Category: 1940s

The Strange Woman (1946)

Hedy Lamarr is a beautiful but manipulative young woman who finagles a marriage to the richest man Gene Lockhart in town but then coerces his son Louis Hayward to arrange for the death of his father. She later sets her sights on her best friend’s fiancĂ© George Sanders. It’s not often such a cruel, devious woman gets to lead a film and Lamarr uses her beauty to great effect. The ending is a bit of a let down in its contrived reversal, but it’s a intriguing ride getting there.

Criss Cross (1949)

Burt Lancaster returns to Los Angeles to find his ex-wife Yvonne De Carlo. Even after marrying gangster Dan Duryea, she’s willing to rekindle their romance. To hide their affair, Lancaster proposes an offer to the mobster, a plan to rob the armored car company he works for. It’s a bleak story that, even with some time jumping, makes great use of a short run time. As the title suggests, there is plenty of double crossing and reasons to question loyalties, barreling towards an ending that doesn’t seem like it’ll be positive for anyone.   Noir  Crime

The Barkleys of Broadway (1949)

Ten years after their last pairing, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers portray a successful, though often bickering, husband and wife song and dance team. When Ginger meets a French playwright, the duo separate so Ginger can pursue a dramatic role. There is great familiarity in how Rogers and Astaire work and dance together here that makes their roles as a married couple, perhaps especially when they are squabbling, believable. This also includes Astaire’s lovely dance with multiple pairs of shoes to Shoes With Wings On. It doesn’t make any sense at all that it is supposedly being performed on stage, but it is really a lovely mix of special effects and Fred’s dancing skills.   Musical

Oscar Nomination: Best Cinematography, Color

Annie Was a Wonder (1949)

Told from the perspective of narrator John Nesbit’s childhood, this short tells the tale of Swedish immigrant Annie who was hired to be a maid by Nesbit’s family. It’s a cute little bit of nostalgia, but is a really simplistic view of the lives of servants, reminiscent of Southern representations of slave characters in Civil War films.

Oscar Nomination: Best Short Subject, One-reel

Two Smart People (1946)

Accompanied by police officer Lloyd Nolan, conman John Hodiak has agreed to travel across country and testify against his former crime partner in exchange for a reduced sentence for himself. Also on the train to New York is another scam artist, Lucille Ball, and the former partner Elisha Cook Jr. The group takes advantage of various stops to take in the sights and Hodiak and Ball fall in love. It’s a sweet little romp with some little twists where honor amongst thieves is questioned. I always enjoy seeing Lucy perform, but it’s especially nice when it’s a change of pace from her I Love Lucy character.

The Pirate (1948)

In a small Caribbean village, betrothed Judy Garland dreams instead of marrying a legendary pirate. Gene Kelly arrives with his traveling circus and immediately falls in love with Judy, deciding to impersonate the pirate to win her affections. Having a rather dull story with an overtly soundstage location, it’s not my favorite musical by a long mark, but I do enjoy Kelly and Garland’s general chemistry together. It is hard to go wrong with including Gene Kelly dancing, especially when he’s joined by the Nicholas brothers.  Musical

Oscar Nomination: Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) – Rewatch

When I was young, I avoided this film. It was one my father loved and I disregarded it as a crusty black and white film, though I did always enjoy the swimming pool scene. In high school, it was shown during a lesson about suicide and I was oddly taken with it to the point where it has become one of my favorites. The well-known and often-copied tale of a desperate but much-loved man who is shown what life would have been like if he had never existed is perhaps a perfect film. It’s well-acted, manages a delicate balance between its drama and comedy, and gorgeously incorporates a real sense of self in its Bedford Falls location. The pairing of James Stewart’s George Bailey hero with Lionel Barrymore’s villainous Potter is unmatched in cinema.   Best Picture Nomination  Holiday

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture; Best Actor in a Leading Role; Best Director; Best Sound, Recording; Best Film Editing

Holiday Inn (1942) – Rewatch

This is another one of those films that I had only vague recollections of from childhood, mainly television promos featuring the two young kids singing Happy Holidays. After his love interest leaves him for Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby tries his hand at farming. When that proves to be a failure, he turns the farm into an inn that is only open on holidays. It’s a clever way to highlight Irving Berlin’s songs and Astaire’s dancing to have a new tune for every holiday. It’s understandable why the Abraham number, with its surprisingly atrocious blackface, was usually cut from television airings, though the song itself is one of the catchier tunes and offers an opportunity to showcase Louise Beavers’s singing voice. Extra tidbits that the film offered was the introduction of the song White Christmas and the inspiration for the name of hotel chains. It also taught me the concept of Franksgiving in its clever interstitial before the Thanksgiving scenes.   Musical  Romance  Holiday

Oscar Win: Best Music, Original Song

Oscar Nominations: Best Writing, Original Story; Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture

Miracle on 34th Street (1947) – Rewatch

This is such the seminal telling of the story that I can’t watch any of the other versions despite trying. Edmund Gwenn IS Santa Claus, come to spread Christmas and belief to Macy’s executive Maureen O’Hara, her young daughter Natalie Wood, and New York City at large. I’ve been watching this film all my life at Christmastime and the sentimentality, nostalgia, and desire to believe in the Christmas spirit have never wavered upon each viewing. The one thing that has changed in recent viewings is my joy at seeing the US postal service being a hero in the film. There’s a bittersweetness that gets added when thinking of how it has been gutted in recent years.   Best Picture Nomination   Holiday

Oscar Wins: Best Actor in a Supporting Role; Best Writing, Original Story; Best Writing, Screenplay

Oscar Nomination: Best Picture

Larceny Inc (1942) – Rewatch

After his release from Sing Sing, Edward G. Robinson plans to go straight by purchasing a dog racing track. After the bank refuses his loan, he has no other options but to buy the next-door luggage store and dig into the bank’s vault. It’s a clever bit where Robinson’s stereotypical gangster is thrown into a relatively light-hearted comedy. Additional support is provided by a young Jane Wyman, Broderick Crawford, Anthony Quinn, and even Jackie Gleason as a soda jerk.  Comedy  Crime  Holiday

Scroll to Top