A Song is Born (1100th post)

Another milestone down.  Check out the previous milestones: 

100 The Pajama Game / 200 Guys and Dolls / 300 The Rocky Horror Picture Show / 400 Tea for Two / 500 Annie / 600 Mary Poppins / 700 Into the Woods / 800 Anchors Aweigh / 900 42nd Street / 1000 Royal Wedding

A group of professors are compiling a musical encyclopedia, funded by the Totten Foundation.  The professors, led by Professor Hobart Frisbee (Kaye), are bachelors and live together in an old house.  After narrowly avoiding the termination of their project, they are introduced to a new kind of music: jazz.  Frisbee is concerned that in their seclusion, they are missing new types of music.  That evening he goes out to clubs to discover more jazz performances and speak to the musicians.  He meets nightclub singer Honey Swanson (Mayo) and invites her to join the discussion of music.  She declines, until the police want her to testify against her boyfriend Tony Crow (Cochran).

To avoid the police, she goes to the professors' home and agrees to help with the encyclopedia in exchange for a place to stay.  The other professors heartily agree, despite the protests of Frisbee and their housekeeper Miss Bragg (Esther Dale) and Honey turns their world upside-down.

This film is a musical remake of Howard Hawks' hit film Ball of Fire.

The Good:

The film follows the basic story line from Ball of Fire, but changes the names of the characters and some other basic plot points.  The film features the biggest musicians, as themselves: Louis Armstrong, Charlie Barnet, Louis Bellson, Tommy Dorsey, Lionel Hampton, Mel Powell, Golden Gate Quartet, Russo and the Samba Kings, and the Page Cavanaugh Trio.  Buck and Bubbles get some laughs as the window washers.  Musician Benny Goodman is good as Professor Magenbruch, and is part of a joke about himself: Magenbruch says "You can't play without music." and the response is "Well, Benny Goodman used to."

The Bad:

Despite having the same overarching story as Ball of Fire, the film is not funny.  There are funny moments, but it isn't as good as the original.  Danny Kay is disappointing.  Normally he is an energetic, funny performer, but in this film he is the stiff, straight-man and does not sing or dance.

Other Comments:

-Virginia Mayo's songs were dubbed by Jeri Sullavan.

-The music is great and features talented performers.

-I was overly underwhelmed by this film.  The cast is good and features well-known musicians, but the film does not live up to it's potential.  It is ok, and worth seeing the talented musicians in their element... but if you are looking for the funny version of this story, watch Ball of Fire.

A Song is Born (1948) 113 minutes

Director: Howard Hawks

Starring: Danny Kaye as Professor Hobart Frisbee

Virginia Mayo as Honey Swanson

Benny Goodman as Professor Magenbruch

Ford Washington Lee as Buck

John W. Bubbles as Bubbles

Hugh Herbert as Professor Twingle

Steve Cochran as Tony Crow

Sherlock Holmes Faces Death

"Don't tell me that you met a ghost."

"Well, not so spooky as that.  Ghosts don't stab people in the neck, do they? Or do they?"

"Not well-bred ghosts, Watson."

Dr. John Watson (Bruce) is working at a convalescent home called Musgrave Manor.  The Musgrave family is notorious in the town and the manor has a reputation for being haunted.  When the other physician, Dr. Bob Sexton (Margetson), is attacked, Dr. Watson asks Sherlock Holmes (Rathbone) for assistance.

When they return to the manor, Inspector Lestrade (Hoey) is already investigating the attack.  He believes the culprit is Captain Vickary (Stone), a wounded American serviceman who is dating Sally Musgrave (Brooke) against the wishes of her brothers Geoffrey (Worlock) and Phillip (Muir).  Holmes discovers the body of Geoffrey and believes there is a bigger mystery on hand.

Holmes continues the investigation, as Phillip becomes the new head of the family.  Everyone at the manor, the injured servicemen, the servants, and the remaining family members, is a suspect.  Can they solve the case before more bodies pile up?

This is the 6th of 14 Sherlock Holmes films to star Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as the titular detective and Dr. Watson.  The story, by Bertram Millhauser, is loosely based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's short story "The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual."

The Good:

Rathbone and Bruce are good as Holmes and Watson.  This film marks the second appearance of Dennis Hoey as Inspector Lestrade, and he is a good foil to Holmes.  The story is interesting and the central mystery is compelling.  The atmosphere and camera work are good.

The Bad:

No real complaints.

Other Comments:

-The film features an uncredited appearance by Peter Lawford as a sailor in the opening scene.  Norma Varden is uncredited as Gracie the barmaid.

Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943) 68 minutes
Director: Roy William Neill
Starring: Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes
Nigel Bruce as Dr. John Watson

Dennis Hoey as Inspector Lestrade

Arthur Margetson as Dr. Bob Sexton

Hillary Brooke as Sally Musgrave

Halliwell Hobbes as Alfred Brunton

Minna Phillips as Mrs. Howells

Milburn Stone as Captain Vickary

Frederick Worlock as Geoffrey Musgrave

Gavin Muir as Phillip Musgrave

Gerald Hamer as Major Langford

Vernon Downing as Lieutenant Clavering

Olaf Hytten as Captain MacIntosh

Doomed to Die

Shipping magnate Cyrus Wentworth (Lang) is shot in his office.  Wentworth was in the midst of a scandal after his ocean liner sunk.  He also rewrote his will, leaving everything to his daughter Cynthia (Craig).  Cynthia is in love with Dick Fleming (Sterling), the son of Wentworth's business rival, Paul Fleming (Usher).  Wentworth did not approve of the relationship, and Dick was the last person to see him alive.

Captain Bill Street (Withers) believes that it is an easy case and arrests Dick.  Cynthia is convinced that Dick is innocent and on the advice of her friend, reporter Bobbie Logan (Reynolds), hires Mr. James Lee Wong (Karloff) to get to the truth.  Mr. Wong discovers that there is more to the case than it initially appears.  Can he find the real culprit before more bodies line up?

Hugh Wiley wrote 12 short stories about James Lee Wong in Collier's Magazine, published from 1934-1938.  Monogram Pictures produced 6 films with the character: Mr. Wong, Detective in 1938, The Mystery of Mr. Wong in 1939, Mr. Wong in Chinatown in 1939, The Fatal Hour in 1940, Doomed to Die in 1940, and Phantom of Chinatown in 1940.

The Good:

This was Boris Karloff's 5th and final appearance as James Wong.  Karloff is always good, and delivers another good performance as Mr. Wong.  He is again joined by Grant Withers as Captain Street.  Withers and Karloff have good chemistry and work well together.  Marjorie Reynolds is also back as Bobbie Logan.  She is still annoying, but not bad here.

The Bad:

Again, the film is too short.  If it was a little longer, they could flesh out the story and drama a little more.  Things move a good pace, but a slightly longer running time would make the film a little better.

Other Comments:

-The story / mystery are good and keep you guessing.  The answer isn't obvious from the beginning and keeps the action moving.

Doomed to Die (1940) 68 minutes
Director: William Nigh
Starring: Boris Karloff as James Lee Wong
Marjorie Reynolds as Roberta "Bobbie" Logan
Grant Withers as Captain Bill Street
William Stelling as Dick Fleming
Catherine Craig as Cynthia Wentworth
Guy Usher as Paul Fleming
Henry Brandon as Victor Martin

Melvin Lang as Cyrus Wentworth

Wilbur Mack as Matthews

Kenneth Harlan as Ludlow