Red Dust (1932) Starring: Jean Harlow, Clark Gable, Mary Astor
Harlow and Gable were great pals in real life and that closeness translated to the screen. They appeared in six movies together and this is the best of them. Sexy lady of the night Harlow escapes to Gable's rubber plantation to lay low while the cops are on her trail. At the same time, a proper city couple arrives so that the husband can help with a special project. His wife (Astor) can't resist Gable's burly appeal. A lot of soapy drama unfolds, but the chemistry between Gable and Harlow makes it fun. Harlow is also hilarious; she makes her saucy lines sparkle. Gable would play the same role in the John Huston remake titled Mogambo (1953), but it doesn't even come close to the wit and energy of the original.
It Should Happen to You (1954) Starring: Judy Holliday, Jack Lemmon, Peter Lawford
In this comedy/romance, Judy Holliday plays the same high-voiced ditsy dame that she did in "Born Yesterday" (and that she basically played her entire film career). She is Gladys Glover, a model who doesn't think her career is progressing fast enough. To give herself a boost, she rents a billboard and has her name painted on it.
Soap heir Peter Lawford also wants the space, and he'll do anything to get it. In his first movie role, Jack Lemmon is the documentary filmmaker who falls in love with Gladys, despite the fact that she often baffles him to the point of anger.
Holliday and Lemmon are comic and sweet together; their frantic arguments are among the funniest moments in the movie. The action slows considerably in Holliday's scenes with the much more languid Lawford. Though things get a little preachy in the end, the tone is mostly light and uplifting.
Love Affair (1939) Starring: Irene Dunne, Charles Boyer, Marie Ouspenskaya
This is the best version of Love Affair, though it tends to be overshadowed by the glossy 1950's remake, An Affair to Remember. Dunne and Boyer have a humorous and warm chemistry as the lovers who plan a rendezvous at the top of the Empire State building.
Even if you aren't particularly interested in leads, the supporting cast is full of treasures. There's a saucy young boat passenger, a hapless, but hilarious maid, a reed thin headmaster known as "pickle puss", and best of all Marie Ouspenskaya as Boyer's sweet grandmother. The sight of Ouspenskaya wincing as she stumbles through an impromptu piano performance has got to be one of the most charming moments in Hollywood movies.
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