Leave Her To Heaven 1945

This fantastic films stars Gene Tierney and Cornel Wilde. There is enough lust, deception, and evilness to keep any oldie film lover very happy. Add amazing 40's outfits, production design, and the great outdoors, and you have a winning film!

Cornel Wilde plays Richard, a handsome novelist who is about to meet his next love. Gene is Ellen, who is riding the train for a holiday. Well, sort of. Her dad that she idolizes just died, and she is going up to scatter his ashes...and a holiday. Two birds, one stone. 

Before Ellen has the time to flirt, she insults Richard's book, stares at him like a freak, and tells her he looks like her dad. Nothing like a first impression.

How amazing is this train car? Dusty green walls, art deco arm chairs, and a monochromatic lamp. Set decorators Thomas Little and Ernest Lansing do it again!

Turns out Ellen's family friend also has another guest, no other than Richard. Oh goody! Richard also meets mother and hottie adopted sister Ruth played by Jeanne Crain.

Full length white fur? Where are your funeral blacks, Gene?

 Before you know it, Ellen is in love. Problem #1 is that she is already engaged. She dumps that fool the curb. Problem #2 is Richard hasn't exactly asked her out on a date let alone to marry. So she goes ahead an announces their plans to get hitched to the family. Done.

Richard thinks Ellen is pretty swell so he goes with it. Ellen learns Richard has a kid bother, Danny, who is ill and can't walk, or as Ellen puts it, "a cripple". Richard owns some land called "Back of the Moon" and Ellen decides to bring Danny with them thinking it will bring her and Richard closer.

 

Silk blouse and high wasited salmon slacks courtesy of costume designer Kay Nelson. 

Soon Ellen realizes she has no time alone with her man. It's annoying how Danny (who can walk now) is always around. She has no privacy with her husband. Poor Ellen. She tries to get Danny to go away but it doesn't work. Before you know it Richard has invited her family over for a stay. Ellen is pissed.

When her family finally leaves (early of course since Ellen pitched a fit) she tries to get Danny to go along with them for a few weeks so she can have some sexy time with Richard. Danny objects so Ellen thinks of a better plan.

Danny and Ellen go out on the lake one day as Danny is trying to swim across for bragging rights. Things go wrong and Ellen watches as Danny cries for help. An iconic scene not only for the beautiful backdrops of location filming but the intensity as we witness how far someone will go to get what they want. 

To help or not to help...hmmm...

Before you know it Ellen is knocked up and makes it very clear it's only to make Richard happy. She notices her sister getting chummy with her man and gets mad when they go shopping for baby stuff without her. Talk about territorial!

Ellen tells Ruth that she wishes she didn't have this fetus so that she could spend more time with Richard and to back off her husband!

Ruth leaves the room and Ellen has a terrible "accident" down the stairs. 

When all of Ellen's plans go wrong and Richard is still not giving her the obsessive attention she craves there is not much left to do but to off herself. Can she go through with it? What will happen to Richard? Will Ruth swoop in if she's out of the picture? Only one way to find out!

Mixing poison always goes best with embroidered monogrammed towels. 

This film is full of deception, murder, and style. Rita Hayworth was intended for the role but turned it down. I think Gene plays the part beautifully. She is gorgeous in this film even though she is evil. Critics agreed as she was nominated for an Oscar for this role. 

(She was beat out by Joan Crawford for Mildred Pierce)

Picture Of The Day

Edith asks, "Which one is your favorite?"

Listen to Jimmy Stewart...

...and have a fantastic Easter!

Love, The Affair

Happy Valentine's Day!

Love, Lucille, Desi, and The Affair

Dead Ringer 1964

Are you a fan of Bette Davis? Stupid question, who isn't? Then you'll love two of her, and evil to boot! This fab flick stars Bette playing twins, one who is jealous and the other who gets offed!

Bette first plays Margaret, who is mean and rich and newly widowed. Without remorse, Margaret gets a surprise visit from estranged sister Edith, also played by Bette. The two get together at Margaret's house after the funeral and Edith sees how rich her sister really is. She also learns that Margaret tricked her way into marriage many years ago when Edith also had the hots for the dead husband. Edith gets jealous a angry. 

Back at home, Edith is in a loveless relationship with a cop named Jim. She is deep in dept with her night club and devises a plan. She calls Margaret to come over and when she gets there, she kills her! Trading outfits, the plan is going right until annoying boy toy Jim stops by. Edith has to talk him away and the plans continue to take Margaret's identity. 

Edith assumes Margaret's life by "grieving" her husband's death and her sister's "suicide". Edith realizes that Margaret isn't a saint had had a man on the side named Tony. But the new Margaret isn't into it, and she finds herself in some sticky situations. Jim keeps in contact with Margaret and is not quite sure what happened to Edith and confesses his too late love. 

Margaret's fling comes to light and  Tony finds out the truth and then blackmails Margaret for money. Jim keeps pressing her for info and the investigation about Edith's suicide starts to take a turn. Will the truth come out? Will Edith pull off the murder and assumed identity forever?

Lana Turner was first for the role but turned it down. This film was applauded for the great special effects used to allow Bette to be side by side with herself. A class evil Bette movie, I really loved this oldie!

It Happend One Night 1934

I am not alone here when I say that this picture has to be about as good as it gets. Claudette complained every day, Clark was there as a punishment for breaking his contract, and everyone thought the film would be a disaster. The joke was on them when it won the big five Oscars, the first time out of three that this would happen in cinema history. 

Claudette plays Ellie, who is mad because she has just married a man that her daddy disapproves of. Daddy forces her to get an annulment and throws her on the yacht away from her man. The result is Claudette jumping off the boat!

The beauty of a 30's wedding gown. Long, sleek, bias cut goodness. 

Ellie decides to flee back to New York to be with her seeming confused almost husband. She has little money and one cute outfit when she hops on the bus. 

In another corner of the bus station, Clark (Peter) is giving his boss quite a roast. His buddies are keeping tabs and when the boss fires him and hangs up, Peter acts like he is tearing him a new one. He gets off the phone and jumps on the bus, not knowing what to do about his new found unemployment.

Peter finds a spot in the back with Ellie, and our road trip begins. Like all fab oldies, the two don't like each other from the start. Ellie is already in a bad mood over the days' events, and Peter thinks she is bitchy. She ends up falling asleep on Peter's shoulder and he realizes she's not all that bad. 

At the first stop Ellie looses her bags and is forced to face the fact that her pocket change is the only thing that is going to get her to New York. Naturally, she does what any woman would do when stressed and she tries to buy some chocolate.

Being a rich heiress and all, Ellie thinks that at the next stop the bus will wait for her as she heads off. When she returns the bus is gone, but Peter has stuck around. He has discovered who she is and that a marriage scandal like hers would get his job back. Que in the blackmail.

They head out together. Along the way they must hitchhike depicting the infamous scene of Clark trying hard to get a car and not succeeding, and Ellie showing some leg and getting a ride. 

When Fritz Freleng saw this film over at Warner Brothers he was inspired to create Bugs Bunny. 

I mean, check out Clark eating that carrot! And the ears! Dead ringer for sure. 

A night's rest is in order and Peter pays the bill for a 

room. A room, as in singular. Rich girl rich Ellie will have to share (*gasp*). Not pleased, Ellie watches Clark throw a sheet up and get undressed. This scene also made headlines, as Clark was not wearing an undershirt. Sales for undershirts dropped dramatically as men wanted to be a single layer guy like Clark. 

Ellie finds out Peter knows who she is and is forced to go along with him or he'll squeal to the public of her whereabouts. Ellie gets Peter's jammies and they platonically sleep the night away. 

As the journey continues, Ellie tells Peter she has fallen in love with him. As she goes to sleep, Peter heads off to make plans. Ellie wakes up and thinks that Peter has left her after she spilled the beans on her feelings. Now she is furious and calls Daddy. He is so happy she is found he gives her the okay to re-marry her hubby. Peter comes back to find her gone. Daddy knows something is up when Ellie is less than enthused to marry man #1. She tells him the whole story. Little does she know, Peter has come to her father and refused reward money. 

Ellie must find out in time whether or not Peter truly loves her, of if she will enter a marriage that she thought she wanted. 

Quote Of The Day

"Famous people feel that they must perpetually be on the crest of the wave, not realising that it is against all the rules of life. You can't be on top all the time; it isn't natural."

-Olivia de Havilland