Classic movies are not just antiquated films from a bygone era...rather, they are beautiful, well-acted, well-written gems that ought not to fade into obscurity. Truly, Hollywood just doesn't make 'em like they used to!!! I hope you'll discover some must-sees by your visit here.
Witness for the Prosecution, from 1957, is a fabulous whodunit, filled with twists and turns galore. Directed by the amazing Billy Wilder, the film stars Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, and Charles Laughton, all of whom give brilliant performances. (This was Tyrone Power's final completed film, as he died of a heart attack during the filming of Solomon and Sheba the following year. He was quite young...just 44. I think his performance here in Witness for the Prosecution is the best one he ever gave.)
Leonard Vole (Power), a partially-employed inventor, is accused of murdering wealthy widow, Emily French, a woman many years his senior. When a chance meeting brings Mrs. French into his life, Vole works to develop a friendship with her, because besides enjoying the lady's company, he hopes to convince her to finance his most recent invention. So, the two of them, in a completely platonic fashion, begin seeing each other two or three times a week...playing canasta, listening to music, taking in a movie.
When Mrs. French is found murdered, her housekeeper immediately implicates Vole, since he had been with her the evening of her death. Although Leonard proclaims his innocence, the case against him intensifies after it is discovered that Mrs. French had recently changed her will, making Leonard the beneficiary of 80,000 pounds. Leonard eventually stands trial for murder, with Charles Laughton portraying the attorney who takes on his defense.
One of the witnesses the prosecution brings against him is none other than his wife, Christine (Marlene Dietrich), whose testimony tears Leonard's story apart.
To say more than this would totally ruin the viewing pleasure of those who have never seen this film. In fact, as the ending credits roll, the viewer is warned by an announcer to "not divulge the ending to friends who have not seen it." Of course, a first-time viewing of this film is best. After that, the surprise factor is gone; however, it's still a fantastic movie, with great performances by the three leads.
The acting in this film is completely brilliant!!! All three stars---Power, Dietrich, and Laughton---give amazing performances. Truly, I think this was the performance of both Power and Dietrich's entire careers. They were both totally fantastic!! Charles Laughton's real-life wife, Elsa Lanchester, played his nurse in the film, and there are several comical moments between them. Although it didn't garner any wins, Witness forthe Prosecution was nominated in six Academy Award categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, Lead Actor (Laughton), and Supporting Actress (Lanchester). Shockingly, neither Power nor Dietrich received a nomination for the brilliant work they did here.
Witness for the Prosecution is out on DVD, so it should be readily available for your viewing pleasure. I highly recommend it. (Our family recently enjoyed a re-watch in honor of Tyrone Power's upcoming May 5th birthday.)
The Cowboy and the Lady, from 1938, is a sweet little romantic comedy starring my beloved Gary Cooper as the cowboy
and Merle Oberon as the lady.
Among others, Harry Davenport, Patsy Kelly, and Walter Brennan, who co-starred with Coop in at least half a dozen films, take on supporting roles here. It's a very predictable movie...and somewhat corny...but it's totally cute. Coop fans will definitely enjoy it.
Merle Oberon plays Mary Smith, the daughter of Judge Horace Smith, who happens to have his political aspirations on the Supreme Court. In order to keep his political ambitions alive, Mr. Smith must keep scandal away at all costs, so his daughter barely leaves the house lest she do something which would embarrass him. One evening, though, Mary goes out, and after a newspaper article about a ruckus at a club is linked with Mary's name, Judge Smith decides that he will send his daughter down to their Palm Beach home for a period of time.
While in Palm Beach, Mary convinces her two maids to allow her to tag along on a date with them. She ends up meeting rodeo rider Stretch Willoughby (Coop) and very quickly falls for him. Only problem, she doesn't tell him she is a wealthy socialite...she lets him believe she is a ladies' maid and that she works to support her drunken father and four younger sisters. After learning that Stretch doesn't think highly of the "snobby" upper class, she is afraid that revealing her true identity will drive him away from her...so she keeps up the pretense.
When Stretch departs for the rodeo's next stop in Galveston, Mary goes to the ship to talk with him. She ends up being on board when the ship departs, and in typical whirlwind romance fashion, the two decide to have the captain marry them. Stretch tells Mary that after the Galveston event, he will quit the rodeo and they will go to his ranch in Montana where he expects they will live happily ever after.
Of course, things don't go quite as planned. Mary's father phones that he is coming down to Palm Beach and bringing with him the man whose support he is seeking. Therefore, he needs Mary to play hostess at a dinner party...but Mary is in Galveston and on her way to Montana, so how can she do that?
Will Stretch find out Mary's true identity? Will his opinion of the upper class change? Will Mary's father get the nomination he seeks? Will Mary and Stretch live happily ever after? These are the questions which will play out in the remainder of this film.
The Cowboy and the Lady is corny and totally predictable, but it's adorable...AND it's Gary Cooper!!! As in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Meet John Doe, and Ball of Fire, Coop's character is a rather sensitive, unworldly man---a man who expects people to be sincere, to be exactly what they appear to be. It always happens, though, that the gal he falls for is not what she appears to be, and his heart gets broken---for a time. While I'm not super-familiar with Merle Oberon, I found her to be sweet and lovely in this role; I couldn't help rooting for her to find happiness with Coop. No, this film isn't the greatest movie ever made, but it is sweet and loads of fun. And for Coop fans, it will greatly satisfy...he's as handsome and adorable as ever. The supporting cast is fantastic, with Harry Davenport being particularly delightful. The acting of everyone involved is solid---they all quite bring their characters to life beautifully The film is out on DVD, so it should be pretty easy to track down a copy. It is also available through Net Flix instant viewing.
With the dawning of a new month, it's time for a new blog focus. Much as I hate to leave my #1's and the beach behind, with April now just a memory, it's time for other things. Though quite a few of my faves have May birthdays, I'll be focusing on only two of them, one of whom is one of my "beloveds"...the wonderful, talented, fabulously handsome Gary Cooper.
The other "birthday boy" I'll be focusing on this month is the tremendously under-rated and completely gorgeous Tyrone Power.
In honor of Mother's Day, I'll be focusing on what I call "mommy movies." And, in celebration of Memorial Day, I'll be focusing on those films which serve to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of freedom.
In addition to these themes, I'll be throwing in a few "non-theme" films...just to keep things fresh and unpredictable. I hope you'll discover a few "must see" movies through this month's reviews.
The Girl from Jones Beach, from 1949, is a romantic comedy starring Ronald Reagan and Virginia Mayo, featuring Eddie Bracken, Henry Travers, Dona Drake, and Florence Bates, in supporting roles. I enjoyed a re-watch of this very adorable film as part of my beach movie theme this month.
Commerical artist Bob Randolph (Ronald Reagan) has been drawing the "ultimate woman." Dubbed "The Randolph Girl," she is perfect in every way, and publicity agent Chuck Donovan (Eddie Bracken) has been hired to learn the model's identity and track her down for a television appearance. Only problem is, as Chuck discovers upon his visit to Bob Randolph's office, there is no "Randolph Girl"...at least no single girl. Rather, she is a composite of twelve different women...eyes of one, nose of another, neck of another, ankles of another, etc. None of the girls know of the others' existence, though; each girl thinks she is the one and only "Randolph Girl."
Since there is no girl and, thus, no one to appear on the television show, Chuck feels life isn't worth living anymore, so he heads to Jones Beach, where he intends to drown himself. While out in a boat, he scans the shoreline with his binoculars, and to his amazement, he sees her---the spitting image of the Randolph Girl---all wrapped up in one perfect woman; quickly, Chuck lets Bob know that he has discovered the girl. The lovely beauty is Ruth Wilson (Virginia Mayo), a 6th grade teacher, who wants to be known and appreciated for her intellectual qualities rather than her looks.
With Miss Wilson's aversion to being sought out for her beauty, Bob knows she's not apt to jump at the chance to be his model; instead, he'll need to appeal to her intellectual side first...get to know her...then hopefully convince her to take up the "Randolph Girl" mantle. Since Ruth also teaches an adult education class for new citizens, Bob decides to pose as a new immigrant and enroll in her class. So, with a made-up name, an invented country, and an accent which changes by the minute, Bob makes the teacher's acquaintance as a student in her class. Of course, the two fall in love, but there are definitely complications---Bob isn't who Ruth thinks he is, the twelve models discover Bob's deception, and a snapshot is taken of a swimsuit-clad Ruth, getting her into hot water with the school board. How it all plays out is the balance of the film.
Originally, the female lead was to have gone to Lauren Bacall; however, she refused the part, and it went to Mayo. (Info found through a TCM article...HERE) While her reason for bowing out is not known, the TCM article makes clear that she and Reagan were political opposites and that she had refused other parts (Stallion Road and, later, Storm Warning) which would have required working with him. Quite honestly, if political differences were the reason she opted out of the role, I think it's a cop-out. After all, isn't giving the appearance of getting along with someone you don't like what acting is all about? Besides that, being on a different political page doesn't mean you can't get on with a person; in fact, my beloved Robert Ryan was about as politically different from me as one can be (as was John Garfield, whom I also quite adore). People don't have to think the same way I do for me to like them (or count them as a beloved!!) or work with them, so if political differences were Miss Bacall's reason for declining this film, I find that rather sad. Whatever her reason, the role went to Miss Mayo, who, I think, was totally perfect in it. She's beautiful and perky and loads of fun, and her chemistry with Mr. Reagan was great. (I know they worked together in another film as well...She's Working Her Way Through College.) Oh, and just FYI, my beloved William Holden thought differently about Mr. Reagan---they were good friends, and he was the best man at his wedding to Nancy.
The film has a very cute little theme song.
The courtroom scene is quite comical; especially funny is Henry Travers, who portrays the judge. Though he wants to run a tight ship and keep everyone in line, the sight of the lovely Ruth in a swimsuit just can't help but have an effect on him.
The Girl from Jones Beach is definitely a cute, loads-of-fun film. Yes, it's predictable, but getting to that predictable ending is totally delightful. I definitely recommend this film; however, it may be a difficult one to track down. It is not out on DVD, nor can I find it on YouTube. It is not currently on the TCM schedule; they do show it fairly regularly, however, so hopefully you can catch it in the next few months.
All This and Heaven Too, from 1940, is a romantic drama starring Bette Davis and Charles Boyer, with Barbara O'Neill taking on a supporting role. This film, which I recently watched for the 3rd time in honor of Bette's birthday month, is based on a mid-nineteenth-century scandal in France. Novelist Rachel Field was descended from the central figure, and it is her novel upon which the film is based.
In 1846, at Miss Haines School for Young Ladies, the new French teacher---Henriette Deluzy (Bette Davis)---has just been introduced to her students. As the girls begin to gossip amongst themselves and even ask her how to spell the name of a notorious French prison, Miss Deluzy feels defeated and is about to give up her new post. However, in the end, she decides to share a story with the girls...a story which will show them that life is not always a pretty picture.
After her former governess position has ended, Miss Deluzy travels to Paris, where she will governess for the children of the Duc and Duchesse de Praselin (Charles Boyer and Barbara O'Neill). The Duc is quite close to the children---3 daughters, ages 8-13, and 1 son, almost 4---and they love him dearly. The duchesse, on the other hand, is easily exasperated with them and has nearly zero interest in their lives. Starved for the attention and love of a mother, the children attach very easily to Miss Deluzy, and they thrive under her tutelage and care.
The Duchesse is an emotionally volatile woman, who flies into fits of rage constantly. Her hatred and anger have driven her husband away, and while the Duc and Duchesse are civil to each other, it's quite obvious that there is no love in their marriage. In fact, they occupy separate bedrooms---and have done so since before their son's birth. His children and his government duties are the Duc's only happiness.
As the months go by, Henriette's presence in the home brings a peace which the Duc had all but forgotten existed, and he is extremely grateful for all she has done. Though he may, in fact, be in love with Henriette, he never oversteps the bounds of their relationship, nor does Henriette behave inappropriately toward him. The Duchesse, though, deep into another episode of mania, sees Henriette as a thief---out to steal her husband and the affections of her children. Enraged and extremely jealous, she forces Henriette to leave her employ, an action which infuriates the Duc and brings about the scandal which will follow Henriette to America. The exact nature of that scandal and how it all plays out is the balance of the film.
All This and Heaven Too is a beautiful and tender movie, one that seems a bit out of the norm for Bette Davis. She gets a chance to play maternal in this film, and she does it very well. The chemistry between her and the children is superb. Her character is pure delight---a bit sugary sweet---but delightful nonetheless. Her performance is, as always, top-notch.
This is the film which allowed me to finally like Charles Boyer. After having seen him in Gaslight, where he gave what I deem an Oscar-winning performance (for which he was nominated, but didn't win), I just couldn't like him, for in that film he was an evil husband trying to drive wife Ingrid Bergman mad. He played the part SO well that it clouded my opinion of him---for a couple of years. It took several movies before I could actually like him and stop seeing him as "a killer." Here in All This and Heaven Too, I really enjoyed him.
Barbara O'Neill is completely fabulous in her role. She was nominated for best supporting actress...rightfully so, because she was brilliant!! The four children are totally precious. You will love them, especially the little boy. The oldest girl is played by June Lockhart, and wow, she looks the same here in 1940 as she did playing the mother on Lost in Space in the 1960's. The youngest daughter is played by the beautiful Ann Todd. Middle daughter is Virginia Weidler, Katharine Hepburn's younger sister in The Philadelphia Story. The little boy is Richard Nichols, who you will undoubtedly recognize from a few other films. He is totally, completely, 100% adorable!!
According to Bette Davis, Larger Than Life, Bette felt that the "fundamental flaw in this film...was that the Duchesse should have been physically repellant rather than a good-looking neurotic. The motivation for her murder, she felt, was not convincing, but she also thought that, in spite of the novelist's contention that the attraction never went beyond expressions of friendship, the Duc and Henriette had been lovers and that she was guilty of complicity." Just have to say...I can't believe Bette felt Barbara O'Neill was a good-looking neurotic here. I didn't find her pretty in the least---her skin was horribly pockmarked, in a way I've never noticed in other movies. I thought she was rather homely. As far as being a neurotic, my guess is that the Duchesse had what we now know is bipolar disorder...or else severe hormonal imbalances.
While the film is a bit on the long side (141 minutes), I didn't feel that it dragged. I enjoyed every minute of it, and I highly recommend it. Since it's out on DVD, it ought to be fairly easy to track down. Additionally, it is on the TCM schedule for Wednesday, May 23rd, at 9:30 a.m. (ET).
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