Russ Recommends: Three Comedies

More lighthearted movies from the golden era of Hollywood, with nary a hint of the ugly, vulgar modern world to be seen or heard. We often watch such things while eating our weeknight dinners.  Here are three films we especially enjoyed recently.

The Strawberry Blonde (1941)

Starring James Cagney, Olivia de Havilland, and Rita Hayworth.  Supporting players include studly Jack Carson, handsome George Reeves (later Superman), Alan Hale (who looks a lot like a stranded skipper), and George Tobias (later neighbor to a witch). Available as a $2 rental on YouTube.

 The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941) 

Starring Bette Davis and James Cagney, supported by George Tobias again, Jack Carson ditto, William Frawley (later Fred Mertz), Eugene Palette (the eternal blowhard), and Harry Davenport (Dr. Meade in Gone with the Wind). Another $2 rental on YouTube.

 

 My Sister Eileen (1942) 

Starring our gal Rosalind Russell, Brian Aherne, and Janet Blair (who looks a lot like Janet Leigh). Ubiquitous George Tobias plays the artistic landlord.  Roz later won a Tony starring in the musical version on Broadway.  The film was remade in Technicolor in 1955, starring Betty Garrett, Janet Leigh, and Jack Lemmon, with a young Dick York (later married to a witch) as the athletic upstairs neighbor.

 

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Russ Recommends: Life with Father (1947)

What may be the beginning of a semi-regular series, featuring lighthearted movies from the golden era of Hollywood, without even a hint of the ugly, vulgar modern world to be seen or heard. We often watch such things while eating our weeknight dinners.

Trailer:

 

Life with Father is based on the memoirs of Clarence Day, Jr., published in 1936,  The book was turned into a smash hit play that ran for more than seven years on Broadway.  The movie was a big hit with critics and at the box office, and was nominated for four Academy Awards.

Directed by Michael Curtiz, who also directed Casablanca (1943).

The players include William Powell, perfectly irascible in the title role;

The beautiful, always delightful Irene Dunne as the long-suffering Mrs. Day;

Jimmy Lydon, who was also the teenage star of the Henry Aldrich series (still alive and living in New Jersey at 98 years old);

Edmund Gwenn as the Reverend Dr. Lloyd - also known as Kris Kringle;

Veteran comedienne ZaSu Pitts, always amusing; and

15-year-old Elizabeth Taylor, already gorgeous (when was she not?).

Music by the brilliant Max Steiner, who also scored Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, and A Summer Place, to name but a few of his film credits.

Full movie (public domain):

 

Sidelights:  

Mr. Day's frequent expostulation in the play, "Oh, God!" was changed to "Oh, Gad!" for the movie version.  

Actor Edmund Gwenn shared his Beverly Hills home with a former Olympic silver medalist, Rodney Soher.

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Russ Recommends: Harvey, 1950

Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, "In this world, Elwood, you must be" — she always called me Elwood — "In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant." Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me.

Being pleasant is easier said than done. But we could all envy Elwood P. Dowd, a softspoken dreamer of independent means who has the help of a marvelous, magical friend named Harvey.  Jimmy Stewart is at his best in this comic fantasy, ably supported by Josephine Hull as his sister Veta - a Thurber caricature come to life - and a slew of other fine character actors.  Do watch it if you can find it - it will surely make you laugh and give your spirits a lift.

Original 1950 trailer:



Jimmy Stewart's introduction to the 1990 home video release:

Russ Recommends: Blithe Spirit, 1945

Your Head Trucker can't bear to keep up with the ghastly news out of Washington anymore, and so is declaring a moratorium on current events for the duration.

For anyone who needs the relief of a witty, breezy celestial comedy, try the original film version of Noel Coward's celebrated play, if you can find it.  I just saw it again on TCM last night, and it was delightful as ever, with a young and handsome Rex Harrison as the haunted husband and the inimitable Margaret Rutherford as the other-worldly medium. Original trailer:



A short review from the British Film Institute: