Let's watch.. .. LILIES OF THE FIELD (1963)

Excellent film with Sidney Poitier in an Oscar winning performance as Homer Smith, an ex-GI now traveling contractor. Homer is making his way through a small town in Arizona when his car overheats. He pulls into a place and encounters a group of East German Catholic nuns led by the strict Mother Superior Maria (Lilia Skala). All Homer wants is some water for his radiator but he ends up staying at the request of Mother Maria to help out around the place. And when Mother Maria asks him to build a chapel cause she thinks God has sent him for that task, Homer reluctantly agrees. Lilies of the Field is a wonderful film mixing drama with some humor and a great performance by Mr. Poitier. I used to think Sidney's best acting work was in Guess Who's Coming To Dinner. I stand corrected, Lilies is by far his best work and he deservedly was named Best Actor for 1963. He makes Homer such an engaging character that most people can identify with. And all the actresses portraying the nuns give worthy performances also. Lilies is a small but immensely enjoyable film. One of the best scenes in the film is when Homer teaches the nuns how to sing an old time church hymn called Amen. It's heavenly, rousing, and funny all at once. A great music score by Jerry Goldsmith is a plus also. Add this to Poitier's list of films that he made in the 1960's and you have one of the best stretches of film acting ever delivered. His other films during this period include A Raisin in the Sun (1961); The Bedford Incident (1965); To Sir, With Love (1967); Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967); and In The Heat Of The Night (1967). All equally impressive films during a six year span. And Lilies is right up there with them.

Check out this wonderful scene from a wonderful film..
 http://youtu.be/rn6w255CGkk

Let's watch.. ..TOBACCO ROAD (1941)

You might remember the star of last month.. Gene Tierney..  – today I will present one directed by John Ford she did in the beginning of her career - and which actually deals a bit with religion:

TOBACCO ROAD (1941)

The Great Depression has left people poor and disappointed.  Jeeter Lester (Charley Grapewin) and his family are living in Tobacco Road – one of the poorest places. The Jeeters live by stealing and so do their neighbours – to work on their farms is too straining and frequently postponed. When the new owner of their land ask for $100 rent for the farm for one year the Jeeters have to face the possibility to live at the poor farm – which is horrifying (They would have to bath before they get something to eat! Awful..) The Lester children are no help either: Ellie May (Gene Tierney) and Dude (William Tracy) are not too smart – and while Ellie May is very much interested in her brother-in-law Lov (Ward Bond) who has frequently troubles with his wife Pearl, Dude marries Sister Bessie (Marjorie Rambeau) a religious woman who is almost twice his age – but has enough money to buy him a car with a wonderful horn..

~ young love.. wily William Tracy and wonderful Marjorie Rambeau ~

TOBACCO ROAD is based on a play – which is based on the novel by Erskine Caldwell (who also wrote GOD'S LITTLE ACRE). I can’t tell you about the play – but the book I have read. Just by the way: It is set in Georgia – near to Augusta. For obvious reasons the scenes which contained sex – and I guess that’s one aspect that made Erskine Caldwell’s books so successful.. – are now much tamer: The scene in which the Lester Family is stealing Lov’s turnips just shows Gene Tierney’s character almost in a kiss with Lov. It’s very well done and has actually some eroticism in it (Gene Tierney and Ward Bond did a very good job here..) – but in the book they are doing things which made Lov much more distracted..

~ this picture is a publicity still - in the film Ward Bond and Gene Tierney are much MUCH closer to earth.. ~

Another very Hollywood-natural change: in the book Ellie Mae has a harelip (that’s why Lov didn’t want her for his wife in the first place and took Pearl.) – of course in this film Ellie Mae is beautiful but simply a bit dirty..

~ ... that's how an ugly woman looks in Hollywood..  ~

But this film isn’t after all a typical Hollywood glamour comedy – the Lesters are very canny (I think this is a characteristic which is supposed to be typical for every country folk all over the world..)  but due to Jeeter’s laziness  their home is quite rotten. Another typicall thing for Erskine Caldwell’s books is used in this film, too: Most Hollywood films take Religion for a higher thing – here it is mostly used by the characters to get what they’re longing for – to manipulate. It’s the overall argument for everything. Unlike the book the film has almost a happy-end though I fear that after six month Jeeter and his wife (Elizabeth Patterson) have again to pack their things and leave their farm..
The only character in this who is a little bit more cultivated, mannered and nice is a minor character played by Dana Andrews - but his character isn't that poor - so maybe that's the cause for that..

~ Charley Grapewin as Jeeter Lester ~

If you’re okay with partly overacting characters (I won’t blame the actors because I think this is caused in the story) and a very much cynical way to look at live: I highly recommend this film – people who prefer good manners and lovely personas will be deeply disappointed. 

Enjoy the show, please!

Yours 

Irene

Let's watch...ELMER GANTRY (1960)

 Burt Lancaster is all fire and brimstone as a traveling salesman who crosses path with a lady preacher named Sharon Falconer (played by Jean Simmons in an Award worthy performance) and becomes part of her traveling roadshow. Burt gives a showy and deserving Oscar winning performance as Gantry, who manages to smooth talk just about everyone he meets. But his past catches up with him later on in the form of Lulu Bains, a prostitute (played by Shirley Jones, who won an Oscar for her work here) who brings down her fury on Gantry in the final act. It's hard to mix religion and film and come away with everything working so well. The three leads: Lancaster, Simmons, and Jones are all top notch. There is also strong support from Arthur Kennedy as a local newspaper man who doesn't fall for Gantry's theatrics. I liked Elmer Gantry. It doesn't beat you over the head with the ideas of religion but does make you think about all the things that go along with it. All the music, preaching, etc combine to make a very solid film.





 I do believe Simmons was overlooked by the Academy by not even being nominated for her amazing performance as Sister Sharon. Her scenes preaching to the masses will hook you in immediately with her soft and delicate features but strong and commanding voice. Jones part was small but very effective. She doesn't enter the film until about 90 minutes in, but makes quite the impression as Lulu. She is very smart and very capable of taking down anyone who wrongs her such as Gantry did in their past. And finally Lancaster is top notch with this show stopping role that lets him cut loose with some big attention grabbing scenes and also with some quieter effective moments as well. If you have never seen Elmer Gantry, you need to check it out.

 Count our lucky stars

Monty

Let's watch.. ..HEAVEN CAN WAIT (1943)

Based on a play is one of my most favourite films ever:

HEAVEN CAN WAIT (1943)

Henry van Cleve (Don Ameche) always enjoyed his life – and had more than just an eye for female beauties. He even eloped with Martha (Gene Tierney) - the fiancée of his cousin (Allyn Joslyn).. So when he dies in his 70s he decides that Heaven can wait and reports in the anteroom to hell.  But “his Excellency” (Laird Cregar) isn’t convinced about Henry’s qualification – so Henry tells him about his "sinful" live.. – like so often the way we see ourselves differs a lot from other people’s view..

~ Henry (Don Ameche) reporting to His Excellency (Laird Cregar) ~

In this film Gene Tierney ages from a young woman to a middle-aged lady – and she always looks great. (I am ignoring one of her worst film-hairstyles ever here..) She and Don Ameche work great together and their onscreen love story is just wonderful.. And I confess that I get a bit teary eyed every time I watch this film..

~ I am really a bit uneasy with her hairstyle here.. ~

As I said: This is one of my favourite films of all time. It was directed by one of my favourite directors: Ernst Lubitsch – it is his only completed film in Technicolor and looks divine.. It also has a marvelous cast – with some of my favourite actors ever: Laird Cregar, Spring Byington, Marjorie Main, Louis Calhern and Don Ameche..

~ Eugene Pallette and Marjorie Main as loving Martha's parents. (gee.. I love this cast!) ~

Gene Tierney and director Ernst Lubitsch had some troubles in the beginning: According to her memoirs one day she finally told him that she couldn’t go on like that - with him shouting at her all day long. When he said that he was paid for shouting at her – she replied: “Yes, and I am paid to take it – but not enough..” When – after a tough pause – Lubitsch started to laugh the ice was finally broken.

Ernst Lubitsch also in the first wasn’t too happy with the casting of Don Ameche for the lead part – he would have preferred Frederic March or Rex Harrison. In the end he was actually very pleased with Don Ameche’s performance. Don Ameche himself later stated that this film was - of all the films he did - his favourite.

~ gorgeous in Technicolor.. ~

During the filming Gene Tierney discovered that she was pregnant – well.. the audience would hardly discover that – I for one didn’t: she is (as always) as slim as can be.

I could go on singing songs about this film - but I will close this post with this:

If you’re looking for a witty and elegant comedy – I highly recommend this film to you!

Thank you very much for listening!

Enjoy The Show!

Yours

Irene

Let's watch.. ..TOYS IN THE ATTIC (1963)

Usually when one thinks of Gene Tierney - the films that come to one's mind might be those of her "career's peak" like e.g. LAURA (1944) and LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN (1945). Wonderful films indeed - but today I'd like to highlight a film of hers which features her in her second to last big movie (excluding some TV movies of course):

TOYS IN THE ATTIC (1963) 

Julian Berniers (Dean Martin) isn’t very successful – in his live he lost a big amount of money. But now he is back to his home town New Orleans - visiting his two spinster sisters Carrie (Geraldine Page) and Anna (Wendy Hiller).  With him he brings a lot of expensive presents - and his young and pretty wife Lily (Yvette Mimieux). 

Lily's very rich mother, high society lady Albertine Prine (Gene Tierney), isn’t at all fond of Julian - but that’s not his biggest problem: Without the knowing of his wife and sisters he wants to help Charlotte Warkins (Nan Martin), an old flame of his who is married to a gangster (Larry Gates). 

Lily is jealous – but even worse is Carrie – who is madly in love with her brother (in a way which is not very far from incest - but Julian is completely unware of that..) and she makes Lily call the husband of Charlotte..

~ Dean Martin and Gene Tierney ~

The film is based on the very successful play by Lillian Hellman. If you watch out you might spot in this film  Joe Grey  in a bar as an uncredited extra. He was a good friend of (and for a long time a double for) Dean Martin. They appeared together in about 16 films. Joe Grey also was a friend of Frank Sinatra - together they appeared in 10 of Sinatra's films. 

~ Dean Martin and Yvette Mimieux ~

Though this film is all about who does Dean Martin’s character bed, who did he bed – and who won’t he bed:  the best in this are the scenes of Wendy Hiller – of course I am a big fan of hers so not only maybe I am prejudiced in this aspect..

~ Frank Silvera and Gene Tierney ~

Gene Tierney is also really wonderful. She is perfect as an elderly society lady - still looking beautiful. She does her scenes in a very elegant - and partly a bit impish way.

I may step on some toes when I say that I think Yvette Mimieux looks at some moments more like she wa Dean Martin’s daughter than his wife – but I think this is one important aspect of the story: a more aged and by that maybe selfassured woman would have more trust into her husband (I guess.. I wasn't married to any men yet..) – and Miss Mimieux is doing her part quite well. 

After all: the whole cast is really wonderful. 

~ Dean Martin, Wendy Hiller (like me he loves her!! ..) - and Geraldine Page ~

There is one scene which really is a but heavy: Charlotte’s face gets cut with a knife. Frankly: That is a really shocking scene - for those who are not fond of any kind of brutality in films - or trained by watching Horror films.. So please: If you are not easy with this kind of scenes – make sure to have someone in reach who can tell you that it’s over.. 

~ Geraldine Page and Dean Martin.
this is from an amazingly done scene - it's all in the looks.. ~

Besides that I really can recommend this film to everyone who likes a good drama.

Thank you very much for listening!

Enjoy the show!

Yours 

Irene

Let's watch.. ..THE RAZOR'S EDGE

High time for our first review of a Gene Tierney film, I guess.. 

So let's start with a film based on a novel by W. Somerset Maugham:

THE RAZOR'S EDGE (1946)

Shortly after WWI at a fancy party author W. Somerset Maugham (Herbert Marshall) meets inter alia rich snob Elliot Templeton (Clifton Webb) and his niece Isabel (Gene Tierney), also her admirer Gray Maturin (John Payne) and her fiancé Larry Darrell (Tyrone Power, jr.) and Larry's childhood friend Sophie (Anne Baxter).

After serving in war Larry likes to find out about the meaning of live and wants to live in Paris for some time. Isabel would rather like to have a family and doesn't want to forgo her luxurious lifestyle - so they call the engagement off. Isabel marries Gray - she doesn't love him but he has money - and Larry spents some time in France and India. 

Years later Somerset Maugham, Elliot Templeton, Isabel and Gray, Larry and Sophie meet again in Paris. After Sophie's husband and child were killed due to a car accident she became an alcoholic. That Larry starts to take an interest in her helps her a lot and she stays clean. But when Sophie and Larry are about to be married Isabel doesn't agree at all.. 

~ just a marvellous cast - here in the 1918 party scene:
 Gene Tierney, Tyrone Power, Herbert Marshall, Clifton Webb, Anne Baxter and Lucile Watson as Isabel's mother~

Before Gene Tierney was casted her part was actually meant to be played by Maureen O'Hara. 

For the part of Sophie also Judy Garland and Betty Grable were on the list.. - well.. at last it went to the amazing Anne Baxter, who does a wonderful job as Sophie. - For those who care for things like that: she won an Oscar that year for this part. - She later stated that her breakdown in this film when she learns about the death of her husband and child are based on her feeling about the death of her three-year-old brother when she was a child. Anne Baxter is for sure a great actress - but this scene is especially moving..

~ Best supporting actress 1947: Anne Baxter in THE RAZOR'S EDGE ~

Another very moving scene is done by Clifton Webb - who is of course as snobbish as ever - but in the end he has a scene in which you really can feel sorry for his character..

Gene Tierney's dresses were designed by her fiancé Oleg Cassini - the wedding dress was meant for their wedding - but then they eloped and Gene didn't need it - so her stand-in later wore it for her own wedding.. Have a look at the said dress in the film:

It's a wonderful film - with several outstanding performances. I am of course very happy that one of my number one actresses (Elsa Lanchester!!) has a ( though much too short..) appearence in this film - same goes for legendary Austrian actor Fritz Kortner. I must admit that I am very, very fond of the whole cast - it has many of my favourite actors - besides Elsa Lanchester of course.. : Esp. Herbert Marshall, Tyrone Power jr. and Anne Baxter. With 145 minutes it's no short movie - but I think it's worth every single minute. So: If you don't know this film - maybe you can give it a try.. 

Hope you all enjoy the show!

Thank you for listening

Yours

Irene

Let's watch.. ..THEY LIVE BY NIGHT

I am not the one to decide whether it is good or bad luck for a director to create a wonderful piece of film with their first try..

The one I want to present now is the very first film Nicholas Ray directed – and again a film based on a novel:  

THEY LIVE BY NIGHT (1949)

When Bowie (Fraley Granger) and Keechie (Cathy O’Donnell) meet – we could have a classic boy meets girl story – but: Bowie is on the run. The police is after him and his mates (Howard Da Silva and Jay C. Flippen). And though Keechie and Bowie try to live the classic lovers’ dream of marriage and founding a family – the polive doesn’t forget about Bowie..

~ dreaming of a calm and happy life.. ~

I love this film. It’s kind of a gloomy love story about two very young people who’s luck doesn’t have a real chance. I love the moments when they’re together trying to live kind of a normal life. 

~I also love that singer Mary Bryant has an appearnce..~

This might be not the classical lover’s film – but it’s one of my favourite love stories. 

So – if you don’t need a classic happy end and loads of glamour to be fine with a film: 

Please, give it a try.

Thank you very much for listening!

Yours

Irene

Let's watch.. ..LOVE IS A MANY-SPLENDORED THING

Fancy a romance movie based on real events? 

And you would like to have some Asian history in it, too?

Try

LOVE IS A MANY-SPLENDORED THING (1955)

Honkong, 1949: Suyin (Jennifer Jones) - a widowed doctor of English and Chinese decent - and Mark (William Holden) - an American war correspondent who is estranged of his wife - fall for each other. But not everyone is happy about this cross-cultural relationship.. And besides: There are "troubles" in Korea - and Mark has to go there..

"I will make no mistakes in the name of loneliness. I have my work and an uncomplicated life. I don't want to feel anything again... ever."

This film is based on the novel A MANY-SPLENDORED THING by Han Suyin which is quite autobiographical.

The title song became a #1 hit.

Jennifer Jones is none of my favourite actresses - most of the time I find her ridiculous and very much overacting.. Her performance here I think is okay. At least I find her less enervating..

~ For the famous beach scene William Holden shaved his chest. ~

It is said that during the filming of LOVE IS A MANY-SPLENDORED THING she complained to her husband David O. Selznick about William Holden. (She complained apparently very often and was known to thread people with "I am going to tell David about that!" ...) They barely spoke after that to each other. When William Holden tried to remove the stress from the set and presented her a spray of white roses - Miss Jones is said to have thrown them into his face.. I do not know what William Holden did to her - but I hope it was horrible enough to deserve such bad manners..

That Miss Jones reportedly chewed garlic before her love scenes with Mr. Holden (who was known to bed most of his female co-stars) to put him off I find rather funny. 

Frankly: the more I learn about Jennifer Jones the more I am fascinated - still I won't forgive her for abandoning Robert Walker - who I adore.

I love this movie foremost for it's story - and the historical background and setting. I guess you might find movies which are much more kitschy than this film - another plus in my book. 

Thank you very much for listening!

I hope you're enjoying the show!

Yours 

Irene

Waterloo Bridge (1940) is my favorite romance film...ever!

Waterloo Bridge was the first film Ms. Leigh made after the hugely successful Gone With The Wind. And most people were wondering how could she ever follow-up her performance as Scarlett O'Hara from that film. I mean Scarlett O'Hara is one of the most known characters in the world and Leigh was phenomenal. How could she do anything that would come close to matching that amazing performance. Well, just behold her in Waterloo Bridge as English ballet dancer Myra Lester and she is simply wonderful. Set in England during World War 1, Myra is part of a ballet company that is run by the tyrannical Madame Olga, who is so strict on her girls, that you think they were training for combat. Anyway one fateful night Myra meets Captain Roy Cronin (the always charming Robert Taylor and it's love at first sight. They meet on the Waterloo Bridge.

After a whirlwind romance Roy is called to the front line right before he and Myra are to be married. Once that happens Madame Olga kicks Myra from the ballet company for missing a performance. Myra's best friend Kitty (a sassy Virgina Field) sticks up for her and gets lets go as well. So these two young women are now broke and jobless trying to survive. What makes matters worse, Myra reads the newspaper one day and thinks Roy was killed in combat. Of course it's not true, but she thinks it is. Actually he's been captured by the Germans. So Myra ends up joining her friend Kitty as a street-walker/ prostitute. Myra believing she has lost the love of her life just drifts and drifts, not caring about relationships anymore.

Then one fateful day at Waterloo Station, Myra is there looking to pick out a returning soldier, when Roy comes home and both are shocked to see one another. It's been over a year since they last saw each other. They quickly embrace and plan to get married once again. Of course Roy wants Myra to meet his family in Scotland and Myra accepts and goes with him. But she is torn as to when to tell Roy about her dark past. She eventually confides to Roy's mother, Lady Margaret (a terrific Lucile Watson) and leaves Roy the next morning saying she can't marry him.

Racing home to London, Roy is frantic to find Myra and goes to find Kitty who finally tells him the secret life she and Myra have been leading. He is shocked but still wants to find her. They scour the whole city and can't find her. Myra is actually at the Waterloo Bridge, sad and lonely, wishing things had went another way. I won't ruin the ending for those who have never seen this film, but let's just say it's very emotional. I thought Vivien Leigh was magnificent as Myra. Her performance is more subdued than her Scarlett role, but it is just as good and award worthy. She goes from happy to confused to sad to quirky to dramatic, all in one film with such ease. I would have easily given her another Best Actress award for her performance here. She is just amazing to watch and I now see more than just as Scarlett O'Hara. And she just looks so beautiful. The scene where she is standing by the church doors waiting on Roy and the pastor is worth the price of admission alone. She looks directly at the camera and you're hypnotized by her beauty.

As for the supporting cast, Taylor is charming and romantic as usual. Virgina Field as Kitty gets most of the best lines in the film. Lucile Watson is quite good as Lady Margaret. And Maria Ouspenskaya is unbelievably stern as Madame Olga. Waterloo Bridge is now one of my favorite films of all time. A heart-breaking film, but also an amazing film. One of the best.
B+

Count our lucky stars

Monty

Let's watch.. ..DARK PASSAGE

One of my favourite Humphrey Bogart films is 

DARK PASSAGE (1947)

Vincent Parry (Humphrey Bogart) escapes from St. Quentin prison. He is convicted of killing his wife. Irene Jansen (Lauren Bacall) picks him up and helps him. 

There are of course some more compliacations in the plot - but I think this is the main plot. 

The main twist in this film is more one of the film making kind: Because Vincent is on the run he has to change his face - a job done in the film by a friendly surgeon (Houseley Stevenson). The twist: for about an hour you are not able to see Humphrey Bogart's face. The first part of the movie is almost completely done in his point of view - done so by using subjective camera technique. Then Vincent will wear his head bandaged - before we will finally see his "new" face.. 

This film is worth a look just because of this way of looking through a characters eyes. The other main cause for me is: Agnes Moorehead. I love her. She is one of my number one favourite actresses. (@ Patti: I have three #1 female actresses..) Her acting is - as always - one of the finest ever done. 

Lauren Bacall looks as pretty and cool as always - and Humphrey Bogart is doing a wonderful job - especially when his character isn't able to say anything because of his bandaged head and he has do the acting "just" with his eyes and body..

Anyway: I really recommend this film to you!

Hope you're enjoying the show!

Yours

Irene