Merry Xmas! [Part 2]: It's A Wonderful Life (1946)

I wrote part one of this post yesterday. 

Merry Christmas, everybody!!! :) I hope you all have a wonderfully bright Christmas filled with prettily wrapped presents to open, and lots of time with your families, and maybe even room for a classic movie or two! I've also gotten some wonderful, vintage Classic Hollywood things for Christmas, so perhaps I'll do a post sharing what I got with you later this week.

As for now, I present to you the final Christmas movie in my Christmas movie blogathon. It happens to be my favorite, and that's why I saved it for last. But before we get onto it, a recap of what I previously reviewed:

• Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
• Holiday Affair (1949)
• Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

With each movie I also added in a classic Christmas carol. This last one is:

"We Need a Little Christmas" by Lucille Ball <3

I guess you can really press yourself and try and think what I might have chosen for this last review. Well, you guessed it: "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946) is my favorite Christmas movie of all time, as well as simply one of my favorite movies period. It may be a cliche to love this movie, but I really do so much. However, since this film is really hard to review because there's basically nothing wrong with it, and you know what it's about and how beautiful Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed and everyone else is, you know all of that - so I'm just going to talk about my favorite scenes, and why this movie gives you that lovely warm feeling.

***

It's a wonderful film. Frank Capra's inverted take on A Christmas Carol stars Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey, a good man who's spent a lifetime giving up on his dreams in order to keep life in his small town humming. When a guardian angel named Clarence finds a despondent George poised to jump off a bridge, he shows George what life would've been like had he never been born.

[from Netflix -- as if you NEED any description]

My favorite scenes

I honestly think every scene in this movie is my favorite! But there are a few that always stick out to me, I always remember, and when I re-watch the movie I forever anticipate them. 

•  The scene early into the movie, when George and Mary are kids. George is working for the druggist, Mr. Gower, and is making Mary the soda she ordered. Mary leans over and whispers into George's left ear, his deaf one:

[I didn't make this, but I really can't remember where I got it from - sorry!]

• Fast forwarding to the year 1928: George and Mary at the dance. I love how the moment they lock eyes with each other, George takes her in his arms and they began dancing. And then - when they're doing the Charleston, and the pool opens from out underneath them, and they fall inside, still dancing and laughing - and everyone joins them in the pool. How can something like that not make you grin from ear to ear? 

[via]

• This is probably one of the greatest scenes in the whole movie - after the dance, with Mary in the robe and George in the funny letter sweater and baggy pants. They sing "Buffalo Gals" (won't you come out tonight - won't you come out tonight!) and  to me they always seem kind of drunk, but not on alcohol but life. :) Then they make wishes and throw rocks at the windows of the old house, and then comes yet another romantically adorable line: "You want the moon, Mary? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down." Then Mary loses her robe and has to hide in a bush, and of course George won't give her her robe back. All of this fantastic fun is ruined when George gets word of his father's stroke - but it's still one of my very favorite scenes in the whole movie. (I love how all my favorite scenes are with George and Mary).

[via]

• The phone scene. This scene really needs no explanation. I love it. From Mary's "Hee-haw Hello" to George shaking Mary by the shoulders and insisting he'll never marry anyone, and then he takes her in his arms and tells her he loves her. I love everything leading up to this scene, too - Mary's frustration [like when she breaks the "Buffalo Gals" record], "He's making violent love to me, Mother!", Mary's mother watching on in awe, the needlework "George lassos the moon" - all of it! This movie was the first one Jimmy did upon coming back from the war, and he was afraid he would be a little out of practice for the intensity of the phone scene. But it turned out the scene was so very passionate that the Hays Code office had to edit some of it out!

[via]

• When George comes back from yet another terrible confrontation from Mr. Potter, and climbs into bed with Mary and asks her why would she marry someone like him. Then Mary reveals that she's pregnant, and says this adorable line:

[via MYSELF!]

• This is later into the movie, when George is having the worst day of his life and when he's coming to terms with the fact that he's probably going to land up in jail. He gets home and things aren't much better, his short temper frightens his children and Mary, and then he discovers that one of his daughters, ZuZu, has a slight fever after walking home without a coat. He goes upstairs to talk to her, and she shows him the flower she won at school - a few petals fall off and she asks him to "paste them back on." Since he can't really, he slips them in his pocket and pretends to. One of my nicknames when I was a little - and still, sometimes ;) - was "ZuZu," because of this movie.

• This is more than one scene, more appropriately a whole chunk of scenes - from the time Clarence shows up and jumps in the water to save George's life, to George's final plea to God for his life back. Everything in between: the nightmare George visits, in this strange town called Pottersville, is definitely the "grim" part of the film, but I still like it. Because George realizes how important he was, and all the kind things he did, and how he really helped people out. Sure, some of it doesn't make sense - like, for example, Mary probably wouldn't have landed up an old maid, she likely would have married Sam. But still. This is the most thought provoking part of the film, and every time I watch it I ask myself: "How would everyone be if I was never born?"

[via]

• When George does get his life back, he races through Bedford Falls, screaming hello to every person and place he passes. He passes the cinema, and what happens to be playing there but no other than Leo McCarey's 1945 vehicle with Bing and Ingrid (another movie I love):

• The ending.   Every thing from the moment George races in the door to his home, screaming happily, "I'm going to jail, I'm going to jail!" And then he runs up to see his kids and hugs them all, and then Mary comes in the door - and they all race down the stairs, and he hugs her, in that very iconic frame of the Baileys on the staircase. But nothing really gets better then when all the citizens of Bedford Falls come inside and began pouring all this money on the table, ready to pay the $8,000 for their friend George. Then the warrant for George's arrest is torn up, and Harry comes, and then the copy of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" appears with the special inscription from Clarence to George. Everyone breaks excitedly into "Auld Lang Sygne", and a bell on the Christmas tree begins to ring. ZuZu says, "Teacher says everytime a bell rings, an angel gets it's wings," and we all know for sure Clarence has gotten those wings that we all know he deserves. Yeah, sappy sappy sappy, but you can't help but just grin and be happy when you watch this scene. Really happy. One of the most satisfying endings a movie ever had!

And then everything is over, and you're left with a grin on your face and this:

I just love this movie. ♥

***

Those are my favorite scenes, which ones are yours??

It's been so much fun sharing my favorite Christmas movies each Sunday, and Christmas carols, too. I hope you enjoyed reading it!

Once again: Merry Christmas from me to you, readers! I hope you all have a really lovely holiday. :)

Merry Xmas! [Part 1]: A Classic Hollywood Christmas

Okay, if you read my post for the Bogie blogathon earlier today, you'll know how I screwed up the blogging schedule I've quite carefully figured out for this week (with two blogathons, several birthdays, and CHRISTMAS). I really wanted to follow up with the post I'd planned for today, Christmas Eve, so I'm going to go ahead and write it anyway, despite the fact I'll be showing up twice in your feed today (at least, in my time zone). Apologies once more (I don't like to overhaul people with posts, lol).

All December I have been spotlighting my favorite Christmas films as a part of my Sunday Movie Review. Tomorrow is a Sunday, and is also happens to be Christmas Day, and therefore I'll be following up with my little Christmas blogathon by reviewing my favorite Christmas movie of all time.

However, in pledging myself to do this I realized I'd be missing out on some of the other Classic Hollywood/Christmas stuff there is to talk about, and so I decided to do a two part post. This is the first part, and the second part will be tomorrow, which will consist of my movie review.

For this first part I present to you all a list of ten random, Classic Hollywood Christmas things I felt compelled to share with you all.

10 Things That are Classic Hollywood and Christmas

1. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AVA

Ava and one of her pet corgis wishing you a merry Christmas! Ava is one of my favorite actresses and I like her despite her faults because over all, she was still an awesome person. And she had good values about particular things, like she was ahead of her time when it came to racism: she didn't believe in it. But anyway, the point is that today, Christmas Eve, is her birthday! I read in her biography that it was a ritual on the 24th for two cakes to be baked: one chocolate and one coconut. One was supposed to be for the baby Jesus and the other for her but she always thought of them both for her. Anyway, any person born on Christmas Eve must be awesome, and Ava was. Happy birthday, Ava!

2. I LOVE LUCY: CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

I'm sorry, I could only find the colorized version (yuck!) on Youtube. However, this is a flashback episode and the flashbacks are still in B&W, I believe. Anyhow, try to ignore the colorization and enjoy this. It's a "walk down memory lane" episode for the Ricardos and Mertzes, and it takes place on Christmas Eve so I guess it's particularly appropriate for today. This episode isn't run in syndication with all the others, so if you watch Lucy on TV (versus online or on DVD) you might haven't gotten the chance to see this yet.

3. THE DONNA REED SHOW: A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

I just watched this the other day, I'd never seen an episode of the Donna Reed Show before. I liked and it so I'm sharing it! It was a little mushy but mush never hurts anyone in the holiday season [expect perhaps the Grinch and Scrooge]. Plus, this show's got Donna Reed, who should be the queen of holiday mush as she starred in The Best Christmas Movie of All Time (can you just guess what movie I'll be talking about tomorrow). I like her a lot, I think she's an underrated actress. (Donna Reed, I mean.)

4. GREER AND AN ADORABLE LITTLE BOY WISH YOU HAPPY HOLIDAYS

[via]

I would SO much rather get this in my mailbox instead of the usual tacky Christmas cards (just saying). The GIF (which isn't mine, you know where to click, yep, that's right, the "via" link, because that Tumblr is pretty awesome) is from "Blossoms in the Dust". (A Greer and Walter movie, I saw it but never did a review of it. It's good, though, so watch it! Albeit, not a Christmas film, it only has a Christmas scene in it, just so you know.)

5.  CHRISTMAS PIN-UPS

So many awesome Classic Hollywood Christmas related pin-ups! This is a handful of so many. From left to right: Paulette Goddard opening presents, Elizabeth Taylor showing off her kitten and wishing us a happy holiday, Mary Pickford changing the street sign from "Hollywood" to "Santa Claus Lane", Ginger Rogers fooling around with the Christmas tree, Doris Day boasting the presents she's got, Carole Lombard admiring her presents, Natalie Wood smiling through her adorned wreath, Audrey Hepburn hugging Santa Claus, and Lucy and Desi bashfully exchanging gifts with one another. :) 

6. CHRISTMAS PLAYLIST


"The Little Drummer Boy" by Bing Crosby

"Silent Night" by Lena Horne 

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by Doris Day

"We Three Kings (of Orient are)" by Ella Fitzgerald

Some Christmas carols I love. I know I've been adding a Christmas carol with each movie review, but these are a few that I like that I didn't get the chance to share!

7. SUSPENSE RADIO: TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

"Twas the night before Christmas..." Christmas Eve with a mysterious twist! Greer Garson stars in this Suspense Radio Theater production that was broadcast on December 21st, 1953. A suspenseful take

on one of the most cheerful holidays of the year! 

8.  I ♥ ASTA ORNAMENT

I made this myself. Honestly, who WOULDN'T want this ornament. Seriously,  if this were a real item it would totally have been in my holiday gift guide. Because who DOESN'T love Asta, I tell you. [Lassie?? Pfffhtttt].

9. LUCY: SANTA LUCIA

"I squinted up into the blazing sun and saw a figure hovering over me dressed all in black with a Santa mask and beard and rolled up orange hair. "Santa Lucia!" I cried out."

- I LOVED LUCY by Lee Tannen

* did you ever see a more beautiful Santa? *

10.  THE MOVIES I MISSED

I decided to share with you my favorite Christmas films this December, and I only had four Sundays, which meant only four movies. I had to leave out a few that I love. Here are clips from them --

THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940)

Jimmy Stewart, Margaret Sullivan 

THE THIN MAN (1934)

Myrna Loy, William Powell

HOLIDAY (1938) [New Years]

Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant 

***

The second part of this post will be up tomorrow [the movie review]. Now, I'm off to enjoy "It's a Wonderful Life" (I always watch it on Christmas Eve! ;D).

But in advance: Merry Merry Christmas, my readers - or whatever holiday you're celebrating this time of year!

Humphrey Bogart Blogathon || Interview with a Bogie Fan + Me!

NOTE: This post was written a few days ago in anticipation of how busy I would be these past few days, and therefore I was supposed to get online and post it yesterday. But I had a lot of friends over, and was really busy, and I didn't get to do it :/ So I'm posting it today - the thing is, I already had another post planned for today. Since I already pledged myself to reviewing my very favorite Christmas film tomorrow, I'll still be going through with that post and will be publishing it later today. Yeah, I'll be popping up in your feed twice today. I don't like to bombard people with posts in one day, so I'm really sorry, guys! The post originally planned for the 24th will be up later. Thanks and sorry, everyone!

It's finally time for Meredith's "Humphrey Bogart Blogathon," in honor of Bogie's birthday! His birthday is actually on Christmas Day, but we're celebrating early here. Anyway, plenty of blogs have joined on this fun occasion and I'm sure there are going to be plenty of great posts, so be sure and check out the lineup at Meredith's blog, Forever Classics.

My love of classic films should be credited to my dad - he's the one who showed me my first one, and ever since I lost my heart to Classic Hollywood. He himself is a big movie buff, and one of his favorite actors is none other than Bogie! So for this post, I took it upon myself to interview him about Bogie. It took a lot of persuading (ME: Dad, I'm going to interview you for my blog! DAD: ....) , but I did manage to get some answers out of him, and then I took my own survey. So here is his answers and mine on the one and only, Humphrey Bogart! [My comments are in italics.]

Bogie Q/A With my Dad 

1. Which Bogie movie is your favorite?

DAD: (jokingly) Well, let me see... I really liked "We're No Angels," and then I loved "The Petrified Forest"....

ME: (rolls eyes) How about "Casablanca"?

DAD: Was he in that? Well, okay, I guess "Casablanca."

"Casablanca" is one of my dad's favorites movies ever. I dug up one of his old movie reviews for it, and  he says, "It doesn't get much better than this tale of intrigue and romance." He ended off his review by saying, "Thankfully, we'll always have Casablanca!"  I must agree.

The Bogie statue that my dad keeps in his office

2. Which Bogie co-star is your favorite?

DAD: Lauren Bacall.

ME: Why, and which movie?

DAD: Because they were married in real life, and "To Have and Have Not." 

ME: They fell in love on the set of that movie.

DAD: Yes. They used to tell Bogie's wife at the time [the incredibly jealous Meyo Methot], when he was out with Lauren, that he's "with the cast," as if to mean the whole cast - but it was just Lauren, really.

3. What's your favorite Bogie character?

DAD: Rick Blaine ("Casablanca"). Though it's hard to pick, he did play such hard boiled characters. They were always the toughest of guys.

4. What's your favorite Bogie line?

DAD: (still teasing) "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn"?

ME: (rolls eyes again) I said Humphrey Bogart, not Clark Gable!

DAD: Okay, okay. "We'll always have Paris." (Casablanca).

I was pretty sure he was going to pick "Here's looking at you kid," obviously from the same movie, but I like this line, too. Then again, it's probably because I like Paris so much. 

5. "The Big Sleep" vs. "To Have and Have Not."

DAD: "To Have and Have Not."

ME: There was really no point in asking this one, was there? I can't blame you, "The Big Sleep" is so confuzzling!

He still likes "The Big Sleep", though. I think I liked "The Big Street" better - with Lucy and Henry Fonda. Okay, just kidding. Or maybe not... ?

6. What's your favorite Bogie/John Houston collaboration?

ME: (by accident) What's your favorite Bogie/John Ford collaboration?

DAD: (incredulous) Bogie and John Ford? They only made like one movie together...

ME: Ooops. I meant, Bogie and John Huston. They made plenty of movies together, didn't they?

DAD: "The African Queen."

Believe it or not, that's actually the book's
cover - then it's got "Humphrey Bogart" and
the author's name on the  back. Interesting...
to say the least.

7. What's the best book written about Bogie [that you've read]?

DAD: "Humphrey Bogart," by Nathaniel Benchley.

ME: (suspicious) Isn't that an old eighties biography on Bogie?

DAD: I guess so, but hey, upon it's release it was called the best book on Bogie to date!

ME: Yeah, but that was way back in 1985!

I'm just kidding. Honestly, the eighties aren't old to me at all, because this is coming from a girl who stares at her friends and insists that if something occurred seventy or sixty years ago, it's still technically "modern" times. (When you speak of history, anyway...)

8. Who directed Bogie best?

DAD: Howard Hawks.

ME: (pressing for more) And why? Which movie? Wait, let me guess - "To Have and Have Not"?

DAD: Yes and because he brought out the real Bogie!

I honestly don't know if he was joking here or not... [about the "real" Bogie] lol. :D

9. Who is someone you wished Bogie had worked with?

*mulls it over.* DAD: Alfred Hitchcock would have been cool.

ME: Good answer!

I really have to agree, why didn't that happen? That would have been really awesome, a Bogie/Hitchcock collaboration.

10. What's a character that Bogie was miscast in?

DAD: Finally, the last question!

ME: Okay, okay! So, what was Bogie miscast in?

DAD: Well, I don't really think he was right as Linus Larrabee in "Sabrina" (1954).

ME: I agree with you. But why?

DAD: Well, I just think he was too old - and it was a little hard to believe that Audrey Hepburn dumped William Holden for Humphrey Bogart.

Then it was my turn to answer my OWN questions!

Bogie Q/A With Me!

1. Which Bogie movie is your favorite?

The same as my dad - "Casablanca." I don't care if it's a stereotype to love this movie, it will forever be one of my favorites!

2. Which Bogie co-star is your favorite?

I really love Lauren Bacall, and Bogie and Bacall are one of my favorite off screen couples. But I'm going to have to go with Ingrid Bergman, as in "Casablanca." I just loved Ingrid and Bogie together! I mean, Bogie did once say: "I didn’t do anything I’ve never done before, but when the camera moves in on that Bergman face, and she's saying she loves you, it would make anybody feel romantic." But Lauren Bacall is a definitely a  close runner up, and Katharine Hepburn ("The African Queen"), too. 

3. What's your favorite Bogie character?

I have to agree with my dad here, too - Rick Blaine. But I also liked Charlie Allnut, from "The African Queen" (in terms of being a little more original).

4. What's your favorite Bogie line?

Again, totally unoriginal, but "Here's looking at you, kid." 

5. "The Big Sleep" vs. "To Have and Have Not."

"To Have and Have Not" - "The Big Sleep," confused the heck out of me, which I probably shouldn't feel so bad about, because that's what it usually does to most people. I don't think I'd be able to follow its plot if you paid me money, lol!

6. What's your favorite Bogie/John Houston collaboration?

"The African Queen", without a question. I loved Kate and Bogie together, and I really want to read the book she wrote about her time in Africa with Huston, Bogie, and Bacall. 

[via]

7. What's the best book written about Bogie [that you've read]?

I actually haven't read anything on Bogie yet! But I really loved Lauren Bacall's autobiography, "By Myself and Then Some." She talks lovingly of Bogie in it, and she actually made me cry when she talked about the last years of his life, and when he died. I really recommend it. You can read my review of it here.

8. Who directed Bogie best?

I think perhaps John Huston, but I also want to give a special nod to Michael Curtiz ("Casablanca"). An underrated director despite the famous film "Casablanca" is.

9. Who is someone you wished Bogie had worked with?

I too would have loved to see him work with Alfred Hitchcock. But in terms of co-stars, I don't know if this is weird or random - but I think it might have been interesting to see him and Vivien Leigh together. Okay, yes, weird and random for sure, but she's honestly the first one that popped into my mind. (Yeah, I don't know what's wrong with me either).

10. What's a character that Bogie was miscast in?

Linus Larabee all the way. Don't get me wrong - I love "Sabrina." I just have to agree a lot with what my dad said. Plus, if you read about what was going on backstage, it's not very pleasant. Bogie and Audrey didn't get along, he once said something like, it's okay to work with Audrey Hepburn so long you don't mind fifty takes (or something like that). Too bad, because both Bogie and Audrey are favorites of mine and I would have wanted them to get along! :/

***

Okay, I hope this post did manage to be entertaining, I really had to badger my dad to get take my interview! lol. And I also apologize once more for throwing off the blogging schedule I had already set out for myself, with so many posts to do this week. The other post should be up later today, and it'll set me back on track. But like I said, I don't like publishing two posts in a day so I'm real sorry, guys.

A big thank you to Meredith for hosting this blogathon, happy birthday to Bogie, and a merry Christmas in advance!!

Dueling Divas || Greer vs. Joan ["When Ladies Meet"]

I'm here to write a post for Backlots's "Dueling Divas Blogathon," but first, guys... THANK YOU!!! Over the past two days I have not only reached fifty followers, I've exceeded it. Honestly, you people, I can't thank you enough! Like, every one of you that follow me! I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm overreacting - but I'm thinking back to when no one followed me, and there were no comments, and it was just loneliness, and now I get awesome comments from all of you like everyday, and for me it's really really supportive. <3 So thanks soo  much for following me, I'm really Vivien Leigh cat smiling, and in my appreciation here's a GIF of Greer smiling as large as I am now:

[via]

Thank you so, so, much all of you! And now, onto the blogathon [but THANK YOU AGAIN!]:

***

A quick warning: There may be a few spoilers in this, but I'll give you a great fair warning when they're on the way. Apologizes!

About a month ago, I wrote a review for a 1941 MGM vehicle, "When Ladies Meet," starring Joan Crawford, Robert Taylor, and one of my newest favorite actresses, Greer Garson. In my review I gave this film three out of five stars, and you can check out the review to read more about what I thought of the actual movie. For this blogathon, I'm going to focus on the rivalry between Greer and Joan's characters in this movie - though the irony of it is, at times they don't really act like rivals at all. Here's the plot, supplied by IMdb [with some slight doctoring by yours truly]:

Mary (Joan Crawford), a writer working on a novel about a love triangle, is attracted to her publisher, Rogers (Herbert Marshall). Her suitor Jimmy (Robert Taylor) is determined to break them up; he introduces Mary to the publisher's wife, Claire (Greer Garson), without telling Mary who she is - and the two land up liking each other. 

In this first ring we have --

[via]

Claire Woodruff. [Greer Garson]. Beautiful redheaded wife of book publisher Rogers Woodruff [Herbert Marshall]. Bright personality and a little bit of a social butterfly. An elegant dresser and a fan of color blocking. She is an expert sailor and knows everything there is about boats and the like. She does hurt inside over her husband's numerous, obvious infidelities, but it's hard to tell by her bubbly, bright personality.  

And then over in the other ring, we have --

[I actually made this one, that's why it's so awful. ';)]

Mary Howard. [Joan Crawford]. Sometimes called Minnie by friends. A liberally thinking best selling novelist who is appreciative of new thinking and ideas. [Her latest novel happens to be about a love triangle.] Adored by suitor Jimmy [Robert Taylor] but madly in love with her new publisher, Rogers. He's married - but it doesn't matter... sort of. Interesting dresser and lover of big spectacle glasses that make her eyes look even bigger [if that's possible.]

Now that we've got our characters straight, the plot consists of a love triangle between these two beautiful ladies and Herbert Marshall - with Robert Taylor pulling the strings. His character, Jimmy, meets Claire at a party the same night Mary and Rogers are having a romantic dinner at home. He decides to have Claire and Mary meet, hence the title of this film, in hopes of breaking up Mary and Rogers's relationship. However, when he introduces the two to each other, he tricks Claire into pretending to be someone else, and therefore Mary doesn't know that the girl she is so quickly becoming friends with is actually her lover's wife. (After all, she was probably expecting  a frump, not Greer Garson.)

Okay, I'm going to give away the ending of the film here just because I think it needs to be included, but if you'd like you can just skip onto the next paragraph and onto the duel! In the end of the film, everything comes clean. Claire and Mary figure out who each other really are, and Rogers breaks it to Mary that he was never planning on leaving Claire for her. Claire and Mary manage to make amends, for they have respect for each other (after a very deep conversation between the two of them), and Claire leaves by herself (with Rogers chasing after her a little later.) Mary and Jimmy are left alone and the movie ends with the two of them in each other's arms. Predictable for the 40's, the married couple gets back together (most likely), proving adultery wrong - it all coincides with the Hays Code.

The irony of this rivalry is that when Claire and Mary actually meet each other, it isn't even a rivalry at all. Though before they probably contained nasty thoughts about one another, when they meet, well, it's all different - albeit, they don't know really know who the other is. Upon their first meeting, Jimmy introduces Claire to Mary as his "cousin," though Claire and Jimmy purposely act very flirty with one another, and Mary becomes obviously irked. But not much later and the two women are friends, and that night they have a very personal, honest conversation between the two of them. It is here where Claire gives away that her husband is a publisher (she doesn't give a name), and admits his many infidelities and how she feels about them. Here is where the two women grow in immense respect for each other: a respect so great that about ten minutes later, when Rogers bursts in the room and the truth comes out, they still manage to uphold that decency for one another.

Which lady was I rooting for? Okay, it's pretty obvious and call me biased: but Claire, or Greer, all the way. Yes, Mary was the writer, which was one thing I did like about her. But to me Claire's personality was the more likable one. She was really charming, and fashionable, and pretty - you kind of wondered what was wrong with Rogers for cheating on her all the time! I was "impressed", so to say, by her knowledge of sailing. There's a scene where she takes Jimmy on a boating trip that's so hilarious, mostly because Claire knows possibly everything about the boat and Jimmy is a mess. ;)

So yes, I was Team Claire. Since I didn't really like the Rogers character at all ("You dirty cheating rat!"), I more or less wanted Claire to land up with Jimmy. [SPOILER: That obviously didn't happen, but I really would've liked it to, they would've made a cute couple, I think.] 

Then there was Mary. I liked her obviously because she was a novelist, but a lot of it ended there. [Yeah, I can see you guys shaking your heads because you think this obviously isn't a fair comparison, not for me.] I think what bothered me the most was her ignorance of Claire [before she met her and she was a figment of existence, probably a frump who would happen to be her lover's wife]. I think it made her look selfish that upon beginning her affair with Rogers, she was only constrained by a little bit of guilt. It almost disgusted me when she took Rogers out to her friend's farm in Connecticut [this would later become the location of her meeting with Claire] to carry out the affair in a safe environment, more or less to protect herself instead of avoiding hurting Claire.

Plus, her fashion sense was kind of weird. I liked Claire's elegant gowns a lot (and the color blocked day dress she's wearing in the GIF above), but I just wasn't going crazy over Mary's Star Wars-Jedi like dress. And when you threw in the glasses she kinda looked like Gandhi.

When this movie was made, Greer was known for her work in 1940's "Pride and Prejudice", but Joan Crawford was the bigger movie star - it would be another year until the release of "Random Harvest" and "Mrs. Miniver," and Greer's successes in these two vehicles would launch a career that would make her the biggest star of the World War Two era. So at the time, Joan was the more popular one, but reviews of the film today often present Greer as the better actress in this film, and I must agree. But as I said in my review of this movie, Greer and Joan's acting styles are completely different - Greer is refined, Joan is more obvious - and therefore it isn't fair to contrast the two.

I did my best to try and find what the off screen relationship was between the two of these actresses: did they like each other? or not really? Here's what I found:

Greer showing off her legs backstage.

• "Joan was completely nonplussed that I refused to feud with her," said Greer. Apparently Joan grew more irked during filming when she perhaps realized how Greer's character was steeling the film, and it was not a "thankless" role as she had anticipated. About eight years later, Joan would seek revenge by embarrasing Greer at a dinner party. Joan seated Greer's then time beau (and later husband), Buddy Fogelson, at the main table with herself, and sent Greer to sit at the studio electricians table, "Because you get along with everybody, dear!"
• Joan's camp on the other hand, claims, that Joan was simply surprised that Greer was being headlined in this film along such big stars as she and Robert Taylor. She couldn't understand what she was doing there - but then again, she thought Claire's role a "thankless" one.

Oh, well!

Whose side are you on? [Even if you haven't seen this movie.] This is an interesting rivalry, on screen (where at times it wasn't much of a rivalry at all), and off screen, it appears, too!

I had a lot of fun with this topic and I thank Lara at Backlots for coming up with such an interesting topic! Be sure and go over to her blog so you can check out all the other entries! Thank you for hosting this, Lara! 

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By the way, despite the fact that I like Greer Garson a LOT (as we all know) and I was on her side in many ways in this post, I don't want you all to think I despise Joan or anything! And yes, I am Team Bette... but really. And to prove it to you, here's a candid GIF of Joan looking beautiful  with some gorgeous auburn hair: 

Oh, and I thought you all ought to know that while I was writing this post, Jeopardy was on TV and there was a Classic Cinema topic!!! One of the questions was about "Mrs. Miniver," and I nearly fell out of my chair before screaming at the screen the quite obvious answer! I got the daily double, too, after endlessly  insisting, "The African Queen! The African Queen!" 

THANKS AGAIN FOR THE FIFTY + FOLLOWERS, EVERYONE! :) I'll be back soon to write a post for the Humphrey Bogart Blogathon!

Sunday Movie Review: "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947) ❅

I'm back again, with the third Sunday in my Four Sundays of Christmas blogathon! For each four Sundays of this month, I'm sharing with you my favorite Christmas films. So far, I've reviewed "Holiday Affair (1949)" and "Christmas in Connecticut (1945)".

As a note: Sally over at Flying Down to Hollywood is hosting the 12 Days of Christmas blogathon, and I secured a spot, promising to write up for this film. Therefore, this review is my contribution to the blogathon. Be sure and go over to her blog and check out the other 11 entries, I'm sure they'll all be lovely - I believe a full list of all twelve entries will be compiled on Christmas Eve, so you can see it then. As for now, this is my entry. Thank you, Sally, for hosting this!

Before I get onto the review, just a quick note, guys - you might have noticed that I only need one more follower to reach fifty. To reach fifty followers after a little more than six months of blogging would honestly just make me sooo happy! When I started this blog I wasn't even sure if I'd be able to manage a few followers, so to nearly reach this milestone truly blows me. :) The thing is, I haven't exactly reached it yet... I still need just another follower, and I've really like to reach fifty by the end of this year. There's just about thirteen days left in this year. Let's see if we can reach it!

Okay, enough of that. Time for the review! And, as promised, here is this Sunday's classic Christmas carol:

"Let it Snow" by one of my favorites, Doris Day

And this week's movie, as you might already be able to tell, is "Miracle on 34th Street," (1947) with Maureen O'Hara, Edmund Gwenn, and a very young Natalie Wood.

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The poster: Alright, if a little dull! (In my humble opinion)

The plot:

When Santa falls down drunk in the Thanksgiving Day Parade, reluctant Macy's supervisor Doris Walker (Maureen O'Hara) offers the job to a bearded Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn, who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar) purporting to be the real Santa! During the Christmas season, he shares a flat with Doris's neighbor (John Payne), who has eyes for Doris. Kris hopes to unite the two while winning over Doris's skeptical 6-year-old daughter (Natalie Wood). [from Netflix]

The starring players:

• Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle
• Maureen O'Hara as Doris Walker
• Natalie Wood as Susan Walker
• William Frawley as Charlie Halloran

The verdict:

4/5

You may call this movie a big advertisement for Macy's but I love it all the while. I love the plot, it's humorous and sweet, but don't label it as all fluff. It actually deals with some serious topics, not to mention that our Santa lands up in an mental institution on grounds of insanity. You also have Maureen O'Hara as a successful single mother - single due to divorce, something not quite popular in 1947. Thus Doris Walker became such a symbol for immorality in this Christmas film that it impelled the Legion of Decency to give this movie a B rating. So, no, despite it being based on a children's tale by Valentine Davies, it's not all fluff.. not exactly.

Edmund Gwenn is the perfect stereotypical Santa, with his glorious beard, rotund stomach, and jolly holiday spirit. He is so good, in fact, I think that he is the very definition of "Kris Kringle" in many people's minds, mine included. He is persuasive above all, which I think in this movie is very necessary. So he definitely deserved the Oscar he garnered for this role.

Maureen O'Hara is also fantastic as Doris Walker. In most cases you would resent the fact that she has forced her daughter, Susan, to grow up and face reality the way it is. But I can honestly say that her character is likable, and you can truly understand her reasons for not wanting Susan to believe in Santa Claus. She is wonderful across John Payne, her romance interest. He too is good, a very likable character, and all the while long you have your fingers crossed for he and Maureen O'Hara to get together.

Thus brings me to Natalie as Susan Walker. Natalie Wood never really considered herself a child movie star, not one in the likes of Shirley Temple or Margaret O'Brian - whereas the latter mentioned actresses had vehicles created for them in which they starred, Natalie usually played people's children in films. So she considered herself more of an actress in films who happened to be a child. Yet out of all the films of her childhood career, this is the most famous, and the one that probably marks her as a child movie star.

Bottom line is I loved her in this role. She is so sweet as the doubting six year old, and one of my favorite scenes in this movie is one in which she teaches Santa how to chew bubble gum. All the while her maturity prevents her from becoming sickeningly sweet or annoying, i.e Shirley Temple in her films. Also in this cast you've got William Frawley, in one of his pre-Fred Mertz roles.

I really love this movie. It's sentimental, charming, genuinely entertaining - albeit bordering on corny at times, but that's okay because it's a Christmas movie. I find it, even, a little clever. This film has found its way into many people's hearts - point in case, a colorized version (one we should all AVOID however). But I really suggest you settle into a comfy chair with a cup of hot chocolate and the B&W version of this movie. This one is one of my favorites to watch over and over!

Bottom line:

This will take you on an affectionate journey, and it's the type to leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling. So I strongly suggest you watch it. :)

Some photos:

[via]

Some trivia:

• Natalie, who was eight when she did this, was truly convinced during the filming that Edmund Gwenn was Santa Claus. It wasn't until she saw him at the wrap party out of costume that she realized he wasn't Santa.
• Darryl F. Zanuck did not really promote this as a Christmas movie. He wanted the film to be released in May (and it was), because he claimed more people went to the movies in the summer. Therefore, the Christmas movie angle was not used so often when publicizing this movie.
• Maureen O'Hara was pretty much forced into this role, as she was just returning to native Ireland when she got called back for this movie. But upon seeing the script and meeting the young Natalie Wood (she and Maureen would form a strong bond), she changed her sentiments.

A movie tidbit:

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It's only a week until Christmas! Can you believe it???!

You'll probably be hearing a lot from me this upcoming week. I have two blogathons as well as some Christmas posts planned, and then the last Sunday in my blogathon. So.... until later! Here's a photo of Lucy, Cary Grant (!!!!) and Ann Sheridan to keep you in the holiday spirit:

Yes, I cried tears of joy when I saw this photo.