39. Classic Saturday, 4/2/11

Classic #1: Breakfast at Tiffany’s with Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. The names Audrey Hepburn and Holly Golightly have become synonymous since this dazzling romantic comedy was translated to the screen from Truman Capote’s best-selling novella. Holly is a deliciously eccentric New York City playgirl determined to marry a Brazilian millionaire. George Peppard plays her next-door neighbor, a writer who is “sponsored” by a wealthy Patricia Neal. Guessing who is the right man for Holly is easy. Seeing just how that romance blossoms is one of the enduring delights of this gem-like treat set to Henry Mancini’s Oscar-winning score and Oscar-winning Mancini-Johnny Mercer song “Moon River.” A near perfect blend of comedy, romance, and minor tragedy, Breakfast at Tiffany's is a must-see classic that, despite diversions from Truman Capote's original novel, remains his clearest statement on what it feels like to be young, ambitious, and on the make in a rapacious city full of hidden agendas.

Classic #2: The African Queen – The best loved of all adventure movies with two Oscar Awards for Best Actor and Lifetime Achievement of Cinematography, starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn. During World War I, a hard drinking river trader Charles and a prim missionary Rose are forced to take an adventurous river expedition together. Throughout the voyage, they encounter tropical hazards, nefarious German officers, and a surprising romance. Of course, the chemistry between these two actors is famous. Theirs is the quintessential love-hate relationship; other plot elements are secondary compared to what goes on between Rose and Charlie. It is what makes us care about the characters and what happens to them.

Classic #3: Some Like It Hot – When Chicago musicians Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) accidentally witness a gangland shooting, they quickly board a southbound train to Florida, disguised as Josephine and Daphne, the two newest – and homeliest – members of an all-girl jazz band. Their cover is perfect…until a lovelorn singer (Marilyn Monroe) falls for “Josephine,” an ancient playboy falls for “Daphne,” and a mob boss refuses to fall for their hoax. Nominated for 7 Academy Awards, Some Like It Hot is the quintessential madcap farce and “one of the greatest of all film comedies.” Some Like It Hot is far from a perfect film, but Billy Wilder took what might have been a rather banal story line and juiced it up into classic territory by squeezing Monroe, Curtis, and Lemmon into dresses and giving them some of the wittiest one-liners on film.

All three of these movies truly are “classics.” I have no doubt the much younger generation may not see them as the classics they have grown to become, but in their day these movies were cutting edge. I am glad that I took a lovely sunny afternoon and spent the time watching them.