Some of the script was written by moss hart and an uncredited william faulkner, and the film was coproduced and directed by john ford, who removed his directors credit from the picture. When a hardboiled moll named laura nash karen morley is sprung from a german prison, she is given food and shelter by the burly polakai wallace beery, an easygoing waiter in a biergarten, who moonlights as a professional wrestler. Beery channels his strength into a wrestling career, grappling his way up to the championship. John ford directed flesh 1932 for mgm with wallace beery starring. Loud, swaggering and crude, beery was the kind of star for whom the studio fashioned custommade movie vehicles. Con wallace beery, ricardo cortez, karen mogley titolo originale flesh. Ive been bogged down by over forty years of press clippings the past few days and by the way, the media history digital librarys new lantern search is an amazing help. Some of the script was written by moss hart and an uncredited. He was married twice, first to gloria swanson from 1916 to 1919, and then to rita gilman, with whom he had one daughter. Wallace beery full list of movies and tv shows in theaters, in production and upcoming films. In the late 20s wallace beery 18851949 had been in desperate need of a chance, his career in jeopardy after being released from his contract with paramount and spending more than a year without a film offer prior to working on the big house 1930. Thus, in 1916, when beery proposed marriage gloria accepted and addie eagerly gave permission to the impulsive couple.
Wallace fitzgerald beery was born in clay county, missouri in 1885 2. Wallace beery stars as a thickheaded waiter in a german beer garden who uses his muscles to clear out rowdy patrons. Flesh was one of the few bigstudio films to deal with the subject of professional wrestlingat least until hulk hogan came along in the 1980s. Flesh is a 1932 american precode drama film starring wallace beery as a german wrestler. Even though the cranky, idiosyncratic ford, who directed his first film way back in 1917, had his directing credit removed from 1932s flesh, it is credited as a john ford production, and one can tell this is definitely a john ford. She later claimed that he raped her on the wedding night and made her swallow an abortifacient when she became pregnant. He left two years later after a leopard clawed his arm. An original vintage theatrical window card movie poster measures 14 x 22flesh, the 1932 john ford romantic wrestling sports melodrama starring wallace beery, ricardo cortez, and karen morley u. Separated from glorias father, addie was alternately depressed, bitter, and seeking romance using gloria as a proxy. If sternberg could ocuppy himself of something as low as wrestling he.
Flesh 1932 starring wallace beery, karen morley and ricardo cortez immortal ephemera. The big house, min and bill, the champ and grand hotel. Flesh 1932 american crook laura karen morley is released from jail in germany and taken in by polakai wallace beery, a brutish but kind wrestler. The movie has its share of slapstick comedy but audiences were almost certainly frightened by its monstrous villain, a cannibalistic serial killer disguising his appearance with something called synthetic flesh. Perfectly cast wallace beery stars in this thudding, highly atypical sports soap opera from director john ford. Starring wallace beery, ricardo cortez, karen morley, jean hersholt, john. He had two older brothers, william and noah, who also became movie actors. I think its worthy of reappraisal for film lovers to get a glimpse of some vintage ford, with solid performances by wallace beery, karen morley.
Wallace beery biography, movie highlights and photos. Flesh 1932 john ford, wallace beery, ricardo cortez. Biography he was born wallace fitzgerald beery on april 1, 1885, in kansas city, missouri. Beery was a character actor in silents and talkies and the halfbrother of actor noah beery, sr. Wallace beery and ricardo cortez in flesh 1932 flesh 1932 john ford and wallace beery in flesh 1932 wallace beery in flesh 1932. Gifted german wrestler polokai falls in love with excon laura, who persuades him to emigrate to america and gets him involved with crooked promoters. Flesh 1932 starring wallace beery, karen morley and ricardo. Wallace fitzgerald beery april 1, 1885 april 15, 1949 was an american actor. Wallace beery, in full wallace fitzgerald beery, born april 1, 1885, kansas city, missouri, u. At age 16 1902 he joined the ringling brothers circus as an assistant to the elephant trainer. He portrayed pancho villa in the 1917 silent film patria, and in the 1934 mgm hit viva villa. At the age of 19 wallace beery joined his brother, noah beery, in new york he soon after began appearing on broadway. In 1902, when he was 16, he joined the ringling bros. The movie was written by preston sturges based on the plays of marcel pagnol and the films based on them, and was directed by james whale director of frankenstein and the invisible man.
At age 45, the ugly, coarselooking actor became a top box office draw in the united states after languishing in supporting roles, usually. Wallace beery list of movies and tv shows tv guide. In the late 20s wallace beery 18851949 had been in desperate need of a chance, his career in jeopardy after being released from his contract with paramount and spending more than a year without a. He became a leading man in musicals and appeared on broadway and in traveling stock companies. Buried, forest lawn memorial park cemetery, glendale, ca gender. The idea of wallace beery wrestling struck the brothers as funny, and it is especially when hes given a german accent and the sweetnatured innocence of a child. Flesh was the only film in which ford and beery worked together. John ford directed flesh 1932 for mgm with wallace beery starring as a wrestler and karen morley giving an outstanding performance as the girl he loves.
American crook laura karen morley is released from jail in germany and taken in by polakai wallace beery, a brutish but kind wrestler. Behind the movie lens 1 episode 2008 the christmas party 1 episode. He later joined his brother, the actor noah beery, sr. Wallace beery started in films in low comedy, became typecast as a villain and was given a new lease on life by the talkies, whereupon he specialized in bluff lovable rogues with hearts of gold. Beautiful razorsharp image with publicity copy printed on the back. Port of seven seas is a 1938 drama film starring wallace beery and featuring frank morgan and maureen osullivan. This is one of a group of 1930s original release movie studio promotional photographs recently acquired from the family of the original owner.
Flesh 1932 starring wallace beery, karen morley and. Beery became one of the top ten stars in hollywood, as he was cast as the tough, dimwitted, easygoing type which, in real life, he was anything but. Beery was a german wrestler in flesh 1932, a hit directed by john ford but ford removed his directorial credit before the film opened, so the picture screened with no director listed despite being labeled a john ford production in the opening title card. I watched this john ford film twice over the weekend and rather than.
Wallace beery was known to be an illtempered and difficult man in reallife as opposed to the lovable characters he played onscreen. But flesh isnt a comedy, and the humour in beerys character is there to win our sympathy. Long before his john wayne collaborations, john ford had worked to perfect his own style as a filmmaker. Flesh 1932 cast and crew american crook laura karen morley is released from jail in germany and taken in by polakai wallace beery, a brutish but kind wrestler. Physically, if he was not going to be the baddie, this was the only solution. This flesh is the mgm picture from 1932, a star vehicle for wallace beery, a hugely popular and just plain huge actor who had just reached top stardom in a string of talkies.
Karen morley plays marlene dietrich to wallace berry in this john ford pre code film. Wallace beery celebrity profile check out the latest wallace beery photo gallery, biography, pics, pictures, interviews, news, forums and blogs at rotten tomatoes. A diabolical full moon killer is slaying and partially eating a growing number of. Flesh window card movie poster 32 john ford, wallace. At the age of 16 wallace beery ran away from home and joined the ringling brothers circus as an assistant elephant trainer 3. John ford about a german wrestler wallace beery who is conned by an ex jailbird karen morley along with her partner ricardo cortez. However, she really loves her former partner and boyfriend, nicky ricardo cortez, who is back in america. Wallace fitzgerald beery was born in kansas city, missouri, the son of a policeman.
Beery acts the fool very well and the movie rolls along from germany to the usa where beery is fooled into fighting for the world championship, but told to lose it. Flesh 1932 starring wallace beery and karen morley may 8, 2012 by cliff aliperti leave a comment i watched this john ford film twice over the weekend and rather than digging as deep as usual i just wanted to capture some quick impressions. Laura is grateful for polakais help and strapped for cash so she marries him. Wallace beery biography childhood, life achievements. In 1902, at the age of 16, beery ran away from home and in true storybook fashion, joined a circus as an assistant elephant trainer. He is best known for his portrayal of bill in min and bill opposite marie dressler, his titular role in a series of films featuring the character sweedie, and his titular role in the champ, for which he won the academy award for best actor. Flesh is a 1932 drama starring wallace beery and laura morley with ricardo cortez and jean hersholt. Beery next went to new york, where he found work in musical variety shows. In flesh 1932 he would be the dimwitted wrestler who did not figure that his wife was unfaithful. In 1902, 16yearold wallace beery joined the ringling brothers circus as an assistant to the elephant trainer. Circus as an assistant to the elephant trainer, but. Flesh dvd wallace beery rare archive collection ebay. Wallace beery, much like fellow veteran marie dressler, with whom he costarred in min and bill and its sequel, tugboat annie, was a hollywood anomaly.
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