"Don't worry about me baby. I got myself covered both ways from the middle." Humphrey Bogart as Chips Maguire
It All Came True (1940) is a little film with a big cast. The movie takes place in the Gay '90s (or maybe not, I couldn't quite tell. It could be that they were being nostalgic). The story follows the story of convict Chips Maguire (Humphrey Bogart) as he hides in a boarding house in order to avoid being arrested by the cops who are hot on his trail. He gets help from his buddy Tommy Taylor (Jeffrey Lynn), a musician who found himself on the wrong side of the tracks and in a whole lot of trouble.
Tommy takes Chips back to the home of his mom Mrs. Nora Taylor (Jessie Busley). They haven't seen each other in many years so it's a very sweet reunion. At the boarding home you'll find Sarah Ryan (Ann Sheridan), a beautiful wise-cracking dame who is having a bit of trouble with money so she's staying with her mom (Una O'Connor). Also at the boarding house is a cast of eccentric characters including Miss Flint played by the ever delightful Zasu Pitts. No one at the boarding house knows that Chips Maguire is a felon on the lam except for Tommy. But soon they start figuring out what is going on and Chips finds himself on edge.
Chips don't want no stinkin' broth!
I always have a difficult time picking out which film from the 1940s I want to watch. It's a tricky decade with me and if I chose a film it has to be just right. It was a comfort for me to see many of my favorite characters actors including Zasu Pitts, Una O'Conner (Christmas in Connecticut) and John Litel (Nancy Drew films).
Humphrey Bogart had been typecast in the 1930s as a gangster/criminal that it is very natural to him again in this role. It All Came True comes just before Bogart's films High Sierra and Casablanca in which he breaks out of the mold Hollywood made for him and into major stardom.
It All Came True is somewhat typical of a 1940s film. Old people must be kooky, dames must be wise-cracking, the villain must not get his way and the good guy always wins in the end. Oh and all dogs are incredibly smart and well-trained!
Then there is Ann Sheridan as Sarah Ryan. She's a wise-cracking dame with a good heart.
Ann Sheridan strikes me as the sort of woman who was comfortable in her own skin. She seemed to exude a natural sort of self-confidence. This is just my assumption based on no real knowledge of Ann Sheridan as a person. All I know is that her woman-of-the-world persona is something I find very appealing about her as an actress. Her character is really the go-between of all the characters. She has prior knowledge of Chips Maguire, a history with Tommy, a deep bond with her mother even though sometimes they clash and familial relationship with all the boarders at the home. She's really the central character in the story that keeps things moving along.
And of course, there HAS to be a love story!
It All Came True (1940) is a film for those who want a quirky film with a fun cast of characters. Pair it with Hide-Out (1934) for a great double feature.
Warner Archive Wednesday - On (random) Wednesdays, I review one title from the Warner Archive Collection. Movies selected are rented from Classicflix or purchased from Warner Archive, Classicflix or TCM. This series is not sponsored by Warner Archive.
I'm enjoying your new series! This is another one I haven't seen -- I've got a soft spot for Jeffrey Lynn along with (of course) Bogart and Sheridan. Putting it on my list!
ReplyDeleteI'm curious about '40s films being kind of "iffy" for you, since it's my favorite movie decade.
Looking forward to the next Warner Archive Wednesday installment!
Best wishes,
Laura
Laura - We all have decades we love and others maybe not so much. I think there is something to be appreciated in each decade and I don't try to stay away from any of them. '40s has always been a bit tricky for me. I've noticed that classic film fans who are a bit more conservative lean more towards the middle region, (late) 30s, 40s and 50s and the more liberal folks go for 20s, (early-mid) 30s and 60s. Films from the '40s are very restricted by the Hayes Code and for some people that works well and for others that makes them seem very censored. I am very open to trying films from every decade, but with the 1940s I'm just a bit more selective and I cherry pick which films I'll try. There are plenty of films from that decade I love: It's a Wonderful Life, Casablanca, Citizen Kane, Double Indemnity, Out of the Past (My blog's namesake!), Laura, Sullivan's Travels, Nancy Drews (although they are more late '30s), Mildred Pierce, Arsenic and Old Lace, To Be or Not To Be, Big Sleep, High Sierra Tracy-Hepburn films, etc. I guess I enjoy some of the edgier films from the '40s if I can find them! That may be why I love Noir so much.
DeleteI actually just added a bunch of 40s and 50s Warner Archive films to my Classicflix and Netflix queues because I noticed that I hadn't been watching enough of those decades recently!
Thanks for sharing your perspective on the '40s, Raquelle! Very interesting. I'm definitely a mid '30s to late '50s kinda gal, although I've become a huge fan of the pre-Code era too. I find that the more films I've watched, the more my tastes have expanded. In recent years I've watched an increasing number of early '60s films as well, and at some point I expect I'm going to start diving more into the silents. :)
DeleteYou make a great point about noir -- there are some surprisingly edgy films in the '40s, especially the second half of the decade, post WWII, as tastes began changing and films became more frank. Late '40s noir in particular is one of my favorite genres. I feel like the decade has a little something for everyone -- for instance, just at one studio, you've got the glossy musicals and Americana of Louis B. Mayer's MGM on the one hand, and Dore Schary's gritty, hardboiled MGM on the other.
I'm also interested in watching for how and what filmmakers were able to communicate within the confines of the Production Code -- for instance, the mid-'40s comedy THE MORE THE MERRIER, which happened to air on TCM tonight, has what must be one of the steamiest scenes in movie history (grin). And the symbolism within a film noir like GUN CRAZY (released as the decade ended, in 1950) is pretty fascinating.
You have already found some fantastic movies from this decade, and I'm sure you'll discover more in the future, thanks in part to your Warner Archive project. LAURA (my own namesake!) and TO BE OR NOT TO BE are particular favorites of mine as well.
Happy viewing and best wishes,
Laura
Was lucky enough to catch this movie on TCM the other day and I must say, it was thoroughly enjoyable. Mr. Bogart was funny, was put in his place a few times, Miss Pitts was a riot....try to catch this one the next time it shows up....A+
ReplyDeleteBob
I've seen this one a few times in the past and always enjoy it! Bogart is quite hilarious and the entire cast is great fun to see but Ann steals the show for me hands down...this is the film where she sings "Gaucho Serenade" right? be still my beating heart i loooooove when she sings that number! i agree with you she always comes off as confident, i mean she pretty much played the same type of character for most of her WB days but she did it with mega-style and was so gorgeous sheesh. i think she was a terrific actress, highly under-rated and def got better as time went on. nice review Quelle :D
ReplyDeleteThis is a lesser know but no less appealing film. Love ANYTHING featuring Bogart.
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