Myrna in Egypt

In 1933's The Barbarian, Myrna Loy is NOT playing the exotic.  Ramon Novarro is. He is The Barbarian of the title - Jamil El Shehab, an Arabian prince, who has been working in the city as an erstwhile tourguide and ladies' man. Diana Standing (Myrna) arrives in town with her fiance Gerald Hume (Reginald Denny) and her companion Powers (Louise Closser Hale).  Jamil takes an immediate interest in Diana - she is somewhat less engaged by him.  There is some verbal dueling, some tricks played by Jamil on Gerald, and finally, Jamil kidnaps Diana.  

Today, we would probably say that Diana had Stockholm Syndrome, because, quite frankly, as physically attractive as Jamil is, he is really quite an unattractive individual. He is a bully, he is a male chauvanist, and finally, he is physically abusive.  Why Diana would want him in the end is beyond me. Then again, Gerald is no prince among men either. He's just a wimp who can't even stand up to his mother!

 Loy is just lovely, as always and one is sympathetic to her Diana.  The problem is, one can't understand why she doesn't just leave town with Powers (the always irrepressible Louise Closser Hale) and find a better man.  Certainly the two she's managed to dig up in Egypt should just be left in a pyramid somewhere with a mummy! This is not really a film that translates well in the 21st Century.  We really wanted Diana to get a better break.

And of course, it is ever so racy.  By today's standards, the hint of nudity in one of the scenes is bothing, but in 1933, it would be just enough to upset the would-be censors.

A quick scene from early in the film:

The film is worth a quick peek, especially for the scene where Diana argues with her future mother-in-law about the proper placement of her bridal veil. 

And here she is in the bridal veil

And don't miss the final scene - oh, my, the times they really HAVE changed (thank heavens)!

Very Naughty Myrna

Again, we revisit Ms. Myrna Loy in one of her early, supporting role.  The Naughty Flirt (1931) stars Alice White as, well, a flirt. She's Kay Elliott, a wealthy, irresponsible, flirtatious all-around brat.  She is being pursued by Jack Gregory (Douglas Gilmore) because he and his sister Linda (Myrna) have lost all their money in the stock market crash, and Kay's millions appear quite appealing.  Enter young businessman Alan Ward (Paul Page). He works for Kay's father, but finds Kay to be a major pain in his backside.  She, however, is fascinated by him, and proceeds to pursue HIM. Here is the the opening scene, in which her naughtiness is revealed (it's not all that bad). Plus, you get a glimpse of Ms. Loy :


The naughty flirt of the title is, of course, Kay, but Linda is surely the most naughty.  She prods her brother constantly to be more aggressive in his courtship of Kay.  He is unimpressed.  Myrna is just lovely and sinister as Linda.  She is smart, sexy and assertive.  She's also a decidedly NOT nice person.  Kay, on the other hand, appears on the surface to be a tad naive.  She isn't, of course, but Alice White (who is very good at pursing her lips into a little circle, as though she is about to kiss.  Her silent film experience is evident here.  She uses her eyes and mouth a lot. Her speech still is more cutsey than one would expect.  Loy, on the other hand, is sophisticated and comfortable with the sound camera. It is as though she was born to it.

More Myrna next week. Please join us then.

"Manuella" Loy

This week's film is a little-known Myrna Loy film from 1929 - The Great Divide, in which she plays Manuella, the maid of Steven Ghent (Ian Keith).  Yes, Ms. Loy is a Mexican (with appropriately darkened skin), and she is supposed to be VERY young (I believe 16), but she is quite enamored of Steve. He, however, sees her as a child, and laughs off her advances.  Then, he meets Ruth Jordan {Dorothy Mackaill) and falls head-over-heels.  Only problem is, she is not interested in him. Since she is a brat, and the daughter of a good friend (who is dead), he decides to teach her some manners, so he kidnaps her, and brings her to his hacienda.  Where, of course, she meets our little Manuella.  And here is Manuella BEFORE Ruth arrives, trying her best to seduce Steve:


Given that this film was made in 1929, there is a certain static-ness to the proceedings, and Keith is a bit stiff, but Loy and Mackaill (who we all like very much.  See our blog post about Love Affair) are lots of fun, especially when sniping at one another.  

This isn't a great movie, but getting to see Loy in her exotic period is a enjoyable. When you think that this is the future Nora Charles and Milly Stephenson, one is even more impressed by her fabulous range as an actress.

Mommy Kay

In 1938's My Bill, Kay Francis plays Mary Colbrook, the widowed mother of four children.  3 of her little darlings are rude, selfish, graspy creeps.  But then there is Bill (played by Dickie Moore), who for some unexplained reason calls his mother "Sweetheart", and who is the only sensible member of this family. Though Kay was left some money on her husband's death, she has wasted every cent of it providing the selfish bunch with piano lessons and new dresses.  Now, she's broke. So the obnoxious 3 leave her (after she squanders more money on cabs and flowers); Bill remains, begins a paper route, and takes on the job of "Man of the Family" to support his mother.

I think it would be fair to call this an odd movie. It's based on a play (from 1928), but really the biggest problem is the character of Mary.  By the end, we get a lot more back-story (which does make her story more interesting), but she is such a scatterbrain that one wonders how she has survived as long as she has. Bill, however, is a stand-up young man, and Dickie Moore plays him with verve. Bonita Granville, Anita Louise and Bobby Jordan as the other three nightmarish offspring bring obnoxious to new heights. And Elizabeth Risdon as Aunt Caroline confirms they are from the correct gene pool.

This film came out the same year that Kay got labeled "Box Office Poison" (along with Katharine Hepburn and Marlene Dietrich); it's obvious it was less her and more some of the parts she was being given.  She does the best she can, but in a sense, this IS Dickie Moore's movie.  And he kinda runs with it.

Communist Kay

1934's British Agent is our film this week. The wonderful Leslie Howard is Stephen Locke, an English diplomat serving in Russia as Lenin takes control of the government. The British, after the rise of Lenin, leave Locke as provisional staff, evacuating their more important diplomats (as do the French, Italian, and American governments).  Locke is committed to his country, and does the best he can under adverse circumstances.  He also meets and falls in love with Elena Moura (Kay Francis), a Communist working with Lenin's government.  Though she loves Stephen, she too loves her country and informs her government about Stephen's plan.

This is a fascinating film, with a great cast (and some wonderful supporting players, such as Cesar Romero as Tito Del Val the Italian provisional representative.  The film with keep you wondering just what is going to happen next, and Ms. Francis is wonderful as the conflicted Elena.  She and Howard are quite good together. though I believe this is the only time they appeared together on film (though they did the radio show Screen Guild Theatre together in 1939 (Never Of This World).

It's also interesting to see this somewhat sympathetic view of Lenin in 1939.  This surely is NOT a pro-Communist film, but, as you will see at the end, Lenin is vindicated. So, anti-Communist - perhaps, but with a bit of a balance.  Here's a trailer for this excellent movie:

Kay's House was a Home?

The House on 56th Street (1933) is a fascinating film.  In it, Kay Francis is showgirl Peggy Martin, who has two men very interested in her: Monte Van Tyle (Gene Raymond), the scion of a wealthy family, and Lindon Fiske (John Halliday), who has been involved with Peggy for some time.  Peggy falls in love with Monte; Since Lindon is quite clear that he is "not the marrying kind", it is an easy choice for Peggy.  So, despite Monte's mother's objections, the couple wed and are quickly blessed with a daughter.  Years go by, with Peggy and Monte living happily - even Mama Van Tyle (Nella Walker) has gotten used to her daughter-in-law.  Then, at a party, Peggy meets Lindon again.  She is concerned at his appearance, as Monte knows nothing about him.  Add to this, Lindon does not look well.  Kay is concerned, and her concern is her downfall in this drama.

Rather than give too much away, we'll stop with the plot there, even though it forbids us doing more than mention two important characters: Bill Blaine (Ricardo Cortez) and Eleanor (Margaret Lindsay).  The two are pivotal to the plot, and are wonderful.  Both show up in the latter half of the film.  To say more would be to ruin this wonderful picture for you.

Kay Francis has to age over 20 years in this film.  The motif that the director, Robert Flory, uses to demonstrate the passage of time is subtle but effective - we see Peggy playing solitare, as newspapers flash up important events of the day.  

The film is also interesting in that it discusses with some seriousness the problems of compulsive gambling.  In  1949 Barbara Stanwyck would powerfully portray a woman with a severe gambling problem.  This precursor to The Lady Gambles is no less impressive, as it discusses an issue few other films were willing to examine.

When you get to the end of this film, you will understand WHY the code began to be an issue.  We suggest you give it a try.

Jean is Impatient

Released the year before the end of World War II, The Impatient Years examines a topic in a comedic manner that, after the war would be looked at in a more serious vein.  Andy Anderson (Lee Bowman) is home on medical leave, returning to the home of his wife of one week (plus about 18 months).  He finds Janie (Jean Arthur), busy running her home, with her boarder (Henry Fairchild played by Phil Brown), her father (William Smith, played by the always wonderful Charles Coburn), and her not quite one-year old son! She exists on a very rigid schedule, one which her husband will not respect.  Within a day, the hastily wed couple are ready to divorce with equal speed, much to the disgust of Mr. Smith.  So, he recommends to the Judge (Edgar Buchanan) that he prevent the couple from divorcing until they can figure out WHY they married in the first place.

By 1946, The Best Years of Our Lives would look at the impact of the hasty wartime marriage on the returning vet. And while The Impatient Years certainly IS a comedy, there is a core of seriousness under the humor.  Both the Judge and Mr. Smith understand that the war is forcing decisions to be made to quickly.  They insist that our couple stop BEING impatient and try to rediscover their lost love for one another. 

It should be added that neither Andy nor Janie is totally in the wrong. He, back from combat, wants peace, wants to do what HE wants to do.  She, responsible for a house and small child, needs a schedule to get everything done.  Neither can understand the other's needs.  Neither even tries.  And thereby hangs the serious heart of the film.

Both Jean Arthur and Lee Bowman are excellent, and Charles Coburn, as always, shines as a loving father (who, in fact, is just meeting his son-in-law).  We also have comic performances from Charlie Grapwin (as a bellman) and Grant Mitchell (as a hotel clerk).  Sure, the film can be a tad silly, but at heart, it is a lovely story about two people who need fight their own way out of the War.

Jean Takes a Letter

Carol Baldwin (Jean Arthur) and Helen Davis (Ruth Donnelly) run a secretarial school.  Unfortunately, most of their students seem to be of the same caliber as their current student Maizie West (Dorothea Kent) - no brains, but plenty of looks and a plan to make time with the boss.  Thus begins More Than a Secretary (1936), in which Jean Arthur ends up working AS a secretary when the man who hired (and fired) one of her students complains.  The gentleman in question is publisher Fred Gilbert (George Brent).  His publication, "Body and Brains", is a body-building magazine which regularly uses the face of an attractive model on the body of the exceptionally well-built (and particularly unattractive) Ernest (Lionel Stander).  Of course, the magazine is NOT doing well.  It takes our Jean to put it on the right track.

This is a very cute movie, thanks to the interplay between Brent (who is always wonderful) and Arthur (ditto).  Her Carol, at the start, is somewhat reminiscent of a character she will revisit in 1948 - Phoebe Frost in A Foreign Affair. But she quickly discovers her outer beauty, and becomes the perfect secretary.  Beauty and brains in the same office!  Amazing! And Brent manages to make Fred a bit of a dweeb, but still let you know why Carol is attracted to him.  The scene where he takes her out to a tofu dinner (!!!) is quite humorous.

It is fun to see Lionel Stander as well.  His Ernest longs for the day when his face adorns his own body on the magazine - alas, it seems it is not to be.  Many of us remember Mr. Stander from Mr. Deeds Goes to Town and A Star is Born (as well as in Hart to Hart).  It is sad that his career in this country was abbreviated during the 50s and 60s thanks to the McCarthy hearings.

A few words are due, as well, for Dorothea Kent (as Maizie).  She is a hoot.  You can't help but like the opportunistic creature! One sympathizes with Carol's frustration, but I, for one, looked forward to her return.

We'll close with the moment in which Carol finally loses it with Maizie.  See you soon!
 

Jean Goes on an Adventure

Tonight, we join the lovely Jean Arthur for the first in a series of films that feature her in the lead.  Adventure in Manhattan (1936) has Jean starring as Claire Peyton, and beyond that, there is little I can tell you, as there are spoilers aplenty if I do.  Joining Jean is Joel McCrea as George Melville, a reporter noted for his unerring ability to predict crimes before they happen.  When a famous gem is stolen, George predicts the next robbery, and surmises that the robberies are the work of Belaire, a thief long believed to be dead.  By everyone, of course, except George.

It is interesting that this film is included on the Jean Arthur Comedy Collection, as it is really hard to class it AS a comedy (unless you view comedy in the more Elizabethan-theatrical vein).  Our first encounter with Claire is far from comedic, and very few of the incidents that occur will make you laugh.  Perhaps the only funny lines are at the end (and even then, for those of us who had been carefully watching, they were much more serious than we believed the authors actually intended.) This is certainly a film that will keep you guessing til the very end, but I would be interested to know if anyone else really believed this to be a "comedy." 

A lot of talent is involved in this under-viewed movie.  First, of course, is Ms. Arthur, who really is the consumate actress.  Joel McCrea, usually the boy-next-door, is rather arrogant as George, and well he should be, because George DOES think a lot of himself.  We also have such excellent character actors as Thomas Mitchell (as George's editor, Phil Bane) and Reginald Owen as Blackton Gregory.  An interesting and gifted cast, in a very different, and at times puzzling movie.

Rita's a Spy!!!

This week, we visit one movie that was part of a greater series.  The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt (1939) was just one in a series of films about reformed thief Michael Lanyard.  The series started in the silent era, and continued into the late 1940's.  Among the actors to play Lanyard were Melvyn Douglas, Francis Lederer, and Warren William, who plays Lanyard in our film - his first in a series of 9 films. 

The plot is somewhat convoluted.  Lanyard is being set up by a spy ring, led by Rita Hayworth (as Karen), who want to force him to steal government plans.  The delight here is less the plot and more the byplay between William and Ida Lupino (as Lanyard's love interest Val Carson) and between William and Virginia Weidler (as Lanyard's daughter Patricia - the only Lone Wolf movie in which he HAS a daughter).  

The two women are a riot. Val stalks Michael, trying to get him to make more an emotional commitment to her. At the same time, he is dealing with his rather precocious child. A would-be detective herself, she is thrilled to receive a gift of handcuffs (which she uses to force their butler, Jameson (Leonard Carey) to actually "die" when she "shoots" him).

You may not remember the actual plot of this film, but you will laugh a lot.