The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944)

“The trouble with kids is they always figure they're smarter than their parents”

            If you are a fan of Old Hollywood you would know that there were several taboo subjects that could not be addressed or even joked about. Marriage was often taken as a joke, well to a certain extent like two people accidentally getting married in a drunken stupor. Motherhood was never really taken as a joke because it was a serious duty for a woman back in the age of Old Hollywood. Well, The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek take both marriage and motherhood and turns it into a free for all comedy.

            The film opens up on the governor of a state on the phone with a newspaper editor from the small town of Morgan’s Creek. The editor is frantic asking the governor for back up and more supplies because people will be flooding their town soon. When the editor finally reveals why he needs the supplies for the governor gets extremely excited and he wants the press called to the small town.

            Going back to Morgan’s Creek where everything all began: a group of soldiers looking for a date to a dance. It is to be their last dance before they leave for war. A girl on the street points them towards the record shop where Trudy Kockenlocker (Betty Hutton) works. As soon as she sees the soldiers she has stars in her eyes. She agrees to go to the dance with the group of soldiers. As the soldiers walk out of the shop Norval Jones (Eddie Bracken) walks in. Norval is in love with Trudy. He wishes he could be going to the dance but he is not a soldier. He has tried to enlist time and again but every time he goes to get his checkup he breaks out in spots because he gets so nervous.

            That night Trudy has gotten all ready to go out but her father is furious with her and will not let her leave the house. Trudy calls Norval to come get her. Her father knows Norval is a good guy who would not try anything with his daughter so he lets Trudy go out. Trudy has other plans. She just wanted Norval to come get her so she can go off and have some fun with the soldiers. She tells Norval to stay by the movie theater and she will be back to get him at 1:30.

            Trudy has more than a great time. She pulls up to the movie theater later than 1:30 in the morning. As she drives away a sign falls off her car that says “Just Married”. At home while sitting with her sister, Trudy recalls what she can remember of that night. She recalls someone mentioning something about getting married. She looks down at her hand to see a ring on her finger. Trudy cannot do anything because she gave a false name when she and one of the soldiers got married.

            With a lot of coaxing and nudging Trudy manages to get Norval to propose to her. She explains to him what has happened that she knows she got married. She needs Norval know because she is going to have a baby. After some thinking Trudy does not want to have Norval marry her because he loves her so much and he so nice. They decide to go get married at a Justice of the Peace out of town. They give false names but Norval messes everything up handing the JP a piece of paper with his real name on it. The JP thinks Norval is abducting Trudy because she is a minor. The police and a whole crowd of people bring Norval and Trudy home. Trudy’s father manages to get the JP to rip up the marriage certificate to make it look like the wedding never happened. Trudy and her sister finally break down and tell their father why she had to marry Norval. The father is a police officer he tells his girls that he can try to get Norval out of jail by making it look like he escaped. Norval is such an idiot he does not realize what is going on until Trudy and her sister show up at the jail.

            Months go by. Norval went to see if he could find the group of soldiers Trudy went out with but he was unsuccessful. He comes back to town. Trudy and her father and sister are living somewhere out of town. Norval is still wanted but he has to find Trudy. A storeowner was just about to take Norval to Trudy when the bank owner notices him and calls the cops. The storeowner tells Trudy that Norval is back in town. She feels so bad about what has happened to him. She has her father and sister bring her to town to explain everything to set Norval free.

            The sister rushes up to where her father is trying to talk to some of the council members to say Trudy needs to go to the hospital. Turns out Trudy has SIX babies! That is the reason the newspaper editor called the governor. The governor pardons Norval since he could not have it reported that the father of the towns new fame is in jail. No one knows besides Trudy, Norval, her sister, and father that the babies are not his. Poor Norval has a nervous breakdown when he sees the babies in the hospital.

            Oh my god I felt so bad for Norval! The poor guy got into something that he had nothing to do with in the beginning. If I were him and I saw those six babies I would have told Trudy goodbye she is on her own I did not sign up for this! My good lord six babies. I would have told the hospital to take them back I do not want that many. My one cousin has four month old twins and they are an absolute handful, never mind the thought of more than two babies. The story in the film did remind me of something my cousin and her husband were talking about: they have identical twin boys Aiden and Paul. I do not even know what got the conversation started but my cousin asked her husband if he could imagine when the boys are older a girl coming to the door telling them one of the boys got her pregnant. We all laughed and hoped to God that that does not happen.

            I was not crazy about The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek and I think it had a lot to do with Eddie Bracken and the character of Norval Jones. Holy crow the actor and character were beyond annoying. Betty Hutton was good but not as good as the other films I have seen her. Now I know this was during World War II but almost half the film felt propaganda and it got annoying really fast.  I had heard so much about The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek and how it was incredible that the story got by the censors. With Preston Sturgess as the director and Betty Hutton in the lead I was expecting a good film. I felt let down. Still do not let me and my negative feelings towards it keep you from seeing the film. It is worth watching at least once. 

Spring Reunion (1957)

I got so excited when I went through TCM’s schedule and found a film that starred Dana Andrews, Betty Hutton, and Jean Hagen called Spring Reunion. I did not care what the story was about I had to see it I adore all three actors to no end. As soon as the film started I immediately regretted having wasted room on my DVR to see it

            The Carson High School class of 1941 is celebrating its fifteen year reunion. At the beginning of the film we are shown four of the most popular students from that year. Maggie Brewster (Hutton) was the most popular, Jack Frazer was the football hero, Fred Davis (Andrews) was set to be the most successful, and Berna Forrest (Hagen)… well to be honest I forget what she was voted I could be getting she and Fred mixed up. Anyway… fifteen years later Maggie is working for her father at his real estate firm. She travels around the world with her parents and works very hard at her job. She has been helping the school set up for the reunion. Barna, or Barney as everyone calls her, comes in from another city. She is married with four kids and is as happy as can be to have a break them. Jack has been having a great time reliving his glory days playing high school football.

            Maggie has been trying to sell Fred’s father’s house. Fred has been out of town with all the arrangements being done over the phone. She goes over to his house to set up for a showing and Fred walks through the door. They surprise each other but seem incredibly happy to see the other. Fred tells Maggie he is having second thoughts about selling the house. He is waiting to hear from a possible job out in San Francisco. If he does not get the job out there he will stay in Carson City. Maggie gets mad at him because there is one potential buyer who is very interested in the house. However, her anger subsides and she asks Fred if he is going to the reunion. He had no idea it was taking place that night.

            That night, Fred shows up at the reunion. Maggie is very happy to him. When the reunion ends Maggie leaves with Fred with Barney and Jack tagging along.

            After this the rest of the film just falls apart. It was falling apart since the beginning but here it just crumbles.

            The cast of Betty Hutton, Dana Andrews, and Jean Hagen was great. I would have loved to have seen them in a much better film with a much better story. This was Betty Hutton’s last film. What a damn shame to see someone with so much talent and energy go out like this. Dana Andrews was good his character was a bit sketchy and dark but he did a good job. Jean Hagen was fabulous. The woman is not given enough credit for her acting. I wish she had been in more scenes.

            Spring Reunion is a classic film that should only be seen by fan of either Betty Hutton, Dana Andrews, or Jean Hagen. The story is terrible and just starts off boring.

 

The Perils of Pauline (1947)



The Perils of Pauline is based on the silent actress Pearl White and her famous serials “The Perils of Pauline”.  The film tells the story of how Pearl (Betty Hutton) went from working in a garment factory to a stage actress to a famous screen actress to the ending of her serials when the genre went out of favor.

            Pearl works in a garment factory where she is none too happy. Her boss is a work horse never really giving the ladies a fair deal. One day a stage actress named Julia Gibbs (Constance Collier) comes into the factory after a dress of hers was made for a new show she will be performing that night. The owner will not allow Julia to pay for the dress with a check so he sends Pearl along to make sure Julia pays for the dress. Pearl is so excited she wants to be on the stage so bad all she wants is to be an actress. Since Julia was let getting to the theater the head of the acting company Michael Farrington (John Lund) sends Pearl onto the stage as an opening act. She sings a song called “Rumble Rumble Rumble” with such enthusiasm she nearly brings the house down.

            With Julia’s help, Michael gives Pearl a chance on the stage but she keeps messing up and never performs to his standards. He is constantly yelling at her and bringing her down. While rehearsing for a kissing scene sparks happen between them and they begin to fall in love… or at least have some kind feelings for each other. The scene they rehearsed for does not go too well. Michael is furious with her but Pearl lets him have it and leaves the company. Julia standing behind Pearl leaves as well.

            Julia’s agents give her a job in the movies. She is not thrilled about it but she takes it. Right from the moment she enters the set she is insulted by getting a pie in her face for the scene but the director does not tell her. Pearl is furious and trying to help her friend they accidentally walk through multiple sets including one with a lion. Pearl does not even realize she pushed a lion out of the way until the director tells her he will pay her one hundred dollars a week as an actress because of what she did with the lion.

            Pearl becomes a star with her serials “The Perils of Pauline.” Every week Pauline comes close to death in a new adventure. Pearl does all her own stunts falling off of airplanes, jumping from buildings, being captured by bad guys. Meanwhile, Michael and Timmy (one of the members of the acting company) have not had it easy. The company folded and they were jobless. Pearl gives Timmy a job in her serials. Michael was working as a sideshow announcer when Pearl finds him after so long. Michael still thinks he has a chance as a serious actor and is reluctant to go into the movies. He becomes Pearl’s love interest in her shows and Timmy is the villain.

            Michael falls in love with Pearl but after he becomes disillusioned with films and even Pearl he leaves her. Once again the two actors do not see each other for a long time. Michael is now a successful actor on Broadway. Silent serials went out of style leaving Pearl without a job so she moves to Paris where she is now a singer and dancer in a nightclub.

            Besides Betty Hutton the cast to me is nothing really to brag about. Hutton was just incredible I seriously cannot believe the amount of energy and enthusiasm she had and put into her character. The Perils of Pauline is the reason MGM used her to replace Judy Garland in Annie Get Your Gun. If you watch the video I posted for “Rumble Rumble Rumble” you will see why they chose her for Annie. I really have nothing but love and admiration for Hutton she can go from being crazy and all over the place to being calm and dramatic the next being fantastic either way. She was the perfect example of the ideal entertainer she could literally do comedy and drama as well as musicals. I love her singing voice as well as her speaking voice.

            The Perils of Pauline offers the Code-d version of the story of Pearl White. Of course the film ending has Pearl and Michael ending up together but in real life Pearl died in Paris when she retired from films after word got out her stunt double died doing one of her serials. The actress died from alcoholism and drugs. If this was made today of course we would see the sad, realistic version but this was made in 1947 at MGM so the ending had to be happy. I gotta say though I would rather see a happy ending.

            The Perils of Pauline is a cute film. Betty Hutton is definitely worth sitting through the film for she is fantastic. Definitely see this film. It is available on DVD and the music numbers are available on Youtube.

Annie Get Your Gun (1950)



“You Can’t Get a Man With a Gun”

            The other night (and a few blogs before this) I had watched Insidious which scared the ever living hell outta me. To get my mind off of the creepiness and scariness (Go me, I am a twenty-three year old baby who hid behind my stuffed animal the whole time) I decided to watch a musical. To me there is nothing that makes me feel so much happier in life than watching a musical. I decided to watch Annie Get Your Gun which I had recorded off of TCM.  I had such a great time watching it and by the end I was like Insidious what now!

            Annie Oakley (Betty Hutton) is from the back woods of a western state. She comes into a crowed after she shoots a dead bird off of some lady’s hat. Annie has some of her brothers and sisters with her to get the dead birds for her and put them in their little cart. A man happens to see Annie and how great of a shot she is after she shoots another bird. He asks her to be in a shooting contest against the handsome Frank Butler (Howard Keel) who at the site of Annie goes to mush.

            Annie wins the shooting contest against Frank at a fair. Frank’s pride and ego are a bit crushed after getting beaten by a girl when he was supposed to be the best shooter around. Buffalo Bill (Louis Calhern) has Annie come travel with him and his act across the country. As she travels with the show Annie begins to clean herself up and wear dresses the other women are wearing and she also begins to learn how to read which is totally hysterical. Frank also begins to notice Annie now that she is looking more tame and womanly.

            Buffalo Bill has posters of Annie hung up at the shows. Frank goes into an egotistical panic mode over seeing a woman displayed instead of him. Annie is all excited to show Frank a new trick she has come up with for the show. When she does the trick Frank cannot take anymore and he leaves the show. Annie cannot stand why Frank left she does not know that his ego and pride as a man has made him jealous when all she wanted to do was please him.

            In the end, though, after some rough times love wins out for Annie and Frank.

            From the moment Betty Hutton comes on the screen as Annie Oakley I was in love with her. She was so hysterical and so adorable. I cracked up when at the beginning every time she would see Frank she would just stop and stare at him with her mouth open and her eyes all wide. Hutton’s energy was incredible she was just nonstop the whole entire time. My favorite music number she sang was “You Can’t Get a Man With a Gun” because she was so smooth with her dancing but yet she displayed so much energy. She looked like she had a great time making the film. Her voice was awesome she had a very nice singing voice. Howard Keel I could have done without I did not find him appealing in any way his voice was too much for me. I did like him singing “Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better” with Betty Hutton they were both so funny in the scene. Louis Calhern as Buffalo Bill was a riot. The guy could seriously play all sorts of roles and just be awesome
            I loved Annie Get Your Gun from beginning to end. Betty Hutton was amazing and the story was so cute and innocent. The costumes were colorful and fun and the acting was perfect. Even before the film was over I put it on my (very long) list of movies to buy and I cannot wait to get it.