Saturday, February 19, 2011

Louis Calhern, 1895-1956

Wouldn't we all ogle Miss Monroe?
Louis Calhern ogles Marilyn Monroe in The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

Today marks the birth anniversary of supporting actor Louis Calhern, who made dozens of appearances until his sudden death from a heart attack while in Japan to film Teahouse of the August Moon. Calhern's roles include Cary Grant's boss in Notorious, but he might perhaps be most recognizable as the man financing the plan gone wrong in The Asphalt Jungle; the wealthy "pillar of society" who has a wife in bed and a woman (Marilyn Monroe) on the side.

In looking for a suitable photo of Calhern, I found a French Poster for The Asphalt Jungle, which interestingly has the title Quand la ville dort, which translates to While the City Sleeps. My immediate thought was, "Wasn't While the City Sleeps the name of a famous movie?" It turns out, of course, that there is a movie called While the City Sleeps, but it wasn't made until 1956, several years after The Asphalt Jungle would have been released in France.

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