Tear Jerkers

Sorry for the break. Sometimes life gets a bit crazy ’round here.

I don’t know why but in most (not all) tear jerkers, the heroine dies at the end. I have a few sad movies on my list that I would like to share with everyone; so here goes:

Wuthering Heights (1939 starring Olivier and Oberon)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032145/

Wake of the Red Witch (1948)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040946/

Dark Victory (1939)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031210/

The Rains Came (also 1939 – arguably the greatest movie year ever)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031835/

Love Affair

I think I prefer the remake with Deborah Kerr & Cary Grant  An Affair to Remember but I’m not sure. Take my poll and let me know which version you prefer. Enjoy!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031593/

The Awful Truth

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028597/

My Favorite Wife

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029284/

I really did not care for the remake  Move Over Darling starring Doris Day.

I Remember Mama

A beautiful and touching film about the goings on in a Norwegian immigrant family in 1910 San Francisco. I Remember Mama was nominated for 5 Academy Awards in 1949, but did not win any.

Irene Dunne  is absolute perfection in the role of Mama Hansen. Ms. Dunne was nominated in the best actress category.

Ellen Corby is both sad and hilarious as the spinster sister that has finally caught a man played by Edgar Bergen in his first role without his dummy Charlie McCarthy.

Barbara Bel Geddes (better known for her role as the matriarch of the Ewing family in Dallas)  is wonderful as the eldest daughter and the storyteller here. Both Corby and Bel Geddes were nominated for the best supporting actress oscar.

Oskar Homolka was nominated for best supporting actor for his role as the gruff but kind Uncle Chris.

 

 

 

 

This film also stars Rudy Vallee and Philip Darn and is for sale on tcm.com.

I Remember Mama is not a comedy but as with any movie about the everyday life of a family it has more than a few humorous moments. The funniest scene has to do with the parents having to chloroform a sick cat and botching the job.

Please watch this movie with the whole family and you’ll be very glad you did.

Life With Father

Life With Father is one the few cases in which I actually prefer the movie to the book.

 

 

 

Just as implied in the title, the film is about the day-to-day events in the upper class household of financier Clarence Day; played by William Powell who was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar in 1948 for his performance. Although not nominated for her performance in Life With Father, Irene Dunne’s performance as Clarence’s ditzy but lovable wife Vinnie Day was just as memorable.

 

The rest of the crazy cast of characters include the 4 Day sons, the eldest son’s girlfriend (played by a beautiful teenage Liz Taylor), Vinnie’s Cousin Cora (portrayed perfectly by Za Su Pitts),

 

 

the minister of the family church (played by Edmund Gwenn),

 

 

the family cook, and a whole string of maids (Clarence scares each away under hilarious circumstances).

My favorite scenes are the discussions between financier Day and clueless Vinnie about various aspects of the household account, politics, and religion.

Our family has enjoyed watching this movie together for many years and I feel sure yours will too.

Irene Dunne

Movies starring the lovely and often hilarious Irene Dunne will make up our list this week. We won’t be able to list them all of course, but we’ll discuss a few really enjoyable ones and I certainly hope you will tell me about your favorites.

She is one of my favorite actresses, and I hope she’ll become one of your favorites as well. If you don’t know much about her, please click on this link to read Ms. Dunne’s bio at IMDB http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002050/bio

Weekly Film Ramblings

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the first week of TCM’s 31 Days of Oscar. I have watched some good movies and some that were ‘eeehhhhh’. Let’s get started.

Anthony Adverse was boring at best. Olivia de Havilland was beautiful; other than that, all I can say is, what a waste of Claude Rains.

Then there was a little 1929 musical called The Love Parade starring Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald; like most musicals, so contrived and silly, just an excuse for the stars to break into song. I had to turn it off.

As I’m writing this, I’m watching 1958s Separate Tables. I can’t quite make my mind up about this film. It feels a bit like a 50’s soap opera.

Deborah Kerr’s performance as a plain, emotionally unstable spinster was spectacular as was David Niven as the aging major she secretly loves. This movie won 2 Oscars one of which went to Mr. Niven for Best Actor.

However, I really dislike movies that don’t tie things up at the end.

The Ghost and Mr. Chicken

I don’t want to hear it! I know this is a REALLY silly movie with terrible acting. It wasn’t even nominated for any Oscars (imagine that)! But we enjoy it;  our family watches The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966) every Halloween. We laugh at the same jokes every year.

You can head over to this website to read a little of the history on the studio house where the movie was filmed. http://www.thestudiotour.com/ush/backlot/street_colonial_2.html

Supposedly, Andy Griffith is the one who suggested expanding on an episode of The Andy Griffith Show entitled “Haunted House” from 1963. Don Knotts is, as usual, absolutely hilarious as the terrified Luther Heggs. Grab your popcorn and enjoy!

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

Movie #4 in our ghost line-up is a lovely film and the second in our list to star Rex Harrison; The Ghost and Mrs. Muir;

about an independent widow and her young daughter (played by Natalie Wood) who move to a house by the sea. The house is haunted by Captain Gregg. Eventually, Lucy Muir (played be Gene Tierney) must choose between love with a ghost and love with a live man (played by George Sanders). 

 

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir was filmed in the Carmel/ Monterey area, and nominated for an Academy Award in 1948 for best cinematography. 

It is considered a romantic comedy. It is definitely romantic, but its comedic moments are very subdued which adds to its charm in my opinion. Check out this link for more info. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039420/awards

or better yet, watch The Ghost and Mrs. Muir for yourself and see why it made my list.