What I Watched in August

An overview of what I watched in August. All of the films I watched for Summer Under the Stars can be viewed under its own tag, here.

Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957)

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This was a fun spoof of fan culture and the advertising industry, with stellar performances by Tony Randall and Jayne Mansfield. I loved all the pop culture Easter eggs and the surprise cameo at the very end! Plus, Betsy Drake had me in stitches at various points, like her mimicking of Jayne Mansfield's girlish squeal, walking into an elevator with the brim of her hat pulled down over her eyes, and exercising in wedge sandals. 

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

via filmsandfeelings

First of all: can we take a second to appreciate this on-screen pairing and how we were blessed with not one but two films starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford? How their combined handsomeness didn't melt the film is beyond me. 

Now, on a serious note, what a delight. I loved The Sting when I saw it years ago but somehow never sat down to watch Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid until it was Redford's Summer Under the Stars day. Shame on me! 

The jumping-off-the-cliff scene has been replaying in my head ever since I watched this. Particularly Redford's delivery of "I can't swim!" and that little head duck; and Newman busting a gut being like, "Why, you crazy? The fall'll probably kill ya!" 

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946)

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I may have enjoyed Van Heflin's Day more than I was anticipating (bolstered by choosing Seven Sweethearts with Kathryn Grayson on her day). I'm not much of a Stanwyck fan (though I can appreciate that she's supremely talented), but I was enthralled by Van Heflin. 

Father Goose (1964)

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I love this kind of sentimental movie. It's like The Sound of Music on an island in the South Pacific where Cary Grant is the Fraulein Maria and the Captain von Trapp. 

Wicked Stepmother (1989)

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Oh Bette... I don't blame you for walking off the set of this movie.

What's the Matter With Helen? (1971)

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This was not the movie to watch at 1am with the lights out, but god damn if it isn't wonderfully acted by Debbie Reynolds and Shirley Winters. The less said about the plot and the overall movie, the better, but they were both phenomenal. 

Susan Slade (1961)

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Melodrama dialed up to an eleven, but you know I love this kind of movie! 

Lovely to Look At (1952)

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Roberta is my favourite Fred and Ginger flick, so I was stoked when I saw this loose remake starring Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel on her Summer Under the Stars day. It's not as good as the original but it's pretty close to perfect, in my opinion. 

How Sweet It Is! (1968)

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An overly-convoluted story about marriage and fidelity starring two of my faves of the era, Debbie Reynolds and James Garner. 

ALSO WATCHED: 

Good Sam (1948)
Patterns (1956)
Fire Maidens from Outer Space (1956)
Pocket Money (1972)