"Ocean's Eleven"

Having just returning from a few days in Las Vegas, I found it only fitting to watch the original version of "Ocean's Eleven" with Frank, Dean, Sammy, and the gang.

Frank and Peter Lawford are old army buddies who want to hit up 5 casinos for a million dollars each (oh boy!). They spend a lot of time working hard and getting the crew together.

Once the final group is gathered they fly to Vegas to prepare. Danny deals with his estranged sweet wife and his bitchy girlfriend along the way.

The plan is to heist the casinos right after midnight on New Years while everyone is singing. The time has come and the plan gets set into motion.

After the teeny tiny safes are broken into and the millions little bit of money shown in them are robbed, all is going well until one of the eleven bites the dust in the middle of the street. After some investigation, the boys are worried that they might be discovered and make a new plan to hide the evidence. Will they get their share? Will they get caught ad be put in the slammer?

My favorite part of the film is the uncredited cameo by Shirley MacLaine playing an adorable drunk gal who momentarily ruins the plan. Her part was shot in one day while in between filming "The Apartment" and she wasn't paid, she agreed to do the part to get to hang out with the Rat Pack. 

I had never seen this film but own the remake with George Clooney. It was fun to watch how out dated this film was compared to casinos now. No security, no cameras, only one metal trash can for each casino and everyone was so trusting. It almost made me laugh.

Oh Sabrina, Sabrina, where have you been all my life?

In 1954 Paramount Pictures released one of the biggest hits of the year, Sabrina. Starring Humphrey Bogart, William Holden, and Audrey Hepburn, this film could do no wrong.

Audrey is Sabrina who lives here

Well, not exactly here, but above the garage, as her dad is the chauffeur to the rich Larabee's. Mom and Pop, grumpy old brother Linus (Bogart) and playboy David (Holden). Sabrina has a thing for David and watches him from a tree.

They grew up together but David just wants dizzy rich girls. Audrey is depressed and decides to go to Paris for cooking school.

After a shaky start her talents start to shine at cooking and she  befriends an old Baron who teaches her about fashion and art. When she comes  back she is a new woman and wants to take a stab at David. He inadvertently picks her up from the train station but can't figure out who she is. (He is so good looking he doesn't have to be smart).

He only learns who she is when they pull into their driveway and her father greats her. Duh. He is so smitten he invites her to a ball, the same one she would stalk him from  while in the tree. 

The date goes well and Sabrina looks fabulous, but David forgets he is engaged (again) to this one.

She is from a rich family that benefits the Larabee company, but David is crazy about Sabrina. Grumpy brother and father Larabee get together and decide to get Sabrina away from David by having Linus make her fall in love with him. At first she isn't buying it.

Linus wants to ship her back to Paris for good and get David to marry the rich broad. After a while, Sabrina starts to dig Linus. But she finds out it was just a set up and feels betrayed.

The plan is in full affect despite the fact that Sabrina knows and Linus tells David the plan too. Linus has to think long and hard about his decision and what to do about Sabrina now that he thinks he wants her too. But what about the company?

Everything about this film is divine. The music, the costumes, the settings. Humphrey wanted his honey, Lauren, to play Sabrina and was mad when they gave it to Audrey. He said he never liked working with her and that she couldn't act (sheesh!). He also didn't get along with Bill Holden. Billy Wilder was writing the script during production and once had Audrey pretend to fall ill so that he could stall and finish the day's work.

Bessed Dressed

In "To Catch a Thief", Grace Kelly sports some beautiful gowns thanks to Ms. Head. But her light blue dress is by far the best.

Alfred saw what everyone else saw in Grace, which is why she was his muse. The dress doesn't hurt either...

One Looney Summer

I finally had the chance to watch the fine acting skills of Elizabeth Taylor, Katharine Hepburn, and Montgomery Clift in the picture "Suddenly, Last Summer". 

Katharine is a rich broad with an elevator in her house who has tons of cash and wears white to honor her dead son, Sebastian. Monty is a doctor who performs the occasional lobotomy for the local crazy house. But he needs money. Apparently, brain surgery costs a pretty penny, and he thinks Katharine is the perfect person to sign the check.

She takes him outside to her garden where there are skeletons and plants with their own glass houses. She tells him her niece is a nut ball and needs a lobotomy herself. Kat is willing to pay for a new surgical building in Sebastian's name. Monty jumps at the chance and goes to meet the niece.

The niece is no other than Elizabeth, who you quickly find out is not all that crazy, but just pissed off she is being held against her will. She tells Monty that she was with Sebastian when he died and it was too traumatic for her so Katharine locked her up. 

It is soon learned that everyone in this family is off their rocker and it is up to Monty to help Elizabeth and figure out every one's problems. Elizabeth has a few moments of weakness when she runs away from her ridiculous mother and brother when at the bin.

Monty finally gets Elizabeth to share her story about Sebastian's last day and it isn't pretty.

Monty discovers the truth and the audience learns who is really insane and who isn't. 

This film is mainly all talk but holds amazing acting skills by all three players. Elizabeth and Katharine were both nominated for Oscars by an actress but both lost.