Enjoy!
Monday, September 09, 2013
Claudette on "What's My Line"
It's always fun catching the great classic film stars when they appeared as the "Mystery Challenger" on that wonderful little '50's and 60's game show, What's My Line. Here's Claudette Colbert's appearance. That delightful little giggle of hers would betray her anywhere.
Saturday, September 07, 2013
The Whales of August (1987)
To celebrate the 101st anniversary of the Gish sisters' (Lillian and Dorothy) screen debut, Movies Silently and The Motion Pictures are hosting a blogathon in their honor. This is my contribution to the event. Go HERE for a list of the others who are participating.
Sarah, who lost her husband in the war, enjoys painting and
gardening. Kind and friendly, she has
struck the fancy of Mr. Maranov (Vincent Price), a down on his luck Russian nobleman. After inviting him to dine with her and
Libby, Sarah spends some time primping and reminiscing about her late husband.
The Whales of August is a lovely, sentimental, heart-tugging movie, made all the more so by the knowledge that it is, essentially, a goodbye song---and not just for Libby and Sarah. This is the final film of both Miss Gish and Miss Sothern and the next to last of Miss Davis. Vincent Price would make less than a half dozen more films after this one, so he is in the final stages of his career as well, and director Lindsay Anderson made no more feature films after this. In a touching and beautiful way, The Whales of August gives us--and each of them---the chance to say goodbye.
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Hard to believe that Miss Gish is 93 years old here---she definitely aged beautifully and looks years younger than her age. Gracious, spry, and lovely, she gives a moving performance, ending her seven-and-a-half decade career on a beautiful, grace-filled note. By taking on this role "at the age of 93, Miss Gish became the oldest actress to have appeared in a starring role."[1]
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Bette Davis, two years away from her death here, is very clearly in poor health. Earlier in the decade, she had battled cancer (which would ultimately return and be the cause of her death) and been afflicted with a series of strokes, resulting in partial paralysis of the left side of her face. The effects of the paralysis are obvious. Still, though, she does her usual great job of bringing an unkind, largely unlikable character to life, and she plays blind very believably. Without all the bizarre makeup so prevalent in her late-career films, Bette looks less harsh---younger-looking even---than in some of her 1960's works. Even here at the end of her career, she remains my #1 gal.
Deep into their twilight years, screen legends Lillian Gish and
Bette Davis joined forces in The Whales of August, a poignant film which
explores how people cope with the aging process and the thought of approaching death. Also starring Vincent Price, and featuring Ann
Sothern and Harry Carey, Jr. in supporting roles, this 1987 film was adapted
from the David Berry play of the same name.
It saw Miss Sothern receiving a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award
nomination.
Widowed elderly sisters Libby Strong (Bette Davis) and
Sarah Webber (Lillian Gish) have been spending their summers in a cottage on the coast of Maine
all their lives. As young girls, they,
along with their friend Tisha (Ann Sothern), used to watch expectantly for the annual August arrival of the migrating whales. Eventually, the whales no longer made an
appearance, but that is not the only change the women have known.
Libby is blind . . . and bitter.
Somewhat estranged from her daughter, she is now dependent upon Sarah to
take care of her. Yet far from being
grateful for Sarah’s love and care, Libby is crotchety, unhappy, and
extremely negative. She believes death
is right at her door, even suggesting to Sarah that they are too old to
consider new things, that their lives are over and the grim reaper will be along
for them any day now.
A true gentleman, Mr. Maranov accepts Sarah's dinner invitation, even bringing along that morning's catch to share with the sisters. Libby is rude to him, though, saying there is no need for him in their house. Although Sarah would be interested in seeing the kindly gentleman, with Libby’s negativity, it doesn’t seem likely that she will. Sarah very much wants to go on with living for what time she has left,
while Libby feels that her life is already over. Tisha suggests to Sarah that she make other arrangements for Libby and then move in with her.
Will Libby ever be able to enjoy the time she has
left, thus enabling Sarah to do the same?
Or will Sarah be forced to make other arrangements for her sister so
that she will be able to embrace the remaining years of her life? These are the questions which play out in the
balance of this touching drama.
The Whales of August is a lovely, sentimental, heart-tugging movie, made all the more so by the knowledge that it is, essentially, a goodbye song---and not just for Libby and Sarah. This is the final film of both Miss Gish and Miss Sothern and the next to last of Miss Davis. Vincent Price would make less than a half dozen more films after this one, so he is in the final stages of his career as well, and director Lindsay Anderson made no more feature films after this. In a touching and beautiful way, The Whales of August gives us--and each of them---the chance to say goodbye.
Hard to believe that Miss Gish is 93 years old here---she definitely aged beautifully and looks years younger than her age. Gracious, spry, and lovely, she gives a moving performance, ending her seven-and-a-half decade career on a beautiful, grace-filled note. By taking on this role "at the age of 93, Miss Gish became the oldest actress to have appeared in a starring role."[1]
Bette Davis, two years away from her death here, is very clearly in poor health. Earlier in the decade, she had battled cancer (which would ultimately return and be the cause of her death) and been afflicted with a series of strokes, resulting in partial paralysis of the left side of her face. The effects of the paralysis are obvious. Still, though, she does her usual great job of bringing an unkind, largely unlikable character to life, and she plays blind very believably. Without all the bizarre makeup so prevalent in her late-career films, Bette looks less harsh---younger-looking even---than in some of her 1960's works. Even here at the end of her career, she remains my #1 gal.
Putting these two screen legends together, of course, had
the potential for contention and rivalry.
However, according to Bette Davis, Larger Than Life, “Miss Gish proved far tougher and more
impervious to Davis ’s
barbs than many lesser players by simply switching off her hearing aid whenever
any nonsense occurred.” [1] Touche for Lilllian! That is definitely one way to tune out those who drive us crazy!
Vincent Price, while not having a whole lot to do, is
well-suited to this role. Given that I
have a predisposed negativity towards Mr. Price (the result of The House of
Usher as a child), for me to see him in a positive light says a lot for the
man’s acting skills. I enjoyed his
chivalrous character here. Ann Sothern received a Best Supporting Actress nomination
for her work here, and while she doesn't have much to do, she's funny and sweet in her role.
Besides Misses Gish and Davis, the other star of The Whales
of August is the stunning scenery. Who
wouldn’t enjoy a trip to the coast of Maine
after finishing this. Although the film is slow-moving and without any dramatic action scenes or special effects, the characters, the stars’ performances, the scenery, and the touching story are enough to make it quite charming.
Out on DVD, The Whales of August ought to be fairly easy to
track down. Fans of any of these four wonderful stars will enjoy catching them in their final years. I'm calling this a 4-star film---one definitely worth a watch.
Happy viewing!
[1] Bette Davis,
Larger Than Life, by Richard Schickel and George Perry, Running
Press Book Publishers, 2009
Thursday, September 05, 2013
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.
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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.
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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)
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.
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.
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.
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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)
Tuesday, September 03, 2013
Maureen's Films Stack Up Like This
Yes, I'm a couple days late with the wrap-up of Maureen O'Hara month, but that was never my intent. I had an article written and all ready to go on the 31st, but then, just after uploading one final photograph and only moments before publishing, my piece vanished. Oh, I tried to recapture it; in fact, I was near to pounding on the "undo" button. All to no avail---my article had disappeared for good and needed to be reconstructed from scratch...and today is the first day I've had the time available to do that. So...three days late, here is the wrap-up of Maureen O'Hara month.
Having the beautiful Maureen O'Hara as my guest in August made for a wonderful month of blogging. The highlight of the month, of course, was my participation in this lovely lady's birthday celebration, which culminated in having an opportunity to see her in person as well as to catch three of her films on the big screen of Boise's historic Egyptian Theatre. I've already raved about how incredible it was having a first-time viewing of The Quiet Man in such an environment, and I've already shared how I was deeply and powerfully moved by How Green Was My Valley. Time precluded me from telling you all about my 3rd big screen experience of the day. That film---The Black Swan---was one I grew bored with and turned off on my first viewing of it last year. This time, though, I stuck with it all the way through. (Perhaps that's because I was in a theatre and wasn't just going to get up and walk out, whereas at home, I can turn the movie off and watch something else instead.) I must say, I did like the film. No, it's not a favorite, but it is definitely a solid viewing experience---interesting, entertaining, and enjoyable. Plus, it gave me Tyrone Power on the big screen---in Technicolor. You can't get much better than that!
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The favorite O'Hara film of They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To's blog readers is a tie between The Quiet Man and Miracle on 34th Street. Both films had exactly the same number of votes---10---meaning they each took 1/3 of the vote. The remaining 1/3 of the vote was split between How Green Was My Valley (in 2nd place with 5 votes---16%), McLintock (in 3rd place with 3 votes---10%), and Against All Flags (in 4th place with 2 votes---6%). In last place---with zero votes---is The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Thanks to all who took part in the poll. It's always fun to have my readers weigh-in with their own favorites, so I really appreciate you taking the time to do so.
Here's how my favorites list plays out:
1. The Quiet Man (1952---reviewed HERE) Everything about this movie captivated me---the music, the scenery, the characters, the acting, the storyline. It's a completely beautiful movie, and I feel so privileged to have had a big screen showing of it.
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2. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939---reviewed HERE) A masterpiece of a film. The costumes, the makeup, the score, the acting---all are terrific. Charles Laughton's portrayal of Quasimodo, the bell-ringer of Notre Dame, is nothing short of brilliant.
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3. The Christmas Box (1995---reviewed HERE) Going into the month of August, this heart-tugging story of a workaholic dad who, through a feisty, elderly woman, discovers what is most important in life, was my favorite of Maureen's films. It is still very beloved---and will always be part of my family's holiday viewing schedule---but "discovering" The Quiet Man and Hunchback this month meant a bit of a de-throning for The Christmas Box.
4. The Parent Trap (1961) This film has been a part of my life since seeing it at the theatre with my beloved maternal grandmother way back in the late 1960's. I loved the film then, and I turned my own kids onto it when they were growing up. Despite the fact that I think Dennis Quaid has a beautiful smile, the remake can't hold a candle to the original.
image source
5. Sentimental Journey (1946---reviewed HERE) The second of Maureen's pairings with John Payne, Sentimental Journey is a total sobber. It's the story of a dying woman, a selfish husband, and a precious little orphan girl.
6. How Green Was My Valley (1941---reviewed HERE) Since I couldn't decide whether Sentimental Journey or How Green Was My Valley got 5th position, I included both. This film takes place in a Welsh coal mining village during the latter part of the 19th century. With a coal mining heritage of my own, as well as Welsh and English ancestors, I found this film to be very personal, and for that reason it moved me deeply.
Thanks so much for joining me in celebration of the lovely Miss O'Hara this past month. I enjoyed sharing all these great films with all of you.
NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, all photos were obtained from Doctor Macro (HERE)
Having the beautiful Maureen O'Hara as my guest in August made for a wonderful month of blogging. The highlight of the month, of course, was my participation in this lovely lady's birthday celebration, which culminated in having an opportunity to see her in person as well as to catch three of her films on the big screen of Boise's historic Egyptian Theatre. I've already raved about how incredible it was having a first-time viewing of The Quiet Man in such an environment, and I've already shared how I was deeply and powerfully moved by How Green Was My Valley. Time precluded me from telling you all about my 3rd big screen experience of the day. That film---The Black Swan---was one I grew bored with and turned off on my first viewing of it last year. This time, though, I stuck with it all the way through. (Perhaps that's because I was in a theatre and wasn't just going to get up and walk out, whereas at home, I can turn the movie off and watch something else instead.) I must say, I did like the film. No, it's not a favorite, but it is definitely a solid viewing experience---interesting, entertaining, and enjoyable. Plus, it gave me Tyrone Power on the big screen---in Technicolor. You can't get much better than that!
_02.jpg)
The favorite O'Hara film of They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To's blog readers is a tie between The Quiet Man and Miracle on 34th Street. Both films had exactly the same number of votes---10---meaning they each took 1/3 of the vote. The remaining 1/3 of the vote was split between How Green Was My Valley (in 2nd place with 5 votes---16%), McLintock (in 3rd place with 3 votes---10%), and Against All Flags (in 4th place with 2 votes---6%). In last place---with zero votes---is The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Thanks to all who took part in the poll. It's always fun to have my readers weigh-in with their own favorites, so I really appreciate you taking the time to do so.
Here's how my favorites list plays out:
1. The Quiet Man (1952---reviewed HERE) Everything about this movie captivated me---the music, the scenery, the characters, the acting, the storyline. It's a completely beautiful movie, and I feel so privileged to have had a big screen showing of it.
_02.jpg)
2. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939---reviewed HERE) A masterpiece of a film. The costumes, the makeup, the score, the acting---all are terrific. Charles Laughton's portrayal of Quasimodo, the bell-ringer of Notre Dame, is nothing short of brilliant.
_03.jpg)
3. The Christmas Box (1995---reviewed HERE) Going into the month of August, this heart-tugging story of a workaholic dad who, through a feisty, elderly woman, discovers what is most important in life, was my favorite of Maureen's films. It is still very beloved---and will always be part of my family's holiday viewing schedule---but "discovering" The Quiet Man and Hunchback this month meant a bit of a de-throning for The Christmas Box.
4. The Parent Trap (1961) This film has been a part of my life since seeing it at the theatre with my beloved maternal grandmother way back in the late 1960's. I loved the film then, and I turned my own kids onto it when they were growing up. Despite the fact that I think Dennis Quaid has a beautiful smile, the remake can't hold a candle to the original.
5. Sentimental Journey (1946---reviewed HERE) The second of Maureen's pairings with John Payne, Sentimental Journey is a total sobber. It's the story of a dying woman, a selfish husband, and a precious little orphan girl.
6. How Green Was My Valley (1941---reviewed HERE) Since I couldn't decide whether Sentimental Journey or How Green Was My Valley got 5th position, I included both. This film takes place in a Welsh coal mining village during the latter part of the 19th century. With a coal mining heritage of my own, as well as Welsh and English ancestors, I found this film to be very personal, and for that reason it moved me deeply.
Thanks so much for joining me in celebration of the lovely Miss O'Hara this past month. I enjoyed sharing all these great films with all of you.
NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, all photos were obtained from Doctor Macro (HERE)
Sunday, September 01, 2013
September Means Claudette...and a Few Other Things
The classy, elegant Claudette Colbert begins her reign today as They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To's star of the month. This lovely lady provided one of my earliest introductions to classic films---through It Happened One Night---and I've counted her among my top 20 favorite actresses since that very first viewing. Two of her films---It Happened One Night and Imitation of Life---are among my 10 favorites of the 1930's and among my 25 all-time favorites. I look forward to highlighting this lovely lady, and I extend a hearty welcome to her.
Additionally, September will find me participating in two exciting events---the Gish Sisters blogathon hosted by Movies Silently and The Motion Pictures and the Journalism in Classic Film blogathon hosted by Comet Over Hollywood and Lindsay's Movie Musings. Additionally, I'll be re-capping Maureen O'Hara month, revealing my readers' favorite O'Hara film, as well as my own top 5. (I had written such a piece yesterday, but, somehow, someway, minutes before I intended to publish, I lost every single word through a flukey Blogger glitch. With my day's calendar already quite full, I wasn't able to reconstruct the article at the time, so I'll be getting at it this first week of September.)
It should be a busy, exciting month, and I look forward to having y'all along for the ride. Please be sure to weigh-in with your favorite Colbert film by taking part in the poll on my sidebar. I realize, of course, that since it's not feasible to include Claudette's entire filmography in the poll, your real favorite (perhaps The Palm Beach Story or So Proudly We Hail) may not be listed. I tried to include a cross-section of genre, leading men, and era with the voting choices.
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