As we wait for a few more Crawford or Lombard movie to appear on
our favorite channel, we visit with a pair of truly lovely, talented
ladies - Myrna Loy and Jean Harlow - in the hilarious Libeled Lady(1936).
Loy is Connie Allenbury, a wealthy young lady with lawsuit on her mind
after a newspaper, run by Spencer Tracy's Warren Haggerty inadvertently
libels her. To circumvent the suit, Haggerty comes up with a plan -
marry his fiance Gladys (Jean Harlow) to writer Bill Chandler (William
Powell), then have Bill seduce Connie, so Gladys can sue Connie for
alienation of affection! Only problem is, both Gladys and Connie
actually fall in love with Bill, who is head over heels for Connie.
This
is a very funny movie. If you have a decent script (which this does),
it is rather hard to miss with this cast. Spencer Tracy as the
reluctant groom is a riot; and you are rather pleased when he gets a bit
of his comeuppance. Harlow as the doubly spurned woman is lovely.
Thankfully, she gets her man in the end (this is a comedy!).
And can you
miss with that wonderful team of Powell and Loy! They had already made
the first Thin Man together, as well as Evelyn Prentice and Manhattan Melodrama.
You cannot see the credit list and not assume that they will end up
together. They are perfectly matched, and Powell does his utmost to
turn Bill from cad to dream.
A screwball comedy in the best sense, this one is well worth a look. We highly recommend it. Here's a trailer to give you a taste:
None of us had seen 1933's Today We Live, so when we
discovered TCM was airing it, we were very eager to see it. A great cast
(Joan Crawford, Gary Cooper, Franchot Tone, and Robert Young) and a
marvelous director (Howard Hawks) led us to expect another forgotten
gem. But, it turns out, this one was probably forgot for a reason. The
word "turgid" rather sums up the odd movie. During WWI, Richard Bogard
(Cooper) has just arrived in England to rent a country mansion on the
day when his landlady, Diana Boyce-Smith (Crawford), finds out that her
father has been killed in action. Quickly, they discover they love one
another - only problem Diana is engaged to childhood friend (and war
officer) Claude Hope (Young), who is serving in the military with
Diana's brother Ronnie (Franchot Tone). Diana flees to the continent to
work in the war effort; Richard follows her, joining the air corps. Of
course, they meet. Of course, Ronnie and Claude are there too.
Complications, as they say, ensue.
This film is very much inspired by director Hawks' experience in World War I. Indeed, his earlier film, The Dawn Patrol, also looked at fliers during the war; his later Only Angels Have Wings
would be his penultimate tribute to the men who risked their lives in
the air. The problem with the film is that we have a bunch of obvious
Americans playing Brits. The writer seems to think that speaking in
clipped sentences is the way to convince the audience that his actors
are really English. It doesn't work.
This is clearly a pre-code movie.
Diana is no innocent. In fact, we realize that she is living with Claude
while in Europe. But other than that, it is not really all that racy,
or even romantic. The scene where Cooper and Crawford announce their
love for one another rather leaves the viewer going "HUH? Where did THAT
come from?" Too bad, really. They should have made an interesting
combination.
We'll be taking another short break from Crawford for
the next two weeks (while we wait for a few movie that will be aired in
July). Next week, we look at a comedy the great Jean Harlow. We hope
you'll join us.
Some time ago, we did a Carole Lombard film festival. There were a
few movies we didn't get to see because we couldn't lay hands on them,
but we finally got a copy of 1934's Twentieth Century, a
delightful comedy in which Carole trades tirades with John Barrymore.
Would be actress Mildred Plotka (Carole Lombard) comes under the spell
of producer/director Oscar Jaffe (John Barrymore). Their professional
partnership results in a name change (to Lily Garland) for Mildred, as
well as fame and fortune to them both UNTIL yet another fight results in
a rift that drives Oscar into near bankruptcy. His solution - woo Lily
back into his latest play, featuring her as Mary Magdalene. As they
say, high-jinx ensue.
This is a very funny movie, but it is LOUD.
Neither Oscar nor Lily believe in talking - they scream, screech, yell,
bellow, cry, but they NEVER just talk. Much of this movie resembles an
old fashioned farce, with lots of noise, slamming doors and just
generally weird characters. Some good character actors here - including
Walter Connolly as the much put-upon Oliver Webb (Oscar's favorite hobby
is firing poor Oliver), as well as Oscar's other aide Owen O'Malley
played with gusto by Roscoe Karns, Of course, one really does want to
see Barrymore and Lombard together, as they duel endlessly. And then,
there is Oscar's oft repeated line "I close the iron door..." Here's a little montage of the action:
Our thanks to Carole and Co.
blog for mentioning our efforts here. It was just a coincidence that we
had another Carole movie in the pipeline. We hope to find a few more.
In the meantime, we also hope for some other fine performances down the
road.
We were able to get a copy of Above Suspicion when it
last aired on TCM, much to our delight. The advertisements which aired
on TCM made the film seem to be a much more tongue-in-cheek story than
we would have expected from a World War II vintage (1943) film, and
while there are some moments that are humorous, on the whole, this movie
very much reminded us of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (plug for my
favorite TV show), it had those same elements of seriousness that one
expects from good spy story, combined with humor. Here, we have a pair
of innocents, newlyweds Frances and Richard Myles (Joan Crawford and
Fred MacMurray), who are recruited to locate a scientist with essential
war related information. Because they are Americans, and because they
are on their honeymoon, it is believed that they are "above suspicion".
Of course, they are not, and rather rapidly they come under the eye of
Count Sig von Aschenhausen (Basil Rathbone), a former classmates of Richard's who is deeply involved with the Gestapo.
There
are a number of nice touches in this movie. The introduction of the
character of Thornley (Bruce Lester), who also came to Germany to assist
the English, and who also was considered "above suspicion", much to his
sorrow makes a nice counterpoint to our couple. Also, it was wonderful
to see that excellent actor Conrad Veidt as Hassert
Seidel, who is working AGAINST the Nazis. Veidt escaped from the Nazis,
yet spent most of his years in Hollywood playing rather horrid Nazis.
Robert Osborne, in his introduction, reminded us that this was Veidt's
last movie - he died a short time later from a massive coronary - a
great loss to film.
This was also Joan Crawford's
final MGM film (and her only film with MacMurray). She is really
delightful in it. And the ending, in which she has to assume a disguise
in order to escape from he Nazis, is wonderful. She really is
convincing in her costume! Add to all this excellent performances by
Fred MacMurray and Basil Rathbone, and this is certainly a movie that is
worth your time. It was our belief that the film did not do especially
well in 1943 - a shame, because it is certainly a film that keeps you
interested. A truly neglected little gem. We found a trailer for you to look at:
Chained (1934) is a delightful movie, and we heartily recommend it. Joan Crawford plays Diane Levering, a secretary who has fallen in love with her married boss Richard
Field (warmly played by Otto Kruger). He loves her dearly, and asks
his wife for a divorce. Though they have lived apart for years, she
likes the position and money his name provides and refuses to let him
go. Diane is not willing to be a mistress, so she leaves the country on
a cruise, where she meets Argentina rancher Mike Bradley (Clark Gable).
Of course, they fall in love. It should be simple, but it is not. For
when Diane goes back to Richard to end their relationship, she finds he
is joyfully awaiting her, divorce in hand, having given up almost
everything to be with the woman he loves.
And so it
goes. One of the things that makes this movie so delightful is the
performances by the lead actors. Crawford's Diane is a genuinely good
woman. She loves Richard, but has resisted breaking up his marriage
(even though it is clearly a marriage in name only). So too is Richard
the ultimate gentleman. Even as we root for Mike and Diane to get
together, we have warm feelings for Richard. One wants to find him a
nice woman, who will love him as much as he deserves. Add to this strong
performances by Gable (watch him in the scene where he finally meets
Field. It is wonderful). Stuart Erwin joins this ensemble as Mike's best
friend, Johnny Smith; you begin thinking he is a fool you will despise,
but realize he is a true friend and a good person. One other little
plus - as Diane and Mike cavort in a swimming pool on the ship, they are
joined by a young boy - played by Mickey Rooney. Don't look away, you
might miss him! This isn't shown very often; too
bad. It is well worth your time. Gable and Crawford do have a screen
magic that is hard to beat. And the story is just lovely. Here's a scene from the beginning of the film, where we get to know Diana and Richard:
1932's Rain most assuredly falls into the Pre-code era.
Ms. Crawford starts as the notorious Sadie Thompson, a woman with a
shady past, who is traveling through the Pacific. Trapped on Pago Pago
with a reformer (Walter Huston as the creepy Alfred Davidson), his snooty wife (Beulah Bondi), and Sgt "Handsome" O'Hara (William Gargan), Sadie
immediately befriends O'Hara. But when O'Hara is placed in the brig,
she finds herself under attack from the other hotel residents. Davidson
convinces the governor to deport Sadie on the next departing ship,
which happens to be going to San Francisco. A terrified Sadie begs for a
reprieve, but to no avail; instead she finds herself the latest victim
of Davidson's reform efforts.
Nowadays, we would recognize Sadie as a victim of Stockholm Syndrome. Rain
does a good job of showing Sadie's transformation from good-time girl
to missionary. Frankly, we thought Crawford was GORGEOUS once the heavy
Sadie makeup was stripped off to reveal her true face. The reformed
Sadie IS almost saintly in appearance, with her long-sleeve, flowing
robe, while Davidson resembles something along the line of an
old-testament prophet. Without giving too much away, the ending is
jarring, and one that would not be permitted once the code was strictly
enforced. Here is the scene where Davidson goes to work to demoralize Sadie:
Beulah Bondi is just wonderful as the
prissy Mrs. Davidson, a part she originated on Broadway; It is also nice to see Guy Kibbee as Joe Horn, the
resident hotel owner. He is sympathetic to Sadie, but powerless, if he
is to be allowed future residence in Pago Pago.
There is an excellent article on the TCM website that will give you some further insight into this interesting film. We hope you will join us next week for another early Crawford.
That wonderful year of 1939 brought us Joan Crawford, along with a galaxy of
female stars, playing the gold-digging, husband-stealing Crystal
Allen in The Women. Norma Shearer is the star here; Mary
Haines, the woman whose husband is stolen by Crystal. The movie, as the
tagline says, stars all women, but is about men - the men in their
lives, who they talk about constantly. We have all kinds of women here,
from the innocent (Joan Fontaine) to the experienced (Paulette Goddard)
to the nearly idiotic (Mary Boland, as the hysterical Countess de
Lave). Rosalind Russell, in a supporting role, shines as the gossipy
Sylvia Fowler, and there is an equally enjoyable performance by Lucile
Watson as Mary Haines mother.
Much of our conversation focused on
the position of this movie within the "chick flick" universe - starring
only women, could it be a chick flick? Interestingly, the movie was
marketed to men. One assumes the moviemakers figured the men were the
harder sell, so the ads point up many lovely, undressed ladies ("Zips up
the back and no bone"). It is surely a movie about women; and the
little fashion show demonstrates it is a movie FOR women. But there is
enough, we thought, to keep a man watching.
Crawford is just
magnificent here. And she surely has the best line in the whole movie:
"There's a name for you ladies, but it no used in high society, outside a
kennel". Crystal may lose the fight, but she'll be back again; perhaps
to win the war!
Torch Song (1953) marked Joan Crawford's return to MGM after
her years at Warner Brothers. However, she returned for a VERY strange
film indeed. She is Jenny Stewart, a temperamental stage star who
has alienated EVERYONE in the cast of her latest show, and has no
social life to speak of. Into her life comes pianist Tye
Graham (Michael Wilding), who was blinded in the war. He attempts to
humanize Jenny, whom he loves because "he knows what she looks like". Torch Song
seems most biographical in nature. From Jenny's dislike of any woman
she sees as competition to her passionate love affair with her fans, the plot seems to be borrowing from Crawford's own life. Did she know how close it would look to her public? One wonders... Let's
just get past the black-face number right away. It is just stunningly
WEIRD. WHY they found it necessary to perform the song Two-Faced Woman
with Crawford done up as a mulatto with bejeweled eyebrows is
incomprehensible. In the 21st Century, one rather sits there going
"Huh??" And then there is the singing. A documentary on the DVD showed
Crawford testing the music in her own voice. Never really a strong
singer, age (and smoking) had destroyed with little musicality her voice
had in her youth. Thus, the producers were forced to substitute a
"ghost" singer for her. Want a glimpse? Here she is "singing" "Follow Me". On the plus side, is her
relationship with her sister and mother. What at first seems like an
avaricious family living off their successful relative turns into
something much more complex. There is real love and pride of the mother
for her star daughter. And the sister, coveting Jenny's coat, beams
when Jenny relents and presents it to her: "Thank you, Jenny! I'll even
wear it to bed". she says as she leaves. Sure, they are not perfect;
but there is a love there, that we understand Jenny has ignored in her
climb to the top.
Be prepared if you decide to watch
this movie - it is NOT politically correct, but Crawford holds her own
here. And damn, has she got good legs!!
Next week, we go back to an earlier Crawford movie.
In 1952, Joan Crawford closed out her Warner Brother's contract with This Woman is Dangerous.
Beth Austin (Ms. Crawford) is the leader of a gang that pulls major
heists. Their latest involves the robbing of a casino. She controls
her henchmen (David Brian and Philip Carey as Matt and Will Jackson),
but Beth has a problem - she is going blind, and needs immediate surgery
to prevent it. She heads to the hospital of Dr. Ben Halleck
(Dennis Morgan), the only physician capable of performing this delicate
surgery. And, of course, she falls in love with him.
The
commentary provided by Robert Osborne in the introduction informed us
that Crawford's considered this her worst film. It is rather silly, but
certainly not the worse thing SHE had ever done. She's actually pretty
good in it. We did find Philip Carey (as Will) rather amusing. His
bug-eyed mania was VERY overstated, from an actor we've always found to
be rather an UNDER-actor. Ditto David Brian. This is not the acting
one would expect from the person we had so recently seen in Flamingo Road. He's really over-the-top crazy in this.
We
enjoyed Dennis Morgan (also at the end of HIS contract with WB), but
the actor who was a breath of fresh air was little Sherry Jackson as Susan
Halleck, Dr. Halleck's young daughter. Crawford seems so comfortable
with the child; she becomes easier and happier in the scenes with her.
On top of all the sturm and drang of the soap opera plot, the innocent home-life of this little girl considerably lightens up atmosphere.
Here is an interesting scene from the later part of the film. It won't give away any plot, but it does show Crawford when she is nails the scene (plus some wonderful cutting on the part of the editor, James C. Moore:
We're
not sure if we would recommend this, but it is has its moments. So you
might want to give it a try. If only to see the one Joan Crawford
loathed!!
In 1951, Joan Crawford starred in a delightful comedy with a political bent - Goodbye, My Fancy.
Ms. Crawford is Congresswoman Agatha Reed, invited by her alma mater,
to return for the graduation ceremony to receive an honorary degree.
There are, of course, some complications. For one, Agatha never
graduated from the school - she was dismissed for staying out all night
with a man. Another is that her former fiance (Robert Young) is now the
dean of the college. Trailing after Agatha to the ceremony is
photographer Matt Cole (Frank Lovejoy) her romantic interest during the war, when she was a war
correspondent. And then there is the film that Agatha recently
released, on her experiences during the war and the effects of tyranny on
intellectual freedom.
There is no question here of age
appropriateness. Agatha IS an older woman. She's had at least two
successful careers and her former beau has a 22 year-old daughter. Yes,
she was his student (making him a few years older), but she is a mature
woman, and Crawford plays it as such. She is also a woman deeply in
love with a memory. And we get to watch as she decided between Young
and Lovejoy. Acting as our commentator is the always delightful Eve
Arden. No movie with Eve Arden in it is ever dull, but Ms. Arden is at
her witty best here. We think she got all the best lines. She is a
riot!
Robert Young, unfortunately, doesn't get to do much here,
which is too bad. Always an interesting actor to watch, he is eye candy
here - Agatha's past incarnate. Her future, too, she hopes. But a
future that will completely alter all she has accomplished in her past.
Without
giving away the ending, we found the film fascinating for its view of
the importance of career to women and for its emphasis on the importance
of freedom of speech. In an era where the House Un-American Activities
Committee was abrogating the rights of the free speech of all
Americans, this is a daring statement.
