Back to Golden Days

When I saw this film a couple of days ago, I found out that it was released on January 29, 1937. So naturally, this week on «Film Friday» I had to tell you a little bit about it. Directed by Fritz Lang, You Only Live Once (1937) concerns Eddie Taylor (Henry Fonda), a three-time convict who has received an early release due to the influence of public defender Stephen Whitney (Barton MacLane), as well as of the prison chaplain, Father Dolan (William Gargan). Eddie then marries his longtime sweetheart, Joan «Jo» Graham (Sylvia Sidney), who is Whitney's secretary, and vows to go straight and work hard. His aspirations at normal life are soon thwarted, however, when he and Joan are asked to leave their honeymoon room after the proprietors, Ethan (Charles «Chic» Sale) and Hester (Margaret Hamilton), learn that Eddie is a former convict. Eddie gets a job at a truck company, but his boss, Mr. Williams (William Pawley), fires him for being late after he meets Joan to show her a house the...

To celebrate Henry Fonda and Margaret Sullavan's birthday, which is tomorrow, this week on «Film Frida» I want to tell you a little bit about the only film they ever did together. Directed by William A. Seiter, The Moon's Our Home (1936) begins when a nutty Hollywood star named Cherry Chester (Margaret Sullavan) is called home to New York by her stern grandmother, Lucy Van Steedan (Henrietta Crosman), who wants her to marry her dull cousin, Horace (Charles Butterworth), despite her protests. Taking the same train is Anthony Amberton (Henry Fonda), a famous adventure novelist who is traveling to New York for a signing of his new book. Although they have never met, Cherry and Anthony are scornful of each other. When he hears that Cherry Chester is on the train, he wonders aloud whether a «Cherry Chester» is a new kind of soft drink. She, on her part, is reading his latest travel guide: «Mr. Amberton and his camel,» she reads. «Oh, I see. He's the one with the hat on.» Durin...