June 2022 Round-Up
TOTAL FILMS SEEN IN JUNE: 10
(see the film posters at the bottom of the post, arranged in watching order)
NEW-TO-ME: 9 (5 features & 4 shorts)
REWATCHES: 1
SEEN ON THE BIG SCREEN: 0
Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's
Another rather uneventful month passed, classic-movie-wise. I had plans to go and see Breakfast at Tiffany's on the big screen at the Filmoteca, but on its viewing date my stomach was seriously upset and I thought it was better not to go out to the cinema. I'm sure they will show it again some other day.
Since I had already prepared the previous post about one of my favourite scenes from Breakfast at Tiffany's, I decided to rewatch it at home and to chromecast it on our large television screen.
Breakfast At Tiffany's with Audrey Hepburn
As for K-dramas, I haven't seen that many in June. I finished Signal which I loved, and I also thoroughly enjoyed the political thriller series Designated Survivor: 60 Days. Unfortunately I couldn't see the appeal of the popular Descendants of the Sun and abandoned the show after only 3 episodes. Then I watched the slice-of-life series Our Blues and absolutely loved it. It has 20 episodes but I basically binge-watched the series in a couple of sessions. Last show of the month was Tunnel with 16 episodes, and I loved that one as well.
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Ida Lupino and Louis Hayward, real-life couple
So I only watched 10 classic films this June! Of which 4 films were shorts: 2 talkie shorts (Miracle Money and For the Common Defense!) and 2 silent shorts (A Day’s Pleasure and The Paleface). I did not see any silent features.
There were no visits to the Filmoteca and I only rewatched one film at home (Breakfast at Tiffany's).
Dorothy McGuire is my most watched actress with two films seen (Till the End of Time and Callaway Went Thataway).
Odd Man Out and Breakfast at Tiffany’s are my highest rated films of the month, followed closely by Ladies in Retirement and Another Thin Man. The talkie short For the Common Defense! is my lowest rated film.
Favourite couples of the month are Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard in Breakfast at Tiffany's, and William Powell and Myrna Loy in Another Thin Man.
Another Thin Man with William Powell and Myrna Loy
Breaking the 10 watched films down in decades:
1900s - 0
1910s - 1
1920s - 1
1930s - 2
1940s - 4
1950s - 1
1960s - 1
NOW LET'S MOVE ON TO THE FILMS!
(read notes with caution as they might contain spoilers; with ratings going from ½ to ★★★★★ and watched date)
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TILL THE END OF TIME (Vanguard Films/RKO Radio Pictures/Dore Schary Productions, 1946) is reminiscent of The Best Years of Our Lives, bearing the same theme about veterans having to deal with the aftermath of war and trying to get their lives back on track, but this film is not nearly as good as the acclaimed Best Years. Still, I had some expectations as it has favourable reviews, but ultimately it was a big let-down. Guy Madison (pictured with Dorothy McGuire, top photo / on set with McGuire, bottom photo) is to blame for this because he is not leading man material, he's very bland and his acting skills leave a lot to be desired. I can understand why people might find him handsome, but he's not my type. His romance with Dorothy McGuire lacks credibility and proper development, and though McGuire gives a solid performance, nothing about this film is memorable and it doesn't engage this viewer emotionally at all. Too bad young Robert Mitchum is delegated to a small part, as this came before his big break. Supporting parts for Bill Williams (portrayed with Guy Madison and Robert Mitchum, middle photo), William Gargan and Jean Porter. Edward Dmytryk directed. ★★½ / 17.06.2022
I'm watching The Thin Man series in chronological order, and because it's been a while since I've seen the first two films, now is a good time to continue with the rest of the series. The third entry ANOTHER THIN MAN (MGM, 1939), directed by W.S. Van Dyke, is just as enjoyable as the previous entries, though with a runtime of 103 minutes it's a bit on the long side. Admittedly the plot gets a bit convoluted, as I had expected, but as we all know the plot is not what we're here for. It's that magical couple William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles (portrayed together with Asta, top and middle photo). It's their amazing chemistry and their witty banter. Throw in the mix little Nick junior and the greatest dog that has ever graced the screen, Asta, this is a recipe for success and entertainment. Also, this film boasts a well-known supporting cast (Virginia Grey, Otto Kruger, C. Aubrey Smith, Ruth Hussey, Nat Pendleton, Patric Knowles, Tom Neal and Marjorie Main — pictured are Grey, Knowles and Neal with Powell and Loy, bottom photo), and though they all have limited screen time, it was good to see them all together. Can't wait to see the other entries. ★★★½ / 18.06.2022
I had Carol Reed's ODD MAN OUT (Two Cities Films/J. Arthur Rank Organisation, 1947) on my watchlist for a long time now and finally saw this with my sister at home via Chromecast on our big television set. Our plans to go and watch Breakfast at Tiffany's on the big screen fell through, but watching Odd Man Out was a good substitute. Apart from the fact that some characters get too much screen time (and annoyingly so) and leading man James Mason too little, this film is simply a piece of art, gorgeously shot by Robert Kasker and wonderfully scored. Mason plays an escaped IRA man, involved in robbing a bank to get funds for the cause and he's wounded in the process. It's remarkable how he is rendered impassive almost from the beginning, as a result from his wounds, and how he manages to give a sensitive and believable performance with the little amount of screen time, action and dialogue he's been given. I like how he is portrayed in a sympathetic light and how the minor characters react to him differently. With Mason hallucinating, we get surrealistic images of faces in puddles of beer and animated paintings rearranging themselves in front of him. No, this is not your typical noir, there is a poetic quality to it. Fortunately the ending was a satisfying one as I had expected it wouldn't end well for Mason. I was glad Kathleen Ryan (pictured with Mason, three photos) was with him right there at the end. I love her, seen her before in The Sound of Fury. And now I want to see more of Mr. Mason. ★★★★ / 19.06.2022
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Even though Blake Edwards' BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S (Paramount/Jurow-Shepherd, 1961) is not my favourite film anymore and Audrey Hepburn (pictured, top and bottom gif) not my favourite actress, this film still holds a special place in my heart, because it has held the position of fave film throughout my youth and it's the film I've seen the most. On the surface it's a light romcom, but there's more to it and the lighthearted scenes are alternated with tragic and sad moments. I had the grand opportunity to watch Breakfast on the big screen at the Filmoteca in my hometown Valencia (though I'm almost positive I've seen this before on the big screen, at the Eye Film Institute — the former Dutch Film Museum — in Amsterdam) but unfortunately on its viewing date I had an upset stomach and had to let it pass and decided to watch it at home. I know the film by heart, every shot and line, but I will never get tired of it. I love Henry Mancini's score and the famous Moon River, the wonderful chemistry between the leads Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard (both portrayed, middle photo), their friendship and developing romance, and the satisfying happy ending. Peppard looks very dreamy with those blue eyes, and Audrey has never looked better and her portrayal of Holly Golightly is iconic and memorable. I love her hairstyle and the costumes designed by Hubert de Givenchy, especially the famous black dress! Also, a lot has been said about Mickey Rooney's interpretation of the Japanese landlord. I can only add to that discussion: seriously .... what were they thinking?!? ★★★★ / 22.06.2022 (rewatch)
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Watched CALLAWAY WENT THATAWAY (MGM, 1951) for Dorothy McGuire and it was nice to see her in such a light role. This is an enjoyable comedy, also starring Fred MacMurray and Howard Keel (in a double role) (both pictured with McGuire, top photo). Keel gets the girl but it's not as if he was competing with MacMurray. I had initially hoped for a romance between MacMurray and McGuire but he didn't seem to have a romantic interest in her at all and was only focused on the business at hand. At least she had decent chemistry with Keel. The best thing about this film are the cameo appearances by some MGM stars: Esther Williams, Clark Gable (pictured with McGuire and Keel, middle photo) and Elizabeth Taylor (pictured with McGuire, MacMurray and Keel, bottom photo). Also, the scene where Keel is trying to memorise the faces and names of the stars he might meet at Mocambo's is great. Directed by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama. ★★★ / 26.06.2022
Trying to squeeze in more film titles for my monthly film count with two talkie shorts from the Crime Does Not Pay series. MIRACLE MONEY (MGM, 1938) is one of the better rated shorts in the series, where John Miljan (pictured, top photo, screenshot by me) plays a doctor scamming patients with a fake cure for cancer. It's swift storytelling with some suspense thrown in and I enjoyed it. Leslie Fenton directed. ★★½ / 27.06.2022 FOR THE COMMON DEFENSE! (MGM, 1942) is another entry in the Crime Does Not Pay series and benefits from some familiar names (John Litel, Douglas Fowley, Stephen McNally, Van Johnson and Steven Geray). Yet, despite the light starpower it doesn't succeed in making it an engrossing watch. It was nice to see McNally and Johnson (both pictured, bottom photo, screenshot by me) in early roles and this young, though. Directed by Allan Kenward. ★★ / 28.06.2022
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Two more shorts, but this time both silent and from the great icons Chaplin and Keaton. Charlie Chaplin's A DAY'S PLEASURE (First National Pictures, 1919) is nothing special and it's not laugh-out-loud funny either but at least it made me smile. Chaplin plays a family man, having a day out with the wife (Edna Purviance) and kids. I liked seeing Chaplin and Purviance (both pictured, top and middle photo) dance on the boat and it was funny to see how everyone got more seasick by the minute. The scene near the end with the tar is pretty funny too. This short has a great piano score, composed by Chaplin himself. ★★½ / 29.06.2022 THE PALEFACE (Buster Keaton Productions, 1922), directed by Buster Keaton and Edward F. Cline, has Keaton (pictured with Indian chief, bottom photo) playing a butterfly collector chasing a butterfly and wandering into an Indian camp. There are some great stunts, like Keaton getting thrown off a rock and using a blanket as a parachute, or Keaton sliding off a hill and landing in a tree, but overall it was a bit meek, and there are few funny gags. Actually, I would have been totally satisfied if this short had only Buster for the total runtime, catching butterflies with the big net and looking adorable. I guess it could have been called The Butterfly Collector then. ★★½ / 30.06.2022
So ... that's another short round-up for ya! Let me leave you with a couple of extra photos of Odd Man Out, showcasing the beautiful cinematography by Robert Krasker. Hopefully I will be my old self again very soon, when it comes to watching the classics, though the majority of my free time in July will be spent on apartment hunting and moving house.
NOTE: By moving from Barcelona to Valencia, we're missing out on the Filmoteca summer program in Barcelona. In the 5 years we have lived in the Catalan capital, the program during July and August has mostly been great. Throughout the rest of the year there can be little on offer regarding Classic Films, but this lack is hugely being compensated by the big catch of films during the summer months. Admittedly, it can be very exhausting if you want to see everything. I might dedicate a small post to the summer program of Barcelona's Filmoteca, to torture myself a little bit more, haha.
