Wandering Through The Shelves loves romance so each week there will be something about romance. Who says romance is dead! It's all about travel this week snd there is a wealth of travel films. Most of us have had some travel romance whether it be a one night stand in the sand where one is scraping sand out of....um....well you know or romance with your spouse, we all have been there at least once. Even if you travel 20 minutes away, it's still travel. Ok, so decided to go for a cruise...romance on the high seas. I am not choosing the Love Bost sinking aka Titanic from 1997. I am going in other directions...
1. ONE WAY PASSAGE- 1932
I haven't seen this in a long time but it stars William Powell and Kay Francis ( at the height of her career and a once, very famous and voted best dressed star of that time) who meet on a cruise ship and fall in love neither one knowing their dark and sad secret. Its a short film and an early talkie but there is something about this weepie that makes me want to see it again. I'm usually not a romance movie gal but this one I like even though it's an early talkie but that never bothers me.
2. DODSWORTH 1936
This is an intelligent film that is not only a romance film but one about marriage with actors who are not 22 years old. Walter Huston is a married millionaire, married to Ruth Chatterton, who wants to take a cruise to Europe. They set sail where she starts to flirt with some young dudes. He meets a divorced lady, played by Mary Astor, and falls in love with her. It sounds simple but this is a well written story that ages well to this day. It is an excellent film about love, marriage and loss. During the making of this film, Mary Astor was going through a bitter, nasty divorce and custody battle where her diaries about her sexual escapades became public knowledge. She was living in her trailer for the time she made this film.
3. NOW, VOYAGER-1942
The music is famous, Betty Davis was at her peak, having a cigarette became very sensual( believe it or not) and sharing a sleeping bag got passed the censors. Bette plays a homely woman who lives under the thumb of her nasty mother. She is sent to a sanitarium run by Claude Rains who is a sympathetic psychiatrist who helps Bette overcome her own issues and bloom. Bette ends up on a ship traveling to South America where she meets the dashing Paul Henreid. When he lights 2 cigarettes in his mouth and gives one to her, she is in love. It is a Supreme woman's picture depicting a woman overcoming so much to blossom and find romance. Again, well acted with more to it than just a romance and worth the final smaltzy last words...those words always makes me sigh...lol.
Which travel romance films can you think of?
Hi, Birgit!
ReplyDeleteSorry I'm late dear friend. I couldn't find this post at 6 am, the usual publish time, and so I busied myself elsewhere. Travel Romance is a good theme category.
I am familiar with Kay Francis, but have not seen One Way Passage. You're right. IMDB backs you up on the assertion that Kay was one of the biggest stars of early talkies. The film site describes Kay as "possibly the biggest of the 'forgotten stars' of Hollywood's Golden Era." I think the only movie I have seen with Kay in it is the 1940 Deanna Durbin vehicle It's A Date in which Kay plays Deanna's mother. As I recall, there is also a sea voyage in that movie. Mother and daughter go on a cruise and Deanna gets flirty and has romantic designs on her mom's fella, leading man Walter Pidgeon. By 1940, Kay was past her prime and playing moms, and therefore, I need to watch some of her 1930s pictures to get a true sense of her greatness. That "last few drops" line she delivers in the scene from One Way Passage seems like a double entendre to me, but maybe its just how my dirty mind works. :)
I have not seen Dodsworth. Isn't it a pleasure to hear Walter Huston and Ruth Chatterton deliver their lines with such lovely diction? You don't hear dialogue spoken that way anymore. In addition to the three leads you mentioned, I see familiar names David Niven, Spring Byington and John Payne in the cast.
I studied Now, Voyager in my college film course. 1942 was a big year for glamorous smoking in films. In addition to Now, Voyager, the 1942 crime noir Kid Glove Killer comes to mind. It stars Van Heflin and my favorite lady of film, the late Marsha Hunt, as crime lab partners who work together to solve murders. A thread that runs throughout the film is the pair smoking cigs together and using the phrase "Match me!" whenever they need a light.
https://c8.alamy.com/comp/F6DNHT/release-date-april-17-1942-movie-title-kid-glove-killer-studio-metro-F6DNHT.jpg
Click at the 2:03 point on this trailer and you will see Heflin light Marsha's ciggy with a Bunsen Burner!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdXltJcGQJ0
The travel films that immediately come to my mind are two with Suzanne Pleshette. In Rome Adventure (1962) Suzanne's character, a New England librarian, travels to Rome and strolls hand in hand with good looking young architect Troy Donahue. In the 1969 film If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium, Suzanne is one of 18 American tourists on a guided bus tour of 9 Euro countries.
Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend BB!
I’m glad you enjoyed my picks here. You have a dirty mind but that’s fine by me...lol. Kay was a huge star back 8n the day but she was all but forgotten when she passed away, too young, 8n my book, and blind. You are right about the diction which should come back to being taught to kids who, the boys, sound like they have marbles in their mouth and the girls talk through their nose.
DeleteThanks for sending me these links..I should see that movie! Thanks for visiting.
Oh, love If It’s Tuesday...I almost went with this film but have not seen the other.
DeleteTravel. Tough one. Best I can come up with is The Sure Thing from the 80's.
ReplyDeleteA famous 80s film which I have not seen
DeleteHmmm. First thought, by bus, was If It's Tuesday, this Must Be Belgium. Then, by train, It Happened one Night. And by car, When Harry Met Sally.
ReplyDeleteI love If It’s Tuesday and almost chose that movie. It Happened One Night was train, bus and car. Harry Met Sally works because of how they met.
DeleteAbsolutely loved Now Voyager, love Bette Davis. Not heard of the other films you've chosen. I'm not a romance type of gal, more murder mysteries, Kate x
ReplyDeleteI’m not a romance gal either but Now, Voyager and Dodsworth is more than that.
DeleteHi Birgit,
ReplyDeleteLOVE all three of your choices!!!
One Way Passage has such a swoony air of doomed love hanging over it but thanks to William Powell and Kay Francis it’s compulsively watchable. A shout out is due to the wonderful Aline MacMahon and Frank McHugh both of who are aces in support. I have seen and liked the remake of this-‘Til We Meet Again-though George Brent is no Bill Powell but Merle Oberon is lovely in it and like this it has a terrific supporting cast.
I should really give Dodsworth another look. It’s been years and while I know I enjoyed the film the particulars of the story are fuzzy. Unlike in the film Ruth Chatterton and Mary Astor were firm friends and Ruth went with Mary to her trial each day to offer moral support.
Adore Now, Voyager!! It’s in my top three favorite Bette Davis film along with Dark Victory and All About Eve. You’re right it’s much more than just a simple romance. Charlotte Vale has such an incredible arc becoming a totally different person than who we first meet. Paul Henreid didn’t usually do much for me but he’s perfectly suited to the conflicted Jerry. Claude Rains is a hoot as the compassionate but somewhat querulous Dr. Jaquith and of course the dragon mother that Gladys Cooper gives us is inimitable. Even the smaller surrounding players like Ilka Chase, Bonita Granville and Mary Wickes are memorable.
Yes the 2 character actors are great and I always loved Frank McHugh. I always liked Dodsworth because I thought it was intelligent. Yes, Ruth was really good for Mary whom, I thought, was mistreated. But it would happen the same way except maybe she would be offered her own tv reality series, today.
DeletePaul was quite full of himself but he was good in this movie. I love Claude Rains who was so good in this and Gladys is just so vile. Glad you like my picks
You’re right there are a lot of choices this week. The first three that come to mind are:
ReplyDeleteRomance on the High Seas-A delightful confection of assumed identity and love complications in shiny colors! Doris Day’s bright and sunny debut that made her an instant star seems so ideal for her it’s somewhat surprising that she was a rather last minute choice. Warners had hoped to borrow Judy Garland from MGM but a combo of her personal problems and Metro’s reluctance to lend out their top musical star put the kibosh on the deal. Then it was planned for Betty Hutton but she discovered she was pregnant before filming clearing the way for Doris. They also tried to cast Betty Bacall as Elvira but she refused and went on suspension leading to Janis Paige (who is great fun in the part) to be brought in.
Next would be the glamorous but empty Rome Adventure with Suzanne Pleshette and Angie Dickinson and their gravity defying hair fighting over the handsome but bland Troy Donahue in picturesque surroundings while Suzie’s pal Constance Ford is a brassy delight on the sidelines. Suzanne and Troy married VERY briefly in real life afterwards but stayed friends the rest of his life.
Finally a real obscurity starring one of my favorite pre-code actresses, Sally Eilers. It’s a breezy comic mystery called Florida Special costarring Jackie Oakie, as a reporter named Bangs Carter if you can believe it!, wherein the cast are on a the title train with diamonds, jewel thieves and snappy dialog.
Romance on the High Seas is great! I forgot about that one but Doris is great. Thank god they didn’t pick Betty Hutton, someone I don’t care for. I have not seen your other 2 picks but love Suzanne and almost chose one of my favs, It It’s Tuesday This Must Be Belgium. I have not seen enough Sally Eilers films but I can believe in that nickname. It just seems to be perfect for the time.
DeleteAlright, BIRGIT, I can actually contribute something to this one.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I gotta say that I am decidedly a William Powell fan but I've never seen 'ONE WAY PASSAGE'. And you've convinced me that I need to fix that.
OK, so, I've mentioned it before but 'A LITTLE ROMANCE' is most definitely a Travel Romance and undoubtedly my favorite in that genre. Diane Lane in her first starring role at probably about 14 years of age. An utterly charming movie.
'DEFENDING YOUR LIFE' -- Albert Brooks & Meryl Streep travel to 'Judgment City' after their deaths and fall in love while waiting for their respective court cases to be decided.
And how about a love story between a boy and his horse, when they both inadvertently "travel" to a deserted island and learn to trust each other? I'm yakking about 'THE BLACK STALLION', of course.
Great topic this go 'round!
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
I hope you see One Way Passage which is a fine film. I’m glad you chose Black Stallion because it fits. I would have chosen Harry and Tonto if I saw that film.
DeleteI was thinking ‘A night to remember’ then I realised I was conflating ‘An affair to remember’ with ‘It happened one night’. but i think they count, no?
ReplyDeleteOnce again, I'm not familiar with these, but love Betty's Davis's hat. Heh. Hope you're having a grand day.
ReplyDeleteYou should see Now, Voyager...great film and that hat is gorgeous
Delete"We all have been there at least once."
ReplyDelete*raises hand* Not me...
I've seen Now, Voyager. Great film. I haven't seen the others, but I think I need to find them. Great choices.
Oops..you are a unique and great individual! I hope you get to see the other 2.
DeleteI don't remember the first one, but have seen and enjoyed the other two. Travel romance has a lot of possibilities! A couple of Audrey Hepburn classics come to mind: Roman Holiday and Two For The Road. As for modern movies, two of my favourites (also for Christmas) are The Holiday and Love, Actually (the Colin Firth story in particular).
ReplyDeleteYour Hepburn pics are excellent and I could add Funny Face. I love Two For The Road and Hepburn and Albert Finley had an affair during the making of this film. The Holiday is ok but I can’t stand Jack Black. I have a major crush on Colin Firth and that is a great story.
DeleteI think I've seen One Way Passage on Turner Movie Channel, It sounds familiar. I knew both their secrets when you said they both had one. Not a really feel good movie as I recall.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right about their secrets
DeleteI completely forgot about TMP this week. I've only seen Now, Voyager from your list and I loved that. Bette was amazing.
ReplyDeleteI was waiting to see what you chose..lol...you were expecting the challenge every 2 weeks but she is making the see for each weeks in Feb.
DeleteHaven't seen any, but do want to see Now, Voyager as its the best known out of the three.
ReplyDeleteCigarettes in movies, I suppose it gives the camera an excuse to focus on the characters lips/mouths.