Ginger Rogers and 1940's romanticism

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What better way to spend some time off from school than to shut away the modern world with its economic shenanigans and idealogical backstabbery, instead opting to immerse myself in a fantastical world that once existed--not necessarily in real life, but in the hearts and minds of so many people. Of course, I'm talking about romantic Hollywood, circa 1940. Even then the world was changing at a fast pace, and atrocities were rampant. And as we today find it necessary to find comfort in superheroes plastered in CGI, the men and women during WWII found comfort in quality movies--not about superheroes, but about everyday people in super situations. Thus, 1940's romanticism was borne. And for those of us who find no comfort in surreal superheros with stock personalities, there is still the world of the 1940's to fall back to. The best of this 40's romanticism can be found in its romantic comedy area. And while there are many good romantic comedies from that era to choose from, today i will tell you about a few that i think are especially good. Now ever since i saw Ginger Rogers in "Vivacious Lady," i have wanted to see her in other similar movies. And eureka, i have found some!

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The first one is called "The Major and the Minor." This movie was the great Billy Wilder's first directed movie in America--and i actually enjoyed it more than my other Wilder favorites Some like it Hot and The Seven Year Itch.

This movie is one of those movies where the main character unwittingly finds themselves in a strange situation where they have to pretend to be someone they're not. These kind of movies are best when the person must traverse the threshold of class, sex, or even age (think movies like Freaky Friday, Tootsie, Connie and Carla (Ruth!), or nuns on the run--and even Wilder's Some like it Hot. For some reason, i think the best comedy comes from movies of this nature, movies built upon a great misunderstanding of a person's place in society and the ensuing hilarity that comes from watching the person squirm--because you know that if you were ever in that situation, you'd crack!

So in this movie, Ginger Rogers tries to board a train, but she doesn't have enough money, so in order to get a discount, she decides to pass herself off as being 12 years old , which seems to work relatively well. However, she soon finds herself meeting up with a Major in the army who takes a shine to the "young" girl and goes out of his way to help her on her journey. Needless to say, hilarity ensues.

The script is flawless, and Ginger's acting is superb. It was a joy to watch from beginning to end. I highly recommend this one. And luckily, if you want to check it out, you can find most of it on Youtube (i say most of it because part 9/16 is missing, which loses about 8 minutes of the film. Still it's watchable). Also, you could rent it too, then you could see the whole thing.

Trailer:

Part 1 on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rflYMvOdFrk

The rest can be found on this person's profile: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=kirstin1986&view=videos

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The second movie is another Ginger Rogers movie called "Bachelor Mother." This delight also is based on a misunderstanding. Ginger's character is mistakingly taken to be the mother of an abandoned baby. She tries to get rid of it, but finds it difficult to do. Again, Ginger's acting really makes this film (although David Niven is fantastic in it too--along with the great Charles Coburn.

It also makes a good accidental rags to riches story. It's available to watch on youtube--in its entirety. So check it out! (you can find it at the aforementioned youtube profile)

Trailer:

So if you want to escape the drudge and dive into that cloud of fog that covers the valley 1940's romanticism, you will find an unexpected delight in watching these movies, which, at least for me, is far more comforting--and entertaining--than any over-the-top blockbuster movie that you will find available today.