Reviews (16)

One of Sturges's greatest comedies
This is an absolutely stunning comedy, with one comic shock and delight after another, and hilarious performances by a bevy of some of the best character actors in the history of Hollywood.

Highpoints include a trip on the railroad with the Ale and Quail Club; an introduction to The Weenie King, on of the funniest characters I know of in any film; Rudy Valee's unexpectedly delightful portrayal of a Rockefeller-like multi-millionaire; Mary Astor's excellent performance as Rudy Valee's sister; and a gentleman of unspecified ethnic origin known simply as "Toto."

The opening credits of the movie are among the most fascinating of the thirties or forties. While the credits are running, we see onscreen an entire prequel somehow involving two sets of identical twins (one set played by Joel McCrea and the other by Claudette Colbert).

Preston Sturges is not the best director the United States has ever produced, but he unquestionably enjoyed the finest five year period of any director we have ever seen. From 1940 until 1945, Preston Sturges enjoyed a run of amazingly crafted comedy masterpieces that by themselves place him on any list of the essential directors. In the late 1930s, Sturges built a name for himself by penning a number of first rate comedy scripts, including the classic EASY LIVING as well as REMEMBER THE NIGHT. Paramount gave him a shot at directing, and he responded with films like THE GREAT McGINTY, CHRISTMAS IN JULY, the great THE LADY EVE, SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS, THE PALM BEACH STORY, THE MIRACLE OF MORGAN'S CREEK, and HAIL THE CONQUERING HERO. But then, suddenly and without warning, his genius deserted him.

But this is one of the best of his best. Just sit back, get yourself pleasant to drink, and have a good time.

1942 STURGES CLASSIC
Preston Sturges, as a director, had a strong fancy for trains. In SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS, he had a great railroad yard sequence in which an old tramp was killed by a streamliner, and later Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake spent much time in freightcars. Here, Sturges again picked out a railroad car - a private Pullman to Florida - for a wild and slapstick farce. Claudette Colbert, fleeing from her husband in New York, finds herself in Pennsylvania Station without a cent. Here she is taken in tow by the millionaire members of the Ale & Quail Club - who are going south for their annual shoot-'em up and drink-em'-down vacation. What happens on the train is one of the funniest scenes in vintage comedy. Rudy Vallee plays the world's richest man who believes that it's un-American to give more than a 10-cent tip; he was praised by the critics for this performance because he showed he could do more than croon the Maine STEIN SONG, and act ineptly as he did in his early talkies. As John D. Hackensacker III, Vallee (playing straight comedy) rescues Claudette from the pyrotechnics of the Ale & Quail Club and takes her to Palm Beach on his yacht. Mary Astor and Joel McCrea also serve this classic film well.

Buy This Film!
This is a classy, sexy, side-splitting comedy. So why is it not out on DVD?!
Buy it, Please! Maybe if enough copies are sold someone will release this gem on DVD.
Criterion, are you listening?

Is that McGloo or McGrew?--Preston Sturges forever!
THE first Hollywood auteur--i.e., writer-director--Preston Sturges here gives us one of his all-time classics that, for my money, is better than Sullivan's Travels and easily the equal of The Lady Eve. It's pretty amazing to see not one but TWO smart, sophisticated women on the make--Claudette Colbert as a wife fed up with her husband's penury, and Mary Astor as the sister of the goofy millionaire Colbert meets and is, you should pardon the expression, wooed by.

Rudy Vallee, as the mllionaire, also has his not-as-wealthy doppelganger in Joel McCrea, Colbert's somewhat bumbling designer husband who's trying to get a $99,000 project off the ground (actually, onto the ground--it's a huge, ridiculous metal-net for airplanes to land on). Just as both women have tongues sharper than stainless steel razors honed with eager whetstones, so too do both men have brains that can't quite follow the women's spitfire patter and instead of paying close attention, resort to what Sturges' men usually do--follow instead their male instincts, which means say what they gotta say and do what they gotta do.

Sturges' forte is the uncanny ability to juxtapose selfishness with so much whimsy and foible-ridden thinking it's impossible not to laugh. Women are selfish in one way, men in another. But both of them ARE selfish, and therein lies the rub (as it were)--that is, the famous battle of the sexes. Colbert (Gerry Jeffers) wants a divorce from McCrea (Tom Jeffers) because of his inability to bring in the bacon and doesn't mind it at all when millionaire Vallee (John Hackensacker--gee, I wonder where that name came from...) buys her all kinds of clothes and stuff.

Obviously one of the major inspirations for, among many others, the Coen brothers (e.g., The Hudsucker Proxy), Sturges was a genius for his time, so far ahead of anybody else it boggles the mind. Listen to Colbert deliver a jaw-dropping speech on sex--meaning, not the physical act, but the power of a woman to divert a man. The use of the word "sex" to mean that--in fact, the use of the word itself--was without question a milestone (or is that millstone) for 1942, the year of this film.

Gerry calls Tom Captain McGloo when she's introducing him to Hackensacker to assure the latter that Tom is not really her husband at all but her brother. Mr. H. introduces Tom to her sister Centimilia (Mary Astor) so the foursome--a real brother and sister, and a fake duo of the same "persuasion"--gaily tramp off together to the nearest hotel.

The amazing scene on the train with the Ale and Quail Club has be seen to be believed, again so far ahead of its time it's almsot a shock.

How to fuse satire, wit, and superior intelligence in a single film? Preston Sturges FOREVER!

Preston Sturges Screwball Classic Delight
Rarely have I enjoyed a screw ball comedy more than Preston Sturges's classic look at the lives of the idle rich and those that aspire to be that way in 1942's "The Palm Beach Story". Taking over the reins as both writer and director here Sturges has produced a gem which came hot on the heels of his classic "The Lady Eve" of the previous year.

This gem of a feature boasts total excellence in all areas, sparkling performances from a top notch cast, superb writing, delicious one liners delivered with relish, rapid fire direction and a beautiful overall look to the proceedings. Indeed so rapid is the pace of this film that it almost requires repeated viewings to be able to fully appreciate the genius of the comic situations and dialogue.

To describle the plotline as being involved and complex is a definite understatement. Convoluted in an endearing way is the best way to describe it. It tells the story of young married couple Tom and Geraldine "Gerry" Jefferswho are struggling financially as Tom is an inventor who has difficulty in getting his original ideas to sell. Gerry being of a harder nature is fed up with being poor and when they are in danger of being evicted from their apartment Gerry decides to do the only thing that a girl like her knows; divorce Tom and find herself a rich husband who can keep her in the style she would like to become used to, while also helping Tom to obtain the financing for his new airport project. What develops from this point onwards adds up to one crazy comic situation after another. Gerry firstly encounters the unforgettable "Wienie King" (Robert Dudley in an absolutely scene stealing performance) an elderly gentleman who is hard of hearing and who gives Gerry a stack of money to get her out of her troubles because he likes her. Gerry heads for Palm Beach as that is "the second best place to get a divorce" according to the Taxi driver! What happens along the way is what classic comedies are made of as Gerry finds herself firstly "adapted" by the crazy members of a hunting club, the Ale and Quail Club that are travelling on the same train and who in a drunken state proceed to take over the train causing complete chaos for all concerned including the terrified barman who sees his whole workplace demolished around him. To escape them Gerry then slips into the sleeping compartment area where she then encounters John D. Hackensacker 111 (Rudy Vallee in a non crooner role) who just turns out to be one of the richest men in America and predictably falls instantly for Gerry. Once in Palm Beach pursued by an angry Tom Gerry is thrown into a whirlwind of deception and comic misunderstandings as she encounters the amazingly eccentric Countess Centimillia (Mary Astor in one of her most hilarious roles ever) John's man hungry, much married sister who takes an instant shine to Tom who is introduced to her as Gerry's brother Captain McGlue!! The comic goings one between the 4 main leads are a sight to behold and eventually end up with each person pairing off with the most suitable partner, Gerry with Tom, the Countess with Tom's identical brother and John with Gerry's twin sister!! Total madness indeed but so delightfully done that it almost takes on a logic of it's own!

Rarely have the cast here been in finer form. Under Sturges's sure direction each of them are outstanding. Claudette Colbert, a favourite actress of mine has rarely been better than here and she can say more with a sideways glance or a twinkle of her eyethan most actresses could do with 5 pages of dialogue. Her Geraldine is both calculating and refreshingly practical and cool headed in the bizzare situations she finds herself. Her scenes with the Ale and Quail club members are brilliant and real rib ticklers as her normally refined way of performing is put to the test with these loud and over the top performers. Joel McCrea has never been better than in his playing here as the harried husband who goes on a mad chase to reclaim his wife. His reactions to be dubbed "Captain McGlue" are priceless and his entanglement with the man hungry Countess who quickly earmarks him as her next husband will make you laugh out loud. Mary Astor, always an interesting actress literally steals the show as the Countess with her rapid hundred words to the minute type of delivery. Some of the most hilarious lines in the film belong to her and she delivers them with relish for example in a retort to Tom about the length of all her marriages she states "nothing is forever....except Roosevelt!!" In her memoirs Astor stated how she did not enjoy working for Preston Sturges in "The Palm Beach Story" and felt she never really got her characterisation right in this film. Interesting really as I think she has never been better than here and is the comic centre of the whole crazy proceedings with her playing. Rudy Vallee as the hapless millionaire is also a revelation in his playing of the fumbling man besotted with the much more world wise Geraldine. His different style of playing contrasts beautifully with the more over the top playing of Mary Astor. His scenes on the train with Colbert are classic where she continues to break his sets of glasses as he tries to give her a boost up into the top bunk of the sleeping compartment.

"The Palm Beach Story" is what classic screwball comedy is all about.The pace of the film is like a rocket and the one liners which hold many perceptive views on the rich and on our money consious society are a clever reflection of societies values at the time. Like all Sturges vechicles under the comic nonsense there is actually alot being said that can be applied to any age or time. Enjoy "The Palm Beach Story" and definately treat yourself to repeat viewings of this 1942 masterpiece as you will, like me, find new things to admire, laugh at, and reflect on with each visit. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This fizzy musical was a Broadway smash in 1962, and boy, is it a product of its era. Executive washrooms, gray-flannel-suit businessmen, hip-swinging secretaries--they're all preserved in the movie's brightly colored amber. J. Pierpont Finch (Robert Morse) is the window washer who climbs the corporate ladder in a few days, guided by a how-to book. The Frank Loesser songs are great fun, the Bob Fosse dances are very clever and mod, and the gaudy set design may have given Andy Warhol a few ideas. The jack-in-the-box performance of the elfin Robert Morse doesn't seem toned down from his Tony-winning stage turn; think Mickey Rooney doing Jerry Lewis. Still, Morse is a unique presence, and his mad little solo dance down a real Manhattan street is an interlude of sublime daffiness. Grand old crooner Rudy Vallee shines as the president of Worldwide Wicket, barking his beloved alma mater's fight song: "Groundhog! Groundhog!" --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Success!
This is one of the best transfers of a hit Broadway musical to movie musical. Everyone is superb! From Michelle Lee
to Robert Morse to Rudy Vallee to Ruth Kobart--all re-creating their Broadway Roles! Robert Morse's brilliant performance alone is worth the price of the dvd. Maureen Arthur's sexpot defines the word and is hilarious. Okay you can gripe that a few numbers from the Broadway Musical were left out--but overall this is a major success.

Concerns a window washer who reads a book "How to Succeed in Business" and within about a week, goes from
mail room clerk to Chairman of the Board . And he get's the girl in the end.

Fosse's Broadway choreography was recreated by an assistant for the film. Frank Loesser's Score is classic and singable.

And it shows how using the original Broadway Cast can make a film work incredibly well. (Take note those people who cast Lucille Ball in Mame and Peter O Toole in Man of La Mancha to terrible outcomes)

I don't think this film was a huge hit when it came out but it surely deserved to be. I watch it over and over. I sing the songs. It's a keeper.

It's Good! It's Very Good!
I haven't seen the Broadway play, so I can't make any comparisons in that regard. What I can say of the movie is: WELL DONE!! This is by far one of my favorite movies in the musical genre. What can I say? The cast is outstanding; every character is unique, expressive and played to virtual comedic perfection. I won't take time to list all the actresses and actors, or all the songs, as I'm sure others have done a good job of that in their reviews. Well, ok, I'll mention Robert Morse: he plays J.P. Finch without flaw. Innocent, sincere, devious, ambitious and lucky, Morse combines all these traits into an entertaining character. I instantly became a Robert Morse fan. I went out and rented all the Robert Morse movies I could find. Unfortunately, strangely, in all Morse's other starring roles he displays nary a hint of the comedic originality or aptitude he does in this film, ah well.

As might be expected, I have a number of favorite parts, here are two: 1) Morse as he "walks the dance" down a New York street--real life, good stuff, wish it were a longer scene. 2) I have to laugh when, during the song "Brotherhood of Man," Mr. Biggley's secretary suddenly rises up on the desk behind the men and starts belting it out. These are not particularly significant scenes in terms of the whole story, nor do they tell you anything at all about the plot, but they are, perhaps, representative of the lively and light-hearted humor this movie serves up so well. Highly recommended!

Wonderful Re-creation of the Musical
This musical transcends time. What was true in the 1960s - and before - is still true today. That is why this musical is a true mockery of the corporate world, which is in turn why it made my musical-mocking husband laugh out loud and physically turn away from the computer to watch.

Before I bought the DVD version of How to $ucceed, I had seen it performed live. I loved it and subsequently purchased the soundtrack featuring Matthew Broderick.

So, as you can see, it was with an already deep affection for (and prejudiced mind) that I bought the movie version. It surprised me greatly that this vision of How to $ucceed met up to my already high standards. Only a few songs from the musical were not included. But the movie is 2 hours long, so it was necessary to do some cutting.

If you like musicals, if you like big business, if you like to make fun of big business, this movie will make you laugh.

As far as the DVD goes, there were not a lot of special features, which is to be expected from an older film. It did include the trailer, which was amusing in its retro-style, and it's nice to be able to go back and play the scene of a particular song I liked here and there. The widescreen version really enhanced the film for me, especially when my cats decided to nap lazily on the television and dangle their limbs about while I was watching.

Good movie!

A great musical saved by letterbox
Oh, wow! This is a marvelous production that I saw as a one-day-only offering in a theater eons ago when I was a college student (in West Texas of all places). I loved it then, and other feedback does a decent job of saying "why."

All I can add is this outstanding Broadway musical translated to the big movie screen extremely well, and then it almost disappeared from broadcast/cable TV -- and for reason. To much theatrical action and choreography was lost through cropping for the TV screen, and the magic was lost. (I only saw it listed once for TV before letterbox, and it was a mega disappointment).

Even if you've never heard of it before, please consider this late 1960s-era musical comedy if you want to enjoy some solid entertainment.

It's Not What You Know, But How Well You Brownnose
The 1967 musical comedy "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" is based upon a 1962 Broadway musical of the same name, as well as the similarly titled novel that was written by Shepherd Mead. The story begins with J. Pierpont Finch (Robert Morse) who works as a skyscraper window washer. He finds and begins to read a self-help book entitled "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying". Following advice from the book and while washing windows outside, he sneaks into of an office of the World Wide Wicket Corporation (WWWC). Quickly stripping out of his orange window-washing coveralls, Finch wears a smart business suit beneath and quickly endears himself to the company's president, J.B. Biggley (Rudy Vallee), one of the secretaries, Rosemary Pilkington (Michelle Lee), as well as a host of yes-men vice presidents. Impressed, J.B. sends Finch to the personnel office to be promptly hired to work in the company's mailroom. There, Finch meets J.B.'s nephew, Bud Frump (Anthony Teague), who also works for WWWC in the mailroom. Continuing to follow advice from the self-help book, Finch finagles and brownnoses his way up the corporate ladder in record speed and develops a love interest with Rosemary, but not everyone is happy with Finch's rise within the company. J.B. also hires a very attractive 'friend', Hedy LaRue (Maureen Arthur), who has little experience working in an office, but has a lot of experience with men.

The engaging, original music in the film, which was written by Frank Loesser, includes the songs:

* "How To" (sung by Robert Morse).
* "The Company Way" (sung by Robert Morse).
* "A Secretary Is Not A Toy" (sung by company employees).
* "Been A Long Day" (sung by company employees).
* "Rosemary" (sung by Robert Morse).
* "Grand Old Ivy" (sung by Robert Morse and Rudy Vallee).
* "I Believe In You" (sung by Michelle Lee).
* "Brotherhood Of Man" (sung by company employees).

Though some of the activities shown in "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" are dated and chauvinistic by today's business standards (and discouraged by the Labor Department and the EEOC), the basic message of the story regarding nepotism, brownnosing, favoritism, scapegoating, affairs between employees, people hired for their appearance, backstabbing and mismanagement within corporations is just as relevant today as it was over 40 years ago. Creative employees are summarily fired for their ideas, others with more corporate clout get those same ideas approved by management. People who went to the right schools or joined the right clubs move up quickly, as well as people who easily agree with superiors and/or dress as well as possible. It's not what you know, but who you know, how well you brownnose, how good of an appearance you make and how well you avoid trouble that makes one successful in the corporate world.

Robert Morse is hilarious in the film, as are Rudy Vallee, Maureen Arthur and Michelle Lee. The film was well scripted and the sets are appropriate for a late 1960's office building. It is likely that the film inspired Michael J. Fox's 1987 film, "The Secret of My Succe$s". Overall, I rate the film with 5 out of 5 stars. So sit back, get a bowl of popcorn and see whether you want to do things the company way. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

This high point in the 1940s vogue for movies about family life at the turn of the century was directed by George Stevens (Shane), and stars Irene Dunne as the matriarch of a Norwegian family that faces hard knocks with grace in 1910 (or so) San Francisco. Based on John Van Druten's hit play (derived from Kathryn Forbes's autobiographical memoir), the film is gorgeously rendered and quite moving as an act of memory. The sterling cast of character actors--Edgar Bergen, Rudy Vallee, Oscar Homolka, Barbara Bel Geddes, Ellen Corby, Cedric Hardwicke--add great texture and a depth of experience that make the film feel quite lived-in. Hardwicke's turn as a penniless boarder who "pays" his rent by reciting from classic literature is a special highlight. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Mama as Memory
Few films can tug at the heart strings as well as I REMEMBER MAMA. Adapted from the John Van Druten play, which was itself taken from the Kathryn Forbes novel, I REMEMBER MAMA captures indelibly slices of time in the life of a Norwegian family living in San Francisco at the turn of the 19th century. Narrated by a grown up Katrin (Barbara Bel Geddes), the film combines the problems of adapting to life in the United States with solutions that seem unworkable to those still steeped in the ways of the Old Country. At the center is Mama(Irene Dunne), who orchestrates the lives of her large extended family. Irene Dunne is superb with her profound understanding of human nature. She shows in scene after scene that a matriarch must be flexible enough to account for and guide the divergent personalities of her family. For her sisters, Mama makes it clear that she will not permit them to bully her vulnerable children. For her children, she extends praise when it is needed and stoicism when that is needed too. And for the boarder who skips town without paying his owed rent, she resigns herself that he has paid in a different coin, that of reading the classics to her children, thus inculcating in them a love of words. Surrounding Irene Dunne is a group of superb supporting actors, all of whom add flavor to a film that is linked only by the memories of Katrin. Perhaps the most outstanding job is the one done by the non-paying boarder, Mr.Hyde (Cedric Hardwicke), who nightly regales the family with timeless tales narrated in his booming voice, the sum total of which is to create a story within a story with each passing tale. Although the years pass, no one seems to age, and that is all right since the segue from scene to scene is accomplished so seamlessly that the audience scarcely notices. Oscar Homolka as Uncle Chris hits just the right note as the blustery yet kindly man who hides his kindness beneath a pushy attitude. Interspersed through key scenes in the movie are the appearances of Katrin, who interrupts the narrative to talk directly to the audience, commenting like a subdued omniscient narrator on the plot. Again, rather than putting off the audience with a style of narration that in another film would surely be seen as intrusive, in I REMEMBER MAMA, Katrin's comments, as well as all the various strands of the film, are seen instead as welcome threads that unite what could have been an aimless, disjointed movie into a chronicle of a family that rings true with each passing scene. Not many movies can come close to accomplishing this. Homolka, Bel Gedddes, and Dunne were all nominated for Academy Awards. This is truly one of the most heart-warming films of all time.

A families common goal
I enjoyed watching this film. Irene Dunn, who plays "Mama", does an excellent job holding this family together. She, also, does a great job of establishing and holding onto the treasures that makes this family blend together. What good memories I will have of this movie when I drink a cup of coffee. The movie is narrated by Barbara Bel Geddes. She brings the love this family has for each other by her presentation of the story. How many families do we know today who would share all aspects of the ups and downs a family faces, especially financial? Nothing was held back from anyone in the family which allowed them all to work towards one common goal.

they don't make them like this any more
it will make you cry and laugh a truley wonderful and memorable movie

dvd please
This is a magnificent performance by a wonderful artist, Irene Dunne, PLEASE....DVD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great Movie...see it!

A Hilarious, Touching Family Movie
Our whole family (ages 1-44) watched this movie together and every one of us (except the 1 yr old) laughed and cried throughout the whole thing. Dunne is an amazing actress for her day and plays "Mama" beautifully. Uncle Chris is a brilliant character that adds much color to this black-and-white film. The family- Mama's husband and children- are delightful to watch mature and grow up. The aunts are a load of fun! From beginning to end, this movie grabs your attention-and you will most certainly laugh! I also suggest reading the book "Mama's Bank Account" before or after watching the film. What a great movie! WONDERFUL! ... Read more

Description

Through no fault of his own, artist and lady's man Richard Nugent finds a love-besotted teenage girl curled on his sofa. Through no fault of his own, the teen's sister is a judge who "sentences" thunderstruck Richard to date the girl until her schoolgirl crush wanes. Circumstances aren't kind to Richard. But they certainly are hilarious when Cary Grant plays Richard, Myrna Loy is the judge and Shirley Temple is the teen. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Funny, 40's Screwball Comedy
The Bachelor & The Bobby Soxer is an amusing, feather-light comedy about a playboy artist (Cary Grant) who to avoid jail is commended by a judge (Myrna Loy) to date her seventeen year old sister (Shirley Temple) who has a major crush on him. The move is made to curb the playboy excesses of Mr. Grant and to help get him out of Ms. Temple's system. Mr. Grant shows off all his comedic skills as he plays up the part by dressing like a teenager, adopts the slang of the day and makes a fool of himself in athletic events. For those use to seeing Ms. Temple as a preteen, will be surprised to see her as almost an adult. Ms. Loy is a bit too icy and stern in her role, but she's such a good actress, you can look past that. The film won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Sidney Sheldon who would go on to create I Dream Of Jeannie and become a best-selling novelist.

"The Power of Whoo-doo!"
I rented this movie and watched it last night--hadn't seen it in close to thirty years since I was a little girl--and nearly freaked from the deja-vous experience of hearing the "You remind of a man/what man?/the man with the power/what power?/ the power of whoo-doo". And my older sister knowingly said, "Yes, TutorGal, this is where that comes from." I used to chant and chant that as a kid! So much for memory lane; now down to business about "The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer." The movie has a bit of a slow start, with pretty static direction, up until the point when high school student Shirley Temple sees ladykiller artist Cary Grant at high school assembly delivering a lecture. Pow! she sees him as a knight in shining armor and is off to corral him. She doesn't know of course that big sis judge Myrna Loy has just had him in her courtroom and has formed a low opinion of his reputed womanizing. Shirley even finds a way to gain access to the unknowing Cary's apartment, where he then unjustly gets slammed with a jailbait charge. Hey, where's this going? Well, Myrna and her assistant DA beau Rudy Vallee decide that the only way for Shirley to get over Cary is for him to date her and probably bore her with his adult ways. And of course, nothing works out like anyone has planned, least of all smug Myrna. As I wrote above, the movie really picks up after about 15-20 minutes and then becomes quite hilarious, with Rudy Vallee particularly good as an eccentric WASP, the sort of thing he does so well . Cary appears to be genuinely enjoying himself, and Shirley has certainly grown to be a real cutie. Myrna's okay, but nothing spectacular this time around. Make a date to watch "The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer" and see the whoo-doo first hand!

Witty and Fun
I simply adore this movie. It's pure silliness and you'll want to watch it with a friend so that you can occasionally tell them "You remind me of a man..." Pick it up to see a teenage Shirley Temple and to laugh out loud at the wit and ridiculousness of it all. A guaranteed smile. :0) If you like this, you'll want to watch "I was a Male War Bride" as well.

Amiable, Slight
A rather uninspired but harmless enough movie that goes around the world and back again to establish its goofy premise. Cary Grant gets many chances to show off his flair for physical comedy, Shirley Temple is no less grating as a young adult than she was as a child, and Myrna Loy (who I watched this for) is in the movie a lot, but never given very much to do.

Grant fans will probably enjoy this one, but fans of Loy can find vehicles that better display her talents.

Grade: B-

1940's Revealed
Want some insight into what titillated movie-goers in the post-war 1940's? This 1947 RKO production is a good place to start. There's the marquee value of a seductively handsome Cary Grant coupled with that spunky symbol of all-American innocence Shirley Temple, enough at the time to draw in ticket-buying throngs with its naughty innuendo of daring departure and forbidden pleasure. In fact, the underage subtext lingers beneath much of the movie's plot and humorous settings, but in a totally innocent manner, proving that this is not yet the more permissive 1960's. One slip, however, and this light-hearted souffle could easily have become burnt-toast of the most tasteless variety. Fortunately, there are no slips.

Once the pace picks up, this comedy sparkles as brightly as any other Cary Grant madcap, which is to say, about as good as comedy gets. The night club scene is an absolute triumph of timing, staging, and scripting. The laughs build as the party table becomes more and more chaotic, interrupted by one petty annoyance after another, finally reducing the worldly Grant to speechless exasperation. This is the type of soaring comedic architecture that requires real artistry, but has been sadly replaced in contemporary film by a dumbed- down world of bathroom jokes, insult gags, and other cheap forms of humor that appeal mainly to juveniles. The movie itself, directed by an unheralded Irving Reis, is literally brimful of bounce and charm, leaving no one in doubt that the big war is over and America is ready for the future even if its libido is showing. With: a slyly endearing Ray Collins, a bemusedly prim Myrna Loy, a pompously befuddled Rudy Vallee, and a well-deserved Oscar for writer Sidney Sheldon, along with a final scene that could not be more apt. Despite the shift in public mores, audiences now as then should find this a highly entertaining ninety minutes of expert movie-making. ... Read more

Description

The famed June 15, 1953 television special brought together two of the greatest leading ladies Broadway has ever known. The highlight of the program is Merman and Martin's 13-minute duet medley, where they sing the songs that made them famous, plus much more. On their own, Merman sings two numbers and Martin performs a brilliant comedy routine about changes in fashion over the first half of the 20th century. 27 min. ... Read more

Amazon.com

As those who are old enough to have lived through the Great Depressiondisappear, the era seems more and more remote; it's nearly impossible for latergenerations to understand just how desperate things were in the United States inthe 1930s. Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? captures not only the historybut also the culture of the time in a rather unusual documentary format. Totallywithout the benefit of narration, the movie mixes newsreel footage with clipsfrom Hollywood films to tell the story, from the stock market crash throughPearl Harbor. Movie-minded viewers will easily recognize footage from TheyMade Me a Criminal, Public Enemy, Golddiggers of 1933,Employee's Entrance, Little Caesar, Lady Killer, I Was aFugitive from a Chain Gang, and countless other Hollywood films from thetime--some classics, some more obscure. The scope of the film covers not onlyhistorical landmarks such as the Dust Bowl, FDR's election, and the New Deal,but dance marathons and the Louis-Schmeling heavyweight fight for acomprehensive look at the country's social climate. The formula works well, forthe most part; especially before the imposition of the Hays Code chilledHollywood's tone, the '30s saw the birth of the "social consciousness" picturethat dealt with topical issues in straightforward ways. Brother onlyfalls down when it attempts to wrap up the film by bringing it up to the presenttime (1975, anyway); its ending seems superfluous, tacked-on. Still, for historybuffs and movie fans alike, this is an interesting account of a pivotal decadein American history. --Jerry Renshaw ... Read more

Description

Description Rudy Bronson is an aspiring singer with dreams of making it big. After being rejected by his idol bandleader Ted Grant, Rudy and his band sneak into his home to give a surprise audition. When the neighbors accuse them of being burglars, the group poses as Ted Grant and his orchestra. They accept the neighbor’s invitation to play a charity concert and a zany tale of impersonation ensues. This is the DVD premiere of the lost film classic that spawned the Vallee hit, "I'm Just a Vagabond Lover"!DVD Features:

- A very special interview with Eleanor Vallee!

-One full serial episode of Zorro’s Fighting Legion!

-Colorful interactive DVD menus, including production notes! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A charming, sweet, antique film!
Rudy Vallee was a self-taught saxophonist from Maine who was considered to be one of the better instrumentalists of his day. He took a year off from his studies at Yale in 1924 to play with the excellent Savoy Havana dance orchestra in London (lead by Reg Batten), where he played first saxophone to famous oboe-soloist, composer, and future bandleader, Van (Alexander Van Cleve) Phillips' second. In London, Vallee also played first saxophone with Carroll Gibbons' orchestra. Gibbons lead one of the top-notch musical aggregations in England and never settled for a second-rate performance, much less a second-rate musician. Further, Vallee played in an instrumental quartet backing-up two HMV recordings made by Beatrice Lillie and Gertrude Lawrence. Vallee's musicianship was apparently of the highest quality.

Vallee returned to the US after a year had passed and completed his degree work in philosophy and romance languages. He then directed the Yale band at the 1926 Yale-Harvard football game and began making a name for himself in local music circles. He began receiving national attention in 1928 when his band got booked into the Heigh-Ho Club in New York City where Vallee served as the master of ceremonies and began singing. Popular male vocalists of that period can be grouped largely into two types: 1) the singing/shouting carnival-barker type (Al Jolson; Harry Richman; Irving Kauffman); and 2) the high-pitched, gentle delivery type (Gene Austin; Jack Fulton; Smith Ballew). Vallee was a type 2 singer at that time when the type 2s were in their ascendancy (Austin's "Ramona" was the #1 hit of 1928). The Heigh-Ho radio broadcasts turned Vallee into a national star over night. Fans were impressed with his sincerity, polished mannerisms, quick wit, and of course, his saxophone playing and his singing.

Vallee began his own, hour-long radio broadcast in 1929, "The Fleischmann Hour," and this show became and remained one of the most popular variety shows in the US until Vallee terminated it in 1938. Vallee's show can be credited with "discovering" Alice Fay, Milton Berle, Edgar Bergen, Frances Langford, Red Skelton, Joe Penner, Dorothy Lamour, and many other stars of the 1930s-1950s. Vallee was also successful on Broadway, starring in George White's Scandals of 1931, and made 43 films, the last of which was the extremely forgettable "Sunburst" in 1975.

"Vagabond Lover" was Vallee's third film appearance. He previously made two shorts in 1929, both of which are now lost. Vallee's acting is wooden, dull, and lifeless. Co-star Sally Blane (19 year-old sister of Loretta Young) awkwardly fluffs her lines more than once. The dance routines look more like rehersals than finished numbers. The saving grace for the acting in this film is the stellar performance by Marie Dressler. However, in 1929, it is not certain that actors or directors really knew how to function in the new medium of talking pictures. I feel that Vallee's non-performance holds up well to other film contemporaries' non-performances such as, Charles King (Broadway Melody), Frank Fay (Show of Shows), or anyone at all in Paul Whiteman's disaster of 1930 (King of Jazz).

"Vagabond Lover" is a sweet, innocent, gentle film with an intentionally minimal plot that was made primarily as a showcase for the musical talents of the rising, luminous star of 1929, Rudy Vallee. Vallee's and his orchestra's (The Connecticut Yankees) musical performances are absolutely superb and eminently enjoyable. More than just a film, "Vagabond Lover" is a window to our popular music past and the culture that created it. It is, therefore, worthwhile seeing and enjoying on multiple levels of awareness.

VALLEE THE CROONER.
In this rather trite offering from 1929, Bandleader Rudy Bronson (Vallee) dreams of becoming a big star with his college band. While it was spare on plot and dramatics, THE VAGABOND LOVER does showcase Vallee at the height of his popularity. Simplistic at best, the movie is badly hampered by Vallee's wooden "acting" performance and by the fact that director Marshal Neiland went on a drunken spree during production, following the death of his mother. Rudy goes through the entire gamut of emotions without moving a muscle! But believe it or not, his singing in the film was relished by his admirers of the day. The film is credited for being the first talkie in which the legendary Marie Dressler appeared. Dressler steals the show as the society dame who carries on a feud with her rival, well-played by Nella Walker. Vallee burst upon the entertainment scene in 1928, quickly becoming a popular club, radio, vaudeville and record attraction with his band, The Connecticut Yankees. By 1929, he was quickly developing into the nation's first singing idol. This film is a result of his quickly-found but ultimately fleeting fame (Vallee's style of crooning - unfortunately - doesn't stand the test of time). ... Read more

Description

Kirk Douglas stars as Owen Waterbury, a philandering best-selling novelist. When aspiring writer Stephanie Gaylord signs on as his secretary, Waterbury approaches her as another sexual conquest. But Stephanie is not so easily won over, thus winning Waterbury over to change to her standards. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

My Dull Secretary
This snoozer is boring and drags on and on. Even if you are a fan of old movies you probably will not like it. Do yourself a favor and skip it.

Snapshot of a point in time
The film is worth watching for its portrait of a time long gone, but not interesting enough to watch twice. I expected a wittier film than I got, but enjoyed looking at the great costumes worn by Laraine Day. The problem is that the story is perfunctory and jerkily paced. Kirk Douglas is the weakest character. No way do you believe that Kirk Douglas has fallen in love with Loraine Day, or that the swift turnabouts in personality are credible. But Laraine glows and is fun to watch, and the supporting characters are interesting.

Kirk's Best Movie!
For those of you who may have stumbled on this movie by accident, let me tell you that for the price you won't find a better movie. The comedy is sharp and the dialogue is better than any episode of Frasier. Wynn rules as the Godfather Of All Slackers: "If you have the opportunity to get paid for doing nothing then grab it, you fool!". ... Read more

Reviews (3)

My Dull Secretary
This snoozer is boring and drags on and on. Even if you are a fan of old movies you probably will not like it. Do yourself a favor and skip it.

Snapshot of a point in time
The film is worth watching for its portrait of a time long gone, but not interesting enough to watch twice. I expected a wittier film than I got, but enjoyed looking at the great costumes worn by Laraine Day. The problem is that the story is perfunctory and jerkily paced. Kirk Douglas is the weakest character. No way do you believe that Kirk Douglas has fallen in love with Loraine Day, or that the swift turnabouts in personality are credible. But Laraine glows and is fun to watch, and the supporting characters are interesting.

Kirk's Best Movie!
For those of you who may have stumbled on this movie by accident, let me tell you that for the price you won't find a better movie. The comedy is sharp and the dialogue is better than any episode of Frasier. Wynn rules as the Godfather Of All Slackers: "If you have the opportunity to get paid for doing nothing then grab it, you fool!". ... Read more

Reviews (3)

My Dull Secretary
This snoozer is boring and drags on and on. Even if you are a fan of old movies you probably will not like it. Do yourself a favor and skip it.

Snapshot of a point in time
The film is worth watching for its portrait of a time long gone, but not interesting enough to watch twice. I expected a wittier film than I got, but enjoyed looking at the great costumes worn by Laraine Day. The problem is that the story is perfunctory and jerkily paced. Kirk Douglas is the weakest character. No way do you believe that Kirk Douglas has fallen in love with Loraine Day, or that the swift turnabouts in personality are credible. But Laraine glows and is fun to watch, and the supporting characters are interesting.

Kirk's Best Movie!
For those of you who may have stumbled on this movie by accident, let me tell you that for the price you won't find a better movie. The comedy is sharp and the dialogue is better than any episode of Frasier. Wynn rules as the Godfather Of All Slackers: "If you have the opportunity to get paid for doing nothing then grab it, you fool!". ... Read more