Category Archives: 1938

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
Directed by Allan Dwan
Written by Karl Tunberg and Don Ettlinger from a story by Kate Douglas Wiggin
1938/USA
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Myrtle: Why, you poor child.

Rebecca Winstead: I’m not a poor child. I’m very self-reliant. My mother taught me to always be that way.[/box]

I thought this was one of the better Shirley Temple movies.

Radio producer Tony Kent (Randolph Scott)  is in search of Little Miss America for a show due to debut in a week.  He is having no luck finding her until Rebecca Winstead (Temple) and her greedy stepfather (William Demarest) turn up.  Needless to say, Rebecca fills the bill perfectly.  However, there is a miscommunication and Tony’s assistant Orville (Jack Haley) sends her away.  Her stepfather decides to turn Rebecca over to her (Great-) Aunt Miranda (Helen Westley) in the country.  Tony decides to spend the weekend at his farm which just so happens to adjoin Aunt Miranda’s.  There he falls in love with Rebecca and her Aunt Gwen (Gloria Stuart).  With Slim Summerville as Miranda’s erstwhile beau and Bill Robinson as Tony’s overseer.

The plot is as per unusual but the songs are unusually catchy, the story moves right along, and the cast of character actors shines.  Even Randolph Scott is more relaxed than normally.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3jMoUAuwWI

Trailer

The Challenge
Directed by Milton Rosner and Luis Trenker
Written by Emeric Pressburger from a scenario by Patrick Kirwin and Milton Rosner
1938/UK
Denham Films
First viewing; Streamed on Hulu Plus

[box type=”shadow”][interview in New York City, 1980] I think that a film should have a good story, a clear story, and it should have, if possible, something which is probably the most difficult thing – it should have a little bit of magic . . . Magic being untouchable and very difficult to cast, you can’t deal with it at all. You can only try to prepare some nests, hoping that a little bit of magic will slide into them. — Emeric Pressburger[/box]

There is precious little magic in this story about the conquest of the Matterhorn.

Jean Antoine Carel of Italy and Edward Whymper of Britain are rivals to first reach the summit of the Matterhorn.  They become friends when Carel saves Whymper’s life and agree to make the next attempt together.  However, Whymper decides that the best route lies from the Swiss side of the mountain.  The Italian Government wants an Italian team to reach the summit first — from the Italian side — and determines that Carel should lead that team, making them rivals.  Though Carel tries to be loyal to Whymper, the Italians trick each into abandoning the other. This leads to a race to the top.

The plot sounds like it might be exciting but I thought this was very dull.  There are some nice mountain climbing scenes.  It seemed much longer than its 76 minute running time.  The complete film is also currently streaming on YouTube.

That Certain Age
Directed by Edward Ludwig
Written by Bruce Manning from an original story by F. Hugh Herbert
1938/USA
Universal Pictures
First viewing/ Warner Archives DVD

[box] Just as Hollywood pin-ups represents sex to dissatisfied erotics, so I represented the ideal daughter millions of fathers and mothers wished they had. – Deanna Durbin, 1959[/box]

Enjoyable, if routine, Deanna Durbin fare.

Alice’s (Durbin) father is a rich newspaper publisher.  Young Ken (Jackie Cooper) has a crush on her and she is the inspiration and star of a show he is staging to raise money for the Boy Scouts.  Ace reporter Vincent Bullitt (Melvyn Douglas) has just returned from covering the Spanish Civil War.  Alice’s father has ordered him to spend a few weeks at the family manse to write articles about the European situation before setting off for China. This is ruining the teens’ rehearsal plans so they conspire to drive him out.  Before they can, Alice becomes infatuated with Vincent and wants him to stay forever.

This is an OK light comedy with some OK musical numbers.  It’s fun to see Jackie Cooper at this age.  Not a bad watch for Deanna Durbin fans.

That Certain Age received Academy Award nominations in the categories Best Original Song (“My Own” by Jimmy McHugh and Harold Adamson) and Best Sound Recording.

Clip – Durbin singing “My Own”

The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse
Directed by Anatole Litvak
Written by John Wexley and John Huston from the play by Barré Lyndon
1938/USA
Warner Bros.
First viewing; Netflix rental

[box] ‘Rocks’ Valentine: [to Clitterhouse] Hey, why didn’t you tell us you were such a big shot? Here I think all along you was just a screwball.[/box]

The cinematography and direction of this movie were great and the actors are some of my favorites.  I honestly cannot explain why it did not grab me in any way.

Dr. Clitterhouse (Edward G. Robinson) is a society physician with a fascination with the criminal mind.  He decides to do some medical research on the subject and to use himself as his own guinea pig so he starts pulling off a number of jewel heists which baffle the police.  He finds a fence for the loot in the form of Jo Keller (Claire Trevor) and falls in with her gang.  Clitterhouse becomes known as “The Professor” and takes over the ring leader role from “Rocks” Valentine (Humphrey Bogart).  Rocks is not about to stand for this.

Litvak made a very stylish film with strong elements of German Expressionism .  I loved his Mayerling (1936) too and want to check out more of his work.  The only problem with the movie for me is that it is supposed to be a comedy-thriller and I was neither thrilled nor greatly amused.  I may have been having a bad day.

Trailer

The Duke of West Point
Directed by Alfred E. Green
Written by George Bruce
1938/USA
Edward Small Productions
First viewing/Streaming on Amazon (free to Amazon Prime members)

[box] Picture making is a youngster’s game. When a man gets older he doesn’t want to take a chance to try something new. And this business moves so fast that if you don’t change your methods with every picture you’re out of luck. In a few years I won’t have a thing to do with the creative. Afraid, I’ll hire young men with plenty of nerve to handle that for me. — Edward Small, 1926[/box]

I don’t know if it was the titular character or the actor who played him who was insufferable.   At any rate, I couldn’t stand this movie.

Steven Early (Louis Hayward) is an American raised in England by his military attaché father.  Generations of the family have attended West Point and Steven sets out there.  He makes a big splash with his high-handed superiority, refusal to obey the rules and athletic prowess.  He also sets out to steal Ann (Joan Fontaine), the only girl in miles around, from an upperclassman.  But Louis has a well-hidden heart of gold and secretly supplies the money needed to allow his roommate to stay in school.  When he is caught after hours wiring this money, he is tried,and sentenced to the silent treatment for the rest of his stay at the Academy.  How can Louis get back in the good graces of his classmates and win the girl?

By the time we were ten minutes into the story, I was actively rooting for something bad to happen to Louis.  His grin and attitude really rubbed me the wrong way.  Setting that aside, this is your typical patriotic military academy affair, with plenty of football and hockey thrown in and an unmotivated romance.  The average IMDb user liked it much more than I did.

Clip

Port of Shadows (“Le quai des brumes”)
Directed by Michel Carné
Written by Jacques Prevert from the novel by Pierre Dumarchais
1938/France
Ciné-Alliance
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Le peintre: A tree. But when I paint one, it sets everyone on edge. It’s because there’s someone or something hidden behind that tree. I can’t help painting what’s hidden behind things. To me a swimmer is already a drowned man..[/box]

I was surprised how little I remembered about this really excellent film.

Jean (Jean Gabin) is a French army deserter who has also apparently committed some crime of passion.  He arrives in Le Havre seeking a way to escape.  Nelly (Michele Morgan) is a seventeen-year-old running away from her jealous, lecherous godfather (Michel Simon) and a past affair with Maurice.  Lucien (the fantastic Pierre Brasseur) is a cowardly gangster in search of Maurice and some papers.  Fate is not kind to any of these people.

The docks of Le Havre are permeated by fog and cruel destiny.  1938 seems to have been a very good year for French proto-noirs.  No one could be more doomed than our hero and, while our heroine is sincere, she is nonetheless fatal.  The acting is excellent.  I seem to admire Michel Simon more with every performance I see.  The Jacques Prevert (Children of Paradise) dialogue is haunting as is the score.  This is a dark and sad film but very beautiful.   I highly recommend it.

Re-release trailer

Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife
Directed by Ernst Lubitsch
Written by Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett from a play by Albert Savoir
1938/USA
Paramount Pictures
First viewing

[box] Nicole de Loiselle: I wish someone would tell you what I really think of you.[/box]

Any film that combines Ernst Lubitsch, Billy Wilder, and this cast has to be entertaining.

Michael (Gary Cooper) is a decisive multi-millionaire.  He meets Nicole (Claudette Colbert) in a Paris department store while trying to purchase only the top of some pajamas.  Nicole buys the bottoms and, without further ado, Michael decides she will be his wife.

Nicole’s father (Edward Everett Horton) is broke and Michael funnels some money his way by buying an allegedly antique bathtub from him.  At first, Nicole resists Michael’s advances but eventually she falls in love with him.  At their engagement party, she discovers that he has been married seven times before.  He explains that his wives have made out fine as he signs a prenuptial agreement with each one guaranteeing $50,000 per year for life,  Nicole holds out for $100,000 per year and hatches a plot to ensure their divorce.  With David Niven as Nicole’s friend.

This is good fun even if parts of the story don’t hang together too well.  Cooper is very good in a part reminiscent of Mr. Deeds.  The dialogue sings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz74bn-xCtU

Trailer

Marie Antoinette
Directed by W.S. Van Dyke
Written by Claudine West, Donald Ogden Stewart, and Ernest Vajda based in part on the book by Stefan Zweig
1938/USA
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
First viewing

[box] Marie: I cannot wear a crown upon my heart.[/box]

I am not big on 2 1/2 hour-plus costume dramas … especially if Norma Shearer is going to play a teenager in any part of them.

Marie (Shearer) is thrilled when her mother, the Empress of Austria, arranges with Louis XV (John Barrymore) for her to wed the Dauphin (Robert Morley).  Her enthusiasm wanes when she discovers on her wedding night that the future Louis XVI is a socially inept fellow who has no interest in her or in producing heirs to the throne.

After a couple of years of boredom, the scheming Duke d’Orleans (Joseph Schildkraut) convinces Marie to enter the social whirl of decadent court life in Paris.  At one of her soirees, Marie meets and falls in love with the Swedish Count Fersen (Tyrone Power). They scarcely consummate their passion when Louis XV orders Marie’s exile for failure to produce an heir and for insulting his mistress Madame du Barry (Gladys George).

Marie is saved by the bell when Louis XV dies.  She and the Count agree that they cannot continue their affair and Marie, who has formed a close friendship with the Dauphin, becomes Queen.  INTERMISSION.

Marie and Louis produce a couple of children.  They have great compassion for the poor of France but Count d’Orleans conspires to frame Marie for the purchase of a priceless necklace while the people are starving.  Marie and Louis are eventually imprisoned.  Count Festen comes to Marie’s aid, but to no avail.

This film is not without its good points.  Robert Morley, in his film debut, is fantastic as Louis XV1 and Joseph Schildkraut is suitably evil in his role and looks great in wig and powder.  The production is lavish and all aspects from costume design to art direction to score are first-rate.

That said, this film is way too long for its story and the story itself is trite.  I don’t know whether there actually was a Count Fersen or not, but his story line felt very contrived.  I like Norma Shearer’s pre-Code work as sophisticated ladies.  I find her pretty dreadful whenever she attempts to play naive virgins or lovelorn romantic  heroines.  She spends most of her time doing the later here.

Marie Antoinette was nominated for Academy Awards in the categories of Best Actress (Norma Shearer), Best Supporting Actor (Robert Morley), Best Art Direction, and Best Original Score. This was Irving Thalberg’s last project while head of production at MGM and Shearer, his widow, stuck with it through completion in 1938.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_gc6V76PCQ

Trailer