All the King's Men (1949)

Boy, I’ve never seen so many newspaper headlines flying at my face cued to dramatic music in all my life… that being said, I quite enjoyed this movie. I had only heard of All the King’s Men because of the 2006 all-star remake (which I still have yet to see) that was rapidly panned and forgotten. Willie Stark is a very interesting character with an almost Egyptian obsession of being remembered after he’s gone- He’s the kind of man that will build football stadiums, roads, skyscrapers, you name it as long as his name is emblazoned on it. Broderick Crawford’s Oscar-winning performance transitions effortlessly from idealistic country boy to imperialistic boss, and all it took was one montage scene in which he’s mad as hell and isn’t going to take it anymore. John Ireland skillfully portrays Jack Burden, a sort of James Stewart-esque character fighting for what he thinks is right, until it becomes clearer that he was never on the right side. Burden is just another in a long list (including basically every woman in Stark’s life and his own son) of those Stark is willing to step on to get what he wants, demonstrating that absolute power corrupts absolutely no matter who you are. It’s hard to deny the perennial relevance of such a tale when the film mirrors the story of Jimmy Hoffa or basically any mob figure or dictator that ever lived. Despite a rather odd final shot, All the King’s Men is a fascinating political thriller that comes highly recommended.  

I found it interesting that this movie came up so soon after this year's Presidential election.  This only added to the fact that I didn't love it.  I didn't hate it but I must admit, I'm a bit sick of politics after hearing all of the ad campaigns.  And this movie adequately illustrates the problems with politics.  I did find it interesting how part of Stark's crew struggled with their moral compass and loyalty to the candidate that they believed in.  Even after Stark burns bridges and throws his friends and family under the bus, his posse reluctantly stands by.  Stark lets his issues with alcohol influence his campaign for governor and later takes root within his family when his son gets in a car accident because of drunk driving .  I struggled with the ending because it just ended so abruptly. In my opinion, it left a lot to be desired.  I was dividing my attention with Pinterest, which didn't help... overall, it happened.  I don't really have a ton to comment on.  Short post today, friends.  


Director Rossen filmed in an unusual manner. Nobody in the cast had a script. Rossen let them read it once and took it away from them. According to Broderick Crawford, "We really had to stay on our toes." 

Jack Burden: What's so special about him?

Madison, the Editor: They say he's an honest man. 

Hamlet (1948)

In this telling of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Laurence Olivier plays the title character, who is brooding over the death of his father and the fact that his mom married his uncle and... well... it's Hamlet.  Read it already! 

Since my elementary school had me be a part of a ridiculously abridged version of Macbeth in 5^th grade, I have been a Shakespeare enthusiast. I took an excellent Shakespeare class in college for fun that wound up being one of my best scholastic experiences. Despite all of this, I had never seen this very-famous Olivier version of Hamlet in its entirety and I expected a slow pace and tendency towards melodrama. We were immediately surprised by the high quality of the sets, costumes and Welles-ian camerawork which really pulled you into the story with its fluid transitions. Katie and I laughed off the mention of a special effects crew in the beginning credits and then were swiftly silenced at the ominous scene in which Hamlet first confronts the ghost of his father, which was easily the best version of this scene I have ever watched. This was only one of many excellent visual touches that seemed to be inspired by the equally-excellent Beauty and the Beast directed by Jean Cocteau from a few years earlier. The film maintained a solid pace while still retaining enough of the original text and compares favorably to other versions by the likes of Branagh and Zefferelli. While Branagh’s version was a more complete one with a larger all-star cast and Zefferelli’s had some truly excellent performances (Mel Gibson balances the melancholy and the feigned madness of Hamlet so wonderfully, and I dare you to find me a better Ophelia than Helena Bonham Carter), Olivier’s version was probably directly responsible for the other versions and had a finesse, beauty and power rarely found in any other interpretation.

The professor of my aforementioned college Shakespeare class was Dr. Gordon Lell. He worked at Concordia College for over 40 years and died less than 2 years after I completed the class. He had this way of getting you instantly involved and excited about the content and he cared about his students. He only knew me for one semester and he attended my sophomore recital. He was one of the finest professors I ever had; I owe much of my enthusiasm for Shakespeare to him and I will remember him always. 

I, too, was a Shakespeare enthusiast that only was encouraged by my theatre background.  My favorite is Midsummer Night's Dream and as far as tragedies are concerned, Hamlet is pretty high.  I've read it several times and I enjoy Acts 1,2,3 & 5.  I find myself at the end of Act 3 thinking "What the -bleep- are you whining about!? Everyone else is OVER IT!"  And then I collect myself and enjoy the rest of the play.  Olivier's version really does a good job of editing and keeping a very constant pace.   You have probably noticed the large gap in posts.  Sometimes it's hard to commit yourself to Hamlet after a long day of work... like I don't want to hear your whining, Olivier!  But boy, were we wrong.  Aside from Olivier's chicken legs, it was a very visually stunning film.  Jean Simmons, not the guy from KISS, you know with the tongue..  but the lead actress in "Guys and Dolls," did an excellent job as crazy Ophelia!  Her sane Ophelia performance was kind of "meh" but part of that was because they cut a lot of her lines.  It was kind of strange that they didn't spend a ton of time building sexual tension between Hamlet and Ophelia but you could really feel it between Hamlet and Gertrude (Hamlet's mama), which may have been an artistic choice or he was sleeping with somebody off camera, with Olivier, it's hard to say.  Overall, I really enjoyed this movie.  I was pleasantly surprised but no matter how good the movie is or how great the costumes are, codpieces are still kind of awkward. (I'm talking to you, Laertes!) 

This is the first non-American film to win the Oscar for Best Picture. With this film, Laurence Olivier became the first person ever to direct themselves to a best actor or actress Oscar. Roberto Benigni in Life Is Beautiful is the only other actor to achieve this feat.

Horatio: Good night, sweet prince; and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest. (even though in the play, it's technically a Fortinbras line) 

Gentleman's Agreement (1947)

Based on Laura Z. Hobson's best selling novel, Phillip Green (Gregory Peck) poses as a jew to get a behind-the-scenes look at anti-Semitism in America for a series in a newspaper.  As he loses the respect of his believing colleagues, he realizes how even the kindest of people won't stand up against the deep-rooted bigotry and hatred. 

This movie is a pretty good testament to racism/anti-Semitism in New York City after WWII ended.  I guess I wasn't aware how heavily the prejudice had been prevalent in America.  His quest to revealing truth showcases Gregory Peck sending in applications for all sorts of different jobs, colleges, country clubs, apartments, etc.  And even though Peck is just posing as a jew, he gets real mad about it.  Especially when his girl, Kathy, gets pissed about him posing as a jew, then she gets over it, then pissed again, she gets over it...pretty much the whole movie.  "Oh Phil, why can't you give this silly thing up?"  "Oh Phil, I don't care what you are or what you pretend to be!" "Oh Phil, my friends hate jews!" "Phil, I LOVE YOU!"  It's all a little silly.  And while we're at it, I know it's the theme of the movie, but Phil just runs around calling everyone an anti-Semite, even the jews... his Jewish assistant was using the "k" word to describe people who were "more" Jewish than she but still.  After she finds out he's a gentile, he still scolds her for her anti-Semitic views... when he's only dealt with the repercussions of being Jewish for a few weeks and she's dealt with the prejudice, ya know, her whole life... no big.  I really did appreciate this movie and Peck's performance was very good, I had some issues with it.

Like Lost Weekend before it, Gentleman’s Agreement is not necessarily a postwar recovery film but certainly a message film that deals with the fallout effects of such an event. It tackles a subject I wish was no longer relevant, but discrimination and implicit racism are still very much alive and well in the United States and the world over. Featuring the dependable Gregory Peck (I’ve always thought of him as kind of like the American response to Cary Grant and this role clearly makes the blueprint for an even better turn in To Kill a Mockingbird) in an Oscar-nominated performance, Gentleman’s Agreement is always interesting; while not truly revelatory or groundbreaking in the 21^st century, it’s easy to see how this film would have made some ripples in 1947. The film occasionally wanders into melodrama (the first time Peck and female lead Dorothy McGuire make up seems lifted right from daytime soap TV) or preachy territory but without resorting to the constant dramatic speeches that were prevalent in The Life of Emile Zola, an earlier Best Picture winner cut from the same cloth. It was neat to see an early childhood performance from Dean Stockwell, a now-cult actor that would go on to roles in personal favorites like Blue Velvet and the Quantum Leap and Battlestar Galactica (2004) TV series. Director Elia Kazan would make superior films such as the coming-soon-to-this-blog On the Waterfront but Gentleman’s Agreement remains a mostly successful film about a perennial message that I can confidently recommend.

Laura Z. Hobson wrote her novel after Senator John Rankin's anti-Semitic comments were applauded in Congress. It was then serialized in Cosmopolitan from November 1946 to February 1947, immediately causing quite a stir. This prompted Darryl F. Zanuck (who was one of the few studio heads who was not Jewish) to snap up the novel's rights. 

Phil Green: Some people hate Catholics, some people hate Jews.
Tommy Green: And no one hates us because we're Americans. 

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

The Best Years of Our Lives concerns three WWII veterans struggling to reintegrate to their normal lives after returning from the war. Al Stephenson (Frederic March) is promoted to a reputable banking situation but has a hard time performing his duties and being the family man he once was, Fred Derry (Dana Andrews) has no skills for a job outside of a soda jerker and is no longer as appealing out of his uniform to his superficial wife and Homer Parrish (Harold Russell) must face the pity and shock of his family and friends when he returns from the war with hooks instead of hands. Their struggle represents the struggle of a whole generation of Americans returning to a land that feels no longer theirs.

Well, here we go again, it’s another postwar message film. The Best Years of Our Lives is a perfectly fine film but it takes an awfully long time (172 minutes) to convey the “it’s hard to readjust to life after the war” message. To be fair, the film did not feel that long and the acting and music are very strong, but it passes to the realm of distant memory almost immediately after it’s over. It’s kind of like diet Born on the Fourth of July. Harold Russell’s performance in particular is surprisingly very strong considering he was a real war veteran and not an experienced actor. The film also includes an always-welcome appearance from the great piano player Hoagy Carmichael, famous for composing the music for several classics including “Georgia On My Mind” and for his appearance in To Have and to Have Not, the film with the first on-screen pairing of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. The Best Years of Our Lives is actually a very good film with a lot going for it- it just did very little for me after a steady diet of thematically too-similar Best Picture winners, including director William Wyler’s own Mrs. Miniver. I’m looking forward to at least a few non-war Best Pictures in the years ahead…

I agree with Tim.  The thing that set these apart from the other war movies is the character Homer, who is left with hooks for hands.  His performance is remarkable.  His acting, like Tim said, is quite wonderful but I am so impressed with his ability to do everyday activities with his disability.  He shoots a gun in the film and the most impressive is when he played the piano with Hoagy Carmichael!  Very cool!  It was heart and soul but he played it with flair!  I felt like this was the perfect movie to blog about during Veteran's Day.  It very adequately describes the pains of coming home from war to changed world, where everything is almost the same and yet, everything is different.  The soldiers come home with PTSD, alcoholism, physical and mental impairments, and of course the ungrateful wife who leaves her husband when he gets a job as a soda jerk.  It was a good movie and there really were fantastic moments, it just wasn't the best 172 minutes of our lives... see what I did there?

For his performance as Homer Parrish, Harold Russell became the only actor to win two Academy Awards for the same role. The Academy Board of Governors thought he was a long shot to win, so they gave him an honorary award "for bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans through his appearance." Later that ceremony he won for Best Supporting Actor. 

Al Stephenson: You know, I had a dream. I dreamt I was home. I've had that same dream hundreds of times before. This time, I wanted to find out if it's really true. Am I really home? 

The Lost Weekend (1945)

Billy Wilder’s The Lost Weekend chronicles the four-day bender of alcoholic Don Birnam, a troubled writer that has lost his inspiration. After ten days on the wagon, Don dodges a weekend getaway with his brother Wick to stay at home with a bottle tied to his window. Don recalls the events leading up to the present to his bartender- he steals, lies and sells his things for booze money until he winds up in the alcoholic ward at a hospital, witnessing many that are just like him… or worse. After being sent home, he teeters on the razor’s edge of choosing life or deciding that there is nothing left to lose.

After the postwar hope-amidst-hardship messages of the last several Best Picture winners, The Lost Weekend is a pretty ballsy but sensible move. After all, this story was a reality for many drug-addled PTSD war veterans with little hope of real employment and a refuge in crime and cheap liquor. In the tradition of Leaving Las Vegas or Requiem for a Dream, this film is less a linear story and more of a dreamlike character study into desperation and even madness; one particular hallucination scene of a bat eating a mouse from the wall had a shock value reminiscent of the baby scene in Trainspotting. Even the music in this film sounds more like something from a spooky sci-fi movie, as if to suggest that the threat behind The Lost Weekend is similar in scariness but much more tangible and real. I have grown to absolutely love the films of Billy Wilder, especially Some Like it Hot and the near-perfect Sunset Boulevard. While Weekend was likely an intense and outstanding movie for it’s time, it loses power and credibility with a very neatly tied-up “I beat alcohol, and you can too!” ending that seems to endorse that a person can just choose not to drink after being coaxed enough by a pretty girl. Sure, Birnam may decide to keep his typewriter today but he’ll be out trying to sell it again tomorrow. This break from the tone and trivialization of the conflict brings this film down a few pegs and keeps it from greatness. Still, it has to be respected for being the brave pioneer that allowed many of the aforementioned films to happen.

Yeah, this movie had some good moments.  And then it had some bizzare-o moments.  Like when Don falls down some stairs.  He basically just falls.  No one pushes him.  One minute he's standing, the next he's at the bottom of the stairs and then he passes out.  He's sent to an alcoholic ward.  It's kind of like celebrity rehab... but Lindsey Lohan wouldn't be caught dead there.  Bim, the nurse who takes care of Don, is not very supportive.  He constantly tells Don how he'll be seeing him soon, since he's an alkie.  I mean, that's probably the last thing I want to hear from my nurse.  Not super compassionate... but I guess that's really NOT the point of the movie.  One of my favorite lines in the movie was when an old girlfriend of Don's yells at him for asking for money.  She says, "Don't be ridic!" aka abbrevs for ridiculous... that was hilarious.  Concordia would be sad to know they weren't the first to implement abbrevs.  Not by a long shot.  Like Tim said about the end, weird and abrupt... not that we would've wanted a morbid ending but it just seemed like a cautionary tale where a guy was drunk but then he wasn't... The End.  (Sounds like college to me.) 

Billy Wilder claimed the liquor industry offered Paramount $5 million to not release the film; he also suggested that he would have accepted, had they offered it to him.

Nat: One's too many an' a hundred's not enough.

Going My Way (1944)

The young Father Chuck O'Malley, Bing Crosby, is sent to St. Dominic's church by the Bishop to help his elderly superior, Father Fitzgibbons, build up the church both financially and it's membership.  Their difference in age hinders their ability to see eye to eye. O'Malley and nearby clergyman, Father O'Dowd try to help Fitzgibbons have some fun in his old age.  As we get to know more about Fitzgibbons, a native of Ireland, we find out that he has never gotten the opportunity to visit his homeland and his mother, who is now 90.  Something always gets in the way, like a devastating church fire or not enough funds leaving O'Malley to find a way to pay the mortgage before the bank takes over the church.  

I love this movie.  A few years ago, my mom sat our whole family down to watch this movie.  Of course, there were the usual groans.  I do love my Bing Crosby, but sometimes you're just not in the mood..  Well by the end of the movie, I was weeping like a little baby.  In a good way, it's so happy without being overly schmaltzy (it has to be a little schmaltzy...it is Bing Crosby after all).  There were some great musical moments throughout the movie.  O'Malley helps a troubled gang and transforms them into a lovely choir who is actually "The Robert Mitchell Boy Choir."  There is also a performance of "Carmen" by Rise Stevens and the Metropolitan Opera that is fantastic but goes on a few minutes too long.  Oddly enough, the song in the movie that I didn't really like was "Going My Way."  I mean the opening lyrics are "This road leads to Rainbowville..." What??  Oh well, they can't all be classics...  The great thing about this movie is it's supporting cast.  There are so many funny and interesting characters.  One in particular is Mrs. Quimp, the gossip queen who calls the parish every few days.  And the bankers in this movie, even though they are supposed to be the bad guys, are actually pretty funny and relatable. 

I didn’t know much about this movie going in; I was woefully uninitiated to Going My Way. They make a reference to it in The Departed that I never understood, a problem for this Scorsese-phile, so I’ve always wanted to check it out. Thanks to my Dad, I had grown up with The Bells of St. Mary’s (Going My Way’s sequel… I had no idea it was a sequel…) and White Christmas and so am quite familiar with Bing Crosby, but it is Barry Fitzgerald’s performance as Father Fitzgibbon that is the true standout here. While not truly a musical, Going My Way has many great songs and is not without a healthy dose of humor, like a scene in which Carl Switzer (Alfalfa from The Little Rascals) gets the shit slapped out of him by a choir boy… seriously, it has to be seen to be believed. Sure, this movie fits in the inspirational teacher/mentor movie category in which the idealistic young man with “radical” but magically effective ideas comes in to change everyone’s life with one simple sweep of his hand (like scenes of the group of young juveniles that become a skilled choir with one brief rehearsal- isn’t that always how this kind of movie works out?) But what this movie is really about is the inevitable replacement of the old guard and coming to terms with age and change, and the beauty of this film is how it does not work out exactly as one might assume. The ending of this film is beautifully intimate and quiet and it would take a soulless person to leave the house with a dry eye. Plus, now my familiarity with “Swingin’ on a Star” extends beyond Hudson Hawk with Bruce Willis, a film that will never appear on this blog. Ever. 

Barry Fitzgerald, Father Fitzgibbons, was nominated by the Academy for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor awards for the same performance, the only time this has ever happened. He won the Oscar in the supporting category but lost in the lead category to co-star Bing Crosby (This is no longer possible under Academy guidelines.) Due to wartime metal shortages, Fitzgerald received a plaster Oscar (instead of a gold one) for his performance. A few weeks after he won, he broke the head off his plaster Oscar while practicing his golf swing. 

Father Fitzgibbons: I gave them both my blessing.
Father Chuck O'Malley: And they gave you the bird...

Casablanca (1943)

Welcome to the Moroccan city of Casablanca, a hub for Europeans looking to flee from Germany to the United States during World War II. Only there may you get an exit visa, which are very hard to come by and often come with interminable waiting and danger. The place to be in Casablanca is Rick’s Place, a nightclub owned by the cynical American Rick Blaine (no one plays cynical like the great Humphrey Bogart). Tensions arise when a Czech resistance leader named Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) arrives with Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), who shares a bitter history and unhealed wounds with Rick. When it seems like Rick and Ilsa’s passion may be rekindling, they plan to use some highly sought-after transit papers to run away on the last plane out of Casablanca. Can Rick’s stone heart be turned, and will he ever make it out of Casablanca with Ilsa? “You better hurry- you’ll miss that plane.”  For those of you who have not seen the movie or want a refresher, please refer to Carrotblanca, the Bugs Bunny parody: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6SjYWTFR20

Where to begin? Does this movie even need a plot summary? Casablanca is kind of one of those, “if you don’t know, I can’t tell you” kind of things- you just have to see it. This film has everything- humor, suspense, music, intrigue, romance, and action all wrapped into one of the greatest screenplays of all time (as evidenced by the dozens of famous quotes within- seriously, the lines in this film just jump off the screen). Shakespeare once wrote that “brevity is the soul of wit,” and it is very refreshing to see that all of these ingredients can be efficiently delivered in 102 minutes (sorry Gone With the Wind but I just don’t have time for you most of the time). It can be argued that Bogart plays the same rough-edged charming cynic in every film, but no one can do it like he can and the quality of his films (The Maltese Falcon, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The African Queen, The Big Sleep… the list goes on) is rarely matched in film history. The supporting cast is rounded out by the beautiful Ingrid Bergman and the always-excellent Peter Lorre, playing it rather straight this time instead of being creepy. Universally placed on just about every top films of all time lists, Casablanca is often called the perfect film and it is tough to argue. Do yourself a favor and check it out or you’ll regret it. “Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.”

I agree with Tim.  If you haven't seen it, you are seriously missing out!  I love this movie and I guarantee this will have spoilers, you've been warned.  And the older I get, the more I understand Ilsa's character.  It's easy to write her off as an immature slew (which is what I used to do).  I see it more clearly now.  You can't just ditch your husband who spent a year in a concentration camp who used you as his only reason for living, you just can't.  Bad form.  So I get it.  It doesn't make the last scene any easier.  In the last ten minutes of the movie the loyalty between Ilsa, Rick, Laszlo, and Captain Renault are in constant fluctuation (Tim pointed it out, but he didn't mention it!) but by the final line, everything ends as it should- with equal parts heartache and optimism.  In the scene in Rick's cafe when the German's begin to sing their anthem, "Die Wacht Am Rhein" and Laszlo leads the French occupants to start singing on top of the German Anthem with the French Anthem, "La Marseillaise," I realized this was probably the first mash-up in movie history.  Nice try, Glee.  Casablanca was WAY ahead of you.  

No one knew right up until the filming of the last scene whether Ilsa would end up with Rick or Laszlo. During the course of the picture, when Ingrid Bergman asked director Michael Curtiz with which man her character was in love, she was told to "play it in between".

Hard to pick a quote but I had to go with this one:

Rick: Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine. 

Mrs. Miniver (1942)

Mrs. Miniver is a wartime family drama that takes place in WWII-era England. Clem Miniver (Walter Pidgeon) is a successful architect and family patriarch and Kay Miniver (Greer Garson) is the well-liked and dutiful housewife, both of which begin the film by spending outside of their means as if nothing bad could happen. When their son Vincent visits from Oxford, he butts heads with and thereby becomes very attracted to Carol Beldon (Teresa Wright), the daughter of the wealthy Lady Beldon. There is also an important subplot involving Lady Beldon, whose traditional victory at their local flower show is threatened by Mr. Ballard, a sweet but less wealthy old man that has grown a beautiful rose that he has affectionately named after Mrs. Miniver. All of this is thrown into turmoil and disarray when Germany invades Poland and England declares war on them, leading to Vincent joining the RAF to become a man more of action than of words. The Miniver family must now hold it together and try to provide normal lives for their young children as the war threatens to pull their community and their family apart. 

A wartime family drama? No way! Mrs. Miniver definitely begins feeling like a "been there, done that" for Katie and I as it is remarkable thematically similar to How Green Was My Valley and several other Best Picture winners thus far (and more to come, I'm sure). Despite it's continual relevance and the fact that this film was made in wartime, the rich-privileged-people-being-humbled-by-hardship-during-war premise was becoming a bit tired for us, but luckily this film concluded in a poignant and memorable way in the last third. Memorable moments include the hilarious lack of discretion from the young Toby Miniver and the nearly comical optimism that the Minivers display to visiting Vin even after their home has been caved in by bombs. Despite being perhaps less preachy and certainly more optimistic than Valley, make no mistake that this is a propaganda film (the final title card of the film reads, "Remember to buy war bonds and stamps every pay day") but it's Best Picture win was likely due to Miniver being the hopeful and reassuring film that the United States and maybe even the world at large needed at the time. The humor and positive approach to the conflict were refreshing and Mrs. Miniver remains an enjoyable if not life-changing film. 

Like Tim said, it was a propaganda movie that I wasn't really expecting much from.  I really did end up enjoying it however, it was almost comical how straightforward this movie was.  There were some amazing moments as Tim said.  When a German pilot is shot down and makes his way into the Miniver house, Mrs. Miniver is held at gun point and is forced to provide the German soldier with food and milk.  She eventually is a baller and gets the gun away from him, calls the police, and has him arrested all while Mr. Miniver and friends are out looking for him.  It felt to me like the whole movie was leading up to the death of the oldest son (Vin) but (SPOILER) he doesn't die, the twist is highly unexpected!  Both Tim and I were actually shocked... we just assumed.  But I won't go spoiling it for you! I will say though that Greer Garson (Mrs. Miniver) and Vin were married in real life... ew.  They had some goodbye kisses that rubbed me the wrong way! Tim mentioned the flower competition in the plot synopsis but the cool thing was that it was there only link to their old life.  They all, as a town, held on to their frivolous flower show as a way to keep some normalcy in their lives.  There were some great camera angles, especially in the conclusion when through the roof of the battered church we see the planes flying overhead as a symbol of protection. 

After completing the film, William Wyler, the director, joined the US Army and was posted to the Signal Corps; he was overseas on the night he won his first Oscar. He later revealed that his subsequent war experiences made him realize that the film actually portrayed war in too soft a light.

Carol Beldon: I know how comfortable it is to curl up with a nice, fat book full of big words and think you're going to solve all the problems in the universe. But you're not, you know. A bit of action is required every now and then. 

How Green Was My Valley (1941)

How Green Was My Valley is a drama about a family in turmoil. While that’s essentially it, I will try to be a bit more descriptive and less vague than the “family has hard times” plot summary on the back of the DVD box. At a Welsh mining town at the turn of the century, the story of the Morgan family is narrated by Huw, the youngest in flashback. As Huw’s older brothers and father become more entrenched in the inequality of mine work and wages, they make the dangerous decision of organizing a labor union. This combined with the story of Huw’s rough road at school, an educational opportunity the rest of his family never had, form the backbone of How Green Was My Valley, a story of struggle, loss, strength and hope that not everyone in the Morgan family survives.

This film is otherwise famously known as, “that movie that beat Citizen Kane (AND The Maltese Falcon… what?!?!) for Best Picture for some reason.” Now I’m not one of those people that thinks that Citizen Kane is the greatest film ever made; nevertheless it is a landmark film of acting, plotting, cinematography and structure that Valley just cannot match. That’s not to say that Valley is a bad film in the slightest. Thanks to my Dad I grew up with the John Ford films starring John Wayne, particularly The Quiet Man, The Searchers and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Ironically, Orson Welles absolutely idolized John Ford so one can only wonder what his reaction was to being nominated alongside him, and I’m still happy that Ford has an Oscar, even if it’s not his very best film. Once young Huw (an excellent Roddy McDowell) starts going to school and the film becomes definitely focused upon his story, Valley becomes a compelling film about how a boy becomes a man the hard way (i.e. getting the hell beaten out of him at school by students and teachers alike). Some authenticity is granted to the story thanks to some marvelous Welsh singing and many characters with unpronounceable Welsh names (Maureen O’Hara’s character is named Angharad… have fun figuring that one out). So while Green is actually a perfectly decent film, it will always have the unfortunate fate of being remembered as the movie that beat out other superior films that may have deserved it more.

Well, How Green Was My Valley was good.  It wasn't anywhere near my favorite movie but it was decent.  I had some issues with the storytelling of the film.  It was told from the perspective of the youngest son of the Morgan family but there was stuff going on that Huw, the young boy, wouldn't have known was happening; especially the relationship between Maureen O'Hara and Walter Pidgeon.  The two of them did have some great moments but their relationship ended abruptly by Angharad (O'Hara) being married off into the wealthiest family in town.  Mr. Gruffydd (Pidgeon) never marries waiting for her but they both are, of course, miserable.  Shit hits the fan when news of Angharad's unhappiness spreads through the town and rumors of a divorce spread.  Because of this, Mr. Gruffydd and Angharad stop hanging out even as acquaintances to save face and uphold their family honor.  When there is an explosion in the mine, both Mr. Gruffydd and Angharad meet in panic.  Mr. Gruffydd saves the Huw and there is a moment of hopefulness between the unrequited lovers that is quite nice.  This helps the overall arch of the movie by not depressing the crap out of you.  However, one could guess that Angharad will never divorce and only love Mr. Gruffydd from afar... but maybe I'm just a pessimist.  Overall good movie, a somewhat ambling plot line but heartwarming and surprisingly optimistic- even for someone with my heart of stone...  


"How Green Was My Valley" famously beat Orson Welles 'Citizen Kane' to an Oscar. 

Huw Morgan: [Narrating] I think I fell in love with Bronwen then. Perhaps it is foolish to think a child could fall in love. But I am the child that was, and nobody knows how I felt, except only me. 

Rebecca (1940)

The one and only Oscar-winning Hitchcock movie, Rebecca, features Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine in this mystery drama.  Fontaine becomes the second wife of Mr. Maxim de Winter (Olivier) as a result of their whirlwind romance.  She moves to his estate called Manderley, where the late Mrs. de Winter's memory still remains.  

Tim and I both LOVE Hitchcock movies.  I actually hadn't seen this one before and I'm so glad it's on this list!  Granted, it's not my favorite Hitchcock, which is a tie between North by Northwest and Rear Window but it is pretty great!  It's pretty cool to see Olivier in a Hitchcock movie and he does do the brooding leading man thing very well.  My biggest issue with the movie was that the Manderley estate was a miniature.  It was really only an issue in the beginning but it's pretty difficult to go from Gone With The Wind, where the production value is so incredibly high to a miniature model of a mansion.  (I mean GWTW would've built a real mansion.)  I did like that the film was spooky without really being a ghost story.  I mean Rebecca de Winter's presence was felt throughout the movie without us ever seeing her.  This was elevated with Joan Fontaine's "on edge" performance.  I enjoyed the housekeeper, Mrs. Danver's performance.  She was so enamored with Rebecca that she had this strange lesbian affection toward her even after her passing.  She even tries to persuade the second Mrs. de Winter (who has no first name) into jumping out a window... sketchy.  My highlight of the movie is when Mrs. Danvers suggests a costume for Fontaine to wear for a party they are throwing.  Of course, Danvers is sabotaging her into wearing the same costume that Rebecca did the year previous sending Mr. de Winter into a bit of a rage.  Overall, this is a great mystery drama with just a touch of romance (even though Mr. de Winter is kind of a douche and the second Mrs. de Winter is helpless.) 

What Katie says is true: we are both great Hitchcock fans. I asked for the Alfred Hitchcock 14-film Masterpiece DVD Collection for every Christmas and birthday for almost four years before I got it. He's called the Master of Suspense, and it's easy to see why. Rebecca is Hitchcock's first American film, and what a grand entrance to the States it is, including some very tense scenes and excellent little twists along the way. The basic plot of Rebecca's possible "haunting" of Manderley and Mr. de Winter seems like the rough draft or starting point for Hitchcock's masterpiece Vertigo (Katie and I will forever quarrel over whether Vertigo is superior to Rear Window or North by Northwest, but I stand by my choice. I love those other films but Vertigo is in my top 10 of all time. But I digress...) Even the portrait of Rebecca and the foiled suicide attempt of Mr. de Winter at the beginning directly conjures reminders of James Stewart saving Kim Novak at the Golden Gate Bridge. But Hitchcock directed a remake of his own The Man Who Knew Too Much in 1956 with incredibly successful results, so who am I to argue with the Master? Mrs. Danvers was wonderfully creepy but Jean Fontaine's Mrs. de Winter is kind of disappointingly weak and passive until she demands that all of Rebecca's possessions be burned. Hitchcock's famously awful treatment of his actresses (especially Tippi Hedren in The Birds) and his frequent use of weak female characters suggests that he was likely a misogynist, which is a shame yet I can't imagine his films being changed in any way to make them better. Also regrettable is that Rebecca was his only Best Picture Hitchcock would have as he would truly hit his stride about ten years later and for many years after. Nevertheless, second tier Hitchcock is still better than most films and whole careers and Rebecca comes heartily recommended as one of the finest Best Picture winners so far. 

Because Laurence Olivier wanted his then-girlfriend Vivien Leigh (from Gone With The Wind) to play the lead role, he treated Joan Fontaine horribly. This shook Fontaine up quite a bit, so Alfred Hitchcock decided to capitalize on this by telling her EVERYONE on the set hated her, thus making her shy and uneasy - just what he wanted from her performance. 

Maxim de Winter: I can't forget what it's done to you. I've been thinking of nothing else since it happened. It's gone forever, that funny young, lost look I loved won't ever come back. I killed that when I told you about Rebecca. It's gone. In a few hours, you've grown so much older. 

Gone With The Wind (1939)

How to contain a plot summary for Gone With the Wind in one paragraph? This is the epic story of a love triangle set amidst the Civil War era American South between Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh), a beautiful but naive girl who is used to getting what she wants, Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard), the sensitive but indecisive solider returned from war and Rhett Butler (Clark Gable), a dashing take-no-nonsense rogue that counteracts the sometimes-prissy Wilkes. Scarlett goes from rags to riches and back to rags, marries three times and has to transform from southern belle to savior of her farm in Tara. When her path finally leads to marriage with Rhett, unresolved and ultimately unrequited feelings for Wilkes ultimately doom their love and force Scarlett to confront her priorities and her flaws in ways that cannot be reversed. 

If you are still unsure please refer to the Carol Burnett skit. Both one and two will give you the everything you want/need to know:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aRMZ4ePmMM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjhtxfSMIWk&feature=relmfu


It's hard to fully appreciate the grandeur of this movie without seeing other films of the time period. At a time when the terms "Technicolor" and "Cinemascope" actually meant something special, there was nothing that even competed with the scale and the vibrance of Gone With the Wind except perhaps The Adventures of Robin Hood or The Wizard of Oz (which was defeated by Wind at the Oscars that year, an unfortunate but unavoidable outcome). The cinematography and colors of Gone With the Wind are still very impressive today, especially the sunset silhouette scenes and the burning of Atlanta. Sure, the film is long and occasionally very melodramatic but the script, acting, characters... everything seems to fall into place beautifully in ways that Cimarron and Cavalcade could only imagine and attempt. Scarlett has moments when she takes charge and grows up, like when she decides to rebuild the Tara farm or shoots the deserting soldier that invades her home, but most of the time she is a total fail. It can be frustrating how she can't get over the unimpressive Wilkes, but it's very enjoyable to watch Gable's Rhett refuse to take her baggage leading to a very satisfying ending in which Scarlett is definitively put in her place. While perhaps not the greatest or most enjoyable of all Best Picture winners, it is such an impressive achievement that you literally have to respect and appreciate it as one of the best films of its time, and perhaps all time. 

Oh jeez.  How to describe this movie?  It is magnificent yet so completely frustrating.  I love Scarlett but then I hate her but then I love her again...  I mean it's not entirely her fault.  She is in love with a wishy-washy man who will occasionally kiss Scarlett even though he's married to his cousin (SKETCH!) Melanie (Olivia de Havilland).  Rhett describes how Ashley is tormented with his loyalty because he can't help but emotionally cheat on Melanie but he can't bring himself to physically cheat on her either.  And after that it's just Scarlett chasing after Ashley for like 200 minutes of the 238 minute long movie until Ashley's wife, Melanie, dies.  Then when Ashley's weeping about his dead wife, she realizes that she never wanted Ashley.  She wants Rhett.  But Rhett is over it.  Rhett is a badass who still takes way too much shit from Scarlett.  Then he pseudo rapes her and she realizes how infatuated she is with Rhett.  Someone in this movie needs a therapist... I swear.  However, Scarlett does redeem herself with some badass moments when she is fleeing to Tara and rebuilding the farm including slapping the hell out of the help. My favorite character is Mammy, Scarlett's slave/maid.  She pretends to hate Rhett but wears a petticoat he gave her everyday.  She usually serves as the comic relief but she is the only other person, aside from Rhett, who can keep Scarlett in line.   

Hattie McDaniel, who plays Mammy, became the first African-American to be nominated for, and win, an Academy Award. 

So many quotes!  How can we pick one??

Rhett Butler: You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how. 
Scarlett: As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again.
Scarlett: Tara! Home. I'll go home. And I'll think of some way to get him back. After all... tomorrow is another day. 

But the winner is:

Rhett Butler: Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. 

You Can't Take It With You (1938)

In Frank Capra's third Oscar win for directing, You Can't Take It With You tells the story of two star-crossed lovers who come from different sides of town.  James Stewart is from the hoity-toity Kirby family who is trying to buy Martin Vanderhof's house.  Martin Vanderhof happens to be the grandfather of Jean Arthur, Stewart's sweetheart.  The Vanderhof household is a very eccentric one where everyone is free to live and do as they please.  Arthur wants to hide her families quirks for the pending engagement party.  So, Stewart brings the Kirby's to the Vanderhof household unexpectedly in order to meet the family in their real element.  

The movie was based on a play of the same title by George S. Kaufman.  I saw it performed once and remember leaving with fond thoughts.  The eccentric family in this movie is very well executed.  The gentlemen in the basement lighting off fireworks and making children's toys add some unexpected oomph while the mother is writing plays using her little kitten as a paperweight and the daughter is pointe dancing to her husband playing the vibes.  It paints quite the quirky family picture.  What Tim and I have learned from this blog is that Lionel Barrymore is a very impressive actor.  Everything I have seen him in has been great.  This movie had a very strong It's A Wonderful Life vibe to it.  It's like the rough draft version of it which is interesting because Stewart, Capra, and Barrymore will all reunite for It's A Wonderful Life and Stewart, Capra and Arthur will later reunite for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.  

When one thinks of Frank Capra, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town or Mr. Smith Goes to Washington or It's a Wonderful Life often come to mind first. In this sense, You Can't Take It With You is one of his less known but still very memorable films. I enjoyed very much how this film mixed the message/social consciousness elements of Emile Zola with the humor of It Happened One Night into one satisfying package. I got a great laugh out of the Vanderhof family, particularly the cat paperweight, the impromptu Lionel Hampton-style vibes playing and the boisterous Russian wrestler Kolenkhov. They were a welcome reprieve from the stuffy, upturned noses of the Kirby family, whose greed is counteracted by the always-charming James Stewart as bridge builder Tony Kirby (It's important to note here that the cast and acting were all around excellent; Lionel Barrymore is a consistent wonder and James Stewart is one of the finest actors of all time). That's ultimately what this movie is all about- the appreciation of simple things and the treasuring of the joys of family and people over the Manifest Destiny-esque pursuit of capital and prestige. As the movie progressed, the title made more and more sense- and the message is just as relevant today, perhaps more so than it was in 1938. Sure it's a "rough draft" of the mostly superior It's a Wonderful Life but this film is still an experience well worth having and a welcome reminder of what's really important. 


Shortly before filming began, Lionel Barrymore lost the use of his legs to crippling arthritis and a hip injury. To accommodate him, the script was altered so that his character had a sprained ankle, and Barrymore did the film on crutches

Maybe it'll stop you trying to be so desperate about making more money than you can ever use? You can't take it with you, Mr. Kirby. So what good is it? As near as I can see, the only thing you can take with you is the love of your friends.