Doris Day shows both her acting ability and singing prowess in the 1955 film Love Me or Leave Me, also starring James Cagney. The movie is a biopic of 1920’s songstress Ruth Etting, beautifully played by Day.

The film starts in Chicago. Gangster Martin Snyder (Cagney) takes a liking to dancehall girl Etting. She is a smart girl and once she realizes he is “connected,” she uses him to get her career on the right track. She doesn’t want to be a dancer. She is a singer. That’s what she wants to do with her life. And she’s a great singer. So when Martin realizes how good she really is, he decides to take her to the top of the profession, with the understanding that she will eventually relent to his desires.

In the meantime, Ruth and piano player Johnny Alderman (Cameron Mitchell) form a friendship that is actually deeper. They love each other yet Ruth puts her career ahead of her personal life. She also puts Martin in charge of her career, and he takes her away to NYC.

Ruth soon finds she is stuck in a situation she cannot extricate herself from and Martin pulls all the strings. She realizes she put herself in this situation and relents completely. She marries Martin who pulls her from the Ziegfeld Follies and takes her on the road.

Even though Ruth’s songs are often upbeat and fun, there are plenty of dark songs that truly show her deep emotions. And the story itself is dark. But Ruth plugs away in the career she and Martin created, knowing that she made the decision to follow this route.

This Blu-ray edition from the Warner Archive Collection has remastered audio making Day’s songs leap from the screen. While Ruth is suffering in her personal life, the music is filling the story with Day’s fabulous singing and acting. And of course, Cagney is marvelous as the gangster who strong-arms everyone to do what he wants, including his wife.

The bonus features include a behind the scenes featurette, and two shorts featuring the real Ruth Etting. She was called “America’s Sweetheart of Song” and some of the songs associated with her are “Shine On, Harvest Moon,” “Exactly Like You,” “Shaking the Blues Away,” “Mean to Me,” “Button Up Your Overcoat,” and “Love Me or Leave Me.”

This movie takes some dramatic liberties with the actual story, however it does highlight much of the life, career, and loves of Ruth Etting.

Love Me or Leave Me is part of the Warner Archive Collection.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 20 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

Follow her on Twitter

Jon Voight stars in Table for Five, a sensitive drama from 1983 about an estranged father trying to reconnect with his three children.

J.P. Tannen (Voight) desperately wants to have a better relationship with his young children. His ex-wife Kathleen (Millie Perkins) has remarried and Mitchell (Richard Crenna) is a devoted man to the three young kids: Tilde (Roxana Zal), Truman-Paul (Robby Kiger), and Trung (Son Hoang Bui). Tannen has never made much of his life and loves to party, but he feels he wants a little deeper connection with his kids. So he takes them on a cruise to the Mediterranean, with the reluctance of Kathleen and Mitch.

On board the ship the four start out all right but soon find they just aren’t living on the same wavelength. Then J.P decides perhaps he just isn’t a good father and says they should just try being friends.

The foursome does have some good times but when something happens that changes their lives, Tilde says they don’t need another friend, they need a father. Watching J.P. transition to a loving and caring father during this cruise is heartening. He learns how to step up and finally put his kids needs before his own wants.

Voight is remarkable in this role. Don’t forget to have some tissues handy when you watch this film, however. There are a lot of ups and downs as the family struggles to find their way and improve their core. And look for a very young Kevin Costner as a newlywed on the cruise with his bride.

When it comes down to it, Tannen finally learns how to be a parent, something he has struggled with for years. In this day and age when there are broken families, divorced parents, stepparents, and adopted kids, it’s often difficult for everyone to find their place. While parents love their children, they often don’t have the skills to raise them properly. That is the case with Tannen. But during the cruise when they are stuck out in the middle of the ocean he discovers how much he truly loves the three kids and how he needs to change in order to be the father they need and deserve.

On the ship he meets a divorced woman named Marie (Marie-Christine Barrault) who helps guide him through some difficult times. Her support and encouragement is important to him, yet in the end it is all up to him.

So why is it called “Table for Five” when there are only four in their party? That is part of the story. Initially Tannen was hoping to add a woman to their table so he would have a “date” during the cruise, which is something that upsets the kids. As the miles pass and the family bonds, he decides he doesn’t need or want the extra chair. All he needs is his kids.

This is definitely a heartwarming story of family, love, and devotion. It’s rated PG

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 20 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

Follow her on Twitter

It’s been 25 years since the classic animated film Beauty and the Beast first enchanted viewers. Celebrating the milestone, Disney has released a “25^th Anniversary Edition” with a Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD. There are several bonus features as well as three versions of the film: original, extended, and sing-along.

Beauty and the Beast transcends ages. It is beloved by young kids, parents (who grew up with the film), and grandparents alike. Everyone sees something enchanting and entertaining in this movie. Each of the characters has their own fans: Beast, Belle, Gaston, Lumiere, Cogsworth, Wardrobe, Mrs. Potts, and Chip. The music has become part of pop culture. “Be Our Guest,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Gaston,” “Belle,” and “Something There” were beautifully thought out and created by the songwriters Alan Menken and Howard Ashman.
The songs are discussed in one of the bonus features.

In another Paige O’Hara, the voice of Belle, discusses how the movie changed her life. ”I was born to play this part,” she exclaims. Viewers also get to see snippets from recording sessions which were used for “internal tools for the animators” to help them blend the animated characters to the people voicing them. The story of Beauty and the Beast was “an official idea” for Walt Disney, although it never got made during his lifetime. He always wanted to bring this enchanting story to audiences, though.

So, on this special anniversary, why not gather your friends for a party to celebrate Belle and the Beast? Set your table with the Lumiere candelabra, the Mrs. Potts and Chip salt and Pepper set, (available from Disneystore.com) and serve a delicious meal – including of course the “gray stuff,” then sit down for 85 minutes of pure delight as the movie brings back memories of the first time you saw it. Sing along. Be enchanted once again.

The Beauty and the Beast Live Action movie will premier in theaters next year, but seriously, there’s nothing like the original animated version. It’s delightful and memorable.

Beauty and the Beast is a classic that will always be entertaining and beloved.

 

Check out some bonus clips:

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for 20 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

Follow her on Twitter