North by Northwest (1959) at the Brattle Theatre

On Columbus Day, I had the day off from work so I decided to make my way to Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA to go to the Brattle Theatre to watch the Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest (1959) on the big screen. I was going to go with my good friend Kevin but he wasn't feeling well (I hope he's feeling better! Hi Kevin!). Carlos convinced me to go out on my own and I'm really glad I did.

I decided to drive to and park in Harvard Square which is no easy task. Even at 1pm on a Monday, it was still technically a holiday which means people come out to Harvard Square in droves. After circling the square several times I finally found a single parking spot.

Just a fun bit of information, the park in the picture above is the Cambridge Common. When Carlos and I were dating, before we became engaged and got married, I would be terrified of walking through this park with him. The reason for my fear was because every time we would go to this park he would always scream out at the top of his lungs "I LOVE MY GIRLFRIEND" in front of a bunch of confused strangers and a very embarrassed girlfriend. He hasn't done it in a long time and I hope he won't again!

It was a chilly day, so I stopped by L.A. Burdick for a hot drink and a pastry. L.A. Burdick is known for their homemade chocolates, hot chocolates, delicious pastries and coffee and tea drinks. If you are in Harvard Square on a cold day, it's imperative that you stop by L.A. Burdick for a sweet treat and a hot beverage.

I got one of their Melange Tea Lattes and a Chocolate Madeleine Cookie and headed over to the Brattle Theatre which was only about a block away. (Sorry for the out-of-focus photo! Never drink, walk and photograph).

As you see, the Brattle is tucked away and is off of the main street. Downstairs there used to be a restaurant called Casablanca but after over half of a century of being in business the owners decided to close it down. It's all very sad. Carlos, my friends and I had a wonderful experience watching Casablanca (1942) at the Brattle then having dinner and drinks at Casablanca restaurant later that same evening. A happy memory indeed.

The North by Northwest (1959) screening was part of The Brattle's Cloak & Dagger: Spies on Screen series. It was a double bill with the Fritz Lang film Ministry of Fear (1944). Unfortunately, I only had time to stay for the North by Northwest screening. Two films for $7.75 matinee is a pretty good deal.

Alfred Hitchcock says SHHHH.

The managing director of the Lucas Theatre in Savannah, GA tells me she has this same poster in her theater too!

I love to sit in the balcony of the Brattle. You don't have the best view and the screen seems pretty small at that distance but it's the coziest. The balcony feels tucked away and private and it stays pretty warm too. Most theaters are cold but the Brattle is (almost) always at a good temperature. Another interesting note about the Brattle is that they do rear projection rather than the traditional front projection. So the projection comes from behind the stage rather than behind the audience.

There were about 50 people in the audience for the screening of North by Northwest. It's not the first time I had seen this film on the big screen but it had been a couple years since I had seen it so this was definitely a treat. It's amazing how many things I had forgotten about the film and what I had remembered. I forgot almost the entire beginning up until the assassination of Mr. Townsend.

A few observations on this viewing: I noticed that the film does a really good job blending humor and drama. And Cary Grant is good at both so he's the perfect actor to deliver this suspenseful and entertaining film. Also, I now really appreciate how much chemistry there is between Cary Grant's Roger Thornhill and Eva Marie Saint's Eve Kendall. When they meet on the train for the first time, their flirtation is electric. The dialogue is sharp, witty and downright sexy. And their prolonged kissing scene with lots of pecks and caresses is a Hitchcock trademark to get around the Code's limit on the length of time a kiss lasts on screen. It's a long scene that feels like one continuous kiss but is in fact a lot of little kisses (Hitchcock does the same thing in To Catch a Thief). The romantic connection between Thornhill and Kendall is important to the plot. It adds more tension as Thornhill cares more about Kendall as the spy who is putting herself in a lot of danger. His affection for her determines his actions as he goes on a wild north by northwest chase. The film was very satisfying to watch and a lot of fun. I'm glad I made the trek out to the Brattle to see it.

I feel very privileged to have access to repertory theaters which show amazing classic films!

Warner Archive Wednesday ~ A Millionaire for Christy (1951)

A Millionaire for Christy (1951) stars Fred MacMurray as Peter Ulysses Lockwood, a popular radio advertising spokesperson. He's about to get married to June (Kay Buckley) in an arrangement more about convenience than about love. Little does Peter know that he's about to come into an inheritance of $2 million!

Nice sock garters Fred

Christy Sloane (Eleanor Parker) has been sent by her law firm to find Peter to hand deliver his notice about the $2 million. Christy is the opposite of Peter's bride June. She's a poor working girl who just had her new fur coat repossessed. Christy dreams of a luxurious life but can't seem to manage it in her current situation. Her coworker Patsy (the lovely Una Merkel) convinces Christy to try to snag the newly minted millionaire Peter so she can get somewhere in life.

Only Una Merkel could rock a frown, a secretary blouse and cat-eye glasses and make it look adorable.

Christy is tempted and tries to lure Peter in. What follows is an up-and-down and around-and-around roller coaster ride. Christy keeps trying to tell Peter he's rich and Peter keeps trying to get to his wedding. But there are lots of obstacles along the way. Including Dr. Roland Cook (Richard Carlson), Peter's good friend and his competition for June's affections.

This Hollywood comedy, directed by George Marshall, tries too hard to be funny and most of the time it fell flat. In fact, I was bored watching it and had to restart it several times before I could finish it. Fred MacMurray is both lovable and annoying as the confused and befuddled Peter. But Eleanor Parker was just plain annoying. I really didn't have any sympathy for her character. They try to get your empathy with the early scene with her getting her fur coat repossessed right off her back (at her place of employment no less) but after that I really couldn't care less about her. And I wanted to see more Una Merkel.

My favorite part of the film was when Peter and Christy get stranded in fog late at night and their car is stuck in a stretch of beach. A group of Mexican men help tow their car and give them a place to sleep for the night. Peter and Christy don't speak Spanish and the Mexicans don't speak English (although one of them tries and fails repeatedly). Peter and Christy end up getting drunk off of Tequila shots (body, salt, tequila, lime and all!) and let loose for one night. For the entire movie they are both uptight bundles of nerves and this is the only part in which you see them relax for a bit.

A Millionaire for Christy (1951) is available on DVD via Warner Archive (Warner Home Video).

Also, check out Laura's review of the film over at her blog Laura's Miscellaneous Musings.

Warner Archive Wednesday - On (random) Wednesdays, I review one title from the Warner Archive Collection. Movies selected are rented from Classicflix, watched on TCM or purchased from Warner Archive, Classicflix or TCM. This series is not sponsored by Warner Archive.

Lawrence of Arabia (1962) on the big screen

On Thursday, I had the absolute pleasure of seeing Lawrence of Arabia (1962) for the very first time, and on the big screen to boot. What an experience!

The film was presented by Sony Pictures and NCM Fathom Events. It started off early with some interviews with industry professionals regarding the remastering of the film for it's 50th anniversary and it's special Blu-Ray release. Note to self: go to these screenings early or you'll miss all the advanced goodies. Carlos and I walked in and they had already started.

They showed some behind-the-scenes footage from old newsreels. Then they showed The Lure of the Dessert, a documentary by Martin Scorcese on Lawrence of Arabia. Scorcese made some interesting observations. Lawrence of Arabia is one of the few cinematic epics from the era which is not based on a Biblical character or story yet has the same level of production as those Biblical movies did. Scorcese was intrigued by T.E. Lawrence the main character because he's a hero you can't quite figure out and the mystery of his character is what draws audiences into the movie and back to it after they ave seen it. And Scorcese never seems to remember the ending because this movie is much more about the journey than it is about a beginning and an end. He also notes that there was a restoration and re-release that happened in the 1980s.

David Lean was the director of Lawrence of Arabia and it was noted, perhaps in Scorcese's documentary, that he never finished editing the film. Which could speak to it's length and breadth.

There was also a newsreel from when King Hussein visited the set and another one about Peter O'Toole. Did you know he spent 3 months learning how to ride a camel? And that a 1917 armored car actually used by the real T.E. Lawrence was used in the film?

The final bits included some short footage of the Lawrence of Arabia premiere. I'm thinking it was L.A. but it could have been NY. I didn't realize this was Peter O'Toole's first major role. Wow! That's quite a project to take on.

My favorite of the intro pieces definitely had to have been Omar Sharif's introduction. He starts off saying "I wish I was with you right now." Oh my goodness I just wanted to give him a big hug.

There is not much I can say about Lawrence of Arabia that hasn't been said so I thought I would just share my experience as a newcomer to the film. I had seen another David Lean film, Ryan's Daughter (1970), so the cinema style employed by David Lean was familiar to me. The score, the visuals, the costumes, the settings, the story, the magnificent cast (Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Omar Sharif, Jose Ferrer, Claude Rains, etc.), Peter O'Toole's blazing blue eyes, what a feast to behold. I was very drawn to all the open space and the continuing themes of loneliness, identity, determination and heroism. I thought it was interesting that T.E. Lawrence is kind of an androgynous character who seems to have both feminine and masculine characteristics along with his personality and character flowing between being English and his sympathy and camaraderie with the Arabs. I really love how they set up his character in the beginning of the film. His motorcycle accident, his love of maps of Arabia and his willingness to burn his fingers on matches shows a sense of adventure and willingness to explore a vast dessert landscape that would scare away many.

I'm very glad I saw this for the first time on the big screen. It made a huge difference. The time frame did not work for me that well. It started at 7pm and after all the intro stuff the film started a bit later. I was fine until the intermission then after the intermission I started to get sleepy and restless and wanted Lawrence to finish his journey already! I think my experience would have been better if the film started earlier. I'm just not a night owl.

Did you see Lawrence of Arabia (1962) on the big screen? What are your thoughts on your experience?

Here are some fun infographics: