Favorites I watch often; and some I tolerate----

ENCORES:

Two Faced Woman (1941) Greta Garbo, Melvyn Douglas, Constance Bennett, Roland Young, Ruth Gordon. My second viewing after many years did not make me love it more. Not surprising that Garbo retired after this mess of a film. Maybe it was a different film that was released from what was filmed. Actors never know for sure how the thing will be cut before it is released to theaters. I was disappointed in the silly script and what the stars had to do and say. For instance the idea that a husband would not realise that a woman who shows up in new clothes and hair styled and designer hats, is his wife is crazy. She looked exactly the same and sounded the same. Just lame. The supporting cast was amusing but could not save the film for me. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034328/combined

Cover Girl (1944) Rita Hayworth, Gene Kelly, Phil Silvers, Lee Bowman, Eve Arden, Otto Kruger. A favorite musical and Rita is simply gorgeous. Song "Long Ago And Far Away" a big hit during the WWII final years. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036723/combined

Henry V (1945) Laurence Olivier, Renee Asherson. Made during WWII with limited funds and using painted backdrops, this was a must see for most highschool students back in the day. Our teachers recommended we see it and some even assigned essay homework. My remembrances of it are from that time and how I loved Princess Katherine's English lesson; the "bilbow" for elbow, etc. Seen recently again on TCM's Olivier day, I found I was just as interested in the film and to have Robert Butlers' comments about the struggle Olivier had with finances and finding suitable locations to film the battles. The opening and closing scenes in the Globe theater were just perfect. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036910/combined

Adventure (1945) Greer Garson, Clark Gable, Joan Blondell, Thomas Mitchell. Gable's back! and Garson's got him! It was on every billboard advertising this movie back then. So we all had to go see it. And it was a real let down. Gable eventually plays the same character he did back in 1932's "It Happened One Night" but without the charm. The story of a rough sailor, and his shipmate who has "lost his soul", and goes to a library to see if they can find some help and ends up romancing a librarian and her best friend, is so far fetched as to be ridiculous. Garson seems lost most of the time, and the only ones who come out okay are Blondell's as the best friend and Mitchell as the lost soul. I remember as a teen ager hating it and recently seeing it again barely made it through it again. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037494/combined

The Strange Love Of Martha Ivers (1946) Barbara Stanwyke, Van Heflin, Kirk Douglas, Lisabeth Scott, Judith Anderson. Great cast in noir of note. We loved it in 1946 and I still do. Watch it often. 9/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038988/combined

The Best Years Of Their Lives (1948) Fredrick March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo. Almost perfect in every way. The returning men of WWII and picking up lives as different as years make in everyones lives. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036868/combined

Hamlet (1948) Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons. Shakespeare's drama won Olivier his acting Oscar and his film Best Picture. Simmons was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, and it had 7 nominations and won 3. I don't love it but it was interesting to see it again after 65 years. As a teenager I was very impressed. Not so much now. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040416/combined

It Happens Every Spring (1949) Ray Milland, Jean Peters, Paul Douglas. Trifle about a professor discovering a formula that makes a baseball which is repelled by wood. So he leaves the academic life for the baseball team of manager Douglas. Silly, but the story was nominated for an Oscar. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041514/combined

Angels In The Outfield (1951) Paul Douglas, Janet Leigh, Keenan Wynn, Donna Corcoran. Another baseball film for TCM's salute to the sports' opening days around the USA. In this one manager Douglas has a losing team. But an orphan brought to a game sees 'angels' behind every one on the field and things begin to change. Has a bit of charm with the blarney. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043286/combined

The Toast Of New Orleans (1950) Mario Lanza, Kathryn Grayson, David Niven, J. Carroll Naish, Rita Moreno. Another hit musical with the leads wonderful as opposites attracts. The finale 15 minutes of scenes from Madame Butterfly is marvelous. The song Be My Love was a huge hit for Lanza and won an Oscar for Best Song. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043053/combined

The Bodyguard (1992) Kevin Costner, Whitney Houston. A favorite. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103855/combined

Pride & Prejudice (1996 TV series) Colin Firth, Jennifer Ehle. Firth is the perfect Mr. Darcy and Ehle a charming Elizabeth Bennett. Seems accurate to the period of Jane Austin's novel. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112130/combined

Jane Eyre (2011) Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Judi Dench. Not my favorite version of Charlotte Bronte's story, but good. Nominated for Best Costume Design Oscar. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1229822/combined