I read a two volume WWII time traveling book by Connie Willis last month and now I’m reading and watching a lot of things on the London Blitz, which has led to me watching a few more British films. Then I got on a Charles Boyer kick. I'd been wanting to rewatch Love Affair for a long time and on Valentine's Day I discovered someone had put a clear copy on YouTube!
*indicates a rewatch
1. Polly of the Circus (1932) - Marion Davies & Clark Gable, C. Aubrey SmithOne doesn't think of a minister and Clark Gable at the same time but he was surprising effective in the role. I've only seen a couple Marion Davies films but I thought she was very good in this one and has nice chemistry with Gable (Cain and Mabel is another film of theirs I enjoyed). Trapeze scenes always make me hold my breath.
2. The Garden of Allah (1936) - Marlene Dietrich & Charles Boyer, Basil Rathbone, C. Aubrey Smith
3. *History is Made at Night (1937) - Charles Boyer & Jean Arthur, Colin Clive
The only part of this movie I remembered was the Titanic/iceberg scene near the end, so it was like a new movie. Arthur and Boyer were very good together.
4. *Love Affair (1939) - Irene Dunne & Charles Boyer, Maria Ouspenskaya, Lee Bowman
The only thing that puts this film second to An Affair to Remember is the soundtrack.
5. When Tomorrow Comes (1939) - Charles Boyer & Irene Dunne
If you like the chemistry between Dunne and Boyer in Love Affair, make sure you watch this one too.
6. Calling Dr. Kildare (1939) - Lew Ayers, Lionel Barrymore, Laraine Day, Lana Turner
7. *All This and Heaven Too (1940) - Bette Davis & Charles Boyer
8. Week-End for Three (1941) - Dennis O’Keefe & Jane Wyatt, Edward Everett Horton
You have to watch this just for Edward Everett Horton's delivery of the line of what he thinks about women lol.
9. *Mrs. Miniver (1942) - Greer Garson & Walter Pidgeon, Teresa Wright, Dame May Whitty, Henry Travers, Richard Ney
This was my third viewing of this film and I think I liked it the best this time. I wish I didn't know that Garson and Ney married after this film though. It makes watching the movie a little awkward. And I've always thought Teresa Wright looks to "old" for Ney. She has one of those faces where you know exactly what she was going to look like in her 80s. I also purchased the original book by Jan Struther.
10. This Happy Breed (1944) - Celia Johnson, Robert Newton, John Mills
11. *Since You Went Away (1944) - Claudette Colbert, Joseph Cotten, Jennifer Jones & Robert Walker, Shirley Temple, Monty Wooley, Hattie McDaniel, Agnes Moorehead
I haven't watched this since I was a teen. I remember I didn't like it very well at the time. I still didn't love it, mainly because I don't think Colbert and Jones were "typical" enough for their roles. I'm also not a fan of Walker. The first movie I ever saw of his was Strangers on a Train so I always see the creepy side of him a little bit.
12. Kiss the Blood Off My Hands (1948) - Burt Lancaster & Joan Fontaine, Robert Newton
13. The Magic Box (1951) - Robert Donat
14. Thunderball (1965) - Sean Connery
Really liked this one, even if the underwater battle was a little ridiculous
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15. A Bridge Too Far (1977) - Dirk Bogarde, Sean Connery, etc.
16. The Cat and the Canary (1978) - Honor Blackman, Michael Callan, Wendy Hiller, Olivia Hussey
Been wanting to watch this one for a while for Michael Callan. A little to creepy for me but an interesting murder mystery.
17. *Uncle Buck (1989) - John Candy, Macaulay Culkin
Least Favorite Film: The Garden of Allah was pretty boring.
Favorite Movie: Probably Thunderball.
Have you seen the original "Cat and the Canary" - the silent version? It is very atmospheric and good. I'd like to see it again. Interesting comment about Teresa Wright and you are right. I usually like her but there was always something that bothered me about her role in "Mrs. Miniver". I finally pinpointed it - I hate the condescending way she talks to Ney in the very first scene. I do love her in "Shadow of A Doubt" though.
ReplyDeleteI’ll put it on my watch list!
DeleteShe’s great in “Shadow of a Doubt.” Yeah, she doesn’t seem like she’d be interested in him after their first meeting. It would have made more sense if they had started liking each other after he came home on his first leave and had matured a bit.
A few of these movies are on my list of things I want to see, but I still haven't gotten around to them!
ReplyDeleteWillis' time travel series is a favorite of mine (admittedly I was a bit disappointed with the WWII ones in comparison to the first two). Did you read her short story "Fire Watch"? It's also WWII and is a precursor to the other time travel books. Unrelated, Willis puts out some fun movie lists every once in awhile and has written more than a few things with old movie references. :)
Robert Walker always strikes me as kinda creepy too. Not sure why.
ReplyDelete