Stagecoach (1939) and Bend of the River (1952)

This past summer I watched two great westerns, both of them involving journeys through dangerous terrain.

First, Stagecoach from 1939. Numerous characters with various personalities and backgrounds are forced to travel together, including a prostitute (Claire Trevor) and John Wayne who loves her despite her background. Thomas Mitchell won the Oscar for Outstanding Supporting Actor as the drunken doctor. He's hilarious especially all his banter with Donald Meek who plays a whiskey salesman. Then there's Andy Devine as the stage driver; he has some of the funniest lines. And then there's a funny scene when the stagecoach makes a stop at the way station and Meek is startled by an Apache and screams "is that a savage?" The Mexican innkeeper says, "Yes, that's my wife. She's a little savage". LOL There have been a few other versions made after this one as well. Directed by John Ford.

Another blog review from Wide Screen World (June 2020):

Then I caught up with Bend of the River at a local revival screening. I always enjoy seeing a Jimmy Stewart film on screen. Set in the 1840s/Gold-Rush era, Jimmy plays a cowboy with a checkered past who's hired to lead a group of settlers (including Julie Adams) westbound. During the journey, the wagon train survives a harsh indian attack and we meet a friend of Jimmy's played by Arthur Kennedy, who romances Julie and steals her away from Jimmy (but not for too long!).  The movie starts to get a bit more complicated when the group stops in Portland and we meet a gambler played by Rock Hudson; the biggest laugh from the crowed in the theater came when Rock eschews the flirtations from a female admirer. In the second act of the film, the wagon train has to deliver loads of food to a new settlement for the winter, and few of the hired hands (including Harry Morgan) conspire to make off with the goods. It's an exciting movie, but not as much comedic relief as Stagecoach. The character providing the most comic relief comes from Stepin Fetchit who plays a riverboat assistant. In the end, Jimmy redeems himself in the eyes of anyone who found him untrustworthy, including Julie's dad, who disapproved of him until the very end. Shot on location in Oregon. Also starring Francis Bavier ("Aunt Bea"). Directed by Anthony Mann.

A blog post from Just Hit Play here

Midnight Mary (1933) starring Loretta Young

From 1933, MGM: Loretta Young stars in this thrilling story of a woman on trial - who may or may not be guilty of murder.

We first see Mary (Loretta) in court. As the jury deliberates, she finds a relaxing place to wait: in the office of the court stenographer. He's an older man, and tells her he's been doing this for almost 40 years. She is stunned. "The same job"? she asks him. He tells her he hopes the jury comes back soon because he'd like to make his grandaughter's birthday party later that afternoon. His office is filled with books, and Mary looks around at all the years on the spines and remembers her life.

The rest of the movie is told in flashback. We see Mary as a young orphan girl (Loretta is convincing as a 9 year old). As she gets older she and her best friend (Joan Blondell) start hanging out with the wrong crowd. The boys they hang out with become gangsters, and she descends deeper into a dangerous life. One day she meets a handsome playboy bachelor (Franchot Tone) who falls head over heels for her at a party. He turns out to be a millionaire publisher and offers her anything in the world, including a job as a secretary.

She tries to "go straight", but she just can't escape her past.

We don't want to see Franchot get mixed up with the gangsters, and neither does Mary, a testatment to her character. I won't tell you any more. You just have to see this movie. It's a great story, well written and paced. Directed by William Wellman.

Judy wrote an impressive review of this film at her blog Movie Clasics, and you can read the review here. Another great review can be found here at the blog MONDO 70, and here at Curious Mel.

It's available on DVD part of the Forbidden Hollywood Collection: Volume 3

Three Wise Girls (1933) with Jean Harlow

The movie begins with Jean Harlow working unhappily as a soda jerk behind the counter.  In one scene, we see Jean whipping up an ice cream sundae after a kid comes in and orders one. I love how the camera focuses in on the dish so we see the ice cream up close.


She's bored in her small town, so she and her friend Dot find an apartment in the big city. Jean meets an old friend (Mae Clark) and makes a few new ones, including dapper millionaire played by Walter Byron, who becomes smitten with her, yet holds a secret.

The movie's tone is often serious, even though Jean is funny at times with a number of her wisecracks. It leans more romantic-drama than romantic-comedy, since several of the characters are driven to some emotional extremes that wouldn't be very funny in real life.

For example, tension builds when Mae Clark's beau (Jameson Thomas) starts making passes at Jean, who has become a fashion model. Meanwhile, Walter continues to pursue Jean throughout the film, but when his secret is revealed, she is faced with having to make several uncomfortable decisions.

Waiting to see what will happen to these characters is what makes this film so enjoyable, but I won't give anything away. Will she quit her high-paying job as a fashion model? And what will she do, move back to the small town where she came from and hates? You'll just have to see the movie.

Marie Prevost's Dot provides comic relief as her flirty best friend, and she eventually falls for Walter's chauffeur (Andy Devine). They make a cute couple.

I highly recommend this one if you can catch it on TCM; it's not on DVD.

The Baroness Von Vintage, another fan of this film, reminds me that the three female leads are "wise" in the sense of being sassy, irreverent, and cheeky. Though there are three of them, Jean Harlow's character is the main focus throughout.

Directed by William Beaudine

Read a review from She Blogged By Night

I wonder if the movie "Three Smart Girls" took it's title from this film.