Loretta Composes

Marion Cullen (Loretta Young) lives in a small town in Kansas with her parents.  The arrival of Jimmy Decker (David Manners), a salesman from New York, presents Marion with a new view on life - she's never felt she fit in her home, and Jimmy is complimentary of her ability as a songwriter. After a row with her parents - and the announcement by her mother that Marion was adopted - Marion decides to leave Kansas and make a stab at a songwriting career in New York, as well as a life with Jimmy. There's a problem - Jimmy is engaged to Enid Hollister (Helen Vinson), the boss's daughter. This week, we'll discuss They Call it Sin (1932).

This is a neatly done film - tight and enjoyable (69 minutes in total), with characters that you really end up liking. Even those people you think are the most heinous turn out to have streaks of goodness in them. Though a pre-code, most of the naughtiness is Dixie Dare (Una Merkel) in her slip and doing cartwheels that are perhaps a bit immodest.

The film, like many pre-codes, operates a lot on innuendo. We THINK our heroine Marion, may be having a relationship with Jimmy, but she isn't. Later, we think she might be about to bed Ford Humphries (Louis Calhern), but she doesn't. Marion is very much an innocent who spends the film learning to become stronger with adversity. Ms. Young does a good job of portraying that naivety, along with giving the character a strong backbone - this is a young woman who bounces with the punches, and is not afraid to stand up for herself.

There is one other piece of suggestion present in the film. Marion's mother (Nella Walker) is openly hostile to her child from the moment we encounter her. Later, we discover that Mrs. Hollister is not Marion's birth mother; Marion's mother was a showgirl, and Marion is illegitimate. Interestingly, though a religious man, Mr. Hollister is (Joe Cawthorne) is kinder to the girl. We also learn that he asked his wife to take in the orphan child - according to him, an act of "christian charity." Is it possible he is Marion's natural father? The film doesn't tell us the answer, but we left it wondering just WHY he was so eager to adopt the girl. It certainly isn't because his wife wants children.

The men in the film are secondary to Ms. Young; they are moths to her flame. David Manners is the titular leading man. He had recently appeared in both Dracula (1931) and A Bill of Divorcement (1932) (TCM article). Regardless, the character keeps disappearing from the action, and we don't really miss him. George Brent (Dr. Tony Travers) is also absent for a lot of the film; again, the viewer doesn't really care.  Louis Calhern, however, is a lot more interesting as a roué; when he is on screen, you pay attention. Mr. Calhern started his film career in 1921, and on Broadway in 1923, appearing in 28 plays over the course of his lifetime, including The Magnificent Yankee in 1948 (a role he would reprise on film in 1950) and King Lear. With his splendid voice, he was made for talking films, and his career as a supporting player would expand in 1931.  Often he was the villain (as in our film), or the boss (Notorious (1946)). He ventured into the realm of the musical when Frank Morgan died in 1949, taking on the part of Buffalo Bill Cody in Annie Get Your Gun (1950). Mr. Calhern was in Japan for Teahouse of the August Moon (1956) when he suffered a heart attack and died. He was replaced by Paul Ford, and his scenes were reshot, making his last film (another musical) High Society.

The supporting female characters are more interesting then the men. Helen Vinson is rather underused as Enid, but she's always excellent.  The star turn in the film, though, is Una Merkel as the effervescent Dixie Day. She's delightfully funny, and her little cartwheels add that little bit of pizazz (or "ginger" as Warner Brothers phrased in the TCM article above) that one expects in a pre-code . Ms. Merkel is always an actress to look forward to seeing - this film is no exception.

The gowns by Orry-Kelly are quite lovely, and we were impressed by the set design of Jack Okey.  The scenes of Penn Station are splendid, and for us, a piece of nostalgia. Demolished in 1963 (a controversial action at the time, and long bemoaned by New Yorkers - to quote architectural historian Vincent Scully "One entered the city like a God [now] One scuttles in now like a rat."), the building was a wonder of height and light. Mr. Okey used a combination of stock shots and sets to paint the picture of the station.

We'll leave you with the film opening and the suggestion that you give this one a viewing.

Kay Wants a Man

In Man Wanted (1932), Kay Francis plays Lois Ames, a successful publisher who has taken over her late father's company.  As she toils by day, her husband, Fred (Kenneth Thomson) plays polo and essentially lives off her earnings.  When Lois' secretary (Elizabeth Patterson) quits in a huff, Thomas Sheridan (David Manners), a salesman, offers to step in temporarily.  Tom, however, proves to be efficient and capable; as a result, Lois advances him within the company. But complications ensue when Tom finds himself falling in love with Lois, much to the annoyance of Tom's fiance, Ruth Holman (Una Merkel).

Take your mind back to movies of the 1930s and 1940s.  Think of the women in these movies - by and large, they are subservient to men in some way; those that are not sacrifice their autonomy by the end of the movie, or are punished in some way.  Not this one.  As my colleague at  Precode.com, says, this is a movie where "our heroine [is] not punished for being devoted to her job, and she’s damned good at it."  And it is rather amazing to watch.  Kay Francis' Lois is tough, smart, and fair.  She loves her work, and enjoys working with people who also enjoy their jobs.  Her relationship with Tom Sheridan grows BECAUSE they are so good at what they do, and are so committed to it.

It IS hard to believe that Lois could really be in love with Fred.  He's such a lazy and lackadaisical man.  He does nothing except play polo, and doesn't seem to mind doing nothing - he's perfectly satisfied with living off Lois' money.  He's also perfectly satisfied with cheating on her with Ann Le Maire (Claire Dodd).  One particularly interesting scene focuses on Lois' discovery of Fred's relationship - she tosses a hotel room key at him, letting him know she is aware of his infidelity.  Ms. Francis is magnificent in her quiet disgust.  This was Ms. Francis' first film for Warner Brothers (see this AFI Catalog article), and she does an excellent job.

David Manners gives a the character of Tom real force and dignity.  The film is careful to position Tom so he is Lois' equal in everything but job title.  He is as smart and as ambitious as she is.  His love for her is also dignified.  When he believes that any pursuit of Lois would be rejected - she has openly affirmed her love for her husband - he begins to bow out of her life as quietly as possible.  There are no scenes, no impassioned pleas for her affection.  His only indignity, perhaps, is in settling for the very annoying Ruth.  Una Merkel does a good job of making you want to throttle Ruth, if only to get her to shut up.

Mr. Manners began his film career in 1929; within a year, he appeared as the romantic lead in the 1930 version of Kismet.  We've already seen him in two other films: Torch Singer (1933) and The Miracle Woman (1931).  Regardless of his quick advancement in Hollywood, by 1936 he left for Broadway (where he appeared in three plays) and to pursue other interests, such as painting and writing.  He would eventually settle in California, with his life-partner, Bill Mercer (they were together until Mercer's death in 1978).  Mr. Manners died in 1998, at the age of 98.

Elizabeth Patterson has a small role as Lois' first secretary, Miss Harper.  In one scene, we see her literally lounging at a desk, with her feet up.  When Lois tells her they will be remaining in the office to complete some work,  Miss Harper refuses, and then asks should she return in the morning.  Essentially, she quits a well paying job.  Given that the film was released in the middle of the Depression, we wondered if a woman with steady employment would really quit, or refuse to work late, knowing it will be the end of her job (and whether audiences would accept her choice)?  Regardless, Elizabeth Patterson is, as always, excellent as the secretary with attitude.  Ms. Patterson worked in film and in television from 1926 to 1961.  She also appeared on Broadway in 26 plays (between 1913-1954), and was appeared frequently in the television series I Love Lucy.  Ms. Patterson never married, and died at the age of 91 of pneumonia.

Of course, Ms. Francis has magnificent clothing - but much of it is tailored for a working woman (but still exquisite).  Her gowns were credited to Earl Luick.  And Lois' beautiful office was designed by Anton Grot.

We'll leave you with the trailer to the film.  You will also see Andy Devine  in the role of Tom's friend Andy Doyle.  Join us again next week.

Miracle Maker Barbara

The Miracle Woman (1931) is the story of Florence Fallon (Barbara Stanwyck), the daughter of a minister ousted by his ministry in favor of a younger man.  His heart broken by the betrayal of his congregation, the Reverend Fallon dies suddenly.  With his body still in the chair in which he died, his daughter arrives at his pulpit to announce his death, and to harangue the community on their hypocrisy.  Visiting promoter Hornsby (Sam Hardy) is intrigued, and hires Florence  to run a highly profitable "ministry."  But when Florence learns that her sermon stopped blind composer John Carson (David Manners) from committing suicide, Florence must take a long, hard look at her occupation. 

Watching the film right after Ladies They Talk About did lead to a discussion and comparison of the lead actors in the two films. David Manners' chemistry with Stanwyck is quite appealing, and resulted in a much more interesting dynamic that that between Ms. Stanwyck and Preston Foster.  We were particularly taken with the scene in which Stanwyck and Manners begin to sing together.  There is a naturalness in the scene that speaks to improvisation, though it probably was well scripted.  Manners presents us with a gentle, almost fragile man, who grows stronger because of his love for Florence.  But at no point do we find him weak or ineffectual.  His interactions with Stanwyck speak to an equality between them - each has their own demons; their relationship enables them both to face them.

David Manners career in Hollywood was relatively short.  He only appeared in 39 films between 1929 and 1936, and is probably best remembered as Jonathan Harker in the Tod Browning Dracula (1931).  He found life in Hollywood not to his liking, and eventually relocated to Pacific Palisades, with his partner, author William Mercer.  Manners wrote, occasionally returning to the theatre (appearing on Broadway in Truckline Cafe with Marlon Brando in 1946, for example).  Manners died in 1998, age 97.  A detailed obituary is available in The Independent.

The performance of Beryl Mercer as Mrs. Higgins is adorable.  John's landlady is sweet, caring and humorous.  There is no relationship between them other than that he lives in her building, but she seems to regard him as a son.  Both Precode.com and this New York Times review (which is not otherwise all that enthusiastic) mention Ms. Mercer's lovely portrayal.

Because of the portrait painted of a dishonest evangelist, the film was banned in the UK (according to the AFI Catalog).  The AFI also notes the similarities between this film, and the 1960 film Elmer Gantry (even down to the fire at the end of the films), though Elmer Gantry was based on a Sinclair Lewis novel, while this film was based on the play Bless You Sister by Robert Riskin and John Meehan (which, in the 1927 Broadway run, starred Alice Brady in the role that would be played by Ms. Stanwyck).

In this TCM article, it's pointed out that, being this is 1931, there is precious little in the way of special effects in the film.  So, when Stanwyck and Manners are in the cage with the lions, they are IN the cage with the lions - a veil was the only thing separating them from attack.  Convinced that Stanwyck was totally comfortable, Manners would later recall, he became "brave" and went on with the scene, only to discover afterwards that she was actually terrified!  Similarly, in the fire sequence at the end of the film.  Stanwyck had to stand amid the flames, and when Capra went in to get her, he discovered (though was unaware of it while filming), that her heart was pounding from fear.  As always, Ms. Stanwyck's professionalism was the stuff of legend.

We'll end with this scene of Ms. Stanwyck showing off her oratory skills.  We'll return next week with an early Laurence Olivier film. 

Claudette Sings!

Last evening's precode movie was Torch Singer (1933), with Claudette Colbert as an unwed mother who is forced to surrender her baby for adoption when she unable to find a means of support for the little girl.  Sally (or Mimi, her career name) becomes a "loose" woman by reputation. However, IS she? We see her flirting, but never see any evidence that her reputation is more than rumor to support her employer's contention that torch singers must suffer for their art.  Suffer she does though, unable to find her little girl, she turns to drink. We (the viewers in NYC) had a lot of affection for her, and felt that her reputation was hype.


We were fascinated to learn that Ms. Colbert did her own singing.  She has two songs, a children's lullaby and her character's signature song "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Love". Ms. Colbert has an interesting (though not exceptional) voice - it dark and rather throaty, but she certainly can carry a tune, and she SURELY sounds like a torch singer.  

The two men in her life, played by Ricardo Cortez (as Tony) and David Manners (as Michael, the father of the her baby) are surprisingly sympathetic. Both good, supportive men, who care for her and want the best for her. We are inclined to dislike Michael at first, but when he tells his side of the story, he becomes easier to like. It was interesting, we felt, that the men WERE shown in such a positive light. We expected one or the other to be the villain of the piece. If there was a villain, it was the women (Michael's aunt) who refuses to help the destitute Sally.

We were especially pleased to see the interactions between Sally and the nun who runs the hospital where Sally gives birth. There is no condemnation here - only support. And Mother Angelica is, as we learn later in the film, a woman of deep principle.

Again, we highly recommend this movie for those of you interested in pre-code movies, or in Claudette Colbert. She is just glorious!