Classic movie site with rare images, original ads, and behind-the-scenes photos, with informative and insightful commentary. We like to have fun with movies!
Archive and Links
grbrpix@aol.com
Search Index Here




Friday, February 10, 2017

A Forgotten Star Who Grew Up Close By


NC Boy Robert Williams Makes Good in Platinum Blonde (1931)




Went to college with the nephew of Robert Williams, who was male lead in Platinum Blonde, had a bright future in films, but died at 37 of a burst appendix. Williams was born in Morganton, NC (not "Morgantown," as indicated at imdb), close to where his relation and I were in school. "Hank" was a spitting image of Robert Williams. He knew the long-gone uncle was in some movies, but had seen none of them. Neither had I at the time. How could anyone in 1973 get ready access to Platinum Blonde, Williams' final role and by far best known? It certainly didn't play television within tenna-roter distance of me. There was finally a 16mm print at a Charlotte cowboy meet in the early-80's, for which the seller asked little, and it a brand-new original ("original" what we called distributor-generated copies). Platinum Blonde turns up now at TCM, streams in HD at I-Tunes, and is a show most will gravitate to because Jean Harlow co-stars and Frank Capra directed, but repeat joy may come of this one being shorter and with less determined populism than Capras after he hit big.





Far Less Exposure of Harlow in Platinum Blonde Than What We See Here. Are Circulating Prints Code-Cut?



Revisionist opinion says Robert Williams is a best thing about Platinum Blonde. In fact, he's a revelation to many who should know (actor Christopher Plummer gave praise in an interview, putting Williams above Cary Grant as farceur). I watch Williams, who had a stellar career on Broadway before movies, and think, this is a long way from Morganton. He underplayed and was funny about it, being not like other actors who tried harder. Williams would certainly have had a long career in films. I enjoy him and have watched Platinum Blonde more than most Capras not only for the local connection, but also for this being last of old-style Capra before fame and name above the title made all his must-see events. Newspaper setting and knock-the-rich presumably reflect background of the several scribes involved. What percentage of early talkie writing began in urban dailies? I'll bet most, though I wish someone would research that for the yea or nay. Is there any precode that doesn't eventually have a newshound horning in?







Cincinnati Throws a "Blonde Contest" For Prizes
I think there are code-cuts in Platinum Blonde, some dialogue and very likely a rubdown segment with Jean Harlow, of which publicity stills reveal much more than the film now does. Platinum Blonde had a 1950 reissue. I doubt it got away without trims, what survives being fruit of PCA labor. There still is Harlow, a society siren and miscast as that according to some. Mark Vieira, in his fine Harlow In Hollywood book, says that initially titled Gallagher (after Loretta Young's character) was switched to Platinum Blonde as nod to Harlow's burgeoned popularity, her hair style by release date a national craze. To how times and circumstance change, Young was dominant in billing and poster art for 1931 (or at least supposed to be --- note Harlow as big ad noise at left). For 1950 revival and after, it was Harlow who'd be object of curiosity and whatever interest Platinum Blonde generated. Latter-day sense of discovery derives largely from Robert Williams, however, that forgotten face and voice who, like Harlow, wouldn't finish, or in his case even begin, stardom's course.

4 Comments:

Blogger John McElwee said...

Dan Mercer recalls Robert Williams and "Platinum Blonde":


Wake Forest University had a wonderful film program in the seventies, which more or less pulled me through law school there. "Platinum Blonde" was one of its showings, though I couldn't have understood then how really marvelous it was to see such a rarity. I like it then and like it now, and yes, Robert Williams is the best thing in it, even for one partial to Loretta Young. He reminds me rather of a brunette Lee Tracy, with his gift for syncopated patter, but he played the pauses, too, as though reflecting on the silliness around him. He was very droll in this film, but it was in the quieter moments that one senses an actor who could have done a lot of other things, even romantic leads, and been very good in them. It is for such "might-have-beens" that any death is untimely.

6:50 PM  
Blogger Dave said...

I think Williams in phenomenal in "Platinum Blonde," so I was really looking forward t seeing him in something else. When I saw him in "Devotion," I was actually a little disappointed. Had he learned more about screen acting? Was it the match of part of actor? Was it a fluke? Guess we'll never know.

3:32 AM  
Blogger aldi said...

"When I saw him in "Devotion," I was actually a little disappointed."

After being knocked out by Williams in Platinum Blonde I sought out his other sound movies, Devotion, Rebound and The Common Law, all 1931. He was unmemorable in the latter two but I think in Devotion he did as well as he could with the relatively small time he got on screen.

In Platinum Blonde he gets a part he can sink his teeth into and boy does he use the opportunity! From the first moment he appears you recognize that this is someone to the manner born. He is witty, natural and completely in command of the screen, outshining Harlow and Young with ease. I remember thinking the first time I saw it just who is this guy?

It's sobering to think that if he hadn't made this film we wouldn't remember him at all now. I'm as sure as I can be that Robert Williams if he had lived would have been as huge a star as Grant, Gable, or Tracy. Tragic that his life was so cruelly cut short.

11:15 AM  
Blogger aldi said...

BTW just submitted a correction to IMDB to change the spelling to Morganton, should take about a week to get approved. The least they can do is to get the name of the town of his birth correct.

2:51 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home

grbrpix@aol.com
  • December 2005
  • January 2006
  • February 2006
  • March 2006
  • April 2006
  • May 2006
  • June 2006
  • July 2006
  • August 2006
  • September 2006
  • October 2006
  • November 2006
  • December 2006
  • January 2007
  • February 2007
  • March 2007
  • April 2007
  • May 2007
  • June 2007
  • July 2007
  • August 2007
  • September 2007
  • October 2007
  • November 2007
  • December 2007
  • January 2008
  • February 2008
  • March 2008
  • April 2008
  • May 2008
  • June 2008
  • July 2008
  • August 2008
  • September 2008
  • October 2008
  • November 2008
  • December 2008
  • January 2009
  • February 2009
  • March 2009
  • April 2009
  • May 2009
  • June 2009
  • July 2009
  • August 2009
  • September 2009
  • October 2009
  • November 2009
  • December 2009
  • January 2010
  • February 2010
  • March 2010
  • April 2010
  • May 2010
  • June 2010
  • July 2010
  • August 2010
  • September 2010
  • October 2010
  • November 2010
  • December 2010
  • January 2011
  • February 2011
  • March 2011
  • April 2011
  • May 2011
  • June 2011
  • July 2011
  • August 2011
  • September 2011
  • October 2011
  • November 2011
  • December 2011
  • January 2012
  • February 2012
  • March 2012
  • April 2012
  • May 2012
  • June 2012
  • July 2012
  • August 2012
  • September 2012
  • October 2012
  • November 2012
  • December 2012
  • January 2013
  • February 2013
  • March 2013
  • April 2013
  • May 2013
  • June 2013
  • July 2013
  • August 2013
  • September 2013
  • October 2013
  • November 2013
  • December 2013
  • January 2014
  • February 2014
  • March 2014
  • April 2014
  • May 2014
  • June 2014
  • July 2014
  • August 2014
  • September 2014
  • October 2014
  • November 2014
  • December 2014
  • January 2015
  • February 2015
  • March 2015
  • April 2015
  • May 2015
  • June 2015
  • July 2015
  • August 2015
  • September 2015
  • October 2015
  • November 2015
  • December 2015
  • January 2016
  • February 2016
  • March 2016
  • April 2016
  • May 2016
  • June 2016
  • July 2016
  • August 2016
  • September 2016
  • October 2016
  • November 2016
  • December 2016
  • January 2017
  • February 2017
  • March 2017
  • April 2017
  • May 2017
  • June 2017
  • July 2017
  • August 2017
  • September 2017
  • October 2017
  • November 2017
  • December 2017
  • January 2018
  • February 2018
  • March 2018
  • April 2018
  • May 2018
  • June 2018
  • July 2018
  • August 2018
  • September 2018
  • October 2018
  • November 2018
  • December 2018
  • January 2019
  • February 2019
  • March 2019
  • April 2019
  • May 2019
  • June 2019
  • July 2019
  • August 2019
  • September 2019
  • October 2019
  • November 2019
  • December 2019
  • January 2020
  • February 2020
  • March 2020
  • April 2020
  • May 2020
  • June 2020
  • July 2020
  • August 2020
  • September 2020
  • October 2020
  • November 2020
  • December 2020
  • January 2021
  • February 2021
  • March 2021
  • April 2021
  • May 2021
  • June 2021
  • July 2021
  • August 2021
  • September 2021
  • October 2021
  • November 2021
  • December 2021
  • January 2022
  • February 2022
  • March 2022
  • April 2022
  • May 2022
  • June 2022
  • July 2022
  • August 2022
  • September 2022
  • October 2022
  • November 2022
  • December 2022
  • January 2023
  • February 2023
  • March 2023
  • April 2023
  • May 2023
  • June 2023
  • July 2023
  • August 2023
  • September 2023
  • October 2023
  • November 2023
  • December 2023
  • January 2024
  • February 2024
  • March 2024