Double Crossbones (1951) -Donald O'Connor in a Pirate Movie

Through a series of complicated plot points, store clerk Davey Crandall (Donald O'Connor) pretends to be the dread pirate Bloodthirsty Dave, scourge of the Carolinas.

The Brotherhood of the Coast, a band of famous pirates, welcome Bloodthirsty Dave and begin planning their next criminal move. Will Davey become caught up in their cutthroat plans? Will the authorities ever believe that he's not really a pirate? Will his lady love spurn him for his fictional past?

The outlawed group includes Alan Napier as Captain Kidd, Robert Barrat as Henry Morgan and Hope Emerson as a lusty (and hilarious) Ann Bonney who makes eyes at Davey.

Historical inaccuracies aside, this is a fun film that's not meant to be taken seriously. There are sword fights, people saying "shiver me timbers," and other movie pirate tropes.

To speak with his love interest Lady Sylvia (Helena Carter), this non-outlaw outlaw must disguise himself as a dandy, attend a party and risk being caught. It's a series of comic scenes like those found in Bob Hope comedies, like Casanova's Big Night or Monsieur Beaucaire. Only this is one of the few times in a comedy when a disguise actually works for the plot and the audience in the cinema. O'Connor is absolutely unrecognizable in his white wig and facial hair.

For fans of O'Connor's dancing, we are given one mere morsel of a backstage musical dance number on the pretext that Davey will earn escape money by singing and hoofing onstage at a tavern. It's a delightful little ditty that includes running up a wall - a feature of the famous "Make 'Em Laugh" dance the comic would later perform in Singin' in the Rain (1952).

Double Crossbones (1951) is a great comedy, fun for the entire family. Recommended.

A Tale of Two Thanksgiving Scenes

There are a couple of memorable Thanksgiving scenes in Giant (1958). This is the big budget film adaptation of Edna Ferber's novel about a young couple from two different states who have two different opinions on almost everything.

Usually Thanksgiving movie scenes involve having the entire family gathered together in one house, eating and being merry. Giant turns that notion on its head by making its two Thanksgiving scenes about a family broken.
 
Leslie (Elizabeth Taylor) wants to leave her husband Jordan (Rock Hudson), because she believes they are incompatible- he is a traditionalist from the Lone Star state and she's more liberal and from the East.

Leslie leaves, citing Thanksgiving with her parents as an excuse. She takes the children with her. What follows are two of the saddest Thanksgiving scenes on film.

Jordan just sits there in front of his Texas-sized turkey, by himself at home, at a long empty table, not eating. The towering dark walls, sparsely decorated table and heavy wood engulf him, making this tall man seem tiny. He's almost hidden behind the dead bird.

He doesn't say anything but you get it;  Jordan misses his family.

Leslie misses her husband, but will not admit it.  The two are both stubborn.

Since the parents do not express the pain of separation in tears or in any other way, the movie gives their children something to cry about.

The children love the pet in their grandparents' backyard. They feed him and name him Pedro. There's a convivial atmosphere in the East. It will soon be interrupted.

On Thanksgiving Day,  the children get the shock of their lives when Pedro is served baked on a platter for dinner. Their loud cries over the dead bird  are, of course, a substitute for the tears their parents have not shed over a possibly "dead" marriage.

Having the family split during this holiday makes the suffering more pronounced for the characters than if this was just a regular day of the year. This ratchets up the tension. We've seen how well Leslie and Jordan get along when they choose to do so; we want this marriage to succeed. But will they reunite? What's the conclusion?

You won't know for several agonizing minutes. It's gut-wrenching, and, like the kids, you just want to cry.

May your family live in unity and may your grandparents never carve up your pet for the holidays.


 

Happy Thanksgiving

The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963) - Glenn Ford in a Dramedy

Glenn Ford plays widower Tom Corbett who raises his young son, Eddie (Ron Howard), alone, but the son has other ideas in The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963).


Perhaps Dollye could be his father's new wife. Dollye Daly (Stella Stevens) is a random stranger Eddie meets in an arcade. Dollye is going through a confidence course and Eddie helps her break through her debilitating shyness. Her unassuming presence also relaxes Tom enough to reintroduce the idea of romance.

  

Dina Merrill is Rita Behrens the "other woman" in our play. This is the inevitable "evil" gal whom father dates but child doesn't like. Though this is the type of character who often muses cattily about shipping children off to boarding school to have daddy all to herself, the script wisely stays away from this bent, casting Rita as your average, lovely socialite. She seems evil to Eddie mostly because she resembles the villains in his comic book.

Plus, Eddie considers someone else for his father to marry.




That someone else could be Elizabeth. Shirley Jones plays Elizabeth Marten, a  neighbor, friend of the family and a nurse, who is on hand to soothe physical and emotional ailments in both father and son. Since Elizabeth knew the late Mrs. Corbett, she is the one with  whom Tom shares his most intimate thoughts about how to raise Eddie and deal with grief.

Howard as precocious little Eddie, is particularly winning with his deadpan delivery and double entendre. Ford is gentle and impatient, yet warm - many of the conflicting emotions necessary to play a father and grieving widower.

Courtship is based on a novel by Mark Toby and is directed by the great Vincente Minnelli. A highly recommended tender comedy which does not shy away from the elephant in the room - death.



Recommendations
Other movies which handle the widower angle pretty well are these:  
The Sound of Music, Jane Eyre, Corrina, Corrina and Houseboat.

Step Lively (1944) - Young Frank Sinatra in a Musical

Today, we review a film from Frank Sinatra's early movie phase.

Step Lively (1944), a film version of the Broadway play Room Service, follows a "Let's put on a show" movie formula. George Murphy gives it panache as struggling producer  Gordon Miller who gets his musical onstage by a series of fast-talking grifts. He fools the manager of a hotel (Walter Slezak) into keeping his stable of performers in the best suites without payment.

Gordon  also cons dramatic playwright Glenn Russell (Sinatra) out of thousands of dollars, then flatters him by asking Glenn to sing.

Of course, Glenn actually can sing well, which leads to a few numbers for Sinatra to croon.

Gloria DeHaven, seasoned pro, is on hand as Christine Marlowe, the star of Gordon's musical. Christine's charms are Gordon's main method of keeping Glenn from squawking to the police about the misappropriated funds.

In reel life as in real life, Sinatra gets the star treatment in this film. His name is first and above the title, despite having fewer acting credits than his co-stars.

As he glides through the door, making his entrance, there's a respectful eight seconds without dialogue. Can't you hear the fans in the audience screaming? This is followed by a few more seconds of inconsequential dialogue (just in case they haven't finished yelling their lungs out), before the meetcute with Ms. DeHaven.

Though a charming celebrity, and a well-known crooner (ensuring ticket sales to Bobby-Soxers in the cinema) in Step Lively, Sinatra is still learning the ropes as an actor; his delivery is a bit wooden. Later in his career, he would make film performance seem easy.

Sinatra is not the only one who gets a star's entrance. A bevy of chorus boys and girls surround Gloria DeHaven as a curtain opens from the hotel balcony during a rehearsal.

Ta da!

Ms. DeHaven and George Murphy were under contract with MGM, who boasted having more stars than there are in the heavens. Their studio loaned them out to RKO for this movie.

Sinatra would soon join them at MGM, the studio which produced some of the best musicals in the world, including the innovative screen hit Sinatra would play in the following year - Anchors Aweigh (1945), with Gene Kelly.

Step Lively is a great film to study early Sinatra and marvel at how far he progressed in the craft of acting.

8 Lessons from John Wayne's McLintock! (1963)

When you live in a wild West movie, you can either do things the McLintock! (1963) way or the wrong way.

This movie was released half a century ago and holds 8 timeless lessons from John Wayne and company by which we may all profit.


1. Whatever You Do, Don't Be Neighborly.
 
Young rancher Ben (Edward Faulkner) assumes the new settlers in town won't be able to feed themselves and might start slaughtering his herd without permission. He threatens to kill the farmers.

Teaching your new neighbors the ways of the West won't do. Just kill them; it's quicker.


2. Try to Punch Your Boss


Rancher McLintock (John Wayne) has no use for farmers, so he rejects farmer Devlin Warren (Patrick Wayne) who incessantly asks for a job. In Warren's last attempt, he explains why he needs a job - he's the sole supporter of his mother's family- and McLintock hires him.

Sickened that his plan for employment works, Devlin punches at McLintock, misses and keeps his job.

What does this tell you? Always, without exception, punch at the face of the guy who helps your family. Maybe knock out a few teeth and you could get a raise.


3. Wear Your Futuristic Salon Treatment in the Settlement Camp

Devlin's mother, Louise Warren (Yvonne De Carlo), is always ready for her closeup. She's traveled thousands of miles over rough terrain, has no money and has lost her husband, but -boy!- does she look like she just slinked out of an Elizabeth Arden chair.

The Jackie Kennedy bouffant, the false eyelashes out to there, the lip rouge all traveled backwards almost 70 years to rest delicately onto Mrs. Warren in the dingy settlement camp. Dust wouldn't dare cling to her; she's Future Mom -Pristine Visitor From Another Century!

4. Threaten Death to Your Loved Ones and Friends; It's Funny

Within the first few hours of McLintock's day, either he or someone he does business with threatens the lives of several people that he likes.

Family Cook: "If you fire me, I'll kill myself."
McLintock: "I may save you the trouble."



Our hero, folks. Our hero.


5. Flirt With a Guy, Then Don't, Then Flirt, Then Don't, Then Push Him Away. Next Guy. Rinse. Repeat.

McLintock's daughter Rebecca (Stefanie Powers) is home from school and she is fickle. One minute she's flirting outrageously with a guy, the next she wants nothing to do with him.  It's like her romance switch flips on then off again without warning.

Then it turns back on. She picks up another guy and does the same routine. Then falls back on the first guy...

Swallow a Dramamine to keep up with her motivations without becoming dizzy and nauseous.

6. A Fistfight Will Change Anyone's Mind

Ben knocks out Davey (Perry Lopez) for daring to want to marry Ben's sister.  Davey loses, so, obviously he cannot marry the woman with whom he has been mutually flirting for years.

The law of the fist has spoken.

Devlin starts a fight with rancher Ben because... he has an itch? Who knows. It's not clear. Fight-happy farm boy Devlin wins. After his concussion, Ben suddenly admires the farmers he wanted to murder.

The law of the fist reigns supreme.

[That's why the story won't let Devlin's fist make contact with McLintock's face earlier; it might completely change the plot.]

Then, an uncle -who has nothing else to do with this movie before or after this scene- thrashes Devlin for belting nephew Ben. I'm convinced this last fight only happens so we can have the frame above of all the young guys with black eyes. Let's call it "Three Blind Mice."

7. Paddle the One You Want to Marry; She'll Love You

Just as Devlin loves to punch a guy for no reason, he's also not above striking a woman (on the other set of cheeks).

He and Rebecca argue over nothing. She demands that her father shoot the guy; that will stop the argument. (Wow, Rebecca! What were they teaching you at school? I hope you were not allowed on the debate team.)

McLintock shoots the guy with a blank cartridge and scorches Devlin's shirt. Learning his lesson earlier that McLintock's face cannot be punched, Devlin spanks Rebecca instead.

Ah! Puppy love.


8. Paddle Your Estranged Wife; She'll Return to You

Katherine McLintock (Maureen O'Hara) has been a sourpuss the whole time. She's demanding a divorce but secretly wants to stay. How does McLintock respond? He spanks her... in her underwear ... in public... as everyone laughs.

This is a seriously screwed up family. Devlin will fit right in.

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

Who says movies are not educational? What lessons have you learned from McLintock!?

Is Katharine Hepburn Irrelevant in Love Affair (1994)?

When a movie legend's career comes to an end, you wish them to go out with a bang.

Deanna Durbin left her career on top - having always played the lead after her first film. James Dean's abbreviated career left behind the epic movie Giant.

In the case of movie star Katharine Hepburn, after a ten year absence from theater releases, the 87-year old legend was coaxed onto the big screen again, for a classic movie remake - Love Affair (1994).  Though she filmed the occasional TV movie, and would complete another small screen story later that year, Love Affair would be her last role for a major film.

Unfortunately, Ms. Hepburn's role in her cinematic swan song is made irrelevant.

Love Affair (1994) is a remake of two earlier films -Love Affair (1939) and An Affair to Remember (1957). It's the story of two strangers who meet on a trip and flirt, but are engaged to other people.

In all three movies, the couple's budding relationship receives a nod of approval from a matriarchal figure -a grandmother in the first two films, Aunt Ginny (Hepburn) in the latest film. This authoritative figure is in place to engender audience approval, so the heroes won't appear egregiously unfaithful to their fiances (even though they actually are cheating).


But there are two significant differences between Hepburn's role in Love Affair '94 and that of her predecessors.

Because There is Little Scandal, Aunt Ginny's Blessing is Irrelevant in Love Affair '94 

In Love Affair '39 and An Affair to Remember, infidelity to a fiance is treated as a battle:  societal norms vs. personal feelings. To avoid gossip, the couple takes care not even to be seen dining at the same time in the cruise ship's restaurant. Their reputation in the world means a lot to them.

However, in Love Affair '94, infidelity to a fiance doesn't really bother anyone so there's very little tension. This is not the grand battle between society's expectations and individual desires as it is in the first two films. In this movie, society at large doesn't care what the characters do. Plus, their fiances are perfectly serviceable alternatives who remain friendly throughout and don't give ultimatums.

Thus, in Love Affair '94 there is little at stake (and nothing for Katharine Hepburn to do).

Should our heroine Terry (Annette Benning) chose the attractive guy (Pierce Brosnan) who has loved her for so long, or the new attractive guy (Warren Beatty) who is also willing to devote himself to her exclusively?

Who cares? Do whatever you want. Without broad-based social scandal in the mix, the leads in Love Affair '94 cannot lose with either decision, making their story a completely isolated, internal and insignificant tug-of-war. 

Watching them mull over their decisions is like being in line behind someone at Starbucks. Just choose something, already! Your options are all about the same and I'm getting restless enduring your indecisiveness.

In the earlier two films, the decision to throw caution to the wind and finally pursue each other is weighty and dramatic, making the elder woman's "benediction," as the New York Times calls it, a necessary boost to the couple's plans. In Love Affair '94, the fraught drama isn't there, making Ms. Hepburn's role and Aunt Ginny's blessing superfluous.



Does Aunt Ginny Actually Approve?

Since Aunt Ginny mostly serves one function in this story - to approve of her nephew's relationship with this new love interest- the elder relative must make her approval clear (or at least implicit) otherwise there is no point in her existence in the plot.

However, there's a problem with tone in Aunt Ginny's scenes. Since they share only about 10 minutes of movie time, Aunt Ginny and Terry must establish a rapport and a life-long bond quickly.

What do we get instead?

The New York Times critic describes Ms. Benning's Terry as "usually peevish."  It's arguable that this character is a part of the times. 1990s movies are overflowing with cynical, biting and no nonsense female leads, which are quite fun to watch. It's just a style.

However, for the scenes of female bonding with Aunt Ginny, it's not necessary to be aggressive. In fact, it's detrimental. Terry is not easy to like in these scenes.

Meanwhile, Aunt Ginny isn't helping. With elbows on knees, she absently slaps her hands together, trying to think of conversation with her guest. It seems she's ready for Terry to leave. (You're burning up precious bonding time, Aunt Ginny.)


No one -not the director, not Ms. Benning, not Ms.Hepburn- allows Terry and Aunt Ginny to like each other. The words are there but the expressions and gestures are that of people enduring each other.

Come on, movie! I want to like you. I want to love you. I want to point to you and say, " See, all you doubters? There is a decent classic movie remake after 1968."

But I can't.

Is Aunt Ginny necessary? No. The script has forced the older woman to become obsolete, a relic left over from the earlier films. Further, the tone of her scenes makes visiting Aunt Ginny unpleasant.

Except for showcasing what a nice guy the nephew is towards women in his family, Aunt Ginny's presence is, at worst, detrimental to the film, at best,superfluous. This is one of the great Katharine Hepburn's last roles; it's a shame that the character is irrelevant.

Fake Classic Movie Star Print Ads

I recently saw James Dean - or, rather, a photo of him- standing next to a car. The picture was used to hawk some brand of motor oil in a new banner ad.

Why not make a few ads myself, I thought. As Deanna Durbin sings, it's foolish but it's fun. Here we go...

 

 

fake ads

Bette Davis vs.Tallulah Bankhead (Radio Shows Embedded)

Bette Davis recreated her famous film role as Margo Channing in All About Eve (1950) for Lux Radio Theater in 1951. (Hear it or download it below.)

Among the actors originally considered for Margo in the film is Tallulah Bankhead. Ms. Bankhead also stepped into the part of Margo for a radio show - Theater Guild on the Air in 1952. (Hear it or download below.)

It's one of the rare times you can hear a movie character peformed by an earlier casting choice.

All About Eve tells the story of a Broadway actress panicked about losing her career and her beau to an interloper.

Both Ms. Davis and Ms. Bankhead play the character with the ferocity and abandon for which they are each known.The biggest difference between the two performances is Ms. Bankhead's tendency to speak quietly where Ms. Davis roars.

These occasional hushed tones lend Bankhead's Margo a steely resolve. You get the idea that were she to lose her career and her beau, she'd still be fine, perhaps even better off without them. This gives the audience a feeling of relief.

Unfortunately, that means Bankhead's Margo has less to lose, no skin in the game. Sometimes she seems so annoyed with Bill you'd think she would prefer to live without him. That would be interesting take on the character, but that would be a different play.  The tone here sometimes goes against a central conceit of the plot - that Margo cannot imagine her life without Bill or the theater.

Bette Davis' Margo, on the other hand, weeps uncontrollably, practically bursts a blood vessel shouting. There are other ways to showcase grief or fear, but this is how Davis does it. She stands to lose everything, that's why you empathize with her, even when she's throwing a loud, childish tantrum.

Or maybe I'm just accustomed to Bette Davis' performance in the film. Decide for yourself. Listen to or download the performances below. Enjoy!

Listen Now to the Lux Radio Theater production of  
All About Eve (with Bette Davis from October 1, 1951):
(Flash player required) (Duration: approximately 60 minutes)

Or save for later by right clicking this link:
http://archive.org/download/Lux16/Lux_51-10-01_All_About_Eve.mp3




Listen Now to the Theater Guild on the Air production of  
All About Eve  (with Tallulah Bankhead from November 16, 1952):
(Flash player required) (Duration: approximately 60 minutes)
 

Or save for later by right clicking this link:
https://archive.org/download/TheaterGuildontheAir/Tgoa_52-11-16_ep127-All_About_Eve.mp3

On Agnes Moorehead: A Blogger Writes a Fun Review of the Actress' Career

The blogger at Movie Star Makeover writes a fun and interesting review (with lovely, sharp photos) of Agnes Moorhead and her acting career in "Who Are You Today, Agnes?"

I had never researched Ms. Moorehead's background (she's on that "someday I'll read all about her" list). So I didn't know many things about the actress.

Here are a few bits of trivia:

• Agnes Moorehead  was the daughter of a minister. Later in her radio career she would recite the books of the Bible in 14 seconds as a sort of parlor trick.
• She originated the role of the unsympathetic invalid in "Sorry, Wrong Number" for radio.
• The actress attended Columbia University to earn a  PhD in speech.
• She could impersonate Eleanor Roosevelt and won plaudits from the then-First Lady herself.

Now that I've whetted your appetite, go read "Who Are You Today, Agnes?"

The Reckless Moment (1949) - Joan Bennett/James Mason Suburban Drama

When you think of 1940s movies, what comes to mind?

Casablanca? War films? Romance and intrigue under distance skies? Betty Gable in red, white and blue? Film Noir where a shady gumshoe picks up a doll-faced dame whose alibi is as thin as the paint on her cheeks?

Well, among those images should be the suburban drama. Post-World War II  movies are great for psychological thrillers, mysteries and tension in ordinary places.

 

The Reckless Moment (1949) is set in the quiet, unassuming peninsula of Balboa, CA. Lucia Harper (Joan Bennett) is a loving mother who seeks to protect her rebellious daughter from suspicion of murder.

The teen daughter has a secret affair with an adult boyfriend. The lover is found dead, a criminal acquaintance, Martin Donnelly (James Mason), has acquired their love letters and blackmails Mrs. Harper.

Raising a large sum quickly and without raising suspicion takes up the bulk of this drama. Mrs. Harper must move through her genial, placid world as if all is well. It's a comment on the facade behind which many people live every day.

Sometimes a movie wants to redeem its villain and show that he or she is not an incorrigible crook. Mason, portraying the blackmailer who begins to empathize with the family as Mrs. Harper struggles to gather the money, is perfect casting. As they wait for the cash, he observes Mrs. Harper's daily life, and expresses sentiments about her slightly claustrophobic familial existence, sentiments that she will never utter, but doesn't deny.

Though the definite article is used in the title -suggesting there is only one reckless moment that changes everything- in truth there are many reckless moments onscreen and ones merely alluded to by the characters.

 

Is the reckless moment allowing the daughter to apply to an art school (where she meets the shady boyfriend) against the parents' better judgement? Taking up with a guy she knows her parents would never approve of? The mother meeting the boyfriend in person to breakup the relationship? Tossing the man's body into the water? Agreeing to be blackmailed instead of going to the police? Wanting to tell her husband but deciding against it?

These, and many other decisions made in an instant, twist the plot this way and that. To which reckless moment does the title allude? That's for you to decide.

The Reckless Moment is a tense drama in ordinary spaces, meant to make the audience think, "this could be me." Chilling.

In Search of the Castaways (1962)- Hayley Mills/Maurice Chevalier in a Jules Verne Adventure

Disney is so great at marketing that one usually doesn't lump its older movies in with "classic films;" Disney films just ARE films. This, in part, accounts for their longevity.

Today's movie -In Search of the Castaways - celebrates its 51st anniversary this year; it certainly qualifies as a classic here at Java's Journey.
 

Disney megastar Hayley Mills at the age of 16 is our leading lady, playing opposite a cast of legends -legends, I tell you!- in the entertainment industry.
 
It's as if the Mickey Mouse company asked itself, "how can we get the entire family to buy tickets?" The result is to cast Maurice Chevalier -who's heyday was a generation or two prior- to make grandma and grandpa nostalgic. Cast George Sanders and Wilfrid Hyde-White -who lit up the screen during the the 1930s, the war years and beyond- for mom and dad. Cast the charming Disney princess of the moment for the teens -Mills. And throw in a small-ish child (Keith Hamshere) and an animal or two for the youngest kiddies.

Well, it works. The entire family can enjoy this film.

Mary Grant (Mills) and her brother Robert (Hamshere) are searching for their father Captain Grant (Jack Gwillim) who is missing at sea. This being a Disney film, the mother is nowhere to be seen, thus driving up the stakes of finding father.

A professor (Chevalier) and the owner of the captain's missing ship, Lord Glenarvan (Hyde-White) agree to help find the captain, and thus begins the adventure.

 

Lord Glenarvan has a son named John (Michael Anderson, Jr.), whose mother, like Mary's, is also nonexistent in the plot. He's on hand to make goo-goo eyes at Hayley and make all the boys in the audience green with envy.

(Anderson says in a 1963 interview that he is smitten with the teen queen in real life. "Of course I'm in love with Hayley Mills," says Anderson. "Who isn't?")

Right. On to the adventure.

Since this is a Jules Verne adaptation, the movie skips about here, there and everywhere all over the globe and encounters fantastic natural occurrences. Floods in a drought, earthquakes, erupting volcanoes, avalanches, ice caves, wild cats in trees with humans, giant birds carrying children away - this is par for the course in the ninety-eight minute film.

 

With all this mayhem stirring around, we don't really need a human villain, but we get one (and we appreciate the luxury). Sanders shows up with his singular talent for portraying quiet menace. Then, in addition to man vs. nature, we get to man vs. man and all that entails -betrayal, deception, captivity, all sorts of things to ravage the senses.  It's a thrilling movie.


In Search of the Castaways boasts dated (but still excellent) film technology for those natural disasters, fabulous period costumes, great adventure, family-friendliness and interesting performances for all ages. Highly recommended.


Further Reading:

• 1963 Michael Anderson, Jr. Interview with Motion Picture Magazine
• Seedship.com has a great collection of Hayley Mills interviews here: http://www.seedship.com/hayley/#gallery
• In Search of the Castaways is one of Java's 13 Classic Movies for Father's Day

Breakfast in Classic Movies (And How it Drives the Plot) - Part 3

This is the third and final installment of our series about that intimate morning meal as portrayed in classic movies, and what it means for the story.

Read the first part here: Breakfast in Classic Movies (And How it Drives the Plot) - Part 1
Second part here: Breakfast in Classic Movies (And How it Drives the Plot) - Part 2

Hungry? Let's have breakfast with the stars one more time.

Breakfast in a Tree
Movie: In Search of the Castaways (1962)

The Breakfast

Due to flash flooding, our adventure seekers are stranded in a large tree. 

As Maurice Chevalier and Hayley Mills harvest random bird's eggs in the tree and catch fish at the waterline for breakfast, they break into a song about finding the benefits of any situation.

Why care about bad weather?/Enjoy it.

Each moment is a treasure./Enjoy it.

The leader of the expedition, Lord Glenarvan (Wilfrid Hyde-White) is despondent that the group is off schedule and stranded. Chevalier will have none of that.

"Cheer up, Milord," says Chevalier, "We pay no rent. Mother Nature sets the table for us, and, fortunately, we have plenty of water."

How it Drives the Plot
The song and meal serve as a respite after several harrowing adventures in this film. It's also a nice life lesson in not being depressed by circumstances. Disney Studios for the win!

Hangover Breakfast
Movie: Teacher's Pet  (1958)

The Breakfast
A professor (Gig Young) has a hangover so he concocts one of the the most putrid liquid breakfasts known to man to deal with it - Tomato Juice, Hot Sauce, Raw Egg and Other Disgusting Things.

The night before, in an attempt to impress a fellow professor (Doris Day) he believes he can use the force of his own will to "hold his liquor." He can't.

How it Drives the Plot
Lesson 1: This binge knocks the professor unconscious and knocks him out of the running for his lady love's affections. He knows this and discusses it with our leading man, Clark Gable, while they make the beverage.

Gable is now freely able to pursue the lady without competition (and he certainly does).

Lesson 2: It's not the gin that's potent, it's the ice you have to watch.

Generational Differences Over Breakfast
Movie: Flower Drum Song (1961)

"Sit," says, Wang Chi-Yang to his sons, "Only cannibals eat standing up!"


This humorous directive at the breakfast table is one of pure frustration. The father (Benson Fong) has run out of ideas for keeping his sons under control.

Wang Chi-Yang has already eaten breakfast and is relaxing in his garden by the time the sons awaken and come to the table. The older son, Wang Ta (James Shigeta), drinks tea. The younger son, Wang San (Patrick Adiarte), heads straight for the milk and cornflakes.

How it Drives the Plot

So many things are going on here. Mostly it's showcasing the generational themes which are the thrust of the entire plot.

1. This scene sets up the next song, "The Other Generation," where parents and children complain about each other.

2. This scene shows differences in pace between generations.

    The father does not waste daylight;  he awakens early and he gives himself time to be methodical.
    The sons awaken later but rush outside with great energy to their appointments. This is why they are standing up. There's too much to do to have a leisurely meal.

3. The food choices flesh out the characters.

   The scene starts after the father has eaten this meal, but we do see the sons consuming food.  The younger son, San, chooses milk, corn flakes and (too much) sugar. This cereal was popular with children of the mid-20th century. He wears a baseball uniform and is going out to practice. He uses the latest slang. All of this plays up San's youth, vigor and modernity.

   The older son, Ta, chooses hot tea, suggesting his maturity and sophistication. He couldn't possibly drink hot tea in a rush without burning his mouth. However, he is still standing up like his younger brother.

  Ta wants to be like his father - stalwart, respectable, traditional- yet he also wants to be like his younger brother - hep, up-to-the-minute, modern. This kind of pull on Ta, this dichotomy, will continue throughout the film in larger themes (like whether he should he marry a traditional woman or a modern one ).



Morning Meal for Two in a Studio Apartment
Movie: On Our Merry Way (1948)

A young couple named Oliver and Martha (Burgess Meredith and Paulette Goddard) live in a crowded little apartment and go through their morning routine. He showers; she prepares breakfast. He shaves while standing over the breakfast table and guzzling juice and coffee; she summarizes the news headlines aloud. He admires her artistry with a paintbrush; they banter.

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.

Who are these people? How did they meet? What's their story? We don't know. Husband goes off to work shortly after this.


How it Drives the Plot
This breakfast scene does not drive the plot any further than the front door of their apartment, which is a shame. They are charming, amiable people. You want to spend ninety minutes with them, but instead you get about ten minutes.

This is an anthology film - a series of vignettes connected by a theme. What this means is husband will go out the door and go to one adventure after another leaving wife (and anything interesting) behind.  This is a promising breakfast gone totally wrong.


Breakfast in the Old West
Movie: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)

 

The Breakfast
Newlywed Millie makes the first breakfast in her new home with her husband and brothers-in-law who are "seven slumaky backwoodsmen." At supper the night before, the men are coarse and greedy, noisily grabbing anything that's not nailed down and shoving it into their faces.

So this morning she has a plan. Millie secretly washes her brothers-in-law's clothes in the night, leaving them with their underwear and later with nothing to wear. These barbaric men have an odd sense of propriety - they'll eat like hogs in front of a woman, step on top of her dinner table, not acknowledge her presence, but they won't appear in long underwear in front of her (that would be a bridge too far).

She tempts them with breakfast to get them to behave, saying, "I've got hot muffins waiting. Steak. Fire potatoes. Flap jacks. Fresh-ground coffee."

How it Drives the Plot
This meal is the beginning of Millie's rightful reign as the lady of the house. (Note that the night before at dinner she stands around in horror; this morning she is seated at the head of the table.)

Her brothers-in-law will be tamed -at breakfast and otherwise- so that she can get them out of her house and into their own families. At this point, it's Millie who wants those six other brides to show up more than anyone else ... ASAP!

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Meals really do tell a lot about a character.
The next time you see a movie breakfast, pause and consider what the set designer, director, actors and script are telling you. It could be some deep psychological theme all tied up in bacon and eggs. Or it could be just breakfast. You never know until you think about it.

Ciao for now,

Java
P.S.This series has been fun. It's not really over, it's simply taking a hiatus.

Further Reading
Read the first part here: Breakfast in Classic Movies (And How it Drives the Plot) - Part 1
Second part here: Breakfast in Classic Movies (And How it Drives the Plot) - Part 2