Posted on by chloetalksfilm

Classic of the Week: Holiday Inn (1942)

Holiday Inn is a 1942 American musical film starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, with Marjorie Reynolds, Virginia Davis, and Walter Abel. It was directed by Mark Sandrich with music by Irving Berlin. Berlin wrote twelve songs especially for the film, the best known one being “White Christmas.” The film hallmarks a reuse of the song “Easter Parade”, written by Berlin for the 1933 Broadway revue As Thousands Cheer and used as a title track for the 1948 film Easter Parade starring Astaire and Judy Garland. Holiday Inn‘s choreography was by Danny Dare. 

Him Hardy, Ted Hanover, and Lila Dixon have a popular New York City song and dance ac. On Christmas Eve Jim prepares for his last performance before retiring to be husband to Lila and life on a farm in Connecticut. Lila tells jim she has fallne in love with the infamous smooth talker Ted instead; heartbroken, Jim tells them goodbye. 

He tries to take a shot at working on the farm but ends up in a santitarium instead. The following Christmas Eve Jim is back in New York City with plans to turn his farm into “Holiday Inn,” an entertainment venue open only on holidays, to the interest of Ted and his agent Danny Reed. In a flower shop Danny is coaxed by sales girl and aspiring performer Linda Mason; he directs her to Holiday Inn and Ted’s club. Later that night Linda and Jim accidentally meet at a performance by Ted and Lila. Jim pretends to own a rival club. while Linda poses as a celebrity friend of Ted’s, only to leave when Ted and Lila near. 

On New Year’s Eve Holiday Inn opens to a packed house. Back in New York City Ted learns that Lila is leaving him for a Texas millionaire. Drinkig heavily, he arrives at Holiday Inn at midnight and bumps into Linda. They dance and, and the drunk dancer and innocent young woman recieve lots of applause from the audience who believe it was all a rehearsed act. Danny arrives and and is overjoyed that Ted has found a new partner, but in the morning Ted doesn’t remember Linda. Jim hides her, scared Ted will steal her away. 

On Lincoln’s birthday Ted and Danny look for Linda, but Jim convinces Linda to play the minstrel show number “Abraham” in blackface together to fool them. While applying makeup Jim asks her to stay with him between holidays, which she comprehends as a propsal. He declares it, but explains that only when he can afford to. Leaving empty-handed, Ted and Danny plan to return. 

Rehearsing for Valentine’s Day, Jim presents Linda with a new song, “Be Careful, It’s My Heart.” Ted arrives and goes into an unchoreographed dance with Linda. Recognizing her from New Year’s Eve, he demands that Jim prepare a number for them to perform in the next show. 

At Easter romance grows between Jim and Linda. They are met by Ted, who asks to remain in Jim’s shows to experience “the true happiness” they found. Linda is charmed, but Jim is suspicious. 

Thanksgiving finds the Inn closed and Jim filled with self-pity. As he prepares to mail off his new song his housekeeper Mamie coaxes him to fight to win Linda back. 

Bing Crosby’s singing, Fred Astaire’s footwork, Marjorie Reynolds’ and Virginia Dale’s dancing, and Irving Berlin’s songs, are the only thing great about this movie. You’d think with a great story, great soundtrack, and choreography, this has to be a fantastic movie, but it’s barely that. Entertaining yes, but it just jumps from one holiday song and dance number to the next with very little story in between. You do learn about Jim working on the farm and him turning the farm into the inn, and how both Jim and Ted are in love with the same ladies, but hardly anything else. You don’t see much rehearsing of the performances, which to me, would have made the story far more interesting. 

There is racism in the “Abraham” number where blackface is used, which is offensive nowadays and many television channels choose to omit the scene, but most DVD versions still have it. Yes, the scene should have never happened, but it did and times were different then, so you have to either watch it on regular TV, skip through it, or suck it up and watch it, which is really hard to do. 

The acting is really good, but not fantastic,  but the singing and dancing overshadows that. It does have the typical 1940’s romantic musical tone, so the storyline doesn’t feel very original. The part of the story of two guys trying to woo the same women, has been done to death, even before this movie came out. 

There are some great scenes like the “Be Careful, It’s My Heart” sequence where Ted and Linda dance to Jim’s song and at the end of the routine, they jump through at big paper heart prop. Also the Independance Day scene where Ted dances with firecrackers is fabulous. 

The movie treats every holiday that shown as just musical theater productions, though some of the numbers go into the history or what they think is the history of the holiday, they don’t celebrate the holidays they way they are meant to be like having a Thanksgiving meal with family friends, opening presents with family and friends on Christmas Day, going to church on Easter Sunday, etc., which conservative Christians may find blasphemous. 

There is lots of drinking and smoking throughout and several instances where a character is drunk. Despite the racism, blasphemy, and heavy uses of booze and tobacco, it is still a really entertaining movie. Though this is considered a Christmas film, it covers most of the major holidays celebrated in America, though not Hanukkah for some reason, so I don’t call this an Xmas movie, but more of a motion picture honoring many holidays. 12+ 3.5/5 

Posted on by chloetalksfilm

Classic of the Week: Duck Soup (1933)

Duck Soup is a 1933 American pre-Code black comedy film directed by Leo McCarey. It stars the Marx Brothers: Goucho, Chico, Harpo and Zeppo in final Marx Brothers’ movie. It also features Margaret Dumont, Louis Calhern, Raquel Torres, and Edgar Kennedy. Groucho plays the newlt elected president of the mythical country of Freedonia. Zeppo is his secretary, while Harpo and Chico are Sylvanian spies. Realtions between Groucho and the Sylvanian ambassador disintegrate and they go to war. 

The wealthy Mrs. Teasdale insists that Rufus T. Firefly be appointed leader of the small, financially struggling country of Freedonia before she will continue to provide financial aid. Meanwhile, the neighboring country of Sylvania is plotting to append Freedonia. Sylvanian ambassador Trentino tries to bring about a revolution and court Mrs. Teasdale as he tries to dig up dirt on Firefly by sending in spies Chicolini and Pinky. 

After failing to collect any useful information against Firefly, Chicolini and Pinky are able to pervade the government when Chicolini is appointed Secretary of War after Firefly notices him selling peanuts outside his window. A little while later, Firefly’s secretary, Bob Roland, tells Firefly he suspects Trentino’s incentives and advises him to get rid of the touchy Tretino by insulting him. Firefly agrees and to the plan, but after a series of personal insults exchanged between Firefly and Trentino, the plan backfires when Firefly hits him. As a result, the countries go to war. Adding to international strife is the fact that Firefly is also pursuing Mrs. Teasdale, and, like Trentino, hoping to get his hands on her late husband’s fortune. 

Trentino learns from the very attractive spy Vera Marcal that Freedomia’s plans of war in Mrs. Teasdale’s safe and he tells her to assist Chicolini and Pinky in stealing them. Chicolini is eventually caught by Firefly and put on trial, during which war is officially declared, and everyone is overcome by war frenzy, breaking into song and dance. Chicolini and Pinky join Firefly and Bob Roland in anarchic battle, resulting in general mayhem. 

This film was not a box office failure, but it recieve lukewarm reception, because it was released during the Great Depression. Audiences were stunned by such absurd polical negligence, foolishness and cynicism at a time of a political and economic crisis. Some didn’t like the comedic Mussolini types in the film and found that offensive. Benito Mussolini  found the film to a personal attack at him and banned it Italy, though the Marx Brothers were delighted about it. Despite the so-so response at the time, Duck Soup is now seen as a classic politcal comedy. Many critics today see it as one of the best war comedies along with Chaplin’s The Great Dictator and Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove. The only difference with Duck Soup, is that it doesn’t seem to realize it is nothing more than  innocent drivel. 

This a hilarious political comedy and very smartly written and acted. The brothers make this film laugh out loud funny, though Groucho is the comedic ringleader as he always was in their movies. With the political theme and many of the jokes, this film most likely couldn’t be filmed in the current era. Being this was made before the Motion Picture Production Code censorship guidelines, it got away with a lot of things it wouldn’t have after it was really enforced. 

This film is filled with political, Jewish, flirty and random humor. The slapstick comedy and Groucho’s puns make it a really entertaining film for the most part, though this one is a tad more serious with the diplomatic theme. Though I don’t think this is the Marx Brothers’ best film, it is still a comedic masterpiece that goes down as one of the greatest films of all time. 

Groucho’s jokes will go over young childrens’ heads, but teens and adults will probably get them, so this one is better suited for older children and above. There is smoking as usual, Grouch and his signiture cigar, and others smoke cigars. There is no sex or nudity, only a woman a bra and man watching her undress. There is slapstick violence, though young kids will not understand it’s fake and for laughs. There is out of date derogatory nicknames for certain types of people used a few times, but no really foul language other than that. 

There is a very racist joke that references a hit 1931 song that satirizes racism and it is unexpected upon first watch, so you have to look out for things like that in this movie, but you also have to realize times were different then. There is sexual innuendo in the opening scene, so it starts out with adult humor, though some may find this a bit much, especially if this is their Marx Brothers movie and don’t realize this is common for the brothers. 

Some scenes are focused on too much like the scene where Chicolini is selling peanuts and tormenting another vender.  Despite the adult innuendos, it is still a great film with great musical numbers and choreography. The film is very pessimistic to the point of preachiness and that might turn viewers off, especially after seeing it many times. The film criticizes arbitrary, brutal policies that created disasters, Prohibition, World War I and The Great Depression. Some may think that this movie is making light of the issues at the time and it is, but it is also showing that it is better to sing, dance, laugh, fall in love and try to get along with your enemies, rather than fight, cause chaos, or make terrible laws that tear people apart. 

Overall, a comedy masterpiece that everyone should see at least once in their life. It has its flaws, just like any movie, but it will not cease to bore you or make you laugh. Its out of date farce can be overlooked if you see the film for what it really is. A genius musical comedy with both grit and hilarity.  10+ 4.5/5

Posted on by chloetalksfilm

Classic of the Week: Summer Stock (1950)

Summer Stock is a 1950 American Technicolor musical film directed by Charles Walters and stars Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Eddie Bracken, Gloria DeHaven, Marjorie Main and Phil Silvers. Judy struggled with many personal problems during filming and Summer Stock proved to be her final film with MGM, as well as her last onscreen paring with Kelly. By mutual agreement MGM terminated her contract by September 1950, something the head of studio, L.B. Mayer said he later regretted doing. 

Jane Falbury (Garland) is a farm owner whose actress sister, Abigail (DeHaven), arrives at the family farm with her theater troupe. They need a place to rehearse, and Jane and her housekeeper Esme (Main), hesitantly agree to let them use their barn. The actors and actresses, including the director, Joe Ross (Kelly), pay back her hospitality by doing chores around the farm. Although Joe is engaged to Abigail, he begins to fall in love with Jane after Abigail leaves him in a rage. Likewise, even though Jane is enaged to Orville (Bracken), she falls in love with Joe. 

Although this is not Garland’s or Kelly’s best work, it is still a really fun film, filled with laughter, fun songs, dancing and romance, their best is perhaps 1942’s For Me and My Gal. But Summer Stock is still worth seeing for the songs, choreography and romance. Some of the songs are a bit cheesy like so many classic musicals and Gene Kelly is a typecast again as the romantic song and dance man, but he does a great job regardless. Judy Garland is fantastic in her role, and though she was a tiny 4’11,” she seems much taller with her wide voice range and her excellent dancing skills. 

This film will have you singing and dancing and it will warm your heart. Warning, there is a scene that might make you tear up. There are many great songs throughout this musical such as “Wonderful You,” “If You Feel Like Singing, Sing” and “Get Happy” (One of Judy’s signature songs). The choreography by Nicholas Castle Sr. is so much fun, it’ll have you either tapping your foot, or dancing right along. 

There is no foul language, drinking or smoking shown and there is only one scene where Jane is shown showering and putting on clothes, but she is shown from shoulders up, so this is a very family friendly film. This is a feel good movie, one that can brighten you right up if you’re feeling sad or angry. Just the “Get Happy” scene alone will have you smiling ear to ear. Yes, this musical is a bit cheesy, but not as cheesy as Oklahoma! or Easter Parade, and many others from back in the day. That still does not make this one bad.

This is definitely not as a good as Singin’ in Rain or An American in Paris, but it’s not terrible. It is wildly entertaining from begining to end, though the plot is very simple. Would I have paid to see this on the big screen or on stage? Probably not, but if I found it on TV or streaming, I may or may not watch it. Having seen this film already, I can say, this is not one I could watch over and over again like Singin’ in the Rain. It’s a cute movie, very enjoyable, but the over the top cheesiness could have been dialed back a lot. Overall, this a very good, not great movie, though it is a joyous watch. 9+ 3.5/5

Posted on by chloetalksfilm

70 Years Later: “Singin’ in the Rain” — Keith & the Movies

(CLICK HERE to read my full piece in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette) In their heyday studio musicals brought with them an entirely new philosophy of moviemaking as colorful and vibrant music-driven set-pieces often trumped more dramatic storytelling. While these light and frothy concoctions did little to showcase what the burgeoning medium would soon become, they did […]

70 Years Later: “Singin’ in the Rain” — Keith & the Movies
Posted on by chloetalksfilm

tick…tick…Boom! (2021)

Tick…Tick…Boom! is a 2021 American biographical musical drama film directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda and is written by Steven Levenson, based on the stage musical of the same name by Jonathan Larson, it is a semi-autobiographical film story about Larson writing a musical to try to enter into the theater industry. The film stars Andrew Garfield as Larson, alongside Vanessa Hudgens, Robin de Jesus, Alexandra Shipp, Joshua Henry and Judith Light. 

In 1992, Jonathan Larson performs his rock monologue Tick…Tick…Boom! at New Theater Workshop with his friends Roger and Karessa. He describes an annoying ticking sound he hears in his head and begins to tell his story. An unseen narrator explains the films is the true story of Larson, “except the parts Jonathan made up.” 

In early 1990, Jonathan balances work at the Moondance Diner in SoHo with getting ready for a workshop for his musical Superbia. He feels pressure to be successful before he turns 30: with his birthday just over a week away, he sees the workshop as his last chance. He has a party at his apartment with his friends, including his former roommate Michael and his girlfriend Susan. Susan tells Jonathan about a teaching job at Jacob’s Pillow and asks him to come. Michael, who recently left theater for a mediocre advertising career, sees Susan’s offer as a chance for Jonathan to consider a serious future and invites him to join an advertising focus group at his company. Jonathan’s producer asks him to write a new song for Superbia because the story needs it. This depresses him, as his idol Stephen Sondheim told him the same thing at a composong workshop several years prior, but can’t come up with anything and he only has a week. 

Jonathan finds himself unable to concentrate on getting ready for the workshop as he thinks about Michael and Susan’s offers. His worries grow when he learns from Carolyn (friend from the diner) that Freddy (also works at the diner), is HIV-positive, has been hospitalized. Susan angry at Jonathan’s hesitance to make a decision and obsession with his career, breaks up with him. 

To get money for a full band for the workshop, Jonathan attends the advertising focus group. However, he purposefully ruins it, making Michael mad, who feels Jonathan is wasting the chance to have a life with the person he loves on an unstable theater career, something Michael can’t do as a homosexual man in the AIDS crisis. After getting a promising call from his agent Rosa, Jonathan tries to write the new song, but his power get cut off. He goes to a swimming pool to rant his frustrations over his personal life and the workshop, before coming up with the new song at last. At the workshop are friends, family, industry professionals, including Sondheim. Jonathan recieves praise but no offers to produce Superbia. Discouraged, Jonathan begs Michael for a job in his company, but Michael changes his mind after seeing the workshop and urges Jonathan to continue with his theater career, revealing that he is HIV-positive. 

Though I haven’t seen Tick…Tick..Boom! on stage, I did enjoy Larson’s Rent on stage and the film version, though it was not as good as the stage production. Rent is a wonderful story filled with wonderful music. I thought it was terribly cheesy and depressing at first, but once I saw both the movie one and the stage one, I fell in love with it and I now wish this musical could continue on stages forever just like other greats like Chicago and Fiddler on the Roof. 

Andrew Garfield does an outstanding job as Jonathan Larson, giving him a perfect New York accent, as well as acting, singing and playing the piano and keyboard himself. Most of the songs are super cheesy, but that’s musical theater for you and Garfield performs the songs with the perfect cheese factor with song and in several scenes with dancing too. Most of the songs, besides being corny, don’t sound like a mature adult wrote them and since the movie is filled with those kind of songs, it does get a bit annoying and makes the film almost unenjoyable at times. 

Alexandra Shipp is great as Susan Wilson, based on the real life Janet Charleston, Jonathan’s girlfriend, a former dancer. Robin de Jesus does a fine job as Michael, Jonathan’s best friend, based on the real life Matt O’ Grady, who left theater to work in advertising. Vanessa Hudgens is also great as Karessa Johnson, although she has very little dialogue and mostly sings and dances. Joshua Henry is very good as Roger Bart, Jonathan’s friend and performer in Superbia and Tick…Tick…Boom! Bradley Whitford is superb as Stephen Sondheim. 

This film does a splendid job telling of Larson’s journey to become the next great musical theater sensation, even though it is a bit of a cheeseball at times. The songs, choreography, and acting are all eqaully fantastic. This is drama filled, song filled movie that will have you tapping your feet at times, getting angry at moments and also crying at times too. It teaches you to never give up on your dreams and that the great things you do will live on forever after you die. 

There is song and dance, drama, heart and passion in this film that make it such an entertaining watch. There is fighting, sex, rejection, drinking, smoking, disease, cursing and selfishness that make this movie inappropriate for really young viewers. Teenagers and adults will enjoy this one much more. Tremendous film!  13+ 4/5 

Posted on by chloetalksfilm

Classic of the Week: Animal Crackers (1930)

83D58B33-A089-4D3D-9631-3EFCCEE26BFD

Animal Crackers is a 1930 American pre-code comedy and musical film directed by Victor Heerman and stars the Marx Brothers, Groucho, Chico, Harpo and Zeppo with Lillian Roth and Margaret DuPont. It was based on their Broadway musical of the same name. The film follows the story of how a valuable painting goes missing during a party in honor of famous African explorer Captain Jeffrey T. Spaulding.

This is not only a Marx Brothers and comedy classic, but it is truly one of the funniest films of all time. It is clever and funny. There musical numbers and Groucho and Zeppo sing as well and Harpo and Chico both play the piano, Harpo also plays the harp. Like most of the Marx Brothers’ films, Groucho is the ringleader. There is lots of cheesy, yet fun songs (except for one love song), slapstick fighting, clever humor, tricks and flirting.

Groucho is fantastic as Captain Jeffrey T. Spaulding, Harpo is great as the professor, Chico is also great as Signor Emanuel Ravelli and Zeppo does a fine job as Horacio Jamison. Margaret Dumont does a fine job in her role as Mrs. Rittenhouse, owner of the house (on Long Island) and Lillian Roth does equally god as her daughter Arabella.

There are many fun musical numbers in this film such as, “Hello, I Must Be Going,” “Hooray For Captain Spaulding” and “He’s One of Those Men.” There’s also the love song, “Why. Am I So Romantic?” The songs give this film the right amount cheese and excitement.

There is also a lot of jokes, some that have become famous with the brothers like Groucho saying, “One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don’t know” and when the party guests are giving three cheers to Captain Spaulding, Harpo brings in three chairs. Harpo is the only Marx brother that doesn’t speak in their films, although he occasionally laughs and whistles, he is also very gullible and naive.

This movie will have you laughing, cheering and dancing. There is mild sexual innuendo and flirting and slapstick violence, but no one is seriously injured. There is drinking and smoking throughout, Groucho is seen with his trademark cigar. But other than that, it is very mild and okay for older children, as younger ones won’t understand the jokes.

Never once is this film boring. It is truly hilarious and entertaining and gets that way more and more after viewing. The Marx Brothers were and still are some of not just the funniest, but greatest actors and movie makers of all time. They, to this day, can put a smile on a person’s face and brighten a day with laughter. This is a wonderful movie that is just as quick-witted as it an enjoyment. With music, dancing, humor, peril and romance, this one will never disappoint. 8 & up 5/5

Posted on by chloetalksfilm · 1 Comment

Classic of the Week: A Hard Day’s Night (1964)

A Hard Day’s Night is a 1964 comedy film directed by Richard Lester, starring British Invasion band The Beatles – John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr- during the height of Beatlemania. The film follows the band after they are swarmed by fans while boarding a train to London. The band get into mischief running from crowds of screaming fans, they meet schoolgirls on the train and many other good and bad people.

This is fun and humorous filled film, that any fan of musicals, The Beatles, or both will enjoy. It is filled familiar songs to sing along to, a song well as an easy to follow plot that’s never boring. This is a highly entertaining film that anyone will enjoy. You’ll love the laugh out loud humor, the music, the scenery, fashion, accents, everything. It takes you on a train ride with the most famous band of all time.

The band perform live in one scene. They weren’t the best actors, because of course they were (Ringo and Paul still are) mainly musicians. They had acting teaching prior to the filming of this movie. They were only told how they should act in scenes. They weren’t horrible at acting, but that’s not that’s not really their fault.

This is such an iconic film, not just for Beatlemania, the British Invasion, but for music in general. All four members were alike in way, but different too. They had a unique style in their music, fashion sense, hairstyles and Liverpool accents. They are still loved to this day from all ages.

This movie captures the Beatles outstandingly. You see the funny, silly and clever sides of The Fab Four. There is smoking, occasional drinking, flirting and a tad bit of sexual innuendos. Overall this is a fantastic film that everyone should watch at least once in their lives. 7+ 5/5