The Courtship of Andy Hardy (1942) Film Review - Mickey Rooney

Plot Summary - Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) is busy in court with a case of this bitter and bickering divorced couple who are parents of a high school aged daughter Melodie (Donna Reed), caught in the middle. Andy Hardy (Mickey Rooney) is out of school now and working at a local garage where he is trying to start up his own towing business. His tow-truck isn't in the greatest of shape and Andy ends up in a mix-up while towing a sedan - now accused of stealing it! Judge and son make an exchange - the judge will help Andy with his latest legal trouble if Andy will ask poor, troubled, unsociable Melodie out on a date to help brighten her so-called drab life. Andy considers her "droopy" and a bore - a bit of a "sad apple" as he calls her - but asks her to the school alumni dance. Unfortunately for her, she's considered too out-of-style for Andy or the male stag line (Andy has to bribe all but one of these guys to "break" in). Melodie hasn't been out much and falls for Andy, invites Andy to the upcoming "Spinster's Skip", gives herself a makeover, and arrives at the dance looking like a gorgeous and stylish glamour girl, making the guys now want to pay Andy to dance with her! Side story involves sis Marian, just back home from living in NYC, now sophisticated in short skirt - with plans to wear her new nightgown as an evening dress, causing the family some grief.

Review - Well this is yet another entertaining and fun film in the Andy Hardy series. One thought - okay, Melodie is played by a very young and beautiful Donna Reed (not much is done to hide her beauty either) and it struck me as extremely unrealistic that the fellows all refuse to dance with her just 'cause she's not wearing the latest dress and hairstyle (and unless you know a lot about fashions of 1942, even that's sort of hard to detect watching this now)! This film includes a lot of the latest 40s slang and, as usual, parents and kids clashing over new ideas and the old-fashioned way. Line from Andy to Marian "It's not your fault God made women's brains lighter than men's". Okey Dokey, Andy. Rating - 7.5/10 stars

Andy Hardy Meets Debutante (1940) Film Review - Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland

Plot Summary - In this one seventeen year-old Andy Hardy (Mickey Rooney) has a big crush on New York society's Number 1 Deb, glamour girl Daphne Fowler (Diana Lewis). Andy keeps a secret scrapbook of magazine clippings featuring Miss Fowler, and he goes so far as to brag to his schoolmates Beezy and sometime steady girlfriend Polly Benedict (Ann Rutherford) that he knows Daphne Fowler and she's crazy about him. Well, dad Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) has to go to NYC on a case and decides to bring the whole family - as local small town paper headlines "Hardy Family Goes to New York" (wow - that is a small town!). Now Andy's pals want a photo of Andy with Daphne as proof (they even plan to use it on the school newspaper's cover). While in New York, Andy enlists the aid of old friend Betsy Booth (Judy Garland), now fifteen and still considered "just a kid" by Andy - Betsy still has that crush she had on him a couple years earlier (seen on film in "Love finds Andy Hardy"). Betsy loans him use of her parents car and chauffeur in his pursuit to meet Miss Fowler. He ends up getting the brush by the girl's mother, then spending a fortune - $37.25 - in the over-priced Club Sirocco where he dines on caviar served in an ice sculpture and hopes to see Miss Fowler at a benefit being held there later that evening. Nothing but troubles come to Andy, until helpful Betsy manages to save the day again.

Review - This is quite an entertaining film, with a cute plot - lots of fun. Judy Garland charms yet again and sings two songs in this, "Alone" and "I'm Nobody's Baby". With Judy's presence in this film (she certainly is the golden girl - her star quality just shines here, as usual), it's certainly one of the better ones of the series. And I love Mickey and Judy together - all their films are favorites for me! Line from Andy "Gosh how one's women do mount up!". Gotta love that guy. Rating - 8.5/10 stars

The Hardys Ride High (1939) Film Review - Mickey Rooney

Plot Summary - Another adventure following sixteen year-old Andy Hardy (Mickey Rooney) and his family. In this one, Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) falls heir to two million dollars and the family heads for Detroit to claim the inheritance and take residence in their new 12-bathroom mansion, butler Dobbs included. They do have to wait for the proof that the Judge is a true descendant before they actually get the money, but nobody seems too worried. Meanwhile, the ladies are all living it up, ordering breakfast in bed, opening charge accounts, buying expensive new dresses. Andy - formerly used to living on his one and a half buck a week allowance - turns into self-dubbed "millionaire-playboy", goes to the Paradise nightclub in tuxedo and opera hat, where he's about to be tricked by a cousin who will inherit the estate if the Hardy's do not. A bad and beautiful chorus girl uses her wiles to try to help trick Andy. Side story involves aunt Milly (Sara Haden) "cutting loose" and meeting a man.

Review - This film is cute, but quite predictable as the good Hardy family sort of realizes that perhaps loads of money is not what they really want. It's not one of the better films in the series, but is still quite entertaining. While I have seen the majority of the films in the Andy Hardy series before (some a number of times), I'm not sure if I had seen this particular one before, in any case I did not recall the plot. Rating - 7/10 stars

Andy Hardy Film Series - Mickey Rooney - MGM

A series of sixteen feature films produced by MGM from 1937 to 1958, based around the Family Hardy - - Judge Hardy, teenage son Andrew aka Andy, older sister Marian, devoted but somewhat daffy mom Emily, along with a spinster aunt named Milly - live together in a nice suburban house in the small town of Carvel. Andy is a bit cocky, completely girl crazy, and constantly getting into various scrapes - but he's actually quite a nice kid, Andy and Marian are usually involved in sibling bickers, the Judge calls his wife "Mother" and is forever honest, wise, and fair - he usually helps Andy out of some sort of trouble and Andy learns some sort of lesson. Andy has a sometimes steady girlfriend named Polly Benedict and a pal named "Beezy". All of these films are cute, light entertainment - sort of early versions of 50s/60s TV sitcoms like "Father Knows Best" or "Leave It To Beaver". Mickey Rooney brings a freshness and energy to the role of Andy Hardy that makes the character extremely likable, the family comes across as a real one - it's fun to spend a few hours (or more) with the Hardy's!

Turner Classic Movies featured a marathon of some of these films on December 26th - being the day after Christmas what with a dinner party at my house that lasted until midnight and too much food and drink, I could only manage to get up in time to see the last three they showed - I could easily sit through all sixteen films in a row, I find them that entertaining! Following is my reviews for the three films I watched, two of them I have seen a number of times before. By the way, I mentioned on Christmas that I was going to watch Andy Hardy films on TCM the next day and there were about seven people all over forty (some approaching sixty) at the table, not one had ever heard of Andy Hardy or these films!! (obviously this was not a movie buff crowd!)

Mamma Mia! (2008) Film Review - Meryl Streep

Plot Summary - Film version of the Broadway musical, based around the songs of ABBA - the story is about beautiful twenty-year old Sophie, on the eve of her wedding day, who wants to find out who her real father is. Taking a peak into former flower-child mama's diary from the 70s, Sophie has determined that her father is one of three possible men - so, she invites all three (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard) to the wedding under the guise that mom, Donna (Meryl Streep), has invited them. Now - which one is her father? Who will walk Sophie down the aisle? And does it really matter, with all these great Abba songs strung together into a loose-plot featuring stag and hen party night evening, followed by the next day's wedding in a breath-taking setting loaded with tons of color and music?! Ah, how nice! Sophie's two gal pals, in a small way (they're not given much to do) and Donna's two gal pals, in a big way, add to the comedy/musical mix.

Review - Lively, colorful, full of energy, and a little bit campy - I love movie musicals, I love musical theater, and I'm a big fan of ABBA, so I knew I would enjoy this one. The story is simple and song-filled, the on-location scenery on a Greek island, with turquoise-green water and gorgeous villa, adds to the atmosphere. I have one little tiny complaint and that is that since the movie is mainly wrapped around lots and lots of great songs, having great singers would have been better, I think - Meryl Streep's singing was okay (for the most part), Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth (as much as I love that guy) didn't have much in the way of good singing voices. The actress, Amanda Seyfried, who plays the daughter has a very pretty voice, but only sang a couple of numbers - the "deleted scene" on the DVD was actually one of her musical numbers too, don't know why it was eliminated from the film. The two actresses who play the mom's pals - Julie Walters and Christine Baranski - were a good choice and added to the fun of the film. I like the extra feature "sing-a-long" that is on the DVD! I did really enjoy this film a lot though - made for a fun b-day morning for me. Rating - 9/10 stars

Liliom (1934) Fim Review - Fritz Lang Charles Boyer

Plot Summary - French film, directed by Fritz Lang and starring Charles Boyer as Liliom, a carnival barker who runs the carousel - he's cocky, he sings, he's a confident ladies man, he's got the "gift of gab", and he always wears the same dirty-looking, tight striped t-shirt. One day on a rollicking, song-filled carousel ride full of happy patrons, Liliom flirts with a young blonde house maid named Julie, sparking jealousy in the heart of the female carnival boss. She accuses Julie of "solicitation", Liliom comes to her defense and is fired. He doesn't seem to mind much as he attempts to seduce innocent Julie on a park bench, she's in love and the next thing you know they are married, he doesn't work, she does, they're fighting, and he's slapping her around. Thought by some to be a "brute, a hooligan, a lazy bum", Liliom plays cards and runs con games with a low-life pal. Meanwhile, a middle-class carpenter wants to marry Julie - but she loves Liliom, beatings and all. POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD: Liliom is considering an offer to leave Julie and go back to the carousel, his only real success, but Julie reveals she is going to have a baby. Liliom, amazingly, is over the moon about the coming new arrival - so to get some big money to help support his growing family, he agrees to his pal's scheme to steal a payroll and knife the carrier to death in the bargain, a task assigned to Liliom. Liliom is reluctant to kill as he's worried about what will happen when he gets to the "other world". When the robbery doesn't go as planned, Liliom sees that other world sooner than expected. God's policemen escort him up through the clouds, straight through the stars, and into God's police station - a place in-between heaven and hell where Liliom must defend himself and await justice.

Review - This is a very entertaining film, it went by real fast. The scene in the afterworld is really interesting and quite surreal, I love stuff like that in films - an amusing comparison is shown between an earlier scene in the film where Liliom is at police headquarters and his experience at the police station in the other world. Charles Boyer seems to be made for playing someone so cocky, the actress who plays Julie, Madeleine Ozeray, is appropriately big-eyed and innocent - I do have to wonder though how her character puts up with a guy beating her around like that, the last scene in the film is also questionable. This film is a rare treat, it was later remade into the musical "Carousel". I saw this on a Kino DVD and the print looked reasonably good, the English subtitles very easy to read. Real good. Rating - 9 to 10/10 stars

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008) Film Review

Plot Summary - Action adventure tale, set in post-WW2 times, following a couple of adventurers, the O'Connells (Brendan Fraser and Maria Bello) on their latest Mummy caper. Acting as couriers, they carry the "Eye of Shangri-La" (this huge diamond thing) to Shanghai, China, and encounter their twentyish son Alex there, a young explorer who has skipped out on college and following in mum and dad's footsteps, has discovered the tomb and sarcophagus of an emperor of ancient China. This emperor (Jet Li) was originally cursed by a beautiful "witch" who he sought to give him the secret to immortality, and now some bad guys want to awaken the emperor and put him back in power, 2,000 years later. Well, soon enough the emperor's mummy is on the loose, wreaking havoc on the streets of Shanghai. And he's not exactly a normal guy - the curse left him basically melting and burning over and over again, he has super powers, and he can also morph into various creatures, such as a three-headed dragon. Our group heads to the Himalayas to find Shangri-La, and the emperor is heading there too, with the "Eye of Shangri-La" to make himself immortal (the thing he always dreamed of, ya know). A big battle between the emperor's "terracotta" army and an army of skeletons rounds things out.

Review - Okay, here's some of the stuff you'll see here - abominable snowman creatures, a rip-roaring avalanche, a fire ball throwing emperor, a sea of flying arrows, all sorts of battles with our heroes facing ridiculous amounts of danger and death at every turn, yet coming out with nary a scrape (well, almost), you even see the famous Shangri-La itself. Far-fetched? Definitely, but it could have been fun - yet I found myself somewhat bored watching this film - too much non-stop action, too little story. This film struck me as a sort of b-list version of the Indiana Jones films - similar in style, but not as good. The special effects, are, as usual in films made lately, extremely well done - perhaps more effort on the plotline, less on the effects would have helped?! Father and son look more like brothers, by the way - young looking Brendan Fraser, as dad. Rating - 6/10 stars

Monday Notes

Well, I've been busy, busy, busy the last week - I did fit in three movies but haven't had a chance until now to post reviews. Last Thursday, December 18th, I watched "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor", hmm - not so great, and a thirties French film, "Liliom", which I really enjoyed. December 19th - my birthday. Earlier in the day I watched "Mamma Mia!", fun musical. Went out in the evening - to the Tam O'Shanter for dinner for those interested, a neat place that was once frequented by silent stars, like fave Mary Pickford - - http://www.lawrysonline.com/tamoshanter_gen_info.asp

It's been mighty cold and rainy lately - I love winter!

***

Gidget (1959) Film Review - Sandra Dee

Watched this yesterday afternoon on Turner Classic Movies.

Plot Summary - "Although she's not king-size, her finger is ring-size". Meet Francie (Sandra Dee) - she's petite, she's blonde, she's a tomboy, she's ultra cute, and as her gal pal tells us "let's face it, like most of us, she's pushing seventeen" (hehe) - but Francie finds she no longer fits in with her trio of curvaceous friends when they all go on a beach "man hunt" (well, that hideous baggy swimsuit she's wearing doesn't exactly help). After being left at the beach by the girls (who are off to another beach after being declared "jail bait"), she goes snorkeling and gets rescued via surfboard. Francie's hooked and begs Daddy that night to give her the needed cash to buy herself her own board, a "guarantee for a summer of sheer happiness" says she. Soon on her own water-logged used board and learning to surf, she's dubbed "Gidget" (girl/midget - well, not exactly politically correct) by the boys at the beach, and finds herself falling for handsome college guy/surfer Moondoggie (James Darren) who keeps acting (sort of) like he doesn't want to "get involved". After getting tangled in some kelp underwater during her beach "initiation" into the gang of guys, Gidget gets herself pampered and sung to by Moondoggie in leader Kahuna's beach shack. "The Big Kahuna" (Cliff Robertson) is a thirty-something surf bum who lives on the beach and surfs wearing tattered Hawaiian straw hat while smoking a cigar (yeah, you heard right). Gidget comes up with a plan of attack to get herself invited to a big beach Luau (aka "orgy"), hook hard-to-read Moondoggie, and hopefully get herself "the absolute ultimate", that is, Moondoggie's fraternity pin.

Review - Okay, this film is loads of fun fifties-style and one of my all-time favorites (love those old 60s beach movies, this one is pretty much the original). Sandra Dee is absolutely charming, bubbly and adorable in this, I just love her. The film includes several good songs including the Gidget theme song, plus "Cinderella" performed by a blond boy beach band, and in my one of my favorite scenes in the film, Moondoggie romantically sings "The Next Best Thing to Love" to Gidget. I have seen this film many, many times over the years and I never tire of it. Filmed in Cinemascope - man, do I dig this movie! Rating - 10/10 stars

Traffic in Souls (1913) Film Review

Plot Summary - "Den of Iniquity". Early silent melodrama about two sisters who each get mixed up with a gang of infamous white slave traffickers. Mary's the head of the family while her wheelchair-bound father, "the invalid inventor", is busy tinkering with stuff. Reliable Mary (Jane Gail) works at a local candy store along with her little sister (Ethel Grandin), a young beauty. Successful businessman William Trubus has been recently appointed to head a citizen's league to help clear the city of the infamous "traffic in souls", and meanwhile he's busy listening in on a dictagraph to an adjoining office during a meeting of these infamous outlaws, a rather large group that includes look-outs, go-betweens, even women. Hmmm, well it seems Trubus is actually in league with them, "the money handler" - wonder how this will affect his daughter's approaching engagement to the "greatest society catch of the season"?! So this group of bad guys are busy doing their stuff - you know, luring poor, naive young women into their hideout and forcing them into prostitution including Swedish emigrants right off the boat, a newly arrived and lost "country girl", they even drug and kidnap Mary's little sister. Mary and her fiance, a good-looking cop, come up with a plan to save little sis and get the evidence to convict these people - and the father's latest invention comes in handy to help them get the goods. Luckily Mary is a recent hire in Trubus' office, so that makes things a bit easier!

Review - I enjoyed this film as I always do for films made in the early teens - I just love that time period (all sorts of ladies hats and men's straw hats to look at in this one). This film has a lot of glimpses of the real-life world of 1913 as it has many on-location scenes shot in NYC streets and trolley cars, with lots of nearby bystanders gawking at the camera. Like many films from this time, it is full of lots and lots and lots of highly melodramatic scenes. I thought this film was actually quite well done considering it's early year; nice tracking shot near the end panning across each criminal's face behind bars. The DVD from Flicker Alley features a nice quality black and white print and well done piano score by Philip Carli. It includes the Edison short "The Call of the City (1915)" in which a young woman struggling to find work and a young novelist who is writing a story on slum life meet over a crime and make some snap decisions in regards to marrying a person you actually *barely* know. Cute. Rating - 8/10 stars for film; 8/10 for short

The Dark Knight (2008) - Heath Ledger

Watched this yesterday and I'm still thinking about it - or Heath, more likely - just can't forget him!

Plot Summary - Action-packed thriller in which wealthy businessman Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) turns into Gotham City's main vigilante, his identity kept secret by bat suit as he battles criminals, speeds around in specialty vehicles (I don't recall seeing a Batmobile in this, but dug his lightning fast "Batpod" motorcycle he rides on), and drops off buildings as he morphs into his flying bat suit. Batman is out to get demented psychopath/serial killer "the Joker" (Heath Ledger) who covers his scarred face, mouth slit into a smile like the main character of the silent "The Man Who Laughs", with clown makeup, coming across as the most hideous clown ever seen on film. The Joker is out to get "the Batman", as he relates to TV cameras that "Batman must take off his mask and turn himself in, or people will die". Each day the Joker reveals another target who will be the next days killing, as Batman's identity continues to remain hidden. Evil Joker seems to have a fondness for knives and explosives, with lots of dark stuff to come. Other characters help in the pursuit including a D.A. (Aaron Eckhart) and his girlfriend (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who form a sort of love triangle with Bruce Wayne.

Review - Well, I have never seen a Batman film before (other than the Batman TV series which I used to watch sometimes when I was a kid) as I haven't normally seen many action films based around comic books, but because I love Heath Ledger *SO much* I have been looking forward to seeing this. When the film first started I was thinking, I don't know about this - it doesn't seem very good. But once it got going I really started enjoying it - Heath as the Joker is just so mesmerizing, even though he's only seen in segments here and there throughout the film, his presence always seems to be there - he completely dominates the film, a real force to be reckoned with! I found the film very exciting, it's quite dark and a bit frightening too - the last hour is pretty much edge of your seat sort of stuff, my blood's still rushing since I just finished watching this about fifteen minutes ago. The film is very fast-paced, the special effects are pretty stunning, the set design sometimes gives you a sort of claustrophobic feeling with all the huge, low-ceilinged rooms going all the way across the screen. There are many night scenes amidst city streets and tall skyscrapers - all those falls and drops off of buildings makes my palms sweat - nerve-wracking stuff! The well done orchestral score enhanced the atmosphere, adding to the dark overtone of the film. I thought this was one of Heath's best roles - he's just great, absolutely riveting. I would love to see him nominated for an Oscar for this (after seeing him again I feel a bit sad too, I am feeling a bit teary-eyed again over his loss - I miss him!). A thriller should be exciting and leave you "all shook up", so - mission accomplished. This film is really good. Rating - 10/10 stars

Butch Jamie (2007) Film Review

Watched this one Friday afternoon.

Plot Summary - Romantic comedy about Butch Jamie, a Hollywood lesbian and wannabee actress who is having no luck auditioning for parts dressed as Femme Jamie, in mini skirt, wig, and high heels. Deciding to try just being herself, she goes on an audition as Butch Jamie for this seriously low-budget film and gets hired - for the man's part! The people who hire her know she's a woman, but her job's on the line if anyone else on the film finds out the truth. But things are looking up - or are they - for Jamie's love life when Jill, an attractive blonde she is working with, gets a crush on her. Jill loves short men and thinks Jamie is really sensitive - unfortunately she believes that Jamie is a man (in spite of the seriously fake looking side burns and goatee Jamie's been wearing to pass herself as male). They go out on a date, but Jamie must try to keep the truth covered - literally. And meanwhile, Jamie's cute and seemingly straight roommate Lola, who spends her time taking her cat Howard on auditions, shows a new side to Jamie when her *female* date arrives at the door.

Review - This film comes across as pretty low budget, some of the footage seems like sort of a home movie video - but I found the film really entertaining. There are some nice touches of humor throughout the film and the acting for the most part is well done - especially the main character Jamie, played by Michelle Ehlen, who comes across as very engaging and likable. The film includes a nice soundtrack of songs. The cat gets more screen time than usual for a cat part - and he's adorable, black with a little white on his belly - I once had a cat (who I miss) who looked a lot like him. Rating - 8/10 stars

Wanted (2008) Film Review - James McAvoy

Plot Summary - Extremely violent action-thriller starring James McAvoy as Wesley Gibson, an ordinary, mild-mannered account manager who hates his boring job, his bitchy boss, and is not too thrilled with his home life either, what with his rundown apartment next to the El tracks and live-in girlfriend who's shagging his best "friend". But the dad he's never met turns out to be a famed member of a "fraternity of assassins", just killed by a member who has defected. Wesley is pulled into this group of assassins, trained to be a super-power killer, and set to kill the man who killed his dad. But first he has to murder other targets, strangers "fate" has marked for death. He's usually accompanied by girl power assassin "Fox" (Angelina Jolie), and of course, lots and lots of guns all over the place.

Review - I saw this film only to see heartthrob James McAvoy - I certainly wasn't expecting such an amount of violence as contained in this film. I can accept violence in a film that is very good, especially when it fits into the plotline, but this struck me as a film with minimal story to account for all sorts of slow-motion bullets going through victims heads and tons of splattering blood all over the place - I feel sort of sick and that's not how I like to feel after seeing a movie! The visual effects and computer animation made parts of this film seem like a video game rather than the real world - I guess that helped me watch, in a way, because some of the violence actually looked pretty darn fake. I love James McAvoy and he's a doll here, but this is his worst film by a large margin. Please oh please James M. - make your next film a lovely period Dickens or Jane Austen, something like that. Rating - 4 to 5/10 stars

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008) Film Review

Plot Summary - Fantasy adventure tale in which handsome young Prince Caspian (handsome is putting it mildly!) must quickly escape his kingdom and into the woods where the Narnians live, after his evil Uncle is out to kill him and take over the throne. Caspian is given a magic horn on his escape which he blows and ends up calling back to Narnia the four old kings and queens - that being the four London kids, Peter, Edmund, Susan, and Lucy, from the first Narnia tale (ya know, where they go through the back of the wardrobe and into the magical land of Narnia). The kids find Narnia beautiful, but in ruins - they are back over a thousand years later than before, when they once ruled. Soon they have hooked up with the Prince and join forces in battling the evil Uncle (now the king) and his men to restore the kingdom to the Narnians.

Review - This is a really entertaining watch, such a wonderful escape into that land of dwarfs and talking animals (mainly here a badger and a mouse) and centaurs and the White Witch and all sorts of other beings, not to mention the Lion King, Aslan, himself. Okay, the film is more than half battles and sword fights - just a bit much for my taste, but I did really enjoy the experience as a whole. A cast of thousands, it seemed like, and well done special effects - dug that giant water Neptune creature! I am a sucker for fantasy, this film wasn't as great as the first Narnia film, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe", but it certainly was a pleasure to spend some time in Narnia again. Great fun. Note: the young actress who plays Lucy is very special, she gets such a look of wonderment when she's obviously really looking at, like, a green screen to be done up with visual effects later. Rating - 9/10 stars

Skyscraper Souls (1932) Film Review - Warren William

Plot Summary - Precode starring Warren William as unscrupulous banker David Dwight, builder of a hundred-story NYC skyscraper that now houses his bank, Seacoast National, and all sorts of other businesses. The building is sort of a little world all it's own - crowded with people all bumping into each other, busy elevators, a drug store, newsstand, restaurant, sauna and pool. Dwight even keeps an apartment in the building where he can lure young women from office to bedroom with nary a walk. He hopes to "own" the building outright, and while he's into shady mergers and big business deals, all in the name of a 30 million loan he can't pay, the story focuses around several characters who have jobs in the building. Pretty young secretary Lynn (Maureen O'Sullivan) is aggressively being pursued by brash, clumsy (running gag is him knocking stuff down) bank teller Tom Shepherd (Norman Foster) who won't take no for an answer. Yeah, another of those filmland romances that start with a woman who hates the guy who chases and chases 'til he gets her. Dwight, though married, is currently in a long-time affair with his female assistant/Lynn's boss - but that doesn't stop him from chasing Lynn, making her stay late to type up some report, then sending her to a party at his apartment upstairs where he doses her with oodles of champagne and she ends up (much to his delight) passed out cold in his bed. Lynn is torn between $50 a week Tom who offers to "marry" her and the older, much wealthier Dwight who offers to "keep" her.

Review - The movie is very entertaining and loads of fun to watch. It includes lots of pre-code elements like wisecracking career girls, and young women stripping down to their lace undergarments. Anita Page appears in a small part as a loose woman/"model" ("clothes get you further than brains", she advises pal Lynn). Warren William is magnificent as usual - one of my favorite classic film actors these days. I'm pretty sure that most people I know (except for big film buff types) have never heard of him, but I try not to miss one of his films when it shows up. I enjoyed the champagne scene - Maureen O'Sullivan makes a cute drunk. Rating - 9/10 stars

Gentleman's Fate (1931) Film Review - John Gilbert

Plot Summary - Pre-code melodrama starring John Gilbert as Jack Thomas, rich, penthouse-dwelling playboy with a brand new fiancee named Marjorie (Leila Hyams) and his own English "gentleman's gentleman" (just given orders to burn his gallery of photos and phone numbers). Called to meet his guardian "Papa Mario", Jack is informed he has a brother named Frank and a father who has been shot and is calling for his long-lost son from his deathbed. This is all news to Jack who didn't know about this family at all (he thought he was an orphan). Arriving at the rundown Hotel Ritzi, Jack finds out the whole truth - that his father and brother are bootleggers/gangsters, that he is actually an Italian, and his real name's not Jack, it's Giacomo! Okey dokey. Frank (Louis Wolheim) is a (very) rough-faced, tough talker who forces Jack to take the rap for some stolen emeralds given to Jack by the dying dad. Unfortunately Jack had already gifted the emeralds to Marjorie, who finding out he's a "thief", writes him a "Dear John" letter and leaves town. So - Jack decides to join the racket with his brother, then ends up saving his brother's life from a rival gang. Now the rivals are out to get the man who shot one of their own, and it all comes to brew at a "Peace Banquet" at the hotel.

Review - This is an entertaining watch. The film is basically stage-play like, there's no background music - it's all about the acting. Silent star John Gilbert is rather dashing and handsome here, he does quite an excellent job in this "talkie" role, I thought. Louis Wolheim, however, steals the film as usual - he's so great in every single role I have seen him in. In addition to Leila Hyams (who isn't really given a huge amount to do here), the film includes two other actresses from the silent era - Anita Page, who is fine as a rival gang moll who comes to the hotel to find out where Giacomo/Jack is, then is rather taken with him. And Marie Prevost also steals some scenes, she's pretty funny as this sort of moll gal who works the desk of the Hotel Ritzi. Rating - 8/10 stars

Free and Easy (1930) Film Review - Buster Keaton

Plot Summary - Buster Keaton talkie about Elvira Plunkett (Anita Page), a small town beauty contest winner, "Miss Gopher City", Kansas heading for Hollywood and travelling with her goofball manager Elmer J. Butts (Keaton) and her very overbearing Mama. On the train she meets handsome movie star "Larry Mitchell" (Robert Montgomery) who brings her to a premiere of his new film, MGM's "The Love Call", at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Soon Elvira and mom are at the studio, watching Larry filming a musical. Elmer has all sorts of trouble getting into MGM and gets himself chased around the lot by a guard, managing to wreak havoc on several films being shot. Larry tries to help Elmer by getting him a small part - but Elmer can't hack his one line "the Queen has swooned". After a Hollywood party, Larry invites Elvira to his place, but turns out to be just a wolf in innocent Elvira's eyes. And Elmer ends up getting a screen test in Larry's film, for the comedy part - soon just about everyone has gotten a part in this film but Elvira! A love triangle with Larry and Elmer both in love with Elvira is in the works too, but gee, that "Larry" sure is a good-looking one.

Review - Okay, here's the good - the film shows a nice glimpse of Hollywood circa 1930, including behind-the-scenes at the MGM studio, outside of the Chinese Theatre, not to mention some neat to see cameo parts by such silent era stars as Jackie Coogan, William Haines, Lionel Barrymore, director Fred Niblo, and more. Robert Montgomery is oh so young and handsome (he's one of my personal faves), Anita Page is charming and beautiful, Buster Keaton made me laugh several times (I thought his dance moves were pretty good too!), even the actress, Trixie Friganza, who plays the Mama is very funny. The bad - the sort of "film within a film" stuff just goes on too long. And by that I mean the movie that everyone is starring in which looks like a complete dud, and they show way too much of scenes being filmed from this - I was getting quite bored with it. Okay movie, not up to Keaton' silents though. Rating - 7/10 stars

Another Life (2001) Film Review - Ioan Gruffudd

Plot Summary - Crime and adultery in early 1920s England, based on a true story. Beginning in 1913, we meet a British family the main focus being twentyish daughter Edith aka Edie and her slightly younger sis Avis. Edie, the star here, is a modern girl with a career as a bookkeeper in a millinery shop and a boring boyfriend named Percy, just about to head off for War. Edie is a free spirit who lives in a sort of fairy tale world and loves to use her imagination - she sees Percy as some sort of great male Knight-in-Shining-Armor in the making, a character from some book. They get married, the War ends, and their dull life in a completely lovely and charming house in Ilford (see, told ya I was an anglophile) begins. Enter Avis' new boyfriend, a devilishly handsome playboy sailor/younger man named Freddy (played by the oh so handsome Ioan Gruffudd). Edie and Freddy fall in love/passionate lust and so begins an affair. When hubby won't let her out of their now horrible marriage, she begins to fantasize with Freddy about ways to murder the husband.

Review - This film really recreates a time and place with art direction, period set design, and costuming that is, well, rather glorious. What lovely outfits - and oh all those hats! I particularly enjoyed the earlier 1913 setting, the clothes, the girl's room with all the Victorian scrap on the walls, the kitchen, how cool (oh time machine - where are you, I love 1913)! Two silent film posters shown on the walls during a train station scene, set in 1921/22 - Charlie Chaplin's "The Kid" and Valentino's "Blood and Sand". The acting in this is excellent by the way - the actress who plays Edie, Natasha Little, is quite memorable. And one reason I did want to see this was to see heartthrob Ioan Gruffudd, gorgeous as usual here - very swoon-worthy. I really liked this, especially interesting since it was a true story that I was unfamiliar with (and kudos for them telling us it's a true story at the beginning - I hate it when I'm not sure, or they don't tell you until the end - since I go into a film cold, without knowing anything about what the plot is, I sometimes don't know). Good one. Rating - 9/10 stars