Henry Fonda is a legendary actor and great representation of classic Hollywood. He has had some amazing roles, but hardly received any accolades. The only award he received from the academy was for On Golden Pond when he was ill. What is it with the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences; they honor actors to late in life. So late even, that it doesn't really mean much when an award has been given. This has happened to many actors including, Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Alfred Hitchcock, James Earl Jones, and Glenn Close to name a few.
Fonda is more well known for his serious roles like Grapes of Wrath and My Darling Clementine. He has also done some comedies, one of which I'll talk about now. Your, Mine, and Ours is a 198 comedy about a widower with 10 children who marries a widow with 8. Together they have to learn how to live with a mixed family. Fonda plays Frank Beardsley, a Naval Officer who goes home to take care of his children. Lucille Ball, a terrific comedian plays Helen North, a nurse who moves her clan to San Francisco so she can work on a Naval base.
This is a great film about two older people finding love yet again. It's a very funny light-hearted film to sit and watch. What's most funny about the movie is the two of them trying to blend the two families together.
By the end of the film, to use a corny phrase, they become a closer happy family. Fonda delivers a great speech about marriage and commitment to one of his teenage daughters, as Helen goes into labor.
The blending of the two families, hence the title of the film:
http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/204974/Yours-Mine-and-Ours-Movie-Clip-Yours-mine-ours.html
By the end of the film, to use a corny phrase, they become a closer happy family. Fonda delivers a great speech about marriage and commitment to one of his teenage daughters, as Helen goes into labor.
To get back to his more serious roles. Henry Fonda plays a juror in 12 Angry Men which was released in 1957. Starring along-side Fonda is Lee J. Cobb, Jack Klugman, Jack Warden, and Ed Begley.
Fonda is portrayed as the logical juror who is not entirely convinced that the prosecution has proven their case. Instead of condemning the young boy to death for killing his father, Fonda's character asks the other jurors to listen to him. As the jurors sit down to deliberate, it is obvious that some of the jurors hold personal grudges and have prejudice against the young Puerto Rican boy on trial. One by one, Fonda's character starts to get through to the other jurors and reasonable doubt is placed in their minds.
This movie follows a logical sequence and analyzing evidence for facts and accuracy. At times the jury room gets very emotional as different men come together and determine the fate of a young man. What you may or may not notice, is that there are no names given to either the jurors or witnesses to the murder. I believe the director Sidney Lumet, is trying to prove that names and ethnicity's don't matter when deducing facts and reasons. Or possibly Lumet is saying that names and ethnicity's have too many biases in a court room and that it is best to keep identity and personal preference out of the justice system.
12 Angry Men Trailer:
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