The Barefoot Contessa (1954)

Humphrey Bogart makes the best fairy godfather ever.

Intro.

1954 was the year of fairy tales, at least for Humphrey Bogart's filmography.  First he had a huge success with The Caine Mutiny, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award.  Then he made Sabrina, which is in itself a fairy tale about a little girl turning into a fine lady and falling in love.  And then came The Barefoot Contessa, an interesting Hollywood take on the Cinderella story.  The Barefoot Contessa is the third in the trio of classic films often referenced as the best ones made about the industry (the others being The Bad and the Beautiful and Sunset Boulevard).

Overview 

The Barefoot Contessa opens with a funeral for the title character, led by a voiceover from Harry Dawes (Humphrey Bogart), a writer-director who knew the whole story.   He tells us of the Contessa from the beginning, back when she was just a poor nightclub dancer in Spain named Maria Vargas (Ava Gardner).  Millionaire producer Kirk Edwards (Warren Stevens), his PR guy Oscar Muldoon (Edmond O'Brien) and Harry.  Maria is anything but impressed by them and when she leaves the club without warning, Harry is ordered to find her or lose his job.  He does and she comes to realize that he's not like the others - he's honest.  He sees her unstable family and her desire to leave Spain and she in turn tells him about being a poverty stricken child hiding shoeless in the dirt during the Civil War.  She has a world weariness attached to this pure hope of something beautiful, like a fairy tale coming true.  She taps into that duality and becomes a smash hit in Hollywood, where Harry directs her in three films.  Her career hits a curve ball though when her father is arrested back in Spain for the murder of her mother.  Instead of laying low and avoiding the press, Maria goes to Spain and defends her father in open court.  It's a huge trial and she takes an awful chance on her career, but really she is keeping her values and her honesty in a business where that isn't easy.  Back in Hollywood she tires of being under contract to (and under the thumb of, really) Kirk Edwards.  It comes to a head during a fancy society party and she agrees to go with Kirk's enemy, Alberto Bravano (Marius Goring) to Monte Carlo.  Oscar goes with her (as we learn since he has taken over the narration now), having quit Kirk and joined up with Bravano as well.  He describes Bravano's extravagance and quick temper, which he takes out on Maria, who doesn't at all fit in with the high society set.  Not only does she still keep company with lower class workers and gypsies, she has a string of lovers.  But when Bravano finally goes too far and verbally attacks Maria in the hotel, a handsome stranger steps in and defends her.  The stranger walks off with Maria as if in a dream and then we switch to the stranger's narration.  He is Count Vincenzo Torlato-Favrini (Rossano Brazzi) and he had seen Maria earlier dancing barefoot in a gypsy camp as he drove to Monte Carlo.  For him it was kismet that they meet again at the hotel and that he swoop in to defend her.  They have a quick, lovely romance back at his villa in Italy, where he decides to make her the last Contessa.  Harry picks up again, recounting when he had gone to Italy for a picture and run into Maria as she was about to marry Vincenzo.  In Harry's words, "the Prince had finally caught up with Cinderella and all that was left was the slipper business."  Maria marries her Prince alright, but the marriage is a far cry from the happy, Disney-style fairy tales when we learn exactly what Vincenzo meant by calling her the "last Contessa."  His meaning, however, takes a much darker twist, ending with the death of Maria.

Highlights
I really liked that Harry Dawes was a writer-director, as that writing side came out with his great narration.  Vincenzo and Oscar did a good job with their stories, but Harry's is the stuff that sticks.  He's got some wonderful lines in here, besides the slipper one.  On describing Edwards, Harry says "he had as much in common with anything creative as I have with nuclear physics."  My favorite line though is "Life every now and then behaves as if it's seen too many bad movies; everything fits too well."  Not only is the writing good, but the delivery is impeccable.  It reminded me a great deal of Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard, which makes sense as both characters are writers disenchanted by Hollywood after having hit its rocky bottom.

Another note on the narration - I really loved the set up for Bogart.  There in funeral, in the pouring rain, we get his gravelly, nasal, distinctively weary voice and the camera passes over all of the mourners in black, hiding under black umbrellas and then we see Harry Dawes, no umbrella, just an old raincoat with the collar turned up, standing apart.  It sets up his character well.  I think it's risky to reveal the death of a character (especially the title character) right at the beginning, but the overall story and the changing narration helps to keep The Barefoot Contessa moving and interesting.  I think it works so well because we want to know where the fairy tale went horribly wrong.  I did want to hear it from her point of view, but I guess telling it from the outside creates more of a legend, of a woman on a pedestal or out of a story book.  I was miffed that her story is told by three men (come on, people!  Couldn't we get Jerry a story line?  She was awesome as Harry's wisecracking girlfriend!) though truth be told, I'm glad that Kirk didn't get a narration, because he was a bit possessive and creepy.  I'm wondering now if Maria's really long monologue when Harry finds her is really her way of narrating (since they can't make a dead person talk, unlike Sunset Boulevard).  Now I realize that's probably why we have that scene; I was annoyed at first that Ava Gardner was talking so much and for so long to this guy she just met, but in the overall storytelling purposes I think I can understand.   

Now what about all this fairy tale business?  What is it about marrying the idea of a perfect life and romance with the dark side of Hollywood?  We've seen it in many films that focus on the film industry, but The Barefoot Contessa goes out of its way to make Maria into a Spanish Cinderella.  What's really interesting to me is the duality of her character as both this honest, loyal woman wanting a perfect romance but still a bit rough around the edges and unprepared for the curve ball Vincenzo throws (oh, you know you want to watch now so you can see it!).  But in reality, we didn't need to make her a film star or get her involved with Hollywood at all to make the story work - Sabrina didn't send Audrey Hepburn to Hollywood; it sent her to Paris.  So what is it about this industry of dream-making that is both so hopeful and attractive, but also so crushingly sad? (Ha, another duality!)  Why doesn't the dream work?  Is it that when something is too well put together, like one of Harry's "bad movies" it is bound to fall apart?  Is it that the dream creators see behind the gossamer and paper cutouts and the dream is lost on them?  What does that say about our own cynical culture?  There are so many questions, and films like The Barefoot Contessa, The Bad and The Beautiful and Sunset Boulevard do a wonderful job of trying to find answers.  The mystery of film-making isn't beautiful from the inside.  All that glitters is not gold, but can look like it in Technicolor.  Lastly, would this movie have been as good or as powerful if she had lived?  What if it had a Sabrina type ending where Prince Charming and his Cinderella lived happily ever after?  Does Maria set her own course for sadness and disappointment (and death)?  It's an interesting perspective on destiny and one I'd like to consider as I re-watch this great film.

As if to reinforce my point, I heard a great back story from TCM host Robert Osborne.  It was something I had actually suspected while watching and was really interested to hear afterward.  Bogart and Gardner have a great relationship on screen - their characters are great, they seem like a matched pair.  Harry even refers to himself as her "fairy godfather" at one point.  You'd think they would get along swell off screen - Ava Garnder was a self-possessed, confident, hard drinking, straight talking kind of woman - Bogart's kind of woman.  However, in 1954 Ava had just ended (though not officially by divorce; that would come in 1957) her rocky marriage to Frank Sinatra, Bogart's good friend and member of Bogie's Rat Pack.  So Bogart and Gardner weren't exactly friends by any means.  It always amazes me at how that kind of animosity can be so well camouflaged by darn good acting.     

Review and Recommendation
I highly recommend The Barefoot Contessa.  It's a fascinating look based on the real life rise of Rita Hayworth, who married Prince Aly Khan (but didn't have the whole devastating ending) and some aspects of Gardner's life as well.  It's a great story with depth and beauty that will leave you rethinking all those happy ending fairy tales.

*One additional side note: I had no idea Muldoon had been played by Edmond O'Brien, whom I had seen and loved in an earlier film, a film noir called The Killers.  Guess who co-starred with him in that picture?  Ava Gardner.  I love these connections!  He does a good job here in The Barefoot Contessa; well enough to earn an Academy Award. 
 
*Also, one major gripe.  Remember how I said women don't have a voice in this movie?  I just saw the film's tagline on IMDb: "The world's most beautiful animal!"  Is that for real?  I hope not.  Maria is a strong woman with a definite mind and will of her own, not an animal.  I'm angry about this, but really, I don't want to rant, because I'd ruin such a great movie if I went on about this poor marketing line.  So watch it and decide for yourself.
     

High Society (1956)

Intro.

Normally, I hate remakes.  If a film isn't particularly good, then I can understand wanting to redo it, or if there's some big change or improvement (like making a silent film into a talking picture) that warrents a new film.  I also appreciate it when the new film's director pays homage or does something to respect the new film.  Case in point, Cape Fear.  The original Cape Fear from 1962 starred Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum.  When it was remade in 1991, Martin Scorsese made sure that both men had roles in the film (both of them play lawyers in the remake).  That shows class and respect.  High Society is a different kind of remake.  It takes the movie, The Philadelphia Story, and makes it into a musical.  As it has changed genres, the film loses some of its punch, but adds some beautiful songs.  It's enjoyable in a wholly different way, which is one of the reasons I like it.

Overview
Wealthy Tracy Lord (Grace Kelly) is getting remarried at her family estate.  Her ex-husband, C. K. Dexter Haven (Bing Crosby) however, lives next door and has opened his home to a jazz festival which will coincide with (and possibly ruin) her wedding.  Dexter is still in love with his ex-wife, despite her cool condescension of his work as a "jukebox hero."  Tracy's snobbery extends to her father, who has left home due to rumors of an affair with some showgirl.  Her wedding plans get even more complex when Spy Magazine threatens to run a tell-all story about Mr. Lord - a threat which is stopped in exchange for an inside scoop of Tracy's wedding.  The two magazine reporters, Mike Conner (Frank Sinatra) and Liz Imbrie (Celeste Holm), don't know about the deal, and hate their job almost as much as Tracy hates having them there.  If things couldn't get any harder for her, her father shows up unexpectedly, Mike starts to fall for her, and in the end her in tact virtue starts to crumble when a drunken late night swim with Mike leaves her uncertain of just how far they had gone.  Her fiancee refuses to marry her, thinking her unfaithful, and the resulting mess turns into a great ending after all.

Highlights
To judge this film on its own merits, it is a very fine piece of entertainment.  I wouldn't say it was the best musical I've ever seen, but certainly one of the most charming.  I mean, how can you resist Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra in a love triangle?  Each performer in the movie is definitely worth watching.

I think the music really adds to this film.  Songs like "True Love" and "You're Sensational" are well-performed and showcase the two singer-turned-actors.  I have always loved the Sinatra/Crosby duet, "Well, Did You Evah?" which is a funny portrait of the follies of the upper class.  You also have to laugh at the Sinatra/Holm duet, "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?"  And of course, we can't forget the jazz festival, which features none other than Louis Armstrong as himself (how cool is that?).

It's difficult to watch High Society and not compare it with The Philadelphia Story.  Each movie is fun, entertaining and features some great talent.  That being said, I think the point of the story - Tracy's fall from grace and final understanding that no one is perfect - is portrayed much more effectively in The Philadelphia Story.  In some ways, I consider that film to be a comedy-drama.  The characters are much more developed and fragile.  In the original, Dexter is an alcoholic and hit Tracy, which led to their divorce.  In High Society, their divorce isn't really explained except that Dexter is just another crooner.  Likewise, Mike's character is much more developed in The Philadelphia Story - he is a real person trapped in a job he hates who connects with Tracy after talking to her about his writing.  In High Society, Mike's a more of a plot device (I hate putting it that way!) used to make the story work.

The addition of music allows the film to not only be light-hearted, but to sort of poke fun at the upper class more so than the original film did.  One thing that really struck me in High Society is the scene where Tracy takes Mike to see the "graveyard" of the rich - mansions abandoned because the taxes are too high.  The world she belongs to is falling apart and she wants to make sure he realizes it isn't all about dinner parties and pink champagne.  But that is as serious as the film gets.  And I think that's really what they wanted to achieve - to take a comic look at the "rich and mighty", not a deeper one that borders on the dramatic.

Review and Recommendation
On its own, High Society is a fun, upbeat musical comedy.  Grace Kelly is magnificent, as are her two crooning suitors, Sinatra and Crosby.  The score is incredible, and I guarantee you'll have at least one of the songs stuck in your head afterward!  While not as deep or well-developed as The Philadelphia Story, the film achieves its purpose to entertain and to showcase three legends on screen together.  This is one remake I can love and recommend!

P.S. The original Cape Fear is still far better than the remake, by the way.

Pal Joey (1957)

Intro.

I love hearing the backstories of films from TCM's host Robert Osborne.  For example, he explained that the story of Pal Joey began back in the 1930s as a Broadway play.  At one point it starred Gene Kelly, so when studios began trying to  make it into a film, he was their first choice.  However, due to the racy nature of the story and Hollywood's strict codes, it took a long while to be green-lighted.  Finally, Columbia Pictures made it, and cast their biggest star of the 1940s and 50s, Rita Hayworth.  They also cast up-and-coming star Kim Novak.  The problem was finding a leading man - Kelly wasn't available, so they tried Marlon Brando (who couldn't do it) and Jack Lemmon (who was still more or less unknown and Rita Hayworth did not want in the film).  At last Frank Sinatra was cast and the film was a perfect fit for him. 

Overview

Pal Joey feels almost like a Sinatra biography - or at least, the life he presented to the world.  The film opens with Joey (Frank Sinatra) getting thrown out of town for seducing an underaged girl.*  He winds up in San Francisco, where he looks up an old friend in the nightclubs on Barbary Coast.  He talks his way into a job as a singer and it's clear from his first performance that he excels at the job - women throughout the club start falling into a trance just listening to him.  It seems that the only one not affected is one of the chorus girls, Linda English (Kim Novak), who is a bit more reserved than the rest.  Joey pretends not to care about her, but then deliberately moves into the apartment next to hers.  Their first evening job away from the club is at a big fundraiser gala.  The much admired hostess Vera Simpson (Rita Hayworth) puts on a class act, but Joey happens to recognize her from her time as a famous stripper.  When the auction falls short of the monetary goal, Joey pipes up that he'd pay a thousand dollars to see her do her most famous routine right there on stage.  The bidding opens and the goal is met.  But that's only the beginning of an interesting push and pull between Vera and Joey.  Meanwhile, Linda starts to soften towards Joey, thanks to an adorable terrier named Snuffy.  Vera finally makes peace with Joey as well as a deal to open a new nightclub in Joey's name.  Joey's lifelong dream finally comes true, but is short lived as he realizes he's working with a very jealous woman.  The love triangle drives Joey to finally make his choice, but can both women live with it? 

Highlights

Pal Joey is a musical without feeling like a musical.  It's along the same lines as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes or Young at Heart: the songs are a natural part of the plot.  Almost all of the songs are done as nightclub performances, when you'd expect to hear them, not out in the middle of the street just for the heck of it.  And these songs are wonderful!  They are all Rogers and Hart numbers, and very familiar to many Frank Sinatra fans.  I loved hearing and seeing him perform some of my favorite songs like "I Could Write a Book" or "The Lady is a Tramp."  Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak each had some great numbers (like "Bewitched" and "My Funny Valentine"), though I learned afterward that they had both been dubbed.  Dubbed or not, it was still a great score and a lot of talent.

I want to talk briefly about icons.  I noticed that in this film, there's a part where a large poster of Joey is put up outside the Barbary Coast club.  That poster is one of the iconic Frank Sinatra images - it's the one where he's got his hat forward and his trenchcoat slung over his shoulder.  I mentioned before that this film was a perfect fit for Frank and it was.  I can't imagine anyone else in this role (except maybe Gene Kelly).  It's almost as if Angelo Maggio** had survived Pearl Harbor and was working the coast after the war.  Joey is the legend of Sinatra - singer, swinger, heartbreaker with all the swagger and bravado we know and love.  As much as I love Frank Sinatra, I know he wasn't the most handsome of leading men, but his voice and confidence more than make up for it.      

Rita Hayworth at this point in her career had already been a top leading lady for a number of years.  She was #1 at Columbia Pictures, having made her mark in films like Only Angels Have Wings (1939), Cover Girl (1944) and Gilda (1946)***.  Kim Novak had just started to rise, having made a huge success in the film Picnic only two years earlier.  As Robert Osborne said, this film was like a "passing of the crown" from Columbia's former leading lady to the new one.  Both women are great, talented actresses and each one does a phenomenal job in this movie.  I think Novak, Hayworth and Sinatra have equal roles in the film, though ultimately it does bring sharp focus to just Sinatra's character.  The film is a strong vehicle for all three performers and a must-see!

I have to mention some of the great lines in this movie.  First, upon seeing Joey sing for the first time, one of the chorus girls remarks how cute he is.  Her friend says: "You think everyone with pants is cute." To which the girl replies: "That's not true.  I like lots of people without pants."  Later on, Vera tells Joey he has "all the subtlety of a battering ram."  I think I've heard this line before, but never delivered as well as Rita Hayworth does it!  A few times we also hear the line, in reference to Joey, that "one false move and you're out on your Francis!"  I don't know how they came up with that line, whether it was really a figure of speech or not, but I laughed as Sinatra is a Francis.  Joey throughout the film spells out his words for emphasis, but never spells them correctly.  I wasn't sure each time if he was being funny or if he was uneducated.  For example, he spells classy "K-l-a-s-y".  Some of those misspellings Frank Sinatra kept using off stage - his line to Snuffy to get off the bed: "Get off, O-R-F, off!" was used during his performances at the Sands in the 60s.  Just another way that films cross into real life and legends are made.

Review and Recommendation

Pal Joey is a brilliant showcase for three legends of Hollywood.  It's a fun, energetic story full of romance and great music.  Maybe not one of the most famous of musicals, it's nevertheless an entertaining one and well worth watching.

Random Film Trivia:
* Sinatra was once arrested for "seduction and adultery in New Jersey in the 1930s.  Charges were eventually dropped, but the story stuck with Sinatra.
** Angelo Maggio was Sinatra's character in From Here to Eternity (1953); a performance which won Sinatra an Academy Award.  He wanted the part because he said it was a perfect fit for him and he wouldn't even have to act. 

*** For modern movie fans, Gilda was the film being shown in The Shawshank Redemption (1994), which is why Andy asks for Rita Hayworth.  The original story by Stephen King is called Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.  I highly recommend both the film and the novella!  I got the movie listing from IMDb.

Ryan's Daughter (1970)

Intro.

I'm a sucker for films shot entirely on location.  Films, after all, are all about transporting the viewers into another world, and what better way to do that than with rich, beautiful, true scenery.  Ryan's Daughter is an epic shot entirely on location in Ireland, so I was sold.  Add in a few Oscars, a love story with Robert Mitchum, and an intriguing plot set around the WWI Irish revolution, and you've got a must see film. 

Overview

A huge, sweeping epic, Ryan's Daughter begins in a small town in Northern Ireland, where the barkeeper's young daughter Rosy Ryan (Sarah Miles) falls in love with the middle-aged, widowed schoolteacher Charles Schaughnessy (Robert Mitchum).  Despite his hesitation and their age difference, they marry and settle into a quiet, peaceful life.  But Rosy wants more than that.  As if in answer to her prayers, a young British soldier nursing an injured leg and the pains of PTSD, Randolph Doryan (Christopher Jones), arrives at her father's pub.  He's been told that there's an informant in town - someone who is helping the Irish rebellion led by Tim O'Leary, but also helping the British.  That person has a tie with the pub, but no one is certain who it is.  The chemistry between Rosy and Randolph is instant and obvious, so it is no surprise that they begin a sizzling love affair.  The two story lines (the love affair and the revolution) are intricately tied together.  The town's mute, Michael, reveals the affair.  Then Tim O'Leary comes to the village, only to be captured by the British troops, led by Doryan.  The town concludes that Rosy was the informant and attack her in her home.  Even though Charles has already resolved to have a quiet divorce, he fights back against the mob to protect Rosy.  He can only do so much though, and the film ends with Rosy and Doryan each dealing (or not dealing) with what they've done.

Highlights

The true highlight of this film is the cinematography.  Not only is the beauty of the Irish countryside on full display, but the treatment of the shots and slow moving pace help develop a rich, gorgeous setting.  I felt like I was watching poetry.  The opening shots of the cliffs and Michael rowing in from the sea are just breathtakingly beautiful.  Later the shots of Charles and Rosy meeting on the beach and then Rosy and Doryan meeting in the forest are all just as well done.


A word on the rating - this film was rated MA on TCM.  There were all of 2 sex scenes and they were nothing compared to some of the scenes in the R-rated comedies today.  I'm usually against showing sex in films since it's usually unnecessary, but I think Ryan's Daughter handles it well.  It is necessary to see Rosy's first disappointment with Charles on their wedding night because it feeds into her desire for Doryan, who can, in her words, make her feel like a new person.    

This film is definitely one of the forgotten, yet still beautifully tragic epic films.  There are so many elements that work well.  It's funny, as I watched, I thought "this is like Dr. Zhivago without the snow" and after the film finished, TCM host Robert Osborne returned and commented that the director for Ryan's Daughter, David Lean, had also done Dr. Zhivago as well as The Bridge on the River Kwai.  It has the same feeling and scope of both those films.  The acting is great too - John Mills certainly earned his Oscar for his role as Michael, and I'd argue that Robert Mitchum and Trevor Howard were both just as good.

Review and Recommendation
Overall, I'd say Ryan's Daughter is the kind of film you watch just for the sheer beauty of it.  All the elements work together to make a seamless picture.  Although it runs pretty long (over three hours) and can be a bit slow at parts, the cinematography, fine acting and great score will keep you fascinated.   

Woman of the Year (1942)

Intro.

It was Katharine Hepburn day on TCM and I cheered!  What a great salute to a sensational actress.  I had been wanting to see more films featuring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, so this presented the ideal opportunity.  As I read the description of Woman of the Year, I realized how similar it was to Designing Woman, which I had recently seen.  Watching the original or the movie that inspired another is always great, so I picked the perfect film.

Overview

Woman of the Year begins with top newspaper columnist Tess Harding (Katharine Hepburn) giving a radio interview about international affairs in which she says that sports have no purpose.  Sports writer Sam Craig (Spencer Tracy), who works for the same paper, takes offense and writes his next column as an attack on Tess's statements.  She in turn writes a ripping rebuttal, but before the war can continue, their editor calls them into his office to meet in person and make nice.  They do more than that as Craig falls in love at first sight with Tess.  From their, the mismatched pair continues a fun courtship including a baseball game where Sam has to explain every single move and play on the field to Tess, and then Tess throws a dinner party where Sam is the only English-speaking guest.  They wind up married, but right from the start we can see they're in for a lot of headaches (well, at least Sam is).  While Tess might be spending all of her time trying to improve the world, she spends no time trying to improve (or even have) a marriage.  It all comes to a head when she is named Woman of the Year on the same night that Sam moves out of their apartment.

Highlights
Hepburn and Tracy have undeniable chemistry.  This was their first movie together; in fact it was the first time they had met in person.  And from there, as they say, the legend was born.  A thirty year romance started off-screen, and the love comes across in some wonderful acting on-screen.  

This film is an unusual look at marriage, particularly because Tess is the one career-driven while Sam is the one neglected at home.  The film moves from comedy to drama after the marriage, and Sam's disappointment grows.  It's refreshing to see such real characters and impressive when Sam finally moves out.  I couldn't help but think it was a pretty daring move for an audience of 1942 and would still be considered pretty bold by today's standards. 

Not to give away too much, but the film concludes with both Sam and Tess realizing that marriage is a melding of their two lives, a constant compromise, a meeting in the middle.  That's why Sam has such a good ending line: "I don't want you to be Tess Harding or Mrs. Sam Craig; what about Tess Harding Craig?"

Review and Recommendation

Woman of the Year is one of the great films by one of Hollywood's best couples.  It is a humorous, yet still powerful look at marriage.  It will pack an emotional wallop.  An enduring, endearing film, I'd recommend it to everyone. 

Kings Go Forth (1958)

Intro.

Despite being a huge Frank Sinatra fan, I haven't seen all of his films yet.  Sure, I've seen quite a few, including the awful ones like The Kissing Bandit and The Pride and the Passion.  But I've missed some of his most well-respected or well-known, like Kings Go Forth.  Not only is it a good war story, but a good romance and a good reflection of human character.

Overview

Lt. Sam Loggins (Frank Sinatra) is the leader of a group of men who have marched through Italy and into France during World War II.  As they fight for a small valley occupied by the Germans, he gets a group of recruits including the suave, smooth-talking standout Britt (Tony Curtis).   Then on a pass in Nice, Sam meets beautiful Monique (Natalie Wood) who is American but has lived her whole life in France.  He falls hopelessly in love with her, but she does not fall for him.  She instead tells him that her father, two years deceased, was a Negro, which is why her family moved to France when she was born.  Sam takes it a bit hard, coming from a prejudiced background as was pretty common in the forties (American troops weren't even desegregated until 1948).  However, he decides to come back to Monique, but as happy as she is to see him, she soon takes interest in Britt, whom they run into while at a nightclub.  It's clear that Britt and Monique are infatuated with each other and each time the three meet, Sam becomes the third wheel.  He bows out one night to allow them to be together, only to realize that they are out all night.  Confronting Britt the next morning, he discovers that, with Monique's mother's insistence, the two are now engaged.  Sam remains friends with them both - that is until he discovers that Britt purposefully did not submit the marriage paperwork to the Army.  Furious, he makes Britt admit that he had no intention of marrying a half-black woman and a distraught Monique runs out of the house.  Sam follows her, but is too late because she gets hit by a car.  But the story doesn't end there!  Sam and Britt go out on a dangerous mission.  The only problem is, Sam has told Britt he will kill him for what he did to Monique.  The resulting battle is a harrowing night for both men that will change both of them forever.

Highlights

Not all of the cinematography was outstanding in this film, but there were a few shots that just took my breath away.  If you watch, keep an eye out for some unique angles along the streets of the French Riviera and again during some of the battle scenes.  And Natalie Wood looks amazing (of course).

Frank Sinatra and Tony Curtis are well cast in this film and each one delivers a great performance.  Frank's acting is pitch-perfect too.  When he confronts Curtis and learns that he's engaged, we aren't sure if Frank is going to smile or punch Curtis.  In fact, Tony Curtis and I both jumped when Frank stuck out his hand and growled "Congratulations."  I also really enjoyed watching Leora Dana as Monique's mother - she has a great presence and really gives her story a lot of heart.  Frank Sinatra also narrates the film.  At first I was confused, as his narrator tone was a lot softer, more reflective and sentimental than his brash speaking voice.  It makes sense though, because he is looking back on all of this as he tells the story - we can imagine he is telling it after the war is over and after he has changed.  I think that's a pretty important storytelling technique and well done.  It's hard to show two sides of a character and explain how one changed into another.          

Finally, there's the heart of the matter - whether or not such a thing as race and background can change the basis of love.  That's what we, along with Sam, discover: Love is more enduring than prejudice and the human spirit is resilient even in tragedy.

Review
Okay, I loved this movie.  It reminded me at times of From Here to Eternity in its depth and sometimes melodramatic tone.  There's also a great scene where Frank is seated at an outdoor cafe table watching Britt and Monique dance and I swear, I thought he was going to start humming "What Makes the Sunset."  But enough fan girl movie allusions - this film stands on its own two feet.  It has many layers and some great talents.  Definitely a movie worth seeing.


*"What Makes the Sunset" is from Anchors Aweigh.  Frank sings it when his girl (Kathryn Grayson) starts to dance with and fall for Frank's best pal, Gene Kelly.  Sound familiar?

Summertime (1955)

Intro.

I love those movies that take you completely by surprise - the ones that you aren't looking for but completely delight you.  Summertime was such a film for me.  I'm not sure if it was the fact that I've been longing to go to Italy myself or the fact that lately I've been feeling exactly like Katharine Hepburn's character - waiting for life to happen.

Overview

Katharine Hepburn plays Jane, a single American woman who has saved up enough money to finally fulfill her dreams and travel to beautiful, romantic Venice.  Once there, the excitement soon turns to loneliness as she realizes that Venice is a city for couples and she is very much alone.  That doesn't last long though, as she meets handsome shopkeeper Renato (Rossano Brazzi).  He pursues her and convinces her that romance can happen and that they should embrace whatever happens.  They date, they love, they spend many nights together in the gorgeous streets and canals of Venice.  It has all the marks of a dream come true until Jane finds out that Renato is married - from there the relationship grows complicated, but Jane makes her biggest decision to allow herself to love him anyway.  It isn't really a story about the two of them as much as it is about Jane coming into her own, opening her heart and realizing that her life hasn't passed her by.

Highlights

First of all, Venice steals the show.  It was filmed on location and oh what I wouldn't give to have been a part of that crew!  All of the warmth and beauty and even the sadness of Venice comes through just in the filmography alone.  In fact, the buildings and art are treated just as well as the leading lady, and we can see Jane fall in love with the city just as we do.  The music just adds to the beauty as well.

Katharine Hepburn is amazing in this role.  She reminded me of a stronger version of her character in The Rainmaker - lonely, but trying to hide it and too afraid to love.  As Jane, she is vibrant, friendly, and outgoing, yet also reserved and reluctant.  However, in keeping with Hepburn's rebellious spirit, Jane decides against convention (and in 1950's Hollywood!) and has her full blown romance with Renato.  And full blown is right - there's even a funny scene where Venice is lit up with fireworks while Jane and Renato slip off into a bedroom - presumably for their own fireworks.  Ah, Hollywood when you still had class!  The rest of the cast is superb in this film.  Even the McIlhenneys (Jane Rose and MacDonald Park) are great "ugly American" tourists that serve to highlight how different Jane is - not to mention provide some comic relief.  And Rossano Brazzi is terrific in his role as Renato - he is both the pursuer and the pursued and takes both with a great deal of charm.  Finally, the way that all of the elements of the film come together makes it stand out - especially the gardenia and the transformation of Jane (not only in clothes, but in the way she opens up and carries herself with more confidence).

There are some great lines in this film too.  Here are a few:
"Those miracles - they can happen sometimes, but you must give them a little push to help." - hotel keeper Signora Fiorini
"The most beautiful things in life are those we do not understand." - Renato
And this dialogue: Jane: "Sing it."  Renato: "How do you know I can?"  Jane: "Because you're Italian."  (Even funnier if you know what famous Rogers & Hammerstein musical Rossano Brazzi was later in!)

Review

This film is about Venice, but also about a deep part of human nature - the desire to be loved and the fear of not being loved.  It fulfills the line of "everything happens sooner or later" but with the cold realization that when love finds you, it may be far from what you imagined.  I'd recommend this film to all hopeless romantics and even those (like me) who are a bit cynical about love but give in to a great story.

Johnny Guitar (1954)

Intro.

I've been looking for Westerns with women in strong leading roles, so when I read the summary of Johnny Guitar, I knew it was a film I had to see.  The write-up called it a "cult classic" of director Nicolas Ray, and starred Joan Crawford and Mercedes McCambridge as feuding businesswomen in the old West.  With supporting actors like Ward Bond, Ernest Borgnine and John Carradine, I was sure it would be a real treat.

Overview

Johnny Guitar (Sterling Hayden) has been hired by saloon-keeper Vienna (Joan Crawford) to come out to her establishment in the middle of nowhere Arizona.  On his way, he witnesses four men hold up a stagecoach.  He no sooner gets to the saloon when a posse comes in with a dead body - the man killed in the holdup.  The dead man's sister happens to be Emma Smalls, who owns the bank and practically all of the town.  She also has a deep hatred for Vienna, and demands Vienna to give them the men who robbed the stage.  As it turns out, Vienna is friends with four "outsiders" - cowboys who aren't quite criminals but also aren't quite the upstanding-citizen type.  These cowboys, led by The Dancing Kid (Scott Brady), are the prime suspects, but Vienna won't turn them over.  Unfortunately the Kid and his group come into the saloon at that point and a real stare-down leads to a lot of hot tempers, drawn guns and a lot of yelling (the yelling is mostly from the always fantastic Ward Bond who plays Emma's friend and ranch-owner McIvers).  McIvers finally gives Vienna and her crew 24 hours to clear out and the dispute fizzles out.  Vienna decides to send her crew away, lets the Kid and his gang (who really didn't rob the stage) get off to their hide-out and waits for the posse to come for her.  She isn't leaving.  Apparently, neither is her saloon-singer Johnny, who we learn is not only a former gunslinger, but her former lover.  Johnny is clearly still in love with Vienna, but she has yet to forgive him for leaving her five years ago.  The Kid and his gang decide to rob the town bank during the dead man's funeral, and as Vienna is in the bank at the time (and left unharmed), she is accused of being their leader.  Emma leads the town posse after the boys and then after Vienna.  It all ends with a lot of action, including arson, fistfights, a hanging, a shoot-out and a final showdown between the two women.

Highlights & Other Points

First of all, I have to point out the supporting cast.  Ernest Borgnine was great as the trouble-making selfish cowboy Bart.  You both hated and liked him.  I also liked seeing Ward Bond, even if his character was rather one-dimensional and not on nearly long enough.  Some other familiar faces included Frank Ferguson as the Marshal and Paul Fix as Eddie.  And of course there is the scene-stealer, John Carradine.  His death scene is wonderful as he utters that it's the first time everyone paid attention to him.  I also read on IMDb that Joan Crawford had originally wanted Claire Trevor in the role of Emma Smalls.  I kind of wish she had, as it would've been wonderful to see her and John Carradine together again.

I've read several reviews for this film on the Turner Classic Movies website, and I'm not too sure what to think.  Some people seem to love this film while others despise it.  There are a few areas that need to be pointed out - first the color.  There is color EVERYWHERE in this film.  And not just a variety of colors, but big, bold, outstanding colors.  I did notice though that it depended on the people - Joan Crawford is the larger than life saloon-keeper, already a rarity because she is a woman in such a position.  Her attitude is as bold as her wardrobe; also, she doesn't start wearing dresses until after she and Johnny get back together.  On the other side are the townspeople lead by Emma and McIvers.  After the bank robbery, which triggers a lot of fast moving action, the posse is all dressed alike in their funeral clothes, sort of like a dark, somber army.   

Aside from the clothes, the most noticeable feature of this film is the acting.  It feels too forced, too over-the-top.  In fact, as I watched I couldn't help but feel like this was a stage play and the actors needed to do everything possible to make their emotions palpable.  There is very little subtlety here.  I'm not sure if it is intentional or not, but in many ways the movie reminded me of a melodrama.  It was most evident in the scenes between Johnny and Vienna, who go to emotional extremes over their lost-then-rekindled romance.  I can't help but wonder if the obvious issues the two main women have with relationships might be a result of going against the standard genre rules (I mean, women toting guns?  Leading a posse? Running a town?).  The saving grace was that each time Vienna and Johnny got a bit too carried away, some action happened that changed the plot.  Still, it is hard to look past the feel and style of the film, although I did read that the over-stylized nature and over-dramatic plot both inspired Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West.  Sounds like another review waiting to happen!

Review

I think if you watch Johnny Guitar knowing that it is Western Melodrama, you might be more open to it.  It's not the worst film I've seen, but also not the best.  What it lacks in acting, movement and overdone love scenes it makes up for in action, plot and leading ladies.  And honestly, any Western with two such strong female leads is so rare, it's worth watching at least once.

Fun fact: Joan Crawford and Mercedes McCambridge fought not only on-screen, but off-screen as well.  According to some reports, Joan Crawford even took all of Mercedes' wardrobe and threw them out along an Arizona highway!  Good thing those guns on set weren't loaded for real!  Read more at TCM.com.