Barbara is on Her Own

Patrice Harkess (Barbara Stanwyck) sits holding her baby, Bill Harkess (John Lund) nearby. They are waiting for something, and Patrice believes that, when it comes, Bill will leave her.  The phone rings - it's the police, and they are on their way over.  Our film tonight is No Man of Her Own (1950), part of the Hidden Classics Blogathon, hosted by the Classic Movie Blog Association.

This has long been one of my personal favorite Barbara Stanwyck films, and it was one she was eager to do (Barbara Stanwyck: The Miracle Woman by Dan Callahan).  She is perfection as a woman thrown into a morass, and comes back to look it square in the eye. For Patrice Harkness is a name forced on unwed mother Helen Ferguson. Abandoned by her lover, Stephen Morley (Lyle Bettger), with only a train ticket to New York to her name, she finds herself on the train, unable to find a seat, and with no money for food. She's "adopted" by Patrice (Phyllis Thaxter) and Hugh Harkness (Richard Denning), a young couple pregnant with their first child, en route to meet his family for the first time. In less capable hands, it would be hard to understand just why the Harknesses take on this needy young woman, but Ms. Stanwyck makes you understand from the start the inner goodness of Helen Ferguson, who only wants to be able to make a decent life for her and for her coming child. That Helen was originally to be a prostitute (AFI catalog) seems outlandish having seen the film.  The audience must care for her, and Ms. Stanwyck wraps her audience around her lovely finger. She also has the inner determination to handle the problem that is Stephen Morley (TCM article).

While it is true that John Lund is not an actor in Ms. Stanwyck's league (then again, who is?), he does a good job in keeping their relationship on an even keel.  A particularly telling scene is one in which his father (Henry O'Neill) adjusts his will.  The audience is starting to realize that Bill is suspicious of Patrice; but when she reacts with horror at the news about the will, Bill's reaction sets us up for the rest of their relationship - it doesn't matter to him any longer who she is. He knows the kind of person she is and that is all the information he requires. 

Jane Cowl (Mrs. Harkness) is superb as the loving mother who looks to Patrice and her baby as the final link to her deceased son. She's warm, friendly, and protective. But she is also smart; she knows very quickly that Patrice is in some kind of trouble and she begins immediately to find a way to safeguard her family - including Patrice - from any danger. Ms. Cowl only made a total of seven pictures (in Stage Door Canteen, she played herself). However, between 1903 and 1947, she was in 33 Broadway plays, many of which she wrote and/or directed, including Smilin' Through (which was made into a film with Norma Shearer). She died in 1950, at the age of 65.

Lyle Bettger  (Stephen Morley) is deliciously evil as a horrible man who keeps the audience on tenderhooks. We never really believe him, but at the same time, it's hard to think that anyone could be as bad as he is.  In his first scene, we watch him ENJOY Helen's heartbreak.  This is his lover, pregnant with his child, but he's done with her. He's like a peacock preening at her misery, which of course he sees as her need for HIM.  A little hint of the future is given when we meet his new inamorata, Irma (Carole Matthews) who is disgusted at his treatment of Helen.

Using Phyllis Thaxter (Patrice Harkness) and Richard Denning (Hugh Harkness) as the young married couple is an interesting conceit. Both are well enough known to the audiences that one is  lulled into thinking they will be with you for the whole movie. Sadly, that is not to be, but both are lovely in their brief scenes with Ms. Stanwyck.  Their warmth echos what Helen will find when she inadvertently adopts Patrice's identity.

The film was based on a story by Cornell Woolrich, I Married a Dead Man (Senses of Cinema). The New York Times review by Bosley Crowther is unimpressive, but in a 2012 New York Times commentary upon the DVD release, Dave Kehr discusses the intricacies of director Mitchell Leisen's work. 

The Screen Director's Playhouse aired a version on television in September 1951 with Ms. Stanwyck in the lead. The film was remade in 1996 as Mrs. Winterbourne  with Ricki Lake in the title role. Nothing, however, can beat Ms. Stanwyck, and we heartily recommend this wonderful film. We'll leave you with a trailer

Before you go, I suggest you visit the Classic Movie Blog Association page for this blogathon, and look at some of the other films being discussed for this celebration. 

5 From the 50s

May 16th is National Classic Movie Day and to celebrate, I'm participating in this year's blogathon, Five Favorite Films from the Fifties. Be sure to follow the link to see the work of other bloggers, and find discussions of films you might never have thought to view.

As I've mentioned before, my favorite films change from day to day, so I've opted to pick five films I truly love in five different genres - comedy, musical, film noir, suspense, and western. My caveat is, if you asked me tomorrow, you might get a totally different list. I'm also going to avoid discussions of films we've previously covered (I'll link you over to a few noteworthy ones within my chosen categories). Regardless, all of these films are remarkable and definitely worth seeing. If there are some with which you are not familiar, get hold of a copy asap. You won't be sorry.

---

Tony Hunter (Fred Astaire) has all but retired when his friends, writers Lester (Oscar Levant) and Lily Marton (Nanette Fabray) try to entice him back to work with their latest play. They plan to get Jeffrey Cordova (Jack Buchanan) to direct it. Cordova, however, has grandiose ideas, including the addition of ballerina Gabrielle Gerard (Cyd Charisse) to the cast. With misgivings ("I am not Nijinsky. I am not Marlon Brando. I am Mrs. Hunter's little boy, Tony, song and dance man."), Tony agrees, but conflicts arise as rehearsals begin.

When it comes to musicals of the 1950s, Singin' in the Rain (1952) and An American in Paris (1951) (justifiably) come immediately to mind. But The Band Wagon (1953) is a film that should always be included in the list of great 1950s musicals. With Cyd Charisse and Fred Astaire performing one of the greatest dance numbers in movie history, plenty of comedy, and a love story, it's a film not to be missed.

In 1931, Fred and Adele Astaire (along with Frank Morgan and Helen Broderick) starred in the Broadway play, The Band Wagon. It was a musical revue; this film has nothing to do with it, though I Love Louisa and Dancing in the Dark were both performed in the play. The film has a script by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, who loosely based the story on Mr. Astaire. He'd tried retirement for a few years, but was coaxed back to star in the very successful Easter Parade (1948); his most recent film, however (The Belle of New York) that had not done well (for more on Fred Astaire and The Band Wagon see this article in The Paris Review). The Martons were based on Comden and Green (though the real-life writing duo were not married), and Cordova was based on  José Ferrer, who between 1946 and 1948 produced, directed, and/or starred in 8 Broadway plays - and did 10 more in the next three years! (TCM articles).

Jack Buchanan was not the first choice for Gregory Cordova - Clifton Webb was approached initially; Edward G. Robinson and Vincent Price were also considered (AFI catalog).  And while Vera-Ellen was at one pointed listed for the role of Gabrielle, one wonders if the failure of The Belle of New York led to her not being used.

The film was well received upon release; the  New York Times review by Bosley Crowther was enthusiastic. It was nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Story and Screenplay, Best Costume Design (Color) and Best Scoring of a Musical Picture.  With all the wonderful musical numbers, the one for me that stands out is "Dancing in the Dark," perhaps Mr. Astaire's most romantic number since he and Ginger Rogers graced the screen.  We'll close this section with a video of that delightful dance.

---

Dr. Benjamin McKenna (James Stewart) is on vacation in Morocco with his wife Josephine Conway (Doris Day), a well-known singer who retired to take care of their son Hank (Christopher Olsen).  They are befriended by Louis Bernard (Daniel Gélin), a Frenchman who asks way too many questions for Jo's tastes. Bernard is murdered and whispers to Ben that a statesman is targeted for murder. But the would-be murderers have their own plan - snatch young Hank to be sure that Jo and Ben don't contact the police.

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) is a remake of Hitchcock's 1934 film of the same name. The plots are similar, but this version has a lot more nuance. Hitchcock told François Truffaut that "the first version is the work of a talented amateur and the second was made by a professional" (Hitchcock by François Truffaut)

James Stewart had already appeared in Hitchcock's Rear Window (1954) and Rope (1948); they would work together one more time in Vertigo (1958). Mr. Stewart was attached to the project from the beginning; Doris Day was also Mr. Hitchcock's first choice for Jo, especially since he wanted part of the conclusion to replicate the search for Richard the Lionheart by his troubadour Blondel. (TCM article). Her song, "Que Sera, Sera," won the Academy Award for best song, became her theme song, and was used in two more of her films (AFI Catalog). An excellent dramatic actress, she portrays a strong woman who ultimately refuses to be cowed by the danger threatening her child. Ms. Day's recent passing has already contributed many caveats to her exceptional skills as an actress and singer. This film is further proof that she was a talented dramatic actress.


To my mind, The Man Who Knew Too Much is one of Hitchcock's great films that is often overlooked in discussions of his work. Perhaps because it was not seen for so many years - it was one of the five films that Hitchcock owned and refused to release (including Vertigo, Rear Window, Rope, and The Trouble with Harry) (Mental Floss article). The highly regarded Vertigo and Rear Window got much praise and viewing when the films finally came back to their audience in the 1980s. This one has just not received as much attention.

If you are ready to watch the master of suspense spin his web, watch The Man Who Knew Too Much; here's a clip of the trailer, with a bit of Ms. Day doing her famous song.

---

Pregnant and dumped by her no-good boyfriend Stephen Morley (Lyle Bettger), Helen Ferguson (Barbara Stanwyck) boards a train with only her meager belongings - Morley gave her the ticket to get her out of town.  She is befriended by newlyweds Patrice (Phyllis Thaxter) and Hugh Harkness (Richard Denning), who are on route to introduce Patrice - who is also pregnant - to Hugh's family. Patrice lets Helen try on her wedding band while they are in the ladies room; at that moment, there is a train crash. Helen awakens to discover both her new friends are dead, and Hugh's family thinks that she is Patrice. With her baby to think about, and No Man of Her Own (1950), Helen is faced with a massive decision - accept help from the Harkness family, or leave before they realize her deception.

No Man of Her Own is on my list of favorite film noirs, as well as favorite Barbara Stanwyck films. As a woman abandoned by the man she loved, Stanwyck is remarkable (as always). Her ethical dilemma is obvious - the love she has for her unborn child, versus the need to lie to people as kind as Mr. & Mrs. Harkness (Jane Cowl & Henry O'Neill). There is the further complication of her growing affection for Hugh's brother Bill (John Lund). If it is a touch melodramatic, who cares? When you get a performer like Ms. Stanwyck telling the story, you want to watch.

One of the things that really intrigues me is that Helen is clearly an unwed mother, yet there are no recriminations from anyone. Patrice is obviously aware that Helen has never had a wedding ring, and generously lets Helen slip on Patrice's ring. Originally, Helen was to have been a prostitute (AFI catalog), but in my opinion, Helen as a rejected lover makes for a more interesting story line.

When the DVD was released in 2016, the New York Times provided some interesting commentary about the film (Bosley Crowther disliked it when it was released in 1950). The film was based on a Cornell Woolrich story (I Married a Dead Man), it has been remade several times, with versions in Japan (Shisha to no Kekkon (1960)), in France (J'ai épousé une ombre (1983)), in India (Kati Patang (1970), and in America (Mrs. Winterbourne (1996).

This is top-notch Stanwyck - and not one that comes up all the time, so watch for it! This trailer will give you an idea of what to expect.

---

The beauty of The Quiet Man (1952) is that it is so much more than a comedy. It tells the story of Sean Thornton (John Wayne), who left his home in Ireland as a young boy to emigrate to America with his mother. He grew up with his mother's stories of his former home, their wee cottage, White-a-Morn and the roses that grew outside the house. Sean's life in America was a hardscrabble one, and as that life has become untenable, he retreats to Innisfree, and buys White-a-Morn. As he tries to settle into a country he doesn't know, he finds that his unwillingness to fight brings heartache to him, and to the woman he loves, Mary Kate Danaher (Maureen O'Hara).

The Quiet Man was based on a short story by Maurice Walsh; John Ford acquired the rights in 1937 and yearned to make it into a film (AFI Catalog). Republic Studios finally agreed to make it IF Ford, O'Hara, and Wayne would make a Western (read moneymaker - Republic considered Ford's little film a vanity project that would lose money), so the trio first did Rio Grande. Filmed in Ireland, with various members of the cast's and crews' families working on the film, Ford was also under express orders to bring in a film no longer than 2 hours. But, his final cut ran 2:09 - he showed it to his execs, and stopped the projector at exactly the 120 minute mark. They agreed to the longer time (TCM articles).

For me, the film is important for its portrayal of a strong woman who is trying to maintain her independence in a society that limits a woman's choices. Mary Kate, in hounding Sean to get her dowry, is not asking for money - she's asking for her independence. With his American upbringing, all Sean can see is that what's his is hers. Mary Kate wants "her [own] things about her," for they are what make the house and the marriage all her own. 

I could go on for hours about this film. As a child, I would watch it every St. Patrick's Day (and growl when they cut crucial scenes out. Thank heavens for TCM and uncut films!).  I've been in Ireland twice, and both times visited Cong, the little village in County Mayo where The Quiet Man was filmed. The Quiet Man is a song of joy about Ireland, and a tale of strength under pressure.

---

There are some truly remarkable westerns in the 1950s - Shane, The Searchers (1956), Johnny Guitar (1956), among others.  But one film that should be in this list is the excellent Westward the Women (1951). The story of a group of 140 women who are recruited by rancher Roy E. Whitman (John McIntyre) as brides for his hands, the film portrays with as much truth as possible the dangers and hardships that faced the pioneers who went west. Leading the caravan is Buck Wyatt (Robert Taylor), a hard-nosed scout with little faith in the venture.

The women are a tough bunch. There is our star, Fifi Danon (Denise Darcel), a saloon girl who wants a new start. The widowed Mrs. Maroni (Renata Vanni) wants a new father for her son Tony (Guido Marfuti). Patience Hawley (Hope Emerson) has lost her husband and son to the sea, and also wants a chance with a new husband.
 
Robert Taylor is letter perfect as the man who decries Mr. Whitman's plan as foolhardy, but grows to respect the women in his charge.  Early in the film, he speaks to the assembled group. He asks if any can shoot a gun - he's stunned when Maggie O'Malley (Lenore Lonergan) shoots the eyes out of a picture. His regard grows as he sees the women take on more and more responsibility as they struggle towards California.

Regardless of his star billing, this is a film about the women.  Hope Emerson especially paints a portrait of a woman trying to begin a new life. She brooks no nonsense from her colleagues or from the men who lead the trail. She's brave and forthright, and you adore her from her first "hokum-smokum". Rose Myers (Beverly Dennis), a young woman pregnant with an illegitimate child is also an interesting character - accepted and loved by the group, with no condemnation of her past indiscretion. As this TCM article notes Westward the Women goes deeper into creating a female vision of the westward progression. These are the Pioneer Women (the film's working title) who would tame the western frontier.

Frank Capra had planned to direct, with Gary Cooper as Buck, but eventually sold the project to William Wellman (AFI catalog), which I believe added a layer of realism that benefited the story enormously.  Bosley Crowther in his New York Times review has certainly missed the point of the film; I suggest you take a look at A Woman's View: How Hollywood Spoke to Women, 1930-1960 by Jeanine Basinger for further discussion on this very timely picture.  In the meantime, take a look at the trailer:


And thus, our Five from the Fifties - there are many more excellent options (I didn't include a film I love, The Girl in White (1954). That's for another day). Just head over to Five Favorite Films from the Fifties and see the other wonderful films that were selected. In the meantime, Happy National Classic Film Day!

Thelma Moves to Ohio

Marriage, and the difficulties of dealing with the in-laws, is the subject of The Mating Season  (1951), a wonderful (and underrated) romantic comedy, which stars Gene Tierney and John Lund as newlyweds trying to deal with their respective mothers.

When Maggie Carleton (Gene Tierney) meets Val McNulty (John Lund) after she nearly runs her car off a cliff, love is almost immediately in bloom, much to the consternation of Maggie's wealthy suitor Junior Kalinger (James Lorimer) and Val's secretary, Betsy (Jan Sterling).  But, if the young couple thought life with Junior and Betsy were their only problems, they were mistaken, because in comes trouble in the form of his mother Ellen (Thelma Ritter) and HER mother Fran (Miriam Hopkins).  Problem 1 - Fran is a horror, who thinks her son-in-law is far beneath her (and Maggie's) notice.  Problem 2 - Maggie has mistaken Ellen for a housekeeper who was being sent over by an employment agency, and Ellen doesn't want her to know that she is Val's mother.  So, when both mothers move move in - Ellen as housekeeper, and Fran by taking over the master bedroom, the marriage begins to feel its growing pains.

Though Gene Tierney and John Lund are the official stars of this film, the movie really belongs to Thelma Ritter as the down-to-earth Ellen. Though Miriam Hopkins thinks it is her movie (see this TCM article for Ms. Hopkins hijinks), there is no way even Hopkins, the ultimate scene stealer, can get the film back from Ritter.  As with pretty much everything she does, when Ritter is on the screen, you are looking at HER.  Do you recall Ms. Ritter in Miracle on 34th Street? She has two, very brief scenes, but you will always remember her as the harried mother in Macys.  In 1951, she was nominated for her second Academy Award for her supporting role in The Mating Season; ultimately, she was nominated six times (and never won.  Go figure).  Ellen is the emotional core of the film, with Ritter providing a perfect foil to Hopkins meddling mother, as she carefully tries to maneuver past the dangers that come with two mothers-in-law in the same house.  There are perhaps no scenes more telling than the pair that show each child with his/her mother.  In one, we see Maggie and Fran in the master bedroom - where Fran has not only separated husband and wife, she has even gone so far as to steal Maggie's only pillow; this is followed by a conversation between Val and Ellen, in which Ellen's desire to sacrifice for her son and his wife is so very clear.

Ritter returned to acting in 1947 after a hiatus to raise her two children (she was married to her husband, Joseph Moran, for 42 years).  Her first picture was Miracle on 34th Street (1947), in which she was not credited.  By 1950, however, she had received her first Oscar nomination (for her work as Birdie in All About Eve), and was then nominated again the next four years in succession (for this film, With a Song in My Heart, and Pickup on South Street).  In her 21 year screen career, she appeared in 44 films and television shows.  In 1958, she returned to Broadway, and won a Tony for her role in New Girl in Town (a tie - with her co-star Gwen Verdon).  Ms. Ritter died of a heart attack in 1969, at age 67.

 

Gene Tierney is also quite wonderful as Maggie.   Badly played, Maggie could be a wimp, but Tierney gives her spunk and integrity.  Her blossoming relationship with Ellen is warm and affectionate.  And when Ellen's real position in the household is revealed, you sympathize with Maggie's fury for the deception that has robbed her of an even better relationship with her new mother.  

Equally wonderful in as very small role is Larry Keating  as George Kalinger, Sr.   The wealthy head of Val's company, Mr. Kalinger, Sr. is impressed by both Val, and especially with Val's mother.  How he got a son like Junior is a puzzle - and one Mr. Kalinger doesn't understand.  The comfortable nature of his relationship with Ellen provides a lovely picture of mature love - placed in juxtaposition to our young lovers, we can almost see the future for Maggie and Val.  Keating, who would eventually go on to a noted television career (as the original Harry Morton in The Burns and Allen Show, and as next-door neighbor Roger Addison in Mr. Ed), died in 1963.

John Lund, on the other hand, is rather banal.  It's hard to understand why Maggie falls for him so quickly, as he often appears stiff and up-tight.  It's not that Val isn't in a precarious position - it's just that, even when he is with Maggie and Ellen,  Lund gives us a Val who doesn't ever seem to become comfortable.  Interestingly, Lund himself was not really taken with his appearance on film.  He is quoted as saying (IMDB):  "Each picture has given me an inferiority complex. I've become face conscious. Projection rooms are torture chambers to me, at this point. When I saw the first day's rushes on To Each His Own (1946), I went home and started packing. I had thought I was smiling tenderly at Olivia de Havilland, but, on screen, I looked as though I were ready to bite her ear off, and I didn't have any eyes at all. After that, I refused to look at myself, but I began enjoying the work."  A competent actor, he might have been better off in character parts - and in fact, in his later years, he switched to radio, voicing the titular detective in Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.  But for the most part, his leading man looks shoved him into the romantic lead.  But when he finally got to turn that model on its head - as the uptight George Kittredge in High Society (1956) - he was at his best..  Eventually, he left acting to become a successful businessman.  He died in 1992, after a battle with heart disease, aged 81.

Filmed under the working title of A Relative Stranger (AFI Notes), the film was given okay reviews (though Bosley Crowther of the New York Times was not particularly amused).  Regardless, this is a film that has aged remarkably well, and is just a delight from start to finish. We'll leave you with the trailer:

Olivia Wins Her FIRST Oscar

We felt we had a real treat this week - Olivia de Havilland's 1946 Oscar-winning performance in To Each His Own, wherein our heroine plays an unwed mother. The movie is just wonderful - a chick flick, a melodrama - you bet, but what a performance!  Olivia gets to play Jody Norris, a young woman from a small town, during multiple stages of her life. We first see her as a somewhat hardened, middle-aged woman; but thanks to flashbacks, we get to see her as a young, optimistic girl. Jody meets a young flyer (John Lund as Captain Cosgrove), falls in love, spends a night with him, exchanges multiple love letters, only to learn a few months later that he was killed in battle.  Now pregnant, she decided to have her baby AND raise him. Her plan is simple. She will leave her child on the doorstep of the town's most fertile woman, knowing that the family will be unable to take him in. Then, Jody will come to the rescue and offer to adopt the child.  However, Jody's former suitor (Philip Terry) and his wife (Mary Anderson) have just lost their newborn child.  The town generously offers the "orphan" to them.

De Havilland  is a gem in this picture; she manages to easily demonstrate all the stages of Jody's life - from young innocent, to hardnosed businesswoman to bitter middle age.  No one else in the cast even comes close.  John Lund is really only window dressing - an object of love, first as the lover, then as the son. It is not his fault, because everything rotates around De Havilland.  Perhaps the only performance that even comes close is that of Victoria Horne as Jody's friend Daisy Gingras in the scene where Daisy relates the story of her youth, and of the grandmother who removed her from the home of her alcoholic mother. 

For some reason, this movie is NOT available on DVD (WHY????), but it is run occasionally on TCM. Do watch the schedule and try to catch it; we're sure you will enjoy it.  Here's a l scene, where Jody falls in love with her aviator: