Arise, My Love (1940)

 

Arise, My Love - 1940

Coming up next is 1940's "Arise, My Love", a film about two people who find love amidst the onset of World War II in Europe.

The film's cast includes Claudette Colbert, Ray Milland, Dennis O'Keefe, Walter Abel, Dick Purcell, George Zucco, Frank Puglia, Esther Dale, and Bess Flowers.

In Spain, American pilot and prisoner of war Tom Martin is saved from execution at the last moment by his wife.  However, the lady is not his wife.  She is newspaperwoman Augusta "Gusto" Nash, and she's looking for a big story.  She figures this is her chance.  So, she poses as Tom's wife, gets the prison governor to grant a pardon, and springs him from jail.

By the time they make it to a nearby airfield, they've been discovered and are being pursued.  Tom commandeers an airplane and takes them up, where they are followed by two enemy planes.  They take refuge in the clouds.  "We hid in the clouds, a sanctuary of whipped cream," writes Gusto as Tom rolls his eyes.

They make it to Paris, where Gusto publishes her story.  She's suddenly a very famous and in demand writer.  Tom finds himself very attracted to her.  For her part, Gusto only wants to be involved with him so far as the story goes.  She's got no thoughts of love in her mind.

While Gusto wants to work on additional stories with Tom for syndication back in America, Tom only wants to enjoy his time in Paris.  So, he takes Gusto along with him to Maxim's, strictly for work purposes.  However, by the end of the night, she finds she's falling hard for him.

Gusto gets herself all worked up over the fact that she's falling for Tom.  In order to keep her head on straight, she packs up all of her shoes and locks them in the hotel safe, so she can't go out.

Soon afterwards, Gusto's boss comes to her with the news that she's been named Special Correspondent in Berlin and she's to leave for Germany as soon as possible.  Wanting to throw herself into work and not think about Tom, Gusto jumps at the chance.

Surprise, surprise, Tom finds his way onto Gusto's train.  He's bound for Warsaw, where he's enlisted in the Polish Air Force to fight Hitler.  Right in the middle of the train ride, Gusto succumbs to her feelings and lets herself fall head over heals for Tom.

Before continuing on their journey, they decide to spend some time in the Forest of Compiegne, which works its wonders on them.  "Look at it, like a kind grandmother dozing in her rocking chair.  Old trees practicing curtsies in the wind because they still think Louis XIV is king.  In the shade, well-behaved crickets and woodpeckers scarcely breaking the silence," says Tom poetically.

War breaks out before they can reach their final destinations.  Tom and Gusto decide to sail for America and be married once they arrive.  However, a German submarine torpedoes there ship and sinks it.

They are both rescued.  Instead of going home to America, they decide to stay in Europe and work for the war effort.

Gusto writes a riveting firsthand account of the ship's sinking and eventually starts to cover very important stories for the newspaper with regards to the war.  Tom joins the British Air Force.

On assignment for the newspaper, Gusto finds herself near the Forest of Compiegne, and she decides to take a walk there remembering her time with Tom, which now seems so long ago.

Unbeknownst to her, Tom has discovered where she is and is waiting for her.  They embrace.  He's been injured and can't fly anymore.  He and Gusto decide to return to America and stir the hearts of their countrymen into fighting the terrors of Hitler.

Cast rundown:

   Claudette Colbert..............................Augusta Nash

   Ray Milland......................................Tom Martin

   Dennis O'Keefe.................................Joe Sheppard

   Walter Abel.......................................Phillips

   Dick Purcell.......................................Pinky O'Connor

   George Zucco....................................Prison Governor

   Frank Puglia......................................Father Jacinto

   Esther Dale.......................................Susie

   Bess Flowers.....................................Dancer At Maxim's

And that's it for Arise, My Love.  The film won the Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Story.  The title of the film comes from the Bible, Song of Solomon 2:10, "My beloved speaks and says to me: 'Arise, my love, my fair one..."  Claudette Colbert once said that this was her favorite of the films that she made.

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Doll Face (1945)

Doll Face - 1945

Coming up next is 1945's "Doll Face", starring Vivian Blaine, Dennis O'Keefe, Perry Como, and Carmen Miranda.  A burlesque star wants to break into Broadway, but her beginnings in burlesque ensure that the doors are slammed in her face.  She writes a book in the hopes that a little culture will pry those doors open again.

The film's supporting cast includes Martha Stewart, Stephen Dunne, Reed Hadley, and Donald MacBride.

The film opens as "Doll Face" Carroll is auditioning for a Broadway producer.  She does a beautiful rendition of "Somebody's Walking In My Dreams".  Unfortunately for her, someone recognizes her as Doll Face Carroll, the Queen of Burlesque, and the object of New York men's desires.  She stars in a show on the other side of town.  The producer says he doesn't want her because she has no class.

In order to get her some class, Doll Face's manager (and boyfriend) arranges for her to "write" a book.  He gets a ghostwriter to come down to the theater for an interview.  At first, the writer, Frederick Manly Gerard, wants nothing to do with this aspect of the theater.  One look at Doll Face changes his mind.  When he leaves, Mike shows Doll Face some engagement rings he picked up at the jeweler.  They're not engaged yet, but are waiting for the right time.

While talking with Gerard the next day, Mike gets an idea.  He wants to take his whole show to Broadway.  Mike says why should the big, fancy Broadway producer get all the publicity?  The only problem is they don't have enough money to put on the show.  Gerard saves the day and says he'll invest whatever sum they need.  Doll Face gives him a big hug in gratitude and Mike gets jealous.

Mike watches as the two discuss the book and get along well.  Gerard says the book is nearly finished and rehearsal starts on the show soon.  He's a bit sad that their relationship will be over.  Mike walks away just before Gerard tells Doll Face how he feels about her.  She tells him not to talk that way.  She loves Mike and no other guy will do.  Mike comes back and tells her she doesn't need to write the book anymore.  The show will do fine because of all the publicity the news of the book generated.  Just gets angry when he tries to call it off.  She tells him she's going through with the book being published, and she and Gerard storm off.

Right after this, Nicky (Perry Como) sings "Here Comes Heaven Again", something he's written for the new show.

It's a beautiful ballad that he sings to his love interest, another star of the burlesque show.

The next day, Gerard and Doll Face have to go to the publisher's weekend house on an island in Jamaica Bay.  They rent a boat so they can be back for Doll Face's night performance.  She's been distracted that day, because of her quarrel with Mike.  Gerard tells her he'll get over it.  While they're on their way to the publisher's house, the motor conks out on the boat.  With no way to solve their problem, the two have to swim to the nearest shore and spend the night.  Mike frantically searches for them.

Doll Face is horribly worried about what he'll think when she's not back.  Unfortunately, Mike calls out the Coast Guard and arrives with them after they spot the boat stranded on a beach.  Mike walks up and sees the two sleeping side by side.  He thinks the worst, no matter what Gerard and Doll Face tell him.  Despite their protestations, he refuses to believe that things happened like they said.  He leaves them on the beach, and Doll Face leaves his burlesque show.

When Doll Face leaves the show, so do the customers, and Mike is forced to close it.  Chita (Carmen Miranda) sets Mike straight about Doll Face, and tells him to apologize.  He tells her he's tried, but she doesn't answer his phone calls and all his letters come back unopened.  Chita also gives Mike the engagement rings back, saying Doll Face told her to send them to him.

Hurt by Mike's actions, Doll Face has started a relationship with Gerard, and he's given her a ring...no strings attached.  If at any time she feels it's not right for her, she can give it back.  Just after he gives it, the big Broadway producer shows up and wants Doll Face for a show.  She suggests using her autobiography as source material for the show.  She says they can also use the cast from her old burlesque troupe, and he's all for it.

The show goes into rehearsal.  A few weeks before opening, Gerard tells Chita that Doll Face has been very short with him lately.  During a rehearsal of "Somebody's Walking In My Dreams", Doll Face gets emotional and wants to cut the song.  She says they should cut out the part of Mike Hannegan altogether.  When Gerard goes after her, Doll Face sends him away.  Chita uses the opportunity to call Mike and tell him to come and see Doll Face right away.  However, Doll Face doesn't want to see him after the things he said that day on the beach.  Mike tells Chita he's got an idea and Doll Face will talk to him if it's the last thing he ever does.

The opening night of the show comes, and Chita opens things with the fast-paced "Chico Chico".

Carmen Miranda's band, Bando da Lua, accompanies her in the number.  It's quite humorous and full of fun.

When it's Doll Face's turn to come on, she finds she can't.  Mike has slapped an injunction on the show.  Since he has a personal contract with Doll Face, she can't appear unless he says so.  And all he wants is to talk.  Doll Face is still furious about the scene he made on the beach.

While Mike talks, Doll Face falls in love with him all over again.  He agrees to let Doll Face go on.  Before she does, she goes to the Broadway producer and gets Mike a twenty-five percent interest in the show, plus a producer's credit and top billing.  She and Nicky sing the final number of the show, a medley of "Somebody's Walking In My Dreams" and "Here Comes Heaven Again".

Cast rundown:

   Vivian Blaine.....................................Doll Face Carroll

   Dennis O'Keefe..................................Mike Hannegan

   Perry Como.......................................Nicky Ricci

   Carmen Miranda.................................Chita Chula

   Martha Stewart..................................Frankie Porter

   Stephen Dunne..................................Frederick Manly Gerard

   Reed Hadley......................................Flo Hartman

   Donald MacBride................................Lawyer Ferguson

And that's a wrap on Doll Face.  The film was based on a book by legendary burlesque star Gypsy Rose Lee.  Originally, Carole Landis had been slated to play Doll Face, but was unhappy with the script.  Vivian Blaine stepped in.

One scene from the original script never made it into the movie.  The film was advertised heavily using Carmen Miranda in a nautical outfit with a lighthouse headdress.  The script called for her to sing the song "True To The Navy".  Paramount Pictures, who owned the rights to the song, refused to let Fox use it.  Although the scene was filmed, it was never used.  It can be seen on the DVD release.  The headdress Carmen wears can still be seen in the film, as a prop on her dressing table.

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