What classics did you see last week? (17 May to 23 May)

Ever Since Eve (1937)--Marion Davies stars in her final film, which is too bad. Judging by this fast-moving screwball comedy, she still had the energy and comic timing to continue making comedies, if that Hearst guy hadn't gotten in the way. A lot of good supporting actors (Patsy Kelly, Allen Jenkins, Frank McHugh) help move the comedy along. The premise (Davies disguises herself as a homely, matronly secretary to Robert Montgomery by wearing glasses
and a frumpy outfit and wig; he doesn't recognize her as the attractive blonde he falls in love with) is silly, but Davies manages to make it work. A slight,
but amusing comedy.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941)--Alfred Hitchcock made this supposedly screwball comedy, which doesn't quite work. The pacing is uneven, and the screwball elements seem a little forced. For a director whose suspense thrillers are full of humor, Hitchcock's attempts at comedy here often seem more awkward than funny. His only other straight comedy, The Farmer's Wife, seems to work better than this. Mainly for fans of Carole Lombard and Hitchcock completists.

Stripes (1981)--This was a big hit when it came out; seeing it for the first time last week was a huge disappointment for me. While I wasn't expecting an original premise (it sounded like a ripoff off the previous year's Private Benjamin), I at least thought it would have a decent story and have some funny moments. Unfortunately, it comes off as a lazy attempt to capitalize on the success of SNL and Second City alumni--Bill Murray smirks and makes snide
comments throughout the movie, and the audience is expected to find this charming and hilarious. The basic training sequences are good, but the second half of the film is just a mess, as if Murray and co-star Harold Ramis just made it up as they went along and told themselves that audiences would laugh at anything they did. Supposedly, army recruitment increased after the release of this film; sad to think about. Warren Oates is good, anyway; at least someone was making an effort.

Child's Play (1954)--Goofy British comedy, apparently aimed at the kiddie matinee crowd of the 1950s, in which an "Our Gang" group of children create mischief and enrage the local police. Their mischief consists mainly of blowing things up and fooling around with atomic energy, resulting in some kind of 
mutated popcorn which they disperse among everyone in their village--yep, contaminating everyone with radioactive popcorn is fun! It's all ridiculous, but it's kind of fun to see glimpses of 1950s village life--the candy shop, the carnival, etc. The kids are weirdly charming, and  it's a mildly amusing time-waster of a movie.