Director Leo McCarey received an Academy Award for Best Director: The Awful Truth(1937).

Thomas Leo McCarey (October 3, 1898 – July 5, 1969), was a film director, who seemed to understand people better than any other Hollywood director.

Born in Los Angeles, California, he graduated from the University of Southern California law school and began in the movie business as an assistant director to Tod Browning in 1920, but later was hired by Hal Roach in 1923.

McCarey, initially wrote gags for the Our Gang series, then produced and directed shorts, including two-reelers with Charley Chase. While at Roach, McCarey cast Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy and put together their onscreen characters. He only officially appeared as director of the shorts: We Faw Down (1928), Liberty (1929) and Wrong Again (1929), but wrote many of the screenplays. By 1929, he was vice-president of production for the entire studio.

In the sound era McCarey, worked with: Gloria Swanson (Indiscreet, 1931), Eddie Cantor (The Kid From Spain, 1932), the Marx Brothers (Duck Soup, 1933), W.C. Fields (Six of a Kind, 1934), Mae West (Belle of the Nineties, 1934) and Harold Lloyd (The Milky Way, 1936).

In 1937, McCarey won his first Academy Award for Directing, The Awful Truth, with Irene Dunne and Cary Grant, a screwball comedy that launched Cary Grant's unique screen persona. Along with the similarity in their names, McCarey and Cary Grant shared a physical resemblance, making mimicking McCarey's expressions easier for Grant to perform.

McCarey, was a devout Roman Catholic and deeply concerned with social issues and his work became more serious. In 1944 he directed Going My Way, a story about priest, Father Chuck O'Malley, played by Bing Crosby, for which he won his second Best Director Oscar.

He then went on to film, The Bells of St. Mary's (1945), which was made by McCarey's own production company.

Years later, he co-wrote, produced, and directed, An Affair to Remember starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, a remake of his 1939 film Love Affair with Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer.

He followed this hit with Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys! (1958), a comedy starring Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. A few years later he directed his last picture, Satan Never Sleeps (1962).

The Awful Truth(1937). A comedy. Cast: Irene Dunne and Cary Grant.

Grant, wanted out of the film during filming, because McCarey seemed to be improvising as he went along, Grant even wanted to switch roles with co-star Ralph Bellamy. Although, this did lead to hard feelings, it didn't prevent McCarey and Grant from working together in the films: My Favorite Wife (1940), Once Upon a Honeymoon (1942), and An Affair to Remember (1957).

The film received a nomination for Best Picture, Irene Dunne was nominated for Best Actress, Ralph Bellamy for Best Supporting Actor, and Vina Delmar for Best Adapted Screenplay.

The dog playing Mr. Smith was named Skippy, but was best known for his role in The Thin Man movies as Asta.

First of three movies that paired Cary Grant and Irene Dunne.

The story begins when socialite Jerry Warriner, is getting a tan in a tanning bed, to help prove that he was on vacation in Florida. He returns home to an empty house and does know where his wife is and  she walks in, still in her evening gown on the arm of a handsome man. Both suspect the other of having an affair, so they decide to divorce. Lucy wins custody of their dog, "Mr. Smith," who keeps her company every night.

Lucy's "desperate for a mans company", Aunt Patsy meets their neighbor, wealthy oil man Daniel Leeson, in a elevator and takes him back to the apartment to introduce him to Lucy. While they are all getting to know each other, Jerry arrives for his custody visit with Mr. Smith and his horseplay with the dog, drive the others out of the apartment. By the end of the evening, Lucy and Daniel are attracted to each other.

During the next few months, Jerry does everything he can to break up their engagement, but when Daniel's mother, who is against the engagement, spreads gossip about Lucy, Jerry defends her.

One of my favorite lines in the film is when Dan Leeson says:

"I certainly learned about women from you".

Aunt Patsy: [handing him the letter Lucy intended to break up with him] "Here's your diploma".

Lucy and Daniel, decide to separate, but.. in the meantime, Jerry has gotten involved with a crazy heiress Barbara Vance.

On the night before the final divorce decree, Lucy, posing as Jerry's sister, visits the Vance home, pretends to get drunk, performs badly a cabaret act of one of Jerry's former girlfriends. Jerry, wanting her out of there drives her home. Determined not to lose Jerry, will Lucy come up with a plan to save their marriage?

Video: Funny moments.




Even though.. this film sounds very dramatic, it turns out to be very clever and heartwarming story. I enjoyed the double innuendos that happen through out the film at a fast pace...

Molly Lamont (22 May 1910 – 7 July 2001) was a British film actress. Lamont was born in Boksburg, Transvaal, South Africa.

She began her career in British films in 1930 and for several years played small, often uncredited roles.

Her roles began to improve by the mid-1930's, after moving to Hollywood where she continued playing roles such as Cary Grant's fiancee in, The Awful Truth (1937).

Her other popular films: The White Cliffs of Dover and Mr. Skeffington (both 1944).

She retired from acting in 1951 with more than fifty films to her credit.

Pre-code: If I Were Free(1933).

If I Were Free(1933). Director: Elliott Nugent. Cast: Irene Dunne, Clive Brook, Nils Asther, Henry Stephenson, Vivian Tobin, Tempe Pigott, Lorraine MacLean, Laura Hope Crews, Halliwell Hobbes.

While in Paris,English lawyer Hector Stribling convinces Gordon Evers, also a lawyer, to forget about his divorce and join him and his wife Jewel for dinner with Tono Casanove and his wife Sarah. When Gordon and the Striblings arrive at the home of the Casanoves', they learn that Tono, is having an affair and planning a vacation in Cannes, with his new girl friend.

Heartbroken, Sarah thinks about committing suicide, but.. is stopped by Gordon, who suggests that she move to London. She agrees.. and after a short time in London, opens a little antique shop.

After a few months, Gordon asks Sarah if she would marry him if he "were free." Sarah meets Gordon's mother, Dame Evers, at her charity ball. Even though Dame Evers, likes her, she is concerned about the gossip surrounding their relationship..

Not having any of it, Gordon's wife Catherine, changes her mind about divorcing him, but... Sarah, stands her ground and refuses to end their relationship.

The trouble does not stop there, Sarah's ex- husband Tono, drops by her shop and threatens blackmail, unless Gordon buys some of his expensive antiques.

Hector, who is concerned over Gordon's failing health, convinces Sarah to end their relationship.

Unknown to Sarah and Hector, Gordon, who has a war-wound bullet lodged near his heart, has just learned that, unless he has a risky operation, he has only a year to live. When Gordon receives Sarah's "goodbye" note, he tells Hector about his condition, which causes Hector to confess that he was the one that talked Sarah into breaking it off with him.

Gordon decides to go ahead with the chancy operation and asks Hector not to tell Sarah. Just before the operation, Dame Evers, spills the beans to Sarah, who rushes to the hospital to be by Gordon's bedside. Will the operation be successful and will they live happily ever after?

Excellent acting performances by both Irene Dunne and Clive Brook. The quick dialogue keeps your interest in this soapy pre-code film. Wonderful performances are also given by the supporting performers: Henry Stephenson, Vivian Tobin, Laura Hope, Crewsand Tempe Pigott. Also, Silent film star Nils Asther, plays the role of Dunne's bad boy husband. His celebrity had  begun to fade with the arrival of talking pictures. Classic movie fans may recognize an uncredited Halliwell Hobbes as Brook's butler.

 Video: First of 7.

 

Nils Asther (17 January 1897 – 19 October 1981). Asther was adopted shortly after birth by a wealthy couple in Malmo, Sweden.

As a young man he moved to Stockholm, where he received acting lessons from famous star Augusta Lindberg, who also became his mistress, who was almost 30 years older than him. Through her, he received his first theatrical engagement at Lorensbergsteatern in Gothenburg, and in 1916 Mauritz Stiller cast him in, The Wings.

In 1927 he left for Hollywood, where his first film was, Topsy and Eva. The film also featured the Duncan Sisters, and in 1930 he married, Vivian Duncan, who gave him a daughter, Evelyn. By 1928 his good looks had made him into a leading man, playing opposite: Pola Negri, Marion Davies, Joan Crawford and Greta Garbo, with whom he made two films.

With the arrival of sound in movies, Asther took voice lessons so as to minimize his accent, and was generally cast in roles where an accent wasn't a problem, such as the role as Chinese General Yen in, The Bitter Tea of General Yen.

Between 1935 and 1940 he was forced work in England after an alleged breach of contract led to a studio-based blacklist. There he made six films. He returned to Hollywood in 1940, and although he made another 19 films back up to 1949, his career wasn't the same as it used to be.

In the early 1950s he landed a few roles in minor TV shows. In 1958 he returned to Sweden, almost destitute. He managed to get an engagement with a local theatre and had four film roles in Sweden and Denmark, before finally giving up on acting in 1963 and devoting his time to his love of painting.

A Guy Named Joe (1943)

A Guy Named Joe(1943). Directed by Victor Fleming, produced by Everett Riskin, from a screenplay by Dalton Trumbo, adapted by Frederick Hazlitt Brennan from a story by Chandler Sprague and David Boehm. Cast: Spencer Tracy, Irene Dunne and Van Johnson, with Esther Williams in a minor role. Musically, it featured the popular song "I'll Get By (As Long as I Have You)" by Fred Ahlert and Roy Turk, sung by Ms. Dunne. A Guy Named Joe was remade by Steven Spielberg in 1989 as Always with Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter and John Goodman, updating it to 1989 and exchanging the World War II backdrop to one of aerial firefighting.

The story begins with,"Dare Devil pilot" Pete Sandridge, commanding officer "Nails" Kilpatrick and cargo flyer Dorinda Durston, worried that someday their friends luck is going to run out.

After another dangerous flight, Nails, decides to transfer Pete and his best friend, pilot Al Yackey, to a quieter base in, Scotland. Dorinda, is not very happy about the transfer and half jokingly asks Pete to marry her.

It does not take long before, Pete and Al are bored with their new assignment and are more than happy to see Dorinda, when she flies in for a visit. She can not shake the feeling that Pete's "number is up." and begs Pete to accept Nails's, offer to become a flying instructor in America.

Pete initially rejects the idea, until she promises that she will give up flying, if he goes home, or she will transfer to Australia. Not wanting to lose her, he promises to take up Nails's offer. Al, comes in and tells Pete that they must leave to pick up a large German aircraft carrier.

On the flight, Pete does not take unnecessary chances, but.. is attacked by a German plane. After being wounded, he orders his crew to bail out, then crashes his plane onto the carrier. When Al returns to the base, Dorinda has already sensed that the love of her life is gone.

Meanwhile, Pete finds himself walking up in the clouds, when recognizes an old friend, Dick Rumney, who went down with his plane. Pete says "either I'm dead or I'm crazy," and Dick answers, "You're not crazy."Pete is then introduced to the General, who gives him the assignment to return to earth and share his knowledge with new flyers. Pete and Dick then go to a military flying school in Arizona, where Pete becomes a "ghost tutor" to wealthy Ted Randall. Pete, is not impressed with Ted, but.. as he guides him through training he becomes proud of him.

Dick and Pete's, flyers are sent to the South Pacific, their "ghost tutors" who hope to keep the men safe through combat, tag along. Soon after arriving, Ted goes to the local officers' club, with Pete following close behind. Pete sees Dorinda, sitting at a table and he goes to talk with her, but.. Ted, interrupts him to invite her to dinner. At first she turns him down, but.. encouraged by Al, she accepts.


Both Dorinda and Ted, notice the many odd similarities between Ted and Pete. When Ted is promoted to captain, he proposes to Dorinda and she accepts.

Dorinda, is visited by Pete, who advises her, through her subconscious, to marry Ted. Soon after, Ted stops by to inform her of his next assignment to destroy a Japanese ammunition dump in the South Pacific. She still thinking about Sam, tells him.. that she can not marry him.

When she learns that Ted, will be flying on an extremely dangerous mission, she rushes to the airbase and sneaks into his plane and takes off. Wanting to protect her, Pete sits behind her during the mission. Will he be able to keep her safe from the enemy?

Fun Facts:

There was no way to composite Spencer Tracy's image into the scenes where Van Johnson is flying, so he actually had to be standing behind Johnson and, later, Irene Dunne for the filming of these scenes. The same approach was used for The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (techniques for superimposing one image onto another were not invented until much later).

The War Department initially did not approve the script, fearing psychological damage to new and experienced pilots and their parents. It relented after 2 revisions and promised full cooperation.

This picture was featured as MGM's big Christmas spectacular of 1943.

The General, played by Lionel Barrymore, wears the Medal of Honor ribbon on his uniform, but the ribbon is displayed upside down (the five stars forming a "W" instead of an "M"). Interestingly, James Doolittle also wore the Medal of Honor ribbon upside down, leading some to ask if there might be an aviation connection .

Along with Spencer Tracy, Irene Dunne insisted the film's production be halted until Van Johnson was well after his auto accident, in which he was seriously injured. During this period, MGM snatched Dunne up to make The White Cliffs of Dover, released the following year as the MGM 20th Anniversary film. As a thank you for her gratitude, Johnson appears in a small role in 'Dover.'

Van Johnson was critically injured in an automobile accident on 31 March 1943 and MGM was set to replace him, but Spencer Tracy insisted that they shoot around him during his convalescence. Johnson didn't return to work until the first week in July of 1943, more than three months later.

Reportedly Steven Spielberg's favorite movie, he remade it in 1989 as Always. The remake included the three main characters (Pete Sandich, Durinda Durston and Al Yackey), plus the characters of "Ted" and "Nails."

Irene Dunne was actually eighteen years older than her love interest, Van Johnson.

This is one of my favorite Spencer Tracey movies, Irene Dunne, is also at her best here. I also think one of Van Johnson's best performances. If you've never seen "A Guy Named Joe," I strongly recommend it with a box of Kleenex.

Ward Bond (April 9, 1903 – November 5, 1960), attended the University of Southern California and played football and was a starting lineman on USC's first national championship team in 1928. Bond and John Wayne, who as Marion Morrison had played tackle for USC in 1926 before an injury ended his career, became lifelong friends. Bond, Wayne and the entire Southern Cal team were hired to appear in Salute (1929), a football film starring George O'Brien and directed by John Ford. It was during the filming of this movie that Bond and Wayne became friendly with Ford, and both actors would perform in many of Ford's later films.

Bond made his screen debut in Salute, and thereafter played over 200 supporting roles, rarely playing the lead in film, until starring in the television series.. Wagon Train from 1957 until his death in 1960.

He was frequently typecast as a friendly policeman or as a brutal thug. He had a long-time working relationship with directors John Ford and Frank Capra, performing in such films as: The Searchers, Drums Along the Mohawk, The Quiet Man, and Fort Apache for Ford, with whom he made 25 films, and It Happened One Night and It's a Wonderful Life for Capra.

Some of his other well-known film: Bringing Up Baby (1938), Gone with the Wind (1939), The Maltese Falcon (1941), Sergeant York (1941), They Were Expendable (1945), Joan of Arc (1948),  Rio Bravo (1959), and The Big Trail, which also featured John Wayne's first leading role. It Happened One Night (1934), Bringing Up Baby (1938), Gone with the Wind (1939), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), The Maltese Falcon (1941), It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and The Searchers (1956).

Bond has also been in 11 films that were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, which may be more than any other actor: Arrowsmith (1931/32), Lady for a Day (1933), It Happened One Night (1934), You Can't Take It with You (1938), Gone with the Wind (1939), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), The Maltese Falcon (1941), Sergeant York (1941), It's a Wonderful Life (1946), The Quiet Man (1952) and Mister Roberts (1955).

He performed with With John Wayne in the films: The Searchers (1956),Rio Bravo (1959). The Wings of Eagles (1957), The Searchers (1956), Rookie of the Year (TV drama 1955). Hondo (1953), The Quiet Man (1952), Operation Pacific (1951), Fort Apache (1948), 3 Godfathers (1948), They Were Expendable (1945), Dakota (1945), Tall in the Saddle (1944), The Shepherd of the Hills (1941), The Long Voyage Home (1940), Conflict (1936), and The Big Trail (1930).

Rumor has it that... country singer Johnny Horton died in an automobile accident while driving to see Bond at a hotel in Dallas to discuss a possible role in the fourth season of Wagon Train. Although Horton was indeed killed in a car crash at 1:30 a.m. on November 5, 1960, and Bond died from a massive heart attack at noon that same day, the two events were unrelated.

Horton was really on his way from Austin to Shreveport, Louisiana, not Dallas. Bond was in Dallas to attend a football game. Bond was 57 at the time of his death; John Wayne gave the eulogy at his funeral. Bond's will bequeathed to Wayne the shotgun with which Wayne had once accidentally shot Bond.

For his contribution to the television industry, Bond has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6933 Hollywood Blvd. In 2001, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. There is also a Ward Bond Memorial Park in his birthplace of Benkelman, Nebraska.

Pawsome Pet Pictures: Irene Dunne

Since Irene Dunne just won a spot in my Final Four Classic movie Actress tournament over at All Good Things, I decided to post a pawsome pet picture with her and her friend.

Great On Screen Couples: Irene Dunne and Cary Grant

You know Cary Grant is my favorite actor of all time and he has paired with some of the most legendary actresses of all time. And they all usually have great chemistry with the debonair chap. But for me, his best on screen partner has to be Irene Dunne. They made three films together, 2 screwball comedies and 1 drama. The first film they made together was 1937's wonderfully wicked comedy, The Awful Truth which cast the twosome as a married couple going through a divorce. This is one of the earliest of the screwball comedies and while it  may be rough around the edges in some scenes, it's one of the funniest films I have ever seen. And Grant and Dunne are perfect together in their first outing. Their constant plans to sabotage each other's chances at remarriage will have you gasping and laughing the whole time. And check out Irene's wonderfully screwy performance. I believe the great Katherine Hepburn must have saw this film and had to base her performance in Bringing Up Baby on Irene's terrific role of Lucy Warriner. Or is it just me?

Cary and Irene worked so well in The Awful Truth, they had to be paired up for another wonderful screwball comedy in 1940's My Favorite Wife, which I enjoyed even more than I did The Awful Truth. Once again the two play a married couple, with a slight difference. After being lost at sea for 7 years and declared dead Ellen Arden (Irene) returns home to find her husband Nick (Cary) remarried to Bianca (the wonderfully underrated Gail Patrick). So Nick has a huge problem to deal with. Who to choose: Ellen or Bianca? Once again Irene Dunne steals the show but her chemistry with Cary is also once again perfect. Their comic timing by now is a match made in heaven.

For their third and final film together, Irene and Cary made the tearjerker/comedy Penny Serenade (1941) which gave the twosome an opportunity to flex their dramatic muscles as a couple who faces one crisis after another once they get married after a short courtship. There is some humor in this film to keep things from getting too dark and depressing and Cary gets to give one of his best screen performances ever. His scene with the judge arguing to keep his adopted daughter in his care is heartbreaking and touching. Serenade was the last film Irene and Cary would do together and they go out with another great film. I know Cary had several other wonderful screen pairings beside Irene like with Myrna Loy, Grace Kelly, and Deborah Kerr. But for me, it's his pairings with Irene that were the best of his team ups. And I would say the same for Irene as she never had a better partner than Cary Grant.

Happy Birthday: Irene Dunne!

Irene Dunne (December 20, 1898 - September 4, 1990), was nominated five times for the Academy Award for Best Actress,the first being:Cimarron (1931), Pre-Code film directed by Wesley Ruggles and based on the Edna Ferber novel Cimarron. Despite America being in the Depression, RKO wanted to put together the big-budget picture. Filming began in the summer of 1930 at the Jasmin Quinn Ranch in California. More than 5,000 extras, twenty-eight cameramen, and numerous camera assistants and photographers were used to capture scenes of wagons racing across the prairie. Cinematographer Edward Cronjager spent overtime planning out every scene.

Theodora Goes Wild (1936), Theodora Lynn, does not want to live by the same rules as her literary circle that her aunts and most of the town's leading women belong. She is helps her friend Adelaide Perry, who is secretly married, but no one in her family approves of her marriage. Theodora, under the name Caroline Adams, has written a steamy book, which is scandalizing the town. Theodora has been able to keep these two parts of her life separate, only her Uncle John Lynn and her editor Arthur Stevenson know of her real identity. Her life becomes more complicated when the illustrator of her book, Michael Grant, finds out about her true identity. When Theodora learns a secret that Michael is keeping, she teaches him that what comes round goes round...

The Awful Truth (1937), screwball comedy. Cast: Irene Dunne and Cary Grant. The plot is about the soon-to-be-divorced couple, who do everything they can to sabotage each other new relationships. The film was directed by Leo McCarey, who won the Academy Award for Best Director, and was written by Viña Delmar, with uncredited assistance from Sidney Buchman and Leo McCarey, from the 1922 play by Arthur Richman.

Love Affair (1939). A romantic comedy. French painter Michel Marnet meets American singer Terry McKay, aboard a liner crossing the Atlantic Ocean. They are both already engaged, they fall in love. The couple make an appointment to meet six months later on top of the Empire State Building. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes. Not wanting to be a burden to Michel, she does not contact him, preferring to let him think the worst. They meet by accident at the theater, though Terry conceals her condition. Michel then visits her at her apartment and finally learns the truth.



I Remember Mama (1948), is a play by John Van Druten. Based on the fictionalized memoir Mama's Bank Account by Kathryn Forbes, it focuses on the Hanson family, a family of Norwegian immigrants living in, San Francisco in the 1910s.

George Stevens originally offered the role of Mama to Greta Garbo, who did not want to play a motherly type. He then cast Irene Dunne, whom he had directed in, Penny Serenade (1941). Although she was 50 years old, the actress had a youthful appearance and had to be aged with makeup to play the part convincingly.

List of Irene Dunne Films:

1930 Leathernecking
1931 Cimarron
The Slippery Pearls
Bachelor Apartment
The Great Lover
Consolation Marriage
1932 Symphony of Six Million
Back Street
Thirteen Women
1933 No Other Woman
The Secret of Madame Blanche
The Silver Cord
Ann Vickers
1934 This Man Is Mine
Sweet Adeline Adeline
1935 Roberta
Magnificent Obsession 
1936 Show Boat
Theodora Goes Wild
1937 High, Wide, and Handsome 
The Awful Truth
1938 Joy of Living Margaret
1939 Love Affair
 When Tomorrow Comes
1940 My Favorite Wife
1941 Penny Serenade
1942 Lady in a Jam
1943 Show Business
A Guy Named Joe 
1944 The White Cliffs of Dover
1945 Over 21 Paula
1946 Anna and the King of Siam
1947 Life with Father
1948 I Remember Mama
1950 Never a Dull Moment
1951 You Can Change the World
1952 It Grows on Trees