Allen Jenkins has one of those mugs and voices that is instantly recognizable the second he’s on screen and opens his mouth. He’s never the lead, or even the major second lead, but he’s always there to provide ample support. My first introduction to Allen Jenkins was in his numerous appearances on I Love Lucy, often as a police officer. His most memorable appearance was in a late second season episode, “Ricky and Fred Are TV Fans.” In this episode, Lucy and Ethel are upset about becoming boxing widows when Ricky and Fred settle in for the evening to watch “the big fight.” It is established that Ricky and Fred have spent a lot of evenings watching boxing on television and their wives are fed up with being ignored night after night. Lucy and Ethel decide to go down to the corner drug store and call Ricky on the phone. Lucy will disguise herself as one of her friends and ask Ricky to call Lucy to the phone, which should clue him in that Lucy and Ethel are gone. The plan doesn’t work however, as Ricky just answers the phone, calls Lucy to the phone, sets the receiver down, then returns to watching the fight. The entire crowd in the drug store is caught up in the fight, including Officer Jenkins (Allen Jenkins). Lucy unable to get the drugstore clerk’s attention (because he’s watching the fight on television), decides to make change for herself. The bell on the cash register gets Officer Jenkins’ attention and he accuses Lucy of trying to rob the drug store. Lucy and Ethel get away.
Officer Jenkins (Allen Jenkins) hauls in “Sticky Fingers Sal,” aka Lucy and “Pick Pocket Pearl” aka Ethel and presents them to his boss, Officer Nelson (Frank Nelson) in I Love Lucy, “Ricky and Fred Are TV Fans.”
Later, Lucy and Ethel return to the Ricardos’ apartment only to see the phone still off the hook and Ricky and Fred still watching the fight–they didn’t even notice the women’s disappearance. Insulted, Lucy decides to climb up onto the roof to cut the electricity to the Ricardos’ apartment. It seems a little drastic, and she has no fear about being electrocuted, but that’s how Lucy works, she doesn’t screw around. Anyway, while Lucy and Ethel discuss which cord is running to the Ricardos’ apartment, Officer Jenkins finds them and brings them down to the precinct. Now at the police station, Officer Jenkins tells his superior, Officer Nelson (Frank Nelson), that he’s finally tracked down the infamous female robbers, “Pickpocket Pearl” and “Sticky Fingers Sal.” The women are identified based on their hair color. ‘Pearl’ is a blonde and ‘Sticky Fingers’ is a brunette, who must have dyed her hair red, deduces Officer Nelson.
LUCY: Dyed your hair. A lot you know. My hair is naturally red. Isn’t it Ethel? ETHEL: Look Lucy, let’s not add perjury to our other charges. LUCY: Well I might have expected something like that from you. Pick. Pocket. Pearl.
Lucille Ball as “Lucy Ricardo” and Vivian Vance as “Ethel Mertz” in “Ricky and Fred Are TV Fans” in I Love Lucy. Originally aired June 22, 1953.
Allen Jenkins went all the way back to 1939 with Lucille Ball when he appeared with her in the RKO film, Five Came Back. In the film, nine passengers board a flight from Los Angeles to Panama City. During the flight, the plane flies directly into an intense nighttime storm, which ends with the plane crashing into a rainforest. The passengers and crew survive. Eventually the plane is repaired, but can now only support the weight of five passengers. The passengers and crew must decide which five people will get to return home. Lucy plays Peggy Nolan, a woman with a shady past and Allen plays Pete, a gunman who is tasked with escorting the son of a gangster back home.
Lucille Ball and Allen Jenkins in 1939’s Five Came Back
Eight years prior to Five Came Back, Allen had made his film debut in the 1931 short film, Straight and Narrow playing what else? An ex-convict. Allen played many unsavory characters throughout his career. He also appeared in many memorable pre-code films such as: Three on a Match (1932), Employees’ Entrance (1933), 42nd Street (1933), Blondie Johnson (1933), and Jimmy the Gent (1934). During the production code era, he played opposite big Warner Brothers stars like Errol Flynn (The Perfect Specimen (1937), Footsteps in the Dark (1941), and Dive Bomber (1941)) and Humphrey Bogart (Marked Woman (1938), Dead End (1937), and The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938) ).
Jenkins was born on April 9, 1900 in Staten Island, New York. Despite often being cast as the dimwitted thug or comic relief, Jenkins actually had a long pedigree when it came to show business training. His family earned their living in show business and he later trained at the reputable American Academy of Dramatic Arts. In the 1920s, Jenkins was working steadily on Broadway, even replacing Spencer Tracy in the play, “The Last Mile.” Jenkins’ turn in Tracy’s role is what led to Darryl F. Zanuck discovering him and bringing him out to Hollywood to work for Paramount Pictures. His first major role was reprising his Broadway role of “Frankie Wells” in the 1932 film adaptation of Blessed Event, starring Lee Tracy. This role led to Jenkins receiving steady work, often in gangster films throughout the 1930s and 1940s.
Allen Jenkins played Errol Flynn’s chauffer and cohort in Footsteps in the Dark (1941).
In Ball of Fire, Jenkins has a memorable role as the garbage man who rattles off one slang word after another, much to the bewilderment of the professors who are trying to write a comprehensive encyclopedia on American slang. He would later reprise his role in the film’s 1948 remake, A Song is Born.
GARBAGE MAN: I could use a bundle of scratch right now on account of I met me a mouse last week. PROFESSOR ODDLY: Mouse? GARBAGE MAN: What a pair of gams. A little in, a little out, and a little more out. PROFESSOR BERTRAM POTTS: I am still completely mystified. GARBAGE MAN: Well, with this dish on me hands and them giving away 25 smackaroos on that quizzola. PROFESSOR BERTRAM POTTS: Smackaroos? PROFESSOR ODDLY: Smackaroos? What are smackaroos? GARBAGE MAN: A smackaroo is a… PROFESSOR BERTRAM POTTS: No such word exists. GARBAGE MAN: Oh, it don’t, huh? A smackaroo is a dollar, pal. PROFESSOR BERTRAM POTTS: Well, the accepted vulgarism for a dollar is a buck. GARBAGE MAN: The accepted vulgarism for a smackaroo is a dollar. That goes for a banger, a fish, a buck, or a rug. PROFESSOR BERTRAM POTTS: Well, what about the mouse? GARBAGE MAN: The mouse is a dish. That’s what I need the moolah for. PROFESSOR ODDLY: Moolah? GARBAGE MAN: Yeah. The dough. We’ll be stepping. Me and the smooch, I mean the dish. I mean the mouse. You know, hit the jiggles for a little drum boogie.
Allen Jenkins as “Garbage Man,” Richard Hadyn as “Professor Oddly” and Gary Cooper as “Professor Bertram Potts” in “Ball of Fire” (1941).
Pictured from left: Frank McHugh and Allen Jenkins. Jenkins was part of the “Irish Mafia” with James Cagney, Pat O’Brien, and McHugh.
One of Jenkins’ last film roles was as the elevator operator who takes pity on the perpetually hungover Thelma Ritter in Pillow Talk (1959). Later, he moved to television, where he often played cops, or characters in blue-collared jobs. Aside from I Love Lucy, Jenkins also appeared in Adam 12, Bewitched, Batman, and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. He also made frequent appearances on Red Skelton’s show, The Red Skelton Hour, and also had a role in the 1950s sitcom, Hey Jeannie! (1956-1957). He is also remembered for voicing Officer Dribble on the cartoon series, Top Cat (1961-1962).
Allen Jenkins passed away on July 20, 1974 from lung cancer at the age of 74.
HUNK: Maybe I’m wrong. We all make mistakes, boss. That’s why they put the rubber on the ends of pencils.
Allen Jenkins as “Hunk” to Humphrey Bogart in Dead End, 1937.
2021 is (finally) coming to a close. While the year wasn’t so hot as a whole, except for my fabulous trip to Southern California in October, it was another year of discovering new favorite films. One of the best thing about being a fan of film, especially classic film, is that you never run out of “new” movies to see. As Lauren Bacall says in an episode of Private Screenings with Robert Osborne, “It’s not an old movie, if you haven’t seen it,” and I couldn’t agree more. There is an entire world of movies to discover, a world of films just waiting to become someone’s favorite.
Without further adieu, in no particular order, here are some of my new favorites that I watched for the first time in 2021:
#1 Road House (1948) This was a fabulous film noir that I watched right at the start of the new year. It is the final volume in the Fox Film Noir DVD series (I own the entire collection). I decided to take a look at it, because I’m a big fan of Ida Lupino. In addition to Lupino, it also starred Cornel Wilde, Richard Widmark, and Celeste Holm. At first, it seems like Ida is going to be the femme fatale, but it is soon revealed that she is a woman who will not be made a pawn in the games of the men, Wilde and Widmark. Even though she was originally brought into the Road House by Widmark to be another of his fly by night floozies, she refuses to be used and becomes a big star and later saves the day. In a time when every woman who wasn’t Judy Garland or Doris Day was dubbed, Ida uses her own voice to warble out “One for my Baby (And One More For the Road)” and it was fabulous.
#2 Mrs. Miniver (1942). I know. This is a big Oscar winner. A major classic of the studio era, but I hadn’t seen it yet. I absolutely loved this movie and actually bought the blu-ray literally right after watching it. That’s how much I loved it. Greer Garson won an Oscar playing the titular Mrs. Miniver and infamously delivered the longest acceptance speech, a record which still stands today. Long-winded speech or not, Garson deserved her award. In Mrs. Miniver, Garson portrays a very stoic woman and mother who stays strong and protects her family even directly in the line of fire during the German invasion of Britain. She puts humanity above all else, even when directly threatened by an injured German pilot. The scene with Mrs. Miniver and her husband and children hiding in the shelter while bombs fall all around them is heartbreaking. This family does not know what they’ll find when they emerge, or whether their house will still be standing. Despite everything, Mrs. Miniver remains a calm influence even in the middle of a tumultuous event, like a World War. I cannot say enough good things about this film, it was fantastic.
#3 Girl Happy (1965). Like the esteemed Mrs. Miniver, this Elvis movie is another film that I purchased immediately after watching it. I loved it. For years, with the exception of Viva Las Vegas (my favorite Elvis movie), I wrote off Elvis’ movies as pure fluff, and not fluffy in a good way, and many of Elvis’ movies are ridiculous, like Girl Happy, but if you can suspend disbelief and just go along with whatever plot is presented, I’ve found that many of Elvis’ movies are enjoyable diversions. In Girl Happy, Elvis plays a musician (a premise setting up lots of opportunities for Elvis to sing) who, along with his band, is hired by his boss to indirectly chaperone his 18-year old daughter, Shelley Fabares. Shelley is traveling to Florida for Spring Break and her overprotective father is worried. Elvis happily agrees, because he gets an all expenses paid trip to Florida. Like how most movies with this plot go (see Too Many Girls), Elvis starts to fall in love with the girl whom he’s chaperoning, and the girl discovers that he was hired to watch her and gets upset. Regardless, this movie was charming, fun, and I loved it.
#4 History is Made at Night (1937) This was a movie that I’d never even heard of until I heard that Criterion was restoring it and releasing it as part of their esteemed (at least among the boutique label community) line of films. I first watched it on the Criterion Channel and must have seen a pre-restoration print, because it was pretty rough. After watching it, I couldn’t believe that I’d never heard of it. It had one of my faves, Jean Arthur! And Charles “LUCY! RAWWWR” Boyer. How has this movie been hiding from me this entire time? In this movie, Jean Arthur plays Irene, a woman who leaves her husband, Bruce, (Colin Clive) after he falsely accuses her of having an affair. To prevent the divorce from being finalized, Bruce tries to manipulate a situation to frame Irene for infidelity. He hires his chauffeur to pretend to be Irene’s lover, so that a private detective walks in and catches them in a compromising position. While this is taking place, Paul (Charles Boyer) is walking by Irene’s window. He overhears the ruckus and comes to Irene’s rescue, pretending to be an armed burglar. It’s a weird set-up, but ultimately leads to a beautiful love story with an ending that I was not expecting.
#5 Naked Alibi (1954). This was another film noir that I’d never heard of until I was reading Sterling Hayden’s filmography and discovered that he’d made a film with one of my faves, Gloria Grahame. Fortunately, my library had this film available and I was able to borrow it. This was a great movie. Hayden plays a police chief who tails a suspect, Willis, to Mexico. Willis is suspected to be the mastermind behind a series of crimes in the small town from which he and Hayden hail. While in a border town on the Mexican border, Hayden meets Grahame, a singer with whom he becomes smitten. Unfortunately, Grahame is the girlfriend of Willis, despite the shoddy treatment she receives from him. Hayden and Grahame’s connection with one another continues to grow until the very end of the film. This was a wonderful film and I thought that Gloria Grahame looked absolutely gorgeous.
#6 Dead End (1937). Despite the appearance of the Dead End Kids, whom I cannot stand (I don’t get their appeal), I thought this was a great movie. This film is a story about social classes and the privileges that are afforded to those of a higher social standing. The neighborhood in the film is a “dead end” both figuratively and literally. The rich live in high rise apartments that overlook the slums and tenements. Those who are not privileged to live in the high rises literally have the rich looking down upon them. If you have the misfortune to be born into the slums, it is all you can do to get out. Some try to do so honorably, like Dave (Joel McCrea), who dreams of making a career as an architect. However, he can’t just seem to book the right gig, so he has to survive by doing odd jobs. Others, like Drina (Sylvia Sidney) have slightly less honorable means to get out of the tenement, she wants to marry a rich man. Then, there are those like Hugh “Baby Face” Martin (Humphrey Bogart), who did manage to get out of the slums, but he did so by becoming a big-time mobster. The Dead End Kids represent the next generation who most likely will remain in the slums, unless they can somehow be guided into making a better life for themselves. Marjorie Main has a heartbreaking role as Baby Face’s mother. Claire Trevor is fantastic as Baby Face’s old girlfriend, who was never able to get out of the slums.
#7 Klute (1971) This was the first film in Alan J. Pakula’s “Paranoia Trilogy,” which unfortunately I watched all out of order. I don’t think the films in the trilogy have anything to do with one another, so I think I’m okay. Anyway, there’s just something about the 1970s thrillers that I find fascinating. There’s a grittiness, a seediness, combined with the earth tones aesthetic that I just love watching. Anyway, in this film, Jane Fonda gives an Oscar-winning performance as Bree Daniels, a prostitute who aids police detective, John Klute, in investigating a murder. After finding an obscene letter addressed to Bree in the murder victim’s office, Klute rents an apartment in Bree’s building and begins tracing her. Concurrently, Bree is working as a freelance call girl to support herself while she tries to make it as a model/actress. Bree is also trying to find meaning in her life through sessions with a psychiatrist. This was such a fantastic movie and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out who was responsible for the murder.
#8 Thunder on the Hill (1951) I am a big fan of Ann Blyth and this was a film of hers that I hadn’t heard of until I purchased Kino Lorber’s Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema box sets. Thunder on the Hill, by the way, is on the second collection in the series. In this film, Blyth plays Valerie, a young woman convicted of murder and sentenced to be hanged. However, on her way to the gallows, Valerie and the police officers accompanying her, are forced to spend the night in the hospital ward of a convent due to massive flooding. Running the hospital ward is Sister Mary (Claudette Colbert), a woman who is also battling with her own mental troubles involving her sister’s suicide. Valerie is understandably combative and angry, but confides to Sister Mary that she is innocent of the crime of which she was convicted. Sister Mary, who has been warned in the past about meddling in other people’s affairs, is convinced of Valerie’s innocence and sets to save her before she is executed. This was such a wonderful film. It was interesting to see Blyth in such a different role than that of Veda in Mildred Pierce or the mermaid in Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid. I loved the suspense of the story and the cinematography was gorgeous. I am also a big fan of Douglas Sirk, so this film fit the bill.
#9 King Creole (1958) A second Elvis film on the list? Yes! I watched a lot of Elvis movies this year according to LetterBoxd, so it was bound to happen. This was an excellent film. It was much higher brow fare than Elvis would be offered once he returned from his stint in the army. In this movie, Elvis plays super senior Danny, who has failed high school once and looks like he’ll fail it again due to his behavior. He is offered a chance to graduate if he agrees to take night classes, but Danny turns it down, much to the chagrin of his father, Dean Jagger. There is drama between Danny and his father, in that Jagger lost his job as a pharmacist after his wife died. The family is forced to leave their nice home outside of New Orleans for a much more modest flat in the French Quarter. To help make ends meet, Danny was working before and after school. Now with school out of the way, Danny starts working at a club. As how most Elvis movies go, he is coerced into singing and is offered a job performing at the club, much to the chagrin of the club’s main act. Danny is soon a sensation. Eventually his connection with the local gangs threaten to affect his family, his relationship with a young woman named Nellie (Dolores Hart), and his life. This was such a great movie with a stellar cast. Aside from Elvis, Dean Jagger and Dolores Hart, Carolyn Jones, Walter Matthau, Vic Morrow, and Paul Stewart also star in this film… and it was directed by none other than Michael Curtiz!
#10 Private Lives (1931) This was a fabulous pre-code starring Norma Shearer and Robert Montgomery. In this film, Shearer and Montgomery play Amanda and Elyot, two ex-spouses who end up staying at the same hotel while honeymooning with their new respective spouses. Both honeymoons are NOT going well. Amanda and her new husband Victor (Reginald Denny) are already fighting due to Victor’s incessant need to talk about Elyot. Because yes, let’s talk about your new bride’s ex-husband on your honeymoon. Great idea, Victor. Elyot is dealing with the same thing from his new wife, Sybil (Una Merkel) who won’t stop asking about Amanda. Eventually, Amanda and Elyot find each other and begin to reminisce about “the old times.” They end up leaving the hotel together and head to a new place in St. Moritz. This was a fabulous pre-code that had plenty of racy moments. I am not as big a fan of Shearer in her production code movies like The Women, but I love her in pre-code. She and Montgomery also make a great pairing. Poor Una Merkel is wasted in her role, but she is wonderful in her scenes.
#11 Hold Back the Dawn (1941) This was an amazing movie. One that I’d always wanted to see but it seemed like it was never on TCM–then finally it was and the movie was everything I’d hoped it would be. In this film, Charles Boyer stars as Georges Iscovescu, a Romanian immigrant who is stuck in a Mexican border town. Per immigration laws, he is looking at up to an eight year wait to obtain a quota number for entry in the United States. Georges then runs into an old flame, Anita Dixon (Paulette Goddard), an Australian who married a US citizen purely to obtain US citizenship. As soon as she could, she divorced the man and retained her citizenship status. Anita suggests that Georges do the same thing, then he and she could be free to start a new life together in New York. Georges immediately goes to work and spots Emmy Brown (Olivia de Havilland), a California school teacher whose bus has broken down. The bus is set to be repaired shortly, but Georges manipulates the situation (by “losing” a vital piece of the bus’s machinery) and forces Emmy and her class to stay overnight. This gives Georges enough time to woo Emmy and they are married after a whirlwind romance. However, Georges is required to wait in Mexico a few weeks before he can join Emmy in California. Emmy returns unexpectedly and Georges takes her on a trip (under the guise of a honeymoon, but in reality he is trying to hide from an immigration officer who is looking for con artists like Georges and Anita). Georges’ plans are complicated when he finds himself falling in love with Emmy. This was such an amazing film. Even though we’re supposed to dislike Georges, it’s hard to do because it’s Charles-freaking-Boyer. It’s easy to see why Emmy falls for him. I love true, legitimate romantic films (with no contrived plot points), and this is one of the best that I’ve seen.
#12 Gaslight (1944) Another Charles Boyer film! Third one on the list! Surprisingly Boyer was not on my top 10 actors watched in 2021, per Letterboxd. This was an amazing film. I don’t know how I went so long without seeing it. This is the film that gave the name to a form of psychological abuse, where one partner mentally manipulates another into thinking that they’re losing their mind. In this film, Boyer plays Gregory Anton, a pianist who marries Alice Alquist (Ingrid Bergman), a famous opera singer. Gregory works as Alice’s accompanist. At first, Gregory seems sweet, he convinces Alice that they move into her deceased aunt’s old home #9 Thornton Square in London, seemingly under the guise that Alice loved her aunt so much and that her aunt would want her home to be lived in. However, Gregory has ulterior motives which are revealed throughout the film. To keep Alice from catching onto Gregory’s motives, he gaslights her by manipulating situations and then making her think she caused them. Alice begins to think she’s going insane. And while she begins to question Gregory’s actions, he’s gotten her mind so messed up that she can’t convince herself that she’s right. A young, 17-year old Angela Lansbury makes her film debut as Nancy, a tart of a maid who takes pleasure in observing Gregory’s manipulation of Alice. Nancy even plays along to exacerbate the situation. Ingrid Bergman’s performance was a tour-de-force and she deserved every piece of the Oscar that she received.
#13 I Want to Live! (1958) If there are two things I love, it’s classic film and true crime. I Want to Live! has both. This film is a biopic of Barbara Graham, a prostitute who was executed in California in 1955 for her part in the murder of a wealthy widow. Susan Hayward gives an Oscar-winning performance as the doomed woman who at the beginning of the film, works as a prostitute who is arrested for soliciting sex across state lines. She then receives jail time after providing a false alibi to two friends who committed crimes. Despite her growing rap sheet, Barbara continues to “make a living” by committing petty crimes and turning tricks. Eventually, she hits the big time when she gets a job working with a big time thief, Emmett Perkins. Her job is to lure men into his illegal gambling parlor. Meanwhile, her husband has a drug addiction and is unemployed–leaving Barbara as the breadwinner. Eventually Perkins ends up becoming involved with criminals, John Santo and Bruce King. Barbara returns to Perkins’ establishment which is soon raided by the police. Barbara surrenders to the police for her involvement in the gambling ring, but soon learns that she is being accused in being complicit with Santo and King’s murder of a wealthy widow. Barbara tries to give her alibi, saying that she was home with her husband and son, but her husband has skipped town. Unless he can be found, Barbara is toast. This was such an amazing film. I know that there was controversy regarding how Barbara Graham was portrayed in the film, versus the real life events. I can’t comment on that; but what I can say is that real facts or not, this was a great movie.
#14 Suspense (1946) I went into this film noir not knowing entirely what to expect. It starred Barry Sullivan whom I like and Albert Dekker who always turns in a good performance. Sullivan and Dekker’s co-star was British figure skater, Belita. Often when athletes are put into films, especially athletes whose sport is exploited on screen, the results can vary drastically–especially if the athlete has limited acting talent. Sometimes this is good, such as the case with Johnny Weissmuller in the Tarzan series. Other times, it can be limiting like is the case with Belita in another film of hers that I’ve seen. However, in this film, I was pleasantly surprised. I’m not saying Belita was amazing; but she was asked to play a figure skater, and Belita delivers on that front. In this film, Sullivan plays schemer, Joe Morgan, a newcomer to New York City who ends up taking a job at a theater as a peanut vendor. Belita plays the star performer, figure skater, Roberta. Albert Dekker plays Leonard, the owner of the theater and Roberta’s husband. Joe ends up suggesting a new act for Roberta, which revitalizes the show–as a reward he is made a manager. When Leonard leaves for a business trip, he puts Joe in charge. Joe and Roberta end up striking up a romance which Leonard soon discovers. This was a fantastic film. I actually was in suspense and couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.
#15 The China Syndrome (1979) This was another 1970s thriller that I watched which I really enjoyed. In this film, Jane Fonda plays television reporter, Kimberly Wells, who keeps getting stuck with the fluff stories during the local news segments. There is chauvinism present at the station, as it is thought that she couldn’t possibly handle a serious story. Her cameraman is the hot-tempered Richard Adams (Michael Douglas). One day, Kimberly and Richard end up getting a plum gig: doing a report from the Ventana, CA nuclear power plant. While visiting, they witness a malfunction in the nuclear power plant turbine operation and emergency shutdown protocol. Richard, despite being asked not to film, covertly records the entire incident. The incident is played off as not a big deal, but it becomes clear that the plant was thisclose to a meltdown. Jack Lemmon gives a fantastic performance as Jack Godell, the supervisor of the plant. Wilford Brimley was also excellent as the long-time employee, Ted Spindler, who battles with knowing what is right and his resentment over being passed up for promotion opportunities. I loved this movie. This isn’t normally my type of thing, but as a fan of 1970s thrillers and Fonda and Lemmon, I gave it a try. I’m glad I did. I was captivated from beginning to end and I especially loved Lemmon’s performance in the second half of this movie.
Honorable Mentions:
A Cry in the Night (1956). Raymond Burr, Natalie Wood, Edmond O’Brien.
Jane Fonda in Five Acts (2018). A fabulous documentary on HBO Max.
The Caine Mutiny (1954). Humphrey Bogart, Fred MacMurray, Van Johnson, Jose Ferrer.
Once a Thief (1965). Alain Delon, Ann-Margret, Van Heflin.
Walk on the Wild Side (1962). Laurence Harvey, Jane Fonda, Barbara Stanwyck, Anne Baxter, Capucine.
Moonrise (1948). Dane Clark, Lloyd Bridges, Gail Patrick.
The Glass Wall (1953). Vittorio Gassman, Gloria Grahame.
The Big Combo (1955). Richard Conte, Cornel Wilde, Jean Wallace.
Muppets Haunted Mansion (2021) The Great Gonzo, Pepe, Will Arnett.
Die Hard (1988) Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson.
Confession (1937) Kay Francis, Basil Rathbone, Ian Hunter.
Three Days of the Condor (1975) Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Max Von Sydow, Cliff Robertson.
I’ll Cry Tomorrow (1955) Susan Hayward, Richard Conte, Eddie Albert.
Possessed (1947) Joan Crawford, Van Heflin, Raymond Massey
WILMER COOK: Keep on riding me and they’re gonna be picking iron out of your liver.
SAM SPADE: The cheaper the crook, the gaudier the patter.
Elisha Cook Jr. as Wilmer Cook and Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade in “The Maltese Falcon.”
HELEN: I must warn you though, liquor makes me nosy. I’ve been known to ask all sorts of personal questions after four cocktails.
MARTY: ‘s alright. I’ve been known to tell people to mind their own business. Cold sober too.
Claire Trevor as Helen and Elisha Cook Jr. as Marty in “Born to Kill.”
GEORGE PEATTY: This couple, sittin’ in front of me, oh, they weren’t young, exactly. I guess the woman was about your age.
SHERRY PEATTY: A little senile, you mean? With one foot and a big toe in the grave?
GEORGE PEATTY: You want to hear this or not? Do you or not, Sherry?
SHERRY PEATTY: I can’t wait. Go ahead and thrill me George.
Elisha Cook Jr. as George Peatty and Marie Windsor as Sherry Peatty in “The Killing.”
“Well Wilmer, I’m sorry indeed to lose you. But I want you to know I couldn’t be fonder of you if you were my own son. But well, if you lose a son, it’s possible to get another. There’s only one Maltese Falcon.”
Elisha Cook Jr. carved out a very unique niche for himself in Hollywood. He often played a villain, but never a outwardly scary villain. He was no Tommy Udo (Richard Widmark) in Kiss of Death or Max Cady (Robert Mitchum) in Cape Fear. Cook Jr.’s portrayal was much different. He was mild-mannered, timid even, but was still able to make the action of the film seem uncomfortable. To me, he comes across as someone who seems like they could crack any time now. In The Maltese Falcon, he trails Sam Spade all over San Francisco and makes threats along the way, but Spade never takes him seriously. Even at the end of the film, Cook Jr.’s boss, Kasper Gutman, sells him out and makes him the fall guy. Kasper does this to save his own neck.
When I first learned about Elisha Cook Jr., I did what I always do for every new film and new actor I discover: I looked up his Imdb and Wikipedia pages. I was astonished to learn that Cook Jr. was born in 1903! 1903! In ‘Falcon,’ he looks like a kid compared to Bogart and company. However, he was only four years younger than Bogart! Save for Sydney Greenstreet, Cook Jr., was older than the other members of his gang: Mary Astor and Peter Lorre. This was insane to me. He had such a baby face that it was astonishing that he was almost 40 when he appeared in ‘Falcon.’
It is partially Cook Jr.’s baby face that lends to his ability to play these meek, timid characters who provide a duplicitous nature to his characters. He didn’t always play the villain, but he often played someone who was pretty much on the up-and-up, but got in over his head due to his naiveté and inability to stand up against a stronger personality. In The Killing, Cook Jr., works at a large horse track as a cashier. He is married to the very domineering (physically and personality-wise) Marie Windsor, who treats him like garbage because he hasn’t provided her with the lifestyle to which she feels accustomed. To make his wife like him better, Cook Jr., gets involved with criminal Sterling Hayden who wants to pull off one last heist. Cook Jr., offers to use his position as an employee of the horse track to help Hayden pull off the heist. In exchange, he is supposed to receive a large sum of money. Unfortunately, Cook Jr. ends up paying for his involvement with his life.
Probably the most action Elisha Cook Jr. ever got in one of his films–Phantom Lady.
In contrast to his wimpy weaklings, Elisha Cook Jr., did turn in a very uncharacteristic (yet entirely typical) performance in Phantom Lady. In this film, Ella Raines is trying to prove the innocence of her boss who is sitting on death row for murdering his wife. He has an alibi, but the alibi cannot be located. Raines is trying to follow the clues to find the alibi and exonerate her boss before it’s too late. Nightclub drummer Cook Jr., is one of the people who can help lead her to the alibi. To convince him to give her the details, Raines tries to emulate the type of woman that a musician would be interested in. Donning fishnet stockings, a slinky dress, and stilettos, hepcat Raines’ ruse works. Cook Jr., invites her to this seedy private club away from the nightclub.
Here’s where Cook Jr.’s uncharacteristic performance comes in. Obviously wanting to seduce Raines and “make it” (as they say in old movies back then) with her, he presents the most erotic, sexually charged drum solo ever committed to celluloid. This is as close as filmmakers could get in having characters have sex on screen in 1944. Cook Jr.’s drumsticks hit the drumheads with such an intense, rhythmic beat. Close-ups of his sweaty face, eyes widening, smile tightening are juxtaposed with shots of the drumsticks. As the beat intensifies, so does the intensity in Cook Jr.’s face until the scene climaxes, and he and Raines slink out the door when she offers a come hither look. Like in most of his films, Cook Jr., doesn’t survive Phantom Lady, but at least he had some fun before his murder.
Elisha Cook Jr. is one of my favorite character actors. He brings such a unique presence to screen and you never know what you’re going to get, while knowing exactly what you’re going to get when he’s on screen.
My favorite Elisha Cook Jr. performances:
The Maltese Falcon
The Killing
Born to Kill
Phantom Lady
House on Haunted Hill
The Big Sleep
The Gangster
Don’t Bother to Knock
Love Crazy
I Wake Up Screaming
Ball of Fire
WATSON PRITCHARD: They’re coming for me now… and then they’ll come for you.
Elisha Cook Jr. as Watson Pritchard in House on Haunted Hill
“Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
“Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine.”
“We’ll always have Paris.”
“Play it Sam, play ‘As Time Goes By.'”
“I’m shocked! Shocked to find that gambling is going on here.”
“Here’s looking at you, kid.”
“Everybody comes to Rick’s.”
Humphrey Bogart (Rick), Claude Rains (Louis), Paul Henreid (Victor) and Ingrid Bergman (Ilsa) in “Casablanca.”
These are just some of the amazing quotes from Casablanca. Casablanca is considered one of the greatest films of all time, and for good reason–it is a fantastic movie. Almost every line of dialogue is quotable. The characters (especially Rick, Ilsa, and Louis) are iconic. The last scene between Rick and Ilsa at the airport and later, the ending scene with Rick and Louis walking off into the fog are forever symbolic of Classic Hollywood. Between the quotes, the scenes, the music, Rick and Ilsa’s romance, Louis’ corruption… there is so much to remember about Casablanca. However, does anyone remember the object that plays a central role in the film? 1
1 Obviously a rhetorical question, because duh, we’re all Classic Hollywood film fans, OF COURSE we know the answer to this question; but roll with it.
Answer? The letters of transit. The letters of transit are introduced in the film as a piece of crucial documentation that refugees must present to leave Casablanca, Morocco. These refugees are hoping to obtain a letter of transit so that they can travel through German-occupied Europe to Lisbon, Portugal (which is neutral), then board a ship/plane to head to their new life in the United States. These documents are the objects that motivate the main characters’ actions in the film. The audience is first introduced to Peter Lorre’s character in the film, Ugarte, as he races through town and into Rick’s (Humphrey Bogart) club, Rick’s Cafe American. Ugarte boasts that he murdered two German couriers to obtain these precious letters of transit. He wants to sell them in Rick’s club. In the meantime however, Ugarte asks Rick to keep the letters of transit safe.
Later, Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) and Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) arrive in Casablanca and head over to Rick’s. Victor is the leader of the Czech Resistance movement. Because of his activity, Victor ranks high on the Germans’ list of persons to not allow to leave Casablanca. Thanks to Rick’s business rival, Signor Ferrari (Sydney Greenstreet), Rick is suspected of having the letters of transit in his possession. This suspicion is what leads Ilsa and Victor to Rick’s. Captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains), the corrupt prefect of police, also suspects Rick has the letters of transit. He is a subject of the German-controlled France and is supposed to be preventing Ilsa and Victor’s escape.
Dooley Wilson (Sam) attempts to comfort Humphrey Bogart (Rick) as he laments Ilsa walking into his gin joint.
But does the audience care about the letters of transit? No. Not really. As the audience, we are immediately captivated by Rick’s sour reaction to Ilsa’s showing up at his club. What’s the story there? That’s what we want to know. Judging from Ilsa’s acquaintance with Sam (Dooley Wilson), Rick’s pianist and friend, and her asking him to play “it,” we know that there’s a story there. Sam knows what “it” is and reluctantly agrees to play the song when Ilsa persists. When Sam acquiesces to Ilsa’s request and begins playing “As Time Goes By,” (i.e. “it”), Rick angrily emerges from his office, demanding to know why Sam is playing *that* song. He spots Ilsa and oof. If looks could kill. Rick’s reaction, combined with Sam quickly grabbing his piano bench and scurrying out of the way, is what we need to know about. What is the story behind Rick and Ilsa?
The story of Rick and Ilsa provides the main framework of the story and the main conflict. Add in the fact that Ilsa is married to Victor, and a love triangle develops. Rick and Ilsa’s romance is re-kindled and soon it’s up in the air as to whether Ilsa will want a letter of transit to leave Casablanca. A different side of Rick emerges. He was a cynical, world weary ex-pat living in Casablanca, seemingly impervious to everything. Then Ilsa shows up (unexpectedly) and the romantic side of him emerges. Louis is there, kind of playing both sides, both as an ally of Rick’s but also wanting to follow through on his “duty” and prevent Victor’s escape. He knows Rick knows where the letters of transit are, but he doesn’t really work too hard to look for them. Louis, a French police officer, is stuck in the middle between duty to his country and duty to the corrupt Nazi regime who had taken over Vichy France. At the end of the film, Louis tosses the full bottle of Vichy water into the trash, symbolically showing that he is severing his ties with the Nazis. Louis, like Rick, becomes a patriot.
At the end of the film, Rick makes the ultimate sacrifice and sends Ilsa off with Victor. He hands over the letters of transit very casually. There is no big fanfare, no big build up when Rick hands off the coveted documents. Instead, we are treated to Rick’s very self-sacrificing monologue, the monologue in which he finally severs ties with Ilsa and closes this chapter of his life. This is closure to the romance that we’ve been captivated by since the beginning of the film. We’re finally finding out the resolution of the love triangle. Which man will Ilsa end up with? The man she fell in love with after her husband was thought to be dead? Or her husband, whom she reunited with (and abandoned Rick in the process) after learning that he was still alive? Does she stay with the man who escaped the war to live in Casablanca? Or does she stay with the man who is conducting very important, but also dangerous work on behalf of the Resistance? The letters of transit are essentially irrelevant in the context of the real crux of the film.
Humphrey Bogart (Rick) and Ingrid Bergman (Ilsa) in the iconic airport scene from “Casablanca.”
RICK: “Last night, we said a great many things. You said I was to do the thinking for both of us. Well, I’ve done a lot of it since then, and it all adds up to one thing: you’re getting on that plane with Victor where you belong.”
ILSA: “But Richard, no… I… I…”
RICK: “Now you’ve got to listen to me! You have any idea what you’d have to look forward to if you stayed here? Nine chances out of ten we’d both wind up in a Concentration Camp. Isn’t that true, Louis?”
LOUIS: “I’m afraid Major Strasser would insist.”
ILSA: “You’re only saying this to make me go.”
RICK: “I’m saying it because it’s true. Inside of us, we both know you belong with Victor. You’re part of his work, the thing that keeps him going. If that plane leaves the ground and you’re not with him, you’ll regret it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.”
ILSA: “But what about us?”
RICK: “We’ll always have Paris. What we didn’t have, we lost it until you came to Casablanca. We got it back last night.”
ILSA: “When I said I would never leave you.”
RICK: “And you never will. But I’ve got a job to do, too. Where I’m going, you can’t follow. What I’ve got to do, you can’t have any part of. Ilsa, I’m no good at being noble, but it doesn’t take much to see that the problems of three people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you’ll understand that.”
(ILSA lowers her head and begins to cry)
RICK: “Now…now…”
(RICK gently grabs Ilsa’s chin and raises it, so they can look into each other’s eyes.)
RICK: “Here’s looking at you, kid.”
Humphrey Bogart (Rick), Ingrid Bergman (Ilsa), and Claude Rains (Louis) in one of the most iconic scenes in Classic Hollywood.
The final scene between Rick and Ilsa is one of my absolute favorite scenes in any film. Who knew that a scene where two people are breaking up could be so romantic and heartbreaking. It was beautifully written and acted. After taking in the emotional gravitas of this scene and the absolutely heart-wrenching ending to this romance, who is still thinking about the letters of transit?
Rick, hide me! Do something! You must help me, Rick!”
February is the month of Valentine’s Day. A month to celebrate romance. A month to celebrate love. Typically, in lieu of the regular romance movie routine, I personally like to watch movies about obsessive love, like Leave Her to Heaven, where the antagonist, Ellen Berent’s only problem is that “she loves too much.” That’s putting it mildly. For this blogathon however, I’m going to go the more traditional route with a salute to my favorite movie couples. No, it’s not the most unique idea, but I hope that my selections are unique. These are the couples you hope will end up together. Even if they don’t, if the relationship ends on a satisfying note, it can still be a relationship worth coveting.
Humphrey Bogart & Ingrid Bergman in “Casablanca”
#1 Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund- Casablanca (1942). This isn’t a unique choice. Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) and Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) are often held up as one of Classic Hollywood’s greatest romances; but for good reason. Rick and Ilsa’s goodbye scene at the airport is iconic. Who can forget Rick lifting Ilsa’s chin as she sobs, then delivering the iconic line: “Here’s looking at you, kid.” Yes he’s repeating a line that he says to Ilsa in Paris, but it’s this moment where the line is the most poignant. It’s the final callback to the passionate romance they shared before World War II changed their lives permanently. Yes, Ilsa was married to Lazlo (Paul Henried) while they were in Paris and she’s married to him throughout the film. But who cares about Lazlo? This is Rick and Ilsa’s romance. They fell in love in Paris. They were torn apart by the war when Ilsa discovers that her “dead” husband, Lazlo, is actually alive. They’re brought back together in Casablanca when Lazlo’s work with the French Resistance takes him to Morocco. Rick and Ilsa’s feelings for one another come back and it’s such a passionate romance, it’s almost a shame that they don’t end up together. But the ending allows Rick to be the bigger man and to find his place in the world, with Louis Renault (Claude Rains) by his side. It’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship, indeed.
Lauren Bacall & Humphrey Bogart in “To Have and Have Not”
#2 Harry Morgan & Marie ‘Slim’ Browning- To Have and Have Not (1944). I’d be remiss to forget about Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall’s iconic first film together. For not being known as a matinee idol, Bogart found himself part of many classic on-screen romances. In this instance, it was his appearance as Harry Morgan (Bogart), a fisherman working in the French colony of Martinique, a Caribbean nation. Because this takes place right after the Fall of France to the Germans during World War II, the island of Martinique is a mish-mash of Germans (due to the control possessed by the Pro-German Vichy France), sympathetic French, and other people trying to escape their lives. One of these people that Harry meets, is “Slim” (Bacall), a young American woman who is a bit of a wanderer and has found her way to Martinique. The sparks between Harry and Slim are obvious, especially after Slim teaches him how to whistle. Bogie and Bacall’s on-screen chemistry leapt off the screen and into real life as Bogie and Bacall fell in love and became one of Classic Hollywood’s most iconic couples.
Sandra Dee & James Darren in “Gidget” — Get it, girl!
#3 Frances “Gidget” Lawrence & Jeffrey “Moondoggie” Matthews-Gidget (1959). If there’s one type of movie I love, it’s the teen beach movie and Gidget is the all-time best teen beach movie, in my opinion. Part of the reason I love this movie so much is for Gidget (Sandra Dee) and Moondoggie (James Darren). In this film, Gidget (nicknamed bestowed upon Frances by the surfer boys, it’s an amalgamation of “girl” and “midget”) is a 17-year old incoming high school senior who feels inadequate next to her more physically developed, boy crazy girlfriends. At the beginning of the film, we see Gidget and her friends try to attract the surfer boys at the beach, with Gidget failing miserably due to her awkwardness. But there’s something endearing about Gidget. She’s genuine. She can’t muster up the ability to try and attract the boys, because it seems fake. She just wants to swim. She doesn’t want to play stupid games trying to get their attention. She ends up catching the attention of one of the surfer boys, Moondoggie. At first Moondoggie is standoffish, but it’s obvious that he’s doing so because he’s trying to keep up his “cred” with the other boys. But through being protective of Gidget and later having a chance to spend time with her one-on-one, he realizes that he really does like her. Gidget’s liked him the whole time. When they have a chance to be together, they are smitten. Frankly, they are adorable and I love them. In the end, Gidget’s friends are still single and Gidget’s hooked herself a hot college guy by staying true to herself. Get it, girl!
Joel McCrea & Jean Arthur in “The More the Merrier”
#4 Connie Milligan & Joe Carter- The More the Merrier (1943). Connie (Jean Arthur) and Joe (Joel McCrea) are adorable. They’re brought together by the meddling, Benjamin Dingle (Charles Coburn), a retired millionaire who sublets half of Connie’s apartment during the World War II housing crisis. When Sergeant Joe Carter shows up to answer Connie’s ad, Mr. Dingle sees an opportunity to fix the uptight Connie up with a nice young man. Mr. Dingle sublets half of his half of the apartment to Joe. After learning about Mr. Dingle’s arrangement, Connie is upset. Especially when the men start razzing her about her fiance, Mr. Charles J. Pendergast. Despite trying to impress the two men with Mr. Pendergast’s good points (he makes $8600/year and has no hair), it becomes even obvious that she’s matched up with the wrong man. By this point, Joe has a crush on Connie and wants to spend time with her. Later one evening, Joe and Connie find themselves alone together on the front stoop of their apartment building. What unfolds on the front stoop is one of the sexiest, romantic scenes in Classic Hollywood, and nobody had to lose any of their clothes. I love them together and hope that they lived happily ever after… without Mr. Pendergast.
William Powell & Myrna Loy in “The Thin Man” (1934)
#5 Nick and Nora Charles, The Thin Man Series (1934-1947). Nick (William Powell) and Nora (Myrna Loy) Charles are the power couple that everyone wishes they were. They are part of society. They have a beautiful home. They have an amazing dog, Asta. And, they solve mysteries together, thanks to Nick’s background as a detective. Nick loves the thrill of the mystery and Nora desperately wishes to be a part of the thrill. Nick tries to keep her at home and safe from the danger, but Nora always manages to horn her way in, by finding a vital clue or having an alluring thought about a potential suspect. At the start of the film series, Nick had retired from his detective career when he marries socialite Nora. Nick and Nora have such an amazing rapport and chemistry with one another, that the mystery almost takes a back seat to their relationship. William Powell and Myrna Loy are so amazing together, that one wishes they’d been married in real life.
Everyone remembers the big stars: Bogart, Hepburn, Monroe, Gable, etc. but not enough attention or praise is given to the character actors. Character actors are performers who often played supporting parts, but weren’t expected to carry the film. A film’s failure wasn’t blamed on the character actor. They weren’t “the name” that brought in the crowds. These actors were hired for the types of characters they portrayed. Some actors, like Claude Rains, for example, could play leading parts, supporting (but lead) parts, and character roles.
“Everything is hunky dunky.”
One of the all time best character actors is SZ Sakall, or as I like to call him: “International Treasure SZ Sakall.” SZ was born Gründwald Jakob in Budapest, Austria-Hungary (now present day Budapest, Hungary) on February 2, 1883. As a young man, he wrote vaudeville sketches under the pen name Szőke Szakáll. In the 1910s and 1920s, SZ was working on the Hungarian stage and screen. In the 1920s, he moved to Vienna. By the 1930s, he was living in Berlin. He continued to appear in German cinema and plays. He also ran his own production company.
SZ returned to Hungary in 1933 after the Nazis gained power in Germany. He started appearing in Hungarian cinema and performed in over 40 films. In 1940, SZ and his wife Anne moved to Hollywood after Hungary joined the Axis powers. Many of SZ’s relatives, including three sisters, were killed in the Nazi concentration camps. SZ started appearing in films almost right away. He made his American film debut in It’s a Date (1940) with Deanna Durbin. He also shortened his name to the much easier to pronounce, SZ Sakall.
SZ or “Cuddles” as he was dubbed by Jack Warner, specialized in playing befuddled, but loveable European shopkeepers, uncles, restaurant owners, etc. He was usually in a small part, some more critical than others. SZ was popular with actors like Errol Flynn, who loved him. But he was unpopular with other actors, like Alan Hale Sr., who claimed that SZ was a scene stealer. Flynn tells a story in his memoir, My Wicked, Wicked Ways, about how he liked to invite Cuddles and Hale to the same get togethers over and over:
“Sakall was a funny old guy. I always liked him for his screwy, mushy personality, but most other actors hated him. He messed up the English language so much that they couldn’t get their cues. I let him run on. It was fun to see the effect of him on the other character players. He ran off with many scenes, and that was enough to make him despised by the others.
Hale couldn’t stand him. They hated each other and refused to work with each other. To see them together was like a meeting of two prima donnas at a tea party. Naturally I brought them together as often as I could, and on this night Hale hollered, “For Chrissakes, Zakall [sic], a’int it time you learned to speak English? You been here long enough!”
Errol Flynn, “My Wicked Wicked Ways” (1959)
Over his Hollywood career, SZ appeared in over 40 films. He appeared in a variety of different roles and genres. His most famous role is arguably Carl, the waiter in Casablanca (1942). SZ appeared in dramatic films, comedies, musicals, westerns, he was everywhere. His last film was The Student Prince (1954). Sadly, SZ suffered a heart attack and passed away on February 12, 1955, 10 days after his 72nd birthday.
SZ will always be remembered for his colorful film appearances. His loveable, flustered persona is endearing as is the way he delivers his lines in mangled English. I absolutely love him and am always excited to see him when he pops up in a film.
My Top 5 SZ Sakall Appearances:
“Carl” Casablanca (1942). In the classic film to end all classic films, SZ plays “Carl,” the head waiter and maître d’ at Rick’s Cafe American. He is loyal to Rick and watches in admiration as Rick (Humphrey Bogart) lets the young Bulgarian couple win at Roulette. He also delivers a funny line when asked if the gambling is honest.
CUSTOMER: “Are you sure this place is honest?”
CARL: “Honest?! As honest as the day is long!”
2. “Luigi” Never Say Goodbye (1946). SZ appears with buddy Errol Flynn in one of my favorite Christmas films. In this film, Flynn and ex-wife Eleanor Parker are divorced. Their daughter, Flip, hates spending 6 months with one parent and then 6 months with the other. She desperately wants to get them back together, as does her father Errol, who it seems was blindsided by the divorce. SZ plays Luigi, the owner of the restaurant where Errol and Eleanor frequented while they were dating. Luigi is also a family friend. Errol pulls him into his schemes and Luigi does all he can to follow along, often to disastrous results. There is a funny scene where he and Errol wake up after having spent the entire night bar-hopping while dressed as Santa.
PHILLIP (Flynn): “I don’t care about Nancy. But I don’t want her to start making a scene. You know how she is.”
LUIGI: “Sure. You take a girl out to dinner two or three hundred times and right away she thinks you’re interested in her.”
3. “Felix Bassenak” Christmas in Connecticut (1945). SZ appears as Barbara Stanwyck’s uncle who is enlisted to help his niece cook a delicious Christmas dinner for a visiting soldier, Dennis Morgan. Stanwyck’s character, Elizabeth Lane, works as a magazine columnist. She’s concocted this entire persona as the perfect wife, cook, mother, everything. She describes her gorgeous Connecticut farmhouse to her readers. On paper, Elizabeth looks like she’s living the dream and everything’s perfect. In reality, Elizabeth is single, lives in New York, and has just purchased an absurdly expensive mink coat. Her publisher, Sydney Greenstreet, is unaware of her charade and insists that Elizabeth host Christmas at her farmhouse for visiting soldier Dennis Morgan, who is so fond of her articles, that he writes to Greenstreet expressing his wish to meet her. Aside from being the chef who cooks all the food, SZ gets involved in Stanwyck’s shenanigans–at one point, he insists that the baby swallowed his watch.
FELIX: “Watch now. I show you how to flip-flop the flop-flips.”
4. “George” The Devil and Miss Jones (1941) . In this film, SZ plays Charles Coburn’s butler. Coburn is Thomas Merrick, “the richest man in the world.” Merrick owns a department store whose employees want to unionize. Merrick goes undercover as “Thomas Higgins” to find the source of the union talks. As he spends more time with the employees, the more he sympathizes with their desire to form a labor union. SZ is so put upon as Coburn’s butler–he only serves Coburn graham crackers and milk due to Coburn’s constant stomach issues. SZ does almost everything for Coburn to the point where he’s so out of touch with reality, that he fails at even the easiest of tasks. At one point, in an attempt to show up his nemesis, Coburn asks SZ to bring in a small child and sell her 12 pairs of shoes. Coburn tries the ugliest shoes on the little girl and the whole scheme falls apart.
GEORGE: “Dr. Schindler made up your pepsin in to sticks of chewing gum sir. He thought that you would like the change. You are to have one every hour on the hour. You will find them in your lower left breast pocket.”
5. Otto Oberkugen “In the Good Old Summertime” (1948). This film is a remake of Ernst Lubitsch’s 1940 film, “The Shop Around the Corner.” In ‘Summertime,’ Judy Garland plays Veronica who gets a job at Otto Oberkugen’s music shop. One of the other salesmen, Andrew (Van Johnson), is threatened by her potential competition for sales, but he also develops a crush on her. Both Veronica and Andrew begin corresponding and falling in love with their respective secret pen pals. Little do they know that they’re corresponding with each other.
OTTO: “Don’t call me Uncle Otto. In the store, I am Mr. Oberkugen.”
My “Noirvember” picks will be continually updated as the month wears on and I make my next choice!
Maxine Cooper & Ralph Meeker in Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
Noirvember is upon us. I love film noir, so every month is “Noirvember” for me, but I thought I’d try to actively participate in the event this year. Previously, I lurked in conversations and posts and read about it, but didn’t actually contribute.
For those who are unfamiliar with “Noirvember,” it is simply a portmanteau of the words “Noir” and “November.” It is a term used to describe what is essentially a month-long celebration of film noir. Noirvember was invented by a poster (@oldfilmsflicker on Twitter) who just wanted an excuse to catch-up on film noir. It has since evolved and become a full-fledged event.
I have seen a lot of film noir and have a lot of favorite films and performers. While I definitely want to revisit some old favorites, I also want to watch some “new to me” film noir. I don’t have a particular list of 30 film noir to watch, as I wanted my list to flow organically. However, so that I had some semblance of organization and didn’t spend my entire evening trying to decide what to watch, I’ve decided to play a game with my selections. Each successive film will feature a performer from the previous film. E.g. “The Big Heat” features Glenn Ford and Gloria Grahame. “Sudden Fear” features Grahame and Joan Crawford.
It is my hope that my final film of the month will link back to the first.
Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray conspicuously looking inconspicuous in the grocery store in Double Indemnity.
One of my absolute favorite Eleanor Parker films (and annual Christmas films!) also co-stars my love, Errol Flynn. Flynn appears in one of his rare, non-swashbuckler roles, and even more rare–he plays a father! In Never Say Goodbye, Flynn and Parker play ex-spouses, Phillip and Ellen Gayley. At the beginning of the film, they are coming up on the one-year anniversary of their divorce. Their only child, a daughter, Phillipa “Flip” Gayley (Patti Brady), is forced to follow the custody arrangement: 6 months with one parent, 6 months with the other. She has just about completed her sojourn with her father and will soon be moving back into her mother’s home.
Errol Flynn, Patti Brady, and Eleanor Parker in “Never Say Goodbye.”
Flip doesn’t much care for the arrangement and neither does Phillip. It seems that Ellen’s mother, the delightfully naggy Lucile Watson (whose character’s name is seemingly “Mother”), doesn’t care for Phillip and it seems that she had a large role in convincing her daughter that he was no good and she’d be better off without him. One of the main reasons for Mother’s animosity against Phillip is his career. He works as a commercial illustrator, mainly pin-ups. She’s convinced that he’s doing more than drawing.
Phillip however, claims complete innocence and one gets the sense that he was somewhat blindsided by the divorce. Flip on the other hand, wants a baby brother and she isn’t going to get that with her parents living in separate homes. At the same time, she’s also been writing to a Marine overseas using her maid Cozy’s (the amazing Hattie McDaniel) book “How to Write Letters to a Soldier.” When the Marine, Fenwick Lonkowski (Forrest Tucker), requests a photograph of his “Smoochie” (Flip’s pen-name to him), Phillip has her send a photo of Ellen instead of her own (good thinking, Dad).
Forrest Tucker props up Errol Flynn as Eleanor Parker looks on in “Never Say Goodbye.”
Phillip returns Flip to Ellen’s home and immediately tries to rekindle things with her. He takes her out to dinner and dancing at Luigi’s, a restaurant/club, run by owner Luigi (SZ Sakall), a mutual friend of Phillip and Ellen’s. Phillip is thisclose to wooing Ellen back with his singing (!) and charm, but the night is ruined when Phillip forgets that he’d already made a date with Nancy Graham, the model he’s currently illustrating. Phillip tries the classic “be in both places at the same time” gag, but fails. Upset that her ex-husband is seemingly still up to his old ways, leaves him at the restaurant.
Phillip and Flip spend the remainder of the film trying to get him back together with Ellen. At the same time, Mother is trying to get Ellen interested in Rex (Donald Woods), a lawyer whom she feels is more suitable. The problem? Rex is boring and is no Errol Flynn. The climax of the film takes place over the Christmas holiday when Rex, dressed as Santa to surprise Flip and Phillip, also dressed as Santa, face off in a Duck Soup-style mirror scene along with a series of hijinks along the way, culminating with Rex falling into the Christmas tree.
Flynn does his best Bogart impression in “Never Say Goodbye.”
To further complicate matters, Fenwick Lonkowski shows up at Ellen’s home, looking for “Smoochie.” It seems that he is on leave and wanted to find a woman with whom to spend some time. After being reasonably terrified at this large Marine appearing at her home (and her having no idea who he was as she was unaware of her daughter’s penpal), she begins to warm to the idea when she realizes that she could make Phillip jealous after he invites her to go up to Connecticut with him–forgetting AGAIN that he made the same plans with Nancy Graham, who just happens to show up to Phillip’s apartment while Ellen is there, ready to leave on the trip.
There is a hilarious scene where Phillip, wanting to run Fenwick out of the house, dresses up as Flip’s gangster father, complete with a trench coat, smeared grease paint (stubble? to look dirty and tough, who knows? But it’s funny), and a snarl. Humphrey Bogart himself provides Gangster Errol Flynn’s dialogue. Eventually, Fenwick teams up with Flip to help reunite Phillip and Ellen.
Patti Brady and SZ “Cuddles” Sakall
I absolutely adore this film. Errol Flynn and Eleanor Parker make an amazing couple, absolutely gorgeous. Patti Brady even looks like she could be their daughter. I don’t normally like children actors, as their characters are often irritating, whether they’re too loud, too pretentious, snotty, what have you, but Patti’s character was awesome. She seemed like a real child. Hattie is my queen and she’s awesome in this film as well. Lucile Watson excels at playing the nagging mother and she does not disappoint in this film either. Forrest Tucker is a tall man. He towers over 6’2 Errol Flynn and makes him look like a weakling. And SZ Sakall was an international treasure and I love him. I can definitely see why he was nicknamed “Cuddles.”
My favorite quotes:
SALESWOMAN: I’ve always thought I could be a model. What do you think?
PHILLIP: When I first saw you, I thought hmmm…
SALESWOMAN swoons
SANTA PHILLIP TO MOTHER: Let’s see what we have for the old bag… I mean, in the old bag.
FLIP: I’m not going home. I’m gonna live in Luigi’s back room and scrub floors and eat bread and water and Luigi will beat me.
LUIGI: Me beat you?!
PHILLIP: Luigi, you can’t just go around spilling soup on people!
ERROL FLYNN SINGS!
My favorite things about this movie:
Errol Flynn. That’s a given. He proves himself adept at comedy in not only Never Say Goodbye, but his other comedies like Four’s a Crowd and Footsteps in the Dark. He has his usual amount of charm, especially prevalent in the beginning scenes when he charms the saleswoman. Only Flynn could get away with answering her question with a non-answer and make her fall head over heels. But he looks gorgeous in this film per usual… AND HE SINGS!
Eleanor Parker. She is so beautiful in this film and has such a lovely sounding voice. You know how some people look great, but then they talk, and you’re like ACK! STOP TALKING. Miss Parker is not one of those people. She also wears the greatest gowns in this film and looks great with Flynn. These two should have been a couple in real life.
Patti Brady is adorable in this movie. Like I said prior, I don’t usually like children actors, with a few exceptions, but I love her character in this movie. She’s realistic, she’s funny, she’s a little precocious without being hammy or pretentious, I just love her. She has a good rapport with all her adult co-stars as well.
Hattie McDaniel is my queen. Even though her character disappears about halfway through the film. I just love her, especially her constant disapproving comments regarding Phillip and Flip’s make-believe personas and friends.
The fact that Phillip sends his seven-year-old daughter home, from Central Park, alone. A seven-year-old girl, walking alone, in New York City. Oh how times have changed.
The fact that Phillip can order 12 martinis in a club and the fact that he’s still standing (barely) after having consumed most of them.
SZ Sakall is hilarious and I just love him. He always plays someone flustered (except for maybe in Casablanca) and he’s just so loveable.
Does anyone else get Tom D’Andrea confused with Dane Clark? D’Andrea plays Phillip’s friend, Jack Gordon, with whom he shares the 12 martinis (though I think each man has his own set of 12).
Phillip’s crooning “Remember Me?” to Ellen. ERROL FLYNN SINGS.
Ellen’s crazy dress with all the tassels on it.
Phillip’s Humphrey Bogart impression with Bogart providing the voiceover.
Ellen’s marching band shako looking hat with the plume that she wears when she visits Phillip at home.
Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland (aka “the luckiest woman in the world”)
On July 1, 2020, Dame Olivia de Havilland celebrated her 104th (!) birthday in Paris, France. Aside from being the last surviving cast member from Gone With the Wind, she is also one of the last surviving figures from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Olivia is a two-time Oscar winner, having won the Best Actress Academy Award for her roles in Hold Back the Dawn (1941) and The Heiress (1949). However, aside from being known for her age and status as an Oscar-winner, Olivia is probably best known for her nine (!) collaborations with the incomparable Errol Flynn.
Full Disclosure: I LOVE Errol Flynn.
Errol and Olivia in “Dodge City.”
In his autobiography, My Wicked, Wicked Ways*, Errol admits that he fell in love with Olivia during the making of his (and her) first big studio film, Captain Blood. However, despite his infamous reputation as a panty-dropping ladies man, Errol does not kiss and tell. In fact, he states that his propensity for playing juvenile pranks on Olivia probably lost him his chance at a relationship with her. Olivia on the other hand, admits that the two of them had some sort of passionate romance, however, their relationship was never consummated. What is the real truth? The only people who know that for sure are Errol and Olivia. Errol unfortunately is no longer around (passed in 1959) and Olivia is remaining tight-lipped on the subject.
*My Wicked, Wicked Ways is an amazing book. It, along with Desi Arnaz’ A Book, is the most entertaining book I have ever read. During my first read, when I got toward the end, I actually read just one page a night because I didn’t want it to stop!
What we do know is that on-screen, Errol and Olivia’s chemistry is off the charts.
Errol and Olivia appeared in the following films together:
Captain Blood (1935). Errol and Olivia’s big break. This film made an overnight matinee idol out of Errol and opened the doors for Olivia. Errol appears as the title character, Dr. Peter Blood aka “Captain Blood.” Peter is arrested for treason while treating a patient who participated in the recent rebellion. Peter is given a break (maybe?) and instead of execution (after being sentenced to death), he is sold into slavery. Peter, along with other future slaves, are shipped off to the West Indies.
Olivia fulfills my fantasy and purchases Errol (for 10 pounds!) to be her slave in “Captain Blood.”
Olivia appears as Arabella Bishop, the niece of the local military commander, Colonel Bishop. Arabella fulfills every woman’s fantasy and purchases Errol… err… Peter for 10 pounds to be her slave. You got one heck of a deal, Arabella. You will not be unhappy. Peter of course, resents being sold into slavery and is cold to Arabella. Eventually Peter and the other men revolt, seize a Spanish ship and become pirates.
Peter and Arabella’s relationship follows a similar trajectory that many film romances share. Boy meets girl. Boy and girl don’t get along. Boy or girl spend much of the movie trying to get the other to like them. They fall in love at the end. However, unlike most of the romantic fluff out there, Captain Blood is exciting, entertaining, and fun. Errol and Olivia’s playful flirtation and rapport is one of the big reasons for this film’s success.
The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936)
I’ll admit that I’ve only seen this film once. It features Errol and Patric Knowles as brothers living in India during the mid-19th century. Errol is a Major and Patric is a Captain with the 27th Lancers of the British Army. The main conflict is that Patric has betrayed Errol by taking up with his fiancee, Elsa, played by Olivia.
Patric Knowles, Olivia, and Errol in the love triangle in “The Charge of the Light Brigade.” Olivia looks confused. Duh girl, pick Errol.
Much of this film features battles (blah) and the love triangle between Errol, Patric, and Olivia (ooh I love love triangles). However, the animal abuse by the film production crew, and Errol’s subsequent outrage is my biggest takeaway from this film.
In his autobiography, Errol details in length the cruel tactics used to make the horses trip for the battle scenes. An animal lover and accomplished horseman, Errol was disgusted and outraged by what he saw on set. He was further incensed by director Michael Curtiz’ nonchalant attitude toward the numbers of horses injured and killed by his stunts. Errol reported the production to the ASPCA. This action led to the US Congress implementing measures to ensure that animals used in film production were not injured or killed–thus the “no animals were harmed in making this motion picture” statement that is featured in most movies today.
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
This is probably Errol and Olivia’s best known film collaboration, as well it should be. This film is perfect from start to finish. It is exciting, funny, has a great cast, fun characters, beautiful costumes, everything that one wants in a film. And this film, in its glorious Technicolor, is absolutely gorgeous.
Olivia and Errol in “The Adventures of Robin Hood.”
I don’t think much plot is necessary, as most people, I imagine, are familiar with the Robin Hood legend. Errol plays the titular character, Robin Hood. Robin and his gang of merrymen have been banished to Sherwood Forest after opposing Prince John (Claude Rains)’s tax raise and voicing his opposition to Prince John’s usurping his brother, King Richard the Lionheart (Ian Hunter)’s throne and his intention to restore Richard’s place in the kingdom when he returns from fighting in the Crusades. Olivia plays Maid Marian and she’s disgusted by Robin’s insolence and vigilante behavior. She also doesn’t like that Robin and his gang regularly rob the rich to pay the poor.
However, as the film progresses, Marian begins to see Prince John for who he truly is, and also realizes that Robin is a good guy and begins to fall in love with him–much to the chagrin of Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone).
Four’s a Crowd (1938)
This is one of Olivia and Errol’s lighter fare. After appearing in back to back swashbucklers, Flynn was eager to do something else. Warner Brothers appeased their star by placing him in this light comedy. Honestly, this isn’t the greatest film, but it has a fantastic cast, Errol looks great, it’s amusing, and it’s fun to see Errol in a comedic part. He shows a flair for comedy. It’s a shame that he wasn’t given more opportunities.
Olivia in this film is adorable, but honestly, her character is annoying. The best pairing in this film is Errol and Rosalind Russell.
Patric Knowles, Olivia, Rosalind Russell, Errol in “Four’s a Crowd.”
In this film, Errol plays Bob Lansford, the former editor-in-chief of the local newspaper where Jean Christy (Russell) works as a reporter. Jean is concerned that her new boss, Pat Buckley (Patric Knowles) is running the newspaper into the ground. Since leaving the paper, Bob has formed a new PR firm. Jean appeals to Bob to return to the helm of the newspaper. While initially uninterested, Bob becomes interested in this prospect when he learns that Pat’s fiancee is Lori Dillingwell (Olivia). Lori is the granddaughter to John P. Dillingwell (Walter Connolly), a millionaire who has developed a poor reputation. Bob hopes to use Lori to gain access to John P. so that he can obtain his business for his PR film.
Errol is his usual charming self in this film. Olivia on the other hand, while pretty and adorable, acts like a giggly airhead and has an irritating laugh. Patric Knowles’ character isn’t much better. The two of them together can be a little annoying at times. However, if you love Errol and love Rosalind Russell (like I do), then they are worth the time spent watching this film. I’ve watched this film numerous times, so obviously Olivia and Patric’s characters don’t keep me away from this film too much.
Dodge City (1939)
I’m not a big Westerns fan, but I love this movie. In this film, Errol plays Wade Hatton, an Irish cowboy who has ties to Dodge City is enlisted by Colonel Dodge to clean up the town. It has been overrun by Jeff Surrett (Bruce Cabot) and his gang. Wade brings his friends, Rusty (Alan Hale) and Tex (Guinn “Big Boy” Williams) to assist. Olivia plays Abbie Irving, a settler who is traveling to Dodge City with Wade and his companions. She is planning on living with her aunt and uncle who reside in Dodge City.
Olivia and Errol in “Dodge City.”
After initially turning down the sheriff job, Wade agrees after witnessing the tragic death of a young boy in town. Wade, Rusty and Tex are doing a good job of clearing out the riff raff, but obviously are met with opposition by Surrett and his cronies. Abbie, meanwhile, has taken a job writing for the local newspaper, headed up by Joe Clemons (Frank McHugh).
Despite being a Western, I think this is a really fun film and Olivia and Errol once again light up the screen. Alan Hale is hilarious, especially when he inadvertently joins a temperance movement. Frank McHugh is always a delight.
Ann Sheridan’s talents and personality are wasted in this film. She appears in a small part as a saloon girl. Someone of Sheridan’s caliber was not needed for this role.
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)
At this point in her career, Olivia was tired of playing Errol’s girlfriend in all her films (there are worse things you could be, imo). She wanted a chance to play more challenging parts and stretch her acting chops. She had just completed one of her most famous roles, Melanie in Gone With the Wind, and hoped that this was her chance for more meaty parts. However, Jack Warner, the bigwig at Warner Brothers was afraid that this experience would go to her head. To keep her grounded, he cast her in a small part in The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex starring Errol and Bette Davis.
‘Elizabeth and Essex’ is Bette’s film. Olivia’s part is so insignificant, that it could have been given to anyone and not made much of a difference. Olivia is completely lost in this film, especially in the shadow of Bette’s performance as Queen Elizabeth I. This film details Elizabeth I’s relationship with the much younger Lord Essex, played by Errol. While in love with Elizabeth I, Essex also yearns for power and is frequently at odds with his lover/Queen when he defies her orders. Elizabeth I struggles with her age, vanity, and her love for Essex, but also wants to retain her power.
Errol and Olivia in “The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex.”
Olivia plays Lady Penelope, Elizabeth I’s lady in waiting. The main conflict with her character is that she’s in love with Essex as well. Elizabeth I fears losing Essex to the much younger and prettier Penelope. Penelope also schemes to break Elizabeth I and Essex up so that she can pursue him. This could possibly be a meaty part, but Bette’s performance as Elizabeth I is so intense and, frankly, it’s A LOT, that one almost forgets that Olivia is even in the film until she’s seen again.
While I love Bette, I cannot decide if I like this performance. Sometimes I think it’s amazing and other times, I can’t get past Bette’s constant fidgeting. What does make this film worth watching are the gorgeous costumes, a young Nanette Fabray in her film debut, and Errol’s thigh-high boots.
Santa Fe Trail (1940)
This film must be Errol and Olivia’s least popular. I only say that because this film is in public domain. As far as I know, it’s never received a proper studio release. I’ve only seen it a couple times, it’s not bad, but it’s not my favorite either.
Olivia and Errol in “Santa Fe Trail.”
In this film, Errol plays Jeb Stuart, a recent West Point graduate. He, along with his friend George Custer, played by Ronald Reagan, are sent to Fort Leavenworth, the most dangerous assignment in the Army. Both Jeb and George relish this assignment. On the way to Kansas, Jeb and George meet Cyrus Holliday who is building the railroad to Santa Fe, NM. His daughter, Kit, played by Olivia, is also accompanying him. Both Jeb and George are smitten.
Most of the remainder of the film features Raymond Massey as the villain, John Brown, and lots of battles and such. I don’t really remember the particulars.
They Died With Their Boots On (1941)
This is technically Olivia and Errol’s last film together. They have a very fitting goodbye scene toward the end of the film. While Errol’s dialogue is given within the context of a husband (who knows he will most likely die) saying a final goodbye to his wife (who knows deep-down that she won’t see her husband again), the words could apply to Errol and Olivia as well.
“Walking through life with you, ma’am, has been a very gracious thing.”
George Custer (Errol Flynn) to wife, Elizabeth Bacon Custer (Olivia de Havilland)
Errol and Olivia in their last ever scene together in “They Died with Their Boots On”
In this film, Errol plays General George Custer. At the beginning of the film, he is arriving at West Point in a ridiculous uniform that he designed himself, with the intention of looking like a visiting foreign general. While at West Point, George racks up a series of demerits for pranks and general disregard for any protocol and rules. Despite being at the bottom of his class, George and his class graduate early so that they can report immediately to Washington, D.C. at the onset of the Civil War.
Prior to graduation, George had met Libbie Bacon (Olivia) when she approached him, asking for directions. He asks her out on a date, but is unable to meet up with her when he is forced to report to DC for his war assignment. When they finally meet up again, George has made himself very unpopular, after making a joke at Libbie’s father’s expense. Libbie and George have to meet up in secret. Libbie’s maid, Callie (Hattie McDaniel), helps the couple keep their secret.
Through a miscommunication with the War Department, George is mistakenly promoted to Brigadier General. Despite this however, his regiment, the Michigan Brigade, wins at Gettysburg.
The remainder of the film features George and Libbie’s lives leading up to that fateful day at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, where the audience knows George will meet his fate.
This is a very sweet film, though not one that I re-watch very often. War and Westerns aren’t my favorite genres, but Errol and Olivia and Hattie make this film very re-watchable. Errol’s appearance at he beginning in his outlandish military garb is hilarious.
Thank Your Lucky Stars (1942)
Errol and Olivia appeared in this film together, but they weren’t together. Both appeared as themselves in separate numbers. Thank Your Lucky Stars was made during WWII and created to serve as a fundraiser for the war effort. Every star who appeared in the film donated his or her salary to the Hollywood Canteen.
The Hollywood Canteen was an organization opened by Bette Davis and John Garfield. It was intended to serve as a club that catered only to servicemen fighting in WWII. In addition to the US servicemen, servicemen of Allied forces and women in any branch of service were invited to attend. The idea of the Hollywood Canteen was that servicemen (and servicewomen) could enter the club using their uniform as a ticket. All amenities within the club were free. The club was staffed by countless members of the entertainment industry. Everyone from the big A-list stars down to the key grips volunteered to work at the Hollywood Canteen. A serviceman could enter the canteen and have Rita Hayworth serve him lunch, only to dance with Betty Grable afterwards.
Olivia, George Tobias, and Ida Lupino perform “The Dreamer” in “Thank Your Lucky Stars.”
The plot of Thank Your Lucky Stars is very thin. Basically, Edward Everett Horton and SZ Sakall are trying to stage a “Cavalcade of Stars” wartime charity show, but star Eddie Cantor’s ego is threatening to take over the production. Aspiring singer Tommy (Dennis Morgan) and his songwriter girlfriend, Pat (Joan Leslie), conspire to join the production by coaxing Horton and Sakall into replacing Cantor with their look-a-like friend, Joe.
Throughout the initial part of the plot, Hollywood stars like Humphrey Bogart make non-musical appearances. At the end of the film, we’re treated to what is presumably Horton and Sakall’s “Cavalcade of Stars.” It is in this section where we’re treated to Olivia and Errol’s only on-screen musical performances. They do not appear in the same production number. Olivia is paired with Ida Lupino. Honestly, their number isn’t really that great. Errol on the other hand, has a solo number and his song is one of the best in the show. His natural charisma and good looks are on full display, despite the silliness of the number.
Errol sings “That’s What You Jolly Well Get” in “Thank Your Lucky Stars.”
When you think of birds in the movies, this image probably comes to mind:
Tippi Hedren in Alfred Hitchock’s “The Birds” (1963). Don’t even get me started on why they chose to run out of the school when the birds started congregating on the jungle gym. Stay inside! I like to think that the birds attacked the children because they were singing that annoying song.
Alfred Hitchock’s 1963 masterpiece, The Birds, tells the story of Bodega Bay, a small town near San Francisco, California that is dealing with violent and random bird attacks. Crows are inexplicably attacking people in their homes, in phone booths, outside, anywhere. The film never explains why the birds are attacking. Hitchock purposely eschewed the use of music in the film. The only sounds we hear aside from dialogue and natural sounds from the actions in the film are the sounds of the birds crowing. Each time the birds appear onscreen, we know that another attack is about to happen. The film ends with no resolution. In Bodega Bay, the birds are still out there and are to be feared.
In The Birds, there are two birds featured in the film who are not to be feared–the lovebirds that Rob Taylor wants to purchase from Tippi Hedren (who doesn’t actually work at the bird shop, but is shopping for a cage for her myna bird). People who own lovebirds typically purchase them in pairs, as a pair of lovebirds will bond for life. A solitary lovebird who doesn’t have a constant companion will be very sad. Owners can own just one lovebird, but they should be prepared to spend a lot of time with their bird. In The Birds, I believe that these lovebirds represent Taylor and Hedren’s characters.
Hedren’s character is a bit of a wild woman who somewhat lives in a gilded cage. She’s basically a rich socialite with little regard for others. Due to her behavior and attitude, she’s somewhat trapped by her lifestyle. The only reason she goes to Bodega Bay initially, is to use the lovebirds as a means to pursue Taylor. She’s rich and isn’t used to not getting what she wants. Taylor makes it clear to Hedren in the pet shop that she’s not interested in people of her type.
Lovebirds may represent the antithesis to the other birds in the film. Birds don’t have to be evil or be killers–they can be sweet, wonderful companions for humans and other birds. The lovebirds in The Birds demonstrate that maybe humanity and nature can restore harmony soon.
The lovebirds in “The Birds.” I believe these are “rosy-faced lovebirds.”
Aside from the birds in The Birds, there are other ways birds are represented in film:
COMPANIONS
Iago the Scarlet Macaw parrot in Aladdin, while an evil bird, he is a wiseacre and says what’s on his mind regardless of whether he’s talking to his master, Jafar, or mocking the Sultan.
Kevin in Up is a goofy bird and the comic relief of the film. Kevin is a made-up tropical bird who helps Carl and Russell make it to Victoria Falls. Kevin also provides the conflict of the film. Famed aviator Charles Muntz has been looking for Kevin’s species for years. Kevin is like many real birds in that when she (yes “she”) feels that someone is a friend, she will be kind and loyal. However, if she senses someone is a threat, or that person was mean to her, she’ll be hostile and combative. Also, like real birds, Kevin is very curious and gets into everything.
Hedwig in the Harry Potter series is Harry Potter’s loyal owl. She is a constant companion for Harry through all of his adventures. She would deliver Harry’s mail, but was also a faithful friend. Hedwig also demonstrated how smart and clever birds can be.
Zazu in The Lion King. Zazu is a hornbill who is not only Mufasa’s personal assistant and adviser, but he also takes care of Simba after Mufasa’s tragic death. Zazu’s allegiance is partially out of duty to the kingdom, but I also feel that he feels a sense of loyalty to the deceased Mufasa. Zazu also doesn’t want to see Scar in charge.
Maleficent’s black crow, who I don’t believe has a name, is as evil as evil gets. He keeps Maleficent informed on the goings on in the fairies’ cottage and is the first one to inform Maleficent of Princess Aurora’s location when he spies magic coming up through the fairies’ chimney.
Iago from “Aladdin” (1992)
WISDOM
Owl in Winnie the Pooh dispenses advise to Winnie the Pooh and the other residents of the Hundred Acre Woods.
Scuttle in The Little Mermaid, while definitely not smart like Owl, he lives above the sea and regularly watches and interacts with the humans. Mermaid Ariel, who desperately wants to live out of the sea meets up with Scuttle, often bringing objects from the ocean floor that she has found. She asks Scuttle as to what the objects are. While Scuttle is usually wrong (e.g. telling Ariel that a dinner fork is a “dinglehopper” and is used to comb her hair), he is very kind and tries to keep Ariel informed about what’s going on above the sea.
“Owl” from “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” (1977)
SYMBOLISM
In The Maltese Falcon (1941) John Huston’s directorial debut and the first film noir, stars Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade. While investigating the murder of his partner, Miles Archer, Bogart gets involved with a cast of characters who not only have something to do with Archer’s death, but who are searching for the elusive Maltese Falcon statue. This bejeweled statue has traveled the world and is apparently worth tens of thousands of dollars. When the statue is finally found, it is determined to be a fake. The criminals are angry and frustrated, but seek to continue looking for it. While holding the fake statue, a detective asks Bogart, “Heavy? What is it?” Bogart says, “The, uh, stuff that dreams are made of.” This faux bird represents the lack of loyalty the criminals displayed to one another during their journey. A bird, when treated with love and kindness, can be a loyal and generous friend. They’ll be by your side constantly and will give affection. They’ll also give you their dinner if you don’t pay attention, they want to make sure you eat. The criminals are so shady in this film, that they don’t deserve to succeed at the end.
There is much bird imagery in Psycho. It is mostly used in the scene between Norman (Anthony Perkins) and Marion (Janet Leigh) in the motel office. The birds in these scenes foreshadow Norman’s psyche and Marion’s eventual fate. Norman has a variety of stuffed birds: everything from the predator hawk to a small songbird. Norman mentions to Marion Crane (his eventual victim) that one of his hobbies is “stuffing things” i.e. taxidermy. This foreshadows the fact that he’s been perhaps practicing his taxidermy skills elsewhere, like on his mother’s corpse, for example (granted she is a skeleton, but he’s been preserving her). The birds are creepy as there are a lot of them. One could argue that the different types of birds are representative of the characters in the film. There is an owl and hawk, two predator birds, that are featured prominently on the wall. Norman’s mother is a predator, her personality has completely consumed Norman’s. There are also some small songbirds who represent Marion. These birds would be consumed in no second flat by a predator, just like it doesn’t take long for Marion’s demise at the Bates Motel. Birds are very fragile, just like Norman Bates’ psyche. Women are often presented as fragile and delicate, in which a bird could represent Marion. Norman even tells Marion that she “eats like a bird” as she picks at the bread on her sandwich. Birds actually eat a lot, a fact which Norman even mentions to Marion. There is so much going on in this scene that it would probably warrant its own blog entry.
Birds can also represent a variety of other themes: freedom, the feeling of being trapped, evil, arrogance, and mischievousness.
Norman Bates’ office in the Bates Motel in “Psycho” (1960)
Other favorite birds of mine:
Donald Duck. Look for him in Donald Duck in Mathmagic Land(1959). Perhaps the only good math-related movie ever made.
Daffy Duck. His “Duck Amuck” (1953) cartoon is hilarious.
Woodstock from Peanuts. He doesn’t do much except be Snoopy’s companion, but he has his moments.
Roadrunner. He says so much by saying so little “beep beep” which roughly translates to “ha ha” when said to Wile E. Coyote after successfully evading yet another trap. Why does Wile E. Coyote want to eat him so much anyway? I doubt he’s got that much meat on him.
Piper from the Pixar short. This bird is just so cute!
Piper from Piper (2016) Pixar’s short film. Look at his face!
This post was inspired by my bird, Buddy, a yellow-sided green cheek conure:
Whimsically Classic 