Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
Friday was off to a good start from the get-go because during the first round of films I was able to check off my bingo card “Watching a Film in Theater #4,” the infamous theater that has broken many a heart because it’s the smallest venue the festival uses yet frequently screens the most sought after films. The Old Maid is a scandalous melodrama that stars Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins as cousins Charlotte and Delia who are at odds most their lives, much like it’s been rumored the actresses were while shooting the production. At Delia’s wedding, her old beau shows up. Charlotte comforts him. He dies fighting for the Union in the Civil War before learning of Charlotte’s pregnant. To provide cover, Charlotte heads west to have the baby. Upon her return, she opens an orphanage where her daughter Tina also resides. When the cousins move in together, Tina, unaware of the truth, sees Delia as her mother and Charlotte as her aunt. She acts horribly towards Charlotte, whom she sees as needlessly domineering. There’s a resolution to the story, but it’s heartbreaking to see the treatment toward Charlotte. Also, it was a tad odd to see Davis aged with makeup while Hopkins looks the same throughout
Although in a familiar role as a gangster, Edward G. Robinson shows his comedic skills in the comic crima caper Larceny, Inc. based on the play The Night Before Christmas by Laura Perelman and S.J. Perelman. After doing jail time, J. Chalmers “Pressure” Maxwell (Robinson) wants to go straight and retire in Florida with his adopted daughter Denny (Jane Wyman). However, he’s got no money so he decides to rob a bank. His plan is to buy the luggage shop next door and dig into it with associates Jug (Broderick Crawford) and Weepy (Edward Brophy). When the luggage shop proves a great success and Pressure becomes beloved in the neighborhood, he begins to change his mind. But when former cellmate Leo (Anthony Quinn) learns of the planned bank heist, he forces Pressure’s hand. It’s a charming, funny film.
Attendees got to experience wants seeing a movies in 1941 was like with“Warner Night at the Movies: The Strawberry Blonde.” There was a trailer for Sergeant York, the classic Bigs Bunny cartoon Tortoise Beats Hare, and a short about celebrities playing polo. The Strawberry Blonde stars James Cagney as Biff Grimes, a dentist who reflects on his life when he encounters old “friend” Hugo (Jack Carson), who stole away the titular character (Rita Hayworth) Biff pined for.
Alexander Payne and George Stevens Jr were on hand to introduce Penny Serenade by Stevens’ father. This third pairing of Irene Dunne and Cary Grant is a dramatic tearjerker as their relationship sees them struggle with a number of issues, most notably trying to get a judge allow them raise their adopted daughter after Grant’s character loses his income when the newspaper he publishes goes under. Previously, I had only seen Grant in comic roles and North by Northwest, so it was a wonderful revelation to see him sink his teeth into this dramatic performance.
Presented in 3D, House of Wax stars Vincent Price as Professor Henry Jarrod, a wax sculptor driven mad when his business partner burns down his wax museum. It’s a fun romp filled with good, sometimes silly (see the paddle-ball player), 3D effects. The movie offers chills and thrills and author William Joyce is one of its fans. He was on hand to introduce the film, showing original posters and offering details about the production.
