Royal Film Performance Series: To Catch a Thief (1955)

For the first time in several years, the choice of film - To Catch a Thief (1955) - for the 10th Annual Royal Film Performance was, aside from being an American film, non-controversial and a welcome change for the Royals. An unsigned memo about the event read, "Lieutenant Colonel Charteris, an Assistant Private Secretary to the Queen said that Her Majesty had enjoyed the film (as I did myself) and was happy with the revised arrangement .  .  . She had particularly welcomed the elimination of the stage show and the fact that, for her, the whole occasion had lasted for no more than 2 hours 40 minutes" (source). If you recall, the previous year's choice of Beau Brummell had so disgusted everyone that the Queen reportedly threatened to cancel the Royal Film Performance altogether. 

The Canberra Times, 9/21/55

Even though it was an American film, To Catch a Thief was not without ties to England. Both its director (Alfred Hitchcock) and leading man (Cary Grant) had been born in England. The leading lady was Grace Kelly, who would marry into the Monagasque Royal Family the following year. However, only Hitchcock attended the royal event on October 31, 1955.

Watch the arrival of the stars and the Royals here.

Click here to see a copy of the commentary

The broadcast was originally 25 minutes long, with clips from the film and an interview with Hitchcock.

You can view five minutes of silent footage here.

This 48 second video shows Norman Hartnell in attendance, who designed many gowns for the Queen, including her wedding and coronation gowns.

Another video of the stars. You can see Katy Jurado at 0:41, but her name is not mentioned. At 1:42 you see Rossano Brazzi bowing to the Queen.

Held at the Odeon Theatre, stars in attendance included Ava Gardner, Rossano Brazzi, Diana Dors, Gina Lollobrigida, Katy Jurado, Anna Neagle, and Jack Hawkins. Some of the star's attire were deemed inappropriate to be worn in front of the Royals.

source

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You would imagine that such and occasion would get a fair amount of press. However, a more shocking royal event overshadowed everything. 

If you know anything about Princess Margaret, it is that she fell in love with her father's equerry, Peter Townsend. They wanted to marry but, as he was divorced, this would cause a big problem, as the Queen was the head of the church which did not recognize divorce. Margaret was told to wait until she was of age that she didn't need the Queen's permission to marry but, when the time came, Margaret gave him up rather than lose her royal status. She released a statement on Oct. 31, the same day as the Royal Variety Performance, that read:

I would like it to be known that I have decided not to marry Group Captain Peter Townsend. I have been aware that, subject to my renouncing my rights of succession, it might have been possible for me to contract a civil marriage. But mindful of the Church’s teaching that Christian marriage is indissoluble, and conscious of my duty to the Commonwealth, I have resolved to put these considerations before any others.

This of course became the Big Royal Story. Several articles commented on the fact that Margaret, understandably, did not attend the performance that evening. The Queen Mother was also absent.

The Canberra Times, 11/2/55

Looking at the Queen, you'd never know that this event took place on the same day.

The caption reads: "Film stars from five countries were presented to the Queen at the 

Royal Command film show last week. But the Queen, magnificently gowned, stole the show."

Royal Film Performance Series: The Bishop’s Wife (1947)

King George VI (blurry), Queen Elizabeth, King Michael of Rumania, and Princess Margaret.

The movie shown at the second Royal Film Performance, like the first, had a religious tone to it. It was the now Christmas classic, The Bishop's Wife (1947) starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven. It was held at the Odeon Theatre on November 25, 1947, just five days after the Royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. They understandably did not attend. 

While the newlyweds were not in attendance, the audience WAS treated to a 30 minute color film of the wedding. An Australian newspaper described the scene:

The King and Queen, with Princess Margaret, made a tortuous progress to the theatre while milling crowds choked the approaches and pressed against the steel crush barriers.

Mounted police had to force a route for cars bearing the Royal parties and film celebrities.

Several people fainted an had to be extricated by ambulance men. 

~ The Mercury, November 27, 1947

Another newspaper, The Daily News (November 26, 1947), shared this interesting tidbit:

The Film, The Bishop's Wife, is American. It comes under the new British tax and will not be generally distributed. 

Up to £A32/10/ were paid for seats near the Royal box. The show raised more than £A31,500 for the Cinematograph Trade Benevolent Fund. 

Click here to see the program (for sale on Ebay) 

CLICK HERE to watch a two minute British Pathe newsreel. 

I love how they describe the gowns.

And CLICK HERE for a six minute video of silent footage of stars and guests arriving.

British Pathe films have to be licensed, so I have removed them from my posts.

Loretta Young: An Extraordinary Life, by Joe Morella and Edward Z. Epstein, recounts the glamorous star's encounter with the royals:

Among their fellow passangers [on the Queen Mary] was Noel Coward, of whom an anxious Loretta asked, "When I curtsey to the queen how low shall I bow?" To which Coward replied, "To the floor, ducky"(260).

Loretta was not disappointed upon meeting the royal family. She later recalled, "As the big moment approached, I kept running around trying to find out whether I should wear my long white gloves. Everybody was so excited, and I was no exception. Although we had been well rehearsed for the event, we all just plain forgot. I was frantic, for suddenly the line began to move and my turn was coming. At the last minute I got a peek at the others and saw they had their gloves on. I never got gloves on so fast in my life"(261). 

David Niven, according to the authorized biography Niv by Graham Lord, reported to producer Sam Goldwyn, "The audience loved every second of it and the Queen and Princess Margaret told me afterwards and at great length how much they enjoyed it" (148). 

 CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTO OF LORETTA YOUNG 

MEETING QUEEN ELIZABETH, THE QUEEN MOTHER

Here's what VARIETY had to say about the film:

While a fantasy, there are no fantastic heavenly manifestations. There’s a humanness about the characters, even the angel, that beguiles full attention. Henry Koster’s sympathetic direction deftly gets over the warm humor supplied by the script, taken from Robert Nathan’s novel of the same title.

Cary Grant is the angel of the piece and has never appeared to greater advantage. Role, with the exception of a minor miracle or two, is potently pointed to indicate character could have been a flesh-and-blood person, a factor that embellishes sense of reality as the angel sets about answering the troubled prayers of Episcopalian bishop (David Niven).

 Plot, essentially, deals with Grant’s assignment to make people act like human beings. In great need of his help is Niven, a young bishop who has lost the common touch and marital happiness because of his dream of erecting a massive cathedral.

Loretta Young gives a moving performance as the wife whose life is touched by an angel without her knowledge of his heavenly origin. Niven’s cleric character is played straight but his anxieties and jealousy loosen much of the warm humor gracing the plot.

And the NEW YORK TIMES:

Emissaries from heaven are not conspicuously exceptional on the screen, the movies having coyly incarnated any number of these supernatural types, ordained by their fanciful creators to right the wrongs of this world (not to mention the bookkeeping errors that seem to occur up above). And certainly communion with angels is traditional at Christmastime, which is the season when most of us mortals need angelic reassurance anyhow. So there is nothing especially surprising about the miracle that occurs in Samuel Goldwyn's "The Bishop's Wife," which opened last night at the Astor—except that it is superb. And that is very surprising, in view of the realistic fact that it is a sentimental whimsy of the most delicate and dangerous sort. All of us know that angels don't walk the earth like natural men—and definitely not in the image of that debonair rascal, Gary Grant. And most of us have some dark misgivings about the tact of the makers of films when they barge into the private area of a man's communication with his God. But you need have no anxieties in the case of "The Bishop's Wife." It is as cheerful and respectful an invasion of the realm of conscience that we have seen. And it comes very close to being the most enchanting picture of the year — a judgment to which its many merits will shortly make a strong bid. That is because its incursion is on a comparatively simple and humble plane and its whimsy is sensitively syphoned from the more human and humorous frailties of the flesh. We are not going to make an analysis of the many subtle comments in this tale of a full-bodied guardian angel who answers a young bishop's prayer for guidance and spiritual comfort in the midst of a crisis in his life. We are not going to state any morals which this charmingly casual angel proves in drawing the bishop's wrought attention from a new cathedral to the richer services of life—and, particularly, to a fresh fulfillment of his family responsibilities. We are not going to mouth about these matters, because the picture itself refrains—and that is one of the most endearing of its many endearing young charms. In shaping this warm and winning fable from a Robert Nathan book, Robert Sherwood and Leonardo Bercovici have written with beautiful belief that a point clearly made in performance doesn't have to be hit a dozen times nor a moral quietly manifested put into a hundred solemn words. And so there is no heavy pounding of the lesson of humanity, of the futility of ostentation, of the special possessiveness of a man's love. Nor is there any such pounding in Henry Koster's directorial style. Smoothly and with artful invention he has induced Mr. Grant to give one of his most fluent and beguiling performances as the angel, "Dudley," who fixes things. And he has got out of David Niven a deliciously dexterous and droll characterization of a sorely pressed young bishop who can't quite cotton to this messenger from on high. Elsa Lanchester, too, is encouraged in an exquisitely faceted role of a twitterly little housemaid who flirts with this angelic gent, and Monty Woolley is actually human as an old dodo who is morally re-inspired. James Gleason, Sara Haden and Gladys Cooper are rich in smaller parts. Weakness is only evident in Loretta Young's unctuousness as the bishop's wife. She is the one artificial, inconsistent and discordant note.Of course, there are probably some people who are going to say that this film encourages a futile illusion with its hope of miraculous aid. But they—if they do—will be missing its most warmly inspiring point which is—but wait a minute That's for you to recognize and enjoy. We cannot recommend you to a more delightful and appropriate Christmas show.

Next up in the Royal Film Performance Series: Scott of the Antarctic (1948).

Previous Film: A Matter of Life and Death (1946).

Sources: 

Lord, Graham. Niv: The Authorised Biography of David Niven. St. Martin's Press. 2003. 

Morella, Joe & Epstein, Edward Z. Loretta Young: An Extraordinary Life. Landmark Books. 1986.

The Films of Deborah Kerr

I've been watching a lot of Deborah Kerr movies this year and thank goodness I came across the banner for this blogathon on someone's blog as I would have been very upset to have missed this event! It was impossible to choose just one film to write about so I decided to do and overview of Kerr's films that I have seen!

I've always known who Kerr was. I saw The King and I (1956) when I was young and An Affair to Remember (1957) regularly aired on TV (though I usually just saw the end - I have yet to watch the whole thing in one sitting).That was my extant of Kerr's films until last October when I shivered through The Innocents (1961). The next month I watched one of Caftan Woman's recommendations, Vacation From Marriage (1945), And it is here that we will start.

 *May contain Spoilers*

Before and After

In Vacation From Marriage (1945) Kerr plays the dull wife of a dull man, played by Robert Donat. His routine never changes and she always seems to have the sniffles. War strikes and they both go off to do their part, he in the Royal Navy and she with the Wrens (Women's Royal Navy Service). During the three years they are apart, they both become more self confident through their service. Donat was lost at sea for five days and has shaved off his mustache. Kerr, no longer constantly sick, now wears makeup and has her hair styled attractively (of course) thanks to her fun friend Dizzy (played delightfully by Glynis Johns). Both have become attracted to other people yet remain faithful to one another. As the war comes to an end, the two confide in their friends that they don't want to go back to their old lives as they've both changed so much. Not wanting to go back to their dreary apartment, they meet at a bar and are surprised at how different they have become. They decide to release each other so they can begin a new life but can't hide their new attraction for one another and end up deciding to stay together.

This film has delightful performances all around (it was also my introduction to Robert Donat - I've now watched over half of his films). Kerr plays both sides of her character perfectly. It is also an interesting look at how a person can change due to circumstances beyond their control. The film was released to great success in both the UK (as Perfect Strangers) and in the US.

The Hucksters (1947) was Kerr's first film in America and paired her with the King of Hollywood, Clark Gable. Gable plays Victor Norman, a war veteran looking to get a high-paying job in advertising. His strategy? Pretend like he doesn't need a job! He also likes to throw money away (literally!) every so often to remind himself that money isn't everything. He visits his friend Mr. Kimberly (Adolph Menjou) of the Kimberly Advertising Agency and offers to help him out with his toughest client, Evans' Beauty Soap. Evan's (Sydney Greenstreet) wants to secure the  endorsement of twenty-five socially prominent for his soap. Gable takes the top name off the list, Mrs. Kay Dorrance (Kerr). Mrs. Dorrance, who is immediately attracted to Victor and vice-versa, readily agrees to having her photo taken. The two begin seeing one another, though Kay has some  competition in Jean, the attractive singer friend of Victors' (played by a young Ava Gardner). After Kay and Victor have a misunderstanding they part ways. Victor travels out to California to secure the services of a certain radio comic for Evan's Beauty Soap and ends up on the same train as Jean. Jean is in love with Victor but discovers he is still in love with Kay. Kay realizes she loves Victor and goes to meet him in California. Victor tells her that if Evan's likes the radio program it will mean a good paying job to pay for her kids education after they're married. Back in New York, Evan's first insults then offers Victor a job with a fantastic salary. Victor doesn't like the way that Evan's has just treated him and so he ends up turning it down - and giving Evan's a taste of his own tactics. He breaks the news to Kay that they can't get married after all and she reminds him that money isn't everything. Kiss and fade.

Please Believe Me (1950) was written especially for Kerr with her comedic talents in mind. Her character, Alison Kirbe, is a young working girl in London that corresponds with an old soldier she met during the war who lives on a big ranch in Texas. He dies and leaves it to her so she sets sail for America, not knowing that his letters were embellished and it's actually just a bunch of worthless land. While onboard she is romanced by two men: Jeremy Taylor (Peter Lawford) who has millions and wants a girl that doesn't want him for his money, and Terence Keath (Robert Walker) who owes a lot of money to a casino owner and pretends to be rich so he can marry Alison for her money. Keath loans her money until she gets her inheritance and Taylor's attorney, Matt Kinston (Mark Stevens) tries to prevent Taylor from giving her his money. Alison is attracted to all of them but seems to especially like Kinston. When they find out that her land is worthless their true colors are revealed. Alison admonishes them and, after realizing they were wrong, all three propose to her. I'll let you guess who she chose ;)

 

King Solomon's Mines (1950) finds Kerr in Africa looking for her husband who disappeared several years ago with the help of her brother (Richard Carlson) and Granger, who is a hunter and guide. He does not approve a women trekking through the jungle but Kerr keeps up with him, determined to match his strength and stamina. They are led to the fabled treasure caves by the natives and trapped inside, where they find the skeleton of her husband. By this point Granger and Kerr have fallen in love and, as she and her husband had drifted apart, they are able to stay together. They escape through the back of the cave and arrive in time to see the current evil king of the tribe battle for the throne with the rightful heir.

Dream Wife (1953) teamed Kerr with Cary Grant for the first of three times. Grant plays Clemson Reade, an American Salesman engaged to Priscilla "Effie" Effington (Kerr). She works in the state department. While on a business trip to Bukistan he is fascinated with how the Khan's daughters are raised to be the perfect wife. This is reinforced when he returns and finds out that Effie has pushed the date of their wedding to deal with an oil crisis. Fed up, he decides to marry the Khan's daughter, Tarji. It turns into a nightmare however when he finds out he must wait three months and isn't allowed to be left alone with her. She also doesn't speak English. Effie, as chaperone lest Reade cause a national incedent, meanwhile teaches Tarji how American women live. By the time the wedding finally rolls around, Tarji is no longer a "dream wife" and Reade decides to break it off. Tarji tells her father she wants to marry someone of her own choosing and Reade goes back to Effie, realizing he'd rather a woman who is his equal and not merely someone who sees to his every need.

I loved Kerr's character in this film. She holds her own with the men she works with while wearing ultra-feminine gowns. As much as I love Grant, his character was somewhat annoying in his expectations of women. Luckily he saw his errors at the end ;)

From Here to Eternity (1953) has one of the most famous on-screen kisses in history. Since this film is so readily available I'm going to presume most of you have seen it. I will say that I found Kerr's American accent disconcerting. It didn't sound like her at all!

In The End of the Affair (1955) Kerr plays an unfaithful wife who begins an affair with Van Johnson and, after a few months, right after Johnson's flat is bombed and he is hurt, abruptly ends it. The reason why is revealed later after Johnson hires a detective who manages to steal her diary. In the diary she reveals that after the building was bombed she rushed downstairs to find a heavy door on Johnson with only his dead hand sticking out. She goes back upstairs and finds herself praying to God that she will give him up if only He will make Johnson be alive. At that moment Johnson walks into the room, shaken and scratched but okay. The rest of the journal tells how she struggles to keep her promise as she had never really prayed before and wasn't even sure there was a God. I won't give away the end.

In The Innocents (1961) Kerr is governess to two children in a creepy house and comes to believe that they are possessed by the gardener and maid who died there. Don't watch this one at night!

This post is part of The Deborah Kerr Blogathon hosted by Maddy Lovers Her Classic Films. Be sure to visit her blog to check out the other posts on this wonderful actress!

This photo was just begging to be made into a banner.

Hope you don't mind Maddy :)

Once Upon a Honeymoon (1942)

INTRIGUE! SUSPENSE! ROMANCE!

What starts out as a light, frothy comedy

turns quickly into a war drama...

You will fall in love with Cary Grant in this picture,

that is, if you haven't already...

Those are the things I would have written had I been a critic or reporter in 1942, the year Once Upon a Honeymoon starring Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers was released. This movie has a little bit of everything and is a great watch from start to finish.

Of course, had I actually lived during WWII I might have thought differently. At least the critics and newspapers seemed to have somewhat different opinions from my own:

"Trying to mix romantic comedy with tragedy too stark and real" was a mistake according to the New York Times.

"The result is probably a screen hit, but the attempt to play for both laughs and significance against a terrifying background of Nazi aggression is, on the whole, a little disappointing." ~ Newsweek

The film tells the story of Katie O'Hara (Rogers), a gold-digging ex-burlesque queen posing as Philadelphian socialite Katherine Butt-Smith (that's pronounce "butte"). She is getting ready to marry the wealthy Austrian Baron Von Luber (Walter Slezak) who is suspected to be an undercover agent for the Nazis. War correspondent Pat O'Toole (Grant) is trying to expose him and wangles himself up to Miss Butt-Smith's apartment under the guise of a tailor to try to get some information. He recognizes her from her strip-tease act but when he asks her she insists that he has the wrong girl. We then get my favorite scene from the movie:

Notice the monogram on Roger's satin jumpsuit.

Pat of course becomes interested in Miss Butt-Smith and follows her as she goes by train to Prague, where she and the Baron are married, and then to Poland. Pat tries to warn Katherine about her husband - every place they stop the Nazi's happen to invade - but she won't listen.

Rogers in a gorgeous dressing gown (left) and a cozy robe.

In a lovely pansy evening gown. Jewelry provided by Eugene Joseff.

It is here that the film takes a darker turn and we are plunged into the war. Katie realizes that her husband is in fact a bad man and leaves him. But she hasn't seen the last of him! There is a lot of crossing and double-crossing, political intrigue, and a touching scene where Katie helps her Jewish maid escape before Katie and Pat find themselves on a boat to America, with an unexpected guest. There are plenty of surprises in this film, and hints of Suspicion (1941), that make it a must-watch for any fan of Grant.

Trapped!

The film was put on hold twice - the first time when director Leo McCarey was suddenly taken ill, during which time Cary made In Name Only (1939), and again when Rogers was not free and Cary made My Favorite Wife (1940), also directed by McCarey. Filming finally began in April of 1942.

Behind-the-scenes with McCarey, Grant, and Rogers

In the past, Grant and McCarey had not gotten along well (The Awful Truth, My Favorite Wife, An Affair to Remember) as McCarey loved to improvise in his comedies, writing dialogue the morning of filming and making his stars come up with their own lines. However, Once Upon a Honeymoon was a propagandist film and McCarey's focus was more on what the studio required for such a film. That didn't stop him from having some lovely romantic scenes though!

After filming wrapped in July, Grant intended to join the American Army Air Corps. He became a U.S. citizen and officially changed his name from Archibald Leach to Cary Grant. On July 8th he married Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton, reporting back to the RKO lot for work the next morning.

The following month, Grant was given his enlistment date but at the last minute, like so many other actors, was told he was more valuable to the cause as an actor.

Wherever Uncle Sam orders my utilization to the best purposes, there I will willingly go, as should every other man. I feel that Uncle Sam knows best.

Grant spent the remainder of the war years entertaining the troops with Goodwill Tours and making two more war pictures, Mr. Lucky (1943) and Destination Tokyo (1943).

This post is my entry to The Cary Grant Blogathon hosted by myself. I hope you enjoyed it and that you will read all of the other posts on this iconic actor and his contribution to cinema history!

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Wrap-up

Wrapping up the Cary Grant Blogathon

First of all, Cary and I would like to thank you for the successful Blogathon! I am looking forward to reading all of the wonderful posts over the weekend and hope you enjoy them too.

Here are the final entries (updated as they come in):

The Wonderful World of Cinema starts off the day with When Cary Grant Became Invisible... Topper (1937).

 

Cary, you're not looking very angelic.

Whimsically Classic writes about To Catch a Thief (1955) for her first Blogathon (be sure to check out her new blog)!

Where did Cary go?

 

I review Once Upon a Honeymoon (1942), a film with a little bit of everything.

Stop telling me my Blogathon is over.

 

A few other cool articles and post on Cary I found:

 

The A-B-C's of Cary Grant

 

Cary's Iconic Style

 

The True Story Behind Arsenic and Old Lace

 

And some Cary Grant Film Festival Merchandise

Check out the first three days below:

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3

I hope to see you all at the Carole Lombard Blogathon!

Day 3 of the Cary Grant Blogathon

 

Finding Franchot finds new things to love about Every Girl Should Be Married (1948).

 

So, they're having a whole Blogathon for you!                     Yes, but you have a whole Blog!!

 

Speakeasy tells us what happens when Cary is caught in a Crisis (1950).

I really have no idea what I'm doing here.

 

Classic Movie Hub tells us why My Favorite Wife (1940) is her go-to movie when she wants a good laugh.

 

Cary doesn't want to see the door close on his Blogathon.

 

Old Hollywood Films tells us how Holiday (1938) was originally supposed to be different.

 

We're heading to the Blogathon! How about you?

 

In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood explores The Magic of Kate and Cary.

 

Tada!!

 

Hamlette's Soliloquy tells us when she discovered Cary in Father Goose (1964).

 

Cary Grant approves this post.

 

Love Letters to Hollywood shares Cary's best comedic role in The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947).

 

Counting up the entries so far.

 

Musings of a Classic Film Addict talks about Cary's fourth-to-last film, That Touch of Mink (1962).

 

Doris! What sort of behavior is this?!

 

Christina Wehner reviews an earnest Cary Grant in The Toast of New York (1937).

 

Cary's wondering how he ended up in a period movie.

 

Back to Golden Days gives us a behind-the-scenes look at The Awful Truth (1937).

 

Hold still, Cary darling! I'll fix you back up in a jiffy!

 

See Day 1 and Day 2 here! The Wrap-up post is here.

Don't think you'll have your post finished by today? No worries! I'll have a Wrap-up post tomorrow :)