ABCs at the Movies: The Doubles Round!

[Lynne]

I *heart* Cary Grant.

From Wiki:

The Toast of New York is a 1937 American biopic that starred Edward Arnold, Cary Grant, and Frances Farmer. The film is a fictionalized account of the lives of financiers James Fisk and Edward S. Stokes. The screenplay was based on the books The Robber Barons by Matthew Josephson and The Book of Daniel Drew by Bouck White.

In post-Civil War America, unscrupulous, ambitious partners Jim Fisk (Arnold) and Nick Boyd (Grant) talk tight-fisted businessman Daniel Drew (Donald Meek) into selling them his shipping company, paying with worthless Confederate bonds. Later, worried that his longtime rival, Cornelius Vanderbilt (Clarence Kolb), is trying to take control of his railroad, Drew seeks help from Fisk, only to have him turn the situation to his own advantage. Fisk and Boyd eventually become powers to be reckoned with on Wall Street.

Meanwhile, both men fall in love with entertainer Josie Mansfield (Farmer). Mansfield agrees to marry Fisk out of gratitude, but really loves Boyd.

Fisk's greed grows beyond all reason and he tries to corner the market in gold. When Fisk ignores Boyd's warnings. Boyd turns against him, worried that the resulting panic threatens the financial system of the whole country. The federal government finally intervenes by releasing its gold reserves, bankrupting Fisk in the process.

[memento]

From IMDB: The Unidentified is a drama about the struggle between cynicism and idealism among today's twenty-somethings. It follows Estlin, an ambitious idealist who swoons at any mention of the 1960s. But life in the present is difficult. His job at a local Brooklyn newspaper is not a forum for social change and Brooke, his best friend and political partner in crime, is leaving for Ohio. Alone and confused, he is swept off his feet by Sophie, a beautiful artist he knew in his childhood. Estlin and Sophie's relationship is completely different from the ones he's accustomed to -- she's whimsical and optimistic; the real world doesn't seem to affect her. But as Estlin and Sophie enjoy life in their protective bubble, he realizes her fanciful exterior protects a deep and severe wound that she keeps tightly guarded. Estlin tries to get her to be truthful with him, but the more he pries, the more the relationship crumbles. At the height of Estlin's frustration, he hurls himself into the political world. Furious at the apathy of his peers, he goes to a protest in Washington, desperately looking for traces of the idealism of the 1960s. But there he must come to terms with what has been lost, what still remains and where he must go from here.

[youtube=425,350]

[/youtube]

Trailer

[Fran]

From IMDb: An interview with Rick Rescorla, head of security for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, filmed in his office on the 44th floor of the World Trade Center in 1998. A retired Army colonel and veteran of three wars, Rescorla was killed in the September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center, during which he saved the lives of thousands of WTC employees at the cost of his own life.

[southendmd]

Plot:  A winner and sure to please. In front of one of the largest newspaper offices is a hot air shaft through which immense volumes of air are forced by a blower. Ladies in crossing this shaft often have their clothes slightly disarranged. A young man is escorting a young lady and talking very earnestly. They walk slowly along until they stand directly over the air shaft. The young lady's skirts are suddenly raised to an almost unreasonable height, greatly to her horror and much to the amusement of the newsboys, bootblacks, and passersby.

[memento]

From IMDB: Craig, a puppeteer, takes a filing job in a low-ceilinged office in Manhattan. Although married to the slightly askew Lotte, he hits on a colleague, the sexually frank Maxine. She's bored but snaps awake when he finds a portal leading inside John Malkovich: for 15 minutes you see, hear, and feel whatever JM is doing, then you fall out by the New Jersey Turnpike. Maxine makes it commercial, selling trips for $200; also, she's more interested in Lotte than in Craig, but only when Lotte is inside JM. JM finds out what's going on and tries to stop it, but Craig sees the portal as his road to Maxine and to success as a puppeteer. Meanwhile, Lotte discovers others interested in the portal.

[Fran]

From IMDb:  Alice Faye, Don Ameche, The Ritz Brothers, Louise Hovick (Gypsy Rose Lee), Charles Winninger and Tony Martin star in "You Can't Have Everything," a 1937 musical from 20th Century Fox. MGM musicals were glamorous; Fox musicals were down to earth, glitzy, and just plain fun. This is one of them. Faye is a playwright, Judith Poe Wells, a distant relative of Edgar Allan Poe's, who takes herself very seriously. She meets a man (Ameche) at a restaurant while eating food she can't pay for and doesn't realize he is a major Broadway producer, George Macrae. He options her play, North Winds. In the meantime, his musical's ingénue (Phyllis Brooks) walks out of the show, and Judith is talked into replacing her by Sam Gordon (Winninger), George's business partner. Though there's another woman (Hovick), Judith falls in love with George and he with her. Complications ensue.

[Lynne]

From Wiki:

Cotton Comes to Harlem is a 1970 blaxploitation film starring Godfrey Cambridge, Raymond St. Jacques, and Redd Foxx based on Chester Himes' novel of the same name. The plot revolves around the efforts of the two Harlem detectives to recover the life savings of 87 poor black families which have been stolen in a Back to Africa swindle; the money is concealed in a bale of cotton, which keeps changing hands. The film was directed by Ossie Davis.

[Fran]

The "Sweet Home Chicago" Round!



Featuring movies with a Chicago connection

[memento]

From IMDB: Townley Hotel telephone operator Kitty O'Day (Jean Parker) and travel bureau clerk Johnny Jones (Peter Cookson), become involved in a murder when Kitty hears shots over the telephone. They investigate, find the body of a man and call the police. But when Inspector Clancy (Tim Ryan) and police sergeant Mike (Ralph Sanford) arrive, the body has disappeared. As Kitty and Johnny have shown up before as somewhat bothersome amateur detectives on other cases, Clancy is inclined to believe there has been no murder. Jewel robberies of the hotel safe have occurred recently, and insurance investigator Tracey (William Ruhl) has been sent to investigate. More killing occurs and finally the body of businessman Williams, the first one killed, is found again. Carla Williams (Jan Wiley), the widow, and Nick Joel (Hugh Prosser)are suspected as Carla had claimed her husband was in Chicago. Kitty suspects hotel manager Sauter (William Forrest) and goes to his room looking for clues.

[Fran]

From IMDb:  Chicago crime kid Mick O'Brien has been sent to a juvenile prison for vehicular manslaughter. Most unfortunately, the person he kills is the kid brother of his nemesis Paco Moreno, who vows revenge by raping Mick's girlfriend. Paco is caught and sent to the same prison where he re-works his revenge plan, and Mick has no choice but to defend himself.