February 9

Happy Birthday to Ronald Colman and Kathryn Grayson.

I first heard of Ronald Colman as the neighbor of Jack Benny on his radio program. Jack was always jealous of the Academy Award that Ronald won.

I had a bad night on the 9th, (I won't go into my idiocy that caused the problem) this is the first night that I missed watching a film since I started. I woke up early on the 10th so I decided to make up for the night before. Back on track.

I watched Champagne for Caesar for Ronald Colman's birthday. The title refers to Caesar the parrot. The parrot was found one day by Ronald and the parrot could not remember his address so Ronald kept him. The parrot likes champagne and the beginning of the film Ronald's sister played by Barbara Britton tells her piano student that Caesar is down to 2 glasses of champagne a day and will hopefully be down to none by the end of the year.

Ronald plays an unemployed scholar who cannot seem to hold a job due to the fact that he knows everything. He is sent to do a research project at a soap company. The leader of the soap company is Vincent Price. Ronald makes a few quips and Vincent does not like that and does not hire Ronald. Ronald takes offense to this and decides to get back at Vincent by appearing on the game show that Vincent's company sponsors. Art Linkletter plays the game show host with nauseating sweetness and excitement on air. Ronald becomes very popular and Vincent decides that Ronald will only be asked one question each week. After awhile Vincent decides it has been enough and tries to give him tougher questions to make him fail. That doesn't work so he tries other tactics. One is Art going after the sister and Two is Celeste Holm. When the soap company decides to stop the program people refuse to by the soap and the company has no choice but to put the show back on the air. Celeste plays a nurse who assists Ronald when he is sick and finds out is weakness, Einsteins space time continuum. When he answers it is incorrect. Einstein calls and states that it was correct. The final question will be held as a big finale at the Hollywood Bowl. The final question is what is your social security number? He didn't get it correct. He actually made a deal with Vincent to not answer the question correctly but he did not know the answer.

Ronald is very good in the role. He is whimsical and witty. He even does a little slapstick while being dignified at the same time.

My favorite character is played by Vincent Price. He is so entertaining in comedy. As the executive in charge of the soap company he is a well respected person whose peculiar behavior is tolerated. When he first appears on screen he looks to be in a trance. After a few moments he comes to life. When he is finished with conversation he is goes back into a trance. At first he is very happy with Ronald, since sales goes up. He decides that it is time for him to go and wants to pay him off. Ronald was given a question that Vincent thought was difficult and would get him off the program. When Ronald got the question correct Vincent had a look of shock on his face and threw his arms out and ran out of the booth. When Art tells Vincent that Ronald wants $40 million, everything that the soap company has Vincent shrinks slowly in a chair as he understands that Ronald wants his destruction. When Ronald answers the $20 million dollar incorrectly he is gleeful. When Einstein calls and states the answer is correct Vincent faints and has to be carried out. In the final scene Vincent comes to Ronald's house, when Art comes in Vincent is hidden behind the door, then Celeste comes in and he is still hidden. When the door closes the last shot of Vincent is with the bird on his head.

There are some surreal moments in the film. The entrance way to the soap company has female arms coming out of the wall with a soap bubble in the hand. In the lobby area there is a large rectangular statue with arms stuck in the wall holding soap and bubbles. There is no order to the arms on the statue. On the game show there is also a large cardboard arm with a bubble in the hand.

The film was made in 1950 and there are some great historical moments. There is a scene where Art and Barbara go to the drive in theater. There are several scenes where crowds are gathered in front of store windows to watch television.

I really like this film not only because of all the above, but also the bubbles. There are bubbles in the background of the opening credits, at the factory and on the program.