Words & Music (1948) - Star of the month... Gene Kelly

'Words and Music' is a 1948 MGM musical directed by Norman Taurog and starring Tom Drake as  Richard Rodgers and Mickey Rooney as Lorenz Hart with Betty Garrett, Janet Leigh, Ann Sothern, Perry Como and Marshall Thompson.

June Allyson sings 'Thou Swell' with the Blackburn twins

Produced by Arthur Freed and loosely based on the lives and music of Rodgers and Hart, 'Words and Music' features guest appearances from Judy Garland, June Allyson, Lena Horne, Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse, Vera-Ellen and Mel Tormé.

The film tells the story of Rodgers & Hart from their first meeting through a mutual friend Herb (played by Thompson), to the death of Lorenz Hart. Intertwined are the woman they loved, including Peggy Lorgan McNeil (played by Garrett), Joyce Harmon (played by Sothern) and Dorothy Feiner (played by Leigh).

Watch the trailer:

Musical program

The film's musical program features 17 Rodgers & Hart's most memorable songs, including:

• "Main Titles: Lover" - MGM Chorus
• "Manhattan" - Mickey Rooney, Tom Drake & Marshall Thompson
• "Way Out West" - Betty Garrett
• "There's a Small Hotel" - Betty Garrett
• "Mountain Greenery" - Perry Como & Cyd Charisse
• "Where's That Rainbow?" - Ann Sothern
• "On Your Toes" - Cyd Charisse & Dee Turnell
• "This Can't Be Love" - danced by Cyd Charisse & Dee Turnell
• "Thou Swell" - June Allyson with Ramon Blackburn & Royce Blackburn
• "The Blue Room" - Perry Como (with Cyd Charisse)
• "With A Song in my Heart" - Tom Drake
• "Where or When" - Lena Horne
• "The Lady is A Tramp" - Lena Horne
• "I Wish I Were In Love Again" - Judy Garland & Mickey Rooney
• "Blue Moon" - Mel Tormé
• "Spring Is Here" - Mickey Rooney
• "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" - Gene Kelly & Cyd Charisse
• "With a Song In My Heart" (Reprise) - Perry Como

Song: "I Wish I Were In Love Again" - Judy Garland & Mickey Rooney

Song: "Johnny One Note" - Judy Garland

Song: "Manhattan" - Mickey Rooney

Song: "Thou Swell" - June Allyson

Song: "The Lady Is A Tramp" - Lena Horne

Song: "Slaughter on 10th Avenue" - Gene Kelly & Vera-Ellen

Song: "Mountain Greenery" - Perry Como & Cyd Charisse

Deleted songs

The following songs were either deleted or shortened for the final release of the film:

• Gene Kelly & Vera-Ellen singing "Falling in Love With Love"
• The complete version of Betty Garrett singing "Way Out West (On West End Avenue)" - the footage of the extended version is lost
• Betty Garrett singing "My Funny Valentine"
• Perry Como singing the song "Lover" - footage from this song are featured in the film's trailer and on the 2007 Warner Bros. DVD
• Perry Como singing "Your Nearer" - footage from this song is featured on the 2007 Warner Bros. DVD
• Perry Como singing "My Heart Stood Still"
• Perry Como singing "I Feel at Home With You"
• An extended version of "Manhattan", sung by Mickey Rooney, Tom Drake & Marshall Thompson
• An extended version of "On Your Toes/The Girl Friend/ This Can't Be Love"

Judy Garland & Mickey Rooney in their last musical
number together "I Wish I Were In Love Again"

Did you know...

• This was the last time Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney appeared in a film together
• The film was very expensive to make, and barely recouped it's production cost, despite it being a successful film
• Richard Rodgers reportedly disliked everything about this film, except for the casting of Janet Leigh as his wife
• Judy Garland was paid $100,000 for this film (the equivalent of what she owed MGM for medical calls) - by the end of the film, she had paid back her studio debt, but made nothing
• Although Judy Garland's two songs are sung at the same party, both songs were filmed four months apart - look closely and you'll notice Judy's  longer hair and slight weight gain in "Johnny One-Note"
• Lena Horne's scene was specially filmed in a way to enable the scene to be cut from some Southern states without impacting the storyline
• This was the second of producer Arthur Freed's series of Broadway composer biography films

Goofs & flubs...

• The song "Mountain Greenery" did not feature in the 1928 production of "Garrick Gaieties" as indicated in the film

Closing remarks

Gene Kelly & Vera-Ellen in 'Slaughter on 10th Ave'

'Words and Music' is yet another composer biography film of the 1940s. Although it's not the best one, it is still entertaining and jam-packed with enough MGM stars to excite any movie goer. 

The film contains many inaccuracies and should be viewed as a fictional story loosely based on the lives of Rodgers & Hart.  For example, due to strict Hollywood censorship regulations, the film is unable to present Lorenz Hart's homosexuality, and instead portray's Hart as a bashful and secure bachelor unable to find a wife.

The ending is a disappointment - it virtually cuts off without giving sufficient closure to the story and illness of Lorenz Hart.

Lady in a Cage (1964) - Star of the month... Olivia de Havilland

"Take anything you want, but in the name of humanity help me get out of this horrible cage!" - Olivia de Havilland (as Cornelia Hilyard in 'Lady in a Cage')


'Lady in a Cage' is a 1964 horror/thriller starring Olivia de Havilland, Ann Sothern, Jennifer Billingsley and James Caan.

The telephone... So near, yet so far

Cornelia Hilyard (played by de Havilland) is a wealthy middle aged woman living in a 3-story mansion with her 29 year old son Malcolm. Following hip surgery, Cornelia has a private elevator installed to help her commute from floor to floor.
Shortly after Malcolm leaves for a weekend away, there is a power failure, which leaves Cornelia trapped in her elevator, stranded between floors. A virtual prisoner in her home, Cornelia is robbed and terrorised by a drunk, a prostitute and a gang of 3 thugs.

Watch the trailer:

The opening title sequence

The opening title sequence is well crafted with montage shots of some disturbing images intercut with the credits. Some of the images include a dead dog, and a young girl rolling her roller skate over a homeless man laying in a gutter. This presents the spectator of a preview of the disturbing images to come.

Key themes

'Lady in a Cage' is a social commentary of 1960s United States, and the degradation and decaying of family values in society.

Firstly the rise of gang warfare and violence is presented with the gang of thugs breaking into Cornelia's home, and violently robbing and damaging her property. The film also explores violence against women with Randall beating his girlfriend Elaine for being smart, and also the scene with Esse pushing his knife against Sade's neck.

'Lady in a Cage' also plays on sexuality:

• The scene where Randall, Elaine and Esse are in the bathroom together hints at a potential male-female-male threesome
• Malcolm Hilyard, still living and home, is depicted as being homosexual having addressed the letter to his mother as "Dear Darling", with one of the thugs Esse commenting: "This whole letter. It sounds real... what you might say... gay", immediately followed by Randall asking Cornelia "Is your litle boy married?"

A domestic terror

The core of what makes 'Lady in a Cage' so terrifying is most of the events occurring within Cornelia's home - the one place where she should feel safe and secure. It leaves us as the spectator to consider, if Cornelia is unable to be safe within her own home, how can we be safe outside of our homes. In a desperate plea to stop the terror, Cornelia even makes an offer to her attackers: "I'll pay you to stop this animal orgy, $10,000 in cash."

The second domestic terror lies within Cornelia's mind. Towards the end of the film Cornelia's journey of self discovery brings her to the realisation of her controlling and manipulative maternal behaviour, driving her son to the verge of suicide. 

Did you know...

• This was James Caan's first "credited" feature film role - Caan had previously appeared uncredited in 'Irma La Douche' (1963).
• Joan Crawford was initially intended to play the role of Cornelia Hilyard
• The film was refused certification in the UK by the BBFC and remained banned until 2000

Closing remarks

'Lady in a Cage' is a gripping, suspenseful and claustrophobic psychological drama with three brilliant, yet very different performances:

• James Caan delivers a chilling and disturbing performance as the lead thug in his first credited feature film appearance
• Olivia de Havilland (as usual) does not disappoint with her powerful portrayal of the victimised Cornelia
• Screen legend Ann Sothern also steals every scene she's in as drunken prostitute, Sade.

Sadly this film was ahead of it's time and considered to be obcene. Had the film been released 10 years later, I am almost certain the three aforementioned performances would have received Oscar nominations.

When this film was first released in 1964, it terrorised and disturbed film goers, but watching it in 2012 we do not feel the same degree of terror. The disturbing thing about this is the realisation as to how desensitised we are to view films with violence and sadistic themes.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed 'Lady in a Cage' and would strongly recommend it to anyone who enjoys suspense and thrills.