jerryunderwood1962 Reviews

Gentlemen Are Born (1934)

Better than rumor has it

[7/10 · 12 October 2022]

I found this drama to be very engaging. I think that we too often look at these movies through the lens of today, rather than through the lens of the times.

From that viewpoint, this movie is quite good. That pervasive sense of bonhomie would have been desired in those horrible days, lest the movie fall too much into a tragedy, and who wanted to be reminded of tragedy in the 1934 Depression? People went to the movies as a form of escape.

I found most of the scenarios credible and the actors, for the most part, competent. Dick Foran's acting was too amateurish, but he didn't get the lion's share of the screen time, either.

I didn't like Susan's abrupt disappearance from the story, and I did find the Dick Foran scenario implausible. (In the 1930s, college was expensive and reserved for the fortunate few; his family surely would have helped him avoid his fate.)

Having said that, this is a good movie. Watch it.

Ziegfeld Girl (1941)

Some things you ought to know

[8/10 · 9 December 2010]

There is little that I could add to most of these reviews in terms of judging the quality of the movie.

However, a couple of minor points have been missed.

For one thing, one reviewer, who compared Tony Martin unfavorably to Frank S. and Dick Haymes, is comparing apples to oranges. Tony Martin was a relic of the 1930s in his classical singing style; it was already becoming obsolete by the time this movie was completed. By contrast, Frank and Dick Haymes were crooners—a very different kind of singing.

Several reviewers have expressed a desire to see this movie in color, because of the dazzling costumes. The thing to remember is that we're seeing the film today on very different film than what it was originally printed on. Nitrate stock—the film that was used in 1941— showed blacks that were really black, and whites that were bright white, not shades of gray. This would have produced a very different visual experience for the audiences of 1941. For those viewers, the costumes, rather than merely appearing beautiful, would have been blindingly spectacular.

It is unfortunate that the original nitrate prints have almost certainly disappeared forever.

Six Hits and a Miss (1942)

Well Put-Together Wartime Short

[7/10 · 9 December 2010]

It's very difficult for most of us to write a fair review on any kind of musical, because we all see things from the viewpoint of the standards of our era.

To modern-day audiences, big band musicals of any sort are hard to watch, but one must "turn over the coin": how many wartime audiences would have been able to watch modern rap music videos for more than a few seconds, without reaching for smelling salts?

But one must, indeed, try to shed that modern viewpoint to review this movie fairly. Having done that, it's not difficult to see that this short is not badly done at all; in fact, it's quite entertaining. Featured by a slick production, and smooth, tight harmonies that are bridged by a dance sequence of impressive choreography, it must have been high entertainment to wartime audiences. The only drawback was that the dance sequence was just a little bit too long.

In 1942, this short would have certainly been a big hit. I quite enjoyed it. Try to get yourself in the wartime mood, and you will enjoy it, too.

7 & 1/2 stars

Marty (1955)

It ended too soon!

[9/10 · 9 February 2009]

The only reason I gave this movie nine stars instead of ten is that it ended too soon!

It is hard to find a single thing wrong with this film. Stretching the imagination, one could call some of the attitudes "dated". (For example, the mothers think college girls are "one step from the street", during an era in which wives were still expected to be stay-at-home moms.) But still, this remains almost the perfect film for the group of viewers who appreciate heart- warming stories. (It will probably leave the "Rambo" crowd cold.)

I usually judge the success of a film by the "squirm factor"; if I am sorry to see the film end, I know I've watched a good film. By this standard, Marty is a superb film in every way. We really do care what happens after the credits roll.

See this film!