My Sister Eileen (1942)

 

My Sister Eileen - 1942

Coming up next is 1942's "My Sister Eileen", the story of two sisters who move to New York City in the hopes of launching their respective careers.  Before they can make the big time, they've got to sort out a place to live.  The cast of characters that comes through their new abode is unbelievable!

The film's cast includes Rosalind Russell, Brian Aherne, Janet Blair, George Tobias, Allyn Joslyn, Grant Mitchell, Elizabeth Patterson, June Havoc, Donald MacBride, and Jeff Donnell.

Ruth Sherwood, a writer from Columbus, Ohio, is looking to broaden her horizons.  For her, this means a move to New York City, where things are really happening.  She's won her grandmother over to her side, much to the consternation of her father.

Ruth's younger sister, aspiring actress Eileen, invites herself along.  Ruth knows that Eileen needs just as much of a chance as she does, so she lets her.

They arrive in New York City and are instantly beset with the problem of where to live.  They spend the entire day scouring the city for a residence and come up short at each location.

They are talked into renting a below-street apartment by a fast-talking landlord.  It has much to be desired, but the two sisters know they've got to have a roof over their heads.

It's completely unfortunate for them that their window is right at street level, allowing everything from animals to drunk and disorderly men a front row seat to their lives.  Even a street cleaner sprays water in the open window, thoroughly soaking the girls.

And Eileen starts meeting people who want to drop in all the time.  They include a married couple who don't want the woman's mother to know their married.  The mother is visiting and so the man (a wrestler and football player) wants to stay in the girls' cozy kitchenette.  A bonus for them is that he does laundry.

A boy who works at the local drugstore and a theater reporter both have the hots for Eileen.  The two guys come over and vie for her attentions, not one paying much attention to Ruth.

A former tenant of the apartment, who happens to be a psychic at a Russian nightclub, is brought to the girls, who've got to let her stay until she wakes up.  Will the intrusions ever end?

There is someone for Ruth, however.  An editor named Bob Baker takes an interest in Ruth AND her work.  Ruth is thrilled, though she can't seem to get a word in edgewise during their conversations.

While waiting for steady jobs to come through, Ruth and Eileen have to be creative with their meals.  They eat spaghetti and meatballs for as long as it will last them.  And Eileen gets a bunch of free samples of a product called "Nature's Broom".  Ruth isn't too sure about it.

While on assignment one day, a group of Portuguese Merchant Marines follow Ruth home.  When they arrive, the guys quickly toss her aside in favor of Eileen.

They cause quite a stir.  No matter what the girls do, they can't get the guys to leave.  The guys start a conga line and eventually a sort of riot breaks out in the neighborhood.

And Eileen has to spend a night in jail because of it.  Eileen is actually quite comfortable there.  She's got the policemen eating out of the palm of her hand.

Matters come to a head when Grandma and Dad make a surprise visit and find out exactly what's been going on.  Grandma seems to be cool with it, but Dad isn't so happy.

The icing on the cake is when Eileen is escorted home from jail by the Portuguese Merchant Marines and their captain, who is very sorry.  He pins a medal on Eileen (second class) for all the trouble she's gone through.  "I wonder what you have to go through to get first class?" wonders Ruth.

Dad blows his top and orders the girls back to Columbus.  He takes Grandma with him to buy the tickets and leaves the girls to pack.

While they're gone, things start to look up.  Bob Baker comes in and announces that he's published a story of Ruth's entitled "My Sister Eileen".  The story talks about all the things that have happened since arriving in New York.  It also comes with a big check.  Bob also professes his love for Ruth, who reciprocates.

Everything seems to be settled.  The girls are going to stay in New York, and everyone is going out for a celebratory dinner.  As they leave, a commotion stops everyone in their tracks.  Diggers for the new subway have taken a wrong turn and have landed right in the middle of the girls' apartment.

Cast rundown:

   Rosalind Russell.....................................Ruth Sherwood

   Brian Aherne.........................................Robert Baker

   Janet Blair.............................................Eileen Sherwood

   George Tobias........................................Appopolous

   Allyn Joslyn...........................................Chic Clark

   Grant Mitchell........................................Walter Sherwood

   Elizabeth Patterson.................................Grandma Sherwood

   June Havoc............................................Effie Shelton

   Donald MacBride.....................................Officer Lonigan

   Jeff Donnell............................................Helen Loomis

And that's it for My Sister Eileen.  Rosalind Russell was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as Ruth Sherwood.  It was the first of four nominations for the legendary star.  To get the starring role, Russell had to sign a five-year contract with Columbia Pictures, which guaranteed that she would make two films a year for them.

The Three Stooges make a surprise cameo at the end of the film as the bumbling subway workers who make a wrong turn and end up drilling into the Sherwood girls' apartment.

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Conflict (1945)

 

Conflict - 1945

Coming up next is 1945's "Conflict", a story about a married man who is in love with his wife's sister.  When he kills his wife in order to be free, strange things start happening to make him doubt his wife's death.

The film's cast includes Humphrey Bogart, Alexis Smith, Sydney Greenstreet, Rose Hobart, Charles Drake, Grant Mitchell, Patrick O'Moore, Ann Shoemaker, Mary Servoss, and Bess Flowers.

Richard and Kathryn Mason are celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary.  However, things are far from happy and loving.

Kathryn confronts Richard over his infatuation with her younger sister Evelyn.  Richard doesn't deny the accusations.

Kathryn tells Richard that she's not going anywhere and it's no good trying to divorce her.  Evelyn would be too loyal and would never countenance a relationship with an ex-brother-in-law.

That evening, their good friend Dr. Mark Hamilton, a noted psychologist, hosts a dinner for them in honor of their anniversary.

Evelyn is a guest at the dinner, and Richard only has eyes for her, much to Kathryn's disgust.

On the way home later that night, Richard loses his temper during an argument with Kathryn.  The roads are wet from a heavy rain, and he crashes the car, which results in his being seriously injured.  Kathryn walks away without a scratch.

Weeks later, after he is supposed to be healed, Richard finds he's still unable to walk.  A consultation with his doctor results in the suggestion that Richard and Kathryn should visit a mountain resort, where a change will do Richard good.

After the doctor leaves, Richard apologizes to Kathryn for the way he treated her before the accident.  She replies coldly, "It's funny how virtuous a man can be when he's helpless."

When the arrangements are made and it's time to leave, Richard tells Kathryn she should go up to the resort without him because he has some work he has to do at the house with a co-worker.  He will follow her later.  Before she leaves town, Kathryn stops over and asks Dr. Hamilton to look in on Mark.

Kathryn makes the long trek on the winding and twisting mountain roads.  A stopped car along the way causes her to have to stop her own car.

Looking for the car's owner, she is shocked to see her husband Richard standing there.  It turns out he's been able to walk all along.  Kathryn is terrified.

Richard strangles Kathryn, and then pushes her car over a ledge, sending it careening down the mountainside.  It dislodges some logs and they land on top of the car in a peculiar formation.

Richard then hurries home so he can be there when the news comes that his wife is missing.

With no leads to go on, the police declare her officially missing.  Richard tries to get on with his life and begins to spend a lot of time with Evelyn.

Peculiar things begin to happen.  Kathryn's cameo ring is found on a pickpocket and returned to Richard.  He can't make any sense of it.

At home, Richard can smell some of Kathryn's freshly applied perfume about their bedroom.  Subsequent investigation leads him to her key.  He opens their safe to discover her wedding ring inside.  Richard is thoroughly confused.  As far as he knows, she lies dead at the bottom of a mountain under a pile of logs.

To ease the strain he's under, Dr. Hamilton asks Richard, along with Evelyn, to join him for his spring vacation at Rainbow Lake.  Both of them agree.

There, Richard continues to spend a lot of time with Evelyn, falling more and more in love with her.

Strange occurrences continue.  Richard sees a pile of logs eerily like the one Kathryn's car is buried under.  He also receives an untraceable phone call from a "Mrs. Mason".

Later that night, Richard tells Evelyn how he feels about her.  He's disappointed that she doesn't return his feelings.  He angrily leaves the lodge and returns home.

He receives a letter written in Kathryn's handwriting.  Inside is a pawn ticket.

He goes to the pawn shop and discovers that Kathryn's locket has been pawned, apparently by her.

Later, Richard catches a glimpse of Kathryn through a shop window.  At least, he thinks it's her.  The woman is wearing the exact same outfit that Kathryn was on the day she died.  He's thoroughly exasperated when no one believes the things that are happening, even Dr. Hamilton is dubious.

Richard decides that the only thing he can do to calm his mind is to return to the scene of the crime and make sure that Kathryn is really dead.

Richard is shocked to see that Kathryn's body is not in the car.  However, staring at him from the other side of the vehicle is Dr. Hamilton, along with the police detective in charge of Kathryn's case.

Dr. Hamilton explains to Richard that he knew pretty early on that Richard killed his wife.  However, there was no evidence to prove it.  With police assistance, he contrived to drive Richard back to the scene, which proves that he knew what happened to Kathryn all along.

Cast rundown:

   Humphrey Bogart...........................................Richard Mason

   Alexis Smith..................................................Evelyn Turner

   Sydney Greenstreet........................................Dr. Mark Hamilton

   Rose Hobart..................................................Kathryn Mason

   Charles Drake................................................Prof. Norman Holsworth

   Grant Mitchell................................................Dr. Grant

   Patrick O'Moore.............................................Det. Lt. Egan

   Ann Shoemaker.............................................Nora Grant

   Mary Servoss.................................................Landlady

   Bess Flowers.................................................Lodge Guest

And that's it for Conflict.  Jack L. Warner originally had Joan Crawford in mind to play Kathryn Mason in this first rate film.  Crawford read the script and then had her agent relay a message to Warner: "Joan Crawford never dies in her movies, and she never ever loses her man to anyone."  The role subsequently went to Rose Hobart.  This was the first of two films in which Humphrey Bogart kills or tries to kill his wife to be with Alexis Smith.  The other film was "The Two Mrs. Carrolls".  The brooch worn by Rose Hobart in the opening scene was also worn by Ingrid Bergman in her opening scene in the movie "Casablanca".

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