Back to the list with Bogey, Bacall, Grant and Temple

THE LIST looms ever larger, but I feel like I am ready to get back to it, I have 649 left to watch and 908 to blog. Well, when you put it like that, it doesn't seem like that much, does it?

3/30/14 Key Largo, Best Supporting Actress, 1948

Bogey, Bacall, Robinson and Huston, with a splash of Barrymore - sounds like a recipe for a great afternoon. Key Largo is one of those thrillers that was very popular in the 1940s, baddies, beautiful women and a reluctant hero. Directed by John Huston, the movie is set in post-war America, in the Florida Keys during hurricane season with some gangsters thrown in for good measure. Lauren Bacall is Nora Temple, daughter-in-law of James Temple, played by Lionel Barrymore and the widow of Temple's son, George, who was killed during the war. Humphrey Bogart is Major Frank McCloud, a jack of all trades and George's superior officer who came down to Key Largo to see the Temples. Staying at the vacant motel is a group of shady characters, led by Edward G. Robinson. The Temples and McCloud are virtually held hostage by Johnny Rocco and crew as a hurricane rages outside. Add into the mix are local Seminole Indians who are looking for shelter at the motel and two of whom are being looked for by the sheriff (Jay Silverheels, better known as Tonto is one of the Indians). Claire Trevor won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress as Gaye Dawn, a lounge singer and alcoholic girlfriend of Johnny. Her scene where she sings so she can get a drink was pretty powerful. I really liked this movie, you kind of think you know what's going to happen, but not really, and even when you do, you still want to see how Bogey and Robinson are going to handle it. Lauren Bacall was stunning; interesting to think what she would be like as a star of the 21st century. I liked Bogey here as well, he was strong, but understated.

3/30/14 The Bishop's Wife, Best Sound, 1947

I don't know if movie goers these days realize what a treasure and talent Cary Grant was, dapper, sophisticated and pretty damn funny. Grant plays Dudley, an angel sent to help Bishop Brougham, played by the equally dashing and debonair David Niven. The Bishop has been so preoccupied with building his cathedral he is neglecting his wife, Julia, played by the gorgeous Loretta Young, his daughter and the essence of what made him a bishop. Dudley creates a little mischief, but also shows Julia a little fun by taking her skating and showering her with attention. Along the way, Dudley meets a professor who is skeptical of organized religion and makes him a believer. That all might sound really heavy, but I assure you, it is not. I probably should have mentioned that the movie is set during Christmas time, and as I was watching it, for the life of me I could not understand why this movie does not get played more during the holiday season. It is perfect for that time of year. The movie won for Best Sound, and was nominated for several other awards, including Best Picture; I couldn't tell you if the sound was great or not, but I really enjoyed the movie. The location scenes were filmed in Minneapolis, and I think the snowball fight scene was filmed in Loring Park. Honestly, it's hard to tell, but that's what Wikipedia tells me, so it must be true. This is a totally family friendly movie and when this whole list thing is over, I would definitely watch it again.

4/4/14 The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer, Best Original Screenplay, 1947

Cary Grant, Shirley Temple and Myrna Loy what delightful trifecta. Richard Nugent (Grant) is a playboy artist who has a penchant for getting into trouble, and Margaret Turner (Loy) is a judge who isn't afraid to call shenanigans when she sees them, and, wait for it, Shirley Temple as Susan Turner is a teenager who has fallen for Nugent (but I mean, who doesn't fall for Grant? Wilma Flintstone fell for his animated persona), much to Margaret's dismay. Nugent gets in trouble because Susan gets access to his apartment, falls asleep and is caught when Margaret and Tommy Chamberlain, assistant district attorney (Rudy Vallee) burst into Nugent's apartment and think that he is doing something unseemly. In an attempt at reverse psychology, the Judge and her pals convince Nugent to 'date' Susan in the hopes that she gets tired or bored of him and goes back to her high school boyfriend. I don't think this movie would be made today, it would be too creepy, there is an innocence that comes with the 1940s that would not play well in 2014. Do you get tired of me saying how wonderful Grant is? Sorry, not stopping now. He's not afraid to be physically funny, flopping around, almost balletic, but he can also just raise an eyebrow or tilt his head and imply sarcasm or irony or whatever the scene calls for. Myrna Loy matches him and plays a great straight woman. This may sound really stupid or archaic, but I did not think about female judges in the 1940s, I mean, women just got the right to vote less than 25 years earlier. But hey, we'll take progress where we can. And let's talk about Shirley Temple - most people are familiar with her from her films when she was five or six, but not too many people (me included) think of her acting in her teens. She definitely kept some of her facial expressions, kind of the dip the head, lifting it up with a big smile. She kept pace with Loy and Grant, and was totally believable as an obnoxious and lovestruck teenager. Sidney Sheldon won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay; Sheldon later wrote for "I Dream of Jeannie" and "Hart to Hart", and there were moments during the film that I thought The Bachelor & The Bobbysoxer would make a fun 1950s era sitcom. If you're not offended by the ridiculously short basketball shorts (I kind of was, but got over it) and you can keep your mind out of the gutter and 21st century creepiness, I think you will really enjoy the movie. It's fun, it keeps moving, it's from an innocent time where movies weren't punctuated with the f-bomb when dialog failed (that could be said about the other two films as well).

Speaking of the f-bomb, I just finished season one of "Girls" and I'm really not sure what to do next. There were honestly parts that were laugh out loud funny, clever and true to conversations I have had with friends; however, most of the scenes were so far out of my ken, it was a struggle to finish. Here is where I'm conflicted: it has been documented that women are unequally represented in films and television and writers, producers and directors, and Lena Dunham is all three. There is no question she is talented and has a voice, I don't know if it speaks to me or for me. That's okay, I may not be the target demographic. When the series starts, Lena's character, Hannah, gets financially cut off from her parents, which forces the self-involved Hannah to deal more with the reality of getting a job and other things. My favorite character (if I have to have one) is her sort of boyfriend, Adam, who will call Hannah on her bullshit, and is artistic and a little odd. I'm not rushing to put a hold on Season 2 from the library like I was for Season 2 of "Veep" which is waiting for me as we speak. I'm glad I saw it, and it does have some really good music, but I have 649 movies to watch, so it's not like I'll be bored.