Susan and God (1940)

Susan Trexel (Joan Crawford), a flighty socialite, undergoes a religious transformation at the hands of Lady Wigstaff (Constance Collier) while staying abroad in Europe. When she returns to America, she takes on the dubious task of spreading her newfound religious experience with her closest friends with one exception; she doesn’t take her own advice. In short order she breaks up her sister’s liaison with a womanizer and the marriage between her older friend, Hutchie (Nigel Bruce) and his young wife Leonara (Rita Hayworth) who gave up her career as an actress. Despite her own marriage being a flop. However, her husband Barrie (Fredric March) and daughter Blossom (Rita Quigley) yearn for a stable family life. Barrie, who still loves his wife, is willing to become sober in the hopes that Susan will heed her own advice, and save their marriage.




The problem is that Susan sucks as a human being. Barrie learns this as soon as he gets her back to their summer home on the bet that if he stays sober she will spend the summer with him and their daughter. When Susan firsts sees Blossom after months of her being tucked away at boarding school she tells Blossom, "If you're not going to be pretty, the least we can do is make you interesting." Blossom takes it in stride but Barrie soon heads out of the house in search of a drink much to Blossom’s disappointment. He doesn’t drink though. Instead he takes a long walk and thinks and when he finally does return home he gives Susan a piece of his mind…finally.
At this point you think that Susan, having gotten the scolding she so deserved would start falling for Barrie and his dominance. Certainly in the close up after he leaves the room, you see Susan faintly smile like she’s got a schoolgirl crush. However, it will take some pretty hammy moments, some more speeches, and the threat that Barrie will leave her for another woman for Susan to finally come around. The effect is slightly tedious and exhausting- especially since there are moments when March is the hammiest I have ever seen him. Plus there are a few confusing moments in the film where you question if it’s a real scene or a dream sequence from a young teenager’s mind (I refer to the taffy scene for those of you that have seen the movie). Overall, Susan and God is a lot of fluff and bull on the surface, a lot like the character of Susan, until the real heart of the film is exposed, as is Susan who will eventually confess her faults and her fear of losing Barrie.


Sidenote:
It was intended as a vehicle for Norma Shearer, but the star refused to play the role of a mother with a teenage daughter. Greer Garson was also considered for the role before it went to Joan Crawford.

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So Dark the Night (1946) A French police detective investigates his fiancée's murder.
Cast: Steven Geray, Micheline Cheirel, Eugene Borden, Ann Codee Dir: Joseph H. Lewis

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Silence is Golden: The Patsy (1928)

The Patsy features the charming Marion Davies as Patricia Harrington, the much harried and annoyed younger daughter of Ma and Pa Harrington. Constantly provoked to point out how unfairly she is treated by her sister Grace (Jane Winton) and mother (Marie Dressler), Pat finds little consolation in her father's (Dell Henderson) defenses as he ofter overruled by Ma Harrington. Pat is madly in love with Tony Anderson (Orville Caldwell) who is Grace's suitor. She knows grace is just stringing him along and longs to be the center of Tony's attention. She gets that chance when Billy (Lawrence Gray) breezes into town. With Grace giving Tony the slip, Pat reveals to him that she is in love with a guy who doesn't even know she exists. Ever helpful Tony gives her some tips on how to gain a personality- leading Ma Harrington to believe her daughter has gone insane. With Pa's advice to keep up the act, Pat finds that she catered to my Ma and even slips in a kiss with Tony who then discovers he's chasing the wrong sister. When Grace finds out, she threatens to expose Pat's lie about being in love with another man- as Tony hates liars, Pat concedes and let's Grace wheedle another date out of Tony. Pa, seeing Pat's misery offers up that jealousy may bring Tony around so, Pat tries to woo Billy. When she gets no response from him, she calls on Tony to "rescue" her from Billy's "attentions" which Tony promptly does but not without admonishing her for liking someone such as Billy.

defeated, Pat returns home with Grace who tells the sordid tale much to Ma Harrington's dismay. Pa Harrington takes this opportunity to let his wife know he will no longer tolerate her incessant complaining and whining and threatens to leave though he truly loves her. The film ends with everyone seeing the error of their ways and making up- with Pat getting her man.

Davies doing wonderful impersonations of Swanson and Gish.

Sidenote:

King Vidor originally did not want to do a film with Marion Davies, thinking her flighty and trivial due to her connection with Hearst. However, once he was invited to San Simeon and met Davies, he found her to be refreshingly intelligent and quite humorous, thus prompting him to direct her in the three "Vidor Comedies", The Patsy, Show People (1928), and Not So Dumb (1930).

The Patsy is also rumored to be a turnaround film for Marie Dressler whose career had hit a slump by 1928. According to Allan Dwan, he saved her life. While dining on her last meal at The Ritz, Dwan said he spotted her and thought she would be perfect for the part of Ma Harrington. He had a note sent over, and Dressler asked him up to her room and admitted to him that she had just eaten her last meal and was going to throw herself out of her hotel window when she got his note. Whether true or not, The Patsy was a success and Dressler's career was on the go once more.

Tonight on TCM!
To Be or Not to Be (1942) A troupe of squabbling actors joins the Polish underground to dupe the Nazis. Cast: Carole Lombard, Jack Benny, Robert Stack, Felix Bressart Dir: Ernst Lubitsch

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The Paradine Case (1948)

TCM is celebrating Gregory Peck every Monday this month. Most notably recognized for his role as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, I personally have never taken note of Peck's talent beyond his ability to perfect a quiet reserve until now. I caught a bit of The Paradine Case a few weeks back and made a note to record it when it came on again.

The last of Hitchcock's films under his contract with David O. Selznick, The Paradine Case cannot really be described as a thriller, though it does have some tense moments and is completely enthralling. A story similar to Anatomy of a Murder, the viewer is not quite sure whether the accused is guilty or not. Ms. Paradine (Alida Valli), held on the charge that she murdered her husband, the blinded war hero Colonel Paradine, is in need of a good lawyer to avoid the hangman's rope. The family solicitor, Sir Simon Flaquer (Charles Coburn) recommends his friend Anthony Keane (Gregory Peck). Keane, a happily married man is instantly taken with Ms. Paradine. Despite her patience and strength, Keane is keen to ride to her rescue. Though she admits to having had several dalliances in the past, he concludes she's simply a victim of her own beauty and defies anyone who puts her down. He is so convinced of her innocence, he is willing to sacrifice his marriage and career to save her. Meanwhile, his equally patient and strong wife Gay (Ann Todd) encourages him to stick with the case and prays that Ms. Paradine is freed from the charges so that she may fight for her husband on even grounds.

In short, The Paradine Case, though not one of Hitchcock's most thrilling or suspenseful films, is still quite entertaining. Without giving anymore of the movie away, I would like to mention that Charles Laughton colors the film by playing a particularly slimy character with his ever suffering wife played by Ethel Barrymore.

It's also a good example of how silly I am to have not seen more of Gregory Peck until now. (Insert girlfan sigh here)

Tonight on TCM!
Check out Gregory Peck and Greer Garson in The Valley of Decision! It's quite good!

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Newman's Own:The Silver Chalice (1955)

Quite possibly the worst classic film I have seen to date. Films like The Silver Chalice would have once defined how I summed up cinema from the fifties and early sixties which is why I have avoided that era until I started this blog. I have obviously changed my mind and I'd like to thank Fredric March and Geraldine Page for that. Without my loving and needing to see everything they are in, I never would have ventured past 1949.

Newman once said, "It's kind of a distinction to say that I was in the worst film to be made in the entirety of the 1950's." I wouldn't completely agree, I mean one does need to consider anything that involved Elvis Presley or Sandra Dee, yes?
Another reason I avoided the era and that I have stated before is that I am not a fan of Technicolor. I find it garish and at times distracting. However, worse than Technicolor is the monochrome theme that also dominated this era of filmmaking. The Silver Chalice is no exception with its stark and expressionless setting, an unsuccessful mixture of über neomodernism and old world religious artifacts closely resembling chotchkies you'd find in a seaside tourist shop.

Basil (Paul Newman), a great artisan is commissioned to cast the cup of Christ in silver and sculpt around its rim the faces of the disciples and Jesus himself. He is broken out of the slavery he was put in his uncle Linus (Herbert Rudley) who refused to acknowledge Basil as his brother’s adopted son and taken to Jerusalem and eventually Rome to complete his task. Though he has a hard time sculpting Jesus’ face despite the descriptions he is given, he has a vision while in Rome searching for the disciple Peter and decides to convert to Christianity. A simple story and one that could have been pulled off if this was the only storyline that needed attention. Unfortunately, the film has a parallel plot that instead of flowing congruently to sum up the whole of the film, clutters it while some key aspects fall to the wayside.
The parallel plot involves Helena (Virginia Mayo) the slave girl whom Basil helps to escape from his father Ignatius’ household when they are young. Promising to love one another always, Helena eventually becomes a great courtesan and partner to Simon the Magician (Jack Palace). Having traveled all over, she comes back to Greece, learns of Basil’s enslavement and his uncle's plans to have him killed. She finds Basil, warns him and then moves on. Basil is rescued instead by Luke, a physician and disciple of Christ, who takes him to the house of Joseph of Arimathea (Walter Hampden) who will commission Basil to make the chalice for the cup of Christ. Meanwhile, Helena and Simon the Magician also travel to Jerusalem for a far greedier task. Simon is commissioned by Mijamin (Joseph Wiseman), the leader of a group of Sicarii assassins who wants to use Simon’s magic to lure the Christians away from their religion and into his army. However, Simon has bigger plans, he wants to create his own religion. In order to have people believe in him he must destroy the one material thing that means the most to the Christians- the cup of Christ. After only one failed attempt at getting said cup, Simon who, with Helena, has followed Basil to Rome, comes into favor with Caesar Nero and claims he can fly. He finds his own demise in his daring, prompting Nero, who supported Simon’s claim and doesn’t want to cheat his audience out of their entertainment, to sacrifice Helena.Back to the main plot, there is Deborra (Pier Angeli), Joseph of Arimethea’s granddaughter who has loved Basil from the start. Mistaking his attentions for love, she boldly asks to be tied to him through marriage so that she can inherit her dying grandfather’s fortune and further Christianity with it. Basil, though he loves Helena but would never marry her, agrees and they are wed but not affectionate towards one another much to Deborra’s dismay. When Basil finally has his vision of Christ and decides to become Christian, he also decides he truly loves Deborra. Though the cup of Christ is lost in the ensuing mob after Simon’s death, the disciple Peter blesses them both and predicts the cup will reappear when mankind needs it most. (Like maybe when having to sit through this film.)

This was Newman’s first stab at Hollywood and it certainly didn’t make a great impression upon him. The Silver Chalice is full of wooden acting and ridiculous dialogue as if everyone but Jack Palance (the real treat of the film) knew they were making a bad picture. Newman knew it; he had several arguments with director Victor Saville at the risk of being labeled "an uncooperative smart-ass" over some aspects of the film. This combined with the unrealistic back drop has The Silver Chalice bordering camp proportions but ulitmately fails in that main simply because it isn't entertaining enough. Had Jack Palance been the entire focus of the film with his distinct, silky speaking voice continuously touting while donning outfits that looked like Adrian on a PCP kick designed them, this film would have been awe-inspiring. Awe. Inspiring.


Tonight on TCM!
TCM honors Honest Abe. Check it out!

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Happy 4th!

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Life with Father (1947)

Egaaaad!! I think I have a favorite new film in the comedy genre! I saw Life with Father recently and totally fell in love with it in a I’m-not-gonna-burn-this-on-a-DVD-but-actually-buy-it-kind-of-way.

After running successfully on Broadway for over seven years, Warner Brothers won the bid to make the film of Life with Father. The play was so successful that Mary Pickford who had been retired for thirteen years tested several times for the part of Mrs. Day and Bette Davis threw her hat in the ring as well but Irene Dunne (who actually didn't really want the part) won out and she’s absolutely marvey!
Life with Father is based on Clarence Day’s humorous writings about his own father. It takes the viewer into the home of an upper middle class family living in the 1890’s, Clarence Day Sr. (William Powell) is a successful stockbroker who demands things be just a certain way…his way. Despite how much he rails against his own family and staff, he remains affectionate and lovable in their eyes, the staff that sticks around, that is. Not just any actor could have pulled this off. Powell, in my opinion, was perfect. He’s rude but not crass, a penny pincher but not miserly, bossy but not domineering- much as he’d like to think, and extremely opinionated but easily swayed by his love for his wife and family.

Mrs. Day in return is a perfect match. A mother who cares deeply for her brood and tasks herself daily with making their lives as easy as possible but usually ends up making things a bit more difficult. She likes to spend money and often plays hostess to her family members when they visit town. Things that set Mr. Day off on a tangent only to have him give in and in some cases give out, money. Mrs. Day’s nonsensical logic on how money is spent and her “struggles” to save money leave Mr. Day more confused than when he started out trying to figure what’s been spent.
The crux of the film comes about when Mrs. Day’s cousin Cora (ZaSu Pitts) and a young family friend, Mary Skinner (Elizabeth Taylor) come for a visit, Mary, upon learning that Clarence Day, Jr. is soon to be a Harvard man, becomes instantly smitten. It’s revealed that his family is strongly Episcopalian while Mary admits she’s just a Methodist (her mother’s fault). When Mary brings the subject up at dinner, Mr. Day admits he isn’t really concerned with religion and he himself isn’t even baptized much to Mrs. Day’s horror.
With young love and its complications brought on by the need of a better suit, illness possibly due to bad medicine, and the constant machinations of Mrs. Day to get her husband baptized, Life with Father is extremely entertaining. So much so, I wished it would go on and on. I was actually disappointed when the film ended as well as disappointed that it did not end as comically as it could have. Robert Osborne explained the last line that should have been delivered by Mr. Day after he was asked by a passerby in the street where he was off to should have been, “I’m going to get baptized, damn it!” Warner Brothers fought and bribed and begged to have the words “damn it” added citing that Gone with the Wind allowed Rhett Butler to say “damn”. But the censors were adamant- Gone with the Wind was an adult film whereas Life with Father was considered a family movie.
I highly recommend watching this film. It really is one of Powell and Dunne’s best films.

Go here for some Life with Father trivia.

Tonight on TCM!
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic (1990) The story of how MGM created one of the most beloved family films of all time. Cast: Angela Lansbury, John Lahr, Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft Dir: Jack Haley Jr.

The Wizard Of Oz (1939) A Kansas farm girl dreams herself into a magical land where she must fight a wicked witch to escape. Cast: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr Dir: Victor Fleming

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S& G: Zay~Soo! Get it right!

ZaSu Pitts is best remembered as the fretful and flustered spinster she often played in her later career. In fact, it's said that Mae Questel caricatured Pitts's voice and "Oh, dear" mannerisms for the character Olive Oyl for the animated cartoon version of Popeye the Sailor.
However, it should be noted that Pitts was quite good at both drama and comedy with comedy, perhaps a little to her disappointment, being her biggest draw.

As to her unusual name, Mary Pickford once told her many would mispronounce it and she was correct. ZaSu comes from the names of her mother's sisters Eliza and Susan. It has been incorrectly spelled as Zazu Pitts or Zasu Pitts in many film credits and articles. Perhaps Thelma Todd can shed a little light...

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