SEPTEMBER 2023 ROUND-UP
(see the film posters at the bottom of the post, arranged in watching order)
NEW-TO-ME: 35 (19 features & 16 shorts)
REWATCHES: 0
SEEN ON THE BIG SCREEN: 0
SILENT FILMS: 5 (3 features & 2 shorts)
ANIMATION: 14 (1 feature & 13 shorts)
DISNEY FILMS: 16 (13 animation & 3 live-action)
MOST WATCHED ACTOR: Mark Stevens (4 in total)
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Pascal Lamorisse in Le Ballon Rouge
It's so weird we're in autumn again. Soon we'll be celebrating Christmas and we'll say goodbye to 2023. I went on a short holiday to my native country The Netherlands near the end of the month, and in a couple of days' time my two sisters, brother-in-law and I will go on a little trip to Peñíscola, a town situated at the northern coast of the province Castellón. I really should do more of these getaways in my home country Spain since there are so many nice places to visit. Very excited to go!
In September I went back to watching random classic films. Might repeat last month's chain-watching game some other month since I liked doing it and it enabled me to choose films for certain actors who are normally not on my radar. I still managed to steer away from K-dramas, but this is going to change in October since there is a new series, just finished, that I really want to see (Moving, with one of my fave actors Jo In-sung). My K-drama watchlist is very long so at some point I'll start dedicating more time to them again. Still, I'm very happy that my appetite for watching the classics has returned this year, and by now I've already beaten last year's record. Glad to report that I watched some silent films again in September. I also explored Disney films in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Studios this year.
Without further ado ...
Let's go to the 35 films watched this September, listed in watching order! (Film stats can be found at the top of this post.)
NOTE: Read notes with caution as they might contain spoilers; with ratings going from ½ to ★★★★★ and watched date.
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It took me some time to get into the western BEST OF THE BADMEN (RKO, 1951) but it turned out to be an entertaining watch, elevated by the presence of Claire Trevor (left). Seeing her photographed in Technicolor (that red dress!) was a treat for the eyes (nice photography by Edward Cronjager), and she makes a believable couple with Robert Ryan (right). His lead character goes from being a righteous one to one who sides with a notorious band of outlaws (consisting of real-life names like the James and the Younger brothers) and commits to a life of crime in order to take down his enemy Robert Preston. This has not the best of choreographed fist fights, but it has a great supporting cast of Jack Buetel, Walter Brennan, Bruce Cabot, John Archer, Lawrence Tierney and Barton MacLane, with Brennan being the stand-out. Oh .... I love Ryan by the way. He has such a magnetic screen presence, standing tall, and he looks really good here, especially when scruffy. I don't mind seeing him bare-chested either. William D. Russell directed. ★★★ / 01.09.2023
Came across the British production THE WEAPON (Periclean Productions, 1956) and decided to watch it because I thought the pairing of Steve Cochran (right) and Lizabeth Scott (center) might be nice, both being film noir actors. Well, their pairing is unexciting and there are little sparks between them (due to plot and script). Scott, in an unglamourous role, plays the mother of Jon Whiteley, a boy who finds a gun and accidentally shoots one of his playmates. The gun happens to be involved in a killing from 10 years ago, and Cochran as an US Army officer and Herbert Marshall as a Scotland Yard inspector are investigating. The leading performances are just okay, though Marshall has hardly anything to do and his play feels uninspired. What stands out here (the reason why I raised my rating), is the striking black-and-white photography by Reginald H. Wyer, making good use of the London locations. So many beautiful visuals. I love how gritty, bleak and realistic everything looks, and the atmosphere it creates is wonderful. Too bad that the rest is a bit of a let-down but there's still enough to enjoy here. Good support by Nicole Maurey as a dance hall 'hostess' and George Cole (left) as the villain. Val Guest directed. ★★★ / 03.09.2023
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LE BALLON ROUGE (The Red Balloon) (Films Montsouris, 1956) is a perfect short film from France, winning all kinds of awards (including the Oscar and Palme d'Or), about a lonely and bullied boy striking up an unlikely friendship with a stray red balloon, who follows him around wherever he goes. It's a lovely, magical and simple story with heart, set in the streets of Paris, beautifully photographed in gorgeous colours. The little boy Pascal Lamorisse (pictured) who plays the lead is the son of the director and gives a convincing performance. He also looks adorable and wears cute clothes. I love the scenes where he is running through the streets with the balloon trailing behind him. It's really sad when his friend the balloon 'dies' (the sequence where the mean kids chase after Pascal is filled with tension and I was really rooting for the balloon not to get hurt) but the ending where all the balloons free themselves from their owners and join forces to console Pascal is heartwarming. The last scene of Pascal tying the balloons together and flying away with them makes for a wonderful ending. Highly recommended and one I'll be visiting again for sure. Photography by Edmond Séchan and a pleasant music score by Maurice Le Roux. Directed by Albert Lamorisse. ★★★★★ / 03.09.2023
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In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Studios this year, I'm going to watch some Disney (animation) films. The Oscar-winning 8-minute short THREE LITTLE PIGS (pictured) (Walt Disney Productions, 1933) put Disney on the map and became very popular during the days of the Great Depression, so popular that filmgoers went to the cinema especially for this short and not for the feature film. It's a fun watch about two lazy pigs building their houses of sticks and hay whereas their brother pig builds his own house of bricks. When the big bad wolf blows down the houses of the two lazy pigs, their brother in the brick house has nothing to fear and he gives shelter to his two brothers. They sing the classic song Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? which lingers in your head long after you've finished the short. The animation is not as polished with clear lines as Disney's later work but still appealing. Directed by Burt Gillett and produced by Walt Disney. ★★★½ / 04.09.2023
FERDINAND THE BULL (Walt Disney Productions, 1938) is another Oscar-winning 8-minute Disney short which I liked better than the previously watched Three Little Pigs. In fact, I thought it was great. The story is more compelling and I liked the animation better. In this tale Ferdinand the Bull (pictured) prefers to spend his days sitting under a tree and smelling the pretty flowers, but when he sits on a bee by accident, the sting causes him to crazily charge forward. Because of this ferocious side of his he gets chosen by bull scouters for the bullfight in Madrid. It's pretty predictable what will happen next. When the matador gets a bouquet of flowers thrown his way by a woman in the audience, Ferdinand chooses to smell the beautiful flowers instead of charging at the matador. Ferdinand, my hero! Too cute. Directed by Dick Rickard and based on the 1936 book The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf. ★★★★ / 05.09.2023
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Clocking in just over an hour, EASY TO TAKE (Paramount, 1936) was only mildly enjoyable. It's about a radio host (John Howard, right) of a kid show taking guardianship of a spoiled boy (Douglas Scott) who has inherited the majority of his aunt's estate. Marsha Hunt (left) plays Scott's older sister and Eugene Pallette is Howard's manager. The plot is a mess and the film is only elevated by the appeal of the likeable leads. I always love Hunt and she makes a nice pair with Howard. I've never seen Howard looking this good (without moustache), and can we also appreciate his hair? Really only recommendable for fans of the leading actors. Directed by Glenn Tryon. ★★ / 06.09.2023
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The black-and-white animation short of 5 minutes THE SKELETON DANCE (Walt Disney Productions, 1929) — where four skeletons (pictured) come out of their graves and start to dance — was made during the early stages of the sound film and it's the first entry in the Silly Symphony series, musical novelties. It's easy to see why this was groundbreaking and it still holds up today, almost a century later. I was actually surprised how much I liked it. A bit creepy but also a lot of fun, with great and inventive choreography. Just very well made, a cartoon where sound and visuals are perfectly in sync. Directed by Walt Disney. ★★★★ / 07.09.2023
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For some reason I didn't like the 7-minute black-and-white short STEAMBOAT WILLIE (Walt Disney Studio, 1928) as much as I would have liked to. Could have something to do with the fact that I've never been much of a Mickey Mouse (pictured) fan. But it was still fun. Here Mickey (mis)treats animals as musical instruments. Notable for being one of the first cartoons with synchronised sound, it became an instant hit and brought international fame for Walt Disney and Mickey. Ub Iwerks directed. ★★★ / 07.09.2023
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The Disney animation short of 9 minutes THE COUNTRY COUSIN (Walt Disney Productions, 1936) won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. It's another entry in the Silly Symphony series and tells the story of a city mouse who invites his cousin, a country mouse, for a visit. I love the animation, here in Technicolor, and there are some nice gags. Loved how the country mouse (pictured) got drunk on champagne. The ending with the cat is a bit reminiscent of the Tom and Jerry cartoons. Wilfred Jackson directed. ★★★½ / 07.09.2023
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THE SHAGGY DOG (Walt Disney Productions, 1959) is an enjoyable fantasy family film about a teenager (Tommy Kirk) changing into a sheepdog and back again as the result of an ancient curse. The plot has holes the size of a football, and the spy subplot raises a lot of questions, but it's still good entertainment (could have been cut short by at least 15 minutes, though). Fred MacMurray (left) gives a convincing performance as Kirk's silly and dog-hating father. It was the first Disney film for MacMurray, he would make a total of seven Disney feature films. There's a running gag with a policeman who doubts his own sanity when he encounters the talking dog, and we also see the shaggy dog driving a car, but probably the thing I liked most was the role of the little brother, played by Kevin Corcoran. He's great and totally unperturbed by the fact that his brother has turned into a dog. (By the way, I've seen Kevin Corcoran's sisters Donna and Noreen Corcoran play in a couple of films and like them too). Support by Jean Hagen (as the wife/mother, right), Annette Funicello and Cecil Kellaway. Might check out MacMurray's other Disney films. Directed by Charles Barton. ★★★ / 10.09.2023
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Though the early Disney short THE UGLY DUCKLING (Walt Disney Productions, 1931) — part of the Silly Symphony series — is well made, it obviously lacks the advantage of the later developed techniques and innovations. This black-and-white 6-minute cartoon is loosely based on the famous fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen. The way the story unfolded made it difficult for me to like this more than I did. I didn't like how the mother hen (left) kept rejecting the ugly black duckling (right), until he saved his siblings from drowning during a tornado. Only then the mother embraced him, but maybe not even fully accepting him, just grateful that her beloved newborn chicks were still alive. No unconditional love here. This cartoon was remade by Disney into a colour version in 1939 and I will watch that one next. Wilfred Jackson directed. ★★★ / 10.09.2023
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THE UGLY DUCKLING (Walt Disney Productions, 1939) is a 9-minute remake of Disney's 1931 version and the last entry in the Silly Symphony series (the only Silly Symphony entry to be made twice). It's a far superior version animation-wise (and it's in colour!) and it actually follows the original Hans Christian Andersen story more faithfully. I love it a great deal more than the 1931 version. Love the verbal fight the parents are having at the sight of the ugly duckling (left). It's like dad is accusing mum of having slept around (where díd the swan egg come from??!!). Also, this version throws a stronger emotional punch and is infused with pathos. The scenes with the ugly duckling crying for being rejected and feeling lonely are truly sad and heartbreaking. The message this short conveys is vastly better than from the 1931 version. In the earlier cartoon it seems to say that the duckling is only worthy of love when he proves himself worthy, and he does so by saving his siblings from drowning. Yet in this version it goes back to the original Andersen story: the duckling is being loved for himself, and he happens to grow into a beautiful swan. Winner of the Oscar for Best Short Subject. Directed by Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi and Jack Cutting. ★★★★ / 10.09.2023
THE GODDESS OF SPRING (Walt Disney Productions/ United Artists, 1934) is a beautifully animated short of 9 minutes, part of the Silly Symphony series. It starts lovely with the goddess of spring (pictured) dancing happily in a gorgeous green dress, accompanied by dancing flowers and birds. Then the devil abducts her to the underworld to be his queen, the tone gets darker and the weather changes into winter. Yet the devil becomes unhappy that the goddess is unhappy and agrees to let her go, on the condition that she'll spend part of the year below the ground with him. Hence the seasons. What a partnership! It's actually the story of Hades and Persephone from Greek mythology so I should read up on that. Directed by Wilfred Jackson. ★★★½ / 10.09.2023
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OLD YELLER (Walt Disney Productions, 1957) is a Disney film I watched for Dorothy McGuire (left). It was also nice to see Tommy Kirk (right) and Kevin Corcoran play brothers again. I've enjoyed them together in the Disney film The Shaggy Dog, watched earlier this month, and apparently they played brothers in five films, Old Yeller being the first one. This family tale about the friendship between a stray dog and a teenage boy is a classic one. There are funny and exciting moments, also the occasional heartbreaking one. It's not so difficult to guess what Old Yeller's fate is, what with the ample foreboding of rabies, but I got teary-eyed just the same. Both boys are good in their roles (I really like little Kevin Corcoran, yet he seems to annoy a lot of reviewers online) and Dorothy McGuire is believable as their mother. Weak link is Fess Parker as the father, but despite being second-billed he only has a scene at the beginning and ending (he's away on a cattle drive for the most part of the film). At least he had some wise words to say to his teenage son in order to comfort him. Also, Chuck Connors can be seen as a surprisingly kind-hearted passer-by, I liked him. Good photography by Charles P. Boyle and directed by Robert Stevenson. ★★★½ / 10.09.2023
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I don't usually say that films are dated (I try to watch them considering the times they were made in), but MOTHER DIDN'T TELL ME (20th Century-Fox, 1950) ís dated. There's no other word for it. I didn't really like the character of Dorothy McGuire (left), how she was chasing the handsome doctor William Lundigan (right), feigning an illness just to have him pay a home visit. There were some enjoyable moments for sure but unfortunately not enough. McGuire looks radiant, though, especially in her fashionable night clothes. I also really like William Lundigan's looks but he's a bit of a boring actor. Leif Erickson is pretty funny as the crazy psychiatrist, and I like June Havoc as McGuire's friend. Further support by Gary Merrill and Jessie Royce Landis (as the horrible mother-in-law). Claude Binyon directed. ★★ / 11.09.2023
Wanted to watch a silent short before going to sleep and came across the D.W. Griffith 11-minute film THE SEALED ROOM (American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, 1909). It has a macabre story premise of a count immuring his unfaithful wife (Marion Leonard, left) and her lover, the court minstrel (Henry B. Walthall, right), inside the private room he has built as a love nest for himself and his wife. It's curious that the cheating wife and lover didn't notice anything of the work the masons were carrying out only a few meters away. It's also curious that the wife and lover immediately suffered a lack of oxygen and died on the spot almost instantly. The acting in this short is over the top, which is not unusual in early silents, and especially the count (Arthur V. Johnson) is hamming it up. Apparently Mary Pickford has a bit part as a lady-in-waiting but I missed her. Based on Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask of Amontillado and Honoré de Balzac's La Grande Breteche. ★★½ / 12.09.2023
THE LITTLE MERMAID (Soyuzmultfilm, 1968) — original title: Rusalochka — is a beautifully animated Russian short film, based on the famous fairytale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. I've never seen the Disney animated feature film but I can't imagine enjoying that one better than this 28-minute short version. The only thing that prevented me from loving this film wholeheartedly was the animation of the black-and-white modern-day scenes. I guess it's meant to be humorous and to contrast the fairytale in colour, but I would have preferred something in a more elegant style. The animation of the fairytale and the little mermaid herself (pictured) is absolutely gorgeous, especially the underwater scenes (I didn't like the way the witch character was drawn, though). Following the original story of Andersen closely (with a few alterations), this is pretty dark and sad and it was accompanied by beautiful music (I really like the song the mermaid was singing to the prince). Totally loved this adaptation directed by Ivan Aksenchuk. ★★★★½ / 15.09.2023
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I watched MAKE HASTE TO LIVE (Republic Pictures, 1954) for Dorothy McGuire. It's not a good film noir but still watchable. The preposterous implausible plot prevents this from being suspenseful. I have to admit, though, that the opening sequence evoked thrills but that was before the story was revealed to me. The film is held together by the capable leads, with Dorothy McGuire (left) doing her best with the poor material she's been given and Stephen McNally (right) making a believable villain. There's also some nice black-and-white photography by John L. Russell (he shot Psycho). Mary Murphy, Edgar Buchanan, John Howard and Carolyn Jones complement the cast. William A. Seiter directed. ★★½ / 16.09.2023
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EVERYBODY'S DOING IT (RKO, 1938) is a comedy I chose for its short runtime and because I like the leads Preston Foster (right, screenshot by me) and Sally Eilers (left). Foster plays an artist who draws picture puzzles for a cereal contest, attracting the attention of some racketeers, and then he gets kidnapped. Well, it's all véry véry silly and there's a lot of slapstick with gangsters hitting each other. Somehow it occasionally still managed to elicit a chuckle from me so it was not a complete waste of time. Foster and Eilers have good chemistry and it was nice to see Jack Carson appear as the cop. Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams as the dim-witted gangster starting a health farm is mostly goofy, and Lorraine Krueger as his sister provides some nice entertainment with her singing and tap dancing. Also with Cecil Kellaway in support. The photography is courtesy of the acclaimed Nicholas Musuraca and Paul Vogel but I didn't find it very distinctive. Christy Cabanne directed. ★★½ / 17.09.2023
The silent feature film FANCHON THE CRICKET (Famous Players Film Company, 1915) has little plot, and sometimes this doesn't hurt the film, but here I would have welcomed some compelling drama. Mary Pickford (pictured) is her usual cute and adorable self but it gets a bit tiresome seeing her scaring and teasing/harassing people, and she's also a bit annoying at times. I do understand where her character is coming from, being bored and lonely. Still, Mary is the best thing this silent has to offer — not so surprisingly. Jack Standing as her love interest has no charisma at all, and I feel sorry for him that the costume they put him in looks positively dreadful. Also, his sweetheart played by Lottie Pickford (Mary's sibling) is so unappealing and she looks like one of the bad stepsisters of Cinderella. What's with the film's costumes anyway? Mary's 'pretty' dress and headwear later on look also horrible. I love her look with the rags and messy hair. I watched the beautiful restoration, by the way, and love the tinting but I didn't like the modernish music score at all. The final shot of Mary in a field of golden wheat waving in the wind looks lovely, though. Supposedly the only time all three Pickford siblings (Mary, Lottie and Jack) played in the same movie together. Directed by James Kirkwood. ★★½ / 17.09.2023
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REUNION IN RENO (Universal, 1951) is a comedy which has Gigi Perreau (center) asking lawyer Mark Stevens (left) to handle her divorce case. Nothing out of the ordinary, you'd think, but the remarkable thing here is that Perreau's just a kid and she wants to divorce her parents. I like Perreau and she's quite good. I also like the relationship between Mark Stevens and Peggy Dow (right, a stenographer who works for him, but it also looks like she's running her own stenographic service) and how they fall for each other. Frances Dee and Leif Erickson are effective as Perreau's parents and Ray Collins as the judge. A harmless and entertaining watch, and I'd probably watch it again. Kurt Neumann directed. ★★★ / 17.09.2023
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There's not much story to FROM THIS DAY FORWARD (RKO, 1946), just the day-to-day life of a couple of newly weds, Joan Fontaine (right) and Mark Stevens (left), and their struggles with jobs and making ends meet. The beginning is decidedly better than the rest of the film but the leads have great chemistry, making their love for each other believable and real, and they turn this into an enjoyable watch. Most of my rating is for them. I love the scene where Joan, realising that they had put the clock forward and therefore still had time left together on draft morning, hangs out of the window and calls after Stevens to come back. Joan looks really lovely this young. There's some great photography by George Barnes, DP of Rebecca (that low-angle shot of the bridge!), and nice support by Rosemary DeCamp (as Joan's sister), Harry Morgan and Bobby Driscoll. John Berry directed. ★★★ / 18.09.2023
DESERT NIGHTS (MGM, 1929) is the last silent film of John Gilbert (right), an enjoyable adventure flick, clocking in just over an hour, with a compelling story premise. Gilbert is the manager of an African diamond mine and gets conned by Ernest Torrence and Mary Nolan (left) who steal a batch of diamonds and take him hostage. An escape trip through the desert follows and water becomes more important than diamonds. Best thing here is the sizzling chemistry between Gilbert and Nolan. The sexual attraction is felt throughout the dinner scene, with them stylishly dressed, looking fresh and beautiful, Gilbert eyeing up Nolan as if he wants to take her on the spot. Later on in the desert they're dishevelled, sweaty, with Nolan having her blouse wide open, and steam rises from their scenes together. The film feels incoherent, though, as if scenes are missing (e.g. at the end Gilbert is suddenly back at his desk), and I read in a review that the original runtime was 80 minutes (though IMDB says 62 minutes). But well ... who cares? Gilbert looks extremely good and hot with his scruff. James Wong Howe photographed (some great close-ups!) and William Nigh directed. ★★★ / 19.09.2023
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KATIE DID IT (Universal, 1950) is a romantic comedy set in a small town that I watched for Mark Stevens (right). It's nothing special but pleasant enough and Ann Blyth (left) and Stevens have decent chemistry. Blyth plays a prudish librarian who models for artist Stevens to pay for her uncle's gambling debt. Stevens' cocky artist character is at times off-putting — like when he tells the train ticket inspector that Katie's his mentally ill wife — and Stevens reminded me here of Rod Taylor. Reliable support by Cecil Kellaway (center, as the uncle), Craig Stevens and Elizabeth Patterson. Directed by Frederick de Cordova. ★★½ / 22.09.2023
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JACK SLADE (Monogram Pictures/ Allied Artists Pictures, 1953) is another film starring Mark Stevens (right). It's a pretty dark above-average western with noirish undertones, based on the real-life character of gunfighter Jack Slade but apparently not a truthful and accurate depiction of history. Stevens turns in a strong performance as Slade, and the scene after the boy gets killed (who reminds Slade of the boy he himself used to be) is powerful. Slade says he hates killing and never killed a man who didn't ask for it. By the way, Stevens' sideburns are a bit distracting and the lines in his face look more pronounced, as if life has left its mark upon his face. Dorothy Malone (left, as Slade's wife) and Stevens have good chemistry and their kisses are very convincing. Barton MacLane, John Litel and Lee Van Cleef give adequate support and Harold D. Schuster directed. ★★★½ / 22.09.2023
I don't think I've ever seen a classic Holmes film starring Basil Rathbone before and I was under the impression that THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (20th Century-Fox, 1939) was the first entry in the series. Apparently it's not (it's the second entry and the 1st one is The Hound of the Baskervilles) but this old-fashioned whodunnit mystery is enjoyable just the same. Basil Rathbone (center) and Nigel Bruce (left) are well cast in their respective roles of Sherlock Homes and Dr. Watson but I had expected more lively banter between them (or I must have missed something). Ida Lupino (right) was a nice surprise and I liked her performance and seeing her this young. Strong point is the great black-and-white photography by Leon Shamroy (Leave Her to Heaven, You Only Live Once), it was often beautiful. Further acting credits by Alan Marshal, George Zucco, Henry Stephenson and Arthur Hohl, and Alfred L. Werker directed. ★★★½ / 23.09.2023
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Continuing with Disney animation films, I chose THE ADVENTURES OF ICHABOD AND MR. TOAD (Walt Disney Productions, 1949), but unfortunately it's not as good as I'd hoped it would be. It's a package film consisting of two stories. The first is a concise version of Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows. I didn't like the Toad character, nor the way he was drawn. I liked Mole (right) and Rat (left) much better. I preferred the second story, a retelling of Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, where the new schoolmaster Ichabod Crane falls for the town beauty Katrina. The animation in this part looks more beautiful and Bing Crosby narrating (and singing too) is very pleasant. Other voice actors are Basil Rathbone and Eric Blore. Directed by James Algar, Clyde Geronimi and Jack Kinney. ★★★ / 23.09.2023
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The Disney family film POLLYANNA (Walt Disney Productions, 1960) doesn't hold many surprises, it's rather predictable how the story will unfold and how the charm and positive attitude of Pollyanna will make the town's people look for the positive things in life (I love how Pollyanna calls it the glad game). Yet the film is very enjoyable and well made, carried by a great cast of veteran actors, and a strong central performance from Hayley Mills (left, foreground, screenshot by me) as Pollyanna. She's so natural. The film looks gorgeous in lush Technicolor with great cinematography by Russell Harlan. With 134 minutes of runtime it's somewhat on the long side and some scenes drag for sure, but it's really good fun with a high feel-good quality. The ending might be a bit cheesy but I loved it and it got me teary-eyed. Next to Mills' wonderful performance, Karl Malden stands out, he is so good. My eyes got extremely moist with his "We looked for the good in them, and we found it, didn't we?". Jane Wyman (left, background) and Richard Egan (right) don't make the most likely of romantic couples but they were okay. Nancy Olson, Adolphe Menjou, Donald Crisp, Agnes Moorehead, Kevin Corcoran and James Drury give wonderful support and I especially liked Menjou and Moorehead. Two great visuals: the old lady playing the drums, and the enormous cake slices served at the bazaar! Directed by David Swift. ★★★★ / 26.09.2023
MUSIC LAND (Walt Disney Productions, 1935) is another entry in the Silly Symphony series, running 10 minutes. It's great fun and really imaginative how the musical instruments are being used as the stars in a Romeo and Juliet type of story. The violin princess (left) of the Land of Symphony and the saxophone prince (right) of the Isle of Jazz fall in love, but their parents (the Symphony Queen and the Jazz King) don't approve of their love. Highlight of this Disney short is the Isle of Jazz declaring war — after the saxophone prince gets imprisoned on the Land of Symphony — by blasting musical notes across the Sea of Discord and the enemy island responding. Wilfred Jackson directed. ★★★½ / 27.09.2023
I love THE OLD MILL (Walt Disney Productions, 1937), also part of the Silly Symphony series, with a runtime of 9 minutes. There's little plot, just showing the animals who've taken shelter in the old mill with the approach of a thunderstorm. When the storm gets worse and the old mill seems to be taken apart (pictured), the animals get ready for a stormy night. This wonderful animation short has the first use of the multiplane camera creating a three dimensional depth in a cartoon setting, and it was in fact a test run for Disney's feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The animation is gorgeous and the images are totally in sync with the great music score. I find it amazing how well the drama is depicted with the lashing rain. By the way, I found the bats a bit scary. Not so surprisingly, this won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Directed by Wilfred Jackson and Graham Heid. ★★★★ / 27.09.2023
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THE DREAM LADY (Universal Film Manufacturing Company/ Bluebird Photoplays, 1918) is an enjoyable silent feature film, directed by female pioneer filmmaker Elsie Jane Wilson. I like the story of a young woman starting her own fortune-telling business when her uncle dies, leaving her an inheritance. Carmel Myers (pictured, screenshot by me) portrays her character well, a joyful woman, happy to be independent, whose aim is to make other people happy by fulfilling their dreams. "The secret to true happiness? It is to make those around you happy." The male lead is not very appealing and wears too much makeup, but I kind of liked their romance. The story is pretty progressive, also having one of Myers' women clients (Kathleen Emerson) wishing to pass as a man. Emerson then falls in love with her buddy friend (who thinks she's a man), and passes as a woman again to be with him. Myers reminded me a bit of Mary Pickford, by the way, with her vibrant energy and silly facial expressions. ★★★½ / 28.09.2023
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Really enjoyed the pre-code film LOVERS COURAGEOUS (MGM, 1932) — was actually surprised it has so many bad reviews — about aspiring poor playwright Robert Montgomery (right) and rich admiral's daughter Madge Evans (left) falling for each other. I liked how their romance was handled, that Montgomery respected the fact that Evans was engaged. I also liked the dialogue but I have to admit it sounded a bit artificial and stagy (the screenplay was written by British playwright Frederick Lonsdale). The rushed ending was a let-down, that's why I lowered my rating by half a star. But I love Montgomery and Evans together, they have such a natural chemistry and really make their love for each other palpable and believable. Solid support by Roland Young (as the friend clearly in love with Evans himself), Beryl Mercer (as Montgomery's mother — they have a loving relationship and I love their scenes together), and Reginald Owen (as Evans' unpleasant fiancé). This film makes me want to see more of Robert Montgomery and Madge Evans. They made five films together (the other four are Made on Broadway, Hell Below, Fugitive Lovers and Piccadilly Jim) and I will check them out soon. Directed by Robert Z. Leonard. ★★★ / 30.09.2023
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THREE ORPHAN KITTENS (Walt Disney Productions / United Artists, 1935) is another entry in the Silly Symphony series and winner of the Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Cartoons). Three orphan kittens (pictured) are left out in the snow and take shelter in a warm house and cause a mess. There's no plot, just the three kittens goofing around, but I really had a good time with this. The kittens are adorable and had me laughing out loud at times. There's a great sequence at the piano and the music is great too. David Hand directed. ★★★½ / 30.09.2023
NUMBER, PLEASE? (Rolin Films, 1920) is a 25-minute silent short, directed by Hal Roach and featuring Harold Lloyd (right). He's sad over losing his girlfriend Mildred Davis (left) who seems to have taken up with Roy Brooks. The three end up at an amusement park and the men compete with each other who's going to take the girl on a balloon ride. I enjoyed this to some extent but the gags just went on for too long (phone booth gag, purse gag). I also didn't like Davis very much (she looks nice on this publicity photo, though). My fave Lloyd leading lady is still Jobyna Ralston, followed by Bebe Daniels. Together with Davis they were the three actresses Lloyd primarily worked with. ★★½ / 30.09.2023
Well, there you have it! Another round-up! I'm happy with what I've watched this September, and maybe I'll go for 350 films this year. I'm at 265 now so it should be doable. I plan to watch a K-drama series in October, and this will probably lead to spending more time in K-dramaland, but for my classic film count I can always squeeze in a good amount of cartoon shorts, lol.
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gorgeous cinematography in Le Ballon Rouge (screenshot by me)
I'll leave you with the breakdown in decades of the 35 watched films:
1900s - 1
1910s - 2
1920s - 4
1930s - 14
1940s - 2
1950s - 10
1960s - 2
Happy to see that this month every decade is represented.
1900s - 1
1910s - 2
1920s - 4
1930s - 14
1940s - 2
1950s - 10
1960s - 2
Happy to see that this month every decade is represented.
See you with the next round-up!
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