Gone With The Wind & other classsics, plus---

---a few from the last few years:


Maytime (1937) Nelson Eddy, Jeanette MacDonald. Beautiful, lavish film with the sensations of Hollywood at the time. MGM pulled out all the stops, except for color, and the costumes and sets are spectacular. The duo's greatest scene from opera, and they nail the passion both characters feel by the time of the final reel. For TCM's tribute to both stars' birthday month, this is always a treat. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029222/

Sweethearts (1938) Nelson Eddy, Jeanette MacDonald, Frank Morgan. Finally MGM filmed our stars in technicolor and it is glorious. Story is contemporary to the time it was filmed so the sets and clothes are modern. And what clothes Jeanette gets to wear! In the middle of the film we have a fashion show, with her trying on clothes for a trip. Just gorgeous. They are going to Hollywood, leaving their successful stage play after a 6 year run. Mix-ups and split ups and reuniting ensue. A joy to watch which I do for the holidays, and didn't mind at all watching again for the birthday celebration. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030817/


Gone With The Wind (1939) Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Olivia de Havilland, Leslie Howard, Hattie McDaniel. My 1989 50th Year Anniversary video copy, beautifully boxed, with certificate, booklet, etc. May someday replace with a Hi-def version, but this is great to get off the shelf and relive the joy I felt when it came in the mail back in 1989.
I have little-girl memories of seeing this with my little sisters and Mom and Dad back when it was first at our downtown Heartland city's Loew's Midland theater, a palace with red velvet everywhere, red plush seats, gold angels, tall mirrors and 16th century furniture in the mezzanine ladies lounge - which was huge. The experience of all that splendor plus the music as you entered (with an usher), still colors my mind and I just go back in time as I watch. The first re-release was when I was in high school and my galpals and I went often. It was a rite-of-passage to see Rhett carry Scarlett up those stairs and imagine what was happening. We all had raging hormones ( although we did not know what to call it back then - LOL) and it was delicious thinking about what Scarlett was simpering and singing about the next morning.
Still love Scarlett, the costumes, the music...the whole cast. My little girl self loved Bonnie Blue and cried buckets when she was killed. For my money, Scarlett was a forerunner of the strong business women of today. She was as ruthless as any man and not only got herself, but her father, sisters, in-laws and various others through the war and Reconstruction, she made everyone come out on top. They may have hated her, and Rhett may have left, but Scarlett has her sails full and will sail on. Amen, brother! 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031381/


The Solid Gold Cadillac (1956) Judi Holiday, Paul Douglas. Cute story of a small stock holder who drives the board nuts at a stock-holder meeting to elect the new board, which is supposed to be cut-and-dried. The heroine, Laura Partridge, is such a pest, with all her questions about executive compensation, that she is finally given a make work job (Director Of Shareholder Relations), doing nothing, to keep her happy and out of the way. Our former CEO and owner has become a dollar a year man in Washington, and thought he had left his company in good hands. But he eventually has to come back and save the day for Laura and the rest of the good guys. As an early film on corporate corruption it only does a few pokes, but has quite a lot to say for the time it was made. Good cast. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049777/


Time Limit (1957) Richard Widmark, Richard Basehart, Delores Michaels, Martin Balsam, June Lockhart, Rip Torn, Carl Benton Reid. Superb performances by the whole cast in a tightly woven story of the Korean War era, and an ex-prisoner of war. He has been court-marshaled for collaborating with the enemy. The investigator from the JAG office, begins to think there is more to the case than the facts as presented in the documents he has been given. On top of that, the Commanding Officer of the unit was the father of one of the fellow soldiers of the accused, and was killed in the camp. Naturally, he is bitter and wants this man convicted ASAP. Fine actor Karl Malden directed this film and gets the best from his cast. Basehart never was better. Lockhart is perfect as the heart broken wife. Widmark and Michaels also. And the speech Reid makes about "that is why we have the code" is a true statement of the way military men are taught. But the final questions by Basehart to Widmark; "a man is brave a thousand days and then on that one he finally breaks. Shouldn't there be a time limit?" - are heart breaking and are still being ask today. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051083/


Nine (2009) Danial Day-Lewis, Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Penelope Cruz. Awful film, awful music, just a bore. Turned it off after the first hour - which seemed like 3. 2/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0875034/

Valentine's Day (2010) Stars listed by alphabet in a story about what happens to various characters on - yep - Valentines Day. Not funny, not awful, not great, not memorable. But I didn't hate it - as I did with Nine. So 7/10. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0817230/

Summertime and the humid days and nights. We are having some rain this week, which is good. More light films for the season.