The Facts of Life
The Facts of Life (1960) starring Lucille Ball, Bob Hope
Ziegfeld Follies
Ziegfeld Follies (1945) starring William Powell, Red Skelton, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Lucille Ball, Lena Horne, Kathryn Grayson and many more
Ziegfeld Follies is an attempt at recreating the spectacle of Flo Ziegfeld’s famous Broadway shows … And so the film is a series of unrelated musical and comedy routines. They’re unconnected except by the narration of the ghostly Flo Ziegfeld (played by William Powell) as he sits back in Heaven, thinking of the spectacles that he could create with then-current stars. The various acts include:
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Joy of Living
Joy of Living (1938) starring Irene Dunne, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Alice Brady, Guy Kibbee, Lucille Ball, Warren Hymer
Synopsis of Joy of Living
Hard-working and successful Broadway star Maggie Garret (Irene Dunne) is not only emotionally and financially drained by her parasitic family (Alice Brady, Guy Kibbee, Lucille Ball and Warren Hymer) but lately traced by ship-owner Dan Brewster (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.). His efforts to gain her attention are unappreciated by Margaret, and she has him arrested. At last, they end up at court and to rescue Dan from a six-month prison sentence – Margaret had something more mild in mind – she agrees to serve as his probation officer. …Joy of Living
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Room Service
Room Service (1938) starring the Marx Brothers (Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx), Lucille Ball, Ann Miller
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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Sorrowful Jones
Sorrowful Jones (1949), starring Bob Hope and Lucille Ball
Synopsis
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 [Lucille Ball]
Miss Grant Takes Richmond (1949) starring Lucille Ball, William Holden, James Gleason
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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Stage Door
Stage Door (1937) starring Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Lucille Ball, Ann Miller, Eve Arden
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Yours, Mine and Ours
Yours, Mine and Ours (1968), starring Lucille Ball, Henry Fonda, Van Johnson, Tom Bosley
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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Madame, I Love Your Crepes Suzettes – song lyrics
Song lyrics to “Madame, I Love Your Crepes Suzettes” – music by Burton Lane, lyrics by Ralph Freed
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Du Barry Was A Lady, starring Red Skelton, Lucile Ball, Gene Kelly
Du Barry Was A Lady (1943) starring Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Gene Kelly
The basic plot of Du Barry Was A Lady is interesting. Hat check man Louis Blore (Red Skelton) is in love with nightclub star May Daly. (Lucille Ball) May, however, is love with a poor dancer (Gene Kelly). But due to her parents’ poverty wants to marry for money. When Louis wins the Irish Sweepstakes, he asks May to marry him. She accepts even though she doesn’t love him. Soon after, Louis has an accident and gets slipped a doctored drink (meant for Gene Kelly). He dreams that he s King Louis XV pursuing the infamous Madame Du Barry (Lucille Ball).
Du Barry Was A Lady, starring Red Skelton, Lucile Ball, Gene Kelly
