The Devil Doll (1936). Directed by Tod Browning. Cast: A cross-dressing Lionel Barrymore and Maureen O'Sullivan. The movie was adapted from the novel Burn Witch Burn! (1936) by Abraham Merritt.
Paul Lavond, wrongly convicted of robbing his own bank more than seventeen years ago, escapes from Devil's Island with Marcel, an old scientist who is near death. Marcel wants to live with his wife Malita and a continue his work, while Paul wants revenge against the three partners who framed him for their crime. When Paul and Marcel reach Malita's home, Marcel and Malita conduct an experiment on Lachna, a young girl who works for Malita. The girl is hypnotized and shrunk to the size of a little doll. After Marcel dies, Malita still wants to continue with their work. Paul sees the doll as a way to get his revenge and they travel back to Paris. Paul disguises himself as Mme. Mandelip, an old woman who owns a toy shop and, captures others who are turned in to dolls. When he visits his mother, she tells him that, after his wife's death, his daughter Lorraine grew up poor and now works in a laundry. He goes on with his plan against his former partners. Will Lavond clear his name and win back his estranged daughter love?
I thought the film The Devil Doll, had a very interesting plot with a wonderful casting, of Maureen O'Sullivan and Frank Lawton. Lionel Barrymore is the star, and gives a wonderful performance,jumping between sympathetic and diabolical. The special effects are amazing.
Maureen O'Sullivan, best known as the jungle wife of Tarzan and mother of Mia Farrow was a classmate of Vivien Leigh. Her big movie break came when she met director Frank Borzage who was filming for Fox. In 1932 she signed with MGM and performed in nine movies at four studios. Irving Thalberg picked her to play Tarzan's Jane. She married Australian writer John Farrow, with whom she had seven children: Michael, Patrick, Maria (Mia Farrow), John, Prudence, Theresa (Tisa Farrow), and Stephanie Farrow. After her last Tarzan she asked for release from her contract to care for her husband who had just left the Navy with typhoid. She continued making occasional movies, television and stage appearances and operating a bridal consulting service.
Romy Schneider (1938 - 1982) Austrian actress most known for such films as Good Neighbor Sam (1964) with Jack Lemmon, The Trial (1962), and What's New Pussycat (1965) with Peter Sellers. Romy died at the early age of 43 due to cardiac arrest.
Jaime King (1979 - present) American model/actress who has been prolific in films over the last few years. She has starred in such films as Pearl Harbor (2001), Sin City (2005), The Spirit (2008), My Bloody Valentine (2008) and Fanboys (2008). She has also starred in the TV series Kitchen Confidential in 2005 and The Class in 2006.
Happy Halloween from Ava Gardner(pictured above), who is also going to be TCM's November Star of the month, Thursdays in November. Ava was signed to a contract by MGM Studios in 1941 and performed in small roles until she drew attention with her performance in The Killers (1946). She became one of Hollywood's leading actresses, considered one of the most beautiful women of her day. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her work in Mogambo (1953).
ON TCM: Nov. 2, 2010. Burt Lancaster Happy Birthday Tribute. Burton was best known for his athletic physique, smile and, later, his willingness to play roles that went against his initial "tough guy" image. He became one of the best actors of his era.
ON TCM: Nov. 3, 2010. Betty Hutton Tribute. Energetic, "blonde bombshell" actress-singer of the 1940s. Please check out Singin and Dancing Back in Time, for more info.(located on the side bar).
ON TCM: Nov. 4, 2010. The Killers(1946), American film noir. It is based in part on the short story of the same name by Ernest Hemingway. The film was directed by Robert Siodmak and features Burt Lancaster in his screen debut, as well as Ava Gardner, Edmond O'Brien, and Sam Levene. An uncredited John Huston co-wrote the screenplay.
This Month on Singin' and Dancing Back in Time: Monty and I are going to celebrate Ginger Rogers, one of our favorite actress. I hope you will enjoy what we have planned.
Walked with a Zombie(1943). Directed by Jacques Tourneur. Cast: Frances Dee, Christine Gordon and Tom Conway. It was the second horror film from producer Val Lewton, the first was, Cat People. Lewton was given the film's title and with the help of the writers, he created the story around the title, in this case borrowing elements of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre.
Nurse Betsy Connella, tells her story in a narration how she "walked with a zombie.": Betsy is hired to care for Jessica Holland, the wife of Paul Holland, who is the owner of a sugar plantation on a Caribbean island.
That night at dinner, Betsy meets Paul’s half-brother Wesley Rand and they share a story about their mother, Mrs Rand. While getting ready for bed, Betsy hears a woman crying. She goes to see who's crying and ends up at the tower stairwell. There she sees Jessica Holland, who walks towards her like a ghost. Betsy screams for help, Paul tries to comfort her and takes Jessica back to her room.
The next morning, Betsy meets Jessica's physician, Dr. Maxwell, who tells her that Jessica sleepwalking, is caused by an incurable tropical fever.
Later, Betsy goes to town and runs into Wesley Rand, drinking himself into a stupor, while there, she hears a song about how Jessica had an affair with Wesley and was struck into a permanent state of shock. In the evening Betsy meets Mrs Rand, Wesley and Paul's mother, who is also a doctor. Back at the Fort, distant drums of a Voodoo ritual can be heard. Paul apologizes for bringing her to the island and blame's himself for his wife's condition. Betsy realizes that she is in love with Paul, in spite of his mood swings. She makes up her mind to make him happy by curing Jessica. Betsy takes Jessica on a nightmarish journey, to visit a Voodoo priest. Betsy is shocked to find who the priest really is. Will Jessica ever be cured?
A haunting, suspenseful, thriller. Loved the dash of 'Jane Eyre' and the West Indies setting. Tom Conway and Frances Dee are both very good. If you've never seen the film, I walked With a Zombie, I think you are in for a special treat!
Frances Dee, big break came when she was offered the lead opposite Maurice Chevalier in, Playboy of Paris. Later she performed in, An American Tragedy. She met actor Joel McCrea on the set of the film, The Silver Cord (1933). They married on October 20, 1933, after a whirlwind courtship, and remained married until McCrea's death in 1990.
Dee's other film credits included: June Moon, Little Women, Of Human Bondage, Becky Sharp, and Payment on Demand. She co-starred with McCrea in the film, Four Faces West (1948).
The Painted Lady (1912). Short drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Blanche Sweet.
Cast: Blanche Sweet Madge Kirby Charles Hill Mailes Kate Bruce Joseph Graybill William J. Butler Lionel Barrymore Elmer Booth Christy Cabanne Harry Carey Josephine Crowell Gladys Egan Dorothy Gish Lillian Gish Charles Gorman Robert Harron W. E. Lawrence Walter P. Lewis Walter Long Walter Miller Jack Pickford
“The Painted Lady” (1912) is one of the many silent short films D.W. Griffith directed at Biograph. In these primarily one-reelers, Griffith introduced many innovations into films like close-ups, cross-cutting and flashbacks. The story begins with a young woman, played by Blanche Sweet, who wants to find a beau, but she is shy and awkward. While the young men flock around her extravagantly dressed and heavily made up younger sister, played by Madge Kirby, they barely greet her at all. One day she meets a young man, played by Joseph Graybill, who assures her he likes her just the way she is and begins courting her. Unfortunately, the young man is only interested in her father’s money and goes to rob their home. At this point, the heroine gets a gun to confront the masked thief.
“The Painted Lady” (1912) is an incredible Biograph short that features Blanche Sweet, one of D.W. Griffith’s most popular female actresses at the time. In this film, Blanche actually creates a complex character, that of a young and repressed girl without suitors who is coerced into believing that only through the use of makeup will she attract a lover. Her performance is outstanding and quite modern for its time. Even though the camera doesn’t give extreme close-ups, Blanche’s face is so expressive that they weren't needed. Aside from being an early pioneer one-reel film with historical significance, I find “The Painted Lady” (1912) to be an effective drama almost one hundred years later.
Born in Chicago on June 18, 1895, Sarah Blanche Sweet worked as a child actress, touring with stock companies, vaudeville, and appearing on Broadway. In 1909, Blanche made the transition to films, and by 1911 was playing heroines under the direction of D.W. Griffith. Griffith soon chose her to succeed Mary Pickford as his leading actress at Biograph, and under his guidance, Blanche helped revolutionize film acting. Compared with Griffith’s child-women, Mary Pickford and Mae Marsh, and his madonna, Lillian Gish, Blanche was a “take-charge” woman who, as the fearless telegraph operator, outwits the bandits in “The Lonedale Operator” (1911) and in “The Battle” (1911) shoves her cowardly lover into the fray. Her talents climaxed at Biograph with the landmark spectacle “Judith of Bethulia.” Made in 1913, the epic features Blanche as the Jewish heroine who saves her community from total destruction by seducing, then assassinating, the brutal Assyrian general, Holofernes. Although Blanche stayed with Griffith during his first year of independent production, in late 1914, she was lured away by a tempting offer from the Lasky Company that Griffith was unable to match. During her two-and-a-half-year stint with Lasky, she starred in nineteen feature films. Her last three films for Lasky were directed by Marshall Neilan, whom she married in 1922. In addition to her work with Neilan, she freelanced at other studios during this period. Thomas Ince made one of her finest films, “Anna Christie” (1923). Blanche finished her silent career with “The Woman in White” (1929). With the onset of sound, her opportunities in Hollywood were few and far between. She made three talkies in 1930. When her marriage to Neilan ended, she turned to vaudeville. Radio work and roles on the stage followed, including a featured part in the original Broadway production of “The Petrified Forest” with Humphrey Bogart and Leslie Howard. In 1936, Blanche married actor Raymond Hackett, and they worked in the theater together until they retired in the late 1940’s. When Hackett died in 1958, she moved to New York, where she became a fixture at events at the Museum of Modern Art. In 1971, film historian, Anthony Slide, screened “The Painted Lady” (1912) for Blanche at the Museum of Modern Art after a British film collector, John Cunningham, discovered a 35mm nitrate print of the film and made a 16mm print of it. From that moment on it became Blanche’s favorite Biograph appearance. Blanche Sweet died on September 6, 1986 at the age of 90 in New York City.
Heiress Joan Butterfield wanting to get out from under the control her grandfather, sneaks away from their yacht and goes off on her own in, New York City. Reporter Bill Spencer shows up at the yacht, hoping to get a picture of her for his paper, but .. he is only able to get a glimpse of her. Bill convinces his editor to let him continue with the story. While other papers are looking for the missing heiress, Bill decides to do a story comparing her life with a ordinary salesgirl in her grandfather's department store. Joan meets Peggy O'Brien at the auto mat and is able to get a free lunch when Peggy's is stolen and the manager refuses to replace it until Joan says that hers was also stolen. The girls become fast friends and Peggy promises to help her get a job in Butterfield's department store. Joan wanting to keep her identity hidden takes the name of Joan Baker. She enjoys her new life, even though everyday situations are very challenging for her. While Bill, is at store to work on his story, he recognizes Joan and follows her. As he gets to know Joan better, Bill begins to fall in love with her. Unfortunately, Joan accidentally leaves her watch in the women's restroom at Butterfield's, Dorothy a co-worker, sees the inscription, "To Joan Butterfield--from Gramps" and realizes Joan's true identity. Dorothy goes to Gramps with the information about Joan's whereabouts. Peggy agrees to help Joan, even though she can't understand why Joan prefers the life of an ordinary salesgirl. Not knowing, that Bill has been working on a story about Joan. Will Joan soon realize that Bill is doing a story on her and will Bill get his story in the paper?
I watched this film because I really wanted to see Fredric March, in a lighthearted comedy. I have to say that this film in no way showcased his amazing acting skill, but it was still a fun story.
Fun Facts:
This film marked the last of Nancy Carroll's 39 feature appearances in an 11-year career.
Bill Clark's movie debut.
Virginia Bruce, performed first as an extra in Why Bring That Up?. She was also in the Ziegfeld Follies. In 1930 she performed on Broadway in the musical Smiles, followed by America's Sweetheart(1931).
Bruce returned to Hollywood in 1932, where she married John Gilbert, her co-star in the film, Downstairs. She retired briefly after the birth of their daughter. After the couple divorced in 1934, and Virginia returned to acting. In 1936, Bruce performed, "I've Got You Under My Skin" in the film, Born to Dance and costarred in the musical, The Great Ziegfeld. One of her final film performance was in the film, Strangers When We Meet(1960).
Happy Birthday to Teresa Wright, my all time movie crush. I absolutely adore her. She was an amazing actress. My favorite films of hers are The Little Foxes (1941), Mrs. Miniver (1942), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946) and The Pride of the Yankess (1942). A very talented and beautiful woman, who should have got more praise than she did. And she was always in Oscar-worthy form -- the only performer ever to be nominated for Oscars for her first three films, The Little Foxes, Mrs. Miniver, and Pride of the Yankees. How's that for amazing?
I thought it would be fun to fill out Amanda's survey from her fun blog. I decided to post my answers to her survey here on N and CF. If you would also like to fill out the survey, click on the link to Amanda's blog listed below: http://noodleinahaystack.blogspot.com/2010/10/amandas-cinema-survey.html
1. What is your favorite movie starring William Powell and Myrna Loy, excluding all of The Thin Man films?
Libeled Lady (1936). Cast: Jean Harlow, William Powell (who were romantically involved at the time), Myrna Loy and Spencer Tracy. The movie was written by George Oppenheimer, Howard Emmett Rogers, Wallace Sullivan and Maurine Dallas Watkins. Directed by Jack Conway. The film was remade as Easy to Wed (1946) with Esther Williams, Van Johnson, and Lucille Ball.
2. Great one-shot film team.
Katherine Hepburn and John Wayne, in the film.. Rooster Cogburn(1975). Loved the banter between these two older characters. This movie is the sequel to the film, True Grit(1969).
3. Best Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film?
Flying Down to Rio (1933). Best known for being the first screen pairing of Fred Astair and Ginger Rogers. Astaire and Rogers were not the stars of the film, Dolores Del Rio and Gene Raymond were top-billed.
4. Favorite "Robert"?
Robert Mitchum.
5. An actor/actress who, when you see one of their movies, you always wish that someone else was in his/her role? Mickey Rooney.
6. An actor/actress that someone close to you really loves that you can't stand or vice versa? I really do not care for, Arnold Schwarzenegger. My husband seems to like all of his films.
7. An actor/actress that you both agree on completely? To name a couple, John Wayne and Clint Eastwood.
8. Virginia O'Brien is to Ethel Merman as... Anna Nicole Smith to Zsa Zsa Gabor
9. Favorite Ray Milland? Best? The Glass Key
Favorite? Dial M for Murder (1954). Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Ray Milland plays a retired tennis pro who makes plans to have his wife killed. Grace Kelly plays the wife.
10. Favorite movie of the 1960s?
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). Cast: Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, Martin Balsam, and Mickey Rooney. It was loosely based on the novel of the same name by Truman Capote. Hepburn's portrayal of Holly Golightly as the naive, eccentric woman is generally considered to be the actress's most memorable role. Hepburn's performance of "Moon River" helped composer Henry Mancini and lyricist Johnny Mercer win an Oscar for Best Song.
11. An actor/actress that you would take out of one film and put into a different movie that was released the same year?
I would like to take Gene Tierney out of the film( pictured above) Tobacco Road(1941) and put into the movie, High Sierra (1941). Film noir written by W.R. Burnett and John Huston from the novel by Burnett. Cast: Ida Lupino and Humphrey Bogart and was directed by Raoul Walsh on location at Whitney Portal, Mount Whitney.
12. Favorite of Robert Montgomery's leading ladies?
Carole Lombard
13. You think it would have been a disaster if what movie starred the actor/actress who was originally asked to star in it?
14. An actor/actress who you will watch in any or almost any movie?
Michelle Pfeiffer.
15. Your favorite Leslie Howard film and role?
Gone With The Wind.
16. Four Barbara Stanwyck films? Double Indemnity, Meet John Doe, Sorry Wrong number, Executive Suite.
17. Perfect comedy? Why?
Bell Book Candle. Kim Novak, at the peak of her career and plays a beautiful witch. (James Stewart) moves in upstairs, and the trouble.. I mean, the fun begins. Great cast of comic actors very entertaining and a huge contrast to Novak and Stewart's earlier pairing (the same year) in Hitchcock's "Vertigo". I think it is worth seeing.
18. You will brook no criticism of what film?
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir(1947). Is about a young widow who rents a Cottage, near a fishing village. The cottage is haunted by the ghost of a sea captain.
19. Favorite Irish actress?
Maureen O'Hara
20. Favorite 1940s Ginger Rogers?
The Major and the Minor. A woman disguises herself as a young girl to save on a train fare and is taken in charge by an army man who doesn't notice the truth.
21. Do you enjoy silent movies? Yes, Please check out my blog:).
22. Favorite Bette Davis film?
Dark Victory. A socialite is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour, and must decide how to live in her final days.
23. Favorite onscreen Hollywood couple?
Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.
24. Favorite Hollywood costume designer?
25. Favorite tough action film?
Rio Bravo. The film was shot at Old Tucson Studios, just outside Tucson, Arizona. Rio Bravo is best known as one of Hawk's best films.
26. You are currently gaining a greater appreciation for which actor(s)/actress(es)?
33. Favorite movie from each of these genres: Comedy: The Egg and I Swashbuckler: The Adventures Of Robin Hood Film noir: Leave Her To Heaven Musical: Singin' In The Rain Holiday: Christmas In Connecticut Hitchcock: Vertigo
