Wonderland Burlesque's Let's All Go To The Movies: She's A Lady! - Part XXXVI

Wonderland Burlesque's

Let's All Go To The Movies

She's A Lady!

Part XXXVI

Yes, sometimes? It takes a lady.

And sometimes, behind every great man?  There stands a lady!

Or so these films would have us believe.

They promise lots of drama, the occasional comedy or musical, and a little bit of dirt!

Let's take a walk down Hollywood Blvd. and shine a light on these magnificent classic films.

This way, if you please. But remember...

Ladies first!

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The Lady Of The Harem

(1926)

AKA: The Golden Voyage, Sultane

The glittering province of Khorasan groans under the heavy taxes and cruelties imposed by its tyrannical sultan; only Hassan, the kind-hearted confectioner, lives tranquilly. He joins Rafi, who arrives in the city in search of his beloved, Pervaneh, who has been taken by the sultan. In the slave market, Rafi gets enough money to buy her freedom, but she is abducted and taken to the palace by one of the sultan's men. Later, believing her dead, Rafi swears vengeance and organizes a band to terrorize the tyrant's officials. In disguise, the sultan attends a meeting of Rafi's cohorts and lures him to the palace by a message supposedly sent by Pervaneh; there the sultan stages a bacchanalian orgy to celebrate their death by torture. Hassan leads Rafi's men in a surprise attack on the palace in which the sultan is killed and his soldiers are routed. The lovers are reunited, and Hassan ascends the throne.

This American silent adventure film was directed by Raoul Walsh and stars Ernest Torrence, William Collier Jr., Greta Nissen, Louise Fazenda, George Beranger, Sôjin Kamiyama, and Frank Leigh.

Greta Nissen was a Norwegian-American film and stage actress. With her expressive eyes, she exceled during the silent era. But oh, how quickly things can change. The year after this picture was released, Nissen was cast as the female lead in Hell's Angels, originally conceived as a silent film. Principal photography began on 31 October 1927. Midway through production, the advent of sound in motion pictures came with the arrival of The Jazz Singer (1927).

Director Howard Hughes incorporated the new technology into the half-finished film, but, due to her pronounced Norwegian accent, Nissen became a casualty of the new sound age, Hughes paid her for her work and cooperation, and replaced her, because her accent would have made her role as a British aristocrat ludicrous. But, never fear... more films were in her future. In fact, she continued to appear in films until 1937, when she retired from acting and left the public eye.

With no prints of The Lady of the Harem located in any film archives, it is considered a lost film.

Greta Nissen

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The Great Man's Lady

(1941)

In Hoyt City, a statue of founder Ethan Hoyt is dedicated, and 100-year-old Hannah Sempler Hoyt (who lives in the last residence among skyscrapers) is at last persuaded to tell her story to a 'girl biographer'. Flashback: in 1848, teenage Hannah meets and flirts with pioneer Ethan; on a sudden impulse, they elope. We follow their struggle to found a city in the wilderness, hampered by the Gold Rush, star-crossed love, peril, and heartbreak. The star "ages" 80 years.

Based on the short story The Human Side by Viña Delmar, this American Western was directed by William A. Wellman and stars Barbara Stanwyck, Joel McCrea, and Brian Donlevy.

This was the fifth of six film collaborations between Barbara Stanwyck and Joel McCrea.

To practice for her role as a woman of 107, Barbara Stanwyck visited several retirement homes and interacted with the elderly women to emulate their mannerisms.

It was filmed at two locations: in Thousand Oaks, California at Joel McCrea's ranch and nearby Moorpark Road.

Barbara Stanwyck and Joel McCrea

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The Pilgrim Lady

(1946)

The head of a failing magazine, gets a manuscript from his girlfriend that she recommends he publish. The manuscript is written under the pseudonym 'Iris Fabian'. He brings the author from Ohio to New York to get her under contract as her literary agent. After having the manuscript rejected by every publisher in town, he decides to build a publicity campaign around her to get the book published. However all is not as it seems regarding the real authorship. Is it bespectacled Henrietta Rankin and can she be beautified enough for the campaign?

This American crime comedy was directed by Lesley Selander and stars Lynne Roberts, Warren Douglas and Alan Mowbray.

Lynne Roberts

 

You can watch this film in its entirety for free on YouTube!

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The President's Lady

(1953)

The story of president Andrew Jackson from his early years, the film begins when he meets Rachel Donaldson Robards. The plot concentrates on the scandal concerning the legality of their marriage and how they overcame the difficulties.

Adapted from the eponymous 1951 novel by Irving Stone, this biopic by 20th Century Fox was directed by Henry Levin and stars Susan Hayward and Charlton Heston with John McIntire and Fay Bainter. 

20th Century Fox originally wanted Gregory Peck and Olivia De Havilland for the lead roles.

Susan Hayward liked the film, remembering Rachel Jackson as one her favorite "gentle" roles.

In his book Charlton Heston's Hollywood, Heston said regarding Susan Hayward: "Fortunately, we had an actress... who made her character a woman of flesh and blood - a true frontier girl, a passionate wife, and a devoted companion." Six years later, Heston would portray Andrew Jackson for a second time in The Buccaneer (1958).

The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Art Direction: Lyle R. Wheeler, Leland Fuller and Paul S. Fox and for Best Costume Design: Charles LeMaire and Renié.

You can watch this film in its entirety for free on YouTube!

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The Lady Doctor

(1957)

AKA: Totò, Vittorio e la dottoressa

Fake private detective Mike Spillone is hired by two old ladies to find out if the wife of their nephew has taken a lover. The nephew's wife is actually a physician, but the two aunts are unaware of this fact. While investigating, Mike and his assistant discover the nephew's wife with a prospective patient, the Marquis De Vitti, who is seeking treatment due to a gunshot wound inflicted by the husband of a woman he attempted to seduce. Later, Spillone finds her with her husband and believes that he is her lover.

This Italian comedy was directed by Camillo Mastrocinque, and stars Abbe Lane, Totò, and Vittorio De Sica.

Abbe Lane is an American singer and actress. Lane was known in the 1950s and 1960s for her revealing (frequently censored) outfits and sultry style of performing. Her first marriage was as the fourth wife of Latin bandleader and musician Xavier Cugat, more than thirty years her senior. Lane, a frequent guest on American and Italian television variety shows, attracted attention for her suggestive comments, such as "Jayne Mansfield may turn boys into men, but I take them from there."

Abbe Lane

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And that's all for now, folks.

Tune in next time...

Same place, same channel.

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The Great Man's Lady - Movie Trailer

(1942)

The President's Lady - Movie Trailer

(1953)