SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1943)

I really enjoyed posting two straight weeks of blogs on Hollywood films from the 1930's, and so for the 1940's I'm going to up the ante and try for three weeks worth. Looking at titles I have left from the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die book, this shouldn't be a problem. As before, I’ll list my expectations for each film going in and state whether these expectations are reached or not. And I’ll once again give each film my Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award because there was such a bounty of great supporting performers from this period and I just like doing it.

Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
Expectations: The king of directors competition in the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die contest is pretty much a slam-dunk in favor of Sir Alfred Hitchcock. There are 18 Hitchcock movies listed. 18! The second place director, Howard Hawks has only 11. (I think I did the math right).
I’m looking forward to watching Shadow of a Doubt as I haven’t seen it and no next to nothing about it.

After viewing: The plot really unravels slowly, but I didn’t mind that. The story gets where its going at its own speed and the slow arc heightens the drama. A good cast (led by Joseph Cotton and Teresa Wright), a good story and a pretty decent director too.

And as I often do when I spot them I must point out a great librarian moment. Teresa Wright has got to get hold of a newspaper article from the local public library that may or may not incriminate her Uncle. But the library has just closed! And what does the kindly librarian do? She lets the distraught young lady in and gets down the newspaper in question and gives Teresa three minutes to find the article she is looking for so the plot can continue. A thoughtful professional, I must say.
Let this be a reminder: If you need to use the public library, please make note of library hours and judge your time accordingly. Librarians have lives too!

And the Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award goes to…Screenwriter Thornton Wilder. Certainly a big name Hitchcock got to pen the majority of this screenplay, which is well done. But who knows how much is Wilder and how much are the script doctors (including Mrs. Hitchcock). Other memorable supporting players in this film include Henry (Clarence, Angel second class) Travers, Hume (he was actually young once) Cronyn, Patricia (the sweet mother who is slow to catch on) Collinge and daughter Edna May (the smart daughter, whose character has read Ivanhoe, which makes her a better man than I am, Gunga Din) Wonacutt and Wallace (Wasn’t he the one who was going to buy Schlitze the Pinhead a hat with a feather coming out of it in Freaks?) Ford.

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GASLIGHT (1944)

I really enjoyed posting two straight weeks of blogs on Hollywood films from the 1930's, and so for the 1940's I'm going to up the ante and try for three weeks worth. Looking at titles I have left from the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die book, this shouldn't be a problem. As before, I’ll list my expectations for each film going in and state whether these expectations are reached or not. And I’ll once again give each film my Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award because there was such a bounty of great supporting performers from this period and I just like doing it.

Gaslight (1944)
Expectations: This is a movie I’ve heard about since I was a kid, but have never seen. I know that Charles Boyer tries to drive his wife Ingrid Bergman insane. To what end? I don’t know. I guess I’ll have to watch.

After viewing: A good psychological thriller. And why do movie trailers (Like the one for this film) show scenes from the last parts of the movie? If you show me how it ends, I’m much less likely to want to see it. This was true of trailers in the 40’s and true of movies today. I’m just wondering.

I can see why they gave the Oscar to Ingrid Bergman. She loses her marbles with great aplomb.

And “to gaslight” someone-I imagine comes from the play and subsequent movie (technically movies since there is a British version of Gaslight as well). But does anyone use the term any more? It never really comes up that much for me.

And the Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award goes to...Angela Lansbury. Who’d have thought Angela Lansbury was ever a teenager, let alone a teenager with an attitude?

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YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942)

I really enjoyed posting two straight weeks of blogs on Hollywood films from the 1930's, and so for the 1940's I'm going to up the ante and try for three weeks worth. Looking at titles I have left from the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die book, this shouldn't be a problem. As before, I’ll list my expectations for each film going in and state whether these expectations are reached or not. And I’ll once again give each film my Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award because there was such a bounty of great supporting performers from this period and I just like doing it.

Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

Expectations: I haven’t seen Yankee Doodle Dandy in sometime. My fear is that it will probably come off as a little dated.

After Viewing: Well they certainly don’t make um like this anymore. A very sanitized version of the life of song and dance legend George M. Cohan features his rise and, well his rise and retirement and ends with his triumphant return to Broadway. Much of this biography is told through the music. The section from Cohan’s Broadway production of Little Johnny Jones seems to run about twenty minutes.

I always scoff at people who don’t watch black and white films. I don’t ever see a black and white film and say to myself, “Boy, I wish this had been in color.” Ok, I will make ONE exception. I wish Yankee Doodle Dandy had been in color. I think it would have really enhanced some of many musical numbers.

This movie was also so well timed. It came out right after the U. S. entry into World War II and fans embraced the patriotic fervor of this film. Also, after many years of effort, Cohan finally got a biography on screen that met with his approval. The film was released only a few months before his death in 1942.
And of course, James Cagney as Cohan seems like such a natural choice now, though it is really in contrast to so many of his tough guy roles.

I don’t mean to say I didn’t like Yankee Doodle Dandy. I actually did. I was just struck at times by the lack of conflict in the story. Still recommended, but for enhanced enjoyment, try to view on the Fourth of July or Memorial Day.

And the Elisha Cook Jr. Supporting Player Award goes to...Walter Huston. I also really liked Huston in Dodsworth and Treasure of the Sierra Madre. I don’t think the acting part of the role here is as demanding as those other films, but he proves himself to be quite a good song and dance man playing Cohan’s father. I’d also like to give an honorable mention to Joan Leslie as George M’s Yankee Doodle Sweetheart because she’s just so damn adorable.

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THE LADY EVE (1941)

I really enjoyed posting two straight weeks of blogs on Hollywood films from the 1930's, and so for the 1940's I'm going to up the ante and try for three weeks worth. Looking at titles I have left from the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die book, this shouldn't be a problem. As before, I’ll list my expectations for each film going in and state whether these expectations are reached or not. And I’ll once again give each film my Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award because there was such a bounty of great supporting performers from this period and I just like doing it.

The Lady Eve (1941)
Expectations: Yet another Preston Sturges feature. I’m a fan of his other films, think he writes snappy dialogue, Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck seem like a winning team. What’s not to like?

After viewing: Peter Bogdanavich calls it "the perfect romantic comedy." I don’t know if I liked it as much as some of the other films of Sturges, but I did like it. The whole Stanwyck coning Fonda-then falling in love-breaking up with hime and returning to extract revenge on him and not even disguising herself and he doesn’t recognize her…and...forget the plot…it’s typical Sturges from that era, which is a compliment. And Henry Fonda can do comedy! And Barbara Stanwyck is alluring and…guess I did like it, though maybe not as much as Mr. Bogdanavich.

And the Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award goes to …William Demarest. He has been in every Sturges film I have seen, as well as many other features from this time period. And of course, he was later Uncle Charlie on My Three Sons. And what did all his characterizations have in common? Grumpiness, grouchiness and cynicism. He’s used most effectively here as Fonda’s assistant who doesn’t trust Stanwyck (and rightly so) throughout the entire picture.

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PALM BEACH STORY (1942)

I really enjoyed posting two straight weeks of blogs on Hollywood films from the 1930's, and so for the 1940's I'm going to up the ante and try for three weeks worth. Looking at titles I have left from the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die book, this shouldn't be a problem. As before, I’ll list my expectations for each film going in and state whether these expectations are reached or not. And I’ll once again give each film my Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award because there was such a bounty of great supporting performers from this period and I just like doing it.

Palm Beach Story (1942):
Expectations: I knew it featured the director-star team (Preston Sturges, Joel McCrea) of one of my favorite movies from the 1940’s, Sullivan’s Travels.

After viewing: I watched this movie after watching about ten Ingmar Bergman movies in a row. (If you aren’t familiar with Bergman, he doesn’t specialize in screwball comedies). The contrast made it seem like the dialogue in Palm Speech Story was speeded up like a 33 1/3 album turned up to 45*.. Anyway, the script was very funny, but as I said, it was so quickly paced, I found myself backing up the tape to get some of the dialogue I missed the first time through. My favorite line goes something like, “Nothing is forever…except for Roosevelt**.” Also look fast for clever sequence going on behind the opening credits.

*Yes, I do realize vinyl references may appear dated.
**Line only funny pre-1945.

And the Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award goes to …Frank Faylen. Seems strange to award someone with just one scene in a movie that has such impressive second bananas as Mary Astor, Rudy Vallee, William Demarest, and Franklin Pangborn in it. But when I saw Frank driving that cab halfway through the movie it foreshadowed the cab he would drive four years later in It’s a Wonderful Life and who doesn’t love It’s a Wonderful Life?

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REBECCA (1940)

I really enjoyed posting two straight weeks of blogs on Hollywood films from the 1930's, and so for the 1940's I'm going to up the ante and try for three weeks worth. Looking at titles I have left from the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die book, this shouldn't be a problem. As before, I’ll list my expectations for each film going in and state whether these expectations are reached or not. And I’ll once again give each film my Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award because there was such a bounty of great supporting performers from this period and I just like doing it.

Rebecca (1940):
Expectations: Always look forward to viewing a Hitchcock film. Knew this was his only Best Picture winner. Laurence Olivier is usually worth seeing (Unless it’s in something like Harold Robbins’ The Betsy or The Jazz Singer). I knew it was also based on the famous novel of the same name.

After viewing: I had forgotten (or maybe I never realized) this was David O Selznick’s follow up to Gone With the Wind. It appears (and is confirmed by the accompanying commentary track) to be part Hitchcock style and part O. Selznick epic. This competing combination seems to works for the most part.

I honestly don’t recall seeing a movie with Joan Fontaine before, but she is quite fetching and well cast here. Another interesting supporting role is George Sanders as Olivier’s oily voiced rival. However, any fan of Rebecca will probably tell you the showcase role is that of the macabre Mrs. Danvers and Judith Anderson plays it to the hilt.

The overall plot does have some holes in it (As Hitchcock himself points out-Where did the second body come from?) but it isn’t hard to see why Rebecca (The book and the film) has had an enduring appeal.

And the Elisha Cook Jr. supporting player award goes to…Judith Anderson, of course. Though I admit it is tempting to throw a bone to Jasper the loyal cocker spaniel.

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THE BLACK SWAN (2010)

Since I imagine The Black Swan will be in the latest edition of The 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die book and I watched it this week, I feel pretty safe in adding it here. However, I’m not sure what to say about this film, so I’ll just ask some friends and family who have seen it what they think and follow with my comments about their comments.

My niece: It was really strange. Not what I had in mind. Some of those images were just creepy, creepy, creepy…But I liked it. (I'm glad you seemed to have learned that creepy isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s an important life lesson.)

My other niece: I thought it was the coolest move ever! But I could have done without the scene with the old man playing with himself on the subway. (I too will have nightmares about that one.)

My cousin from Georgia: Can’t they make any movies today without bad language? With Natalie Portman in it, I was expecting something more along the lines of Star Wars. (I may have to deduct points from you for making a reference to The Phantom Menace.)

My son: Didn’t really care for it. I prefer anime. (We’ll watch Metropolis or My Neighbor Totoro next, I promise)

An online friend: I must be getting old. I can remember when Barbara Hershey was such a cutie! Now she’s playing parts like this as if she were doing an imitation of the mother in Carrie! (I asked him what he thought of the movie overall, and he said he found it very creative, but didn’t like the scene with the old man on the subway. Note: Since it seems to be a consensus, I would ask Darren Aronofsky for his next film to omit all scenes with old men diddling with themselves.)

Movie buff friend at work: Aronofsky goes from a film about the psyche of washed-up professional wrestler in The Wrestler to an up and coming ballet star in The Black Swan with only mixed results. (I asked him to embellish and he would not.)

My best friend: Not really mind kind of flick, Sam. My old lady just insisted on watching, and seeing as it was her birthday and all, I agreed. So much dancing. So boring. But then comes the scene with the two women. You know, he, he he. When they venture to the island of lesbos? Now that’s my kind of movie! Don’t quote me on that. My old lady gets jealous, you know. (My best friend calls everyone Sam. His wife actually left him months ago, so his comments about his “old lady” concern me greatly.)

My wife: Why do you keep talking about The Black Swan? I think you’re just obsessed with Natalie Portman. Maybe you should just off and marry Natalie Portman! But when you do, don’t forget to give her this…(My wife then broke a bottle of Michelob over my head and stuck the jagged edge of it solidly into my gut. Despite the pain, I have to admit it took me to a level of artistic consciousness that I have never attained before.)

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