On the Subject of Ingrid Bergman

If you've been reading my blog for a while yet, it's probably no news to you when I say that I love plenty of actresses. I'm always discovering new favorites, altering my list, and forever trying to emulate these ladies because there's a part of me that aspires to be a little bit like each of them. My favorite, far and away (thus this should give you a idea of how much she means to me), is, obviously, Lucille Ball. But after that it's hard for me to rank them in a chronological order. It's like trying to pick between your children, okay?

However, if I really had to pick a second favorite, it would probably be the lady I'm writing about today: Ingrid Bergman.

Today would be her 97th birthday - and it is also the 30th anniversary of her death. It's exactly what it means; she died on her birthday. I think it would be pretty terrible to die on your own birthday (and, alas, there's only one day to celebrate Ingrid rather than two), but all the while, it seems quite neat and particular and special - so it's no wonder it happened to Ingrid. Isabella Rossellini thinks it was "just like Mama to die on her birthday" because she was "very orderly, and it was a tidy thing to do."

There are so many things I love about Ingrid, I wouldn't even know where to begin to tell you. I believe I have seen more movies of hers than any other actress (as so many of Lucy's B movies are hard to find). I'm in awe of her as an actress, and respect her as a human being. So here's a post to celebrate my second favorite star on the occasion of her birthday - and the anniversary of her death. It's cliche, and you saw it coming, but how can I not say it? Here's looking at you, kid.

Happy birthday, Ingrid

[ and rest in peace! ]

Inspirational - because I have learned quite a few things from Ingrid and the way she lived her life. For one, there is the passion for her occupation and how much she genuinely enjoyed her work. "If you took acting away from me, I'd stop breathing!" she once declared, and I'm pretty sure she would have. And for another, she lived honestly, always, with no regrets, and I'd like to be that way too.  

Natural - Ingrid Bergman was the most natural actress in Hollywood. When she first arrived in this country, David O. Selznick wanted to pluck her eyebrows, cap her teeth, and change her name ("how about Barrymore?" he suggested). But Ingrid, forever true to herself, would have none of it. Selznick had to think of a different way to market/typecast her, so she became the "natural goddess," wearing little to no makeup on screen and appearing most often in wholesome, saintly roles, so much so that the public saw the private Ingrid as one and the same. Thus, they were all the more shocked and scandalized when their St. Ingrid of Stockholm had a love affair with her Italian director in 1950. But she was natural - natural at acting, and natural in her beauty. 

Gorgeous - Well, I'm pretty sure this one needs little to no explanation. All you have to do is take one look at her and get the general idea. She was very nearly perfect looking, and I love how tall she was, making her less than conventional amongst the petite starlets of the day. Stories about how her famous male co stars, like Humphrey Bogart and Yul Brynner, having to stand on lifts when doing love scenes with her never fail to make me grin! 

Resilient - I have told this story on here before, but I think it is one that best demonstrates Ingrid's love and passion for her craft; and what resilience she had. By the time she was working on her final project, a biopic of the life of Golda Meir - this would win her a posthumous Emmy - she was deep into the stages of her cancer, and her arm had swollen up to the point where Ingrid had dubbed it her "big, overgrown, ugly, sick dog." Meir used to often make the gesture of crossing her face with her two arms, and this was televised and seen around the world, but Ingrid could not physically lift up her right arm. Though she had been assured she did not need to do it, Ingrid knew the part would not be complete without it, so the nights before she had to film she would have to suspend that arm in the air so the fluid would go down and she would be able to do the simple task of raising her arm. She would do this all night long, and she wouldn't sleep, but she would do it, and she did. That's how devoted and resilient she was.

Interesting - Or, rather, for lack of a better adjective starting with I, her life was interesting! I've read her life story multiple times and it's never a dull moment. She had a great personality, one that seemed warm and kind, and she seemed like she'd be fun to be around. Especially those stories about her in the 1940s, when she was a young star in Hollywood, and she enjoyed pulling pranks. Her husband often thought this was childish of her, but of course, that didn't stop her. I love the story about her and her Gaslight costar Joseph Cotten going to a Hollywood party, except they dressed up as the maid and the butler. She did have an affair with Victor Fleming, and on Halloween one year, she swept into his house dressed up in a ugly witch's costume, throwing bags of candy into the laps of his daughters. AND, she died on her birthday! Tell me that isn't interesting or particularly special?!

Darling - Well, okay, before you laugh this was one of the better adjectives I could find starting with D! Besides, anyone who knows me a little will know that it's just one of my favorite words, okay? And Ingrid was just that. Darling. In absolutely all sorts and kinds of ways. So yes, I'm going to go with darling for this one, because she definitely was. I mean, have you seen those incredibly adorable closeups of her?

Brilliant - As in a brilliant career. Everyone makes stinkers, everyone must, and trust me, she did. (Of course her performances were always that: brilliant!). But she also made so many fabulous films in Hollywood; so many of my favorite films are Ingrid movies. Notorious. Gaslight. The Bells of St. Mary's. Spellbound. But, most appropriately, there is Casablanca - and I think because of this movie she will live in on film eternally. Patricia Clarkson once narrated a tribute for her for TCM, and in it she says, "After all, you never heard anyone say, who was that girl in Casablanca?"

Elegant - Of course, just because she was one of the more natural beauties in Hollywood doesn't mean that she couldn't be just as elegant or glamorous as the rest of them. How about the party scene in Notorious (1946)? She has on that long, black gown and the way she carries herself in it so regal. In reality, she was a pretty classy lady herself. She speaks with such grace and the perfect drop of candor in all her interviews. I've seen many from the late 60s or early 70s where she is asked if the film industry is getting better and better, but she begs to differ: "they were better in the old days." Her explanation for this is exactly how I feel about old films. One would wonder what Ingrid - who, for her time, was considered 'notorious' - would think of some movies today.

Romantic - Because, I think, Ingrid did romance better than anyone else in Old Hollywood. After all, when Humphrey Bogart was asked about Casablanca (1942), he easily credited his performance to Ingrid, saying "when the camera moves in on that Bergman face and she's saying she loves you, it would make anybody feel romantic." And, of course, the many romantic scenes in Notorious cannot be forgotten, most especially that famous kissing scene between her and her husband Cary Grant where they skirt the three second law on kisses. She played different characters but she was always best, perhaps, when playing a woman in love. 

Global - Ingrid did all kinds of foreign films. She started out her career in her native Sweden, also doing one German film, and when America sent her packing thanks to her affair with Roberto Rossellini, she did movies in his native Italy, as well as France. She played roles that travelled to all parts of the world and experienced a handful of different cultures, like the Chinese missionary in The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958) and the Israeli prime minister Golda Meir in The Woman Called Golda (1982). You can't help but grasp the feeling that Ingrid had a openness to experiencing many different ways and walks of life. And she definitely returned to her Swedish roots - one of her final film roles was Autumn Sonata (1978), completely in Swedish with Ingmar Bergman and Liv Ullmann. 

Multilingual - This ties in with the latter, and it's honestly one of the things I admire most about her because I muddle through learning the alphabet in French. (This is also coming from the girl who took five years of Spanish in elementary school and wouldn't be able to say more than "Hola.") Guess how many languages Ingrid spoke? FIVE. Her native Swedish, English, French, Italian, and German. She learned German as a child from her aunt (and excelled in this class at school!), and picked up English, French, and Italian over the years. I can hardly imagine being fluent in FIVE different languages. How incredible is that?!

Actress - This one is obvious, and she was truly one of the best. The very best. When you watch her on screen, you can believe anything she does or says. When I watch her in any film, whether it's amazing or really terrible, I'm in awe of her brilliance, of how she can bring small things to a performance to make it believable, how she was a master at drama but could also be incredibly witty and funny. I love her as a human being, obviously, and as an actress just as much. I really have yet to find a performance of hers that I found so-so. Her work in Gaslight (1944)? Really and honestly one of the most worthy Oscars given. 

Notorious - Before you think that using this adjective as a way to end off a post filled with so much affection for her is meant to be negative, believe me, it's not! Nor is it meant to be a pun! I mean this in a positive way. Being notorious to a particular group of people is not always a bad thing. At the time people may look down their noses at you, but later on you'd realize that being notorious was something you had to do. I'm referring to her scandal with Roberto Rossellini in 1950, of course. The way people treated her at the time was incredibly terrible. Was it really nessescary to take to the floor of the U.S Senate to condemn her?! I think it was because Americans thought of her as such a saint, scrubbed with soap, that when she went out and did something as outrageous get pregnant by her Italian director, it drove them wild. It was as if she had turned on them. Thankfully, she was forgiven - and publicly apologized to - but it still must have been a hell of a time for her. Perhaps what she did was notorious, but rightfully so. She was not the public's slave, and she lived honestly. I suppose she could very easily have covered up the scandal (as Loretta Young had done a few years before when becoming pregnant with Clark Gable's love child), but she didn't. I guess you could say there was a little feminism showing in her in this action, too. It was her private life, and her body, and she did what she pleased.

“Do you know what I especially love about you, Ingrid, my dear? I can sum it up as your naturalness. The camera loves your beauty, your acting, and your individuality. A star must have individuality. It makes you a great star. A great star.”

- George Cukor 

Gene Kelly Centennial | Du Barry Was a Lady (1943)

This is an entry for the Gene Kelly Centennial Blogathon, hosted by the Classic Movie Blog Association, to celebrate the 100th birthday of one of Hollywood's best hoofers (Gene's actually birthday was the 23rd). Go here to read the rest of the very fabulous entries. Thank you to the CMBA for hosting!

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I was a little late to the party when signing up for this blogathon, and needless to say, the best of Gene's films had already been grabbed. So unfortunately, this will not be the astute opportunity for me to ramble on endlessly about my love and affection for one of my favorite movies, Singin' in the Rain (1952). Instead I have chosen for a less well known vehicle from earlier on in Gene's career, Du Barry Was a Lady (1943) - it is, alas, no where near the perfection of Singin' in the Rain, but it does costar Lucille Ball, my favorite of all people, and thus I have chosen it to discuss today. 

Du Barry Was a Lady (1943) is the story of a hat check man who is in love with the beautiful nightclub headliner at the club he works for. She, in turn, has the hearts for a poor dancer, who reciprocates her affection, but she knows she must marry for money. The hat check man strikes it rich by winning the Irish sweepstakes, and asks his crush to marry him, which she agrees to, even though she doesn't love him. The moral of all of this is brought to light when the new heir gets slipped a mickey and dreams his is in 18th century Versailles, in which he is King Louis XV, adamantly pursuing Madame Du Barry.  

Lucy practicing one of her dance routines
for the movie backstage

The film was more of a prominent milestone in Lucille Ball's career rather than Gene's. She was cast as the nightclub star May Daly/Madame Du Barry in what was her first film at MGM. She had failed to reach star status at RKO (though she had garnered the title as queen of B movies), and everyone knew - Lucy included - that MGM was her last chance to become an established movie star. As her introduction to the MGM corral of actors (after all, MGM had "more stars than the heavens"), she was cast in this film, which had been a successful Broadway play starring her good friend Ethel Mermen. It was called out to be a lush, Technicolor production, with a roster of songs by Cole Porter. To give Lucy a new image, MGM's chief hairstylist to the stars, Sidney Guilaroff, dyed her hair a stunning shade called "Tango Red", that popped on the Technicolor print, but Lucy herself was not quick to like in real life. (Lucy, born a brunette, had been dyed a Harlow blonde, then a strawberry blonde, which gradually darkened to mahogany brown). Critics were quick to call her "Technicolor Tessie," and declared no actress had looked better in color. Needless to say, Lucy kept this shade for the rest of her life.

This was the second film for budding star Gene Kelly, who obviously played the down on his luck hoofer, Alec Howe. Though only a year younger than his on screen love interest, Lucy had a list of films under her belt whereas this was only the second in what would prove to be a legendary show business career. (One could argue that both Gene and Lucy struck it big in the early 50s, Gene in his most well known film Singin' in the Rain - in '52 - and Lucy a year earlier with I Love Lucy.) Before this, Gene had made his screen debut with For Me and My Gal (1942), which he had made alongside bona fide star Judy Garland. Red Skelton is the third and final co-star, as the lucky hat check man Louis Blore.

The above mentioned are also supported by Virginia O'Brien, a fairly underrated actress in her own right.  Jo Stafford can be spotted as a member of the "Pied Piper" bind, as well as Ava Gardner for a second or two as a perfume girl, and Lana Turner makes a guest appearance as a part of one of Red Skelton's singing sketchs.

Despite the pretty impressive cast, and the cosmetic milestone this was for Lucy, the film ultimately fails to hit the mark (despite doing well at the box office), and I don't think it was a movie that neither Lucy or Gene could look back at and fondly remember. In fact, it might as very well have been one they tried to forget. Though it would for Lucy (because of her hair color change), this movie would also hold no later prominence for the birthday boy, Gene. But as contract players must, both were cast in this film with no questions asked.

This is actually, believe it or not, a movie I own on DVD - it's a part of TCM's Lucille Ball collection. When I offered to my dad the chance to watch this again in preparation of this post, he absolutely refused. And I can't blame him, because this is a real turkey. There are some pros to this film but there are tons of cons, too. (Because, even I couldn't get myself to sit through this again).

You might put the first problem of this film in the plot, which is pretty kooky. There's nothing wrong with "fun nonsense" movies, but sometimes they work and sometimes they don't, and this time around it's a case of the latter. This film is actually decent until Red Skelton gets konked back in time where he appears as King Louis XV and Lucy as Madame Du Barry, the king's notorious mistress. There are some interesting scenes, like one in which Red's King Louis chases Lucy's Du Barry around a bedroom, which includes a shot of them jumping around the bed (which, was, in fact, a trampoline - a scene Lucy didn't very much enjoy shooting as it gave her nausea!). As you can imagine, this was a number that went under the close eye of the Hays Code Office; but this film is the squeaky clean all around besides (though, according to my Lucy at the Movies book, the play was a bit raunchier and was sanitized a little before being transferred to the screen).

A promo shot for Du Barry, 1943

I think after the main cast gets shot back to Versailles in the 1700s, the film actually becomes pretty unwatchable, or at least, that's how I remember it. Still, the plot is ridiculous anyways and you couldn't put the fault in any of the cast. Obviously, everyone on here knows what I think of Lucy and I think pretty highly of Gene Kelly and Red Skelton, too - all very talented actors, and they do the best they can.  Ultimately, they are misused. Gene doesn't even get to dance as much as he could've!

So while we can conclude this is certainly not a five star movie, there are a couple of good things about this movie, too. As I said above, the actors give it their best shot. Lucy looks so gorgeous in this. It's always hard for me to pick what was period was the height of her beauty, but this would be one of the top contenders. She sports a blonde wig upon her DuBarry transformation, however, shows off her new hair color in the rest of the film, and the critics weren't kidding when they raved about the new 'Technicolor tessie.' Really, the closeup shots of her as Gene professes his love with a song are killer.

The songs in this movie are by Cole Porter and while it might not be the best work of the famed songwriter, the numbers in here are certainly decent. The most notable is probably "Friendship," the happy song-and-dance number sung by the three title actors at the end of the film. Gene obviously did his own singing, but Lucy was dubbed for all the numbers in this film by Martha Mears - with the exception of this song, for which she did her own singing. The song would also later be used on the episode of I Love Lucy where Lucy and Ethel preform on television for their women's club benefit. They sing the song while they shred each other's identical dresses to pieces!  (It should be added that, unfortunately, a great deal of music from the stage play was emasculated.)

I looked long and hard to find any particularly interesting backstage stories to liven up this post about a very mediocre movie, perhaps about Lucy and the birthday boy, but I could come up with nothing. Gene Kelly, though still in the early stages of stardom, is one of the few truly notable costars Lucy worked with before she had her success in television. He and Lucy would work together three more times. In the same year, they both made appearances in Thousands Cheer, a variety film that lacks plot but is made up of skits and sketches. Then, once again in Ziegfield Follies (1946), a similar film filled with an assortment of routines, but they are in separate skits and don't share any screen time together. (Lucy is in only in it for a few minutes, but I did watch the whole movie and it was interesting - some skits are better than others; there's some nice singing by Lena Horne, Judy Garland does a fun routine that mocks Greer Garson's ladylike image, and a very notable piece where Gene and Fred Astaire dance together!). Gene Kelly also directed Lucy in her short stint in his film A Guide For the Married Man (1967). (And as for Lucy and Red Skelton - when Red won the Emmy in '52 for Best Comedian or Comedienne, he said, "You gave it to the wrong redhead tonight.")

As for Gene Kelly himself, unfortunately, this wasn't one of his better films - and so it's probably silly I chose this movie to discuss on his 100th. All the while, Gene is definitely a performer I love. He was an incredible dancer and watching him preform, he in as an art all by himself. He was very initiative when choosing his routines, and his good looks and charm made him appropriate for more sultry dance moves that Hollywood's other premiere dancer, Fred Astaire, strayed from. He also influenced so much of modern dance; Michael Jackson credited Kelly's influence numerous times. That little scar on his cheek? I've always loved it, because it added a certain degree of ruggedness and a dash of allure. Some say that Astaire was more elegant or debonair, but I think they were two entirely different dancers and it isn't very fair to compare them; they were both beautiful in their craft. And besides, Gene Kelly's lines were just as neat and pretty as Astaire's.

Gene Kelly was fabulous and I adore him to bits. This film may not be incredible, but plenty of his other movies were: first and foremost, Singin' in the Rain, but also Anchors Aweigh (1945), On the Town (1949), and An American in Paris (1951) (amongst many others, I'm sure.) So here's a big happy centennial birthday to one of Hollywood's best. Thanks for the dances, Gene (and all my apologizes for the numerous times I diverted this post over to Lucy, but I think it's okay because you worked with her enough to know how incredible she was!).

Happy 100th birthday, Gene Kelly. 

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! :) 

Sunday Movie Review: "Sex and the Single Girl" (1964)

I can't ignore the obvious. This site has had some... pretty major changes with it's interface within the last few days. It's been quite nearly a three day process (as anyone who's been on here recently might be familiar with; and for that I apologize), but I'm finally finished and quite pleased with it. Gone are the polka dots and the drive in; my new design I (hope) is cleaner & fresher. I'd been wanting to replace the old one for quite sometime (as I've had it for a year and it was becoming way too cluttered from my taste) but never knew just what to replace it with, and finally I was able to settle on a header and a color scheme and everything bloomed from there. So it's staying - for a while, I think. I've also overhauled the 'about me' and 'Sunday Movie Review' pages. (I cleaned up my favorite actor & actresses pages a few weeks ago, as well). Any thoughts?


This is the first review I've done in a month! It's hard to get back into the swing of this so today is a short review from my 'Netflix archives'. I hope no one minds and I promise my next SMR will actually be quality - or as quality as I can get, anyways!

What have you all been watching lately? I've been watching so many more movies from the 60s and even 70s because of Julie Andrews! Would you believe that I only saw one movie from the 40s (my favorite decade in film) last month? My most watched decade in July was the 1960s, so I guess I'm going through a bit of a 60s phase right now. Anyways, here's my archive review, as these always are it's much shorter than my usual reviews so do forgive me.

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SEX AND THE SINGLE GIRL (1964): Cast, plot details

A womanizing reporter (Tony Curtis) for a sleazy tabloid magazine impersonates his hen-pecked neighbor in order to get an expose on renowned psychologist Helen Gurley Brown (Natalie Wood). Lauren Bacall & Henry Fonda costar as Tony Curtis's friends who add to a string of misunderstandings. [from IMdb - with doctoring by me]

• Natalie Wood as Helen Gurley Brown
• Tony Curtis as Bob Weston
• Henry Fonda as Frank
• Lauren Bacall as Sylvia 

THE VERDICT: ★★★

Not nearly as exciting as it sounds, it's a 60s rom com through and through, with a finish that's over the top while managing to be only a little funny.

You can tell there were depending one one thing - er rather, one word? - to be able to truly sell this film: Sex. You can tell from the moment the word was blown up onto the screen in the opening credits. Movie-goers in 1964 were scandalized by it, all the while excited to get their tickets. The "scandalous" title was really just a trick to get movie-goers into the theaters. It's truly an innocent, glossy romantic comedy lacking even the tiniest drop of real gritty stuff. Why, Natalie Wood's earlier "Splendor in the Grass," with such a innocent title, was much more high strung than this average 60's rom-com. Very much a Doris Day-Rock Hudson movie with different actors. Natalie Wood is great in this - there is a sadly ironic scene in which she tries to stop Tony Curtis from drowning himself - but from what i read in her biography, she was not pleased with this and wanted more work like "Splendor." Tony Curtis is decent, too (everyone thinks he looks like Jack Lemmon in that movie "where they dressed up like women"). Fun to see Lauren Bacall and Henry Fonda in this star studded vehicle, as well. Mel Ferrer (I remember him only as Audrey Hepburn's husband) is in this, too. The last twenty minutes of the movie take place out on the street on a moter-bike, ice cream truck, taxis, cars, and who-knows-what-else. A true 60's romantic comedy - and though the title may suggest more, it sticks straight to the status quo. Since I love pretty much everyone in this, I give this a passing grade. 

PHOTOS & TRIVIA

• This movie inspired the 2003 Renee Zellweger movie Down With Love.
• One of the supporting cast members died on the day of the film's premiere.

A MOVIE TIDBIT

Happy Birthday, Lucy ♥

Today, Lucille Ball would have turned 101 years old.

What can I say about her that hasn't been said? She was incredible. She touched the lives of so many people - and continues to. She passed away twenty-three years ago and yet she still seems very much alive. When Sammy Davis Jr. toasted her on a televised "all star party" in 1984, he stated, "The sun never sets on Lucille Ball," and he was entirely correct. Maybe it's because that at any time of the day, some where in the world, a television set is playing I Love Lucy. Maybe it's because her face has been seen more often by more people than any other person who has lived.


Or maybe it's because the public never saw her as a "star." No doubt she was one, one of the brightest in the galaxy, but our (the audience's) relationship with Lucy was different than going to the movie theater to watch a feature film. Lucy visited us in our homes, in our living rooms, weekly, just like a friend or a family member. In the days long before VHS and now, DVD, Lucy began what was to become perhaps a infinite, intimate relationship with us. You watched Lucy on in your own home, on your sofa, with your family. You were safe in knowing that there would be happy ending. For many people, Lucy is like that best friend we can always count on. We didn't call her "Lucille Ball"; we called her "Lucy." She's one of us. 

"The red hair, the giant eyes, the rubber face: Those were the physical tools that Lucille Ball used to ply her comic craft so expertly. In the process of trying to make people laugh, she also stole their hearts… The depth of feeling for Ball spoke to the power of the medium she helped popularize…Viewers around the world formed an intimate bond with the comedienne, thinking of her not as a star, like Bogart and Bacall, but as part of their extended family who dropped by on Monday nights," said Vanity Fair, best explaining our love affair with Lucy. 

Was there any other person who so helped shaped television? There were many who also started out in the medium's infancy, but none who have risen to such fame as Lucy. I read an article last year, on the occasion of her birthday, that acknowledged her comedic talent but put the question, "Why Lucy?" Its author wondered why none of the other early pioneers of television are so applauded as she. While this may seem unfair, it was something that occurred naturally. From the 1950s, audiences have taken akin to Lucy with a great passion, and continue to do so while those other television shows have faded into our past. She had a special quality, a certain 'it' factor, that made her the darling of the public.  And while there will continue to be television programs that are just as popular and actresses who will win more Emmys than Lucy, it was Lucy who was there at the start. "Let’s face it: any comic actor on TV today, male or female, who claims not to have been influenced by Lucy/Lucille is lying through his or her teeth," said TV Guide. And they were right. Without Lucy, there would be no Carol Burnett, Mary Tyler Moore, Betty White. There had to be someone to set the wheels turning. 


Before Lucy, comedy had always been a man's profession, but she challenged this stereotype. "Bob and I once told Lucy that  she was a beautiful clown. She didn’t want to hear it because it embarrassed her, but it was true. She might be dressed in a baggy suit and a battered top hat and wearing big, funny shoes - but she was still beautiful," Madelyn Pugh Davis, scribe to many Lucy projects but most famously I Love Lucy, wrote in her autobiography. Lucy's comedy was tasteful and she never compromised her femininity. "She was such an amazing clown, we sometimes forget she was also such a beauty. Ball went from bombshell to grande dame, but she never relinquished her crown as the all-time queen of comedy," said TV Guide.

There is a song, Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning? referring to the 9-11 attacks. In it there are lyrics representative of a person's reaction to first hearing of the attacks. Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watchin' - And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns? This makes sense for, Lucille Ball and Lucy have always been a comfort to us. There will always be that sense of security in knowing you can laugh until your sides hurt, but there will always be a happy ending - Lucy & Ricky will kiss and make up. Maybe this lyric corresponds to this quote: "The world not only loves Lucy. The world, as it is today, needs her very much," which was penned in 1976, about thirty-five years ago. And in the decades that have passed, I think we can come to the conclusion that we need Lucy even more now than we needed her then. Besides the fact that comedy has lost class and finesse and has quite often resorted to sex and racism for laughs, the world is constantly changing. It does sounds cliche to say it, but we're lost in our digital age, we're whistling in the dark, and we could all use a laugh now and then.

We love Lucy because she was far more than a "star." We love her because she's our Lucy, our favorite redhead, the beautiful clown, the girl we can always turn to no matter what. She is timeless. To me, it is unfortunate that only a few stars from the Golden Age are still vividly remembered in the general society (rather than a smaller cluster of film buffs). These are the icons, and they will always live on no matter how long they've been gone. Lucy is an icon, but it's not because she died prematurely or took a famous photograph - it's because of the years and years of laughter she has left us. We love her and thank her with our laughter, and she loved us back, and though she is gone, she has left us many a valentine.


Now that I have talked about what she meant, and continues to mean, to the world on the public stage - I want to reflect on what she means to me personally, which is a lot.


Have you ever looked at someone for the first time, and yet there was something about them that made you just love them? You could call it "love at first sight," I guess, but that sounds really cheesy. Anyways, that's very nearly what happened with Lucy, from the first episode I saw of I Love Lucy, I was infatuated with her type of comedy, for it was something I've really never experienced before, and I was taken with her. How could you not, because she looked like a living doll - with those humungous blue eyes and cupid's mouth - and all the while this beautiful lady was preforming the most hilarious of pratfalls and delivering the wittiest of lines with the best of them.


I don't think I can even explain how much I love her, because I really do have a deep affection for her, even if it seems silly. I don't think it's frivolous because I don't think I'm alone in this sort of a love for her. And I feel like it makes perfect sense to love her for all she's given me. In my really sad moments, she's the only the person who can cheer me up. I love to laugh; and I love to laugh hard, it's one of my favorite feelings in the world, but I don't always laugh easily. Silly jokes and dumb gags never get me, but Lucy always does. And how can I not love someone who has given me so much laughter? "One of the greatest gifts to mankind is laughter, and one of the greatest gifts to laughter is Lucille Ball," Bob Hope said.

When I'm a fan of a person, I must actually love them both in their profession and in their personal life. This is perhaps unnecessary - I've heard many a person say, "They're a wonderful (insert career) but a terrible a person" - but it's just something I can't help but do. I can't feel happy in enjoying someone who was good in their craft but then realizing I can't respect them in reality, which is why I think of many of my favorite actresses not just performers I like best, but people I truly admire. And Lucy is on the top of that list. There are, obviously, many actresses I have a great affection for but Lucy always is first, no matter what, no matter who I'm currently obsessing over, she's always my number one.

She's my role model, even though I have no plans to become a actress or a comedienne. It is more that I desire so many of the qualities she exhibited that got her to the top. I don't think any ultimately successful actress had such a long and bumpy road to stardom. Lucy faced so much failure in her path, so many people who told her she wasn't better than average, that she couldn't do it, etc., but she never let any of this stop her. And she had patience, so much of it, which is a virtue I'd easily give an arm and a leg for because I don't have it. She had drive, determination, and passion. When she was fifteen they kicked her out of drama school because she wasn't on the same par as her classmate, Bette Davis. They told her mom she was "wasting her money" because Lucy had "no talent." If I were in her shoes, I could imagine feeling like my whole life was coming to an end, but Lucy simply got back up and decided she'd climb the ladder in her on way. She modelled and became the face of Chesterfield cigarettes until a talent scout picked her up to be one of Sam Goldwyn's girls. She went out to Hollywood and never came back.

Even there, though, it was difficult. When she began to get starring roles, they were in B pictures. So many, in fact, she was nicknamed "Queen of the B's." When RKO was through with her, they sent over to MGM, who consequently dyed her hair its famous red color and tried to make her a star. But it was seemingly like trying to jab a square peg into a round  hole, and it didn't work. Everyone knew that MGM was Lucy's last hope at becoming a star, and within a few years they, too, dropped her. She then free-lanced, but still never rose to the title of a "movie star." By the time she became world famous, she was forty. Yet she never regretted or looked back on these years with remorse; she instead took it as a learning experience. For, because she was a B movie queen, she wasn't typecast like the A list stars but put into any sort of vehicles that the studio wanted to put in. So, Lucille Ball in the 1940s made dramas, comedies, film noirs, musicals, and even a Western. She never refused to do any sort of gag or costume, even if it made her seem unglamorous. 

She took risks and she never let anyone tell her she couldn't do something. Going into television was a big risk; because in those early years of the medium, Hollywood saw it as their biggest rival and a war was waged. Lucy knew that if she went into television and she failed, she wouldn't be able to fall back on her lukewarm movie career. And there was her insisting that Desi should play her husband, even though CBS felt that no one would buy them as a couple. They had to go on tour with a vaudeville act to prove their point, but make it they did, and now "Lucy & Ricky" are probably the most famous television couple of all time.

I love her home movies. For those of you that may be unaware of this, in 1993 Lucy & Desi's daughter, Lucie, made a documentary about her parents to refute a disgusting TV movie that exploited their worst faults. In it, she used private home footage of the couple, personal film taken with their own cameras, mostly at their ranch in California. In this, we see Lucy totally candid and raw; what she was like outside of the public's eye, because she likely never excepted these home movies to become public. (Not to sound as if I'm rebuking Lucie for doing it; I'm SO glad she did). She's unscripted, she's herself, and this is the Lucy I love best. Frolicking around the ranch in costumes, making funny and kissy faces at the camera, cuddling playfully with Desi, snuggling with her cats and dogs. I feel like these clips tell more about the private Lucy than any biographer could ever try to.

I think I'll close this post with some of my favorite Lucy stories. I have many, but here are just a few that I think best reflect her personality.

There was the time that Barbara Eden had a role on one of the final episodes of I Love Lucy. (If anyone needs a refresher, she would later play Jeannie on I Dream of Jeannie). She was supposed to play a suburban siren, and the dress the set had chosen for her was tight and showed off her curves, but dull looking. Lucy decided to make it more glamorous, and so within breaks, she spent the entire time with her assistant manually applying little rhinestones all over the dress so it would sparkle and look more beautiful. 

Lucy was loyal with her employees, whether they worked for her on set or at home. She hired her housekeeper, Harriet, in the early 1940s and kept her for decades. As time passed, Harriet grew protective of Lucy, and their relationship was more than employer and employee, but friends, gin rummy partners, and confidantes. Whenever the two were in the Bay Area they would drop by Harriet's best friend's house. Her name was Dot, and she had a little girl named Barbara. Knowing Lucy loved barbecue, Dot would make ribs. "I kept staring at this beautiful lady eating messy ribs," Barbara recalled.  She also added, "Lucille loved children and she always treated me like a princess. She had her dressmaker make me pinafores and she sent socks to match. My mother was afraid I would be spoiled rotten, and I was. Lucille made people feel important in her company, because if she liked you, she loved you." Barbara also remembered her mother and aunt Harriet reminiscing about their dancing days, and Lucy about her Goldwyn days, and then they would "push the furniture back and form a chorus line, laughing and giggling and dancing." When Lucy visited Barbara some years later, Barbara had by then given birth to a son. Lucy, who had suffered several miscarriages, was still childless at the time and yearning for one of her own, so she doted on the offspring of others. Barbara recalled of this visit, "When she met my son, she loved him so much she kept stuffing money in his pockets. He was five or six and she thought it a great game."

I think that's the type of a lady she was, and that's why I love her so much. The most beloved performer? Easily. I know it sounds biased coming from me, but I think it's true. It will never be fair to judge the  "best entertainer", because they were all unique and special in their own ways. But "beloved" means  "a much loved person", and our admiration for Lucy was never basking in her intimidating glow, as if she was an idol or a diva, as it with some stars - but true love and affection. She didn't just entertain us, she gave us love. She gave us laughs and smiles. 

I can't think of a really good way to wrap up this post, so I think I'll just end this post with something simple.

Thank you, Lucy, for all the laughs you've given us. Have a very happy birthday and know that we'll always love you. Thanks to television, we'll always have you. And your memory will always be very much alive because you were just that amazing; you'll never be forgotten.

Happy birthday, my queen. 

"I have had every big star come on my stage through the years. Looking back, I have to say that the most beloved star by the American public was Lucille Ball. No one else has captured the hearts of the people out there the way Miss Lucille did, and probably never will again."

- ED SULLIVAN -

Happy Birthday, Lucy

[NOTE: all GIFs in this post are mine]