The Journey of Natty Gann (1985) - Disney Under the Rug

"She's a good kid, practically takes care of herself. All you got to do is make sure she's eating right and she's getting her sleep...." 

Director

Jeremy Kagan

Cast
Meredith Salenger - Natalie "Natty" Gann
Ray Wise - Sol Gann

John Cusack - Harry
Lainie Kazan - Connie
Scatman Crothers - Sherman
Barry Miller - Parker

As I mentioned in my review of Disney's 1983 movie, "Something Wicked This Way Comes" which I posted back in May, the 1980s were a dark era for Disney. A number of movies Disney released during the decade have quite a sinister and, well, dark tone uncharacteristic of their usual IP. Most of Disney's movies from the 1980s are "dark" in either their story or depictions, such as "Watcher in the Woods," "The Devil and Max Devlin," "The Black Cauldron," and even "Return to Oz."
Disney even released a movie called "The Kids Who Knew Too Much" (1980) which centers around a political assassination plot. Their 1978 "Wonderful World of Disney" movie "Child of Glass" centers on the ghost a young girl who was murdered.  

The 1980s were also a lousy time for Disney until a certain little mermaid pulled the company out of their lack of successful movies slump. 

Not only were a lot of these mostly live action movies have this infamous dark tone to some degree or another, but some were not necessarily aimed at children. 

A lot of these adult oriented movies were released under their distribution company, Buena Vista Pictures Distribution. Otherwise, most of them Disney would rather forget about. You won't mind most of these titles on the streaming app Disney+. 

However, Disney's 1985 drama adventure movie, "The Journey of Natty Gann" is not as obscure as other movies I've mentioned, it's not completely forgotten nor unrecognized isn't among the most popular and long remembered titles. It's a decent and well-made movie. And it holds a respectable place in the company's history of feature films. It's also available in Disney+. 

So, maybe it's unfair to throw it among my other Disney movie reviews I've been slowly building up and titling "Disney Under the Rug." This movie isn't quite "under the rug" as I've described in previous posts. 

In this movie, Natalie Gann (Meredith Salenger), Natty for short, and her father, Sol, live in Chicago in 1935, and are two among millions of Americans struggling in the midst of the Great Depression. 

Sol is out of work, desperate to find a job, and has been raising Natty by himself as his wife previously passed away. 

A lumberjack position opens up for Sol if he wants it. There's a ton of other men in line waiting to jump at the opportunity. 

Meredith Salenger and John Cusack. 

However, the job is in Washington State and if he wants it, Sol will have to leave later the same day that it's offered. 

He desperately tries to find Natty in and around all the usual neighborhood spots where she generally hangs around. 

Unfortunately, Sol can't find her and has to leave for Washington. So, he leaves her a note with the hotel/boarding house manager Connie (Lainie Kazan) promising he'll send for her as soon as he gets enough money. 

Sol begs Connie to watch over Natty while he's gone, which she reluctantly agrees to do. 

Connie and Natty don't get along well. After Natty gets into some trouble and is dropped off back at the boarding house by police, Connie fumes at Natty. 

She locks the kid in her room, but Natty manages to sneak out. She overhears Connie reporting her as an abandoned child to police over the phone. 

She sneaks out of the house and decides she's going to make her way to Washington to find her dad. In the initial part of her journey, she rescues a wolf from a dog fighting den. It cautiously begins following her after she rides the rails for a bit but has to get off when railroad cops begin pulling homeless people off and haul them to jail. 

The story follows Natty across the country as she meets a variety of people including a young fellow named Harry (John Cusack) who has also been riding the rails to a better life...hopefully, and lives in a chanty town. 

There are several obstacles Natty encounters which she sets her back, tests her determination, and forces her to endure through. 

The two main characters in this movie are, of course, Natty Gann and the Great Depression. The latter being the antagonist. It's personified through the characters who are so adversely affected, and whom Natty runs into on her journey. 

I really like this movie. My mother often rented it in my childhood, especially on those days when I stayed home sick from school. I had a fondness for this movie already. I haven't watched it in years. I think the last time I saw it was about the time my wife and I were still dating over ten-years ago. 

The characters are memorable and easy to get invested in, especially Natty. The emotion and turmoil are sharp and well-honed. 

It's not necessarily dark but for a Disney family picture from the 1980s, it has some elements that seem, well, pretty un-Disneylike. Namely, there are a few choice words here, but not enough to merit a rating over PG. There's also a scene where Natty thumbs a ride and is picked up by a guy who at first genuinely seems friendly before he tries to take advantage of the young kid. It doesn't amount to anything that needs to be fast forwarded as the wolf attacks the driver and Natty is able to get out of the car and run into the woods. Still, how un-Disneylike!

Ray Wise as Sol Gann in "The Journey of Natty Gann."

It also has a more honest depiction of Depression era America than what other family-oriented movies of the time may have been reluctant to show. That's not to say I wouldn't recommend this movie for parents to watch with their children. I showed it to my children the other day and had to explain various things to them as we watched. 

It goes to show that at the time, Disney was certainly making an attempt to draw more adults to their movies than before. It's a tactic they seem to be repeating today. Except this time, Disney isn't trying to make good movies. Rather, they're trying to make "correct" movies, and it's hurting their audience numbers big time. 

I personally think Disney needs to return to its animated and live action roots and make movies that tell good and wholesome stories, especially ones depicting wholesome or historical Americana rather than a story that'll appease a political demographic that's out its mind. They should return to their family-oriented traditionally minded roots that Walt intended. 

Above all, Disney needs to overcome this shame it seems to have over its own IP. More on that when I comment on the live action "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" which has been making headlines recently, ever before that movie comes out, and all with pretty much nothing but controversy and negativity. 

Meredith Salenger and John Cusack have great chemistry on screen. It's a shame they don't share more screen time. Though he's on the poster, John shows up around the beginning and then again near the end. He's not quite as main a character as the poster might make him seem to be.

It's Salenger who carries this movie right to the end. And she makes the audience take her side and cheer her on. 

Legendary actor and musician, Scatman Crothers, also has a supporting role as food vendor out in Chicago whom Natty looks to for advice. Crothers can be heard as "Scat Cat" in Disney's "The Aristocats," he's probably more well known for his role as Dick Hallorann in Stanley Kubrick's horror classic, "The Shining." 

The shots, too, in this movie are fantastic. I mean, there are some spectacular and stunning views that are both gorgeous and show the audience what Natty is up against. 

The movie has a proper amount of warmth, heart, generous appeal and a welcoming timelessness that audiences expect (or used to) in a Disney movie.

Ragtime (1981)

"I want my car cleaned!"

Director
Miloš Forman

Cast
James Cagney - Commissioner Rhinelander Waldo
Howard Rollins - Coalhouse Walker Jr.

Elizabeth McGovern - Evelyn Nesbit
Kenneth McMillan - Fire Chief Willie Conklin
Pat O'Brien - Delmas
James Olson - Father

Mary Steenburgen - Mother

Brad Dourif - Younger Brother

Edwin Cooper - Grandfather
Mandy Patinkin - Tateh
Moses Gunn - Booker T. Washington
Debbie Allen - Sarah
Jeffrey DeMunn - Harry Houdini
Robert Joy - Harry Kendall Thaw
Norman Mailer - Stanford White
Jeff Daniels - P.C. O'Donnell
Fran Drescher - Mameh

The 1984 film "Amadeus" is certainly among my top five favorite movies of all time. Honestly, I don't know with absolute certainty what the other four of my top five movies are. I just know "Amadeus," directed by Milos Forman, is among them. 

The only other of Forman's films I've seen is his 1975 movie, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." I need to watch that again as it has been over 20 years since I've seen it. Anyways, both pictures won several Academy Awards including best picture. 

Not only did the 1981 film "Ragtime" catch my attention because it's another Milos Forman movie, but the 1920s is my favorite era. I have an affinity for the music and films of the 1920s. Scott Joplin. Charlie Chaplin. George and Ira. Bowler hats. All that jazz! The best of times, and the worst of times. Prohibition. Speak-easies. Side cars. Gin Rickeys. Singapore Slings. Flappers. The bee's knees. The cat's meow. The Roaring twenties! My apologies to Charlie Dickens for the bad paraphrase. 

By the way, write this down. One ounce of sloe gin, one ounce of apricot liqueur (look for Rothman & Winter brand), and one ounce of freshly squeezed lime juice, shaken well, will make you a Charlie Chaplin cocktail! It's a real thing, concocted at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York around the 1920s. 

And among all those period pieces I just mentioned, I have a fondness for ragtime music. 

The movie is based on E.L. Doctorow's 1975 novel "Ragtime." Somewhere I read that the movie is faithful to Doctorow's novel, but I forgot where I read that. I haven't read the book so I can't (yet) confirm that myself.  

"Ragtime" takes place as America is still basking in the young 20th century and reveling at the end of the first World War. 

As the figurative cherry on top of this roaring era, Americans have the automobile to symbolize their prosperity before 1929 reared its ugly head and yucked everyone's yum.
Famed architect, Stanford White (Norman Mailer), has unveiled a new statue of a nude woman placed on top of Madison Square Garden. He used model Evelyn Nesbit (Elizabeth McGovern) to create this statue, much to the disdain and disgust of Nesbit's husband, Harry Kendall Thaw (Robert Joy). 

Thaw is an heir to a multimillion-dollar fortune through his father, William Thaw Sr., the famous railroad baron. 

Howard Rollins (center) as Coalhouse Walker Jr.

The hatred and loathing Thaw develops for White intensifies to the point where he shoots him in the head in front of hundreds of witnesses. 

Meanwhile, the story shifts focus on a wealth family in New Rochelle, New York. The father (James Olson) owns a factory. His wife (Mary Steenburgen) keeps up appearances at her husband's wishes. And her younger brother (Brad Dourif) lives in the huge house with them and works at a fireworks manufacturing plant. 

Their maid discovers an abandoned black newborn out in the family garden. 

Police find the baby's possible mother - a woman named Sarah (Debbie Allen) - and doctors confirm she is, in fact, the mom. 

The cops plan on charging her with child abandonment and attempted murder, but the wife (Mary Steenburgen's character) takes pity on her and allows her and the baby to stay. The family patriarch doesn't care for this invitation, but matriarch insists. 

A ragtime piano player named Coalhouse Walker (Howard Rollins) turns up at the house to see Sarah.  He's beside himself with joy when he's told he's the father.

Meanwhile, as the younger brother witnesses White's murder, he becomes infatuated with Evelyn. He waits for the perfect time to introduce himself.

Thaw's attorney tries to entice Evelyn with a divorce settlement worth millions if she'll remain silent about Thaw's mental instability while falsely claiming that White sexually abused her. 

She later strolls through Manhattan's Lower East Side where she witnesses a street artist named Tateh (Mandy Patinkin) catching his wife cheating on him, and then toss her out into the street. 

The story then follows Tateh as he moves out of Manhattan with his daughter and try to market an animated flip book. Later in the movie, while working as a movie director, Tateh meets the mother (again, Mary Steenburgen) and her young son while they watch him out in public directing a movie. There's clear sparks at their introduction. 

The young brother finally manages to introduce himself to Evelyn, and they soon become lovers. The brother has it in his head that they'll for sure get married. 

Evelyn, meanwhile, plans to return to the stage. 

Elsewhere, Coalhouse feels like he's on top of the world. While driving his new Ford Model T somewhere around New Rochelle, he's stopped by bigoted fire chief, Willie Conklin (Kenneth McMillan), and his bunch of sidekick fire fighter volunteers. 

They trap Coalhouse in the middle of the road. While he goes to find a cop, they vandalize his car and leave a pile of horse manure in the driver's seat. 

James Cagney in his final film role as Rhinelander Waldo.

He demands the officer, played by Jeffrey Daniels, make them clean his car. But the cop thinks he should just clean it himself and move along so as to avoid a scene. Plus, the cop knows the fire chief and doesn't want to step on anyone's toes. Since Coalhouse adamantly refuses and demands the cop do his job, he arrests him and tosses him in jail. 

The father bails him out, and they find his car has been destroyed even more. 

Coalhouse won't be brushed off so easily. He tries to seek legal action but is hard-pressed to find a lawyer who will represent him. It doesn't end there as he takes the matter into his own hands to find and obtain some justice.

Sarah tries to help Coalhouse by attending an appearance by President Theodore Roosevelt. She pushes her way through the crowd in an attempt to get his attention and appeal to him for Coalhouse's sake. 

But police and guards end up beating her, think she's going to attack the president. Sarah succumbs to her injuries and dies. 

After her funeral, Coalhouse and some associates of his murder several of the firefighters who initially vandalized his car and harassed him. 

Coalhouse threatens to attack other fire houses unless someone restore his car, and he gets some justice. That justice entails getting his hands on Conklin himself. 

It all leads up to Coalhouse and his crew taking over the Pierpont Morgon Library and holding the building hostage with explosives. 

Commissioner Rhinelander Waldo (James Cagney) takes over the negotiation process and is infuriated with Conklin for initially creating this problem in the first place because of his irrational prejudice. Booker T. Washington (Moses Gunn) is called upon to persuade Coalhouse to surrender, but to no avail. 

There's a lot happening in this story that I wasn't sure if I should try to explain the plot or not. 

Though I haven't read Doctorow's book, it seems to be a tapestry of different characters with interwoven subplots. 

Forman's 1981 movie is certainly not much different in that regard with all its characters crossing paths at some point, and in such a way as to leave a permanent imprint in the lives whose paths were crossed. 

And there's a lot of crossed paths, in fact. So much so, I struggled to figure out which of these characters this movie is focusing on. It's really focusing on all of them just when their respective lives are impacted by another one of the characters. 

Brad Dourif and Elizabeth McGovern

"Ragtime" is a challenging movie. And I wouldn't be surprised if it was challenging for Forman and the writers behind the movie. Despite this collection of characters and their stories under one title, every single one of them is distinct. Every single one has motives and intentions that are crystal clear. Their thoughts and motivations are distinct. They're all beautifully acted out. 

Watching James Cagney, in his final film performance, berate the racist fire chief for both his unjustified prejudice and the for the monumental mess it has caused is carried on the shoulders of his own legendary status. This is James Cagney, for cryin' out loud! He came out of a twenty-year retirement for this role. I kept trying to see him through this character of his, and all I could see was the character. He has both an immensely intimidating and sharp presence on screen, especially when he confronts and deals with McMillan's racist character. 
"People tell me you're slime," he says upon meeting McMillan for the first time. 

The performances across the picture are stunning and delicate. It collectively glistens amidst the solid details of the sets and atmosphere. 
The interwoven stories all culminate to Coalhouse Walker and his gang barricading themselves in the Pierpont Morgan Library in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan, N.Y. Even in the golden erastatus of the period, the turn of the century had its tumultuous problems despite America's prosperity.  

I think the biggest issue with this movie is the number of characters the audience is expected to follow. Halfway through the movie, I worried the various stories wouldn't tie together in the end. Thankfully, they do but in an organic way. In other words, it's not forced nor as satisfying as audiences might expect or desire. Still, there's a lot going on in this picture. There's much to follow among all the characters. It's difficult to pin down who the main character is supposed to be. It gravitates, again organically, to Coalhouse Walker Jr.

The biggest accomplishment in "Ragtime" starts with the fantastic period atmosphere and set design. Alongside that, the cast and its performances are the stuff of cinema legend. 

The cast includes the phenomenal talent of Brad Dourif who puts every ounce of talent he has in his performances. His role in "Ragtime" is no exception. I have yet to see a movie with Brad Dourif that I didn't like. He even managed to make "The Exorcist III" the only decent sequel in "The Exorcist" franchise. 

Elizabeth McGovern as model, artist, chorus girl and famed actress, Evelyn Nesbit, personifies the decade this story takes place in amazingly well. The 1920s were roaring, alright!

Howard Rollins and Jeff Daniels

Mary Steenbergen portrays her character whose face clearly speaks one thing, while her words say what she's expected to say. She clearly does what's expected of her as a wife and mother, but she clearly isn't happy about it.
Howard E. Rollins, Jr's character development with his being a young hopeful in love and at the zenith of his happiness as he finds out he has a baby son. That gradually shifts once he encounters the fire chief. The encounter is followed by one corrupt or callous official after another. Rollins puts a perfect balance of emotion in his performance. 

"Ragtime" is a story of real injustice and bigotry that hasn't been tarnished by modern leftist ideologs in desperate need of supply when it comes to racism and racist acts just to keep their false narrative that modern American society is saturated with systemic racism and bigotry. So much so, they have to constantly manufacture racist acts again and again just to keep the claim going. Isn't that right, Jussie Smollett! This mentality is an insult to those Americans who really suffered in the past and still worked hard and strived to be outstanding and upright citizens regardless. 

The 1920s were a different time in America, and we're all fallen creatures. When it comes to sins and imperfect pasts, what matters is how we deal and correct those sins of ours, whether individually or as a society. And America has been a shining example of how a nation can overcome past vices. No other nation on Earth has done what America has done when it comes to eliminating systemic racism.  

Still, we're a fallen species and no society has a perfect past. That doesn't negate greatness.

There is an extended nude scene which takes place when Evelyn Nesbit is speaking with Thaw's attorney about a divorce settlement in her apartment. She talks to this attorney with no clothes on. Take that as you will.  

It took me a long time to find a copy of "Ragtime" out in the wild. I was forced to do something I really don't care to do when it comes to movies I haven't seen before. I broke down and bought a copy. 

Milos Forman doesn't make his movies obvious. At least not the ones I've seen. He doesn't seem to use much exposition. He shows the audience what's happening because he clearly understands they're smart enough to figure out what's going on. "Ragtime" is a great example of that. 

Red One - My Thoughts Real Quick

Grown-ups are the product of their childhood. So, Santa Claus works for the children. That's the sentiment which the 2024 action Christmas movie, "Red One" directed by Jake Kasdan and starring Lucy Liu, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Chris Evans and J.K. Simmons as Santa Claus starts off with. 

First, I'm going to say it. "Red One" is more of a Christmas movie than "Die Hard." Christmas plays an integral part of the plot in "Red One" than it does in "Die Hard." I'm still on the fence about the whole "Die Hard is a Christmas movie" thing. I honestly think it depends on how "Christmas movie" is defined. 

Anyways, I'd like to think that Jolly Ol' St. Nicholas as depicted in this movie works to preserve whatever innocence and goodness the youth of the world still possess as they grow up among greedy, self-centered, materialist, entitled adults. I think that sentiment is looked at in this movie, but it doesn't really go anywhere.  

The action-packed storyline is so cookie cutter basic. 

Like so many other mega-huge security breach movies involving the CIA or FBI, or something that involves kidnapping the president of the United States, the only thing different this movie offers is that it's Santa Claus (J. K. Simmons) who gets kidnapped by super stealthy bad guys. 

Santa's dependable and dedicated number one guy, Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson), is the commander of Santa's Enforcement Logistics and Fortification, or E.L.F. He's turned in his notice just before Christmas as he doesn't see the Christmas spirit or kindness in adults anymore, or something like that.  In other words, he has lost his faith in the adults of the world. Just then, Santa is kidnapped by a Christmas Witch named Grýla (Kiernan Shipka). Grýla actually stems from Icelandic Christmas folklore. She demands charity from those she meets and seeks out bad children. 

So, Drift is one her tail to find him. Time is of the essence. Christmas is on the line.
Drift seeks the help of Zoe Harlow (Lucy Liu) who directs a secret force of mythical creatures known as MORA (Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority).

She and her team figure out that the secret location of Santa's workshop was compromised by a mercenary hacker named Jack O'Malley (Chris Evans) who was working for an anonymous buyer. O'Malley claims he had no idea that the coordinates he obtained and sold was Santa's workshop location in the North Pole. 

Dwayne Johnson and J.K. Simmons in "Red One."

Drift has O'Malley right his wrong having him help look for Santa. They even seek help from Santa's evil brother, Krampus (Kristofer Hivju). Of course, Mrs. Claus (Bonnie Hunt) is hiding in the NorthPole, worrying about her husband. 

The novelty of this ultimate "someone saves Christmas" Christmas movie is all that's entertaining about it. Other than that, it certainly won't find a place among cherished Christmas films any time soon. 

It has the same formulaic action storyline used over and over again. I appreciate the movie tying two completely opposite genres together. It takes the standard action film formula and replaces characters with figures of Christmas legends and lore. Producers clearly expect that to be enough to make "Red One" a new and memorable Christmas movie. 

If they just used their imagination and writing skills (if any) to make it something really worthwhile maybe it would be such a Christmas movie. I enjoyed it only because of it's all-too-familiar formula. It's not enough, though. 

J.K. Simmons as Santa is a weird casting call. He doesn't make a convincing Santa Claus, though he can impersonate Santa well enough. And Chris Evans's performance is lackluster. It's tantamount to a disgruntled worker pretending to be busy so he can grab his paycheck at the end of his shift. 

"Red One" is entertaining enough thanks to its satirical undertones. Still, it needs originality. or more of it. Much more! 

There's not enough substance. Gimmicky movies are all over the place. Anyone can staple two genres together and show it off like a child's art project. The writers failed to do something worthy of the audience's time with what they started, but didn't get far enough.  

The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

"There might be a lot we don't know about each other. You know, people seldom go to the trouble of scratching the surface of things to find the inner truth."

Director
Ernst Lubitsch

Cast
Margaret Sullavan - Klara Novak
James Stewart - Alfred Kralik
Frank Morgan - Hugo Matuschek
Joseph Schildkraut - Ferencz Vadas
Sara Haden - Flora Kaczek
Felix Bressart - Pirovitch
William Tracy - Pepi Katona

Occasionally, I see the movie "The Shop Around the Corner" listed among other holiday movies, especially on streaming apps. But it's not a holiday movie on the same level as more common classic holiday movies like "It's a Wonderful Life" even though both this and "It's a Wonderful Life" stars James Stewart. 

The story takes place in a small leathergoods store in Budapest. The owner, Hugo Matuschek (Frank Morgan) has a loyal staff which includes family man Pirovitch (Felix Bressart), the womanizing Ferencz Vadas (Joseph Schildkraut), saleswoman Ilona Novotny (Inez Courtney), clerk Flora Kaczek (Sara Haden) and the delivery boy Pepi Katona (William Tracy). 

Alfred Kralik (James Stewart) is perhaps his most loyal employee. He's been employed at Matuschek's shop the longest. 

Kralik has been corresponding anonymously with a lady whom he met through a newspaper advert. She's an intelligent woman, but the two haven't officially met. 

Meanwhile, tension has been slowly building suddenly between Kralik and Matuschek. It begins to boil over when Matuschek asks Kralik his opinion about selling a cigarette music box that plays "Ochi Chërnye" when it's opened. 

Matuschek thinks it'll be a popular item, but Kralik thinks it won't sell. 

After their disagreement, Klara Novak (Margaret Sullavan) walks in and approaches Kralik about a job. 

Kralik says there are no openings, and that Matuschek isn't looking for any new employees.

But when she manages on selling one of the cigarette boxes, Matuschek hires her on the spot. 

Meanwhile, Matuschek suspects his wife is having an affair. She's often out late at night and frequently requests money from him. 

Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart in "The Shop Around the Corner."

With Christmas on its way, Kralik and his mystery lady correspondent plan on officially meeting for the first time. 

They agree to have dinner together at a local restaurant. Unfortunately, the date is stalled when Matuschek requests all his employees stay late to help decorate the shop for Christmas. 

Later that night, he fires Kralik despite being his years of loyalty. 

This leaves the rest of the employees completely baffled. They don't know that Kralik's firing is based on Matuschek's suspicion that Kralik is fooling around with his wife, which of course isn't the case. 

When Matuschek meets up with a private investigator whom he hired to follow his wife, the investigator says he saw his wife with his other employee, Ferencz Vadas. 

Pepi comes back to the shop after hours just in the nick of time as he stops Matuschek from killing himself. 

Kralik, meanwhile, heads to the restaurant to meet his date, only to find his mystery girl is Novak. 

The realization is a letdown for him, but he decides to join her anyways under the ruse that he's there to meet up with Pirovitch. He doesn't let on that he's the mystery penpal. 

However, Novak thinks if her mystery writer sees her with Kralik, it'll ruin everything. She snaps at him, in fact, and calls him a "little insignificant clerk" before asking him to scram.
So, he scrams and makes his way to visit Matuschek who's in the hospital after his attempted suicide.
Matuschek is remorseful how he treated Kralik, apologizes, and offers him the manager position. Matuschek is also grateful to Pepi and offers him the clerk position. 

But Novak is left crestfallen as her mystery man, so she thinks, never showed up for their meeting/ date. So much so, she calls in sick to work the next day. 

Kralik pays her a visit that night after work, during which time she receives a letter from her mystery man. She even reads it to Kralik, unaware he's the guy who penned it. 

Christmas Eve rolls around, and the company holds their customary Christmas party. And that's when the beans spill. 

If the premise sounds familiar, "The Shop Around the Corner" has seen a few remakes, including the 1998 movie "You've Got Mail" with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. 

It also has the same storyline as the musical "In the Good Old Summertime" (1949) starring Judy Garland and Van Johnson. 

"The Shop Around the Corner" isn't necessarily an obscure movie, but when it comes to standard holiday movies, it's not as spoken of as other more movies stapled to Christmas. 

As for the label "Christmas movie," it's a real stretch of holiday logic to call this a Christmas movie. Personally, I think the same is true for the aforementioned "It's a Wonderful Life." In both movies, Christmas shows up sometime around the end. Perhaps it's debatable whether or not the holiday is an integral part of the story. 

As far as I'm concerned, I think the answer to what makes a film a "Christmas movie" is pretty basic. For a movie to be a Christmas movie, the holiday itself needs to support the plot. In other words, the plot is dependent upon Christmas. It's not enough for a movie to convey all those cheery Christmassy feels audiences love to wrap themselves up in around the holidays, though Christmas doesn't support the storyline. Still, people have their favorite flicks to watch around the holidays. And some of those movies happen to take place at Christmas. For a lot of people, that's all that's needed. 

Then again, the resolution seems to depend on Christmas. The reveal takes place on Christmas which adds to the charm and gives a little extra happiness to the already happy ending. Finding love may be the best Christmas gift for these characters. 

It also makes the sadness of the owner's loneliness sting a little bit more. 

There's a bit of heavy drama with Matuschek crushed at his wife cheating on him while thinking she's messing around with Kralik whom he otherwise has much appreciation and loyalty. That certainly pulls at the audience's emotions a lot more, especially as they watch his pain really eat him up. 

For a romantic comedy, the romance falls ever so gracefully and perfectly into place. The audience knows what's going to happen. Still, they want to see it blossom. The experience they're in for is Klara's reaction at the end. 

The problem with both Margaret Sullavan's and Jimmy Stewart's respective characters is that they're too in love with the prospect of being in love. And each one yucks the other's yum so to say. Only when they get over themselves, then the happy ending (or happy beginning) starts. 

Don't fast forward this one: My 'Superman' trailer reaction

I've been pretty tired of comic book movies in the last few years, primarily because of the flood of Marvel movies that have been released. The more recent movies failed pretty hard - i.e. "Madame Web," "The Marvels," and "Dark Phoenix" for instance. I certainly wasn't eager to see those. "Captain Marvel" from 2019 was also just plain terrible. 

When it comes to DC movies, well, I've been a little more partial to them probably because I was more familiar with DC superheroes in my youth. They've stuck with me. 

This upcoming and highly anticipated "Superman" movie, scheduled for release in July of 2025 is directed by James Gunn who also directed my most favorite Marvel movies, "Guardians of the Galaxy" Vol.1 and 2. So, "Superman" has my attention. I also shared my thoughts on "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" on an earlier post.

With the movies DC Comics has released in the last 10 years, there have been a respectable number of hits.  

I thoroughly enjoyed director Zack Snyder's cut of "Justice League" - all four hours of it. I gave it a positive review for a column I used to write in a local newspaper. 

The 2023 movie "The Flash" was enjoyable enough for me, primarily because I wanted to see Michael Keaton in his 1989 Batman outfit one more time. And it gave me what I wanted! I walked away satisfied seeing Keaton as Batman one more time. Anyone who read my comments on Tim Burton's 1989 movie "Batman" may remember I have a special place in my heart for "Batman."  

I've become not-so-hateful towards 2016's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice." It has grown on me, and I want to watch it again. 

I enjoyed 2017's "Wonder Woman" though its 2020 sequel "Wonder Woman 1984" was disappointing. Lastly, the 2019 DC movie "Shazam!" was surprisingly very enjoyable! It's 2023 sequel, "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" was a big miss in my book despite a few good things it had going for it.  

Otherwise, I've lost most of my interest in the stuff Marvel has been coming out with. The best days of Marvel's Cinematic Universe (MCU) is past. The fatigue is real. With DC seemingly not making as much of a desperate attempt to keep up with the MCU and just doing its own thing on its own time, I'm more excited to see what they come up with as far as movies go. And this trailer grabbed my attention like it did with millions of other movie-goers. 

Superman is the most American superhero out there. That attribute needs to shine through in this movie, especially with our social climate being what it is. That patriotic mentality certainly helped make 2022's "Top Gun" sequel "Top Gun: Maverick" one of the best movie sequels ever made. That movie is fantastic!

I think Superman needs to maintain his stance for "truth, justice, and the American way" in this upcoming flick. Ten years ago, to think otherwise of Superman would seem far-fetched. But that was ten years ago.

The trailer starts with Superman crash landing in a frozen wasteland, beaten severely thus creating a sense of urgency. What or whom could possibly beat up Superman so badly? Doomsday is my only guess. 

Anyways, pumping "Superman" with the all-too-commonplace woke ideology and anti-American sentiment and shame is my biggest concern for where this movie might go. The 2022 movie "The Batman" with Robert Pattinson leaned a bit in that direction as I recall, leaving a bad taste in my mouth. Even folks who don't read comic books can still get behind Superman, especially as a figure of Americana.

Otherwise, based on this trailer, "Superman" looks like it'll be a fun and enjoyable movie. Superman looks like Superman. It has all the appearances of what a Superman movie ought to be. In other words, it looks like it'll meet expectations! That's my prediction.

David Corenswet as Superman in the upcoming movie, "Superman."

I think my opinion is pretty much the same as that of most people from what I've seen online. 

David Corenswet is cast as Superman alongside Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner (Green Lantern), Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. Seeing Krypto, too, is a welcomed move for producers to include. No doubt Krypto will bring the movie plenty of marketing opportunities. After all, Krypto proved to be popular in "League of Super Pets" (2022). 
Corenswet was recently in the successful movie "Twisters" - a sequel to the 1996 "Twister." And Brosnahan had a successful run on "House of Cards." 

Hoult certainly isn't a bad actor. I enjoyed his performance in the 2019 movie "Tolkien" in which he played the lead role of "Lord of the Rings" author J.R.R. Tolkien. I also enjoyed his performance in the 2022 comedy horror movie, "The Menu." 

So, all in all, I think the cast in this new "Superman" is pretty solid. 

Like everyone else, no doubt, I'm anxious to see where this movie fits in. Is it a reboot, or does it have a place within the rest of the recent DC movies? If it's a reboot, I'm ok with that. 

As classic and foundational a film it is, I think the 1978 movie "Superman" with the late, great Christopher Reeve, has a mediocre storyline. "Superman II" is a much better film. In fact, it's one of my favorite all-time superhero movies. "Superman III" is...umm...well, it has Richard Pryor! And "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" is a tired and feeble snore-fest. 

I also thought 2006's "Superman Returns" was sorely lacking though Brandon Routh as Superman was a good casting choice. I saw "Man of Steel" (2013) upon its release, and don't remember much about it. I guess I ought to check it out again. 

So, I'm o.k. with a reboot. Regardless of what kind of movie "Superman" turns out to be (reboot or continuation), from the looks of this teaser trailer, it leans heavily towards the possibility of being a well-made and worthwhile flick. It certainly packs a lot in for a movie simply called "Superman." I can't wait to see it. 

It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947)

"There are richer men than I." 

Director
Roy Del Ruth

Cast
Don DeFore - Jim Bullock
Gale Storm - Trudy O'Connor
Victor Moore - Aloyisius T. McKeever
Charlie Ruggles - Michael J. O'Connor
Ann Harding - Mary O'Connor
Grant Mitchell - Farrow
Edward Brophy - Patrolman Cecil Felton
Arthur Hohl - Patrolman Brady (uncredited)
Alan Hale, Jr. - Whitey Temple
Dorothea Kent - Margie Temple

I found this movie fascinating, to be honest.

First, if you ask me, or even if you didn't ask me, as I previously mentioned, I think a Christmas movie needs to use Christmas as an integral part of the story in some way or another if it's going to claim the status of "Christmas movie." 

If a part of the movie happens to take place at Christmas, but it doesn't play any necessary role outside of setting, then it's questionable to me if it's truly a Christmas movie or not. Still, some audiences claim certain movies to be "Christmas movies" and make it a point to catch that movie every Holiday season simply because the story takes place, even partially, at Christmas. I'm certainly not criticizing them nor the movies they love to watch around the holidays. If that's all it takes for them, then enjoy, and merry Christmas.  

Meanwhile, some Christmas movies haven't quite reached the zenith that other Christmas movies reach every single year, with no sign of fading. 

"It Happened on 5th Avenue" is one such movie. 

I'm sure there's a lot of people out there that likely catch this movie every December. But does this play just as much as "It's a Wonderful Life" or any version of "A Christmas Carol" on television? 

So, what exactly happened of 5th Avenue? 

The movie starts with a homeless guy named Aloysius T. McKeever (Victor Moore) as he takes up habitation (or "squatting" as we call it today) in a huge 5th Avenue estate which the owner boards up at the same time each year. That owner happens to be Michael J. O'Connor, (Charlie Ruggles). He's the second richest man in the world. During the winter season, O'Connor heads to his property somewhere in Virginia where it's warmer, leaving his 5th Avenue mansion vacant. 

So, McKeever takes advantage of the opportunity each year to live like the other half live, and stay in luxurious warmth, too. Wintertime in New York, I hear, can be painfully frigid. 

This time, McKeever takes in an ex-G.I. named Jim Bullock (Don DeFore) who was evicted from his apartment building which the same O'Connor happens to own and is tearing down in order to build a skyscraper. 

With a housing crisis hindering veterans from finding homes, Jim invites fellow vets Whitey Temple (Alan Hale, Jr.), Hank (Edward Ryan) and their families to stay at the mansion.

Meanwhile, O'Connor's runaway daughter, Trudy, who doesn't initially admit she's his 18-year-old daughter, shows up at the house.  

She and Jim end up falling in love. Trudy just doesn't want Jim to know that she is Michael's daughter as she doesn't want Jim to love her back for her family wealth. 

Trudy showed up initially because she has been increasingly unhappy that her parents are divorced. So much so that she ran away from her school and returned to the house to grab some of her clothes. 

Her parents divorced after her mother felt Michael was more interested in pursuing wealth than maintaining his love and affection for his wife. All the while, she wishes her parents would get back together.

As her feelings for Jim grow, she wants to marry him. It so happens that her dad had to return to New York from Virginia because of some business that needed his attention. 

So, she asks her dad to come by the house. However, she asks that he disguise himself as a vagrant looking for shelter and that he calls himself "Mike." 

This is where the comedy shines through. Mike has to be a guest in his own home with a bunch of squatters. 

McKeever allows him to stay but he treats Mike like a servant. 

Of course, this unwelcomed and sudden lifestyle wears thin really fast. Mike demands Trudy get all of the riff-raff out of his house in 24-hours. 

This makes Trudy really upset. So, she calls her mom, Mary (Ann Harding) down in Florida for some help. 

Even though she and Michael are divorced, Mary still comes to her daughter's rescue. 

When she arrives at the house, Mary also pretends to be homeless. 

Within no time, McKeever senses that Mary and Mike kind of like each other. Of course, he's still completely unaware of who they are, and gives them both little pushes towards each other. 

These efforts work as Mike tells Mary that he's changed over the years and proposes to her which Mary accepts. I can get behind that message regarding marriage. 

As this crew of squatters begin celebrating Christmas, with the homeowner among them, but not making his true identity known, two police officers catch them all inside the house. 

However, McKeever persuades the cops to allow them to stay until the new year as it's cold outside. And kicking them out of the warmth of the house during this time of the year wouldn't be right. 

Mike's true identity is eventually revealed to everyone, but not before correcting some wrongs and becoming more empathetic on his part towards those less fortunate than he. 

The inhabitants enjoy a wonderful New Year's dinner, after which they leave the house in the condition, they found it in. 

This story feels like a more true-to-life tale of Ebeneezer Scrooge minus the supernatural elements, and haughty Scrooge. O'Connor isn't necessarily a Christmas-hating old miser. In fact, he's a reasonable guy with no chip on his shoulder. Christmas has much less to do with the overall tale than it does in "A Christmas Carol." Still, it plays a role in softening the hearts of some who may not have realized their hearts needed softening. It plays a role in igniting a sense of correcting personal wrongs, which O'Connor accomplishes for the sake of his family. And it strengthens a sense of empathy. The general premise of charity, mercy, forgiveness and redemption plays just as much of an important part in the story as it does in "A Christmas Carol." The themes in this movie surround class. status, wealth, and forming friendships. 

I'm sure "It Happened on 5th Avenue" has its share of returning admirers who watch this every year in December. 

The story feels much more Hollywood-esque than other Christmas movies. 

Its humor is a bit heavier with sugary sweetness, though the meaningful morals are there. 

The movie serves its purpose in that it makes the audience feel enough warm for the holiday season.

The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)

"Silver Bells. Silver Bells. Let's put some dough in the kitty. Chuck it in, Chuck it in, or Sandy will give you a mickey."

Director
Sidney Lanfield

Cast
Bob Hope - The Lemon Drop Kid
Marilyn Maxwell - Brainy Baxter
Lloyd Nolan - Oxford Charlie
Jane Darwell - Nellie Thursday
Andrea King - Stella
Fred Clark - Moose Moran
Jay C. Flippen - Straight Flush Tony
William Frawley - Gloomy Willie
Harry Bellaver - Sam the Surgeon
Sid Melton - Little Louie

I had the Christmas movie, "The Lemon Drop Kid" in my sights since Christmas 2023 when I commented on the other underrated holiday classics I've posted, or have yet to post, this month. 

I meant to watch it with my wife last year but didn't. So, I happened to catch it with her a week ago on the streaming app, "Classic Comedy Channel." 

Looking at the movie poster to "The Lemon Drop Kid" it doesn't look like a Christmas movie, but it is. In fact, for those that don't know, "The Lemon Drop Kid" gave the world the well-known Christmas carol, "Silver Bells" that's still sung and heard among the vast catalog of other Christmas carols sung and heard to this day. 

I find those small informative tidbits of holiday history amusing. You know, like how the movie "Meet Me in St. Louis" gave us "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" or that “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” was popularized thanks to the movie "Neptune’s Daughter" from 1949. It's a fantastic song, by the way. It's certainly more wholesome than that loathsome "song" Cardi B vomited out a couple years back while the woke scolds wagged their finger at "Baby, It's Cold Outside." But on that topic, I really can't stay.

In this movie, Bob Hope plays "the Lemon Drop Kid" who's called that because he habitually eats lemon drops while coning people around New York, especially at the racetrack.

That's where the movie opens. The kid is swindling people at a racetrack by claiming to have inside information on the horses.

One of his hits is a young woman trying to place a $2,000 bet on a horse named Iron Bar. He manages to trick her into betting on another horse. However, he doesn't know this girl is dating one of New York's notorious mobsters, 'Moose' Moran (Fred Clark) who's with her at the track.

The horse she bet on comes in last. And Moran sends some goons out to grab the kid and bring him back to his place for...talking to. 

He demands the kid pay him the $10,0000 he would have won as Iron Horse came in first.

Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell in "The Lemon Drop Kid."

Or it's curtains for the kid, and just in time for Christmas, too. The kid may not make it into the new year unless he comes up with the dough.

Christmas is on its way, and the kid is desperate to come up with the cash. 

He goes to his kind-of girlfriend, Brainey Baxter (Marilyn Maxwell) to see if he can milk some cash off of her. When she brings up his lack of long-term commitment in their relationship, he takes a powder.
The kid then pays a visit to another crime boss, Oxford Charlie (Lloyd Nolan) for some help. 

Charlie has his own financial troubles with zero interest in helping the kid. Strike two!

Meandering the New York streets, the kid spots a Santa Claus ringing his bell for donations. This gives the kid an idea. He dresses as Santa and starts panhandling for donations...for himself, of course. 

A cop recognizes him, shuts down his little operation, and takes him in. 

After appearing in court, and landing in the pokey, Brainy bails him out. 

The kid comes up with a master scheme by coming up with a fake charitable organization and obtaining a city permit to organize his fraudulent charity. 

He sets it up for his sweet old neighbor, Nellie Thursday (Jane Darwell) who has been denied entry into a retirement home because her husband has been to jail. 

The kid goes to some of his con-artist buddies around New York for help, as well as Brainey, who thinks he has turned over a new and more kind-hearted leaf.

Together, they turn an old, abandoned casino into the "Nellie Thursday Home for Old Dolls"

With that, a collection of old ladies moves in, and all the necessary accommodations are made using makeshift items such as roulette tables as beds and so on. The city therefore grants the kid his much-needed license. 

Now, he and his pals can dress up as Saint Nick, and go out there with their own bells and buckets to collect donations all around Manhattan without being hassled by the fuzz. Of course, the kid failed to inform Santa's helpers that he really intends to use the money they collect to pay Moran his $10.000. 

The donations add up fast and plentiful. Kid's con is working. 

This impresses Brainey so much that she quits her job and starts working full time at the Nellie Thursday Home. 

Oxford Charlie gets in on the scheme thanks to Brainy. He thinks whichever home Nellie Thursday resides in can also be considered one of "Nellie Thursday's Home for Old Dolls." 

He has his muscle kidnap all the old ladies and move them into a large estate mansion in Nyack so he can reap some cash benefits. 

The kid returns home soon after to find the old casino empty and all the money collected from the panhandling, which he hid inside a hollowed-out statue, gone. 

He indulges in his self-pity while his helpers, as well as Brainy, learn what the kid's scheme really was. 

The kid soon figures out Oxford Charlie is behind this major setback. So, he goes to his office to steal the money back. And, maybe, he really does turn over a new, and much less self-centered, leaf.

Bob Hope is natural at bringing in some warmth to the story, but seeing as how the story is about a con artist, too much warmth would feel out of place. 

This movie doesn't overdo it. It's a different sort of redemptive story. I'm mentally comparing it to Scrooge's story from "A Christmas Carol." It's a story of a good-hearted guy making bad decisions. And Christmas is there to show that its never too late to start doing the right thing while casting off our bad habits, no matter how deep they run. It may be hard but it's not impossible. The kid doesn't need ghosts to get to where he needs to be. But a little fear, and seeing the problems of others, certainly pushes him

Christmas movies generally aim at sprinkling its audience with all those holiday movie feels. "The Lemon Drop Kid" is different in that sense for a Christmas movie. 

Hope puts in just enough and fills the rest in with his typical Bob Hope one-liners. I think that's what distinguishes this movie, which is a comedy, from something like "The Shop Around the Corner" and "It's a Wonderful Life." 

I think the term "timeless" doesn't apply as well as it could to "The Lemon Drop Kid" as it does to the other movies I've posted, or will post. A lot of that has to do with Bob Hope's period jokes. For instance, in one scene Hope jokingly refers to a cow as "Crosby." In another scene, when that same cow shows up at the home, and someone asks what it's doing there, he replies that Milton Berle is on tonight. They're period jokes and typical Bob Hope one-liners. They'll go over the heads of audiences who aren't up on their classic comedy.

Today this movie would likely appeal more to aficionados of old movies rather than audiences looking for something warm, relatable, and Christmassy to watch around the holidays, although it does have some of that.

The humor is very much a product of its time. That's not to say the movie isn't funny. 

It's wonderfully different for a Christmas movie; and it truly is a Christmas movie. That is, not only does the movie take place at Christmas, but the holiday season plays a critical role in the plot. This story, based on a short story by Damon Runyon, was previously depicted in the 1934 movie, "The Lemon Drop Kid" starring Lee Tracy and Helen Mack.

I found the 1951 movie streaming on the classic comedy streaming app. And to my absolute disgust, they cut out the song "Silver Bells" completely.  

Cutting the musical number out is uncalled for and hugely disappointing. It's shameful and unnecessary. Shame on you, app. SHAME ON YOU! 

Otherwise, it's a fun, innocent period comedy that's certainly different from the "home for the holidays" style of Christmas classic, although it has its own unique version of that style that fits the respective story.