Tonight's Movie: Honeymoon (1947) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

18-year-old Shirley Temple plays 17-year-old bride-to-be Barbara Olmstead in HONEYMOON (1947), just released on DVD by the Warner Archive.

Barbara arrives in Mexico City to marry her soldier boyfriend Phil Vaughn (Guy Madison), who is stationed in the Canal Zone. Phil has three days' leave for a wedding and honeymoon, but the path of true love doesn't run smooth due to Phil's delayed flight, sold-out hotels, difficulty obtaining health certificates, and Barbara's confession that she lied about being already married in order to get a travel visa, since she's underage and doesn't have her parents' consent to marry. A legal document stating she's married proves to be a bit of a problem when she wants to get married for real!

Franchot Tone plays David Flanner, the American vice consul who is repeatedly drawn into attempting to solve Barbara and Phil's problems. Meanwhile David's fiancee Raquel (the lovely Lina Romay) wonders why David is continually missing dates with her to spend time with the beautiful young American girl.

HONEYMOON is the sort of "middle of the road" movie which might not be especially good -- it's not really original, and more frenetic than funny -- yet I nonetheless found it a pleasant way to spent an hour and 14 minutes.

I enjoy watching Shirley in the films she made when she was a young woman, and she's fun as the bright-eyed Barbara, who's a bit of a pain in the neck yet charming enough to make Phil, David, and the audience forgive her. She and handsome Guy Madison are a cute couple.

One of the things that's interesting about the movie is how conceptions of adulthood have changed. Although there's a dust-up about parental consent and the ensuing problems, nonetheless it was considered perfectly proper and normal for a girl of 17 to marry, to the point that several characters find a way to make the marriage possible. Indeed, in real life Shirley Temple had wed John Agar when she was 17.

Now it would be considered something of a scandal if a 17-year-old ran off to a foreign country to wed, and the people who helped her would probably be prosecuted or sued, even if she were marrying a fine young man mature enough to serve in the U.S. army.

I always enjoy spending time with Franchot Tone, and it's a pleasure to see Lina Romay in a large supporting role which also allows her the chance to sing. Romay also had a good part in EMBRACEABLE YOU (1948) the following year. Her first film was one of the my favorite musicals, YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER (1942), where she sang with Xavier Cugat's orchestra.

Although the movie, which was filmed in black and white by Edward Cronjager, was set in Mexico City, it's clear the actors never leave the backlot. In fact, during a scene where Temple and Tone are riding in a boat, it's a bit distracting in that it's very clearly a pair of doubles in the long shots. That issue has popped up in more than one film of late!

The supporting cast includes Gene Lockhart, Grant Mitchell, Corinna Mura, and Julio Villarreal.

The Warner Archive print is quite nice. There are no extras.

Shirley Temple fans will doubtless want to pick this one up for their collections.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this DVD. Warner Archive releases are MOD (manufactured on demand) and may be ordered at the Warner Archive website.

Tonight's Movie: It Happened in Hollywood (1937)

Richard Dix gives a charming performance as silent movie cowboy Tim Bart in IT HAPPENED IN HOLLYWOOD (1937).

Dix is simply delightful as the hero of countless American youngsters. When sound comes in and it's initially too challenging to shoot movies outdoors, Tim's studio, Perfect Pictures, pronounces Westerns dead. The folksy Tim is uncomfortable being pulled off his horse and into drawing rooms, giving stilted line readings, and his career may be at an end.

A sympathetic colleague gives Tim a break playing a gangster and Tim does quite well, but finds he cannot go through with completing the role and disappoint all the children who look up to him. After causing the film to shut down production, Tim is all washed up.

Meanwhile Tim's longtime leading lady, Gloria Gay (Fay Wray), initially makes the crossover into talkies but unbeknownst to Tim, her career later flounders also. Tim and Gloria have feelings for one another but they're both shy and reserved about admitting it, and their career issues during a tumultuous time in the industry make things even more awkward.

Tim must sell his huge ranch and is about to leave Hollywood for good when a little boy (Billy Burrud) he'd inspired on a hospital visit shows up at his door. Tim "borrows" back his ranch to throw the little boy a big party, where countless movie star stand-ins convince the boy they're seeing the actual stars.

An incident at the party puts Tim in the right place at the right time to be an offscreen hero, and the tremendous publicity leads Perfect Pictures to decide perhaps they're now ready to make sound Westerns after all.

This is such a sweet little movie, with Dix really wonderful as a very good man who loves what he does and also loves kids. I've called Dix "stolid" in the past but that couldn't be further from the truth here; this is the loosest performance I've seen him give. His happy, upbeat attitude is quite winning. In a word, he's terrific.

Likewise, Wray is perfectly cast as the lovely and lovestruck Gloria; I only wish she'd had more screen time.

I love older films in which Hollywood depicts Hollywood -- CRASHING HOLLYWOOD (1938) with Lee Tracy is another favorite of the era -- and this one has lots of great studio atmosphere. The on-set discussions seem a little more "real" and less exaggerated than in some other studio-set films, which is all to the good. The movie's perspective is also interesting in that it was shot just a handful of years after the transition from silents to sound, rather than decades later.

The party with the stand-ins is quite unique. It's obvious to the viewer that the actors seen aren't the real McCoy, but there are some good lookalikes and it's not inconceivable that a naive young boy would be dazzled by people who look "close enough" to the actual actors. Roughly 20 stand-ins appear, with some pretty good facsimiles of Harold Lloyd, Joe E. Brown, Loretta Young, and Charlie Chaplin, among others.

Child actor Billy Burrud, incidentally, is the very same Bill Burrud who would grow up to appear in nature programs on TV. His teary performance is a bit overwrought at times -- some of that is due to the dialogue -- but that's my only real complaint about the film.

The cast also includes Victor Kilian, Franklin Pangborn, Charles Arnt, Byron Foulger, and Granville Bates. Child actors seen in the film include Delmar and Bobs Watson, Scotty Beckett, and Sammy McKim.

IT HAPPENED IN HOLLYWOOD was directed by Harry Lachman; one of the film's three screenwriters was future director Samuel Fuller. The film was shot in black and white by Joseph Walker. It runs a fast 67 minutes.

IT HAPPENED IN HOLLYWOOD is available on DVD in a beautiful print as part of the The Samuel Fuller Collection. I've previously reviewed another film in the set, SHOCKPROOF (1949).

Richard Dix films previously reviewed at Laura's Miscellaneous Musings: SKY GIANT (1938), TWELVE CROWDED HOURS (1939), MEN AGAINST THE SKY (1940), THE ROUNDUP (1941), and TOMBSTONE: THE TOWN TOO TOUGH TO DIE (1942).

For more on IT HAPPENED IN HOLLYWOOD, visit Cliff's 2012 post at Immortal Ephemera.

Tonight's Movie: Virtue (1932)

VIRTUE (1932), an entertaining film starring Carole Lombard and Pat O'Brien, has the kind of plot which defines "pre-Code."

Lombard plays Mae, a prostitute who's kicked out of town after being picked up by the police. Slipping back into the city, she has a "meet cute" with taxi driver Jimmy (O'Brien) -- she's penniless and stiffs him for the fare, but when she later pays him back they find themselves enjoying each other's company despite themselves.

Mae takes a job as a waitress, leaving her old life behind, and eventually she and Jimmy marry. On their wedding night Jimmy learns the truth about Mae's past from a cop, but they resolve to make a go of their marriage despite that. However, people from Mae's past make that a challenge, to say the least, involving her in a murder.

Lombard and O'Brien have terrific chemistry and are a very appealing team in this short 68-minute film, written by Robert Riskin, based on a story by Ethel Hill, and directed by Edward Buzzell. I especially liked a charming scene where Jimmy wolfs down endless stacks of his new wife's pancakes. They interact so well that it's rather a shame they didn't star in another film together.

The film has a gritty Depression-era atmosphere, and it was interesting looking around the screen at the costumes and set decor, gleaning bits of what life was like in 1932, at least as portrayed in the movies.

These positive aspects helped offset a problematic second half of the film, where I became impatient with the storyline. Mae secretly dips into her husband's savings for his planned business to provide what she thinks is a short-term loan to a so-called friend in dire need. Ha!

I was disappointed that after all they'd already been through, Mae hadn't learned enough to talk over the problem with Jimmy; instead the writers spiral Mae's life more and more out of control. The second half of the film wasn't nearly as interesting as the first, but since the movie only ran a little over an hour, it doesn't last long!

Ward Bond, who began in films in 1929, has a very nice, good-sized early role as O'Brien's best friend. It's interesting that despite having a featured supporting role here, after this film Bond would still spend years playing bit parts, often as cops or henchmen, not to mention the bus driver in IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934).

The cast also includes Mayo Methot, Shirley Grey, and Jack LaRue. The movie was filmed by Joseph Walker.

VIRTUE is available on DVD in the Columbia Pictures Pre-Code Collection from the TCM Vault Collection. It's a beautiful print.

A Centennial Tribute to William Talman

Actor William Talman was born in Detroit a century ago today, on February 4, 1915. The centennial of his birth is a good time to reflect on a fine actor's career and his significant contributions to classic films and television.

Talman made his mark in a number of film noir and crime titles before moving on to fame as Hamilton Burger on PERRY MASON. Was there ever a creepier villain than his portrayal of the title role in THE HITCH-HIKER (1953)?

Talman was also memorable as the mastermind of the ARMORED CAR ROBBERY (1950), seen below, and the killer in CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS (1953). ARMORED CAR ROBBERY is one of my very favorite film noir titles. 

I especially liked Talman as Robert Mitchum's friend in ONE MINUTE TO ZERO (1952). Other good Talman films reviewed here are THE RACKET (1951), also with Robert Mitchum, and TWO-GUN LADY (1955) with Peggie Castle. He's seen below in THE RACKET with Virginia Huston.

A couple of years ago there was a very nice profile of Talman published in the Detroit Hour.

Prior to his passing Talman courageously filmed an anti-smoking ad hoping to spare others of the lung cancer which would soon claim his life.

William Talman died in 1968, just 53 years old, but leaving behind a body of work which is still enjoyed decades later.

Update: Here are reviews of THE KID FROM TEXAS (1950), CRASHOUT (1955), and THE BALLAD OF JOSIE (1967), and a new review of CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS on Blu-ray.

Tonight's Movie: Dr. Kildare's Crisis (1940) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

Dr. Jimmy Kildare tries to solve a medical mystery involving his future brother-in-law in DR. KILDARE'S CRISIS (1940), the sixth film in the Warner Archive's Dr. Kildare Movie Collection.

Doug (played by "The Guest Star Robert Young"), the brother of Nurse Mary Lamont (Laraine Day), comes for a visit. Doug's acting strangely, hearing sounds which aren't there, and Dr. Kildare eventually diagnoses epilepsy. Mary is so concerned that she might also have this hereditary condition, or give it to their children, that she cancels her engagement to Dr. Kildare.

This is a fast-moving and entertaining entry in the series, though the medical aspects of the film are bizarre from the modern perspective; actually, that's part of what makes it so entertaining. Epilepsy can lead to insanity?! Who knew?! Some Googling shows that at one time they apparently were considered to be related conditions, but whether that was actually the case in 1940 I'll leave to medical professionals. The textbook passages Jimmy reads on what's referred to as a "dread disease" were certainly interesting.

Also unusual was Dr. Gillespie's advice to a middle-aged man (Frank Sully) to stop playing sports with his kids and exercising -- it seems that at middle age exercise is bad for the heart!

Ultimately Dr. Gillespie (Lionel Barrymore) figures out Doug's real problem. Dr. Kildare might have figured it out if he'd taken a thorough professional history, but his eyes were clouded by concern for Mary and her brother, and Doug held back the key information out of fear. That last point is a little odd, however, because Doug is so traumatized by the diagnosis of epilepsy that the issue in his medical history would seem tame by comparison, and you'd also think he might have connected the dots.

DR. KILDARE'S CRISIS was directed by Harold S. Bucquet. It was filmed in black and white by John F. Seitz. The running time is 75 minutes.

Dr. Kildare's parents are absent from this film, but the other regulars are on hand, including Nat Pendleton, Alma Kruger, Nell Craig, Walter Kingsford, George Reed, Marie Blake, and Frank Orth; Pierre Watkin also returns in his semiregular role as a generous donor and Bobs Watson reprises his role as Tommy, a crippled boy. Gladys Blake (no relation to Marie) joins the cast as Maisie, the public address system operator; she appeared in two additional films in the series.

Previously reviewed films also available in the Warner Archive's Dr. Kildare Movie Collection: YOUNG DR. KILDARE (1938), CALLING DR. KILDARE (1939), THE SECRET OF DR. KILDARE (1939), DR. KILDARE'S STRANGE CASE (1940), and DR. KILDARE GOES HOME (1940).

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this DVD collection. Warner Archive releases are MOD (manufactured on demand) and may be ordered at the Warner Archive website. Please note that the initial sets of this series sold at the Warner Archive site are traditionally replicated (pressed) rather than burned on demand.

Tonight's Movie: Gunfighters (1947)

The recent Randolph Scott Blogathon at 50 Westerns From the 50s made me aware just how many of Scott's Westerns I still need to see, while the admiration everyone expressed for the man and his work made me enthusiastic to get started on the project sooner rather than later.

Tonight I watched GUNFIGHTERS (1947), a really excellent Western which I believe must rank in the upper tier of Scott's Westerns of the '40s and early '50s, before he began his notable collaboration with director Budd Boetticher. The film has a wonderful cast, a strong screenplay by Alan LeMay (THE SEARCHERS) based on a Zane Grey novel, and lovely Cinecolor photography by Fred Jackman Jr.

The film begins with an absolutely terrific sequence behind the opening credits, with the arresting colors and action sweeping the viewer right into the story of Brazos Kane (Scott), a man whose prowess with a gun is so legendary that even a friend is tempted to see if he can outdraw him. It's interesting that most of the technical credits for this Harry Joe Brown production, released by Columbia, don't come until the end of the film, which helps make the film's unusually striking opening scene possible.

Kane is determined to put his guns behind him but goes out of the frying pan and into the fire, arriving at a friend's home just after he's been killed. Kane is accused of murder by the local deputy (Grant Withers, recently seen at a much younger age in SINNERS' HOLIDAY), but he's saved from a lynching by another old friend (Charley Grapewin). The sheriff (Charles Kemper), who is much wiser than his deputy, recognizes that Kane is no murderer and lets him go, encouraging Kane to hit the trail to California.

Kane lingers in town to try to solve his friend's murder, becoming entangled with a land baron (Griff Barnett) and his two lookalike daughters; Jane (Dorothy Hart), the good daughter, falls for Kane, while not-so-good Bess (Barbara Britton) is in love with her father's foreman Bard (Bruce Cabot), who doesn't seem to have clean hands regarding the murder. There's another ranch employee, Ben (Forrest Tucker), who's a truly bad man likely to end up facing Kane with their guns drawn.

GUNFIGHTERS is a densely plotted, well-written story which also finds time for Kane to counsel a young would-be gunfighter, Johnny (John Miles), in one of the movie's best scenes. Only after Kane has patiently instructed the young man on his technique and warned him about how hard it is for a gunman to live down his reputation does Johnny learn that he's being schooled by the man he wants to kill.

Kemper's sheriff might be the film's best-written character, who has some really marvelous dialogue in his exchanges with Scott. I would have enjoyed seeing even more of him. Withers' not-so-nice deputy is part of a memorable scene where Kane keeps plugging him with bullets until the deputy spills the beans on what he knows about the murder. It's a pretty brutal scene for a 1947 Western.

Cabot's foreman draws a certain measure of sympathy because of his love for Bess, but he's not a good man, and Tucker's Ben is pure evil, happily shooting at old men and musing on his favorite ways to kill people. Ben is a snake who needs to be stamped into the ground.

With similar hairstyles and coloring, Hart and Britton look so much alike that it's entirely believable Kane initially mistakes one sister for the other; I wasn't clear if they were meant to be twins or simply sisters, but their resemblance was such that one of my only problems with the film was my own difficulty early on in telling the characters apart! In this publicity still with Randolph Scott, Britton is on the left and Hart on the right.

GUNFIGHTERS was directed by George Waggner. The film's locations included Sedona, Arizona, and Vasquez Rocks in California. The movie runs 87 minutes.

GUNFIGHTERS does not appear to be available in an authorized DVD. I was able to see it thanks to GetTV, which incidentally has been on the air one year as of today, February 3, 2015.

Randolph Scott fans should find GUNFIGHTERS a most satisfying Western.

Update: I wrote a little more on this film for my Western RoundUp column at Classic Movie Hub.

Tonight's Movie: To Beat the Band (1935) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

TO BEAT THE BAND (1935) is the second film in an RKO Johnny Mercer double bill just released on DVD by the Warner Archive.

TO BEAT THE BAND was released a few months after the previously reviewed movie in the set, OLD MAN RHYTHM (1935). Both films feature a score with lyrics by Johnny Mercer, who also sings on screen.

TO BEAT THE BAND is a black comedy about Hugo (Hugh Herbert) who is informed by a lawyer (Helen Broderick) that he stands to inherit $59 million from his late aunt -- but he must marry a widow within three days. This is a problem as Hugo is engaged to the much younger Rowena (Phyllis Brooks, seen at right).

Hugo cooks up a plan to marry off Rowena to the suicidal Larry (Roger Pryor), who will then do himself in, leaving the widowed Rowena available to immediately marry Hugo while ensuring he can collect the money.

If Hugo doesn't marry in the allotted time, the money will instead be given to a band headed by Fred Carson (Fred Keating), and the band members (including Mercer) thus do everything in their power to keep Larry alive so that Rowena won't be an eligible widow. Larry and Rowena, meanwhile, fall in love.

The plot would be distasteful if it weren't handled so unseriously; it's a very flimsy film, with the chief drawbacks being the two leading men: That "cinematic toothache," the tiresome Hugh Herbert, and Roger Pryor, who is even more uncharismatic here than in the recently viewed BULLETS FOR O'HARA (1941). It's hard to imagine what the executives who cast the film were thinking.

While I'd class this film as strictly for fans of Mercer and RKO, it's quite a nice "bonus" to have it included on the disc with OLD MAN RHYTHM, and the film does have its compensations, starting with the rare opportunity to see Mercer onscreen; the always-funny Helen Broderick and Eric Blore, both appearing in this in between their appearances in the Astaire-Rogers classics TOP HAT (1935) and SWING TIME (1936); and the fabulous RKO set design by Van Nest Polglase, filmed in gleaming black and white by Nicholas Musuraca.

Some of the younger players are holdovers from the cast of OLD MAN RHYTHM, including Evelyn Poe, Joy Hodges, Ronald Graham, Sonny Lamont, and Lynne Carver, who can be spotted in the back row of the girls' orchestra.

TO BEAT THE BAND was directed by Benjamin Stoloff. It runs 67 minutes.

TO BEAT THE BAND, like OLD MAN RHYTHM, is a lovely print. The films in this Warner Archive set share a one-sided disc. There are no extras.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this DVD set. Warner Archive releases are MOD (manufactured on demand) and may be ordered at the Warner Archive website.

Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the internet...a slightly abbreviated Groundhog Day edition!

...At last Friday night's Black Maria screening I enjoyed becoming reacquainted with Emily of The Vintage Cameo, who I had first met at the TCM Classic Film Festival. Later in the weekend Emily covered the Night on Broadway event in Downtown Los Angeles, which sounds terrific. There was also coverage at Curbed L.A., including great shots of theater interiors. When I was on the TCM Bus Tour last March I was able to photograph some of the area theaters; that's my photo of the Palace on the left.

...BAD MEN OF TOMBSTONE (1949), an upcoming Warner Archive release, looks especially fun, starring Barry Sullivan, Marjorie Reynolds, and Broderick Crawford, with a supporting cast including Guinn "Big Boy" Williams and a personal favorite, Louis Jean Heydt.

...Last week Lou Lumenick Tweeted the link to his 2007 interview with Oscar-nominated actor James Cromwell. That was timely as I had just seen Cromwell's mother, Kay Johnson, starring in a pair of Cecil B. DeMille films, MADAM SATAN (1930) and DYNAMITE (1929). MADAM SATAN in particular has a lot of fans to perhaps others will enjoy revisiting his column.

...Olive Films does terrific releases of classic-era films, so I was curious to note that they have also just released a relatively recent film on Blu-ray, the warm RETURN TO ME (2000) starring David Duchovny, Minnie Driver, Bonnie Hunt, and Jim Belushi, as well as Carroll O'Connor, Robert Loggia, and Joely Richardson. Very much recommended.

...Some older STAR WARS figurines recently sold for a lot of money...hmmm, I wonder what my "MIB" EMPIRE STRIKES BACK Han Solo is worth?

...Entertainment Weekly has published a new interview with 98-year-old Olivia de Havilland.

...I enjoyed Vienna's screen shots of some favorite happy movie endings at Vienna's Classic Hollywood.

...I was quite fond of the 1985-87 prime time soap opera THE COLBYS, which had an amazing cast including Charlton Heston, Barbara Stanwyck, and Ricardo Montalban. The complete series is now coming to DVD in May! (Via Will McKinley.)

...Raquel has given the new Brent Phillips book CHARLES WALTERS: THE DIRECTOR WHO MADE HOLLYWOOD DANCE, an enthusiastic review at Out of the Past. I just received a copy in the last few days and will be reviewing it in the future.

...Curbed L.A. has photos of the original locations of some famous fast food chains...funny thing, by sheer chance we drove past the odd-looking original Fatburger stand on Western Avenue last Friday night.

...Here's Toby's review of David Brian, Neville Brand, and Richard Long in FURY AT GUNSIGHT PASS (1956) at 50 Westerns From the 50s. Sure sounds like a good one to check out.

...Attention Southern Californians: There's still another month ahead in UCLA's great series celebrating Cecil B. DeMille! Check my post for details including the link to the screening schedule. And stay tuned for information on UCLA's Festival of Preservation, coming in March!

...A year ago I spent Groundhog Day seeing one of my favorite films on a big screen for the first time. Here's a look back at what makes the film so special, as well as a link to Jonah Goldberg's classic column on the movie.

Have a great week!

Tonight's Movie: Old Man Rhythm (1935) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

The great American composer Johnny Mercer makes a rare screen appearance in OLD MAN RHYTHM (1935), one of two Mercer films just released by the Warner Archive.

OLD MAN RHYTHM has been released in a one-disc, two-film set along with TO BEAT THE BAND (1935). Mercer plays a supporting role in each film; in OLD MAN RHYTHM he's a college boy who sings in several group musical numbers -- which he cowrote!

OLD MAN RHYTHM is a lightweight 75-minute diversion but I have to say I rather enjoyed it. College life, as depicted in the film, consists of riding on Streamline Moderne trains, living in swanky Art Deco dorms, and roasting hot dogs while singing Johnny Mercer tunes with co-eds who include the likes of Betty Grable and Lucille Ball. Who could resist?

The plot is a bunch of silliness about Johnny Roberts (Charles "Buddy" Rogers) wanting to marry a gold-digging co-ed (Grace Bradley) instead of the sweet girl (Barbara Kent) preferred by Johnny's dad (George Barbier).

Dear old Dad's judgment is actually correct, and to make sure Johnny does the right thing, Dad decides to enroll as a college freshman and help ensure that true love's course runs smoothly.

The plot doesn't really matter too much, but the invidual scenes and settings are fun. My favorite number was the hot dog roast where everyone sings "Boys Will Be Boys." It's quite a lovely scene, worthy of watching again.

There are a few other big numbers, including one with Betty Grable tap dancing in ballet toe shoes (?!).

Comic relief is covered by Eric Blore and Erik Rhodes of the Astaire-Rogers movies, along with Donald Meek.

While Grable is front and center several times, Ball can be seen numerous times among the crowd of students. The girls also include Lynne Carver (A CHRISTMAS CAROL) and Kay Sutton (THE SAINT IN NEW YORK).

Bess Flowers has a speaking role as a secretary. The cast also includes John Arledge and Evelyn Poe.

OLD MAN RHYTHM was directed by Edward Ludwig. It was filmed in black and white by Nicholas Musuraca.

The print on the Warner Archive DVD looks terrific. Fans of RKO's great-looking "B" movies of the era will probably enjoy this one too.

Look for a review of the other film in the set, TO BEAT THE BAND (1935), at a future date. (Update: Here is the review of TO BEAT THE BAND.)

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this DVD set. Warner Archive releases are MOD (manufactured on demand) and may be ordered at the Warner Archive website.

Tonight's Movie: Now, Voyager (1942)

January came and went in a flash without my writing about the final film on my list of 10 Classics to see in 2014, NOW, VOYAGER (1942). So I resolved I would do that before turning the page on February 1st!

NOW, VOYAGER was one of my favorite films on last year's list, a marvelous example of the studio system at its finest. Everything about this lush romance is top-drawer, from the deep cast to the shimmering black and white photography by Sol Polito to gowns by Orry-Kelly and the memorable score by Max Steiner. I was very, very glad I had put this film on my list and finally saw it.

Bette Davis stars as Charlotte Vale, a repressed, homely spinster whose mother (Gladys Cooper) treats her with contempt, attempting to crush her spirit and independence at every turn. Charlotte is rescued by her compassionate sister-in-law Lisa (the wonderful Ilka Chase), who introduces Charlotte to a psychiatrist, Dr. Jaquith (a superb Claude Rains).

Charlotte checks in at Dr. Jaquith's mountain sanitarium, then leaves for an extended cruise, now looking quite, quite different, though still inwardly vulnerable. On the cruise Charlotte meets Jerry Durrance (Paul Henreid), an unhappily married man, and two troubled souls find comfort and love with one another, though Jerry realizes too late how unfair he has been to accept Charlotte's love when he cannot offer her a life together.

Charlotte returns home alone, with her own personal growth as well as memories of Jerry's love to sustain her as she attempts to balance respecting her mother with no longer being her doormat.

Ultimately, Charlotte has the chance to develop a relationship with Jerry's young daughter Tina (Janis Wilson), whose mother has never wanted her, and she as good as adopts her, finding meaning and happiness in sharing the child with Jerry.

There's good reason why this film is so well remembered, and when Davis uttered the famous final lines, "Jerry, don't let's ask for the moon. We have the stars," I found there were tears rolling down my cheeks -- not simply responding to the story, but to the film's artistry and what it represents from a bygone era in filmmaking.

The Oscar-nominated Davis is simply superb, believably conveying Charlotte's transformation, including the gradual emotional transitions -- even when she looks quite the glamour queen, inside she still feels like the "old" Charlotte. When one thinks of Davis, one tends to think of her as one of the great drama queens of the movies, yet the reality is that she's so effective in this because of her nuanced underplaying. At times she's quite still, effectively conveying her thoughts with a simple look. The viewer's eyes remain on her constantly both because she's so interesting and to be sure not to miss the nonverbal aspects of her performance.

Henreid takes a character who could be sleazy or unsympathetic -- the married man toying with the vulnerable woman -- and instead offers a complex depiction of a man who, like Charlotte, has been starved for love and receives it almost unbelievingly, with a desperate gratitude. The issues in his marriage are never fully explained, nor is his relationship with his unseen eldest daughter Beatrice, but the film successfully navigates that lack of back story and lets the viewer fill in the blanks.

And only Henreid in this film could make a viewer who hates smoking find the lighting of cigarettes blissfully romantic!

There are so many excellent performances in this film beyond Davis and Henreid. Rains' Dr. Jasquith is simply terrific; what a great commentary on the era, that a character who mostly bookends the film could be played by such a compelling actor.

Bonita Granville plays Charlotte's casually cruel niece June; one of the film's only missteps is that it's hard to believe such an unkind, thoughtless young woman could be the daughter of Ilka Chase's warm-hearted Lisa. Eventually June realizes the error of her ways, although one hopes it's not simply because Aunt Charlotte has become a paragon of fashion.

Mary Wickes plays the nurse who might be the only person in the world not intimidated by Charlotte's mother. This film was made the same year Wickes repeated her stage role as a much more harried nurse in the film THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER (1942).

The cast also includes Katharine Alexander (misbilled as Katherine), John Loder, Lee Patrick, James Rennie, Franklin Pangborn, and Ian Wolfe. Charlotte's early love in a flashback sequence is played by a young Charles Drake, one of a dozen films he appeared in that year.

NOW, VOYAGER was directed by Irving Rapper. It runs 117 minutes. Casey Robinson's screenplay was based on the novel by Olive Higgins Prouty.

NOW, VOYAGER has had numerous DVD releases, including in the Bette Davis Collection, Volume 1, the TCM Greatest Classic Legends Bette Davis Film Collection, the TCM Greatest Classic Films Romance Collection, or as a single-title release.

It was also released on VHS.

This film can also be seen on Turner Classic Movies. The trailer is on the TCM website.

Very highly recommended.