Thursday, November 9, 2017

Phfft (1954) - Solid Gold Cadillac (1956) - Full of Life (1956)

These were four movies Judy Holliday made under her Columbia Movie contract.  Except for The Marrying Kind,  none was written by Garson Kanin or directed by George Cukor.  They're all pleasant, forgettable, B&W comedies (but Marrying Kind and Full of Life are more Dramedy), that will occasionally have you smiling.  I wouldn't recommend any of them unless you're a fan of Judy Holliday and/or the leading men.

Phfft - Has a powerful supporting cast of Jack Lemmon, Jack Carson, and Kim Novak.  Story? Lemmon and Holliday are happily divorced but keep running into each other and eventually.... This was Jack Lemmon 2nd movie and he finds his comic timing & is very good.  Everyone else is good too, its just the story doesn't amount to much & the gags aren't that funny.

Solid Gold Cadillac -  Holliday replaced Broadway Lead Josephine Hull in this filmed version of the George S. Kauffman play. She's a small shareholder who takes on a crooked Board of Directors and wins.  Friend Paul Douglas  plays the CEO/Love interest. Somewhat stagy and predictable. Douglas is unbelievable as a romantic interest.

Full of Life - In a change of pace, this is a nice "small picture" domestic comedy/drama co-starring Richard Conte as Judy's husband. When Conte needs help with a major home repair, his religious immigrant father moves-in to help-out.  Hi-jinks and drama ensue.  Holliday drops her "Dumb Blond" voice and plays it straight.   Conte struggles - his comedic skills are minimal.

The Marrying Kind   Directed by George Cukor, she and Aldo Ray play a struggling NYC couple on the verge of divorce. Holiday and Ray have good chemistry and convincingly play both comedy and tragedy. Here she seems  funny and attractive than in Born Yesterday. Notable for the two leads, the story is somewhat dated & gets bogged down with idle chatter, needless pathos and a low budget.

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