Goodbye Charlie

Bloodshed, gender-bending, Tony Curtis as the male lead, a curvy blonde as the female lead...no, this isn't a description of Some Like It Hot (though it could be) but rather a film from five years later: Vincente Minnelli's Goodbye Charlie. (Coincidentally, Billy Wilder was offered to direct this but flatly turned it down.) And Minnelli's picture is surprisingly...amusing in its execution.

The plot of Goodbye Charlie kicks off after the titular character gets gunned down by a jealous husband. His friend George Tracy (Curtis) flies in for a (rather pitifully attended) memorial service and afterwards, a dazed blonde (Debbie Reynolds) stumbles onto the doorstep of Charlie's home. Turns out this blonde is a reincarnated Charlie.

Similar to Some Like It Hot, Goodbye Charlie has the initially introduced male character slowly but fully embracing their new feminine identity. (Likewise, both films have Curtis' character very wary about the whole situation.) That said, the now-female Charlie can't quite break free from their old ways... (The fact those jokes got past the censors is staggering.)

This being a Minnelli picture, the sets have all the markings of some of his earlier films. Fully stocked liquor cabinets, bookshelves filled with hardcover titles, and enough vibrant colors to warrant the existence of Technicolor. And that's not even getting into the Helen Rose-designed wardrobe. (It's worth mentioning that before making this, Minnelli was lobbying hard to direct My Fair Lady but his salary demands were too high for the studio's liking. Could you imagine what that film would've been like had he gotten the gig instead of George Cukor? It's possible that what didn't go into the musical went into this.)

That all being said, there's not a lot to write home about Goodbye Charlie. Apart from Curtis' facial expressions and acting constantly on the verge of mental collapse (and Walter Matthau sporting the most ridiculous Italian accent imaginable), it follows the same formula as other sex farces of the era. Still, it has its moments; just...not a lot.

My Rating: ***1/2

Two Weeks in Another Town

The opening moments of Vincente Minnelli's Two Weeks in Another Town shows Jack Andrus (Kirk Douglas) walking around the grounds of the sanitarium that's been his home for some time. Once a big movie star, now nobody would touch him with a ten-foot pole. Well, except for director Maurice Kruger (Edward G. Robinson), and even that isn't without its own melodrama.

Temperamental actors, a movie going overbudget and way past schedule, snarled romances, and feuds on set and off. These are the things plaguing both Jack and Maurice in Two Weeks in Another Town. Jack's ex-wife Carlotta (Cyd Charisse) -- who was responsible for landing him in the sanitarium -- tries to seduce him back while Maurice's wife Clara (Claire Trevor) spends most of her time screaming at her husband. No wonder they're the way that they are.

This isn't the first time Minnelli and Douglas tackled Hollywood; in the previous decade, they had made The Bad and the Beautiful. (Snippets of the earlier film are shown as a previous work of Jack's.) But in comparison with the two, Two Weeks in Another Town is decidedly less jaded in depicting behind-the-scenes shenanigans.

And seeing as how their last two films resulted in Oscar nominations for Douglas, it would make sense to see if the third time's the charm. But in contrast to The Bad and the Beautiful and Lust for Life, it's not as focused on the story at hand. (Though Robinson and Trevor's scenes are an interesting reversal of their roles in Key Largo.)

Two Weeks in Another Town may not be quality Minnelli but it does have its good points. (Its running time is not one of them.) His films with Douglas are an underappreciated collaboration, making one wonder what it'd be like had it been a regular teaming...

My Rating: ****

The Cobweb

Ah, the star-studded productions of the 1950s. Basically the easiest way for studios to re-coup the budget and earn a tidy profit. And sometimes said production doesn't always need the best of scripts for its actors.

And boy, is that last detail on full display in Vincente Minnelli's The Cobweb. More than once the actors' dialogue sounds either stiff or overwrought, admittedly not an unheard of fault in some films from the same time. Still, at least some of the many big names of the film rein it in towards the overall flimsy script.

But whom is amongst the cast of The Cobweb? An enviable roster of performers, that's for sure: Richard Widmark, Lauren Bacall, Gloria Grahame, Charles Boyer and Lillian Gish. But of the names that stand out amid a rather forgetful project is John Kerr. (Also of note is Oscar Levant -- himself a victim of his own neuroses -- in an inspired bit of casting.)

With a Best Picture winner (and a failed marriage to Judy Garland) under his belt, one would think Minnelli would be able to salvage The Cobweb, especially considering the film's primary location. But even with the various ups and downs in the director's personal life, perhaps his lack of conveying them into the film only adds to the production's faults. (Maybe Douglas Sirk would've been a better fit at the helm?)

The Cobweb could've been a continuation of Minnelli's transition into more serious fare but the shaky script prevented that from even remotely becoming a reality. (At least he had more luck the following year with Lust for Life.) The cast does try their damnedest to make it work to little avail. (Similarly, at least some of them were more successful with later projects.)

My Rating: ***

An American in Paris

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer back in Hollywood's Golden Age was basically synonymous with big musicals. (You can thank Arthur Freed for that distinction.) Nine times out of ten, MGM was the studio responsible for the most famous musicals of the 40s and 50s.

Vincente Minnelli's An American in Paris is no exception. Being one of the few musicals to win Best Picture, it provided 1951 audiences with an escape to a romance in post-World War II Paris. (Come to think of it, Moulin Rouge! perhaps borrowed a few cues from this.)

Minnelli himself was no stranger to the musical genre, By this point in his career, he had done the likes of Meet Me in St. Louis and The Pirate but he still had yet to prove to Hollywood what he could. With An American in Paris, it firmly cemented Minnelli's status in the film world.

As seen with later musicals The Band Wagon and Gigi, Minnelli captures the lush details of An American in Paris within the various musical numbers. Whether it's the choreography or the costumes, he uses his keen eye for those moments. (And maybe the occasional shot of Gene Kelly's backside...)

Now you may be wondering how a George Gershwin-based musical managed to win Best Picture over A Streetcar Named Desire and A Place in the Sun. The answer is a simple one, really. Just watch that climactic ballet, and that should answer that nagging question.

My Rating: ****

The Clock

Vincente Minnelli's The Clock opens with Cpl. Joe Allen (Robert Walker) walking out of Grand Central Station and into the wonders of New York City. It's within this moment that establishes Joe's character, one of shyness and naivete. (Certainly a far cry from Walker's best-known role in Strangers on a Train.)

Shortly after this, he meets Alice Maybery (Judy Garland). She shows him the sights and they start to warm up to each other. What ensues is practically a precursor for Before Sunrise (and perhaps its two sequels).

Nowadays The Clock is viewed as lesser-known from the director and its leading lady. Minnelli and Garland's legacies are firmly cemented in the musical genre. (Their previous collaboration was Meet Me in St. Louis.) Thankfully The Clock proves that they were more than capable of doing other genres than the one that immortalized them.

Even though The Clock is a lighthearted drama, the antics during production were anything but. As well as rekindling her romance with Minnelli (they were engaged by production's end), Garland became addicted to the prescription drugs the studio provided her. Walker in turn started drinking after finding out about his wife Jennifer Jones' affair with David O. Selznick. Despite all these personal woes, they managed to persevere like the professionals that they are.

The Clock is a very lovely little film. The chemistry between Walker and Garland is great (such a shame both died young from their vices), and it's definitely the kind of film everyone needed back then to fend off the worries of the soon-to-be-over war. It's certainly one that needs to be seen.

My Rating: *****

Some Came Running

1950s Americana is an image that everyone is a time of perfect morals and behavior. In reality, it was a time of paranoia and prejudice. And everyone tried to look acceptable to the outside world.

Hollywood itself was stranger to this. You think many of your favorite movie stars had perfect personal lives. That wasn't the case for a majority of them. Some were drug addicts, some were alcoholics, and some had sex lives shocking for any era. (The studios constantly had to save their stars' skins.) Yet at the same time, they were trying to push the envelope with certain material.

This could be applied to Vincente Minnelli's Some Came Running. While most films of the decade had an uplifting nature, Some Came Running made no bones about its cynical nature. (Probably because it's based on a novel by James Jones, who also wrote From Here to Eternity.)

With any film, you need the right actors and Minnelli chose them. Frank Sinatra is essentially the embodiment of cynicism whereas Shirley MacLaine is that for dopey hopefulness. Dean Martin and Arthur Kennedy make the most of their screentime. All in all, it's a well-rounded cast.

Now the film itself I had some problems with. It got melodramatic in some scenes (then again, this is a Minnelli picture) and it felt too long in others. But thanks to the character development and the acting, I'll recommend Some Came Running.

My Rating: ****1/2

The Band Wagon

Anyone who has seen enough musicals from Hollywood's Golden Age knows you have two song-and-dance men to choose from: Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. Both were very different; Astaire provided elegance with his dancing whereas Kelly was more aggressive. Kelly himself said it best: "If Fred Astaire is the Cary Grant of dance, I'm the Marlon Brando."

Even though the dancing styles are different, amusingly their careers were somewhat similar. Both started out in show business with their siblings. Years later, both displayed their abilities as legit actors around the same time. (For Astaire, it was 1959's On the Beach; for Kelly it was Inherit the Wind the following year.)

Also within a year, both had the leading role in a prominent MGM musical. Kelly of course had Singin' in the Rain whereas Astaire had Vincente Minnelli's The Band Wagon. Both films were written by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and their roles were that of movies stars whose careers are in trouble. (Ironic on Astaire's part since The Band Wagon was made when his career was at a standstill.)

Of course both musicals have their differences. Singin' in the Rain was more bouncier in comparison to The Band Wagon. Astaire's musical was more of a musical revue than a straight-up musical. Also, Singin' in the Rain has more charm than The Band Wagon.

The Band Wagon itself is mainly all right. Some of the musical numbers feel out of place. (It makes sense when you realize only three songs from the original stage production made it into the movie.) But of the musical numbers, my favorites were "Dancing in the Dark" and "I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan". Also, it made me realize that I have to see one of Astaire's movies with Ginger Rogers soon. (Can't believe I haven't yet.)

My Rating: ****

Bells Are Ringing

There's always that great feeling when you see that one film you immediately fall in love with once the credits start to roll. You don't come across those very often.

For me, I saw Vincente Minnelli's Bells Are Ringing, a musical comedy starring Judy Holliday (in her final film) and Dean Martin. Much like when I saw Singin' in the Rain, this film reminded me why I love movies in the first place.

I personally think Holliday is one of the most unsung talents to even perform. From her squeaky-voiced dumb blondes in Adam's Rib and Born Yesterday to her gentle performance in Bells Are Ringing, she always make the screen light up when she's present and especially when she smiles. Also, who would have imagined that a woman who could do a voice that could break glass could also possess a very lovely singing voice?

Martin I already liked in Rio Bravo and a little in The Young Lions. Here in Bells Are Ringing, he is very charming in his role, and his comedic timing is wonderful. Also, try to find someone who doesn't swoon when that man croons. (Very impossible, trust me.)

I just loved Bells Are Ringing. It's just one of those films that you could watch over and over, and not get tired of it. Seriously, just talking about it makes me want to watch it again.

My Rating: *****

Father of the Bride

Marriage is hard. Well, not always the marriage itself. More so planning the wedding, as shown vividly in Vincente Minnelli's Father of the Bride.

Stanley Banks' (Spencer Tracy) daughter Kay (Elizabeth Taylor) has recently announced to her parents her engagement, thus causing a whirlwind from planning the wedding.

Considering the only roles I've Taylor in were dramatic (A Place in the Sun, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Suddenly, Last Summer), so it was nice to see her in a lighter role. She had this certain aura to her that made people notice her, which is clear in Father of the Bride.

As for Tracy, I knew that he could do comedy after seeing Adam's Rib. He captures the right of essence from the stresses of something sounding so simple as planning a wedding.

I was smiling from ear to ear during most of the movie, especially when Stanley first sees Kay in her wedding dress. Yes, I had seen the remake years ago, but don't fix anything that ain't broke.

My Rating: *****

Lust for Life

As some of you might know, I adore the acting of Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas. Michael's a good actor as well, but Kirk is the best of the two.

In Lust for Life, Douglas plays the brilliant yet troubled artist Vincent van Gogh. We see his slow rise in the art world and his faster decline in mental health. It's a really haunting performance.

Oscar gold went to not Douglas but to supporting actor Anthony Quinn, who plays fellow artist Paul Gauguin. He has some really good lines throughout his short time on screen, but was his Oscar win deserved? Well, I haven't seen any of the other nominees for that year so I can't really say. But he is good.

Vincente Minnelli directed Lust for Life, marking the second of three times he would work with Douglas (they previously worked together on the excellent The Bad and the Beautiful). I give Minnelli points for having the movie look like some of van Gogh's paintings. I also give screenwriter Norman Corwin credit for bring accurate in chronicling van Gogh's troubled life.

So are there any flaws in Lust for Life? Well, unfortunately, yes. The movie would've been better had the story not had that melodramatic undertone. It's still a fine movie but had that flaw been taken of, it would've been great.

My Rating: ****

The Bad and the Beautiful

Kirk Douglas is one hell of an actor. He really impressed me with his leading roles in Spartacus and Ace in the Hole, prompting me to delve into his work.

Director Fred Amiel (Barry Sullivan), actress Georgia Lorrison (Lana Turner) and writer James Lee Bartlow (Dick Powell) have been offered to work on the next project of producer Jonathan Shields (Douglas), to which they all refuse. Through flashbacks, it is shown how they come to hate the man that helped their careers.

When we're first introduced to Shields, it's at his father's funeral, his eyes flooded with tears. It gives us the impression that we're supposed to sympathize with him. But not long after that, we soon learn those tears he almost shed were no more than crocodile tears.

Geez, Douglas is ruthless in this. His work in The Bad and the Beautiful reminded me of his role in Ace in the Hole, both of them men who will break rules to get ahead in the business. Impressive work from Vincente Minnelli, who the previous year made the lighthearted An American in Paris. Believe me, The Bad and the Beautiful is one of the bleakest views of the movie industry. Well, along with Sunset Boulevard.

My Rating: *****