Imitation of Life (1934)

Regular readers of They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To know that I am a sucker for tearjerker dramas. The more touching a film is, the more I like it.  One such heart-tugger is 1934's Imitation of Life, which I reviewed back in the very first week of this blog's existence. What I have deemed a "mommy movie," Imitation of Life is one of four films I always watch during Mothers' Day weekend.  (The others being Stella Dallas, Madame X, and Penny Serenade) Loving this film as I do, I decided a revision and expansion of my earlier review was in order during Claudette Colbert's reign as star of the month.

Based on Fannie Hurst's novel of the same name, Imitation of Life stars Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers, with Rochelle Hudson, Fredi Washington, and Warren William taking on supporting roles. Nominated for three Academy Awards (including Best Picture), Imitation of Life is not only a 5-star film for me, but it is one of my 5 favorite films of the entire decade of the 1930's and among my 20 favorite films of all-time.  I absolutely love this movie.

As white widow Bea Pullman (Claudette Colbert) tries to balance the responsibilities of running her late husband's maple syrup business and taking care of her young daughter, into her life comes Delilah Johnson (beautifully portrayed by the wonderful Louise Beavers), a black woman---also a widow---with a similar-aged daughter of her own. After Delilah convinces Bea to hire her as her maid, she and her little girl, Peola, move in with Bea and daughter Jessie.

Upon tasting Delilah's delicious pancakes one morning, Bea realizes that with her maple syrup and Delilah's pancake recipe, the two of them could join forces and go into business together. Bea sets out to snag a building and all the necessary equipment for them to do so. The business is a great success, and before long, they have gone beyond just a restaurant...in fact, they are packaging Aunt Delilah's Pancake Mix and selling it to grocery stores all across the country. Although, Delilah is a partner and earning a good living through the business, she continues to stay on as Bea's maid, since they have also become good friends.

                                                               image source

Daughters Jessie and Peola, who are now school age, attend a nearby school, but the extremely light-skinned Peola, does not want her teacher nor any of her classmates to know she is black. Able to pass as white because of her fair complexion, she seeks to hide her blackness; when Delilah shows up at the school one day---claiming to be Peola's mother and thereby ending the masquerade---Peola is furious with her.

                                                            image source

The years go by....the women's business becomes more and more successful, Jessie (now Rochelle Hudson) heads off to school, Bea falls in love, and Peola (now Fredi Washington) grows more and more angry at her skin color and tries even harder to sever ties with her black heritage and to live in a white world. She even, at one point, disowns her mother, who keeps showing up in her life and ruining things for her.  How everything plays out is the remainder of the film.

As you can imagine, this is a sobber!!! Yes, Peola will see the error of her ways and seek to make amends; the scene in which that happens is particularly poignant and touching. If you are anything like I am, the tears will be pouring down your face then.

While Claudette Colbert gets top billing in this movie and is completely wonderful and charming in her role, for me, the real star is the amazing Louise Beavers.  Miss Beavers' portrayal of Delilah is totally delightful and full of love and grace and faith.  I was in love with her from moment one. Fredi Washington is terrific in her role as well.  She brings Peola's tortured soul brilliantly to life.  

Even more than the racial situation, Imitation of Life is the story of a mother's love for her child. Both Bea and Delilah loved their daughters unconditionally and sacrificially and would give anything---even her own life---for her.  As a woman who has devoted over two decades of my life to motherhood, I find that stories like this quite resonate with me.

The team of Ross Hunter and Douglas Sirk got their hands on this story in 1959, remaking the film with Lana Turner and Juanita Moore in the Claudette Colbert/Louise Beavers roles and Sandra Dee and Susan Kohner as their respective daughters.  Despite the fact that I adore Lana Turner and count her among my top 5 favorite actresses, I definitely prefer the earlier version. The remake is moving and heart-tugging and I do enjoy it and deem it a 4-star film, but for a couple of reasons, it just doesn't top the original for me. Yes, Lana is gorgeous and her acting is terrific, and Juanita Moore and Susan Kohner are both sensational; however, in the remake, Turner's character is extremely selfish.  She can't hold a candle to Claudette's Bea. Also, Juanita Moore's character is always just a maid---the women don't go into business together. Finally, the white daughter is more whiny and selfish in the remake, making it hard to really like her. The one upside to the Sirk version is that the downward spiral of the black daughter gets more attention and is much more graphic than in the earlier film, making it, therefore, all the more heartbreaking.

Out on DVD, this film ought to be fairly easy to track down.  One of the ways it is available is in the 2-disc Imitation of Life collection, which includes both films, along with bonus feature commentary.

Happy viewing!

NOTE:  Unless stated otherwise, all photos were obtained from Doctor Macro  (HERE)

Keep Your Powder Dry (1945)

From 1945, comes Keep Your Powder Dry, a WWII drama starring Lana Turner, Laraine Day, and Susan Peters, with Lee Patrick, June Lockhart, Natalie Schafer, and Agnes Moorehead taking on minor roles.  Though a drama, there is a bit of comic relief.

The film chronicles the WAC experience of three women, each of whom joined the organization for different reasons---including selfish ones.  First, there's Valerie Parks (Lana Turner), a spoiled heiress, who must prove herself to be a mature, responsible adult in order to have access to her trust fund.  Val's plan is to join the WACs, look presentable enough to obtain her inheritance, then get out as soon as possible---feigning illness if she has to.  Ann Darrison (Susan Peters), whose Army husband is being shipped overseas, wants to do her part to win the war so that the two of them can be together again.  Leigh Rand (Laraine Day), is the daughter of an Army officer and has grown up with an Army mindset.

Confident that she is Army material because of her status as "Army brat," Leigh gives off a snobby, bossy air, which immediately puts her at odds with the strong-willed Val.  With kindhearted, easy-going Ann acting as a buffer between them, Leigh and Val are continually at each other's throats.  If they don't learn how to put their dislike for each other aside and learn how to get along, neither of them will graduate.



All three leads are lovely and quite good in their roles.  I already adore Lana, but I really took notice of Laraine Day and Susan Peters here.  They were both excellent.  Susan Peters has such a fragility to her in every film she's in (even as "the other woman" in Random Harvest).  Her life was so very tragic---After this film was made, but before it was released, she was involved in a hunting accident, resulting in permanent paralysis from the waist down.  From then on, until her death a few years later at the too-young age of 31, she suffered from kidney disease, depression, and anorexia nervosa.

Having minor roles as other WACs and officers are Lee Patrick (always a great wit), June Lockhart (who looks virtually the same here in 1945 as she does as the Lost in Space mom in the 1960's) and Agnes Moorehead.

This film has some touching moments...I got teary-eyed on three different occasions, even cried heartily one of those times.  While not the same caliber as some of the other female WWII movies (like So Proudly We Hail), Keep Your Powder Dry is definitely enjoyable, interesting, and worth watching.  I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Out on DVD, the film ought to be fairly easy to track down.  Also, it is on the TCM schedule for Tuesday, June 25th, at 2:00 p.m. (ET)  I hope you get a chance to see it.

Happy viewing!!

Madame X (5 stars)

In celebration of Lana Turner's February 8th birthday, I recently enjoyed a re-watch of my favorite of her films---Madame X---and since my review of it was way back on the very first day of this blog, I decided a re-write and expansion of that post was in order.

With Lana Turner in the title role and supporting help from John Forsythe, Constance Bennett, Ricardo Montalban, Burgess Meredith, and Keir Dullea, 1966's Madame X is not only my favorite Lana Turner film but my favorite film of the 1960's and among my top 7 movies of all-time.  It's an incredibly beautiful, heart-tugging movie...the one I consider to be the tearjerker of all tearjerkers (though Gary Cooper's Ten North Frederick is right up there too). It doesn't just cause me to weep...but to sob...almost to the point that I can barely breathe.  Sometimes, I pop the movie into the player and then fast-forward to the final 30 minutes just so I can sob my  heart out.  Strange, yes...but the absolute truth. 

The story is about Holly Anderson (Lana), a young woman who has married into a rich and powerful family.  Her husband, Clay (John Forsythe), has political aspirations and an extremely controlling mother (Constance Bennett) who wants to be sure her son becomes all that he aspires to be.  Although Holly and Clay seem happy and even have a son early into their marriage, Clay travels a great deal, leaving Holly very lonely.  Her mother-in-law, however, tells Holly that she simply must not sit home and long for Clay...that she has a role to fulfill...that she must continue to be seen socially.

Holly begins to attend social functions with another man (Ricardo Montalban), and eventually he falls in love with her.  When Holly informs him she cannot see him anymore, they fight, and he tumbles down a flight of stairs, dying immediately.  Mother-in-law insists that since it looks like Holly killed him, a scandal will ensue, thus ruining Clay's political future.  Determining that the best way to protect her son and grandson from Holly's "indiscretion" is to get Holly out of their lives, mother-in-law promises to cover everything up if Holly will just disappear forever.  So...at mother-in-law's urging and with her help, Holly "dies" in a tragic boat accident and then goes to Europe, where mother-in-law sends money for her support.

For twenty years, Holly spirals downward into alcoholism and addiction and perhaps prostitution (nothing is shown, so that possibility is left to the imagination). She is a shell of the beautiful woman she used to be. Eventually, a con man discovers who Holly really is, and he intends to use that information to extort money. Desperate to keep the man from destroying her husband's political hopes and her son's future ambitions, Holly shoots him and is sent to trial. The man appointed to defend her is none other than her now-grown-up son, and neither mother nor son has any idea who the other is.




At the time I first discovered Madame X, I didn't profess to be a huge Lana Turner fan; in fact, I really didn't care for her that much. While I loved the movie and the title character, Lana herself did nothing for me.  Since then, though, I've come to  love Lana and now deem her among my five favorite actresses of all time.  I truly believe her performance in Madame X has to be the finest performance of her career.  She is completely brilliant here...very definitely worthy of an Academy Award nomination, which, unbelievably, she did not receive.

It has recently come to my awareness that there is a 1937 version of Madame X, with Gladys George in the title role.  I would love an opportunity to see it and to compare the two films.

Since Madame X is out on DVD, it ought to be fairly easy to track down a copy.  Try to see it if you can, as it really is an amazingly beautiful, heart-tugging movie which I highly recommend.

Happy viewing!!

The Postman Always Rings Twice (5 stars)

The Postman Always Rings Twice, from 1946, is a great little film noir starring Lana Turner and John Garfield.  Based on the James M. Cain novel of the same name, the film features Cecil Kellaway, Leon Ames, and Hume Cronyn in supporting roles.  With this past Monday having been the 60th anniversary of Mr. Garfield's untimely death, I enjoyed a re-watch of this film in his honor.

While hitch-hiking his way to San Diego, drifter Frank Chambers stops at a little roadside gas station/hamburger joint just outside Los Angeles.  Though the owner, Nick Smith (Cecil Kellaway), offers Frank employment as a handyman, Frank has no intention of staying any longer than it takes to grab a bite to eat---that is, until he gets a glimpse of Nick's beautiful wife, Cora (Lana Turner).  Much younger than her husband, Cora immediately sets Frank's blood to pounding, and although she initially fights it, Cora is attracted to the handsome stranger as well.  In short order, she gives in to her passion and embarks on an affair with Frank.

In love with Frank, Cora makes the decision to run off with him; however, they haven't gotten very far before she begins to have second thoughts.  Since divorcing Nick would leave her with nothing, Cora refuses to go through with it.  Instead, after a time, she convinces Frank that the only way for them to be together is to get Nick out of the picture by killing him.  At first resistant to the idea, Frank eventually realizes Cora is right, and the two of them develop an elaborate scheme to bring about Nick's demise.

Their first attempt at murder doesn't go as planned, and with a highly suspicious D.A. (Leon Ames) bearing down on them, they struggle to cover their tracks.  In due time, they have put together another plan---one which is successful---and the D.A., determined to convict them of their crime, pits one lover against the other.  Where there once was love between them, suddenly there is hatred and mistrust.  How it all plays out is the balance of the film.  (I can't really say more than this without giving away too much of the plot.)




The Postman Always Rings Twice is a fantastic film, well-acted by all.  Lana Turner is stunningly beautiful here (then again, I think she almost always was!), and she makes a perfect femme fatale...icy, aloof, and mesmerizing in her beauty.  John Garfield is masculine, gorgeous, and oozing with virility.  The chemistry between the two of them is incredible.  No nude scenes necessary for them to exude passion and sensuality.

Really, they sizzled and smoked through this whole film, which wouldn't be anything amazing had I not known Lana Turner's opinion of working with Mr. Garfield.  (I quite adore Lana and it was through watching a documentary about her a couple months ago that I learned her feelings about Garfield.)  The two of them absolutely did not get along, and she was irritated that he had been given the role, saying, "Couldn't they at least hire someone attractive."  Say what?  Someone attractive?  John Garfield not attractive?  Oh, Lana, what were you thinking?  Mr. Garfield is beyond attractive here...he's quite gorgeous really (in a rugged, sexy, masculine way).  The older he got, the better looking he became, and at this point in his career, I think he was looking incredibly fabulous!

The supporting cast of Cecil Kellaway, Hume Cronyn, and Leon Ames is outstanding as well, with each man playing his part to perfection; Tay Garnett's direction is fantastic too.  All in all, The Postman Always Rings Twice is an interesting, exciting, wonderful noir, and its final several minutes feature twists I never expected.  How true it is to the novel, I don't know, but the film adaption, as written, is terrific.

The film is out on DVD, plus it is on the TCM schedule for Friday, June 29th, at 2:45 p.m. (ET).  Fans of Turner, Garfield, and noir ought to totally love this film.

Happy viewing!!

Portrait in Black (4 stars)

Portrait in Black, from 1960, is a suspenseful, slightly mysterious drama/film noir starring Lana Turner and Anthony Quinn, with Richard Basehart, Sandra Dee, John Saxon, and Lloyd Nolan taking on supporting roles.  (Net Flix categorizes this film as noir; however, it is in color, which most noirs are not.)  With February being Lana's birthday month, I decided a re-watch of this whodunit was in order, and even though I was aware of the surprise ending, I enjoyed the film as much as I did on my first viewing.

Wealthy shipping magnate Matthew Cabot (Lloyd Nolan), a demanding, unkind man, conducts his business from the bedroom of his mansion.  An invalid, Matthew is attended by his doctor, David Rivera (Anthony Quinn), and his attorney, Howard Mason (Richard Basehart), both of whom make regular visits to the Cabot home.  Also attending to Matthew is his beautiful, much-younger wife, Sheila (Lana Turner), and though it would appear that Sheila is devoted to her husband, in actuality, she is in love with and having an affair with Dr. Rivera. 

After having her chauffeur supposedly take her shopping, Sheila rendezvouses with the doctor, who begs her to leave Matthew and run away with him.  Knowing Matthew would never give her a divorce or custody of their young son, Sheila insists she cannot leave, which makes David more determined than ever to leave town himself.  Being near her and wanting her, he says, would make it so easy to pick up a syringe and inject Matthew with something completely untraceable.  With that thought spoken aloud between them igniting the plan into action, David and Sheila plot Matthew's murder, and since Matthew was ill anyway, no one is the wiser when he soon passes away...or so they think.

After Matthew's funeral, David insists that he and Sheila cannot see each other for awhile, so as not to arouse suspicions.  Soon, though, Sheila receives an anonymous letter congratulating her on the success of her murder, and although they realize the need to keep their relationship secret, David and Sheila begin meeting with one another regularly as they try to determine who it is who sent the letter...who it is who knows Matthew's death was not of natural causes.

Could it be Howard Mason?  He has told Sheila he wants to marry her, adding that he usually gets what he wants.  Could it be the chauffeur, who has begun asking if Mrs. Cabot has been upset by her mail?  Could it be the maid, who is also acting very strangely?  Whoever it is, the murderous pair intends to silence that person by committing yet another murder.  How it all plays out is the balance of this exciting film.

Portrait in Black is a very interesting movie, and the twist at the end will totally surprise you; truly, I NEVER saw that coming.  Lana Turner is simply beautiful here, and her wardrobe is stunning.  I know many people think she was a horrible actress, but I, however, am not one of those people.  I think she was a very good actress, and here, in Portrait in Black, I thought she was wonderful and quite believable...a bit melodramatic perhaps, but that was in keeping with her character and her crime...and it's what Lana could do so beautifully.  Anthony Quinn seemed a bit miscast for a romantic role, but he definitely worked.  I felt the chemistry between him and Lana was good---their illicit love seemed real, as did the tension between them when things began to unravel.

The film is out on DVD; I have it as part of a Lana Turner double feature, with Madame X...one of my five favorite movies of all time.  Additionally, it is available in its entirety on YouTube (HERE).   If you like Lana Turner, Sandra Dee (who portrays Dee's stepdaughter, Kathy), surprise endings, or beautiful clothing, I think you will enjoy Portrait in Black.

Happy viewing!!

Another Time, Another Place (3 stars)

Another Time, Another Place, from 1958, is a romantic drama starring Lana Turner, Barry Sullivan, Glynis Johns, and, in one of his first film appearances, a very young Sean Connery.  A first-time viewing of this film, which is set in England in 1945, was part of my Lana Turner birthday celebration.

Covering the war from London are BBC reporter Mark Trevor (Connery) and American newspaper correspondent Sara Scott (Turner).  The two have fallen deeply in love (before the film begins), and despite the fact that Sara told her boss, Carter Reynolds (Barry Sullivan), she would marry him after returning from Europe, she informs Mark of her intent to break the engagement.  Believing Mark and she have a future, Sara plans to tell Carter that she's in love with another man and will be marrying him.  Mark is dismayed at Sara's words, though, for how can he marry her when he's already married?  Coming clean with Sara, Mark admits he has a wife and son back home.

Although devastated by the news of Mark's marriage, Sara believes that what she and Mark have is real. Sure he will choose her over his wife, she tells Mark to let her know when he has made his decision.  Promising to come back to her, Mark heads to Italy to cover the German surrender; however, he never makes it to Italy or back to Sara, as he is killed in a plane crash. 

Brokenhearted and reeling from her loss, Sara feels the only thing that will help her through her grief is to travel to Mark's hometown...to see the town he lived in...to walk the streets where he walked.  Going there, she makes the acquaintance of Mark's wife, Kay (Glynis Johns), and their son, Brian.  Not aware that Sara had been having an affair with Mark---indeed, not even aware he had been unfaithful to her---Kay welcomes Sara into her life and home.  As Sara attaches herself more and more firmly to Mark's family, both Mark's best friend and Sara's boss, Carter, beg her to leave before Kay begins to suspect Mark's infidelity.

Does visiting Mark's home provide Sara with the solace she seeks?  Does Mark's wife come to realize he had been having an affair?  Can Carter, who still loves Sara, convince her to let go of the past and move into the future with him?  These are the questions that play out in this mildly heart-tugging film.

While Another Time, Another Place is a solid, 3-star viewing experience, it is not one of my favorite Lana films. With the exception of Glynis Johns' character, the other characters in the film are not overly likeable. I especially thought Lana's character was selfish and hard to root for. And in the end, I was unhappy with the way she handled things. Still, though, Lana was her beautiful self, and I thought she put in a good performance.  Just an aside, though...I did think her wardrobe was a bit too glamourous and not quite in keeping with that of a wartime news reporter.

One thing really struck me as I watched this film---the credits said "Introducing Sean Connery."  I wondered how many people viewing this way back in 1958 would have had any inkling of the enormity of Mr. Connery's future success.  Could anyone have foreseen his amazing popularity?  Or that his career would span at least five decades?  Or that he would one day be considered "the sexiest man alive."   Did anyone viewing this film realize the newcomer was far more than just a "here today, gone tomorrow" kind of actor?  This movie is worth watching just for the opportunity to see the very young Mr. Connery in one of his earliest roles.  Beyond that, if you are a Lana Turner or Glynis Johns fan, you will probably enjoy this. Out on DVD, Another Time, Another Place should be fairly easy to track down.  Also, it is available on Net Flix instant viewing.

Happy viewing!!

Happy Birthday, Lana Turner

Today is the 91st birthday of my newest top-10 favorite actress...the beautiful Lana Turner.  (February 8, 1921-June 29, 1995)

In the past year, I have found myself eating my words with regard to the lovely Lana.  When I reviewed Madame X  last year (HERE), I specifically said that I wasn't much of a Lana Turner fan.  In fact, I wrote, I didn't much care for her. Well, my friends, I have changed my tune!!  I now completely adore her and wholeheartedly consider her one of my most favorite actresses--just in the past three months she not only made my top 20, but she has almost reached my top 5!!  Her roles are generally meaty and dramatic (my favorite kind of film!), and I think she excels in that kind of a role.  Without question, I have enjoyed nearly every film of hers I've seen in the past year.  What's more, she was such an incredible beauty...surely, one of the most beautiful actresses ever...and she was always so stunningly clothed.  Just looking at her is a delight.

My absolute favorite Lana Turner film is Madame X, a  total sobber which is easily in my top 5 favorite movies of all-time.  Even during the days when I thought I didn't like Miss Turner, I still loved this beautiful, heart-rending film, which ranks up there as the tearjerker of all tearjerkers.  Lana's performance in  Madame X was beyond spectacular---surely it was the performance of her career.  Read my review of that beloved film HERE.

Rounding out my list of five favorite Lana Turner films are:

2.  The Postman Always Rings Twice  (with John Garfield---reviewed HERE)

3.  Homecoming  (with Clark Gable---reviewed HERE)

4. Portrait in Black  (with Anthony Quinn, Richard Basehart, and Sandra Dee---reviewed HERE)

5.  Imitation of Life  (with Juanita Moore, John Gavin, and Sandra Dee---reviewed HERE)

(As of now, these are my five favorite Lana Turner films; I expect this list to change as I see more of her films.)

As an aside...I've shared before that for a few years before I got married, I lived with my grandparents.  Of course, like most people of that generation, they had long been in love with the films and stars from Hollywood's Golden Era.  My grandmother's favorite actor was Ray Milland, and my grandfather's favorite actress was Lana.  Actually, I remember him raving about her way back when I was a child in the 1960's...and when I lived with them in the early 1980's, he was still raving about her.

One of the TV shows my grandparents enjoyed watching was Falcon Crest, and the 60+ year old Lana Turner was a guest star on that show for several episodes. I found a video on YouTube---wow, she aged beautifully.  Elegant and beautiful at 61 years of age!  No wonder my grandfather was so smitten with her!

So, Miss Lana Turner, I am remembering you on what would be your 91st birthday.  You made so many wonderful films, including several which really touch my heart and bring me to tears. Thank you for beautifying my life through your movies.

By Love Possessed (4 stars)

By Love Possessed, from 1961, is a soap opera drama directed by John Sturges and starring Lana Turner, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Jason Robards, Barbara Bel Geddes, Thomas Mitchell, and George Hamilton.  While Lana takes top billing in the film, most of the other stars have equal (or more) screen time.  Always a fan of these kinds of melodramas, I've had this one on my must-watch list for a couple months; as part of my Lana Turner birthday celebration, I decided now was the perfect time to watch it.

This ensemble story follows the lives and loves of three law partners and their families.  There's Arthur Winner (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.), a rather rigid, emotionless man whose wife, Clarissa (Barbara Bel Geddes), feels there is no passion in their marriage, even telling him that their marriage has been more a business merger than anything.  Living by the letter of the law and allowing for no gray areas, self-righteous Arthur has set a standard so high no one can measure up.  His college-age son, Warren (George Hamilton), especially, feels inadequate as far as his father is concerned.

Julius Penrose (Jason Robards) is married to Marjorie (Lana Turner), a woman with whom he cannot be intimate due to an accident which had left him impotent.  Lonely and longing for love, Marjorie finds what she's looking for in the bottle and in the arms of Arthur Winner.

Noah Tuttle (Thomas Mitchell), senior partner of the firm, is Arthur's father-in-law; advancing in years, Noah is beginning to show signs of incompetency.  Though Arthur and Julius try to encourage him to retire, Noah is adamant that he still has the mental capacity to do his job. 

Warren, rebelling against his father's impossibly high expectations, has no desire to join the law firm...or even stay in his hometown.  Rejecting the love of the girl who has loved him since childhood, Warren welcomes the attentions of a rather loose woman...an action which will affect all the people around him and cause them to re-evaluate their lives. 

This kind of melodramatic movie is definitely my cup of tea, and I greatly enjoyed this film.  Each storyline was interesting and captured my attention, and the Elmer Bernstein score was beautiful. The acting, while not Academy Award-winning, was solid, especially that of Turner, Zimbalist, and Robards. I do believe things were wrapped up a bit too quickly and cleanly; however, with a 2-hour time limit, that often seems to be the case.  At any rate, while somewhat unrealistic because of the neat and tidy ending, I still consider By Love Possessed to be an enjoyable, entertaining viewing experience.  It is easily, for me, a 4-star film and one of my favorite Lana Turner vehicles.

Out on DVD, this film should be fairly easy to track down.  It is also available on Net Flix instant viewing.  If you are a fan of these soap opera kinds of dramas, definitely look for this one.  I feel sure you will like it.

Happy viewing!!!

Homecoming (4 stars)

Homecoming, from 1948, is a wartime romantic drama starring Clark Gable and Lana Turner in the third of their four pairings.  Directed by Mervyn LeRoy, this touching film features Anne Baxter and John Hodiak in supporting roles.  With yesterday being Clark Gable's birthday and next week being Lana's, I thought a rewatch of this movie was in order.

The story, which is mostly told in flashback, begins in 1945, as Clark Gable's character (Col. Ulysses "Lee" Johnson), an Army surgeon, is returning home after the war.  Prompted by a reporter's question, Col. Johnson reflects on the man he was in 1941 and the man he is now.

Prior to U.S. involvement in the war, successful surgeon Lee Johnson and his wife, Penny (Anne Baxter), live a rather selfish, high-society life.  Concerned with things like parties, golfing, and dancing, Lee doesn't have much time for his friend, Bob (John Hodiak), a doctor who works with the less fortunate in the poor section of town.  Though Bob longs for Lee's financial and practical help, Lee simply isn't cut from the same cloth Bob is.  He sees his patients as cases, not human beings, so to work with patients who cannot further his career or enlarge his bank account matters little to him.  Lee's attitude angers Bob, causing the two men to argue bitterly.

After Pearl Harbor, Lee enlists in the Army and is sent to Europe, where he will serve as a field surgeon.  While enroute to his assignment, he has an uncomfortable meeting with an Army nurse---one Lt. Jane "Snapshot" McCall (Lana Turner).  Arrogant, and with a seeming disdain for women's opinions about political matters, Lee succeeds in irritating the widowed nurse.  Snapshot can't stand, and has no use for, the pompous doctor, even nicknaming him "Useless."  As it turns out, though, the two of them will have to stop butting heads, for Snapshot is assigned to be Lee's nurse.

The workload is intense, and they find themselves sometimes in the surgical unit for 16 hours straight.  Eventually, Lee begins to change, even apologizing for things he has said and done.  He begins to care about people...even comes to see the error of his ways with regard to the poor people back home.  As Lee changes from a self-centered man into a caring one, he and Snapshot find themselves falling in love.

Since Lee is married, however, and there can be no future for them, they vow to fight their feelings.  Penny, meanwhile, on the homefront, sees the change in Lee through his letters and fears she is losing him.  How it all plays out is the balance of this very lovely film.

Of the four Gable/Turner pairings (Honky Tonk, Somewhere I'll Find You, and Betrayed are the others), Homecoming is definitely my favorite; not only is it my favorite of their pairings, but it's one of my five favorite Clark Gable films and one of my five favorite Lana Turner films.  I think it's a beautiful movie---the transformation of Clark Gable's character from selfish to caring, from arrogant to humble, is a joy to watch.  The chemistry between him and Lana is wonderful---they really were great together.  While this film is not a sobber, it is most definitely a heart-tugger--one that gets me lightly misty-eyed several times and brings on quite a volume of tears a couple other times.

The film, which I think is a must-see, is out on DVD, so it ought to be fairly easy to track down.  I do hope you get a chance to see it.  Happy viewing!!

Cass Timberlane (3 stars)

Cass Timberlane, from 1947, is a romantic drama starring Spencer Tracy, Lana Turner, and Zachary Scott.  Based on the Sinclair Lewis novel of the same name, this is a film which had been on my radar for a few months.  As I have grown in appreciation for Lana Turner, I have been on the lookout for some of her lesser-known films, and this one sounded interesting to me, so I kept hoping TCM would air it...which they did earlier this month.

Widowed Cass Timberlane (Spencer Tracy) serves as a judge in a small Minnesota town. While Judge Timberlane hobnobs with the high-society folks in his town, he is very much a down-to-earth guy and even has friends "on the other side of the tracks."  One of those friends is Ginny (Lana Turner), a woman several years his junior, whose acquaintance he made when she appeared in his courtroom one day.  The friendship between Ginny and Cass (who is nicknamed Tim by Ginny) soon blossoms into romance.

Despite her initial concerns about their societal differences, Ginny agrees to marry the judge.  Of course, the majority of his high-society friends have a problem with Ginny's lack of breeding, but his friend Brad Criley(Zachary Scott) supports him 100%.

Though Tim lavishes all the love in the world on Ginny, she soon finds herself bored with their small-town life and yearning for excitement and action.  Brad, too, desires that kind of life, and before long, he and Ginny find themselves developing feelings for one another.   Will Ginny leave Tim and seek out a more glamourous life with Brad?  For that matter, does Brad---a playboy---have more than a passing interest in Ginny?  How it all plays out is the balance of the film.

While this is not a spectacular film, I enjoyed it very much.  I found Spencer Tracy and Lana Turner to be a delightful couple.  I thought they had great chemistry together; however, my daughter---who watched the film with me---did not.  It's funny how two people can look at the exact same thing and come away with totally different perceptions.  The film has great lessons about integrity, forgiveness, and the sacredness of marriage.  It is very definitely a solid, 3-star movie, which I highly recommend.

The film is out on DVD, so I think it ought to be fairly easy to track down.  Happy viewing!!

A Life of Her Own (3 stars)

A Life of Her Own, directed by George Cukor, is a 1950 romantic drama starring Lana Turner and Ray Milland.  While I had never been much of a Lana Turner fan, I discovered this movie on TCM about a year ago and was interested in it solely for Ray Milland.  Since then, though, I have developed a real appreciation for the beautiful Miss Turner, and I now count her among my 20 favorite actresses; therefore, I recently enjoyed a re-watch of the film, this time, concentrating more on Lana than on Ray.

Lily James (Turner), an aspiring model from a sleepy little Kansas town, goes to New York, hoping to make it big, which, in due time, she does.  Through a friend, Lily meets wealthy mine-owner Steve Harleigh (Milland), who is in town on business.  Though Steve is married, he and Lily hit it off and begin spending time with each other---at first, Lily is rather Steve's tour guide around New York.  Before long, though, the two are in love with one another, which makes for an agonizingly painful parting when Steve's business is complete and he departs for home.

Steve's next trip to New York brings him into Lily's life once more, and despite being cautioned that his wife can't take another tragedy, Steve can't stay away from Lily, nor she from him.  In fact, Lily moves into a new apartment, since her previous living arrangements didn't allow for men to be in "after hours."  Their affair doesn't bring happiness, though, as Steve is torn between his love for Lily and his commitment to his wife, who, it turns out, is crippled.  In an effort to get Steve's wife out of the picture, Lily plans to confront her with the truth of their affair.

Will Lily tell Steve's wife that he has been unfaithful to her and that he doesn't love her?  Will Steve leave his wife in order to be with Lily?  Will either of them find the happiness they are seeking?  These are the questions that play out through the remainder of the film. 

While A Life of Her Own isn't a spectacular movie, it is interesting and entertaining and it tackles the question of "Can I obtain my happiness through someone else's unhappiness?"  I think both Lana Turner and Ray Milland were very good in their roles.  I could easily see Milland's agony of conscience as he struggled with what to do.   The two of them had pretty good chemisty together as well.  While there was an occasional scene where their love didn't seem totally believable, for the most part, I thought they were great together. 

It occurred to me as I watched this movie that there are hundreds of movies all with the same theme...married man falls in love with another woman.  Just by changing a few small details as well as the actors and actresses in the film...voila...all the movies seem quite different.

Anyhow, for those that are Turner or Milland fans...or just a lover of the "romantic triangle" kind of film, you might enjoy A Life of Her Own.  The film is not out on DVD, though it is on VHS.  Also, TCM airs it fairly regularly.

Happy viewing!!