In 1929, MGM released the first “Broadway Melody” film. I haven’t seen this movie, but it is notable for being the first sound film to win the Oscar for Best Picture. In a story as old as time, due to the success of the first Broadway Melody film, MGM continued to release films under the ‘Broadway Melody’ banner. These films were a good vehicle for MGM to show off their musical talent, with Eleanor Powell, Jack Benny, Frances Langford and Buddy Ebsen appearing in Broadway Melody of 1936. Broadway Melody of 1938 saw the return of Powell and Ebsen, along with a teenaged Judy Garland, Robert Taylor, and George Murphy. The final film in the ‘Broadway Melody’ series was Broadway Melody of 1940. This film re-teamed Powell and Murphy, and paired them with big star, Fred Astaire, who was just coming off his successful 10-film partnership with Ginger Rogers.
George Murphy and Eleanor Powell
Broadway Melody of 1940 features Astaire and Murphy as the Broadway dance team of Johnny Brett and King Shaw, respectively. At the beginning of the film, they are performing for free in a dance hall, having been unable to book any paying gigs. One could assume they are volunteering their services in hope of being “discovered.” The non-paying venture proves to be fruitful for one part of the dance team–Johnny. Producer Bob Casey (Frank Morgan) sees Johnny’s dancing and thinks that he’d be perfect as the partner of his big Broadway star, Clare Bennett (Powell).
When Bob approaches Johnny to offer him the role, Johnny mistakes him for someone from whom he’d borrowed money. To throw off his creditor, Johnny gives King’s name instead. King ends up being offered the role of Clare’s dancing partner in her next production. The middle act of the film sees Johnny coaching the less talented King and help him learn his routines. King is very lackadaisical throughout rehearsals and is not taking his big break seriously–much to the frustration of Johnny and Clare. To make matters worse, King’s ego is out of control, leading him to drink heavily and become unreliable.
Powell and Astaire in another brilliant number.
Intermingled with the main plot are two specialty numbers. The first one, aka “the good one,” features famous juggler Trixie Firschke. She is fantastic. She effortlessly juggles plates, balls, balances a ball on a mouthstick, and even bounces a ball on her head while juggling. It is truly mesmerizing to watch. Then there’s the other specialty act, aka “one of the most excruciating and annoying things I’ve ever seen.” The horrible specialty act features Charlotte Arren auditioning to be an opera singer. Researching Arren, I learned that she was a vaudeville performer and her horrendous opera singer audition was her schtick. She was acting this way on purpose. This scene is so irritating, I fast forward through it. Give me Jules Munshin pantomiming how to make a niçoise salad, any day–just to give you an idea of how annoying this act is. Give me Gene Kelly and Phil Silvers’ obnoxious “Heavenly Music” number (that I consider one of the worst musical numbers of all time). I would rather watch both of those routines back-to-back than ever see Arren’s “Audition” routine again. I cannot imagine paying to watch a vaudeville show and having to see/hear this. I’d definitely need to have my basket of produce ready for throwing.
Eleanor Powell and Fred Astaire in one of the more gorgeous musical numbers ever, “Begin the Beguine.”
Eventually, as one can suspect, something happens in the plot that allows Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell dance together. If it didn’t, what would be the point of this movie? Fred and Eleanor appear in the last act on a gorgeous all black, highly reflective set. They look like they’re floating in space. Juxtaposed against the black set are Fred and Eleanor in all white. It makes for a very striking scene. Their tap work is exquisite, as is the final number, “Begin the Beguine.” This is hands down one of the best musical routines ever committed to film. Fred said that Eleanor was the only partner he was intimidated by, because she was so good. It definitely shows in this routine, she matches him step for step and the routine is absolutely flawless and impressive.
George Murphy’s dancing is fine, and maybe in another film, he would have been a standout. But Broadway Melody of 1940, he is the third best dancer in the film. He’s just there to lend a little conflict to the film, but this is Astaire and Powell’s film the entire way. Broadway Melody of 1940 has a fairly pedestrian plot, but the musical numbers more than make up for it. The entire closing number, all six minutes of it, is one of the highlights of the musical film genre. I would recommend this film, if only for the “Begin the Beguine” number.
I ‘m coming in hot with a last minute entry for Classic Film and TV Corner’s “Discovering Classic Cinema Blogathon.” I actually saw this blogathon announced awhile back and forgot to enter it. Oops. This is also my first opportunity to type something substantial using my new laptop that my husband got me for Christmas! Woohoo. My introduction to classic film didn’t come via the usual routes. I’m not old enough to have seen any of these movies in the theater during their original run. The first movie I saw in the theater was Disney’s The Little Mermaid at the age of 5 in 1989. Apparently I saw a re-release of The Aristocats in 1987 when I was 3, but according to my mom it did not go well and I did not see the whole movie. Lol. I traumatized my parents enough that it was 2 years before I went back. Having grown up in Salem, OR during the mid-to-late 80s through the early 00s, there wasn’t really any opportunity to see the classics in repertory theaters, as Salem doesn’t have any. While I did watch the annual TV viewings of The Wizard of Oz, and had secretly seen Psycho and The Birds despite my mom not wanting my sister and I to see them (my dad rented them while she was out of town), these did not ignite my love of classic cinema.
I miss 90s Nick at Nite!
One evening in 1994, 10-year old me was flipping channels and came across Nickelodeon’s evening programming, something called “Nick-at-Nite.” For the record, 90s Nick-at-Nite was one of the greatest things ever and I really wish it would come back, but I digress. Anyway, I was instantly sucked in by the colorful graphics, catchy jingles and fun animation that once graced the evening Nickelodeon block. A voiceover came on screen and announced that a show called I Love Lucy was coming up on the schedule. I honestly do not recall if I’d ever seen or heard of I Love Lucy prior to this moment, but I do know that it was not something I watched regularly. The now-familiar I Love Lucy theme song started, the hearts on satin appeared with the cast’s names: Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. I still remember the first episode I saw, “L.A. at Last!” with William Holden guest starring. At that moment, I had no idea who the cast members were, let alone William Holden.
I was instantly transfixed by Lucy’s antics. In “L.A. at Last!,” Lucy decides that she and the Mertzes need to find the “celebrity watering hole,” where the stars all gather at the same place, thus saving Lucy time in having to track them down one-by-one. Bobby the Bellboy suggests that the group visit Hollywood’s famed Brown Derby restaurant–a well known hotspot for celebrities. As an aside, I will forever be sad that I cannot go to the Brown Derby, nor can I go to 99% of the famous Hollywood nightclubs of the 30s-50s. No Ciro’s or The Mocambo for me. Anyway, while at the Brown Derby, Lucy, Ethel and Fred are spotting celebrities left and right. We hear multiple celebrities paged to the telephone: Cary Grant, Gregory Peck, Walter Pidgeon, Ava Gardner. Lucy and the Mertzes see each and every one of them (offscreen) get up for the phone. Ethel also manages to offend Eve Arden in the neighboring booth by asking her to identify a caricature of herself as either Judy Holliday or Shelley Winters. Lucy for her part, is in awe of Ethel. “You touched her!” Lucy says, much to Ethel’s dismay at her faux pas.
The greatest day of Nick at Nite’s annual Block Party Summer.
Then, big star William Holden sits down in the booth next to Lucy and the Mertzes. Ethel is immediately starstruck and gets Lucy’s attention. Lucy catches a glimpse of Holden in the booth and is swooning. Being the creeper that she is, Lucy can’t stop staring at Holden, making him very uncomfortable in the process. Lucy’s encounter with Holden at the Brown Derby culminates with her tripping the waiter and causing him to dump a cream pie all over Holden’s head. Later, Holden meets Ricky at MGM and offers to give him a ride home to his Beverly Palms Hotel suite. When Ricky tells Lucy he’s brought a big star home with him, Lucy is overjoyed, until Ricky reveals the big star’s identity. Frantic, Lucy puts on a ridiculous disguise which includes large black cat eye glasses, a scarf to hide her hair, and a big putty nose. The scene that follows is hands down the funniest moment of the entire series (in my opinion). The look on William Holden and Desi Arnaz’ faces when Lucy turns around after “fixing” her putty nose is hysterical. How lucky was I to have this be the first episode of I Love Lucy that I ever saw?
I was hooked on I Love Lucy from then on, watching it at 8:00pm every night–except on Saturdays, I Love Lucy started at 10:00pm. On “Whole Lotta Lucy” Saturdays, Nick-at-Nite showed two episodes of I Love Lucy, followed by an episode of The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour. Every episode of The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour featured a different guest star. With the exception of Fred MacMurray, I didn’t know who any of the guest stars were. I also knewvery few of the I Love Lucy guest stars, with the exception of John Wayne, Orson Welles, and Bob Hope. As a kid, I always figured that these were people who “were famous at the time.” Lol.
The look on William Holden’s face when Lucy turns around after “fixing” her nose is the funniest scene in the entire series.
Anyway, my family and I were also avid library goers, spending approximately one Sunday afternoon a month perusing the stacks. Now fully obsessed with I Love Lucy and Lucille Ball, I checked out each and every book about her in the library. I read multiple biographies about her, Desi, Vivian Vance, and anything I Love Lucy-adjacent. From these books, I learned that Lucille Ball had a fairly extensive film career and discovered that my library had a large selection of “The Lucille Ball Signature Collection” VHS movies. I watched each and every one. At the same time, my parents’ cable package had just acquired a new channel, the recently launched TCM. Every Sunday, I would find the new TV guide supplement in the newspaper and comb through it, looking to see if any Lucille Ball films or documentaries were scheduled that week. I’d always check PBS, A&E’s Biography program, TCM and AMC (when it showed old films).
From Lucille Ball’s film career, I was introduced to a myriad of different stars who quickly became favorites of mine. Through Lucy’s film, DuBarry Was a Lady, I learned about Gene Kelly. Because of my interest in Gene, I watched Singin’ in the Rain and The Pirate. ‘Rain’ introduced me to Debbie Reynolds and ‘Pirate’ introduced me to Judy Garland, who I was aware of through The Wizard of Oz, but hadn’t seen her in anything else prior. Through Judy, I learned about Fred Astaire (Easter Parade), which led me to Ginger Rogers. Rogers I’d seen before as she’d appeared with Lucy and Katharine Hepburn in Stage Door, which I’d borrowed from the library. From Stage Door, I recognized Eve Arden from the episode of I Love Lucy I’d seen. I continued on this path of constant discoveries and am still on the path somewhat, except that I’m more familiar with all the actors and know that the ones who appeared as guest stars on I Love Lucy weren’t just people who were famous at the time of I Love Lucy’s production era.
Cornel Wilde is no longer known as “Cornel Wilde is in the penthouse!” (I Love Lucy, “The Star Upstairs”). He’s a co-star in the excellent Leave Her to Heaven with Gene Tierney and he’s great in The Big Combo, his film being promoted on his episode of I Love Lucy. Charles Boyer isn’t just “LUCY! I love you, rawrrrrr” ((I Love Lucy, “Lucy Meets Charles Boyer”). He’s Ingrid Bergman’s terrifying husband in Gaslight, or the man who woos Olivia de Havilland in Hold Back the Dawn. Boyer is the man who arranges to meet Irene Dunne at the top of the Empire State Building in Love Affair. Unbelievably, I also didn’t know anything that William Holden did aside from being hilarious in I Love Lucy. I finally saw him in Sunset Boulevard and was blown away. After having seen him in so many films now, I can definitely say that Holden was a bona fide superstar.
CORNEL WILDE IS IN THE PENTHOUSE! CORNEL WILDE!
From reading all the library books about Lucille Ball and her film career, I learned that she made it a point to hire her friends from the movies when she had an opportunity to do so. The film friend of hers who benefitted the most from this is of course, William Frawley, who is now a legend in his own right for playing the irascible Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy. Having seen a good amount of classic films now, Frawley is everywhere. He plays Errol Flynn’s boxing promoter, Billy Delaney, in Gentleman Jim. He also plays a cop in Flynn’s Footsteps in the Dark, and Deanna Durbin’s Lady on a Train. He is also in the perennial Christmas classic, Miracle on 34th Street. Frawley had called up Lucy’s husband and Desilu Production president, Desi Arnaz, and asked for the job of Fred Mertz. CBS was hesitant to take a risk on the alcoholic Frawley, but Lucy and Desi prevailed and Frawley is now a television legend.
I find myself pointing out I Love Lucy characters in various classic films. Elizabeth Patterson who played Mrs. Trumbull is everywhere in classic film. She makes a memorable appearance as Fred MacMurray’s Aunt Emma in Remember the Night. Charles Lane is another character who pops up everywhere He appears as Lucy’s typing instructor in Miss Grant Takes Richmond (also co-starring William Holden). He also appears in uncredited roles in a million excellent pre-code films such as: Blonde Crazy, Employees’ Entrance, 42nd Street, Golddiggers of 1933, She Had to Say Yes, and Blondie Johnson. He made multiple appearances in I Love Lucy: the expectant father (I always say “nine girls” when I see him in a movie), the passport office clerk, the man conducting auditions in the episode where Lucy has to tell the truth for 24 hours, and he plays the Ricardos business manager, Mr. Hickox. Allen Jenkins, has a memorable role in an episode of I Love Lucy playing a police officer who apprehends “Sticky Fingers Sal” and “Pickpocket Pearl” (Lucy and Ethel). Jenkins was almost a mainstay in Warner Brothers films, playing the sidekick to the male lead. He’s in Dive Bomber, Footsteps in the Dark, The Perfect Specimen, all with Errol Flynn. He also supports Humphrey Bogart in Dead End, Racket Busters, and the horribly named The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse. I even spotted Mr. Martinelli, owner of the pizza restaurant where Lucy works for one episode, as the villain in Marked Woman with Bogart and Bette Davis!
To this day, I Love Lucy and Lucille Ball are still my favorites. I also love Classic Film and I just love how well my favorite television show and my favorite era of filmmaking are so closely intertwined.
This single photo still from Stage Door captures my intertwined love of classic film and I Love Lucy. Lucille Ball, center, is flanked by Katharine Hepburn on the left and Ginger Rogers on the right.
Gregory Peck was vehemently against nuclear war and believed strongly that atomic weapons should not have been used against Japan during World War II. Peck’s strong beliefs were one of the main reasons why he agreed to appear in On the Beach. Even in the 1980s, when President Ronald Reagan revealed his defense missile system, Peck did not hesitate to voice his opposition. He made it a point during his lifetime to advocate against the use of nuclear weapons.
The opening title card of “On the Beach.”
On the Beach is a film that demonstrates the devastation that nuclear weaponry can cause–even to those who weren’t the main targets. The folks depicted in this film are collateral damage, innocent bystanders, if you will. These people were just living their lives until World War III broke out in 1964. During this war, nuclear weapons were used, leading to the Northern Hemisphere being destroyed due to radiation. All the survivors fled to the Southern Hemisphere, mainly Australia, where the area was still habitable. Life seems to be going well for awhile, until it is discovered that the radiation is slowly making its way to Australia.
Gregory Peck portrays Captain Dwight Towers, an American who operates the USS Sawfish submarine. The USS Sawfish was submerged during the initial radiation fallout and emerges in Melbourne, Australia. Dwight begins to ingratiate himself into the Melbourne community. He quickly meets and befriends Royal Australian Navy Lieutenant Peter Holmes (Anthony Perkins). He and his wife are trying to make a life for themselves in Melbourne with their newborn daughter, Jennifer. Dwight also meets the world weary, cynical, but romantic Moira Davidson (Ava Gardner). Dwight is quick to tell Moira that he’s married and has a son, but he is harboring a secret. Moira and Dwight attend a party where her ex-beau, scientist Julian Osborn (Fred Astaire), is drunkenly holding court.
Peter Holmes (Anthony Perkins) and his wife Mary (Donna Anderson) react to Julian Osborn’s (Fred Astaire) doomsday proclamation that they’re all going to die soon.
Up until the party, the film has an uncomfortable vibe. There is something going on in the community, something causing anxiety, fear, and worry. However, up until this point, nothing is explicitly said. Then a drunken Julian blurts out the bad news: the radiation is slowly creeping up on Melbourne and its citizens will be dead within months–there’s nothing that can be done. Everyone is doomed. Melbourne is one of the last places in the world where humanity can survive. This is an end of the world scenario. Humanity will cease to exist. As one can imagine, Julian’s doom and gloom outburst kills the party. Moira is drunk. Julian is obviously drunk. She explains to Dwight that they’re collectively known as the town drunks.
JULIAN: “Who would have ever believed that human beings would be stupid enough to blow themselves off the face of the Earth?”
Fred Astaire as “Julian Osborn” in On the Beach (1959)
Peter’s wife, Mary (Donna Anderson), understandably has a hard time coping and accepting the news. She is in denial and keeps trying to go about her day as if she had many more ahead of her. Peter on the other hand, is more pragmatic and manages to get a doctor to give him and his family (including his newborn) a lethal amount of sleeping pills so that they can commit suicide rather than face sickness from radiation poisoning. If this film wasn’t bleak enough, the idea that two parents would have to administer a lethal dose of pills to murder their baby is pretty dark. This is not a silly disaster film.
Fred Astaire, Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner in “On the Beach.”
Eventually, there’s a glimmer of hope when a faint signal is detected off the coast of San Francisco in the United States. Dwight, Peter, Julian, and the crew of the USS Sawfish embark on a journey to see if there is life somewhere else–another world that they and their loved ones can relocate to and thrive. However, the hope was just that, a glimmer. As the film wears on, the characters in the film begin to accept their fate and start being proactive to make the process as painless as possible.
This is a very bleak and depressing film. There are no funny monsters. No outrageous natural disasters. This is a man-made problem that could very well happen–which makes it more terrifying. Every character deals with their inevitable fate in their own way. However, the scene between Mary and Peter, when Mary finally accepts what is going to happen, especially what is going to happen to their newborn baby, is absolutely heartbreaking. It might be the saddest scene in the film which is saying a lot because this film is just one sad, painful scene after another. The action in this film is very relatable in anyone’s life. While it might not be the threat of nuclear annihilation, the idea that one person’s or a group of people’s actions could completely ruin or end (!) another person or people’s lives is a very real thing that can happen. It happens everywhere, everyday.
Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner dance the night away.
One scene that I enjoyed was the very bittersweet, romantic, yet mournful rendition of “Waltzing Matilda” juxtaposed with a scene of Moira and Dwight engaged in a deep, passionate kiss, while the camera twirls around them. In other films, this scene would be a sign of joy, of romance–not in On the Beach. The characters and the audience know that there will not be many more moments like this in Moira and Dwight’s future.
MOIRA: “There isn’t time. No time to love…nothing to remember…nothing worth remembering.”
Ava Gardner as “Moira Davidson” in On the Beach (1959)
Gregory Peck plays one of his usual stoic, strong characters who has to guide everyone through the film and provide support. However, his character’s personal trauma lends a layer of vulnerability, and hope, even if bittersweet. Anthony Perkins also plays one of his usual nervous characters; but in this film his character is just sad. He is trying to do his job, but it’s easy to see that his heart isn’t entirely in it, as he knows what fate awaits his family. The real revelations in this film were the performances of Fred Astaire and Ava Gardner.
Fred Astaire delivers a tortured performance.
On the Beach was Fred Astaire’s first foray into dramatic acting. This film is not a typical Fred Astaire vehicle. He doesn’t sing. He doesn’t tap. He doesn’t wear tails. The Fred Astaire in this film is bitter, reflective, angry, and tired. This is a tortured man. He’s tired of being blamed for the nuclear war because he’s a scientist. He regrets having helped design and build these atomic weapons. Throughout the entire film, Astaire’s character drinks excessively and chain-smokes. You haven’t lived until you’ve heard Fred Astaire call someone “an ass.”
JULIAN: “The war started when people accepted the idiotic principle that peace could be maintained by arranging to defend themselves with weapons they couldn’t possibly use without committing suicide.”
Fred Astaire as “Julian Osborn” in On the Beach (1959)
Ava Gardner’s performance was fantastic in this film.
Ava Gardner’s performance in On the Beach was also fantastic. This is a cynical woman. She’s upset (as anyone would be, presumably) that she is going to die. And soon! She has so much life that she hasn’t lived yet. She’s not in denial about the radiation poisoning. She knows that it’s inevitable. However, in the meantime, she’s going to live it up. When Ava’s character, Moira, meets Gregory Peck’s Dwight, she falls in love with him. However, things are complicated at first when he says that he is married and has children. She doesn’t want to live out her last days as a homewrecker. However, when she learns the truth, she’s even more conflicted. Moira and Dwight though are the film’s great love affair. Both realize that if they’re going to die, they may as well go out on a high note. It’s bittersweet that Moira and Dwight have both finally found happiness, even if it will ultimately be short-lived.
I recommend On the Beach to anyone who wants to watch four great performances while also watching one of the most depressing films that I’ve ever seen. What makes this film even more depressing is that its premise is not inconceivable. While the film is fictional, nuclear weapons and radiation is very real. What would we do? How would we handle it?
MOIRA: “When a dentist is drilling your tooth, what do you think about? The nicest thing or sex or what?” DWIGHT: “Fishing. Trout Fishing–in a clean mountain stream.”
By 1939, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers had made nine films together at RKO studios. Their first film together, Flying Down to Rio (1933), featured the duo in supporting roles. This wasn’t even supposed to be a vehicle for Fred and Ginger, the film starred Dolores Del Rio and Gene Raymond. However, they excited audiences so much in “The Carioca,” that RKO was quick to re-team the duo in their second vehicle, The Gay Divorcee. When ‘Rio’ was made, Ginger was the bigger star. She had already appeared in almost two dozen films, including: 42nd Street and Gold Diggers of 1933. Fred on the other hand, was primarily a Broadway performer and had only appeared in one other film (Dancing Lady, where we’re treated to Joan Crawford’s awful dancing), where he played a fictionalized version of himself.
The Gay Divorcee was a huge hit and RKO was quick to keep teaming Fred and Ginger up in picture after picture. Between 1933 and 1939, the duo had appeared in nine films: The Gay Divorcee (1934), Roberta (1935), Top Hat (1935), Follow the Fleet (1936), Swing Time (1936), Shall We Dance (1937), Carefree (1938), and The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939). By this point, both Fred and Ginger were ready to move onto other projects. Ginger, especially, was ready to prove herself as more than just a dancer in fluffy romantic films. She had achieved some success in the ensemble dramatic film, Stage Door (1937), and wanted to do more in this realm.
Fred and Ginger in “Swing Time.”
Fred, I don’t believe had acting aspirations as lofty as Ginger, but I believe he did want to try some more inventive dance routines. Not that Ginger held him back, but seeing his performances where he dances solo, Fred seems to have more fun dancing–perhaps because he can do a more technical routine. After his initial partnership with Ginger ended, Fred appeared in a few more musicals with a variety of dancers: Broadway Melody of 1940 (w/ Eleanor Powell), You’ll Never Get Rich (w/ Rita Hayworth), You Were Never Lovelier (also w/ Rita Hayworth), and Yolanda and the Thief (with Lucille Bremer). By 1946, Fred was tired of making films and retired.
Meanwhile, Ginger’s career was only getting bigger and bigger. In 1940, Ginger appeared in one of her first major dramatic roles, Primrose Path with Joel McCrea. I really like this film. In this film, Ginger plays a woman who hails from a family whose tradition is prostitution. Both Ginger’s grandmother and mother are prostitutes. Ginger, understandably, does not want to follow in the family business. She ends up meeting and marrying McCrea who is unaware of her family’s history. Later in 1940, Ginger gets the role of a lifetime, the title role in Kitty Foyle.
When Ginger was first given the book for Kitty Foyle (for which RKO had just purchased the film rights), she was not impressed. As she says in her 1991 autobiography, Ginger: My Story:
“As Howard [Hughes] and I were driving toward his residence, I glanced at my copy of Kitty Foyle. There were explicit love scenes in it that were quite disturbing to me. As I read these passages, I found myself passing judgement on them. “That could never pass the censor board. So what good is it for me to spend time reading it?” I was really embarrassed that RKO would send me something like this. I snapped the book shut and quite deliberately, through it in the corner of Howard’s car.”
Ginger spoke to her mother, Lela, about the trashy book. Lela very matter of factly, told Ginger that the studio would obviously have to tone down the sexual content as it would be impossible to film it. The entire story would essentially have to be re-written. After speaking with Lela, the producer and writer Dalton Trumbo (who was hired to write the script), Ginger’s qualms about accepting the part had been squashed. Kitty Foyle ended up being a major hit, winning Ginger the Best Actress Oscar.
Dennis Morgan and Ginger Rogers in “Kitty Foyle.”
After Kitty Foyle, Ginger continued to act in dramatic films but also dabbled in comedic and noir roles as well. Ginger even went back to her roots and appeared in more musicals. One of my personal favorites of Ginger’s 1940s career is her turn in Billy Wilder’s directorial debut–The Major and the Minor. This film is hilarious. However, you really have to suspend your disbelief when it comes to the premise. If you can accept co-star Ray Milland believing that Ginger’s character is “eleven, twelve next week” then you will enjoy this film.
The Major and the Minor gave Ginger the opportunity to show off her broad comedy skills. The premise of this film is that Ginger has been trying to make a-go in New York City for a year but to no avail. She decides to return home (to Stevenson, Iowa) via train. However, she finds out that she doesn’t have enough money to pay an adult fare. She does however have enough money to purchase a children’s ticket. She gives herself a “makeunder” by removing her makeup and putting her hair in pigtails. She modifies her clothing to make it look like something a child would wear. She purchases her ticket.
Ray Milland and “12 year old” Ginger Rogers in “The Major and the Minor.”
On the train ride, Ginger attracts much attention from the conductor and train staff who are not buying her story that she’s “eleven, twelve next week” and that she’s tall because she’s “from Swedish stock.” Ginger has some very funny scenes trying to rationalize her grown-up appearance to the adults. Ginger does take her child shtick a little far as she’s supposed to be 12 but she acts 5. On the train, Ginger meets Ray Milland, a major who teaches at an all boys’ military school. Milland can not see out of one eye. With his blurred vision, he buys Ginger’s story that she’s 12. Ginger ends up staying with Milland, Milland’s fiance and her sister for a few days. Complications ensue when Ginger attracts the attention of the male cadets at the military academy and Milland’s fiance who is just not buying Ginger’s story.
I gave The Major and the Minor a lot of space in my article about Fred and Ginger, because it is probably my favorite of all of Ginger’s post-Fred films. She also made one of my favorite Christmas-time films, I’ll Be Seeing You, where she plays a woman convicted of involuntary manslaughter and is serving time in prison. She is given an eight-day furlough so that she can spend Christmas with her family. During this furlough, she meets and falls in love with Joseph Cotten who is on a 10-day leave from the military hospital he’s been staying at. I’ll Be Seeing You is a sweet, romantic film and is perfect for the holiday season.
In 1948, Gene Kelly was all set to appear opposite Judy Garland in Irving Berlin’s Easter Parade. However, right before filming was to begin, Gene broke his ankle playing volleyball. Feeling bad, Gene coaxed Fred into coming out of retirement and replacing him in Easter Parade. Fred agreed and this began a renaissance of some sorts of Fred’s career. Easter Parade is one of my favorite films and as much as I love Gene, I cannot picture anyone else in this film other than Fred.
Judy Garland and Fred Astaire in “Easter Parade.”
Easter Parade takes place in 1912-1913 New York City. Fred plays a dancer who is part of a popular dance team. His partner, Ann Miller, casually drops a bombshell on Fred: she’s been offered a solo show and has accepted. Ann it seems, wants to be thought of as more than just Fred’s dance partner (Sound familiar?). Upset, Fred goes down to a restaurant/bar to figure out a game-plan for his career. While at the restaurant, Fred spots Judy, a singing waitress. He makes a “My Fair Lady” type bet with the bartender. He will pick Judy out of the lineup and turn her into his next dance partner. The problem is Judy can’t dance.
Fred tries to teach Judy how to dance and she does okay, but is struggling. It finally occurs to Fred that perhaps they should base their act around their respective talents. Fred will dance and Judy will sing. Perfect! With this change, Fred and Judy are a sensation and are soon auditioning for the famed Florenz Ziegfeld’s Ziegfeld Follies revue. There is some drama between Ann and Fred and Judy and Fred that threatens to break up the act. However, like all these films go, the drama is resolved and all is well by the end.
Easter Parade was a smash hit and MGM was eager to re-team Fred and Judy for another film: The Barkleys of Broadway. However, by this point in her life, Judy was in bad shape and ended up being fired from production. In perhaps a bit of a publicity coup for the film, MGM hired Ginger to take Judy’s place. It had been ten years since their last pairing. I don’t know if this is true, but I read somewhere that Judy, upset at being replaced, sent Ginger a shaving kit as a passive aggressive “congratulations” gift. It seems that Ginger had a lot of peach fuzz on her face and used makeup and filters to hide it on screen. I hope this story is true, because it is hilarious.
Ginger and Fred reunited for “The Barkleys of Broadway.”
The Barkleys of Broadway very much resembled Fred and Ginger’s real professional relationship: except in the film, they played a married couple. In the film, Fred and Ginger are at the peak of their popularity, a sensation. While at one of their shows, Ginger meets a playwright who suggests she take up dramatic acting. Ginger tries to keep it a secret, but Fred finds out and the couple separate. The Barkleys of Broadway was a big hit and continued to revitalize Fred’s career. Curiously enough, Ginger’s career was starting to wind down. She didn’t really make many big films in the 1950s, except for one of my favorites, Monkey Business with Cary Grant and a young Marilyn Monroe.
Starting with Easter Parade, Fred was becoming more innovative in his dance routines. In Easter Parade, Fred used trick photography in “Steppin’ Out with my Baby” to make it appear like he was dancing in slow-motion. In Royal Wedding, Fred again uses trick photography to make it look like he was dancing on the ceiling. The Barkleys of Broadway features Fred’s “Shoes with Wings” routine where he dances with a bunch of shoes.
My other absolute favorite film from the later part of Fred’s career is Funny Face with Audrey Hepburn. In this film, Fred plays Dick Avery, a fashion photographer for Quality magazine. He is tired of photographing the same vapid models, who are pretty, but don’t really bring anything to his photograph. His editor, Maggie Prescott (hilariously played by Kay Thompson, whom I wished had made more films), agrees that the magazine needs a new look. They want to find someone who is as smart as they are beautiful. They end up barging into (and destroying) the Manhattan bookstore: Embryo Concepts. While at the bookstore, they find Audrey Hepburn, the shy shop clerk.
Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire and Kay Thompson at Embryo Concepts bookstore in “Funny Face.”
Fred and Kay photograph the comic book reading model, Marion, but she’s just blah. All beauty but no substance. Fred ends up getting a photo of Audrey during the shoot. Back at the magazine office, Fred is developing his photo of Audrey and sees that she has that je ne sais quoi that he and Kay have been looking for. Kay calls up Audrey’s shop and orders some random books as a pretense to get her to come down to their office. Audrey shows up and before she knows it, she’s been swept up in the world of modeling. Audrey accepts the modeling work, as she’s informed that she’ll get to go to Paris. Paris is where the renowned philosopher, Emile Flostre, regularly holds lectures about empathicalism–a philosophy that Audrey is very interested in. Complications ensue when Audrey prioritizes her personal interests above those of her employer’s. One of my favorite scenes of Funny Face is Fred and Kay’s dance at the beatnik hangout–“Clap Yo’ Hands.”
By the 1960s, both Fred and Ginger appeared infrequently in films but kept busy pursuing other interests. Fred had his own television show for awhile and Ginger was a hit in theater, even appearing on London’s famed West End for a period. Fred’s television career was very successful, his programs won numerous Emmys and revived an interest in dance. In 1985, Ginger realized a lifelong ambition–to direct a play. She directed an off-Broadway production of Babes in Arms. Fred passed away in 1987 and Ginger in 1995.
Today marks the 22nd anniversary of Gene Kelly’s passing at the age of 83. I remember hearing of his death in the sixth grade and feeling so sad. I was a few months shy of twelve at the time. I had just discovered Nick at Nite the year prior and had just discovered Gene Kelly by way of his appearance with Lucille Ball in DuBarry Was a Lady (1943). While ‘DuBarry’ wasn’t his best film, I liked Gene. He just had that je ne sois quoi about him. After seeing him with Lucy, I was hooked. I religiously checked the TCM listings (then in its infancy) for Gene’s movies and tried to set the VCR to record them. With each recording, I’d cross my fingers hoping that I’d set up the recording correctly and that the tape wouldn’t run out before my recording was complete. Between TCM and the ever reliable Hollywood Video, I managed to see a few of Gene’s films. When I heard that he had died, I remember watching Singin’ in the Rain (1952) and The Pirate (1948)with my friend who also loved him.
While I love Fred Astaire, I would never compare him with Gene. Honestly, they’re like apples and oranges. Sure, they’re both dancers and both men, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end. In the end though, I think I have to give Gene the edge–if only because I love the fabulous elaborate dance numbers he put together in his films. Astaire, to his credit, did do some pretty fantastic numbers in his post-Ginger Rogers films. However, Astaire never put together such productions like the ballet in An American in Paris (1951) and the “Broadway Melody” number in Singin’ in the Rain–two of my favorite numbers of any musical ever made. Gene was a pioneer and an innovator not only in musicals but in the world of film itself.
Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly in “Ziegfeld Follies (1945)” Two fantastic, yet very different dancers.
Gene was born in Pittsburgh in 1912. As a child, he was reluctantly enrolled in dance classes with his brothers. Gene dreamed of playing shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team–not being a world renowned movie star, dancer, choreographer and director. At some point, Gene had a change of heart and gave up on his dream of being a professional baseball player. Lucky for us, he decided to dedicate himself to dancing. By the early 1930s, Gene was a teacher at his own dancing school. By the late 1930s, Gene had established a very successful dance studio and decided to move to New York City to find work as a choreographer. He didn’t find much success during his first stint in New York. By 1940, he was back in his hometown starring in and choreographing local theater productions. It was in one of these productions where he was discovered and given a larger part. That part led to an even larger part in a bigger production and so on.
By 1940, Gene was back in New York appearing on Broadway in Pal Joey–a play which was later made into a 1957 film starring Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak. During Gene’s appearance in Pal Joey, he was approached by Hollywood mogul David O.Selznick for a Hollywood contract. By the time Gene made his film debut in 1942 in For Me and My Gal with Judy Garland, Selznick had sold Gene’s contract to MGM. During the next couple of years, Gene appeared in a few dramatic films and even appeared in a musical with Lucille Ball who had recently signed with MGM after a long stint at RKO as “The Queen of the Bs.”
Gene Kelly, Lucille Ball, Red Skelton, Virginia O’Brien, Tommy Dorsey, Rags Ragland and Zero Mostrel in “DuBarry Was a Lady.”
Gene’s big big break was when he was loaned to Columbia to appear with Rita Hayworth in Cover Girl (1944). It was this film where he finally started to show glimpses of what he would achieve later. One of the best dance numbers in this film is when Gene dances with his own reflection. For the next decade or so, Gene appeared in a remarkable series of films that gradually built upon one another and showcased the innovative film and storytelling techniques and dance routines that Gene would become known for. Gene was lucky to come around at just the right time–the Golden Era of the Hollywood musical from the mid-1940s through the mid to late 1950s.
By the late 1950s, the public’s tastes had changed and intense dramas and issue driven films were more popular. The musicals of the 1960s and beyond definitely have a different feel about them and feel gritty and grim–which is a definite contrast to the glamorous and sparkly looks of their predecessors. By this point in his career, Gene had mostly retired from dancing and turned into a director. One his biggest films was 1969’s Hello, Dolly! which was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning three. In 1980, Gene returned to the big screen in the musical Xanadu.
Gene Kelly and Olivia Newton-John in that cinematic classic, “Xanadu.”
Despite its reputation as one of those “so bad, its good” movies, I love Xanadu. It has everything you’d want in a film: Gene Kelly, Gene Kelly roller skating, Gene Kelly playing the clarinet, Olivia Newton-John singing catchy 80s pop songs, a big roller skating dance number, flashbacks, Greek Gods, magic, neon… This film has everything. When asked about why he made this film, Gene stated that the film had a great concept, it just didn’t quite turn out. I think it turned out great. This is truly one of the gems from 1980. After Xanadu, Gene was pretty much retired and spent the remainder of his life making the award show circuits (picking up a Cecil B. DeMille award in 1981, Kennedy Center Honors in 1982, AFI Lifetime Achievement Award in 1985, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild in 1989, just to name a few of the honors he received). By the late 1980s-early 1990s, Gene’s health steadily declined until his passing in 1996.
My favorite Gene Kelly movies:
Words and Music (1948),”Slaughter on Tenth Avenue.” Gene and Vera-Ellen only appeared in a segment of this musical biopic starring Mickey Rooney and Tom Drake, however, they are definitely the highlight. “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue” is definitely a sexy number, a trait that is unusual in the goody two shoes MGM movies of the 1940s. Vera-Ellen’s character is killed and she dies on the staircase, on her back, right in front of the camera. All we see of Vera-Ellen’s character is her chest and legs. This number also has great music that I really like.
Gene Kelly and Vera-Ellen in “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue” in “Words and Music.”
On the Town (1949). This film is the final film that Gene made with Frank Sinatra and I feel that it is their best. I like Anchors Aweigh but cannot stand Kathryn Grayson, so that film pales a little bit in comparison with ‘Town.’ I thought Gene had a great rapport with not only Frank but love interest Vera-Ellen. My favorite number in this film is actually the “Prehistoric Man” number that mainly features Ann Miller, but Gene provides some amusing backup. However, for Gene’s best number in this film, that honor would have to go to “A Day in New York” where all his co-stars, save for Vera-Ellen (who had ballet training, which non of the actor cast members had). Vera-Ellen and Gene make a great duo–which is interesting because I don’t typically think of Gene as being part of a dancing team.
An American in Paris. This film is widely considered Gene’s masterpiece and won the 1951 Oscar for Best Picture over the likes of A Streetcar Named Desire and A Place in the Sun. While I like ‘Desire,’ and ‘Sun,’ give me ‘Paris,’ any day. This film is so much fun and such a delight to both the eyes and ears that it makes an enjoyable experience each time I see it. The best number in this film is of course the seventeen minute ballet at the end of the film. This was a huge gamble for Kelly, director Vincente Minnelli and producer Arthur Freed. Not only was the ballet expensive to produce, but it was unknown whether the audience would respond to it. Well the audience did and the film was a huge hit, winning six Oscars, including the aforementioned “Best Picture” Oscar. Gene was also given an Honorary Oscar for his versatility and achievement in choreography on film. My favorite part of the entire ballet is the Toulouse Lautrec part. Could anyone else but Gene Kelly wear a flesh colored leotard?
Gene Kelly’s flesh colored leotard in the Toulouse Lautrec part of the ballet in “An American in Paris.” I’m not going to lie, this gif was the whole reason for this post.
Singin’ in the Rain. This is probably Gene’s best known film and honestly, it is probably the best musical ever made. I love this movie. From the amazing cast (Gene, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen) to the great music, fun storyline, great costumes, everything. This film is almost perfect. The only thing marring this fabulous film, in my opinion, is the fact that Debbie Reynolds’ character has three different singing voices. O’Connor is hilarious and has his amazing “Make ‘Em Laugh” dance routine. Has there ever been a dance that looked so physically exhausting? Jean Hagen is hilarious as Lina Lamont, Gene’s delusional co-star and Hollywood-manufactured love interest. Lina has a horrendous voice that is fine in silent film (because obviously you can’t hear her), but in a talkie… ugh. And Debbie is just adorable as Gene’s love interest and the studio’s new discovery, threatening to supplant Lina’s status as top female star at the studio. Pretty much every number in this film is fantastic, but my favorite would be the “Broadway Melody” number toward the end of the film. It is colorful, has great dancing, a storyline, and fun music. My favorite part of it is the part where Gene dances with Cyd Charisse, who is wearing a fringed and beaded green flapper dress. The music is fantastic and Gene and Cyd just sizzle on screen. This is one of the sexier musical numbers during the production code era. The best part is when Gene lifts Cyd up with just one arm.
The most famous moment in Gene Kelly’s entire career, singing (and dancing) the title song from “Singin in the Rain”
Other favorite Gene Kelly films:
–Summer Stock (1950). “Get Happy” is probably one of the best numbers in Judy Garland’s career. On the flipside, “Heavenly Music” is probably one of the absolute worst numbers in Gene’s career. I loathe that number. The only good part is when the dogs run out on stage.
–The Pirate. This film failed at the box office in 1948, but it’s a great film. Perhaps it was ahead of its time. Gene has all kinds of great athletic numbers, including one where he dons shorty shorts and dances with fire. Judy is great and looks gorgeous and there is a fantastic number at the end where Gene dances with the amazing Nicholas Brothers. They sing “Be a Clown” which suspiciously sounds like “Make ‘Em Laugh” from Singin’ in the Rain. Cole Porter’s “Be a Clown” came before Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed’s “Make ‘Em Laugh.” However, both The Pirate and Singin’ in the Rain were produced by Arthur Freed. Hmm…
-Les Girls (1957). Gene dances with Mitzi Gaynor in a fantastic number called “Why Am I So Gone (About That Gal?).” Mitzi looks great and she and Gene have a great dancing chemistry.
Gene Kelly and Shirley MacLaine spoofing the big 1940s musicals in “What a Way to Go!”
–What a Way to Go! (1964) This film stars Shirley MacLaine as an inadvertent black widow who just wants to live a simple life, free of material possessions. The present day part of the film features her telling the story of how she met and married each of her husbands and how money led her husband to his eventual death–the kicker being that it was Shirley who in trying to help her husband’s psyche, ends up leading him to riches. With each death, Shirley inherited her husband’s fortune. She’s worth millions upon millions of dollars and just wants to give it all away. She’s sent to a psychologist (Robert Cummings) because who wouldn’t want all that money? In this film, Gene plays Shirley’s fourth husband, Pinky Benson.
When Shirley meets Gene, he is working as a two-bit clown in a small club. His act is lame and nobody in the club pays attention to him. She feels sorry for Gene because he’s a very nice man and she senses that underneath the clown getup, he does have some talent. One night, Gene is running late and doesn’t have time to put on the clown costume. She convinces him to go out without the costume and just perform his act. Well, Gene’s simple soft-shoe routine is a sensation and soon he’s off to Hollywood. We are then treated to a send up of the big flashy MGM musicals as Shirley describes her life with Gene to the psychologist (each of her stories about her different husbands is a spoof of a different genre of film). Shirley is up to the task of dancing with Gene and they do a really great and funny number together. Gene’s character eventually becomes a huge, egotistical star who lives in an all-pink mansion (his character’s name is “Pinky” after all), and by all-pink, I mean ALL-PINK. He eventually meets his fate when he is crushed to death by a stampede of adoring fans.
Sorry for the delay in posting, but I’ve been very busy with work and dealing with the aftermath of a disaster incurred in my home. During the Thanksgiving weekend, my sewer pipe and sump pump decided to join forces and fail at the same time. Not to be outdone, the rain poured furiously, further compounding the problem. As a result, my basement flooded about 1′, destroying everything in its path. Unfortunately, in one of the rooms in the basement, I was storing my DVD collection. I lost all the films on the bottom shelves in the room. Some other films also suffered some collateral damage due to coming in contact with one of its flood-ravaged brethren.
You’ll notice that the rug is floating. All the movies that are on their sides on the second to bottom shelf are the ones in the water. There were seven shelves in all. Sadly, inside that cardboard box on the right side, were all my husband’s classic NES, SNES, Sega, etc. game cartridges. While I know that the DVDs themselves are okay, the cover art is destroyed. Plus the movies were covered in sewer water. Who wants sewage contaminated films? I don’t. Ick! Insurance should provide me with enough money to be able to replace all the victims.
Anyway. This brings me to my post:
In Memoriam to some of those lost in the great flood of 2016…
You’ll Never Get Rich (1941) /You Were Never Lovelier (1942).
In You’ll Never Get Rich, Fred Astaire portrays the manager of a theater who is enlisted by the theater owner, Robert Benchley, to help him woo dancer Rita Hayworth by buying her a gift. However, Benchley is caught by his wife, Frieda Inescort, who is at the end of her rope. It is implied that Benchley has a wandering eye and Inescort has had enough. She threatens divorce. To save his marriage, Benchley insists that Astaire bought the gift and sets Astaire and Hayworth up on a date. Matters are further complicated when Astaire is drafted into WWII and Hayworth travels to the camp (to perform for the troops) and to visit her real boyfriend. She and Astaire end up falling in love.
In You Were Never Lovelier, Hayworth portrays the second eldest daughter of a wealthy Argentinian, Adolph Menjou, who also owns a local nightclub. Menjou has four daughters and has insisted that his daughters must marry in order of age. Astaire portrays an American dancer who finds himself out of work after losing all his money betting on horses. Looking for work, Astaire visits Menjou’s club. Menjou is not interested. Astaire ends up contacting his friend, Xavier Cugat, who has been hired to perform at Menjou’s eldest daughter’s wedding. Astaire spots Hayworth and is immediately smitten, but she rebuffs him. Hayworth is not interested in marriage. Her two younger sisters are in love and desperately want to marry (in the film it the ladies seem like they’re more desperate to sleep with their boyfriends, but of course, morality dictates that they must wait until they’re married). Knowing the plight of his youngest daughters, Menjou begins sending orchids and love notes to Hayworth under the guise of a secret admirer. One day, Astaire tries to visit Menjou. Menjou, not seeing Astaire and thinking he’s the bellboy, orders him to go deliver the latest love trinkets to Hayworth. Astaire complies and Hayworth assumes that Astaire has been the one sending the notes. Hayworth ends up asking Menjou to set her up with Astaire. Menjou, who dislikes Astaire, offers to give Astaire a long-term contract at the club if he will do his best to repel Hayworth. Of course, they fall in love instead.
A Summer Place (1959)
One of my favorite types of films are the over-wrought melodramas of the 1950s. A Summer Place has everything you could ever want in a film: adultery, bigotry, alcoholism, love, teen pregnancy, everything. Plus, it has memorable theme music that is present throughout the film and adds to the overall mood of the film.
A Summer Place tells the tale of two former teenage lovers (Dorothy McGuire and Richard Egan) who end up reuniting twenty years after the end of their affair. Neither McGuire nor Egan are happy in their respective marriages. McGuire’s husband, Arthur Kennedy, is an alcoholic. McGuire and Kennedy operate an Inn on Pine Island off the coast of Maine. The Inn used to be Kennedy’s family’s opulent family mansion. With the family fortune all but gone, they are forced to rent out rooms. McGuire and Kennedy have even moved into the small guest house on the property so that they can rent out their master suite. One day, Kennedy receives a message from an old acquaintance, Richard Egan, who wants to bring his family to the resort. Egan, who used to be a lifeguard back when Kennedy knew him, is now a millionaire. Kennedy doesn’t want Egan to visit, feeling that he’s only there to brag about how he’s rich and Kennedy is now broke. However, McGuire tells him to accept the request, because they need money. McGuire and Kennedy also have a teenage son, Troy Donahue.
Egan shows up with wife Constance Ford and teenage daughter Sandra Dee. Egan and Ford have a rocky marriage. She is bigoted against pretty much everyone. He even delivers a delicious diatribe completing ripping her a new one. Egan, who is very cognizant of “the love that got away” (McGuire) encourages daughter Dee to listen to her natural desires and to embrace her developing figure and interest in the opposite sex. Ford on the other hand, is a prude who forces Dee to hide her curves and disapproves of any behavior that seems indecent. She particularly disapproves of Donahue and even goes as far as forcing Dee to submit to a particularly embarrassing and degrading physical exam after she suspects that Dee and Donahue were having sex, even though both parties vehemently deny it.
McGuire and Egan, who haven’t been together for twenty years since McGuire left the then broke Egan for the rich Kennedy, rekindle their romance and are soon engaged in an adulterous affair. Their respective spouses end up finding out and the marriages are soon dissolved. At the same time, McGuire and Egan’s respective children, Donahue and Dee, are wrapped up in a teen love affair of their own. Knowing of the time they lost, McGuire and Egan are the most supportive of their children’s affair. Ford and Kennedy both disapprove. Donahue and Dee are deeply in love and nothing, not even being sent to different schools in different states, will keep them from seeing one another.
Yours, Mine and Ours (1968)
This film, the precursor to The Brady Bunch (1969-1974), features Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda as widowed spouses who end up marrying and merging their families. The problem? Ball is the mother of eight children and Fonda has ten children. The beginning of the film features funny scenes of Ball and Fonda’s courtship. When they originally meet, neither knows about the other’s considerable brood. When the truth comes out, they try to put the kibosh on their relationship, but soon it is apparent that they are truly in love and they decide to take the plunge. Both groups of children dislike each other and the tension is high. Eventually they end up learning how to work together and to actually like each other.
One of the funniest scenes is when Ball comes over to meet Fonda’s children for the first time. The eldest sons, tasked with making cocktails, end up getting Ball schnockered by making her “an alcoholic Pearl Harbor” (as Fonda puts it), which is a screwdriver containing vodka, gin and scotch with a tiny bit of orange juice (for color, I imagine). Ball ends up dumping food on one of the children, laughing and crying maniacally, and generally making a fool out of herself.
Another funny scene deals with the plight of poor Phillip, one of Ball’s youngest sons. This poor kid can barely get any food at breakfast, can’t reach the sink to brush his teeth, is left with enormous rain boots that he can’t walk in and later ends up getting in a fight with the teacher in his Catholic school.
My favorite scene though, is the one where Henry Fonda hands out room assignments. He assigns a number to each child (oldest to youngest), a color to each bathroom and a letter to each bedroom. One of the children walks away repeating, “I’m 11, Red, A.”
Van Johnson co-stars as a co-worker of Fonda and Ball; Tim Matheson appears as the eldest child, Mike; and Tom Bosley appears as a doctor.
…and for the saddest casualty of them all…
The Long, Long Trailer (1954)
This is my favorite film of all time. I have probably seen it a hundred times–not exaggerating. When I replace my copy, I will be on my third copy. I wore out my VHS. Anyway, myself and my family can recite all the dialogue. Desi Arnaz has the best lines. These are some of the gems:
“It’s a fine thing when you come home to your home and your home is gone!”
“Have you any conception how much room it takes to turn this thing around? We might have to go on for miles and miles!”
Then the mechanic has two of the funniest lines, that continually haunt Arnaz for the first half of the film:
“Trailer brakes first!”
“Forty feet of train!”
This film is about a newlywed couple (Lucille Ball and Arnaz) who purchase a trailer and take it on their honeymoon. Arnaz’ job takes him to different locations all over the country (it is not stated what his job is, but I am assuming that he is some type of engineer as Ball mentions him working on a bridge and a dam), and Ball envisions them living in this motor home and traveling to wherever Arnaz’ job takes him. They plan to drive from Los Angeles to Colorado for their honeymoon. On the way, they visit Ball’s relatives in another part of California and also visit Yosemite. They get into hilarious incidents along the way, including an impromptu housewarming party, a night stuck in the mud, ruining Ball’s Aunt Anastasia’s prized rose, and much more. The highlight of the film is when Ball has the bright idea of trying to prepare dinner in the trailer while Arnaz drives.
This film is basically one big long I Love Lucy episode, Arnaz’ character’s name is “Nicky” after all, but it is fun from beginning to end and features gorgeous Technicolor and scenery.
Whimsically Classic 