Keep Your Powder Dry(1945).

Keep Your Powder Dry(1945). Drama starring Lana Turner, Susan Peters, and Laraine Day. The film was directed by Edward Buzzell and written by George Bruce and Mary C. McCall, Jr.

One sunny morning Valerie Parks, is told by the family attorney, that she will not receive her trust fund until she proves that she deserves it, so she decides to join the WACS. Next.. on the list to join, Ann Darrison, who decides to enlist after her serviceman husband John is sent overseas. Last, but not least is Leigh Rand, the daughter of a military family, who also decides enlists.

The three new recruits, meet on the way to the Ft. Des Moines training camp and Leigh and Val, instantly develop a dislike for each other and Darrison becomes the mediator, when all three are assigned as mechanics, in the same unit. Leigh challenges Val, saying she never will complete basic training. Val, proves her wrong and does very well in class. Val and Leigh, eventually become friends and all three girls are accepted into Officers' Candidate School.

One day, Capt. Bill Barclay, a friend of Ann's husband, arrives at their base to visit Ann. Later, Bill meets Val and asks her on a date, Leigh, who is attracted to Bill herself, reminds them that enlisted WACS are forbidden to date officers. Leigh arranges for Val, to be assigned to duty that night to prevent them from meeting. Which angers Val and so ends their friendship.

Later Val, receives a telegram from her attorney, telling her that he is in town, she goes to meet him. Instead, she is met by her old friends Harriet and a drunken Junior Vanderheusen. Val tells her friends, that she plans to stay in the military and gives them a piece of her mind. Insulted, Junior spills his drink on Val's uniform.

Knowing that she cannot return to the barracks smelling of alcohol, Val goes to see Leigh, who is on leave and staying in the next room. Val, begs her to bring her a clean uniform in the morning. Leigh agrees, but when she returns to the hotel the next morning with the clean uniform, she runs into Junior in the elevator.

After learning from Junior, that Val only joined the military to receive her inheritance. Leigh, launches into a campaign to get rid of Val. Two days before graduation, Val, unable to stand her abuse, slaps Leigh in the face and marches off the field.

Later when Val, refuses to stick up for herself to their commanding officer, Lt. Colonel Spottiswoode. The officer calls Leigh, before the board and informs her that her platoon has rated her unfit to be an officer. Leigh, takes the blame for Val's outburst.

Col. Spottiswoode goes to see Anne and informs her that her husband has been killed in combat. When Leigh and Val, hear about Ann's loss, her courage shames them into staying the corps.



I recently saw this classic movie on TCM for the first time. I would call it a female version of a WWII buddy movie. Agnes Moorehead, Natalie Schafer and June Lockhart have supporting roles.

Susan Peters (July 3, 1921 – October 23, 1952). Her first job was to read with potential actors in their screen tests. Before long she had impressed studio executives with her own talent, and they began casting her in films.

For the first two years she used her given name and played small, uncredited parts in the film, Meet John Doe (1941). Her first substantial role was in the film, Random Harvest (1942), which earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination. MGM, cast her in the starring role in the film, Song of Russia (1943).

Peters was married to the actor Richard Quine on November 7, 1943. A couple of months after performing in the film, Keep Your Powder Dry, Peters and her husband were duck hunting when a rifle accidentally discharged, causing a bullet to be lodged in her spine. The accident left her permanently paralyzed from the waist down. Peters attempted to continue her acting career.

MGM continued to pay her salary, unable to find suitable projects, Peters left the studio. She returned for the lead role in, The Sign of the Ram (1948). Unfortunately, her disability made her a difficult actress to cast.

Black Narcissus(1947).

Black Narcissus(1947). British director-writer team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, based on the novel of the same name by Rumer Godden. It is a psychological drama about the emotional problems that happen within a convent of nuns in a Himalayan valley. Cast: Deborah Kerr, Sabu, David Farrar and Flora Robson, and features Esmond Knight, Jean Simmons and Kathleen Byron.

A group of nuns, headed by the young and inexperienced Sister Clodagh, is sent to the Himalayas to open a convent with a school and a clinic. They live in a beautiful palace.

Sister Clodagh arrives with Sister Briony, picked for her strength; Sister Philippa, for her gardening skills; Sister Honey, the most popular nun; and Sister Ruth, who is in poor health and wants a challenge. Having trouble communicating with the people, the Sisters must rely on the manager, Mr. Dean, an Englishman. Sister Clodagh takes in Kanchi, an Indian girl turned away from her family, and the Young General, looking for an education. The high altitude has ill effects on their memories and even for one nun, madness.

This film is one of the most beautifully photographed color movies I have seen. The most stunning scenes happens near the end of the movie. Ruth's mental disintegration is very sad and her change in appearance will take your breath away. (bottom picture).

Kathleen Byron (11 January 1921 – 18 January 2009). She trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. She made her film debut in Carol Reed's The Young Mr Pitt (1942), in which she had two lines as a maid.

She was best known for her roles in the films: A Matter of Life and Death (1946), The Small Back Room (1949)and Black Narcissus (1947). Byron was romantically linked with Michael Powell around the time the film was made; he was named as co-respondent when she was divorced in 1950.

Her success in Black Narcissus led her to Hollywood, which resulted with a supporting role in Young Bess (1953). Her later roles were mostly in B-movies.

Three Girls About Town (1941).

Three Girls About Town (1941). Comedy film directed by Leigh Jason. The story is written by Richard Carroll. Cast: Joan Blondell, Binnie Barnes and Janet Blair (in her film debut).

As the Merchants Hotel is preparing for a couple of conventions, hotel manager Wilburforce Puddle, is not looking forward to a story criticizing the hotel's hostesses coming out in the paper. After reading the dreaded story, one of the hostess Hope Banner, goes to confront her fiancee, reporter Tommy Hopkins. Of coarse Tommy, denies that he had anything to do with the story, but.. he does ask her to find a "regular" job. Hope, tells him she needs the money to keep her sister Charity, in private school. Charity, arrives and goes looking for her two sisters Hope and Faith, to tell them that she also wants to be a hostess at the hotel. Both Faith and Hope, tell her "no" and that she is too young to leave school.

In the room next to theirs, a body is found by three zanny maids and reported to Faith and Puddle. Not wanting for the news to get out, they decide to hide the body in the alley, but.. they run into the chief of police and a group of women who want to discuss the problem with the hotel's hostess.

Puddle does not want to carry the body to the street, so Hope goes looking for Tommy, who is talking to a group of reporters, who have been waiting for the labor mediator to arrive. As soon as Tommy, sees the body, he recognizes the body as the mediator and phones in his story to the paper. Convinced they will get the blame for the death sisters try to hide the body. The problem is... the body won't stay hidden. I think you will love this film, especially the clever twist ending.

Janet Blair (April 23, 1921 – February 19, 2007), she began her acting career on film in 1942. She is best remembered for playing Rosalind Russell's sister in, My Sister Eileen (1942) and Rita Hayworth's best friend in, Tonight and Every Night (1945).

She made a rare dramatic performance in the horror film, Night of the Eagle(1962). Her last performance was on television in a 1991 episode of Murder, She Wrote.

Binnie Barnes (25 May 1903 – 27 July 1998), began her acting career in films in 1923, appearing in a short film made by Lee De Forest in his Phonofilm sound-on-film process. Her film career continued in Great Britain, then later in Hollywood, until 1973, when she appeared in the comedy, 40 Carats. This was her last acting role. Her most famous film may have been The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933).

Guilty Pleasures Movie Blogathon: The Shanghai Gesture(1941).

Gene Tierney's best known roles are, as the murder victim in the film, Laura (1944). She was also Oscar-nominated for my favorite film, Leave Her to Heaven (1945). After being spotted by Darryl F. Zanuck, during a stage performance of, The Male Animal (1940), Gene was signed to a contract with 20th Century-Fox. Her first role was in the film, Hudson's Bay (1941), which began her wonderful career. Later, that year she performed in, The Return of Frank James (1940). The next year, was a good one for Gene, as she performed in several films, the first being, The Shanghai Gesture (1941). A film noir starring Gene Tierney and Walter Huston, with Victor Mature and Ona Munson.

The Shanghai Gesture received Academy Award nominations for Best Art Direction (Boris Leven) and Best Original Music Score.

In Shanghai, China, destitute American Dixie Pomeroy, meets Doctor Omar, a shady mystic, as she is being arrested for vagrancy. Omar makes a deal with the police, to take Dixie, to Gin Sling's casino, where Mother Gin Sling might find her employment.

That night, Victoria Charteris, comes with an escort to the casino, which draws all kinds of characters, from all walks of life, and she soon falls under the spell of atmosphere of the casino.

When Victoria sees Omar, she wants to meet him, and Omar becomes seduced by the beautiful young woman, who now calls herself "Poppy Smith."

Mother Gin Sling, learns that someone has bought her property and that she will have to close her casino by the Chinese New Year. Now, blaming Sir Guy Charteris, Mother Gin Sling, wants revenge against, Victoria's father, and her ex-husband .

Over time, Victoria turns into a drunk and loses thousands of pounds and a valuable necklace while trying to have a relationship with a shady Omar. When someone, tries to sell the necklace back to Charteris, he realizes that his daughter is in serious trouble and wants her to return to England.

He accepts an invitation to a Chinese New Year party from Mother Gin Sling, who he does not know is his ex -wife.. At the dinner, he soon learns that Mother Gin Sling, has brought together all her enemies. When Mother Gin Sling, calls him by the name he used in China, he finally recognizes her as his ex- wife and the trouble begins.

The Shanghai Gesture's characters are deeply involved in, drugs and revenge. In 1941, The film Shanghai Gesture,(32 rejections, before it was finally released), was considered too daring to be made. The Chinese government objected to the film 's depiction of China as immoral. The films heavy censorship causes some of the plot to be very hard to follow. But.. the film is still amazing.

Ona Munson (June 16, 1910 – February 11, 1955) was an American actress best known for her performance as prostitute Belle Watling in the film, Gone with the Wind (1939).

Her first starring role was in a talkie called, Going Wild (1930). Munson appeared the next year in a musical comedy called, Hot Heiress in which she sings several songs along with her co-star Ben Lyon. She also starred in Broadminded (1931) and Five Star Final (1931). She briefly retired from the screen, only to return in 1938. When David O. Selznick was casting his production Gone with the Wind, he first announced that Mae West was to play Belle, but this was a publicity stunt. Munson skills as an actress electrified her screen test. For the remainder of her career, she was typecast in similar roles. Two years later, she played another madam, in the film noir, The Shanghai Gesture.

Key Largo (1948).

Key Largo (1948). film noir directed by John Huston. Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Lauren Bacall, Lionel Barrymore, and Claire Trever. Key Largo, was the fourth and final film pairing of married actors Bogart and Bacall. Trevor won the 1948 Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance.

Veteran Frank McCloud, travels to Key Largo, Florida to pay his respects to the family of George Temple, who died under his command during World War II. George's wheelchair-bound father James runs the hotel with George's widow, who insists that he stay the night. Sitting at the bar are Nora, Frank, Curly Hoff, Toots, Angel and Gaye Dawn. Nora, explains to him that they offered her father-in-law so much money to open the hotel for them, that he could not say no.

It is not long before, a hurricane warning is issued and Nora, runs around closing all the shutters, when the telephone rings. Curly, answers the phone and tells the caller that the Temples are not there and he also has not seen local police officer named, Sawyer. When Temple speaks up, the men pull their guns. The men's boss comes downstairs and Frank recognizes him as the gangster Johnny Rocco. Johnny Rocco and his men, have already captured and beaten Sawyer, who was looking for the Oceola brothers, who had just escaped from jail.

When Rocco, makes a pass at Nora, she spits in his face and Frank quickly talks him out of killing her. Rocco throws him a gun and tells him that he can rid the world of Rocco if he is also willing to die. Frank, throws the gun and Sawyer grabs it and tries to escape. Rocco kills Sawyer, revealing that the other gun was not loaded. Rocco then demands Gaye, his alcoholic girlfriend, to sing a song before she can have a drink. She does not sing very well, Rocco refuses to give her a drink, Frank feels sorry for her and pours her a drink. Rocco slaps him and once again, Frank does nothing.

After the storm passes, Rocco learns they lost the boat in the storm. He orders Frank to take Temple's boat to take him to Cuba. Just before they leave, a second police officer comes looking for Sawyer and finds his body laying outside the hotel. Rocco, blames the murder on the Oceola brothers and when the the brothers try to escape, the officer shoots them. As Rocco and his men prepare to leave, Gaye begs Rocco to take her with them, she grabs his gun from his pocket without him knowing and slips it to Frank. Will Frank save them and get out of this alive?

Key Largo, is a story about a bad situation in which from the beginning you wonder when Frank (if ever), is going to make his move, but.. as luck would have it the hurricane changes things around .

Thomas Gomez (July 10, 1905 – June 18, 1971), began his acting career in theater during the 1920s and was a student of the actor Walter Hampden. He made his first film Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror in 1942 and by the end of his career had appeared in sixty films.

He received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film, Ride the Pink Horse (1947). His other film roles include: Who Done It? (1942), Key Largo (1948), Force of Evil (1948), The Conqueror (1956) and his final film Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970).

Keeper of the Flame (1943).

Keeper of the Flame (1943). Cast: Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Directed by George Cukor from a screenplay by Donald Ogden Stewart.

When a famous hero Robert Forrest, is killed in a car accident, journalist Stephen O'Malley returns from Europe to write his biography. During his funeral, he sees his friends and fellow reporters, Jane Harding and Freddie Ridges. Forrest's widow, Christine, does not want to speak to the reporters. So, O'Malley, finds a way to become friends with Jeb, the son of the gatekeeper, who allows him onto the estate. Christine, still refuses to help with her husbands biography. After O'Malley leaves, Forrest's private secretary, Clive Kerndon, convinces Christine to help so she can protect her husband's memory.

As time goes on, O'Malley thinks, that some "big secret", is being kept from him. He soon learns that Forrest's elderly, mentally ill mother is living in a separate house on the property. He manages to speak with her and finds out more valuable information.

When O'Malley, finds Robert Forrest's office, he sees smoke coming from the chimney. When he asks Kerndon about the office, he tells him it is used for storage and O'Malley, not believing him decides to investigate on his own. There he finds Christine burning what she says are love letters, but.. he thinks that she is also, not telling the truth. Later, Kerndon telephones a unnamed person and tells them that he will take care of the situation.

When O'Malley, tells Christine that he is in love with her, she tells him the truth. Her husband was corrupted by power and was plotting to take over the United States, by turning one group against another.

She said "while out riding that she saw that the bridge had washed-out and that she could have warned her husband, but decided that a "clean death", was the best thing that could happen to Robert Forrest". O'Malley convinces her to help him write a book exposing Forrest's plot against the United States.

Kerndon, over hears them and locks the door and then sets the building on fire. Will they be able to escape the flames and write their book exposing her husband's plot?

Fun Facts:

Louis B. Mayer was very unhappy about the film's political content, thinking it noncommercial. Katharine Hepburn too felt that the storyline was too dull and needed to be pepped up with some romance. She complained to producer Victor Saville about this but he ignored her comments, so Hepburn went directly to Mayer who was only too happy to make the film into a more conventional Hollywood romance.

Van Johnson was driving to a special screening of Keeper of the Flame when he was involved in the road accident that left him with a metal plate in his forehead.

According to Hepburn biographer Alvin H. Marill, Hepburn was very vocal in critiquing the direction of long-time collaborator George Cukor during filming. After Cukor filmed a fire scene, she questioned his handling of the actors, " I don't think they would have to be told about the fire. They would smell the smoke." Cukor finally Spoke up to his star, "It must be wonderful to know all about acting AND all about fires."

Keeper of the Flame, maybe the only film noir that Tracy with Katherine Hepburn, teamed up in. The story, I thought was very intriguing, with fine performances from the supporting cast: Forrest Tucker, Darryl Hickman, Howard da Silva and Percy Kilbride.

Margaret Wycherly (26 October 1881 – 6 June 1956), was mostly a stage actress, performing in one silent film. In 1929 she performed in her first talkie, The Thirteenth Chair, based on the 1916 play by her husband in which she had starred. Twelve years later, Wycherley performed in, Sergeant York(1941). She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role of Mother York, though perhaps her best remembered screen role was as "Ma Jarrett", the mother of gangster, Cody Jarrett, in White Heat (1949), with James Cagney. Her other films include: Keeper of the Flame, The Yearling, Forever Amber and Johnny Angel .

Too Late for Tears (1949).

Too Late for Tears (1949). Film noir directed by Byron Haskin. Cast: Lizabeth Scott and Dan Duryea. The screenplay was written by Roy Huggins, from a serial he wrote for the Saturday Evening Post. The film was reissued as, Killer Bait (1955).

One evening, while Alan and Jane Palmer are out driving in their convertible, someone in another car throws a suitcase full of money into the back seat of their convertible. Back at home they open the suitcase and find $60,000 inside. Jane, wants to keep the money, but .. Alan, wants to take the money to the police and hides the money in hopes she will change her mind.

A few days later while Alan is at work, Danny shows up at their home and tells Jane, he is a detective, he becomes angry, when he learns she has already begun spending the money. She makes a deal with Danny, to split the money. Hoping to kill him, but.. he doesn't trust her and flees.

She later asks Danny, to meet her at Westlake Park, where she and her husband Alan take a boat ride. There she plans to kill her husband, but, can not go through with it and decides she wants to turn the money over to the police. Looking for cigarettes, he picks up her purse and his own gun falls out. The look on his face tells Jane he knows what she was planning to do. When she grabs the gun from him, she accidentally kills him. When Danny arrives on the scene, Jane threatens to tell the police that he was the one who killed her husband, unless he helps her get rid of the body. They dump her husbands body in the lake and she then, reports her husband as missing.

While looking into what happened to Alan, Don Blake, says he is an old army buddy of Alan's and was just passing through town. It is not long before Don, falls in love with Alan's sister Kathy, who also lives in the same apartment building as Jane. Jane, finds out that Don never knew Alan and hits him over the head with her gun.

Later, she goes to Danny's apartment where a drunken Danny tells Jane he knows he still can't trust her, but that he has fallen in love with her and that money was a payoff from an insurance scam. She poisons him leaving him behind.

After they find Danny's body, Jane travels to Mexico City with all the money. Don, not far behind, finds her living in a beautiful hotel penthouse. Jane, offers to give him half of the money. Will Don, agree to her terms and let her continue to live the good life?

This movie is about greed with great performances from Lizabeth Scott and Dan Duryea. This film will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Video: Full Movie.

Lizabeth Scott (born September 29, 1922). In 1942, she was making a living with a Midtown Manhattan summer stock company when she landed a job as understudy for Tallulah Bankhead in the play, The Skin of Our Teeth. When Miriam Hopkins was signed to replace Bankhead, Scott quit and returned to her drama studies and some modeling. She then received a call that Gladys George, who was signed to replace Hopkins, was ill, and Scott was needed back at the theatre. She went on in the leading role of "Sabina". The following night, George was out again and Scott went on in her place.

Soon afterward, Scott was at the Stork Club when film producer Hal Wallis asked who she was. When Scott returned home, she found a telegram offering her the lead for, The Skin of Our Teeth.

A photograph of Scott in Harper's Bazaar magazine was seen by film agent, Charles Feldman and he took her on as a client. Her film debut was in, You Came Along (1945).

Paramount called Scott "The Threat," in order to create an onscreen persona for her similar to, Lauren Bacall or Veronica Lake. Scott's, sensuality and husky voice was perfect for the film noir genre and, beginning with, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946). She starred with Humphrey Bogart, in the noir thriller, Dead Reckoning(1947). The film was the first of many femme fatale roles such as, Desert Fury (1947), I Walk Alone (1948) and Too Late for Tears (1949).

Dive Bomber(1941).

Dive Bomber(1941). Directed by Michael Curtiz. It is known for both its beautiful photography of pre-World War II United States Navy aircraft and as a historical document of the US in 1941, including the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, one of the best known World War II US warships.

The film was the last of a collaboration between director Curtiz and actor Errol Flynn, which began in 1935 and spanned 12 films. The cast also includes: Fred Mac Murray, Alexis Smith, in her first credited screen performance. Flynn, plays a doctor who works on medical research on pilots, with Mac Murray plays the skeptical veteran aviator. The plot is not historically accurate but, contains elements of true events that were part of the aeromedical research.

Dive Bomber was nominated for an Oscar for Best Color Cinematography at the 14th Academy Awards in 1942. The movie is dedicated to the flight surgeons of the US armed forces, in recognition of their efforts to solve the problems of aviation medicine.

During pre-war operations from an aircraft carrier off Hawaii, the VB-4 "High Hats" bomber Squadron arrive in San Diego, one of the pilots blacks out during a high speed dive and crashes. At the base hospital, Navy Lt. Doctor Doug Lee convinces the Senior Surgeon to operate but the pilot dies on the operating table. After Blake blames Lee for making the wrong decision, the doctor decides to become a flight surgeon.

On completion of his flight training, Dr. Lee becomes a assistant for Dr. Lance Rogers, who is working on altitude sickness project that affects pilots in dive bombers. Lee flies with Blake as his pilot and observes Blake blacking out. He experiments with the successfully flight tests it himself. Even though he has qualified as a pilot, Lee is considered a "grandstander". His judgment over pilots' ability to fly comes into question when he grounds a pilot, Lt. Tim Griffin, who is suffering from chronic fatigue. In anger, Griffin quits the Navy, and joins the RAF in Canada but visits his old squadron when he is flies a new fighter from the Los Angeles. On his return flight, Griffin, finds himself in trouble and is killed attempting to land at an emergency field.

Lt. Commander Blake, volunteers as a "guinea pig" pilot for aerial experiments. The first flight test of a pressurized cabin nearly ends in disaster when Blake passes out, forcing Dr. Lee to take over. During ground testing of a new invention of a pressure suit, Blake realizes that he will not pass his physical and will be grounded. Will Blake go ahead and make the test flight successfully?



I thought this was an exciting and beautifully filmed aviation drama about two naval officers who put aside their personal differences to work together. Mac Murray and Flynn, have very different acting styles, but also work very well together.

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.

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.

Third Finger, Left Hand(1940).

Third Finger, Left Hand(1940). Romantic comedy film. Directed by Robert Z. Leonard. With Myrna Loy, Melvyn Douglas, Raymond Walburn, Lee Bowman.

Editor of a fashion magazine, Margot Sherwood Merrick, thinks it best to pretend that she is married, to fend off suitors and jealous wives. Of course her plans backfire when she meets Jeff Thompson, who falls in love with her. After finding out the truth, Jeff decides to get even with her by pretending to be her estranged husband and moves into Margot's home with her family. Margot asks Philip Booth, the magazine's attorney, for his help. He is also in love with Margot, and has plans of his own to win Margot's heart.

This is a cute comedy, with good acting by Loy and Douglas. One the interesting characters of this film is the train porter Sam, played by Ernest Whitman.

Bonita Granville (February 2, 1923 – October 11, 1988) was the daughter of stage actors, and made her film debut at the age of nine in the film, Westward Passage (1933). Over the next couple of years she played uncredited roles in such films, Little Women (1933) and Anne of Green Gables (1934) before playing the role of Mary in the film, The Children's Hour. Renamed These Three, it told the story of three adults (played by Miriam Hopkins, Merle Oberon, and Joel McCrea) who find their lives almost destroyed by the lies of an evil child. For her role as that child, Granville was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

In 1938, she starred in the film, Merrily We Live and as girl detective Nancy Drew in the film, Nancy Drew, Detective. The Nancy Drew film success led to three sequels from 1938 to 1939, including Nancy Drew... Reporter (1939). As a young adult, she was once again cast in supporting roles, Now, Voyager (1942), and two Andy Hardy films with Mickey Rooney, Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble (1944) and Love Laughs at Andy Hardy (1946). She is also remembered for her starring role in the film, Hitler's Children (1943). Her career began to fade by the mid-1940s.

She performed in the film version of, The Lone Ranger(1956), and made her final screen performance in a cameo role in, The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981).

Once Upon a Honeymoon (1942).

Once Upon a Honeymoon (1942). Romantic comedy/drama. Cast: Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, and Walter Slezak.

The story begins when Katie O'Hara, a ex-burlesque queen who pretends to be Philadelphia socialite Katherine Smith, who is about to marry, Baron Von Luber. Katie is visited by reporter Pat O'Toole, who is writing an article trying to expose the baron as a Nazi undercover agent. Recognizing Katie as stripper, Pat follows her to Prague, where Katie and the baron are to be married.

After the fall of Czechoslovakia, the baron and Katie board a train for Poland. When the baron is questioned by the police about the money found in his wife's purse, Pat goes to warn Katie about her new husband. Katie, does not believe him, and sends Pat back to his compartment with his saxophone.

In Warsaw, Pat meets Katie at her hotel and invites her to a cafe, where he tells her she should leave her husband.

Meanwhile... the baron is trying to sell Polish General Borelski, guns. When the guns fail to work, Pat contacts the general, who now realize that the guns are part of the baron's plans to destroy Poland. The general, who is the only person who can testify against the baron, is assassinated, and the baron is jailed for questioning. Pat visits Katie in her hotel suite, where she begins to believe that her husband is a Nazi. Katie, fakes her death and runs off with O'Toole. In Paris, she is recruited to spy against her husband. Will she be able to go through with it?

Fun Facts:

The question of top billing was resolved by having half of the prints with Cary Grant listed first, and the other half with Ginger Rogers listed first. The TCM print lists Grant first, but the programs distributed for the world premiere at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City listed Rogers first.

Berlin-born Natasha Lytess, who appears in the small role as the Jewish hotel maid, was Marilyn Monroe's acting coach and friend for many years.

Once Upon a Honeymoon, reminded me a little of the film, Notorious. Which has Grant as an FBI agent who gets Ingrid Bergman to marry Claude Rains to spy on his activities. Once Upon A Honeymoon, does a wonderful job in the comedy and propaganda departments.

Ginger Rogers (July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995). During her amazing career, she made a total of 73 films, and is best known for her role as Fred Astaire's romantic interest and dancing partner in a series of ten  musical films that revolutionized the genre. She also achieved great success in a variety of film roles and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Kitty Foyle (1940).