Discuss David Manners
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Early '30s star David Manners (1900-1998): Excellent actor when he fully committed
posted by genplant29STAFFMOD on December 15, 2017 at 11:01 PM
Handsome David Manners was an inconsistent early 1930s star, whose performances in certain movies - Dracula being a particularly good example - definitely either fell seriously flat, seemed "called in", or simply were no big deal. However, when he was well cast, truly committed to a role, had good direction, and performed in the company of a strong co-star whom he knew to up his game around, he could be outstanding.
For example in the terrific 1931 film The Miracle Woman, co-starring always great Barbara Stanwyck, Manners, as a blind former WWI aviator, gives a beautiful, nuanced, sensitive, charming, delightful, at times heartbreaking, completely believable complex performance, that's spot-on perfection in every way and is moving and thoroughly compelling. Every moment that he's on screen rings absolutely true and keeps the viewer caring. David Manners definitely clearly did have tremendous talent.
It's a shame that he left Hollywood in 1936, though completely understandable why he did.
Reply by VinTinKin
on December 18, 2017 at 10:58 PM
Excellent Tribute, Gen.
Many wonderful images of David Manners spring to mind with your fine appreciation of his work, such as his starring role in "Roman Sandals" or is that "Roman Scandals" with Lucille Ball in the cast, from circa 1933.
Well, plenty of reasons to watch any given David Manners' film with his fine talent and supporting cast.
He became one of those very first actors whom I attempted to research when Internet was presented, and there seems to have been more David Manners material bestowed then than now.
But at least he did have a nice, healthy retirement from Hollywood.... What does that make, some 62 years to write and to paint many fine canvases somewhere around rural New York State, far from the silver screen.
So, Film's great loss became Art and Literature's great gain for a few decades, but it certainly would have been nice to have seen more of his fine acting work in the duration.
Reply by genplant29
on December 21, 2017 at 2:57 AM
Thanks so much, Vin, for your great comments. You were spot on with Roman Scandals.
I wish that David Manners' now best known films - Dracula, The Mummy, and The Black Cat - weren't all that most people of today had ever heard of or were familiar with him for; he was definitely capable of carrying much stronger roles than he was given in either of those films. Universal Studios (the studio for the three movies just mentioned) horror films clearly just hired him to be young male romantic lead, but with no intensive type or complex acting required. Having said that, I do like and enjoy his performance, of from those three particular movies, easily best in The Black Cat. That film certainly is quite the Pre-Code doozy, with a bit of "everything and the kitchen sink" thrown in to the mix!
https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/24106-the-black-cat/discuss/58c2e3a29251417355000de3
I've read that Manners' performance in 1930's Journey's End is outstanding and earned him much critical and public acclaim, though have never (yet) seen that particular movie. I hope to at some point though.
By the way, while "David Manners" was a good enough show biz name, I think sticking with his actual original name, Rauff Acklom, would have totally worked!