Free and Easy (1930)

Elmer Butts (Buster Keaton) is the bumbling manager to Queen of Gopher City Elvira (Anita Page), who is a Kansas beauty contest winner and his secret crush. Along with her overbearing mother played by Trixie Friganza, Elvira is going to Hollywood to try and become a star. On the way they meet movie star Larry Mitchell (Robert Montgomery) who is instantly smitten with Elvira. He invites them to his upcoming premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre where Elmer is mistaken for William Hanes (much to the actual Hanes delight). Trying his best to promote Elvira, he mostly makes a fool of himself. The next day Elvira and her mother are invited to the studio by Larry to watch him perform in his current movie. Elmer, having been left out due to his antics the night before, manages to sneak onto the studio lot where he accidentally wreaks havoc on various sound stages that include famous people such as Lionel Barrymore, Karl Dane, and Dorothy Sebastian. Larry, who genuinely likes Elmer tries to get him a job but the director miscasts him in the part and he’s thrown off the set. Larry tells him to go to the transportation department on the lot so he can get a ride home but the manager mistakes him for a new driver. He is assigned to be Larry’s driver and must watch as Larry tries to seduce Elvira. Hurrying off to fetch Elvira’s mother, they arrive to find Elvira crying. Elmer tries to attack Larry and is knocked out in the process. However, Elvira’s mother knocks him out. When the men come to and start talking, they realize they knew each other as kids. Larry, who is remorseful for trying to seduce Elvira, decides to try and get Elmer another acting gig. This time the casting is perfect and even Elvira’s mother gets a part in the show. Elmer is a big hit and wins himself a studio contract. However, Larry wins Elvira much to Elmer’s dismay.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I have been enjoying TCM’s tribute to Buster Keaton this month. Knowing him only as the silent comedian who lit up the screen with his CRAZY antics (I mean Harold Lloyd and Charlie Chaplin are fantastic but the physical body comedy Keaton performed goes above and beyond) it was a delight for me to watch him in a talkie. Despite the odd pacing and random story line so typical in early 30’s film, Free and Easy was a delight mostly due to Keaton and Friganza. Their interactions with one another are hilarious! I also got to watch the short documentary on Keaton So Funny It Hurt; Buster Keaton and MGM, a poignant title in that his years at MGM after being an independent actor for over a decade basically ruined him. I was not aware that MGM played such an integral part of the disintegration of his stardom and aided his descent into alcoholism. Nor was I aware that once he was able to straighten his life out, that he did so much work, often uncredited, behind the scenes- he recycled his on-screen gags and wrote new material for the likes of Red Skelton and the Marx Brothers. If you haven’t had a chance to check out his body of work- tune in this Sunday as TCM continues to pay tribute to one of the greatest physical comedians ever!

Side note:

Be on the look out for Ann Dvorak who is uncredited in this film- she's pretty easy to spot!

Tonight on TCM!

The Big Combo (1955) A police detective tries to convict a mob boss by going to the man's girlfriend.  Dir: Joseph Lewis Cast: Cornel Wilde, Richard Conte, Brian Donlevy.

An Earthquake and Hurricane in the same week? I think it's time to discuss The Rains Came (1939)

Tom Ransome (George Brent),  a nonchalant philanderer has spent years in India watching the people and the rains come and go. He has an ardent admirer in Fern Simon (Brenda Joyce), the daughter of American missionaries who is fascinated by Tom and his reputation. However, Tom regards her as a child. When he runs into an old flame who is now Lady Edwina Esketh (Myrna Loy), having married the wealthy and uncouth Lord Esketh (Nigel Bruce), Tom is alarmed by her behavior. Worse yet, he realizes he has built his reputation on behaving just like her.  

Edwina, bored with her marriage, carelessly tries making a conquest of Tom's friend, Major Rama Safti (Tyrone Power). However, the major is too preoccupied with his work as a doctor to pay her any attention. Meanwhile, as the rains fall, Tom finds himself falling in love with Fern. Then disaster strikes when an earthquake destroys the dams and releases flood waters into Ranchipur, killing Lord Esketh and the Maharajah (H. B. Warner). When the Maharani (Maria Ouspenskaya) asks Tom to help her people, Fern joins him. Plague sweeps the city and as the major fights to contain it, Edwina volunteers to help in the hospital despite the risks. The major, touched by her selflessness, finally falls in love with her. However, in the most harrowing scene Edwina accidentally drinks from a contaminated glass and falls victim to the plague. The major is unable to save her. Tom and Fern get married and the major, successfully contains the plague to become the Maharajah.

The Rains Came isn't quick entertainment, it has its slow moments but it also has a few heavy hitters. Besides some pretty good special effects, Brent, Power, Ouspenskaya, and Joyce play their parts wonderfully. The real star however, is Loy. An unusual part for her as evidenced in her future work, she nonetheless shows her dramatic chops and is most touching in her deathbed scene. Definitely worth seeing just once.


Tonight on TCM- if the power stays on...
Linda Darnell! Oh, A Letter to Three Wives sounds fun!

Thirty Thirties!

I watch a lot of classic film. A lot. Maybe not as much as Cin-Eater (I mean, a girl needs her beauty sleep) but it's still a lot in comparison to anyone I know and see on a daily basis. It's to the point where I simply bubble over if anyone, ANYONE mentions a classic movie or movie star or um...speaks to me, period. Sigh. I have sooooooo much to share! Sometimes the conversation simply ends with them staring blankly at me while slowly backing away. I've gotten used to it.

Anyway, when I started out with this blog, I thought I would stick to the films of the thirties. They're my favorite era of film and I want to see them all. As any of you who are enthusiastic about the classics knows, this is entirely impossible. Especially when you depend mostly on TCM to give you your fix and you simply HAVE to see everything Fredric March (insert your favorite star here) made. However, I have seen quite a few films from the thirties (with lots of wonderful films from other eras tucked in) and simply don't have the time to blog about them all. And admittedly, some aren't really worth all the fuss. So, I have decided to do this type of blog entry (sort of a twist on my Many Mini Review entries) that gives my opinion, etc. of the film without doing a complete synopsis. It will also help me track whether they are worth another view or not. Enjoy!

This is the Night (1932)
Cary Grant’s first full-length feature. It’s a precursor to screwball but more a farce. Interesting opening of the film. Best scene is Young and Ruggles in a state of complete intoxication. Delightful!

Not So Dumb(1930)
Marion Davies as Dulcy proves that distorted adages, tactlessness, flagrant chatter, and downright scatterbrainery aside, she isn’t so dumb not get what she set out to get- even if it is by accident. And I love a butler who doesn’t know how to buttle!

Merrily We Go To Hell (1931)
Besides it being my not-so-new- now drinking toast, it has Fredric March in it…enough said. Seriously though, he and Sylvia Sydney are spectacular as they flounder around in their “open” relationship. Skeets Gallagher and Esther Howard provide comic relief as a pair of drunks. There is a Cary Grant cameo as well!
Best line: “I’m afraid as a rule I prefer the company of men… Particularly if they’re bartenders.”

The Guardsman (1931)
This was my first Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne film, it was also their first talkie. As an avid reader of classic star’s biographies and autobiographies, their names have been bandied about by many stars who revered them as premiere stage actors. Neither disappoint in this hilarious film that also features Roland Young and Zasu Pitts.

Chance at Heaven (1933)
Standard thirties fare featuring two beauties, Ginger Rogers and Marian Nixon (who like another Marion- retired from pictures early). Sometimes I have a hard time swallowing the noble stepping aside they had women do when their men, in this case, Joel McCrea, go nutso for another dame. I like the women who fight.

Easy Living (1937)
One minute you’re breaking your piggy bank, the next a fur coat falls on your head. Jean Arthur is about to be treated to all her dreams, but first... a little chaos.

Dinner at Eight (1933)
A superb movie with melodrama, wit, humor, and a few bittersweet moments, Dinner at Eight is a thirties staple and a must see. Great cast including the Barrymore brothers, Marie Dressler, Jean Harlow, Lee Tracy and Billie Burke.

Remember? (1939)
Though it didn’t get great reviews at the time, I really enjoyed this film. A little nonsensical with the potion to help the couple forget, but the plot line gets better because of it. Love Billie Burke and her daffiness!

Freaks (1932)
Pre-code horror film involving real life circus performers and their shortcomings. It is still creepy today. When they decide to attack at the end of the film- I literally shivered. Freaks is definitely a must see!

Payment Deferred (1932)
I believe this was one of my first Laughton films and luckily, his stellar performance as the horrible but pitiful William Marble didn’t ruin me for all the other movies I have seen him in. Watch him descend into madness as he tries to keep a terrible secret.

The Traveling Saleslady (1935)
Joan Blondell proves her meddle as a capable working woman who sells cocktail toothpaste. That’s right, toothpaste made to taste like a variety of cocktails. I love the 30’s and I love Joan Blondell!

The Bride Wore Red (1937)
Not a favorite. Joan Crawford plays a working girl who strikes lucky when a drunken count gives her an opportunity to see how the other half lives. She’s torn between her love for Franchot Tone and the security of Robert Young (neither of which I find attractive). And yet another example of a woman stepping aside so the one she truly loves can be happy. Snore.

Three Loves Has Nancy (1938)
I am not a huge fan of Janet Gaynor or Franchot Tone. However, combined with Robert Montgomery who sparkled enough for all three of them, this movie was quite tolerable and even funny at moments. Worth watching for the sleepwalking scene!

Another Language (1933)
No charming Robert Montgomery in this film. Frankly, he's a real jerk. Playing a mamma’s boy he keeps Helen Hayes jumping until she’s fed up. Unfortunately, I was fed up well before she got around to it.

Westward Passage (1932)
Speaking of jerks, Laurence Olivier is no stranger to acting like one thanks to Westward Passage. Ann Harding seems to play two separate people in this film. First she is a milksop who tries to keep her husband’s life running smoothly. But once she and Olivier are divorced and she is remarried- she becomes quite a vixen who Olivier finds harder to win over. Contemplating an affair with her ex-husband seems so out of character to what she once was that I found Harding hard to believe.

The Bride Walks Out (1936)
Ugh! I hate a movie that concentrates solely on how a man doesn’t want his woman to work. I hate it more when the woman in question gives in. Et tu, Stanwyck?? Boo.

Star of Midnight (1935)
So, here’s an oddity. After the first Thin Man in 1934, they paired William Powell and Ginger Rogers together. I mean it works but it was odd seeing Powell basically playing Nick Charles under a different name and Ginger not quite adding up to Myrna Loy. Both Rogers and Powell are great, the film is full of witty moments and highly entertaining. But I adore my Thin Man combo of Powell and Loy and this was just strange.

Grand Slam (1933)
A couple’s relationship is tested when the husband invents his own method of playing bridge. Few interesting moments thanks to Frank McHugh but bridge is boring and so was this movie.

Shipmates (1931)
Here is the Robert Montgomery I know and love. As a wise-cracking seaman, Montgomery learns the hard way that love and life won’t come easy if you can’t take some things seriously.

There’s Always a Woman (1938)
Though it’s no Thin Man, Joan Blondell and Melvyn Douglas are superbly matched. He as the long-suffering husband to his eternally curious wife who is rather good as a detective.

Gambling Lady (1934)
Stanwyck is a gambling lady- good at cards, bad at love. Things work out in the end. Surprised? Me neither.

Murder In a Private Car (1934)
Though Charles Ruggles is in this film, you should watch it solely for Fred Toones’ performance. It's the only real good part in the film.

The Goose and The Gander (1935)
Revenge falls to the wayside in this screwy little film with good performances by Genevieve Tobin and George Brent. I don’t think I am a fan of Kay Francis. I’ll need to look into that more.

Craig’s Wife (1936)
Did you know that Rosalind Russell can be as unfunny as she is funny? Well, she can. She proves it as Harriet Craig. Even Billie Burke doesn’t sparkle in this serious drama. Good film.

Cain and Mabel (1936)
Clever name for a movie however, that’s about the most interesting thing about it. Clark Gable and Marion Davies together was a little flat and not even the wise-cracking Allen Jenkins could revive this piece.

Night Nurse (1931)
Joan Blondell for comedy, Barbara Stanwyck for strength, Ben Lyon for romance and Clark Gable for drama. I had a hard time believing that Stanwyck couldn’t get the law involved on a case she was working on where two children were obviously being starved. Despite that, all performers gave a good show and Gable was especially nasty.

The Amazing Mr. Williams (1939)
Melvyn Douglas must dress as a woman to help solve a case. Need I say anything more? Ok, I will. Joan Blondell.  :)

The Kennel Club Murder Case (1933)
William Powell and detective stories were obviously a good combination.

Heat Lightning (1934)
Aline McMahon plays a mechanic. That’s right, a mechanic. How significant is that in 30’s cinema? I’d say real significant. Drama unfolds when her past accidentally catches up to her at the filling station and lunch counter she owns. But you can depend up Frank McHugh, Glenda Farrell, and Ruth Donnelly to keep things light.

The Skin Game (1931)
I have seen a lot of Hitchcock’s films. I hope to see them all but I also hope they’re not as bad as this one.


Tonight on TCM!
Peter Lawford. Definitely want to see It Should Happen To You!

What's the story, Morning Glory?

The other night I watched Morning Glory starring Katharine Hepburn and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. It was painful. Not as painful as The Glass Menagerie mind you, but painful all the same. It's one of those movies with an incredulous ending, nothing is wrapped up, the future is still unsure and in this case, the moral of the story is defiantly and verbally torn to shreds. A perfect example of a WTF? ending. But that's not the purpose of this blog entry. I want to say a few things about Katharine Hepburn.


I like her. I do. I was sad when she passed and immediately went out and bought Me: Stories of My Life and Kate Remembered. There are several memorable films I love her in: Bringing Up Baby, The Philadelphia Story, Holiday, The Lion in Winter, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, On Golden Pond... all great movies. As of late though, I feel that a little bit of Katharine Hepburn goes a long way. In short, I am not sitting down to watch a marathon of her acting career. That's nightmare material.


As I watch her movies now and when I see her movies come up on TCM that I may not have seen before, I find that while record it to my DVR, movies like Pat and Mike and Morning Glory will sit there for months before I work up the desire to see them. So, what is it? Well, probably what most would say about Katharine Hepburn- her voice and mannerisms. The New England accent, the fast-paced talking, murmuring opinions under her breath, the changing of octaves to denote a certain strength or weakness or ploy to get her way, gesticulating often and concisely, dominating the scene with her presence that was so unlike any other actors in the scene... ever. All these things that made her stand out and shine among other actors of her era were also possibly the very things that had brought her under scrutiny during her career, perhaps also contributing to her being labeled "box-office poison" in 1938.


One would think she was a victim of her circumstances doing so many screwball comedies- I mean, how many actresses wrestled a leopard in there career? Or it could be movies like Morning Glory, where she simply overwhelmed an underwhelming story.

All this is not to say that Katharine Hepburn was one the most beautiful, talented, intelligent, and determined actresses ever to grace the screen.

Tonight on TCM!

7:15 PM
Bill Murray (2008)

Celebrities reveal the classic movies that influenced their lives in interviews with acclaimed film critic/interviewer Elvis Mitchell.

8:00 PM
Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, The (1966)

Three men seek hidden loot during the Civil War. Cast: Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef. Dir: Sergio Leone.