She Wouldn't Say Yes (1945)

 

She Wouldn't Say Yes - 1945

Coming up next is 1945's "She Wouldn't Say Yes", a story about a woman who refuses to marry the man that fate has evidently picked out for her.

The film's cast includes Rosalind Russell, Lee Bowman, Adele Jurgens, Charles Winninger, Harry Davenport, Sara Haden, Percy Kilbride, Tom Dugan, Sam McDaniel, Darren McGavin, Ida Moore, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, Cora Witherspoon, and Mabel Paige.

Noted psychiatrist Dr. Susan Lane is traveling home to Chicago after spending some time working at a mental hospital in New York City.

Collecting her train tickets, she meets a man whom she keeps bumping into, literally.  "I have a feeling that meeting under other circumstances I would've liked you very much," says the man, a Mr. Michael "Mike" Kent.  Clearly annoyed, Susan replies, "Then I'm glad the circumstances were as they are."

Coincidentally, they meet later on board the train.  He insists on having a drink with her in the club car.  When he likens her profession to being that of a "mental Peeping Tom", Susan retorts, "Only by appointment".

Susan is further annoyed when she finds out that Mike has tickets to her upper berth.  Apparently, the ticket office gave them a set of identical tickets.  She wastes no time tossing him out when the train goes around a sharp curve.

In Chicago, Mike, very smitten with Susan since first laying eyes on her, finds out where she lives.  He shows up and regales her father with tales of how the two shared an upper berth.  Susan's father, also a doctor, is mortified until Susan sets the story straight.

Susan's father, however, likes Mike a lot.  And he's tired of Susan thinking that she can do without love.  So, he tells Mike where he can find Susan the next day.  For her part, Susan only hopes she's seen the last of him.

When Mike shows up at Susan's office the next day, Susan thinks she's got the perfect way to get rid of him.  She gets a man hungry patient interested in him.

Susan goes to the trouble of arranging a dinner for the two of them at her house.  Mike thinks that Susan herself will be there, and he readily accepts.  However, Susan goes out with her father and leaves Mike and her patient, Allura, alone.

Once Mike realizes that it's all a set-up with the aim of getting Allura and himself together, he gets a little frightened.  Allura is very persuasive and she wants Mike.

Susan resists all of Mike's charms.  She's bound and determined to stay single.  She explains it's because of all the women who come through her office because of what "love" did to them.  Mike is bound and determined to wear down her defenses.

Susan's father goes to the trouble of arranging a marriage for the two.  Susan doesn't know anything about it.  She thinks she's there to treat a very jumpy judge.  Before she knows it, she and Mike are married, and she is none the wiser.

Naturally, Susan is very upset once she learns the truth about the marriage.  She orders Mike out of her house and her life.

However, Susan realizes that she does love Mike.  This realization comes right in the middle of a session with another patient.

She hurries to catch up with Mike, who is on his way to San Francisco.  She arranges to be in his upper berth.  They kiss and make up.  They also make plans to stop in Nevada and have a real wedding.

Cast rundown:

   Rosalind Russell.............................Dr. Susan Lane

   Lee Bowman..................................Michael Kent

   Adele Jurgens................................Allura

   Charles Winninger..........................Dr. Lane

   Harry Davenport............................Albert

   Sara Haden...................................Laura Pitts

   Percy Kilbride................................Judge Whittaker

   Tom Dugan...................................Cab Driver

   Sam McDaniel...............................Train Steward

   Darren McGavin.............................Soldier In Hospital

   Ida Moore.....................................Spinster On Train

   Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer......................Delivery Boy

   Cora Witherspoon..........................Mrs. Peterson

   Mabel Paige..................................Martha Whittaker

And that's it for She Wouldn't Say Yes.  The release date of the film clashed somewhat with a plot point.  Michael Kent was on his way to San Francisco so that he could join the war effort in Japan.  However, the war had ended three months before this film was released.

This film also marked the screen debut of actor Darren McGavin, who would later become famous (especially to American audiences) for his portrayal of Mr. Parker in the film "A Christmas Story".

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Airport '77 (1977)

 

Airport '77 - 1977

Coming up next is 1977's "Airport '77", the third installment in the iconic Airport franchise.  This film sees a 747 get lost in the Bermuda Triangle.  The plane's passengers must struggle to survive as their craft lies under the water.

The film's cast includes Jack Lemmon, Lee Grant, Brenda Vaccaro, Joseph Cotten, Olivia de Havilland, James Stewart, George Kennedy, Darren McGavin, Christopher Lee, M. Emmet Walsh, Michael Richardson, Pamela Bellwood, Maidie Norman, Anthony Battaglia, Monte Markham, Kathleen Quinlan, Arlene Golonka, Elizabeth Cheshire, Robert Hooks, and Monica Lewis.

In Palm Beach, Florida, wealthy philanthropist Philip Stevens is opening his home and art collection to the public as a museum.  (Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami served as the locale of Stevens' Palm Beach mansion.)

He's flying guests down to Palm Beach to celebrate in a brand-new, state of the art 747 aircraft.

The plane is in the very able hands of Captain Don Gallagher, who has just completed a test run with the aircraft.

The guests will be in the very able hands of Eve Clayton, who also happens to be Captain Gallagher's girlfriend.

The VIP guests include Philip Stevens' daughter and grandson, whom he hasn't seen in a very long time.

Another wealthy philanthropist, Emily Livingston, is also aboard.  She plays one mean game of poker.  She also marvels at the luxurious accommodations on board the plane.

A young girl and her mother are also among the guests.  The young girl was chosen by her class to present a picture to Mr. Stevens.  She proudly shows off the picture to fellow passenger Dorothy.

Martin and Karen Wallace are a married couple who are constantly bickering.  Their time on the plane will test their marriage to its limit.

Emily gets a surprise blast from the past when she sees an old familiar face.  It's one she hasn't seen since London, 1936.  Her old friend, Nicholas St. Downs, "Nicky".

Nicky and Emily hurry towards each other and spend the duration of the flight in each other's company.

Guests aren't the only things traveling aboard the plane.  A large part of Mr. Stevens' art collection is also making the trip to Palm Beach.

Things begin well, although art thieves dressed as flight crew (with the assistance of the co-pilot) have other plans for the evening.

They hook up some noxious gas to the cabin's main filtration system, which knocks out the passengers.  Then, they proceed to hijack the airplane.

Things go wrong and the plane ends up several hundred miles off course.  It has to crash land in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle.

The passengers, by now awake, begin to get frantic and start to panic as they realize what is happening.

The plane eventually sinks to the ocean floor.  Though at a shallow enough depth for a rescue operation to be mounted, the water pressure causes serious complications, and water begins to seep through into the main cabin, further alarming the passengers.

The passengers must now hope and pray that they can be rescued.  Many are severely injured and several are dead.

Working with the US Navy, Philip Stevens is able to pinpoint the location of his submerged aircraft.  Miraculously, Captain Gallagher was able to escape and is able to help with the rescue operation.

The Navy launches a daring rescue mission.  They use balloons to lift the plane from its resting place so they can access one of the cabin doors.

It gets a little crazy as the frightened passengers begin pouring out of the plane into waiting lifeboats.  They make it just in time.  One of the balloons pops, sending the plane back to the seabed.

It's a bittersweet ending for the passengers.  Some are very glad to be reunited with their loved ones, others are beginning a romance, and still others are mourning the loss of friends they had on board.

Cast rundown:

   Jack Lemmon...................................Capt. Don Gallagher

   Lee Grant.........................................Karen Wallace

   Brenda Vaccaro.................................Eve Clayton

   Joseph Cotten...................................Nicholas St. Downs III

   Olivia de Havilland.............................Emily Livingston

   James Stewart..................................Philip Stevens

   George Kennedy................................Joe Patroni

   Darren McGavin.................................Stan Buchek

   Christopher Lee.................................Martin Wallace

   M. Emmet Walsh................................Dr. Herbert Williams

   Michael Richardson............................Walker

   Pamela Bellwood................................Lisa

   Maidie Norman...................................Dorothy

   Anthony Battaglia...............................Benjy

   Monte Markham.................................Banker

   Kathleen Quinlan................................Julie

   Arlene Golonka..................................Jane Stern

   Elizabeth Cheshire..............................Bonnie Stern

   Robert Hooks.....................................Eddie

   Monica Lewis.....................................Anne

And that's it for Airport '77.  Joan Crawford was originally offered the role of Emily Livingston.  She declined it, and the role was accepted by Olivia de Havilland.  This was the third film where Olivia de Havilland took over for Joan Crawford.  Christopher Lee accepted his role in the film because it allowed him the opportunity to work with Jack Lemmon.  However, Jack Lemmon said he made a big mistake in accepting his role.  For me, this film is the strongest of the four Airport movies.

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