Friday, May 21, 2010

Two Flicks for a Friday Posting

GR&DF sometimes the titles are pretty dull -

I think today I will keep it short and talk about two more flicks ...

First up would be - "Flame of the Barbary Coast" - 1945 - starring John Wayne, Ann Dvorak and Joseph Schildkraut. This rather bland film was supposed to be Republic's Prestige film of 1945. Instead it was a pale imitation of a much better film done by MG in 1936 - called "San Francisco" starring Clark Gable and Jeanette MacDonald. Both films are set in 1906 San Francisco both films are romance/action films with an earthquake. It is just that "SF" was a superior film with better acting, photography and story. In "Flame" you get some rather weak staged musical numbers that verge on the silly and in "SF" you get some really great musical numbers - so for my money and recommendation skip "Flame" and rent "SF."

The second film was an oldie released on DVD in the Cary Grant Collection. A really cute film called "Thirty Day Princess" - 1934 - starring Sylvia Sydney and Cary Grant. I had never even heard of this film until I found it on Netflix. The story revolves around Sydney playing dual roles as a Princess from a small European country and her identical looking twin - an out of work actress. Grant plays a very cynical newspaper editor out to uncover corruption and theft in the world of finance. The princess is visiting America to get support of a 50 million dollar bond loan for her country and gets the mumps - for the bond scheme to work they need a princess or at least a good facsimile of one and find her "twin" to play the Princess. I really liked this film and always like seeing Sydney in films of the 30's - she was known at the time as having the "saddest eyes in Hollywood."

I think that wraps it up. Thank you for stopping by - do come again!!

Take care,
edgar

4 comments:

  1. That is funny; I am a huge Cary fan but have never heard of this film: one for the must see list ;-)

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  3. She is beautiful!!! I love black & white photos...they are so romantic! Have a good weekend, Edgar, hope you have beautiful weather and some stitch time.

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  4. Edgar, my darling, I live for your blog! I read you every single day, but via RSS feed on my Ipod Touch so I'm unable to leave (frequent, pleasant, mild, polite) comments. So you'll just have to settle for a wildly effusive, Robert-Pattinsonesque one here and there from me! You're the god of cross-stitch! I'm just nuts about your "flower" -- what's it called? -- header? I want to be like you when I grow up! Please keep up the great work.

    with great admiration,
    Orlythe (a Wisconsin grandmother, no less!)

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