme,’’ in Quarterly Review of Film Studies (New York), Spring 1984. Jewell, R.B., ‘‘How Howard Hawks Brought Baby Up,’’ in Journal of Popular Film (Washington, D.C.), Winter 1984. Walker, Michael, ‘‘Hawks and Film Noir: The Big Sleep,’’ in CineAction! (Toronto), no. 13/14, 1988. Davis, Teo, interview with Walter Hill, ‘‘Hill on Hawks,’’ in Sight and Sound (London), vol. 7, no. 2, February 1997. Gross, Larry, ‘‘Hawks and the Angels,’’ in Sight and Sound (London), vol. 7, no. 2, February 1997. Younis, Raymond, ‘‘Hawks and Ford Resurgent,’’ in Cinema Papers (Australia), no. 120, October 1997. On HAWKS: films— Bogdanovich, Peter, The Great Professional—Howard Hawks, for television, Great Britain, 1967. Schickel, Richard, The Men Who Made the Movies: Howard Hawks, for television, United States, 1973. Blumenberg, Hans, Ein verdammt gutes Leben (A Hell of a Good Life), West Germany, 1978. *** Howard Hawks was perhaps the greatest director of American genre films. Hawks made films in almost every American genre, and each of these films could well serve as one of the very best examples and artistic embodiments of the type: gangster (Scarface), private eye (The Big Sleep), western (Red River, Rio Bravo), screwball comedy (Bringing up Baby), newspaper reporter (His Girl Friday), prison picture (The Criminal Code), science fiction (The Thing), musical (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), race-car drivers (The Crowd Roars, Red Line 7000), and air pilots (Only Angels Have Wings). But into each of these narratives of generic expectations Hawks infused his particular themes, motifs, and techniques. Born in the Midwest at almost the same time that the movies themselves were born in America, Hawks migrated with his family to southern California when the movies did; he spent his formative years working on films, learning to fly, and studying engineering at Cornell University. His initial work in silent films as a writer and producer would serve him well in his later years as a director, when he would produce and, if not write, then control the writing of his films as well. Although Hawks’ work has been consistently discussed as exemplary of the Hollywood studio style, Hawks himself did not work for a single studio on a long-term contract. Instead, he was an independent producer who sold his projects to every Hollywood studio. Whatever the genre of a Hawks film, it bore traits that made it unmistakably a Hawks film. The narrative was always elegantly and symmetrically structured and patterned. This quality was a sign of Hawks’ sharp sense of storytelling as well as his sensible efforts to work closely with very talented writers: Ben Hecht, William Faulkner, and Jules Furthman being the most notable among them. Hawks’ films were devoted to characters who were professionals with fervent vocational commitments. The men in Hawks’ films were good at what they did, whether flying the mail, driving race cars, driving cattle, or reporting the news. These vocational commitments were usually fulfilled by the union of two apparently opposite physical types who were spiritually one: either the union of the harder, tougher, older male and a softer, younger, prettier male (John Wayne and Montgomery Clift in Red River, Wayne and Ricky Nelson in Rio Bravo), or by a sharp, tough male and an equally sharp, tough female (Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday, Bogart and Bacall in To Have and Have Not and The Big Sleep, John Barrymore and Carole Lombard in Twentieth Century). This spiritual alliance of physical opposites revealed Hawks’ unwillingness to accept the cultural stereotype that those who are able to accomplish difficult tasks are those who appear able to accomplish them. This tension between appearance and ability, surface and essence in Hawks’ films led to several other themes and techniques. Characters talk very tersely in Hawks’ films, refusing to put their thoughts and feelings into explicit speeches which would either sentimentalize or vulgarize those internal abstractions. Instead, Hawks’ characters reveal their feelings through their actions, not by what they say. Hawks deflects his portrayal of the inner life from explicit speeches to symbolic physical objects—concrete visual images of things that convey the intentions of the person who handles, uses, or controls the piece of physical matter. One of those physical objects—the coin which George Raft nervously flips in Scarface—has become a mythic icon of American culture itself, symbolic in itself of American gangsters and American gangster movies (and used as such in both Singin’ in the Rain and Some Like It Hot). Another of Hawks’ favorite actions, the lighting of cigarettes, became his subtextual way of showing who cares about whom without recourse to dialogue. Consistent with his narratives, Hawks’ visual style was one of dead-pan understatement, never proclaiming its trickiness or brilliance but effortlessly communicating the values of the stories and the