Is Robert a Liar?

Larry Balantine (Robert Young) is on trial for the murder of his lover, Verna Carlson (Susan Hayward). His defense attorney has put him on the stand to tell his bizarre tale of adultery and larceny.  Our film tonight is They Won't Believe Me (1947).

Robert Young gives an excellent performance as a suave and rather creepy opportunist. Told in flashback, his story IS unbelievable, but the film leaves it entirely to the viewer to decide fact from fiction. That Larry is so reprehensible a human being makes the audience doubt his word. Yet, his story is so entirely ludicrous, one wonders if even he could make it up.

Mr. Young's film career started in 1931 (he had three uncredited appearances in short films in 1928 and 1929), with a small role in a Charlie Chan film, The Black Camel. He worked consistently in supporting and leading roles, appearing in H.M. Pulham, Esq.(1942), Crossfire (1947), and Three Comrades (1938). In 1954, he started a new phase of his career, as the star of Father Knows Best, a TV series which ran for six years. In 1969, he began work on another TV series, as the kindly Marcus Welby, M.D., which ran for seven years. He worked in television until 1988. Married to Betty Henderson for 61 years, he became a spokesperson mental health issues - he had suffered from depression and alcoholism for thirty years. The Robert Young Community Mental Health Center is named for him because of his work to support mental health issues with the passage of the 708 Illinois Tax Referendum. Mr. Young died in 1998, at the age of 91 - he was survived by his four daughters and many grandchildren.

Mr. Young is ably supported by three excellent actresses.  Susan Hayward is believable as Verna Carlson, his secretary and mistress. She's far smarter than Larry, ambitious, and independent. She's willing to marry for money - she's already planning to marry Larry's partner Trenton (Tom Powers) when Larry shows up. What at first begins as a flirtation turns into something deeper, as the pair try to decide if they want each other, or wealthy spouses. Ms. Hayward had been borrowed Walter Wanger, and RKO had to shoot around her as she finished up work on Smash Up: The Story of a Woman (1947) (AFI catalog).

Jane Greer's Janice Bell is also smart, but she is far more gullible than Verna.  Where Verna has no illusions about Larry's character, Janice believes he is better than he is, even falling for him when she has been convinced he might be a murderer.  Of the three actresses, her's is the least fleshed out character. It's hard to say we get to know Janice in great detail. But the part would bring her much more attention, landing Ms. Greer what is possibly her most famous film, Out of the Past (1947) (TCM article).

Rita Johnson is probably best remembered today for two villains - in The Major and the Minor (1942) and Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941). While Greta  Balantine  is a bit of conniver, she's a very sympathetic character.  For some reason, she genuinely loves Larry, even though she is well aware of his infidelities and the fact that he married her for her money.  Regardless, she's willing to overlook his straying, and give him some of the things he wants, but on her terms.  Sadly, Larry is better at thwarting her - he has no affection for her. She's merely a bank account.

The film was produced by Joan Harrison, who was at this time one of only three female producers in Hollywood.  Ms. Harrison's career was discussed in some detail in the Noir Alley intro and outro to the film.  Eddie Muller discussed Ms. Harrison's career with Christina Lane, the author of Phantom Lady: Hollywood Producer Joan Harrison, the Forgotten Woman Behind Hitchcock.

New York Times review by A. H. Weiler (A.W.) was positive, callinig the film "engrossing entertainment." Sadly, in 1957, 15 minutes were cut from the film in order to make it more attractive as part of a double feature. It was this cut version that was available from that time forward.  In 2021, the film was released on BluRay (and on Turner Classic Movies) with the cut scenes restored.

We highly recommend this excellent film - and try to see the original version.  We'll leave you with this excerpt featuring Robert Young, Susan Hayward, and Rita Johnson.

Ms. Hale is Having a Baby

As Jacqueline Walsh (Barbara Hale) is about to take her wedding vows to her second husband, Herbert Fletcher (Robert Hutton), she faints.  Her uncle, Dr. William Parnell (Lloyd Corrigan) believes she is pregnant. The father of the child is her first husband, Vernon Walsh (Robert Young), whom she divorced after he was named as the co-respondent in the divorce of Wanda York (Janis Carter). Though Vernon protested his innocence, Jackie does not believe him, and wants him to surrender any claim on the pending child. Vernon, however, sees the baby as a way to get her back. Our film is And Baby Makes Three (1949)

This is a potentially cute film that would have been considerably better had it been about 15 minutes shorter (it's 84 minutes). The plot, which is entertaining up to a point, goes completely over-the-top by the end. It felt as though the writers had no idea how to end the film, so they just kept throwing elements into a blender to see what they could get. What they got was a mess.

Given that they have little in the way of a script, Robert Young and Barbara Hale work well together. Both were second (and in Mr. Young's case, third) choices for their roles. Columbia initially assigned Evelyn Keyes the part of Jackie, and she refused - she ended up on suspension (AFI catalog). Both Ronald Reagan and Robert Cummings were offered the opportunity to play Vernon. Both said no.

In a sense, Ms. Hale has the more outlandish part. Either we have to believe that she left her marriage, found Herbert, went to Reno, and came back to her wedding in under two months, or we have to believe that in more than three months (it takes 6 weeks to get a divorce in Reno, and it is hard to believe that she agreed to marry Herbert immediately after leaving Vernon), she didn't realize that she was pregnant.  It's somewhat mind boggling.

Barbara Hale started as a model; by 1943, she was off to Hollywood, a contract with RKO, and her first picture - an uncredited role in Gildersleeve's Bad Day. She worked in films, primarily in B pictures, until 1958 (she would make a few more films between 1968 and 1978), when she was offered the role of Della Street in Perry Mason (which ran from 1957-1966). She originally considered declining the role - she had three small children at home, and was spending her time with them (Medium.com article), but her friend Gail Patrick (who was producing the show with her husband Thomas Cornwell Jackson) said that the role was small and was show was only going to last for 18 episodes! Ms. Hale would go on to star in 332 episodes and 31 TV movies with her good friend Raymond Burr (the final 4 movies were filmed with Paul Sorvino and Hal Holbrook subbing for the Perry Mason character. Mr. Burr died in 1993). Ms. Hale was married for 46 years to Bill William. She was intrigued with him from the start - it took him awhile to realize she was the woman for him (Eddie Muller commentary on The Clay Pigeon). The couple had three children, one of who is the actor William Katt (who starred in The Greatest American Hero, and as Paul Drake, Jr. in several of the Perry Mason films). Ms. Hale died in 2017, at the age of 94.

Both Billie Burke (Mrs. Fletcher) and Melville Cooper (Gibson, the Butler) are wasted. Ms. Burke, in particular, is doing a retread of roles she's done before - she's the mother who is afraid of scandal (her son's fiance's pregnancy by another man), and who dithers around echoing her husband (Nicholas Joy as Marvin Fletcher). She doesn't even have a name - she's just "Mrs. Marvin Fletcher".

Though her part is minimal, and rather irrelevant to the main story, Janis Carter takes what she has and runs with it. She's amusing as the predatory Wanda; the character is added at the last minute (like a lot of things in this film) to stretch it out a bit. Sure, she's not really necessary, but she is fun to watch.

This was the second film produced by Santana Productions, Humphrey Bogart's production company. Founded in 1948 and named after his boat, Santana produced 7 films, 5 of which starred Bogart. At the time, the Santana films didn't do well financially, but In a Lonely Place (1950) is now regarded as one of the best of Bogart's films, and highly regarded as a film noir (here is Eddie Muller introducing it on TCM's Noir Alley).

New York Times review called And Baby Makes Three "A thin joke is stretched beyond the point of fun." The review in Variety was positive. Regardless, the film did not do well at the box office, and it's really not surprising. One is bored about an hour in.  There are better Barbara Hale films (try The Clay Pigeon, in which she starred with her husband ). This is not one of her best. 

A small treat - we recently were able to participate in a tour of the Library of Congress Packard Campus. Part of the tour was a visit to the Cold Room, where nitrate copies of films from many studios are housed. In the Columbia vault, I found a can with a nitrate copy of And Baby Makes Three!  You can see it below (thanks to my husband for taking the picture - follow the link to see more of his work):

Dorothy is Homely

On the New England shore is a cottage which the locals believe is haunted. To Laura Pennington (Dorothy McGuire), a pennyless waif who is described by young Danny Hillgrove (Alec Englander) as homely, it is The Enchanted Cottage (1945). Laura is thrilled when she is asked to work there as a maid by the owner, Abigail Minnett (Mildred Natwick), a reclusive widow. Before Mrs. Minnett settled in the house, it was rented to honeymoon couples; Oliver Bradford (Robert Young) discovers the house and convinces Mrs. Minnett to allow him and his bride-to-be, Beatrice Alexander (Hillary Brooke), to honeymoon there. But their visit is delayed by the start of World War II, and when he does arrive, Oliver comes alone - a shell of a man, disfigured in a wartime accident.

Told in flashback by Laura and Oliver's mutual friend, composer John Hillgrove (Herbert Marshall), we know from the beginning that Oliver and Laura are a couple. We also know that they are well-liked in their community.  What the story brings is the long road they must travel to feel themselves worthy to be with other people. One particularly telling scene in the story of Laura's yearning for love occurs at a Canteen dance. Filled with airmen, Laura is ignored by everyone; men start to approach her, but when they see her, they turn back or avert their gaze. It's a heartbreaking moment, and one with which every young woman can identify. Because of this, Laura retreats back to the cottage where she hides with Mrs. Minnett, who herself bears scars that have caused her to secrete herself within the safe precepts of the house.

What the film is NOT is sensational (one wonders what film the designer of the poster above was watching when he created the tag line!) This is a sensitive and moving film, based on a play by Sir Arthur Wing Pinero. The play was written in 1922 as a morale booster for soldiers who were disfigured during the First World War (TCM article). That it would be redone as the Second World War ended is not surprising - sadly, it still had a tale to tell to GIs returning from Europe and the Pacific (a similar story is told by Homer Price in The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). 

Robert Young is excellent as an exuberant young man plunged into depression by his family's reactions to his injuries. The revulsion displayed by Violet Price (Spring Byington), Frederick Price (Richard Gaines) - Oliver's mother and stepfather - and Beatrice all combine to drive Oliver to consider suicide. Mr. Young shows us the hatred that he has for his family, for himself, and for the world that robbed him of his secure vision of the future. Joseph Cotton was briefly considered for the part of Oliver (he'd previously played battle-scarred vets in I'll Be Seeing You (1944) and Love Letters (1945)) (AFI catalog). Mr. Cotton would surely have been excellent, but it is hard to imagine anyone but Mr. Young in the part.

It's hard to make Dorothy McGuire plain. She is an exquisite woman, with a radiance that make her pretty face even more beautiful. In prior productions of the piece, Laura was given a real physical defect - buck teeth, a crooked nose, a limp - but this film makes Laura homely with a bad hairdo, no makeup, and dull lighting. As Bosley Crowther points out in his (unfavorable)  New York Times review, "a girl of moderate features (and fair intelligence) can make herself look very sweet." But herein Mr. Crowther misses the point that Ms. McGuire fully understands. Laura is homely because she feels that she is homely and undeserving of love. Ms. McGuire enacts a woman who has grown to fear the world; she's been told so many times that she is plain that she feels it is hopeless to even try to be appealing. It's a masterful stroke - one that makes the viewer identify with Laura even more. Like Mr. Young, Ms. McGuire was not the first choice for the part - both Ginger Rogers and Teresa Wright were considered.

Herbert Marshall as the pianist blinded in the last war is superb as the man who slowly leads Oliver back to the land of the living. And Mildred Natwick - it's impossible for her to ever make a wrong turn. Her love for Laura, her sympathy for Oliver, and her belief that they can have for each other the love that she lost when her husband died is moving beyond imagining. Hillary Brooke is also convincing in her major scene - asked by Oliver's mother to try to get him to come home, she does so reluctantly. Her horror at the changes in him are matched only by her disgust with herself for this reaction to the man that she believed she loved.  

Also worth noting is the brief appearance by Josephine Whittell as the thoughtless Canteen manager who forces the delicate Laura onto the dance floor with the cruel and uncaring soldiers. Ms. Whittell's career extended from 1917 to 1948. Many of her appearances were uncredited  and unnamed (like this part). She also appeared in several Broadway plays between 1911 and 1926 (including No, No Nanette). She died in 1961, three years after her final film appearance in The Buccaneer. 

 

As we mentioned before, The New York Times was dismissive of the film (Mr. Crowther also thought that simple plastic surgery could heal what is obviously severe neurological damage that causes Oliver's face to droop on one side, and his arm to be unusable); Variety, however was complimentary.  In 2014, this film was Robert Osborne's pick for his evening of films, and was one of Whoopi Goldberg's picks when she was guest  programmer in 2007. The film did get one Academy Award nomination - the score by Roy Webb was nominated (but lost to Miklos Rozsa's Spellbound).

This is the second film version of the play - the first was in 1924, with Richard Barthelmess and May McAvoy as Oliver and Laura; in 2016, it was filmed again, this time Paul D. Masterson and Sarah Navratil in the leads (the war in this case is in Iraq).  Robert Young and Dorothy McGuire reprised their roles in the Lux Radio Theatre edition of the story in September of 1945. Academy Award Theatre did a radioplay in December 1946, with Peter Lawford, Joan Loring, and Herbert Marshall.  September of 1953 saw a General Electric Theatre version with Joan Fontaine and Dan O'Herlihy; and in September of 1955, Lux Video Theatre presented the story, with Teresa Wright, Dan O'Herlihy, and Sara Haden. It was even spoofed by Carol Burnett in her version entitled The Enchanted Hovel.

We'll leave you with the film's trailer and a hearty recommendation to view this lovely movie:

Robert Meets a Ghost

When the ancestral home of the de Canterville's is sequestered for use by the U.S. Army, the heiress, Lady Jessica de Canterville (Margaret O'Brien) meets an American decendent of the family Cuffy Williams (Robert Young). They also meet the resident ghost, Sir Simon de Canterville (Charles Laughton) who was condemned to walk the halls of the house until a descendant performs an act of bravery. Could Cuffy be the one to free The Canterville Ghost (1944)?

As part of the 10th Anniversary celebration for the Classic Movie Blog Association, we're featuring film-related anniversaries. Now 75 years old, The Canterville Ghost is also part of the memorials for the Second World War and D-Day (it was released in August, just two months after the invasion).

Let's begin by mentioning that the screenplay, adapted from an Oscar Wilde short story of the same name, has only marginal similarity to its inspiration. This is very much a World War II tale - there is no need for a descendant to perform an act of bravery for Sir Simon in Wilde's version. For one thing, Sir Simon's crime in Wilde's story is far more deserving of his horrible fate - in an unjustified fit of jealousy, he murders his innocent wife. In the film version, Sir Simon runs away from an opponent in a duel - even Sir Simon's adversary thinks his punishment horrific. Because the victim of his crime in the Wilde novella was a woman, Sir Simon must be saved by a woman: "you must weep for me for my sins, because I have no tears, and pray with me for my soul, because I have no faith, and then, if you have always been sweet, and good, and gentle, the Angel of Death will have mercy on me." (The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde). The idea of courage under fire was deemed more meaningful in the midst of the war.

As we saw in Journey for Margaret (1942), the chemistry between Margaret O'Brien and Robert Young is outstanding. He's also faced with the unenviable task of playing a coward as his country (and the viewers of the film) face an horrific war. It cannot have been easy to play a man who begins the film running from danger, but Mr. Young takes on the task. He makes Cuffy even more the hero, because the audience is aware that he is truly afraid. (Mr. Young remained in Hollywood during World War II. He participated in war bond rallies and worked with the local civil defense.)

Equally enjoyable are the scenes between Charles Laughton and Ms. O'Brien. He was "enchanted" by Ms. O'Brien (TCM article) and their affection shows. It's been said that Mr. Laughton wanted children, however his wife, Elsa Lanchester, was either not willing or unable to have children (she admitted to at least two abortions). Mr. Laughton was allegedly quite receptive to interactions with youngsters - in fact, his only work as a director, The Night of the Hunter (1955), focused on two children. 

We were especially takien with the dancing sequence in which a young soldier asks Lady Jessica to dance. As the child is unfamiliar with swing dancing,  the soldier does all the steps for her. Ms. O'Brien really gets into the routine - even when she is unable to do something, she turns control over to her partner. It's a lot of fun to watch.

The film also demonstrates the skills of a number of excellent character performers: Una O'Connor (Mrs. Umney) is good as Lady Jessica's nanny. William Gargan (Sargent Benson) has just the right amount of military demeanor for a man who has literally just seen a ghost. Peter Lawford (Anthony de Canterville) dons a blonde wig that we suspect he stole from June Allyson to play Sir Simon's brother. Reginald Owen (Lord Canterville) is autocratic as a man who values courage over the life of his son.

The film was originally to be directed by Norman McLeod, but Charles Laughton was concerned with Mr. McLeod prior experiences with broad comedy (he was the director on two Marx Brothers and one W.C. Fields films), and requested that he be replaced. Jules Dassin stepped in, and he and Mr. Laughton got on swimmingly. As this was one of Mr. Dassin's earliest feature films, Mr. Laughton provided advice in private, which the director found helpful.

There have been numerous adaptions of  The Canterville Ghost. An early television broadcast (September 1949) starred Wendy Barrie and Edward Ashley. The following year, Robert Montgomery Presents Your Lucky Strike Theatre (November 1950) had a version with Cecil Parker and Margaret O'Brien. In April of 1951, the Du Mont network aired a show with Lois Hall and Reginald Sheffield. May 1953 saw  Ziv TV show the story with John Qualen and Connie Marshall. It was made into a musical in November of 1966 - again on television - with  Michael Redgrave, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Peter Noone (of Herman's Hermits fame), John Gielgud and Andrea Marcovicci were in a 1986 television film, and Patrick Steward and Neve Campbell tackled the parts in 1996. (AFI catalog). A Film Comment article from 2018 calls this version "the strangest one of all," but we agree with them that it is "definitely charming." Here's a trailer:


This post is part of The Anniversary Blogathon hosted by The Classic Movie Blog Association - celebrating it's 10th Year. Happy anniversary, fellow members! Please visit the website to read the other posts that are part of this celebration.

Robert is Not Guilty

Rising young architect John Smith (Robert Young) has a secret. His real name is Marco Ricca, and he is the son of underworld boss Tony Ricca (Boris Karloff). John has managed to stay clear of his father and his associates, but John's life becomes accidentally entwined with the mob when he is invited to a party, given by Mike Palmero (Leo Carrillo) for his daughter,  Maria (Constance Cummings). Mike is Tony's rival in the mob, and a war is ongoing between the two factions. This week's film is The Guilty Generation (1931).

The story is a gangster style Romeo and Juliet, with a different, but shocking conclusion. Filmed and released while Prohibition was still in effect, the movie paints a frightening picture of the gangster wars of the 1920s and early 1930s. In the opening sequences, when we meet John, the entrance of Tony is terrifying. For a few minutes, you are convinced that John has somehow angered this underworld figure, and is about to be beaten or killed. It's stunning when you realize that these men are father and son.

We always enjoy Robert Young, an actor with whom we grew up in his various television incarnations (Father Knows Best and Marcus Welby, MD). It's intriguing to see him at the beginning of his career - he had already made two short films and had roles in two other features. Seeing him with a mustache was also novel; we suspect this was done to make him appear a bit older and a little more Italian. He's engaging as John/Marco; the part is secondary to that of Mike, but it's important that John be both strong and likeable. Mr. Young provides us with a portrait of a determined and ethical young man.

Leslie Fenton, as Maria's brother Joe, portrays the character as a maniac. He is a murderer, and is almost worse than his father Mike, who at least tries to present a civilized demeanor. (It's believed that Mike was patterned on Al Capone (AFI catalog)). Joe has no control at all - he willy-nilly tosses people into the family swimming pool, and then waves his gun around. Never mind he ruins his sister's birthday, he endangers both her, his father, and his grandmother.

An actor whose career began in the silent era, Mr. Fenton appears to have moved easily into talking pictures. He acted steadily until 1938, then switched to directing.  He returned to his native England when World War II broke out and was severely injured during the St Nazaire Raid in 1942. He recuperated, and assumed desk duty after he was fit for service. Married to Ann Dvorak in 1932, she moved to England with him. The marriage, however, didn't survive the stresses of the war - they divorced in 1946. Mr. Fenton directed a few films more films, but had retired from films by 1956. He died in 1978 at the age of 76.

We very much enjoyed Ruth Warren (Nellie Weaver) as the Palmero family publicist (and possible mistress to Mike). She gets all the good lines, and while there are hints of a relationship between her and her boss, she is a smart, tough woman who tries to stand aside from Mike's actual work. She's a good friend to our young lovers, and is also an able press agent. It's a pleasure to see this dynamic woman in a film so heavy with testosterone.

Boris Karloff had JUST opened in Frankenstein two weeks before this film premiered (TCM article) which surely enhanced the menace of his character. This recent review in the New York Post of the film's DVD release talks a bit about early Karloff. His part is small, but he is always shown in a menacing shadow (contrasted to Mr. Carrillo, who is filmed with little shadow). 

My colleage at Pre-code.com gave The Guilty Generation a positive review, and we second the reaction. While this is not a great film, it is worth seeing for these excellent actors early in their sound careers.We'll leave you with a scene from Maria's birthday party, including Mr. Young and Ms. Cummings.

Clifton in Suburbia

Henry (Robert Young) and Tacy King (Maureen O'Hara) live in the small town of Hummingbird Hills. Henry is a young lawyer trying to get ahead in his firm, which requires the Kings to socialize with his boss, Horatio Hammond (Ed Begley) and his wife Martha (Josephine Whittell) on command. The Kings have a another problem that complicates these command performances - their three rambunctious boys make it impossible for them to keep a maid, or hire a local babysitter. So, Tacy puts an ad in the Saturday Review for a live-in babysitter, and gets an immediate response. But there is a complication - the applicant, Lynn Belvedere is a man (Clifton Webb). Our film this time is Sitting Pretty (1948).

Set in counterpoint to our last film, All That Heaven Allows, we have the same suburban mentality looked at from both the dramatic and the decidedly comic points of view. The role of the vindictive neighbor here is taken on by Richard Haydn as Mr. Clarence Appleton, an effete botanist who lives with his deaf (and equally nosy) mother. Mr. Appleton takes great pleasure in snooping around the community, looking in his neighbors' garbarge and opening up their mail. He's quite as malicious as Mona Plash, but it's all in the attitude. Where Sara and Cary fear Mona, Mr. Belevedere and Tacy view Mr. Appleton with disdain.

As in the last film, the gossip affects the family dynamic, with Henry constantly fearful of the appearance of their living circumstances, while Tacy turns up her nose at such nonsense. But with a family of five to support, and a job in which he is at the mercy of a stuffy and judgemental boss, Henry perhaps has a right to be nervous.

As played by Mr. Young, the one thing that makes Henry problematic is his lack of presence in his boys' lives. He frequently seems removed from them - too busy to pay attention. As a result, these are youngsters who need a firm hand, and neither Henry (nor Tacy) seem capable of supplying that discipline.

Which is where Mr. Belvedere comes in; as an expert in children (he is, he declares, a genius, with experience in a wide variety of areas) who claims to not particularly like them, it is apparent that he is willing to spend time with the boys. Within a day of his arrival, he has cured the youngest son of pelting everyone at the kitchen table with his food (check out this TCM article for Clifton Webb's account of the filming of the scene) and taught the youngest two boys some yoga poses. As portrayed by Clifton Webb, Mr. Belvedere is a man with definite beliefs, who practices what he preaches. The boys need attention, therefore, he gives it to them, and makes them nicer children.

In one scene late in the film, Tacy encounters Mr. Belvedere at a ritzy restaurant lounge. After her comment that Henry is a lousy dancer, Mr. Belvedere invites her to dance, and she compliments him on his terpsichorean skills (you can see that scene below). In fact, Clifton Webb began his career as a professional ballroom dancer, eventually becoming a Broadway star in both comedies and musicals. His 23 Broadway credits include The Importance of Being Earnest, Blythe Spirit, and Present Laughter. In fact, if you go to the outer lobby of the Music Box Theatre today (where he performed in As Thousands Cheer), you'll find a poster discussing the history of the theatre - and on it is a picture of Clifton Webb. In 1945 Mr. Webb (who had had a few small roles in silents and one early talkie) starred in Laura (1945). He made the role of Waldo Lydecker his own, and appeared on the big screen from that point on. Primarily out of touch with his father (who had left his mother shortly after his birth) he was extremely close to his mother, Mabelle. They lived together, hosted parties together, and were, to all intents and purposes, a couple. She died at age 91, in 1960. Mr. Webb only survived her by six years, dying of a heart attack at the age of 76.  He did begin an autobiography, but was never able to complete it. It was published, in 2016 by Robert Wagner (not the actor) as Sitting Pretty: The Life and Times of Clifton Webb. 

John Payne was considered for the role of Henry, and Celeste Holm was also proposed for a part in the film (probably that of Edna Philby, which was ably filled by Louise Albritton in the final version). (AFI Catalog).  Larry Olsen, who played Larry King, the King's eldest son, is the brother of Susan Olsen of Brady Bunch fame. He stopped acting at the age of 16; he died in 2015, aged 77. Betty Ann Lynn, who appeared as Ginger the babysitter would later appear as Thelma Lou on The Andy Griffith Show (by then, her name was Betty Lynn). She'll be 92 this year. John Russell (Bill Philby) is probably best remembered today for his role on TV's Lawman. He died in 1991 at the age of 70.

 

The New York Times was quite pleased in their review of the film. And the film was successful enough to result in two other movies - Mr. Belvedere Goes to College (1949) and Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell (1951). Three more films were originally planned, but Mr. Webb's reluctance to continue in the role cancelled them. Mr. Webb did, however, reprise his role in this film on the February 1949 Lux Radio Theatre broadcast. When the 20th Century-Fox Hour performed a television version, Reginald Gardner took over the part of Mr. Belvedere; in 1965, it is believed Victor Buono took on the part for a pilot that never saw the light of day. Finally, in 1985, a successful television series, starring Christopher Hewitt as Mr. Belvedere ran for five years.

We'll leave you with Ms. O'Hara and Mr. Webb cutting a rug.

Greer's Bad Marriage

Told in flashback after the death of Philip Bosinney (Robert Young), That Forsyte Woman (1949) introduces us to Irene Herenford Forsyte (Greer Garson).  Irene's husband, Soames Forsyte (Errol Flynn) decided he wanted Irene as a wife - she was beautiful and dignified, and Soames is a man who gets what he wants. So, despite the fact that she is honest and tells him she does not love him, Soames cajoles her that love will come and she consents. But love does not come, primarily because Irene feels controlled by Soames: he picks her clothing, tells her where to go and when, and who to meet. For this Man of Property, Irene is one of his treasured possessions - she is a fine piece of art that he has purchased and now displays with pride.  Irene's one joy is her relationship with her niece June (Janet Leigh), who is madly in love with architect Philip Bosinney. The problem - Irene is falling in love with Bosinney as well.

This is an excellent film with a great deal of nuance. The script, which is taken carefully from John Galsworthy's first novel in The Forsyte Saga, The Man of Property, deals only with the marriage of Soames and Irene (whereas the 1967 and 2001 BBC series covered The Man of Property (1906), Indian Summer of a Forsyte (1918), In Chancery (1920), Awakening (1920) and To Let (1921), and A Modern Comedy (1928)). The story of Irene and Soames' marriage is fraught with problems in the novel - Irene has an affair with Philip, and Soames rapes Irene - issues the film could only suggest (or raise the ire of the censors!). But the hints are there; it only takes a little imagination to understand exactly what is going on.

Errol Flynn was borrowed from Warner Brothers to play Young Jolyon Forsyte (the role that ultimately went to Walter Pidgeon). (In exchange, Jack Warner got William Powell for Life with Father (AFI catalog). Once at MGM, Flynn refused to play young Jolyon. He was then offered the role of Bosinney; again he refused. Flynn wanted to play Soames - a drastic change from his usual swashbuckling roles (TCM article).  MGM finally agreed, and Flynn gave an impressive performance as a man who is involved only with the financial value of everyone and everything in his life. Once finished with this film, he was back to Warners, again making westerns and swashbucklers. It's amusing that he ends up in the video of the MGM 25th Anniversary Lunch, chatting happily with Greer Garson. Jack Warner must have been furious!

Greer Garson is intriging as a woman who is torn between an unhappy marriage and financial security. Irene is down to her last cent - she can only survive teaching piano, and her only client is her landlady. Soames' campaign to win her (he enlists the help of the landlady) catches her at a low point in her life and she succumbs. Likewise, Philip catches her as she begins to doubt her decision to marry Soames; it seems that her love for Philip really is a remembrance of the love she lost many years before. She comments that Philip is much like that idealist and untidy young man. Irene is a woman who wants to be strong, but often lets herself be led, against her better judgement.

Philip, however, comes off as thoughtless, at the least, and insincere at most. He pursues June when he first meets her; likewise, he is hot on the heels of Irene after their first encounter. We felt that, once Irene accedes to his advances, he will fall in love with someone else. We found it difficult to believe Philip, much less sympathize with him, he is so flighty.

Janet Leigh is lovely as June. She plays a genuinely nice girl, who is blasted into anger by betrayal. The character certainly deserves better than Philip! Ms. Leigh literally burst into stardom after Norma Shearer saw her photo on her father's desk at the ski resort where he worked. Her first film, The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947) starred her opposite MGM heartthrob Van Johnson, and she starred in a succession of films afterwards, including Little Women (1949), Holiday Affair (1949), Angels in the Outfield (1951), and Scaramouche (1952). But it was Psycho (1960) that most people remember today. Among my personal favorites is her performance in The Manchurian Candidate (1962). (In a recent discussion of the film, William Friedkin posited that Rosie is a double agent. I'm never going to watch that movie again in the same way!) Ms. Leigh was married 4 times, most famously to the father of her daughters Kelly and Jamie Lee, Tony Curtis (the marriage lasted 11 years). She wrote four books (two novels, a memoir, and a book about Psycho). By the 1960s, she was making frequent television appearances (including another of my favorite, the sadistic Miss Diketon in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. episode, The Concrete Overcoat Affair). She died in 2004, aged 77, three years after the death of her fourth husband, Robert Brandt - they had been married for 38 years.

This was the last filmed performance of Harry Davenport (Old Jolyon Forsyte), a remarkable character actor who is probably most remembered as Grandpa in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) and Dr. Meade in Gone with the Wind (1939) [Two films would be released after this: Tell it to the Judge (1949) and Riding High (1950)]. The descendant of a long line of actors, Mr. Davenport began his career at the age of five (he was born in 1866). By 1894, he was appearing on Broadway. By 1934, he had appeared in 37 Broadway plays.  His film career began in 1913; he transitioned from silents to talkies, and spent much of his sound film career playing kindly grandfathers and professional men. In 1913, he co-founded (with Eddie Foy) the Actors' Equity Association. When his marriage to his first wife ended after three years, he married actress Phyllis Rankin - they were together for 33 years, until her death in 1934. They had three children together (Harry also had a daughter with his first wife, and Phyllis had a son - who would become the father of Arthur Rankin, Jr.). Mr. Davenport died of a heart attack in 1949, at the age of 83 - he was in the process of securing a new screen role when he died.

With exquisite costumes by Walter Plunkett (for the women) and Valles (for the men), lush technicolor photography by Joseph Ruttenberg, and art direction by Cedric Gibbons and Daniel Cathcart, this is a truly beautiful film. While the New York Times review was not kind to anyone but Ms. Garson, we enjoyed the film immensely. (It opened at Radio City Music Hall - definitely a prestige venue!). We'll leave you with the trailer, for a quick look at this lovely film.

Dorothy is a Young Mother

Claudia and David (1946) picks up nearly four years after we left the Naughtons in Claudia.  Claudia (Dorothy McGuire) is very much involved in mothering her little son, Bobby (Anthony Sydes), with the assistance of Bertha (Elsa Janssen), who now serves both as nanny and housekeeper. While at a dinner party hosted by David's sister-in-law Julia (Gail Patrick), the Naughtons meet Elizabeth Van Doren (Mary Astor), a wealthy widow who wants to completely redesign the farm which she purchased some years before. David (Robert Young) is thrilled to be offered what he sees as a dream job, but Claudia becomes annoyed at the amount of time David is spending on the project, pulling him away from home for longer periods of time.

There was no difference in opinion on this one - the entire group enjoyed the film, and found the more mature Claudia very appealing.  Sure, we have an initial driving sequence where we discover that Claudia is a terrible driver, but other than that, you spend a lot of the movie rooting for Claudia (and conversely getting very aggravated at David for being a total jerk).  Dorothy McGuire gives us a Claudia who wants to be a good mom; we know that she learned from the best, and it is reflected in her attitude towards her child. Her irritation towards David is the result of his unjustified petulance. David is almost blase about his son's illness and is oblivious to Claudia's concerns when she suspects the little boy is ill. I found myself cheering when she told him off.

One scene in particular is very telling in demonstrating the growth of the character of Claudia. Confronted by Edith Dexter (Rose Hobart), the wife of neighbor Philip Dexter (John Sutton), who has been visiting Claudia and little Bobby (Philip had driven Claudia home the night before, when he realized her concern about her child's health), Claudia is able to ultimately disregard Edith's nastiness (Edith smacks Claudia across the face), and have a kind and moving heart-to-heart with the older woman. Claudia's gentleness of spirit shines through, and you can see her reflecting back the teachings of her mother.

It's always good to see Jerome Cowan (Brian O'Toole); and he is very good in the part of stage medium.  We did feel that Brian's telling Claudia that David is going to have an accident seemed a bit over-the-top for a man who is essentially a performer. It is perhaps that the screenwriter wanted Claudia to seem silly for believing him, but her naive belief in him isn't all that odd - he's summoned up memories of her late mother, and already convinced several of the other dinner-party attendees of his veracity. By the conclusion of the film, you do have to wonder if he really has ANY psychic powers.

This was Anthony Sydes first film; though his name was not immediately familiar, he had a respectable career as a child actor.   Most of us probably remember him as Thelma Ritter's son, Peter in Miracle on 34th Street (1947) or as Tony in Sitting Pretty (1948).  Born in 1941, he worked in films and television until he was 17 years old, after which, he joined the Army, serving two tours in Vietnam. His next career was as a professional auctioneer - he started an auction business and an auction college (to train new professionals in the field). His firm was still in business in 2015 when he died at age 74.  (For more information, see this obituary in The Hollywood Reporter).

For those of you who might wonder if the mustard bath that is used was actually a treatment of the time, it was. It was a long-time home remedy for fever.  By 1949, according to this Archives of Disease in Childhood article, it was considered by doctors, at any rate, as a way to keep parents busy until the doctor could arrive (back in the era of house calls!) -  much the way Philip sets Claudia doing tasks that will keep her occupied until the Doctor (Harry Davenport)'s arrival.

We also enjoyed John Sutton, who gave Philip a kindness that (for us) eliminated any thought of a pursuit of Claudia.  Sutton had a fascinating life - before becoming an actor, he worked as a tea plantation manager, a hunter, and a rancher; living in what is now Pakistan (where he was born), China, Malaya, and the Philippines. With over 103 film and television credits, he had an impressive career (usually as a villain or second lead) in such films as Jane Eyre (1944), Captain from Castile (1947), and The Three Musketeers (1948). He died of a heart attack in Cannes in 1963, age 54.

The New York Times review was fairly positive, though we think they were harder on Claudia then she deserves (and much kinder to David than HE deserved). There was a third Claudia film planned (AFI Catalog), but as Ms. McGuire and Mr. Young were never free at the same time, the picture never happened. Regardless, this is a nice conclusion to the series, and worth a visit.

Dorothy Marries Young

Claudia (1943) Brown Naughton (Dorothy McGuire) and her architect husband David (Robert Young), live on a farm outside of New York City.  Recently married, Claudia is having a hard time adapting to her new life. She can't balance a checkbook, she's convinced her husband doesn't find her attractive (when he actually adores her), and she misses her mother (Ina Claire) terribly. Unbeknownst to Claudia, Mrs. Brown is ill; Mrs. Brown has told David that she will be seeing a doctor immediately. In the meantime, Claudia is trying to convince David to sell the farm and rent an apartment in the City - nearer to her mother.

The reaction among our group to Claudia were mixed, primarily because of the title character. Let's face it, Claudia Naughton is very immature. But, that is the point - just barely 18, never really away from her mother, Claudia is a lost lamb. And David, in trying to encourage her to grow up, isn't helping all that much. He's taken a city girl, and plunked her down on a farm, pretty much alone all day (yes, there are servants, but they can't provide the emotional support she needs). David is in the city all day at work, and Claudia is trapped at home. She's having to cope with the farm, as well as run the household - and the girl has never balanced a checkbook in her life. So, if she is eager to get out of Connecticut and back to New York City, who can really blame her? What perhaps is more problematic is her inability to understand that David loves her and finds her attractive - resulting in her kissing lothario Jerry Seymour (Reginald Gardiner) in her husband's presence. That IS a bit much.

Though released in 1943, it's apparent that Claudia is set before the start of the war (the play on which the screenplay is based opened in February of 1941). The perfectly able-bodied David is not set to go into the army, and he asks Claudia if she has heard of The Depression. Claudia is a flashback to an earlier and perhaps less painful time.

Dorothy McGuire came to Hollywood and this film, her first, straight from the New York stage, where she starred in the run of this play (from February of 1941 to January of 1943; Olga Baclanova and Frank Tweddell also came over from the play).  Ms. McGuire would return to the stage several times after she she arrived in Hollywood. She was not a shoo-in for the part - Jennifer Jones, Joan Fontaine, and Katharine Hepburn were all considered.

In the years that followed this film, Ms. McGuire made some remarkable film, including The Enchanted Cottage (1945), A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945), The Spiral Staircase (1946), Friendly Persuasion (1956), and Gentleman's Agreement (1947) (for which she was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actress). She worked fairly steadily until 1990; she would become a staple at Disney in films such as Old Yeller (1957) and (one of my favorites) Summer Magic (1963). She also made the transition to television, appearing in television films like She Waits (1972) and episodic TV such as St. Elsewhere (1986). Yet, despite this, she's really not acknowledged as one of the "greats" perhaps because, with her quiet beauty and low key performances, she literally melts into her characters.  In fact, after she died in 2001 (at the age of 85), she was NOT included in the Academy's "In Memoriam" at the 2002 Oscars! Married to photographer Tom Swope from 1943 until his death in 1979, Ms. McGuire had two children.

Robert Young is fine as David, though his lack of understanding of his very young bride does make you want to throttle him at times. Does he really need to tease her about her attractiveness when she is so obviously insecure? And bringing a teenager, with no knowledge of life outside a big city to a farm, then leaving her there all day to fend for herself seems inconsiderate. Young wasn't the only actor considered for the part: Cary Grant, Franchot Tone, and Don Ameche were all considered (AFI Catalog).

By far, the most appealing character in the piece is Ina Claire as Mrs. Brown.  Claudia's mother is very aware of her daughter's foibles, and desperately needs Claudia to grow up. Regardless, she is a loving mother AND mother-in-law. Her affection and regard for David are genuine, and his regard is mutual. The lack of backstory in the film proves to be a deficit; one wonders how Claudia and David met, and why Claudia, with such a capable mother, is such a flibbertigibbet-gibbet? But we can assume that Mrs. Brown believed Claudia would gain maturity in college and with time, and would learn to do some of the tasks in which she is now immersed a bit more gradually.

Claudia was based on a series of short stories and books about the character. There was a second movie (which we will discuss next time), a radio show, and a television series (with Joan McCracken as Claudia). While the film is not perfect, it is certainly worth a viewing, if for no other reason than to see Dorothy McGuire's screen debut.