STORM WARNING (1950): Doris Day, Ginger Rogers and Ronald Reagan take on the KKK (!?)

The names Doris Day and Ginger Rogers evoke a certain image. Day was the quintessential girl next door, known for her light musical comedy films like 1948's Romance on the High Seas, Lullaby of Broadway (1951), and On Moonlight Bay (1951). Rogers was known for her dance partnership with Fred Astaire in films such as Top Hat (1935) and Shall We Dance (1937). So, it may come as a surprise to some that the one film they appeared in together is neither musical nor comedy. It was 1951's STORM WARNING, and is about a woman who is visiting a small town to see her sister and witnesses a Ku Klux Klan hit. Definitely not musical comedy material. STORM WARNING also had another notable co star: future US president Ronald Reagan. STORM WARNING opens on Marsha (Rogers), a dress model, who is on a bus trip for business and decides to stop in a small southern town to visit her sister, Lucy (Day). At once, Marsha senses something isn't right in the town as she is met with hostility by a diner attendant and encounters businesses closing early and the whole town being dark and quiet. Suddenly, Marsha hears a commotion and hides in a doorway where she can't be seen. There she witnesses the Ku Klux Klan, white hoods and all, murder a man later revealed to be a reporter who came to town asking questions about the Klan. Stunned, Marsha goes to find her sister Lucy who is working at a bowling alley and reveals herself to be pregnant. Upon arrival at Lucy's home she shares with her husband Hank (Steve Cochran), Marsha recognizes Hank as being involved with what she just saw, because he took his hood off after the murder. Enter Burt Rainey (Reagan) who is the town District Attorney. Rainey has long wanted to expose the Klan but has frequently run into a brick wall because of the Klan being protected by the police. When he learns that Marsha saw what happened, he questions her. Marsha lies to protect her sister, saying she could not recognize any of the men due to their hoods. Asked to testify what she saw at an inquest the next day, Marsha must remain in town. At the inquest, Marsha lies again, still protecting Lucy, who at this point feels torn between the truth and her love for Hank. Because of Marsha's lie, the jury rules that the reporter was killed by unknown assailants. A celebration post inquest reveals a drunk Hank, who is gloating in the purported victory. He tries to come on to Marsha, who shuts him down and returns home to Pack her things and leave town for good. He follows her home, and tries to come on to her again, and becomes violent when she once again turns him down. Lucy comes home to all this and finally resolves to leave Hank for good. Hank beats Lucy and then takes Marsha to a Klan rally to answer for her crimes. Lucy and Rainey soon arrive. Hank is blamed for the murder, and accidently shoots Lucy, and is then shot and killed by a police officer. The film ends with Marsha holding Lucy's body as a burning cross falls down. The film is certainly not as easy watch, but it is filled with great performances. Rogers and Day are convincing in their dramatic roles and Cochran has an uneasy air about him that adds nicely to the tension of the story. At first, as a viewer, I was unsure of his involvement in the murder but later on, he is very unlikeable. The film doesn't touch on any of the Klan's politics at all, maybe choosing to assume that audiences of the time (and now) already knew them. Reagan is serviceable as the DA, with a likeable everyman charm. This film is intense from start to finish. It's an interesting watch for the subject matter and the performances of the two female leads in unlikely dramatic roles. At this point Doris Day was in her early career as a Warner Brothers contract player. This would be the only film where she would appear where her character dies. Rogers has established herself as a more dramatic actress with her Oscar winning role in Kitty Foyle (1940). Her role was originally offered to Lauren Bacall. Day and Bacall appeared together in Young Man With A Horn (1950), opposite Kirk Douglas. Storm Warning marked the end of Reagan's tenure as a contract player at Warners, where he appeared in dramas like Kings Row (1942), Knute Rockne All American (1940), and light comedies such as Brother Rat (1938), Million Dollar Baby (1941) and The Girl From Jones Beach (1949). He would appear with Day again in 1952's The Winning Team, about baseball player Grover Cleveland Alexander. STORM WARNING was not a financial success in its day, but in recent years has garnered attention for its subject matter, and the novelty of seeing Day, Rogers, and Reagan in dramatic roles. The film also reportedly convinced Alfred Hitchcock to cast Day in his 1955 film The Man Who Knew Too Much, where she first sang her signature song Que Sera Sera. It is worth a watch, albeit an unpleasant one, for the performances of its 4 leads.

One Way Passage (1932):Star-crosssed Shipboard Romance leads to remakes

Sometime as a classic movie fan, films come to you in sometimes surprising and funny ways. I was watching an episode of the Love Boat on TV with my dad one day, and the episode featured John Forsythe of Dynasty and Charlie's Angels fame, and Ursula Andress (Bond girl "Honey Rider" in Dr. No) as a man and woman who meet in Shanghai and fall in love. The catch, however, is that he is about to be incarcerated and she is dying. I then proceeded to tell another fellow classic movie buff about this episode and he said that it was borrowed from a film! That film is 1932's One Way Passage. One Way Passage stars William Powell and Kay Francis, with supporting roles by frank McHugh, Aline McMahon, and Warren Hymer.

Kay Francis is perhaps a lesser known name to many classic film fans of today. Francis was a major player in precode era of film (roughly from 1929-1934), in which the Production Code of Ethics had not yet been enforced. Francis had several successes in this era, including One Way Passage and Trouble In Paradise (1932), co starring Miriam Hopkins and directed by Ernst Lubitsch. Francis came into films near the advent of sound, and was in a wave of Broadway actors and Actresses that made their way to Hollywood to try out appearing in sound pictures. Francis's career is a testament to how early film worked. She made 7 film appearances in 1932, when One Way Passage was released. By 1938 however, Francis was in a slew of actors dubbed "box office poison' by The Hollywood Reporter and her career hit a downswing when she was released from her contract with Warner Bros.

 

As a film, and especially a precode one, One Way Passage is engaging and fun, but it seemed rushed and goes by very quickly. The film has great elements and characterizations, but they aren't given a lot of time to grow before the film's short runtime is out. Francis's Joan and Powell's Dan meet in a bar in the first scene and then discover they are to board the ship, and immediately hit it off. The film also has two comic relief characters in the roles played by Frank McHugh and Aline McMahon. McHugh's drunkard character can be an annoying distraction from the film's romantic trappings, but he does help in the plot. McMahon plays a con woman posing as an heiress and is great fun in her role. Her character romances the police detective (Warren Hymer)  that has been hunting down Dan (Powell) as a distraction so Dan and Joan can be together.

Andress and Forsythe

The Love Boat episode that introduced me to this film occurred in 1983, the long running series' 7th season premiere. In addition to Forsythe and Andress, Michael Constantine, maybe then best known for his role on Room 222, appeared as the police detective character. Love Boat however nixed the characters played by McHugh and McMahon. Before Love Boat adapted it, One Way Passage was remade in 1940 as 'Til We Meet Again starring George Brent and Merle Oberon, and in a role the same as his in One Way Passage, Frank McHugh.

Platinum Blonde (1931): or The Eagle in the Gilded Cage

     A title can make or break a movie and Platinum Blonde, while it was a hit in it's day and helped launch the career of Jean Harlow, is not a title that fits the film it belongs to. The film follows a boozy but talented reporter who marries an heiress and realizes he doesn't fit in to her lifestyle. There is also another love interest, Gallagher, who has always held a torch for the titular reporter. The film stars Jean Harlow and Loretta Young, and was directed by Frank Capra, all whose staying power may be the only reason the film is seen today but the film's real star is an actor by the name of Robert Williams.

Robert Williams in Platinum Blonde

Robert Williams could of been a real star, if it weren't for his unfortunate death due to Peritonitis, or inflammation of the abdomen. Williams was kind of a mix between James Cagney's hard edge and Cary Grant's irresistible charm, and his large nose and ears and lazy eye provide the film with an unconventional leading man. He was born in 1894, but due to his death in 1931, three days after the release of Platinum Blonde, very little information is available about him. His big break to Hollywood after appearing in Broadway plays came in the form of the 1931 film  Rebound. With the talking picture a fairly new revelation, Hollywood producers were eagerly buying up film rights to plays and occasionally casting members of their original casts. Such is the case with Williams and his role in Rebound, which also starred Ina Claire, Robert Ames, Hedda Hopper, and Myrna Loy. He followed that up with a supporting role in the 1931 film Devotion starring Ann Harding and Leslie Howard. Then came his being cast in the leading role of Stew Smith in Platinum Blonde.

     It should be noted here that Platinum Blonde was originally to be called Gallagher, after the character played by Loretta Young, who gets top billing in the film. This title doesn't quite fit it either.The film is about a man marrying into wealthy society and then discovering that he is not happy and in fact in love with his long pining female best friend. These two titles focus on either one or the other of the female leads and not on the male lead. When watching Platinum Blonde the first time, I went into expecting a Jean Harlow picture. She is, after all, the aforementioned and famed Platinum Blonde. To my surprise and delight, however, I got a Robert Williams picture. Calling the film Eagle in a Gilded Cage, would have been my suggestion to the film makers of the day. It is also based on a line in the film. In my opinion, my suggested title represents Stew Smith's feelings of repression in wealthy society, and draws attention to the true star of the film.

A Jean Harlow publicity photo

The film was apparently called Platinum Blonde because of Harlow being cast, and was suggested by Harlow being dubbed the moniker by Howard Hughes, in an attempt to cash in on her appearance in his film Hell's Angels (1930). This story is told in more depth in the Jean Harlow episode of the great podcast You Must Remember This.  Interestingly, like Williams, Harlow too would meet an unfortunate demise too soon in 1937. Many tales and controversies surround Harlow's life and death. The short version is that she died of kidney failure, although some think that her mother being a Christian Scientist, and refusing medical attention for her daughter, contributed to her death. A popular tall tale is that the famed platinum blonde haired actress died due to dying her hair, but this is most likely a falsehood due to her being sickly throughout her career. Platinum Blonde brought Harlow's career into an upswing. By the time she died, she was one of the top box office draws. Her final film Saratoga, which was completed using a body and voice double, was a box office success. Her performance in Platinum Blonde shows a budding actress, confident, but not yet completely comfortable in front of a camera. She also hasn't quite found her niche yet, which she will in films like Red Headed Woman and Red Dust, both released in 1932.

Platinum Blonde was an early success for the career of now famed director Frank Capra as well. Capra would come to direct some of old Hollywood's most well known movies, including It Happened One Night, Mr. Deeds Goes To Town, You Can't Take It With You, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, Arsenic and Old Lace, and of course, It's A Wonderful Life. Platinum Blonde seems to be one of Capra's most under-looked gems. If it is remembered at all today it is for the involvement of Young and especially Harlow. What I find most interesting about the film however, is that the reasons for it being remembered far out weigh the true reason: Robert Williams' performance.

Robert Williams and Jean Harlow in Platinum Blonde 

Pillow Talk (1959): Romantic Mayhem ensues when Doris Day and Rock Hudson share a party line

After much ado, hullabaloo and rigmarole, welcome back to BEFORE MY TIME CLASSIC MOVIES! I was without a computer for a while, and then I was without a keyboard after I got a tablet, but I now have a keyboard (shout to my dad!). So hopefully, time permitting, I'll be able to post here much more often...so without further ado, hullabaloo, or rigmarole, this entry's film...PILLOW TALK!

One of my all time favorites, Pillow Talk marks the first of three films for stars Rock Hudson and Doris Day, and in this reivewer's opinion, is the best of the three. They would go on to make 1961's Lover Come Back and 1964's Send Me No Flowers, but Pillow Talk feels fresh and new. The other two (especially Lover Come Back) come off as cheap imitations. the film was directed by Michael Gordon, and in addition to Day and Hudson also stars Thelma Ritter, Tony Randall, and Nick Adams. Ritter is a scene stealer as Day's alcoholic housekeeper, Alma. Randall, who would also appear in the forthcoming two films alongside Day and Hudson, is perhaps best known as Felix Unger on the TV Series The Odd Couple (1970-1975). Pillow Talk was produced by  Ross Hunter, who's films were always lavish, chic affairs. He is perhaps best know for producing many remakes of classic soaper films such as Imitation Of Life (1959, Starring Lana Turner), Back Street (1961, Starring Susan Hayward) and Magnificent Obsession (1954, starring Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson).

The plot concerns two people who share a party line: glamorous single gal interior designer Jan Morrow, and amorous playboy songwriter Brad Allen. The two are constantly at fisticuffs with one another over the phone, but have never met in person. Jan accuses Brad of being a sex maniac, and Brad accuses Jan of being jealous and living vicariously through his many affairs. When the two finally meet in person, Brad puts on a fake Southern accent and calls himself Rex Stetson. Adding to the mix, is Tony Randall's character, Johnathan, a pampered rich guy who tries to romance Jan and is also backing Brad's next play.

The film has a quick wit and many memorable recurring gags. For example, for many of Brad's conquests he sings and plays a song that goes "You're my inspiration, (insert name)," and since Jan has heard it over the phone before it's eventually how she discovers that Rex is really Brad Allen. Doris Day is at her glamorous best in gowns by Jean-Louis, and the film marked a turning point in her career. After a few flops like Tunnel of Love and It Happened to Jane, She was approached by Hunter to star in Pillow Talk. (I should also mention that for the time the film is quite racy. Most audiences of today would not be phased by it.) Day was initially reluctant to sign onto the project. She didn't feel like she was sexy enough. in her 1975 memoirs, Ross Hunter, rather vulgarly states that he told her she could could the role because she had a good - ahem - backside! Needless to say, Day is perfect in the role and has a top notch chemistry with Rock Hudson. Hudson also had apprehensions when approached for the role; he'd never been in a comedy. Known for his romantic leading roles like in the aforementioned Magnificent Obssession and Giant (1956, co-starring Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean), Hudson is a comedy natural and has a particularly great moment where he is trying to get into Doris Day's character's small car.

The film is a hilarious delight all the way through, marked by great performances and a great script. Doris day sings the memorable opening number and there's a cute song in a club called "Roly Poly", but the film is not a musical. It is a romantic comedy through and through and one of the best of it's kind.

Singin' in the Rain: the world's most famous jukebox musical - Where the songs originated

      1952's Singin in the Rain is no doubt a classic that has stood the test of time and has proven to have staying power even today. The film has been covered in length on this blog before, so the purpose of this post is not to review or pay tribute. Today, I'd like to analyze the music of Singin in the Rain and in what films the songs were originally featured in. All of the songs in the film, save for one, were written by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown, from roughly 1929. Several songs, especially the title song became pop standards of the day and were used in multiple films over the years. These songs were all written while Freed and Brown were working for MGM, most before Freed became the head of his own unit.

One of the first films to use some of these songs was the 1929 film The Hollywood Revue of 1929. This was one of the earliest attempts at sound pictures and does not feature any real plotline. instead it is a series of songs and skits, with masters of cermonies Conrad Nagel and Jack Benny. The film was produced by Harry Rapf and Irving Thalberg, MGM's head of production. In the book Conversations with Joan Crawford, that actress said of it "Revue was one of those let's-throw-everyone-on-the-lot-into-a musical things, but I did a good song-and-dance number." (She does a song called "Got A Feeling for You". Crawford would be an important contract player for MGM in these early days, and would later become a contract player for Warner Brothers in the mid 1940's.) Singin' in the Rain and You Were Meant For Me are featured in this film, the latter being sung by a dubbed Conrad Nagel. The former is a Fascinating example of early sound film making. It starts out with "Ukulele Ike", real name Cliff Edwards (later to gain notoriety as the voice of Jiminy Cricket in Disney's Pinocchio) strumming and singing by a tree with silver sequins hanging from it while it rains. Then, as Edwards continues to sing, he is all but hidden by the tree and shut out by a wide shot featuring a horde of dancers, who proceed to dance as a strobe light goes off. Then, The Brox sisters, three young women in one rain poncho, sing a little different spin on the song, and then we cut to another wide shot where our dancers parade up two sets of steps while Edwards, still hidden by that  tree, continues to vocalize as they dance.  This is early musical film making at it's most primitive, and I've never seen it done quite like this before. The main singer being shut out while still singing is something that would probably never fly today. Maybe we are spoiled because of the invention of the music video. 

The Brox Sisters, three young women in one rain poncho

Another film to used many of the songs later featured in Singin in the Rain is 1935's Broadway Melody of 1936, which was "so new it's a year ahead" according to marketing material of the time. (MGM also used this tactic with Broadway Melody of 1938.) This was the first starring vehicle for tap dancer Eleanor Powell, who would go on to start in two more Broadway Melody films, 1938 and 1940. The songs used in this film were Broadway Rhythm, You Are My Lucky Star, All I Do is Dream of You, and others. One song, I've Got A Feeling You're Fooling, is used briefly in Singin' in the montage leading up to the Beautiful Girl number. In Broadway Melody of 1936, I've Got A Feeling You're Fooling, is an amusing duet between June Knight (who appeared in 12 movies between 1930 and 1940) and Robert Taylor, who at the time is being groomed for leading man status. It is his tenth appearance on film and he sports a surprisingly competent singing voice. Known mostly for being a romantic leading man in soaps and light comedies, to my knowledge he didn't sing again on film, but I could be wrong.  In addition to being Eleanor Powell's film debut, it was also Buddy Ebsen's film debut. as far as musical staging goes, by 1935 they had learned a lot more about sound filming, so the musical numbers are not primitive, nor or the sets. Dance is a main focus in this film, with such great dancers as Ebsen and Powell, along with Ebsen's sister, Vilma. The number is a long one, and features dance breaks for the Ebsens as well as Powell in sequined top hat and coat tails. Man, was she good! 

Eleanor Powell in the finale of Broadway Melody of 1936 (So new it's a year ahead!)

Another film to feature a song from Singin' in the Rain is the 1933 Marion Davies and Bing Crosby film Going Hollywood, which features the song Beautiful Girl. In an amusing tracking shot, Crosby travels around his apartment singing the song while shaving and doing other things as someone holds a radio microphone for him. In another, the 1940 Judy Garland vehicle, Little Nelly Kelly, Garland sings Singin' in the Rain with amusing added lyrics. The film also featured a song called "A Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow" and Garland's only on-screen death scene. 

Singin' in the Rain's songs have a vast and rich history, and I have only scratched the surface of their many uses. Most of the songs will probably forever be remembered for being in the famed movie musical, and that is not a bad thing in the slightest.

Bells are Ringing (1960): The Freed unit goes out with a ding-a-ling

The Freed Unit has been touched on on this blog several times, but to refresh your memory, it was the unit at MGM that specialized in filming musicals, from, roughly, 1939 to 1960. Headed by Arthur Freed, a former songwriter and song plugger, the unit was responsible for such films as For Me and my Gal, Meet Me in St. Louis, The Harvey Girls, Till The Clouds Roll By, On The Town, Annie Get Your Gun, Royal Wedding, An American in Paris, Singin' in the Rain, and Gigi. Bells are Ringing is the final musical film produced by the Freed unit, and the final film for star Judy Holliday, all under the capable tutelage of Vincente Minnelli.

Judy Holliday

Judy Holliday had a short, but successful film career, and twice reprised roles she appeared in on stage (the first being in Born Yesterday, for which she won a Best Actress Oscar, and  the other being this film, Bells are Ringing.). Holliday is sort of like a mix between Doris Day and Lucille Ball, but of course is in a class by herself. She's got all of the expert musical talents of Day, paired with the uproarious comic timing of Ball. Holliday's first big film role was in Adam's Rib, starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. After she won the Oscar for Born Yesterday, she appeared in the stage version of Bells are Ringing, and her film career kicked into high gear. She appeared in 5 films before Bells Are Ringing was filmed. Holliday died in 1965, due to breast cancer.

Bells are Ringing is a perfect showing off of Judy Holliday's talents. In it, she plays Ella Petersen, a lonely switchboard operator for an answering service called Susanswerphone, who amuses herself by getting involved in the lives of her clients. She does this by putting on different character voices for different people. One client, down on his luck playwright Jeffrey Moss (Dean Martin), knows Ella as a old lady character he calls Mom. Ella, has of course, fallen in love with Moss, and romantic comedy complications ensue when Ella meets Moss under a false name. A subplot involves Ella's boss and cousin Sue (Jean Stapleton, also reprising her Broadway role) and her boyfriend Otto (Eddie Foy, Jr.), a bookie, who is using Susanswerphone's offices as a front for his horse gambling, disguised as a mail order record company.

Holliday and Martin in the musical number "Just in Time"

The film is based on the stage musical, which ran for three years on Broadway, and features music by Jule Styne and lyrics and book by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, favorites of the Freed Unit. I'd go out on a limb and say that if it hadn't been for Comden and Green's involvement in the musical, and their involvment in the Freed unit, this film never would have been made, but thank goodness it was! The stage musical was written for Holliday by Comden and Green, who had come up with her through the Broadway ranks. Holliday took home a Tony award for her performance in Bells are Ringing in 1957.

Dean Martin

Dean Martin is the leading man in this film, and I realized while watching that it was my first time ever seeing him on screen. He is a fine actor, and of course as we all know, an excellent singer. Martin and Holliday have a great chemistry together, and Martin, in his scenes alone is great fun to watch too.

There is not a dull song in the movie, and a few were written for the movie, replacing original songs from the stage play. Styne, Comden, and Green again write all the songs, and the latter two wrote the screenplay. the two most famous songs from Bells Are Ringing are "Just in Time" and "The Party's Over", but as stated before, all of the songs are great fun. "A Perfect Relationship", "Drop That Name", and "I'm Going Back" were all highlights for me.

The movie has all of the lush settings of previous Freed unit musicals, and also has the feel of romantic comedy films like Pillow Talk, which was made the year before. Bells are Ringing is a delightful treat to watch and a definite new favorite of mine. The fact that Holliday played this role before shows. She seems supremely comfortable in Ella's shoes and I am so glad that it was preserved on film.

Movie soundtrack album cover

Dinner at Eight (1933): Pre-code fun with an all-star cast

Critics rolled their eyes when in 2010, the film “Valentine’s Day” (and it’s 2011 companion film “New Years Eve”) was released, with it’s star- studded cast, and measly plot lines. This film, while it had it’s endearing moments, didn’t work, mostly due to it’s poor script, but also because it had too much going on. “Dinner At Eight” is a very early example of the same tactic that “Valentine’s Day” employs, and is a film that does it right. An answer to the film “Grand Hotel” from a few years earlier with similar elements, “Dinner At Eight” features an all- star cast for 1933, which includes, but is not limited to Marie Dressler (in a very memorable and perhaps show stopping role), Billie Burke (the future Glinda the Good Witch), John Barrymore (who will break your heart), Lionel Barrymore, Madge Evans, Wallace Beery, and Jean Harlow, who is divine in the role of the spoiled, self centered wife of Beery. The plot concerns Burke as a society lady who is planning a dinner for a wealthy British couple coming into town and the people she invites.

The first half of “Dinner at Eight” almost plays like a series of vignettes as it expertly jumps between different story lines, telling us exactly what we need to know about these characters. Being a pre-code, depression era film, it also deals with depression era problems, and has a message about hope shoehorned in, which is of course what audiences probably needed to hear in 1933. The performances are all spectacular, but Harlow, Dressler, and John Barrymore, not to leave out the others, are standouts as well as smaller roles played by Louise Closser Hale (who died shortly after filming was completed) as society lady Hattie Loomis and Hilda Vaughn as Harlow’s put upon maid, Tina. No moment in the film is dull, nor does it lag. There is a purpose to every scene and character. The story expertly moves along at a rapid pace.

Promotional image of Jean Harlow

Harlow was something of a sex symbol in the early to mid thirties. Her life and career was cut short by kidney failure, her last film being 1937's Saratoga. She died during filming and a body double and voice double had to be used. Popular films she appeared in besides Dinner at Eight included The Public Enemy, The Beast of the City, Redheaded Woman, Red Dust, China Seas, Wife Vs. Secretary, and Libeled Lady.

"Dinner at Eight" is truly a wonderful picture from start to finish, and helmed by the great George Cukor is a real treat to watch. It just goes to show you that with a good script, cast, and the right director (not to put down Garry Marshall), a film with many story lines can be done well.