"N By NW"

If you actually read this blog, not just look at the pictures, you will know I LOVE Cary Grant. I also LOVE Alfred Hitchcock, so it should be no surprise that my favorite Archie/Alfie film is "North By Northwest". I also think that is is Hitchcock's best film.

Cary is Roger O. Thornhill (the O. was a nod to David O. Selznick, because in both cases, the O means nothing). Roger is an ad man by trade who loves his mother and needs his secretary to take taxi rides with him to jot down his thoughts.

Alfred makes his cameo very early on as he misses the bus.

"Take her back to where she came from."

Roger meets with some business men and gets identified incorrectly as George Caplan. Apparently Caplan is wanted dead because Roger is driven to a private mansion, and when refusing to give up "information" is given way too much bourbon and sent driving.

To the villain's surprise he is not killed but pulled over for a DUI. I love the scene where Roger is in the police station making his one phone call to his mother. He tells her the bad guys made him drink a whole bottle of bourbon and the replies, "No, they didn't give me a chaser!"

Roger then takes the police, and his mother, back to the mansion to investigate, and find that everyone there is playing dumb and make Roger look like he is nuts. He then tries to find the real George Caplan and ends up finding a man right before his murder. Cary is in a pickle when it looks like he did it!

He jumps on a train to escape and meets Eve Kendall, played by the beautiful Eva Marie Saint. She helps him get away from the police and they start to canoodle. She hides him in her top bed bunk and they eat lunch together. 

At lunch they talk about how he is a fugitive but he didn't

do it. Must have been some conversation because that night they go all the way. They leave the next morning as Roger dressed as a luggage carrier. It works.

We learn that there is no real George Caplan and that Eve is a secret agent pretending to be dating the bad guys, but Roger doesn't know that yet. Eve makes a few phone calls and tells Roger to meet the real "George Caplan" in the middle of nowhere. So he does. The crop duster chases him, yada, yada, yada and he gets away when the plane crashes into the truck.

He meets up with Eve, very aware that she is also a bad guy at this point and she tries to play it off. They part ways only to meet again at an auction. Roger purposely gets arrested by being obnoxious to escape the villains once again. Eve is in love and feels bad, but can't blow her cover!

Roger is taken by an agent and learns the whole thing. Because Roger is so hot Eve is attracted to him and is throwing off her make-believe-bad-man-boyfriend. Roger must continue with being George Caplan to save her life. They go to Mt. Rushmore and Eve shoots Roger.

I love the gals tourist clothes!

Roger is rushed away and when Roger and Eve meet in the next scene we learn it was all a hoax to throw the bad guys off and think Roger is dead. If you haven't ever heard of the importance of this scene, it is because the boy in the background behind Eve plugs his ears before Eve shoots. Not a method extra!

Roger is to part ways and let the CIA do their job. But Roger wants to save Eve on his own. He sneaks out of his room and off to the bad guys lair, which is an awesome but real life faux house. He learns that the bad guys found Eve's gun with blanks in it and that she is a double crosser. They plan to fly out that night and throw her out of the plane!

I didn't know bad guys carried so many reading materials when they fly.

Roger gets to Eve and they escape, but the only way out is down the monument. This scene was done the on a sound stage. No image of the presidents is visible during the "violence". Alfred was classy.

The final act is a suspenseful one that ends with love.

Alfred hated the clothes that wardrobe chose for Eva so he went to Bergdorff's and bought her new ones. Cary didn't feel right playing this part because he was so much older than the character. His fictional mother was really only seven years older than him. 

Another score for 1939: Dark Victory

I wouldn't consider myself an uber-fan of Bette Davis, but over the years I believe she has grown on me. Her talent is immeasurable, and she isn't a "classic beauty" (which I like),  so I think I can join the throngs of fans and say that, "My name is Emily, and I too like Bette Davis." Blame Dark Victory. Said to be Bette's favorite role to play and her biggest box office draw up to that point, this film shows Bette at her best, with lots of melodrama and secrets.

Bette plays Judith, a rich, stubborn, party girl who loves horses and recently has been getting awful headaches. She and bestie Ann love to drink and smoke. After falling off her horse, running into people, and a laughable trip down the stairs (sorry Bette, but it is kinda funny) she decides to see the old family physician. He is clueless and sends her over to Dr. Steele, que in George Brent.

                             Yes, that is a young Ronnie Reagan playing bit part playboy lush, Alec.

Dr. Steele examines Judith and watches her behavior. She is in denial and is being difficult. Dr. Steele watches as she has trouble lighting her cigarette.

He tells Judith she needs brain surgery, and after a load of push back, she agrees. Before the surgery she is smoking, requesting she wear her own frocks, and complaining about her bed being too small, but isn't that what rich gals do?

Once it is all over Dr. Steele learns some terrible news. Judith has cancer and she will die. Oh no! He decides not to tell her and  figures she will discover this info sooner or later, like on her death bed. She will have no pain, but start going blind hours before the end. I love how doctors know so much. She has about six months to live. Ignorance is bliss.

Judith is full of life again and back to throwing parties and smoking like a chimney. She is so happy, but Dr. Steele is sad because he likes her and realizes she is going to die. He can't hold it in much longer and shares his secret with pal Ann. She must also keep the secret.

Judith tells Ann she is in love with Dr. Steele and Ann tells him. So very high school of her. He decides to marry her and make her few last months great. Before moving to Vermont with the doctor, Judith stumbles across her files and learns the truth!

Prognisis Negative!

Judith goes on a binge with Ronnie and then dumps the doctor.

After a night of too much booze, Judith meets up with horse handler Micheal played by contract player and virtually unknown Humphrey Bogart (with a really bad haircut). He usually helps with the horses but now he wants to be with Judith. They share some time in the barn and she realizes she must try to make the best of her days. She decides to go back with the doctor. Must have been one bad kiss!

Judith and the doctor get married and move to Vermont. They act like nothing is bad and are happy.

Ann comes to visit, and while gardening Judith starts to go blind. The end is near! She swears Ann to secrecy (she is good at that) sends hubby on his business trip, says goodbye to the doggies, and heads up stairs. 

This film has great acting, and because of "Gone With The Wind", and "The Wizard Of Oz", got mixed in the shuffle. Bette was nominated for best actress but did not win. This movie is not a happy ending type of film, but one with a solid plot and great performances. Directed by Edmund Goulding of Grand Hotel fame and produced by David Lewis and the great, Hal B. Wallis. During production, Bette was struggling personally as her marriage to Harmon Nelson. Wallis advised her to use her personal pain in her character. She had just come off her win for best actress for Jezebel, and would be nominated the next year for Dark Victory, with nominations for The Letter, Little Foxes, and Now, Voyager consecutively. 

Love the feather purse.

Happy Birthday To You

Olivia deHavilland, 95 and still fab!

Foreign Film Poster Friday

High Society, 1956