Morris Carnovsky On the Brink

Dead Reckoning borders on camp, but it is not Humphrey Bogart’s fault. In the midst of the camp, and in the midst of the almost laughably silly last scene, he remains truthful. He gives an affecting performance. This is the movie where he has the famous monologue about how he wishes he could magically make women be about 4 inches small, “small enough to put away in my pocket” – and then you could go out to dinner – with the woman in your pocket – sit down at the table, “take her out, and let her run around among the coffee cups” – (that image made me laugh) – “And then – when you want her to be life-size and beautiful…” (for obvious purposes) “You just wave your hand, and there they are.”

I wanted to wave my hand and make Lizbeth Scott 4 inches small and put her away in my pocket for good to at least save me from her melodrama.

One treat for me, in watching the film, was that Morris Carnovsky played Martinelli – the casino-owner. If you had grown up in the 30s and 40s and had any awareness of theatre and good actors, you would have known the name Morris Carnovsky. I feel like I know Morris Carnovsky. He was a veteran of Broadway, a serious actor of the classics. He was married to Phoebe Brand, a petite boisterous actress who, I believe, died a couple years ago. Carnovsky and Brand were involved with the Group Theatre in the 1930s – that fabled organization which lasted only a decade but which had such an enormous impact on our culture.

We feel the impact now, and even if you don’t even know about the Group Theatre, it is there.

Lee Strasberg was one of the founders. A bad director, and a brilliant teacher of actors – he went on to run the Actors Studio for many years. And he trained many of the people who defined American cinema in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. James Dean, Brando, Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift, Jack Nicholson, Steve McQueen, Ellen Burstyn, Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Harvey Keitel … the list is endless. Eli Wallach, Anne Jackson…

Elia Kazan, brilliant director and limited actor, started as one of the acting ensemble in the Group Theatre. He was the toast of the town for about 4 or 5 years, before he realized that he was quite limited as an actor – and that he would better off being a director. He was right.

Harold Clurman, one of the greatest critics of our time, of ANY time, was one of the founders of the Group Theatre. A true zealot, a true intellect – an incredible writer. His books are in print to this day, and directors and playwrights alike would do well to study them. On Directing is considered a classic.

John (known as Julie) Garfield The lead role in Clifford Odets’ Golden Boy was written for Julie. However, the part was eventually given to Luther Adler. Julie played the great role of Siggie, the boisterous unintellectual cab driver who is always romping in bed with his wife Anna (played by Phoebe Brand). I was in a production of this show, I played Anna. Garfield never really got over being rejected for the lead role, however, and accepted a 2 picture movie contract with Warner Brothers. He, obviously, became massively successful and is considered by many to be the first “Method movie star”. Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson – all owe a huge debt to Julie Garfield. Garfield died of a heart attack at the age of 39.

Oops, one thing to add about Julie Garfield: While indeed he was quite dissipated in many of his habits – and he cultivated to perfection the role of the bitter outsider which he used to great effect in his parts – and yes, he did live hard, and drink hard – many believe that the unending harassment he received from the HUAC who went after him with a singlemindedness and ruthlessness that they showed to nobody else – many believe that it was that which led to his premature death. They were determined to “get” Julie Garfield. He was a big star, a heartthrob, etc. He was the “name” that the committee wanted the most. Anyone who testified for the HUAC – Miller, Kazan, Odets – all those people – they all mention that the name the HUAC wanted the most was “John Garfield”. Some people believe that Garfield was hounded to death. 39 is quite young to have a heart attack, obviously. Anyway, it’s a shame. It would have been very interesting to see how he would have grown, and what being an older man would have given to his acting.

Clifford Odets. Wrote about 6 great plays, and then a bunch of mediocre ones. But his great plays are so great that it makes you want to put down your pen forever. I’ve performed in many of them. They are as fun to act as they are to read. Odets became a star because the Group Theatre produced his plays.

Morris Carnovsky was one of the acting ensemble. Made a name for himself playing roles much older than himself. He was very much looked up to. Many of the Group actors were much younger, barely out of their teens. Some, like Julie Garfield, were completely uneducated, and had nothing but raw ambition, and a desire to be part of an ensemble – an ensemble that actually tried to produce plays about the time they were living in, plays that actually addressed The Great Depression, and the desperation they saw around them. At this time, Broadway was mostly producing Philip Barry comedies and Moss Hart comedies – all amazingly wonderful, but all about the upper-class, untouched by the Depression, floating through life, having romances, smoking cigarettes, witty repartee. The Group was interested in something different. Odets became their voice.

Carnovsky became a kind of father figure to the young and mostly Jewish actors, raised in the ghetto of the Lower East Side. They looked up to him, they learned from him. Carnovsky was experienced as an actor, had been on stage for many years, he was an educated man. He was someone to emulate – great work ethic, great respect for his craft.

Carnovsky’s career was ruined by the blacklist. He didn’t work again. At least not in films. He became a teacher.

I am still angry at what I have been denied, so many years later, because of this man not being allowed to act. What performances he might have given, what parts he might have played.

This film was done in 1947. His career ended in 1951. Staring at him, I felt this sadness: look out, my friend. The dark bat wings are already flapping above your community … get ready … get ready … You will never work in film again.