"Top Hat"

In the fourth of ten films Ginger and Fred would do, "Top Hat" could be one of the best. This film has the most dance sequences the pair would ever do in a film and grossed over 3 million dollars. 

Fred plays Jerry, an infamous American dancer in England to work for silly man and show producer Horace, (Edward Everett Horton). While working on a dance number, sleeping beauty downstairs (Ginger)calls the hotel manager and complains. Horace goes downstairs, Ginger aka Dale goes up to give the loud man a piece of her mind.

Jerry is in love and Dale is annoyed. He promises her to be quiet and once she goes back down stairs Jerry does a "quiet" dance for her using the sand of an ashtray. All fall asleep.

The next day, Jerry sends Dale flowers from her "silent admirer". Nice touch Jerry. Here we see Lucille Ball with a one liner part. How I love Lucy before she was big! We learn that Dale as a sugar daddy already who in my opinion is gay.

Dale is still mad at Jerry even after a personal apology. She is going to the stable to ride when what do you know, Jerry hitches the buggy and drives her there himself. 

Dale is still not impressed.

Jerry waits around and when the rain comes, he tries to rescue Dale. After some song and dance, Dale gives in and likes Jerry.

 The next day, the big mix up occurs. Jerry is staying in Horace's hotel room. Horace is married to Madge who is away in Italy (we'll get to that later). Dale thinks Jerry is Horace and married! Boy is she mad! She smacks him right across the face in public! Jerry is confused. Dale and boy toy head off to Italy to hang with Madge who are friends. Jerry is sad, but the show must go on!

Jerry finds out Dale is in Italy and goes after her. The sets for Italy are amazing. They took up two studios at RKO and were the largest sets constructed up until 1935. Wow!

 Dale tells Madge that her hubby whom she thinks is Fred, is getting fresh with her! Little does she know soon enough that the mix up will be fixed up and her and Jerry will innamori (that's Italian for "fall in love")

"My hubby did what?"

They dance cheek to cheek and the rest is history. Ginger's costumes are fabulous. This was the first film specifically written with Ginger and Fred in mind.

"Imitation Of Life" 1959

Do you like soap operas? Do you like 10 different plots wrapped into one picture? Than this is the film for you. Starring Lana Turner, John Gavin, and Juanita Moore, this 2 hour film is all about drama. Get ready...

Lana plays Lora, a struggling actress who has a young daughter, Susie. They are poor and living in a small apartment when Lora looses Susie at the beach. When she finds her, she is hanging out with Annie (Juanita Moore), a black gal with a white looking daughter, Sarah Jane. They befriend each other and in the process meet Rock Hudson look alike Steve(John Gavin).

"Wait until we are older, we will be train wrecks!"

Lora invites Annie and Sarah Jane to live with them as a "maid" but not really because Lora can't pay her. So this weird friend/employer relationship starts. Sarah Jane has serious identity issues and doesn't want to be seen as black. Which she isn't, because she looks white. Sarah Jane and Susie become good friends, as do Annie and Lora. 

Lora gets a few small modeling gigs, but is broke and times are tough. Weirdly after meeting for about 2 minutes, Steve comes by and visits. The children are so excited, even though they don't know Steve at all. He asks Lora out and she says yes.

Lora and Steve go out, but on date two she blows him off for a potential acting job. She lies to get a meeting with the agent who  calls her bluff but agrees to get her jobs with one condition...she becomes his "lady". Disgusted, Lora turns him down.

"Get naked for an audition?! Hell to the no!"

Annie is having trouble with Sarah Jane. SJ doesn't want anyone to know her momma is black and gets embarrassed when Annie comes to her school. She runs away and we see what issues Sarah Jane is going though. 

During date night take two, Lora again blows Steve off when the same agent calls again for a job. Steve tells Lora he is in love with her and that she must quit her dreams of acting to marry him. This doesn't go over well and their short romance is over. Oh the drama!

The agent works his magic without Lora having to give it up and we see Lora become a famous and successful theater actor over the course of a decade. We slow down and take a look at her life after she is wealthy. Annie is still her friend/maid and Susie is now away at school. 

Susie wishes her momma would spend more time with her and looks to Annie as more of a mother figure.  Sarah Jane has a secret boyfriend who is white and is always arguing with her mother. Steve comes by with his girlfriend to see one of Lora's recent hit plays and Lora is all over him. They start to hang out. 

(Who knows what happend to the gf!)

Lora gets a chance to work on a film and asks Steve to spend time with Susie. Susie is sad because she wishes her mother would hang out with her more. Sarah Jane goes away to work at a library. Annie finds out she isn't really working at a library but as a burlesque dancer in the city! Annie confronts her and a big fight ensues. Sarah Jane wants nothing to do with her ever again.

 More drama!

Annie is sick and sad that her daughter never wants to see her again. Susie falls in love with Steve just in time for mother to marry him. Talk about awkward. 

In the end, Annie kicks the bucket and has the longest death in film history followed by the longest funeral procession in film history. The fiancee and I were laughing.

As crazy and as long as this film is, it is actually really good. So much goes on you feel like you are watching four different movies. I would defiantly recommend this flick for anyone who has 2 hours to kill!

Picture Of The Day

Sophia, scoping out the goods on Jayne.

Happy Halloween: Oldie Style

Tonight is the night to get dressed up (or down), light the jack-o-lanterns and party until the best costume award has been passed out. Check out these oldies having a monster ball

 on the big 10-31.

Joan Crawford and friend.

Charlie Chaplin

Cary Grant, Mary Pickford, and friends.

(Check out the photo bomber on the right!)

Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, William R. Hurst.

Janet Gaynor

Ethel Merman, Lucille Ball

Gloria Swanson, Marion Davies, Constance Bennett, Jean Harlow

Claudette Colbert and Marion Davies (again)

Happy Halloween!

Picture Of The Day

Vincent Price, wishing he'd hired an exorcist and a house cleaner.