Favorite Filmmakers | Vincente Minnelli

Continuing with a director whose films I often turn to when I'm in the mood for something I can rely on to cheer me up or make me smile. To read previous installments of this series, go here. 

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VINCENTE MINNELLI (1903 - 1986)

I don't know why, but whenever I write up one of these posts I always feel like I have to explain certain exclusions from my list. It's probably annoying. However, I do want to add in here that I did not forget Gigi (1958) or leave it out because I haven't seen it. I actually have, and I'm going to be blunt by saying it's really one of the most ridiculous movies I've seen. I don't understand how Vincente Minnelli could have directed it. But then again, I'm really alone on this opinion because Gigi did, after all, win Best Picture. Oh, well. 

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS  | 1944 | Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Tom Drake

I did a review of this film not too long ago, so I won't talk about it very much, but it's one of those movies that I can watch over and over. It's a film that I can always turn to to cheer me up, and it's one of my favorite musicals. Judy glows during the whole, glamorous Technicolor production. On a TCM special, Margaret O'Brien said working with Judy on this movie was a pleasure because she was really in love with Vincente Minnelli at the time, and she was in one of her best periods. 

THE CLOCK | 1945 | Judy Garland, Robert Walker 

This is a really cute movie I watched for the first time last December, and I enjoyed it a lot, actually. Robert Walker plays the All American soldier on leave for two days and he runs into an adorable Judy Garland. They fall in love, and a wartime romance ensues with some of the usual and unusual complications, as well as impulsive decisions. I'm not always that keen about directors directing their wives, but from what I've seen, whenever Vincente Minnelli directed Judy it turned out pretty fantastic. This film has just the right dashes of comedy, drama, and sugar. On all of my 'favorite filmmakers' lists, I've been trying to add one less known work to the list and this would definitely be it for my Vincente Minnelli list. A sweet, enjoyable movie you ought to catch if you get the chance.

FATHER OF THE BRIDE | 1950 | Spencer Tracy, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Bennett

One of the best comedies MGM produced in the 1950s, a very truly funny movie. The plot is very simple, Elizabeth Taylor is "daddy's little girl," and when she announces her engagement to her boyfriend, it's too much for her father, Spencer Tracy, to handle. Spencer Tracy's Stanley Banks character must realize all the financial, organizational, and worst of all, emotional pains that come with being "the father of the bride." Joan Bennett plays his supportive wife, Ellie. This is another movie that would cheer you up just by watching it. Spencer Tracy is pretty much perfect as Stanley Banks, he was rather good at satire, and I couldn't imagine any other actor playing the role. All the other actors fall just as easily into place. This was one of Elizabeth's "transition" roles, and the character suits her very well. A hilarious, cute, and even relatable film that sure's to make you smile. (Its sequel, Father's Little Dividend - which was released just a year later based on this movie's success - is pretty good, too).

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS | 1951 | Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron

The title says it all. Gene Kelly plays just that: an American in Paris, who falls for a pretty French girl played by Leslie Caron. As luck would have it, his friend complicates the situation by going for her as well. It's been a while since I saw this movie, at least two or three years, but I do remember enjoying it a lot and I had to include it on this list. I pretty much associate Vincente Minnelli with musicals, and this is one of the best examples why. (Of course, I do like Meet Me in St. Louis a bit better...) This is filled to the brim with wonderful songs and fabulous dance routines, executed beautifully by Gene Kelly. Gene Kelly is a true entertainer is this as he always was. I have a bit of a stigma on Leslie Caron because of Gigi (1958), but I probably should drop it because I enjoyed her in this (and Father Goose, as well). The bottom line is if you love lush musicals, there's no doubt you'll love this film.

THE LONG, LONG TRAILER | 1953 | Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz 

So here's a bit of trivia for you: Desi made a bet with MGM writer Benjamin Thau (who had handled the Arnazes' departure from MGM in 1946) - if The Long, Long Trailer could not outgross Father of the Bride, which, up until that point was MGM's biggest comedic box office smash, then the Arnazes would take a $25,000 cut from their quarter of a million fee. But, if The Long Long Trailer DID outgross Father of the Bride, the Arnazes would get an additional $50,000. Thau was so confident he had a clause written up in the contract. Of course, the film did indeed garner more cash than Father of the Bride. Lucy and Desi at the time were, after all, two of the most popular people on the planet (1953 was the year of Little Ricky's birth and I Love Lucy was at the height of its fame - a really fabulous year for these two.). This movie landed up being the seventeenth most popular picture of the year. Lucy and Desi play newlyweds, Tacy and Nicky, who buy a trailer to live in and honeymoon in it on their way to Colorado. As excepted, all sorts of complications fall into place that threaten their marriage. Their characters in this are very similar to that of Lucy & Ricky Ricardo (though I must say, Tacy isn't as wacky), and some liken this to a Lucy episode stretched into a film. Perhaps, but it's still a very hilarious film, the dialogue crackles, both Lucy and Desi do tons of great physical comedy. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, Lucy's wardrobe is the epitome of 50s fashion, Lucy and Desi's rapport/chemistry is perfect. Another movie I've seen over and over, one I just enjoy a lot. How could you not love watching Lucy & Desi "breeze along with the breeze"? Everything about this film is just the poster child for the 1950s and its glamour. Vincente Minnelli himself described this as a "painless" movie to make. (Little Liza hung around her father's set and Lucy played with her; about twenty years later, she and Desi, Jr. were dating!)

TEA AND SYMPATHY | 1956 | Deborah Kerr, John Kerr

This is also a movie I discovered rather recently, but love a lot. (This was when I had a very crazy Deborah high earlier this year, and saw tons and tons of her movies all at once.) Deborah plays Laura Reynolds, the wife of a "manly" camp instructor (of sorts), Burt. He has explained to her many times that she is not supposed to give anything more than "tea and sympathy" to the boys there, but she can't help be troubled by Tom Lee (played by John Kerr), a sensitive seventeen year old boy who is different than his peers, so much so to the extent where they have labeled him "sister boy." Laura lands up endangering a lot of things when she helps Tom find who he really is in side. This was a play and what would seem a great flight risk to take to the big screens in 1956, especially considering one of the main themes of this movie is homosexuality. I haven't seen a version of the play, but Minnelli did a fantastic job in my opinion of transferring such a controversial story into a film. Of course, it was Deborah Kerr who took the challenging, daring role of Laura Reynolds on - and as usual, she was absolutely fabulous. John Kerr was also very believable as the confused seventeen year old boy. But over all, a lot of credit goes to Vincente Minnelli for being able to make this movie in 1956.

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So, that's my list. (I give a very honorable mention to The Bad and the Beautiful). How about you - what are your opinions on the movies I chose/your favorite Vincente Minnelli movies? Leave me some comments, I love to hear! :) 

Favorite Filmmakers | George Cukor

The series continues with Kate Hepburn's favorite and the so called 'director to the women stars', George Cukor! You can read the previous installment of this series here. 

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GEORGE CUKOR (1899 - 1983)

George Cukor was a pretty wonderful director - even if he was against casting Lucy in Born Yesterday (and okay, fine, the movie was awesome and Judy Holliday was fantastic, but isn't everything made better with a dash of Lucy?). So, I present to you six favorite Cukor films, discounting the movies he worked on but was not properly credited for (like Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz).

THE WOMEN | 1939 | Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Joan Fontaine, Paulette Goddard

You can actually read my review of this movie here. I actually didn't like this movie as much as I thought I would, but then you should know that I was expecting this to be a five star film. I thought some things were over the top about it, and it dragged a little too long, but over all I had to include this movie on this list because it's the prime example of why Cukor was THE premiere women's director. I have to give this movie credit for having an incredible, all star female cast (perhaps the best to date; but then there is Stage Door...) in a era which people consider male dominated. (Besides that list up there, you also have the supporting talents of Marjorie Main, Ruth Hussey, the fabulous child actress Virginia Weildler - the kid sister in The Philadelphia Story - and appearances by Hedda Hopper & Butterfly McQueen). So how can I not include this film on the list??!! You can read more about the fabulous performances in this movie (primarily Roz) in my review. It is a pretty good movie and fits well in with the year of 1939.

THE PHILADELPHIA STORY | 1940 | Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart

Okay, so really, what can I say about this movie that hasn't been said already? I can't really think of anything, except this is really cinema at some of its best, and if you haven't seen it yet you've really been depriving yourself. This is the cinematic masterpiece that conjoined the talents of three of my all-time favorite people (and three of the most fabulous actors in Hollywood): Kate, Cary, and Jimmy. This is the movie that won Jimmy Stewart the Oscar. This is the movie that won Kate the hearts of audiences - this was the film that she made after years of being called "box office poison", swearing to come back with a hit and she did. THIS. I can't imagine that you wouldn't know the plot, but basically C.K Dexter Haven (aka Cary), Tracy Lord (Kate)'s ex-husband, and a tabloid reporter (Jimmy) and his photographer (Ruth Hussey) show up for Tracy's second marriage, trouble ensues. Real trouble. Also, Virginia Weildler again! I'm sorry, but am I the only who who finds her kind of fabulous? I realize now I've seen her in all sorts of films. Anyways, if you haven't seen this one yet pull yourself out from underneath your rock and go see it. Now. 

A WOMAN'S FACE | 1941 | Joan Crawford, Melvyn Douglas

I have actually experienced three versions of this movie: the film in question, the original 1938 Swedish movie with Ingrid Bergman, and a radio program with Bette Davis. Out of all three, I have to admit to liking this one best, even though Ingrid is like my second favorite actress and I love her to bits and pieces. But this movie really clicked in all the right places for me, and tied up the loose ends that the Swedish version didn't, and Joan was actually pretty fabulous in the role. This movie is basically about a young woman named Anna Holm who was burned in a fire that killed her parents, and now her pretty face is left with an ugly scar, and she has turned herself against the world. Melvyn Douglas is the plastic surgeon that gives her another chance at life, but Conrad Veidt has other plans for Anna that would restore her to her life of crime. This 1941 American version also takes place in Sweden. It was on Youtube, but unfortunately it got deleted, but if you do happen to come across it, I highly recommend you watch it, you'd be surprised; it's kind of the black sheep on my list. 

GASLIGHT | 1944 | Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer, Angela Lansbury

Okay, so The Philadelphia Story and this movie are pretty much battling it out for my favorite film on the list. The other day, Bette asked me what my favorite Ingrid performance was and it basically came down to this and Notorious. This whole movie is just about near perfect, okay? I love EVERYTHING about it and am trying to get my friend to watch it just so I can see it again (she kind of loves Isabella Rossellini - long story - because of me, and I'm easing her into Ingrid now). So Ingrid plays Paula Alquist, basically forced to move into the house her aunt was killed in by her new husband, played by Charles Boyer. But he's keeping a secret, and in order to cover up this lie of his, he goes to all sorts of measures that result in Paula beginning to go insane. Angela Lansbury plays the sassy maid who flirts brazenly with Charles Boyer's character, and she doesn't make matters any better. Ingrid won her first Oscar for this, and it's so well deserved! Really, I just adore everything about her performance in here, no one could play a beautiful-lady-who-was-in-love-but-is-now-losing-everything-and-might-be-going-mad better than her. Some people say she was a little "over the top" in this, but I could never agree and positively beg to differ. She's just fabulous in this, okay? I love it all, the darting eyes and the classic Ingrid screaming, just perfect. Oh, and Charles Boyer and Angela Lansbury were pretty darn good, too. Also, doesn't this film have just one of the best, best endings ever? "Are you suggest this is a knife, my husband? Have you gone mad? Shall we try it and see?"

ADAM'S RIB | 1949 | Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Judy Holliday

I've mentioned this before, but anyways, I'll say it again: it's pretty much either this or Woman of the Year for favorite Kate & Spence movie for me; and I've seen them all! Basically, Judy Holliday shoots her cheating, chauvinistic husband when she catches him with his mistress. He didn't die, but she's sent to court. Kate and Spence play Adam and Amanda Bonner, husband-and-wife-lawyers who are perfectly happy until Amanda defends  Judy's character and Adam her husband. Obviously, things aren't so smooth after that. I don't know if I've ever said this, but I have this real fascination with court scenes in movies, I always enjoy them as long as they're played well - I love the drama and I love it when there are clever lawyers involved. This is probably one of the best examples of that type of a movie. The acting is, of course, top notch.We would all expect Kate and Spence to be amazing. Judy Holliday, despite going on to win an Oscar, is pretty underrated and I can't understand why because she's a great actress and I always enjoy her performances. Anyways, bottom line is, this is a pretty fantastic movie. 

BORN YESTERDAY | 1950 | Judy Holliday, William Holden, Broderick Crawford

So I've done a review of this movie, too. Broderick Crawford hires bookish William Holden to teach his apparently "dumb blond" lover, Judy Holliday, to be smart. All sorts of hilarious outcomes occur when Billie (Judy) proves to be a little too smart, and learns what a real scumbag her tycoon lover is, and starts to fall for William Holden. This was the movie that won Judy the Oscar, and as I mentioned back up there, I don't understand why she isn't appreciated enough because she really is a great actress. So, so, so funny in this. Everything about the character was spot on and just right and I couldn't keep laughing, plenty of hilarious scenes mostly involving Judy. Just a really great performance, to be put simply. She was so great that I can even forgive Lucy not being cast, because at least this came out of it. William Holden is also pretty cute in this nerdy character that was a step or two away from what he usually does, and Broderick Crawford played the indignant tycoon fantastically. He and Judy have great rapport, especially in a scene where the play a game of gin.

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Once more, I trimmed that list and left out other really great movies like My Fair Lady (1964), The Actress (1953),  Holiday (1938), and Pat and Mike (1952). Oh, and if you're wondering about Camille (1936), I haven't seen it yet, and no, it's not because I have some kind of a Garbo boycott going on. I just want to read the book first, and it's only to-be-read list, right after I get through a collection of three James Cain novels. (All of the great film noirs I've already seen on screen, but so much fun to read in print!)

But anyways, Cukor did all sorts of great movies, didn't he? I mean there are other films, too - ones he wasn't credited for, so I had to leave them out.

Okay as usual, please, bloggers, check out the blogathon I'm co-hosting. I'm going to keep advertising this all the way up onto the blogathon, it's never too late to join in! And remember, you don't have to think of a film right now - I still haven't!!!

Favorite Filmmakers | Billy Wilder

It should be noted that Rianna has indeed been absent from this blog at erratic periods in the last few months or so. And she apologizes. She's graduating next week and then she's going to be on summer vacation and she'll be spamming your dashboards all the time once more (whether you're ready or not). Because she needs to spend her time being sentimental and mushy about moving on in life and leaving people and a place she's known since she was a little kid; she's been slightly detached from her blog. But she promises her ever-lovely followers to be back to regular, somewhat quality blogging in about a week. And she's going to start it off a little early with a post in what she hopes will be a successful series, Favorite Filmmakers, in which she will talk about her favorite directors, producers, writers, etc. It'll be fun! Yeah! Well, let's get on with it. And P.S: Rianna promises to never talk in third person again.

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BILLY WILDER (1906 - 2002)

Billy Wilder has written the screenplays for some of my all-time favorite films, a few of which I'm going to present to you right now. Before I continue on with this list, though, I'm going to have to confess something. Confess something extremely shameful and my ears are turning pink as I type this, but... guess what... I, uh... uh.. I haven't seen... well, I've got to come right out with it. I haven't seen it. I haven't seen The Apartment (1960). I know. I know. And I claim to love Billy Wilder & film & all of that! It's kind of a long story why I haven't seen it yet, but I promise it's at the top of my "You-look-like-an-idiot-for-not-having-seen-this-so-watch-it-fast" list. I've seen portions of it; just never the film as a whole, and I regret it deeply, and I'm sure as soon as I get my act together and watch it I'm absolutely going to love it. But I felt like I was going to have to explain its absence from this list. (I mean, I can't very well put it on there until I've seen it, right?) 

Anyway, now that we've gotten that deadly, embarrassing confession out of the way let's get on with it, shall we? This list is no particular order, as usual.

THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR | 1942 | Ginger Rogers, Ray Milland

Though this may not be Wilder's all time best work, it's still one of those guilty pleasure sort of films of mine. I caught it on TCM a year or two ago and it won my heart. Ginger plays a woman who disguises herself as a twelve year old girl to afford train fare, but while on the trip she meets an army man played by Ray Milland who doesn't notice the truth and takes her under his wing. Though Ginger probably couldn't pass for a twelve year old, if you squint hard she could pass for fifteen or sixteen perhaps. Anyways, this was one of Wilder's earlier American films and I really enjoyed it.


MIDNIGHT | 1939 | Claudette Colbert, Don Ameche 

This is one of those overlooked yet still wonderful movies from Hollywood's greatest year. I saw this one what seems like a long time ago, but I do remember liking it a lot, perhaps just as much as that other Claudette Colbert film everyone's wild about, you know, that one with Clark Gable and a bed sheet or something... (just kidding). Anyways, I also remember this movie being incredibly funny and just laughing until my sides hurt. Claudette plays a chorus girl stranded in Paris, broke with only a evening gown on her back, who starts to fall for Don Ameche, a taxi driver, whilst a millionaire sets her up to break up his wife's affair with another man. A thoroughly funny movie and some of Wilder's lesser known work. Claudette is also excellent, as usual.


DOUBLE INDEMNITY | 1944 | Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray

This is, of course, the classic film noir in which Fred's fatal attraction to Barbara's wicked Phyllis Dietrichson, a totally terrible-in-an-awesome-sort-of-way femme fatale (save that wig...) leads to dastardly results. It is really such a clever movie and one of the prime examples of film noir at it's best, totally riveting every step of the way. Likely credited to be one of Wilder's finest jobs and that's not an understatement because it's such an exciting storyline. One of my local theaters is doing a stage version and I really hope I'll get the opportunity to see it.


SUNSET BOULEVARD  | 1950  |  Gloria Swanson, William Holden


This is one of those films where Hollywood pokes fun at itself, and I just love movies like that. For those of you who aren't familiar with the plot (though I can't imagine that many of you are not!), Swanson plays Norma Desmond, a washed out has-been who gets her talons on amateur scriptwriter Holden. She turns her Hollywood mansion into his worst nightmare and forces him into staying there with her (and engaging in a awkward romance of sorts) by threatening suicide. This movie is just about near-perfect, I love everything about it, it's kind of like a film noir horror hybrid of sorts. And thanks to Wilder it has some of the best lines a picture ever had, like, "We had faces then!" and "I am Big! It is the pictures that got small!"

SABRINA  | 1954  | Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, William Holden

One of my favorite Audrey movies ever. She plays Sabrina Fairchild, the daughter of the chauffeur at the Larrabee mansion, who has always held a torch for the younger, playboy Larabee brother, David (played by Holden), who hasn't noticed the knock-kneed child of the help since they were little kids. After a trip to Paris transforms Sabrina into a sophisticated young lady, she catches the eyes of both brothers, but for different reasons - and it isn't long before she finds herself in a love triangle of sorts. This film is charming, romantic, amusing and one of my personal favorites, kind of like a 50's twist on the Cinderella story. Perhaps not everyone's cup of tea yet still one I always recommend because I happen to adore it.

LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON  | 1957  | Audrey Hepburn, Gary Cooper

It seems I rather enjoy Wilder/Hepburn collaborations (which ought to make sense, as they're both favorites of mine). Audrey plays quiet, cello playing Ariane, the daughter of a private investigator. Through the work of her father she learns of an American playboy by the name of Frank Flannagan, or Gary Cooper. As expected the two become romantically involved but there is also a number of hilarious misunderstandings. Everytime I watch this movie, I'm struck by how funny it is! And not in that clever, chuckle a bit sorta way but in a laugh-out-loud manner. It's so witty and I absolutely love the scenes where Audrey's naive character makes up a list of men she's been with to make the experienced Flannagan jealous, and how this list drives him absolutely crazy. This is just a fabulous movie. 

SOME LIKE IT HOT  | 1958  | Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon

I'm not going to talk all that much about this movie, because you know why? It's just near flawless and one of the best of the sophisticated comedy sort you'll ever find. And if you haven't seen it, you've probably been underneath a rock or something! I can't imagine that you wouldn't know, but Curtis and Lemmon play two musicians who witness a mob hit and flee the state by disguising themselves as women and joining an all female band. But when they meet Sugar Kane, played by Marilyn, complications set in as the temptation proves to be too great. This movie is just hilarious, as if I would even need to say it. Curtis and Lemmon are wonderful together as usual. As it is well understood in these parts, I'm not the biggest fan of Marilyn's (by the way, though,  Happy birthday!), but I loved her in this. The last line is famously, "Nobody's perfect!", but I don't know, this movie comes about thisclose.

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I trimmed that list and forced myself to leave out movies like Witness for the Persecution (1957) and The Spirit of St. Louis (1957); because really, I've come to this conclusion: I love Billy Wilder films way too much.

Anyways, I promise I'll be around this blog way more often in about a week or so, okay? And I'll have my review up on Sunday as usual, and hopefully this Favorite Filmmakers series is going to go great. Also, I (and mon amie Natalie) have something really exciting planned for this summer that I'll be talking about in a bit. So don't despair, dear followers! :)

[By the way: I'm just tagging this with Billy Wilder & 'Favorite Filmmakers' because Blogger wouldn't let me tag all the actors, alright?]