Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Happy New Year!

Or as Ginger Rogers would say it in her fake Swedish accent in Bachelor Mother (1939):

'Appy Nuuu Chyea!

2008 was a strange year, mostly bad but not without its good points. I got my Master's degree (read my post about that here), I learned to knit, this blog really took off and I made lots of great new blogging friends. So many of the classic film bloggers and classic film fans I have gotten to know are witty, intelligent, kind and fun folks. I hope I get to learn even more about you in the New Year! And I look forward to lots of new blogging projects in 2009.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Good Heavens: All That Heaven Allows (1955)


All That Heaven Allows (1955) is a classic Douglas Sirk melodrama. It was the second time Sirk paired stars Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson together, the first time being in Magnificent Obsession (1954). The story is about a wealthy widow (Jane Wyman) whose two children are college-bound and she finds herself falling in love with her much younger gardener (Rock Hudson) to the dismay of the uppity society she exists in. It's a shame that I had to sum up such a fantastic movie with such a pathetic boiled down sentence such as that one, but there it is.

This film does what a social drama should do; expose the injustices of a society, whether it be society at large or a particular type of society. In this case, it's the suburban, upper-crust, country club society of the 1950's. The main character, the widow Cary, is oblivious to such injustices until she gets to know and falls in love with her gardener Ron. Sometimes it takes someone from a different world for one to understand one's own world; it allows for a sort of eye-opening introspection. This film was cast off as simple weepy melodrama for many years until people began to understand the film's underlying social commentary.

Some who watch the film may think it's over-the-top, but I think it's quite an effective movie. We are first introduced into Cary's world, then we fall in love with Ron and learn to appreciate his rebellion and then we hate everyone who is trying to keep Cary and Ron apart. And c'mon, who wouldn't fall in love with Rock Hudson? What's more romantic than seeing him feeding a lone deer on a snowy morning? If that isn't enough to make a gal weak in the knees, I don't know what is.


I read the featured article on this film on TCM's website and found out something about the film I hadn't been aware of before. To demonstrate Cary's entrapment in her world, Jane Wyman is often shown "framed" whether it be a mirror, window, doorway, etc. My favorite is the shot of her framed in the television which is presented to her as a future "companion".


And watch for a older Conrad Nagel in the film, playing the role of Harvey, Cary's would-be suitor.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Christmas Movie Consumption

I didn't quite overdose like I did last year (see my previous post about that) but I did manage to squeeze in a good number of movies during the Christmas break. I still have another week of movie-viewing which I'll consider my New Year's Movie Consumption.

The surprising thing is that I didn't watch Christmas Carol (1938). I have an annual tradition of reading the classic Dickens book (this one is the best edition) and viewing the original film. This year I skipped both. I felt like this was by no means a traditional Christmas, so I kept to non-traditional movies instead.

Dr. No (1962) ~ My introduction to the world of Bond, James Bond.

Get Smart (2008) ~ What a disappointment!

The Naked City (1948) ~ Excellent! A post about this is sure to come.

Christmas in Connecticut (1945) ~ Dennis Morgan! ::sigh::

Love, Actually (2003) ~ Dip it in yogurt, and cover it with chocolate buttons!

Holiday Affair (1949) ~ It's a Mitchum Christmas.

Kiss Me, Stupid (1964) ~ One of the sexiest films I've seen, ever!

Fortune Cookie (1966) - It's great, once you get through the first 30 minutes.

Breathless (1961) ~ Working on an essay for this one.

Bachelor Mother (1939) ~ And I'll watch it next week too!

So what did you guys watch during Christmas?

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Good Heavens!

I've decided to do a short series in tribute to all those classic films that contain "Heaven" in the title. Why? Because they always get mangled in my brain and I confuse one title with the other. Watching each and writing about them will help me sort them in my mind. Plus it will be a fun project.

It often feels like there are hundreds of "Heaven" movies. Perhaps because there are also so many contemporary ones. However, there are really only 5 main ones (and various lesser-known ones). And they are...

  1. All This, and Heaven Too (1940) - Bette Davis & Charles Boyer
  2. All That Heaven Allows (1956) - Rock Hudson & Jane Wyman
  3. Heaven Can Wait (1943) - Gene Tierney & Don Ameche
  4. Heaven Knows, Mrs. Allison (1957) - Robert Mitchum & Deborah Kerr
  5. Leave Her to Heaven (1946) - Gene Tierney & Cornel Wilde
How many of the "Heaven" movies have you seen? Which one is your favorite?

I'm going to guess that Ginger's favorite is #5? Seeing as it has her favorite actress plus her current crush.

Stay tuned for more!

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