Beauty for the Asking (1939)

Patric Knowles, Lucille Ball and Donald Woods in Beauty for the Asking (1939)

Beautician Jean Russell (Lucille Ball) has just mastered her formula for astringent cold cream. The business and financial prospects are enough that she can finally marry her live-in beau Denny (Patric Knowles). However, it turns out Denny has his higher aims and plans to marry wealthy yet homely socialite Flora Barton (Frieda Inescort). Settling into life without Denny, Jean and her straight-talking roommate Gwen (Inez Courtney) set out to make Jean's cold cream a success. Jean barges into the office of advertising executive Jeffrey Martin (Donald Woods) determined to get his help with her product. The cold cream evolves into a whole line of beauty products and salons. When Jean and Jeffrey get backing from Denny's new bride Flora, things get awful complicated especially when Denny and Jeffrey vie for Jean's romantic attentions.


RKO's Beauty for Asking (1939) was directed by Glenn Tryon who most will recognize as the male lead in two Pal Fejos films Lonesome (1928) and Broadway (1929). The story was based on an original idea by women screenwriters Grace Norton and Adele Buffington and would then be fleshed out by Edmund L. Hartmann, Doris Anderson and Paul Jarrico.

Adele Buffington, who would later write under the names Jesse Bowers and Colt Remington, championed original stories for film instead of adaptations of plays and novels which were the norm in Hollywood. She got her start as a teenager working at as a ticket cashier at a cinema. This job allowed her to watch as many silent movies as she wanted. At the tender age of 19 she wrote her first screenplay and her journey to Hollywood began. In 1924 she wrote an article for the Los Angeles Times called Beauty and Brains Go Together, in which she fought against the stereotype that intellectuals were ugly and beautiful women were dumb.

This idea, perhaps progressive for the time, made its way into Beauty for the Asking where socialites and business women alike are known for their smarts as well as their looks. In fact the weakest character, Flora Barton-Williams, blossoms when she achieves not only self-confidence and glamour but also grows wise to the motives of her husband. Flora gets help from Jean who is not just her romantic rival but also a role model. Jean who is still smarting from Denny's betrayal is also a diligent business woman who makes a career for herself with her own invention. She didn't intend to give up her aspirations even when marriage with Denny seemed likely. She tells him:

"Why should a woman stop using her brains just because she's caught her man?" - Jean Russell

The screenwriting team was also inspired by Helena Rubinstein, the cosmetics entrepreneur who became rich off of her business. She believed in packaging, up-pricing, endorsements and the perceived power of science.  According to an article on TCM.com, screenwriter Paul Jarrico did quite a bit of research hoping to reveal the shady tricks the beauty industry employs to fool customers. A little of this remains in the movie however the focus of the story is more about the main characters relationships with each other than the beauty industry that sustains them.

Beauty for the Asking is a darling little movie. Pair this in a double bill with The Women (1939) and it would serve as a nice little appetizer for that main course. As many classic movie lovers know, 1939 was a great year for the film industry. This doesn't only include the big pictures but for B-movies too.

Beauty for the Asking is available on DVD-MOD from Warner Archive.You can purchase the DVD from the WB Shop. Use my buy links to shop and you will help support this site. Thanks!

Warner Archive Wednesday - On (random) Wednesdays, I review one title from the Warner Archive Collection. Thank you to Warner Archive for sending me a copy of Beauty for the Asking (1939) to review!

Alias Nick Beal (1949)

It's a story as old as time. A mortal sells his soul to the devil for what he really wants only to suffer the consequences later. Bargaining with evil always comes at a cost.

"I'd give my soul to nail him." - Joseph Foster

Joseph Foster (Thomas Mitchell) is a good man by all accounts. He's devoted to his wife Martha (Geraldine Wall). He runs an athletic club for wayward boys with his good friend Reverend Thomas Garfield (George Macready) and takes on a particular tough case with Larry Price (Darryl Hickman). As district attorney, he seeks to put a criminal in jail but just needs the proof.  And this is when his troubles begins. When he proclaims he would sell his soul for evidence needed in the case, a mysterious figure by the name of Nick Beal (Ray Milland) shows up. He's a strange man. He appears and disappears seemingly out of the blue. He's conjures up the much needed evidence and helps Foster run for governor. Then things start to spiral out of control. Foster develops a wandering eye when Beal hires prostitute Donna Allen (Audrey Totter) to play the role of dutiful campaign secretary and temptation to Foster. Then people start to question how Foster was able to get that evidence that had once been destroyed. Foster can't seem to shake the shadowy figure who haunts him day by day. Who exactly is Nick Beal and what does he want from Foster? Can Foster save his marriage, his career, his life?

Directed by John Farrow, Alias Nick Beal (1949) is a terrific Film Noir with a fantastic cast, captivating story, ominous music, beautiful and eerie cinematography. It's everything a film noir should be: dark, brooding and captivating. Based on an original story by Mindret Lord and adapted for the screen by Jonathan Latimer, Alias Nick Beal is a modern story in the tradition of Goethe's Faust. It's a morality tale with a clear warning against "trading principles for personal glory."

Audrey Totter and Ray Milland in Alias Nick Beal

If you came to Alias Nick Beal for Ray Milland, you won't be disappointed. A few years after his Academy Award winning performance in The Lost Weekend, Milland wanted to strengthen his acting muscles with different types of characters. Nick Beal presented him with a chance to play a villain, a captivating one at that. Audrey Totter has a fantastic role as Donna who transforms from a lowlife to a career woman. She's a complex character who begins to doubt her newfound role. Totter is always amazing to watch on screen and I love her in this sort of two-part role. One of my favorite actors of all time Darryl Hickman has small but memorable role as a tough kid from the streets who becomes the recipient of Foster's benevolence. Cast members looked back on this film kindly. John Farrow and Audrey Totter both proclaimed it as one of their best films. Farrow could be tough on actors but he seemed to get on swimmingly with Milland.

Watching Alias Nick Beal, I couldn't help but feel like it came from a parallel universe. Another old Hollywood where many movies like this existed and this one just happened to sneak through to the other side. Perhaps it's the fact that this film is so highly sought-after and hard to get that makes it that way. This movie aired recently on TCM as part of their Summer Under the Stars tribute to Ray Milland. It was the first time they had ever screened the moment making it one not to miss. This film, along with many others, are part of the Paramount library owned and tightly controlled by MCA. If you find yourself with an opportunity to watch Alias Nick Beal, do so. Who knows when you'll get another chance.

Update: According to this article in The Hollywood Reporter, the last film Hugh Hefner screened at the Playboy Mansion, nine days before he passed away, was Alias Nick Beal. Did he tape it off of TCM?!

Showcase Event Cinema: The Witches of Eastwick (1987) 30th Anniversary Screening

On Monday I had the privilege of attending an exclusive event hosted by Showcase at their Super Lux location in Chestnut Hill, MA.  Showcase Event Cinema is the theater chain's initiative to bring classic movies, documentaries, anime as well as ballet, opera, stage productions and other entertainment to a wider audience.

The event I attended was a 30th anniversary screening of The Witches of Eastwick (1987). With Halloween just around the corner and the fact that the movie was filmed in Massachusetts, this seemed like the perfect pick for a Boston area event. Attendees mingled during the cocktail reception while a violinist serenading us as we nibbled on some delicious h'orderves and sipped on our signature cocktail. There was also a mini-red carpet and photography session. I got a couple photos taken and even had one printed out as a keepsake.

 

Jared Bowen of WGBH was on hand to kick off the event which would be capped off by an interview with screenwriter Michael Christofer. Before the attendees were whisked away to cinema #5 for the screening, we were treated to  a live performance of Je Suis Encoure Tout Etourdie performed by soprano Carley DeFranco with Stephanie Mao accompanying on the piano.

I've never been to one of the Super Lux cinemas so this was a real treat. The cinema boasts plush reclining seats with swivel trays and a call button. Visitors can order food and cocktails to be delivered to their assigned seats. Much to my delight I was offered a plush blanket to use during the screening. I'm always cold at movie theaters so this felt ultra luxurious. I also received a complimentary tub of popcorn and a bottle of water. I felt pampered in a way I don't usually experience when going out to the movies.

Directed by George Miller, The Witches of Eastwick follows the story of three women who suddenly find themselves single. Alexandra (Cher) is widowed, Sukie (Michelle Pfeiffer) has been abandoned by her husband and left to raise her six children and Jane (Susan Sarandon) just finalized her divorce from a husband frustrated by her inability to bear them a child. The three don't realize it yet but they're witches with magical powers. On a drunken night, they come up with the idea of their ideal man who materializes as Daryl Van Horne (Jack Nicholson), AKA the devil. He invades their town and their lives. The women feel liberated until their relationships with Daryl quickly spiral into chaos. Their small town, including the outspoken Felicia (Veronica Cartwright), can't handle the chaotic developments. Will the triumvirate be able to get rid of Daryl before he ruins all of their lives?

"If we're gonna have it, let's have it all." - Cher as Alexandra

"How much can you take before you snap?" - Jack Nicholson as Daryl Van Horne

The Witches of Eastwick is not your typical family Halloween movie which is why it still flies under the radar. It can be raunchy and vile and is definitely a film to be enjoyed by adults. I love it's feminist message of empowerment. It's a smart movie that lacks the cheesiness of many others in its genre. However, as someone who loves cherries I might not be able to eat my favorite fruit for quite some time after watching this. Lucky for me, cherries are currently out of season.

Michael Christofer and Jared Bowen in conversation

The story was adapted from a novel by John Updike by the same name. Screenwriter Michael Christofer was intrigued by the first half the novel but not the second which had the three female protagonists turn on the local women in spite. In conversation with Jared Bowen, Michael Christofer called the second half of the book "John Updike's very very very dark view of women. It was not a story I wanted to tell." Christofer went on to say, "this was a very pertinent and hot political, sociological issue about women in a repressed state finding their own power and then getting to use it. [And] this devil was an extraordinary character that I have never seen before. It was fun to write."


The filming of The Witches of Eastwick was anything but smooth sailing. In particular producer Jon Peters drove everyone nuts. Christofer said, "it was the '80s. There was a thing called cocaine that many people indulged in. There was a lot of strange behavior on the set."  In fact, director George Miller walked away from the movie twice and the three female leads walked away once. Who brought them back? Jack Nicholson. About Nicholson, Christofer said "He's a madman. He's completely crazy. But he was so dedicated and so disciplined. There is not a word on screen that was not right out of the script. He made it into something extraordinary. I have enormous respect for him."

The cast originally was supposed to be Bill Murray, Dianne Wiest, Barbara Hershey and Susan Sarandon, in Cher's role. According to Christofer, Wiest and Hershey were dropped because Jon Peters and other executives didn't think the three women would make for a good movie poster. Cher and Michelle Pfeiffer were brought on with Sarandon's role switched. Have you noticed the particular attention to hair in the film? The three women each have a distinct hair color and style and Sarandon's changes as her character blossoms. Nicholson sports a wild man that is as untamed as his character. Producer Jon Peters was a former hairdresser and his influence can be seen in this respect. Christofer, in his best Jack Nicholson voice, recalled the actor saying to Peters, "Jon, you know we all get nervous when you start talking about hair."

Christofer's script was to have the climax of the film in the church scene followed by a short coda. However, movies with special effects were trending and a spectacular scene with the devil coming back for the women was added. While it's quite dramatic it doesn't add anything to the film and makes the ending longer than it needs to be. It was also very expensive and in Christofer's opinion "it was boring."

The Witches of Eastwick was filmed in Massachusetts notably Cohasset, Ipswich and Marblehead. The story is set in Rhode Island and they were supposed to film in Little Compton. Christofer recalls 'The deacons of the church threw us out. The Massachusetts film board lobbied really strongly to get us to come to Massachusetts."

Could this film be made today? Christofer's answer: no. He went on to say:

"It would have to be a small art film, done by independent financing. The language alone, the sexuality, these things... I had a lot of freedom then in terms of dialogue, in terms of writing those and in terms of writing that character. Which we don't have any more... I don't know what this movie cost. I'm going to guess $25 million maybe $30 million. To make this movie now the way we made it would be over $100 million. It was championed as a huge hit. It brought in $20 million in the first two weeks. Compare that to $50 million on the first weekend which is what films are expected to do now. Money, it's all about money."

Showcase Event Cinema will be hosting screenings of The Witches of Eastwick (1987) on October 26th. They'll also be showing the following classic movies:

TCM The Princess Bride 30th Anniversary - 10/15 and 10/18
TCM Casablanca 75h Anniversary - 11/12 and 11/15
TCM Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? 50th Anniversary - 12/10 and 12/13

Many thanks to the folks at Showcase and Marlo Marketing for the opportunity to attend this event.