THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940)

THE PHILADELPHIA STORY Review by Taylor Wright

I like a good romantic comedy, but I love a great one and that's exactly what The Philadelphia Story is. The backstory for this gem is that Katharine Hepburn had been in a string of flops (one of which was the now beloved Bringing Up Baby) and was looking for a star vehicle that would break that losing streak. It came about in the form of a play by Phillip Barry, rewritten as a screenplay by David Ogden Stewart, and what a screenplay it is. Katharine Hepburn stars as Tracy Lord, a wealthy, willful, free-spirited, but abrasive and judgmental socialite of Philadelphia who has divorced her husband and fellow socialite C.K. Dexter Haven, played by the always delightful Cary Grant. Her reasons for divorce being that he didn't measure up to her very specific standards, namely being that he was a drinker, a habit which she had apparently contributed to. Now Ms. Lord is about to marry to George Kittredge (played as amusingly fussy by John Howard), a man who acquired his wealth on his own. However, the tabloids are anxious to cover the wedding and, with a little masterminding by Dexter and a scandalous story surrounding her father Seth Lord, Reporter Macaulay "Mike" Connor (James Stewart) and photographer Liz Imbrie (Ruth Hussey) do just that.

This film was one of many to feature a plot involving remarriage, which was a plot device in the 30's and 40's to avoid difficulties with censorship. I believe this to be one of the best examples of those, another excellent one being The Awful Truth, which also starred Cary Grant. The chemistry and comic range of the three leads is the highlight of the film. Hepburn's performance as Tracy Lords is a perfect opportunity to tap into her own persona of a tough woman, but with enough sensitivity and wit to make it fun. And indeed, Tracy is a fun character who somehow winds up being torn between three very different men and having eat a slice of humble pie before all ends well. The scenes between Hepburn and Grant, both of whom share sparkling chemistry and a charming Mid-Atlantic accent*, are a sight to behold, the first scene in the movies shows Dexter leaving his mansion in a huff as Tracy snaps one of his golf clubs in two. Dexter is poised to strike, hesitates, then pushes her to the floor. It doesn't sound like much reading about it, but it's all about delivery. They share some very sensitive and heartwarming scenes too, Dexter's accusations of snobbery and self righteousness are as satisfying as their reconciliation, and hey, come on, we all know they'll get back together.

Equally fun are James Stewart in his Oscar-winning role as Mike and Ruth Hussey as Liz who seems to have some unrequited feelings for her colleague. If Dexter has a bone to pick with Tracy being on her high horse, Mike seems to like her there, praising her and falling for her: "You're lit from within, Tracy. You've got fires banked down in you, hearth-fires and holocausts." One of the most hysterical scenes in the film is when a very drunk Mike visits Dexter in the middle of the night with helpful information he has gathered from Tracy. Grant and Stewart crank up up their comic abilities to whole new level as as a very drunk Mike rambles on to Dexter, Cary Grant playing it off amusingly and James Stewart doing one of the most convincing drunk performances I've ever seen. The other characters are all enjoyable as well, John Halliday as Tracy's warm father Seth, Mary Nash as her kindly mother Margaret, Virginia Weilder is winsome as her sly younger sister Dinah and of course Roland Young as the hilarious Uncle Willie, who takes quite a liking to Liz. It's all tied together with George Cukor's solid direction and David Ogden Stewart's crackling screenplay. Like most romantic comedies, all's well that ends well, but it's a heck of a journey along the way with a lot of laughs and plenty of heart.

*Mid-Atlantic English (sometimes called a Transatlantic accent) is a cultivated or acquired version of the English Language once found in certain aristocratic elements of American society and taught for use in the American theatre. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Atlantic_accent

THE CAMERAMAN (1928)

THE CAMERAMAN Review by Taylor Wright A master of self-depreciating physical comedy and what are still some of the most impressive stunts in cinema history, Buster Keaton still manages to put a smile on our faces and get some great laughs. In The Cameraman, Keaton stars as a small-time photographer, named Buster who falls for a secretary named Sally who works for MGM Newsreels. In an effort to be close to her and impress her, he spends all his money on a film camera and tries to get a job as a cameraman for the studio. This seems to work, but nothing is ever so simple as Keaton finds himself is increasingly wacky and dangerous scenarios. As he had just moved to MGM, albeit reluctantly, his was to be the last film Buster Keaton would make where he had considerable creative control, beyond starring in his his own films as the lovable underdog, he directed the films and created incredibly funny and exciting scenes often through improvisation. This film proves to be what may be his last real masterpiece. Some of his greatest moments are in this film, Buster taking Sally to a pool for a date and having to a share a changing room with a big man, leading to a hilarious mixup of swimsuits, a cop who witnesses Buster's antics as he dashes about town and my personal favorite, Buster's solo reenactment of a baseball game at an empty stadium. The heart of the story is the relationship between Buster Keaton and Sally, played sweetly by Marceline Day. Unlike quite a few leading ladies, she's a warm, supportive and likable character and a more realistic love interest than the fickle women who appear so often in the silent comedies. And Buster Keaton shows off his own acting prowess in the film's quieter moments, soaked and cold in the rain after their date, the pep in his step when Sally kisses him on the cheek is a charming moment, just as the sadness from his supposed defeat by his rival for Sally's affections is genuinely disheartening, but this is a comedy after all, do we really believe it will end sadly? And as the plot suggests, Keaton's fascination with film is on full display. The footage of the Tong war (violent wars between criminals in Chinatown, put simply) is magnificent and has an air of authenticity; the climactic rescue of Sally from drowning and the aforementioned baseball antics are all shot beautifully. Buster's own mishaps with his camera are familiar to anyone who has dabbled with a camera, albeit more modern ones. Even early forms of photography are something for modern audiences to learn about. At the beginning of the film, Buster is a Tintype photographer. Tintype was a method of photography that involved print a photo directly onto a metal plate, it was something of a novelty in it's time and is interesting to see on screen. But it's Buster Keaton's love of the art that makes the film a masterpiece, spectacle, humor and heart win the day and it makes for great entertainment. Even if it was to be his last great film, it's a fitting swan song.