"It Happend On Fifth Avenue"

It's the season to be busy. Between starting a new job, sewing and crafting gifts, and shopping I have had little time to sit down with an oldie film. As I was cleaning up after hosting a party and threw on TCM to get my fix. Five minutes in to this film and I stopped cleaning and sat down to watch this cute flick.  

Victor Moore plays Aloysius, a homeless free loader who every year moves into a rich man's mansion when he leaves for warmer winters. He wears his clothes, sleeps in his bed and is nice enough to dust the furniture and check the light bulbs for the guy. Soon he meets   Bill, who just got thrown out of his place and is looking for an apartment. Aloysius offers "his place" and the two becomes roommates. Soon after they catch a "thief" who is actually the rich mans daughter Trudy (played by Gale Storm). They think she is taking a coat which is really hers. She ran away from school and conceals her identity and starts to live there herself. 

Trudy has a thing for Bill but so far he isn't into her. Before you know it, there are several families living in the house, even a baby! Trudy gets dolled up for Bill and he finally gives her a second look.

"Aaaarn't I sexy now?"

Trudy's dad and the home owner comes looking for Trudy once he learns she skipped out on school. She tells him the story and begs father to pretend to be homeless and live in the house too so she can get closer to Bill. Loving father agrees. What is funny is that Aloysius starts treating father like a maid and makes him do all the chores!

When father gets fed up and tells Trudy he is going to the cops, Trudy calls in mom, who has been separated from father for quite a while. She starts to cook and everyone gets ready for Christmas time. A business deal comes up for Bill and father plays a hand in it to make Bill move far far away. He wants Trudy to go back to school and all she wants is to marry Bill. 

Things looks like they might work out when Bill gets the chance to pursue his dreams and Father and Mother start to reconcile. They celebrate Christmas Eve dinner together with the whole gang. When Father makes a business deal that ruins Jim's chances at success, he breaks up with Trudy to take a job in Bolivia. Trudy is pissed and so is Mother realizing that Father will never change.

In the end, everything works out. It is a Christmas movie after all...

Foreign Film Poster Friday

"Out Of The Past" 1947

The Disapearing Act of Tap Dance

While watching Moon Over Miami for the fourth time in two days (don't judge me)I asked the fiancee, "What ever happened to tap dancing in the movies?" He had no answer. After thinking through Don Ameche's singing I started to get peeved. I mean, how can someone not find tap dancing sequences in films entertaining if not a spectacle of total amazement? When did movie goers wake up one day and not insist that motion pictures include tap dancing in their films anymore? Instead of starting Moon Over Miami over again     (it was raining after all)I got on Google and asked the very same question the fiancee couldn't find an answer for. Up came a link for "Happy Feet" and "Chicago". So in modern films if I want to watch tap dancing it either has to be through cartoon or a "period piece" film. Are these my only options? Guess that is why I love the oldies and why the saying, "They don't make em like they used to." is really true. So lets take a look at some fantastic tap by some fantastically talented oldies and smile knowing that at least once upon a time this form of dance thrived and say a thank you to DVD players for allowing us to watched them over and over again.

The Nicholas Brothers in "Stormy Weather", 1943

Gene Kelly in "Summer Stock" 1950

Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell in "The Broadway Melody" 1940

Picture Of The Day

Desi rock'in out.

Foreign Film Poster Friday

"Now,Voyager" 1942

"Alice Adams"

Kat Hepburn's 8th film was a quirky picture called, "Alice Adams". Directed by George Stevens, AA follows wanna-be socialite Alice as she deals with family drama and upscale men. 

Alice's lives at home with her trouble maker brother, nagging mother, and doormat father. Alice is dying to be apart of the social scene but without any family money she is having a hard time. She does get the chance to attend a lavish party where she spots a rich friend's beau, Arthur (a young and dashing Fred MacMurray). Alice is hooked.

Arthur likes the look of her too and when she is out looking for a job, Arthur sees her and they have a stroll. At this time she decides to pretend she is rich too. Alice convinces Arthur that she was just at the office looking for a new Secretary for father.  He takes her home but they are only allowed to sit on the porch. No way is Arthur going inside to meet the folks and see the grubby house!

Love these stairs!

Meanwhile, father has been sick and thankfully the boss has held is job at the drugstore. Brother has a gambling problem and mother is tired of Alice not getting involved with the rich crowd and bitches at father about getting a better job. Father and mother yell back and forth, and father throws out the word "dang" a lot, so you know he means business.

Alice and Arthur get pretty serious, I mean, they are dating for like a whole month and all. Arthur dumps his other gal pal and Alice's mother insists he come over for din din. Oh what a stress! How can the family fake money? They hire a cook/maid and straighten the house. Arthur is finally allowed past the front door.

"All I want is to marry up!"

Dinner does not go as planned. It's blazing hot and they serve soup. The maid chews gum really loud and father complains about eating brussel sprouts. Arthur is a good sport and the only real person at the table. He just wants to be with Alice. Alice is too busy making excuses about the food to eat. Brother comes home and a huge fight starts. With the family yelling at each other, Alice and Arthur go back to the porch.

Alice convinces Arthur he should dump her and runs back inside to join the fight. After some things get cleared up, Alice returns to the porch to collect her thoughts. Will Arthur still be waiting? Are her chances with him over? Guess you're gonna have to watch the movie to find out! (Ok, so you know the ending. Like any oldie film is going to end with Katharine Hepburn alone on the porch with a dysfunctional poor family. I mean, really.)

Foreign Film Poster Friday

"High Society" 1956