Jack Lemmon

Jack Lemmon is one of the funniest comedic actors I’ve come across. I first saw him in his older films like Grumpy Old Men with another great comedic actor, Walter Matthau. They are a great pair of actors who work well with each other. Once I became familiar with Lemmon’s later work I started watching his classic films during the beginning of his career. Lemmon had many popular films at this time including Some Like it Hot, The Apartment, Days of Wine and Roses, and Save the Tiger. 

I would have to say that Some Like it Hot from 1959 and The Odd Couple from 1968 are my favorite movies of Lemmon’s early career. I know Some Like it Hot is synonymous with Lemmon’s name, but it’s for good reason. Lemmon’s portrayals of Jerry/Daphne are brilliantly funny. 

 

 

Today, I would like to talk about The Odd Couple and Some Like it Hot and Lemmon’s acting ability in these two movies. In preparation of writing about Jack Lemmon, I watched Inside the Actors Studio. If you haven’t heard or seen the show, James Lipton the host, sits down with actors to talk about their body of work. Lemmon talks about The Odd Couple and Walter Matthau’s ability to act with you and not at you. This is evident in their onscreen collaborations together. It is clear to an audience that these two actors enjoy working together. In every sense of the word, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau’s characters are complete opposites, but when they come together, they create magical movie experiences. 

Some favorite scene’s of mine that stand out as excellent is where Lemmon’s character Felix, rents a hotel room. He’s desperately trying to open the window in his room, but can’t. The window won’t budge and you can see that Felix is giving it everything he has to open it, so much so that he pulls the muscles in his back.

 Now, I go back to Inside the Actor’s Studio where Alec Baldwin shares a story about his wife at the time Kim Basinger and her favorite actor, Jack Lemmon. Baldwin says Lemmon is her favorite actor because he is so reactionary. I completely agree with that statement. Watch any film of Lemmon’s and you’ll see a realistic reactionary character. That I believe is Lemmon’s gift to acting.

 

Another favorite scene of mine is between Felix and Oscar. Oscar can’t stand anymore of Felix’s incessant cleaning and goes crazy. Felix says to Oscar, “Walk on the papers, I just washed the floor in there,” that does it for Oscar, he loses it and starts to chase Felix. That scene is hilarious because up to that point Oscar was mild about Felix's control issues, but no longer. Oscar reaches the tipping point and lets Felix have it.

 

 

 

 Please make every effort to see this film; it is a great treat to watch two great actors in a wonderful film. 

 

The next film I’d love to rave about is Some Like it Hot. By far, I believe this is Lemmon’s most famous film. Lemmon and Tony Curtis dress in drag to out run the mob. Together they must live the lives of women while trying to conceal their identities.

By the end of the movie, Lemmon’s character Jerry/Daphne realizes that she is better off as a woman than a man. Daphne is engaged to be married to a wealthy man and she’s over the moon about it, until Joe has to remind Daphne that he’s really Jerry. Jerry realizes his situation and says, “Boy oh boy am I a boy.”

The end scene is where Jerry finally tells Osgood he’s a man, Osgood replies, “Well, nobody’s perfect.” That last scene is the most recognized and the film as a whole is a classic film that has endured the test of time.

 Lemmon evokes so much emotion from his roles, and particularly in this movie. You can't help but sit back and watch the genius of Lemmon. Please, take my advice and watch this Inside the Actor’s Studio episode and find out just how well an actor Jack Lemmon really is.

Inside The Actor's Studio Entire Jack Lemmon Episode:

Henry Fonda

Henry Fonda is a legendary actor and great representation of classic Hollywood. He has had some amazing roles, but hardly received any accolades. The only award he received from the academy was for On Golden Pond when he was ill. What is it with the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences; they honor actors to late in life. So late even, that it doesn't really mean much when an award has been given. This has happened to many actors including, Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Alfred Hitchcock, James Earl Jones, and Glenn Close to name a few.

Fonda is more well known for his serious roles like Grapes of Wrath and My Darling Clementine. He has also done some comedies, one of which I'll talk about now. Your, Mine, and Ours is a 198 comedy about a widower with 10 children who marries a widow with 8. Together they have to learn how to live with a mixed family. Fonda plays Frank Beardsley, a Naval Officer who goes home to take care of his children. Lucille Ball, a terrific comedian plays Helen North, a nurse who moves her clan to San Francisco so she can work on a Naval base. 

This is a great film about two older people finding love yet again. It's a very funny light-hearted film to sit and watch. What's most funny about the movie is the two of them trying to blend the two families together.  

By the end of the film, to use a corny phrase, they become a closer happy family. Fonda delivers a great speech about marriage and commitment to one of his teenage daughters, as Helen goes into labor. 

The blending of the two families, hence the title of the film:

http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/204974/Yours-Mine-and-Ours-Movie-Clip-Yours-mine-ours.html 

By the end of the film, to use a corny phrase, they become a closer happy family. Fonda delivers a great speech about marriage and commitment to one of his teenage daughters, as Helen goes into labor. 

To get back to his more serious roles. Henry Fonda plays a juror in 12 Angry Men which was released in 1957. Starring along-side Fonda is Lee J. Cobb, Jack Klugman, Jack Warden, and Ed Begley.

Fonda is portrayed as the logical juror who is not entirely convinced that the prosecution has proven their case. Instead of condemning the young boy to death for killing his father, Fonda's character asks the other jurors to listen to him. As the jurors sit down to deliberate, it is obvious that some of the jurors hold personal grudges and have prejudice against the young Puerto Rican boy on trial. One by one, Fonda's character starts to get through to the other jurors and reasonable doubt is placed in their minds.

This movie follows a logical sequence and analyzing evidence for facts and accuracy. At times the jury room gets very emotional as different men come together and determine the fate of a young man. What you may or may not notice, is that there are no names given to either the jurors or witnesses to the murder. I believe the director Sidney Lumet, is trying to prove that names and ethnicity's don't matter when deducing facts and reasons. Or possibly Lumet is saying that names and ethnicity's have too many biases in a court room and that it is best to keep identity and personal preference out of the justice system. 

12 Angry Men Trailer:

Katharine Hepburn

Katharine Hepburn is an iconic film actress and the epitome of classic Hollywood. She was born in Connecticut and has a very distinct accent. She had an amazing career with four academy awards. Hepburn married a fellow actor, Spencer Tracy. Together they made nine films together. 

Katharine Hepburn was a wonderful actress. She had a great talent for comedy and drama as well. As a very independent woman, Hepburn capitalized on this in her film career. She is a woman who takes charge and most often the one who peruses the man. Later in life she took on spinster roles and became quite successful at it.

She made four films with Cary Grant. One of which I’ll talk about today. In 1938 Bringing Up Baby was released to little success. It was a screwball comedy about a wealthy single woman named Susan Vance who pathologically lies to keep the man she’s interested in around. This man is Dr. David Huxley, a paleontologist played by Cary Grant. 

They meet on a golf course, where Susan plays through with David’s ball. Then gets into his car, who she believes is hers. They meet again at the Ritz Plaza Hotel and causes David to get in all sorts of mischief. 

After a rough night, Susan calls up David and asks if he wants a leopard. David says no, and to make him come over, Susan pretends the leopard is attacking her. David rushes over and sees the leopard with his own eyes. 

Baby the leopard is a tame leopard who enjoys the song “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love, Baby.” I cannot recall a song driving the plot as this song does. They constantly have to sing it to please and guide the leopard in the right direction. 

Some of the scenes I enjoy most with Katharine Hepburn are when she's at her most silliest. For example, Susan and David wind up in jail, and this incompetent constable doesn't believe their story. So Susan starts talking in a street vernacular and making up a story about her being a part of "the leopard gang." It's hilarious how her character comes up with these stories. The movie ends with those two together.

For once, Grant plays a straight man who is being chased by Hepburn's character Susan. Grant is great as the serious yet clumsy doctor. Hepburn is wildly free, wacky and yet heart-warmingly funny in Bringing Up Baby.

Another great role Hepburn had, is called Adam's Rib. She plays Amanda Bonner a defense attorney faced with a wife shooting her husband after the wife finds he's been cheating. Spencer Tracy, Hepburn's husband in real life plays Adam Bonner, the attorney for the district attorney. Both Adam and Amanda view the case differently. Amanda sympathizes with her, but Adam believes there is no excuse to commit murder.

This is a classic battle against the sexes of equality in both men and women. When the case begins, their marriage begins to suffer over the antics Amanda displays in the courtroom.

Amanda finally crosses the line, and Adam leaves the house. Not before he gives a speech to his wife. This scene just goes to show you how Adam and most other men feel the same way about woman and a woman’s career. 

By the end of the film, Adam gets Amanda to see his point of view and they go back home. While at home and getting ready for bed, Adam tells Amanda that he has been asked to run for a republican judgeship. Teasingly, Amanda asks who’s running for the democrats. I believe Katharine Hepburn is perfect for this role. She has the strength and independence to portray Amanda Bonner. Hepburn has had some great roles, and I know this is only a movie, and their actors, but I do believe you can see how much Spencer and Hepburn love each other. 

Stick with me, next time I highlight Henry Fonda. 

Cary Grant

I first have to talk about Cary Grant. My all-time favorite actor. He can do comedy, drama and even thriller, he does it all. Many people may not know this, but his real name is Archibald Leach. Before Grant moved to California to act, he was part of a stage troupe. They did vaudeville type acts and Leach was a stilt walker who did all sorts of acrobatic tricks. What an interesting beginning for a famous Hollywood actor.

I'd like to take this opportunity to showcase a few of his films. If you are familiar with Cary Grant than you'll know his more famous films. Which would Include, His Girl Friday, The Philadelphia Story, To Catch a Thief, An Affair to Remember and North by Northwest. I'd like to talk about some lesser known films that really showcase Grant's talents as a charismatic, funny yet serious actor.

In 1937, Cary Grant and Irene Dunne began a great working relationship in The Awful Truth. That's what is so great about Grant, is that he had wonderful leading ladies. Grant and Dunne portray a husband and wife team who go their separate ways only to find out how much they love each other. 

In this movie, Grant is seen as a young energetic sometimes clumsy man. An example of this, is when Grant's character Jerry, crashes his soon to be ex-wife's recital because he thinks she had an affair with her voice coach. He sits down and immediately causes a ruckus. His chair falls and breaks a part and his legs get caught in the chair. After, he looks a fool, because their was nothing between the voice coach and his wife all along.

This movie also shows Irene Dunne as a wonderful actress in her own right. She has great comedic chops. Especially, when she pretended to be Jerry's sister Lola, after answering his telephone when his soon to be fiance called.

I would recommend this film to anyone. It's lighthearted and shows two great actors playing-off each other.

Next, I'd like to jump ahead fourteen years to one of my all-time favorite films with Cary Grant called People Will Talk. Co-starring along side Grant, is Jeanne Crain who plays Grant's love interest, Hume Cronyn and Walter Slezak.

This movie combines all what I love about Grant. Grant plays Dr. Noah Praetorius a warm, funny yet caring doctor. Praetorius, is under scrutiny by a fellow doctor , who disagrees with they way Praetorius shows compassion to his patients. This film tugs at your heart-strings for how caring and decent Praetorius is.

The plot of this story is two-fold. The first half of the story is about Cronyn's character investigating Praetorius and his assistant Shunderson, played by Finlay Currie. The second part of the film is a story of an unwed expecting mother named Deborah played by Crain. Deborah hurts herself because she's afraid of the scrutiny she'll get. Praetorius finds the woman and lies to her that she lost the baby to save her so she wont harm herself again. When Deborah discharges from the hospital, Praetorius finds her and tells her the truth. They end up getting married.

A very hilarious and yet childish scene in this film is the train scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iawx33OHVRU

Now, what I find so heart warming and funny about Cary Grant's character are some scenes that stand out as excellent. When Deborah finds out she's been pregnant all along, she becomes upset. She thinks Praetorius will not love the baby as his own. Praetorius surprises her and says, "It's time you stop thinking of yourself and start thinking about my baby." This movie is very ground-breaking for 1951. People Will Talk is very socially aware of idle gossip and humanity.The last of which can be seen in the unveiling of Shunderson.

Shunderson tells his story of being a convicted murderer who had been sentenced to death twice. His last of which is when he met Preatorius. After telling his story, the panel agrees the inquisition was a waste of time. The panel disbands and Shunderson and Cronyn's character Professor Elwell are left alone. Shunderson says, "Professor Elwell, you're a little man. It's not that you're short. You're...little, in the mind and in the heart. Tonight, you tried to make a man little whose boots you couldn't touch if you stood on tiptoe on top of the highest mountain in the world. And as it turned out...you're even littler than you were before."

Shunderson, although dim-witted at times, has excellent insight. Shunderson's words strike a core with Professor Elwell and might have made a difference in the future of how he treats and perceives people. 

People Will Talk Trailer: 

That's all for now, next I'll showcase the wonderful Katharine Hepburn(don't be surprise if Cary Grant makes an appearance.)