the saint and the falcon

While I was hunkered down during Hurricane Sandy, I spent a fair amount of time flipping back and forth between storm coverage and fun things like (the original) Hawaii Five-O reruns, Looney Tunes cartoons, and even an Adam West Batman cliffhanger with Joker, Penguin, AND Catwoman!

Monday morning, I also stumbled across a few gems on TCM.  George Sanders (well before his time as the bad guy on In Search of the Castaways, or providing the voice for Shere Kahn) was the dashing, devil-may care Simon Templar (The Saint) and Gay Lawrence (The Falcon).  The Falcon movies were fun, but I have to say I loved The Saint movies best. 

Now I've got to see if I can find them on DVD...

5th avenue girl

the year: 1939

the genre: comedy

the cast: Ginger Rogers (Mary Grey); Walter Connelly (Mr. Borden); Verree Teasdale (Mrs. Borden); James Ellison (Mike); Tim Holt (Tim Borden); Kathryn Adams (Katherine Borden)

the plot: Troubled with union problems in his business and lonely on his birthday because his wife, Martha, is out with a playboy, millionaire Timothy Borden meets unemployed and hungry Mary Grey in a park and convinces her to help him celebrate at a nightclub. Much to his surprise the following morning, Mary has slept in the guest room for the night. Not unmindful that Martha's interest in Timothy seems renewed, he hires Mary to stay at the house as an employee and they go out on the town virtually every night. Mary meanwhile has a positive effect on other members of the household: daughter Katherine (in love with Michael, the communism-spouting chauffeur) who seeks her advice; and son Tim(who is forced to take over the neglected business to keep it from running downhill), which his father had been trying unsuccessfully to get him to do. Complications (of course) arise when Tim falls in love with Mary..

listen for: "Might as well be civil!"  "Only when civl liberties are in danger."

don't miss: the park bench scene - and Jack Carson as the ardent sailor.

also listen for: "I guess rich people are just poor people with money."

watch scenes from the movie here.

midnight

the year: 1939

the genre: comedy


the cast: Claudette Colbert (Eve Peabody); Don Ameche (Tibor Czweny); Mary Astor (Helene Flammarion); John Barrymore (Georges Flammarion); Monty Woolery (the judge)


the plot: Showgirl Eve, stranded in Paris, befriends taxi driver Tibor Czerny, then gives him the slip to crash a party. There she meets Helene Flammarion and her gigolo Picot, who's attracted to Eve. Helene's husband Georges enlists Eve's aid in taking Picot away from his wife. It works well... at first. Meanwhile, lovestruck Tibor searches for Eve. But then he learns where she is and that she's calling herself Baroness Czerny.


don't miss: the divorce proceedings. Wait for it...THERE it is.


listen for: "I landed a lord, almost." "Almost?" "Well, the family came between us. His mother came to my hotel and offered me a bribe." "You threw her out, I hope!" "How could I, with my hands full of money?"


did you know: when Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett turned in their script, the studio liked it, but felt it needed some work. So the studio sent the script to two writers for edits: Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett--the studio sent them their own script to rewrite without knowing it. Wilder and Brackett simply retyped their original script and the studio loved the "rewrites" so much, they produced it with no further "changes".


extra bonus points: if you know why Mary Astor proved a bit of a problem during filming.


also listen for: "Now, Helene, don't let's hush this up and don't let's wait until tomorrow. Go on, let's have a lovely scandal!"


you can watch the movie in parts starting here.


my favorite scene:

the awful truth

the year: 1937

the genre: comedy


the cast: Irene Dunne (Lucy Warriner); Cary Grant (Jerry Warriner); Ralph Bellamy (Daniel Leeson)


the plot: Jerry and Lucy Warriner lead madcap high society lives in New York City. Despite being very happy, they start to doubt each other's fidelity and they finally decide to divorce. Lucy wins custody of the dog but Jerry secures visitation rights. Before their divorce is final they both become engaged to other people. She meets Dan Leeson, a rich but boring Oklahoma oil man who travels with his mother. Jerry courts Barbara Vance,debutante and heiress. Each does their best to foil the other's plans, with hilarious results.



listen for: "You know what rebound is? That business of trying to get over one love by bouncing into love with somebody else? It's fine, except the rebound is rarely the real thing. As a matter of fact, it's the bunk. There's the first bounce, then the second bounce, and, well look at me. You wind up like an old tennis ball."



extra bonus points: if you know why Smitty/Mr. Smith looks familiar.


also listen for: "They forgot to touch second."



don't miss: when Jerry finds Armand in the bedroom.



did you know: in this film Irene Dunne calls Cary Grant's character 'Jerry The Nipper'. The following year in Bringing Up Baby, Katherine Hepburn's character says "Haven't you heard of Jerry The Nipper?" to which Grant replies "She's making it up out of motion pictures she's seen".



my favorite scene:

broadway melody of 1938

the year: 1937

the genre: musical


the cast: Robert Taylor (Steve Raleigh); Eleanor Powell (Sally Lee); George Murphy (Sonny Ledford); Buddy Ebsen (Peter Trot); Sophie Tucker (Alice Clayton); Judy Garland (Betty Clayton)


the plot: Steve Raleigh wants to produce a show on Broadway. He finds a backer, Herman Whipple and a leading lady, Sally Lee. But Caroline Whipple forces Steve to use a known star, not a newcomer. Sally purchases a horse she used to train when her parents had a farm before the depression and with two ex-vaudevillians, she trains it to win a race, providing the money Steve needs for his show.


don't miss: Peter Trot, the jockey.

listen for: "Is he deaf?" "Well, he was the last time when I asked him for a raise."



did you know: The song "Dear Mr. Gable" was a birthday present for Clark Gable's 36th birthday. Composer and arranger Roger Edens adapted the old song "You Made Me Love You" by James V. Monaco. It was sung at Gable's birthday party by a young Judy Garland. Producer Louis B. Mayer was so impressed by it, that he gave order to let Garland sing it again in the next great musical MGM was going to produce.

roberta

the year: 1935

the genre: musical


the cast: Fred Astaire (Huckleberry Haines); Ginger Rogers (Comtesse Scharwenka); Irene Dunne (Stephanie); Randolph Scott (John Kent); Helen Westley (Roberta / Aunt Minnie)


the plot: Football player John Kent tags along as Huck Haines and the Wabash Indianians travel to an engagement in Paris, only to lose it immediately. John and company visit his aunt, owner of a posh fashion house which is really run by her assistant, Stephanie. There they meet the singer Scharwenka (alias Huck's old friend Lizzie), who gets the band a job. Meanwhile, Madame Roberta passes away and leaves the business to John, who has fallen in love with Stephanie.


don't miss: Huck and Liz's reunion:



watch for: a bleach blonde Lucille Ball as one of the models during the fashion show.


listen for: "You don't appreciate her. I know she seems a little hard and sophisticated, but underneath she's a pearl." "And a pearl so I'm told, is the result of a chronic irritation on an oyster."


did you know: the film was based on the book "Gowns by Roberta". It's my second favorite Astaire/Rogers movie.

a night at the opera

the year: 1935

the genre: comedy


the cast: Groucho Marx (Otis B. Driftwood); Chico Marx (Fiorello); Harpo Marx (Tomasso); Kitty Carlisle (Rosa); Allan Jones (Riccardo); Sig Rugman (Gottlieb); Margaret Dumont (Mrs. Claypool)


the plot: Arrogant European opera impresario, tenor Rodolfo Lassparri, is chasing after his leading lady, Rosa Castaldi - who detests him. She's in love with Riccardo Baroni, an unknown tenor who is (of course) more talented than Lassparri. All Riccardo needs is an opportunity to show the world his talent. Otis B. Driftwood convinces Mrs. Claypool to be a benefactress to the New York Opera Company to the tune of $200,000. With the money, the company's managing director, Herman Gottlieb, hires Lassparri. Lassparri accepts and wants to bring Rosa to New York with him to continue as his leading lady, both on stage and in life. On the ship to New York, Riccardo, his friend and self-appointed manager Fiorello, and Lassparri's former valet Tomasso (Lassparri fired him) stowaway on board. They want help Riccardo get the gig as the leading tenor and reunite him with Rosa. Once in New York, the trio and Driftwood have to keep one step ahead of the authorities all the while helping Riccardo achieve his dream.


don't miss: Lassparri's stage debut in New York.


listen for: "And now, on with the opera. Let joy be unconfined. Let there be dancing in the streets, drinking in the saloons, and necking in the parlor."


did you know: Producer Irving Thalberg would often call people in for meetings, and then keep them waiting in his office for hours while he attended other meetings on the MGM lot. One day, during pre-production for A Night at the Opera (1935), Thalberg kept The Marx Brothers waiting for several hours in his secretary's office, while he was in his own office making phone calls. When Thalberg's secretary went home for the day, the brothers decided they'd had enough. They pushed the office file cabinets against Thalberg's door, trapping the producer in his office. Afterwards, Thalberg kept his appointments with the Marx Brothers, but would often interrupt his meetings with them and step out to attend other meetings - again keeping the brothers waiting for hours. One day, Thalberg came back from another meeting to find Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, and Harpo Marx sitting in his office completely naked, and roasting potatoes on sticks in his office fireplace. Thalberg sat down with them, had a potato, and never missed or interrupted another meeting with the Marx Brothers.


extra bonus points: if you know how many eggs Otis Driftwood orders from the steward. I lost count at 18.