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Post by Fading Fast on Jan 21, 2023 16:00:52 GMT
⇧ I would watch a movie simply because Fay Bainter and Edward Arnold were the stars.
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Post by topbilled on Jan 21, 2023 17:58:53 GMT
⇧ I would watch a movie simply because Fay Bainter and Edward Arnold were the stars. |
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Post by topbilled on Jan 27, 2023 3:45:07 GMT
This neglected film is from 1941.
Moments of heroism
Interestingly this morale booster from MGM was released in late July ’41, more than four months before the attack on Pearl Harbor. However, it anticipates U.S. involvement in the war and the need for recruitment into the armed forces.
This story focuses on two young men who are set to join the Marines. One is a teen (Ray McDonald) not allowed to enlist just yet because he does not meet the general age requirement; while his girlfriend’s older brother (Dan Dailey) is able to enlist.
Before Dailey’s character takes off to San Diego, where he will receive training and be permanently stationed, he has a few goodbyes to make. Of course, his sister (Bonita Granville) is sad but proud he’s going off to serve.
There are some local thugs, part of a gang that Dailey’s been running with, who frame him for a murder he didn’t commit. This is done so that when he goes to San Diego, he will cooperate with some other shady characters that are connected with Nazi spies.
Yes, it’s all a bit far-fetched but somehow it works. Mostly it works because of Granville, McDonald and Dailey as well as Leo Gorcey in a supporting role providing the necessary comic relief. Granville is particularly good when Dailey does the right thing at the end and in a moment of heroism, dies aboard a boat where Granville and McDonald have been kept hostage.
At the same time a huge explosion rocks a ship used by the Nazi spies, and I must say it’s a spectacular bit of special effects. A very effective action sequence that is accompanied by an appropriate flag-waving finale back on land.
I couldn’t help but think this script was probably intended for Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. You can see how MGM is fashioning a film that is meant to appeal to the young teen crowd, since that age group will soon be going off to war.
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Post by topbilled on Jan 31, 2023 15:31:51 GMT
This neglected film is from 1939.
The secret of a successful medical drama
Though the scenes are somewhat slowly played out, a lot happens in the third installment of MGM’s Dr. Kildare series. First, I should mention Lew Ayres’ character does have a secret– namely that he’s a doctor, which is kept from a debutante (Helen Gilbert) he’s treating.
Also, his father, the elder Dr. Kildare (Samuel S. Hinds), has a secret– he might have a heart condition. However, only Dr. Gillespie (Lionel Barrymore) is brought in on that, since he is consulted for a second opinion; and much to the relief of Mrs. Kildare (Emma Dunn), there is no real heart condition, and everything will go back to normal.
Added into the drama, we have young Kildare pretending he does not want to work with Gillespie to find a cure for pneumonia. He does this so Gillespie will take much-needed time off, and so he can help the debutante with a case of hysterical blindness.
Meanwhile, there’s the continuing story of Nurse Mary Lamont (Laraine Day) becoming more smitten with Kildare. Oh, and the ongoing battles between Gillespie and head nurse Molly (Alma Kruger), which manage to convey some tenderness despite their mostly adversarial interactions.
What makes this entry in the series so good is all of the introductions that took place in the first two films are out of the way. Plus the series hasn’t been run into the ground yet, so the ideas still seem fresh. These ideas were probably relevant back in the day, even if the medical dialogue seems hopelessly outdated now. There are a few implausibilities, like Gillespie thinking he can end pneumonia. Or young Kildare doing a make-believe eye operation on the debutante so she can see again.
I think the series does a decent job conveying the fact these people are working to solve the medical and psychological problems their patients face. Despite conflicts which occur among the staff, there is a sense of team work and people believing in the same cause. Furthermore, I appreciate the sense of humor the characters have; and no matter, how you slice it, Gillespie is a lovable curmudgeon. Barrymore plays his role to the hilt, but he’s not too off-putting. I especially love how Gillespie and his protege seem to outfox each other, when they approach cases from different angles.
The Kildare and Gillespie movies feature a fine assortment of character actors and actresses. Marie Blake doesn’t have much screen time but when she’s on camera, she always has a funny line at the switchboard. Nat Pendleton is fun in his role as a thick ambulance driver. And Walter Kingford is great as Carew the hospital administrator, a man that has his own tug of war going on with Gillespie. The series is expertly produced, and in this instance, Harold S. Bucquet’s direction is excellent. It’s not a secret these films were big money-makers for MGM.
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Post by topbilled on Feb 5, 2023 5:10:06 GMT
This neglected film is from 1938.Better than aspirin In the late 1930s, MGM turned out some high-concept programmers that are fun to watch. None of these, to my knowledge, cause migraines– just fits of laughter. LOVE IS A HEADACHE is one of these charming films.The story focuses on a Broadway actress (Gladys George) whose career is on the downswing. Her manager (Ted Healy) concocts a scheme to generate some much-needed press and put her back in the limelight. The ruse? She will adopt two street urchins as a publicity stunt. Since this is a wholesome movie with little relationship to reality, the urchins are among the cleanest-looking kids ever to appear on screen. If this had been a Mary Pickford film, they would have certainly looked bedraggled.Anyway, the kids are ably portrayed by Mickey Rooney and Virginia Weidler. In their scenes together, we sense a believable bond as siblings. The studio would re-team Rooney and Weidler in a few other films, notably an installment of the Andy Hardy series. In addition to the kids, there is a fun turn by character actress Jessie Ralph as an over-the-top lady sheriff who somehow gets involved in the shenanigans. In case things become too outlandish, the writers inject a sensible romantic angle to balance out the hijinks.The picture benefits from the presence of MGM contract player Franchot Tone, who was Mr. Joan Crawford at this time. Tone plays Miss George’s love interest and is in all likelihood going to become a daddy to the two urchins. It’s nice to see him in more of a ‘family’-type comedy. Of course, one wonders how long this group will remain happy. Until another publicity stunt is required? But by then, maybe Miss George’s character will have learned that she now has a better career as a wife and mother. And this new role is better than aspirin.
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Post by topbilled on Feb 10, 2023 16:20:42 GMT
This neglected film is from 1951.
Solid MGM noir
I’ve never associated MGM much with noir. A few standouts exist– like THE ARNELO AFFAIR (1947); ACT OF VIOLENCE (1948); and MYSTERY STREET (1950). But most of the studio’s crime dramas are merely passable and not very engrossing. NO QUESTIONS ASKED falls somewhere in between on the spectrum. It is mostly by the numbers, but does manage some fairly engaging sequences.
Sidney Sheldon– yes, the man who later gained fame as a mystery novelist– wrote the screenplay. He sets up a tense situation at the beginning where a lawyer (Barry Sullivan) who works for a big insurance company is on the run. A series of flashbacks unfold in typical noir style where we see how he got involved in shady dealings with the mob. These activities jeopardized his legal career and his love life.
The mob elements are somewhat muted, though there is a memorable scene where two hoods dress in drag to rob a bunch of high society women of their jewels. The precious stones are insured and there will be a payout.
Sullivan’s character is in on the racket that bilks his posh insurance firm. He’s smarter than the executives he toils alongside in the office, and he’s smarter than the crooks who operate on the streets and in the back alleys. In fact he’s too smart for everyone. And soon these forces, plus the police, conspire to bring him down.
George Murphy, who was in THE ARNELO AFFAIR, plays the inspector. I’ve always admired Mr. Murphy’s versatility in motion pictures, and he’s very good as the tough no-nonsense copper.
Occasionally the action pauses for a few romantic interludes. Sullivan is involved with two different types of women. The first one is a greedy married chick (Arlene Dahl) who helps frame him for murder. The second object of affections is a girl Friday (Jean Hagen) at work. She’s been carrying a not-so-secret torch for Sullivan.
Miss Hagen is quite poignant in her role. She essays the rejection well when Sullivan initially chooses Dahl over her, but there is a glimmer of hope under the surface that he will come to his senses and change his mind. It is certainly very gratifying when Sullivan finally sees the proverbial light at the end and realizes she’s the one he should have been with all along.
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Post by topbilled on Feb 16, 2023 1:41:08 GMT
This neglected film is from 1951.
Dog gone justice
THE PAINTED HILLS was MGM’s seventh and final installment in the popular Lassie series. It does not feature Elizabeth Taylor, Roddy McDowall or Claude Jarman like the previous films did. But it has Gary Gray who had been at the studio for ten years…he has a winning smile and good screen presence. More importantly, he works well with Pal, the canine performer who plays the main character.
Pal is billed as Lassie in the opening credits, and while he played “Lassie” in the previous films, he is playing a different character named Shep in this picture. That’s because the script is based on Alexander Hull’s bestselling novel from 1930, which audiences would have been familiar with, and it was probably a condition in obtaining the literary rights to the story that the dog be called Shep, not Lassie.
As you can see with the book’s cover art, the dog looks more like a wolf…and while Hull was supposedly writing about a rough collie not a docile border collie, my guess is that Hull’s mind was really thinking along the lines of a German Shepherd when he was creating the character. It would explain the dog’s aggressive behavior at key points in the narrative, as well as the name Shep itself, which seems derivative of Shepherd as in German Shepherd.
Since Pal was under contract at the studio, and was the one that had a huge fanbase, we can accept him in the role. If nothing else, chalk it up to dramatic license. I do have to say that the dog’s training is exceptional. When the script calls for him to behave gently, he’s easily up to the task, but he can also switch into ferocious mode when needed.
And there are a lot of ferocious elements in the plot. It involves an aging prospector living in the California hills during the gold rush days. Paul Kelly has been assigned the role of the old man, despite being much younger than the part he’s playing. Kelly’s character has spent a long time in the hills eking out a meager existence, following his gut instinct that there must be a rich vein of gold ore nearby.
While continuing to dig for treasure, he is joined by his faithful companion Shep. They are like two peas in a pod and go everywhere together. One place they visit at Christmastime is the home of his godson (Gray) whose father recently died. Gray forms an attachment to the dog, and he joins Kelly and the animal on their digs.
Meanwhile, a lawyer has been sniffing around Gray’s mother (Ann Doran) and he learns Kelly found some small nuggets and may be close to striking a mother lode. The role of the lawyer is played by MGM contract player Bruce Cowling, who usually specialized in villainous characters. This is no exception. The lawyer is a crook and while befriending Kelly, the boy and the dog, he plans to take all the gold for himself.
There is a wonderful montage where the characters are digging and panning gold, filmed on location in the California hills. Lassie/Shep is directly involved, and it’s fun to watch. But after these feel-good moments, the story turns dark. Kelly suspects the lawyer plans to file a claim with an assayer behind his back. He also worries that the lawyer may do something dangerous, so he sends the boy away.
In the next sequence, the lawyer leads him to a hilltop where he insists he found the mother lode. But there is no gold there, just a confrontation between the two men. Shep watches as the lawyer pushes the old prospector off the cliff in a horrifying scene. The lawyer then decides to get rid of the dog, and he poisons Shep’s food. Shep survives because some concerned natives find him dying along the road and nurse him back to health.
At the same time Gray learns the dog nearly died, and he returns to the cabin. He does not find his godfather, only the lawyer. Shep shows the boy where Kelly’s body was buried. The lawyer insists the old man died because of an accidental fall. The boy spends the night at the cabin, but this is not a safe environment. The lawyer still wants to get rid of Shep.
Some tropes occur. A pastor stops by the cabin the next day but doesn’t believe the boy’s story about a possible murder. Also, the boy is at the mercy of the lawyer, but is somehow spared. When the boy leaves with the pastor, to return to his mother, it is up to Shep to carry out justice. There is a climactic finale, where Shep is chased up the hill by our gun-toting villain who intends to blast him to smithereens. However, Shep is too smart and lures the big bad man to the edge of a snowy peak, so he will fall off the cliff the same way the old man did. It’s karmic fate.
The dog is then reunited with the boy, and that’s how it should be. In the picture below, Pal is resting before starting his weekly TV show.
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Post by topbilled on Feb 21, 2023 15:03:40 GMT
This neglected film is from 1940.
Frank Morgan comes home
Frank Morgan is a unique presence in all his films, especially the ones he made at MGM. After his success in THE WIZARD OF OZ, the studio created light-hearted vehicles that would continue to showcase his talents. These were modestly budgeted programmers featuring some of the best contract players. They included young up-and-comers as well as established pros who specialized in offbeat characterizations like Mr. Morgan’s stock in trade.
In THE GHOST COMES HOME, he is married to Billie Burke and they run a pet shop. Scenes where we see him at work feature a bunch of lovable animals, including a penguin. Morgan is not very successful selling pets and his wife worries what the townsfolk must think of them. She says his failure as a small business owner is an embarrassment, and she can no longer walk in public with her head held high!
In addition to marital discord, Morgan has to deal with moocher relatives (Nat Pendleton and Frank Albertson) who don’t help at the pet shot or around the house. If he could get rid of them, he would.
There is a bright spot. Morgan and Burke have a daughter (Ann Rutherford) who inherited dear old dad’s genial nature, even though she’s being pushed by mother to marry a rich banker’s son (Tom Rutherford, no relation off screen).
The main plot kicks into gear when Morgan is summoned from their humble berg of Edenville (probably down the road from Carvel) to a dying man’s estate in Australia. It seems an old pal wants to leave a fortune to the town, and he’s chosen Morgan to handle the transaction. Of course, the greedy banker (Donald Meek, in a villainous turn) intends to oversee this.
However, when Morgan leaves for down under, he ends up in New York City where he encounters trouble with the police. Locked in jail for two months, he misses the boat, literally, which is a good thing since it sinks like the Titanic.
This leads to a set of unexpected consequences. While he’s presumed dead, Morgan’s family cashes a life insurance policy and lives it up. Meanwhile, Morgan receives help from a handsome bandleader (John Shelton) after he’s sprung from the slammer. It facilitates Morgan’s return to Edenville as a very much alive ghost.
Shelton falls in love with the family’s daughter which saves her from marrying the banker’s son. But they all have to work together to find a way to reimburse the insurance company, so life can go back to normal.
There’s a fun sequence near the end where Shelton and his band pull a scam on the banker, who had previously swindled Morgan. Because of this, they are able to obtain the dough needed for the family to get out of debt.
THE GHOST COMES HOME is not exactly a screwball comedy, but several silly situations take place. And order is restored in the end. In these kinds of feel-good studio programmers, that’s the most important thing.
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Post by Fading Fast on Feb 21, 2023 15:39:26 GMT
This neglected film is from 1940.
Frank Morgan comes home
Frank Morgan is a unique presence in all his films, especially the ones he made at MGM. After his success in THE WIZARD OF OZ, the studio created light-hearted vehicles that would continue to showcase his talents. These were modestly budgeted programmers featuring some of the best contract players. They included young up-and-comers as well as established pros who specialized in offbeat characterizations like Mr. Morgan’s stock in trade.
In THE GHOST COMES HOME, he is married to Billie Burke and they run a pet shop. Scenes where we see him at work feature a bunch of lovable animals, including a penguin. Morgan is not very successful selling pets and his wife worries what the townsfolk must think of them. She says his failure as a small business owner is an embarrassment, and she can no longer walk in public with her head held high!
In addition to marital discord, Morgan has to deal with moocher relatives (Nat Pendleton and Frank Albertson) who don’t help at the pet shot or around the house. If he could get rid of them, he would.
There is a bright spot. Morgan and Burke have a daughter (Ann Rutherford) who inherited dear old dad’s genial nature, even though she’s being pushed by mother to marry a rich banker’s son (Tom Rutherford, no relation off screen).
The main plot kicks into gear when Morgan is summoned from their humble berg of Edenville (probably down the road from Carvel) to a dying man’s estate in Australia. It seems an old pal wants to leave a fortune to the town, and he’s chosen Morgan to handle the transaction. Of course, the greedy banker (Donald Meek, in a villainous turn) intends to oversee this.
However, when Morgan leaves for down under, he ends up in New York City where he encounters trouble with the police. Locked in jail for two months, he misses the boat, literally, which is a good thing since it sinks like the Titanic.
This leads to a set of unexpected consequences. While he’s presumed dead, Morgan’s family cashes a life insurance policy and lives it up. Meanwhile, Morgan receives help from a handsome bandleader (John Shelton) after he’s sprung from the slammer. It facilitates Morgan’s return to Edenville as a very much alive ghost.
Shelton falls in love with the family’s daughter which saves her from marrying the banker’s son. But they all have to work together to find a way to reimburse the insurance company, so life can go back to normal.
There’s a fun sequence near the end where Shelton and his band pull a scam on the banker, who had previously swindled Morgan. Because of this, they are able to obtain the dough needed for the family to get out of debt.
THE GHOST COMES HOME is not exactly a screwball comedy, but several silly situations take place. And order is restored in the end. In these kinds of feel-good studio programmers, that’s the most important thing. |
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Post by sagebrush on Feb 21, 2023 22:54:45 GMT
Fun inside-baseball review. Another one of these "Morgan" vehicles is the enjoyable 1946 movie "The Cockeyed Miracle," comments here: "The Cockeyed Miracle"
I love THE COCKEYED MIRACLE!
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Post by topbilled on Mar 4, 2023 13:48:34 GMT
This neglected film is from 1935.
The night never gets old
This was Ramon Novarro’s last starring role for MGM. Many of the silent era’s leading men lost popularity with the transition to sound– John Gilbert and William Haines also come to mind. Novarro lasted longer than these two, but after a flop with Jeanette MacDonald in 1934, the writing was on the wall. THE NIGHT IS YOUNG, filmed in late ’34 and released the second week of January 1935, would be his swan song at the studio.
He’s paired with British musical actress Evelyn Laye. If we are to compare her to the above-mentioned Miss MacDonald, I would say that Miss Laye exhibits a lot more spontaneity. She’s totally charming, entirely in sync with Novarro. Though Novarro generates no real sparks with her.
One thing that didn’t make sense to me was why Metro used a story by German writer Vicki Baum about a ballerina. If Laye is an opera singer in Europe, then why not tailor a story about her as a singer. It seems odd that Novarro’s character falls for her while attending the ballet instead of becoming smitten by her at the opera.
Later she moves into his Austrian residence as a mistress of sorts. These references are muted, since the production code is in effect. As time goes by he becomes more charmed by her, especially when he notes the gaiety she demonstrates while singing and entertaining friends– one friend is played by Una Merkel, who is delightful as ever.
As Merkel and everyone else can see, it’s Laye’s voice that attracts Novarro, not her ability to pirouette.
The usual studio gloss is in full evidence here, and the sets are quite ornate. The clothing and jewels on display rival anything in a Greta Garbo picture. We are also treated to several fine performances from the supporting cast– pros like Edward Everett Horton and Rosalind Russell.
Russell portrays Novarro’s haughty fiancee. The overly affected Austrian accent she uses in this story is a far cry from Mame and Rose Hovick.
Interestingly, Novarro consents to the arranged marriage with Miss Russell. So the picture does not have the expected happy ending between him and Laye’s character. Perhaps that’s why it didn’t do so well at the box office, and why it served as end punctuation on Novarro’s career as a screen idol.
As for Evelyn Laye, she would return to her native England and focus on stage performances. She occasionally appeared in other films and television series. For a time, she was one of the best-loved musical entertainers of her generation. If you watch this film, you will understand why.
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Post by topbilled on Mar 13, 2023 15:23:27 GMT
This neglected film is from 1933.
Marion Davies as Peg
When this picture was produced, Marion Davies was nearing the end of her association at MGM. One reason she and paramour William Randolph Hearst moved over to Warner Brothers in 1934 is because Hearst felt Davies had turned in an Oscar worthy performance as the titular Peg, but MGM execs would not put her on the Best Actress ballot– probably because the studio’s most prestigious actress was Irving Thalberg’s wife Norma Shearer.
While watching PEG O’ MY HEART, one can’t help but agree with Hearst…Davies does turn in a delightful performance that’s certainly worth lauding.
It was the studio’s second version of the popular play by J. Hartley Manners. The script has been doctored by Davies’ pal Frances Marion, with revisions made to the original text. The humble and hardworking background of the character has been played up, as well as her relationship with her father (J. Farrell MacDonald).
The first filmed version was produced in 1922 by Metro, and it starred Laurette Taylor who had a long-running success as Peg, the impressionable Irish lass. Miss Taylor was married to playwright Manners, and together, they turned the simple heartwarming story into a Broadway hit in 1912, which ran for over 600 performances.
Taylor and Manners then took the play to England, where it ran in London during WWI. Afterwards, the duo returned to New York and revived Peg. This time it ran for nearly 700 performances. As a result, Laurette Taylor became very identified with the role, and it was always seen as a much sought after property to adapt to the big screen, since it had a huge built-in audience.
Mary Pickford supposedly coveted the role but Taylor eventually had her feature film debut with Peg in 1922. By then, she was 39. Keep in mind, when she started playing the role in 1912, she wasn’t yet 30. The heroine– a girl from rural Ireland who goes to live with stuffy relatives so that she may be turned into a refined lady like her mother was– is supposed to be in her late teens or early twenties.
When Hearst and Davies remade it as a sound feature, Miss Davies was 36. Meaning she was a bit younger than Taylor, but still probably a bit too old. Due to innovative lighting techniques, director Robert Z. Leonard and cinematographer George Barnes make her look fairly youthful, if not quite fully adolescent in appearance.
Helping convince the audience she’s “younger” is the choice in girlish clothing, especially at the beginning of the film. Also, she clings to a lovable pooch which stresses her immaturity and makes them a forerunner to Dorothy and Toto.
In a way, PEG O’ MY HEART is a comedy of manners, but it is also a culture clash tale. Peg is looked down upon by snooty aristocratic relatives, but spiritually, she is superior to them. The general idea is that girls from the impoverished countryside are more wholesome and innocent than their upperclass kin.
The relationship between the two classes is further underscored when Peg is befriended by her relatives’ neighbor (Onslow Stevens) not realizing he is privileged nobility. Meanwhile, there are some cute musical interludes, and Davies seems to have chemistry with all her costars. For the most part it’s an enjoyable romp.
Stories like this were popular with the public, because they emphasized the virtues of a young woman coming of age. There is also a fish-out-of-water angle, such as the kind we see in POLLYANNA. While battling snobs, she falls for the handsome gent, and this part resembles Jo’s love story in LITTLE WOMEN. Yes, the audience had probably seen all this before, but it’s a form of comfort storytelling.
This week we will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. And I always make a point of watching PEG O’ MY HEART around the 17th of March. For each petal on the shamrock, I send a wish your way: “Good health, good luck, and happiness for today and every day.”
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Post by Fading Fast on Mar 13, 2023 15:59:54 GMT
Peg o' My Heart from 1933 with Marion Davies, Onslow Stephens, J. Farrell MacDonald and Irene Browne
Peg o' My Heart's core story is the classic Hollywood tale of a poor somebody who surprisingly find that he or she will inherit a lot of money if he or she meets certain conditions of a will, which usually puts the poor person in a "fish out of water" situation amongst snooty rich people who don't want him or her there.
In this telling, it's Marion Davies as the poor "Irish lass" who lives in a small idyllic seaside village with her kindly fisherman dad, played by J. Farrell MacDonald.
She stands to inherit a big estate if she'll, one, go live on the estate in England for three years to be "educated" in the ways of her new class and, two, will agree to never see her Dad again.
A friend of the English family, played by Onslow Stevens, brings her Dad the news. When these two tell Davies about her inheritance, they intentionally fudge the part about Davies never seeing her Dad again so that she'll accept it and go to England. Thus, along with her dog Michael, off goes poor Irish girl Davies to live with the wealthy family in England.
Davies isn't wanted by the family, but is somewhat embraced as, per the will, the family gets paid money to "educate" her.
In addition to the cardboard matriarch, played by Irene Browne, who can't help looking down on Davies even though it's against her best interest, there's a daughter who is engaged to Stevens, but she is also having an affair with a married man.
The family, additionally, has a son, played as a stereotypical covertly gay man of the era, whom the family wants to marry Davies so that they can keep control of the money - good luck with that idea. Also thrown into the mix is the family's haughty butler, which leaves the odds stacked against Davies.
Finally, amidst all the confusing relationship and family dynamics, Davies develops a crush on Stevens.
The story is choppy, and as expected, things don't go well for Davies in her new family. Her simple honesty grinds the gears of the Kabuki Theater of aristocratic English society where people say and do things on the surface that are, often, the opposite of what they believe or want to do.
The climax (no real spoilers coming), as is normal in these stories, has the family learning a few lessons about itself that aren't pretty as Davies learns that "her betters" maybe aren't so better.
Some respect is gained here or there, but the resolution, playing to one of Hollywood's favorite tropes of all times, avers that poor people are happier than rich people.
Davies gives the role her all, even singing several songs along the way, and it's an impressive performance, but she still has a few too many silent-film mannerisms and is too inconsistent in her portrayal to look fully comfortable in the part. She isn't helped by a very uneven story that flubs its narrative once she gets to the English estate.
The only actors who look fully comfortable in their roles are, one, MacDonald as the dad giving up his much beloved daughter for what he thinks will be a better life for her, two, Onslow as the one guy who knows all the truths that are being hidden and, three, Michael the dog who is darn adorable throughout.
Peg o' My Heart tries hard, but director Robert Z. Leonard lost control of his movie's narrative as he lacked the strong hand to keep its many storylines flowing and characters consistent. After a solid setup in Ireland, the story atomizes in England and then is rushed to a conclusion that leaves many unanswered questions.
Hollywood has told versions of this story too many times to count (director James Cameron turned the fantastic technological and hubristic story of the Titanic into a boring rich-versus-poor-people tale in his 1997 movie), with Peg o' My Heart being just an average effort, interesting today mainly for Marion Davies fans. |
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Post by topbilled on Mar 13, 2023 16:07:44 GMT
"Her simple honesty grinds the gears of the Kabuki Theater of aristocratic English society where people say and do things on the surface that are, often, the opposite of what they believe or want to do."
***
I love this line! Good writing.
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Post by topbilled on Mar 26, 2023 14:25:29 GMT
This neglected film is from 1947.
The one about the housewife and the gangster
As an update of EVELYN PRENTICE, THE ARNELO AFFAIR is a perfect example of post-war films meant to reinforce the notion that a woman should be happy at home. If she strays too far from the nest, she will get embroiled in dangerous activities that threaten to destroy the sanctity of her marriage and may put her in jail. Scare tactics to say the least, and people paid money to see it.
In this instance, the wife is portrayed by MGM contractee Frances Gifford. She is a beautiful stay-at-home specimen who looks after a young son (Dean Stockwell) while hubby George Murphy goes out and brings home the bacon.
To occupy her time while her husband is at the office and her son is at school, Gifford does what most housewives of the period do…she goes shopping, plays bridge and gets caught up on gossip with her best pal (Eve Arden). Arden’s character often puts a satiric spin on the proceedings, preventing the film from becoming too overwrought and ensuring it stay light in the right places.
However, none of her domestic life is too fulfilling for lonely Miss Gifford. It is no wonder when, a short time later, she catches the eye of criminal rogue John Hodiak, that she starts to enjoy the attention he gives her. Mainly because it’s much-needed attention she no longer receives from workaholic Murphy.
John Hodiak gives a good performance as the bad guy. He conveys just the right amount of suavity and menace. Mr. Hodiak was on a winning streak at this time, becoming a reliable presence in noir such as Fox’s SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT and Paramount’s DESERT FURY.
One thing I especially like about THE ARNELO AFFAIR, aside from its polished and convincing acting, is how the melodramatic scenario is reinforced by the highly emotional background music. In addition to the music, director Arch Oboler and cinematographer Charles Salerno light scenes in a way that suggest opulence, shadows and passion.
And as the story unfolds, a focal point is the conflict faced by Gifford’s character as she gets in too deep and becomes embroiled in a murder. Though some of it may be predictable, there are plenty of anguished looks and silent pauses for proper effect. Throughout the picture’s 86-minute running time, Frances Gifford helps us get a sense of the woman’s internal state.
There is a moment when she realizes how much her son means to her, which is probably the highlight of the film. She is reminded that her most satisfying role in life is not as an adulterer, but as a mother and wife.
I supposed most will say THE ARNELO AFFAIR is ultimately just another spin on the old infidelity tale. But I think it deftly combines the gangster genre with a woman’s melodrama, and I find the results most intriguing.
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