The Secret Heart(1946).

The Secret Heart(1946). Directed by Robert Z. Leonard. Cast: Claudette Colbert, Walter Pidgeon and June Allyson.

Lee is engaged to marry Larry Adams, a alcoholic widower with two children, Chase and Penny. While returning home on an ocean liner, she meets and falls in love with Chris Matthews, a friend of Larry's. Even though she loves Chris, she marries Larry, and moves to his farm in Rhode Island. Larry's talent is playing the piano, which he teaches Penny. Over the next two years Lee tries to live with his alcoholism. On evening while Lee is out with Chris, Larry's body found at the bottom of a cliff. He had committed suicide after embezzling money from his clients. Lee moves the family away from the farm, to New York where she takes a job to pay off Larry's debts, and keeps the truth from Penny, wanting to protect her.

Ten years later, a troubled Penny, drops out of school and is always playing the piano. Lee, now concerned goes to see psychiatrist Dr. Rossiger, and the story up to this point is told in flashback: The doctor advises that they move back to the farm for the summer, since that is where Larry died, and he believes that confronting the past will help cure Penny. Chase returns home from the navy and lands a job with Chris, who now owns a shipyard. He introduces Penny to his navy buddy Brandon Reynolds. They all move to the farm, together with Chase's friend Kay Burns, where Chris comes back into Lee's life after a ten-year absence, and Lee realizes that it was Chris she has always loved. Once at the farm, Chase tells Penny the truth, and she becomes despondent. Although, Brandon is interested in Penny, she loves Chris, and is heartbroken when she finds him in Lee's arms. Penny then tries to kill herself by jumping off a cliff, as Larry had done. Will Lee get there in time to prevent it?

This movie is an interesting psychological study of a young girl obsessed with the memory of her dead father.

Fun Fact:

After filming The Secret Heart together, Claudette Colbert and co-star June Allyson became such great friends in real life Colbert became godmother to Allyson's daughter Pamela.

Elizabeth Patterson (November 22, 1875 – January 31, 1966) was a film and television character actress remembered for her portrayal of elderly neighbor Matilda Trumbull on I Love Lucy.

Patterson's acting in college theatricals, began her interest in drama. Her parents sent her to Europe in the hope of discouraging her from the theater, but her determination to become an actress was only reinforced by her experiences attending productions at the Comédie Française.

After returning from Europe, Patterson move to Chicago, where she joined a theatrical troupe, and toured with repertory companies. In 1913, she made her Broadway debut in the play, Everyman. She remained active in New York City theatre through 1954.

In 1926, at the age of 51, Patterson was cast in her first movie, The Boy Friend. She also performed in the films: A Bill of Divorcement, Tarnished Lady, Dinner at Eight, High, Wide, and Handsome, Intruder in the Dust, Remember the Night, No Man of Her Own, The Shocking Miss Pilgrim, Little Women, My Sister Eileen and Pal Joey.

Never married, Patterson lived alone at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel during her thirty five-year movie career.

Claudette Colbert.

Claudette Colbert, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for three films, It Happened One Night (1935), Private Worlds (1936), and Since You Went Away (1945), winning for It Happened One Night.

Video: Full length movie of It Happened One Night.



Claudette Colbert, is the only actress in the history of cinema to star in three films in the same year to be nominated for Best Picture Academy Award, those films being Cleopatra, Imitation of Life, and It Happened One Night which were all made in 1934.

Please click here to learn more about Claudette Colbert.

Personal Quotes:
"Most of us don't know about happiness until it's over".

Tomorrow Is Forever(1946).

Tomorrow Is Forever(1946). Directed by Irving Pichel. Cast: Claudette Colbert, Orson Welles and George Brent. The music score is by Max Steiner. It also features the eight-year-old Natalie Wood in her first credited role.

After Elizabeth MacDonald, receives word that her husband, John Andrew, has been killed in the war. She faints at work and is taken in by her bosses, Larry Hamilton, aunt Jessie, who informs him that Elizabeth is pregnant.

In a German hospital, John is badly injured and decides not to give his real name, so everyone will still believe that he was killed in the war..

Elizabeth, gives birth to a boy, who she names John Andrew and accepts Larry's marriage proposal. Twenty years later, as the threat of war in Europe begins, Elizabeth, is holding on to all hope that her son John Jr., will not be called to duty.

John the father who is now crippled, lives in Austria and calls himself Erich Kessler, begins making plans to return to Baltimore, with his foster daughter Margaret, to work as a chemist at the Hamilton factory. After arriving, John takes Margaret, to the house, in which he and Elizabeth, used to live and tries to find out if his wife Elizabeth, still lives there. Later John, checks in with his new employer Larry, and is unaware that he is married to Elizabeth, accepts his dinner invitation.

John, is shocked when he sees Elizabeth, who does not recognise him, but, she does sense something familiar about him. John, then is introduced to John Jr. and it is not long before he realizes that is his son. Now, John must decide whether or not to reveal his true identity.

This is a very touching story, with wonderful performances by Claudette Colbert and Orson Welles. Anyone, who loves a good old-fashioned love story, will want give this movie a try.

CMBA Blogathon - Movies of 1939: Midnight(1939).

Midnight (1939). Romantic/ comedy. Director: Mitchell Leisen. Written by Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder based on a story by Edwin Justus Mayer and Franz Schulz. Cast: Claudette Colbert, Don Ameche and John Barrymore.

Eve Peabody an American showgirl, finds herself stranded in Paris one rainy night. Eve makes a deal with cab driver Tibor Czerny, to double his fee for driving her from nightclub to nightclub looking for a job. Eve, decides to run away from him when it looks like he is becoming interested in her. She hides from him at a charity event where she meets, millionaire Georges Flammarion.

The adventure begins after Georges gives her the title of the Baroness Czerny and Eve finds herself in a room at the Ritz, every girls dream, with beautiful clothes and a chauffeured limousine. Later that morning, Georges, appears at the Ritz to offer Eve the job of taking Jacques away from Helen. She accepts the job and his weekend invitation at his home. That same day, Tibor has organized the cab drivers of Paris to find Eve and on a tip, he finds her at the Flammarion chateau. Just as Helen is about to expose Eve as an impostor, Tibor arrives as the Baron to claim his wife. Will they be able to keep up the crazy charade?

Favorite quote: Eve Peabody: (at the ball) Don't forget, every Cinderella has her midnight.

This is my second Midnight movie review. I thought the story was magical. Once again, Claudette Colbert shows that she is a wonderful comedian. Don Ameche, gives one of my favorite performances. Mary Astor, combines beauty and meanness into a wonderful performance.

Please click here to view Dawn's first Midnight(1939) movie review.

Claudette Colbert ( September 13, 1903 – July 30, 1996), was a French-born American stage and film actress. Claudette began her career on Broadway during the 1920s, moving onto talking pictures. She began a successful film career with Paramount Pictures and later, as a freelance performer. Claudette was recognized as one of the leading women of screwball comedy. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in the film, It Happened One Night (1934), and also received Academy Award nominations for her dramatic roles in Private Worlds (1935) and Since You Went Away (1944).

Her film career began to decline in the 1950s, and she made her last film in 1961. Colbert continued to act in theater and, briefly, in television during her later years.

Don Ameche (May 31, 1908 – December 6, 1993) was an Academy Award winning actor. Ameche was a versatile and popular film actor in the 1930s and '40s, usually as the handsome, leading man. He was also popular as a radio master of ceremonies during this time. As his film popularity began to fade in the 1950s, he continued working in theater and some TV. His film career made a comeback in the 1980s as an aging millionaire in, Trading Places (1983) and in the film,Cocoon (1985).

John Barrymore (February 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942). He began his acting career as a handsome stage actor in light comedy. His success continued in movies in both the silent and sound eras. John Barrymore is mostly known for his roles in movies like, Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde (1920), Grand Hotel (1932), Dinner at Eight (1933), Twentieth Century (1934), and Don Juan (1926). He was the brother of Lionel Barrymore and Ethel Barrymore and was the paternal grandfather of, Drew Barrymore.

Mary Astor (May 3, 1906 – September 25, 1987) was most remembered for her performance in the film, The Maltese Falcon (1941) with Humphrey Bogart. Astor began her long motion picture career as a teenager in the silent movies of the 1920s.

She made a successful transition to talkies, eventually winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the film, The Great Lie (1941). She was an MGM contract player through most of the 1940s and continued to act in movies, on television and on stage until her retirement from the screen in 1964. Astor was the author of five novels. Her autobiography became a bestseller, as did her later book, A Life on Film, which was about her career.

She Married Her Boss(1935).

She Married Her Boss(1935). Directed by Gregory La Cava. Cast: Claudette Colbert and Melvyn Douglas.

The story begins when, secretary Julia Scott, who is in love with her boss, Richard Barclay, the owner of Barclay's Department Store, who unfortunately only thinks of her as his right "hand man." Julia, is offered her dream job working in Paris, but she, turns it down because of her love for Richard. Julia, decides it is time to tell Richard about her feelings. While working late at his home, Julia finds Richard's hysterical sister Gertrude, his brat of a daughter Annabel. Richard, tells Julia to take charge of the house and she fires the servants and gives Annabel, a much needed spanking.

The next day, Julia finds out that her friend Martha, has gone to Richard and told him that Julia, has taken the job in Paris. When Richard asks Julia about it, she says she wants to go to Paris, to find a husband.

Later that same day, everyone, is in an uproar over the sudden, marriage of Richard and Julia. Heartbroken, Julia learns that Richard, sees her more as a business partner than a wife. The next morning, Julia decides not to go into the office so she can settle into her new home. Without her, there is trouble in the office and Julia has her own troubles at home. Martha, comes to visit Julia with Leonard Rogers, a womanizer who has just sold his department store to Richard. When Richard arrives home, he finds Julia, Leonard and Annabel singing together and tells Julia, that he doesn't think their marriage is working out. Julia tells him that she will return to the office the next day. Instead of returning to the office, Julia heads to Philadelphia to manage the Rogers store. After two weeks, Julia has the Philadelphia store in shape and her feelings are hurt, when Richard tells her to take her time in returning home. That night, Julia agrees to go out with Leonard and the two end up drunk in a display window of the department store. Two newspaper photographers, take pictures of the couple and the next day their picture is front page news. Will Richard travel to Philadelphia, to bring Julia back to New York?

Although, the story maybe a little unbelievable, it is still a cute film. One of my favorite scenes is when, Colbert and Bartlett host a cocktail party in the shop window of a department store, with shop mannequins as the guests.

Melvyn Hesselberg (April 5, 1901 – August 4, 1981). Douglas shared top billing with Boris Karloff and Charles Laughton in the films, The Old Dark House (1932), The Vampire Bat(1932), She Married Her Boss(1935). He played opposite Joan Crawford in several films, although.. best known for, A Woman's Face (1941). He also performed with Greta Garbo in three films, As You Desire Me (1932), Ninotchka (1939) and Garbo's final film, Two-Faced Woman (1941).

During World War II, Douglas served in the United States Army and when he returned home he performed  in the films, The Sea of Grass and Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House.

As Douglas grew older, he took father type roles, The Americanization of Emily (1964), Hud (1963), for which he won his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, The Candidate (1972) and I Never Sang for My Father (1970), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. He won his second Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the dark comedy, Being There (1979). Douglas' final screen performancewas in the film, Ghost Story (1981). He did not finish his role in the film The Hot Touch (1982) before his death.

Pawsome Pet Pictures: Claudette Colbert