Carole Gets Married, Sorta

This week, we look at a very pre-code (though it was released in December of 1934, after the code was being enforced) Lombard film The Gay Bride.  Released in 1934, Lombard plays Mary, a woman determined to land herself a wealthy husband, even if his "job" is not exactly legal.  Her "mark" is Shoots Magiz (played by Nat Pendleton), a rather dopey, but deadly bootlegger, who is feeling the results of the repeal of Prohibition.  Shoots' assistant, Office Boy (also known as Jimmy, and played by Chester Morris), takes an immediate dislike to the gold-digging Mary, but still tries to warn her that a marriage to Shoots has no prospects, either financially or health-wise.  Mary, however, is convinced that she can amass enough money in the marriage to set herself up for life (and if Shoots' life span is shortened, all the better). 

Let's just start by saying that, wonderful as Lombard always is, her Mary is hard to like.  She is involved with the mob for the money, and does not care how Shoots, or his inevitable successor GETS that money.  She is constantly warned of the dangers, by Office Boy and by her best friend Mirabelle (ZaSu Pitts), but ignores them until she is in so deep that it seems there is no way out.  And while Shoots is a blithering idiot who is easily manipulated by the much smarter Mary, her relations with Dan Dingle (Sam Hardy) and Mickey the Greek (Leo Carillo) demonstrate that she is going from bad to worse to HORRIBLE.

Much of the comedy comes from ZaSu Pitts' rather mournful countenance, as she watches Mary get deeper into trouble.  But, Lombard holds her own comedy-wise, as she flits from man to man, in search of her fortune.  Of particular note is a scene in which Mary decides to get rid of her ill-gotten gains.

Clearly, this is a film that must have squeaked by the censors, for certainly Mary is a prostitute, living with criminals, yet is not punished for it.  Take a look at the costuming in the movie - it has some marvelous dresses designed for Lombard by Dolly Tree. Of particular note was a "mourning dress" that she wears in the middle of the film.  Take a look at this clip for a glimpse into the film:

Next week, a film from the 1940s.

Carole Gets Foolish

After a bit of a pause, thanks to the holiday season, we return to our blog posts.  We are revisiting Carole Lombard, beginning with her 1938's Fools for Scandal.  In it, Ms. Lombard is Kay Winters, a movie star trying to tour Paris incognito.  She runs into Rene (Fernand Gravet), a man so broke he has to keep pawning his only two suits of clothing.  He is fascinated with her, and begins to pursue her romantically.  She finds him attractive, but is in France with her boyfriend Phillip Chester (Ralph Bellamy), and has all but promised to marry him.  Of course, hijinks ensue.

This is a VERY odd movie. For one thing, it cannot decide if it is a comedy, romance or musical.  We have Ms. Lombard and Mr. Gravet speaking the lyrics (a la Rex Harrison) of a Rogers and Hart song Fool for Scandal.  According to The Richard Rogers Reader (available on GoogleBooks) and Lorenz Hart.org, several other songs were dropped from the film.  And while the film has this song and two others, it isn't REALLY a musical (and it probably doesn't help that the leads can't sing!!)

That being said, this film is goofy and fun.  We particularly enjoyed a scene in which a newly awakened Kay is visited by all the women she knows, eager to discover if she spent the night with Rene. Lombard's sarcastic digs at the women (in particular her "friend" Lady Paula Malverton, played with some degree of bitchiness by Isabel Jeans)  Also hysterical was a scene in Ralph Bellamy does a little dance of joy.  

Lombard is, as always a joy.  Gravet, who did not have a huge career, is fine as Rene.  Ralph Bellamy is his usual (in this era) nebishy self, but still funny.  While not one of her best, this is a film that is worth a viewing, if only to see Carole attempt a song.

Little Boy and Girl Lost, Circa 1942

The war has just started in America at the end of 1942's Journey for Margaret, but has been a factor in the lives of two small children for three years.  We meet war correspondent John Davis (Robert Young) and his wife Nora (Laraine Day) as the reach England, having just gotten out of France ahead of the Nazis.  They find a nation ravaged by nightime blitzes.  As John wanders the land, in search of stories for his column, he witnesses the bombing of a house, and helps to rescue a small boy, Peter (William Severn) whose mother has died.  Some time later, his wife gone back to America in despair (during a raid, she lost her unborn child, and the ability to have another), John meets Peter and another child, Margaret (Margaret O'Brien) in the orphanage of Trudy Strauss (Fay Bainter), a European refugee who has devoted her life to helping the orphans of her new country.

This is a truly touching movie that pulls no punches.  Witness the first time we meet Margaret - she is being returned to the orphanage by her adoptive "mother", a woman too busy with her social life to pay attention to this needy child who punishes her for crying.  Young Peter is unable to talk; the return of a stuffed lamb that John had inadvertently placed in his pocket turns out to be the key to his return to normalcy.  Another child screams any time she sees a man - it was a man who pulled her from the horror of her bombed home.  The film not only gives us a look at the war's effect on the children, but on adults as well. Our hearts ached for the older couple who long to adopt a child, but cannot seem to make emotional contact with either Peter or Margaret (we all hoped that another child would be offered to this loving people).

Robert Young is just wonderful here, as is Laraine Day (who leaves the action midway through the film). And Fay Bainter is just lovely as a woman who refuses to surrender on any of her young charges.  Finally, there are the children.  It goes without saying that Margaret O'Brien can break your heart (watch her breakdown when Trudi gives her "permission" to cry), but equally good is William Severn as Peter.  A young man with a very short film career, Severn is splendid as the anchor of the film.

This is a jewel of a picture.  Give it a try.  In the interim, take a look at the trailer:

Little Boy Lost circa 1948

This week, we begin a brief look at children during the Second World War with two outstanding flims.  Our first film is The Search, a quasi-documentary about a little refugee boy after the war.  Ivan Jandl gives a wonderful performance as Karel/James, a child whose only memories of life have been been his years at Austhwitz.  His story is told parallel to that of his mother, Hanna Malik (Jarmila Novotna), who, since her release from a camp, has been wandering throughout Europe trying to find her only surviving relative - her little son.

This is an immensely powerful tale.  The pain of mother and child is told without melodrama; we learn very little of what they actually suffered, but their suffering is apparent, most prominently displayed by the haze which now protects Karel from the world.  In the midst of this, "Steve" Stevenson (Montgomery Clift, in his first starring role) appears.  This scarecrow of a child intrigues Steve, and he brings the boy home with him.  He feeds him, bathes him, clothes him, and begins to teach him. And begins to love him.  Clift's performance, like that of all our actors, is both subtle and controlled.  We read his emotions in his eyes.  Again, there is no over-dramatics in his performance - just pure, human emotion.

Finally, we tip our respective hats to the ever wonderful Aline MacMahon as Mrs. Murray, the head of the UNRRA camp in which both Karel and Hanna find themselves.  She is all calmness and restraint as she listens to horror stories told with frightening matter-of-factness by children who should be worried about their homework, not whether they can survive another day.  Watch her as she listens to her translator relate the story of a young girl who learned of her mother's death when she was forced to sort the clothing of victims of the Nazi death chambers.  It will bring tears to your eyes. This trailer will give you just a brief impression of the impact of this impressive film:

A couple of interesting pieces of trivia: Jarmila Novotna was an opera singer, as well as an actess, and Ivan Jandl spoke no English - he learned his lines phonetically.  

Next week, we visit with an earlier film about children in the War.  Please join us.

The Real Joan Crawford

As we leave Ms. Crawford for awhile, we ended our viewing with Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star, a TCM production from 2002. The documentary, narrated by the wonderful Angelica Huston, looks at Crawford's life, through the lens of her films.  It does not shirk the issues that came from Joan's daughter's autobiography, Mommie Dearest. In fact, Christina is interviewed, and at times does shed some insight into her mother. Of course, Christina's bitterness towards the difficult mother-daughter relationship is quite obvious. The documentary also looks at the issues that resulted from Joan's inclusion in the notorious "box office poison" list.  Luckily for us all, Ms. Crawford managed to prove that she was far from being a has-been - some of her greatest roles, of course, came after that horrid incident.

It was a treat to see clips of some of the films we were unable to see, like Crawford's early silents, and films like Mannequin (which I personally have wanted to see for awhile).  The documentary presents, in a 90 minute slot, a real look at the many faces of Crawford - the flapper, the party girl, the romantic lead, the melodrama actress, and the scream queen.  It also demonstrates the breath of her work; she really covered a wide range of film genres.  Taken over several months, one can lose track of how versatile she was.  Seen in such a short time, her talent is even more evident.

We thought that some comment on the whole Mommie Dearest controversy deserved some notice here.  Having read her autobiography, I had no doubt that Christina was abused.  However, I think that, on some levels, she vilified her mother for things that, in another circumstance, would not be looked at twice.  Take Crawford's determination to not overindulge her children with Christmas gifts.  The children publicly opened all the gifts they were sent (by fans, co-stars, fellow film studio workers, family); afterwards, the gifts were taken away. Most were given to charity. Is this cruelty? When one thinks of the number of gifts these kids probably received, probably not? Did Crawford take it to extremes? I think probably she did.  And then, there is the incident of the 60ish Crawford replacing her 30ish daughter on a soap opera, when Christina took ill.  Did Christina never consider that it is possible that her mother saved her job? Crawford stepped out when Christina recovered.  How many other actresses on soaps lost their roles to their successors? Luckily, Christina never found out.

So, for a look at the real woman, keep an eye out for this excellent documentary.  And join us next week as we view another film.

Joan Shines (Well, not quite)

Our film this time is Crawford's 1938 melodrama The Shining Hour. Crawford is Olivia (Maggie) Riley, a nightclub singer who weds Harry Linden (Melvyn Douglas) and moves with him to his farm (really big, wealthy farm) in Wisconsin.  The new couple moves in with Harry's brother David (Robert Young), sister-in-law Judy (Margaret Sullavan), and much older sister Hannah (Fay Bainter).  Unfortunately, what we have here is not one big, happy family - it rather more resembles the Ewings of Dallas - lots in infighting, jealousy, and sexual tension.  It seems that David, who is one of these guys who is never satisfied with what he has, develops an infatuation of Olivia. She begins to respond, but fights it, by urging her husband to build them a new home away from the family mansion, which he does.  And then there is Hannah, who hates this competition for her brother's affection, and makes it perfectly clear that Olivia is not welcome.  Moving out seems like it should be the perfect solution, however, problems pursue them to their new abode.

The real problem with the movie is that the characters just don't ring true, especially our supporting characters.  Judy is just WAY too sweet and self-sacrificing.  Our group felt that David needed a good swift kick - or the corned Judy demanding BIG alimony.  And then there is Hannah. Without giving too much away, her bitchy treatment of Olivia, her domineering attitude towards her brothers and her home were one thing, but then there is a scene close to the end where she gets, well, VERY strange indeed.  We won't even talk about the last scene.  We wondered if the character had had a brain transplant; we though manic-depression medications might actually be in order.  As to Robert Young, whom we all like as a general rule, he is annoying and self-centered  throughout the film. Then again, David is supposed to be annoying and self-centered, so Young is doing his job. 

Douglas and Crawford are good here, but the script makes it hard to really sink ones' teeth into anything.  What we really enjoyed was the relationship between Crawford and Hattie McDaniel (here playing Belvedere, Maggie's maid and confidante).  One thing that really surprised us was a scene in which Olivia leaps out of her car, runs to Belevedere and embraces her.  1938, and a white woman is hugging a black woman!  It was lovely, genuine and somewhat astounding.  And, of course McDaniel makes YOU want to hug Belvedere as well.

Next  time, we'll be doing a film that is slightly different from our norm.  Join us then. In the meantime, here is a trailer:

Joan Visits Montana

This time, we visit with a VERY early Crawford talkie, Montana Moon.  Released in 1930, Montana Moon immediately calls up images of Singin' in the Rain with all the scenes of the beginning of talkies that we think of in that movie.  Joan plays Joan Prescott, a party girl who abandons her friends while in Montana.  Her sister has fallen in love with Jeff (Ricardo Cortez), but he keeps making advances on Joan, so she escapes, planning to return to New York.  However, she runs into local cowboy Larry, lives his free and easy outdoor life, falls in love, and marries him.  Then, she tries to convert him to her wild, party ways.  Of course, Larry is a fish out of water; and then there is Jeff, who is still in hot pursuit of Joan, regardless of her marital status and his relationship with her sister Elizabeth (Dorothy Sebastian).

The movie tries to be a little bit of everything. We have a love story, a cowboy yarn, dancing (Cortez and Crawford to a mean tango), singing (Cliff "Ukulele Ike" Edwards, better known as the voice of Jiminy Cricket), comedy (banter by Edwards and Benny Rubin), and drama. In a sense, the movie really doesn't KNOW what it wants to be.  But, we know that the film is also testing its talking "legs" here.  A little bit of everything, one suspects, will help the studio to understand just what the public expects from a talking film.

The fact that the actors are just out of silents is very obvious here. We still have some of the grand hand gestures and facial emphasis that we are used to in silent films.  An early scene between Crawford and Sebastian is a case in point, as they seem to flail around to make their point.  You can see this scene here:

Gestures that in silents were used to good purpose seem out of place here, when the words are telling us the story.  Crawford would quickly learn how to better use her body when she was speaking. In this film, you can see her practicing.  The film will also introduce you to future cowboy star, Johnny Mack Brown.  Brown would spend most of his long (40 year) career in westerns.  Another actor to watch is Ricardo Cortez; born Jacob Krantz.   He was introduced to the public as a "Latin Lover", but had a decent career well into talkies (finally retiring to his roots - Wall Street, where he had started as a runner).

This isn't a great movie, but we enjoyed it for it's historic value.  It's a glance into a period we've all experienced in other films.  It is nice to see the results of the change to sound.

Joan Gets Jilted

Based on a play which starred Tallulah Bankhead, Forsaking All Others (1934) is an absolutely delightful film.  With an exceptional cast, which includes Ms. Crawford, Clark Gable, Robert Montgomery, Billie Burke, and a brief appearance by Rosalind Russell; and a screenplay by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, the viewer is given a delightful 84 minutes of great acting and witty dialogue.  Joan's Mary Clay is preparing for her long-anticipated wedding to her childhood friend Dillon Todd (Robert Montgomery).  The day before her wedding, unsuspecting Jeff Williams (Clark Gable) returns from Spain, with enough money to propose to Mary, whom he has loved since they were children.  His disappointment is palpable when he discovers he is too late, but rather than burden the ecstatic Mary, he agrees to give away the bride.  Come the day of the wedding, however, Mary learns that Dill has eloped with his former paramour Connie Barnes (Frances Drake).  Mary tries to start over without Dill, but when he renews his pursuit of her, she begins to succumb to his charms.

The script is just full of little bon mots, like "I saw [a fan dance] with electric fans once, it was awful" that keep you giggling through the movie, along with sight gags like Robert Montgomery sound asleep in a lacy nightie.  And you can't do better than this cast.  Gable is just commanding as Jeff.  He conveys so much by just LOOKING; all his hurt and love shine out of his eyes.  And Crawford was never more endearing.  Even when she is about to mess up her life totally by returning to Dill, you still adore her, and just want her find her way to Jeff.  Robert Montgomery, a versatile actor who played everything from the love interest, lunatic, war hero, and second banana, walks a very thin rope here. He manages to keep Dill appealing, while you still want him to lose the girl. A hard job, but Montgomery is more than up to the task.

Finally, a word about another performance: that of Billie Burke as Mary's dear friend, Paula. One is so used to seeing Ms. Burke as a ditz, that it is a pleasure to see her play someone with some sense.  Yes, Paula is still a bit of a nut, but she is sensible and loving. Her regard for Mary know no limitation, and she does everything in her power to protect this girl who is nearly her own child.

This film is not shown enough. It should be shown more.  Next time it is around, do see it.

Joan is Possessed (for the First Time)

Joan Crawford made two movies named Possessed. We already looked at the 1947 film (with Van Heflin); this time we look at an interesting pre-Code film of the same name (from 1931), co-starring Clark Gable.  Crawford is Marion, a factory worker with an eye towards bigger thing. When she meets a New York playboy while his train is laying over in her town, she accepts his invitation to come and see her in NYC,  and follows him to the big city. Here, we see their meeting:  

Of course, Wally Stuart (Skeets Gallagher) is not in the least serious about wanting to see her.  Constantly drunk, he barely remembers her, but he decides he owes her some "good" advice - meet a rich man, and take him for all he is worth. Though, he - Wally - will not introduce her to any of his friends.  Marion, however takes his advice immediately to heart, and maneuvers herself back into his apartment, where he meets Mark Whitney (Clark Gable), a wealthy lawyer, with visions of a political future.  Whitney is immediately smitten with Marion, but, the victim in a bad marriage, he has no intention of wedding again.  Instead, he sets Marion up as a wealthy divorcee, Mrs. Moreland, and she becomes his hostess and lover.

Crawford's Marion is so very likeable in this film.  Even her machinations to meet Mark are down with a down-to-earth honesty that makes you truly like her character.  The same is true for Gable's Whitney.  He is a man who has been burnt, but his regard for Marion is true. He does love her, treats her with respect and love, but is unwilling to risk losing her - he says - by marrying her.  

Another fairly interesting performance is that of Wallace Ford as Al Manning, Marion's small-town boyfriend.  He is most interesting when we meet him again in the film, after he has become a success.  Watch for the confrontation between the two of them, and then watch his reaction when he realizes that she has the ability to make or break him.  It is a fascinating turn.  We also liked the brief appearance by Marjorie White as the mistress of one of Mark's associates.  It is a wonderful part, but the way Crawford and Gable interact with her is just lovely and subtle.  Kudos especially to Crawford here - her silent training - especially her ability to use her eyes to tell you so much more than the words of the story reveal, are easy to see.

Join us next time for another early film.

Joan Runs

Two years after Clark Gable followed Claudette Colbert to Jericho, he was again portraying a reporter in pursuit of an heiress in 1936's Love on the Run.  Gable plays Michael Anthony, an eager reporter in competition with his best friend and roommate Barnabas Pells (Franchot Tone).  The men are unimpressed with the two stories that they need to cover (an interview with an aviator, or the wedding of an heiress) - they flip a coin, and Michael loses.  Donning top hat and tails, he heads off to cover the wedding of Sally Parker (Crawford) to expatriate Prince Igor.  However, what begins for Michael as a bore, becomes an adventure as he watches the bride run OUT of the church, sans groom, and barricade herself in a hotel room.  Michael convinces her he is NOT a reporter, and the two dash off in a series of fairly silly adventures, with Barnabas in hot pursuit.

This is nowhere as good a movie as It Happened One Night (which is what it wants to be.  One can almost see L.B. Mayer growling that he wants Gable reproducing the story for HIM - after Mayer loaned Gable to Columbia as a punishment!!), but it is fun and Gable and Crawford are a delightful pairing.  Adding to the amusement is the knowledge that Crawford and TONE were spouses, but clearly - on film - the spark is with Gable.  When they are on screen together, you really can't take your eyes off them.

One really outstanding supporting performance here - Donald Meek as the caretaker of the Palace of Fontainbleau.  Having lived alone for many years, the caretaker delights in his imaginary dog, Bismark and looks forward to visitations from ghosts.  Crisp is an absolute riot, and Gable and Crawford especially join in the fun with him.  (Plus, you get Gable dancing in costume. You can't beat that). We won't go into the fact that three people are able to break into the Palace and sleep for the night.  It is just a little too outlandish.

All in all, this is a film well worth your time if you would like a little laugh.  Here's a trailer to get you started:

Joan Teaches the Blind (and Deaf)

None of us had ever seen 1957's The Story of Esther Costello before this viewing and it was definitely a pleasant surprise. Ms. Crawford plays Margaret Landi, a wealthy American woman on a visit to the town of her birth to make a donation to the village church in Cloncraig, Ireland,  Father Devlin (Denis O'Dea), however, has other ideas, and introduces Margaret to Esther Costello (Heather Sears), a local girl being raised in squalor after her mother was killed and Esther was left deaf and blind.  With some reluctance, Margaret agrees to have some tests run to confirm the severity of Esther's condition.  The tests show no physiological reason for Esther's condition, but also emphasize the need to get her some training, to enable her to live a more normal life.  Again, Margaret is reluctant to go further, but Esther's eagerness to learn impresses her.  Ultimately, she bring Esther back to America with her, becoming not only her patron, but her teacher and dearest friend. 

The movie's portrayal of the education process for the deaf-blind is extremely interesting, especially the way in which Esther is taught to lip read, and to communicate with those who cannot do sign language.  Esther's education covers the beginning of the movie; the second part of the movie is devoted to Margaret's attempts to raise money for Esther's school, a process that becomes badly corrupted when Margaret's estranged husband, Carlo (Rossano Brazzi) reappears on the scene.  Brazzi is properly slimy, as he uses sex to reclaim Margaret, then begins to cast his eye in the direction of the innocent Esther.

Some interesting guest appearances in this movie: Bessie Love has a brief scene with Brazzi as an art gallery patron; John Loder appears as a friend of Margaret's (we never see him after Esther goes to school. A shame really).  His voice did not sound the same as we remembered - we wondered if it had been dubbed for some reason?  Lee Patterson as reporter Harry Grant, Esther's love interest, was a pleasant surprise for some of our viewers - they remembered him from his later work in One Life to Live.

But the person who really steals the movie is Heather Sears as Esther.  She manages to convey so much in a part that is not only mute, but limited in the use of her eyes (Esther, after all is blind as well).  Ms. Sears (who won the Best Actress award from BAFTA for her work here) is marvelously expressive.  She had a limited film career, appearing in film and on television in the U.K. 

This is also a surprisingly adult movie.  Without giving too much away, watch for the scene, towards the end, when Crawford finds a nearly comatose Sears on the floor of her bedroom.  Then watch as Crawford tries to get the traumatized girl back to bed.  Your mind will tell you what she is actually seeing, while the screen shows you something else.  A tasteful, and telling, piece of film direction.

All in all, another Crawford film that is underrated and worth your time. Next time, we go to a much earlier film.  In the meantime, here is a trailer from our movie this week:

Joan Goes to Greece

Thanks to TCM's latest "Summer Under the Stars", we've been able to assemble a number of Joan Crawford (and Carole Lombard) movies that we had none of us seen before.  We look forward to sharing them with you in the coming weeks.  This week, we again visited with Ms. Crawford in her 1935 film I Live My Life. Joan is a young society girl Kay Bentley , on a cruise through the Greek Islands with her father (played beautifully by Frank Morgan).  While riding her rented donkey on Naxos, she stumbles (literally) on the archeology site that is being excavated by Terry O'Neill (Brian Aherne). It doesn't take long for Terry to fall head over heels for Kay (though he thinks she is a secretary on the yacht), but Kay resists his charms. For awhile.  When he follows her to New York, she is truly smitten.  But complications, as they say, ensue.  The course of true love is rather rocky, especially with two such wonderfully headstrong people.

Crawford is gorgeous here, and the chemistry between her an Aherne fairly smokes.  As we know from Ann Blyth's introduction to Ms. Crawford on TCM, Joan was a small woman - barely 5 feet tall. Mr. Aherne, however, was 6'3" - together, they make a fairly arresting couple. Crawford's gowns, by Adrian, are lovely; we rather drooled to try some of them on! (And the sight of the attractive Mr. Aherne in a tuxedo was nothing to sneeze at!).  Crawford pokes fun at herself in one scene, commenting on the amount of money she spends on her manicures and on her eyebrows.  She doesn't mention her EYELASHES! She could dust the windows with those eyelashes.

We enjoyed Frank Morgan as Crawford's loving father.  It seems at first that he will betray her, but he is impressive in his affection for his daughter - ready to give up everything he has to make her happy.  And, while you will have to wait awhile for her to show up, it is worth the wait to see Jessie Ralph as Joan's grandmother, the frightening Mrs. Gage.  She is an absolute hoot, and you will enjoy her tremendously.

All in all, this is a fun film, with a great cast and a really nice script.  If you get a chance, see it. You won't regret it. In the meantime, we can direct you to a scene from the film:

Cougar Joan

This time, we are going forward in Ms. Crawford's career to her 1956 film Autumn Leaves.  Joan plays a lonely spinster, Milly Weatherby, who works from her home as a typist, and has given up on finding someone with whom to share her life.  One day, as she eats alone in a crowded restaurant, she is interrupted by a young man - the restaurant is crowded, could he eat with her, rather than wait for a table.  Though Millie is reluctant, she agrees, and finds herself drawn to the rather odd Burt Hanson (Cliff Roberson).  They date; she breaks it off - primarily because she is in her early forties, while Burt is about 30.  Burt however, will have none of this, and continues to pursue her, finally convincing her to marry him.  Though happy with him, Millie finds that Burt is lying to her, first about small things (like the daily presents he brings her) and finally a huge one - revealed when his ex-wife (Vera Miles as Virginia Hanson) shows up at their door.

In the hands of a different director, we felt this little melodrama could have been quite touching.  But directed by Robert Aldrich, famous for action pictures like The Dirty Dozen and the ultimate in horror camp, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, this film goes WAY over the top.  Witness Cliff Robertson's performance, as Burt becomes ill.  Had it been AFTER 1960, we would have said he was (badly) aping Anthony Perkins in Psycho.  However, we can't use that excuse here; Robertson is all but required to froth at the mouth to portray Burt's descent into madness (gee, couldn't Aldrich have watched such subtle performances as the Olivia de Havilland in The Snake Pit, and Ray Milland in The Lost Weekend?)  Poor Joan is left trying to make Milly sympathetic - which she does do, but it is a lot of work!

We did enjoy seeing Vera Miles, even though the part is small. Ms. Miles is catty, manipulative, and having a relationship with her father-in-law that is quite sickening. Here she is meeting Milly for the first time:

And watch for Lorne Greene, pre-Bonanza, already playing older than his years. Like Ms. Miles, his character is totally reprehensible, more than he really needs to be.  

On the plus side, it was a genuine pleasure to hear the title song sung by Nat King Cole! And Ms. Crawford really is able to make the most of minimal script to give a well-rounded character.

More Crawford coming up soon - and some Carole Lombard (we hope), thanks to Summer Under the Stars!

Mogel Joan

This week, we were able to get hold of 1942's They All Kissed the Bride.  In it, Joan Crawford plays Margaret J. Drew, the head of a trucking company. She is a stern boss, with a passel of rules for her employees, which makes her despised and dreaded by her truck drivers. Enter Michael Holmes (Melvyn Douglas) who is publishing articles on her tyrannies, much to her ire.  Michael meets her (though she doesn't know who he is) when he crashes the wedding of MJ's younger sister Suzie (Mary Treen).  Rapidly, MJ and Michael become involved as he tries to loosen up this very up-tight lady.  She, however is immediately attracted to this unknown man.

This is a particularly odd little movie.  First of all, the title has NOTHING to do with the plot. We barely see the bride, in fact, we see more of her groom as the action progresses.  Also, the film can't decide if it wants to be a screwball comedy or a romance.  Clearly filmed (at some point) after the start of World War II, it makes only passing reference to the war, and there is no implication that all the male characters will soon be deep into the fighting.  And Crawford's MJ is rather annoying.  She WANTS to be the head of her father's company, but she acts like a total idiot when she meets Michael.  Oh, sure, love at first sight and all that, but really!! There is no way anyone could efficiently run a conglomerate like MJ does, yet be such a blithering moron.  Poor Melvyn Douglas doesn't get to do much better, really.  Michael is pretty much as silly - and he KNOWS who MJ is. At least she has the excuse of ignorance.

Some good supporting actors here - Billie Burke is very sweet (and of course, addled) as MJ's mother;  and Roland Young is rather likeable as MJ's business associate, Mr. Marsh.  Here's a scene where she meets Allen Jenkins:

 But in the long run, one rather wishes the authors and director had made a decision about which direction they wanted the picture to take.  Instead, they end up with a mishmash that never does find its genre.

Joan's on a Caper

We follow with another Joan Crawford movie from 1937; this time The Last of Mrs. Cheyney, with Crawford as the title character, Fay Cheyney, Robert Montgomery as Lord Arthur Dilling, and William Powell as Fay's butler Charles. Or IS Charles the butler? THAT is one of the questions in this delightful comedy.  Fay meets Arthur when she accidentally ends up in his stateroom on a trans-Atlantic trip.She becomes the darling of his social circle, finally getting a treasured invitation to the estate of Arthur's wealthy aunt, the Duchess of Ebley.  But is everything on the up and up? And WHY is Charles so familiar to Arthur?

The person who really shines in this film is the always wonderful William Powell.  It is hard to resist a film that has Mr. Powell in it.  Understated, attractive, dignified,  compassionate - he is everything one would want in a man.  And his Charles, though suspicious, is always good and kind to Kay.  Also fun to watch is Frank Morgan as Kay's suitor Lord Kelton, and Nigel Bruce as Willie, who WOULD be a suitor if he weren't married.  As with so many MGM movies, the magic is as much in the supporting cast as in the stars.

The Last of Mrs. Cheyney is based on a 1925 London and Broadway play, which starred Helen Hayes as Fay in the New York cast.  It also had 3 directors, the result of the sudden death of the listed director, Richard Boleslawski. Interestingly, the film was completed by Dorothy Arzner, the director of our last film.

Join us next time for another Crawford film. 

Joan Sees "Red"

This week, we return to Joan Crawford with her 1937 outing The Bride Wore Red.  Anni Pavlovitch (Joan Crawford) is a singer in a cheap dancehall. One night, her performance is seen by aristocrats Count Armalia (George Zucco) and his friend, Rudi Pal (Robert Young). The Count bets Rudi that he could take a member of the lower class, and pass her off as an aristocrat.  Rudi laughs off the suggestion, and leaves; to prove his point, the Count offers Anni a two-week vacation, all expenses paid, in an elite resort, on the proviso that she convinces Rudi she is, in fact Anna Vivaldi, an aristocrat.  Anni is soon buying clothing, including a gaudy red evening gown - something she has desired her whole life - and is off to the country to live a life of leisure for two weeks.  However, she soon decides she would rather continue to live the life of an aristocrat - by seducing and marrying the already-engaged Rudi.  

Filmed during the period of time when Crawford was married to Franchot Tone (who plays the peasant Guilio, the postmaster who loves Anni at first sight), the movie is a bit slow in pace.  Crawford is excellent as Anni, but it is rather hard to understand why Guilio remains interested in her while she repeatedly is nasty to him; just as it is equally hard to understand why Maddalena Monti (Lynne Carver) stays true to Rudi.  We know early on he is a cad and philanderer.  Why such a nice girl would stay with him is a mystery.

Much of our discussion focused on Robert Young.  Though a good actor, he never really seemed to find his niche before he landed on TV.  On the small screen he easily engaged the audience, whereas on the big screen he always seems overshadowed by his costars.  Here too, Crawford and Tone are much more dynamic than Young.  It is hard to understand, money withstanding, why Anni would feel anything for Rudi.  Even as a skunk, he is rather banal.  

Certainly worth a look for this wonderful cast.  And be on the lookout for Mary Phillips as Maria, a former employee of Anni's dance hall who has found a better life as a maid in the resort; and for Dickie Moore as Guilio's young cousin Pietro.  They add to the film immeasurably. You'll also get a chance to hear Crawford sing.  Here is a clip: 

 
It is also worth noting that the film was directed by Dorothy Arzner, the only female director of this period.

All Singing, All Dancing?

This week, we decided to try a musical as we waited for more Crawford or Lombard movies to show up in the pipeline.  Our choice was Good News starring June Allyson (as library assistant and French tutor Connie Lane) and Peter Lawford (as football hero Tommy Marlowe).  Our stars are college students who become involved with one another when Tommy decides he needs to learn French to impress recent transfer Pat McClellan (played by Patricia Marshall).

This is fun, if odd little movie. Some really cute dance routines, but with the most remarkably unmusical cast you have ever seen.  Only Mel Torme (as Danny) can really sing.  Certainly Allyson and Lawford did not have the greatest sets of pipes in the business, though their dancing is indeed earnest.  Surprisingly, even the second string player (particularly Joan McCracken as Babe Doolittle)are not really what one could call singers.  Regardless, it is an enjoyable film.  We, the viewers, however, did want to take Tommy and launch him into another solar system for his casual attitude towards our heroine, Connie.

On the DVD of this film, there is a cut number. According to the notes, it was removed because it slowed down the action.  We decided to take a look, and found that we agreed. It's a shame though; it was the only chance Patricia Marshall had a chance to sing), and June Allyson had on the most attractive evening gown! So much nicer than the Peter Pan collar numbers she is forced to wear in the rest of the picture!  Here is a clip of a number that did NOT slow down the action - "The Varsity Drag":

We were not familiar with either Ms. Marshall or Ms. McCracken, and their history is rather interesting.  For Ms. Marshall, this was basically her only film (she would appear one more time, almost 30 years later in The Prisoner of Second Avenue). She returned to New York, and appeared in the casts of Mr. Wonderful and Pajama Game. She married Larry Gelbart, and was with him until his death in 2009.  Joan McCracken had nearly as short a career; she did some television work, and married Bob Fosse in 1951 (they divorced in 1959, but he remained a source of support for her until her death in 1961.

So, do take a look at Good News. It's lots of fun, and you'll get to see two actresses you'll not see again.

Myrna Sues Jean?

As we wait for a few more Crawford or Lombard movie to appear on our favorite channel, we visit with a pair of truly lovely, talented ladies - Myrna Loy and Jean Harlow - in the hilarious Libeled Lady(1936).  Loy is Connie Allenbury, a wealthy young lady with lawsuit on her mind after a newspaper, run by Spencer Tracy's Warren Haggerty inadvertently libels her.  To circumvent the suit, Haggerty comes up with a plan - marry his fiance Gladys (Jean Harlow) to writer Bill Chandler (William Powell), then have Bill seduce Connie, so Gladys can sue Connie for alienation of affection!  Only problem is, both Gladys and Connie actually fall in love with Bill, who is head over heels for Connie. 

This is a very funny movie. If you have a decent script (which this does), it is rather hard to miss with this cast.  Spencer Tracy as the reluctant groom is a riot; and you are rather pleased when he gets a bit of his comeuppance.  Harlow as the doubly spurned woman is lovely.  Thankfully, she gets her man in the end (this is a comedy!). 

And can you miss with that wonderful team of Powell and Loy! They had already made the first Thin Man  together, as well as Evelyn Prentice and Manhattan Melodrama. You cannot see the credit list and not assume that they will end up together.  They are perfectly matched, and Powell does his utmost to turn Bill from cad to dream.

A screwball comedy in the best sense, this one is well worth a look. We highly recommend it.  Here's a trailer to give you a taste:

Joan and Gary and Franchot and Robert

None of us had seen 1933's Today We Live, so when we discovered TCM was airing it, we were very eager to see it. A great cast (Joan Crawford, Gary Cooper, Franchot Tone, and Robert Young) and a marvelous director (Howard Hawks) led us to expect another forgotten gem.  But, it turns out, this one was probably forgot for a reason. The word "turgid" rather sums up the odd movie.  During WWI, Richard Bogard (Cooper) has just arrived in England to rent a country mansion on the day when his landlady, Diana Boyce-Smith (Crawford), finds out that her father has been killed in action.  Quickly, they discover they love one another - only problem Diana is engaged to childhood friend (and war officer) Claude Hope (Young), who is serving in the military with Diana's brother Ronnie (Franchot Tone).  Diana flees to the continent to work in the war effort; Richard follows her, joining the air corps.  Of course, they meet. Of course, Ronnie and Claude are there too.  Complications, as they say, ensue.

This film is very much inspired by director Hawks' experience in World War I. Indeed, his earlier film, The Dawn Patrol, also looked at fliers during the war; his later Only Angels Have Wings would be his penultimate tribute to the men who risked their lives in the air.  The problem with the film is that we have a bunch of obvious Americans playing Brits.  The writer seems to think that speaking in clipped sentences is the way to convince the audience that his actors are really English. It doesn't work.  

This is clearly a pre-code movie. Diana is no innocent. In fact, we realize that she is living with Claude while in Europe.  But other than that, it is not really all that racy, or even romantic.  The scene where Cooper and Crawford announce their love for one another rather leaves the viewer going "HUH? Where did THAT come from?"  Too bad, really. They should have made an interesting combination.  

We'll be taking another short break from Crawford for the next two weeks (while we wait for a few movie that will be aired in July).  Next week, we look at a comedy the great Jean Harlow. We hope you'll join us.

Carole Takes the Train

Some time ago, we did a Carole Lombard film festival. There were a few movies we didn't get to see because we couldn't lay hands on them, but we finally got a copy of 1934's Twentieth Century, a delightful comedy in which Carole trades tirades with John Barrymore. Would be actress Mildred Plotka (Carole Lombard) comes under the spell of producer/director Oscar Jaffe (John Barrymore).  Their professional partnership results in a name change (to Lily Garland) for Mildred, as well as fame and fortune to them both UNTIL yet another fight results in a rift that drives Oscar into near bankruptcy. His solution - woo Lily back into his latest play, featuring her as Mary Magdalene.  As they say, high-jinx ensue.

This is a very funny movie, but it is LOUD.  Neither Oscar nor Lily believe in talking - they scream, screech, yell, bellow, cry, but they NEVER just talk. Much of this movie resembles an old fashioned farce, with lots of noise, slamming doors and just generally weird characters. Some good character actors here - including Walter Connolly as the much put-upon Oliver Webb (Oscar's favorite hobby is firing poor Oliver), as well as Oscar's other aide Owen O'Malley played with gusto by Roscoe Karns,  Of course, one really does want to see Barrymore and Lombard together, as they duel endlessly.  And then, there is Oscar's oft repeated line "I close the iron door..."  Here's a little montage of the action:

Our thanks to Carole and Co. blog for mentioning our efforts here. It was just a coincidence that we had another Carole movie in the pipeline.  We hope to find a few more.  In the meantime, we also hope for some other fine performances down the road.

Double-0 Joan

We were able to get a copy of Above Suspicion when it last aired on TCM, much to our delight.  The advertisements which aired on TCM made the film seem to be a much more tongue-in-cheek story than we would have expected from a World War II vintage (1943) film, and while there are some moments that are humorous, on the whole, this movie very much reminded us of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (plug for my favorite TV show), it had those same elements of seriousness that one expects from good spy story, combined with humor. Here, we have a pair of innocents, newlyweds Frances and Richard Myles (Joan Crawford and Fred MacMurray), who are recruited to locate a scientist with essential war related information.  Because they are Americans, and because they are on their honeymoon, it is believed that they are "above suspicion".  Of course, they are not, and rather rapidly they come under the eye of Count Sig von Aschenhausen (Basil Rathbone), a former classmates of Richard's who is deeply involved with the Gestapo.

There are a number of nice touches in this movie. The introduction of the character of Thornley (Bruce Lester), who also came to Germany to assist the English, and who also was considered "above suspicion", much to his sorrow makes a nice counterpoint to our couple.  Also, it was wonderful to see that excellent actor Conrad Veidt as Hassert Seidel, who is working AGAINST the Nazis.  Veidt escaped from the Nazis, yet spent most of his years in Hollywood playing rather horrid Nazis. Robert Osborne, in his introduction, reminded us that this was Veidt's last movie - he died a short time later from a massive coronary - a great loss to film. 

This was also Joan Crawford's final MGM film (and her only film with MacMurray).  She is really delightful in it.  And the ending, in which she has to assume a disguise in order to escape from he Nazis, is wonderful.  She really is convincing in her costume!  Add to all this excellent performances by Fred MacMurray and Basil Rathbone, and this is certainly a movie that is worth your time.  It was our belief that the film did not do especially well in 1943 - a shame, because it is certainly a film that keeps you interested. A truly neglected little gem.  We found a trailer for you to look at:

Joan Gets "Chained"

Chained (1934) is a delightful movie, and we heartily recommend it.  Joan Crawford plays Diane Levering, a secretary who has fallen in love with her married boss Richard Field (warmly played by Otto Kruger).  He loves her dearly, and asks his wife for a divorce.  Though they have lived apart for years, she likes the position and money his name provides and refuses to let him go.  Diane is not willing to be a mistress, so she leaves the country on a cruise, where she meets Argentina rancher Mike Bradley (Clark Gable). Of course, they fall in love.  It should be simple, but it is not. For when Diane goes back to Richard to end their relationship, she finds he is joyfully awaiting her, divorce in hand, having given up almost everything to be with the woman he loves.

And so it goes.  One of the things that makes this movie so delightful is the performances by the lead actors.  Crawford's Diane is a genuinely good woman.  She loves Richard, but has resisted breaking up his marriage (even though it is clearly a marriage in name only).  So too is Richard the ultimate gentleman.  Even as we root for Mike and Diane to get together, we have warm feelings for Richard.  One wants to find him a nice woman, who will love him as much as he deserves. Add to this strong performances by Gable (watch him in the scene where he finally meets Field. It is wonderful). Stuart Erwin joins this ensemble as Mike's best friend, Johnny Smith; you begin thinking he is a fool you will despise, but realize he is a true friend and a good person.  One other little plus - as Diane and Mike cavort in a swimming pool on the ship, they are joined by a young boy - played by Mickey Rooney.  Don't look away, you might miss him!

This isn't shown very often; too bad. It is well worth your time. Gable and Crawford do have a screen magic that is hard to beat.  And the story is just lovely.  Here's a scene from the beginning of the film, where we get to know Diana and Richard:

Joan Needs an Umbrella

1932's Rain most assuredly falls into the Pre-code era.  Ms. Crawford starts as the notorious Sadie Thompson, a woman with a shady past, who is traveling through the Pacific.  Trapped on Pago Pago with a reformer (Walter Huston as the creepy Alfred Davidson), his snooty wife (Beulah Bondi), and Sgt "Handsome" O'Hara (William Gargan), Sadie immediately befriends O'Hara.  But when O'Hara is placed in the brig, she finds herself under attack from the other hotel residents.  Davidson convinces the governor to deport Sadie on the next departing ship, which happens to be going to San Francisco. A terrified Sadie begs for a reprieve, but to no avail; instead she finds herself the latest victim of Davidson's reform efforts.

Nowadays, we would recognize Sadie as a victim of Stockholm Syndrome.   Rain does a good job of showing Sadie's transformation from good-time girl to missionary.  Frankly, we thought Crawford was GORGEOUS once the heavy Sadie makeup was stripped off to reveal her true face.  The reformed Sadie IS almost saintly in appearance, with her long-sleeve, flowing robe, while Davidson resembles something along the line of an old-testament prophet. Without giving too much away, the ending is jarring, and one that would not be permitted once the code was strictly enforced.  Here is the scene where Davidson goes to work to demoralize Sadie:
 
Beulah Bondi is just wonderful as the prissy Mrs. Davidson, a part she originated on Broadway; It is also nice to see Guy Kibbee as Joe Horn, the resident hotel owner. He is sympathetic to Sadie, but powerless, if he is to be allowed future residence in Pago Pago.

There is an excellent article on the TCM website that will give you some further insight into this interesting film.  We hope you will join us next week for another early Crawford.

Joan Sells... Perfume

That wonderful year of 1939 brought us Joan Crawford, along with a galaxy of female stars, playing the gold-digging, husband-stealing Crystal Allen in The Women. Norma Shearer is the star here; Mary Haines, the woman whose husband is stolen by Crystal.  The movie, as the tagline says, stars all women, but is about men - the men in their lives, who they talk about constantly.  We have all kinds of women here, from the innocent (Joan Fontaine) to the experienced (Paulette Goddard) to the nearly idiotic (Mary Boland, as the hysterical Countess de Lave).  Rosalind Russell, in a supporting role, shines as the gossipy Sylvia Fowler, and there is an equally enjoyable performance by Lucile Watson as Mary Haines mother.

Much of our conversation focused on the position of this movie within the "chick flick" universe - starring only women, could it be a chick flick?  Interestingly, the movie was marketed to men.  One assumes the moviemakers figured the men were the harder sell, so the ads point up many lovely, undressed ladies ("Zips up the back and no bone").  It is surely a movie about women; and the little fashion show demonstrates it is a movie FOR women. But there is enough, we thought, to keep a man watching.

Crawford is just magnificent here.  And she surely has the best line in the whole movie: "There's a name for you ladies, but it no used in high society, outside a kennel". Crystal may lose the fight, but she'll be back again; perhaps to win the war!

Thanks to YouTube, enjoy this trailer: