To Be Seeing You, Pat and Mike

  No stressful, school-laden week is replete without a respite into the realm of classic movies, I've discovered: even 90 minutes in the silvery screen presences of uberstuds like Dennis Morgan or dashing comedic greats like Jack Benny is enough to renew my passion for the films of yore and to sate the vintage vixen in me. These three recently-viewed films, then, are enough to keep me happy long after summer's through - so take note, check your popcorn stock, and do indulge in:

To Be or Not To Be (1942) - The notion of seeing unrivaled radio and television star Jack Benny - who not only set entertainment standards with his delectable radio and television shows and rich, timeless humor, but who was himself an enduring element of 20th century entertainment - as the deadpan husband of glamorous Carole Lombard was, well, a bit unsettling. How could I accept him as anything but the notorious violin-playing cheapskate character he so believably perpetuated for nearly fifty years? I shouldn't have worried, though: Benny's appearances are brief but side-splitting as the somewhat cuckolded straight man cast in a Poland-set, Nazi-infused muddle of love, intrigue, spies, and the abiding hope that the right men will be fooled at the right times. Director Ernst Lubitsch deftly balances tension and wartime grimness with lighthearted farce and audience-flattering intelligent plot twists, all while showcasing the talents of his favored bit players and the best aspects of his stars' appeal. I definitely recommend this sweet, smart comedy.

I'll Be Seeing You (1945) - Oh, Ginger. Just when I thought 1940's stellar Kitty Foyle was the lone epitome of red-haired Rogers' touching dramatic acting skills, her turn as pensive prisoner Mary Marshall in I'll Be Seeing You convinced me that she is among the most dexterous screen stars of all time. Though the film's appeal lies in the evident and inherent redeemable qualities of its lead characters - the Rogers' heartsick Marshall and Cotten as her shy, self-doubting, shaky suitor - this is no mere wartime weepy; under its engaging, romantic plot are rich commentaries on acceptance and prejudice, love and loneliness, salvation and sanguinity. An added bonus (as though you needed one amidst the romance and heartache) is the haunting and melodic title track, a version of which is featured in the film performed by vocalist Helen Forrest (one of my perennial faves) and which has since become a timeless American Standard.

Pat and Mike (1952) - Every so often there is a film so transcendent of the era in which it was produced, so sturdy despite its soon-dated hairstyles and music styles and clothing styles, that it can be seen and appreciated in light of the day it is screened, be it days or decades later. Pat and Mike is one such film. This sparkling comedic gem, the fusion of four-part brilliance emanating from writers Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon and their friends, stars Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, imparts a likable plot conducive not only to easy humor, but to evidencing the appeal of the latter two talents, screen icons both.
Hepburn, a real-life athlete skilled in numerous sports, takes to her role of gym-teacher-turned-female-sports-star with enviable vigor and agility, while it's clear from his introduction that venerable old Tracy delights in channeling his roguish side to bring rough, tender-hearted, slightly legitimate business manager Mike Conovan to life. It's entertainment enough just to see Spence revert from his typical meted, articulate screen presence to talking in bum-lingo, and Kate relish her foray as fast-talking, sports-dominating, skirt-loathing feminist Pat - aside from their tender turn in their final screen collaboration, 1967's Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?, Pat and Mike may well be the pair's most true-to-life characterizations. And tee for tee, match for match - we're the ones who win big for having this sporting, delectable comedy to savor long after tournament's end.


For access to these and hundreds of other similarly-scrumptious classic movies, I recommend checking out your local cable lineup for channels like Turner Classic Movies, utilizing your library or video rental stores, or becoming a customer of home-delivered movie rental programs such as Netflix.

COVET!!!!

I know, I know, one is not supposed to covet things, and I'm sure there will be a particularly harsh retribution for coveting as I am on Easter Sunday. But Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly in three fabulous forties films in ONE BOX SET?! How am I supposed to act nonchalant about that?! Warner Brothers is releasing this confection of a collection on May 13, 2008, and as it's priced at just $18.69, this is one fab set of films I won't have to covet for long.

Three Technicolor stunners showcasing the collaboration of MGM's most famous dancer/resident hotness Gene and charming crooner Frank are included in this set: 1944's On The Town, with Jules Munshin, Ann Miller, Vera-Ellen, and Betty Garrett, follows the travails of three sailors on 24-hour leave in New York City; 1948's Take Me Out to The Ball Game, which reprises the duo's teaming with Munshin, adds million-dollar mermaid Esther Williams to the turn-of-the-century baseball mix (it's comedy gold); and 1949's Anchors Aweigh, in which our lovable Frankie and Gene-o are once again amorous sailors, this time entangled with opera star Kathryn Grayson.

The Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly Collection is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.com.

Oh, Shangri-La, Miss Foyle!

I've got a tip for you. Watch Kitty Foyle.

In all my starry-eyed viewings of 1940's The Philadelphia Story, I could never fathom how any other actress could have give a performance worthy of nabbing that year's Oscar from fiesty female lead Katharine Hepburn, especially given that Phil was essentially Hep's comeback vehicle after years of box-office bombs in the late 1930s: the film is brilliant, filled with acerbic dialogue, runs at a deliriously snappy pace, and boasts a corral of first-rate stars to carry it from its uproarious opening all the way to its delightful denoument. How could any forties filly top Kath's snobby, priggish Tracy Lord in all her hearthfires-and-holocausts glory?

Easily, if you take it from Ginger Rogers, Hep's blonde box-office rival and fellow RKO 'It Girl' of the 1930s. Though she made her name as the sexier half of the most popular dance duo in history opposite Fred Astaire - and perhaps the more coordinated half, as she was always in high heels - Ginge's turn as white-collar working girl Kitty Foyle vaulted her into the serious spheres of dramatic acting, far from her days of tapping in Top Hat and waltzing in Swing Time. And deservedly so: those familiar with Rogers as the saucy but respectable young lady on the receiving end of the sweet advances of amorous male co-stars like David Niven, Jimmy Stewart and Astaire, will be astounded by her deft transformation into scrappy brunette Kitty, an indomitable Irish lass who finds, in her mid-20's, that stumbling upon love is far more complicated than she could ever have imagined. Co-stars Dennis Morgan - sexier than he is in 1941's Christmas in Connecticut, if you can believe that - and James Craig tear at the heartstrings as Kitty's suitors, each equally appealing, neither fully claiming Kitty's heart until the film's finish, when you can finally exhale through your tears and astonishment.

I've been a fan of Ginger Rogers since the days of Shall We Dance (1937) and Vivacious Lady (1938), but Kitty is out-and-out an incredible performance by an actress whose skill for subtle serious roles was, and still is, vastly underestimated, left in the shadow of her more well-known turns as the bubbly blonde on Fred's arm. Her sparkly comedic and musical roles are, I contend, equally important in her film legacy and not to be discounted as less than worthy of praise or acknowledgement, but, instead, they serve to highlight her dexterity as an actress even further. There's no harm in loving the Ginger who can Charleston her way into the arms of any of your favorite forties fellows, but please, for your own sake, get to know Kitty Foyle!

Kitty Foyle is available on DVD for the awesome price of just $12.20 from Deep Discount DVD!

Photo Source

BALL OF AWESOME!

Okay, dear readers, you must allow me the liberty of expressing my absolute fervor of excitement over the days-away release of 1941's sassy, saucy romantic comedy Ball of Fire. When nothing else could convince me of lead Barbara Stanwyck's classic actress status - her critically-acclaimed turn in Double Indemnity, my first foray into her films, left me totally unappreciative (the blonde wig! ugh!) - it was her part as Fire's wise-cracking gun moll Sugarpuss O'Shea that turned me into a true Stany fan. Pair her effortless effervescence with the expert direction of Howard Hawks and a script penned by Billy Wilder himself, and you've got a delightful flick filled with equal parts sentiment, sequins, and sex appeal. And don't forget Gary Cooper as the sweet and loyal Professor Potts - ohhh, the hotness!

Do yourself a favor and dig into this dish of forties farce a la mode, available on Tuesday, May 22, 2007 (just click on the link to order from DeepDiscountDVD). As Sugie herself would say, it's a killer diller.

Divine in the Briny

Wash your towels, perfect your pedicures, and stir your poolside lemonade, because a sea-worthy revelation is set to hit shelves on Tuesday, July 17, 2007: After spewing forth innumerable Cagney, Bogart, Davis and Crawford box sets, Warner Brothers Home Video is finally lavishing some overdue attention on The Million Dollar Mermaid herself, MGM darling Esther Williams.

A champion diver in her early teens, Williams revolutionized the film industry in the 1940s by using her films to showcase her extraordinary aquatic abilities - she not only swims in beautiful costumes amongst lavish underwater sets, but she dives, performs extended water ballets and acrobatics, water-skis, and choreographs complicated numbers for her myriad "chorus girls" to perform (Williams is credited with co-authoring the sport of synchronized swimming). Though retired from film and running her own line of swimwear from her California home, Esth still remains a fan favorite - she still signs autographs and recently published her autobiography, Million Dollar Mermaid (a scandalously good read) - but curiously enough, the advent of The Esther Williams Collection will mark the initial release of any of Williams' water-related films on dvd (1949's Take Me Out to the Ball Game is definitely dry-land fare).

Complete with featurettes, film trailers, musical number outtakes, and TCM's original Private Screenings with Esth herself, a five-disc box set will include:

Bathing Beauty (1944), with Red Skelton and Harry James
Easy to Wed (1946) with Van Johnson, Lucille Ball and Keenan Wynn - easily my favorite flick of the set!
On an Island with You (1948) with Peter Lawford, Ricardo Montalban and Cyd Charisse
Neptune's Daughter (1949) with Betty Garrett, Red Skelton and Ricardo Montalban - again
Dangerous When Wet (1953) with Fernando Lamas - let the real-life love affair begin!

Though these five flicks aren't entirely representative of Esther's unquestionable underwater appeal (where, exactly, is Million Dollar Mermaid?), fear not, swimfans...the "Volume 1" subscript on the case's cover is a sure guarantee that more mermaid is on the way!

The July-released Esther Williams Collection is available from Amazon.com for an astoundingly low $34.99 USD.

Blockbusters on a Budget

Warner Bros. Home Video announced Wednesday that it plans to repackage some of its best-loved classic films into three-movie collections, selling the new compilations at around $30. Ten dollars for the eternally-expensive Meet Me In St. Louis?! Casablanca? The Wizard of Oz? It's true, but the company is quick to note that while these versions will be the most recent digitally-remastered editions of each film, they will not include the lavish special features that accompany current multi-disc collectors' edition copies of each movie. Additional titles to be re-issued in these sets include Citizen Kane, Gone With the Wind, My Fair Lady and Singin' in the Rain.

Though further details are as of yet unavailable, update information is anticipated on The Warner Home Video DVD Collection official website (yes, there really is one). No word yet regarding tentative release dates.

Christmas Comes But Once A Year

Whereas Christmases past usually involved the anguish of surreptitiously investigating my presents and shoving those deemed to be sweaters or leggings under nearby furniture to avoid opening them, this week's holiday found me absolutely aglow with gratitude for such great gifts. It seems 2006 was the year I successfully established that if it didn't relate to classic film in some way, perhaps I would be better off giftless, for I had no use for it - my passion for the silver screen has indeed affected my taste in films, music, literature, and even clothing, jewelry and makeup, among other interests, so it makes sense that I was positively rabid to find these beneath the tree:

Bogie and Bacall: The Signature Collection is four discs of forties film heaven. Having emulated Lauren's lustrous locks and sultry eyes and developed a crush on Bogie since seeing The Big Sleep in my teens, I was smitten with the collection's beautiful black-and-white cover when I came across it at Target months ago, and was thrilled to own it come Christmas Eve. Included are the only four movies this iconic real-life couple made together: 1944's To Have and Have Not, which was also Bacall's big screen debut; 1946's The Big Sleep, a fabulous Howard Hawks-directed thriller; Dark Passage, which, despite being a solid film with sweet, sweet tension and inventive camerawork, many consider to be the weakest of the pair's pairings, from 1947; and the star-studded drama Key Largo (1948), which boasts a cast that includes Lionel Barrymore, Edward G. Robinson and Claire Trevor. The only improvements I could see upon this stunning set would be a biography of Lauren and Humph, be it a DVD a la the Thin Man boxset or a booklet, detailing their separate careers, their romance, and the legendary partnership that transferred from the silver screen to real life.



Gone With the Wind: Four Disc Collector's Edition
Whether you love the drama and romance of this sweeping 1939 epic, or you can't believe you wasted four hours of your life on Scarlett's whining, Rhett's swashbuckling, and Ashley's pantywaist tendencies, you must admit: Gone With the Wind is a pretty damn impressive movie. The newest collector's edition boasts the film itself on two discs, brilliantly restored using Warner Brother's Ultra-Resolution technique, and its vivid color and unmistakable score by Max Steiner are perhaps even more impressive here than they were during the film's theatre premiere.
The two discs of extras include an absolute plethora of backstories and behind-the-scenes information, highlights of which are a two-hour documentary on the making of the film, created by producer David Selznick's sons, footage from the movie's 1939 debut, and an in-depth look at the restorative processes that lend this release its superb visual and audio quality. The fourth disc focuses on the lives of GWTW's stars: with three of the four leads deceased as of 1967, the task of reminiscing has long been relegated to the only remaining main cast member, the delicate screen legend Olivia de Havilland. Her chatty retrospective was filmed specifically for this and, if not rife with new details and inside stories, offers unique and valuable perspectives and recollections from someone identified very closely with the movie.

If you're a fan who doesn't yet own this film, this DVD edition is paramount in terms of quality, presentation, and extras, and it retails for a surprisingly low price: it's a cool $17.99 brand new on Amazon.com.



The Glenn Miller Story (1953) After convincing my sister to rent 1948's The Stratton Story on a whim back in October, we came to the mutual conclusion that if there was anything better than watching Jimmy Stewart onscreen, it was watching Jimmy romance June Allyson. Pretty, petite, and perseverant, Allyson complements Stewart's lanky, laid-back Everyman perfectly, and their onscreen chemistry is arguably among the most poignant and heartfelt of all movie couples - it's surprising that, given their respective longevity and popularity, the two only collaborated in three films over a six-year period: 1948's Stratton, 1953's The Glenn Miller Story, and Strategic Air Command (1956).

While I admittedly haven't seen this film yet, I am rabidly awaiting its arrival - at this rate it will be a New Year's Gift - and I can't stress enough, don't buy from eBay powersellers!

I also received the out-of-print VHS version of Sex and the Single Girl, a 1964 sex comedy that pairs Henry Fonda against Lauren Bacall and Tony Curtis against Natalie Wood, commencing in one gloriously overblown misunderstanding after another - it's no classic, but as far as campy, esoteric films riddled with my favorite stars go, this one's delish. I was also delighted to find that my beloved sister had left a dvd copy of the Danny Kaye/Dinah Shore film Up In Arms under the tree for me (no doubt paying me back for introducing her to the wonders of June Allyson). Ahhh, Christmas. With this many fabulous movies at my disposal, I don't know how I'll ever find the motivation to start school in a few weeks....blecch.

Fred and Ginger: The Complete Collection

Amazon loves the classic movie fan.

After seeing the stunning Astaire & Rogers Ultimate Collector's Edition, set for an October 24th release, I know it can't be otherwise - this set is a classic movie lover's dream. Glossy, remastered, and all-inclusive, all ten of the screen team's films are here, from their earliest pairing in 1933's Flying Down to Rio to their unlikely collaboration in The Barkleys of Broadway nearly twenty years later. The collection is stuffed with extras, too: miniature photo cards, reproductions of selected original pressbooks for the films, and even a cd of Fred and Ginger's finest and best-loved film tunes. As if this wasn't enough, the Astaire Rogers Ultimate Collection is priced at just slightly more than the boxed sets containing only five of their movies, at a cool 69.99 - perfect for my Christmas list, and yours, too.

You know you want it.

The Astaire Rogers Ultimate Collection is available for pre-order through Amazon.com through October 24, 2006, upon which date it will be officially released. The set will be available in most retail outlets like Best Buy and Barnes & Noble, but the 69.99 price is not guaranteed in these stores, and there's no beating Amazon's free shipping on the item, anyway.
Want to own this stunning set, but you already have the first volume of the 2005-released Fred and Ginger dvds? Amazon can remedy that, too. Simply order the A&R Partial Ultimate Collection, which includes everything except for the five discs you already own. Confusing, yes - but Warner Home Video still deserves kudos for the release of these beloved films in such a stunning set.

Respectable Collection

There are only so many things a girl can do in a large and lonely apartment all day as she waits for her energy level to slow down and her summer job to start up. I've no cable as of yet, but I do have boxes full of books (all read, of course), stacks of last year's magazines, half-filled sketchbooks, and a refrigerator containing yogurt, orange juice, and a bottle of apple-flavored Bartleby & Jaymes that may or may not be consumable. My uber-friendly new neighbors are on vacation, my roommate took a three-week sabbatical to her hometown, and the flock of friends in my vicinity have flown to Florida for a conference that will last well into June. Je suis seule, mes amis...seule.
In the midst of all this boredom, I've come to rely quite a lot on the trusty cd case that houses my beloved collection of dvds. Movies I haven't watched in months were brought out for re-assessment, and I was definitely surprised at how much I enjoyed some of the discs I've owned for ages and never viewed:

To Catch A Thief, 1955 - Grace and Cary's camraderie seems funnier, and wrought with more sexy tension, than the last few times I've sat through it. The special edition dvd that I own boasts a plethora of extra features, including a documentary on the making of the film, a short biography on the private life of Alfred Hitchcock, and a very interesting look at famed costume designer Edith Head's contributions to Paramount films during her six-decade career. This is delightfully lightweight Hitchcock at its finest....
'Do you want a leg or a breast?'


The Philadelphia Story, 1940 - This week marks the first time I watched this vividly-dialogued spitfire of a romantic comedy after having gained greater appreciation of all four leads: Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, George Brent, and Miss Kate the Great. Everyone from the bitter little Dinah to sour old Uncle Willie the pincher has a memorable and amusing scene, and if the pace saps for even a second (though it rarely does), you can always just marvel at all of the legendary talent squeezed into one screen. Plus, where else will you see Jimmy Stewart drunk in a wicker wheelchair?

'Can you have a drink, or will Kittredge spank?'



Ball of Fire, 1941 - I would be lying if I said that I've owned this movie forever, and it would most definitely be a falsehood if I claimed to never watch it: I bought it just last month and in fact, have watched it practically once a week ever since. Once you get the plot down pat with an initial viewing, Ball of Fire should be watched just to fall in love with its characters and its marvelous acting over and over again. This is the film that not only sold me on Barbara Stanwyck and her be-all, end-all seductiveness, but it endeared me completely to quiet, sensitive Gary Cooper and cemented the lyrics to "Drum Boogie" in my mind forever (Stany sings it in a number with Gene Krupa). I don't care if you've never heard of any of these cats - just Netflix it already, will ya? You won't regret it.

'This is the kind of woman that makes whole civilzations topple!'



Victor Victoria, 1982 - Okay, okay, so it's not classic cinema. But V/V is nearly 25 years old, and it does feature three eminent talents that factor largely into moviemaking of the 1960's: director Blake Edwards, composer (and frequent Edwards collaborator) Henry Mancini, and the beautiful, multi-talented Julie Andrews. Set in Paris in the 1930's (perhaps this lends it its "classic movie" feel), the film follows the struggles of desperately poor young soprano Victoria Grant (Andrews), who soon meets her personal Svengali in flamboyant nightclub singer Carroll Todd (Robert Preston and his ginormous hair). His solution to Victoria's lack of employment involves a short haircut with plenty of brilliantine, disguising a non-existent Adam's apple, and James Garner's greasy gangster character falling in love with a man. That is a man, right...? Either way, Victor/Victoria is a delightful musical with a decidedly adult feel, a sparkling score, and Edwards' signature comedic shots (look for the telltale flaming umbrella).

'Well Greta, whatever he is, I think he's divine.'


What excellent films do you have in your collection that never lose their appeal?

What A Tease

Why am I always testing myself? What is it about challenging my own resolve and temperance, and subsequently failing, that appeals to me so much? I barely made it through giving up chocolate for the Lenten season, so how could I do this to myself?

Knowing that my family would be in the midst of a cross-country relocation this summer, thus throwing askew any plans of celebrating my birthday together, I decided to flash a little cash on some gifts for myself. The only stipulation? That I postpone indulging in my new purchases until I'm actually another year older. So, I bought it: The Lady Eve, Criterion Collection edition, barely $20 online. It's a beautiful single-disc edition in pristine shape, with a striking black-and-white contrast that fills the giant flat-screen in a way my pathetic 20-inch television could never capture. Barbara Stanwyck has never looked lovelier or more confidently appealing; Henry Fonda, never more naive or boyishly handsome. I already love this movie.

The Lady Eve arrived with the bills and bank statements just this morning in a nondescript manila envelope, but I was estatic as I sliced through the wrappings and eased out the gorgeous plastic keepcase with the bright cartoon depiction of Stany seducing the wide-eyed Fonda, who is so sublimely attracted to her womanly wiles that he can barely speak. Having never seen the movie, I slipped the disc in my dvd player, vowing to watch only five minutes - as if that would sate me for the next month, knowing I own such a fantastic transfer of this classic movie. Twenty minutes and a few truly endearing scenes later, I decided to give my challenge the old college try and truly abstain from any more Stanwyck/Fonda indulgences until the calendar deems me worthy.

As if I can last almost a month. As if.

Old Mother Hill

I guess at 20 I'd prefer not to be referred to as "Old" anything, but like the Mother Goose rhyme of old, I do indeed have a very bare cupboard - except I know exactly why my lack of "vittles" came about. I have this little thing, a disorder, really, that doesn't allow me to pass up inexpensive versions of my favorite classic films on DVD, no matter how bleak my financial outlook may be. I can talk myself out of Cadbury Eggs, economy-size packages of Oreos, and even a beautiful pair of vintage-inspired patent-leather slingbacks, but show me Three Faces of Eve for $7.50 and I am rabid. So, here's a rundown of my most recent acquisitions - and yes, I will let you borrow them sometime:

Barefoot in the Park - $3.26
How the West Was Won, Special Edition Widescreen - $3.72
To Catch A Thief, Special Edition - $4.98
Swing Time, the best Astaire-Rogers collaboration ever - $9.98

I figure I should keep everyone updated on my movie-buying ventures - just in case you ever stop by and discover I'm living on cheap-champagne Mimosas and popcorn, you'll understand why.

Steals and Deals

Yes, I am a broke college student. Does that cross my mind, though, when I'm confronted with the Discount DVD display at Super Wal-Mart? Actually, little else crosses my mind besides the plethora of titles and shiny keepcases and low, low prices before me, and how distinguished they would look alphabetized by genre on a shelf in my apartment. This weekend's big steals:

Casablanca, Special Edition - with extra features hosted by Lauren Bacall, $3.72
The Maltese Falcon, $3.72
The Philadelphia Story, $5.00
The Way We Were, Special Edition $7.50
------------------------------------------------
4 Excellent Movies (give or take Le Falcon one) = $19.94


Of course, I shouldn't have splurged on these, and I'll probably regret it when I've got a stomach as empty as my wallet...but $3.72? I can't even get a sub sandwich for that kinda dough! Oh well...I will survive on Cadbury eggs and Robert Redford movies until I've got a little more green to go on, at which point, I'll let you know what new movies I spent it on. It just never ends.