Category: 1940s

Posted on 2022-05-08 | No Comments |

The Son of Monte Cristo (1940)

Grand Duchess Joan Bennett’s country has been overtaken by dictator George Sanders. When she meets up with the current Count of Monte Cristo Louis Hayward, he falls for her and attempts to help her retake her rightful place of power. The politics are possibly a bit too convoluted for an adventure film of this type, but was probably poignant at the time. Unfortunately that plot weighs down what would otherwise be a lighthearted romp. There’s still plenty of swashbuckling fun, but is mostly forgettable.

Oscar Nomination: Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White

Posted on 2022-05-07 | No Comments |

Heaven Can Wait (1943)

When playboy Don Ameche arrives at the entrance to Hell, Satan has him recount the sordid details of his life to prove his worthiness. He enjoyed a lifelong love with his wife Gene Tierney with the expected ups and downs that occur in many relationships. His one big crime in life seems to be carrying on affairs throughout his marriage, though what these ‘affairs’ actually consist of doesn’t get explained beyond a bracelet bought for another woman. The lack of context behind his ‘bad’ ways makes the Hell premise nonsensical. Ameche is occasionally charming, the leads have a sweet meet-cute that leads to an elopement, and there’s some appealing supporting work done by Charles Coburn and Marjorie Main, but the rest just drags with me still wondering how he ended up in Hell in he first place.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture; Best Director; Best Cinematography, Color

Posted on 2022-04-22 | No Comments |

Kings Row (1942)

Primarily featuring the perspective of future doctor Robert Cummings, the film follows a group of childhood companions as they grow up amongst the secrets and scandals in the titular small town. Also featuring Charles Coburn and Claude Rains in supporting roles, it showcases what is possibly the best film performance of Ronald Reagan’s entire screen career. Unsurprisingly the adapted material was greatly neutered by the Hays Code from the source novel as it apparently features references to incest and homosexuality, The film surprisingly still manages to include themes of euthanasia, mental illness, and blatant malpractice.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture; Best Director; Best Cinematography, Black-and-White

Posted on 2022-04-21 | No Comments |

The United States Marine Band (1942)

Performances of various tunes by the United States Marine Band are filmed at various Washington DC landmarks, interspersed with footage of the marine training. The quality of the performances are top notch, but it’s still a bit of an oddity directed by the renowned Jean Negulesco. Obviously made as a bit of patriotic propaganda early in World War II, I presume there are at least some people who could be bought in by it.

Oscar Nomination: Best Short Subject, One-reel

Posted on 2022-04-17 | No Comments |

The Impatient Years (1944)

When Jean Arthur’s soldier husband Lee Bowman returns on leave for the first time, they feel they have nothing in common and find themselves in divorce court. Her father Charles Coburn convinces the judge that they just need to rediscover what got them together in the first place and they are sent to relive their first days together in San Francisco. It’s a very silly premise that it doesn’t even bother holding true to half the time. It still remains light and cute with a couple of sweet romantic touches, but does not make enough use of Arthur’s talents nor does it feature enough of Coburn. It strikes me as very weird that their child is put into protective custody when his parents are forced to go to San Francisco when there’s a perfectly capable grandfather at home.

Posted on 2022-04-16 | No Comments |

Easter Parade (1948)

When his dancing partner Ann Miller quits to go solo, Fred Astaire believes he can find anyone to take her place and chooses Judy Garland. Wet blanket Peter Lawford is along for the ride in a best friend role, but there’s really little purpose to his character. I admire the talent of Astaire and love to see him work, but in so many of these musicals, he looks like he could be the father of his love interest, which is the case here again. He and Garland perform well together, but they have little romantic chemistry. Miller is also undeniably talented, but in every film I’ve ever seen her in, she performs unnaturally toward the camera. The film has very little to do with Easter, though begins and ends on the holiday and there’s very little by way of a story. Even after watching the film, I don’t understand what exactly happens at an Easter parade.

Oscar Win: Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture

Posted on 2022-04-10 | No Comments |

House of Frankenstein (1944)

I had begun watching Son of Dracula, but other than its creepy Southern gothic atmosphere, it didn’t have much going for it, so I decided to try this one out instead. Boris Karloff and his hunchbacked assistant J. Carroll Naish escape from prison and enact revenge on the men who put him there with the help of various classic monsters. The film makes the most of its 70 minute runtime to create an anthology of sorts, introducing each monster and tying them into the main storyline. The only thing that’s even needed to carry the movie is Karloff absolutely perfect as an evil scientist.

Posted on 2022-04-09 | No Comments |

Story of a Dog (1945)/One Survivor Remembers (1996)

As a dog lover, it’s difficult to enjoy Story of a Dog. The film follows a group of dogs as they go through Basic Training so they can serve with their trainers during World War II. The dogs are forced into unnatural situations, such as remaining calm during gun fire, just to fight in man’s war.

Holocaust survivor Gerda Weissmann Klein died this month, so I thought it was a good time to watch the short film that serves as her testimony, One Survivor Remembers. As the only survivor of her family, she was sent to various work camps along the German border, finally forced into a months long death march which killed all of her remaining friends, only to finally be liberated by the man she would eventually marry. Unlike some other Holocaust films that can verge on tragedy porn, this one maintains a steadfast focus on Gerda’s gracious telling of her story.

Oscar Win: Best Documentary, Short Subjects (One Survivor Remembers)

Oscar Nominations: Best Short Subject, One-reel (Story of a Dog)

Posted on 2022-04-09 | No Comments |

San Antonio (1945)

Cattle rustling is rampant in Texas and Errol Flynn has the evidence that Paul Kelly is responsible. He has to survive the general lawlessness of San Antonio and the attraction to visiting singer Alexis Smith in order to arrest his prey. The stakes don’t feel particularly high in this film, but there is plenty of gun-play especially in a full-throttle, no holds barred, barroom brawl. The costumes are prettier and less rugged than a John Wayne western, but that helps to highlight the athleticism and charm of Flynn.

Oscar Nominations: Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Color; Best Music, Original Song

Posted on 2022-04-08 | No Comments |

The Gay Parisian (1941)/ Forty Boys and a Song (1941)

The Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo interprets the story of The Gay Parisian, about a visiting Peruvian falls in love with a dancer who is already in love with a baron, through dance. It’s rather chaotic with many people on the set dancing at once, which made me glad for the introductions to all the main characters before the start. The costumes and set are beautifully expansive as a result.

In 1934 Robert Mitchell established a special school for young boys that forms the choir shown in Forty Boys and a Song. The film features scenes with the boys in class and on a camping trip, all as a showcase for the singing talents of the choir. I like little behind the scenes shorts on Hollywood such as this. The choir performed in over 100 feature films over the years, including the Best Picture winner Going My Way.

Oscar Nominations: Best Short Subject, Two-reel (The Gay Parisian); Best Short Subject, One-reel (Forty Boys and a Song)