....and a few I'd never seen before.
The Bitter Tea Of General Yen (1933) A film that was a scandal because of the Chinese General falling for Barbara Stanwyke, his American missionary prisoner. And she became pretty interested in him too. A no-no back then, for sure. Atmospheric, and rather repetitive. After reading about it for so long, I was a bit disappointed. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023814/
The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) the lavish black & white version with Merle Oberon, and Leslie Howard in the fop/hero role. He was perfect. Story of the French Revolution and the beheading of the aristocrats. Sir Percy Blakeney(Howard), is an 18th century English aristocrat who leads a double life. He appears to be merely the effete aristocrat...but he goes to Paris regularly, in disguise, and brings out as many of the doomed as possible. He and his wife are not on good terms because he thinks she has betrayed friends of his, and she thinks he has turned into a fool only interested in his cravat. Howard is terrific as the fool, spouting his little rhyming ditty to all the ladies of the court. All's well that ends well, and the sets, costumes and music make a first-rate black and white film. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025748/
Bachelor Mother (1939) Ginger Rogers, David Niven, Charles Coburn. Cute film that shows how different things were back in the depression era. Today, the baby in question would have never just been foisted off on a woman who says she doesn't want him and isn't his Mother. But for the time it is a warm hearted film and Ginger is gorgeous. The baby is adorable. Charles Coburn is his usual gruff, bad tempered self, but he does comedy like an old pro. Not much happens - just the usual mixups. But the long scene of Times Square on New Years - with some actual newsreel footage - is fun and interesting - to see how it was back then. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031067/
San Antonio (1945) Errol Flynn, Alexis Smith, S.Z. "Cuddles" Sakall, Florence Bates. Gorgeous stars, two of the best comic relief specialists in Bates and Sakall; scenery of all kinds; nice musical numbers and costumes for Alexis; gunfights, fistfights, chases on horses, for Errol and the villeins, Victor Francen and Paul Kelly. A favorite western of mine since my school days in '45 and we drooled over the movie mags at the corner drug store soda fountain. Fond memories and still fun. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038048/
The Ghost & Mrs Muir (1947) One of my all time favorites was shown on FMC and I just had to drop everything and sit down and watch. The stars, Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison; the music score - it is just a perfect romance. Story of an early 20th century young widow who buys a dead sea captains house by the sea. To her surprise he haunts the house because he wants it to be left for retired seaman. When she falls on hard times and may lose the house, he dictates his memoirs to her and sends her to London to a publisher who loves the sea. Her adventures with the book and the rest of her life is shown in montage and all ends on a happily hopeful note. Perfect! 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039420/
(Note) Gerry Butler would be a great Daniel/The Captain, but it probably should never be remade.
Miracle On 34th St. (1947) My tape of the original black & white version with Edmund Guinn as Kris Kringle. Lovely fairy tale. Watch it every year. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039628/
Mr. 880 (1950) Edmund Guinn, Burt Lancaster, Dorothy Maguire. Based on a true story of the longest counterfeiting case the Secret Service ever had. They couldn't catch him because he only passed one dollar bills when he was completely out of money, and never in the same place repeatedly. Guinn is great as the old retired seaman who doesn't want to cause anyone any trouble; Lancaster is more subdued than usual, and has good chemistry with Maguire in their little romance. A pleasant film, and lovely to watch the pros go through their paces. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042742/
Shane (1953) Alan Ladd, Van Heflin, Jean Arthur, Brandon DeWilde, Jack Palance. One of the best westerns of all time. A lone rider(Alan Ladd-Shane) comes to the farm of homesteaders, the Staretts(Heflin, Arthur & De Wilde) has a drink of water, and is about to ride on. But after the Ryker bunch come riding through Staretts garden and threatens them, we see Shane is leaning against the cabin watching and Ryker sees him too - and the gang rides away. The farmer asks pardon for not showing hospitality to the stranger, and thus begins a great story of redemption. Every role is cast to perfection. And De Wilde's heartbreaking call to Shane at the end reminds us of the lonely child in us that cries out for that person in our life that we had to let go of and never see again. Perfect. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046303/
Baby Boom (1987) Diane Keaton, Sam Shephard, Sam Wanamaker, Pat Hingle, James Spader, the Kennedy twins as baby Elizabeth. Very funny story of a woman on the fast track to become a partner at a cut throat Ad agency when she is suddenly left her distant cousins child after the parents are killed in a car accident in England. How she copes, and the mess this development makes in her controlled life, is very funny. But the real fun begins when she has to change her complete lifestyle and buys a house in Vermont. Some hysterically funny scenes as only Keaton can do them, and of course the darling baby girl wins her and us completely. All the actors are spot on and it is a fun time at the movies. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092605/
Dirty Dancing (1987) Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze, Jerry Orbach, Jack Weston. Doctor Houseman(Orbach) and his family vacation at a resort in the Catskill Mountains. The youngest daughter, Frances/Baby(Grey), becomes infatuated with the dance instructor, Johnny(Swayze) and involved in the problems of his dance partner. The location scenery, music and dance scenes, and chemistry between the leads, make for a good time at the movies. Still a pleasure after 22 years. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092890/
Enchanted April (UK/1992) Miranda Richardson, Josie Lawrence, Joan Plowright, Polly Walker. Four women decide to ditch husbands, and assorted other encumbrances, to rent a castle in Italy for a month long holiday. They do and we tag along. Nothing much happens, beautifully! Languid and peaceful - except for one amusing scene of one of the husbands who joins the ladies and becomes a buffoon while taking a bath. For a nice, quiet evening by the fire and dreaming of sunny Italy. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101811/
Winter begins tomorrow(21st) and the season has gotten off to a bang in some parts of the USA. Blizzards in the east; damp cold in the Heartland. Good to have a warm house, and fireplace and lots of good movies to watch. Sez I!
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