MARCH 2024 ROUND-UP
TOTAL FILMS SEEN IN MARCH: 20
(see the film posters at the bottom of the post, arranged in watching order)
NEW-TO-ME: 20 (20 features & 0 short)
REWATCHES: 0
SEEN ON THE BIG SCREEN: 0
SILENT FILMS: 2
MOST WATCHED ACTOR: Walter Pidgeon (3 in total)
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Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler in Dames
March proved to be a more productive month in terms of watching the classics in comparison to previous months. I cut back on watching K-dramas and dedicated more time to Classic Hollywood because soooooo many films are still on my watchlist. Really happy with the amount of classics watched this month.
Things are slowly turning back to normal after my sister's long hospitalisation, she even started posting again on her wonderful blog Stars and Letters. We just bought a new monitor screen for using our Chromecast, and therefore will be spending more time in Classic-Hollywood-Land together.
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Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon
I hadn't planned on dedicating time to Greer Garson films but one film led to another. I really like her, especially seeing her together with Walter Pidgeon. In the end I managed to see 7 titles of Greer's filmography and 3 titles of Pidgeon's oeuvre.
So next up are the 20 films watched in March.
NOTE: Read notes with caution as they might contain spoilers; with ratings going from ½ to ★★★★★ and watched date.
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STRAIGHT FROM THE SHOULDER (Paramount, 1936) is one of those B-films from the thirties with a short runtime, and I knew beforehand it wasn't going to be any good. But I watched this for Ralph Bellamy (left), here in a leading role, just to watch him get the girl (Katherine Locke, center). He plays an illustrator who witnesses a crime, and now the bad guys are after him. It's all very tame, Bellamy's acting leaves a lot to be desired, and his son David Holt gets a bit annoying. Probably the best scene is the one where Bellamy skilfully sketches portraits of the perpetrators. I admire such skills. Bellamy himself of course had nothing to do with it so it doesn't even speak in favour of the actor. But honestly ... this is only for Bellamy fans and completists. And he dóes get the girl but their romance is not very exciting. Directed by Stuart Heisler, the same who would direct The Glass Key (1942) and Storm Warning (1951). ★★ / 08.03.2024
DAMES (Warner Bros, 1934) is one of those 1930s musicals still on my watchlist. Not in the same league as 42nd Street (1933), Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), or Footlight Parade (1933), it's a bit disappointing but enjoyable nonetheless. The story premise is thin, the humour is a bit forced (the gag with the alcoholic hiccups syrup became tedious) and the characters don't have any depth, but the musical numbers alone make this worth your while. I love the song I Only Have Eyes for You and it made me so happy! It's clear that the musical sequences are designed and directed by Busby Berkeley. The number with the girls arranged in a kaleidoscope pattern is beautiful to look at, though a tad too long. Dick Powell (center) and Ruby Keeler (left) make a cute couple, I love the sassiness of Joan Blondell (right — she verges on being annoying, though), and WB's regulars Zasu Pitts, Guy Kibbee and Hugh Herbert are always welcome. Directed by Ray Enright and Busby Berkeley. ★★★ / 11.03.2024
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ADVENTURE IN WASHINGTON (Columbia, 1941) is no Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, even though the story takes place at the Senate in Washington as well and Columbia reused the same sets from the aforementioned 1939 Capra film. It was nice to see Herbert Marshall (left) again, because I love that man, but neither his character or performance is memorable. I like the story premise with the focus on the Senate page boys and the youngster Gene Reynolds as Marshall's new page easily steals the show. Virginia Bruce (right) as a reporter (undoubtedly modelled after Jean Arthur's Clarissa Saunders) brightens up the screen with her sparkling performance. The ending was a bit too heavy-handed but overall I enjoyed this film. Support by Samuel S. Hinds, Ralph Morgan and Dickie Jones, and directed by Alfred E. Green. ★★½ / 13.03.2024
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I prefer the 1933 pre-code version of When Ladies Meet, the one starring Ann Harding, Myrna Loy, Robert Montgomery, Alice Brady and Frank Morgan, the first adaptation of the sophisticated play of the same name by Rachel Crothers. But this version of WHEN LADIES MEET (MGM, 1941) starring Joan Crawford (2nd left), Robert Taylor (left), Greer Garson (2nd right), Herbert Marshall (right) and Spring Byington is also good and enjoyable. I love the well-written script by Anita Loos and S.K. Lauren. Crawford plays an author and is the mistress of publisher Marshall. The scene where she and Garson (Marshall's wife) discuss the love triangle in Crawford's new book, both not knowing they are rivals in their own love triangle, is the highlight of the film. I love the two actresses and they look good together (with online reviewers commenting that the women should have ended up together), especially during the scene singing at the piano. Despite the big hair and broad shoulders (I don't like the fashion, costumes here by Adrian), I still love Joanie, and I intend to see more of Greer Garson. I also need to rewatch the 1933 version because I love Ann Harding and Myrna Loy and their memorable scene even more. By the way, the hairstyling got even credited (by Sydney Guilaroff). Directed by Robert Z. Leonard. ★★★½ / 20.03.2024
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Sought out REMEMBER? (MGM, 1939) for young Greer Garson (center). I didn't like the story premise of Robert Taylor (right) stealing the fiancée (Garson) of his best friend Lew Ayres (left) and I didn't really like the characters of our leading couple. Garson immediately has only eyes for Taylor and both were acting like Garson was not engaged at all and forgetting about poor Lew, though Lew himself was a sap to go easy on them and just accept it. Because of the preposterous plot turn near the end where Garson and Taylor lose their memory from the previous 6 months and are meeting each other for the first time again, Lew gets cheated on once more. Hollywood's Golden Year of 1939 surely also produced total duds. Billie Burke (always nice to see her), Reginald Owen, George Barbier, Henry Travers, Laura Hope Crews, Sara Haden and Sig Ruman lend support. Norman Z. McLeod directed. ★★ / 21.03.2024
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Mr. Chips [dying words]: "I thought I heard you saying it was a pity ... pity I never had any children. But you're wrong. I have. Thousands of them. Thousands of them ... and all boys."
GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS (MGM/Loew's Incorporated, 1939) has leading actor Robert Donat (right) take home the Oscar for Best Actor, hereby winning the coveted statue from, among others, James Stewart (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) and Clark Gable (Gone With the Wind). It's hard to beat James Stewart's portrayal of Mr. Smith (which should have won the statue, in my opinion), but Donat gives a warm and endearing performance as Mr. Chipping, a well-loved aged school teacher and former headmaster of a boarding school, who looks back on his life and career. What makes Donat's performance powerful is that he embodies his character so well. Not only is the old-age makeup done in a credible way (old Donat looks nothing like young Donat) but he also captures the walk and mannerism of old people perfectly. Greer Garson (left) in her debut as Donat's love interest and wife is an absolute delight. Donat's Mr. Chips is such a lonely and tender sweetheart that you wish him well and I was so happy that Garson came into his life and her character is exactly what he needed. She just sparkles and I have to say that the film definitely improved when she made her first appearance. Of course you can predict that Garson is not going to live a long life. The film gets a bit sentimental and there are moments when I had to fight back tears, but overall it's a charming and pleasant classic (might be a tad too long), with support by Paul Henreid and John Mills (in a very small part). Sam Wood directed. ★★★½ / 21.03.2024
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I prioritised watching the crime/action film LISBON (Republic Pictures, 1956) because I saw some favourable ratings on Letterboxd. I was disappointed and thought it was a lukewarm watch. Ray Milland (left, screenshot by me), who also directed, plays a smuggler, hired by Claude Rains to rescue the rich husband of Maureen O'Hara (right). I hadn't paid proper attention to the other woman, Yvonne Furneaux, because I couldn't predict from the start that she's the one Milland is romantically ending up with. This film has two major things going for it: the wonderful location shooting in Lisbon, in gorgeous colours. And the beautiful Miss O'Hara with her flaming red hair. That green dress! Oh, there's also a great fado song and the female singer is beautiful too. ★★½ / 23.03.2024
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MADAME CURIE (Loew's Incorporated/MGM, 1943) is a biopic about the famous female scientist Marie Curie and her husband scientist Pierre Curie who together discovered radium. It took me a while to get into this film but the part where they isolate the chemical element was so exciting. The film visualised the whole scientific process of the discovery of radium very well, including the harsh conditions under which the Curie couple had to perform this elaborate task. I also liked the attention paid to the courtship and romance between Greer Garson (left) and Walter Pidgeon (right) — their chemistry is so natural — and both make their deep love and admiration for each other palpable. I had already read about Pierre's death on his Wikipedia page and felt so sorry for Garson when the accident happened. When she reads his reminder note "Buy earrings for Marie", I got teary-eyed. Fine supporting cast of Henry Travers and May Whitty (as Pidgeon's lovable parents), Robert Walker, C. Aubrey Smith, Reginald Owen, Van Johnson and Margaret O'Brien (as the daughter of the Curies). Great cinematography by Joseph Ruttenberg, and Mervyn LeRoy directed. ★★★½ / 23.03.2024
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SCANDAL AT SCOURIE (MGM, 1953) must have the quickest child adoption in the history of cinema/mankind! Anyway, it's a harmless movie with a predictable plot, which I watched for Greer Garson (right) and Walter Pidgeon (left). They always convince as a married couple, as the actors seem so comfortable around each other. No wonder they made 8 films together of which this was their last. Little Donna Corcoran (center) as the orphan is a sweetheart. No big shakes here, yet still enjoyable. Also with Agnes Moorehead (in a tiny part as a nun) and Arthur Shields. Directed by Jean Negulesco. ★★½ / 24.03.2024
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It's time again for a silent film so I opted for WHY WORRY? (Hal Roach Studios, 1923), a Harold Lloyd (left) feature film where he pairs with the lovely Jobyna Ralston (right). It's a fun watch with plenty of nice gags but Lloyd's character of a hypochondriac rich kid is unlikeable and at first he doesn't deserve the love of Ralston, his caring nurse, at all. Of course he gets more likeable and he comes away as the hero as he frees the town from the rebels. I liked the scenes with Lloyd and the giant with a toothache (played by giant actor John Aasen). The gags where Lloyd tries to pull the tooth are very funny. Also the image of the dent in the horse's back after carrying the giant is a funny one. Not enough scenes with Lloyd and Ralston, though, but there's a lovely music score composed by Robert Israel. Directed by Fred C. Newmeyer and Sam Taylor. ★★★½ / 24.03.2024
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The comedy THE GAY DECEPTION (Fox Film Corporation, 1935) is less enjoyable than I had anticipated and it had everything to do with lead actor Francis Lederer (left) and his character. I'm not really fond of the actor himself and his character here is behaving very bold towards Frances Dee (right), e.g. ruining her hat while imposing as a bellboy. Also during the restaurant scene, this time imposing as a waiter, he was annoying and even obnoxious. I finally warmed up to him when Dee needed a dinner date and he was going to enlist the help of 'the agency of princes'. So there were some enjoyable moments but the romance is not convincing. Dee looks lovely, yet I didn't particularly like her character either. Fortunately she has decent chemistry with Lederer. Benita Hume, Alan Mowbray, Akim Tamiroff and Lionel Stander round out the cast (Tamiroff and Stander are also annoying). The great William Wyler directed. ★★½ / 24.03.2024
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THAT FORSYTE WOMAN (MGM, 1949), based on the 1906 novel The Man of Property, the first book in The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy, is a glossy soap-opera with a great cast: Errol Flynn, Greer Garson (left, screenshot by me), Walter Pidgeon (right), Robert Young, Janet Leigh and Harry Davenport. Yet despite the solid performances (especially Flynn's portrayal of Soames Forsyte is noteworthy), high production values, beautiful costumes (Walter Plunkett and Arlington Valles received an Oscar nomination for Best Costume Design, Colour) and lush Technicolor (Garson's red hair!), the film is clearly lacking. Compton Bennett (who??!!) directed and it's very likely that another director would have created a livelier and less uninspired production. Probably the biggest flaw is the unconvincing romance between Garson and Young. They have zero chemistry and the entire production suffers from it. It also baffles the mind how anyone would prefer Young over Flynn. Or Pidgeon, for that matter. I was surprised to see Garson share a happy ending with Pidgeon but from the start he was my favourite male character. I haven't read the source material but I can imagine this film isn't closely following the original, and now I'm actually curious to read the novel. One interesting titbit, which I'm quoting from Wikipedia: "Reportedly, Flynn was cast as the bohemian artist Jolyon and Pidgeon as the stuffy banker Soames. When they met on the set, and discovered that they both were tired of being typecast, they decided to switch roles." ★★★ / 24.03.2024
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Sought out the western ROCKY MOUNTAIN (Warner Bros, 1950) for Errol Flynn (right, behind the scenes) and because of the positive ratings online. Unfortunately, I was a bit underwhelmed, but I did enjoy the watch and liked the fact that it was such an unusual western, almost noir-like (a lot of scenes in the dark too), with Flynn playing a likeable and kind character. He's rather subdued, and I liked the gentle way he treated his men and Patrice Wymore (left). (By the way, Flynn and Wymore fell in love during the production and she became his 3rd and last wife.) The final action scene is impactful (a suicide mission to save the girl) and got me teary-eyed. Poor Errol! I also felt sorry for the boy, played by Dickie Jones, I really liked him. Fortunately his dog found a home with Wymore and her Yankee fiancé. Great scenery shots, with black-and-white photography by Ted McCord. Max Steiner composed the score and William Keighley directed. ★★★ / 25.03.2024
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THE ARGYLE SECRETS (Eronel Productions, 1948) is a stylish production, something I hadn't expected. Probably UCLA (Film & Television Archive) thought the film was worth preserving because I watched their crisp restored print online. The plot was convoluted, something to do with a book containing the names of American war traitors and Nazi Germany. William Gargan (right) plays a framed reporter, a role that I think would have suited Edmond O'Brien perfectly. The characters are mostly unlikeable, including Gargan and the female lead Marjorie Lord (left). With some film noir touches (e.g. voice-over) and great black-and-white photography by Mack Stengler, this was an okay watch. Directed by Cy Endfield. ★★½ / 27.03.2024
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THE COURT JESTER (Dena Enterprises/Paramount, 1955) had been sitting on my watchlist for some time now (because of the positive reviews) and now I craved a fun watch so I hit the play button on this one. Fortunately it totally lived up to its reputation and I was laughing out loud numerous times (e.g. with the finger snapping gag). Danny Kaye (center) is such a great comedian, here ably supported by Glynis Johns (right), Basil Rathbone, Angela Lansbury (left), Cecil Parker and Mildred Natwick. There's some brilliant wordplay (especially the sequence with "the pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon; the vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true") and I also liked the songs (in particular the lullaby Kaye is singing to the royal baby — love his singing voice!). Yet probably most memorable is the final sword duel between Rathbone and Kaye. This was Rathbone's final sword fight on film, and reportedly he was impressed with Kaye's newly acquired skill and speed. Kaye looked rather dashing in the white shirt during the last fight. Directed by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama. ★★★★ / 27.03.2024
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Main appeal of the silent feature film WHERE ARE MY CHILDREN? (Lois Weber Productions, 1916) is seeing cute Tyrone Power Jr. (front, bottom photo, screenshot by me) at two years old near the end of the film in a scene with his screen parents, who are being played by Tyrone Power Sr. (right, top gif) and Helen Riaume (left, top gif) and are also his real-life parents. Apart from baby Tyrone, the film is noteworthy because of its topics of abortion, birth control and eugenics. It was also great to see Tyrone Power Sr. (you can see where Tyrone's eyebrows are coming from!) in the leading role as the district attorney who wants children, unaware that his wife had three abortions in secret. The ending with baby Tyrone as a ghost baby shows the family together and what could have been. Directed by Lois Weber and Phillips Smalley. ★★★½ / 28.03.2024
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ADVENTURE (MGM, 1945) feels like a mixed bag. Its storyline is rather confusing, with lead actors Clark Gable (center) and Greer Garson (left) lacking a bit in the chemistry department, still they're not as bad together as I thought they would be. Their characters are supposed to be mismatched, having different lifestyles. Gable does have much better chemistry with Joan Blondell (right), as well as with Thomas Mitchell. Garson is lovely, though, I also like her character. Gable on the other hand is quite unlikeable and annoying, and doesn't really deserve her. The drama tries to be profound, tries to say something meaningful about spiritual fulfilment, but it misses the mark. It's also overstaying its welcome with a runtime of over two hours. John Qualen, Richard Haydn and Harry Davenport play supporting parts and Victor Fleming directed. By the way, this drama was Gable's first film after serving in WWII, the film poster trying to lure audiences into the cinema with the (since then well-known) line "Gable's back and Garson's got him!". ★★½ / 28.03.2024
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For my last film of March, I watched 36 HOURS (Perlberg-Seaton Productions / Cherokee Productions / MGM, 1964) with my sister. The story of an American major kidnapped by the Germans (they deceive him by claiming that the war has ended and try to extract details from him concerning the Allied invasion in Europe) is an appealing one. Though it's a solid and enjoyable film, with good performances by James Garner (left), Eva Marie Saint (right) and Rod Taylor, it lacks tension and never gets truly exciting or thrilling. Photography by Philip H. Lathrop (with some great chiaroscuro shots) and based on a story by Roald Dahl. George Seaton directed. ★★★ / 31.03.2024
Here is the breakdown in decades of the 20 watched films:
1900s - 0
1910s - 1
1920s - 1
1930s - 6
1940s - 7
1950s - 4
1960s - 1
1900s - 0
1910s - 1
1920s - 1
1930s - 6
1940s - 7
1950s - 4
1960s - 1
Below is a publicity still from Rocky Mountain with Errol Flynn (right). Very cute!
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See you with the following round-up!
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