The Kiss (1929)

Irene (Greta Garbo), unhappily married to Charles Guarry (Anders Randolf), is in love with young lawyer André (Conrad Nagel).  The two break off their relationship, but André later returns to defend Irene in a trial after her innocent kiss to an infatuated boy, Pierre (Lew Ayres), leads to her husband's death.

Interesting Notes:
- Both MGM's and Greta Garbo's last silent film.
- Lew Ayres' film debut.

Thoughts:
I always enjoy watching this movie.  When Warner Archive had one of their sales several months ago, I bought all the Garbo films I had not yet seen at the time, and this one became one of my favorites.  Greta is beautiful and talented as always in this late silent film; she was twenty-four when it was filmed and a major star by this point in her career.  I read somewhere that she saw this film three times in theatres and knew which scenes were cut out (the movie runs only a little over an hour, and was trimmed down so that more show-times could fit into the theatre schedules).

The filming techniques in The Kiss are so unique.  At the point where Guarry discovers Irene and Pierre (played by young and adorable Lew Ayres) together, the door shuts behind the three of them -- and the audience later finds out that Guarry has died, but how did it happen?  There are some great moments when Irene is attempting to recount her story, and because her tale is full of contradictions, we can see the windows opening or closing, and the hour on the clock altering, as she changes her mind about what to say.  The trial and ending are excellent, as is the entire film.

Love it; very highly recommended!  : )

Rating:
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ½

Souls for Sale (1923)

Newlywed Remember Steddon (Eleanor Boardman) regrets her hasty marriage to Owen Scudder (Lew Cody), and sneaks off the train that is carrying them to their honeymoon in Los Angeles.  Remember ('Mem') finds herself alone and stranded in the desert -- until she fortunately comes across the set of a Hollywood movie being filmed on location.  Both the director, Frank Claymore (Richard Dix), and the lead actor, Tom Mayo (Frank Holby), are attracted to her -- and Mem is given a job as a film extra, which leads to a promising career as an actress.  But what happens next when Scudder, who has married in the past and murdered wives for insurance payouts, discovers Mem's new lifestyle?

Interesting Note:
Lots of famous actors and directors have cameo appearances in this film; how many can you recognize?  : )

Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this -- not just for the interesting and well-played storyline, but for the excellent scenes including filming technology and actual clips of directing other pictures.  It's really amazing to see a sort of "behind the scenes" life on and off the silent film screen as Mem's personal and professional lives intertwine.  Some of the most memorable parts are Mem's initial introduction to the Hollywood world, her screen test, and the stormy dramatic ending.

Recommended; Souls for Sale is both historically valuable and wonderfully entertaining!

Intertitle:
Mem: "Are you real -- or a mirage?"
Tom: "Neither.  I'm a movie actor."

Rating:
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Suds (1920)

Laundry-girl Amanda Afflick (Mary Pickford) is hopelessly in love with Horace Greensmith (Albert Austin), a customer who brought in a shirt for washing eight months and sixteen days ago -- and still has yet to return for it.  The other workers tease Amanda for cleaning the shirt twice a week, telling her that he'll never return for the garment -- or for her.  Will Amanda's fabricated stories of being a noble-in-disguise fool them?  And will Horace ever come back for the laundry?  Or will Amanda find happiness with her friend Benjamin (Harold Goodwin) instead?

Thoughts:
I wasn't sure I was going to like this one at first.  Mary Pickford's films are nearly always sweet and entertaining, but this one does have more slapstick touches than others of hers I've seen (mostly involving laundry buckets, baskets, soapy water, etc . . .), and although I did find that, along with the improper English of the intertitles, slightly annoying and rather too silly at times, the overall film was still entertaining without being too over-the-top, and a nice addition to my ever-growing list of viewed silent films.

Mary Pickford's character, Amanda, is a little dreamer apt to bring troubles upon herself.  While the film mainly focuses on Amanda's dilemma over Horace, there's also a poignant sub-plot with Amanda struggling to rescue Lavender, a horse who has become too old to work.  These latter scenes were some of the film's best.

The DVD disc also offers three endings for Suds.  The original wasn't received well, so two alternates were filmed; one for international audiences and one for the US.

Rating:
♥ ♥ ♥

The Blue Bird (1918)

Two siblings, Tyltyl (Robin MacDougall) and his sister, Mytyl (Tula Belle) are sent on a quest by the Fairy Berylune (Lillian Cook) to find the elusive "Bluebird of Happiness" to bring to their neighbor's ill daughter.  Along the way, the children encounter seeing the souls of everyday items (like fire, bread, and light), the spirits of their pet dog and cat, their deceased grandparents, their future brother, and personified luxuries such as "eating when not hungry."  But where is the Bluebird?  Will the siblings locate it -- or will fleeting joy continue to evade them?

Thoughts:
Maurice Tourneur also directed one of my favorite Mary Pickford films, 1917's The Poor Little Rich Girl.  The Blue Bird, with its exquisite special effects and ethereal, fairy-tale feel, is in a sort of in the same vein as the dream sequence of The Poor Little Rich Girl.  The Blue Bird, right down to its beautifully artistic tinted intertitles, imaginative sets, and richly meaningful themes, seems to breathe as a lyrical and dream-like tale for the ages.  I really love the film's conclusion when the viewer, along with the characters, realizes what's truly important in a journey.

Unfortunately, the film's print does suffer from some deterioration and cutting beyond the possibilities of restoration, but these flaws are rather minor in comparison to the story's overall scope and beauty.

Highly recommended for silent film fans, as well as anyone interested in unique and underrated fairy stories.

Rating:
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ½

The Other Love (1947)

Famous concert pianist Karen Duncan (Barbara Stanwyck) is sent to a Swiss mountain sanitorium to recover from illness, and finds herself both attracted to her physician, Dr. Tony Stanton (David Niven), and frustrated by his telling her to rest.  One day near the local village, Karen meets racecar driver Paul Claremont (Richard Conte), who flirts with her and makes her feel well again.  Dr. Stanton warns Karen that her illness is serious, and also confesses his own affections for her, but she doesn't believe him and instead takes off with Paul to Monte Carlo.  There she indulges by living vicariously, but are these moments of fun helping or hurting her?

Thoughts:
I liked watching this film.  Barbara Stanwyck is so believable in her role here; every new-to-me movie I see of hers really showcases how skilled an actress she was.  The scenes where she's playing the piano are both truly authentic-looking and lovely [and make me wish I hadn't been such a lazy girl in giving up my own piano lessons when I was younger], and how excellently done are the parts when she realizes how her health is deteriorating!  David Niven and Richard Conte are both well-cast as the different men in Karen's life, as safety and excitement, caring about her in their own ways.  There are also some great usages of props here, especially the flowers and the pillbox.  And Barbara's clothes in this film are so classy and gorgeous; I love the sophisticated style.

Rating:
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

The White Cliffs of Dover (1944)

American Susan Dunn (Irene Dunne) travels to England with her father (Frank Morgan) for what was to be a brief vacation, but she soon marries wealthy and handsome Englishman Sir John Ashwood (Alan Marshall) and remains there with his family.  But World War I soon threatens to take Susan's husband from her, and history may repeat itself again when her son leaves to fight in World War II.

Interesting Note:
- Based on Alice Duer Miller's poem The White Cliffs.

Thoughts:
I recorded this when TCM aired it over Memorial Day weekend, and finally got around to watching a few days ago.  It's such a moving and memorable story about strength, patriotism, and sacrifice!  The joint hardships between the US and England are depicted so well, and the entire cast was superb.  Irene Dunne and Alan Marshall were so good together; I loved all their shared scenes -- exceptionally touching and lovely, especially when they were spending time together in the midst of the war after being separated for three years.

Also beautiful are the relationship between Lady Susan and her son, the sweet childhood affections between young John (Roddy McDowall) and Betsy (Elizabeth Taylor), and the overall sincerity of the picture.

Rating:
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Magnificent Obsession (1935)

Helen Hudson's husband, a generous and beloved doctor, loses his life because the hospital's only pulmoter was being used at the time to save rich and spoiled Robert Merrick (Robert Taylor).  When a bored Robert sneaks out of the hospital one evening, he sees and immediately falls for Helen (Irene Dunne), only discovering afterwards that she is the doctor's widow and holds him responsible for her husband's death.

Robert eventually meets Randolph (Ralph Morgan), an artist helped by Dr. Hudson, who gives Robert some advice about how secretly doing good and noble things will give him a sort of power to help accomplish his goals.  Robert is somewhat skeptical, but gives it a try, and is pleased to come across Helen again after giving money to a poor man.  Robert insists on giving Helen a ride home, but she is then involved in an accident which causes her to lose her eyesight.

A grief-stricken Robert decides to truly turn his life around, concealing his identity from Helen while trying to help and protect her, and also better himself.  Watch and see what happens next!

Thoughts:
I randomly came across this film while browsing TCM filmographies, and immediately decided that I had to see it.  I've been in love with Robert Taylor ever since seeing him for the first time in Camille, and Irene Dunne is such a lovely and talented [and underrated!] actress, so the thought of seeing the two of them together in one film sounded great!

I was really impressed with this movie.  Robert Taylor's character's transformation was excellent, from the careless boy to a changed man, fueled by a goal for redemption as well as genuine love for Helen.  He was such a great actor, and this film was his breakout role.  And Irene Dunne was absolutely wonderful in this; there were so many breathtaking scenes from her struggling with being blind and worrying over being a burden to those who love her, to the relationship between her and Robert.  I loved the scene when he takes her around Paris, and finally gets up the courage to tell her the truth about his feelings towards her.

Rating:
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ½

Bringing Up Baby (1938)

Dr. David Huxley (Cary Grant) desires only two things -- to finish his dinosaur skeleton and get married.  But his life turns upside down when he meets willful heiress Susan Vance (Katharine Hepburn), and their lives get tangled together for a series of misadventures.

Interesting Note:
Although this movie is highly regarded today, it did poorly at the box offices (!) in 1938, and was one of the films that [unjustly] forced Katharine Hepburn onto the 'box office poison' list.

Thoughts:
Katharine Hepburn was my first favorite actress, and when I seriously became interested in classic cinema, I began to watch as many of her films as possible (which led me onto other actors, and other great films, of course!).  This was one of the earlier ones I saw, and it also led to my love for Cary Grant, as well.

I had never seen a movie like Bringing Up Baby before -- so smart and classy, yet utterly and wondrously hilarious.  Katharine Hepburn's Susan Vance was so silly and lovely, and Cary Grant was adorable as David Huxley; I still marvel at their remarkable comedic timing, as well as their overall chemistry together.  One of my all-time favorite parts will always be when they try to wade across the stream while searching for Baby.

Quotes:
I'm always awed at the sharp and witty dialogue in this film.  Words are frequently spoken at top speed, but pay attention to the lines, because they're always awesome!  : )  Here are a few favorites that stick out to me presently:

"Now it isn't that I don't like you, Susan, because, after all, in moments of quiet, I'm strangely drawn toward you, but . . . well, there haven't been any quiet moments."

"I've got my head; I've lost my leopard -- oh, dear!"

"He's three years old, gentle as a kitten, and he likes dogs.  I wonder whether Mark means that he eats dogs or is fond of them?  Mark's so vague at times . . .

Rating:
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥