Multi-millionaire John P. Merrick (Charles Coburn) is furious. Though he studiously keeps himself out of the limelight, a recent labor protest by the employees of a department store he owns have brought his name front and center. Determined to fire all of the people involved in the protest, he hires private detective Thomas Higgins (Robert Emmett Keane) to infiltrate the store and find the protesters. Mr. Higgins is unable to start immediately (his wife is about to have a baby), so Merrick fires him and uses the store credentials Higgins has acquired to become an employee in the store's shoe department. It's not long before he discovers that he really likes the store employees and despises the management. Our film this week is The Devil and Miss Jones (1941). The tone of this sweet and funny film is set at the opening credits, when we are introduced to the "devilish" Mr. Coburn and the angelic Ms. Arthur. While Ms. Arthur gets above-the-title billing, this film really belongs to Mr. Coburn, as it should. J.P. Merrick could be a bully and a bore, but not in Mr. Coburn's capable hands. He treads a fine line in being lovable, but still keeping you in suspense as to what he will do in the end. Though, as he becomes increasingly furious at the store managers and supervisors, you really want to give him a hug.
Charles Coburn came to the screen late in life - he was 60. He'd spent his career working in a touring company with his wife, Ivah Wills (they had 6 children). When Ivah died of congestive heart failure in 1937, Mr. Coburn moved his family to Los Angeles to try his hand at film acting. Between 1938 and his death in 1961, he appeared in more than 90 films and television shows. He received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1944 for his work in The More the Merrier, and was nominated two other times - for his work in this film, and for The Green Years (1946). He was active in the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals (Hollywood Traitors: Blacklisted Screenwriters - Agents of Stalin, Allies of Hitler by Allan H. Ryskind), a group supporting the McCarthy hearings. Following a second marriage (he was 81 at the time), and the birth of a seventh child, he died of a heart attack at the age of 84. His papers are housed at the University of Georgia, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
Jean Arthur is delightful as Mary Jones. Though her romantic interest is Robert Cummings (Joe O'Brien), it is Mr. Coburn with whom she has the most scenes and the best chemistry. She would work with Mr. Coburn twice more: The More the Merrier (1943) and in The Impatient Years (1944) (TCM Article). The part of Mary Jones was specifically designed for Ms. Arthur - this film's producer was her husband Frank Ross. He had set up an independent production company and was eager to find a property that fit her talents better than the scripts she was being offered. Though Mr. Coburn's part is much stronger, Ms. Arthur refused rewrites that would have given her character more screen time. (Jean Arthur: A Biofilmography by Jerry Vermilyeand). She was fond enough of the part that she planned to do a remake of it in 1966, to be titled The Devil and Mr. Jones, with Ms. Arthur as the Devil; sadly, it didn't materialize.
Robert Cummings is good in a relatively small part. An early scene in the film has Joe cavorting with Mary on the beach at Coney Island. It's quite delightful to watch, and there is a naturalness to the performances. Mr. Cummings was not the first choice for the role - Jeffrey Lynn was originally considered. (AFI Catalog) Also in a small but important part is Spring Byington (Elizabeth Ellis). A gentle woman who just wants to find someone to love, she fixes her sights on Merrick when she thinks that he is indigent. One feels that Merrick has avoided any kind of entanglements because of his money. Ms. Byington makes Elizabeth into someone who cares nothing for money. She wants to find a man she can make happy, and Merrick is the right fit.
There are so many excellent character actors in the film it is hard to focus on just one or two. Edmund Gwenn is marvelous as the repugnant Hooper, one of the bosses who drive Merrick to distraction. S.Z. Sakall appears as George, Merrick's very tolerant butler, and is his usual warm self. William Demarest shows up in the small part of a detective, Regis Toomey is a police officer in Coney Island, and Florence Bates plays a professional shopper - all contribute greatly to the film.
The film, which opened in April at Radio City Music Hall, received an enthusiastic review from New York Times critic Bosley Crowther "Out of the sheerest gossamer the most captivating webs are sometimes spun". Unfortunately, it did not do well at the box offer (Author Jerry Vermilye speculates that the "unsubtle pro-union stance" was a factor"). In January 1942, there was a Lux Radio Theatre production which starred Lana Turner and Lionel Barrymore. The film was nominated for two Oscars: Norman Krasna for his original screenplay and Charles Coburn as Best Supporting Actor.
This is a movie that is not to be missed, especially if you are a Jean Arthur fan. We'll leave you with a clip, in which Charles Coburn meets Ms. Arthur:
Retired Colonel William Seaborn Effingham (Charles Coburn) has returned to his hometown of Fredericksville, Georgia. He approaches the local newspaper editor, Earl Hoats (Allyn Joslyn) and offers his services as a military commentary columnist. Seeing a possible increase in advertisements, Hoats agrees, only to find that the Colonel's idea of a "military" column is not the same as the publisher. The Colonel is intent on using the column to undermine the efforts of the local government to raze the courthouse, and line their own pockets with the proceeds. Thus begins Colonel Effingham's Raid (1946). The idea that a small town is willing to get together (at the urging of the dynamic Colonel Effingham) to save their 200 year old courthouse is an interesting premise. In an age where what was old should be destroyed to make way for the new, it is refreshing to see a film that is concerned with not only preserving the older structure, but spending the time and the funds required to make it a useful structure again. As people who watched beautiful structures (like Penn Station in New York City) demolished to make way for the new and supposedly better, only to have the change decried AFTER it was too late, we were sympathetic to the efforts to preserve an elegant 18th Century building.
Charles Coburn is compelling as the assertive Colonel Effingham. A military man, used to having his orders obeyed, he sees no difference in his duties in civilian life. His interactions with Ninety Eight (Nicodemus Stewart), who is apparently the only man of color in this southern berg, show Effingham training his "Orderly" to be a soldier. There is a rather odd fencing scene (in which it is clear that neither man knows how to fence), but by in large, the relationship between the two characters is good. At one point, Monty Woolley was considered for Colonel Effingham (perhaps because of his appearance as Retired Colonel Smollett in Since You Went Away two years earlier). Georgia-born Coburn was a far better fit.
William Eythe (Albert Marbury) is attractive in a Tyrone Power-type sort of way. In fact, he spent much of his career assigned to roles that Mr. Power turned down (TCM article). However, unlike Mr. Power, he's not a particularly powerful actor, and his character is easily overshadowed by the more commanding Mr. Coburn. Mr. Eythe's film career was short-lived - a scandal sheet outed his relationship with Lon McCallister, and Mr. Eythe eventually returned to work on stage (he appeared in four Broadway plays) and on television. He was with his partner, Mr. McCallister, when he died of hepatitis in 1957 at the age of 38.
Totally wasted in a part that was originally intended for Alabama-born Mary Anderson (Maybelle Merriweather, and screen-tested actress for Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind) (AFI Catalog), is Joan Bennett (Ella Sue Dozier). Smart and gorgeous, we found it rather horrifying that Albert only notices her when a gust of wind blows up her skirt slightly. We also found the wolf whistle that the director used (much like a laugh track) offensive. Once was bad enough, but the whistle is repeated several times. Ella Sue and Ms. Bennett deserves better. The film demonstrates the abilities - to a greater or lesser degree - of some outstanding character actors: Elizabeth Patterson has a small amount of screen time as Emma, cousin to Effingham. Donald Meek and Thurston Hall make a nice pair of charlatans as Doc Buden and Mayor Edgar. And Allyn Joslyn as the shady newspaper editor is also well-served.
One interesting side note - the film, though released in 1946 is actually set in 1941, just before the American entrance into World War II. That Albert joins (to impress Ella Sue) the Georgia National Guard becomes an issue as the film ends - the National Guard is mobilized, with Albert saying he would have been drafted soon anyway.
Based on the 1943 novel of the same name by Berry Fleming (which was based on an actual attempt to raze the Richmond County Courthouse in Augusta, Georgia). The film got decent reviews - Bosley Crowther in his New York Times review called it "pleasantly amusing". Charles Coburn would reprise the role in 1949 on the Hallmark Playhouse radio show. It's a cute movie - not great. It hasn’t aged very well - it is sexist and borders on racist. The main selling point of the story is Charles Coburn in a lead role - he is always fun to watch.
Successful novelist Paula "Polly" Wharton (Irene Dunne) and newspaper editor Max Wharton (Alexander Knox) are a happily married couple. Max is highly regarded at the New York Bulletin, the newspaper at which he is the chief editor. Though he is well Over 21 (1945), (39, in fact) he feels it is his duty to enlist in Officer Training School and serve in the military during World War II, much to the disgust of the paper's owner, Robert Drexel Gow (Charles Coburn), After successfully completing Basic Training, Max is off to Florida to attend Officer Training School, where Polly will join him as an Army wife. Both must adapt to a life that is alien to anything they have ever encountered.
This is an entertaining film with light humor and an
interesting point of view. While most films focus on the man's adjustment to the military, Over 21 is more concerned with Polly. She's led a relatively privileged life; the career successes of herself and her husband mean that she's never had to do the "housewife" tasks - until now. Ms. Dunne plays Polly as a determined woman. She's succeeded in everything she's ever tried - she can surely prevail in this as well. Her goal is to be with her husband and support him in his efforts in the Army. Ms. Dunne avoids having the audience pity Polly - we laugh with her as she manipulates the peculiarities of her new housing and new life style. We also watch as she protects her husband from the intrusions of his former boss. Ms. Dunne was not the first choice for the role - Rosalind Russell was originally considered for Polly, but dropped out to appear in Sister Kenny (AFI catalog)
It's a bit harder to get involved with Max. He is convinced that he can only write about the
war if he experiences it in some direct way. It's clear from the start that,
at age 39, he does not expect to see combat, but he does wish to learn
about what the men who are going into battle will face. We appreciate his motives, but we get very little information about him; we know he is an intelligent man, who is lost as he tries to learn a new job. Mr. Knox doesn't get a lot of help from the script, with all the really good lines going to Ms. Dunne. As a result, Mr. Knox is left looking frustrated and unhappy. Any empathy you feel is because of Polly's devotion to him than to the depth of the character.
Alexander Knox was born in Canada. His acting career started in Boston, with a repertory theatre, but when it closed, he returned to Canada to work as a reporter. After two years, he went to England, and appeared in several films. By 1940, he was on Broadway, first as Friar Lawrence in a production of Romeo and Juliet (that starred Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh), then in Jupiter Laughs, starring opposite Jessica Tandy. He'd already appeared in several Hollywood films, including The Sea Wolf (1941) and This Above All (1941), when he was offered the lead in Wilson (1944), which earned him a nomination for Best Actor. His film career ended abruptly, when he was unofficially blacklisted for his involvement with the Committee for the First Amendment (Actors on Red Alert: Career Interviews with Five Actors and Actresses Affected by the Blacklistby Anthony Slide). He returned to England with his wife, Doris Nolan (they were married from 1943 until his death in 1995), and worked there (and eventually back in the U.S.). He died in England of bone cancer.
Charles Coburn as publisher Gow is, as always, very good and very funny. But Gow's attitudes towards Max's desire to serve in the military are unpleasant; Mr. Coburn plays him as a completely selfish man, who would rather sell his paper than do the work necessary to make it a success without Max. While you laugh at his antics, a lot of head shaking occurs as he tries to manipulate Polly and Max.
I try to avoid spoilers in my reviews, but some of the best moments in the film occur at the end, when Polly decides it's time to intervene in saving the paper for her husband and for Gow. The look of sheer delight on Max's face when he discovers her work is something that really appealed to us. For that reason alone, this film is worth a viewing.
Over 21 is based on the Broadway play, which was written by and starred
Ruth Gordon; it ran for 221 performances in 1944. The play's time-frame
is 1943, and while the film does not give us a date we know that World
War II is raging.
Over 21 opened at Radio City Music Hall to poor notices: here is Bosley Crowther's New York Times review. Several factors contributed to the reviews. The movie was
released just after VJ-Day (TCM article), which greatly influenced its reception - it
was seen as a relic, discussing issues that no longer needed consideration (Irene Dunne: First Lady of Hollywood by Wes D. Gehring).
Another problem was the original Broadway play. Some criticisms at the time considered that Ms. Dunne's performance was too close to
Ms. Gordon stage rendition. Finally, other reviews focused on Mr. Knox's performance, stating that it was too reminiscent
of his work in Wilson. (Military Comedy Films: A Critical Survey and Filmography of Hollywood Releases Since 1918 by Hal Erickson).
None of that is relevant today, as it is not possible to see stage play. We can also relate to Max's desire to do all in his power to stop another war from happening. We'll leave you with this short clip from the film, and a suggestion that you give it a viewing:
Charles Poncefort "Hopsy" Pike (Henry Fonda) has led a relatively sheltered life. The son of the Pike's Ale magnate (Eugene Pallette), he's been guarded all his life by the inimitable Muggsy (William Demarest). Having finally ventured out on his own, to research snakes in South America, Hopsy is now on his way home to Connecticut. While onboard ship he meets a trio of con artists: "Colonel" Harrington (Charles Coburn), Gerald (Melville Cooper), and Jean Harrington (Barbara Stanwyck). While Jean's initial goal is to fleece this lost lamb, she finds herself falling in love with him, a feeling that is mutual. But, when Hopsy discovers Jean's stock in trade, he dumps her. Determined to get her revenge, Jean invents The Lady Eve (1941). If you have never seen The Lady Eve, please add it to your viewing queue immediately. You're in for a real treat. Besides the inimitable Ms. Stanwyck in one of her finest role, you also get Henry Fonda being totally adorable and a script without compare by director Preston Sturges. It's a win-win scenario! Henry Fonda is in the unenviable position of portraying a character you really want to hate, but can't quite bring yourself to do it. Hopsy is so totally guileless that, even when he is wooing Lady Eve Sidwich with the same lines with which he wooed Jean, you just laugh at his inept lovemaking and forgive him. Of course, you also want Jean to give him is comeuppance. But with two actors who are so equally paired, they are both able to succeed.
Ms. Stanwyck is a sexy delight as the two ladies in Hopsy's life. The scene in which she tries to seduce him by allowing him to put on her shoes is magnificent. It's a wonder they got that and some of the more naughty dialogue past the censors. And her running commentary as she watches the ladies in the dining room lust after Hopsy is a hoot. It's next to impossible to imagine this film without her, but Ms. Stanwyck was not the first (or even the second choice) of the studio. They wanted Claudette Colbert; Madeleine Carroll and Paulette Goddard were also considered. But Mr. Sturges wanted Ms. Stanwyck, and thankfully he won the argument (AFI catalog). Ms. Stanwyck has the unique ability to make the audience (who is in on the joke) believe that Eve and Jean are distinct characters. The studio also considered Brian Aherne, Fred MacMurray, and Joel McCrea for the role of Hopsy (TCM article), but again, Mr. Sturges was victorious and got his choice of Mr. Fonda. There is a lot of slapstick in this film - Hopsy takes a number of pratfalls - not something for which Mr. Fonda was known (sure, he'd done the screwball comedy; for example, The Mad Miss Manton with Ms. Stanwyck, but she's the screwball in that, not him). So, it was perhaps a risk to cast him in the part. But, frankly, he is perfect as the innocent abroad.
The quartet of supporting actors who grace the film are impressive. William Demarest, who must have been in the Preston Sturges stock company (he appeared in 8 of Mr. Sturges' films) is hysterical as the bodyguard/valet, Muggsy, who seethes with suspicion of anyone who approaches his charge. He's cagey though - he knows that Jean's father is not on the level; he's the only one who suspects that Eve is really Jean in disguise. But, his suspicious nature is also his downfall - like Cassandra, Muggsy's warnings go unheeded, to riotous effect. Eric Blore has a small part as Sir Alfred McGlennan Keith, or Pearly
to his mates, one of Colonel Harrington's con artist pals. Mr. Blore is
wonderful at looking exasperated, and does it quite well as he watches Eve get in deeper and deeper. We only
get a few scenes with him - he's a device to get Jean into Hopsy's
house, but he is always enjoyable.
From his entrance singing Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl, Eugene Pallette is also excellent as Charles' father. The only member of the family with any common sense, he plays Mr. Pike as an endearing, if somewhat exasperated individual (witness his frustration as he tries to get breakfast). I look forward to seeing him in films, though my recent discoveries about his private life are dismaying. A supporter of Adolf Hitler, he refused to sit down at a table with actor Clarence Muse (TCM article) while filming In the Meantime, Darling, resulting in his firing by director Otto Preminger. Mr. Pallette eventually retreated to Oregon to hide near his own personal bomb shelter. He would return to Los Angeles in 1948, after a two-year retreat, but he never worked again. He died of throat cancer in 1954, at age 65.
Last, but certainly not least is Charles Coburn. Harry is a rogue, and Mr. Coburn makes no bones about it. He's willing to go against his daughter's wishes, the fleece an easy mark, but it is clear that he loves Jean dearly. One is never quire sure of Harry's motives, but one is sure of his personal integrity among his colleague. As a result, we like him, though we would be very wary of playing cards with him. For more on Mr. Coburn's life, visit our blog post from October 2, 2017.
The Lady Eve was based on a story Two Bad Hats by Monckton Hoffe. A radio version aired on the Lux Radio Theatre on March 1942 with Ray Milland and Barbara Stanwyck (For a discussion of Ms. Stanwyck's participation in this episode, see this article from Film Comment). It was remade as The Birds and the Bees (1956), starring Mizti Gaynor, George Gobel, and David Niven. (Having not seen this film, I won't comment, except to say, George Gobel? Really??) In 1994, The Lady Eve was added to the National Film Registry; since then, it has appeared on two of the AFI Lists: it was #26 on 100 Years, 100 Passions and #55 on 100 Years, 100 Laughs.
We're going to leave you with the trailer from this highly enjoyable film. We'd also like to mention this Vanity Fairarticle on Preston Sturges which you might find interesting. If you've never seen this film, please do give it a try.
Composer Lewis Dodd (Charles Boyer) is frustrated with his current composition, an atonal work that does not seem to be gelling. He decides to visit Switzerland, the home of her dear friend Albert Sanger (Montague Love), a musician of sorts and the father of three young daughters, Toni (Brenda Marshall), Paula (Joyce Reynolds), and Tessa (Joan Fontaine). Lewis brings with him a little musical piece he composed for the children; when he plays it for Albert, Albert encourages him to expand on THAT piece, and forget the atonal work. But when Albert dies suddenly, Lewis takes on some of the responsibility for the girls, especially after he meets - and marries - their cousin, Florence Creighton (Alexis Smith). There is, however, a big problem. The ethereal Tessa is deeply in love with Lewis. The Constant Nymph (1943) is based on a 1924 best-selling novel by Margaret Kennedy. This was the third iteration of the story to be presented on film - it had been done as a silent film in 1928, with Ivor Novello, Mabel Poulton, and Benita Hume as the three leads (and adapted by Alma Reville), and again in 1933, with Victoria Hopper, Brian Aherne, and Leonora Corbett. This version of the film sticks pretty close to the novel, which in some ways may work to its detriment, especially in our modern age. As is pointed out by fellow blogger at Paula's Cinema Club, it's a bit difficult to look past the fact that, by the film's conclusion, Tessa is about 15 years old. The idea that this so much older man has fallen in love with her is uncomfortable, to say the least. If only screenwriter Kathryn Scola had made Tessa a BIT older, the film would be more palatable.
Yet, when I initially saw the film (on TCM, after it had mostly disappeared from view), it reminded me of a film and a novel that I really love. Because the theme of The Constant Nymph is very much that of an unattainable love. The other film, Portrait of Jennie (1948) and the novel, Tryst by Elswyth Thane, both focused on young women in love with men that time and fate had removed from their grasp. The difference between them and The Constant Nymph is that the characters are just enough older to make the relationships acceptable. As viewers, we really wanted to look beyond Tessa's age, but this was difficult, as she herself kept alluding to it. Nevertheless, the performances of Joan Fontaine and Charles Boyer were excellent. Ms. Fontaine is convincing as a teen-ager (though she does appear to be in her late teens, not really 14), and Mr. Boyer is romantically intense. Ms. Fontaine was nominated for an Academy Award for her work in this film (she lost to Jennifer Jones in The Song of Bernadette; the other nominees were Jean Arthur in The More the Merrier, Ingrid Bergman in For Whom the Bell Tolls, and Greer Garson in Madame Curie); she succeeds in creating a characterization that is both young and unworldly, enthusiastic and frail. Boyer was not enthusiastic about the script (TCM article) - he felt Lewis was being booted about by the women and had no real strength. Warner Brothers, however, met his price ($150,000 and top billing) so he accepted the role, and gave a sympathetic performance.
The same cannot be said for Alexis Smith, who is unimpressive as Florence. Ms. Smith affects a rather odd accent which is more snooty than truly English. It's genuinely difficult to understand what Lewis could possibly see in Florence - from the moment we meet her, she is a nag and a shrew. She has no understanding of his music or his ambitions, and is more concerned with the fame that marriage to him might bring her. As a result, her epiphany at the film's conclusion is forced. Peter Lorre is delightful in the small role of Fritz Bercovy. Mr. Lorre plays the part as a man genuinely in love with Toni Sanger (though it's hard to say why. Ms. Marshall's portrayal gives us a woman who is almost as unlikable as Florence!). Fritz also deeply cares for his two little sisters-in-law, and though he is a tad absent-minded, he is also kind. Peter Lorre began his film career in Germany, with the highly-regarded M (1931). By 1933, however, he had left Germany - as a Jew, he knew the dangers that were facing him with the rise of Fascism. He worked in England for awhile, and eventually emigrated with his wife, Celia Lovsky, to America, where he found work, often as a villain. But what a villain - All Through the Night (1941), The Maltese Falcon (1941), and Casablanca (1942) are just the tip of an impressive resume. Mr. Lorre and Ms. Lovsky divorced by1945; though he would remarry twice, they remained friends, with Ms. Lovsky often serving as his publicist and manager. Because of chronic pain, he became addicted to morphine, an addiction he fought and conquered, but it did affect his ability to get roles. He died in 1964 from a stroke, leaving behind his wife and daughter.
Music is very much a factor in the film; the lovely score and Lewis' concert piece were composed by Erich Marie Korngold. Mr. Korngold was on the set, and was involved in the story development and provided the piano dubbing for Mr. Boyer and Mr. Love. The tone poem, "Tomorrow," became quite popular, and Mr. Korngold published it as his Opus 33 (Korngold Society) You can listen to the suite below.
Charles Boyer was not the first choice for Lewis - the film rights were originally purchased as a vehicle for Errol Flynn. One wonders if the January-February 1943 trial of Flynn on charges of statutory rape had something to do with the change in the lead (it certainly would have been an even more problematic film with Flynn playing Lewis). Other roles were also in flux - Joan Leslie was, at one point, cast as Tessa, and both Wendy Barrie and Eve March tested for the role. Margaret Sullavan, Merle Oberon, Bette Davis and Olivia De Havilland were also considered for parts in the picture. (AFI catalog). In 1944, the film would be adapted for radio as part of the Lux Radio Theatre, with Charles Boyer repeating his screen role and Maureen O'Sullivan taking on the part of Tessa.
The New York Timesreview was ecstatic, calling the film "a fine tribute to the virtues that have made the book endure." In many respects, it is an excellent film; we found that we wanted to find ways to mentally change Tessa's age to make the story more acceptable to a 21st century audience. We'll leave you with this trailer:
Heaven Can Wait (1943) tells in flashback the life of Henry Van Cleve (Don Ameche). After his death, Henry heads directly to Hell, where he meets with His Excellency (Laird Cregar). His Excellency is puzzled as to why Henry is there (he's a bit behind, due to the level of arrivals), and queries Henry on his reason for not heading first to The Other Place (as most arrivals do). For one thing, His Excellency notes, the quality of the music is far better in The Other Place (Mozart and Beethoven are there!). But Henry, who was a bit of a rapscallion in life, relates his story to explain why he didn't bother trying to obtain entry upstairs. There is often some confusion between this film and the 1978 film with Warren Beatty and Julie Christie. That was indeed a remake, but its plot was taken from the Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941). This story is a much simpler one, concerned with a man, his family, and their lives in turn-of-the-century New York City. Directed by Ernst Lubitsch with his tongue firmly embedded in his cheek, this is an amusing, slightly suggestive film that is always entertaining. Sure, in the 21st Century, it is a trifle sexist - Martha Strable Van Cleve (Gene Tierney) is off-handedly equated with her father's symbolic cow, Mabel by Grandfather Hugo Van Cleve (Charles Coburn) when Martha and Henry elope (We'll take Martha/You keep Mabel). But, in the final analysis, Martha is the backbone of the family, and much wiser than her mother-in-law, Bertha (Spring Byington) or her mother Mrs. Strabel (Marjorie Main) - or her husband, for that matter!
Several performances really shine in Heaven Can Wait, but none more than that of Charles Coburn. A remarkable character actor who coulc play anything, he is superb as Grandfather Hugo. With that little bit of a twinkle in his eye, you know from the start just where Henry "got it from." Mr. Coburn was already 60 when he began his film career. He had worked on the Broadway stage - beginning in 1901, he would appear in and/or produce 28 plays. He had formed his own theatrical company with his business and acting partner - and wife - Ivah Wills Coburn. It was after Ivah's death in 1937 that he ventured permanently to Hollywood (he would return to Broadway in 1952, to produce The Long Watch). In the years between 1933 (he filmed a short that year, and a film in 1935) and his death in 1961, he appeared in 99 films and television shows (as well as occasional radio programs). Among his exceptional performances are The More the Merrier (1943), Bachelor Mother (1939), King's Row (1942), and In Name Only (1939). He was (sadly) an advocate of segregation, and a member of both the White Citizens' Council and the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals (a right-wing, anti-Communist group in the 1950s). He married a second time at age 82 and fathered a daughter. He died of a heart attack at the age of 84.
Director Lubitsch was reluctant to use Don Ameche in the part of Henry - he had wanted Fredric March or Rex Harrison (AFI Catalog). But Ameche's screen test proved him perfect for the role, and Lubitsch reluctantly agreed (TCM article). Reginald Gardiner was considered for the role of Albert (which would eventually go to Allyn Joslyn), and Simone Simon was set to play Mademoiselle (Signe Hasso would take on the part when Simon's billing demands were not met).
Bosley Crowther, in his New York Timesreview was reasonably pleased with the film. Regardless, it has been acknowledged as a classic, discussed by Richard Brody in the New Yorker, who calls it a story of "riotous, uninhibited love." Senses of Cinema calls it "a commentary on marriage, an appreciation for love and dedication, and belongs firmly in Lubitsch’s canon alongside One Hour With You (1932)."
All in all, Heaven Can Wait, is a lovely, wry, and witty film, well worth your viewing. I'll leave you with this interview between Henry and His Excellency, as they discuss the musical options in Hell.
Following their dynamic introduction in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946), Van Heflin and Barbara Stanwyck reunite in B.F.'s Daughter (1948). When Polly Fulton (Barbara Stanwyck), the daughter of wealthy industrialist Barton F. Fulton (Charles Coburn) meets Thomas W. Brett (Van Heflin) in a speakeasy, the sparks fly. Polly is almost engaged to Robert S. Tasmin, III (Richard Hart), an up-and-coming young lawyer who refuses to consider marriage until he has a stable income. Tom Brett is an economist, who is earning extra cash by lecturing, and who's books have decried B.F.'s capitalist methods. Despite this, the two fall in love and marry. But once Tom starts to become successful, his relationship with Polly - and with her beloved father - begins to deteriorate. While not the best Barbara Stanwyck movie ever made, this is an interesting and well acted film. Based on the novel by John P. Marquand (the author of H.M. Pulham, Esquire and the creator of Mr. Moto), the story centers on the relationship between Polly and Tom, and less on that of Polly and B.F., as the title implies. (This TCM article points out that the novel was much more of a political satire than the movie could ever include). The film establishes immediately the loving relationship between father and daughter; the tensions between B.F. and Tom are more fodder for the problems of the newlyweds than an issue for B.F. and Polly.
When you have an actress as strong as Stanwyck in the part (according to this AFI catalog entry, Katharine Hepburn was also considered for Polly), some things become much easier. Polly's need for something to keep her involved in her husband's life radiates from Stanwyck. When Tom no longer needs her to help manage his career, she throws her passion into creating a home worthy for him (or one that SHE sees as worthy of him!). As the war starts, a brief glimpse of Polly in a uniform immediately telegraphs her involvement in the home front efforts. Stanwyck makes Polly a woman of action, rather than a passive onlooker. Polly's finances become a recurring issue throughout the film. Bob won't wed her because he will not live off her money (actually, B.F.'s money). Thought Tom initially says that her money makes no difference to him - B.F. can continue to supply her with an allowance, since Tom doesn't want Polly to feel she cannot live the life to which she is accustomed -Tom reneges once he a success. The house she builds - with her money - becomes symbolic of what he sees as his dependence on her. A lovely desk, with a typewriter that mechanically hides under the surface becomes an irritant that Tom can't get past. Helfin's Tom is a bit of a disappointment, though it isn't Heflin's fault. He often seems petulant and inconstant. He demands that Polly need him, but when she does, he just isn't available. As a result, the character is more annoying than appealing.
The character that was perhaps the most puzzling was Martin Delwyn Ainsley (Keenan Wynn), a reporter who never seems to get much of anything right. We learn of him almost immediately, when B.F. listens to Ainsley criticizing B.F. for ostensibly bringing on the Great Depression (the film opens in 1932) . Polly meets Ainsley through Tom - of course, they are friends - and Ainsley is complicit in Polly's campaign to secretly get Tom a lucrative lecture tour. Though Polly has worked with Ainsley and welcomed him to her home, Ainsley betrays her confidence, and further fractures her already fragile marriage. Late in the film, a series of radio broadcasts show Ainsley's ineptitude as a commentator - his grand predictions continually prove to be wrong; Tom also says that Ainsley never gets anything right. If that is the case, is Tom wrong as well, since he has always held Ainsley in such high regard? It gives one pause.
We were all very impressed with the wonderful Margaret Lindsay as Polly's best friend, "Apples" Sandler. "Apples" (she has no real first name) is a loyal friend, a loving wife, and a smart, practical human being. She hasn't a mean or jealous bone in her body, and Lindsay plays her as a stalwart. Her love for Bob is true and deep, though she has an awareness of his regard for her. Ultimately, she is the one with the stable marriage, because she accepts Bob for who he is. A wonderful actress, who worked steadily in the 1930s and 1940s, Lindsay is probably best remembered as Henry Fonda's Northern bride in Jezebel (1938). She also appeared as Kay Francis' gambler-daughter in The House on 56th Street(1933) and as Olivia de Havilland's nasty aunt in Gold is Where You Find It (1938). By the 1950s, Lindsay was finding film work harder to come by, so she segwayed into episodic television. Never married, she had a partner, actress Mary McCarty. Lindsay died in 1981, aged 70.
Repeating her role as Stanwyck's mother is Spring Byington (Gladys Fulton), again playing (as she had in Meet John Doe) a gentle soul the total opposite of her assertive daughter. We get a brief glimpse of Marshall Thompson as a young sailor, and Barbara Laage (who would later appear in The Happy Road with Gene Kelly) is Eugenia Taris.
This New York Times review was not enamored of the film, and we did think that the ending felt abrupt and hastily slapped together. That being said, it's a good movie, with some excellent acting, and definitely worth seeing. We'll leave you with an early scene, with the Fulton family.
The sexual appetites of Catherine the Great are the subject of A Royal Scandal (1945), starring Tallulah Bankhead as Catherine. The action opens as Catherine has had a spat with her most recent favorite. Enter Alexei Chernoff (William Eythe), who sneaks into the palace to warn Catherine of a plot against her. Catherine however, is far more interested in Alexei than any plot. Alexai becomes the new favorite, much to the annoyance of Chancellor Nicolai Iiyitch (Charles Coburn), who was hoping that the French ambassador Marquis de Fleury (Vincent Price) could fill the vacant position, and thus create a closer relationship with France. But once Catherine sees Alexai, she does everything but lick her lips. She wants him, and his engagement to her ladies' maid Countess Anna Jaschikoff (Anne Baxter) is no barrier to the Queen lust. A Royal Scandal is remake of the silent film Forbidden Paradise (1924), which Lubitsch did direct, and in which Poli Negri played Catherine and Adolphe Menjou played the Chancellor. Though this version is a farce, the dialog is a bit stilted. There are some really funny lines, and some quite humorous performances, but all in all, A Royal Scandal leaves a lot to be desired. Produced by Ernst Lubitsch, directed by Otto Preminger, the film feels like neither is involved. Lubitsch had intended to direct A Royal Scandal, but he became ill, and Preminger stepped in. (Interestingly, when Lubitsch died in 1948, Preminger again took over the direction and completed That Lady in Ermine. For that film however, Lubitsch received sole director credit.) Another problem is that A Royal Scandal takes place entirely indoors, giving it a stagey and claustrophobic feel.
On the plus side is the presence of Charles Coburn, who steals the movie. He gets the best lines and his character is the both the most likeable and the most intelligent. The Chancellor knows his Queen, and for the most part, knows how to handle her. You can watch the twinkle in Coburn's eye, and waits for him to return when he is not on screen. We also get a brief time with Vincent Price. Always a delight, we wished he had more screen time. The same cannot be said for William Eythe. His Alexei is dull. What Catherine sees in him is beyond our ken. Sure, he is attractive enough, but really, listening to him is torture. One roll in the hay should have been enough for her. While Tallulah Bankhead is certainly right for the role of Catherine, one wonders what Greta Garbo would have been like in the part. It seems Lubitsch actually wanted Greta
Garbo, however when he took over, Preminger decided to stick with
Bankhead, who had already been signed. Some of the casting issues are described in this TCM article. We also learned from Robert
Osborne's introduction that Alexei was
meant for Tyrone Power, but Power turned it down. Charles Boyer was also considered. Both actors are far too intelligent to play the buffoon Alexei, but a more dynamic actor would have a least made us understand Catherine's desire to keep him around. Anne Baxter is totally miscast here. She tries hard, but hasn't much to work with. And in scenes with Bankhead, Baxter is blown out of the water.
For a look at the contemporary opinion on the film, we direct you to this New York Times Overview and link to a review. They weren't keen on it either. Before we say goodbye, here are some clips from the film, with Bankhead, Baxter, Price, and Eythe, and the film's magnificent costuming by Rene Hubert:
Released the year before the end of World War II, The Impatient Years
examines a topic in a comedic manner that, after the war would be
looked at in a more serious vein. Andy Anderson (Lee Bowman) is home on
medical leave, returning to the home of his wife of one week (plus
about 18 months). He finds Janie (Jean Arthur), busy running her home,
with her boarder (Henry Fairchild played by Phil Brown), her father
(William Smith, played by the always wonderful Charles Coburn), and her
not quite one-year old son! She exists on a very rigid schedule, one
which her husband will not respect. Within a day, the hastily wed
couple are ready to divorce with equal speed, much to the disgust of Mr.
Smith. So, he recommends to the Judge (Edgar Buchanan) that he prevent
the couple from divorcing until they can figure out WHY they married in
the first place.
By 1946, The Best Years of Our Lives would look at the impact of the hasty wartime marriage on the returning vet. And while The Impatient Years
certainly IS a comedy, there is a core of seriousness under the humor.
Both the Judge and Mr. Smith understand that the war is forcing
decisions to be made to quickly. They insist that our couple stop BEING
impatient and try to rediscover their lost love for one another.
It
should be added that neither Andy nor Janie is totally in the wrong.
He, back from combat, wants peace, wants to do what HE wants to do.
She, responsible for a house and small child, needs a schedule to get
everything done. Neither can understand the other's needs. Neither
even tries. And thereby hangs the serious heart of the film.
Both
Jean Arthur and Lee Bowman are excellent, and Charles Coburn, as
always, shines as a loving father (who, in fact, is just meeting his
son-in-law). We also have comic performances from Charlie Grapwin (as a
bellman) and Grant Mitchell (as a hotel clerk). Sure, the film can be a
tad silly, but at heart, it is a lovely story about two people who need
fight their own way out of the War.
This week, we turn to another dramatic movie. Olivia de Havilland takes second billing again to Bette Davis in In This Our Life. This time, they are sisters, Stanley and Roy Timberlake. Roy (Olivia) is married to Dr. Peter Kingsmill (Dennis Morgan) and Stanley (Bette) is engaged to
Craig Fleming (George Brent), but Stanley has developed a grand passion
for Peter, and induces him to run off with her. Roy and Craig become
friends out of loneliness, and then decide to marry. Only Stanley, of
course, comes back. And, of course, has decided that Craig would make a
nice trophy on her mantle. And so it goes.
The
movie is very much Davis'. Her Stanley is an unapologetic bitch. She
wants everything, and gives nothing in return. Davis' scenes with her greedy
uncle, played by almost lasciviously by Charles Coburn, are wonderfully revolting. The old man
slobbers over his "favorite" niece, giving her anything that she wants.
And, she takes whatever he offers; she is beyond flirty as she butters him up for
even more rewards. Here the trailer from the film, to give you a glimpse of Ms. Davis' character:
The men are
merely window dressing to the women. Too bad really, with actors as
good as George Brent and Dennis Morgan, you would like them to have more fleshed out characters. But this movie is much more concerned with the ladies: Bette and Olivia
are yin and yang to one another - with Olivia as the good, loving, kind
sister. The men are there to function as sex objects - the temptation
for Stanley and the source of goodness for Roy.
An
interesting acting turn in the picture is that of Billie Burke as Lavinia
Timberlake, the girls' mother. For those of us used to the dippy
Billie of Topper or Father of the Bride, this role is a
bit of a surprise. You can see where Stanley got her attitude: her
mother is a piece of work, totally self absorbed, whiny, and nagging. She is an invalid who is trying to rule her husband and daughters with guilt, but since it doesn't really work any longer, she just tries harder and gets more whiny.
I
don't want to forget Hattie McDaniel, as the Timberlake's maid, but also
as a mother whose innocent son is accused of murder. Her scene with
Roy is extremely touching. As always, Ms. McDaniel takes a small role and makes it pivotal. Next week, another drama. Do join us.
Made for Each Other (1939) is a delightful little melodrama. Carole
Lombard and James Stewart star as Jane and John Mason, a young couple
who meet while he is on a brief business trip, fall in love, and marry,
as they say, in haste. Jane returns to John's New York City apartment,
to find she has inherited a mother-in-law who is horrified that her son
has passed up marriage to the boss' daughter for this precipitous union.
Instead of winning a partnership in his law firm, John finds himself
and his bride crammed into an apartment too small for his wife, mother,
and new baby - the result of a salary cut that quickly plunges the new
family into debt. His frustration, the pain of his wife as she
struggles to keep them together, and the travails that must face make us
hope they are indeed "made for each other".
As with the film last
week, we spent a lot of time discussing the character performances.
Again, Charles Coburn shone. His role this time is that of Judge
Doolittle, the head of the law firm for which John Mason works. At once
humorous and infuriating, we watch this man, whom we originally think
is an ogre, morph into a human being - and one we begin to love. The
same is true for Lucile Watson as John's mother. The picture of the
mother-in-law from hell, we wait for her to come through in a crisis,
and she does. The thing that is wonderful about their performances, is
that we don't find either change out of character or unrealistic. Both
Coburn and Watson are such pros that understand exactly why we see a
change. Here, the happy couple let Ms. Watson in on their future:
Finally, a word about Louis Beavers as the supportive maid,
Lily. Her warmth and affection for Jane, which Jane reciprocates, make
for a lovely respite to all the troubles Jane faces. The New Year's
Eve scene where Lily visits as she is on her way to a party is
delightful, and says so much about the goodness of this enchanting woman.
We discussed Ms. Beavers at some length, eventually touching on her 1934
turn as Delilah Johnson in Imitation of Life and as Gussie in Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House. A wonderful actress, she brought great strength of character to every role she played.
We'll be back soon with Ms. Lombard in Hands Across the Table.
