They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To

Working my way through the titles highlighted in Majestic Hollywood, The Greatest Films of 1939, I recently enjoyed a re-watch of The Old Maid, a period drama starring Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins.  George Brent gets third billing, although he is only around for the first fifteen minutes or so.  Based on Zoe Akin's Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name, The Old Maid features Donald Crisp and Jane Bryan in supporting roles.


Misses Davis and Hopkins portray cousins, Charlotte and Delia Lovell.  As the film begins in the early 1860's, Delia (Hopkins) is about to be married, and on her wedding day, her former love, Clem Spender (George Brent), arrives back in town and stops by for a visit.  Clem had left town a few years before---off to make his fortune---and when he didn't return, Delia assumed he no longer loved her and, thus, made plans to marry another man---one who was wealthy and socially prominent.  When Clem, who is still in love with Delia, declares his intent to make a scene at the wedding, cousin Charlotte (Bette Davis), in love with Clem herself, sets off to reason with him.  Wanting to comfort him, she ends up spending the night with him; the next day, however, Clem, now part of the Union Army, sets off for war...and he never returns, having been killed in battle.



Fast forward a few years...Charlotte, now engaged to Delia's husband's brother, is running a home for war orphans.  It is expected that when she marries, she will give up the home; however, there is one particular child---a girl named Tina---whom Charlotte has no intention of giving up.



On Charlotte's wedding day, Delia discovers that Tina's full name is Clementina and that she is Charlotte's own child, from a man who died in the war; putting two and two together, Delia realizes that Tina is Clem's child...a fact that enrages her.  To think that Charlotte had been with Clem---her love---is more than she can stand; determined to make Charlotte pay, she lies to her brother-in-law and he calls off the wedding.



After Delia's husband dies several months later, Charlotte and Tina are invited to come live with her.   Since Charlotte was never married and cannot publicly call Tina her child, Tina calls her "Aunt Charlotte."  Delia becomes rather a mother to the little girl, and once, to Charlotte's incredible heartbreak, she even calls Delia "mommy."



Fast forwarding several more years, Tina has become a young woman (played by Jane Bryan), and Delia, not Charlotte, receives her love, praise, and affection.  Aunt Charlotte, who has sacrificed for years, is despised and mocked by the girl.  Yet to tell Tina the truth---that the unwed Charlotte is her mother---would destroy all hopes for a legitimate beau, so Charlotte says nothing, all the while being totally brokenhearted because the daughter she loves has rejected her and now calls Delia "mother."  Will Tina ever change?  Will Charlotte's broken heart ever heal?  These are the questions which will play out in the balance of the film.



Pairing two such strong, formidable actresses, who already had hatred/jealousy issues between them, found director Edmund Goulding "more often refereeing than directing; filming went slowly, as each woman fought for every scene she was in.  One co-worker said "Working with these two ladies is a slow drag."  Goulding himself was to say, "There were times when they behaved like perfect little bitches". . . However, the women's intense dislike for each other did have a positive side, for it not only added to their pleasure in making the picture but also proved so mutually stimulating that Warners production chief Hal Wallis planned to team them again."  [1]  The women were paired again, in Old Acquaintance.

A huge Bette Davis fan, I enjoy having the opportunity to catch Bette in a sympathetic role for a change. She's terrific here---as she is always.  What I find so impressive about Bette is that beyond her brilliant acting, she was always willing to take on unglamorous roles and be seen as dowdy, ugly, and unsophisticated.  Her acting was so great that she didn't have to get by on looks alone.

The Old Maid is a lot like one of my top 25 films, Stella Dallas, in that it is the story of a mother's sacrificial love for her daughter.  However, while I give The Old Maid 4 stars, I do prefer Stella Dallas, mostly because of the daughters' character.  Here in The Old Maid, Tina is selfish and obnoxious, whereas Lolly, Anne Shirley's Stella Dallas character, is loving and caring.  Because of Clementina's attitude, I just never had the affection for her that I had for Lolly.

Out on DVD, The Old Maid should be fairly easy to track down.  I hope you get a chance to see it.

Happy viewing!!

[1]  Majestic Hollywood, The Greatest Films of 1939, by Mark A. Vieira, Running Press, 2013.

The Sisters is a 1938 drama starring the very dashing Errol Flynn and the always-sensational Bette Davis.  Featuring Anita Louise, Jane Bryan, Alan Hale, Donald Crisp, and Ian Hunter in supporting roles, The Sisters begins in Silver Bow, Montana, in 1904.  The nation has just re-elected Theodore Roosevelt to the presidency, and the Elliot family is among those who are enjoying a lavish election-eve ball.




Mr. and Mrs. Elliott (Henry Travers and Beulah Bondi) are the parents of three daughters---Louise (Bette Davis), Helen, (Anita Louise), and Grace (Jane Bryan)---all of whom are of marriageable age.  Oldest daughter, Louise, is involved with the banker's son, Tom; however, since Tom hasn’t popped the question yet, Louise is all eyes when a family friend (Alan Hale) makes his entrance, accompanied by a handsome stranger (Errol Flynn) in town on business.




As Louise is dancing with another man, the good-looking stranger cuts in,




and after introducing himself as Frank Medlin---a newspaperman from San Francisco---he proceeds to sweep Louise off her feet. For the remainder of the evening, Frank's eyes are only for Louise, and Louise's eyes are only for Frank.



By the time they part company several hours later, they are both smitten with each other, causing Frank to stay on in Montana awhile longer.

Telling Louise that he is trying to write a novel but isn’t really getting anywhere with it, Frank admits that he is a bit of a dreamer and has a touch of wanderlust in him. Knowing that, however, doesn’t change Louise’s feelings for Frank; she realizes he is restless and irresponsible and not as ambitious as she and her sisters were brought up to expect, but, still, she loves him and upon his asking, marries him and returns to San Francisco with him.

Though she tries to encourage Frank to get to work on his novel, he just can’t seem to get his act together long enough to be successful. In due time, feeling as though he’s the kind of husband who makes people feel sorry for his wife, Frank starts to drink heavily; upset because he knows Louise’s sisters, who have both recently gotten married to financially stable men, have everything, Frank begins to indulge in self-pity.




Though he wants to be a successful writer...though he longs to be a strong husband…though he loves his dear wife and yearns to be worthy of her love, in the end, Frank desires freedom and the excitement around the next corner even more. Therefore, when he hears a group of men talking about the wonders of world travel, he is absolutely certain that he has finally discovered the life which will bring him happiness; so, penning a short note to Louise, in April 1906, Frank boards a ship and sets sail for the China seas.



While Frank’s ship is sailing away, an earthquake of monumental proportions blasts San Francisco and the wife he left behind. Buildings tumble to the ground…







flames erupt heavenward…



all the world is chaos. Will Louise survive the devastating destruction of that day?  Will Frank find the happiness he is longing for?  And what of Louise's sisters, both of whom have their own marriage troubles?  All of these questions will be played out in the remainder of the film?



While The Sisters is not a favorite Bette Davis film by any means, I did find it enjoyable and interesting.  It's a very solid film, with the usual wonderful acting I've come to expect from my #1 gal.  Her character is strong and resilient...very easy to root for.  Errol Flynn was quite good in his role too, and I thought he and Miss Davis had great chemistry together.  Funny, I've read that they didn't like one another and didn't work well together...I sure didn't pick up on that.  I really thought they were great...I found their love believable.  The supporting cast quite added to my enjoyment of the film.  I liked them all...especially the always-delightful Alan Hale and Lee Patrick, who portrayed Bette's San Francisco neighbor.

This film was released on DVD in late 2011, so I think you should be able to track it down.  Bette and Errol fans will most likely quite enjoy it.

Happy viewing!!

Invisible Stripes, from 1939, is a gangster drama starring George Raft, Jane Bryan, and William Holden, with Humphrey Bogart, and Flora Robson taking on supporting roles.  It's a film made before either Bogart or Holden had really hit their stride; in fact, it's only the 2nd credited film appearance of Mr. Holden.




At Sing Sing Prison, two convicts have served their time and are being released.  There's Cliff Taylor (George Raft), a man who has been successfully rehabilitated and who has every intention of going straight from here on out.  With faith in Taylor's ability to readjust to life in the outside world, the prison warden proudly bids him farewell.





Chuck Martin (Humphrey Bogart), on the other hand, is a repeat offender with zero intention of living a law-abiding life.  The warden knows Martin's time in prison has done nothing to change him; in fact, he would hold him longer if he could.





As the two men travel home on the train together, Martin finds Cliff Taylor's determination to go straight quite laughable.  With the "invisible stripes" of his prison record, Chuck insists, Cliff won't be given a chance and, therefore, will end up resorting to crime once more.  Sure that won't be the case, Cliff heads for home...hopes high.

The years in prison having given him an appreciation for freedom and for home, Cliff sees through new eyes the tiny apartment he shares with his mother (Flora Robson) and younger brother, Tim (William Holden).  What he formerly thought a dump now is beautiful to him.




To celebrate Cliff's homecoming, Mrs. Taylor has arranged a dinner party, with Cliff's girlfriend, Sue, in attendance.  It doesn't take Cliff long to discover that Sue doesn't want anything to do with an ex-con.




Unfortunately, Sue isn't the only one not interested in an ex-con.   Because of his prison record, Cliff is unable to get a break in the working world---no one trusts him, and no one wants to hire him.  When he finally does get a job, he is fingered as the "inside man" and arrested after the store is burglarized.




Brother Tim is in love with Peggy (Jane Bryan), and the two of them want to get married; however, due to insufficient funds they have been unable to set a date.  Anxious to be able to support a wife, Tim tells Cliff he has thought about crime.  Of course, Cliff is angered by Tim's talk and is determined to keep his brother from walking the criminal path he did.  Not convinced that honesty is the best policy, Tim informs Cliff that he has to see it in order to believe it.




Desperate to make money and prove to Tim that going straight is the only way, yet unable to get a break for himself, Cliff calls on his old relationship with Chuck Martin.




Though he has, in fact, gotten involved with Martin's gang and is part of a bank robbery, Cliff deceives his family into believing he has gotten an out of town sales job.  With the money Cliff sends home, Tim and Peggy are able to get married and Tim is able to purchase the garage he's been wanting.

Does Cliff's family discover he has reverted to crime in order to keep Tim from following in his shoes?  Does Tim stay on the straight and narrow?  Is Cliff able to break away from Martin's gang and live the honest life he really desires to live?  These are the questions which play out in the remainder of the film.


Invisible Stripes is a terrific film, with a great message about giving people a chance.  Although I watched this for my William Holden birthday month celebration, the film is, in fact, George Raft's.  He is wonderful here---humble, contrite, determined, responsible.  His character is extremely likeable and one I couldn't help rooting for.  He was a man who was devoted to his family, especially his momma, and I found his scenes with Flora Robson beautiful and touching.  In fact, I even got misty-eyed a couple times---not often that happens in a gangster film.





Adding to the great character traits was the sight of Mr. Raft in a suit!




Even in just a white shirt and tie, he was incredibly handsome.




William Holden---only 21 here---has not yet reached that maturity which would make him heartthrob material.  Oh, he's cute here, but in another ten years, he would be gorgeous!!




This film is out on DVD, so it ought to be fairly easy to track down.  Also, it is on the TCM schedule for Tuesday, April 17th at 6:00 a.m. (EDT).  George Raft fans will surely love this...as will William Holden fans.

Happy viewing!!