Father's Little Dividend.

Review #2225: Father's Little Dividend.

Cast: 

Spencer Tracy (Stanley T. Banks), Joan Bennett (Ellie Banks), Elizabeth Taylor (Kay Dunstan), Don Taylor (Buckley Dunstan), Billie Burke (Doris Dunstan), Moroni Olsen (Herbert Dunstan), Richard Rober (Police Sergeant), Marietta Canty (Delilah), and Russ Tamblyn (Tommy Banks) Directed by Vincente Minnelli (#405 - The Reluctant Debutante, #510 - Father of the Bride, #620 - Lust for Life, #878 - The Long, Long Trailer, #986 - An American in Paris, #1031 - Meet Me in St. Louis, and #1397 - Gigi)

Review: 

Admittedly, covering sequels don't always fall by the wayside so hard like this. I was surprised to realize that I had watched the original Father of the Bride (1950)...nearly eleven years ago. Having to look back at a review made before I could even vote honestly makes me cringe, but I can reasonably defend my assessment of the film now and then as one that, well, has an "always fun to watch" Spencer Tracy. He was a versatile actor that really could run the gamut from drama to comedy, and it showed pretty well in that aforementioned Bride (as adapted from the 1949 novel of the same name that had been written by Edward Streeter) film in showing the road of a man that has seen his one daughter become a married woman (the result was an Academy Award nomination, go figure). Both that film and this one were written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett (a regular couple that did stuff such as The Thin Man and later the play/screenplay of The Diary of Anne Frank) to go with the return of cast and crew for one of those early examples of a studio sequel. Apparently, the movie was shot in just a bit over three weeks as the film made by Vincente Minnelli when he was taking a break from An American in Paris (also released in 1951). The movie was a fair hit with audiences and also one you probably encountered on public domain because due to a failed copyright renewal, one can easily see the 82 minute on the Internet or, well, on a cheap DVD.

Well, it may be a rushed product of a sequel, but it is a lightly entertaining film. It is a family film of the 1950s through and through, in terms of the positive realization that comes in learning to say the words "I am a grandfather". Tracy does narration at times just like the previous film, which here is about the same level of effective on a slightly smaller scale. He apparently had a bit of reluctance to do the film, but it doesn't show here as he remains fairly committed to playing the lead in wry commitment, you'd expect in a patriarch like him. Bennett did not get to do as many films as one would expect after this one, probably because of a scandal where her husband (Walter Wanger) shot her agent in the groin because he thought they were having an affair that occurred the same year that this film was released. She does about as well as she did in the previous film in warm support. The Taylors still make a neat pairing together as pieces that maneuver (and are maneuvered) just as much as one sees with Tracy's character when it comes to routine married life. The film doesn't go too ga-ga on baby jokes and eventually finds some footing for its climax (what else but a christening) because it is hard to really grind cynicism over useful routine like this about maintaining sense in a sometimes sense-less place, family or not. In conclusion, it certainly shows a few seams of strain when it comes to being anything more than what you might find in a sitcom of its ilk, but there is a general warmth that comes through in terms of the commitment of its cast and an overall hopeful message of maintaining oneself even with the inevitable passage of time and family. 

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Christopher Strong.

Review #2187: Christopher Strong.

Cast: 

Katharine Hepburn (Lady Cynthia Darrington), Colin Clive (Sir Christopher Strong), Billie Burke (Lady Elaine Strong), Helen Chandler (Monica Strong), Ralph Forbes (Harry Rawlinson), Irene Browne (Carrie Valentine), Jack La Rue (Carlo), and Desmond Roberts (Bryce Mercer) Directed by Dorothy Arzner (#1648 - Sarah and Son, #1810 - Working Girls, #1992 - The Wild Party)

Review: 

Technically, the focus should be on Arzner, because she was the one key regular female director in the sound era (there were others too such as Dorothy Davenport, but I think you know what I mean). But 1933 was also the year of Katharine Hepburn, so why not a few words here. She had early ideas of being an actress, but it was not until she graduated Bryn Mawr College in 1928 that had her on the road to professional acting, which started in the theater. She appeared in a handful of roles that ranged from understudy to being let go, but her performance in 1932's The Warrior's Husband got her notice in Hollywood from a scout. George Cukor vouched for her in casting for what became A Bill of Divorcement, released in the fall of 1932. 1933 saw her star in three films: Christopher Strong, Morning Glory, and Little Women (it was for the middle film that saw her win her first Academy Award). Hepburn came into the picture after Ann Harding had contractual problems, with this being a production under David O. Selznick at RKO. Strong was based off the 1932 novel of the same name, as written by Gilbert Frankau (it only seems apt that he wrote a novel about a Member of Parliament, Frankau apparently had a desire to serve in politics but a conservative man with his history in divorces did not test well for the times). The screenplay was written by Zoe Akins (who had written for Arzner's Sarah and Son), a future Pulitzer Prize winner as a playwright; the profession was changed from the book, which was about a woman racecar driver. Tommy Atkins apparently served as an assistant director. Hepburn reflected on the film in her autobiography and said that she enjoyed her time making the film (along with noting that each wore pants). It was Arzner who apparently modeled Hepburn's character off Amy Johnson, the first woman pilot (well, the word is "aviatrix") to fly solo from England to Australia (there was a mix of newsreel footage for parades and flights included as well). 

It wasn't a huge success at the time, but it certainly stands as a curious film that happened to be made just a year before the enforcement of the Production Code. Of course, the film isn't really about the one in the title as it is about, well, the woman experiencing her first love affair and how it affects her when it comes to the clashes of caution and danger-seekers. Courage, death, love, well, it all comes together in a crash of emotion that really could only come in that Pre-Code era. Hepburn just has that straight-to-the-point personality that exudes confidence with a knowing aura that moves leaps and bounds over anyone she interacts with, which is curious when wrapped with the idea of being in love for the first time - to a stuffy one, no less. Clive is put in the interesting position of being the stodgiest person in a film where he is playing the title character that at one point gets to look upon a woman wearing an outfit that reminds one of a moth. It is a clammy tightrope to walk in terms of "dignity" (he's playing a character that did enough to be called "Sir", remember) when it comes to trying to maintain the idea of normalcy when facing someone with similar features in single-minded goals. All the while, one sees Burke and Chandler from time to time in that engagement of trying to cope with the predicament that comes in love for one with an "occupied" status. Apparently, Arzner paid significant attention to getting something out of Burke when it came to performance along with stating that her interest really fell to Clive's character, which she described as "a man on the cross". Interpret that any way you wish, but each of them do fairly well anyway. As a whole, the film rests on how much one will go with that ending, which, well, rather than face the prospect of an illegitimate child (as one reads between the lines) and wreak havoc on the lives of people she cares about, a decision is made to fly high into the sky with a plan to never see them again. At 78 minutes, it is a decent experience for the curiosity alone.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Topper Takes a Trip.

Review #1829: Topper Takes a Trip.

Cast: 

Constance Bennett (Marion Kerby), Roland Young (Cosmo Topper), Billie Burke (Clara Topper), Alan Mowbray (Wilkins, Topper's butler), Verree Teasdale (Mrs. Nancy Parkhurst), Franklin Pangborn (Louis), Alexander D'Arcy (Baron de Rossi), Spencer Charters (Judge), Irving Pichel (Prosecutor), and Asta the dog (Mr. Atlus) Directed by Norman Z. McLeod. (#688 - Horse Feathers and #1346 - Topper)

Review: 

You remember the 1937 movie Topper, do you? Well, maybe not, but I'm sure a little refresher would not hurt. The original film featured Cary Grant, Constance Bennett, Roland Young, Billie Burke, and Alan Mowbray in an adaptation of the 1926 novel of the same name by Thorne Smith. The movie was about newly-dead folks who come back as ghosts and decide to do a good deed in order to be stuck in limbo, which involves helping their stuffy and tired friend - wacky hijinks ensue, at least what you would call hijinks from the 1930s. McLeod, a director of comedies such as Monkey Business (1931), returns as director and all except Grant in the main cast return for this film, while Jack Jevne and Eddie Moran return to write the sequel, with Corey Ford joining as screenwriter. Perhaps not surprisingly, the film features footage taken from the 1937 film as a recap, complete with a thanks given to Grant for allowing the footage to be used. A sequel followed in 1941 called Topper Returns, which retained Young and Burke. 

Instead of a husband learning to loosen up (alongside his social climbing wife), now we have a story about a ghost trying to bring them back together as opposed to divorce - perish the thought of him trying to explain that the only friend he is seeing is a friendly ghost, who now is accompanied by a ghost dog. Oh, and there is a trip to Paris that sees all of them together and I think you know how it ends. Honestly, the only thing that might be a highlight is the effects by Roy Seawright, who received the only Academy Award nomination for the film for Best Special Effects. Bennett and Young are fine actors, but man I was not really that invested in this film. It exemplifies all the average qualities of an average movie that is just not quite my thing, since it is barely funny and barely that compelling, mostly because I see a movie that is going through the motions with ghost hijinks that aren't really that clever to see actually play out. 80 minutes go by with creaky maneuvering that never really incites a big guffaw or even a big groan, not even for the dog (of The Thin Man notice). Young is staid as ever, but it felt more interesting the first time around with him as a foil. Bennett may be playful, but the movie is sorely lacking her having Grant to play on as a proper freewheeling duo with charm for the proper bubbly flavor. Instead, it comes off as milk that seems spoiled in the wrong light. Burke seems there for the ride more than anything, not really making it any funnier or less enjoyable, which basically means a neutral result (Mowbray is hardly noticeable). It's hard to even come up with many highlights or odd scenes to really spot besides just saying "oh, that's a thing". There are basically two roads of thought when it comes to films from the 1930s: good ones you can recommend without too much trouble, and ones that are harder to watch or recommend. So, with the sequel to Topper, it's all up to you.

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.

As boring as this review might seem, at least one interesting thing happened this week: 

THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY VIPERS WON THE NBA G-LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP! Imagine seeing your region winning a championship for the fourth time in twelve years. What a feeling.

Topper.

Review #1346: Topper.

Cast: 
Constance Bennett (Marion Kerby), Cary Grant (George Kerby), Roland Young (Cosmo Topper), Billie Burke (Mrs. Clara Topper), Alan Mowbray (Wilkins), Eugene Pallette (Casey), Arthur Lake (Elevator boy / Bell boy), Hedda Hopper (Mrs. Grace Stuyvesant), Virginia Sale (Miss Johnson), and Elaine Shepard (Secretary) Directed by Norman Z. McLeod (#688 - Horse Feathers)

Review: 
One needs a gimmick sometimes to make a comedy click with interest. One involving fun-loving ghosts haunting their stuffy friend sounds like a good one to go with. The main trio of actors involved with this film each have their own versatile qualities to help make this a quite enjoyable experience. Bennett was known for her work in melodramas alongside comedies that made her a prime star of the 1930s (having also made the shift from silent to sound films), while Grant was slowly gaining recognition for his suave charm (having moved from vaudeville to film in 1932), and Young was known his diverse work in comedies, mysteries, and dramas. Of course a film needs a good director to lead the actors together, with Norman Z. McLeod being a worthy one to help with comedy. The WWI fighter pilot-turned film-man started his career as an animator with comedy shorts, and it was his skills as a gagman that would serve him well for his eventual directing career. His big break was assistant director on the 1927 film Wings, and he had his directorial debut with Taking a Chance (1928). Before his death in 1964, McLeod directed films with notable comedy actors that ranged from W. C. Fields to the Marx Brothers to Bob Hope. The film was an adaptation of the 1926 novel (known as both Topper and The Jovial Ghosts) by Thorne Smith. The sequel novel Topper Takes a Trip (1932) would also be adapted into a film in 1938, with a further film named Topper Returns (1941) coming to theaters a few years later. Young and Burke appeared in all three films, while Bennett and Mowbray appeared only in the sequel. In any case, this is an entertaining comedy, full of charm with little moments and entertaining chemistry between Bennett, Grant, and Young that makes the 97 minutes go without too many hitches. It's a silly charmer (for a film that has its main couple die in the first 25 minutes, anyway) that runs its gags to good mileage, whether that involves sight gags where special effects help make things look like they move on their own (such as a ghost driving a car) or whimsical screwball dialogue (which helped sell Grant on doing the idea when hesitant on the supernatural material). Bennett and Grant thrive on inspiring fun and charm, while Young succeeds on his dryness alongside a daffy Burke. Playful and absurd, it should be no surprise that turned out the way it did as a neat little supernatural comedy gem, deserving of a watch to see charm display itself on screen with such effective power that is executed well enough to make for interesting entertainment.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Father of the Bride.

Review #510: Father of the Bride.

Cast
Spencer Tracy (Stanley T. Banks), Joan Bennett (Ellie Banks), Elizabeth Taylor (Katherine Banks), Don Taylor (Buckley Dunstan), Billie Burke (Doris Dunstan), Leo G. Carroll (Mr. Massoula), and Moroni Olsen (Herbert Dunstan) Directed by Vincente Minnelli (#405 - The Reluctant Debutante)

Review
Spencer Tracy is always fun to watch, how he acts towards events in the character's life, like what he does in this film. He at first is skeptical about his daughter's soon to be marriage, but at the end he is accepting of his daughter growing up. Tracy interacts well with the rest of the cast, especially with Taylor, the two interact well as father and daughter, especially when Tracy sees Taylor in her wedding dress for the first time, shown on 3 mirrors no less, which is probably why the shot and the scene work so well. Bennett is also effective, and Taylor (while not being in the film too much), is fine. The film has some chuckles and it never slows its pace, making for a quick, but effective film that would inspire a sequel the following year, and a remake with its own sequel.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Man Who Came to Dinner.

Review #501: The Man Who Came to Dinner.

Cast
Monty Woolley (Sheridan Whiteside), Bette Davis (Maggie Cutler), Ann Sheridan (Lorraine Sheldon), Richard Travis (Bertram H. Jefferson), Jimmy Durante (Banjo), Grant Mitchell (Ernest W. Stanley), Billie Burke (Daisy Stanley), Reginald Gardiner (Beverly Carlton), Elisabeth Fraser (June Stanley), George Barbier (Dr. E. Bradley), and Mary Wickes (Nurse Preen) Directed by William Keighley.

Review
Based on the comedy play of the same name, The Man Who Came to Dinner tries its best, and while it doesn't always succeed, it certainly hits more than it misses. Monty Woolley certainly is the big attraction of the film, and while he certainly is an odd fellow to watch, he is at least moderately funny to watch. Bette Davis is our leading actress, reportedly wanting the role solely due to wanting to play a comedic role for once, and she does a decent job at it. The rest of the cast is all well and good, and Durante is frantic, but effective. The film starts a bit slow, but it has its fun, and while it could be more, it's well enough, I suppose.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Move Night: The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Review #159: The Wizard of Oz.

Cast
Judy Garland (Dorothy Gale), Frank Morgan (Professor Marvel / The Wizard / Doorman / Cabbie / Guard), Ray Bolger (Hunk / Scarecrow), Jack Haley (Hickory / Tin Man), Bert Lahr (Zeke / Cowardly Lion), Billie Burke (Glinda the Good Witch of the North), Margaret Hamilton (Miss Almira Gulch / The Wicked Witch of the West), Clara Blandick (Aunt Em), Charley Grapewin (Uncle Henry), Pat Walshe (Nikko, the Winged Monkey King), and Toto. Directed by Victor Fleming.

Review
This film was based off the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from 1900 by L. Frank Baum. Now while the book may not follow the book as well, but that does not matter. This film simply is magical. The atmosphere, the sets, the characters are wonderful, everything is wonderful. Judy Garland is the most wonderful, and it is a shame she has passed away, as today is her 90th Birthday (I'd recommend A Star Is Born and Meet Me In St. Louis). It's delightful for everyone, and is a recommended flick.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.