Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943)

[moira finnie]

Thank goodness for the DVR. I just fast-forwarded through the dull parts of Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943) that was recently broadcast on TCM. I must be tone deaf, but I don't get what our ancestors found funny about Eddie Cantor, do you? The parts with Dennis Morgan and Joan Leslie weren't much better, I'm afraid, though I usually like these two. To me the most interesting oddball moment was seeing Mark Hellinger playing himself with the director of this chaotic compendium, David Butler. Did anyone else see this movie?

I liked the way that Bette Davis sang "They're Either Too Young or Too Old" and thought that the sequence featuring Humphrey Bogart being intimidated by S.Z. Sakall was quite amusing, but can't find any video clips of those, but I did find this one of Ann Sheridan singing a naughty ditty about love:
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This number "Ice Cold Katie" sung by Hattie McDaniel and featuring almost every African American performer in Hollywood at the time is great, with Hattie and company putting across an Arthur Schwartz and Frank Loesser song:
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This is an almost unrecognizable Olivia de Havilland and Ida Lupino with George Tobias skat singing a number. This number was filmed when the girls were playing the Bronte sisters in Devotion, so maybe this was fun?:
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John Garfield does "Blues in the Night" in his own way:
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Errol Flynn kids his heroic image and shows some unexpected versatility singing "That's What You Jolly Well Get". This is the main reason I watched the movie. It's fun:
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[JackFavell]

I saw only parts of the film, Moira.

I am one of those oddballs who like Cantor, but I don't know why. I think it is that he is just so cute..... after a while, though, that part of the story got VERY irritating.

If Olivia and Ida were filming Devotion at this time, all I can say is that it's a good thing that George Tobias was between them during that number .... apparently they HATED one another, and according to Paul Henreid, pulled some pretty slick tricks on one another during filming of the Bronte epic. I am not talking practical jokes either. Henreid said that it made him sick how ruthlessly they tried to upstage each other, and that they each went to the director trying to get the other in trouble. I believe that Robert Osborne mentioned that they made up with one another late in life after some tragic event...even becoming good friends, but I don't remember the details. I thought the number was really bizarre - however, they all showed versatility, Olivia was quite funny, and GT had a really pleasant singing voice.

I was most impressed with Errol Flynn myself.

I love S.Z Sakall, so he knocked my socks off, and the Bogie thing was "cute". Loved Ann Sheridan, who is better and better every time I see her. The movie was not as bad as my father told me it was. I missed Hattie and Mark Hellinger, so thanks for the Hattie clip. I found it all rather enjoyable and miles more interesting than Stage Door Canteen.

[moira finnie]

I saw only parts of the film, Moira.

I am one of those oddballs who like Cantor, but I don't know why. I think it is that he is just so cute..... after a while, though, that part of the story got VERY irritating.

I liked parts of The Kid From Spain (1932) and Whoopee (1930), which can be seen here, has an antique charm, but I guess a little of Eddie goes a long way for me. He makes Red Skelton look subtle. I know Cantor was supposed to have been a very nice man who raised millions for charity, but some comedic actors who were his contemporaries, such as Will Rogers and Joe E. Brown still make me smile, but Eddie and his ilk do not, sorry to say. It's probably just a little thing but it does make me wonder about humor and how it translates over the years.

If Olivia and Ida were filming Devotion at this time, all I can say is that it's a good thing that George Tobias was between them during that number .... apparently they HATED one another, and according to Paul Henreid, pulled some pretty slick tricks on one another during filming of the Bronte epic. I am not talking practical jokes either. Henreid said that it made him sick how ruthlessly they tried to upstage each other, and that they each went to the director trying to get the other in trouble. I believe that Robert Osborne mentioned that they made up with one another late in life after some tragic event...even becoming good friends, but I don't remember the details. I thought the number was really bizarre - however, they all showed versatility, Olivia was quite funny, and GT had a really pleasant singing voice.

Since posting about this the other day, I've discovered that originally, Bogart was to have been the lead skat singer, but due to contract conflicts (Bogie was on suspension for a good long time around this period), George Tobias was substituted in this song. What a difference Bogart's presence might have had!

Re: Paul Henreid
JF, have you read Paul Henreid's autobiography, "Ladies Man"? I have not, but I am curious about this since Henreid appears to have been an individual who was actively disliked by many of his co-workers, though I'm not entirely sure why. It seems to have been something to do with arrogance and snobbery, though that aspect of his screen persona is sometimes interesting and he could sometimes appear in roles that suited him perfectly, as in the fascinating, if outlandish noir, Hollow Triumph aka The Scar (1949).

Re: Devotion
I knew that Olivia and Ida fought over camera angles and petty nonsense like that, but from what I've read, both were discouraged that Devotion's script didn't tell the complex story of the Brontë sisters and their brother Branwell accurately or with much subtlety. The two strong actresses were also constantly embroiled in turmoil with management at WB so it seems likely that studio mischief makers would have been very eager to foster any rift between them to ensure their differences would lead them to be more easily manipulated by Warners. Btw, when Devotion premiered around two years later, after Olivia had won her contract-busting suit against the studios, the next day, out of the blue, Ida, according to her biographer William Donati, phoned Olivia and complimented her on her characterization in the movie despite their tense working atmosphere during the film. Olivia was said to have been deeply touched by this kindness and, when Ida was very ill near the end of her life decades later, de Havilland visited her at home and in the hospital. Though I hope that someone would try to make a better movie about the Brontë family's imaginative world in Yorkshire someday (hopefully made by an English film production crew), there are some hints in Ida's portrayal of Emily of her inner life in that movie, at least for me.

I was most impressed with Errol Flynn myself.

I loved Flynn's jaunty bit as well as the Hattie McDaniel number. Both of them should have had a chance to do more musical comedies. They would have been great.

Thanks so much for responding.

[JackFavell]

JF, have you read Paul Henreid's autobiography, "Ladies Man"? I have not, but I am curious about this since Henreid appears to have been an individual who was actively disliked by many of his co-workers, though I'm not entirely sure why. It seems to have been something to do with arrogance and snobbery, though that aspect of his screen persona is sometimes interesting and he could sometimes appear in roles that suited him perfectly, as in the fascinating, if outlandish noir, Hollow Triumph aka The Scar (1949).

I am curious about his being disliked by his co-workers.... arrogant and snobbish I can see, but maybe most unforgivable might be humorlessness? Just a guess, here.

I own Ladies Man, Moira, and that is where I got my information. Henreid was proud, and it shows in the book - but not to his disadvantage, strangely enough. He had a very German outlook - that one should do one's very best, never accepting anything but the best from those around you. At least that's the idea I got. Maybe he just talked about it a lot. I have German in-laws, and I see the same character traits in them, and although it can be seen as arrogant, It is also refreshing to see people who strive for quality in this day and age. Dealing with the germans can be a bit difficult sometimes, because of a "noblesse oblige" feeling, a kind of entitlement that is how they are brought up. Henreid, of course, could have been a real jerk, and I would not know it from reading his book.... it is a good read, though, and I still like him.

It took me awhile to reconcile his portrayals of Ida and Olivia to my pre-conceived notions of them....I was very surprised at his comments about the two, and it kind of upset me. I assume that he was a bit uncomfortable with American women and studio gamesmanship. He had dealt with really awful political events in Germany, then was treated poorly in England as well, due to his Germanic background. By the time he got to America, he might have had enough of politics to last a lifetime - especially silly studio politics. He did preface that section about Devotion by describing how most female stars had to be adept at "playing the game" in order to get ahead. He said he felt that there had to be a streak of ruthlessness in the women of Hollywood in order for them to become stars in the first place.

I think you are very right about the studio fostering competition between the two stars, I am sure that it was to their advantage to keep the two at each other's throats.

Since posting about this the other day, I've discovered that originally, Bogart was to have been the lead skat singer, but due to contract conflicts (Bogie was on suspension for a good long time around this period), George Tobias was substituted in this song. What a difference Bogart's presence might have had!

I am almost speechless thinking of Bogart in this number! I thought I couldn't imagine anything weirder than Ida, George and Olivia jiving it up, but you have succeeded in giving me an even more outrageous mental image. Thanks!

[moira finnie]

Oh, Great~~now you've made me know that I have to go out and find Paul Henreid's book!

Along with my raging chronic cases of Anglophilia and Francophilia, I have a real passion for Austrians, the waning days of the Austro-Hungarian aristocracy and particularly for the stories surrounding the creative people who left Europe behind, pouring their creative life blood into an often indifferent Hollywood. Love those tales of such displaced types as Fritz Lang, Curtis Bernhardt, and Douglas Sirk rubbing elbows with Thomas Mann, Joe May, Bertolt Brecht, Erich Korngold, and a kajillion sad, sometimes bitter, often very brave souls who tried to make their way in this strange new land called America--all thanks to Adolf and his minions. Your vivid description of the book tears it. The cheapest I've been able to find "Ladies Man" was for 17 bucks on Amazon, but I think my library has a copy, thank goodness. Thanks for giving me one more book that I must read...I think.

Btw, I was pretty nonplussed at the thought of Bogart skat singing with those two ersatz Andrew Sisters too.
"Reet, the sight of that salty cat singing jive would snap my cap."

[charliechaplinfan]

Thanks for posting the Errol Flynn segment Moira, I've always wanted to watch that sketch. He is very good, he doesn't sound like I thought he'd sound but perhaps he's trying to sing in the same accent as his spoken words. He's surprised me how good he was with a song, why did Warners not put a couple of songs into some of his films, then they could have made money selling records of Errol singing. Only one complaint, why put that awful moustache on his very handsome face.

On a more serious note, this may just be a case of timing, here is is singing a song, very tongue in cheek about having won the war. I know that Errol came in for some serious stick for not having fought in the war, staying behind making war films instead. The film that's hated over here is Objective Burma because Errol manages to acheive victory almost single handed when our guys fought long and hard. I wonder if the choice of song came back to bite Warners and Errol on the behind.

I know Errol was 4F which meant he wasn't allowed to fight, he was in the prime of his life and the peak of his fitness, I've always thought that that must have eaten him up inside, being the most daredevil hero of the screen and not being able to fight for his country and being accused by some of cowardice when by all accounts he was a brave guy.

When I have more time I'm going to come back and watch the other segments. For now I'm content to have seen Errol.

[JackFavell]

You know, I had a twinge, too, during the movie, and wondered about the choice of the song, CCFan....

[moira finnie]

Oh, I'm pretty sure that musical number was a self-conscious attempt to deflect the criticism Flynn endured because he could not directly participate in the fighting (at least two heart attacks, according to his better biographers, several bouts with malaria, a drinking problem and that pesky drug habit didn't help his health at all). The reality was so at odds with his image projected throughout his career and reinforced in war films such as Desperate Journey, Northern Pursuit and Objective Burma (which understandably ticked off people for ignoring the British role in Burma) and that statutory rape charge that just ruined his reputation all weighed heavily on him, leading him, some thought to despair and greater dissipation.

All that aside, I do wish he'd had more opportunity to play the jolly fool in a few more musicals. Who knows--he might have been happier too.

[charliechaplinfan]

I don't think he rated his talent very highly either. He had an awful lot of charm I'm sure, it shines through in that clip.