Carefree (1938)

Watch this movie for the dancing. No matter the plot (which in this case is obnoxious but full of hilarity), Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire are worth watching. Fred Astaire can dance anywhere and while doing anything...

In Carefree Stephen (Ralph Bellamy) is dumped by his fiance Amanda (Ginger Rogers) and enlists the help of his good psychiatrist friend Tony (Fred Astaire) to convince her that she really does want to get married. Amanda dislikes Tony almost immediately after hearing his tape recorded diagnosis that she is a silly thoughtless female. While she eventually does agree to meet with him for analysis and help, she first spends some hilarious scenes insulting him while wearing great hats.

The fact that there is hypnosis involved in Amanda's treatments should be enough to draw even the non-dance lover to this movie.

Needless to say, much hilarity ensues, and Stephen does not necessarily get the help that he is looking for. Oh Ralph Bellamy.  Were you limited to a career in which you play the dopey guy who is left for a suave hero?  I have seen only three of your movies, so I just don't know.  But Irene Dunne preferred Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell preferred Cary Grant, and now Ginger Rogers prefers Fred Astaire.  To be fair, The Dunne and Russell characters had both been previously married to their Grant character co-stars, and you were a transition back to their marriages.  But Ginger Roger's Amanda treated you so poorly.  Wait... I have just learned (imdb.com) that Ralph Bellamy won a Tony for his 1958 portrayal of FDR.  I feel a little better.

Two stars for golf dancing and hypnosis by dancing. I'm sure I will find other Rogers & Astaire movies to entertain me in the future. And now for more dancing...

Help! (1965)

Hey Bee-attle.

I would like to give it fewer than four stars, but it is hard to give the Beatles fewer than four stars. Hmmm. The music deserves more than four stars... "Help," "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," "I Need You," "You're Going to Lose That Girl"...



I watched Help! with my dad, because he's been waiting anxiously for the DVD to be released. I hope he doesn't mind that I didn't love it. Maybe loving this movie is dependent on mood. I know I liked it a lot more the first time I saw it, sometime during high school, when Amy and I decided to have a movie day. I remember sitting on the floor of my parents' room eating popcorn, watching too many movies, and laughing a lot at this one. I didn't laugh as much this time.

Bascially Ringo has ended up wearing an important ring that marks him as the next sacrifice victim of an "Eastern" cult. The cult chases him. Mad scientists hungry for the power of the ring chase him. The London police try to help. The Beatles come up with crafty plans. Hilarity ensues.

I did learn a bit about my dad's catch phrases. A woman from the cult decides that she likes the Beatles and wants to help protect Ringo. When she first reveals herself to the Beatles, after the cult members have used the hand dryers in the bathroom to try to vacuum the ring off of Ringo's finger, along with random items of clothing and such, she announces, "I am not what I seem!" Apparently my dad uses this phrase during meetings at work. And he tells me that "I can say no more" is a good way to end a meeting. Another line from the female cult member.

Watching Help! was a little like watching a Monty Python/Austin Powers movie with great music. It is fun to watch the Beatles act really silly. I will probably see it again someday hoping to laugh more.