Let the rain pitter patter, 'cause it really doesn't matter if the skies are gray...
Rainy days are great. Nothing beats sitting in a cozy chair under a blanket, drinking something hot, and watching a classic film. Unfortunately, college discourages that. They'd rather you go to class and basically have no fun. But once class is over, all bets are off. Unless you have pressing homework. But then once that's out of the way--what, it's 1 am? Once in a while, though, you'll get lucky and your whole afternoon will be open for some great one-on-one time with movies while outside is a complete mess. I haven't done a list lately, so why not do one now? Here are my favorites for a rainy day.
When I first saw this noir classic, I wasn't that enthralled. Now I'm absolutely in love with it. Vincent Price is hilariously pathetic (in such a good way); Clifton Webb is so sophisticated but such a jerk; Dana Andrews is superbly subtle; Judith Anderson is her usually great self. But I think we all know who owns the film--the gorgeous and gifted Gene Tierney. I've become a huge Tierney fan and this film just stokes the fire. It's moody, smooth, witty, and just sublime. Plus, a film noir is always good for a rainy day.
Has there ever been a cooler movie? Practically everything is flawless (let's not talk about Mickey Rooney), from the direction to the music to the acting. Maybe it's the film's rainy finale, but I love watching this when the weather is miserable. It's like what Holly Golightly says--going to Tiffany's cures the mean reds. Who could ask for anything more?
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Like I said with Laura, a film noir is a perfect match for bad weather. Widely considered the best of the bunch, Out of the Past is already tops for me because it pairs Robert Mitchum and Kirk Douglas. Add in Jane Greer as the most devious femme fatale ever filmed and you've got a fun flick. "Fun" may seem like a weird adjective for such a brooding picture, but watch it and tell me you didn't have fun at some point.
I know, what a concept. This movie is so sunny, though, you may forget how terrible it is outside. I'm sure there's not much more I can say that hasn't already been said, so I'll just leave it here.
Sing it with me: "Pillow talk! Pillow talk! Another night of hearing myself go talk, talk, talk..." Can you tell I adore this film? It is so ridiculously funny, with a brightness and a breeziness that cannot be beat. Who wouldn't want to cuddle with a Doris Day-Rock Hudson comedy on a rainy day?
When you go to read a review of this movie on any forum, there is practically a unanimous decision: it's the perfect picture for a rainy day inside. I kid you not--when I bought the DVD on Amazon, review after review said so. But it's hard to disagree. Jane Fonda, Rod Taylor, Robert Culp, and Cliff Robertson make up one of the coolest, smartest, and funniest groups I've ever seen. And the film matches them completely. The soundtrack is fantastic, too. I fervently recommend this picture.
As you could probably guess from my post title, this film was going to come up, if only because it has "Isn't it a Lovely Day (to be Caught in the Rain)?" But let's be real. Ginger and Fred could brighten even the sunniest of days. Any opportunity to watch them is well-spent, no matter what the weather is.
I realize Jerry Lewis is a very polarizing man. Some people hate him, some people love him. I happen to enjoy him immensely, and The Nutty Professor may be my favorite of his (either that or Cinderfella). Lewis's sight gags are magnificent, and he always picks a great supporting cast. It is such a joy to watch Lewis be the pathetic, heartbreaking, and earnest Julius Kelp, as well as the sexy, arrogant, and talented Buddy Love.
I only need to say three words to recommend this one: Monroe, Grable, Bacall. Done. You know it's great.
This may be the least well-known on my list, and truth be told, I only found out about it two months ago. Despite that, though, it's instantly become one of my favorites. I plan on writing a whole post dedicated to it in the near future so I won't say too much here, except for the bare bones. Danny Kaye plays a dual role as an American entertainer in Paris and a famous French pilot. The luminous Gene Tierney is the pilot's wife who has patiently suffered through her husband's multiple affairs, and Corinne Calvet plays the entertainer's girlfriend/co-star. Things get complicated when the entertainer is hired to impersonate the pilot for an evening, and it's just such a fun and marvelous flick. Stay tuned for that full post soon.
What are your favorites for a rainy day? I'm sure there are plenty I left out.
With love,
Michaela
I'm not sure how to determine which films are made for rainy days, but... I see you've put different kinds of movies in the list, romantic comedies, films noirs or musicals, so I should thin think entertainment and/or a particular atmosphere are the key !
ReplyDeleteI really like "Laura" and "Out of the past" in your list by the way. Such films are in fact perfectly suited for good summer rainy days with thunder outside the window... I remember watching "The woman in the window" in such hot, rainy weather... It for sure fitted the movie's atmosphere !
Oh and concerning Gene Tierney, she stars in one of my favorite movies, "Leave her to heaven", so I like her too ;)
ReplyDeleteLeave Her to Heaven is fantastic. The color always blows me away. And Gene Tierney is so chilling. I wish she got more credit--a lot of people seem to think she was just set decoration.
DeleteTo me, "rainy day movies" are totally subjective. Sometimes I pick one because I had a memorable experience with it during a storm, sometimes it just evokes that "rainy" mood to me.