the reel dope

 

Movie reviews for: The Sword in the Stone, The Cardinal, and Charade

once upon a honeymoon

 

the year: 1942

 

the genre: dramedy

 

 

the cast: Cary Grant (Pat O'Toole); Ginger Rogers (Kathie O'Hara / Katherine Butt-Smith / Baroness Katherine Von Luber); Walter Slezak (Baron Franz Von Luber)

 

the plot: At the start of WWII, Katie O'Hara, an American burlesque girl intent on social climbing, marries Austrian Baron Von Luber. Pat O'Toole, an American radio reporter, sees this as a chance to investigate Von Luber, who is suspected of having Nazi ties. As country after country falls to the Nazis, O'Tool follows O'Hara across Europe. At first he is after a story, but he gradually falls in love with her. When she learns that her husband is indeed a Nazi, O'Hara fakes her death and runs off with O'Toole.  But that's not the end of the story...

 

 

listen for:  "I was supposed to be investigating facts, not figures."

 

 

don't miss:  Pat telling the ship's captain that someone has fallen overboard.  Think "We're No Angels" telling Uncle Andre that Adolphe is poisonous.

 

 

did you know: The question of top billing was resolved by having half of the prints with Cary Grant listed first, and the other half with Ginger Rogers listed first.

 

quotes: cary grant movies

Name the Cary Grant movie:

1. Do you shave or shower first?

2. I have an infuriating lack of talent for doing simple things.
You probably don't do them right, that's why.

3. I bluffed the Old Man out of the last pot. With a pair of deuces.
What's so depressing about that?
Well, I mean, if I can do it, what are the Russians doing to him?

4. Oh no! Not my zappatos.

5. I don't like the way Teddy Roosevelt is looking at me.

6. It's not a nice thing to do. People wouldn't understand. He wouldn't understand. What I mean is... Well... This is developing into a very bad habit!

7. Ready boot, let's scoot!

best of: cary grant

Father Goose

Operation Petticoat

Arsenic and Old Lace:


An Affair to Remember:


Houseboat:


Charade:


North by Northwest:

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:

kiss them for me

the year: 1957

the genre: dramedy


the cast: Cary Grant (Cmdr. Andy Crewson); Jayne Mansfield (Alice Kartzner); Suzy Parker (Gwinneth Livingston); Ray Walston (Lt. J.G. McCann); Larry Blyden (Mississip); Nathaniel Frey (CPO Ruddle)


the plot: Three decorated Navy pilots finagle a four day leave in San Francisco. They snag a posh suite at a hotel and Commander Crewson, a master of procurement, arranges to populate it with party people. Lieutenant Wallace tries to get the pilots to make speeches to rally the homefront at shipyard magnate Eddie Turnbill's plants, but they're tired of the war and just want to have fun. While Crewson begins falling in love with Turnbill's fiancée Gwinneth Livingston, he tries to ignore the distant call of war.



don't miss: how "Mr." Ruddle and Miss Kratzner communicate.




listen for: "Crewson, I love you very much." "That's the only way to love a person, otherwise it isn't worth all the trouble."



did you know: Suzy Parker was a famous model in the 1950s and the first one was to earn $100,000 per year.




extra bonus points: if you know which musical, made the same year, stars Suzy Parker in the big opening number.




did you also know: that although set in 1944, throughout the film you can see vehicles which are obvious early '50s models.

that touch of mink

the year: 1962

the genre: comedy


the cast: Cary Grant (Philip Shayne); Doris Day (Cathy Timberlake); Gig Young (Roger); John Astin (Everett Beasley); Audrey Meadows (Connie Emerson); Alan Hewitt (Doctor Gruber)


the plot: Cathy Timberlake is an old fashioned country girl who meets the man of her dreams, Philip Shayne, after his Rolls Royce splashes her with mud. Philip is taken by Cathy's honest heart, but there's one problem - he's not interested in marriage while Cathy, of course, has never thought of anything else.



don't miss: the credit that reads: "Our special thanks to Bergdorf Goodman for being Bergdorf Goodman."




listen for: "The Four Horsemen now have a riding companion. There's War, Famine, Death, Pestilence, and Miss Timberlake!"




did you know: Cary Grant was a big fan of "The Honeymooners" and Audrey Meadows in particular. He was responsible for getting her the part of Connie.



also don't miss: John Astin as creepy unemployment officer Everett Beasley - quite a different character from Gomez Addams.



also listen for: "[very drunk] Do you like the way I walk?" "Poetry in motion."




did you also know: that the name Rock Hudson appears on the list of potential husbands Roger shows to Cathy.