Entertainment

Many movies were viewed in the last week. I saw "The Hunger Games" on Saturday with C and Z. We all loved it. I went with no expectations at all, having often been disappointed with movie adaptations of novels in the past. This movie was really well done, as suspenseful as the book and often very moving. I was interested in Z's reaction as she hasn't read the book. She really enjoyed it and admitted to being on the edge of her seat wondering what would happen next.
E also saw it on Thursday and again on Saturday evening. She was similarily impressed.

***

Up to 1940 in the movie rewatch. Still right in the thick of Hollywood's golden years.
A couple of comedies to begin with. Cary Grant starred in both. Bonus!
"The Philadelphia Story" is still as wonderful as ever. Full of sharp, witty dialogue and endlessly amusing scenes. A terrific cast too.

Cary Grant had such great chemistry with his leading ladies, especially Katharine Hepburn and Irene Dunne. He made several films with these two actresses.
"My Favourite Wife" with Grant and Irene Dunne is one of my favourite screwball comedies.
Grant is a lawyer whose supposedly dead wife (missing for seven years) turns up the day he marries another woman. To complicate matters, she had been stranded on a deserted island with another man (Randolph Scott) for those seven years. Highly entertaining hijinks result.

Next, "Pride and Prejudice" starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier. An amusing adaptation of the famous novel. Some liberties have been taken regarding the time period in which this is set. The elaborate costumes are more late 1800's than earlier. Olivier is perfect as Mr Darcy, and I say this as a  big, big fan of Colin Firth in the more recent BBC production.

 I could listen to Olivier's divine accent all day.

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again....."

"Rebecca", directed by Alfred Hitchcock,  stars Laurence Olivier who portrays the wealthy and secretive Maxim De Winter and Joan Fontaine as his sweet and awkward (unnamed) second wife. I have a great fondness for the original novel by Daphne Du Maurier as it was one of the first "grown up'' books I ever read long, long ago. The movie follows the book pretty faithfully except for one fairly major plot point, but I understand this diversion was due to some ethical regulation re movie content at the time.

It's a little melodramatic at times but mostly wonderful, with some some classic Hitchcock suspense.

Joan Fontaine, adorable in twinset and pearls.

Yes, my blog alias is the name of the glorious mansion in "Rebecca", but it is also a not-so-subtle play on my own name......