Category Archives: 1940

Rancho Grande
Directed by Frank MacDonald
Written by Peter Milne, Connie Lee, Bradford Ropes et al
1940/USA
Republic Pictures
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] 1. The Cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man, or take unfair advantage. 2. He must never go back on his word, or a trust confided in him. 3. He must always tell the truth. 4. He must be gentle with children, the elderly, and animals. 5. He must not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant ideas. 6. He must help people in distress. 7. He must be a good worker. 8. He must keep himself clean in thought, speech, action, and personal habits. 9. He must respect women, parents, and his nation’s laws. 10. The Cowboy is a patriot. — “The Cowboy Code”, Gene Autry[/box]

As wholesome singing cowboy movies go, this was not too bad if you can handle some sophmoric humor..

Gene Autrey (character name) is foreman of Rancho Grande.  Rancho Grande was recently inherited by a trio of young siblings from back east.  The ranch is deeply in debt and the heirs must finish an irrigation project in short order to keep the property. Villain Emery Benson stands to gain if the ranch is foreclosed on and does everything possible to prevent completion.  This is all too easy as the elder heirs are bored with ranch life and easily distracted.  But Gene perseveres and the ending is a foregone conclusion.  With Smiley Burnette as Gene’s comic sidekick.

This is more of a musical than a Western with plenty of songs.  The singing is relieved by the seemingly obligatory bar fight and a gun battle between the forces of good and evil at the end.  This is one of those pictures in which blacked-out teeth and funny glasses and hats are supposed to be humorous in and of themselves. Nonetheless, it is perfectly watchable if one is in the right frame of mind.

Clip – Autry singing “The Dude-Ranch Cowhand”

Knute Rockne All-American
Directed by Lloyd Bacon
Written by Robert Bruckner based on private papers of Mrs. Knute Rockne and reports of Rockne’s intimate associates and friends
1940/USA
Warner Bros.
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Knute Rockne: Now I’m going to tell you something I’ve kept to myself for years. None of you ever knew George Gipp. He was long before your time, but you all know what a tradition he is at Notre Dame. And the last thing he said to me, “Rock,” he said, “sometime when the team is up against it and the breaks are beating the boys, tell them to go out there with all they’ve got and win just one for the Gipper. I don’t know where I’ll be then, Rock,” he said, “but I’ll know about it and I’ll be happy.”[/box]

This biopic was too heavy-handed for me.  Interesting to see Reagan in one of his most famous roles, though.

The story follows the life of Knute Rockne (Pat O’Brien) , Notre Dame’s legendary football coach in the 1920’s, from his origins in Norway, through his education as a chemist at Notre Dame, his innovations in football tactics as coach, to his untimely death.  With Gale Page as Rockne’s wife, Ronald Reagan as football player George Gipp, and Donald Crisp as Father John Callahan Dean of the University.

Notre Dame had complete control over all aspects of this movie and it shows.  With that and the cooperation of Rockne’s widow, the rather obvious exposition and one-sided characters were perhaps to be expected.  I imagine O’Brien, usually so natural, was copying the speech pattern of Rockne himself but he came off sounding like a bad impression of FDR.  I thought Reagan was nice and understated in his part.  His deathbed line “win one for the Gipper” became a political slogan for him in later life.

Clip – Ronald Reagan and Pat O’Brien – “Win just one for the Gipper”

Dark Command
Directed by Raoul Walsh
Written by Grover Jones, Lionel Houser, and F. Hugh Herbert from a novel by W.R. Burnett
1940/USA
Republic Pictures
First viewing/Streaming on Amazon Instant Video

[box] Miss Mary McCloud: I thought they bred men of flesh and blood in Texas. I was wrong. You’re made of granite!

Bob ‘Shortcut’ Seton: No, Mary, just common clay. It bakes kind of hard in Texas.[/box]

This is a better-than-average Republic Western with some good performances.

The story takes place in the period of “Bloody Kansas” just prior to and during the Civil War.  Will Cantrell (Walter Pidgeon) is the school teacher in a frontier town.  His mother (Marjorie Main), for some unexplained reason, has to live with him disguised as his servant.  Will is in love with Mary McCloud (Claire Trevor), the banker’s daughter.  He decides to run for sheriff to win her.

Then Bob Seton (John Wayne) rolls into town.  Bob falls in love with Mary at first sight and decides to stick around.  He also decides to run for sheriff.  Will is sure that he will easily win against the illiterate Bob but Bob prevails.  Bob is also soon gallivanting around with Mary.  But his hopes to win her are dashed when Bob must arrest her brother Fletch (Roy Rogers) for shooting a Union-supporter in an argument about politics.

The bitter Will decides to get rich by becoming a secret treacherous and cruel marauder.  He also acts as Fletch’s lawyer in his murder trial, secretly terrorizing the jury into voting “not guilty.” After the war starts, Will masquerades his gang as a troop of Confederate soldiers.  The rest of the story deals with the love triangle and Bob’s efforts to round up Will’s gang of cutthroats and thieves.  With Gabby Hayes as Bob’s sidekick.

This did not rock my world but is quite OK or even a little better than that.  Roy Rogers does well in a rare dramatic part.  Raoul Walsh certainly knows how to direct a good fight.

Dark Command was nominated for Academy Awards in the categories of Best Black-and-White Art Direction and Best Original Score (Victor Young).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxXLIsqD-6s

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Arizona
Directed by Wesley Ruggles
Written by Claude Binyon based on a story by Clarence Budington Kelland
1940/USA
Columbia Pictures Corporation
First viewing/Streaming on Amazon Instant Video

[box] Peter Muncie: I figure it sounds crazy to most people… going to California just to see it. But there’s a gallivanted bug in my blood and that’s the way I am.[/box]

I thought the story dragged a bit but otherwise this is a perfectly serviceable Western.

The story is cast as part of the history of the Arizona Territory.  As we begin, tomboy Phoebe Titus (Jean Arthur) is baking pies in the little town of Tuscon to earn enough money to buy a ranch.  She meets Peter Muncie (William Holden) and they take a liking to each other but he has the wanderlust and is soon off for California, promising to return.  While he is away, Phoebe gets the idea of establishing a freight business with a local shopkeeper.  This will put her in direct competition with the ruthless but rather stupid Lazarus Ward (Porter Hall).  Just as the business is beginning to take off, the Civil War starts and all the soldiers protecting the Territory head east.  Phoebe merely sees an opportunity to buy land cheap as the settlers leave.

At about this time, Jefferson Carteret (Warren William) arrives.  Carteret is smarter than Ward and even more evil.  While feigning friendship with Phoebe, he inserts himself into Ward’s business and negotiates a deal with the Indians to leave Ward’s wagons alone and attack Phoebe’s.  Peter returns just in time to help Phoebe fight this and every other dirty trick in the book.

At two hours, this went on a bit too long for my taste.  The whole movie rests on Jean Arthur’s shoulders and she delivers pretty well as a kind of Annie Oakley of the frontier.

Arizona was nominated for Academy Awards in the categories of Best Black-and-White Art Direction and Best Original Score (Victor Young).

Clip

Brother Orchid
Directed by Lloyd Bacon
Written by Earl Baldwin based on a story by Richard Connell
1940/USA
Warner Bros.
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Little Johnny Sarto: Brother Superior, I’m gonna blab a little. Then I’m gonna blow.[/box]

My favorite part of this OK Edward G. Robinson vehicle was seeing Ann Southern as a featured player.  The rest of the supporting cast isn’t too shabby either.

Johnny Sarto (Robinson) decides to retire from his racket and go to Europe to get some “class”.  He bequeaths his gang and operation to underling Jack Buck (Humphrey Bogart) and says goodbye to ditzy girlfriend Flo (Southern).  When he returns five years later, having got neither class nor respect overseas, Flo has taken up with super square rancher Clarence Fletcher (Ralph Bellamy).  He tries to get his business back but Buck isn’t having any of that and soon plans to rub him out.

Johnny is shot and escapes to a monastery – “The Little Brothers of the Flower”.  Brother Superior (Donald Crisp) asks no questions and Johnny, now known as Brother Orchid, becomes the star novice.  But when he reads that Flo is marrying Clarence, he takes off to the city to confront her and coincidentally finds himself battling Buck once again over the protection racket in the flower market.  With Allan Jenkins as Johnny’s sidekick and Cecil Kellaway as a monk.

The depth of talent available to the studios during the classic era never ceases to amaze me.  You could build a whole movie around one or two of these actors and here they are all together and giving it their all.  While nothing to write home about, I enjoyed this a lot.

Trailer

Strike Up the Band
Directed by Busby Berkeley
Written by John Monks Jr. and Fred F. Finklehoffe
1940/USA
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Paul Whiteman: Take that boy on the street. Teach him to blow a horn and he’ll never blow a safe.[/box]

There is something comforting about the predictability of MGM’s teen pictures of this era. This one is a good example and features an extravagant setting of the Gershwins’ stirring title song.

Let’s put on a show!  Jimmy Connors (Mickey Rooney) is the drummer for his high school band.  He longs to break away from the marching band into swing music.  Mary Holden (Judy Garland) is his long-suffering “girl” and vocalist.  When Jimmy hears that big band leader Paul Whiteman is auditioning teen bands for his radio show, he is determined to make the trek to Chicago for the audition.  But how to raise the $200 need to travel there? You have guessed!  But dramatic turns of events also require minor miracles before the dream can come true.  With William Tracy (Pepi of The Shop Around the Corner) as one of the guys.

I actually preferred this to Babes in Arms.  I liked a lot of the musical numbers, especially the patriotic title tune and “Drummer Boy”.

Strike Up the Band won an Academy Award for Best Sound Recording.  Roger Edens and George Stoll were nominated for Best Original Song (“Our Love Affair”) and Best Score.

Trailer

Kitty Foyle
Directed by Sam Wood
Written by Dalton Trumbo and Donald Ogden Stewart based on a novel by Christopher Morley
1940/USA
RKO Radio Pictures
First viewing/Streaming on Amazon Instant Video

[box] Kitty Foyle: Boy or Girl?

Dr. Mark Eisen: Boy. Almost lost the little fella. (Looks around the poor apartment) Mighta been better if he hadn’t pulled through.

Kitty Foyle: Don’t say that, Mark. It’s always better to pull through.[/box]

Regular readers already know how I feel about Ginger Rogers. Her Academy Award winning turn was the best thing about Kitty Foyle.

The movie begins as Kitty Foyle is pondering whether she should run away with her married ex-husband Wyn Strafford (Dennis Morgan)  or marry long-term steady date Mark (James Craig). The rest of the tale is told in flashback.

Kitty grew up with her widowed father in a working class household but always dreamed about the glittering social life of Philadelphia’s “Main Line”.  After she gets secretarial training and becomes a “white-collar girl”, she starts working for Main Liner Strafford at his magazine.  They quickly fall in love but Kitty moves to New York for work when the magazine fails.  Wyn eventually finds her and proposes.  Kitty initially refuses because she thinks they cannot be happy in Philadelphia but caves in when Wyn says they will live in New York.  They marry but Kitty nobly walks out when she discovers how much Wyn’s heritage means to him.

Many melodramatic turns follow but at least Kitty has the constant support of faithful idealistic doctor Mark.  Just when it appears Kitty has gotten over Wyn to the extent that she can appreciate Mark, Wyn turns up again and we are back at the beginning of the film where she has to make a decision.  I think you won’t need three guesses as to what it is.

This is a classic example of a “woman’s picture” of the era.  The heroine overcomes many  obstacles through sheer pluck, warming the heart and tugging at the heartstrings. I thought the Code-based necessity of the marriage deprived the tale of some much needed realism.  (Why the heck would Kitty walk out when Wyn had reiterated his pledge to move to New York?)  There is no denying that Ginger is as appealing as always and that this is worth viewing for her alone.

In addition to Rogers’ Best Actress Oscar, the film was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Sound Recording.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBq9chYubWU

Trailer

Road to Singapore
Directed by Victor Schertzinger
Written by Don Hartman and Frank Butler based on a story by Harry Hervey
1940/USA
Paramount Pictures
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Ace Lannigan: I just want you to stand there and admire me for a while. I just got an idea that’s gonna make us a fortune. I don’t know how I do it.[/box]

It looks like the cast had a very good time making the first in a series of seven “Road” pictures.

Josh Mallon (Bing Crosby) is the son of a wealthy shipping family but prefers to bum around with his pal Ace Lannigan (Bob Hope).  His father (Charles Coburn) is pressuring him to settle down, get married, and become active in the family business.  Instead, Josh and Ace take off for Singapore where they meet and vie for the affections of beautiful Mima (Dorothy Lamour).  Hilarity and songs follow.

Evidently, Singapore resembled a South Sea island in 1940, at least in the minds of the filmmakers.  This is a light fun romp with some catchy tunes.  The best part of these movies is the evident camaraderie among the key players. They sometimes seem to be making it up as they go along.

Trailer

The House of the Seven Gables
Directed by Joe May
Written by Lester Cole and Harold Greene based on the novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne
1940/USA
Universal Pictures
First viewing/Streaming on Amazon Watch Instant

[box] “Shall we never never get rid of this Past? … It lies upon the Present like a giant’s dead body.” — Nathaniel Hawthorne, The House of the Seven Gables[/box]

Hawthorne called his novel a Romance due to its fantasy elements.  The writers here decided they would go one step better and make the story a “romance” by changing an elderly brother and sister into sweethearts.  I have not read the book but I am completely confident that the heavily modified story is not an improvement over the original.

An ancestor of the Pynchon family obtained the land on which the family mansion sits by accusing its owner, Matthew Maule, of witchcraft.  Maule went to his death with a curse on the whole Pynchon clan on his lips.  Segue to the early 19th century when brothers Jaffrey (George Sanders) and Clifford (Vincent Price) Pynchon argue violently about whether the house should be sold to cover their father’s debt.  Clifford, a composer, wants to use his share to move to New York and marry his pretty cousin Hepzibah (Margaret Lindsay). Corrupt lawyer Jaffrey believes there is a deed granting the family a huge estate in Maine and a fortune in gold hidden somewhere in the house and changes the father’s mind about the sale.  When Clifford and the father have an argument about the matter, Dad drops dead.  Jaffrey accuses Clifford of murder and he is tried and sentenced to life imprisonment.

But fate pulls a fast one on Jaffrey and it turns out that Dad left the house to Hepzibah. She becomes a bitter old maid and lives in solitude in the shuttered house working ceaselessly for Clifford’s release.  Finally, she can no longer support herself on her tiny income and takes in lodger Matthew Holgrave.  When a distant cousin is orphaned and moves in, Holgrave promptly falls in love with her.  Then Clifford is granted an early release and plots his revenge on Jaffrey with the help of Matthew who has a secret reason for interest in the Pynchon family.  There is a subplot about abolitionists that is shoehorned in there too. With Cecil Kellaway as Hepzibah’s kindly solicitor.

I was looking forward to this because I so greatly admired director Joe May’s German expressionist film Asphalt (1930).  I suppose his direction is OK though I wish he had toned down the hammy performance by Price (for an example see the clip).  Sanders is his usual sneering self. Lindsay is just the definition of insipid throughout the first half of the film — for some reason I never like her.  This one kept my interest throughout so it wasn’t all bad, just not for me.

Frank Skinner was nominated for an Academy Award for his original score to this film.

Clip