Warner Archive Wednesday ~ Brother Rat (1938) and Brother Rat and a Baby (1940)

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Many moons ago I caught the tail end of the film Brother Rat (1938) on TCM. I was particularly drawn by the film's youthful cast, the collegiate setting and the slapstick humor. When I went to search for a way to watch this film in its entirety I discovered that the film and its sequel Brother Rat and a Baby were not available on DVD. I immediately went to the Warner Archive Twitter and Facebook pages and asked if these films were going to be future releases but did not get any response in the affirmative.

Fast forward months later and the Warner Archive released both films on DVD-MOD. Boy, was I excited! This was an opportunity to watch both of these films and to add to my repertoire of classic collegiate movies.

Brother Rat was a successful Broadway play written by and about cadets at the Virginia Military Institute, affectionately referred to as the "West Point of the South". The term "Brother Rat" refers to upperclassmen at the school. Freshman are referred to as just "Rats"and it's expected of them to be at the beck and call of the Brother Rats. The young Rats endure hazing and are given embarrassing and menial tasks in order to earn respect when they advance to Brother Rat status. The Broadway play starring Eddie Albert in the title role of Bing Edwards was such a hit that Warner Bros. got rights to the script and acquired Albert to reprise his role. This would be Eddie Albert's screen debut. Warner Bros. also retained Broadway actor William Tracy (or Tracey depending on the billing) for his role of Misto Bottome, a freshman Rat who desperately seeks approval from the older Brother Rats.

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The play and the movie have somewhat different story lines. Brother Rat (1938) focuses more on the character Billy Randolph in order to showcase Wayne Morris whom Warner Bros. was grooming to become a big star. Billy Randolph (Wayne Morris), Bing Edwards (Eddie Albert) and Dan Crawford (Ronald Reagan) are roommates at VMI. Billy Randolph is the son of a wealthy publisher who is careless with his money (and other people's money too), is always breaking VMI rules and is completely smitten with the Southern debutante Joyce Winfree (Priscilla Lane). He's tireless in his efforts to woo her even though he's up against her disapproving grandmother and another rival suitor and fellow cadet. Bing Edwards is having much better luck in his romantic life with his sweetheart Kate Rice (Jane Bryan). In fact they are secretly married and expecting a baby! Edwards must keep their marriage and their future baby a secret from VMI until commencement. Edwards is also a talented pitcher and expected to win the big baseball game. He's also expected to pass his Chemistry test so he can graduate. Needless to say there is a lot of pressure on Bing Edwards and he's not handling it all very well.

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Jane Wyman and Ronald Reagan are the third couple in this scenario. Their real life romance which started with this film and lead to an engagement during the filming of Brother Rat and a Baby, eclipsed the other stars including Wayne Morris and Priscilla Lane who have top billing. Ronald Reagan's Dan Crawford is a level-headed cadet who loves to play baseball and spends much of his time trying to put out the fires started by Billy Randolph. Jane Wyman plays the nerdy and bespectacled Claire Adams. She has a knack for Chemistry and hides the fact that she's really Claire Ramm, daughter of Colonel Ramm one of the superiors at VMI. Claire is smitten with Dan but he's not quite sure about her. However, she wins him over with her tenacity and her clever solutions to his roommates' problems.

Brother Rat (1938) follows the story of Billy, Bing and Dan as they navigate collegiate life in their final year at VMI and also explores their romantic lives and their stints as top level Brother Rats and talented college level baseball players. It's interesting to note that the focus here is on baseball whereas so many collegiate films before and after this one have showcased football as the ultimate college sport.

Brother Rat (1938) was so popular that it spawned an original sequel. While listening to the Warner Archive podcast, I learned that sequels during this time era were very rare. Productions either resulted in stand-alone films or serials. Warner Bros. must have seen a really good opportunity to bring back all the top stars of their box office smash and gave birth to Brother Rat and a Baby (1940).

The cast of Brother Rat and a Baby (1940) Source

Brother Rat and a Baby picks up the story several months after the three roommates graduate from VMI. Billy Randolph is at his dad's publishing company and getting into problems with the law. Dan Crawford is working hard and trying to keep out of trouble so he can have a bright future. Bing Edwards is a baseball coach whose new baby is causing him and his wife Kate much joy and consternation. Their baby was named Commencement because of the key moment in Bing's life in which he was born and also upon Dan Crawford's suggestion. Commencement (played by infant actor "Peter B. Good") is a happy little boy who loves shiny objects and has a propensity to swallow them. Quarters, diamond rings, etc. He causes much chaos which only exacerbates the chaos already being created by Billy Randolph.

It's difficult to explain the plot of Brother Rat and a Baby because it's all over the place! Billy Randolph is still trying marry Joyce and Claire is still after Dan. Billy gets Bing an opportunity to be a baseball coach at VMI but the baby and Billy cause a lot of problems along the way. It's definitely not a collegiate film which may be a reason why it wasn't as popular as Brother Rat (1938). The plot is unnecessarily complicated and feels rushed. Some of the dialogue is delivered at such a rapid pace that I had to rewind and play key moments again in order to hear everything that was said! This film tries very hard to be a screwball comedy.

There is an interesting appearance by Humphrey Bogart's third wife Mayo Methot has a small role in Brother Rat and a Baby as a sour-faced woman on a bus whose diamond ring is swallowed by Commencement. Those of you familiar with Bogart's life will know that his relationship with Methot was very volatile.

There are a couple of rather risque moments in the films which I found to be welcome curiosities. In the first film we find out that Kate and Bing are expecting a baby. We immediately assume they are unmarried. However, it’s only a good 10 or so minutes later that we find out that Kate and Bing were secretly married. My mind was reeling the entire time wondering how they got this past the censors. The delay of information proved to be quite titillating and a clever way to be both Hays Code friendly and suggestive. In the second film, there is a scene in which Claire’s father Colonel Ramm interrupts couples Billy and Joyce and Dan and Claire in what seems to be a more sexually suggestive situation that it really was. In fact, Dan and Claire (Reagan and Wyman) come out of a bedroom with their hair and clothes in disarray after playing with baby Commencement. However, Colonel Ramm interprets this as something very different which adds some spice as well as humor to the scene!

I made the unfortunate decision to watch both of these films right after watching a film noir masterpiece.  I still had the noir in my mind and started to have unrealistic expectations. I set the Brother Rat films aside for a few days and then picked them up again. They were much more enjoyable on my second viewing.

Brother Rat and Brother Rat and a Baby are light comedic fare. They are perfect for anyone who is a fan of the era, a fan of any of the cast members and Brother Rat especially should be a must-see for anyone who likes collegiate films.

Brother Rat (1938) and Brother Rat And A Baby (1940) are available on DVD-MOD from Warner Archive. You can also purchase them at the TCM Shop.

Warner Archive Wednesday - On (random) Wednesdays, I review one title from the Warner Archive Collection. I received the Brother Rat movies from Warner Archive to review.

God Speed Stanley Rubin (1917-2014)

Stanley Rubin (1917-2014)

Producer and Screenwriter Stanley Rubin passed away on Sunday at the age of 96. According to his wife of 59 years, actress Kathleen Hughes, he died in his sleep of natural causes. The news of his death made me very sad but I'm glad to know he lived such a long life and that he died peacefully.

Last year at the TCM Classic Film Festival I had the honor of attending a screening of Stanley Rubin's film River of No Return (1954). It's an understatement when I say this was one of the most memorable and moving film experiences of my life. I still tear up thinking about it. You can read my in-depth post about Leonard Maltin's interview with Stanley Rubin at that screening here.

River of No Return (1954) is very special to me and I'll be forever grateful to Stanley Rubin for that fine film. Rubin was such an interesting fellow. He attended UCLA in 1933 and left just a few credits shy of graduating. Rubin had an amazing business opportunity he couldn't pass up and then went on to have a successful and long career in the industry as a screen writer and producer in TV, radio and film. He was the first person ever to receive an Emmy. Besides River of No Return, he produced the film noir classic The Narrow Margin (1952).  Rubin has worked for Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios, Columbia Pictures, RKO, 20th Century Fox, MGM, CBS, NBC and he was also an independent film producer.

Stanley Rubin might his wife during the production of River of No Return and that film marks the anniversary of their meeting and relationship. He was the mediator between temperamental director Otto Preminger and actress Marilyn Monroe during the filming of River of No Return and faced many challenges on location as they filmed in the Rocky Mountains' Athabasca River.

Rubin's exit of UCLA just shy of graduation is the perfect example of how life happens when you are making other plans. Stanley Rubin returned to UCLA in 2005 to finish his degree and graduated in 2006.

How wonderful is that graduation photo?! I admire Rubin greatly for both taking advantage of a good opportunity for his career and also for finishing what he started at UCLA so many years ago.

Below are some photos I found earlier this morning on my camera. They are from Leonard Maltin's interview with Stanley Rubin and his wife Kathleen Hughes last year. I really wish I had taken video but I have an audio recording of that interview that I will indeed treasure forever.

God Speed Stanley Rubin!

Further Reading and Sources:

Emmy Legends website video interview with Stanley Rubin
L.A. Times Obituary
Leonard Maltin interviews Stanley Rubin at TCMFF
Stanley Rubin Bio IMDB
TCM's bio on Stanley Rubin for TCMFF 2013

Warner Archive Wednesday ~ Dr. Kildare Movie Collection

The good folks at the Warner Archive Collection have released a stupendous 9-film, 5-Disc Collection of all of the Dr. Kildare films starring Lew Ayres as Kildare and Lionel Barrymore as Dr. Gillespie.  I was knew very little of the Dr. Kildare films so listening to George, Matt and D.W. talk about it on the Warner Archive podcast, watching the films and doing a bit of research online was a very satisfying way to approach this unfamiliar territory.

The films in the Dr. Kildare Movie Collection include:

Young Dr. Kildare (1938)
Calling Dr. Kildare (1939)
The Secret of Dr. Kildare (1939)
Dr. Kildare's Strange Case (1940)
Dr. Kildare Goes Home (1940)
Dr. Kildare's Crisis (1940)
The People vs. Dr. Kildare (1941)
Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day (1941)
Dr. Kildare's Victory (1942)
Bonus: unaired MGM-TV pilot for Dr. Kildare from 1960 with Lew Ayres

Lew Ayres stars as the young Dr. James Kildare. He's just finished medical school and is on the brink of a fantastic career as a doctor. He's the son of a small town practitioner, Dr. Stephen Kildare (Samuel S. Hinds) whose footsteps he should have followed but instead chose to become an intern at the fictional Blair General Hospital in New York City. He shows promise as a diagnostician and the ornery but visionary Dr. Gillespie (Lionel Barrymore) takes Kildare under his wing. While Kildare only makes a measly $20 a month at his new job, he has access to a top facility, a big medical library, labs and a wide of variety of patients and cases. Dr. Kildare is rebellious and ambitious but at the same time has a generous and kind heart. He truly believes in helping people get better. His rebelliousness gives him an edge but at heart he's the same sweet wholesome doctor his father is. A common thread throughout the entire series finds Kildare breaking hospital rules and regulations in order save his patients.

It's almost unfair to call these the Dr. Kildare movies because what makes these films so special is the cast of unique characters that make up the world of Blair General Hospital and Kildare's hometown.

Samuel S. Hinds as Dr. Stephen Kildare and Emma Dunn as Mrs. Martha Kildare

At home there is Dr. Stephen Kildare (Samuel S. Hinds), Dr. James Kildare's father and the patriarch of the Kildare household. He's very proud of his son even if he is a bit disappointed that he didn't join him in his home practice. Dr. Stephen Kildare is a sweet and patient old man who is well-respected as the community's doctor but isn't as brilliant as his prodigal son.

Mrs. Martha Kildare (Emma Dunn) is the wise mother and matriarch. Nothing gets past her and she's always around to give good advice to her son. Her husband might be oblivious at times but she never is. Most mother characters in these types of serials are often homebodies whose worlds don't extend much past the household and who can be a little flighty and easily confused. Mrs. Kildare is not that type of character. She's as smart as she is charming and easily became my favorite character of the series.

At Blair General Hospital there is Dr. Gillespie (Lionel Barrymore), a crusty old man with a bad temper and gruff personality. However, he has a big heart and is passionate about what he does. Each film features a tender scene in which Dr. Gillespie gives some health and life advice to patient. Dr. Gillespie is so well-respected at Blair General Hospital that his influence gets Dr. Kildare out of hot water on more than one occasion and his stool pigeons are always on the look out for juicy gossip and insider information to bring back to him. While the focus of the series is on Dr. Kildare, Barrymore's portrayal of Dr. Gillespie steals the spotlight. His character is always on the verge of death because of a melanoma on his left hand and elbow. Perhaps this was a convenient plot point in case wheelchair bound Barrymore could no longer continue the series. But Barrymore's Dr. Gillespie continues on through the whole series and beyond (more on that later).

Other characters at Blair General Hospital include:

Laraine Day (left) as Mary Lamont and Alma Kruger (right) as Molly Byrd

Nurse Mary Lamont (Laraine Day) - She's the nurse assigned by Dr. Gillespie to spy on Dr. Kildare in Calling Dr. Kildare (1939). Kildare and Lamont fall in love and become engaged. The climax of their relationship can be seen in Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day. Throughout the series, Kildare grows to rely on her talents as a nurse and as a confidant and trustworthy supporter.

Nurse Molly Byrd (Alma Kruger) - Byrd is the tough no-nonsense head nurse that keeps Blair General Hospital and all of its orderlies, nurses and doctors in check. She's the only person who can put Dr. Gillespie in his place. Byrd and Gillespie are a couple without the romance and rely on each other in matters both personal and professional.

From left to right: Conover (George Reed), Dr. Gillespie (Lionel Barrymore),
Nurse Parker (Nell Craig) and Dr. Carew (Walter Kingsford)

Dr. Walter Carew (Walter Kingsford) - Dr. Carew runs Blair General Hospital and is the enforcer of its rules and regulations. He often butts heads with Dr. Kildare, who doesn't care for hospital rules, and on a couple occasions even fires or suspends him. Carew greatly admires and respects Gillespie. His character's main purposes to contrast with Kildare's.

Conover  (George Reed) - Conover is Dr. Gillespie's personal orderly and his right-hand man. He loves gambling, maybe a little too much. Conover often has to trick Gillespie for the doctor's own good.

Nurse Parker (Nell Craig) - This bug-eyed nurse lives in constant fear of Dr. Gillespie who loves to bark orders at her and confuse her from time to time. She's the polar opposite of Molly Byrd.

A scene from Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day (1941) includes Sally, Mike Ryan, Maisie, Vernon Briggs,
Conover plus other minor characters.

Wayman (Nat Pendleton) - Paramedic who assists Dr. Kildare on emergency cases. When Dr. Kildare takes the rap for Wayman's neglect of a particular patient, Wayman feels he owes a lot to Kildare. When Wayman isn't flirting with Sally, he's often found helping Dr. Kildare out of a jam. He's in the first 6 films then mysteriously disappears only to return in the three Dr. Gillespie films that followed.

Sally, the telephone Operator (Marie Blake) - Sally is the wise-cracking dame who fields hospital calls (mostly complaints or propositions) as well as the amorous attentions of Wayman and orderlies. She and Dr. Gillespie have the funniest lines of dialogue in the series.

Mike Ryan (Frank Orth) - Mike Ryan is the Irish bartender at the convivial Sullivan's Hospital Cafe who strikes a friendship with fellow Irishman Dr. Kildare. Ryan eventually takes over the cafe and rebrands it with his own name. He loves to flirt with Mrs. Martha Kildare and is always trying to get the interns and orderlies to eat his special Irish grub.

Nurse Maisie (Gladys Blake) - Nurse Maisie is Sally's back-up and manages the hospital intercom. She's Sally's rival for the orderlies' attention and is a big flirt.

Vernon Briggs (Red Skelton) - Skelton provides comic relief in two of the series most dramatic films. He's the orderly who thinks he's a wise guy but is always getting fooled. I wish they had introduced Skelton earlier and kept him longer in the series. Every scene he's in is a delight to watch.

Notable guest appearances include Tom Conway, Bonita Granville, Nils Asther, Robert Young, Lana Turner and Gene Lockhart.

The Dr. Kildare movies were always meant to be a series. At the end of the first film, Lionel Barrymore and Lew Ayres come out and announce that there will be many films to come. The Dr. Kildare series ended in 1942. Lew Ayres was a conscientious objector to WWII and because of public outcry did not appear in films during the war. The series was popular enough that they continued on without Ayres and what followed was three Dr. Gillespie films:  Calling Dr. Gillespie (1942), Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant (1942) and Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case (1943). The second film introduced Van Johnson as Gillespie's new assistant. I really think that Warner Archive should have either included those three movies in this set or at least followed up quickly with a single Dr. Gillespie set. One of those films includes Susan Peters, one of my favorite actresses.

The Dr. Kildare movies are a delight to watch and Lew Ayres and Lionel Barrymore are a dynamic duo. There are some outdated notions about medicine and treatment including a controversial approach to epilepsy and insulin shock therapy. However, the theme of the entire series focuses on preventative care and mind-over-body which still applies today. The overall gist I got was that medical science has advanced in leaps and bounds but there are still improvements waiting on the horizon.

This series isn't perfect though. I don't want to spoil things for you but one of the later films in the series is a shocking let-down. Also, I found the Dr. Kildare character difficult to connect to. He comes from a privileged situation. If anything goes wrong during his internship at Blair General Hospital, he has a cozy position at his father's home practice waiting for him as a fall back plan. This allows Dr. Kildare to take some risks. Not all of us have this convenience. I think his character would have been much more interesting if he had everything to lose.

I thoroughly enjoyed these films and would watch them again. In addition to the 9 Dr. Kildare films and their trailers, there is also a 26 minute unaired 1960 MGM-TV pilot for a Dr. Kildare show starring Lew Ayres. It features a very young Robert Redford which is probably the main draw for contemporary viewers. Lew Ayres portrayal of an older Dr. Kildare is charming. He's kind of half Kildare, half Gillespie. This pilot is bittersweet to watch. Lew Ayres was all set to play Dr. Kildare but made it clear that he wouldn't continue if the network was going to show cigarette ads during the commercial breaks. This unfortunately was a deal breaker and Ayres was dropped. The series was re-fashioned with Richard Chamberlain as Dr. Kildare. While I couldn't connect with Dr. Kildare as a character, I find Lew Ayres as an actor and as a man endlessly fascinating! The recently published biography Lew Ayres: Hollywood's Conscientious Objector is now at the top of my wish list.

The Dr. Kildare Movie Collection is available in a 5-Disc DVD-MOD set from Warner Archive. You can also purchase it at the TCM Shop.

Warner Archive Wednesday - On (random) Wednesdays, I review one title from the Warner Archive Collection. I received the Dr. Kildare Movie Collection from Warner Archive to review.

TCM Film Festival 2014 Announcements So Far

The 2014 TCM Classic Film Festival is fast approaching which means TCM has been releasing a lot of very exciting news about the different appearances, special events and screenings that will take place during the festival. This year's theme is Family in the Movies: The Ties that Bind and yesterday TCM announced several new guest appearances. I have compiled a list together of everything they've announced so far. If I missed anything, let me know.


2014 TCM Classic Film Festival April 10-13

Opening Night Gala - World Premiere Restoration of Oklahoma! (1955) with guest appearance by Shirley Jones
Vanity Fair Opening Night After-Party

Film Screenings

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) – World Premiere Restoration
City Lights (1931) – with Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra performing a new original score
Double Indemnity (1944) – 70th Anniversary and World Premiere Restoration
Godzilla: The Japanese Original (1954) – World Premiere Restoration
Gone with the Wind (1939)  – Recent Restoration
A Hard Day’s Night (1964) – World Premiere Restoration
Mary Poppins (1964) – 50th Anniversary Presentation with a Special Presentation (maybe at El Capitan theatre? Not confirmed)

The Lodger (1927) – with Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra performing a new original score
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) – World Premiere Restoration
Stormy Weather (1943) – World Premiere Restoration
Touch of Evil (1958)  – World Premiere Restoration
Why Worry? (1923) – with Carl Davis conducting live World Premiere Performance of new original score
The Wizard of Oz (1939) – Special Presentation in IMAX 3D

Special Guest Appearances

Actor Jerry Lewis (Special Tribute)
Hand/Footprint Ceremony in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre (AKA TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX)
The Nutty Professor (1963) – On-Stage interview with Illeana Douglas Q andA with audience

Composer & Producer Quincy Jones (Special Tribute)
The Pawnbroker (1964) – 50th Anniversary Screening

Actor Richard Dreyfuss (Special Tribute)
The Goodbye Girl (1977)
Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995)

Actress Maureen O’Hara
How Green Was My Valley (1941) – World Premiere Restoration

Actor Mel Brooks
Blazing Saddles (1974)

Actress Margaret O’Brien
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

Actress Shirley Jones
Oklahoma! (1955) (see above for more details)

Actress Kim Novak
Bell, Book and Candle (1958)

Actor Ryan O’Neal
Paper Moon (1973)

Director William Friedkin
Sorcerer (1977) – U.S. Premiere Restoration

Documentarian Albert Maysles
Grey Gardens (1975)

Filmmaker Ira Wohl
Best Boy (1979)

Film Editor Thelma Schoonmaker
Club TCM Interview

Which special event or screening are you most excited about? I'm really excited about seeing Margaret O'Brien, Shirley Jones, Maureen O'Hara and Kim Novak. Also, Grey Gardens (1975) has been on my to-be-watched list for such a long time and it would be quite special to see it on the big screen with the director in attendance. Of the single screenings, I'm excited about the Harold Lloyd film Why Worry? (1923) with live music and a new original score by Carl Davis. Plus The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) is on my 10 Classics for 2014 list so to see a screening of the restoration would be an amazing way to watch this film for the first time! I'm not a big fan of IMAX or 3D but George Feltenstein of Warner Archive highly recommends the IMAX 3D presentation of The Wizard of Oz (1939) and said it was very well done.

TCM will be releasing the full schedule of appearances in screenings in the next coming weeks so stay tuned!

Warner Archive Wednesday ~ Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956)

It’s no secret that I’m completely enamored with mid-20th Century Las Vegas. If I could take a time travel vacation, one of my top choices would be a late 1950s or early 1960s Las Vegas. So it was inevitable that I watch Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956) so I could swoon over all the glitz and glamour of a Las Vegas that no longer exists and to be entertained as well.

I won a copy of this movie in a Warner Archive Kumbuya giveaway. Shout out to the lovely Aurora of Once Upon a Screen... who runs the Kumbuya platform for Warner Archive and does a splendid job at that. I do encourage you to sign up and become a part of that community.

Meet Me in Las Vegas was an MGM production directed by Roy Rowland and stars Cyd Charisse as Maria Covier. Maria is a ballerina who’s preparing for her Las Vegas debut. She’s all business. When she’s not rehearsing, she’s resting and when she’s not resting, she’s rehearsing. Her life revolves around her various dancing gigs and the only people who inhabit her world, other than her fellow dancers, are her assistant Sari (Lili Darvas) and her manager Pierre (Paul Henreid). Maria’s world is small and she likes to keep it that way.

Las Vegas doesn’t agree with Maria. She’s annoyed by the noisy casino and the slot machine in the bedroom of her hotel suite. On the flip side, no one loves Las Vegas more than rancher Chuck Rodwell (Dan Dailey). Chuck is known for his bad luck but that doesn't stop him from gambling away his hard-earned profits. He has so much fun at the casinos, gambling, flirting, drinking and signing, he's still hopeful that his bad luck streak will end and he comes back for more. His luck is about to change when he meets Maria. All he needs to do is hold her hand and he’ll win at any game: roulette, black jack, you name it he’ll win it. At first Maria is not amused by Chuck who urgently seeks her out as his good luck charm, but they start to warm up to each other. Maria finds that she’s missed out on a lot of fun and is making up for lost time with Chuck. The two start to fall in love. Will their lucky streak last forever?

This film has plenty glamorous shots of 1950s Las Vegas just waiting to be devoured. Any nostalgic Las Vegas enthusiast will love all the glorious shots of the different casinos, the marquees, the city streets, rows and rows of slot machines, the gambling tables, the pools and the lounges. During the movie, viewers take a short trip to Chuck’s ranch just outside of Las Vegas where we meet his feisty mom Miss Hattie played Agnes Moorehead, a familiar face for fans of the classic TV show Bewitched. And you’ll find plenty more familiar faces in this movie. There are cameo roles performed by Frank Sinatra, Peter Lorre and several others (I won't spoil them all for you because part of the fun is being surprised by a recognizable star). Cyd Charisse's real life husband Tony Martin has a small part as a secret admirer. Fans of West Side Story will recognize George Chakiris who plays a newlywed spending his honeymoon in Las Vegas with his new bride (Betty Lynn). Jim Backus, of Gilligan's Island fame, plays the casino manager who has his hands full with the opinionated Maria. Sammy Davis Jr.’s voice (not body) makes an appearance in a dance number. And there are plenty of dance numbers that showcase Cyd Charisse’s terrific skill as a dancer and her long toned legs. There are musical performances by Lena Horne, Dan Dailey and many more.

I had a lot of fun watching this movie. Meet Me Las Vegas is a feast for the eyes and entertaining to boot. Even though the plot line isn’t all that realistic (if it were many of us would be looking for a lucky hand to hold so we can gamble our way into becoming millionaires) it’s still a lot of fun.

Spoiler Alert! For those of you who have written off the 1950s as a backwards time, check out this film. Classic film fans often find ourselves frustrated by this all too common ending: a successful woman gives up her career to be with the man she loves. Female (1933) anyone? I found it very refreshing that the couple in this story avoids this ending by coming to a compromise. They decide that each of them will work 6 months out of the year, with the other person by their side for support. That way Chuck can continue to be a rancher and Maria can continue to travel as a ballerina but they can still be together. It’s important to note that the screenwriter Isobel Lennart was a career woman herself which I’m sure had something to do with the ending of this film. End Spoiler Alert.

Meet Me In Las Vegas (1956)  is available from the Warner Archive as a DVD-MOD which includes a trailer and two deleted musical numbers: It's Fun to Be in Love and Lena Horne's You Got Looks.

Warner Archive Wednesday - On (random) Wednesdays, I review one title from the Warner Archive Collection. I received Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956) as part of a Warner Archive Kumbuya giveaway.

 

10 Classics for 2014

Hey there, did you miss me? I spent most of December stressed out and on the verge of an anxiety attack so I took some time off from blogging (and from other things) to recuperate. However, my blogging break did not keep from working on a blog project. I've been watching as many Fritz Lang movies as I can in an effort to do more deep viewing and expand my knowledge of film history. I hope to do similar projects with directors and actors/actresses in the future. So far I've watched 14 Fritz Lang films, including all of the silents I could find on DVD, Netflix Instant or on YouTube. I won't be reviewing each film but I'll be doing two posts on the project. Stay tuned.

Another project I want to work on is inspired by Laura of Laura's Miscellaneous Musings. For the past couple of years she's been doing a 10 Classics project in which she picks 10 major classics that she has yet to see and commits herself to watching them and reviewing them on her blog before the year end. Check out her list for 2014. I was impressed by her commitment to broaden her film viewing horizons and decided to jump on the bandwagon. I came up with my own list of 10 major classics to watch in 2014. My list is a combination of American, British and Foreign films. I almost made two lists (one American and one Foreign) but decided to keep it just to 10 for now.

The 39 Steps (1935) 

Norman Lloyd told me to watch this film. Well not me directly but to the audience at the TCM Film Festival last year. Leonard Maltin was interviewing Lloyd about another early Hitchcock masterpiece The Lady Vanishes (1938), which we were about to see, and Lloyd waxed enthusiastically about The 39 Steps. He said, "if you want to know how to shoot a film, watch The 39 Steps. Every shot, every camera set, every movement is perfection." (Here is my transcript from his interview) He recommends The 39 Steps to every film student he meets. I own a Criterion Blu-Ray edition so there is no excuse for me not to watch it.

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

My husband purchased the Blu-Ray of this some time ago and while we usually keep our DVDs and Blu-Rays separate, I put this one in my collection and have been eying it ever since. It's time for me to watch this classic! It's also time for me to stop calling it The Bridge OVER the River Kwai.

In the Heat of the Night (1967)

 I adore Sidney Poitier and he's my top choice for my next "deep viewing" movie project. It's embarrassing that I haven't seen this one yet and now I will finally get why everyone loves to repeat the famous quote "They call me Mr. Tibbs".

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

I've watched the first 20 minutes of this film on TCM once but haven't gotten around to watching the whole thing. Which is a shame because this is a much beloved classic. Jill of Sittin' on a Backyard Fence adores this film and I often see her tweeting about it whenever its on TCM. Her enthusiasm for the film makes this a top candidate for me!

Touch of Evil (1958)
The other day my husband asked me if Touch of Evil was a good film and I replied that I hadn't seen it yet. My husband was quite shocked. I took his response as a gauntlet thrown and the challenge was accepted.

Tokyo Story (1953)

A shout out to one of my readers Greg who recommended this film to me a long time ago. He emailed me after I had reviewed the film Make Way for Tomorrow (1937) which inspired Tokyo Story. My very emotional reaction (i.e. sobbing uncontrollably) to Make Way for Tomorrow made me put off Tokyo Story because I wasn't sure if I could handle it. But this year I want to watch it once and for all.

Gun Crazy (1950)
A classic, gritty film noir. I've seen parts of it but I need to sit my butt down and watch the whole thing. I have owned a copy for years so I have no excuse.

Journey to Italy (1954)

This was sort of a blind add. I saw it on the Sight and Sound list of best films and it's a film I missed at the last TCM Film Festival. Plus its got George Sanders so why wouldn't I want to watch it?

Nosferatu (1922)

It's the film Fritz Lang was supposed to direct but didn't so in a way this would fit into my Lang project. I'm really loving German silents and Nosferatu has been screened with live musical accompaniment numerous times in my area and I have managed to miss every single one of those events. If it happens again come Halloween, I'm committing myself to going! If it doesn't, I'll just rent it on DVD.

The Wild Bunch (1969)
This film has three of my favorite actors: Edmond O'Brien, Ernest Borgnine and Robert Ryan. And I'm gradually warming to Westerns thanks to Robert Mitchum and the plot of this one sounds right up my alley.

What do you think about my choices? Do you think I'll like them? What would you pick as your 10 classics for 2014?

Interview with B. James Gladstone, author of The Man Who Seduced Hollywood

I've had the pleasure of interviewing author B. James Gladstone, the author of The Man Who Seduced Hollywood: The Life and Loves of Greg Bautzer, Tinseltown’s Most Powerful Lawyer. Gladstone’s book is not only fascinating and informative, it’s also endlessly entertaining. Who needs fiction when there are stories to tell about people like Greg Bautzer!

Let me say a few things about the author B. James Gladstone. He is enthusiastic about his book and always willing to talk about Greg Bautzer. He has been so kind and patient with me and was willing to share with me some details of his research. Gladstone was very gracious and willing to spend some time answering my questions. This quickly turned into one of my favorite interviews.

Gladstone's books i one all of you must read. Here are some places where you can buy the book: Barnes and Noble IndieBound Powell's and here is my full review.  Here is Gladstone's website for the book.

Now on to the interview!

Raquel: For those of us who are not familiar with Greg Bautzer, why do you think it’s important for us to know who he is?

Photo Source: Chicago Review Press

B. James Gladstone: In addition to leading one of the most glamorous lives of the twentieth century, Bautzer played a major role in the history of the motion pictures. He was much more than a lawyer; he was an industry leader who made things happen. His client list included the cream of Hollywood: Ingrid Bergman, Rock Hudson, Joan Crawford, Kirk Douglas, Gene Kelly, Katharine Hepburn, Merle Oberon, Mario Lanza, Judy Garland not to mention the richest man in the world – Howard Hughes. Bautzer was virtually on the same level as people who ran Hollywood like Zanuck, Mayer, Goldwyn, and Schenck. He played cards with them several times a week and used his friendship with them to influence other people’s careers. He pulled an unknown Marilyn Monroe out of buffet line and hooked her up with the Chairman of Twentieth Century Fox. He took Robert Wagner under his wing and promoted his career by introducing him to the studio heads and producers. He convinced Charles Bluhdorn to hire Robert Evans to run Paramount. When Las Vegas magnate, Kirk Kerkorian, wanted to own MGM, Bautzer got it for him.

Raquel: How did you decide to write your book and how did you do your research?

Gladstone: When I started practicing law in Los Angeles, I heard many stories about Bautzer from lawyers who had known him. He had only been gone 6 years, and his exploits were legendary. Every lawyer and studio executive had a Bautzer story. After a while I decided to see if perhaps there was enough material for a book. As it turned out, I had enough material for several books. He was at the epicenter of many of the film industry’s biggest scandals and business moves. In addition to researching archives and the written record in the media, I interviewed people who knew him such as Robert Wagner, Bob Newhart, Arlene Dahl, Ingrid Bergman’s daughter Pia Lindstrom, his wife Dana Wynter, Wolfgang Puck, producer Al Ruddy, and many L.A. lawyers.

Raquel: Do you have a personal connection with Greg Bautzer?

Gladstone: I didn’t know him while he was living, but I know dozens of lawyers who got their start working for him. Many of today’s most powerful lawyers in Los Angeles, started their careers with him.

Raquel: In your Acknowledgments section, you credit Bautzer’s third wife actress Dana Wynter as being an important resource of information. How did she help you with writing your book?

Gladstone: She was wonderful to me. I e-mailed or spoke to her on almost a daily basis in the three months before her death. She told me many behind-the-scenes stories that she witnessed personally, such as Sinatra bringing mobster Sam Giancana to their vacation home in Mexico.

Raquel: What was it about Bautzer that made him such a sought after lawyer?

Gladstone: He had incredible charisma and confidence. In real life, lawyers are not like they are in movies. They’re actually pretty boring. He was dashing, bold, intelligent, funny and incredibly tough. After he stood up to Bugsy Siegel on behalf of the publisher of the Hollywood Reporter, Billy Wilkerson, everyone in Hollywood knew he was the toughest lawyer you could hire. The most common thing said about him was: “If you were in a fight, he was the lawyer you needed by your side”.

Raquel: Bautzer sure had a way with women. He romanced glamorous actresses like Lana Turner, Joan Crawford and Ginger Rogers. What was it about him that made him irresistible to women?

Gladstone: You left off Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth, Paulette Goddard, Jane Wyman, Dorothy Lamour, Peggy Lee, Ann Sothern, Greer Garson, and a few dozen more. His third wife, Dana Wynter, told me that the secret to his success with women was the way he lavished attention on them. He knew how to make a woman feel like she was the most beautiful and interesting person in the world. Casanova and Don Juan had nothing on Bautzer. In fact, his love life was probably more prolific.

Raquel: Bautzer had many clients in Hollywood. Who was his most difficult client and why? Or Who was his most interesting client and why?

Gladstone: The answer to both is Howard Hughes. He represented Hughes from about 1950 until Hughes’ death in 1976. Hughes was demanding and eccentric, but Bautzer thought he was the most brilliant businessman he had ever known. Hughes required that Bautzer be available around the clock, which he was. When Bautzer went on vacations, Hughes sent detectives to follow Bautzer so that Hughes knew where to reach him. Hughes was a very tough negotiator and often stalled negotiations in order to gain an advantage. Sometimes it was difficult getting an answer out of Hughes because he was trying to find other angles. Hughes sent Bautzer on all kinds of bizarre missions, from trying to buy Elizabeth Taylor’s hand in marriage from her mother to bribing Random House to keep it from publishing a tell-all biography. Most notably, Bautzer was the man who signed the checks for Hughes’ harem of kept women.

Raquel: Are there still lawyers like Greg Bautzer working (and romancing) today?

Gladstone: No, lawyers today are no longer celebrities. In his day, Bautzer was as famous has his clients. He was constantly in the newspapers and magazines. In the 20th Century, there were quite a few lawyers who had celebrity status: Melvin Beli, F. Lee Bailey, Roy Cohn, Edward Bennett Williams, Jerry Giesler, Louis Nizer, among others. After Johnny Cochran, the concept of a lawyer as a celebrity somehow died.

Raquel: Is there a story about Greg Bautzer that you’d like to share that wasn’t in the book?

Gladstone: There are many stories about famous actresses jumping out of his bedroom window to avoid being caught by their husbands who were knocking on the front door, but these stories are somewhat suspect. One of the stories I wanted to include concerned Walter Wanger shooting Jennings Lang in the groin over the affair with Wanger’s wife, actress Joan Bennett. It’s one of the most famous scandals in Hollywood history and Bautzer played a role. Producer Walter Wanger suspected that Joan was having an affair with talent agent Jennings Lang. Wanger saw her car in the parking lot of the agency, and he surmised they were having an afternoon liaison; so he waited for them to return. When she arrived with Jennings Lang in his car, Wanger pulled a gun and shot Lang in the groin. Wanger was arrested, and Lang immediately became a laughing stock in Hollywood. As a result, he was afraid to go out in public because people would be pointing at him and gossiping behind his back. Bautzer heard that Lang was afraid to go out in public and invited him to go to dinner at Romanoff’s when the restaurant would be filled with Hollywood’s elite. Lang demurred, but Bautzer insisted. “You have to face them some time,” said Bautzer. “When people see that I’m behind you, they’ll stop laughing.” Bautzer and Lang went to dinner and starred everyone down and that was that. By the way, Wanger was one of Bautzer’s clients and would remain so after Wanger got out of prison, right through Wanger’s production of Cleopatra with Elizabeth Taylor. Lang went on to have a successful career as a producer also, producing some of Clint Eastwood’s movies. Oh, and Lang fathered a child, so the damage was not permanent.

Raquel: Can you tell us a little about what you do for a living?

Gladstone: I’m Executive Vice President for Lionsgate Entertainment. Unfortunately, most of what I do is confidential. But I’ve worked on few scandals and major corporate transactions, somewhat similar to the things Bautzer did. But that’s where the comparison ends.