In How to Commit Marriage, seemingly happily married couple Frank and Elaine Benson (played by Bob Hope and Jane Wyman) are on the verge of divorce. But they plan to wait until after their daughter’s marriage. The groom’s father, Oliver Poe (Jackie Gleason) opposes marriage in general. And he dislikes Bob Hope’s character in particular.
This is the film based on the true adventures of Izzy and Moe. They were two retired vaudeville performers who, being unemployed, decide to become prohibition enforcement agents. They are initially treated with scorn from fellow agents as old men pretending to be cops. That abuse soon stops when the pair refuse to use the standard but futile methods of the agency. Instead, they employ their theatrical experience to use an amazing variety of disguises and tricks. They become two of the most effective agents in the force. Eventually, their outstanding string of successful raids and arrests starts drawing the attention of the mob and their bought cops, who desperately plan to stop this pair.
Simply put, Gigot is one of the finest films I’ve ever seen. The phrase that keeps coming to my mind is “Chaplinesque” — it’s cliched, and it’s trite, but it’s absolutely accurate. In Gigot, Jackie Gleason plays the title role of Gigot, a mute man living in Paris around the turn of the twentieth century. He is loved by children and dogs, but picked upon by the various adults in the film. The first third of the film sets his character, as his landlady/employer gyps him of his wages as her janitor. “You lean too hard on the broom — you wore it out!” His ‘friends’ make him the butt of jokes, etc. In fact, the only adult who treats him with any kindness at all is the priest at the local Catholic church.
I’ve long heard negative things about Room Service starring the Marx Brothers – Groucho, Chico, and Harpo. However, after viewing the movie for myself, I don’t think that they’re deserved. Granted, it’s not of the same quality as Duck Soup, but it’s still very funny in its’ own right. That’s not to say that there aren’t negative things to say. The pace seems slow compared to typical Marx Brothers fare. The movie starts slowly. On the other hand, the ending of the movie is the normal zaniness that we’ve come to expect, and it plays well.
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New York bookie Sorrowful Jones takes a bet on Dreamy Joe from rotten gambler Orville Smith who leaves his young daughter, Martha, behind as collateral. When Orville overhears the horserace is fixed, he is killed by one of gangster Big Steve goons …
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Miss Grant Takes Richmond begins at a secretarial school. The grave-looking Charles Lane is overseeing his class, including Ellen Grant, played by the lovely Lucille Ball. Most of the class is performing well, but not Lucille Ball’s character. She demonstrates this to the audience in a battle with an old-style typewriter — and losing. It’s a quiet slapstick routine, and sets her character for the audience. Effectively, she’s playing her Lucy Ricardo character from I Love Lucy (before she met Ricky). Hard working, diligent, intelligent, but accident prone — and cooking up a scheme to “help” other people.
At home that evening, she’s practicing her typing, in hopes of graduating from secretarial school the next day. She’s living with her aunt and uncle — the uncle is a Judge, and someone highly respected in the community. Likewise, her boyfriend is assistant District Attorney.
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I can honestly say that Yours, Mine and Ours is one of my family’s favorite movies. It’s a wonderful story, about the merging of two large families. The Beardsley family of ten children, with the widowed father played by Henry Fonda. And the North family of eight children, with the widowed mother played by Lucille Ball). First comes the courtship of the father and mother… Awkwardly, clumsily, with the very understandable resentment of the children who don’t want their deceased parents ‘replaced’. This leads to “An alcoholic Pearl Harbor” that gives Lucille Ball an opportunity to play the drunk. It’s reminiscent of the classic Vitameatavegamin episode of her classic I Love Lucy series. Ending with the dramatic revelation that she’s fallen in love again.
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I have to admit, I recently enjoyed Bachelor in Paradise on TCM, and found myself enjoying it very much. Bob Hope plays Adam J. Niles, author of a series of books detailing the romantic life of the bachelor in a variety of foreign locales. As the movie begins, he’s working on his latest volume in Italy. When he’s unexpectedly brought home, to deal with the issue of back taxes to the IRS.
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The classic “old dark house” motif is given sterling treatment in The Cat and the Canary. Bob Hope’s status as a star was assured with his role as Wallie Campbell. He becomes the cowardly protector of Joyce Norman (Paulette Goddard). She, in turn, who must spend one night in the eerie mansion of her late, eccentric, millionaire uncle. If she can make it through the night without losing her mind, Joyce stands to inherit her uncle’s entire fortune. Of course, all the other potential heirs now have a motive to drive her insane.
Read More »The Cat and the Canary [1939]