"She may be his wife - but she is engaged to me!"

Another picture which is based on a play came up to the silver screen in 1936: LIBELED LADY - directed by Jack Conway.

In a nutshell:

Society girl Connie Allenbury (Myrna Loy) is falsly accused of stealing another woman's husband. She sues "The Star" - a newspaper, which headlined the wrong story - to pay $ 5 millions damages.

Journalist Warren Haggerty (Spencer Tracy) comes up with an idea to save the newspaper: He engages his ex co-worker and oldtime rival Bill Chandler (William Powell), who suggests that he seduces Connie so Haggerty's fiancée Gladys Benton (Jean Harlow) - acting as Chandler's wife - can catch them red-handed. That way Haggerty would be able to proof that "The Star" didn't tell a lie.

Chandler who learns that Connie's father (Walter Connolly) is fond of trout fishing pretends to be a writer and passionate angler to get near to Connie. Problems appear when Chandler falls for Connie and Gladys decides that she is attracted to Chandler..

Watch out for:

• Hattie McDaniel as the maid in the Grand Plaza Hotel hall.
  

Schmooze:

• Charley Grapewin, who plays Mr. Bane is known (amongst many others) as Uncle Henry in THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939), Gramp Maple in THE PETRIFIED FOREST (1936) and as Grandpa in THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940)


• The German titel is LUSTIGE SÜNDER which can be translated "Cheerful sinners".
  
• The four leads became good friends. Allegedly Spencer Tracy used to state jestingly that Myrna Loy broke his heart by marrying producer Arthur Hornblow, jr.. It is said that Tracy reserved a table in the canteen for men who felt that Loy walked out on them - the "I hate Hornblow"-table.
  
• LIBELED LADY was nominated for "Best picture" at the acadamy awards but lost to another movie starring Myrna Loy and William Powell: THE GREAT ZIEGFELD.
  
• Jean Harlow and William Powell were a couple whilst this film was produced so Harlow intended to get the part of Connie so she and Powell could end up together - the studio objected because they felt the audience wanted Powell and Loy to be paired at the end. Harlow gave in and was in the end pleased with her part.


• Walter Connolly (Myrna Loy's father in this picture) played the father of Claudette Colbert in IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934).
  
  
• There is a remake called EASY TO WED with Esther Williams as Connie Allenbury, Van Johnson as Bill Chandler, Keenan Wynn as Warren Haggerty and Lucille Ball as Gladys.


• Rosalind Russell was first choice for the Connie Allenbury part.
  


• It was the fith film pairing Myrna Loy and William Powell.
  


• Billy Benedict - one of the original Bowery Boys has an supporting role at the news paper.
  


• Lionel Barrymore was supposed to play Connie Allenbury's father.

Celebrate the celluloid:


Eat pancakes/flapjacks or fish (trout!).

My favourite feature:

I like that raft in the lake. Gosh, won't you love to sit there and watch old movies on a big screen with some friends and splash around with your feet? (just an idea..)

Scenes to see:

William Powell angling and the lovely good-bye -scene with Powell, Harlow and Tracy - please look out for George Chandler's (the bell boy) mimic.

Window shopping:

Gee, I'd like to get that light suit Jean Harlow is wearing.

Quotes corner:

"This is love, not liquor." or "I am just a mug, Gladdie, but I love you." or maybe best known: "Marry your newspaper and become the father of many newslines."

I love the witty lines in this picture especially William Powell suggesting to Jean Harlow how to pass her time: "Maybe you could learn to read." and one I often use myself: "I am awful appealing in blue." This is an awesome screwball comedy and a marvellous cast!

I don't know anything about American eating habits, but I think it is funny to put the flag of the United States into a fish. I don't want to offend anyone but it seems strange to me. I mean: this film doesn't take place on 4th of July - as far as I know. But: Please correct me - I am eager to learn!

Goodbye! I'll go and watch another movie - or this one again? And:

"I like music with my moonlight."

"I am legally dead!"

It was the first film, that Fritz Lang made in America after he flew from the Nazi regime in Germany - yes, I am talking about FURY (1936).

In a nutshell:

Joe Wilson (Spencer Tracy) and Katherine Grant (Sylvia Sidney) are engaged to be married. To raise money Katherine goes west and takes a job as a teacher, while Joe stays in Chicago and - together with his brothers Charlie (Frank Albertson) and Tom (George Walcott) - establishes a filling station.

A year has elapsed and on the way to Katherine (finally the date for the wedding is set) Joe is mistaken for a wanted kidnapper and arrested. Gossip goes wild in that small town called Strand and a furios mob - leaded by Kirby Dawson (Bruce Cabot), a local ne'er-do-well - rages against the prison, where Joe is locked, and blows it up.

Joe is believed to be buried to death but he has survived. He pretends to be dead and goes back to his brothers, where he hides out. Tom and Charlie bring 22 citizens, who were ivolved in the lynching, to trial. The witnesses tell lies to protect the defendants. Joe anonymously sents evidence, which prove Katherine that he is still alive. Tom and Charlie change their opinions and want to withdraw the charge, whilst Joe is all "eye for an eye". Finally he changes his mind and in the moment the defendants are about to hear wether they are found guilty or not guilty he steps in the court.

Watch out for:

• Walter Brennan (who may be bestknown as "Stumpy" in RIO BRAVO),
• George Chandler (one of the Sheriff's helpers - amongst others he was the bell hop in LIBELED LADY) and
• Walter Abel, who gives a marvellous perfomance as district attorney.
• And if you wonder wether you know that youngster at the salon yelling: "Come on, let's have some fun!" - it's George Offerman, jr, whom you may know from A LETTER TO THREE WIVES.

Schmooze:

• Rainbow, Joe's dog, was portrayed by no one but Terry, who you may know as "Toto" of THE WIZARD OF OZ - I forgot to mention that in my last post: Terry has a fighting scene in THE WOMEN at "Sydneys"! She later would star under the name "Toto". (Guess why!)
• Ward Bond and Clara Blandick (another cast member of THE WIZARD OF OZ) did scenes but were cutted out.
• It was the only film Sylvia Sidney made for MGM.
• FURY was Leila Bennett's (who plays the "modiste" Edna Hooper) last picture.

Celebrate the celluloid:

Eat salted peanuts!

Murphy's law:

• When the newsreel pictures a held you can still hear the projector.
• After Kirby Dawson has thrown a stone into the sheriff's office you can see, that he had worn out one bar. When the sheriff goes to the window and looks out of it, there is no bar left - boy, what a pitch!!

My favourite feature:

The wedding ring Katherine gives to Joe! It is engraved "Henry to Katherine to Joe" - Henry was her father and she is named after her mother - In my opinion this ring says: "You are part of my family." and I think this is a really, really wonderful thing to say to someone.

Scene to see:

The court scenes are a must - and because half the movie takes place in the court, you might as well watch the whole movie.. ;")

Wishlist:

I simply love Sylvia Sidneys' hats and I would like to get some of the flowers of the flowershop Spencer Tracy gazes at..

This film is really awesome. Sometimes I wonder that the newsreel pictures show so many angles - but that's allright with me.

It is quite creepy to see that mob go off the rails. (I confess: especially the women!) - And each time I wonder wether I should laugh about that visual analogy between the chatting women and the gaggling chicken or should I be offended. (Most of the time I laugh..)

And my favourite line is that about a citizen "peaceably armed with an axe". Terrific!!

By the way: To those who expected a post about "that horse-movie": There are actually NO horses - I have checked that. But don't be sad: There're a few puppys in it. (who don't look like their mother, but: they're dogs and that's possibly the main point..)

Goodbye - I'll go and watch another movie. Because:

"An impuls is an impulse. It's like an itch. You gotta scratch it."