Clark Gable | Hollywood Yesterday

Movie Review: To Please a Lady with Barbara Stanwyck and Clark Gable

May 17, 2018 By Joi Leave a Comment

To Please A Lady (Official Trailer)

Some movies are tougher to write movie reviews for than others. Naturally, I could rave on and on about favorite movies such as Christmas in Connecticut, Top Hat, Lone Star, Autumn Leaves, etc… I also find movies that I really, really dislike easy to review. In fact, I’ll let you in on a little secret – it’s kind of fun to write reviews for the “stinkers.” Maybe it’s my way of exacting revenge for my misery.

Movies that I’m lukewarm on are a little tougher. If something doesn’t really inspire you one way or another, it’s hard to find the inspiration to even talk about it, you know?

For me, the absolute WORST movie to review is the one that stars one (or two or more) of your absolute favorites…. and yet, as a movie, leaves you wanting. You’re left lukewarm and can’t for the life of you wonder where the heat is. When you watch old movies as faithfully and for as long as I have, this is inevitably something you run into fairly often.

The following are some movies that starred some of my favorites (in parentheses) but scarcely scored a 3 on a scale of 1-10 for me:

A Farewell to Arms (Helen Hayes)
Mogambo (Ava Gardner and Clark Gable) – HATE this movie with a cruel, unbridled passion!
The Naked Spur (James Stewart)

Those are a few that come to mind that failed to rock my world, in spite of starring actors and actresses that did. The one I’m reviewing today is extra hard because it stars my main girl Barbara Stanwyck AND one of my absolute favorite actors, Clark Gable. How can a movie possibly miss with these two?!?!

That’s what I thought when I first sat down to watch To Please a Lady. While I have a lot of favorite actors and actresses (Hollywood Yesterday’s About Page will attest to that!) – there is no one I’d put above Barbara Stanwyck and Clark Gable on any list.

TCM – To Please a Lady Intro by Robert OsborneI can actually remember the afternoon I sat down to watch To Please a Lady on TCM. I had my popcorn by my side, a cold glass of sweet tea, and a cat (Alexa) in my lap. She fully expected a lot from this movie, too (huge, huge, huge Clark Gable fan).

Now don’t get me wrong – To Please a Lady is not at all a bad movie and it’s far from being what I call a “stinker” (here’s mud in your eye, Mogambo), but it wasn’t anywhere near the earth-moving movie that this Stanwyck and Gable fanatic… or even her cat… expected. Is it possible we over-expected? Very possibly.. which is why I re-watched it a few years later. When I watched it the second time… going in without any “my world is about to be rocked off its axis” expectations, I enjoyed it a lot more. Like a lot of oldies, you simply have to hang on and enjoy the fun of the ride.

One of the things that caught me off guard was that neither of the stars’ characters were exactly lovable for the first half of the film. I had a pretty hard time figuring out who to pull for. Least favorite part of the movie? Gable’s character (Mike) smacks Stanwyck’s (Regina). I realize it was a different time then and that some things were perfectly acceptable THEN that make us cringe NOW, but I’ll be honest with you, a man smacking a woman will never NOT make me cringe so hard I can hear my mom saying, “Do you want your face to freeze like that?!” all the way from Heaven.

Had Regina returned the smack, I’d have accepted it – especially if she’d given worse than she got… but not only does she not belt him, she seems to find it irresistible. That seems to be the moment she falls for him. In spite of my pleas, “Smack him! Kick him! Run!,” she just stands there smitten.

Again, I realize the time the movie was made (1950), but still.

On to the positives!

While I’m not a huge racing fan, I have to admit that the cars and the racing were really cool. As I often say in my old Hollywood movie reviews, one of the funnest things about watching old movies is seeing the clothes, furnishings, buildings, and cars. They were all spectacular and were a lot of fun to see.

The chemistry between the two stars was pretty special. While I’d like to have seen a stronger movie and story-line for them, their chemistry was very strong and the two of them, somehow, actually make a pretty average script take flight.

I’ll also give To Please a Lady this – the ending was very nice (I love a good ending). It ironically had one of my favorite Barbara Stanwyck scenes (and one of my favorite movie scenes, period), as well – when she’s trying on shoes in her office. The expressions, movements… vintage Barbara Stanwyck. There really isn’t another actress quite like her, you know.

They broke the mold with this lady.

If you’ve never seen To Please a Lady, I hope you’ll catch it – especially if you’re a fan of its stars. Seeing two legends starring in a movie is a wonderful thing – even if the movie doesn’t shine quite as brightly as they do.

The White Sister with Helen Hayes and Clark Gable

May 12, 2017 By Joi 2 Comments

As you’d expect from someone with a Golden Age of Hollywood blog like Hollywood Yesterday, I love old movies (as well as classic television) to distraction. I’m seldom as happy as when I’m curled up in my favorite chair, raspberry tea in hand, losing myself in a wonderful old movie. If you’re as infatuated with them as I am, you’ll know what I mean when I say that I love ALL watching old movies… even ones I don’t particularly “like.”

For example, Mogambo is possibly one of the worst (only in my opinion, mind you) movies I’ve ever seen. My great love for Clark Gable, Grace Kelly, and Ava Gardner couldn’t even save this movie for me. And yet…. the time spent watching it was satisfying because, while it was pretty dreadful, it was still an old movie and it still brought old stars of Hollywood into my den.

The White Sister (1933) is nowhere near as bad as Mogambo. In fact, the majority of the movie is a lot of fun. Helen Hayes (Angela Chiaromonte) impossibly adorable and… well.. delightful. I normally don’t think, let alone use, the word delightful – but several times during the movie, I kept thinking, “Helen Hayes, you are delightful as Angela…” Then I’d stop and ask myself, “Did you just use the word delightful?…”

Another plus for the movie is the fact that Clark Gable (a personal fave) is downright lovable in the role of Giovanni Severi. A little trivia – because who doesn’t like trivia – this was the first time Clark Gable appeared in a movie with a mustache.

My problem with the movie is that I wish it had chosen one lane and stayed in it. The movie starts out so light-hearted and fun, you’re left thinking that you’re in for a fun romantic comedy and, if the writing had stayed in this vein, it’d have been a classic.

A few tragic turns and you’re left with something that isn’t romantic or comedic.

Now… again… having said all of that, the movie is still very much worth watching because of the performances of Helen Hayes, Clark Gable, and Louise Closser Hale (a total scene-stealer in the role of Mina). Unlike a lot of movies of the time, the acting in The White Sister was superb. The early days of Hollywood often say, dare we say it, melodramatic performances that can be hard even for those of us who are obsessed with the era to watch. Not one star in The White Sister tries to gnaw or chew on any of the scenery and there wasn’t one single cringe-worthy moment.

Plot: Angela Chiaromonte (Helen Hayes), is the beautiful, overly-sheltered daughter of a Prince. She falls for Giovanni (Clark Gable) and his zest for life, in spite of herself. When he is reported killed in action in World War I, she is consumed with grief and becomes a nun.

The White Sister is directed by Victor Fleming (Gone with the Wind), which helps explain why the acting is so superb.

What I love about the movie: Helen Hayes, Clark Gable, and Louise Closser Hale do a wonderful job with their roles. They are excellent. The characters are lovable and you can’t help feeling drawn to each one. The clothes are also very memorable – the wardrobe department outdid themselves.

What I didn’t love about the movie: I’d have preferred it if the entire script had stayed light and romantic. The story was at its best when the characters and viewers were having fun.

Is the movie worth seeing? Absolutely. If you love old movies, Helen Hayes, and/or Clark Gable (and especially if, like me, you adore them all!) – you should see this movie right away. Will it become your favorite old movie of all time? Pretty doubtful.

But Helen Hayes is delightful. Perfectly delightful.

Two-Disk Set on Amazon:

Two legends of “Old Hollywood,”Lillian Gish and Helen Hayes, take the same role of Angela Chiaromonte, 10 years apart in The White Sister 2-disk set.

Gone With the Wind Dolls

October 12, 2015 By Joi 1 Comment

Gone with the Wind Doll – Prissy!Years ago, I had a collection of Gone With the Wind Dolls – Scarlett O’Hara, Rhett Butler, Ashley, Melanie, and my personal favorite characters from the movie, Prissy and Mammy. I even named one of my cats after the Prissy.

However, something unfortunate happened to the dolls. As a homeschooling family, I often used the dolls with my daughters as we “acted out” our Civil War history lessons. Mammy doubled as the unspeakably brave Harriet Tubman in Oscar-worthy performances!

Dolls can only take so much grand-standing and so much love from little history buffs, so they soon joined Barbie and her friends. You haven’t really lived until you’ve seen Scarlett O’Hara in a pair of white sequined jeans.

The dolls shown here bring back some really wonderful memories – actually more of our “history lessons” than the movie!

Click through any of the dolls for more information and to find others from the movie… and enjoy your trip down Memory Lane, I certainly have!

Gone with the Wind World Doll – Mrs. O’hara

Adorable Gone With the Wind Christmas Ornaments

December 7, 2013 By Joi Leave a Comment

The beautiful Scarlett’s Green Gown – Gone With The Wind 2013 Hallmark Ornament, above, is available on Amazon. It’d make a beautiful gift for any Gone With the Wind fan or collector.

A personal goal is to have an entire tree in my den packed with nothing but ornaments representing Old Hollywood and Classic Television. Santa and his bunch can have the Living Room’s Christmas tree!

See More Gone With the Wind Ornaments.