Romancefest 3: Sadiefest - Footlight Parade

I was first introduced to Busby Berkley when I was a kid. I was obsessed with THE WIZARD OF OZ, and the 50th anniversary edition VHS tape had a cut scene at the end of it featuring a dance for the Scarecrow choreographed by Berkley. The over-the-top number captured my imagination and I remembered Berkley ever since.

Now I've finally scene a real bonafide Busby Berkley choreographed musical -- FOOTLIGHT PARADE, starring James Cagney as a stage choreographer forced out of business by the advent of talking pictures who hits upon the idea of creating an assembly line of "dance units" to perform prologues before movies in theaters across the nation.

The first half of the film deals with Cagney's struggles to keep his new company afloat, culminating in a crucial trio of performances of three prologues that will make or break his career. These lavish, creative and -- yes -- over-the-top performances make up the last half of the film.

FOOTLIGHT PARADE moves along at a lightning pace. The editing is efficient, the story is light and the snappy dialogue is delivered so rapidly, I'm not sure how audiences caught all the racy jokes in 1933. I guess they had to come back for more.

An actor like Cagney is ideal for this kind of film. At first it seems counter-intuitive -- a tough guy in a dance movie. But soon it makes total sense. His no-nonsense, breakneck style of acting fits perfectly in the cruel world of show business, especially this hyper-romanticized version, and he's willing to do anything -- sing, dance, look cool, look like a fool -- whatever it takes.

The supporting cast is also great. We've got whip-smart Joan Blondell as Cagney's "girl Friday" and eventual love interest, Ruby Keeler as a secretary who lets her hair down to become a sexy song and dance girl, Dick Powell as a gigolo turned song and dance man, and Frank McHugh as Cagney's chief dance instructor, who is slowly being driven insane by the stress of his job.

I could mention any number of more background characters, because while the story is simple, there's a lot of plot. To the movie's credit, it doesn't let itself get bogged down in plot, and a lot of the machinations of the good guys and the bad guys happen so quickly we've been through three movies worth of trouble in an hour of screen time.

After that, the dance numbers start up, and boy are they something else. First there's a gang of chorus girls in lingerie signing and dancing their way through a wedding night at the Honeymoon Hotel, followed by a group of bathing beauties synchronizing their way through a trippy swim routine, and finally we get Cagney himself searching for his Shanghai Lil amid a brothel of soldiers, sailors, and opium smoking prostitutes.

This movie has it all -- it's sexy, it's funny, there are more shapely legs than you can count, and the dance numbers will blow your mind.

Sadie Says:

In reading Paul's review of FOOTLIGHT PARADE, I immediately found myself with an ear to ear grin. Why? Because he TOTALLY got it. It had all the right elements for the Paul seal of approval. That's a good feeling for a chick recommending classic movies!

For those who are interested in more Busby Berkeley musicals, there are many to watch. Take a look at 42ND STREET and GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933.

Romancefest 3: Sadiefest - Indiscreet

I've been looking forward to seeing INDISCREET thanks to the film's two stars -- Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. I've seen and loved them in many other films, both together and apart, so it's always fun to see a new one for the first time.

For the first hour or so, INDISCREET unfolds as a melodramatic love affair between Bergman, who plays an improbably single and famous middle-aged stage actress, and Grant, who plays a married economist for NATO. The two meet and fall in love in London, where Bergman lives, and soon Grant is traveling back and forth from his work in Paris to his "other woman" in London.

I have to admit -- despite the star power, this first half bored me a little bit. It didn't seem to be the comedy that it was advertised as. But, this is the rare film that really does kick into high gear for the last half and really doesn't get to the point until late in the running time. Stop reading if you don't want to know, but there's a twist. I won't say what it is, but it turns out Grant has a secret, and when that secret comes out, the whole movie clicks together. Seemingly worthless supporting characters jump to life, the screenplay starts to crackle, a fire ignites in Bergman's eyes, Grant starts to crack and the afore mentioned comedy comes out of hiding.

Aside from some bold Technicolor highlights and some nice London sights, the movie is visually bland. There is, however, one interestingly shot exception -- a sequence early on in which a split-screen phone call between Grant and Bergman is arranged specifically to create the illusion that they're lying in bed together. Their hands seem to touch, they look into each other's eyes, they spoon comfortably for a while -- all while staying on the right side of the Hays Code thanks to a strategically placed split screen. This is a good example of how creative filmmakers can create compositions that ring emotionally true even when they're literally false.

It was fun to see Bergman both in color and in her 40s -- she looked no less radiant than she did in her younger days, but it was a little unreal. It's strange how color should be the more "realistic" medium, in theory -- after all, we all see our own lives in color. Still, I'm so used to seeing Bergman in black and white, that her color image in this film seemed almost surreal and dreamlike.

The afore mentioned supporting cast, after having nothing to do for the first half of the film, come to life in the second half. Phyllis Calvert and Cecil Parker have some good lines as Bergman's incredulous sister and brother-in-law, and David Kossoff and Megs Jenkins have some memorable moments as Bergman's servants.

Speaking of servants, it's interesting to note a theme that permeates throughout most of the film: as private as a love affair is, it must be conducted publicly. There are constant intrusions involving telephone operators, elevator operators, the man at the front desk and fans asking for autographs. Bergman and Grant can't even enjoy a romantic stroll without the chauffeur following their every move. On one hand this is a series of intrusions brought upon the couple by their own place in society. On the other, their courtship and romance seems to need these constant third wheels in order to survive.

It's also worth mentioning that as flawed as the first half of the film is, it does nail some quiet truths about evolving relationships as Grant and Bergman first come together somewhat awkwardly, and then eventually enjoy full intimacy. In fact, perhaps Grant's insecurities in the last act of the film wouldn't be as affective without this build up. Maybe the film is winning me over more as I write this.

One quick nitpick -- this is no fault of the film itself, but the disc I got from Netflix left a lot to be desired. The film was presented in non-anamorphic widescreen and the print used for the transfer had a lot of wear and tear on it. On top of this, the audio was tinny and squawky. I assume there must be other superior additions of this disc out there, but if there aren't, then INDISCREET would be a great candidate for some kind of restoration -- the fact that it stars Bergman and Grant should be enough to make this happen. Both the Technicolor and the musical score would benefit greatly if someone who cared got their hands on the film.

Sadie Says:

INDISCREET was the second film to star Grant and Bergman, almost 12 years after Alfred Hitchcock's NOTORIOUS. The films are completely different for many many reasons, but was is quite apparent, is the the onscreen chemistry that these two had.

Like Paul, I was intrigued by the split screen shot, reminiscent of PILLOW TALK released a year later, but clearly got way more recognition. It's my favorite followed by the shot of Bergman against a full wall of paintings as Grant leaves her apartment for the first time. The colors are exquisite, as are the numerous gowns this fine femme rocks throughout the entire film.

INDISCREET is not a perfect film by any means, but one that I think gives both Grant and Bergman an avenue to rock out in their middle age. Carey Grant does an incredible job of playing Carey Grant, and I love Bergman's performance of a highly successful woman who struggles with being independent and intimidating to her male counterparts. I think the theme of the strong female lead is starting to reveal itself with each new film.

Paul, who do we talk to about restoration? Let's get on it!

Romancefest 3: Sadiefest - My Man Godfrey

You can tell MY MAN GODFREY is going to be awesome from the first few moments of the film. The art direction in the opening credits alone eclipses many other romantic comedies I’ve seen. Most of them are content to shoot the action like a sitcom, but this is 1936 when movies looked good.

We meet Godfrey (William Powell) early on in the junk yard he lives in, another triumph of art direction that looks like something normally reserved for the likes of a super hero movie. A couple of rich socialite sisters are participating in a scavenger hunt which requires them to acquire a “forgotten man” and Godfrey becomes their man.

The older sister (Gail Patrick) is stuck up and entitled and earns a push into a pile of ashes from Godfrey. The younger sister (Carole Lombard) is a little flighty but also funny and quirky and inspires Godfrey to go along with her, partially to spite Patrick, partially to fulfill his own curiosity about the whole situation, but also to see what Lombard is all about.

This leads to Lombard eventually offering Powell a job as her family’s butler. He cleans himself up overnight and it isn’t long before he’s knee deep trying to help out the dysfunctional family, including an out of touch matriarch (Alice Brady), a patriarch who is in debt (Eugene Pallette, a personal favorite of mine from THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD) and a melodramatic mooch (Mischa Auer).

On top of all of this, Lombard develops a crush on Powell, and although she is pretty and vivacious, Powell does his best to avoid her advances out of a sense of propriety. Thanks to Powell’s quiet dignity amid the chaos, this otherwise strange reaction to her advances is totally believable. Later on, we also learn that Powell has a secret that brings this movie’s themes right in line with those of SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS.

GODFREY operates on a somewhat flimsy plot but everything else is totally solid – the performances, the sets, and the costumes are all top notch, the likes of which you rarely see in a comedy today. For some reason it seems like these days comedies aren’t considered worthy of good filmmaking, and that’s a shame. In some ways it’s not so much a miracle that the current film THE ARTIST has done so well in this day and age being silent and black and white, as much as it is a miracle that it is a comedy with some style and class.

Sadie says:

Several months ago, Paul and I went to the Hollywood Theater in Portland, OR to watch The Thin Man with our friends Kaite and Paterson. We discussed how awesome William Powell is in the famous Nick & Nora Charles series and how he would probably be a fantastic dinner guest should we decide to bring him back from his final resting place in Palm Springs, CA. What's not to like about William Powell? He's great with the zingers, making cocktails, and would definitely have tales to tell.

My Man Godfrey beautifully showcases Powell's ease in delivering dialogue, a skill that I believe served him well throughout his career. He's just so natural in times of seriousness and screwball comedy. What makes him look even better in My Man Godfrey, is the casting of such fine character actors who seamlessly illustrate family dysfunction at its best. I agree with Paul that the plot is a bit flimsy, but the cast carries the script the whole way.

In addition, it should be noted that William Powell and Carole Lombard were married and divorced prior to the making of this film. They remained good friends and if you look closely, you might still see some pretty fantastic chemistry between the two. See hilarious shower scene http://www.metacafe.com/watch/an-Plmf4nnbthbbYm/my_man_godfrey_1936_cold_shower/

Romancefest 3: Sadiefest - Gregory's Girl

GREGORY’S GIRL was right up my alley. This charming Scottish coming of age comedy from the 1980s follows the trials and tribulations of Gregory (John Gordon Sinclair), an awkward and offbeat but generally happy teenager who develops a crush when a girl replaces him on the soccer team. This is the fresh-faced Dee Hepburn as a tomboy who does not look like a tomboy, out-playing the boys on the field while stunning them with her looks.

The movie is not overly concerned with plot and takes the time to offer us several glimpses into the day to day life of the students and faculty of this small Scottish high school. We get to know the soccer coach (Jake D’Arcy) who is reluctant to let a girl onto the team, Gregory’s best friend (Robert Buchanan) who has even worse luck with girls than Gregory does, and Gregory’s home ec partner (William Greenlees) who is more interested in cooking and selling his pastries than scoring with chicks. There’s also the cute girl who seems to have an interest in Gregory (Clare Grogan) that Gregory can’t quite see, yet.

This film has a laidback, affable style to it that seemed somewhat familiar to me, so I was not surprised when I looked up the film’s writer/director and found out it was Bill Forsyth, who made the great LOCAL HERO, which also takes place in a sleepy Scottish village full of friendly characters.

All of the performers are very natural and engaging, especially Sinclair as Gregory. This is all the more effective because most of the cast is made up of young actors, many of them teenagers, and don’t come off as either too fake or too precious, as they might in a more contrived, less well observed film.

There are no major tragedies or triumphs in GREGORY’S GIRL and the movie will not have you on the edge of your seat, but it does cast a nice, nostalgic spell that just made me feel good. Part of that was the relief of no longer being in “that awkward phase,” but another part of it was the knowledge that a nice guy like Gregory will turn out all right and look back and remember all of his little adventures fondly one day.

Sadie says:

This flick had Paul written all over it. Coming of age plot, the United Kingdom, and a snapshot of a time and place. It's a triple threat type of movie with amazing acting, awesome accents, and awkward adolescents.

Romancefest 3: Sadiefest - Come September

COME SEPTEMBER is a light hearted romantic comedy starring Rock Hudson as a wealthy industrialist who travels to Italy to visit his beautiful villa every year in September. As the movie opens, he arrives at his villa early to discover that his servant (Walter Slezak) has been running it as a hotel in his absence. Also in his absence, his long time local girlfriend (Gina Lollobrigida) has gotten engaged. Still, when he arrives, she can't resist, and leaves her fiance to join him for another vacation. Or does she?

Among the guests staying at the villa-turned-hotel is young and naive Sandra Dee and her girlfriends, who are being chased by a yellow jeep full of douche bags led by Bobby Darin. All right, I guess they're not total douche bags -- in any case, they camp out on the villa lawn hoping to hook up with the girls. Hudson and Lollobrigida find themselves becoming reluctant watch dogs and confidants of the younger set.

When I say COME SEPTEMBER is light hearted, I mean it -- there is not much going on here. Hudson tries to keep the kids from mating, Lollobrigida tries to decide between Hudson and her fiance, and Sandra Dee tries to attract Bobby Darin's attentions while remaining a respectable young lady. Nothing worth noting really happens to anyone during the course of the movie, so the characters and plot take a backseat.

What do we have left? The scenery. COME SEPTEMBER is beautifully shot in Cinemascope with vivid colors that jump off the screen, almost every scene full of breath taking Italian scenery. This makes an otherwise fluffy affair at least somewhat worth the watch as the visuals are anything but boring.

These visuals include the afore mentioned Gina Lollobrigida, a bonafide babe of the highest order. She has the standout performance as the only character who is really able to let loose, quickly bouncing from emotion to emotion in rapid fire, full volume Italian as she passionately pleas for Hudson's attentions. In a movie full of dud jokes, the best laughs come from Lollobrigida's physical performance.

Unfortunately the rest of the cast is a little boring -- Hudson doesn't have much of a character to work with (unlike his mischievous, oversexed bachelor in PILLOW TALK) and Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin don't fare much better. Darin does have a scene in which he performs the song "Multiplication," however, showcasing his stage presence which is far superior to his screen presence. Aside from Lollobrigida, Slezak is the only one who has some good stuff to work with, as at least his character is always up to some kind of scam.

Sadie says:

The behind the scenes story with this film, is that this was the movie where Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee fell in love. I mean, who wouldn't want to fall in love with the gorgeous Italian backdrop as your courting ground?

In addition, as an appreciator of vintage fashion, I have to say that Gina's wardrobe knocks it out of the park. The viewer can see that she's rocking some of the hottest Italian frocks of the time and using her bellisima body to show them off.

Rock Hudson and Gina Lollbrigida made another film called STRANGE BEDFELLOWS. If you can appreciate the ridiculous and magical nature of COME SEPTEMBER, you won't regret a viewing of STRANGE BEDFELLOWS. I don't know if there is a comparison to this genre of films these days. Paul?

Romancefest 3: Sadiefest - Sullivan's Travels

I've always wanted to see SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS and now thanks to Sadiefest, I have! I've been a theoretical Preston Sturges fan since I first saw PALM BEACH STORY, but for whatever reason, I've been lazy about exploring the rest of his filmography. What kind of a movie buff am I?

Anyway, SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS stars Joel McCrea (Horrorfest alum from THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME) as our title character, a socially conscious film director hell bent on adapting the important (but depressing) novel O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? Dissatisfied with his sheltered life and history in comedy films, McCrea hits on the idea of going undercover as a hobo to experience homeless life on the road. After these "real life" experiences, McCrea figures, he'll have the chops to make a "real" movie.

Early on in his adventures, McCrea runs into a down and out would-be starlet played by the beautiful Veronica Lake, who is on the verge of giving up on her dreams of a Hollywood career and heading back home in defeat. The two take a liking to each other and end up on the hobo trip together, falling in love along the way.

Aside from a little heavy handed moralizing at the end of the film after it takes a strong right turn into fairly serious territory, SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS feels refreshingly modern -- in many ways, so ahead of its time, it's ahead of half the stuff that's out right now! Most of this is thanks to writer/director Sturges' razor sharp sense of humor. He's a master of one-liners, set ups/punchline gags, elaborate comedy chase scenes and satire. It's rare you get all this in one flick. Sturges is following the rule of "writing what you know" as the McCrea character must be one who is close to his heart, and the central dilemma must have been something Sturges struggled with himself in Hollywood. Sturges gets a lot of mileage taking the piss out of studio execs while he tends to portray the downtrodden with a fair bit of dignity.

Veronica Lake steals almost every scene she is in, not just because of her looks, but also thanks to her dry and deadpan delivery. It works perfectly for the character, who clearly at one time was lighthearted, cute and funny, but who has slowly transformed over time into a somewhat pessimistic and sarcastic woman. It's fun to see how this cold (but funny) exterior falls away as she learns to like McCrea and loosen up around him. Because of this, the relationship and the way it develops is much more realistic than your average Hollywood fare -- it seems more specific and closely observed than more "epic" romances do.

In fact, the entire movie succeeds from its attention to detail. As an example, in a high speed chase, Sturges gets an unexpected joke out of a quick cut to a tight angle of the dashboard of a 13-year-old kids' hot rod to reveal the speedometer is drawn on with chalk. But, in more general terms, the way industry banter is thrown around without explanation, the way names of real celebrities are used, and the way minor characters like McCrea's servants (Robert Greig and Eric Blore) and a hapless cook (Charles R. Moore) are given little moments of truth, all add up to to make this a comic masterpiece.

Romancefest 3: Sadiefest - Adam's Rib

Welcome to Romancefest 3, my yearly self imposed ritual of watching and writing about 1 romantic movie for every day of the month of February. This February it happens to be 29 days, so that's 29 movies.

The last couple years I watched a combination of movies from "best of" lists -- I finished up the AFI's "100 Years, 100 Passions" list last year so I wasn't sure where to start this year. I tried looking at the most popular "romance" films on IMDB, but it turns out IMDB users list roughly every movie ever made as a "romance" so that didn't help.

That was when the best idea ever struck me, and that was to turn to my friend Sadie, who is the biggest classic movie buff I know. If you ever want to watch the Elvis Presley classic BLUE HAWAII in the middle of the night, but you also want to know someone in some other state is also watching it at the same time, Sadie is the girl you want to call.

So, I asked Sadie to hand pick a list of classic romantically themed movies for me with the only 2 directives being that they had to be movies I've never seen and they couldn't be MAMMA MIA. She was more than happy to jump head first into the task at hand and before I knew it, I had my list. Then she was happy to revise the list. And revise it again. And then I was like, "Sadie, the list is good, stop revising it." And then she revised it again. Thing is, Sadie doesn't mess around when it comes to classic movies.

So without further delay, here is the first movie of my 29 days of 29 romantic films.

ADAM'S RIB

Here's another Katharine Hepburn / Spencer Tracy battle of the sexes. Last year I took a look at WOMAN OF THE YEAR, and this year it's ADAM'S RIB in which assistant DA Tracy attempts goes up against his wife, defense attorney Hepburn, in an attempt to prosecute a woman who has shot her cheating husband.

As far as Tracy is concerned, this is an open and shut case -- if you break the law, you get in trouble. Hepburn, on the other hand, is annoyed with the notion that she feels a jilted wife gets less sympathy from society than a jilted husband does. Her theory is, if a man shot his wife for cheating, he wouldn't be convicted because society views the cheating wife as deserving of punishment. Meanwhile, a cheating husband just gets a wink and a nod and a "boys will be boys" attitude, and any wife who would dare shoot him wouldn't stand a chance in front of the judge.

Now, this conceit is a little crazy, I think, and it's kind of a shame since the screenwriters ask us to believe that Hepburn's character, who seems otherwise intelligent, believes in it whole-heartedly. I agree with the broad strokes that society is sexist, and often biased towards men, and that there is definitely a double standard when it comes to men sleeping around and women sleeping around, among other things. But I wouldn't go so far as to say a man would get off for shooting his wife, just because he's a man, or that a woman should get off for any reason other than self defense.

So, I want to root for Hepburn's feminist ideals, but her argument is illogical. I guess maybe the screenwriters may have done this on purpose because their own sympathies might lie with Tracy, who believes in the letter of the law above any ideals involving gender equality. Or, this might just be a sloppy oversight since the argument at hand isn't really all that important to the plot, but it'd be nice if it was.

Tracy and Hepburn are great as always, which is no surprise, but for most of the middle part of the movie they're almost upstaged by the wide variety of supporting players. Judy Holliday is great as the jilted wife who takes the stand and does her best to say what she thinks Hepburn wants her to say. Tom Ewell has some funny moments as the cheating husband, who seems more indifferent and bored than outright mean. Jean Hagen is the third side of the live triangle as the "other woman" who participates in the court proceedings with enthusiasm and amusement.

David Wayne is also on hand as a musician neighbor to Tracy and Hepburn who has a crush on Hepburn and actually goes so far as to write her a song (actually a Cole Porter tune) and perform it in front of the couple, much to Tracy's chagrin. Wayne gets some good one liners and is especially funny in a climactic scene in which he reluctantly finds himself in the middle of an explosive confrontation between the stars.

One thing the movie is insightful about and does get right is the idea that a passionate, emotional argument, well spoken, can beat a logical, rational argument any time. Hepburn knows this going into the fight. Tracy learns this coming out of it. The movie is a little ahead of its time, I think, in its portrayal of a trial by media, as each day in court is breathlessly reported in the papers -- the more sensational, the better, culminating in Hepburn putting a circus strong woman on the stand (Hope Emerson, in a memorable bit) who proceeds to lift Tracy up into the rafters.

So begins Romancefest 3: Sadiefest.

Sadie Says:

I've officially made it to the big leagues! What an honor, Paul. Thanks for drafting me. I'm not going to apologize for being a perfectionist about this list, but will apologize for even suggesting that Mama Mia get in there. It's not a classic...yet. I should've known better. I do promise that this list may increase the likelihood of a misty eye, a strong desire to move to Europe, and probably a spontaneous dance party in the comfort of your own home. Adam's Rib is such a great choice to kick it off.

Fact: Katherine Hepburn was a tough cookie and successfully pushed George Cukor around during the filming of this movie. She would get up on his grill and politely tell him to point the camera at Judy Holliday as often as possible in their shared scenes. Hep believed her new gal pal should be considered for the film version of a little Broadway play called 'Born Yesterday,' a role Judy originated. However, the studio was not convinced her stage presence was right for the screen. As a result of Judy's performance in Adam's Rib, she was cast in the film version of Born Yesterday, nailed it (screw you studio head), and later won the Oscar for Best Actress. The thing about Katherine Hepburn is that she always seemed to be looking out for a sista, not hearing the word NO, and paving the way while wearing the coolest outfits. What a Woman!