Tag Archives: 1930’s

#255-Gold Diggers of 1933

Quick recap: Set during the Depression, a group of showgirls find work in a new Broadway play and new love with a mysterious benefactor.

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MRW it’s payday

Fun (?) fact: This movie is where the song ‘We’re In the Money’ comes from.

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Not even kidding, this creepy kid gave me nightmares

My thoughts: I think it’s best to start with a quotation of lyrics from one the most famous songs from this movie, so that you can better understand what I had to watch:

From ‘Pettin’ in the Park’:

Pettin’ in the park, (bad boy!) Pettin’ in the dark; (bad girl!) /First you pet a little, Let up a little, and they you get a little kiss/ Pettin’ on the sly, (oh my!) /Act a little shy: (Aw, why!)/ Struggle just a little/ Then hug a little/ And cuddle up and whisper this: /“Come on, I’ve been waiting long,/ Why don’t we get started? /Come on, maybe this is wrong, /But, gee, what of it? /We just love it.”

Yeah. And there’s a delightful scene where the girl in the show physically struggles but the guy continues to hold her tight. Then there’s a rainstorm and the girl gets soaked and has to change. She chooses to put on a metal dress to hopefully stop his advances, but nope! The creepy child from the gif above just happens to have a tin can opener which he uses to cut through the dress.

So, besides all the implied assault (and believe me, there’s A LOT), the movie just felt jumbled together. It’s supposed to be a movie about a broadway play (Fun!) and there are also crazy antics where the group of girls pretend to be gold diggers to piss off snotty rich men who hate love (fun!). But this is during the Depression after all, so the last song of the movie is about remembering our soldiers who marched off to war and who are now marching in bread lines, trying to survive (Bummer). And to be fair, there is a lot of talk about the Depression, so it wasn’t just thrown in, but there’s a ton of money thrown around in the play and instead of a song, why not use some of that money to help people rather than building a contraption that makes it rain and snow in the theater?

The love story between Polly and Brad was cute, but mostly because Dick Powell, who played Brad is quite the looker. His warbly voice kind of threw me off but I was smitten throughout most of the movie. The girls also seemed like a fun group, especially Trixie, and I think this would’ve been something I would’ve loved to watch over and over again in the 30s.

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I could do without the creepy kid though

Final review: Despite the fun I had, I’m going to go with a 3/5 because of the kid and because there were some really slow parts

Up next: Blow-Up

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#251- The Awful Truth

Quick recap: A couple divorces, due to perceived infidelity. They soon realize, however, how much they love each other and separately scheme a way to reunite.

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And there’s a dog! And there’s a Cary Grant!

Fun (?) fact: Most of the film was improvised. Director Leo McCarey would set up a situation, give a starting line and then see what the actors would come up with. It ended up working out beautifully but also sounds like a train wreck waiting to happen.

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My thoughts: First of all, if you have not done so yet, go and download the podcast ‘You Must Remember This’. It is phenomenal and listening to it has given me the energy I need to get through these older Hollywood films. There are a wide range of topics, but my favorite so far has been about the ‘golden age’ of Hollywood. And also the Manson murders, but that has nothing to do with this movie, I don’t think. Then again, there might be a 6 degrees Kevin Bacon game going on there that I don’t know about.

I have generally disliked movies from the 30s because so much of the acting has seemed like, well, acting. But The Awful Truth is a wonderful exception to this self-made stereotype, thank god. The first few minutes had me worried for a bit that this was going to be about rich white people with no personalities (which is still somehow a thing), but then Irene Dunne, as Lucy, walked in and I fell in love. The movie wastes no time in getting to the accusations of infidelity and I was so charmed by the banter between Lucy and Jerry, played by Grant. How charmed, you ask? Charmed enough to use the word charmed in a sentence! The two just seemed so natural together and obviously miserable apart. I’m not one for romance, but I was actively hoping they would get back together very soon.

I also loved The Awful Truth because it was so progressive for its time. Lucy is a strong woman on her own and I loved watching her match wits with Jerry. She kept getting in crazy situations, but not necessarily because she was a woman who didn’t know any better. And Jerry didn’t have that roughness men from the 30 seemed to have, where they might be romantic but underneath still knew they were in charge of the situation. He seemed genuinely in love with Lucy and hurt she would betray him. The last scene, too, was shockingly modern. After the two rekindle their relationship (c’mon, you knew that was coming), a clock is shown but instead of a cuckoo bird popping out, there is a miniature Jerry and Lucy emerging from separate doors. The little Jerry meets with little Lucy in the middle and then follows her to her side of the clock. It was a clever way to indicate hooking up and I’m impressed it was left in by the censors.

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Final review: 5/5

Up next: The Good, The Bad and The Weird

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#228- Duck Soup

Thank you to Andy (that guy I married that one time) for recommending this movie and helping me to appreciate Looney Tunes just a bit more. 

Quick recap: Rufus T. Firefly (played by Groucho Marx) is put in charge of the fictional country of Freedonia. Shenanigans- as well as hijinks- ensue.

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Fun (?) fact: Duck Soup is one of the few films where Harpo Marx doesn’t play a harp and now I want my money back.

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My thoughts: As hard as I may try, there isn’t much for me to add to Duck Soup. It was funny, although there were so many jokes and goofs that I probably missed some really good ones. So instead, I’m going to rank the Marx Brothers!

4)

Zeppo Marx, 1933

Zeppo Marx, 1933

He played the ‘straight man’ in Duck Soup and shortly after this movie was released, quit acting altogether. Fun fact- Zeppo Marx’s least favorite Marx brother is Zeppo Marx.

3)

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Harpo Marx

This one is controversial, I know ( shut up, Andy), but my reasoning is this- HIS NAME IS HARPO AND HE DIDN’T PLAY THE HARP. All throughout Duck Soup, Harpo ran around cutting stuff with scissors. It was funny but also a little disturbing. Given the chance of watching another movie, I’m sure he would win me over but he’d damn well better have that harp next time.

3)

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Chico Marx

Fun fact- I didn’t even know there was a Chico Marx (or a Zeppo). Chico won me over with his weird Italian (?) accent and sharp comedic timing. I loved the scenes when he and Groucho would argue about something and very quickly change sides. Maybe lesser known of the Marx brothers, but I’d love to see more.

1)

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Gummo Marx

Ok, but really, it’s Groucho. Of course it is. Dude’s a genius. Maybe I wasn’t rolling on the floor laughing (or ROFL for all you youngsters out there), but I appreciated his craft. I’ve seen so many impressions of Groucho that it was refreshing to see the real deal. Back to the timing, it was perfect. And before you have a chance to recover from one joke or think too long about it, he has another 5 ready to go. The physical comedy isn’t usually my favorite but I could watch the mirror scene over and and over and not get tired of it.

Final review: 4/5, only because the musical element was a little weird and threw me off when they started singing.

Up next: Pulp Fiction at the Drafthouse!

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#208- Stella Dallas

Quick recap: Stella marries Stephen Dallas, a former millionaire. They have a daughter together, but shortly afterwards, everything falls apart and the two separate. Stella devotes her life to Laurel, her daughter, and is willing to do anything for her happiness, even if it means giving her up and never seeing her again.

Throughout the movie, all I could think about was how much Bette Midler looks like Barbara Stanwyck. Come to find out, Midler later starred in an adaptation of this movie!

Throughout the movie, all I could think about was how much Bette Midler looks like Barbara Stanwyck. Come to find out, Midler later starred in an adaptation of this movie!

Fun (?) fact: The movie later became a radio serial that lasted for 18 years.

Our kind of serial is a bit different than what people in the 30s wanted.

Our kind of serial is a bit different than what people in the 30s wanted.

My thoughts: I think the most remarkable thing about Stella Dallas is that it was as hokey and sentimental as you can get, and yet I didn’t feel the need to roll my eyes at all. I don’t know, maybe I’m getting soft. I think part of this amazing feat is due to the fact that the acting was so well done, except for John Boles who basically just had to smoke his pipe and smirk at the camera. The character of Stella Dallas wasn’t my favorite, but I did love Barbara Stanwyck and her ability to make my heart break into pieces. Laurel Dallas, played by Anne Shirley also did a phenomenal job and went well above her role as ‘sad teen with a heart of gold’.

Stella Dallas was also more complicated of a story than I thought it would be. On one side, you have Stella, who hunts Stephen down and marries him, only to realize they had different goals. The synopsis I read said that Stephen tried to make Stella into someone glamorous, but considering that she sought him out after finding out that he was a former millionaire, I think this was the lifestyle she wanted. Stephen, on the other hand, wanted a family and quiet life. It was interesting how the two separated because it wasn’t some big event; they just drifted apart. I might have misunderstood some of the scenes, but it seemed to me to be a balanced view of the ending of a relationship.

I felt sorry for Stella’s character moreso than any other one in the film. She started out in a very strict household, only to move on to a man who didn’t stick around for very long. She had a great relationship with her daughter, but it was also extremely sad to see that her choices hurt Laurel. There were many sad scenes for me, but the worst was when Stella and Laurel were at the resort, and all the teens were badmouthing Stella while Laurel was within earshot. When the truth finally came out, it was devastating and led to Stella making Laurel go live with her father so she would have a better life. Her own life was a hot mess in every sense of the word and although it seems extreme by today’s standards, it really was for the best back then.

Final review: 4/5

Up next: The Big Sleep

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