Sterling Holloway in Frank Capra's Hemo The Magnificent (1957)

This is another post suggested by my friend Carol. It's part of a series of films made for television in the 50's and early 60's by the Bell Telephone System. All of them explore different aspects of science for a junior audience. As we explore the wonders of Hemo (Greek for blood), we learn not only about the life giving substance, but also the system that circulates it through the body. Along the way we meet members of the animal kingdom who serve as the audience for Dr. Research (Frank C. Baxter) and Mr. Fiction Writer (Richard Carlson) who explain the ins and outs of circulation and the nature of blood. It's not all sunshine and puppy dogs, however. Hemo isn't at all sure that science is the best discipline to explain him with, and refers to the circulatory system as "just plumbing."Sterling Holloway has a short, uncredited cameo as the projector operator at the beginning of the film. Also listen for the voices of Mel Blanc and June Foray in the animated sequences. If you're at all squeamish about peering inside the human body, then be prepared to look away.

This production and many of the other Bell Telephone science programs are available on DVD. Hemo is paired with one called Unchained Goddess. It's also available in full on YouTube. Part one (of two) is above.

Obscurity factor: 8 (on DVD and YouTube, remembered by some, otherwise largely forgotten)

Richard Williams' The Little Island (1958)

This short by legendary animator Richard Williams (Who Framed Roger Rabbit [1988]) examines the nature of man through three symbolic figures alone on a tiny island. The figures represent truth, beauty and goodness and the film wordlessly tells the story of their self absorption, potential and conflict. Williams uses striking graphics and amusing, and at times compelling music to make his points. This was his first film and he is the auteur in the literal sense of the word. He did everything on the film except the music.

Though not available on DVD, it can be found in full on YouTube. Above is part one, uploaded by TheThiefArchive.

Obscurity factor: 8 (not on DVD, available on YouTube, known to film buffs, but otherwise forgotten)

Sid Davis's Santa and the Fairy Snow Queen (1951)

This short film from 1951 kicks off our week of holiday posts. Produced and directed by Sid Davis, it's from the "so bad it's good" school of filmmaking and has a school pageant quality to it. The story follows the Fairy Snow Queen who brings Santa's toys to life when he stands her up for a sugar cookie. The amateurish production values and performances are endearing and the quirky quality of the performers give a "Land of the Misfit Toys" feel to the proceedings. I expect it was produced for school assemblies similar to The Winter of the Witch featured earlier on the blog, but without the star power.

This public domain film is available on YouTube thanks to an upload by my friend Michael at XmasFLIX. I don't believe it's even been released on DVD.

Obscurity factor: 10 (Complete oddity, almost totally forgotten, not on DVD)

Judy Holliday in Full of Life (1956)

In this, Judy Holliday's second to last film, she plays Emily Rocco, wife of Nick, a struggling, first generation Italian American author. Nick has had his first bit of success and has bought a small home in Southern California and now that they're settled Emily has gotten pregnant. When the kitchen floor collapses on them, they find themselves in a bind. Unable to pay for the repairs, they must travel to Sacramento to enlist the help of Nick's immigrant father Salvatore, a stone mason. The stormy relationship between father and son is difficult for Emily to understand and she tries to help them come to terms as they bring Salvatore back with them to help with the floor. Along the way Nick and Emily begin to understand how a bit of the old ways of family and community can make life more meaningful.

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This charming, if sentimental film allows Holliday to exhibit a much more naturalistic style of acting than is usually seen in her performances. It's extremely hard to find. There hasn't been a DVD release of it to date, though a VHS was released in 1998 and can still be found on Amazon - though the price can be dear. There is no online video of it anywhere that I can find. I first saw it on Antenna TV. It's been in rotation there for a few weeks and may air again.

Obscurity factor: 10 (very hard to find, not on DVD or YouTube, on VHS)

Destination Earth (1956)

This little promotional film comes from a time when the oil and gas industry wasn't on one side of a huge political divide. The chasm that has opened up in this country wasn't even a crack in 1956 when this was produced. On Mars, an unpleasant dictatorship is the form of government, and the problems facing the Martian populace include no reliable fuel for powering their civilization and no lubricants for their machinery. What's a dictator to do, but send a fearless adventurer over to the next planet to borrow a cup of information. Down comes Colonel Cosmic to investigate. He lands in the USA, where he learns that the society runs on something called oil, and that the people of the land would be in a sorry state if they didn't have this miracle substance. He also learns that the idea of capitalism - the free market and a government that doesn't meddle in it with a lot of silly regulations - is another important ingredient in the success of this strange land. He returns with this important information and transforms the Martian economy in one day as the inhabitants go about prospecting for oil and setting up businesses.

This strange piece of mid-century propaganda is in the public domain and is consequently readily available in a number of places. It can be seen above, thanks to an upload to YouTube by shaggylocks.

Obscurity factor: 9 (readily available in several places, but almost totally unknown, not on DVD)

Darren McGavin & Marsha Hunt in A Word to the Wives (1955)

The post war housing boom lead to a suburbia populated with ranch houses which were first thought of as unbearably cookie cutter, inspiring the song Little Boxes. They have since become popular again with people who have a yen for mid-century design. With so many new homes on the market, the developers had to be smart about selling them. Frequently they produced films like these to entice buyers. This film was made with women in mind - wives in particular. Jane and her friend Alice (Hunt) conspire to convince Jane's husband George (McGavin) to pony up for a new kitchen by leaving him alone in the old one for a weekend.

This can be seen on YouTube, thanks to an upload by shaggylocks. It's in the public domain so it's fairly easy to locate online. It's almost completely unknown, however.

Obscurity factor: 9 (available on YouTube and elsewhere, almost completely unknown)

Greer Garson & Walter Pidgeon in The Miniver Story (1950)

The rousing success of the wartime melodrama Mrs. Miniver (1942) led MGM to reprise the franchise with this story of how the family adjusts to post war life. We pick up the threads of their lives on VE Day as Clem (Pidgeon) and Judy (Cathy O'Donnell) return home from their duties overseas. As they settle into old routines we begin to suspect something is amiss with Kay (Garson). It turns out that she hasn't long to live, but she's decided to keep that a secret until the time is right. She goes about making the time right by helping the family find their happiness.

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This drama is super soapy and not as rousing as its predecesor but it does have some very satisfying moments in it. If you know the original you may wonder what became of the Miniver's oldest son Vin. Well, the actor who played him (Richard Ney) married Greer Garson shortly after the film was completed, and by the time this film came out they had called it quits. So it seems the studio decided not to remind the movie going public of the affair and cut the character from the film. Look for a young James Fox in his first role playing Toby, the Miniver's youngest son, just back from America. You'll enjoy him later as Jimmy in Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967)

This film is not yet available on DVD, though it's occasionally aired on TCM. Above is the trailer from the TCM website.

Obscurity factor: 6 (dimly remembered, not on DVD, scenes available on YouTube and TCM website)

Marlene Dietrich in The Monte Carlo Story (1957)

Obscurity factor: 8

The debonair Count Della Fiaba (Vittorio De Sica) is down on his heels. His gambling has been bankrolled by friends who work in the hotel but he hasn't had a significant a win in several years and they're starting to lose faith. They worry about his future and convince him to find a wealthy wife. Coincidently, the Marquese de Crevecoeur (Dietrich) has just checked in to the hotel and is rumored to have a large fortune left to her by her late husband. She's glamorous, beautiful and cultured - a perfect mate for the Count. They begin a whirlwind courtship and decide to marry, until in a moment of pre-connubial  candor, both admit to being broke. Around the same time, the Count's residence - a modest yacht in the harbor - is damaged by an American millionaire (Arthur O'Connell) sailing into Monte Carlo on his yacht. He becomes the target of the Marquese and his daughter (Natalie Trundy) becomes obsessed with the Count. Will they settle down with the wealthy Americans or will the pull of shared European experience, circumstance and love win out?

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Though not a brilliant film by any standards, The Monte Carlo Story has a certain old world charm to it. The characters are likable and kind to each other and the scenery and production values are glamorous and beautiful, with gowns by Jean Louis. Look for Jane Rose as the millionaire's sister.

This film has yet to be released on DVD and can be hard to find. It's occasionally aired on TCM. The clip above features Marlene's interpretation of "My Indiana Home" and was uploaded to YouTube by bloodmakesnois.

Obscurity factor: 8 (not on DVD, clips available on YouTube, known to Marlene fans)

Gene Tierney & Thelma Ritter in The Mating Season (1951)

Val McNulty (John Lund) has just married beautiful Maggie (Tierney) and is eager to make good at his job. He's a first generation college grad who's widowed mother runs a hamburger stand in Jersey City. Maggie on the other hand is the daughter of an ambassador. When Val's mother, Ellen comes to pay the new bride her respects, due to a mix-up she thinks Ellen is the new cook and puts her to work. Ellen doesn't want to embarrass her new daughter-in-law and so she works for her, hoping to speak to her son when he comes home. As you can expect, things get out of hand, and the combination of the complicated circumstances, the inferiority complex of the McNultys and the arrival of Maggie's snobbish, disapproving mother-in-law (Miriam Hopkins), there just doesn't seem to be a good opportunity to set things right.

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This charming film is a lovely character study of class conflicts in mid-century America, and a beautiful example of Hollywood's take on the nobility of the common man. Look for a fun turn by a young Billy Bird (one of the grandmothers in Sixteen Candles) as one of Ellen's buddies.

This title has yet to make it to DVD, which seems odd to me, because it's a film of some note and there's been interest of late in Gene Tierney's career. It is available in full on YouTube, however. Part one is above, uploaded by LillianPrune. It's also occasionally aired on TCM.

Obscurity factor: 6 (known in some circles, not on DVD, available on YouTube)

Barbara Eden in How to Marry a Millionaire (1957)

After the success of the Lauren Bacall, Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable film, this series was produced. The premise was the same - three single girls living in an expensive penthouse apartment trying to trap themselves millionaires. This series was one of Barbara Eden's first triumphs.

Part one of the episode 3 Pretenders is above. It features Morey Amsterdam in the role of a press agent the girls convince to help them meet rich men. It was uploaded to YouTube by dentelTV1.

Obscurity factor: 7 (known to Eden fans, largely forgotten otherwise, not on DVD, partially available on YouTube)

Joan Crawford in Because I Love Him (1953)

The last in our series of Joan Crawford anthology series appearances finds Joan playing a wife who learns her husband has only a year to live. The episode, which appeared on Revlon Mirror Theater is a very melodramatic melodrama full of noble sacrifice and beautiful suffering. The plot is a bit far out with very strange medical ethics and outrageous circumstances, but Joan pulls it off.
The series this episode was a part of is somewhat obscure itself. It ran for only two seasons and gets lost amid other more prominent anthology series like GE Theater and The Loretta Young Show. It's never been available on DVD, though individual episodes can be found on YouTube. The episode is above, uploaded to YouTube by Vi H.

Obscurity factor: 9 (Not on DVD, largely forgotten, available on YouTube)

Joan Crawford in The Road to Edinburgh (1954)

The third in our series of Joan Crawford anthology series appearances finds her in Great Britain. Mary Andrews is a successful reporter on her way to cover the Edinburgh festival. While driving she gets a flat tire and is aided by a mysterious man to whom she gives a ride. She's later sorry that she brought him along when he admits to being just released from prison and a report is heard on the radio about a prisoner who has just escaped. Will she make it to Edinburgh in one piece?

This was an earlier appearance of Joan's on GE Theater (And One was Loyal, posted on Friday, was filmed 5 years later). Part one is above, uploaded to YouTube by shanecincy.

Obscurity factor: 9 (not on DVD, little known, available on YouTube)

Joan Crawford in And One Was Loyal (1959)

Continuing the series of Joan Crawford anthology show appearances, this one is from General Electric Theater. Joan plays Ann Howard, a painter and the abused wife of a plantation boss in Singapore. Her life drastically changes when George Manson (Tom Helmore) visits the plantation unexpectedly.

This series has never had a commercial DVD release, though copies can be found on certain sites. This particular episode has some great melodramatic moments and a nice surprise ending. It was uploaded to YouTube by shanecincy.

Obscurity factor: 9 (little known, not on DVD, available on YouTube)

Mel Blanc in To Itch His Own (1959)

Angelo is tired. He's been working too hard as the primary attraction at Sam's circus, so he decides to take a nice vacation on some dog in the country. Hilarity ensues when the dog next door tries to bully Angelo's vacation rental.

This is one of those one-off shorts from Warner Bros. directed by Chuck Jones. It's short on dialog but long on comedy. It was uploaded to YouTube by nano316.

Obscurity factor: 7 (has small legion of die hard fans, otherwise forgotten, not on DVD that I can find, on YouTube)

Cary Grant & Deborah Kerr in Dream Wife (1953)

Obscurity factor: 6

TCM has programmed a series of films this month on the portrayal of people from the nations of the middle-east, and last night they featured this film. It's certainly interesting in its skewed portrayal of middle-eastern royalty, but that's not what I found fascinating about it. Unlike many films of its kind it features a very strong career woman, Pricilla Effington (Kerr) who works for the state department. She's in a relationship with ad man Clem Reade (Grant) who objects to her career taking her away from her future duties as a wife. After a big blow-up they break off their engagement and, on the rebound, Clem proposes marriage to Tarji, a beautiful young middle-eastern princess of his acquaintance who "has been trained with 5000 years of tradition" to serve her man's every whim.

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Of course the expected culture clash ensues, but what's remarkable about the film is how Kerr's character fares by comparison. In other films of the era she would have "discovered" that sublimating her own desires and ambitions to her husband's wishes was the most fulfilling path she could pursue. Not so in this film. Effie's skills as a diplomat actually save the day and she triumphs at the end, not having to compromise that part of herself for a relationship. It's not a brilliant film (the reception of it convinced  Cary Grant to retire from films for two years), but it is uncharacteristic of the era and a nice foreshadowing of the woman's movement to come. Look for Walter Pidgeon as an official that works with Kerr at the State Department.

This film is available on DVD, and though obscure has been screened on TV, thanks to TCM. The trailer for it is above, uploaded to YouTube by skipjacktuner.

Obscurity factor: 6 (not well known, available on DVD)

Cary Grant & Ingrid Bergman in Indiscreet (1958)

Obscurity factor: 4

My friend Russell reminded me of this film last night. It's charming, and one of the lesser known comedies of both stars. When actress Anna Kalman (Bergman) meets economist Phillip Adams (Grant) it's love at first sight. They begin a whirlwind romance and everything is rosy until an awful truth is revealed - Phillip is a bachelor. In order to protect himself from matrimonially minded females, he has concocted a fictitious wife from whom he is estranged, but cannot be divorced. Anna cannot bear the thought of having been deceived, so she plots her revenge!

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This charming film has elements of both a romance and a screw-ball comedy, though with a polished, sophisticated luster to it. The dialog is snappy and smart and the production values are lush with beautiful sets and costumes to enchant the eye.

Though it's not one of the films that first comes to mind when you think of the two stars, it is still a film that has a place in the public consciousness. It's available on DVD and can be found on YouTube in full, though the uploader has disabled embedding. Click this link to see it: http://youtu.be/fftrNmf21Jo. The clip above features the first meeting of Anna and Phillip and was uploaded by hitchclassic.

Obscurity factor: 4 (known, but not iconic, available on DVD and YouTube)

Bette Davis in Payment on Demand (1951)

Obscurity factor: 8

Joyce and David Ramsey (Davis and Barry Sullivan) are married with two daughters almost grown. To Joyce's great surprise and dismay, one night David comes home and asks for a divorce. The story of their marriage is told in beautifully conceived and filmed flashbacks, while the story of their divorce unfolds in the present. Joyce is a scheming society climber with no sense of loyalty to friends or business associates. The flashbacks show her development and hint at contrition.

This film takes an unflinching look at divorce and some of the reasons for it, and though some aspects of the film are dated, most notably the notion that a divorced woman has no future, the subject matter is handled with honesty and tact. Look for a spicy performance as an established society matron by Jane Cowl.

This film has recently emerged from the shadows and can now be found on DVD, thanks to Warner's Archive collection. It was just aired on TCM last night where I saw it for the first time. The trailer above is from the TCM website and the poster is available at MoviePosterShop.com.

Obscurity factor: 8 (available on DVD, occasionally screened on TCM, known as Bette's forgotten film)

Donald Duck in Mathmagic Land (1959)

Obscurity factor: 3

This film chronicles the adventures of Donald Duck in the magical land of mathematics. While there he learns about the golden rectangle, pentagrams, circles and spheres and how these and other basic shapes make up the world around us and can be used in games and other pursuits. I first saw this film, as did many others in an elementary school assembly, and enjoyed it immensely - it was a much more fun way of learning mathematics.

I'm not sure if obscure is the word for it, as much as unseen. It's available on DVD and many people know and remember the film, but it's rarely seen today (unless they're still showing it in schools!). Above is part one of 3, uploaded to YouTube by pookzta.

Obscurity factor: 3 (well known, but rarely, if ever screened today, available on DVD)

Jack Benny in The Mouse that Jack Built (1959)

Obscurity factor: 6

In the 1950's, Jack Benny had a very popular television show and was a huge star from his work on radio and in film. At the time, Warner Brothers were experimenting with making animated versions of television stars - they had already done The Honey Mousers - and his sly, gentle style of comedy translates very well to the medium. In this short, we get to see Jack interact with Rochester, his butler and Mary his fiance, all as animated mice. They make plans to go out and are tricked into going to the Kit Kat Klub, a night club the household cat has set up inside his mouth.

These cartoons are fun examples of an alternate take on the popular culture of the day. The trend continued into the 60's with episodes of shows like The Flintstones featuring Samantha Stevens from Bewitched and, infamously, Ann Margrock. This short is available on the Looney Toons: Golden Collection, Volume 3 DVD.

Obscurity factor: 6 (available on DVD, somewhat forgotten)

Joan Crawford in The Damned Don't Cry (1950)

Obscurity factor: 2

In some ways this is the ultimate composite Joan Crawford film. In it she gets to go through the full range of styles and emotions from the films of her Warner Bros. pictures - grief, hard-as-nails determination, shame, sophistication, passion... Ethel Whitehead lives a bleak existence amongst oil derricks and poverty. She and her husband and son share a home with her doting mother and heartless father. When she decides to buy her son a bike it touches off a familiar argument with her husband, who is sensitive of not being able to provide more than the basic essentials for his family. When the son is killed it effectively breaks the bond between husband and wife and Ethel leaves to make her own way. She starts out as a model at a dress company, but, using men as her stepping stones, is able to scheme her way into the heart of an organized crime syndicate - and a glamorous life. She becomes Lorna Hansen Forbes, a fabulously wealthy oil heiress and lives a beautiful life. That is, until the syndicate boss decides to use her in his play to get the western territory back from a rebellious associate.

This film has a Mildred Pierce on steroids quality to it - the death of a child, the struggle to achieve, the realization that the top isn't all its cracked up to be... It's fun to see Joan play the scenes to the hilt, as usual and to see her go from know-nothing fit model to confident society woman.

This film has a big cult following among Crawford fans. It's available on DVD. The trailer is posted above, courtesy of felixxxx999 on YouTube. The poster above is available from MoviePosterShop.com.

Obscurity factor: 2 (well known to Crawford fans, otherwise obscure, available on DVD)