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TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains a lot of references to sexual assault that takes place in the movie.

Another in the “musical drama distaster film” genre of San Francisco, this week’s movie is a fictional telling of the family of Mrs. O’Leary, whose cow, for at least a century, was held responsible for starting the Chicago Fire. Starring Tyrone Power, Alice Brady, and Alice Faye, Chicago is a movie so chock full of the worst Classic Film offenses that David made up a bingo card for it. It’s also the last film of 1937, so find out if the Academy’s winner holds up!

SHOW NOTES

Year Eligible: 1937 (Nominated)

Additional audio: In Old Chicago (1937)

(Explicit language, as always)

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David's Bingo Card

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Suzan's Bingo Card

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Another in the weird 1930s trend of "hilarious" comedies about divorce, The Awful Truth, starring Cary Grant and Irene Dunne, is the film equivalent of a bottle of champagne that's been left open for three days.

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SHOW NOTES

Year Eligible: 1937 (Nominated)

Additional audio: The Awful Truth (1937)

(Explicit language, as always)

ABOUT THE EPISODE:

Just in time for Pride month, the undeniably queer Stage Door is not not an odd couple romantic comedy. A terrific movie where the Powerful Lesbian Energy fan service is only barely subtextual— Katherine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers play two up and coming Broadway actresses thrown together by circumstance who pretty obviously fall in love with each other. While it takes a hard left turn at the very end, this funny, sweet, and ultimately very moving women-centric movie still manages to stick the landing thanks to its darling central couple.

SHOW NOTES:

Year Eligible: 1937 (Nominated)

Additional audio: Stage Door (1937)

(Explicit language, as always)

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Deanna Durbin is back in this bizarre Depression Era concert movie cum Cinderella story, and our hosts are genuinely concerned for the wellbeing of our young heroine. One hundred men and not one of them can get the girl to school or tell her to stay out of bars?

SHOW NOTES:

Year Eligible: 1937 (Nominated)

Additional audio: One Hundred Men and a Girl (1937)

(Explicit language, as always)

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Dead End welcomes the legendary Humphrey Bogart to the podcast for the first, but not the last time! An excellent ensemble cast, a class warfare theme, and a handful of impressive bits of cinematography result in David having to reel in a very jetlagged Suzan from way over rating this movie.

SHOW NOTES:

Year Eligible: 1937 (Nominated)

Additional audio: Dead End (1937)

(Explicit language, as always)

ABOUT THE EPISODE:

Our hosts aren’t sure that anything could make them forgive Paul Muni for The Good Earth, but the lackluster biopic and incomprehensible 1937 Best Picture Winner, The Life of Emile Zola isn’t it.

SHOW NOTES:

Year Eligible: 1937 (Won)

Additional audio: The Life of Emile Zola (1937)

(Explicit language, as always)

ABOUT THE EPISODE:

David and Suzan take you on a giddy, punch drunk voyage of fish bonding, bad Portuguese (question mark?) accents, and entirely unbelievable rich dads in this week’s episode reviewing Captains Courageous. Freddie Bartholomew, Spencer Tracy, and a young Mickey Rooney return to the podcast, but this time they’re not panned! Lionel Barrymore and an unreasonably handsome John Carradine co-star.

SHOW NOTES:

Year Eligible: 1937 (Nominated)

Additional audio: Captains Courageous (1937)

(Explicit language, as always)

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The original A Star is Born (and only other Best Picture nominee besides the Lady Gaga one), is a good movie with the bones of a great movie, and the first nominee entirely in color! Screen Test of Time favorites Frederic March, Janet Gaynor, and Alfred Anjou turn in excellent performances… just not necessarily in the same film. All the same, it’s still, unquestionably, a movie… which isn’t always the case here at SToT.

SHOW NOTES:

Year Eligible: 1937 (Nominated)

Additional audio: A Star is Born (1937)

(Explicit language, as always)

ABOUT THE EPISODE:

The first Frank Capra movie we haven't been immediately sure should have won the year, Lost Horizon is never the less still leading the pack for 1937. (Of course, that’s not saying much, since the only other nominee our hosts have seen so far is the dreadful Good Earth.) Ronald Coleman gives a great performance in the original Shangri-La story, though it’s not as tight or profound as Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, as clever as It Happened One Night, or as quirky and heartwarming as Lady for a Day, but one thing’s for sure: it’s definitely a movie, cause Capra doesn’t know how to make anything that’s not.

SHOW NOTES:

Year Eligible: 1937 (Nominated)

Additional audio: Lost Horizon (1937)

(Explicit language, as always)

ABOUT THE EPISODE:

1937 is not off to a good start with The Good Earth. A cast led by Paul Muni and Luise Rainer, white actors in yellow face hair and makeup, portraying rural Chinese peasants at the turn of the 20th century, this may be the most infuriating movie Suzan and David have seen so far.

SHOW NOTES:

Year Eligible: 1937 (Nominated)

Additional audio: The Good Earth (1937)

(Explicit language, as always)