Same Script Scrutiny: Debbie vs. Ginger

Oh, how Hillary's Classic Cinema loves to roll its antiquated eyes at the very idea of film re-makes: once a good, bankable movie has been released (or even a brilliant B movie, for that matter), truly, why does the passage of a few years necessitate the re-issuing of a perfectly good film with brand-new stars? Become entrenched in classic cinema and you, too, will begin to see familiar storylines unfold in obscure old movies: character names are recycled, an identical foil in the plot is doled out with measured exactness, even dialogue may match another film's verbatim.

Surprised to find out that films like A Star is Born, His Girl Friday and even The Wizard of Oz are remakes? Don't be - that seems standard fare for classic Hollywood, where the emergence of new technologies allowed for the employment of new approaches to old stories (can you imagine the yellow brick road in sepia tones? Yeccch). In the days of the studio era, film assignments were often handed out with the same discretion and speed as lunch trays in the MGM commissary, and the actors and actresses of cinema's golden age were frequently forced to star in flicks that their predecessors had made famous just years before (unless they, like blonde beauty Betty Grable, tore up their contracts and stormed out of offices to avoid such fates).

It is with much haste, then, that I introduce a new feature here: Same Script Scrutiny, pitting two sinfully similar films against one another for a battle to wit's end. Okay, not really, but maybe you'll discover a new film to love - and that's always my aim in writing about the classic movies I love!

This edition features 1939's Bachelor Mother, remade as its opponent, 1956's Bundle of Joy, with both films telling the story of working girl Polly Parrish. When Polly finds a rollicking infant on the steps of a foundling home, she scoops it up to save it from harm, only to find herself unwittingly thought to be the child's neglectful mother. Extricating herself from the responsibilities that ensue proves mildly delightful, while romantic entanglements and the exasperations of child-rearing wear poor Polly down, and an overzealous grandpa throws his sentiments into the turmoil.

1939 1956

Ginger Rogers played Polly to David Niven's Mr. Merlin in the 1939 version; sparkly Debbie Reynolds and then-real-life-husband Eddie Fisher, lamer than a damp rag, portrayed the pair in the 1956 remake. RKO capitalized on the Fishers' own expectant status when the movie premiered, as their daughter, Carrie Frances, was born just weeks prior to the film's release.

Same Script Scrutiny: Which is the better film? You decide.

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

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.

The Ginge & Stany Birthday Bash

Banks are closed. Post offices won't be open, either. Most people will relax and enjoy July 16th as the holiday that legions of classic cinema fans recognize it to be, making the most of their time off of work.

Well, it could be that it's a Sunday, too - but I'd like to think it's America's way of paying homage to two of its finest examples of the classic Hollywood actress. July 16 marks the birthday of not only gorgeous blonde hoofer Ginger Rogers, but also of tough-as-nails screen siren (and later, small-screen matriarch) Barbara Stanwyck: it's practically a made-to-order holiday for me.

Bright, sassy, and beautiful, Stanwyck and Rogers both exemplified the archetypical, multi-faceted star of the 1930's and early '40's. Barbara may have played the stripper to Gary Cooper's prim professor (1941's Ball of Fire is a surefire classic) and sure, Ginger was somewhat the female Fred Astaire in oh, say, 9 films, but each delivered darker, richer performances in more demanding dramas, like Rogers' Kitty Foyle and Stanwyck's famous Wilder-directed Double Indemnity. I don't mean to downplay their lighter, more comedic roles, either: Depression-era audiences were as enthralled with Ginger's golden locks and gorgeous gams as the critics were impressed with her serious turns - and her legacy, preserved on film for posterity and newly released on dvd, is inarguably a vividly great one.

Barbara Stanwyck, meanwhile, is a fascinating study - though unconventionally beautiful and possessing a seemingly unfathomable resevoir of talent, she is somewhat forgotten to all but the most ardent fans of classic movies, a paradox as an esoteric celebrity. She turned out some deliciously scandalous pre-code pictures like Night Nurse (1931) and Baby Face (1933) before creating onscreen classics such as the weep-inducing Stella Dallas, 1944's Double Indemnity, and, in 1941, three delightfully daring (and different) movies: Ball of Fire, The Lady Eve, and Meet John Doe. Sociable, kind, and refreshingly down-to-earth, Stanwyck was highly esteemed among her co-stars and valued by the studio bosses and directors she worked with, who particularly noted her on-set patience and strong work ethic.

So I urge you to salute these two vivacious and unforgettable stars next weekend, by any means as unique as the women themselves - I, for one, plan to spend a rare day indoors reveling in air conditioning, Irving Berlin soundtracks, and the incomparable Ms. Stanwyck in a parade of fur coats and seductive double entendres. It doesn't matter how you remember these women...just remember them.
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Discussion Junction: What's your favorite non-Astaire Ginger Rogers movie? Your favorite Barbara Stanwyck flick? Do you own any of these women's films?

Roger, Rogers!

Identify this classic cinema star:

Update: One week has gone by. No one has given the correct answer yet, but poster Cardinal Martini came awfully close with an awesome guess. Would you like to know who our Mystery Star is?

Virginia MacMath - aka Ginger Rogers
shown top, in Vaudeville (1927), and bottom, in a portrait from the late 1930's.

"I'm most grateful to have had that joyous time in motion pictures. It really was a Golden Age of Hollywood. Pictures were talking, they were singing, they were coloring. It was beginning to blossom out: bud and blossom were both present."

Fine Flicks

Some great movies I've had the privilege of viewing in the past few weeks:

The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968) Anthony Quinn, Sir Laurence Olivier. This beautifully-filmed drama focuses on the relevancy of the Catholic Church in turbulent, modern times - specifically, in 1968, just three years after the final convening of the Second Vatican Council in Rome. Though confusing to those unfamiliar with Roman Catholic doctrine, policy, and tradition (as well as to those to whom the Chinese-Soviet feud that escalates in one of the film's many sub-plots is foreign), it is nevertheless a typically outstanding performance by lead Anthony Quinn, full of the rich scenery of the Vatican and Saint Peter's basilica and rife with tension as we witness the selection of a new pope. The struggles, the questions, the self-doubts and the loneliness of the men of the cloth are artfully presented here, humanizing them to a degree that makes their unshakeable faith even more poignant and beautiful. I particularly appreciated the scenes depicting the preparation, funeral, and burial of the dead pontiff, as some traditions and customs which shroud the innerworkings of the papacy are as old and curious as the crown itself - and certainly not made public to even the most faithful of followers. As honest and critical as the film's stance on organized religion aims to be, the beauty of the faith that is highlighted here still burns at the film's core, carrying it to epic status. Don't pass up the chance to see this movie.


Swing Time (1936) Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers. The lightness, the music, and that unmistakable allure of "Fred and Ginger" really surprised me - Astaire is a charming crooner; Rogers is sweet, quick-witted and beautiful. Watching them dance and romance together is a true delight, and hey, for being 70 years old, this movie is still truly funny (I never envisioned a "pants theft" as part of a Fred Astaire film, but wow).




The Pride of the Yankees (1942) Gary Cooper, Teresa Wright. Director Sam Wood (Natalie's surname-sake) has been quoted as underestimating Cooper's subtle, low-key method of acting while filming Pride, only to be subsequently blown away by the larger-than-life performance that comes across onscreen. I found Cooper absolutely charming as legend Lou Gehrig, from his start as the child of hardworking immigrants, through 2,130 games in a row with the Yanks, all the way until that unforgettable speech. Sure, it doesn't delve into the true Gehrig the way I would have liked, but Coop's kinda handsome, no? A good film nonetheless.