"Duets: Comedy and Romance"
This fall we bring Hollywood laughter and love to Cline Library for our fourth season of the Humanities, Arts, and Religion Film Series. Specifically, we will look at comedy teams and romantic pairings in film from the 1930s to the 1960s. Our actor tributees will be Hollywood's greatest leading man, Cary Grant; perhaps the funniest actress of her era, Jean Arthur; and the durable and perpetually blustery character actor, Charles Coburn. Our director honorees will be Frank Capra [Mr. Deeds Goes to Town,] Howard Hawks [His Girl Friday, Gentleman Prefer Blondes, & I Was a Male War Bride], George Stevens [The Talk of the Town], and George Sidney[The Harvey Girls].
Look for the Marx Brothers in Duck Soup, William Powell and Myrna Loy in The Thin Man, Fred and Ginger in Top Hat, Coburn and Arthur in The Devil and Miss Jones, Ronld Coleman and Greer Garson in Random Harvest, Bogart and Bacall in Key Largo, Hepburn and Tracy in Adam's Rib, Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron in An American in Paris, and Rock Hudson and Doris Day in Lover Come Back. See all the titles and descriptions in our current listings.
August 29, Cline Library, 7:00 pm
Outrageousness and Indignation:
Groucho Marx and Margaret Dumont
Duck Soup
(1933, Leo McCarey, 68 minutes)
“Never in the field of human cinematic conflict has so much hilarity
and mayhem been packed into so short of a time. Yes, just when you
thought it was safe to come out of the bunker, war has broken out in
Freedonia and all because the ambassador from Sylvania called its leader
an upstart. This is, of course, no more or less then we expect when
the Marx Brothers are around. In the '30s they reinvented comedy for
the talking pictures by adding their rapid-fire, irreverent, verbal
humour to the slapstick of the silent era. Along with their cross talk
and running gags honed over years as stage performers, they take broad
side-swipes at the popular film forms of the day. In Duck Soup, swashbuckling
Ruritanian romance meets Busby Berkeley musical and produces a blistering
satire on the rise of fascist dictatorships. (Apparently Mussolini
took this personally and banned the film in Italy ). When Mrs. Teasdale
(Margaret Dumont) agrees to bankroll the ailing statelet of Freedonia
with her late husband's fortune, it is on condition that 'that progressive,
fearless fighter - Rufus T Firefly' (Groucho) is installed as its dictator.
But Ambassador Trentino has his sights set both on Freedonia and on
Mrs. Teasdale and sends couple of peanut salesmen - Chico and Harpo
- to spy on the new leader. So much for the plot, the inspired lunacy
includes: how to make an entrance at your inauguration, how to ruin
the lemonade business, how to conduct a cabinet meeting, how (not)
to avert an international incident, how to turn off a radio, what to
do when you've broken a mirror, how to turn a court martial into a
musical production number and some useful tips on military tactics.
The script is so full of corny gags ('Oh, Your Excellency.' 'You're
not so bad yourself') delivered at such break-neck speed to a gloriously
pompous set of supporting characters that this polished, surreal, and
razor-sharp comedy must have a very good claim to the title of funniest
film ever made”- Edinburgh University Film Society. Selected
for the National Film Registry.
September 5, Cline Library, 7:00pm
Sophisticated Screwball Sleuths:
William Powell and Myrna Loy
The Thin Man (1935, WS Van Dyke, 93 minutes)
"The Thin Man is a perfect film... simply executed without error.
The actors -- especially the unbeatable team of William Powell and
Myrna Loy -- are as good as I've ever seen, the script packed with
wit and sly sophistication, and the "mystery," well, means
absolutely nothing in the end, which is exactly as the filmmakers intended.
Even Nick and Nora Charles, 'retired' from the sleuthing business,
aren't really that concerned with results or guilty parties; not when
there are soirées to throw, barbs to exchange, and martinis
to consume. Nick's joy in simply being alive (and drunk) is so damned
infectious that we're crushed with envy for not being able to share
his company. There's nothing noble about him necessarily, so he's free
to wander about with more self-control than he has any right to expect
from himself. And the relationship with his wife is nothing less than
the most believable (and enchanting) in the long annals of the Hollywood
romantic comedy. What they say to each other (and how they say it)
goes beyond the mere recitation of dialogue; these are people we might
have the good fortune of meeting in our daily lives, that is if we
inhabited a world that valued erudition. From the outset, it is impossible
to believe that this is a film from 1934, as the characters and situations
appear timeless, almost without regard for context” –Matt
Gale. Nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture, Director, Actor and
Writing and selected for the National Film Registry.
September 12, Cline Library, 7:00pm
Cool Partners:
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
Top Hat ( 1935, Mark Sandrich, 101 minutes)
“The quintessential Fred-and-Ginger vehicle, Top Hat features
some of the most glorious, memorable dance sequences ever filmed. The
Irving Berlin score includes perhaps the duo's best-known number, 'Cheek
to Cheek,' as well as Astaire's signature solo number, 'Top Hat, White
Tie, and Tails.' Like many of their pictures, Top Hat opens with Fred
making a bad first impression on Ginger, then spending much of the
film trying to get on her good side. This device seems to fit Astaire's
insouciant, sometimes annoying screen persona, though he's more sympathetic
and likeable here than in some pictures. Their early scenes, especially
the sequence in the rain at the park band shell, are appropriately
light and charming, with Ginger especially believable as the young
woman annoyed but not entirely displeased by Fred's attentions. Then
the plot takes a turn for farce with a contrived case of mistaken identity,
as Ginger confuses Fred with her best friend's husband. Suitably outraged,
Ginger turns to her friend, who affects cynical unconcern to Ginger — though
showing a different face to her bewildered, not entirely innocent husband.
Perhaps the most unusual element in the film is the unusual 'gangster
tap' finale to the big 'Top Hat' production number, in which Fred wields
a cane like a machine gun, with sharp raps of his heels for gunfire,
and drops a line of tuxedoed dancers one by one. The gangster conceit
may be part of the Depression milieu; certainly the film, with its
glamorous, elegant trappings, is typically escapist Depression-era
fare, laced with a hint of satire. In any case, whenever Fred and Ginger
are in motion, the magic is timeless”-- Steven D. Greydanus.
Selected for the National Film Registry and Nominated for the Oscar
for Best Picture, Art Direction, Song , Choreography.
September 19, Cline Library 7:00pm
70th Anniversay screening!!
Capra's Favorite Actress:
Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
(1936, Frank Capra, 115 minutes)
"Mr. Deeds Goes to Town is a Frank Capra screwball romantic-comedy
regarding the broader philosophical themes of individual innocence
and big-city corruption, and the power of a small-town hero/common
man as a citizen in a democracy. The small-town yokel is determined
to give his money away in a redistribution plan, to help other people
(mostly poor farmers) achieve economic self-sufficiency. The 'share-the-wealth'
philosophy was certainly gratifying to Depression-Era audiences. The
simple plot is a comedy about an innocent, common-sense populist (and
tuba player), Longfellow Deeds from Mandrake Falls, Vermont - a newly-made
multimillionaire with $20 million, who immediately encounters conflict
in the foreign, alien and heartless environment of the city and struggles
to maintain his integrity against lunacy, the establishment, and those
who try to prevent him from giving away his wealth. A 'Cinderella'
romance subplot involves a deceitful, hard-edged, and sardonic female
newspaper reporter who falls in love with the newly-rich, guileless
fortune inheritor while getting an 'inside story' and making fun of
him in her newspaper.….The film helped make co-star Jean Arthur
a prominent leading lady for the rest of the decade and into the 40s….
Robert Riskin's screenplay was based on the American Mercury magazine's
serial story Opera Hat [the initial title of the film] by Clarence
Budington Kelland, appearing in the April to September 1935 issues"--Tom
Dirks. Won the Oscar for Best Director, Nominated for the Oscar for
Best Picture, Actor, Sound, and Writing.
September 26, Cline Library, 7:00pm
“Walter, you're wonderful, in a loathsome sort of way:”
Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell
His Girl Friday
(1940, Howard Hawks, 92 minutes)
“When they talk about not making movies like they used to, this
would be a prime example. The dialogue is so crisp and the comic performances
are so able that one can't help but marvel at the well-crafted whole.
Based on The Front Page, the film starts with Hildy's (Rosalind Russell)
announcement to Walter (Cary Grant) that, having lost her as a wife
already, he is soon to lose her as a reporter. She is engaged to marry
an insurance man (Ralph Bellamy) and dreams of life as a real person,
away from the game of gathering the news. It is immediately apparent,
though, that the business between them is unfinished, and Walter is
willing to do anything to keep Hildy in town long enough to convince
her to stay at the paper, and with him, for good. With this in mind,
Walter puts Hildy on a story he knows she will not refuse, that of
a man whose death sentence has more to do with politics than with his
guilt. She deigns to talk with the accused, as well as with the last
doctor being brought in to declare him sane enough to be hung the next
morning. Already caught up, she is unable to leave when the man escapes
and is on the loose in the city. Her taste of the life she has always
known may be enough for her to decide that settling is exactly what
she is doing. She may decide that she wants a life and love with something
more to offer. Grant and Russell are brilliant with the fast-paced
and witty repartee. Their tongues wag and their eyes snap with a passion
and storminess that is mesmerizing. The laughs are hearty and well-earned
- better than holding up, they hold their own and then some. Laughs,
too, are found beyond the dialogue. For example, Cary Grant gives Bellamy's
'Bruce' a comical, smoldering look that reminds you why he was and
is a star. The combined charisma of the players in this game, even
to the supporting roles, for example, of the reporters joking around
in the newsroom, is overwhelming. Like the best movies, too, the comedy
is made complete with moments of real life-type tension and drama.
The case of the accused man is not merely a device for the continuance
of the story. The political satire is pointed, and the suspense is
palpable. Too, the bang of the gallows trap-door being tested cuts
through and finds its target, the hearts and minds of the audience.
The laughter is suspended when more serious subjects are at hand” --
Natasha Theobald. Selected for the National Film Registry
October 3, Cline Library, 7:00pm
The Oddest Couple Goes Shopping: Charles Coburn and Jean Arthur
The Devil and Miss Jones(1941, Sam Wood, 92 minutes) “In one
of those plot devices so dear to writers of romantic comedy (in this
case, the venerable Norman Krasna), tycoon Charles Coburn goes undercover
as a shoe salesman in a Manhattan department store that's a tiny part
of his portfolio, hoping to discover why the employees hate him so
much. He has the luck to be assigned to the counter next to Jean Arthur,
rasping out one of her inimitable hard-nosed working-girl-with-a-heart-of-gold
performances, who befriends Coburn and introduces him to her boyfriend
(Robert Cummings) -- the leader of the labor unrest. …The film
flirts with 30s radicalism but settles for prudent class reconciliation:
turns out that all the employees want is a little bit of gratitude
and respect. Coburn got his first Academy Award nomination for his
gruff but ultimately lovable, a part he was to play for much of the
rest of his career. Some startling deep-focus effects suggest that
cinematographer Harry Stradling may have been spying on Citizen Kane,
shooting just down the hall at RKO. Ultimately, though, it's Arthur
who gives the film its authenticity and tremulous charm.”—Gary
Moody. Oscar Nominations for Coburn and Writing for Norman Kransa.
October 10, Cline Library, 7:00 pm
“I'm proposing marriage, Miss Hansen. Or... should I call it
a merger? You know I'm good at mergers”: Ronald Coleman and Greer
Garson
Random Harvest (1942, Mervyn LeRoy, 125 minutes)
“One of the grandest romances ever filmed, Ronald Colman and
Greer Garson make an unforgettable team in this magnificent tearjerker,
based on the novel by James Hilton. Colman stars as Charles Rainier,
a badly shell-shocked officer in the First World War who has landed
in an asylum and is suffering from a serious loss of memory, with no
recall of his identity or his life prior to a foxhole in France. When
the end of the war is announced, and security at the asylum is lax
as everyone celebrates the end of the War to End All Wars, Rainier
escapes from the asylum and wanders into town, where he's taken in
by music hall performer Paula Ridgeway (Garson). Paula takes him to
a country house where Rainier, who is known only as John Smith, gets
work writing minor articles for a paper in Liverpool. Eventually they
fall in love, marry, and have a child. While Paula is still recuperating
from the birth, Smith gets an offer to write full time for the paper,
and must travel to Liverpool on his own. While there, he's injured
in a traffic accident and wakes with full memory of his former life—but
has lost the three years that he spent with Paula! …Random Harvest
is a wildly far-fetched story that is no-less enthralling for its improbability.
Colman offers a superb performance, navigating the shifts in his character's
changing mental state with an ease that alone sells the story: in the
opening scene where he is shown to a couple at the asylum who think
he may be their son, Colman is absolutely heartbreaking. But throughout
the melodramatic proceedings, he is never less than believable. As
Rainier comes to terms first with the life he has built with Paula,
and later when he adapts to his former life, Colman perfectly evinces
a man who can make himself confident in the milieu in which he has
found himself, yet maintains a slight vagueness that suggests that
below his calm surface, he is still haunted. And Garson matches him
with a peerless performance as the woman who still loves him, no matter
how much he might change. Garson brings a quiet grace to the role that
makes Paula's choices not only seem logical, they seem inevitable”—Fred
Hunter. Nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor, Picture, Writing, Director,
Music, Art Direction, and Actress Supporting Role.
October 17, Cline Library, 7:00pm
"Screen comedy so gay... drama so thrilling... love so exciting,
it will be the talk of YOUR town!:"
Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, and Ronald Coleman
The Talk of the Town (1942, George Stevens, 118 minutes) “What
makes this film different than most Cary Grant flicks is that it's
about more than just a man with girl trouble. In fact, though there
is a woman involved – the lovely and funny Jean Arthur – this
film has an actual, intelligent story to tell...in addition to the
love triangle subplot. Grant plays a local political activist, Leopold
Dilg, who's accused of burning down the town factory, which event also
happened to kill the factory foreman. Rather than face a jury of his "objective" peers
he escapes and holes up in the home of Nora Shelley. Fortunately for
him, her new tenant is one of the foremost legal minds in the state,
Professor Lightcap, a man they know can help them clear Leopold's name.
The bulk of the film has Nora and Leopold, whose true identity is kept
a secret, working various unusual schemes to convince Lightcap to take
a stand. The film is a strange mixture of wacky antics, courtroom rhetoric
and old-fashioned romance. Somehow it all works. Arthur, pulled back
and forth between both men, is wonderful as the confused Nora who develops
strong feelings for both. The quick, witty repartee between the leads
keeps this somewhat ponderous story from getting too dry and intellectual.
This film has more energy than you'd expect and ends exactly the way
it should with Grant free and very available”—Crazy4Cinema.
Nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture, Cinematography, Screenplay,
Story, Editing, Art Direction, and Music.
October 24, Cline Library, 7:00pm
Good Girl/Bad Girl: Angela Lansbury and Judy Garland
60th Anniversary Screening!!
The Harvey Girls (1946, George Sidney, 102 minutes)
“The Harvey Girls is a splendid example of a well-crafted Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
musical from a time when well-crafted musicals were being dished out
in abundance from Metro's golden bowl. Inspired by the revolutionary
success of Oklahoma on Broadway and tailored to fit the protean talents
of it's young leading lady, Judy Garland, the film tells the story,
in words and music, of a group of waitresses brought west in the late
1800's to open another link in the Fred Harvey chain of restaurants.
In the process, they encounter all kinds of romantic and dramatic conflicts.
The cast is headed by Judy Garland, fresh from her triumph in the blockbuster
musical Meet Me In St. Louis and her quietly moving dramatic performance
in The Clock. During the filming of The Harvey Girls, Garland was one
of the top box-office draws in the nation, and Hollywood's most versatile
actress. She performs the role of Susan Bradley, an adventurous mail
order bride who befriends the Harvey girls en route to New Mexico,
with a vibrant comic touch. Her ability to combine tongue in cheek
humor with her signature vulnerability is very satisfying in this film,
and is an early highlight in her already legendary career. The rest
of the cast is first-rate: Angela Lansbury gives a wickedly fine performance
as Em, the jaded dance-hall queen with hooded eyes and no-flies-on-me
attitude. John Hodiak is the local tough guy and dance-hall owner,
and also the object of Garland and Lansbury's affections. Broadway
legend (and Garland's Wizard of Oz co-star) Ray Bolger does an amusing
turn as the town's rubber legged blacksmith, and Preston Foster is
the murderous Judge Purvis. The ranks of the Harvey girls are filled
by some of Hollywood's most marvelous character actresses, including
Marjorie Main and Virginia O'Brien, and the dancer Cyd Charisse in
one of her first roles. The film boasts what New York Times film critic
Bosley Crowther appreciatively called 'an abundance of chromatic spectacle
and an uncommonly good score', the centerpiece of which is the Academy
Award-winning song of the year (1946), 'On The Atchison, Topeka, and
the Santa Fe'. This production number fills the screen with the colorful
bustle of singers, dancers, and horses, and in the best Broadway tradition,
advances the plot by introducing almost every cast member and giving
them the opportunity to tell their story, in song, and their motivation
for coming west in the first place. A spectacular bit of Golden Age
musical magic, topped off by Garland's star turn entrance and full-throated
belting of the Johnny Mercer/Harry Warren song” –Classic
Film Archive. Won the Oscar for Best Song and Nominated for the Oscar
for Best Score.
October 31, Cline Library, 7:00pm
The Last Teamup: Bogart and Bacall
Key Largo (1948, John Huston, 100 minutes)
”A hurricane rages outside while Frank McLoud (Humphrey Bogart),
Nora Temple (Lauren Bacall) and her father-in-law James Temple (Lionel
Barrymore) face just as much danger inside the Temple’s Florida
resort. Frank had just dropped in to visit the Temples, father and
widow of a fri'end who had died on a Second World War battlefield under
his command. Unfortunately for all of them, Johnny Rocco (Edward G.
Robinson) and his gang of underworld thugs have just checked in – they’ve
rented the whole place for a week during slow season and they plan
to use it as their jumping off point as they flee to Cuba. Frank has
a lot in common with other Bogart characters – especially Rick
from Casablanca. He’s a cynical and apathetic fellow who’s
been through the wringer a few times and isn’t particularly interested
in getting involved in other people’s problems. As long as he
gets out of the situation with his skin intact, he’s not going
to get involved. Nora feels differently. A more outwardly passionate
person, she’s repulsed by Rocco and company, and she wants Frank
to do something about it – remember, this is 1948, so there wasn’t
a whole lot more a woman could do. It’s a tense standoff, with
the gangsters unable to leave due to the storm. They’re terrified
of its power, just as the hostages are afraid of the thugs’ guns.
Frank’s apathy begins to slip away as he watches Rocco’s
brutal treatment of his girl (Claire Trevor won an Academy Award for
her performance as the heavy-drinking moll) and his mistreatment of
native Indians who come to Temple’s hotel in search of shelter
from the storm. Nora’s charms also help break through Frank’s
crusty exterior. Could the ultimate cynic be falling in love? As the
winds start to recede, Rocco decides to make his move – with
Frank at the wheel of the escape boat. Now Frank must choose between
continuing to live as a detached free agent, and standing up for what’s
right. Key Largois a classic suspense film, and one that succeeds admirably
even though most of its action takes place in a single room. Based
on Maxwell Anderson’s play, the movie benefits from a smart script,
precise direction by John Huston, and an incredible cast. Bogart, Robinson,
Bacall, Barrymore, Trevor and the supporting players are all nearly
flawless. Yes, we’ve seen Bogart’s character many times
before, but nobody’s ever done a better job of playing the cynic
who has almost – but not quite – given up on the world.
Frank is a character who would fit in as well today as he did in post-war
1948. Same goes with Rocco, a man accustomed to bullying the whole
world, but who feels helpless in the face of a raging hurricane. This
production is loaded with wit, and even though it’s obvious from
the start that Frank’s going to be the hero, you can’t
help feeling the tension and pleading with him to do the right thing”—Brian
Webster. Won the Oscar for Best Actress in Supporting Role.
November 7, Cline Library, 7:00
“According to the War Department, I *am* my wife”:
Cary Grant and Ann Sheridan
I Was a Male War Bride
(1949, Howard Hawks, 103 minutes)
”If one director from the Golden Age of Hollywood could be considered
a Jack-of-all-trades, it would have to be Howard Hawks. Making successful
and challenging films from every genre he attempted – film noir
(The Big Sleep), crime/mafia (Scarface), western (Rio Bravo), and comedy
(His Girl Friday and Bringing up Baby) – there was no other director
who managed to bring unique sensibilities and world views to the screen
in such a variety of ways. From the previous Hawks films I’ve
seen, his comedies have struck me as the least impressive, so my expectations
of I Was a Male War Bride were rather low. Expecting a silly, slight
romantic comedy, I was greeted with an intelligent and witty romantic
comedy with a sufficient amount of social commentary hidden beneath
the light, comical exterior. Starring Cary Grant as French Army Captain
Henri Rochard and Ann Sheridan as American Lieutenant Catherine Gates,
who is assigned to work with him on a secret mission, I Was a Male
War Bride pokes fun at the sexist nature of the American military and
the xenophobia that so often leads to absurd prejudices. Hawks always
keeps the mood light with a series of visual gags that make for some
hearty laughs at the expense of Grant, and the constant sexually charged
bickering between Grant and Sheridan. The development of their relationship
is handled delicately and while much of their arguing is included for
laughs, the love-hate relationship clearly exists as a result of Grant’s
inability to deal with masculine aspects of Sheridan’s character.
This film’s attitude toward women and the military are quite
risqué for 1949 standards, but Hawks gets away with this by
making the comedy and commentary inseparable. American attitudes toward
women and foreigners that would, in those days, normally have had the
censors up in arms were overlooked since they appear on the surface
as harmless occurrences solely there for comic purposes. While the
socially relevant aspect of the film is important, the clever romance
between Grant and Sheridan shouldn’t be overlooked, and their
odd but charming chemistry is key in making the film flow as smoothly
as it does. It’s a rare comedy that can consistently make you
laugh and think simultaneously and I Was a Male War Bride does just
that. The slapstick gags and snappy, intelligent dialogue set the perfect
comedic tone while the intelligent critique of the American war-time
attitude adds the perfect touch. Hawks and Grant made several famous
films together but it’s a shame this one is often overlooked
since it’s a true comic gem that works well on every level"--Derek
Smith. Nominated for the Best American Comedy by the Writer’s
Guild
November 14, Cline Library, 7:00PM
“Lawyers should never marry other lawyers. This is called in-breeding;
from this comes idiot children... and other lawyers.” Hepburn
and Tracy
Adam’s Rib (1949, George Cukor, 101 minutes)
”Battle of the sexes films have become a comedic staple. Adam's
Rib is one of the earliest examples of the best of that sub-genre.
The film opens with a woman (Judy Holliday) following a man (Tom Ewell).
She barges into a room to find him with the woman he is having an affair
with (Jean Hagen), and, unsteadily holding a pistol, fires repeatedly,
wounding him (he survives). Cut to Adam and Amanda Bonner (Spencer
Tracy and Katharine Hepburn), Assistant District Attorney and attorney-at-law,
respectively. Shortly after he wakes up she reads a newspaper article
to him about a woman named Doris Attinger who shot her two-timing husband,Warren.
They talk about it, and it is clear that the argument over whether
or not the situation would be considered different had it been a man
assaulting his cheating wife, will not be settled for quite some time.
Adam goes to his office to find that he has been assigned the dreaded
case. When Amanda hears of this she does a bit of ambulance chasing
and winds up defending Doris, who is more than a bit ditzy. Husband
and wife prepare to go to court, unaware of just how troublesome the
duration of the trial will prove to be for them, both professionally
and personally. Assigned to the case because the District Attorney
thinks he is the only man who can get the conviction, Adam firmly believes
that no one has the right to break any laws. Amanda presents a different
story to the jury, making the case more about sexual politics than
actual law. The courtroom becomes a circus, and her strategy the bone
of contention in their marriage. The married screenwriting duo of Ruth
Gordon and Garson Kanin crafted a witty script that provides many laughs,
but also tries to focus on gender equality issues. Tracy and Hepburn,
in their fifth film together, have unparalleled chemistry that makes
their scenes together jump off the screen with immense believability.
They are supported by one of the greatest comedic casts of the 1940s.
Judy Holliday is marvelous as the light-headed, sarcastic Doris, Tom
Ewell is appropriately whiney and smarmy as Warren (and very funny
as seen in a dress during Amanda's closing statements), Jean Hagen
is perfect as his mistress, Beryl Caighn, and David Wayne steals every
scene he is in as Kip Lurie, a songwriter and singer who lives in the
apartment across from the Bonners and is smitten with Amanda. (His
ode to her is provided by Cole Porter.) George Cukor's direction, as
usual, is confident and seamless.”—Heather Picker. Selected
for the National Film Registry , Won the Oscar for Best Writing and
the Golden Globes: Nominated. Best Supporting Actress
November 21, Cline Library, 7:00pm
“I'm a concert pianist. That's a pretentious way of saying I'm...
unemployed at the moment”: Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron
An American in Paris
(1951, Vincente Minnelli, 113 minutes) “An American in Paris is one of the greatest, most elegant, and most celebrated of MGM's 50's musicals, with Gershwin lyrics and musical score (lyrics by Ira and music by composer George from some of their compositions of the 20s and 30s), lavish sets and costumes, tremendous Technicolor cinematography, and a romantic love story set to music and dance. Gene Kelly served as the film's principal star, singer, athletically-exuberant dancer and energetic choreographer - he even directed the sequence surrounding 'Embraceable You.' The entire film glorifies the joie de vivre of Paris but it was shot on MGM's sound stages in California, except for a few opening, establishing shots of the scenic city. Nonetheless, it remains one of the most optimistic American films of the post-war period - with Paris at its center. …An American in Paris - and Gigi (1958), were among Minnelli's most successful films, and two rare nuggets of gold among MGM's Golden Age of Musicals and the Thief (1945) and Ziegfeld Follies (1946)” –Tom Dirks. Selected for the National Film Registry and won, the Oscar for Best Picture, Costumes, Art Direction, Choreography, Music, Cinematography and was Nominated for the Oscar for Best Director, and Editing. Golden Globes: Won Best Picture and Nominated for Best Actor and Director
November 28, Cline Library, 7:00pm
“If you've nothing more to say, then pray, scat!”: Marilyn
Monroe and Jane Russell
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953, Howard Hawks, 91 minutes) "This
film is art masquerading as entertainment ; there is as much value
in this movie as there is in the entire life’s work of Andy Warhol.
More, probably. The story is simple-- it’s a reasonably straight
adaptation of Anita Loos’ classic novel of gold-digger Lorelei
and her quest for a millionaire she can really, truly love. The quest
takes her from American to France, through a sequence of fat millionaires
who are already married, jealous wives, stolen diamond tiaras, arrests,
courtrooms, all the usual confusions that are needed to make great
comedy. Just one section alone, the cabaret number sung with sensational
sensuality by Marilyn Monroe, 'Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend,'
must qualify as one of the most perfectly planned sequences not just
in all movie musicals, but in all cinema. Howard Hawks trusted his
star, and his audience. There’s no flashy editing, no 200 shots
a minute; just Marilyn doing as she does best…It’s very
high camp as Marilyn parodies her own image, but at the same time she
manages to transcend that. This movie is the 1950s incarnate. It’s
in a style which is being imitated every day, but which is triumphantly
best in the original. There can never be another Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
nor would we ever need one.”—Anthony Clarke. Won the Writer’s
Guild Award for Best Writing, Musical.
December 5, Cline Library, 7:00PM
“Sorry I ever sent her to finishing school. I think they finished
her.”Cary Grant and Grace Kelly
To Catch a Thief (1955, Alfred Hitchcock, 106 minutes) “To Catch a Thief is Alfred Hitchcock's second of four collaborations with screenwriter John Michael Hayes, bringing light mystery elements and a good dose of humor, wrapping them up in a crowd-pleasing package. Hitchcock also reunited with two of his favorite actors, Cary Grant and Grace Kelly, ranking among the most memorable of works for both popular celebrities. It's a classic film, not a masterpiece by any means, but the elements of mystery, romance, and humor are so strong in all departments, there's few in its class as far as this genre goes. It's a lush, breezy affair, but a treat this superb could only come from the finest confectionaries. Grant is John "The Cat" Robie, an American living on the French Riviera, now retired from being one of the world's most notorious cat burglars. When a rash of new burglaries happens in the area, Robie becomes prime suspect #1. The police are after him, so to clear his reformed name; Robie decides to try to nab the thief himself. Scoping out potential gigs, he encounters a rich American mother and daughter, the younger of which has her heart set on catching a man of her own -- a future husband. I'm not sure what's the most satisfying aspect of To Catch a Thief: Hitchcock's sure-fire direction, the chemistry between Grant and Kelly, or the refreshingly witty script. Perhaps it's best to say that the union of all three are essential to making this film as good as it is, as it's hard to imagine this fluffy material working without any one of them. The locales are beautiful, the colors vibrant, and the costumes magnificent, such that even those who don't care about the plot will find much to enjoy just from the scenery, and of course, the lead actors themselves.”—Vince Leo. Oscar win for Cinematography and Nomination for Set Design.
December 12, Cline Library, 7:00PM
Business Ethics, Cads, Shrinks, Mad Scientists and…VIP!:
Rock Hudson and Doris Day
Lover Come Back(1961, Delbert Mann, 107 minutes) “Critics were sharpening their poison pens and their wit, to bring down those who have climbed to the top of the heap. They were shocked to discover that screenwriter, Stanley Shapiro, now teamed with Paul Henning had produced a clever, bright script that actually equaled or bettered Pillow Talk. Doris Day's performance was much improved here, for she had found the right key in which to present the totally sophisticated character of Carol Templeton and Rock Hudson (Jerry Webster) looked more comfortable playing comedy than he did in the former film. This movie became an instant success and was hailed as a triumph by the majority of film critics worldwide. This time 'around, there was a better director, Delbert Mann, who handled this material with an expert's touch. In reality, the film is very much like Pillow Talk because of the deceptive nature of the story, but the lines are funnier here and the situations are more risqué. Jerry Webster and Carol Templeton work for rival advertising agencies on Madison Avenue. Webster's firm has a reputation of stealing accounts from other agencies by using unscrupulous tactics to nab new accounts. Carol has plans to snag the Miller's Wax account, which is metamorphosing it's image with a new can and Templeton has, she thinks, just the right ideas to convince Mr. J. Paxton Miller (Jack Oakie) to give the account to her firm. Webster, on the other hand, decides to shower the gentleman with liquor, women and carnal activities. Guess who wins out? Furious at Webster's tactics, Carol accidentally learns from Webster's some times girlfriend, nightclub performer, Rebel Davis (Edie Adams) that he is going after a new account for a product called VIP. Determined to "get even" with Webster for stealing the Paxton account, Carol sets out to outsmart her competition. She begins to mount a campaign for a product that doesn't exist. Jerry Webster invented "VIP" to accommodate Rebel's disappointment in him at not getting her lucrative commercials and to bribe her into not testifying before the Advertising Council against him for unprofessional tactics in advertising. You see, Carol Templeton has filed a complaint…Film Daily said at the time, "The comedy is breezily paced, full of zest and bounce, and designed for mass appeal. Just about everybody should like it. The New York Herald Tribune wrote 'In Lover Come Back, we are graced with the sauciest, brightest, most blithe of sophisticated romantic comedies to show up in a long, long time… excellent cast… and the most brisk, witty dialogue that any American comedy has enjoyed in years.' The New York Times hailed it as "the funniest picture of the year." The costumes by Irene for Miss Day were stylish and smart and Frank DeVol's score added punch to the proceedings. Also, the New York locale always adds to the quality of any picture. All in all, this was a very successful movie and ended up on many Top Ten lists for the year, 1961.” -Ralph McKnight. Won the Laurel Award for Best Comedy and Actress and nominated for Best Actor, Supporting Actor