Java's Journey

The Debbie Reynolds Auction Recap/ Catalogs Still Available

2012-01-28T01:45:00.000-08:00

If you weren't able to attend Debbie Reynolds' December auction, then visit Christian Esqevin's recap of the event at the following address: http://www.silverscreenmodiste.com/2011/12/debbie-reynolds-auction-ii.html

The writer provides his own photos of the gowns and a running commentary on the movie in which they were originally worn. (I did not know that Katharine Hepburn's black, red and white striped dress from Desk Set was in the auction. It's one of my favorites in movie casual wear!)

If you didn't get a catalog it seems the auction site, Profiles In History, is still allowing free downloads of them.

Download The Debbie Reynolds Auction Part 1 Catalog (June 2011) on this page

Download The Debbie Reynolds Auction Part 2 Catalog (December 2011) on this page

A Wilde Moment

2012-01-21T07:01:00.000-08:00

When filmmakers adapt a play sometimes they overcompensate for the stodgy confines of the stage with frenetic energy, too many locations, an obnoxious score and frequent cuts that distract from the brilliant dialogue and story arc. coughcoughAnIdealHusband(1999)coughcough

To the other extreme, some films do not take advantage of their more liberating media, and remain charmingly, but laughably, set-bound. coughhackcoughTheImportanceofBeingEarnest(1952)coughhackcough

And then there’s Oliver Parker’s 2002 version of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. It’s not a classic movie…yet, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t clever. For instance, there are reasons for splitting up the play’s dialogue into different locations beyond just catering to a modern audience’s supposed restlessness.

2 points

1. The famous scene when Lady Bracknell interrogates her very nervous, prospective son-in-law, Mr. Worthing, is usually set in her nephew’s parlor. In Parker’s version, Worthing must visit Lady Bracknell’s house, passing through an enormous set of doors before stopping at the royal purple/blood-red inner sanctum. The experience is like being caught in a Venus fly trap. Perfect for the scene.

2. Worthing’s big speech near the finale, accusing his best friend, Algernon, of using deceit to gain admission to his house and stir up everyone’s lives is another brilliant scene. This speech is rather a long-winded one, and often onstage is spouted while standing in one spot. However, the director here has the character walk about, picking up various objects that serve as “evidence” of Algy’s misconduct. Worthing is rather like an attorney at closing arguments. A funny and clever framing of potentially dry dialogue.

Yes, play-to-film adaptations can be wonderful when they’re done properly. Parker’s Earnest is one of the best.

The Heiress (1949): The Garden Muse

2012-01-15T17:54:00.000-08:00

Inanimate objects seem to observe the main characters in movies, especially in dark, brooding, period dramas. In The Heiress (1949), Dr. Sloper’s late wife is a constant presence, not only in conversation, but in her portrait, her un-played piano, even in the color cherry red. These objects do not recall happy memories for the family; bittersweet, perhaps. These items haunt the widower and his overly shy young adult daughter, Catherine, who rarely make a move without “consulting” the vaunted image of a woman long dead.

Another, more passive, inanimate character, one that does not seem to impose its will on the family’s daily life is the garden muse - a brick archway with seating that leads from the backyard garden to the alleyway. The muse stands as an unwavering sentinel watching important story points.

The muse pops up three times in the film.

When the audience first meets the heiress as she buys fish in the alley, to her father’s chagrin
When forbidden lover Morris comes to whisk her away for an elopement that doesn’t happen
When saying goodbye to visiting relatives whose lives have moved on since we last saw them, while hers remains the same.

I couldn’t for the life of me figure out the meaning of this garden muse. “C‘mon, Java,” I said to myself, “Not everything in a film has to have deep meaning. Sometimes an archway is just an archway; you‘re Bogdanoviching again.” Then it hit me (I hope you‘re not eating) - the muse is a symbolic womb.

Bear with me.

In that first scene father disapproves of the heiress carrying fish like a servant. There is no reason to have the first father-daughter conversation in the garden, but it‘s there with the archway framing the two characters. Her visible self-reproach for disappointing her father is quite childlike. Dr. Sloper - the adult - walks down the alley. Catherine - the child- reenters the house.

The next archway scene involves Catherine and forbidden fiancé Morris finding shelter from the rain in the muse, giving birth to the idea of elopement. They share the passion and excitement of teens. He leaves promising to return for her. It’s yet another scene of the other person - the less naive one - using the muse to venture away, and the cloistered heiress doing the opposite. Ultimately, he never returns for her.

The third and final muse scene occurs years later. Catherine, still single, has said goodbye to her cousin and her cousin’s young children, watching them drive out of the alley. Relatives have invited her for a visit but she always declines. Poised, she walks silently back to the house, slowly passing under the archway and gathering toys strewn about, almost like a mom. There is no doubt that she has emerged from her trials a woman.

However, she never leaves Washington Square, rarely ventures beyond the house, doesn‘t go far from that muse. She’s forever gestating.

Just a thought. What do you think?

Here's another Java's Journey post on The Heiress: Her Mother's Presence

Classic Movie Posters: January Releases

2012-01-03T13:00:00.000-08:00

Today, Java journeys through old movie posters. We'll take a brief gander at those images designed to make us plop down cold, hard coinage, grab some Good and Plenty and become transported to another world. Let's have fun.

This Month's Theme: January Releases.

You Only Live Once (1937)

United Artists released You Only Live Once 75 years ago this month. It's the story of an ex-convict (Henry Fonda) and his wife (Silvia Sidney) who go on the lam after being framed for murder. But you wouldn't guess that from the poster (on the left).

This looks like the cover of a torrid romance novel where the most action you'll get is the lady fainting from a love that cannot be expressed for the man whose name must not be mentioned.... All that stuff.

The French poster (on the right) - with a prominent jail cell, police search light and an act of violence - is a bit busy, but it does a better job of conveying urgency, danger and (best of all) the plot!

The Man Who Came To Dinner (1942)

On January 1st seventy years ago, moviegoers in the U.S. lined up to watch Bette Davis play indulgent secretary to Monty Woolley's bombastic radio star in The Man Who Came To Dinner.

This ad reads in part, "There never was a better reason for 'going to the movies.'" This suggests people might have been turning away from cinematic diversions for a bit. It's understandable that everyone's mind was now focused on more serious matters; the attack on Pearl Harbor was not even a full month before the premiere of Dinner.

With that in mind, it's no wonder the marketing department felt the need to give a reason for attending the theater. Every mouth on the poster is in mid-laugh. "Distract yourself," seems to be the message.

The Cimarron Kid (1952)

Another man-on-the-run tale was released in January fifteen years after You Only Live Once. This one involves the wild west, train robberies and Audie Murphy. It's The Cimarron Kid. Beating back the rise of black and white television westerns, this movie brings a cowboy story in Technicolor! Just to get your kiddies unglued from the boob tube, each poster or lobby card is almost its own comic strip. There are are guns drawn, horses rearing, Yvette Dugay doing her best Jane Russell impression.... You almost don't need to see the movie!

The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962)

Capitalizing on the sword and sandal movie fad of the time, the Three Stooges (via time machine) run into the son of Zeus. Most of the posters for this film carve the title out of giant 3D blocks, or have the demigod hovering above, flexing, which is fine. However, the most interesting ones have the myth interacting with Larry, Moe and Curly- all of whom are helpless before him. The French poster above is a case in point, where Herc's phenomenal power allows him to pull the comedy team from white space.

See you next month in Classic Movie Posters.

Classic Movie Star Quote on Merriam-Webster Online

2011-12-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

Guess who is featured in a Merriam-Webster Online Top 10 List! Ingrid Bergman. The list is the M-W "Top 10 Favorite Quotations About Words."

Here's a screen shot:

It reads as follows:

“A kiss is a lovely trick, designed by nature, to stop speech when words become superfluous.” – Ingrid Bergman

Classic movie stars are just everywhere.

5 Radio Shows for December

2011-12-17T10:03:00.000-08:00

If you find yourself with some downtime this month, gather the family around the cozy computer and listen to classic movies adapted for radio. Below is a list of five radio theater productions in the public domain that were originally broadcast in December.

You can listen to them on this blog or go to their source - The Internet Archive - and listen there. If you'd rather enjoy these episodes later, download the mp3 file. Have fun!

Anchors Aweigh
Genre: Musical
Show: Lux Radio Theater
Originally Broadcast: 12-29-1947
Stars: Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Kathryn Grayson in their original roles.
Plot: Two sailors meet adventure and romance during shore leave.

Listen to the Anchors Aweigh now: (Flash player required)
(Duration: approximately 50 minutes)

Download the MP3 file for Anchors Aweigh to your iPod or media player (right-click to Save)

The Lemon Drop Kid
Genre: Comedy
Show: Lux Radio Theater

Originally Broadcast:12-10-1951
Stars: Bob Hope in his original role
Plot: A gangster starts a home for the elderly during Christmastime. The business may be less than legitimate.

Listen to the The Lemon Drop Kid now: (Flash player required)
(Duration: approximately 50 minutes)

Download the MP3 file for The Lemon Drop Kid to your iPod or media player (right-click to Save)

Lost Angel
Genre: Drama
Show: Academy Award Theater
Originally Broadcast: 12-18-1946
Stars: Margaret O'Brien in her original role
Plot: An orphaned genius, raised as an experiment, discovers the outside world.

Listen to the Lost Angel now: (Flash player required)
(Duration: approximately 30 minutes)

Download the MP3 file for Lost Angel to your iPod or media player (right-click to Save)

Ruggles of Red Gap
Genre: Comedy
Show: Screen Actors Guild Theater
Originally Broadcast: 12-17-1945
Stars: Charles Laughton in his original role
Plot: Based on the Harry Leon Wilson novel about an English butler who finds himself in the Old West.

Listen to the Ruggles of Red Gap now: (Flash player required)
(Duration: approximately 30 minutes)

Download the MP3 file for Ruggles of Red Gap to your iPod or media player (right-click to Save)

State Fair
Genre: Drama
Show: Theater Guild On The Air
Originally Broadcast: 12-31-1950
Stars: Van Heflin and June Lockhart
Plot: The farmer's daughter finds romance at the state fair. Will it last?

Listen to the State Fair now: (Flash player required)
(Duration: approximately 50 minutes)

Download the MP3 file for State Fair to your iPod or media player (right-click to Save)

Doris Day and Gene Nelson are so cute

2011-12-11T00:41:00.000-08:00

From Lullaby of Broadway(1951). My sister and I learned Doris Day's dance steps throughout the film. I loved these steps for their simplicity and effective storytelling. (And I love the little black shrug she wears over her pale yellow blouse.)

"You can't hold comedy back, because it needs to be exposed."

2011-12-05T01:22:00.000-08:00

GQ Magazine published an interview with Jerry Lewis this past August. Interviewer Amy Wallace commits to the usual recap of the comedian's life, a description of his current state of health and a snapshot of how he lives. Although Ms.Wallace relies a tad too much on endorsements from current film directors and comedians, hers is an interesting read. The journalist helpfully labels each section so that I could skip over the paragraphs marked "Libido." (I've read enough about Lewis' sex life from the autobio Dean and Me to last a lifetime.)

Lewis takes note of specific comedians popular today and predicts each one's longevity in the business and gives reasons for his assessment. Out of the ones mentioned, our star seems to think that most of them are more than flavors of the month. That was a lovely surprise. Note, however, that Will Ferrell does not make it out of this interview with his career intact.

Current projects intrigue me. Jerry Lewis plays the title character in a new movie - Max Rose - that is slated to be released in 2012. He's in talks with John Travolta who wants to remake The Family Jewels (1965). And, perhaps most exciting, Lewis is preparing and directing a Broadway musical version of The Nutty Professor (1963)! If this last project gets off the ground, you'll find me front row, center.

Head on over to the GQ interview by clicking here.

[Be forewarned that the title of the article and the summary are a bit disrespectful to the film star, which is completely incongruous with Ms. Wallace's article.]

http://www.gq.com/entertainment/humor/201108/jerry-lewis-interview-gq-august-2011#ixzz1fX7mPFFH

Deanna Durbin Has a Birthday Party

2011-12-04T00:20:00.000-08:00

Deanna Durbin's 15th Birthday (Click to enlarge)

Deanna Durbin David celebrates her 90th natal year this December. Happy Birthday, Ms. Durbin!

You'll find birthday wishes to Universal Studios' singing star at the following links:

The Amazing Deanna Durbin blog's 2011 birthday tribute
The Deanna Durbin Devotees send their well wishes with a forum of photos showcasing Ms. Durbin on her various birthdays.
Java's Journey's birthday tribute to Deanna Durbin from 2010 (with links to other tributes)

Preview The Lots for Debbie Reynolds' 2nd Auction

2011-11-21T00:53:00.000-08:00

Preview the lots for Debbie Reynolds' 2nd Auction at the auction house or online here: http://bid.profilesinhistory.com/Debbie-Reynolds-The-Auction-Part-II_as21423

The Paley Center For Media

465 North Beverly Drive

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Live Auction

Saturday December 3, 2011at 11:00 AM PST

Public Preview Dates

12:00 - 5:00 pm PST

November 17 through November 23

November 25 through November 27

November 30 and December 2

Download the Catalog by clicking here.

A Slob Recants

2011-11-17T00:05:00.000-08:00

I owe Margie Frake an apology. She flounces around the state fair in those impractical (but totally gorgeous) heels and skirts and I laugh myself silly. "No one in the '40s ever went to the fair like that," I chuckle haughtily from an overstuffed couch, rubbing Cheetos cheese onto my equally crammed and faded Levi's. "They'd pal around in their overalls or Converse shoes. They'd look more like Dennis the Menace than Lana Turner."

For that reason I never thought of this film as anything but a fashion show. Sure people dressed up back then, but at a fair? Will the champion hogs appreciate your crimson, velvet bodice and matching hat? Will the mincemeat judge award you the blue ribbon because you're wearing one around your waist? Surely not. This movie has never been real to me.

And then I saw this...

People -non-actors- in heels and suits on a Rotor in what seems to be the late 1940s. Wow! Who says you can't look good and have fun at the fair? I never will again.

(But seriously, how comfortable are those shoes when you're walking around for that long?)

Doris Day-Rock Hudson Inspired Music Video

2011-11-16T00:45:00.000-08:00

Nestled among the end credits of Down With Love (2002) - that spoof of Doris Day and Rock Hudson movies - is a TV segment where Renee Zellweger's and Ewan McGregor's characters sing about love and dance around. It's almost right out of The Ed Sullivan Show.

Here is "Here's To Love" :

I could smell the sweat! West Side Story (1961) on the Big Screen

2011-11-13T04:09:00.000-08:00

What a night! My first time watching a classic movie on the silver screen!

Turner Classic Movies presented West Side Story(1961) in movie theaters all over the country last Wednesday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this Academy Award-winning retelling of Romeo and Juliet. Everything that is great when viewing it at home is even better on the big screen! Why? The details! The details that I never noticed before are now inescapable.

The big screen makes you very much aware of the grit and grime of the story.

Tony has a ring around his collar during the "Something's Coming" number. A gangster gone straight, he's a working man now with the sweat to prove it. Good for him.
What I thought was a beige tile floor in the Sharks' tenement is actually a white tile floor with smudges.
Dear Graziella, your beautiful burnt orange dress has armpit stains. I wish I could unsee them.
A copy of Trumbull's Declaration of Independence is so dingy that you barely notice it amongst the filth on the wall during the war council scene.
When Action points his grimy finger at the camera, "pulls the trigger" and yells "pow!," what seems hokey on TV becomes menacing when the little guy with the jazz hands is 30 feet tall.
Tony, Riff, Bernardo, Chino, all of you! How much Brylcreme does a guy need? You look greasy.

Little details - like how the gangs showcase their solidarity in their clothing- are easier to catch in the theater.

The archer bands on the Sharks' wrists are a dramatic statement even on the small screen. But note that when we first meet the rival gang that many of the Jets wear their belt buckles on the side.

Throughout the film, the Sharks can be found in reds and purples. Dominant colors for the Jets are gold and yellow. You'd notice the colors in whatever format the movie is in, but on the silver screen you notice sumptuous details in the fabrics! Tony is not just wearing a yellow jacket at the dance, he's wearing a velvet goldenrod sports coat. Maria is not just wearing a white dress (which symbolizes her lack of involvement in gang life); it has little white curlicues embroidered throughout which add to the child-like quality of the outfit and to the innocence of the character.

The color schemes come in handy when Maria and Tony profess their undying commitment to each other. We know they are serious, not just because of the stellar acting, lighting and music, but because the costume designer, Irene Sharaff ,dresses the couple in their rival's color. In the "wedding" scene, Maria wears a pale yellow dress - the Jets hue. Tony wears Maria's "family color" close to his heart - an aubergine lining in his varsity jacket (something I wouldn't have noticed except on the big screen). The former leader of the Jets is becoming a Shark from the inside out! Also note that the banded collar is pulled back slightly like a lapel, revealing a slight floral pattern; it is as though he is wearing a buttonhole at the "wedding".

Adhering to family colors........................................................... Beginning to switch colors and allegiances

An observation from my mom:

"I don't remember the colors being so bright! Is our copy in black and white?"

What with fast forwarding to my favorites parts at home and not having seen the entire thing in one viewing in a long time, I'd forgotten how detached from reality these characters are. For instance, if some dude that I'm engaged to kills my brother, the wedding's off. Murder would be a deal breaker for me. But it isn't for Maria, who plows through several stages of grief within the course of 5 minutes and finishes a make out session with Tony just before a policeman shows up. Ah, the movies!

That's my red carpet experience. What is yours? Did you go?

Judy Garland Mesmerizes Us Again In Song

2011-11-09T00:52:00.000-08:00

Judy Garland sings "The Man That Got Away" on her eponymous television show in 1963. Brilliant.

House of Strangers (1949)

2011-10-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

Manhattan's Lower East Side of the 1930s is the setting for a biblical Jacob and Joseph dynamic in House of Strangers (1949). The plot follows an envious gaggle of brothers - all of whom work at the family bank - whose tempers flare whenever their father (Edward G. Robinson) mistreats them and favors only one son - Max.

Max Monetti (Richard Conte), a first generation Italian-American, is torn between the dictates of Old World tradition - marriage and working in the family business - and the scintillating adventures of the New World - represented by a sultry client named Irene Bennett (Susan Hayward).

The brothers have murder on the brain.

The Bowery’s crowded streets and the overstuffed trappings of a nouveau-riche family mansion inhibit Max. In his first scene with Irene, Max paces about in his office almost like a caged animal. He’s looking for escape. Later, Max practically challenges Irene to provide excitement, in spite of (or perhaps because of) his preexisting engagement to the proper woman from the proper family (played by a fetching Debra Paget).

Max and Irene share a moment

With an early 20th century New York setting, familial violence and alternate titles such as Bitter Fate (Italy), Hatred Between Brothers (Spain), Blood of My Blood ( Brazil) and House of Hate (Sweden), the film has been compared favorably with the Oscar-winning Godfather (1972) movies. However, House was reproached by the Breen office for its unfavorable portrayal of Italian-Americans. Bosley Crowthers of The New York Times sneers that the film showcases, "[as] nasty a nest of vipers as ever you're likely to see outside of a gangster picture or maybe a jungle film." The film gets poor press even from it’s director, Joseph Mankiewicz, who declares it simply a “bad picture.”

Despite the negative reviews, yours truly recommends this film as a love story, or a series of love stories, emanating from Max. Should he follow his father- fiercely clinging to tradition, ruling with an iron fist, dabbling into illegal business practices - or should he embrace a less hostile way of life in the arms of his new found love interest? It’s probably a coincidence that the name Irene is derived from the Greek word for peace. Still the lady brings much-needed tranquility into the life of an emotionally tortured son.

Further Reading

Visit Laura's blog for a more thorough review of House of Strangers (1949).
New York Times Review of House of Strangers (1949)
American Film Institute summary of the film with backstory
March 1951 Life Magazine interview with director Joseph Mankiewicz, in which House of Strangers is briefly mentioned as "a bad picture".

Doris Day Gets Mad

2011-10-26T00:27:00.000-07:00

No one gets angry quite like Doris Day. Here's an excerpt from the 1993 documentary "Sentimental Journey" on just that subject.

Gene Kelly and Mitzi Gaynor Sizzle in a Diner

2011-10-19T00:32:00.000-07:00

Another great dancer in classic movies, Mitzi Gaynor, here partners with Gene Kelly in Les Girls (1957). What the movie, as a whole, lacks in zip and sparkle is regained in musical numbers like this one. Here Miss Gaynor portrays an harassed waitress at a diner and Mr. Kelly is the boorish customer. Of course, they end up enamored with each other.

Exit question: If she's trying to get rid of the gang, why would she shake her tail feathers in front of them? That might induce them to stay, one would think.

Top 10 Unnecessary Remakes

2011-10-17T00:07:00.000-07:00

MSN Movies has a list of Top 10 Unnecessary Remakes (because the oldies are just fine, thank you). Ah yes. This is a game that classic movies fans will always enjoy - sniffing at the newer guys because we can. To be frank, I had not heard of a good deal of these remakes, so I couldn't agree or disagree with the reasoning they give for dismissing some of them.

Yet, they hit the nail on the head about the remake of Sabrina (1954) - it lacks charm. But I give it some slack because it does try. They are fine actors, but Harrison Ford is simply not Humphrey Bogart, and Julie Ormond is not Audrey Hepburn; the newer folks are going to come up short, so what can you do?

However, I'm going to give the new Three Musketeers (2011) a chance. The 1993 Disney remake does an excellent job of capturing the vitality of the swordsmen, the urgency of the mission to save the king and the vigor of our youthful protagonist. So I'm not hiding in terror at the mere thought of yet another company doing over Alexandre Dumas' story. Besides, even though I'm delighted by Gene Kelly's acrobatics in the 1948 version, he is a tad overripe to be a naive country boy desperate to join an elite corps of the king's bodyguards; I was happy to see a younger guy play the part for once.

"Overripe, eh? Engarde!"

via

Usually remakes are annoying, but something happens when there are dozens of remakes of the same legendary story. Audiences begin to embrace most of them as a set and eagerly anticipate their arrival. (Then rip them to shreds in their reviews.)

Take a gander at MSN's Top 10 Unnecessary Remakes. Did they miss any?

Debbie Reynolds: The 2nd Auction

2011-10-14T13:48:00.000-07:00

Movie legend Debbie Reynolds is holding the second of her two-part auction on December 3, 2011. It will be in the same place as last time - the Paley Center in Beverly Hills. The pint-sized star will sell off more costumes and props from classic movie sets. This time featuring even more Marilyn Monroe costumes.

You can pre-order the second catalog here: http://www.profilesinhistory.com/debbie-reynolds-the-auction-part-ii/catalog-pre-order

According to the auction house's email, the perky Ms. Reynolds will appear on Good Morning America to announce the auction today.

Tony Randall Instructs Johnny Carson on Storytelling

2011-10-12T00:32:00.000-07:00

I have the biggest crush on Tony Randall.... Ahem. Here Mr. Randall visits the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in May 1985. He tries to teach Carson how to tell a story after the host's joke bombs.

Movie Stars in Food Art. Bent Objects with Terry Border

2011-10-09T07:26:00.000-07:00

This photo is too cute. It's called "Marilyn."

Terry Border, BentObjects.blogspot.com

Photographer Terry Border makes amusing scenes from wire and food. A few of the bent objects have something to do with classic film stars, but not many. I decided to pass along the link anyway. The artist posts at www.BentObjects.blogspot.com.

This next photo is called " Many Passionate Fans." This one reminded me of Gene Kelly as Don Lockwood getting too much love from his adoring public.

Terry Border, BentObjects.blogspot.com

Fair Flair: A Tribute to Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.'s Wardrobe

2011-10-05T10:27:00.000-07:00

20th century screen star Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. apparently looked just as dapper off screen as on.Will at A Suitable Wardrobe recounts his thoughts about a recent auction featuring Fairbanks' clothes.

Perhaps the most interesting thing to me about the wardrobe of the late Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. that was auctioned off earlier this month was that it was among the last on the planet to include a full selection of what is now essentially extinct formal clothing. There were tailcoats, morning coats and half a dozen smoking jackets in addition to the black tie that most of us now think of as formal wear

Faribanks'(sic) wardrobe bridged the first and second half of the twentieth centuries.

2011 CiMBA Awards

2011-10-04T17:15:00.000-07:00

The nominations for the 2011 CiMBA Awards are in and Java's Journey is among them. I'm stoked! Thanks everyone and congratulations to my fellow nominees!

Java's Journey is up for Best Film Review (Drama) for "The Heiress(1949): Her Mother's Presence" and Best Profile of a Classic Movie Performer or Filmmaker for "Judy Garland vs. Deanna Durbin."

See the list of nominees at the Classic Movie Blog Association: CiMBA Nominations Have Been Announced!

Dick Van Dyke Blogathon: Sally Is A Girl

2011-10-03T11:47:00.001-07:00

For television characters with self-possession and acerbic wit, Sally Rogers (Rose Marie) from "The Dick Van Dyke Show" is one of the best. A running gag for this supporting role is that Rob's unmarried co-worker is perpetually desperate for a date.

Usually Sally's love interests have quirky personalities and interesting names. [Leo Fassbinder, Herman Glimpshire and Mr. Defenthaler (Sally's code name for all boyfriends) come to mind.] However, in at least one episode about Sally's new beau, the guy has nondescript nomenclature and is completely secondary to the main plot.

In "Sally is a Girl," Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) believes Rob's female co-worker is still single because Rob (Dick Van Dyke) and Buddy (Morey Amsterdam) treat Sally like a guy. Rob counteracts the habit by being overly chivalrous, to disastrous results - Buddy now believes that his two office mates are having an affair!

Although this is technically a Sally episode, the show is less about her new boyfriend (who appears briefly in the 1st and 3rd acts) and more an excuse for Van Dyke to exhibit his virtuosity in physical comedy. After agreeing with Laura to make "Sir Walter Raleigh look like a boor," Rob not only rises when Sally needs assistance, he springs from the couch as if shot out of a canon. When Sally picks up typing paper, Rob kisses her hand before gingerly threading the paper through the typewriter, as if the machine itself might be female. Rob is chivalrous to the point of impracticality.

Sir Walter Petrie on the move

What this means for Sally is that instead of her usual routine of cracking hilarious nonstop jokes, she has to react to insanity, which in itself is funny. Rob's sudden effusive behavior initially makes Buddy and Sally think he's pulling a prank when he pulls out her chair. "Alright, what's the gag?," she asks. "All I know is I'd check my accident policy before I sat down," answers Buddy.

After rumors of an affair begin, Rob calms down and Sally returns to being just a part of the team. However, in the end the Sir Raleigh bit has an unintended consequence - the pronounced contrast between her being appreciated at work and not so much on a date. It's obvious how valuable Sally is to the team, even without Rob throwing his coat over a puddle, but the new boyfriend doesn't appreciate Sally's bank of knowledge. When he's at a loss for the name of a car part, Sally chimes in with the answer and the date seems perplexed or affronted that she would know this information. Sally covers her gaffe, and laughs it off, but this is a bittersweet conclusion, especially since we know the guys at the office appreciate her talent on a regular basis.

-------------------

This post is a part of the Dick Van Dyke Blogathon celebrating the 50th anniversary of the premiere of this timeless television classic. This blogathon is sponsored by The Thrilling Days of Yesteryear. See more entries here: http://thrillingdaysofyesteryear.blogspot.com/2011/10/did-you-bring-me-anything-daddy.html

2011-10-03T00:37:00.000-07:00

Just felt like looking at Dean Martin today.

That was a nice break.

via

Those Creepy Pictures

2011-09-30T17:51:00.000-07:00

When we left off with MorphThing.com, I combined images of Cary Grant and Marylin Monroe. The results were not kind. Monroe disappears and Grant sports lip rouge and a hairdo from the ghost of Einstein.

Who were those other helpless couples whose images I destroyed?

ClassicBecky guessed one half of two couples correctly. prettycleverfilmgal guessed one half of three couples correctly. Here are the answers.

This voluptuous pixie ready to chew your monitor is actually

Orson Welles and Deanna Durbin

This cleft-chinned character who smells something foul is a combo of

Bette Davis and Cary Grant

This delicate little rose is the product of

Gregory Peck and Mary Astor. They even share a part in thier hair.

Thanks for playing.

Laszlo's On Lex Blog Author, Gerald Stewart, Has Died

2011-09-29T18:41:00.000-07:00

I can't stop crying. I've only just learned that Gerald Stewart of the Laszlo's on Lex blog died this summer. You can read Gerald's last post "Closing Time" here.

There have been a number of tributes.

Matthew at Movie Tone News
Laura at Laura's Misc. Musings
C.K. Dexter Haven at Hollywood Dreamland
Tom at Motion Picture Gems

I first began reading Laszlo's last November when someone's sidebar showcased the Veteran's Day post. It is a very well-written tribute to Gerald's brothers-in-arms. I left a comment mentioning my recently deceased uncle - an Army veteran who introduced me to the joys of Gracie Allen- and Gerald reciprocated on my blog:

I came by to follow up on the story that you had told me about your relative whom you had not known was a veteran. They are and were the true guardians of our heritage. If he also influenced you in the direction of classic films, he has served more than one cause.

Gerald's words stayed with me for a long while.

The Deanna Durbin Photo that begat a generous email

The Stewarts noticed my Deanna Durbin blog header and I asked to pick Gerald's brain about what he remembered of Universal Studio's number one box office draw and how she influenced the culture. He replied that he wasn't into girls at the time, but his female relatives liked her movies. In lieu of a personal story, he emailed me the cover story of a film fan magazine that featured Ms. Durbin.

Dear Java:

I scanned in the Durbin article.... I did a test Emailing to myself and had trouble mailing given the size.

I then went back and reduced the size of each graphic by half and did another test Emailing....

As I am unsure what you have on your device, I will do a test Emailing of the first four pages and wait until you advise if they have been received free of trouble....

If not, I can always download the pages to a CD and send by mail.

Hope it works. Best.

Gerald (Laszlo’s)

emphasis mine

That's right! Gerald - a complete stranger - scanned and uploaded seventeen pages of a fan magazine, tested and retested the email, and offered to send a CD just because he knew I had an interest in a particular film star's career. The very next month Tom invited me to write for the Amazing Deanna Durbin blog, so Gerald's efforts helped me even before I knew I would need it.

I could not believe the generosity that was coming my way! I recall thinking, "This is how I would like my classic movie blogging to be - generous, beyond the call of duty and thoroughly engaged." Gerald inspired me not only in his well-written memories on Laszlo's but in the munificence behind a simple email.

You go about typing words into cyberspace and it feels like a game. Sometimes you forget that there are real people behind the blogs; that email was a reminder, as was the news of a fellow blogger's passing.

I'll leave you with a part of Gerald's Veteran's Day post that stayed with me last year:

Those at work, those in my family, those in that neighborhood bar, and those under whom I served in Germany are all gone now. But I will think about them for a while today...

Best Tango Ever!

2011-09-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Salome Otterbourne, author of romantic novels full of "good, strong sex" here teaches Colonel Race the Tango "with a sensuous, erotic dash." The following video is from Death On The Nile (1978). The lady is, of course, Angela Lansbury leading David Niven around the dance floor.

Finally! A Chance to Lick Kirk Douglas!

2011-09-26T15:48:00.000-07:00

[Not in that way.]

Today the United States Postal Service announced that it is looking for living persons to honor. Classic movies stars have long graced our nation's envelopes. However, until today, film icons should have been dead for five years before being honored with a stamp.

The USPS is seeking suggestions via facebook and twitter. Let's suggest Douglas as Michael "Midge" Kelly. Or Deanna Durbin. Or Jane Powell. The list is endless!

What classic film star, living or dead, would you like to see on a stamp?

You can read the list of movie stars they've already honored here: Katharine Hepburn Graces A Stamp.

Hollywood Revue: Film Fashion Blogathon: Auntie Mame (1958)

2011-09-24T17:58:00.000-07:00

Mame Dennis changes fashion styles almost as often as she changes her mood. Rosalind Russell plays an eccentric 20th century New Yorker in Auntie Mame(1958), whose so dedicated to style that even her house is an extension of her wardrobe and gets appropriate and timely facelifts as well.

It's the 1920s and we meet Mame for the first time at one of her wild house parties. We instantly know that this woman is a sophisticate who shuns convention, not only because of the odd ducks at her party, and not because she orders bootleg gin during Prohibition, but because of her outfit. In a day when ladies of a certain age received guests almost exclusively in dresses, Mame wears black beaded lounging pants with orange beaded robe and Mandarin collar. She handles an outrageously long cigarette holder from which she never puffs. Cigarettes are an accessory for this character.

Mame wears her version of a smoking jacket in aubergine

When Mame begins her memoirs, her wardrobe (and house) becomes slightly masculine and filled with autumnal colors. Mame bounces about the house dictating the book to her secretary in a bow tie and tailor-made aubergine smoking jacket that nips in at the waist to display her feminine curves. She has emotionally and physically linked herself with another character through fashion, since the mildly androgynous outfit mimics the beige lounging jacket worn by her co-author, Brian.

Mame's co-author wears smoking jacket

A second feminine smoking jacket, this time with ascot

At the end of the second act - still writing her book, a bust of Shakespeare in the corner - she wears a slim, floor length, bronze smoking jacket with ascot, under which she wears matching metallic slacks that catches the light. It's a deliberate contrast to her secretary's matte brown outfit with orthopedic oxfords.

Instructing her timid secretary to get out more, Mame exclaims, "Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death... Live!" Flinging the skirts over her shoulder, Mame races up the curved staircase shouting, "Live!" It's a dramatic ensemble that effectively leaves the second act on a high note.

We see Mame's extravagant wardrobe throughout the film so that during her lean years, after the stock market crash, the difference in style is noticeable. Instead of the usual furs, jewels, opulent hairstyles and whatnot, Mame now wears a nondescript, dark, ankle-length wool coat over a plain navy blue dress as she hunts down odd jobs.

Mame and the maid share a moment and a collar style

Mame, however, is not entirely superficial in Rosalind Russell's portrayal of the character, and the film uses wardrobe to showcase her capacity to love. When her nephew scrapes together some cash to buy her a fake diamond bracelet when they are broke, the heiress tearfully cries, "That's the most beautiful bracelet I ever owned."

Her dress in this scene sports a scalloped Peter Pan collar that looks strikingly similar to the maid's collar. This not only suggests that her income bracket is now similar to that of the servant's, it also again links her emotionally to the family of non-relatives with which she surrounds herself. She's still the fun-loving, welcoming person no matter the circumstances.

Meeting Patrick's trustee in a beige suit and "halo"

Mame is very much aware of her idiosyncrasies. It's as if the world truly is her stage and she's a player trodding the boards. When Mame is about to meet the officious trustee for her nephew, she hurriedly braids a switch to mimic a halo, and dons a conservative beige suit and pearls; she's acting the part of a dowdy society matron to gain the man's trust. It works.

Backless widow's weeds

After marrying then losing her husband in a freak accident, Mame sports widow's weeds as only she can - with a bouquet of flowers sewn on her back side. It's a neat little surprise for the audience when the grieving widow turns around. She's not changed a bit even in grief. And we like her that way.

-------------------------------

This post is a part of the Fashion in Film Blogathon sponsored by Hollywood Revue. Click here to read the other contributions to the blogathon!

8 Autumn-Themed Classic Movies

2011-09-24T05:38:00.000-07:00

It's time to fold away your sun-scorched skin and fall into a pile of leaves. Autumn is upon us. Let's catch up on classic movies featuring the fall season.

[Click the titles for movie trailers or movie excerpts]

The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1952)

The Affairs of Dobie Gillis

Before he attended high school on television, Dobie Gillis attended college in this movie starring Bobby Van and Debbie Reynolds. He starts the fall semester joining certain classes just to be near a certain girl. That's what higher education was all about in many early to mid- 20th century musicals.

Autumn Leaves
Contemplating the autumn of her life, Joan Crawford has a May-December romance [actually, more of an August-October affair] with Clift "Kahuna" Robertson. But his father, Lorne "The Progenitor of All Rough-Hewn Dudes" Greene, has something to say about the matter.

Come September
This comedy of international romance between Rock Hudson and Gina Lollobridgida might not be the first movie you think of for autumn since it is mostly set in a sun-lit Italian villa. However, the time frame is the dog days of summer and the first of fall. (It's hilarious, by the way.)

Father Was a Fullback
Fred MacMurray can't catch a break. The college football team he coaches is losing, his younger daughter just came home with a black eye, and his teenaged daughter has decided to "mature" into a minimalist. Thelma Ritter is on hand to crack jokes.

Good News(1947)
In this musical, Tait College's quarterback (Peter Lawford) must pass a foreign language exam to play in the big game this fall. Lawford sings like he's passing a gallstone, but his French is music to my ears.

Too Many Girls (1940)
It's the first film in which both Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz appear. It's all about the goings-on at a southwestern school. The plot doesn't matter - boy gets girl and that's really it. Watch for co-ed Ann Miller's dancing.

The Trouble With Harry (1955)
Shirley McLaine must deal with an anonymous dead guy found among maple leaves that match her hair. This is a dark comedy by Alfred Hitchcock.

Young Ideas (1943)
Two kids (Susan Peters and my crush from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - Elloitt Reid) enroll into college to please their new stepfather (Herbert Marshall) who is a professor. This gives the man a false sense of security as the boy and girl plot to break up his marriage and have their mother all to themselves again. Mary Astor -yet again playing someone's mother- is the coveted prize.

What are your favorite classic movies featuring autumn?

Not yet ready for autumn? Click here for my list of Summer-Themed Classic Movies.

Marilyn Monroe's Son with Cary Grant...

2011-09-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

...might have looked like this:

I've just found the website Morphthing.com and combined this photo

with this one.

It's a fun little time waster.

Here are three more. Who are their parents?

Update: The answers are here: Those Creepy Pictures

CMBA Guilty Pleasures Blogathon: How To Murder Your Wife (1965)

2011-09-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

Perpetual bachelor Stanley Ford (Jack Lemmon) wakes up married to the stripper (Virna Lisi) in his friend's cake. Her presence interrupts his routine, thus Stanley must get rid of her.

How To Murder Your Wife (1965) is written by prolific comedy writer and Broadway author George Axelrod. The writer who penned the tale of an itchy married man who wants to scratch while the wife's away now brings the tale of an angry married man who desperately wants to put his wife away. Permanently.

What could be good about How To Murder Your Wife? Three things: Terry-Thomas, the tunes and the townhouse.

TERRY-THOMAS

In this film the wife is simple, the husband's a jerk, his lawyer's a pain and the lawyer's wife is a nag. The only person worth your time is Terry-Thomas as the butler, Charles, who refuses to work for married couples. He's a jerk as well, but somehow, even with a limited amount of screen time, he's funnier than anyone else.

Charles is disgusted!

It is partly Charles' ultimatum and Stanley's desire not to lose a good manservant that catapults our "hero" to action, thinking of ways to rid himself of his lovely wife. Terry-Thomas is the king of indignation and is perfectly cast since the entire plot largely hinges on Charles' disdain for married females. Think of him as a slightly less discriminating Henry Higgins type.

The veteran character actor's elastic face helps here as well. Charles prances about the house glorying in all the testosterone, the corners of his mouth pent to his ears like a Cheshire cat. Discovering there is a missus in the house, the pins pop out and his mouth slowly slides like melting mustache wax. His scowl is hilarious!

THE TUNES

Helping the audience feel the characters' pain is composer Neal Hefti. Hefti is one of a long list of musicians/composers who imbues music for 1960s movies and television with its unique sound.

Each main character in Wife has a theme, but my favorite is the noble little funeral march called "Charles Packs His Bags." It's heard under the footsteps of Stanley's misogynistic butler as he walks towards the door - luggage in hand, nose in the air - protesting his employer's nuptials. Here the composer of TV's classic "Batman" theme song brings vivacity and humor to an otherwise gruesome tale.

Charles storms out. Nicely placed portrait of a female rests between them

The soundtrack for Wife is not so avant-garde as to be intrusive; it stays comfortably in the background underscoring little gestures. But neither is it a wallflower at this party. The music is partly romantic, partly snappy and jazzy. You keep thinking "Doesn't that sound like a couple of bars from the 'Odd Couple' show?," and "Wow! This is right up there with Henri Mancini and Quincy Jones."

It's a bad movie with an outstanding score.

THE TOWNHOUSE

You've got an unapologetically offensive (and thus comical) manservant and you've got great music, but this film wouldn't be half as entertaining without the sumptuous and modern trappings. Stanley Ford lives in a beautiful three story townhouse right in the middle of New York City. With skyscrapers all around, Charles declares, "Look at us! The last stronghold of gracious living in a world gone mad! Mad!"

He's right.

Ford. Stanley Ford.

Near the beginning of the movie, the camera follows Charles as he gives the audience a tour of his employer's opulent but tasteful bachelor pad. The butler looks squarely into the camera, gives a toothy grin and purrs that all of this could have been yours had you poor souls remained unmarried.

And what a pad it is! Married or single, male or female, you will love this house!

A little antagonism in the kitchen. But that exposed brick is to die for!

Spiral staircases, a butler's pantry with floor to ceiling cupboards and drawers, dark wood finishes, a workspace with artfully arranged clutter and a shower with a panopticon array of nozzles that automatically adjust the water to your preferred temperature. Utopia!

Gorgeous! And the guys look good too.

It all comes crashing down, figuratively, when the missus begins redecorating. You can almost hear that famous musical misogynist, Professor Higgins, singing

But! Let a woman in your life,
And your serenity is through.
She'll redecorate your home
from the cellar to the dome,
Then go to the enthralling fun
Of overhauling you.

Seriously, the townhouse is another star in this piece, one that deserves appreciation. Perhaps you should watch How To Murder Your Wife with the sound off. You'll miss the wonderful music, but not having to hear a bunch of idiots rant against women might improve the plot.

This post is a part of the CMBA Guilty Pleasures Movie Blogathon. Click here for the other posts in this 3-day blogathon.

Kathryn Grayson Battles to the Death singing "Bell Song" from Lakme

2011-09-09T14:17:00.000-07:00

An opera fan has an excerpt of Kathryn Grayson's performance of Delibes' "Bell Song" from Lakme. The piece is placed among 29 other such presentations performed by Lily Pons, Natalie Dessay, Mady Mesple and others.
[My favorite is Mesple's since she doesn't seem to be trying so hard to hit those notes.]

Ms. Grayson appears in part 2 at 5:42.

Kathryn Grayson's part was taken from a dream sequence in the movie It Happened In Brooklyn (1947). You can see her rendition in its entirety here: The Bell Song (Où va la jeune Indoue?) - Kathryn Grayson

On Our Merry Way (1948) - a Meredith film without enough Burgess in it

2011-09-03T15:02:00.000-07:00

Anthology films are often irritating. One movie composed of a series of short films tied together with one theme can be aggravating. Although you get a sampling of many actors' talents, you also never get enough of your favorite stars.

One such film is On Our Merry Way (1948) starring Burgess Meredith as Oliver Pease, a reporter who goes about asking random people "how has a baby influenced your life?," or some such question. Then the movie takes a detour into the lives of various characters as they answer the question. Oliver ends up talking to James Stewart, Henry Fonda, Dorothy Lamour... Forget it! Here's the list of people.

But the most interesting story is that of Oliver and his wife Martha (Paulette Goddard).

Two Sleepy People

The movie is at its best before Oliver sets out on his quest, when the script is introducing us to the couple.The doorbell awakens a groggy Oliver in his crowded, little New York flat. He answers the door and has a short spat with the newspaper boy. ("Keep the change." "There ain't any." "Keep it anyway.") He climbs back into bed only to have the alarm clock go off. The scene is like one of those Robert Benchley reels about a guy who just can't catch a break.

"Don't tell me. It's a view of a tulip bed in Holland..."

Oliver and Martha begin their daily routine - he showers, she makes breakfast, all the while bantering and cracking jokes.

Oliver: When is the common man going to catch up to your style of painting?
Martha: You just did.
Oliver: In spite of your insults, I love your wit, I love your paintings, but most of all, I love... your coffee.

They are such a charming couple, but we get only about 10 minutes with them.

Shaving at the breakfast table

Martha gives him a new idea for a man-on-the-street column and expects to see it in the newspaper. This is what starts the guy on his journey. We later discover that Oliver has lied about his occupation and his salary and that he has gambling debts. These are just the catalysts which propel him from one vignette to another. Will he eventually become a real reporter? Will the racetrack goon to whom he owes money catch him and beat him up? Will his wife find out? All that jazz. It's really an early sitcom.

Despite such luminaries as Fred MacMurray and William Demarest later on in the mix, after about 15 minutes into the film I became nostalgic for the Pease apartment and the fun the newlyweds seem to be having. Why couldn't the film exclusively follow Oliver and Martha?

Oh well. Perhaps since Meredith was busy producing the film, his marked absence from his own movie can be excused.... Nah.

Dear Java: On Finding Deanna Durbin Movies

2011-09-03T12:06:00.000-07:00

Java's Journey received an inquiry from R. Chow in the comments section of the 1981 Photo of Deanna Durbin:

I am able to buy only half of Deanna Durbin's movies in DVD. I wonder where I can buy her other DVD movies. I enjoy her movies because [they are] are direct, simple and beautiful.

Thanks, R. Chow. I completely agree that the allure of Ms. Durbin's films is in their simplicity. I'm glad to meet another fan of Deanna Durbin.

On to your question.

DEANNA DURBIN ON DVD

Since you have about half of Deanna Durbin's films on DVD, you have all that are available in that format.

Deanna Durbin made 21 feature films for Universal Studios and 1 short subject for MGM. Only 11 Durbin feature films are on DVD. (Please note that all DVD information on this post refers to Region 1 DVDs)

Universal released The Sweetheart Pack in 2004. It is a set of six Deanna Durbin films on DVD: Three Smart Girls, Something in the Wind, First Love, It Started With Eve, Can't Help Singing and Lady on a Train. You can buy it at the studio's website, TCM.com , Amazon.com or in stores.

In August 2010, Universal banded together with Turner Classic Movies to release another set of Durbin films in the Deanna Durbin: The Music and Romance Collection. Five DVDs are in this set: Mad About the Music, That Certain Age, Three Smart Girls Grow Up, Because of Him and For the Love of Mary. These films are available as a set or individually at TCM.com and on Amazon.com.

DEANNA DURBIN ON VHS

VHS cover for 3 Smart Girls

Although there are only 11 official Durbin DVDs, there are 18 feature length Durbin movies on VHS. Some movies are available in both formats.

In 1995, Durbin's movies were made available for home viewing for the first time. According to this Washington Post article from January 24, 1995, Universal released four Durbin movies on VHS : Three Smart Girls, One Hundred Men and a Girl, Three Smart Girls Grow Up and It Started With Eve. Universal would later release more Durbin films throughout the late 1990s.

According to the interview in this 1995 article, Universal Studios owns the rights to all Deanna Durbin feature films. However, MGM/UA released It's A Date (1940) on VHS on September 1, 1998, suggesting the competing studio might now own the rights to that film.

By 1999, the grand total for Deanna Durbin feature films on VHS from both studios was 18 in all. They are available at Amazon.com.

VHS - MGM's release of It's a Date

Contact Universal for more information and to request that the remainder of Durbin's films be released on DVD.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment
100 Universal City Plaza Universal Studios, CA. 91608
General Phone: 818.508.9600
www.universalstudios.com

Contact MGM about It's a Date (1940)
MGM Studios
10250 Constellation Boulevard Los Angeles, CA. 9006
Phone for DVD Questions: 888-223-2369

Just for the sake of clarity, the following is a list of all Durbin films (and the short subject), whether they are officially available for home viewing and in what format: DVD or VHS. Click the titles for more information on the movie.

LIST OF DEANNA DURBIN FILMS

VHS cover for 100 Men & a Girl

EVERY SUNDAY(1936)
Deanna Durbin's 11 minute short subject is owned by MGM and co-stars Judy Garland; you'll find it on the two following Garland films.

Available on DVD? Yes. A bonus feature on For Me and My Gal (1942)
Available on VHS? Yes. A bonus feature on Summer Stock (1950)

THREE SMART GIRLS (1936)

Available on DVD? Yes. In the Sweetheart Pack released in 2004
Available on VHS? Yes. Released by MCA/Universal in 1995

ONE HUNDRED MEN AND A GIRL (1937)
Available on DVD? No.
Available on VHS? Yes. Released by MCA/Universal in 1995.

MAD ABOUT MUSIC (1938)
Available on DVD? Yes. Released in TCM's Deanna Durbin:The Music and Romance Collection in 2010.
Available on VHS? Yes. Released by MCA/Universal in 1996.

THAT CERTAIN AGE (1938)
Available on DVD? Yes. Released in TCM's Deanna Durbin:The Music and Romance Collection in 2010.
Available on VHS? Yes. Released by MCA/Universal in 1997.

THREE SMART GIRLS GROW UP (1939)
Available on DVD? Yes. Released in TCM's Deanna Durbin:The Music and Romance Collection in 2010.
Available on VHS? Yes. Released by MCA/Universal in 1995

VHS cover for It Started With Eve

FIRST LOVE (1939)
Available on DVD? Yes. In the Sweetheart Pack released in 2004
Available on VHS? Yes. Released by MCA/Universal in 1996.

IT’S A DATE(1940)
Available on DVD? No.
Available on VHS? Yes. Released by MGM/UA in 1998.

SPRING PARADE (1940)
Available on DVD? No.
Available on VHS? No.

NICE GIRL?(1941)
Available on DVD? No.
Available on VHS? Yes. Released by MCA/Universal in 1997.

IT STARTED WITH EVE(1941)
Available on DVD?Yes. In the Sweetheart Pack released in 2004
Available on VHS? Yes. Released by MCA/Universal in 1995

THE AMAZING MRS. HOLLIDAY (1943)
Available on DVD? No.
Available on VHS? Yes. Released by Universal in 1999.

HERS TO HOLD (1943)
Available on DVD? No.

VHS cover for His Butler's Sister

Available on VHS? No.

HIS BUTLER’S SISTER(1943)
Available on DVD? No.
Available on VHS? Yes. Released by MCA/Universal in 1996

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY(1944)
Available on DVD? No.
Available on VHS? No.

CAN’T HELP SINGING(1944)
Available on DVD? Yes. In the Sweetheart Pack released in 2004
Available on VHS? Yes. Released by MCA/Universal in 1997.

LADY ON A TRAIN(1945)
Available on DVD? Yes. In the Sweetheart Pack released in 2004
Available on VHS? Yes. Released by MCA/Universal in 1996.

BECAUSE OF HIM(1946)
Available on DVD?Yes. Released in TCM's Deanna Durbin:The Music & Romance Collection in 2010.
Available on VHS? Yes. Released by Universal in 1999.

VHS cover for Up In Central Park

I’LL BE YOURS(1947)
Available on DVD? No.
Available on VHS? Yes. Released by Universal in 1999.

SOMETHING IN THE WIND(1947)
Available on DVD?Yes. In the Sweetheart Pack released in 2004
Available on VHS? Yes. Released by MCA/Universal in 1998.

UP IN CENTRAL PARK(1948)
Available on DVD? No.
Available on VHS? Yes. Released by MCA/Universal in 1998.

FOR THE LOVE OF MARY (1948)
Available on DVD?Yes. Released in TCM's Deanna Durbin:The Music and Romance Collection in 2010.
Available on VHS? Yes. Released by MCA/Universal in 1998.

To Our Very Best Pal JOHN WAYNE (Or Occupant)

2011-08-27T18:59:00.000-07:00

LettersofNote.com displays "correspondence deserving of a wider audience." They have uploaded (and transcribed) the following letter to John Wayne. Wayne was one of many guests on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. After the final show in August 1973, the hosts of the series- Dan Rowan and Dick Martin- sent the following missive to the Duke.

Hot Saturday (1932) - A Cary Grant Drama

2011-08-11T22:06:00.000-07:00

Actually, Cary Grant doesn't get much screen time in his seventh film, despite his character's prominence in the film. Hot Saturday (1932) is a story about gossip and its consequences. Grant's character, Romer, doesn't have to be onscreen to be mentioned constantly. He is a wealthy, smalltown guy who's rarely in town, brings strange ladies around and is therefore fodder for hot gossip.

Ruth (Nancy Carroll) is a respectable bank secretary who never gets into trouble... until one night. She's out all night, having escaped from a guy who wouldn't take "no" for an answer. She drops exhausted on Romer's doorstep, he comforts her and sends her home in his car. People believe she's done something naughty with the town's bad boy. This is the turning point in Ruth's life, and it's dramatized by the over-sized faces of gossipers on the telephone superimposed over the image of the local switchboard.

"Have you heard..."

Ruth loses her job and self respect. She's in a pickle. It's kind of like The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1945) - complete with eccentric father and smart-mouthed little sister - but with the ratio of comedy to drama inverted. However, unlike Morgan's Creek, absolutely no one believes our heroine's story or attempts to help her.

All by herself

Ruth is completely alone.

She runs to the boy-next-door, Bill (Randolph Scott), who just blew back into town and knows nothing of the scandal. He's the soul of truth and honor and respects Ruth as something beyond a paycheck (unlike her family) and something other than a social toy (unlike the other guys and gals in town).

Playful conversation with friend, Bill

[If you don't want the ending spoiled, read no farther.]

But even Bill rejects her when he hears of her reputation. Actually, he's more jealous of Romer than anything else. So in swoops Cary Grant to save the day and promises to marry the girl - two outsiders comfort each other and get out of Dodge. I guess the two or three little talks Ruth and Romer have in this film are enough to cement the decision, but the whole situation is rushed.

The lady has little alternative; you truly get a sense of Ruth's helpless state as a lady wronged by a group of gossips. The pity of it is the townsmen never realize what they've done, so it will likely happen again.

By the way, I absolutely love Nancy Carroll's wind-blown hairdo in the final shot, leaving home. It not only looks pretty on her, it's a symbol of freedom. Her hairstyles up to that point in the film are various contemporary helmet-like looks. Even her hair was constrained in that town.

Superfluous screenshot of Grant in a tux. I couldn't pass it up.

Hot Saturday had decent reviews. You can read the New York Times review of it by clicking here. It's kind of cute that they misspell Grant's name.

Update: Read the backstory of Hot Saturday at Carole and Co. Carole Lombard was originally slated for the role.

On Robert Osborne, Lucille Ball and other things

2011-08-11T13:45:00.000-07:00

Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne has taking leave for minor surgery? I'm totally out of the loop! As of a month ago, according to the New York Post's film critic Lou Lumenick, after the surgery, Osborne is taking a three month vacation.

Osborne enjoys and knows such a great deal about classic movies that he's become a treasure himself. The host was first an actor in New York. Later he switched coasts, famously working for the Desilu Workshop under the supervision of Lucille Ball. The young contract player became a confidante and escort for her now and then when her husband, Desi Arnaz, wasn't available.

In preparation for True Classic's Lucille Ball birthday blogathon last Saturday (I didn't have the blog post written in time!), I finally got around to reading Desilu: The Story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. In it, Osborne is quoted alot, especially concerning Lucy. He often speaks of the ground-breaking comedienne not in terms of her humor, nor in terms of her power (he joined her at the height of the Desilu corporation's existence) but in terms of her persistence. Here are two examples.

Osborne on Lucille Ball's early days in show business:

" She had to go out pounding the pavements for work, doing modeling. She used to tell me about how, a lot of times, she used to go to these parties, where she's go in and there'd be this huge, long table. She said the girls would sit at every other seat. 'The first thing you did,' she'd say 'is reach under your plate and get your hundred dollar bill.' I don't know if they had to end up going to bed with them, or were just there as dinner companions while these mobsters were having a meeting, but it was survival, just trying to survive."

Osborne on Lucille Ball's obsession to hide her age on camera:

"It's not vanity as much as it is survival. It's knowing the town so well and how Hollywood gets rid of you with age, and she wanted to work."

Of course, behind every successful clown is a profound solemnity. Jerry Lewis has it and so did Lucy. Says Osborne,

"I don't think [Lucille Ball] had any humor at all, strangely enough, for someone that funny. She could laugh, and she liked a good laugh, but she didn't think funny, although she knew what was funny and could make a situation funny. I don't think of her as a 'light' person at all. I think of Lucy as a 'heavy' - serious about comedy, serious about having fun."

Speaking of serious fun with classic film icons, after his vacation, TCM's silver fox will be raring to go for the TCM Classic Cruise in December. Our man of the (prime-time) hour will be joined by Norman Jewison, Tippi Hedren and Ernest Borgnine, among others. (Where have I been that I didn't know of this? )

www.tcmcruise.com

Link: 5 Reasons The Greatest Movie Villain Ever is a 'Good' Witch/ Update: Link fixed

2011-08-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

Cracked.com has some weird articles, usually listing the greatest spies EVER! or the most clueless movie characters EVER!

This time they are listing why Glinda the Good (Billie Burke) in The Wizard of Oz (1939), who appears to be a helpful mentor to the vulnerable main character Dorothy (Judy Garland), is actually a selfish and horrible manipulator.

WWW: Quit staring at me and watch your back, Dorothy!

Read the Cracked Article here: 5 Reasons The Greatest Movie Villain Ever is a 'Good' Witch

Java's Journey has touched on the subject briefly here: Past and Present: The Wizard of Oz (1939) & The Wiz (1978) - Part 2 of 2

Read the comments under the article at Cracked.com as well. This one's my favorite so far. Written by TheZacula

"Are you a good witch or a bad witch?"
"I'm not a witch at all! Are YOU a bad witch?"
"No, silly. I'm a good witch. Bad witches are ugly!"
"Waitaminute, then why'd you ask if I was a bad witch?"
".......say, do you wanna go kill somebody?"

Recycled Costumes: Little Women (1949) and Tall Target (1951)

2011-08-05T14:39:00.000-07:00

Movie studios would often get as much wear out of their costumes as they could. Taking off a frill here, putting on a patch there, re-dying if necessary and using it again in another film. In the following case, MGM Studios takes a lead character's Walter Plunkett dress and uses it (or a copy) for a supporting role years later.

It's a mid-19th century dress, crimson top with black, tan and crimson stripes on the bodice and cuffs, voluminous skirt and coordinating pocket belt. This costume is the perfect functional dress of a woman who - especially when wearing a hoop skirt underneath - does not do backbreaking labor or factory work, is not exactly wearing haute couture but is kempt. There's an air of wealth yet not complete extravagance lended to the wearer.

In Little Women (1949), Jo March (June Allyson) is the 2nd eldest daughter in a formerly wealthy family. This dress is likely one of many hand-me-downs. Jo first wears this dress with a crimson hoop skirt while talking to Laurie (Peter Lawford) about wanting to go to Europe. She accidentally burns the skirt during that conversation.

Allyson with pocket belt and crimson hoop skirt that's just about to be lit on fire

Allyson with dark skirt, without pocket belt

Jo wears the dress again when she's on her own in New York City. Her aunt and sister visit her on their way to Europe.

This time she wears it without the pocket belt and with a dark skirt- no doubt the penurious lady patched and dyed it or attached the bodice to another skirt. It's also used to remind the audience that the last time we saw her in this dress she was dreaming of going to Europe herself one day, and that dream seems dashed.

Ruby Dee without hoops, with pocket belt

In Tall Target (1951), Rachel, the slave, (Ruby Dee) wears this dress (or a copy of it) with the dark skirt. She doesn't seem to be wearing hoops, which might be a social status thing, or just practical since most of the film takes place in the narrow passageways of a train. I could find no designer credited with any of the costumes in this film; apparently this dress wasn't the only apparel that was snatched from other films. No original designs in this film, it seems.

Still, in this taut thriller about an assassination attempt on President-Elect Lincoln, no one is worried about costumes (as long as they are not noticeably anachronistic).

Ruby Dee as Rachel

Trivia

The costume sold in June this year in Debbie Reynolds' auction.

June Allyson and Dick Powell (the star of Tall Target) were married to each other at the time of both films.

The Three Tenors pay tribute to Gene Kelly

2011-08-03T19:14:00.000-07:00

Just a quiet evening at home with the family; listening to Luciano Pavarotti sing his lungs out. Came across this little gem. The Three Tenors - Plácido Domingo, José Carreras and Pavarotti - sing a tribute to Gene Kelly who is in the audience at one of their concerts. This is two years before Kelly's death in 1996. He's frail, but in great spirits. Unexpected treat for me. Enjoy.

Carol Burnett Lampoons Wyler's Heiress (1949)

2011-07-29T22:33:00.000-07:00

I should have known that "The Carol Burnett Show" made a spoof of William Wyler's drama The Heiress (1949). If it's a classic film then TCBS has made fun of it.

It's called "The Lady Heir." Here it is on Youtube.

Part 1

Part 2

Childhood Ruined: Indiscreet (1958)

2011-07-26T10:07:00.000-07:00

Indiscreet (1958) held a promise of adulthood for me as a kid. Not the flirting with a married man part - the scandal went right over my head! - but that an adult can consume only chocolate and milk for dinner and not get in trouble. [It looks like chocolate; it could be individually-wrapped pieces of soft cheese.] I didn’t understand that Ingrid Bergman eating this paltry meal in a tailor-made housecoat is meant to display loneliness and depression. She seems to be living the high life to a kid who had to dress for dinner and eat all her vegetables first.

A few minutes later, the Bergman character, still wearing her housecoat, has cold cream all over her face during her meetcute with Cary Grant. This scene typified an ease of life, a lack of regimentation, that I wanted very much when I grew up. It was only later that I realized this is meant to be a comic situation at Bergman’s expense since a handsome man shows up and the lady looks like a slob [or as close to it as she gets in the film; she still looks beautiful to me].

The audience is meant to contrast that first lonely meal in her house with the cheerful second one - breakfast with Grant with a fully cooked meal on a gingham tablecloth. The scene is like a Vermeer genre piece, there’s so much strategically-placed sunshine pouring in. She’s happy. I’m not. My childhood version of this film is ruined.

Tom's Review of Durbin's Amazing Mrs. Holliday (1943)

2011-07-11T09:23:00.000-07:00

Movie star Deanna Durbin is known for her feel-good films and perky demeanor - assets that helped morale during the harrowing times of World War II. The Amazing Mrs. Holliday (1943) is one of Ms. Durbin's more dramatic films. Durbin plays a missionary who aids orphans in war-torn areas.

Tom at The Amazing Deanna Durbin Blog has written a review of that film here: The Amazing Mrs. Holliday (1943).

Tom makes an excellent point that the movie is so realistic that for awhile "it almost felt like an autobiographical film." He's right - the first half of the film is like an engrossing documentary or newsreel. The studio-controlled star was rarely allowed to do straight drama, which is one more reason to see this movie and enjoy a not-as-well-known side of Deanna Durbin.

12 Classic Summer Movies

2011-06-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

Summer is here, but it's too hot. Stay indoors and catch up on classic summer movies. Here's a list to get you started.

Sandra Dee in Gidget

COMEDY

Gidget (1959) - New kid in town, Sandra Dee, learns to surf and meets some cute guys in this classic teen beach romp. Watch a Gidget clip here.

Life With Father (1947) - William Powell plays the bombastic father to four boys whose summer vacation at home is filled with surprises. Watch the preview here.

Life With Father

The Seven Year Itch (1955) - That iconic summer film about a guy who might lose his inhibitions when his wife and son go away for the summer. There's a blonde wearing a famous, lightweight halter top dress in this film. Now, what is her name...

Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell in The Seven Year Itch

DRAMA

The Long, Hot Summer (1958) - Hired hand Paul Newman sets his heart on capturing his boss' daughter in this film adaptation of William Faulkner's dramatic short stories of Southern life. Love that theme song - dreamy and soothing. The trailer is here.

Rear Window

Rear Window (1954) - Films exclusively set in summer usually contain wide, expansive shots of the great outdoors. In this Hitchcock murder mystery, however, the claustrophobic indoor setting will have you sweating along the hero. Trailer here.

A Summer Place (1959) -If you're in the mood for a summer drama, this Sandra Dee-Troy Donahue vehicle about star-crossed lovers on vacation is your dish. The couple discovers there is more behind their parents' reluctance to their dating than mere propriety. Trailer here.

Summertime

Summertime (1955) - Single and lonely Katharine Hepburn vacations in Venice. With Rozzano Brazzi around the corner, she might not be alone for long. Beautiful location shots. Watch a clip of their meetcute here.

MUSICALS

On An Island With You

Any Esther Williams picture, no matter the season, will have balmy weather since our million dollar mermaid must have a spectacular body of water in which to show off her champion swimming skills. One of my favorites is On An Island With You (1948), since the deliciously gorgeous Peter Lawford gets goo-goo eyes for our star. Ricardo Montalban and Cyd Charisse share more than one fabulous dance number, like this one [click here].

Nice Girl?

Nice Girl?(1941) - Deanna Durbin gets the hots for her father's summer house guest, Franchot Tone, and ruins her reputation in this musical comedy. It also features Robert Stack as the cooky, often-shirtless boyfriend. Durbin sings a few tunes, including "Beneath the Lights of Home."

Oklahoma! (1955)- "It's summer and we're running out of ice," laments Gordan McCrae's cowboy Curly in this dramatic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical of unrequited love, loneliness, humor and song all wrapped in a western. See trailer here.

Summer Stock

Summer Stock (1950) - When the heat rises, New York performer Gene Kelly puts on a show in Judy Garland's barn. Of course the barn is as big and as glamorous as a sound stage so that you can have performances like this one [click here].

Two Weeks With Love

Two Weeks With Love (1950) - Young Jane Powell has eyes for Ricardo Montalban during the family's two week vacation in the Catskills. Watch for a cute subplot featuring Debbie Reynolds (as little sister Melba) and Carleton Carpenter.

Now go outside and get some fresh air!

What are your favorite, classic summer-themed films?

Icebox Moment #1: Bullying in Meet Me In St. Louis (1944)

2011-06-19T22:07:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you notice a movie's plot hole long after you've seen the film. Alfred Hitchcock called this the Icebox Syndrome, because you think of it after you've gone home and are looking in the fridge.

Most of us have seen Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) lots of times and believe we know every part of it intimately, even its quirks. Well, recently this icebox moment occurred to me. When Esther apologizes for slapping John around, he accepts her apology but - and here's the kicker - he never asks her why she hits him in the first place.

The audience knows why since we're there when little sister Tootie claims the boy next door hit her. Esther runs over to 5133 Kensington Avenue and gives the guy what for. After discovering that her sociopathic sister has lied, she asks John's forgiveness (without explanation) and he gives it. They then chat about nothing and he plants a great big smooch on the woman who just assaulted him, asking her, "if you're not busy tomorrow night, could you beat me up again?"

What is going on in this character's head? How does he rationalize her behavior? She's clearly angry, but does he consider the slaps gestures of romantic interest? If smacking and such turns him on, he'll fit right in with this crazy family.

What's your icebox moment in a film?

Jerry Lewis' autobio, Dean & Me (or the Playboy and the Pierrot)

2011-06-16T18:48:00.000-07:00

Comedian Jerry Lewis pours out his brotherly love for crooner Dean Martin in a 352-paged letter. Lewis' memoir Dean and Me follows the comic duo's first meeting; how they teamed up; advanced through stage, radio, film and television; broke up; and reunited (sort of).

I'm late to the party since this book was published six years ago, but what an exciting read! The tone of it is alternately wistful, belligerent, cocksure, and regretful.

“Whatever we do, I‘m the kid and you‘re the big brother. I‘m the busboy, you‘re the captain. You‘re the organ-grinder, I‘m the monkey. You‘re the playboy, I‘m the putz. Follow?”

That’s Lewis planning with Martin for their first official nightclub act together in the mid-1940s. The big brother-kid brother formula is what lifted these two performers to prominence in show business. Lewis makes it clear that their relationship off-stage had this same dynamic.

An only child, with showbiz parents who were rarely in his daily life, lonely Lewis, basically "adopted" an older sibling when he lied to his mob-connected employer - who was looking for a song and comedy act at Atlantic City's 500 Café - that he and Martin could perform a spot to please the customers. Martin was not in on this arrangement; he merely thought he'd been hired to sing as always. Once he found out the actual arrangement, he went along with it. The two had that same relationship from then on - Jerry initiating a deal for the two of them, and a sanguine Martin going along for the ride.

After a decade of this agreement, Martin finally had enough of not controlling his own life. Lewis blames the new life in Hollywood, not being around each other as frequently as they had in the nightclub circuit. Lewis also blames a new batch of friends for instigating Martin’s famous strike for independence. Perhaps so. Or perhaps Martin was just ready to do something else and didn't know how to say it except in loud, hurtful tones (telling Lewis near the end of their professional partnership that the little guy was nothing but a dollar sign to him).

The memoir runs back and forth through the timeline [the 1940s through to Martin’s death in the 1990s], sharing poignant and hilarious anecdotes - how Lewis admired the man nine years his senior to the point of wearing Martin’s brand of aftershave (with hilarious results); how Jerry and Dean almost missed a nightclub show because they couldn't refuse playing golf with notorious mobster Willie Moretti; how they were routinely (and happily) mobbed by fans; how disgusted they were with each other during filming of their last movie together, Pardners. Lewis also includes a couple of brief and completely gratuitous stories about Marylin Monroe.

Yet with all the detail, there's much held back. Martin's upbringing is a murky remembrance of generics about strict Italian parents in a small factory town in Ohio who taught their children never to be vulnerable or trust anyone. This would explain the dark-haired singer's penchant for rarely showing his feelings. Because Martin was so tight-lipped, Lewis can in some spots produce only his assumptions.

Lewis’ own parents make an appearance in the book about twice - once to explain why they were not around during his childhood (they traveled the vaudeville circuits) and once when Lewis the elder screamed into his son’s oxygen tent at the hospital about how Jerry’s incapacitated state is hurting Jerry’s mother.

Martin's and Lewis’ respective wives remain shadowy figures as well, mere outlines. This is a shame because you want to know how these ladies met and chose two very quirky and talented guys (the book begins after they are both married with children). It's also rather repugnant that the wives are pushed in the background of the book while their famous husbands boast of their very public infidelities with a practiced shrug. Of all of Lewis' faults, this was not one that I expected, certainly not one I thought he'd brag about having. Thankfully he doesn't go into much detail on this score, and only lists the names of two (very famous) liaison partners.

Jerry Lewis ( and co-author James Kaplan) tells his side of the Martin and Lewis story with great sincerity and vulnerability. Just when you think, " He's just playing up his Pierrot routine again to get the reader's sympathy," he sucker punches you with another story of longing, regret, lost opportunities, and lost friendship and you feel like a heel for doubting him. Although Lewis has played the sad clown all of his adult life, this time it is not a gimmick, it’s real.

Dietrich Biography Winner

2011-06-02T17:24:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Marlene Dietrich biography giveaway. The winner, Diana B., has been notified and the book has been shipped.

For more information on the actress,

Read The Lady Eve's Review of Charlotte Chandler's Marlene

Check out Marlene Dietrich: The Last Goddess, a blog completely dedicated to this silver screen star.

Debbie Reynolds: The Auction - Get Your Red, Hot Catalogs!

2011-06-01T14:41:00.000-07:00

Yours truly still has not received the catalog for Debbie Reynolds' Costumes Auction (June 18, 2011). However, if you -unlike me- had the good sense not to shell out the $39.50, you still can view the catalog.

That's right! Profiles in History - the auction handler- has now (now!) made the catalog available in PDF at no charge. Free. Gratis. Complimentary.

Yes! They've rewarded my early participation with a slap in the face. That sound you hear is of Java grinding her teeth and beating the moths away from her wallet.

Anyhoo.

Go on to the auction without me; I'll be sitting at my mailbox.

Click here for part 1.

Another Random Sinatra Post

2011-05-26T21:49:00.000-07:00

While coming across the following passage in
Broadway Babies Say Goodnight , I discovered another reason why I like Sinatra's singing style.

The author mentions the blue-eyed one in his discussion of Broadway's lack of melisma:

Broadway lyricists are not melisma men. They like songs to follow the cadences of speech, a note per syllable and long notes for important syllables. This is a good rule: in Sinatra’s almost 60-year recording career, he’s given melismas the bum’s rush, won’t go near ‘em, thinks they’re cheap and phoney. Today, in pop songs, with Barry White and Mariah Carey and a zillion others, we’re awash in melismas: is ‘love’ a more emotional word for being stretched out to ‘lu-u-u-u-u-u-urve’? This is fake soulfulness.

So that's why I get a little annoyed with the hooting, hollering, bellowing and groaning in some ballads. It totally takes you out of the moment and you're just listening to verbal gymnastics. Sinatra sings a straight forward rendition of "Blue Skies" with the Dorsey band below. It's my favorite cover of the song. Yes, the band belts out a great deal of virtuosity (which I enjoy), but Sinatra's singing is beautifully unembellished.

As much as he largely avoided stretching a syllable too long, Sinatra was not above making up a lyric now and then, especially as he ... Aged? Became famous? Got bored?

In one version of Irving Berlin's "Cheek to Cheek," Sinatra turns this:

Oh, I'd love to climb a mountain

Or to reach the highest peak

But it doesn't thrill me half as much

As dancing cheek to cheek

into

But it doesn't boot me half as much

as dancing cheek to cheek

It's a little more in the vernacular, a bit more violent, like he just got kicked down by love - which is the opposite of the soaring rhetoric about heights in the previous lyrics. But it's so Sinatra - straight and to the point.

Or what about in "Goody, Goody," a breakup song where the singer is delighted that the ex has gotten the axe from the new lover? Instead of

And I hope you're satisfied

You rascal, you

Sinatra sings

And I hope you're satisfied

'Cause you got yours

It's a little coarser, a little meaner, but it works. And it's so Sinatra.

Win a Free Marlene Dietrich Biography!

2011-05-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

Simon & Schuster is offering a free copy of Marlene: Marlene Dietrich, A Personal Biography to readers of Java's Journey! This coming December 27th marks Marlene Dietrich's 110th birthday, so Charlotte Chandler's biography of the star arrives with time to spare.

Born Maria Magdalene Dietrich in Schoneberg, Germany, the husky-voiced, enigmatic film star has been the subject of definitive biographies, and memoirs by people very close to her. Yet, there is still plenty of space for Ms. Chandler's contribution to the Dietrich canon, according to Kevin Thomas of The LA Times. Thomas notes that, "It hardly seems possible that there could be room for yet another important biography on so iconic a star as Marlene Dietrich.... [yet]....Chandler's slender but revealing volume ... complement[s] previous Dietrich biographies."

Pick up an early Christmas present or indulge yourself with a summer read by entering to win this book.

How To Enter This Contest

Send an email to java-rush@hotmail.com with "MARLENE" in the subject line.
Include a name and a mailing address.

Deadline is June 1, 2011 at 11:59pm EDT. The winner will be chosen by random drawing and will be notified by email.

Book Details:

Published in March 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Hardcover
320 pages
Retail value: $26.00

While You're Waiting For The Verdict...
Check out some tidbits about my favorite Marlene Dietrich film, Witness For The Prosecution (1958).

Life Magazine published a blurb about Witness for the Prosecution on page 79 of their issue from Jan 13, 1958. It includes a full page photo of Dietrich and her famous limbs. Click here to read it.
Turner Classic Movies has in-depth history of Witness for the Prosecution. It's one of their Essentials. According to TCM, "Christine Vole was the only role [Dietrich] ever felt emotionally connected to because 'she's not only brave, but she loves her man unconditionally.'"

Judy Garland v. Deanna Durbin - Two Weddings, Same Article [Update: Link Fixed]

2011-05-19T08:46:00.000-07:00

In the Judy Garland v. Deanna Durbin battle, Durbin seems to win in the following newspaper clipping. The big deal is that film star Durbin has married again and Judy is about to do the same.

Does it seem that Judy is treated like an also-ran in this article?

You really cannot claim any bias on the writer's part, since he/she treats both events with scornful detachment. He lumps the two together, calls the whole shebang " Hollywood's latest romantic box score," then counts up the ex-husbands caught in their wake. The reporter is totally not a fan, since - unlike most of the other papers - not one line is wasted on what colors Durbin wore to her 2nd wedding - fans would eat it up!

Anyhoo.

For your perusal, I give you the San Jose Evening News, June 14, 1945. "Durbin Weds Producer; Judy Marries Tomorrow." [Who is this Tomorrow fellow Judy's marrying? Minnelli might get mad. (rim shot) ]

1981 Photo of Deanna Durbin

2011-05-17T20:02:00.000-07:00

A post-1940s photo of reclusive megastar Deanna Durbin is rare. I'd seen the famous early '80s photo that she'd sent to Life Magazine to refute the rumor that she was plump, but it was published in grainy black and white and not sharp enough.

That's why I nearly leaped out of my seat when I found this:

This photo was taken in Paris in 1981 by her husband, Charles David (director of Lady On A Train). It was later given to Professor William Everson of NYU Cinema Studies.

The lady is stunning and stylish at sixty, of course. But what eye-popping color! This must be what audiences felt like when they saw her first technicolor movie. Wow!

CMBA Movies of 1939 Blogathon -- Never Say Die

2011-05-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

While John Wayne was learning to walk like a girl, while Jimmy Stewart prepared for his Oscar-nominated faint, and while Clark Gable was too angry to give a (cough), Bob Hope and Martha Raye were gearing up for the premiere of another comedy together - Never Say Die.

Paramount was squeezing every ounce of profit out of this popular duo by putting them together in four movies in less than two years. It is a fruit-flavored licorice of a movie - not substantive, but it’s great to have around.

Hope is a wealthy hypochondriac who is vacationing at a nondescript health spa called Bad Gasswasser.

Here the spring water is as natural as this guy can manufacture it.

Right away, the plot shows up in the form of Gale Sondergaard as Mrs. Marco, a Roadster-driving, money-hungry woman who is after Hope‘s millions.

We know that she’s a villain because she has a fabulous wardrobe and enjoys telling cryptic stories about the deaths of her husbands.

This woman is creepy and dangerous! Even the flower brooch on her dress is spiky! I like her already.

Hope tries to think of a way out of marrying the intemperate pistol champion.

Meanwhile, a chemist mixes up his files which leads to Hope to think he will die within thirty days.

Since he's a dead man walking anyway, Hope agrees to marry the fortune-hunter. Mrs. Marco promptly hires a minister. I include this screenshot just to see her outfit.

That’s what my wardrobe needs - a cupid’s arrow brooch and Cookie Monster oven mitts! But seriously, Ms. Sondergaard wears these ridiculous accessories with confidence. Yea for her!

In a startling what-were-they-thinking moment, our leading lady, Martha Raye, is introduced wearing puffed sleeves and a curlicue collar. Her family has just fallen into money, so she went out and bought the tackiest dress that she can find. [Her dad’s suit looks good, though.] In the battle of outfits so far, it’s Raye 0, Sondergaard 2.

Not wanting to leave his assets to the black widow, Hope decides to marry a random woman that he meets at a wet t-shirt contest - Martha.

Martha's men

Martha's dad is forcing her to marry a Prince (Alan Mowbray) when she really loves truck driver Henry Munch (Andy Devine). Naturally, she’s totally open to marrying Hope - a complete stranger who claims he’s going to die and leave her and Henry all his money. A win-win-win situation!

In a move that must have had the original audience a little shocked, our leads go back to his hotel room to dry off and talk strategy. Here Martha is in men’s pajamas. It’s not a great outfit, but it suits her no nonsense sensibilities better than the fluttery, over-layered dress. Ms. Raye’s wardrobe moves up a half point.

The movie's best quip is given to the Prince, who is deeply in arrears,

“Gentlemen, you all know Kretsky. There he stands- an elegant picture of his mission. The bulge in his right pocket, my unpaid notes. In his left pocket, my bad checks. The hollow in the middle is Kretsky.”

Prince and Mrs. Marco prepare themselves for their respective matrimonial services, but Hope and Raye beat them to the altar disguised as servants.

I will strangle him with my pearls!

The married couple dashes off for a twenty-nine day honeymoon in the Paramount Backlot Alps. Discovering that they’ve been jilted, the His Haughtiness and Mrs. MurderPants [In high heels and pearls, so the fashion score is Raye 0, Sondergaard 3] seek revenge.

Henry shows up to complicate the plot and chaperone the newlyweds. Marriage seems to agree with Martha since she’s finally wearing something flattering. Raye 1, Sondergaard 3.

The three take a walk in the woods, and Martha wears...What is this outfit? No! Just... no! I‘m taking Raye’s point and giving it to Mrs. Manslaughter. Raye 0, Sondergaard 4.

That night, hopped up on dairy products from a cheese festival, Martha sings an upbeat, polka love song to Hope. This makes Hope hot to trot and Henry just jealous. She’s wearing a lovely dropped-waist, floor-length gown. That deserves some points.

And, what’s this? She’s even brought her own heart-shaped brooch to the party, wearing it, not on her shoulder, but saucily at her waist! Take that, Sondergaard! That totally cancels out the puffed sleeves and fluffy epaulets. Raye 4, Sondergaard 4.

All the members of our love triangle (or love pentagon) finally meet up in one room to usher in the third act. Hope, still believing he’ll die soon, promises to take care of everyone’s financial problems in his will. Win-win-win-win-win!

In return, Mrs. Marco (in gorgeous widow‘s weeds) promises to put flowers on his grave every year. “She probably gets them wholesale, ”Martha quips.

Martha’s sleepwear has had a serious upgrade, so the score is Raye 5, Sondergaard 5.

The perpetual widow then makes a play for the soon-to-be-wealthy-and-still-unattached Henry.

Hope and Raye decide they enjoy each others’ company, which is sweet. Raye is still concealing flotation devices on her neck, which is not so sweet.

Hope discovers he’s not really going to die so the Prince challenges our leading man to a duel to the death (which Hope accepts because the movie needs a fun finale.)

Taking a cue from her nemesis, Martha wears a fabulous set of widow’s weeds to the duel [Raye 6, Sondergaard 5].

She has the pistols marked and tells Hope,

“There's a cross on the muzzle of the pistol with the bullet and a nick on the handle of the pistol with the blank. ”

Prince forks over a few bucks to the gun handler for the same information and gets to the gun with the bullet.

Meanwhile, in a whirlwind of lilies and leopard [Raye 6, Sondergaard 6], Mrs. Marco shows up engaged to her new prey, Henry. In a moment that defies logic, the gold-digging pistol champion shoots the gun out of the Prince’s hand, and cuts off her own inheritance as the soon-to-be-widowed Mrs. Munch, since Henry will now have nothing, as long as Hope remains alive.

Win-win-lose-lose-lose!

Coming Soon! CMBA Blogathon: Classic Movies of 1939

2011-05-12T22:34:00.000-07:00

Well, it's almost here, folks. Sunday May 15, 2011 marks the first day of a three-day blogathon produced by Page and Becky and sponsored by the Classic Movie Blog Association. We're concentrating on movies from (arguably) the most prolific year for Hollywood classics - 1939.

I'm reviewing Never Say Die starring Bob Hope, Martha Raye, Andy Devine, Gale Sondergaard... it's one of those ensemble comedy pieces that Paramount put out in the '30s. My review is slated for the third day of the blogathon.

You'll find the entire list of movies to be reviewed at the CMBA blog.

See you there.

- Java

Disney's Topiaries

2011-05-12T06:59:00.000-07:00

This is the cutest thing. The Walt Disney empire is famous for its innovative movies and its artistry. This time the creativity is even in the shrubbery. The Main Street Gazette has submitted a photo safari today of the topiaries at Epcot Center, all of which have something to do with Disney's classic animated films, including Peter Pan (1953).

Peter Pan

Tink goes brunette. Love that dress!

There are more photos at the Main Street Gazette Blog.

If this is too much Disney-fied sweetness and light, check out this satire of the song "A Whole New World."

Refresher

2011-05-10T19:54:00.000-07:00

Helping relatives move. Eating sandwiches while sitting on folding chairs. Reminded of Lauren Bacall in Millionaire playing solitaire on a card table after she's sold all her furniture. [William Powell is totally wasted in the film. Not inebriated; I mean underused.] Of course, Bacall is wearing couture in her empty apartment and I'm... well, not.

So this post is simply an excuse to stare at Bogie's wife, since I'm in a Bacall mood.

Glamorous actress in empty room

On the set of Millionaire

The eyes have it.

Applause - In which Bacall takes on Bette Davis' role as Margo Channing set to music.

One of my favorites of her costumes. This is her intro outfit in Murder On The Orient Express

Relaxing while gorgeous

Easy Living (1937) with Jean Arthur

2011-04-30T10:35:00.000-07:00

Edward Arnold is yelling again. This time the big teddy bear is angry with his wife (Mary Nash) for having too much stuff. Since the missus cannot sustain her style in last year’s ermine, she tells hubby to take a flying leap. He flings her fur coat off the roof instead.

Enjoying the fresh air of Manhattan, working girl Jean Arthur is conveniently sitting below where the plummeting pelt hits her. Arnold insists that Arthur keep the coat and buys her even more couture, which leads to scandal. So far, the moral of the story - and you know there is one since this little tale is spelled with a capital S-T-U-R-G-E-S - is that giving away lots of stuff is fine, as long as it’s not to your wife.

Searching for pennies

But the plot doesn’t matter. The audience knows the destination (a happy ending) and is more interested in who makes them laugh or cry during the journey. Hence this film gives us wonderfully tried and true traveling companions:

Down-on-her-luck Cinderella potentially makes good. Check.
Dominant, middle-aged guy becomes a mentor of sorts. Check.
A litany of colorful supporting players fills the screen with their quirks. Double Check.
A smart-aleck love interest comes along for the ride. Indeed.

In the tub

Fresh-faced Ray Milland is the man who makes the moves on Ms. Arthur this time around. And move they do. They do not know each other ten minutes and yet they have dinner together...in her apartment...alone...undressed. Well, he’s in an ascot and bathrobe that reads, “Stolen from Hotel Louis,” which he dons after flopping around, fully clothed, in Arthur’s bathtub. The light touch to this first-date-that-isn’t-really-a-first-date date guides the film away from a tone that could be quite crude into a most adorable little evening.

It is also in this after-dinner moment that we get some of the film’s most memorable shots. The inevitable kiss is coming, but director Mitchell Leisen makes them dance. Not literally, since the characters can barely move after a sumptuous meal.

No, the director’s camera and the editor’s cuts swirl around the two leads while they make small talk and restlessly try to find a comfortable lounging spot on a large settee. Considering the inane conversation during this scene, we are supposed to notice the movement which gets us to The Big Moment of their relationship.

Bantering, they find themselves lying down, feet in opposite directions, eyelids heavy with the sleep of the satisfied. It’s only then that Milland notices he has her in a compromising position. He takes advantage of the moment and lightly locks lips sort of sideways and upside down. Leisen, et. al. get major kudos for giving us an interesting journey to an obligatory kiss.

Easy Living is a lively, entertaining romp that's equal parts pratfall and tender moments. By the end, everyone's all warm and fuzzy, even Mr. & Mrs. Fur Flinger.

Lady On A Train (1945): A Leslie Charteris Premise with a Lucille Ball Twist

2011-04-22T03:16:00.000-07:00

Schism:His uncle was brutally slain; she wears a silly hat for detective work

A review of Lady On A Train (1945) is my newest contribution at The Amazing Deanna Durbin blog.

Deanna Durbin witnesses a murder from her train window and quickly becomes an amateur sleuth. Although the author of the adventure-mystery novel series, Saint, created the idea for the film, his influence stops there. The script is taken over by a couple of comedy writers who had worked and would continue to work with comedienne Lucille Ball, among others. It shows.

Train tries to blend a serious murder mystery and a wacky comedy, but the two styles interrupt each other, resulting in a film with severe mood swings -a phenomenon that was not uncommon in Ms. Durbin's films at the time. Indeed,

Deanna Durbin’s film career can be divided into three overlapping eras - the adolescent years, from which comes the perky (and profitable) Durbin formula of youthful tenacity and pluck; the post-adolescence/struggle era, where the now-grownup star fights for mature material and sometimes wins; and the resignation years, when Universal’s movie veteran - weary over the struggle for challenging scripts - essentially gives in to whatever work is offered.

Lady On A Train comes near the end of the post-adolescence/struggle era. During this time, there is a definite schism within some of Ms. Durbin’s films, trying ever to balance maturity and childlike vivacity, drama and screwball.

The Heiress (1949): Her Mother's Presence

2011-04-14T22:37:00.000-07:00

The memory of a brilliant but deceased mother impedes a timid young lady’s social progress in this William Wyler film.

The Heiress is a 19th century drama adapted from a Henry James novel and a Ruth and Augustus Goetz play. The plot hinges on whether penniless Morris Townsend (Montgomery Clift) is offering affection and devotion to shy Catherine Sloper (Olivia DeHavilland) or, as the wealthy lady’s father and prominent surgeon (Ralph Richardson) argues, is merely prospecting for a fortune.

Dr. Sloper‘s sister warns that Catherine cannot “compete with this image you have of her mother. You‘ve idealized that poor dead woman beyond all human recognition.” Still, the doctor takes no heed.

Although there are portraits of her around the house, Mrs. Sloper is, wisely, never clearly shown to the audience. We, like Catherine -who never knew her mother- must rely on the embellished memories of an angry man in perpetual mourning for his wife. Catherine‘s father has effectively made the late woman a shadowy interloper in her own daughter’s future.
One scene in particular shores up the idea of mother inadvertently creating an abbreviated future for Catherine. When Morris’ sister, Mrs. Montgomery (Betty Linley) calls on Dr. Sloper on the latter’s invitation, the literal image of Mrs. Sloper is a point of conversation. Mrs. Montgomery eagerly anticipates meeting her prospective sister-in-law, but before she does, the woman notices a framed portrait of a lady on the table. She picks it up and asks if this is the doctor’s daughter . The woman seems visibly deflated when he assures her that the beauty in the frame is not Catherine but her mother.

After the two agree on the deceased woman’s loveliness, plain-featured Catherine enters. It’s too late. Mrs. Montgomery’s mind is a blank slate which has become filled with the family’s old habit of making Mrs. Sloper the standard. Catherine has little chance of creating a good first impression here, as is her lot in life. Mrs. Montgomery’s paradigm shift is emphasized in how she interacts with the portrait once Catherine enters. The film version boosts the presence of the mother more in this scene than does the play.

Onstage, Mrs. Montgomery is directed to pick up the miniature as Dr. Sloper calls for his daughter, then replace it on the table when Catherine enters. With this gesture thoughts of the mother gently waft in and out of the audience’s mind during Mrs. Montgomery’s visit and through to the end of the scene when Morris himself comes to call and sits at the center table. However, the movie is more relentless in driving home the point.

In the film, when Catherine enters, Wyler directs Mrs. Montgomery to stand up with the small portrait in her hand, where it remains during the entire conversation with Catherine. When Mrs. Montgomery stands with portrait, her hand and the picture are directly in the center of the movie screen. Catherine is on one side of the frame while most of Mrs. Montgomery’s body and Dr. Sloper stand on the other. Morris’ sister effectively uses the literal image of the mother to cut off Catherine from everything on the other side of the room - the approval of her father to marry, having a chance to make a decent first impression on a prospective sister-in-law and everything that goes with these concepts.

The cinema’s peculiar properties and the placement of characters allow Mrs. Montgomery to hold Catherine’s past in her hands in a way which - almost like a knife- truncates the young lady’s future. This could not have been done as effectively in the play since audience members have different vantage points. Plus the Goetzes do not allow for this kind of positioning.

After a few painfully awkward exchanges between the two ladies, Mrs. Montgomery exits the house, never to be seen onscreen again. The lady figuratively takes with her not only the image of Mrs. Sloper in mind, but also Catherine’s and Morris’ plans for marriage. The downward spiral of an already tenuous courtship begins in earnest once the entrenched familial image contaminates the thoughts of even this open-minded visitor to the Sloper residence.

Debbie Reynolds: The Auction

2011-04-06T13:04:00.000-07:00

Bittersweet. When Debbie Reynolds announced that she was selling off her enormous collection of Hollywood memorabilia this coming summer, I grew at once ecstatic at the idea of the biggest such auction since MGM's rummage sale in the '70s and also terribly saddened at the idea that Ms. Reynolds' museum project would never see the light of day.

“I heard the news that MGM was going to sell their inventory of costumes and props,” says Reynolds on how she started collecting, “I went everyday for weeks and focused on purchasing the costumes and props of Academy Award winning films. It soon turned into an obsession. Until now! I've concluded that my dream of having a museum cannot be fulfilled, so I have decided to share my fabulous collection with other collectors.” - Profiles in History

Her hopes are dashed. What can I say?

Well, let's concentrate on the sweet side of the equation.

They've finally settled on the auction site. According to the email sent to me today [sign up for auction updates], Debbie Reynolds: The Auction Part 1 will be held at the Paley Center in Beverly Hills on June 18, 2011. The Auction Part II will be held in December 2011.

The catalog is finally available for pre-order.

Debbie Reynolds has recorded a 1 minute commercial for the event, and has been giving lots of interviews, including this one where she laments The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' lack of interest in a Hollywood Museum.

Profiles in History, the company that's handling the whole shebang, has taken photos of some of the costumes. [See below]

For Java's critique of Maria's (Julie Andrews) wardrobe and character development in The Sound of Music, click here.

Looks like it's going to be big.

Update October 2011: The 2nd auction will be held December 3, 2011. Click here for information on the auction and ordering the 2nd catalog.

Amazing Deanna Durbin Blog: First Engagement

2011-04-03T22:26:00.000-07:00

On December 16, 1940, Life Magazine announced Deanna Durbin's 1st engagement.

"While her producers were still trembling like a nervous bride at the thought of screen marriage for their No.1 star, Deanna last week announced her real-life engagement to Vaughn Paul..."

Read more at The Amazing Deanna Durbin blog.

Black Tights (1962) - Cyd Charisse in a Ballet Pastiche

2011-03-30T01:25:00.000-07:00

A diamond! Snack time!

Black Tights (1962) is composed of a quartet of ballets. It stars dancers Cyd Charisse, Moira Shearar, Zizi Jeanmaire and Roland Petit of the Ballet de Paris.

My first foray into ballet vignette films was Gene Kelly’s thoroughly enjoyable financial flop, Invitation to the Dance (1956). It was a good 15 minutes before I warmed up to Black Tights, though. I watched it for Cyd Charisse, who doesn’t show until the third ballet. In her autobiography, The Two Of Us, the MGM star describes this, her first movie after leaving her old studio, as “a labor of love.”

Cyrano sandwiched between Roxane and Christian

Carmen

The film starts with La Croqueuse de Diamants (The Diamond Cruncher) - a story about a jewel thief (Jeanmaire) who eats her profits. It then goes into a stunningly beautiful, if overlong Cyrano de Bergerac piece. The "New York Times" calls Cyrano, “ponderous, sentimental and fustian.” Still, Ms. Shearar is alluring as Roxane.

The last ballet, Carmen, returns Ms. Jeanmaire to the screen as the fabled dangerous woman and Mr. Petit as bullfighter Jose, who, in this case, steals the famed "Habanera" score from the title character to introduce himself and his profession more fully.

Duel in 24 Hours - Stickershock!

My favorite ballet, of course, is the silliest one, - Deul en 24 Heures - which stars Ms. Charisse as a merry widow who has her husband killed in a duel because he won’t buy her the outfit she wants. She also flirts with the winner of the duel after playing hard to get, then goes out for a night on the town at Maxim’s in her new black dress.

Duel - The new black dress

Each act is about 30 minutes and altogether is a lot to take in at one time. Still, it’s colorful and fairly entertaining.

Read the New York Times Review of Black Tights (1962)
Watch or Download Black Tights (1962) at the Internet Archive

Java's Journey has received the Stylish Blog Award

2011-03-28T14:17:00.000-07:00

Clara, author of classic movies blog Via Margutta 51, has awarded Java's Journey - along with several other blogs- with the Stylish Blog Award. Thanks, Clara and congratulations to my fellow awardees.

About the Stylish Blog Award

This award, as far as research takes me, seems to have been first given out around December of 2010. It is passed along by bloggers to other bloggers who exhibit a distinctive manner of expression and great enthusiasm for their topic. Subjects may vary. Time and the labyrinthine nature of internet memes have obscured the original stylish blogger's name, but not the snazzy button which accompanies the award. To wit:

Stylish Blog Award Instructions

a) Post a link to the person who gave you the award.

b) Choose seven stylish bloggers and give them this award.

c) Reveal seven facts about yourself:

Seven Stylish Bloggers

I enjoy my entire blog reading list, but I can choose only seven. Here they are in alphabetical order:

Carole & Co. by vp19 - Learned lots I didn't know of Clark Gable's wife from this blog about Carole Lombard.
Classic Movie Blog by KC- The author's dedication to linking the classic movie blog world is wonderful. KC's descriptions are concise for those on-the-go movie link needs I have from time to time.You'll also find movie news there.
Clint Eastwood Project, The by the Floryes - Can't stand Clint Eastwood's movies, but I do enjoy this blog written by a father and son who decided to watch all of the actor's films in order and blog about what's good (or not) about them. Produced a fair number of chuckles reading this blog. You can just hear the two of them talking to the screen. [Beware: foul language.]
Everyone Goes to Mick's by Mick - A Texas set designer who loves classic films and other old things. He's even named his summer house "Casablanca." I am inspired by his zest for life.
Laura's Miscellaneous Musings by Laura - Connecting the classic movie blogging world with regular and thoroughly detailed link posts, the author also reviews films and puts you in the know for classic movie showings in California. [She's also a very friendly person.]
Olivia & Joan by Tom - The de Havilland/Fontaine mystique lives on in a blog dedicated to the two movie star sisters who have notoriously feuded for almost a century.
Stalking the Belle Epoque by Joseph - Daily blog posts on "all things gracious, grand and glorious." In addition to the blog's forays into classic movies, I am especially fond of the interesting tidbits on antique toys. Also, the photos of the Treat of the Week make my mouth water.

Seven Facts

Just bought David Niven's autobio The Moon's A Balloon and cannot wait to dive into that mosh pit of wit and and inside scoops. Can't stand the cover art, though - that '70s flower child font makes me queasy.
Prefer movie commentary that is either from the director, producer, writer or other behind the scenes person who has enough detail to talk about the film scene-by-scene. Barring them, an historian will do [but with a grain of salt].
Christian McKay's explanation for why Orson Welles was not a failure at the end of his career encouraged me to rethink my assessment of the movie genius whom many believed peaked in his first film, Citizen Kane. By the way, McKay does an awesome job as the Mercury Theater director in Me and Orson Welles (2010). Wish there was more of him.
More Orson - Enjoyed Welles' description of a laugh track in this episode of the Dinah Shore Show. The host cringes. I love it.
Learned basic tap dance by watching the film greats do it in musicals.
Can do a passable Paul Lynde impression that sends my sister howling. He and Tony Randall steal the show in Send Me No Flowers(1964).
On Spring Break once, sis and I ran down the aisles of the Rose Bowl as Gene Kelly's and Frank Sinatra's stuntmen do in Anchors Aweigh (1945). The tour guide just shrugged.

Elizabeth Taylor has died

2011-03-23T07:57:00.000-07:00

Movie star/entrepreneur/philanthropist Elizabeth Taylor died today of congestive heart failure. Ms. Taylor was 79.

Often known more for her exciting personal life than the movies in which she played, Ms. Taylor has a very wide base of fans who will no doubt give her many tributes today.

Here are a few:

The CNN report of Ms. Taylor's death which also presents her life in pictures.
KC's Classic Movie Blog has a series of links for ET tributes.
Greenbriar Picture Shows' tribute.
The Elizabeth Taylor Archives which has loads of detailed information. I'm especially fond of the info on her stage work.
Java's Journey mentions Ms. Taylor here, here and here.

Songwriters Who Sing Their Own Songs

2011-03-20T18:49:00.000-07:00

Comden & Green

One of life's pleasures is hearing librettists and composers sing their own songs. When I first heard Betty Comden clear her throat in a recording of "Thanks A Lot, But No Thanks," the songsmith seemed to give me permission just to have fun with the tune. I had only heard (and seen) the fabulous Dolores Gray version for It's Always Fair Weather (1955), with choreography attributed to Gene Kelly. The ice-cool blonde in a red-hot dress commanding a room full of chorus boys was the only image that came to mind when the song played. However, the lack of gloss and glamor in Ms. Comden's recording -without the massive orchestra - distilled the song to its delightfully silly Comden & Green essence.

Mercer & DePaul

I confirmed only after hearing the Johnny Mercer- Gene DePaul demo recording (with just a piano accompaniment) that, yes, the backwoodsmen in Seven Brides For Seven Brothers reference Robin Hood and his Merrie Men when singing "Sobbin Women." Though what that has to do with kidnapping your bride I still haven't the faintest clue. Hearing one of the songwriters chuckle a little during one of their demos songs for this film made these musical giants seem refreshingly human. [As did hearing Cole Porter's voice waver throughout his famous catalog song, "You're The Top."]

What are some of your favorite recordings of songwriters singing their own songs?

2011-03-19T12:32:00.000-07:00

Click to enlarge

Went skiing. Didn't think of movies. Ok, once. Our off-season tour of Mackinac Island mentioned the Esther Williams swimming pool at the famous Grand Hotel. MGM shot a bit of This Time for Keeps (1947) there with the Million Dollar Mermaid herself.

Bela Época - Brazil's early cinema

2011-03-11T13:58:00.000-08:00

Reposted from Spotlight, Java's world trivia blog which highlights one continent per post.

Bela Época (Beautiful Era) is the name given to the earliest period of Brazilian films. Ejumpcut notes

"Cinema reached Brazil within six months after Lumière revealed his cinématographe in Paris in late 1895. The first screening of what was called the "omnigraph" was held in Rio de Janeiro on July 8, 1896.

Italo-Brazilian Affonso Segreto introduced the first filmmaking equipment in 1898. During the next few years, he filmed public ceremonies, festivals, Presidential outings, and other local scenes and events. Although initially greeted with fascinated amazement, cinematic spectacle did not become a widespread and stable form of entertainment until several years later. . . . When energy was industrialized in Rio de Janeiro in 1901, exhibition halls proliferated like mushrooms. Brazilian exhibitors resolved to make their own films on national topics to supply these halls."

From 1900 to 1912, the Brazilian film industry began to develop. FilmReference.com states

"In this period . . . Brazilian films dominated the domestic market, and documentaries and newsreels constituted the most important filmic productions. Fiction films were realized according to the established genres of comedy, melodrama, and historical drama, generally adaptations of literary classics, as well as carnival and satirical musicals, which followed the popular traditions of the circus and the vaudeville of the nineteenth century."

The first Brazilian feature film was Antônio Leal's Os estranguladores (The Stranglers, 1908). The first Brazilian comedy was Júlio Ferrez's Nhô Anastácio chegou de viagem (Mr. Anastácio Has Arrived from His Travels, 1908).

Frank Sinatra's Facial Twitch

2011-03-02T00:31:00.000-08:00

They had faces then.

Whoever coined this apothegm about classic movie stars was right on the nose - their faces were relatively unique for Hollywood leading performers. Deanna Durbin had that arched eyebrow, June Allyson's eyes would shut when she smiled, Peter Lawford had the deepest dimples and Gene Tierney had the most sensuous overbite of the 1940s.

Frank Sinatra can be thrown in among them. This star is a joy to watch not only for his legendary talents, his swinging style or his ability to make the most public performance seem like an intimate affair, but also for a tiny tic on that celebrated visage.

Some years ago, during a close-up of Sinatra singing the ballad “I Fall In Love Too Easily” from Anchors Aweigh (1945), I noticed that he had a twitch. His lower lip on the left side briefly draws down involuntarily (see video below). I began to notice that this tic occurs from time to time when Sinatra holds a note in other songs or when, during dialogue, his character pauses to think [see his last close-up in That‘s Entertainment!(1974)].

Sinatra is remembered for his cool and surefootedness in a performance. This little mouth quirk may have no correlation whatever to what the man is actually thinking at any given time, but it gives him the appearance of vulnerability. The “imperfection” works especially well with his earlier films, when he plays characters who are just a little unsure and whom you want to “mother” - you know, bobby-soxer bait.

I began to look for Sinatra’s twitch whenever he was onscreen, and . . . yep, there it is again. I had never heard anyone mention it or talk about it, so this was my little “secret,” an almost imperceptible piece of the megastar that's all mine . . . until now.

It's difficult to see in this copy, but look for Sinatra's tic at 14sec

Before He Was Bond, He Was Remington Steele

2011-03-01T12:06:00.000-08:00

Stephanie Zimbalist & Pierce Brosnan in "Remington Steele"

Yours truly contributed a guest post to the Classic Film and TV Cafe with a review of "Remington Steele" (1982 -1987), a television dramedy about two detectives who battle crime and their feelings for each other. The title character played by Pierce "007" Brosnan, references classic movies, whose plots usually help him solve the mystery.

I'll post at The Cafe whenever I get the urge to scratch an itch for discussing pop culture beyond the 1960s.

The Good Fairy (1935) - a funny and endearing Preston Sturges film

2011-02-27T20:11:00.000-08:00

The Good Fairy (1935) is chock full of warm performances and relentlessly clever lines. You haven't finished laughing when a tear-jerking scene climbs up from the ground with a sucker punch.

You're floored.

The good usherette and a her "magic" wand ; fairytale imagery is laid on thick in this film.

Based on a Ferenc Molnár play, Fairy follows innocent Luisa Ginglebuscher (Margaret Sullavan) who finds that helping people (i.e. being a "good fairy") is complicated beyond the orphanage. After Mr. Konrad (Frank Morgan) hires Luisa to be an usherette at his movie theater, she discovers that Konrad wishes his newest employee to be his mistress. To fend off his advances, Luisa pretends to be married to Dr. Max Sporum (Herbert Marshall), an impoverished attorney whose name she randomly picks out of the telephone directory. Undaunted, Konrad wishes to supply the would-be kept woman with presents by giving her husband a profitable career.

Mistaken identities follow and hilarity ensues, as only Preston Sturges can write them. Morgan is a hoot as a lech. I had to pause the movie to laugh after he intoned, during what passes as foreplay, “I‘ll be the mountain lion, and you‘ll be the little lamb. You‘re eating grass and I‘m… hungry too.” There's plenty of animal imagery in this film, as befits a fable. Konrad is a predatory lion, Luisa a lamb, and there's big todo about Sporum's goat-like beard.

Sporum is an attorney of the highest integrity who admits his faults, but perseveres in his ethics knowing he's right. Luisa has been brought up in the same school of thought, but she's a little less strident. The movie characterizes both of these adults as children, not deridingly so, but as an indulgent parent might. The script takes great pains to show Sporum becoming excited over finally being able to afford a pencil sharpener with his new lucrative job under Konrad. He's as giddy as a child getting a train or bike for his birthday.

I wondered why the film would spend so much time gently poking fun at its two leads' earnestness. It's just to set up what's at stake when at last both will have to decide whether their moral fortitude is strong enough to weather myriad temptations. Nice.

Yours truly was struck by the care with which the complex moral issues were handled. Luisa finds herself in a web of lies of her own making, and ultimately must choose between sacrificing her virtue and keeping her word. At this juncture, the director, William Wyler, lays into the soft focus, as if the camera is tearing up along with Luisa. In one particular scene, Wyler allows the camera to remain still during a fairly long close up of the protagonist as tears threaten to trickle down her innocent face. No cuts, just Ms. Sullavan's face. The actress is allowed to perform with minimal aid, which is wonderful.

I was a bit choked up myself, which is very rare when watching a film that doesn't include prison, war, death or famine. I like to think of myself as one who cannot be manipulated by sap. But, because this intimate little morality film achieved the gargantuan feat of extracting tears out of me, it's now a new favorite. (Plus it's entertaining.)

Norbert Brodine's cinematography in The Good Fairy is one for the history books. There's a receding mirror shot which invites comparison with Orson Welles' famous hall of mirrors scene in Citizen Kane. Still, this one doesn't come crashing near the end of a depressing story, but at the apex of Luisa's joy. She's made Spurom's life less burdensome, and now she's happily trying on clothes in a department store.

At first glance it seems this shot is wasted on a film that would be perfectly fine without such extravagance. That might still be the case, but the scene nags me. What is the story trying to tell us with these mirrors? That there are thousands of Luisas out there having to make the same choices? Or is this simply a neat little trick of cinematic virtuosity that is to be appreciated in and of itself?

Trivia

Long before the Sullavan film, Sturges had written a play out of the Molnár book called Make A Wish.

Fairy was remade in the 1940s as a Deanna Durbin vehicle, I'll Be Yours. It costars Adolphe Menjou as a very creepy lecher and Tom Drake as the attorney. Drake is one of few leading men in Hollywood to costar with both Durbin and Judy Garland.

Speaking of Garland, the star of The Wizard of Oz (1939), here's some eerie foreshadowing for your yellow brick road scrapbooks. In The Good Fairy, Frank Morgan as Konrad is at his foreplay routine again, and wants to pretend to be a wizard who will grant a little girl's wishes. Morgan, of course, would later play the title character in Oz.

Deanna Durbin and Frederic March in "The Good Fairy"

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Quote of the Day: Gene Kelly

2011-02-22T20:13:00.000-08:00

"Since VCRs came in, I get a lot more fan mail than I did when I was a movie star. A lot of it is sort of funny because they're mash notes from fourteen, fifteen year old girls who think you just made the picture last year." - Gene Kelly, on the set of That's Entertainment III in 1993.

For the Love of Film (Noir) Blogathon: When you think of film noir...

2011-02-16T21:33:00.001-08:00

When you think of film noir what comes to mind? A femme fatale whose virtue is as thin as the paint on her face? A hard-bitten private dick spouting Mickey Spillanguage while packing a gat? Carefully staged Venetian blinds? Lights and shadows? Lang and Curtiz?

I think of that anklet. You know the one. The one that reads “Phyllis.” The one that gets Neff hot and bothered and into trouble.
I think of a bed, blood and a pockmarked face full of buckshot.
I think of a long-haired lady with a pouty mouth and rapier wit.
I think of naked light bulbs in a claustrophobic casino.
I think of a distracting mole on the face of a living corpse.
I think of a bird that doesn’t fly.
I think of a striped blouse that mimics prison-wear
I think of ashtray patterns on a silk dressing gown.
I think of a dancer who doesn’t dance with a singer who rarely sings.

But mostly, like Neff, I think of that anklet.

This post is for Ferdy On Films' and The Self-Styled Siren's For The Love of Film (Noir) fund-raising blogathon to preserve the film Sound of Fury. CLICK HERE here for more info and for links to other blogathon participants. CLICK HERE to give a donation to the Film Noir Foundation.

The Palm Beach Story (1942)

2011-02-09T22:33:00.000-08:00

The DVD cover of The Palm Beach Story (1942) features a steamy picture of Joel McCrea having his way with Claudette Colbert in a cozy train compartment. The title's font curls languidly around itself, suggesting an engrossing romance or at least a twisted Payton Place soap opera. Palm Beach is anything but that. It's a giddy comedy that seems to be shot out of a cannon from the start.

Written and directed by Preston Sturges, the story follows a wife (Colbert) who decides to raise money for her penniless husband's (McCrea) invention by divorcing him and marrying a wealthy man.

Don't worry; it is a comedy.

The film makes it clear throughout that the couple will remain married, they just don't know it. The story, then, becomes a who's who of supporting players. Which eccentric character or caricature will the leads meet next? Franklin Pangborn as the officious apartment manager with a twitch? William Demarest as a drunken hunter who shoots saltines like skeet while on a crowded train? Mary Astor as an hilarious, hot-to-trot divorcee with a boyfriend named Toto? Yep. The gang's all here.

Life Magazine

Train films are awesome, and the second act of Palm Beach largely occurs in a locomotive. Don't you just love those obsolete sleeping arrangements which force the leading lady to step on a stranger's lower berth and onto his hands and face while getting into bed? Today that would be lawsuit fodder, but here it's a meetcute. [Obsolete meetcutes could be a great post... ]

In this film, Sturges leaves an unshakable whiff of another of his screenplays. As in Palm Beach, The Good Fairy (1935) also features a woman who is willing to "sacrifice herself" so that the leading man can acquire extra cash. In Fairy, however, the plot point is played for pathos; here it's all-out slapstick.

If there is a problem with this strange little story it is this: like a train, the narrative picks up and drops off people very quickly. You wonder where the story is going to take this or that character, but then it just strands the person in the middle of the story, never to be heard from again, and you're off to the next vignette.

Speaking of being stranded, there's a comic bit where Colbert's purse and clothes are left in an abandoned train car. To her horror, she awakens to find the car gone. This was inspired by actual events in Sturges' life.

A relentlessly humorous tale. Lots of fun.

Read the December 7, 1942 Life Magazine review here.
Listen below or download the Old Gold Comedy Theater radio broadcast of The Palm Beach Story from Oct 29, 1944. Claudette Colbert reprises her role.

The Palm Beach Story - Old Gold Comedy Theater broadcast from Oct 29, 1944, starring Claudette Colbert

Art Imitates LIFE?

2011-02-09T09:25:00.000-08:00

The author of a 1940 Life Magazine article declares that movies should not be "pure entertainment," that they should be "sociological dramas," otherwise they are "trivial and unadult." To bolster the point (or probably to show off more of Life's famous photography), the February 19th article, titled "Speaking of Pictures," displays stills from the movie The Grapes of Wrath alongside Horace Bristol's photographs of migrant Oklahoma sharecroppers.

Life Magazine
click to enlarge

The brief article disappoints in not giving an indepth argument as to why sociological dramas are preferable to fantastic movies. Still, it's a treat to see how well the costume and set designers researched thier subject for the film.

Read the Life Magazine article here.

3D Movies Can Be Subtle: Another Lesson from Alfred Hitchcock

2011-02-01T18:13:00.000-08:00

After Hitchcock taught me how to frame actors kissing in a romantic two shot, I had no idea I would have the benefit of his tutelage again so soon (and about 3D of all things).

Java knows squat about 3D movies. It's that gimmicky format meant to lure audiences away from other passive forms of entertainment and into a public place to wear goggles so that someone can throw random things at your face. It's a pie throwing contest, and you're the target.

Or so I thought.

A few weeks ago, yours truly happened upon The Alfred Hitchcock Geek's 5-part series on why the master of suspense is also the master of 3D movies, using Dial "M" for Murder to set up his points. The author, Joel Gunz, notes that when Margot reaches towards the audience as the killer strangles her, it's a plea for help that draws the viewer in, as opposed to the usual 3D film where that which lunges out of the frame is meant to repulse. Gunz also points up items in the foreground (e.g. fences, lines of bottles on the tables, etc.) used when Hitchcock wants to divide space, or keep the audience at a distance during a crucial moment in the plot.

I found the Dial "M" series very informative, not only about this particular movie's machinations, but also about 3D movie tropes in general. Hitchcock uses the process subtly, - no spear throwing, snakes lunging or cars jutting out over a precipice - a simple point that I had assumed wasn't possible without making the 3D format superfluous in a movie.

Fast forward and I am at the cinema watching a film in 3D. I'm not thinking about Dial "M", until there's a random row of flowers on a desk spanning the bottom of the screen, tickling my nose. They are directly in front of a character who is about to be murdered in cold blood.

I giggle.

The blooms, coffin-like, are boxing him in (framing him like the lamps and bottles which frame Margot and her forbidden lover in Hitchcock's movie). The guy is already pushing up daises; that's kind of cool. Unfortunately, the movie goes downhill from there, rarely using the gimmicky format for anything but hurling people and shrapnel at you as explosions hit. But for one brief moment, I appreciate a rather macabre, but funny, joke that nicely incorporates 3D.

Professor Hitchcock does it again.

A Farce and a Drama: Thoughts on I’ll Be Yours (1947)

2011-01-29T00:21:00.000-08:00

Written for the Amazing Deanna Durbin Blog

I’ll Be Yours (1947) is an uneven film which seeks to blend farce and high drama seamlessly but does not quite succeed, leaving the audience with the feeling of having seen two separate movies at once. (Tom has made his notes and outlined the plot here)

A FARCE AND A DRAMA

I’ll Be Yours is a Felix Jackson adaptation of The Good Fairy (1935) - the Preston Sturges adaptation of Ferenc Molnár’s play, A jó tündér. The play concerns a libertine woman who enjoys helping strangers. In both the original film and in Jackson’s adaptation, the protagonist is instead an innocent young woman who goes to the big city, helps others and potentially falls prey to lechers. But whereas the The Good Fairy makes its two leads guileless individuals who discover the complexities of life together, the Jackson script makes attorney George Prescott (Tom Drake)a grave character throughout and usherette Luisa (Deanna Durbin) a child-like figure who never grows up.
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Read more at The Amazing Deanna Durbin Blog

Dancing Chic to Chic

2011-01-28T18:13:00.000-08:00

Dancing Chic to Chic is a fun little article on Fred Astaire's clothing. Although many attach the idea of Astaire's classic sense of style to the star, Robert Sacheli emphasizes the dancer's modernity.

Mixing the polish of Savile Row with the effervescence of Hollywood, Astaire forged throughout his career a gallery of personal style that remained inimitably his own and perpetually modern.

[Let] the decades between us and Astaire’s movie theatre audiences dissolve. Imagine seeing him for the first time. Take in the wonderful surprise of his dancing and his look, both unlike anything seen before on the screen. To those moviegoers Astaire was boldly contemporary, with a masculine fashion finesse entirely different from other stars. And, to echo one of the Jerome Kern classics Astaire introduced, that’s just the way he looks tonight.

Read here at Dandyism.net

"I am going to tell you something unhealthy."

2011-01-26T22:55:00.000-08:00

That line had me rolling in the aisles.

Saw a local theater production of the farcical take on Hitchcock's The 39 Steps. Hardworking group of four who play dozens of parts in this spy thriller. Sitting center stage, second row, looking up at the frenzied performers, seeing the details - a crooked hem, a hanging thread - I realized that I was accustomed to watching perfect actors.

Fellow playing the lead has to run from planes, like Cary Grant in North by Northwest. Somehow it was jarring to see him actually perspire. My beloved cinematic performers rarely ever sweat.

It was then that I began to enjoy these hard-working thespians, despite their jokes falling flat, and my nose being assaulted with London and Highland "fog" from their dry ice machine. They worked their tails off for a twitter of laughter here and a bit of applause there. I couldn't hack it in that business. When my jokes fail I'm mortified and don't ever want to raise my voice in humor again (until the next time a one-liner presents itself and then I reenter the whole cycle).

Wasn't it Bette Davis who said that acting should appear as if you're working a little? It should appear a little real? The obvious hard work and frailties certainly helped me to appreciate this play.

I adore Grace Kelly's perfectly coiffed hair in films, but the sad little blonde mop precariously perched on the lady's head in 39 Steps engaged me a little more - I waited for it to fall off.