One of my favorite feel-good modern romantic comedies is The Holiday (2006). I initially watched it for Jude Law but came away from the film loving the story between Iris (Kate Winslet) and Arthur (played by the adorable Eli Wallach). There is a scene in the movie where Iris meets Arthur for the first time and he explains what a "meet-cute" is. Watch the sweet scene below:
I always wondered whether the film he describes existed and so was very excited when TCM aired a film called Blackbeard's Eighth Wife (1938) in which two people meet while purchasing pajamas (It's switched in the movie though - Cooper buys the top and Colbert the bottom). Unfortunately the scene is only on YouTube in Spanish.
I even liked Jack Black in this movie!
Anyway, this film gave me the idea for this blogathon and I thought, what better day to host this than on Valentine's Day! And, since there are unlimited films to choose from, I have decided to make it an annual event (hopefully lots of you will sign up). Films from any era will be allowed (and I guess if you really want to do a TV show that would be okay too) but since there are so many films featuring "meet-cutes" I ask that there be no duplicates. Please comment with your film choice and LINK TO YOUR BLOG and grab one of the banners below to advertise!! Looking forward to seeing what everyone picks!
I recently rewatched Portrait of Jennie (1948) starring Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotton, and Ethel Barrymore and was just as enchanted by it as the first time I viewed it (the full movie can be watched here).
It got me to think about movie portraits which led me to wonder if there was a poster of the portrait in Laura (1944) that could be bought and framed, since not everyone is lucky to have been Robert Osborne and own the actual picture. And while I unfortunately did not come across just such a poster, I did find where you can buy the publicity photo version of the one in Portrait of Jennie. It is available in both black and white and color as well as in several sizes. I would definitely get the largest one and frame it with a wide, ornate gold frame. This would also make a lovely present for a fan of the film!
The actual "portrait" and the poster version of Jones posing like the portrait.
These were Vincente Minnelli's words when he was interviewed some thirty years later by Richard Schickel (The Men Who Made the Movies) on the films he had made in his thirty-three year career. It was only his fourth film, following Cabin in the Sky (1943), I Dood It (1943), and the Christmastime favorite Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) where he met the "little girl with the big voice," Judy Garland.
Minnelli was finishing up Ziegfeld Follies (1946) when Judy asked him to take over a movie she was making that was in danger of being scrapped. The film was The Clock, starring Judy and Robert Walker. Based on an unpublished short story by Paul and Paulline Gallico, and scripted by Robert Nathan who wrote the novels The Bishop's Wife and Portrait of Jennie, the film started under the direction of Jack Conway and then Fred Zinnemann, before being replaced with Minnelli.
Minnelli had to make some key changes to make the story - of a young soldier on leave and a girl who keep bumping into each other, go out on a date, fall in love, and marry, all in two days - work. The most important thing he did was to make New York a character: "Everything I could remember about New York went into it." He also made some cast changes, with Ruth Brady taking over Audrey Totter's role as Alice's (Garland) roommate, and James Gleason replacing Hume Cronyn as the milkman (Gleason's real-life wife played his wife in the movie as well).
This love story is really about the urgent mood of a city in war-time, etched with the same extraordinary precision of detail. By turns exuberant and claustrophobic, his [Minnelli] milling panoramas aren't merely a picturesque frame for a simple love story. New York's indifferent hubbub shapes everything that happens to The Clock's anonymous working girl and average GI on leave: edging them closer together for a touch of human warmth, abruptly dividing them in the chaos of the subway at rush hour ("Directed By Vincente Minnelli" by Stephen Harvey).
The film begins with the camera singling out a soldier from a crowded Pennsylvania Station. Then it picks out a young woman, following her until she runs into the soldier, who accidently trips her causing her heel to break.
Shoe appreciation alert.
They end up spending the day together - riding an open-air bus, going to the zoo, and touring the Metropolitan Museum. After they part, Joe (Walker) realizes he wants to see Alice again so he chases her bus and asks her to meet him that evening.
To convey the heroine's shy, contemplative quality, much of the time he [Minnelli] built her characterization on her hesitant gestures and the innate tenderness of those expressive eyes ("Directed By Vincente Minnelli" by Stephen Harvey).
Check out Judy's cute hat!
Back at her apartment, Alice's roommate discourages her from keeping her date, saying it's just another soldier's pick-up, but Alice goes anyway. They have dinner and then go walking in the park, where they have their first kiss.
Then, realizing they missed the last bus back into town, they catch a ride with a friendly milkman Al Henry (Gleason) on his milk truck. They stop at small diner where a drunk (Keenan Wynn) punches Al, leaving him unable to finish delivering the milk. Joe and Alice step in and finish for him, ending at the milkman's house where his wife makes them breakfast. Mrs. Henry sees that the young couple are in love and tells them they should get married, since she has been so happy married to Al.
Alice in Joe head to the subway to start wedding plans and get separated. Realizing they don't even know each others last names, they frantically search for each other, finally thinking to go to the spot where they met for their first date - the clock at the Astor Hotel. They head to city hall to get married where this humorous incident occurs:
They then find out just how difficult it is to get married quickly - blood tests, the marriage license with the standard waiting period - not to mention everything is in different buildings in different parts of town. When they do finally get married, it is in an office that is being cleaned and with the vacuum lady standing in as a witness. Afterwards the newly-weds go to a diner where Alice breaks down over their unromantic wedding. They head to a nearby church, where a couple has just been married, and whisper their wedding vows, again to one another in the light of the candles.
The following morning, a glowing bride fixes a simple breakfast for her husband and takes him to the station, where he heads out to rejoin his outfit to finish the war before he can come back to his little wife.
♥ ♥ ♥
I have to say a word on George Folstey's cinematography. Folsey had just photographed Garland exquisitely in the Technicolor musical Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) and was asked to do same in black and white. I have to admit it was difficult to not take a million screenshot's of Judy's beautifully lit face.
Trivia:
This film, Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) and A Child Is Waiting (1963) are Judy Garland's only non-singing movies.
When Alice meets Joe for their first date, they meet under the Beaux Arts clock in the lobby of the Astor Hotel in Times Square. This then-famous hotel was built in 1904, and demolished in 1967 to make way for the One Astor Plaza office tower.
The lady at the luncheonette counter is Moyna MacGill, Angela Lansbury's mother.
Minnelli and Judy, who had started dating during the filming of Meet Me in St. Louis, had actually been separated, with Judy resuming her relationship with Joseph Mankiewicz. However, during the filming of The Clock they got back together, marrying on June 15th, less than a month after the picture was released.
As any movie fan knows, choosing just a certain number of favorite films is both agonizing and fun. Agonizing because there's so many you want to choose (not counting that it depends on your mood) and fun because... well it's just fun that's all!
When making such a momentous decision such as choosing five movies to watch for who know's how long (remember how long it took to get off Gilligan's Island??), one must have some sort of criteria. Here is what I have come up with:
1. The films must leave you with a "feel-good" feeling, you certainly don't want to be sad or scared on you're island!
2. They must be films that stand up to the test of time - you can watch them again and again.
3. It would be good to have happy memories associated with the film, such as the annual family Christmas movie.
4. It should be long - why waste a choice on a film that only lasts 80 minutes!
5. At least one should have some great songs in it.
Notice I did not say it should have helpful hints on how to survive. The Swiss Family Robinson is ok, but not anywhere near the top of my list of favorites!
Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N. (1966)
Now that I have my criteria, here are my five films in order of release date (pre-1970s):
The Thin Man (1934)
William Powell & Myrna Loy
Because I HAVE to have at least one Powell/Loy movie! The mystery may not be all that exciting, but their on-screen chemistry is! Need proof? Click here!
Ever since I discovered Powell a couple years ago, I have been hooked. That man is an amazing and often overlooked actor. I have seen almost all of his "talkies" and I can honestly say he's great in all of them. The Thin Man is the film that boosted his career and made him a top box-office draw as a romantic leading man (this to a man who had played mostly villains in his silent career). This film also made Powell and Loy every movie fan's favorite couple and put the fun back in marriage. I could quote the series all day and look at gifs for hours. I adore these two together.
~ ~ ~
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Katharine Hepburn & Cary Grant
This movie is just flat-out, laugh out loud, funny. Hepburn's fast-talking may take a couple viewings to get used to but once you've got it, it just gets better and better. Practically every line is "quote" worthy and THAT HOUSE is to die for. And since on an island I'd most likely be living in a hut I need a house I can dream about.
My absolute favorite line in this movie is when Susan (Hepburn) and David (Grant) are out in the woods looking for Baby (the leopard) when they suddenly fall down, breaking David's glasses and Susan's heel to her shoe. In a completely ad-libbed looking moment, Susan begins walking around and says laughing in that funny laugh of hers, "I was born on the side of a hill." I. Love. That. Line. Luckily it's on YouTube for your viewing pleasure.
~ ~ ~
Rio Grande (1950)
John Wayne & Maureen O'Hara
I have always loved John Wayne. I have never known a time without John Wayne. It is therefore no surprise that a John Wayne film should show up on this list. In fact, I could easily choose ALL John Wayne films for this list and be very happy on my island. But I limited it to one (if you were wondering, my other four would be Donovan's Reef, The Quiet Man, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and The Searchers).
Reasons I love this particular John Wayne movie the most:
It has a fantastic cast: Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaglen, Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., and a host of other familiar "Ford" faces.
It has a great soundtrack (yes we have the cd): the soft, heart-stirring instrumentals, the beautiful theme of "I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen" running throughout, and the melodious harmony of the Sons of the Pioneers (watch above).
It has some of the best on-screen chemistry in the entire history of film: John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara... need I say more? The Duke really knew how to kiss a woman so that she'd never forget it and if you all alone on that island, well... you need something to never forget either.
Lastly, everything else! The directing by John Ford, the majestic vista's of Monument Valley, the action, suspense, romance... how could it NOT be on my list??
Just LOOK AT HIM!!!
~ ~ ~
Roman Holiday (1953)
Audrey Hepburn & Gregory Peck
Roman Holiday is the most beautiful romantic comedy of all time. Not only is it pretty much everyone's introduction to the magic of the bewitching Audrey Hepburn, but it's filmed in the Eternal City itself. Upon finishing it I always want to start it over and watch it again.
Both Hepburn and Peck are perfect in their roles of European Princess and American newspaper man. And I love Eddie Albert as Irving, the photographer. He brings the perfect amount of humor to the film. And of course I HAVE to mention the award-winning costumes by Edith Head. One day I WILL go to Rome and I WILL be wearing an outfit like Hepburn's as I go on my own "Roman Holiday" (I would say I WILL eat gelato on the Spanish Steps but I don't want to be arrested - I don't think I could get out of it like Hepburn and Peck did).
And yes, I'm so obsessed with this movie that I MADE MY OWN TRAVEL BROCHURE tracing all the locations they visited IN ORDER.
~ ~ ~
White Christmas (1954)
Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, & Vera-Ellen
I have watched White Christmas with my family every year for as long as I can remember. I know all the words to almost all the song (Mom always fast-forwarded "Mandy"). I would say more about this amazing film but I'm writing about it next week for the Gotta Dance! Blogathon. I will say that, for me, this movie embodies Christmas and because we only watch it at Christmas, we look forward to it all year long (it's really unbearable around July - one is always ready for Christmas in the heat of the summer).
Two more things that are a PLUS in this movie: VistaVision & Technicolor :)
To satisfy you until next week.
There are so many more I could choose, but these are tried and true favorites that I will NEVER tire of. My last word to you is, go, watch as many of your favorite movies as you want and be thankful that you will never have to actually make this decision!
In case you were wondering what my post-1970s list would look like, and you probably weren't: Rocky (1976)...... Moonstruck (1987)............. Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)...................... You've Got Mail (1998) and................................ Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) - man was that agonizing!!!
UPDATE: Let's hope that if this ever DOES happen, it's on the TCM Cruise and then we can watch each others movies!!!
When one hears the words "Hollywood couple," several names come to mind: Bogie and Bacall, Gable and Lombard, Frank and Ava, Burton and Taylor. Of the four mentioned, two ended in an early death and the other two in divorce. None of them lasted for a significant amount of time. If I was to pick a Hollywood couple to use as "relationship goals," I would pick Paul and Joanne.
Hollywood marriages are almost always tumultuous and seldom make it past ten or sometimes even one! The ones that do last, however, are not because everything is rosy-dosy, but because the couple chooses to work at their marriage when an obstacle hits, instead of throwing in the towel at the first sign of trouble. Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward were one of these couples.
From the beginning, Paul and I had an advantage: we were good friends before we were lovers. I mean, we really liked each other. We could talk to each other. We could talk to each other, we could tell each other anything without fear of ridicule or rejection. There was trust.
Paul and Joanne first met while "making the rounds of agents" in the television industry.
Newman:I saw her coming out of the door at MCA, the theatrical agency, and I just thought, jeez, what an extraordinarily pretty girl. I had on my one suit - I had one seersucker suit, which I, you know, would wear all week and wash over the weekend. A button-down collar. A knit tie, a black knit tie. I said hello.
Woodward:He (Maynard Morris, agent at MCA) had discovered... me and he discovered Paul and he introduced us one day. I had been making the rounds and I was hot, sweaty, and my hair all stringy around my neck. He brought out a pretty-looking young man in a seersucker suit, all pretty like an Arrow Collar ad, and said, "This is Paul Newman," and I hated him on sight, but he was so funny and pretty and neat.
The two met again when they were both cast in the 1952 Broadway production of Picnic, later made into a movie starring William Holden and Kim Novak. Newman - who was married at the time and awaiting the birth of his second child with wife, Jacqueline Witte - was cast as Hal's (Holden's role in the movie, Ralph Meeker in the play) younger friend (played by newcomer Cliff Robertson in the movie). He was also the understudy for the role of Hal. Woodward was the understudy to both Madge (played by Novak in the film) and that of Madge's younger sister, Millie. Out of the play's 477 performances, Woodward went on 50 times.
Newman in Picnic
As both Newman and Woodward were understudies for the leads, they rehearsed a lot together. It was during this time that their friendship grew. "I'm going to get that one," a fellow actress recalled Woodward saying. However, over the next few years she dated other men and was even engaged three times - "All southern girls like to get engaged even when they aren't ready to get married."
After Picnic, both actors continued their work in television and broke into movies - Newman in such films as The Silver Chalice (1954), The Rack (1956), and his breakout film role as boxer Rocky Graziano in Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), and Woodward in Count Three and Pray (1955) and A Kiss Before Dying (1956). Woodward then starred in HER breakout film, The Three Faces of Eve (1957).
During these few years, Newman and his wife had a third child. However, with Newman spending so much time on his acting career, a rift had grown between them. Then, in 1957, Newman and Woodward were cast in The Long, Hot Summer (1958), a steamy romance set in sweltering Mississippi. While Woodward spurned Newman on-screen, off-screen they began secretly living together. By the time filming was over, Newman and his wife had divorced, leaving Newman free to pursue a relationship with Woodward.
Though both were initially wary of marriage - Newman with his failed first marriage and Woodward's parents had divorced when she was young - the two were married on January 29, 1958 at the El Rancho Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The usually private couple surprisingly allowed their marriage ceremony to be public. Plenty of photographs were taken, as well as video footage. Newman was 33 and Woodward was 28.
After a honeymoon first at a small Greenwich village and then London, the exciting news that Woodward had been nominated for her phenomenal performance in The Three Faces of Eve broke. When the night of the Academy Awards came, Newman and Woodward were the most glamorous couple in attendance (Woodward made her own gown). The couple presented the award for film editing, endearing themselves to the public with their seemingly spontaneous bantering.
When Woodward was announced as the winner for Best Actress, no one was more proud than Paul Newman, even though his performance the year before in Somebody Up There Likes Me had been overlooked for a nomination (to make up for it a friend had awarded Newman with a "Noscar"). You can watch Woodward's win here.
Newman and Woodward in a romantic mood at the Oscars.
With the success of The Long, Hot Summer, Newman and Woodward were cast in Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys! (1958), a film reminiscent of the screwball comedies of the 1930s. Light comedy proved to not really be their strong point, with only the love scenes coming across as believable.
In April of 1959, Woodward gave birth to their first child, daughter Elinor Teresa Newman. She was followed by Melissa Steward in 1961 and Claire Olivia in 1965.
Woodward during her first pregnancy:
I sit around and read cookbooks and sew and wait for Paul to come home. I love it.
Eight months after Elinor (Nell) was born, Woodward was back at work, making another film with her husband - From the Terrace (1960). This was followed by Paris Blues (1961), and A New Kind of Love (1963), Winning (1969), WUSA (1970), The Drowning Pool (1975), Harry & Son (1984), and Mr. & Mrs. Bridge (1990) for a total of ten films together. Newman also directed Woodward in Rachel, Rachel (1968), The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (1972) - which also starred their daughter Nell, The Shadow Box (1980 TV movie), Harry & Son (1984), and The Glass Menagerie (1987).
Newman and Woodward on What's My Line 11/8/59 (they come on at 17:45 - the best part is the very end)
Now, the Newman's life wasn't all perfect. They argued like every couple. They had their difficult moments, their sorrows. But what made them different then most movie star couples is that they didn't throw in the towel at the first hardship. They worked through the difficulty and kept going.
Newman and Woodward were married for 50 years, a rarity in the movie business. Newman died the following September (2008). Woodward is the fourth oldest Oscar winner still alive.
Sexiness wears thin after awhile and beauty fades, but to be married to a man who makes you laugh every day, ah, now that is a treat.
♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥
Fast Facts
Paul Newman:
Born) Jan. 26, 1935 in Cleveland Ohio
Full name) Paul Leonard Newman
Height) 5'9.5"
Nickname) King Cool, PL
Spouses) Jacqueline Witte (1949-1958)
Joanne Woodward 1958-2008 (his death)
Children) 6
Died) Sept. 26, 2008 (lung cancer)
Joanne Woodward:
Born) Feb. 27, 1930 in Thomasville, Georgia
Full name) Joanne Gignilliat Trimmier Woodward
Height) 5'4"
Nickname) Joey
Spouse) Paul Newman 1958-2008 (his death)
Children) 3
