Tag Archives: 1935

Otis B. Driftwood: I saw Mrs. Claypool first. Of course, her mother really saw her first but there’s no point in bringing the Civil War into this.

Let’s see, is there a plot?  Well, Mrs. Claypool (Margaret Dumont) has hired Otis B. Driftwood (Groucho Marx) to get her into high society, an unlikely proposition if ever there was one.  His brilliant idea is for her to invest in the New York Opera.  In the meantime, Fiorello (Chico Marx) and Tomasino (Harpo Marx) are promoting a tenor (Allan Jones) who is in love with a soprano played by Kitty Carlisle.  They all end up on a ship at some point and hilarity ensues.

This is the one with the “sanity clause” contract bit and the stateroom scene.  There are a lot of laughs but perhaps too much singing.  As usual, my favorite part of any Marx Brothers movie is when Chico plays the piano.  Here he does a rendition of “All I Do Is Dream of You” to a group of enthralled children.

Re-release trailer

Captain William Bligh: I’ll live to see you – all of you – hanging from the highest yardarm in the British fleet.

In 1787, the HMS Bounty departs Portsmouth for Tahiti, carrying a crew largely composed of impressed sailors.  The ship is helmed by Captain William Bligh (Charles Laughton).  His second in command is Fletcher Christian (Clark Gable) .  Christian befriends a first-voyage midshipman Roger Byam (Franchot Tone).  Bligh’s idea of enforcing discipline is with the lash and he also keeps his men on tight rations to line his own pockets.  When Christian takes Bligh to task for this, Bligh plots revenge.  Bligh’s cruelty only increases on the return journey from Tahiti.  Christian then takes matters into his own hands and casts Bligh and the men loyal to him adrift in a launch, but Bligh refuses to admit defeat.

As soon as I heard Herbert Stothart’s rousing score coming up under the credits of this big-budget MGM production, I had that comforting feeling that this movie would be, if nothing else, entertaining and I was right.  The script moves along at a good pace and the production values are first-rate.  We are even treated to location shots in French Polynesia.  Kudos must go to Charles Laughton for one of his very best performances.  I always enjoy his work but usually feel like I am watching an actor wink at the audience.  Here, he plays it very straight and is excellent.  Highly enjoyable.

Trailer

Mrs. Hermisillo Brunch: [about Sousé] He makes me sick!

Elsie Mae Adele Brunch Sousé: Shall I bounce a rock off his head?

Agatha Sousé: Respect your father, darling. What kind of a rock?

Well, it’s time for another random film from the List and the Random Number Generator awarded me another chance at W.C. Fields!

Fields is Egbert Sousé (that’s SooSAY with an accent grave on the é), who supports his household consisting of mother-in-law, wife, and little daughter all of whom hate him by entering slogan contests or something.  He has an older daughter Myrtle (Una Merkel), who is engaged to Og Oggilby who works at the bank.  Sousé keeps regular business hours at the Black Pussy Saloon.  His life gets more exciting when he falls into jobs as a film director and then as a bank guard and when he counsels Og to embezzle money to invest in a goldmine.  With Shemp Howard as the bartender and Franklin Pangborn as a bank examiner.

This might be my favorite W.C. Fields film.  There is not too much slapstick and some genuinely funny lines.  The romance of the daughter is very cute (I love Una Merkel!) and there is a good car chase at the end.

Trailer