HIS GIRL FRIDAY, 1940 (original post: June 12, 2011)
Director: Howard Hawkes
Stars: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy
(Try to get past that crazy hat!)
Journalist Hildy Johnson (Russell) is getting married again and leaving news work altogether for a chance at a normal life. Before leaving for Albany with her fiance Bruce Baldwin (Bellamy) and his mother, she decides to say goodbye to her former employer, editor of the Morning Post- also her ex-husband- Walter Burns (Grant). Surprised to see his ex after so many months, Walter, a lovable schemer, will stop at nothing to win her back to their crazy, haphazard journalist lifestyle.
He convinces her to do one last story for him: a jobless man who shot a cop, but claims he didn't mean to, though he's not insane. Hildy interviews him, and, ever the journalist, knows just how to spin it. But things go a little haywire when the convicted man escapes, and Hildy is the one who finds him.
They speak so FAST in this movie! It drives me a little crazy the way they interrupt each other- everyone does this- and talk over each other. (I guess it's supposed to be more realistic, but it's not really familiar in film, you know? But I get over it quickly when I get into the story. I laughed and laughed. So many of Grant's lines are just brilliant.
FACT: At one point in the film, Grant talks about "Archie Leech" as the last person to get on his bad side. Archie Leech is Cary Grant's real name. There's some trivia for you.
THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, 1940 (original post: June 6, 2011)
Director: George Cukor
Stars: Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, James Stewart
Tracey Lord (Hepburn), the former wife of C.K. Dexter Haven (Grant), is getting married again. But the editor of a tabloid magazine has some dirt on her father, and to protect her high society socialite family from embarrassment and scandal, she very reluctantly agrees to have reporter Mike (James Stewart) and a photographer stay at her home and do a story on her wedding. Dexter shows up, too, to make things interesting, and Mike starts to make her fiance George uncomfortable with his attentions towards her.
This is one of my favorites of all time! Just look at those leads! Cary Grant, Katherine, and Jimmy! They are absolutely wonderful!
FACT: When I write these "reviews", I utilize Imdb (Internet Movie Data Base) and Wikipedia to make things a little more interesting, and also to make sure I get the right information on the director. Usually I know who the stars are, but the director (unless he's Hitch) is often a forgotten name. All that to say, when I looked up George Cukor, the name sounded familiar. And no wonder! First, he also directed "Pat and Mike", which I just reviewed a couple weeks ago; and second, he was the director of "My Fair Lady"!
THE TALK OF THE TOWN, 1942 (original post: April 24, 2011)
Director: George Stevens
Stars: Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, and Ronald Colman
No, I didn't think up this blog name myself! I borrowed it from one of my favorite Cary Grant films: The Talk of the Town, of course!
Leopold Dilg (Grant) is a wrongfully-accused escaped convict who shows up on Nora Shelley's (Arthur) doorstep, looking for a place to hide from the police. Believing him to be innocent, she reluctantly agrees he may stay the night. But her new tenant Professor Michael Lightcap (Colman), who agreed to rent the house from Miss Shelley, shows up early. Now Miss Shelley takes it upon herself to hide Dilg, while also employed as the Professor's secretary. What follows is a perfect mix of comedy, mystery, romance, and drama as the three become friends, and eventually attempt to prove Dilg's innocence.
I could not possibly love this movie more.
I always rewind the very last scene and watch it again and again.
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