Fade to Chat: Golden Age Cinema

The Seven Year Itch (1955)

Marty and Cindy converse about the male urge for infidelity after seven years of marriage as depicted in The Seven Year Itch (1955) Title: The Seven Year Itch (1955) Director: Billy Wilder Screenplay: George Axelrod & Billy Wilder (based on Axelrod's 1952 Broadway play) Stars: Marilyn Monroe as The Girl | Tom Ewell as Richard Sherman Supporting Cast: Evelyn Keyes, Sonny Tufts, Oscar Homolka, Robert Strauss, Carolyn Jones Cinematography: Milton R. Krasner Music: Alfred Newman (with Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 featured prominently) Studio: 20th Century-Fox (the only Fox film Wilder ever made) Budget: $1.8 million | Box Office: approximately $12 million Running Time: 105 minutes Release: June 3, 1955 (New York City); June 17, 1955 (Los Angeles) Production & Behind the Scenes Monroe's Fox contract required all her films in color. She believed she looked more glamorous on color film. Ewell won the 1953 Tony Award for Actor in a Drama. He played Richard Sherman 730 times on Broadway before reprising the role on film. Gary Cooper, James Stewart, and William Holden were all considered. Wilder screen-tested Walter Matthau but Fox wouldn't risk an unknown. Marilyn Monroe. No one else was ever considered for The Girl. Monroe agreed to appear in There's No Business Like Show Business (1954) before Fox would release her for this film. George Cukor was the original choice to direct. When he passed, Wilder took it — his only Fox film. Saul Bass created the animated title sequence — his only work for a Wilder film. The dress sold for $4.6 million ($5.5 million with fees), topping the previous record of $923,000 set by Audrey Hepburn's dress from Breakfast at Tiffany's. The New York premiere was June 1, 1955 — Monroe's 29th birthday. Joe DiMaggio was on set and reportedly furious at the attention Monroe received. Wilder had deliberately invited the press for publicity. The Film Itself: Plot, Censorship & Details The original Pennsylvania Station (demolished 1963) and the IRT Third Avenue elevated line both appear — the elevated line closed just three weeks before the film premiered. Brief Encounter (1945, David Lean) also used Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 2. Wilder often called it his favorite film of all time. In the play, Sherman and The Girl actually have sex. The Hays Code reduced this to suggestion — three kisses only. Axelrod complained it gutted the third act. Bell Brand Potato Chips — slogan: 'If It's Bell, It's Swell!' The film made them nationally famous; they operated until 1995. In the Broadway production, Ewell's character sarcastically says '...and I've got Marilyn Monroe in the kitchen.' The film kept the line — where he actually does. Carolyn Jones (Nurse Finch) later played Morticia Addams in the original Addams Family TV series (1964). The visible theater marquee showed Creature from the Black Lagoon, but the front still listed Lili (1953). The contradicting marquee photo was kept in Fox's photo department for decades. Captain Video and His Video Rangers (1949). Despite huge popularity, tapes were wiped around 1970 — only eight complete episodes survive. Ranked #51 on the AFI's 2000 list of the Top 100 Funniest American Movies. Victor Moore (the Plumber) and Donald MacBride (Mr. Brady) both made their final film appearances here. YouTube: YouTube.com/@FadeToChat Contact us: ThePodTalkNetwork@gmail.com Visit the network: ThePodTalk.Net

The Spiral Staircase (1946)

Cindy and Marty chat about a gothic-style thriller The Spiral Staircase. ◆ THE SOURCE MATERIAL - Based on Ethel Lina White’s 1933 novel Some Must Watch; major changes include mute heroine, new setting, and added spiral staircase (inspired by Mary Roberts Rinehart). - Originated with David O. Selznick (planned Ingrid Bergman); sold to RKO to finance Duel in the Sun (1946); retained profit share and gifted Dorothy McGuire a convertible. - Screenplay by Mel Dinelli (first produced work); early title: The Silence of Helen McCord. ◆ SIODMAK, MUSURACA, AND THE CAMERA - Director Robert Siodmak, German émigré, followed with The Killers (1946); key noir figure. - Cinematographer Nicholas Musuraca used shadows/low angles for a chiaroscuro look. - Killer shown only via eye close-ups—actually Siodmak’s own eyes, uncredited. - Dorothy McGuire was accidentally locked in a basement set during filming (~20 minutes). ◆ CASTING NOTES - Joan Crawford sought the lead but was blocked by MGM’s Louis B. Mayer. - George Brent appears only 21 minutes into the 84-minute film (intentional misdirection). - Cast included Ethel Barrymore (Oscar winner) and nominees McGuire, Lanchester, Allgood; Ellen Corby uncredited. - Rhonda Fleming wrongly claimed an Oscar nomination; actual nomination went to Barrymore. ◆ THE SILENT FILM WITHIN THE FILM - Opening clip: D.W. Griffith’s The Sands of Dee (1912), reinforcing silence themes. - Scholars view the film as an allegory for the transition from silent to sound cinema. ◆ CONTEXT, LEGACY, AND ADAPTATIONS - Villain’s ideology echoes Nazi eugenics; powerful in 1946 postwar context. - Considered a precursor to the slasher genre (female focus, POV stalking, Gothic isolation). - Nominated for AFI’s 2001 “most heart-pounding” films list. - Radio adaptations aired in 1947 and 1949 with original cast members. - Remade in 1961, 1975, and 2000; none matched the original’s reputation. Website: ThePodTalk.Net Email: ThePodTalkNetwork@gmail.com YouTube: YouTube.com/@FadetoChat

My Man Godfrey (1936)

Marty and Cindy speak about their impressions of the Depression-era comedy My Man Godfrey TRIVIA & PRODUCTION NOTES Source Material Based on Eric Hatch's 1935 serial "1101 Park Avenue," first published in Town & Country. Co-screenwriter Morrie Ryskind had already co-written Animal Crackers and A Night at the Opera for the Marx Brothers and shared the 1932 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Casting Universal's original choice for Irene was Constance Bennett. Director La Cava would only accept her if Powell came from MGM — and Powell would only sign if Carole Lombard played Irene. Universal borrowed Lombard from Paramount in exchange for loaning Margaret Sullavan. Powell was paid $87,500; Lombard received $45,645. Powell & Lombard The two had married in 1931 and divorced in 1933 but remained warm friends. Lombard's nicknames for Powell on set: "Junior" and "Philo." La Cava called Lombard "Charlie." Everyone called Mischa Auer "Chimp" — for his gorilla impression as Carlo. On Set Production ran April 15 to May 27, 1936. Total budget: $575,375. Much of the dialogue emerged from improvised rehearsals. When Powell and La Cava disagreed over how Godfrey should be played, they resolved it over Scotch — La Cava arrived the next morning with a headache; Powell sent a telegram: "WE MAY HAVE FOUND GODFREY LAST NIGHT BUT WE LOST POWELL. SEE YOU TOMORROW." Censorship Censor Joseph Breen required that Carlo never be called a "gigolo" — the word was replaced throughout with "protégé." An earlier ending in which Alexander Bullock abandons his family for a harem and a bank in the South Seas was scrapped entirely. Hidden Details When Angelica hears Godfrey supposedly has five children, she exclaims, "If a woman in Canada can have five children, why can't Godfrey?" — a reference to the Dionne Quintuplets, an international sensation since 1934. Jane Wyman has an uncredited bit part as a socialite during Godfrey's speech. Awards Nominated at the 9th Academy Awards in six categories: Best Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Director, and Adapted Screenplay — winning none. It remains the only film ever nominated in all four acting categories, and the first film nominated in all four acting categories simultaneously (1936 was the inaugural year of the supporting awards). Legacy Selected for the National Film Registry in 1999. Part of the Criterion Collection (spine #114). Holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The 1957 remake starred David Niven and June Allyson. Fade to Chat is part of ThePodTalk.Net. If you love classic cinema and good conversation, spread the word. ThePodTalk.Net Email: ThePodTalkNetwork@gmail.com Youtube.com/@FadetoChat

Harvey (1950)

Marty and Cindy look at the most famous movie about an imaginary 6' 3.5" rabbit ◆ THE SOURCE MATERIAL Play by Mary Chase; premiered November 1, 1944 at the 48th Street Theatre — Frank Fay as Elwood, Josephine Hull as Veta Ran 1,775 performances through January 1949 — fifth longest Broadway run to that point Won Chase the 1945 Pulitzer Prize for Drama — the fourth woman to receive it In the original draft, Harvey was an invisible canary written for Tallulah Bankhead; the rabbit and púca concept came in rewrites A púca is a shape-shifting spirit from Celtic mythology, associated with mischief and social outcasts Universal paid a record $1 million for the film rights in 1947; Chase retained final approval over any actor cast as Elwood Chase co-wrote the screenplay with Oscar Brodney ◆ CASTING & PRE-PRODUCTION Bing Crosby was the studio's first choice; he passed, fearing fans would read the role's drinking as reflecting on him Others considered: Cary Grant, Gary Cooper, Jack Benny, James Cagney, and Harold Lloyd Stewart played Elwood on Broadway in summer 1947, then returned in 1948 specifically to lobby for the film role Josephine Hull, Victoria Horne, and Jesse White all reprised their Broadway roles — White's was also his film debut ◆ JAMES STEWART Instead of a flat fee, Stewart took a percentage of profits from Harvey and Winchester '73 (both 1950), paid over time to minimize taxes He suggested Koster widen shots to leave room in the frame for Harvey's implied presence; Koster accepted Stewart named Elwood P. Dowd his favorite role and returned to it four more times through 1975 Stewart said Hull had the hardest job: she had to believe and not believe in Harvey simultaneously, within single scenes ◆ THE CAST Josephine Hull won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress — her only nomination; also won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Peggy Dow retired from acting in 1951 to marry, making Harvey one of her final screen appearances Cecil Kellaway: two-time Oscar nominee; brought warmth to Dr. Chumley as he gradually falls under Harvey's influence Jesse White reprised his Broadway role as Wilson the orderly — later became the original Maytag repairman beginning in 1967 ◆ ON SET & PRODUCTION Koster gave Harvey his own chair on set and a place at the lunch table — the entire cast maintained the fiction throughout production Harvey receives an on-screen credit: "Harvey as Himself" — during which a door slowly swings open by an unseen force Cinematographer William Daniels had shot Greed and Ninotchka and won an Oscar for The Naked City (1948) ◆ DIALOGUE & HIDDEN DETAILS "Well, I've wrestled with reality for thirty-five years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it." Each character's reaction to Elwood's introductions serves as a quick character test — those who humor him warmly tend to be decent Elwood mentions Harvey can stop time; audiences tend to remember the film as longer and fuller than its 104 minutes ◆ AWARDS & RECORDS Academy Awards: Stewart nominated for Best Actor (lost to José Ferrer, Cyrano de Bergerac); Hull won Best Supporting Actress Golden Globes: Hull won Best Actress in a Drama; Stewart nominated for Best Actor AFI ranked Harvey #35 on its 100 Greatest American Comedy Films list ◆ LEGACY & CULTURAL FOOTPRINT 1999: Miramax acquired rights; Universal wanted Jim Carrey, New Line wanted Adam Sandler — neither version produced 2012: Broadway revival at Studio 54 — Jim Parsons as Elwood, Jessica Hecht as Veta 1951: Dooley Wilson (Casablanca's Sam) starred as Elwood in the Negro Drama Guild production, with Butterfly McQueen as Myrtle Mae The play has been in near-continuous performance somewhere in the world since 1944 YouTube: youtube.com/@FadeToChat Website: ThePodTalk.net Email: ThePodTalkNetwork@gmail.com

All About Eve (1950)

Marty and Cindy converse about the theatric nature of All About Eve All About Eve1950 • 138 minutes • 20th Century-FoxWritten & Directed by Joseph L. MankiewiczProduced by Darryl F. Zanuck Principal Cast * Bette Davis as Margo Channing * Anne Baxter as Eve Harrington (a.k.a. Gertrude Slescynski) * George Sanders as Addison DeWitt * Celeste Holm as Karen Richards * Gary Merrill as Bill Simpson * Hugh Marlowe as Lloyd Richards * Thelma Ritter as Birdie Coonan * Marilyn Monroe as Miss Claudia Casswell * Gregory Ratoff as Max Fabian * Barbara Bates as Phoebe ◆ THE SOURCE MATERIAL▸ The film is based on "The Wisdom of Eve," a roughly three-and-a-half-page short story by Mary Orr, published in Cosmopolitan magazine in May 1946. Orr received no screen credit on the finished film.▸ The working title Best Performance was changed to All About Eve by Darryl F. Zanuck after he read a line of Addison DeWitt's opening narration in the script. ◆ CASTING & PRE-PRODUCTION▸ Darryl F. Zanuck originally wanted Jeanne Crain for Eve Harrington. When Crain became pregnant, Mankiewicz's final choice was Anne Baxter, whom he believed possessed a "bitch virtuosity" that Crain could not provide. ◆ BETTE DAVIS▸ Davis completed all of her scenes in just 16 days.▸ Bette Davis had just turned 42 when she took on the role of Margo Channing. ◆ THE CAST▸ Celeste Holm: On her first day on set, Holm walked over and said "Good morning" to Davis. Davis replied: "Oh shit, good manners." Holm later said she never voluntarily spoke to Davis again for the rest of the production. Years later, Davis said the "only bitch in the cast" was Holm.▸ George Sanders: All About Eve was Sanders's personal favorite among his own films. He called it "witty, sophisticated, and brilliantly written and directed." The role of Addison DeWitt was his only Oscar nomination — and he won. ◆ ON SET & PRODUCTION▸ The theatre scenes were shot at San Francisco's Curran Theatre at 445 Geary Street, a few blocks from Union Square. The theater remains in business as of 2022.▸ The film's budget was $1.4 million. It grossed $8.4 million at the box office. ◆ SCORE, DIALOGUE & HIDDEN DETAILS▸ "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night" was voted the #9 greatest movie quote of all time by the American Film Institute.▸ As Margo drunkenly ascends the staircase after the cocktail party, the song "Stormy Weather" plays in the background — a pointed allusion to the turbulence ahead in her life. ◆ THE TALLULAH BANKHEAD MYTHOLOGY▸ Bankhead even considered suing 20th Century-Fox, but decided against it because Davis "did such a good job. I've just been witched out of $1,000,000 by Bette being as good as me." ◆ LIFE IMITATING ART▸ Bette Davis fell in love with Gary Merrill during production. They married in July 1950, weeks after filming wrapped, and adopted a daughter they named Margot — after Margo Channing.▸ In 1983, Anne Baxter stepped into Bette Davis's role on the television series Hotel after Davis fell ill. Davis never returned to the show. ◆ AWARDS & RECORDS▸ The film is the only picture in Oscar history to receive four female acting nominations in a single year: Davis and Baxter for Best Actress; Holm and Ritter for Best Supporting Actress.▸ George Sanders's Oscar for Best Supporting Actor was his only career nomination. He won on his first and only try. ◆ LEGACY & CULTURAL FOOTPRINT▸ All About Eve was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry in 1990, among the first 25 films chosen that year, deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."▸ The AFI ranked it #16 on its 1998 list of the 100 Greatest American Films. Find Fade to ChatFade to Chat is part of ThePodTalk.Net. If you love classic cinema and good conversation, spread the word. * ThePodTalk.Net * Email: ThePodTalkNetwork@gmail.com [ThePodTalkNetwork@gmail.com]