Holiday Affair (1949) out on DVD 11/11!!!

I'm so excited that Holiday Affair (1949) is going to be out on DVD! I saw this on TCM and immediately put it on my wishlist. This is the year I buy two of my favorite Christmas classics, the other being Christmas in Connecticut (1945).

But good grief! Take a look at the artwork for the DVD package!!!! Is that really the original poster for the film? Talk about misleading. Poor Janet Leigh, wrapped up in cellophane (which was invented in 1908 if you were checking) and tied up in a bow, blowing a kiss. Robert Mitchum and Wendell Corey are looking up at her, with expressions that make them seem both intrigued and perplexed. The little boy seems like an afterthought. And don't get me started on that stupid tagline.

Complete misrepresentation. She's NOT offering herself up to two men to fight over her. On the contrary, she finds herself in a love triangle but it still holding on to the memory of her deceased husband. She struggles with that loss but also wants a good father figure for her son. It's a sweet film, a bit melancholic but heart-warming. That poster just gives the wrong message. ARGH!!! Maybe I'll just print out the below picture and put that in the keepcase instead! At least its more honest and Mitchum is always easy on the eyes.

Out of the Past, Into the Now ~ Amy Adams as Rita Hayworth

I really like Amy Adams. Especially after I saw the film Miss Pettigrew Lives for Day (2008), which just happens to be the theme of my new blog header. I like Amy Adams even more now with the November issue of Vanity Fair. She channels Rita Hayworth from Gilda (1946) in the photographs accompanying an article about her. They are stunning. Makes me want to break out and sing "Put the Blame on Mame". The video posted on Vanity Fair's website shows the photo session and the different Rita Hayworth-esque poses she did in the black dress and black gloves. Check it out!

Article & Video

You Otto See It: The Man With the Golden Arm

It was a strange coincidence that I watched Guys and Dolls (1955) and The Man with the Golden Arm (1956) back-to-back. Guys and Dolls is a musical about a gambler who gambles with love and stars Marlon Brando. Frank Sinatra co-stars as an illegal crap game organizer. Sinatra had been vying for the title role of Sky Masterson and lost out to Brando. Brando does most of the singing, which seems a utter shame given Sinatra's God-given talent. But Sinatra gave Brando his comeuppance the following year when he quickly snagged the role of Frankie Machine in The Man with the Golden Arm away from Brando, who was the first choice for the film. Sinatra steps out of his realm and does an amazing job as a dealer, finally clean from his heroin-addiction, trying to get his life back on track by becoming a drummer and staying away from drugs and cards. But his old life, and the people in it, keep getting in his way.

As I've said before, I absolutely love it when actors step out of their comfort zones and do something completely different. While it didn't work so much for Brando, it definitely worked for Sinatra. This is one of the best films I have ever seen and it has much to do with Sinatra's performance (which I'm sure Otto Preminger had a hand in).

I decided, instead of gushing on and on about this film, that I would keep it short. I'll give you 5 reasons to watch this film.

1) Frank Sinatra's astounding performance. He was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for this film.

2) The opposition between motherly yet sizzling hot Molly (Kim Novak) and the pathetic and conniving Zosh (Eleanor Parker). They play off each other very well even though they don't share very many scenes.

3) The musical score by Elmer Bernstein. I hardly ever notice music, but I did with this film. The music interacts with the motions of the scenes. Beautiful.

4) Otto Preminger's direction and Sam Leavitt's cinematography. Everything just falls into place.

5) Saul Bass' title sequence art. It's beautiful. He's well known for the title sequences in numerous Preminger and Hitchcock films. For Man with the Golden Arm, Bass created a minimalist black background cut by moving white bars. It's beautiful for its simplicity. See below. (thanks to Frank & Kevin for their help on this!)