Strange Woman (1946)

“The lips of a strange woman drip honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil... But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword!”

            In life you may have heard to never trust beautiful people. I guess in a way it could be true because the world, especially here in the U.S of A, worships the beautiful and wants everything about them. I guess you should not trust beautiful people because they could seduce others into doing things for them and manipulate others. The 1946 film Strange Woman deals with a woman from the late 1800s who was one such type of beautiful person that no one should ever have trusted.

            Ever since Jenny Heger (Hedy Lemarr) was young she could always get her way. As a girl she told her drunken father that she would become rich and wear nice clothes. When she is older Jenny likes to flirt with all the men who come in to work in the town lumber mill. Her father is still an awful drunk and beats her one night. He collapses and Jenny runs to her neighbor Isaiah Poster’s house for safety. Isaiah and two other men discuss what they are going to do with Jenny. They cannot just release her onto the town her reputation is not good enough for everyone’s charity. They decide that Jenny will marry Isaiah even though he has a young son Jenny’s age.

            Isaiah’s son Ephraim comes home from school. He does not trust himself with Jenny and for good reason since she is gorgeous. Of course Jenny is not happy being married to an old man and immediately begins to work her seductiveness on Ephraim. Isaiah comes close to dying when he comes down with a bad fever. When it is announced that Isaiah will be ok Jenny just nervously laughs. Isaiah becomes angry with his wife and son. He knows Jenny is not happy being married to him.

            Because I paid such awesome attention to this film somehow Ephraim makes the small canoe he and his father some of the lumber workers tip over and Isaiah drowns. And I am not sure if Jenny was in it on it or not but she becomes an uber bitch and blames him when he comes home after the “accident”.

            It is not long until Jenny has her claws into John Evered (George Sanders), Isaiah’s foreman. They do love each other and are happy together until Jenny hears a sermon at church about beautiful women and them being evil. Jenny takes that sermon to heart and it goes to head. She kind of goes a little nuts and confesses to John that she and Ephraim had worked to kill Isaiah.

            Eventually Jenny goes a little nuts and dies after driving her carriage a little too fast and hitting a rock and the carriage goes over a cliff side.

            I was not too crazy about Strange Woman. Hedy Lemarr and George Sanders were great but the story and their characters were not good. I was bored with the story almost right from the beginning which never bodes well with how I perceive the rest of the film (plus, I have ADHD and if something does not grab a hold of my attention quickly it spells disaster). I think Strange Woman as a Film Noir is interesting because it is set in the 1800s and not the present time of the 1940s. Jenny Heger was definitely a femme fatale with the way she used her seduction and how she used men to her advantage. I am not too familiar with Hedy Lemarr’s filmography so I am not sure if she was ever in any other Noirs, if she was not I would have really liked to have seen her as a traditional 1940s femme fatale. I must confess I have wanted to watch Strange Woman because of the poster. It was drawn in the surrealist style and I thought it would be a screw-with-your-mind type film and I was sorely let down.

            I will only say to watch Strange Woman if you really like Film Noirs or if you like Hedy Lemarr otherwise skip it. 

The Conspirators (1944)

“This may seem to you melodramatic, but indulge me, please, I like melodrama.”

            I enjoy watching old films that were made during World War II. This is a time when American patriotism was true and pure and films of this time reflect that patriotism. While this is all good and nice I really like seeing films that deal with the European side of the war. It seems only fair that the studios made films dealing with the struggles of Europeans since many stars of during this time came from the Continent. Casablanca had been a huge hit for Warner Bros. in 1942 and they tried to cash in on the popularity two years later in 1944 with The Conspirators starring Austrian actors Hedy Lamarr and Paul Henreid.

            Vincent Van Der Lyn (Henreid) was a freedom fighter in Holland. He is now wanted by the Germans for his bombings. Vincent manages to run away to Lisbon where he is to leave for England. At the airport a German officer hears Vincent’s name as well as that he did not cross German border patrols  in Spain and reports him. Vincent manages to get in touch with a contact outside a train station. The contact pretends to be a blind man. The contact sees the German following Vincent and gets on the payphone to warn others.

            Irene Von Mohr (Lamarr)was passing along a message to a man. The man is shot and the police come. Irene runs into the café where Vincent is. To avoid the police she sits down with Vincent. The police cannot find her and leave. Unfortunately Irene notices a German officer. After the unexpected interruption Vincent notices Jan (Peter Lorre) who is another contact.

            Vincent manages to track Irene down to a casino. She makes like she does not know who he is.

            Vincent and Irene spend more time together and they begin to love each other. They both want to go to England together but they cannot since Irene is entangled with another man.

            The casting was perfect. Hedy Lamarr and Paul Henreid were beautiful and wonderful as a screen couple. I did not mind the film so much but I wish they had been casted in another film together something better than this. Their acting was top notch and fantastic. Peter Lorre and Sidney Greenstreet were supporting characters. I have noticed from their other films that they were so good at acting that they almost steal the films from the main actors in their scenes and they were no exception here. To me Greenstreet and Lorre epitomize Warner Bros. studio in the 1940s.

              I have to mention a dress that Hedy Lamarr wore in a scene. It was a beautiful white dress. On Lamarr is was stunning. It is not flamboyant or outrageous it is simple in design and fit but the dress and wearer manage to enhanceeach other. Lamarr was ridiculously gorgeous and the dress brought out all her stunning facial and body features. I unfortunately cannot find a better picture than the one I have posted below but trust me in the film, my mouth was on the floor I could not get over the her beauty in the dress and the dress itself. 

            The Conspirators to me was a bit confusing in some scenes and it was too much like Casablanca to be a good story on its own. I suggest just watching The Conspirators for Hedy Lamarr and Paul Henreid. And also because it is telling a European (melodramatic) side of World War II. 

H.M. Pulham, ESQ (1941)

“They say that you can get over anything in time. I don't believe you can... but given enough time you can put it where it belongs.”

            At heart I think we would all want a great romance in our lives. We want the movie romance not the real life romance… if you say you do not want this you are lying to yourself and need to stop because it is true you know you want a movie romance. We want those impossible romances where both of us are stubborn in our ways and too individual to get along at first then we break up and then we cannot live without each other and find our way back to each other. Those are all pretty much the great love stories we see on the screen or read in books. To me they are tortured love stories but who does not want to have that one true love we cannot live without. Then there are the other romantic stories where the boy or girl realizes too late they let the great love of their lives get away and they constantly think torturously about the other for several long years. The story of H.M. Pulham, Esq. is about the second scenario where the boy and girl let each other go and think about each other for years.

            Harry Pulham (Robert Young) goes to lunch one day with some of his old college friends. His friends want to have a class reunion and want Harry to put together a book of all the classmates’ information. Back at his office as he starts to put together the information he receives a call from his former girlfriend Marvin Myles (Hedy Lamarr). Harry has not heard from Marvin in a long time. She is in Boston on business and would like to see him for some drinks. When Harry enters the restaurant he sees her sitting along looking sad and nervous. He thinks to himself how beautiful she still is after so many years and then how ordered his life is. His thoughts get the better of him and he walks out of the restaurant. On his way home Harry orders two dozen roses and writes a note to Marvin that he saw her across the room and could not bear it.

            When he gets home Harry sees his wife Kay talking on the phone. This makes him think back to the time he met her when they were little kids. After a party that night Kay sees Harry sitting with a lost look on his face. She asks him if he is happy. As he takes the dog out he says to himself that he has been the obedient one always following others. He wonders if he is really happy with his life.

            Harry thinks back to when he was at Harvard. One weekend he brought a friend home. His mother had invited Kay over for lunch. Harry was not happy to see her because he thinks Kay is dull. His friend likes her though. Then he thinks back to when he fought in World War I. After the war he could not face going home for a while. One of his friends got him a job at an advertising firm he worked for. At the advertising firm he meets Marvin. Sometime later Harry and Marvin are teamed together to sell soap door to door. He brings her home that night. A few days later Harry leaves to go to his home in Boston. Marvin asks him if he will be back. He says yes and she tells him to not let his family take him away. His father talks to him about getting married especially to a girl like Kay. His father does not understand why he likes his job in New York City so much. His sister tells him their mother is going to try to make him stay. Harry cannot get back to New York fast enough. When he sees Marvin he tells her he loves her. Harry brings Marvin to a Harvard game. Almost as soon as they get back to New York his sister calls to tell him their father may be dying and he needs to come home. Harry says goodbye to Marvin and she tells him not to say that.

            Harry does not go back to New York. Marvin writes him a letter. She knows she will not see him again but hopes he will come back. He has his friend Bill bring Marvin up to see him one weekend. They have fun going out in the snow. Marvin points out to Bill that Harry has come home for good and will not return to New York. Harry proves Marvin wrong he does return to New York. He tells Marvin he wants to marry her and they can live in his family home while they look for something. She tells him no she will not marry him, they only belong together in New York City. He tells her he has to live where he belongs. Marvin lets him know she will always be waiting for him.

            He sees Kay when he returns home. She points out that neither of them are very happy. She always thought that Bill would have taken her away (she had fallen in love with him when Bill came to visit with Marvin). Even on their honeymoon Kay had pointed out that they do not love each other they just married each other. At breakfast the next morning Harry asks Kay if she wants to go away somewhere that day. She replies she is too busy to just go away on a whim.

            Harry calls Marvin at her hotel. They see each other in her room. She tells him she was married she and he husband divorced. Harry kiss Marvin. They still love each other but their love is not the same as it had been.

            Harry comes home and sees Kay walking down the stairs. She canceled her appointments to go away with him.

            The story could have become a bore after a while. I think it could have gone downhill if Marvin had given in to Harry, married him, and moved in with his family in Boston. From the beginning Marvin talked about how she wanted to be rich and successful. She knew she could not do that if she gave in and moved away. Marvin was such an independent woman and set in her goals she could not move away from the city and give up her dreams. Harry to me was weak he was weak to his family honor and what his family and old friends wanted for him. Of harry was not truly happy with Kay they were forced to marry each other when they were both in love with other people. It was sad not to see Marvin and Harry not get together at the end but at the same time it was great that Marvin stood her ground and was her own woman. It was Harry who missed out and was the one who had the tortured memories and thoughts about her.

            I could not get over how beautiful Hedy Lamarr was and how amazing her acting was. Larmarr and Robert Young had fantastic chemistry they were perfect together. It did not feel like they were acting it was as if they were real people.

            H.M. Pulham, Esq. was a great film. Not for one minutes was I bored watching it. This was a different kind of love story. I liked the fact that the woman was not the one who had the missed opportunity it was the man and he was forced to live with that missed opportunity. Marvin is a great character I can imagine women in 1941 looking up to her and even women today looking up to her (I certainly do). H.M. Pulham, Esq. is not your typical love story and it is a classic film that should be more well known.

 

Comrade X (1940)

“You are the first American I have ever met with a soul. It has a strange effect on me”

            As the poster says Comrade X is “The Funniest Love Comedy Since ‘Ninotchka!’” Ninotchka had been made the year before Comrade X. Both have a similar plot and similar main characters but honestly there is no comparing the characters. Garbo was funny but she still seemed untouchable as the Russian Communist doing and sacrificing all for her country. Hedy Lamarr was hilarious and personable as Theodore a no nonsense train conductor doing all for her Communist duty for her country. Even Clark Gable plays the same role as Melvyn Douglas only Gable screams American values while Douglas just screamed western democratic values and freedom. Ninotchka to me is more of a comedy with some drama thrown in while Comrade X to me is much more the comedy.

            In Russia, a group of international reporters gathers together in the Kremlin. They are told about a person only known as Comrade X who is not allowed to leave the country. If they are found with Comrade X they will also be killed. American reporter McKinley Thompson (Gable) was supposed to be at that meeting instead he was out partying all night. He tells his friend Jane (Eve Arden) that there is no important news in Russia.

            McKinley goes to a funeral for a Russian official that had been killed. He notices another funeral is taking place and realizes they are rebels. A man pops out of the coffin and begins to shoot at the crowd of mourners. McKinley manages to get a photograph of the man in the coffin. He knows he can get into serious trouble having a camera around so he runs away to not only conceal his secret camera but to also develop it and send it back home before anything happens to the photograph.

            McKinley’s Russian friend Vanya tells him that his (Vanya’s) daughter is in trouble. His daughter is a Communist and he wants McKinley to take her out of the country. McKinley refuses he does not want any trouble with the Russian government. Vanya is forced to blackmail him by saying he will tells the police about his photographs and secret codes. Reluctantly McKinley agrees to the plan. He has to meet Vanya’s daughter on a street car where she is a conductor. She goes by the name Theodore (Lamarr) because in order to drive a name she had to change it to a man’s name. McKinley begins to sweet talk Theodore as soon as they meet. He drives with her to the end of the track where she is to leave the car for the next conductor. He tells Theodore about America and how she can help America’s women. McKinley almost got Theodore to go along with him until she turned him down. She is suspicious of him and will have him investigated. McKinley almost fools Vanya and leaves the country but Vanya knows he did not go through with his plan and will not let him leave. Theodore comes to the hotel claiming she has had him checked out and is ready to leave. She also springs it on McKinley that they have to get married in order to get out of the country.

            After they are made man and wife, McKinley takes Theodore up to the hotel room. Another woman is there. Neither one of them recognizes the other even though they know the other in some capacity. The two women start a brawl. All McKinley can do is stand on the sidelines and watch his wife and the other woman work out their issues.

            When Theodore is out of the room McKinley looks in her suitcase. He sees a framed photograph of a man. He realizes the man is the one who shot up the funeral. As he is walking out Jane comes walking in. McKinley tells her he and Theodore are now married. Jane is a little jealous she really liked McKinley. Jane has no idea how much of a Communist Theodore is. He tells Jane he is pretending to be a Communist but Theodore does not know that he is pretending. Eventually Theodore finds out that McKinley is not a Communist. She goes off the wall throwing things around the room and yelling. The secret police come. They take away his hidden camera in the radio. Vanya shows up. He tries to protect his daughter and tells the police that he is Comrade X. The police commissar does not believe Vanya for one second and has Vanya, along with Theodore and McKinley, into jail. McKinley goes to the commissar to tell him who shot at him at the funeral. The shooter is a man named Bastakoff. Theodore unfortunately adores the rebel.

            Bastakoff is now the head of the police. He asks McKinley to hand over the photographs he took of him. Bastakoff has some of his followers killed. He is not upset about having to do this because he feels they were stupid. Bastakoff says Theodore and Vanya are idiots for naively loving Russia. Fortunately he lets all three of the prisoners go. Bastakoff has some men follow McKinley. McKinley shakes the men off his trail. He gets himself, Theodore and Vanya on a train. Theodore is very upset about Bastakoff. She is upset with herself for believing in such a man who would have his own followers killed.

            The train stops at a military training camp. Theodore, Vanya, and McKinley manage to get into a tank. Theodore tells her father and McKinley she kind of knows how to drive a tank from going to night school. She tries to lead her tank away from the base but the new military tank trainees keep following her tank because the tank is the general’s. McKinley has Theodore drive the tank into Romania so they can surrender to the American consulate.

            McKinley’s plan worked. In the end all he, Theodore, and Vanya are at a Brooklyn Dodgers game.

            I absolutely adored Hedy Lamarr and Clark Gable in this film. Theodore was this staunch, stubborn, Communist that Lamarr played perfectly she was so fabulous and hilarious. The scene where she brawls with the other woman was hysterical. It was funny to watch Lamarr in this film because she was so beautiful and she always seemed to be put in dramas. Her comedic timing was really good too. This is the kind of role I like to see Clark Gable in. He was snarky and rude and funny. He was still a kind of tough guy only he was put into a funny yet serious situation. Think of Gable in It Happened One Night just toned down a bit and in a different situation and that is what he is like in this film. I do not think there was any chemistry between Lamarr and Gable but they just worked well here. Eve Arden plays Jane. I love seeing her in anything as soon as she opens her mouth no matter what she says is so funny because of her sarcastic tone of voice.

            Comrade X is so much fun to watch. It is like Ninotchka in the several ways I pointed out at the beginning of this post but the film is able to hold its own. Some scenes such as the tank were a little out of hand and silly but scenes like the one where Theodore and the other woman get into a brawl completely make up for the silly scenes. Comrade X is a film I highly recommend watching.