Anna Karenina

[likethebeer]

I just heard the 1949 MGM Theater of the Air version of the book, w/Marlene Dietrich as Anna. It was an hourlong production of the story, so I'm sure some of the quality was lost, but Anna was sort of a dork. I began to lose it when Count Vronsky takes her off to the country b/c she's a social misfit, and she gets all whiny about love. And after everything, Vronsky loves her after all. IRONY!

And she only seems to care about her son after she's left him.

Her husband's a jerk, though.

Part of the problem also ahd to do with the soundtrack, which was this goopy music in the background whenever Anna was with Count Vronsky.

Comments

The dreaded Anna

[kudzublossom.livejournal.com]

I've tried to read that novel several times in the past few years...even a newer translation...all leading to the same result.

Put down on my end table to collect dust...

Re: The dreaded Anna

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

Oh, good. I just feel really guilty because this is Tolstoy. I happened to miss this book when I was in high school, and I'm very happy about it. I don't know how I would have felt to have it thrust on me.

[em-porium.livejournal.com]

Part of the problem also ahd to do with the soundtrack, which was this goopy music in the background whenever Anna was with Count Vronsky.

Don't you just love/hate that?? I was noticing the soundtrack to one of the soaps that I was watching the other day. hahahaha It's so funny when you don't get involved in the story line and just pay attention to the weird editing tricks that they play.

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah, soaps are epic with the soundtracks. Lots of dramatic chords.

This was so obvious, and it makes me wonder, since this was radio, why they made that choice.

[em-porium.livejournal.com]

But it was old radio, right? I think that they had really cheesy music back in the day because there was no visual.

cheesy music

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

oh, yeah. I just thought they would have considered the aural component a littel more closely. This was a little too much.

I have often wondered where all of those organ players went when radio really died. Into ballparks and ice skating rinks, but there must have been quite the crush for positions. They were all over the place.

What I didn't realize until I started listening to old time radio was that they played the entire William Tell Overture at the beginning of the Lone Ranger. The whole damned thing. That's a lot of music. Makes me wonder where this notion that commercials took over our tv shows came from. I mean--it was always like a 3 minute intro w/this show!

Re: cheesy music

[em-porium.livejournal.com]

The play the whole William Tell Overature?? Really?? Huh...