Teacher's Pet

Grade: B

Premise: A reporter from the “school of hard knocks” sits in on a journalism course and falls in love with the teacher.

Recommend?: Yes, I love most things Doris Day and with the addition of Clark Gable and Gig Young, I figured I couldn’t go wrong. I didn’t. This is a cute movie with an outstanding performance by Gig Young as Dr. Pine. Look for a young Marion Ross (Mrs. Cunning ham) as Doris Day’s secretary. If you like old rom-coms, you’ll like this a lot.

Teacher's Pet
Doris Day
Clark Gable
Gig Young

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Rating: A-/B+

Prisoner fakes insanity in order to spend time in a mental institution instead of a work house.  He should have stayed at the work house.

I thought this movie was fantastic.  I only gave it an A-/B+ because I don't need to own it.  The cast was superb and now I know what people mean when they say "Nurse Ratched".  She was infuriating.  Can't believe how many of today's stars are in this movie.  Just wonderful.

Technorati Tags: One flew over the cuckoo's nest, Jack Nicholsen, Danny DeVito, Nurse Ratched, Louise Fletcher, Brad Dourif

Some Like it Hot

Rating:  B

Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis are Chicago musicians that witness a mob murder.   On the run from the mob, they decide to pose as women and join an all women's band that is on their way to a three week gig in Florida.  All goes well until Tony Curtis falls in love with Marilyn Monroe, a ukelele player with the band.

I really enjoyed this move - I can't believe I haven't seen it before.  It's a classic!

Technorati Tags: Some Like it Hot,Billy Wilder,Tony Curtis,Jack Lemmon,Marilyn Monroe

You Can't Take it With You (1938)

Rating: B+

This is a Frank Capra classic starring his usual star, Jimmy Stewart. He is the son of a prominent banker who ends up in a vice president position at his father's bank. He falls in love with his secretary - most unacceptable to his societal mother. His secretary's family is holding up a big deal for JS's father. Like all Frank Capra films, this movie has great characters and great life lessons. You should "take it with you"

Technorati Tags: Frank Capra, Jimmy Stewart, Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore

Calamity Jane

Rating: B+

Musical adaptation of the life of Calamity Jane.  Centered around her time with Bill Hickok in the city of Deadwood.  Doris Day makes a great, if not too pretty, Jane and Howard Keel plays a definitely too pretty Wild Bill.  This movie won an academy award for the song "Secret Love".

The musical is delightful

and should be a must see.

Technorati Tags: Calamity Jane, Secret Love, Doris Day, Howard Keel

Wife Versus Secretary (1936)

Rating: B

This is a good old black and white comedy with Clark Gable and Myrna Loy.   Clark Gable is a high powered business man with an excellent secretary "Whitey", who also happens to be young and beautiful and engaged to Jimmy Stewart.  When Gable decides to make a secret deal with another business man he relies on Whitey to help him out - usually at odd hours.  This causes major conflict  for both Loy & Stewart who are wondering what the heck is going on.

Great movie!  This is one of Stewart' first roles.  The cast is charming and it was great to see Clark Gable in something other than Gone with the Wind.

Technorati Tags: Clark Gable, Myrna Loy, Jimmy Stewart, Wife Versus Secretary

His Girl Friday

Rating:  A-

The ex-wife/newspaper reporter of a newspaper editor shows up one day and announces she is getting married the next day and settling down in upstate New York.  The editor knows too well that she won't be happy so he gets her to get involved in a hot story in order to bust up the wedding.  It ends up working.

This is a fantastic example of GREAT dialogue.  It is sharp and fast-paced and pulled off by the acting talents of Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell.

Technorati Tags: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell

Mr. Deeds goes to Town (1936

Grade: B+

Premise:  Mr. Deeds, a small town tuba player and greeting card poet, inherits 20 million smackers from a long lost uncle and moves to New York to begin his life as a major player.  Everyone wants a piece of him until it all goes haywire and he gives his money away.  He falls in love in the meantime.   Gary Cooper is wonderful in this Frank Capra classic! 

Technorati Tags: Frank Capra, Jean Arthur, Gary Cooper, Mr. Deeds

The Philadelphia Story

Grade:  B+

Premise:  Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn are ex's.  When KH decides to remarry, CG interferes.

Recommend?:  Sure, who doesn't love old black & white rom-coms?   You've got to love the acting and the intelligent & witty dialogue.

Technorati Tags: The Philadelphia Story, Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant

Woman of the Year

Grade: B

Premise: Two columnists at a newspaper fall in love and get married - problem is - the guy wants a "traditional" marriage and the gal has a career and a life.

Recommend?: Yep, classic pairing of Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracey. I would say it's a must see.


Woman of the Year
Katharine Hepburn
Spencer Tracey
Netflix

Thouroughly Modern Millie

Grade: B

Premise: Smalltown girl tries to become a modern New Yorker. Solves a slave ring mystery.

Recommend?: Yes. Loved Julie Andrews in this. Mary Tyler Moore was good but got a bit annoying. Classic.


Thouroughly Modern Millie
Julie Andrews
Netflix

Come September

Grade: B

Premise: Wealthy American who usually goes to his Italian villa in September, freaks his house staff out when he comes in July. Turns out his house staff run a hotel out of his villa for 11 months of the year.

Recommend?:Yes, especially if you like the old Rock Hudson/Doris Day type flicks. Instead of DD - this one co-stars Gina Lollabridgeda as his fiesty Italian love interest. It's also the movie where Bobby Darin met Sandra Dee. The guy who plays Maurice is great. Although I own most of these types of movies - I'm not compelled to purchase this one.


Come September
Rock Hudson

People Will Talk

People Will Talk

Grade: B

Premise: Dr. Noah Praetorius falls in love with an unwed pregnant woman while working as an MD/Professor at a university.

Recommend: You have to love a Cary Grant/ Jeanne Crain combination! This is an old timey, black and white movie. It goes between serious and cute…Cary Grant’s character is wonderful. I’d recommend it.

People Will Talk
Cary Grant
Netflix

Lawrence of Arabia

Grade: C

Premise: British Soldier ends up fighting for the good of the Arabs.

Recommend?: It's worth catching at least once. The acting is pretty good (although personally I thought that Peter O'Toole was a little too much) and the story is very interesting...but this movie is incredibly slow and makes it hard to get through. The ending is a little abrupt for my taste as well. Watch it over a few nights and it makes it a little easier to swallow.

Carousel (1956)

Grade: D

Premise: Angel gets to go back to earth for one day to make amends with his wife and daughter

Recommend?: No. This was not good at all! IMDb has this as a classic - but I thought it was classically dull. It went on FOREVER and the story wasn't particularly interesting. Most Rodgers & Hammerstein movies are chock full o'songs and this one only had a few and kept repeating two of them over and over. For a better classic musical - watch "Sound of Music"

Ice Station Zebra (1968)

Grade: C+

Premise: A commander of a submarine (Rock Hudson) has orders to go to the North Pole and find out what happened at an international weather station. Has a big run in with the Russians.

If you liked "The Hunt for Red October" you will probably like this old movie. It is very long (2.5 hours) and short on lots of action. Still it's not bad.

Mr Blandlings Builds his Dream House

Grade: B

Premise: Cary Grant and Myrna Loy move from the big city to Connecticut and build their dream house.

This is pretty much the original version of "The Money Pit" but better done.

Lilies of the Field

Grade: B

Premise: Classic movie about a group of nuns that coerce a young man into building them a chapel in the middle of nowhere.

I thought this movie was great...overacted a little by Sidney Poitier (at least in my taste) but overall it is good to watch. Lilia Skala as the Mother is fantastic. A-men.

The Unsinkable Molly Brown

Grade: C
Premise: MGM Musical based on the life of Molly Brown (of Titanic fame)

I liked this enough but I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Debbie Reynolds was just a bit annoying. The songs weren't memorable. I'm glad I saw it but I'd pass again.

Belles on their Toes

Grade: A

Premise: Followup to the classic movie "Cheaper by the Dozen" - starring Myrna Loy not Bonnie Hunt

This movie is a must own for me. Very good sequel to a great classic movie. Only problem is that they switch the ages/sexes of the last two kids.