This past summer I was honored to be asked by Sony to record the audio commentary for The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933). This feature is part of the studio's recently released 20 film box set Frank Capra at Columbia. You can hear me discuss many details of this Pre-Code drama while you watch, including backstories of the director, actors, screenplay, cinematography, production design, and of course costume design. The film is still so provocative there were aspects about it I wasn't allowed to discuss.
One of the things that makes this film so special is its star Barbara Stanwyck, who was a longtime collaborator of Frank Capra. They did 5 films together - Ladies of Leisure (1930), The Miracle Woman (1931), Forbidden (1932), The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933), and Meet John Doe (1941). At first glance, Bitter Tea may seem like an odd choice for a director known for classics such as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) and It's a Wonderful Life (1946). But the relationship between Bitter Tea's two main characters actually reflects some of the director's own feelings for his favorite actress.
The stories behind the film's costumes are incredibly interesting. They start with the fact that they're the work of not one, but two incredible designers - Robert Kalloch and Edward Stevenson. Kalloch had only recently come to Columbia in 1932 as its first head of costume design after being an internationally renowned couturier. In fact, the wife of studio head Harry Cohn was a client and encouraged her husband to hire Kalloch. Edward Stevenson was also a great talent who would eventually become best known as the head costume designer at RKO. I discuss that period of Stevenson's career at length in my book Film Noir Style. At the time of Bitter Tea, he was splitting his time between Columbia and Hal Roach Studios. Both Kalloch and Stevenson are highly skilled at glamour, but also know how to bring layers of meaning to their characters' costumes.
To tantalize you, I share some of Stanwyck's stunning costumes from the film below. I do hope you'll consider buying the box set for the film lover in your life. Several of the films are making their debut on disc as part of this collection. There are also hours of archival special features along with new commentaries. I hope you enjoy the information I share in my audio commentary for The Bitter Tea of General Yen.
The stories behind the film's costumes are incredibly interesting. They start with the fact that they're the work of not one, but two incredible designers - Robert Kalloch and Edward Stevenson. Kalloch had only recently come to Columbia in 1932 as its first head of costume design after being an internationally renowned couturier. In fact, the wife of studio head Harry Cohn was a client and encouraged her husband to hire Kalloch. Edward Stevenson was also a great talent who would eventually become best known as the head costume designer at RKO. I discuss that period of Stevenson's career at length in my book Film Noir Style. At the time of Bitter Tea, he was splitting his time between Columbia and Hal Roach Studios. Both Kalloch and Stevenson are highly skilled at glamour, but also know how to bring layers of meaning to their characters' costumes.
To tantalize you, I share some of Stanwyck's stunning costumes from the film below. I do hope you'll consider buying the box set for the film lover in your life. Several of the films are making their debut on disc as part of this collection. There are also hours of archival special features along with new commentaries. I hope you enjoy the information I share in my audio commentary for The Bitter Tea of General Yen.
