Candace Goodwin (Frances Dee) is in love with Michael Stewart (William Holden), but Mike is reluctant to propose to her - Candy's family is well-off, and Mike is a simple working man. When Candy's father Pierce Goodwin (Grant Mitchell) announces that, should Mike marry Candy, he'll cut off her funds, Mike proposes, and Candy announces her intention to live on a budget. But, it's a lot harder than the inexperienced Candy thinks. Our film this week is Meet the Stewarts (1942), and is part of the The Wedding Bells Blogathon, hosted by Hometowns to Hollywood.
This is a pleasant film that, unfortunately, goes off the rails a few times. It starts as a sweet look at a newly married couple facing financial woes, but then degenerates into unnecessary slapstick. Jeanine Basinger in her book I Do and I Don't: A History of Marriage in the Movies points out how difficult it is to write an entire movie about a marriage - most films lead us TO the marriage, and then stop (happily ever after). It's much harder to show day-to-day life and make it interesting. Meet the Stewarts is able to do that for awhile, then seems to feel it needs something else to keep the plot moving. We didn't think It was necessary. Frances Dee is quite engaging as Candy. She's ill prepared for life as a struggling wife - she's never cooked, or cleaned, or kept a budget, but she is determined to learn. Ms. Dee creates a no-nonsense woman who believes she can do anything she puts her mind to. She can, but it takes time, and her husband is not really convinced that she can learn the skills of a homemaker. Their arguments become diatribes about money - with Mike looking the worse for their encounters.
Frances Dee started her career as an extra in 1929. She worked regularly, rising to more important parts. In 1933, while filming The Silver Cord, she fell in love with its star, Joel McCrea. They married that October, eventually having 3 children. They were together until Mr. McCrea's death in 1990 (on their wedding anniversary). Ms. Dee died in 2004, at the age of 90. William Holden is a good partner for Ms. Dee in Meet the Stewarts. Despite his anxiety over money, you like Mike, but Mr. Holden plays the role so it is clear that Candy is making appropriate decisions and trying to learn how to be a wife with not a whole lot of money. Ms. Dee was just returning to work after a maternity leave, and was having problems adjusting to the work schedule. The film's director, Alfred E. Green decided to fire her, but Mr. Holden went to Harry Cohn and interceded. Ms. Dee remained in the film (William Holden: A Biography by Michelangelo Capua). William Holden enlisted in the Army Air Force; Columbia was able to get a dispensation so he could finish the film before entering the service, (AFI Catalog) and the film opened in May, 1942.
We looked forward to seeing Margaret Hamilton (Willametta) in the cast, but were very disappointed when she finally arrived on screen. She's supposed to be funny as an inept maid, but she is just annoying. Her incompetence is intolerable, and we kept wondering why someone didn't fire her on the spot (and dock her for breaking the glassware). Anne Revere (Geraldine Stewart) was a breath of fresh air as Mike's older sister. You think that you won't like her, but she turns out to be a good woman looking out for both her brother and her new sister-in-law. Based on the short story Something Borrowed by Elizabeth Dunn, there are things to many like about this little film - Candy and her efforts to make the marriage work is one of the major attractions. When she goes back to work to pay a debt that she inadvertently incurred, she is admirable, and the film does not try to make it feel like she is in some way emasculating her husband by working for the money. Yes, the film gets silly at times, but in the long run, we all enjoyed it for what it was - a light, rather breezy entertainment (with some scenes we'd like to excise), as well as a look at two young people starting a new life as a married couple.
This will probably be one of my odder blog posts, but the coincidence compels me to discuss a recent screening of the much loved The Wizard of Oz along with the Broadway play Wicked. We literally saw the two within one week of each other, so we arrived at the play with a totally clear picture of the 1939 classic in our heads. I'm sure you are all familiar with the plot of The Wizard of Oz. It's a film I grew up with - it was aired once a year (usually around Thanksgiving), and though my father was not a fan of musicals, the decks were cleared so my brother and I could watch it. I recall being terrified when the image of the Wicked Witch of the West replaced that of Auntie Em in the giant crystal ball. Interestingly, at a discussion of the film I attended a few months ago, the speaker said that he found that women/girls were frightened by the crystal ball, while men/boys related their fear of the flying monkeys! We watched on a black and white TV set, and, since I grew up on 1930s and 1940s b&w movies, it was a revelation to me when, seeing it on a big screen for the very first time, Dorothy opened the door to COLOR. I was able to live the experience that must have greeted most viewers in 1939!
Then there is Wicked, the story of Oz BEFORE Dorothy's arrival, loosely based on the book by Gregory Maguire. It tells the story of Oz from the point of view of the woman who will become the Wicked Witch of the West. Born green - the result of her mother's imbibing a "green elixir," which she acquired from the soon-to-be Wizard of Oz - the child Elphaba Thropp is despised by her parents. Nevertheless, she is a loving woman, devoted to her crippled sister, Nessarose, and eager to please her father (her mother died giving birth to Nessarose). She accompanies her sister to Shiz University, where the headmistress, Madame Morrible, discovers that it is Elphaba who has the talent to be a witch, not the pouty Nessarose. And while Elphaba is eager to work with the Wizard of Oz, she is horrified to discover that he is merely a talentless bigot, who is systematically destroying Oz by turning the inhabitants against one another. He has started by enslaving the talking animals of Oz. Why? Because a common enemy unites people. The Wizard intends to make Elphaba a tool in his further efforts to subjugate Oz, but Elphaba will have none of it, and by "defying gravity", she escapes to begin an organized resistance against his rule.
I had seen Wicked several years ago, when Idina Menzel was still playing Elphaba. This time, Elphaba
was enacted by Caroline Bowman, an amazing singer and actress. The role of Glinda was ably filled by Kara Lindsay, who gave Elphaba's description of Galinda's personality ("blonde"...) a whole new meaning (and no, that is not a misspellling. Galinda changes her name to Glinda). All in all, it's a wonderful cast in an amazing production, and if you find yourself in New York, or with access to a traveling version of the play, try to see it. What the play does is tell us how the various characters came to be - from the Wicked Witch of the West, Glinda, and the Wizard, to the Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and Scarecrow. We even find out why those damned shoes are so important to the Wicked Witch. We never actually SEE Dorothy, though we find out she is there (and that Elphaba finds her and her dog "Dodo" REALLY annoying). Nevertheless, Dorothy is a key ingredient to the success of the story. As the story ends, you will begin to see how tightly Wicked and The Wizard of Oz link to one another. So let's end this post with a little music - first, the ever wonderful Judy Garland sings Over the Rainbow
And the ladies from Wicked sing about their friendship in For Good.
Play Girl (1941) features Kay Francis as Grace Herbert. Grace has spent most of her life living off men (her favorite gambit is the "breach of promise" lawsuit), and has been quite successful at it. However, now that she is no longer in the bloom of youth, she is finding it harder to live in the lifestyle to which she has become accustomed. She's in debt; forced to sell her most valuable piece of jewelry just to pay the rent, and finance a trip to new stomping grounds in Miami. Enter pretty Ellen Daly (Mildred Coles), a stenographer who Grace sees as a potential mentee - Grace will teach Ellen how make her living by romancing - and dumping - wealthy men.
En route to Miami, the car breaks down, and Tom Dice (James Ellison) stops to held. Ellen is immediately smitten, but Grace is not intrigued by the seemingly destitute young man, so she makes sure he and Ellen lose touch while she entices the vain Bill Vincent (Nigel Bruce) to become Ellen's sugar daddy. This is a well-paced and enjoyable film, primarily because of the excellent performances. Kay Francis creates an especially an attractive person in Grace - she seems to regard Ellen as a daughter, and in her own way, Grace is honest. Even when Ellen is not available, Grace regards Ellen's earnings as sacrosanct. We also have a good ingenue in Mildred Coles. She does a nice job of being innocent
without appearing stupid, and her hesitancy about what she is doing makes her more appealing. Coles had a very short career - only 26 films between 1939 and 1948, most of which were bit parts. She died in 1995; why she left films is not clear.
Two character actresses who just don't get enough press are also in this film. First, and foremost is Margaret Hamilton as Grace's loyal companion and maid, Josie is both confidante and adviser to Grace; she has been there through the good times, and will stick during the bad. And of course, she gets all the best lines! Katharine Alexander (Mrs. Dice), plays James Ellison's mother. There is a 12 years age difference between her and Ellison, but she doesn't look old enough to be his mother. Nevertheless, she is quite good in the part, playing a warm and likeable person. You don't see her for very long, but you remember her at the end. Alexander's film career went from 1930 to 1951. As movie roles became harder to come by, she went to the stage, ultimately playing Linda Loman in the 1949 London production of Death of a Salesman, got sterling reviews, then retired within two years.
The credit sequence, which features lovely shots of expensive jewelry, was fun, and really served as a taste of the film's theme. As always in Kay Francis' films, the costuming and scenery are great; though now she is at RKO, her contract at Warner's at an end. This article from TCM looks describes in some detail the problems that were facing Francis after she was included on the "Box Office Poison" list from 1938 (yes, that one). Though the men here are mere ornaments to the female characters, we did enjoy the "sauna" scene in which Bill and Van (G.P. Huntley) scheme to bring Grace down. By 1941 standards, this film is rather racy, and while not great, it's a fun 77 minute visit with Kay Francis.
This week, our movie is the 1938 comedy Four's a Crowd.
Olivia plays Lorri Dillingwell, the daughter of a wealthy businessman.
She is engaged to publisher Patterson Buckley (Patric Knowles), who is
being forced to shut down his newspaper. Jean Christy (Rosalind
Russell), a reporter about to lose her job, decided to entice former
reporter (and now successful PR man) Robert
Kensington Lansford (Errol Flynn) back to the paper. Easier said than
done, of course; Bob decides to use Pat as a means to potential client
Dillingham (thought Lorri, of course). Jean is in love with Bob; Pat is
in love with Lorri; Lorri develops a mad crush on Bob. And Bob? Well, we
THINK he loves Jean. Or maybe he loves Lorri. Or maybe he just is in it
for the money. We're not exactly sure for quite a while. But, it's a
WB comedy, so it all turns out right in the end (and I won't tell you
who ends up with whom. You'll have to watch the film).
Sure,
this is a little piece of fluff. Rather silly at times, but with such
wonderful actors, how can you go wrong? Olivia is back playing a
character very similar to Marcia West in It's Love I'm After - somewhat
silly, and rather easily swayed. Errol Flynn gets to be decidedly
silly - the scenes of him running from the dogs that guard the
Dillingham mansion are a riot (and it doesn't hurt that we get to see
him without his shirt. The man had QUITE a nice physique).
Rosalind
Russell is very adorable as Jean, who knows what she wants, but can't
seem to quite get him into her grasp. And while none of us are
particular fans of Patric Knowles as a rule, he's actually pretty good
here. He manages to hold his own, for the most part, with this
powerhouse of talent.
As always, we see some nice character parts - Walter Connolly as Mr. Dillingham, is, as always, very funny. And Margaret Hamilton as Amy, who would easily walk on hot coals for Bob. Both actors it is a pleasure to see. We do get to see a lot of Connolly. Not enough of Hamilton.
Next week, we'll be watching something none of use were familiar with: Call it a Day. In the meantime, here's a trailer to introduce you to the characters:
This week, we watched Nothing Sacred, a screwball comedy
which stars Carole Lombard as Hazel Flagg, a young woman from Warsaw, a
tiny New England town, who is diagnosed with radium poisoning. When
reporter Wally Cook (Frederic March) is looking for a story to get him
back on top, he hits on Hazel's misfortune as a means to re-ingratiating
himself with his boss. Only problem is, Hazel has since found out that
her doctor (Charles Winninger) was mistaken. She's fine. Hazel however,
wants her free trip to New York City (the gift promised by Wally), and
to get out of Warsaw, so she conceals her health, and goes to town as
the Martyr Who is About to Die. (My favorite line: "It's kind of
startling to be brought to life twice - and each time in Warsaw!")
In
some senses, it feels as though the writers wrote themselves into a
corner, and couldn't get out. They need a way to end it, so they do,
but whether it exactly works, is a matter of opinion. However, this is
screwball comedy, so on some levels it doesn't really matter. Ms.
Lombard is adorable as Hazel; loving the attention she is getting, but
horrified because people seem to so genuinely care that she is dying.
And, of course, falling in love with Wally who ALSO thinks she is about
to die. Here's a trailer:
There is also a great deal of wonderful character support
here. We were particularly tickled by a brief, uncredited appearance by
Hattie McDaniel, as the wife of a man pretending to be a Middle Eastern
potentate. One word from her, and we were laughing. You can't miss
that voice. Even without the closeup that we never got, we knew it was
her! Another delightful surprise was Margaret Hamilton as a local
neighbor of Hazel. She doesn't have a huge part, doesn't even have a
lot of dialog, but again, she is hysterically funny. We loved it.
Interesting to note is that both actresses were 2 years from their
breakthrough 1939 performances in Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz.
