Cleanliness May Not Be Next To Godliness

 

I’m going to let you guess the theme of these movies….let’s see if you get this right:)

1. KEY LARGO-1948

This is the 4th and last movie pairing of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall who star in a Crime Drama that co-stars Edward G. Robinson, Lionel Barrymore and Clair Trevor in her Oscar winning role as the gangster’s moll. Lauren Bacall and her Father in Law, Lionel Barrymore, own a hotel when Humphrey Bogart arrives who was an old army pal of the man who died during the war and left his wife and dad alone. A hurricane is coming shutting down the hotel with them and some seedy guests. You are introduced to Edward G. While having a bubble bath and you very soon find out he is not Mr nice guy. He’s a brute who berates his girlfriend and even strikes the wheelchair bound dad, played by Lionel who really was in a wheelchair because of his severe Rheumatoid arthritis. They did not count on Humphrey who will not let these thugs get away. It’s quite a great film that I like better than, “The Big Sleep” and you can’t beat the scene stealing Claire as the alcoholic, doomed girlfriend of Edward G.

2. SOME LIKE IT HOT-1959

Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis play two down and put musicians, in the late 1920s who witness a gangster murder and must leave town ASAP. It just so happens an all girl musical group, with the lead singer, Sugar Cane, in tow, played by voluptuous Marilyn Monroe, need a bass player and a saxophonist. Enter Jack and Tony as Josephine and Daphne who board the train as the newest girls for this all girls’ band. They both vie for the affections of MM which turns into Uberdrive once they reach Miami. Tony finds out what MM would love in a man and up turns a wealthy man, with his yacht, who sounds remarkably like Cary Grant. Jack is not happy and mentions to MM that Josephine may want to hear about MM’s future love. All 3 run to the hotel with Jack hoping to catch Tony in his lie but, there is Tony, as Josephine, in a bubble bath and wins this round. Tony asks Jack to keep the old guy, played hilariously by Joe E. Brown, who owns the yacht busy while he woos MM. by the morning, Tony is happy, MM is in love and Jack is engaged to Joe E. Now enters the big gangster, played by George Raft, with his goons, to a convention of all the gangster big wigs where Tony and Jack have been fingered as the 2 witnesses and are now on the run. This is one hilarious movie that I can watch over and over again. I love Jack Lemmon and George E. Brown’s scenes with the tango scene always making me laugh. 

3. THE SILENCERS-1966

This film was made when 007 films were huge and Dean Martin spoofed this genre in a series of films as super spy, Matt Helm, who must thwart all sorts of evil bad guys. In this film, it starts with a femme fatale, played by Cyd Charisse, shot and killed after she gives a performance. Next we see Matt Helm in bed which turns upright and throws him into a very big bubble bath along with his secretary. He is happy being retired from all the spy business until his old boss comes calling asking for his help. Before you know it, he is after a very bad man who tries every which way to thwart Matt Helm in hilarious ways. Dean Martin is perfect in this role and he plays it to the hilt never taking himself seriously. The gals and Victor Bueno as the evil genius is great. I love these spoofs and you can see where Mike Myers got many of his gags from for his Austin Powers films.

Did you guess my theme? You have a great week!!