Musical Monday: Road to Utopia (1946)

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It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

road to utopiaThis week’s musical:
Road to Utopia (1946) – Musical #148

Studio:
Paramount Pictures

Director:
Hal Walker

Starring:
Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Hillary Brooke, Douglass Dumbrille, Jack LaRue, Robert Barrat
Himself: Robert Benchley

Plot:
Vaudeville performers Duke (Crosby) and Chester (Hope) escape the law by traveling to the Klondike during the gold rush. They are mistaken for two cut-throat murderers with a valuable map, which singer Sal (Lamour) and Kate (Brooke) try to get from the men.

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Watching 1939: The Little Princess (1939)

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In 2011, I announced I was trying to see every film released in 1939. This new series chronicles films released in 1939 as I watch them. As we start out this blog feature, this section may become more concrete as I search for a common thread that runs throughout each film of the year. Right now, that’s difficult. 

little princess1939 film: 
The Little Princess (1939)

Release date: 
March 10, 1939

Cast: 
Shirley Temple, Richard Greene, Anita Louise, Ian Hunter, Cesar Romero, Arthur Treacher, Mary Nash, Sybil Jason, Marcia Mae Jones, Beryl Mercer, E.E. Clive, Deidre Gale, Ira Stevens, Eily Malyon

Studio: 
20th Century Fox

Director: 
Walter Lang

Plot:
When her father (Hunter) has to fight in the Boer War, Sarah (Temple) has to stay at an exclusive girl’s school in England run by Mrs. Minchin (Nash). When her father is presumed dead, Sarah is forced to work as a servant at the school.

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The tradition of Tom and Jerrys

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The holiday season is filled with traditions, and some we see reflected on film.

One tradition I learned about from film is drinking the holiday beverage, Tom and Jerry.

In the film BEYOND TOMORROW (1940), three elderly businessmen live together and celebrate Christmas Eve. George Melton (Harry Carey), Allan Chadwick (C. Aubrey Smith) and Michael O’Brien (Charles Winninger) drink celebratory Tom and Jerry beverages. The three men then decide to toss three wallets out into the street and whoever returns the wallet will join them in Christmas dinner.

Prior to watching this film, I had never heard of a Tom and Jerry — which are not related to the cat and mouse cartoon characters — and I’ve wanted to try them myself.

A Tom and Jerry is a warm brandy Christmas cocktail, which is sort of similar to eggnog. The drink may date back to 1821 and British writer Pierce Egan’s book “Life in London.”

Inspired by BEYOND TOMORROW, I finally tried making this drink myself. After researching several recipes online, I went with the Liquor.com recipe, which yields a smaller batch.

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Musical Monday: The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t (1966)

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It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

This week’s musical:
The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t (1966) – Musical #694

christmas that almost wasnt2

Studio:
Childhood Productions Inc.

Director:
Rossano Brazzi

Starring:
Paul Tripp, Lydia Brazzi, Mischa Auer, Rossano Brazzi, Sonny Fox, Alberto Rabagliati, John Karlsen, David Tripp (uncredited), John Spencer Howell Jr. (uncredited)

Plot:
When child hating Phineas T. Prune (Brazzi) buys the North Pole he threatens to evict Santa Claus (Rabagliati) unless he stops giving toys to children. Refusing to stop bringing joy to children, Santa seeks the help of lawyer Sam Whipple (Tripp) to help him figure out what to do. Sam helps Santa get a job in a department store meeting children.

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Watching 1939: The Great Commandment (1939)

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In 2011, I announced I was trying to see every film released in 1939. This new series chronicles films released in 1939 as I watch them. As we start out this blog feature, this section may become more concrete as I search for a common thread that runs throughout each film of the year. Right now, that’s difficult.

1939 film:
The Great Commandment (1939)

Release date:
Oct. 2, 1939

Cast:
John Beal, Maurice Moscovitch, Albert Dekker, Marjorie Cooley, Lloyd Corrigan

Studio:
Cathedral Films, Inc.

Director:
Irving Pichel

Plot:
Joel (Beal) is studying the holy text to follow in his father’s (Moscovitch) footsteps and become a rabbi and scribe. Joel is also in love with Tamar (Cooley), who ends up betrothed to his brother (McCollum). When Joel’s village is also terrorized by Roman soldiers, Joel believes they need assistance from the man rumored to be the Messiah.

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Musical Monday: West Side Story (2021)

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It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

wss4This week’s musical:
West Side Story (2021) – Musical #693

Studio:
20th Century Studio

Director:
Steven Spielberg

Starring:
Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, David Alvarez, Ariana DeBose, Mike Faist, Josh Andrés Rivera, Brian d’Arcy James, Corey Stoll, Rita Moreno, Ezra Menas

The Sharks: David Avilés Morales, Sebastian Serra, Ricardo A. Zayas, Carlos E. Gonzalez, Ricky Ubeda, Andrei Chagas, Adriel Flete, Jacob Guzman, Kelvin Delgado, Carlos Sánchez Falú, Julius Anthony Rubio, Yurel Echezarreta, David Guzman

The Jets: Sean Harrison Jones, Jess LeProtto, Patrick Higgins, Kyle Allen, John Michael Fiumara, Kevin Csolak, Kyle Coffman, Daniel Patrick Russell, Ben Cook, Harrison Coll, Garrett Hawe, Myles Erlick, Julian Elia

Plot:
Set in the west side of New York City, an American gang, the Jets, and a Puerto Rican gang, The Sharks, are trying to claim the streets while their neighborhood is being demolished around them. An American, Tony (Elgort), falls in love with a Puerto Rican, Maria (Zegler), who is also the sister of the Sharks’ gang leader, Bernardo (Alvarez).

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Musical Monday: Oliver! (1968)

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It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

OliverThis week’s musical:
Oliver! (1968) – Musical #690

Studio:
Columbia Pictures

Director:
Carol Reed

Starring:
Mark Lester, Oliver Reed, Ron Moody, Shani Wallis, Harry Secombe, Jack Wild, Hugh Griffith, Joseph O’Conor, Peggy Mount, Leonard Rossiter, Hylda Baker, Sheila White

Plot:
A musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’s novel “Oliver Twist.” Oliver (Lester) is an orphan in a work house and is sold to a mortician as an apprentice. Oliver runs away and meets up with thief Fagan (Moody) and his group of child thieves, including the Artful Dodger (Wild).

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Watching 1939: Invitation to Happiness (1939)

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In 2011, I announced I was trying to see every film released in 1939. This new series chronicles films released in 1939 as I watch them. As we start out this blog feature, this section may become more concrete as I search for a common thread that runs throughout each film of the year. Right now, that’s difficult. 

invitation to ahppiness1939 film: 
Invitation to Happiness (1939)

Release date: 
June 7, 1939

Cast: 
Irene Dunne, Fred MacMurray, Charles Ruggles, Billy Cook, William Collier Sr., Marion Martin, Oscar O’Shea, Burr Caruth, Eddie Hogan

Studio: 
Paramount Pictures

Director: 
Wesley Ruggles

Plot:
Mr. Wayne (Collier Sr.) decides to buy a half interest in backing boxer Albert “King” Cole (MacMurray). His daughter, Eleanor Wayne (Dunne), is concerned about how her retired father is spending his money and tags along to a fight to see what Cole is all about. Eleanor and Cole instantly clash, Eleanor calling Cole brash and egotistical while Cole finds Eleanor snobby and too high class. But they also fall in love. Shortly after the two marry, Cole has to continue training and fighting in order to become the champ, which is his goal. This means Cole is largely away from home and doesn’t get to know his son, Albert (Cook).

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Musical Monday: The Balloon Goes Up (1942)

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It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

This week’s musical:
The Balloon Goes Up (1942) – Musical #692

Studio:
New Realm Pictures

Director:
Redd Davis

Starring:
Ethel Revnell, Gracie West, Ronald Shiner, Donald Peers, Gordon McLeod, Gertrude Maesmore Morris, Elsie Wagstaff

Plot:
Ethel (Revnell) and Gracie (West) try to enlist in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) so they can go to a dance. In the process, they capture German spies and join the Balloon Command.

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Watching 1939: Coast Guard (1939)

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In 2011, I announced I was trying to see every film released in 1939. This new series chronicles films released in 1939 as I watch them. As we start out this blog feature, this section may become more concrete as I search for a common thread that runs throughout each film of the year. Right now, that’s difficult.

coast guard21939 film:
Coast Guard (1939)

Release date:
Aug. 4, 1939

Cast:
Randolph Scott, Frances Dee, Ralph Bellamy, Walter Connolly, Warren Hymer, Robert Middlemass, Stanley Andrews, Edmund MacDonald, Ann Doran (uncredited), Craig Stevens (uncredited), Mala (uncredited), Dorothy Comingore (uncredited), Billy Lee (uncredited), J. Farrell MacDonald (uncredited), Marla Shelton (uncredited)

Studio:
Columbia Pictures

Director:
Edward Ludwig

Plot:
Lt. Ray Dower (Bellamy) and Lieutenant Thomas “Speed” Bradshaw (Scott) are pals in the Coast Guard. Ray commands a cutter and Speed is an ace pilot. After rescuing Tobias Bliss (Connolly), Ray meets his granddaughter Nancy (Dee) and is smitten. However, their early courtship is cut short while Ray has to go on a mission. Speed looks after Nany while he’s away, and also falls in love though announcing that he is not the marrying kind.

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