Sadly, due to his brief Hollywood career, Cregar has largely fallen into obscurity among the public. This is a great loss, as he brought a newfound intensity to the silver screen not to be forgotten. You can watch Hangover Square here➡ archive.org/details/hangover-square-1945
@@CinemaCities1978 you,re right! I hadn,t thought of that. Cregar wanted to be like Tyrone Power ; Power wanted to be a serious dramatic actor. Like Cregar......
With a very brief time on the screen, Laird Cregar was, as Gregory Mank reported, "A spellbinder....a genius actor". And indeed, he was. It is unfortunate that he died so young, as he would have gone on to greatness in his career!!! I have collected the majority of his movies, and they never grow old!! Thank you for this wonderful noir report on Laird Cregar!!! Happy Birthday to Samuel Laird Cregar on July28!!
Laird Cregar's deep frustration over his career is a bit of Hollywood lore I've run across through the years in my film reading. This was another expert overview. Thank you.
It seems he really wanted to be a romantic leading man, which just wasn't going to happen. He was so young when he died and it's just a really sad story all around.
Laird Cregar presents such a bold presence in every role I've seen of his, like a melancholy version of Sydney Greenstreet. The Lodger is a particular favourite of mine. Such a tragic end to a promising career.
Ok, I'm starting to become addicted to this channel! I love Noir and I always discover unheard-of gems here. Thank you so very much for all your work. So Good.
You're so right about this. We're force fed rubbish and the real gems are hidden from view. Many thanks for CCs efforts to free us from cinematic misery.
Excellent video about Laird Cregar. He has always fascinated me since I learned the circumstances of his death. Such a loss because he stole every movie he was in. Imagine what great roles could have been.
I think this is the best showcase of Cregar's work. He totally nails a very difficult and complex role. I watched this one fairly recently and forgot how good it was. Though I am sad that the cat dies...
Great video. I wish you'd had more to say about Linda Darnell, one of my many movie crushes. For years, I knew her only as the woman who played the Virgin May in "Song of Bernadette." Then I discovered "Hangover Square" and the other films in which she plays, um, Not The Virgin Mary. A great beauty, a great talent, and another tragic story. Perhaps you'll talk about "Fallen Angel" one day...?
If you want more on Linda Darnell check out my video called Hollywood Babylon. I frame some dark tales of Hollywood, fictional and real around Darnell's career. ua-cam.com/video/fXhKKy229OI/v-deo.html I will definitely get to Fallen Angel
Of course I have the benefit of hindsight, but I can't help but think that Laird Cregar could have carved himself out a niche similar to that of Vincent Price... not a leading man per se, but definitely a star with significant presence... It's truly a sad story. Also, I love how the channel has frenemies.
Decades ago, I went to an “arthouse cinema” (do they still exist?) to see what I’d assumed was Alfred Hitchcock’s silent film “The Lodger” (1927). Can you imagine my disappointment when the movie started, and it was a 1944 talkie, starring some guy named Laird Cregar! I stayed anyway (after all, I’d paid to get in) and found myself captivated by the movie! Years later, I did manage to see the Hitchcock original, but I’d be hard-pressed to say which was better.
@@CinemaCities1978 Sort of like the Murnau “Nosferatu” of 1922 and the Werner Herzog sound (and color) remake of 1979. When the latter was released in the US, I went to see it, almost with a “yeah-prove-it” chip on my shoulder. Within 10 minutes, Herzog and company had “proven it”!
My mom was a Hollywood agent for a while, and she was a font of knowledge about the movie biz. We were watching ‘Heaven Can Wait’ with Laird Cregar as Lucifer and she told me his life story. He was so talented, and it was yet another lesson in how Hollywood chews up actors.
Cregar reminds me a little of Raymond Burr in looks and presence. And like Cregar, Burr's size and commanding manner limited him to sinister roles for years. He never got to play a romantic lead either, but he finally did get to be the hero on Perry Mason. Makes me wonder if Cregar might have made a similar breakthrough had he lived.
I like to think he would have. I understand his frustration, he was set to play Waldo Lydecker in Laura until Rouben Mamoulian was replace with Preminger. Preminger thought Cregar in the role would give away the killer.
@@CinemaCities1978 Interestingly, the role went to Clifton Webb, who had been a professional dancer and was on the svelte side - something that Cregar could hardly have failed to notice.
Good point Daniel and Raymond Burr had a weight problem too. He had to slim down for 'Perry Mason', and he steadily got heavier over the years, but the small screen tolerated a lot of large leading actors in series.
Thank you for shedding more light on Laird Cregar's brief but sizzling career. He was an imposing actor that could easily dominate/steal a scene. I could listen to George Sanders recite a grocery list for days on end. You could never mistake his voice for anyone other than himself .... oh, and what's up with Barbara's hairdo? lol
@@CinemaCities1978 Love your stuff, you should have 200K subs ... poor Barbara, it's not like she could compete with Linda Darnell even in the best of circumstances. 😉
His performance and fluid diction as the pirate, Captain Henry Morgan is so fantastically wonderful in, "The Black Swan" I had to look him up, and sadly understand why I hadn't seen more of him. He was such a natural.
Sadly, he only made 16 films over 5 years. It's so tragic that he died just as he was transitioning into larger roles. He has top billing in Hangover Square.
I recently saw hangover square and absolutely loved it. I need to see more of Laird Cregar’s films, he was so talented that I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He died too young, just think of all he could’ve done, rest in peace. I must say everyone did a great job on this film, love George Sanders.
I had never heard of Laird Cregar, or Hangover Square until this video. I watched Hangover Square this evening, and have added "The Lodger" and "I Wake Up Screaming" to my watchlist. I think it's so important, and wonderful what you do with this channel, shining a spotlight on the dark corners of Hollywood, thank you so much.
Thank you so much for your kind words! I hoped you liked Hangover Square. The Lodger is definitely a must watch. Cregar is so quietly menacing in it, he gives an amazing performance.
Thank you for your concise bio on one of Noir's finest talents. Amazingly, Cregar was born the same year as Burt Lancaster. Can't help wondering what Cregar's career would've been like had he lived? Imagine him in "House of Wax"in the Vincent Price role or as Dr. Phibes. Certainly he and Price were natural rivals, but who had the edge in horror? It's obvious, right?
@@beejls In his day those roles were rare. Let me try: The artist in "Portrait of Jenny", Hurstwood in "Carrie" with Jennifer Jones, Mitch In "Streetcar Named Desire", Bruno in "Strangers on a Train", the entire town in "High Noon" and of course a remake of "Hangover Square" that was faithful to the novel. Cheers!
Bernard Herrmann is my favorite film composer who wrote the only piano concerto in history that ends without the orchestra because of the spectacular ending of this film. Mr. Cregar's performance is so poignant considering how his career ended. The director also directed TV episodes of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and "The Twilight Zone". Great video.
No one tells a heartbreaking Hollywood biography like you, CC. Another wonderful episode. I was not familiar with Cregar. Your video makes me want to track down his body of work. Even in these brief clips, he seemed an arresting presence. Thank you for this! 🙂 On another note, this was the first time I saw a mid-video commercial on YT and felt joy. So glad your success has made additional support possible for your channel! You go, CC!!
I just can't help but tell the sad stories. But seriously, at least put Hangover Square on you watchlist. Cregar is absolutely mesmerizing in it. He was a great talent and a great tragedy.
So good. I've been aware of Cregar for some time and found about out his untimely death, but never went deeper. This was very interesting. And happy birthday!
I started watching this a couple of weeks ago; got only two minutes into it and stopped, not wanting any spoilers. THEN, Criterion Collection put up this "gaslight noir" thing and i got to watch the whole film!... came back here then see this Laird Cregar expose... and, in spite of all my excitement and new found knowledge... got kinda sad.
I always thought Laird Cregar would have taken home more than one academy award, if he had lived a normal life expectancy. I could easily have seen being brilliant in the J.J. Hunsecker in Sweet Smell of Success, Hank Quinlan in Touch of Evil or an ultra super evil Harry Powell in The Night of the Hunter. I think he was destined to have an all time great career. He just had that much talent.
Really interesting. Never came across this guy before, but you can tell instantly that he's got it. What a sad ending, cut short in his prime and not quite confident enough to know to play to his strengths. The movies all look great! Thanks CC.
It's such a tragic story. He was so young and so talented. But, since his career was short and really only had 2 leading roles, he's fallen into obscurity. I definitely recommend watching The Lodger and Hangover Square.
Such a tragedy that Cregar couldn't accept himself and flourish without trying to be something else. So many stories like that from Hollywood over the decades...sad, yet fascinating. Well done!
I was intrigued enough by your introduction that I stopped watching when you posted the spoiler warning, watched the movie, and came back here. I’m glad I did! And you were correct, the music was amazing but it’s Bernard Herrmann so that’s completely unsurprising.
Hey hangover Square featuring Linda Darnell my cousin..my grandpa was her second cousin hey this is Lola Ruth and thanks again for your lovely take not only for stardust but this movie as well..
It's always been the case with Hollywood that if you look a certain way then you play a certain character, and certainly Laird was no conventional beauty, not when set against the likes of Tyrone Power (my One True Love) et al. But as you say, in this film his character is kind and sweet and because of that attractive, but Hollywood simply saw the surface. I wonder how much talent has been lost over the years because of this blindness. He was a sad man and he deserved so much more. Thank you for acknowledging him.
I'm sure we'll never know how much talent was lost or how much creative frustration the studio system inspired. Cregar had two spectacular films released back to back, "The Lodger" and "Hangover Square" had he lived he probably could've leveraged those successes into a bigger selection of roles. Not necessarily romantic leads but not always psycho killers.
Happy Birthday and thanks, m'mselle, for your considerably cracking contributions to the cinemascape. Laird Cregar- birth or stage name? What a moniker
The strange thing is that he was good in the type into which he was cast, very good. I've been reading Jeanine Basinger's 'The Star Machine' and that is her hypothesis: that the studios strove to create types with their actors, types they could sell to movie audiences. The studios were very good at controlling the images of their actors, so Laird Cregar probably really never had a chance at being a pretty boy leading man, no matter how much weight he lost. I can't think of any really successful big, brooding leading men, all became more or less leading character actors like Lon Chaney Jr, Vincent Price, even George Sanders. Maybe Orson Welles, but he broke the mould.
Exactly. The studios had types and then developed the actor/actress to fit the type. It's too bad that he took Hollywood so seriously. The stage always offered opportunities for interesting work for serious actors in Hollywood. If only he could have found fulfillment with a balance of movie and stage work.
There I was, looking for something to watch tonight, when I saw your video on Hangover Square. I watched the movie, for the first time (LOVED it!) and then immediately came back and watched your video. Great work!
Another great video @CinemaCities1978, thanks for all of your hard work producing these videos and shining a light on oft-neglected talents, such as Laird Cregar. Have you by chance seen his turn as satan in Lubitsch's Heaven Can Wait? FANTASTIC!
Thank you for watching. I have seen Heaven Can Wait and I just think it's an all around gem of a film. Also, the technicolor is just so beautiful, it's a wonderful example of the "the Lubitsch touch"
I will have to see Hangover Square, now that you've suggested it. I have already seen The Lodger (both his and the silent). When I first decided to look deeper into this "noir thing" I Wake Up Screaming was one of the first I'd seen. Odd film, Esther Williams the swim queen was the star IIRC.
Another precious video,heartfelt & needed; he passed at 28 !!, i thought 31, damn shame, he's a riot as the captain pirate in The Black swan, kind of bigger than life like Thomas Gomez was in Anne of the Indies(another forgotten brillant actor(?)),very funny/pathetic in the superior This gun for hire, those two John Brahm films are the pinacle of his talent,he's feverish,fragile, lethal,instable,powerful,like Peter Lorre in M, he could have had a Raymond Burr career but the bright of his wishes melted the wax, he deserved to keep the ascension but in Hollywood, you gotta know your place, in tinseltown, the racket is to sell dreams, but yours are not automatically granted.
Damn! What a sad tragedy! Even in the brief scenes shown in this short clip, Cregar's talent shines through. Many actors understandably try to avoid typecasting but they're at the Studios' mercy for the most part. I did think while watching this, that it may have been possible for Cregar to split his career into two parts: film and stage. On stage, he could have done one-man shows of his choosing or taken roles that cast him in parts other than villainous. I wonder if his contract prevented that? He reminds me of Stephen Fry in some ways, who has had his own share of psychological trauma. These days, Cregar might have flourished, even though there's a paucity of good films coming out of Hollywood.
"Arguably" is correct. Cregar put 100 percent in every role he did. I find it impossible to pick a favorite among his short filmography. Also, it is indeed sad that Cregar's determination to be a good looking leading man ultimately killed him. Unfortunately, there are many stories like this in the history of Hollywood. Both men and woman who destory themselves in order to be satisfied with some absurd standard of beauty.
Creagar had a critcal role in "Heaven Can Wait ". It set in the Afterlife. Henry Van Clerve (Don Ameche) has presented himself before "gis excellancy" Henry expects to spring eternity in the place where so many people had told him he would. Ctrager makes His Excellancy a little more solicitous than theology would allow. It is a good film so i won't yell you how it ends.
Any of his movies are better by his mere presence. I can only wonder if his appearance (which is not objectionable to me in any way) would not pain him so, today?
I don't find anything about his appearance objectionable either. How would he fare today? I don't know. There's always pressure to look a certain way and he may have succumbed to it. . .it's more about having inner confidence and being secure in one's self to withstand the pressure.
Didn't know the were doing those stomach operations back then, which can still have complications when done today. He wouldn't be the first to want to change his image/persona/merchandise,(as some actors call their image) to achieve better things...some challenge the current realities and some ride them knowing it's their ticket. I asked James Best if he considered it an asset or liability being cast in country/hillbilly/cowboy/redneck roles and he replied, "I call my nice home in Florida, the House the Dukes of Hazard built."
@@CinemaCities1978 Those who accepted it as a business, and those who resisted it being all business have their points. "The problem with the art of making movies is that it's a business, and the problem with the business of making movies is that it's an art." (Charleston Heston)
@@CinemaCities1978 The opposite happening is shown in your Tyrone Power study: He resisted being (only) an attractive commodity and wanted to play unattractive/bad characters as well.
I'm usually not a fan of remakes for remakes sake, but this one would be a great candidate. I think a new version that follows the book and sticks to WW2 era London could be fantastic.
Sorry to be a little late to the party,, I meant to comment earlier. Laird Crergar was an excellent actor and because of his presence it is hard to realize that he was in his 20s in the roles he palyed. He would have made an excellent Lord Henry Wotten in his slimmed down physique. I think he could have handled the Oscar Wilde dialog superbly. The only character actors I can think of in 1930s qnd 1940s who could be leading men but not of the romantic type were Edward G Robinson and Charles Laughton. I think Cregar would have the acting range to follow in their footsteps of course they were either stars already or became stars almost immediately which was agreat benefit in their getting other roles. I read and agree that his performance as Jack the Ripper in the Lodger was very daring. He was able to convey a profound sadness and what seemed like gay overtones in his obsession over his brother death. In his final scenes his descent into madness and suicide seemed to come from within and much more convincing than the usual mad scenes. Thank you for bringing to attention a fine actor who dies too young and his wonderful perfomances.
@@CinemaCities1978, and Commissioner Gordon (Neil Hamilton) was the "Arrow Shirt Man" in the 1920s, as well as being a leading man in some pre-Code films! Thanks so much for your great reviews & for recognizing my comments (fangirl squee!).
I had no idea he was an arrow shirt man! Do you know how many old magazines I've gone though (those Good Housekeeping back issues from the 20s/30s are filled with arrow shirt ads) and never realized that!
In the Noir Dialect, LA is ''Los Angh-les.'' [The G is hard.] Listen for it. After the networks started pushing for a National Standard Pronunciation, the soft G like in ''oranGe'' was pushed. C 1950 or later. Also Chicago is ''Ch-' CAW go'' in the local tongue.
@@fabrisseterbrugghe8567 I never really picked up on it until one day while taking a flying lesson out of VNY [Van Nuys] we had to pass thru LAX' TCA [Terminal Control Area] to get to Hawthorne and shoot touch-and-goes. My Instructor told me to say, ''Los Ang-les Tower, Cessna 6075X, entering TCA...etc.'' I guess he thought if I sounded like a local, I'd just breeze thru. I don't know if theres still a general aviation airport at Hawthorne, but Northrop was HQ'd there.
It's a shame they had to set this in London but shot on a Hollywood backlot rather than set in the usual American dives. It doesn't look like Britain and the American cast can't perform English accents. I just watched 'The Suspect' where this was also the case.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Sadly, due to his brief Hollywood career, Cregar has largely fallen into obscurity among the public. This is a great loss, as he brought a newfound intensity to the silver screen not to be forgotten.
You can watch Hangover Square here➡ archive.org/details/hangover-square-1945
Laird Cregar was a phenomenal actor with amazing presence and class. Such a sad loss. Thanks for paying homage to him.
It just struck me that both Linda Darnell and George Sanders also met tragic ends. A sad but moving tribute to a great talent.
That bonfire scene with Netta is such dark foreshadowing of Darnell's death.
@@CinemaCities1978 you,re right! I hadn,t thought of that. Cregar wanted to be like Tyrone Power ; Power wanted to be a serious dramatic actor. Like Cregar......
@@maartenlemmens8628 grass is always greener. . .
This is true. I don't believe in curses but.....this movie....
With a very brief time on the screen, Laird Cregar was, as Gregory Mank reported, "A spellbinder....a genius actor". And indeed, he was. It is unfortunate that he died so young, as he would have gone on to greatness in his career!!! I have collected the majority of his movies, and they never grow old!! Thank you for this wonderful noir report on Laird Cregar!!! Happy Birthday to Samuel Laird Cregar on July28!!
Laird Cregar's deep frustration over his career is a bit of Hollywood lore I've run across through the years in my film reading. This was another expert overview. Thank you.
It seems he really wanted to be a romantic leading man, which just wasn't going to happen. He was so young when he died and it's just a really sad story all around.
This truly broke my heart. R.I.P. Laird
Yes, what a tragedy! I hate that his life ended that way.
Reminds me of Judy Garland. Because of the system the found themselves in they never could see how beautiful they really were, inside and out.
Whenever I hear a comment about how Judy didn't think she was pretty I die a little inside. She was a soooo pretty!
Laird Cregar presents such a bold presence in every role I've seen of his, like a melancholy version of Sydney Greenstreet.
The Lodger is a particular favourite of mine. Such a tragic end to a promising career.
I love that description, "a melancholy version of Sydney Greenstreet"
Tragic story. I was unaware of Laird Cregar. Thanks for remedying that deficit.
I'm glad that I could introduce you to him and his wonderful films.
Please don't ever stop making these videos. You do such a great job and I learn so much.
Thank you so much! I love hearing that!
Ok, I'm starting to become addicted to this channel! I love Noir and I always discover unheard-of gems here. Thank you so very much for all your work. So Good.
You're welcome. I'm so glad that you are enjoying the videos and discovering some wonderful new films!
You're so right about this.
We're force fed rubbish and the real gems are hidden from view. Many thanks for CCs efforts to free us from cinematic misery.
Excellent video about Laird Cregar. He has always fascinated me since I learned the circumstances of his death. Such a loss because he stole every movie he was in. Imagine what great roles could have been.
There was an entire decade of film noir yet to unfold in front of him. He would've found some really interesting work.
You are so right,a sad loss.
I think this is the best showcase of Cregar's work. He totally nails a very difficult and complex role. I watched this one fairly recently and forgot how good it was. Though I am sad that the cat dies...
Great video. I wish you'd had more to say about Linda Darnell, one of my many movie crushes. For years, I knew her only as the woman who played the Virgin May in "Song of Bernadette." Then I discovered "Hangover Square" and the other films in which she plays, um, Not The Virgin Mary. A great beauty, a great talent, and another tragic story. Perhaps you'll talk about "Fallen Angel" one day...?
If you want more on Linda Darnell check out my video called Hollywood Babylon. I frame some dark tales of Hollywood, fictional and real around Darnell's career. ua-cam.com/video/fXhKKy229OI/v-deo.html
I will definitely get to Fallen Angel
I agree, Cregar and Darnell do have amazing chemistry. It’s a shame they didn’t get the chance to work together again.
Of course I have the benefit of hindsight, but I can't help but think that Laird Cregar could have carved himself out a niche similar to that of Vincent Price... not a leading man per se, but definitely a star with significant presence... It's truly a sad story.
Also, I love how the channel has frenemies.
I agree. He might have had a similar career track as Price and it's just so tragic that he died so young.
Decades ago, I went to an “arthouse cinema” (do they still exist?) to see what I’d assumed was Alfred Hitchcock’s silent film “The Lodger” (1927). Can you imagine my disappointment when the movie started, and it was a 1944 talkie, starring some guy named Laird Cregar! I stayed anyway (after all, I’d paid to get in) and found myself captivated by the movie! Years later, I did manage to see the Hitchcock original, but I’d be hard-pressed to say which was better.
What a pleasant surprise you got! You know, I'm glad that one is a talkie and one is silent because then they can each exist in their own space.
@@CinemaCities1978 Sort of like the Murnau “Nosferatu” of 1922 and the Werner Herzog sound (and color) remake of 1979. When the latter was released in the US, I went to see it, almost with a “yeah-prove-it” chip on my shoulder. Within 10 minutes, Herzog and company had “proven it”!
My mom was a Hollywood agent for a while, and she was a font of knowledge about the movie biz. We were watching ‘Heaven Can Wait’ with Laird Cregar as Lucifer and she told me his life story. He was so talented, and it was yet another lesson in how Hollywood chews up actors.
That's amazing. Your mother must have had so many stories and such great insight into this world.
Cregar reminds me a little of Raymond Burr in looks and presence. And like Cregar, Burr's size and commanding manner limited him to sinister roles for years. He never got to play a romantic lead either, but he finally did get to be the hero on Perry Mason. Makes me wonder if Cregar might have made a similar breakthrough had he lived.
I like to think he would have. I understand his frustration, he was set to play Waldo Lydecker in Laura until Rouben Mamoulian was replace with Preminger. Preminger thought Cregar in the role would give away the killer.
@danielorme...i had never thought of that but u r correct.
@@CinemaCities1978 In the novel "Laura" Waldo is described as large and overweight, very much in the image of Cregar.
@@CinemaCities1978 Interestingly, the role went to Clifton Webb, who had been a professional dancer and was on the svelte side - something that Cregar could hardly have failed to notice.
Good point Daniel and Raymond Burr had a weight problem too. He had to slim down for 'Perry Mason', and he steadily got heavier over the years, but the small screen tolerated a lot of large leading actors in series.
Laird is one of my all time favorites. Such a tragedy.
A terrible tragedy. He had so much talent and I would've loved to have seen what his future held.
Thank you for shedding more light on Laird Cregar's brief but sizzling career. He was an imposing actor that could easily dominate/steal a scene.
I could listen to George Sanders recite a grocery list for days on end. You could never mistake his voice for anyone other than himself .... oh, and what's up with Barbara's hairdo? lol
Thanks for watching! I'm not sure about what's going on with Barbara's hair. 😂
@@CinemaCities1978 Love your stuff, you should have 200K subs ... poor Barbara, it's not like she could compete with Linda Darnell even in the best of circumstances. 😉
His performance and fluid diction as the pirate, Captain Henry Morgan is so fantastically wonderful in, "The Black Swan" I had to look him up, and sadly understand why I hadn't seen more of him.
He was such a natural.
Sadly, he only made 16 films over 5 years. It's so tragic that he died just as he was transitioning into larger roles. He has top billing in Hangover Square.
@@CinemaCities1978 ; "Black Swan" was almost an all star cast in my book, and in color.
I will be seaching out Laird Cregar's other movies, of course.
I linked some free to watch in the description of the video.
How ironic that Laird wanted to be a heartthrob like Tyrone Power, & Tyrone wanted to be a respected actor like Laird.
The grass is always greener. . .
Wonderful account of his career & life, very moving
thank you so much for watching!
I recently saw hangover square and absolutely loved it. I need to see more of Laird Cregar’s films, he was so talented that I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He died too young, just think of all he could’ve done, rest in peace.
I must say everyone did a great job on this film, love George Sanders.
Laird Cregar is magnetic on screen. He had so much talent a bright career ahead of him. His death was so tragic.
I had never heard of Laird Cregar, or Hangover Square until this video. I watched Hangover Square this evening, and have added "The Lodger" and "I Wake Up Screaming" to my watchlist. I think it's so important, and wonderful what you do with this channel, shining a spotlight on the dark corners of Hollywood, thank you so much.
Thank you so much for your kind words! I hoped you liked Hangover Square. The Lodger is definitely a must watch. Cregar is so quietly menacing in it, he gives an amazing performance.
Thank you for your concise bio on one of Noir's finest talents. Amazingly, Cregar was born the same year as Burt Lancaster. Can't help wondering what Cregar's career would've been like had he lived? Imagine him in "House of Wax"in the Vincent Price role or as Dr. Phibes. Certainly he and Price were natural rivals, but who had the edge in horror? It's obvious, right?
I can also imagine him in the kinds of rolls Philip Seymour Hoffman thrived in: complex, interesting characters.
@@beejls In his day those roles were rare. Let me try: The artist in "Portrait of Jenny", Hurstwood in "Carrie" with Jennifer Jones, Mitch In "Streetcar Named Desire", Bruno in "Strangers on a Train", the entire town in "High Noon" and of course a remake of "Hangover Square" that was faithful to the novel. Cheers!
In his "Memoirs of a professional cad" George Sanders devotes a few pages to Laird Cregar.
A sad ending...
I ❤ your channel very much 💕💓💗
Thank you so much 😀
Bernard Herrmann is my favorite film composer who wrote the only piano concerto in history that ends without the orchestra because of the spectacular ending of this film. Mr. Cregar's performance is so poignant considering how his career ended. The director also directed TV episodes of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and "The Twilight Zone". Great video.
Wow, I had no idea about that fact.
I’m so happy to have recently discovered this delightful channel! An absolute gem.
thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying the videos.
No one tells a heartbreaking Hollywood biography like you, CC. Another wonderful episode. I was not familiar with Cregar. Your video makes me want to track down his body of work. Even in these brief clips, he seemed an arresting presence. Thank you for this! 🙂
On another note, this was the first time I saw a mid-video commercial on YT and felt joy. So glad your success has made additional support possible for your channel! You go, CC!!
I just can't help but tell the sad stories. But seriously, at least put Hangover Square on you watchlist. Cregar is absolutely mesmerizing in it. He was a great talent and a great tragedy.
@@CinemaCities1978 The sad stories are important. They put our blessings and lessons in perspective.
that is 100% true!
So good. I've been aware of Cregar for some time and found about out his untimely death, but never went deeper. This was very interesting. And happy birthday!
thanks you for the birthday wishes! I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
I started watching this a couple of weeks ago; got only two minutes into it and stopped, not wanting any spoilers. THEN, Criterion Collection put up this "gaslight noir" thing and i got to watch the whole film!... came back here then see this Laird Cregar expose... and, in spite of all my excitement and new found knowledge... got kinda sad.
I always thought Laird Cregar would have taken home more than one academy award, if he had lived a normal life expectancy. I could easily have seen being brilliant in the J.J. Hunsecker in Sweet Smell of Success, Hank Quinlan in Touch of Evil or an ultra super evil Harry Powell in The Night of the Hunter. I think he was destined to have an all time great career. He just had that much talent.
Ohhh, that's interesting alternative castiing. . . Cregar as JJ Hunsecker. I can see it.
Really interesting. Never came across this guy before, but you can tell instantly that he's got it. What a sad ending, cut short in his prime and not quite confident enough to know to play to his strengths. The movies all look great! Thanks CC.
It's such a tragic story. He was so young and so talented. But, since his career was short and really only had 2 leading roles, he's fallen into obscurity. I definitely recommend watching The Lodger and Hangover Square.
Such a tragedy that Cregar couldn't accept himself and flourish without trying to be something else. So many stories like that from Hollywood over the decades...sad, yet fascinating. Well done!
I was intrigued enough by your introduction that I stopped watching when you posted the spoiler warning, watched the movie, and came back here. I’m glad I did! And you were correct, the music was amazing but it’s Bernard Herrmann so that’s completely unsurprising.
I'm glad you enjoyed the movie and the score! Hangover Square is in my top 5 Hermann scores.
Hey hangover Square featuring Linda Darnell my cousin..my grandpa was her second cousin hey this is Lola Ruth and thanks again for your lovely take not only for stardust but this movie as well..
It's always been the case with Hollywood that if you look a certain way then you play a certain character, and certainly Laird was no conventional beauty, not when set against the likes of Tyrone Power (my One True Love) et al. But as you say, in this film his character is kind and sweet and because of that attractive, but Hollywood simply saw the surface. I wonder how much talent has been lost over the years because of this blindness. He was a sad man and he deserved so much more. Thank you for acknowledging him.
I'm sure we'll never know how much talent was lost or how much creative frustration the studio system inspired. Cregar had two spectacular films released back to back, "The Lodger" and "Hangover Square" had he lived he probably could've leveraged those successes into a bigger selection of roles. Not necessarily romantic leads but not always psycho killers.
Happy Birthday and thanks, m'mselle, for your considerably cracking contributions to the cinemascape. Laird Cregar- birth or stage name? What a moniker
Thank you kindly!
Birth name. Laird was a middle name.
His full name was Samuel Laird Cregar.
The strange thing is that he was good in the type into which he was cast, very good. I've been reading Jeanine Basinger's 'The Star Machine' and that is her hypothesis: that the studios strove to create types with their actors, types they could sell to movie audiences. The studios were very good at controlling the images of their actors, so Laird Cregar probably really never had a chance at being a pretty boy leading man, no matter how much weight he lost. I can't think of any really successful big, brooding leading men, all became more or less leading character actors like Lon Chaney Jr, Vincent Price, even George Sanders. Maybe Orson Welles, but he broke the mould.
Great book!
My heart broke for Lon Chaney jr.
He struggled to be seen as more than just the wolfman. He was cute!
Exactly. The studios had types and then developed the actor/actress to fit the type. It's too bad that he took Hollywood so seriously. The stage always offered opportunities for interesting work for serious actors in Hollywood. If only he could have found fulfillment with a balance of movie and stage work.
Thank you for covering this movie. Somehow I had never come across it. What a great film with a terrific opening scene. 👍
You're welcome. I'm so glad you enjoyed the movie.
Excellent video about one of my favorite actors of classic Hollywood.
Since he's one of your favorites, I hope I did him justice.
@@CinemaCities1978 You did a great job!
There I was, looking for something to watch tonight, when I saw your video on Hangover Square. I watched the movie, for the first time (LOVED it!) and then immediately came back and watched your video. Great work!
That's wonderful you enjoyed the movie!
Another great video @CinemaCities1978, thanks for all of your hard work producing these videos and shining a light on oft-neglected talents, such as Laird Cregar. Have you by chance seen his turn as satan in Lubitsch's Heaven Can Wait? FANTASTIC!
Thank you for watching. I have seen Heaven Can Wait and I just think it's an all around gem of a film. Also, the technicolor is just so beautiful, it's a wonderful example of the "the Lubitsch touch"
George Sanders? Say no more, I'm going to watch it NOW. I like Linda Darnell, too! Thanks for posting.
Saw Laird Cregar first, in one of my favorite noirs, "This Gun For Hire". He gave an awesome performance.
yes, he's magnetic onscreen. He was a great talent and we lost him too soon.
thank you!
for introducing me to someone I had *never* heard
hide nor hair of.
You're welcome. He was a phenomenal actor and deserves to be better remembered.
Great production and another lesson in cinema with a subtle message thrown in. Thanks Sidney.
Four stars 🤩
You're welcome!
Great recommendation… really enjoyed it… the subsequent tragic events to some of its stars adds to the dark mood…
yes, there is a sense of real life doom hanging over the film because of those real life tragedies.
Please do a video on 14 Hours 1951 it’s the most underrated 50s movie
Incredibly sad and well told --
Excellent video. Such a talent, lost far too soon. The career he could have had was taken by Vincent Price, if only he hadn't fought the typecasting.
so many sad what-ifs
I will have to see Hangover Square, now that you've suggested it. I have already seen The Lodger (both his and the silent). When I first decided to look deeper into this "noir thing" I Wake Up Screaming was one of the first I'd seen. Odd film, Esther Williams the swim queen was the star IIRC.
Such an impressive man. Very sad.
yes, very sad.
Laughton is my favorite. And I I rank Laird right up there with the
" best" cinema has ever offered.
Wow, what a fascinating person, and he died so young!
He was too young and it's so sad because he didn't have do die.
Another precious video,heartfelt & needed; he passed at 28 !!, i thought 31, damn shame, he's a riot as the captain pirate in The Black swan, kind of bigger than life like Thomas Gomez was in Anne of the Indies(another forgotten brillant actor(?)),very funny/pathetic in the superior This gun for hire, those two John Brahm films are the pinacle of his talent,he's feverish,fragile, lethal,instable,powerful,like Peter Lorre in M, he could have had a Raymond Burr career but the bright of his wishes melted the wax, he deserved to keep the ascension but in Hollywood, you gotta know your place, in tinseltown, the racket is to sell dreams, but yours are not automatically granted.
Sadly you are right, you had to know your place. He never had a chance. . . 🥲
I remember seeing him in films, I didn't know he died so young!
Only 28! He seemed so much older.
Damn! What a sad tragedy! Even in the brief scenes shown in this short clip, Cregar's talent shines through. Many actors understandably try to avoid typecasting but they're at the Studios' mercy for the most part. I did think while watching this, that it may have been possible for Cregar to split his career into two parts: film and stage. On stage, he could have done one-man shows of his choosing or taken roles that cast him in parts other than villainous. I wonder if his contract prevented that?
He reminds me of Stephen Fry in some ways, who has had his own share of psychological trauma. These days, Cregar might have flourished, even though there's a paucity of good films coming out of Hollywood.
Although an excellent video, it was particularly sad. When I saw him in the thumbnail, I thought he was James Arness.
Happy birthday!
Rest in peace.
Can you please do a video on Robert Taylor or Marina Bertí from Quo Vadis?
"Arguably" is correct. Cregar put 100 percent in every role he did. I find it impossible to pick a favorite among his short filmography. Also, it is indeed sad that Cregar's determination to be a good looking leading man ultimately killed him. Unfortunately, there are many stories like this in the history of Hollywood. Both men and woman who destory themselves in order to be satisfied with some absurd standard of beauty.
Creagar had a critcal role in "Heaven Can Wait ". It set in the Afterlife. Henry Van Clerve (Don Ameche) has presented himself before "gis excellancy" Henry expects to spring eternity in the place where so many people had told him he would. Ctrager makes His Excellancy a little more solicitous than theology would allow. It is a good film so i won't yell you how it ends.
It's a very good film and I highly recommend it.
A true tragedy.What could have been.
Yes, I thought about that a lot while making this video.
Any of his movies are better by his mere presence.
I can only wonder if his appearance (which is not objectionable to me in any way) would not pain him so, today?
I don't find anything about his appearance objectionable either. How would he fare today? I don't know. There's always pressure to look a certain way and he may have succumbed to it. . .it's more about having inner confidence and being secure in one's self to withstand the pressure.
I didn't find him even slightly unattractive. He was a great actor, so very sad his life ended this way.
Didn't know the were doing those stomach operations back then, which can still have complications when done today. He wouldn't be the first to want to change his image/persona/merchandise,(as some actors call their image) to achieve better things...some challenge the current realities and some ride them knowing it's their ticket.
I asked James Best if he considered it an asset or liability being cast in country/hillbilly/cowboy/redneck roles and he replied, "I call my nice home in Florida, the House the Dukes of Hazard built."
I think that's the outlook to have. The ones that never took Hollywood so seriously usually fared the best.
@@CinemaCities1978 Those who accepted it as a business, and those who resisted it being all business have their points.
"The problem with the art of making movies is that it's a business, and the problem with the business of making movies is that it's an art." (Charleston Heston)
@@CinemaCities1978 The opposite happening is shown in your Tyrone Power study: He resisted being (only) an attractive commodity and wanted to play unattractive/bad characters as well.
The book is great, much darker
I'm usually not a fan of remakes for remakes sake, but this one would be a great candidate. I think a new version that follows the book and sticks to WW2 era London could be fantastic.
Sorry to be a little late to the party,, I meant to comment earlier. Laird Crergar was an excellent actor and because of his presence it is hard to realize that he was in his 20s in the roles he palyed. He would have made an excellent Lord Henry Wotten in his slimmed down physique. I think he could have handled the Oscar Wilde dialog superbly. The only character actors I can think of in 1930s qnd 1940s who could be leading men but not of the romantic type were Edward G Robinson and Charles Laughton. I think Cregar would have the acting range to follow in their footsteps of course they were either stars already or became stars almost immediately which was agreat benefit in their getting other roles. I read and agree that his performance as Jack the Ripper in the Lodger was very daring. He was able to convey a profound sadness and what seemed like gay overtones in his obsession over his brother death. In his final scenes his descent into madness and suicide seemed to come from within and much more convincing than the usual mad scenes. Thank you for bringing to attention a fine actor who dies too young and his wonderful perfomances.
TV's Alfred had quite a career before he took up butlering for Bruce Wayne, eh?
He really did! He was in some great films and worked steadily in supporting and character roles from the 1930s-1950s.
@@CinemaCities1978, and Commissioner Gordon (Neil Hamilton) was the "Arrow Shirt Man" in the 1920s, as well as being a leading man in some pre-Code films! Thanks so much for your great reviews & for recognizing my comments (fangirl squee!).
I had no idea he was an arrow shirt man! Do you know how many old magazines I've gone though (those Good Housekeeping back issues from the 20s/30s are filled with arrow shirt ads) and never realized that!
Didn't even make it 30. So sad. He should have had the kind of career Philip Seymour Hoffman had.
The end of the studio system was not a bad thing.
That's an excellent observation. If Laird was born in a different time I can totally see his career following the same trajectory as Hoffman.
I don't know how they got it wrong in the newspapers of 1944, but he died at 31, not 28.
He reminds me of Mike Starr, A shlock film producer from Burton's "Ed Wood"
a convincing character actor. Bennys 'ill kill anyone
In the Noir Dialect, LA is ''Los Angh-les.'' [The G is hard.]
Listen for it.
After the networks started pushing for a National Standard Pronunciation, the soft G like in ''oranGe'' was pushed. C 1950 or later.
Also Chicago is ''Ch-' CAW go'' in the local tongue.
The California accent at the time used a hard G for Los Angeles. My 90 year old mother, Californian by birth, still pronounces it that way.
@@fabrisseterbrugghe8567 I never really picked up on it until one day while taking a flying lesson out of VNY [Van Nuys] we had to pass thru LAX' TCA [Terminal Control Area] to get to Hawthorne and shoot touch-and-goes. My Instructor told me to say, ''Los Ang-les Tower, Cessna 6075X, entering TCA...etc.'' I guess he thought if I sounded like a local, I'd just breeze thru.
I don't know if theres still a general aviation airport at Hawthorne, but Northrop was HQ'd there.
Wait, why does Laird look so much like Raymond Burr!? O r is just me.
It' not just you. He does look a bit like Burr.
It's a shame they had to set this in London but shot on a Hollywood backlot rather than set in the usual American dives. It doesn't look like Britain and the American cast can't perform English accents. I just watched 'The Suspect' where this was also the case.
Too much crank.
I was wondering if you ever thought about writing a book about film noir? Your analysis is always spot on!
I've definitely thought about writing a book. It would probably be along the lines of hardboiled crime fiction.