Jean Arthur has “Too Many Husbands”

Too Many Husbands (1940) is a screwball comedy directed by Wesley Ruggles and starring Jean Arthur, Fred MacMurray, and Melvyn Douglas. The screenplay was written by Claude Binyon (True Confession 1938), based on a play by W. Somerset Maugham.

Melvyn Douglas, Jean Arthur, and Fred MacMurray

Vicky Lowndes’s (Arthur) first husband, Bill Cardew (MacMurray) went missing in a boating accident and is presumed dead. During her bereavement, Bill’s best friend and business partner Henry Lowndes (Douglas) comforts Vicky. Within six months of Bill’s death, Vicky and Henry marry. Six months later, Bill shows up, after being rescued from an uninhabited island where he had survived after his accident at sea. Vicky has a tough choice to make; which husband does she want to spend the rest of her life with?

Cimarron (1931) was the only western to win the Best Picture Oscar until Dances with Wolves (1990)

Wesley Ruggles (1889 – 1972) was an American film director. He directed over 50 films including Cimarron (1931), No Man of Her Own (1932)—the only film to star Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, I’m No Angel (1933). The Gilded Lily (1935), I Met Him in Paris (1937), and You Belong to Me (1941). Ruggles got his start as an actor in 1915 where he appeared in several silent films. Two years later, his interests turned to directing. He was a top producer and director at Paramount throughout the 1930s and early 1940s. His career declined after directing and producing London Town (1946), considered one of the biggest flops in the history of British cinema. It was the last motion picture he directed. He was the younger brother of actor Charlie Ruggles.

Jean Arthur (1900 – 1991) was an American stage and film actress whose career spanned three decades. Arthur got her start in silent films but became a major star with the advent of sound. Her unique speaking voice made her a natural for comedy. She came to prominence having major roles in a series of films directed by Frank Capra: Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), You Can’t Take it With You (1938), and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). Other popular films Arthur starred in included Only Angels Have Wings (1939), The Talk of the Town (1942), The More the Merrier (1943). Arthur’s last film role was in the western classic Shane (1953). After retiring from acting, she taught drama at Vassar College where one of her students was Meryl Streep.

Fred MacMurray (1908 – 1991) was an American film actor who appeared in more than 100 movies and had a successful career on television as well. MacMurray signed a contract with Paramount Pictures in 1934 and was a major leading man by 1935. He co-starred with the studio's top leading actresses including Carole Lombard, Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard, and Madeleine Carroll. By 1943, MacMurray was the highest-paid actor in Hollywood and the fourth-highest-paid person in the United States. Probably his most famous role is as insurance agent Walter Neff in Double Indemnity (1944) co-starring Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G. Robinson. During the late 1950s and 1960s, MacMurray gained new fame as the star of films produced by Walt Disney including The Shaggy Dog (1959), The Absent-Minded Professor (1961), Son of Flubber (1963), and Charley and the Angel (1973).

Melvyn Douglas (1901 – 1981) was an American actor. Douglas was a popular leading man during the 1930s working with some of Hollywood’s most famous leading ladies including Greta Garbo, Claudette Colbert, Joan Crawford, Claudette Colbert, Marlene Dietrich, Myrna Loy, and Merle Oberon. He won two Best Supporting Actor Academy Awards late in his career for Hud (1963) and Being There (1979). Douglas’s last film role was in Ghost Story (1981) co-starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Fred Astair.

Too Many Husbands trivia:

• Two endings were filmed, one having her end up with her first husband and the other having her stay with the second.
• The film was screened with both endings and sent out questionnaires to see which ending audiences preferred.
• Released just months before My Favorite Wife, both films were popular with audiences and critics.
• The film was remade as “Three for the Show (1955) starring Betty Grable, Jack Lemmon, and Gower Champion.

To watch the movie on YouTube, click on the link below.

To join our discussion of this film on Zoom, December 29, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. click here. Once you RSVP to the Meetup, you’ll receive an email with Zoom login information.

Questions for discussion:

1. What was your overall impression of the movie?
2. Did anything surprise you?
3. If you’ve seen My Favorite Wife, how are the movies similar and how are they different?
4. Did you have a favorite husband? Who do you think Vicky would be happiest with and why?
5. Was the film’s ending satisfying or a letdown?

Betty Smith’s “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” glows on the screen

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945) is an American drama directed by Elia Kazan and starring Dorothy McGuire, Joan Blondell, James Dunn, Lloyd Nolan, Ted Donaldson, and Peggy Ann Garner as Francie. The film is based on the best-selling novel by Betty Smith.

James Dunn and Peggy Ann Garner

The film centers around an impoverished Irish-American family living in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York. The film’s main focus is on 13-year-old Francie Nolan (Garner) who dreams of a life away from her drab existence and her desire to improve herself through reading all the books in her local library.

Francie’s parents Katie (McGuire) and Johnny (James Dunn) are struggling to make ends meet and raise their children. Johnny is a singing waiter who struggles with alcoholism which is a strain emotionally and financially on the family. Francie is especially affected because she loves her father dearly and yearns for a time when he won’t be “sick” anymore.

Lloyd Nolan, Joan Blondell, Ted Donaldson, Dorothy McGuire,
Peggy Ann Garner, and James Dunn

Elia Kazan (1909 – 2003) was an American director, producer, writer, and actor. He is one of the co-founders of the Actors Studio in 1947 with Robert Lewis and Cheryl Crawford. Kazan is also one of the most celebrated directors of the theater as well as the movies. Kazan won two Best Director Academy Awards-1947 for Gentleman’s Agreement and 1954 for On the Waterfront—as well as a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award in 1998. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was Kazan’s feature film debut as a director.

Dorothy McGuire (1916 – 2001) was an American theater and film actress. McGuire developed an interest in acting at a young age. At 13, she made her stage debut in A Kiss for Cinderella in Omaha, Nebraska, her hometown. Henry Fonda, also from Omaha, was her costar. As an adult, she achieved fame on Broadway in Claudia (1941 to 1943). In 1943, she starred in the film version with Robert Young that was a huge success. She reunited with Young for The Enchanted Cottage (1945) and replaced Gene Tierney in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945). She was nominated for Best Actress in Gentleman’s Agreement (1947). Some of her other films include Three Coins in the Fountain (1954), Trial (1955), and Friendly Persuasion (1956). McGuire made several popular films for Walt Disney including Old Yeller (1957), Swiss Family Robinson (1960), and Summer Magic (1963).

Joan Blondell (1906 – 1979) was an American actress who was a top movie star during the 1930s and early 1940s. Later in her career, she became a popular character actress. Some of Blondell’s early films include The Public Enemy (1931), Gold Diggers of 1933, Dames (1934), and Stand-In (1937). Later in her career, she gave notable supporting performances in The Blue Veil (1951), The Cincinnati Kid (1965), Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971), and Grease (1978).

James Dunn (1901 – 1967) was an American stage, film, and television actor. He achieved his greatest success early in his career when he signed a contract with Fox. In 1934, Dunn co-starred with Shirley Temple in three films, the most famous of which is probably Bright Eyes. Dunn broke his contract with Fox before it expired and worked as a freelance artist without much success. Like his character Johnny in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Dunn had a drinking problem which impacted his acting career. For his role as the alcoholic father in that film, Dunn won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Peggy Ann Garner (1932 – 1984) was an American child film actress who achieved great fame during the mid-1940s. Garner entered films at age six. By age twelve, she had reached her peak playing the role of Francie Nolan in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. For her performance in that film, Garner won an Academy Juvenile Award. Garner was memorable as the title character as a young girl in Jane Eyre (1943). After her success in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Garner had starring roles in Nob Hill (1945), Junior Miss (1945), and Home Sweet Homicide (1946). Soon thereafter, Garner was relegated to a supporting player, never able to successfully transition to adult roles. In spite of the lack of film roles, Garner had success on Broadway and appeared on popular television shows including Perry Mason, Combat!, Batman, The Big Valley, and Lou Grant.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn trivia:

• 20th Century-Fox paid $55,000 dollars for the rights to Betty Smith’s novel before publication.
• Director Kazan and author Smith were classmates at Yale School of Drama.
• Alice Faye, Gene Tierney, Mary Anderson, and Jeanne Crain were all considered for the role of Katie Nolan. Tierney actually was set to play Katie but had to drop out due to pregnancy. Tierney and McGuire were best friends in real life.
• Fred MacMurray campaigned for the role of Johnny Nolan.
• Nicholas Ray is credited as dialogue director.

To watch the film on YouTube, click on the link below.

To join us on Zoom for a discussion on December 22, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, click the link for details and invitation. When you RSVP you will receive an email and link to the discussion.

Questions for discussion:

1. What was your overall impression of the film?
2. Did any of you read the novel? How does the film compare?
3. Did Katie’s love for her husband get in the way of her ability to protect her family from the effects of his alcoholism?
4. Did Francie have a realistic view of her father?
5. How did you feel about the way the film concluded?

Irene Dunne recalls her marriage to Cary Grant in “Penny Serenade”

Penny Serenade (1941) is an American melodrama directed by George Stevens and starring Irene Dunne and Cary Grant. The film is based on a story that appeared in McCall’s magazine written by Martha Cheavens.

Dunne and Grant at the beach in Penny Serenade

Dunne and Grant star as a couple on the brink of divorce after a tragic event in their lives. While preparing to leave her husband, Julie Adams (Dunne) listens to some old records that take her back to the early days of her relationship with her husband Roger (Grant). Balancing laughter with tragedy, director Stevens (A Place in the Sun, Giant, Shane) strikes all the right notes with this sentimental classic. 

The excellent supporting cast includes Beulah Bondi and Edgar Buchanan. Grant earned his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a truly moving performance.

P.S. You may need tissues while watching!

George Stevens (1904 – 1975) was an American film director and producer. He was nominated for five Best Director Academy Awards, winning one for Giant (1956). Stevens got his start in the movies as a cameraman working on many Laurel and Hardy films. Stevens directed many of the top stars of Hollywood’s Golden age including Barbara Stanwyck, Katharine Hepburn, Ronald Colman, Ginger Rogers, James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Carole Lombard, Fed Astaire, Joel McCrea, Alan Ladd, Spencer Tracy, and Elizabeth Taylor. Other popular films directed by Stevens include Annie Oakley (1935), Gunga Din (1939), Woman of the Year (1942), The More the Merrier (1943), I Remember Mama (1948), Shane (1953), and The Diary of Anne Frank (1959).

Irene Dunne (1898 –1990) was an American actress and singer who was one of the most popular movie stars during Hollywood’s Golden Age. She is probably best remembered for her comedic roles, though she first became famous playing in melodramas like Back Street (1932) and Magnificent Obsession (1935). In fact, Dunne was so popular as a star of melodramas that she was dubbed “The Queen of the Weepies” by the press. Her comedic breakout performance was in Theodora Goes Wild (1936) which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. She would go on to make other comedy classics like The Awful Truth (1937) where she earned another Best Actress nod, and My Favorite Wife (1940). Dunne and Grant were one of the most popular screen teams in movie history. All three of their films were critical and box office successes. Dunne earned a total of five Academy Award nominations for Best Actress but never won a competitive Oscar. The fact that the Motion Picture Academy never awarded her an Honorary Academy Award for her body of work is a travesty to me.

Cary Grant (1904 – 1986) was an English-born American actor who became one of the most popular leading men in film history. Grant started his career in vaudeville before heading to Hollywood. He became a superstar in the late 1930s in a series of screwball comedies including The Awful Truth (1937) with Irene Dunne. He was a memorable C. K. Dexter Haven in The Philadelphia Story (1940) opposite Katharine Hepburn and James Stewart. He received two Best Actor nominations: Penny Serenade (1941) and None but the Lonely Hearts (1944). Other classic Grant films include Gunga Din (1939), Only Angels Have Wings (1939), and Arsenic and Old Lace (1944). He made four popular films with Alfred Hitchcock: Suspicion (1941), Notorious (1946), To Catch a Thief (1955), and North by Northwest (1959). He was presented with an Honorary Oscar at the 42nd Academy Awards in 1970.

Penny Serenade trivia

• Irene Dunne said this was one of her favorite films because it reminded her of her adopted daughter.
• This was the third and final film that Dunne and Grant made together.
• Dunne and Grant share the same bed, which was against the Production Code.
• This was the first of Grant’s two Best Actor nominations; the other was for None but the Lonely Heart (1944).
• To get around the laws restricting the time infants could be on camera, director Stevens hired two sets of identical twins.

Director Stevens hired identical twins to get around the laws restricting the 
time infants could spend on camera.

To watch the film on YouTube, click on the link below.

To join us on Zoom for a discussion on December 15, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, click the link for details and invitation. When you RSVP you will receive an email and link to the discussion.

Questions for discussion:

1. Were Grant and Dunne believable as first-time parents?
2. What do you think about how the adoption process was portrayed?
3. Did you like the film’s narrative flashbacks?
4. What did you think of the character roles played by Beulah Bondi (Miss Oliver), and Edgar Buchanan (Applejack Carney)?

Don Ameche meets “His Excellency” in “Heaven Can Wait” (1943)

Heaven Can Wait (1943) is an American comedy produced and directed by Ernst Lubitsch. It stars Gene Tierney, Don Ameche, and Charles Coburn. The film is shot in beautiful 20th Century-Fox Technicolor.

The plot begins with Henry Van Cleve (Ameche) at the end of his life speaking to “His Excellency” (Laird Cregar) the gatekeeper in Hell. Henry thinks that due to all his life’s failings, he deserves to spend eternity there away from all the people he loved on earth especially his beloved wife Martha (Tierney). 

Born in 1972 to an upper-class family in New York City, Henry has been indulged by all his family members including his mother (Spring Byington), his father (Louis Calhern), his grandmother (Clara Blandick), and his grandfather (Coburn). Will all this fawning and making excuses for Henry during his lifetime doom him to an eternity with His Excellency?

Don Ameche and Gene Tierney

Ernst Lubitsch (1892 – 1947) was a German-born American film director and producer. He is best known for his sophisticated comedies, especially those produced before the Production Code went into effect in 1934. Lubitsch was a successful director in his native Germany but was brought to Hollywood in 1922 to direct Mary Pickford in Rosita (1923). The film was a success but Pickford and Lubitsch didn’t get along very well. He signed a contract with Warner Bros. and his career in American was set. Lubitsch made the transition to sound directing hits like The Smiling Lieutenant (1931), Trouble in Paradise (1932), Design for Living (1933), and The Merry Widow (1934). For a time he was head of production at Paramount where he became close friends with Carole Lombard. Other classic Lubitsch films include Ninotchka (1939) with Greta Garbo and The Shop Around the Corner (1940) with Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart. In the mid-1940s, he moved to Fox, but his health kept him from directing some of the films he had on his slate. Lubitsch was awarded a Special Academy Award for his “25-year contribution to motion pictures” in March of 1947. On November 30, 1947, Lubitsch died of a heart attack at the age of 55.

Gene Tierney (1920 – 1991) was an American actress. Tierney got her start on the stage where she played the ingenue lead in The Male Animal. Tierney made her movie debut in 1940 in The Return of Frank James starring Henry Fonda. She worked steadily in the early 1940s but established herself as a top box office star with Laura (1944). She starred in Leave Her to Heaven the next year which was the biggest hit of the year and Fox’s biggest moneymaking success until The Robe (1953). Other successes for Tierney include Dragonwyck (1946), The Razor’s Edge (1946), and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947).

Don Ameche (1908 – 1993) was an American actor on stage and in film. He was also a star on the radio during the early 1930s. He signed a contract with 20th Century-Fox in 1935 and quickly became one of the studio’s top leading men and top box office stars. He was often teamed with fellow Fox stars Alice Faye and Tyrone Power including In Old Chicago (1938) and Alexander’s Ragtime Band (1938). Ameche was so popular that in two years (1938 and 1939) he had ten films in release. In the 1950s, Ameche starred on Broadway in Silk Stockings (1955-56) and Holiday For Lovers (1957). His career in film in television continued into the 1960s and 1970s. When he was cast in Trading Places (1983) along with fellow movie veteran Ralph Bellamy, Ameche was introduced to a new generation of fans. In 1985 he starred in Cocoon (1985) which won him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Ameche continued acting until his death in 1993 at 85.

Charles Coburn (1877 – 1961) was an American character actor who had a long career on stage and in film. He won a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his performance in The More the Merrier (1943) co-starring Jean Arthur and Joel McCrea. Coburn’s other classic films include The Lady Eve (1941), Kings Row (1942), The Paradine Case (1947), Monkey Business (1952), and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953).

The film has a dream supporting cast that includes Marjorie Main, Spring Byington, Allyn Joslyn, Eugene Pallette, Signe Hasso, Louis Calhern, and Clara Blandick.

Heaven Can Wait trivia:

• Lubitsch was originally disappointed with the casting of Don Ameche but changed his mind and was won over by the actor’s dedication to the role and his professionalism.
• Gene Tierney recalled that during production, “Lubitsch was a tyrant on the set, the most demanding of directors. After one scene, which took from noon until five to get, I was almost in tears from listening to Lubitsch shout at me. The next day I sought him out, looked him in the eye, and said, ‘Mr. Lubitsch, I'm willing to do my best but I just can't go on working on this picture if you're going to keep shouting at me.’ ‘I’m paid to shout at you’, he bellowed. ‘Yes’, I said, ‘and I’m paid to take it - but not enough.’ After a tense pause, Lubitsch broke out laughing. From then on we got along famously.” (From Gene Tierney’s autobiography Self-Portrait.)
• This was Lubitsch’s only film in Technicolor,
• Tod Andrews who played Don Ameche and Gene Tierney’s son was only six years younger than Ameche and six years older than Tierney.
• Gene Tierney realized she was pregnant during the film’s production.
• The film was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Cinematography, Color.

To watch the film on YouTube, click on the link below.

To join us on Zoom for a discussion on December 8, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, click the link for details and invitation. When you RSVP you will receive an email and link to the discussion.

Questions for discussion:

1. Do you think Henry was actually unfaithful to Martha?
2. The picture rests on Ameche’s shoulders; what did you think of his performance as Henry?
3. Would the film have worked in black and white? What did the Technicolor add to the film?
4. The film is filled with great character actors; did you have a favorite?
5. Were there any memorable lines from the film that stuck with you?