The Jackpot (1950)

This article is part of the James Stewart Blogathon hosted by the Classic Film & TV Cafe. You can view the complete blogathon schedule here.


The Jackpot, from 1950, is a little-known Jimmy Stewart comedy which I discovered on Fox Movie Channel a couple years ago.  It's a film I had never even heard of, let alone seen, but since my family adores Jimmy Stewart, when I saw this on the FMC schedule, I just had to set the DVR.  It's really a charming movie, and even I---drama-lover that I am---enjoyed every minute of it.  The film also stars Barbara Hale, while James Gleason and a young Natalie Wood have minor roles.  

Bill and Amy Lawrence (Stewart and Hale) are just an average, everyday family---that is, until bandleader Harry James changes their life for the worse.  Of course, it wasn't Harry James's fault--- his name just happened to be the answer to a radio show's "Mystery Husband" contest.  Though Bill at first thinks his phone number being chosen to play the game is nothing more than a gag, he soon discovers it is all very real, and he more than gets into playing along.  When, by the flip of a coin, Bill decides that Betty Grable's husband is the mystery husband and that by knowing that, he has won $24,000 worth of prizes, total mayhem descends upon his formerly mundane life.

Bill and Amy's prize package includes an assortment of goodies, some practical, some hilarious---a diamond ring, a palomino pony, a complete home makeover, a grand piano, several thousand cans of soup, a trip for two, a portrait appointment with an artist, and on and on.  The chaos begins when the Lawrences are informed that they are responsible for the income tax on everything.

When all is said and done, they owe $7,000 in taxes for all their loot, and that's where the fun of this film comes in.  Adding to their dilemma of trying to sell their winnings in order to raise the money for the tax, Amy begins to suspect that Bill is having an affair with the French artist painting the portrait.  How it all plays out is the balance of the film.

The Jackpot is just a sweet, loads-of-fun movie.  It's certainly no Academy Award winner, but it's a delightful film the whole family can enjoy . . . yes, even the little ones ought to get a huge kick out of this.  Jimmy Stewart is his usual, totally wonderful self; I feel quite sure that all Stewart fans will want to see this 4-star, little-known gem.

While this film is not out on DVD, it is on VHS.  Additionally, it is available on YouTube, in its entirety (HERE).  Definitely try to see this if you can...I'm sure you will enjoy every minute of it.

Happy viewing!!

Kings Go Forth (4 stars)

Kings Go Forth, from 1958, is a World War II romantic drama starring Frank Sinatra, Tony Curtis, and Natalie Wood.  Directed by Delmer Daves, this film, which flips back and forth between romantic drama and wartime action, is tender and touching and very bittersweet.  It's one of many Frank Sinatra films our family owns, and since there is enough action in it to keep a 20-year old boy entertained, my son recently put in a request that we watch this one.

While Paris is being liberated in 1944, Allied troops are marching through Southern France as they prepare to drive the German troops from the nearby mountains.  One of the soldiers being welcomed by the grateful French people is Lt. Sam Loggins (Sinatra).

Sam's outfit has just received a new recruit---communications man Brit Harris (Tony Curtis).  A fun-loving, womanizing show-off, Brit is described by Sam as a smooth operator, who knows all the angles.

While on a weekend trip to Nice, Sam meets a beautiful young woman, Monique Blair (Natalie Wood), and he is soon quite smitten with her.

Although Monique at first declines Sam's request for another date, she ends up seeing him again and introducing him to her mother as well.  Frank begins to live for his weekend visits to Nice, and he becomes quite close to both Monique and her mother.

Much to Sam's surprise, he learns that Monique is, in fact, an American, but that she has lived in France all her life.  Monique's conversations are liberally peppered with references to her late father, and Sam remarks that her father must have been a very wise man; however, when Monique reveals that her father was a black man, Sam is quite taken aback. Without even acknowledging Monique's words, he leaves her home and heads back to his base, where in addition to the war he is fighting with the Germans, he begins fighting a personal war as well.

Having grown up detesting black people, Sam has a hard time coming to terms with the fact that the woman he loves has black blood in her.  Eventually, though, he realizes that Monique's race doesn't matter to him, nor does it change his love for her.

While out on the town, Sam and Monique run into Brit, and in short order, Monique---who has already told Sam she thinks of him as nothing more than a friend---and Brit have eyes for only each other, leaving Sam odd man out.  Brit asks Monique to marry him, and she happily says yes, but how will Brit, who is not nearly the man Sam is, react when he discovers the truth of Monique's parentage?   The answer to that question, as well as the resolution to the battle taking place in the mountains, will play out in the balance of the film.



Kings Go Forth is a very bold (for its time) film.  While today we (most of us anyway) would think nothing of Monique's revelation, in 1958, that storyline had to be quite unsettling to audiences, especially when the film's lead character ended up not having a problem with it.  I applaud every person involved in this film for pursuing this very worthwhile story. Without question, Kings Go Forth is another of the many films which clearly shows that Frank Sinatra, indeed, could act.  He's wonderful here.  I completely love his character and the way in which Frank brought him to life.  My heart was breaking for Sam as he dealt with the pain of unrequited love.  I'm not overly familiar with Tony Curtis, but I thought he was super in his role as well.  Natalie Wood was beautiful and sweet, and she did a great job with the French accent.  She played her part perfectly, as did Leora Dana, who portrayed Monique's mother.

The Elmer Bernstein score of the film is lovely.  It includes a portion called "Monique's Theme," and while the film features only an instrumental version of that beautiful piece of music, lyrics were written for it, and the song, entitled "Monique" was a hit for the velvet-voiced Sinatra.



In addition to the romantic storyline, there is the war side as well.  The film is liberally interspersed with battle scenes, all of which are realistic and quite tense.  All these things combine to make an extremely solid, 4-star film, which I highly recommend.

The film is out on DVD, plus it's also on the TCM schedule for Saturday, June 23rd, at 4:15 a.m. (ET).    I hope you are able to catch it.

Happy viewing!!

Tomorrow Is Forever (5 stars)

Tomorrow Is Forever is a tender, heart-tugging 1946 drama starring Claudette Colbert, Orson Welles, and George Brent, with Lucile Watson, Richard Long, and a very young Natalie Wood taking on supporting roles.  I caught the last half of this film about three years ago when a local station aired it.  I totally loved what I saw and definitely wanted a chance to watch the whole movie; however, at that time, it wasn't out on DVD, so I patiently waited about a year for it to get on the TCM schedule, at which time I was able to view the entire film AND record my own copy on disc.  (Good things come to those who wait!!)  This is easily my second favorite George Brent film (just behind Dark Victory), and in celebration of his birthday month, I have recently enjoyed a re-watch.

Claudette Colbert is Elizabeth MacDonald, a recently married woman, whose husband, John (Orson Welles), enlists in the Army and departs for Europe in the final months of World War I.

John is horribly disfigured by a bomb and spends many months in a European hospital.

However, word is sent to Elizabeth that her husband has died.

When it is discovered that Elizabeth is pregnant, Larry Hamilton, the man Elizabeth works for (played by the the VERY dashing George Brent), invites her to come live at his home, where his aunt (Lucile Watson) will be able to care for her.

 Eventually, Larry falls in love with Elizabeth and marries her, raising her child as his own. The child isn't aware that his mother had been married before or that Larry is not his real father.

Fast-forward twenty years, to the beginnings of the second world war. Elizabeth and Larry's son (named John Andrew after his biological father) is all grown-up and wants to join the war effort in Europe. Elizabeth cannot bear the thought of her son going off to war----to lose him would be like losing John all over again.

Meanwhile, Larry's company has hired a new consultant, a newly-arrived European refugee with a young daughter (Natalie Wood, in her first credited role). This man, known as Erich Kessler , is none other than John MacDonald, and he, of course, recognizes Elizabeth immediately.

Will recognition dawn for Elizabeth? What will happen to her marriage to Larry? Will her obsession with the past and her fear of the past repeating itself tie her son to her apronstrings forever? Will Eric/John tell Drew that he is his father? All these questions will be answered by the end of this very touching film.

George Brent is completely wonderful in this film---he's the proverbial knight in shining armor.  And I love that little bit of gray which was added at the temples in order to age him 20 years.

Claudette Colbert is her usual elegant, classy-looking self.  Orson Welles, who I'm not overly familiar with, was very good in this role.  His chemistry with the young Natalie Wood was terrific.  And speaking of Natalie Wood, Robert Osborne said that Irving Pichel, director of this film, had seen her in an earlier uncredited role and when he needed a little girl for Tomorrow Is Forever, he remembered "the little girl with the big eyes" and sought her out.  Although her first screen test didn't "wow" him, at her mother's request, he gave her another test, and "voila!" a star was born.

Tomorrow Is Forever is a very heart-tugging movie. Though it doesn't bring sobs, it definitely gets me misty-eyed a few times. The film is now out on DVD (having been released last summer), so you ought to be able to track it down.  It is also available in its entirety on YouTube (HERE).  Definitely see it if you can---I think it's a beautiful film.

Happy viewing!!

The Star (4 stars)

The Star, a 1952 drama starring the fabulous Bette Davis and co-starring Sterling Hayden, is much like All About Eve and Sunset Boulevard, in that in explores the theme of a middle-aged movie star desperately trying to hang on to a career that is being overtaken by more youthful actresses.  While I LOVE Bette and think she gave an amazing performance here, I do think All About Eve and Sunset Boulevard are superior to The Star, and I give them both 5 stars.

Bette plays Margaret (Maggie) Elliott, a former Oscar-winning actress, who is at a very low point in her life.  Divorced and sharing custody of her daughter with her ex-husband, Maggie is bankrupt and has recently been evicted from her apartment.  Add to that is the humiliation of having to spend a night in jail due to drunk driving. And, the cruelest blow of all is that since she's now in her early 40's, she is no longer young enough to garner the star roles she has formerly known.  More youthful actresses are now on the scene, and Maggie is considered for only the mature characters and the supporting roles...that is, when she's offered a part at all.  Her agent tells her to face the facts...producers want youth.  But Maggie cannot bear to think of herself as "out to pasture" and continues to try to obtain roles that no longer suit her age.

Bette was 44 in this movie, but I think she appeared much older.  In All About Eve, which was only two years earlier, she looked MUCH younger than she did here. Regardless, though, she gave a FABULOUS, Oscar-worthy performance.  (She received her ninth Best Actress nomination for The Star; however, Shirley Booth came away with the Oscar that year, for her performance in Come Back, Little Sheba).  I truly think Bette is/was the best actress EVER.  I totally love her and think she gave more than 100% all the time.  I think she could have received an Oscar for nearly every movie she ever made. Anyhow, her incredible acting ability shines brightly here in The Star.

Although the movie was about an aging Hollywood actress, it could easily speak to the heart of anyone since we live in a youth-worshiped society. Nearly everyone fears growing older and being displaced by someone younger, thus we obsess with our success as Davis's character did in this film.  Therefore, I think most everyone can identify with Maggie Elliott.

Maggie's daughter, Gretchen, is played by a totally lovely thirteen year old Natalie Wood.  Although her part is extremely small, she's really delightful.  The relationship between mother and daughter is very sweet, and I thought the chemistry between Bette and Natalie was wonderful.

Finally, I will just say that I am giving this movie 4 stars because of the incredible talent of Bette Davis.  However, the ending was wrapped up WAY too quickly.  In only about five minutes, everything was resolved, and it just didn't seem credible to me.  For that reason, I considered giving 3 stars.  So, just know that the rushed ending will mar this movie a bit.  Even so, though, ANY movie of Bette Davis's is worth watching.

Happy viewing!!

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (4 stars)

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, starring the incredibly beautiful Gene Tierney, Rex Harrison, and George Sanders, is a 1947 film that doesn't fit neatly into any genre, in my opinion.  It's part romance, part drama, part fantasy, and based on the final ten minutes, which left a lump in my throat the size of a golf ball, it's also part tearjerker.  Whatever you want to call it...it is enjoyable and lovely...and a definite must-see.

Lucy Muir (Gene Tierney) is a widow with a young daughter (played by a very young Natalie Wood), who decides to move out from her mother-in-law's home in order to take a home of her own.  She chooses a quaint little cottage by the sea (the movie is set in England).  Only problem is...the cottage has a reputation of being haunted by the ghost of the sea captain that formerly lived there.  Despite the fact that the real estate agent tries to steer her elsewhere, Lucy is determined to call the haunted cottage home.

Not long after she arrives, Lucy meets the ghost of Captain Daniel Gregg (Rex Harrison), and the two soon develop a very deep and abiding friendship.  Eventually, though, a living man enters Lucy's life, and she is forced to choose between that man and Daniel.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is very sweet, and like I said, I had a huge lump in my throat and was lightly weeping through the final minutes of the movie.  I'm not much of a Rex Harrison fan, but I discovered that I didn't have to be to enjoy this.  I hope y'all get a chance to see it...it's out on DVD and should be readily available (I borrowed it from my local library).

Happy viewing!!