tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217293420910963553.post8608069587742855190..comments2023-04-18T04:57:05.205-04:00Comments on Somebody Dies: The Maltese Falcon (1931) directed by Roy del Ruth (starring Ricardo Cortez, Bebe Daniels, Una Merkel, Dwight Frye)Craig Clarkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13340904520617472135noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217293420910963553.post-61336424896246245392008-05-09T08:51:00.000-04:002008-05-09T08:51:00.000-04:00Boris Karloff? I figured a name like that must be...Boris Karloff? I figured a name like that must be real! It's funny, the IMDb says he was called "Billy" by people, so he wasn't one of those who changed it officially. (I love that stuff, like hearing people call Lauren Bacall "Betty" and Herbert Marshall "Bart" -- it's weird to think of them as just regular people.)Craig Clarkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13340904520617472135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217293420910963553.post-55744657291008296512008-05-08T21:39:00.000-04:002008-05-08T21:39:00.000-04:00It's interesting how in the early 30s, Hollywood w...It's interesting how in the early 30s, Hollywood was trying to get actors to change their names to something exotic (even "Boris Karloff"!) to make them more attractive as leading men, and by the end of the 30s, those names were the kiss of death, at least for leading men.KentAllardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16034050997693995004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217293420910963553.post-82272186254276976692008-05-05T10:10:00.000-04:002008-05-05T10:10:00.000-04:00I agree. Another funny thing I found in my resear...I agree. Another funny thing I found in my research for this review is that "Cortez" has no Latin blood in him. He was born Jakob Krantz in Austria but came to Hollywood during the Valentino era and tried to capitalize on the Latin-lover craze.Craig Clarkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13340904520617472135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217293420910963553.post-14813754834091481442008-05-03T22:23:00.000-04:002008-05-03T22:23:00.000-04:00The '31 version has always been a good example of ...The '31 version has always been a good example of a good movie adaptation of a book getting buried by a great version. I enjoyed it, too. It's also funny that Ricardo Cortez was a huge star in the early 30s, and now no one but film buffs knows who he is.KentAllardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16034050997693995004noreply@blogger.com