To many movie fans today, Kitty Carlisle is best known for being the leading lady in The Marx Brothers film, A Night at the Opera (1935). Fans of old TV will probably recognize her for appearing in tons of episodes of To Tell the Truth. She also worked with Bing Crosby in She Loves Me Not (1934) and Here is My Heart (1934). Much later she would appear in Woody Allen's Radio Days (1987), as well as Six Degrees of Separation (1993) and the made-for-TV movie Kojak: Flowers for Matty (1990).
The following is a 1935 article from Silver Screen about Kitty. If you have any trouble reading the following pages click on them and use your touch screen to zoom in.
Movies With Michael
Celebrating Film: Past and Present
Monday, March 18, 2024
Kitty Carlisle Throws Her Mask Away
Sunday, March 17, 2024
Cowboy Church #168
Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with It is No Secret (What God Can Do). This song was written by cowboy singer and actor Stuart Hamblen. Before turning to God, this man's life could hardly be considered Godly. He often drank and fought, and this often landed him in jail. When in 1949 Hamblin went to a Billy Graham crusade, he turned his life over to God. The drinking and fighting were put behind him and his whole life changing. One day he was talking about this change to his good friend John Wayne (yes that John Wayne) and that it was no secret what God had done for him. John Wayne said that he should write a song with those lyrics. Stuart Hamblen had also had a brief movie career and appeared in the Roy Rogers film, The Arizona Kid (1939).
This is followed by Cowboy Copas with his 1956 with his recording of Don't Shake Hands with the Devil.
Afterwards is two more 1956 country gospel recordings, both from Cecil Campbell. So, enjoy I'm On The Right Road Now and Contentment.
Next is Johnny Cash performing, Truth. It had been assumed that this song was a poem written by Muhammad Ali that he had handed to John. However when House of Cash employee, Gregg Geller heard the song, he simply didn't think it sounded like one of Ali's poems and so he googled the first line of the song, which lead him to a website for Hazrat Inayat Khan. Khan was one of the leaders of the Universal Sufi movement in the early 20th century and among his writers was this poem in full. While Ali did in fact introduce John to the poem he did not write it himself.
Then comes The Carter Family with their 1941 recording of Keep on the Firing Line.
Next is Lorretta Lynn with If God Is Dead (Who's That Living In My Soul). This song was written by country singer Lawrence Reynolds. Reynolds biggest hit was Jesus is a Soul Man. This recording of the song comes from Lorretta's 1969 gospel album, The Gospel Spirit.
Afterwards is Jimmy Murphy with his 1963 recording of Wake Me Up Sweet Jesus.
Today's musical selection ends with The Sons of the Pioneers with Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. This hymn began with a man named Anthony Showalter. As a fan of gospel music and an elder in a Presbyterian church, he held many "singing schools" at various churches in the south. One day he received two letters from former students who were struggling after their wives had passed. To respond to these letters, Showalter consulted scripture. He came across Deuteronomy 33:27, "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." After reading this verse lyrics for a song chorus went through his head and he wrote down, "“Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.” After using this in the letters to his former students he sent this chorus to his friend hymnist, Elisha Hoffman. In the letter he also wrote, “Here is the chorus for a good hymn from Deuteronomy 33:27, but I can’t come up with the verses.” Hoffman then wrote the rest of the lyrics to which Showalter put to music. The hymn was published in 1887. Tim Spencer sings lead on this recording.
Now for an episode of Gene Autry's radio show.
Now for a message from Billy Graham.
Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. 1 Thessalonians 5:15
For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:14
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Luke 6:35
But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. 1 Chronicles 29:14
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:3-4
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love. Ephesians 3:16-17
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
Saturday, March 16, 2024
Facing Death for a Laugh
As any fan of silent comedy knows, many silent comedies used a lot of great stunt work throughout, often putting the characters in dangerous situations. Easily the comedians most famous for using what is often referred to as thrill comedy are Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton. However, they were far from the only ones. The following is a 1926 article from Motion Picture Classic that discusses this type of comedy.
If you have trouble reading the following pages, click on them and use your touch screen to zoom in.
Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #268
Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today’s cartoon selection begins with Mighty Mouse in Triple Trouble (1948). This short film is a delightful parody of old melodramas.
Next we join Betty Boop and Bimbo in Minding the Baby (1931). This short film is part of the Talkartoon series before Betty got her own cartoon series. This marks the first time Betty's name appears above the title.
Continuing today's selection of classic cartoons is Popeye The Sailor Meets Sinbad The Sailor (1936). This is the first of the three Popeye two-reel specials (plus the first color Popeye) and one of the most popular Popeye cartoons. Running at 17 minutes this is twice as long as the usual Popeye film, yet the filmmakers work this to their full advantage. It never feels too long and the extra time lets the filmmakers put in a more atmospheric fantasy like feel to this cartoon. This would be the first Popeye nominated for an Academy Award and received the 17th spot in Jerry Beck's book, The 50 Greatest Cartoons. A review in The Film Daily called the cartoon "Top Notch." However not everybody was so impressed by this film as evidenced by the following Exhibitors reviews from The Motion Picture Herald. "Popeye the Sailor Meets Sinbad the Sailor: Popeye the Sailor series - Good color but did not bring extra business like Paramount said it would. -Fisher & Bichler, Mattray Theatre, Strasburg, N.D." "Popeye the Sailor Meets Sinbad the Sailor: Popeye the Sailor special - Worth twice as much as regular Popeye but no more. I paid more and that makes me a dissatisfied customer. - W. H. Brenner, Cozy Theatre, Winchester, Ind. General Patronage." "Popeye the Sailor Meets Sinbad the Sailor: Popeye the Sailor cartoons - This much Balley-hooed two-reeler, all color, third dimensional cartoon failed to come up to the entertainment value of the single reel black and white Popeye series. - M.R. Harrington, Avalon Theatre, Clatskanie, Ore. - Small Town and rural patronage."
Up next is Porky Pig in Timid Toreador (1940). This is one of the few Looney Tunes cartoons with two directors credited. The credited directors here are Bob Clampett and Norm McCabe. This is Norm McCabe's first director credit. The two would also share a director credit for Porky's Snooze Reel (1941).
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Next is a Toby the Pup cartoon, The Milkman (1931). While Charles Mintz was producing Krazy Kat cartoons for Columbia, he decided to create a separate series of cartoons for RKO, these starring a character named Toby the Pup. To head this series Mintz handed the duties to Dick Huemer, Art Davis and Sid Marcus. Dick Huemer had been a major contributor to the style of the Fleischer studio earlier and this is probably why these shorts have a Fleischer-type feel to them. Huemer, Davis and Marcus would later be the major creative factors for Columbia's Scrappy cartoons (also produced by Mintz).
Now for Mickey Mouse in The Barnyard Broadcast (1931). Radio had become incredibly popular by 1931 and was ripe for a cartoon parody. This short film pokes fun at many things about radio that many people watching this in movie theaters would recognize, including the NBC chimes, which had already become a signature for NBC.
As a huge country music fan, I can't think of a better way to end this post than with this country classic.
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for more animated treasures until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry.
Resources Used
The 50 Greatest Cartoons edited by Jerry Beck
Of Mice and Magic: A History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin
Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History by David Gerstein and J.B. Kaufman
https://likelylooneymostlymerrie.blogspot.com/2013/12/310-timid-toreador-1940.html
https://lantern.mediahist.org/
Friday, March 15, 2024
Movie Review: Love Lies Bleeding
Michael's Movie Grade: B
A well-made neo-noir.
Though with lots of over-the-top sex, violence and gross out moments, this film may not be for everyone there is a lot to really enjoy about this movie. The main reason this film works is because it is a suspense movie that keeps you guessing the whole way through. You never know what is going to happen next and this keeps you constantly on the edge of your seat. Even during the times when you think you know where the story is heading the movie will throw you a curve that will take you by surprise. Sometimes it will even do what you except but throw a little twist on top of that. Director Rose Glass (in what is only her second feature film) also gives us many perfectly staged suspense scenes that simply elevate the film above the pulpy exploitive picture this could have been in lesser hands. Just as much as this is a dark noir-style thriller, it is also a love story. While the characters all have their dark and twisted sides, we also grow to care about them. The romance between our two main characters is incredibly well done. Much of this is simply due to the incredible chemistry between Kristen Stewart (who continues a streak of roles that prove she is a really good actress) and Katy O'Brien. You can always feel the sexual tension between these two, which is incredibly important with how sexually charged this film is (with many very erotic sex scenes that have no fear of how far they are willing to go). Because of this the sex scenes feel like moments of complete passion that can't be held back, rather than coming off as simply pornography. Because of this they feel like a natural and important part of the film instead of simply exploitive.
The main problem with this movie is that it often goes back and forth between being a serious thriller and being something much more intentionally campy. The transitions between the serious and the campy scenes often are too abrupt and take you out of the movie. There are also moments when the film can get simply too campy for its own good. One important scene near the end doesn't work at all because of this and that really hurts the film.
While definitely flawed and far from for everyone, there is a lot to love about this film.
Thursday, March 14, 2024
Movie Review: Arthur the King
Michael's Movie Grade: B
A well-made feel-good movie.
What makes this movie work so well is that its heart is always in the right place. The filmmakers care about this dog, just as much as the human characters grow to. The film doesn't just show us a cute dog and let the entire drama revolve around how cute he is. Instead, we get to actually know who the dog is and why these characters care about him. This alone puts this above many other dog movies, which think all they need to do is show us a cute dog. Through the film we also get to truly care about the main human character. Like the film itself, he is flawed but his heart is always in the right place. He truly grows as a character over the course of the movie, and this is done in a completely believable and heartfelt way. Not only this but the bond between the two characters feels real and fully realized. Of course, this is the most important element for a film like this. Because of this, we truly care about such things as whether the team wins the race or whether the dog will make it.
Unfortunately the supporting characters here are all very boring and one note. This movie also has plenty of dialogue that feels forced and awkward as well as comedy moments that fall flat.
This may not be a new classic, but it does just what someone will want out of such a movie and does it well.
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Charlie Chaplin Carnival #3
Hello my friends. I think it is a good time to take another look at the short films of my personal favorite filmmaker Charlie Chaplin.
Let us start with one of Chaplin's most beautiful films, The Vagabond (1916). Around this time, Charlie had been working on combining his slapstick comedy with real drama and pathos. Though he had already made some good films in this vein, this short shows him taking it to a new level with incredible results. In reality the plot is something that had already been done many times in movies, but Charlie does it with such sincerity that it remains incredibly touching. There has long been a rumor that this film's (SPOILERS) happy ending had been added to appeal to a wider audience, who did not want a comedy with a sad ending. Supposedly the original ending would have had Charlie jump into the water after the girl leaves. To end with a joke, he would be rescued by a woman but discovering this woman is incredibly ugly he would have jumped back in. Chaplin supposedly filmed this scene and kept it for himself. However, this rumor has never been proven true. There is however a wonder outtake that was done as a practical joke with the girl walking in on her long-lost mother much too early during the art gallery scene. (END SPOILERS) This film also benefits from a fine supporting cast that includes Enda Purviance, Eric Campbell, Lloyd Bacon (who would go on to become a director of such movies as 42nd Street (1933), Footlight Parade (1933) and Marked Woman (1937)), Charlotte Mineau, Leo White (in a dual role as a gypsy woman and a Jewish customer) and Frank J. Coleman. The band of musicians outside the bar would be played by Chaplin regulars John Rand, Albert Austin and James T. Kelly.
Moving Picture World, 1917
It is a shame that Charlie Chaplin and Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle didn't work together more. They simply made a perfect comedy team in today's next short, The Rounders (1914). While the story is slight and the gags are predictable, this film is a must watch for silent comedy fans simply for how well these two greats work together. Here the two feel like a well-established well into their teaming, rather than two comedians who were simply making a film together. Roscoe regretted that they did not make more films together and stated, "I have always regretted not having been his partner in a longer film than these one-reelers we made so rapidly. He is a complete comic genius, undoubtedly the only one of our times and he will be the only one who will still be talked about a century from now." Arbuckle's wife is played by his real-life wife Minta Durfee and Charlie's wife is played by Phyllis Allen. Al St. John platys a bellboy here. Al was Roscoe's nephew and would work in many films with his uncle. In a brief role as another dinner is a future great film comedian Charley Chase.
By the Sea (1915) is a Chaplin short they I think deserves more attention. This film is often viewed as quick little one reel comedy that Charlie churned out while more attention was paid to his more ambitious films of the time. In some ones this might be true. The whole picture was shot simply in one day and stylistically this film resembles his earliest work at the Keystone Studio (this film was done for Essanay after he left Keystone). There is little to no story here but simply a bunch of slapstick gags revolving around a simple setting. Many of his early comedies for Keystone would simply be little slapstick gags around a bunch of characters with romantic misunderstandings in a park. Because of the similarity but different setting, this film has often times been called a park comedy without a park. As is common with nearly all Chaplin shorts, this film benefits from a wonderful supporting cast. The big burly man is played by Bud Jamison, who would later become a regular foil for The Three Stooges. Billy Armstrong played the man that Charlie is fighting with. He would also appear in other Chaplin Essanay films including The Tramp, Work, A Woman, The Bank and Shanghaied (all 1915). Billy's wife is played by Margie Reiger and Bud Jamison's wife would be played by Charlie's main leading lady at this time, Edna Purviance. Snub Pollard can be seen briefly as the ice cream vendor, though he is nearly unrecognizable due to not having his famous moustache. Snub would go on to have his own series of short comedies in the 1920's at Hal Roach Studios. Also at Hal Roach, he had been a regular presence in Harold Lloyd's short comedies. Snub would much later appear as one of the street musicians in Chaplin's talkie feature, Limelight (1952). This picture was shot along Ocean Front Walk and Abbott Kinney Pier in Venice, California.
Moving Picture World, 1920
Laughing Gas (1914) is another pure knockabout Chaplin comedy. Like many of Charlie's early films for Keystone, there is no effort to make his character, the slightest bit likable here. In fact, many of the gags make him seem pretty much sadistic. However, since the whole film is played for laughs this is not a problem at all. It has been said that this comedy is based off the Fred Karno sketch (Charlie worked as part of Karno's traveling troupe), The Dentist. Whether or not this is true, this comedy features some truly funny moments as Charlie pretends to be a dentist.
In my opinion Police (1916) is the best film Charlie made for Essanay. Not only is this short often very funny, but it also does an incredible job of combining slapstick comedy and real drama. This film very much looks forward to the mature films, he would later make for Mutual as well as his great feature length movies. This film seems to be a perfect combination of everything that Chaplin learned during his first couple years of movie making. Once again, the cast is full of Chaplin regulars like Edna Purviance, Wesley Ruggles, James T. Kelly, John Rand, Leo White, Bud Jamison and Fred Goodwins. Once again, they all add a lot to this film.
Thanks for joining me. Be sure to come back in the future for more Charlie Chaplin Carnivals.
Resources Used
The Chaplin Encyclopedia by Glenn Mitchell
Liner notes for the DVD/Blu-Ray set Chaplin's Essanay Comedies by Jeffery Vance
Liner Notes for the DVD set Chaplin at Keystone by Jeffery Vance
https://lantern.mediahist.org/