Loretta Young: January Star of the Month on TCM

[moira finnie]

Many of us may think we know Loretta Young--glamorous, well-dressed and a bit artificial. If this month's lineup of films does anything, it might be of value to help us get a glimpse of the range, warmth, humor, durability and innovative sides of this lovely actress who worked from the silents through the television era, mastering the medium and surviving through eight decades of film.


Tonight, TCM kicks off the tribute by offering Young in a series of her earliest films--which may also be among her very best--when she showed her beauty, spark, and intelligence. I am a bit prejudiced, but Taxi!, Employee's Entrance and Midnight Mary are NOT to be missed. They will shake any assumptions one may have about this woman and her abilities to express a range of emotions. BTW, these movies were all made before she was twenty! More detailed info can be seen about the films in the lineup here.

FEATURED FILMS in JANUARY on TCM
LAUGH, CLOWN, LAUGH
PLATINUM BLONDE
TAXI!
LIFE BEGINS
THE SQUALL (1929)
SHOW OF SHOWS
LOOSE ANKLES
I LIKE YOUR NERVE
ROAD TO PARADISE (1930)
THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUTH (1930)
EMPLOYEES' ENTRANCE
HEROES FOR SALE
BORN TO BE BAD (1934)
MIDNIGHT MARY
THEY CALL IT SIN
THE HATCHET MAN
PLAY-GIRL
THE RULING VOICE
SHE HAD TO SAY YES
A MAN'S CASTLE
SUEZ (1938)
KENTUCKY (1938)
THE LIFE OF JIMMY DOLAN
BEAU IDEAL
BIG BUSINESS GIRL
THE DOCTOR TAKES A WIFE
BEDTIME STORY (1941)
WIFE, HUSBAND AND FRIEND
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER (1942)
WEEK-END MARRIAGE (1932)
GRAND SLAM (1933)
THE FARMER'S DAUGHTER
THE STRANGER
RACHEL AND THE STRANGER
ALONG CAME JONES
KEY TO THE CITY
CAUSE FOR ALARM
THE UNGUARDED HOUR

[moira finnie]

Ooops, more Loretta Young comments are here:
http://silverscreenoasis.com/oasis3/vie ... 25#p122225

[JackFavell]

Moira, I forgot about Midnight Mary, which is my favorite precode of Loretta's. Thanks for mentioning it.

Maybe you know why the Loretta/Tyrone Power films are hardly ever shown? I have been waiting for years to rewatch these 5 movies, but they never show up anywhere. I guess I'm lucky to see Suez on the schedule.

[moira finnie]

Moira, I forgot about Midnight Mary, which is my favorite precode of Loretta's. Thanks for mentioning it.

Maybe you know why the Loretta/Tyrone Power films are hardly ever shown? I have been waiting for years to rewatch these 5 movies, but they never show up anywhere. I guess I'm lucky to see Suez on the schedule.

The only reason I know that these may not be on TCM is that 20th Century Fox has not made them available. I believe that most, if not all are available on DVD, but since many more Fox films have found their way to Turner in recent years, there is a chance someday, I suppose.

Ideally, if TCM could ever get enough of the rights to Tyrone Power's many 20th Century Fox films to make him a Star of the Month (TCM seems to almost have enough of his movies, though key films, such as Rose of Washington Square and Blood and Sand, seem to have eluded acquisition so far), there should be several of the Power-Young films included then.

[Sue Sue Applegate]

Thanks for the recommendations, ladies. I am watching Taxi right now!

Several events honoring Loretta Young's 100th birthday celebration are in the works:

An article by Lawrence Karol in the January issue of Palm Springs Life:
http://www.palmspringslife.com/Palm-Spr ... ng-at-100/

A tribute article by Sewart Wiener:
http://www.palmspringslife.com/Palm-Spr ... tta-Young/

A dinner with Loretta Young's son, Chris Lewis and his wife, Linda.
http://www.palmspringslife.com/Palm-Spr ... tta-Young/

A special exhibit at the Hollywood Museum beginning January 9 organized by her son, Chris Lewis, and daughter-in-law, Linda Lewis:
http://www.thehollywoodmuseum.com/loret ... ood-legend

Linda Lewis discusses aspects of Loretta's career including Young's working relationship with Lon Chaney in tonight's Laugh, Clown, Laugh on the "Going to TCM Festival" Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ClubTCMfans/

Have fun as Loretta's star shines this month!

[charliechaplinfan]

I don't think I've watched Loretta in anything made after the mid thirties, I think I love the precode image so much I don't want to see her grow up, so to speak, although I know I must be missing some good movies by feeling this way.

[JackFavell]

Yes yes YES! I only wish I had such a dilemma.

[movieman1957]

I've had a request from a friend to get "The Farmer's Daughter" at the end of the month. That might be another post WWII film to catch.

[JackFavell]

I love it but I don't know that other people will.

I REALLY like THE STRANGER.

[knitwit45]

Alison, I will record Rachel and the Stranger and The Farmer's Daughter for you, they are my 2 favorite LY movies.

[Sue Sue Applegate]

Knitty, that is a very sweet gesture for Allison.

Kingrat, I agree with all your wonderful comments about Life Begins. It was a lovely ensemble piece. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[mrsl]

.
This is going to sound really whacky because just a week ago or so I saw a marathon of The Loretta Young Show, and I don't think it was on TCM. If it was, please forgive me but as I mentioned before my short term memory is really skewed up. Anyway, I recall as a kid watching with my parents (one of the few shows we all agreed on), and my favorite memory is her coming in the door in a full skirt and flouncing it as she turned around to shut the door. The fun of watching was mainly seeing what she would be wearing that night. After the show was cancelled, she went on to The New Loretta Young Show, and then another which I don't recall, but years later, she sued NBC for re-running the original shows making it possible for people to laugh and make fun of her hair styles, and clothing and she WON her case. On these shows, she was always the star of the half-hour episodes featuring a lot of popular guest stars and telling a different story line each week.

As far as favorite movies, I have to agree that Rachel and the Stranger, and The Farmer's Daughter are two of my favorites, notwithstanding the fact that Rachel's 'stranger' just happens to be one Mr. Robert Mitchum. But another special one is the Christmas movie she made with Celeste Holmes - Come to the Stable where she played a lovely nun as did Audrey Hepburn in The Nun's Story.

Loretta has always been a favorite, not to the extent that I like Claudette Colbert, but still will watch when she is on. I must admit however, I do prefer the post code movies.
.

[Vecchiolarry]

Hi Anne,

Here's part of what I wrote years ago on TCM's board about Loretta Young.
Loretta Young - I met her in 1950, when she was up for an Oscar for a movie about nuns.
.in 1953, she first went into TV. Her husband, Tom, (a first class a--hole) was producing it and my grandmother was a silent producer (she supplied the money!).
•my grandmother produced her show until 1955, but gave up because Tom Lewis became impossible and because Loretta, known as 'Gretch the Wretch' by some, became a 'b-i-t-c-h'. I stayed out of it and Loretta and I were always friendly.
•Loretta's mother, Gladys, was an interior decorator in LA and had done our house on Roxbury Drive.
•I knew her daughter, Judy fairly well but her sons Chris and Peter were sent to military school, so I only saw them rarely. They envied me the run of Beverly Hills (I was tutored at home).
•Loretta looked after Mae Murray (oversaw to her maintenance) after 1962, when poor Mazie went more than a little gaga....
•last saw Loretta when Ann Miller and I went from Las Vegas to Palm Springs in 1998 to visit. She gave me a picture of herself, autographed 'Gretch, 1998 xox'.....
•she died in her sister's house in Beverly Hills. Her sister, Geogiana is married to Ricardo Montalban.
•Loretta had two older sisters, Polly Ann Young and Sally Blane, who were in movies also.