National Classic Movie Day 2021

Welcome to our celebration of National Classic Movie Day for May 16, 2021. As part of a blogathon hosted by the Classic Film and TV Cafe, we're going to discuss six films - one from each decade beginning in 1920.  We hope you've seen these films.  If not, perhaps you'll consider giving them a viewing.  All are worth your time.

 

We'll start our discussion right at the beginning of our first decade with Way Down East (1920). Lillian Gish stars as Anna, an unwed mother who is thrown out of her home after becoming pregnant.  Following the death of her infant, she finds work as a servant girl and falls in love with David Bartlett (Richard Barthelmess), the son of her employer.  But gossip reaches the Bartlett farm about her past, causing her to flee out into the storm. What follows is a spectacular scene in which Ms. Gish gets trapped on an ice floe, while Mr. Barthelmess attempts to save her. The scene was actually filmed in the midst of a blizzard and Ms. Gish suffered hand pain for the rest of her life (TCM article).  You can see that scene below.  In the meantime, you get to see some fine acting and an engaging script.  It's a powerful film, primarily because of Ms. Gish's abilities. If you've never seen her in a silent film, this may be the one with which to start.

We'll go to the end of the 1930's for our next film. The Christmas rush over, Polly Parrish (Ginger Rogers) uses her lunch hour to begin job hunting; by Christmas Eve, she'll be unemployed again. She sees a woman abandoning a baby on the steps of an orphanage, and rushes over to make sure the baby doesn't fall - and is mistaken by the orphanage personnel for the mother.  Bachelor Mother (1939) changes Polly's world as she becomes tthe mother of a strange child, and is wooed by the scion of the department store for which she works. Ginger Rogers is delightful as the reluctant unwed mother. 

The beauty of this remarkable film is the way in which all around her treat Polly after discovering she has a child.  David Merlin (David Niven) wants to give her a permanent job; Polly's landlady, Mrs. Weiss (Ferike Boros) volunteers to take on baby-sitting duty, and David's father John Merlin (Charles Coburn) decides the baby is his grandchild. The film circumvents the code by showing sympathy to a mother on her own, by making that mother an adoptive one.  It's a remarkable and genuinely sweet film, and definitely worth viewing.  The trailer will give you a good idea of this lovely movie:

The 1940s was an especially difficult decade to nail down just one film, so I opted to go to the directing master Alfred Hitchcock, and discuss Notorious (1946), which for me is one of his often ignored masterpieces. Alicia Huberman (Ingrid Bergman), the daughter of a convicted German spy, is recruited by T. R. Devlin (Cary Grant) to spy on another suspected spy, Alexander Sebastian (Claude Rains). Part of the beauty of this film is that Alicia is no innocent - she's been running with a fast crowd since her father's conviction, and knows exactly what comes with her mission, consenting to wed Sebastian to get the needed information. 

The combination of Grant and Bergman is intoxicating. Their's is not so much a love story as a lust story that grows despite the reluctance of the leading man. Mr. Grant makes Devlin a dark and angry man, who finds himself loving a woman he thinks is unworthy of him, only to find that she is a far better person than he. Claude Rains turns the tables on the viewer by making the audience actually sympathize with him, despite the fact that he is a Nazi spy and murderer. It's a world turned upside down, and the viewer is given a wild ride to a tense ending. The trailer will give you a look at this absorbing tale.

The role of women had changed as the 1940s ended, and the 1950s began.  Women who had left the home to work were now been forced back into the home.  In response, Emily Dunning Barringer, a physician in New York, wrote an autobiography about her years as an ambulance surgeon in 1902 (she was the first woman to hold this position). The film that was made of her book is The Girl in White (1952). It's possibly the only biography of a female physician, and gives a clear picture of the kinds of abuse that women who were entering the field had to face.  

June Allyson brings both innocence and strength to the young woman who is bucking the system.  Arthur Kennedy is good as her suitor, who originally wants her to give up her career and become the supportive wife and mother. Without going into detail, the ending of the film is an eye-opener, and not the traditional Hollywood fare.  If you've never seen this before, I strongly recommend it. This trailer will serve as an introduction.

 I had to think long and hard in selecting a representative film of the 1960s.  In keeping with my theme of strong women, I selected The Lion in Winter (1968). Katharine Hepburn is dynamic as the power-seeking Eleanor of Aquitaine; she won her third Oscar (tying with Barbra Streisand - the only time thus far the Actress category has resulted in a tie).

The interplay between Ms. Hepburn and Peter O'Toole is dynamic. Sure, the dialog is not period but they film crackles with superb lines. My favorite has got to be Ms. Hepburn musing on her marriage annulment from Louis VII of France: "Good, good Louis. If I'd managed sons for him instead of all those little girls, I'd still be stuck with being Queen of France and we should not have known each other. Such my angels is the role of sex in history." You can see that scene in this discussion of Ms. Hepburn's career by Anthony Hopkins

Peter O'Toole had a discussion about Ms. Hepburn with Robert Osborne which is available here.  He had approval rights for the film, and he wanted Ms. Hepburn. While there was a remake of the story in 2003, with Patrick Stewart and Glenn Close - both marvelous actors and favorites of mine - nothing can top the electricity between all the actors in the 1968 film. 

If you've not seen it - please get hold of a copy. I hope this trailer will serve as an encouragement.

As the 1960s gave rise to more violent films, I admit to not seeing many of the "greats" of the 1970s, so making a selection took some thought.  I decided on The Way We Were (1973). Again, a strong woman attempts to take on the world - or at least her part of it. 

Katie Morosky (Barbra Streisand) is a college radical who falls in love - initially over her better judgement - with jock Hubbell Gardiner (Robert Redford).  When they meet again during World War II, their love for each other flames and they decide to marry.  But Hubbell's career takes them to Hollywood, where Katie's radical past becomes a threat to their future.

If there is one thing I regret about this film, it is the fact that a decision was made to cut a scene that explained the real reason for Hubbell and Katie's eventual divorce. You can see that scene and a few others in this excerpt from a documentary about the film. In my humble opinion, the inclusion of the one scene would have made an already great picture perfect.

I had my own personal connection to the movie - they filmed the scenes outside Katie's apartment a few blocks from where I lived in New York, and I got there just in time to see the trucks leave. Sigh.  But it was exciting to see the finished scenes in the film. You can actually see that location in this trailer from the film.

In conclusion, Happy National Classic Movie Day.  Please be sure to visit the other blogs that are posting for the day, and find out about some additional great films.

Fred Dons His Top Hat

Jerry Travers (Fred Astaire) is about to open in a new London musical when it happens - he meets the girl of his dreams, Dale Tremont (Ginger Rogers). All it takes is one dance for the two to fall head-over-heals in love.  But Dale is told that the man who is romancing her is Jerry's best friend Horace Hardwick (Edward Everett Horton), the husband of Dale’s friend, Madge Harwick (Helen Brodrick). Our film this week is Top Hat (1935).

If there is a truth to be found in any Astaire-Rogers movie, it is that the written plot is unimportant - all the information you need to know about the story is there in the dancing. We see the carefree bachelor ("No Strings"), who falls in love with the downstairs neighbor ("No Strings - Sandman"). He woos her ("Isn't it a Lovely Day to be Caught in the Rain"), seduces her ("Cheek to Cheek"), and wins her ("The Piccolino).  Who needs words more than those penned by the great Irving Berlin?

It is because Astaire and Rogers are great actors that the film works so well. They act the words of the script, of course. But they act the dance. Watch their faces, their movements - they are telling us the story even when we think we are just watching them dance. It's not surprising that their partnership is legendary. They fit beautifully together.

The film is also remembered for the "Cheek to Cheek" dance - notable for the grace of the choreography, as well as for the ostrich feather dress that Ms. Rogers helped to design it with Costumer Bernard Newman. It too is the story of legend.  Ms. Rogers loved the dress - and she is correct in her belief that its flow contributed to the dance itself. The problem, however, was that the dress shed. Badly. It left feathers all over the floor and Mr. Astaire's tuxedo. Mr. Astaire rebelled - he wanted a different dress for the number, and Ms. Rogers dug her heels in and refused to get a new dress (Actually, an old dress - they wanted her to use a dress she'd worn in The Gay Divorcee).  So, the wardrobe staff came to the rescue - they spent the night reinforcing the feathers. The result is on the film - an occasional feather wafts by, but no flurries. And Ms. Rogers gained a gold charm in the form of a feather (and a note which read "Dear Feathers, I love ya!, Fred"), a song, and the nickname "Feathers" from Mr. Astaire.  (Ostrich Feather Dress  TCM Behind the Scenes). 

Edward Everett Horton and Helen Broderick as the older married friends of Jerry and Dale are very amusing. Ms. Broderick, especially, with her deep voice and saucy manner is perfect as the attempted matchmaker. Watching her encourage Dale to get closer to Jerry is really funny (especially considering that Dale thinks Jerry is actually Madge's husband, Horace). Ms. Broderick, who spent her film career playing best friends, is also remembered as the mother of actor Broderick Crawford.

While the characters played by Erik Rhodes (Alberto Beddini) and Eric Blore (Bates) are required for the plot, they are pretty silly. Especially nonsensical is the scene with Bates (masquerading as a gondolier) and an Italian Policeman. It is reported that several scenes at the end of the film were excised to speed things up - one wonders why this particular bit remained. The character wasn't much loved either - Italy banned this film because of Mr. Rhodes portrayal (TCM Trivia & Fun Facts). It's also worth noting that Lucille Ball makes an appearance as a Flower Shop Girl in the film.

The New York Times review by Andre Sennwald was very positive: "Top Hat is worth standing in line for. From the appearance of the lobby yesterday afternoon, you probably will have to." (The film, in fact, did sell out Radio City Music Hall.) Other reviews were also complimentary. 

Top Hat was nominated for 4 Academy Awards - Picture, Art Direction, Dance Direction (Hermes Pan), and Song (Irving Berlin's "Cheek to Cheek"). Three songs from the picture - "Cheek to Cheek," "Top Hat" and "Isn't This a Lovely Day"--were ranked first, second and fourth on the Your Hit Parade radio program (AFI Catalog). It's also been featured as an Essential on TCM, and is featured in Jeremy Arnold's second book, The Essentials, Volume 2: 52 More Must-See Movies and Why They Matter.

 

This truly is a must-see movie. Just ignore some of the plot, and watch the dancing. You'll want to dance yourself. We'll leave you with a trailer:

Ginger is in a Tight Spot

Sherry Conley (Ginger Rogers) has served four years in prison, when she is taken from the jail to a swanky New York City hotel by police officer Vince Striker (Brian Keith) and prison guard Willoughby (Katherine Anderson). Both are tight lipped as to the reason. However, it is clear that Sherry is in a Tight Spot (1955) when Lloyd Hallett (Edward G. Robinson) informs Sherry of the murder of her friend, Pete Tonelli (Alfred Linder). Tonelli was about to testify against gang leader Benjamin Costain (Lorne Greene), and Hallett wants Sherry to finish the job.

This is a tidy film, with a nice twist in the end that you really don't see coming. It's well cast and well-acted, with an engaging performance from a character actor - more on that later.

With a short, blonde hairstyle and severe clothing, Ginger Rogers looks much older than her 45 years. She looks hard, as her character should be, though at times she uses that baby voice that she sometimes exhibits when she wants the character to be naive or innocent.  Ms. Rogers is much too old for the role - Sherry should be hardened by prison life, but she also was supposed to have been a young girl who got caught up with a gangster. As the film opens, Sherry is by no means an innocent and while Ms. Rogers gives a decent portrayal, but this is no where near her best role.

Brian Keith is convincing as the police detective assigned to transport and protect Sherry. Mr. Keith does a good job making Vince hard-boiled, but he is equally adept at making him melt as he develops feelings for his charge.  

Brian Keith, the son of noted character actor Robert Keith, started his career in a few silent films as a small child (one featured his father), and in a bit part in Knute Rockne All American (1940). He then began a new job - four years in the Marine Corps as an air gunner. His return saw him in bit parts in a few more films, then on to Broadway, where, as Bob Keith, Jr. he appeared as part of the ensemble in the play Mister Roberts (which featured Henry Fonda in the lead - and his dad as Doc). He got roles in television episodes at this point, finally getting fourth billing in the film Arrowhead (1953). More television and several more films - including The Violent Men (1955), Nightfall (1957), and Storm Center (1957). But it was, perhaps, his role as Mitch in The Parent Trap (1961) that endeared him to a generation. It was this part that may have helped him to get the television series for which he is most remembered - Family Affair (1966). He continued to work in films and television until his death from suicide (his daughter had recently died, and he was suffering from emphysema) in 1997.

Edward G. Robinson is also good as the District Attorney who has pinned his hopes of deporting Costain on Sherry, though there is a hole in his plot line. Why, we wondered, would he approach this woman to testify against Costain, with no offer in hand? One would think that he would arrive with a promise of some reward for her danger, rather than just some lame appeal to her nobility. Mr. Robinson was at a low point in his career at this juncture. He'd been caught up in the McCarthy blacklist, and as he put it,  he "entered the 'B' picture phase of my career." (TCM article) Regardless, there is not an actor one looks forward to seeing more in a film than Mr. Robinson.

Lorne Greene is decidedly despicable as the gangland thug out to get Sherry before she can get him. Mr. Greene was two years from playing the ultimate good guy - Ben Cartwright in Bonanza. Also worthy of note is the performance of Katherine Anderson as the prison guard, Willoughby. Her's is a different kind of prison matron - she's kind and caring. Her affection for Sherry is evident from the minute we see her, and Ms. Anderson makes the character both memorable and engaging.

There is a theme that runs through the film - Sherry (who has been out of the world for four years) wants to watch television. But, every time she puts it on, all she can find is a telethon, hosted by a cowboy singer.  This was, of course, a dig at television, which had become the rival of the movie industry, and at television's penchant for telethons in the 1950s (AFI catalog). We should note that the film was set in New York City, which, in 1955 had six television stations (not two)!

The original Broadway play on which this film is based, Dead Pigeon (which featured Lloyd Bridges, Joan Lorring, and James Gregory), was inspired by Virginia Hill's testimony to the Kefauver Committee ("Gang Busters: The Kefauver Crime Committee and the Syndicate Films of the 1950s" by Ronald W. Wilson in Mob Culture: Hidden Histories of the American Gangster Film) [For more on Virginia Hill, see this bio].

New York Times review by H.H.T. (Henry Howard Thompson) called this "a pretty good little melodrama, the kind you keep rooting for..." and the book Dreams and Dead Ends: The American Gangster Film, 2nd ed. (by Jack Shadoian) says it is "a B gem that bears repeated viewings." We agree, and suggest you keep your eyes open for a it to appear on a TV set near you. In the meantime, here's a scene where Ginger Rogers talks to Brian Keith:

 

 

Ginger Won't Marry

Victoria Stafford (Ginger Rogers) has had three trips to the altar, all unsuccessful - she bolts the minute she is asked to say "I Do". She's about to take a fourth trip, this time to Oliver H.P. Harrington (Ron Randall).  However, fearing another botched ceremony, his father (Thurston Hall) suggests a cooling off period before the vows are exchanged. After a month in her sculpting studio, far from her family and fiance, Vicki decides she will marry Oliver. But when she arrives in New York City, she finds an American Indian (Cornell Wilde) in her upper berth, saying It Had to be You (1947).
 
This is a remarkably silly movie, with few redeeming values; with a cast headed by Ginger Rogers and Cornell Wilde, one expects better. Unfortunately, the script is weak (and at this point in history, rather offensive), and the acting is overdone.

When Ginger Rogers did Tom, Dick, and Harry (1941), she presented the character with a high-pitched voice; she would do something similar when she appeared in The Major and the Minor (1942). The little-girl voice was perfect (albeit a tad over-young) for the allegedly 12-year old Susu Applegate. She does it again here, and all it accomplishes is to let us know Vicki is a moron. She shouldn't be - she's a talented sculptress with confidence in her abilities. Her inability to commit to a man, except to someone she met when she was 10 is odd. But Ms. Rogers makes her into a nincompoop, who vibrates through the picture with no apparent focus, leaving the audience with no focal point as well. Ms. Rogers allegedly liked the role (TCM article), though one wonders why.

Cornel Wilde is usually an enjoyable actor, but he is out of his element in this movie. When he plays the native-garbed George McKesson, he is goggled-eyed and ridiculous - if his eyes got any wider, they would pop out of their sockets.  When enacting fireman Johnny Blaine, he is the exact opposite - almost flat in his portrayal of a man allegedly in love.

Spring Byington only gets to flutter helplessly as Vicki's mother Mrs. Stafford.  The events whirl around her and she is incapable of understanding ANYTHING about her daughter. It's a real shame to waste her in this piece of nonsense.

If there is one thing that is extraordinary about the film, it is the costuming. Jean Louis designs four spectacularly gorgeous wedding gowns, as well as dresses and suits for Ms. Rogers that would make any woman proud to wear them. 

In her book A Woman's View: How Hollywood Spoke to Women 1930-1960, Jeannine Basinger comments on the wedding dresses as means of demonstrating Victoria's emotions prior to each of her weddings. Yet, in each marriage, she bolts. Ms. Bassinger believes that the film is "a case of the audience having it all. They get to ogle three gorgeous wedding gowns for the price of one. They get to see three wimpy grooms rejected. And Ginger Rogers is still intact for further plot development, free and easy and not saddled with a dreary marriage." For a film aimed at a female audience, the story may have been aimed at the many unhappily married women among them.

In April 1948, Lucille Ball and Cornell Wilde starred in a Screen Guild Theater radio version of the story (AFI Catalog).  A January 1950 Screen Directors' Playhouse show starred Joan Fontaine (subbing for an ill Ginger Rogers).

Bosley Crowther's New York Times review was scathing - he said that even his 8 year old son didn't like it. Unfortunately, we are forced to agree with him. It's not the worst film ever made, but it is a Ginger Rogers low point.  If you are a completest of Ms. Rogers work, or in the mood to see great costumes, then see it (but have a remote in hand to fast forward through some of the silliness).

Ginger Goes to New York

Four college friends want to make it big in New York City. Catherine “Fiery” Furness (Janet Gaynor) is determined to be a writer. Chris Thring (Charles Farrell) plans on a law career. Mack McGowan (James Dunn) sees himself as a radio singer. And Madge Roundtree (Ginger Rogers) has visions of Broadway stardom. While they are the best of friends, there are complications: Fiery loves Chris, Chris loves Madge, Madge loves Mack, and Mack loves Fiery. Who will have a Change of Heart (1934)?

It's always enjoyable to see an actor at the start of his or her career.  Here we have Ginger Rogers in a film released only five months before she appeared as Fred Astaire's partner in Flying Down to Rio (if you recall, the duo were second bananas in that film). We also have a glimpse of Shirley Temple, in the dialog-free role of a little girl on an airplane - released just before Ms. Temple became America's darling in Little Miss Marker.

The titular stars of the film are Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell, who were appearing in their last of twelve films together (Ms. Gaynor was the first actress to win an Oscar. It was awarded for two films in 1927 - Sunrise: The Story of Two Humans and Seventh Heaven, the latter with Mr. Farrell). (AFI catalog)  Ms. Gaynor is an always engaging actress, and she gives her character's nickname multiple meanings. Katherine says that she is called Fiery because of her red hair, but Gaynor makes a character who is strong and determined. She takes the hand that is dealt her with little complaint, and makes it work.

Though Ms. Gaynor, who had successfully made the transition from silent to sound films, had a career boost when she garnered raves in A Star is Born (1937), she decided to retire in 1938. She married costumer Adrian in 1939, and they had a child the following year. They remained together until his death in 1959. She returned to films briefly (Bernadine in 1957), as well as doing some television work beginning in 1953. But, by and large she painted, and traveled - often with her friend Mary Martin and Martin's husband. In 1982, a car accident killed one person (Mary Martin's manager Ben Washer) and injured Ms. Martin, Ms. Gaynor's second husband Paul Gregory, and Ms. Gaynor herself. Though Ms. Gaynor lived for another two years, she never fully recuperated from her injuries and died at the age of 77.

James Dunn is quite good in the role of Mack. He plays him as a self-assured young man, who is very much the leader of his friends. Mack is the ringleader - he is the one who urges them all to journey with them to New York City. One particularly fun scene involves him trying to con a mother and daughter to adopt an infant. He's quite engaging.

We also very much enjoyed Beryl Mercer (Harriet Hawkins). Ms. Mercer made a career playing motherly types, and she does not disappoint here. She is sweet and sympathetic, and her affection for Fiery makes the audience warm to her instantly. That she seems to know (and care) that the young Mrs. Mockby (Drue Leyton) needs to adopt the baby Harriet has in her care also makes her appealing. We trust her unerring judgement in what is best for her babies, and for the parents who adopt them because of Ms. Mercer's sincerity.

We were NOT familiar with Ms. Leyton (she only made 10 films, one of which was uncredited, and two Broadway plays), but her life story is far more interesting than her career. In 1938, she retired and moved to Paris to marry Jacques Terrane (also known as Jacques Tartière, a French actor). She began working on Voice of America, making herself quite unpopular with the Nazi's. With the outbreak of the war in France, her husband joined the resistance, and was shot while working with the Free French in Syria. With the Nazi entrance into Paris, Ms. Leyton was arrested, but managed to escape. She joined the French resistance, and used her house in Barbizon to smuggle (in total) 42 downed Allied airmen out of France. She wrote a book about her experiences - The House Near Paris. She died in 1997 at the age of 93.

Which brings us to Ginger Rogers. We know from the beginning that Madge is not the good girl - she's blowing bubble gum at her college graduation (instead of looking beatific like Fiery). Even with that image, Ms. Rogers presents Madge as problematic. She is ambitious, and willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants, but it's still hard to truly dislike her. You just want to give her a shake. As a result, by film's end, you are satisfied with the way it all resolves.

The scenes of early New York City are always appealing to this group of natives. Change of Heart was surely filmed in Hollywood, but there is enough stock footage of NYC, circa 1934, to give us pleasure. While this is not a great film, it is enjoyable, primarily because of the two lead actresses.  We'll leave you with this scene with Ginger, Janet, and the guys.  You can also see Shirley Temple at the 1:08 mark (Don't blink. You'll miss her!)

Ronald is Lucky

As David Grant (Ronald Colman) walks down the street, he spies Jean Newton (Ginger Rogers). David is taken with her, and as they pass each other, he wishes her luck. When her errand results in a lucky encounter, Jean seeks out David and asks him to go half on a sweepstakes ticket; they are, she believes, Lucky Partners (1940), and together they can win enough money for Jean to marry her fiance Freddie Harder (Jack Carson). David agrees, but with a caveat - Jean must go away with him on a trip if they win. He promises it will be all above-board, but he wants a few days with alone with her.

This is a cute, if slight film, that borders on being a waste of some excellent talents.  In their only film together, Ginger Rogers and Ronald Colman work well as a pair. They are an engaging couple, and it's a shame they didn't have a stronger script. Though at some point rumors arose of discontent between the two actors, Ms. Rogers firmly denied the charges. She agreed to the role (turning down His Girl Friday!) because of her eagerness to work with Mr. Colman. She professed in her autobiography to being nearly a fan girl on the set, grinning with delight every time she watched him work (TCM article).  Ms. Rogers opted for dark hair for the part, and later regretted the decision. Though she looks very different from the Ginger Rogers we are used to, we didn't think the dark hair was that bad. Her wardrobe, while simple, is totally appropriate to the character, a working girl in New York City.

 

Mr. Colman had just started his own production company; this film, and My Life with Caroline were the results. Sadly, they were the only scripts he could acquire. He plays the part of David with a twinkle in his eye, but even with the little bit of serious business at the end of the film, he really doesn't have a lot to do except be charming. It is important that we like David, and that we understand why Jean is attracted to him. With Mr. Colman, there is no question as to her reactions.

Jack Carson is such an excellent actor that he does a wonderful job playing a total oaf. This was his first big role, and he handles it quite well. Though director Lewis Milestone later recalled that Carson was in such awe of his costars that he was originally overwhelmed by his casting. Ginger Rogers was reluctant to have Carson in the role of her boyfriend - she recalled he had been an extra on one of her films. It was up to Mr. Milestone to remind her that she too gotten her start as an extra.

Mr. Carson started his professional career in vaudeville. He began getting uncredited screen roles in 1937; in 1938, he started performing on radio. His distinctive voice proved an asset, and he was soon hosting shows. The year after this film, he starred with James Cagney, Olivia de Havilland, and Rita Hayworth as the conniving Hugo Barnstead in The Strawberry Blonde. He played another loud in Mildred Pierce (1945). But he also could play leading roles, as in Roughly Speaking (1945), in which he appeared as Rosalind Russell's adoring husband. By the 1950s, Mr. Carson had segued to television, appearing in a number of shows, including The Twilight Zone and Bonanza. Married four times, he had two children with his second wife. He died in 1962, age 52, of stomach cancer.

Spring Byington has the thankless role of Jean's Aunt. While we usually love Ms. Byington, she is completely wasted in this outing. The character is more of an annoyance than a help to the film. It's a shame, because she is an engaging actress of great versatility.

One scene that was quite appealing was a small interlude with an elderly couple, Mr. and Mrs. Sylvester, who Jean recognizes as children's book authors of whom she was a fan. Portrayed with delicacy by Brandon Tynan and Cecilia Loftus, the scene was sweet, primarily because of the performances of this lovely couple. 

Without giving too much of the plot away, the film attempts at the end to deal with a fairly serious subject - that of pornography. But the courtroom scene in which this is played out is so desperately silly, that it loses its punch. We have the wonderful Harry Davenport as the Judge, but even he can't pull the sequence out of the morass of nonsense. It's a shame, because it was fascinating to see a film trying to explain the distinction between art and pornography.

Adapted from a French film by Sacha Guitry entitled Bonne Chance (1935) (AFI catalog), Lucky Partners got a surprisingly excellent review from New York Times critic Bosley Crowther when it opened at Radio City Music Hall in New York. It also did well at the box office, earning $1.39 million.

We'll leave you with the trailer from the film. It's got some fun moments, and it IS your only chance to see Mr. Colman with Ms. Rogers.

Ginger is on the Radio

Glory Eden (Ginger Rogers), America's "Purity Girl" has had it. She's been on the radio for a year. She's popular, she's making plenty of money, but she is banned from going ANYWHERE. She wants to go out and dance in Harlem, she wants to wear makeup and date. But under her present contract, she is forbidden from doing anything that might compromise her image of innocence. When she threatens her boss, Sam Ipswich (Gregory Ratoff) with leaving his employ, he agrees to get her a Professional Sweetheart (1933) - and potential husband - that will allow her to date discreetly.

Though at times a fairly silly movie, Professional Sweetheart is enjoyable. Ginger Rogers is very cute as a girl who just wants to have fun, and while Norman Foster (as Jim Davey) is perhaps not the most dynamic actor in the world, he is convincingly sincere. Add a group of excellent character actors, including Gregory Ratoff (playing a part not dissimilar to his role in All About Eve), Frank McHugh (as Speed Dennis), and Allen Jenkins (as O'Connor), and you have a film that is fun and ever so slightly titillating (as you can see from the still below!)

We were pleased to also see Theresa Harris (Vera) in a small role.  She's relegated to playing a maid, of course, and is not even billed in the credits, but she is again (as she was in Baby Face) intelligent and attractive, and more of a confidant to the unhappy Glory than a mere servant.  Unlike Ginger Rogers, Ms. Harris actually gets to do her own singing (Etta Moten sings for Ms. Rogers; why, is a big question).  Ms. Harris has a lovely voice, and is an excellent actress: with 99 film and television credits to her name, Ms. Harris SHOULD be better known. She was the inspiration for a play, By the Way, Vera Stark, which performed off-Broadway in 2011. Married from 1933 until her death, to a physician, Ms. Harris retired from acting in 1958. She died at age 79, in 1985.

Normally, we enjoy ZaSu Pitts (Elmerada de Leon),  but her vagueness gets annoying after a time.  Of course, Elmerada is supposed to be annoying, but she is also supposed to be funny. The film really carries the act a bit too far, so we found ourselves groaning when Ms. Pitts started to open her mouth.

Norman Foster is okay as the romantic lead, but not much more than that. He would continue acting until 1938 (he returned to acting in the 1970s in a few television shows and movies), but he is best known as a director. He directed several of the Mr. Moto films, 1948's Rachel and the Stranger (starring his sister-in-law, Loretta Young), and the noir classic Woman on the Run (1950). He also did much television directing (including 39 episodes of Ms. Young's television shows). He was married for 7 years to Claudette Colbert; after their divorce in 1935, he married Sally Blane; they had two children and were married until his death from cancer in 1976 (age 72).

This was Ms. Rogers' first film under a three picture deal with RKO (TCM article). All three pictures (Rafter Romance, also co-starring Norman Foster, and Chance at Heaven were the other two) were released in 1933, as was her next film, under a new seven-year contract - Flying Down to Rio, her first film with Fred Astaire. They didn't dub her singing voice after that!

Original titles for the film include Careless and Purity Girl, (AFI Catalog) but we felt the release title was the best choice - after all, but Jim AND Glory turn out to be professional sweethearts! Besides the character actors mentioned above, there are brief glimpses of Betty Furness (as a reporter) and Akim Tamiroff (as a waiter).

The New York Times liked the film (which premiered in Radio City Music Hall), as did my colleague at Pre-code.com (for an outline of some of the pre-code naughtiness, please to visit his posting). You can see some of that naughtiness in this clip from the film. A good opportunity to see Ginger Rogers early in her career, Professional Sweetheart is a pleasant romp. 

Fred Meets Ginger

As I've mentioned before, when an extraordinary opportunity to see a classic film happens in the greater Washington DC area, I'm going to tell you about it.  Recently, the National Portrait Gallery hosted a screening of Flying Down to Rio (1933), and there to comment on the film was TCM's own Robert Osborne.  I was very excited to attend the film screening, as well as a reception for Mr. Osborne, who was kind enough to sign my copy of his latest book 85 Years of the Oscars.  Add to this, the opportunity to ask questions about the film and to see the film on a big screen - it was an amazing night!

Flying Down to Rio is the first Astaire-Rogers film.  Technically, it's a Dolores Del Rio-Gene Raymond story, though, as Ginger and Fred are only minor players in it: they get fourth and fifth billing, respectively.  And they only get one dance number together - "The Carioca", which was nominated for the Best Song Oscar (it lost to "The Continental" from The Gay Divorcee).  But, as always, their dancing is so amazing, they stole the picture from the stars, and the rest is history.
The plot of the film is fairly ordinary.  Roger Bond (Gene Raymond) is the leader of a fairly successful orchestra, however, Roger likes two things far better than working - flying and the ladies.  As a result, he is constantly getting the band fired either because he was late for a broadcast, or for consorting with the guests.  Into his club walks Belinha de Rezende (Dolores Del Rio), a wealthy Brazilian traveler, who immediately captivates Roger.  The management fires the band when Roger is caught dancing with Belinha instead of working, but their joblessness doesn't last long - they have been hired by the Hotel Atlantico in Rio, and off they go.  Of course, the hotel is owned by Belinha's father.  Further complications ensue as Roger and Belinha realize they are in love, though Belinha is engaged to Julio Rubeiro (Raul Roulien), and when the band discovers that the Hotel is in the midst of a hostile takeover by a consortium.  In order to keep their job, Fred Ayres (Fred Astaire) and Honey Hale (Ginger Rogers) come up with a production number to end all production numbers - it's danced in the air!

The introduction by Robert Osborne provided us with some interesting facts.  Originally, Honey Hale was to have been played by Dorothy Jordan, but just before filming began, she married Merian C. Cooper and retired.  In the 1950s, she made three more films, one of which is quite notable. It's The Searchers, in which she played Martha Edwards, Ethan's sister-in-law and great love. (We talked about The Searchers twice.  Here is the most recent article.)  Her marriage to Cooper lasted until his death in 1973; she died in 1988, at the age of 82.  

With Jordan's departure, a new Honey Hale was needed, so the studio turned to Rogers.  She and Astaire knew one another - they had met - and dated - in New York City when he worked as a choreographer in play in which she appeared.  Though neither was looking for a dance partnership (Astaire had decided not to have another partner after sister Adele retired), this was a one-shot in a minor role.  Little did they know they would be making film history.

This TCM Article talks about these facts, as well as another partnership that was formed during the film - Astaire's meeting with Hermes Pan, the assistant choreographer here. It also discusses the magnificent art deco sets - they are of themselves works of art.

The film is also VERY pre-code. From Ginger Rogers see-through evening gown to the dancers whose dresses are literally blown off while performing on an airplane wing, we get to see a lot of some lovely ladies.  Add to that some suggestive lines ("What's this business with the forehead?" "Mental telepathy." "I can tell what they’re thinking about from here.”) and you have a delightfully naughty film.

A quick tip of the hat is due to actor Raul Roulien, who plays Belinha's fiance.  He makes Julio so very likeable that, by film's end, you wonder WHY Belinha would pick such a lightweight as Roger, when she has a wonderful, stable, loving guy like Julio at hand.  We don't have a lot of hope for that marriage.  One suspects Roger will be gadding about once the novelty of Belinha and Rio wears off.   However, we think that Fred and Honey will take the band to new heights of popularity (once they get away from Roger and his hijinks).

We leave you with Fred and Ginger dancing "The Carioca":

Fred Analyzes Ginger

This past Sunday (September 15th, 2013) was the 75th Anniversary of the Silver Theatre (now the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center).  To commemorate this notable event (and the restoration of the theatre by AFI in 2003), AFI ran exactly the same program that the Silver Theatre ran in 1938.  We went to see 3 of the 5 films that were part of the celebration, all released in 1938.  I'll be blogging about each of them over the next few weeks.

Carefree, with Fred Astaire as Dr. Tony Flagg, Ginger Rogers as Amanda Cooper, and Ralph Bellamy as Stephen Arden, was our first film of the day.  The plot, as in most Astaire-Rogers movies, is secondary to the dancing, but in this movie, Ginger Rogers is given a lot more to do than in some of the pairings.  Amanda Cooper thinks she is in love with Stephen Arden, but she can't bring herself to marry him.  So, Stephen asks his friend, Tony Flagg, a psychiatrist, to talk to Amanda, to see if her can find out why she is reluctant to wed.  Tony encourages Amanda to dream, to find out the subconscious reason for her concerns - turns out, she's in love with Tony.  But when she tells him, Tony hypnotizes her to hate him, then has second thoughts.  

Okay, so it's a rather silly plot.  But there is some magnificent dancing here.  One of my personal favorites is The Yam, a boisterous, energetic number, which has Fred throwing Ginger over his upraised leg.  The picture below gives you just a taste of the grace and joy of the routine.  It's also one of the few dance numbers where Ginger sings and Fred doesn't, and where she wants him to dance, and he is the holdout. This article at TCM discusses that dance in some detail, including the fact that Ginger Rogers came up with the idea of the leg lifts.

 Rogers really gets a chance to show her comedic skills here.  After Tony gives her a sedative and leaves the room while it takes effect, Amanda is whisked out of the room by the totally ignorant Stephen.  She then proceeds to create mayhem everywhere she goes.  Rogers manages to make you love her, even as she does all kinds of outlandish things under the influence of the gas.

Another rarity in an Astaire-Rogers film occurs in the dream sequence - at the end of the dance Amanda kisses Tony.  While kisses are often suggested in Astaire-Rogers films, you seldom see them kiss. Here, you do!  The dream dance is performed mostly in slow motion.  It's a shame the modern audience has become so jaded about slow motion, thanks primarily to its overuse.  Here, the slowed speed allows you to see the precision of the dance moves.  They have to be absolutely perfect, or the speed would show every flaw.

That Astaire was a golfer is evident in the Since They Turned 'Loch Lomond' into Swing.  Astaire taps as he swings, his movements are beautiful, and he even carefully changes clubs when he wants a different shot.  It's a clever and challenging dance.

Finally, there is the pièce de résistance of the film - Change Partners.  The song is one of Irving Berlin's best; it has probably been performed by every major popular singer since it came out, but has there ever been a better rendition than that of Astaire? Though his voice is not the quality of, say, Frank Sinatra or Ella Fitzgerald, Astaire brings a grace to his songs that few can match.  Here, he uses his voice and movements to hypnotize Rogers, in hopes of telling her of his love.   It's been said that many composers wrote just for Astaire.  When you hear him do this, you understand why.

To close, let Rogers and Astaire hypnotize you via this magnificent number.  We'll be back next week with more discussion from AFI and from our weekly meetings.

Ginger Avoids the Path

A woman whose mother and grandmother are prostitutes tries to avoid the life.  No, it's not a pre-Code. This is the 1940 Ginger Rogers Film Primrose Path. Ginger is Ellie May Adams, whose father (Miles Mander) is a drunk and whose mother (Marjorie Rambeau) is a hooker. Oh, and her grandmother (Queenie Vassar) pretty much functions as a pander. But, Ellie May tries hard to avoid the life of her mother, first by acting as a tom-boy, but then by marrying a man (Joel McCrea) who is unaware of her past.  Her problem, however, is not so much her family, but the fact that she lied to her husband, Ed.  Because when Ed finds out her family history, he is not able to handle it.  And her grandmother is eager to get her back into the house.

Queenie Vassar as Grandma is properly revolting. You really want to find a deep well in which to drop her (though none is handy). And Marjorie Rambeau as mother Mamie is sweet and sympathetic.  She, too, had hoped for a better life when she married, only to learn that her husband is weak.  Yet, she still loves him and does her best to protect him - and to support her family in the only "talent" that she has.

Ginger Rogers, as always, is wonderful; her Ellie May is sweet and sympathetic.  Even when her world falls out from under her, she still manages to convey, realistically, the pain and desperation of this girl who just wants love and a normal life.  Joel McCrea, however is less sympathetic - eyeing his "portagee gals", judging his wife when he certainly is not the purest flower in the garden, and just being plain nasty at times.  One really wants to put him in the well with Granny.

Keep your eyes open for Charles Lane as Mr. Smith. He is rather a nice surprise. It's always great to see him - even in a small part, but also great to see the character. All in all, this is a lovely film that I wish more people had the opportunity to see.  Here is the scene where Ellie May and Ed meet: 

Precode Golddiggers

This week, we look at Gold Diggers of 1933, another Busby Berkeley musical. It looks at the Depression through the eyes of showgirls who are trying to survive as theatricals close under them.  Enter Brad Roberts (Dick Powell), a young man eager to break into show business as a songwriter.  He agrees to finance a show, as long as it features his music and stars his love, Polly Parker (Ruby Keeler). Brad is, it seems, quite wealthy, the younger son of a family that has agreed to his ambitions as long as he changes his name.  However, once his older brother Lawrence (played by William Warren) finds out that young Brad is planning on marrying a showgirl, mayhem ensues.  Carol's friend Polly (Joan Blondell) is mistaken by Lawrence for Carol, and Polly decides to play along.

During the musical numbers, Billy Barty is back, again as a child in the "Pettin' in the Park" number, oogling all the lovely ladies.  The number ends with the famous scene of him handing a can opener to Dick Powell, so he can cut the "protected" Ruby Keeler out of her tin armor.  But as racy as the number is, perhaps the interaction among Joan Blondell, William Warren, Aline MacMahon (as Trixie Lorraine, another showgirl) and Guy Kibbee ("Fanny", the object of Trixie's golddigging). The girls con expensive hats out of the men - retribution for their mission to break up Brad and Carol.  And let's not forget the lovely Fay (Ginger Rogers), whose last name is Fortune, and who, quite frankly, is looking for one.Of course, all comes right in then end - Brad get Carol, Polly gets Lawrence, and even Trixie get "Fanny".

We were surprised that, in this lighthearted romp, the number that ended the musical is "Remember My Forgotten Man". Its somber tone is in direct contrast to the rest of the movie, and that it ends the movie is a statement in and of itself. Coming out in the middle of the Depression, it reminds the audience of the environment to which they must return.  Here is that scene:

And so, next week we pick up with a more serious story.  Hope you'll visit with us again.