The Cobweb (movies released in 1955) - the scene at a posh psychiatric clinic

The Cobweb is a movie which takes place in a mental asylum and the surprising million dollar question plaguing the doctors and the inmates is around the selection of the curtains / drapes. So the entire movie revolves around the drapes and affairs of heart of people concerned with the drapes. The movie is directed by Vincente Minnelli and is based on a novel by William Gibson, and stars Richard Widmark, Gloria Grahame, Lillian Gish and Lauren Bacall.
At the opening of the movie “the trouble begins” with Steve McIver taking charge of a mental rehabilitation hospital from Dr. Douglas Deneval. Steve, young and dynamic, in his youthful exhuberance brings about new ideas to improve the lot of the patients and other inmates. His sympathies are concentrated on Steven Holt, a suicidal artist and one pathological Mr. Cabb. As Steve becomes busier in the hospital, he begins to neglect his wife Karen, cosying up to Meg Rinehart.



Now that’s what you call adjusting to local. As the movie proceeds, Steve hits upon the idea of using Steven's artistic abilities to drape the windows. But Karen already has taken the responsibility on herself to supply the curtains. And also another employee Victoria Inch who can be the female version of Scrooge McDuck orders unattractive drapes for the windows. At this point one almost start noticing the drapes of one's window and feels ashamed for the fact that not much effort has gone in to selecting them.
As the drape drama unfolds, the audience finds the supporting cast leading lives of their own, on the screen. Dr. Douglas Deneval is deeply in debt, drinks and has a side affair with his secretary. Even suicidal Steve finds love with another inmate. Now the only person unattached is Vicky Inch who is so angry about the whole drape drama that she threatens to expose Deneval and McIver in the next board meeting. Soon the whole plot is complicated by the arrival of Mrs. Deneval and by now the audience has a tough time keeping pace with the people flitting around the psychotic facility.
The climax has Karen taking the lead to install the new drapes subverting Steve's effort. Steven, mentally disturbed, becomes totally unhinged when his drapes are not put on the window. He does a bunk and a good ten minutes are spent on searching him. Steve finally arrives and in a cathartic revelation forgets about the infernal curtains. Everybody comes on board, and Vicky Inch agrees not to disclose the affairs and other going ons at the instition. The McIver's and Deneval's forget their misunderstandings and work on their marriage and forget their mistresses. Soon all is well with one question hanging around “whose drapes make it”?
One of the most confusing movies I have ever seen, The Cobweb is a crazy, bizarre mix of weird and the incongruent. This one psychiatric facility has not much difference between the doctor and the patients. Everybody moves around madly falling in and falling out of the frames. The director just does not have any clue about the story and just makes the men and women pop out of the curtains and windows.

Women's World (released in 1954) - a drama about corporate life

Women's World is a drama from the 1950's post war America where the “Wife” played the perfect hostess for furthering the husbands career. This film stars, Lauren Bacall, Clifton Webb, June Allyson, Arlene Dahl and Fred McCuray. The plot has Ernest Gifford, the eccentric owner of Gifford industries trying to pick up the most suitable candidate for the post of General Manager. Since he believes that behind every successful man, there is a entertaining hostess and support, he wants to evaluate all the potential candidates with their spouses. So he invites the men along with their wives to his vacation cottage. He also has the help of his socialite sister Evelyn, to assess the wives.
The first couple, Bill and Katie Baxter are young parents, very much in love. Katie is a homebody, cherished and very devoted to her hubby and hearth. She is a klutz, very ignorant of the social graces and with a very outdated wardrobe. Katie secretly hopes her husband is overlooked so that her family life is not disrupted. But Bill loves the thought of a promotion and sincerely hopes to make the cut.
The second couple are the not so young Elizabeth and Sidney Burns who are happily married but squabbling for attention. Liz believes that Sid being so busy would work himself to death and ruin their marriage. She asks him to give his family the first preference to his career. But Sid hopes the sophisticated and accomplished Liz would land him the job.



Carol and Jerry Talbot are the upwardly mobile couple who for all appearances are happily married. Carol being the sexy ambitious one prods Jerry shamelessly to do anything to get this promotion. Jerry is less willing and wishes to get the job for his own merit. So the wives prepare their own private hell to help their husbands. The innocent Katie and the lady like Liz hit it off and Liz even finds a wardrobe to match Katie's budget. Carol tries all trick of the trade to get Gifford's attention and this actually makes Bill and Sid see red. They try to reason with Katie and Liz who are disappointed but pitch in reluctantly to support their husbands. Amidst all the drama Carol makes a brazen effort in seducing Gifford which shames Jerry. Jerry sees her for what she is, a social hussy and asks her to leave. On the ultimate night Jerry is alone and informs Gifford about his break up. Gifford congratulates him for his good sense and awards him the promotion. The other husbands realize that their family means more to them and applaud Gifford's choice.
This movie was one of the most well received movies of 1954. It revolves around the values of post war America where the upwardly mobile middle class were part of the well oiled societal set up. Women were the gracious hostesses who supported their husbands careers. Sexy, ambitious women like Carol were disliked and not rewarded. It might look a bit sexist now, but it is true that it was the era of damsels and gentlemen. You had either Lady Liz or goody Katy to keep your job. But one has to remember that it is the 50's where women had not joined the work force in droves and feminism had not made its mark.
Lauren Bacall plays the role of the sophisticated Liz to perfection and June Allyson is great as the simple Katie Baxter. Arlene Dahl, smoulders as the sexy Carol and the men play the supporting roles to perfection. And to top it all these women had great clothes, its the icing on the cake. In-spite of some hiccups this is really an entertaining fun movie.

Mr. North (released in 1988) - A comedy starring Anjelica Huston, Anthony Edwards, Robert Mitchum and Lauren Bacall

Mr. North is the tale of a smooth charming young man who ingratiates himself with the town's rich and famous. Adopted from the book “Theophilus North” by Thornton Wilder, the screenplay was written by John Huston practically on his death bed. The movie in itself is a family affair, with direction done by Danny Huston, and the cast consisting of Angelica Huston, Allegra Huston and Virginia Madsen, Danny's would-be-wife.
Mr. North is the story of Theophilus North, who is an alumnus of Yale, looking hard for a job. He ends up in a town where the hierarchies of rich and poor is rigidly enforced. This is the place where proper diction and manners rule roost, a place more Victorian than the Victorian era. The rich are superbly so even if their source of income is pretty dubious. Theophilus North sets himself in to the society by tutoring the kids to read, directing the summer plays and teaching them to play tennis. He also gets to know the women folk who are immersed in endless kitty parties and canasta sessions. The serving class include the parlor maids, the butlers, the grooms, page boys and all the sundry who make the rich comfortable in their place.



As the class divide is rigidly enforced, the town becomes two worlds on its own, with only Mr. North subtly navigating the breach. But the rich have their fair share of troubles with migraines, lack of love, drunkenness etc plaguing them. The older rich are kept bed ridden by kids who want their money. North comes across Mitchum Bosworth who is a wealthy owner of a brewery and is kept at his death bed by his devious daughter and a doctor friend. Now North has this wonderful ability to transmit electric current through his body. So he zaps the zits of a teenager’s nose, quells the migraines and brings in the joy. He cures Bosworth of his addiction and helps the parlor maid to get her love. Soon North is the darling of the town. But wicked people who do not like the turn of events, spread rumors of him being a quack and soon he is arrested and tried for deception. But the town rallies around him to get the good old doctor out of the gaol and Bosworth makes him the director of the institute of philosophy..
Anthony Edwards plays the the role of Mr. North to perfection. He is fresh faced, clear cut and youthful and it is impossible not to like him. North has no problem solving problems and also gets the love of young Persis who is Bosworth's grand daughter. Angelica Huston has a minute role of Persis who comes out of the house just to ride her horse. The best goes to Lauren Bacall who is the Boarding house mistress who plays a wicked game at the cards and Edward Stanton, the fake British Caretaker who is actually from Chicago. Mr. North is a feel good and spiritual movie which delivers the message of goodness in people. Especially coming from the Pulitzer prize winner Thornton Wilder, it is one great outing.