Gingerology

Rafter Romance 'After-Review'...

2012-02-15T23:16:00.001-06:00

OK, here's a few pics I didn't get into the main review...I took, oh, about 180 caps, so...still quite a few to pick from... no 'comments' for these, just let the pictures do the incredible talking...

...and there ya go... well, there's still some more, which I will probably post in a day or two, regarding the 'collapsed bed' scene... anyway, hope ya dig the 'outtakes' from the RR screen caps... off to work on the review for "Finishing School"... A Gingerologist's work is never done...ain't it COOL??? :-]

KIG, y'all!!!

VKMfanHuey
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Ginger Rogers Film Review #21 - Rafter Romance

2012-02-12T11:06:00.001-06:00

RAFTER ROMANCE

(September 1, 1933 - RKO Radio Pictures)

Run Time (approximate): 73 Minutes
Directed by: William Seiter.
Assistant Director (Second Unit): Doran Cox.
Producer: Alexander McKaig.
Executive Producer: Merian C. Cooper.
Associate Producer: Kenneth MacGowan.
Screenplay: H. W. Hanemann and Sam Mintz.
Adaptation: Glenn Tryon.
Based on an Novel by: John Wells.
Cinematography by: David Abel.
Art Directors: Van Nest Polglase, John Hughes and Kenneth Holmes (props).
Editor: James B. Morley.
Assistant Editor: Henry Berman.
Sound Recorder: Hugh McDowell Jr.
Musical Director: Max Steiner.
Assistant Sound Recordists: Victor B. Appel and Harold Stein.
Costumer: Bernard Newman.
Makeup: Mel Burns.
Still Photographer: John Miehle.
Special Effects Supervisor: Harry Redmond Sr.
Also Starring: Norman Foster (as Jack Bacon), George Sidney (as Max Eckbaum), Robert Benchley (as H. Harrington Hubbell), Laura Hope Crews (as Elise Peabody Whittington Smythe), Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams (as Fritzie), Sidney Miller (as Julius Eckbaum).
UNCREDITED CAST: Ferike Boros (as Rosie Eckbaum), June Brewster (as Blonde Telemarketer), Wong Chung (as Chinese Waiter), Ellen Corby (as Telemarketer), June Gittelson (as Bobbie Finklestein - Telemarketer), Ben Hendricks Jr. (as Mike - Counterman), Bud Jamison (as Morton McGillicuddy), Charles King (as Sidewalk Superintendent), Mary MacLaren (as Office Supervisor), Jerry Mandy (as Italian Flower Seller), William Orlamond (as Gus - Grocer) and Bert Roach (as Drunken Tenant).
Ginger's Character: Mary Carroll.

Ginger's 'Screen Time': Approximately 38 Minutes and 8 Seconds (52.2% of the film).
GingerTunes: none.
Gingery Goodness Factor (GGF) - (1-10): 9.0 - I REALLY like Ginger in this one...she definitely has her moments of sassiness in it... but also has the romantic side, the comedic side (her babbling on with the refrigerator 'sales pitch' is pretty funny to me...), and also the 'melodramatic' side...as well as some 'pre-code'-ness (the 'shower scene',of course... :-P ). The only way it would have been better is if it would have had a GingerTune or two...not sure how those could have been worked in, however.
Film Quality (1-10): 8.0 - TCM archives - pretty good restored copy.
Huey's Review for GINGEROLOGY: Ginger's last movie of 1933 (more or less...Ginger sez '34 in her book, but...hey, it was a LONG time ago, OK?) has her squarely in the spotlight...she is the LEAD character in this one, with Norman Foster as HER love interest. For THAT, it earns lots of 'Huey Points'...but her character ultimately is what carries this one to the top of the list to date.
...Speaking of that character, Mary Carroll is a 'down-on-her-luck' lass in Big Bad New York City, during the Great Depression no less (...shouldn't it have been something like the 'Horrific Depression' instead?) - and she is well behind on her rent. This specific problem is about to be 'addressed' by her surprisingly cordial landlord, Mr. Eckbaum (George Sidney). Eck has a dude who lives in the attic area of his brownstone, where there's lots of space...enough for two different tenants.
As it happens, the belfry dweller, Jack Bacon (Norman Foster), is also behind on his rent...hm, let's see, he HAS a job as a night watchman, but wants to be an artist... and Mary has just landed a 'day job' as a refrigerator telemarketer (dang, that's a long title...how bout 'ref-tele'?), so... Eckbaum has an idea... to free up a room for rent, he moves Mary up to the attic... she has it by night, Jack has it by day...and since both are in the red, there's not much negotiation with the Eckster. Now, Eck COULD have slapped up a few partition walls and made two separate sleeping units, but...what fun would THAT be?
Well, as Mary settles in, over the next few days it is obvious neither party is too thrilled about the arrangement, and proceed to write nasty notes to each other, along with pranks (seems like Mary gets the worst of it...). Well, all this occurs without the two EVER seeing each other...or DO they? Well, of course they do... as they meet in the 'non-Eckbaum' world, and fall in love, naturally.
But alas, love is always convoluted, at best...Mary and Jack both have 'baggage', from different, yet equally annoying angles... Jack's antagonist is a old rich sot-ess named Elise Peabody Whittington Smythe (Laura Hope Crews), who somehow has been hooked up with Jack in the past (don't ask, don't tell...) - he is an aspiring artist, and Elise is wanting to er, 'mentor' him, and 'subsidize' his artistic career...but he isn't ready for THAT level of sacrifice... speaking of sacrifice, Mary has begrudgingly given in (to a point, anyway) to HER 'thorn in the side', her new boss, H. Harrington Hubbell (Robert Benchley), who is as much of a wolf as it gets... and Mary is obviously the prettiest little lamb in his flock (it's no coincidence that the 'gate' at the entry to the telemarketing offices looks exactly like a fence-line...) .
Well, Mary and Jack eventually get it together enough to have an official 'date', albeit a free one, courtesy of Mary's company picnic. Upon arrival in some VERY funky-looking buses, MandJ shuffle off to a non-occupied area (Jack ain't no fool) and immediately get to know each other....better. Well, all those pleasantries they exchanged ate up the clock, and they are left behind... (er, and the problem with THAT is???) - anyway, they hitch a ride back into town - Jack has waxed his foot whilst toting Mary across a stream (hey, if you're gonna rack up, what better way?), so she helps him into his 'residence'...and that's the 'watershed moment', as Mary knows Jack is her 'attic antagonist' and hits the literal roof... soon all parties involved (Eck, Elise, HHH) congregate in the attic to hash things out... but there's no big surprise at the end, as Mary and Jack return to their exchanging of pleasantries...
It would have been cool to stretch this one out a bit by letting Mary leave Jack in the attic without revealing that she is the 'other tenant'...so that SHE knows the situation, but he doesn't... could have been interesting few scenes to follow...the 'pleasantries' would have been somewhat 'muted', no? Anyway, they liked to wrap films up in less than 90 minutes back then, so... there ya go. Still my fave Ginger Film to this point in the chronological reviews.
Favorite Ginger Moments: It appears that Ginger's bonnets will be the topic of discussion here, as she dons quite a few 'unique' ones in this film. Also, the captions for some of the pics below are in italics...those comments are just 'asides' from Huey...NOT part of the 'alternate dialogue'...hope that makes it a bit clearer... OK - off we go!

...GingerGams...can't think of a better way to kick off the proceedings...

...I've got a new gig at a hat store, Mr. Hogg..."Chapeau Nouveau"...

...in my day, ladies didn't wear hats...they wore BABUSHKAS!

...well, Boss Hogg isn't too happy, but, here I am, ready to hawk some bonnets!

...so, I just have to call all these folks and ask them out of the blue if they are interested in joining our "Hat-of-the-Month Club"... that shouldn't be too hard - folks love to get unsolicited phone calls from the retail sector, right?

...Oh, by the way...this practice IS legal, isn't it?

...Hello? Yes, this is...

...WHOA! What's with all that STATIC?

...Here, let me call our IT department...Miss Clara Bow's in charge over there...

...Ging just looks so cool traversing flights of stairs, y'all...

...since you are now gainfully employed, I'm moving you up to the penthouse suite...

...ahhh, the raised eyebrow...maybe I should keep a count of those in future movies, as they are a fore-bearer of Gingery wrath...

...and the chucking of stuff - there's a few of those in here also...

...I'll stay in the belfry, Hogg, but I'm NOT settling for basic cable...

...Mary visits the World's Largest Earthworm Exhibit...

...Excuse me, miss - do you where I can get my hands on some quality millinery?

...er...as a matter of fact I... wait, WHAT?

...in addition to extensive line of fine ladies' hats, we also have top hats, derbys, Stetsons...

...well, see, I'm not really buying them for ME... they're for my crazy rich aunt...

...yeah, we've all got a few of those lying around, don't we?

...well, she's a hoarder...she's not into the hats as much as the hatboxes...

...well, maybe I can round up some spare boxes for you without sacrificing product...those hoarders tend to leave open jars of peanut butter lying around their domiciles, which would tend to make any returns nigh to impossible...

...well, that's fine...listen, here's what needs to happen now...I wanna hold your hand...

...so you see, you CAN write all of the trigonometric equations on the palm of your hand...got me thru Trig II back at Yale, baby...

...OK...how insanely cute is Ginger here? HMMMM???

...whatdaya mean, she doesn't have any more ROOM? SHE'S a HOARDER!!!

...well, toss some of that old crap out and MAKE some more room!!!

...I've already got your order IN for a DOZEN sombreros...talk about your honkin' HATBOXES...

...meanwhile, I have to put up with this rube who anonymously cohabits this attic with me, and writes freakish poems on pieces of discarded butcher paper...

...a hat toss - Ginger's hair is just so killer here...and don't get me started on the 'back shot'...

...ah, the shower cap cap...yupyupyup...

...someone is in for it, y'all...

...yes, I know bowlers are in fashion now, but we don't have any in stock...

...blah blah blah on the other end...

...how about this...let's drop you like Gerry Cooney...

...I'm calling Boss Hogg to make sure that yutz in the attic is outta there...I have to get ready for the Barn Dance with the ol' slickster tonight...

...Again a descent down the stairs...have you ever seen a dream walking, indeed...

...is this a hat or a headband? Ginger is not amused, it appears...

...Allright, Fritzie, keep the fried egg talk to a minimum this time, OK?

...Ginger's gorgeous even when in distress...

...HEY FRITZIE! How's yer ol' lady fixed for bonnets?

...I'll eat my hat if these guys make it out of this hole in one piece...

...I'll accept a lunch date at the drop of a hat, especially when the request is done with hat in hand...

...if you don't have enough bones to get out of this place, we can always pass the hat around... and don't worry, I won't tell Boss Hogg... I'll just keep it under my hat...

...I just pulled these out of my hat...you know this romantic stuff is pretty old hat with me, babe...

...pretty neat you can see Ginger's reflection in the mirror...which proves she's not a vampire...although...a GingerVampire would be pretty cool...and a force to reckon with, to be sure...Freddie could be a very slight version of Frankenstein who could dance (think of the 'Young Frankenstein' dance routine)... and Edward Everett Horton cameos as the neurotic Mummy...but I digress...

...wait a minute...

...do you smell brimstone?

...why, lookee who's invaded my loft...it's Mama Hogg, wanting to mooch free hat samples off of me...

...and STAY out, you pill-box-wearing lush!!!

...interesting to see the resiliency of flowers in action...

...and ANOTHER toss by Ging...she's gonna have tennis elbow if she doesn't watch it...

...Here's a Sunday afternoon for ya...pretty sweet scene...I dig weeping willows, as just an aside...see, you learned something today...

...ah, Ginger floating carefree amongst the mallards...

...just think, Jack...we could open up our own haberdashery in mid-town...

...with all types of hats, scarves, handkerchiefs, neckties...heck, even babushkas...

...just don't forget those cool toboggans with the big dingle ball on top of it...and with the ear-flaps with strings hanging down...

...well, these cats just trashed the place and vamoosed... guess we're stuck in this godforsaken wilderness...I'll break out the pith helmets...

...so, what are we telling Mr. Hogg?

...I'm not worried about it...he doesn't know the difference between a fedora and a fez...

...whoa, what's with the hat? Is this Rafter Romance or ROOSTER Romance? (Sorry, Ging, I couldn't resist...)

...but, it's the cutest chicken hat on this side of recorded history...

...what about helmets? You know, for football, softball...

...hey, maybe I should start wearing a helmet when I play tennis...Kate always seems to be aiming for my noggin'...

...er, I need a bandage, not a tourniquet...ow...

...yeah, pop...er, Mr. Hogg - Mary's going into business with me - she has lots of knowledge in the ways of hats...well, not sure about the one she's donning at the present, but...

...wait a minute...POP??? You mean to tell me Hogg is your DADDY???

...Daddy? NO! I mean, well, that is, er...

...hey, I guess he IS my dad...

...and he DELIBERATELY moved me in this non-habitable rafter space in order to get me to 'get to know' you...is THAT IT???

...Hi, Ma...

...and SHE's your MOTHER? OY!!!!

...Oh, I like this one, Jimmy...she has plenty of spunk...

...Listen, Mary...I was gonna tell you about my folks, but...they have to keep all that under wraps...you know, with that second family Hogg has living in the general office and all...

...we're not sure WHERE that Julius kid came from...

...but hey, it won't affect us - we're gonna rake in the dough with the new Haberdashery...now of course you'll have to warm up to that slime-ball boss of yours in order to secure a decent stock of lids for the shop...

...I told him to pick you up for the Ziggys at 6:30..is that OK, Sweetie?

...and to wrap this one up on a more 'happy' note, just remember... even bald, Ginger is still...GINGER!
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Other Reviews:
"Essentially a comedy, it is light and pleasant all the way through. A well-developed love interest angle is worked in. Good old-fashioned hokum is effectively used. There is just a trace of contrasting drama that concentrates audience sympathy on the central characters... Situations being evenly balanced, the main theme is continually predominant. The cast's best names are Ginger Rogers and Laura Hope Crews. The show itself rather than names probably will be the most effective selling material." - Motion Picture Herald
From GINGER: My Story: ...Ditto on this one, regarding Ginger's 'silence' on it... well, to be fair, the period between 'Rio' and 'Gay Divorcee' is not as 'hashed over' in her memoirs...but, something tells me Ginger had more fun with this one than in the 'Chance at Heaven' debacle...
Miscellaneous Stuff:
--- Ginger replaced Dorothy Wilson in the role of Mary Carroll (Miss Wilson had quite a few films lined up (see last review miscellaneous stuff)).
--- Norman Foster replaced Joel McCrea in the role of Jack Bacon.
--- Ginger and Norm's third 'coupling', with Norm batting .667 (2-out-of-3) with regards to a 'happy ending' with Ginger...but don't feel TOO bad for him in that one 'strikeout', as he DID end up with Claudette Colbert in that one (Young Man of Manhattan)...
--- Laura Hope Crews would later play 'Aunt PittyPat' in Gone With the Wind.
--- The Hollywood Reporter mag said prior to production that Lew Ayres was to be Jack Bacon, to make a second film with Ginger - this would have been pretty cool, but then again, Norm makes a pretty fair Mr. Bacon.
--- An interesting scene that has historical 'foreboding' is where Eckbaum's son Julius is 'doodling' swastikas on the wall, citing them as 'good luck', and Eckbaum proceeds to whomp him up side the head...showing that even in 1933, there was enough awareness of the growing menace of the Nazi Party, and its anti-Semitic agenda.
--- On a lighter general note, this film may well have been the first to delve into that occupation we all know and love, telemarketing...oof.
---in 2007, TCM 're-premiered' Rafter Romance, the first time in over 70 years the film was 'publicly aired'.
GingerFilm Ranking: #1 of 21...with a bullet. This is definitely my favorite 'pre-(headliner)GandF' Ginger Rogers movie, period. Kinda weird, considering there's no GingerTunes...y'know, if they let our girl actually SING in 'Professional Sweetheart', it MAY have retained the top spot (would have been a closer call, anyway)...but dang it, that messed up things JUST enough on that one... so, RR will probably hold down Numero Uno for awhile - at LEAST until GandF crank up 4-5 films down the road...

After Twenty Reviews:
#01 - Rafter Romance
#02 - Professional Sweetheart
#03 - 42nd Street
#04 - Flying Down to Rio
#05 - Sitting Pretty
#06 - The Tenderfoot
#07 - The Tip-Off
#08 - Queen High
#09 - Young Man of Manhattan
#10 - You Said A Mouthful
#11 - Carnival Boat
#12 - A Shriek in the Night
#13 - The Thirteenth Guest
#14 - Don't Bet On Love
#15 - Chance at Heaven
#16 - Broadway Bad
#17 - Gold Diggers of 1933
#18 - The Sap From Syracuse
#19 - Suicide Fleet
#20 - Follow The Leader
#21 - Honor Among Lovers
#22 - Hat Check Girl***
*** - Not viewed or reviewed due to unavailability.
Up Next: Finishing School... Ginger scales it back into a 'supporting' role, as a rather promiscuous young lady in...well, 'finishing school'...but she makes the most of it, as usual...

Until then, as always...

KIG, Y'all!!!

VKMfanHuey
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POLL TIME!!!

2012-02-07T21:24:00.001-06:00

...OK, y'all, time for a bit of 'interaction'...we haven't had a poll in awhile, so, here goes... the topic?
Which 'screen cap' used to this point in the GingerFilm reviews is your fave? Now, there's no such thing as a bad Ginger pic, right? But, a lot of these early films were just so far gone, quality-wise, it was nigh to impossible to get a decent cap... but, there WERE a lot of AWESOME ones so far, and these are my 'picks' to this point:

Follow The Leader

The Tenderfoot

42nd Street

Gold Diggers of 1933

Sitting Pretty

Flying Down to Rio

Chance at Heaven

...well, that's the lineup...pretty dang tough - as soon as I settle on one, I look at another, and say, "Hey, that's one's awesome, too!!!" This is NOT to 'toot my own horn', as far as my 'technical prowess' goes...it's just that Ginger is a pretty impossible subject to mess up!!!

Well, off to the polls with you...vote early and often... I've made it so you can vote for multiple ones, just to 'beef up' the results a bit...

KIG, y'all!!!

VKMfanHuey
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February Gingeryness...

2012-02-02T00:25:00.000-06:00

First off, Happy GroundHAWG Day, y'all!!! ...y'know, something tells me Ginger probably went all-out for this observance, as she was pretty big on varmints... and while this pic of Ginger and some varmints on her Ranch isn't of a groundHAWG, it is most definitely a HAWG on the GROUND... and it ain't gonna see it's shadow anytime soon, y'all...
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Second, a forthcoming book about RKO Studios should prove to be a good read... RKO is obviously my favorite of the 'Big Five' Studios of the Golden Era...there's just SOMETHING about an RKO film, even those without our topic subject, that just seems...right. Here's the details about "RKO Radio Pictures: A Titan is Born" by Richard Jewell, from the TCM Website:

New RKO Book
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Third, y'all may have already run across this one, but just in case... a new book by Patrice Tanaka, entitled, "Becoming Ginger Rogers: How Ballroom Dancing Made Me a Happier Woman, Better Partner, and Smarter CEO". I haven't picked it up yet, but plan on it, as it sounds like an interesting read on how she 're-focused' her life after a series of tragedies by taking up ballroom dancing... not really sure how much of it actually deals with Ginger, per se, but it's cool to know she was influenced by her, as I think most all of us are in some form or fashion - There's a little Ginger in us all, right? :-)
Here's the link:

Becoming Ginger Rogers book website

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Fourth, I'm cranking up on the "Rafter Romance" review - and it should be interesting, as I can honestly say it's my favorite Ginger movie to date (hence, it will most likely be #1 on the list...no suspense there...) - for it being pretty 'low budget', it really is a neat film that moves along at a good pace, and, although you know the inevitable ending, it's a lot of fun getting there... AND, I am thinking of recruiting a 'special reviewer' for this one, as I know it's one of their favorites, too... more on THAT later...
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...aaaaand FIFTH, and finally, just noting a few 'tweaks' to G-ology...

First, y'all have probably noticed the new "Gingery Blogs" feature at the bottom right column...this is simply the 'latest and greatest' posts from most of the folks who follow Gingerology... I say 'most', because there are some of y'all who do not blog, and others of you who are 'blogging', but on a medium other than 'blogger'...thus, not sure if those will show up on the list, unfortunately. I may try to just 'link' those of y'all who are on WordPress or another format, so, stay tuned for that...

Second, I have added a 'page' to the UPPER right-hand column, entitled "Inter-Site Links to Gingerology's Ginger Rogers Film Reviews", which is pretty self-explanatory... just pick out the movie review you want to read, and click...it'll take you right to it (in theory, anyway...) - over time, this feature will hopefully be a convenient navigational tool for y'all, instead of hunting down specific reviews.

and Third....the music deal...it's gonna happen soon... just a week-end to figure it out... again, ANY suggestions on the best file player, file 'host' sites, etc., would be GREATLY appreciated!
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Welp, that's 'bout it, y'all...hope everyone's having a great week, and remember...

Keep It Gingery!!!

VKMfanHuey
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Ginger Rogers Film Review #20 - Chance at Heaven

2012-01-27T21:05:00.001-06:00

CHANCE AT HEAVEN

(October 27, 1933 - RKO Radio Pictures)

Run Time (approximate): 71 Minutes
Directed by: William Seiter.
Associate Director: George Nicholls, Jr.
Executive Producer: Merian C. Cooper.
Associate Producer: H.N. Swanson.
Screenplay: Julien Josephson and Sarah Y. Mason.
Based on an Original Story by: Vina Delmar.
Cinematography by: Nick Musuraca.
Art Directors: Van Nest Polglase and Perry Ferguson.
Editor: James B. Morley.
Sound Recorder: Forrest Perley.
Musical Director: Max Steiner.
Musical Composition: Max Steiner and Roy Webb.
Makeup Artist: Mel Berns.
Still Photographer: John Miehle.
Special Effects Supervisor: Harry Redmond Sr.
Also Starring: Joel McCrea (as Blackstone 'Blacky' Gorman), Marian Nixon (as Glory Franklyn), Andy Devine (as Al), Lucien Littlefield (as Mr. Fred Harris), Virginia Hammond (as Mrs. S.T. Franklyn), George Meeker (as Sid Larrick), Ann Shoemaker (as Mrs. 'Mother' Harris).
UNCREDITED CAST: Robert McWade (Scenes Deleted), Herman Bing (as Franklyn's Chaffeur), Harry Bowen (as First Reporter), Steven Chase (as Betty's Escort), Helen Freeman (as Franklyn's Guest), Betty Furness (as Betty, Franklyn's Guest), and Thelma Hardwick (as Miss Bruce, Franklyn's Guest).
Ginger's Character: Marjorie 'Marje'/'Mug' Harris.
Ginger's 'Screen Time': Approximately 27 Minutes and 36 Seconds (38.9% of the film).
GingerTunes: "London Bridge is Falling Down (traditional)" - sung a cappella by Ginger Rogers and Joel McCrea.
Gingery Goodness Factor (GGF) - (1-10): 6.0 - Well, this one really just ticks me off each time I see it, although it's not as bad as the first viewing I had of it a few years back. This is the first time I've watched it since that initial viewing, as Ginger's character Marje Harris simply gets played as a fool... and overall she just lets things play out without much resistance at ALL. This is NOT the typical Gingery role, but I think Ginger does play it as well as it could have been played... and her sweet, kind spirit DOES really make Ginger even more awesome...so it's not a total loss. Plus, there's quite a bit of Ginger 'screen time', so...that helps a bit, also.
Film Quality (1-10): 8.0 - Pretty fair copy from TCM...WB Archives also has a version, pretty much the same copy, it appears..
Huey's Review for GINGEROLOGY: Ginger's last 1933 offering (this one actually premiered in October of 1933, a few months prior to Rio - but, Ginger had them in this order in her bio, so...nuff said!) is a somewhat 'predictable' tale of love lost and love regained... with Ginger quite out of place, playing the sucker.
Ginger's character, Marjorie Harris, starts off the proceedings on her front porch waiting for her 'quasi-manfriend / reluctant fiancee / petrol station owner' Blackstone Gorman (Joel McCrea)...BTW, this porch really looks like the one in Tom, Dick and Harry, although I reckon most houses had decent porches back then...
Anyway, Marje's folks are about fed up with Blacky's waffling regarding the courtship of Marje...but he is just trying to get enough dough saved up to have a fair start to their marriage (BTW...that NEVER works...you'll never have enough dough socked away to feel comfortable).
Blacky and Marje do seem to eventually be headed towards the altar, when the proverbial third party appears as the dainty, ditsy and very wealthy Miss Glory Franklyn (Marian Nixon), who flirts with dudes by running over their belongings...Ginger's driving in this film is impeccable compared to this chick's.
Well, after Blackie performs a few repairs to Glory's chassis, she falls for him quite rapidly...and he is returning that sentiment towards her. This is where the whole movie loses me... Marje, instead of doing what a typical SassyGinger-type character would do, get into a free-for-all a la Vivacious Lady or Professional Sweetheart or Roxie Hart, just...steps aside.
SO, we are expected to believe that Marje is totally FINE with the proceedings...as a 'reverse Golddigger' waltzes right into town and swipe Mr. B right from Marje's pretty little clutches... ummm-hmmmm...
And of course, Blacky and Glory get hitched within a few days after Marje steps aside; When Marje tells Blackie to basically 'pursue' Glory for his 'chance at heaven', Blackie just stands there dolt-like and watches her walk out the door, without so much as a 'hey, wait a minute, Marje!'...arrgh, don't get me started on the sheer insanity of this scene...
Anyway, Blacky and Glory are now hitched, and in an even MORE strange turn of events, Marje actually BEFRIENDS Glory! I'm just not sure how often that would occur in real life, an ANY era... have y'all ever heard of a lady becoming big buds with the chick who stole her man? I'll just say, for the 'inverse' of this, if a dude came in and stole my chick, he would incur my wrath (such as it is, anyway...)...and DEFINITELY wouldn't be no friend o' mine...
Well, as expected, the nuptials are ill-fated, as Glory's mother (Virginia Hammond) hangs around trying to get Glory to 'de-elope', as it were, and get back under her wing and in the 'proper circles', of course. During this time, Glory finds out she is expecting...and this news is what Mama needed in order to talk Blacky into letting her take Glory to New York for awhile to 'rest' and have proper care.
Well, wouldn't ya know it, Glory and Mama seem to forget their way back to...well, wherever Blacky is located... and of course when he gathers a bit of news regarding her whereabouts, he heads out to NYC to try to win Glory back...who is now NOT expecting...hmmm... that's weird...
Well, this is usually the place I say, 'You go find out what happens'...but this one is SO predictable, I'll finish it up...in a nutshell, Glory stays with her Mama, and Blacky heads back home to find Marje cooking up supper for him as if NOTHING EVER HAPPENED... The End.
Favorite Ginger Moments: There's a few cool sequences here for Ginger... a favorite line in particular is when Marje and Glory are doing 'girl-talk' and Marje is mixing drinks (kinda weird to see Ginger doing that, but...) when Glory says she wants her gin 'straight', Marje warns her, but when she persists, Marje states, "...rub it in your hair if you like..." A pretty funny line to me.
Here's the caps...lots of cool GingerPics... but since the storyline hacks me off so, I just decided to go in a totally different direction with the captions...surprised? Ginger basically gets to 'Gold-Dig' a bit in my 'parallel universe edition' (PUE for short...uh, yeah...), what she DIDN'T get to do much of over on the Warner lot...

"...I wonder if Blacky's made any money today...Baby needs a new pair of Choos..."

"...Hi, Sweetie! How's it going down at the station today? What's that? Almost 5 Dollars so far? That's a LOT of gas you've sold there, Ethyl!"

"...Well, I'm off to 're-distribute' Blacky's wealth...It IS still 1933, after all...dig? ...I'm in the Money..."

"...Make with the dead presidents, beanie boy..."

"...you GOTTA find another source of income, dude... you know I am somewhat of a 'clothes hound', whatever THAT means..."

"...See this portfolio? I'm loading up on electric car stock...it's a can't-miss enterprise, babe...Ol' Henry can't crank out those Model A's forever, ya know...and one day, all this petrol will run dry..."

"...ka-ching..."

"...You're pushing all the right buttons again, Marje!"

"...So, while I was away, you conversed with a salesman of some sort?..."

"...Actually, it was a SalesLADY...a Traveling one, at that...perhaps the First of her kind, even..."

"...and WHAT, pray tell, was this dame hawking?"

"...Well, she didn't tell me...she just told me to meet her at the Casbah tonight...so here we are..."

"...Well, you seem a bit nervous...here, have some souse sauce..."

"...there she is now..."

"...man, who stomped this swill?"

"...So, tell me, Queenie, what's your game here? Some kind of 'bait-and-switch' on unsuspecting chumps wearing beanies?"

"not at all...have you ever heard of Coddled Chef?"

"...why, yes...don't tell me you're one of THOSE..."

"Why yes!...it's not bad, really... we get cool stuff for high sales...for example, check THIS out..."

"...Whoa! A jewel-encrusted avocado pitter!"

"...So you see, Blacky, all we have to do is set up your place for a 'host party'...she'll take care of all the rest..."

"...I don't know, Marje...sounds like some kind of pyramid scheme to me..."

"...but if you think it's kosher, I'll bite... maybe we can squeeze a few duckets out of the deal..."

"...Now, they'll be about 12 or so ladies in attendance...we'll probably need to move some things around to accommodate extra tables, samples, demo areas, and such... We also have to make sure you're meeting local health codes, of course...you can pull an inspection permit tomorrow morning... and how's the parking situation over there?"

"...Well, she sure knows her stuff, doesn't she?"

"...er...something on yer mind, Blacky?"

"...I don't like this deal, Marje...I don't like it one bit, see?"

"...It DOES sound a bit more involved than we were first led to believe..."

"...but look, we need money, el PRONTO! You just don't get it, do ya, Blacky? The new Louis Vuittons will be out in a few weeks, and Marje's jonesing for one, see?"

"...Oh what's the use...you're a hapless grease pusher..."

"...look, us ladies have to have a cache of accessories and amenities in order to function properly..."

"...like a Duesenberg, see? High maintenance makes for a smooth ride..."

"...until you get that thru your thick skull, there's no sense conversing with you any further..."

"...so, if and when you come back to your feeble senses, just give me a phone call...on a telephone..."

"...like this one right here..."

"...Alright, so here's the deal...Glory is headed over to case the joint for her water boiling exhibition...YOU need to show her the amenities out in the kitchen, OK?"

"...Well, I know it's not much, but I guess it's all the bonehead can afford... we can make enough room for your demos if we knock out a few walls..."

"...in the meantime, here's a block of ice for the throwdown..."

"Gee, thanks, Marje!...now I can make that ice sculpture bust of Franklin Pangborn!"

"...I don't think Blacky's getting with the program, is he, Marje?..."

"...Don't worry about him...he's a goofy as a box of rocks..."

"...Here's to taking the money of bored housewives...and to my future Vera Wang original..."

"...Now, if you'll excuse us, Blacky, Marje and I are heading out to the kitchen and start whuppin' up vittles for the show to-morrow..."

"...I call this recipe the 'Ponzi Pie'...it always kills at these 'pay for play' fiascoes..."

"...Oh, let's talk about the hostess gift...Which would you prefer, an automatic radish burper, or a gold-plated mullet tosser?"

"...Um, I'll probably just take a cut of the proceedings, if it's all the same...you can't trade in kitchen utensils for Gucci, dig?"

"...Marje, I think there's a problem..."

"...YUCK! Problem is RIGHT! This is that same crap they rolled out the other night! Where did they GET this vile spirit?"

"...Oh, yeah...what's YOUR problem, toots? You look pretty down..."

"...C'mon...it's gonna be fine...we'll rent out a few of those tent thingies and slap 'em up out back...and my Pop knows the Health Department cat, so there's clear sailing there..."

"...you needn't bother, Marge...it appears that nobody's going to be here..."

"...WHAT? You mean EVERYONE cancelled on you?"

"...yep...I didn't want to tell y'all, what with all the work you two have put into this..."

"...WORK? HA!!! I hired the Merry Maids to clean out this joint...on Blacky's nickel, of course...then I made him and his flunky from the pump house move furniture in various positions all afternoon, while I kept telling them to 'see how it looks over there'..."

"...It's so empowering to boss those dolts around..."

"...but hey, no hard feelings, kid...at least you lit a fire under Blacky to start thinking about extra income avenues for my insatiable appetite for bling...and, they'll be other opportunities for you, too...hey, I've heard about a new start-up for product distribution that's getting a lot of press lately...funny name, tho...'Amway'...what is that, Pig Latin for 'wam'?"

"...Well, I'm glad we're out of that jam... that dame was pretty loopy, and was going to take us for a ride!"

"...well, at least she had SOME type of get-rich-quick scheme, even if it was hopelessly flawed..."

"...What's YOUR next move, Blackstone?..."

"...so, I've become the new Maitre d' down at the Casbah... it pays pretty fair, at least on Karaoke Night..."

"...Well, you've done good, Blackie...here, have some of this stuff I made for the shindig that was never meant to be..."

"...now, let's talk Duesenbergs...Momma's getting tired of that moldy Model A out there, Daddy..."
---
Other Reviews:
"If this picture gets by with the average audience, it will be on Ginger Rogers' account. I understand some expert told her she'd been given bad 'camera angles' in the film. If that's so, I suggest she stick to bad ones in the future, because they resulted in the most convincing job she's done to date." - Hollywood Spectator
"The cast is a pleasant one, with Joel McCrea, Ginger Rogers and Marian Nixon playing the featured roles, and helps to make this Chance at Heaven much more palatable than it essentially is." - New York World Telegram
"Joel McCrea gives quite a satisfactory performance as Blacky. Ginger Rogers, who dances so nicely in Flying Down to Rio, assumes here the role of Marje, and she acts the part better than it deserves" - The New York Times
From GINGER: My Story: ...well, Ginger had nothing to say about this one, either... maybe for the best, as I think she probably didn't dig this role too much...
Miscellaneous Stuff:
--- Marian Nixon replaced Dorothy Wilson in the role of Glory Franklyn.
--- It is somewhat 'vague' in the plot, but generally insinuated that Nixon's character, Glory, had an abortion; this was not as unheard of as one would assume for the early Thirties, as it was reported that Depression-era families that couldn't care for additional children sought abortions, although the practice was illegal in the U.S. at the time.
--- Ginger and McCrea would meet up again in 1940 to make Primrose Path, a much more interesting film than this one.
GingerFilm Ranking: #14 of 21...Ginger is pretty prevalent in this film, and cute as all-get-out, as usual...but her role, while VERY sweet, kind, and just overall incredible, is ultimately not believable; and the fact that dude abandons her for another (although Glory is pretty cute, Marje is...well, GINGER, by gum!!!) REALLY diminishes the rank here. Just above 'Broadway Bad', even though Ginger's role in BB was Uber-sassy, it was in a very supporting role...
After Twenty Reviews:

#01 - Professional Sweetheart
#02 - 42nd Street
#03 - Flying Down to Rio
#04 - Sitting Pretty
#05 - The Tenderfoot
#06 - The Tip-Off
#07 - Queen High
#08 - Young Man of Manhattan
#09 - You Said A Mouthful
#10 - Carnival Boat
#11 - A Shriek in the Night
#12 - The Thirteenth Guest
#13 - Don't Bet On Love
#14 - Chance at Heaven
#15 - Broadway Bad
#16 - Gold Diggers of 1933
#17 - The Sap From Syracuse
#18 - Suicide Fleet
#19 - Follow The Leader
#20 - Honor Among Lovers
#21 - Hat Check Girl***
*** - Not viewed or reviewed due to unavailability.
Up Next: Rafter Romance... This one is really one of my FAVE 'pre-GandF' (well, excluding 'Rio', of course) Ginger movies (as well as some of y'all's...) Ginger is featured throughout this one, and is VERY sassy in parts, and so it should fare quite well...

Until then, as always...

KIG, Y'all!!!

VKMfanHuey
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Just a request...

2012-01-24T23:37:00.000-06:00

...for y'all to keep our area of Central Alabama in thoughts and prayers, as ANOTHER tornado came through early Monday Morning, resulting in at least 2 fatalities and many injured, along with extensive damage... this 'track' was about 5 miles or so to the north of us, but still way too close for comfort, and with all the folks in our town very gun shy regarding tornadoes at this point anyway, it's gonna be a long spring, unfortunately...

Thanks, y'all - hope everyone is doing well out there!

VKMfanHuey
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...GingerTunes setup...HELP!!!

2012-01-22T23:48:00.000-06:00

...I know a lot of y'all have music lists on your blogs...SOOOOO...does ANYONE have any suggestions on how to put tunes on a blog? I know I have the two 'pods' on the right over there, but honestly not sure how I set them up (theOGRE did a bunch of that...).
I actually downloaded Yahoo Media Player on the NBABOH blog, which seems like it would be cool, as it plays tunes AND videos... but, it appears tunes have to be on a 'host site'...which one of those puppies is best, for free of course...ANY info will be greatly appreciated!
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BTW, the Chance at Heaven review is close, just screen caps needed... should be a trip trying to set up a 'cap story' line for this one... it still just irks me as to how Ginger 'lays down' in this one...weird.
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Well, hope nobody has any trouble with the storms rolling thru the nation's mid-section tonight...we are supposed to have some striong storms here, which obviously gets folks here a bit more skittish than usual after last April... so hopefully nothing big occurs...

..hey, this is the 200th post for G-ology!!! Well, this particular post is not too 'prolific', but...a milestone nevertheless!!!

KIG, y'all!!!
VKMfanHuey
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Tight Spot on DVD...

2012-01-17T23:46:00.000-06:00

...as part of the third installment of the TCM Vault Collection of Film Noir Classics - all Columbia Pictures features... Here's the link:

Columbia Pictures Film Noir Classics III - TCM Vault Collection

This one is a pretty interesting one, if you haven't seen it... Ginger's role is pretty major in this one, as she's the 'center of attention'... she plays Sherry Conley (I've always dug the name 'Sherry'...and it works for Ginger, too...), a prisoner who is 'released into police custody' as a potential 'star witness' in a mob boss trial...but of course the mob makes it interesting, to say the least...
Ginger is awesome in it, to be expected (she loved role types folks didn't expect her to play), but...dang that Bergerac giving her that hairstyle! It just throws off the whole 'GingerExperience' for me, just a bit, anyway...but heck, the pic below really shows how she 'transcends' the 'do, and still just radiates...

And as a 'side note', Ginger was 44 when she made this one, which is the current age as Huey...so that's pretty cool from where I sit, anyway...AND, y'all know how I dig the 'middle-aged' Ginger anyway, so... there ya go.

This one gets pretty good airplay on TCM (it was on just a few days ago...), but, being the raving Gingerologist that I am, I will most likely pop on this...hopefully there will be some 'extra features' or at least a bit of commentary... 'General Commentary' is noted from Martin Scorsese, so that's something... he's a BIG advocate of film restoration, so aces to Mr Scorsese!
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OK - what's ahead? Well, 'Change of Heart' is on the clock for Review #20... should be done with it by week's end, Saturday at the latest... and, I also am wanting to 'revamp' the audio section of the site... the audio of 'Ginger: My Story' will remain, but GingerTunes needs a bit of tweaking... I just need to sit down and sort out all the tunes I have, many of which need to be 'transferred' from LP... hopefully I can get started on that...
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Hope all of y'all are having a great week, and getting back to 'normal'...

KIG, y'all!
VKMfanHuey
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...GingerCar on display...

2012-01-15T23:08:00.000-06:00

Ginger's 1929 Model J Duesenberg (one of only 481 built, and the ONLY one with a fully retractable roof) will be on display at the Seventeenth Annual Amelia Island (Florida) Concours d'Elegance, from March 9-11, 2012.

This is an awesome car in and of itself, but how do you put a price tag on ANYTHING owned by Ginger? ...AND, which also appeared in the movie "The Gay Divorcee?" According to the link, this very car was the one used in the movie by Mimi Glossop, Ginger's character... and it definitely matches the caps I took of the movie, as you can see:

There's a few differences, the biggest is that Ginger had whitewalls on it, while it currently does not... also, currently the vehicle has two taillights, whereas the original had one...that's to meet current DOT requirements, I assume... but other than that, it's a dead ringer!

Here's a link to the event, from Old Cars Weekly .com:

Amelia Island info regarding Ginger's 1929 Model J Duesenberg

...here's ANOTHER GingerEvent that I would LOVE to go to, but may be hard in theory...even though Florida (Amelia Island is right at the state line between Florida and Georgia, at the Atlantic Coast) is definitely a 'doable' trip from South Gingerville, as compared to Oregon or Boston! But, I'm not sure if I 'qualify' for admission to Amelia Island...hm...maybe I can swing a 'press pass' for Gingerology! ...wonder how close they are allowed to put a Days Inn from a Ritz-Carlton? :-]

KIG, y'all!
VKMfanHuey
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Allright, y'all, you asked for it...

2012-01-14T00:36:00.003-06:00

...well, probably not... BUT - here it is, anyway!!!

...an invitation to peruse (and hopefully 'follow') Huey's NEW blog, "Nothing But A Bunch Of Huey!"

HERE is the link:

Nothing But A Bunch Of Huey!!!

Hopefully, y'all will find it...interesting... and of course, any suggestions for the site will be appreciated! I look to have a 'daily' post, even if for just a few random goofy issues... so it may prove to be pretty entertaining...or at least a creative waste of time...

-----

Meanwhile, there are a few topics needing to be addressed in Gingerology, so stay tuned here as well, of course...

Y'all KIG!!!

VKMfanHuey
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..."Rio" Redux...Music Makes Me

2012-01-13T08:32:00.000-06:00

...alright, y'all - here are more pics from the "Music Makes Me" scene of "Flying Down To Rio"...hope y'all dig them...

...well, that's all I got for now...which is VERY sufficient, by the way...

Off to the "Change of Heart" review... Ginger does get pretty good 'face time' in it, so that's something...

Until then,

KIG, y'all!!!

VKMfanHuey
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More of da Carioca...

2012-01-11T20:16:00.001-06:00

HI, Y'ALL!!!!

Here's some more cool shots of the Carioca routine from "Flying down to Rio"...

...OK...pretty cool stuff. Stay tuned for mondo pics of Ginger's "Music Makes Me" number, in a post not far from here...

Until then, hope all is well, and y'all are getting back to 'normal', with no 'Seasonal Withdrawals'... the best remedy for THAT is to (what else)...

Keep It Gingery!!!

VKMfanHuey
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Ginger Rogers Film Review #19 - Flying Down to Rio

2012-01-08T19:55:00.000-06:00

FLYING DOWN TO RIO

(December 29, 1933 - RKO Radio Pictures)

Run Time (approximate): 89 Minutes
Directed by: Thornton Freeland.
Associate Director: George Nicholls, Jr.
Executive Producer: Merian C. Cooper.
Associate Producer: Louis Brock.
Screenplay: Cyril Hume, H.W. Haneman and Erwin Gelsey; Adele Comandini (uncredited), Joseph Fields (uncredited), Thomas Lennon (uncredited), Fred Niblo Jr. (uncredited), Gilberto Souto (uncredited), and Harvey F. Thew (uncredited).
Based on a Play by: Anne Caldwell.
Based on an Original Story by: Lou Brock.
Photography by: J. Roy Hunt.
Art Directors: Van Nest Polglase and Carroll Clark.
Editor: Jack Kitchin.
Dances by: Dave Gould.
Sound Recorder: P.J. Faulkner, Jr..
Musical Director: Max Steiner.
Music Recorder: Murray Spivack.
Miniatures: Don Jahraus.
Costumer: Walter Plunkett and Irene (uncredited).
Makeup Artist: Mel Berns.
Research Director: Elizabeth McGaffey.
Special Photographic Effects: Vernon Walker.
Still Photographer: John Miehle.
Also Starring: Dolores del Rio (as Belinha De Rezende), Gene Raymond (as Roger Bond), Raul Roulien (as Julio Ribeiro), Fred Astaire (as Fred Ayres), Blanche Friderici (as Dona Elena de Rezende), Walter Walker (as Senor Carlos de Rezende), Etta Moten (as The Carioca Singer), Roy D'Arcy (as Greek Gambling Syndicate Member), Maurice Black (as Greek Gambling Syndicate Member), Armand Kaliz (as Greek Gambling Syndicate Member), Paul Porcasi (as The Mayor), Reginald Barlow (as Alfredo Vianna, Banker), Eric Blore (as Mr. Butterbass, Assistant Hotel Manager).
UNCREDITED CAST: Luis Alberni (as Rio Casino Manager), Rafael Alvir (as Man), Alyce Ardell (as Maid), Carmen Bailey (as Dancer), Don 'Red' Barry (as Dancer), Leon Beaumon (as Yankee Clipper), Eddie Boland (as Airplane Mechanic), Eddie Borden (as Eddie, Yankee Clipper), Harry Bowen (as Airport Mechanic), Sidney Bracey (as Rodrigues, the Chauffeur), Mary Bracken (as Dancer), The Brazilian Turunas (as Musical Ensemble), Lucile Browne (as Belinha's Friend), Alex Chivra (as Waiter), Helen Collins (as Dancer), Ray Cooke (as Yankee Clipper Banjo Player), Gino Corrado (as Messenger), Sue Curtis (as Dancer), Grace Davies (as Dancer), Henry De Silva (as Waiter), Amapola Del Vando (as Dancer), Armand Delmar (as Dancer), Joe Dominguez (as Waiter), Juan Duval (as Dancer), John Eberts (as Waiter), Celeste Edwards (as Dancer), Emilio Fernandez (as Dancer), Betty Furness (as Belinha's Friend), Vina Gale (as Dancer), Jack Gargan (as Yankee Clipper), Alice Gentle (as Singer in 'Carioca' number), Jack Good (as Yankee Clipper), Margaret Harding (as Dancer), Pauline High (as Dancer), Shep Houghton (as Dancer), Grace Walston Jester (as Dancer), Harvey Karels (as Dancer), Mary Kornman (as Belinha's Friend), Martha La Venture (as Dancer), Perc Launders (as Yankee Clipper), Wallace MacDonald (as Airplane Pilot), Francisco Maran (as Waiter), Helen McAllister (as Dancer), Rex Moore (as Dancer), Laura Morse (as Dancer), Edmund Mortimer (as Nightclub Patron), Movita (as Singer in 'Carioca' number), Clarence Muse (as Caddy in Haiti), Margaret Nearing (as Dancer), Franklin Pangborn (as Hammerstein, Hotel Manager), Manuel Paris (as Man at Aviator's Club), Pedro Regas (as Waiter), Jack Rice (as Yankee Clipper), Ruth Riley (as Dancer), Julian Rivero (as Antonio, Billboard Worker), Gladyce Roberts (as Dancer), Adrian Rosley (as Hotel Atlantico Manager), Audry Savage (as Dancer on Wing), Ruby Jo Savage (as Dancer on Wing), Harry Semels (as Billboard Worker), Barbara Sheldon (as Dancer), Marla Shelton (as Dancer), Mary Stewart (as Dancer/Singer), Jerome Storm (as Dancer), Eddie Tamblyn (as Yankee Clipper), Carol Tevis (as Blindfolded Blonde), Doris Toddings (as Dancer), Alma Travers (as Dancer), Joe Venuti (as Violinist in Orchestra), Dick Webster (as Band Member), Douglas Williams (as Yankee Clipper), Howard Wilson (as Yankee Clipper), and Dorothy Young (as Dancer).
Ginger's Character: Honey Hale.

Ginger's 'Screen Time': Approximately 11 Minutes and 0 Seconds (12.4% of the film).
GingerTunes: "Music Makes Me".
Gingery Goodness Factor (GGF) - (1-10): 8.5 - Ginger is interspersed throughout the film quite nicely...and overall Miss Hale is not overtly sassy, but enough to stand out. She also has some truly funny lines...such as 'Noodle in a Haystack', which is the title of Amanda Cooper's awesome blog... she explains her reasoning for the title HERE (scroll to the bottom)...
Film Quality (1-10): 9.0 - As one of the 'BigTen' of the GandF series, it's been pretty well restored...no issues with sound or film quality.
Huey's Review for GINGEROLOGY: Of course, we all know of Rio's place in cinematic history, and how it was the genesis of the greatest dance duo to ever be captured on film... but putting that invaluable facet aside for a bit, Flying Down to Rio is really a pretty neat little movie.
The film basically follows that now famous swing band The Yankee Clippers and their gigs from Miami to Rio... and the love triangle that develops along the way.
The leader of this ensemble, Roger Bond (Gene Raymond), is quite the hit with the ladies in the crowd...(were these ladies referred to as 'groupies' back then?) to the point of compromising the band's standing with their employers.
Their current gig in a Miami hotel is under the scrutiny of the new hotel manager, Hammerstein (Franklin Pangborn) and his assistant, Mr. Butterbass (really?) (Eric Blore)... their mantra for the employees is 'no fraternizing with the guests'; of course, RB invariably rips that rule to shreds as he falls like a boat anchor for the stunning Miss Belinha De Rezende (Delores Del Rio), and effectively lands the Clippers (when did they become the L.A. Clippers, anyway?) on the streets, despite the warnings of his lead accordion player, Fred Ayres (Fred Astaire - not much thought went into Fred's character's name, eh? The Astaire name was pretty popular at the time, so they tried to make the character name as close as possible, it appears...).
Well, RB makes amends, as he hooks the band up with a gig to open a new hotel in Rio, where he has a fellow bandleader bud involved in the opening, Julio Ribeiro (Raul Roulien). As RB is making plans to 'fly down to Rio', as it were, he finds out that Ms. Belinha (henceforth, let's call her 'Ms.B' for short, shall we?) is headed that way as well... of course, RB is also a professional pilot of some type, and offers up a ride to Ms.B back to Rio (Nancy Grace apparently wasn't around back then to warn of airplane rides with strange dudes...).
Of course, RB effectively 'runs out of gas' (which is most likely a LOT harder to calculate for a plane than in a car...) such that he and Ms.B get to do the 'deserted island' thing, for one night, anyway. That's where they fall well into love, although both play it rather cool...but there's a catch (natch)... Ms.B is already spoken for back in Brazil...and, wouldn't ya know it, the dude just HAPPENS to be Julio, RB's band bud from way back when.
Well, this is where I'll leave the 'love' angle of the story for you to discover; in the meantime, Fred and the songbird of the group, Miss Honey Hale (truly one of the top 5 Ginger character names EV-AH) are working behind the scenes to keep the band's gig alive, as there are Greek Mafia Dudes that are trying to strongarm the hotel owner into selling, thus wanting the hotel opening to flop... ultimately, to circumvent the fact that a 'performance permit' wasn't obtained for the show, the flyboys (yeah, Julio is a pilot as well...how convenient!) come up with the wild idea of strapping scantily-clad hoofers on the wings of their biplanes... now, as an engineer, Huey has several issues with this, besides the fact that it would be purt near (there's that word again) suicide to hang out on a wing of an airplane in action, unless you're a gremlin of some sort...not to mention these planes were meant to have two passengers, tops...so how can you get the thing airborne with 12-14 dames hanging all over it? Not that I'm complaining about the scene... it's DEFINITELY an intense study in 'Pre-Hays Code' provocativeness...
And of course, the wild aerial burlesque show works (was there ever any doubt?), and the masses who witness it give all their money and resources to the new hotel, thus effectively ousting the thug dudes... the final scene is so cool, as Fred and Honey are sipping champagne (well, 'ginger ale' for Honey, of course...:-] ) and checking out the proceedings in the sky via binoculars... this final scene also hints at Ginger and Fred's beautiful friendship to follow over the next 6 or so years... thus that much more awesome.

Favorite Ginger Moments: Of course, the Carioca routine is the start of something pretty dang incredible, but for pure Gingeryness, her solo of 'Music Makes Me' is hard to beat... here's the video of it:

And on to the screen caps...with the 'disclaimer' that the caps for 'Music Makes Me' and 'The Carioca' are VERY abbreviated... these will be on 'separate posts', a la "Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?"...it appears all future GandF routines will be handled in this manner, in order to keep the 'general pics' for the main review manageable... OK, off we go, with the 'aeronautical' theme played throughout the caps, as this IS FLYING Down to Rio, after all...

"...We simply do not have ANY of you people on the flight list... Who ARE you people, anyway? And WHERE did you purchase your tickets from?"

"It was from Expedoicity.com... you know, the one where Billy Shatner dresses up like a gnome?"

"Hey, maybe we can hitchhike from Miami to Rio... once you're over the Canal in Panama, it's all mountainous Colombian roads to Brazil...those aren't too bad, are they?"

Ginger warming up for Music Makes Me... the video clip is above, so I'll just add a few of my fave caps...

...stay tuned for MUCHO more caps for this number in a future post...

"So, First Class AND Second Class were already booked... Coach is still a bit steep...so, what's left...Economy? is that the same as 'Steerage'?"

"Well, as long as I can reach Rio by next Tuesday...dang, couldn't we have found a gig in Pensacola or something?"

"Welcome to the Treetop Lounge...we hope you will enjoy your layover here in Bogota... the motif is designed to emulate the vast expanse of the region's rain forests...the natural resources from within these areas will never be depleted..."

"Now, please relax and observe our high-tech staff of baggage handlers, who will flawlessly transfer your luggage to your connecting flight..."

"...'High-tech', my foot...Last time I was down here they somehow 'misplaced' some of my luggage...imagine that...it ended up on a turntable in Cairo..."

"Yes...they are the finest in the business, my friends..."

"...oh, by the way, sorry to bother you with this issue, Mr. Astair...er, Ayres, but..."

"...it seems that some of your luggage has been inadvertently re-routed to a place called 'Hawaii'...".

"HAWAII???"

"I'm FINE, sir! How are YOU?"

"...Hawaii, eh? Well, at least your stuff's in the same hemisphere this time, Freddie..."

"...speaking of luggage, Freddie, I'm trying to remember if I 'checked' mine properly out of Miami..."

"I talked to the fellow at the counter...'Maurice', I believe it was..."

"It seemed like he just threw them over in the corner...I never saw ANY tags go on 'em..."

"...aren't those YOUR skivvies strewn out there on the conveyor, Honey?"

"...oh, well, what-EVAH...let's dance!!!"

...Ginger and Fred's first few 'filmed' steps together as a 'team'...a watershed moment, to say the VERY least...

...Ginger just looks wickedawesome in this one, like she's about to pirouette into oblivion...

...is this the foxtrot? A fox is trotting, I can tell y'all THAT much... and Ginger doesn't look too bad, either! (bah-dum-dah) :-]

...The Big Finale...I just like how Ginger's dress is unfurled in this cap...

"...So you're telling me you departed from Miami at 6:30 A.M., transferred in Port-Au-Prince at 9:15, then arrived in Rio at 4:30 P.M.? Without ONE delay?"

"Honey, this guy is nothing but a jive turkey... don't speak to him unless he owes you money..."

"...Freddie...don't look now, but...that dude that just passed by, over your right shoulder...he's like, twice as big as you! He's all out of proportion with the rest of us...is that common in Brazil?"

"Ah, folks and varmints are all various sizes down here... bugs here are the size of toasters...in fact, they have a whole species of 'em down here CALLED 'Toaster Bugs'..."

"Of course, the Brazil nut is the perfect example...look at how large it is compared to the standard American peanut...or even walnut, for that matter..."

"These cookies seem pretty normal...but they may in actuality be "Brazil-enlarged" oyster crackers..."

"...so, we're going to strap a bunch of scantily-clad dames on these decrepit biplanes and fly around trying to get everyone to notice them... it just seems...RIGHT, y'know?"

There's a plane and an automobile... strangely enough, no trains made an appearance in this flick...well, Ginger is about to throw the switch of the 'Pain Train' on an unsuspecting ditz, as you shall see below...

"OK, ladies...remember, Brazilians will be watching this show, so let's give them some of the 'South of the Equator' action on the moves, OK?"

"Yeah, I got a question...how many is a Brazilian? Like, 100 million or sumpin'?"

"OK,that's it...you're OUT of the production!"

"...and I mean WAY out..."

"They've downgraded me to coach! COACH! All the way to New York City!!!"

"Listen, it's not that bad... I'm penciled in for economy class on the way back..."

"It may be fine for you, being a chorus girl and all...but...this is different for me...I can't fly coach...I CAN'T!! ....I WON'T!!!"

"Er, ah...OK, bud, here's your carry-on baggage...we don't have no storage space left on the plane... those dames have a LOT of extra stuff they haul around wit' em - you know how THAT is, bud... oh, an' here's your transfer tickets... you're hooked up to change planes in Shreveport, then Bismark, then Rochester..."

"...Shreveport? ...what is this 'Shreveport?' "

"...They're just trying to milk you for extra mileage...look, there's a redeye from Miami all the way to LaGuardia (yeah, it's not called that in 1933, but just roll with it, y'all) without ANY connectors..."

"...Better yet, there's a puddle jumper from Miami to Baltimore that shuttles twice a day...from there you could catch the express rail to NY, if you don't mind the frenetic taxi ride thru the Queen City... just don't inadvertently get on a B&O car, or you'll end up on Toledo or something..."

"...When they said 'economy class', they weren't jiving, brother..."

"Oh, well, there's a panoramic view being projected behind me, so that's nice..."

"Hey, Pancho...where are you going to land this breadbox?"

"...they look to be lined up...heck, this must be Hartsfield in Atlanta... I spent a week stranded on the tarmac there one day..."

"I give up... you don't even know the flight patterns here, dude! ...where did you get your altimeter, from a box of Cracker Jacks?"

"Listen you...you're pretty and all, but, I've had just about enough of you... I have landed on this generic beach area here to leave you to your own devices... maybe you can swim to your 'Shreveport'...I shall stay in my mother country of Brazil!"

"...Woah...he's a touchy little bugger..."

"HEY!!! What about my frequent flyer miles?"

"...woah, look at that big guy flying in...his approach is ALL whopperjawed..."

"...wait a minute...isn't that..."

"...BOAC!!! Flew in from Miami Beach, even! London-town, here we come!!!"
---
Other Reviews:
"Neither Miss Rogers nor Mr. Roulien have much to do, but both have a song apiece and both acquit themselves creditably." - New York Journal
"Ginger Rogers, whose talents are highlighted admirably in song and dance, is effectively teamed with Astaire." - Los Angeles Times
"The inspired music of Vincent Youmans, the grace of Fred Astaire, the dark beauty of Dolores Del Rio, Raul Roulien's singing, the comedy of Ginger Rogers and the love-making of Gene Raymond combine to make a glorious Hollywood holiday." - New York American
"An impressive series of scenes are devoted to a dance known as the Carioca. During this interlude that nimble-toed Fred Astaire and the charming Ginger Rogers give a performance of this Carioca. The music is delightful, and besides Mr. Astaire and Miss Rogers many other persons dance the extraordinarily rhythmic Carioca, one feature of which happens to be that of the couples pressing their foreheads together as they glide around the floor... Both Miss Rogers and Mr. Astaire give splendid performances, Miss Del Rio is alluring and sufficent, and Mr. Raymond does well as the handsome hero." - The New York Times
From GINGER: My Story: "In Flying Down to Rio, Fred and I had secondary roles, and provided the comic relief. I played a band vocalist and sang "Music Makes Me"; our big moment together came during the full-scale production number, "The Carioca". Dave Gould was the film's dance director and his assistant was my old pal for Top Speed, Hermes Pan."
"Ask me today if I had any notion of what would spring from "The Carioca" and I'd have to say no. Even looking at Flying Down to Rio now, it is hard to believe that our brief assay onto the dance floor led to a string of musical films." ...there's a lot more stuff in Ginger's bio regarding 'Rio'...check it out!
Miscellaneous Stuff:
--- Ginger replaced Dorothy Jordan, who was to be Honey Hale, but dropped out of the production in order to marry the producer, Merian C. Cooper.
--- "The Carioca" was Oscar-nominated for the best song of 1935 (the first year the 'best song' category existed); somewhat ironically, it lost to "The Continental", from 1934's "The Gay Divorcee".
--- Rio was supposed to be Astaire's film debut, but production delays put the film on hold; as a result, Astaire was loaned by RKO to MGM for the movie Dancing Lady, where he does a routine with Joan Crawford.
--- Joel McCrea was to be Roger Bond, but was replaced by Gene Raymond for unknown reasons.
--- Astaire did not want to be 'tied' to one dance partner (as he had just 'broke away' from his sister Adele), and, while he enjoyed working with Ginger, was reluctant to do another film with her; however, after the public's response to their Carioca routine, he relented, much to our benefit...

GingerFilm Ranking: #03 of 20...Ginger has quite the personality in this one, not overtly sassy (save for the bum rush of one of the airplane dames), but Honey is pretty confident in whatever she is involved in, and cranks out quite a few cute one liners... so, considering the first GandF routine is here, as well as the awesomeness that is "Music Makes Me", it has to be in the top 5, right?
After Nineteen Reviews:
#01 - Professional Sweetheart
#02 - 42nd Street
#03 - Flying Down to Rio

#04 - Sitting Pretty
#05 - The Tenderfoot
#06 - The Tip-Off
#07 - Queen High
#08 - Young Man of Manhattan
#09 - You Said A Mouthful
#10 - Carnival Boat
#11 - A Shriek in the Night
#12 - The Thirteenth Guest
#13 - Don't Bet On Love
#14 - Broadway Bad
#15 - Gold Diggers of 1933
#16 - The Sap From Syracuse
#17 - Suicide Fleet
#18 - Follow The Leader
#19 - Honor Among Lovers
#20 - Hat Check Girl***
*** - Not viewed or reviewed due to unavailability.
Up Next: Chance at Heaven... Ginger plays the sucker in this one, which kind of gets my fur all frizzed... it's pretty unbelievable, y'all... ultimately one of the LEAST sassy performances we'll see for Ginger... but it still most likely has some points of interest.

Until then, as always...

KIG, Y'all!!!

VKMfanHuey
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Happy 2012, Y'all!!!

2012-01-05T23:54:00.001-06:00

Hope everyone made it through the 2011-2012 transition without any major (or even MINOR, for that matter) problems...and here's hoping the new year is a VERY Gingery one for everyone involved!

...well, it's been a busy week getting back into 'normal' mode, but the 'Rio' review is shaping up pretty well, and should be out by the weekend...promise. In the meantime, here's some screen caps from the film...I have quite a few more than I figured (oh, about 200...dang, it's a good thing these are 'free', lest the local photomat be required to garnish my wages...) - a neat little sequence to follow is the 'head bonk' Ginger and Fred have whilst performing the all-too-dangerous, yet irresistibly provocative 'Carioca'...

...how many times did they rehearse this one again? Honestly, this is a pretty neat part of the routine here...one of my favorite 'non-epic' routines of GandF is the "...Eggs in One Basket" number in Follow the Fleet - it's probably quite hard to choreograph ineptitude... and make it look convincing.

One of the 'big stories' of the past week or so is that my mom is now hooked up to the internet...AND, she is perusing this very site on a regular basis...SO, y'all be on your best behavior for Ma, OK? I'm not too worried, as y'all are a great bunch, y'all are... truly!
With the addition of Ma as a follower now (well, if not in the 'official' sense, at least in the 'browse the blog once a day' sense...), I'll have to step up my game, as she is a pretty tough critic...Ginger knows that...

...Miss Rogers always brings her 'A' game to the site, so no worries there, anyway... now it's all on Huey... I'll have to break out my Thesaurus and Harbrace College Handbook to ensure proper syntax and form... Ma wasn't a teacher or anything, but she DOES read oodles of books...or, tomes, if you wish... there's occasionally even a periodical thrown in for good measure.

OK...so, Rio review this weekend...and I am thinking of a few other posts and such to do in the near future... bummer about no entry for today's 'This Day in Gingerology'... over time, all of the days will get 'filled'... no worries.

In the interim, y'all KIG!!! (...that's short for 'Keep It Gingery', Ma...)

VKMfanHuey
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Happy 78th to...

2011-12-29T06:35:00.000-06:00

the film "Flying Down to Rio", which (according to IMDb, anyway) premired on December 29th, 1933. Ironically, it's the film that's currently on the 'HueyReview' clock... that posting is still a few days off (probably will be next year...) - but should be a fun one to dissect.

In the meantime, just a few issues...

First, on 1/1/12, Gingerology WILL have a new feature (after literally years of speculation), "This Day in Gingerology". It will basically be a line or two tacked at the top of the site, regarding a significant event in the life of Ginger Rogers or Gingerology, such as film release dates (such as the 'main' topic of this post), as well as birthdays / deaths of any actors/actresses/producers, or others related to Ginger (that's quite a few folks in and of itself!). Hopefully it will prove to be an interesting 'blurb' to check out each day for y'all...

Second, Huey is VERY close to 'launching' a NEW blog, which will be regarding 'all things OTHER than Ginger'...which will a VERY broad brush...from other classic films, to current issues, music of all denominations, TV stuff, and general tomfoolery which hopefully will be, if not overtly informative, at LEAST somewhat entertaining... more info on that later, as it would obviously be pretty cool to get that started on 1/1/12...but sometimes, due to circumstances beyond our control, yada yada yada...

And lastly, hope EVERYONE out there had a GREAT and truly blessed Christmas, Hanukkah, and any other holiday observance they partook in or WILL partake in... one thing's for sure, EVERYONE is under the same calandar (well, except for the Chinese..and, well, I'm sure there are others...dang it!)...well, MOST eveyone is under the same calendar, so....

Happy New Year to all of y'all!!!!

Have a safe one!!! (watch Bachelor Mother... a pretty neat New Year's scene in the middle of it.. with a Swedish twist! :-) )

And, as always and forevermore...

...KIG!!!

VKMfanHuey
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Merry Christmas, y'all...

2011-12-23T09:15:00.004-06:00

...from all the folks here at Gingerology! Hope everyone gets exactly what they want, but also to reflect on the past year and study on what the TRUE meaning of Christmas is...

...And as a bit of a 'present' to y'all, here's a little 'post-script' to the "Sitting Pretty" series of posts, a video of Ginger and Jack Oakie doing the Ginger-penned, "Used To Be You"...I figure most of y'all have seen this one, but, just in case, here it is again... Ginger is, as usual, lethally cute...

Y'all be safe out there! I hope to get rolling on the 'Rio' review (say THAT three times fast!) in a day or so, but obviously the season is pretty full of festivities...

KIG and Merry Christmas, y'all!!!

VERY Sincerely,
VKMfanHuey
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...the 'Sitting Pretty' Aftereview...

2011-12-19T22:46:00.001-06:00

...or at least 'overflow' for screen caps... here are a gob of caps from the 'Did You Ever See a Dream Walking' scene... no comments, as none are really needed...hope ya enjoy!

Sorry - next time I'll try to take a few more screen caps for y'all ;-)

It appears that for future reviews for films with ample Ginger, there will most likely be more of these 'Aftereview' posts to share mondo screen caps with y'all (a BIG potential for the many GandF routines coming up...) ...hope ya don't mind... I kinda have the feeling y'all are OK with it...

Well, as for 'next post', I'll figure out something Christmas-y in regards to Ginger... it's a shame she didn't take the Wonderful Life role... oh well, there's a few movies she did which are set at Christmastime, so we'll delve into those pretty soon...hope everyone is wrapping up shopping and gifts for the Yuletide festivities which are nigh upon us... And remember, it always helps to...

...Keep It Gingery, y'all!!!

VKMfanHuey
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Ginger Rogers Film Review #18 - Sitting Pretty

2011-12-18T01:41:00.000-06:00

SITTING PRETTY

(November 24, 1933 - Paramount Pictures)

Run Time (approximate): 75 Minutes
Directed by: Harry Joe Brown.
Producer: Charles R. Rogers.
Screenplay: Jack McGowan, S.J. Perelman and Lou Breslow.
Based on a Story by: Nina Wilcox Putnam.
Photography by: Milton R. Krasner.
Art Director: David Garber.
Costumes: Travis Banton.
Sound Recorder: Jack A. Goodrich.
Choreography: Larry Ceballos.
Orchestrator: Howard Jackson.
Also Starring: Jack Oakie (as Chick Parker), Jack Haley (as Pete Pendleton), Gregory Ratoff (as Tannenbaum), Thelma Todd (as Gloria Duval), Lew Cody (as Jules Clark), Jerry Tucker (as Buzz), Helen Pickens (as one of the Pickens Sisters), Jane Pickens (as one of the Pickens Sisters), Patti Pickens (as one of the Pickens Sisters).
UNCREDITED CAST: Irving Bacon (as Dice Player), Wade Boteler (as Jackson), Sidney Bracey (as Manager), Harry C. Bradley (as Set Designer), George Brasno (as a Neighbor), Olive Brasno (as a Neighbor), James P. Burtis (as Mover Foreman), Harvey Clark (as Motorist), Charles Coleman (as Butler), William B. Davidson (as Director), Mack Gordon (as Song Publisher), Frank Hagney (as Bar Manager), Henry Hall (as Party Guest), Hale Hamilton (as Vinton), Stuart Holmes (as Dice Player), Peaches Jackson (as Chorus Girl), Arthur Jarrett (as Singer), Fuzzy Knight (as Stock Clerk), Frank LaRue (as Studio Gateman), Rollo Lloyd (as Director), Mae Madison (as Chorus Girl), Joyce Mathews (as Blonde Chorus Girl), Lee Moran (as Assistant Director), Jack Mower (as Clark's Aide), Anne Nagel (as Girl at Window), Dave O'Brien (as Assistant Cameraman), Lee Phelps (as Studio Aide), Russ Powell (as Counterman), Harry Revel (as Pianist), Virginia Sale (as Old Maid), Helen Splane (as Chorus Girl), Larry Steers (as Party Guest), Ben Taggart (as Cop), Phil Tead (as Aide), Kenneth Thomson (as Norman Lubin), Walter Walker (as George Wilson), Charles Williams (as Neighbor).
Ginger's Character: Dorothy.
Ginger's 'Screen Time': Approximately 14 Minutes and 18 Seconds (19.4% of the film).
GingerTunes: "Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?", "Good Morning Glory", "There's a Bluebird At My Window", "You're Such a Comfort To Me".
Gingery Goodness Factor (GGF) - (1-10): 7.0 - A pretty 'straight' role for Ginger, but she does get to sing a good bit, and the "...Dream Walking" number at the end really ranks up there with her top musical moments ever...not necessarily due to the song, but...due to the 'maximum Ginger'...
Film Quality (1-10): 6.5 - The saga of the 'film quality' pertaining to this one is interesting...the copy I originally obtained from the internet (via eBay) yielded an almost unwatchable experience, and would be at 2 or 3 at best on this scale... but fellow Gingerologists have obtained a much cleaner copy, which is awesome compared to the eBay copy...but even the 'cleaner' one is a bit rough in spots...the most gut wrenching moment (for me, anyway) is when Ginger is singing her 'close-up solo' on "...Dream Walking" (it's truly epic), and just before she finishes her last line, it 'skips' into the choreography scene... strangely enough, this happens on each of the copies I've discussed, so the 'cleaner' copy is evidently just a 'cleaned' version of the 'bad' copy...
Huey's Review for GINGEROLOGY: ...This is a pretty good little movie, in my honest opinion (as if all of my opinions to this point have been dishonest...). It straddles the line between musical and 'drama', which could be a tricky deal at times; the 'transitional' aspect here works in that the two main characters are songwriters, thus apt to break out in song at any given moment.
About those two songwriters... we begin in New York City, where Chick Parker (Jack Oakie) is a fair-to-middling musician in a recording studio. He is generally dissatisfied with the lyricists he has to work with, and ends up using the mail clerk's lyrics... which result in a song that sells. Thus, Chick strikes up a partnership with said clerk, Pete Pendleton (Jack Haley), and also convinces him that Hollywood would be a better place to hawk tunes, for the movie studios.
Trouble is, Chick is pretty flippant with his dough, and generally throws it away in crap shoots (see last review...the 'get rich quick via wagering' mantra was evidently a big deal back in the early 30's...) As a result, Chick has no cash to get to Hollywood, and persuades Pete to cough up the dough (hey, they are a 'team' now...) . Of course, Chick takes Pete's dough and throws it away gambling as well... thus the two end up hitchhiking to Hollywood... Chick is a 'real winner', it appears, while Pete is very level-headed - so, the two should yin-yang out enough to be fair songwriting partners.
Along the way to La-La Land, they stop in a joint that just happens to be run by a sweet little gal named Dorothy (no last name given...) (Ginger Rogers) - who has a kid brother named Buzz, who plays the 'cute bratty kid that antagonizes everyone'...yeah, THAT kid.
Of course, C&P's main need at this point is money, so they hit Dorothy up for some $$$, as Chick uses the "I'm a songwriter for movies!" line on her; she proves to be too trusting for her own good, coughing up the dough so C&P can continue on to Hollywood... Chick tells Dorothy to meet them out there whenever she can break away from the shop. Well, that proves pretty easy after a few weeks, as the $$$ she gave them ends up being what she needed to keep the place afloat...
So, Dorothy and the Buzzer kid find C&P in Hollywood, living in a bungalow (which may be pretty dang close to the Garden of Allah joint that Ginger and Lela started out in when they moved to LA...) - and subsequently they all end up 'shacking up' together... well, in a 'communal' sense, anyway... in order to stay off the streets. Odd jobs for the gang barely keep them afloat...
When Chick and Pete first hit H-town, they had hooked up with an deranged mental patient (in Hollywood? Really?) whose handlers drive him around town on occasion to humor him and his delusion of being a big Hollywood producer (your tax dollars at work, eh?) - and of course, C&P thought he was the real deal, and the loon ripped them off a big 'advance' check, which is probably still bouncing. Thus, they thought they were 'in business' with a studio, only to find out that wasn't the case.
The rest of the movie, they try to wedge their way into a gig, and end up doing so, when one of their 'impromptu' studio auditions catches the ear of the resident starlet, Gloria Duval (played nicely by Thelma Todd) - and Chick makes the 'move' on her, thus landing the gig (among other things...) . Of course, Dorothy is of the opinion that Chick has the hots for her, but he has 'moved on', hitching his wagon to Gloria's vain star - which requires that he dump Dorothy AND Pete...
Well, situations tend to fluctuate, and of course that applies in this case for Chick, as things move a bit too fast for him to keep up with. A pretty neat scene is when the collection dudes are toting stuff out of Chick's posh living quarters, and he is playing a melancholy tune all the while... until they tote the piano off...this scene was pretty well laid out, in my honest (there's that word again) opinion...
Anyway, once Chick is bounced, he crawls back to Pete, and the whole thing ends up pretty much the way ya expect it to... with Dorothy becoming a star performer of C&P's ditties, culminating in what proves to be Ginger's most breathtaking performance to date (well, in Huey's opinion, anyway..honest or otherwise.)

Favorite Ginger Moments: Ginger plays a VERY sweet girl who wants to see the dudes do well in their pursuit of landing a songwriting gig... the 'prime' Gingery moment in this one is the finale, as Ginger sings thru "Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?" in an achingly beautiful and cute manner...could well be my favorite performance she has had to date in the reviews...and yes, that includes 'We're In The Money', y'all... Here we go with the pics...

...We first meet Dorothy crawling out from under a car, much to the surprise of Pete...Ginger with a wrench? Huey likes...

...and then Chick checks out the chick...

...and here's Dorothy with her little brother, nicknamed 'Buzz'...his real name is 'Huey Jr.'...cute little gargoyle, ain't he, folks? (imagine that last line as spoken by Bugs Bunny, and it's more effective...)

...little brat-dude really gets on Dorothy's nerves...

...as she firmly kicks him to the rear of the stoop...

...and junior's into the wall...Ginger looks SO cool here, tho...

...Dorothy loses the farm, thus hunts down the dudes in Cali...with little boy blue(beard) in tow...

..."Listen, I've had it with this kid brother of mine...how much do you think we can get for him on the open market?"...

"...Er, I don't think you can sell children in California anymore... however...there ARE currently some Gypsies camped just outside of town...but don't throttle him so much, babe...they'll need him to be able to sing...you know, as a distraction to the suckers they hit on..."

"Well, I don't have time to deal with hunting down nomadic folks... guess we can just keep him here for now...let's just put him in a closet or something..."

"He's really a strange little guy, Dorothy...kinda like a midget, but...something else... in general, he's not much-kin, is he?"

...a neat little practice dance routine - unless I am mistaken, this is the first 'routine' of any sort Ginger has with a dude in her career in film to this point...her dancing prior to this has been either 'chorus girl' stuff (sorry Ginger) or just 'slow dancing' with a dude...

"So, we agreed to farm out Junior to the Gypsies for these groceries...he'll adjust...hey, times are HARD, honey...so quit putting the Vulcan Death Grip on the little bugger and I'll hustle him over to the fairgrounds tonight..."

"Don't worry, babe... Huey Jr. needs to get a dose of the REAL world... and it MAY soften up that acidic yapper he's got on him..."

Just a cool shot of Ginger's hair, and those awesome curls...

...Only Ginger can melt a dude's heart by calling them an idiot, as she does here... "What are you two idiots doing?"

"...we just make big messes so we can watch you work your Gingery magic in the kitchen...can you blame us, babe?"

I dig Ginger's hair style here...guess that's the way it is thru most of the film, but it is just a bit...different in this scene...

...Ain't nothing quite like Ginger on the piano...dang it, I wish I knew that she was actually playing here... it doesn't matter THAT much, but it would just make it that much cooler, y'know?

...such a cute 'smirk'...it doesn't matter if she could play or not...I'd listen to her just bang on the keys in random fashion and still be in hawg heaven...

...not that I am studying dude much, but...doesn't he look just a bit like Mike Myers?

...Dorothy sings of winged primates in bell hop uniforms...

...and mystical women classified by geographic locales, wearing pointy hats...

"...do you happen to know any Toto?"

"Chick accuses me of being pretty heartless at times, so, I got him a watch to show I'm not just a stiff, mechanical-like dude..."

"The mechanism is solid tin, with emerald movement..."

"...You know, I've heard woodsmen typically have tin watches..."

Chick becomes a pr--- ...er, a two-faced backstabber, tossing Pete's friendship away... but hey, Pete has Dorothy to console him...

"Dorothy, where are you from originally? Kansas, perhaps?"

"...no, Missouri... but just outside of Kansas CITY...but of course, I don't think we're in Kansas City anymore..."

...a neat scene of Ginger hoofin' it up...is it just me, or are all the other chicks doing entirely opposite things? Is this supposed to be some kind of synched routine? Of course, Ginger is in perfect cadence and time...those other heifers better step it up, lest they be farmed out to the Gypsies...they are always looking for dancers too, you know...

...and now that C&P are in good stock, Dorothy will serve as deliverer of their tunes...not a bad choice at all, y'all...

...mere words fail...

...This dude is quite animated, but heck, I give him props, as I would have blissfully passed out well before she ever got to me...

...If anyone ever wonders why I'm a Gingerologist, I would just show them this sequence...

...so awesome...

...and Dorothy hitches her wagon to Mr. Pendleton...Chick snoozed, and loooosed... and Junior escaped from the Gypsies just in time to make the ending...BTW, apologies to any actual Gypsies who may have read this review... as well as any remaining Munchkins - although I think the last one died a few months ago...bummer...
Well...to end on a happier note, I am going to have another post here in a few which will be nothing more than Ginger in the 'Did You Ever See a Dream Walking' scene... Hu pushed the limits of screen caps for that sequence, so those pics will be given their own entry...no text or anything, just pics... stay tuned.
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Other Reviews:
"Ginger Rogers is the heroine and she is sittin' pretty again as to looks and general capability." - New York Sun
"Miss Rogers is always one of the pleasures of the cinema; a girl who combines looks, grace and an unaffected wit." - New York Herald Tribune
"Ginger Rogers deserves a bouquet for the excellent way she puts over a song in close-up. A difficult feat, which she accomplishes amazingly, without awkwardness or grimacing." - Hollywood Screen World
"Ginger Rogers plays the feminine lead in capable fashion, providing the romantic interest and singing several tunes in her most vivacious manner." - Los Angeles Times
"The girls help lots, too, with the attractive Ginger having an edge over the curvaceous Thelma." - New York American
From GINGER: My Story: "The RKO brass was willing to lend me out to Paramount, right next door, because my role wasn't the feminine lead. I was working on one picture at RKO and then hastening next door to Paramount in my "spare time". The quickest way for me to go to and fro was by bicycle, and I spent the next few weeks wheeling from studio to studio.
In Sitting Pretty I had three songs. I liked two of them and had enough gumption to say I didn't like the third. I really stood my ground and refused to sing it. (I wish I'd been as firm about some other things during my career!) The producers gave in. I was told I could choose my third number from a stack of music in the corner of the room. This pile seemed to contain all the songs rejected over the past two years. I wondered if I'd find anything among the castoffs. I worked through the pile of songs and then saw a title that appealed to me. Scanning the music, I realized this discard was far superior to the one I'd originally been given. I sang it in the film and it proved to be a hit. In time it became a standard. I was proud of my choice, "Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?"
Miscellaneous Stuff:
--- Ginger's first movie for Paramount's Hollywood Studio.
--- Jack Haley would ultimately become the Wizard of Oz's Tin Man.
--- Ginger's last musical prior to her pairing with Fred Astaire.
--- Released in Portugal in 1936 with the title "Sonhos de Gloria".
GingerFilm Ranking: #03 of 19...Ginger's singing and finale number, coupled with her general role as a sweetheart, ends up pretty high on the list. It is actually a bit of a conundrum, as Ginger is really not overtly sassy in this one, but is about as sweet as you would ever hope for, which is pretty breathtaking at times (for Huey, anyway...) Overall, this one is a MUST for Gingerologists...REALLY wish they would clean this one up for an 'Archive' collection... Paramount has some 'classics' currently out on DVD, but haven't delved into the 30's, unfortunately...c'mon, dudes - time's-a-wastin'!!!
After Seventeen Reviews:
#01 - Professional Sweetheart
#02 - 42nd Street
#03 - Sitting Pretty
#04 - The Tenderfoot
#05 - The Tip-Off
#06 - Queen High
#07 - Young Man of Manhattan
#08 - You Said A Mouthful
#09 - Carnival Boat
#10 - A Shriek in the Night
#11 - The Thirteenth Guest
#12 - Don't Bet On Love
#13 - Broadway Bad
#14 - Gold Diggers of 1933
#15 - The Sap From Syracuse
#16 - Suicide Fleet
#17 - Follow The Leader
#18 - Honor Among Lovers
#19 - Hat Check Girl***
*** - Not viewed due to unavailability.
Up Next: Flying Down To Rio... Got a feeling this one will be second only to 'Professional Sweetheart' in terms of overall Gingery goodness... just the 'Music Makes Me' number alone puts it pretty high... but then again, 'We're in the Money' didn't get '33 too far up the ladder, so...it's going to be an interesting pick... Hey, I'm just glad to be getting into the Freddie movies...making some headway, right?

Until then, as always...

KIG, Y'all!!!

VKMfanHuey
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I know, I know...

2011-12-14T22:43:00.001-06:00

...this is supposed to be the 'Sitting Pretty' review...it's about 90%, y'all...just need to go thru the 'photo montage' stuff...I have a few ideas, which hopefully will work out OK by the weekend...

In the meantime, a few odds and ends...

First, thanks to Ron (yet again) for info regarding a 'festival' of Ginger Movies, to be shown at the Brattle Theatre, in Cambridge, Massachusetts (just northwest of Boston). The series runs from December 25th thru December 30th, 2011...here's the link:

GingerFilm Festival in Boston

The 'Backwards & in High Heels' Tribute is another awesome Gingery event in Boston...got to give props to Beantown!!!
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...speaking of 'Backwards and in high heels', I was in a Hobby Lobby store yesterday with my daughter (I had been with her on a field trip, and we took off after lunch), and ran across this metal sign, which I have seen before, but knew at this point I HAD to buy, lest I never see it again:

...It's pretty nicely done, and has a 'pinkish' hue...I think Ginger would have loved this sign! If you told me four years ago I'd be buying a pinkish sign with high heel shoes on it, I'd have probably laughed you out of the room...yet here we are, right? Gingerology is serious juju, y'all...
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And finally, I thought I had already posted this pic, but I guess not... it's in regards to an original movie poster I purchased on eBay for the GingerFilm, 'I'll Be Seeing You':

...it's a honker, to be sure... 27"x40", which is a 'style A' poster - also called a 'one-sheet', I believe... at any rate, it's big... but I really want to frame it, as it needs 'preserving' - as you can see the 'slits' in the crease marks, and the corner 'loss'. Overall, tho, it was around $5.00, including shipping, so a pretty good deal for Huey.
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...AND, while we are on the Gingerbilia subject, y'all be sure to reply with whatever Santa or whoever else brings you that has Gingery Goodness to it... hope y'all get some good stuff!!!

Y'all just KIG!!!

VKMfanHuey
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New Look for the Official Ginger Rogers Website...

2011-12-03T09:36:00.001-06:00

...about time!!! Here's a 'cap' of the new 'main page'...pretty cool, y'all...

...glad to see it has been updated. It appears that the content is pretty much the same, but maybe it will be updated in a timely manner. Of course, I think we are pretty demanding when it comes to all things Ginger (I've been pretty critical of the site, especially regarding the total lack of info regarding the Gingertennial...), but overall the site has some pretty nice 'basic facts' about Ginger...I dig the 'painting gallery' of her works, for example. But it would be nice if they added a 'chat room' on here...we would blow that up. right? :-]

Here's the link to the site, in case y'all don't have it:

Updated Official Ginger Rogers Website

OK... next up is 'Sitting Pretty'...I've kinda 'jumped through' this one, and it will most likely fare well...Ginger has a few tunes in it, so that ALWAYS ups the 'Gingery Goodness Factor'... hoping I get it out to y'all by the end of the weekend.

In the meantime, hope everyone is having a good holiday season, with minimal stress!!!

KIG!!!

VKMfanHuey
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Post-Thanksgiving Gingery Issues...

2011-11-26T23:24:00.001-06:00

...a pic somewhat appropriate for the season (Thanksgiving/Halloween/fall-ish...although ultimately a 'Western' theme happening here...but still pretty interesting...) and coinciding with the last review of "Don't Bet on Love"... LA seems quite happy here, while Ginger is a bit...reserved...or at least 'calculating'...wonder what the situation is here?

WELL, first off, this post has been created using the NEW blogger interface arrangement (didn't they just DO an update?) - so, hopefully it will work out well...will be interesting to see how the next movie review (Sitting Pretty) will materialize...

AND... hope everyone had a VERY Gingery Thanksgiving and post-Thanksgiving, which seems to really be the big deal of the weekend now, the 'Black Friday' sales... BTW, I learned that 'Black Friday' refers to the fact that most retailers depend on this weekend to end the year up 'in the black', financially...returns notwithstanding...

...haaa-haaa...

ALSO... I have talked to a few folks about the new movie, 'J. Edgar', which has a brief scene with Lela (played by Leah Thompson) and Ginger (played by Jamie LaBarber) having dinner with J. Edgar... but no substantial info obtained - I think the scene is so brief, that if you weren't looking for it, it probably gets glossed over for the most part... if any of y'all out there have seen it, please feel free to respond with how the Rogers ladies were portrayed... I am pretty interested, as this is the first I've heard of Lela having any involvement with Hoover... and here is a cool link regarding the young actress who portrays Ginger...no pic, tho, dang it!
Jamie LaBarber plays Ginger Rogers in 'J. Edgar' movie

PLUS, I have noticed that the 'iPlayer' on the site that is loaded with tunes has 'dropped' a good bit of those tunes... well, that player (the pink one) was actually set up as 'linked' to a fellow blogger's computer... guess I need to get in touch with them... I REALLY need to get more tunes on the site, anyway (yeah, I've been saying that for a while now...) - so, if anyone has any suggestions as to good 'players' for a blog, with minimal 'linking' rigmarole, it would be GREATLY appreciated...

FINALLY, next up is 'Sitting Pretty'...hope to have it out in 2-3 days... should be pretty interesting, but overall I remember Ginger playing a somewhat 'pedestrian' role...well, up until her final scene, which is of monumental proportions...

...oh, my my my...should prove to be a pretty sweet week, y'all...

Until then,

KIG!!!

VKMfanHuey
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Ginger Rogers Film Review #17 - Don't Bet On Love

2011-11-14T23:49:00.000-06:00

DON'T BET ON LOVE

(July 1, 1933 - Universal Pictures)

Run Time (approximate): 62 Minutes
Directed by: Murray Roth.
Producer: Carl Laemmle.
Screenplay: Howard E. Rogers, Murray Roth and Ben Ryan.
Based on a Story by: Murray Roth.
Photography by: Jackson Rose.
Art Director: Charles D. Hall.
Edited by: Robert Carlisle.
Sound Recorder: Gilbert Kurland.
Editorial Supervisor: Maurice Pivar.
Production Supervisor: E. M. Asher.
Also Starring: Lew Ayres (as Bill McCaffery), Charley Grapewin (as Pop McCaffery), Shirley Grey (as Goldie Williams), Tom Dugan (as Scotty), Mema Kennedy (as Ruby 'Babe' Norton), Lucile Gleason (as Mrs. Gilbert), Robert Emmett O'Connor (as Edward Shelton).
UNCREDITED CAST: Henry Armetta (as Caparillo the Barber), William Bailey (as Reporter), Brooks Benedict (as Cunningham), Tyler Brooke (as 'passerby'), Clay Clement (as Arnold Ross, Attorney), Mike Donlin (as One of Shelton's Hoods), Bobby Dunn (as Cross-eyed Bettor), Willie Fung (as Charley Lee), June Gittelson (as Heavy Wedding Guest), Al Hill (as One of Shelton's Hoods), Arthur Housman (as One of Shelton's Hoods), Eddie Kane (as Eddie the Bookie), John 'Skins' Miller (as R. M. Bigsby the Undertaker), Lorin Raker (as Reporter), Craig Reynolds (as Reporter), Pepe Sinoff (as Mrs. Rosenbaum), Fred 'Snowflake' Toones (as Snowflake), and Alfred White (as Rosenbaum).
Ginger's Character: Molly Gilbert.
Ginger's 'Screen Time': Approximately 13 Minutes and 38 Seconds (22.1% of the film).
GingerTunes: None
Gingery Goodness Factor (GGF) - (1-10): 6.5 - A very 'normal' role for Ginger...which typically is quite pleasant in and of itself, but this one would have been a good bit better if Ginger would have been allowed to be a bit more spunky in certain scenes. Maybe she didn't want to 'cut up' too much in front of her 'dream man'...
Film Quality (1-10): 7.0 - Fair, but not great... no 'commercial' copies available, but eBay and the like have copies available for a nominal fee...
Huey's Review for GINGEROLOGY: Well, it's a bit interesting that this review is being posted on the 77th anniversary of Ginger's marriage to Mr. Ayres (11/14/34). And, from recent info from various sources (thanks, Whitney!), it appears that Ginger and Lew remained in touch after their eventual breakup in 1940. So, all that to say, this movie is quite interesting for Gingerologists, primarily to see how these two 'hit it off'. Overall, it seems like Ginger is VERY happy to be on this set... and I think her 'real' feelings for Ayres may have 'tempered' her acting here...not that it's bad at all, but, realistically, it would be hard to act out an 'anger' scene with someone you are really trying to win over... if that makes sense.
As for the movie, it's really a pretty easy nut to crack... Ayres plays Bill McCafferty, the son of a plumber (Charles Grapewin); Pop wants Bill to settle in at the shop and plan on taking over the trade. However, Bill is big on playing the ponies (this is where the 'Bet' part of the title comes into play...clever, huh?) - and he has been on a winning streak as of late. Of course, Pop tries to keep him level-headed.
And, as any rebellious young cuss should be, Bill is enamored with a sweet young lady (our Miss Rogers as Molly Gilbert), whom he has courted to the point of asking for her hand in marriage. She gently rebuffs his proposal, however (which in my mind is like being gently thrown in front of a runaway Mack truck), for she knows full well of his forays into parlays (pretty good word association, eh?)... but he eventually talks her into it.
The wedding is all on track (ANOTHER horse racing pun for ya...), until at the 'pre-wedding party deal', Molly learns that Bill's desire to head to Saratoga for their honeymoon just happens to coincide with the opening of the race season... so she gives him the ultimatum of "It's me or the horses"...and wouldn't ya know it, the horses win out...for a while, at least (insert gooberhead remark here).
Bill heads out to S-town with his sidekick Scotty (Tom Dugan), where Bill wins BIG, and they eventually delve into the 'underbelly' of the gambling game, hooking up with one of the big cheeses, Edward Sheldon (Robert Emmett O'Connor) (BTW, "Robert Emmett" was my paternal granddad's name, and "O'Connor" was my maternal grandma's maiden name...so there ya go...). Of course, Sheldon is crooked as all get out, at the eventual expense of Bill and Scotty... and Bill also has 'woman troubles' along the way with resident Golddigger "Goldie" Williams (Shirley Grey), who somehow tries to frame Bill with letters...er, not sure how, guess I'm pretty ignorant of frame jobs by loose women... which probably shocks y'all to no end...
Anyway, all the unpleasantries get sorted out, and it's not a shock to find Bill and Molly looking in the same direction at the end of the film.
The general 'foreshadowing' of the movie theme as it pertains to Ginger's actual marriage to Ayres is a bit interesting, as the 'addiction' of gambling portrayed in the film could generally be translated into Ayres' 'addiction' of wild nightlife and drinking, as Ginger refers to in her bio, which ultimately destroys their marriage...no happy ending in real life, unfortunately.

Favorite Ginger Moments: Pretty 'normal' throughout, Ginger is sweet and kind in this one, and level-headed as well... one line she utters that sticks out in my mind is when she is with Bill at a NICE restaurant/nightclub, and she exclaims something to the effect of "$3.50 for our dinner? That's insane!" Pretty funny when you realize that doesn't cover a Quarter Pounder at this point in time...

...We meet Miss Molly at her manicurist station...were manicures originally for men only? If so, when did Womanicures come into vogue?

...This dude isn't Ayres...but is definitely working on Molly...

"You know, I'm a chin man..."

"OK dude, now this is just getting a bit awkward..."

...Ah, Billy shows up just in time...

"...Why, no, Bill...my chin feels fine...why - does it look wrinkled?"

"Dude, you really need to get that chin-grabbing deal under control..."

...Molly and Bill's first screen time together...

..."Thanks for saving me from "Dr. Chin" in there..."

...And it's off to dine... Ginger really seems to be truly happy here...

What kind of ice cream does this joint have?

"...let me guess...you forgot your wallet again..."

...A cute pic, as Molly 'doubles-back' to make sure dude puts his dough in the bank... "It's not that I don't trust you, but it's just that I don't trust anybody..."

One's money couldn't be safer than in a local bank, circa 1933...right?

...Y'all need to move along, and cease all this chin music...

...Ginger just looks cool in this shot...

...even cooler here, cutting in front of her man-friend...

"...and most of all, I want a swimming pool! And maybe a few tennis courts..."

"No problem, doll... I'll get the excavators out on the property tomorrow morning..."

"...and he's putting in a pool tomorrow morning! I'll need to get my cabana boy Huey on the site to coordinate and design...he's the ONLY one who truly understands my aquatic needs..."

"What do you mean, the lot is too steep?"

"Do you know how many metric tons of earth we would have to haul in to level that backyard out?"

"...and then there's all the construction costs, design fees, hiring a cabana boy..."

"Listen, I already HAVE a cabana boy! The sooner you get that through your thick skull, the better off you'll be!!!"

"In fact, until you come to grips with the necessity of a pool, I'm just gonna have to call it off, Lew..er, Bill, whatever name you're using now..."

"Here's yer rock back, jack..."

"...I just hope I can get back to the house before Huey orders that pallet of shocker..."

"OK, I was WRONG... I know it's of utmost importance to have superior water features on site... now please, reconsider..."

"Well, let me think about it, Lew-Bob..."

"..and of course Huey will be given full reign over all design, construction, setup, and maintenance...he's an artist, Lew... a TRUE artist..."

"...so you have to keep the pH levels balanced by adding sodium bisulfate to lessen your alkalinity..."

"You don't even know what effect alkalinity has on a pool's circulation system, do you, Lew?"

"...Ummm-Hmmm...that's what I thought..."

"So, it's all set, Hu... Lew will have the retaining walls poured by Friday..."

"You haven't won yet, pool punk..."

"Sorry, Hu, he's just a bit touchy about the bones he's having to sink into this project... he should have done a bit more research as to my 'high-maintenance' status..."

...OK, back to the actual 'movie'...this cap is just pretty dang cool, if I DO say so myself...

...another pic of the lovely couple...

...and an adios...it's honestly sad these two couldn't work it out - as again, it's pretty evident Ginger is very happy in this movie, and that's reason alone to watch it, y'all...

Other Reviews:
"Lew Ayres, as the plumber, and Ginger Rogers, as the manicurist, make a pleasant team." - New York Times
"Miss Rogers tones her performance down to suit the character and proves a versatility unsuspected in her recent acting." - New York Herald Tribune
"Ayres and Miss Rogers appear to advantage as a team, although there is not much for either of them in the way of acting opportunities. They are a good-looking couple, and it's a pity they weren't married right at the start of the story, for Ginger's charm would undoubtedly have caused Ayres to go straight right away." - Los Angeles Times
"With Lew Ayres and Ginger Rogers in the leads, it is well acted, never assumes pretentiousness and stays right in character all the way through." - Motion Picture Herald
From GINGER: My Story: "Shortly after I finished Professional Sweetheart, my agent informed me that I was up for the leading lady role in a Universal film, Don't Bet on Love. The star of that movie was Lew Ayres. Lew Ayres! I could hardly believe it. Imagine, I might be cast opposite my idol! Ever since I'd seen him in All Quiet on the Western Front, I'd been nurturing a crush on him." [Ginger then recalls the 'earthquake' story...a pretty telling tale, but a bit too lengthy to include here...buy the book! - Hu] (continuing...) "A couple of months after our earthquake encounter, production started on Don't Bet on Love. It couldn't begin soon enough for me. Murray Roth, the director, was an angel. He knew that Lew and I had it bad for each other, and he didn't try to exploit the romance by playing tricks on us or humiliating us in front of the rest of the cast. I was wishing we could have filmed forever, but it was only a four-week shoot."
Miscellaneous Stuff:
Well, really not much miscellany concerning the film, other than an alternate title of 'In the Money' (wonder where THAT came from...) - so, here's some interesting facts about Mr. Ayres, which most of ya probably already know, but just in case...
--- Was Dr. Kildare, a popular series of films in the late 30's - early 40's.
--- Was a 'conscientious objector' during WWII, as he was generally affected by his role in the 1930 film All Quiet on the Western Front; as a result, Ayres' films were shunned by the American public for quite some time afterward. He would eventually serve in the South Pacific as a medic, and later as a chaplin's aid.
--- Played piano for a big band before delving into acting.
--- Has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for Motion Pictures, and one for Radio.
--- Is buried in Westwood Memorial Park in L.A., next to Frank Zappa.
--- The official time period of the Ginger - Ayres marriage was from November 13, 1934 to March 13, 1940.
GingerFilm Ranking: #11 of 18...Again, a nice character, but no real 'sassiness' to speak of...and a few long stints within the film w/o Ginger doesn't help matters, either.
After Seventeen Reviews:
#01 - Professional Sweetheart
#02 - 42nd Street
#03 - The Tenderfoot
#04 - The Tip-Off
#05 - Queen High
#06 - Young Man of Manhattan
#07 - You Said A Mouthful
#08 - Carnival Boat
#09 - A Shriek in the Night
#10 - The Thirteenth Guest
#11 - Don't Bet On Love
#12 - Broadway Bad
#13 - Gold Diggers of 1933
#14 - The Sap From Syracuse
#15 - Suicide Fleet
#16 - Follow The Leader
#17 - Honor Among Lovers
#18 - Hat Check Girl***
*** - Not viewed due to unavailability.

Up Next: Sitting Pretty... Ginger delves into another musical, which would eventually become the last 'Pre-Fred' musical she did... it's a fair movie, from recollection, but my copy is VERY bad... I 'obtained' a better copy, but have to figure out how to view it... hopefully I can sort it out for the review. I DO know that Ginger's performance in 'Did You Ever See a Dream Walking' is a 'Hit Huey over the Head with a Hammer' moment, if y'all catch my drift... :-)

Until then, as always...

KIG, Y'all!!!

VKMfanHuey
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Y'all have a Gingery Halloween!!!

2011-10-30T00:02:00.000-05:00

...well, not too many pics out there of Ginger in Halloween costumes... so, I'll give ya a little 'rabid squirrel impression' action from our fair lady... that little sequence ALWAYS cracks me up...
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In other Ginger news, Thanks to Whitney VLH for her report from the Ginger Rogers Century exhibition in Boston! She posted a comment on the 'just a few pics' post from a few weeks back... for those who missed it, here is the report:

"I was blessed to be able to attend the opening of the "Ginger Rogers Century" archive and the show in Boston on Oct. 24th. and wanted to tell you all about it:
The archive is chock-full of moving correspondence between Ginger and the many people who loved her, including her mother and her friends such as Lucille Ball and Jimmy Stewart. It also features lots of photographs, renderings of her artwork, and items like her Oscar, her Kennedy Center Honor medallion and ribbon (which I'm grateful I got to see her receive in 1992), and even one of her old tennis rackets! Roberta Olden, Ginger's longtime assistant, selected items with much loving care for Boston University to display.
Angela Lansbury spoke poignantly about how Ginger and Lew Ayres (a neighbor of hers in Brentwood for many years) had a great love for each other that endured in friendship despite the tragedy of their marriage ending. I SO wish that those two had gotten back together!!! The archive included a letter and telegram from Lew to Ginger, and reading those, it was evident how much he loved her. I think he was a great man, just as Ginger was a great lady, despite the mistakes they made -- and in the end, love still prevailed.
It was awesome to hear a song that Ginger composed herself in 1936 (the year they separated) in the show. The song was called "I Don't Understand" (a love song, that was probably referring to Lew). Jazz singer Karen Oberlin did a pitch-perfect job of performing the many songs that Ginger made famous from composers like Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, and Jerome Kern.
The archive will stay on display for several months at Boston U., I was told, so if any of you are in Boston, hope you can check it out!"
Whitney

Awesome stuff, Whitney! Would have LOVED to hear the Ginger tune... ya didn't happen to sneak in a recorder of some type, eh? :-)
It's also good to hear Ginger and Lew remained buds... y'know, if I were somehow able to do the 'back in time' stuff, and be able to be anyone (yeah, that's pretty weird and far-fetched, but hey...), I think it would be Lew... I mean, DANG...Ginger called him her 'dream man'... how insane is THAT?
...AND, it's cool to know that the exhibit will be there for awhile... just wish it would get a LITTLE closer to 'South Gingerville', such as Atlanta, Nashville, etc... here's hoping!
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ALSO, a few awesome Gingery features from fellow Gingerologist, arrowfoxi!!!
First, a photo of Ginger from photographer James Doolittle, who captured Ginger (during her 'In Person' days - the gown is the one she has in the final scene) quite well, to the extent that she said it was one of her favorite photos of herself from anyone... no arguement from this here Gingerologist...

...the original photo sold in 2002 for 2,445 euros, which is roughly, oh...about $1,000,000 U.S. dollars (jk...for the time being, anyway... seriously, it's about $3,500.00). If only I could score a lottery, y'all...it would be scary how much Gingerbilia would accumulate in the Huey domicile...
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AND, here is a link to a VERY neat site, which generally is a compilation of MANY quotes and passages from books and reviews regarding Ginger... I've thought about doing something like this, but...well, heck, here it ALREADY is!

Ginger Rogers Appreciations

...this site is overseen by arrowfoxi (a.k.a. todflet@sonic.net ) - and, notice that any new-found Gingery text is of great interest, so drop an e-mail over there if ya have any new stuff!
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Well, next up here is the 'Don't Bet on Love' review... Thanks to Ron for a cool 'lobby card' shot of this film:

Whitney's conclusion of Ayres may 'temper' my review a bit... but he's still (somewhat) of a gooberhead, y'all...I mean, come ON...'Dream Man'... how do you screw THAT up, y'all?

KIG!

VKMfanHuey
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Ginger Rogers Film Review #16 - A Shriek in the Night

2011-10-19T23:45:00.002-05:00

A SHRIEK IN THE NIGHT

(July 22, 1933 - Allied Pictures Corporation)

Run Time (approximate): 66 Minutes
Directed by: Albert Ray.
Producer: M. H. Hoffman.
Scenarist: Frances Hyland.
Based on a Story by: Kurt Kempler.
Photography by: Harry Newman and Tom Galligan.
Art Director: Gene Hornbistel.
Edited by: Leete Renick Brown.
Sound Recorder: Homer C. Ellmaker.
Music Supervisor: Abe Meyer.
Costume Design: Alfreda.
Production Management: Sidney Algier.
Assistant Director: Wilbur McGaugh.
Also Starring: Lyle Talbot (as Ted Rand), Harvey Clark (as Peterson, the Janitor), Purnell Pratt (as Police Inspector Russell), Lillian Harmer (as Augusta, the Housekeeper), Arthur Hoyt (as Wilfred), Louise Beavers (as Maid), Clarence Wilson (as Editor Perkins).
UNCREDITED CAST: Maurice Black (as Josephus Martini), Jim Farley (as Detective Jim Brown), Cyril Ring (as Eddie the Morgue Attendant), Dick Rush (as Policeman in Hallway), and Tiny Sandford (as Detective Eddie).
Ginger's Character: Pat Morgan.
Ginger's 'Screen Time': Approximately 35 Minutes and 57 Seconds (54.5% of the film).
GingerTunes: None
Gingery Goodness Factor (GGF) - (1-10): 7.0 - Although heaps of 'face time' for Ginger, the role just doesn't lend itself to a lot of 'sassy' input, save for a few nice spots here and there...Ginger's character is pretty 'straightforward', and is ultimately 'corralled' by the leading man, in pretty nondescript fashion - I mean, he doesn't actually even REALLY save her from the endgame peril.
Film Quality (1-10): 6.5 - That may be generous for the copy I have...there are multiple 'editions' of this one out there, but not sure if they are all from the same 'source film'... but there are a few scenes cut short (where you hear dialogue but the screen is black) - not enough to really affect anything, but...it DOES earn negative points for the overall film condition. The 'caps' I made did end up pretty fair, but those were in-betwixt a lot of dust-spots-fuzz on certain frames. Also, the sound is not the best...dialogue is OK, but in 'lull' areas, there is a constant 'crinkling' sound, like it's raining...the first scene you think, 'well, maybe it's supposed to be raining, as it is at night and you really can't tell... but the next scene in the penthouse clarifies, as typically rain does not occur within a penthouse (unless the fire sprinklers go off...which they most likely did not even have back then...)
Available From: Various DVDs available..
Huey's Review for GINGEROLOGY: Ginger's fifth film of 1933 finds her back in the 'murder/mystery/suspense' genre, this time as an undercover newspaper reporter (...actually, in 1933, I believe that's the only type of reporter there was...but I digress...) by the name of Patricia Morgan. She has been 'planted' as the secretary of a financial big dawg that goes by the name of Mr. Harker... who is on screen about 3 seconds, in the form of a mannequin tossed down from his penthouse. In other words, whoever played Harker most likely didn't make union scale for his acting efforts.
ANYWAY, Pat was investigating Harker's possible link with mob member Joe Martini (yes, there's at least one 'dry martini' joke during the proceedings...) She has gathered enough info to piece together possible reasoning behind Harker's demise, and calls it in to her paper...except the call is 'intercepted' by a rival reporter on the scene, Ted Rand (Lyle Talbot), who takes the info and runs with it...to HIS newspaper.
When Pat's editor discovers all the info about the case (which only she could have known by her 'inside' position) sprawled on the front page of the competitor, he promptly fires Pat.
Well, when Pat figures out Ted was the one who stole the info, she was JUST a bit miffed (not to the point of throwing things, however....) ...and confronts him on the matter. This is where we learn these two have a 'past', which eliminates the need for developing a relationship from scratch on the screen (this one clocks in at just over an hour, y'all...). Well, Ted does pretty fair damage control, and soon the relatively happy couple, along with Inspector Russell (Purnell Pratt) are in concert regarding the investigation. Along the way, a few more folks get snuffed out, one of which was a 'prime suspect' (ain't that ALWAYS the case?). Pat does a bit of 'snooping' in Martini's apartment, with no tangible results. Before long, however, Pat receives a letter with a card enclosed...reading 'You Will Hear It', with a coiled snake on it...a la 'Don't Tread On Me'... this was found on each of the previous victims, which, of course, labels Pat as a future victim! Well, that's about all I'll go over here, in order to let you discover the end of this 'whodunnit'... but it's not that big a mystery that Pat and Ted have a happy ever after, y'all.
Ginger and Talbot have a better overall chemistry in this one than in Thirteenth Guest, which is a natural progression upon subsequent 'pairings' with each other.
Some folks have suggested that this very movie was the 'inspiration' for 'The Thin Man' series...not sure about THAT, but there are some similarities in the interactions between the couples... but the plot, while a murder mystery, isn't nearly as 'complex' as any of the Thin Man films.
Favorite Ginger Moments: Ginger is pretty much 'straight role' in this one, so her 'trademark' moves are all in this one...it's fun to pick up on all the different ones developing, such as the eyebrow raise, becoming close to perfected in this one... among others, as shown in the many caps to follow...

...First look at Pat, just after the nose dive by Harker...BTW, how cool is that lamp? I would LUV to have that one as a 'Gingerbilia' item...

...With Inspector Russell, who has a fairly dry sense of humor...

"...Hello, Mother?..."

"...yes...it's a murder/mystery film...you know, kinda like that one I did a few months ago over at Monogram..."

"...Well, no, there's no singing or dancing in it...it's a DRAMA, Ma..."

"...why aren't you over at RKO, dear? I've heard they have a few nice musicals coming up..."

"MAAA, listen! I'll do enough musicals down the road! For now, I'm trying to add some diversification to my resume!"

"...Hopefully I can get thru to QVC and tell them to take back this weird 'cat-vs.-boy' statuette thingie that Lelee ordered..."

...OK, back to the actual 'plot'... well, this is just the scene where Pat figures out Ted has used her info for his story...but DANG...newspapers used to be pretty honkin' back then..I mean you could float a Mini Cooper on that thing if it were folded completely out...

...OK, personal Huey injection...Ginger is just cute as ALL-get-out in this picture...I mean, that's just PAINFULLY cute...

...somewhat somber here, but still awesome...

...she is conversing with the inspector in this scene, basically sweet-talking her way out of a potential 'withholding information' rap with little or no trouble...

...and then it's on to the...well, morgue, to check out the dude who they thought was the killer, but is now the 'killee'...this is rare, to see Ginger in the back seat alone...well, that doesn't sound proper...the intent is that it's rare to see Ginger alone ANYWHERE...

...this is an interesting little sequence, as the inspector gives Pat the slip by jumping out, then back in the car...what's interesting is that Ginger was purt near (there's that phrase again, y'all...) tossed head over heels when the car came to a screeching halt... Ralph Nader would have had a field day back then, y'all...

...I think these two make a pretty fair 'on-screen' couple...would have been interesting to see them in a 'big-budget' together...

...and she's alone again...and seems a bit peeved...

...ah, that's better...

"...I can't believe this bill for that cat-dog-boy-child statue thing...grrrr..."

"...Look, I'm not even sure we ORDERED that... I'm thinking now that it was some type of prank...yes, a PRANK..."

"...and you just tell Ms. Hepburn that in the future, we will purchase our OWN gauche figurines! Good DAY!"

"...uh-oh...I just remembered that Lelee DID buy that statue...it shows up on her American Express Gold Card Statement here... she's been a member since 1897..."

"...so, you see, Kate, it was all a big misunderstanding...we'll have a good laugh about this somewhere down the road... probably in a knitting circle or something... and thanks for returning it in one piece - Lelee would NEVER forgive me if something were to happen to it..."

...pow...right in the kisser...

"...that's funny...I don't remember THAT part of the script..."

"...show me in this script where you are supposed to smooch me at the door..."

"...listen, you can't just come in here and 'ad lib' stuff like that...I've got to get over to Universal by 4...or is it Paramount? I'll have to call mother again..."

"...but overall, you're doing fine, kid...stick em' up!"

...so when's lunch?...

"...so was it Paramount?"

"...nope...Universal...they are teaming me up with some gooberhead I'm sure I'll end up falling for..."

...the 'warning' of impending doom for Pat...which gets me to thinking....if you DID want to 'snuff' someone out, WHY would you send them a 'warning'? Especially thru the U.S. Postal Service? Wouldn't that take, like, a week? And yes, that is a cigarette in Ginger's cute little fingers... I am not a fan of smoking, and Ginger quit it in the late 30's... I TRULY hope y'all don't smoke, or can quit... OK rant over.

"...we may could sell that thing on my etsy site..."

"...HEYYYY...wait a minute...this is the part when the dude shows up and hauls me off!"

" And there he is...wouldn't you know it...still 15 minutes before lunch...this scene is gonna take at LEAST an hour to run-thru..."

"...so I just head-butted that dude a few times, and he collapsed like the S&P 500..."

"...oh, I'm fine, Ma...just glad this little story is over with...yes, I'll get rolling on a musical somewhere soon..."

"...now, who in the WORLD would want to be in a musical with women hoofing on the wings of planes, Ma?"

Other Reviews:
"Chief among the attractions of this diversion is the Rogers-Talbot characterizations of newspaper persons. They come very close to being life-like, and that is pretty miraculous for Hollywood...All in all, considering the title, an agreeable surprise." - New York Times
"It holds you all the way. Cast is far above average." -Hollywood Filmograph
"Ginger Rogers is exceptionally well-cast as the girl reporter." - Hollywood Screen World
From GINGER: My Story: This is the only film I am aware of that Ginger does not mention in her bio...probably because of the impending collaboration with gooberhead Lew that is soon to follow, as she has a LOT to write about that timeframe...
Miscellaneous Stuff:
--- Although the production was from Allied Studios, the movie was actually shot on the RKO lot (well, ONE source notes this, so don't quote me on it...).
--- The black maid, portrayed by Louise Beavers, was erroneously noted in the opening credits as 'Louise Beaver".
--- Ginger's second teaming with Lyle Talbot, the first being The Thirteenth Guest, another 'low-budget' murder mystery.
--- Ginger's character in both this one and The Thirteenth Guest are named 'Morgan'.
--- And, a pretty COOL feature from IMDb... the entire movie free for download! Check it out at this link:
A Shriek in the Night video feed

GingerFilm Ranking: #09 of 17...At the end, this one is just a bit better than 'The Thirteenth Guest', in terms of sheer Ginger 'face time', so it's just over that one in the rankings... her role is solid, but...'pedestrian' (i.e., minimal Sassyness).
After Fourteen Reviews:
#01 - Professional Sweetheart
#02 - 42nd Street
#03 - The Tenderfoot
#04 - The Tip-Off
#05 - Queen High
#06 - Young Man of Manhattan
#07 - You Said A Mouthful
#08 - Carnival Boat
#09 - A Shriek in the Night
#10 - The Thirteenth Guest
#11 - Broadway Bad
#12 - Gold Diggers of 1933
#13 - The Sap From Syracuse
#14 - Suicide Fleet
#15 - Follow The Leader
#16 - Honor Among Lovers
#17 - Hat Check Girl***
*** - Not viewed due to unavailability.

Up Next: Don't Bet on Love..Ginger stars with future gooberhead hubby Lew Ayres in a 'basic' rom-com about a dude who can't stop gambling...while trying to hang onto Ginger. Of course, this one is of interest to G-ologists, if only to observe how these two hit it off...

Until then, as always...

KIG, Y'all!!!

VKMfanHuey
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...Just a few pics...

2011-10-10T23:22:00.000-05:00

...actually, I have jumped back on eBay (pray for my moderation in purchasing, please... :-] ) - and found a few cool items - probably my fave of which is the following picture, of Ginger and Fred in later days...I just slap LUV this pic, y'all!

...I think if anyone had 'reservations' that these two didn't get along, this pic should quash that notion in short order.

Well, It's been a few, y'all...not sure why, guess I have been a bit busier than I thought... but I am raring to jump back into it here, and should have the next review up in a few days...I already have the 'bones' to it set up... it does take a few days to do the review, do 'caps', and sort out everything for the final post... not that I'm complaining or anything - it's really a perfect way to get 'max info' from each movie, and hopefully become that much closer to the title, 'Supreme-super-duper-grand-poo-bah-uber-Gingerologist' (yeah, that's gonna be tough to get on one of those little trophy nameplates).

Speaking of 'uber-G-ologists', here's hoping we get a few to attend the Ginger Century Exhibition in Boston on 10/24 and 10/25 (yeah, that's a huge sigh of despair emanating from the Hu-ster, knowing the impossibility of his attendance chances...) Well, here's a link to it again, in case you missed it:

Ginger Rogers Century Exhibition - Boston 10-24 and 25

And, lastly, hope all of you are well out there! Hope to hear from y'all... jump on the replies for this post...we'll yak about whatever!

And, a sincere and heartfelt thanks to all who follow!

KIG!

VKMfanHuey
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...more GingerReviews on Movies Unlimited!

2011-09-22T23:21:00.000-05:00

...this time it is for 'Monkey Business'... a nice review overall, even though it does point out some of the overt 'silliness' involved...but hey, it's a screwball comedy, right? Good to see folks out there checking out GingerFilms...Here's the link:

Monkey Business Review from Movies Unlimited

Well, I hope everyone out there is getting geared up for autumn...it's really my favorite time of year, even though I get a bit melancholy for whatever reason... here's a 'autumn' painting Ginger did, which I don't know the exact name of, so let's just call it "GingeryAutumn" ...and yes, of course I would give my eye teeth to have one of her original paintings...

As for upcoming postings, the next will most likely be the "Shriek in the Night" review, hopefully out by the end of the weekend... there are a few more ideas rattling around in my head...and I am starting to get the 'itch' for eBay again...'tis the season, right? But realistically, I need to 'catalog' the Gingerbilia I have already... AND, potentially a new Huey computer may be on the horizon, as this box is almost 4 years old, so getting a bit temperamental... so, 'transferal' proceedings will also be in order...

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And finally, just wanted to inform those who didn't know that a fellow classic films blogger, Gerald Stewart, better known as Gordon Pasha, passed away recently... here is a link to his blog, Laszlos on Lex:

http://laszlosonlex.blogspot.com/

And, fellow blogger Matthew Coniam posted this very appropriate and moving tribute to him on his site, Movietone News:

http://www.movietone-news.com/

Gerald's blog was quite unique, as the posts were 'sparse' at times, but gave enough to pique your interest on a topic or actor/actress, and somehow always got his point across very succinctly. Gerald will be missed in the classic blogosphere, to be sure... Rest in Peace.

VKMfanHuey
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