056: Platinum Blonde (1931) - released 10/31/1931; viewed 5/21/06.
Dick Tracy makes his debut in the comic strips.
BIRTHS: Larry Hagman, Angie Dickinson, John le Carre, Mickey Mantle, Jim Bunning, Dan Rather. DEATHS: Thomas Alva Edison.
KEVIN: Despite the presence of Jean Harlow and director Frank Capra, I wasn't expecting much from Platinum Blonde. I found myself thoroughly enjoying it, thanks to the fantastic energy of star Robert Williams and the emotional resonance of Loretta Young. It took me a good twenty minutes before I realized we're really not supposed to like Stew (Williams) with his snide wisecracking and dated opinions on women. He tells his best friend Gallagher (Young), "You're my pal, right? Then don't turn female on me." There's a scene were Loretta Young really shines. He sits with her talking about being married to the rich Ann Schuyler (Harlow), what his plans are for moving in and making friends, while she sits beside him and we see what he doesn't, that her heart is breaking right in front of him and she does everything she can to hold back her fresh tears. I like how Stew keeps saying he's a struggling playwright, until Gallagher suggests the perfect solution, one I'm surprised I don't hear more often, basically, why don't you write the play that you're IN RIGHT NOW? Which he does, leading to the film's final scene as he professes his love to his best friend in a really sweet and amusing way, as we're not immediately sure if he's talking about himself or just the characters in the play.
DOUG: While Dick Tracy makes his debut in the funny books, we now take in our first Frank Capra film, The Platinum Blonde, a little film starring Loretta Young, Jean Harlow, and a little-known but extremely charming actor named Robert Williams. And a good film it is, though far from great. Interesting that Young gets top billing over Williams, since he seems to be in much more of the film than she is (and has about 50% of all the dialogue in the movie), and it really seems like his film. It's quite a shame that he died just after the film's release; if not for this film, he'd surely be forgotten today. He dominates this little comedy of manners as reporter Stew Smith with his sarcastic, wisecracking, sleepy-eyed charm, and he is the reason the movie is as good as it is. Young is quite good as well playing Stew's friend Gallagher; watch her closely in the scenes where Stew goes on about Anne (Harlow); her acting is very subtle, as she's clearly extremely uncomfortable hearing a man she likes talk about another woman, although he doesn't notice at all. She manages to bring significant depth to an underdeveloped character, and anyone can see that these two characters have a perfect chemistry. Jean Harlow, usually playing the good girl, plays snotty heiress Anne, who marries Stew and engages in a battle of wills as they both try to change the other's lifestyle. I look forward to seeing more from the whole cast, including Halliwell Hobbes, who plays Smythe, the butler who shows Stew the fine points of puttering. Overall, this is some good early work from Frank Capra, though far from his best.
Last film: Monkey Business (1931). Next film: The Champ (1931).
Dick Tracy makes his debut in the comic strips.
BIRTHS: Larry Hagman, Angie Dickinson, John le Carre, Mickey Mantle, Jim Bunning, Dan Rather. DEATHS: Thomas Alva Edison.
KEVIN: Despite the presence of Jean Harlow and director Frank Capra, I wasn't expecting much from Platinum Blonde. I found myself thoroughly enjoying it, thanks to the fantastic energy of star Robert Williams and the emotional resonance of Loretta Young. It took me a good twenty minutes before I realized we're really not supposed to like Stew (Williams) with his snide wisecracking and dated opinions on women. He tells his best friend Gallagher (Young), "You're my pal, right? Then don't turn female on me." There's a scene were Loretta Young really shines. He sits with her talking about being married to the rich Ann Schuyler (Harlow), what his plans are for moving in and making friends, while she sits beside him and we see what he doesn't, that her heart is breaking right in front of him and she does everything she can to hold back her fresh tears. I like how Stew keeps saying he's a struggling playwright, until Gallagher suggests the perfect solution, one I'm surprised I don't hear more often, basically, why don't you write the play that you're IN RIGHT NOW? Which he does, leading to the film's final scene as he professes his love to his best friend in a really sweet and amusing way, as we're not immediately sure if he's talking about himself or just the characters in the play.
DOUG: While Dick Tracy makes his debut in the funny books, we now take in our first Frank Capra film, The Platinum Blonde, a little film starring Loretta Young, Jean Harlow, and a little-known but extremely charming actor named Robert Williams. And a good film it is, though far from great. Interesting that Young gets top billing over Williams, since he seems to be in much more of the film than she is (and has about 50% of all the dialogue in the movie), and it really seems like his film. It's quite a shame that he died just after the film's release; if not for this film, he'd surely be forgotten today. He dominates this little comedy of manners as reporter Stew Smith with his sarcastic, wisecracking, sleepy-eyed charm, and he is the reason the movie is as good as it is. Young is quite good as well playing Stew's friend Gallagher; watch her closely in the scenes where Stew goes on about Anne (Harlow); her acting is very subtle, as she's clearly extremely uncomfortable hearing a man she likes talk about another woman, although he doesn't notice at all. She manages to bring significant depth to an underdeveloped character, and anyone can see that these two characters have a perfect chemistry. Jean Harlow, usually playing the good girl, plays snotty heiress Anne, who marries Stew and engages in a battle of wills as they both try to change the other's lifestyle. I look forward to seeing more from the whole cast, including Halliwell Hobbes, who plays Smythe, the butler who shows Stew the fine points of puttering. Overall, this is some good early work from Frank Capra, though far from his best.
Last film: Monkey Business (1931). Next film: The Champ (1931).