Movie Monday!! Grand Hotel

Grand Hotel (1932) starred a string of popular actors from the period including both Lionel and John Barrymore, Joan Crawford, and Greta Garbo.

The film is set in the Grand Hotel, of course, and follows the stays of several different unrelated characters. One is Baron Felix van Geigern (John B.), a charming gambler/ jewel thief who is in debt and must find a way to raise the money he needs. He runs into Otto Kringelein (Lionel B.), a modest accountant who has learned that he is dying and wants to live his last days in luxury. They become friends but the Baron is too proud to accept the man's money even when it has been offered to him.

The Baron attempts to steal a string of pearls from the room of the Russian ballerina (Garbo) but falls in love with her on their first meeting and feels compelled to return them. She forgives him and they plan to go away together but first, he must fulfill his debts.

Joan Crawford is a stenographer (I forget her character's name) hired by Gen. Preysing (Wallace Beery), who is trying to make an important business deal that will make or break his company.  He makes advances to her and they agree to go to London together with him paying her handsomely..

This movie was a little dull at first but it came together in an interesting way at the end. It seemed to have a message about the high value we place on money and what an impact too much or too little can have on our decisions. I also found it interesting that although Kringelein was dying, he was so much more happy and free than all these other characters who seemed to be on the way down in life.

Joan Crawford was beautiful, Garbo's accent was adorable, and there were two Barrymore's in one film! It is worth watching for the star power but the movie itself was not especially engaging. Thumbs hovering in the middle.

Movie Monday!! Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte

This week I watched Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte, a thriller starring Bette Davis and Olivia DeHavilland.

A young Charlotte has an affair with a married man and they plan to run off together but their families find out and he is strong armed into ending it. He is then brutally murdered with a meat cleaver in the garden house at one of their parties and the rumor is that she did it.

In a wildly over-the-top performance, Bette Davis as Charlotte becomes known as a half crazy old spinster and lives a secluded life in her father's house after his death. But the town has plans for the land the house is on and now she must find a way to keep them from bulldozing her home to make way for a highway.

Thinking she will help her keep the family mansion, Charlotte calls in her cousin Miriam (DeHavilland) who grew up with her and her father. Miriam renews her relationship with Dr Bayliss (Joseph Cotton) while in town but they have other ideas about what to do with Charlotte. Their plan is to drug her and they set up events around the house to scare her causing her sanity to deteriorate.  Once she loses it, they will send her off to the looney bin and take her money.

Charlotte figures out the plan with the help of her housekeeper. On the night before they take her away, Miriam and Dr. Bayliss celebrate with champagne. Believing her to be fast asleeep (and insane to boot), they congratulate themselves on a job well done. Charlotte is neither asleep nor crazy, however, and overhears everything from the balcony above and conveniently knocks the large stone planter off the ledge..

Charlotte does have to leave her home in the end but not without knowing the truth about what really happened in the summerhouse so many years ago. It is worth watching so I won't give it all away. Thumbs up!!

Movie Monday!!

I don't have a movie for you this week because I have started watching the Mad Men television series.  I've been wanting to see it for awhile now since I have heard so much about it.  So far, it is pretty interesting.

Also sucking up my movie time this week is the book I picked up entitled "Jezebel: The Untold Story of the Bible's Harlot Queen." It is a fascinating read by Lesley Hazleton. I just need to dig out a bible and start cross referencing things because she is working from the Hebrew version of the book of Kings in addition to  other historical resources and records available.

While Jezebel was no angel, it seems she also was not a harlot in the literal sense of the word. Apparently, even her name was changed in the writing as a play on words that modified the meaning of it! According to this book, her real name was Itha-baal or "woman of the Lord" in her language but in Hebrew she was known as I-zevel ( woman of dung) which was written in Greek as Jezebel. How ironic!

I should have an actual movie to discuss next week. I'm picking up some good ones tonight, as a matter of fact.

Movie Monday!! Reds

This movie was directed, written in part, produced, and starred in by Warren Beatty (not neccessarily in that order) in 1981.  It is about the life of John Reed, author of Ten Days That Shook the World. His book reports the events of the Russian Revolution.

Idealistic, communist journalist, Reed (Warren Beatty), meets Louise Bryant (Diane Keaton), also a writer, and they begin an exhausting affair that spans the length of this 3 hour film. Reed gets involved with the American Communist Party and labor strikes putting a strain on his relationship with Louise. She then begins an affair with playwright Eugene O'Neil (Jack Nicholson). When Reed returns and discovers the competition, he proposes marriage.

The couple end up in Europe as war correspondents despite his health problems.  He then writes his famous book. He soon becomes disillusioned with the new government in Russia and when he tries to leave Europe, is imprisoned. When he is allowed to return to Russia, he is reunited with Louise but his health has deteriorated and he can not go back to the US for better medical treatment so he dies in his early thirties.

This movie was waaaaaayyyy too long! I'm not exaggerating when I say it was over three hours long!! Of course, it felt more like ten hours the way this thing dragged on..

I was very disappointed with the quality of the acting even though this film was full of big name actors and actresses! The neat parts about this movie were the interviews with people who lived in that time period that were injected throughout.  This film gets thumbs down.

Movie Monday!! State Fair (1945)

State Fair was made into a movie a few times. The first was  in 1933 starring Janet Gaynor, Lew Ayres, and Will Rogers and it was not a musical like the two following versions.

I watched the musical 1945 version recently but it was remade again in 1962 with Ann Margaret and Bobby Darin.

But back to the 1945 version..Jeanne Crain is Margy Frake, a restless young woman in need of something different. Her father, Abel, is preparing his hog for competition and his wife, Melissa, is perfecting her mincemeat recipe all in the hopes of taking home the winning ribbons from the State Fair.

Once they arrive, Margy and her brother take off to get a start on the fun! Margy meets a handsome reporter, Pat (Dana Andrews- my heart throb), and they fall in love over roller coasters and cokes. Her brother Wayne wastes no time either, meeting the female singer in the band. But she has a secret and Pat gets called off to Chicago for a promotion leaving poor Margy unhappily waiting for the date that never came.

The end is a sweet one but you'll have to watch to find out how it works out.

Apparently Jeanne Crain couldn't sing so they dubbed her in with Louanne Hogan's voice. It was such a hit, that Jeanne became known as a singing actress so Ms. Hogan was signed with 20th Century Fox just to be her voice!

Also,  Dana Andrews was dubbed in this movie even though he originally came to California to be an opera singer! They didn't know this about him, however, and hired someone to sing for him. He never let on that he could sing because he thought his voice over needed the work. That was nice..no wonder I'm so taken with him!

This movie was pleasant enough but not my favorite musical (despite its having Dana Andrews in it). I wasn't impressed with the musical numbers. My thumb is hovering somewhere in the middle on this one. It is a classic Rogers and Hammerstein, though, so why not see it anyway?

Movie Monday!! Gigi

 I totally scored an extra point or two for womankind this weekend when I introduced no less than one man to my all time favorite musical...and he actually LIKED it!! He was laughing along, enjoying the witty lyrics, and even got a kick out of all the wild hats those French ladies wore. LOL. He was a bit resistant when I first suggested this movie but I think he feels much better about it now.. that or he's a really good faker ;)

  Gigi is the story of girl being raised by her poor grandmother (Hermione Gingold) in France who goes to "lessons" at her well-to-do Aunt's house to learn to be a lady.  The very eligible and very wealthy Gaston Lachailles (Louis Jordan) is a friend of the family who happens to be there when she blossoms from gawky teenager to a beautiful young woman. But Gigi (Leslie Caron) is more interested in the things that money can not bring her.  Gaston's young at heart Uncle (Maurice Chevallier) brings humor and gaiety to the story as he constantly has a new "heavenly creature" on his arm and a twinkle in his eye.

  The Lerner and Loewe songs are not to be missed. The lyrics are witty and clever, rhymed, and are able to express a wide range of emotion in the most delightful way! This movie always gets a thumbs up in my book! In fact, it is a staple in my video closet.

Movie Monday!! Mildred Pierce

I've had such an active social life this past week that I almost didn't watch any movies! But fortunately, I did get one in, Mildred Pierce. Yet another in my Joan Crawford phase (can you tell I've been reading her bio?) this one won her an academy award! This was the first movie she made for her new studio (Warner) after MGM let her go (ironic?). Take that MGM! Ha!

It begins with a murder in classic film noir style and then the process of figuring out who dunnit. At the police station, Mildred must tell the story of her life.

She begins married with two young girls. Her husband loses his job and begins a love affair with another woman so Mildred throws him out and gets a divorce. With two children and bills to pay, she takes a job waiting tables but tries to keep it secret because her oldest daughter, Veda, is a spoiled snob who looks down on that profession (among many others).

Eventually, Mildred decides to open her own restaurant because she wants thankless Veda to have everything she didn't have and Veda has expensive taste..

She buys the building from a formerly wealthy man, Monte, who she falls in love with. Now, she must pay for both Veda's and Monte's expensive whims. Luckily for her, the restaurant is a success and she opens several more but eventually, their spend thrift ways wear down her wealth and she is likely to lose the business. 

She goes looking for Monte when she discovers that he has double crossed her and is trying to sell part of the restaurant. When she finds him, well, you'll have to watch it to find out the real twist at the end!

Great film! It is definitely worth watching even if stuck up Veda gets on your last nerve (she needed some good old fashioned discipline in the form of a sturdy belt). Thumbs up!

Movie Monday!! The Dancing Lady

Sorry Movie Monday!! is a day late this week but better late than not at all, right?


The Dancing Lady stars Joan Crawford and Clark Gable in a much better pairing than the last one I reviewed. This movie has an interesting cast including Fred Astaire in his debut movie appearance as her dance partner in the end of the movie {squeal!}. Also in this, is Franchot Tone, Joan's future husband, alongside her lover (Clark Gable ). Those Hollywood people are so interesting who needs soap operas?


This is the story of a burlesque dancer, Janie Barlow (Crawford), determined to be a Broadway star. She meets a handsome, rich, well connected playboy, Tod (Tone), who wants to "further her career" and be her leading man. When she fails to get in on her own, she allows him to pull some strings and is put in the star role of the next show directed by Patch Gallagher(Gable).

In the meantime, Tod decides he wants to marry Janie but she is focused on her career and turns him down. He suggests a compromise such that if the show fails, she will marry him and if not, then she can continue her dancing career. Of course, she doesn't realize that he is the main financier behind the show and naturally, he pulls out so the show must be cancelled and he can have his girl.


 Patch refuses to go down so easy and decides to put in his own money and that of some friends to put the show on anyway with another girl in the main role. He bumps into them in a bar and gives away Tod's dirty secret causing Janie to rethink her engagement and begs to be reinstated in the show.


Patch's risk pays off and the show is a big hit! Now Janie is the star she had worked so hard to become.
I thought this movie was very entertaining (there was even some comic relief from the 3 stooges) and well done. This was Crawford and Gable's fourth of eight movie pairings.

 Go find it. Thumbs up!

Movie Monday!! "The Best Years of Our Lives"

So Movie Mondays are where I will review the movies I have watched recently and give a thumbs up, down, or hovering somewhere in the middle.


Today, I' m starting with "The Best Years of our Lives" from 1946. This is about 3 men returning from their service in WWII who have to return to the lives they left behind.


 Homer is a sailor who lost both his hands in the war and now must face his family and fiance`. He and his family have a hard time adjusting to his disability and Homer does not want to be a life long burden to his girl. His story had my tears running.

Al (played by Fredric March)is returning to a family that has grown up without him.  He feels like he doesn't even know them anymore and has to start all over again. Fortunately, they all love him very much and that makes it much easier! His wife is played by Myrna Loy so there are plenty of laughs in this movie too!


Fred (played by my boyfriend Dana Andrews) was a fighter pilot <sigh> and when he comes home, he can't even find the wife he had met and married within a month of going off to war. Turns out, she took a job at a night club and moved into an apartment while he was away. While he can't find her, he runs into Al..and his pretty yet sensible daughter, Peggy (see where this is going?). When Fred does find his wife, she turns out to be a gold digger type and is not satisfied with their new life on a smaller paycheck.

I adored this movie! It made me cry, laugh, and fall in love. Thumbs up!