It's a Wonderful Film

I am coming out of hibernation to contribute a post to Sally's annual 12 Days of Christmas Movies. This year I am going to be talking about Frank Capra's It's A Wonderful Life. This post isn't as detailed as I would like it to be, but I hope it reminds you to check out this film this holiday season. (For last year's contribution, here is my post on Christmas in Connecticut.)

I know a lot of people see this movie as sentimental schmuck, but on the other side of the spectrum are those who find the movie too dark (like the original 1946 audience).

Recently I've read a few posts that [humorously] expound the fact that the world would probably have been a lot better off if George Bailey had offed himself…or better yet, that he'd never been born in the first place. While I believe we all interpret films differently and each of us is entitled to our own opinions, I respectfully disagree. Sure, there are flaws with this film. I'm not saying that it is perfect and that I love every part of it, but I think the overall positive and powerful message overcomes any negative aspects.

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This is not something that I have talked about much on here (since it is, after all, a movie blog), but I know what it is like to be depressed, to feel like your life is worthless, that it would have been better if you had never been born. Having felt this way I can really relate to what George goes through.

I think the beauty of this film lies not in it's perfectly conceived plot or airtight characterizations. It lies in the enduring message that each of us has a place in this world, that no matter how difficult or trivial our lives seem, or how many mistakes we make, we still matter. We have a role that no one else can fill. That message has a lot to do with the hope of Christmas, too. For isn't it a tiny Savior that came over two millennia ago to save us from our shortcomings, and to raise us to new life?

By now you might be thinking, "Um, Audrey, aren't you taking this a little far?" Hey, never underestimate the power of film!

Have a very Merry Christmas and holiday season, everyone! May God bless you all!

Check out Flying Down to Hollywood for the full list of films featured!

Fashion in Film Blogathon: *The Way We Wore* by Marsha Hunt

I’ve been looking forward to the Fashion in Film blogathon for a while now. Admiring the beautiful clothes worn in old movies is just one of the many reason I enjoy classic cinema. If you’ve been reading this blog for some time you probably know that I often make note of the costumes in my reviews. I was originally going to just choose a film and showcase some of the outfits in it that I liked, but instead I decided to talk about a book—not a movie—that profiles some wonderful styles from the 1930s and 1940s. I hope this is acceptable for a film blogathon. I thought it might be excused since so much of the book talks about, well, fashion in film!
The Way We Wore is a beautiful coffee table book (though I read it cover-to-cover) by model, singer, and actress of stage and screen Marsha Hunt. In case you are not familiar with her, here is a little more about Miss Hunt, courtesy of IMDb:

“Stardom somehow eluded this vastly gifted actress. Had it not perhaps been for her low-level profile compounded by her McCarthy-era blacklisting in the early 1950s, there is no telling what higher tier of stardom Marsha Hunt might have reached. Perhaps her work was not flashy enough, too subdued, or perhaps her intelligence too often disguised a genuine sex appeal to stand out among the other lovelies. Two studios, Paramount in the late 30s and MGM in the early 40s, failed to complete her star. Nevertheless, her talent and versatility cannot be denied. This glamorous, slimly handsome leading lady offered herself to well over 50 pictures during the 1930s and 1940s alone.”

Now approaching her 94th birthday, Marsha is still alive and active. She continues to work for charity causes and make public appearances (sometimes giving interviews at film festivals and the like).

This book was published in 1993 and is a comprehensive volume that profiles Marsha’s career and showcases the styles and trends of the ‘30s and ‘40s. There are a lot of interesting stories stories—from her experiences in a USO tour in the Artic, to meeting President and Mrs. Roosevelt—and anecdotes about what day-to-day life was like for a starlet during the studio era. Later on, she describes her experience of being blacklisted and her successful stage career that followed.

The bulk of the volume is comprised of film stills and glamour portraits with anecdotes and information interspersed throughout. One of the great things about this book is that it feels very personal—like you are just enjoying tea with Marsha and she is sharing all her stories with you. She also recalls stuff with incredible detail and her great appreciation of fashion comes through in the way she describes the colors and fabrics of the outfits. The accompanying captions really bring the black-and-white photos to life. Needless to say, Marsha has impeccable style herself, and even designed some of the outfits featured in this book.

While many of the photos are of the author, there are also a lot of screen stills of co-stars that include the likes of Ava Gardner, Greer Garson, Margaret O’Brien, Gregory Peck, June Allyson, Susan Hayward, Lana Turner, Ray Milland, Van Heflin, Mickey Rooney, Gene Kelly, William Powell, and many more. Not all of these stars are pictured in the book, but the majority of them are.

There are also sections of the book that profile a certain topic, such as the Hollywood Canteen, cars, shoes, makeup, hats, hairstyles, etc. (See slideshow further down for examples.)

If you’ve ever wondered what daily life was like for a young starlet during the most glamorous era of Hollywood, or if you are just interested in vintage fashions, this book is for you. It is now out of print, so you may have trouble finding it. If you’d like to read it but can’t find any affordable copies online, I would recommend seeing if you can interloan it through your library system, which is what I did. (What, oh what, would I do with out ILL!)

To give you a better idea what it’s like, I’ve made a slideshow that features some pictures of pages from the book.

It seems that some of the slides don’t line up just right with the text. If you are having trouble with that (or if the images seem to small), click here for an easier viewing format. You should also be able to zoom in if you want to read the text.

Though some of the clothes may seem dated (and I believe Marsha even admits this), many are surprisingly accessible for fashion-lovers today. But while style may come and go, the things that Miss Hunt embodies in this book—pose, elegance, good character, grace, and beauty—are timeless.

This post is my entry in the Fashion in Film Blogathon hosted by The Hollywood Revue. I can’t wait to see what everyone else posts about!

My Foolish Heart (1949)

Sept. 4-5, 2011

72. My Foolish Heart (1949) 

Starring Dana Andrews, Susan Hayward, Kent Smith, Lois Wheeler, Jessie Royce Landis

Directed by Mark Robson

**REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS**

Plot: “After a long absence, Mary Jane visits her schoolfriend Eloise, and Eloise's daughter Ramona. Eloise drinks too much and is unhappily married to Lew Wengler. Eloise falls asleep and remembers her time with her true love, Walt Dreiser, at the beginning of the Second World War. She recalls the events that lead up to her split with Mary Jane, and how Lew married Eloise rather than Mary Jane.” (from IMDb)

I really didn’t care for this one at all. Originally based on a story by J.D. Salinger which was published in The New Yorker, this film is a 98 minute soap opera tear-jerker.

I guess my main problem with this is that I couldn’t relate to the characters: I didn’t understand what Eloise saw in Walt. I thought it was irresponsible of the father to send his young daughter back alone to New York. I thought Walt was a jerk who really only wanted one thing from Eloise. Elle’s father and Walt were also rather chauvinistic in dealing with her expulsion. It bothered me that they treated the whole thing in this *wink*wink* manner. Didn’t they care about her future? She was just expelled! I also disliked Eloise for falling so cheaply and then marrying the wrong man on a rebound. Ugh! It was just frustrating, and honestly it all made me feel a little sick. I just found the characters’ motivations frustrating and unconvincing. Add to that the fact that the film is painfully predictable, and it’s not a winner in my book. 

I used to like Dana Andrews quite a bit, but I didn’t like his character at all in this. He really came across as insincere, haughty, and demeaning to Eloise (Susan Hayward). But maybe that was just me…?

Sorry for the grainy quality of these screencaps; the copy I viewed was rather poor.

Edith Head designed Hayward’s wardrobe.

I know this is supposed to be oh-so-romantic, but I really did not like the storyline at all. The two leads were supposed to be madly in love, but I did not feel much chemistry between them.

At first I felt like Susan Hayward was not that great in this, but I thought she got better—to the point of being quite excellent—as the film went on. She does a commendable job of showing the progression and emotion of her character. Especially near the the end of the film, I was really captivated by her ability to make me feel what Eloise was going through. Even though I thought her character made some stupid choices, it was still really sad.

Susan was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for this role.

If you enjoy this type of weepy flash-back-to-first-love film, you might enjoy this. As you already know, I didn’t. But I could’ve just been in the wrong mood to watch a super sad film like this. It was kind of depressing!

Road House (1948)

Aug. 14, 2011

70. Road House (1948)

Starring Ida Lupino, Cornel Wilde, Celeste Holm, Richard Widmark
Directed by Jean Negulesco

Plot: “A nightclub owner frames a romantic rival for murder.” (from TCMDb)

I can’t remember where it was that I saw this clip (shout out if it was you and I’ll credit your blog),  but when I first saw it a month or so ago it made me want to check out this film. Luckily, I was able to get it through our state inter-library loan system, and I’m so glad I did! This film did not disappoint.

** THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS **

I didn't think I liked film noir, but this was really excellent. (Though I guess some would say that it's not technically noir because **BIG SPOILER** it has a happy ending.)

Speaking of the end, I kind of wonder what is supposed to have happened after the movie ends. Do they go to Canada? Are they acquitted?

Richard Widmark’s performance is one of the best parts of this film. It’s one I could watch over and over, I think, because he’s just so deliciously villainous in it. He manages to be both amusing and frightening at the same time.

Cornel Wilde’s role isn’t quite a showy as some of the other players in this, but he does a good job as the strong and steady man.

There's something about Ida’s character I didn't like. She's too sassy and sure of herself, and I don’t like how she plays up to Pete. Plus, it is rather hard to believe that their relationship is more than passing infatuation. It was difficult for me to really buy the chemistry between these two. It didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the film, though, because there’s so much more going on than just their relationship. Of course, Ida’s performance is top notch. I did have a hard time believing that her singing really drove that much business to the road house, though!

I love how she totally shuts down Cornel's character when he tries to dump her at the depot. One tough dame.

Celeste Holm is great in this as Susie. Even after the man she is kind of interested in falls in love with someone else, she is not vengeful or full of spite. She just does what is right and tries to help the them. She was also not afraid to face Widmark’s character. I did feel a little sorry for her, though, because I think she deserved to end up with Pete (though I know of course that the movie would not have worked out the same that way).

Ida’s face may not be traditionally beautiful, but it is very captivating. I want to see more of her movies (especially if they are all this good). She's just so unique. I don't really 'love' her yet, but I'm definitely intrigued by her. 

I can’t believe I didn’t get any screencaps with people smoking because there is an insane amount of it in this film. I know most old movies include some cigarette use, but this one seemed like it had an extra lot of it! Ida’s character in particular is rarely seen without a cigarette.

This film has a great dark, atmospheric feel.

Definitely see this. The performances, cinematography, plot, and dialogue are all really great.

Yeah, there are improbabilities and contrivances, but I didn’t really notice any of them during the film. I was too caught up in the plot to care about the details.

Oh, and if you have seen this, please recommend any other similar film noirs that you think I would like. I think I may be slowly changing my mind about this genre!

To the Shores of Tripoli (1942)

Aug. 13, 2011

68. To the Shores of Tripoli (1942)

Starring John Payne, Maureen O'Hara, Randolph Scott, Nancy Kelly, Minor Watson

Directed by H. Bruce Humberstone

Plot: “Sergeant Dixie Smith has more raw recruits to turn into Marines, if he can. Among them is cocky casanova Chris Winters, son of an officer, who's just tried to ‘mash’ Mary Carter, a major's niece. Once on base, he finds Mary's a nurse and an off-limits officer. Does this stop him? Of course not. But his attitude problem soon puts him in a position where he must redeem himself, with December 7, 1941 fast approaching.” (from IMDb)

This is more a propaganda film than a war film. It deals with the misadventures of a headstrong Marine recruit (John Payne), and most of it takes place on the base. I’m not a big Randolph Scott fan, but surprisingly I don’t hate him in this (what a uniform will do for a man…just kidding!). Mainly I think that’s because it’s pretty easy to empathize with Scott’s character, as Chris Winters (Payne) really is a—pardon the pun—pain. In other words, he’s a jerk. That’s the key problem with the film: the main character is not likeable! I’m not sure what they were trying to do with this movie, perhaps just show how anyone can rise to the call of duty…er, something?

According to Wikipedia, “The Marines credit the movie as the biggest single recruitment aide in 1942.”

Love the tilt of Payne's hat. And look how ramrod straight Scott is standing. I guess that defines his character.

John Payne and Maureen O’Hara also appeared together in Miracle on 34th Street, Sentimental Journey, and Tripoli (not related to this film).

The Technicolor is gorgeous! It really highlights Maureen’s beauty. The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Color Cinematography.

This reminds me of Cherry Ames. (Did anyone else ever read those books? I used to love them!)

I’m honestly not sure what Maureen’s character saw in Winters.

August 17 was Maureen’s 91st birthday. Happy birthday and many more to one of Classic Hollywood’s greatest living legends!

An unfortunate bit of racism. I guess this was supposed to be funny?

The ending was changed because of Pearl Harbor. This film was just over two hours but it felt even longer. Not one I’ll be rushing to see again anytime soon, though I’ve certainly seen worse!

Loving Lucy: Miss Grant Takes Richmond (1949)

Aug. 5, 2011

67. Miss Grant Takes Richmond (1949)

Starring Lucille Ball, William Holden, Janis Carter, James Gleason, Gloria Henry, Frank McHugh

Directed by Lloyd Bacon

Plot: "A bookie uses a phony real estate business as a front for his betting parlor. To further keep up the sham, he hires dim-witted Ellen Grant as his secretary figuring she won't suspect any criminal goings-on. When Ellen learns of some friends who are about to lose their homes, she unwittingly drafts her boss into developing a new low-cost housing development.” (from IMDb)

Since I haven’t seen many of Lucille Ball’s films, in honor of her 100th birthday blogathon I decided to view one of them. I honestly was not expecting much from this movie and it was about what I thought it would be. Not a bad way to pass the time, but not a profound cinematic achievement either.

  

Dependable character actor Charles Lane has a small role near the beginning of this movie. I Love Lucy fans will recognize him from several episodes of the show: “Staten Island Ferry” (1956), “The Business Manager” (1954), “Lucy Tells the Truth” (1953), and “Lucy Goes to the Hospital” (1953).

 
Another actor in this that would later appear in I Love Lucy was Will Wright, who showed up in two episodes: "Tennessee Bound” (1955), and "The Handcuffs” (1952).

 
Lucy looks gorgeous in this film. Costumes were designed by Jean Louis.

Together with Holden, James Gleason and Frank McHugh make up the trio of bookies.

 

When this film was made, William Holden had not yet reached the height of his fame, which would be launched by his success the following year in Sunset Blvd. I found his character in this film a bit too cynical to be a sympathetic leading man for this type of light comedy. In fact, I actually thought Ellen’s (Ball’s) boyfriend was a lot nicer than the bookie character played by Holden. He is very handsome, and though comedy may not be Holden’s forte, there are glimmers of the dry wit and unmistakable voice that helped make him a star.

William Holden would later star in a very famous episode of I Love Lucy. Here is a clip from part of that show:

You can also watch Lucy light her nose on fire and throw a pie at Holden.

According to IMDb: “Rita Hayworth was going to star in this movie, but Hayworth requested script revisions, and went on suspension to avoid making it.” I can’t say I really blame her. The material is just not that good.

One of the best parts of the film was near the end when Lucy’s character pretends to be tough-talking gangster. It reminds me of the kind of comedy she would later come to embody as Lucy Ricardo.

Though the film as a whole is rather unremarkable, it is interesting to watch these promising stars at this point in their careers. A solid B picture, it’s not a great movie, but it is worth watching if one is interested in Ball’s career pre-I Love Lucy.

{Here are more photos and some behind-the-scenes pictures from this film.}

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This is post is my humble contribution to the Loving Lucy Blogathon, hosted by True Classics.

The Devil and Miss Jones (1941)

July 5, 2011

60. The Devil and Miss Jones (1941)

Starring Jean Arthur, Robert Cummings, Charles Coburn, Edmund Gwenn, Spring Byington, S.Z. Sakall, William Demarest

Directed by Sam Wood

Plot: "A tycoon goes undercover to ferret out agitators at a department store, but gets involved in their lives instead." (from IMDb)

Despite the fact that the plot feels like one you've seen before—you know, the wealthy curmudgeon that encounters the populace and converts to simple living…or something like that—it's  saved by great performances by Charles Coburn and the supporting cast. That cast includes Jean Arthur (perfect in this type of role), Edmund Gwenn (playing a very un-Kris-Kringle-like role. Gwenn had such range as an actor and is always a lively presence), Spring Byington (her ever-loving self), and S.Z. Sakall (the blustering butler). Robert Cummings is perhaps the one weak note in an otherwise talented ensemble.

Arthur and Coburn deliver some wonderful comedy (I especially like the scene where she is trying to muster courage to wop him over the head!)

If you enjoy '30s style Capra or just a good comedy, this is probably one that you’ll want to check out.