Fay Heads the Mob

Lila Thorne (Ida Lupino) has just become engaged to Fred Leonard (Lee Bowman); Fred is eager for Lila to meet his mother, Hattie (Fay Bainter). So off Lila goes to Maclin City, where she tries to get in Hattie's good graces - not an easy task. Turns out, Hattie's already chased away at least one of Fred's girlfriends. In the midst of this, Hattie discovers that the local dry cleaner, Mr. Zambrogio (Henry Armetta) has been forced to raise his prices - a protection racket is bleeding him for large amounts of money. Incensed when she discovers the mayor will do nothing about about it, Hattie decides to hire her own mob to deal with the gangsters. This week, we'll discuss The Lady and the Mob (1939) and its star. 

As part of the What a Character! blogathon, we're focusing our attention on the wonderful character actress Fay Bainter It's not often that Ms. Bainter gets to lead a film, but when she does, it's always a pleasure. She takes an okay script and an average part, and gives the audience a decidedly better experience. Sure, this film is a B movie, but in Ms. Bainter's hands, you really don't care - she's that good. She's funny and wry - even when she is being tyrannical towards Ida Lupino, you are amused by her. And when she decides that it is up to her to solve the crime problem in Maclin City because the authorities won't, watch out! She's a force to be reckoned with. Ms. Bainter was not the first choice for the role - the studio originally wanted Edna May Oliver (AFI catalog) - interesting choices that would have given two very distinct performances.

Fay Bainter started her stage career on the West Coast, working in traveling companies. By 1912, however, she'd come to Broadway - between 1912 and 1949, she appeared in 26 plays including Dodsworth (1934) (as Fran - the part would go to Ruth Chatterton on screen), She Stoops to Conquer (1928), and The Way of the World (1931). She started working in films in 1934. In 1938 she won a Supporting Actress Oscar (for her role as Bette Davis' aunt in Jezebel), and was nominated that same year for Best Actress (for White Banners), the first of only 9 people who have been given two nominations in the same year. She was also nominated for her role in The Children's Hour (1961). She segued into television in 1949, and worked in both mediums until her retirement in 1965. Her husband of 43 years died had died in 1964 (they had one son); Ms. Bainter died in 1968, at the age of 74.

Ida Lupino is very good in what is an extremely small part (Wendy Barrie was the first choice for the part). Ms. Lupino was still, at this point in her career, relatively unknown and relegated to secondary roles. But in December of 1939 (The Lady and the Mob was released in April), Ms. Lupino would finally get noticed, when she appears as the Cockney prostitute in The Light That Failed (TCM article). Ms. Lupino gives Lila gumption, which she needs when faced with the whirlwind that is Hattie. If there is a problem with the character, it is that one can't imagine Lila staying with a bore like Fred. 

Lee Bowman has very little to do, and his character is a bit of a dolt. He's obviously dominated by his mother - when Lila says "I hope you realize I'm not marrying your mother," Fred's response is "That's what you think". Mr. Bowman isn't present for over half of the movie, and when he does appear, he's pushed aside by Lila and Hattie. They have bigger fish to fry, and he is not part of the solution. Part of the fun of the film is watching the two women bond over Hattie's preoccupation with the crime wave.

The supporting characters are lots of fun, with Henry Armetta as a stereotyped Italian dry-cleaner; Warren Hymer (Frankie O'Fallon) stands out as the chief of Hattie's mob, but they are all amusing; their interplay with Ms. Bainter is excellent. George Meeker (playing George Watson) is the head gangster on the other side of the fence, and makes a nice contrast to Mr. Hymer. 

The film had several working titles: Mrs. Leonard Misbehaves; Old Mrs. Leonard and the Machine Guns; Old Mrs. Leonard and Her Machine Guns. Because of the gangster theme, they had issues with the Production Office. While this movie is not great literature, it's amusing and tidy (one fight scene goes on a bit too long, but otherwise it's a fairly neat presentation). It is certainly worth a viewing.

This post is part of the What a Character! blogathon, hosted by Once Upon a Screen. Please visit the other posts to learn about a variety of amazing character actors.

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:

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: