April 5

Happy Birthday to Bette Davis, Gale Storm, Roger Corman, Spencer Tracy, Melvyn Douglas and Gregory Peck.

TCM celebrated Melvyn Douglas Birthday. I watched And So They were Married which also starred Mary Astor. Mary a divorcee with daughter Edith Fellows goes to a grand opening of Snow Crest Lodge. Melvyn a widow with a son, Jackie Moran is joining him later. At check in they are mistaken for a married couple. As they get settled into the new hotel there is a smell of new paint. As she complains to the hotel manager Melvyn is already complaining and she states she finds the smell refreshing. The road has blocked so they will be the only guests for several days. The hotel staff tries to give them a gala time. Melvyn threw a rolled up serpentine and it landed in Mary’s soup splashing her. She then throws serpentine at him and he throws back. The camera goes back and forth following the action. In order to avoid the hotel staff they agree to take a walk together. The road has been cleared. The rest of the guests, including Jackie come to the hotel. Jackie takes a sled and goes up a hill. In the middle of the hill he meets Edith. She is making a snow woman. He uses pits to put eyes in her snow figure. They argue. He then goes to the top of the hill and slides down right into the snow figure destroying it. They physically fight in the snow.

That night Mary and Melvyn go to dinner together. They are still dancing after the music stops. The children are watching them from the balcony. A staff member talks about a sure sign of romance. The children, not liking this idea decide to take a dislike to each other and the other parent to halt the romance. As they plan the staff think the children “like” each other. Jackie has bought a dog for his father. Edith thinks she can get the dog to do what ever she wants and makes the dog eat soap. The dog gets away and runs through the hotel. With the soap foaming around his face people think it is a mad dog. The dog is chased outside (and returns to a pack). The next day at dinner Jackie agrees to spit pellets her. He ends up spitting them at a number of guests. A boy Horace, takes the credit (or blame if you will) for the action. The next time you see Horace he has a black eye. Edith and Jackie agree to a truce for Christmas (it is Christmas Eve Day). That night while they are looking at the tree and decorations, Horace throws an ornament at Jackie, breaking it over his head. He thinks that Edith did it and throws an ornament at him. The parents try to break them up but chaos ensues. The lights on the tree get blown and all the lights in the building go out. They get the children and go up to Mary’s room. They tell the children they are going to marry. Melvyn very upset spanks the child. The lights come up and it is Edith that he is spanking. This upsets Mary a great deal. They argue and split up. Both families leave Christmas morning.

New Years Eve Day Mary states she has to get away and they will be leaving for Europe in a few days. Edith calls Jackie and tries to get him to get his father to come over to the house. Jackie refuses and Edith says she does not want to go to Europe and she will run away. Jackie talks with his father about how he works all the time. He decides to run away with Edith. He goes over to her house and she is hiding in the garage. They decide that this will bring the parents together. Mary and Melvyn upset that the children are missing, call the police. Melvyn then comes over to Mary’s. They decide to go looking for the children. They take Mary’s cook car. The children are hiding in the back. The police spot the children and pull them over. Neither adult has ID. Jackie says Mary is not his mother and Edith states the Melvyn is not her father. They arrest the adults for kidnapping. While in jail a drunk man celebrating early the New Year identifies Melvyn and they are released. To punish the children the parents decide to arrest the children and Jackie and Edith defend each other and the parents realize they do like each other. The couple then decide to marry. Even though Mary Astor and Melvyn Douglas are the stars of the film, the Edith Fellows and Jackie Moran had equal parts in the film.

I have only seen Melvyn Douglas in a handful of dramas, I have mainly seen the comedies. His characters almost always seem to have a playful side, a carefree attitude towards life that makes the character seem more real.