Later Memory Of First Viewing (M. Dietrich Onscreen In Yokohama)

mccaskem at georgetown.edu mccaskem at georgetown.edu
Mon Jan 17 14:51:04 EST 2011


Here is a fairly "transnational" first-view movie memory from Japan-- 

I saw "Destry Rides Again" (1939, 
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031225/combined), in a theater in Yokohama for 
the first time in 1946. The theater was a big deluxe downtown one, and had 
somehow remained intact throughout the bombing of Yokohama in the war, 
although a very large lot right next door that needed to be skirted around was 
still completely filled with rubble. The theater was run in 1946 by the US Army. 

Years later, I learned that "Destry" was the very last US film to be shown in 
theaters in Japan in 1941. It was also one of the first US films to "return," 
perhaps the very first to make such a second appearance. But it was probably 
not until many years later that Japanese audiences got to see it again. 

I was very impressed by Marlene Dietrich's (somehow cast as a European 
chanteuse in the American Wild West) cabaret singing in the film, which I'll never 
forget. ("See what the boys in the back room will have..") But I doubt that the 
1946 Yokohama showing of this film is listed in any book anywhere. 

Thanks to YouTube, you can now, in 2010, to some degree, share my 
experience of first seeing and hearing Marlene on screen in 1946, 7 years after 
the fact. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOZT5ciJ2xM&NR=1 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BOVDv-NSMM 

Now, if I were simply an elderly fabulist, and little more, I might pretend that 
way in the past I somehow had also heard the following version in German 
performed, live somewhere - more interesting maybe, but it just didn't really 
happen. I just found it a few minutes ago. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgNlOfGZR1g&feature=watch_response 

PS 

I had not made the reference connection to Madeline Kahn's number in the 1974 
Mel Brooks "Blazing Saddles" film until just now - slow of me. 

Forgive me - this will be my last reminiscence session for some time to come, I 
promise.



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