How is a Hollywood film genre created, and who creates it? The answer is really quite uncomplicated. There are two creators of film genre; the audience and the studio. While popular forms of genre entertainment had already existed in fiction and theater, it was the film industry that brought this type of entertainment to its peak. In the early days of motion picture production movie studios would produce films that were universal in appeal. It was their hope that any film they made would be loved by everyone regardless of who they were or how old they may be.
Starring – Ann Sheridan (Randy Monaghan), Robert Cummings (Parris Mitchell), Ronald Reagan (Drake McHugh), Betty Field (Cassandra Tower), Charles Coburn (Dr. Henry Gordon), Claude Rains (Dr. Alexander Tower), Judith Anderson (Mrs. Harriet Gordon).
Description – A powerful drama set in a midwestern town just before World War I that tells the intertwined story of its citizens. The story concerns itself particularly with two young men Parris Mitchell, and Drake McHugh.
Revealed through the growing years of these two men will be the corruption and moral decay that lurks behind the peaceful facade of this serene community. There are many difficult facts that must be dealt with including challanges, tragedies, social pressures, and dark secrets.
It’s all there; just under the surface of small town America.
NOTABLE: This motion picture received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director (Sam Wood), and Best Cinematography, Black and White.
This film was Ronald Reagan’s most notable role and was the inspiration for the title of his 1965 autobiography ‘Where’s the Rest of Me?’
There were problems with the Hays Code regarding this film, as they strongly objected to any reference to incest, homosexuality, nymphomania, and euthenasia.
The town depicted is based on Fulton, Missouri; the actual home of the novel’s author Henry Bellamann.
Starring – Carole Lombard (Maria Tura), Jack Benny (Joseph Tura), Robert Stack (Lt. Stanislav Sobinski), Felix Bressart (Greenberg), Lionel Atwill (Rawitch).
Description – The efforts of a Polish soldier to track down a Nazi spy are aided (sort of) by a troupe of ham stage actors who use their skill at disguise to fool the occupying troops in Poland.
The Nazi spy has information that would hurt the Polish resistance and this information must not make it into German hands.
Enjoy this comedic exercise in espionage which caused considerable controversy when released.
NOTABLE:In 1996 this film was chosen for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
This motion picture received one Oscar nomination for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or comedy picture.
Director Lubitsch never considered another actor for the role of Joseph Tura beside Jack Benny and had developed the character with Benny in mind.
Although Director Lubitsch was heavily critisized, and his career hurt for this satire about Nazi’s, this film is now regarded as one of his best.
Sadly, actress Carole Lombard was killed in a plane crash during post-production of the film. She had been returning from a tour selling war bonds.
In 2006 Premiere voted this film as one of “The 50 Greatest Comedies of All Time.”
Starring – Eric Portman (Lieutenant Hirth), Raymond Lovell (Lieutenant Kuhnecke), Niall MacGinnis (Vogel), Peter Moore (Kranz), Laurence Olivier (Johnny), Leslie Howard (Philip Armstrong Scott), Raymond Massey (Andy Brock).
Description – A World War II German U-boat has been damaged and stranded in Hudson Bay. Led by their fanatical commanding officer the survivors try to escape capture by crossing Canada with the hope of making it to the then neutral United States.
During the course of their trip they encounter a wide range of people, each of which have their own views of the war with most not too sympathic to the Nazi cause.
A very suspenseful drama with a satisfying final confrontation.
NOTABLE: This film won an Oscar for Best Writing Original Story, and was nominated for Best Picture and Best Writing, Screenplay. These awards are listed under the U.S. release title The Invaders.
Director Michael Powell used this film in an effort to “scare the pants off the Americans”, and bring them into the war.
The 49th Parallel runs along most of the United States and Canadian border.
This British production was the country’s top grossing film of the year.
Actors Olivier, Howard, and Massey worked for half their usual fee in order to help the war effort with this leading propaganda film.
Description – Charlie Chan arrives at the isolated Mojave Desert home of Paul Manderley and his wife a descendent of the infamous Borgia family.
After the collapse and death of one ot the Manderley’s other guests, Chan is asked to stay and investigate. Soon other guests start to turn up dead. Is it just a strange coincidence, or an illness of some kind? Poison is more like it.
And if that’s not bad enough, all communication from the castle is cut off, strange shadows appear and disappear, and lets not forget the secret panels. It seems as though Chan has his hands full with this case.
NOTABLE: As the Charlie Chan detective series lost some of its luster as time passed, this is generally considered to be one of the better of the later films.
This was the 30th of 47 Charlie Chan films to be made.
Description – Take one emancipated woman named ‘Woman of the Year’, add one sports reporter as the husband and good luck trying to find the path to wedded bliss.
It won’t be easy trying to get the world-famous political commentator down to earth a little, or to at least meet her husband half-way. Sam’s feeling a little neglected and Tess has forgotten how to be a woman.
Enjoy the fun as these two try to find a way to merge both their careers and their marriage.
NOTABLE: This film won an Oscar for Best Writing, Original Screenplay and was also nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Katharine Hepburn).
In 1999 this film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
This was the first pairing of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn who would go on to make nine films together. When first meeting on the set, Hepburn stated “I’m afraid I’m a bit tall for you, Mr. Tracy”. Producer Joseph L. Mankiewicz replied “Don’t worry Kate, he’ll cut you down to size”.
January, 1942 – Actress Carole Lombard, beautiful, talented, and far too young to die, was killed in a Sierra, Nevada mountain plane crash last evening. She was 34. All 19 passengers on board were killed. They included the stars mother and press agent. Lombard was returning from a very successful tour promoting the sale of War Bonds.
In 1937 Carole Lombard was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in the screwbal comedy My Man Godfrey opposite her ex-husband William Powell who received the Best Actor nomination.
At that time, Lombard was the highest paid actress in Hollywood. Her final role was in the now famous Ernst Lubitsch production of To Be or Not To Be, the strong anti-Nazi film completed just after the bombing at Pearl Harbor.
In 1939, after a long courtship, Carole Lombard married fellow Hollywood superstar Clark Gable.
