Leo McCarey

Love Affair

by
Terry and Michel at the ship's rail

The various remakes of Love Affair studied this 1939 original closely and learned the right lessons. The acting must be of a high order but more than that the leads must have chemistry. The story itself is relatively unimportant. It’s a case of two people meeting, falling in love before they know it and then fate and human frailty throwing impediments to happiness in their way. Standard stuff, really. The remakes are 1957’s An Affair to Remember, which pitted Cary Grant against Deborah Kerr. 1994’s Love Affair, with Annette Bening and Warren Beatty. And, a remake of sorts, Sleepless in Seattle, which starred Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan and was in dialogue with … Read more

The Awful Truth

by
Lucy and Jerry have a cocktail

When The Awful Truth won the best director Oscar for Leo McCarey in 1937, McCarey straight-up said it wasn’t the best directed film of the year. It wasn’t even, he said, his best directorial effort of the year – he rated Make Way for Tomorrow more highly (and so has posterity). It’s easy to see why. Make Way for Tomorrow tackles a serious issue, with subject matter that’s even more relevant now than it was then – ageing parents abandoned by adult children. But The Awful Truth can claim a stake on glory, a more frivolous though still valid one, being the first time that the full Cary Grant persona – a balletic … Read more

Make Way for Tomorrow

by
Barkley and Lucy

Make Way for Tomorrow, what a purposeful title that is, a call to arms in the struggle for a brighter, more modern future. Get Out of the Way might be a balder, less glorious and less ironic way of expressing the sentiment behind that title, since this is a story about two old timers in their 60s and the adult children they lean on in their hour of need. The film is about the response of the children, who step swiftly away from the plate. Though they never quite put it quite this honestly, the kids are too busy leading their own lives to have time and space for the oldsters. It’s a … Read more

Duck Soup

by
Groucho Marx in Duck Soup

A movie for every day of the year – a good one 2 October Groucho Mark born, 1890 On this day in 1890, Julius Henry Marx, one of the 20th century’s most distinctive comedians was born, in New York City. He started off in a vaudeville singing troupe with various members of the family, including his mother at one point. When pure singing didn’t work for them, the Marx brothers started to include comedy in their act, losing non family members on the way and eventually settling down to be the four brothers, Julius, Adolph, Leonard and Milton (aka Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Gummo). Gummo decided to leave and Zeppo, considered the funniest … Read more

Popular Posts

Nico and Billie

Sweet Thing

Kate Hudson and Patrick Fugit in Almost Famous

Almost Famous

Casey Affleck in Out of the Furnace

9 June 2014-06-09