Movie Review: The Philadelphia Story, 1940

Katharine Hepburn on the set of the Broadway Play The Philadelphia Story, 1938
Photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt from LIFE Photo Archive

If there is one thing that I love about classic movies it's the witty dialogue, and The Philadelphia Story is no exception.  Katharine Hepburn is young, vibrant and utterly charming as Tracy Lord, a wealthy divorced socialite about to be married once more.  But the handsome and also charming Cary Grant, as C.K. Dexter Haven, has other plans for the egotistic and proud Ms. Lord.  In come Jimmy Stewart, as writer and reluctant reporter Mike Connor, and Ruth Hussey, as photographer and girlfriend to Mike, Liz Imbrie.  The pair have been assigned to cover the Lord wedding, but Tracy Lord is adamant that the press does not belong behind closed doors.  However, Lord's father is embroiled in a bit of a scandal with a young dancer, so with a little black mail the set up is complete.  Tracy's mother and younger sister wholeheartedly believe that her divorce from Haven was a mistake, so when he shows up, they are not so secretly pleased to have him back in Tracy's life.  At the core of the story is Tracy's "goddess" personality.  In a matter of minutes her ex-husband, her fiancé and her father all tell her that she comes off as a big snob and isn't the most understanding of souls.  This pivotal moment shifts the story and pretty soon Tracy is in the middle of a four sided love triangle between herself, Haven, Connor and her fiancé.  I really enjoyed the scenes between Hepburn and Stewart, especially when the two have too much champagne and end up dancing and swimming the night away under the stars.  Grant and Stewart's performances are also fun to watch as they play off of each other perfectly.  I did not know before watching this film that George Cukor had directed, and since he directed The Women which is one of my favorite films, I am not surprised how much I enjoyed The Philadelphia Story.  Add to that the pleasure of the costumes, sets, and all the supporting cast, and I am a very happy girl.

Here's the trailer:

Movie Review: BUtterfield 8, 1960

Elizabeth Taylor after winning the Oscar in April, 1961

Photo by Grey Villet from LIFE Photo Archive

This is one of my favorite Elizabeth Taylor movies (even though it was NOT one of her favorites).  She won an Oscar for her performance and she wears another iconic slip dress (for the other one, see my previous post on iconic movie fashion).  You could say this was another story similar to Breakfast at Tiffany's since we are talking about a call girl here, but this movie has a completely different tone and Elizabeth Taylor is no Holly Golightly.  She plays Gloria Wandrous, a woman about town who doesn't take $#*&! from nobody.  She is independent for that time, driving her own car, making a career out of modeling clothes at hot spots around town, and sleeping with wealthy men (although this is not said right out at first, until Gloria herself confronts her mother about it and she and her lover argue about it).  Gloria receives calls from Butterfield 8, which was the phone code for New York's upper east side at the time.  These calls are usually from her beaus and her current one is Wes, a married man who both intrigues her and infuriates her.  She's also friendly with Steve, a down and out composer who has sincere feelings for Gloria but also has a girlfriend who is the complete opposite of sultry and slinky Gloria.  After having spent a night with Wes but being insulted in the morning upon discovering a wad of cash on a table and his wife's luxurious fur coats in the closet, Gloria seeks comfort in Steve.  He disapproves of how she is leading her life and the disapproval continues when Gloria pays a visit to her mom (lying to her about where she spent the night).  Pretty soon Gloria and Wes are embroiled in a passionate affair, but Gloria can't let go of her own self-identity as an unworthy woman (in the eyes of society).  She tells Steve of a sordid story that happened when she was only thirteen years old and of how she feels ashamed not because of what happened but because she enjoyed it.  In the morning Steve proposes to his long time girlfriend.  Gloria decides she needs a fresh start and leaves for Boston, but her past is not far behind and tragedy unfolds.  

The movie is based on the book by John O'Hara, published in 1935.  Elizabeth Taylor was 28 at the time of filming and had just married Eddie Fisher after a very public affair and his divorce from Debbie Reynolds.  This was part of the reason Taylor admonished the film.  Both her and Fisher disliked that the public was referring to her as a home wrecker and she was playing one in the movie.  They called the movie "Butterball Four" for laughs.  Another reason Elizabeth Taylor disliked the movie was because she was basically forced to complete it under her contract with MGM.  She wanted to leave the studio in order to film Cleopatra with 20th Century Fox, but was denied until she completed BUtterfield 8.  Frankly I'm glad she did.

Movie Review: Desk Set, 1957

Photo from the AMC TV Blog

The holidays are coming, the holidays are coming, the holidays are coming!! Well, according to the weather here in California, it still feels like summer, but I still say the holidays are coming because realistically there are only 64 days until Christmas and Targé already has ornaments and holiday cards on their shelves.  

In the spirit of the holidays I'm posting my movie review for Desk Set (1957) starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, directed by Walter Lang.  I love this movie not only because it is a great film with the right mix of romance and comedy, as well as charm and nostalgia, but I also love it because it is about librarians and it is set during the holidays.  Never mind all the great acting, I mean c'mon, Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, as well as Gig Young and Joan Blondell!  The story centers on Katharine Hepburn as Bunny Watson and Spencer Tracy as Richard Sumner.  Bunny is head librarian of the reference department of the Federal Broadcasting Network.  When news hits that a computer will be integrated into the department, everyone assumes that they are being replaced, especially when Richard Sumner breezes in and makes it seem like it is no big deal (he is not supposed to say anything definitive about it).  This leads to some witty dialogue and great writing in the film, especially between Hepburn and Tracy.  Once the machine is in place everyone gets a pink slip, so of course their suspicions were true! But it was just a glitch and even the president of the company received one. 

When you think about it, the story is kind of ahead of its time.  Richard Sumner is trying to replace a living and breathing librarian with an electronic machine that spits out answers (sort of like the internet).  But as we have learned, not everything can come from a whirring, processing machine.  Yes, we can read books on a tablet and yes search engines can research people and places for us, but libraries are still places where you can freely browse books, magazines, newspapers, journals, and the like.  You can also attend lectures, cooking demonstrations, story times, book club meetings and even watch classic movies like Desk Set.  So it's nice to know that movies like these remind us that nothing is meant to be infallible and that the human connection is still the best medium to explore the world (in this librarian's opinion).

Here are a few bits of trivia about the film, as well as a Desk Set movie trailer from YouTube.

• The role of Bunny Watson is based on the real librarian that built up the research library at CBS.
• The movie is adapted from the Broadway play, which opened in 1955 and held 296 performances.
• The machine in the movie is called "EMARAC", which stands for Electromagnetic Memory and Research Arithmetical Calculator.  It is based on the actual first general purpose electronic computer, ENIAC, whose slogan was "Making machines do more, so that man can do less".
• The sound effects that were created specifically to depict the EMARAC were re-used in several future films, including Fantastic Voyage (1966).

Movie Review: Jailhouse Rock, 1957

I really do believe that there is no better term for Elvis Presley than 'The King'. Not much is left to be said or published on one of our most infamous gone-to-soon legends, but nonetheless I wanted to watch one of his classic and iconic films, as well as commemorate the anniversary of his untimely passing (August 16th). He would be 76 years old if he were alive today (Shhhhh! Don't tell this to all the people that still think he is alive. Just look up "Elvis sightings" on the internet and you will see what I mean).

• Jailhouse Rock was Elvis's third film and his debut with MGM. It was released on October 17, 1957. 
• There are several aspects of the film that were deemed risqué for the times. First, Elvis plays an anti-hero who is a "good bad guy". Also there is a scene with co-star Judy Tyler showing them both lying in one bed. Finally the swear word 'hell' is used. 
• Elvis never saw the completed film. After filming ended Judy Tyler and her husband were killed in an automobile accident in Wyoming, and Elvis could not bear to watch the film in its entirety. 
• Shortly after filming commenced Elvis inhaled a loose dental cap into his lung. He had surgery and recuperated for a few days before returning to the set. 
• One of the people that watched Elvis film the musical "Jailhouse Rock" scene was Gene Kelly. 
• Elvis was very involved in the choreography for the "Jailhouse Rock" scene after the choreographer, Alex Romero, figured out that the moves he had planned on would not work for the number. 
• Four songs that appear in the film: "Jailhouse Rock", "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care", "I Want to be Free", and "Treat Me Nice" were written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller in just five hours after their music publisher locked them in a hotel room so the deadline could be met. 
• The band that appears in the film is Elvis's original band. 

My thoughts on the film: I really enjoyed it. Although Elvis was obviously never a great acting talent, he is still mesmerizing to watch.  The way he moves is unparalleled, so the singing and dancing scenes are great fun to watch.  Were it not for the fact that this is an Elvis movie, I don't think it would work at all.  He is the movie.  One quote I supremely enjoyed was given by a girl poolside after Elvis sings one of his numbers "When you sing, it's really Gonesville."  Too funny.  I also enjoyed seeing a pair of hound dogs in the film, especially since Elvis's version of "Hound Dog" was a hit the year prior to this film.  Overall a great movie to watch if you are an Elvis fan, and even if you're not, still fun to watch just for the music scenes.

Here is a clip of the infamous jailhouse musical number

Movie Review: It Happened One Night

Since I do love a good, or even cheesy, romantic comedy, I figured why not go back to one of the originals. It Happened One Night (1934) stars Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert and it was the first movie to win an Academy Award in five categories (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay). The plot centers around a spoiled heiress named Ellie Andrews. Ellie has married someone against her father's wishes and after being discovered before the marriage is consummated, she runs away to find her estranged groom only to be intersected by out-of-work newspaper reporter Peter Warne (played by Clark Gable). Warne is down and out, and after he recognizes Ellie, he offers to help track down her groom on the condition that she will give him an exclusive story. Ellie agrees since her other choice is having Warne rat her location out to her father. Ellie and Peter then begin a journey to find Ellie's groom not knowing that the two will soon find love in each other. Before the two can be together, however, there are a few little complications, and although the title alludes to "one night", the story takes place over several days.

I really enjoyed the chemistry between Colbert and Gable. Gable plays the part quite flippantly and although he's a wisecrack, he is also lovable and attractive. Colbert is also quite charming, but vulnerable too and up for an adventure with Gable. Before Colbert accepted to take the role, she was about to leave for a four week vacation to Sun Valley, but she agreed to shoot the film only because Columbia agreed to double her salary and not take more than four weeks to complete filming. The film was finished in four weeks, but you can't tell from watching it. It is very well made and has some great lines, comedic talent, and of course love.

Photo from Wikipedia.org

I first got the inkling to watch this movie after seeing it in Sex and the City 2 when Carrie and Mr. Big are watching the famous hitchhiking seen where Colbert reveals a slice of her gams in order to hitch a ride.  It turns out that at first Claudette Colbert refused to shoot the scene as she deemed it un-lady like, however, after she saw the body double that would be doing the scene for her, she decided she didn't want just anyone representing her legs, so she did the scene herself.  Also, even though the film won so many Academy Awards, it wasn't warmly received at first and even Colbert complained to a friend that she had just finished making the "worst picture in the world" when shooting finalized.  When the nominations for the Oscars came out, Colbert decided not to attend the ceremony, instead she made her way to the train station for a cross-country trip.  She was intercepted though when the studio chief sent someone to pick her up so that she could attend the ceremony, so for this reason Colbert accepted her award wearing a two-piece traveling suit.  A film did not win five awards again until 1975 when One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest won in the same categories as It Happened One Night.

Movie Review: All About Eve, 1950

"Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night!" (Bette Davis as Margo Channing in All About Eve, 1950)

All About Eve (20th Century Fox, 1950) is a movie title that I had seen several times throughout the years and I finally decided to borrow it from the library the other night to see what all the fuss was about.  Before I viewed it I basically knew two things: that it won an Academy Award for Best Picture and that Marilyn Monroe makes a brief appearance.  This is the first time that I've watched a Bette Davis movie and I truly loved her performance.  Actually the whole cast was excellent, and above all I enjoyed the dialogue, the story line, and definitely the casting.  The costumes were also great, but never too overdone, after all this is the theatre darling, not Hollywood. 

In the story the aging (all of 40 years old!) Broadway star Margo Channing is the idol of young and seemingly naive Eve Harrington (played by Anne Baxter), who has seen every performance of Margo's latest show.  One night Margo's best friend Karen invites Eve backstage, having noticed her several times before.  At first Margo is making comments about fanatic admirers and how they are nobodies, but soon enough Eve is charming and almost entrancing everyone with her tragic back story and her adoration of Margo and the theater.  Before long Eve is Margo's new Girl-Friday, but once the honeymoon period is over it becomes very clear where Eve's ambition lies.  The thing is that no one, except the drama critic Addison DeWitt, realizes just how far Eve will go to attain that new road 'paved with stars'.  There is blackmail, drunken accusations, backstabbing, and of course the appearance of a young Marilyn as aspiring actress Claudia Caswell.  I loved the movie, I'd watch it again, and I'm even inclined to say that it is now one of my favorite classic movies.  I highly recommend watching it next time you are in the mood for a classic flick.

Anne Baxter as Eve Harrington, Bette Davis as Margo Channing and Marilyn Monroe as Claudia Casswell

All Right, Mr. DeMille, I'm Ready for My Close-Up

As this year comes to a close I wanted to watch another classic movie, and although I am not planning a New Year's Eve for two, I did want to watch the crazy shenanigans of Norma Desmond in Sunset Blvd. (Paramount Pictures, 1950).  The film stars Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond, a washed up silent film star, and William Holden as unsuccessful writer, Joe Gillis.  At first Joe is only helping Norma with her crazy, lofty, and nonsensical script - a script that Norma believes will mark her return to the pictures.  But it soon becomes apparent that Norma has fallen in love with Joe and she lavishes him with jewelery, fine clothes, and that infamous New Year's Eve party for two.  As Joe gets wrapped up in Norma's illusions of re-gaining her fame, he also realizes that she is crazier than anyone thinks, and he has also fallen in love with his friend Betty Schaefer, who is an aspiring writer who reads scripts at Paramount.  Norma gets wind of this and an argument ensues.  I won't give the whole movie away, but I will say that the film deserves all of the accolades it has garnered over the years.  From the casting to the costumes, writing, and cinematography, Sunset Blvd. is a must-see film.  Gloria Swanson's performance is riveting, and the whole picture is just really creepy and foreboding, but also kind of seductive and fascinating.  A great way to spend an evening in.

Photo by toestubber from Flickr Creative Commons

Here is some trivia on the film and I hope that the new year is filled with bright stars, big pictures, and not too many close-ups.

• In 2007 Sunset Blvd. was listed on their 10th anniversary list as the 16th best American film of the 20th century by the American Film Institute.
• Right before William Holden came on board to play Joe Gillis, Montgomery Clift was signed to do the role for $5,000 dollars a week.
• The shot of Gillis dead in the pool was achieved using mirrors at the bottom of the pool and shooting from above.
• There are several cameos in the film, including Hedda Hopper, Cecil B. DeMille, and Buster Keaton.
• Norma Talmadge may have been the inspiration for the character of Norma Desmond, and for the character of Lina Lamont in Singin' in the Rain (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1952)
• The swan bed that Norma Desmond sleeps in for the film was first used in the film The Phantom of the Opera (Universal Studios, 1925)
• Norma Desmond's home in the movie was an actual house belonging to the former wife of J. Paul Getty.  It was used five years later in the film Rebel Without a Cause (Warner Bros., 1955).  Unfortunately it was torn down just 2 years later in 1957.
• The line "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up" was ranked the no. 7 movie quote out of 100 by the American Film Institute.
• William Holden celebrated his 31st birthday during filming, and Gloria Swanson celebrated her 50th.
• The film got 11 Oscar nominations, it won 3, but it did not get Best Picture.  All About Eve (Twentieth Century Fox, 1950) won for Best Picture that year.
• While the movie was in production it was code-named "A can of beans" because of how Hollywood was being portrayed and the fear of a bad reaction.

Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond
Photo by cirne from Flickr Creative Commons

Movie Review: Holiday Inn, 1942

Marjorie Reynolds during her screen test for the movie

Photograph: Elliot Elisofon; LIFE Photo Archive

When it comes to holiday movies there are plenty of choices.  It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, Home Alone, and Miracle on 34th Street, to name a few.  However, there is nothing like the combination of Christmas, a love triangle, Fred Astaire, a great story, and singing and dancing numbers a plenty, which you can find in the classic movie Holiday Inn (Paramount Pictures, 1942), starring Bing Crosby (Jim Hardy), Fred Astaire (Ted Hanover), Marjorie Reynolds (Linda Mason), and Virginia Dale (Lila Dixon).  The story begins with performers Jim, Ted and Lila.  Ted steals Lila away from Jim and the two begin their own performances leaving Jim behind.  Jim leaves the limelight and starts farming, because that is his dream - the simple life.  A year goes by and Ted gets the idea of opening up a nightclub that is only open during the holidays (in order to continue his lazy ways - which I love, since I excel at laziness).  When Jim meets up with Ted and Ted's manager again, he lets them in on his new idea.  They dismiss it, but Ted's manager gives Jim's card to a floral shop girl who is looking to break into show business (Linda).  Linda ends up at the Holiday Inn and soon her and Jim are on a roll with performances throughout the year for each holiday.  When Lila ends up leaving Ted for someone better (a guy she thinks is a billionaire), Ted comes crawling back to Jim, and subsequently he also falls for Linda.  The whole stealing Jim's girls away is sort of a hobby for Ted, and I think that's why I was totally rooting for Jim the whole time.  Towards the end a Hollywood deal comes the way of the Holiday Inn, but Jim declines it, still hoping for that simple life, and Ted and Linda leave him in the dust.  But Linda is really in love with Jim and is getting miserable out in Hollywood.  Jim also misses her and business isn't the same at the inn without them, so he goes out to Hollywood to get her back.  In the end Lila also comes back to Ted, and Jim and Linda reunite, with both couples dancing and singing the night away into the new year.

Honestly I have to admit that sometimes musicals bore me, especially modern day ones (I walked out of the theater during Chicago), but for some reason musicals like Holiday Inn are completely endearing to me (maybe it's just that old Hollywood charm).  I know White Christmas starring Crosby in 1954 is kind of a re-working of Holiday Inn, but honestly I would give this one a try first.  It's quieter, less flashy, and in black and white, but it's also pretty darn good.

Here's some more trivia on the film, and I hope everyone's days are merry and bright in the coming year.  Happy Christmas Eve!

• The Holiday Inn hotel chain is named after this movie (it was founded in 1952 by Kemmons Wilson).
• The song "White Christmas" was written for this movie by Irving Berlin.  It won the Academy Award for best original song in 1943, and to this day it is the second best selling music single ever (the first is Elton John's re-working of "Candle in the Wind", "Goodbye England's Rose", which only surpassed it in 1997). (Note: this article still says "White Christmas" is the best selling music single ever)
• As a Christmas gift to the studio, Fred Astaire worked for two weeks without pay during filming of Holiday Inn.
• The Navy Relief Society received the proceeds from the New York premiere of the film.
• The sets from Holiday Inn were re-used during the filming of White Christmas (Paramount Pictures, 1954).
• The shoes worn by Fred Astaire during the firecracker dance sequence were auctioned off for $116,000 dollars' worth of war bonds.
• The "drunk dance" in the film reportedly had Fred Astaire drinking two shots of bourbon before the first take and one shot before each subsequent take, until they finally got the shot during the seventh take.