Wednesday, April 27, 2011
DAY 10, MOVIE 1:
Lady for a Day (1933), directed by Frank Capra. This was not Frank Capra’s best. Coming from the same man who gave us It Happened One Night, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, You Can’t Take It with You, and It’s a Wonderful Life, I expected more from this movie. But I guess there’s a reason why Lady for a Day is never mentioned alongside the above classics. Lady for a Day isn’t bad, but it doesn’t hold up. I can tell Capra made a film that had high-class humor for back in the day, but it lacks the liveliness that was present in It Happened One Night and You Can’t Take It with You. If I had to sum up my thoughts of this movie in one sentence, I would say, “It’s a well made, but lifeless movie.”
DAY 10, MOVIE 2:
The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933), directed by Alexander Korda. Another best picture Oscar nominee from 1933, this one is about the last five marriages of King Henry VIII. I mostly associate Charles Laughton with much darker material. I first saw him in Mutiny on the Bounty as the cruel Captain Bligh, and I also know he directed The Night of the Hunter. So I was surprised that he was able to deliver an exuberant performance as Henry VIII, instead of the brooding morose character I was expecting. But much like Lady for a Day, this movie doesn’t hold up. Laughton’s performance is the only thing worthwhile in this movie. It’s nothing more than a well acted soap opera, and I recommend this only to fans of Charles Laughton who want to see his Oscar winning performance. I guess 1933 was just a weak year at the Oscars. Oh well.
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