JUNE 2023 ROUND-UP
TOTAL FILMS SEEN IN JUNE: 25
(see the film posters at the bottom of the post, arranged in watching order)
NEW-TO-ME: 25 (21 features & 4 shorts)
REWATCHES: 0
SEEN ON THE BIG SCREEN: 0
MOST WATCHED ACTOR: Nils Asther (3 in total)
Kay Francis
Summer is in full force and we had a lovely 10-day holiday in The Netherlands at the start of the month (we had great summer weather there — June 2023 emerging as the warmest and sunniest June month in The Netherlands since it's been recorded). We'd just been home in Spain for a week when a health emergency with my dad made us book another trip to The Netherlands for a couple of days. Luckily the health crisis passed and we went back home. We also spent a 2-day holiday in our Rojales family home with our youngest sister at the end of the month. Enjoying the lovely weather, we're happy that temperatures haven't been outrageously high yet in the Comunidad Valenciana.
I watched 25 films in total this month. Could have been better but I'm quite content it's not below 20. Among these films are a lot of silents. This had mostly to do with the fact that I sat on an airplane twice to The Netherlands and once on a train from Valencia to Alicante. All journeys were return trips, and because I'm still suffering from a (what it seems like chronic) ear infection and cannot watch a film wearing earplugs, being on public transport I can only watch films with the sound turned off.
In total I watched 9 silent feature films: The Poor Little Rich Girl and Oh, Doctor!, Across to Singapore, The Cardboard Lover, The Valley of Silent Men, The Single Standard, Shooting Stars, West of Zanzibar and Laugh, Clown, Laugh.
I watched 2 silent shorts (Lonesome Luke, Messenger and The Floorwalker). Together with 2 animation shorts (The Bowling Alley-Cat, Fine Feathered Friend), I watched 4 shorts in total.
I watched 2 silent shorts (Lonesome Luke, Messenger and The Floorwalker). Together with 2 animation shorts (The Bowling Alley-Cat, Fine Feathered Friend), I watched 4 shorts in total.
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Kay Francis and Clive Brook in 24 Hours
Kay Francis is My Most Watched Actress with 4 films seen: 24 Hours, Cynara, British Agent and The Virtuous Sin.
Nils Asther is My Most Watched Actor with 3 films seen: The Cardboard Lover, The Single Standard and Laugh, Clown, Laugh.
Other actors with more than one film watched: 3 for Miriam Hopkins (24 Hours, Fast and Loose, Splendor), 3 for Greta Garbo (The Single Standard, Two-Faced Woman, As You Desire Me), 2 for Lon Chaney (Laugh, Clown, Laugh and West of Zanzibar), 2 for Melvyn Douglas (Two-Faced Woman, As You Desire Me) and 2 for Dorothy Dell (Wharf Angel, Little Miss Marker).
Nils Asther is My Most Watched Actor with 3 films seen: The Cardboard Lover, The Single Standard and Laugh, Clown, Laugh.
Other actors with more than one film watched: 3 for Miriam Hopkins (24 Hours, Fast and Loose, Splendor), 3 for Greta Garbo (The Single Standard, Two-Faced Woman, As You Desire Me), 2 for Lon Chaney (Laugh, Clown, Laugh and West of Zanzibar), 2 for Melvyn Douglas (Two-Faced Woman, As You Desire Me) and 2 for Dorothy Dell (Wharf Angel, Little Miss Marker).
There were no rewatches and no films seen on the big screen at the Filmoteca or Museo de Bellas Artes .
As for K-dramas ... I only finished watching the ongoing series The Good Bad Mother and liked it. I didn't start a new K-drama and my viewing time was dedicated solely to the Classics.
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Dorothy Dell and Shirley Temple in Little Miss Marker
My highest rated film of the month is The Bowling Alley-Cat, a Tom and Jerry short. I loved it! So much fun and creative gags! This was followed closely by The Cardboard Lover, Little Miss Marker, West of Zanzibar and Fine Feathered Friend. I also enjoyed a lot of other films — despite being flawed (like Gypsy Colt and Wharf Angel) — and they still earned ★★★.
Two films come at the bottom of the list: Lonesome Luke, Messenger and The Virtuous Sin. I also didn't like Fast and Loose, British Agent and As You Desire Me very much.
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Ward Bond and Frances Dee in Gypsy Colt
Screen couples I enjoyed the most: Ward Bond and Frances Dee in Gypsy Colt, Marion Davies and Nils Asther in The Cardboard Lover, Nils Asther and Greta Garbo in The Single Standard, Dorothy Dell and Preston Foster in Wharf Angel, Dorothy Dell and Shirley Temple in Little Miss Marker, and Tom and Jerry in The Bowling Alley-Cat and Fine Feathered Friend.
Breaking the 25 watched films down in decades:
1900s - 0
1910s - 3
1920s - 8
1930s - 10
1940s - 3
1950s - 1
1960s - 0
1910s - 3
1920s - 8
1930s - 10
1940s - 3
1950s - 1
1960s - 0
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)
THE POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL (Artcraft Pictures Corporation, 1917) is my first film of the month, for the most part seen on a plane ride from Valencia to Amsterdam. I like Mary Pickford (pictured), but to see her as a 10-year old turning 11, while the actress was 25 years old herself at the time, was stretching credibility a bit and I expected she would grow up to become an adult but that never happened. In fact, this foray of Pickford into playing a child was so successful that she would be cast in more similar roles playing child characters. I did like the familiar story trope of a lonely girl neglected by her rich parents, and Pickford is quite good. When she is mistakenly poisoned by a servant with an overdose of a sleeping syrup, her worried parents realise how much she means to them and refuse to leave her bedside. It's of course predictable how they see the error of their ways and how the family has a happy ending, but The Wizard of Oz/Alice in Wonderland-like dream sequence (experienced from Pickford's delirious subconscious state when she's almost dying) was a surprise to me and well done. I didn't know the story premise beforehand and didn't know it's based on a play by Eleanor Gates. I realised later that I've seen Poor Little Rich Girl with Shirley Temple a while back, also based on the same story. Directed by Maurice Tourneur. ★★★ / 01.06.2023
OH, DOCTOR! (Universal Pictures, 1925) is a silent film starring Reginald Denny in a Harold Lloyd-type of role, sporting the same kind of glasses. He's a hypochondriac of the first order, thinks he's dying, and enters a sanitarium. There he meets and falls for nurse Mary Astor (pictured). Turning daredevil, he climbs the flagpole of a skyscraper in the film's finale, reminiscent of Safety Last!, Harold Lloyd's most famous film. Though enjoyable, it's nothing special, but I loved seeing Astor this young. Denny goes from looking pretty nerdy to looking pretty good (when wearing his hair differently and without glasses). I enjoyed seeing him in a comedic role and his chemistry with Astor is decent. Directed by Harry A. Pollard. ★★½ / 05.06.2023
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I watched the silent film ACROSS TO SINGAPORE (MGM/Warner Home Video, 1928) on the return plane ride from Amsterdam to Valencia. It's a well-known trope of two men (in this case brothers), Ramon Novarro (left) and Ernest Torrence, vying for the love of the same woman, Joan Crawford (right). Though Novarro and Crawford share some nice scenes, overall I was disappointed with their romance and Crawford's character isn't really interesting (Joan's also miscast). She gets more feisty near the end, participating in the fight aboard the ship. Highlight for me is how cute Novarro is in the beginning. He really steals every scene he's in, looking beautiful, boyish and adorable. Wearing seaman's clothing doesn't hurt his looks either. He gets more serious and mature as the story progresses, but remains easy on the eyes. I love his natural way of acting (in that regard Crawford is still in silent acting mode) and how modern his appearance looks. Will definitely seek out more of his work. Also with Anna May Wong (as a bar girl in Singapore) whom I didn't recognise and didn't pay much attention to. She deserves a rewatch of her scenes. Directed by William Nigh. ★★★ / 11.06.2023
24 HOURS (Paramount, 1931) is a slow-paced melodrama about a nightclub singer (Miriam Hopkins, left) having an affair with a married man (Clive Brook, right). She meets her death at the hands of her troubled ex-husband (Regis Toomey) and Brook becomes the prime suspect. Hopkins easily steals the entire film with an exuberant performance while male lead Brook doesn't excite much and Kay Francis as his wife has a boring part (she also disappears from the screen for the most part). Too bad Hopkins and Francis didn't share any scenes. What a missed opportunity! As much as I love Francis looking glamorous in a classy wardrobe, I love Hopkins even more wearing a low-cut glittery black halter top. Luckily Ernst Lubitsch saw their potential when teamed up together, as can be seen in the wonderful Trouble in Paradise (1932). There's some great camera work and nice tracking shots by DP Ernest Haller. The ending is disappointing. Marion Gering directed. ★★½ / 12.06.2023
FAST AND LOOSE (Paramount, 1930) is a pre-code film I watched for Miriam Hopkins (left) and it has the benefit that it also stars Carole Lombard, both actresses very young here and at the start of their careers. Hopkins plays a rich spoilt heiress who falls for a mechanic (Charles Starrett, right). Her brother (Henry Wadsworth), a perpetual drunk, is in love with chorus girl Lombard. With dialogue written by Preston Sturges, this is not very funny and the film is only mildly enjoyable, largely because of Hopkins and Lombard. Whenever they disappear from the screen, there's less to like. Big minus point is Starrett as Hopkins' love interest. The actor himself isn't very exciting, but he also has the misfortune to play a misogynist and annoying character. Fortunately Frank Morgan as Hopkins' father is not annoying here. Fred C. Newmeyer directed. ★★ / 14.06.2023
Before Harold Lloyd (center) wore glasses, he looked a bit like Charlie Chaplin with a moustache glued on. LONESOME LUKE, MESSENGER (Rolin Films, 1917) is a 11-minute silent short where Lloyd and Harry 'Snub' Pollard play messengers on bikes, who need to deliver packages at a girls seminary. This is where Harold tries to win the affection of Bebe Daniels (left). I might be harsh with my low rating but there's a lot of senseless and unfunny slapstick and there were no laughs or chuckles on my part. The blurry copy also hampered my enjoyment. It didn't help that I was very sleepy too. Apparently there are more Lonesome Luke shorts, so I will see whether there is a better one among them. Directed by Hal Roach. ★½ / 14.06.2023
The pre-code film CYNARA (Samuel Goldwyn Productions/ Howard Productions, 1932), dealing with infidelity, starts out strong and then it sort of loses steam quickly. I thought Ronald Colman's (right) acting was very natural during the restaurant meeting, being set up by his friend Henry Stephenson with a shopgirl (Phyllis Barry), while his wife Kay Francis (left) is away on a holiday to Venice, and it's clear Colman feels awkward about the whole situation, not knowing how to behave. He dotes on his wife, still after 7 years of marriage, and there's absolutely no indication that he would risk his happy marriage by embarking on an impetuous affair. While Henry Stephenson encourages Colman to start a fling, Colman shows no signs of being tempted by Barry. And when the romance really kicks in, I didn't find it believable and couldn't see why Colman would fall for a girl like Barry. He also has no chemistry with her at all. This is one example of how things happen in a movie because the script dictates it, not because of character's motivations. So this film obviously has its flaws, and Francis seems to have less screen time than Barry (which is a crime!!!), but there's also a lovely scene incorporated where Colman and Barry go to the cinema and we see the audience laughing their heads off while watching Chaplin's silent short A Dog's Life (I've seen this as well and it ís funny). Anyway, I love Colman, even though this is not one of his best. He's just so handsome and that voice .... Will seek out more of his films very shortly. Also, can we comment on the gorgeous jumpsuit Francis is wearing when she slips under the covers! King Vidor directed. ★★½ / 15.06.2023
BRITISH AGENT (First National Pictures, 1934) is set during WWI and the Russian Revolution and tells the story of British agent Leslie Howard (right) becoming romantically involved with Russian spy Kay Francis (left). With directing credits by Michael Curtiz, one would expect something better but this was quite lame. The romance between our leads is not really convincing and terribly rushed, Francis playing a Russian spy isn't believable at all, and there is a huge plot hole where Howard reads out loud a decoded message while Francis is in the vicinity. I was sleepy throughout the film and probably missed scenes, but I don't think it would have helped my rating any if I would have watched this film in its entirety. The ending is pretty dreadful too. Some great photography by Ernest Haller and costume design by Orry-Kelly, especially Francis' leather coat looks good. Solid support by William Gargan, Cesar Romero, J. Carrol Naish and Phillip Reed. ★★ / 15.06.2023
SPLENDOR (Samuel Goldwyn Productions, 1935) is a melodrama starring Miriam Hopkins (center) and Joel McCrea (right) who made a total of five films together (this being the only one I hadn't seen yet). Being part of a once prominent family, now on the verge of bankruptcy, McCrea is expected to marry a rich heiress. But he has other plans and brings home poor Hopkins as his bride. The rest is fairly predictable. Hopkins and McCrea have good chemistry but this is not their best pairing (my fave of their pairings is from Woman Chases Man). I didn't like this film as much as I'd hoped I would, but there are still nice moments (like when Hopkins is eating pancakes by herself on her lunch break). Support by Paul Cavanagh (left), Billie Burke, David Niven, Helen Westley, Katharine Alexander and Arthur Treacher. Elliott Nugent directed. ★★½ / 16.06.2023
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GYPSY COLT (MGM, 1954) is a remake of Lassie Come Home — the horse version, so to speak — which I decided to watch because I like horse movies (see my JULY 2021 ROUND-UP post). I had also seen photos of this film online and the idea of seeing Ward Bond (right) and Frances Dee (left) as a married couple appealed to me. In this slice of Americana, Bond needs to sell the black colt Gypsy (the pet horse of his daughter Donna Corcoran) because the long drought has caused hard economic times for the family. I like Bond in the role of a family man and he has good rapport with Corcoran (center) and makes a believable couple with Dee. The story doesn't hold many surprises, but it was kind of unexpected to see a motorgang chase after the colt in the desert. The visuals of the scenery are beautiful. I also like the image of the Mexican boy riding his donkey and holding his sombrero filled to the brim with water for the collapsed and dehydrated colt. Solid performances by the cast, with Lee Van Cleef playing an unlikeable horse trainer. Little Donna Corcoran is good too and has top-billing. Andrew Marton directed. ★★★ / 17.06.2023
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LAUGH, CLOWN, LAUGH (MGM, 1928) is a silent melodrama starring Lon Chaney (left) as a sad clown, suffering from a broken heart caused by his romantic love for his adopted daughter Loretta Young (right) — the actress was 15 years old at the time. To be honest, I was a bit underwhelmed by this, as I had hoped it would be a masterpiece in the same vein as He Who Gets Slapped (1924) or even The Unknown (1927), both also starring Lon Chaney. The plot isn't that well developed, unfortunately, and doesn't capitalise on its potential. Though Young looks lovely and Chaney delivers another strong performance (with some great facial expressions), the love triangle with Nils Asther could have been more compelling. By the way, the scene where Asther saves Young from barbed wire on his premises and lures her into his bedroom, kissing her bare leg, is pre-code naughty. The great James Wong Howe shot this film (I like the visuals shot at the beautiful theater) and Herbert Brenon directed. NOTE (quoted from IMDB trivia): Herbert Brenon reportedly loved to pick on and ridicule a 14-year-old Loretta Young (Note: Young turned 15 on day 18 of the 45-day shoot.) in her first big role, but was civil with her whenever Lon Chaney was present on the set. Chaney noticed this and never left her side, even if his character wasn't needed for shooting that day. He directed her throughout the shoot and became her surrogate father on the project. "I shall be beholden to that sensitive, sweet man until I die", said Young of Chaney. ★★★ / 18.06.2023
THE CARDBOARD LOVER (Cosmopolitan Productions / MGM, 1928) is a delightful silent screwball comedy where Marion Davies (left) tries to get an autograph from famous tennis player Nils Asther (right) and then gets hired as his 'cardboard lover'. She pays her debt to Asther by posing as his girlfriend as a result of losing a game at the casino. She goes out of her way to prevent him from seeing his former flame (Jetta Goudal, a Dutch-American actress I had never heard of) and funny situations ensue. Marion Davies could have been annoying but she's not. She's very funny. Nils Asther is funny too and he has great chemistry with Davies. He looks handsome as well. Also lovely scene where we only see the feet of the main characters. Would love to see this in a restored version because all the copies online were blurry and dire. A fun watch! Robert Z. Leonard directed. ★★★½ / 21.06.2023
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THE VALLEY OF SILENT MEN (Cosmopolitan Productions, 1922), directed by Frank Borzage, is a fairly compelling murder mystery tale. Yet at one point I almost couldn't keep up with the many characters being introduced. All actors are unfamiliar to me, the leads being Alma Rubens (right, screenshot by me) and Lew Cody (left), and their romance is rushed. The film's denouement was a bit unsatisfying, as I had hoped for something really mysterious taking place at the valley of silent men. It just happened to be something as mundane as a refuge for men wanted for murder. Strong point is the beautiful location shooting and photography, and I also love the snow sequence at the end. Lucky to have watched a crisp print. This film has been digitally reconstructed, with the missing footage (lost to deterioration) recreated with stills and title cards. ★★★ / 22.06.2023
I chose to watch THE SINGLE STANDARD (MGM, 1929) for Nils Asther (right). I also haven't seen many films of Greta Garbo (left) and this melodrama about double/single standards (when it comes to sex and love) is my first silent of hers (it was one of the last silent films of Garbo). She looks really radiant here, with beautiful costumes by Adrian. Her character is a free-thinking and modern woman ("I’m walking alone because I want to walk alone") who ultimately gives up her love for an artist (Nils Asther) for motherhood (baby with Johnny Mack Brown). Nils and Johnny are both handsome, but the chemistry Garbo has with Asther is sizzling. They look so good together! I like Garbo's rapport with her son as well. This also has young Joel McCrea in an uncredited role as a party guest. John S. Robertson directed. ★★★ / 22.06.2023
The first time I saw the famous scene from TWO-FACED WOMAN (MGM, 1941) where Greta Garbo is dancing, was in That's Entertainment, Part II (1976). I also knew that this film doesn't have a good reputation but I sought it out for Greta Garbo (right) anyway and because of that dancing scene. Admittedly, the film is not good and has a silly story premise. In her final film Garbo plays a woman pretending to be her own twin sister in order to get back with her straying husband. Though Garbo's third pairing with Melvyn Douglas (center) is much less successful than their second pairing in Ninotchka (1939), they still have good chemistry. (I thought they had only starred together in two films; but their first pairing is in As You Desire Me (1932), which I will watch soon!) Douglas' character is not really likeable and annoying at times, but Garbo sparkles in her comedy role. I also like Constance Bennett (left) and Ruth Gordon (she's great this young). Too bad there's not enough of them here. Also with Roland Young and Robert Sterling. George Cukor directed. ★★½ / 22.06.2023
AS YOU DESIRE ME (MGM, 1932) is the only film Greta Garbo (right) and Melvyn Douglas (left) made together I hadn't seen yet. In total there have been three (Ninotchka (1939) and Two-Faced Woman (1941) being the other two), and this was their first pairing. Fortunately the runtime is only 70 minutes because it isn't very good. It starts out promising with a blond Garbo doing a Dietrich imitation. But the amnesia plot is a mess and bizarre and the ending is just bad. It also felt very stagy, with stilted performances. Garbo plays with too much drama and Douglas is pretty awful, and it has nothing to do with this being one of his early films. I thought he did really well in his film debut Tonight or Never (1931), playing with ease and flair opposite Gloria Swanson. There's some great photography by William H. Daniels, especially in the opening scene in the club with the tracking shot and camera gliding past the crowd. There are also two visually great kissing scenes: one kiss shared between Garbo and Erich von Stroheim (shot from an interesting angle) and the kiss shared between Garbo and Douglas preceded by a great cigarette lighting moment. Hedda Hopper can be seen in a small supporting role and she looks young and pretty here. George Fitzmaurice directed. ★★ / 25.06.2023
I decided to watch WHARF ANGEL (Paramount, 1934) after seeing this film logged by someone I follow on Letterboxd and reading praise about the film's leading actress Dorothy Dell (right), an actress I had never heard of. She only made three films (in the timespan of a year) and showed much promise but her young life was cut short by a tragic car accident at the age of 19. I really like her performance here in her feature debut as a sensitive saloon girl/prostitute with a heart of gold, wanting to make a better life for herself after meeting Preston Foster (left). Dell has good chemistry with Foster (looking good without moustache and a full head of hair) whose character, a man on the run from the law, is sweet and likeable as well. There's no time for the romance to be properly developed but the leads make it convincing and you really root for their happy ending. Victor McLaglen, who's also in love with Dell, has to accept defeat. Both the waterfront setting and the steamy scenes aboard the ship have a gritty atmosphere, beautifully photographed by Victor Milner. Also support by Alison Skipworth, David Landau and Mischa Auer. Directed by William Cameron Menzies and George Somnes. ★★★ / 25.06.2023
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LITTLE MISS MARKER (B.P. Schulberg Productions/ Paramount, 1934) is the first film adaptation of Damon Runyon's short story of the same name (I saw the remake Sorrowful Jones from 1949 a while back). I've been meaning to see this but decided to prioritise it now since it's one of the three films Dorothy Dell (left, between scenes) starred in. It's the story of a little girl held as a marker (collateral) for a bet by a gangster-run gambling operation. I really liked this version, despite not understanding a bit of the gambling business. Shirley Temple (right) is cutesy and adorable as usual and Dell delivers another good performance. I love the duet they're sharing. Maybe Adolphe Menjou is not the best casting choice to play a tough bookie but he does well and I like the banter between him and Dell. It's also nice to see Menjou in a romantic role for a change. The film has an endearing quality with the main and side characters falling for Temple (especially The Knights of the Round Table scene). Reliable support by Charles Bickford and Lynne Overman. Alexander Hall directed. NOTE: Shirley Temple and Dorothy Dell became close friends during filming and reportedly Shirley was devastated with the news of Dell's death. They were to star together with Gary Cooper in Now and Forever (1934) but the role went to Carole Lombard. ★★★½ / 26.06.2023
SHOOTING STARS (BIF, 1928) has good ratings and reviews online and I had high hopes for this British silent film. In fact, I had hoped it would be as good as Underground (1928). Unfortunately it didn't live up to my expectations. I don't mind the slow pace so much — although it took me some time to get into this — but there's little plot (just an infidelity story) and it's also fairly predictable. (To be honest, I was almost bored.) The performances didn't stand out and I didn't care much for leading actress Annette Benson nor for her character, but Brian Aherne (pictured) stands tall and handsome, almost like a young Gary Cooper. What does stand out is the amazing cinematography by Stanley Rodwell and Henry Harris. The visuals and innovative camerawork are breathtaking! Lucky to have seen this in the very clear restored version. And wow .... that last shot! Directed by Anthony Asquith and A.V. Bramble. ★★★ / 28.06.2023
WEST OF ZANZIBAR (MGM, 1928), directed by Tod Browning, is a film in the horror genre which sat high on my silent film watchlist. Though it's a well-made film with a compelling revenge story, set mainly in the African jungles, it was almost too bleak and sordid to my taste with the oppressive and sweaty atmosphere and sleazy characters. I didn't really feel sympathy for anyone. Good performances from the main cast: Lon Chaney (left, very believable playing a paralysed person, seeing him crawling on the floor looks so realistic), Lionel Barrymore (right, looking good and manly this young), Mary Nolan (some great facial expressions) and Warner Baxter (always good to see him play and looking good too). Photography by Percy Hilburn. NOTE: I just learnt of the remake Kongo (1932) with Walter Huston in the Chaney role. I'm really curious to see that one but I'm saving it for another time. It's said to be even darker and grittier. ★★★½ / 29.06.2023
THE FLOORWALKER (Lone Star Corporation, 1916) is an enjoyable Charlie Chaplin Mutual short of 28 minutes, with Chaplin (right) playing an annoying customer, touching everything in the shop and messing up the displays. He gets entangled with the shop's manager and the floorwalker, both scheming to rob the store's safe, and Chaplin ends up substituting the floorwalker. It's a fun watch. I liked seeing seemingly respectable lady customers shoplifting the merchandise. The escalator gag is also fun, though a bit too long and repetitive, and I like the visual of Eric Campbell (left, as the manager) carrying Chaplin by the throat. Also the mirror scene is fun, which explains why the floorwalker resembles Chaplin so much. Too bad Edna Purviance as the manager's secretary doesn't have anything to do and there's little to no interaction between her and Chaplin. Directed by Chaplin himself. ★★★ / 29.06.2023
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THE VIRTUOUS SIN (Paramount, 1930) is my fourth film with Kay Francis (right) this month and not a good one. In fact, it was quite awful, with a bad screenplay and dialogue, a bad performance from Kenneth MacKenna as Francis' husband (soon to be Mr. Kay Francis in real life, married in 1931, divorced in 1934) — his character is so stupid and badly written. The whole plot is really preposterous and the romance between Walter Huston (left) and Francis doesn't make sense. Francis (playing a woman trying to save her husband from execution by seducing Russian General Huston, but falling in love with the General instead) sparkles in some scenes but her character is also stupid, especially in her attempts to make Huston notice her. It just baffles the mind that George Cukor co-directed this mess (together with Louis J. Gasnier). Cukor's own recollection about the film: "It wasn’t much good. I’d be in great shock if film restorationists and historians rescued this one, but I remember that I enjoyed working with Kay Francis and Walter Huston." Fortunately the acclaimed director was headed for better times. ★½ / 29.06.2023
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THE BOWLING ALLEY-CAT (MGM/ MGM Cartoon Studio, 1942) is the 7th cartoon in the Tom and Jerry series. I'm (re)watching them in chronological order by release date. I have enjoyed the cartoons so much in my childhood and fortunately they haven't lost their appeal. I'm constantly amazed by the masterfully hand-drawn images, the inventiveness of the gags, how Tom (left, screenshot by me) and Jerry (right) outsmart one another, and how the music score is in perfect sync with the images. Here Tom and Jerry are together on the bowling alley and it's a lot of fun again. Love the scene where Jerry is sliding on the slippery lane like he's ice-skating. Also great train-of-bowling-balls chase sequence. Directed by Joseph Barbera and William Hanna. ★★★★ / 30.06.2023
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FINE FEATHERED FRIEND (MGM/MGM Cartoon Studio/Quimby-Hanna/Barbera, 1942), the 8th cartoon in the Tom and Jerry series, has the story set in a barnyard where a mother hen is sitting on her eggs. Tom (right, screenshot by me) is chasing Jerry (left) again and has to find ways to get to the mouse who cleverly hides in the nest of the hen. When the eggs hatch, the aggressive mother hen becomes even more protective of her chicks, and she makes Tom regret his attempts to get to Jerry. Poor Tom! He has to endure a fair amount of cruelty. I love Jerry's chick disguise with the yellow feathers, by the way! Directed by Joseph Barbera and William Hanna. ★★★½ / 30.06.2023
Another round-up is finished and we're entering the second half of the year again. I'll definitely watch more classic films this year than I did last year. In 2022 I watched 170 films in total over the entire year. I've accomplished the same amount of 170 films already in half a year. Hopefully I will get past 300. Also need to think of a less time-consuming format for these round-ups, at least for the summer months. I don't see myself doing any additional posts any time soon, but I will try and do a celebratory post to commemorate the fifth anniversary of this blog. Well, stay tuned and enjoy the summer!
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