In honor of April Fools day, I have dedicated April to the fools of Hollywood. I have been anticipating this month since I started the blog. Below are my top ten, and I would love to hear about your own top ten to compare lists. You may notice that I did not list a Laurel & Hardy movie. I love the duo dearly and enjoy many of their short films. To keep it centered around the big films themselves, I've left them out. You can bet that there will be a post on them later this month though.
I want to give a special mention to my all-time favorite comedy, "What's Up Doc" (1972). Since this site is dedicated to the golden age of Hollywood, I felt that I needed to point more attention to the previous years before this film was made. If you have not seen this movie, it is a must see. It is based on Grant & Hepburn's, "Bringing Up Baby" (1938). In fact, Ryan O'Neil visited with Grant to get inspiration for his part. He was told by the movie legend only one thing... "wear silk underwear." So wear them he did.
1. "The Court Jester" (1956)
2. "Road to Utopia" (1946)
3. "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" (1963)
4. "Mr. Blanding's Builds His Dream House" (1948)
5. "Hold That Ghost" (1941)
6. "Were No Angels" (1955)
7. "The Great Race" (1965)
8. "The Caddy" (1953)
9. "The Great Dictator" (1940)
10. "Duck Soup" (1933)
Marriages: Elizabeth Wilson (1920-1948), Relina Zarova (1948-1966 Her death) & Rosemary Sullivan (1968-His death)
Children: NONE
Interesting Fact: From 1921-1923 he played the flute and piccolo in John Philip Sousa's band.
Successful Era: In the late 50's and early 60's was when "The Music Man" started on Broadway and transitioned to the screen in 1962.
Awards: He has been nominated twice for an Oscar in Best Music: "The Great Dictator" (1940) & "The Little Foxes" (1941). He was also nominated for a Golden Globe & Tony Award on "The Music Man" (1962) and received 5th place for a Laurel Award. He also has a Star on the Walk of Fame for Radio and was inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1982.
My Favorite Film: "The Music Man" is my favorite of his. The music has so much energy and humor.
Now that I realized he composed the music in "The Great Dictator" now I can see the brassy music connection in "The Music Man." He also had one of his songs, "Till I Met You," adopted by the Beatles.
He has always had a love of music and instruments and dedicated his life to it. It was his play and film, "The Music Man," that became the capstone to his memorial of service to music. He also made the film to give appreciation to his home state of Iowa. Below is one of my favorite songs from the film. To contrast it, I have included music of his from "The Great Dictator."
Children: He had a total of eleven children. Norman (Lived three days), Charles Jr., Sydney, Geraldine, Michael, Josephine, Victoria, Eugene, Jane, Annette & Christopher.
Success: He is most known for his his portrayal as "The Little Tramp" and played this character, while also directing at times, in thirty-five films. He is the most pivotal star of the silent screen.
Interesting Fact: When Chaplin came to America with his understudy Stan Laurel, they lived in a boarding house that didn't allow cooking. While Laurel was frying food, Chaplin would play the violin to cover the sound.
Awards: Though he never received an Oscar for his acting alone, he did, however, win two Oscars for his contributions to the cinema, and another for the musical score in "Limelight" (1952). He has also received sixteen other awards in addition to being knighted in 1975. He had footprints at the Grauman's Chinese Theater but it was stolen in the fifties.
Hidden Gems: "The Kid" (1921), "The Gold Rush" (1925) "The Circus" (1928), "City Lights" (1931), "Modern Times" (1936), "The Great Dictator" (1940), "Limelight" (1952).
While Chaplin's life itself was full of suprising tragedy, he was the best entertainer in the business. While others were struggling through the sound years, the "Tramp" kept him busy making silents. His first talkie was "The Great Dictator" (1940), though he re-released some silent pictures with his own voice as the narrator. He was also a composer and wrote the music for many of his films.
To me, Chaplin is timeless. He created a new type of Comedy, involving sympathy, that is greatly used today. His silent pictures are the most entertaining to me, though I enjoy a Keaton and Lloyd now and then.
* Here is the famouse table ballet in "The Gold Rush" (1925).
Awards: Nominated for best Actor in leading and in the supporting roles along with best musical score, picture and story. There was one other nomination in other awards with four wins.
Interesting Fact:Chaplin was haunted by his similarities with Hitler's looks and childhood background. He said concerning the matter, "He’s the madman, I’m the comic. But it could have been the other way around."
Who else could make a movie about the rise of Hitler and have everyone laughing at the end? Who could have you laughing one moment and tingling the next with patriotism?.. only Chaplin. This movie goes on my top ten for two reasons: one for the nature of the topic and the other for the guts of Chaplin to stand up to one of the cruelest rulers in our time.
Here is a comedic satire on the rise of Adolf Hitler with a simple twist of a lowly barber living in the ghetto, sharing the same physical features. As the barber learns to adapt to this new life, 'Hynkel' is commanding legions to oppress and attack. By chance, their identities are mistaken and the once barber now finds himself ready for a speech to his new army. What would be said by one of the subjects if the emperor was thought to be him? How different would the world have been if such a miracle occurred?
*The classic scene at the barber showing off Chaplin's talent with music
For the first month of 2012, I would like to cover the movies that have inspired me every time I watch them. I have found that there are two categories under inspiration: Fiction and Non-Fiction. This month I will cover the Fiction.
This first week I will post on the movies themselves and rather than cover some of the more well-known ones, I want to cover those that most likely are new to you.
