Goodbye, Mr. Chips

Sam Wood, 1939, bw (8.6*)
Based on the novel by James Hilton (Lost Horizon), this is perhaps the quintessential Hollywood film about a teacher, in this case a Mr. Chipping, wonderfully played by Robert Donat in a career defining role, an uptight professor at a private boys school. Over time, he opens up and gains the affection of literally thousands of students in a heartwarming story of transformation. On a vacation (and around age 50), he meets the enchanting Greer Garson (half his age, in the supporting role that made her a star) hiding out from a storm, and she changes his life, as well as giving him his nickname, Mr. Chips.

Perhaps the one flaw in the film is that we get a lot of detail in the beginning and end of his teaching career, but the central portion that forms the core of his adult life is shown as a montage of calendars and images of time passing in just a minute or so. I felt cheated of the stories that would have made the students revere and honor him. We're visually led to believe that simply time moving by is responsible.

Mr. Chips was nominated for 7 Oscars®, including picture, director, screenplay, actress, actor - and many today feel that it was a better picture than winner Gone With the Wind. Robert Donat did receive a well-deserved best actor award, upsetting the more popular Clark Gable. Don't bother with the musical remake starring Peter O'Toole; it's one of those that lends argument to prohibiting remakes at all.

I suppose were I to rank the top films of 1939: (1) Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (2) Goodbye, Mr. Chips (3) The Rains Came (4) The Wizard of Oz (5) The Women
The Rains Came actually won the special effects Oscar® over favorites Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind, for it's incredible depiction of an earthquake, dam collapse, and flood in India in 1916 - it's an underrated and under-viewed classic, featuring perhaps Myrna Loy's finest dramatic performance.

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King's Row

Sam Wood, 1941, bw (7.9*)
Beautifully photographed melodrama of the facade behind the small American community of King's Row is easily Ronald Reagan's best role and film. However, he's about 5th best in a stellar cast, deftly handled by director Sam Wood to keep this from being overly sentimental, kind of a Booth Tarkington meets Peyton Place.

The story follows two childhood best friends, Robert Cummings (excellent here) as an upper crust kid from the scenic hills who later becomes a psychiatrist in Vienna before returning, and Reagan as a free-wheeling orphan living on a trust fund who'd rather spend time with ladies than do any real work. Beneath the town's sleepy facade lies insanity, tragedy, class prejudice, and in a brilliant bit of out-of-character acting, veteran Charles Coburn as an overbearing town doctor with a hidden sadistic streak. The terrific cast also features Betty Field, Judith Anderson, Maria Ouspenskaya, and Claude Rains - so you can see how the sometimes hammy Reagan would be about 5th best at his finest (he still reminds me of a salesman, like most politicians), and actually in his words, his 'star making' performance.

Perhaps a little predictable, but still worth seeing as a classic Hollywood era drama. Oscar® nominations for picture, director Sam Wood, and b&w cinematography.

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A Night at the Opera

Sam Wood, 1935, bw (7.5*)
This Marx Brothers gem features probably their most famous scene: the stateroom on the ocean liner that is a phone booth to begin with (Groucho’s line) and they cram about 15 people in, from stowaways to maids to waiters, who fall out when Margaret Dumont (yes, she's on hand, thankfully) opens the door. However, like kissing scenes in your Saturday westerns growing up (when kids would actually boo in the theater!), this has some lengthy and pointless musical numbers to wait out before the comedic pace returns. Admitted that Chico had a humorous style on the piano and did his numbers in one take, but Harpo on harp is always tedious, and this also has some operetta-like songs and dances that do nothing for the Marx style except slow it down. In the better Duck Soup, the musical numbers were zany and made sense to the plot, “Hooray for Captain Spalding” was actually nominated for an Oscar. Still, one of their best in the comedy parts.
Quote: “That’s the sanity clause” – “You can’t a-foola me, there ain’t no sanity clause!”

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The Pride of the Yankees

Dir: Sam Wood, 1942 (8.8*)
Follows the true story of Lou Gehrig, played by Gary Cooper, who took over for an injured first baseman once for the Yankees then played in 2,130 consecutive games, becoming known as "Iron Man". His era was that of Babe Ruth and Joe Dimaggio both, the most productive in Yankee history. Of course, if you don’t know the story I won’t spoil it here, but suffice to say that this is one of the best sports films in history because it transcends sports, and is also one of the few films guys will admit to crying at! 10 Oscar noms including Picture and Actor, one Oscar (Editing).

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