What A Race!

 

I always wanted to be in some fun car race across the country because there are many films that make it fun..except for car crashes, blow ups and going through big signs. Yes, I am late…I’m getting home closer to 9 pm from work and am exhausted. I have to figure out how to use my time better without hurting my clients. Anywho, I am choosing 3 movies that are very funny and, yes, I am still into the cars this week. Here are my 3..

1. ITS A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD-1963

SYLVESTER!! My friend and I love this movie and it is soooo funny with some great comedians taking centre stage in this film  involving cash buried under the big W. It starts off with Jimmy Durante driving crazy along a windy road passing a number of vehicles before careening off the road and land at the bottom of the pass. All the vehicles stop and the men go down to help only to hear the dying man talk about this money buried under the big W. When he finally, and literally, kicks the bucket, the men climb back up and tell the women what they heard. After failing in trying to divide up the cash, they run for their cars all wanting to find the money before the other one. They don’t know that they are being watched by the cops headed by Spencer Tracy. Some of the people meet up with others whom, they think, will help but it just brings more greedy people into the mix. Each group end up in one calamity after another culminating in an abandoned building with a fireman’s ladder. You have everyone from Sid Caesar, Jonathan Winters, Milton Berle, Mickey Rooney, Buddy Hackett, the great Terry-Thomas and Phil Silvers. I love Dick Shawn playing Ethel’s son who is always high with his dancing girlfriend(Barrie Chase). How I fondly recall my dad laughing to the point of tears when they all ended up on the fireman’s ladder. It’s a brilliant film and Spencer Tracy, ill and cantankerous, enjoyed making this film because these comedians were in awe of him and would all try and make him laugh. 

2. THE GREAT RACE-1965

A Blake Edwards film that is so funny and inspired the cartoon with Penelope Pitstop. I haven’t seen this film in ages but it stars Tony Curtis as the hero( he wears white) who enters the race from London to Paris and his chief rival is the dastardly Jack Lemmon( he wears black) who’s sidekick, Peter Falk, tries to  sabotage hero Tony. They meet up with the beautiful Natalie Wood, a suffragette, who ends up with Tony to win the race. This is quite funny and it has the biggest pie fight ever on film. After 5 days of filming this fight, the actors were quite tired and Jack Lemmon would be knocked out by the pies. It’s ok because when Blake Edwards said, “ It’s a Wrap” he got hit with over 150 pies.

3. THOSE DARING YOUNG MEN IN THEIR JAUNTY JALOPIES-1969

This film is almost a sequel but more a brother to the equally funny film, “Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines” with many of the same cast from the airplane chase movie, now in cars where they travel from many places in Europe to Monte Carlo to enter a race. You have the Brits, played by the great comedy team of Dudley Moore and Peter Cook, the German, played by Gert Frobe( Goldfinger) and an array of others with, yes, Terry-Thomas in tow. There are many hijinks and it is just one funny film that I need to see again. 

B.onus…

The Keystone Kops were a hilarious group of old Vaudevillians brought into film by the Great Mack Sennett ( he was Canadian) who made a ton of short films in the teens and early 20s  with these Kops and the Mack Sennett beauties. There are always car chases and this is all real! There were no AI or trick film tricks, they are doing all these stunts that take one’s breath away. 

Which car chase movies come to your mind?

For my Oma

 

On Monday, it was National Grandmother’s day and Vanilla Ice Cream Day. I’m more of a chocolate ice cream person plus I love my Oma which is German for Grandmom. If you head over to Monday Music Moves Me, you can hear a number of songs based on this theme. My Oma, I saw 4 different times but, each time, it was for a few weeks each. By this time, Oma and Opa lived in Austria since the early 1960s, since escaping from East Germany to the West in 1950. My Oma held my heart from the moment I saw her. She was such a tiny thing, 4’ 8” tall, but one strong lady who taught my mom well. My mom’s strength and ingenuity comes from Oma who survived so much. She was a girl from the country who grew up on a farm and met, city boy, Opa, when he got a job on the farm. She was 16 and innocent but fell for Opa who stayed near since her dad would not allow them to be alone together since she was only 16. By the time she turned 18, in April, she was allowed to be with Opa and by Christmas they were married. You see, she gave birth to Tante Ilse on Dec. 27th in 1922. Opa didn’t waste any time being with Oma. By 1928, she had 4 children, Ilse, Harry, Kurt and Elfriede, my mom( later she went by her middle name, Ruth). Oma married a mommy’s boy who liked the blondes and, once, took her husband’s ear and led him out of Wittenberg back home after learning he was being seen around town with a Blonde bimbo. In the early 30s, they bought land and built a home. Oma took care of the home, waxing the floors each week, cleaning daily, washing the windows each week( typical German), having a large veggie garden and flower garden, she raised chickens, rabbits and pigs for meat. She cooked all the meals and made great tortes and yeast cakes. She knew how to sew and made all the kids’ clothing and birthday and Christmas gifts. She always set a nice dinner and made the place look festive. On top of all of that, she had a part time job delivering papers to the village they lived in (Zornigall). After having a new baby in 1939, only to lose him, 13 months later, due to a bomb( the bomb took the air out and so when you heard the bomb whistle, you were to take all the air out of your lungs and bend over squeezing down hugging your ankles, little Joachim didn’t know what to do and his lungs collapsed and died in Oma’s arms), she survived and still found a Christmas tree for the family. Losing another son after the war ended, due to the Russians, living without her husband due to him being, first in a German concentration camp and then a Russian gulag,  she finally got out of the East, 6 months after Opa was taken out by my mom. Oma lived with a husband who didn’t treat her well and I saw him berate her and she would just say “Kvatch” and told me not to worry. She suffered with pain and was not listened to except by my mom and me. When she said her feet were burning, I knew what that meant even though I was only 16 but I thought, at that time, everyone had that pain. I would sit with Oma who loved how I looked at pictures of her mother in law and, I thought, Opa’s mom was rough( my Oma loved that). When she died, on Dec. 29, 1987, I was very sad and felt bad for my mom. To me, she was beautiful in heart and soul and, now, whenever I see or hear a cardinal, I feel like it is my Oma watching over me. These musical pieces are for her…

1. MARCH OF THE TOYS PLAYED BY THE BOSTON POPS-1958

I think this is from the late 50s but this song comes from the Victor Herbert musical, “Babes in Toyland” that debuted in 1903, the year my Oma was born. This is now a standard Christmas song but  it wasn’t meant to be back when it appeared back in the early part of the 20th century. My Oma loved Christmas and brought Christmas to her family with every child receiving a whole orange and a chocolate by their dinner plate. My mom recalled how her mom made the Christmas stollen, brought it to the baker to bake and, walking home, in the snow, smelling the freshly baked stollen that Oma had on the sled. My mom couldn’t wait to get home and have a piece. The smells of the baking, the evergreens and finally seeing the tree all lit up with candles filled everyone with wonder. By the way, my Oma’s name was Frida Ida Hertel ( pronounced Freeda Eeda Heirtel) and no, her parents did love her. 

2. IM JUST WILD BOUT HARRY SUNG BY JUDY GARLAND-1939

This song, written by Noble Sissle with the great Eubie Blake composing the music who also starred in the Broadway Show, “Shuffle Along” back in 1922. It was an all black cast and was a notable success. This song was a big hit back in the roaring 20s and, I bet, my Uncle Harry was named because this song was a global hit. Now, my Uncle would say that his actual name was Harald because he was like the German Frazier Crane. He held a PHD from the Sorbonne University, was head of the German Dept. At the University of Michigan and lived in the posh Ann Arbor Hills. His parents were more like Frazier’s dad, down to earth, enjoyed a beer and dancing to the folk songs and hits of the day( Oma loved to dance, not Opa so Oma would dance when she could find a partner). My uncle, who would freeze up if you dared to hug him, tried to maintain his name was Harald but my mom would bring him down to earth and tell him that their parents would never think of naming him Harald. His name was Harry and he was my Uncle Harry and Oma was wild about him.

3. DU, DU, LIEGST MIR IM HERZEN SUNG BY EDITH PROCK-1993

This is a very famous German folk song that I sang to Oma, only the first 2 lines,  back in 1982. She smiled and hugged me and I hugged her. The first 2 lines mean, “You, you are in my heart, you, you are on my mind which makes me think of Oma. The song is about unrequited love and the lyrics are heartbreaking, actually but, I don’t think of that..just the first 2 lines. This song, a traditional folk song originated around 1820 and, over time, has become very famous and sometimes, parodied. I think this simple way Edith sings this is great.

What songs make you think of your grandmother? Or maybe you are thinking of Vanilla Ice cream? 

Sorry I am late this week….

Cars!!

 

I have had plenty of lemons, er, cars and I have the claim to fame of owning not one, but 2 Ambassadors, a 1970 and a 1973 junk heap. The alternator and/or the voltage regulator would always go pfft on these wrecks. Why did I own a 2nd one of these? My dad decided it was a good idea and bought the 2nd one for $400. The frame was shot and it had to be bondoed together. Every time something fell off, I just threw it into the back seat making sure it did not land on the floor since there was a huge hole so you could watch the road go by. Friends, who rode in the back, were warned not to place their feet on the bottom or they will feel like Fred Flintstone or Barney Rubble. This made me think of some famous cars in films that became, justifiably, famous. I realize I could do more than one post but, for now, I am just talking about cars this one time( for now).

By the way, yesterday’s post, which son won the Oscar…The Continental won, The Carioca was nominated and the very famous”I Only Have Eyes For You” was ripped off.  So, on with the show..

1. THE YELLOW ROLLS ROYCE-1964

This is a star-studded film involving the lives of people who all own this beautiful car over the decades. We see this car, in ll its splendour when it is bought by Sexy Rexy Harrison for his wife, from there, we see its new owner whose girlfriend finds love in a poor chap. During the war, the now shabby car helps in the Resistance as well as love  played by Ingrid Bergman and Omar Sharif, and so on. It could have been better film but I always enjoyed it because this car sees so much during its life time. It’s not sure if it should be a comedy or a drama but I did find it entertaining.

2. BULLITT-1968

The new Ford Mustang, electric, sounds like its balls were chopped off. Give me the original car any day! It was made famous in the great, gritty cop drama staring Steve McQueen who did almost all the stunts himself. McQueen plays a cop on the trail of the underworld who killed a witness left in his charge. One of the all time best, ….best car chases is in this film involving McQueen and 2 hit men told to get rid of the cop. I love that these hoods actually look like accountants and they are not under 25 but mature. There is no CGI and, thankfully, no Vin Diesel in some very unrealistic chases. The car chase is much longer and it’s brilliant..did I say that?

3. SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT-1977

This is a very fun movie that was a huge hit back in the 70s and, yes, I saw it in the theatre. It’s one long car chase with Burt Reynolds in the famous Trans Am and Jerry Reed, his friend, in the semi truck, with his dear dog, a hound named Fred. They are bringing illegal contraband, beer and are being chased by Jackie Gleason as a sheriff with his nimkapoop son. The son was supposed to get married that day to Sally Field who runs away and ends up with Reynolds in the car. You have some great car chases, again, no CGI and so much more realistic. It’s meant to be fun and not a thought provoking film, just a good flick. Burt Reynold and Sally Field started their 5 year affair during the making of this film. After this movie, just about every guy owned a Trans Am with fuzzy dice hanging from t(eir rear view mirror. Ughhh….

Ok one more…

4. HERBIE, THE LOVE BUG-1969

My mom’s best friend owned a blue Volkswagen and so did my Aunt and Uncle but this film is a special Beatle because it is sentient! Walt Disney created this gem that became a huge hit with more sequels and remakes. The original is so good that stars Dean Jones as an over the hill race car driver now in crash up derby shows. His best friend is Buddy Hackett who finds out the car has a mind of its own and, of course, we have an evil Brit trying to get the beloved Beatle. The love interest is played by Michelle Lee who believe in the bug and in Jones. It’s sweet and funny and you just love this bug. 

What car movies can you think of?

Which Song Won The Oscar-1935

 

90 years ago these songs were very famous and, we still know these songs, well, many of us do…some of us…anyway, I wonder if you can figure out who won, which song was nominated and which was robbed. I’m joining in on the Monday Music Moves Me over at Curious As A Cathy, who has a great blog, by the way.

1. I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU SUNG BY DICK POWELL

This famous song, more well known by The Flamingoes and Art Garfunkel, was introduced by Dick Powell in the film, “Dames”  that co-starred Ruby Keeler. These 2 were in more than one film in the early 30s way before Dick Powell became a film Noir Private Eye and director. It was written by Harry Warren with lyrics by  Al Dubin. 

2. THE CONTINENTAL SUNG BY GINGER ROGERS AND DANCED WITH ROGERS AND ASTAIRE

This song comes from, “The Gay Divorcee”  starring Astaire and Rogers and the dance became a hit to dance to as you can see in the film. Fred didn’t sing this song, Rogers did, aided by Erik Rhodes and Lillian Miles never mind all the dancers in this big number. The song was written by Con Conrad with lyrics by Herb Magidson.

3. THE CARIOCA SUNG BY ALICE GENTLE, MOVITA CASTENEDA AND ETTA MOTEN

Talk about. Production! This was the film that introduced Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers to the public and they stole the film. This was a song, written by Vincent Youmans with lyrics by Edward Eliscu and Gus Kahn, became a huge hit and people butted heads to create a dance craze, albeit briefly. 

So…can you guess which song won, which was nominated and which got no respect?

Who Should Have Won the Oscar-1943

 

Casablanca is, rightfully, one of the best films ever made. It stands the test of time because of all the intrigue and exceptional writing. The writing excels which is why it won the best screenplay Oscar. I don’t understand how it did not win every award but, it didn’t, which is why I chose this year and Best Supporting Actor for 1943

1. CLAUDE RAINS IN CASABLANCA

Claude Rains never won an Oscar which is sacrilege especially since he did not win for his role as the unscrupulous Prefect in this film. He has some of the best lines and you know he has a heart, somewhere in his Vichy attire. He plays the Prefect so well, balancing villainy with a rogue heart of a Resistance man. He forms a friendship with Rick  the owner of this dining establishment where everyone goes to play intrigue. A real gem 

2. CHARLES COBURN IN THE MORE, THE MERRIER 

I love Charles Coburn who is a classic Hollywood character actor and who lent his voice and that face to many films, whether it be a drama or comedy but I liked him best in comedy. He won the Oscar for his role and, if he wasn't up against Claude Rains, I would say aok but, I feel Claude deserved it more. This film is great especially when it was made during the height of the censorship laws. He plays a millionaire who has come to town to deal with the housing shortage only to be turned away from his hotel because they have no room. He happens upon a place,  rented by Jean Arthur, and he asks if he can rent half the space. She agrees and soon you see a handsome Joel McCrea, soon leaving for war, who needs a place. Coburn sees the 2 are attracted to one another, and decided to rest his half that he rented from Jean. She is none too happy and hijinks ensues. It's quite funny and very charming. 

3. DANA ANDREWS IN THE OX-BOW INCIDENT

This is not just a basic Western as one always thinks of a Western but a  gritty look at mob mentality that can be attributed to today’s mobs which has not really changed. Henry Fonda and Harry Morgan( Col. Potter in MASH) are 2 cowboys who come to a town for a meal and a night’s sleep and find out that the town are after men who killed a local rancher. The 2 men join the posse and they come across 3 men having a sleep. Here we meet Dana Andrews as one of the 3 men who bought cattle from the rancher. He tells the mob that the bill of sale will be forwarded later but they don’t believe him and the mob want to hang the 3. Dana Andrews was so good as the young man who knows his fate even though he is innocent. I don’t think he should have won but I do think he should have been nominated. This film is directed by the great William Wellman, who  created a thinking man’s western and a sobering view of a mob mentality.

Have you seen any of these films? You must see these..especially Casablanca.

Dimples Day

 

This week its all about Dimples, Cows and sugar cookies appreciation day. I went with dimples and 3 people came to my mind who have those dimples when they smile..or want to sell you a used car. Head over to Monday Music Moves Me  to listen to all the others. Here are my 3...

1. SINGING IN THE RAIN & BROADWAY RHYTHM SUNG BY GENE KELLY-1952

Gene is an excellent dancer par none but fir a few his equal like Fred Astaire and The Nicholas Brothers. He could sing in his thin voice which also really worked well especially when he had a huge grin. I hope this musical venture, from Si singing in the Rain" shows his dimples to the best effect.

2. SHE LOVE ME SUNG BY JACK CASSIDY-1975

 Jack Cassidy was the dimpled star of  Broadway, married to Shirley Jones and they reigned as the sweethearts of Broadway. He charmed quite a few chorines while married to Jones and was jealous of his very famous son, David Cassidy, belittling his son and his son’s success harming him deeply since all his son wanted was his dad’s acceptance. He was a really good singer who could play a cad really well in many films and tv shows almost blotting out how good he was in musical theatre. Sadly, he was an alcoholic and died in a fire due to a cigarette. A sad end to this dimply star.

3. FROM NOW ON SUNG BY HUGH JACKMAN -2017

I love Hugh Jackman who would have been in many musicals if it was the 1930s, 40s or 50s but,  at least, we have him in a couple of film musicals, the Tony’s, The Oscars and Broadway. He can play anything and he is good at what he does. I chose this song from the excellent film, “The Greatest Showman” because he shows his dimples which, makes me melt. Love this guy. 

Any Dimple Songs, Cow Songs or Sugar cookie songs you know?

Yes, I LOVE The Far Side from the Brilliant mind of Gary Larson.

Oh Mamie, Mamie, Mamie

 

I was thinking of back to school movies and I thought of one movie and started looking at the wondrously, tacky Mamie Van Doren who, back in the 50s was the poor man’s (very poor), Monroe. This chickybird is still alive at 93 although, I bet, her boobs are, now, much younger than she is. I found out she was in more than one movie about school…who’d a thunk!

1. HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL-1958

In all the films I am going to talk about, I am amazed at the amount of stars  that are part of it, no matter how much they wanted to deny it…except for Mamie Van Doren. This film stars Russ Tamblyn ( who does no backflips in this flick) as an undercover cop going to a high school to find out who is distributing drugs to the youth. While  there, he notices that a young Mamie ( well, she must have flunked out since the 1940s) smokes…..marijuana! You wonder if “21 Jump Street” got the idea from this movie. There are some fun faces  in this movie like Jackie Coogan ( Uncle Fester from The Adams Family and a famous silent film child actor) to Michael Landon of “Bonanza” and “Little house on the Prairie” fame. It’s dumb but fun. Jerry Lee Lewis introduces the film with a good ole rock and roll song.

2. GIRLS TOWN-1959

Nothing like seeing Mel Torme as the head of a biker gang wearing a leather jacket…hahahahaaa..I can’t…he looks like a mild mannered accountant. So, there is a jerk who falls to his death and the wrong girl is blamed. Why any girl would be blamed is beyond me because he was trying to rape her but, it is the 1950s. Anyways, Mamie, playing a 16 yr old (enter the laugh track) is a bad chickeybird who is sent to reform school run by nuns. Will they be able to teach her anything? Do we care? Again, a bad film that is so good especially with the music from Paul Anka and The Platters.

3. SEX KITTENS GO TO COLLEGE-1960

Oh…this is so bad it’s good. I mean…yes, it’s bad with Mamie as a Professor who knows many languages and can teach science…of course but has a stripper past. You have a robot who can guess the future and an idiot who wants to steal the robot from the school. John Carradine plays an older professor with Jackie Coogan and Vampira in the cast. Conway Twitty played himself and to his dying day, he hated that he was in this grade Z movie. Tuesday Weld was in this movie and became good friends with Mamie. You know, they could have been just teachers but  it doesn’t matter. Yes, this is bad but it’s fun and how can you not love the title.

What teacher movies can you think of and, have you seen any of these Mamie movies? You know I almost went with “Teacher’s Pet” with Doris Day as a teacher, in night school, for journalism and Clark Gable as an old timer reporter who thinks her teaching sucks. Mamie has a small part as his girlfriend. I almost went with this movie but…it’s a good movie and just doesn’t fit my theme within a theme within a theme aka school movies with Mamie that are bad.

First Week of School…

 

This is Dagmar, she was a big personality back in the 1950s on TV and also known for her…assets. In fact the front bumpers that jutted out from the early Cadillacs, were called Dagmars by the youth hot rodders. You hear her name in one of the songs I am choosing today. It’s freebie week at Monday Music Moves Me and I’m still thinking of school so here we go…

1. HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL SUNG BY ROUGH TRADE-1980

I love this song and we must have all known one girl that seemed to attract all the attention. In my school, her name was Penny Banks..I’m not kidding, that was her name and she had long blond hair that her mom created the “10” look just like Bo Derek. All those tiny braids looked amazing on Penny and I swear, when she moved her head, everything went into slo-mo mode. We all thought she was cool especially since she was dating a senior. Now, I think he was a pig for dating a 14 yr old but back then, she was cool. She was one girl that never bullied or abused me despite being cooler than cool. Carole Pope nails it as the lead singer.

2. SCHOOL CAFETERIA BY WEIRD AL YANKOVIC-1976

I am one that always found this strange, strange man funny and his take on the cafeteria food was so true and funny. I rarely ate cafeteria food.

3. VARSITY DRAG SUNG BY JUNE ALLYSON, PETER LAWFORD AND CAST-1947

I’ve been to more than one school dances watching the teens slo mo dance and laughing when the music got faster and the kids didn’t know what to do, like when Staircase to Heaven was played at every end to the school dance. For once, I’d love to see a school dance be like the one you see here. Wouldn’t that be fun…totally unrealistic, but so much fun.

So…which songs make you think of back to school?

Star For September

 

BIRTH: September 12, 1888

DEATH: January 1, 1972

AGED: 83 years

DIED FROM: kidney and liver failure as a result from a failed suicide attempt.

MARRIED: Twice- Yvonne Vallee and Nita Raya

AFFAIRS: Frehel, Mistinguett( volatile but was the love of her life), Arletty, Marlene Dietrich( big surprise), Lise Bourdin, Kay Francis, Miriam Hopkins, Merle Oberon, Toby Wing, Genevieve Tobin and just a out every chorus gal etc... 

CHILDREN: None!

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: THE Big Pond, The Love Parade

TALENT: Acrobat, Singer, Cabaret Star, painter

KNOWN FOR: aside from bedding tons of women...he was known for his miser like ways. His trademark Boater hat and tux. His ego but also his morose manner.

Maurice Chevalier is known for his French accent and lover and love for life man that is often imitated. So much so that, today, most people have no idea that the French guy is from Chevalier. What's funny( sad funny) is that he suffered from depression, and was a bit of a cranky dude. His dad was an abusive alcoholic who left the family and his eldest brother got married and, also, left. Their mom did everything she could to keep the 2 boys fed ending up in the hospital due to stress. Maurice went out to earn money, becoming an acrobat but, when he fell and was badly injured, he went on to other jobs..many others until he decided to sing. This did not go well but his brother and mom told him not to give up and he didn't. Before he could whistle French, he was becoming known. Soon, the biggest name in French entertainment, Frehel, took him on, in more ways than one. The problem...she had a major alcohol and cocaine addiction and he got hooked on cocaine. Well, once he could move on..he did and became an item, off and on with a big star, Mistinguett. 

World War 1 came on and he had to serve but was captured, in 1914, and was sent to a POW camp where he kicked his cocaine habit and learned Englush. Due to Mistinguett's knowledge of key people, she was able to free him in a prisoner exchange. How did Maurice thank her? He left her on to another gal, Arletty, and another and another. 

He hit the very big time when he came to Hollywood as a big star from France and he let everyone know this. He thought he was God's gift to women as well and tried to bag as many as he could, which he did. One who did not like his advances was Jeanette MacDonald who starred with him in 4 of his early pictures. He would deride her after because she rebuked him. They, actually, made a great team  which helped the musical regain its  footing. 

He decided he liked the stage more and moved back to France where he married for a 2nd time, to a Jewish lady. When Hitler took over France, they headed to the South which was more removed from the horrors of war. Unfortunately, The Nazis wanted him to sing and he would politely decline until they gave him an ultimatum..come with us or your wife and her family will be killed. He agreed to go with them and sing but on condition that they free 19 French POW'S. Despite him singing for the Resistance before being taken by the Nazis and singing for the POWs, he was initially charged as a collaborator and was almost hung but people came forward and he was vindicated. Not so much the U. S of A who placed him as a Communist because he signed the Stokholm Appeal to prevent nuclear arms being made.  In 1946, he divorced his wife and continued on performing, in more ways than one. Finally, when he was much older, he became the man we know more for than his earlier work. He was the happy-go- lucky Bon Vivant who loved love, life and champagne. He was in quite a few Disney films, the last years of his life but most he worked with, felt he was the exact opposite..cantankerous, moody and not very happy. He probably suffered from depression but went undiagnosed..mostly. He tried suicide more than once and the last time, taking barbituates, he hurt his kidneys and liver which led to his death. He is buried beside his adored mom whom he loved more than anyone.

FILMS

1. THE LOVE PARADE-1929

2. THE BIG POND-1929

3. THE SMILING LIEUTENANT-1931

4. ONE HOUR WITH YOU-1932

5. LOVE ME TONIGHT-1932

6. THE MERRY WIDOW-1934

7. GIGI-1958

8. CAN-CAN-1960

9. A BREATH OF SCANDAL-1960

10. IN SEARCH OF THE CASTAWAYS-1962

I haven't seen any of his early films which I want to rectify one day. I love Gigi, Can-Can and Love In The Afternoon as well as the Castaways one.