December 6, 2023: In 1953’s Small Town Girl, a character played by Hungarian-born S. Z. “Cuddles” Sakall (1883-1955) frets about a big-city lady-killer played by Farley Granger: “That fellow makes monkeyshines with all our daughters. He keep them up till three a.m. and kisses them New York–style.” It’s an adorable line delivered adorably by an adorable actor I’ve become a little obsessed with. Today the great Bright Lights Film Journal runs my Sakall piece (see here), which explains how, although those cuteness-spiked roles grated on him, his Hollywood career literally saved his life.
Hey Look! It’s Cuddles!
06 Wednesday Dec 2023