The Philadelphia Story

Title: The Philadelphia Story
Year: 1940
Director: George Cukor
Writer: Donald Ogden Stewart, based on the play by Philip Barry
Starring: Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart
Music: Franz Waxman
Distinctions: Oscars for best actor (Stewart) and screenplay (non-original); currently #228 on IMDb’s Top 250
Synopsis: a tabloid spy gets involved in a rich woman’s re-marriage
How I saw it: on video (rented from Netflix), August 2008
Subjective Rating: 6/10
Objective Rating: 3/10 (gets points for pacing, acting and subjective rating)

Pretty enjoyable, but not memorable. Jimmy Stewart saves the movie (as is his way). I generally hate Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn with a passion, but they didn’t bother me much in this one.

The Grapes of Wrath

Title: The Grapes of Wrath
Year: 1940
Director: John Ford
Writer: Nunnally Johnson, based on John Steinbeck’s novel
Starring: Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine
Music: Alfred Newman (“musical director”)
Distinctions: Oscars for best director and supporting actress (Darwell); currently #153 on IMDb’s Top 250
Synopsis: a family of Oakies migrate from the dust bowl to California
How I saw it: on video, yesterday (rented from Netflix)
Subjective Rating: 7/10
Objective Rating: 8/10 (points off for concept and dialog)

Surprisingly engaging.  The only real problem I had with it is that certain characters have a tendency to monologue. They don’t even bother pretending that it’s part of a conversation; they just make speeches. Otherwise, it’s very well done.

His Girl Friday

Title: His Girl Friday
Year: 1940
Director: Howard Hawks
Writer: Charles Lederer, based on a play by Ben Hecht & Charles MacArthur
Starring: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy
Music: Sidney Cutner & Felix Mills
Distinctions: currently #221 on IMDb’s Top 250
Synopsis: a girl wants to leave the newspaper business to get married, but when the opportunity to exploit a condemned man and humiliate her fiance arises, she naturally can’t resist
How I saw it: on video (rented from Netflix), April 2008
Subjective Rating: 3/10
Objective Rating: 1/10 (gets a pity point for special effects/design)

It made me a little upset, physically. Every character falls under two categories: assh***s and victims. There are a few very funny lines, but for the most part it’s awkward stage writing. They never stop talking, so maybe the funny lines are coincidence — sort of the monkeys with typewriters effect. Everyone reads their lines as fast as humanly possible. You have to pause it every few minutes to breath. I’ve yet to see Cary Grant do anything I would call acting, but here he is at his worst.