On This Day... My Favorite Wife (1940)

Today in 1940 saw the release of My Favorite Wife: Cary Grant's 36th full length film and his second film with Irene Dunne... first reviewed in my blog post on May 17, 2020 -see https://www.mylifeinayearwitharchie.com/2020/05/on-this-daymy-favorite-wife-1940.html .

Summary:

Missing for seven years and presumed dead, a woman returns home on the day of her husband's second marriage.

Cast:

Irene Dunne... Ellen Wagstaff Arden
Cary Grant... Nick Arden
Randolph Scott... Stephen Burkett
Gail Patrick... Bianca Bates
Ann Shoemaker... Ma - Nick's Mother
Scotty Beckett... Tim - The Ardens' Son
Mary Lou Harrington... Chinch - the Ardens' Daughter
Donald MacBride... Hotel Clerk
Hugh O'Connell... Johnson - Insurance Adjuster
Granville Bates... Judge Bryson
Pedro de Cordoba... Dr. Kohlmar

Did You Know?

Included among the American Film Institute's 2000 list of the 500 movies nominated for the Top 100 Funniest American Movies.

Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem, "Enoch Arden," about a fisherman presumed lost at sea who returns to find his wife remarried, was the basis of five prior films: Enoch Arden (1914), Die Toten kehren wieder - Enoch Arden (1919), and D.W. Griffith's Enoch Arden: Part I (1911), Enoch Arden: Part II (1911), and Enoch Arden (1915). Those films adhered to Tennyson's poem. But in My Favorite Wife, Something's Got to Give (1962), and Move Over, Darling (1963), only the basic idea of a spouse who returns is kept, with the spouse presumed lost now being the wife. However, in all of these films, the surname of the couple in question remains "Arden."

Something's Got to Give was Marilyn Monroe's final, unfinished project and that version of this film featured Dean Martin in the Cary Grant role, and Cyd Charisse as the second wife. Some of the sets built for that version were "repurposed" for the Day/Garner film, Move Over Darling, after production on the Monroe/Martin movie was shut down due to Monroe's chronic tardiness and eventually abandoned when she died in August of 1962.

Leo McCarey was supposed to direct My Favorite Wife, but shortly before the filming began, he was injured in an automobile accident and had to hand over the direction to Garson Kanin. Actress Gail Patrick has stated that the severity of McCarey's injuries had an effect on the film's cast, and they found it very difficult to enter into the spirit of the comedy with the serious hospital bulletins they were hearing.

Quotes:

Judge Walter Bryson: Who are you?
Stephen Burkett: Well, your honor...
Nick Arden: Oh, he was on the island with her. He's not important to this case.
Judge Walter Bryson: I'll decide what's important to the case. What island?
Nick Arden: The island where my wife stayed for seven years, your honor.
Judge Walter Bryson: They were on an island together for seven years?
Nick Arden: Yes, your honor.
Judge Walter Bryson: Not alone?
Nick Arden: Yes.
Judge Walter Bryson: Hmm. Same island?
Nick Arden: Yes.
Judge Walter Bryson: Is that in the brief?
Nick Arden: No, your honor!
Judge Walter Bryson: Oh, that should be in the brief. That's the most interesting part of the case.

Ellen Wagstaff Arden aka Eve: Oh, by the way, how was my funeral?
Ma: Lovely. Doctor Blake preached a wonderful service.
Ellen Wagstaff Arden aka Eve: Oh, I wish I had been there.

Hotel clerk: [as Nick and Ellen approach the front desk of the hotel] Yes?
Nick Arden: I'd like to have another room.
Hotel clerk: [surprised, due to the fact that Mr. Arden just booked another room with another woman - his wife] Hmm?...
[looks around while contemplating the seemingly odd situation]
Hotel clerk: Why certainly sir.
Nick Arden: Ah, thank you very much. Uh, is uh, is Suite A available?
Hotel clerk: Suite A?
Ellen Wagstaff Arden aka Eve: Yes, Suite A.
Hotel clerk: [dings the bell] Franz, Suite A. Uh, have you any luggage Miss uh...
Ellen Wagstaff Arden aka Eve: Oh yes I have, a ticket right here - if you'll just sign for it. It's at the airport.
Nick Arden: Airport.
Ellen Wagstaff Arden aka Eve: Thank you.
Nick Arden: Very much.
Hotel clerk: [in slight disbelief to the other hotel clerk after the couple walks away] What a man.

Lobby Cards:

Directed by Garson Kanin.
Produced by RKO Radio
Running time: 88 minutes

Artwork by Rebekah Hawley of Studio 36.

On This Day...Without Reservations (1946)

Today saw the release of Without Reservations in 1946, featuring a cameo appearance by Cary Grant as himself.

Summary:

Kit Madden is traveling to Hollywood, where her best-selling novel is to be filmed. Aboard the train, she encounters Marines Rusty and Dink, who don't know she is the author of the famous book, and who don't think much of the ideas it proposes. She and Rusty are greatly attracted, but she doesn't know how to deal with his disdain for the book's author.

Cast:

Claudette Colbert...Kit Madden
John Wayne...Captain 'Rusty' Thomas
Don DeFore...Lieutenant 'Dink' Watson
Anne Triola...Connie
Phil Brown...Soldier
Frank Puglia...Ortega
Thurston Hall...Baldwin
Dona Drake...Dolores Ortega
Fernando Alvarado...Mexican Boy
Charles Arnt...Salesman
Louella Parsons...Louella Parsons (as Miss Louella Parsons)

Cary Grant...Cary Grant (uncredited) 

Did You Know?

The opening shot shows "Arrowhead" Pictures motion picture studio. This is the actual RKO Pictures Studio Building at 780 Gower Street in Hollywood, retouched with "Arrowhead" replacing the RKO signs on the building. It remains a historic structure on the corner to this day.

Claudette Colbert's character travels to Hollywood to make a movie from her best-selling novel. Already cast is Lana Turner in the female lead. She meets John Wayne's character and decides to take him for a screen test, as the perfect type to play the male lead. Wayne would later star with Turner in The Sea Chase (1955).

Quotes

Rusty: Everything she's doing, she's doing to make me jealous.
Dink: To make you jealous?
Rusty: And you know what I'm gonna do about it?
Dink: Get jealous.
Rusty: I am. Take a letter.
Dink: Yes, captain.

Directed by Mervyn LeRoy.

Produced by RKO Radio Pictures.

Running Time: 107 minutes.

Artwork by Rebekah Hawley of Studio 36.

On This Day...Sinners in the Sun (1932)

Today sees the release of Cary Grant's 2nd full length film, Sinners in the Sun, in 1932...first reviewed in my blog post on May 13, 2020 - see https://www.mylifeinayearwitharchie.com/2020/05/on-this-daysinners-in-sun-1932.html .

Summary:

A New York fashion model finds herself being pursued by a poor but honest garage mechanic and a rich philanderer.

Cast:

Carole Lombard...Doris Blake
Chester Morris...Jimmie Martin
Adrienne Ames...Claire Kincaid
Alison Skipworth...Mrs Blake
Cary Grant...Ridgeway
Walter Byron...Eric Nelson
Rita LaRoy...Lil

Did You Know?

William C. de Mille was originally assigned to direct.

Debut of actresses Lynn Browning, Dorothy Compton and Gale Ronn.

Quotes:

Tagline: Souls for Sables! Dreams for Diamonds! Faced with a choice between married poverty and unexcelled luxury!

Directed by Alexander Hall.
Produced by Paramount Publix
Running time: 70 minutes

Artwork by Rebekah Hawley of Studio 36.

On This Day...Once Upon a Time (1944)

 Cary Grant's 45th film was Once Upon a Time and was released on this day in 1944.

Summary:

Small time crook and showman Jerry Flynn (Cary Grant) is desperately searching for a new act to promote in order to save him from ruin. He meets a boy on the street who claims to have a dancing caterpillar called Curly. Flynn seizes the opportunity for fame and fortune at Curly's expense.

"In spite of the good acting and characterizations by Cary Grant and Janet Blair, and especially by James Gleason as Flynn's assistant and Ted Donaldson as the beaming kid with great faith, there just isn't enough material here for a full length feature." - Philip T. Hartung, The Commonweal.

Cast:

Cary Grant... Jerry Flynn
Janet Blair... Jeannie Thompson
James Gleason... McGillicuddy aka The Moke
Ted Donaldson... Arthur 'Pinky' Thompson
William Demarest... Brandt

Did You Know?

Rita Hayworth was originally assigned the role of Jeannie Thompson, and when she refused to do it, was placed on a nine week suspension without pay by the head of Columbia, Harry Cohn, and subsequently replaced by Janet Blair.

"The Screen Guild Theater" broadcast a 30 minute radio adaptation of the movie on February 4, 1945 with Ted Donaldson reprising his film role.

Final film of actress June Millarde.

When Cary Grant goes down the spiral staircase, he descends clockwise. When the scene shoots to the "downstairs room" the staircase is turning counter clockwise as they descend to the bottom.

Quotes:

Jerry Flynn: What does the public need in times like these? Escape!

Posters:

'The Eternal Suitor' (Spanish title)

Directed by Alexander Hall.

Produced by Columbia.

Running Time: 89 minutes 

Artwork by Rebekah Hawley of Studio 36.

On This Day...Penny Serenade (1941)

Today sees the release of Cary Grant's 39th film, Penny Serenade, back in 1941. It was his third and last film with Irene Dunne.

Summary:

As Julie (Irene Dunne) prepares to leave her husband Roger (Cary Grant), she begins to play through a stack of recordings, each of which reminds her of events in their lives together. One of them is the song that was playing when she and Roger first met in a music store. 

Other songs remind her of their courtship, their marriage, their desire for a child, and the joys and sorrows that they have shared. A flood of memories comes back to her as she ponders their present problems and how they arose.

"Cary Grant turns in a surprise performance as he fills the dramatic requirements of his serious role."

Philip T. Hartung, The Commonweal

"Cary Grant is thoroughly good, in some ways to the point of surprise, for there is not only that easy swing and hint of the devil in him, but faith and passion expressed, the character held together where it might so easily have fallen into the component parts of too good, the silly, etc. His scene with the judge is one of the rightly moving things in the picture."

- Otis Ferguson, The New Republic.

Cast:

 Irene Dunne ... Julie Gardiner
 Cary Grant ... Roger Adams
 Beulah Bondi ... Miss Oliver
 Edgar Buchanan ... Applejack
 Ann Doran ... Dotty
 Eva Lee Kuney ... Trina (at the Age of 6 Years)
Leonard Willey ... Doctor Hartley
 Wallis Clark ... Judge
Walter Soderling ... Billings
 Jane Biffle ... Trina (at the Age of 1 Year) 

Did You Know?

In a flagrant disregard of the then Production Code, it would appear that Irene Dunne and Cary Grant share a marital bed instead of separate ones. Also, there's an implication that the two have sex on a train, something unheard of in the morally hidebound 1940s.

Third of three movies that paired Cary Grant and Irene Dunne, following The Awful Truth (1937) and My Favorite Wife (1940). In all three, they played spouses.

Cary Grant, one of the cinema's greatest comedic actors, was only ever nominated twice for an Academy Award for Best Actor, in both instances for lesser-known dramatic roles. This was one of them, followed three years later by None But the Lonely Heart (1944)

"The Screen Guild Theater" broadcast a 30 minute radio adaptation of the movie on November 16, 1941 with Cary Grant and Irene Dunne reprising their film roles.

Cary Grant considered his role in this film as his best performance.

Irene Dunne once said, "One thing about Cary, he was afraid of sentiment. He was leery of a scene with the little girl in 'Penny Serenade' in which he had to break down and cry. The director, George Stevens, had to convince him that he would never regret having exposed his emotions."

Quotes:

Judge: [Judge firmly addressing two unseen attorneys] I'll give you an opportunity to better prepare your facts.
Man: [Hands Judge some papers] Adoption proceedings, the Adams case.
Judge: What?
Man: The Adams case.
Judge: [Looks disturbed] Oh yes, yes. Uh...
[turns back to attorneys]
Judge: if either one or both of you gentlemen conduct yourselves like you've been doing today I'll hold you in contempt, the both of ya!
Judge: [Walks into chambers, sees Roger, Miss Oliver, and the baby all seated. Sits at desk] Uh, oh this is the child in question. Ahem, let me see. Yes, I recall looking over these adoption papers. I see you have no income at present.
[Looks at Roger]
Judge: Is that correct?
Roger Adams: Yes your Honor.
Judge: Now what is this Miss Oliver? You know this case should never have come before me.
Miss Oliver: Well your Honor I feel that this is a special case. I kept hoping until the last minute Mr. Adams might be able to resume the operation of his paper or get a job. But unfortunately he hasn't been able to do either, so I thought...
Judge: Under these conditions I can't grant the adoption. This child will have to revert to the orphanage.
[Gestures to Roger]
Judge: Will you draw up a chair please while I prepare these release papers for you to sign? Just a matter of routine.
Roger Adams: If you please your Honor, it can't just be a matter of routine for people to have their baby taken away from them. This child is ours Judge...
Judge: [Interrupting] Those are the requirements of the law.
Roger Adams: Yes but you see we've had her since she was six weeks old. It just doesn't seem reasonable to give her back to-to-to strangers.
Judge: Mr. Adams, you're not here to plead your case. You've had the regular opportunity to prove your fitness to provide.
Roger Adams: We are fit Judge if you just look at the record.
Judge: Without any income I have no alternative. Didn't you make that clear Miss Oliver?
Miss Oliver: Yes your Honor I did, but I thought...
Judge: [Firmly] I'm sorry but that is the law.
Roger Adams: Look your Honor, she's not like an automobile or an icebox or a piece of furniture or something you buy on time and when you can't give up the payments they take it away from you!
[Baby starts to cry]
Roger Adams: Now sit still and be a good girl. Anyone could give up those kinds of things, but I ask you Judge how can you give up your own child? And she is our child just as much as if she'd been born to us!
[Baby continues crying]
Roger Adams: Now, now, Daddy's not going to go away.
[Baby stops crying and smiles]
Roger Adams: Look Judge, we've had her over a year now. Why we-we walked the floor with her when she had the colic. We've lost nights of sleep worrying every time she cut a tooth. We've gone through everything, everything real parents have with one of their own. Ask Miss Oliver here about the inspections we've had to have. Her-her weight charts, her vaccination certificates, h-her toys, her toothbrush! How many parents could keep one of their own and
[voice cracks]
Roger Adams: go through that? And you sit here and say it's a matter of routine for you to take her away from us.
Miss Oliver: Please! Mr. Adams...
Roger Adams: I'm sorry Judge, but we weren't as fortunate as most people. We would've had one of our own only-only... well you don't know how badly my wife wanted a child. It wasn't so important to me. I-I don't know, I suppose most men are like this but children never meant a great deal to me. Oh I liked them alright I suppose, but well what I'm trying to say is your Honor the first time I saw her... she looked so little and helpless. I didn't know babies were so-so little. And then she took a-hold of my finger and I held onto it. She-she just sort of walked into my heart Judge
[begins to cry]
Roger Adams: and-and she was there to stay. I didn't know I could feel like that! I'd always been well, kind of careless and irresponsible. I wanted to be a big shot. And I couldn't work for anybody, I had to be my own boss, that sort of thing. Now here I am standing in front of a judge pleading for just a little longer so that I can prove to you I can support a little child that doesn't weigh quite twenty pounds. It's not only for my wife and me I'm asking you to let us keep her Judge, it's for her sake too. She doesn't know any parents but us.
[starts sobbing]
Roger Adams: She wouldn't know what'd happened to her. You see there's so many little things about her that nobody would understand her the way Julie and I do. We love her Judge, please don't take her away from us. Look, I'm not a big shot now, I-I'll do anything, I'll work for anybody.
[Starts to break down]
Roger Adams: I-I'll beg, I'll borrow, I-I'll... please Judge I'll sell anything I've got until I get going again. And she'll never go hungry, she'll never be without clothes not so long as I've got two good hands so help me!
[Camera fades out as Judge, Roger, and Miss Oliver all ponder what has just been said]

Roger Adams: She's yours, dear. Ours, now and forever. Nothing can ever take her from us now.

Roger Adams: But we don't know anything about such little babies.
Miss Oliver: [Chuckling] Well, no one does until they have them.

Lobby Cards:

Directed by George Stevens.

Produced and Distributed by Columbia.

Running time: 120 minutes.

Artwork by Rebekah Hawley of Studio 36.