Cecil B. DeMille was one of Hollywood's most famous filmmakers, and his legendary career spans the period from its very origins (The Squaw Man 1914) to his last film in 1956--three years before his death at the age of 78 (The Ten Commandments). Most of his movies are well known---some (of course) better than others. Several have achieved classic status. But in this great man's large body of work, he made a few films that for one reason or another have slipped into obscurity and generally disappeared from the public's consciousness. One item in this category is This Day and Age (TDAA) (1933).
TDAA was the vehicle DeMille chose to direct immediately after making his blockbuster The Sign of the Cross (1932)---a story somewhat similar to Mervyn LeRoy's later spectacle Quo Vadis (1951). While TDAA falls within that small time period between two of DeMille's most celebrated "big" cinematic achievements (The Sign of the Cross and Cleopatra (1934)), it emerges as a "small" film that deals with contemporary social issues rather than epic adventure or historical pageantry. The problems of today's society generally constituted an area that did not particularly interest DeMille (the original version of The Ten Commandments was a notable exception) and TDAA does not resemble most of the films that the public had grown to expect from him over the years. He usually subscribed to Samuel Goldwyn's reputed observation that if a filmmaker wanted to send the audience a message, he would be better advised to do this via Western Union.
TDAA has a large cast of mostly twentyish aged actors who---true to Hollywood tradition---play high school students with varying degrees of believability. It has an ending that will remind some viewers of Fritz Lang's classic M (1931)and possibly William Wellman's The Ox-Bow Incident (1943). And it did touch upon some very substantial issues of the day: corruption of public officials, the negative effect of organized crime on "civilized society," the influence on young people of a lack of appropriate adult role models in shaping their behavior, how vigilante justice might be administered in attempting to resolve a breakdown of law and order in small town life, how heroism often arises in the most unlikely citizens in a time of crisis---among others. In determining the outcome of this story, a number of critics have accused DeMille of incorporating some elements of fascism. Whether true or not, TDAA is thought-provoking and quite interesting while it spins DeMille's vision of how in the end, the inherent good in most folks can conquer their worst tendencies to bring order out of chaos---particularly when led by inspired young people. It may be naive, but it is also sincere.
While Goldwyn could have been right in his message observation, DeMille offers us a film that makes a respectable argument for an opposing opinion. TDAA is hard to find, but it is currently available on the Criterion Channel. Check it out!
TDAA was the vehicle DeMille chose to direct immediately after making his blockbuster The Sign of the Cross (1932)---a story somewhat similar to Mervyn LeRoy's later spectacle Quo Vadis (1951). While TDAA falls within that small time period between two of DeMille's most celebrated "big" cinematic achievements (The Sign of the Cross and Cleopatra (1934)), it emerges as a "small" film that deals with contemporary social issues rather than epic adventure or historical pageantry. The problems of today's society generally constituted an area that did not particularly interest DeMille (the original version of The Ten Commandments was a notable exception) and TDAA does not resemble most of the films that the public had grown to expect from him over the years. He usually subscribed to Samuel Goldwyn's reputed observation that if a filmmaker wanted to send the audience a message, he would be better advised to do this via Western Union.
TDAA has a large cast of mostly twentyish aged actors who---true to Hollywood tradition---play high school students with varying degrees of believability. It has an ending that will remind some viewers of Fritz Lang's classic M (1931)and possibly William Wellman's The Ox-Bow Incident (1943). And it did touch upon some very substantial issues of the day: corruption of public officials, the negative effect of organized crime on "civilized society," the influence on young people of a lack of appropriate adult role models in shaping their behavior, how vigilante justice might be administered in attempting to resolve a breakdown of law and order in small town life, how heroism often arises in the most unlikely citizens in a time of crisis---among others. In determining the outcome of this story, a number of critics have accused DeMille of incorporating some elements of fascism. Whether true or not, TDAA is thought-provoking and quite interesting while it spins DeMille's vision of how in the end, the inherent good in most folks can conquer their worst tendencies to bring order out of chaos---particularly when led by inspired young people. It may be naive, but it is also sincere.
While Goldwyn could have been right in his message observation, DeMille offers us a film that makes a respectable argument for an opposing opinion. TDAA is hard to find, but it is currently available on the Criterion Channel. Check it out!