TopBilled
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Posts posted by TopBilled
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*Presented by Jack Webb*
Webb's company, Mark IV Productions, helps bring PETE KELLY'S BLUES to the screen and -30-.
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*WILD HARVEST (1947)*
From Agee on October 6, 1947:
Two high-skilled bums carom around the odd corners of the world, working at the same jobs, tomcatting after the same girls, fighting each other, and unable to do without each other. The heroes are migratory workers, involved in the robust job of wheat harvesting with combines. The harvesting job gives the audience something novel and vigorous to look at, and it also gives the players something better to do than talk and make faces at each other. But there is still too much talking and face making.
Alan Ladd, boss of the gang, can take women or leave them alone, and believes in leaving them alone when there is work to do. Robert Preston, the gang's mechanic, can't leave them alone. He causes so much trouble chasing girls and bootlegging wheat for chasing funds that he would be fired if he weren't indispensable to mechanized harvesting.
The worst of the trouble revolves around Dorothy Lamour who is marooned on a farm but can only think of one good use for hay. She points this good use out to Ladd, who spurns her advances. So she marries Preston in order to keep in touch with her quarry. Finally Ladd and Preston slug it out in a bar and find that they mean much more to each other than the disconcerted Lamour does.
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*LEE J. COBB*
TONIGHT WE RAID CALAIS (1943) with Annabella & John Sutton
BUCKSKIN FRONTIER (1943) with Richard Dix & Jane Wyatt
THE MOON IS DOWN (1943) with Cedric Hardwicke & Henry Travers
JOHNNY O'CLOCK (1947) with Dick Powell & Evelyn Keyes
THE DARK PAST (1949) with William Holden & Nina Foch
THE MAN WHO CHEATED HIMSELF (1951) with Jane Wyatt
THE FAMILY SECRET (1951) with John Derek
SIROCCO (1951) with Humphrey Bogart & Marta Toren
THE FIGHTER (1952) with Richard Conte
THE TALL TEXAN (1953) with Lloyd Bridges
GORILLA AT LARGE (1954) with Cameron Mitchell & Anne Bancroft
YANKEE PASHA (1954) with Jeff Chandler, Rhonda Fleming & Mamie Van Doren
THE ROAD TO DENVER (1955) with John Payne & Mona Freeman
MIAMI EXPOSE (1956) with Patricia Medina & Edward Arnold
THE GARMENT JUNGLE (1957) with Kerwin Mathews
THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV (1958) with Yul Brynner, Maria Schell & Claire Bloom
THE TRAP (1959) with Richard Widmark & Tina Louise
BUT NOT FOR ME (1959) with Clark Gable, Carroll Baker & Lilli Palmer
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*Gale Sondergaard's Web*
THE SPIDER WOMAN wasn't satisfied the first time, so THE SPIDER WOMAN STRIKES BACK.
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*GIVE MY REGARDS TO BROADWAY (1948)*
From Agee on July 24, 1948:
Vaudeville is dead; I wish to God someone would bury it.
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*LARAINE STEPHENS*
40 GUNS TO APACHE PASS (1967) with Audie Murphy, Michael Burns & Kenneth Tobey
THE 1,000 PLANE RAID (1969) with Christopher George & J.D. Cannon
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*Elizabeth Taylor & Montgomery Clift*
The magic begins with A PLACE IN THE SUN. They had been scheduled to do REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE, which would've been very interesting.
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*THOUSANDS CHEER (1943)*
From Agee on October 8, 1943:
A thoroughly routine musical distinguished by Gene Kelly with nothing to use his talents on, a terrible piece of trash by Shostakovich, and the unpleasant sight of Jose Iturbi proving he is a real guy by playing the sort of boogie woogie anyone ought to be able to learn through a correspondence course.
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*CESAR ROMERO*
CHEATING CHEATERS (1934) with Fay Wray
DIAMOND JIM (1935) with Edward Arnold, Jean Arthur & Binnie Barnes
HOLD 'EM YALE (1935) with Patricia Ellis
SHOW THEM NO MERCY! (1935) with Rochelle Hudson & Bruce Cabot
THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN (1935) with Marlene Dietrich & Lionel Atwill
15 MAIDEN LANE (1936) with Claire Trevor
LOVE BEFORE BREAKFAST (1936) with Carole Lombard & Preston Foster
NOBODY'S FOOL (1936) with Edward Everett Horton & Glenda Farrell
SHE'S DANGEROUS (1937) with Tala Birell & Walter Pidgeon
DANCE HALL (1941) with Carole Landis
TALL, DARK AND HANDSOME (1941) with Virginia Gilmore, Charlotte Greenwood & Milton Berle
CARNIVAL IN COSTA RICA (1947) with Dick Haymes & Vera-Ellen
DEEP WATERS (1948) with Dana Andrews & Jean Peters
ONCE A THIEF (1950) with June Havoc
LOST CONTINENT (1951) with Hillary Brooke
F.B.I. GIRL (1951) with George Brent, Audrey Totter & Tom Drake
HAPPY GO LOVELY (1951) with David Niven & Vera-Ellen
THE JUNGLE (1952) with Rod Cameron & Marie Windsor
SCOTLAND YARD INSPECTOR (1952) with Lois Maxwell
SHADOW MAN (1953) with Kay Kendall
THE RACERS (1955) with Kirk Douglas, Bella Darvi & Gilbert Roland
THE AMERICANO (1955) with Glenn Ford & Frank Lovejoy
THE LEATHER SAINT (1956) with Paul Douglas & John Derek
VILLA!! (1958) with Brian Keith & Margia Dean
SEVEN WOMEN FROM HELL (1961) with Patricia Owens & John Kerr
IF A MAN ANSWERS (1962) with Sandra Dee, Bobby Darin & Micheline Prsle
THE CASTILIAN (1963) with Frankie Avalon & Broderick Crawford
A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME (1964) with Shelley Winters & Robert Taylor
TWO ON A GUILLOTINE (1965) with Connie Stevens & Dean Jones
SERGEANT DEADHEAD (1965) with Frankie Avalon & Deborah Walley
BATMAN (1966) with Adam West & Burgess Meredith
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*A WOMAN'S VENGEANCE (1948)*
From Agee on February 14, 1948:
Aldous Huxley's screenplay of his Gioconda Smile. A rather literary movie, but most movies are not even that; much less are they real movies. Sensitively directed by Zoltan Korda and generally well played, above all by Jessica Tandy.
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*Silent Films in the Sound Era*
Chaplin made CITY LIGHTS in 1931 and Murnau made TABU.
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*RUBY DEE*
THE TALL TARGET (1951) with Dick Powell & Paula Raymond
GO, MAN, GO! (1954) with Dane Clark & Sidney Poitier
EDGE OF THE CITY (1957) with John Cassavetes & Sidney Poitier
VIRGIN ISLAND (1958) with John Cassavetes & Sidney Poitier
ST. LOUIS BLUES (1958) with Nat King Cole & Eartha Kitt
A RAISIN IN THE SUN (1961) with Sidney Poitier
GONE ARE THE DAYS! (1963) with Ossie Davis
THE BALCONY (1963) with Shelley Winters & Peter Falk
UP TIGHT! (1968) with Raymond St. Jacques
BUCK AND THE PREACHER (1972) with Sidney Poitier & Harry Belafonte
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Considering VW's aptitude at playing rural types, I think she would've fit in well at Republic. I would've cast her as the kid sister to Judy Canova in one of Judy's rural comedies. That would've been classic! I would also have tried to find another project that might reteam her and Mickey Rooney at Columbia, since he and Ray McDonald worked there in the 50s. I would've given her the part Peggy Ryan played in ALL ASHORE.
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I think Kate was cast in this film because the character did have similarities to the one she played in AFRICAN QUEEN.
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Here is Virginia Weidler's filmography as listed in James Robert Parish's book The MGM Stock Company.
SURRENDER (1931)...Fox...her only film for this studio
AFTER TONIGHT (1933)...RKO
LONG LOST FATHER (1934)...RKO
STAMBOUL QUEST (1934)...MGM...
These first four films were bit parts, the result of her mother pounding the pavement and meeting casting directors. She made a more noteworthy impression in her fifth film which led to being signed at Paramount:
MRS. WIGGS OF THE CABBAGE PATCH (1934)...Paramount
BIG BROADCAST OF 1936 (1935)...Paramount
PETER IBBETSON (1935)...Paramount
TIMOTHY'S QUEST (1935)...Paramount
Then, there were a series of loan-outs:
LADDIE (1935)...RKO
FRECKLES (1935)...RKO
TROUBLE FOR TWO (1936)...MGM
And back to home studio Paramount:
GIRL OF THE OZARKS (1936)...Paramount...her first starring role
BIG BROADCAST OF 1937 (1936)...Paramount
MAID OF SALEM (1937)...Paramount
A quick loan out:
THE OUTCASTS OF POKER FLAT (1937)...RKO
Then, she finishes out her contract at Paramount:
SOULS AT SEA (1937)...Paramount
SCANDAL STREET (1938)...Paramount
MEN WITH WINGS (1938)...Paramount
More work at RKO:
MOTHER CAREY'S CHICKENS (1938)...RKO
THE ROOKIE COP (1939)...RKO
THE SPELLBINDER (1939)...RKO
THE GREAT MAN VOTES (1939)...RKO
FIXER DUGAN (1939)...RKO
Signed by MGM:
LOVE IS A HEADACHE (1938)...MGM...first film with Mickey Rooney
TOO HOT TO HANDLE (1938)...MGM
OUT WEST WITH THE HARDYS (1938)...MGM...again with Rooney
THE WOMEN (1939)...MGM
Loan-outs:
THE UNDER-PUP (1939)...Universal...her only film for the studio
THE LONE WOLF SPY HUNT (1939)...Columbia...only film for them
Back to the lion:
BAD LITTLE ANGEL (1940)...MGM
HENRY GOES TO ARIZONA (1940)...MGM
YOUNG TOM EDISON (1940)...MGM...again paired with Mickey Rooney
Her last loan-out:
ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO (1940)...Warners...her only film for WB
Finishing out her film career at the home studio:
GOLD RUSH MAISIE (1940)...MGM
THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940)...MGM
I'LL WAIT FOR YOU (1941)...MGM
KEEPING COMPANY (1941)...MGM
BARNACLE BILL (1941)...MGM...reassigned to her after Shirley Temple refused to do it
BABES ON BROADWAY (1941)...MGM...last film with Rooney
THIS TIME FOR KEEPS (1942)...MGM
BORN TO SING (1942)...MGM...starring role in a musical...given to her and Ray McDonald, originally intended for Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland
THE AFFAIRS OF MARTHA (1942)...MGM
THE YOUNGEST PROFESSION (1943)...MGM...intended for Garland then Kathryn Grayson
BEST FOOT FORWARD (1943)...MGM...designed for Lana Turner, given to Lucille Ball...Weidler in supporting role, her last feature
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My guess is that she was burned out. She finished school and did some stage work. Then, probably when she tried to resurrect her film career, she found the door pretty much closed to her. I am really surprised, however, that she did not turn to television guest-starring roles in the 50s and 60s. Maybe she was too busy raising her family by then.
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Arturo,
I appreciate the feedback. I did not suggest that Young & MacMurray did spaghetti westerns. I think you made a slight leap there. Young had two long-running series, of course. Those were the first examples that came to mind about film stars that turned to weekly television series and found continued success.
When I mentioned the Italian productions, I was thinking of Anthony Quinn and Ernest Borgnine. Stewart Granger also did westerns overseas, but some of those were financed by German or Spanish companies. The point is that they could keep working in a foreign market as a top-billed star if roles or opportunities dried up in Hollywood.
As for Kay Francis, obviously Monogram could not pay her what Jack Warner did. However, she was able to not only star but produce those three Monogram features. So I am sure with two jobs on each of those pictures, it was not a meager sum, probably more middle-range. I am sure she did those pictures for the money and for the chance to expand her resume. She retired from motion pictures after that.
I don't think we know for sure if Virginia Weidler had it easy in Hollywood. In fact, considering the often brutal way studios often treated child stars, I bet it was very tough for her. What is sad is that she clearly had a love for entertaining and her showmanship is not given any more creative outlets after the mid-40s. I think we can put her in the same category as Deanna Durbin. They retired or were forced out when they were still budding talents.
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*Vision*
Jennifer Jones experiences a supernatural visit in THE SONG OF BERNADETTE and so does Susan Whitney in THE MIRACLE OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA.
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*ERROL FLYNN*
DON'T BET ON BLONDES (1935) with Warren William
THE PERFECT SPECIMEN (1937) with Joan Blondell
ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN FABIAN (1951) with Micheline Presle & Vincent Price
AGAINST ALL FLAGS (1952) with Maureen O'Hara & Anthony Quinn
LILACS IN THE SPRING (1955) with Anna Neagle & Peter Graves
THE DARK AVENGER (1955) with Joanne Dru & Peter Finch
KING'S RHAPSODY (1955) with Anna Neagle & Patrice Wymore
ISTANBUL (1957) with Cornell Borchers
THE BIG BOODLE (1957) with Rossana Rory & Pedro Armendariz
THE ROOTS OF HEAVEN (1958) with Juliette Greco, Trevor Howard & Orson Welles
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*CAN'T HELP SINGING (1944)*
From Agee on January 6, 1945:
CAN'T HELP SINGING miscarries Deanna Durbin, a Jerome Kern score, and a trip across North America in 1849. It seems to me this could have been a beautiful and gay picture. Unfortunately, it is made without much feeling for either beauty or gaiety.
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I don't mean interesting casting that doesn't work, but I mean interesting casting that most people would never think of (except some rare casting agent) that actually works.
I watched HOW TO COMMIT MARRIAGE recently. Who would've thought that Bob Hope and Jane Wyman would be believable as a husband and wife? I sure didn't! But you know what, it works very well in this film.
I also watched ROOSTER COGBURN. Come on, John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn in the same movie? It's truly delightful.
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I agree it seems odd she was not hired by at least one other studio. You don't just fall off the face of the earth like that in Hollywood. Usually a film career goes into decline, but they keep making films, because their agents and families push them to keep bringing the money in. Kay Francis did three films at Monogram in the end because it was lucrative to keep working, even though she was no longer at a major studio.
One trend that I notice when looking at filmographies of classic stars is that when their star status slips, they usually are dropped by the home studio but then freelance with multi-picture deals at other top studios. Once those opportunities have been exhausted, then they go to second-tier studios that still produce big budget films, like Columbia and later Allied Artists, which was a revamped version of Monogram. Then, after these deals end, they go overseas and do British or French productions. When spaghetti westerns were all the rage, some of the fading male actors did Italian productions. So they could effectively extend the lifespan of their film careers for another few years, especially if they had large foreign audiences.
Then, from there, they would come back to Hollywood and do TV films (from the the late 60s forward). And then they would go the route of trying to ink a deal with a television network, filming a pilot and hoping they could develop a long-running series which some like Fred MacMurray or Robert Young were able to do. This could extend their careers another ten years if they did it right. Then, they would return to A-budget films in extended cameos or important supporting roles that might earn them an Oscar or a Golden Globe.
So when we see that Virginia Weidler had none of this, it does seem that she, like Deanna Durbin, was driven out of the business at a very young age. And it is our loss.
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*Lucille Ball as Annabel*
THE AFFAIRS OF ANNABEL are quite numerous, especially when ANNABEL TAKES A TOUR.
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*PATRICIA DANE*
GRAND CENTRAL MURDER (1942) with Van Heflin
NORTHWEST RANGERS (1942) with James Craig & William Lundigan
SOMEWHERE I'LL FIND YOU (1942) with Clark Gable, Lana Turner & Robert Sterling
I DOOD IT (1943) with Red Skelton & Eleanor Powell
WANTED: Classic Films Featuring This Classic Artist
in General Discussions
Posted
*ELEANOR PARKER*
THE LAST RIDE (1944) with Richard Travis & Charles Lang
THREE SECRETS (1950) with Patricia Neal & Ruth Roman
DETECTIVE STORY (1951) with Kirk Douglas & William Bendix
THE NAKED JUNGLE (1954) with Charlton Heston
THE SEVENTH SIN (1957) with Bill Travers & George Sanders
RETURN TO PEYTON PLACE (1961) with Carol Lynley & Jeff Chandler
MADISON AVENUE (1962) with Dana Andrews & Jeanne Crain
EYE OF THE CAT (1969) with Michael Sarrazin