Cinevent 44

It is Monday, Memorial Day, and I once again find myself expelled from the magical fun-house of Cinevent, back into the real world where Dick Powell has been dead for 50 years and no one knows which episode of the Little Rascals my quote came from, let alone that it is a quote at all.

Rumors abound that this was the last year for Cinevent at the Ramada on Sinclair, and this made me acutely aware that so many of the sensations I attribute to the show are intangibles associated with the hotel. The smells of the strong cleaning products in the bathroom, the soft patterned carpeting that decorates the stairs, the waft of breakfast food aromas and the clanking of dishes from Justin's Place, the contrast between the bitter cold in the screening room and the oppressive humidity of the elevator to the 6th floor, the scrolling marquee outside that announces that Cinevent is really here and that it is not just a dream. I tried to memorize these things like Haley Mills making a memory of her grandfather in The Parent Trap, sensing the finality of it all.

In the space between movies I managed to get 5 Dick Powell lobby cards, a Bowery Boys card, 3 stills, several DVDs, and a book. But onto the movies!

The Headless Horseman (1922) 
I always liked the Disney version of this story and since I like Will Rogers and I find it fascinating to see silent versions of more modern films I like, I made my way into the screening room for the first time. I didn't get a great seat, which is no good for silent movies because you find yourself swaying back and forth just to read the titles. It didn't much matter though. The buildup to the reason to watch the movie, the headless horseman, was so long and dull, that I found myself nodding off several times, as were many of the people around me. The climax came much too late and suddenly to justify watching this movie. It was a dud.

Annual Animation Program

When I first started attending Cinevent, I never watched the cartoons, feeling that they were probably pretty silly and aimed at children. When my friend Thad started coming, I went because he loved them, and I found that I loved them too. This year featured two of his cartoons, both with caricatures of Hollywood celebrities (Peter Lorre, Bing Crosby, and Bob Hope), which I love. We also got to see Flip the Frog, but the highlight of this year's animation program was It's Hummer Time, a Merry Melodies cartoon about a cat trying to catch a hummingbird who cleverly outsmarts the cat and lands him into trouble with the dog.

Broadway (1942)
This was an interesting film as it starred George Raft as George Raft, reminiscing on the good old days of the 1920s when he was trying to become famous as a hoofer at a nightclub. Flashback to a time when Raft flailed around like a knock-off James Cagney amid a group of girls who look suspiciously more like 1940s pin-up girls than 1920s flappers. It had plenty of action and a great cast, although it was relatively predictable and Raft's last line leaves us with a pressing, unanswered question. Definitely entertaining and worth searching out.

Festival of Charley Chase
These Charley Chase movies have the same music as the Little Rascals (because they were made at the same studio) so they left me with a warm and fuzzy feeling, but these shorts were not as good as those I have seen in the past. Nonetheless, I began wishing there was a set for Charley Chase that wasn't silent, as I prefer his talkies and they're not available all together in a set. Life Hesitates at 40 was the highlight, an odd short where Charley's whole world pauses for a few seconds, but the people keep talking, and they say some very contrary things. This short also shows an amusement park, which for some reason I love to see in old movies.

Night Owls
Even though I bought that Laurel and Hardy set that recently came out, I have much more fun watching their films at Cinevent where the room is filled with laughter. Night Owls features Kennedy the Cop who is in hot water with his boss because he hasn't busted the burglar who has been ravaging the neighborhood. His solution is not to catch the guilty party but to blackmail Stan and Ollie into robbing the police chief's house so he can catch them and look like he's doing his job. Of course, it doesn't go as planned.

Sweetie (1929)
I wanted to see this one because of Stanley Smith. He's an obscure name today, but in 1933 he was to take Dick Powell's role in Footlight Parade when Dick got sick with pneumonia. When Dick got well, Stan was out, and he never amounted to much. Judging by his performance in this film, I can see why. He reminds me of Lawrence Gray, who was adequate but lacked that something special that made audiences want to see him again. The film also starred Nancy Carroll who was quite beautiful, Helen Kane who won me over with her cute voice and silly antics (she is introduced sitting in a tree shooting the man she loves), and Jack Oakie who is quite attractive here in this early part, and brimming over with the personality that made him famous. The scenes are incredibly beautiful, mostly set on a college campus, and the music is fun but none of it is very memorable, except for "Alma Mammy" which turns the alma mater into a jazzy Jolson-style number. 

Among the Living (1941) 
This is an interesting b-movie about twins, one who lives a normal life with his wife and business, and the other who everyone believes is dead because the family locked him away in their decaying manor due to a mental handicap. The hidden son comes into the city and meets a beautiful girl (Susan Hayward) after committing murder, and the two work together to find the killer. The film has its highs and lows, but the ending is certainly exciting.

You Never Can Tell (1951)
This was the first time that they've shown a Dick Powell movie since I've been attending Cinevent. I got to write the notes in the program too, so I won't go on about this one, except to say that I was happy that it went over so well with the audience. It got the kind of response I'm using to hearing, slight confusion but genuine amusement. It is definitely an odd little movie, but it is a lot of fun.


The Princess and the Pirate (1944)
This was my second favorite thing I saw at Cinevent this year, mostly because it is what I most like to see there, lighthearted comedies with lots of laughs from the audience. The more the other people like it, the more I seem to like it too. I never go into a Bob Hope movie with excitement; sometimes he's funny and sometimes he's not. But he got me straight away with this in the prologue which explains that The Hook is a fearsome pirate and Bob pops into the corner and says, "That's not me, folks. I play the coward!" From there on out with was gorgeous Technicolor, great costumes, lots of locations, and a solid story that kept me entertained from start to finish.

The Foreman Went to France (1942)
My favorite of the whole weekend was probably the most serious movie of the whole weekend as well. This is the story of a British worker who sees that the German army is invading France and that the British machines that make weapons for airplanes are in danger of being taken by the enemy. He takes it upon himself to go to France to take them back home, and along the way meets a blonde, two soldiers, and a group of orphans. This movie takes us on a journey and it is never dull though it seems quite a bit more realistic than the highly optimistic war movies from America.

Service for Ladies (1932)
Leslie Howard is a head waiter who falls in love with one of the wealthy women that comes into his restaurant. He is so smitten with her that he follows her and leads her to believe that he is wealthy too. His acquaintance with a king makes her assume he is a prince, and that his concern for their class differences is an example of his arrogance, but he cannot tell her the truth. This movie is cute but nothing special with lots of beautiful actors and a few good pre-code moments, such as one where Elizabeth Allen tries to seduce Howard in his bedroom on his bed--and tells him so too!

Who Done It? (1942)
This Abbot and Costello film is a lot of fun, but when you've been getting no sleep all weekend, it is hard to stay awake, even in the uncomfortable chairs at Cinevent. I found myself coming out of dazes and laughing quite a bit, and enjoying the murder-mystery-in-a-radio-station plot, but this one would have been better if it had been played earlier in the day.

Fired Wife (1943)

The last show of Cinevent was a cute but forgettable story about a couple who gets married before they really finalize their career plans with each other, which ends in a trip to Reno. Tig is a beautiful theater assistant who gets the chance to direct her first show, but she absolutely cannot be married to do the job (even though she is). Hank is in radio advertising, and his close association with an actress on a kiddie program lands him in hot water with the wife. I like these kinds of movies and they typically show one or two at Cinevent.

Since there was some extra time to fill before the last feature, they played a series of Spike Jones songs, a brilliant way to close the show, which is always depressing. There was a sing-along sequence, and when the audience joined in, the joy and kinship of this moment struck me as one of my favorite experiences of this year, and an excellent example of what is so great about the show. There are people of all ages there, although for obvious reasons the average age is several decades more than mine, and there are people there from all over the country and some from outside, but we all gather there as people with an interest outside of the mainstream and this common ground makes it possible for us to just be ourselves and enjoy the things we love without shame. This is what keeps me coming back year after year, and keeps me meeting new people and learning new things each time too. It revives me when my interest wanes or when I'm feeling like the only person in the world who lights up when I hear Roy Shield's music. For those who have never been, you must make it out. You'll not regret it.

Dick Powell Fans Are Expecting a Blessed Event

Tuesday, February 21st marks the release date for Blessed Event on DVD through the Warner Archive collection. This is Dick Powell's first film, and he has quite a large part for a newcomer. He sings, he antagonizes Lee Tracy, and he makes a favorable impression which launched his acting career. Don't miss this one!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all of you, from me and Dick Powell. Here is a Christmas card that Dick sent to friends when he was a greenhorn in Hollywood. Enjoy!

The Answers

Are you ready for the answers to the trivia questions? Here they are:

1. Mary Brian

• Newspapers quickly began hinting at a romance between Mary and Dick when he appeared in Blessed Event. It was typical for the studios to drum up such rumors for publicity, so the two were encouraged to be seen together in nightclubs. Although theirs was a friendship and not a romance, they did very much enjoy dancing together. 
• Mary appeared in A&E's Biography special about Dick Powell. This is where her comment about him always being in good humor comes from.
  

2. Aaron Spelling

• Spelling was hired as a young man to write introductions for Dick on The Dick Powell Show. Dick took the beginner under his wing and taught him what he knew about television, but trusted his employee to think for himself and to contribute his good ideas. Dick called Aaron "Skinny" and Aaron called Dick his mentor. This had obvious results, as Spelling went on to become one of the most prolific television producers from the 1960s through the 90s, with shows like Charlie's Angels, Beverly Hills 90210, and 7th Heaven to his credit.

3. James Cagney

• Cagney and Dick appeared in both Footlight Parade and A Midsummer Night's Dream together. Both were major departures from Cagney's image as a gangster at Warner Brothers, and both showed his tremendous range.
• Cagney and Dick's second wife Joan Blondell were something of a screen team in the 1930s. They began in films together in the 1930 film Sinner's Holiday, based on the play Penny Arcade that they appeared in together on Broadway. They went on to make 5 other films including Cagney's breakout role in The Public Enemy.

4. Edward Dmytryk

• When RKO approached director Dmytryk about starring Dick Powell, who had always been a crooner, in his latest film, a detective film, he was hesitant. Powell had been hounding the studio to play against type, but they kept resisting. Of course, Dmytryk and Powell worked well together, and the adaptation of Raymond Chandler's Farewell My Lovely was a huge hit. 
• The success of Murder My Sweet sent the actor/director pair immediately into another noir drama called Cornered.

5. Sybil Jason

• Sybil Jason is one of the lesser known child stars of the 1930s, but she appeared in quite a few films, most notably alongside Al Jolson in The Singing Fool. 
• She and Dick were to appear in The Broadway Gondolier together when she was pulled off that project to appear in Little Big Shot. She was disappointed that she missed her chance to star with him, but tried to keep in touch. Later when he was ill, she sent him one of the handkerchiefs he gave her with a note that said she was coming to claim it soon. Unfortunately, she did not make it in time.

6. Lucille Ball

• Lucy appeared opposite Dick in Meet the People, a movie that June Allyson had a small role in. Lucy knew June from appearing in Best Foot Forward and introduced the starlet to her leading man. The two hit it off and Dick began giving June acting and career advice, and the rest, of course, is history.
• Meet the People was the last movie Dick made before reinventing himself as the tough detective type in Murder My Sweet.

7. Pilar Wayne

• Pilar was a Peruvian actress who met John Wayne when she came to America to dub a film in English. The two married in 1954, so she was married to Wayne when he and Dick filmed The Conqueror. 
• Their friendship carried on off the set and the Waynes stayed in touch throughout Dick's trial with cancer. Sadly, both men contracted it, and rumors still abound which say the location of shooting for The Conqueror is the culprit.

Dick Powell Trivia

Dick Powell had a long career in the entertainment industry, and he met a lot of famous people who had plenty to say about him. See if you can guess who said what:

1. "He always seemed to be in good humor. He gave the impression of always enjoying what he was doing."
     HINT: This starlet was romantically linked with Powell in the newspapers.

2. "Dick hated wearing suits. He was a sportscoat man."
     HINT: This man called Dick his mentor.

3. "Dick Powell had a wonderful way of singing 'When Irish Eyes are Smiling' off key. It was one of the funniest things I've ever heard. In order to sing off key deliberately, one must have excellent pitch, and Dick used to kill me with this crazy thing."
     HINT: He appeared in two movies with Dick, but was more often co-starring with Joan Blondell.

4. "We both bought airplanes and we learned to fly together and we used to go off sometimes into the desert to some stop you know for breakfast or something. He loved all those kind of things."
     HINT: He directed Dick in a role that revitalized his career.

5. "About a year later, I was rushed to the hospital for an operation-- tonsillitis or something-- and when I got home there were two packages from Dick Powell for me. One was a beautiful little evening purse with my initials in gold, and in the other package were a dozen handkerchiefs with my name on them."
     HINT: This child star was originally going to appear in Broadway Gondolier until she was assigned to a different picture.

6. "Dick didn't make noise about his acting, or his marriage troubles, or even his losing fight with cancer. A sane, sensible, stoic man, he was also a loving husband and father and showman of rare ability."
     HINT: She re-introduced Dick to one of his wives.

7. "I'll never forget the day Dick Powell, who had finally given up smoking after being told he had cancer, wryly requested a cigarette sandwich when I asked if I could get him anything."
     HINT: She was married to one of the most famous Hollywood icons of all time.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Now that Thanksgiving is over and all of the great Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals are upon us, it is time to start thinking of Christmas, many people's favorite holiday of the year.

Enjoy this photo of Dick digging up a Christmas tree of his very own. In sunny California? Well they like Christmastime too, only they celebrate without the snow. This comes from a magazine archive that apparently only wanted a small clip of Dick's face.

Gutes Geburtstag Dick Powell!

It has been 48 years since Dick Powell passed away, but he is still remembered and loved today. Fourteen people stopped by Find a Grave to leave virtual flowers for Dick on his birthday. Turner Classic Movies showed four of his films to honor him. One of those films was You Can't Run Away From It, a movie starring Dick's 3rd wife June Allyson which Dick directed. Here he is on the set of that film celebrating June's birthday with their children.

June's autobiography illustrates one of the sweetest romantic relationships in Hollywood, one which lasted until Dick's death. The book has a section called Richard, but in reality most of the book is permeated with his presence and her devotion to him. "I was madly in love with Richard," she wrote. "By now I was calling him Richard though I was the only one who ever did."

The book includes a note that Ricky wrote just after his father passed away. It said, "...but when I go into his room to kiss Dad he isn't there any more to kiss to to hold his hand and to hear him sing the wonderful tunes."

June wrote, "The world was ugly without Richard."

"He was a joy to live with," June said. "Richard usually acted as if he didn't have a care in the world... He was always either whistling or singing."

Luckily we have his many works, from his films to his records to his radio recordings, so that for a little while Dick is alive again and there to entertain us and to make us smile.