On This Day...Holiday (1938)

Holiday was Cary Grant's 31st film and was released in 1938.  The third of four movies pairing Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. The other three are Sylvia Scarlett (1935), Bringing Up Baby (1938), and The Philadelphia Story (1940). George Cukor directed all of the films except Bringing Up Baby, which was directed by Howard Hawks.

For more pictures and information see my original post in 2020.

Summary:

Free-thinking Johnny Case (Cary Grant) finds himself betrothed to a millionaire's daughter. When her family, with the exception of black-sheep Linda (Katharine Hepburn) and drunken Ned (Lew Ayres), want Johnny to settle down to big business, he rebels, wishing instead to spend the early years of his life on "holiday."

 With the help of his friends Nick (Edward Everett Horton) and Susan Potter (Jean Dixon), he makes up his mind as to which is the better course, and the better mate.

Cast:

 Katharine Hepburn ... Linda Seton
 Cary Grant ... Johnny Case
 Doris Nolan ... Julia Seton
 Lew Ayres ... Ned Seton
 Edward Everett Horton ... Nick Potter
 Henry Kolker ... Edward Seton
 Binnie Barnes ... Laura Cram
 Jean Dixon ... Susan Potter
 Henry Daniell ... Seton Cram

Did You Know?

Edward Everett Horton repeats the role of Nick Potter, which he also played in the previous version of the film, Holiday (1930).

In the original play, Nick and Susan Potter are wealthy socialites. Due to the depression, the plot was altered so that Johnny, who represented "the common man," would have more ordinary, down to earth friends

Cary Grant performed his own tumbling stunts. Before becoming an actor, he was part of an acrobatic troupe in vaudeville.

Scenes were filmed in Bishop, California to depict Lake Placid, New York that were intended to be the beginning of the picture. The idea was to "open up" the stage play by utilizing exteriors. However, when George Cukor saw the footage, he cut it. Only a few stills, used for theater lobby cards, survive.

(see below: Lobby Cards)

In the poster art and some surviving stills, Hepburn wears a light-colored straw hat with her final costume in the film. This hat never appears in the film and must have been used only for photos before the film's release before being replaced with the wide-brimmed dark felt hat that is actually in the film.
(see below :Lobby Cards)

Quotes:

Johnny Case: [Seeing stuffed giraffe] Oh, did she love that too?
Linda Seton: [Hugging the toy] Now don't you a word about Leopold. He's very sensitive.
Johnny Case: Yours.
Linda Seton: Looks like me.
[turning its head in profile]

Johnny Case: When I find myself in a position like this, I ask myself, what would General Motors do? And then I do the opposite!

Johnny Case: I don't call what I've been doing living.
Linda Seton: And what do you recommend for yourself, doctor?
Johnny Case: A holiday.
Linda Seton: For how long?
Johnny Case: As long as I need.
Linda Seton: You mean just to play?
Johnny Case: No. I've been working since I was 10. I want to find out why I'm working. It can't just be to pay bills and pile up more money. Even if you do, the government's going to take most of it.
Linda Seton: But what is the answer?
Johnny Case: I don't know. That's what I intend to find out. The world's changing out there. There are a lot of new, exciting ideas running around. Some may be right and some may be cockeyed but they're affecting all our lives. I want to know how I stand, where I fit in the picture, what it's all gonna mean to me. I can't find that out sitting behind some desk in an office, so as soon as I get enough money together, I'm going to knock off for a while.

Lobby Cards:

Directed by George Cukor.

Distributed by Columbia pictures.

Running time: 94 minutes.

Artwork by Rebekah Hawley at Studio 36.

 

On This Day...Singapore Sue (1932)

 On this day saw Archie Leach's film debut in the short film Singapore Sue. Although by the time it was released two of Cary Grant's full length films had hit the big screen.

Summary:

Four sailors enter a Singapore dive, meet a Chinese girl from Brooklyn, and find there's more to her than meets the eye. Two songs.

Cast:

 Anna Chang ... Singapore Sue
 Joe Wong ... Singer / Gigolo
 Pickard's Chinese Syncopaters ... Themselves
 Archie Leach ... First Sailor (uncredited)
Millard Mitchell ... Second Sailor (uncredited)

Directed by Casey Robinson.

Running time: 10 minutes.

Artwork by Rebekah Hawley at Studio 36.

On This Day...Merrily We Go to Hell (1932)

 Merrily We Go to Hell was Cary Grant's 3rd full length film and was featured here last year.
(https://www.blogger.com/u/0/blog/post/edit/8085638075151020671/8424428129983971754)

Summary:

Nere-do-well Jerry Corbett finally meets and marries the right girl, Joan Prentiss. Unfortunately their wedded bliss is interrupted when Jerry's play becomes a hit and he hooks up with the wrong woman from his past.

 Joan decides that turn-about is fair play and she picks another man to escort her around to various parties around New York. Eventually Jerry quits drinking and sends his girlfriend packing, just in time for Joan to take him back.

Cast:

 Sylvia Sidney ... Joan Prentice
 Fredric March ... Jerry Corbett
 Adrianne Allen ... Claire Hempstead
 Richard 'Skeets' Gallagher ... Buck
 George Irving ... Mr. Prentice
 Esther Howard ... Vi
 Florence Britton ... Charlcie
 Charles Coleman ... Richard Damery
 Cary Grant ... Charlie Baxter
 Kent Taylor ... Greg Boleslavsky

Did You Know?

The word "HELL" could not be used in the UK as part of a title, so the UK version was simply re-titled "Merrily We Go to ____".

Jerry mentions his salary is $85 per week, which equates to $1,545 per week in 2020. This was more than four times the average wage in the year this film was released. The $50,000 Jerry is offered to give up Joan would equate to $909,000 in 2020.

An early example of product placement uses a close-up of a bottle of Henessey "Three Star" Brandy as a punch line. The equivalent modern version would be the V.S. (Very Special).

Quotes:

Charlie Baxter: [Toasting] To the ladies. They keep their hearts, and change their minds.
Joan Prentice: Oh, no. We keep our minds, but change our hearts!

Jerry Corbett: [singing] First she gave me ginger bread and then she gave me cake; and then she gave me creme de menthe for meeting her at the gate.

Buck: That's what this country needs, more men who know when they've been wrong.

On Set : Director Dorothy Arzner.

Lobby Cards:

Directed by Dorothy Arzner.

Produced by Paramount Publix.

Running time: 88 minutes.

Artwork by Rebekah Hawley at Studio36

On This Day... Only Angels Have Wings (1939)

On this day in 1939, Cary Grant's 33rd full length film, Only Angels Have Wings, was released.

Summary:

At a remote South American trading port, the manager of an air freight company is forced to risk his pilots' lives in order to win an important contract.

Cast:

Cary Grant... Geoff Carter
Jean Arthur... Bonnie Lee
Richard Barthelmess... Bat MacPherson
Rita Hayworth... Judy MacPherson
Thomas Mitchell... Kid Dabb
Allyn Joslyn... Les Peters
Sig Ruman... Dutchy (as Sig Rumann)
Victor Kilian... Sparks
John Carroll... Gent Shelton
Don 'Red' Barry... Tex (as Donald Barry)
Noah Beery Jr... Joe Souther
Manuel Álvarez Maciste... The Singer (as Maciste)
Milisa Sierra... Lily (as Milissa Sierra)
Lucio Villegas... Doctor
Pat Flaherty... Mike

Did You Know?

Howard Hawks had known a real-life flier who once parachuted from a burning plane. His co-pilot died in the ensuing crash and his fellow pilots shunned him for the rest of his life.

The film was inspired by a true story of a real-life couple Howard Hawks met while scouting Mexican locations for Viva Villa! (1934) (which was eventually directed by Jack Conway).

"Calling Baranca" later became a recurring line in Looney Toons/Merrie Melodies cartoons.

Dutchy's statement about flying, "Include me out," is a quote from Samuel Goldwyn. It is one of many malapropisms attributed to him.

Richard Barthelmess had deep scars that resulted from an infection due to plastic surgery. The only way to cover them up was with heavy make-up, but Howard Hawks convinced him to leave them the way they were because "those scars tell the story and are important to your character." Hawks also removed planks to make Barthelmess appear smaller, to reflect his character's inferiority among his fellow pilots.

This film was supposed to be among the 12 American titles selected for the first ever Cannes Film Festival, set for September 1, 1939. Sadly, the war would delay the inauguration of the festival by seven years.

When Rita Hayworth couldn't play her drunk scene well enough, Hawks told Cary Grant to throw a bucket of water on her head, dry her hair, and to only say his lines.

Cary Grant is often incorrectly quoted as saying "Judy, Judy, Judy" to Rita Hayworth in this movie. The misquote is attributed to impressionist Larry Storch who, when in the middle of one of his nightclub acts, saw Judy Garland walk in as he was impersonating Grant. Apparently this is how he addressed her.

Quotes:

Bonnie Lee: [Joe has just died and Bonnie is feeling guilty about his death] Mr. Carter? Mr. Carter? Do you really think... I mean... Do you really think it was my fault, what happened out there?
Geoff Carter: Sure it was your fault. You were gonna have dinner with him, the Dutchman hired him, I sent him up on schedule, the fog came in, a tree got in the way. All your fault. Forget it, unless you want the honor.

Geoff Carter: Wait a minute, you little fool, why don't you use your ...
[sees that she's crying]
Geoff Carter: Oh, come on. Stop it.
Bonnie Lee: I don't know how you can act like this when that poor kid, he's ...
Geoff Carter: [coldly] Yeah, I know, he's dead.
Bonnie Lee: Yes, he's dead!
Geoff Carter: That's right. And he's been dead about 20 minutes, and all the weeping and wailing in the world won't make him any deader 20 years from now. If you feel like bawling, how do you think we feel?
Bonnie Lee: Oh, I'm sorry...
Geoff Carter: Oh, come on. Go outside and walk around - and stay there until you put all that together!

Bonnie Lee: How can you eat that?
Geoff Carter: What?
Bonnie Lee: Eat that steak.
Geoff Carter: Well, what's the matter with it?
Bonnie Lee: [referring to Joe] It was his!
Geoff Carter: Well, what do you want me to do, have it stuffed?

Lobby Cards and Posters:

Directed by Howard Hawks.
Produced by Columbia.
Running time: 121 minutes.

Artwork by Rebekah Hawley of Studio 36.

On This Day... Indiscreet (1958)

Today in 1958 saw the release of Cary Grant's 64th full length film, Indiscreet...which I first reviewed in my blog post on May 20, 2020 - see https://www.mylifeinayearwitharchie.com/2020/05/on-this-dayindiscreet-1958.html

Summary:

An actress who has given up on love meets a suave banker and begins a flirtation with him...even though he's already married.

Cast:

Cary Grant... Philip Adams
Ingrid Bergman... Anna Kalman
Cecil Parker... Alfred Munson
Phyllis Calvert... Mrs Margaret Munson
David Kossoff... Carl Banks
Megs Jenkins... Doris Banks

Did You Know?

Cary Grant said that this was his personal favorite film.

First of two films by Grandon Productions, which was owned by Cary Grant and director Stanley Donen. The other film was The Grass Is Greener (1960).

The original Broadway production of "Kind Sir" by Norman Krasna, on which Indiscreet (1958) is based, opened at the Alvin Theater on November 4, 1953, ran for 166 performances, and closed on March 27, 1954. The cast included Charles Boyer and Mary Martin in the Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman roles.

The car Anna's chauffeur drives is a brand new 1958 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith, valued at $23,000 at the time (over $209,000 in 2020). Reportedly, Cary Grant purchased the car at the end of filming.

Cary Grant was taught how to play snooker by Sidney Lee, at the time one of Britain's best players, and how to play the violin left handed in order to act the part, while Ingrid Bergman was taught how to dance the Highland Fling.

When director Stanley Donen asked Cary Grant if he would do this film, Grant said only if Ingrid Bergman would be his co-star. Bergman was committed to doing The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958) which was to be filmed in the UK, and a theatrical production in Paris, so this film was moved to Elstree Studios in England.

Ingrid Bergman agreed to do the film with the script sight unseen in order to work with her friend Cary Grant again.

Quotes:

Anna Kalman: This is a very diplomatic matter, I don't want you putting your foot in it.
Philip Adams: I deal with diplomatic matters every day without feet.

Philip Adams: Oh, I tell you. Women are not the sensitive sex. That's one of the grand delusions of literature. Men are the true romanticists.

Anna Kalman: How dare he make love to me and not be a married man.

Lobby Cards:

Directed by Stanley Donen.
Produced by Grandon Productions.
Running time: 100 minutes

Artwork by Rebekah Hawley of Studio 36.