Let's Make Love (1960)

Let me first say that I watched this movie in three installments at the gym.  This led me to wonder really inconsequential things, like, why does Amanda (Marilyn Monroe) knit in the first section of the movie but not in the second section?
"What are you making?"
"I haven't decided yet.  It keeps my hands busy."
It turns out she does in fact knit in the third section... she knits sequined yarn in a musical fantasy dreamed by Jean-Marc Clement (Yves Montand).  Phew.  I was worried about continuity.
I also noticed that I was not in any rush to go back to the gym to find out what happened to the characters.

Let's Make Love is your standard "I must pretend to be someone I am not so that you will see the true me and love me.  And then you will quickly (VERY QUICKLY) forget how humiliated you felt by my lying and fall into my arms" movie.  Sometimes this works for me, sometimes it doesn't.  This time it didn't.  Maybe because I just couldn't get myself to care at all about the characters.

Poor Jean-Marc Clement.  He is a French billionaire, and someone is making an off-Broadway musical that uses ten seconds of its stage time to make a joke about him!  His PR man convinces him to visit a rehearsal to show that he can laugh at himself, thus making other people laughing at him seem a little more friendly.  And there on stage at the rehearsal, slithering down poles in a sweater and panty hose, is Amanda (Marilyn Monroe).  Jean-Marc is told he bears a striking resemblance to Jean-Marc Clement, Amanda makes disparaging remarks about the "real" Jean-Marc Clement, and Jean-Marc decides to assume a new name and get cast in the show as himself to get close to Amanda.

More songs, skimpier outfits, Jean-Marc making hoity toity remarks...  and so on.

Highlight for me:  When Jean-Marc needs to learn how to dance (so to better woo Amanda), Gene Kelly comes to his office and gives him a lesson.  Not a great scene, but got me to perk up and pay attention.  Cameos from Bing Crosby and Milton Berle as well.

Two stars, and I don't want to see this again.

Holiday (1938)

So, I got a Cary Grant box set for my birthday, and I'm slowly but surely making my way through it. All I remembered about this movie was that Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn walk around on couches and that I really liked it. I still really like it. And it turns out it is somewhat of a tortured love story while also remaining a romantic comedy!



When you look at that picture, can you tell which woman Johnny (Cary Grant) should be with? Is it his fiance Julia with the fantastic hat? Or is it her "black sheep in the family" sister Linda (Hepburn)? Is this even a question? From the moment Johnny and Linda meet they are joking and having the best time of their lives. And I spent the whole movie watching them wanting to climb into the tv and shake Johnny.

Johnny and Linda are confused for so long... Although maybe more Johnny than Linda. Linda is just too good of a sister to try to woo away her sister's fiance. Johnny is the one who can't see that maybe he is not in love Julia who he has known for a week and with whom he does not seem to be able to carry on a meaningful conversation. Johnny wants to quit his job and take an amazing holiday to find himself and discover the world while he's still young. Julia wants him to sit down at a desk and make millions for the rest of his life. Johnny completely misses the fact that not only do he and Linda understand each other completely, but that she is the one he always seeks out when he needs to talk and that she is the one he is head-over-heels happy with. (Is that a phrase?) They do backflips together!!! See how much fun they're having?



Everyone needs someone who makes them want to do backflips.

Born Yesterday (1950)

I started a new Wishlist for director George Cukor recently. I guess George is best known for My Fair Lady, but I actually loved him first for Philadelphia Story.

According to the biography of Katharine Hepburn that I read "Kate, Remembered" (which actually you could say I didn't so much read as attempt to finish over the course of about 10 weeks during which the library fined my about 40 dollars which I still owe) = George was also the sponsor of the Hepburn-Tracy romance since he allowed Tracy the use of the guest house on his property where Hepburn practically lived with him - although Tracy would never divorce his first wife because he was a Catholic. He was a pretty bad Catholic, if you ask me.



Anyhow, this Wishlist caught "Born Yesterday" and it is my new FAVORITE film. Directed by George Cukor, it stars Judy Holliday and William Holden. Judy plays an excellent ditz, prompting me to imagine both a remake of the film (starring who? Britney Spears? I can't imagine who today can pull off the ditz - a perfect proof of the inferiority of Paris Hilton to the spoiled heiresses of the classic film era is her inability to compare to Marilyn Munroe) and make a clips show about great ditzy blondes.

The lines are so great a few bear repeating:

After being told to read the newspaper and circle anything that confuses her, Billie Dawn makes a move to kiss Paul Verral, he declines. Bille says:
"I'm going to take my pencil and make a circle around you!"

Paul finally corners Billie and asks her to marry him she says no, but when pressed:
"All right I'll think it over but I can tell you already my answer is no."

And finally when Harry threatens her "Shut up! You ain't gonna be tellin' nobody nothin' pretty soon!" she says, gleefully "Double negative!"

This movie is so charming because of Holliday's great performance as a blissfully ignorant woman being educated by a handsome bookworm. He is as intent on her mind as she is on his beauty. Here is a man who has been overlooked by beautiful women who don't want a man of words but a man of action, and along comes a beautiful woman who is enchanted by his intelligence. Now a woman who can easily hold him in her thrall with her looks tries, paradoxically, to entice him with her brain.

It's awesome!

Also, Robert Osbourne told me that JH won an Oscar for her role which she honed on Broadway for 1600 performances. However, she was only considered for the screen role after her performance in Adam's Rib. Previously, everyone from Rita Hayworth (who couldn't be dragged back from Europe) to Lucille Ball was cast in the role. I love Lucy, too, but there is no way she could have out-ditzed Judy!

My new favorite movie!! And made me take up Gin Rummy again.

Will watch again.
Four stars.