ccarrolladams Reviews

McLintock! (1963)

Outstanding Wayne/O'Hara Comedy Western

[10/10 · 2 January 2014]

The first time I saw McLintock! was the evening of 22 November 1963, which was several hours after JFK was assassinated. My late wife and I decided we needed a good comedy, McLintock! had received excellent reviews and it was opening at a convenient drive-in so we could take our year-old son.

Sure enough we really enjoyed every moment of the film. Even in late 1963 it was no longer politically correct to show spanking as entertainment. My wife did not mind because we both felt daughter Becky and estranged wife Katherine McLintock richly deserved their spankings.

What I note is that McLintock! was the last film to show the spanking of an adult woman by a man as comedy. Earlier in 1963 Duke Wayne spanked Elizabeth Allen to cinch their engagement in Donovan's Reef. In 1961's Blue Hawaii Elvis spanks a very wet Jenny Maxwell to prove to her someone cares enough. So, McLintock! ended that era.

Earlier in McLintock! 20something Becky (played to perfection by Stephanie Powers) gets a deserved and needed spanking from ranch hand Dev (played by Patric Wayne). The climax is G.W. McLintock (Wayne) spanking Katherine (Maureen O'Hara). She had been demanding a divorce because she had found "lipstick" on GW's collar circa 1894.

In the scene when Becky and Dev announce their engagement she has left a vivid lip print on his cheek.

Probably in that era women did not wear cosmetics on their lips which would leave a mark as a result of a kiss. Also, such lip color would have been termed "lip rouge" since the term "lipstick" did not come into use until WWI circa 1917. But why let history get in the way of a great comedy.

Minutes ago I finished watching a commercial anniversary DVD. I must have watched that a few times a year since I bought it. This movie always makes me fell entertained and happy.

Personal Maid's Secret (1935)

Delightful Comedy with a touch of Drama

[10/10 · 16 January 2013]

Although Margaret Lindsay, Warren Hull and Anita Louise are billed above her, the true star of this 1935 feature film is the incomparable actress Ruth Donnelly as 'Lizzie' the Personal Maid with a big secret. Some reviewers do not believe people living in Manhattan in the mid 1930's in modest apartments had maids. Well, my folks were wealthy, we owned apartment buildings in Greenwich Village and an estate in The Hamptons. We had a butler, cook, parlor maid, valet and a ladies maid. Only Dad's valet who doubled as chauffeur lived with us. But many of the family friends had lost most of their wealth in The Depression. They did not live in large apartments, but all had at least a full-time maid and often also a cook. To me the apartments shown were far more realistic in size and furnishings than in most 1935 films.

Arthur Treacher plays a butler as he did frequently. Anita Louise plays Diana, a mad-cap 17 or 18 year-old running around with married men, much to her mother's disapproval. Since the Production Code was fully-enforced in 1935, we only see hints of just what Diana does with those married men and she does drink, but in New York then the legal drinking age was 18 and not strictly enforced.

The nominal stars are Margaret Lindsay and Warren Hull as 'Joan' and 'Jimmy' Smith who hire 'Lizzie' although then they cannot afford her. By magic and good connections, Lizzie charms the rich folks of the Upper East Side so that the fortune of the Smith's vastly increase during the film. Frank Albertson plays Joan's brother 'Kent Fletcher' who is successful designing carburetors and falls in love with Diana.

I found all of these performers excellent, but Ruth Donnelly as Lizzie gets most of the best lines.

Please note that one of my favorite character actors, Claude King, plays 'Mr. B. Abercrombie' grandfather of Diana. Maude Turner Gordon plays 'Mrs. Abercrombie'. These performers do not get much screen time, but they are outstanding, as both of them were in countless movies.

The only sad thing is that the TCM print of the movie needs preservation and restoration. Possibly TCM has restored it to the extent possible, but now that WB has improved restoration software, it would be great if they gave "Personal Maid's Secret" another restoration pass!

Employees' Entrance (1933)

A Film Which Caused the Production Code to Be Enforced

[10/10 · 4 January 2013]

The history of Hollywood's Pre-Code talkies constantly cites 'Employees' Entrance, 'Babyface' and 'Red-Headed Woman' as films which finally convinced the major producers to unleash Will Hays and Joseph I. Breen to make use of the Production Code before special interest groups, such as the Legion of Decency, became official censors.

When considering 'Employees' Entrance' it is important to get certain facts correct: The central male lead character 'Kurt Anderson' is played by the experienced stage actor WARREN WILLIAM, who came to Hollywood in 1931, after silents were no longer being produced.

Because one of the actors playing an important character part of 'Ross' died in an auto accident on 16 December 1932, after principal photography ended, we know that co-star LORETTA YOUNG (playing 'Madeline') was not yet 20 when this film was made. She was born on 6 January 1913. She was photographed as well as in any of her films. The film was released in later January 1933.

ALICE WHITE who plays 'Poly Dale' had been a secretary in the movie business and became a major star from the end of silents to the first wave of musical talkies. One problem was she did not sing or dance as well as taller women. 'Employees' Entrance' was to be her comeback, but another scandal finished her move career as an actress. She returned to being a secretary in the studios and did very well.

IMDb does not list ALLEN JENKINS as being credited, and many reviewers say this. However, in the official posters, he is prominently credited, as would be expected because he was one of Warner Bros most popular character actors.

I completely agree, all the elements needed for a classic, such as 'Casablanca' click for 'Employees' Entrance'. The script is typical of WB, ripped from the contemporary headlines about the Depression, and then exceptionally polished. The casting was ideal. The production values were 'A' level. This film was released a few weeks before '42nd Street' so it was not the top box office hit for WB in 1933, but it made a lot of profit.

Although Pre-Code, it is only suggested that any character slept with another, with fade-outs and dissolves as later standard after The Code was enforced.

I admit to being a Warren William fan. I never cared for Loretta Young in her post 1935 films, but because at 19 she was so fresh and beautiful, I have watched a lot of films she made before 'Employees' Entrance' to see her learn to act dialog on camera. Loretta was on top of her game as 'Madeline' here.

Do yourselves a favor and watch 'Employees' Entrance' when it is shown and ask for it to be released on DVD. I bought a VHS copy and watch it often.

She Married Her Boss (1935)

Claudette Colbert, Melvyn Douglas and Edith Fellows, too

[9/10 · 11 November 2012]

In the 1930's most studios seldom re-issued movies. But, Columbia was not run like the other major studios. If Harry Cohn had a week without a new film, he would dust off an older movie that he felt still could find an audience.

I was only 3 in 1935, so I was not taken to the original release. I am sure my Granny had seen it because she crushed on Melvyn Douglas. But there could have been a secondary reason Granny took me to the 1938 re-issue. My parents were absolutely anti-spanking, while Granny make it clear she wanted me spanked early and often. Therefore she dragged me to every film she could find in which a child near my age was spanked.

Claudette Colbert plays "Julia Scott" the Secretary; Edith Fellows (at 12 plays) "Annabel Barclay" at 9; Melvyn Douglas plays "Richard Barclay" the "Boss" and Annabel's father.

These days most user reviews focus on the spanking, which was largely talk. Early in the film it is obvious that the super executive secretary is spanking the troubled daughter of her boss. You see Claudette pick up a hairbrush and pat it against her hand. The tells Annabel "This will hurt you more than me." The girl cowers and asks "What are you going to do?" Smash cut to the hall where the dotty yet sweet nanny and vicious aunt listed to rather crude sound effects of a spanking. Twenty running minutes later, and in story time a couple of days, Julia the secretary has married her boss Richard. At breakfast she tells Richard that she will not be going to the office because she is needed at home.

Annabel is on both a hunger and talking strike. When Julia sits down wearing a lovely summer house dress, Richard is upset she will not ride to the office with him. Annabel has a tantrum saying she hates Julia. Once Richard leaves, the girl is cornered. Julia orders her uneaten breakfast be taken to her room. Then Julia reminds Annabel her first spanking was "just a paddy-whacking" but under the New Deal the girl will get an "old-fashioned walloping" which is not shown. But during that morning Julia and Annabel bond.

Another 18 minutes of film pass, and a day or so in the story. Julia is at the office taking Richard to lunch. They discuss the playboy "Lenny" who just sold them his family department store. Richard can't find, and Julia knows he is with a lady pal of hers. Out of nowhere she says to Richard "He needs a spanking".

I recorded this film from TCM on 5 April 2011, but having seen it on screen, I filed that DVD. When I adored Edith Fellows in "Five Peppers..." I dug out "She Married..." and find it good fun, but then I am now 80 and Granny is not around!

Big Business Girl (1931)

From College Girl to Mad Ave Copywriter with Gams

[8/10 · 26 July 2012]

Rank "Big Business Girl" right in there with "The Hucksters" and "A Face in the Crowd" as inspirational material for "Mad Men".

What attracted me to search until I could see this movie on TCM were the best remembered stars Loretta Young and Joan Blondell, in addition to Ricardo Cortez, Oscar Apfel and Dorothy Christy. These were major Warner Bros contract players of the early 1930s. It is hard to believe in those Pre Code days without restrictions on minors playing adults on screen, at 17 Loretta Young is cast as a university graduate, deep in student loans, willing to do what it takes to get ahead in the New York City business world. There is even a skyscraper model that looks like the one in "Baby Face" from 1933.

Honestly, I was never a fan of Loretta Young after her movie career ended circa 1951. Good for her that she was a hit on TV, but not with me. However, as I started collecting Pre Code film, I was entranced by Loretta in "Employees' Entrance" filmed when she was 19.

Ricardo Cortez played "Sam Spade" in the 1931 version of "The Maltese Falcon" which ended production just weeks before "Big Business Girl" started production. Seeing him as the ad agency owner "Robert Clayton" he is a role model for "Roger Sterling" and "Don Draper" on "Mad Men".

That would make Loretta as "Claire 'Mac' McIntyre" a cross between "Peggy Olson" and "Megan Calvet" on "Mad Men".

The plot is that "Mac" is hired suddenly as secretary to "Clayton" who does not know she is secretly married to her university boyfriend "Johnny" who was in Paris with his band. Somehow "Mac" starts writing outstanding ad copy selling the autos made by "Walter Morley". "Clayton" promotes her to copywriter with her own office, as much for her legs and face as talent. "Clayton" is so infatuated with "Mac" he wants to marry her. Then "Johnny" returns to NYC. "Mac" sets him up was a radio star for the auto company. He is attracted to beautiful "Mrs. Emerson". After a night flight in heavy rain in a Ford Tri-Motor, "Mac" re-unites with "Johnny". Un resolved is the question of "Mac" remaining as copywriter for "Clayton" and "Johnny" as the auto company radio band leader. Of yes, Joan Blondell plays "Pearl" a professional "divorce co-respondent".

I enjoyed this film and all performances except Frank Albertson as "Johnny Saunders". If he could not appear romantically interested in Loretta Young then, he must have been half dead. Perhaps all the other male juveniles under WB contract were making other films then. A year later WB might have used Dick Powell or George Brent as "Johnny".

Still, "Big Business Girl" is only 75 minutes long and seems to run faster. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I enjoy it.

Expensive Women (1931)

Pre-Code and Early Warner Bros Talkie

[9/10 · 9 December 2011]

Let me be frank: I am a huge fan of Pre-Production Code films, especially those made by Warner Brothers. Add that I am a fan of William Rees as a cinematographer, plus writer/producers Raymond Griffith and Harvey Thew, means I went out of my way to see all of them in action behind the scenes on "Expensive Women." Rees photographed the 1931 first talkie of "The Maltese Falcon" and "The Kennel Club Murder Case" Following "Expensive Women" Griffith produced "Three on a Match", "Gold Diggers of 1933" and "Baby Face" which is often considered the movie which forced enforcement of the Production Code. Thew had written "Public Enemy" for WB, then wrote "Flying Down to Rio" for RKO, the film that started Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

So it is a fallacy to think "Expensive Women" was some sort of WB hack job.

In this film the lovely Dolores Costello plays "trust fund baby" "Connie Newton" who had grown weary of drunken lout "Bobby Brandon" (over-played by Joe Donahue). Trying to escape Bobby at a party, Connie hides in the same bathroom as wealthy composer "Neil Hartley" (played as a decent rich guy by Warren William, best known for playing evil men).

Neil takes Connie to his home, where they spend the night. A few days later Connie goes with Neil to his country estate for a weekend party. There Neil introduces Connie to his student "Arthur Raymond" (played by Anthony Bushnell) son of wealthy and powerful "Judge Melville Raymond" (played with mustache-twirling melodramatic flair by H.B. Warner).

Despite Connie's wealth, Melville disapproves of Arthur being intimate with Connie simply because he had arranged a marriage of his son to "Betty" (played by an uncredited mystery actress). Shrinks could have a field day with the motives for Melville's devotion to the super dull Betty, a character with all the charm and grace of "Betty Draper" on "Mad Men"! Whenever "Expensive Women" needs a comic bit, Connie's even less inhibited pal "Molly Lane" (played by the pint-size blonde Polly Walters) is brought into the scene to deliver naughty zingers. That was a common practice in those days. All I can say is that Polly Walters is a lot less annoying than comics such as Hugh Herbert or Robert Benchley.

Connie does agree to give up Arthur, because she is a decent person.

Unknown to Connie, the drunken lout Bobby drags her to a New Years Eve party at the Manhattan mansion of Melville. When Connie sees Arthur with Betty and is confronted by Melville, Connie gathers her things to leave. Arthur tries to dissuade her. Bobby bursts into the room, threatening to blackmail Connie and Arthur, who had a pistol with him because he was contemplating suicide. During a struggle, Arthur shoots Bobby dead. Although apparently nobody at the party heard the shot, Melville walks in. Connie confesses and Melville is willing to let her take the blame.

That is when Connie says that on the stand she will admit her affair with Arthur. That convinces Melville to place the pistol in Bobby's dead hand. Then he manages to persuade the coroner's jury to rule Bobby's death a suicide. Because this was 3 years before enforcement of the Production Code, Connie, Melville and Arthur get away with many felonies.

Before the fade out, Connie returns to Neil.

Personally I totally enjoy "Expensive Women" for what it is. Of course I also enjoy "Baby Face", "Employees' Entrance" and many other Pre-Code movies.

The Footloose Heiress (1937)

Brat Taming

[26 October 2011]

Not all that long before William Clemens started directing the Nancy Drew films, he made a fun movie staring a personable second-string leading man (Craig Reynolds) and an ever-enticing leading lady (Ann Sheridan).

The Footloose Heiress has some elements of screwball. At the start of the film, to spite her wealthy ad-man father "John C Allyn (Hugh O'Connell) "Kay Allyn" elopes with "Jack Pierson" (William Hopper) the night she turned 18. The elopement car gets delayed by a freight train, where Kay sees "Butch" (Craig Reynolds) riding the rails.

On the other side of the train tracks and delayed by the same train is John Allyn. He tries to cross the tracks as the train starts to move again, falling under the wheels. In the nick of time Butch saves John. After John explains that Kay has tried to elope 4 previous times, Butch drives John in pursuit. Seconds before the I-Do's Butch stops the marriage.

Back at the Allyn home John invites hobo Butch to stay, since he has already begun taming the footloose Kay. To continue the taming, Butch takes Kay to a country club dance. There she intends to embarrass Butch. He anticipate such a move and in typical 1937 movie style handles the situation by spanking Kay with her snooty friends all watching and delighted.

While an adult man spanking an adult woman for romantic comedy was often shown in those pre PC days, this is an almost realistic spanking. She is put across his lap with her head to his left, so his right palm has a clear shot. Butch appears to land several hard smacks, causing Kay to react. Clearly she is intrigued and enthralled.

Although John Allyn is wealthy, clearly his ad agency had no experience with radio. John's major client wants a radio show. By good luck "Hobo Butch" is actually Bruce Baeder, the son of the leading Boston ad man. Bruce is estranged from his father and decided to see the USA from the rails instead of writing ad copy for his dad's agency. To save John, Bruce does write excellent radio scripts.

There are many screwball-like gag sequences.

For example, the morning after Kay gets spanked, the Allyn family butler puts a fluffy cushion on her chair at the breakfast table.

By the final fade-out Kay and Bruce are happily together.

Although I consider myself a fan and collector of 1930s movies, before seeing The Footloose Heiress on TCM on 26 October 2011, I was only familiar with Ann Sheridan and William Hopper. I have long adored Sheridan as "Blossom Girl" in The Man Who Came To Dinner. Before Hopper played "Paul Drake" on the Perry Mason TV series, he was the father of The Bad Seed. Subsequent research shows that Craig Reynolds never really became a star before WWII. He was wounded during his service, but after his medical discharge in 1944 never got important roles. He died young in a motorcycle accident.

By sad coincidence a stunt woman was killed making this film when a car over turned on location in Pasadena.

I must say I enjoyed The Footloose Heiress so much I look forward to seeing it again many times.

Wife vs. Secretary (1936)

Clark Gable, Pan Am Clippers, Jean Harlow and Myrna Loy!

[18 October 2011]

When "Wife vs Secretary" was released in 1936 for some reason my parents did not consider this appropriate for their 4 year-old boy to attend. In 1948 a few days after starting university at NYU, I finally managed to see the film at a Greenwich Village revival theater. By then I had become a huge fan of both Jean Harlow and Myrna Loy. I also had a soft spot for May Robson, who was so much like my actual grandmother.

Bottom line is that I am a fan of the top six credited performers, as well as director Clarence Brown. James Stewart was just getting started as a movie actor. George Barbier made a lot of movies for Warners and was especially effective as "Dr. Bradley" in "The Man Who Came To Dinner"

We first meet Van (Gable) and Linda (Loy) the morning of their 3rd anniversary in their luxury 2 story apartment. Later we meet Whitey (Harlow) personal secretary to Van, the CEO of a prestige magazine publishing firm.

Van decides to expand his business and hold on to advertisers his firm needs to absorb a publisher of less expensive magazines. This must be investigated in complete secrecy, so Van depends heavily on Whitey's discretion, leaving details of the necessary accounting to her.

During his anniversary party Van calls Whitey at the home she shares with her parents as they are eating dinner with Dave (Stewart) her boy friend/fiancé. He throws a tantrum because she decided her job is more important than going to a play with him.

Perhaps I am prejudice, but I fail to understand why Whitey would have ever been interested in Dave. Stewart plays Dave as uneducated and non sophisticated. Harlow plays Whitey as a sensible and attractive woman who wants to be a business success while remaining ethical.

At first Linda bends over backwards to have faith in Van, despite the warning from Van's mother Mimi (Robson) that men can be "naughty boys" and "Van his like his father". To keep the negotiations for the purchase of Underwood's (Barbier) magazine empire a secret, Van lies to Linda that he spent an afternoon at his club instead of admitting he had been driven to Underwood's estate accompanied by Whitey.

Later, as the deal was closing, Van had to attend a convention in Havana, for private time with Underwood. He needs Whitey to fly to help type the contracts, although Van had not allowed Linda to make the trip.

Whitey answered the phone in Van's Havana hotel suite when Linda called. Linda decides to separate from Van.

In the closing reel Whitey confronts Linda and makes it clear that should Van ever become single, she wants him, yet she encourages Linda to reconsider.

While before the fade-out Linda has returned to Van, who still had no clue Whitey had any romantic interest in him, it is far less clear what became of Dave and Whitey. I was 16 the first time I saw a revival of Wife vs Secretary in 1948, by which time I had seen Stewart in many films and had mourned to death of Harlow. My first reaction was that while Harlow should support a more mature and sophisticated Stewart, at the end of this film Whitey would be an idiot to waste another minute on a whiner like Dave.

Wife vs Secretary remains one of my favorite films of 1936. I pull out my DVD and watch it ever 6 months of so and enjoy it every time!

Love, Honor and Behave (1938)

Very early Priscilla Lane film, her first with Wayne Morris

[9/10 · 9 October 2011]

Unfortunately for me most of the 22 movies Priscilla Lane made were out of theaters before I was old enough to see them. At least I was taken to see "Arsenic and Old Lace" when it first came out. That was because I had seen the play on Broadway and my Granny adored Cary Grant. I instantly had a crush on Priscilla Lane. That movie was one of the first I bought on DVD. Once TCM came along I had the chance to see several more Priscilla Lane films. Subsequent research shows that "Love, Honor and Behave" was her second film for Warner Bros. She had been a singer for Fred Waring prior to her movie career along with her slightly older sister Rosemary. Their oldest sister Leota was a Broadway star. Another older sister, Lola, started making movies in 1930. I agree that Priscilla was the best of the Lane Sisters, cute and talented.

I find it fascinating that when Love, Honor and Behave was in production, Priscilla was actually 22 and playing 20-21. In most of her subsequent films she played characters younger than her real age and did so very well. Wayne Morris was a year older than Priscilla and also was just getting decent billing in this film.

Ted Painter Dickie Moore) and Barbara Blake are next door neighbors in 1922 on Long Island when the film opens. Ted's father Dan (Thomas Mitchell a year before his supporting Oscar) is caught kissing Barb's mother Lisa (Mona Barrie) leading to Ted's mom Sally (Barbara O'Neill) divorcing Dan, while Lisa divorces her husband Jim. Jim retains custody of Barbara who is sent to boarding school. Meanwhile Sally does her best to turn Ted into a "sensitive" momma's boy.

In 1936 Yale junior Ted (played by Morris as an adult) deliberately loses a tennis match because he believes that is good sportsmanship. Barbara (played by Lane as an adult) was watching and recognizes his name. They go to a Yale dance where Barbara says as kids they were "married" by another kid and she has the ring to prove it. Ted remarks that because Barbara had worn her mother's best dress Barb had been spanked with a hairbrush, to which adult Barbara hardly blushes.

Ted and Barbara get married legally, still using the old toy ring. Ted, who never wanted to be a physician, drops out of Yale. He goes into the soap business, which fails in 8 months. While Ted was working late he encouraged Barbara to go out with her former boyfriend Pete Martin (Dick Foran) who has inherited wealth and wants good times with Barbara.

Pete takes Barbara to a "kids party" in which they wear childish costumes, with an implication of infantilism. Ted and Sally see Pete kiss Barbara, who wants a physical fight to ensue.

Later the best job Ted can get is digging ditches. That night Barbara wanted to have dinner with Pete. Ted stops her, leading to an actual fist fight with Pete which Ted wins. Priscilla's eyes just sparkle with delight. Outside Sally, Dan, Jim and Lisa arrive to watch as Barbara soundly slaps Ted, on camera. Off camera Ted socks her in her left eye, which bruise shows. She throws a book at Ted, bruising his left eye.

Just below the frame line Ted spanks Barbara. When Lisa tries to stop the spanking, Barbara tells her to mind her own business.

The sound effects imply a very sound spanking and Barbara was whimpering, until she tells her mom to butt out. That spanking is hardly realistic and lasts much longer than typical adult comedy spanking circa 1938. Today none of that is politically correct.

Watch Love, Honor and Behave to see why Priscilla Lane became a star, if only for 22 feature films.

Young Ideas (1943)

Divorcée Moves to a College Town, Complications Follow Her

[2 October 2011]

YOUNG IDEAS was one of the first films Mary Astor made for MGM and also one of her first roles as a mother, with a son and daughter of college age. Her character "Jo Evans" is the successful author of hot romance novels, so that much is similar to "Theodora Goes Wild" Early in the film Jo Evans has departed from a promotion tour for her latest novel, leaving her agent, her daughter Susan (Susan Peters) and her son Jeff (Elliott Reid) behind in Manhattan.

It turns out Jo has fallen in love with Chemistry Prof. Michael Kingsley (Herbert Marshall) at a generic small, conservative rural college. As soon as Susan and Jeff arrive at the college and figure out the romance, they set out to break up the marriage.

Along the way Susan falls in love with "Tom Farrell" (Richard Carlson) a youngish lecturer in contemporary play-writing. Susan shows up Tom because she claims to know the first two playwrights he discusses. Who knew back then faculty/student romance was against the college rules?

Eventually Jo and Michael discover what Susan and Jeff were doing. By way of conclusion, Michael chases, catches and spanks Jeff. Jo catches and spanks Susan bent over her lap.

Although in 1943 spanking for comedy was fairly common, it is most unusual for an almost adult man to be spanked bent over by an adult man. Also, in both cases the spanker bends the victim to the right, then spanks with the right hand, which is awkward.

Despite all this I enjoyed the movie. Two years later Susan Peters suffered a hunting accident ending her brief career far too early.