Classic Movies - Fabulous Films of 1939: The Rains Came

Today, let’s talk Classic Disaster Film-The Rains Came! In a decade of movie extravaganzas, producer Darryl F. Zanuck brought Louis Bromfield’s best-seller to the screen in 1939. Complete with romance, intrigue, action, and suffering, 20th Century-Fox spared no expense (other than filming in black and white) in the making of The Rains Came. Special-effects technicians had a massive undertaking in the creation of an earthquake, a breaking dam and flood, and a falling temple-all done without computer graphics!

A first-rate cast was also assembled and headed by Zanuck’s top male star, Tyrone Power, in the lead role of Major Safti, a high-caste Indian surgeon. Myrna Loy was borrowed from MGM to play the spoiled Lady Esketh, George Brent was brought from Warner Brothers to portray rich, hard-living, Tom Ransome, and starlet Brenda Joyce appears as Fern Simon, the missionary’s daughter who falls for Ransome. Leading the strong supporting cast is the marvelous Maria Ouspenskaya in a powerful role as the wise Maharani.

As the plot develops in The Rains Came, the lives of all who live in the Indian city of Ranchipur are drastically altered with the coming of the monsoons. Against this backdrop of natural disaster, Major Safti tries to resist another kind of disaster-the advances of Lady Esketh, who, do to her hedonistic lifestyle and marital status, is considered “taboo” by his social caste. Resistance is made more difficult when the disasters mount and the two are thrown together in the treatment of the injured and dying. By the end, she has helped him through the floods and a cholera epidemic, but contracts the disease herself and dies. This resolution may be a bit too pat, but it does get everyone off the hook!

The Rains Came is a classic motion picture of epic proportions. The spectacular “Oscar-winning” special-effects and marvelous performances make it a film well worth watching. Check it out along with any of our other featured films from the fabulous year of 1939! In fact, there are so many great films from that year that we will continue featuring them for another week or two. We hope you enjoy the posts.

**Trivia Question for Today: The Rains Came was remade in 1955. What was the remake’s title and who starred as the four lead characters?

Trivia Answer for Previous Post: In Wuthering Heights, the “castle” where Heathcliff and Cathy held their trysts was a rocky formation on the moors called Peniston Crag.

Classic Movies - Fabulous Films of 1939: Wuthering Heights

Today, let’s talk Classic Romance-Wuthering Heights! The 1939 film version of Emily Bronte’s immortal love story was brought to the screen by Samuel Goldwyn. It was his contribution to the historical “epic” craze that characterized many of the films of the late 1930s.

Wuthering Heights tells the tale of two passionate, jealous, and often neurotic lovers who live on the grim Yorkshire moors in the early 1800s. Handsome Laurence Olivier portrays the moody, headstrong Heathcliff and lovely Merle Oberon plays his willful, selfish sweetheart, Cathy. Both actors are superb as the star-crossed lovers who love, fight, sulk, and seek revenge on each other, even after her death. They not only destroy their own chance for happiness, but completely ruin the lives of Edgar Linton (David Niven) and his sister, Isabella (Geraldine Fitzgerald), whom they marry.

The beautiful musical score by Alfred Newman and memorable supporting performances of Flora Robson, Leo G. Carroll, Donald Crisp, Miles Mander, and Cecil Kellaway further enhance this classic film of ill-fated romance. Unfortunately, as with so many film adaptations of famous books, the MacArthur-Hecht screenplay covers only one generation of Bronte’s classic work, therefore much of the compelling saga is completely omitted from this screen version. For those of us who have read the novel, that omission is quite disappointing. The famous death scene with Heathcliff holding Cathy and looking out over the heather-strewn moors to “their castle” was contrived for the movie and, though very effective (we cry every time we see it), did not happen in the book. (The 1992 version of Wuthering Heights, starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche, is a more thorough telling of the story and we also recommend it very highly.)

Despite its shortcomings, Wuthering Heights won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography (Gregg Toland) and seven nominations including Best Picture, Best Actor (Laurence Olivier), Best Director (William Wyler), and Best Supporting Actress (Geraldine Fitzgerald). It was also a tremendous box-office success. With Europe on the brink of war, perhaps audiences in 1939 needed a good cry over a highly romantic, fictionalized past rather than face an ominous future with a very real reason for tears. Wuthering Heights is a favorite classic film of ours’ and we hope you will enjoy it, too.

Don’t miss our next post for another Fabulous Film of 1939! Our posts appear every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on Let’s Talk Classic Movies.

**Trivia Question for Today: What meeting place on the moors do Heathcliff and Cathy refer to as their “castle”? The answer will appear on our next post.

Trivia Answer for Previous Post: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is comparable to Capra’s earlier film, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), with Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur.

Classic Movies - Fabulous Films of 1939: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Today, let’s talk Classic Political Comedy- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington! Released in 1939, the last of Frank Capra’s fine and funny films of the 30s took as its target nothing less than the Senate of the United States. James Stewart is the small-town boy who comes to Washington as a short-term Senator. As Jefferson Smith, Stewart’s character is wide-eyed, naïve, and dedicated to democratic ideals. When Mr. Smith discovers that his idol, Senator Joseph Paine (Claude Rains), is a dishonest grafter, he sets out to fight him and is immediately framed by the crooked political machine of Washington, D.C. Fortunately, Mr. Smith has an experienced and politically-savvy secretary (Jean Arthur) who helps him escape expulsion through a filibuster that lasts long enough to overwhelmingly sway public opinion to his side. In the end, democracy and the young Senator triumph and the evil Senator Paine repents.

“For its time, this primitive Watergate tale was highly controversial. After a much publicized premiere in Washington’s Constitution Hall, Senator Alben Barkley assailed Mr. Smith as a “grotesque distortion” of the truth. Ambassador to Great Britain, Joseph Kennedy, said it damaged America’s reputation abroad and played into the hands of Adolf Hitler’s propaganda machine. There were even reports that major Hollywood studios, fearing industry-wide censorship, offered to pay back all costs to Columbia Pictures to have it withdrawn. On the other hand, millions agreed with Frank Nugent’s New York Times review that it was” more fun even than the Senate itself”. And to the audiences that loved it, James Stewart’s impassioned rhetoric seemed to impart a new optimism about their country and the basically decent principles for which it stood.” (Author, Paul Trent)

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a thoroughly entertaining motion picture and one that we highly recommend. Jack Carson and Thomas Mitchell also co-star in this often delightful, often distressing glimpse into the political workings of U.S. government at the Senate level. All performances are top-notch, but Stewart’s “filibuster” sequence unquestionably holds some of the finest acting moments of his long, illustrious career. Take a look (or another look) at this classic film of 1939 and see for yourself. It is a real “eye-opener”.

**Trivia Question for Today: To what earlier Capra film is Mr. Smith Goes to Washington comparable and also starred Jean Arthur?

Trivia Answer for Previous Post: John Garfield appeared in the 1939 boxing classic, They Made Me a Criminal, co-starring “The Dead End Kids” and Claude Rains. Ironically, Garfield was first choice of Clifford Odets to play Joe Bonaparte in the stage production of Golden Boy, but Garfield went to Hollywood instead.

Classic Movies - Fabulous Films of 1939: Golden Boy

Today, let’s talk Classic Sports Drama-Golden Boy! The hit stage-play by Clifford Odets was adapted to the screen and released by Columbia Pictures in 1939. This classic film introduced a bright new face and talent to audiences in the form of William Holden. As Joe Bonaparte, “the Golden Boy”, Holden plays a promising young violinist who is equally adept as a hard-hitting boxer. The film dramatically focuses on the young man’s desire to help his poor, working-class family by turning his “golden” hands into cold cash, not with the violin, but in the boxing ring. Actor Lee J. Cobb recreates his stage role as the father with high hopes for his son’s artistic future. Joe, however, decides that boxing would bring money much faster. His clever manager and trainer, Tom Moody (Adolphe Menjou), launches him on the road to a championship career, while Joe’s worldly-wise girlfriend Lorna Moon (Barbara Stanwyck), who originally helped lure him into boxing, unsuccessfully tries to convince him that he is merely a pawn and doesn’t belong in the fight racket.

Golden Boy climaxes with Joe’s most important match. Victory will bring him within one step of the championship crown. He boxes ferociously with a relentless determination to win, but his resulting victory breaks his hand and leaves his opponent dead on the canvas. Joe agonizes over the terrible price he has paid for his fame, but instead of taking his life and Lorna’s, as in the stage play, the film version has Lorna consoling Joe in the final scene, assuring him that he will one day again play the violin­­­— another typical Hollywood ending.

We have always enjoyed watching Golden Boy and find the scenes in which Joe plays the violin very moving, especially when he can no longer play very well, much to his father’s immense disappointment. All performances in this film are first-rate. It is worth mentioning that at the Academy Awards in 1978, William Holden publicly thanked Barbara Stanwyck for her support of him during the making of Golden Boy. It seems it was her influence that kept Holden from being replaced in the film due to his lack of experience. Holden credited her for saving his acting career. He has long been a favorite screen actor of ours’ and we, too, are thankful that Miss Stanwyck stepped in as she did. Watch Golden Boy or any of the Fabulous Films of 1939 that we are now featuring in our blog. You’ll be glad you did.

**Trivia Question for Today: What other “boxing-oriented” classic was released in 1939 and starred John Garfield with the “Dead End Kids”? The answer will appear in our next post. Check out “Let’s Talk Classic Movies” every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Trivia Answer for Previous Post: The two-billed cap (one in front and one in back) that Sherlock Holmes is famous for wearing is called a “deerstalker”. After the first two films, Basil Rathbone replaced the old-fashioned cap with a fedora for his “modern-day” sleuthing.

Classic Movies - Fabulous Films of 1939: The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Today, let’s talk Classic 1939 Sherlock Holmes Mysteries-The Hound of the Baskervilles & The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes! These classic films are the first two and very best of the fourteen Sherlock Holmes movies starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson. Both were released in 1939 by Twentieth Century-Fox. Rathbone’s enduring success as the eccentric sleuth was a casting miracle in itself. It made no difference that other, less popular, “Sherlock Holmes” films had been produced previously in other countries. From the moment Rathbone’s character turned to his closest friend, the bumbling, amiable Dr. Watson, and calmly said, “Elementary, my dear Watson,” moviegoers knew they had found the quintessential Holmes.

Unfortunately, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes were the only times Rathbone played the Baker Street detective in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original setting in the London of Victorian England (late 1800s). In our two featured films, audiences are plunged directly into the heart of old London, complete with cobblestone streets, horse-drawn cabs, fog, and gaslights. Character and atmosphere are captured with authenticity. The rest of the Sherlock Holmes movies with Rathbone and Bruce were produced by Universal Studios and moved into the modern times of World War II. We seriously don’t know what inspired this update because it really seems ridiculous. “If it ain’t broke-don’t fix it” as the saying goes, but that’s studio mentality for you. They just couldn’t leave well enough alone and reworked the classic writing of Conan Doyle. At least Twentieth Century-Fox and directors Sidney Lanfield and Alfred Werker (respectively) had the good sense to preserve Holmes and Watson in their original habitat rather than dropping them into a modern metropolis.

In The Hound of the Baskervilles, Holmes and Watson are called upon to investigate the legendary “demonic” hound that has plagued Baskerville Hall (an estate in Devonshire) since the death of Sir Hugo Baskerville several centuries before. After the recent death of Sir Charles Baskerville, only one heir to the vast estate remains in the person of Sir Henry Baskerville (Richard Greene). At the urging of family friend, Dr. Mortimer (Lionel Atwill), who fears for Sir Henry’s life, Holmes sends Watson ahead to the Hall to start “snooping around”. Meanwhile, Holmes secretly travels to Devonshire to do his own investigating. What he discovers is a huge, vicious, half-starved dog that is being used to terrify and a plot to rid Baskerville Hall of its heirs to make room for an unknown blood-relative who is intent on inheriting the huge Baskerville estate and all its wealth. There is atmosphere a-plenty in this classic tale of intrigue on the fog-drenched moors of Devonshire with the “hound from Hell” in hot pursuit. Watch out for Grimpen Mire!

In The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, the story-line was just as authentically Holmesian. Archenemy, Professor Moriarty (George Zucco) intends nothing less than the theft of the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London. Warned by Ann Brandon (Ida Lupino), a frightened young lady who appears at the door of 221B Baker Street, the ace detective throws himself into the fray. Dr. Watson faithfully trails at his heels, while Mrs. Hudson (Mary Gordon) presides over the Holmes household as the superbly dependable housekeeper. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes expertly transfers to the screen the heroic intrigue elaborated in Conan Doyle’s stories. Something foul is afoot in the foggy city of London and only Holmes can solve the mystery with his calm expertise and deadly accurate deduction.

We highly recommend both of these 1939 Sherlock Holmes classics. They are thoroughly entertaining mysteries set in the time period that was intended by the author. It’s not that we don’t like any of Universal ‘s updated versions, we just like the first two best. The Scarlet Claw (1944) is considered the best of the “Universal” offerings. The Spider Woman (1944), The House of Fear (1945), and The Woman in Green (1945), to name a few more, are also enjoyable.

Don’t miss another Fabulous Film of 1939 on our next post!

**Trivia Question for Today: What is the name of the two-billed (one in front and one in back) cap that Sherlock Holmes is famous for wearing? The answer will appear next time on Let’s Talk Classic Movies. Read a new post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Trivia Answer for Previous Post: In Of Mice and Men, Lennie wanted to “pet” Mae’s head because her hair was so soft (he liked soft things like mice and rabbits). She let him, but she soon became frightened and started screaming. He panicked and accidentally killed her by snapping her neck.

Bonus Trivia Answer: Lon Chaney, Jr. spoofed his role of “Lennie” in the comedy, My Favorite Brunette (1947), with Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour.

Classic Movies - Fabulous Films of 1939: Of Mice and Men

Today, let’s talk Classic Drama-Of Mice and Men! We continue our presentation of the fabulous films of 1939 with the film adaptation of John Steinbeck’s heartbreaking classic, Of Mice and Men, the first movie with a pretitle sequence. It begins with two migrant workers, Lennie (Lon Chaney, Jr.) and George (Burgess Meredith), fleeing from a sheriff’s posse. They succeed in boarding a moving freight train, and when they slide its heavy door shut, the camera remains outside. A passage from a Robert Burns poem is scrawled on the door in chalk: “The best laid schemes of mice and men gang aft a-gley; An’ lea’e us nought but grief and pain, for promis’d joy.” The prophetic words fade until only the title itself remains. The “scheme” of this poignant story is Lennie and George’s dream of a farm of their own where they can live in peace. These plans go awry when the mentally-challenged Lennie accidentally kills his foreman’s wife, Mae (Betty Field). This was not the first time the powerful, child-like Lennie unintentionally inflicted harm on a weaker creature. Lennie’s friend and protector, George, kills him to prevent him from being brutalized by a bloodthirsty posse, and at the same time, destroys the dream as well. (The theme of euthanasia in this story is still a controversial topic.)

The story is set in the farming country of the Monterey-Salinas area of California and was filmed in sepia by director-producer Lewis Milestone. The dreary brown tone of the film emphasizes the feeling of futility that is shared by all of the characters in Of Mice and Men. Everyone, with the exception of the ranch owner, seems to personify the spiritual desolation caused by the Great Depression. The audience can honestly feel the hope and excitement of Lennie and George as well as Candy, and Crooks (the two old men they befriend), as they discuss pooling their money for a place of their own. Those feelings are literally shattered when Lennie commits murder. All, but Lennie, realize that the dream is over and hope is lost.

The film’s suggestion of rootlessness and despair is further enhanced by the superb musical score composed by the distinguished American composer, Aaron Copland. In addition to the technical perfection of the film, Burgess Meredith’s small, protective George, Lon Chaney, Jr.’s lumbering, dull-witted Lennie, Bob Steele’s jealous, bullying Curley, Roman Bohnen’s pathetically careworn Candy, and Betty Field’s lonely, sensitive Mae are finely-tuned, brilliant performances.

Of Mice and Men was nominated for an Academy Award for best picture and despite the depressing theme, was one of the ten top money-makers of 1939. It truly is a masterpiece of fine movie-making.

Don’t miss next week’s posts for more Fabulous Films of 1939!

**Trivia Question for Today: What caused Lennie to kill Mae in Of Mice and Men?
Bonus Trivia Question: In what Bob Hope comedy did Lon Chaney, Jr. spoof his “Lennie” character? The answers will appear in our next post. Check our blog every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for more movie classics.

Trivia Answer for Previous Post: Stagecoach was filmed in Monument Valley of northern Arizona and southern Utah, a favorite location of John Ford and used in many of his Westerns.

Classic Movies - Fabulous Films of 1939: Stagecoach

Today, let’s talk Classic Western-Stagecoach! Countless directors have panned the great open spaces of the Southwest, seeking to capture on celluloid the dramatic panorama of the great frontier. None of them has succeeded like the legendary John Ford. Among his many excellent Westerns, Stagecoach stands out as one of his finest. The film was released in 1939, a very good year for the motion picture industry, as previously discussed on our last post. Stagecoach made a star of John Wayne as the Ringo Kid, although he had made innumerable “B” Westerns throughout the 30s prior to this particular film. Lovely Claire Trevor, who was rarely given the roles she deserved, excelled as Dallas, the loose woman gone straight. Thomas Mitchell received the “best supporting actor” Academy Award for his role as Doc Boone.

The Apache-menaced plains of Arizona form the backdrop for Ford’s adventure story. Thrown together on a stagecoach (driven by Andy Devine)and sharing a sense of impending disaster are a professional gambler and former Southern gentleman (John Carradine), a doctor given to drink (Mitchell), a devious banker (Berton Churchill), a brazen woman with a scandalous past (Trevor), a delicately pregnant, upper-class lady (Louise Platt), and a timid whiskey salesman (Donald Meek). Rounding out the group is a sheriff (George Bancroft) in search of the escaped outlaw, the Ringo Kid (Wayne), who eventually joins them, having given himself up without a fight.

Although the plot wasn’t really very original--the U.S. Cavalry rescues the stagecoach from attacking Apaches; the Ringo Kid, after a classic street shootout, is redeemed; and the young woman of questionable reputation falls for the Kid’s charms and rides off into the sunset with him--it was transformed with Ford’s straightforward direction, magnificent location footage, crisply fresh dialogue, and marvelous acting. Ford believed that plot situations were only the starting point beyond which the director must go. And go he did-to take the Western motion picture to a whole new level of cinematic excellence.

Ford and Wayne would make many Westerns together in future years including the Cavalry trilogy of Fort Apache (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) and Rio Grande (1950), but to most Western “purists”, Stagecoach is the very best of them all, the paradigm for one of the most popular of movie genres.

**Trivia Question for Today: What favorite location of John Ford’s was first used in the filming of Stagecoach? The answer will appear in our next post.

Trivia Answer For Previous Post: Buddy Ebsen of “The Beverly Hillbillies” and “Barnaby Jones” TV fame was originally the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz. He became violently ill and nearly died due to inhaling the aluminum powder that was used in his Tin Man makeup and was replaced by Jack Haley in the role. Haley’s makeup was changed from that of Buddy Ebsen to prevent it from happening again. (Ebsen was replaced quite abruptly and unfairly while he was critically ill. He never quite got over how he was treated by the “powers-that-be” at MGM.) Check out “Let’s Talk Classic Movies” every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

We will be featuring more of the Fabulous Films of 1939 in the next few weeks. Don’t miss them!