This year of 2009 has seen the commemoration of several anniversaries, the most notable being the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II. 1939, on a lighter note, was also the most remarkable year in the history of the movies: for the quantity of quality films which it yielded has never been equalled.
1939 was the year of 'The Wizard of Oz' which gets an outing on television every Christmas and still enchants the young, and the young at heart. Technicolor musicals were not very common in that era, but another memorable effort was 'Swanee River', a fictionalised biography of the songwriter Stephen Foster, whose paternal ancestors left the port of Derry in 1742. The great Warner Brothers 'gangster' cycle ended with 'The Roaring Twenties' with Cagney and Bogart, and Cagney made a classic 'jail' picture called 'Each Dawn I Die'. Warners did more than crime pictures and amongst their other successes was 'The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex', a highly-coloured story set in the court of the first Queen Elizabeth, with Errol Flynn and Bette Davis. Bette Davis also starred in the archetypal 'woman's picture', a film called 'The Old Maid' as well as in 'Juarez', the story of the 19th century Mexican revolutionary leader. She also made 'Dark Victory' with George Brent and Humphrey Bogart.
John Ford had a busy year. He directed his first color project 'Drums Along the Mohawk' as well as 'The Young Mr Lincoln' and 'Stagecoach'. He also turned in 'The Grapes of Wrath' which won him the Academy award for best direction of the films of 1939. None of Ford's four Oscars were awarded for westerns, with which his name is frequently associated. Westerns had been neglected by the major studios throughout the 1930s, but the end of the decade brought about a revival of interest in the genre and amongst the best oaters of 1939 were 'Jesse James' with Tyrone Power, 'Virginia City' (Flynn again and also Humphry Bogart), 'Stagecoach', the comedy western 'Destry Rides Again' with James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich and 'Union Pacific', Cecil B De Mille's epic about the building of the transcontinental railway completed after the Civil War, an expensive and spectacular western.
More spectacle was provided by 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' with Charles Laughton in the title role. The movie provided Laughton's protegee Maureen O'Hara with her first Hollywood role. Maureen O'Hara is one of the very few stars of 1939 movies who is still with us. Mickey Rooney is also still very much around and in 1939 he made 'Babes in Arms' and 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'.
MGM put a roster of its top female stars, and no men at all, in a picture called 'The Women'. Greta Garbo was in 'Ninotchka' for which the posters carried the tag "Garbo Laughs." It was to be her second-last movie. In 1939 another young Swedish actress, Ingrid Bergman made her Hollywood debut in 'Intermezzo'.
Fred Astair and Ginger Rogers made the last of their series of RKO musicals with 'The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle' in which they portrayed real life figures for the only time.
Amongst the classic novels which came to the screen were Samuel Goldwyn's production of 'Wuthering Heights' with Merle Oberon and Laurence Olivier and John Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men'. One of the biggest stars of the era Cary Grant appeared in 'Only Angels Have Wings' directed by Howard Hawks. Gary Cooper was in 'Beau Geste. Spencer Tracy was in Stanley and Livingstone.
British films have not featured thus far in this survey. However, one of the big successes of the year was 'Goodby Mr Chips' made by the British division of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In a highly competitive field its star Robert Donat, who won the Academy award for his depiction of the title character. The film also provided her first screen role for the Anglo-Irish actress Greer Garson, who picked up an Academy award nomination for her performance.
The British producer Alexander Korda produced 'The Four Feathers' a colour epic set in the Sudan of the 1880s and frequently remade. It was to be the first film shown to the public when the County Cinema in Omagh opened its doors in 1940.
The last major film to open in 1939 was 'Gone With The Wind'. It represents, in many ways, the highest achievement of the old Hollywood system. It was the vision of David O Selznick without whose drive it would not have been made. GWTW swept the boards at the 1940 Academy Awards ceremony and has retained its popularity with audiences.
World War II, the break-up of the old studio system, the advent of television and the changes in lifestyles from the 1950s on, buried the old Hollywood forever. Good movies went on being made, of course, and still are. There was a time when these sort of movies showed up regularly on terrestrial television channels. Now it's not so easy to find them, and you have to pay up to watch them. And that's a pity, because so many younger film-goers do not have the opportunity of seeing them.
In evidence the court heard that the defendant had become abusive and offensive in a public place and had to be forcibly removed. The background to the case was that the defendant had been present at an auction. Amongst the items which had come under the hammer were deeds and effects of his late grandmother. He did not have the sale of them, and as he was outbid for the items he became highly emotional, resorting to threats and verbal violence. This was why the police had been sent for. "People" said the RM, "Sometimes get carried away at auctions."
Five Live Radio reports that the new, and specially re-designed beer glasses, already available in Australia, have been produced to boost 'flagan' sales.
John Gormley, leader of the Green Party, has criticised the huge salaries paid to RTE presenters.
Sounds as if he is green with envy.
From 'The Weakest Link':
Q. In written communications, which country's name is an acronym for 'I trust and love you'.
A. Italy.
Amongst the courses you can study to honours or Foundation degree level: Cruise Management - University of Plymouth.
Hairdressing-salon management - University of Derby.
Equestrian psychology - Glyndwn University.
Pop Music performance - University of East London.
Everyone seems to be marching on the Dáil these days. Dyslexics held a march recently and finished up at Aldi.
