April 2020 Round-Up
TOTAL FILMS SEEN IN APRIL: 55
(see the film posters at the bottom of the post, arranged in watching order)
NEW-TO-ME: 55
REWATCHES: 0
SEEN ON THE BIG SCREEN: 0
MOST WATCHED ACTOR: John Litel (7 in total)
MOST WATCHED ACTRESS: Ann Sheridan (8 in total)
With a great part of the world in lockdown including Spain, I watched a staggering amount of films in April, the biggest total I have ever reached in a month's time. 55 films! There hasn't a day gone by without watching at least one film so I was really on a roll. The plan I had for this month was to watch only comedies and comfort movies from different decades, the perfect remedy to lift one's spirits during these difficult times. (Go here and here to see my two previous posts with recommendations for comfort movies!) I particularly wanted to see more 1950s Technicolor musicals and 1960s comedies. But it wasn't meant to be. Before I knew it I was also watching dramas and I forgot all about my resolution. And as for decades, I seemed to be stuck in the 1930s and 1940s. Still, watching classic films makes me happy, no matter the genre or decade. (Have to say that the bad ones made me less happy.) In the end I watched 26 films from the 1930s and 20 from the 1940s. Only 3 films from the 1920s (I wanted to watch more Buster Keaton films but in the end I only saw Seven Chances), 4 from the 1950s and 2 from the 1960s.
Needless to say there were no visits to the Filmoteca due to the closure of all cinemas. In April the scheduled screenings of It's a Wonderful Life, Ben Hur (1959), Lolita and The Secret Garden didn't go through.
So, are you ready? Let's start with this looooong post!
My most watched actor is John Litel (7 films watched) and my most watched actress is Ann Sheridan (9 films watched). I actively sought out films of Ann Sheridan but John Litel just happened to be in a lot of films I saw. Furthermore I watched 5 Claire Trevor films, 4 with Jane Wyman and 4 with Humphrey Bogart. I watched three films with Ann Dvorak, also 3 with Anne Shirley, Edward G. Robinson, Franchot Tone and Cary Grant.
With so many films to talk about, I was a bit indecisive how to group them, whether to do it by genre, actor or decade. I will start by grouping them by actor and take it from there. Let's begin with my most watched actress, Ann Sheridan. Here are her films (she doesn't have major parts in all of them) in watching order:
Ladies Should Listen (with Cary Grant, Frances Drake and Edward Everett Horton)
Broadway Musketeers (with Margaret Lindsay, Marie Wilson and John Litel)
It All Came True (with Jeffrey Lynn, Humphrey Bogart and John Litel)
City For Conquest (with James Cagney, Donald Crisp, Frank McHugh and Arthur Kennedy)
One More Tomorrow (with Dennis Morgan, Jack Carson, Alexis Smith and Jane Wyman)
Fighting Youth (with Charles Farrell, June Martel and Andy Devine)
Alcatraz Island (with John Litel)
Black Legion (with Humphrey Bogart, Dick Foran, Erin O'Brien-Moore and John Litel)
Steel Town (with John Lund and Howard Duff)
The best Sheridan films are City for Conquest and It All Came True.
MOST WATCHED ACTRESS: Ann Sheridan (8 in total)
With a great part of the world in lockdown including Spain, I watched a staggering amount of films in April, the biggest total I have ever reached in a month's time. 55 films! There hasn't a day gone by without watching at least one film so I was really on a roll. The plan I had for this month was to watch only comedies and comfort movies from different decades, the perfect remedy to lift one's spirits during these difficult times. (Go here and here to see my two previous posts with recommendations for comfort movies!) I particularly wanted to see more 1950s Technicolor musicals and 1960s comedies. But it wasn't meant to be. Before I knew it I was also watching dramas and I forgot all about my resolution. And as for decades, I seemed to be stuck in the 1930s and 1940s. Still, watching classic films makes me happy, no matter the genre or decade. (Have to say that the bad ones made me less happy.) In the end I watched 26 films from the 1930s and 20 from the 1940s. Only 3 films from the 1920s (I wanted to watch more Buster Keaton films but in the end I only saw Seven Chances), 4 from the 1950s and 2 from the 1960s.
Needless to say there were no visits to the Filmoteca due to the closure of all cinemas. In April the scheduled screenings of It's a Wonderful Life, Ben Hur (1959), Lolita and The Secret Garden didn't go through.
So, are you ready? Let's start with this looooong post!
My most watched actor is John Litel (7 films watched) and my most watched actress is Ann Sheridan (9 films watched). I actively sought out films of Ann Sheridan but John Litel just happened to be in a lot of films I saw. Furthermore I watched 5 Claire Trevor films, 4 with Jane Wyman and 4 with Humphrey Bogart. I watched three films with Ann Dvorak, also 3 with Anne Shirley, Edward G. Robinson, Franchot Tone and Cary Grant.
With so many films to talk about, I was a bit indecisive how to group them, whether to do it by genre, actor or decade. I will start by grouping them by actor and take it from there. Let's begin with my most watched actress, Ann Sheridan. Here are her films (she doesn't have major parts in all of them) in watching order:
Ladies Should Listen (with Cary Grant, Frances Drake and Edward Everett Horton)
Broadway Musketeers (with Margaret Lindsay, Marie Wilson and John Litel)
It All Came True (with Jeffrey Lynn, Humphrey Bogart and John Litel)
City For Conquest (with James Cagney, Donald Crisp, Frank McHugh and Arthur Kennedy)
One More Tomorrow (with Dennis Morgan, Jack Carson, Alexis Smith and Jane Wyman)
Fighting Youth (with Charles Farrell, June Martel and Andy Devine)
Alcatraz Island (with John Litel)
Black Legion (with Humphrey Bogart, Dick Foran, Erin O'Brien-Moore and John Litel)
Steel Town (with John Lund and Howard Duff)
The best Sheridan films are City for Conquest and It All Came True.
Although City for Conquest has an annoying hobo narrator and feels a bit uneven, combining boxing (including some brutal scenes) with dancing and romance, it kept my attention throughout and also made me shed some tears. Ann Sheridan doesn't always treat James Cagney nicely so I was happy he had a faithful gang standing by him: Donald Crisp, Frank McHugh and Arthur Kennedy. Score by Max Steiner and cinematography by James Wong Howe and Sol Polito.
In It All Came True Sheridan has quite a big role. She's feisty, sings and dances, and looks absolutely stunning in that black dress. This feel-good film with some serious moments has Humphrey Bogart in a gangster role and he's not entirely unlikeable. Jeffrey Lynn is a pretty bland love interest, the boy-next-door type, but he looks quite handsome here and shares good chemistry with Sheridan. The big entertainment piece at the end of the film is too long and I didn't care for the old ladies act. Some nice photography by Ernest Haller.
The other Sheridan films went from pretty good to pretty bad. Black Legion is not as strong as it could have been. There was something lacking in the depiction of the Legion and the film wasn't grim enough. But overall it was good with a solid performance from Humphrey Bogart. I particularly liked Erin O'Brien-Moore as Bogart's wife (she reminded me a bit of Josephine Hutchinson). Young and pretty Ann Sheridan plays a supporting role here as Bogart's neighbour friend and also John Litel has a small part. At the film's ending Samuel S. Hinds gives a rather heavy-handed speech on the American justice system. By the way, The Black Legion did exist during the Great Depression of the 1930s and was a split-off from the Ku Klux Klan.
Broadway Musketeers is a remake of Three on a Match, a pre-code I've seen some time ago which I found a bit disappointing, except for Ann Dvorak's great performance. Here the roles of three women growing up together in an orphanage and meeting each other again in different stages of their lives are being played by Margaret Lindsay, Ann Sheridan and Marie Wilson. Lindsay is not as good as Dvorak but still managed to give a convincing performance. Sheridan in the Joan Blondell role and Wilson in the Bette Davis role have nice chemistry together and I like Wilson. John Litel has the Warren William part. Sheridan also gets to sing some songs and gives the misleading title of the film (as if it's a musical) some sense.
The other Sheridan films went from pretty good to pretty bad. Black Legion is not as strong as it could have been. There was something lacking in the depiction of the Legion and the film wasn't grim enough. But overall it was good with a solid performance from Humphrey Bogart. I particularly liked Erin O'Brien-Moore as Bogart's wife (she reminded me a bit of Josephine Hutchinson). Young and pretty Ann Sheridan plays a supporting role here as Bogart's neighbour friend and also John Litel has a small part. At the film's ending Samuel S. Hinds gives a rather heavy-handed speech on the American justice system. By the way, The Black Legion did exist during the Great Depression of the 1930s and was a split-off from the Ku Klux Klan.
Broadway Musketeers is a remake of Three on a Match, a pre-code I've seen some time ago which I found a bit disappointing, except for Ann Dvorak's great performance. Here the roles of three women growing up together in an orphanage and meeting each other again in different stages of their lives are being played by Margaret Lindsay, Ann Sheridan and Marie Wilson. Lindsay is not as good as Dvorak but still managed to give a convincing performance. Sheridan in the Joan Blondell role and Wilson in the Bette Davis role have nice chemistry together and I like Wilson. John Litel has the Warren William part. Sheridan also gets to sing some songs and gives the misleading title of the film (as if it's a musical) some sense.
Steel Town is nothing special but enjoyable and it was nice to see Sheridan in a 1950s pic. The love triangle is very weak and John Lund is a bit obnoxious at times, especially when trying to seduce Sheridan in the car (she's supposed to be Howard Duff's girl). The romance is just backstory because the main topic is the steel industry. I have to say that I was completely mesmerised with the images of the manufacturing of steel and I was wondering how they had filmed it. At the film's ending there's an acknowledgement addressed to the Kaiser Steel Corporation of Fontana, California, and its employees for their splendid cooperation, so it's all real footage.
One More Tomorrow has an appealing cast (and stars Sheridan) but the film is tonally uneven and the story and characters are weak. Jack Carson is here for comic relief but it just doesn't fit with the rest of the film. I liked Jane Wyman with Reginald Gardiner, even though I'd expected that she would be a couple with Carson. Alexis Smith has the most interesting role here and gives the best performance. She's great when she plays nasty.
The worst Sheridan films were Alcatraz Island and Fighting Youth. I wasn't really looking forward to watching Alcatraz Island, a prison drama with bad ratings, but watched it anyway for Sheridan. It's unremarkable indeed, but fortunately it has a short running time and the prison scenes are few. Sheridan looks lovely this young, even though her role and performance are unremarkable as well. It was nice to see John Litel again, this time in a leading role. Fighting Youth is only for completists of the filmographies of Sheridan and Charles Farrell but even then it's hard to get through. When the football scenes are the most exciting part of this film — and I don't even like football — it should say enough.
Ladies Should Listen is another film where Ann Sheridan plays a role but it's a very small one. She's a switchboard operator with some lines. It's an early Cary Grant screwball comedy, which I watched for Grant, and it was nice to get a glimpse of his movie persona in the making. The film is silly and a lot of the plot elements don't make sense but I still enjoyed most of it. Frances Drake makes a nice heroine and match for Grant and Edward Everett Horton is here providing comic relief. By the way, the thunderstorm button was a fun device.
The worst Sheridan films were Alcatraz Island and Fighting Youth. I wasn't really looking forward to watching Alcatraz Island, a prison drama with bad ratings, but watched it anyway for Sheridan. It's unremarkable indeed, but fortunately it has a short running time and the prison scenes are few. Sheridan looks lovely this young, even though her role and performance are unremarkable as well. It was nice to see John Litel again, this time in a leading role. Fighting Youth is only for completists of the filmographies of Sheridan and Charles Farrell but even then it's hard to get through. When the football scenes are the most exciting part of this film — and I don't even like football — it should say enough.
Ladies Should Listen is another film where Ann Sheridan plays a role but it's a very small one. She's a switchboard operator with some lines. It's an early Cary Grant screwball comedy, which I watched for Grant, and it was nice to get a glimpse of his movie persona in the making. The film is silly and a lot of the plot elements don't make sense but I still enjoyed most of it. Frances Drake makes a nice heroine and match for Grant and Edward Everett Horton is here providing comic relief. By the way, the thunderstorm button was a fun device.
I’m No Angel (with Mae West) and Kiss and Make-Up (with Genevieve Tobin, Helen Mack and Edward Everett Horton) are two other films I watched starring Cary Grant. Never knew these early Grant films are fun as well.
I’m No Angel is my first Mae West film, a pre-code full of sexual innuendos. She is really something, strutting around and mumbling under her breath, cracking one-liners ("It's not the men in your life that counts, it's the life in your men." and "When I'm good, I'm very good. But when I'm bad, I'm better." and the best of them all: "Oh, Beulah! .... Peel me a grape."). I can imagine her being too much after a while but the runtime was just about right here and at least this film has a proper narrative (even though it's not that special). The highlight of the film comes near the end when Mae is cross-examining the witnesses during the courtscene. She's hilarious. I also like the fact that she seems to have a lot of fun with her Afro-American maids and how she refers to them as being great gals.
Kiss and Make-Up is over the top and satirical so you shouldn't take it seriously but it is well done and I like the story premise. Grant is of course not believable at all as a plastic-surgeon (especially walking around in his three-piece-suit all the time) and his performance is a bit stilted but he already comes close to becoming the Cary Grant as we know him. Still, my favourite person here is Helen Mack, she gives the most natural performance and looks lovely. Edward Everett Horton gives good support as usual. With lush sets and the WAMPAS Baby Stars of 1934 as extras, this is an enjoyable watch.
My second most watched actress is Claire Trevor with 5 films seen. Here are the films in watching order:
Big Town Girl (with Donald Woods)
Crossroads (with William Powell, Hedy Lamarr and Basil Rathbone)
Valley of the Giants (with Wayne Morris, Charles Bickford, John Litel, Donald Crisp and Alan Hale)
The Adventures of Martin Eden (with Glenn Ford and Evelyn Keyes)
I Stole a Million (with George Raft and Dick Foran)
Crossroads and Valley of the Giants are the best of the Trevor films watched.
My second most watched actress is Claire Trevor with 5 films seen. Here are the films in watching order:
Big Town Girl (with Donald Woods)
Crossroads (with William Powell, Hedy Lamarr and Basil Rathbone)
Valley of the Giants (with Wayne Morris, Charles Bickford, John Litel, Donald Crisp and Alan Hale)
The Adventures of Martin Eden (with Glenn Ford and Evelyn Keyes)
I Stole a Million (with George Raft and Dick Foran)
Crossroads and Valley of the Giants are the best of the Trevor films watched.
Crossroads is an amnesia crime drama and fortunately isn't entirely predictable. Yet the ending is slightly disappointing and the clue with the hair-parting is a bit far-fetched. William Powell is not the best choice for playing a French diplomat (without an accent) but I like him in a more serious role. Hedy Lamarr has little to do in a boring wife part but at least she looks stunningly beautiful. Claire Trevor's character on the other hand is much more interesting, she's always great as the femme fatale. I like the noir touches and the moody photography. And the way Basil Rathbone speaks English is such a delight to hear.
In Valley of the Giants Trevor looks lovely in Technicolor. I love her clothes, especially the checkered shirts. A very enjoyable watch, even though the story doesn't hold any surprises. Wayne Morris plays a lumberman who faces difficulties when a corporate giant (Charles Bickford) wants to cut down the redwoods, many on homesteaded land or private property. Trevor is the gambling lady with a heart of gold, first on Bickford's side, but it's not so difficult to guess where she stands at the end of the film. There's some beautiful cinematography by Sol Polito and the cast has some additional big names: Frank McHugh, Alan Hale, Donald Crisp, Jack La Rue and John Litel (hardly recognisable). Morris might not be the best choice for a charismatic and strong leading man but he suits the farmer boy type well and he isn't so bad here.
The Adventures of Martin Eden is another Claire Trevor film. Here she's seen opposite a young Glenn Ford who plays an aspiring author. He hopes his written ship experiences will exonerate his shipmate who's been jailed for mutiny. The film feels like a mixed bag, even though I was pretty entertained throughout. Trevor and Evelyn Keyes vie for Ford's love and fortunately Trevor wins.
I Stole A Million and Big Town Girl are not very good but still enjoyable.
I Stole A Million and Big Town Girl are not very good but still enjoyable.
In I Stole A Million George Raft gets himself in trouble with the law a lot. When he falls for flowershop girl Claire Trevor he decides to go straight. You wonder what Claire's doing with Raft if she can have reliable and sweet Dick Foran. Raft doesn't really evoke any sympathetic feelings on part of the viewer, his character is rather stupid, especially when he succumbs to a life of crime for the second time and decides to steal enough money so Trevor and their baby can have a financially secure life. Trevor is really the only reason to watch this. The same goes for Big Town Girl. I do like Donald Woods, though he's not a very exciting actor. I was glad Trevor and Woods also met when she was not disguised as the masked countess. There's some shooting involved since Trevor's estranged husband is a crook and escaped convict, but suspenseful it's not.
Continuing with Jane Wyman. I watched a total of 4 Wyman films, including the already mentioned Edward G. Robinson film Larceny, Inc. and the Ann Sheridan film One More Tomorrow. The two other films watched are My Love Came Back (with Olivia de Havilland, Jeffrey Lynn, Eddie Albert, Charles Winninger and Spring Byington) and Make Your Own Bed (with Jack Carson and Ricardo Cortez).
What next? Three films starring Anne Shirley: Government Girl (with Olivia de Havilland, Sonny Tufts, James Dunn, Paul Stewart and Agnes Moorehead), Music in Manhattan (with Dennis Day, Phillip Terry and Jane Darwell) and Lady Bodyguard (with Eddie Albert).
Continuing with my most watched actors. Like already mentioned, I watched 7 John Litel films but none of them I watched because of him. Five of them were supporting roles (Broadway Musketeers, It All Came True, Valley of the Giants, Black Legion, also A Slight Case of Murder with Edward G. Robinson — I will come to that one later) and in two films he plays a leading role, Alcatraz Island with Ann Sheridan and Midnight Court with Ann Dvorak (I will talk about this when I come to the Dvorak films). I like Litel and it was nice to see more of him this month.
Humphrey Bogart was my second most watched actor with 4 films seen. Two of those I've already discussed with the Ann Sheridan films, It All Came True and Black Legion. The other two films are Brother Orchid and Passage to Marseille.
Brother Orchid has Edward G. Robinson in the role of a gangster turning monk. Humphrey Bogart has a supporting part and could have used more screen time. The rest of the cast includes Donald Crisp as the monk with a heart of gold, Ann Sothern as the rather dumb girlfriend, Ralph Bellamy as the cowboy and Allen Jenkins as the usual comic sidekick. Sothern has one great scene pretending to be drunk. The film has some tonal issues but I still had a good time with it.
Passage to Marseille is disappointing. What a mixed bag! It was also a bit confusing to have a flashback within a flashback within a flashback. This Curtiz film reunites much of the Casablanca cast (Bogart, Claude Rains, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Helmut Dantine), including the director, and there are also some Casablanca touches here. Michèle Morgan plays Bogarts love interest and her role is quite small. Best thing about this film is the great cinematography by the master James Wong Howe.
Apart from the already mentioned Brother Orchid I watched two other Edward G. Robinson's gangster comedies: A Slight Case of Murder (with Jane Bryan, Allen Jenkins, Ruth Donnelly and John Litel) and Larceny, Inc. (with Jane Wyman, Broderick Crawford, Jack Carson, Anthony Quinn and Edward Brophy).
A Slight Case of Murder is a fun madcap comedy with great character actors and the wonderful Robinson. He plays a former bootlegger who goes into the legitimate beer business when the prohibition ends, not realising how horrible his brewed beer tastes. There are corpses in the closet at Robinson's rented summer house, there's an obnoxious cigar-smoking orphan with a bag full of money under his bed, Robinson's daughter Jane Bryan is bringing her not-too-bright state trooper boyfriend home (Willard Parker), the boyfriend's father also makes an appearance, and Ruth Donnelly's moll is desperately trying to be a lady. It all moves at a fast pace and the funny moments keep coming. The ending with the state trooper saving the day is hilarious.
Larceny, Inc. is less fun but still very enjoyable with a great performance from Robinson. I was also happy to see Jane Wyman. She looks great and pairs nicely with Jack Carson. Small role for a young Anthony Quinn as a gangster. Have to say that the ending was not entirely satisfying.
Continuing with Jane Wyman. I watched a total of 4 Wyman films, including the already mentioned Edward G. Robinson film Larceny, Inc. and the Ann Sheridan film One More Tomorrow. The two other films watched are My Love Came Back (with Olivia de Havilland, Jeffrey Lynn, Eddie Albert, Charles Winninger and Spring Byington) and Make Your Own Bed (with Jack Carson and Ricardo Cortez).
I had seen It All Came True with Ann Sheridan and Jeffrey Lynn and wanted to see more of Lynn (just because he looked so handsome). I also wouldn't mind seeing more of Olivia de Havilland so My Love Came Back was killing two birds with one stone. The film is enjoyable but there are too many misunderstandings to my taste. Jane Wyman also happens to play a small part here, and she and Olivia look lovely (I love Olivia's plain looks). I liked Eddie Albert but Lynn didn't impress me much, as I knew he wouldn't, but he looks handsome again. Charles Winninger's sugar daddy role and infatuation with Olivia feels slightly uncomfortable.
Make Your Own Bed has a very silly plot but it does have some funny moments. Best moment is the kitchen scene and the preparing of the dinner, with Jack Carson shaving a chicken and Jane Wyman being the opposite of a kitchen princess. Also the shower scene with Carson is pretty funny. Ricardo Cortez has a supporting role but has not much to do.
Government Girl has a weak plot and script and poor characters, the only thing that makes this watchable are Shirley and Olivia de Havilland. Even though their characters are a bit foolish, they look lovely and I like their scenes together: the one in the bedroom where Olivia wants to burn the files and particularly the scene where they get drunk together is worthwhile. Sonny Tufts is a very very bland leading man and I don't know why, but he shouts all the time — maybe to compensate for the lack of charisma. (I did actually like the meet-cute between Sonny and Olivia.) I was wondering why he was cast as the male lead and apparently he was available (due to an old college football injury) and not gone to fight a war overseas like a lot of his male colleagues (the bigger names). I thought Paul Stewart had definitely the best male role here and too bad Olivia didn't end up with him. I like Olivia's final speech in the courtroom and absolutely love the scene where a famished Anne Shirley is eating a steak as if her life depends on it.
Music in Manhattan I watched for Shirley, and though nothing special, it's an enjoyable romantic comedy/musical with some nice songs. I actually like the story premise and Shirley's romance with Phillip Terry. I find Raymond Walburn mostly annoying in his supporting roles but here he isn't so bad. Jane Darwell as Terry's mother gives a nice performance. All in all, not a bad way to spend 81 minutes and Shirley is lovely here.
Lady Bodyguard is a lightweight comedy with Shirley playing an insurance woman who takes out a one-million-dollar policy by mistake on test pilot Eddie Albert. Part of it can be seen as a black comedy as we see Eddie Albert's greedy friends/beneficiaries lusting after the insurance money and rather see their friend dead, even making attempts to achieve this. The final plane sequence is really far-fetched. The best moments are the ones between Albert and Shirley. I thought they had nice chemistry and I especially liked the moment at the farm leading up to their kiss. Albert looked quite handsome there.
Furthermore I watched three Ann Dvorak films: Midnight Court (with John Litel), Side Streets (with Aline MacMahon, Paul Kelly and Mayo Methot) and Gentlemen Are Born (with Franchot Tone, Jean Muir, Margaret Lindsay and Dick Foran).
Furthermore I watched three Ann Dvorak films: Midnight Court (with John Litel), Side Streets (with Aline MacMahon, Paul Kelly and Mayo Methot) and Gentlemen Are Born (with Franchot Tone, Jean Muir, Margaret Lindsay and Dick Foran).
After seeing Broadway Musketeers, I watched some Ann Dvorak scenes from the original version Three on a Match and it instantly made me look for another film of hers to watch. I came across Midnight Court, a crime drama with John Litel who also played in Broadway Musketeers and who was frequently cast as a lawyer, also in this film. It's nothing more than a solid B-programmer (with clearly some flaws) but it's enjoyable and I love Dvorak as Litel's ex-wife.
More Ann Dvorak in Side Streets, a little pre-code drama with a leading role for Aline MacMahon. I'd read that MacMahon plays a spinster which made me expect a mousy type but she's far from that. She's strong and straightforward and I love her interactions with the customers in her fur coat shop. Paul Kelly is the down-on-his-luck sailor who marries MacMahon. He's okay but not great. (Was MacMahon forward at their meeting or what?!) I didn't know what kind of film it was, I was anticipating some drama in the form of crime. I was surprised it was a domestic drama, dealing with infidelity, child death and heartbreak. There are some genuine heartfelt moments with MacMahon, she is so great in scenes where she suffers in silence when there is no one to see her pain (like in Heroes for Sale). MacMahon is probably one of the most underrated actresses of her time. She carries this film and makes it into something great. Dvorak also has some good moments, especially the ones with MacMahon.
Gentlemen Are Born is a bit of a disappointing Warner Bros programmer, yet with a likeable ensemble cast. Not so surprisingly there's a serious lack of character and plot development here. The drama never reaches its full potential. It would have been nice if Franchot Tone and Ann Dvorak had eventually ended up together. I was also disappointed in Jean Muir's role, she doesn't have much to do and her character is the least interesting.
Apart from the above-mentioned Gentlemen Are Born, I watched two more Franchot Tone films: Man-Proof (with Myrna Loy, Rosalind Russell and Walter Pidgeon) and Three Loves Has Nancy (with Janet Gaynor and Robert Montgomery).
Apart from the above-mentioned Gentlemen Are Born, I watched two more Franchot Tone films: Man-Proof (with Myrna Loy, Rosalind Russell and Walter Pidgeon) and Three Loves Has Nancy (with Janet Gaynor and Robert Montgomery).
Man-Proof is a romantic comedy-drama. It's uneven and lacking in the humour department but there are also things to love here. First of all, Myrna Loy. I like her a lot and she looks stunning in that white dress when going to the party. I also love her bridesmaid outfit with the hat. There are some great scenes, for instance the one with Loy and Tone drinking at the bar after the wedding. I like their friendship-romance, although it could have been better developed. The ending with Loy and Tone picking up hitchhiker Harry Davenport stands out in particular because of its humour and lightheartedness. The film could have used more moments like that one. I didn't approve of Loy's and Walter Pidgeon's behaviour so their characters were not completely likeable. Rosalind Russell is lovely here but sadly underused. One thing that I have to mention and that many reviewers have commented on: Whatever were they thinking when they made Russell wear the wedding gown with the hideous bridal veil? It looks like a medieval headpiece, or something from outer space, and is completely ridiculous. Well, at least it was a funny moment and I had to laugh out loud.
Three Loves Has Nancy has Janet Gaynor in the lead but silent Janet Gaynor is more appealing than the talking one because her voice sounds a bit harsh and not really pleasant. But I could get used to that over time. This comedy has some nice parts and is overall enjoyable but there is something lacking and Janet's character tends to be a bit annoying. I actually like the ending where a lot of characters come together and it has this chaotic screwball comedy feel. Actually the most memorable thing about this is Robert Montgomery and Franchot Tone sharing the same bed.
Okay, so far so good. The rest of the films seen I will divide into three groups: the comedies/uplifting films, the cosy/lighthearted mysteries and the dramas.
The comedies/uplifting films are, here listed in watching order:
Seven Chances (with Buster Keaton and Ruth Dwyer)
Julia Misbehaves (with Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Elizabeth Taylor and Peter Lawford)
The Glass Bottom Boat (with Doris Day and Rod Taylor)
Bells Are Ringing (with Judy Holliday and Dean Martin)
Double Wedding (with William Powell, Myrna Loy, Florence Rice and John Beal)
Paradise for Three (with Robert Young, Frank Morgan, Mary Astor and Florence Rice)
One Sunday Afternoon (with Gary Cooper, Fay Wray, Frances Fuller and Roscoe Karns)
A Millionaire for Christy (with Fred MacMurray, Eleanor Parker, Richard Carlson and Una Merkel)
Summer Stock (with Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Eddie Bracken and Gloria DeHaven)
Yours for the Asking (with George Raft, Dolores Costello and Ida Lupino)
Cross-Country Romance (with Wendy Barrie and Gene Raymond)
The Go-Getter (with George Brent, Anita Louise and Charles Winninger)
The Circle (with Eleanor Boardman, Malcolm McGregor and Joan Crawford)
One Hundred Men and a Girl (with Deanna Durbin, Leopold Stokowski and Adolphe Menjou)
Week-End with Father (with Van Heflin and Patricia Neal)
The Freshman (with Harold Lloyd and Jobyna Ralston)
Of these comedies three are silents: Seven Chances, The Circle and The Freshman.
Seven Chances starts with a lovely sequence of the passing of seasons (in colour) where Buster Keaton struggles to ask his girl to marry him while their dog gets bigger and bigger. The first half of the film is low in action but in that part we're introduced to a very young Jean Arthur in a small role as the rather bored book-reading receptionist. I like the story premise, albeit a simple one, but it gives our hero a clear goal and all actions taken make sense. Of course the highlight is the chase where Keaton is trying to beat the clock while escaping from a legion of willing brides. That sequence is exhilarating and hilarious.
Okay, so far so good. The rest of the films seen I will divide into three groups: the comedies/uplifting films, the cosy/lighthearted mysteries and the dramas.
The comedies/uplifting films are, here listed in watching order:
Seven Chances (with Buster Keaton and Ruth Dwyer)
Julia Misbehaves (with Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Elizabeth Taylor and Peter Lawford)
The Glass Bottom Boat (with Doris Day and Rod Taylor)
Bells Are Ringing (with Judy Holliday and Dean Martin)
Double Wedding (with William Powell, Myrna Loy, Florence Rice and John Beal)
Paradise for Three (with Robert Young, Frank Morgan, Mary Astor and Florence Rice)
One Sunday Afternoon (with Gary Cooper, Fay Wray, Frances Fuller and Roscoe Karns)
A Millionaire for Christy (with Fred MacMurray, Eleanor Parker, Richard Carlson and Una Merkel)
Summer Stock (with Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Eddie Bracken and Gloria DeHaven)
Yours for the Asking (with George Raft, Dolores Costello and Ida Lupino)
Cross-Country Romance (with Wendy Barrie and Gene Raymond)
The Go-Getter (with George Brent, Anita Louise and Charles Winninger)
The Circle (with Eleanor Boardman, Malcolm McGregor and Joan Crawford)
One Hundred Men and a Girl (with Deanna Durbin, Leopold Stokowski and Adolphe Menjou)
Week-End with Father (with Van Heflin and Patricia Neal)
The Freshman (with Harold Lloyd and Jobyna Ralston)
Of these comedies three are silents: Seven Chances, The Circle and The Freshman.
Seven Chances starts with a lovely sequence of the passing of seasons (in colour) where Buster Keaton struggles to ask his girl to marry him while their dog gets bigger and bigger. The first half of the film is low in action but in that part we're introduced to a very young Jean Arthur in a small role as the rather bored book-reading receptionist. I like the story premise, albeit a simple one, but it gives our hero a clear goal and all actions taken make sense. Of course the highlight is the chase where Keaton is trying to beat the clock while escaping from a legion of willing brides. That sequence is exhilarating and hilarious.
The Circle is the second silent film I watched. Wanting to see more of Frank Borzage I chose this film that I'd never heard of before. Joan Crawford has a small role and I like the lead actress Eleanor Boardman. This film is not as funny and engaging as I had hoped it would be but it's still enjoyable and certainly has its moments. I did like the story premise very much (based on a play by W. Somerset Maugham) and this would make a great sound film with witty dialogue. The music score is good, with a lovely melodious tune running through it. The ending is a bit disappointing.
The Freshman is the last film I watched this month. I had only seen Harold Lloyd in Safety Last. Fortunately the online print of The Freshman was very clear. I also really enjoyed it. The story is straightforward, a college student tries to fit in and wants to become popular. This film is funny, with slapstick moments, it has an endearing quality, but there's nothing of the ingenious stunts like in Safety Last. A great asset is Lloyd's leading lady Jobyna Ralston and they have good chemistry. I thought she was quite mesmerising, in a Lillian Gish sort of way. Beautiful close-ups of her face. Her role is also really sweet. Will definitely watch more of Lloyd's filmography and glad to have discovered he made seven movies with Ralston.
Of the other comedies from the list above I liked The Glass Bottom Boat, Double Wedding, Paradise for Three, Summer Stock and Yours for the Asking best.
Of the other comedies from the list above I liked The Glass Bottom Boat, Double Wedding, Paradise for Three, Summer Stock and Yours for the Asking best.
The Glass Bottom Boat is a goofy comedy, admittedly a bit too long. It has some laugh-out-loud funny moments and it's also slapsticky. Love the scene in the kitchen with all the gadgets and the kiss. Doris Day and Rod Taylor have okay chemistry and Taylor is a handsome male lead. Also love the scene where Doris is singing with her dad, it looks improvised and so relaxed. It just made me happy. When Doris finds out she's been suspected of being a spy, her reaction is priceless. She feels hurt at first but then gets angry and retaliates. No one does this better than Doris Day. One more thing: the set design is great, especially Taylor's apartment, and Day wears some great costumes when Taylor is hallucinating.
Double Wedding I also really enjoyed and I was laughing out loud a couple of times. No doubt William Powell and Myrna Loy are one of the greatest screen couples Classic Hollywood has to offer. They play so well with each other. I love Loy's cool demeanour, here she's taking it to the max. It was during this film that Powell's then-fiancée Jean Harlow died of kidney failure and uremic poisoning. I watched the movie with this in mind and felt so sorry for Powell. I thought it was very admirable how he pulled off such a great performance despite his own personal despair. I hope Loy was some comfort to him in those difficult days, knowing they were friends off-screen. This film is great fun with a lot of funny lines, although the ending is a bit chaotic and I don't like the mush (cake?) in the leads' faces.
Paradise for Three is a comedy which I didn't expect to like so much. Frank Morgan plays a millionaire who has entered his own slogan contest under a false name and wins a full-paid vacation at a ski resort. The other slogan winner is Robert Young who gets mistaken for the millionaire. Mary Astor plays a golddigger and Florence Rice is the millionaire's daughter pretending to be poor. This mistaken identity story is a recipe for hilarious moments. I really like the scene with Astor and Morgan in Young's room where Morgan tastes brandy and gives himself away by expressing his knowledge on brandy. I love how Astor is observing him. Oh ... and don't miss the dishwasher scene!
Summer Stock is the only 1950s Technicolor musical I watched and what a lovely comforting watch it was. The story is actually a nice one and so is the romance. Judy Garland plays a farm owner whose home is being invaded by a theater company intent on putting up a show on her premises and being invited to do so by her sister Gloria DeHaven. I love Garland's performance. She's good when she plays a bit nervous and neurotic. The iconic Get Happy number is great, also the barn dance with Gene Kelly and Garland, and Kelly's solo number with the creaky floorboard and newspaper. It made me very happy and it also made me realise I really should see more musicals. By the way, Kelly is really handsome in this film but Garland looks a bit overweight (which I didn't mind) and wears some horrible dresses.
Yours for the Asking was a nice surprise. Funny and fast-paced with a screwy story and characters, this comedy engaged me all the way. George Raft is a bit wooden compared to, for instance, Ida Lupino whose lively performance is the highlight of this film. Also James Gleason, Edgar Kennedy, Lynne Overman and Reginald Owen bring a lot of energy to their roles and have character names likes Saratoga, Bicarbonate, Honeysuckle and Dictionary. I really liked Dolores Costello here but I think this will now rank as one of my fave Lupino performances.
Bells Are Ringing was a bit of a disappointment because I had hoped to love this as much as so many other reviewers did. But unfortunately I didn't, although there are moments of genuine warmth and heart here (the runtime is too long, though). I thought the film was quite uneven and I didn't understand why Judy Holliday wanted to keep her secret so badly because to me it wasn't such a big deal. She is good at comedy but I actually like her more in her vulnerable moments. Her scenes with Dean Martin are the ones that are the most appealing. The songs are not that memorable except for the well-known Just in Time. I didn't even know it was a musical at first, nor that it was based on the stage production. It shows, though, because it's really stagy. I thought The Midas Touch scene was pretty bad. The musical number I liked most was Judy's last solo I'm Going Back. One of the plus points of this film: beautiful Dean and the set designs. And of course Judy. Although I'm not really a fan of hers, I like her bubble of energy and there's also a warmth and kind of cosiness to her personality. It's really sad to read that this was her last film before she died of breast cancer at the age of 43.
The Go-Getter is a silly comedy directed by Busby Berkeley but an enjoyable watch. George Brent shows good comedic skill here and is really a go-getter, best illustrated in the funny blue-vase-sequence. It's by far the best sequence of the film. Charles Winninger shouts way too much — he's annoying the way I find actor Raymond Walburn annoying — and Anita Louise doesn't have much to do.
One Hundred Men is a lovely feel-good Deanna Durbin film with a sweet story of a teenager assembling an orchestra of unemployed musicians (her father Adolphe Menjou being one of them). I love Durbin and here she is full of energy and enthusiasm. It's also incredible how well developed her singing voice was at this young age. I know a lot of people like her, yet rather not have her sing, but I'm not one of them and like her singing. Apparently Leopold Stokowski was a real-life famous conductor, mostly known for his role in Disney's Fantasia. Supporting roles for Alice Brady, Eugene Pallette and Mischa Auer.
Julia Misbehaves, One Sunday Afternoon, A Millionaire for Christy and Week-End with Father are all mediocre but enjoyable.
Double Wedding I also really enjoyed and I was laughing out loud a couple of times. No doubt William Powell and Myrna Loy are one of the greatest screen couples Classic Hollywood has to offer. They play so well with each other. I love Loy's cool demeanour, here she's taking it to the max. It was during this film that Powell's then-fiancée Jean Harlow died of kidney failure and uremic poisoning. I watched the movie with this in mind and felt so sorry for Powell. I thought it was very admirable how he pulled off such a great performance despite his own personal despair. I hope Loy was some comfort to him in those difficult days, knowing they were friends off-screen. This film is great fun with a lot of funny lines, although the ending is a bit chaotic and I don't like the mush (cake?) in the leads' faces.
Paradise for Three is a comedy which I didn't expect to like so much. Frank Morgan plays a millionaire who has entered his own slogan contest under a false name and wins a full-paid vacation at a ski resort. The other slogan winner is Robert Young who gets mistaken for the millionaire. Mary Astor plays a golddigger and Florence Rice is the millionaire's daughter pretending to be poor. This mistaken identity story is a recipe for hilarious moments. I really like the scene with Astor and Morgan in Young's room where Morgan tastes brandy and gives himself away by expressing his knowledge on brandy. I love how Astor is observing him. Oh ... and don't miss the dishwasher scene!
Summer Stock is the only 1950s Technicolor musical I watched and what a lovely comforting watch it was. The story is actually a nice one and so is the romance. Judy Garland plays a farm owner whose home is being invaded by a theater company intent on putting up a show on her premises and being invited to do so by her sister Gloria DeHaven. I love Garland's performance. She's good when she plays a bit nervous and neurotic. The iconic Get Happy number is great, also the barn dance with Gene Kelly and Garland, and Kelly's solo number with the creaky floorboard and newspaper. It made me very happy and it also made me realise I really should see more musicals. By the way, Kelly is really handsome in this film but Garland looks a bit overweight (which I didn't mind) and wears some horrible dresses.
Yours for the Asking was a nice surprise. Funny and fast-paced with a screwy story and characters, this comedy engaged me all the way. George Raft is a bit wooden compared to, for instance, Ida Lupino whose lively performance is the highlight of this film. Also James Gleason, Edgar Kennedy, Lynne Overman and Reginald Owen bring a lot of energy to their roles and have character names likes Saratoga, Bicarbonate, Honeysuckle and Dictionary. I really liked Dolores Costello here but I think this will now rank as one of my fave Lupino performances.
The Go-Getter is a silly comedy directed by Busby Berkeley but an enjoyable watch. George Brent shows good comedic skill here and is really a go-getter, best illustrated in the funny blue-vase-sequence. It's by far the best sequence of the film. Charles Winninger shouts way too much — he's annoying the way I find actor Raymond Walburn annoying — and Anita Louise doesn't have much to do.
One Hundred Men is a lovely feel-good Deanna Durbin film with a sweet story of a teenager assembling an orchestra of unemployed musicians (her father Adolphe Menjou being one of them). I love Durbin and here she is full of energy and enthusiasm. It's also incredible how well developed her singing voice was at this young age. I know a lot of people like her, yet rather not have her sing, but I'm not one of them and like her singing. Apparently Leopold Stokowski was a real-life famous conductor, mostly known for his role in Disney's Fantasia. Supporting roles for Alice Brady, Eugene Pallette and Mischa Auer.
Julia Misbehaves, One Sunday Afternoon, A Millionaire for Christy and Week-End with Father are all mediocre but enjoyable.
Julia Misbehaves has some funny scenes (I actually like the ending with Greer Garson struggling in the storm and the mud) but there are also scenes I didn't like at all (like Garson deceiving Nigel Bruce for money after having flirted with him). The best thing this film has to offer is the great chemistry between Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon. I love the scene in the cabin after they've fallen into the lake. They start reminiscing about old times and then kiss. It looks so natural and they seem so comfortable with each other, like old lovers. No wonder they made 8 movies together. It's also nice to know they were life-long friends off-screen.
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One Sunday Afternoon is a remake of The Strawberry Blonde and I had no idea. Gary Cooper being a dentist had me already thinking of the 1941 Raoul Walsh comedy because a dentist isn't such a common profession in a film. Then while watching this, the story seemed awfully familiar to me and I looked up whether the two films are connected. Indeed they are and I cannot help making comparisons with the 1941 remake which is far superior in my opinion. This original is entertaining, although the opening scene with Cooper and Roscoe Karns drags on too long and because of this I couldn't get into the film right away. I thought it was going to be a comedy — it's classified as such — but it's more of a drama with some lighter moments. The Strawberry Blonde is really a comedy, much lighter in tone and it's also much livelier and energetic. I love Cooper, he looks beautiful this young and he gives a solid performance but his character is less likeable than James Cagney's Biff and also a bit dumber. Frances Fuller is no Olivia de Havilland (though she plays her role well and makes us feel her hurt) and her Amy doesn't have any spunk (like Olivia's feisty Amy). I also prefer Rita Hayworth over Fay Wray. There are a lot of delightful scenes in The Strawberry Blonde but here there are few. I do love the ending, though. Raoul Walsh did also a musical remake One Sunday Afternoon (1948) with Dennis Morgan so I might watch that soon as well.
A Millionaire for Christy is a pretty silly comedy but those two love scenes make watching this worthwhile. I love kissing scenes where the lovers break up the kiss with talking (like the famous kiss from Notorious) and it happens twice here. Fred MacMurray and Eleanor Parker have good chemistry, especially in those love scenes. The funniest and nicest part of the film is the one where MacMurray and Parker get stranded on a beach and spend the night with a group of friendly Mexicans. I really love Eleanor Parker in comedy roles, I think she is funny and she has this daffy quality. She also looks very lovely here. The ending is really silly and I didn't like MacMurray setting the ladies' room on fire to lure Parker outside. Also with Richard Carlson, I love him too.
Week-End with Father is another foolish film, this time with unusual roles for Van Heflin and Patricia Neal. Well, comedy is not their forte but I still had a considerable good time with this. The kids are okay, not as annoying as they sometimes can be. Never seen Heflin this silly and clumsy before, he's shown in several slapstick situations. I actually liked Richard Denning with his healthy food routine. One of Douglas Sirk's lesser-known films.
The cosy/lighthearted mysteries are, arranged in watching order:
Meet the Wildcat (with Margaret Lindsay, Ralph Bellamy and Allen Jenkins)
Busman’s Honeymoon/Haunted Honeymoon (with Robert Montgomery and Constance Cummings)
Highways by Night (with Richard Carlson, Jane Randolph and Jane Darwell)
Of these three mysteries Meet the Wildcat was the least enjoyable. It's actually more of a mystery than a comedy and it's lacking in witty banter between the leads. Ralph Bellamy and Margaret Lindsay have good chemistry, I read that they also star together in the Ellery Queen series. I like seeing Bellamy in less goofy roles and ones where he gets the girl so that was the reason I chose to watch this film.
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A Millionaire for Christy is a pretty silly comedy but those two love scenes make watching this worthwhile. I love kissing scenes where the lovers break up the kiss with talking (like the famous kiss from Notorious) and it happens twice here. Fred MacMurray and Eleanor Parker have good chemistry, especially in those love scenes. The funniest and nicest part of the film is the one where MacMurray and Parker get stranded on a beach and spend the night with a group of friendly Mexicans. I really love Eleanor Parker in comedy roles, I think she is funny and she has this daffy quality. She also looks very lovely here. The ending is really silly and I didn't like MacMurray setting the ladies' room on fire to lure Parker outside. Also with Richard Carlson, I love him too.
Week-End with Father is another foolish film, this time with unusual roles for Van Heflin and Patricia Neal. Well, comedy is not their forte but I still had a considerable good time with this. The kids are okay, not as annoying as they sometimes can be. Never seen Heflin this silly and clumsy before, he's shown in several slapstick situations. I actually liked Richard Denning with his healthy food routine. One of Douglas Sirk's lesser-known films.
Cross-Country Romance was the least enjoyable on the list of comedies above. It has an It Happened One Night story premise. Gene Raymond and Wendy Barrie played together in Love On a Bet years earlier and that was a much better effort at romantic comedy. There are few laughs here and Barrie is rather annoying. Also the romance could have been developed better. Short appearance by Alan Ladd in a speaking part near the end.
The cosy/lighthearted mysteries are, arranged in watching order:
Meet the Wildcat (with Margaret Lindsay, Ralph Bellamy and Allen Jenkins)
Busman’s Honeymoon/Haunted Honeymoon (with Robert Montgomery and Constance Cummings)
Highways by Night (with Richard Carlson, Jane Randolph and Jane Darwell)
Of these three mysteries Meet the Wildcat was the least enjoyable. It's actually more of a mystery than a comedy and it's lacking in witty banter between the leads. Ralph Bellamy and Margaret Lindsay have good chemistry, I read that they also star together in the Ellery Queen series. I like seeing Bellamy in less goofy roles and ones where he gets the girl so that was the reason I chose to watch this film.
Haunted Honeymoon is a cosy mystery with Robert Montgomery and Constance Cummings. They play newly weds, on their honeymoon, just having abandoned their amateur sleuthing activities. Of course there is a murder and of course they cannot help trying to solve the mystery. With a cast of rather eccentric suspects and a faithful butler (love him!), this film — based on a Dorothy L. Sayers novel — is really enjoyable but has a pretty far-fetched choice of murder weapon. One of the strengths here is the great and natural chemistry between Montgomery and Cummings. The opening scene where we get to know their characters is lovely, and how romantic is it for Montgomery to buy his wife her childhood home in the English countryside?
Highways by Night I watched because I wanted to see a lighthearted 1930s or 1940s film with Richard Carlson. And this one fits the bill. Not only that but it's more enjoyable than I thought it would be. Carlson plays a millionaire who wants to get a taste of ordinary life and make it on his own without his fortune. He gets mixed up in some gangster business but also meets lovely Jane Randolph from a family-run trucking company. Jane Darwell plays her grandma with a heart of gold and she gives this film a feel-good quality. It all moves at a nice pace and stays light in tone. Had a good time with this.
Coming to the dramas now. They are, arranged in watching order:
No One Man (with Carole Lombard, Ricardo Cortez and Paul Lukas)
Washington Merry-Go-Round (with Lee Tracy, Constance Cummings and Walter Connolly)
The Doctor and the Girl (with Glenn Ford, Charles Coburn, Gloria DeHaven and Janet Leigh)
Gentleman’s Agreement (with Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, John Garfield, Celeste Holm, Anne Revere, Jane Wyatt and Dean Stockwell)
The Last Flight (with Richard Barthelmess, David Manners, Johnny Mack Brown and Helen Chandler)
Mannequin (with Spencer Tracy, Joan Crawford and Alan Curtis)
I had never heard of the Carole Lombard film No One Man before I accidentally stumbled upon it. Apparently it's her most obscure film. Fortunately the print was pretty good but I can't say the same for the quality of the film itself. The story is not very compelling and the only reason to watch this is Lombard, of course, looking lovely and wearing gorgeous gowns. Ricardo Cortez is not very likeable but Paul Lukas looks handsome this young.
I also had never heard of Washington Merry-Go-Round but when I read the synopsis (which is similar to Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) it appealed to me right away and I decided to watch it. Whereas Mr. Smith Goes to Washington falls into the category of feel-good movies, Washington Merry-Go-Round doesn't. It's a pre-code and there's nothing saccharine here. This film even includes two suicides and one murder. Lee Tracy is congress man Mr. Brown who goes to Washington to get rid of political corruption. Tracy is an acquired taste but I like him. He is a fast-talker and can deliver lengthy talks seemingly in one breath. He's good here and well cast, although I find some of his speeches too theatrical. Constance Cummings playing his love interest gives an assured performance and serves as Tracy's guide to his new political environment in Washington (just like Jean Arthur was to James Stewart in Mr. Smith). Both Walter Connolly and Alan Dinehart give fine performances. It was a compelling watch but it wasn't as satifying as Mr. Smith and it stays pretty much unresolved at the end. Anyway, this film taught me one history lesson: the one about the Bonus Army, a group of U.S. World War I veterans who camped out on the lawn of the Capitol building in 1932 to demand immediate payout on their service certificates.
The Doctor and the Girl is much more dramatic than I had expected. I had also thought that this was mainly centered on the doctor (Glenn Ford) and the girl (Janet Leigh) but it was more of a family drama. I found the story compelling and the performances good, especially Charles Coburn surprised in his serious role. He gives a natural performance and really makes you feel his hurt after losing his daughter. Young Leigh looks beautiful in her hospital bed without makeup.
Gentleman's Agreement is my highest rated film of the month. It's not the blatant anti-semitism that makes this Oscar-winning film so poignant (even if scenes like the one where the son comes home crying, after his schoolmates have called him dirty Jew, are powerful too) but it's the critique of the silent bystander, the nice and good people, the ones who feel uncomfortable after a remark about Jews has been made but stay passive and don't speak up. (" .... But I've come to see lots of nice people who hate it and deplore it and protest their own innocence, then help it along and wonder why it grows. People who would never beat up a Jew. People who think anti-Semitism is far away in some dark place with low-class morons. That's the biggest discovery I've made. The good people. The nice people.") This is very well illustrated with the character of Kathy (Dorothy McGuire). There are great performances all around with Celeste Holm winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. I also love Dean Stockwell.
I watched The Last Flight (with Richard Barthelmess) because of the good reviews and had no idea what to expect. At first I had difficulty getting into this because of the stilted performances/line deliveries (on account of this being an early talkie) and the lack of something happening. Basically it's about four men and an eccentric woman painting the town and drinking a lot of booze. The men are fighter pilots, scarred by the war and unwilling to return to their home country. What I like here is the playful dialogue and there's a lovely scene with Richard Barthelmess and Helen Chandler sitting on a terrace sheltering from the rain. Chandler is convincing as the quirky socialite. Still, this film didn't completely won me over (yet) but I think it will definitely get better with a rewatch. I love that there's an underlying sadness and melancholy which stays with you after the film has finished. Also great cinematography by Sidney Hickox.
Mannequin is a film my sister likes but I wasn't sold immediately. Joan Crawford goes from rags to riches when she marries self-made millionaire Spencer Tracy. I thought Tracy's character was a bit too forward in the beginning but I slowly started to like him as the film progressed. I love the way Frank Borzage depicts romantic love. It's intense and shows how love transcends difficult circumstances. I love Crawford but Tracy became my favourite character here. I also really like Tracy's natural and laid-back acting style. There are some lovely scenes with the leads as a married couple and especially the ending is great and very satisfying. Will definitely watch this again and want to see more of Frank Borzage's films.
Well .... that's some round-up! It won't be likely I'll watch the same amount of films for the next round-up but you'll never know. So stay tuned! And meanwhile, stay safe and healthy!
Coming to the dramas now. They are, arranged in watching order:
No One Man (with Carole Lombard, Ricardo Cortez and Paul Lukas)
Washington Merry-Go-Round (with Lee Tracy, Constance Cummings and Walter Connolly)
The Doctor and the Girl (with Glenn Ford, Charles Coburn, Gloria DeHaven and Janet Leigh)
Gentleman’s Agreement (with Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, John Garfield, Celeste Holm, Anne Revere, Jane Wyatt and Dean Stockwell)
The Last Flight (with Richard Barthelmess, David Manners, Johnny Mack Brown and Helen Chandler)
Mannequin (with Spencer Tracy, Joan Crawford and Alan Curtis)
I had never heard of the Carole Lombard film No One Man before I accidentally stumbled upon it. Apparently it's her most obscure film. Fortunately the print was pretty good but I can't say the same for the quality of the film itself. The story is not very compelling and the only reason to watch this is Lombard, of course, looking lovely and wearing gorgeous gowns. Ricardo Cortez is not very likeable but Paul Lukas looks handsome this young.
I also had never heard of Washington Merry-Go-Round but when I read the synopsis (which is similar to Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) it appealed to me right away and I decided to watch it. Whereas Mr. Smith Goes to Washington falls into the category of feel-good movies, Washington Merry-Go-Round doesn't. It's a pre-code and there's nothing saccharine here. This film even includes two suicides and one murder. Lee Tracy is congress man Mr. Brown who goes to Washington to get rid of political corruption. Tracy is an acquired taste but I like him. He is a fast-talker and can deliver lengthy talks seemingly in one breath. He's good here and well cast, although I find some of his speeches too theatrical. Constance Cummings playing his love interest gives an assured performance and serves as Tracy's guide to his new political environment in Washington (just like Jean Arthur was to James Stewart in Mr. Smith). Both Walter Connolly and Alan Dinehart give fine performances. It was a compelling watch but it wasn't as satifying as Mr. Smith and it stays pretty much unresolved at the end. Anyway, this film taught me one history lesson: the one about the Bonus Army, a group of U.S. World War I veterans who camped out on the lawn of the Capitol building in 1932 to demand immediate payout on their service certificates.
The Doctor and the Girl is much more dramatic than I had expected. I had also thought that this was mainly centered on the doctor (Glenn Ford) and the girl (Janet Leigh) but it was more of a family drama. I found the story compelling and the performances good, especially Charles Coburn surprised in his serious role. He gives a natural performance and really makes you feel his hurt after losing his daughter. Young Leigh looks beautiful in her hospital bed without makeup.
Gentleman's Agreement is my highest rated film of the month. It's not the blatant anti-semitism that makes this Oscar-winning film so poignant (even if scenes like the one where the son comes home crying, after his schoolmates have called him dirty Jew, are powerful too) but it's the critique of the silent bystander, the nice and good people, the ones who feel uncomfortable after a remark about Jews has been made but stay passive and don't speak up. (" .... But I've come to see lots of nice people who hate it and deplore it and protest their own innocence, then help it along and wonder why it grows. People who would never beat up a Jew. People who think anti-Semitism is far away in some dark place with low-class morons. That's the biggest discovery I've made. The good people. The nice people.") This is very well illustrated with the character of Kathy (Dorothy McGuire). There are great performances all around with Celeste Holm winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. I also love Dean Stockwell.
I watched The Last Flight (with Richard Barthelmess) because of the good reviews and had no idea what to expect. At first I had difficulty getting into this because of the stilted performances/line deliveries (on account of this being an early talkie) and the lack of something happening. Basically it's about four men and an eccentric woman painting the town and drinking a lot of booze. The men are fighter pilots, scarred by the war and unwilling to return to their home country. What I like here is the playful dialogue and there's a lovely scene with Richard Barthelmess and Helen Chandler sitting on a terrace sheltering from the rain. Chandler is convincing as the quirky socialite. Still, this film didn't completely won me over (yet) but I think it will definitely get better with a rewatch. I love that there's an underlying sadness and melancholy which stays with you after the film has finished. Also great cinematography by Sidney Hickox.
Mannequin is a film my sister likes but I wasn't sold immediately. Joan Crawford goes from rags to riches when she marries self-made millionaire Spencer Tracy. I thought Tracy's character was a bit too forward in the beginning but I slowly started to like him as the film progressed. I love the way Frank Borzage depicts romantic love. It's intense and shows how love transcends difficult circumstances. I love Crawford but Tracy became my favourite character here. I also really like Tracy's natural and laid-back acting style. There are some lovely scenes with the leads as a married couple and especially the ending is great and very satisfying. Will definitely watch this again and want to see more of Frank Borzage's films.
Well .... that's some round-up! It won't be likely I'll watch the same amount of films for the next round-up but you'll never know. So stay tuned! And meanwhile, stay safe and healthy!
PHOTOS/GIFS IN THIS POST FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:
*Seven Chances (1925) with Buster Keaton and Ruth Dwyer;
*City for Conquest (1940) with James Cagney and Ann Sheridan;
*It All Came True (1940) with Ann Sheridan and Humphrey Bogart;
*Black Legion (1937) with Humphrey Bogart, Erin O'Brien-Moore and Ann Sheridan;
*Broadway Musketeers (1938) with Ann Sheridan, Margaret Lindsay and Marie Wilson;
*Steel Town (1952) with Ann Sheridan and John Lund;
*One More Tomorrow (1946) with Ann Sheridan and Jane Wyman;
*Alcatraz Island (1937) with John Litel and Ann Sheridan;
*Fighting Youth (1935) with Charles Farrell, Ann Sheridan and June Martel;
*Ladies Should Listen (1934) with Cary Grant and Frances Drake;
*I’m No Angel (1933) with Mae West and Cary Grant;
*Kiss and Make-Up (1934) with Cary Grant;
*Crossroads (1942) with William Powell, Hedy Lamarr, Claire Trevor and Basil Rathbone;
*Valley of the Giants (1938) with Wayne Morris and Claire Trevor; (screenshot by me)
*The Adventures of Martin Eden (1942) with Glenn Ford and Claire Trevor;
*I Stole a Million (1939) with George Raft and Claire Trevor;
*Big Town Girl (1937) with Claire Trevor, Donald Woods and Alan Baxter;
*Brother Orchid (1940) with Edward G. Robinson and Ann Sothern;
*Passage to Marseille (1944) with Humphrey Bogart and Michèle Morgan;
*A Slight Case of Murder (1938) with Edward G. Robinson, Jane Bryan and Willard Parker;
*Larceny, Inc. (1942) with Edward G. Robinson and Jane Wyman;
*My Love Came Back (1940) with Olivia de Havilland and Jane Wyman;
*Make Your Own Bed (1944) with Jack Carson and Jane Wyman;
*Government Girl (1943) with Olivia de Havilland, Anne Shirley and James Dunn;
*Music in Manhattan (1944) with Anne Shirley and Phillip Terry;
*Lady Bodyguard (1943) with Anne Shirley and Eddie Albert;
*Midnight Court (1937) with Ann Dvorak and John Litel;
*Side Streets (1934) with Aline MacMahon and Ann Dvorak;
*Gentlemen Are Born (1934) with Margaret Lindsay, Franchot Tone, Jean Muir, Dick Foran, Ann Dvorak and Robert Light;
*Man-Proof (1938) with Myrna Loy;
*Three Loves Has Nancy (1938) with Janet Gaynor, Robert Montgomery and Franchot Tone;
*Seven Chances (1925) with Buster Keaton and Ruth Dwyer;
*The Circle (1925) with Eleanor Boardman;
*The Freshman (1925) with Harold Lloyd and Jobyna Ralston;
*The Glass Bottom Boat (1966) with Doris Day and Rod Taylor; (gif by me)
*Double Wedding (1937) with William Powell;
*Paradise for Three (1938) with Robert Young, Frank Morgan, Mary Astor, Florence Rice, Edna May Oliver, Reginald Owen, Herman Bing and Henry Hull;
*Summer Stock (1950) with Judy Garland; (gif by me)
*Yours for the Asking (1936) with George Raft, Dolores Costello and Ida Lupino;
*Bells Are Ringing (1960) with Judy Holliday and Dean Martin;
*The Go-Getter (1937) with George Brent, Anita Louise and Charles Winninger;
*One Hundred Men and a Girl (1937) with Deanna Durbin;
*Julia Misbehaves (1948) with Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon;
*One Sunday Afternoon (1933) with Gary Cooper and Frances Fuller;
*A Millionaire for Christy (1951) with Fred MacMurray, Eleanor Parker and Richard Carlson;
*Week-End with Father (1951) with Van Heflin, Patricia Neal, Virginia Field and Richard Denning;
*Cross-Country Romance (1940) with Wendy Barrie and Gene Raymond; (screenshot by me)
*Meet the Wildcat (1940) with Margaret Lindsay, Ralph Bellamy and Allen Jenkins;
*Haunted Honeymoon (1940) with Robert Montgomery and Constance Cummings;
*Highways by Night (1942) with Richard Carlson and Jane Randolph;
*No One Man (1932) with Carole Lombard, Ricardo Cortez and Paul Lukas;
*Washington Merry-Go-Round (1932) with Lee Tracy, Constance Cummings and Walter Connolly;
*The Doctor and the Girl (1949) with Glenn Ford and Janet Leigh;
*Gentleman’s Agreement (1947) with Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire and John Garfield;
*Gentleman’s Agreement (1947) with Gregory Peck and Celeste Holm;
*The Last Flight (1931) with Richard Barthelmess and Helen Chandler;
*Mannequin (1937) with Spencer Tracy and Joan Crawford.