My brother, I have discovered in recent years, has an impressive ability to find really obscure movies that I like. I don't really know how he does it - especially considering the fact that he finds me hard to buy for and doesn't like buying me movies (to be fair, I am picky) and we don't really see each other anymore. Last year (as in 2010), he bought me Give a Girl a Break and Holiday in Mexico, both of which were fun and fluffy musicals - right up my alley. This past year, he bought me a French '50s film called Fanfan la Tulipe. I'll be honest, I don't usually brave foreign film territory. Not because I don't like them or don't trust their quality, but because I don't know anything about them. I know a lot about American films; I'll stick to what I know for now.
However, this movie makes me feel like I'm probably missing out. Because it is fantastic!
Imagine an Errol Flynn movie. Got it? Now, make it a little bit sillier, make it French and add some low-cut costumes and a lot of innuendo. Imagining it? That's Fanfan la Tulipe. It's a fun, swashbuckling film about a good-hearted, good-looking, impudent, and brave rogue-ish fellow named Fanfan (Gerard Philipe). After he receives a fortune from a bogus fortune-teller (Gina Lollobrigida), saying that he will marry the king's daughter, Fanfan goes in search of his destiny - even when he learns that the fortune was made up.
It's a lot of fun, full of great sword-fighting scenes, romance, and excitement - I was at the edge of my seat! I really liked the main character and I really liked the girl and I really liked the sidekick. I figure that's pretty good if the three main characters are likable. There were a number of villains in this film. I didn't care for all of them as villains because one of them was just annoying but one of them (I'm trying to avoid spoilers) was a very good villain. I do recommend it if you have the chance. Netflix offers it. By the bye, the title of this post is part of the translated subtitles. I don't speak French so it's a little hard for me to quote it!
I watched a delightful movie a little while back and I've been dying to review it so I think I'll include it in my much neglected 100 movies list:
#38 It’s Love I’m After (1937)
The movie stars Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Patric Knowles. The plot is a little confusing, but here goes: Basil Underwood (Leslie Howard) and Joyce Arden (Bette Davis) have procrastinated their marriage often but when Henry Grant (Patric Knowles) arrives and asks Basil to pretend to be a cad to his fiancée, Marcia West (Olivia de Havilland), so as to end her infatuation with him. Basil, in a moment of self-conscious heroism, agrees to help. Naturally, however, Joyce does not agree with him on how heroic his help is.
The performances were fantastic! I’ve always loved Leslie Howard, but have difficulty watching him because he is in so many dramas and I prefer comedy. I find him completely fascinating. He's such an amazing actor and he has this incredible intensity that I just love to watch. If anyone has any other good Leslie Howard films that are my style (you know, light and fun) other than Pygmalion and The Scarlet Pimpernel, please let me know! Anyway, I stumbled upon this movie and only five minutes in, I was smitten. Leslie Howard is side-splitting as a pompous and self-infatuated actor. Bette Davis is adorable. Olivia de Havilland has a flair for playing a madcap heiress and she’s at her comedic best in this one. I adored Eric Blore. He and Leslie Howard were brilliant together. I think Patric Knowles is a grossly underrated actor and he’s great again in this one. I was dying!!
It’s definitely on my wishlist now.Can’t wait to own it.
I tried to look up some trivia but didn't find much, other than the fact that Bette Davis resented being billed second to Leslie Howard (not surprising).
Here is one of my favorite scenes in the movie. It starts at five minutes. Feel free to skip ahead to the scene or treat yourself to the entire movie if you have the time. I intend to buy it because I'd like to reward Warner Bros for selling their archive collection by investing it. Also, the watermark is a big pain.
All of the photos in this post are from Doctor Macro.
I haven't listed a modern film in my list of 100 movies in a while, so I'm going to do that this time around. I love movies that celebrate the past, which is one of the many reasons I love
#37 That Thing You Do (1996)
The basic storyline is pretty simple. Small-town band, The One-ders (later Wonders) make it big and rise to become teen sensations during the rock'n'roll age of the 1960's. Fame, of course, has its price and the band soon learns how hard it is to stay together when you're at the top. But don't worry, there's a decidedly happy ending and there are plenty of laughs throughout to keep this movie at its romantic and comedic best. I love this movie. I love the music, the costumes, the hair, the dialogue. It's so much fun! Tom Hanks directed, wrote, and starred in this film - which I think is pretty awesome. I love Tom Hanks (but then, who doesn't?).
If there's one thing I love, it's fake history. I think fake history is brilliant. It takes a lot of work to come up with storylines, bios, and random bits of detail to make the setting more real. This film is jam-packed with it. I was reading through the trivia listing on IMDb to see if there was anything interesting to share. It's incredible because the storylines of all the characters continue post-film-ending (there are even some bits in the soundtrack, just for good measure!). There are, apparently, tons of details that make it more believable within the context of the time period (for example, there's a commercial that plays at one point in the film that really aired at the time the movie takes place). And then, the similarities between the Wonders and the Beatles are incredible. It's all very thorough and pretty amazing.
I'm going to link to the list of trivia so you can peruse the details if you wish (I don't want to give away too many spoilers). But, of course, you do not have to catch all of these little details to enjoy the movie. It is, simply, a very entertaining and enjoyable film. So, now, for your viewing pleasure, I'm going to embed a music video from the film that acts as a sort of trailer as well. Enjoy!
This is my favorite animated Disney film. I'm totally a Peter Pan fan-girl, and a bit of a purist. Ironically, I'm not a purist in terms of the book too terribly much, as the animated film does not follow the book entirely accurately. But I am a purist in other ridiculous ways in that I staunchly avoid the Tinker Bell movies because I hate that they completely changed her personality, I strongly disliked Return to Never Land, and I'm not too crazy about the new "Jake and the Never Land Pirates" show on Disney Jr. But enough about my Peter Pan puritanism.
A couple of interesting bits of trivia for you: in accordance with tradition, Hans Conried voices both Mr. Darling and Captain Hook; this was the last animated Disney film in which all nine members of the Nine Old Men worked together on it as directing animators. Neat, huh?
I love everything about this movie. I love the way it opens, the way it ends. I love the hero, the girl, the villain, the supporting characters, the music, the animation. Here is the opening sequence. Every time I merely start the film, I get all excited about how magical it is...
Something that fascinates me is that everyone has a completely different favorite Disney film. I know this may seem obvious but I find it intriguing. These are the movies we grew up with. These are the movies we associate with childhood, magic, romance. I told my friend that htis was my favorite and she said it never even makes it on her radar; she often forgets about it. Her favorite is Hercules, which I have watched maybe twice - I often forget about that one. While Mary Poppins is probably my all-time favorite Disney movie, I don't really consider it an animated film, which makes this my favorite animated film. What about you? What's your favorite animated Disney film?
This movie is actually tied with Monkey Business in my list of favorite Marx brothers films (so far) but I watched this one more recently, so I'm reviewing it first.
The basic summary of the film is this: when the heroic Captain Spaulding (Groucho) returns from Africa, Mrs. Rittenhouse (Margaret Dumont) plans a big celebration, including the unveiling of a great painting. When practically everyone in the house schemes to switch the painting with a duplicate, however, chaos ensues. It's up to the Marx brothers to find the culprit... or to not get caught being one!
Unfortunately, I don't have much to offer as far as trivia goes. I don't know much about the marvelous Marx brothers, but I'd like to. (Any suggested reading?)
What I do know is that I love the Marx brothers. It's a love that grows every time I watch one of their movies (okay, almost every time - I wasn't crazy about Love Happy). I love Groucho's one-liners and Chico's puns. And in Animal Crackers I even enjoyed Harpo's bits of zaniness (the leg gag really had me cracking up). I had watched the movie a) because it was on my list of movies to watch and b) because my very good friend told me that the scene where Chico plays the piano is hilarious. Well, I watched that scene where Chico plays the piano... and I was dying. So unbelievably funny!!
My other favorite part was probably this scene with Chico and Groucho (it's where I got the title of my post). But really there were so many good scenes and so many fantastic moments. If you haven't seen it, you definitely should add it to your to-see list.
In the meantime, I'm including a poll. Do weigh in as I'm curious to see the results! I'm leaving this poll up all month.
Oh, and P.S. I'm uploading a new Valentine's day video on my YouTube channel. Check it out!
Okay, so the last 100 movie post I did was in October, which is a bit ridiculous. Let's see if we can kick that old habit back into gear, shall we?
And let's do it with a good timey old classic like...
After The Thin Man (1936)
I'm picking this movie for several reasons: one, we're only very recently past the new year and I consider this a New Year's movie. two, I'm in a bit of a Thin Man mood after having read Charles Tranberg's The Thin Man Films: Murder After Cocktails which was highlighted in the wonderful blog of C.K. Dexter Haven. and third, well, I just love this movie. It's one of my favorite Thin Man films and it is, I believe, widely regarded as one of the better. This probably because it had a team as the first one: same director (W.S. Van Dyke), same writers (Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett), and our heroes are still partying it up without the soon-to-come hindrance of a child.
The story picks up where the first one leaves off - with Nick and Nora on their way home to San Francisco. Nick has just finished the Thin Man case and he's ready to relax... or so he thinks. Back at home, Nora's family is finding trouble when her cousin, Selma's (Elissa Landi) husband disappears. When her husband is later found murdered, Selma becomes a chief suspect and Nick and Nora start sleuthing. There are some great lines in this one and stellar performances by all, including a fantastic young James Stewart. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it. If you haven't seen a Thin Man movie yet, then you definitely should add the series to your Netflix queue. They're worth watching (and rewatching).
I'm hoping to come back in full force. I'm going to assume that I'm doing so by being optimistic and adding a poll. The poll will cover this topic: Which is your favorite Thin Man movie? Weigh in with your opinion!
Okay. Let's try this again. First off, I want to announce that I got to do a guest blog for one of my favorite bloggers, Emma Wallace. I wrote about Fran Jeffries. Yay Fran Jeffries!
So this week I want to talk about one of my absolute favorite films. It's not actually a contemporary film and it's really relatively obscure, I think. It's a movie that I'm always a bit wary to show around because if people don't love it, I take it personally or I get defensive. It's pretty silly. That's how I get around my favorite films though. Is anyone else that way?
So, for #33 on my list:
The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)
This film is based on two books by Baroness Orczy, The Scarlet Pimpernel and El Dorado. The basic plot (which is similar to the '34 version with Leslie Howard) is as follows: Sir Percy Blakeney is the most fashionable fop in London. What no one, including his lovely wife Marguerite, knows is that Sir Percy is also the mysterious hero, the Scarlet Pimpernel, who saves innocent French aristocrats from the guillotine. When Percy believes that his wife caused a man and his family to be executed, he is unable to trust her again. Will Marguerite be able to regain her husband's trust? Will Percy be able to rescue the dauphin, heir to the French throne?
It's all very thrilling. I love the Scarlet Pimpernel. I love the books. I love the movies. I love the Broadway musical. I'm basically smitten with Percy Blakeney. I'm collecting the books and I have 11 of the 12 Sir Percy books (that is, the Scarlet Pimpernel books that deal directly with Percy, not his predecessors or descendants. And it's not including Sir Percy Looks at the World, which is another one I want to own). I'm basically obsessed.
So, when I show this movie to anyone and they make fun of it or they say, "this movie is really silly," I get all upset because I've built it up in my mind to absolutely perfect. Do any of you have movies like that? It may not be the best movie ever but it's still a favorite and I will continue to preach its awesomeness. So, it absolutely must be on my top 100 movies list. And there you have it.
And here is one of my favorite promo pictures ever, which just so happens to be from this film!
I'm back, baby doll! Hopefully. Emma Wallace left a very kind note on my quotes post, asking me to come back. I was very touched! So, here I am! Every time I start getting back into the swing of things, I get slammed with a crazy week and then it all collapses. So frustrating.
Anyway, today I'm going to do a 100 movies post. A good while ago, I did a quotes post with this quote: "Good work, Junior! Better than working for a living!" Emma was the only one to guess and get the answer to this one - the movie is The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947) starring Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, and Shirley Temple. Which just so happens to be #32 on my count-up! The film is pretty wacky so bear with me on this one. Bachelor Richard Nugent (Grant) has a tendency to attract trouble - not that he causes any and when he is brought before Judge Margaret Turner (Loy), he finds her narrow view of the facts rather frosty. But when Richard speaks at Margaret's sister's school, that's when the trouble really begins because Susan (Temple) falls head-over-heels for him! And when Susan sneaks up to Richard's apartment, claiming that he asked her to model for him, he finds himself in a pretty tricky situation.
Like I said, pretty wacky. I remember lending this one to my aunt and she returned it saying that it was a little "unrealistic." Well, of course it is! That's what makes it so fun! No one would ever actually sentence a bachelor to date a teenager in order to get him out of her system (this movie would really never work today). But, in the movies, it's fun! Especially with such a stellar cast.
As an adoring Shirley Temple fan, this is one of my favorites. The film was the studio's attempts to bring her back into the limelight. I really wish it had worked because I think she is fantastic in this one. (Plus, she's absolutely adorable - but in a different way. Check out her outfit in the clip below and her hair in this photo. How cute is she?)
And then, of course, you have the wonderful pairing of Cary Grant and Myrna Loy and they're wonderful. The storyline causes their relationship to be a little odd but I think they really make it work. I really enjoy Grant's humorous charm and Loy's wry skepticism. So much fun!
I really recommend you check the movie out for yourself but if you're not convinced yet, I'll post my favorite scene below to whet your appetite:
P.S. I feel that I should apologize for actually misquoting my own quote of the week. The original quote, now that I think of it, is actually, "Good for you, Junior!" not "Good work, Junior!"
After my whole Gloria de Haven-related post, I decided to continue the theme in a 100 movies post. Yes! The 100 movies list is back!
#31 Two Girls and a Sailor (1944)
The film tells the story of two vaudeville actresses, Patsy and Jean Deyo (June Allyson and Gloria de Haven) who hold canteens in their apartment for servicemen. When a secret admirer, "Somebody," starts sending Jean orchids and, later, buys her the deed to an abandoned warehouse, Patsy sets out to discover his identity. Complications arise, however, when the two sisters fall in love with the same guy, a sailor named Johnny (Van Johnson).
In typical '40's musical fashion, this film is chock-full of songs, most of which have nothing whatever to do with the plot. There's a host of great actors making cameo appearances, which is a lot of fun: Jose Iturbi, Gracie Allen, Lena Horne, Harry James, and Xavier Cugat to name just a few.
This movie is tons of fun. There are lots of great lines and great songs. It's hard to find, unfortunately. I got ridiculously excited when I discovered it was offered in the WB Archives collection. I highly recommend it.
I know I say this a lot, but this is one of my absolute favorite movies ever. It's so magical and beautiful and poignant and touching and fun. It's a masterpiece. When people ask me what my favorite movie is (and I work at Disney so this question does come up in conversation from time to time), I automatically think cartoons but then as I start listing them, I always have to throw this one in because I think it is one of the best made movies, and one of the best made Disney movies.
I don't think I have to give you a nutshell of the plot, so I won't. Phew! I'm off the hook for this one!
Reasons for why this movie is a masterpiece: 1) the story. It's really quite perfect. It has a complete arc that's filled with emotion and entertainment and poignancy and, importantly, it ends with hope (I like that Bert bids Mary Poppins farewell; it makes her character, and his, seem less lonesome). 2) the technology. I know that movie makers, and Walt Disney in particular, had been experimenting with combining cartoon and live action for decades before Mary Poppins (the Alice comedies of the 1920's), but the combination of the two blend so beautifully together, it's hard to imagine them separated. 3) the characters. Every one in the film from the practically perfect Mary Poppins, the mysterious but friendly Bert, jolly Uncle Albert, suffragette Mrs. Banks, stoic Mr. Banks, to the "adorable" children, the servants, the policeman, and the sweeps are colorful and thoroughly enjoyable characters. There isn't a dislikeable one among the lot. Although Mr. Bank has his moments, he is, in general, a pitiable character and he gets some fantastic numbers, which leads to #4.... 4) the music. You all know how much I love the Sherman Brothers. I think they were geniuses and I do wish they got more credit and recognition for their work. But, at the very least, they get a good amount of press for their work here. These songs are classic and they are classic Sherman magic. I love the way each song has a story behind it and every song has a philosophy or observation behind it. 5) the performers. this really goes hand in hand with #3, but I feel there should be something said about how amazing all of the actors are in this. There isn't a bad pick in the entire cast. Everyone is a perfect fit. 6) Finally, the magic. You just can't deny it. The movie is pure Disney magic from beginning to end. It's charming and touching, philosophical and entertaining.
Now, for some trivia. And these ones I know from watching documentaries and reading bits and pieces from time to time so I really can't cite them off-hand like I usually do. Like I said earlier, a lot of the songs have stories behind them which are very entertaining. One of my personal favorites is the story of "Sister Suffragette." When Walt Disney called Glynis Johns in to offer her the role, she thought he planned to make her the title character and was completely overjoyed. When he told her he actually wanted to make her the mother, she said she wasn't interested. So, Walt Disney told her that they'd written a song for her in this role and she told him that she'd think about it after she'd heard the song. So, Walt Disney called up the Sherman brothers and told them to think up a song for Mrs. Banks and fast. They had, luckily, already been playing with a tune for Mary Poppins about her being "practically perfect in every way." After changing the lyrics, it became "Sister Suffragette." The rest of the trivia that I know is in bits and pieces: - "Feed the Birds (Tuppence a Bag)" was Walt's favorite song - "Step in Time" was more or less inspired by "Knees Up, Mother Brown" - The Sherman brothers originally wrote a song for the character Admiral Boom but Walt requested the song be taken out. The tune of the song is still the Admiral's theme and you can hear it whenever he has a scene (sing to yourself "Admiral Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom Boom" when he comes on and you'll pick up on the tune).
I could go on and on. If I'm not careful, I will!! I'm having to stop myself from waxing too eloquent on this movie. I'm in no way an expert but I have watched the documentary on it and I read the book written by the Sherman brothers and paid especial attention to this chapter. If you ever get a chance, I highly recommend both. I'll post a new poll up too - which is your favorite song in Mary Poppins?
I leave you with this little bit of silliness and one of my favorite quotes.
"There's the whole world at your feet. And who gets to see it but the birds, the stars, and the chimney sweeps."
I'm in the process of transcribing all of my notes onto blogger so that I can finally start this month's themed list. But for now, continuing in my list of 100 movies...
#29 Bringing Up Baby (1938)
This is one of those movies I watch and remember how funny it is. So many great lines, so many memorable moments! The basic plot is as follows: David Huxley (Cary Grant) is work hard to complete the brontosaurus skeleton for his museum. On the afternoon before his wedding, he goes to talk to Mr. Peabody, a lawyer whose client is planning to give away $1 million. While trying to convince Mr. Peabody during a game of golf that the museum deserves this generous donation, David meets madcap heiress, Susan Vance (Katharine Hepburn). Susan takes a liking to David and tricks him into helping her transport a leopard, Baby, to her farm in Connecticut on the day of his wedding. Misadventures and misunderstandings (along with a great deal of hilarity) ensue.
This movie is filled with fantastic dialogue and scenes. This is one of my favorites of Hepburn's performances - she's so crazy but likeable. Cary Grant is absolutely adorable as the strait-laced Dr. Huxley. This is the film with Cary Grant's famous "I just went gay all of a sudden" line, which has always been a curiosity to me (the line, that is, not the placement of it).
I found an interesting bit of trivia on IMDb about that line. I'll quote it because I don't think I would be able to paraphrase it properly: "David's response to Aunt Elizabeth asking him why he is wearing a woman's dressing gown ('Because I just went gay all of a sudden!') is considered by many film historians to be the first use of the word 'gay' in its roughly modern sense (as opposed to its archaic meaning of "happy, carefree") in an American studio film. Among homosexuals, the word first came into its current use during the 1920s or possibly even earlier, though it was not widely known by heterosexuals as a slang term for homosexuals until the late 1960s. The line was not in the original shooting script for the film; it was an ad lib from Cary Grant himself." Interesting, huh? I found that little tidbit while looking up trivia for the movie. I also found out that Cary Grant was not fond of the leopard, although Katharine Hepburn was (which, ironically, is how it works in the movie too) and that Katharine Hepburn needed coaching in her comedic timing, which is interesting.
Anyway, the film contains many more memorable lines than just the one discussed above. Here are some of my favorites:
"But isn't it chilly without a gun, Elizabeth?" - Major Horace Applegate
"Well, it isn't that I don't like you, Susan. After all, in moments of quiet I'm strangely drawn to you but, well, there haven't been any quiet moments." - David
Susan: Well you can't do the trick without dropping some of the olives, it takes practice. David: What, to sit on my hat? Susan: No, to drop an olive.
Elizabeth: Who are you? David: I don't know. I'm not quite myself today.
And, finally, I'm linking to a movie clip (our introduction to Baby) for your enjoyment.
Now, for a quick break from our usual programming...
#28 Down With Love (2003)
I love this film. It's witty, it's sexy, and it's so much fun to watch. The basic plotline is as follows: womanizer Catcher Block (Ewan McGregor) is at the top of his game as a celebrated journalist and an often-celebrating man. But when author Barbara Novak writes a nonfiction book, Down With Love, that encourages women to get an equal footing in the workforce, a hilarious battle of the sexes ensues. Things get even more complicated (well, really, they're just beginning) when Barbara announces that Catcher is the worst kind of man and Catcher decides to have his revenge - by making her fall in love with him!
Now, I promised before to write more in-depth posts when I'm dealing with contemporary films so let me write out reasons for why this movie would appeal to classic film fans. I'm also going to link to some clips that highlight what I'm talking about in each section and I'm going to embed the trailer below so you guys can get a good idea of what this movie is like. It's honestly one of my favorite movies ever. It's so stinking funny!
1. The fashion. We all know that the clothing in old movies is amazing. The films are treasure troves of fabulous vintage fashion. Well if you like 60's fashion, look no further than Down With Love (okay, you can look further, but look here as well). There are some super cute dresses and outfits throughout the movie. Here is a clip featuring several.
2. The 60's-ness. This movie was more or less based on Pillow Talk (although I've written an entire post outlining how the movies compare and contrast). The makers of the film really worked to make it seem as if it came out of the 60's. They make use of green screens (in this clip, for example), crazy sets, and Tony Randall (he has a bit part). I like that the movie is a sort of homage to 60's movies and I think it should be applauded (or at least watched) for its efforts.
3. The wit. The dialogue in this movie is fantastic. So very many clever lines! Now, as a caution: if you are offended by sexual humor then this movie isn't for you. It's a self-described "zany sex comedy" and sex plays a major part in the film. However, in my opinion, sex is dealt with in a very clever and witty way. There are tons of double entendres and innuendos. Now, with that warning out of the way, I can link to one of my favorite scenes in the movie: the audience's introduction to Catcher Block (who, by the way, is practically a reason in and of himself to watch this movie - Ewan McGregor in 60's fashion? Yes please!). Now, links aside, here is an example of that clever banter, other than the example linked over above...
Catcher: You said she was a spinster. Mac: I never used the word 'spinster' in my life! Okay once. When I told my mother it was technically incorrect for her to call her son a spinster. Catcher: You said she was a brunette. Mac: I did not! Catcher: She sure didn't sound like a blonde on the telephone... Do you still want to date Vicky? Mac: Of course I do. Do you think I want to die a spinster?
Have I whetted your appetite yet? In my personal opinion, this movie is delightful from start to finish. I love the affected manner of the characters and the general wackiness of the movie. I love the humor. I love the movie's ability to pay tribute to classic film while bringing in a contemporary feel to the movie. Here is the trailer to further persuade you to check out this film. Enjoy!
In discussing this movie, it really is necessary for me to discuss the book as well. So, I'll give you a brief nutshelling of the plot and then I'll go into further discussion.
The plot is as follows: Sir Percy Blakeney Bart. is the most fashionable fop in London and is adored by everyone except, perhaps, his clever wife, Marguerite. What Marguerite and society do not know, however, is that Percy leads a double life. He is also the elusive hero known only as the Scarlet Pimpernel who has been stumping the Republicans over in France by rescuing French aristocrats from the guillotine. As the Scarlet Pimpernel is known all over for being an ingenious master of disguise, no one even suspects that the foolish Sir Percy could be at all connected.
Now, let me say this: I absolutely adore Baroness Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel. She wrote around a dozen sequels to the book and I've kind of eaten them up like literary candy. The one frustrating thing is that there has to be a film adaptation that quite follows the book. Now, I know this is a common complaint and I also know that to fully adapt the book, one would have to make an A&E-type production lasting around 6 hours (which, ironically, has already been done - quite appallingly, I might add). Despite the fact that the writers of the film do not stay wholly faithful to the plot or the characters, this movie is quite wonderful. The dialogue, for one thing, is delightful. There's so much fun word play going on. So many quotable moments. Here is an excellent example. Go to 6:00 to get to the right moment. My favorite scene is at the end of the movie but I don't want to give any spoilers! (You may notice that you can see more of the film here. I highly recommend it!)
Leslie Howard plays Percy to perfection. He has the droop of the eyes, the voice, the mannerisms down to an art. I also really love the intensity he gives Percy, because that's part of the fun. This movie makes me want to watch much more of Leslie Howard but I find that I don't always care for his other films, more's the pity. What makes the book (and the consequent movie(s)) so much fun is the character of Percy. You get a whole bunch of fun aspects rolled into one character. On the one hand, he's a fashion-minded fop, best friends with the Prince of Wales, and always fun at parties; on the other hand, he's a genius, bravely and selflessly sacrificing his safety for the innocent; and then on the other hand, he's a husband who is quietly and passionately in love with his wife. All of these make for a very fun character to read about!
I do recommend it! And when you see it (or if you already have) comment with your favorite line because there are several fun ones. My personal favorite is in the title.
I decided a couple of weeks ago when I posted a quote from this movie and nobody got it that I needed to write about this movie. This is a movie I grew up with and it is one of the funniest movies ever.
Basic plot line: when usurper King Roderick (Cecil Parker) takes the throne of England, a small band of bandits, led by the elusive Black Fox (Edward Ashley), rescue a small baby, the rightful heir to the throne and hide him in the forest. They send the baby under the care of Hubert Hawkins (Danny Kaye) and beautiful bandit, Maid Jean (Glynis Johns) to an abbey where the heir will be safe. However, when Maid Jean suggests that Hawkins go to the castle under the guise of the Incomparable Giacomo (King of Jesters and Jester of Kings) to spy on the false king, Hawkins finds himself in the thick of the action. And when the fair Princess Gwendolyn (Angela Lansbury) falls in love with Giacomo, complications arise. And when the cunning Sir Ravenhurst (Basil Rathbone) mistakes Hawkins for the Black Fox, then the trouble really begins!
This film is so delightfully funny. There are so many fantastic lines and wonderful scenes. I honestly had a difficult time deciding which line to use for my title to this post. Should I have gone with "I'm not loo-loo-ing, Sire, I'm willow-willow-wayling" or "There'd be more room if you raised your arm... the other one" or perhaps "Or in so many languages, 'Why tarry? Let us off to the castle!'" Oh my goodness. So many good lines. Danny Kaye is at his comedic finest in the film. The classic "Pellet with the poison" scene, which is laugh-out-loud funny, is featured in the Best of Danny Kaye video (which I watched rather obsessively a few years ago). It's incredible, really, how well he can mess up the words - to the point where you can barely remember what the real words are. The whole magnetic thing is so incredibly wacky but is also remarkably funny. (I also really like Jean's outfit in this scene. Some of her clothing is absolutely lovely!)
The film also boasts one of the funniest fight scenes ever (even surpassing, in my opinion, such well-known ones as The Princess Bride and Monty Python and the Holy Grail). I would embed the scene here to share it with you, but there's a spoiler at the end and that's no fun. I've read a couple of interesting tidbits on the scene but they seem slightly contradictory. One tidbit states that Basil Rathbone, because of his talents as a swordsman, was largely responsible for keeping the two characters injury-free. The other tidbit states that the fight scene was too fast-paced for the older Rathbone and the fight choreographer had to stand in for him a lot.
Since I can't post that one, I'll post this one instead. This is a very funny little scene when Hawkins first meets the king. When I was little, I sat down and wrote out this dialogue because I was so impressed with Kaye's tongue-twisting capabilities and I was determined to imitate it (I must admit, rather proudly, that I used to have this whole thing by heart. I'm really relatively good at tongue-twisters. I haven't practiced this scene in a while, though, so I miss a couple of lines here and there these days).
If you haven't seen this movie and you enjoy comedies, musicals, and/or adventures, you should definitely check it out! If you have seen it, then add a comment with your favorite line (or lines) in the film. There are so many good ones and I'm curious to know which ones stick out to you.
Today, I'm going to do something brave and daring. In continuing my list of 100 wonderful movies, I'm going to discuss a contemporary film. Yes, my friends, I like movies made post-1960's. In fact, I like many such films. I promise not to beleaguer this list with modern titles as I don't want to alienate classic film lovers - this is, after all, a classic film blog. However, I think that good movies continue to be made and I want to honor that by discussing them. And to make these posts more classic-film-lover-friendly, I'll do my best to explain why I like this movie. With titles like The Philadelphia Story and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, you guys are more inclined to forgive me for justifying my love for a movie by "I just love it. It's great." However, I feel that I'll need to earn you trust a bit more with titles that you might be less inclined to watch, so I'll try to give a good, sound argument as to why I like it. We'll see how this goes...
25. You've Got Mail (1998)
This is one of my all-time favorite movies. Every time I watch it, I smile, I laugh. I've already discussed this one at relatively great length in a post comparing it to its predecessor, The Shop Around the Corner. The reasons I love this movie are:
the dialogue. I think many classic film lovers would agree that one of their favorite things about classic movies is the witty dialogue, the clever banter, the funny one-liners. Well, this movie, has some of my favorite lines. For instance: Joe: Well, I put you out of business, so you're entitled to hate me. Kathleen: I don't hate you. Joe: But you'll never forgive me... just like Elizabeth. Kathleen: Who? Joe: Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice. She was too proud! Kathleen: I thought you hated Pride and Prejudice. Joe: Or was she too prejudiced and Mr. Darcy was too proud? Well, I can't remember.
the charm. Kathleen Kelly is one of the most adorable characters ever, in my humble opinion. I love the way she stops and stares at butterflies and likes the smell of Scotch tape. And while Joe Fox does some truly frustrating things, he's also an incredibly charming man and suitor - he brings her daisies! (sigh)
the humor. Many contemporary comedies have rather questionable humor but this one, I think, keeps it pretty classy.
the romance. This is one of the more famous romantic comedies but even people who don't like romantic comedies, like this movie. The romance is real but not cloyingly sweet.
I wish I could link to some of my favorite scenes, but, alas, it cannot be. Instead, I shall link you to the trailer and hope that it will entice you to check this one out if you haven't already done so. It really is a delightful film. By the way, before you get concerned, the rest of my posts: the lists, the spotlight segments, the quotes, will all continue to focus on older movies. And do tell me what you think of this change!
I'm sure you all knew this was coming. I mean, after all of my crazy Errol Flynn hysteria, you had to know that I would post another one of his movies sooner or later in my 100 movies list. So, here you are:
#24 Four's A Crowd (1938)
Okay, so I picked the Italian poster. I've been trying to stick with the American posters, if only for consistency, but this one is so much cooler. I had no choice.
And now I'm going to do a horrible, terrible thing. You see, I'd just written "I'm going to try and nutshell this one" but I erased and have decided upon this tact instead. I wanted to credit Doctor Macro for the poster and I realized that he probably has a much better summary of the film than I could ever hope to do.. So here is the link for both the poster and the summary.
Click on photo for source
I avoided this movie quite ridiculously for a little while because I'd read that Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland don't end up together and I thought that was just too dreadful. What's the joy of watching an Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland movie if they don't end up together? It would be as bad as watching a Fred and Ginger film with Fred dying at the end and Ginger reminiscing about their dancing. Oh, wait... (sorry, I really don't like that one). Well, I bit the bullet and watched it and am I glad I did! This zany screwball comedy hits the ground running and doesn't stop for breath. Within the first five minutes, Rosalind Russell helps Patric Knowles with his pants. What a start! After watching the movie, I sent my roommate a message along these lines: "I just watched a romantic comedy with Errol Flynn. He wears pinstripe suits, sits by a pool shirtless, bites a dog, and sports a mustache. I need to own this movie!"
Sadly, I couldn't refind this one, so I can't credit it to anyone.
It's a pretty confusing storyline (which is why I was too cowardly to write a summary). Even the couples are confused as to which guy belongs with which girl. The only one who really seems to know what's going on is Errol Flynn and even he gets double-crossed sometimes. To be honest, there are still things that confused me about this film but I love it anyway. I can't wait to own it. I'm not sure when I'll buy it but, I assure you, it will end up in my collection eventually.
Click on photo for source
This is, sadly, the only comedy starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. I think they were marvelous as comedic actors. I've seen de Havilland in A Midsummer Night's Dream (which is, by the way, the craziest rendition of that play that I've ever seen) but I've yet to see her or Flynn in any other comedies. If you've seen either in a comedy, please let me know! I'd love to see it!
And because I simply cannot resist, I'm embedding my favorite scene in the film. The title of the post is from this scene and, I'm not sure why, but I love that line! It just strikes me as so funny! Am I alone in this?
Continuing in my list of 100 movies now. To be honest, I've more or less lost track of the point of this list, really. I'd originally intended it to be a sort of AFI list of 100 best films. The problem is, how do you define "best?" Does it mean I'd have to include movies I don't like? Does it mean I ought to stick primarily to movies that are serious and weighty as many people tend to think that serious and weighty movies are superior to light and fluffy ones? Or is it really a list of 100 movies that I like best? In which case, do I even have 100 movies that I like best? As opposed to 100 movies that I like at all? I think I'm beginning to confuse myself with these silly questions so I'll stop. Suffice it to say that this count-up has basically become a list of 100 movies that I like very much. What happens when I get to 100? Well, I'll worry about that when I get there. In the meantime...
#23 Holiday (1938)
The basic plot is as follows: Johnny Case (Cary Grant) has impulsively become engaged to Julia Seton (Doris Nolan). While he wins the affections of Julia's sister, Linda (Katherine Hepburn), and brother, Ned (Lew Ayres), Julia's wealthy father is a harder one to charm. And when Johnny tells them of his plans to take an extended holiday as soon as he has enough saved up, tempers clash. No one understands Johnny's desire to travel and figure out the meaning of life, except Linda.
I'm always forgetting how great this film is until I watch it. That may sound silly, but it's true. I watched this one a good while ago, put it on my wishlist, rated it 5 stars on Netflix, and then forgot about it. When my mom checked it out of the library a few weeks ago, I was able to realize why I loved it so much in the first place. This movie is emotional, funny, and uplifting all at once. I love the romance in it. My sister commented that there isn't much of one and I kind of like that. I find the romance slightly more true to life. I can completely imagine myself in Linda's shoes, being completely in love with someone (especially Cary Grant) and feeling unable to do anything about it. She loves him but never actually tells him. It's easier for me to relate to that then something like a Fred and Ginger sequence - where he loves her at first sight and can't rest until he finds her again. I love that, but have a hard time imagining it actually happening. Same with things like That Funny Feeling which is even slightly more possible - playboy playing around with a pretty girl. But falling in love with someone and quietly doing nothing about it? That I can relate to! Now, please don't get the wrong idea from this, this film is a comedy, a romantic comedy at that. I promise to never post a movie with an unhappy ending without giving you fair warning. I think happy endings are very important. And this film, believe me, has a very, very happy ending!
Sadly, there's very little trivia on this film, (except that Edward Everett Horton reprised his role from the 1930 version - how cool is that?) so instead I'll highlight a couple of my favorite people in the film.
And I won't highlight Grant or Hepburn's characters even though they're completely wonderful.
First, I want to talk about Ned. Ned is one of the coolest characters in the film, if not the best. He's the most discerning, self-reliant, and supportive character. He's the only one who truly understands Julia's character, which is noteworthy because it's a pretty major part of the film. He's a truly sad character because he has to escape his misery through drunkenness but I like to think that Linda is true to her word and comes back for him eventually. Ned is a backbone character. He's truly supportive of Linda through and through, never asking her to compromise and come down to the party, always validating her (which is something she needs), and the only one who believes she can attain happiness.
The Potters are next. This is probably my favorite Edward Everett Horton role. It's the only one in which he doesn't louse things up or play some foolish jerk. Don't get me wrong, I love Horton. I think he's a delightful character actor and I love the way he responds to things without realizing what he's saying. But in this film, he's intelligent, genuine, and a true friend. His wife, played by Jean Dixon, is also a treat. I spent the entire film trying to figure out where I'd seen her. When I looked it up, I realized it was My Man Godfrey. Phew!
I decided to choose this movie today because I just bought it! Hooray! I had a $15 gift card from my grandparents for Target. I kept saving it and was thinking of being sensible and buying shoes for work. But when I realized that none of the shoes at Target that are completely black are waterproof (which is what I need), I decided to not be sensible and buy what I really wanted. I can't wait until I get it in the mail!!
Okay, so last Wednesday, I rushed (safely!) home from work, skipped the grocery store trip I had planned to make, quickly whipped up some dinner, and then sat down to watch Vivacious Lady. There were several movies last Wednesday night that I was dying to see. First, I have to say that I really liked Vivacious Lady. I have to make that disclaimer because this post is not about it. But I did really like it and I really want to own it! No, this post is about the next movie on my count-up:
#22 Bachelor Mother (1939)
First, let's start with the plot: Polly Parrish (Ginger Rogers) has just been fired from her job as store clerk at Merlin & Son's Department Store. On her way home, she passes by the Foundling Home and witnesses a lady dropping a baby on the doorstep. As the baby starts to cry, Polly picks the baby up to comfort it, just in time for the door of the Foundling Home to open. The people in the home don't believe Polly isn't the mother, no matter how insistent she is, and they go directly to her boss, David Merlin (David Niven) to ask him to rehire her so that she can care for the child. Now, she's stuck with a strange baby but when David threatens to take her job away if she doesn't care for the child, Polly finds herself a mother. This is a romantic comedy, so the complications add up when she and David fall in love. (I am refraining from adding "Further complications arise when..." because I don't want to spoil it!)
I didn't watch this movie for the longest time, in fact, I sort of avoided it, for the silly and simple reason that I thought it was a drama. I read the title and decided I didn't want to watch Ginger Rogers struggling through motherhood. Well, I finally read some summaries of the film, realized it wasn't a drama, and decided to watch it. And am I glad I did! I laughed for the majority of the film! I was doubled over with laughter - it was that funny!! Now, I really, really want to own this film so that I can show it around to everyone. I'm a little nervous, though, because I know I'm going to build it up to be this amazingly fantastic comedy (which it is) and then my friends and family will watch it and say, "It was cute." In any case, I will have to get my hands on it so that I can watch it again, if nothing else! What can I say? A new favorite!
Continuing in the list of 100 movies, I'm going to list one of my favorite movies featuring TCM's star of the month:
#21 Roberta (1935)
This is one of the first Fred and Ginger movies I remember watching. Now, Top Hat, Follow the Fleet, and Swing Time are kind of lumped into my memory of first Fred and Ginger movies. We used to check Top Hat out of the library and we had taped the other two onto VHS from the tv. But Roberta was the first Fred and Ginger movie we owned in its actual little video casette box. Even though Fred and Ginger are minor roles in it, it's one of my favorites. They're so incredibly funny and I kind of enjoy it when they're not fighting all the time. It's cute to see them together and having fun.
Anyway, basic plot: When football coach, John Kent (Randolph Scott) accompanies his friend Huck Hanes (Fred Astaire) and Hanes's band, the Wabash Indianians, to Paris, he doesn't expect to inherit his Aunt Mimi's popular dress shop, Roberta's. And he definitely doesn't expect to fall in love with his Aunt Mimi's asssistant, Stephanie (Irene Dunne) who agrees to run the shop as his partner. But when John's exgirlfriend, Sophie Teale (Claire Dodd) suddenly shows up, things get a little tricky. And when John and Stephanie fight over a revealing evening gown, Roberta's is left in the unable hands of Huck. Laughter, singing, and dancing ensue.
Okay, we've already established how terrible I am at nutshelling. I was going to stop after the first sentence, but that didn't seem like enough information! I should never get a job writing taglines.
I tried to look up some nifty trivia on this film but found surprisingly little. I did find out why Ginger Rogers has that wacky accent the whole time (I've often wondered why she had to be Polish). She put it on in honor of Lyda Roberti, who originated the Scharwenka role on Broadway and who was Polish. This next one, I can't paraphrase so I'll just quote directly from IMDb: "The original lyrics to 'Let's Begin' include the lines 'We have necked / Till we're wrecked', but the censors demanded that this be changed." Isn't that great? Oh, censorship. Also, Lucille Ball, who is one of the models (she's super cute as an uncredited model), bought RKO years later and renamed it Desilu Studios. Interesting, huh?
Like I said, I love Fred and Ginger when they're not fighting. There's so much fun banter at work. Here's an example:
Huck: Bonjour, Monsieur Fullback. I wish to place an order. Would you mind handstitching two dozen touch-downs for me? Tanka: Could you run up two field goals with the score tied in the back? Huck: A sort of a half back.
That's one of my favorite scenes. So funny! Question for those who have seen the movie: why on earth do the Wabash Indianians decide to play the Organ Number for what is basically an audition? Do they really think that will get them the job? Is it because all of their instruments are packed up and it would be too much trouble to unpack them in the middle of a station? Or is it just so that the audience can watch a totally wacky musical number? Just curious.
found here
