Initially you might think the title “Female on the Beach” (1955) refers to its star, Joan Crawford. But the real “seductress” in the film is beefy Jeff Chandler. Sauntering through much of the film in tight swimming trunks, displaying massive thighs and pecs, he is just a gigolo, employed by a scheming middle-aged couple to seduce and scam wealthy women. The latest target? Joan Crawford, of course. However, Joan is too cynical, hard, and unemotional (read: “too masculine”) to fall for the obvious machinations of the luscious bathing beauty. Or is she?
The scheming middle-aged couple is played by Cecil Kellaway and Natalie Schaffer – Mrs. Howell! – and they are hilariously calculating in their exploitation of Jeff’s sex appeal to achieve their monetary ends.
While the gaze of so many films is that of the male ogling the female, “Female on the Beach” reverses all that. Look who’s clothed and who is unclothed. Thus this film offers the welcome “gay lens” of a camera-eye always on Jeff Chandler. And it’s hard to find a more worthy object than Jeff.
Ruggedly handsome and a solid actor, Jeff Chandler was equally at home whether in westerns, war pictures, adventures, costume epics, or melodrama. Born Ira Grossel in Brooklyn, NY, in 1918, Jeff's life and career were all too short - he died at the age of 42 from blood poisoning following surgery.
"Massive thighs" is right! Woof!!
ReplyDeleteYes, His life was cut short, which was a real shame it would have been wonderful to see him age...he was a hottie indeed.. showing us his muscularity to the max.... makes me hot just looking at him now... Thank you so much Mark for your love of all things beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHe was one hot and sexy stud. Love watching him when i was young. Thank you sexy for letting me remember him.
ReplyDeleteYves
Another great actor and another great film. I saw this when I went through a Joan Crawford phase (we've all been there, I'm sure) and I remember being enticed by this man throughout. Thank you for reminding me of this stud.
ReplyDelete-Ace
Buddy Bear, I'm a thigh man too.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Wally. I love love his prematurely grey hair.
ReplyDeleteHi Yves, My pleasure.
ReplyDeleteAce, Some of us find that it is a recurring phase. Stay tuned for a post about the actor who played "Mildred Pierce's" husband, Bruce Bennett.
ReplyDeleteSo I’m back from spending 4 days and nights with a large group of men--all in the dark! H’mm--actually not quite as exciting as that sounds. Picture the guy with the pocket protector in your middle school who was the AV geek. He always ran the projector….well, I just sat with countless numbers of those very guys--now all 50 years old and on up. While there was not much to look at in the audience, the stuff up on the screen was great! Cinevent shows silent flicks (with live music) and older sound movies. I don’t think anything was past 1944 or so. They assume the audience has seen the classics and they dig for the obscure--so lots of pre-code Paramount and Universal and silent First National, Fox and a host of independent companies from the teens. I think I saw 30 in my 4 days….and could have seen two more if I’d stayed awake.
ReplyDeleteMy nominations for the hottest men….
Yakima Canutt the great stuntman while still a tall, gangly leading man in “Hell Hounds of the Plains” from 1926.
Tom Mix trading the cowboy gear for 18th century highwayman drag in “Dick Turpin” from 1925. He was able to show off an incredible body as he pretended to be a boxing champion.
Kenneth Harlan in “The Virginian.” This was the 1923 version. So not DeMille’s silent or Gary Cooper‘s early film. Harlan just had that superior, manly swagger that can make this top drop to his knees.
PS: I’ve long been a fan of Mr. Chandler. Let’s just hope Esther Williams was wrong…
PPS: “Virile Brains” tomorrow. Aw shucks, you didn’t need to profile me…..
Wow, FelchingPisser, taking on 30 in 4 days is an ambitious undertaking - but if anyone could handle it, I knew it would be you!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for reporting back from the festival. I was thinking about you over the weekend.
Terrific nominations for hottest men... I have not seen any of those films. Will have to keep my eyes open to try to catch them.
Recently saw a clip of an elderly Yakima Canutt talking about his career - and he was still extremely handsome and virile into his 80s.
Hard to imagine Tom Mix out of his cowboy clothes... well, not really, but it's hard to imagine him dressed up in 18th century highwayman drag. That boxing scene sounds worth the price of admission.
Re: Esther Williams - Do you mean wrong about the drag part? Cause I don't see why he can't dress in ladies' undies and still be hot as hell. In fact, he apparently was....
And yes, stop by tomorrow to cavort among your brainily virile cohorts.
Yeah....I know, I know, he can dress anyway he wants to...but just not for me. If I remember correctly she claimed full drag, not just some lingerie. But I would be happy to have him star in my own (slightly different) version of Red Ball Express...
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