Phil Goes Hollywood: Phil attends the final day of CINECON 49-Spetember 2, 2013

Greetings and salutations everybody and welcome to the fifth and final day of the Cinecon 49 Film Festival at the Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in the heart of Hollywood! I saw another seven films on Monday, which was a great way to spend my Labor Day! So let me talk about all the films I saw!

WET AND WARMER (1920): This silent comedy short film stars Billie Ritchie as the "Mysterious Stranger", Charlotte Dawn as May Time, and Albert Ray as Billy Poste. The film was directed by Henry Lehrman who was at one time one of the biggest comedy producers of the Teens. This short was one of only five films he produced for his own company Henry Lehrman Comedies ans was released in December of 1920. 

CASTLES FOR TWO (1917): According to the Cinecon program, "American heiress Marie Doro (Patricia Calhoun) returns to the old sod to find the fairies and the leprechauns of her grandmother's stories. There she meets Elliot (Brian O'Neil), who thinks she's poor and falls in love. But Elliot's sisters remind him that they need a real pot of gold to save the family estate from foreclosure. In order to avoid being pursued for her money, Marie has her maid play herself. But in the end, true love come through."

This silly and heartfelt silent film was written by Beatrice DeMille, mother of legendary director  Cecil B. DeMille and his brother director/writer William C. DeMille. Director Frank Reicher is most famous for his role as Capt. Englehorn from KING KONG and its sequel THE SON OF KONG (both from 1933). This film was released by  Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company on March 5, 1917.

THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (1929): The man himself Det. Sherlock Holmes (Clive Brook) comes out of retirement to solve his last, and greatest, case ever! Involving murder kidnapping, double cross, and a secret weapon that could alter the balance of power, Holmes's investigation leads him face to face finally with his old adversary Professor Moriarty (Harry T. Morey).

This was the very first talking Sherlock Holmes film. And this was a fascinating film to see and hear! Clive Brook is a fantastic Sherlock Holmes, showcasing intelligent, stamina, ingenuity, confidence, everything the made this legendary detective famous for. H. Reeves-Smith was really good as Dr. Watson and Harry T. Morey portrayed Holmes's nemesis with unfathomable evil. The film was released by Paramount Pictures on October 26, 1929.

After our lunch break, it was time to see the last four films of the day...

SPRING PARADE (1940): The film's official synopsis: an Hungarian woman named Ilonka Tolnay (Deanna Durbin) who attends a Viennese fair and buys a card from a gypsy fortune teller which says she will meet someone important and is destined for a happy marriage. Soon after the woman gets a job as a baker's assistant and meets a handsome army drummer Corporal Harry Marten (Robert Cummings) who dreams of becoming a famous composer and conductor, but is held back by the military which discourages original music. Wanting to help the army drummer, the woman sends one of his waltzes to the Austrian Emperor with his weekly order of pastries, which leads to the tuneful and joyous fulfillment of the gypsy's prediction.

What I loved about the film was its sheer innocence. It was a romantic comedy that really had heart. Both Durbin and Cummings had great on-screen chemistry which elevates the film to become a classic. Really a great joy to see! The film was originally released to theaters by  Universal Pictures on September 27, 1940.

CHINA (1943): The film's official synopsis: Shortly before Pearl Harbor, American opportunist Jones (Alan Ladd) and partner Johnny (William Bendix) are in China to sell oil to the invading Japanese army. Cynical about the sufferings of the Chinese, Jones meets compassionate teacher Carolyn Grant (Loretta Young) while traveling cross-country to Shanghai. Sparks fly between these strong-willed characters, neither budging an inch. But when Jones witnesses a Japanese atrocity, his feelings toward his customers (and Carolyn) begin to change.

Now here was a really interesting film to discover. While the plot does sound like a poor man's CASABLANCA, here we see Mr. Ladd give one of his best and underrated performances he ever gave! Miss Young really does a stupendous job of being the "light of understanding" as Ladd's Jones does an complete 180 degrees. The film was made during the early years of World War II, so one can see this as a propaganda piece, but the acting and the directing (courtesy of John Farrow) really makes it a must-see rediscovery! The film was released to theaters by Paramount Pictures on April 21, 1943.

FIFTY ROADS TO TOWN (1937): Official synopsis: A man named Peter Nostrand (Don Ameche) hides out in the country to avoid testifying in his friends' divorce. A girl named Millicent Kendall (Ann Sothern) shows up and he thinks is a process server while she thinks he's a gangster. So do the sheriff and his men when they mistake Peter with kidnapping Millicent.

The film is another product of the times, featuring African Americans in a negative light. This time it's good ol' Stepin Fetchit stepping in as the lazy and mumbling hotel employee Percy. Both Ameche and Sothern have a lot of fun with their respected characters, and we see their feeling for one another bloom while in contrast to the unforgiving snow storm that has trapped them in the cabin in the woods. Director Norman Taurog made an amazing 181 films, dating back to the silent film era! His most famous films are the Elvis Presley ones: GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS! G.I. BLUES and BLUE HAWAII, but he also helped direct one of the most famous films ever! That would be 1939's THE WIZARD OF OZ! Yup, he directed several scenes for that film as well! This film was released by 20th Century Fox on June 14, 1937.

HI, GOOD LOOKIN'! (1944): An usher at a radio station studio pretends to be an executive at the station in order to help a pretty girl become a singer. That's all I can remember right now, but it was a pretty funny from what I can recall. I'll update this one later on once I can remember. I was pretty tired by this film, which was released by Universal Pictures on March 22, 1944.

And ladies and gentlemen, there you have it! My first Cinecon Film Festival since 2011. I had a blast at this festival, to see so many classic Hollywood films from the silent era, pre-code, and musicals! It was also nice to see a lot of my friends down here. Overall, I can't wait to come back again next year! And I encourage you all to make a trip down here to check out this awesome film event! To learn more about the Cinecon Film Festival, visit their website at www.cinecon.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil Goes Hollywood: Phil attends CINECON 49: Day Four at the Grauman's Egyptian Theatre-September 1, 2013

Hello folks and welcome back to my trip to Hollywood! I was back for Day Four of the Cinecon 49 Film Festival at the historic Grauman's Egyptian Theatre! There were a lot of films to see on Sunday, so sit back, relax, and let the fun begin!

TURKISH HOWLS (1927): Also known as Wisecrackers #2: Turkish Howls, the short takes place at a hotel where they are visited by a Royal Turkish King. However, they staff finds that the king is an impostor and they help the real king take his rightful place on his throne. This was part two of the Wisecrackers series from the Film Booking Offices of America and was released on February 13, 1927.

EVE'S LEAVES (1926): Now here's a cute and funny silent film! Eve Corbin (Leatrice Joy) is a young girl who was raised by her father as a boy who then finally discovers that she's a girl when she falls in love with a man named Bill Stanley (William Boyd). But when Eve's father's boat is taken over by the ruthless Chang Fang (Walter Long) and his crew, it's up to Eve and Bill to regain the ship and save the day.

Director Paul Sloane does a great job of balancing the comedy with the action. Boyd is great as our hero, but Joy is the star here and she steals every scene that she's in. Outstanding comedic timing and just an all around great actress! Yet another film by DeMille Pictures Corporation, it was released to theaters on June 13, 1926.

SUTTER'S GOLD (1936): This supposed biopic tells the life of the one and only Californian pioneer John Sutter (portrayed by Edward Arnold). It chronicles his entire adult life: from leaving his family in Switzerland (which bugs me that he never had an accent) to his conquering of California and the discovery of gold, thus ushering the Gold Rush.

The film ran waaaaay too long, the script was underdeveloped and the filmmakers to liberty with Suter's story. This was the most expensive film that Universal Pictures made up until that time (a whopping $2 million dollars), and it completely bombed at the box office. It was because of this financial disaster that founder and president Carl Laemmle and his family were booted off the lot forever. The film was originally released on March 1, 1936.

After an hour and a half lunch break, the festival continued with...

A THRILLING ROMANCE (1926): A silent two-reeler short is about an aspiring writer (Wanda Wiley) who chases after a couple of thieves who stole her purse, which sets off a chain reaction of comedic yet thrilling situations! A fun short film to watch! It was released by Century Film on July 14, 1926.

OH MARY, BE CAREFUL (1921): This film should've been called OH MARY STOP BEING A FLIRT! Mary Meacham (Madge Kennedy) is a college student who flirts with every single man in town. Seriously, she does! She lives with her man hating aunt Miss Myra, who has these weird test to see if a man is worthy of marriage. Well, Mary meets a handsome young tree surgeon named Morgan Smith (George Forth). She puts him thru some tests, and then tells her auntie that he's the one she wants to marry.

According to the Cinecon program, actress Madge Kennedy only made 27 silent films and only a handful survive, with this being one of them. Now supposedly that the film was made a number of years prior to 1921. It was produced by Goldwyn Pictures and released by the Pioneer Film Company on September 1, 1921.

APRIL LOVE (1957): Chicago troubled youth Nick Conover (Pat Boone) is sent by his mother to live with his Aunt Henrietta Bruce (Jeanette Nolan) and Uncle Jed Bruce (Arthur O'Connell) on their horse farm in Kentucky. Soon Nick meets the neighbors, the Templetons, and their younger daughter Liz (Shirley Jones), who takes a liking to Nick right from the get go. However he has his eyes on her older sister Fran (Dolores Michaels), but she has a boyfriend already. The four of them spend time together, eventually leading Nick to the charms of Liz, especially she coaches him in the big horse race at the country fair.

Filmed in color and full of singing and dancing, this was one of my favorite films of the festival. Boone was great, but Jones was just amazing! She sang well but she was quite a looker back then! OK she was cute and hot at the same time! But the movie was a real joy to watch! Unfortunately it's not on Blu-ray or DVD yet! Boo! After the screening, both Boone and Shirley participated in a fun and informative Q&A! Afterwards Shirley Jones was signing copies of her book in the theatre lobby! And in case you were wondering, of course I bought a copy!

After a hour dinner break, it was back to the theatre to see...

BOTTOMS UP (1934): The film's about a promoter named 'Smoothie' King (Spencer Tracy) who helps a Hollywood extra actress Wanda Gale (Pat Paterson) con her way into a movie company and soon towards stardom with the help of his "associates" as well: Spud Mosco aka Reginald Morris (Sid Silvers) and Limey Brook aka Lord Brocklehurst (Herbert Mundin). However, she begins to turn away from Smoothie as she falls in love with her leading man Hal Reed (John Boles).

Spencer Tracy was the man. He really was one terrific actor. Here, we kinda see a softer side to him, as he portrays Smoothie with sympathy and love for Wanda. But he still talks a mile a minute, and he still sounds like a gangster, but he just commands your attention when he's up on the screen. And the film itself was a hoot to watch. Really enjoyed this film, which ran for just under a hour and a half. It was released by the  Fox Film Corporation on April 13, 1934.

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE (1956): This Fox musical is about two songwriters Buddy De Sylva (Gordon MacRae) and Lew Brown (Ernest Borgnine) who are joined by piano player Ray Henderson (Dan Dailey) to form a successful musical show writing team. With their friend and sometime leading Kitty Kane (Sheree North), the team goes from Broadway to Hollywood. But when Buddy begins to follow his personal ambitions, they rest of the guys feels left out and soon it looks like the end for this amazing songwriting team.

I found the film overall to be entertaining, but it went on a bit too long, but then again, that was the way films were made back then. Studios were going against television, so to lure people away from their sets, they offered them lavish movies with amazing dance numbers and cool soundtracks. This being a product from that  time, it reflects those ingredients. The acting was great, the music okay, but I felt the script could've been more tighter. Now the film would go on ti receive an Oscar nomination and also turned a profit, despite its mixed reviews from critics. The film was released by 20th Century Fox on September 28, 1956.

There was another film screened at 10:50pm, but I was so tired that I headed back to Mo's place. But overall, I saw some amazing and wonderful films! They sure knew how to make them back then! I still had more films to see on Monday, so come back for those! To learn more about the Cinecon Film Festival, visit their website at www.cinecon.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil Goes Hollywood: Phil attends CINECON 49: Day Three at the Grauman's Egyptian Theatre-August 31, 2013

Hello and greetings from Hollywood!! Yup, I'm back in Tinseltown once again for my vacation and I'm also staying with my very good friend and filmmaker Maureen "Mo" Whelan while I'm here for the week. I arrived into town early Saturday afternoon. After I got settled in at Mo's place, I made my way to attend the 49th Annual Cinecon Classic Film Festival, held at the world famous Grauman's Egyptian Theater in the heart of Hollywood! The festival started back on Thursday, so I missed a couple of days as well as some of the films from earlier Saturday. However, I did see a lot still, so let's get the show underway!

The film I saw was TRANSIENT LADY (1935). The film's official plotline: Nick Kiley, Chris Blake and Dale Cameron set up a transient roller-rink in a small town in the American south, filled with red-necks and louts, most of which are related to each other. One of the Baxter boys makes some crude suggestions and remarks reference Miss Cameron, which results in a squabble. One of the rink-partners shoots one of the Baxter rubes quite dead, and blows town. The dead Baxter is the son of State Senator Hamp Baxter, who takes a dim view of transients who come to town and shoot one of his sons. The rink-partner who stayed behind is blamed for the killing, and lynch mobs are on the horizon. Local attorney Carey Marshall, in love with Dale Cameron, takes on the task of defending the innocent man.

OK, this was THE MOST RACIST FILM I HAVE EVER SEEN!! Holy crap!! And I thought BIRTH OF A NATION was racist! The way African Americans were portrayed was appalling, it upheld the idea that Southern folks are ignorant, redneck idiots (OK maybe that may still be true), and it was full of other stereotypes. But you have to remember, this was where society was back then. This was the status quo and it's hard to fathom that today. We've progressed so much since then. The film was interesting to watch to say the least. The film was originally released by Universal Pictures on March 4, 1935.

Next up was the silent film MARE NOSTRUM (1926) and it's about a young Spaniard named Ulysses Ferragut (Antonio Moreno) who is seduced by the beautiful (and German spy) Freya Talberg (Alice Terry) into helping her by using his boat (the Mare Nostrum) to help refuel a German U-boat. However, Ulysses tells the captain of the U-boat that they must not sink any passenger ships. Unfortunately, they do fire on a passenger boat and kill everyone on board, even Ulysses' son Esteban. Stricken with grief and hatred, he curses Freya's name, but when they meet again, their reunion is short lived.

The film was based on the novel of the same name by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez. It was directed by Alice Terry's husband, actor, producer, and producer Rex Ingram. The film itself is a beautiful and tragic drama, and I was really impressed with it! The film was thought to have been lost, but thankfully, it was rediscovered and restored so it could be shown here! The film was originally released by MGM on February 15, 1926.

After a hour and a half lunch break, the festival continued with:

THEIR FIRST EXECUTION (1913): This short comedy is about a prison that just installed their first electric chair and are about to execute their first prisoner. Unfortunately he escapes and the two bungling guards who let him escape are on his trail along with two other detectives. When one puts on the prisoner's coat and hat, the two dumb guards knock him out and put him in the electric chair! Yup, this was a very sadistic film! The short was released by Keystone Film Company on May 15, 1913.

Next was the hilarious comedy SUDDENLY IT'S SPRING (1947). Husband Peter Morley (Fred MacMurray) meets his returning wife Captain Mary Morley (Paulette Goddard), WAC marital-relations expert, to ask her to sign their divorce papers so he can marry his new girlfriend  Gloria Fay (Arleen Whelan). However, Mary is still in love with Peter and is determined to save her marriage, even though Peter's client Jack Lindsay (Macdonald Carey) is determined to help end their marriage so he can make Mary his girlfriend!

This was one of the funniest films I have ever seen! First off, the chemistry between the four leading actors is stupendous! However, both MacMurray and Goddard were just outstanding in their respected roles! Second, Mitchell Leisen's directing was fantastic, capturing the serious and the hilarity. Third, the production value was excellent, but what would expect anything less from a studio like Paramount Pictures? Truly a Hollywood classic! The film was released by the fore mentioned Paramount Pictures on February 13, 1947.

The last film I saw was the comedy HOLD 'EM YALE. Beautiful socialite Helen (Jeanette Loff) is romanced by the suave Latin lover Rod La Rocque (Jaime Emmanuel Alvarado Montez ), who, along with his monkey, follows her all the way from South America to Yale! (Can you say stalker?) Determined to win her heart, he studies hard and joins the Yale football team where he becomes a big star, but can he win her heart forever?

The film was produced Cecil B. DeMille and was based on a 1906 play called AT YALE by Owen Davis. It was a joint effort between DeMille Pictures and Pathe. Jaime Emmanuel Alvarado Montez was very good and funny in the movie and Jeanette Loff was a very striking woman! The film was cute, sweet, funny, and enjoyable to watch. The film was released by Paramount Pictures on May 14, 1928.

What a day I had! And there's more films to watch for the next two days!! Yup, this is what being on vacation is all about! To learn more about the Cinecon Film Festival, visit their website at www.cinecon.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil goes Hollywood, Part 1: Phil attends the final day of CINECON 47 at the Grauman's Egyptian Theater-Sept. 5, 2011

Hello and greetings from Hollywood!! While visiting a good friend of mine down here in SoCal for my vacation, I decided to check out all of the wonderful film events while I'm here for the week. Today I was lucky to attend the fourth and final day of the 47th Annual Cinecon Classic Film Festival, held at the world famous Grauman's Egyptian Theater in the heart of Hollywood! So let's get this show underway!!

The first film shown was a short called THE SERGEANT (1910). It was one of the earliest narrative films to be filmed on location in Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park. The film was believed to be lost until it was discovered in a cache at the New Zealand Film Archives in 2010. It is also the first film to be preserved through the American partnership with the NZFA. It was directed by Francis Bogg and was released by the Selig Polyscope Company on September 22, 1910.

Then a surprise short was shown that wasn't on the schedule. It was an Our Gang short that unfortunately I cannot recall what the title was. But it had to do with what the gang wants to be when they grew up. Using some from very trippy-looking special effects with the camera lenses, it was very psychedelic. Once I remember the title, I'll re-edit this.

The first feature length film was DIPLOMACY (1926),  a great silent film about spies and secret government agents. Based on an 1877 play by Victorien Sardou, the film stars Blanche Sweet as Dora, who falls in love and eventually marries Sir Henry Weymouth, who's brother  Julian Weymouth (Neil Hamilton) is a memeber of the special British Intelligence, who needs his brother's help to escort a very important treaty that could help bring peace to the world. A great little film that took me by surprise. The film was directed by Sweet's then husband Marshall Neilan and released by Famous Players-Lasky (which was latter renamed as Paramount Pictures) on September 20, 1926. Providing musical accompaniment for all three silent films was the great Phil Carli.

Next up was a delightful talking film entitled THE MAD MARTINDALES (1942). Sent in early 1900, the Martindale family is in a financial situation, thanks in large part to the father Hugo Martindale's (Alan Mowbray) overindulgent spending. So it's up to his youngest daughter Kathy (Jane Withers), along with the help of her friend Bobby (Jimmy Lydon), to save the family home. The film was directed by Alfred Werker and distributed by 20th Century Fox on May 15, 1942.

After the screening, both Jane Withers and Jimmy Lydon appeared on stage and did a great and funny Q&A for the audience. I was lucky to meet both of them, and I got Miss Withers to sign my Cinecon program!!

After a one hour lunch break, it was back to the films:

The silent film THE COWARD (1915) was shown first. Now I have seen this film before at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, so it was great to see it up on the big screen at the Egyptian. Charles Ray stars as young Frank Winslow, a selfish, coward of a son who deserts his post during the Civil War. When he returns home, his father Jefferson Beverley Winslow (Frank Keenen) goes in his place to fight in the war. But when an Yankee platoon arrive at Frank's home, he learns of a weakness in the Yankee army, and finds the bravery to go back and report his findings to his superiors. The film was released by Ince-Triangle-KayBee on November 14, 1915. My friend from Niles Frederick Hodges provided the musical accompaniment.

The second film shown after lunch was GLAMOUR BOY (1941), starring the great Jackie Cooper. In the film Cooper plays Tiny Barlow, a down and out former child star who gets a second chance coaching new child star Billy Doran (Darryl Hickman). He also meets and falls in love with an up and coming actress named Joan Winslow (played by the beautiful Susanna Foster). But when Tiny accidentally costs Joan her shot at stardom, it's up to Billy to bring these two love birds back together, and their careers back on track. A fantastic film for me to discover! The film was directed by Wesley Ruggles and distributed by Paramount Pictures on December 5, 1941.

Up next was the french import called LE BONHEUR (1934). This was my least favorite film of the night. The premise sounded good: actress Clara Stuart (Gaby Morlay) is shot by anarchist artist Philippe Lutcher (Charles Boyer) and is place on trial for his crime. However the two fall in love, but their romance is doomed right from the start. Like I said it sounded like a winner, but I didn't care for it at all. Some scenes were unnecessary, the ending of the film was dragged out too long, and I really didn't care about the main characters. The film was released by Pathe-Natan on February 27, 1934.

The final film of the night was a Hollywood musical that I've been wanting to see but never got around to. STORMY WEATHER (1943) was one of the best all black cast films that was made since the 1930s. The film stars Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and Lena Horne as Bill and Selina, and their romantic adventures throughout the years. Also making appearances in the film are Cab Calloway and His Band, the Nicholas Brothers, Ada Brown, and Thomas "Fats" Waller. While light on story, the film nonetheless captures the audience's attention and takes its place in Hollywood history: a film made for black audiences and starring the biggest names in black entertainment! A great film to watch!! The film was released 20th Century Fox on November 17, 1943.

Overall, I had the best time here at Cinecon 47!! And I only did ONE day of the festival! I might have to come check out the whole festival next year. So if you happen to be in Hollywood for Labor Day weekend next year, you should really check out the festival! If you would like to learn more about the Cinecon Film Festival, visit their website at http://www.cinecon.org/cinecon_home.html

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!