I watched:
The Feminine Touch (1938) Kay, Don Ameche, Rosalind Russell, Van Heflin. Amusing story of a college professor(Ameche) who feels unappreciated by his students and decides to take his book on jealousy to NYC to talk to publishers. His wife (Russell) wants to test his theories to see if she can make him jealous. The publisher (Heflin) is a wolf/player who immediately targets the wife for conquest. His chief editor (Francis), a beautiful and smart woman, keeps things interesting as she is in love with the wolf. That's the setup. This has some good dialog and these for pros use their great skills at keeping things perking along. For example:
Nellie Woods(Francis): Sorry I'm not what you were expecting.
Elliott Morgan, Publisher,(Heflin): What makes you think I'm expecting anybody?
Nellie: What makes me think that dogs like liver?
Elliott: I don't get the analogy, but I expect it's very clever. It so happens that you're wrong; there's no one coming.
Nellie: You're right. She's gone out with her husband.
Elliott: [feigning confusion] Uh. . .who has?
Nellie: The liver.
MGM had casts like this, and writers, doing these clever little pictures to fill their theaters every week. Kay was always beautifully dressed and wore outrageous hats and gowns, and carried it off spectacularly from the silents through the 1940's. Lots of fun for the "Matinee' ladies. 7/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033596/
It's A Date (1940) Kay and Deanna Durbin, Walter Pidgeon. Kay plays Georgia Drake, stage actress and mother to Pamela (Durbin), she is all set to star in a show at school. She asks her mothers director and a new play write to come see her in rehearsal for her show to give an opinion of how it looks. It ends with them offering her the role in their new musical, which was to be played by her mother. Of course she does not know this and is thrilled. It all turns out alright, as always in a Durbin film, but this is a very good story and the stars are all in top form. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032644/
Always In My Heart (1942) Kay, Walter Houston and introducing new teenage singer, Gloria Warren. Kay is another mother in this one, this time to new starlet singer Gloria , who is not nearly as special as Durbin. Neither in personality or voice, has she a tenth of the quality. The story has Houston as Mackenzie Scott, who has just been pardoned from prison. He is the former husband of Francis, who is about to remarry. The two teenage children have some problems with the new man, and although they have been told their father is dead, it all ends well for the family. The title song is lovely, and when Houston sings it to his daughter, a real tear jerker. Pros at work here. Enjoyable. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034454/
Cold and damp today, but at least the snow is almost gone except where the plow left mounds. Rain is forecast so maybe it will look all clean soon. We have had heavy fog mornings lately.
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