Charles Boyer, Olivia de Havilland, and Paulette Goddard try to “Hold Back the Dawn”

Set against the backdrop of a dusty Mexican border town, Hold Back the Dawn (1941), directed by Mitchell Leisen, follows the story of Georges Iscovescu (Charles Boyer), a suave but desperate European dancer stranded in a crowded hotel. Having fled the turmoil of war-torn Europe, Georges is one of many refugees stuck in a bureaucratic limbo, waiting for a quota number that will allow him to legally enter the United States. When he realizes his wait could last years, he becomes disillusioned and decides to take a more cynical path to gain entry.

The plot pivots when Georges encounters an old flame and former dance partner, Anita Dixon (Paulette Goddard), who has successfully entered the U.S. by marrying an American citizen and then quickly divorcing him. Anita convinces Georges that his best chance at freedom is to find a naive American woman to marry for the sole purpose of obtaining a visa. This cold-hearted plan sets the stage for a calculated seduction, as Georges begins to scan the various tourists visiting the border for a suitable target.

His mark arrives in the form of Emmy Brown (Olivia de Havilland), a sweet, wholesome schoolteacher from California who has brought her students on a brief field trip across the border. Sensing her innocence and romantic nature, Georges turns on his considerable charm, sweeping her off her feet in a whirlwind twenty-four-hour courtship. Emmy, unaware of the legal mechanics behind his sudden affection, falls deeply in love and agrees to marry him, believing she has found a genuine soulmate amidst the chaos of the world.

The final act of the story explores the growing tension between Georges’s deceptive intentions and the unexpected emotional impact of Emmy’s unwavering kindness. As an immigration officer begins to investigate the suspicious speed of their marriage, Georges is forced to navigate a high-stakes game of pretense. The film focuses on the psychological conflict of a man caught between his desperate need for a new life and the guilt of exploiting a woman who represents the very best of the country he is so desperate to join.

 

Charles Boyer and Olivia de Havilland

Hold Back the Dawn trivia

1. The Movie That Made Billy Wilder a Director

The legendary Billy Wilder co-wrote the screenplay, but he was so infuriated by the filming process that he vowed never to let another director “ruin” his scripts again. Specifically, lead actor Charles Boyer refused to film a scene Wilder had written where his character, in a moment of despondent isolation, has a conversation with a cockroach on his hotel wall. When director Mitchell Leisen sided with the actor and cut the scene, Wilder decided he had to become a director himself to protect his work. His very next project was his directorial debut, The Major and the Minor (1942).

2. Semi-Autobiographical Origins

The film’s focus on the grueling wait for a U.S. visa was deeply personal for Billy Wilder. As a Jewish refugee fleeing Nazi Germany, Wilder had actually spent time stranded in a Mexican border town (Mexicali) in the late 1930s, waiting for his own quota number to come up so he could legally re-enter the United States. He channeled that genuine anxiety and the “limbo” of the border hotels directly into the script.

3. The Sister vs. Sister Oscar Showdown

The 1941 Academy Awards featured one of the most famous sibling rivalries in history. Olivia de Havilland was nominated for Best Actress for Hold Back the Dawn, while her sister, Joan Fontaine, was nominated in the same category for Hitchcock’s Suspicion. When Fontaine won, it notoriously cooled their relationship for years. This remains one of the few times in Oscar history that two sisters competed against each other for the same top honor.

4. A Clever “Meta” Cameo

The film uses a “story-within-a-story” framing device where Charles Boyer’s character enters a movie studio to sell his life story to a director. The director he speaks to is played by none other than Mitchell Leisen, the real-life director of Hold Back the Dawn. In the scene, Leisen is shown directing a movie starring Veronica Lake and Brian Donlevy, which was actually real footage from I Wanted Wings, a film Leisen had completed just months earlier.

Click HERE to watch the movie. This is a new site for watching movies. You may have to register to watch it, but registration is free.

Click HERE to join the online discussion on January 26, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation and link to join the discussion on Zoom.

 

Discussion questions

 1. The Morality of the “Visa Marriage”

Georges begins the film as a cynical opportunist who views Emmy merely as a “passport” to the United States. Given the desperate circumstances of the European refugees in the hotel, does the film successfully make Georges a sympathetic protagonist, or does his exploitation of Emmy’s innocence make him irredeemable? At what specific point in the film—if ever—do you think his feelings for her become genuine?

2. The Portrayal of Bureaucracy and the Border

Hold Back the Dawn was released in 1941, while the real-world visa crisis for refugees was at its peak. How does the film portray the American immigration system? Does the “limbo” of the Mexican border town feel like a prison, or is it presented with the lighthearted touch typical of Paramount romances of that era? Consider how the setting of the Hotel Esperanza reflects the emotional state of its residents.

3. Emmy Brown: Naivety vs. Strength

Emmy is often described as a “wholesome schoolteacher,” a archetype common in 1940s cinema. However, by the end of the film, she is forced to confront a devastating betrayal. Does Emmy remain a victim throughout the story, or does her reaction to the truth show a different kind of strength? Discuss how Olivia de Havilland’s performance (which earned her an Oscar nomination) elevates a character that could have been a one-dimensional "mark."

4. The “Wilder” Influence and Tone

Knowing that Billy Wilder was frustrated by the direction of this film, can you spot the “Wilder touch” in the dialogue or the darker, more cynical moments of the plot? Compare the sophisticated, witty banter between Georges and Anita to the earnest, romantic scenes with Emmy. How do these two different “worlds”—the cynical European past and the optimistic American future—clash within the film’s narrative?

 

 

An all-star cast discovers the difference between “Flesh and Fantasy”

Flesh and Fantasy is a 1943 American anthology film that weaves together three distinct, supernatural-tinged stories, all framed by a philosophical conversation between two club members about the nature of destiny and the reality of fortune-telling. The movie explores the central theme of whether human lives are dictated by fate or free will, and the profound impact that predictions and dreams can have on an individual's psychology and subsequent actions. This approach blends romance, suspense, and the eerie, making it an early, atmospheric example of the episodic storytelling format in cinema.

The three segments each showcase a unique encounter with the uncanny. The first story, set during Mardi Gras in New Orleans, follows a lonely, self-conscious young woman who yearns for a better life. She receives a mysterious, beautiful mask from a strange shopkeeper and is allowed to experience the evening as someone transformed, but with a strict condition that must be met by midnight. The second segment features a skeptical, wealthy man who attends a party where a prominent palmist is making uncannily accurate predictions for the guests. When the man insists on a private reading, he receives a shocking prophecy that forces him to confront his own sense of morality and control over his future.

The final tale centers on a high-wire circus aerialist known for his dangerous, death-defying act. He becomes deeply unsettled after a terrifying dream where he falls during his performance, the scene of his doom forever imprinted with the image of a screaming, beautiful woman he's never met. This premonition begins to erode his nerve until he unexpectedly encounters the woman from his dream in real life, prompting him to try and understand the connection between his inner fears and the external world, and whether he can truly defy the fate he believes has been foretold.

 

The all-star cast directed by Julien Duvivier (1896 – 1967) includes Charles Boyer, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson, Robert Cummings, and Betty Field.

There was a fourth segment that was to star John Garfield, but he dropped out and was replaced by Alan Curtis. The segment was well received by preview audiences, but was cut from the film and expanded to a full-length feature, Destiny 1944.

 

Betty Field and Robert Cummings

Click HERE to watch the movie on the Internet Archive.

Click HERE to join the online discussion on Monday, November 3, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time.

 

Discussion questions

1. Free Will vs. Destiny: The film repeatedly raises the question of whether a person is master of their own fate or merely a puppet of destiny. In the second story, where Marshall Tyler is told he will commit murder, does the prophecy cause him to act, or does his reaction to the prophecy reveal an inherent flaw in his character?
2. The Nature of Reality and Perception: Both the first story (Henrietta and the mask) and the third story (Paul Gaspar and the dream woman) explore how an individual’s perception of self influences the way the world treats them. How do the masks and dreams in these segments serve as a psychological tool for transformation, and to what extent is the supernatural aspect merely a catalyst for a change that was always possible?
3. The Role of the Anthology Format: Flesh and Fantasy is an anthology film tied together by a brief framing device. Do you feel the three distinct stories collectively strengthen the film's central philosophical theme, or do they feel too disparate? Which story best explores the balance between "flesh" (human experience/desire) and "fantasy" (the supernatural/occult)?
4. Influence of the Occult on Psychology: The film suggests that preoccupation with predictions—whether from a palm reader or a dream—can have a paralyzing or maddening effect on the characters. Compare Marshall Tyler's reaction to the murder prophecy with Paul Gaspar's reaction to his premonition of death. How do their psychological responses to the occult drive the plot in their respective stories?

 

 

Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman star in “Gaslight”

Gaslight (1944) is an American psychological thriller set in 19th-century London. The film was directed by George Cukor and stars Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman, and Joseph Cotten. The film features Dame May Whitty, and Angela Lansbury in her feature film debut.

Alice Alquist, a world-famous opera singer is murdered in her home in Victorian London. Her niece Paula (Bergman) is sent to Italy to study opera like her aunt, but unfortunately, she doesn’t have her aunt’s talent. When she reaches adulthood, she falls in love with her accompanist Gregory Anton (Boyer). They marry after a two-week romance and settle in her late aunt’s townhouse. Paula has a hard time living in the home where everything reminds her of that terrible murder. While moving her aunt’s furnishings into the attic, Paula discovers a letter from a man named Sergis Bauer. When Gregory sees the letter he becomes enraged, but then apologizes.

Is Gregory hiding something from Paula? If so, what does it mean?

 

Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer

George Cukor (1899 – 1983) was an American director. He was famous for directing comedies and literary adaptations of classics like Little Women (1933) and David Copperfield (1935). He was famously fired from directing Gone with the Wind (1939), but that incident didn’t mar an impressive directorial career that included The Philadelphia Story (1940), Gaslight (1944), and Born Yesterday (1950). Cukor won an Academy Award as Best Director for My Fair Lady (1964).

Charles Boyer (1899 - 1978) was a French-American stage and film actor. Boyer was nominated for the Best Actor Academy Award four times. He became a major movie star in the late 1930s in films like The Garden of Allah (1936), Algiers (1938), and Love Affair (1939). He starred as the evil husband of Ingrid Bergman in Gaslight (1944). Boyer starred opposite most of the top female stars of the period including Claudette Colbert, Marlene Dietrich, Irene Dunne, Jean Arthur, Greta Garbo, Bette Davis, Joan Fontaine, Katharine Hepburn, and Olivia de Havilland. As he grew older, Boyer played supporting roles in film and also starred on Broadway in Kind Sir (1953 - 1954) and The Marriage-Go-Round (1958 - 1960).

Ingrid Bergman (1915 – 1982) was a Swedish actress who became an international star upon her Hollywood debut in Intermezzo (1939). Few actresses were as popular as Bergman during the 1940s. In fact, she was the number two box office draw (after Bing Crosby) in 1946. She starred opposite Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942), For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) opposite Gary Cooper, and Gaslight (1944) for which she won the Best Actress Academy Award. She starred opposite newcomer Gregory Peck in Spellbound (1945) which was her first collaboration with director Alfred Hitchcock. Bergman would win another Best Actress Academy Award for Anastasia (1956) and a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for Murder on the Orient Express (1974).

Joseph Cotten (1905 - 1994) was an American film, stage, radio, and television actor. Cotten achieved fame on Broadway in the original stage productions of The Philadelphia Story and Sabrina Fair.  He became famous worldwide after appearing in Citizen Kane (1941) and The Magnificent Ambersons (1942). As one of the most popular leading men of the 1940s, Cotten starred in Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Gaslight (1943), Duel in the Sun (1946), and The Third Man (1949). Cotten alternated between work on stage and film into the late-1950s. Cotten also appeared on television guest starring in The Name of the Game, Cimarron Strip, and Ironside. Cotten’s last film role was in 1981.

 

Angela Lansbury and Ingrid Bergman

Gaslight trivia

• M-G-M tried to get the film negatives of the 1940 British version destroyed.
• Ingrid Bergman studied mental patients to help with her characterization of Paula.
• Angela Lansbury turned 18 during the production of the film. The cast and crew held a birthday party for her.
• Bergman was initially concerned that she wouldn’t be able to portray a fragile character like Paula.
• Boyer’s son and only child was born during production.
• In her autobiography, Bergman said that Boyer was the most intelligent actor she ever worked with and one of the nicest.

 

Click HERE to watch the film on the Internet Archive

Click HERE to join the online discussion on Monday, February 17, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation with a link to join the discussion on Zoom.

 

Discussion questions

1. The film is described today as a psychological thriller. Does that description work for you? Would you categorize it differently?
2. What did you think of Bergman’s performance?
3. Charles Boyer was nominated for Best Actor for his performance in this film (he lost to Bing Crosby). What did you think of his performance?
4. Angela Lansbury had never acted before her role as the maid, Nancy. What did you think of her performance?
5. Joseph Cotten is hardly ever mentioned when this film is discussed. Is his a thankless role?

 

 

Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer in “Love Affair”

Love Affair (1939) is the original romance directed by Leo McCarey (The Awful Truth) starring Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer.

French painter Michel Marnet (Boyer) and American singer Terry McKay (Dunne) meet aboard a transatlantic ocean liner. Both are engaged, but they are attracted to each other and spend considerable time together. They quickly become the talk of the ship so the two try to be more discreet by eating alone and avoiding being seen together. The ship stops in Madeira where they visit with Michel’s grandmother Janou (Maria Ouspenskaya). His grandmother loves Terry and she wants Michel to settle down and marry her.

When they arrive in New York City, Michel and Terry agree to meet at the top of the Empire State Building in six months. Six months is the amount of time Michel needs to decide if he can drop the playboy life and support a relationship with Terry.

Remade with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr as An Affair to Remember (1957) and although charming in its own right, it has nothing on the original, which is rarely seen. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Actress (Dunne), Best Supporting Actress (Ouspenskaya), and Best Writing, Original Screenplay (Mildred Cam and McCarey).

The film was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress.

Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer

Leo McCarey (1898 – 1969) was American film director, screenwriter, and producer. McCarey is perhaps most famous for his critically acclaimed and commercially popular comedies like Duck Soup (1933), The Ruggles of Red Gap (1935), and The Awful Truth (1937). Other popular films directed by McCarey include Going My Way (1944), The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945), and Good Sam (1948). McCarey won two Best Director Oscars for The Awful Truth and Going My Way.

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.

Charles Boyer (1899 - 1978) was a French-American stage and film actor. Boyer was nominated for the Best Actor Academy Award four times. He became a major movie star in the late 1930s in films like The Garden of Allah (1936), Algiers (1938), and Love Affair (1939). He starred as the evil husband of Ingrid Bergman in Gaslight (1944). Boyer starred opposite most of the top female stars of the period including Claudette Colbert, Marlene Dietrich, Irene Dunne, Jean Arthur, Greta Garbo, Bette Davis, Joan Fontaine, Katharine Hepburn, and Olivia de Havilland. As he grew older, Boyer played supporting roles in film and also starred on Broadway in Kind Sir (1953 - 1954) and The Marriage-Go-Round (1958 - 1960).

Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne

Love Affair trivia

• The film popularized pink champagne and the champagne cocktail.
• This is the favorite film of both Dunne and Boyer who were good friends in real life.
• Due to the popularity of the Dunne and Boyer pairing, they made two more films together: If Tomorrow Comes (1939) and Together Again (1944).
• Irene Dunne says to Charles Boyer, “Going my way?” Five years later, Leo McCarey would direct the classic Going My Way. Dunne and Boyer had no association with that Best Picture winner.
• McCarey remade this film in 1957 as An Affair to Remember starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr.

Click HERE to watch the film on YouTube.

Click HERE to join the online discussion on February 12, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation and a link to join the discussion on Zoom.

Discussion questions

1. Did you think that Dunne and Boyer had on-screen chemistry?
2. Irene Dunne was nominated for Best Actress for her performance (losing to Vivien Leigh in Gone With the Wind). Do you think she gave an Oscar-worthy performance?
3. If you were Dunne’s character, would you have kept your accident a secret? Why do you think she did?
4. If you’ve seen An Affair to Remember, do you prefer that version over the original?
5. Did you have a favorite scene or piece of dialogue?
6. In his review of the film in The New York Times, Frank S. Nugent said, “A less capable director, with a less competent cast, must have erred one way or the other—either on the side of treacle or on that of whimsy. Mr. McCarey has balanced his ingredients skillfully and has merged them, as is clear in retrospect, into a glowing and memorable picture.” Do you agree with this assessment?

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Charles Boyer and Ann Blyth discover “A Woman’s Vengeance”

A Woman’s Vengeance (1948) is an American film noir mystery directed by Zoltan Korda and starring Charles Boyer, Ann Blyth, and Jessica Tandy. The supporting cast includes Cedric Hardwicke and Mildred Natwick. The screenplay was written by Aldous Huxley which was based on his novelette The Gioconda Smile. The cinematography was by Russel Metty and the music was by Miklos Rozsa.

Henry Maurier’s (Boyer) marriage is not a happy one. His wife Emily (Rachel Kempson) is not in good health. Henry and Emily’s marriage is in name only. Henry is carrying on an affair with Doris Mead (Ann Blyth) who is much younger than he is. Meanwhile, another woman, Janet Spence (Tandy) is in love with Henry. When Emily dies suddenly, Henry quickly marries Doris.

Henry is accused of poisoning his wife and is put on trial for murder. Will the trial reveal that Henry poisoned his wife so he could marry Doris or did someone else have a motive to murder Emily?

Charles Boyer and Ann Blyth

Zolton Korda (1895 – 1961) was a Hungarian-born motion picture screenwriter, director, and producer. Along with his brothers Alexander and Vincent, he made films in Hungary and London before moving to Hollywood where they continued to make movies. Some of the films that Korda directed include The Four Feathers (1939), The Jungle Book (1942), The Macomber Affair (1947), and Cry, the Beloved Country (1951).

Charles Boyer (1899 - 1978) was a French-American stage and film actor. Boyer was nominated for the Best Actor Academy Award four times. He became a major movie star in the late 1930s in films like The Garden of Allah (1936), Algiers (1938), and Love Affair (1939). He starred as the evil husband of Ingrid Bergman in Gaslight (1944). Boyer starred opposite most of the top female stars of the period including Claudette Colbert, Marlene Dietrich, Irene Dunne, Jean Arthur, Greta Garbo, Bette Davis, Joan Fontaine, Katharine Hepburn, and Olivia de Havilland. As he grew older, Boyer played supporting roles in film and also starred on Broadway in Kind Sir (1953 - 1954) and The Marriage-Go-Round (1958 - 1960).

Ann Blyth (1928 - ) is a retired American actress and singer. She is most famous for her role as Veda in Mildred Pierce (1945) where she played Joan Crawford’s ungrateful daughter. For her role in that film, Blyth was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Blyth’s first acting role was in Lillian Hellman’s Watch on the Rhine on Broadway. While on tour with the play, Blyth was offered a contract with Universal Studios. At Universal, Blyth starred alongside Donald O’Connor and Peggy Ann Ryan in a series of teen musicals. In 1952, Blyth was signed by M-G-M where she starred opposite Steward Granger, Robert Taylor, Howard Keel, Van Johnson, and Mario Lanza.

Jessica Tandy (1909 – 1994) was an English actress who had a long and successful career on the stage and screen. Tandy created the role of Blanche Du Bois in the original Broadway production of A Streetcar of Desire. She won a Tony Award for Best Actress for her performance in the Tennessee Williams classic. Tandy had supporting roles in films starting in 1944 supporting stars like Gregory Peck, Greer Garson, Gene Tierney, and Linda Darnell. In the 1980, her film career picked up. She won a Best Actress Academy Award for Driving Miss Daisy. At 80-years-old, Tandy became the oldest Oscar-winning actress.

 

To watch the film on YouTube, click here.

 

Click here to join the discussion on November 27, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you will receive an email invitation with a link to join the discussion on Zoom.

 

Discussion questions

1. Would you classify this movie as a film noir? Why or why not?
2. What did you think of the relationship between Boyer and Blyth? Was it believable? At the time of filming, Boyer was 49 and Blyth was 20.
3. Jessica Tandy has a pivotal role in the film. What did you think of her performance?
4. Did you suspect that someone other than Henry had a motive to kill Emily?
5. Were you surprised by the film’s conclusion?
6. Did this film remind you of any other film?

 

 

Charles Boyer and Jennifer Jones in Ernst Lubitsch's production of "Cluny Brown"

Cluny Brown (1946) is a romantic comedy produced and directed by Ernst Lubitsch and starring Charles Boyer and Jennifer Jones. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Margery Sharp. The cinematography was by Joseph LaShalle (Laura 1944). The supporting cast includes Peter Lawford, Helen Walker, Reginald Owen, Reginald Gardiner, Richard Haydn, C. Aubrey Smith, Sara Allgood, Florence Bates, Margaret Bannerman, and Una O'Connor.

Cluny Brown (Jones) is an orphan who lives with her uncle (Billy Bevan), a plumber. Cluny has learned all about plumbing from her uncle, but her uncle doesn't think being a plumber is good for a young woman. By coincidence, Cluny meets Adam Belinski at the London home of Mr. Ames (Gardiner). Mr. Ames is having plumbing issues and Cluny manages to fix the issue, much to the surprise of both Belinski and Ames. Cluny and Belinski hit it off and seem to make a special connection.

Unfortunately, Cluny's uncle procures a job for Cluny as a parlor maid at the country estate of Sir Henry Carmel (Owen) and Lady Carmel (Bannerman). As fate would have it, Belinski is the invited guest of Andrew Carmel where he meets Cluny once again. Their relationship continues while Belinski is a guest in the Carmel home.

Will Cluny be content with the life of a parlor maid, or will she and Belinski build a life of their own?

Charles Boyer, Reginald Gardner, and Jennifer Jones

Ernst Lubitsch (1892 – 1947) was a German-born film director who became famous for his sophisticated comedies during the pre-code era. Silent film star Mary Pickford lured Lubitsch to Hollywood in 1922. He directed Pickford in Rosita, which was a huge, hit and cemented his reputation in Hollywood. Lubitsch’s films were so unique that they were described as having the “Lubitsch touch.” Some of Lubitsch’s classic films include Trouble in Paradise (1932), Design for Living (1933), Ninotchka (1939), The Shop Around the Corner (1940), Heaven Can Wait (1943), and Cluny Brown (1946). Lubitsch was awarded an Honorary Academy Award for his work in film.

Charles Boyer (1899 - 1978) was a French-American stage and film actor. Boyer was nominated for the Best Actor Academy Award four times. He became a major movie star in the late 1930s in films like The Garden of Allah (1936), Algiers (1938), and Love Affair (1939). He starred as the evil husband of Ingrid Bergman in Gaslight (1944). Boyer starred opposite most of the top female stars of the period including Claudette Colbert, Marlene Dietrich, Irene Dunne, Jean Arthur, Greta Garbo, Bette Davis, Joan Fontaine, Katharine Hepburn, and Olivia de Havilland. As he grew older, Boyer played supporting roles in film and also starred on Broadway in Kind Sir (1953 - 1954) and The Marriage-Go-Round (1958 - 1960).

Jennifer Jones (1919 - 2009) was an American actress. She received five Academy Award nominations, including one win for her performance in The Song of Bernadette (1943). At age 25, Jones was one of the youngest Best Actress Award winners. She was a major movie star throughout the 1940s and 1950s. She starred in Duel in the Sun (1946), Portrait of Jenny (1948), Madame Bovary (1949), and Love is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955). Jones was married to producer David O. Selznick who carefully managed her career. 

Jennifer Jones takes direction from Ernst Lubitsch on the set of Cluny Brown.

Cluny Brown trivia

• This was director Ernst Lubitsch's last completed film. He died while filming That Lady in Ermine (1948).
• In the novel Adam Belinski is Polish. In the film, he's Czech but retains the name Belinski which is Polish.
• Richard Haydn and C. Aubrey Smith starred together in And Then There Were None (1944).
• Reginald Owen and Billy Bevan appeared together in National Velvet (1944).
• Reginald Gardiner and Una O'Connor appeared together in Christmas in Connecticut (1945).

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

To join the discussion on May 23, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, click here. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation and a link to the discussion on Zoom.

Discussion questions

1. Did you think the relationship between Adam Belinski and Cluny Brown was believable?
2. Was there chemistry between Boyer and Jones?
3. Was there a theme or message? Do you think Ernst Lubitsch was making a statement of some kind with this comedy?
4. The film is filled with some of the greatest character actors. Did any one of the character actors stand out to you?
5. Did this film remind you of any other films you've seen?

Charles Boyer and Jennifer Jones in a publicity photo for Cluny Brown

Great films of 1939: "Love Affair" October 1 at the Daystar Center

Great films of 1939: Love Affair
Where: The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street, Chicago, IL
When: October 1, 2016
Time: 6:45 p.m.
Hosted by Stephen Reginald

Love Affair (1939) is the original romance directed by Leo McCarey (The Awful Truth) starring Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer.

French painter Michel Marnet (Boyer) and American singer Terry McKay (Dunne) meet aboard a transatlantic ocean liner. Both are engaged, but they are attracted to each other and spend considerable time together. They quickly become the talk of the ship so the two try to be more discreet by eating alone and avoiding being seen together. The ship stops in Madeira where they visit with Michel’s grandmother Janou (Maria Ouspenskaya). His grandmother loves Terry and she wants Michel to settle down and marry her.

When they arrive in New York City, Michel and Terry agree to meet at the top of the Empire State Building in six months. Six months is the amount of time Michel needs to decide if he can drop the playboy life and support a relationship with Terry.

Remade with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr as An Affair to Remember (1957) and although charming in its own right, it has nothing on the original, which is rarely seen. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Actress (Dunne), Best Supporting Actress (Ouspenskaya), and Best Writing, Original Screenplay (Mildred Cam and McCarey).

Nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress.

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!

Before the movie, grab a cup of coffee from Overflow Coffee Bar, located within the Daystar Center. You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats. General Admission: $5 Students and Senior Citizens: $3.

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion

Twice a month we screen classic films and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

Stephen Reginald is a freelance writer and editor. He has worked at various positions within the publishing industry for over 25 years. Most recently he was executive editor for McGraw-Hill’s The Learning Group Division. A long-time amateur student of film, Reginald hosts “Chicago Film Club,” a monthly movie event held in the South Loop, for the past two years. Reginald has also taught several adult education film classes at Facets Film School, Chicago.

Daystar Center located at 1550 S. State St. works through a grassroots network of collaborations and partnerships with individuals and other nonprofit organizations. Through this web, they’re able to provide educational, cultural, and civic activities that enrich and empower their clients, guests, and community members. To learn more about classes and events offered at the Daystar Center, please visit their Web site.

Classic Movie Man’s Favorite Christmas Movies: 2014 Edition

It’s Christmastime again. And it’s time for some more classic Christmas films to enjoy during the holidays. Some of these films you might not associate with Christmas, but all feature the holiday prominently. Make some hot chocolate, light up the fireplace and get cozy on the couch or your favorite chair to watch some great classic movies!


Lady for a Day—1933 This early Frank Capra classic (released a year before It Happened One Night) is about Apple Annie (May Robson), a poor woman who sells fruit on the streets of New York City to support her daughter’s education in a Spanish convent school. Her daughter is coming to visit her mother, who she thinks is a society lady. Annie needs a Christmas miracle to keep up the charade when her daughter arrives with her fiancé Carlos and his father, Count Romero. Will Annie’s street friends and gambler Dave the Dude (Warren William) come to her aid? What do you think? It’s great classic entertainment from one of Hollywood’s great masters.

Backstory: Capra wanted Robert Montgomery (it was written with Montgomery in mind), James Cagney or William Powell to star as Dave the Dude and Marie Dressler to star as Annie, but their respective studios wouldn’t loan them out.

The Thin Man—1934 The first of the classic films featuring Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell and Myrna Loy) includes several scenes during the Christmas holiday. Nick, a former detective and Nora, his rich wife, solve murders for the fun of it. The film combines comedy, mystery, and slapstick (check out Myrna Loy’s terrific pratfall at the beginning of the movie). The Thin Man basically invented the comedy murder-mystery genre. It’s fast and furious, featuring some of the best dialogue of all time. Nora utters my favorite: “Waiter, will you serve the nuts? I mean, will you serve the guests the nuts?”

Backstory: The very efficient W. S. Van Dyke reportedly shot the film in only two weeks. The Thin Man was the first of six movies featuring the sleuthing Nick and Nora Charles, all starring Powell and Loy.

Bright Eyes—1934 This was the first film developed for Shirley Temple. Temple is Shirley Blake who lives with her mother Mary, (Lois Wilson) a maid in the house of the Smythe family. When she becomes an orphan on Christmas morning, Shirley’s future is uncertain. Her bachelor godfather and pilot, James “Loop” Merritt (James Dunn) would like to adopt the orphan, but wheelchair-bound Uncle Ned Smythe (Charles Sellon) wants Shirley to live with him. His snooty relatives, Anita and J. Wellington Smythe and their obnoxious daughter Joy (Jane Withers) reluctantly agree to his wishes, hoping to stay in his good graces financially. This is the film that features the song “On The Good Ship Lollipop,” a tune forever identified with Temple. Bright Eyes established Temple as a top box office star. Temple would continue to be a major fan favorite throughout the 1930s.

Backstory: Temple won a special juvenile Academy Award in 1935, the first year it was presented, for her work in Bright Eyes and Little Miss Marker. Shirley’s dog, Rags (Terry) was the same dog that played Totto in The Wizard of Oz.

Love Affair—1939 One of the great films from that amazing year stars Irene Dunne as singer Terry McKay and Charles Boyer as painter and playboy Michel Marnet. The two, both engaged to other people, meet on a trans-Atlantic liner and fall in love. Terry and Michel decide to meet at the top of the Empire State Building (the closest place to heaven) six months later. When the date arrives, Terry is hit by a car crossing the street and is badly injured. It is uncertain if she will ever be able to walk. Not wanting to gain Michel’s sympathy or be a burden, Terry refuses to contact him and tell him the reason she didn’t’ show up. The two accidentally meet at a theater, but it isn’t obvious to Michel that Terry cannot walk. Michel visits Terry on Christmas, gifting her with his mother’s shawl, something Terry had admired when she met the old woman who is now deceased. Michel finds out about Terry’s injury, but decides it doesn’t matter; they will be together whatever the diagnosis.

Backstory: Love Affair was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress (Dunne). The film was remade twice: An Affair to Remember (1957) starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr and Love Affair (1994), starring Warren Beatty and Annette Benning.


My Reputation—1946 Barbara Stanwyck plays Jessica Drummond, a young widow and mother of two sons from Chicago’s North Shore. Jess is mourning the loss of her husband as well as attempting to navigate the demands of being an upper class society woman. Her mother, Mary (Lucille Watson) is no help at all. She’s shocked when her daughter refuses to dress in black and makes Jess feel guilty for not following her example—Mary, a widow herself has been wearing black for decades. Fortunately for Jess, she has a great friend in Gina Abbott (Eve Arden) whom she confides in. Gina invites Jess to spend a week at Lake Tahoe with her husband. While skiing she meets Major Scott Landis (George Brent) who takes an immediate interest in her. Jess likes Scott and enjoys his company, but is reluctant to get too involved. The plot thickens when a friend of Jess’s mother sees her enter Scott’s apartment. It doesn’t take long for the society gang to spread rumors about Jess and her reputation, now seemingly tarnished. When Jess’s boys Kim (Scotty Beckett) and Keith (Bobby Cooper) come home from a Christmas party after hearing the gossip about their mother, things take an interesting turn. Stanwyck gives a subtle and sensitive performance as Jess and is ably supported by Brent and the rest of the cast. My Reputation is so well done and it’s a wonderful film to watch during the holidays.

Backstory: Made in 1944, the movie wasn’t released until 1946. The movie premiered in England to the Armed Forces. My Reputation was the first movie since the production code—enforced in 1934—to feature a double bed in a married couple’s bedroom.

In the Good Old Summertime—1949 Don’t let the title fool you! This musical remake of the Ernst Lubitsch classic, The Shop Around the Corner has several critical scenes that take place during the Christmas holidays and features the song “Merry Christmas.” Veronica Fisher (Judy Garland) and Andrew Larking (Van Johnson) are battling coworkers in a music store owned by Otto Oberkugen (S.Z. Sakall). Unbeknownst to Veronica and Andrew is the fact that they are each other’s secret pen pal. Garland is absolutely charming as Veronica and Johnson is perfect as Andrew. The supporting cast is a film buff’s delight that features the talents of Sakall, Spring Byington, Clinton Sundberg, and Buster Keaton, making his first film at M-G-M since being fired from the studio in 1933.

Backstory: Judy Garland replaced June Alyson who had to drop out of the movie due to pregnancy. Liza Minnelli made her film debut as the child of Veronica and Andrew in the closing shot.

Room for One More—1952 This heartwarming family film was a favorite of my family, especially around Christmastime. The movie stars Cary Grant and Betsy Drake (who were married at the time) as George “Poppy” and Anna Rose, a middle-class family who foster children who eventually become permanent members of their family. Anna is the softy of the two, or so it seems. The Roses have three children of their own, but after visiting an orphanage, Anna feels compelled to help at least one child. Poppy who is reluctant and grumpy about his wife’s willingness to bring strange children into their home, eventually warms up to the idea. Room for One More is a wonderfully entertaining film that demonstrates the importance of family, love, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

Backstory: The words “under God” are missing from the Pledge of Allegiance the schoolchildren recite because they weren’t added until 1954.

What do you think these of these choices? I would love to hear from you. Merry Christmas!

There are so many great classic movies to watch during the holidays. The above are just a small sampling. For a list of some other classic Christmas movies, click on the links below.

Classic Movie Man's Favorite Christmas Movies: 2010 Edition
Classic Movie Man's Favorite Christmas Movies: 2011 Edition

Classic Movie Man's Favorite Christmas Movies: 2012 Edition

Classic Movie Man's Favorite Christmas Movies: 2013 Edition