Classic Movie Challenge: The Gay Divorcee

I went a bit academic in my review for The Seven Year Itch.  I couldn't help it.  That movie had me itching in disgust (bad pun intended).  I actually watched that movie and The Gay Divorcee on the same Saturday.  I had a rough week at work and I wanted to curl up with movies and unwind.  I am having another crummy week, but I don't know if I'll have the luxury to catch up on movies this weekend.  Then, next weekend, Lily comes home!  And J and I will be catching up on sleep (due to new puppy parenting) and not classic films.  So, I apologize for two reviews back-to-back, but a blogger has to do what a blogger has to do, and I scheduled them to post a couple of days apart, so it's not that bad.  ;)

Instead of critiquing the story and its execution behind The Gay Divorcee in the way that I did with The Seven Year Itch, I am going to instead, focus on the lighter things.  However, I would like to mention that I thought this movie was interesting in Mimi's approach to getting a divorce: get caught cheating and your loser husband will HAVE to acquiesce to the split.  Here is the synopsis from Wikipedia:

Mimi Glossop (Ginger Rogers) arrives in England to seek a divorce from her geologist husband Cyril (William Austin), whom she hasn't seen for several years. Under the guidance of her domineering and much-married aunt Hortense (Alice Brady), she consults a bumbling and less-than-competent lawyer Egbert Fitzgerald (Edward Everett Horton), who happens to be one of Hortense's previous fiancés. He arranges for her to spend a night at a seaside hotel and to be caught in an adulterous relationship, for which purpose he hires a professional co-respondent, Rodolfo Tonetti (Erik Rhodes). But Egbert forgets to arrange for private detectives to "catch" the couple.

By coincidence, Guy Holden (Fred Astaire) an American dancer and friend of Egbert's, who briefly met Mimi on her arrival in England, and is now besotted with her, also arrives at the hotel, only to be mistaken by Mimi for the co-respondent. While they are in Mimi's bedroom, Tonetti arrives and holds them "prisoner". They contrive to escape and dance the night away.

I've seen Astaire's dancing skills in Funny Face and I was excited to see him dance again.  Although I adore Audrey Hepburn (she has a background in ballet), she doesn't compare to Ginger Rogers.  I know that people have often commented on the dancing duo of Astaire and Rogers, so I'll keep it brief: they are amazing.  I smiled while watching them dance.  This was the first musical where I was willing to be swept away in the silliness while not worrying about the plot.  I didn't know a thing about Rogers before watching this movie and I was really captivated by her beauty and gumption.  She brought Mimi to life in a complex way: she's guarded, but sweet, beautiful, but strong.  The dances were awesome.  Astaire was awesome.  Rogers was awesome.  But the thing that I loved most about the movie was the CLOTHES!  Oh. My. God.  I'd die for that wardrobe!

Rogers in an early scene of the movie.  I love the beret.

If they sold this outfit at Anthropologie, I'd buy it in a heart-beat.  She's sad, but she's so chic!

This dress was poetry in motion.  What is is about black and white movies that make diamonds sparkle more?  I wish there was a better picture of it.  I was mesmerized during this number (Night and Day).

Everything that Mimi wears in this movie (even what her older aunt Hortense wears) is simply stunning.  Her day-to-day fashion was adorable.  Oddly enough, some of the fasions in this film could be applicable today.  Just look at this jumpsuit from the number Knock Knees (sorry that the picture is so small):

Eggbert's socks and sandals are an affront to fashion- but I forgive him since he's the lovable goof in the film.  (You're not off the hook, Dad!)  This jumpsuit, while I wouldn't wear it, is similar to what pop stars are rocking today.  (This is not Rogers, by the way.)

The women in this film were glamorous, the men were dapper, and the interiors were beautiful.  I wanted to take the hotel room Mimi was staying in and make it my living room.  It was fabulous and graphic- I guess it had to be when film was black and white.  The writing and performances were pretty good too.  Unlike The Seven Year Itch, there was only one character I didn't like (Mimi's husband).  In The Seven Year Itch I only liked one character: Monroe's.  But one thing that both of these movies have in common is that they were both adapted from plays.  It sort of goes to show you that there hasn't been an original idea in Hollywood for a loooong time. 

I would highly recommend this movie for someone who is looking for something pleasant and light to watch with a glass of wine after a long day at work, for a musical lover, or for someone who wants to enjoy some serious fashion. 

Classic Movie Challenge: The Seven Year Itch

Do you know how hard it is to find an image from the movie The Seven Year Itch without it being a still from the subway scene?  It took me five minutes to find a photo of Marilyn alone that I considered to be halfway decent.  

Marilyn's character (The Girl) considers how dreadful it would be to spend another night in her apartment that doesn't have A/C as she enjoys her Richard's cool apartment.

Since we've all seen the iconic imagery that is Marilyn with her skirt blown up over her knees, I will spare you the redundancy.  :)

The reason I got into watching classic movies was because of the film My Week With Marilyn.  Michelle Williams did an amazing job portraying an actress on the edge and I wanted to know more about Marilyn Monroe.  (As well as other iconic actors and actresses from Hollywood's golden years.)  This movie was the first Mayriln Monroe movie I had ever seen.  I must say, I was taken back by the context of the film.  The story was adapted from a Broadway play in which the men of Manhattan send their wives and children to the countryside during the heat of the summer for an opportunity to misbehave.  I found this to be shocking for a time that is known for the Leave it to Beaver vision of the perfect nuclear family.  Of course people have been behaving badly since the dawn of time, but I didn't know that a movie like this could be made int he 1950s.

It turns out, it was toned down from the Broadway play considerably by the Haze Office that censored Hollywood.  Films like this one would eventually make the Haze Office a thing of the past.  Maybe you haven't seen the movie and you are wondering, "How scandalous could it be?"  Well, I was pretty shocked from start to finish.

Upon dropping off his wife and bratty son at the train station our "protagonist," Richard, immediately begins oogling pretty women.  He vows to be good, unlike some other men who drink, smoke, and get tattooed.  He takes himself to a vegetarian restaurant for dinner where everything is made out of soy and the waitress forgoes a tip and instead asks him to donate to the nudist cause.  She, of course, is not pretty.  Richard goes home and during his narration he makes sure to mention that he likes his neighbors, even the two male interior decorators who live together above him.  He monologues about how he would describe his day to his absent wife, "Oh you know, I shot my boss through the head and then made violent love to my secretary..."  What the hell?!  This guy is a creep.  Ten minutes in and I hated the protagonist.  Not only is he a creep, he is also paranoid to the point of schizophrenia and he is struggling to keep his vices in check.  Clearly, this man has no self discipline.

He is a repressed middle age man, according the the work of a psychologist from the film.  Richard goes on to fake a conversation with his wife about all of the women who have thrown themselves at him.  He tells her that they cannot help it, he arouses something within them.  Sure, I sneered to myself, you arouse disdain.  Pig.  The women he fantasizes about are portrayed as hysteric nymphomaniacs.  He slaps a nurse in one scene and in the next, he pushes his wife's best friend off of him and she welcomes it and tells him that he knows she'd come crawling back for more if he would let her.  Clearly, a man wrote the play.  Where the comedy is in this, I'm not sure.  Richard criticizes the looks of his perfectly beautiful 31 year old wife and within the next few minutes, after a phone call from her, flies into a jealous rage because a male friend has stopped by where she is staying in the country.  I know, I know, Richard is imagining things.  He has an active imagination.  My favorite character with an active imagination is Walter Mitty, at least his daydreams are fun.  And not degrading.  (You should really read the short story The Secret Life of Walter Mitty- it is my favorite.)

I was beginning to sincerely regret renting this film and I wondered how it could ever have been as popular as it was.  Then Marilyn Monroe came on screen as the sub-letter of his gay neighbors and I understood why it was popular: you cannot take your eyes off of her.  She was a far more compelling character than her male counterpart.  She's not the most amazing actress, but there was an undeniable magic to her.   She is earnest and fun.  She is a girl who eats potato chips while drinking champagne.  Richard immediately falls head over heels for her and invites her into his apartment to be neighborly.  She agrees and is immediately pleased at her choice because he has costly A/C and the apartment she is sub-letting does not.  He lies about his wife and son and even tries to put the moves on her at the end of the night.  When she refuses, he feels guilty and kicks her out.

The next day at work Richard fears that his wife will catch wind of the indiscretion and he says aloud that he would kill Monroe's character (known only as The Girl) with his bare hands if she blabs.  This is what I mean about schizophrenic.  Add misogynistic to the list.  He disintegrates into ticks and paranoid visions while he fights his amorous desires.  When he finally makes the decision to act on them he gets thwarted.  (This grinds my gears- he doesn't have the chance to fight his urges, fate decides for him, he won't cheat.)  Meanwhile, bless her heart, Monroe remains as likeable as ever.  Sure, she is a bit of a ditz, but she's got heart.  She figures out that Richard has the hots for her and she kisses him on the cheek (and once on the lips- yuck) because she appreciate his kindnesses.  When he laments that he is a wallflower, a nobody, and that his wife would never feel jealous of other women putting the moves on him, she assures him that he is someone special and that girls don't prefer handsome men all of the time.  Most women are looking for men with good hearts.  (Let me just say that she has not seen him at his craziest, but if she had, I think she would have avoided him like the plague.  Then again, she wanted to enjoy his A/C.)  Eventually, thankfully, the movie ends and Richard makes the decision to be with his wife and son on holiday.

Honestly, I didn't like this movie.  I know you are thinking, Gee, I couldn't tell.  But I am glad I watched it anyway.  It gave me a deeper appreciation for Monroe.  I never understood why so many young women idolize her.  I think some do for the wrong reasons, but she was talented behind all of that tragic beauty.  Monroe was falling to pieces behind the set of this film.  The images of her on the subway grate drew a wedge between her and her then husband, Joe DiMaggio.  He was embarrassed and wanted a wife that would stay at home while she wanted to build her career.  Less than ten years later, Monroe, the icon, would meet her untimely death.  I have a couple more of Monroe's films on my Netflix queue: Some Like It Hot, Monkey Business, and Gentleman Prefer Blondes.  I hope I like those more than The Seven Year Itch.  But if this film was any indication, I am sure I will enjoy Monroe's raw star power despite the quality of the stories.

(Coming up soon: Classic Movie Challenge: The Gay Divorcee)

New Classic Movie Challenge: Funny Face

I have always loved the movies.  I know people use that line a lot, but my first job was at a movie theatre, so I think it holds a bit more weight.  Unless you are talking to Martin Scorsese.  Then he definitely loves the movies more than me.  In high school I wrote my first ten page essay on how I wanted to be a film director.  I guess you could say that I've always been interested in telling stories in one form or another: through illustration, through song, through writing, and I daydreamed of doing it through film as well.  I filled out postcards and had information for film schools sent to my house during the college search.  I wonder if I had followed my artistic pursuits at a younger age if I would be happier with my career... but that is neither here nor there and I wouldn't trade my college years in Madison for the world.

Given that I love the movies I don't go as often as I would like here in Miami.  In Madison I was spoiled with a Sundance Cinema.  There were only two in the country at the time (now there are six) and I made the most of the student deals on Tuesday nights.  I went so much I even had a card that got stamped for each ticket I bought.  Sundance 608 had the big movies and the little art ones.  It had awesome popcorn and even better ambiance.  Here I am fighting the throngs of teeny boppers and their poorly behaved parents (yes, parents) just to get a ticket- I avoid the concession stand at all costs.  I like feeling like I'm escaping the world when I go to the movies.  In Miami, more often than not, I struggle to keep my attention on the film and not on the people in the audience.

When I moved down here I got myself a Netflix subscription.  It was better back then because I could watch streaming television and older movies while requesting DVDs of newer releases.  I've changed my plan now that Netflix has changed their policies.  I get three DVDs a month.  I watch a lot of newer releases and television shows.  I was watching some British programs like The IT Crowd, and some American ones like The Big Bang Theory.  While I make room in my "queue" for the occasional drama, I spend most of my time with comedy.  I love to laugh.  There is enough drama on the world's stage to keep me glum for a lifetime.

After watching My Week With Marilyn I realized that I have virtually no experience with classic cinema.  I've seen Gone with the Wind (snore), For Whom the Bell Tolls (double snore), The Maltesse Falcon, The African Queen, and Breakfast at Tiffany's.  That's it.   I can't even remember what happened in most of those films.  Considering I've adored Audrey Hepburn and all she stands for since I was in high school, this is appalling.  I decided to load my "queue" up with some of the funnier classics: Auntie Mame, Some Like It Hot, Roman Holiday, The Gay Divorcee, and a few others.

Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face

I started my classic movie marathon with  Funny Face and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it.  I've been in musicals in high school, but I'm not a die hard fan of them.  But this one had music by Gershwin in it and I'm sorry, but you cannot go wrong with him, or with Fred Astaire's dancing.  And to me, Audrey Hepburn is gold.  I thought the story was very cute and surprisingly modern.  It asks the question: can you value fashion without being vapid?  Can you enjoy the seemingly frivolous while holding your own philosophies about the important?  Kay Thompson as fashion editor Maggie Prescott was amazing.  She was an older character that displayed as much vitality, and PIZAZZ (her favorite adjective) that the younger Hepburn did.  I was pleased to see such a large role for an older woman.  And she can sing!  I sort of have a bad taste in my mouth for older, female characters (unless played by the goddess Meryl Streep).  It has to do with growing up in a culture that emphasizes youth and with being relegated to "old lady roles" (save for once) in my high school drama career because I had a different body type.  I was forever playing the mother, the brash older broad, or the stern British senior citizen.

While the movie ends on a happy note, it didn't complete like movies of our day with the stereotypical wedding and a baby.  I feel like every story I've read recently, whether it be sci-fi, fantasy, action-adventure, or realistic fiction, ends with the characters getting married and finding out shortly afterwards that there is a baby on the way.  (Or, if the book/film doesn't end like this, there is sure to be a money making sequel...)  This isn't the dream for everyone, including myself, despite the fact I married young.  As a viewer, we get the idea that even if Hepburn and Astaire don't end up together, she's still a tough cookie with a well-educated mind of her own who'll get by just fine.  I like that.  I like Thompson's no-holds barred attitude that doesn't also take a cut-throat approach along with it.  There are no true enemies in this film.  Sure, it's not entirely realistic, but movies don't have to be.  Some of the best movies and books are ones where we suspend our fantasy and enjoy the story for what it is.

At this point in my cinematic life I am going to educate myself with the seemingly simple yet deceptively layered stories that invoke glamor, romance, and slapstick comedy; where the images are not as sharp as high definition, but they are not as flat as some of the movies today.