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Thursday, August 27, 2009

Now Playing - Once Upon a Time - 1944


This ad for “Once Upon a Time” (1944) urges us to see it, using words like “wonderful”, “whimsical”, the questionably grammatical “chucklesome”, and “Santa Claus.”

Talking heads of Cary Grant and Janet Blair in argumentative pose don’t help much to convey what the movie is about and exactly why we should see it. We probably can’t blame the studio publicity department, though, as the plot for this “whimsical” and “chucklesome” film has to do with Grant playing a huckster who tries to make a starring attraction from a small boy’s pet caterpillar, who dances to “Yes, Sir, That’s My Baby.”

Standby character actors James Gleason and William Demarest report duty. The boy is Ted Donaldson, whom you may remember as Peggy Ann Garner’s brother in “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” (1945). This was Ted’s first film. If you’ve seen it, let us know what you think.

7 comments:

Unknown said...

All I need to hear to know I must see this film is "a small boy’s pet caterpillar, who dances to “Yes, Sir, That’s My Baby.”" Wow, what a chucklesome concept!

Jacqueline T. Lynch said...

Chucklesome is the vocabulary word of the day. Let's all write it in our copybooks ten times.

Tom said...

This is most definitely a kid's movie!

Chris said...

This blog is absolutely splendid. The diversity of the topics covered is amazing. Well written and informative. I'm very impressed, indeed. This is a movie blog!

Jacqueline T Lynch said...

Thank you so much, Chris. You're very kind.

panavia999 said...

I recorded this last time it was on TCM but haven't watched yet - I should tackle it over the holiday weekend. It sounded either adorable or incredibly stupid. I love the concept of a singing caterpillar.

Jacqueline T. Lynch said...

Oh, please let us know how it is. I agree, by the description of the film, it could go either way.

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