The Rom Com Catalog

Tag: Jimmy Stewart

  • ‘The Philadelphia Story’ (1940) Review

    ‘The Philadelphia Story’ (1940) Review

    Two years after her divorce from yacht designer C.K. Dexter Haven (Cary Grant), wealthy socialite Tracy Lord (Katharine Hepburn) is set to marry the equally wealthy George Kittredge (John Howard). The editor of Spy magazine wants to cover the wedding and uses Dexter as a means to get his reporter, Mike Connor, and photographer, Liz Imbrie, into the Lord’s mansion to do just that. While Dexter pretends Liz and Mike are old friends of Tracy’s brother, it doesn’t take long for Tracy to see through the charade. But she is forced to relent when Dexter informs her Spy magazine will publish an unflattering story of her father’s infidelity if she does not allow Mike and Liz access to the wedding.

    The Philadelphia Story was nominated for six Academy Awards and won two (Best Actor for James Stewart, and Best Screenplay). It’s easy to see why it’s considered a classic. The Philadelphia Story has everything you would want in a romantic comedy—a marvelous, star-studded cast of performers, a cleverly written script, and immaculate direction. If you were to ask me, this film has no weak link and very little to criticize.

    Hepburn, Grant, and Stewart are some of my favorite actors, and having them all on screen together was a real treat. It’s rare that in a romantic comedy love triangle, the heroine has equal chemistry with both suitors, but that’s definitely the case here. Tracy’s bitter yet passionate history with Dexter is sizzling as the two trade barbs and force each other to face their flaws and reasons for their marriage’s breakdown.

    Meanwhile, Tracy can be a bit softer and more vulnerable with Mike, who initially turns his nose up at the elitist atmosphere but soon becomes enamored with Tracy as she defies the wealthy stereotypes he has always despised. And George, her fiance? Well, he’s really the only person she keeps the mask on for, attempting to be the perfect socialite wife when, in reality, she is anything but. While we know George is absolutely not The One for Tracy, it’s a toss-up as to who she will ultimately end up with, and frankly, I would have been happy had it been Mike or Dexter, which is great because either way, I would love the ending. And I did!

    I am focusing quite a bit on The Philadelphia Story’s romantic angle, but it’s also a genuinely funny movie. Hepburn has some amazing one-liners, but personally, I think it’s Stewart and Grant who give the best comedic performances here. They’re brilliant when on-screen with Hepburn, but together, they’re incredible. Dexter and Mike are romantic rivals but ultimately form something of a bromance.

    One of the movie’s funniest scenes is when a drunk Mike arrives at Dexter’s home in the middle of the night. While Stewart always believed his Best Actor award was compensation for not winning the year prior for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, I believe Mike Connor is one of his best performances. He should have won for his drunken scene with Cary Grant alone.

    The Philadelphia Story is a must-see if you’re a romantic comedy fan. And if you are a film fan in general, The Philadelphia Story is also a must-see. It’s probably as close to a perfect romantic comedy as a film can get, and though released in 1940, it holds up extremely well even now.

    Watched: 05/18/2024
    Notable Song:

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  • ‘Made For Each Other’ (1939) Review

    ‘Made For Each Other’ (1939) Review

    John returns from a business trip married, which throws his personal and professional life into upheaval. He and his new wife, Jane, experienced a rather whirlwind romance, but both are confident they made the right decision. However, it’s not long before John’s work woes, his mother, and a new baby begin to take their toll on the delicate marriage.

    I really do adore watching James Stewart in just about anything. He’s always been one of my favorite actors. As for Carole Lombard, Made for Each Other is the first film I’ve seen, though there are plenty in her filmography that I intend to watch.

    I’ve been pretty happy with a lot of the romantic comedies I’ve watched from the Golden Age of Hollywood. They certainly don’t make them the way they used to, so it’s been a joy to go back in time and compare the writing and production to how it’s done today.

    Unfortunately, Made for Each Other didn’t do it for me. It’s a movie about the difficulties of marriage, but it suffers from jumping right into the honeymoon phase, telling us rather than showing us how Jane and John met and fell in love. So we’re not all that invested from the jump. It was a very short courtship, so I think there could have been time for at least a brief montage.

    James Stewart has perfected the down-on-his-luck everyman, but John Mason seems like the poor man’s version of George Bailey (It’s a Wonderful Life), whom Stewart wouldn’t play for another seven years. Carole Lombard is luminous on screen, but I didn’t feel much chemistry between her and Stewart.

    For me, the worst part is that Made for Each Other starts as more of a comedy, but by the third act, the tone shifts dramatically when John and Jane face the possibility of their baby’s death. It’s an emotionally manipulative way to keep our lovebirds together and doesn’t fit in the film at all.

    I think it’s worth a watch for hardcore fans of James Stewart or Carole Lombard, but if you never see Made for Each Other, you’re really not missing out on anything.

    Watched: 01/04/2023
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  • ‘The Shop Around the Corner’ (1940) Review

    ‘The Shop Around the Corner’ (1940) Review

    The Shop Around the Corner Synopsis: Two employees at a gift shop can barely stand each other, without realizing that they are falling in love through the post as each other’s anonymous pen pal.

    Klara, a desperate young woman, wanders into Matuschek and Company looking for a job. She meets some pushback from sales clerk Alfred but manages to charm Mr. Matuschek by selling an ugly cigarette box that Alfred and Matuschek had clashed over. After Klara is hired, she and Alfred consistently butt heads while completely unaware that they’re secret pen pals.

    I am sad to say this is the only movie I’ve seen of the four that James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan made together. But it would probably take a lot of persuading that this isn’t their best.

    The movie that inspired You’ve Got Mail, The Shop Around the Corner is a charming little film with the perfect amount of holiday spirit and humor. It’s also a classic enemies-to-lovers romance. Klara and Alfred are constantly at odds, unaware they’re actually falling in love through the mail as anonymous pen pals. Klara has a biting wit that Alfred can’t seem to resist reacting to, and Klara seems to take anything snobbish Alfred says as criticism.

    Stewart and Sullavan exude chemistry on screen as they banter and bicker. Their hostile relationship drives the movie, but the entire cast is a joy to watch. Frank Morgan plays Hugo Matuschek, owner of the shop, Matuschek and Co. He has a high-maintenance wife who is always in need of money and who Matuschek suspects is having an affair.

    That particular plotline gets a bit dark, so I’m not surprised that it was omitted entirely from Nora Ephron’s updated remake. The rest of the supporting cast provided their own various brands of humor, some more subtle than the rest, and I found it balanced the more grounded love story quite nicely.

    The Shop Around the Corner is smartly written. I adored Lubitsch’s direction, keeping the unraveling story in check and interesting, even when dealing with the darker aspects of the movie’s plot. Jimmy Stewart is one of those actors I could watch in just about anything. Even when he’s playing arrogant, he’s still so damned charming.

    His quirks and awkward mannerisms have become a trademark, but they work so beautifully here, even disarming as they reveal glimpses of his vulnerability beneath his professional, elitist veneer. Loneliness is a theme that is touched upon more than once, not only with Klara and Alfred but also with dear Mr. Matuschek. While the movie is a romance, it’s also a movie about one’s chosen family and how intertwined the workplace can be in our personal lives.

    The Shop Around the Corner is such a charming movie, and I found it difficult to find any real fault. I loved watching Klara and Alfred butt heads and then finally become friends… and then more. It warmed my chilly, wintery heart, and I think it’s the perfect movie to watch around this time of year… maybe do a double feature with It’s a Wonderful Life, or hey, even You’ve Got Mail…

    Watched: 12/03/2021
    Notable Song: Ochi Tchornya (Dark Eyes)

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  • ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ (1946) Review

    ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ (1946) Review

    It’s A Wonderful Life Synopsis: An angel is sent from Heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed.

    (This review contains spoilers)

    George Bailey is a man who has consistently sacrificed his own future and desires for the good of other people. When he finally reaches the end of his rope, he considers committing suicide, but then an angel comes to his rescue, and George is faced with a glimpse of what the world would be like had he never been born.

    It’s A Wonderful Life has endured for decades as one of the most inspirational holiday classics. It’s also a wonderfully written movie with some fantastic performances from its cast. Jimmy Stewart has never been better than his role as George Bailey. He portrays George as a patient man full of love for his family. He has impressive comedic timing and delivery but shines when he’s acting with his eyes and expressions.

    We see his repressed pain and how the weight of his sacrifices affects him. His exhaustion and resignation when he realizes the ultimate sacrifice may save his family from scandal. Stewart was nominated for an Oscar for his role as George Bailey, and some of his finest acting in the history of his lauded career takes place in the final act of this film.

    Part of what makes It’s A Wonderful Life so wonderful is Stewart’s chemistry with Donna Reed. It’s instant from the moment George sees a now grown-up Mary across the dance floor, and their eyes meet. It’s years before the two finally come together, but when they do, oh boy, is it electric.

    Probably tame by today’s measures, the scene between George and Mary sharing a phone while they talk to Mary’s suitor Sam, who is in New York, is a masterclass in sexual tension. They inch closer and closer, George overcome by Mary’s presence until he angrily tells her he doesn’t want to get married to anyone, Mary tearfully protesting. What follows is a passionate embrace because they both know George is lying. It’s one of my favorite movie scenes of all time, and even after countless viewings, it never loses its effectiveness.

    George and Mary’s relationship drives the movie. Mary is the glue that holds George together as his brother and friends find success and happiness outside of Bedford Falls, fulfilling life dreams he used to have. While George has always been a decent man, perhaps the only one capable of standing up to the wealthy old miser, Mister Potter (a delightfully cynical and cold Lionel Barrymore), every man has his limits. George is finally driven to his knees, but at this moment, he can be shown what things would be like without him.

    I’m not a religious person at all, but It’s A Wonderful Life takes what could have been an incredibly schmaltzy premise and creates something sentimental and bittersweet. It handles the presence of heavenly angels simply, allowing us to hear them but not see them… at least not until Clarence (Henry Travers) comes to Earth to save George from jumping off that bridge. It’s effective, and George’s skepticism and dry wit with innocent, sweet-natured Clarence help to keep the last act from completely derailing the rest of the movie.

    One of the most iconic scenes is the end, where the town of Bedford Falls comes together to help one of their own, someone who has been there for them for his entire life and has never asked for anything in return. We know George will never be as wealthy as old man Potter, but when his brother Harry toasts George as “the richest man in town,” we know it’s true. As Clarence says, “No man is a failure who has friends,” and George has an abundance of them.

    It’s hard not to be moved by It’s a Wonderful Life. If you ever need to restore your faith in humanity, this is the movie to watch.

    Watched: 12/24/2019
    Notable Song: Buffalo Gals

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