This week’s mystery movie was the 1949 Paramount film The Great Gatsby, with Alan Ladd, Betty Field, Macdonald Carey, Ruth Hussey, Barry Sullivan, Howard Da Silva, Shelley Winters, Henry Hull, Carole Mathews, Ed Begley, Elisha Cook Jr., Nicholas Joy, Walter Greaza and Tito Vuolo.
Screenplay by Cyril Hume and Richard Maibaum.
From the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald and the play by Owen Davis.
Photographed by John F. Seitz.
Art direction by Hans Dreier and Roland Anderson.
Special photographic effects by Gordon Jennings, Jan Domela and Irmin Roberts.
Process Photography by Farciot Edouart.
Set decoration by Sam Comer and Ray Moyer.
Costumes by Edith Head.
Edited by Ellsworth Hoagland.
Makeup by Wally Westmore.
Assistant director William H. Coleman.
Sound by Hugo Grenzbach and Walter Oberst.
Music by Robert Emmett Dolan.
Produced by Richard Maibaum.
Directed by Elliott Nugent.
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This version of The Great Gatsby has been on my “wanted” list for a long time, and I finally found a good print. I suffered through the Robert Redford-Mia Farrow version in 1974 and skimmed the 2013 attempt with Leonardo DiCaprio, which left me with the belief that the novel simply cannot be translated to film. This version didn’t entirely change my mind, but it’s stronger than the later versions and Alan Ladd is quite good as Gatsby.
I’m going to guess that Bosley Crowther did not approve. He did not (The New York Times, July 14, 1949):
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic story of the “prohibition crowd,” which he told with real irony and pity in The Great Gatsby back in 1925, has been brought to the screen by Paramount with particular emphasis upon the aspects of the sentimental romance that formed the thread of the novel’s fragile plot. Except for a few pictorial tracings of parties and brittle high life, the flavor of the Prohibition era is barely reflected in this new film at the Paramount.
Indeed, there are reasons for suspecting that Paramount selected this old tale primarily as a standard conveyance for the image of its charm boy, Alan Ladd. For most of the tragic implications and bitter ironies of Mr. Fitzgerald’s work have gone by the board in allowing for the generous exhibition of Mr. Ladd.
For Monday, we have a mysterious seafarer.
Update: This is Henry Hull and the disembodied hand of Carole Mathews.
For Tuesday, we have a mysterious book lover. That is, a mystery guest who loves books. I suppose he might love mysteries, but at this moment, he is the mystery.
Update: This is Nicholas Joy.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie, mysterious captain and mystery disembodied hand), James Curtis (mysterious sea captain), Mary Mallory* (mystery movie, mysterious sea captain and mysterious disembodied hand), Tim Doherty (mysterious sea captain), B.J. Merholz (mystery sea captain), Anne Papineau (mystery movie and mysterious sea captain), Jenny M. (mystery movie, mysterious sea captain), Chrisbo (mystery sea captain), Mike Hawks (mysterious captain of the sea), Bob Hansen (mysterious sea captain), Benito (mystery sea captain), June (mystery captain), Sheila (mystery sea captain), Megan and Thom (sea captain of mystery), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and enigmatic sea captain) and Greg (mystery sea captain).
*From the spam filter.
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mysterious couple.
Update: This is Macdonald Carey and Ruth Hussey.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Tuesday’s mysterious intoxicated party guest), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie), Sheila (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mysterious intoxicated party guest) and Greg (mystery movie, Monday’s mysterious sea captain and disembodied mystery hand).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have a couple of mysterious fellows.
Update: This is Howard Da Silva and Barry Sullivan.
We also have this mysterious woman.
Update: This is Shelley Winters.
And finally, this mysterious doughboy.
Update: This is Elisha Cook Jr.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mysterious guests), Anne Papineau (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Sylvia E. (mystery movie and Monday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests) and Megan and Thom (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests).
For Friday, we have these mysterious fellows stopping at a gas station in a mysterious automobile.
Update: This is, from left, Elisha Cook Jr., Ed Begley and Alan Ladd.
Update: This is a slightly better angle on the mystery car. Judging by the radiator and the vents on the hood (not visible in this shot, alas), it appears to be a Packard touring car from about 1928.
And this mysterious couple.
Update: This is Betty Field and Alan Ladd.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery guests), Blackwing Jenny (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests), Sylvia E. (Tuesday’s inebriated lover of Shakespeare and Thursday’s mystery guests), Anne Papineau (Thursday’s mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guests), Benito (mystery movie and Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests), Chrisbo (mystery movie and Thursday’s mysterious guests), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guests) and Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests).
ladailymirror.com 
Henry Hull in THE GREAT GATSBY (1949).
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Hand of Carole Mathews.
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Henry Hull today.
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Henry Hull
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We’ll start with Henry Hull.
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Henry Hull and Ruth Hussey in “The Great Gatsby”
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Henry Hull.
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Henry Hull on Monday?
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The Great Gatsby (1949)
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Walter Huston
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Henry Hull.
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THE GREAT GATSBY. Carole Mathews with her hand on Hull.
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Henry Hull is our Monday guest. I have no clue about the movie though.
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Henry Hull, aka a passenger in LIFEBOAT
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I believe that is Henry Hull
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Reminds me of Walter Huston a little. Don’t think it’s him though. Thinking cap on….
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Henry Hull?
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Our mystery guest is Henry Hull, but not sure which movie.
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On second thought, I’m not so sure. There’s another actor that resembles Huston. The more I look at the guy the more confused I get.
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Henry Hull in The Great Gatsby (1949)
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I think I’ll go with Henry Hull (for now).
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Paul Power.
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Walter Greaza
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Nicholas Joy.
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The Great Gatsby
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Nicholas Joy, ‘The Great Gatsby’?
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The movie is The Great Gatsby and Carole Mathews is the owner of the hand being held by Henry Hull in Monday’s photo.
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Nicholas Joy Tuesday and MacDonald Carey and Ruth Hussey today.
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MacDonald Carey and Ruth Hussey strolling in the mist.
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Macdonald Carey, Ruth Hussey.
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MacDonald Carey and Ruth Hussey in THE GREAT GATSBY.
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Wednesday- the guy looks like MacDonald Carey. No idea of the picture.
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“The Great Gatsby” 1949
Monday – Henry Hull is our sea captain and the disembodied hand belongs to Carole Matthews (found a different photo that shows her more clearly).
Wednesday – MacDonald Carey and Ruth Hussey
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Macdonald Carey and Ruth Hussey in The Great Gatsby (1949)
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Howard Duff and Barry Sullivan, Shelley Winters, and Elisha Cook Jr.
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Oh, well-Elijah Cook Jr. And Shelley and Howard and…I guess it’s the unsung and forgotten version of The Great Gatsby.
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Tuesday’s drunken guest is Nicholas Joy.
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Looks like Howard Da Silva, Barry Sullivan, Shelley Winters and Elisha Cook, Jr.
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Howard Da Silva, Barry Sullivan; Shelley Winters; Elisha Cook, Jr.
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Think Tuesday’s guy is Nicholas Joy
Thursday:
Howard Da Silva and Barry Sullivan
Shelley Winters
Elisha Cook Jr
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I spy Macdonald Carey, Howard Da Silva, Barry Sullivan, and Elisha Cook Jr. Izzat shelley Winters?
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THE GREAT GATSBY 1949. We have it on dvd. Dont understand why its been buried. Alan Ladd is a great Gatsby but IMHO Betty Field was miscast or misdirected as Daisy
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Barry Sullivan, Howard da Silva, Shelly Winters and Elisha Cook Jr. in The Great Gatsby
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Howard DaSilva, Barry Sullivan, Shelley Winters and Elisha Cook.
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Aha Thursday: Howard Da Silva, Barry Sullivan, Shelley Winters, and Elisha Cook Jr. in The Great Gatsby (1949)
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Elisha Cook Jr., Ed Begley, and alan Ladd in the car, Virginia field and Ladd.
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Well, too late to claim credit for movie or people, but Friday’s automobile is almost certainly a doozy, er, Duesenberg. An expert should be able to ID the coachbuilder from those distinctive door handles, but I was unable to.
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Friday – Elisha Cooke Jr, Ed Bagley and Alan Ladd.
Betty Field and Alan Ladd
Looking forward to the Saturday breakdown.
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Elisha Cook, Jr., Ed Begley, Alan Ladd; Betty Field.
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Elisha Cook, Ed Begley, Betty Field and Alan Ladd.
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That billboard means it has to be “The Great Gatsby”. Plus Elisha Cook, Jr.
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