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One Sunday Afternoon (1933)
Frances Fuller, where have you been all my life?
I am a huge fan of Fay Wray. For those of you who think of her only in terms of her performance in "King Kong" (and if you are reading this, you probably don't), you are truly missing out. Try to catch anything she's in! She's great in "One Sunday Afternoon"; gorgeous as usual.
The real star of this movie, however, is Frances Fuller. She is an absolute delight. A beautiful, tremendously talented actress who shines throughout. She plays a very tough role - the kind of sappy woman that may drive today's moviegoers crazy. But she pulls it off with charm, grace and pride. This is a must see.
Didn't know anything about Frances before watching this movie. Not surprised one bit to see that she had a successful Broadway career as well as a successful life off stage.
Picture Snatcher (1933)
An under-appreciated classic. Must see.
How anyone can give this move less than 10 stars is beyond me. This movie has everything you could possibly ask for in a pre-code classic. Part gangster movie. Part prison movie. Part newspaper movie. Lots of great fast talking banter. An electric chair scene – the condemned a woman no less. Car chases. Car crashes. Machine guns. Children dodging bullets. Jealousy, rage, retribution. And dames-a-plenty (more on that later).
Jimmy Cagney is at his absolute best as an ex-con who tries to go straight as a newspaper photographer at a less than reputable daily rag. Although he officially quit the old gang, Cagney uses his criminal instincts to get the shot (photo that is) that nobody else seems to be able to get. In the meantime, he falls for cute-as-a-button college girl, Patricia Ellis, whose father is a policeman – the same policeman that previously put Jimmy away for three years. No problem, Cagney gets Dad promoted to Captain and, temporarily at least, all is good.
The women in this picture (except for good girl Ellis) throw themselves at Cagney with reckless abandon and with absolutely one thing on their mind. Nobody even tries to pretend otherwise. Alice White, who plays one of Cagney's colleagues at the paper, is incredible as one of Cagney's many seductresses. She has to be seen to be believed. Alice Jans, an old girlfriend from Cagney's mob days, is another beast. Cagney literally carries her into the bedroom (she practically orders him to do so), until Cagney finally beats it.
To say this move was racy for 1933 is an understatement. Heck, it's racy for 2011!
A must see.
Flying High (1931)
Bert Lahr...not very funny.
As a huge fan of pre-codes, I was disappointed with FLYING HIGH. Bert Lahr's performance was way over the top. Yes, as other reviewers have noted, Bert's 'act' pretty much foreshadows his role of a lifetime as the Cowardly Lion in THE WIZARD OF OZ. But still, I did not find him funny at all. He was rather annoying actually.
Pat O'Brien is great in the straight man role and Charlotte Greenwood is her usual awkward self. Even these decent performances can't save this one.
As far as controversial pre-code scenes, I found the 'It'll Be the First Time for Me' duet to be one of the most suggestive pieces of film around.
One last thing. Is it just me, or does Bert Lahr's schtick seem patterned after Curly Howard of the Three Stooges? It feels at times like Bert is doing a spot on impersonation of Curly. I used to think that Bert as the Cowardly Lion flat out stole Curly's routine. But given that FLYING HIGH was released before Curly, Moe, et al. made it big, now I wonder who copied who.
Three Wise Girls (1931)
Poor Jean. Before she could act.
I just saw this movie today for the first time on TCM and I must say it was a disappointment. The plot was thin and predictable and the acting was below par. How many "gee whizzes" and "swells" can one movie have? This movie was clearly made in Jean Harlow's pre-acting ability period, although she looks great (as usual). Even Mae Clarke (who I love) was pretty stiff in this one. And Marie Prevost, well, let's just say the studio must have been putting out a nice buffet at the time.
I also can't understand why all those guys with the skinny mustaches were considered good-looking at the time. They all seem scary to me and plainly not worthy of Jean or Mae.
A must see for Jean Harlow fans if for no other reason to check it off the list. Otherwise, not a great movie.
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)
Jenna Fischer is the most beautiful woman on the planet.
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. The jokes were sensational. If you liked the '40-yr old virgin, you'll love this movie. If you liked 'Best in Show' or 'Waiting for Guffman,' you'll love this movie. And if you love pop music from the 60's and 70's, you'll love this movie. John C. Reilly gives an awesome performance as Johnny Cash/Bob Dylan/Jim Morrison, etc.
This movie was hysterical. I laughed throughout. The posters who gave this movie a bad rating are dead WRONG. The movie was witty and sharp. The jokes were original. The songs were fantastic. The satire was dead on.
HIGHLY recommended. Oh yeah, and Jenna Fischer is gorgeous in this movie.
Juno (2007)
Sends a horrible message to 16 year olds.
I saw Juno last night and thought it was dreadful. I think the movie sends the WRONG message when it comes to teenage pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy is a TRAGEDY for all those involved, least of which is the innocent child who, statistically, has very little chance of becoming a successful adult. I simply do not understand why so many posters believe this movie was 'witty' or a 'feel-good' movie. Is there any doubt that teenage girls will think that Juno was cool for getting pregnant? Having sex with her boyfriend on a chair? Awful, terrible, immoral. It's bad enough we've got the Hiltons, Lohans, et al to deal with. A sharp tongued, 'bad-ass' pregnant teen with an attitude who listens to Iggy Pop is just what we need. I was equally shocked to see how many 'tweens' were in attendance. Their parents should be ashamed.
Somebody had to say this.
Girl Shy (1924)
A must see.
Girl Shy is phenomenal. It really has it all. It is a fantastically funny movie about an innocent "girl shy" everyman who ends up at the end with the big break and, of course, the beautiful girl. The romance is absolutely breathtaking. The pathos is inspiring--practically had me in tears. The comedy is genuine-indeed, the fantasy sequences are very, very interesting to say the least. The ending chase scene is cinematic genius. Its similarity to the ending of The Graduate is eerie. Released 82 years ago, this film had me on the edge of my seat throughout. One of the greatest movies I have ever seen. Harold Lloyd is a forgotten Hollywood icon. With the 2005 DVD release of his greatest films (including Girl Shy), that will undoubtedly soon change.