Another 10 Recommended Feel-Good Classic Films
Because I enjoyed doing my previous post so much I decided to do a follow-up. (Even though my intention of only watching uplifting films this month miserably failed ... See my upcoming round-up post!) There are so many other films to comfort you during these hard times that it wasn't so difficult to come up with another 10 titles to recommend. I didn't think too much about what to pick and chose what first came to mind. I could have included Christmas films because they are basically feel-good movies and can also be watched outside of Christmas time. Yet I'm not going to list a Christmas film here but if you're interested in my favourite ones, then go here.
1. PILLOW TALK (1959)
“Can you believe that? They sent a woman. That's like sending a marshmallow to put out a bonfire.”
I grew up with Doris Day and her music but also with some of her films. My favourite ones are the comedies she made with Rock Hudson, three in total. Pillow Talk is the one I've seen the most and also the one that I love most. The story premise of a man and a woman sharing a telephone party line is appealing and it makes for great comical situations. Doris plays an interior decorator and Rock is a songwriter who sings the same original song over the phone time and again to his female conquests, to the dismay of Doris. They have never met in person but dislike each other instantly and intensely. Yet when they meet by chance, our playboy Rock fancies Doris right away and in order to keep her from knowing his real identity he pretends to be a Texan cowboy. So many wonderful scenes, especially the one where Doris discovers Rock's true identity. You don't want to be the object of Doris' scorn, she is great when in revenge mode. All in all, this film is just a lot of fun with Tony Randall and Thelma Ritter giving great support. If you like this, then I can also recommend the other Day/Hudson comedies, Lover Come Back and Send Me No Flowers, both films also co-starring Tony Randall.
2. GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (1953)
“I always say a kiss on the hand might feel very good, but a diamond tiara lasts forever.”
This is one of those musicals that makes you smile from ear to ear. At one time I was fortunate enough to see this on the big screen at the Filmoteca. It's the story of two female entertainers heading for Europe on an ocean liner. Marilyn Monroe is really funny in her role as golddigger Lorelei. The last time I rewatched this I was also pleasantly surprised how much I like Jane Russell in her role as Lorelei's friend Dorothy. This musical has some great songs: Bye Bye Baby, A Little Girl From Little Rock, When Love Goes Wrong (my favourite) and of course the iconic Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend. The Technicolor colours are vibrant, the performances by Russell and Monroe are sparkling and energetic and they have great chemistry together. Charles Coburn is good in a supporting role. The male love interests for the girls are pretty nondescript but it really doesn't matter much because the two female leads and Coburn more than compensate for this. One of the scenes I love and comes to mind right now: the one where Marilyn gets stuck in the ship's porthole and the ensuing moment with Coburn and the little rich guy (George Winslow) who comes to the rescue. This film is pure fun!
3. IT STARTED WITH EVE (1941)
Jonathan Reynolds: “What did she call me?”
Jonathan Reynolds Jr.: “A pompous, self-indulgent, overbearing imitation of a dictator.”
I really like Deanna Durbin. Not just her singing but also her screen persona. Most of her films are lighthearted and can be considered feel-good movies. It Started With Eve is one of those films that I remember from my childhood. As of this date I've seen a total of 14 Durbin films (the other 13 I watched much later in life) but this film still stays my favourite. I love the story of a young man (Robert Cummings) asking a hat-check girl (whom he doesn't know) to pose as his fiancée. He is actually engaged to another girl but she's not available at the moment. Cumming's father (played by Charles Laughton) is dying and the son wishes to make his last moments happy. As can be expected in these kind of films, the father's health improves which imposes a problem since the imposter financée and the father get along really well. In the role of the hat-check girl we see a lovely Durbin and one of the highlights of this film is her wonderful chemistry with Laughton. Fortunately she also pairs nicely with Cummings and gets to sing some nice songs. This is a delightful film that will no doubt lift your spirits. As for other Durbin recommendations: I really enjoyed First Love, Three Smart Girls, Three Smart Girls Grow Up, Mad About Music and The Amazing Mrs. Holliday.
4. HELLO, DOLLY! (1969)
“Money, pardon the expression, is like manure. It's not worth a thing unless it's spread around, encouraging young things to grow.”
Since my idea of Classic Hollywood is everything before 1970, the here selected Hello, Dolly! from 1969 is just eligible. Barbra Streisand plays widow/matchmaker Dolly Levi who meddles into the lives of other people, or like she sings in the opening song Just Leave Everything To Me:
I have always been a woman who arranges things
For the pleasure, and the profit, it derives
I have always been a woman who arranges things
Like furniture and daffodils and lives
This is one of my go-to musicals when I need a boost in spirits. It's lively and comforting, with wonderful songs and dances. I love them all: It Takes a Woman, Put On Your Sunday Clothes, Ribbons Down My Back, Dancing, Before the Parade Passes By, Elegance, Love is Only Love, It Only Takes a Moment, and So Long Dearie. And of course the title song Hello, Dolly! featuring Louis Armstrong. Although the musical itself became a disappointment at the box-office at the time, the title song performed by Streisand and Armstrong is still memorable and also the highlight of the film. Admittedly this musical doesn't have the best of love stories between two lead characters. Streisand as Dolly Levi and Walter Matthau as Horace Vandergelder (a man Dolly was supposed to match to another woman) have little chemistry and reportedly the actors could not get along at all. Their lack of chemistry is one of the biggest flaws of this musical. Also Streisand is too young to play the part of the middle-aged widow, and though Matthau is perfectly grumpy, I would have preferred to see someone else in his role. Casting and chemistry aside, this is still a wonderful musical to get yourself lost in, and if you don't feel like watching the whole thing (because it's a loooong film), just select some of the great musical numbers and they will surely make you happy and hum along.
5. HIS GIRL FRIDAY (1940)
“Walter, you're wonderful, in a loathsome sort of way.”
One of my favourite screwball comedies of all time and one of the most fast-talking. Really, if you want to hear rapid-fire witty repartee, then look no more. Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell will make your head spin with their playful banter. The film opens with ex-reporter Hildy Johnson (Russell) walking into the office of her estranged husband slash newspaper editor Walter Burns (Cary Grant) to inform him about her upcoming wedding with insurance man Bruce Baldwin ("He looks like that fellow in the movies — Ralph Bellamy"). Burns does everything in his power to make the wedding from happening by framing poor Bruce for one thing after another and trying to convince Hildy to take up her old job. Things get out of hand and there are some hilarious moments (like the kidnapping of Bruce's mother). Hildy doesn't give in that easily and time and time again gives Walter a piece of her mind: "Now, get this, you double-crossing chimpanzee: There ain't going to be any interview and there ain't going to be any story. And that certified check of yours is leaving with me in twenty minutes. I wouldn't cover the burning of Rome for you if they were just lighting it up. If I ever lay my two eyes on you again, I'm gonna walk right up to you and hammer on that monkeyed skull of yours 'til it rings like a Chinese gong!" The chemistry between Grant and Russell is amazing and their performances are great but let's also leave some praise for Bellamy. He defines the dope type in a whole new way. My favourite scene: the one in the restaurant where Grant feigns an interest in Bellamy's business and has Bellamy write out a fat insurance policy for him. This film comes highly recommended!
6. THE QUIET MAN (1952)
“Well, then. Now. I'll begin at the beginnin'. A fine soft day in the spring, it was, when the train pulled into Castletown, three hours late as usual, and himself got off. He didn't have the look of an American tourist at all about him. Not a camera on him; what was worse, not even a fishin' rod.”
With the above-mentioned quote begins The Quiet Man, a sheer delight from start to finish. I've seen this many times already and also had the pleasure to experience it on the big screen. John Ford's love for Ireland is palpable in this tale of a former boxer who returns to his home country and finds love along the way. The scene where John Wayne drags Maureen O'Hara across the lush green fields is more difficult to digest than when I was a kid watching this but it hardly has a diminishing effect on my enjoyment of this film as a whole. Apart from the appealing lead actors and their great chemistry (they would make 5 films in total together and were good friends in real life) this film benefits from a cast of great supporting actors (Barry Fitzgerald, Ward Bond, Victor McLaglen and Mildred Natwick) playing loveable and quirky characters. It's also safe to say that Maureen O'Hara never looked more beautiful. With great cinematography by Winton C. Hoch and a memorable music score by Victor Young, this is a film to treasure.
7. THE WOMEN (1939)
“There's a name for you ladies, but it isn't used in high society ... outside of a kennel. So long, ladies!” — Crystal Allen
Thé film with an all-female cast. And what a cast it is! Let me name the women: Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Mary Boland, Paulette Goddard, Joan Fontaine, Virginia Weidler, Lucile Watson, Marjorie Main, Virginia Grey and Ruth Hussey. Shearer plays the lead character whose husband runs off with Joan Crawford and the gossip around this sets the whole film in motion. Don't expect a film where meaningful feminist ideas are being explored, in fact men are very much the topic of conversation here. But what you get is a delightful comedy — where women are friends as well as bitches — with great performances (especially Rosalind Russell shows wonderful comedic skills) and witty dialogue. There's a Technicolor fashion show that is beautiful to look at but doesn't do anything for the story. Shearer's final scene is a tad overdone and does away with the notion that women can get by without men.
8. HOW TO STEAL A MILLION (1966)
“Well, it was pitch dark and there he was. Tall, blue eyes, slim, quite good-looking ... in a brutal, mean way, Papa. A terrible man!”
One of my fave Audrey Hepburn films, one where she has a leading man (Peter O'Toole) with whom she not only has great chemistry but who is also very handsome ánd suitable in age. The story of a museum burglary where Hepburn has O'Toole steal a forged statue that belongs to her (so it can't be inspected by art experts) is appealing and compelling and I love the inventive tricks here. Our leading man is smart and ingenious and Audrey has every reason to be impressed with him and subsequently fall in love with him. In supporting roles we have Eli Wallach, Hugh Griffith and Charles Boyer. Audrey looks great, in costumes by Hubert de Givenchy. A lovely film!
9. THE MORE THE MERRIER (1943)
“You've been shushing me for 22 months now. You've shushed your last shush!”
This screwball comedy with Jean Arthur subletting half of her apartment (because of a housing shortage) is one to cherish. Arthur and Joel McCrea have great chemistry and they share one of the most sexy and steamy kisses from classic cinema (on the front steps of the apartment building). Charles Coburn is charming as the meddling matchmaking millionaire who shares half of his half apartment with McCrea. There are a lot of scenes to love here. To name a few: the one where McCrea and Coburn read a Dick Tracy comic strip and behave like boys; where McCrea gives Arthur an expensive suitcase; and where Arthur describes the hilarious get-ready-for-work schedule to Coburn: "See, this is a floor plan of the apartment. Here's my room, here's your room, here's the bathroom and here's the kitchen. Now, my alarm goes off at seven o'clock, and we both get up. At seven one, I enter the bathroom. Then you go down to get the milk, and by seven five you've started the coffee. One minute later, I leave the bathroom, and a minute after that, you enter the bathroom. And that's when I'm starting to dress. Three minutes later, I'm having my coffee, and a minute after that at seven twelve, you leave the bathroom. At seven thirteen, I put on my eggs, and I leave to finish dressing. Then you put on your shoes, and take off my eggs at seven sixteen. At seven seventeen, you start to shave. At seven eighteen, I eat my eggs, and at seven twenty-one, I'm in the bathroom fixing my hair, and at seven twenty-four, you're in the kitchen putting on your eggs. At seven twenty-five, you make your bed. Seven twenty-six, I make my bed. And then while you're eating your eggs, I take out the papers and cans. At seven twenty-nine, you're washing the dishes, and at seven thirty, we're all finished. You see?" Absolutely love this movie! "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!"
10. CLUNY BROWN (1946)
“I would build you the most beautiful mansion, with the most exquisite and complicated plumbing, I would hand you a hammer, and say "Ladies and Gentlemen, Madame Cluny Belinski is about to put the pipes in their place".” — Adam Belinski
I've discovered this little gem just a couple of years ago and have loved it ever since. I'm not really a fan of Jennifer Jones but I think she does comedy really well. Here she is delightful as quirky Cluny Brown, an amateur plumber who is sent off to the English countryside to work as a servant and where she meets Charles Boyer as Adam Belinski, a charming Czech refugee. This film shows that it's okay to be different and that you don't need to change to fit in. Or like Adam Belinski says: "Nobody can tell you where your place is. Where is my place? Where is everybody's place? I'll tell you where it is. Wherever you're happy — that's your place. And happiness is a matter of purely personal adjustment to your environment. You're the sole judge. In Hyde Park, for instance, some people like to feed nuts to the squirrels. But if it makes you happy to feed squirrels to the nuts, who am I to say, "nuts to the squirrels?"" Also, when at the ending Mr. Belinski tells Cluny "Get in!" (as in: board the train), it sounds so sexy and Cluny is wise enough to follow his request.
Well, there you have it. 10 more delightful films to watch. Of course there are many many more films that I love and can recommend but I'll leave it for now. Enjoy and stay safe!
GIFS IN THIS POST FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:
GIFS IN THIS POST FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:
*Pillow Talk (1959) with Rock Hudson, Doris Day and Tony Randall;
*Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) with Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell;
*It Started With Eve (1941) with Deanna Durbin and Charles Laughton;
*Hello, Dolly! (1969) with Barbra Streisand and Louis Armstrong;
*His Girl Friday (1940) with Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell;
*The Quiet Man (1952) with Maureen O'Hara and John Wayne;
*The Women (1939) with Joan Fontaine, Rosalind Russell, Paulette Goddard, Norma Shearer, Mary Boland and Marjorie Main;
*How To Steal a Million (1966) with Audrey Hepburn and Peter O'Toole;
*The More the Merrier (1943) with Jean Arthur and Charles Coburn;
*Cluny Brown (1946) with Jennifer Jones, Charles Boyer and Reginald Gardiner.
ALL GIFS MADE BY YOURS TRULY!