Monday, November 30, 2020

CAFTAN WOMAN'S CHOICE: ONE FOR DECEMBER ON TCM


Perhaps if I told you that Robert Greig played the butler to a wealthy screwball family in The Cheaters that would be enough for you to agree with my December choice. However, if I then told you that halfway through the movie Greig disappears (he does leave a note), you might decide to forego the pleasure, and that would be a shame.

Directed by Joseph Kane, a name pleasantly associated with many westerns, this 1945 holiday feature from Republic Studios stands out in that gentleman's career. The story for The Cheaters is by Albert Ray (Charlie Chan in Reno) whose wife Frances Hyland (The Sin of Nora Moran) completed the screenplay following his untimely passing in 1944.
 
Joseph Schildkraut as Anthony Marchand
Mr. M: "Gratitude in most men is usually a secret desire to receive greater benefits."

Wealthy Uncle Henry has died in Colorado leaving his $5 million estate to an actress he saw as Little Eva in Uncle Tom's Cabin 30 years ago. His relatives, the Pidgeons of NYC could use that money. James Pidgeon played by Eugene Pallette is successful, but cash flow at present is dripping. His family, however, lives life large as if the coffers were full.

The Pidgeon family includes scatterbrained wife Clara played by Billie Burke, stuffy daughter Therese played by Ruth Terry, bratty daughter Angela played by Ann Gillis, smart alec son Reggie played by David Holt, and Clara's brother Willie the souse, who will not leave, played by Raymond Walburn. 

Eugene Pallette as James C. Pidgeon
Pidgeon: "I don't think I'm being too callous when I think of what the girls and Clara and Reggie can do with that money."

Therese wants to impress her boyfriend Captain Stephen Bates played by Robert Livingston. Stephen is from a wealthy family whose mother accepts charity cases into the home at Christmas. Therese wants to do the same. Through an agency, enter "Mr. M," former noted stage actor Anthony Marchand played by Joseph Schildkraut. Mr. M is a charming scoundrel who is not above taking advantage of his sudden good luck. Robert Greig as the butler MacFarland has seen Mr. Marchand during his heyday and has a particular soft spot for that gentleman. Mr. Marchand opportunely overhears secrets and observes behaviors that place him in the role of a puppeteer to the Pidgeons.

Marchand eavesdrops on the Pidgeon's scheme to keep Uncle Henry's money in the family. All they have to do is beat Uncle Henry's lawyer's to the identity and whereabouts of the unaware heiress and keep her under wraps and in the dark about her good fortune. In a necessary and most gentlemanly agreement, the Pidgeons agree to cut Mr. Marchand in on the deal. The conspiracy to cheat Miss Watson is tight on all sides.

Billie Burke as Clara Pidgeon
Clara: "I haven't the faintest idea."

Assuming the little girl remained in the show business as an adult, it was easy enough to track down Miss Florie Watson who is flat broke. She knows she is not a long-lost relative of the Pidgeons but when a gal is about to find herself out on the sidewalk without a penny, she'll play along. Florie feels genuine guilt at "cheating" the rich family while she is surrounded by those who would swindle her. It will not surprise you to learn that a conversation reveals that this Miss Watson is indeed the genuine heir.

When the newspapers get wind of the whole bequest and search business, the Pidgeons and their guests high-tail it to a Connecticut farm owned by Pidgeon's company. It is there, without servants and with the spirit of Christmas around them that hearts and minds are changed. Florie Watson has a lot to do with the redemption of the family as her sincerity and "regular" personality wins their hearts. Mr. M has a lot to do with it, for filled with brandy he is filled with remorse. After all, when you set out to be a cheater, you must be careful not to cheat yourself.

Ona Munson as Florie Watson
Florie: "Oh, that's the trouble with me, I talk too much."

Note 1: When the St. Luke's Episcopal Church Choristers arrive on a sleigh and sing Silent Night, and if you are drinking a nice Riesling, there is the chance that you may get a tad verklempt. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Note 2: If you are still skeptical about this selection, let Ruth at Silver Screenings convince you to watch The Cheaters

The story and its telling, and the cast and their skill make The Cheaters an unexpected Christmas story that will sneak up on you. Give it a couple of years and you and it will become old holiday companions. 


TCM is screening The Cheaters on Wednesday, December 23rd. Take a quiet moment during Christmas week to share the studio snow, the bravura Schildkraut performance, and renew your acquaintance with the redemptive quality of Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Perhaps you could double it up with The Shop Around the Corner for a Schildkraut double bill.

Of note
Joseph Schildkraut, Ann Dvorak, John Wayne
Flame of the Barbary Coast

It might surprise you to know that The Cheaters was the second of five Kane films featuring Oscar-winner (The Life of Emile Zola) Joseph Schildkraut. Their other collaborations are Flame of the Barbary Coast, 1945, Plainsman and the Lady, 1945, Old Los Angeles, 1948, and The Gallant Legion, 1948.

NOTICE

The decision at the TCM website to block users from the future schedule after all these years, has put this blog feature since 2011 in a precarious position. Thankfully, in late December I found access through some helpful online sources. Here's hoping the "new and improved" website is still undergoing its improvements.













18 comments:

  1. I don’t suppose TCM explained why they did that, did they?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I and others have complained. No response.

      I have asked for the reason for the change. No response.

      The hope comes from a non-specific mention that they are continue to work on improving the site.

      I find the new set-up unwieldy and certainly useless for my needs.

      Delete
  2. How have I ever missed this one? Thanks for the heads-up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just when we thought the classic Christmas line-up had nothing new for us!

      Delete
  3. I am SO GLAD you featured this on your site. It's such a good movie, but it seems like so few people have even heard of it. You've made me want to watch it again ASAP.

    (P.S. Thank you for the link!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for introducing me to this charmer. Perhaps we will start a cult.

      Delete
  4. JOSEPH KANE directed several TV westerns. He directed three episodes of BONANZA. Joseph also directed an ep of IRON HORSE which starred DALE ROBERTSON.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I saw an interview with Kane once where, as fast a turn around as they had at Republic, he found television even moreso.

      Delete
  5. JIM DAVIS was one of the actors directed by JOSEPH KANE. Later Jim was best known as JOCK EWING on the smash hit DALLAS. CHARLENE TILTON played LUCY EWING, the granddaughter of JOCK and MISS ELLIE. Charlene is 62 today! I think she played the part of Lucy really well. At first Lucy was kind of a wild child. One of the early storylines had Lucy involved with RAY KREBBS, the foreman of the ranch. Ray was played by STEVE KANALY. In 1980 Ray's father(that didn't raise Ray) shows up with his late wife's diary and tells Jock that Ray is JOCK's son. All AMOS KREBBS wants is some property to live on. Jock gives him some property and tells Ray about it. Miss Ellie knew about the affair that Jock had during the war (with a nurse named MARGARET HUNTER) but Jock didn't know about the baby. Jock tells the family about the child with Ray and Miss Ellie there. Then he says "Welcome to the family, Ray" and hugs him. Ray had worked for Jock since he was 15(for about 18 years). Powerful stuff!

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is such a charming movie, and I think Ona Munson gives a wonderful performance, as does Joseph Schildkraut. And you're right, it has a way of sneaking up on you.

    I also sympathize with your frustration at what TCM has done with its website and scheduling. I find the new format NOT an improvement; it's difficult to read, and it's annoying not to see what's coming on next month. It's also hard to maneuver through. I'm not optimistic either that it'll change - even though it disappoints many bloggers -you'd think TCM would listen to its fans!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Indeed. The "improvements" were not something sought and it is frustrating not to receive a response from TCM. On one hand they boast of the "family feeling" of the corporation, but at the end of the day it is still just a corporation.

      Delete
  7. Those are lovely pictures of BILLIE BURKE and ONA MUNSON. Just think, Billie had already been in THE WIZARD OF OZ and Ona had been in GONE WITH THE WIND when THE CHEATERS came out in 1945.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Classic movies that people keep as special favourites.

      Delete
  8. I saw this movie many years ago and loved it...then it disappeared from TV for decades. TCM finally unearthed it again a few years ago. It wasn't as good as I remembered, but was still a delightful film with a great cast. Eugene Pallette and Billie Burke are marvelous together, but the film belongs to Joseph Schildkraut. As for the TCM schedule, I can still see the December schedule on the website. Will that feature end after this month?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had your experience with The Cheaters with Remember the Night. During my teens it was a looked-forward-to fave and then it disappeared until Universal released The Barbara Stanwyck Collection on VHS in 1995. That was a great day!

      The TCM website used to provide the following month's schedule and I was able to select my Caftan Woman's choice. For some reason, when they revamped things they omitted that option. Also, the ability to see what date a title would be playing is gone.

      Maybe it's just me, but I find the wide-screen aspect to the daily schedule most annoying. Who asked for these things?

      Delete
  9. I guess the people at TCM never heard the saying "If it ain't broke don't fix it"!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Indeed. It seems like an unwanted "make work" project.

      Delete

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