Monthly Archives: September 2014

Watch on the Rhine
Directed by Herman Shumlin
Written by Dashiell Hammett and Lillian Hellman from the play by Hellman
1943/USA
Warner Bros
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Kurt Muller: I do not tell you this story to prove that we are remarkable but to prove that they are not.[/box]

Oscar-winner Paul Lukas is well worth seeing in this tale of German resistance to facism in the years before America entered the war.

Kurt Muller (Lucas) has been a Nazi-fighter since Hitler came to power.  He lives in constant danger so takes his wife Sara (Bette Davis) and three children from Mexico back to her family home near Washington.  Sara’s father was a Supreme Court justice and the house is extremely comfortable compared to what the family has been used to.  Sara’s feisty mother (Lucile Watson) is delighted to see her daughter and meet her grandchildren.

Also staying as houseguests are the Romanian Count de Brancovis (George Colouris) and his much younger wife Marthe (Geraldine Fitzgerald).  The count is a frequent guest at the German Embassy and desperate to get the money and a visa to return to Europe.  He starts spying on Kurt looking for something to sell.  With Beulah Bondi as a French friend of the family.

This is well written anti-facsist propaganda by Lillian Hellman, a noted radical.  There are several political speeches but also a number of really touching scenes.  The speeches tend to be put into the mouth of Bette Davis (in a rare supporting role) while Lukas is more the practical fighter.  He probably won his award for some very moving work near the end of the film.  I thought Lucile  Watson was pretty great as a humorous old liberal.  She lights up the screen whenever she is on it.

Paul Lukas won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Watch on the Rhine.  The film was also nominated in the categories of Best Picture; Best Supporting Actress  Watson); and Best Writing, Screenplay.

Trailer

Stormy Weather
Directed by Andrew L. Stone
Written by Frederick J. Jackson, Ted Koehler et al
1943/USA
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it. — Lena Horne[/box]

Bill Robinson … Lena Horne … Fats Waller … Cab Calloway … the Nicholas Brothers … Dooley Wilson.  Does this wonderful musical really need a review?

The plot is very slight.  Bill Williamson (Robinson) is being honored for his contribution to the entertainment industry.  He looks back on his career.

Williamson gets his start after he comes home from Europe at the end of WWI.  He meets up-and-coming singer Selina Rogers (Horne) who was close to one of his army buddies. They hit it off immediately.  Williamson struggles to get a break as a hoofer.  Finally Selina convinces her manager to hire him for the show she is starring in.  But the manager is very jealous and will only let Williamson play native drums in a African number.  Williamson turns the tables on him by dancing on those very drums when his back is turned.

Time marches on and Selina and Bill become an item.  But singing is her life and Selina refuses to settle down and raise a family.  With Dooley Wilson as Williamson’s con-man friend.

The framing story allows one glorious musical number after another.  We get the title song, Horne’s signature tune; Fats Waller doing a couple of numbers; Cab Calloway and His Orchestra doing another couple of numbers; and tons of fantabulous dancing, including a tap routine from the Nicholas Brothers and of course Robinson at his best.  I didn’t realize that Robinson was a pretty fair singer as well as one of the great dancers. Recommended.

Clip – Fats Waller sings “Ain’t Misbehaving”

Cabin in the Sky
Directed by Vincente Minnelli
Written by Joseph Schrank based on the book of the musical play by Lynn Root
1943/USA
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Sometimes the cabin’s gloomy and the table’s bare,/ But then he’ll kiss me and it’s Christmas everywhere. /Troubles fly away and life is easy go./ Does he love me good? That’s all I need to know. /Seems like happiness is just a thing called Joe. – “Happiness is a Thing Called Joe” – lyrics by Yip Harburg[/box]

If one can look past the racial attitudes of the era, Vincent Minnelli’s debut film is a cornucopia of riches starting with its all-star African-American cast.

Little Joe Jackson (Eddie ‘Rochester’ Anderson) is a bit of a scamp and an unlucky gambler.  His backbone comes from his wife Petunia (Ethel Waters), who has a direct line to the Lord.  One day, instead of confessing at church like he promised he is lured to a gambling den where he is shot.  As he lies in bed in delirium with his life in the balance, Lucifer Jr. (Rex Ingram) comes to take him below.  An angel, The General, hears Petunia’s prayers.  Although Little Joe is not fit for the Cabin in the Sky, he is granted another six months to change his ways.

Little Joe seems to see the light so Lucifer Jr. and his men cook up a scheme to make him rich and as added insurance send a temptress in the form of Georgia Brown (Lena Horn).  The devil’s wiles appear to work.  Can Petunia defeat them?  You know the answer to that one.   With Louis Armstrong as one of the demons and Duke Ellington and His Orchestra entertaining at the gambling den.

Vincente Minnelli would get more skillful at integrating musical numbers with his stories but this is a brilliant start.  As soon as any singing or dancing begins the film swings into high gear and becomes a total delight.  Standouts include Waters’s two renditions of “Taking a Chance on Love” and both the leading ladies singing “Honey from the Honeycomb” in a kind of competition.  Who would have guessed Eddie Anderson was so multi-talented?  Recomended.

Harold Arlen and E. Y. (‘Yip’) Harburg were nominated for an Oscar for their Original Song “Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe,”

Clip – Dancing at Jim Henry’s Paradise nightclub to the music of Duke Ellington.

Destination Tokyo
Directed by Delmer Daves
Written by Delmer Daves and Albert Maltz from an original story by Steve Fisher
1943/USA
Warner Bros
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Sparks: How come they picked you?

Wolf: I don’t know. Strong arm, strong back, weak mind![/box]

This goes way overboard in the propaganda department at times.  Cary Grant is solid in a dramatic role and it is always a treat when John Garfield is around.

Captain Cassidy (Grant) welcomes his crew back on the submarine U.S. Copperfin which has secret orders to be opened only at sea.  We see a mixed bag of seasoned men and new recruits getting to know each other and life in confined spaces under the sea. (Don’t think Das Boot here.  This sub was made in Hollywood).  There are a number of stock characters such as the loveable cook (Alan Hale); wise-guy ‘Wolf’ (Garfield) who is always talking about his adventures with dames, a family man (whose days are clearly limited), a very nervous rookie, etc.

Captain Cassidy learns that the sub is to pick up an expert in the Aleutians and deliver him to Tokyo.  Once there, Wolf and the expert scour Tokyo in commando gear to get information on its defenses.  The film ends with the 1942 Doolittle raid on the city.

This one goes beyond hatred of the Japanese military for trying to kill Americans to downright demonization of the Japanese people.  It is said they have no concept or word for love of a man for a woman, they give their children daggers at age 5, etc.

But more than that, this movie consists of action sequences separated by long interludes of cliches – the atheist who learns the value of prayer, the family man, the appendectomy by a pharmacist’s mate, the banter, etc.  This material does not justify the film’s 2 hour and 15 minute running time.  Maybe something resembling this happened but I did not believe the spying scenario for one minute.  There is nothing at all wrong with any of the performances.

Destination Tokyo was nominated for an Oscar for Best Writing, Original Story.

Trailer

This Land Is Mine
Directed by Jean Renoir
Written by Dudley Nichols
1943/USA
Jean Renoir-Dudley Nichols Productions/RKO Radio Pictures
First viewing/Warner Archive DVD

Mrs. Emma Lory: Why don’t they bomb Germany, young woman?
Louise Martin: Every factory and railroad in Europe is Germany, Mrs. Lory, until the Germans are driven out.

In Jean Renoir’s universe even the Nazis have their reasons.  People ought to fight to the death to stop those reasons from spreading.

Albert Lory (Charles Laughton) is a mild-mannered schoolteacher in an unnamed Nazi-occupied country.  His mother (Una O’Connor in a rare meaty role) has him tied around her apron strings via feigned illness, etc.  He is secretly in love with beautiful fellow teacher Louise Martin (Maureen O’Hara).  Louise is an outspoken patriot who is engaged to George Lambert (George Sanders), the local railway superintendent , who, unbeknownst to her, is a Nazi collaborator and informant.  Louise’s brother Paul (Kent Smith) also appears to be very friendly with German soldiers.  The mayor of the town works hand in glove with the highest local Nazi official, the smiling and seemingly reasonable Major von Keller (Walter Slezak).

When the school gets orders to rip pages out of its history texts, Albert and Louise cooperate.  During a bombing raid, Albert reveals the depths of his cowardice.  Then a couple of German soldiers are killed by a home-made bomb.  Paul Martin arrives at a dinner Albert has been invited to late.  He asks Albert and Louise to say he has been there since before the bombing.  They comply.  Then the Germans start rounding up hostages, including the beloved liberal headmaster of the school.  Albert is next.  His incensed mother looks up everyone she knows from the mayor to George Lambert in an attempt to free her son.

Not to spoil too much of the plot but Alfred eventually stands trial for a murder he wanted to commit but did not.  His courage now invigorated by the execution of the headmaster, the trial gives Alfred a platform to conduct his defense via a pair of inspiring speeches.

In the universe of this story, the Nazis and their collaborators are basically businessmen who would like to see a better world, one with no unions or unruly children, when the war is over.  Von Keller even excuses an act of apparent sabotage because he does not want to have to take hostages.  He would like nothing better than to cut Albert some slack.  But by the time this is necessary, Albert is having none of it.

This may be the wordiest propaganda of 1943.  On the other hand, with Charles Laughton delivering it, tears came to my eyes.  Renoir got beautiful performances out of all his actors.  O’Connor who usually goes straight over the top has a rather large and convincing turn as the dominating mother and Sanders is touching.  It’s not a great film but very interesting. If you are willing to suspend your disbelief for the last twenty minutes or so and can tolerate some beautifully written patriotic speechmaking, it’s worth a watch.

This Land Is Mine won the Academy Award for Best Sound, Recording.

Clip – Charles Laughton teaches one last lesson on The Declaration of the Rights of Man

Heaven Can Wait
Directed by Ernst Lubitsch
Written by Samson Raphaelson from a play by Leslie Bush-Fekete
1943/USA
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental

[box] His Excellency: If you meet our requirements, we’ll be only too glad to accomodate you. Uh, would you be good enough to mention, for instance, some outstanding crime you’ve committed?

Henry Van Cleve: Crime? Crime? I’m afraid I can’t think of any, but I can safely say my whole life was one continuous misdemeanor.[/box]

This story of a married man with a weakness for the ladies is notable for its lavish production values and the Lubitsch touch.

When he dies, Henry van Cleve (Don Ameche), who considers himself to have been a wicked roué, reports directly to Hell.  The Devil (Laird Cregar) is not entirely convinced he is in the right place and asks him to tell his story.  Segue into flashback.

Henry was a scamp of a boy, clearly taking after his waggish grandfather (Charles Coburn) and is a constant amazement to his doting mother (Spring Byington) and straight-laced father (Louis Calhern).  As a young man, Henry has his parents wrapped around his little finger, cadging $100 loans every day so he can live the high life and entertain chorus girls. Then he sees the lovely Martha (Gene Tierney) on a street, tries to woo her in a book store, and decides to locate and win her.  Finding her again works out to be easy as his stuffy cousin Albert (Allyn Joslyn) introduces her as his fiancee at his birthday parting that evening along with her feuding parents (Eugene Palette and Marjorie Main).  The naughty, romantic Henry sweeps her off her feet, though, and elopes with her that very evening.

The rest of the movie follows the ups and downs of their mostly happy married life as Martha learns to look at Henry’s various indiscretions with tolerance and humor.  Then she dies shortly after their 25th anniversary and Henry resumes his career as a stage-door Johnny in his later years.   Are Henry’s sins enough to earn him a place in Hell?

As usual, Charles Coburn is the highlight of this movie and some of the zest goes out of it when he (and Martha’s parents) leave it about two-thirds of the way through.  Ameche is appealing, though, and Tierney looks good enough to be a proper object of life-long adoration.  The gay nineties sets and costumes are amazing, especially considering this was made under wartime restrictions.  Fox must have been able to get good value out of its existing sets.  Lubitsch keeps everything light and fun.

Heaven Can Wait was nominated for Academy Awards in the categories of Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Cinematography, Color (Edward Cronjager).  I don’t see how it missed at least a nod for its Art Direction.

Clip – final eight minutes of movie