whataboutbobbed
Film Forum’s 66 film – month long salute to ‘Hollywood’s Naughtiest, Bawdiest Year’ – 1933!!! continues…
Day 15’s Best Picture Nominee of ‘33 twins – Lady For A Day + State Fair
we’re about half way through the salute, and so far have seen 18 films [eek!]. our favorite of the favorites?…
Frank Capra/Damon Runyon‘s Lady For A Day, which is basically Pretty Woman, but actually awesome! EAT IT JULIA ROBERTS!! May Robson’s daughter (Jean Parker) is about to marry the son of a Spanish count, and they’re soon headed to New York to meet mom. Problem is is that daughter thinks mom’s a society shaker, but she’s actually a ragged ole street fruit peddler named Apple Annie. It’s not very likely that the Count (Walter Connolly) would accept a daughter-in-law with such hard knock lineage, but luckily Apple Annie has a guardian angel in gangster Dave the Dude (Warren William, with help from Ned Sparks & Nat Pendleton). The Dude sets her up in a penthouse, with fancy clothes & even a faux fancy husband – pool shark Guy Kibbee (in top form!!!!!!!!!!!!). The ploy is on, but will it work? You’ll just have to find out for yourself, in this classssssic picture that was nominated for 4 Academy Awards!
State Fair is no Lady For A Day (but what is??), but Henry King’s week-long trip to the Iowa fairgrounds is still worth attending. No, not really for Will Rogers‘ obsession with turning his pig into a blue ribbon winner, or for Louise Dresser trying do the same with her pickles and mince pie, or for their dopey son Norman Foster crappily wooing Sally Eilers (in a barely developed plotline). So what then? Janet Gaynor, duh! Little Miss adorable comes to the fair as a naive little girl, falls into Lew Ayres’ arms, and isn’t so naive any more! This film was nominated for 2 Oscars, but is hardly ‘Best Picture’ worthy. Still, GAYNOR!!!!!!!!