Artists in Film

[poetman]

Can anyone recommend either some vintage films, or films set in the golden era that have artists as their protagonists: writers, musicians, painters.
I enjoy films that center around writers, professors, or academic plots, musicians, even painters or such.

Thanks!

 

[jamespowers]

Can anyone recommend either some vintage films, or films set in the golden era that have artists as their protagonists: writers, musicians, painters.
I enjoy films that center around writers, professors, or academic plots, musicians, even painters or such.

Thanks!

I don't know if this fits the bill but El Dorado showcases western art by Olaf Wieghorst in the beginning credits and Olaf Wieghorst plays the character of The Swede---a gunsmith who gives the guy who can't shoot straight a gun that makes up for his short comings. He is not a major character in the movie though. His character is extremely amusing.

Regards,

J

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

There is a film about Picasso somewhere. There are a lot of films about writers and columnists.

 

[Doh!]

The Wolf at the Door with Donald Sutherland as Paul Gauguin is very good, as I recall. Haven't seen it since it came out, though.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0091712/

 

[Feraud]

Lust for Life, Bird, New York New York, Sweet and Lowdown.

 

[Doh!]

I just re-read the parameters of this topic, and Gauguin wasn't exactly around during the Golden Era. But hey, what's 100 years amongst friends?

 

[CharlieH.]

Angela's Ashes is a good one. It's about the early years of writer Frank McCourt, in 1930's Ireland. Then there's biopics on Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman and Gene Krupa. They're not exactly accurate, but the music is great.
Bullets Over Broadway is a jewel as well. It's about a struggling playwright set in 1920's New York.

 

[TailendCharlie]

My favorites are,

Bird(The Charlie Parker story),Frida(Salma Hayek)and Reds(Story of American journalist John Reed during the revolution in Russia 1918-1922)

 

[Smithy]

Does it have to be a vintage film?

If not, "Pollock" and "Surviving Picasso" are two that I have thoroughly enjoyed.

A brilliant, brilliant movie is "Sult", the Norwegian film from the 60s based on Knut Hamsen's novel about a starving writer in Christiania (Oslo). Not sure if it's been subtitled, if it has, see it! The book is one of the "classics" of Norwegian literature.

 

[poetman]

There is a film about Picasso somewhere. There are a lot of films about writers and columnists.

Could you name some titles of films about writers/journalists?

thanks.

 

[Feraud]

The Sweet Smell of Success.
Shattered Glass, tho' not Golden Era.

 

[Quigley Brown]

Could you name some titles of films about writers/journalists?

Ace in the Hole (1951) with Kirk Douglas is pretty good.

 

[Doctor Strange]

It's a great film, but it's not about being a writer or the act of writing - more about naked opportunism and venal milking of tragedy!

 

[Quigley Brown]

It's a great film, but it's not about being a writer or the act of writing - more about naked opportunism and venal milking of tragedy!

Criterion just released it a couple of weeks ago. It's next on my DVD shopping list!

 

[poetman]

I'm thinking about something along the lines of "In a Lonely Place" or "The End of an Affair", etc.

 

[Paisley]

There was, of course, The Glenn Miller Story (I think it was called) starring Jimmy Stewart. Also a movie about Lon Chaney and another called Yankee Doodle Dandy (which is better than it sounds) both starring James Cagney. There was another movie about the life of Vincent Van Gogh, but I don't remember any details.

As for modern films, I'd recommend Lady Sings the Blues about the life of Billie Holiday. There was also Amadeus about the life of Mozart, and the dark comedy Throw Mama from the Train, which pays homage to Hitchcock's movie about two men who switch murders.

 

[Dagwood]

I'll add The Sun Also Rises - movie based on a book by a writer (Hemingway) staring Tyrone Power who is a news journalist. Also stars Ava Gardner ) ) and Erroll Flynn. Movie takes place post-World War I.

 

[Paisley]

Add Cyrano de Bergerac, the soldier-poet, to the list.