Tonight's Movie: Four Daughters (1938)

FOUR DAUGHTERS is an engrossing domestic drama about the Lemps, a family of musicians consisting of father Adam (Claude Rains), his sister Etta (May Robson), and his four lovely daughters, played by Gale Page and real-life sisters Rosemary, Lola, and Priscilla Lane.

The Lemps' lives are turned upside down with the arrival in town of two young musicians: cheerful, good-hearted Felix (Jeffrey Lynn) and dour, down-on-his-luck Mickey (John Garfield). Romantic complications abound for the four daughters, the two young men, and two other suitors (Dick Foran and Frank McHugh) who aspire to marry into the family.

Garfield made quite a splash when this film came out, playing an unusual character for the day, sort of an early version of the James Dean or Marlon Brando "rebel." However, viewed from today, I had little patience for Garfield or his character. Mickey was self-involved and depressed, and Garfield melodramatically overacted Mickey's climactic downward spiral.

Lynn's role was originally slated to be played by Errol Flynn, who would have been absolutely perfect as the man adored by the entire family. Although he's no Flynn, Lynn acquits himself well. In the '40s Lynn would be absent from the screen for an extended period of time while serving in WWII; his best-known role may be that of Brad Bishop, Jeanne Crain's husband in A LETTER TO THREE WIVES (1949).

The Lane Sisters and Gale Page are delightful as the Lemp daughters. Priscilla Lane is a standout as sweet Ann Lemp, and it's easy to see why she became the biggest star in the family. In 1939 Lane would reunite with Garfield in DUST BE MY DESTINY and with Lynn in YES, MY DARLING DAUGHTER.

When poking around the Internet I discovered that Simpson College in Iowa has a Lane Sisters Collection. That would certainly be interesting to examine.

FOUR DAUGHTERS was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Director, and Best Supporting Actor (John Garfield). Although Garfield didn't do much for me, overall the movie provides excellent entertainment value and is well worth seeing.

FOUR DAUGHTERS was filmed in black and white and is 90 minutes long. It was directed by the great Michael Curtiz. The musical score was composed by Max Steiner.

FOUR DAUGHTERS was followed by two sequels, FOUR WIVES (1939) and FOUR MOTHERS (1941).

The FOUR DAUGHTERS trailer can be seen at TCM's site here. The trailer for FOUR WIVES can be seen here.

Most confusingly, at least 10 members of the cast of FOUR DAUGHTERS reunited in 1939 for DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS, but that film is not about the Lemp family and is completely unrelated to the FOUR... movies. The trailer for DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS can be seen here.

FOUR DAUGHTERS was loosely remade in 1954 as YOUNG AT HEART, with Doris Day and Frank Sinatra in the Lane and Garfield roles.

FOUR DAUGHTERS is available on video. It airs periodically on Turner Classic Movies.

Update: Reviews of FOUR WIVES (1939) and FOUR MOTHERS (1941).

May 2009 Update: FOUR DAUGHTERS is now available on DVD via the Warner Archive.

May 2011 Update: The Warner Archive has now released an upgraded remastered print of FOUR DAUGHTERS. It can also now be purchased in the Four Daughters Collection with FOUR WIVES, FOUR MOTHERS, and DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS; DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS has also been remastered.

Tonight's Movie: Daughters Courageous (1939)

Tonight I enjoyed a Warner Bros. double bill, following TORRID ZONE with DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS. DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS was a somewhat unusual follow-up film to FOUR DAUGHTERS, reviewed here last week.

DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS reunited FOUR DAUGHTERS director Michael Curtiz and 10 cast members in what film historian George Morris terms "neither a sequel nor a remake, but a unique mixture of paraphrase and elaboration." (As I wrote last week, sequels to FOUR DAUGHTERS would also follow.)

This time around the "four daughters," again played by the Lane Sisters and Gale Page, live with their mother (Fay Bainter) and housekeeper (May Robson) in a comfortable, book-filled home near the seaside in Carmel, California. The girls are all happy with their boyfriends (Jeffrey Lynn, Frank McHugh, Dick Foran), and the mother is about to marry her nice beau (Donald Crisp). Suddenly the girls' father (Claude Rains), who abandoned the family two decades previously, re-enters the picture. Further complicating matters is the attraction of the youngest daughter (Priscilla Lane) for the local bad boy (John Garfield), whose personality is very much akin to that of the errant father.

The storyline not only had echoes of FOUR DAUGHTERS, but I also found it a bit of a modern-day variant on LITTLE WOMEN, with Jeffrey Lynn cast in the "Laurie" role. Like the historian Morris, I preferred DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS to the better-known FOUR DAUGHTERS. (Leonard Maltin, on the other hand, gives FOUR DAUGHTERS 3-1/2 stars compared to 3 for DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS.) Although DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS is not all sweetness and light, I liked its greater sense of optimism; in multiple ways, FOUR DAUGHTERS was a much darker picture.

The performances are uniformly fine. Fay Bainter is one of my favorite character actresses, and Claude Rains has a moving moment in his climactic confrontation with her, when the barest glint of a tear shows in his eye. Donald Crisp, playing a decent man whose life plans are in jeopardy, likewise has a strong scene with Rains near the end of the film. The daughters are all fun, with Priscilla Lane once more the standout. John Garfield is less abrasive than in FOUR DAUGHTERS, though his type of character still doesn't do much for me.

DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS runs 107 minutes and was filmed in black and white. The trailer can be seen on TCM's site.

This film does not appear to have had a video release.

May 2011 Update: DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS is now available on DVD-R from the Warner Archive. It can be purchased individually or as part of the Four Daughters Movie Series Collection.

Warner Archive News: Four Daughters Collection

There was an especially welcome release from the Warner Archive this past week, the Four Daughters Movie Series Collection.

The Collection consists of FOUR DAUGHTERS (1938), FOUR WIVES (1939), and FOUR MOTHERS (1941), along with an unrelated film starring the identical cast, DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS (1939).

The films can either be purchased as a set, at a discounted rate, or individually. FOUR DAUGHTERS is a remastered upgrade of a 2009 Archive release. DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS was also remastered.

The FOUR DAUGHTERS series tells the story of musician Adam Lemp (Claude Rains) and his four beautiful daughters, played by Priscilla, Rosemary, and Lola Lane, plus Gale Page. Their love interests are played by John Garfield, Jeffrey Lynn, Frank McHugh, Dick Foran, and Eddie Albert. May Robson is the girls' aunt.

This is a wonderful series of films which I think becomes even more enjoyable as it continues. As I wrote in a 2008 review of FOUR MOTHERS: "FOUR WIVES and FOUR MOTHERS are particularly good, as sequels go, because each film feels as though it's simply picking up where the last one left off, with no jarring changes in cast, sets, or tone. The use of the same 'bits of business' from one film to the next, along with the recurring use of music, provides a strong sense of continuity."

DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS tells a different story, but served as an excuse to reunite director Michael Curtiz and all 10 lead cast members of the popular FOUR DAUGHTERS. One film historian wrote that DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS is "neither a sequel nor a remake, but a unique mixture of paraphrase and elaboration." Although I love the Lemp series as a whole, in some ways I preferred DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS to the original FOUR DAUGHTERS film.

There's more information on the history of this excellent series in my reviews for FOUR DAUGHTERS, FOUR WIVES, FOUR MOTHERS, and DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS, all of which were originally posted in 2007 and 2008.

Tonight's Movie: Four Mothers (1941)

FOUR MOTHERS is the entertaining sequel to FOUR DAUGHTERS (1938) and FOUR WIVES (1939).

The entire cast is back: Priscilla, Rosemary, and Lola Lane, along with Gale Page, as the four Lemp daughters; Jeffrey Lynn, Eddie Albert, Frank McHugh, and Dick Foran as the girls' husbands; and Claude Rains as the Lemp patriarch and May Robson as his sister. The plot, concerning how the extended clan works together to handle a financial crisis, is mainly a good excuse to spend more screen time with this wonderful family.

Although I found the first film in the series a bit dark, mainly due to the presence of John Garfield's depressed character, I really love the next two films in the series. FOUR WIVES and FOUR MOTHERS are particularly good, as sequels go, because each film feels as though it's simply picking up where the last one left off, with no jarring changes in cast, sets, or tone. The use of the same "bits of business" from one film to the next, along with the recurring use of music, provides a strong sense of continuity. The final musical sequence, which builds on a scene from the second film which used the same music, provides a fitting end to the series.

I wish very much that more films had been made in the Lemp Family series, but alas, that was not to be.

The movie was directed by William Keighley. Keighley also directed Priscilla Lane and Jeffrey Lynn in YES, MY DARLING DAUGHTER (1939), reviewed here last May. FOUR MOTHERS runs 86 minutes. A side note of interest is that a scene with Claude Rains appears to have been filmed on location at the Hollywood Bowl, although I suspect the shots of the family in the audience were filmed at the studio.

FOUR MOTHERS can be seen regularly on TCM.

For more on the FOUR DAUGHTERS series, see this nice post by Jacqueline at Another Old Movie Blog.

Related post here at LMM: DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS (1939).

May 2011 Update: FOUR MOTHERS is now available on DVD-R from the Warner Archive, either as a single-title release or as part of the Four Daughters Movie Series Collection.

Tonight's Movie: Four Wives (1939)

FOUR WIVES seamlessly picks up where FOUR DAUGHTERS (1938) left off, depicting the lives and loves of the musical Lemp family.

Just a short time has passed since the close of the original film. The two married Lemp daughters, Thea and Emma (Lola Lane and Gale Page), are hoping to be mothers; songstress Kay (Rosemary Lane) has a crush on Clint, a nice young doctor (Eddie Albert); and the widowed youngest sister Ann (Priscilla Lane) is recovering from her short-lived marriage to troubled Mickey Borden (John Garfield, seen in flashbacks) and celebrating her (re-)engagement to her once and future true love, Felix (Jeffrey Lynn). Of course, the family will find a few surprises along the way.

I actually liked FOUR WIVES better than the Oscar-nominated original film, which was weighted down by the depressive presence of Garfield's character. In this film, Ann struggles with feeling loyal to the dead Mickey, and guilt that he's gone and she didn't love him enough, but these scenes are well balanced with lighter moments, such as Kay's courtship with the forgetful doctor. The large cast all make the most of their characters and their time on screen.

The filmmakers did a good job with continuity from the first film, making nice use of memorable bits such as swinging on the gate, Ann's bracelet, and a family joke about who cooked dinner. Unlike some sequels, which use unfamiliar actors or otherwise disappoint, the viewer has the feeling of having simply rejoined the story in progress. Unfortunately, it appears from the trailer that some of Emma's scenes were left on the cutting-room floor, which is a shame. I thought as I watched that her story was glossed over too quickly. If any outtakes survive, it would be wonderful to have them preserved along with the three films in this series on a DVD.

There are some particularly striking moments in the film. An after-dinner musical scene, with Clint joining the family circle for the first time, is achingly beautiful. And the climactic performance of "Symphonie Moderne" is quite stirring. This piece, said in the film to have been written by the late Garfield, was composed by Max Steiner. The same year FOUR WIVES was released, Steiner wrote the unforgettable score for GONE WITH THE WIND.

FOUR WIVES, like FOUR DAUGHTERS, was directed by Michael Curtiz. It runs 110 minutes.

There is one more film in the Lemp Family series, FOUR MOTHERS (1941). All of the movies are well worth the investment of time.

Loosely related films previously reviewed here at LMM: DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS (1939) and YES, MY DARLING DAUGHTER (1939).

Update: And here's a review of FOUR MOTHERS (1941).

May 2011 Update: FOUR WIVES is now available on DVD-R from the Warner Archive as a single-title DVD release or as part of the Four Daughters Movie Series Collection.

A Birthday Tribute to Rosemary Lane

Today I'm paying tribute to actress-singer Rosemary Lane, who was born in Indianaola, Iowa, April 4, 1913.

Dates vary for Rosemary's birth year; I'm using the date from her grave marker.

Rosemary was one of the lovely and talented Lane sisters, who included Leota (born 1903), Lola (born 1906), and Priscilla (born 1916).

While Leota's film career never took off, Rosemary, Lola, and especially Priscilla found success in Hollywood, both separately and together.

Like Priscilla, Rosemary was a singer with Fred Waring and appeared with him in her first film, VARSITY SHOW (1937). She would go on to appear in 20 more films between 1937 and 1945, when she retired from the screen.

Here's Rosemary with Dick Powell in VARSITY SHOW:

My favorite of Rosemary's films might be HOLLYWOOD HOTEL (1937), which she appeared in with her sister Lola. Rosemary was also reunited with Dick Powell in this film, and they share a charming duet, "Fish Out of Water," which may currently be heard here. I love this still from the number:

Rosemary, Priscilla, and Lola teamed with actress Gale Page playing sisters in four beloved films: FOUR DAUGHTERS (1938), FOUR WIVES (1939), FOUR MOTHERS (1941), and DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS (1939); the latter film has the same cast as the other three films but is a completely different story.

Clockwise from top left are Gale Page, Rosemary, Priscilla, and Lola:

The three Lanes, Lola, Rosemary, and Priscilla:

The quartet, including Gale Page, in FOUR WIVES:

And in FOUR MOTHERS:

Rosemary with her leading man in the DAUGHTERS series, Eddie Albert:

With Claude Rains in DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS:

Rosemary was married to makeup artist Bud Westmore from 1941 to 1954, when they divorced. They had one child.  It was her only marriage.

Rosemary died November 25, 1974. She was buried at Forest Lawn Glendale, where her grave marker, which Wikipedia indicates was not placed until 2012, reads "Singing With the Angels."

Rosemary Lane's career was relatively brief, but she was a delightful screen presence who made significant contributions to some wonderful films from Hollywood's Golden Age.

Rosemary Lane films previously reviewed at Laura's Miscellaneous Musings: VARSITY SHOW (1937), HOLLYWOOD HOTEL (1937), GOLD DIGGERS IN PARIS (1938), FOUR DAUGHTERS (1938), BLACKWELL'S ISLAND (1939), DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS (1939), FOUR WIVES (1939), AN ANGEL FROM TEXAS (1940), FOUR MOTHERS (1941), and CHATTERBOX (1943).

Update: Here's a review of THE OKLAHOMA KID (1939).

Update: I had the honor of paying my respects at Rosemary Lane's gravesite at Forest Lawn Glendale.

Previously: A Birthday Tribute to Priscilla Lane.

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A Birthday Tribute to Priscilla Lane

Lovely and talented Priscilla Lane was born 99 years ago today, on June 12, 1915, in Indianola, Iowa.

Priscilla was the younger sister of Leota, Lola, and Rosemary Lane, whose last name was originally Mullican. Priscilla and Rosemary were radio singers with Fred Waring and appeared with him in their first film, VARSITY SHOW (1937). Priscilla's film career took off from there, and she appeared on screen with Rosemary and Lola in several additional films, notably the FOUR DAUGHTERS series.

Priscilla is a real favorite of mine, and I've managed to collect all of her films, excepting a 1938 short, SWINGTIME IN THE MOVIES.

The FOUR DAUGHTERS films might be my favorites, but I'm also very fond of THREE CHEERS FOR THE IRISH (1940), in which Priscilla and Dennis Morgan are one of the cutest movie couples ever, and Hitchcock's SABOTEUR (1942).

Priscilla married Col. Joseph Howard in 1942 and eventually retired from the screen and moved to New England. The Howards had four children. Col. Howard died in 1976, and Priscilla passed on in 1995. They are both buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

There's a Lane Sisters Collection at Simpson College.

Visit the Priscilla Lane Fan Club on Facebook to enjoy many great photos and additional information on Priscilla and her family.

Priscilla Lane movies previously reviewed at Laura's Miscellaneous Musings: VARSITY SHOW (1937), COWBOY FROM BROOKLYN (1938) (also here), FOUR DAUGHTERS (1938), MEN ARE SUCH FOOLS (1938), DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS (1939), YES, MY DARLING DAUGHTER (1939), THE ROARING TWENTIES (1939), FOUR WIVES (1939), THREE CHEERS FOR THE IRISH (1940) (also here), FOUR MOTHERS (1941), BLUES IN THE NIGHT (1941), MILLION DOLLAR BABY (1941), SILVER QUEEN (1942) (also here), SABOTEUR (1942), and BODYGUARD (1948).

Additional Priscilla Lane films include BROTHER RAT (1938), BROTHER RAT AND A BABY (1940), ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (1944), and DUST BE MY DESTINY (1939), which I'll be reviewing in the near future. (Update: Here is a review of DUST BE MY DESTINY.)

Related post: A Birthday Tribute to Rosemary Lane.

TCM Star of the Month: Claude Rains

The great Claude Rains will be the September Star of the Month at Turner Classic Movies.

TCM will be showing 32 Rains films, which include some of the greatest movies ever made: THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938), MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939), NOTORIOUS (1946), and of course CASABLANCA (1942).

The Rains movies will be spread across five Wednesday evenings. The first night, on September 2nd, will showcase four films for which Rains was Oscar nominated -- including one of my oldest daughter's favorite Rains films, MR. SKEFFINGTON (1944), along with MR. SMITH, CASABLANCA, and NOTORIOUS.

The same evening TCM will air the FOUR DAUGHTERS series, in which Rains played a music professor who was the widowed father of Priscilla, Rosemary, and Lola Lane, with Gale Page as the fourth daughter.

I'm particularly fond of this series, which was reviewed in these posts: FOUR DAUGHTERS (1938), FOUR WIVES (1939), and FOUR MOTHERS (1941). Additionally, TCM is showing the unofficial fourth film in the series, DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS (1939), which rounded up ten DAUGHTERS cast members for a film in which they play completely different characters. I think it might be my favorite film in the bunch.

September 9th is the night for "Heavenly Comedies," the wonderful HERE COMES MR. JORDAN (1941) plus ANGEL ON MY SHOULDER (1946); two Bette Davis films, including NOW, VOYAGER (1942); and KINGS ROW (1942).

The 16th features war movies, including PASSAGE TO MARSEILLE (1944); historical dramas such as JUAREZ (1939), in which he plays Napoleon; and a random selection including ANTHONY ADVERSE (1936).

On September 23rd the focus is adventure films, starting with THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938) and THE SEA HAWK (1940), plus two miscellaneous titles, the California historical drama GOLD IS WHERE YOU FIND IT (1938) and the British film THE PASSIONATE FRIENDS (1949), costarring Ann Todd and Trevor Howard.

The final night of the month, September 30th, features courtroom dramas and crime films. THEY WON'T FORGET (1937) is notable for drawing the public's attention to young Lana Turner. THE UNSUSPECTED (1947) is about the producer of a radio crime series carrying off the "perfect crime," with a cast which includes Audrey Totter and Constance Bennett. WHERE DANGER LIVES (1950) is a noir starring Robert Mitchum.

A great month ahead for fans of classic films and especially fans of Claude Rains...and who isn't?!

TCM Star of the Month: John Garfield

The February Star of the Month on Turner Classic Movies is John Garfield.  

This is Garfield's third time to be so honored, but it's been quite a while since he was last celebrated back in February 2003.  

His first time as Star of the Month was in November 1994, just a few months after TCM went on the air in April of that year.

30 Garfield films will be shown spread across Tuesday evenings this month.  Air times for various time zones may be found on TCM's online schedule.

Below is the complete Garfield lineup.  Please click on any hyperlinked title to read my full-length review.

February 2nd

THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE (1946)

FORCE OF EVIL (1948)

HE RAN ALL THE WAY (1951)

NOBODY LIVES FOREVER (1946)

EAST OF THE RIVER (1940) (also reviewed separately here)

OUT OF THE FOG (1941)

BLACKWELL'S ISLAND (1939)

February 9th

THE SEA WOLF (1941) (also reviewed here)

BODY AND SOUL (1947)

WE WERE STRANGERS (1949)

THE BREAKING POINT (1950)

JUAREZ (1939)

THEY MADE ME A CRIMINAL (1939)

BETWEEN TWO WORLDS (1944)

February 16th

HUMORESQUE (1946)

SATURDAY'S CHILDREN (1940)

FOUR DAUGHTERS (1938)

FOUR WIVES (1939)

DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS (1939)

TORTILLA FLAT (1942)

CASTLE ON THE HUDSON (1940)

DUST BE MY DESTINY (1939)

February 23rd

PRIDE OF THE MARINES (1945)

DESTINATION TOKYO (1943)

AIR FORCE (1943)

THE FALLEN SPARROW (1943)

DANGEROUSLY THEY LIVE (1941)

FLOWING GOLD (1940)

THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS (1943)

HOLLYWOOD CANTEEN (1944)

My favorites from this list are topped by FOUR DAUGHTERS, FOUR WIVES, and DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS.  I've also especially enjoyed THE FALLEN SPARROW, PRIDE OF THE MARINES, and NOBODY LIVES FOREVER.

For more on TCM in February 2021, please visit my posts TCM in February: Highlights and Quick Preview of TCM in February along with TCM's online schedule.

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Tonight's Movie: Million Dollar Baby (1941)

MILLION DOLLAR BABY opens with Harry Warren's jaunty "I Found a Million Dollar Baby in a Five and Ten Cent Store" playing over the opening credits, and from there on it continues to provide an entertaining viewing experience.

The movie reunites a few members of the cast of FOUR DAUGHTERS (1938). Wealthy Cornelia Wheelwright (May Robson) learns that decades previously, her father had cheated a business partner. Although the statute of limitations has passed, Cornelia determines to make restitution to the partner's granddaughter, with the help of attorney Jim Amory (Jeffrey Lynn). The granddaughter, Pamela (Priscilla Lane), is a dime stork clerk whose life is turned upside down when she receives a check for a million dollars.

MILLION DOLLAR BABY is one of countless movies from Hollywood's Golden Age which isn't particularly remembered today, but it's the kind of well-crafted light diversion which the studio system of the era could turn out on a regular basis.

Lane and Lynn were regular costars; in addition to MILLION DOLLAR BABY and the three films in the FOUR DAUGHTERS series, they appeared together in three films released in 1939: YES, MY DARLING DAUGHTER, DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS, and THE ROARING TWENTIES.

I've now seen at least half of Priscilla Lane's 22 movies, and she's always an enjoyable leading lady, who mixes sweetness and sincerity with a dash of sauciness and determination. This was one of several films handsome Jeffrey Lynn appeared which were in released in 1941, but his career was cut short by WWII service and after 1941 he was absent from the screen for the next seven years. His most notable postwar movies were Deanna Durbin's final film, FOR THE LOVE OF MARY (1948), and the classic A LETTER TO THREE WIVES (1949). Most of his postwar career was in television.

The movie has a solid supporting cast, starting with Ronald Reagan as Pam's pianist boyfriend. Residents at Pam's boarding house include Helen Westley, Lee Patrick, John Qualen, and Johnny Sheffield (TARZAN). The cast also includes George Barbier, Walter Catlett, Nella Walker, Herb Vigran, Pedro de Cordoba, and John Ridgely. Joan Leslie's older sister, Mary Brodel, is credited with a bit part by IMDb. The band singer is played by Nan Wynn; you can read more about her in my post on PRINCESS O'ROURKE (1943).

This film runs 100 minutes. It was shot in black and white by Charles Rosher. Rosher would go on to do remarkable Technicolor work at MGM on films such as YOLANDA AND THE THIEF (1945) and SCARAMOUCHE (1952). He was a two-time Oscar winner, for SUNRISE (1927) and THE YEARLING (1947), and was nominated four more times, including for SHOW BOAT (1951).

MILLION DOLLAR BABY was directed by Curtis Bernhardt. His films include MY LOVE CAME BACK (1940), which starred Jeffrey Lynn, MY REPUTATION (1946), and HIGH WALL (1947).

MILLION DOLLAR BABY has not had a VHS or DVD release. It can be seen on Turner Classic Movies, where it next airs as part of a run of Million Dollar Comedies on September 11, 2009. The other titles being shown that night are BREWSTER'S MILLIONS, MAN WITH A MILLION, and ALWAYS TOGETHER.

Tonight's Movie: The King and Four Queens (1956)

THE KING AND FOUR QUEENS is an oddball Western comedy-drama about an adventurer (Clark Gable) after $100,000 in gold.

The gold was stolen by the four McDade brothers, three of whom died in an explosion shortly thereafter; which son escaped is an open question. The gold has been guarded at a remote desert outpost for two years by Ma McDade (Jo Van Fleet) and her four daughters-in-law. Ma lives in the hope that her surviving son will come home to claim the gold and his wife.

Dan Kehoe (Gable) rides in, surviving Ma's welcoming gunshot, and gets to know the four possible widows as he hunts for the gold. Smart Sabina (Eleanor Parker) is standoffish but quietly interested in Dan. Ruby (Jean Willes) is a man-hungry tigress, Birdie (Barbara Nichols) is bird-brained, and Oralie (Sara Shane) is a sweet young thing who was in over her head when she married a McDade.

The film is basically a six-person character study as Gable and the women interact in varying combinations. It's probably not hard to guess which of the four ladies Gable decides he'd like to have along with the gold. The film's climax is handled in a surprisingly low-key manner, but perhaps the ending is in keeping with the film's meandering style. The movie is nothing particularly special, but Gable is charming, the ladies are beautiful, and it's a pleasant way to pass the time.

The supporting cast includes Arthur Shields as a priest and Jay C. Flippen as a bartender. Roy Roberts plays the sheriff.

THE KING AND FOUR QUEENS was directed by Raoul Walsh. It was filmed in CinemaScope and DeLuxe color by Lucien Ballard. The film runs 86 minutes.

THE KING AND FOUR QUEENS is available on DVD. It's an excellent print. There are no extras. A review by Glenn Erickson was posted at the TCM website.

It's also had a VHS release.

Tonight's Movie: Blackwell's Island (1939) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

John Garfield is an appealing leading man in BLACKWELL'S ISLAND (1939), one of several Garfield titles released this month by the Warner Archive.

This film, made in the typical '30s Warner Bros. "ripped from the headlines" style, features Garfield as a crusading newspaperman. He follows a killer mob boss (Stanley Fields) into prison on New York's Blackwell's Island, later proving that the mobster had left prison briefly to commit a murder.

This was just Garfield's third starring role, following FOUR DAUGHTERS (1938) and THEY MADE ME A CRIMINAL (1939). BLACKWELL'S ISLAND is certainly not one of his finest films, but it's interesting to take a look at his early work as he climbed the ladder at Warner Bros., and it's a fast-paced, enjoyable 71-minute "B" film with various fun faces.

Lovely Rosemary Lane, who was also in FOUR DAUGHTERS, plays a nurse who becomes Garfield's girlfriend. As a Lane Sisters fan I wished she'd had more scenes, but she's lovely and it's good to see her whenever she comes on screen.

Victor Jory, who was Ike Clanton in last night's TOMBSTONE: THE TOWN TOO TOUGH TO DIE (1942), is a good guy police commissioner determined to clear corruption from Blackwell's Island. Jory's righthand man is Milburn Stone, aka "Doc" of GUNSMOKE. Leon Ames has a single scene as a prosecuting attorney.

At one point in the film I thought to myself how pretty a secretary was; it didn't dawn on me at that moment that it was Brenda Marshall, in her very first film role.

Fields is an odd villain; imagine the ditzy, annoying comedian Hugh Herbert as a gangland killer and that's about what you have with Fields.

My main quibble with the film was that it was so completely unbelievable, with the mobster basically running the prison, ensconced in comfort with his dogs, his toy trains, and his barber. And yet, if various stories and reviews read online are accurate, this aspect of the film actually isn't too far from the truth! Amazing.

The supporting cast includes Dick Purcell, Granville Bates, Morgan Conway, and Charley Foy.

BLACKWELL'S ISLAND was directed by William C. McGann, who happens to have been the director of last night's movie TOMBSTONE. IMDb indicates that an uncredited Michael Curtiz also worked on the film. It was shot in black and white by Sid Hickox. The Crane Wilbur screenplay was based on a story by Wilbur and Lee Katz.

The Warner Archive DVD looks good. The disc includes the trailer, always a welcome addition.

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 from Amazon and other online retailers.

The Warner DVD Archive

Verrrry interesting DVD news comes from Thrilling Days of Yesteryear and Something Old, Nothing New: Warner Bros. is going into the "made to order" DVD business.

The first 150 films available are listed here.

The lack of extras is a bit of an issue for me; I've taped over two dozen of these films from TCM and at $20 apiece I'm not likely to incur the expense of "upgrading" them all to DVD without additional material on the DVD. (This ties in with an interesting recent discussion in the comments here.)

On the other hand, there are titles in which I'm extremely interested, starting with PRIVATE LIVES with Norma Shearer and Robert Montgomery (very exciting!) and CLOSE TO MY HEART with Ray Milland and Gene Tierney, and there are some favorite titles that I'd like to obtain on DVD. I will definitely be taking advantage of this program...I suspect I'll have PRIVATE LIVES in my hands within the next couple weeks.

I applaud Warner Bros. for deciding to make so many titles more widely available on DVD, with the promise of more to come. This also seems like a great opportunity to obtain DVD copies of relatively obscure films which have a loyal following among classic film fans but might not rate a fullscale DVD release...for instance, I'd love to see future releases of the Sloan "FAST" mysteries or the FOUR DAUGHTERS series if there's no hope of seeing them released in a more elaborate set. (2020 Update: I happened to revisit this post and note that the Sloan mysteries were eventually released by the Warner Archive in a 2013 collection, while the FOUR DAUGHTERS collection came out in 2011. It took a little time but they did make it out thanks to this program!)

Overall this strikes me as an exciting development, especially if the economics are such that we are going to be seeing fewer boxed set releases. With a few notable exceptions, the pace of classic film releases on DVD seems to have slowed way down this year.

And as a side note, I share the interest of the commenter at Thrilling Days of Yesteryear in buying season sets of MAVERICK! I was thrilled to recently discover I can see all the episodes online via Netflix, but I'd really love to own them all.

Monday Update: My dad passed along a very interesting Glenn Erickson "Extra!" column at DVD Savant. (Note, the Savant columns don't have individual permalinks, so you may need to scroll down to find this column after a couple days.)

There is lots more info here, including a quote from Warners' George Feltenstein: "The goal is to eventually make EVERYTHING available." Twenty titles a month may be added to the list. Movies will be available for digital download as well as on disc.

Glenn also linked to this AP article. This article is also filled with detailed info, including the word that TV shows will be included in the releases -- so there may yet be hope for fans of MAVERICK and other classic TV shows not released on DVD.

Warners sees this as a way to keep DVD business plugging along despite the poor economy and the overall downturn in DVD purchases.

Here's more from Susan King at the L.A. Times. Each disc will include the trailer if it's available, which is wonderful news for people such as myself who love movie trailers.

There is a live chat with Feltenstein tonight at Home Theater Forum. It's advertised as follows: "Our friends from Warner Home Video apologize for the delay in bringing you their annual chat. The delay has enabled them to culminate many new exciting projects, all of which will be announced during this chat."

I suspect this will be a very hot topic this evening. Hopefully we'll soon learn the fates of the boxed sets for Turner, Tracy, and others which are mentioned in the comments for this post.

Stay tuned!

Afternoon Update: Here are thoughts from J.C. Loophole at the Shelf. (And thanks for the nice compliment, J.C.!) J.C. includes a link to a Feltenstein interview at the International Herald Tribune, which includes this quote: ""There are still thousands of movies that we own that consumers haven't been able to get. I expect that we'll be selling thousands of copies of every title over a period of time, and making a lot of people really happy."

They also quote Debbie Reynolds, who says that in the future she won't have to resort to a movie projector and bootleg copies to see her old movies: "It just seems like a miracle it can be done this way." Reynolds' THE DAUGHTER OF ROSIE O'GRADY is expected to be included in a future wave of releases.

USA Today quotes Feltenstein as saying: "Our goal is to eventually open up our entire vault," Feltenstein says. "We've been working on this for three years. I've always said it would be great if people could buy anything in our library, and now the time has come, because the technology finally exists."

Feltenstein said the criteria for these new releases will be based on many factors, including how well a film sold on VHS, consumer requests, and how much interest there is in bootleg copies on the Internet.

Amazon also sometimes has entries for out-of-print titles where consumers can click to indicate interest.

Monday Evening Update: Here is a post with detailed notes I took from this evening's Home Theater Forum live chat with George Feltenstein of Warner Bros.

Most -- but not all -- of the info shared about classic film releases for both retail DVD and via the Archives is included in my notes.

I also added a bit of information to that post about my first attempted order.

Wednesday Update: Here is my latest post which includes information on TV series which will be released via the Archive. Yes, MAVERICK is on the list!

Tonight's Movie: Men Are Such Fools (1938)

As regular readers know, I'm a fan of Priscilla Lane, so I was hoping MEN ARE SUCH FOOLS would prove to be a fun diversion. Unfortunately, I found it to be more tedious and frustrating than entertaining.

When watching a movie, I tend to focus the most on whatever elements I find to like, and consequently very poor reviews are not the norm for me, even for so-so movies. So it's rather ironic that I've posted three fairly negative reviews in a single week! There are usually at least a few things that make a film interesting -- for instance, I loved Ginger Rogers' wardrobe in IT HAD TO BE YOU -- but some of this past week's movies really tried my patience (grin).

In MEN ARE SUCH FOOLS Priscilla Lane plays Linda, a girl on her way up the corporate ladder, who is being relentlessly pursued by Jimmy (Wayne Morris). Will Linda continue with her successful career in advertising, or leave it all behind to marry Jimmy and be a suburban housewife?

One of the film's biggest flaws is there aren't any characters to root for. It's pretty difficult to make Priscilla Lane unappealing, but the filmmakers almost succeeded here. Linda is a self-centered, rude conniver who is thoughtless of others, while Jimmy is a domineering, juvenile bully. Humphrey Bogart has a supporting role as a man who chases Linda after she's married, and what did Hollywood ever see in Hugh Hubert, whose "comedic" mannerisms are incredibly annoying?

Supporting actresses Mona Barrie (playing an advertising executive), Marcia Ralston (as Bogart's ex-fiancee), and Penny Singleton (as Linda's friend) provide the most interest, and the film picks up considerably whenever one of these ladies is on the screen. Gene and Kathleen Lockhart are also in the film.

The film has some eye-catching sets, particularly Jimmy and Linda's house and a sequence shot poolside at a party.

Wayne Morris would later leave the screen for most of WWII; he became a pilot and received numerous medals, including four Distinguished Flying Crosses. He reached the rank of Lt. Commander.

MEN ARE SUCH FOOLS was one of a handful of non-musical films directed by Busby Berkeley. Some fun trivia is that the background music during the pool party scene is the song "I'm a Fish Out of Water," which was featured in the previous year's Berkeley film, HOLLYWOOD HOTEL -- which starred Priscilla Lane's sisters, Rosemary and Lola. In fact, Johnnie Davis, who sang "Hooray for Hollywood" in HOLLYWOOD HOTEL, plays Penny Singleton's husband in this film.

MEN ARE SUCH FOOLS was filmed in black and white and runs 69 minutes. It's not out on DVD or video, but can be seen on Turner Classic Movies. The trailer can be seen here.

Priscilla Lane movies previously reviewed at this blog: FOUR DAUGHTERS (1938), DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS (1939), YES, MY DARLING DAUGHTER (1939), FOUR WIVES (1939), THREE CHEERS FOR THE IRISH (1940), FOUR MOTHERS (1941), BLUES IN THE NIGHT (1941), and SABOTEUR (1942).

Tonight's Movie: The Daughters of Joshua Cabe (1972) - A Kino Lorber DVD Review

The TV-movie THE DAUGHTERS OF JOSHUA CABE (1972) has been released on DVD by Kino Lorber.

Buddy Ebsen leads a good cast in this short 73-minute Western comedy-drama. He plays the titular Joshua Cabe, a widowed homesteader who learns a new law will put his right to the land he works with partner Bitterroot (Jack Elam) at risk. Joshua's archenemy Amos Wetherall (Leif Erickson, THE HIGH CHAPARRAL) figures he'll finally be able to get his hands on a good chunk of Joshua's land.

Having additional family members file on sections of land will enable Joshua to retain all of his current property, so he travels to St. Louis to track down his long-lost daughters, who were sent East to be raised by his sister after his wife died. He hasn't heard from his daughters in years, and upon arrival in St. Louis he discovers that one of the girls (Julie Mannix) is now a nun and the other two are married and live in faraway New York. Clearly none of them are in a position to move west with him, especially as quickly as is needed.

Circumstances lead Joshua to hit on another idea: adopting daughters who can then file the claims for him. He finds three women in distress who need fresh starts and are (somewhat reluctantly) willing to move west: Mae (Lesley Ann Warren), a "lady of ill repute"; Charity (Karen Valentine), a thief newly eligible for parole from prison; and Ada (Sandra Dee), a pickpocket Joshua saves from arrest. As the advertising tagline said, "Joshua Cabe needed three daughters, fast...What he got were three fast daughters!"

The women aren't quite prepared for just how rough things will be living on the frontier, especially as Amos and his sons (William Katt, Don Stroud, Michael Anderson Jr., and Paul Koslo) trash Joshua's home while he's away, but they gradually come to care about Joshua and his ranch. When the Wetheralls decide to confront Joshua and Bitterroot in a gun showdown, the ladies take decisive action.

I enjoyed this movie, which was pleasant light entertainment. Sure, it's not the world's greatest script and it particularly could have stood more time to show the women adjusting to life on the frontier, but the cast is good, with a bunch of real pros, and it moves quickly.

Warren, it must be said, spends too much time staring blankly and seems to be "phoning it in," not making much of her part, but the two "Gidgets" in the film, Valentine and Dee, are lively and quite entertaining, with Valentine coming off particularly well as spunky Charity. Ebsen and Elam have some nice touching moments.

I remember seeing the ads for this film when I was a little girl, but I never saw it -- I'm sure part of the reason was it was too "adult" for me at the time -- so it was fun to finally check the movie out after all these years.

I really appreciate Kino Lorber regularly releasing TV-movies on DVD; the older TV prints may not be appropriate for Blu-ray, yet Kino Lorber still gives us the chance to revisit old favorites and discover unseen titles.

Great examples of Kino's TV-movie releases are longtime personal favorites YOUNG PIONEERS (1976) and YOUNG PIONEERS' CHRISTMAS (1976), which I reviewed last January. They've also released an interesting-looking version of SOUTH PACIFIC (2001), starring Glenn Close, and additional early '70s TV Westerns, THE TRACKERS (1971) and THE BOUNTY MAN (1972), all of which will be reviewed here in the future.

THE DAUGHTERS OF JOSHUA CABE was written by Paul Savage and directed by Philip Leacock, who did extensive work in episodic television, including THE WALTONS, DYNASTY, and FALCON CREST. It was filmed by Arch Dalzell.

The DVD print looks fine, nothing stunning but about what one would expect of a 1972 TV-movie. The disc includes a gallery of trailers for four additional films available from Kino Lorber; unlike most Kino Lorber discs, the trailers do not have separate menu listings but run one immediately after the other.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this DVD.