Room for One More (1952)

Is this a movie or an ad for the Boy Scouts?

Intro.

They say laughter is the best medicine, so last week while I was down with a stomach bug and could finally crash on the couch, I decided to watch a premier film showing on TCM called Room for One More.  I don't think it's a well known film, but it has a good story, a lot of heart and the adorable chemistry of real life husband and wife Cary Grant and Betsy Drake.  Did you know they starred in two films together?  I didn't!

Overview

Anna Rose (Betsy Drake) is a happily married mother of three and a heart the size of Texas - she is the woman in the neighborhood who can't pass a stray dog or cat without taking them home with her.  So when her women's group tours an orphanage, she considers adopting one of the older children, who have a much harder time getting adopted than babies.  She convinces her stressed but tolerant husband George (Cary Grant) to let a troubled girl, Jane (Iris Mann), stay for two weeks.  The family needs a lot of love and understanding (spearheaded by Anna) to help Jane feel secure in her new home and pretty soon she becomes a part of the family.  Alright stretched pretty thin, the Rose family accepts another orphan - a little boy with a very bad attitude named Jimmy (Clifford Tatum Jr.), which may stem from his always being teased for the large braces he wears on his legs.  George is the one to lead the crusade to have Jimmy welcomed in their home.  It takes a great deal of patience, second chances and even a vote by the kids as to who can stay.  The film follows the growing family (even the bunny is pregnant), and especially Jane and Jimmy, as they adjust to their new home.    

Highlights

Okay, I'll start with the obvious.  Cary Grant and Betsy Drake are adorable together.  They make a great couple and have a natural back and forth banter.  I like how you can tell when two people get along and it shows through in the acting - think Tracy and Hepburn or Bogart and Bacall.  I loved how Cary Grant turns from the protesting father frustrated by trying to make ends meet into an accepting, all-around good Dad.  He's the one who makes the decision to let Jane stay and he's also the one who goes out looking for Jimmy when he goes off on a ten mile hike in the middle of winter to get his Eagle Scout award.  He's also pretty entertaining as the put-upon husband who just wants an evening alone with his wife (which, of course, he spends the whole movie trying to get).  And Betsy plays the kind of mom every kid wants to have, full of warmth and wisdom.

Speaking of kids, the children really do steal the show.  Jane's transformation from angry adolescent to glowing and gracious young lady is remarkable, but it isn't overnight and she can't do it alone.  Jimmy's transformation is harder because he's had different kinds of troubles, notably his leg braces.  But his final achievement of becoming an Eagle Scout is really a great moment both for him and for his parents, George and Anna.  As he says at the end, he's had a leg up on the rest of the guys trying to make it to the Eagle Scout award, because he was able to choose his parents.  That's where the heart of the film lies - the choices we make about our lives and our happiness and how much love we have to give.


Review
Room for One More is what they mean by old-fashioned feel good movies.  You can't help but smile while watching the antics and even some of the drama faced by this family.  I also learned that it was based on a memoir.  While I didn't find it as funny as another popular growing-family type of film, Yours, Mine and Ours (the version with Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda), it more than makes up for it with heart.  I'd recommend it to anyone with a bit of a sappy side like me and to any Cary Grant fans who haven't seen it yet - it's maybe not his best or most memorable, but still worth seeing for his role with Betsy Drake!*

*The other film they made together was Every Girl Should Be Married (1948).  Not sure how I feel about the title....     

**Love seeing Cary Grant playing a father?  I have to absolutely recommend Father Goose - it's fabulous!  Definitely one of his funniest (and most un-Cary-Grant-ish of roles).

The Sundowners (1960)

A film with everything - Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum, sheep herding, horse racing, gorgeous locations and a baby koala.  What's not to love?

Intro.

I realized the other day that I spend entirely too much time thinking about classic movies.  I came to this conclusion when I was flipping through my copy of the TCM guide to Leading Men: The 50 Most Unforgettable Actors of the Studio Era.  I got really excited that the latest film on my DVR, The Sundowners, was the last film on the entry for Robert Mitchum (each actor has 5 Essential films listed).  Then I started to plan on watching all 5 films for each actor in the book and soon realized that would be 250 films, or more like 180 if you count all the ones I've already seen.  Such is the life of a classic film fangirl!  Anyway, now that I've seen all 5 Robert Mitchum films (the others being Out of the Past, Cape Fear, Night of the Hunter and Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison), I can say that The Sundowners truly qualifies as an essential.

Overview

Sundowners, in Australian terminology, are people whose home is where the sun goes down; in short, people always on the move because they have no permanent home.  Such is the way of life for the Carmodys - Paddy, the father, is a sheep drover and hates the idea of settling anywhere.  His wife Ida (Deborah Kerr) wants to settle somewhere and have a real home for their teenage son, Sean (Michael Anderson, Jr.).  The film starts out with them driving a flock of sheep to be sold and sheared.  They hire another man to help them, an older gentleman named Rupert (Peter Ustinov).  Together this family deals with the rough terrain to drive the sheep, including a horrible "crown fire" that spreads like lightning between tree tops.  Finally they manage to get the sheep to a shearing town, and despite his strong feelings against settling anywhere, Paddy agrees to stay for the season and shear sheep.  The rest of the family also get jobs and the bankroll starts to grow.  Although Ida and Sean are set on getting a farm, it takes some convincing (and some conniving) to even get him to look at one.  A few gambles later and the family gains a beautiful racehorse which they name Sundowner.  They decide to enter him in a few races, but just how much are they willing to lose?

Highlights
Okay, first of all, I love Deborah Kerr in just about every film she's made.  She has a lot of gumption but can also be very graceful and demure.  She's perfect for the role of Ida and in later interviews, she said of the 5 times she was nominated for an Academy Award, this role was the one she wanted to win for the most.  She deserved it too - she has a kind of stoic pride that gets Ida through all of the family's hardships, but she still has no problem telling Paddy exactly what she thinks.  In fact, Ida and Paddy are well suited for each other, and I think a bit part of their chemistry comes from how well Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr work together.  According to TCM, William Holden was the first choice for the role of Paddy, but when he turned it down, Robert Mitchum jumped at the chance.  He didn't even need to read the script; when he heard Deborah Kerr was in it, that was all he needed.  It's great to see actors have such a good working relationship, and both are outstanding in their roles.

In the beginning I felt that the film had an epic tone - the cinematography and directing were wide and grand.  But as the film progressed, it focused in more on the family.  Part of it was the great score by Dimitri Tiomkin and the wonderful directing by Fred Zinnemann.  But what really makes this movie a standout is the filmography - it's all done on location in Australia.  Apart from the great scenery, we also have some adorable wildlife like kangaroos, wallabies and of course, a koala with its baby.  The work with the shearers is all really well done, especially the shearing contest between Paddy and some ringer.  Also, I know there are articles out there criticizing the accents, but I think both Deborah Kerr and Robert Mitchum have great Aussie accents.  I think my favorite part was when Paddy gets drunk and starts singing "Wild Colonial Boy" in the local pub.  Think about that - 1) Robert Mitchum has to pretend to be drunk 2) and manage to keep his accent 3) while singing.  Now that's talent. 

What the film really comes down to is a family trying to stay together.  Paddy and Ida clearly want the best for their son and for themselves, but can't agree on what that is.  All they have is each other.  In the end, they are still Sundowners and continue onward with their futures still unsettled.  That heart - that love they have for each other - makes this movie a success.

Review and Recommendation
I really enjoyed this film.  The ending doesn't really settle anything, but I think that's in keeping with the nature of the characters.  If it had been any different, it couldn't really be called The Sundowners. Australia serves as a perfect (and breathtaking) setting for this tale of family, love and survival.  It's a gamble every step of the way for the Carmody family, and a great movie every minute.  Definitely worthy watching!


P.S. For anyone who has seen Crocodile Dundee, the line "Flat out like a lizard drinkin'" is actually used in The Sundowners too!!  I had a little bit of a fan girl moment there.     

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.