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Reviews
My Brother Talks to Horses (1947)
What a wonderful movie!
Three words: Turner Classic Movies! Uncut and no commericals. Anyway, I saw this lovely movie last night and just loved it. The movie is a definite "animal" movie as the kid not only talks to horses, but dogs, chickens and other animals as well. The whole family is a little eccentric and Spring Byington fits that bill perfectly and was perfectly cast as the head of household and a woman with a truly open mind- ready to at least consider just about any possibility- rather than just shouting "NO" at any unusual idea. I try to be more like that- with the ability to accept change for what it is: inevitable. Her character does however, have the certainty of conviction that all change is for the better- I'm not so sure. Anyway, the movie does have it's sad parts- lessons of loss and recovery- greed and selflessness- all wrapped in a movie that not "too" preachy- there's even a funny chicken scene!
The Girl of the Golden West (1938)
Love this movie
I really loved this movie from the first time I saw it. I know most of the Nelson/Jeanette films are based on the same basic plot structure- but who cares? Fans of Nelson and Jeanette are here for the stars and the music- how it's presented is mostly secondary.
The only thing that irked me about this movie is Sheriff Rance's habit of calling Jeanette "Girl". Maybe he loved her in his own way, but the constant use of the word "girl" instead of her name made me feel as if he wanted to own her rather than accept her as his equal. Strange then that he gave up so easily in the end- But glad that he did! I also loved Buddy Ebsen as Alabama the Blacksmith- what a sweet character!
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
What an actor
Gary Cooper is one of the all time greatest actors! Just watch the 30 second or so section when he finds out that his lady love is really the rotten reporter he had expressed a desire to punch out for all the overblown stories written in the city newspaper and the person responsible for dubbing him "the Cinderella Man". The first thing is, he needs to ask her himself- and not take someone else's word for it- but when she admits that yes, she is the reporter behind the stories- but that she can explain (how, I don't know) he hangs up the phone and his face goes through a series of expressions that left me just shaking my head in amazement. Wow- from shocked disbelief to resignation to sorrow and almost tears- to embarrassment at being caught so off guard in front of the people standing around him. Incredible!!! And the whole time being so wonderfully tall dark and handsome! What more could you ask for? I agree with someone else here regarding the "punching out" that Longfellow continually does throughout the movie- almost seems out of character- why the writers felt that someone that wrote poetry, loved so deeply and was so generous needed to go around punching out people that laughed at him- I don't know. But what a great movie and well worth watching if only to see Gary Cooper in action!
Johnny Belinda (1948)
I really didn't like this movie
Contrary to what everyone else is saying about this movie, I only found it very frustrating. A deaf mute girl is raped and the only one that seems interested in finding out "who done it" is her father and he is quickly talked out of it by a doctor that has befriended the girl and taught her how to communicate with sign language. This doctor says: what good would it do her to bring this whole thing out and drag her through the mud? Plenty, I think- especially when she ends up pregnant and there is lots of mud dragging to go around. I was astounded when, upon finding out she is pregnant, this girl is happy to have a new friend- apparently the morals of the time had not sunken in that unmarried women don't have babies and that rape is wrong and the perpetrator needs to be brought to justice. They never tell this girl that what happened to her was wrong- if she didn't know- and she needs to let them know who so that this man can be prosecuted. I also kid of felt that Jane Wyman looked a little dazed thought the whole movie- like not much was getting though to her- which is the premise that her family was fighting against- that she was not mentally hampered in any way- just deaf mute. I have my doubts.
Our Vines Have Tender Grapes (1945)
I loved this movie!
Sure, maybe the movie harkens back to a simpler time and maybe life really didn't go this way for alot of people, but this is a sweet movie- the likes we don't really see too much of these days. I did find myself waiting for the inevitable "other shoe to drop" as things were really going too well for the main characters and in all movies- something bad usually happens. I have read other comments here regarding this movie and it's supposed communist undertones- if giving of yourself to help someone that lost everything in a fire is communist- then I'm all for it. Edward G Robinson is hard working, sweet and gentle- without being mushy- it's a simple film that is nice to watch for it's wholesomeness. There are some unhappy parts- a barn burning- and a lesson that even when you get something that you have wanted for your whole life, things can be taken away in the blink of an eye. It's a wonderful movie and has alot of the things I watch some classic movies for: a charm and sweetness that involves no sex and violence- it doesn't need to to get it's message across.
My Pal Wolf (1944)
A movie about the sacrifices of war
***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** If there was a little girl more worthy of a friend, I don't know who it is. Gretchen has two working parents that are never home with her and a really nasty nanny that dosen't understand a single thing about children. Gretchen finds a dog that has fallen into an abandoned hole in the ground and brings him home. The dog befriends and protects her and Gretchen wants to keep the new friend she's found. The nanny sees the dog as a threat to her authority, so she goes about finding out who the rightful owners might are. Turns out the dog is a war dog scheduled to leave right away for the front in Europe and the DOD sends a jeep to pick the dog up at Gretchen's house. Gretchen and a few of her more daring friends decide to go find Wolf at the Army training grounds close by. They find Wolf and ask as to whether they can buy him. The private there tells them that they need to talk to the Secretary of War in Washington DC. This might deter a lesser soul, but Gretchen sets out on foot for Washington. Ultimately the Secretary of War tells Gretchen that Wolf has his part to do in the war effort and that she needs to let him go and do the job he was trained for. All's well that ends well, however, and the Secretary sends Gretchen a puppy to hold her over until Wolf returns from war. We never find out if he does.