Monday, August 13, 2012

Christmas Holiday (1944)

Dear Readers,
      In all honesty, I just finished this Kelly movie. He performs just beautifully as a low life. This is classic film noir. I like the angry Kelly. No matter what he does I believe like Durbin in this movie, that he can do no real wrong. What he does may be wrong but there is nothing that can stop me from loving him. I really think he wanted to do a serious film. He had played the guy you root for but a coward for his very first film, "For Me and My Gal". However I think he anticipated that he was always going to be in feel good films and wanted to prove he could also be a tough guy around the edges sort of fellow. He reminds me a little bit of Bogart, but anyone who fits the role of that guy in a trench coat, good down somewhere, and a bit rough around the edges gives me that impression. The only difference? You aren't fighting for Kelly in this film. He has played in some roles where you know you shouldn't root for him but you do just solely because he is Gene. The rest of the roles he played in the forties were "happy" films. He played in "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" "On the Town" and right after this movie, "Anchors Aweigh", all starring Frank Sinatra as this dovey eyed kid who is just too innocent. He becomes a mentor to Sinatra teaching him how to dance. He also played in another movie with Garland (which is rising to one of my top favorites) in "The Pirate".
       
       It has just occurred to me that I have only seen half of his roles under IMDB as actor. That is mainly because I have not seen most of the titles in television series mainly after the 1960s. This movie marathon will take care of some of that. This is a new movie for me. With a content sigh-I will go to bed...
Sincerely,
Way to Obsessed with Gene Kelly


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