....This week I watched:
The Thin Man (1934) William Powell, Myrna Loy, Asta. The first and among the best of the series. Ex-cop married to heiress, retires to manage her estate and drink martini's. Couple comes to NYC during holidays and gets mixed up in a disapperance, perhaps murder, of old friend whose daughter has become engaged and will marry during last week of year. With the assorted mugs, thugs, crooks and characters who know Nick Charles, the cocktail parties and sit-down dinner they host are funny and we have as much fun as they do. Of course, before dessert, Nick has solved the crime and alls well that ends well and this is done up in a bright shiny bow and is great fun. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025878/
Only Angels Have Wings (1939) Cary Grant,Jean Arthur. Another great movie from a great year 1939. This one has the cast down in at a small South American airfield with a group of bush pilots trying to get a mail contract for the owner of the planes and field. Thomas Mitchell is the best friend; Richard Barthelmess, a new flyer with a secret; Rita Hayworth his wife; and a bunch of character actors who are terrific. This is a romance with only a couple of embraces. But both leads know how to play the suspicion and longing that lonely people have. The interesting look and early aviation and how rough and dangerous just getting a startup company off the ground was, is neatly tucked into the story. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031762/
Wuthering Heights (1939) Merle Oberon beautiful, and Lawrence Olivier matched her. Very sad and wildly romantic. Atmospheric, and great music score. But because the two main characters are very flawed I just cannot say I like them or their story. Always feel so sorry for Isabella and Edgar. They take the dunce Cathy into their home twice and she is so ungrateful and bitchy. And Heathcliff is such a unlikeable mess of a guy, why would both women want him - except he looks like Larry Olivier? Production is beautifully done for the time, and you can feel the cold of the storm on the moors. Cast of character actors are all first rate. Rates high for production values and the actors. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032145/
Road To Singapore (1940) Bing & Bob and Dotty. That's Crosby, Hope and Lamour! First of the famous "Road" films and one of the best. Just fun to be on the set with this crew. They are adlibbing and doing bits they made up all through the film. With the directors blessing. Plot is not important but there is a beginning, middle and end.
Saratoga Trunk (1945) Ingrid Bergman, Gary Cooper. Two beautiful people at their most beautiful. Story of Clio Dulane who comes to New Orleans with Angelique and Cupidon to get even for the way her mama was treated by the family of her Creole father. She meets "that tall Texas" and looses her heart, but her mind makes her stick to her plan to make the very rich and proper family bring her mother back and bury her with a large tombstone and keep it whitewashed. She manages to get her way and then joins her "tall Texas" at Saratoga, NY to catch a rich husband. A beautifully filmed adventure/romance; gorgeous costumes and sets; marvelous score. Some great lines: the little lawyer Clio outwits into agreeing to her terms "may I say, you are very beautiful." Clio: "Yes. Isn't it lucky." And oh! to look like Ingrid and be able to say it with such amused pride and joy! Absolutely love her whole performance! 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038053/
Daisy Kenyon (1947) Joan Crawford, Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews. Three fine actors in a cynical and interesting romantic drama. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039294/
Moonrise (1948) Gail Russell, Dane Clark, Ethel Barrymore. Dull film noir of a man who was bullied all his life because of his father being hanged for murder. At the beginning of the film, we see a montage of what happened, and then it jumps to his life as a young man. He is still being mocked and ridiculed by the townspeople and how he eventually looses his temper on the main bully. The actors are all good, but the screen play lacks tension and zip. By the end, I really didn't care what happened to the main characters. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040607/
Too tired to proof tonight. Back later today. Maybe. Hahaha.
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