May 2021 Round-Up
TOTAL FILMS SEEN IN MAY: 45
(see the film posters at the bottom of the post, arranged in watching order)
NEW-TO-ME: 44 (38 features & 6 shorts)
REWATCHES: 1
SEEN ON THE BIG SCREEN: 1
MOST WATCHED ACTOR: Buster Keaton (6 in total: 5 shorts & 1 feature)
The African Queen with Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart
May came and went and the weather in Barcelona turned summery. It's really hard to grasp that we're entering a second summer living with Covid. Luckily things are turning for the better with many people being vaccinated (myself still excluded). In Spain, the State of Alarm (the legal framework for the Covid restrictions) came to an end on the 9th of May and thus the curfews and perimetral lockdowns were lifted. Probably here in Barcelona tourist numbers will go up again very soon (unfortunately).
My humdrum days continued. Still, even with little excitement in my everyday life I enjoy the days getting longer and warmer and relish the time spent outside. Yet much time was also spent indoors, working from home and watching films. I didn't match the amount of films I saw in April (50) but came close and was happy with the figure of 45 films.
Lucille Ball, Most Watched Actress of the Month
I didn't have a plan for the month, just went in with whim-watching films and took it from there. So if I wanted to spend some more time with a certain actor, I watched another of her/his films. In the end Lucille Ball became my most watched actress with 6 films seen in total (The Fuller Brush Girl, Sorrowful Jones, Lured, Lover Come Back, You Can't Fool Your Wife and Valley of the Sun). Buster Keaton is my most watched actor with also 6 films seen, of which 5 are shorts (The Haunted House, The Frozen North, The Electric House, Convict 13, Day Dreams) and one is a feature film (The Cameraman).
Furthermore I watched 5 films with Michael Whalen (Time Out for Murder, White Fang, Professional Soldier, Poor Little Rich Girl, Wee Willie Winkie), 5 films with Gloria Stuart (Time Out for Murder, Professional Soldier, Poor Little Rich Girl, Wanted: Jane Turner, The Kiss Before the Mirror), 4 with George Sanders (Lured, This Land is Mine, The House of the Seven Gables, The Saint Strikes Back), 4 with Eddie Albert (Four Wives, Thieves Fall Out, Four Mothers, The Fuller Brush Girl), 3 with Humphrey Bogart (Bad Sister, The African Queen, The Oklahoma Kid) and 3 with Rosemary Lane (Four Wives, The Oklahoma Kid, Four Mothers).
Buster Keaton, Most Watched Actor of the Month, in The Cameraman
There are numerous actors with 2 films seen: Ida Lupino (Pillow to Post, Life Begins at Eight-Thirty), Victor McLaglen (Professional Soldier, Wee Willie Winkie), Robert Preston (Wild Harvest, All the Way Home), Shirley Temple (Poor Little Rich Girl, Wee Willie Winkie), Lee Tracy (Wanted: Jane Turner, Clear All Wires!), Cornel Wilde (Life Begins at Eight-Thirty, It Had to Be You), Tom Conway (Criminal Court, A Night of Adventure), Nancy Gates (This Land is Mine, A Night of Adventure), Walter Pidgeon (6,000 Enemies, The Kiss Before the Mirror), Sybil Seely (The Frozen North, Convict 13), and the actors who played in both Four Wives and Four Mothers (Priscilla Lane, Lola Lane, Gale Page, Jeffrey Lynn, Frank McHugh, May Robson, Claude Rains).
Wee Willie Winkie with Shirley Temple (screenshots by me)
I'm still trying to watch at least one silent film a month and glad to report that I watched 8 in total in May. Admittedly there were 6 shorts in total (5 starring Buster Keaton and 1 short with Mary Pickford) but also 2 feature films (The Cameraman with Keaton and For Heaven's Sake with Harold Lloyd).
My highest rated films of the month are The African Queen and The Cameraman, followed closely by Inherit the Wind. Honorary mentions go to Pillow to Post, Wee Willie Winkie, Clear All Wires!, The Oklahoma Kid, The Fuller Brush Girl, Sorrowful Jones, This Land Is Mine, The House of the Seven Gables, Here Comes the Groom, The Electric House, Convict 13, Day Dreams and For Heaven’s Sake.
The lowest rated film of the month is You Can’t Fool Your Wife with Lucille Ball. Time Out for Murder, Professional Soldier, It Had to Be You and The Saint Strikes Back follow closely.
The funniest film by far was The Fuller Brush Girl with Lucille Ball. It was laugh-out-loud funny. I also laughed a lot with Clear All Wires! starring Lee Tracy.
Favourite romantic couples of the month are: Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn in The African Queen, Buster Keaton and Marceline Day in The Cameraman, and Harold Lloyd and Jobyna Ralston in For Heaven’s Sake.
I made one trip to the Filmoteca and saw the wonderful The African Queen on the big screen. Hopefully there'll be more trips in June.
Breaking the 45 watched films down in decades:
1910s - 1
1920s - 7
1930s - 14
1940s - 15
1950s - 6
1960s - 2
Happy to see that every decade is represented this month!
NOW LET'S MOVE ON TO THE FILMS!
(read notes with caution as they might contain spoilers; ratings go from ½ to ★★★★★)
PILLOW TO POST (1945) ★★★½
Watched: 02.05.2021
Felt like watching a comedy at the start of the new month and saw some good ratings and write-ups for this film starring Ida Lupino. I had read a comment about this being delightful and at the film's beginning I thought that was a bit exaggerated. But as the film progressed I grew more enthusiastic and was very charmed by Lupino's lovely performance. She's good at drama but can handle comedy equally well and it's too bad she didn't venture more into the genre. I loved seeing how she got herself in a deeper mess and how her behaviour became more scatty (love the scene at the dinner table where she gets drunk on sherry). I'm not familiar with her leading man William Prince (who reminded me of John Beal) but he's okay and he has good chemistry with Lupino. There were several scenes where I was laughing out loud (e.g. the kitchen-turned-bedroom scene) and the film became silly fun. Solid support by Sydney Greenstreet, Stuart Erwin, Ruth Donnelly, Frank Orth and Willie Best. Also great to see Louis Armstrong with Dorothy Dandridge in a brief appearance. (Photos: Ida Lupino and William Prince / Ida Lupino / Ida Lupino and William Prince)
THE BAD SISTER (1931) ★★★
Watched: 02.05.2021
Early pre-code talkie, enjoyable but marred by stilted dialogue. With young Humphrey Bogart playing a crook, I had expected more action and maybe a bit of violence but it all stays rather meek. This is primarily known for being Bette Davis' film debut. Surprisingly, she plays the good sister, in love with her sister's beau (Conrad Nagel). Her performance is quiet and subdued and I really liked her. The scene with the baby where Nagel kisses Bette is very sweet. Bogart's con man is wooing bad sister Sidney Fox. This was also Fox's film debut but her career was short-lived as she took an overdose of sleeping pills at age 34. Supporting roles by Charles Winninger, Emma Dunn, Zasu Pitts, Slim Summerville and Bert Roach. Special mention goes to David Durand who plays the precocious little brother. He's a scene-stealer, even though he gets a bit annoying. He shares a heartwarming moment with Bette when she burns her diary as a result of his mischief. (Photos: Bette Davis / Emma Dunn, Sidney Fox, Bette Davis and Charles Winninger / Conrad Nagel and Bette Davis)
Watched: 03.05.2021
Came across this film while looking for something short to watch and the story premise of phony mediums trying to swindle an old lady out of her millions sounded appealing to me. It also has Ricardo Cortez in a supporting role. I found it thoroughly entertaining and nicely paced. Robert Sterling is not the most exciting leading man but he's fine and makes an okay pair with the lovely Joan Dixon (whom I've only seen opposite of Charles McGraw in Roadblock). Cortez, in his fifties and balding, plays the bad guy, a role he'd done many times before and could do in his sleep. The best part of this film is the art direction by Albert S. D'Agostino during the seance sequences. They look simple but really beautiful. These scenes depict a great mood, a bit eerie, helped by the cinematography by Henry Freulich. Some great location shots of Los Angeles. (Photo: Robert Sterling, Joan Dixon, Douglas Fowley and Dante)
Watched: 04.05.2021
Hadn't seen an Alan Ladd film in quite a while (I developed a slight crush on him when I rediscovered him and binge-watched his films in 2019), and this is one from the 1940s where he's still young and handsome. (Oh ... and that beautiful voice!) This is an enjoyable film about the harvesting of wheat with those big machines. It has a touch of serious drama but overall it stays light. I'm not a Robert Preston fan, but I liked Lloyd Nolan here (like him in general). I also like the fact that in the end male comradeship prevails, while unlikeable Dorothy Lamour (playing Ladd's love interest and ending up married to Preston) is left behind. Also with Allen Jenkins as one of the crew members with a fondness for the bottle. (Photos: film poster with Alan Ladd and Dorothy Lamour / Alan Ladd, Robert Preston and Dorothy Lamour)
Watched: 05.05.2021
Entertaining film with a prominent role for Thelma Ritter, even though she has third billing and Jeanne Crain has first, Scott Brady second. Ritter has the most screen time and the story revolves around her character, a marriage broker — unhappy in love herself — trying to match up misfits. Some of the scenes with the nameless characters go on for too long and we have to wait quite some time till Crain meets Brady, but the heart of the film is Ritter and she is wonderful as always, showing her own pain in a subtle way and masking it with wry humour. Directed by George Cukor and co-written by Charles Brackett, this comedy also features Michael O'Shea in a likeable role as Ritter's friend (he shares a wonderful scene with Crain later on in the film). (Photos: Jeanne Crain and Thelma Ritter / Scott Brady, Jeanne Crain and Thelma Ritter)
THE AFRICAN QUEEN (1951) ★★★★½
Rewatched: 06.05.2021
Seen this on the big screen at the Filmoteca in a 35 mm print (surprisingly not a digital print despite the fact that this film is digitally restored). I had seen this wonderful mix of adventure, comedy, drama and romance before, but some things I didn't remember that well. I thought the romance between Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn started later in the film but it comprised actually a large part of the movie. Again, I had a really good time with this and enjoyed the performances of the leads a lot. I have to say that the background projection shots were distracting — even more so, now seeing them enlarged on the big screen — and it's actually a shame they had to resort to rear projections while the film is shot on location in Africa. Still, the production looks great, in beautiful Technicolor and with cinematography by the great Jack Cardiff. It might be a bit on the light side, but overall it's just good fun. (Gif by me: Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn / Screenshots by me (2): Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn)
TIME OUT FOR MURDER (1938) ★★
Watched: 06.05.2021Sought this out for Michael Whalen and Gloria Stuart, because I like them as a couple (have seen them before in the more enjoyable Island in the Sky). This short B-mystery is nothing special, pretty silly and with a convoluted plot, but Whalen and Stuart have great chemistry again. It was kind of funny to hear the female telephone operators telling time and how guys enjoyed listening to them. Supporting roles for Ruth Hussey (as the victim), Jane Darwell, Douglas Fowley (never seen him this young, without moustache) and Jean Rogers. Whalen would repeat his role as reporter Barney Callahan in two sequels (also starring his annoying sidekick, the photographer Chick Chandler): While New York Sleeps (1938) and Inside Story (1939). Might check those out as well. (Photo: Michael Whalen, Gloria Stuart and Chick Chandler)
Watched: 08.05.2021
Watched this for Michael Whalen, who looks handsome here without moustache but with a stubble and later a beard. I have not read Jack London's books, nor have I seen the prequel Call of the Wild (1935), but I believe this film can stand on its own. It was an entertaining watch and I like Jean Muir, here playing Whalen's love interest. They have nice chemistry and I also liked their romance. Solid support by Charles Winninger (who seems to be playing drunk characters often), Jane Darwell and John Carradine. (Photos (2): Michael Whalen, Jean Muir and White Fang)
PROFESSIONAL SOLDIER (1935) ★★
Watched: 08.05.2021Another film I watched for Michael Whalen and Gloria Stuart. Here their romance isn't developed at all. I hate it when they've just met and already start saying I love you — even if it is just a silly B-movie. In the lead we have Victor McLaglen as a soldier who is hired to kidnap the young king Freddie Bartholomew (who is slightly annoying). The film focuses on the unlikely friendship between the two. I thought the development of their friendship was not as strong as it could have been, with some forced emotional moments. The ending is a bit ridiculous, as McLaglen becomes some sort of Rambo and shoots down the enemy with a big machine gun, in an act of extreme violence. Also look out for Rita Hayworth in an uncredit appearance as a gypsy dancer. (Photos: Michael Whalen, Gloria Stuart and Freddie Bartholomew / Gloria Stuart and Victor McLaglen / Michael Whalen and Gloria Stuart)
ALL THE WAY HOME (1963) ★★½
Watched: 09.05.2021
For some reason I couldn't connect with this film, despite the solid performances by the cast and the relatable theme of loss and grief. I actually watched this for Robert Preston. Since I don't really like him, I was looking for a serious dramatic film role, and I had hoped that a great performance could change my opinion of him. He's good, I have to say, especially in his moments with the little boy (the kid actor Michael Kearney is best in his non-talking scenes). Memorable is the scene where he explains to his son how it is wrong to use the n-word. I found the film mostly watchable but thought there was an issue with the tone. Because of the outstanding and moody cinematography by Boris Kaufman and the framing and lighting of certain scenes, it sometimes felt like an eerie family drama with hidden secrets rather than a straightforward drama. The shots of Great-Great-Grandmaw sitting in her chair are downright spooky. Even the little boy with his fair hair could pass off as one of those scary kids from horror films. Unfortunately I just didn't enjoy this film as much as I hoped I would, but there's no denying Jean Simmons gives a great performance. And I always love Aline MacMahon, here playing the aunt. Based on the novel A Death in the Family by James Agee. (Photos: Jean Simmons, Robert Preston and Michael Kearney / Jean Simmons and Robert Preston)
POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL (1936) ★★★
Watched: 09.05.2021
Watched this for Shirley Temple, and Gloria Stuart and Michael Whalen. Whalen plays Shirley's widowed father, too busy with his soap empire, who finally sends his little girl off to school. She gets lost and finds a home with vaudeville entertainers Alice Faye and Jack Haley. Stuart works for Whalen's competitor in the soap business, the cantankerous curmudgeon Claude Gillingwater. Of course Shirley manages to soften the old man's heart. It's all formulaic but still works because of the immense charm and loveliness of Temple. She also sings a couple of nice songs and has a great finale tap dance number with Faye and Haley. Whalen and Stuart provide the love interest but don't have much to do. I didn't really like the way Whalen romanced Stuart, basically telling her to marry him because that's what he wanted. I also didn't understand the creepy men lying in wait for Shirley. Were they child predators or did they want to kidnap her? By the way, love the spinach song! (Photos: Shirley Temple, Alice Faye and Jack Haley / Michael Whalen, Shirley Temple and Claude Gillingwater / Gloria Stuart and Michael Whalen)
WEE WILLIE WINKIE (1937) ★★★½
Watched: 10.05.2021
When John Ford got a new production assigned to him by producer Darryl F. Zanuck, namely directing Shirley Temple in an adaptation of a Rudyard Kipling story, the gruff director and the sweet child star seemed an unlikely combination (they would work together again in Fort Apache). Initially Ford was indifferent and distant towards his little star, but eventually warmed up to her once he realised how intelligent and fearless she was (later Ford became godfather to Temple’s first child). Temple considered Wee Willie Winkie to be her favourite film, not just for the product itself but also because of the experiences on the set. The film works well, with broad humour and sentiment, while Shirley's cuteness and charm balances out the seriousness of military discipline. There are heartwarming moments between Shirley and Victor McLaglen, and the sentimental bits are never overdone. Shirley is clearly the star of the show but doesn't get to sing or dance here, except for singing Auld Lang Syne in the hospital ward to a fatally injured McLaglen. I have to admit I got teary-eyed with the death of McLaglen. June Lang as Shirley's widowed mother and Michael Whalen (with moustache) provide the romance but don't have a lot of screen time. Though it might be a bit unbelievable that Shirley manages to bring about a truce between the rebels and the army, we believe it because she is Shirley Temple. (Photos: C. Aubrey Smith, Shirley Temple and Victor McLaglen / behind the scenes with Shirley Temple and director John Ford / publicity shot with Michael Whalen, June Lang and Shirley Temple)
WANTED! JANE TURNER (1936) ★★★
Watched: 10.05.2021
Probably rating this standard B-programmer too high, but I enjoyed the playful banter between the leads Lee Tracy and Gloria Stuart a lot. Tracy's characters are usually a bit overbearing and he's not exactly a demure person here, but at least he wasn't annoying. I've really started to like Stuart — now I've seen quite a few of her films — and fortunately she has a meaty role here. Recently I watched her in films with Michael Whalen and thought they had great chemistry, but her pairing with Tracy is much more dynamic, for Tracy has a great deal more charisma and energy than Whalen. In comparison, Whalen is a boring dude. This film itself is nothing out of the ordinary — don't ask me to recount the plot — but I had fun. (Photos (2): Lee Tracy and Gloria Stuart)
CLEAR ALL WIRES! (1933) ★★★½
Watched: 12.05.2021Had a really good time with this farce. Lee Tracy plays an unscrupulous fast-talking reporter, fired from his job while staying in Russia. He comes up with the idea to concoct a front-page-worthy story so he will be rehired. The story of course backfires and it makes for a hilarious last act. I was laughing out loud. Tracy is excellent in these kind of roles and is aided by the great James Gleason as his sidekick. Female support comes from the likes of the ever delightful Una Merkel (romantically involved with Tracy) and Benita Hume (Tracy's reporter colleague, clearly in love with him). This film is total nonsense but I enjoyed it a lot. (Photos: Una Merkel, Lee Tracy and James Gleason / James Gleason, Benita Hume and Lee Tracy / Benita Hume and Lee Tracy)
LIFE BEGINS AT EIGHT-THIRTY (1942) ★★★
Watched: 12.05.2021
I love Ida Lupino in likeable roles and here she plays the sweet and crippled daughter of Monty Woolley, a famed actor brought down by the bottle. Lupino is a bit too devoted to her father, sacrificing her own life and happiness for him. Cornel Wilde plays a tenant in the same building who befriends them and of course falls for Lupino. It's all predictable, but that doesn't diminish its charm and poignancy, and the performances are good. With a memorable opening Christmas scene where a drunk Woolley as a department store Santa Claus disgraces himself. (Photos: Monty Woolley and Ida Lupino / Cornel Wilde and Ida Lupino)
IT HAD TO BE YOU (1947) ★★
Watched: 12.05.2021
I was swayed by the good reviews and ratings online and decided to watch this, because I wouldn't mind seeing another Cornel Wilde film and I love Ginger Rogers. I also love romantic comedies and films with a fantasy element, and the story premise sounded promising. A three-times runaway bride (Ginger) takes a month off to figure out whether she really wants to marry prospective husband number 4. Cornel Wilde appears in her dream as an Indian and serves as some sort of guardian angel. I was surprised that he wasn't just a figment of her imagination but other mortals could also see him and interact with him. It turns out he's the true love of Ginger's life, someone she met when she was a child of 6 years old and got stuck in her subconscience. I did like the idea of having this one person for whom one is destined but the execution of the story was such a disappointment. The first part was even hard to get through. It wasn't funny at all and Ginger sounds like a little girl throughout the entire film and her whiny and breathy voice started to get on my nerves. She seems to be trying too hard and is overdoing it, less would have been more effective. Also Wilde as the Indian is really annoying. The last part, with Wilde's fireman character making his appearance, was much more watchable and enjoyable. Also with Spring Byington as Ginger's mother. And I love the song It Had to Be You. (Photos: Cornel Wilde and Ginger Rogers on the set / Ginger Rogers and Cornel Wilde)
THE RELUCTANT BRIDE (1955) ★★½
Watched: 12.05.2021
Saw this title on a watchlist somewhere on Letterboxd and the story of this romantic comedy about a womanising oil man and a female entomologist appealed to me. I like Virginia Bruce, but I don't think I've seen John Carroll in a leading role before. I've only seen him in a handful of supporting roles, like in Only Angels Have Wings. Here he plays the brother of a famous explorer who went missing with his wife (Bruce plays her sister) while on an African safari. The missing couple have four children and Carroll and Bruce are called upon to take charge of the kids, while both are romantically involved with someone else. It's all very predictable but I didn't mind and I enjoyed the ride. I like the fact that Carroll and Bruce are both more mature and older here and they make an okay couple. (Photo: Virginia Bruce and John Carroll)
Watched: 13.05.2021
MGM's attempt to make a gritty prison drama in the vein of the Warner Bros films. Walter Pidgeon plays a DA being framed in order to get him out of the way and sent to the same prison where he put thousands of convicts (hence the film's title). Rita Johnson is one of the inmates who's there on account of Pidgeon. There are a couple of grim scenes (with some great camera work), especially the long boxing match and the attempted prison break at the end of the film. But it's all tied up too abruptly and the tacked-on happy ending clearly betrays the Hays code. Pidgeon and Johnson make a nice pair and Pidgeon looks handsome this young. This film reminded me of The Accusing Finger, which I watched last month, starring Paul Kelly (he plays a doctor here in 6,000 Enemies) who is a DA accused of murdering his wife and imprisoned in the same prison where he sent several men. Incidentally, I just recently read about Paul Kelly's real-life brush with the law. In the late 1920s, he served a prison term of only 25 months in San Quentin prison. He was sentenced to up to 10 years for the manslaughter of fellow actor Ray Raymond whose wife, actress Dorothy Mackaye, Kelly had an affair with. After his prison experience Kelly enjoyed a productive career as a character actor, mainly playing tough guys, from the 1930s until the 1950s. (Photo: Walter Pidgeon and Rita Johnson)
Watched: 14.05.2021
Sequel to Four Daughters, also directed by Michael Curtiz and starring the same cast. That is, minus John Garfield who died in the prequel (and makes a brief appearance here in footage from Four Daughters) but plus Eddie Albert as the handsome young doctor who serves as the love interest for the only Lemp daughter without a man. The story revolves around the four daughters, their men and motherhood. Like in the prequel the focus is on the youngest daughter Priscilla Lane who has to come to terms with the death of her husband Garfield. She finds comfort in the arms of Jeffrey Lynn, and as the couple makes plans for the future, Priscilla discovers she's pregnant with Garfield's child. There are some poignant moments and Priscilla gives a moving performance. Too bad Claude Rains has little to do, May Robson as the aunt has some humorous scenes. Not as good as Four Daughters, but I did enjoy this and especially liked the romance between Eddie Albert and Rosemary Lane. (Photos: film poster with the Lane sisters and Gale Page / Gale Page, Lola Lane and Priscilla Lane / (from left to right) Gale Page, Dick Foran, Claude Rains, Frank McHugh, Lola Lane, Eddie Albert, May Robson and Rosemary Lane)
Watched: 14.05.2021
Watched this for Eddie Albert. It's a little B-programmer, a silly story about Albert selling his mother's legacy in order to buy a business. Maybe not such a good idea, as his mother is still alive and the broker is in league with a gangster who doesn't want to wait till ma dies a natural death. The proceedings are enlivened by the energetic performance of Jane Darwell as Albert's wisecracking grandma. Her role is quite big and I think if it hadn't been for her, this would have been pretty boring, but with her presence it was really enjoyable. As much as I like Eddie Albert, his character here really needs more oomph. Joan Leslie has very little to do but looks lovely anyway. Well-known supporting cast consists of Alan Hale, Anthony Quinn, Frank Faylen, Minna Gombell, John Litel, Edward Brophy, Etta McDaniel (sister of Hattie) and Tom Kennedy. (Photo: Eddie Albert, Joan Leslie and Jane Darwell)
THE OKLAHOMA KID (1939) ★★★½
Watched: 15.05.2021
The Oklahoma Kid: "Listen, I learned this about human nature when I was but so high, and that is: that the strong take away from the weak, and the smart take it away from the strong."
I was looking for a film with Rosemary Lane in the female lead (just to see how she would hold up) and came across this western. Always in for a James Cagney vehicle, this time with Humphrey Bogart (with a bad perm!) as his opponent. I thoroughly enjoyed this Warner Bros production and Cagney's performance as The Oklahoma Kid, an ambiguous character, both good and bad. Very cool to hear Cagney sing a song in Spanish to a baby and play the guitar. I liked his romance with Lane and she fulfilled her leading female role nicely. The plot element of Cagney being the son and brother of respectively the mayor and sheriff gives the film an emotional charge. I found the final scene between Cagney and his brother Harvey Stephens very touching. Nice happy ending. (Photos: Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney / James Cagney and Rosemary Lane)
FOUR MOTHERS (1941) ★★½
Watched: 15.05.2021
Might as well finish the series about the four Lemp sisters — portrayed by the three Lane sisters and Gale Page — now. I've seen the first part Four Daughters a while back and just watched the sequel to that (Four Wives). Four Mothers is the third and final instalment and features the same cast, with a significant bigger part for Claude Rains than in Four Wives. The film follows the sisters into motherhood and depicts marriage problems as well as financial ones. Though it's inferior to the other two episodes, I still enjoyed this family film because of the cast. And I have a soft spot for films about sisters, since I have three myself. This time not directed by Michael Curtiz but by William Keighley. (Photos: Priscilla Lane, Rosemary Lane, Lola Lane and Gale Page / Jeffrey Lynn, Eddie Albert, Rosemary Lane and Priscilla Lane / on the set with the Lane sisters: Lola, Priscilla and Rosemary)
THE FULLER BRUSH GIRL (1950) ★★★½
Watched: 16.05.2021
Knew this was going to be a murder mystery/comedy but had no idea Lucille Ball's screen persona here comes very close to the one from her own show, the wildly popular series I Love Lucy (which aired from 1951 till 1957). Written by Frank Tashlin, this was a hilarious watch (the opening scene with the credits already set the mood and luckily it lived up to its promise), with zany situations and slapstick moments. I was laughing out loud during the scene where Lucy sits behind the switchboard and the whole thing explodes. Also the one where she — as the new Fuller Brush sales girl — gives four women clients a perm. Unbeknownst to her, the perm solution is tempered with by an annoying kid, with baldness as a result. The visual gags are nothing short of wonderful. Loved the final act on the ship — it reminded me a bit of Buster Keaton — especially the moment when Lucille, wedged between two lifebuoys, goes on a roller coaster ride around the ship. It's all supersilly but a lot of fun. Lucy is so good at physical comedy and handles the slapstick scenes very well. She makes a nice pair with Eddie Albert who plays her dimwitted boyfriend. With Jeff Donnell, Jerome Cowan, John Litel and Lee Patrick in supporting roles. Also a short cameo appearance by Red Skelton as The Fuller Brush Man. (Photos: Lucille Ball / Lucille Ball and Eddie Albert / Lucille Ball)
Watched: 17.05.2021
Charming silent short film about small town gossip with Mary Pickford and Lionel Barrymore. Before dying, Mary's mother entrusts minister Lionel with a sum of money for her daughter, to get her nice things she's been denied her whole life. He has to keep it a secret from everyone. One day Mary falls in love with an expensive hat on display in a shop window, and when Lionel buys it for her, it sets the gossip tongues in motion, spreading rumours about a scandal. It's nice to see Lionel Barrymore this young and in a rare romantic role, one where he gets the girl. I think he does. It looks like there is a happy ending and the gossipers were not so wrong after all. Apparently the Gish sisters appear as extras but I haven't seen them. I'll look for them next time because I will be seeing this again. (Photos (2): Mary Pickford and Lionel Barrymore)
Watched: 17.05.2021
You would think that by putting two great comedians together in a film you'll get a hilarious comedy. Here the two comedians are Lucille Ball and Bob Hope but a real comedy this isn't. It has humour alright, but it's not laugh-out-loud funny and the performances of both Hope and Ball are pretty subdued. Nonetheless I really liked it. I probably prefer seeing Hope acting more serious instead of being a dope, and as much as I love Lucille in comedy and acting wacky (like in The Fuller Brush Girl) I think I love her even more when she plays serious, cracking sarcastic remarks. Written by Damon Runyon, this is a remake of Little Miss Marker (1934) with Shirley Temple (which I haven't seen yet). In the role of the little girl, who's left by her father with Bob Hope as a marker for a bet (and then her dad doesn't return on account of being bumped off by gangsters), we see Mary Jane Saunders. She's really lovely, not as sugary sweet as Shirley Temple, more a cross between Natalie Wood and Margaret O'Brien. I really liked her scenes with Hope and Ball. It was also nice to hear Lucy sing. (Photos: Bob Hope, Lucille Ball and William Demarest / Lucille Ball and Mary Jane Saunders)
LURED (1947) ★★★
Watched: 18.05.2021
Watched this for Lucille Ball. Directed by Douglas Sirk (known for his 1950s melodramas), this is an enjoyable noir mystery set in London with some beautiful noirish photography by William H. Daniels. Ball plays a dancer helping out Scotland Yard when her friend goes missing and a serial killer is on the loose. I liked George Sanders in the romantic lead, he looked especially good when he's being held on a murder charge and his appearance is more disheveled. The film lacks in suspense and the killer's identity doesn't come as a surprise, but overall it's entertaining. With supporting roles by Charles Coburn as the Inspector and Boris Karloff in a totally weird scene. (Gif by me: Lucille Ball and George Zucco / Photos: Lucille Ball and George Sanders / Lucille Ball and Charles Coburn)
Watched: 19.05.2021
Charles Laughton is hamming it up a bit at the beginning of the film, but really shines in the courtroom scene where he gives a terrific monologue. One can argue whether his character shifts too abruptly from being shy and cowardly to being courageous and eloquent. Yet maybe not so strange, considering the fact he witnessed an execution of a beloved friend by the Nazis prior to the courtroom scene. I didn't expect Maureen O'Hara to fall for Laughton eventually (she looks so beautiful in close-up, by the way) but that kiss at the end was more than friendly. Kent Smith looked more handsome and less dull than in previous films I've seen him in, but it could have something to do with his heroic role. Una O'Connor as Laughton's mother is too hysterical, and it's too bad George Sanders (I actually watched this for him) was such a weakling. This is a gripping war drama with an interesting theme of courage versus cowardice. I liked how both women (O'Hara and Nancy Gates as Smith's girlfriend) were strong characters and acted defiantly towards the Nazis from the start. (Photos: Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Hara and John Donat / Kent Smith, Charles Laughton and Maureen O'Hara / Maureen O'Hara and George Sanders)
Watched: 19.05.2021
Based on the novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne, this is a gripping Gothic drama with good performances by George Sanders and Vincent Price, who are believable as feuding brothers. Margaret Lindsay as the young and joyful fiancée of Price didn't convince me at first, I thought she was out of place somehow. Kept picturing her in 1930s films. But then her character undergoes a transformation after Price is sent to prison, and she becomes this old spinster clad in black, unsmiling and showing no emotions. Her performance becomes truly moving. I especially felt for her when Nan Grey appeared on her doorstep and she was confronted with some human warmth and loveliness, and you see the emotion revealed on her face. With some great photography by Milton Krasner. (Photos: George Sanders, Vincent Price and Margaret Lindsay / Vincent Price and Margaret Lindsay / Nan Grey and Dick Foran)
THE SAINT STRIKES BACK (1939) ★★
Watched: 20.05.2021
This is the second film in the series about The Saint (made by RKO Pictures between 1938 and 1941), but the first one where George Sanders stars as Simon Templar (the first film has Louis Hayward play the lead). In total there are 8 films in the series, with Sanders personifying The Saint in 5 episodes. The last two films would star Hugh Sinclair as Templar. Having said that, I watched this mystery film for George Sanders and found him very handsome this young. His character is charming and debonair but at the same time condescending and a cad. ("I'm very sorry but under certain circumstances I simply can't resist the temptation to be a cad.") Unfortunately, I didn't like this as much as I would have liked to. I love the way Sanders speaks, his upper-class English accent, but here somehow it became a bit too much and at times he made the dialogue sound unnatural. And why is it that these B-mysteries often have such confusing plots? I stopped making sense of it all. I like Wendy Barrie and had hoped for some romance between her and Sanders but his declaration of love to her ("Because ... well ... because I love you. But don't let's get sticky about it — I'm really a very shallow person. I also love fireflies, mockingbirds and pink sunsets. I think, however, that we could find each other more diverting than a pink sunset, don't you?") was a bit strange. So on the whole this was disappointing, which makes me postpone watching the other entries. What I really liked was seeing how there were sleeping berths on an airplane, like on the train. I simply love the depiction of commercial travel back in the old days. (Photo: George Sanders as Simon Templar)
LOVER COME BACK (1946) ★★★
Watched: 20.05.2021
Not a very original story premise of infidelity and double standards in marriage but enjoyable and executed well. I like George Brent in comedy roles, he's more natural than when he's playing drama. He pairs nicely with Lucille Ball whose feisty character I really like. At times this was funny, and I liked the scene in Lucy's Las Vegas apartment (with the opening and closing of the window and the towel on the bed) where the leads are unaware of each other's presence and show how good they are at physical comedy. I also liked the music score. Good support by Charles Winninger, Elisabeth Risdon, Louise Beavers, Carl Esmond, Raymond Walburn and Wallace Ford. (Photos: Lucille Ball and George Brent / Lucille Ball / Lucille Ball and George Brent)
CRIMINAL COURT (1946) ★★★
Watched: 20.05.2021
Not the most credible of stories but entertaining nonetheless. This noirish mystery moves at a nice pace and with a short runtime of about an hour doesn't overstay its welcome. I like Tom Conway (I think more than his brother George Sanders) and he's well cast in the role of a lawyer running for DA who accidentally kills gangster Robert Armstrong, tries to confess to the murder, but nobody believes him. Instead Conway's girlfriend Martha O'Driscoll (who works in the gangster's club and sings a couple of nice songs) is accused of the murder (she found the body), and as her lawyer Conway has to produce the one witness who can exonerate her. Well directed by Robert Wise and with some fine photography by Frank Redman. (Photo: Tom Conway and Martha O'Driscoll)
HERE COMES THE GROOM (1951) ★★★½
Watched: 22.05.2021
Frank Capra's comedy musical starring Bing Crosby as a foreign correspondent who adopts two French orphans (fortunately likeable children) and has to marry within five days, otherwise he'll lose the kids. His plan is to rekindle the love with his former fiancée Jane Wyman but she's engaged to Franchot Tone. I love Wyman, especially when she plays a feisty character, like here, and she's great fun as a miniature version of herself during the gramophone scene. I also liked the amiable relationship between rivals Crosby and Tone, and Alexis Smith (who's in love with Tone) is delightful here. The film was a thoroughly enjoyable affair, livened up with a couple of musical numbers — even though they didn't fit in smoothly and made the film feel tonally uneven. A young blind orphan Anna Maria Alberghetti with an amazing voice surprises with an opera song, singing it beautifully. There's also a fun number aboard a plane where Crosby performs with the likes of Dorothy Lamour and Louis Armstrong. At times the film feels a bit reminiscent of High Society with Bing and Louis in the cast and Bing also trying to prevent the upcoming wedding of his former lover (with him staying in her backyard as well). (Photos: Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman / Bing Crosby and Alexis Smith / Franchot Tone and Bing Crosby)
Watched: 22.05.2021
Finally gotten around to watch this much-acclaimed courtroom drama starring two of Hollywood's greatest actors Spencer Tracy and Fredric March. Based on the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial, it tells the story of the indictment of a science teacher (teaching Darwin's theories) and the ensuing trial, presenting the ever-interesting theme of religion versus science. March's transformation in his appearance (sporting a bald head) makes him less recognisable, and where he normally impresses with a natural and earnest performance, here he slightly disappoints with his overacting, lending this film a comedic feel. Without a doubt it's Tracy who gives the stand-out performance. With a good script and solid support from Gene Kelly as the reporter and Harry Morgan as the judge, this was still a great watch, yet not the masterpiece I was expecting. (Photos: Gene Kelly, Donna Anderson, Dick York and Spencer Tracy / Spencer Tracy, Fredric March and Harry Morgan / Florence Eldridge, Fredric March and Donna Anderson)
THE KISS BEFORE THE MIRROR (1933) ★★★
Watched: 22.05.2021
Chose this for its short runtime and the good ratings and reviews. I also liked the story premise of a lawyer (Frank Morgan, without his usual mannerisms) defending his friend (Paul Lukas) indicted for killing his adulterous wife (Gloria Stuart). Morgan finds himself in a similar situation when he discovers the infidelity of his own wife (Nancy Carroll). The film is entertaining, benefiting from the great cinematography by Karl Freund. I love the camera work with the long tracking shots (there's a great opening sequence with the camera gliding from room to room) and the stylish and classy interiors. Yet the film's denouement is totally unbelievable. During the courtroom scene, where Morgan pleads his case, the jury needs to muster sympathy for a husband who's been victimised by the adultery of his wife. Morgan not only wants an acquittal for his client but also seeks justification for what he himself is about to do. Seriously, the not guilty verdict is so far-fetched and ridiculous. Still, it didn't diminish my enjoyment. Also with a very young Walter Pidgeon as Gloria Stuart's lover and Jean Dixon as the assistant lawyer who has by far the best female role. Boring Donald Cook plays Carroll's lover. (Photos: Paul Lukas and Gloria Stuart / Frank Morgan and Nancy Carroll)
A NIGHT OF ADVENTURE (1944) ★★★
Watched: 23.05.2021
Another fun and fast-paced mystery B-film starring Tom Conway, basically with a similar plot as the recently watched Criminal Court. Here Conway also plays a smooth lawyer, with an accidental killing on his conscience while someone else takes the rap. Like in Criminal Court he acts as the defence lawyer. I liked the chemistry between Conway and his wife Audrey Long, and how she didn't take his shit excuses anymore and left him and took her own apartment. Like I've said before, I like Conway better than his brother George Sanders. They're both suave and debonair but Conway seems more trustworthy, Sanders always has this devious streak. Good supporting role by Nancy Gates as the chambermaid (I recently saw her in This Land Is Mine) and always nice to see lovable Edward Brophy, here as Conway's loyal assistant. Fun fact: the actor Louis Borel who plays Long's supposed lover is Dutch. I heard a very faint Dutch accent in his English speech, so had to look up his descent immediately. (Photos: Tom Conway and Audrey Long / Nancy Gates and Tom Conway)
YOU CAN'T FOOL YOUR WIFE (1940) ★½
Watched: 24.05.2021
Feel bad rating this so low but there were hardly any positive things about this B-programmer. The only merit was Lucille Ball, not so much her role or performance, just her mere presence and the fact that she looks so beautiful this young and plain. The plot is really silly and gets even sillier with Lucy playing a dual role and sporting a fake Spanish accent. Nothing made sense and on top of that we have a very boring and uncharismatic leading man James Ellison. Best to be avoided, except if you want to see a young and beautiful Lucy. (Photos: James Ellison, Lucille Ball and Emma Dunn / James Ellison and Lucille Ball)
A MESSAGE TO GARCIA (1936) ★★½
Watched: 25.05.2021
More watchable than I had expected. Fortunately I found a good print instead of all the blurry ones that roam the internet, so I could actually see how beautiful young Barbara Stanwyck looks (with fake eyelashes), photographed in various close-ups. It's of course very unbelievable to see her in the role of a Cuban woman. She speaks a couple of Spanish words and I chuckled every time someone addresses her in fluent Spanish and she just answers Si or Gracias (I could understand what they were saying because I speak Spanish myself). Though I'm not a fan of Wallace Beery, he probably gives the best performance. I did like John Boles here, looking rugged and unshaven, and he pairs nicely with Stanwyck. Apparently based on an actual event, the plot is not the film's strongest asset, yet it was fairly entertaining. It was fun to see how Beery and Boles beat the shit out of a big group of crocodiles with reeds. Still, Barbara is the main reason to watch this, and honestly, she could have used more screen time. One more thing: it was very funny how Barbara didn't even try to hide her Brooklyn accent and how her outfit seemed to be of the latest 1930s fashion while the story is set in the 1890s. (Photos (2): Barbara Stanwyck and John Boles)
THE HAUNTED HOUSE (1921) ★★★
Watched: 26.05.2021
This Buster Keaton short was released exactly a century ago and it's totally understandable how he still enthrals today's audiences considering his excellent legacy. The Haunted House is not one of his finest shorts but still entertaining. I thought the glue gag was inventive but admittedly it goes on way too long. You also wonder why one would have a big pot of glue without a lid sitting on the workspace of a bank teller. When the action is transferred from the bank to the haunted house, it becomes a quick succession of gags and stunts. I have to say I was extremely sleepy during this last act so this might have affected my enjoyment. One of the most memorable moments for me: Buster at the teller window, almost kissing the flirty lady customer. Buster is so beautiful! (Gifs (2): Buster Keaton)
THE FROZEN NORTH (1922) ★★½
Watched: 27.05.2021
Unusual Buster Keaton short, rather dark, where he plays a villainous character, killing a man and a woman by mistake (he thought they were his cheating wife and her lover but he was in the wrong cabin). I liked the attempted robbery of a gambling house where he uses the cardboard robber from a wanted poster as his partner in crime. Overall disappointing and not very exciting and the surprise ending was a bit of a cop-out. Also with Sybil Seely as the wife but I didn't recognise her. (Screenshot by me: Buster Keaton)
VALLEY OF THE SUN (1942) ★★½
Watched: 27.05.2021
Not good, not bad, but it has Lucille Ball in the female leading role, finding herself in a love triangle with Indian friend James Craig and crooked Indian agent Dean Jagger. This comedy western evokes a couple of laughs (e.g. the scene with the nasty red ants, preventing the wedding of Ball and Jagger) and has enough action and romance to entertain. I appreciated the fact that our leading man's sympathy lies with the Indians and that they were depicted in a positive way. I liked Cedric Hardwicke as the English settler who befriends Craig. (Photo: Lucille Ball, James Craig and Billy Gilbert)
THE ELECTRIC HOUSE (1922) ★★★½
Watched: 29.05.2021
One of my new year's film resolutions is to watch more silent films (at least one or two a month) and also Buster Keaton films. I've already seen two Buster shorts this month and I intend to watch a couple more. The Electric House is one of Keaton's more enjoyable shorts. He plays a botany graduate who gets mistaken for an electrical engineering graduate and is offered a job to transform the house of a millionaire with wiring. I loved the visual gags and the fun gadgets, like the automated staircase, swimming pool, dining room and library. The innovative gadgets are the work of Keaton's technical director Fred Gabourie. He worked primarily for Keaton and as technical director was responsible for set design, props management, et cetera. (He was also responsible for working out Keaton's most famous stunt for Steamboat Bill, Jr. where the front of a house collapses all around Keaton, without harming him and without any trickery.) Not a laugh-out-loud funny comedy but very entertaining. (Gifs: Buster Keaton / automated staircase scene)
Watched: 29.05.2021
Keaton short where Buster tries to impress the girl (Sybil Seely, my fave Buster girl) he loves with his golfing skills. He knocks himself unconscious with his own golf ball and an escaped convict changes clothes with him. So Buster finds himself in prison where the girl of his affection turns out to be the prison warden's daughter. Seely has more screen time here than in The Frozen North (where she actually had close to none) and she looks recognisable again, like the Buster girl I know from One Week. I loved how she changed the rope of the gallow to save her Buster, followed by a funny bungee-cord hanging scene. I was disappointed with the cop-out ending where Buster gains consciousness and seemed to have dreamt the whole thing, like in The Haunted House. But all in all, this is a great short yet with a surprisingly violent action prison scene. (Photos: Sybil Seely and Buster Keaton / Sybil Seely)
Watched: 29.05.2021
Another Buster Keaton short. This time Buster tries to gain the approval of the father of the girl he loves (Renée Adorée) and goes to the city in search of a respectable job. This film consists of little vignettes where Buster finds himself, time after time, doing a less noble job than the one he pretends to be doing in his written letters to Renée Adorée. I loved the segments with Adorée reading his letters, every time accompanied by a lovely melodious tune. I liked the music score in general, also the uplifting bits (have no idea whether I've seen the version with the original score). The gag with the skunk was funny, even the dog wanted to have his collar buried. Also with chase scenes and a great stunt with a steamer paddle wheel. The ending is a bit dark where Buster gets offered a gun by the girl's father (he'd said himself at the beginning of the film: "If I fail, I'll come back and shoot myself!") but he also fails at committing suicide. Apparently there is a lot of missing footage here and I would have loved to see the whole thing. (Gif: Buster Keaton / Photos (2): Buster Keaton and Renée Adorée)
THE CAMERAMAN (1928) ★★★★½
Watched: 29.05.2021
One of Buster Keaton's feature films I hadn't seen yet, his first film for MGM and his last great film where he still had creative control. From here on his creativity was limited by the studio, leaving him artistically unfulfilled, and it was the beginning of the end of his successful career. I hadn't expected this to be focused on the love story, since most Keaton films have the romance as a subplot and focus on the stunts and gags. But it is a sweet and compelling romantic story where Keaton falls for a MGM newsreel secretary and tries to pursue a career in newsreel shooting to impress her. This doesn't go smoothly and we see Keaton discouraged and vulnerable, as I've never seen him before. There are some heartfelt and endearing moments where Keaton, normally deadpan, shows his emotions (reminiscent of Chaplin films). I was pleasantly surprised with Keaton's leading lady Marceline Day. I had never heard of her before but she's lovely and beautiful (love her fashion) and I like her character who wants to help Keaton get ahead. Some visual highlights: the image of Keaton hopping on the fire truck with his camera slung over his shoulder; Keaton running up and down the stairs too fast and missing the intended floor; Keaton running as fast as he can to Day who thinks she's still on the phone with him as he gets there; the image of Keaton with the camera and the little monkey in a sailor suit. I have to say the music was a bit annoying and the bathhouse scene where Keaton shares a dressing booth with a young Edward Brophy (I already thought I'd recognised him but had to be sure and looked it up) is too long (though it's a good gag — I wonder if it would have enhanced the homoerotic vibe had Brophy been handsome). All in all, very enjoyable and now one of my favourite Keaton films. Definitely going to look for more films with Marceline Day. (Photos: Buster Keaton and Marceline Day / Buster Keaton and Marceline Day / Buster Keaton and director Edward Sedgwick)
FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE (1926) ★★★½
Watched: 30.05.2021
Wanted to watch a silent feature film starring Harold Lloyd and Jobyna Ralston and found this one. The story about a young millionaire falling for a minister's daughter appealed to me and it was thoroughly entertaining. I think I've never seen Lloyd play a rich character before and it was kind of funny to see how he carelessly spent money. Ralston is lovely again and has great chemistry with Lloyd but she doesn't have a whole lot to do, unfortunately. This silent is funny (also with some funny title cards), fast-paced and engaging, and also has a feel-good quality because of the lovable characters. The final act where Lloyd rounds up the gang of hoodlums (who drank a bit too much) in order to go to his wedding was really funny (a tad too long, though). I loved the music score by Robert Israel, who scored several Lloyd films. (Screenshot by me: title card / Photo: Harold Lloyd and Jobyna Ralston)
So that's another round-up for ya! Excited to visit the Filmoteca the next couple of weeks, since they offer a retrospective on the work of Dorothy Arzner! See you next time!
