Three on a Match

 (1932)
Directed by Mervyn LeRoy
Written by Lucien Hubbard (screenplay), Kubek Glasmon (story), John Bright (story)
Starring Joan Blondell, Ann Dvorak, Bette Davis, Warren William, Lyle Talbot, Humphrey Bogart, Edward Arnold, Buster Phelps
IMDB Entry

Three on a Match was a pre-code film with several familiar faces, in a situation that would be frowned upon when the code came.

It starts with an extended flashback, where three elementary students are fast friends. Mary Keaton is a hellion, ignoring rules and getting deep in trouble; Vivian Revere wants to marry a rich husband and live it up, while Ruth Westcott has no grand ambition.

They meet by accident years later. Mary -- now Mary Bernard (Joan Blondell) -- is a successful showgirl, while Vivian -- now Vivian Kirkwood -- has married a wealthy lawyer, Robert Kirkwood (Warren William) and has a young son, Robert Jr (Buster Phelps).  Ruth (Bette Davis) is getting along as a stenographer. The three use a single match to light their cigarettes, going against the superstition of the time.

Vivian is unhappy with the marriage, discovering that money doesn't give  her happiness. Robert tries to be supportive, but she feels she needs to get away. He gives her the monty for a trip to Europe. Before sailing, she runs into Mary, who takes her to a going away party, where she meets Michael Loftus (Lyle Talbot), who convinces her to run away with him. Impulsively, she leaves, taking Junior, then vanishes, Robert Sr. is distraught and Mary and Ruth come to support him. Vivian wants a divorce, and Robert asks to have Junior back.  Vivian agrees and once it's final, Robert marries Mary and hires Ruth to be Junior's governess.

The movie takes a dark turn. Vivian has lost all her money and Michael is a gambler who owes $2000 to the gangster Ace (Edward Arnold). In a desperate attempt to get the cash, he kidnaps Junior. Ace learns about it and sends his henchmen, including the nasty Harve (Humphrey Bogart).

As you may have noted, the cast is filled with actors who had long careers in Hollywood. Ann Dvorak is quite good as Vivian, a woman who is not unsympathetic despite her actions, and is redeemed at the end. Joan Blondell is good in a dramatic role in contrast to her usual role as a comedienne.  Both characters show change as they go through life. 

Bette Davis does not show much, but there's really little for her to do. She clashed with the director, but the character is there mostly so there can be three people using the match. Warren William as big during the pre-code era and this was a different sort of role for him -- a decent man instead of someone with a scheme.

Lyle Talbot had a long career, moving from leading man to character actor as time went on. He was very busy in television, but is probably best known for his one scene in the classic Plan Nine from Outer Space.

This was Bogart's first time playing a gangster and you can see how well he takes to it. And Edward Arnold was an all-purpose villian on the Warner's lot.

What is interesting is how divorce is portrayed. The code did not allow for it, yet here it's pretty straightforward. Kirkwood realizes it's the only answer, and marries Mary as soon as it's official. The film also straightforwardly portrays Vivian's infidelity.

Mervyn LeRoy was one of the top directors of the 1930s, his reputation starting with the classic films Little Caesar. I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, Golddiggers of 1933, and many others.   The movie is fast paced and LeRoy cleverly uses montages to show the passage of time.

The film did poorly, but as time went by, audiences and critics responded to it.  

Chuck Rothman is author of the hidden historical fantasy novel, The Cadaver Princess

Working (TV)

 (1997-1999)
Created by Michael Davidoff, Bill Rosenthal
Starring Fred Savage, Maurice Godin, Yvette Freeman, Sarah Knowlton, Arden Myrin, Steve Hytner, Dana Gould
IMDB Entry

Workplace comedies are big these days, probably due to the massive success of The Office. But they usually deal with the quirks of the people who work there, and steer away from the issues of a satirical look at a workplace. The gold standard for this was the delightful Better Off Ted, but the earlier show Working also handled the satirical look with aplomb.

Matt Peyser (Fred Savage) gets a job with Upton/Webber, a big, soulless corporation. Matt is an idealist, eager to do a good job and soon learns that his ideals don't do him much good. His boss, Tim Deale (Maurice Godin) quickly disabuses him  of the notion the company thinks of him as anything more than a drone at his beck and call. Other workers include Abby (Arden Myrin), a perky woman who always tries to keep a positive attitude; Delaney (Steve Hytner), the cynic of the group; office manager Evelyn (Yvette Freeman), who enforces the rules with subtle glee; Hal (Sarah Knowlton), a woman who is a Yale graduate and is frustrated by he sexism she has to face; and Jimmy (Dana Gould), who is a bit slow and a lot of weird.

The big bosses of Upton/Webber are clearly evil as they come up with nonsensical rules. Matt tends to suffer for his gung-ho attitude, but sometimes manages to earn small victories.

The humor is well wrought, with some nice touches of the absurd. The office, for instance, has a suggestion box for employees, but when Matt tries to put something in it, he learns it is just a tromp d'oeil painting on the wall. When they discuss that taller men are more likely to be in upper management, we see an exceedingly tall man from upper management walk by. There are also meta jokes, like where Matt is at a party, saying he always ended up alone in a corner in parties, while he is standing alone in the corner. One gag was having Matt dating an woman played by Danica Patrick, saying she reminds him of  someone he knew when he was a kid.*

The show also used a concept that was repurposed for Better Off Ted, a fake ad for Upton/Webber at various commercial breaks.

Fred Savage is well known from The Wonder Years and The Princess Bride. This is his second longest run in a TV series. The other actors worked steadily, but with no spotlighted roles.

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*If you don't get it, remember the two of them appeared in The Wonder Years.

Cat Mother and the All-Night Newsboys

 

(1967-1973)
Personnel: Roy Michaels (bass, vocals), Charlie Chin (guitar, vocals), Bob Smith (drums, keyboards, vocals), Larry Packer (guitar, violin), Michael Equine (drums, guitar), Jay Ungar (violin)
Wikipedia Page

Many groups try hard, but never make a big success. Cat Mother and the All-Night Newsboys was one example. Two of their songs made a minor splash, but they were never able to capitalize on it, and the best known piece connected to one of their members became a familiar melody years after they broke up.

Roy Michaels played with Steven Stills and Rich Furay in the Au Go Go Singers, and joined with Bob Smith, Charlie Chin, Larry Packer and Michael Equine. They started out  in New York, performing in the Woodstock area*  and in New York city. They became friends with Jimi Hendrix, who used them as an opening act and produced their first album, The Street Giveth and the Street Taketh Away. Despite its title, which hints at a punk sensibility, they were more an early example of soft country rock.. 

But they did have a minor hit with "Good Old Rock 'n' Roll." The song has a short intro waxing nostalgic at the old rock and roll songs, and then includes excerpts of "Sweet Little Sixteen," "Long Tall Sally," "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and others. 

Remember that in 1969, a lot of younger music fans rarely had a chance to hear Chuck Berry or Little Richard. No radio stations specialized in oldies; if they played them, they were playing songs from two or three years previously, not from the previous decade. Even the oldies were played sporadically. "Good Old Rock 'n' Roll" was featured often enough to give the fans a chance to hear the songs.

The album did well enough, and the Jimi Hendrix connection helped a bit, but not enough.  The group moved from New York to California and added Jay Ungar on violin before coming out with their next album, Albion Doo-Wah. Reception was mixed but one song became an minor classic:  "Strike a Match and Light Another." This country-tinged tune was a humorous song about marijuana that got a lot of airplay on underground and college radio.

Still, it was not enough to keep the band going. After a couple of failed albums, the group broke up.

One member, however, did have a major success.  Jay Ungar, living in the Woodstock area composed a charming little waltz called "Ashokan Farewell." You may not recognize the name, but you probably have heard it:  Ken Burns used it extensively (25 times) in his documentary The Civil War.

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*Possible giving people the idea of doing a music festival there.