Vivacious Lady

Vivacious Lady
Released Date: May 10, 1938
Director: George Stevens
Actors: Ginger Rogers, James Stewart, James Ellison, Beulah Bondi, Charles Coburn, Frances Mercer, Phyllis Kennedy, Jack Carson and Franklin Pangborn

     This movie is one of the cutest movies I have ever seen. It is because James Stewart and Ginger Rogers are so adorable together, and look totally in love in this film. I have always been a huge James Stewart fan and have been really getting into Ginger Rogers lately (which I'm sure I have said a few times ;)) so if you can imagine how shocked I was that I had never seen this gem. Beulah Bondi is in this as James Stewart's mother, which happens to be five movies in total that they play mother and son. The other movies are It's a Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Of Human Hearts, and once on his TV show. This movie was made around the time that Ginger Rogers made a lot of her films with Fred Astaire, the movie has a fight scene with Ginger Rogers and she had to be extra careful of her legs which happened to be insured for $500,000. Can you imagine your legs being that expensive? That fact always tickled me, I had read that before and wondered what all happened in the fight scene, I'm glad I finally got to see it, it is quite a treat.

     Professor Peter Morgan (James Stewart) goes away to New York City to find his cousin Keith Morgan (James Ellison) and falls in love with a nightclub performer, Ms. Francey Brent (Ginger Rogers). They end up touring New York and get married the next day. The Professor has to go back to Old Sharon University where his father, also a Professor Morgan (Charles Coburn) is a teacher. Peter now has to tell his father and mother, Mrs. Morgan (Beulah Bondi). But since he has a little trouble telling his parents, he has his wife stay with his cousin until he gets the courage to tell them. Francey is very in love and wants her new husband to tell them so they can finally live together as husband and wife. Peter wants to tell his parents about his marriage at the school prom, but when Peter's fiance shows up, a little trouble and cat fight breaks out in a hilarious fight scene that puts Ginger Rogers in a whole new category. Rogers is a dancer, actress, singer and now fighter. The fight scene made me laugh out loud, but also at the cracks made during the fight. You will love it. Does Peter ever tell his parents? Will Francey end up staying married to Peter, the man that seems to be having trouble sharing the knowledge of his marriage? Find out by watching a movie you will not regret watching. One of my favorite James Stewart movies :) I honestly loved every minute of it. 

Having Wonderful Time

Having Wonderful Time
Released Date: July 1, 1938
Director: Alfred Santell
Actors: Ginger Rogers, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Peggy Conklin, Lucille Ball, Lee Bowman, Eve Arden, Dorothea Kent, Red Skelton, Donald Meek, Jack Carson, Clarence Wilson, and Allan Lane

     I picked this movie to watch after seeing the cast list. I have been on a Ginger Rogers kick for the last few weeks and have been watching most of her films. This was one of them. And seeing Lucille Ball, Eve Arden, Red Skelton and Jack Carson on the movie made it even more interesting. Plus, this would be the second movie I have seen with the actors Ginger Rogers, Lucille Ball, Eve Arden and Jack Carson, Stage Door being that first movie. Even Ann Miller had a speaking part for this movie, but that part did not make the final cut. She is seen though next to Red Skelton during one of his routines, his first in the movie to be exact. This also happens to be Red Skelton's first movie, and he was great in it. Very funny and always stealing the screen.

     Teddy (Ginger Rogers) is working hard and is in dire need of a vacation. She has booked plans for a camp that her friend recommended and is leaving right after work. The camp is called Camp Kare- Free and is full of young women and men, single at that. When Teddy arrives to the area, she is taken on a very bumpy ride to the camp. Her driver is Chick (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) whom works at the camp and his first impression of the young lady is that she is snobby. She gets to share a room with the very wild Miriam (Lucille Ball) and a stuck up New Yorker, Henrietta (Eve Arden). We find out early in the movie that Teddy has just broke up with a man named Emil Beatty (Jack Carson) and while she is at the camp, she finds true love through Chick. But when they have a misunderstanding, Teddy tries to get Chick jealous by spending some alone time with Buzzy (Lee Bowman), the man who was after Miriam at first. Will the misunderstanding get resolved? Check this cute movie out, although a very short movie, it is very good and you will enjoy every minute, all 70 of them!!!

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Released Date: September 20, 1958
Director: Richard Brooks
Actors: Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Burl Ives, Jack Carson, Judith Anderson, Madeleine Sherwood, Larry Gates, and Vaughn Taylor

     Wow, it has been a hot minute since I've written a blog. I miss it, and will be back full force, so be prepared :) I thought I'd come back with a movie that brings summer, southern, and family all together in a movie that I would say, might just be a favorite of mine. I have written a lot on my favorite director, Hitchcock, I've written on Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant, Bette Davis, Grace Kelly, and so much more. But this is my favorite movie of all time. I love Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman together, even if it is tense in the beginning, middle and pretty much the end. Miss Taylor was a very talented actress. Right before shooting began of this film, Taylor suffered the loss of her husband Mike Todd in a plane crash. She came into work ready and would shoot the scenes and then go home to cry her eyes out. Director Brooks noticed that Taylor was not eating and had a scene where the family of this movie was eating, he made sure to re-start the scene over and over to make Taylor eat.
     Did you know that Lana Turner and Grace Kelly were considered for the roll of Maggie the Cat. Elizabeth Taylor was great friends with Montgomery Clift, and he was considered the role of Brick. George Cukor was asked to direct, but he turned down the job due to a reference removal for the film version of this play. The movie was suppose to be in black and white, thank the stars that the movie was done in color. Some movies are 100% better due to the color of the film, like Psycho could have been done in color, but Hitchcock thought that is should be done in black and white, and that sure as heck worked. The writer of this play was Tennessee Williams, and when he wrote the part of Big Daddy, he wrote it with Burl Ives in mind, I'm glad that turned out the way Tennessee pictured it. Also note the ages, Burl Ives plays Big Daddy, his two sons in the movie are played by Jack Carson, who is only a year younger than Ives in real life. And his youngest son is Paul Newman, who is only fourteen years younger than Ives.

     Big Daddy (Burl Ives) is dying of cancer. He is coming home to live out his last days. When he returns, he is welcomed back to his big family. Well, his wife, Big Mama Pollitt (Judith Anderson), his oldest son Gooper (Jack Carson) and his wife, his youngest son Brick (Paul Newman) and also his wife Maggie (Elizabeth Taylor). Brick and Maggie are clearly in a rut and need fast recovery, they are without children and can't even stand to be in the same room together. Well, I say that, but while watching you will notice that Maggie the Cat is trying very hard to win her husband back while Brick is clearly drinking his life away. What is Brick upset about? He had a great sporting life in school and then became a big sports announcer, but he got hurt and is now in a cast, his wife is beautiful and wants him to love her. It is up to Big Daddy to bring the two of them back together before it is too late. Big Daddy needs to leave the house to someone, and Gooper and his wife are fast at work, while Brick and Maggie just want to pay their respects and go home. What will become of the house, of Brick and Maggie, of Big Daddy and his wife? Watch this movie while drinking Sweet Tea, maybe buy some chicken and potato salad, open the windows and enjoy yourself. I sure did. Being born into a southern family sure has its kicks, and watching this movie brings back a lot of nice memories.

Missed writing, and I promise, I'm back full force. ;)

Love Crazy

Love Crazy
Released Date: May 23, 1941
Director: Jack Conway
Actors: William Powell, Myrna Loy, Gail Patrick, Jack Carson, Florence Bates, Sidney Blackmer, Sig Ruman, Vladimir Sokoloff, Donald MacBride, Sara Haden, Kathleen Lockhart, Fern Emmett, Joseph Crehan, and George Meeker

     Have you ever seen William Powell without a mustache? Well this happens to be one movie you can watch and see Powell without his mustache. He shaves it during a very Creepy scene where he dresses up as a woman. This also happens to be the tenth movie where Powell and Myrna Loy are paired together. This movie was so great, I just watched it for the first time, and I wanted to share it with you. I have not written about a movie in a while, and thought I would start myself off again with my favorite film couple.

     Setting: Mrs. Cooper (Florence Bates) is on her way to visit her daughter.... Steve Ireland (William Powell) is on his way to have dinner with his wife, on their anniversary might I add.... Susan Ireland (Myrna Loy) is getting ready to have a very special dinner with her husband and to go on their annual walk. The same walk they did on their first night as husband and wife, and now their fourth time coming. Martha (Fern Emmett) is cooking for the Ireland's.... Isobel Kimble Grayson (Gail Patrick) and Ward Willoughby (Jack Carson) are doing their own thing, not together.....

      Scene: Steve is on the elevator to his apartment to have dinner with his bride, when the elevator gets stuck. But the elevator operator gets the wheels in motion again, and Steve gets to the apartment in one piece. The Ireland's are discussing their night plans when all of a sudden, Mrs. Ireland's mother comes in. With a hideous rug and a loud mouth. Mrs. Cooper, Susan's mother, is to meet a relative at the train station but decides to crash the night by eating dinner with them. Mrs. Cooper, meanwhile, asked Steve to mail a letter for her, and he leaves the apartment to go do so. On his way back up he runs into his ex girlfriend, Isobel, on the elevator. She too is married. They get stuck and Steve ends up getting hurt with his head hanging out of the elevator door. So Isobel asks him to her apartment so that she can give him some alcohol and so that he can have a little rest before leaving. When Steve finally gets back, the mother in law is on his tail about the fact that he was in this other woman's apartment. After dinner it is time for Mrs. Cooper to leave and grab the relative but she ends up slipping because of the rug. Now she has a hurt ankle and will need to stay for a couple of hours to rest her legs. So Susan ends up leaving to go get the relative. While Steve stays at home with his mother in law. Steve ends up talking to Isobel again outside, because her apartment is right below, and the deck is right there. Guess who heard the conversation between Isobel and Steve? If you guessed the mother in law, you are correct! Which has poor Susan upset when she returns back home. She decides to teach her husband a lesson by going into Ward Willoughby's apartment. Poor guy had no idea what was happening. What do you think ends up happening? A divorce? A break? Or just a fast makeup? Find out by watching this very cute, very fun and very funny film with the cutest on screen couple.

Mr. And Mrs. Smith

Mr. And Mrs. Smith
Released Date: January 31, 1941
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Actors: Carole Lombard, Robert Montgomery, Gene Raymond, Jack Carson, Philip Merivale, Lucile Watson, and William Tracy

     Alfred Hitchcock did a comedy? A comedy done by Alfred Hitchcock? That's a little strange, and also unheard of. But Carole Lombard talked Mr. Hitchcock in making this screwball comedy. As a matter of fact, Carole Lombard directed Mr. Hitchcock's cameo in this film. It is also said that during the filming Carole Lombard, who is a Democrat, would, between takes, go outside and put Franklin D. Roosevelt stickers on Robert Montgomery's car who, as you well know, happens to be a Republican. Carole Lombard was the woman who made Screwball Comedy's a type of movie. She made a movie back in the beginning of her career that was a very popular comedy. The film credits made a commit about how it was a screwball comedy and then that is where the term, Screwball Comedy, came to be. Also during this time, Cary Grant was known for comedies. Alfred Hitchcock wanted his friend and also the actor who is credited for four Hitchcock pictures to play in this film.

     Ann Smith (Carole Lombard) asks her husband David Smith (Robert Montgomery) a question every morning. She asks these questions to keep their marriage up to date on information and also to get to know her husband a little bit better everyday. One morning the question is "if you had to do it all over again, would you want to be married?" His awful answer came to him rather quickly and was not the answer she had wanted. He said no. Not because he didn't love her, but because he would have just liked to be a bachelor a little longer. Travel, spend time alone. But unfortunately they are told that they are not technically married due to the fact that the state they were married in was not legal between certain dates and they married in that time period. So Ann decides to change her last name to her maiden and also get a job. Which back then, she could work at a store but she also had to be single. Which he goes in mad and gets her fired within the first week. Ann also dates around a bit, and the man happens to be a college of David's. Will they get back together? Will they get married again? You will have to watch this movie to find out. :) You will not be disappointed in watching this funny screwball comedy. I promise. And it is Alfred Hitchcock. And you cannot go wrong with a movie done by him, now can you? Alfred Hitchcock can do anything. This movie proves it. You can go from this movie and then right after pop in Psycho. 

     Alfred Hitchcock's granddaughter was talking on the movies special features, and told a story that her grandma, Mrs. Hitchcock, use to tell. It was about how the Hitchcocks went on vacation after Carole Lombard died. While on the train, they were told that Clark Gable, who was married to Carole Lombard when she died, was also on the train. They went up and down the train till they found him to say how sorry they were of her passing. When they finally found him, he was so distraught and not the same man that he use to be. He was very depressed by her passing. She died in a plane crash just two years after this movie was made. She died with her mother. 

Arsenic and Old Lace

Arsenic and Old Lace
Released Date: September 23, 1944
Director: Frank Capra
Actors include: Cary Grant, Priscilla Lane, Raymond Massey, Jack Carson, Peter Lorre, Josephine Hull, and Jean Adair

When you are a young child, you usually have fears about your parents or any of your family. I use to think that when I went to bed at night, my family would grow antlers and run around outside becoming one with the animals. I use to wonder if they would ever tell me about their weird ways. But can you imagine having two sweet, old aunts that murder people and that is their biggest secret?

Cary Grant is the main character in this movie and is very funny in it. His quick whit and humor make the movie that much more special. Everything about this movie is hilarious and if I ever found out a secret like that from my own family, I fear it would not be as funny. The little old ladies are very sweet and mean well. But their ways of being sweet and helping out their community is, well dwindling the population by a dozen.

Cary Grant did not like this movie, he thought that the acting was over the top. And maybe it is, to our standards but it very funny none the less. The movie has a great cast. And with Halloween coming up, I hope that this is one film you will find a way to watch. The movie is set on Halloween too.

The little old ladies, and as funny as this movie is, live next to a grave site. One of the tombs that Cary Grant stands near has the name Archie Leach, which is Cary Grant's real name. He has two brothers in the movie, one is a scary fellow who Cary Grant tries to act tough towards and ends up saying a very funny line: "when I come back, I want you gone" and as he runs out the door he says "wait for me." Another funny line, that I think you would enjoy is, one from another brother. He has clearly lost his mind at one point in his life. He goes by the name Teddy Roosevelt and he honestly thinks he is. But the Reverend from the movie sneezes and Teddy says "my I must be catching cold" his sweet aunt replies "no dear, it was Reverend Harper that sneezed."

I hope you all enjoy this movie as much as I do. :) Please watch and let me know what you think.