Some Like It Hot (1959)

In Chicago in 1929, musicians Joe and Jerry (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon) witness a mob hit, and decide to get out of town described as women in an all-female music group, where they meet singer and ukelele player Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe).  Romance, complications and comedy ensue!

Some Like It Hot was voted number 1 on the AFI’s list of the top 100 comedies of all time.  In the past, I have sometimes been disappointed by films which have been so hyped up, so I wasn’t sure what I would make of this.  However, I absolutely adored it.  The three leads are all wonderful – Marilyn was made for this role – she absolutely sizzles – and Curtis and Lemmon play perfectly off each other.  (My personal favourite was Jack Lemmon, who was so utterly endearing, and laugh-out-loud funny, both as Jerry and his female alter-ego, Daphne.)

Naturally two men posing as women, in the company of young and pretty actual women gives rise to plenty of opportunity for comedy and romance, and Curtis was so funny as both ‘Geraldine’ and Junior – a third identity which he adopts in order to woo Sugar!  Meanwhile, ‘Daphne’ has caught the eye of millionaire yacht owner Osgood Fielding III, who decides he wants to make her his eighth wife (or ninth – he can’t really remember how many times he has been married).

This film is one that really is worth all the hype.  It’s sexy and sweet, and really, truly, incredibly funny.  Billy Wilder was a legendary director, and films like this, Sunset Blvd and Stalag 17 show us exactly why.  Watch it whenever you need a good belly laugh!

Year of release: 1959

Director: Billy Wilder

Producers: Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond, Doane Harrison

Writers: Billy wilder, I.A.L. Diamond, Robert Thoeren, Michael Logan

Main cast: Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Joe E. Brown, Joan Shawlee,

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Suspicion (1941) (spoilers)

Joan Fontaine plays Lina McLaidlaw, a shy and reserved heiress, who falls madly in love with playboy Johnnie Aysgarth (Cary Grant) and marries him after a whirlwind romance.  But she soon discovers that her new husband might not be the man she thought he was, and after a number of incidents shock her, she even begins to fear for her own life.

I would give this film 7 out of 10, because despite all the hokum, and a Hollywoodized ending, I did actually enjoy it a lot.  I’m not sure that it stands up to a lot of scrutiny – woman marries man who clearly can’t be trusted and then is surprised when she can’t trust him.  Nonetheless, it is entertaining throughout, and it is also interesting to view Lina through the eyes of modern viewer.  Because the question that springs to mind is why on earth did she not kick him into touch, pack his bags and tell him to leave?!?! Of course, the film was made in 1941, and it perhaps was not so easy for a woman to divorce her husband without creating a major scandal along the way, particularly in the circles in which Lina and Johnnie moved.

Anyway….Joan Fontaine won an Oscar for her role in this film, although I thought that Grant outshone her in almost every scene (Grant however was shunned by the Academy for much of his working life, and didn’t even receive a nomination for his work in this film).  Fontaine was good, but seemed overly-dramatic at times, although this is also something that seems to be the case in a lot of Hitchcock movies.

The main problem with this film is the ending, which Hitchcock changed, presumably to appease the censors.  There are major spoilers ahead, so stop reading now if you don’t want to know anything further…

Of course, Johnnie had to turn out to be a good guy at the end – or at least not the bad guy that Lina had suspected him to be.  Just when she thought that he was going to try and kill her (and that he had also killed a friend of his, whose death he stood to profit by), it transpires that no!  He wasn’t trying to kill her at all!  And he didn’t kill his friend either.  So Lina forgives and forgets, and all is well again.  Just like that.  The problem here is that throughout the film, Johnnie HAS been shown to be completely untrustworthy – stealing from his cousin, gambling away money which wasn’t his, etc., etc.  So okay, he’s not a murderer, but there’s still a whole load more stuff for him to answer to, but that is all forgotten by Lina.  (Frankly, if this were real life, it would be hard to sympathise with her when he inevitably messes up again.)

BUT….I still enjoyed the film!  I liked Cary Grant’s performance very much, and there were some good supporting actors, especially Nigel Bruce, who played Johnnie’s friend Beaky.  Even Hitchcock’s trademark suspenseful music seemed well placed in this movie.  So despite writing a post which appears to do little but criticise, I still think the film was worth watching, and if you don’t think too much about the storyline, I would recommend it, especially to fans of either Cary Grant or Alfred Hitchcock.

Year of release: 1941

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Producer: Harry E. Edington

Writers: Anthony Berkeley (novel ‘Before the Fact’ as Francis Iles), Samson Raphaelson, Joan Harrison, Alma Reville

Main cast: Cary Grant, Joan Fontaine, Cedric Hardwicke, Nigel Bruce, Dame May Whitty, Heather Angel, Auriol Lee

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Calamity Jane – Dormston Mill Theatre, Sedgley

I love the theatre, whether the productions are professional or amateur, and shows like this are the reason why.  Willenhall Musical Theatre Company have put on a terrific, fun-filled production of Calamity Jane, which was a joy to watch.

In Deadwood, in the Old American West, Calamity Jane is a match for any of her male counterparts, but despite her tomboy looks and behaviour, she is smitten with Lieutenant Danny Gilmartin.  When she goes to Chicago to bring singing sensation Adelaide Adams, a mix-up causes her to bring back Adelaide’s maid, Katie Brown instead.  After the residents of Deadwood reveal the truth, Katie decides to stay, and she and Calamity become good friends.  However, their friendship is threatened when Danny falls for Katie, and Calamity and her friend Wild Bill Hickok, who also loves Katie, find themselves out in the cold…

Lydia Lavill took on the role of Calamity, and played it with great relish.  Timothy Swallow looked exactly right, and was great as Wild Bill, and credit also should be given to Sam King as Katie Brown, and Will Phipps, who was absolutely wonderful as Francis Fryer (an act booked to appear in Deadwood, but who was mistakenly believed to be a female singer named Frances Fryer).

The staging was wonderfully imaginative, with fantastic sets, and the music is so joyful, with such songs as The Deadwood Stage (Whipcrackaway), It’s Harry I’m Going to Marry, The Black Hills of Dakota, and Secret Love.

All in all, a joyous production which left me with a huge smile on my face.

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Click here for my review of the 1953 film.

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As You Like It at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre (2009)

This stage production of the romantic comedy was performed at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, in 2009, and was first televised in 2010.  I watched the televised version, although I would have loved to have been in the actual audience at the theatre.

The story revolves around a young man called Orlando, who falls for Rosalind, daughter of the former Duke of Arden, who has been usurped by his own brother.  The former Duke has gone to live in the forest of Arden with some of his followers.  Rosalind was kept at the court of the new Duke, due to her friendship with her cousin Cecilia (daughter of the new Duke).  However, when Rosalind is exiled from the court, Cecilia decides to go with her, and together with Touchstone, the court fool – who they take along for entertainment purposes – the two women head off into the forest, with Rosalind disguised as a man named Gannymede, and Cecilia disguised as a poor lady named Aliena.  When Rosalind meets Orlando, he does not see through her disguise, and she agrees to train him to woo Rosalind properly.

There are other stories contained within the play – other romances, and a great deal of comedy – but the story of Rosalind and Orlando is the main plot.

This particular production, directed superbly by Thea Sharrock, was a delight from beginning to end.  It was filled with sparkling wit and humour, and all of the players were fantastic, although I would make special mention of Dominic Rowan as Touchstone – he had some of the best lines (and some of the best moves!) and he didn’t waste them.  Laura Rogers was also a stand-out as Cecilia, who for the most part was a supporting character to Rosalind.  Rosalind herself was played with verve and wit by Naomi Frederick, and the scenes with her and Jack Laskey as Orlando, were wonderful.

I always think that Shakespeare’s comedies should leave you feeling great, and with a smile on your face, and this one certainly did that.  I have not mentioned everyone who impressed, because to do so would mean naming the entire cast!  Suffice to say that not one of them disappointed.  The music was also wonderful, and the ending was filled with energy and joy.

Without hesitation, I would recommend this production to anybody.

Year of production: 2009 (first televised in 2010)

Director: Thea Sharrock

Writer: William Shakespeare (play)

Main cast: Philip Bird, Gareth Bennett-Ryan, Sophie Duval, Naomi Frederick, Brendan Hughes, Jack Laskey, Tim McMullan, Jamie Parker, Laura Rogers, Dominic Rowan

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Click here for my review of the 2006 film adaptation.

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The Shop Around The Corner (1940)

Famous for being the film upon which Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan film, You’ve Got Mail (1998) was based on (and also the film upon which the Judy Garland/Van Johnson musical, In the Good Old Summertime (1949) was based on), The Shop Around the Corner was itself adapted from a play called Parfumerie, by Miklos Laszlo.

The film is set in Budapest, and tells the story of two employees at the same store, who do not get on with each other, but who, unbeknownst to them, are each other’s anonymous penpal.  Through their letters, the two correspondents fall in love with each other, but will love win through when their real identities are revealed?

James Stewart plays Alfred Kralick (presumably meant to be Hungarian, but uses his instantly recognisable American accent throughout!) and Maureen Sullavan is Klara Novak (also with an American accent!)  Actually, my mention of the accents is in no way intended as a criticism – I do believe that you have to suspend disbelief in certain circumstances, and in actual fact, this is a delightful and thoroughly charming film.

It is a romantic comedy, but make no mistake – there are themes of loneliness, adultery, suicide and betrayal running through the story, which somehow balance perfectly with the funnier and sweeter moments.  James Stewart is perfect in roles like this – sometimes Alfred can be irascible, and sometimes he can be insensitive, but he also conveys vulnerability and honesty.  Sullavan was also very endearing as Klara, the young lady falling in love with a man she has never met (or at least, who she believes she has never met), and who has high hopes for their future.  However, what really elevates this film above others of the genre is the excellent supporting cast.  Frank Morgan as Hugo Matuschek – the owner of the store – is by turns funny and sad.  His performance has real pathos, and heart.  Also terrific is Felix Bressart, as Alfred’s friend and co-worker Pirovitch, and William Tracy as errand big Pepi Katona.

The ending is lovely, if somewhat predictable, but what does it matter if we know all along how things are going to turn out.  In a film like this, the joy is not in reaching the destination, but the journey we take to get there.  And it’s a lovely journey, filled with great moments.  Highly recommended.

Year of release: 1940

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Producer: Ernst Lubitsch

Writers: Miklos Laszlo (play ‘Parfumerie’), Samson Raphaelson, Ben Hecht

Main cast: James Stewart, Maureen Sullavan, Frank Morgan, Felix Bressart, William Tracy, Joseph Schildkraut, Inez Courtney, Sara Haden

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The Moon Is Blue (1953)

Patty O’Neill (Maggie McNamara) is an aspiring actress, who meets successful architect Don Gresham (William Holden) at the top of the Empire State Building, and ends up back at his apartment, where he hopes to seduce her, but she is determined not to let that happen!  Complications arise in the shape of Don’s ex-fiancee Cynthia (Dawn Addams), who lives in the apartment above Don, with her father, the bordering-on-alcoholic playboy David Slater (David Niven).  When David Slater sets eyes on Patty, he decides he fancies her for himself, and the stage is set for some sparkling comedy.

At the time of its release, this film was considered to be risqué, due to its use of the words, “virgin,” “seduce,” and “mistress.”  It was in fact the first post-Hayes Code film to use these words, and was banned from certain cinemas, due its use of these words.  Obviously, by today’s standards, it is very tame, but if it has lost some of its shock value, it certainly has not lost any of its comedy.

McNamara is lovely as Patty – a sweet, and somewhat naive girl, who nonetheless has a habit of blurting out whatever pops into her head, be it appropriate or not!  (I was shocked to discover that McNamara committed suicide at the age of just 49 – she simply fizzed with life and wit in this role.)  Holden is great as the increasingly frustrated Don, and Niven was surely made for the role of Slater.  All three leads bounce off each other terrifically; they are the main parts of a very small cast, and in the hands of different actors, this might not have been nearly so successful, but it works brilliantly.  The only weak link in the cast was Addams as Cynthia, but as Cynthia is only a minor character, this did not affect my overall enjoyment of the film.

The film is an adaptation of a play, and I can certainly see how this would work on stage, as the vast majority of the action takes place in Gresham’s and Slater’s respective apartments, with just a couple of scenes outdoors, on top of the Empire State Building.  There is much running around and misunderstanding, and a lot of the humour comes from the rivalry between Don and David.  Holden was at his glorious best in the 1950s (frankly, I don’t know how Patty could have resisted Don), and Niven’s comedic touch is spot on – he has terrific one-liners!

Overall, the film is an absolute joy and delight, and definitely one I would recommend.

Year of release: 1953

Director: Otto Preminger

Producer: Otto Preminger

Writer: F. Hugh Herbert (play and screenplay)

Main cast: William Holden, David Niven, Maggie McNamara, Dawn Addams

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High Society – Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton

I saw this show at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, on 2nd March 2013.  For anyone who doesn’t know the story, it revolves around the imminent marriage of socialite Tracy Lord.  Events are complicated by the arrival of her first husband, C.K. Dexter Haven, and a journalist named Mike Connor, who has been sent to do a magazine article on the wedding.  Tracy realises that she has unresolved feelings for Dexter, and there is further trouble when she finds herself attracted to Mike!  It was adapted into a film starring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and James Stewart, in 1940, and it was again adapted, this time into a musical starring Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra.  This play is an adaptation of the musical.

It was a wonderful performance.  Michael Praed was fantastic and just right for the role of Dexter (resembling Cary Grant’s portrayal more than Bing Crosby’s), and Sophie Bould was perfect as the cool and critical Tracy, who becomes warmer as the story with it’s unexpected romantic entanglements proceeds.  Daniel Boys struck just the right note as Mike, and Alex Young was great as Liz Imbrie, the photographer who accompanies Mike, and whose love for him is clear to everyone except Mike himself.  There was not a single weak link in the whole cast, which also included Teddy Kempner as Tracy’s alcohol sizzled Uncle Willie, Marilyn Cutts as Tracy’s mother Margaret, and Craig Pinder as her disgraced father Seth.  Katie Lee played Dinah, Tracy’s spunky and intelligent younger sister, and reminded me of the character as portrayed in The Philadelphia Story; she was terrific.  In the performance that I saw, George Kittredge, Tracy’s dull-as-dishwater fiancé, was played by the understudy Steven Butler.  He was extremely good in the role.

Finally, I must mention the rest of the cast who played the staff of the Lord household, and who put on some amazing dance displays, and performed some wonderful songs.  In fact, all of the cast had lovely voices, and brought the songs to life.

I thought the scene changes were highly effective, with the use of the revolving stage – the sets were imaginative and very evocative of the era.

This was a very high-energy, feel-good show, and I was laughing and smiling all the way through.  I saw a matinee performance, and I could easily have gone to see the show again that same evening, and would have thoroughly enjoyed it.  A wonderful show from beginning to end.

(For more information about this production, please click here.)

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Click here for my review of the 1940 film The Philadelphia Story.

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Singin’ In The Rain – Palace Theatre, London

I saw this show at the Palace Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, on 23rd February 2013.

Singin’ In The Rain is one of my very favourite films, and Gene Kelly is also a favourite actor of mine, so the show had a lot to live up to.  And it did!  The show was a delight from start to finish.

The storyline – for anyone who doesn’t know it – concerns the switch from silent movies to ‘talkies’ and actually deals with a problem that was experienced by many silent film stars; when the talkies came in, the audience realised that their voice did not match the on-screen glamour, and a few careers ended because of it.  Also part of the story is the romance between famous film-star Don Lockwood and up-and-coming actress Kathy Selden, which is thwarted by the jealousy of Don’s on-screen partner, Lina Lamont.  And mainly of course, there is that mesmerising, breathtaking dancing.

In this production, Don Lockwood was played by Adam Cooper, a man physically very different to Gene Kelly, but who played the part well.  Cooper is a beautiful and elegant dancer, and his dancing sequences were a joy to watch.  My personal favourite was Good Morning, where he was accompanied by Louise Bowden as Kathy, and Stephane Anelli as Cosmo (Don’s childhood and lifelong friend).  The squeaky voiced and vindictive Lina was played with relish by Jennifer Ellison, who was very funny, if occasionally just a little too shrieky, even for Lina!  Actually for me, Stephane Anelli was the star of the production, playing Cosmo with just the right mixture of mischief and melancholy.

The staging was elaborate and wonderfully creative.  There were just a few changes to the film storyline, at least some of which were probably necessitated by the restrictions of performing on stage (for example in the film, Don meets Kathy when he leaps into her open-topped car; here, he meets her while she waits at a bus stop), but overall the storyline is faithful to the iconic film.

An added piece of genius where the film segments, where we see the actors in the roles that they are playing within the play, with all of their period costumes and props, and – hilariously – the problems they encounter when trying to film sound as well as vision.

As ever, the dancing was a joy to watch, and obviously the highlight of the show.  The title number was exuberant and energetic, even if the first few rows of the audience did get soaked!

Well worth watching – I imagine this show will be playing for along time, and I would recommend it to any fans of the film, or indeed any fans of happy musicals!

(For more information about this production, please click here.)

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Click here for my review of the 1952 film.

Click here for my review of the book ‘Singin’ In The Rain: The Making of an American Masterpiece’ by Earl J. Hess and Prathiba A. Dabholkar.

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The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)

This film is a remake of the 1968 film of the same name, which starred Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway (Dunaway has a small role in this film also).  Pierce Brosnan plays the millionaire playboy Crown, who steals an extremely valuable painting from the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Rene Russo is Catherine Banning, the morally ambiguous insurance investigator who knows that Crown is responsible and determines to bring him to justice, but is hampered by her own attraction to him.

Having seen both this version and the 1968 film, I would have to conclude that the original is the superior movie, although on paper it would not seem to be the case.  In the 1999 version, Crown steals a painting which he loves, rather than simply stealing money, and this is an improvement on the original film.  However, despite the obvious flaws in the 1968 film, it did have one huge advantage, and that is Steve McQueen.  I like Pierce Brosnan, but he doesn’t have an ounce of the natural charisma that McQueen had.  I also felt that there was absolutely no chemistry between Brosnan and Russo – and Russo, who is normally such a reliable actress, seemed to be really over-acting here.  I’m sure she was channelling Faye Dunaway (who played her counterpart in the original), but she doesn’t really pull it off.

Another thing that was made clear to me by this film was that lots of sex does not equal sexy.  Both Brosnan and Russo (or maybe body doubles in some scenes; who knows?) both flash a LOT of flesh, and there is a pretty explicit sex scene, and….it’s just not sexy.  The suggestion of sex, or the sexual tension which was so obvious in the chess scene in the first movie (and I’m sorry to keep comparing the two, but it’s hard not to), was much much more sensual, without a breast or buttock in sight.

This film wasn’t all bad though – it was glossily shot, and at least dispensed with the nauseating split-screen effect of it’s predecessor.  The heist at the beginning of the film was far better executed, and there was a terrific further scene in the Museum of Modern Art at the end of this film, as well.  I won’t say more for risk of posting spoilers, but I did think that it was very cleverly done.

Also, Denis Leary was in this film, playing the Police Detective investigating the theft, and he was probably the best actor in it.  It’s strange, but for all the flaws of the original film, I still rooted for Crown to get away with it – in this version, I was rooting for the Police to come through.

Basically, this movie is something that can be watched and enjoyed, but it is definitely a case of style over substance.  Worth watching once, but if a good heist movie is what you’re after, there are plenty better out there.

Year of release: 1999

Director: John McTiernan

Producers: Michael Tadross, Pierce Brosnan, Beau St. Clair, Bruce Moriarty, Roger Paradiso

Writers: Alan R. Trustman, Leslie Dixon, Kurt Wimmer

Main cast: Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo, Denis Leary, Frankie Faison

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Click here for my review of the 1968 film.

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Vivacious Lady (1938)

In this 1938 comedy, James Stewart plays Peter Morgan, a college professor.  While on a trip to New York City, he meets nightclub singer/dancer Francey  Brent (Ginger Rogers), and after a whirlwind romance, they get married.  But when he takes her home to meet his family, he finds it difficult to tell his very conservative parents about his wedding…

What a gem of a film this turned out to be.  Stewart and Rogers were both extremely funny and likeable as the mis-matched but devoted couple, and as one thing after another conspired to keep them apart, the laughs kept coming.  An excellent supporting cast – especially Beulah Bondi as Peter’s mother, and James Ellison as his cousin Keith – who has also fallen for Francey – further enhanced the film.

It is a mixture of screwball comedy and romance, and both aspects balance each other out nicely.  It is a very light-hearted film, and I defy anyone not to laugh during it, and not to have a broad smile on their face at the end of it.

Vivacious Lady is not the most famous film featuring either Stewart or Rogers, but it does deserve to be better known.  The cliche ‘they don’t make ‘em like that anymore’ is certainly true here.  Sadly, this film doesn’t seem to come on television very often, so if you do see it in programme listings, don’t miss out on the opportunity to watch this delightful picture.

Year of release: 1938

Director: George Stevens

Producer: George Stevens

Writers: I.A.R. Wylie, P.J. Wolfson, Ernest Pagano, Anne Morrison Chapin

Main cast: James Stewart, Ginger Rogers, James Ellison, Beulah Bondi, Charles Coburn, Frances Mercer

 

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