Classics for Comfort Blogathon

See Rick's Picks for comfort films below!

For the Classics for Comfort Blogathon, I could have easily named 50 classics that offer cinematic comfort over the allotted five films. The movies I listed are ones that I love for their uplift, whether it is romantic, musical, or suspense. These films have never failed to entertain me and also lift my spirits.

Paul Henreid & Bette Davis in 'Now, Voyager,' one of the golden era's most grown up romances.

Now, Voyager, 1942

Now, Voyager shows that Bette Davis could be just as brilliant playing a sympathetic character as she could with her famed villainous roles. Bette’s Charlotte Vale goes from a neurotic spinster to a stylish but insecure socialite to finally, a self-assured, independent woman. Davis takes Vale through an emotional minefield: a monster mother, a kind but married lover, and a rich but dull fiancée. Davis’ character evolves every step of the way. Even after her “cure,” Charlotte is still uncertain, a voyager in uncharted waters. Had this been a MGM production, with Joan Crawford or Norma Shearer, Charlotte Vale would have been fine and dandy after her therapy and makeover! Though 1942’s Now, Voyager’s plot is pure soap, the story still resonates with emotional truth and empathy. Bette Davis once wrote that she never received as much fan mail as she did for Now, Voyager, with people writing about their own tyrannical family members. This WB personal voyage is sublime.

For full review: https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2018/02/now-voyager-1942.html

Cary Grant & Eva Marie Saint are a stellar duo in Hitchcock's ultra-nifty 'North by Northwest.'

North by Northwest, 1959

As I watched1959’s North by Northwest again recently, I realized the secret weapon is Eva Marie Saint, as mystery woman Eve Kendall. What Saint brought to North by Northwest, encouraged by Hitchcock, was an understated, confident, smart sex appeal. Brains and beauty were a hallmark of the Hitchcock blonde. After playing several sweet young things, Eva got to play the bad girl/good girl role as Eve Kendall. Eva’s Eve initiates an introduction to Cary Grant’s man on the lam, while aboard the 20^th Century Limited. Sparks and risqué repartee fly with Eve and Grant’s Roger Thornhill, but many twists and turns follow their further meet ups. Saint’s subtle changes in Eve’s supposed character benefited from her Actors Studio training, and was visually enhanced by Saint’s smooth makeover, guided by Hitchcock. North by Northwest presented her as a subtle siren who lures Cary Grant’s leading man. This Hitchcock classic takes viewers on the run, across the USA, with great humor, suspense, and romance. Grant and Saint lead a stellar cast. And Eve Kendall is a forerunner to the modern movie heroine and benefits greatly from having a multi-faceted performer like Eva Marie Saint to essay her.

For full review:

https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2019/07/eva-marie-saint-secret-weapon-of-north.html

Christopher Reeve & Jane Seymour are timeless in 'Somewhere in Time.'

Somewhere in Time, 1980

Somewhere in Time captures Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour at the height of their youth and beauty for eternity in this 1980 fantasy romance. Somewhere in Time begins with college grad Richard Collier (Reeve) celebrating the performance of his first play. At the after party, an aged woman approaches him, and clasps a watch into his hand, saying, “Come back to me.” Eight years later, Collier is a playwright living and working in Chicago. Suffering through a breakup and writer’s block, Richard goes to Michigan’s Mackinac Island to get away. Feeling a connection there, he sees a photo of a long ago actress that fascinates him. There seems to be clues of a strong connection between them. With the help of a professor who’s believes in time-travel, Richard seeks to self-hypnotize, to go back in time, and meet his dream girl. Once he goes back to the island circa 1912, Richard indeed meets the actress, Elise McKenna, but finds more than he bargained for. Jane Seymour later said that no one seemed to believe in Somewhere in Time except the people actually making the movie, and they were validated when Time went from instant cult classic to a perennial favorite.

For full review:

https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2019/06/somewhere-in-time-and-its-timeless.html

Doris Day is abs adorable in 'The Pajama Game,' with a great cast, songs, dancing, & direction by Stanley Donen.

The Pajama Game, 1957

The Pajama Game, the delightful 1957 Doris Day musical, was released two years prior to Pillow Talk. That glossy sex comedy, with Rock Hudson, set Doris’ image stylishly in stone for the next decade. But in Pajama, Doris Day is a down-to-earth delight in this underrated Broadway adaptation. The story is as lightweight as those jammies they make Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory, where the workers’ call for a seven-and-a-half cent raise is turned down by the boss. He then hires a tough guy to become the factory superintendent to keep everyone on task. John Raitt plays Sid, the new man on the job; Doris plays Babe, the head of the grievance committee. Guess what happens next?

Doris Day was 35 and filled with snappy energy, smarts, not to mention natural sex appeal, in The Pajama Game. The rest of the cast is a delight down to the smallest parts. Vaudevillian Eddie Foy, Jr. and character actress Reta Shaw have a great song and dance number, “I’ll Never Be Jealous Again.” For Carol Haney, this would be her only film role with dialogue, but she’s a scene stealer as the bookkeeper who keeps the numbers close to her heart! Her big number, “Steam Heat,” is a stellar Bob Fosse choreographed number, and Haney’s moves are marvelous. Though The Pajama Game debuted 63 years ago in 1957, and it looks like a snapshot of an era, the film still feels fresh. Aside from the great material, credit must go to Stanley Donen, whose body of work is filled with some of the most stylish, imaginative musicals and comedies of the post-war era.

For full review: https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-pajama-game-1957.html

Dorothy McGuire & Robert Young learn what love is truly about in 'The Enchanted Cottage.'

The Enchanted Cottage, 1945

One way to look at1945’s The Enchanted Cottage is a pure Hollywood golden era fantasy.  Another is that the film’s message—beauty is literally in the eye of the beholder—is timeless. First a play, then a silent movie, The Enchanted Cottage was remade two decades later for WWII audiences, with Dorothy McGuire and Robert Young heartwarming as the leads. 

Oliver Bradford brings his lovely fiancée to a cottage where honeymooners once nested, on the New England coast. The tradition was broken 25 years earlier when the last groom died tragically; the bride is now the cottage’s taciturn owner/housekeeper. The current couple's plans are put on hold when Oliver is sent off to war after the Pearl Harbor attack. Tragedy strikes when he is injured and left disfigured. His bride-to-be bails and Oliver arrives alone at the cottage. The soldier meets the maid, Laura Pennington, a girl with a homely face and the heart of a romantic. They slowly bond and Oliver proposes. Sadly, Laura is more in love than Oliver. Yet, on their honeymoon, he sees past his self-pity and realizes how loving Laura is. Miraculously, they begin to appear physically beautiful to each other. Laura attributes this to the enchanted cottage. Hedging their bets, they keep to themselves. Finally, the newlyweds decide to face his parents. Their sympathetic pianist pal, who is blind, tries to warn the visiting family. Let’s just say what follows isn’t pretty! Never fear though, the couple gets their happy ending. And the movie’s message will warm your heart and maybe bring a tear to your eye.

For full review:

https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-enchanted-cottage-1945.html

Stay calm and watch comforting classic cinema! And read more here!

https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/

The Pajama Game 1957

Doris Day's Got 'Game' in this High-Energy Musical

The Pajama Game, the delightful 1957 Doris Day musical, was released two years prior to Pillow Talk. That glossy sex comedy, with Rock Hudson, set Doris’ image stylishly in stone for the next decade. For me, Day is more naturally appealing in The Pajama Game. That’s not a revisionist knock on Pillow Talk, which re-invented Day and the rom-com genre. But Doris Day is a down-to-earth delight in this underrated Broadway adaptation.

Doris Day plays Babe and is a babe in 'The Pajama Game.'

Doris Day was 35 and filled with snappy energy, smarts, not to mention natural sex appeal, in The Pajama Game. Though Doris sports several shades of gingham as a small town Iowa girl, she also looks fetching in sleek ‘50s dresses, Capri pants, and DA hairdo that Day helped make popular.

The story is as lightweight as those jammies they make Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory, where the workers’ call for a seven-and-a-half cent raise is turned down by the boss. He then hires a tough guy to become the factory superintendent to keep everyone on task. John Raitt plays Sid, the new man on the job; Doris plays Babe, the head of the grievance committee. Guess what happens next?

Some internet nitpickers have complained that Doris is loud and unsubtle in her musical numbers. Well, Doris was a big band singer and movie studios back then strongly encouraged their musical stars to belt out their numbers. And stars with small voices often found themselves dubbed. Yes, Doris is brash and boisterous in “There Once Was a Man,” but Babe is supposed to deliriously in love, at this point. Imagine Betty Hutton performing this number, and the difference is obvious.

Doris and John Raitt duet on 'There Once Was a Man.'

If the ‘one-note’ performing criticism applies to anyone, that would be John Raitt. His stage-like projection belongs on Broadway, where Raitt originated the role. Raitt was just not made for movies. His acting has the broad feel of musical theater, not the real feel of film. Raitt’s booming voice and energy come alive in the Day duet, “There Once Was a Man.” But the baritone falls painfully flat in his solos. Rait’s bit of business is to sing the great standard “Hey There” into a Dictaphone, with a call and response to his own performance. Contrast that to Doris’ reprise of “Hey There,” after Babe has broken up with Sid. Getting ready for bed, she sings as the mirror catches her reflection. Babe is eventually overcome with emotion, as Doris’ subtle singing dissolves into tears—it’s one of her best moments, totally movie-style natural.

It’s no surprise that The Pajama Game didn’t lead to more film roles for Raitt. True, musicals were waning in popularity, but they were still being made. The problem was Raitt wasn’t versatile enough to perform in a variety of genres like Sinatra, Dean, Bing, Judy, and Doris Day. Raitt fell into the category of Gordon MacCrae and Harve Presnell… one-dimensional actors with a big voice.

Carol Haney gets to shine in the outdoor dance, 'Once a Year Day.'

The rest of the cast is a delight down to the smallest parts. Vaudevillian Eddie Foy, Jr. and character actress Reta Shaw have a great song and dance number, “I’ll Never Be Jealous Again.” For Carol Haney, this would be her only film role with dialogue, but she’s a scene stealer as the bookkeeper who keeps the numbers close to her heart! Her big number, “Steam Heat,” is a stellar Bob Fosse choreographed number, and Haney’s moves are marvelous. Haney also leads the cast in the exuberant company picnic number, “Once a Year Day.”

It’s noteworthy that The Pajama Game and Damn Yankees were both by the same creative team, words and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, with books by director George Abbott and Richard Bissell. A sad footnote to the stellar Adler/Ross collaborations was that they were cut short when Ross died suddenly at 29, after Damn Yankees opened. Stanley Donen, co-director for both movies, commented that Abbott let him do the directing. George Abbott was on board only to ensure faithful film adaptations of his stage musicals. The famed Broadway writer, producer, and director was 70 when he teamed up with his one-time protégé Donen. Amazingly, Abbott lived to be 107, working up to the end of his life.

'The Pajama Game' is filled with fun, clever numbers put over by a fine ensemble cast.

I love musicals like The Pajama Game, smaller in scope, unlike the spectacles that were taking over Broadway, and eventually Hollywood, when they became movies. Though I don’t mind The Sound of Music or My Fair Lady, I prefer the less overblown, understated The Pajama Game, Funny Face, or Damn Yankees. I don’t need my musicals to be epics. There is such simple joy in The Pajama Game, like the slinky Hernando’s Hideaway, where the greatest special effects are matches struck to illuminate the dancers’ faces and body parts. For me, imagination trumps over-the-top any day.

Though The Pajama Game debuted 60 years ago in 1957, and it looks like a snapshot of an era, the film still feels fresh. Aside from the great material, credit must go to Stanley Donen, whose body of work is filled with some of the most stylish, imaginative musicals and comedies of the post-war era: Take Me Out to the Ballgame, On the Town, Singin’ in the Rain, Royal Wedding, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Funny Face, Indiscreet, Charade, Two for The Road, and Bedazzled.

The Pajama Game and Damn Yankees may not be true classics, but considering Donen was working under the scrutinizing eye of stage director Abbott, he presented the material in a both faithfully and lively way, unlike so many other leaden Broadway to Hollywood adaptations.

Both musicals were Broadway smashes—each played over a 1,000 performances—and George Abbott got his way, with most of the stage cast brought to the screen. I think The Pajama Game has the slight edge over Damn Yankees because the former has a versatile movie star to sell the show, whereas the latter relies on a teen idol’s modest talents. Both movie versions starred All-American blondes, but Doris Day was the star who shined brightest.
As of 5/13/19, this is a great link to watch 'The Pajama Game': 
https://archive.org/details/ThPjmaGm1957

The film version of  'The Pajama Game' featured much of the Broadway cast, but Doris Day was the star!