Between 1940 and 1947, MGM made ten films in which Ann Sothern starred as Maisie, one of the most unusual recurring female characters Hollywood conceived in the 1940s. The MAISIE films were an immensely popular series. Conceived as B-films by MGM, they are pre-eminent examples of how some B-films and series transcended their programmer status.Continue reading “The Maisie Films”
Author Archives: Istvan Csicsery-Ronay, Jr.
Spring Parade (1940)
Among the neglected gems of Hollywood comedies of the Interwar period, Spring Parade has to be among the most neglected, and the gemmiest. Even though it is one of Deanna Durban’s best films, it is accessible only in a badly deteriorated print (the consequence of a long copyright dispute). As a result, the available versionsContinue reading “Spring Parade (1940)”
One Way Passage (1932)
I’ve come late to appreciating Tay Garnett’s comedies, of which One Way Passage is probably the best. Garnett, who was once a darling of French cinéastes, is most remembered nowadays for his exotic action and war films like Slave Ship and Bataan and the noir classic The Postman Always Rings Twice. He also made fineContinue reading “One Way Passage (1932)”
Christmas in July (1940)
Christmas in July was the first Preston Sturges film I ever saw. By that time I had seen many of the other canonical comedies of the time and had read a lot about Sturges. But the film flummoxed me. What on earth? I laughed a lot but couldn’t get a handle on what I wasContinue reading “Christmas in July (1940)”
Dance, Girl, Dance (1940)
When I first began researching the Hollywood comedies of the 1930s and ’40s, Dance, Girl, Dance had an unusually high status among feminist film scholars. The battle of the sexes was inherently interesting for feminist critics, and there was a natural desire to find films that would present powerful, self-fashioning women and challenge the patriarchalContinue reading “Dance, Girl, Dance (1940)”
Best Foot Forward (1943)
Lucille Ball was ill-served by her studios — first RKO and then MGM –, by history, and probably by her own misplaced ambition to be a topline star. Apparently no one detected, or desired to detect, the slapstick dexterity and hysterical demeanor that would make her the greatest American television comedienne of the post-World WarContinue reading “Best Foot Forward (1943)”
DuBarry Was a Lady (1943)
DuBarry Was a Lady was adapted from a successful Broadway musical by Cole Porter. Like most of Porter’s Broadway productions, it was a racy affair. (Apparently, there was a Madame DuBarry rage at the time. Marie Antoinette’s court rival has receded into the historical background since then.) Like most Hollywood adaptations of Porter’s shows, theContinue reading “DuBarry Was a Lady (1943)”
Hollywood Cavalcade (1939)
Hollywood Cavalcade is a good example of the cinematic conservatism of the Fox comedies in the late ’30s and early ’40s. Narratively, it’s a hash of genres — “a star is born,” historical nostalgia, biopic, backstage romance (“backlot” in this case), film-about-films, American go-getter more interested in his work than in the girl who lovesContinue reading “Hollywood Cavalcade (1939)”
Shipmates Forever (1935)
Shipmates Forever isn’t really a comedy but it was deceptively marketed as one by Warner Bros. It may even have been originally conceived as one. It stars Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler at the peak of their popularity. It has tunes by Warren and Dubin, Dick Powell’s regular providers of hits in his crooning comedies.Continue reading “Shipmates Forever (1935)”
A Gentleman at Heart (1942)
Fox made three Runyonesque comedies in the early 40s starring Cesar Romero — Tall, Dark and Handsome, A Gentleman at Heart, and Dance Hall. All were witty, full of surprising turns, and well crafted. And all were produced as B-movies. While folks have varied judgments about Dance Hall (it was panned at the time, printsContinue reading “A Gentleman at Heart (1942)”