I watched these films recently:
In Gay Madrid (1930) Ramon Navarro, Dorothy Jordan. Story of a wastrel nobleman's son who is sent to a small village to straighten him out where he falls for the local belle. It is a rocky road to true love. Along the way we have songs and waltzes and duels. Very dated but it is short as were so many early films. The leads were very attractive and I can see why Navarro was a matinee' idol. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020997/
Love In The Rough (1930) Robert Montgomery, Dorothy Jordan. Another early pre-code film where they just throw in songs and dancing and comic routines at random places. I guess to see what worked. Bob is cute and I can see why my Mom and her girlfriends were crazy about him. But he is very different from the mature guy who was a Presidents communications director. This script is about golf, for heavens sake, and the men who play it, and OMG, the girls who play too, and every once in a while, they all stop for a routine of some sort. LOL 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021100/
Cabin In The Cotton (1932) Bette Davis, Richard Barthelmess, Dorothy Jordan. Plantation workers, the company store, child labor in the fields, class and economic discrimination. It's all here in a story of the share croppers son, who gets educated and climbs up the ladder or the rich owners company. He is torn between his friends and family and their needs and the family of the owner, especially the daughter who flirts and sweet talks him into doing her will. Much to ponder and also has Bette saying her famous line: "I'd like ta kiss ya, but I jes washed mah hair." Makes no sense, but she was vamping the country boy. 7/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022735/
Stingaree (1934) Irene Dunne, Richard Dix, Mary Boland, Andy Devine. Set in Australia, the plot is about a bandit who becomes enamored of poor relation of Boland, who fancies herself a gifted singer. She has a musical evening so she has can sing for a visiting composer, and the bandit who has heard the girl sing, arranges for her to have a chance too. The composer is interested in helping the girl and arranges for her to begin her studies and then tour the worlds stages singing. The songs and staging of the numbers are okay, but the plot and elements of the production are mediocre. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025833/
Topper (1937) Cary Grant, Constance Bennett, Roland Young(Oscar nominee), Billie Burke. Great cast in film about ghosts. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029682/
Suspicion (1941) Cary Grant, Joan Fontaine. Hitchcock directs for Selznick. Some wicked battles, I've read, between the two titans, Hitch and DOS. Commented on previously. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034248/
Mr. Lucky (1943) Cary Grant, Lorraine Day, Charles Bickford. Cary is a cad and only in the end does he redeem himself. Which begs the question whether there was interference to made the film more upbeat. He can be the charmer who turns the knife or breaks a heart with the best of them. Here he is a gambling ship owner who needs a front to use for one big night to score a lot of money and leave with all the proceeds. So he hooks up with a group of women raising money for war relief. He woos the beautiful, rich leader of the organization, and we think he is falling too, but he does a switcheroo - or does he. A favorite Grant film for me, along with Suspicion. He should have gone all the way and done a real villain. He was real and good at it. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036174/
Christmas In Connecticut (1945) Barbara Stanwyke, Dennis Morgan, Sydney Greenstreet, Reginald Gardiner, S. Z. Zakall. Charming holiday favorite commented on before. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037595/
Miracle On 34th Street (1947) Edmund Guinn, Maureen O'Hara, Natalie Wood, John Payne. Santa Claus comes to NYC to work at Macy's, Love this film. Every part is perfect. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039628/
It Happened On 5th Ave. (1947) Victor Moore, Gale Storm, Don DeFore, Ann Harding, Charles Ruggles. Script nominated for an Oscar, and it is clever. Moore is Aloysius T. McKeever, a gentleman bum, who moves into the vacant mansion of wealthy Michael O'Conner, when he leaves for his other home in VA. At the time of our story, Mikes daughter decides to leave school and shows up at the house. McKeever keeps collecting strays and before long the house is brimming with assorted characters. Plus, the owner(Ruggles) acting as a bum who is put to work, his estranged wife(Harding) also drafted to cook, and said daughter. She is sweet on the first guy brought into the house, Jim. He is a veteran who McKeever met in the park, where he was residing on a park bench. This motley crew sticks together through the holidays and we see them all around the big dining room table sharing a toast. This is a new Holiday film for me and I really enjoyed it a lot. I'm adding it to my December films list. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039502/
B. F. Daughter (1948) Barbara Stanwyke, Van Heflin, Charles Coburn. Polly (rich girl), meets Tom (poor professor) and they fall in love, marry against her papa's wishes. She tries to help on the sly cause hubby is proud, don't ya know, and won't be beholden to nobody. WWII comes along and creates further problems between our couple. B. F. tries to help but really can't understand what his daughter sees in Tom. And when he dies, Polly is devastated. A Matinee' Ladies film, with hankies needed. Back then. We are more hard-hearted and cynical now. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040141/
Come To The Stable (1949) Loretta Young, Celeste Holme, Hugh Marlowe, Elsa Lancaster. A favorite holiday movie, watched and commented on several years in a row. 9/19 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041257/
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
December 25, 2011
December 14, 2011
Powell, O'Brien, Babs, Loretta & Julia---
---star in the films I watched recently:
High Pressure (1932) William Powell, Evelyn Brent. We see promoter, fast-talking 'idea' man, Gar Evans(Powell) passed out in a saloon in the first few minutes of the story. His associates frantically try to get him sober and presentable so they can get him interested in promoting their latest scheme, artificial rubber made from sewage. They have the 'chemist' who discovered the process holed up in Brooklyn. After Gar gets his former fiance back on board as his receptionist in the lavish offices he promotes them into, and gets salesmen selling stock, problems start and it seems someone will end up in jail. Early pre-code film with speakeasy's, dives, dames, thugs, and assorted con-men, all on the make, and it makes a fast, funny film. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023007/
Slightly Honorable (1939) Pat O'Brien, Edward Arnold, Broderick Crawford, Ruth Terry, Claire Dodd. Pat is a lawyer, Crawford his lawyer side-kick, trying to get the goods on Boss Arnold who has his graft in anything and everything. When there are a couple of murders, there are clues leading to suspicion that O"Brien in involved. Night club singer Terry gets her nose into all Pats business, and he is annoyed but also flattered. She is only about 18 to his middle-age. Terry is very annoying, but maybe that is the way the director wanted her to play it. Not great, but a good little noirish mystery. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033062/
The Bishops Wife (1947) Loretta Young, Cary Grant, David Niven, Gladys Cooper, Monty Woolley. Yearly favorite. Grant is the answer to the Bishop's prayer. He says he is an angel. Loretta, the title character, is so lovely and the story so nice, it is a perfect way to start the Holiday season. The Bishops message at the church evening service, about "all the shining gifts" of the season, makes me tear up every year. And the boy choir's song is beautiful. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039190/
East Side, West Side {1949) Barbara Stanwyke, Van Heflin, James Mason, Ava Gardner. Barbara, Van and James in a melodrama about a philanderer, his wife, his lover and her new friend who helps get them out of a dilemma. Ava is spectacular in her fashions of the day. A super star in the making. The whole cast is wonderful in a film for the 'matinee' ladies. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041327/
The Pelican Brief (1993) Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington. A favorite Grisham book made into a satisfying film. Commented on previously. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107798/
Elizabeth I (2005 TVmini-series) Helen Mirren, Jeremy Irons. 2 parts. The story of the great queen in her middle years. Her favorite from her youth, Dudley, is still with her at the beginning and her adviser's who want her to marry to keep Spain and France from waging war. Well done version and Helen is wonderful, as usual. Irons is also. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465326/
Counting down to Christmas Day...
High Pressure (1932) William Powell, Evelyn Brent. We see promoter, fast-talking 'idea' man, Gar Evans(Powell) passed out in a saloon in the first few minutes of the story. His associates frantically try to get him sober and presentable so they can get him interested in promoting their latest scheme, artificial rubber made from sewage. They have the 'chemist' who discovered the process holed up in Brooklyn. After Gar gets his former fiance back on board as his receptionist in the lavish offices he promotes them into, and gets salesmen selling stock, problems start and it seems someone will end up in jail. Early pre-code film with speakeasy's, dives, dames, thugs, and assorted con-men, all on the make, and it makes a fast, funny film. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023007/
Slightly Honorable (1939) Pat O'Brien, Edward Arnold, Broderick Crawford, Ruth Terry, Claire Dodd. Pat is a lawyer, Crawford his lawyer side-kick, trying to get the goods on Boss Arnold who has his graft in anything and everything. When there are a couple of murders, there are clues leading to suspicion that O"Brien in involved. Night club singer Terry gets her nose into all Pats business, and he is annoyed but also flattered. She is only about 18 to his middle-age. Terry is very annoying, but maybe that is the way the director wanted her to play it. Not great, but a good little noirish mystery. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033062/
The Bishops Wife (1947) Loretta Young, Cary Grant, David Niven, Gladys Cooper, Monty Woolley. Yearly favorite. Grant is the answer to the Bishop's prayer. He says he is an angel. Loretta, the title character, is so lovely and the story so nice, it is a perfect way to start the Holiday season. The Bishops message at the church evening service, about "all the shining gifts" of the season, makes me tear up every year. And the boy choir's song is beautiful. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039190/
East Side, West Side {1949) Barbara Stanwyke, Van Heflin, James Mason, Ava Gardner. Barbara, Van and James in a melodrama about a philanderer, his wife, his lover and her new friend who helps get them out of a dilemma. Ava is spectacular in her fashions of the day. A super star in the making. The whole cast is wonderful in a film for the 'matinee' ladies. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041327/
The Pelican Brief (1993) Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington. A favorite Grisham book made into a satisfying film. Commented on previously. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107798/
Elizabeth I (2005 TVmini-series) Helen Mirren, Jeremy Irons. 2 parts. The story of the great queen in her middle years. Her favorite from her youth, Dudley, is still with her at the beginning and her adviser's who want her to marry to keep Spain and France from waging war. Well done version and Helen is wonderful, as usual. Irons is also. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465326/
Counting down to Christmas Day...
December 08, 2011
Inception, The Social Network, Salt----
---and other recent films I watched:
The Ultimate Gift (2006) Abigail Breslin, James Garner, Drew Fuller, Ali Hillis. Dysfunctional family of tycoon gathers to finds out who gets what. Only to learn the wastrel youngest son may get it all. But he discovers there are problems, and instructions by video, that he must overcome. Along the way he meets a little girl and her mother and they are his saviors. And he tries to be a good guy and help them. Nice Hallmark family film which is loaded with heartstrings pulls. Abigail is such a good little actress she does it easily. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482629/
Inception (2010) Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Joseph-Gorden Levitt. When did the 3 name fad start? So sick of it. Doesn't make them more memorable, just annoying. Now that off my chest, the movie itself is pretentious nonsense. Takes itself way too seriously. Dreams and deep sleep and rapid eye movement and all that and getting back and - not - or something. It was a slog, but I stayed awake and got to The End and will stick it into my "never see again" list. Cinematography interesting but we never know what is amazing anymore, cause it can all be done on the computer. 6/10 cause they're all soooo earnest. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1375666/
Due Date (2010) Robert Downey, Jr., Zach Galifianakis. Peter and Ethan's excellent adventure. Not! I won't even list Michelle Monaghan because her only reason to be in this disaster is to grunt and scream in a fake birthing scene. I only wanted to slap both these nuts about every five minutes. I guess I'm just not into guy humor because this and Hangover are so lame I can hardly remember any of either. Jeez, who writes this stuff? Some of the scenery is pretty. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1231583/
Salt (2010) Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber. Extreme action in the mode of the Bourne films. But the heroine is the agent and we don't know for whom she works and if any of it is real until the last few minutes. The stunts are spectacular with our girl jumping from the tops of moving semi's on the freeway. Too silly, but why quibble - so are lots of action films. And is there some item in a contract for action films that says "car must be shown flipping over, end over end, and causing multiple other crashes?" Every darn film where there is a chase. Anyway, Angie babe is gorgeous, can pull off the mean and bad persona, and the film is fairly well put together. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944835/
The Social Network (2010) Jesse Eisenberg. Is this one of the best of 2010? Why? It is annoying and the star is more so. I'm not that thrilled to know how Facebook began or who ended up screwing who out of how much money. And while my tribe do all belong to FB and show each other pictures, and plan holiday gatherings, I can go weeks without ever logging on. Knowing the little snots that began the whole thing does not make me love it. Hard to make geeks at keyboards interesting but they did a pretty good job. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1285016/
Unknown (2011) Liam Neeson, January Jones, Diane Kruger, Aiden Quinn. A biochemist and his wife arrive at the Berlin airport and take a cab to their hotel, where said Dr. Harris discovers he has left his briefcase with their passports, on the cart. So he jumps in a cab to return to fetch it, leaving his wife to register for their room. There is a terrible accident and he wakes up in a hospital after a few days and has trouble remembering things. And he has no identification. But he does know who he is and who his wife is. Proving it is difficult. Eventually, he gets the cab driver - Gina - to help him remember what happened from the hotel on, and why people want him dead. Very interesting action film and Neeson is good as usual. The usual car tricks and unbelievable accidents in which the actors characters survive. But it is fun and so --- 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1401152/
Lucas Davenport: Certain Prey (2011/TV) Mark Harmon as Minneapolis Deputy Police Chief, Lucas Davenport goes after a couple of very bad ladies who murder and think they have gotten away with it. I love Mark as 'the boss' Jethro Gibbs in NCIS and watch and rewatch the series. If this is Marks new series it will be another that I will watch. His world weary Lucas is just the ticket. I thought the two female leads were very good, and were evil enough. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1864461/
The Adjustment Bureau (2011) Matt Damon, Emily Blunt. A politician and a ballerina find each other and through mysterious forces are pulled apart. Then are reunited but it was not supposed to happen. This is something about fate, predestination or whatever. Love story was sweet, but the rest is mishmash of religion, sci/fi, etc. Can't say I would ever want to see it again. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1385826/
Finally caught up on commenting on films I have watched from the middle to November to December 6th. Now for my Holiday list and just relaxing with the ones I love.
Remember, we are the 99%. At least, I am!
The Ultimate Gift (2006) Abigail Breslin, James Garner, Drew Fuller, Ali Hillis. Dysfunctional family of tycoon gathers to finds out who gets what. Only to learn the wastrel youngest son may get it all. But he discovers there are problems, and instructions by video, that he must overcome. Along the way he meets a little girl and her mother and they are his saviors. And he tries to be a good guy and help them. Nice Hallmark family film which is loaded with heartstrings pulls. Abigail is such a good little actress she does it easily. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482629/
Inception (2010) Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Joseph-Gorden Levitt. When did the 3 name fad start? So sick of it. Doesn't make them more memorable, just annoying. Now that off my chest, the movie itself is pretentious nonsense. Takes itself way too seriously. Dreams and deep sleep and rapid eye movement and all that and getting back and - not - or something. It was a slog, but I stayed awake and got to The End and will stick it into my "never see again" list. Cinematography interesting but we never know what is amazing anymore, cause it can all be done on the computer. 6/10 cause they're all soooo earnest. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1375666/
Due Date (2010) Robert Downey, Jr., Zach Galifianakis. Peter and Ethan's excellent adventure. Not! I won't even list Michelle Monaghan because her only reason to be in this disaster is to grunt and scream in a fake birthing scene. I only wanted to slap both these nuts about every five minutes. I guess I'm just not into guy humor because this and Hangover are so lame I can hardly remember any of either. Jeez, who writes this stuff? Some of the scenery is pretty. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1231583/
Salt (2010) Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber. Extreme action in the mode of the Bourne films. But the heroine is the agent and we don't know for whom she works and if any of it is real until the last few minutes. The stunts are spectacular with our girl jumping from the tops of moving semi's on the freeway. Too silly, but why quibble - so are lots of action films. And is there some item in a contract for action films that says "car must be shown flipping over, end over end, and causing multiple other crashes?" Every darn film where there is a chase. Anyway, Angie babe is gorgeous, can pull off the mean and bad persona, and the film is fairly well put together. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944835/
The Social Network (2010) Jesse Eisenberg. Is this one of the best of 2010? Why? It is annoying and the star is more so. I'm not that thrilled to know how Facebook began or who ended up screwing who out of how much money. And while my tribe do all belong to FB and show each other pictures, and plan holiday gatherings, I can go weeks without ever logging on. Knowing the little snots that began the whole thing does not make me love it. Hard to make geeks at keyboards interesting but they did a pretty good job. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1285016/
Unknown (2011) Liam Neeson, January Jones, Diane Kruger, Aiden Quinn. A biochemist and his wife arrive at the Berlin airport and take a cab to their hotel, where said Dr. Harris discovers he has left his briefcase with their passports, on the cart. So he jumps in a cab to return to fetch it, leaving his wife to register for their room. There is a terrible accident and he wakes up in a hospital after a few days and has trouble remembering things. And he has no identification. But he does know who he is and who his wife is. Proving it is difficult. Eventually, he gets the cab driver - Gina - to help him remember what happened from the hotel on, and why people want him dead. Very interesting action film and Neeson is good as usual. The usual car tricks and unbelievable accidents in which the actors characters survive. But it is fun and so --- 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1401152/
Lucas Davenport: Certain Prey (2011/TV) Mark Harmon as Minneapolis Deputy Police Chief, Lucas Davenport goes after a couple of very bad ladies who murder and think they have gotten away with it. I love Mark as 'the boss' Jethro Gibbs in NCIS and watch and rewatch the series. If this is Marks new series it will be another that I will watch. His world weary Lucas is just the ticket. I thought the two female leads were very good, and were evil enough. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1864461/
The Adjustment Bureau (2011) Matt Damon, Emily Blunt. A politician and a ballerina find each other and through mysterious forces are pulled apart. Then are reunited but it was not supposed to happen. This is something about fate, predestination or whatever. Love story was sweet, but the rest is mishmash of religion, sci/fi, etc. Can't say I would ever want to see it again. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1385826/
Finally caught up on commenting on films I have watched from the middle to November to December 6th. Now for my Holiday list and just relaxing with the ones I love.
Remember, we are the 99%. At least, I am!
Kay Francis, Jane Greer, Myrna Loy----
---headline films I saw recently:
Jewel Robbery (1932) Kay Francis, William Powell, Helen Vinson. Charming jewel robber charms baroness out of her latest diamond ring and other trophies. Pre code charmer with two masters at the top of their game. Kay is gorgeous in the styles of the day. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023074/
Boy Meets Girl (1938) James Cagney, Pat O"Brien, Marie Wilson, Ralph Bellamy. Rapid fire dialog between Pat and Jimmy, playing idea men and script writers at a Hollywood studio. Waitress Marie wanders into an office with lunch for the boss, and becomes the focus of everyones concern when she says something about her baby. Complete ditziness and screwy, but the stars handle it so well, and so we go along for the ride. Short scene with Penny Singleton as a manicurist and Jimmy's pal Frank McHugh plays his usual flustered and put upon manager. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029940/
Ice Follies Of 1939 Joan Crawford, James Stewart, Lew Ayers, Lewis Stone. In 1939 the little towns, and even some larger ones in America, would not be on the circuit of The Ice Follies or any other ice show. This film would have been pretty fun for the price of admission for the whole family. The usual backstage plot of struggling act in small time shows trying to get ahead. Jimmy and Joan are married and he wants to produce their own shows. When they land in Hollywood, their car is hit by a guy who turns out to be the head man at a studio. He gives Joan his card. When they all are having a tough time, Joan goes to the studio and uses the card to get to the guy and is given a contract for some reason. That is the plot. Her star rises; his does too, but in different cities. Will they get together again? The final 15 minutes is an elaborate skating show number, supposedly in a film. It is in glorious technicolor. Louis B. Mayer's answer to 20ths Sonja Henie money makers. 20th never did a color picture for Henie. I believe it was 1945 and an Independent Film Co. "It's A Pleasure", released by RKO when she finally was in filmed in color. But Joan in her Snow White princess costume on a throne in the film within a film, is lovely. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031470/
Out Of The Past (1947) Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas, Rhonda Fleming. Favorite noir, with scene after scene near perfect for the genre. World weary Jeff has made a life as a gas station owner in a small town. His past catches up with him when henchmen for gangster Whit (Douglas) find him and bring him to his Lake Tahoe home. Whit's gal, Kathy (Greer) has gone missing with lots of his money. He wants Jeff to find her and bring her back. So Jeff heads to last known place she was seen, Mexico. He traces her to a small town on the coast and eventually they meet. And it is lust at first sight. The twists and turns of the story and the great cast, marvelous cinematography, and score, make this one just as perfect for my money, as they get. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039689/
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948) Myrna Loy, Cary Grant, Melvin Douglas, Reginald Denny, Louis Beavers. One of the best post WWII stories of a ad exec who decides to get out of NYC and build his dream house like millions of men after they got home from the war, but this guy just has a little more money. After all the problems, he says to his lawyer (Douglas), "what about all those guys who don't have $30,000 (an enormous amount for the average family back then). How will they be able to build a house?" Love this film, from it's "Zuzz-zuzz water softener" to Muriel's going into exact detail on each rooms color with the contractor, I lived or had relatives or friends who went through all the trials and tribulations. Wonderful film of the way it was. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040613/
Mr. Soft Touch (1949) Glenn Ford, Evelyn Keyes, Beulah Bondi, John Ireland. Nice romance with a noir touch. With a not so perfect guy who is running from cops and thugs because he robbed a guy who cheated him, and ends up at the local settlement home, with a sweet no nonsense lady in charge. With the fact that it is the week before Christmas and getting the tree decorated, the choir practiced, and so forth, this is a good film to start Holiday film watching. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041663/
Instant Love (1964 Brazil/ Pão de Açúcar ) Rhonda Fleming, Rosano Brazzi. Both stars went home before the last scenes were filmed because the production ran out of money and could not resolve the problems. So many years later, when Rhonda attended a showing, she was amazed they were able to use what had been filmed and make an ending that made sense. The color, the clothes and the music at the carnival is wonderful. Story of an American actress visiting a school chum in Rio, who falls for and marries a very traditional Brazilian male workaholic, who ensconces her in his plantation home with servants to wait on her, leaving her nothing to do. And he is gone for long hours every day. Bored out of her mind, she eventually has had enough and leaves, but through some plotting she gets her guy back by the end. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0353923/
Newer films are in my next post.
Jewel Robbery (1932) Kay Francis, William Powell, Helen Vinson. Charming jewel robber charms baroness out of her latest diamond ring and other trophies. Pre code charmer with two masters at the top of their game. Kay is gorgeous in the styles of the day. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023074/
Boy Meets Girl (1938) James Cagney, Pat O"Brien, Marie Wilson, Ralph Bellamy. Rapid fire dialog between Pat and Jimmy, playing idea men and script writers at a Hollywood studio. Waitress Marie wanders into an office with lunch for the boss, and becomes the focus of everyones concern when she says something about her baby. Complete ditziness and screwy, but the stars handle it so well, and so we go along for the ride. Short scene with Penny Singleton as a manicurist and Jimmy's pal Frank McHugh plays his usual flustered and put upon manager. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029940/
Ice Follies Of 1939 Joan Crawford, James Stewart, Lew Ayers, Lewis Stone. In 1939 the little towns, and even some larger ones in America, would not be on the circuit of The Ice Follies or any other ice show. This film would have been pretty fun for the price of admission for the whole family. The usual backstage plot of struggling act in small time shows trying to get ahead. Jimmy and Joan are married and he wants to produce their own shows. When they land in Hollywood, their car is hit by a guy who turns out to be the head man at a studio. He gives Joan his card. When they all are having a tough time, Joan goes to the studio and uses the card to get to the guy and is given a contract for some reason. That is the plot. Her star rises; his does too, but in different cities. Will they get together again? The final 15 minutes is an elaborate skating show number, supposedly in a film. It is in glorious technicolor. Louis B. Mayer's answer to 20ths Sonja Henie money makers. 20th never did a color picture for Henie. I believe it was 1945 and an Independent Film Co. "It's A Pleasure", released by RKO when she finally was in filmed in color. But Joan in her Snow White princess costume on a throne in the film within a film, is lovely. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031470/
Out Of The Past (1947) Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas, Rhonda Fleming. Favorite noir, with scene after scene near perfect for the genre. World weary Jeff has made a life as a gas station owner in a small town. His past catches up with him when henchmen for gangster Whit (Douglas) find him and bring him to his Lake Tahoe home. Whit's gal, Kathy (Greer) has gone missing with lots of his money. He wants Jeff to find her and bring her back. So Jeff heads to last known place she was seen, Mexico. He traces her to a small town on the coast and eventually they meet. And it is lust at first sight. The twists and turns of the story and the great cast, marvelous cinematography, and score, make this one just as perfect for my money, as they get. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039689/
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948) Myrna Loy, Cary Grant, Melvin Douglas, Reginald Denny, Louis Beavers. One of the best post WWII stories of a ad exec who decides to get out of NYC and build his dream house like millions of men after they got home from the war, but this guy just has a little more money. After all the problems, he says to his lawyer (Douglas), "what about all those guys who don't have $30,000 (an enormous amount for the average family back then). How will they be able to build a house?" Love this film, from it's "Zuzz-zuzz water softener" to Muriel's going into exact detail on each rooms color with the contractor, I lived or had relatives or friends who went through all the trials and tribulations. Wonderful film of the way it was. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040613/
Mr. Soft Touch (1949) Glenn Ford, Evelyn Keyes, Beulah Bondi, John Ireland. Nice romance with a noir touch. With a not so perfect guy who is running from cops and thugs because he robbed a guy who cheated him, and ends up at the local settlement home, with a sweet no nonsense lady in charge. With the fact that it is the week before Christmas and getting the tree decorated, the choir practiced, and so forth, this is a good film to start Holiday film watching. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041663/
Instant Love (1964 Brazil/ Pão de Açúcar ) Rhonda Fleming, Rosano Brazzi. Both stars went home before the last scenes were filmed because the production ran out of money and could not resolve the problems. So many years later, when Rhonda attended a showing, she was amazed they were able to use what had been filmed and make an ending that made sense. The color, the clothes and the music at the carnival is wonderful. Story of an American actress visiting a school chum in Rio, who falls for and marries a very traditional Brazilian male workaholic, who ensconces her in his plantation home with servants to wait on her, leaving her nothing to do. And he is gone for long hours every day. Bored out of her mind, she eventually has had enough and leaves, but through some plotting she gets her guy back by the end. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0353923/
Newer films are in my next post.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)