Hal Roach – I always liked Laurel and Hardy. When Hal Roach was approaching his 100th birthday, many of the popular Laurel and Hardy films were put on VHS. I bought most of them. There were generally 3 or 4 shorts and some home movies by Laurel's daughter talking about her experience with the boys. I watched the Our Gang films as sort of a filler. I did not think they were very exciting. The 24 hours of Our Gang or Little Rascals if you prefer changed that. The kids may not be Laurel and Hardy but they were very funny, creative and the wild schemes are a hoot. I have to admit my favorite child is Spanky. There were several where he had a large amount of dialog. I can't tell if he was making it up as he went along or he really had it all memorized. It is funny how your perception changes over the years. In my teens and twenties I would have just accepted the story and laughed. I still find them funny in my forties but I think to myself where are the adults? Why would a group of adults leave 6-7-8 year old children in charge of toddlers and then have the children leave Spanky who was about 3 in charge of the toddlers?
The feature films that came out of his studio are very fast and fun. My new favorite is There Goes My Heart. A spoiled heiress runs away and gets a job at her grandfathers department store. Fredric March plays a journalist on her trail. He spots her right away. When he has someone unknowingly take a picture of her, her face is covered in every frame, either by a handkerchief, his head or his hat as he states goodbye. The film also features Patsy Kelly. It is her type-cast role of street smart best friend, but she plays it incredibly well. Suns of the Desert also one of favorites with Laurel and Hardy. My favorite scene is when the wives go to a movie to take their minds of their husbands possibly being lost during a hurricane on the way back from Hawaii and see a newsreel of their husbands at a convention in Chicago. Their reactions are great. You know it is not going to be pretty when the wives see the husbands in person. There could be many more I can go into, but I will wait for one of the other stars birthday to go into those films.
William Bendix – The Life of Riley has always been my favorite radio programs. To me he always seemed like an everyday Joe which could be based on the radio/tv series. He sometimes comes off as a dope, but he is very smart and resourceful. In a Time of Your Life Bendix plays a bar owner of a “dive”. There isn't really a plot, but it is a group of people hanging out at a bar, because as Bendix says “the only place they feel comfortable”. It is based on a play with the same title by William Saroyan. James Cagney has top billing as a man who could be at the best place uptown, but drinks champagne all day and interacts with all the other customers. There are times in the film that Bendix just reacts with great timing, without saying a word. You see his reaction as you see what he is looking at in the mirror behind him. I think that is what makes a great actor. Since it is a play there are many great lines. Cagney has my favorite when he was asked by another patron if he believed his story Cagney states “Living is an art, not bookkeeping. It takes an awful lot rehearsal for a man to be himself” If it weren't for my new goal I might have missed this gem.
Sometimes you start watching a film and get hooked. I hadn't plan to watch the next film Cover-Up. Bendix has top billing, but has a small roll. He was the only person in the cast I recognized. He plays the sheriff of a small town where a man committed suicide. An insurance agent (Dennis O'Keefe) comes to investigate to see if it was murder due to a double indemnity clause. The film takes place over Christmas, which I always feel a mystery set at Christmas time as surreal. Not bad, but different or unexpected. Bendix plays the character very well, kind of laid back and quiet to lead you to think he is being uncooperative to hid something. The end had a slight twist to it so I won't give it away. The insurance agents reaction to getting the information wrong is great. It is like he can't believe his eyes. The editing is great as you get his point of view for a few shots as he tries to figure out where he went wrong.
I had to DVR the rest for later watching. Since I moved on to the John Payne films that TCM was showing I did not have time to watch those so these two films will be enough for the blog. I will watch the others later.
It is also Fay Dunaway's birthday. Hopefully I can get to her next year.
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