James Stewart Movie Review: *** You Can't Take it With You (1938)

 This is a Frank Capra movie.  It does get a bit too loud at times.  Alice Sycamore (Jean Arthur) and Tony Kirby (James Stewart) are in love and want to marry.  However they come from different backgrounds, the tight business world, Anthony P Kirby (Edward Arnold) and Mrs. Kirby (Mary Forbes).  And the happy go lucky world of Martin Vanderhoff (Lionel Barrymore) grandfather to Alice.  Mr. Vanderhoff left the business world because he wasn't having fun.  They now piddle with inventions and fireworks.  Mr. Kirby is needing to buy the Vanderhoff home so he can control an entire area for a major business project.  The parental meeting is a farce, and the police come and arrest everyone for disturbing the peace and having fireworks without a license.  They are all in jail together, and then in court no one wants to acknowledge that their kids are engaged, until grandfather says they were talking business and agrees to sell the home.  Then Alice no longer wants to marry and even runs away.  Everything is mucked up but a song will bring it back together, "Polly Wally Doodle." 

Romantic comedy with a feel good ending.  It also tells that we are all human and should not be judging others.

Movie Review: Shirley Temple in ***^The Littlest Colonel (1935)

This is a movie about family relationships, and coming to terms with our feelings and pride so we can have love within our families.  This is a post Civil War movie.  Colonel Loyd (Lionel Barrymore) becomes upset when his daughter runs off and marries a Yankee.  He swears to never speak to her again.  His daughter, and granddaughter return to the home some years later, while her husband tries to make something of himself in the West.  They had been with him before coming home, and while in the West Lloyd Sherman (Shirley Temple) had been adopted by a regiment and made an honorary colonel.  After returning she has relationships with her grandfather, but not her mother.  It is going to take some major crisis for people to cross this bridge.  Other noted stars are Hatie McDaniel who works as a house servant, nannie, and will later be the first African American to win an Oscar.  Bill Robinson aka Bo Jangles performs a couple a tap numbers which are enough to enjoy this movie.  He and SHirley Temple perform a number going up the stairs which is delightful.

Christmas Movie Review: *****It's a Wonderful Life:

This is a movie for annual consumption.  I watch it every year.  This year as i watched I realized something I had never noticed before.  This movie is about the power of prayer.  It starts with the petitions of people of Bedford Falls to Heavenly Father on behalf of George Bailey (James Stewart), the manager of the Savings and Loan.  He is in trouble as they have misplaced $8000 and the bank examiner is visiting.  The miserly and mean Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore) has sworn out a warrant for his arrest, while he knows where the money is as it fell into his hands by accident, and instead of doing the right thing is trying to destroy the Savings and Loan so he can control the entire town.  My favorite part is when George's brother calls him the richest man in town.  It is very emotional. is the richest man in the world.  That line chokes me up for some reason. . 
On another level this movie is about those whose live circumstance may bring them to the brink of suicide, and about those who love them intervening, rather than letting it happen.  His wife (Donna Reed) intervenes rather than being passive, and many of George's friends also intervene.  And of course Clarence, (Henry Travers) the angel intervenes.  This is a Frank Capra, and on of the best Christmas movies ever made.  Nominated for five Oscar awards, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Movie.  Stewart should have won.