Remember the Night (4 stars)

Remember the Night, from 1940, is a little-known holiday film starring Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray.  This delightful movie, which features Beulah Bondi and Sterling Holloway in supporting roles, is the first of four pairings between Stanwyck and MacMurray. 

Lee Leander (Stanwyck), a compulsive shoplifter, has just been picked up for her third offense.  While she has gotten off easy in the past, since her problem is a habitual one, her case, this time, is sent to trial, with John Sargent (MacMurray) set as the prosecutor.  When Lee's trial is postponed until after the holidays, Sargent, who doesn't want her to have to be in jail at Christmas, bails her out; with nowhere to go, and thinking there were strings attached to the bail-out, Lee shows up at John's apartment just as he is getting ready to go home to Indiana for the holiday.

Upon discovering that Lee, too, is from Indiana, John offers to take her along with him, promising to drop her off on the way to his mom's house and to pick her up on his return.  Lee's reunion with her mom doesn't go well, though, and John ends up inviting her to share Christmas with his family.  As the two spend time together, they begin to fall in love---but with John's prosecution of Lee hanging over their heads, do they have any chance for happiness?

Remember the Night is a very sweet film.  Yes, it's rather predictable, but it is lovely and sentimental and very much worth watching during the Christmas season.  Barbara Stanwyck, who is easily one of my all-time favorite actresses, is really wonderful here. As usual, her character is a bit rough around the edges, but with a heart of gold.  She and Fred MacMurray worked very well together here and had really great chemistry.

This film was released on DVD last year, so you should be able to track it down.  It's also available in its entirety on YouTube (HERE).  I definitely think it's a perfect addition to the holiday viewing schedule. 

Happy viewing!!

There's Always Tomorrow (3 stars)

There's Always Tomorrow, from 1956, is a romantic drama starring Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray, and Joan Bennett.  Produced by Ross Hunter, and directed by Douglas Sirk, this film was the final of four pairings between Stanwyck and MacMurray.  They had previously worked together in Remember the Night (1940), Double Indemnity (1944), and The Moonlighter (1953).  This film is a remake of a 1934 film, also entitled There's Always Tomorrow, starring Frank Morgan and Binnie Barnes.

Toy manufacturer Cliff Groves (Fred MacMurray) is feeling a bit overlooked in life.  His wife Marion (Joan Bennett) and their three children have their own lives, and there just doesn't seem to be room for him.  In fact, the children seem to be Marion's life...no matter what Cliff wants to do, she cannot tear herself away from the children.  Though it is Marion's birthday and Cliff had planned to surprise her with dinner and theatre tickets, Marion is unable to do that.  Their youngest child has a ballet recital that evening, and she absolutely will not disappoint the child by not attending.  With his son and older daughter also having their own plans, Cliff is left home alone, with the theatre tickets about to go to waste. 

At that point, an old acquaintance stops by for a visit. Norma Vale (Barbara Stanwyck), a fashion designer who used to work for Cliff and who left town due to her unrequited love for him, is in town on business, and at Cliff's suggestion, the two of them make an evening of it.  They have a great time together---strictly platonically.

Later that week, Cliff had hoped that his wife would accompany him on a business trip; as it turns out, though, the sprained ankle of their youngest child changes Marion's plans.  Telling Cliff to go on without her, Marion, once again, puts the children ahead of Cliff. 

When Cliff arrives at the conference center, he is notified that his business appointment cancelled on him; at the same time, he discovers that Norma is registered at the same hotel.  Since they are both there, Cliff decides to stay on, and he and Norma spend the next two days together...swimming, dancing, riding, laughing, talking.  While it is all very above-board, Cliff's son, who has driven down to the conference center himself, discovers them and gets a wrong impression of things.

Though things with Norma and Cliff didn't begin with the intention of falling in love, that is exactly what happens.  After realizing that Norma has been in love with him all these years, Cliff acknowledges his love for her as well.  The two of them are forced to make hard choices about what the future can be for them.  Meanwhile, Cliff's son, determined to get Norma out of his dad's life, is watching Cliff's every move.  How it all plays out is the focus of the remainder of this film.

While I enjoyed this movie, it really didn't touch me the way other Ross Hunter and/or Douglas Sirk films have done.  Ross Hunter produced such sobbers as Madame X, Imitation of Life, and Back Street, and Sirk directed Imitation of Life, All That Heaven Allows, and Magnificent Obsession; all those films moved me deeply and were definite tearjerkers; There's Always Tomorrow, however, just didn't ignite that same fire.  Oh, I enjoyed the movie, but I was disappointed that it didn't touch my heart like the other films did.  Still, though, Barbara Stanwyck, one of my absolute favorite actresses, gave her usual stellar performance.  Plus, she and Fred MacMurray worked well together, which made for an enjoyable film.

This film is out on DVD, as part of the 6-film Barbara Stanwyck Collection.  It should be quite easy to track down.  Happy viewing!!

The Lady Is Willing (4 stars)

The Lady Is Willing, from 1942, is a romantic comedy starring Marlene Dietrich and Fred MacMurray.  While the film is primarily a light romantic comedy, it does have a few dramatic moments, and I even found myself getting slightly misty-eyed at one point.

Marlene Dietrich plays Elizabeth Madden, an unmarried stage actress with financial problems.  As the film begins, Elizabeth arrives home at her posh apartment, a baby in her arms.  The baby had been abandoned, so Elizabeth took her, fully intending to adopt her.  When she calls in Dr. Corey McBain (Fred MacMurray) to examine the child, she discovers that the dressed-in-pink child isn't a girl after all.  No matter, though...Elizabeth still wants the child and sets out to adopt him.

Adopting the little one isn't as easy as Elizabeth had hoped or expected, though.  It seems that all her debt is working against her.  According to the court, Elizabeth must either be solvent or married in order to make the baby hers.  Since becoming solvent isn't easily accomplished, she must locate a husband...and Dr. McBain fits the bill nicely.

Elizabeth and Dr. McBain's marriage is supposed to be a marriage of convenience.  Will it stay that way?  What happens when Elizabeth's leading man kisses her?  What happens when a couple shows up, claiming to be the baby's real parents?  And what about the sudden presence of Dr. McBain's ex-wife?  These are the questions that will play out in this delightful film.

The Lady Is Willing is totally predictable, but it's also completely sweet and adorable.  I found myself smiling through the entire film and commenting over and over how much I was enjoying it.  As a side note, I will mention that I'm not a huge Marlene Dietrich fan; while I don't hate her, I just don't consider myself a fan of hers.  Despite that, though, I enjoyed this film immensely and really found Dietrich to be delightful in her role.  This is a film I will watch over and over.  Definitely, highly recommended!

While I don't believe the film is out on DVD, I know it is available through You Tube.  Try to catch it there or on TCM.  Happy viewing!