March 5

Happy Birthday to Rex Harrison and Dean Stockwell.

On Saturday TCM did show Storm in a Tea Cup with Rex Harrison. I fell asleep at the beginning, but woke up when all the dogs in the house of the film started barking. I can't imagine what it was like on the set that day or days all those dogs were there. It seemed like every dog in England as in that film. To celebrate Rex Harrison's birth date I watched Unfaithfully Yours. The film also started Linda Darnell as Rex's wife, Rudy Vallee as Rex's brother-in-law and Barbara Lawrence as Linda's sister. The film was written, directed and produced by Preston Sturges. Rex is an orchestra conducter who went out of the country on a tour. While he was gone he asked Rudy to keep an eye on Linda. Rex meant to take her out if she was lonely, but Rudy had a detective follow her.

The detective comes to Rex's rehearsal to give him the report and Rex burns the papers and cause a fire. Rex goes to the detectives office to complain and finds out that the wife went to another apartment in the middle of the night. He rips up the report, but suspicions are raised in his mind. During the performance, the camera goes into a close up of Rex's eye, a unique way of going into his mind. As the music plays Rex and Linda back home after the performance and Rex convinces Linda to go dancing with his assistant Tony. As Linda gets ready Rex plans the way that he is going to kill her and blame Tony. He kills her, gets Tony's fingerprints on the razor and leaves apartment. Tony goes into the bedroom, knocks over the phone which goes to the switchboard. The switchboard calls the police. Fast moving the trial has Tony sentenced to die, proclaiming his innocence. Rex starts laughing in the court room and the camera goes back away from his eye and he is still laughing as he conduct. This is always the hardest one to watch. You don't see any blood, but you see him slashing and you see Linda's hand moving as she struggles. I don't know the music, but it is very strong and loud.

The second time they are once again home after the performance. Rex lets her go and gives her a check so she won't have to worry about anything. The music is very soft and somber.

The third time Rex, Linda and Tony are at their apartment after the performance. Rex plays Russian Roulette. Rex ends up killing himself. The music is kind of a fast confusing piece.

It is the end of the concert and Rex leaves without a final bow. He goes home and recreates or at least tries to recreate his first vision of killing Linda. Nothing works as well as his vision. The music is similar to the first piece of the concert, but there are a few sound affects when things don't go well. He tries to record his voice on a record low and slow so that a different speed it will sound like a female screaming. The recorder is on a a top shelf. He can't get it down and when he does he knocks things off the shelf onto the ground. He breaks the chair he is standing on. He knocks the recorder on the balcony breaking a window. Turns out it is not the recorder but a game set. He can't figure out how to make the recorder work. He keeps knocking over the phone and you hear the switchboard operators voice. Finally Linda and Tony come home. Linda and Rex argue. Rex goes into the bathroom to get ready for bed. He sees the razor strap and searches all through the cabinet to find a razor. Linda comes into the bathroom as he is testing the razor, startles him and he cuts his thumb. He decides he can't kill her and will forgive her and write her a check. He spills ink all over the checks. He decides to challenge her to Russian Roulette. He can't find bullets. Linda tells him that her sister went to visit Tony. She went to tell her sister that Rudy was looking for her. Rex realizes that he was all wrong and how much they really loved each other. The music has switched to a patriotic anthem.

I like how the music played in the background, as part of the orchestra that Rex conducts or just as background as Rex attempts to make the first sequence come true. Admittedly the first Unfaithfully Yours I saw was the 1980's version with Dudley Moore as a first run film. It was good and modern version of the story, but the original I think is better.