Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - Cary Grant Movie Reviews--Once Upon a Time and North by Northwest
North By Northwest
Mistaken identity. It's a favorite tool of filmmakers, and apparently moviegoers as well, as the plot has stood countless years and films.
Grant plays Roger Thornhill, who is leading a delightfully normal life as an advertising executive. He has a mother, admittedly, who gets on his nerves a bit, but he can deal with it. His life is fine--that is, until he is kidnapped by two anti-American agents who assume him to be another man.
Madness ensues as Thornhill tries to convince the men they nabbed the wrong fellow. Disgusted, they try to quiet him by forcing him to drink a large amount of liquor. What follows is one of the best drunk scenes in film history. Intending to kill him, the men put the intoxicated Roger Thornhill in a stolen car, but he somehow manages to drive (albeit dangerously) home. The police, seeing the stolen car, chase him in an almost hilarious yet scary scene, and finally capture him. He insists he was not to blame, but no one, including his mother, believes him. Eventually, he is let go, as the police investigate his story--which, thanks to the sly enemy agents, seems like just that--a story.
When an important UN official is killed, Roger is framed for murder. He has only two choices now--admit to something he didn't do, or run from the law and find the real killer. Roger gets involved with a beautiful woman who later turns out to be a spy. Is she for him, or against him? He doesn't know. But he is determined to get to the bottom of this--and a simple murder throws him into a world of espionage and danger.
Quotes of the movie:
"Now you listen to me, I'm an advertising man, not a red herring. I've got a job, a secretary, a mother, two ex-wives and several bartenders that depend upon me, and I don't intend to disappoint them all by getting myself "slightly" killed. " --Roger
"FBI, CIA, ONI... we're all in the same alphabet soup."--Professor
"Something wrong with your eyes?" --ticket seller "Yes, they're sensitive to
questions." --Roger
Once Upon a Time
Sounds like a fairy tale, eh? You're pretty close with that description. Once Upon a Time is a borderline strange movie--yet it's a happy, light-hearted family movie as well. It will leave you with a warm feeling inside of you when it's over--even if you roll your eyes and think, "Oh, please," through half of it.
Jerry Flynn (Grant) is a slick city showman--starting as an entertainer and working his way up to owning a theater. His Broadway plays have been very popular and famous--until recently. Flynn has experienced three failing plays, and he is very close to losing all his reputation. Even worse, he is about to lose his theater if he cannot come up with $100,000 by the end of the week.
Miserable, Flynn is taking a walk one night alone, when he runs into a small boy. The boy, Arthur, earnestly begs Flynn to stop, just for a moment, and take a look in his cardboard box. Although Flynn is hesitant, he obliges the young boy. What he sees amazes him.
Inside the box is a caterpillar named Curly. He is Arthur's pride and joy--his best friend, the orphaned boy tells Flynn. And, he can dance! That's right ( and here's where the story becomes suitable for only those who are still kids in their heart, or who love Cary Grant. I'm both, so I'm in luck!), this little caterpillar has the rhythm of a human when Arthur plays, "Yes, Sir, That's My Baby" on his harmonica.
Flynn is mesmerized by the caterpillar, and is sure that he could make money off of him. He is laughed off by his colleagues, however, but finds a way to prove that Curly can indeed dance. Curly becomes almost instantly famous--during a wartime America, he is a symbol of hope, fun, and happiness. Offers pour in from around the world, including from Walt Disney himself, to buy Curly.
Yet Flynn is torn--between his desire for money and his promise to Arthur not to sell his pet. To make matters worse, Arthur's attractive older sister refuses to allow Flynn to take advantage of her little brother. Arthur trusts Flynn, he realizes. Thus, Flynn must chose between a little boy's trust (and perhaps the love of his sister) and the life he always wanted to live--one of wealth and fame.
Quotes from the movie:
-"There's a war going on, or hadn't you heard?"--newspaper man (on saving Curly) "I've been in London, Chun King, and Malta and saw kids dodge bombs to try to save some mangy dog."-- Air Force pilot
Comments
Thursday, December 13, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by CrossView
How is it that I had no idea Mr. Grant had so many movies? =/
Thursday, December 13, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by giftedgirl
I have to agree with CrossView..... I didn't know Cary Grant had so many movies!!
Hugs,
Becca
Thursday, December 13, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by sharla88
I think ive heard of NbNW but im not sure AND Im STILL looking for AaOL
Ok I guess Im just a diehard book fan I hate to see bookmives all messed up ya know?
LOL my daddy was a marien so yea hes brainwashed me to think that Mariens are the one and only. LOL poor me. Sara was working on me trying to make me like Navy we would sit and argue and go back and forth for thirty minuets! LOL
GB~
sharla~
Thursday, December 13, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Chris
I was talking to my dad about your posts and he said he thought I had watched "North by North West" but alas I have not. I may watch it soon though.
And yeah, I have a bold favor to ask. You are a good blog friend and a popular one, you think you could add a little something to your next post about voting for me in the Blog Awards? I understand if you don't, just thought i'd ask.
Friday, December 14, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by lotrsavvy
Awesome, live trees rock! lol
hehehe, thanks. :)
Jennifer
Awarded By Crossview
Awarded by ChesapeakeSailor and Sassy92
Awarded by Sharla88
Awarded by Jocelyn Dixon
