Once Upon A Time

Isn't Romantic Comedy redundant?
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charliechaplinfan
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Once Upon A Time

Post by charliechaplinfan »

I've never watched this movie before, I didn't know anything about it, I've searched around here but didn't find any other mention of it. I'm completely charmed and captivated by the movie although I was a little shaky at first as to where the movie was going, practical me is tutting inside thinking the caterpillar would die before it benefited Pinky or Jerry. For anyone who hasn't watched the movie you'll probably be as surprised as I was.

After watching Mr Lucky I wasn't sure Cary Grant was capable of topping this performane but he's equalled it here, I can't think of an actor who is more natural with children, he has the camaraderie, the understanding, the flattery but has he ultimately got the heart and that is the nub of the movie. Without giving too much away it's a real feel good, eye opener of a movie and an appearance by Walt Disney.

There are many favourite scenes here but Cary getting frogmarched through New York by groups of young boys is my favourite.

It's superb, borrow a child if you have to and watch it.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
RedRiver
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Re: Once Upon A Time

Post by RedRiver »

I really don't know this one. I had to look it up on the internet. It does sound interesting.
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: Once Upon A Time

Post by charliechaplinfan »

It isn't one I'd heard of and watched it because it's a Cary Grant movie I hadn't seen. You know the feeling when you know that you're on to something good, well that hits straight away. Cary's performance is so clever, he's a showman, has his own theatre but he's had three flops in a row and desperately needs $100,000 to keep his theatre, then he sees a boy with a dancing caterpillar in a box, just watch him look in that box, once, twice and then again. It's classic Grant. He's hell bent on saving his theatre, the only way to do it is to build up the caterpillar into a big story and sell him to Walt Disney but Pinky, his owner does not want to sell at any price. The scene when Grant goes to take that caterpillar off Pinky is a look at the other side of Grant, the mean, self serving one. It's classic and it's far better than the imdb makes it out to be.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
feaito

Re: Once Upon A Time

Post by feaito »

Alison, I am glad that you watched this endearing film. It's one of the films that I watched as a kid and left a mark on me, encouraging my fondness for Classic Film. For years I remembered the appealing plot about the dancing caterpillar and never was able to watch it again. Later, I learnt it was a Cary Grant film and when it was released on DVD around 2000-2001, I bought it immediately.

Janet Blair, the kid who plays her kid brother, James Gleason and of course, Cary Grant are perfect in a rather flawless film. This film was released the year after "Mr. Lucky" (1943) and both films show Cary Grant at the peak of his talents, paired with two lesser known actresses (Janet Blair and Laraine Day) who give very good performances and have great chemistry with him.
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: Once Upon A Time

Post by charliechaplinfan »

I was so enchanted. I can imagine seeing it when you were younger that it would really stay with you and become a little confused in the mind, it's such a preposterous tale in one way and so joyful to boot.

Watching Once Upon A Time so soon after Mr Lucky then today I watched Crisis has made me realise even more just how good an actor Cary Grant was, both in serious roles like Crisis when he can carry an authorative role but especially in comedy, no one uses their body quite like him to express themselves, his acting is so much more than the words and how he says them, it's the other things that he does that convey the character and that make it seem like he's almost playing rather than acting. Perhaps some people thought he didn't take it seriously and hence the lack of an Oscar for his performances. For me his lack of an Oscar for one of his roles is one of life's great travesties.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
feaito

Re: Once Upon A Time

Post by feaito »

I liked very much "Crisis" (1950) Alison, it's a very well-done film and Cary Grant delivers a very good performance. It has three legendary Spanish speaking actors in its cast whose careers in Hollywood started in the Silent Era: Antonio Moreno, Ramon Novarro and Gilbert Roland. Besides, it's set in an un-named country in South America :wink:
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: Once Upon A Time

Post by charliechaplinfan »

How did I miss Antonio Moreno and Ramon Navarro, I did notice Gilbert Roland, now I'm going to have to watch it again. Even looking at the cast list I still don't know who Antonio Moreno played.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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JackFavell
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Re: Once Upon A Time

Post by JackFavell »

Ramon Novarro looked very different in his later movies, he usually wore whiskers and this makes him less recognizable, to me anyway. Some of those later performances are quite nuanced and I like him tremendously in the few I've seen.
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Rita Hayworth
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Re: Once Upon A Time

Post by Rita Hayworth »

I've never heard of this movie ... reading all these posts makes me want to see this movie! Nice lineup of actors and all ...
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