Friday, May 11, 2012

Just Laugh: May 1 of 3

Trying to boil down the entire gamut of comedies into three short weeks is just silly. So instead, we just picked three (give or take a few) that we like. Only one of our choices this month is actually THE funniest movie ever made, and we're saving that one for last. But I'm getting ahead of myself. This week, we present:

It wasn't until I was married that I found out that Cary Grant was a comedian. All I had seen growing up was him as the handsome (if aging) leading man in romantic or suspense roles like Charade and North by Northwest. And while he does crack a few jokes in those movies, I always thought "well, he's trying to be funny... but". It wasn't until Curmudgeon made me watch Arsenic and Old Lace that I became acquainted with Cary Grant: hilarious physical comedian. 
And it was another several years after that Curmudgeon and I were both introduced (by my mother) to Walk Don't Run. Neither of us had ever heard of this 1966 comedy set in Tokyo during the Summer Olympics. After seeing it, I can't imagine why it isn't more famous. I think after watching it, you'll see why of all the hilarious comedies out there, we chose to grace our selections with this little unknown beauty.
Cary Grant plays an Englishman in Tokyo for business who can't get a hotel because everything is booked due to the Olympics. Jim Hutton (and yes, he is Timothy Hutton's dad) is an athlete who arrives two days early, and finds the Olympic lodgings are not ready yet. Somehow (we'll let you watch to find out how) they both end up lodging with Samantha Eggar, a buttoned-up, tightly scheduled, no-nonsense young woman. And then it gets really funny. So have fun and enjoy this undeservedly forgotten gem of a comedy.
And if you like Cary Grant but are yet unconvinced of his comedic talents, try Arsenic and Old Lace, The Philadelphia Story or Bringing Up Baby.

Coming up next week...we still haven't made up our mind. So come back next week and be surprised :)


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