Lucille Ball-istic in ‘The Big Street’ 1942

 

Lucille Ball was more than ready for a close-up in her last RKO film "The Big Street."

The word on The Big Street was that this film should have put Lucille Ball over as a star, after years as “Queen of the B’s.” Well, I was certainly surprised when I recently watched this ’42 RKO flick for the first time.

Ball bats it out of the park as Gloria Lyons, the tough as nails nightclub singer, brought low by her thug boyfriend. Lucy doesn’t hold back a bit as the unapologetic gold digger who’s determined to overcome personal obstacles and a land a rich husband. Woe to anyone who gets in Gloria’s way!

The look on Lucy's face as Gloria says it all as she elbows her way thru "The Big Street!"

The big problem with The Big Street is the way Lucy’s character is written. This otherwise sentimental Damon Runyon fairytale seems to have been hijacked by Of Human Bondage’s Mildred Rogers. To be specific, Lucy’s Gloria is reminiscent of Bette Davis’ shrewish Mildred. Ball perfectly plays the role as written and without any winking asides for audience sympathy, as Joan Crawford did in her bitch roles. But Ball’s singer bosses worshipful busboy Henry Fonda around like he's her rented mule.

Henry Fonda is endearing, even if his character is inexplicable, in "The Big Street."

Early on in The Big Street, Ball's songbird gets smacked by her gangster boyfriend, falls down a small flight of stairs, and is left paralyzed. Guess who picks up the pieces? Bitter about her plight, Gloria is not the least bit grateful. Busboy “Little Pinks” and his cronies try their damndest to lift her spirits, but all “Her Highness” gives is hurling abuse. The Big Street feels like two different movies: colorful Damon Runyon characters and long-suffering duo of wheelchair-bound witch Gloria and soft-spoken slave Little Pinks. Lucy's character and the rest of this movie just do not mesh. This would be the fault of the director and screenwriter, for not providing balance. One look at the daily rushes with Gloria barking insults at everyone should alerted them to do an emergency rewrite, stat.

Fonda's busboy brings Ball's wheelchair-bound singer home in "The Big Street."

So, I can absolutely see why The Big Street was not a hit or a breakthrough for Lucille Ball. I'm sure that when I Love Lucy was a smash a decade later, later audiences of The Big Street were probably shocked that this was not their Lucy.

Henry Fonda is terrific as Little Pinks, quiet and gentle. Hank still possesses his inherent strength here, but his character makes no sense, agog by this shrew. He’s just as lovesick Leslie Howard’s Phillip was in Of Human Bondage, and gets dished the same kind of treatment. There’s a scene when Gloria gets caught in her wheelchair by a flashy millionaire that she's trying to land. The smoothie is shocked to see her condition and Gloria takes it out on Little Pinks, belittling everything he has done for her. Ball lays into Fonda the way Bette Davis did to Leslie Howard in Bondage and does everything but wipe her mouth like Davis!

When Gloria gets caught in her wheelchair, she takes it out on her busboy admirer.

The two disparate sides are most apparent when everyone tries to help or weep over Ball’s tough cookie. Gloria’s maid Violet adores her, though she does nothing but snap insults at her. Louise Beavers almost makes Violet’s devotion believable. Little Pink’s friends keep trying to lift her spirits, but she's brusque at best. The scene where the busboy brings the crippled singer to his basement apartment for a homecoming party is brutal. It’s a big comedown for the glitzy showgirl, but Ball’s character shows not one iota of appreciation, given that she has nowhere else to go.

Louise Beavers brings warmth Violet, the maid who looks after Lucy's shrewish singer.

The rest of the cast is quirky fun and has a great time. Agnes Moorehead as Violette “with two t’s!” and Eugene Pallette as Nicely Nicely make an unusual and lovely couple; Ray Collins, so often serious or villainous, is a hoot as ringleader Professor B. These three actors are more often wonderful as baddies, so it’s fun to watch them play eccentric, good-hearted characters.

Agnes Moorehead & Eugene Pallette are a pair who love food and each other!

The final scene is where Lucy's Gloria Lyons shows some vulnerability, for what’s literally her last dance. Little Pinks finagles a big party in her honor, where she dies and gets carried up the staircase, a reverse fatal finale version of Lana Turner's showgirl in Ziegfeld Girl. But Ball’s Cinderella gets her final wish, even if she’s acted like one of the wicked stepsisters throughout The Big Street. And this final romantic scene is beautifully performed by both Ball and Fonda.

Lucille Ball's Gloria finally shows some humanity at the finale of "The Big Street."

To enjoy The Big Street, you must suspend ALL disbelief. And then perhaps you can enjoy the great supporting cast, and Ball and Fonda’s dramatic performances, too.

Here’s my personal look at the real Lucy, as a baby boomer who grew up with Lucille Ball :

https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2021/12/id-rather-love-real-lucy.html

FYI: I put my movie overflow on my public FB movie page. Check it out!  

https://www.facebook.com/groups/178488909366865/

Lucille Ball & Henry Fonda make a damn handsome couple in "The Big Street!"

William Holden’s Golden Year: 1950

 

William Holden was ambivalent about stardom despite his natural acting ability.

William Holden was a much respected actor in his time. And 40 years after his passing, Holden’s performances look even better today.

Check out this three day Blogathon dedicated to William Holden! 
https://loveletterstooldhollywood.blogspot.com/ 
https://thewonderfulworldofcinema.wordpress.com/
https://theflapperdamefilm.wordpress.com/

Most aptly, Bill’s acting idols were Frederic March and Spencer Tracy, for their command of the craft and their natural style. How ironic that Bill idolized Tracy, who also went through bouts of depression and drinking, and a troubled marriage, too. And like Tracy, Holden didn’t live a long life, either. Holden’s style recalls a more animated Henry Fonda. William Holden wasn’t the standard stoic like Gary Cooper and Gregory Peck, but he had their same strength. Holden was handsome and knew it, but was not a showboat; Bill was restrained, but not wooden. Bill Holden was empathetic and real; there was no macho posturing or jaw-jutting over-emoting like Burt, Kirk, and Charlton.

While William Holden was confident about his masculine good looks, there was
no macho swagger, like Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, and Charlton Heston.

Holden was one of countless actors who had a love/hate attitude about life as a film star. Holden also suffered from the "imposter" syndrome over stardom. Bill was smart enough not to believe his own publicity, but he went too far the other way, and beat himself up about his status as a man versus the image. 

When Holden started in Hollywood, he was natural, relaxed, and self-assured on-camera. Post-WWII, Bill was willing to dig deeper and tap into his self-doubts for his roles. Off-screen he was plagued by insecurity and depression; sadly, alcohol wreaked havoc with his gifts.

William Holden in 1950.

William Holden became a top star in 1950, and it seemed like a long time coming. After his big debut in 1939’s Golden Boy, Holden did a few more decent films, Our Town and I Wanted Wings, but he was cast in a lot of genre films before he went off to war in 1943. After WWII, like many returning actors, Bill had to regain his footing in Hollywood. The big stars, such as Gable, Stewart, and Fonda, had the advantage, of course. But even they had to choose carefully, aware that audience tastes were changing and they weren’t young bucks anymore. Pre-war up and comers like Holden and his pal Glenn Ford were basically back to square one. Ford got lucky when Bette Davis chose him as her co-star in A Stolen Life, her biggest commercial success. Then home studio Columbia chose Glenn as co-star with top star Rita Hayworth in Gilda. Even so, Ford got stuck with just as much fluff as Holden, and became a top star about the same time as Bill.

William Holden's restlessness in the '40s as a second-string leading man
is aptly captured as a frustrated screenwriter in "Sunset Blvd."

William Holden was merely back to doing westerns and playing Mr. Nice Guy. He later said, back at Paramount, the studio guard didn’t even recognize him upon his return. But I think Bill’s post-war slump has been overstated a bit because it makes such a great Hollywood story: William Holden’s decade-long climb to the top! Well, there was nothing wrong with Bill’s acting, for starters. He worked hard to get better, even if the pictures the studios foisted on him didn’t. Then Holden got sidelined by the service. While Bill still got cast in romantic comedies and westerns, more than a few were hits, and Holden was also got increasingly better notices: Dear Ruth, Rachel and the Stranger, and Apartment for Peggy. What’s interesting is that post-war “new” stars like Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas were actually older than Bill—in Burt’s case, five years older.

After his fill of “Smiling Jim” roles, Holden was just past 30 when he was cast in Sunset Blvd. and Born Yesterday back to back, with Paramount and Columbia studios, respectively. Bill had a dual contract with them from the start.

Was Norma Desmond was expecting Holden's Joe Gillis to sing "Puttin' on the Ritz!"

William Holden’s one-two punch in 1950 was partly luck. Montgomery Clift was originally cast as Joe Gillis in Sunset Blvd., but dropped out at the last minute when he realized that it was too close to his own relationship with one-time singer Libby Holman. With Sunset Blvd. and Born Yesterday, Holden had the opportunity to show both sides of his persona. As Joe Gillis in Sunset Blvd., Bill got to show the grittier side of himself. In Born Yesterday, Holden got to display his sense of humor and his flair for light comedy. And while many critics and fans were wowed by Holden’s leading ladies in their signature parts, Bill’s contributions didn’t go unnoticed. Today, William Holden’s natural and modern performances still hold up beautifully.

William Holden's cocks his head as he plunges headfirst into Norma Desmond's life!

Sunset Blvd. is considered one of director Billy Wilder’s very best and is still much shown and quoted today. While Born Yesterday was a greater commercial hit in its day, I think Sunset is a much more fresh film and relevant film today. The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical has helped keep the original Wilder film in the public’s mind, too. Born Yesterday now feels like an overdressed Broadway play, which I’m sure audiences loved, back then.

How adorable did William Holden look with glasses in "Born Yesterday?"

What’s interesting is that Holden holds his own opposite both Gloria Swanson and Judy Holliday in their great star turns. Bill offers subtle, empathetic support to both stars. Joe’s mixed feelings toward Norma in Sunset Blvd. are wonderfully signaled; Holden’s attraction and charm toward Holliday in Born Yesterday is subtle and believable. And how handsome is Holden in his tux in Sunset Blvd. or his glasses in Born Yesterday? I’d say that Holden’s Paul Verrall and the locations in Washington DC are the two most authentic things about Born Yesterday. Otherwise, it’s a theatrical shout fest between Broderick Crawford and Judy Holliday.

William Holden's reporter observing Broderick Crawford & Judy Holliday in "Born Yesterday?"

As Joe Gillis, Holden used his own desperation and self-loathing to show what drove the screenwriter, other than that broken down car that lands him at 10086 Sunset Blvd. Holden’s casting was a bit like Elizabeth Taylor, when she was an unlikely star as Martha in Virginia Woolf ,and who looked into her own dark side. Bill was willing to play the role of Joe Gillis with no rationalizing, but his innate decency and empathy made it palatable to audiences.

William Holden wasn't afraid to reflect on his or Hollywood's dark side in "Sunset Blvd."

William Holden’s natural gifts should have shot him straight to the top. And Bill seemed to catch on to the art of film acting early and was known a hard working pro. The vagaries of show business are strange, in that some great talents struggle while others who are less gifted rise to the top with ease. Often heard is it’s a matter of luck. Real life, like the war and supporting a family, also came into play for Holden’s career. Yet at last, William Holden’s potential was realized in 1950, and he was later dubbed “Golden Holden” for some of his most memorable roles in the post-war era.

Here’s my other look at Holden, when Bill was cast as Hal in Picnic:

https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2021/08/picnic-1955.html

FYI: I put all the movie overflow on my public FB  movie page. 

Check it out & join!  https://www.facebook.com/groups/178488909366865/

Call him "Smiling Jim" if you want,
but William Holden's wry twinkle had its charms!

 

'Teacher’s Pet' 1958

Both Clark Gable & Doris Day's characters have lessons to learn in "Teacher's Pet."

Teacher’s Pet was made in the midst of Doris Day’s 20 year movie career. Hollywood’s girl next door starred opposite almost all of the golden era’s leading man greats. Doris worked well with them all, and Clark Gable was no exception. In 1958’s Teacher’s Pet, as modern journalism teacher Erica Stone, Doris is warm and intelligent; Clark is playful but pragmatic as the old-style news editor. While both play to their very specific personas, Day and Gable are completely natural in front of the camera and totally believable as their journalist characters.

Doris Day's DA hairdo in "Teacher's Pet" would soon be DOA with "Pillow Talk!"

Clark is Jim Gannon, an old-school city desk editor. As an old-school Hollywood icon, Gable was perfect casting. Though a life of cigarettes and alcohol made him look older than 56, this was not unusual for classic Hollywood heroes. Sadly, Gable was dead less than two years after Teacher’s Pet was released. It was still common to cast much younger actresses as co-stars. Doris Day was 35 when this rom-com was filmed, and clean-living Day lived to be 97.

Doris Day & Clark Gable make a solid team in "Teacher's Pet."

I was a former newsroom journalist and there was some smart stuff in this film, issues that exist to this day. I came into news at the tail end of this movie’s depicted era. The whiff of old-school journalism, where some staff reeked of cigarette smoke and longed for the good old days of a bottle in their desk drawer. In Teacher’s Pet, papers were trying to stay in the black, losing space to the ads that kept the lights on. And the battle of opinions over whether to get a college education versus on-the-job training is still a relevant topic.

Clark Gable's city editor with hot news item Mamie Van Doren in "Teacher's Pet."

Teacher’s Pet was more of a comedy-drama than a flat-out farce; perhaps this was why it wasn’t filmed in color. This is one of the few Doris Day movies shot in B & W. Cinematographer Haskell Boggs (who worked mostly on TV) doesn’t do either star any favors in the glamour shots department, either.

The following year, Doris got the Ross Hunter glamour makeover and soft lenses in Pillow Talk, and the die was cast for “Doris Day lighting!” Ironically, despite the common perception that Pillow Talk was a big departure for Day, the basic plot mimics Teacher’s Pet: Career girl Doris fights off old-school wolf. She’s appalled by his lifestyle. Wolf then pretends to be someone else, to play Day. There’s a sidekick commenting on the action. Booze figures prominently, there’s a song or two. Day discovers the ruse, but a happy ending ensues. The big difference is Teacher’s Pet is far more realistic and both characters compromise by the end.

Gable's old-school in every way, especially when it comes to the chassis of Doris Day!

Though Gable plays Jim a bit broadly in the comic moments, he’s quite at ease in the serious scenes. Clark brings great authority as the voice of experience, who’s ill at ease under it all, for his lack of education. Perhaps it’s the smart Oscar-nominated script by Fay and Michael Kanin, but as the typical comedic battle is fought, eventually both Day and Gable’s characters learn, and to give a little.

A lovely scene in "Teacher's Pet," when editor Gable discovers who's the father
of journalism teacher, Doris Day.

As the journalism instructor, Doris Day plays it more straight than usual. Day loses the early ‘50s ingénue attitude and tones down the comedic squawks of indignation that came in later comedies. When Erica discovers the late bloomer in her journalism class is the newspaper jerk who wrote her an insulting letter, Day’s teacher is genuinely hurt. Both characters learn to appreciate the other, and this gives Teacher’s Pet more heft than the typical Day movie. Doris is natural in her dramatic moments, and gets to be playful when sparring with Gable.

Are Gig Young & Clark Gable vying for Doris Day's attention in "Teacher's Pet?"

One of Doris Day’s funniest moments is when mimics Mamie Van Doren, who plays Gable’s performer gal pal. After viewing Mamie sing and dance to “The Girl Who Invented Rock and Roll,” she tweaks Gable with her own version later. And aside from Doris’ good humor, Day demonstrates that her figure is every bit as impressive as Mamie’s! In fact, the movie gives us several appreciative views of Day’s assets. BTW, Doris was tall at 5’7”, in an era of petite movie divas.

Doris Day's teacher proves she's got a few moves of her own in "Teacher's Pet!"

Gig Young got a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his role as the psychiatric professor, Dr. Hugo Pine, who Gable first views as a threat. Young was an excellent dramatic actor, but a natural at romantic comedy. He’s quite charming and funny here, with some wonderful bits of business, and gets to play some “comic” drunk scenes once again.

Gig Young is charming & very funny as Doris Day's fellow professor, "Teacher's Pet."

Nick Adams is energetic and sincere as the young hot shot, Barney Kovac. He looks up to old-school Gable—literally. When Nick stands next to Clark, Hollywood’s “King” looks like he could snap the boy in half! Also, Vivian Nathan who plays Nick’s mama, who wants him to go back to school, stands out for her strong, believable performance. Mamie Van Doren spoofs her sex bomb image to amusing effect. Note Marion Ross of Happy Days as Day’s secretary!

Spark plug Nick Adams is dwarfed by Clark Gable in "Teacher's Pet."

A smart gimmick was to cast real-life show biz reporters in cameos in this film, thus assuring good publicity for Teacher’s Pet: Army Archerd, Vernon Scott, Sidney Skolsky, and Joe Hyams, to name a few.

There are as many touching moments as there are funny ones in Teacher’s Pet. Enjoy Doris Day in one of her strongest vehicles, starring opposite of “The King” of Hollywood!

Hollywood blondes, bombshell & girl next door, promoting "Teacher's Pet."

Here’s my tribute to Doris Day and how I belatedly became a fan: https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2017/04/a-latter-day-doris-day-fan-fesses-up.html

My look at Doris Day in the lovely, lively musical, The Pajama Game: https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-pajama-game-1957.html

FYI: I put all the movie overflow on my public FB  movie page. 

Check it out & join!  https://www.facebook.com/groups/178488909366865/

Clark Gable and Doris Day looking like the Hollywood royalty they are
at a premiere for "Teacher's Pet."