The Forest Rangers (1942) isn’t high drama, it isn’t supposed to be. It IS a sometimes comedy, sometimes action, always colorful yarn from Paramount with some of the studios top stars of the day, tromping around among mile high timbers, dodging the flames of a raging forest fire. Along with striking Technicolor, The Forest Rangers sports a catchy tune, “I’ve Got Spurs That Jingle Jangle Jingleâ€, written by Frank Loesser and Joseph J. Lilley, which became a big hit on the airwaves.Fred MacMurray is the forest ranger, Susan Hayward is a fetching lumber mill owner, who has the hots for Freddie boy, while he meets, gets the hots for and marries even more fetching! city girl Paulette Goddard. Redheaded wildcat Hayward doesn’t take too kindly to the new bride (like it’s any of her business) and gives girlie girl Goddard the wilderness once-over. Think along the lines of of Hayley Mill’s treatment of tenderfoot Joanna Barnes in The Parent Trap some twenty years later. Both remained perfectly coiffed and glossed while fighting fires and each other, and MacMurray remains his ever stoic, yet capable self.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Madeline Carroll was originally to play Celia, the part Goddard ended up playing, and Goddard was to play Tana, the Hayward role. After seeing the film, and knowing the wa! y Paramount worked such a treatment during this period, I coul! d see th e Carroll/Goddard combo working very nicely, even better than the finished product in fact, as Goddard had vivaciously conniving down pat (see Hold Back the Dawn (1941)).Susan and Paulette had just come off the set of Cecil B. DeMille’s Reap the Wild Wind, so the two cuties were no strangers to sharing the screen and both did what was required of them in this lighthearted look at love in the lonesome pines. Also sharing the screen with the star trio was Eugene Pallette (always a rotund treat), Lynne Overman and Regis Toomey, who completes the love daisy chain as an airplane pilot who carries the torch (no pun intended….this time) for Hayward’s Tana.
Great classic films, best all time movies
After reviewing “Flying Down to Rio†last fall, I decided to re-watch all of the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies in sequence and blog about them during the next year.I love their movies â€" the magnificent musical numbers in both song and dance (which, if you think about it, probably comprises about one tenth of each film), their sense of style and fun, and the fact that no duo has ever been this consistently good since. So, this isn’t really a chore; I’m indulging myself, and you get to watch (or roll your eyes!).My favorite reference book on these films is “The Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers Book†by Arlene Croce. She breaks down each film by plot and dance.It’s worth noting that “Th! e Gay Divorcee†was a first on many levels: the first starring movie for Astaire and Rogers as a duo (“Rio†had them as supporting players); the first to feature regular supporting players, such as the excellent Edward Everett Horton, Erik Rhodes and Eric Blore; the first to bring together producer Pan Berman, choreographer Hermes Pan (unbilled in this film) and director Mark Sandrich, who would direct five of their 10 movies; the first to feature a form of the mistaken identity/mix-up plotline that would be come routine in their films; and the first to feature full-length solos by Astaire (he had a brief one in “Rioâ€).It also continues a few patterns from “Rio,†including the stylized Art Deco sets that became known as the “black and white†sets, and the big production number to a specific dance craze (in Rio, it was the Carioca; here it’s The Continental).“The Gay Divorcee†opens in a Paris club with chorus girls using finger-puppet dancers. The mo! vie then pans to Guy Holden (Astaire) and Egbert Fitzgerald (H! orton), both with similar finger puppets. Guy, a famed dancer, figures out how to use his quickly, while Egbert, a pampered lawyer, is a bit clueless, which pretty much tells you what you need to know about these characters. When the two men can’t pay their bill, Fred must dance a solo to prove who he is. It’s a quick dance but one that shows off his skills, and it is Astaire’s first solo as a leading man.When Guy and Egbert return to England, they run into Hortense (Alice Brady) and her niece, Mimi (Rogers). However, they don’t run into them together. Guy ends up causing an incident with Mimi’s dress; Hortense recognizes Egbert as an old beau.Hortense ends up hiring Egbert, a lawyer, to handle Mimi’s divorce case. The plan is to whisk her away to a seaside resort, where Egbert will hire a man to spend the night in Mimi’s room. The next morning, they will be “discovered,†and the divorce can be put in motion.Meanwhile, Guy can’t get Mimi out of his mind, unaware ! that Egbert’s case involves her.The movie is based upon a stage musical starring Astaire, although much of the music was removed and the plot was rewritten for the film. Cole Porter’s “Night and Day†had been a big hit for Astaire, which certainly helped this film.RKO was taking a big chance with “The Gay Divorcee.†Astaire and Rogers were not proven box office stars, and that’s why you find some fluff in this movie, particularly the size of the supporting roles. RKO wanted to make sure the audience would be entertained in case the Astaire/Rogers pairing didn’t work. 
But it did. As Croce astutely wrote in her book, “When one considers that only ten minutes out of the total running time of ‘The! Gay Divorcee’ are taken up by the dancing of Astaire alone ! or with Rogers, the film’s enduring popularity seems more than ever a tribute to the power of what those minutes contain.â€You can see it in the first full number. Outside of the short dance Astaire does in the Paris nightclub, the next number is a magnetic solo, “A Needle in a Haystack.†Here Guy is preparing to find Mimi and dances as he gets ready. He’s up on a chair or catching his hat and umbrella from his valet, and the number ends with him heading out the door. It moves the plot along while being exuberant, creative and full of life. Astaire was probably unlike anyone on film before, and he carries this standard through nearly every solo he put on film throughout his career.Also, think of this: This number was without a partner, chorus girls, a chorus line or anything else that you might expect from a dance sequence. For an untried movie star, this was revelatory.
Finally, an hour into the film, we get the first Astaire/Rogers number, “Night and Day†(above). He’s in white tie and tails; she’s in a gorgeous simple dress. As the dance builds dramatically, the tension between them before slowly giving way as he seduces her, finally lowering her onto a seat and offering her a cigarette. There was no need for kissing or sex. Their chemistry is immediate, their dancing done as one.Two things would improve after this dance. First, some of Rogers’ arm and shoulder moves aren’t nearly as elegant as they would become, and her gait lacks a certain graceful quality. That would change very soon. Second, the sequence has numerous edits and remote camera angles (one shot from under a table, another through window blinds). This too would change soon, as Astaire would insist upo! n full-body shots and as few edits as possible.These are minor! complai nts to a breathtaking number. It’s the number where Astaire and Rogers really click, and it’s solidified not long after with “The Continental†(below), which goes on for nearly 20 minutes. At the beginning of the number, the two look completely at ease with each other as they sing the beginning of the song on a hotel balcony. Then they race down to the dance floor and provide a dance full of joy and fun, even if it isn’t particularly intricate.
The song won an Oscar that year, the first time the Best Song category was contested (it bested “The Carioca†from “Flying Down to Rioâ€). “The Continental†continues with rows of dancers, moving with precision, changing costumes from all black to all w! hite to a mixture of both. You have revolving doors with girls clad in either black or white twirling inside them. This number may not have the geometric intricacies of a Busby Berkeley number, but it’s far more interesting than the drawn-out “Carioca†number from “Rio.â€Speaking of Berkeley, the first thing that surprised me about seeing “The Gay Divorcee†again is its nod to the famed choreographer and director, one of the innovators of movie musical the year before. The opening number with its rotating platform of pretty women and the finger puppets seems like something from Berkeley, as does Guy’s search for Mimi, in which pictures of pretty women are superimposed over his image of stopping one woman after another in hopes it’s Mimi. A later number, “Let’s K-nock K-neez,†has some geometric choreography (minus the overhead shots) that Berkeley was famous for.As for that number, it’s played out between Horton and a young teenage ingenue who would! become a big box office attraction during World War II â€" Be! tty Grab le (below with Horton). The number is a bizarre bit, but Horton is so much fun in a role that had to be written as intentionally fussy (I mean, he was nicknamed “Pinky†as a child because he was always toddling around home in pale pink pajamas â€" what a hoot!). Horton is a great sidekick for Astaire â€" popular enough to return in two later Astaire/Rogers films.
Eric Blore, playing a waiter, was already in his second Astaire/Rogers film and would appear in three more. Erik Rhodes was making his first ever film appearance as Tonetti and is hilarious as the married family man who takes his job as a for-hire gigolo to help break up marriages. His slogan: “Your wife is safe with Tonetti â€" he prefers spaghetti! .â€Brady can be a handful to watch, but she does give it her all as the flighty Hortense and her timing is expert with such comedic lines with expertise: “There’s nothing different about (men) but their neckties.†After a solid career in silents, she had returned to the stage, only to come back to Hollywood in the 1930s and establish herself as a dependable supporting player. This was her only appearance in an Astaire/Rogers film.But RKO needn’t have worried about padding the film. Astaire and Rogers were a success as a team and marvelous to watch together. They were defining a new style for movie musicals, even if they didn’t realize it at the time. If Astaire was worried about becoming part of another established duo â€" his stage career had been formed with his sister Adele â€" he and Rogers were friendly and respectful of each other.“The Gay Divorcee†may be a little creaky in the story department and heavy on the supporting players, but when the stars ar! e together, it’s glorious. Audiences must have thought so, b! ecause t he film was a success â€" and so were Astaire and Rogers. They were on their way.
Armie Hammer is a dork, an adorable dork.
Nicole discusses her baby. Hilary discusses her workout routine.
7:54 Things Josh Duhamel Loves.
8:10 Oh no. I think I just cursed Mark Ruffalo. He was having trouble reading his teleprompter as he and Annette Bening introduce The Kids Are All Right. I want that to win tonight so bad. But I know it shan't. Life is cruel. As are impending root canals.
Amy and Christian congratulate Melissa Leo
This past Friday night, I had the privilege of attending the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s presentation of Charlie Chaplin’s “The Gold Rush.â€The 1925 silent classic was projected on a screen above the orchestra members, who were seated on stage and provided the score. Conducting was Timothy Brock, a man who has restored several film scores for live performance, including “The Gold Rush,†“Modern Times,†and Buster Keaton’s “Sherlock Jr.â€â€œThe Gold Rush†finds Chaplin’s The Little Tramp as a prospector searching for gold. The film begins with a startling recreation of the men snaking up the Chilkoot Pass, all hoping they will be the lucky ones to strike it rich. Then we see the prospec! tor making his way around the jagged mountain cliffs. Even a bear following him can’t take the familiar spring in his step as he twirls his cane.Meanwhile, Big Jim McKay (Mack Swain) discovers gold and nearly weeps for joy. However, a massive blizzard forces both the prospector and Big Jim to seek refuge in a cabin occupied by Black Larsen (Tom Murray), who is wanted by the law. As the storm rages on, and the food runs out, the three men (below) grow hungry. Black sets out to find food but ditches the two men to fend for themselves. 
Once freed from the cabin, the prospector makes his way into town, penniless, spirits dampened. In the local dance hall he falls for a girl. But Georgia (Georgia Hale) finds him sill! y and begins to toy with him. The prospector invites Georgia a! nd her f riends for a New Year’s Eve supper, and they accept. He’s elated, but they have no intention of attending.Later, Big Jim, who has been knocked on the head, wanders into town, lost and unable to find his claim on the mountain. He spies the prospector and begs him to take him back to the cabin, from which he’s sure he can find his claim.“The Gold Rush†is the second feature-length film featuring Chaplin’s The Little Tramp, after the success of “The Kid†in 1921. In between he directed the drama “A Woman of Paris,†a film that only briefly featured himself. Although well-liked by critics, the film failed at the box office and fueled Chaplin’s ambition to do his best on “Rush.â€And did he ever succeed. From the opening shots of the Chilkoot Pass, Chaplin creates a realistic setting. Today it would have been accomplished digitally, because why hire that many people to hike up a snow-covered mountain for what appears on film for a minute or so. Apparently ! 600 extras were brought into the Sierra Nevadas so Chaplin could film them climbing up the 2,300-foot pass through the snow.The initial cabin sequence is quite long, and yet there’s so much taking place on what is a small set. There’s a beautifully choreographed bit of hilarity involving a struggle between Big Jim and Black Larsen over a shotgun that’s constantly pointed at prospector. No matter where Chaplin goes in the cabin â€" up, down, under furniture â€" the other two inadvertently manage to point the gun at Chaplin the entire time.Chaplin’s famous shoe-eating scene â€" as if he’s dining at a fine restaurant â€" is followed by an equally famous scene of Big Jim thinking that the prospector is a giant chicken. It’s Chaplin in the chicken suit, as no one else could mimic his mannerisms or properly mimic a chicken.One of my favorite shots comes when the prospector enters the dance hall for the first time. Chaplin is in the foreground, his back is to the camer! a, and he’s mostly dark while the music and dancing and drin! king tak e place in the background. The way he places his hand on his hip and leans on his cane is a beautiful contrast of weariness and loneliness with the cheerfulness and camaraderie he’s watching.There are many other classic bits â€" the dinner roll dancing scene, which apparently was first done by Roscoe “Fatty†Arbuckle in the 1910s, and the cabin positioned precariously on the ledge of a cliff. What Chaplin always does so well is mix that comedy with great emotion. His adoration of Georgia is heartfelt. He opens himself up to Georgia, and despite her many rebuffs, he returns to her, always hopeful.As for Georgia herself, apparently Lita Grey â€" who had a small role in Chaplin’s “The Kid†â€" was playing the leading lady here. But Chaplin and the teenage Grey found themselves expecting a child (which forced them to marry), so Chaplin quickly found Hale (below, with Chaplin), who brings a fresh, unmannered approach to the film. It’s a shame she never did much more! , retiring from the movies when sound was introduced.
Another player worth mentioning is Swain, a veteran vaudeville and stage star who had worked with Chaplin on film in the 1910s before finding success on his own. When his career started to fade, it was Chaplin who came to the rescue, first with the short “The Pilgrim†and then with this movie, in which he’s delightful.What made the Friday presentation especially memorable was the music. The score was written by Chaplin, but he did so for the 1942 re-release of the movie (his first attempt at a full-length score was for his film “City Lights,†released in 1931). In fact, “The Gold Rush†reissue removed the title cards and replaced them with na! rration from Chaplin himself.In 1992, the Chaplin estate commi! ssioned a restoration of “The Gold Rush,†implemented by famed historian Kevin Brownlow and David Gill. The 1942 music was used. In the mid-2000s, conductor/composer Brock â€" commissioned by the Association Chaplin â€" was working on a restoration of the score. According to the liner notes from the CSO’s program, Brock undertook massive research, discovering that last-minute changes to the music in 1942 were made not on the full score or conductor’s score but on the music used by individual parts.The results were outstanding. “The Gold Rush†was presented as part of the CSO’s successful “Friday at the Movies†series, which consists of three movie-related concerts per season. I’m a regular of the series and especially enjoy the silent movie presentations. What always strikes me about these nights are the positive reaction from the audience and the beauty of the CSO’s performance. Their live accompaniment never overpowers the film. While I will sometimes close m! y eyes and listen to them playing (since I’ve seen these movies several times), the music draws you in where it’s an integral part of the film itself. Both work together, and that’s the way it should be.The next CSO movie concert on Feb. 25 features film critic Roger Ebert. As for “The Gold Rush,†it never feels old no matter how many times I watch it. If you live someplace where this film will be screened with live symphonic accompaniment, I strongly urge you to attend and experience it.
E! whaaaaa. No way. Natalie Portman doing "Don't Tell Mama" from Cabaret ... as a teenager!Serious Film Tilda Swinton as "the Anti-Streep"Inside Movies another look at how Oscar ballot counting works. Every time it's explained it sounds more complicated than the time before. But it's cool that EW staged a mock nomination with readers.