Gaslight (1944)

Don't you hate it when you can't remember where you placed that long, scary butcher knife?

Intro.

I don't know how widespread it is, but lately I feel like myself and everyone I know is suffering from some sort of stress-overload at work.  There's just too much to do and not enough time or resources.  Don't get me wrong, I love my job and wouldn't trade it for anything, but lately I feel like I just can't keep track of things.  It all culminated yesterday when I noticed a stain on my jacket and couldn't remember when I had spilled something on it.  My co-worker looked at it and said she didn't see anything.  I know I wasn't imagining it, but I started doubting myself.  Suddenly I felt just like Ingrid Bergman's character in Gaslight, which I had just watched.  It's funny how films can suddenly influence your thoughts and perceptions in day-to-day life.

Overview
October 14, 1875 - London is being terrorized by the Thornton Square Strangler and his latest victim is wealthy singer, Alice Alquist.  Her niece Paula (Ingrid Bergman) finds her aunt's body.  Still trying to recover and mourn on her own, Paula travels to Italy and begins to study music with Alice's former instructor.  She instead is more interested in his piano accompanist, a charming man named Gregory Anton (Charles Boyer).  They run away together and marry, and as he has always dreamed of living in London, Paula bravely offers her aunt's (now her) house.  Despite her obviously frail emotional health, Gregory tries to make the best of the home.  But it's clear that Paula isn't well and only proceeds to get worse.  She grows forgetful, loses things and starts to hear things in the boarded up attic.  Gregory continues to tell people she is sick, even when she feels well, forcing her into isolation.  He hires a pretty new maid and feeds into Paula's suspicions.  Just when Paula starts to believe that she really has gone mad, a man she had seen in the park re-enters her life.  He had mistaken her for her aunt, of whom he had been a great admirer.  His name is Brian Cameron (Joseph Cotton) and he comes to visit while Gregory is out.  He soon helps Paula uncover the truth - not only about her sanity, but about Gregory's true identity and the secrets hidden within her aunt's attic.

Highlights

Ingrid Bergman won an Oscar for her performance as Paula.  It was richly deserved.  Her slow transformation from sane and happy to tragically depressed and possibly mad is fascinating to watch.  How on earth could she think her husband would trick her or purposefully hide her things?  I thought it was rather interesting that they were married so soon after the murder, and I wonder if part of that was his idea so that her mind would still be preoccupied with mourning.  I think Paula also wanted to be married in an effort to get past her sadness - she was using Gregory as a crutch and he took full advantage.  Her final showdown with Gregory though is priceless - she finally has him all figured out and only pretends to be mad to spite him.  Just when he needs her to be sane and help him escape, she suddenly can't remember how to untie the ropes that bind him or where she's placed that long butcher knife.  It's wonderful!

I also recommend watching the first major role of Angela Lansbury.  She is delightful as the flirtatious maid and a perfect fit for this role.  Also worth watching is the busybody neighbor, Bessie Thwaites (Dame May Whitty).  She's the comic relief for the picture and does a fine job of helping the audience understand the murder from an outsider's viewpoint.  I should also mention that Joseph Cotton is great.  Think about it, how would Paula have figured it all out on her own if she had convinced herself she was mad and could never get a moment to herself?  She almost had it when she noticed the gaslights dimming without explanation.  I guess we'll never know if Paula would have recovered all the missing articles herself.

What I took away from this film was how simple it is to start doubting yourself.  Being in a fragile emotional state, Paula was in no position to get married, let alone to move back into the house, so from the outset we know she's going to have problems.  Add in Gregory's strange behavior and his pains to make her "extra" forgetful and it's a whole new level of abuse.  In her defense, who can she trust but this man she adores?  I wonder if at some level she feels like she's being punished because she wasn't able to save her aunt (she had been upstairs during the murder, and came down too late).  It leaves us each with the question of what it would take to drive us mad.  It isn't always some big, traumatic event, but sometimes a series of carefully planned incidents.  I don't know what I would have done in Paula's shoes.  And I'm not sure I want to know. 

Review and Recommendation
Overall, Gaslight is a story of an intense breakdown, marvelously portrayed by Ingrid Bergman.  A psychological mind-bender and good old murder mystery make this an excellent addition to the thriller films I've reviewed this month.  Definitely a film worth watching!  

The Harvey Girls (1946)

Intro.

This past week the sun finally came out and it felt like spring for the first time this year. And although last month was supposed to be dedicated to musicals, this is the time I really feel like singing.  So a few days ago I watched a film that had been recommended by a friend of mine - The Harvey Girls.  It was bright, enjoyable and perfect for this time of year (or any time, really).

Overview

The Harvey Girls is based on the line of restaurants founded by Fred Harvey in the 1870s which grew along the quickly expanding railroad line, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe.  The all-female wait staff was known for good looks, good manners and good food and brought a sense of civilization to the West.  These are the girls that Susan Bradley (Judy Garland) meets on a train bound for Sandrock, where she is to meet her mail-order husband.  After quite a breath-taking entrance to the town (hence the Oscar-winning song, "On the Atchison, Tokpeka and the Santa Fe"), Susan meets her intended husband Hartsey (Chill Wills) and the two realize that it isn't going to work out.  The main reason is that Hartsey had local dance-hall owner Ned Trent (John Hodiak) write those beautiful, tender letters to Susan.  Susan joins The Harvey Girls and soon their restaurant becomes a big rival to the dance hall, leading to a lot of confrontations, hold-ups and dance-offs between the Harvey Girls and the saloon girls, led by none other than Angela Lansbury.  Susan and Ned also have their own face-off, but in a sort of Pride and Prejudice way, as Susan realizes what Ned's intentions really are.  It all wraps up with the classic "this town isn't big enough for the two of us" scene where the train has to take the losers to the next town down the line.

Highlights

The music in this film is fantastic - proof that the Oscar for Best Song was richly deserved.  I also really enjoyed the color and choreography of all the dance numbers.  All the care and hard work shows in such a polished film.  Not only is Judy Garland outstanding in her singing and acting, but her co-stars shine as well. It's great to see her reunite with Ray Bolger (who has a great dance number!), and wonderful to watch her sparring with Angela Lansbury (who, believe it or not, makes a great mean-girl-turned-sympathetic-rival).  We also get some good humor from Chill Wills and Virginia O'Brien, as well as an early role for the graceful dancer Cyd Charisse.

I think what really got to me about this film was how great it was to see such strong female leads.  In typical Westerns, it's usually the men that do all the fighting, but here it's the women (okay, so some of the men set fire to the restaurant, but that's not direct confrontation).  Part of it goes back to the unusual pairing of the Western and Musical genres - something so traditionally masculine and something so traditionally feminine.  Here the male lead, Ned, is much more subdued and poetic while Judy Garland is the one throwing punches.  It's pretty neat to see such an unusual switch, but that's another topic for another day. 

Review
In Westerns, both women and music have long been regarded as signs of progress and civilization, and the Harvey Girls bring both to the little town of Sandrock.  Not only that, but they also bring great songs, dances, food and a lot of heart.  The Harvey Girls is a great film that anyone can enjoy, and I recommend it as a must-see Musical.

P.S. The story of Fred Harvery is pretty neat - you can read more here at the Kansas State Historical Society.

The Court Jester (1955)

Intro.
I am lucky enough to work with some awesome people.  Sometimes we borrow each other's DVDs - TV shows, movies, you name it.  I just found out that our art director loves old movies too, and brought in The Court Jester for me to watch.  I have to admit (a bit shamefully) that I hadn't seen any Danny Kaye movies.  Honestly, now I have no idea what took me so long!

Overview
The plot in this story is pretty interesting - an evil ruler has just overthrown the palace and killed the royal family.  The only survivor is an infant who bears the royal birthmark and who has been rescued by a group of "outlaws" - think Robin Hood and his merry men.  Two members of the team, Hubert (Danny Kaye) and Maid Jean (Glynis Johns) take the baby in disguise and try to get him to a convent for safety.  On the way they meet Giacomo the court jester, and decide to send Hubert in his place.  By gaining access to the palace, Hubert can then open the secret passageway and let the rest of the gang in for an attack.  Hubert makes it in okay as Giacomo, but once there he is hypnotized by one of the ladies of the court, who is determined to make him fall in love with the Princess (Angela Lansbury).  While in this spell, he believes he truly is Giacomo the great lover, scoundrel and assassin hired by someone in the court to kill the king!  The only thing that will bring him back to sweet, good-natured Hubert is the snap of someone's fingers.  As you can imagine, all three storylines carry onward with lots of snapping!  Hubert finds himself knighted, dueling for the hand of the Princess, trying to avoid the cup of poison and finally calling on his acrobat friends to save the day. 

Highlights
Danny Kaye is outstanding in this film.  I wasn't sure how I felt about a comedy with some singing and lots of clowning.  But if anyone could do this role, it's him.  His timing is the most remarkable part.  I've never, ever seen someone so sharp and so fast on their lines.  I read up a little on him online, and he was famous for his ability to recite tongue-twisters like the now-famous one in this film - the "pellet with the poison" bit.  Not only that, but this role required him to switch very quickly between two "characters," often in the middle of a sword fight.  While this is a film driven very much by Danny Kaye, his costars are also wonderful.  Angela Lansbury is both enchanting and powerful as the Princess, and Glynis Johns becomes a great foil for Danny.  Not to mention a beautiful love interest too! 

Review
I believe that in some films, there is one moment that just captivates you.  From that point on you are sucked in, completely immersed.  For me it was the point where Danny Kaye sings a lullaby to the infant prince.  There is something so gentle, wholesome and pure about that scene that made me fall in love with this movie even when I wasn't sure if I'd like it.  It's innocent and kid-friendly, so if you're looking for a lot of drama and intrigue, you won't find it.  You also won't find a whole lot of stale slap-stick.  Another great family comedy, The Court Jester is a delightful film that will introduce you (if you haven't already seen him) to the incredibly talented Danny Kaye.     

As always, check it out on IMDb!  There's a much better write-up there posted by jhclues in December of 01.

The Three Musketeers (1948)

Intro.
In one of my earlier posts, I had written about the 1921 version of The Three Musketeers, which had starred Douglas Fairbanks.  I had commented about Gene Kelly seeing that version and wanting to someday play d'Artagnan.  I finally got the chance to see the 1948 remake with Gene Kelly, and I have to say you can definitely see Fairbanks's influence.

Overview
The plot of the first hour of this film follows the original pretty closely (see the prior post).  However, where the first film ended with the safe return of the jewels, this one extended the storyline to include the whole of the original novel.  D'Artagnan returns to find each of his fellow musketeers where he had left them en route to London, and once reunited they have to find a way to earn some money.  D'Artagnan runs into the Lady de Winter and that's where things get interesting.  He pretends to be her lover in order to get her ring, and he discovers that on her shoulder is the brand of a convict.  We then learn that she is the wife of Athos and has been using men and leading them to their deaths.  She heads to London, where the Musketeers have warned the Duke of Buckingham.  He jails her and has Constance (the innocent seamstress and D'Artagnan's wife) act as jailer.  Lady de Winter feigns a serious illness and when Constance tries to help her, she kills Constance and a guard and flees back to France to seek out D'Artagnan and kill him too.  D'Artagnan, however, is in London and finds Constance.  He vows revenge, so with the help of his friends they find Lady de Winter and execute her in a very troubling, disturbing ending.  At the end D'Artagnan gets what he's always wanted - a commission with the King's Musketeers.

Highlights
One of the things Gene Kelly does so well in this film is his sword fighting.  Already an athlete and light on his feet as a dancer, he effortlessly goes from sword fight to sword fight in an almost comical manner.  It does get a bit ridiculous when he fights the captain of Richelieu's guards, but his seemingly boundless energy keeps the film going.  You do have to remember that d'Artagnan is only supposed to be 21, so it makes sense that he's a bit of a ham.

I was very pleasantly surprised by the other actors and actresses in this film.  I didn't realize it until I started watching, but this film also stars Angela Lansbury, Vincent Price (as a fantastic Richelieu!!), Lana Turner, Frank Morgan and June Allyson.  It also stars Van Heflin as Athos - he's an actor I hadn't seen much of previously, but I really enjoyed him in this role.  He adds a certain vulnerability to his character which sets him apart from the other Musketeers.

Comparison
It puzzled me that this film ran 2 hours and the 1921 version ran 2 hours but the stories were so different.  This version told in 1 hour what the 1921 version had done in 2 hours.  It made the story much harder to follow, and if I hadn't seen the 1921 version, I wouldn't have understood any of what was happening.  I missed the subtlety and development of character that was in the 1921 version.  We hardly get to see or understand Angela Lansbury as the Queen, and Vincent Price as Richelieu doesn't get nearly enough screen time.  I did enjoy seeing the entire story, though.  And I can understand why the storyline of Lady de Winter may have been a concern.  It is handled well in the remake and certainly toned down from the way the book was written.       

Review
All in all, an entertaining film.  I wouldn't recommend it as highly as other period films, mainly because the plot is hard to follow without previously knowing the story.  Gene Kelly's stunts and sword fighting are great, but his acting is too over-the-top.  I actually preferred the 1921 version, so if you like the book, start there.  I hope to see one of the newer remakes as well; who knows, maybe I'll have a series.  Meanwhile, if you're in the mood to watch some Gene Kelly, I'd recommend An American in Paris, Singin' in the Rain, Take Me Out to the Ball Game, It's Always Fair Weather (tap dancing on roller skates!!) and Inherit the Wind. 

To read more, check out IMDb.  There's also a brief write-up about the book here.