MOVIE BOOKS I LOVE: "FROM SCARFACE TO SCARLETT" BY ROGER DOOLEY

This is an occasional series featuring my favorite movie books. Before TCM and the internet, the only way to satisfy my passion to know more about Classic Hollywood was through books, books and more books. I've cleared away the clutter over the years, but many remain permanent residents in my home. You'd never throw out an old friend, now, would you?

I don't know about you, but I really hate how each new book, celebrity, movie, song, anything is instantly labeled fabulous, the best, amazing, great - only to be surpassed by tomorrow's new thing and lie discarded and forgotten a week later. "From Scarface to Scarlett: American Films in the 1930s" by Roger Dooley is, without exaggeration, a truly fabulous, great and amazing book. And I'm not kidding. I've been saying this since its publication in 1981 (actually 1979, with an update in 1981).

"The 1930s were the golden age of film, don't you agree, Clark?"
"Why, yes, Joan, I most certainly do!"

"From Scarface to Scarlett" is a trip through the great movie decade of the 1930s. And it's a trip on the local, not the express. Think back, if you can to the dark ages of 1981 - no Turner Classic Movies, no internet. This makes Roger Dooley's work even more impressive. 

The book is divided into 14 mammoth sections, with corresponding subsections that are witty and insightful and chock full of descriptions of films ranging from the famous to the obscure. In a remarkable acheivement, the author personally screened almost five thousand films in a journey from television, revival houses to museums. There are facts galore, and fine criticism, but what makes this book so much fun is that Dooley writes like a real fan. A scholarly and knowledgeable one, to be sure, but a fan first and foremost. His love for the films and the stars and the era jumps off of every page. Dooley clearly considers the 1930s the apex of the studio and star system:


"In between came those ten phenomenal years that seem ever more incredible as they recede in time. Granted that then the movies were a giant industry, whose aim was to make the biggest profit by pleasing the widest public, the wonder is how many really fine pictures were produced within, or in spite of, the system. Even the most routine "B" films still show an un-self-conscious verve, pace and vitality, a crisp professionalism all too seldom seen today; dialogue is fast but clearly spoken, scenes make their point and end. The very speed of the shooting schedules left little time for self-indulgent writers, director or stars."


Here's a very small sampling (all sub-sections contain so many more references that are impossible to list here) to whet your appetite:


SECTION 1: Just Picture a Penthouse: Love Among the Millionaires
1. O Mistress Mine: Ladies with a Past
Films in this category include "Bed of Roses," "Shopworn," "Possessed," and "Camille." 

Constance Bennett and Joel McCrea in "Bed of Roses"

2. Puttin' on the Ritz: The Gold Diggers of 1930-1939.
Films in this category include "Red Headed Woman," "Girls About Town," "The Greeks Had a Word for Them," all of the Gold Digger films, and "42nd Street." 

Kay Francis and Lilyan Tashman in the outrageous "Girls About Town"

3. Happily Ever After: Cinderella Romances.
Films include "Sadie McKee," "Hot Saturday," "Page Miss Glory," and "Midnight."
4. Vivacious Ladies: Working Girl Comedies.
Films include "The Gilded Lily," Hands Across the Table," "Bachelor Mother," and "Theodora Goes Wild."

Ginger Rogers, Charles Coburn, Elbert Coplen, Jr.,
and David Niven in "Bachelor Mother"

5. With Plenty of Money and You: Heiress, Madcap, Headstrong, Footloose and Runaway.
Films include "It Happened One Night," "My Man Godfrey," "Libeled Lady," and "Bringing Up Baby."
6. Scene- Drawing Room, Late Afternoon: Comedies of Manners from the Stage.
Films include "Our Betters," "Topaze," "The Women," and "When Ladies Meet."


SECTION 7: CRIME AND PUNISHMENT: Cops and Robbers
1. "Aw Right You Guys!": The Gang's All Here.
Films include "Little Caesar," "The Public Enemy," "Scarface," and "The Roaring Twenties."

Paul Muni and Ann Dvorak in "Scarface."

2. Innocent Bystanders: Women and Children First.
Films include "Woman Wanted," "Mary Burns, Fugitive," "You Only Live Once," and "Ann Vickers."
3. Around the Law in Eighty Ways: Shysters, Mouthpieces and Ambulance Chasers.
Films include "A Free Soul," "The Mouthpiece," "Lawyer Man," and Counsellor-at-Law."

Warren William and "clients" in "The Mouthpiece"

4. Law and Order: The Enforcers.
Films include "The Great O'Malley," "G-Men," "Counterfeit," and "Show Them No Mercy."

James Cagney on the right side of the law in "G-Men"

5. "I'm Bustin' Out": Our Fettered Friends.
Films include "The Big House," "I am a Fugitive," "20,000 Year in Sing Sing," and "Each Dawn I Die."


These are just two sections! Other sections, with endlessly entertaining sub-sections, include:
● The Plot Thickens: Intrigue, Boudoir and Otherwise
● Remembrance of Things Past: Wistful Glances Past
● Long Ago and Far Away: Escapes Still Further into the Past
● The White Man's Burden: Imperialism, Hollywood Style
● Nice Work If You Can Get It: Occupational Hazards
● Blood Will Tell: The Nonprofessionals
● The Light Fantastic: Flights of Fancy, Musical and Otherwise
● The Show Must Go On: Behind the Scenes
● People Like Us: Everyday Folks - More or Less
● In Times Like These: Films of Ideas
● Over the Rainbow: 1939 - The Best of Everything - Almost


Is your brain churning, trying to figure out in which chapter your favorite 1930s film will appear? The book is filled with wonderful stills from films you don't see every day (not even on TCM) and a more than complete glossary of titles and another or persons. What more could a movie lover ask for? It has been a treasure trove of information for me and an endless source of delight. The binding is a little cracked and the pages worn and a bit worse for the wear, but all of these "blemishes" are proof of the love I have for this wonderful book.

Fiddle de dee this is a great book!

I notice that this book is available on Amazon and at other outlets for a ridiculously wide range of prices. If you do decide to locate it, all I can say is enjoy!

Remembering Natalie Wood: You Don't Know What You've Got 'Till It's Gone

For no particular reason, I have been thinking of Natalie Wood a lot lately and missing her. 

She was ever present in my life as a pre-teen, teenager and beyond. There was no doubt that she was a star, but she was rarely praised for her acting. During her lifetime she was frequently disrespected by the critics, but loved by her fans. 


Natalie Wood was one of the few child stars who made the successful transition to both teen and adult star. As a child she was adorable, but knowing. She certainly seemed like the smartest person in the room. As a teenager she was a high school goddess, the one the boys all wanted and the girls  imitated. As an adult, oh my, she was perfection: sophisticated, beautiful, elegant and approachable. Proud of her Russian heritage, Natalie (born Natasha Zakharenko and always called Natasha by her friends) was the beautiful girl of slightly exotic origin (she was an ethic all-purpose and,  during her career, played an Hispanic, Native American, Italian and Jewish girl). She was with us for so long, it seemed as though she was an eternal part of the Hollywood scenery. She was always there and, no matter what new faces came and went, she was permanent. Or so we thought.


Here are some of my favorite Natalie Wood films.


Childhood

"Miracle on 34th Street" is my favorite Natalie childhood film. Aside from the fact that it is a totally magical film in all ways, Natalie's Susan is the beating heart of this great movie. She is us, doubting, but secretly wanting to believe.

I love Natalie in "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir," too. She doesn't have a whole lot to do, but it is another magical film and she is just too cute.


Teenager

Every boy fell in love with Natalie after seeing "Rebel Without a Cause." As part of the troubled-teen trio with James Dean and Sal Mineo, Natalie's Judy showcased her growing talent and beauty in a landmark film. While the film belongs to Dean, Natalie's performance gives heartfelt and moving support.

I loved Natalie's performance in "Marjorie Morningstar." First, she gets to go to camp with friend Carolyn Jones and, while at camp and beyond, gets to have a mad affair with older man Gene Kelly (yum yum). That never happened to me at camp!! Then she gets to be an actress. Maybe not a great film, but it grabbed me from the get-go and I was rooting for Marjorie Morningstar (nee: Morgenstern) all the way. She is beautiful and affecting.

Plus, she wore a back metallic weave bathing suit that was killer.


Adult

Ah, "Splendor in the Grass." Natalie's breakout performance as an adult star and one of her very best. This is a beautiful film, one that has a special place in the hearts of so many filmgoers. Her raw-nerve performance as Deanie Loomis has been described as poetry and I think that's a fair assessment. Yet another film that seems to get better with each viewing.

Bells and banjos, indeed. This is the love that Natalie Wood's Angie Rossini wants from Steve McQueen in "Love with the Proper Stranger." Both stars are romantic (in a anti-romance kind of way) and breathtakingly young and beautiful. I saw this movie recently, and, seen from the rear view mirror of life, it made my heart both break and sing.

"Inside Daisy Clover" is not a great film, but it is one of my great guilty pleasures. First of all, Natalie is aces in this film - singing, cutting her hair and getting drunk and screwed over by everyone. Next, it has some of my favorite actors in support: Christopher Plummer being totally mean and sexy, a young and delicious Robert Redford being secretly gay, and the great Ruth Gordon as Daisy's nutty mama. Add a neat song ("You're Gonna Hear From Me," by Andre and Dory Previn) and lovely Edith Head costumes and I'm in. Can't help it - I love it , and I am placing this on my list of favorite Natalies instead of "West Side Story," as I think she looks kind of uncomfortable in the role of Maria.

The Great Leslie, Professor Fate, garters, furs and pies! "The Great Race" has it all. 

Natalie, as photojournalist Maggie DuBois gets to follow and join Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in this over-the-top wonderful Blake Edwards extravaganza.

She look great in all of her wonderful costumes, including the garters, corsets, furs and pies. Silly, but another that gets better with every viewing. 


Movie Star

Most favorite is Natalie Wood as movie star. Always glamorous, she was the vision of a sixties movie star for the junior set. She graced those marvelous movie magazine covers for years. What girl didn't follow her romances, her fashions and her latest films?

And, who wasn't always rooting for her and RJ? Didn't your heart just melt when they married again?

Natalie Wood was a child of Hollywood. Her films and her performances were always professional. always made with that telltale gloss of the Hollywood product. She was dependably, reliably covered in stardust. So, take that all you nay-sayers. Natalie Wood was the real deal and her star burns ever brighter as the years go by. Miss you, beautiful girl.


EXTRA! EXTRA! Click HERE and check out these gorgeous Natalie Wood paper dolls at "Creme de la Creme."

Mary, Mae, Marlene and Doris: Industrial Strength Blondes

Twelfth in a series about strong women in film. Strong women are independent, beautiful, sexy, feminine and just want everything in life that a man wants and believe that they have every right to have it!

Blondes have a reputation. To have a "blonde moment" these days means something empty-headed and silly. The "dumb blonde" is a long-standing joke - she's sexy, but not very bright. Before the advent of one very sexy blonde by the name of Jean Harlow, blondes were also looked upon as pure and virginal (while the wicked and sinful woman was a brunette). Here are four movie blondes who took those stereotypes and stood them on their heads.

Mary Pickford: Girl Power

Mary Pickford was one of film's first superstars. "America's Sweetheart" stole the hearts of the world. Today, by those not familiar with her work, Mary Pickford is viewed as the virginal blonde, just a woman playing a little girl whose appeal belongs to the ancients. 


Well, that just couldn't be more wrong. Mary Pickford, in the days of Hollywood's infancy, was the embodiment of the all-confident, all-powerful spirit of the adolescent girl. Secure in her strength, no man, woman, child or force of nature can defeat the girl and the high esteem in which she holds herself. The doubts of maturity have not yet invaded her psyche. True to the times, she is morally beyond reproach, but she knows her power. The pre-Raphaelite hair, the sensuous hands, the luminous eyes all held out the promise of womanhood, but before the surrender. Mary was the girl who belonged to no man, only to herself. She was undefeatable. 

In real life, there was no woman in Hollywood more powerful than Mary Pickford. She crafted a career second to none and, along with her Charlie Chaplin, D.W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin and her husband, Douglas Fairbanks, founded United Artists. Her artistry, financial acumen and negotiating prowess were legendary.

Mae West: The Strength to be Fabulous

Is there any woman, blonde or otherwise, more powerful than Mae West? Posing as a 19th century woman of questionable virtue, she was really a very modern woman advocating the shocking notion that a woman had the right to enjoy her life. What a concept!


In the dark days of the Depression, Mae's joyful outlook was a tonic. The Queen of the Double Entendre, she battled the censors like a cat playing with a mouse. One could go on all day about this glorious blonde, but nobody can sings her praises better than Mae herself. Here's just a few a Mae's famous words of wisdom:


"A dame that knows the ropes isn't likely to get tied up."
"A hard man is good to find."
"An ounce of performance is worth pounds of promises."
"Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly."
"Give a man a free hand and he'll run it all over you."
"I believe that it's better to be looked over than it is to be overlooked."
"I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number you get in a diamond."
"Whenever I'm caught between two evils, I take the one I've never tried."
"Too much of a good thing can be wonderful."
"Ten men waiting for me at the door? Send one of them home, I'm tired."
"I used to be Snow White, but I drifted."
"I'll try anything once, twice if I like it, three times to make sure."
"I've been in more laps than a napkin."
"It's not the men in my life that count, it's the life in my men."

Of course, Miss Mae did it with humor, but her confidence in her allure and her brains was a lesson to all those women who just couldn't help being sexy and smart. In real life she was a canny magician who made the illusion last long after the sun had set. To quote Mae once more, "You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough." 

Marlene Dietrich: 
The Strength to be Devastating

Did Marlene really have a choice? So seductive, mysterious and devastating to both men and women, what choice did this creature have but to be herself? Was it her fault that men worshiped her became her slaves? Was it her fault that women envied and admired her? I think not. Garbo shared the same cross, but Dietrich carried it with humor and flair. Garbo's cross at times seemed a heavy burden; Marlene's was light as a feather.


You see, Marlene was quite brilliant. Instead of fighting the inevitable, she embraced her power to devastate and reveled in it. Like a beautiful jungle cat, she simply is what she is and, if you don't like it, well, you're lying.

In real life, Marlene was a mass of contradictions. However, when it came to the courage of her convictions, she was a tower of strength. The bravery she demonstrated during World War II is legendary and helped add dimension to a femme fatale who seemed to have sprung from a fantasy.

Doris Day: The Strength to be 
Independent and Happy

If ever there was an actress whose reputation has been unjustly maligned, it's Doris Day. Anyone who thinks of her as the "professional virgin" who never said "yes" clearly does not know Doris' work. Aside from a few films, Doris was always a woman whose strength was on display. True to the times, if she said "no" (mainly because she didn't like a fellow or just didn't want to), it was interpreted by the rejected suitor as the response of a frigid woman. It was all done in jest, but the image stuck.

The fact is, at the height of her fame, the image Doris Day projected on film was that of an independent woman, many times a career woman, many times a common-sense housewife who was usually more than a housewife. She was well dressed, smart, crisp and honest. She was always sincere, honest and a straight shooter. There was a sureness about her and a competency in all of her characters that made you feel that, as long as Doris was in charge, all would be well.

In real life, Doris had one of the most successful and diverse careers in Hollywood and beyond. A star of radio, recordings, movies and television, Doris endured some private tragedies, but emerged  - well, just like Doris Day - triumphant. Not only has she devoted the last several decades of her life to her passion,  the Doris Day Animal League and the animals whose rights she protects and defends, but she also became the oldest recording artist to top the charts in the UK with an album of new material. At age 87 Doris has a hit album, My Heart, and it couldn't happen to a nicer person.

The Norma Desmond Chronicles: Norma's Halloween Seance

Hollywood's Busiest Medium: Madame Crackpotski

Chapter 5 of the Norma Desmond Chronicles.
Norma got off on a temporary insanity plea, did a short stint in a spa-like psych center and is now free in Hollywood. She's back and better than ever!

The last time we saw Norma, she was just beginning to get her life back together. She and Max were starring in the successful sitcom, "Max and Madame," the Hollywood community had embraced her, her fans had returned and Max (whose carpal tunnel syndrome had healed since he no longer had to write bogus fan letters) was getting closer to making his big romantic move. All of Norma's stars were aligned when word reached her that Joe Gillis was making appearances at seances all over town and was trashing her.

The old Norma would have been thrown by this and might have either reached for the gun or the razor, but the old Norma was dead. The new Norma decided to fight fire with fire and face her demons head on.

"Max! We will have a Halloween seance right here at Sunset Boulevard and invite Joe to tell his story to my face!"

Norma envisions a Hollywood-style seance.....

While Max did not relish the thought of Joe Gillis returning to the house - dead or alive - he acquiesced. After all, once Norma got a notion in her head there was no stopping her. He hired Hollywood's most expensive psychic medium, Madame Crackpotski, to conduct communication with the other side.

Norma assembled an "A" list guest list for her seance:

Mr. Sheldrake

Nervous that Joe Gillis would find out that "Bases Loaded" was
being made as a Betty Hutton

Naturally, the Waxworks

Buster wouldn't have "passed" up this opportunity!

HB Warner made sure he brought his own ashtray - just in case

Anna Q. Nilsson was curious. She never liked Joe.

Joan Crawford

Norma's BFF

Cary Grant

Well, Norma wasn't dead

Orson Wells

Orson knew his way around a magic act

Bogey and Bacall

Hollywood's most popular couple. Norma could use their support.

Billy Wilder

Billy had invited himself. He was VERY interested in this story.

Garbo was invited, but declined.

"Miss Garbo respectfully and regretfully declines your invitation."

Valentino was invited from the other side.

Not too concerned about Joe Gillis, but curious to see if the tiles were still tango-worthy

And - the most important guests of all: Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons.

Norma was counting on these two blabber-mouths to set the record straight.

Word of Norma's seance spread all over town, and crowds of the curious, well-wishers and friends of Joe Gillis eagerly awaited the results.

As the guests settled in and held hands around the table, Madame Crackpotski made contact with the departed Joe. Here is an exclusive transcript of what transpired:

Madame Crackpotski (Aka MC): Joe Gillis. Come in Joe Gillis...

(the table levitates and an icy wind blows through the room as the organ wheezes).

Joe (through MC): it's me folks! I'm here.

Norma: Joe, Joe - why are you lying, saying that I killed you over Betty Schaeffer? Tell the truth Joe, tell the truth!

Joe: Sorry, Norma, but Sheldrake needs a good story, not the truth. I wanted to sell him the Bases Loaded story, but he just wouldn't budge. I was desperate!

Sheldrake: It was all Betty Schaeffer's fault! She said your stories were no good!

Norma: Joe, you didn't leave without the platinum cigarette case and the vicuna coat. You took them all, and my diamond tiara, and, on the way out, you threatened me with a gun. You lied and you stole from me and I shot you in self defense!

Joe: Sorry, Norma, I didn't want to look as though I was in it for the money. And besides, Betty wanted the tiara. She wanted the monkey, too, for some reason, but I didn't feel like digging him up. Norma, I guess I had it coming. 

Norma: Thank you, Joe.

Joe: Say hello to Max.....and thank him for all of the cocktails. Well, folks, goodbye. I've got a sweet deal of a story lined up. This town hasn't heard the last of Joe Gillis.I'm going to sell a story to Paramount even if it kills me. Oops - it already did!

Another cold wind blew through the room and Madame Crackpostki fell into a heap on the floor. Joe was gone and Norma was vindicated (sort of). Everyone congratulated Norma, who was positively glowing. Louella and Hedda promised to tell her story to the world and to CB De Mille.

CB will surely call now!

Max was happy for Norma, but he noticed that Billy Wilder had left early. Just what was he up to?

Keeping a watchful eye over Norma

To be continued...

Stay tuned for the final entry of "The Norma Desmond Chronicles."