Of Human Interest

I have only seen four Wendy Hiller movies in my entire life. But recently I watched a delightful little piece, I Know Where I’m Going!  This was indirectly recommended to me as I read David Mamet’s book, Bambi Vs. Godzilla. He mentions this film as his wife’s favorite movie of all time.[1] Okay, I’m game!

How wonderful to see her in her younger days. Actually, she was a very handsome woman.  Playing the Princess Dragomiroff in Murder on the Orient Express, I found her rather creepy (and love doing that character’s voice myself!), and had a nonplussed opinion of her due to this character, and she is emblazoned in my memory.  But my opinion has changed, and, once again, I am looking forward to seeing more of her filmography.  I Know Where I’m Going! is a 91-minute journey into the life of a woman who always knew her own life plans.  But upon heading to an isle off the coast of Scotland (Kiloran) for marriage, she is bound by weather and finds herself realizing her love is not of money and a man of substance, but for a retired naval captain with all the riches of the world wrapped-up in happiness, the village of his friends, and the true ties that bring the most fulfillments in life.

Wendy Hiller & Roger Livesey - I Know Where I'm Going! (1945)

Now this naval captain is played by Roger Livesey, who not coincidentally stars in a film I had watched immediately prior to this one – The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. This happens to be David Mamet’s own personal favorite film he mentions in said book.[2]  Originally a British comic strip in the 1940’s, the film is an entire backstory for this character.  A strong attempt on banning the film was made by Winston Churchill, but in today’s market, this well-crafted piece would have been a shame to lose to Churchill’s demands,  as it takes a look a the development of a man through three wars and how he becomes who he is; something we all should do – take that retrospective walk down 'memory lane' and see how we’ve been shaped and molded to become the people were are as of now.  Although Colonel Blimp is fictional, it serves as a guide to encourage us in reality to do the same.

Roger Livesey - The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)

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[1] David Mamet, Bambi Vs. Godzilla (New York: Vintage Books 2007), 160-161.

[2] Ibid.,148, 173.

Fashion (License) Plate

One of my top five favorite films is The Great Race, starring Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood, and Jack Lemmon.  It's an annual Thanksgiving weekend staple in our home, and everyone in the family has to be able to say "Who's Texas Jack?" in proper voice. If you go to The Great Race trivia at imdb.com, you'll find in the trivia section of The Great Race a factoid regarding Maggie DuBois' costumes changes. It was added by none other than me!  In my eyes, Natalie Wood was one of the most beautiful women that graced the silver screen.  So, it is fitting that this motion picture goddess would be well-suited. Literally, well-suited! There are 19 costumes changes in this 160-minute homage dedicated to "Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy."


Here are some of my favorite pieces in the collection:

Prior to this cowboy outfit outside of Borracho, there have already been 4 costumes.

This is cinnamon coat & fur is the 1st of 4 full-length coats with fur-trimmed hoods.

Now on a floating iceberg, this is red coat with fur is the 2nd to appear.

This is one of my favorites! The photo color does not give justice to the sapphire blue!

Once on land & in Russia, again the photo color does not come close to the amazing deep, teal green of this  form-fitting coat with fur & scarf-trimmed hat.

Prior to this, Maggie DuBois has been in a corset, a blanket (& she still is amazing!),
and on the road immediately preceding this scene, a grey-green riding coat, hat in flowers, & goggles.
This pink ensemble at #18 gets Maggie & Leslie almost to the finish line!
The bridal gown completes the collection at #19.

So there you have it! I know there's one reader out there who is a Great Race fan already (CM), but if you've never seen this 1965 Blake Edwards film, take an evening and watch!  Even if you lose count on the Natalie's costumes, you will find the reunited Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon a team to behold.  Every scene is perfectly crafted, and the co-stars are not only abundant, but do their part in each scene in giving the leads a run for their money. But you will be speechless over Donfeld's costume designs.

6821 Hollywood Boulevard

Once again, I find myself writing on a new subject for me – one I surely do not consider myself an expert!  Although, I have experienced enough Labor Day Telethons that one would presume me an expert – and that would be on Jerry Lewis.  I have seen a handful of Jerry’s work on film: “Li’l Abner” (1959, an uncredited role as ‘Itchy McRabbit’),  “The Nutty Professor,” (1963), “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” (1963, another uncredited role as the hat smashing driver) and a film in ‘Denise’s Top 50 of All-Time,’ and “Hardly Working,” (1980, ‘Bo Hooper’).  So, other than knowing his general work with Dean Martin and seeing clips on television retrospectives over the years, I do not have a qualified working knowledge of his creative talent.  During the Christmas season last while spending a day wrapping gifts, I happened to watch a cable special entitled, “The Method to The Madness of Jerry Lewis.”  It was fascinating to watch, learn details from his son, fellow actors, and others in the film industry.  Throughout the documentary, many clips were shown from films I had never seen, and I challenged myself to open my home to a few films from Jerry’s body of work.

These films were “The Bellboy,” “The Errand Boy,” and “The Patsy.” Each having their own merits and faults, I decided I would look at them comparatively and contrastingly.  Jerry Lewis writes and directs all three of these films, and well, you “write what you know.”  It’s fairly obvious to see Mr. Lewis’ complaints with the major studios and how his repartee with these studios and their heads was so unfavorable.

Both “The Bellboy” and “The Errand Boy,” are mostly strings of individual events the occur to the main character. And although, “The Errand Boy” has a storyline, it is less of one that “The Patsy,” where there is at least a wading pool’s depth of character in parts played here.

  Here's how these three compare in my book:

I have to say my favorite of the three is “The Errand Boy,” mostly because I wanted to put myself in “Morty’s shoes” and be the errand boy (but without the bungling)!  It also begins with a narration by Paul Frees (the best voice in the biz!). Some terrific laughs, (mostly at the real studios’ expense), and an upbeat ending, as do all the films.  Jerry’s films are appropriate for anyone to watch, and in a day and age where the ‘super funny’ feel they need to be ‘super raunchy,’ Jerry’s heyday films are a breath of fresh air. The scene with the water cooler found me giving it the ‘old-fashioned belly laugh’! I did so not expect what happened to happen, maybe I should have, but I let myself go and had a blast!

“The Bellboy” has some great gags, too; Jerry’s scenes with Bill Richmond (as ‘Stan Laurel’) are simply the best! Bill is also in “The Errand Boy” and “The Patsy,” and his “man of a thousand faces” persona is terrific. He is an acting chameleon, and I so appreciate that kind of talent; I think Jerry did, too. Bill was also a writing partner with Jerry; the two work together in all three films like they are two halves of one whole.

“The Patsy” is an homage to what agents did and still do in the entertainment industry – make something out of nothing.  The supporting cast including Peter Lorre, John Carradine (another  (one of the best voices in the biz), Keenan Wynn, Ina Balin don't really get to shine like they should, even as supporting cast.  The laughs are not as hysterical as in the first two films, but the overall jousts to showbiz are definitely there, and certainly good for a handful of laughs.

I have not yet seen “Cinderfella,” another film discussed at length in the “Method” documentary.  I hope at some point to add this and many others to my Jerry Lewis film patchwork.

I leave you with the brilliant moment from "The Errand Boy." 

Here's Jerry Lewis as 'Morty S. Tashman' in "Blues in Hoss Flat" by the Count Basie Orchestra.

  

Movie Pests - Part Deux

My January 27 post was directed to all those who come to the movies and find it their ‘job’ to bother everyone else around them, knowlingly or otherwise.  Now, I already knew this was nothing new, but shortly after I blogged on this topic, I had a chance meeting with a wonderful movie short on this very subject on TCM.  “Movie Pests” is an 11-minute romp narrated and produced by “a Smith named Pete,” and premiered in July 1944. Smith starts out this laugh-out-loud, nod-in-agreement flick with the words that “this movie typifies all the pests who annoy you at the theatre.”  American movie attendance soared during World War II, so the pests to be found were at a premium, I’m sure!

Mr. Smith covers everyone from the couple who can not decide where to sit, the seat-changer, the “snake” (“psssttt!”), the “muncher,” plus many others.  These pests were attending the movies then, and as movie-going has evolved (or perhaps devolved), they have brought along some new friends for the modern era.  Never-the-less, they are here to stay and they appear to have no intentions of ever leaving.

According to IMDB trivia, this short film is included as an extra on the 2007 Warner Home Video dvd of “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo,” which is a wonderful 2 hour, 38 minute production in itself.  But , war films is another blog (or 2 or 3) all unto itself.

Until then, we’ll keep staying clear as best we can from today’s movie “pests” and perhaps we’ll see a updated adaptation of Pete Smith’s work some time in the near future. "Bye, now!"*

*(Pete Smith is closing "Movie Pests")