--the triumph----
The Mudlark (1950) Irene Dunne, Alec Guinness, Andrew Ray, Finlay Currie. Young Mr. Ray, as the Mudlark of the title, is wonderful. An orphan boy, he lives along the banks of the Thames scavenging to survive. He finds a cameo brooch with Queen Victoria's picture and one of the older boys tells him it is "the mother of us all." Wheeler takes that literally and decides to walk to Windsor Castle to see her. How he gets into the palace, not once, but twice, is so amusing we must let each person discover for themselves this delightful and heartwarming story. Dunne as the Queen and Guinness as Prime Minister Disraeli, acquit themselves with their usual outstanding performances. And Currie as John Brown, the Queens confidant, is amusing and superb. The social commentary on conditions of the youth of Britain in 1875 is there for all to see, but we are not bludgeoned over the head. Almost perfect in every way. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042757/
---and the dud----
Blonde Fever (1944) Mary Astor, Phillip Dorn, Gloria Graham, Marshall Thompson. Tedious until late in the film when Mary Astors character gets even and with her sparkle and verve, she takes over the film. Dorn was supposed to be the star, and his character of the husband who develops 'blond fever' for the young, pouty Gloria Graham, is written as a "Cary Grant" type of bumbling rake who takes himself too seriously. Which no one else does. Sadly, Dorn is just not up to it and is all wrong for the part. Which makes the film slog along, until we get to the wife who sees all, knows all and gets what she wants. Graham is a sex kitten and goes on to bigger and better films. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036651/
--to be con't...
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