Loretta in One Word---Devout

It's been a fun month celebrating the lovely Loretta Young.  I've enjoyed discovering some of her early 30's films and re-acquainting myself with some of her later films.  It's also been delightful reading through her authorized biography, Forever Young, The Life, Loves, and Enduring Faith of a Hollywood Legend, and as I close both the book and the month devoted to her, one word comes to mind...one word which summarizes Loretta's life and career...and that word is devout.

Miss Young wasn't a perfect woman by any means.  She had her faults, and she made her share of mistakes; however, she was a devout Catholic, whose commitment to God and His ways gave her a desire to live a righteous, upstanding, moral life.  She knew that, in the public eye as she was, she would have influence on others, and she wanted that influence to be positive.

With the exception of 1934's Born to Be Bad---a film in which her character encourages her young son to lie and cheat and, also, unashamedly seduces the married Cary Grant---I have never known Loretta to portray a less than honorable woman.  In every film of hers that I've seen, she has been decent, kind, and oftentimes, gentle...and now I know why.  Early in her career, her priest told her, "You have chosen a very public profession, Loretta....one through which you will be able to exert influence on others for better or worse....what does the Bible say?  Rather than give bad example, you should have a stone tied around your neck and be thrown into the sea.  Extreme, yes, but if you're not going to live according to your faith, you should at least get out of the movie business."  Through Father Ward's words Loretta began to realize that she needed to take seriously the influence she had on others.  "After that, she never wanted to play evil people in movies, or wear immodest costumes or do drape art (revealing photography shots)."

One rather comical way her commitment to decency and morality played out was during the filming of Come to the Stable, when she instituted the "swear box."  From the start of her career, Loretta had been bothered by profanity on the set---especially when the profanity was blasphemous towards God; however, early in her career, she hadn't the clout to do anything about it.  By the time Come to the Stable was filmed, Loretta was an Academy Award-winning star and was in a position to have a bit of pull; thus, the "swear box" was born.  With fines being charged for swearing and blasphemy and the money earned being donated to a Catholic maternity home, the box helped change the atmosphere on the set.  After that, Loretta chose to make the "swear box" a fixture on the films she made.

Over and over throughout her career, Loretta would have to fight the studio over her religious convictions.  From refusing to have an abortion (of her second son, with whom she discovered she was pregnant as arrangements were being made for a movie about Elizabeth Blackwell) to turning down scripts which glorified adultery, Loretta sought to live what she believed.  She didn't have just a "words only" faith; instead her actions bore her words out.  With very few stars (then or now) seeking to live by any kind of moral code, Loretta is a bright light in a world of darkness.  Her faith and integrity are beautiful to behold.  As a woman of faith seeking to live by godly principles myself, I appreciate her example.

All this to say, Forever Young is a totally lovely read.  If you enjoy positive, uplifting, inspiring life stories, rather than juicy, scandalous, gossipy ones, then you're sure to find this book completely delightful.

NOTE:  All information and direct quotations derived from Forever Young, the Life, Loves, and Enduring Faith of a Hollywood Legend, by Joan Wester Anderson, Thomas More Publishing, 2000.

The Life of Jimmy Dolan (3 stars)

The Life of Jimmy Dolan, from 1933, is a pre-code boxing drama starring Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Loretta Young, with Guy Kibbee, Lyle Talbot, and Aline MacMahon taking on supporting roles.  Also making appearances here are a very young Mickey Rooney, Anne Shirley before she was Anne Shirley (billed as Dawn O'Day here), and a young John Wayne.  This film, which is the last of six pairings between Mr. Fairbanks and Miss Young, is the original of the 1939 John Garfield film They Made Me a Criminal (reviewed HERE).

After getting drunk at a party, left-handed boxer Jimmy Dolan (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.) throws a punch at the newspaper reporter intent on getting a story, sending him sprawling backwards into a fatal fall.  Without realizing his blow killed the man, Jimmy passes out, leaving his friend Doc (Lyle Talbot) to take matters into his own hands.  Sure he and Jimmy's girlfriend, Goldie, will be implicated in the death as well, Doc determines that the best thing the two of them can do is leave town, which, after slipping Jimmy's watch on his wrist and setting out in Jimmy's car, they do.  However, with the police on the lookout for Jimmy's car, a chase ensues, and a drunken Doc crashes.  The car explodes upon impact, killing both Doc and Goldie, and with Jimmy's watch being the identification, Jimmy---who, as expected, has been accused of killing the reporter---is presumed dead.

After Jimmy comes to and learns that not only is he dead, but that he had been implicated in the reporter's death, he is advised by his attorney to take on a new identity and leave town. After being warned not to use his fists, lest he give himself away, Jimmy---now known as Jack Dougherty---hops a freighter and makes his way west.

Near Salt Lake City, Jack/Jimmy leaves the freighter behind and takes to his feet.  After reaching a farm run by Auntie (Aline MacMahon) and Peggy (Loretta Young), his strength gives out, and he stays there for a time as they nurse him back to health.  Jack discovers that the farm is much more than a farm---it is a hospital of sorts for crippled children---and as he stays on to work there, Jack falls in love with Peggy and becomes fond of the children.   After learning that Auntie is in financial straits and that the children will be returned to the orphanage if she cannot make a payment, Jack is determined to do his part to help them out and, thus, despite his attorney's warning to not use his fists, he agrees to take part in an upcoming fight.

Back in New York, Detective Phlaxer (Guy Kibbee) spots news of the Salt Lake fight, along with a photo which looks suspiciously like Jimmy Dolan to him.  Though he had long thought that the body identified as Jimmy's was misidentified, because of a mistake earlier in his career, his superiors refused to believe him.  Now, with something to prove and a chance to salvage his reputation, Phlaxer sets out to Salt Lake City to meet up with Jack Dougherty and bring him back to New York as the accused killer Jimmy Dolan.

Doex Phlaxer find Jimmy/Jack?  Does he bring him back to New York for trial and prison?  Will Auntie get the funds she needs to save the farm?  Will Peggy and Jack's love survive?  How everything plays out is the balance of the film.



While not a spectacular film, The Life of Jimmy Dolan is, nonetheless, very solid and entertaining.  The storyline is interesting, and it is loads of fun seeing Loretta Young when she was just 20 years old and Mickey Rooney, Anne Shirley, and John Wayne in the early days of their careers.  Despite the large supporting cast, this really is Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.'s film, and he is quite good in his role.  Without question, though, I preferred the Garfield remake, in part, probably, because of my love affair with John Garfield.  In the remake, Guy Kibbee's role is played by Claude Rains, Loretta Young's by Gloria Dickson, and Aline MacMahon's by May Robson, and the farm for crippled children is a home for delinquent youth---played by none other than the Dead End Kids.  You might want to watch both films and compare them for yourself.  I give both of them 3 stars---though They Made Me a Criminal is more like 3.5.

The film is not out on DVD, so it might be difficult to track it down; however, TCM airs it fairly regularly, so you could probably catch it there within a few months.

Happy viewing!

The Doctor Takes a Wife (4 stars)

The Doctor Takes a Wife, from 1940, is a romantic comedy starring Ray Milland and Loretta Young, with Reginald Gardiner, Gail Patrick, and Edmund Gwenn taking on supporting roles.  Falling into the screwball genre, this film is totally predictable, and you can probably guess what the outcome will be even before popping the disc into the DVD player; getting to that outcome, though, is loads of fun...and that admission is coming from someone who loudly professes that she doesn't much care for comedic films (especially screwball).

Loretta Young is June Cameron, author of the new best-seller, Spinsters Aren't Spinach.  June is a feminist who believes that women don't need men for fulfillment; her book, which is currently all the rage, encourages women to throw off the shackles of marriage.  While on vacation, June meets Tim Sterling (Ray Milland), a teacher of neuro-psychiatry, who is the polar opposite of her in his beliefs.  Telling June that "women are not equipped to take their place in a man's world," he belittles the teachings of Spinsters Aren't Spinach.

Since she needs a ride back to New York, June is forced to travel with Tim, and they find themselves bickering almost the entire way.  However, while in Greenwich, Connecticut, June asks Tim to stop at the telegraph office so she can send a wire.  As it happens, the telegraph office is adjacent to the Justice of the Peace office, and while June and Tim are both absent from the car, a boy from the JP's office accidentally places a "Just Married" banner on the wrong car...instead of the car belonging to the couple just married, the banner is put on Tim's car.  Unbeknownst to Tim or June, they travel the remainder of the way to New York in a car announcing them as newlyweds.

Upon dropping June off at her apartment, Tim realizes that she has accidentally taken one of his pieces of luggage from the car and so, leaving the "just married" car in front of the apartment building, he races after her.  However, they were spotted, and, in short order, the newspaper has given first page coverage to the marriage of the famous author and the doctor.

Sure that the press coverage of June's "marriage" will be good for her career, June's agent (Reginald Gardiner) convinces her to keep up the charade.   Tim, who is engaged to be married (to Gail Patrick), has no intention of going along with the charade...until, simply because of his new marital status, he receives a long-hoped-for promotion.  Suddenly, Tim needs to keep up the masquerade, even though his doing so greatly upsets his fiancee.



The movie chronicles Tim and June's attempts to look married without actually being married.  It's quite funny and sweet.  And, of course, as noted, it's very predictable.  Then again, most movies---especially screwball comedy---are.  I own this movie, having recorded it from TCM a few years ago.  I watch it a couple times a year, and it never ceases to make me laugh.  No, it's not the best movie ever made and it's no thought-provoking message movie.  It's just good, clean, entertaining fun.

The film is out on DVD, as part of the Icons of Screwball Comedy collection, so it should be relatively easy to track down.

Happy viewing!!

Paula (3 stars)

From 1952, comes Paula, a mildly heart-tugging Rudolph Maté drama starring Loretta Young and Kent Smith, with Alexander Knox and Tommy Rettig taking on supporting roles.

Having previously suffered the heartbreak of a still birth, Paula Rogers (Loretta Young) is devastated to learn that she has just lost another baby.  Adding to the agony of the miscarriage, is the doctor's diagnosis that she will never conceive again.  With no hope for future pregnancies, and the longing for a child intense within her, Paula is in deep anguish, yet for her husband, John's (Kent Smith) sake, she puts on a plastic smile and pretends that she is fine.  (I call this "smiling through the tears"...something I did for years myself, during my own long battle with fertility issues.)  Although John suggests adoption, Paula isn't open to obtaining a child by those means.

Terribly upset by the news of her infertility and having had a small sip of drink, Paula jumps into her car and hightails it to a reception being given to celebrate her husband's promotion at his university job.  Running late and driving erratically, Paula hits a young boy (Tommy Rettig) who darts into the road.  Terrified that she killed the child, Paula rushes to his side; after briefly opening his eyes and making contact with her, the boy loses consciousness.  A passerby---whom Paula had recklessly passed on the highway---assumes control of the situation and drives the child to the hospital.  Though Paula had promised to follow him, after getting stopped by a train and knowing she is late for the reception, she makes the decision to not continue on to the hospital.

Paula tries to inform her husband of the accident, but the timing always seems to be off, and upon hearing that a scandal would hurt his career, she ends up not telling him at all.  Instead, she seeks to make amends by volunteering at the hospital where the boy (David) is recuperating.  Learning that David is an orphan from a nearby children's home and that the accident damaged the area of his brain responsible for speech, Paula takes it upon herself to bring him into her home and to re-teach him how to speak.

The police are still on the trail of the hit-and-run driver, though, and with the man who witnessed Paula's erratic driving able to identify her and claiming she was drunk, things won't go as smoothly as Paula hopes they will.  And what about David, who is beginning to remember the woman who was leaning over him when he opened his eyes at the scene of the accident?  Does he realize the woman who hit him is the very woman taking care of him now? How it all plays out is the balance of the film.



Having sought to adopt a child myself, movies concerning adoption are near and dear to my heart.  This one is touching and mildly heart-tugging and features fine performances by all. Tommy Rettig is adorable, and I quite fell in love with him.  Loretta Young is very solid as the heartbroken, guilt-ridden woman, and Kent Smith, who I am not overly familiar with, is adequate in his role as well.  I'm not exactly sure why I didn't enjoy this film more.  Really, it ought to have been a 4 or even 5-star film for me, given the theme and the sentimentality of it, but for some reason---the speech lessons, I believe---I just wasn't wild about it.  The lessons, I thought, were a bit tedious and drawn out.  Also, while unrealistic situations don't generally bother me too much, the whole idea of the police "looking the other way" so long as the perpetrator of a crime tried to make amends was just too outlandish.  Still, though, I do enjoy this film, and I think it's one all Loretta Young fans will want to see.  I do know from reading Miss Young's biography, that after her third child, she had a couple of miscarriages, and though she would have liked to have had more children, she never did. Perhaps that parallel to Paula made this a somewhat-personal role for her.

While I don't believe Paula is out on DVD, TCM does air it quite often, so you should probably be able to catch it there in the near future.

Happy viewing!!

Cause for Alarm (4 stars)

Cause for Alarm, from 1951, is a mildly suspenseful film noir starring Loretta Young, Barry Sullivan, and Bruce Cowling.  Directed by Tay Garnett, the film takes place during several hours of one July afternoon in the life of housewife Ellen Jones (Loretta Young).

George Jones (Barry Sullivan) is an ill man...a very ill man.   Because of some sort of heart condition, George has been confined to his bed for some time, and although his doctor and longtime friend, Ranny Graham (Bruce Cowling), makes house calls on a regular basis, his dutiful wife, Ellen, is his primary caregiver. 

Endless days in bed, coupled with his illness, have done wild things to George’s mental state, and he comes to believe that Ellen and Dr. Graham are conspiring to kill him.  Since Ellen and the doctor had been seeing each other prior to her marriage to George, George is convinced that they are still in love and that they have set a plan in motion to be rid of him.

Determined to make the two “lovers” pay for their crime, George pens a letter to the local district attorney---a letter in which he accuses his wife and doctor of aggravating his condition so as to make his death look natural.  After requesting that a complete investigation be made into his death, George seals the envelope and hands it to his wife.  Telling Ellen he had to sign some insurance papers, he asks her to put the envelope in the mail, which, being the helpful wife she is, she does when the mailman arrives at the house a short time later.

George isn’t as bed-bound as he would have Ellen believe, however, and upon her return to their bedroom, he pulls out a gun and spills forth his delusions of her love for Ran and their plan to murder him.  Sure it is nothing more than George’s illness talking, Ellen denies his accusations, but to no avail.  George is convinced his wife and doctor are out to do him in, and after informing her that the envelope she just put in the mail was a letter incriminating her and the doctor of trying to kill him, George collapses.

Though she and the doctor were never trying to kill George, Ellen panics about the letter now on its way to the district attorney.  She knows she must retrieve it before it ever reaches its destination, yet doing so is not as easy as she had hoped.  For the remainder of that “most terrifying day of her life,” Ellen must oppose bureaucratic regulations and race against time in order to save herself and the doctor from her husband’s delusional mind.  How it all plays out is the balance of the film.

Cause for Alarm is an interesting, well-acted, mildly suspenseful film.  Both Loretta Young and Barry Sullivan are very good in their roles.  I could really feel Loretta’s terror as the walls began to close in around her, and I found Mr. Sullivan quite believable as the neurotic husband.  Of course, this film is best on a first-time viewing---before you know how it all turns out---but even repeated viewings are enjoyable. 

Two other things stand out to me in this film.  First is the Jones’s little neighbor boy, whose nickname is Hoppy, after Hopalong Cassidy.  I found him delightful, especially when he grabbed a handful of cookies so he could feed his horse...er...tricycle.  After he had pocketed several cookies, he remembered that he had forgotten to ask if he might have some.  Of course, permission was granted.  Another fun thing in the film is the walking door-to-door mailman (though the Jones's mailman was certainly annoying).  I haven’t seen a walking door-to-door mailman in years!!  Most mail carriers for at least the last three decades drive to every house on their route, depositing the mail in the box at the end of the driveway (or to the community mailbox).  Gone are the days of conversing with your mail carrier as he arrives at your front door to fill your doorside mailbox with cards and letters (and bills).  Seeing that walking, bag-on-his-shoulder postman may well take you on a trip down memory lane as you remember the mailmen of your youth. 

At any rate, Cause for Alarm is definitely an enjoyable viewing experience.  The film is out on DVD, so it should be fairly easy to track down.  In addition, it is on the TCM schedule for Wednesday, January 30th at 4:30 a.m. (ET).   Hope you get a chance to see it...or at least set your DVR.

Happy viewing!!

God or Spencer?

With Loretta Young being my star of the month, I thought it was the perfect time to read her authorized biography, Forever Young, the Life, Loves, and Enduring Faith of a Hollywood Legend.  I am halfway finished with it, and all I can say is that it is a fascinating, delightful, and very interesting read.  Miss Young was a devout Catholic, and her commitment to God and His ways was the ruling factor in her life.  No, Loretta wasn't perfect, nor was her life without its share of mistakes, but the longing to live a life pleasing to God was at the very core of her being, and never was that more apparent than in her relationship with Spencer Tracy.

Until my reading of this book, I never knew that Miss Young and Mr. Tracy were ever "an item."  All I've heard for years is that Katharine Hepburn was the love of Spencer Tracy's life.  However, Forever Young reveals that Spencer also had another great love in his life---and that love was Loretta Young.

In 1933, Loretta and Spencer were paired together in Man's Castle, and during production of the film, they soon became involved with one another.  According to Miss Young's biography, "Tracy had a way of focusing all his attention on Loretta, and seemed to find absolute joy in her presence.  For Loretta, it was a time of romance unlike anything she had ever experienced."

Though they were in love with one another, it was, apparently, a chaste relationship...."Couples in love, practicing restraint, and not "going all the way" was fairly conventional behavior, fitting the mores of that time."  Even without anything physical between them, though, Loretta became ashamed of dating another woman's husband.  She knew there could never be anything permanent between them, as Spencer was married and was not allowed by the Church to divorce his wife and re-marry Loretta within it.  For Loretta's part, having married once outside the Church (to Grant Withers in 1930) and feeling estranged from God as a result, another marriage outside the church was out of the question.  The two of them went to Confession each week (Spencer was also a Catholic), but instead of the absolution she longed for, Loretta was told by her priest that she must break off the relationship, for unless the confessor was willing to end his or her sinful behavior, they would  not experience God's forgiveness. Loretta knew she faced the big question:  Did she love Spencer more?  Or did she love God more?

In the end, though she "loved everything about him," Loretta chose to break things off with Spencer, something she did through a letter.  Her commitment to God and His ways had trumped her love for Spencer.

Many years later, Loretta would have tea with Spencer's daughter, Susan, and be presented with the break-up letter she had given to Spencer all those years before.  Though Loretta had signed the letter simply "Me," Susan knew who its author was, for, as she told Loretta during their time together, " ...there were only two women in my father's life...my mother and you."   While Katharine Hepburn may have been a great love in Spencer Tracy's life, so, too, was Loretta Young.  That surely was news to me!


NOTE:  All information and direct quotations derived from Forever Young, the Life, Loves, and Enduring Faith of a Hollywood Legend, by Joan Wester Anderson, Thomas More Publishing, 2000.

Happy 100th Birthday, Loretta Young!!!

Happy 100th birthday to the lovely, gentle-eyed Academy Award-winning Loretta Young.  (January 6, 1913 - August 12, 2000)

The third child of Gladys Royal and Earl Young, Loretta Young---whose birth name was Gretchen ---would never have been born at all, were it not for her mother's devout Catholicism.  In an unhappy marriage to a philandering husband, Gladys was dismayed to discover that the flu-like symptoms she had been experiencing were not the flu at all, but evidence of the fact that she was expecting another baby.  Noticing his patient's distress at the news of her pregnancy, and telling her there "were ways," Gladys's doctor suggested that she "might like to skip this one and wait for a better time..."  For a brief instant, Gladys considered the doctor's advice, but "when she thought of the Catholic faith she had pledged to uphold...", she knew aborting the child within her was not an option.  Instead, she followed the advice of her parish priest and "consecrated the life within her to Mary, who had carried her Lord."   This dedication to God would follow Loretta all the days of her life.  **

So, on this day that we celebrate the 100th birthday of one of  the classic film era's most beautiful spirits, I want to also celebrate her mother, Gladys.  Had she not chosen to give life to the child within her, Loretta Young would never have been---and we, who love her and her films would have missed out on something special indeed!

**  All quoted material is from Loretta Young's authorized biography, Forever Young, by Joan Wester Anderson  (Thomas Moore Publishing, 2000)

Showcasing Loretta Young This Month

January is "Loretta Young Month" here at They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To.  This beautiful lady, whose 100th birthday is January 6th, is TCM's star of the month, so I am looking forward to having the opportunity to catch some of her early works that I've never seen before. I'll be reviewing several of Miss Young's films, as well as celebrating her in other ways.

Of course, I'll also be watching and reviewing non-Loretta films, but she is the star who will be seeing most of the action here this month.  I hope you'll join me; maybe you'll discover a new "must-see" Loretta film, or maybe you'll learn something new about her, but no matter what, I hope you will celebrate her 100th birthday with me.

The Unguarded Hour (3 stars)

The Unguarded Hour, from 1936, is a crime drama of the whodunit kind.  Starring Loretta Young

and Franchot Tone,

this film takes place in England, where Tone's character, Sir Allen Dearden, is slated to become the next attorney general.  Sir Allen and his wife, Lady Helen (Loretta Young), host a formal dance in their home, and a man unknown to both of them crashes his way into the ballroom.  As the stranger dances with Lady Dearden, he lets her know that he has in his possession, love letters which Allen had written to a former mistress; although the letters were written prior to Allen's marriage to Helen, since the woman was married to another man, they could prove damaging to his career.  In order for Helen to get her hands on the love letters and, thus, keep her husband from scandal, the man demands a sum of money; anxious to keep Allen's political hopes alive, Helen meets the man's demands, without ever saying a word to Allen about the situation.

As Helen is making her way back from the money drop-off point, she is aware that a man and a woman are walking towards her on the cliff path, and hoping not to be seen, she hides behind a rock.  Later that day, the newspaper reports that the man had pushed his wife from the cliff and had been charged with murder.  Vehemently denying the accusation, and maintaining that his wife fell from the cliff, the man claims that he passed a woman on the path...a woman who could verify that he was far behind his wife...that he called to her to be careful on the cliffs.  The police don't believe such a witness exists; in fact, they call her a phantom witness.  The case is sent to trial, with none other than Allen Dearden trying it.

Helen is in a panic, for, knowing how much the attorney general appointment means to her husband, she doesn't want to do or say anything which might create a scandal.  She realizes that to tell the truth would totally ruin Allen's career; yet to not tell the truth would send an innocent man to the gallows.  In the midst of Helen's agony of conscience, Allen himself has a dilemma of his own, as the woman to whom he wrote the letters wants to try her hand at blackmail as well.  How everything plays out is the balance of the film.


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Although not a spectacular film, The Unguarded Hour is very interesting and enjoyable, though I did feel it dragged just a tiny bit at one point...not enough to cause me to quit watching or to lower the rating, however.  Loretta Young, always so elegant and classy, was definitely so in this role.  Franchot Tone was dashing and handsome...even when wearing the white wig of an English barrister.  They played well off one another and made a delightful couple.

The film is not out on DVD; however, TCM airs it fairly regularly.  I've caught it on there at least twice in the last year.  It may also be on YouTube.  At least I've seen it there before, though I cannot find it now.

Happy viewing!!

Private Number (3 stars)

Private Number, from 1936, is a romantic drama starring Robert Taylor and Loretta Young, with Basil Rathbone taking on a supporting role.  Though this is not one of either stars' well-known films, since today is Loretta's birthday, I wanted to highlight one of her lesser-known works.    Both Young and Taylor are extremely young here (she is 23/he is 25) and both are looking quite gorgeous.

Looking for a job, Ellen Neal (Loretta Young) shows up at Winfield Manor, where she had heard there was a housemaid position available.  Although she has had no experience, the butler, Mr. Wroxton (Rathbone), decides to hire her on a one-month trial basis.  An unkind man with ulterior motives and an attraction to Ellen, Wroxton tells her she will be responsible only to him and that one of her duties will be to look after his room.  Luckily for Ellen, Mrs. Winfield takes a liking to her, so she is soon elevated to the position of  personal ladies' maid.

One evening, the Winfields host a lavish party, and their college-age son, Richard/Dick (Robert Taylor), is in attendance.  When he spots Ellen, all dressed up in her finery, he thinks she is one of the party guests and begins dancing with her.  When she tries to tell him who she is, he says it doesn't matter.  Before long, Dick and Ellen are in love with one another, though she maintains that no one can know about their relationship, because their different social standings make the relationship inappropriate.  Dick doesn't see it that way, of course, and insists that he wants to marry her.  However, with one more year of college to go, will he be able to do that?  And what about Ellen?  With Dick now back at school and Wroxton nursing a grudge against her, will she be able to remain at Winfield Manor?

While Private Number is not a sensational film, I, nevertheless, found it to be enjoyable and very solid. Taylor and Young had great chemistry together, and I loved seeing them both in these very young years.  (I've actually seen Loretta even younger...in Platinum Blonde.)  They were both totally beautiful here---as they would continue to be throughout their careers.  Oh, and for those who are Basil Rathbone fans, he is in his mid 40's here...and quite handsome.

One thing I found quite comical and/or ironic was a line early in the film when Ellen is on a blind date.  She's talking with her friend Gracie, and Gracie says, "...about as handsome as Gable, and Gable isn't bad."  Loretta's response, "I'll say not."  Given that the previous year had seen her involved with Clark Gable (and bearing his child), I wondered how hard it was to say those words.

Anyhow, Private Number is an enjoyable film, one which I feel sure Loretta Young and Robert Taylor fans will want to see.  While it's not out on DVD,  it is available on YouTube (in several parts).

Happy viewing!!

Happy Birthday, Loretta Young

Today is the birthday of one of my top 25 favorite actresses---the lovely Loretta Young.  (January 6, 1913-August 12, 2000).

This graceful, elegant, Academy Award-winning actress, whose career began as a child in the silent era, comes in between 15 and 20 on my all-time favorite actress list...putting her very solidly in my top 25.

While I enjoy 1947's The Farmer's Daughter, the film for which she won the Best Actress Award, my favorite of Loretta's films is the 1986 made-for-TV movie Christmas Eve (reviewed HERE).  Besides the fact that Miss Young aged beautifully and gracefully and was as lovely at 73 as she was at 23, I just love the tenderness and sentimentality of that film.  In addition to being my favorite Loretta Young movie, it is also one of my all-time favorite Christmas films.

Rounding out my list of 5 favorite Loretta Young films are:

2.  Rachel and the Stranger (with William Holden and Robert Mitchum...reviewed HERE)

3.  The Bishop's Wife (with Cary Grant and David Niven)

4.  Cause for Alarm  (with Barry Sullivan...reviewed HERE)

5.  The Doctor Takes a Wife (with Ray Milland---reviewed HERE)

My maternal grandmother totally loved Loretta Young.  In fact, it was at her request that I watched Christmas Eve back in 1986.  It was Loretta's first film appearance in a couple of decades, and my grandmother was most excited about that, so, although not a classic movie (or classic movie star) fan at the time, I agreed to watch the movie with her...and I totally loved it.

So, Loretta Young, here's to you on your 99th birthday!  You were always such a classy, beautiful lady!  Thanks for making so many great movies!!

Born to Be Bad (2 stars)

Born to Be Bad, from 1934, is a pre-code drama starring Cary Grant and Loretta Young.  While there is a 1950 film of the same name, starring Joan Fontaine, Zachary Scott, and Robert Ryan (reviewed HERE), this film is not the original of that.  Though the two films have the same name, they are two completely different movies, with completely different storylines. This film is quite short...running time is only 61 minutes.

Letty Strong (Loretta Young) is a single mom of a seven-year old boy named Micky.  Having had her son when she was fifteen years old, Letty has been on her own ever since.  The boy is quite a juvenile delinquent...smoking, skipping school, and running with a rough crowd.  One day, while roller skating, Micky gets hit by a milk truck, and though he wasn't badly injured, Letty instructs him to pretend that he was so that he will get a large settlement.

Malcolm Trevor (Cary Grant) is the man who hit Micky, and at his trial, it comes out that Micky wasn't injured at all, that he has been faking it.  The judge deems Letty, who encouraged her child to lie, an unfit mother and removes the child from her care.  Malcolm, feeling somewhat responsible for all that has happened, asks the court to give him and his wife custody of the boy.  Letty, meanwhile, is determined to get her son back...no matter what it takes, no matter who gets hurt in the process, no matter if she has to seduce Malcolm in the process.  How it all plays out is the balance of the film.

This was not a film I enjoyed at all.  While I am a huge fan of both Cary Grant and Loretta Young, I absolutely did not like either of them in this.  Loretta was beautiful---maybe more beautiful than ever---but her character was totally unlikeable; never for a minute did I like her, care about her, or want her to succeed.  And Grant's character...well, he started off as a decent guy, but he very quickly became someone I couldn't root for or care about.  (I can't say more without giving away the rest of the story.)  Oh, and I never really cared about or liked the little boy either.  So for me, when I want a "sacrificial mommy movie," I'll go with the 5-star Stella Dallas or Madame X.

If Born to Be Bad sounds like a film you are interested in seeing, it is available on Net Flix instant viewing.  I've also seen it on TCM's schedule fairly regularly.

Happy viewing!!

Christmas Eve (5 stars)

With it now being December and Christmas very much on everyone's minds, I want to spotlight a Christmas movie every now and then.  While our family watches more than just Christmas movies in December, we do have several must-watch films, some of them not very well known.  In the hopes of helping all of you discover some new holiday gems, I will share a few of our family's favorites during the coming week.

First up is Christmas Eve, a 1986 made-for-TV movie.  Yes, this "really don't like post-1960's movies" gal is recommending a film from 1986.  That's because it stars two classic movie greats...Loretta Young and Trevor Howard.  And I must say this...Loretta Young aged beautifully and gracefully.  She was 74 years old in Christmas Eve..and looking beautiful and elegant.

Briefly, the story is as follows:   Amanda Kingsley (Loretta Young) is a wealthy, somewhat eccentric widow, who lives in a posh New York apartment with her butler, Maitland (Trevor Howard, who was 73 years old in this film).  Amanda has a 50-ish son, Andrew (Arthur Hill), and three adult grandchildren.  Because Arthur is a cold-hearted, money-and-power-hungry, controlling man, he has long been alienated from his children.  Due to their dislike of him, they have all moved away.  Though they love their grandmother, they haven't seen her in years because they don't want to come in contact with their dad.

This particular year, however, as Amanda's health begins to decline, she hopes to unite the family in her apartment on Christmas Eve.  At the same time, though, Andrew, tired of his mother's generous giving to the less fortunate, intends to have her declared mentally incompetent.

Will Amanda's fondest wish come true?  Will she be able to track down her grandchildren?  Will she be able to convince them to come home for Christmas?  Will Andrew be successful in having Amanda declared incompetent?  How it all plays out is the focus of this touching movie.

I found this clip on YouTube...just see how totally gorgeous Loretta Young was at 74 years of age!!

I remember watching this movie when it aired on TV back in 1986. I was 25 years old, newly married, and absolutely NOT into classic movies. (At that point in my life, I was completely about all things modern!) However, I was extremely close to my grandparents and had even lived with them for a few years before getting married. And they, of course, having been born in the 1910s, were very much into classic movies. (From the recesses of my mind I can recall that Ray Milland was my grandmother's top guy...wouldn't she love to know that Milland makes my top dozen list!). Anyhow, my grandmother was beyond excited about the TV movie...it would be the first film appearance of Loretta Young in years. Though I didn't know the names Loretta Young and Trevor Howard from Adam, because I loved my grandmother, I was willing to watch the movie with her, and I remember really enjoying it and being touched by it.

Fast forward to the mid 2000's. I had gotten into classic movies and was looking for Christmas movies. After watching (and totally loving!) The Bishop's Wife, Loretta Young was on my mind, and from the stores of my long-term memory, Christmas Eve came forth. Though I hadn't thought about this movie in all those years, I remembered that Loretta Young was in a made-for-TV Christmas movie in 1986. I did a search and found that the film was out on VHS...and my local library had a copy. So, for four years (2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009), our family enjoyed this tender and touching film as part of our holiday viewing. Sadly, though, this film is not out on DVD and since our VHS player bit the dust in December, 2009, we were not able to enjoy this beautiful movie last year. (Additionally, our library has purged their VHS collection, so even if our player worked, the movie is no longer in their inventory.)

For those that have a working VHS player, I highly recommend trying to track down this movie.  It is really beautiful...and those that love classic movies will enjoy seeing two wonderful stars in their twilight years.  In preparing this post, I have discovered that Lost Holiday Classics (HERE) has this film available on DVD, but I don't know if that is a reputable site or what the quality of the DVD is.  Even so, though, I love this movie, so I think I'm going to take a chance on purchasing through them...because Christmas movie viewing just isn't the same without it.

By the way, I see used VHS copies available through Amazon.  And of the 12 reviews posted there, 11 of them call this a 5-star film; the other review calls it a 4-star.  Very definitely, a must-see holiday movie!!

ADDENDUM:  Since this post, I have purchased through this company, and I am completely satisfied with their service and quality.  (I purchased the Robert Ryan film,  Inferno, so read that review HERE, which contains a link to the company's non-holiday movies.)

SECOND ADDENDUM:  Because I am completely comfortable with the quality and reliability of Rare Classic DVD's, I have ordered several films from them...including Christmas Eve.  This beloved film is now, once again, a regular part of my family's holiday viewing.

Happy viewing!!

Rachel and the Stranger (4 stars)

Rachel and the Stranger, from 1948, is a sweet little film starring Loretta Young, William Holden, and Robert Mitchum.  It's a film that fits into a number of genre...it's a bit of a romantic drama...there are some comedic moments...it's also a mild Western.  The setting is on the frontier, sometime in what I would guess is the late 1700's...a time when Shawnee Indian uprisings were common and when indentured servanthood was practiced.

Dave Harvey's (William Holden) wife has recently died, leaving him alone to raise their young son. Having a tough time trying to clear and farm his land, keep up his cabin, and raise the boy the way his late wife would have wanted, Dave dons his Sunday finest and heads to town to get himself a wife.  When the local parson tells Dave about a bondwoman in need of a new home, Dave thinks she would be perfect---he could have someone to cook and clean and school his son, but he wouldn't have to get married.  The parson, however, doesn't see it that way, telling Dave that it would be improper for them to live together without the legality of marriage. So, in short order, Dave marries the bondwoman, Rachel (Loretta Young); however, it's an uncomfortable marriage right from the start...Rachel calls Dave "Mr. Harvey," Dave is cold to Rachel, treating her like nothing more than a servant, and young Davey is resentful of another woman trying to mother him.  Meant to be a marriage in name only, Rachel is given the cabin's only bedroom, while Dave sleeps in the main room.

Though Rachel longs for Dave's love, Dave isn't quite ready to fall in love again.  He's content to let things go on as they are...that is until his guitar-playing friend, Jim Fairways (Robert Mitchum), shows up for an extended visit.  Jim is kind and friendly to Rachel, never treating her like a second-class citizen.  After noticing that Dave doesn't treat Rachel as a man ought to treat a wife, Jim wants Rachel for himself.  He tells Dave that he'll buy out Rachel's bond and then marry her himself.  Suddenly seeing Rachel in a new light, Dave begins to get jealous.

Will love dawn for Rachel and Dave?  Or will Rachel take Jim up on his offer of marriage?  And what about the warring Shawnee?  These are the questions that will play out in the balance of this wonderful film.



Rachel and the Stranger is not out on DVD; however, it is on VHS.  In fact, that is how I first saw it about four years ago (when I had a working VHS player).  I tracked it down through the public library's inter-library loan system.  However, TCM does have it on the schedule for January 6, 2012, at 4:45 p.m., so if you don't have a VHS player or can't track the film down, you can always catch it then.  I do hope you get a chance to see it, though, as it is a sweet film with a great cast.

Happy viewing!!!