Silly Cinema: Lady on a Train (1945)

If The Parent Trap (1961) is my very favorite movie, then Lady on a Train (1945) is pulling into the station right behind it.  It is another film that I can watch time after time and find myself both comforted by the familiarity and still keenly invested in the story.

Lady on a Train (1945)
"Deanna...on a Man (Oh! Man) Hunt!"
(Source)

At its heart, Lady on a Train is a screwball comedy that also happens to be a musical, murder-mystery, film-noir, fashion-show romance.  As with many of my favorite films, Lady on a Train has a little bit of everything and every little bit is done well!

Like all classic pieces of cinema, this film was adapted from
the finest literary sources.  Actually, Lady on a Train might
be the exception that proves the rule; it is probably the one
time when the movie is better than the book!
(Source)

The movie stars Deanna Durbin as Nikki Collins, a daffy San Francisco socialite who is obsessed with pulp crime novels.  On her way to New York to visit relatives for the holidays, she witnesses a murder outside of her train window.  With no victim and little evidence, Nikki enlists the help of the police, an executive from her father's firm, her favorite novelist, and possibly the murderer himself to solve the crime.  Certainly, the story practically requires a winch to assist in all of the disbelief that viewers are expected to suspend; the magnetism of one of Hollywood's most underrated stars, however, is enough to carry the audience happily along to the very end.  Even if one is not sustained by the plot, the sets, the costumes, the music, and the cavalcade of character actors are more than enough keep any "Silly Cinema" fan entertained.

The only way this movie could've been better was if we were able to see it
in the Streamline Moderne opulence of Broadway's Loew's Criterion theater!
(Source)

From train compartment to elegant hotel suite, from industrial silo to luxury penthouse apartment, the sets in Lady on a Train are all fantastic and fully-realized.  They are but the stuff of community theater productions when compared to the brilliant, three-ring setting of the movie's biggest action, the Circus Club.

I'm not sure when things changed (or if there were ever such grand, themed night clubs outside of a Hollywood film), but how badly do I want to go to a circus-themed nightclub where the doorman is a giant, the emcee is a ringmaster, the foyer is a circus train carrying an animal band, the chorus line is Josie and the Pussycats, the waiters are dressed like Pagliacci, and all of the entertainment is performed under the acrobats' safety net?

I believe that Lady on a Train is Durbin's first film in which she appeared as blonde.  Growing up recognizing her as my grandfather's favorite chubby-cheeked brunette, it was a little jarring when I first saw Durbin in Lady on a Train.  After countless viewings, I'll willingly put her up against any "Hollywood blonde."  In fact, blonde is the perfect color for Durbin as idealized, post-War, noir-ish fashion plate.  Strangely enough, the film credits no one for the amazing costume designs.  It is particularly odd as Lady on a Train features a film-within-a-film moment when the main characters disrupt a theater full of movie-goers watching a film reel about forthcoming fashions (that incidentally features marionettes wearing miniature versions of the couture ensembles - wacky tacky gold).

Again, it is shocking that no credit can be assigned to a costume designer*.  Durbin's character has no less than one dozen distinct costume changes (plus a few variations), in a story that is set over the course of only a few days.  The costumes range from sight-gag rain slicker with Pippy-Longstocking braids to a bustled formal with peek-a-boo cut out at the back.  I call this movie part fashion show because within one scene, Durbin's character undergoes three dramatic costume transformations, all with equally dramatic and significantly-different hairstyles.  It is difficult to choose a favorite when the looks include a studded, cowhide jacket, a two-toned, hooded suit trimmed in fringe, an asymmetrical, cropped tweed jacket with one fur lapel, and an unbelievable chiffon-and-midnight-lace evening gown.

It was difficult but I managed to do it; my favorite ensemble in the film (and maybe in movie history) is this simple black suit.  The signature 1940s silhouette is achieved by a straight skirt and a jacket with a nipped waist and broad shoulders; the plume-covered hat with matching muff and the double-donut hair transform an otherwise elegant suit into something truly over-the-top and inspiring.

While the film is not a musical per se, there are a few beautifully integrated musical numbers that use Durbin's incredible voice to full advantage.  In spite of the fact that Durbin gained fame as the operatic counterpoint to Judy Garland's colloquial singing style, I much prefer when she lends her voice to more popular songs of the day, including a sultry rendition of "Gimme a Little Kiss."

"Gimme a Little Kiss" - Deanna Durbin from Lady on a Train

"Silent Night" - Deanna Durbin from Lady on a Train

"Night and Day" - Deanna Durbin from Lady on a Train

As if Deanna's charms aren't enough, Lady on a Train also boasts a roster that includes Ralph Bellamy, Dan Duryea, and David Bruce.  Yes, the stars shine in Lady on a Train but it is the supporting cast that truly brings the film to life.  As per usual, my favorite performances are delivered by the character actors.

William Frawley, Elizabeth Patterson, Allen Jenkins, and Edward Everett Horton are but four stand-outs amongst the film's unbelievable cast of supporting players.  These four are special because, whether series regular or guest star, each one of these character actors went on to appear on I Love Lucy.

Beyond the sets, the costumes, the music, and the cast, the most interesting part of Lady on a Train may very well be the marketing campaign.  The full-color movie poster at the beginning of this post makes it look like Nikki Collins (Durbin) is madcap man-trap who gets her fella by the point of a pistol and a goofy grin.  The below poster looks very much like an edge-of-your-seat noir thriller.  Much like the film itself, the ads for Lady on a Train are suffering from an altogether-entertaining identity crisis.

"A song on her lips - MURDER on her mind!"
(Source)

What is your favorite movie?  Have you ever seen Lady on a Train?  Have you watched any of our other "Silly Cinema" recommendations?  If you are a fan of film-noir, romance, mystery, drama, comedy, thriller, musicals (that just about covers all the bases), or simply "Silly Cinema," then I suggest booking first class accommodations with Lady on a Train.  If Walter Winchell says, "It's big-time," then you know it's good!

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

*Thanks to the superior cyber-sleuthing skills of our pal, Lauren, at Wearing History Clothing/Patterns/Blog, we learned that the designer of Ms. Durbin's screen wardrobe was the inimitable Howard Greer, known for costuming other well-known screwball-comedies including Bringing Up Baby and My Favorite Wife.

Silly Cinema: The Parent Trap (1961)

Have I mentioned (less than one million times) that The Parent Trap (1961) is my favorite movie in the whole wide world?  Coming from a classic-movie nerd, this might seem like a questionable choice, yet I make no apologies.  The casting is perfect.  The sets and locations are incredible.  The script is hilarious.  The music is stellar.  And the costumes...don't even get me started on the costumes.  The Parent Trap is my "happy place" movie, a movie that I can watch any time of any day in any mood.  It is a movie for which I, an unyielding critic, am forever willing to not only suspend my disbelief that two people would actually separate their infant twins only to never speak to/of said twins again, but to love them all the more for the zany story-telling opportunities their poor decision making created!

"Oh El Capitan, my El Capitan..."

When my dear friend informed me that there was to be a "Throwback Thursday" screening of The Parent Trap at the historic The El Capitan Theatre (est. 1926), I cleared my already-empty schedule and headed straight for Hollywood!  Unfortunately, I wasn't warned that this was not to be a sing-a-long/talk-a-long performance; with a view count reaching into the hundreds, I come prepared with memorized score, script, songs, and a full-arsenal of character voices!

I was more than excited to go to The El Capitan; the only time I had ever been inside was not to see a film, it was to be a character extra in a photo shoot for a restaurant at Disney's California Adventure Park.  Sadly, according to reports, I didn't make it into the restaurant's final design as it was determined that no one could look at my face and keep their food down.  Be that as it may, I was still happy to return to the scene of my crimes against photography.  Often overshadowed by its neighbor across the street, The Chinese Theatre, The El Capitan holds its own as a true movie palace.

If you don't believe me, just take a look a look at the ceiling of the forecourt!!!

And a few of the other glorious details!

Can you believe that we got all of that history and beauty plus popcorn, a drink, and a raffle ticket for only ten dollars - and that was before the movie even started?!!  Once inside the theater, we were further treated to a small display of artifacts from the film. 

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the original puppets used in the
opening title sequence of The Parent Trap.  I had heard from a few insiders
that despite the warehouses full of material, Disney has gaping holes in its
archives.  At only 5-6" tall these pieces could have all easily gone the way
of "Marcia's" hair...

The Parent Trap (Opening Titles)

As I am of the opinion that Maureen O'Hara is the most beautiful creature to have ever roamed the face of this earth, my favorite things to see were the costume sketches for Margaret McKendrick (Maureen O'Hara); her evolution from uptight "well-bred, ladylike, Bostonian matron" to earthy, barefoot goddess is thoughtfully executed in costume by designer, Bill Thomas.

Cold...

Getting warmer...

HOT!  HOT!  HOT!!!
Step aside, Ava Gardner, there is a new "Barefoot Contessa" in town!
I have actually made a version of this outfit for Mary because I could
never get it out of my head!

From clothing design, to architecture (I would KILL for a real version of Mitch Evers', Brian Keith, Carmel ranch), to comedy, to music, it probably goes without saying that this film has informed much of the wacky tacky sensibility.  Having only ever seen the movie on the small screen, however, it was a rare treat to capture some of the finer details on the big screen.

The evening's program began with an medley of Disney favorites played on
a gorgeous theater organ, after which a Disney archivist presented a slide
show highlighting some special behind-the-scenes moments.  Then the real
fun began!

Our old pal, Richard Sherman, one half of that inimitable writing duo,
The Sherman Brothers, was on hand to play, sing, and charm the audience
with stories about the song-writing process for The Parent Trap.  He explained
that he and his brother, Robert, basically composed the entire soundtrack, with
each new song an attempt to name the movie ("Let's Get Together," "For Now,
For Always," etc.).  It wasn't until Walt Disney came to them with the name
"The Parent Trap" that they composed the film's title song and the rest is history.

Leaving the stage to a standing ovation, Mr. Sherman joined the audience and the house lights dimmed so the movie could begin.  If, for whatever reason of moral delinquency, you've lived your entire life without ever having seen The Parent Trap, then repent now for the kingdom of Hayley Mills is nigh.  Should you not have access to a glorious movie palace, a television, a dvd player, or a pirated movie stream, then you are welcome to the wacky tacky clubhouse for a viewing; The Parent Trap DVD is more than likely already in the player.  Should the power go out, I can always perform my live-action version for you, in which I play every role.  C'mon, "Let's Get Together!"

"Let's Get Together" - Hayley Mills & Hayley Mills

from The Parent Trap (1961)

Do you have any beautiful movie palaces where you live?  Have you seen The Parent Trap?  Have you seen it as many times as I have and committed it to memory?  If you could die and come back as any person, would it be Hayley Mills?

The El Capitan Theatre

6838 Hollywood Blvd

Los Angeles, CA

(818)845-3110

elcapitantheatre.disney.com

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Hollywood House Hunting: Taking the "Day Off"

"I heard that you were feeling ill -

Headache, fever, and a chill.

I came to help restore your pluck;

Cause I'm the nurse who likes to...(SLAM)!!!"

Like a lot of guys, I'm kind of a weakling when it comes to being sick.  I'll never make my illness anyone else's problem but I will be the first to shut the door, curl up in a ball, and refuse to emerge from my room until the last trace of phlegm has left the building.  Sick days are meant to be used and, as the old saying goes, "If you don't use 'em, you lose 'em."  Indeed, I have no compunction about taking the day off so as to avoid publicly suffering through the day, spreading my infectious germs hither and yon all over the workplace (Attention potential employers: please ignore this).  Honestly, if you think I look bad at full capacity, trust me when I say that you certainly don't want the vision of me in ill health haunting your dreams.  Yes, the best thing to do when one is under the weather is to stay home.  On the rare occasion when a "mental health day" is in order, I fully endorse the exploitation of that opportunity as well.  When there is adventure to be had, make like Ferris Bueller and take the day off!  And what better way to enjoy a day off than to see the house where Ferris lived?

"Bueller, Bueller, Bueller..."
The Bueller Home from Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

Ferris Bueller's Day Off was kind of a cinematic anomaly in our house.  It was the first/only PG-13 movie we were allowed to see at a time when my parents took the "13" very seriously (I was well under thirteen when the film was released).  On a rare "date night," my parents actually saw the movie in the movie theater; so smitten were they by the last time Matthew Broderick exhibited any kind of onscreen charm, they made sure that, rather than continuously borrowing it from the library, we owned a copy of our very own.  With other movies (all other movies) my mom would launch her person in front of the screen like some kind of human shield/missile interceptor to protect us from questionable cinematic moments like passionate kissing, profane language, and even intimated intimacy.  I'll never forget a little library rental starring John Lithgow called Traveling Man.  Confused by the NR-rating, I think my mom earnestly believed that the dad from Harry and the Hendersons would never make a movie to challenge her parental guidelines.  That delusion was the exact reason she was just a few seconds too late to block the highly-motivating talents of a rather-buxom exotic dancer, working hard to motivate Lithgow and a conference room full of traveling salesmen.  I think my mom "lost her library card" after that incident.  With FBDO, she always remained in her seat; she must've figured that the references and words we understood weren't too bad and the rest went right over our little toe-heads.  After countless viewings, Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a venerated title around our house, oft watched and oft quoted.

Most guys liked Sloane (Mia Sara) but Jennifer Grey was feisty, and foul-mouthed!!!
The nose may change but she'll always be Jeanie/Shawna to me.

If I could never have Jeanie, there was always Grace (Edie McClurg) - GENIUS!!!

So impactful has this movie been on my life that I have spent many years chasing the dream.  Everywhere I go, I try to capture the Bueller mystique, starting at the Art Institute of Chicago.  Sent to the city on business several years ago, I made my work pals (a woman, another fellow, and me) pose like the famous statue, Portrait of Balzac (à la Ferris, Sloane, and Cameron).  In a very un-Ferris fashion, I was unsuccessful in my attempt when the one person willing to take our photo didn't understand what we were trying to do and then got distracted/hassled by an aggressive female docent.  Infuriated, all I could manage to say was, "What if you need a favor someday from Ferris Bueller? Then where will you be, huh?  You heartless wench!"

This could have been us!

Knowing the important place this movie occupies in my heart and mind, I felt it was finally time to go find the Bueller homestead.  While John Hughes' films are well-known for their Chicago setting, I luckily didn't have to travel quite so far.  Instead of suburban Chicago, the Bueller home is actually in Bixby Knolls, an historically-ritzy enclave of Long Beach, CA (who knew Ferris and Snoop Dogg were neighbors???).

The shutters are now blue, the trees have grown, but that portico
and hedge-framed circular driveway are unmistakably Bueller.

Confession time.  As much as I like to pretend I am a "righteous dude" like Ferris, in the imaginary recasting of the film, there is no question that I am Cameron.  I have my moments; I've been known to join a parade, dance and sing in public, enjoy the occasional ditch day, lie to my parents, and make my sister's life miserable, but I am really just a tightly-wound bundle of nerves, neuroses, and insecurities - think lump of coal/diamond.  I think that is why, nearly thirty years later, the film continues to resonate so deeply with me.  Quelling my anxieties, the film's message is to take chances, to enjoy life, to adventure, and to live in the moment (even if the moment is simply a short drive on your day off to see the outside of a stranger's house).  As Ferris says, "Life moves pretty fast.  If you don't stop to look around once in a while, you could miss it."  And so I say to you, just "take a stand" and take the car...but don't kill the car.

The Ferris Bueller House

4160 Country Club Dr

Long Beach, CA

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Silly Cinema: The Girl Most Likely To... (1973)

It is a gift when enough time passes to allow one a new perspective on a traumatic event - or even an entire era.  That's kind of how it is with the 1970's.  Instead of making like most vintage enthusiasts and painting the decade as a burning tire fire of fuel shortages, political corruption, excessive body hair, bootie bumping, and - dare I utter the word - polyester, I choose to paint the 70's in finer brushstrokes.  Over forty years since the inception of that much-maligned decade, I think it is time to view those years as a triumph of a color, a triumph of cornball, and a triumph of revisionist history (think all those 1930's/40's silhouettes, think American Graffiti, think "Happy Days").  What better way to revise the past than to get a face-full of plastic surgery and create a future-full of vengeance?!!

Enter "The Girl most Likely To..."
a 70's, revenge-film spectacular
(Source)

Years ago, under the influence of an unhealthy dose of cough medicine, I watched a rerun of The Girl Most Likely to... (1973) in the wee hours of a sickbed morning.  Waking up the next day, I couldn't remember the name of the black comedy or many of the details; I did remember that I liked what I saw and that the star was a young Stockard Channing.  Some minor investigation (asking around and checking some of my movie-review books - this was pre-internet) resulted in not a single lead.  Cut to many years later when, on a search for something totally unrelated, I stumbled upon the DVD for The Girl Most Likely to...  Needless to say, I whipped out the old credit card and, quick as lightning, I was home enjoying this prime example of wacky tacky cinema all over again.

I had actually thought of the movie fondly and often
as the idea of "a beautiful person who had been
kidnapped by an ugly body" meting out merciless justice
to her tormentors provided a vicarious thrill.

I mean, how could you not love a movie with a tag line like, "They treated
her like a dog.  Now she's a fox.  And she's going to make them pay."

The story of The Girl Most Likely to..., an original made-for-TV movie, is about as straightforward as it gets.  Channing plays Miriam Knight, a lovelorn girl, heavy of body and brow, who must endure the stereotypical indignities and alienation associated with sub-standard beauty in America.

"'Miriam, don't worry.  Your turn will come.'"

Surviving not only the mistreatment of family, friends, and schoolmates, Miriam barely survives a catastrophic accident that results in full-body-and-facial reconstructive surgery.  Astoundingly, the surgery leaves her completely unrecognizable yet, thanks to skillful plastic surgeons, stunningly beautiful (or at least that is expectation of our suspended disbelief).  Her new appearance allows Miriam to exact her wildly-creative revenge on those richly deserving of their comeuppance.  If for nothing else, The Girl Most Likely to... is mandatory viewing for the hilarious scenes of retribution, played always to the slapstick-iest hilt.

It was time to start paying everyone back..."with interest."
It's pretty neat trick, managing to have hair and makeup done underneath the bandages!

Believe it or not, this tale of "an unloved, ugly duckling transformed by plastic surgery into a luscious, lovely lady," was written by that woman all-too-familiar with the surgeon's scalpel herself, Joan Rivers. 

Sometimes looking good is its own revenge, right Joan?
Am I right, Joan?  Joan?  Joan....
(Source, Source)

I'll be the first to admit that the 70's are by far not my favorite years for fashion and culture but I would be lying if I said that I didn't have a soft spot for "The Brady Bunch," The Carpenters, Freaky Friday, and one Miss Miriam Knight, dog-turned-fox.  And, just for the record, I'm no snob when it comes to polyester either.

If you're thinking of creating a "new you" for the new year, might I suggest The Girl Most Likely to... (viewable in its entirety here) as a cautionary tale rather than a how-to guide.  Happy New Year! 

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Silly Cinema: Los Wild Ones

Wowee!!!  I just returned from a whirlwind trip to Phoenix, AZ, and boy are my....  I guess I can't use that one because we drove a rented Sentra.  The wacky wagon has provided semi-reliable transport to many of our adventures but I just didn't trust it to not konk out on the side of the highway in the middle of the desert; as the saying goes, "Ain't nobody got time for that."  

The very last thing that I needed to do was rent a car and spend any money on an adventure weekend, but Los Wild Ones, the documentary film about Wild Records, the label on which Mary is set to record this week, premiered at the Phoenix Film Festival.  Such a great opportunity to catch a wonderful film filled with familiar faces, and get a chance to explore all the wacky tacky that the greater Phoenix area has to offer, I simply could not refuse.

The film's world premier was a few weeks ago at SXSW in Austin, TX.
The poster makes me laugh because as soon as it was posted on the "Los
Wild Ones" Facebook page, Reb Kennedy, the founder of Wild Records
commented, "Can't wait to see the real poster???" and "Is this for a
 1980s Elvis movie?"  Priceless.
(Source)

Los Wild Ones - SXSW Trailer

The film centers on the complex dynamic between Reb Kennedy and the talented, young stable of musicians he has signed to his Los Angeles-based record label, Wild Records.  It addresses the paternal nature of his relationship with many of his proteges and his stubborn resistance to embrace modern media in building the label.  Covering moments of heartbreaking vulnerability and exhilarating live performance, Los Wild Ones is, at its core, a film about people earnestly pursuing the thing they love most - music.

Mary & Reb
Mary set a goal of getting her picture made in front of the "word wall,"
and danged if she didn't pull it off.  Pictures of Mary and Reb together
always end up being some of my very favorite photos.

The biggest record label of its kind, Wild Records has a somewhat dubious reputation in Southern California.  With a headstrong Irishman at the helm and a mostly-Mexican talent roster (Mary being one of the glaring exceptions), Wild Records often gets dismissed as a niche label, even within the rockabilly community.  But high-energy music and a passion for that "wild" sound has the record label thriving all over the world.  I have born personal witness to the reception Wild bands receive in Europe; one would think it was the second coming of Elvis!

Our tickets

Mary, Mr. Tiny...and David getting ready for the film to start.
Mary was especially anxious bout her part in the film - that is
a nervous smile if ever I saw one!

Mary had absolutely no reason to be nervous.  The film was a triumph and had the whole audience vascillating from fits of laughter to silent tears (in almost equal measure).  We were surprised and excited to see that Mary was one of the film's featured artists.  She felt very honored considering the wealth of gifted musicians and her relatively-recent commitment to the Wild Records label.  I was just as excited to see that even Mr. Tiny had an "if you blink, you'll miss it" moment in the film (Mary blinked).  Where is my IMDb account???

See the very top of the photo?
 One of three times that Mary got screen credit!

The screening was followed by a Q&A session with the director,
Reb and his family, and the Wild artists who were in attendance.
It was all so film festival-y.

Mary poses in the "Party Pavilion."

Mary & Elise
Elise Salomon is the talented filmmaker responsible
 for creating, writing, and directing Los Wild Ones.

There were three successful screenings of Los Wild Ones during the film festival; following the Saturday showing there was a Wild Records revue in Tempe featuring The Delta Bombers, The Rhythm Shakers, and Mary (please visit the Wild Records' website to hear more from these great acts).

The Delta Bombers

The Rhythm Shakers

Mary
(photo by M. Stadnick)

At the end of a excellent weekend, we got even more excellent news; we learned that Los Wild Ones took home the prize for "Best Documentary" at The 2013 Phoenix Film Festival!!!

Woo Hoo!!!
(photo by E. Salomon)

Congratulations to Elise, Reb, and Wild Records!!!  The film was awesome!!!  It was thrilling to see Wild Records' non-traditional family captured so truthfully and with such dignity.  A particularly poignant moment in the film was underscored by the legendary Roy Orbison; he may not have been "wild" but his impact on Reb and on Los Wild Ones was profound.

"In Dreams" - Roy Orbison

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

p.s. We packed A LOT into less than 48 hours in Phoenix; stay tuned for more Arizona-style fun!!!  Remember, we are getting extremely close to 200 followers.  With your help we'll get there and you'll be rewarded with an exciting GIVEAWAY!!!  Thanks!

Silly Cinema: That Darn Cat! (1965)

I can't collect records.  My collections are so varied and too numerous, that adding one more "collection" would qualify me for a very special, cross-promotional episode of "Intervention meets Hoarders."  It isn't that I don't buy records, of course I do.  I just refuse to admit to myself that it is a collection.  My motivation for buying records is limited, however, to nostalgia and an unbridled love of "Music to Strip By."

Really.
(Source)

A recent thrifting trip found me face to face with the soundtrack to one of my favorite movies, Walt Disney's That Darn Cat! (1965).  An ardent Hayley Mills fan, I just had to have this album.  I was a little disheartened, however, to only have the vinyl itself.  Fortunately, Mary, an inveterate digger, kept flipping through the remaining bins of records, and found the errant sleeve.

My favorite song/theme title might be "Take This and This and This"

As soon as I got home, I put the record on and was pleased to hear that every bit of the film score was included, even the music from the drive-in surf movie that the characters watch in a climactic scene.  The one confusing part of the record was the two renditions of the theme song, neither one of which was performed by Bobby Darin, the vocal talent which graces the opening credits of the film.  

"That Darn Cat!" - performed by Bobby Darin

The renditions on the record of the title song, penned by the inimitable Sherman Brothers, are sung by no musical slouches, namely Louis Prima and Bobby Troup.  I couldn't find a video of either version and I couldn't be bothered to make one of my own, so here is a totally unrelated clip of Louis Prima - except for the title, "Swing Cats Jamboree."

"Swing Cats Jamboree" - Louis Prima

The inspiration for this post was obviously the record.  Clearly, I got so distracted by the album, that I forgot this was a movie review.  Record review, movie review...what's the difference?  Anyhow, if you grew up on some remote, desert island where Disney movies could not be received by your primitive, coconut-shell, television antenna or you lived under an anti-American, fascist regime, then you won't be familiar with That Darn Cat!, the single-greatest masterpiece of American cinema.  Okay, the single-greatest masterpiece of American cinema released on December 2, 1965 starring Hayley Mills and Dean Jones as a precocious, teenage, amateur sleuth and a starched-shirt FBI agent, respectively.

That Darn Cat! (1965) Movie Trailer

If you didn't gather it from the trailer, That Darn Cat! tells the tale of D.C. (Darn Cat), a Siamese cat of superior intellect, who begrudgingly plays a major role in capturing villainous, bank robbing kidnappers.  I will admit, this film is much less "Fellini" than feline, feel good romp.  But if you're bored on a Sunday afternoon, I promise you nothing will get you in a better mood.

That Darn Cat! (1965)
(Source)

For such a mid-60's cornball movie, the cast in this film is really top notch.  We've mentioned in a previous post that wacky tacky icon, Elsa Lanchester, plays a supporting role along with William DeMarest.  A whole slew of 60's favorites round out the cast including an grown-up Roddy McDowall, Dorothy Provine, Neville Brand, Richard Deacon, and Frank Gorshin.

It seems like old Frank was always playing a baddy.
Here a bank-robbing kidnapper...

,

...and here as The Riddler from Batman

Did we mention that one of our favorite comedians/character actors, Ed Wynn, has a cameo as a German jeweler?  We didn't??!?!  Well, shame on us.

(Source)

If you're a lover of the Beach Party movies, or Gidget, or Hayley Mills, or wacky tacky, then you're sure love That Darn Cat!  Please feel free to share your reviews on here if you do decide to watch it, or if like us, you've watched it over and over and over again!

Also, don't forget to like us on Facebook, if you're so inclined!

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Silly Cinema: The Terror of Tiny Town (1938)

The 1930's was a strange time, to be sure.  The world languished in the fallout of the stock market crash as the far-reaching ravages of the Great Depression left everyone wondering if there ever would be "another cup of coffee" and "another piece of pie."  The hopelessness of the Dust Bowl epitomizes the desperation of the era, but I think we forget that the decade cannot be singularly represented by a Dorothea Lange photograph.  When I think of the 1930's, I think of Nick & Nora Charles, Busby Berkeley, Schiaparelli, The World's Fairs, and of course, all-midget, western musicals, like The Terror of Tiny Town. 

The Terror of Tiny Town (1938)
"A rollickin', rootin', tootin', shootin' drama of the great outdoors"
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The IMDb description for The Terror of Tiny Town reads as follows: "An evil gunslinging midget comes to terrorize the good little people of Tiny Town.  The townspeople organize to defeat him, and zany antics ensue."  Certainly there is more to the plot than that, but in a nutshell, it works.  It may seam a little flippant, but when it comes to a film populated entirely by little people, a nutshell actually seems perfectly proportioned for the job.

Boo!  Hissssss!
Little Billy as "The Terror of Tiny Town."

The Terror of Tiny Town is often referred to as an exploitation movie and I can't say I was entirely unaffected by the title card that read, "Columbia Pictures Corporation presents Jed Buell's Midgets."  But the headquarters of wacky tacky are found at the exact intersection of irreverence and political incorrectness.  Refusing to take oneself or any one subject too seriously is fundamental to the preservation of some true wacky tacky wonders.  As a wise man once said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

 A tense moment in The Terror of Tiny Town
(Source)

Of course, there are moments in the film that employ the use of slapstick and sight-gags that trade on the petite stature of the cast, but at its core, the movie is really just a textbook western musical - white hats, black hats, cowboys, shootouts, horses (in this case, Shetland Ponies), chases, saloons, guitars, a boy and a girl.

Billy Curtis as the good guy, Buck Lawson, and Yvonne Moray as Nancy Preston.

I actually enjoyed this film; the novelty was there, but most of the songs were good especially "Down on the Sunset Trail."  The thing I really loved about this movie was that it was very watchable as it came in short (sorry, I had to) at just about one hour.  Before I looked it up, I was convinced that Terror of Tiny Town was filmed in the early 1940's - post-Wizard of Oz.  Mistakenly, I assumed that The Wizard of Oz set off a "muchkin frenzy" but apparently Jed Buell had already been brainstorming.  His films, mostly westerns, appeared to always be centered around a novelty cast whether all little people or all African-American actors.  He ended up launching the careers of many of his stars and made established vocalist, Herb Jeffries into a film star.

What did we do before youTube?

Here, you can watch the entire film.

If you have a free hour, I would heartily recommend the "Little Guys with Big Guns" in The Terror of Tiny Town.

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Cheers!

Mr. Tiny (yep)