Cindy and Marty chat about a gothic-style thriller The Spiral Staircase.

◆ THE SOURCE MATERIAL

- Based on Ethel Lina White’s 1933 novel Some Must Watch; major changes include mute heroine, new setting, and added spiral staircase (inspired by Mary Roberts Rinehart).

- Originated with David O. Selznick (planned Ingrid Bergman); sold to RKO to finance Duel in the Sun (1946); retained profit share and gifted Dorothy McGuire a convertible.

- Screenplay by Mel Dinelli (first produced work); early title: The Silence of Helen McCord.

◆ SIODMAK, MUSURACA, AND THE CAMERA

- Director Robert Siodmak, German émigré, followed with The Killers (1946); key noir figure.

- Cinematographer Nicholas Musuraca used shadows/low angles for a chiaroscuro look.

- Killer shown only via eye close-ups—actually Siodmak’s own eyes, uncredited.

- Dorothy McGuire was accidentally locked in a basement set during filming (~20 minutes).

◆ CASTING NOTES

- Joan Crawford sought the lead but was blocked by MGM’s Louis B. Mayer.

- George Brent appears only 21 minutes into the 84-minute film (intentional misdirection).

- Cast included Ethel Barrymore (Oscar winner) and nominees McGuire, Lanchester, Allgood; Ellen Corby uncredited.

- Rhonda Fleming wrongly claimed an Oscar nomination; actual nomination went to Barrymore.

◆ THE SILENT FILM WITHIN THE FILM

- Opening clip: D.W. Griffith’s The Sands of Dee (1912), reinforcing silence themes.

- Scholars view the film as an allegory for the transition from silent to sound cinema.

◆ CONTEXT, LEGACY, AND ADAPTATIONS

- Villain’s ideology echoes Nazi eugenics; powerful in 1946 postwar context.

- Considered a precursor to the slasher genre (female focus, POV stalking, Gothic isolation).

- Nominated for AFI’s 2001 “most heart-pounding” films list.

- Radio adaptations aired in 1947 and 1949 with original cast members.

- Remade in 1961, 1975, and 2000; none matched the original’s reputation.

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Marty and Cindy speak about their impressions of the Depression-era comedy My Man Godfrey

TRIVIA & PRODUCTION NOTES

Source Material

Based on Eric Hatch's 1935 serial "1101 Park Avenue," first published in Town & Country. Co-screenwriter Morrie Ryskind had already co-written Animal Crackers and A Night at the Opera for the Marx Brothers and shared the 1932 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Casting

Universal's original choice for Irene was Constance Bennett. Director La Cava would only accept her if Powell came from MGM — and Powell would only sign if Carole Lombard played Irene. Universal borrowed Lombard from Paramount in exchange for loaning Margaret Sullavan. Powell was paid $87,500; Lombard received $45,645.

Powell & Lombard

The two had married in 1931 and divorced in 1933 but remained warm friends. Lombard's nicknames for Powell on set: "Junior" and "Philo." La Cava called Lombard "Charlie." Everyone called Mischa Auer "Chimp" — for his gorilla impression as Carlo.

On Set

Production ran April 15 to May 27, 1936. Total budget: $575,375. Much of the dialogue emerged from improvised rehearsals. When Powell and La Cava disagreed over how Godfrey should be played, they resolved it over Scotch — La Cava arrived the next morning with a headache; Powell sent a telegram: "WE MAY HAVE FOUND GODFREY LAST NIGHT BUT WE LOST POWELL. SEE YOU TOMORROW."

Censorship

Censor Joseph Breen required that Carlo never be called a "gigolo" — the word was replaced throughout with "protégé." An earlier ending in which Alexander Bullock abandons his family for a harem and a bank in the South Seas was scrapped entirely.

Hidden Details

When Angelica hears Godfrey supposedly has five children, she exclaims, "If a woman in Canada can have five children, why can't Godfrey?" — a reference to the Dionne Quintuplets, an international sensation since 1934. Jane Wyman has an uncredited bit part as a socialite during Godfrey's speech.

Awards

Nominated at the 9th Academy Awards in six categories: Best Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Director, and Adapted Screenplay — winning none. It remains the only film ever nominated in all four acting categories, and the first film nominated in all four acting categories simultaneously (1936 was the inaugural year of the supporting awards).

Legacy

Selected for the National Film Registry in 1999. Part of the Criterion Collection (spine #114). Holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The 1957 remake starred David Niven and June Allyson.

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Marty and Cindy look at the most famous movie about an imaginary 6' 3.5" rabbit

◆ THE SOURCE MATERIAL

Play by Mary Chase; premiered November 1, 1944 at the 48th Street Theatre — Frank Fay as Elwood, Josephine Hull as Veta

Ran 1,775 performances through January 1949 — fifth longest Broadway run to that point

Won Chase the 1945 Pulitzer Prize for Drama — the fourth woman to receive it

In the original draft, Harvey was an invisible canary written for Tallulah Bankhead; the rabbit and púca concept came in rewrites

A púca is a shape-shifting spirit from Celtic mythology, associated with mischief and social outcasts

Universal paid a record $1 million for the film rights in 1947; Chase retained final approval over any actor cast as Elwood

Chase co-wrote the screenplay with Oscar Brodney

◆ CASTING & PRE-PRODUCTION

Bing Crosby was the studio's first choice; he passed, fearing fans would read the role's drinking as reflecting on him

Others considered: Cary Grant, Gary Cooper, Jack Benny, James Cagney, and Harold Lloyd

Stewart played Elwood on Broadway in summer 1947, then returned in 1948 specifically to lobby for the film role

Josephine Hull, Victoria Horne, and Jesse White all reprised their Broadway roles — White's was also his film debut

◆ JAMES STEWART

Instead of a flat fee, Stewart took a percentage of profits from Harvey and Winchester '73 (both 1950), paid over time to minimize taxes

He suggested Koster widen shots to leave room in the frame for Harvey's implied presence; Koster accepted

Stewart named Elwood P. Dowd his favorite role and returned to it four more times through 1975

Stewart said Hull had the hardest job: she had to believe and not believe in Harvey simultaneously, within single scenes

◆ THE CAST

Josephine Hull won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress — her only nomination; also won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama

Peggy Dow retired from acting in 1951 to marry, making Harvey one of her final screen appearances

Cecil Kellaway: two-time Oscar nominee; brought warmth to Dr. Chumley as he gradually falls under Harvey's influence

Jesse White reprised his Broadway role as Wilson the orderly — later became the original Maytag repairman beginning in 1967

◆ ON SET & PRODUCTION

Koster gave Harvey his own chair on set and a place at the lunch table — the entire cast maintained the fiction throughout production

Harvey receives an on-screen credit: "Harvey as Himself" — during which a door slowly swings open by an unseen force

Cinematographer William Daniels had shot Greed and Ninotchka and won an Oscar for The Naked City (1948)

◆ DIALOGUE & HIDDEN DETAILS

"Well, I've wrestled with reality for thirty-five years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it."

Each character's reaction to Elwood's introductions serves as a quick character test — those who humor him warmly tend to be decent

Elwood mentions Harvey can stop time; audiences tend to remember the film as longer and fuller than its 104 minutes

◆ AWARDS & RECORDS

Academy Awards: Stewart nominated for Best Actor (lost to José Ferrer, Cyrano de Bergerac); Hull won Best Supporting Actress

Golden Globes: Hull won Best Actress in a Drama; Stewart nominated for Best Actor

AFI ranked Harvey #35 on its 100 Greatest American Comedy Films list

◆ LEGACY & CULTURAL FOOTPRINT

1999: Miramax acquired rights; Universal wanted Jim Carrey, New Line wanted Adam Sandler — neither version produced

2012: Broadway revival at Studio 54 — Jim Parsons as Elwood, Jessica Hecht as Veta

1951: Dooley Wilson (Casablanca's Sam) starred as Elwood in the Negro Drama Guild production, with Butterfly McQueen as Myrtle Mae

The play has been in near-continuous performance somewhere in the world since 1944

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Marty and Cindy converse about the theatric nature of All About Eve

All About Eve1950 • 138 minutes • 20th Century-FoxWritten & Directed by Joseph L. MankiewiczProduced by Darryl F. Zanuck

Principal Cast

• Bette Davis as Margo Channing
• Anne Baxter as Eve Harrington (a.k.a. Gertrude Slescynski)
• George Sanders as Addison DeWitt
• Celeste Holm as Karen Richards
• Gary Merrill as Bill Simpson
• Hugh Marlowe as Lloyd Richards
• Thelma Ritter as Birdie Coonan
• Marilyn Monroe as Miss Claudia Casswell
• Gregory Ratoff as Max Fabian
• Barbara Bates as Phoebe

◆ THE SOURCE MATERIAL▸ The film is based on "The Wisdom of Eve," a roughly three-and-a-half-page short story by Mary Orr, published in Cosmopolitan magazine in May 1946. Orr received no screen credit on the finished film.▸ The working title Best Performance was changed to All About Eve by Darryl F. Zanuck after he read a line of Addison DeWitt's opening narration in the script.

◆ CASTING & PRE-PRODUCTION▸ Darryl F. Zanuck originally wanted Jeanne Crain for Eve Harrington. When Crain became pregnant, Mankiewicz's final choice was Anne Baxter, whom he believed possessed a "bitch virtuosity" that Crain could not provide.

◆ BETTE DAVIS▸ Davis completed all of her scenes in just 16 days.▸ Bette Davis had just turned 42 when she took on the role of Margo Channing.

◆ THE CAST▸ Celeste Holm: On her first day on set, Holm walked over and said "Good morning" to Davis. Davis replied: "Oh shit, good manners." Holm later said she never voluntarily spoke to Davis again for the rest of the production. Years later, Davis said the "only bitch in the cast" was Holm.▸ George Sanders: All About Eve was Sanders's personal favorite among his own films. He called it "witty, sophisticated, and brilliantly written and directed." The role of Addison DeWitt was his only Oscar nomination — and he won.

◆ ON SET & PRODUCTION▸ The theatre scenes were shot at San Francisco's Curran Theatre at 445 Geary Street, a few blocks from Union Square. The theater remains in business as of 2022.▸ The film's budget was $1.4 million. It grossed $8.4 million at the box office.

◆ SCORE, DIALOGUE & HIDDEN DETAILS▸ "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night" was voted the #9 greatest movie quote of all time by the American Film Institute.▸ As Margo drunkenly ascends the staircase after the cocktail party, the song "Stormy Weather" plays in the background — a pointed allusion to the turbulence ahead in her life.

◆ THE TALLULAH BANKHEAD MYTHOLOGY▸ Bankhead even considered suing 20th Century-Fox, but decided against it because Davis "did such a good job. I've just been witched out of $1,000,000 by Bette being as good as me."

◆ LIFE IMITATING ART▸ Bette Davis fell in love with Gary Merrill during production. They married in July 1950, weeks after filming wrapped, and adopted a daughter they named Margot — after Margo Channing.▸ In 1983, Anne Baxter stepped into Bette Davis's role on the television series Hotel after Davis fell ill. Davis never returned to the show.

◆ AWARDS & RECORDS▸ The film is the only picture in Oscar history to receive four female acting nominations in a single year: Davis and Baxter for Best Actress; Holm and Ritter for Best Supporting Actress.▸ George Sanders's Oscar for Best Supporting Actor was his only career nomination. He won on his first and only try.

◆ LEGACY & CULTURAL FOOTPRINT▸ All About Eve was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry in 1990, among the first 25 films chosen that year, deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."▸ The AFI ranked it #16 on its 1998 list of the 100 Greatest American Films.

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Marty and Cindy cover a hidden favorite with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, 1963 Charade

Charade - Production & Development

• Original script (The Unsuspecting Wife) was rejected by seven studios before Peter Stone serialized it in Redbook—then all wanted it.

• Cary Grant initially declined; Warren Beatty and Natalie Wood were considered before Grant returned.

• Filming began Oct 1962 in Paris; ski scenes shot Jan 1963 in Megève, French Alps.

• Grant (59) objected to the age gap; script revised so Hepburn’s character pursues him.

• Peter Joshua was named after director Stanley Donen’s sons.

• Shot alongside Paris When It Sizzles (1964) using many of the same locations.

Cast Connections & Trivia

• Grant hoped to work with Audrey Hepburn again, but never did.

• Hepburn and Grant were both heavy smokers; Grant quit in 1957.

• Cast includes four Oscar winners: Hepburn, Matthau, Kennedy, Coburn; Grant never won.

• Matthau, Kennedy, and Stone later collaborated on Mirage (1965).

• Screenwriter Peter Stone cameoed (embassy elevator voice by Donen).

• Grant and Matthau both played Walter Burns in separate The Front Page films.

• Grant (Archie Leach) once toured with the Marx Brothers; his film reference is layered.

• Ice-cream scene came from a real Hepburn mishap with Grant’s suit.

• Child actor Thomas Chelimsky later became a physician.

Hitchcock Echoes

• Often called “the best Hitchcock film Hitchcock never made.”

Opening spiral credits echo Vertigo (1958).

• Shower, rooftop, and chase scenes mirror North by Northwest (1959).

• Boat-kiss-to-darkness recalls Hitchcock’s tunnel ending symbolism.

• “Thief” line nods to To Catch a Thief (1955).

• Several actors overlap with Hitchcock films.

Paris Locations

• Showcases 1963 Paris: Champs-Élysées, Les Halles, Palais-Royal, Comédie-Française.

• American Express office (Rue Scribe) and Les Halles no longer exist as filmed.

• Puppet theater: Théâtre Vrai Guignolet (since 1818).

• Metro scenes shot on Line 1 (later extended to La Défense).

• Château de Chillon painting foreshadows Hepburn’s Swiss home purchase.

Stamps, Score & Style

• The $250,000 MacGuffin is rare stamps hidden on an envelope.

• Includes Monaco Princess Grace stamps (Grace Kelly co-starred with Grant).

• Henry Mancini’s score later influenced/plagiarized internationally.

• Funeral cue previews Two for the Road (1967).

• Hepburn’s wardrobe (Givenchy) exceeds what her luggage suggests.

• Credits by Maurice Binder (later James Bond fame).

Release, Legacy & Public Domain

• Film entered public domain due to missing copyright notice.

• Result: many poor-quality prints; best versions come from restored releases.

• Included in the Criterion Collection.

• Selected for the National Film Registry (2022).

• John F. Kennedy screened and praised it in 1963.

• Dialogue was altered post-assassination; later restored.

• Grant referenced the theme in his final film (Walk, Don’t Run, 1966).

• Appeared across multiple AFI nominee lists (comedy, thrills, romance, score).

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Marty and Cindy review a little thought of Christmas comedy movie about escaped convicts and holiday redemption.

Origins & Production

• Based on Albert Husson’s French play “La cuisine des anges” (1952); Paramount bought rights weeks after the Paris premiere

• Broadway adaptation “My Three Angels” (Sam & Bella Spewack) ran 344 performances at the Morosco Theatre in 1953

• Working title: “Angels Cooking”; filmed mid-1954 but not released until July 7, 1955

• Spewacks sued Paramount in Nov. 1955, claiming their stage version was used scene-by-scene without credit

• A 1989 remake (De Niro, Sean Penn, Demi Moore; dir. Neil Jordan, written by David Mamet) shares little beyond the title

Bogart & Curtiz

• Fourth and final Bogart–Curtiz collaboration; prior films: Angels with Dirty Faces, Casablanca, Passage to Marseille

• Bogart embraced the lighter tone — and reportedly pranked the meticulous Curtiz with fake dog droppings on set

• Neither Bogart nor Curtiz was under contract; both came to this Paramount film as free agents

• Second Bogart film set on Devil’s Island — the first was Passage to Marseille (1944), also directed by Curtiz

The Cast

• Joseph (Bogart): the strategist and sole thief — Albert and Jules are technically murderers

• Jules (Ustinov): forger, cook, keeper of Adolphe the viper; many critics said he stole the film from Bogart

• Albert (Aldo Ray): physically imposing but warm-hearted — the gentle giant contrast is the running joke

• André Trochard (Basil Rathbone): imperious villain — his first film feature in nearly a decade

• Adolphe the viper bites both André Trochard and nephew Paul — both die; earns an animated halo at film’s end

Music

• Opening song borrows the melody of “Plaisir d’amour” — same tune Elvis used for “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (1961)

• “Sentimental Moments” (composer Frederick Hollander) was recorded by Eric Clapton for his 2018 Christmas album

• Hollander also wrote “Falling in Love Again” for Marlene Dietrich in The Blue Angel (1930)

Quick Facts

• Set Christmas Eve/Day 1895, Cayenne, French Guiana — shot entirely on Paramount studio sets

• Grossed $3 million in 1955 — 34th highest-grossing film in the U.S./Canada that year

• AFI nominated it for its Top 100 Funniest American Movies list (2000)

• NY Times panned it; Philly Inquirer said Bogart was miscast; Variety called it “breezy”; Hollywood Reporter was enthusiastic

• Audrey Hepburn, Van Heflin, and Irene Dunne were among those considered before final casting

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Cindy and Marty talk about the early family comedy about a arrogant but loving father, Life With Father.

From Broadway to the Screen The original play opened November 8, 1939, and ran 3,224 performances — the longest non-musical run in Broadway history, a record it still holds. Warner Bros. paid $500,000 plus 50% of profits for the film rights, a record sum for a stage property at the time. The playwright, his co-author, and Clarence Day's widow all had veto power over every aspect of the production — not a word of dialogue could be cut without their approval.

The Red Hair Problem Because all the Day men were redheads, the entire principal male cast had their hair dyed on a Sunday morning. Midway through the process, the water for the entire block was shut off for street repairs — leaving the actors at risk of losing their hair to the potent dyes of the era. A crew member saved the day by suggesting they dilute the dye with cold cream.

The Cast Irene Dunne hated the role of Vinnie, calling her too "rattle-brained." Director Curtiz had to plead repeatedly before she agreed. If she had refused, Mary Pickford — retired for 13 years — had already done screen tests and seen the part as her comeback vehicle. Both Shirley Temple and Ann E. Todd tested for the role that went to 15-year-old Elizabeth Taylor, on loan from MGM.

William Powell This was Powell's third and final Oscar nomination for Best Actor. He lost to Ronald Colman — his close friend in real life — for A Double Life, and by all accounts took the loss graciously.

Supporting Standouts Edmund Gwenn, playing the long-suffering Reverend Dr. Lloyd, had just won the Supporting Actor Oscar for Miracle on 34th Street — also released in 1947. Martin Milner, playing son John Day, was the only natural redhead in the cast; he later starred in Adam-12 and Route 66.

The Public Domain Misfortune Due to a clerical error, the film's copyright was never properly renewed, and it fell into the public domain in 1975. This led to decades of inferior releases from degraded prints — a poor fate for a beautifully photographed Technicolor film. Despite this, it holds a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

One Last Fact Clarence Day Jr., who died in 1935, never knew his family memoir would become the longest-running non-musical play in Broadway history, a major Hollywood film, and a network television series.

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Marty and Cindy review one of the 60’s best screen musicals about the farce of corporate advancement.

FROM BROADWAY TO HOLLYWOOD

The Broadway production opened October 14, 1961, ran 1,417 performances, and won seven Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Actor for Robert Morse. It also won the 1962 Pulitzer Prize in Drama—only the fourth musical to receive that honor.

Robert Morse, Rudy Vallee, Ruth Kobart, Sammy Smith, and Michele Lee all recreated their Broadway roles for the film. It was Michele Lee's feature film debut.

The Mirisch Company paid $1,000,000 for the film rights in 1964; total production costs reached approximately $2.5 million.

THE BOOK THAT STARTED IT ALL

Shepherd Mead's satirical self-help book was published by Simon and Schuster in 1952—a genuine career-advice parody that mocked the genre while participating in it. The jokeworks because the advice isn't entirely unlike what real business books of the era offered.

CASTING AND CHARACTERS

Tony Curtis expressed interest in playing Finch in 1964, though he was nearly 40. Dick Van Dyke was briefly considered but dismissed the idea himself. Tony Randall was considered for the book's narrator voice; the role went to Carl Princi.

Finch states he is 27 in the film. Robert Morse was 36 during production.

The character's name, J. Pierrepont Finch, nods to J. Pierpont Morgan. The VP of Advertising's name, Benjamin Burton Daniel Ovington, spells BBDO—a real advertising agencygiant. Biggley's desk is shaped like a question mark.

THE SONGS

All of Rosemary's solo songs were cut. To compensate, Michele Lee was given a full version of "I Believe in You" earlier in the film, making Finch's washroom performance the reprise.

"Coffee Break" was filmed but cut due to Radio City Music Hall's strict two-hour limit. The footage was subsequently lost—the song survives only on the soundtrack album.

"I Believe in You" was the score's only genuine hit, recorded by Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Bobby Darin, and Dionne Warwick. It appeared on the AFI's 2004 nominees for Greatest Songs in American Film History.

BOB FOSSE AND CHOREOGRAPHY

Bob Fosse's Broadway choreography was retained rather than replaced—unusual for Hollywood adaptations. His style is visible throughout: turned-in knees, corporate precision, human bodies conforming to institutional geometry.

The "Brotherhood of Man" finale—a gospel revival erupting immediately after the board votes to destroy Finch—is the film's choreographic centerpiece.

Fosse's film directing debut came later with Sweet Charity (1969); by 1973 he won the Oscar, Tony, and Emmy in the same year—the only person ever to do so.

PRODUCTION DETAILS

The World Wide Wicket exterior was the Union Carbide Building at 270 Park Avenue, demolished in 2021.

The film was shot in widescreen (2.35:1) by cinematographer Burnett Guffey, with visual gags contributed by cartoonist Virgil Partch. The score was conducted by Nelson Riddle.

CULTURAL REFERENCES

The original book was serialized in Playboy—hence Gatch's line "I really have to stop reading Playboy."

Ponty's reference to "unrigged" game shows nods to the 1957–58 game show scandal.

George Fenneman, the TV host in the film, was the real-life announcer onGroucho Marx's You Bet Your Life.

In the stage tradition, Twimble and Wally Womper are played by the same actor. Sammy Smith, who originated both roles on Broadway, does so here as well.

LEGACY

The film failed to recoup its investment despite critical praise and holds a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Broadway revivals starred Matthew Broderick (1995) and Daniel Radcliffe (2011). The 1987 film The Secret of My Success and the 1988 Working Girl both revisit similar themes.

Tucker Smith (Ice in West Side Story) and Robert Osborne of Turner Classic Movies each appear in uncredited roles.

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