The Yellow Rolls-Royce ( 1964 )

Rex Harrison, Shirley MacLaine, and Ingrid Bergman head up the all-star cast of The Yellow Rolls-Royce, a colorful anthology film of three stories linked together by a sparkling 1931 Rolls-Royce Phantom II. 

The opening segment shows the first owner of the beautiful Rolls, the Marquess of Frinton ( Rex Harrison ) purchasing the car as an anniversary present for his wife ( Jeanne Moreau ) who, unbeknownst to Lord Frinton, is engaging in an affair with his attaché John Fane ( Edmund Purdom ). When he spies them together in the Rolls...back it goes to the dealer!

Years later, the Rolls turns up in a showroom in Italy where it catches the fancy of Mae Jenkins ( Shirley MacLaine ), the "fidanzata" of big-time mobster Paolo Maltese ( George C. Scott ). He is giving his lady-love the grand tour of Italy but, when he is called back to America to "settle a score with O'Leary", she ends up having a grand time herself with the amoral photographer Stefano ( Alain Delon ). 

Lastly, the Rolls becomes a transport bus for mercenary soldiers in Yugoslavia when the snooty but socially prominent Mrs. Millett ( Ingrid Bergman ) decides to aid a rebel ( Omar Shariff ) in his fight against the Nazis. 

The Yellow Rolls-Royce was one of only a few anthology films to be released in the 1960s. This was a style of storytelling more frequently seen in British and American films of the 1940s and 1950s ( e.g. Encore, Tales of Manhattan ). These kinds of films are entertaining when all three segments are equally engaging but when one segment is boring it tends to pull the entire film down. In The Yellow Rolls-Royce, the last segment featuring Mrs. Millet is the weakest, even though it is the only segment that hints that the Rolls could be of more use than just a cozy love nest. 

Terrance Rattigan's script tries to include a little adventure and romance in each segment but it ends up leaning heavily on the side of romantic drama. This is just as well as all the leading actors were well-equipped to handle romantic drama. Rex Harrison gives an especially good performance as the jilted husband in the first story. 

The film features beautiful costumes and cinematography by Jack Hildyard ( The Bridge on the River Kwai ) with location filming in England, Italy, and Austria...which was standing in for Yugoslavia. But the most entertaining aspect of watching The Yellow Rolls-Royce is spotting all of the supporting players which included Art Carney, Joyce Grenfell ( affecting a Southern accent ), Wally Cox, Roland Culver, Isa Miranda, Moira Lister, and Michael Hordern. 

Riz Ortolani's musical score is also delightful and includes the catchy "Forget Domani" theme which was performed onscreen by his wife actress Katyna Ranieri and later made popular by Frank Sinatra. Ortolani had a huge success with his song "More" from the pseudo-documentary Mondo Cane released two years earlier. 

The Yellow Rolls-Royce received mixed reviews from critics but was a great hit at the box-office, becoming one of the top ten films of the year. MGM later released a 10-minute promotional short titled "The Car that Became a Star" which gave audiences a glimpse of the grand vehicle on the set of the film. 

The film is currently available on DVD and by streaming through Amazon Prime.

Around the World in 80 Days ( 1956 )

In 1872 London, Phileas Fogg ( David Niven ), a methodical Englishman of independent means, makes a wager with fellow gentlemen at the private Reform Club that he can circumnavigate the globe within 80 days. His skeptical comrades think that with all of the unforeseen delays that could happen en route - typhoons, shipwrecks, missed trains - it is impossible. But with £20,000 at stake, Fogg is determined to prove them wrong. 

"An Englishman never jokes about a wager, sir."

Joining him on his expedition is his faithful manservant Passepartout ( Cantiflas ), Princess Aouda ( Shirley MacLaine ) whom they rescue in India, and, following along behind, the unshakable Inspector Fix ( Robert Newton ) who believes Fogg to be the recent robber of the Bank of England. 

Around the World in 80 Days is a three-hour epic to behold. It doesn't play out like your usual big dramatic blockbuster spectacle ( as perhaps some critics may have expected ) but more like a mega travelogue sans the voice of Fitzpatrick. In fact, this is exactly the way it was supposed to play because it is not a regular movie and was not intended to be one. It was a filmed event. Producer Mike Todd stressed this when promoting Around the World in 80 Days to distributors: "Do not refer to Around the World in 80 Days as a movie. It's not a movie. Movies are something you can see in your neighborhood theatre and eat popcorn while you're watching them....Show Around the World in 80 Days almost exactly as you would present a Broadway show in your theatre."

Mike Todd, who earned his household-name status through his 1957 marriage to Elizabeth Taylor, had always enjoyed the novels of Jules Verne and long dreamed of putting this story into production as a live show. In 1946, he invested $40,000 to co-produce with Orson Welles (!) a Cole Porter musical adaptation of "Around the World in 80 Days" but pulled out after one glance at the unusable script. Eight years later, he once again felt ready to attempt an adaptation of Verne's classic tale of adventure, this time making sure that he remained in full control of every aspect of the film. 

"Crisis or no, nothing should interfere with tea!" 

Filming began in August 1955 and quickly wrapped within 75 days. Todd, a Broadway impresario, had never made a motion-picture before but he knew what he wanted and knew how to get things done. He was involved in every aspect of the production, down to the most minute detail. He personally visited every country to keep an eye on filming ( with 33 assistant directors employed there was a lot to keep an eye on ) and to cast all of the characters. The King of Thailand, a friend of his, loaned him his 165-foot royal barge for a 15-second sequence; he persuaded the Nawab of Pritam Pasha in Pakistan to loan him his private elephant herd; bribed Ronald Colman to make a cameo appearance by gifting him a yellow Cadillac for a half day's work; and most impressive...he convinced the entire population of the city of Chinchon, Spain ( 6,500 people ), to appear as extras in the bullfight sequence! 

Todd assembled a huge cast that was comprised of the four principal players, over ninety featured players, and guest appearances, or "cameos" as Todd christened them, by 40 top actors from around the world. These included Marlene Dietrich, Cesar Romero, Noel Coward, Frank Sinatra, Red Skeleton, Beatrice Lillie, Trevor Howard, Evelyn Keyes, John Gielgud, Victor McLaglen, Joe E. Brown, Peter Lorre, Charles Coburn, Hermoine Gingold, and Robert Morley, to name just a few. 

With the "extra" players, the cast amounted to 68,894 people, the largest ever assembled for a film ( not counting the 7,959 animals employed! ). Of course, these actors needed to be costumed as well, and so 74,685 costumes were created. 

It was one of the most expensive productions in history ( $6 million ) but grossed seven times its cost in box-office receipts. The all-star international cast, exotic locales, and the lure of Todd-AO ( the latest 65mm widescreen process that Todd helped create ), made Around the World in 80 Days the attraction of the year. 

Critic reception, however, was mixed. Some felt that the voyage around the world was unendurable ( "about two hours too long" ) while others enjoyed every step of the journey. While it is true that the film's script is about as exciting as a game of whist, the location scenery, the fun of spotting the celebrities, and the impressive cinematography more than make up for its occasional moments of boredom. 

At the Academy Awards, Around the World in 80 Days was nominated for eight Oscars, walking away with five of the little statuettes, including the coveted Best Picture award.  Some viewers feel that it was the film's sheer "spectacularness" that earned it the Best Picture Oscar, but looking at the other nominees that year ( The Ten Commandments, The King and I, Giant, Friendly Persuasion ) it was a race against equally spectacular productions, so I feel it justly earned its place in the Best Picture winner's circle for its grandeur....even though Giant was definitely the better picture in terms of acting and directing. 

Nugget Reviews - 19

If You Knew Susie ( 1948 ) 14k

A show business family retires from the stage in the hopes of opening a restaurant in a small village in New England but find themselves snubbed by the locales for their lack of an illustrious forefather. When they find that a letter from George Washington expressing his debt to their ancestor, the town accepts them - and the billions of dollars that the US government supposedly owes them! Eddie Cantor, Joan Davis, Allyn Joslyn, Bobby Driscoll. RKO Pictures. Directed by Gordon Douglas.

Eddie Cantor rolls his eyes and friskily skips about in this delightful outing with comedienne Joan Davis, riddled with some fine one-liners and plenty of vaudevillian humor. They were such a great team in Show Business it's no wonder they were reunited for another picture. Keep your eyes out for Bobby Driscoll and Margaret Kerry ( as their children ). These two talented youngsters later worked together in Walt Disney's Peter Pan with Driscoll voicing and modelling for Peter and Margaret modelling for Tinkerbell. 

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Artists and Models ( 1955 ) Elct. 

An artist and his roommate try to break into the booming comic book industry after meeting a famous comic illustrator and her creation - "Bat Lady".  Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Dorothy Malone, Shirley MacLaine. Paramount Pictures. Directed by Frank Tashlin. 

The Martin and Lewis films rarely featured memorable plots ( or the scripts to enhance them ) but this one seemed particularly lacking in direction...at least for the first hour. Its splendid Technicolor, the peek into the comic industry of the 1950s, and Dino's songs redeem it somewhat, but on the whole it is an embarrassing entry in the comedic duos string of films with about twenty minutes of plot stretched to two hours. Kathleen Freeman, who had small parts in twelve different Jerry Lewis movies, plays a sour landlady. 

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Stowaway ( 1936 ) 14k

When invading armies attack a Chinese village, the young ward of a missionary family gets sent to Shanghai to safety. En route she meets an American playboy who takes to her fondly and becomes a stowaway on his ship. Shirley Temple, Robert Young, Alice Faye, Eugene Palette, Helen Westley. 20th Century Fox. Directed by William A. Seiter. 

Stowaway is not considered one of Shirley's most famous films, but - when compared to her classics Heidi and The Little Princess - I find it much more entertaining, especially since it is set in an exotic location - the Orient. Only the ending of the picture disappoints. Shirley Temple plays her usual oochie-coochie self in this Asian outing, save for a few Chinese proverbs tossed into her repertoire, while Alice Faye is lovely as ever, singing a great song - "Goodnight, Sweetheart". Robert Young was such a clean-cut young man during the 1930s, it is very difficult to believe him to be a wild playboy - especially since his parts with Shirley are so wonderful - however, Young did have problems with alcohol later in life, so perhaps he did enjoy an extra slug or two in his youth. 

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Father Goose ( 1964 ) 18k

An alcoholic island hopper gets blackmailed into accepting a job as a Navy coast watcher. He then - unwillingly - rescues a diplomat's daughter and the seven schoolgirls she is escorting. In spite of their hatred for each other, they try to work together until a rescue plane could come to their aid. Cary Grant, Leslie Caron, Trevor Howard. Universal Pictures. Directed by Ralph Nelson.

Cary Grant takes his ten fine toes and wiggles them in the sand with ease for his role of the boozy beach bum, Walter. Years later, Grant claimed that this part was the most natural for him to play. Cary Grant wanted Audrey Hepburn to play the part of the French diplomat's daughter but she was already committed to My Fair Lady, which ironically, Cary Grant had turned down the lead in ( Henry Higgins ) in favor of this role. Leslie Caron did a great job on her own. Beautiful location filming and a highly entertaining script make this an all-around winning comedy. 

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On an Island with You ( 1948 )  14k 

A Hollywood star finds herself kidnapped by a navy officer and taken to a secluded island for the sole purpose of having one dance. Of course, she falls in love with him after that dance. Who can resist Peter Lawford in dress uniform? Esther Williams, Peter Lawford, Ricardo Montalban, Jimmy Durante, Cyd Charisse. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures. Directed by Richard Thorpe.

After watching an Esther Williams film one can't help but have a lingering smile on the heart, it must be all that Technicolor, water, sand and rumba music. This outing to the "islands" ( filmed at Cypress Gardens, Florida ), has some particularly good hip-swinging music and a great overall look but lacks an engaging script. Even with all the right elements and a great cast, if it ain't got that zing, it ain't got that zing! It's a good Saturday night picture nevertheless. 

Moments of Intuition from Seven Actresses

For our Movie Magazine Article Collection we read a lot of articles and then select only the best to reprint. Some articles are routine while others stand out because they relate an incident about a star that over the years has become forgotten. Does anyone remember the famous ( at the time ) story behind Prince Rainier's "arranged" marriage with Grace Kelly? Or the tale about Fred Astaire's hairpiece? Little incidents, but wildly entertaining to us film buffs. 

This is one of those uber-interesting articles and it appeared in the February 1957 issue of Motion Picture magazine, generously given to us by Jacqueline Lynch, the fabulous blogger behind Another Old Movie Blog. Seven famous actresses will relate to you moments of intuition that happened in their lives. We will be posting this article in chunks, with stories from two actresses in each post, so be sure to check back in the near future for more great stories. Enjoy! 

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Shirley MacLaine 

Last February, my doctor told me I would have a baby in September. About four days after I learned I was pregnant, the studio called and said I'd have to be at work that night. 

I was supposed to be at Paramount at 6pm. That meant I'd have to leave Malibu at about 5pm. Much of the drive to the studio is along the heavily trafficked Pacific Coast Highway, only a few feet from the ocean. 

When it was time for me to leave, I went to the car, drove it out of the garage and was just about to start when the thought suddenly nagged me that I had forgotten something. I left the car and went back into the apartment and just stood in the front room trying to remember what it was. My mind was a blank. After a minute, I gave up, got into the car and started the drive down the highway. 

I had gone about 15 miles when the traffic piled up ahead and everybody stopped. The driver behind me got out of his car and walked up around a slight curve in the road. When he came back his eyes had a strange light in them. I asked if there had been an accident. He said, "There's more than that. That cliff up ahead just slid down on top of the highway. One minute earlier, lady, and we'd have been under a rock landslide."

Janet Leigh

It happened to me when I was 17. Mom and Dad were managing a ski lodge in Sun Valley. The snow on the hills was perfect that year and the lodge was packed with people. I wanted nothing more in the world than to be an expert on skis. I didn't miss a day. Each morning, before the other guests arose, I'd go down to the lounge, which was really a big, cozy living room, check my skiing equipment and then leave for my favorite slope. But there was one last thing I had to do before I left each morning: I had to put the family picture album away in a table drawer. 

You see, Mom loved to show pictures of me, from the time I was a baby, to the guests. When she wasn't around, she'd leave the album with the magazines on the big wooden table so guests would see it. 

Well, each morning, just before I went out the door, I'd put the album back in the drawer. I didn't think the pictures would be as interesting to our vacationing guests as Mom did. 

On this particular morning, I came down, checked my equipment and was about to put the album away when something held me back. For no reason I could imagine, I left it on display. Then I went skiing. 

When I returned, the album was gone. I looked in the drawer. It wasn't there. Then Mom came in, all smiles. There was a woman with her and she was holding the album. 

The woman said that if I didn't mind she was going to "steal" my latest photograph and send it to MGM. 

She said her name was Norma Shearer. 

Ten days later, I received a wire from the talent department of MGM. A screen test would be made as soon as I could get to Hollywood. It was my intuition that kept me from hiding the album, but it was Mom's that put it out there in the first place. 

Thanks, Mom. 

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