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Three Classic Movies I
Highly Recommend
By V. Lee Parker As some of you may know, I’m a big fan of classic film. That’s pretty much all I watch (except for Dr. Phil). And watching old movies helps pass the time out here in the backwoods. So when you don’t have anything else to do, get yourself some good snacks – Dairy Queen comes to mind – and settle in for this triple feature: 1. “Lost Horizon,” starring Ronald Colman and Jane Wyatt and directed by Frank Capra (1937). Here’s the plot in a
nutshell. A world worn diplomat is fleeing a revolt in China and
his plane is highjacked. When the plane crashes in the mountains,
he and his companions find themselves in peaceful Shangri-La where they
must decide whether to stay in paradise on earth or return to the
worries of pre-WWII England. Shangri-La is a great place to live
since no one ages very much or gets sick and everyone has a lot of
fun. This is because no one is worried about anything. So
why would anyone want to leave this place? You’ll have to watch
the movie to find out.
2. “Counselor at Law,” starring John Barrymore and directed by William Wyler (1933). Barrymore plays Mr. Simon, a
sharp shark of a lawyer, who’s nuts for his well-pedigreed wife, a
woman intent on spending his money and treating him like a piece of
doggie-doo. Although his secretary is stunningly beautiful (this
is a Hollywood picture after all) and head over heels in love with him,
Simon barely notices her preferring to bow and scrape to his wife who
despises his humble background. One crisis leads to another, and
the secretary rescues Simon from utter destruction. But does she
get her man? I’m not sure about that, but Barrymore turns in a
mesmerizing and, at times, comic performance as the manic Simon.
And the supporting cast is beyond superb. The class and ethnic
issues giving rise to the conflict here are not usually addressed in
Hollywood films of this time, which makes this movie all the more
fascinating.
3. “Platinum Blonde,” starring Loretta Young, Robert Williams, and Jean Harlow and directed by Frank Capra (1931). Never heard of Robert
Williams? Well neither had I. The reason is he died right
after the picture was released. He’s the one and only reason to
see this movie. His style is so relaxed, so at ease, you’ll swear
he’s not acting. There’s one charming scene with Harlow where the
director seems to have let them improvise a bit. In that one
scene, Robert Williams brings out the best in Harlow, making her
performance seem just as natural and unforced as his. (Those familiar
with the film will not be surprised to hear that I’m referring to the
scene where Harlow tries to persuade Williams, her new husband, to wear
garters to hold up his socks.) Check out this movie and see what
Hollywood lost when Williams passed away. I truly think he would
have been a legend.
(All these movies are available for rental at netflix.com.) |
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