Showing posts with label Irving Bacon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Irving Bacon. Show all posts
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| Louis Hayward |
MIDNIGHT INTRUDER (1938). Director: Arthur Lubin.
"Houses without people, people without houses." -- Barry musing on the inequities of life.
Barry (Louis Hayward) and his older pal Doc (J. C. Nugent) are completely broke after Barry loses all of their money at the track. Seeking shelter in a rainstorm, they enter a big empty house and later are mistaken by servants for wealthy John Reitter Jr. and one of his friends. Learning that the real Reitter won't be coming home, Barry decides to keep impersonating him and enjoying the good food and liquor and high-toned companions, although Doc is increasingly nervous until he meets rich widow Mrs. Randolph (Jan Duggan of The Old-Fashioned Way). Then Barry learns that the real Reitter (Eric Linden) has been jailed for murder under an assumed name and things get complicated. The oddly-titled Midnight Intruder [which makes it sound almost like a horror film] starts out as a light-hearted comedy and turns into a mediocre mystery halfway through, although it is continuously bolstered by the work of most of the cast, especially Hayward in another absolutely winning lead performance. Nugent is also fine, and the supporting actors include Irving Bacon and Pierre Watkin. Duggan is as much fun as ever in her brief turn as the widow and Robert Grieg scores as the butler Willetts.
Verdict: Amiable, even if it goes off course at the midway point. **1/2.
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| Spring Byington and Florence Roberts |
In this final installment of Twentieth Century-Fox's Jones Family series, Mr. Jones, who is not seen (Jed Prouty, who played the role, is not in the movie as he wanted more money) has a nervous collapse after a Building and Loan crash and the embezzlement of several board members. While Jones recuperates, his wife, Louise (Spring Byington), and children have to deal with the fact that they're going to lose their home and their business. After this grim development, Mr. Jones is sent to a sanitarium in California to recuperate, and his family follows, but have severe money troubles. In an incredible and gutsy maneuver that borders on the unethical and even criminal, Louise and her oldest sons Jack (Kenneth Howell) and Roger (George Ernest), manage to "buy" a rental court from the owner, but not before he evicts his non-paying relatives. The family transform the court into a place where entertainers are welcome, not to mention people with children and pets, which infuriates the landlord of the property next door, who's afraid his tenants will complain about the noise and commotion, leading to a battle in court. Spring Byington takes center stage in this final Jones Family film, and runs with it, and the other actors, including Florence Roberts as Granny, are all terrific. Marguerite Chapman, Chick Chandler, ever-grumpy Charles Lane, and Irving Bacon are in the supporting cast. Call me a sentimental slob, but the depiction of the very obvious love these characters feel for one another is sometimes touching. NOTE: Your reviewer has seen all of the Jones Family films with the exception of Young as You Feel, Off to the Races, and A Trip to Paris. In the unlikely event that anyone has copies of these, especially Paris, please let me know!
Verdict: Not the best of the series, but some sentiment and humor and wonderful performances, and a more than interesting wind-up to the Jones Family (mis)adventures. **1/2.
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| Florence Roberts, Spring Byington, and Joan Davis |
"If you sent her to Ripley I bet he wouldn't believe it!" -- Granny Jones on Lolly.
Mayor Jones (Jed Prouty) is alarming his wife (Spring Byington) and mother (Florence Roberts) because he's volunteering for too many duties as mayor and neglecting his drug store business to the point where he may lose it. Mrs. Jones decides to wake him up by neglecting her own duties and starring in a little theater production supervised by her old friend, Marge (Marjorie Gateson of Lily Turner). Added complications are the arrival of a niece, Lolly (Joan Davis of Around the World), who becomes the maid in exchange for food and board. Lolly has an eye on policeman Gilligan (Irving Bacon, Ethel's father on I Love Lucy) who loves her cooking but is preoccupied with the capture of safe cracker "Cracker" McGurk (Chick Chandler of Spy Train). Then the mayor discovers that his fellow board members have been behaving unethically and some money turns up missing ... Too Busy to Work is probably the funniest of the Jones Family films, with a good script and many amusing lines and situations to keep it consistently entertaining. Granny is especially acerbic in this entry. The entire cast, including Ken Howell and George Ernest, is top-notch, and Spring Byington certainly gets her chance to shine.
Verdict: Delightful! ***.
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| Sydney Greenstreet and Rosalind Russell |
"You've produced so many bad plays you're beginning to believe them."
Broadway actress Valerie Stanton (Rosalind Russell) wants to break away from her usual producer, Gordon Dunning (Leon Ames) and the treacle he has her appear in, and try "Hedda Gabler," but he only laughs at her. Dunning, who refuses to let her go and is carrying a torch for her as well, threatens her, and during a struggle Valerie bops him on the head and kills him. This is followed by a long flashback during which Valerie meets new love Michael Morrell (Leo Genn of Personal Affair), who is not only unimpressed by her status but is positively condescending -- and unattractive to boot; nevertheless Valerie falls for him. The third part of the film brings in Sydney Greenstreet as the corpulent Captain Danbury, who is a fan of Val's and is investigating the murder. The front runner in suspects is not Val but Marian Webster (Claire Trevor), who has been pining for Dunning for years, hates Val, and is incredibly bitter. Will Valerie come clean about what happened, or let Marian take the rap? The Velvet Touch is no All About Eve -- made two years later -- but it is a very entertaining backstage drama with an outstanding performance by Russell and fine support from Trevor [The High and the Mighty], Ames, and Greenstreet. Irving Bacon scores as a chatty waiter at Sardi's, and Lex Barker is also in the cast as a young actor.
Verdict: Strangely compelling. ***.