In 1940's Vigil in the Night, Carole Lombard stars as
Anne Lee, a dedicated nurse in a small English town. Anne loves her
work, and has convinced her younger sister Lucy (Anne Shirley) to follow
in her footsteps. Though almost through with nursing school, Lucy
doesn't have Anne's dedication; as a result of her neglect, she allows a
young child to die. Rather than let Lucy be ousted from nursing
school, Anne assumes responsibility for the child's death; she is fired
from her job, and forced to leave town. She ventures to Hepperton,
where she joins the staff of a local hospital, and gradually assumes
positions of greater responsibility. She also finds herself working
with the similarly dedicated Dr. Prescott (Brian Aherne). However, the
appearance of a nurse from her old job, Lucy's involvement with a local
man, and an epidemic in Hepperton all work to create problems for Anne.
Sure,
this is melodrama, but it is melodrama at its best. Ms. Lombard shines
here as a woman whose career is the most important thing in her life.
In the hands of a lesser actress, Anne could have come across as preachy
or shrill. But Lombard's Anne shines when she talks about nursing. Her
Anne is what a nurse SHOULD be - an idealized portrait of a woman who
values human life and the ability to bring comfort to the sick. She is
ably assisted by Anne Shirley (who's Lucy is the poster child for the
person who should NOT enter nursing school, and whose selfishness makes
you want to smack her in the film's early scenes.), and Brian Aherne (an
equally idealized doctor, Aherne also carefully avoids the maudlin).
Vigil in the Night
really is a neglected Lombard masterpiece; a film that is rarely seen
or discussed when talking about her (painfully short) career, but one
that should be looked at more often. We really enjoyed it, and suspect
you will as well. Take a look at this clip, to get an idea of what is in store:
Today, we again visit the pre-code world for Carole Lombard's 1932 film Virtue.
In it, she plays Mae, a young woman with a "career" on the streets,
who is literally run out of New York City on a rail (on what is today
Metro North, to be exact). She has no intention of leaving the City, so
she bails off the train at 125th Street, where she meets Jimmy Doyle
(Pat O' Brien), a smart-mouth cabbie who disdains marriage and women.
Mae runs away without paying her cab fair, much to Jimmy's disgust;
however Mae decides to go straight. Once she has the money, she seeks
Jimmy out to return the fare. After some difficulties, they fall in
love, and decide to marry. Of course, once they marry, Jimmy finds out
about Mae's past. He decides to forgive her, but of course, with
forgiveness does not automatically come trust.
Ms. Lombard is just
wonderful here as Mae. She is sympathetic, but tough. You never
forget her past, but you (as the audience) are far more aware of how far
she has come than the rather dense Jimmy. Pat O'Brien is quite good as
well playing a tough guy. You do want to smack him occasionally for
his stupidity, but I think we ultimately want him with Mae. Perhaps she
deserves better than him, but she loves him, and he is really not a bad
guy. Here, our couple have a conversation:
It is also nice to see Ward Bond (as Jimmy's pal Fran), who
is, as always, wonderful. He makes a small part something to look
forward to. Another treat is seeing Mayo Methot (the one time Mrs.
Humphrey Bogart) as Mae's best friend Lil Blair. Ms. Methot never
actually looked young! And certainly her somewhat hard features
complement the part of a hooker who has tied herself to a rather
disagreeable - and dishonest - lover (said boyfriend is played with a
good deal of slime by Jack LaRue).
Another Lombard movie that
doesn't get enough play, we think. Plus, as a precode film, you get the
extra bonus of something a tiny bit (by later standards) racy.
Lady by Choice from 1934 is an absolute delight. In it,
Carole Lombard plays fan dancer Alabam (Georgia) Lee, who finds herself
in court as the same time as Patsy Patterson (May Robson), a former
entertainer turned homeless drunkard. Patsy has friends, however -
Judge Daly (Walter Connolly) and Johnny Mills (Roger Pryor), a
wealthy young man whose father requested he always look after Patsy.
Patsy, Like Alabam, is a gutsy lady, who speaks her mind. As a result,
when Alabam's agent convinces her to adopt a mother (for the publicity),
it is Patsy she selects. And Patsy, who immediately adores Alabam,
tries to change her new daughter's life for the better, but not always
with the best of results.
May Robson is just
adorable. She gets most of the good lines, and you want to take her
home with you. Lombard's role is also quite rich. Alabam is a
kind, gentle soul; she loves deeply, and is a caring person. Badly used by her agent, she finds herself almost penniless, but still tries to
support Patsy's goals, to make her a legitimate performer, despite her
lack of self-confidence. We have, of course, some romantic
complications. Alabam falls in love with Johnny Mills, but Patsy thinks
that Alabam is after him for his money. It causes some strife, but all
comes right in the end!
This is one that I think most people have not seen. Give it a try. I think you will find it is worth your time. We'll leave you with a scene with Ms. Lombard and Ms. Robson.
