cruise ship films

The Lady Eve comedy con game: Lisa’s Home Bijou

March 8, 2019 by Lisa Grable 2 Comments

Film Festival: Cruise Ship Romance

The Lady Eve (1941) is a sparkling romance on a cruise ship and a revenge plot in high society Connecticut. Barbara Stanwyck plays dual roles with Henry Fonda as the young heir of a brewing fortune.

I’ve always loved the fantasy life of people cruising on ships in the old days. Dressing up for dinner, meeting all the strangers, and the romance of the sea just get to me. Barbara Stanwyck is a very fetching con artist on this ship.

The film opens in the Amazon with ophidiologist Charles Pike (Henry Fonda) and his companion Muggsy (William Demarest) receiving a precious snake they are to transport to Connecticut. Pike is the heir to a beer brewing fortune, and he’s rich enough to stop a cruise ship and board her.

Fascinated by the ship stopping, all the passengers want to know more about Pike. Jean (Barbara Stanwyck) and Colonel Harrington (Charles Coburn) are very interested and Jean is planning how to play cards with him.

“Is he rich? –As the purser so picturesquely put it, he’s dripping with dough. –He’d almost have to be to stop a boat! –What does he own, Pike’s Peak? –Oh no no, Pike’s Pale. The ale that won for Yale.” –Jean, Colonel Harrington, and Gerald

At dinner, everyone is drinking Pike’s Pale and every woman in the place is trying to catch Charles’ fancy. Jean just trips him and gets him into her cabin!

Easily convinced by the Colonel and Jean, Charles plays 3 handed bridge with them. Muggsy is having card troubles with Gerald.

“That’s Muggsy. My father took him off a truck when I was kid to look out for me, you know, kidnappers, stuff like that. He’s been sort of a bodyguard, governess, and a very bad valet ever since. He saved my life once.” –Charles

Muggsy is suspicious, but the Colonel loses to Charles, so the gambling looks okay.

“When I marry it’s gonna be somebody I’ve never seen before. I won’t know what he looks like or where he’ll come from or what he’ll be. I want him to sort of take me by surprise. –Like a burglar. –That’s right. And the night will be heavy with perfume.” –Jean and Charles

Colonel Harrington attempts to take Charles in a crooked card game. Jean foils his tricks and Charles ends up asking the Colonel for Jean’s hand. Actually, Jean has fallen in love with him, and wants the Colonel and Gerald to stop the con.

The ship’s purser and Muggsy know about the gang’s card playing. Once Charles finds out, the whole situation completely changes.

Connecticut

Once they are in New York, Jean, the Colonel, and Gerald meet their old friend Sir Alfred McGlennan Keith (Eric Blore) at the racetrack. He tells them about his sweet set up in Connecticut where he supports himself playing contract bridge with all the wealthy neighbors.

“Well, you’re certainly a sight for lame peepers. You know, I’ve seen nobody, absolutely not a soul, in our set of course, since the boats stopped running.” –Sir Alfred

Since World War II has stopped the sailing of the cruise ships Sir Alfred’s set up is wonderful for a professional gambler . Jean decides to take advantage and pose as Sir Alfred’s niece, The Lady Eve Sidwich.

Will Muggsy convince Charles that they’ve met Lady Eve before? How many times will Charles fall down? Will Jean get what she really wants? Enjoy this classic comedy to find out!

Resource Links for The Lady Eve

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033804/?ref_=ttgf_gf_tt
- The Lady Eve (1941) from IMDb
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/04/30/lady-be-good
- On the Barbara Stanwyck’s 100th^thanniversary from The New Yorker
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/63585%7C69239/Henry-Fonda/
- Henry Fonda biography from Turner Classic Movies
https://www.vulture.com/2018/10/a-guide-to-preston-sturgess-comedies.html
- A Preston Sturges Primer from Vulture

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Stowaway	Shall We Dance	Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Remember the Night	Weekend in Havana	That Certain Woman

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: Lisa’s Home Bijou

March 4, 2019 by Lisa Grable Leave a Comment

Film Festival: Cruise Ship Romance

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) is one of the great Technicolor movie musicals with two famous beauties as the stars. Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell take over a cruise ship.

I’ve always loved the fantasy life of people cruising on ships in the old days. Dressing up for dinner, meeting all the strangers, and the romance of the sea just get to me. This ship has Marilyn in the best pink dress and Jane dancing with Olympic athletes!

“Now one of these days in fancy clothes / I’m a goin’ back home and punch the nose / Of the one that broke my heart / the one who broke my heart / in Little Rock” – Dorothy and Lorelei

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) opens with Dorothy (Jane Russell) and Lorelei (Marilyn Monroe) in a big production number. Red sequined dresses, tons of jewelry, and “We’re just two little girls from Little Rock.” Afterwards, Gus Esmond presents Lorelei with a big diamond. Lorelei is going to Paris on the Ile de France and Gus will join her and get married there. Dorothy goes along as Lorelei’s chaperone.

“Is it the right size? –Oh it can never be too big! Do you think it’s too small, Dorothy? –Looks like it ought to have a high ball around it!” – Gus, Lorelei, and Dorothy

Boarding the ship, Dorothy is thrilled to see that the US Olympic team is also sailing.

“You’re supposed to be the chaperone on this trip. –Now let’s get this straight, Gus. The chaperone’s job is to see that no one else has any fun. But nobody chaperones the chaperone!” – Gus and Dorothy

A detective, Ernie Malone (Elliott Reed), also boards the ship. His job is to spy on Lorelei.

“I keep telling her, it’s just as easy to fall in love with a rich man as a poor man. She says, yes, but, if they’re tall, dark, and handsome, she never gets around to vital statistics until it’s too late!” –Lorelei

Dorothy discovers that the team has to stay in training during the voyage. She bemoans how busy they are in a wild scene with half-clad men in the gym, Is There Anyone Here for Love.

Dorothy meets Sir Francis “Piggy” Beekman (Charles Coburn) at a cocktail party. Piggy owns a diamond mine, the second largest in South Africa. Dorothy advises him not to tell Lorelei about the diamonds. Dorothy and Ernie hit it off while Lorelei dances with Piggy.

Lady Beekman joins the group.

“You might be interested in my tiara. I always carry it with me, afraid to leave it in the stateroom. –And you’re not afraid to show it to Lorelei? –Stop, Lady Beekman won’t know you’re teasing. –Look, did you ever, anywhere, anything like it? –All blue stones, cozy little job, what? –May I just hold it just for a minute?” –Lady Beekman, Lorelei, Piggy, Dorothy

Ernie and Dorothy are developing a true romance until Dorothy catches him spying on Lorelei and Piggy. The girls hatch a plot to get his incriminating photos back before Gus sees them.

The costumes for Dorothy and Lorelei are amazing and glamorous. They include jewels, brocade, décolleté, bustles, and more.

More songs to enjoy: Bye Bye Baby, When Love Goes Wrong, Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend.

“But square cut or pear shape / These rocks don’t lose their shape / Diamonds are a girl’s best friend / Tiffany’s / Cartier / Black Star Frost Gorham / Talk to me Harry Winston, tell me all about it” –Lorelei

Give Gentlemen Prefer Blondes a try for an enjoyable 1950s musical with the enchanting partnership of Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell.

Resource links for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045810/
- Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) from IMDb
https://marilynmonroe.com/about/see-all/
- The Story of Marilyn from Marilyn Monroe official website
https://wfpp.cdrs.columbia.edu/pioneer/ccp-anita-loos/
Anita Loos from Women Film Pioneers Project
http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/161080%7C0/Jane-Russell-Profile.html
- Jane Russell profile from Turner Classic Movies
http://www.julestyne.com/Biography.php
- Jule Styne biography from Jule Styne official website
https://www.hoagy.com/biography
- Hoagy Carmichael biography from official website

Affiliate links: if you make a purchase using these links, I’ll receive a small compensation towards maintaining this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Stowaway	Shall We Dance	The Lady Eve
Annotated White Christmas	The Seven Year Itch	San Francisco

Shall We Dance ballet and jazz: Lisa’s Home Bijou

March 1, 2019 by Lisa Grable Leave a Comment

Film Festival: Cruise Ship Romance

Shall We Dance (1937) is the seventh pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. This time he is the star of a Russian ballet troupe and Ginger is the famous tap and jazz dancer he admires. Traveling on a cruise ship is a huge piece of the plot.

I’ve always loved the fantasy life of people cruising on ships in the old days. Dressing up for dinner, meeting all the strangers, and the romance of the sea just get to me. Add in Fred and Ginger dancing onboard and I’m set!

Shall We Dance is the George and Ira Gershwin ballet musical answer to Rodgers and Hart’s big hit on Broadway, On Your Toes. On Your Toes had George Balanchine and Slaughter on Tenth Avenue. Shall We Dance has choreography by Hermes Pan, a specialty by Harriet Hoctor, and They Can’t Take That Away from Me.

Shall We Dance begins with a ballet company rehearsing in Paris. Petrov, aka Pete Peters (Fred Astaire) is practicing privately – he’s actually tap dancing to modern music and he doesn’t want anyone to know. His friend Jeff (Edward Everett Horton) discovers his secret and is outraged.

“I forbid that! That’s not art! –Maybe it isn’t. Perhaps it’s just the Philadelphia in me. Oh, Jeff, I wish we could combine the technique of the ballet with the warmth and passion of this other mood.” –Jeff and Petrov

Peter/Petrov has developed a celebrity crush on Linda Keene (Ginger Rogers) and he is delaying the ballet troupe leaving for New York until he gets a chance to meet Linda. He manages to make it to her apartment just as she is having a meltdown over all her leading men falling in love with her. She makes a scheme to get married and leave show business.

“Petrov? What’s a Petrov? –Just the Russian ballet’s greatest dancer! –Oh fine! Well tell him to go back to Moscow. – The gentleman seems very anxious to see you, miss. –Well I’ve got enough troubles without adding a dizzy Russian to them. Just another dancer to swoon in my arms! That’s all I need to make things perfect! A simpering toe dancer!” –Linda, Arthur, and Thai

Peter finds out that Linda is going to sail to New York on the Queen Anne and arranges to go, too. Meanwhile, Denise, aka Lady Tarrington, has come back to the company to try to hook up with a very unwilling Peter.

Shall We Dance on the cruise ship

On board, the ballet company uses one of the decks to rehearse. Jeff can’t find Peter because he is off working on his jazz with the crew in the engine room. Slap That Bass is one of my favorite Astaire numbers. The sounds and rhythm of the machinery of the ship are used in the music and dancing. Fred sings and dances with the African American crew members who work below decks.

The kennel for dogs on the cruise is on one of the decks. George Gershwin came up with a delightful piece of music, Walking the Dog Promenade, for the people walking their dogs. Peter borrows dogs so he can meet up with Linda walking her pet.

Seeking publicity for herself, Denise starts a rumor in the newspapers that Linda and Peter are married. The media frenzy blows up into Linda having a baby. She’s furious and arranges to fly to New York on the mail plane.

“You couldn’t have explained her embarrassment and humiliation. Now she’s gonna get married. –Married? – Yes. Married to a Park Avenue cluck with the longest yacht and the shortest chin every christened. You’ve driven her to that!” –Arthur and Peter

New York

Cecil Flintridge (Eric Blore) welcomes Linda back to her apartment in New York. He has set up one of her bedrooms as a nursery for a surprise. Cecil also has booked Peter and Jeff to stay next door. Poor Linda can’t get away from this situation!

More songs to enjoy: Beginner’s Luck, They All Laughed, Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off (the famous roller skate dance in Central Park), They Can’t Take That Away From Me, and Shall We Dance.

“They all laughed at Wilbur and his brother when they said that man could fly / they told Marconi wireless was a phony ” –Linda

As in many of the Astaire-Rogers musicals, Edward Everett Horton and Eric Blore add great supporting roles and comedy.

Resource links for Shall We Dance

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029546/?ref_=ttsnd_snd_tt
- Shall We Dance (1937) from IMDb
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/6516%7C54767/Fred-Astaire/
- Fred Astaire biography from Turner Classic Movies
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/164119%7C61650/Ginger-Rogers/biography.html
- Ginger Rogers biography from Turner Classic Movies
http://gershwin.com/the-gershwin-brothers/
- The Gershwin Brothers from Gershwin Enterprises

Affiliate links: if you make a purchase using these links, I’ll receive a small compensation towards maintaining this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Stowaway	Top Hat	Girl Crazy
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes	The Lady Eve	Stella Dallas

Stowaway far east Shirley Temple: Lisa’s Home Bijou

February 22, 2019 by Lisa Grable 5 Comments

Film Festival: Cruise Ship Romance

Stowaway (1936) stars Shirley Temple as a little girl orphaned during conflicts in China. She finds happiness and love on a cruise ship with Robert Young and Alice Faye.

I’ve always loved the fantasy life of people cruising on ships in the old days. Dressing up for dinner, meeting all the strangers, and the romance of the sea just get to me.

Stowaway begins in San Chow, an island to the west of Hong Kong. A messenger rides into town bringing scary news. A bandit is on his way but the missionary Cruikshank couple refuse to flee. The mayor, Sun Lo, wants to take their little ward, Barbara “Ching-Ching”, to safety, but Cruikshank won’t let him.

“May the bird of prosperity continue to nest in your rooftop!” –Barbara

Sun Lo arranges for Ching-Ching (Shirley Temple) to be taken to his brother in Shanghai. When the little boat arrives in port, the servant in charge leaves Ching-Ching asleep on the boat while he gambles with her money. When she wakes up, she leaves the boat looking for breakfast for her little dog, Mr. Woo. And now we have a little girl lost in the huge city of Shanghai!

Tommy Randall (Robert Young) is a rich American traveling the world by cruise ship. Ching-Ching helps him in the market and he buys her a meal. While he is in the International Club drinking with his friends, it begins to rain on the waiting Ching-Ching and she hides inside the rumble seat on the car (a Duesenberg!). [Note: the car is a way to let the audience know how incredibly wealthy Tommy is. He has a high-end performance car, and he is traveling with it so he can use it in any port.] The car gets loaded on the ship, making Ching-Ching a stowaway.

Ching-Ching gets discovered in the stateroom of Susan Parker (Alice Faye) and Mrs. Hope. Susan takes an immediate liking to her and wants to help her.

“Goodnight my love / Your mommy is kneeling beside you” – Barbara

Some cute comedy comes from Tommy and his valet Atkins (Arthur Treacher) trying to take care of a little girl. She sings a lullaby and puts them to sleep.

Tommy is very interested in Susan, but she is engaged to Mrs. Hope’s son Richard and is traveling to marry him in Bangkok.

“You’re a museum piece. You should be in a glass case in an exhibit of the Terrible Twenties with a cocktail shaker in your hand and your shirt front scrawled with chorus girls telephone numbers and a label, Playboy, BC, before the crash, former habitat Broadway, now extinct.” –Susan

Tommy and Susan share a romantic dance on deck as she sings “Goodnight, My Love.” Mrs. Hope fears for her son’s engagement and wires him to take a plane and meet the boat in Hong Kong.

Tommy, Susan, and Ching-Ching spend the day on shore in Hong Kong. They go to a Major-Bowes-style amateur show, with a gong and everything. Ching-Ching decides to go on stage to compete for 10 yuan. She sings “You’ve Got to S-M-I-L-E”. She imitates Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, and Fred and Ginger. The day doesn’t end so well when Susan’s fiancé arrives and Tommy and Ching-Ching end up in jail.

“Bangkok is a very romantic city, isn’t it? –Oh, there are a lot of old temples and places like that. But our colony doesn’t bother with the native things. We have our own little set. Fine, substantial people, too. Bridge and tennis, you get to know your opponent so well you can tell in advance every move he’s gonna make. –Oh that must be interesting.” –Susan and Richard

Will Susan and Tommy find a way to be together? Will Ching-Ching end up in an orphanage? What will happen to Mr. Woo? Be sure to watch Stowaway for some great cruise ship romance!