Faithless (1932)

Carol Morgan (Tallulah Bankhead) is an heiress who doesn't want to give up her own income following marriage to Bill Wade (Robert Montgomery).  He's adamant that they live on his smaller salary, but she refuses and breaks their engagement.  Shortly afterwards, Carol discovers that her own fortune is now nonexistent due to the current Depression.  Bill has also lost his job when the company he works for goes bankrupt.  Carol and Bill find one another again when they are both very poor, realize that they still love one another, and decide to get married at last.  The two struggle along as best they can, with Bill taking whatever work he can find.  When Bill is gravely injured on the first day of his new job, Carol makes a desperate choice to save his life.

Thoughts:
I was so excited to see Faithless!  I've recently started to like Tallulah Bankhead, and I've also been trying to watch more of Robert Montgomery's films as well.

This was actually a lot darker than I expected it to be.  Carol and Bill had such comfortable lives in the very beginning, and then fell so sharply into poverty.  So much of the plot dealt with their difficulties of being broke and trying to find work, and that was really quite depressing at times because one couldn't help but feel sad for them.

But it was great to see that Carol and Bill's romance, as well as the changes their characters went through during their life-altering situations, showed their love and determination even in hard times.

One of the best parts about this pre-code's storyline is the ending.  Once Bill finds out what Carol has done to save him, he's grateful to her.  He fully realizes Carol's sacrifice, urges her to stay with him, and it's implied that their love and marriage is going to stay strong and life will get better for them.

Rating:
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Secrets (1933)

In 1860s New England, Mary (Mary Pickford) refuses the upper-class match her wealthy father (C. Aubrey Smith) has arranged for her, and instead leaves home to start a new life out West with John Carlton (Leslie Howard), a former clerk at her father's bank.  As the years pass, the couple encounter many tribulations that could strain their marriage.

Thoughts:
This was Mary Pickford's last film.  She stopped acting, in part, due to fans being simply unable to accept her in more grown-up roles.

But, looking back on Secrets, it's a shame Mary didn't make more talkies as this was certainly one of her best, and most moving, performances.  The storyline, through its various chapters and time intervals in the characters' lives, gave Mary such an opportunity to show off her talents as her character ages from luminous girl to an old woman.  A neat thing for me was being able to hear her natural voice and accent (in Coquette, she was a Southerner and in Kiki, a French girl).

Both she and Leslie Howard look remarkably young (in the earlier parts of the film, anyway!) and charming together, and they have such great chemistry.  One funny scene in the beginning of the story is when he helps Mary undress, so she can change out of her party gown and into more practical clothes before they set out on their new life together -- he's a bit surprised at all the petticoats she's wearing!

The film's mood definitely takes some serious turns as the plot progresses, and although it can seem somewhat uneven at times, the final result is something really memorable due to the great acting and fine direction.

Rating:
♥ ♥ ♥ ½

After Tonight (1933)

Carla (Constance Bennett) meets Rudolph (Gilbert Roland) at a crowded train station in Luxembourg while attempting to travel to Vienna.  The two wind up on a train to Austria, but she disappears without explanation.  Later it's revealed that Rudolph, a German officer, is leading a mission to break a Russian spy ring, while Carla, also known as K-14, is a Russian spy posing under a variety of covers -- cabaret singer, seamstress, and nurse.  The two find one another again while Carla is working at a German military hospital, and fall in love -- but soon Rudolph begins to suspect that she is the enemy spy he's been looking for.

Thoughts:
In 1931, an excellent film was released that dealt with the romance of a spy and officer during World War I -- Greta Garbo's Mata Hari.

I actually hadn't heard of After Tonight until TCM aired it last week.  It has some similarities to Mata Hari, though I was a bit surprised that it doesn't share the same tragic conclusion.  While not as lavishly presented as the other, this film has good production values, fine performances, and some clever situations of passing along secret messages that are really fun to see.

Constance Bennett carries the film well.  She and Gilbert Roland (later married in real life in 1941) look good together and make you care about their characters.  Definitely check this film out if you're interested in the actors or WWI espionage tales; I enjoyed watching it!

Rating:
♥ ♥ ♥ ½

Happy Birthday, Katharine Hepburn!

Happy Birthday, Katharine Hepburn!
{May 12, 1907 - June 29, 2003}

Happy Birthday to the marvelous Katharine Hepburn!

I will always admire Katharine.  She's my first favorite actress and the one who began my love for classic films.  I have spent countless hours being drawn in to her many wonderful films and characters.  She had a long career with such varied and memorable parts: sweet aspiring actress Eva Lovelace, willful heiress Susan Vance, sophisticated socialite Tracy Lord, independent Tess Harding, epic and regal Queen Eleanor . . ., among numerous more!  Whatever the role, Katharine played it convincingly and realistically.  She had a great skill for bringing these women to life.

"I'm a personality as well as an actress.  Show me an actress who isn't a personality, and you'll show me a woman who isn't a star."  That's just one of her many smart quotes!  Surely Kate is just as well-known for simply being herself, as she is for her remarkable acting talents.  She was self-assured, free-spirited, unconventional in the thought that she was a 'modern woman' who wore slacks because she liked to be comfortable, and was never afraid to voice her own opinions.  But she definitely had her sweeter side -- especially in her love for Spencer Tracy.

Incredibly talented, beautiful, confident, and one-of-a-kind -- that's Kate.

I've written about several of Kate's films: Morning Glory, Christopher Strong, Little Women, The Little Minister, Alice Adams, Break of Hearts, Quality Street, Stage Door, Holiday, Bringing Up Baby, The Philadelphia Story, Woman of the Year, Keeper of the Flame, Adam's Rib, The African Queen, The Lion in Winter, and Love Among The Ruins.

Here is her birthday tribute from last year.  I've also mentioned Katharine and Spencer Tracy as one of my favorite classic couples.

Thanks for reading!

The Little Minister (1934)

In 1840s Scotland, a village minister (John Beal) falls in love with a charming gypsy girl (Katharine Hepburn).

Thoughts:
The Little Minister is such a sentimental and understated film.  I really enjoyed watching it and was impressed with the fine performances, excellent production values, and beautiful musical score.  Katharine Hepburn turns in one of her most radiant performances as the lovely and delightful Babbie, while John Beal is excellent opposite her as the serious young man who finds his life changed by love.  Their relationship comes across as so endearing and true.

Quote:
Gavin:    "Can a man like a woman against his will?"
Babbie:  "Of course he can.  That's the very nicest way to be liked."

Rating:
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Of Human Bondage (1934)

Philip Carey (Leslie Howard) is a medical student who is attracted to a selfish waitress (Bette Davis).

Thoughts:
This film was such a huge break for Bette Davis' career.  Until Of Human Bondage she had mostly been cast in gangster pictures and the like at Warner Brothers; they actually weren't sure what to do with her.  That changed when she was lent to RKO for this film!  Bette definitely had such success with this riveting part -- it allowed her to do something different and daring in portraying an unsympathetic (and unglamorous) character.

But although I was really impressed with her raw performance, I wasn't so keen on the film as a whole.  I didn't find Leslie Howard and Bette really convincing together (they were much better though in The Petrified Forest), and I suppose the storyline just wasn't my thing, it was really kind of depressing and a little unbelievable at times.

Rating:
♥ ♥ ♥

If I Were Free (1933)

Sarah (Irene Dunne) and Gordon (Clive Brook) meet one another by chance during an evening in Paris, and find that they are both in unhappy marriages.  Sarah's husband Tono (Nils Asther) is abusive and unfaithful, while Gordon and his wife Catherine (Lorraine MacLean) have no real affection for one another.  Gordon stops a despondent Sarah from committing suicide and encourages her to divorce Tono.  She does, and moves to London where she opens a small antiques store.  Gordon is a frequent visitor and the two begin an affair.  He asks if she would marry him "If I were free," and although she agrees, their relationship may not survive a potential tragedy.

Thoughts:
I saw If I Were Free for the first time about a year ago, and just re-watched it recently.  It's such a very enjoyable pre-code in that it presents the storyline in a grown-up and wistful manner.  It's concise (just over an hour in length), with all the situations and relationships adroitly presented.  Irene Dunne, looking so young, gives a fine and sincere early performance that shows off her great talents.  Nils Asther, most remembered from silent films with Greta Garbo, is very memorable as a cad -- it's a pity he didn't have more opportunities in talkies.  I haven't seen Clive Brook in many films before; I at first thought he looked a bit too old to really be very convincing as a leading man for Irene.  But despite that I wound up really liking his performance and how their romance was depicted, gentle and genuine, so it did feel believable.

Rating:
♥ ♥ ♥

The Song of Songs (1933)

Country girl Lily Czepanek (Marlene Dietrich) moves to Berlin to live with her aunt (Allison Skipworth) after her father's death.  While working in her aunt's bookstore, Lily meets sculptor Richard Waldow (Brian Aherne), who asks her to model for him.  She overcomes her initial shyness about posing nude, and Richard becomes confident that this will be his best piece yet.  During the course of the project, the two fall in love, but Richard breaks off the relationship after his patron, Baron von Merzbach (Lionel Atwill), convinces him to do so by confessing an interest to marry Lily.  Hurt after Richard abandons her, Lily unhappily weds the Baron, but she's in for more problems after Richard returns and she discovers the truth about their bargain.

Thoughts:
I was at first a little skeptical of Marlene playing an innocent country girl, but she pulled it off so well!  She's incredibly sweet and cute even, like a vision of spring out of a fairy tale, in the early parts of the film when Lily is so childlike and modest.  And then as her story takes a turn for the worse, she convincingly becomes hardened and disillusioned, culminating when she decides to destroy her own statue, symbol of her past youth and purity.

I think this is actually one of my favorite performances from Marlene, because it really shows off her range and talent.  Aside from the lovely early scenes, another important one later on is when she notices Richard while in the midst of her song "Johnny;" her expression just shows so much of her inner feelings of not only surprise, but sorrow and longing for something lost as well.

Brian Aherne is probably the least memorable of the rest of the characters (Atwill is terrific as the conniving Baron, while Allison Skipworth is quite funny as Lily's aunt); he's a little wooden at times, but still looks really good with Marlene, and it certainly doesn't affect one's wanting Lily and Richard to find one another for keeps in the end.

Quote:
"I sought him.  But I found him not."

Rating:
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

What Price Hollywood? (1932)

Mary Evans (Constance Bennett) is a waitress at the Brown Derby who would do anything to get in pictures, but has yet to get that lucky break.  When director Max Carey (Lowell Sherman) comes into the restaurant one evening, Mary sees this as her big chance to become an actress.  Max is attracted to Mary's wit and looks, and takes her to a movie premiere.  They wind up at Max's house afterwards, and when he realizes that she quit her job the previous night, he offers her a small part in his latest film.  She muffs the test initially, but nails it after a night of practicing.  What follows afterwards is huge successes and fame for Mary.  She remains ever loyal to Max, who she considers her close friend, although many others have deserted him after his habitual drinking begins to take its toll.  This friendship, along with career demands and social differences, strains Mary's marriage with northeastern millionaire Lonny Borden (Neil Hamilton).  Mary soon finds that being in the public eye isn't all it's cracked up to be, especially when tragedy brings her to the center of a scandal.

Thoughts:
What Price Hollywood? is an excellent and memorable story, very unique in that it presents a mature look at an unromantic side of the Hollywood picture business.

I hadn't actually seen Constance Bennett in many films (I think just Topper and Two-Faced Woman) prior to this one.  But now I'm excited about finding more of her pre-codes, because she was marvelous in this.  One of her best scenes is when she rehearses her initial screen test over and over again until she's so excited to have gotten it right.

I still think of Lowell Sherman as his role in Way Down East, the playboy who tricked Lillian Gish's character into a mock marriage.  That was the first film I ever saw him in.  He later focused more on directing and this was one of his final acting roles.  He gives such a great performance as Max, as he slides further into alcoholism.  The montage in his final scene is incredibly well-done.

The character of Lonny could have been written in a better way, though.  He comes off as really egotistical in the beginning (notice the scene when he breaks into Mary's house and carries her to their promised dinner date, after she stood him up -- more initially shocking than romantic), and then becoming a bit tiresome as he quibbles with Mary over the duties of her career.  Surely it was done for the conflict effect, as his jealousy and genuine love for her made him behave that way.  But I was glad to see that after everything was over, it's implied that the Mary and Lonny will be reconciled and have a happy marriage.

This film was actually the inspiration for other imitations -- but be sure to check out this one if you can, for the original is nearly always best.

Quote:
"I made you what you are today.  I hope you're satisfied."

Rating:
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ½

Devil and the Deep (1932)

Diana (Tallulah Bankhead), unhappy at home due to her estranged naval commander husband's (Charles Laughton) obsessive behavior, falls in love with a handsome stranger (Gary Cooper) after a chance meeting one evening.  They depart without knowing the other's identity, but the next day Diana realizes that her lover is none other than Lieutenant Sempter, the new officer.  The commander suspects their affair and plots revenge, while a worried Diana attempts to warn Sempter before it's too late.

Thoughts:
So, I definitely watched this to see Gary Cooper -- and somehow wound up really liking Tallulah Bankhead.

This was the first film I saw of hers, and I didn't know much about her before.  But now I've seen six of her films, listened to several of her radio theatre shows, and read her autobiography.  She's awesome -- and my complete polar opposite, for sure.  Tallulah was primarily a stage actress, but her wild personality seems ideal for pre-code films!  It's too bad she didn't make more, but she actually hated all the pictures she did from 1930-1932 and went back to the theatre. 

Tallulah gives such a skilled performance.  I was surprised at how subtle and commanding she was, reminiscent of Greta Garbo.  Gary Cooper, attractive as always, is convincing in his part, though more screen time would have helped to further develop his character.  Nevertheless, Tallulah and Coop make a very attractive and believable couple.  I really liked their scenes together, from the first fable-like meeting under the desert sky, to the funny and sweet conclusion while Diana is buying a billiard cue.

Unfortunately the storyline wasn't the best, the alternations between various scenes of illicit love and navy sea escapades were too uneven for my liking.  There were some definitely exciting moments, but the transitions could have been smoother.  I also didn't care for Charles Laughton; his character and Tallulah's were mismatched, and he ultimately came across as way too overdone and annoying.  Cary Grant is almost forgettable in a tiny part.

But it's still great to see Tallulah in one of her rare early film roles -- and of course I love Gary Cooper, so those two made this film worth a watch for sure.

Rating:
♥ ♥ ♥ ½