Rosalind Russell & Alec Guinness in A Majority of One (1961)

Obscurity factor: 7

My friend Ranse reminded me of this film last night. Rosalind Russell plays Bertha Jacoby, a Jewish widow living in Brooklyn. When her son-in-law receives a post as a diplomat in Japan she joins them to live with her daughter in Tokyo. On the ship she meets business man Koichi Asano (Guinness). Both of them lost loved ones in the Japanese/American conflict in WWII and there is friction between them because of it. However they eventually strike up an unlikely romance, but the cultural differences between them must be surmounted and that seems like a tall order.

This charming film has a warm message of understanding and forgiveness. Russell makes a quirky, delightful Jewish mother and what could have been an uncomfortable performance by a lesser actor a is low key and respectful one with Guinness as the Japanese business man.

This is recently available on DVD. The trailer is above, posted to YouTube by skipjacktuner. The poster is available from MoviePosterShop.com.

Obscurity factor: 7 (available on DVD, not well remembered, though it does have a small, devoted following)

Rosalind Russell in Mrs. Pollifax, Spy 1971

This is the last in my series of obscure cold war films, simply because I can't think of any more. Any suggestions?

Mrs. Pollifax has become a much beloved character since the first book (The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax) was written by Dorothy Gilman in 1966. At the time of this film, however, the full arc of the series had yet to be revealed. So Rosalind Russel took on the role in her last film with a great deal of gusto. Not only did she play the part, she also wrote the script under the pen name C. A. McKnight. Widow Emily Pollifax is bored with her life. Her children are grown and except for the garden club and her volunteer work at the hospital she doesn't have much to do. So she decides to do something she's always wanted to and applies for work as a spy at the CIA. The astonished man she presents herself to puts her in a waiting room, where she's seen by Mr. Carstairs, who thinks she's just perfect for a small courier job in Mexico - innocent tourist type, simple mission. Of course when all hell breaks loose and she ends up in a notoriously inescapable prison in Albania with a weathered professional agent they give her up for dead. But don't count out Mrs. Pollifax! She has some tricks up her sleeve.

Fans of the book series don't like this film very much. Part of the problem is that the series took shape in the years after this film was conceived. Consequently there are conclusions drawn and plot points that are changed that don't jive with the character as readers think of her. If you can put that aside or if you haven't read the books the film has some charming moments, and Rosalind Russel is spry and delightful in her last film. The theme music is by Lalo Schifrin and is very stylish. Darrin McGavin plays the agent she meets in Albania and look for Harold Gould as an Albanian guard. There was another film made with the Mrs. Pollifax character in the 90's with Angela Lansbury that I've never seen. If anyone knows it or better yet, has it please get in touch.

This film can now be seen on Netflix Instant: http://movies.netflix.com/WiPlayer?movieid=70147087 The short above was produced to promote the film and has been uploaded to YouTube by jleepoxprod. There is no DVD or VHS of it available commercially. It has been available on iOffer.com in the past, but isn't there at the moment. If you're interested in it, post a request there and someone will probably answer it. If you can wait, it's occasionally aired on TCM. The poster above is available at MoviePosterShop.com.

Obscurity factor: 9 (hard to find, no DVD, rarely screened on TV)

Rosalind Russell in The Velvet Touch 1948

In 1948 Rosalind Russell and her husband Fredrick Brisson (occasionally referred to as The Lizard of Roz) embarked on a career partnership that paralleled their marriage with this film. It was the first of many of Roz's films that was based on a Broadway play that Brisson negotiated the rights for. It centers around the complicated life of actress Valerie Stanton (Russell) who is under the thumb of her producer (Leon Ames), but wants to try her wings at more challenging material than he is willing to offer her. During an overheated meeting she inadvertently kills him. Circumstances lead to an enemy of hers being accused of the crime and Valerie finds herself in a moral conundrum. 

 

This suspenseful film is full of sparkling dialog with witty turns of phrase that contrast the dramatic subject matter and make it a delight to watch. Also starring in the film are Sydney Greenstreet and Claire Trevor. It's hard to find and only occasionally shown on TV. You can get the old video tapes of it on Amazon.com, but that's about the only source for it right now. Perhaps it will find its way into TCM's DVD release series. We can only hope.

Obscurity factor 9 (No DVD, hard to find, not on YouTube or iOffer.com, rarely seen on television)

Rosalind Russell in Rosie! 1967

What do you get when you combine Rosalind Russel and King Lear? You get Rosie! The 1967 comedy/drama Produced by veteran Ross Hunter and starring Russell as the matriarch of a family who has an unusual way of doing things. She wants to buy an old vaudeville theater to save it from the wrecking ball. Her granddaughter (Sandra Dee) is all for it but her daughters (Audry Meadows and Vanessa Brown) and son-in-law (Leslie Nielsen) are dead set against dissipating their future inheritance, and take measures to make sure it doesn't happen.

The betrayal of a figure head by their children is a powerful story whether its a medieval monarch or a mod matriarch. What starts out as a fun romp through a sexagenarian's last fling at life - driving recklessly, wearing outlandish clothes, standing on her head - turns suddenly dark with an oppressed Russell held captive in an insane asylum. Her realization of what's happened to her results in a powerful dramatic scene as only Roz could do it. The end is a little loopy, but it's worth it for the fun of the rest of the film. Look for a young James Farentino as Sandra Dee's love interest. The poster above is available at MoviePosterShop.com.

There is no footage of this one on YouTube, but if you're obsessed by it, it can frequently be found on iOffer.com.

Obscurity factor: 10 (no DVD or VHS, Rarely screened on television, no footage on YouTube)