Talk of the Town (1942)

This comedy-drama begins with a rather stark montage chronicling how the unfortunately named Leopold Gilg (Cary Grant) was accused of arson, murder and finally imprisoned by one owner of a mill named Holmes. After escaping from prison and an imminent conviction in a torrential downpour the hampered Gilg seeks asylum in a nearby house. It just happens to belong to Miss Nora Shelley a local teacher in Lochester and an acquaintance of Gilg. She reluctantly allows the injured fugitive to hold up in her attic, but then her new tenant arrives a day early, the distinguished professor Lightcap (Ronald Colman).

After Gilg finally reveals himself to Lightcap as the gardener Joseph, what forms is a interesting triangle with the two men on the sides and Ms. Shelley in the middle. Both men take a liking to each other despite their difference in opinion on justice. Lightcap is much the academic and he goes by the book. "Joseph" on the other hand has a more practical approach.

It  does not matter much until the professor finally learns Joseph's true identity and now he feels it is his duty to report Gilg no matter his affinity for him. But after Gilg gets away once again the professor is finally coaxed to look into the case that he has been so reluctant to involve himself in. Both men make concessions out of respect for the other. The professor involves himself , buys some borscht and cuts his beard, while Gilg turns himself in. It almost drives Ms. Shelley up the wall with grief. You see she loves both of them.

In his final search Lightcap finds something very interesting indeed. The town mob bursts into the courtroom as Gilg stands trial again, but the professor shows up with a surprise of his own. He ends up as the next Court Justice a very happy man and Ms. Shelley and Gilg are very happy for him. They don't have much to complain about either.

George Steven's film had a bit of a contrived plot much like The More the Merrier. Things certainly feel set up, but that's okay because the cast is so wonderful it makes the set piece work. Jean Arthur is wonderful when she is exasperated and sneaking about making little white lies as people file in and out of her home. Gilg seemed like a rather odd role for Grant, but he pulled it off with his usual charm and charisma. Someone else might have made Lightcap unbearably stuffy, but Colman's portrayal is always tolerable and very often charming. This had a lot more drama than I was expecting, but it was not short on the comedy either. My only complaint is that it ran a tad long, but it just meant more screen time for the leads. That's not so bad. They were The Talk of the Town after all.

4/5 Stars

The Best Films of Jean Arthur

1. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
2. Shane
3. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
4. Only Angels Have Wings
5. The More The Merrier
6. You Can't Take it With You
7. Easy Living
8. The Talk of the Town
9 The Devil and Miss Jones
10. History is Made at Night
11. A Foreign Affair
12. The Whole Town's Talking

You Can't Take it With You (1938)

Starring a cast boasting Lionel Barrymore, Jean Arthur, James Stewart, and Ed Arnold, this is another comical Capra film. Arnold is a wealthy banker bent on acquiring a block of land for business purposes. Stewart is his son who has fallen over heels for his secretary. Things are complicated by her peculiar family household partly because her grandfather will not give up his land to the banker. Fireworks go off literally and figuratively when the two families meet. It leads to prison, and a chaotic court appearance which causes a further rift. Because his grand daughter is sad, Grandpa decides to sell the family home. Arnold seems to have won, but his son leaves him for his love and so Arnold changes his way. Thanks to a harmonica duet and some dancing a friendship is made and everyone is happy in the end. Every Capra films comes with a message and this one preaches the importance of friends and family compared to money because after all "You Can't Take it With You."

4/5 Stars

Shane (1953)

There is often something special about westerns and Shane is no different. Directed by George Stevens and starring Alan Ladd, Van Heflin, Jean Arthur, and other great character actors, Shane is simple yet charming. It has many of the qualities of a great movie because of what it shows of mankind. Furthermore, it simply makes you feel good.

In the film Shane (Ladd) is a wandering ex-gunslinger who decides to live with a frontier family as a hired hand. His presence makes everyone happy because he is quiet, humble, and fundamentally so good. However, there is trouble from a man named Riker and his gang. Heflin's character is adamant he must face the foe and defend his home. Shane will not allow it knowing this is a job for him. The two friends fight it out with Shane winning and riding into town. In the end, he wins the shoot out but more importantly he is reconciled with the family's boy Joey. The time has come for him to move on and Shane rides off into the distance, a humble hero.

The first thing that always strikes me about this film is the brilliant scenery around Jackson Hole, Wyoming with the Tetons looming majestically behind a solitary cabin. In some sense this is not just a western but the archetypal story of a family taming the land.

The very next thing of importance is the eponymous and unassuming drifter Shane. He always seems so kind and good but early on there are glimpses of another, perhaps darker past. And yet from the point of view of Joey, he is an idolized, almost mythological figure. What is so striking about Shane is that he is obviously handy with a gun and a excellent fighter, but he never flaunts it. Perhaps it is because he wishes to rely on it as his last possible resort or maybe it is because he is just a humble man.

As an audience, much like Joey, we want him to fight back and we are happy when he finally does. During the course of the film, Grafton's mercantile and saloon is often the place of conflict and here multiple times Shane ultimately uses violence. It is his fallback, but he uses it effectively even against his own friends if he sees fit. Then Shane drifts on and the cycle undoubtedly continues again.

Yes, he certainly could be called a hero, with no last name to speak of, but he is a man who will always be on the move. This may not be because he wants to, but because he really has no other option. Shane foresaw what we did not want to see, and now he cannot come back even if he wants to, so he rides on. This is the middle of George Steven's so called American Trilogy and I would contend that it is the hallmark of his illustrious career.

5/5 Stars

The More The Merrier (1943)

Directed by George Stevens and starring Jean Arthur, Joel McCrea, and Charles Coburn, this comedy makes light of the housing shortage in Washington D.C. during WWII. Retired millionaire Benjamin Dingle comes to D.C. as an adviser for the housing crisis. Unfortunately he cannot find a place to stay right away. By chance he happens upon an ad for a room the only thing is that the other tenant is a young woman. Mr. Dingle will not take no for an answer and despite her misgivings she agrees to let him stay. It soon proves to be a hilarious situation and it gets even more complicated when Dingle rents half of his half to a Sergeant Joe Carter who is about to ship out. Of course he doesn’t tell Connie. There is initial conflict however Dingle tries to play matchmaker. The only problem is that Connie is already engaged to a bureaucrat. Then Dingle oversteps his boundaries reading Ms. Milligan’s diary to Joe. Dingle accepts the responsibility and leaves but Connie allows Joe to stay since he will be gone soon. Through a series of events the newspaper gets a hold of the situation so Mr. Dingle advises them to get married to stop a scandal. As Joe gets ready to leave they realize they really do care for each other and Dingle was right Connie finally gave into her true feelings. All the main players were good and I think Charles Coburn was really the standout because he was the character who kept the whole story together. As is his motto, “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.”

4.5/5 Stars

Only Angels Have Wings (1939)

Starring Cary Grant and Jean Arthur with a cast including Thomas Mitchell, Rita Hayworth, and Noah Beery Jr., with director Howard Hawks, the film follows pilots who fly mail throughout South America. Grant is the head of the dangerous operation and it becomes apparent to Arthur that he is callous, after a great tragedy strikes. However, she still stays out of interest in him. Things get complicated when the new pilot arrives and he carries a past that puts him at odds with everyone. It doesn't help that his wife (Hayworth) was the former girl of Grant. In order to keep the operation going, Grant is forced to send out this Macpherson as well as his best friend "The Kid" (Mitchell) into a large storm. Needless to say that are not able to make it. Arthur is about to leave after this second disaster, but beforehand she says goodbye to the saddened Grant. He soon peps up when the weather clears and then prepares to fly again. Arthur at first feels rejected but with a flip of a coin she realizes his love for her. This is certainly a tragic picture, but good nonetheless.

                                                        4/5 Stars

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

As both a political drama and feel good movie, this film cemented James Stewart as an acting powerhouse. Furthermore, despite its age it acts as a timeless reminder of the evils of political machines. It makes us root for the underdog and it is distinctively American. Here is a cast and a story that seemingly could never be equaled, but what this film really had going for it was an idealistic outlook. I can, myself, often be a cynical person and Mr. Smith never fails to make me acknowledge the numerous attributes that make our country great whether it is through montage, monuments, music, and of course Jefferson Smith himself. 

In one of his best performances, Jimmy Stewart is an idealistic, naive boy's troop leader named Jefferson Smith. The starry eyed Smith, trusts that our nation is founded on some very noble principles that should be fought for tirelessly in government and in society. Above all he is a likable fellow who earnestly believes in the merits of this country and he is beloved by boys all across the state. Now this all sounds fine and dandy, but it would never have come across on the screen if it had not been for Stewart. He emanates this awkward and innocent energy that puts life into the idealistic creation of Jefferson Smith. 

When the film opens, everything is in turmoil when a senator suddenly dies and a replacement is needed fast. Believing Smith will be a pawn, a powerful man named Taylor (Ed Arnold) gets Smith a seat in the nation's Senate. There he joins the respected Senator and old family acquaintance, Joe Paine (Claude Rains), who is also a cog in Taylor's machine. However, although he is out of place in Washington, the patriotic Smith does his best to be worthy of his position. He realizes that the press will not give him a break and the other Senators do not take him seriously. So on the urging of Paine he decides to come up with a bill for a boys camp back in his home state. He requires the help of the world weary secretary Saunders (Jean Arthur) to get his bill done. Initially she is disgusted by his naivete, but as she grows to know him she realizes he is only going to get himself hurt. His action to propose a bill soon find him face to face with the political machine that elected him. Taylor also has stakes on the piece of land where the boy's camp would be and he wants it for a dam. 

Smith finds himself being accused of using his position for his personal gain and pretty soon he is before a committee with false evidence piling up against him. With all odds and seemingly everyone  against him as well, Smith makes one last monumental effort. Thanks to the help and guidance of Saunders, Smith fights to plead his case through a filibuster. Fatigued by many hours of giving impassioned speeches and reciting the Constitution, Smith finally collapses but not before effectively succeeding at his task. I doubt this would every happen in real life, but in the film it is fantastic watching the Senate break out into complete and utter mayhem. Ultimately, a young man with "a little bit of plain, ordinary, everyday kindness and a little looking out for the other fella," was able to win. True, it may be overly sentimental, but it is a wonderful piece of sentiment all the same.

Frank Capra was wonderful at these type of cheering tales and his stars were in top form. There is an absolutely wonderful supporting cast here including Claude Rains, Edward Arnold, Eugene Pallette Thomas Mitchell, Charles Lane, Harry Carey, William Demarest, Beulah Bondi, and numerous other familiar faces I don't even know the names of. That's the beauty of the studio system I guess. It may have the same director, same leading man, and some of the same general themes, but Mr. Smith Goes to Washington covers completely different territory from Capra's later classic It's a Wonderful Life. Mr. Smith should be seen as a unique, and very much American film.


5/5 Stars

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)

Starring Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur with director Frank Capra, this film follows a man from a small town who is left $2 million by a dead relative. Longfellow Deeds is thrust into a life in New York where everyone wants his attention in order to get money and support. However, this man they took for a stooge has common sense and grows fed up with them all. The only person he talks to is Arthur's character who is actually a reporter. While she writes damaging articles, they slowly begin to fall for each other. He finds out what she did and eventually decides to give his money away. Fortune hunters try to claim he is crazy and they bring their case to court. Initially Deeds does not defend himself, but when his love speaks on his behalf he changes his mind and fights for his cause. Capra was wonderful at making the feel good films about the common man. Here he does it once again in a precursor to Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Meet John Doe.

4.5/5 Stars