The Silver Screen Oasis

[color=#FF0000][u]MOVIEMAN1957[/u][/color] wrote:I caught Capra's "Platinum Blonde." Overall I liked it. Miss Maven's explanation a couple of posts back explains why I've never heard of Robert Williams. He was good. Such a laid back style and an easy delivery makes him very easy to like. Loretta Young had top billing but she had less to do than Williams or Jean Harlow. I did like the chemistry between him and Harlow...

MM'57, I'm glad you liked the film. We've all seen the fish out of water motif used in "Woman of the Year" or the loose re-make "Designing Woman" etc. I agree with you and "Redd Ribber" ( ) about that song scene going on a little long. I really have to re-visit this film. I was really taken by the naturalness and ease of Robert Williams, and he makes the film for me. Harlow is always interesting for me to watch. But since I have recently had my consciousness raised re: Pre-Code Loretta Young, I've got to check out the movie again specifically for her performance.

Somebody told me Williams was appreciated for his relaxed, improvisational style, and that studios had high hopes for him. But as Moira observed, he died young. That said, I still wouldn't buy a CD of that song!

...And she's a Capricorn to boot!



JANUARY 6, 1913 - AUGUST 12, 2000

Took 80 minutes and watched "Love Is News: again. It is rare enough to see Tyrone Power in a comedy but everyone, Tyrone included, seems to be having great fun.

Silly plot involves newspaper reporter (Power) and heiress (Young) who, naturally, can't stand each other while they are working out some guise over other press people only to fall in love.

Power and Don Ameche are old colleagues who have to have any story about Young. It gets them in trouble and timing is everything.

Quick, almost too quick, dialogue is great fun and the stars are quite easy in their roles. Ameche is very excited most of the time and continually is adding and subtracting Power from the payroll. Silliness abounds but it is rare enough and if you like screwball comedy you might check it out.

I usually prefer original movies to their remakes, but in this instance my preference is for the remake, That Wonderful Urge (1948). Tyrone Power plays the same role, but this time the reporters notice that she (Gene Tierney) is wearing a wedding ring. With the records office conveniently destroyed by fire Tyrone Power cannot prove he is not married.

An interesting aside is that Tyrone Power aged noticeably in the ten years between the movies.