We love the actress Thelma Ritter - She's about as authentic as they come!

If you are studying authenticity you might want to study some Thelma Ritter movies.  Thelma is about as authentic as they come.  

Miracle on 34th Street 1947

This is a favorite family-centered movie to watch at Christmastime.  A little girl is being brought up by a mom who is very practical and doesn't like any kind of fantasy including Santa Claus.  See what happens when the real Santa Clause comes on the scene.

Father was a Fullback 1949
This football coach has problems.  The college team he is coaching has a losing season, he doesn't understand his youngest daughter and his teenage daughter is a mystery as well.  But through everything you can see the love and concern that each member of the family has for each other.  It's really a delightful film!

The Mating Season 1951

In the movie Thema Ritter plays a mom who will do anything (good) to help her son.  But her plans do not go smoothly.  Don't let the name fool you.  Remember many words had completely different definitions back in the 1950's.

As Young as You Feel 1951

What are you going to do when you reach the young age of 65 and your company retires you against your will.  This man comes up with a plan to get his job back.  Let's see if his plan succeeds or not.

The Model and the Marriage Broker 1951

Thelma Ritter usually played supporting roles in most of her films.  But in this film she plays one of the two main female roles.  Who wouldn't want ever practical and sensible Thelma going to bat for them and teaching them how to be a little more attractive to the one you love.

With a Song in My Heart 1952

If you are in the mood for a musical and have seen most of the the ones you can think of, try watching With a Song in My Heart.  It's a biographical film of actress Jane Froman.  We think her determination will inspire you.

Lucy Gallant 1955

There are so many quick relationships nowadays.  This movie shows us that not all relationships are instant.  It may take quite a time and work to convince the one you love that you are the one they love in return.  

Northside 777 1948Usually we don’t go in for movies about murder.  As murder is about the farthermost thing away from living a wholesome life as you can get.  But though this movie about a true story has a murder in it that is not the crucial aspect of this story.  The crucial aspect of this movie is how one man was unjustly accused and how his family believed in his innocence and how another man worked to discover the truth.  The movie shows us that even when all hope is gone things can still change. And hoping on and working on in even though all evidence might point to the hope being nigh to impossible is what living the wholesome life is all about.

I'll Get By 1950
A wonderful romantic musical about the rise of a song writing and song publishing team.

Move Over Darling 1963

A comedy of a man who's wife has been pronounced dead because she has been lost at sea.  So he decides to get remarried.  And on the day he does, and before the honeymoon, his first wife shows up.

You all know the talent of Danny Kaye from the film White Christmas.  He has many other delightful movies that we think you might like!

White Christmas 1954 is a Christmas Classic. It's a delightful musical romance set at the end of World War 2 and the years not long after. If you want a movie where the world is happy and any problems are small and solvable this is one one for you.

Hans Christian Andersen 1952 is a gentle musical about one of the world's favorite fairy-tale writers.  

A Song is Born 1948 is comedy of what happens with a set of classical musicians try to write about the history off music and suddenly see how much music has evolved.  We loved all the styles of music that they had in the movie and think you will as well.

Clip from A Song is Born

Many of you might be familiar with the film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty released in 2013 starring Ben Stiller buy some of you might not know that it was a remake of the much earlier film with the exact same title starring Danny Kaye released in 1947.  Both films are comedies and star a man who daydreams about the life he someday wants to lead and the man he someday wants to be.  It's fun to watch both film back to back.  I would start with the original though.

Here are the trailers for them both

1947

2013

The Court Jester 1955 is ____.  You will love this look of Angela Lansbury in he younger years.

The Inspector General 1949 ____

Jane Wyman - Ronald Regan's First Wife

It is hard to describe anyone's style in one or two word.  And as we are trying to think of how to describe Jane Wyman's style we think of the word composed.  Composed whether confident or timid.

 I think most people my age first saw Jane Wyman when she played Aunt Polly in Pollyanna, a story about a little girl who played the glad game - a game where she tried to find something to be happy about in every situation.

Here's a clip where she explains her Glad Game.

But Jane Wyman was a well known actress ever before that!  And here are some of our favorite films with her in them.

In Three Guys Named Mike Jane is an airline stewardess and has to choose between three guys who love her.  Who would you choose?

In the movie Magnificent Obsession 1954 She is a widow who's very philanthropic husband dies when he can't get the emergency help he needs because it was being used to save a man who up until then had lived a very selfish life.  This movie holds a secret to happiness and is well worth the watch!

In The Story of Will Rogers 1952 Jane plays the wife of Will Rogers and we get to see through her eyes the story of a man who was humble and kind of afraid to take his place in the world to use his influence for the best good.

In Lucy Gallant 1955 Jane plays a business woman who starts her own store.  She is forced with the decision between being a business owner and being a wife and a stay-at-home.

In All That Heaven Allows 1955 Jane is a widow who falls in love with a man of whom her friends and family disapprove.  She has to decide whether to choose to marry the man she loves or live her life by other people's wishes.

In Magic Town 1947 Jane plays the editor and owner of a small town newspaper and James Stewart is a man who comes to the town for good, though secretive reasons.  Romance starts from there.

In Lost Weekend 1946 Jane plays the girlfriend of a man who is an alcoholic.  We get to see the how thoroughly addictions can destroy a person's life and the lives of those who care about them.  We see the lies, the deceit, the selfishness and the desperation.  We also see that their are choices along the way and that while people are still alive there is always a chance to change.  Adult themes.  Preview first

In Miracle in the Rain 1956 Jane plays a daughter of a mother whose husband has walked out on her.  For a while Jane is living her whole life to help her mother.  Then she meets a solider and the story changes.  - there are some adult themes in this movie so definitely preview first.

Here Comes the Groom 1951 is a delightful romantic comedy starring Jane Wyman and Bing Crosby.

In The Glass Menagerie 1950 Jane plays a very shy girl who has some crippled legs who has a mom who desperately is trying to do what she can for her children.  This is the first film version of Tennessee Williams play.

Sorry no trailer

Night and Day 1946 the musical of the story of song writer Cole Porter.  It is wonderfully full of the the songs that he wrote 

Jane Wyman made many other movies and I would think that they are probably worth watching.  All the ones we've seen her in are wholesome and explore life various thoughtful ways.