Hi Nellie! : Movies about Writing

This is a short one - like this movie.

Brad (Paul Muni) is a newspaper editor attempting to solve a disappearance and theft. Do police not actually solve crimes in the 1930s? They just leave it up to newspaper reporters?Anyway, I don’t want to talk about that. I want to talk about the movie’s title and the world of Great Depression era journalism according to the movies.

“Hi Nellie” is a reference to the paper’s heart throb column run by Nellie Nelson. However, there is no Nellie. At the beginning of the film, Glenda Farrell’s character, a former ace reporter named Gerry, is acting as Nellie. By the time Brad is starting to investigate the main plot line, he becomes Nellie. Being Nellie is a punishment for not getting the big scoop or wasting the paper’s time.The rest of the staff is pretty much encouraged to give the current “Nellie” as much crap as possible. Gerry is thrilled when she no longer has to read the woes of women seeking relationship advice. When Brad has the assignment, he tries to get himself fired using the column, only to accidentally make it a hit. And in making Nellie successful, he stumbles onto a clue to the mystery that got him demoted.

I just think this entire dynamic is hilarious. The paper seemed to only keep the heart throb column as a punishment. No one who considers themselves a legitimate reporter wants to “deal with” given out a advice. Plus, according to these movies, it’s their job to solve murders. Who has time to read about break-ups when you’re protecting your city one dramatized article at a time?

You Can’t Take It with You: Movies about Writing

This Frank Capra classic is about an eccentric family whose oldest daughter wants to marry into a banking family. Oh, and of course, the banking family is trying to buy the family home in a shady deal.

The patriarch of the household is Lionel Barrymore, an armchair philosopher who doesn’t believe in war or income taxes, and grandpa to the Neighborhood. His daughter, Mrs. Sycamore is a writer. His son-in-law likes to invent fireworks with the help of the former ice man that moved into their house nine years earlier. He has two granddaughters One is Essie, played by Anne Miller, a dancer who is married to a musician named Ed, but the pair also make and distribute candy as a means of paying the bills. The other granddaughter is Alice, played by Jean Arthur, who is in love with the bosses son Tony played by Jimmy Stewart. Also, in the house is their housekeeper, her fiancé, a former clerk who invents toys, and a pet raven. Alice loves her family, but worries about how her future in-laws will react to them. Most of the film is about class warfare, the definition of wealth, and various shenanigans.

At the beginning of the movie, the daughter is working on a play and asking everyone in the house if they have ever been in a monastery. When her father asks her how it’s going she says she’s written herself into a monastery and can’t get out. He replies, “Well you’ll figure out a way. Remember the time you got out of jail.” Each mishap she looks at as inspiration and excitement. Alice also asks that her mother not read any of her plays aloud upon the first meeting with Tony. Alice explains that her mother writes plays only because a typewriter was delivered to the house by mistake and she liked it. I feel like this is as good a reason for any to become a writer.

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A Witch's Tangled Hare: Movies about Writing

Remember this one?

Witch Hazel has a boiling pot to cook Bugs Bunny in her for her latest potion. As Bugs outsmarts her, their antics are observed by a balding man with a goatee in Tudor style clothing. He writes down everything he sees from Bugs as Romeo calling forth Witch Hazel Juliet to the several Macbeth references. At the end, Bugs finds the stranger crying that he’ll never be a writer.

Bugs points at him and declares with complete confidence, “Oh yes you will! Because you’re William Shakespeare!”

The struggling author sniffles and responds, “But I'm not William Shakespeare! I'm Sam Krubish!”

I admit, this has little to do with writing. Either way, if it’s been a while since you’ve watched this cartoon, you know what you should be doing right now.

Rich and Famous: Movies about Writingd

This is a remake of Old Acquaintances (the 1943 film starring Miriam Hopkins and Bette Davis) and the final movie directed by George Cukor. The story is about two best friends who each have different, yet enviable lives. Merry (Candace Bergen), who married young to a scientist their age, is a California socialite with a daughter. Liz (Jacqueline Bisset) is an academic and wrote a critically acclaimed book.

After Liz wins accolades for her first book and struggles to write her second, Merry reveals that she also wrote a book. A jealous Liz refuses to show the manuscript to her publisher, calling her own work as struggling through high art and Merry’s book as low brow bestseller material. Despite this, Liz does take the book to her publisher and it becomes a bestseller.

Soon, Merry is churning out book after book while her husband spirals into alcoholism. She focuses more on her career than her family, unable to find a balance. Granted, her husband is a total bitch about her fame as well. Meanwhile, Liz lives in a dinky New York walk-up with a bottle of scotch next to her typewriter and a series of emotionally distant relationships. Merry’s husband suggests that he and Liz have an affair. She refuses and tries to convince him to stay with Merry, yet he takes a job in Texas.

By the time both women are nearing middle age, Merry has a book receiving critical acclaim and Liz is on the book award board. The pair are still close friends, but tensions have built. Merry’s daughter has grown up and is . . . oh hey, Meg Ryan. The daughter wants independence from her mom and expects Liz to stick up for her. On top of that, Liz finally finished a very successful second book and his dating a twenty-two year old reporter from Rolling Stone magazine (who eventually leaves her for Meg Ryan). Merry lives in a selfish dream that her husband with return and she’ll win the writing award, almost ignoring Liz’s problems.

Spoiler Alert: In the end, despite the disappointments, fights, jealousies, and realities, the pair can’t live without each other. They are two accomplished women who deserve a break from drama, as Liz puts it. As remakes of old movies go this was . . . . well, kinda boring.

“If your writing doesn’t keep you up nights, it won’t keep anyone else up either” was advice given to Liz. She strives for Proust level writing. Merry uses gossip and her own experiences in order to create popular novels her husband calls trash. Mostly, the focus is lesson writing and more on the procrastination and parties. Liz constantly references the writers she admires. The movie does include a random cameo by Ray Bradbury!

I also feel like Cukor always really wanted to film sex scenes and he never could before. Those scenes always last longer than most of the dialogue moments.

The Affairs of Martha: Movies about Writing

It’s a who’s who of character actors in this 1942 B comedy! A small community of wealthy home freak out when it’s revealed that one of their maids will be releasing a tell-all book. Not knowing which maid or which family the book could be about, the wealthy start to mistreat the help who start to rebel. I love some humorous class warfare.

The voice of reason amongst the below-stairs group is young Martha (Marsha Hunt), a maid who declares that there is nothing in the Constitution again writing a book. She tries to keep an army of maids and cooks played by Marjorie Main, Jody Gilbert, and Marget Hamilton (YAAAASSSS Wicked Witch in the HOUSE!) from going on strike. Of course, Martha is the author of the soon to be published book. Martha works for the Sommerfields. The doctor/father (Melville Cooper) is a relaxed man more interested in his work than gossip. Mrs. Sommerfield (Spring Byington) is fairly calm and feels like the other women in the neighborhood are too jumpy about rumors. Their teenage daughter Miranda (Virginia Weidler) is an eccentric who already suspects Martha since she notices how smart and flowery her vocabulary is. Their grown son, Jeff (Richard Carlson) is an anthropologist has just returned from an over a year away studying the Inuit people. He brought back a stuck-up fiancee and fellow scientist named Sylvia (Frances Drake - not the pirate). By the way, almost every one in this is in another movie I love. About 1/3 of the cast appeared in some of my favorite pre-code and universal horror movies.

It’s revealed through a conversation with Martha’s super supportive publisher Mr. Archer (Allyn Joslyn) that Martha spent that past year going to night classes and writing to prove her intelligence to her secret husband, Jeff. However, Mr. Archer also wants her to forget Jeff and run off with him. There’s also a local mechanic and handy man named Danny who also has eyes for Martha. Meanwhile, Jeff assumed she would have had their marriage annulled while he was gone and is appalled to discover that she didn’t.

What I loved about this movie is that by becoming an educated writer, Martha finds her independence. Yes, she’s still in love with Jeff, but she’s able to handle the situation with confidence and poise. She explores options within her own life and tries to take control. That having been said SPOILER ALERT . . .

Mr. Archer reveals at a dinner party that Martha wrote the book that the whole neighborhood has been in fear of and that it’s been selected by the book-of-the-month-club (that’s a big deal in the 40s). The Sommerfields take the news in a variety of ways with the mother fainting, the father thrilled that it clears out his nosy neighbors, and the little sister thrilled that it ends his engagement with Sylvia. The book, it turns out, is not an expose. Instead, it’s a charming character study of how much Martha admires the Sommerfields. Jeff chases her down and they stay married in order to give the book a happy ending.

Ever Since Eve: Movies about Writing

I really like a Davies comedy. Marge (Marion Davies) plays the secretary of a novel writer named Freddy (Robert Montgomery) who thinks she’s a frump, when secretly she’s hot.

This story is more about sexism and abuse than it is about writing, but writing is a large part of Marge’s job. Marge has been repeatedly fired after ducking the advances of many bosses. In order to earn a steady income, she puts on an unflattering brunette wig, shapeless clothes, and thick glasses. She’s hired as a stenographer for a publishing agency full of male authors writing romance under women’s names. She’s assigned to Freddy Matthews, a best selling author who has difficulty focusing on his work.

Marge, determined to keep her job, foils Freddy’s attempts to go on dates or take long lunches. She is especially good at keeping him away from his type-A girlfriend who monopolizes his time. Freddy realizes that Marge is good at her job when she temporarily quits when his girlfriend accuses her of having a thing for Freddy (which she does). I would also like to point out that Freddy has a classy, British butler who is Black. This is so rare in an old movie that I did a double take. Apparently, his name was Frederick Clarke and born in London. He didn’t get a lot of work in Hollywood. I could go on a tangent about this, but I better not.

Freddy goes to look for Marge, however he finds her in her normal clothes and blonde hair, thinking the pair are two different people. He takes out blonde Marge and I had flashbacks of watching Jem as a child. Seriously, she should have dumped her boyfriend. He was dating her, but in love with Jem and ddin’t know they were the same people! What were they teaching us 80s children?! In the case of this film, Marge and her roommate decide to tell Freddy that blonde her is out-of-town until the book is finished. She’s determined not to be herself again until the book is finished because Freddy will get sued by a film studio who already bought the rights to the book.

You probably know how all of this will end. Marge makes a good task manager and sounding board for Freddy’s writing. But I also feel like she should have steered clear of Freddy. He’s irresponsible and impractical. My guess is that he was well-off before his books starting selling, otherwise he’s be more worried about finishing his book.

Honeymoon for Three: Movies about Writing

I started watching this 1941 film on TCM and as I got 10 minutes in I thought, “Have I seen this before?” Finally, I looked it up and realized it was a remake of Goodbye again (see previous blogs).

Ken Bixby (George Brent) is a successful author and former playboy getting ready to marry his secretary Anne Rogers (Ann Sheridan) when a young woman (Osa Massen) shows up at their hotel claiming to be the muse of his bestseller. Although Bixby doesn’t remember this Julie ,who is now married, but still pines for Bixby, his ego and curiosity gets the better of him. As he spends the day with Julie while her cousins (which includes a young Jane Wyman) beg Anne to stop any scandals from occurring. By the way, I want to punch Wyman’s husband in the movie so badly. He’s a condescending moron who needs a good smack. Anne seems to agree with me as she tears up his business card with force. Then Julie’s husband, Harvey (Charlie Ruggles), shows up to get a look at Bixby. Anne spends the day trying to distract Harvey as Bixby cancels his book engagements to be with Julie. All of this leads to miscommunications and court subpoenas.

As a famous writer, Bixby has hotel maids stealing copies of his book and fans waiting to see him in the lobby including a woman who named her baby after him. Anne helps him dodge most of these annoyances while trying to keep him down to earth. As his secretary, she is also one of his editors and when he tries to quote her from it, she has the great line, “That in total, is the love scene from page 77 of' ‘Silent Woods’. I typed it. . . You worked three days polishing that speech and it still sounded phony.” She has a larger vocabulary than him and states the typing for him is enough punishment in her life.

Torchy Blane Plays with Dynamite: Movies about Writing (also called Torchy Blane Playing with Dynamite)

Jane Wyman . . . how did you get here? Once again they tried to to recast the whole formula. Jane Wyman is news gal Torchy Blane. Allen Jenkins plays her lieutenant fiancee Steve McBride. And Gahagan is still Tom Kennedy. Why doesn’t that guy ever get recast? Also, this movie was made THE SAME YEAR as the two previous movies. Stop messing with our heads, Warner Bros. Also, the movie is listed everywhere as “Torchy Blane Playing with Dynamite”, but the posters all say “Plays with Dynamite”. Warner Bros. - the master of the stupid gaslighting.

Torchy decides to get herself arrested so she can get the scoop on a woman who’s been jailed for shoplifting. What the police who picked her up don’t know is that the woman is a girlfriend of a notorious bank robber and murderer named Denver Eddie. Torchy (called Helen at the prison) befriends the girlfriend from another inmate (who appears to be the only African American woman in the cell block) and the pair break out together. Steve follows, hoping the girlfriend will lead them to Denver Eddie (how’s that for a name, by the way). She and Steve meet in a bookstore and use make-up plot descriptions to tip each other off. Meanwhile, Gahagan is forced to fight in a wrestling match for . . . reasons. I don’t know. This movie is only an hour long and the story still got a little lost. The one spoiler I will give away is that another reporter blows Torchy’s cover! Is there no honor among journalists? Oh wait. No, there isn’t.

That’s the end of the Torchy Blane films and by the end of #9 she and Steve are still not married. All I have left to say is this - run, Jane Wyman! Run before Ronald Regan tries to marry you!

Torchy Blane in Chinatown & Torchy Runs for Mayor: Movies about Writing

“You’re no lady! You’re a reporter!”

Just to remind you: Newspaper woman, Torchy (Glenda Farrel) and her homicide detective fiancee Steve McBride (Barton MacLane) continue their adventures in these hour long films from the 1930s. Got it? Good.

Torchy Blane in Chinatown: Who’s in the mood for some colonization? Cue music that is probably problematic! Although, I did like the establishing shot of Chinatown that showed all of the old shops and Asian women in their 1930s attire. Steve is investigating the murder of a very white man over the possession of some very Chinese jade burial tablets. While another man (a senator with a huge “collection of stolen Asian artifacts) is being threatened, Steve tries to find the family who originally owned the jade tablets and Torchy tries to scoop his investigation. The pair have a little more communication about why Torchy shouldn’t print the investigation until Steve had more of a chance to work . . . until he refused to let her tag along or listen to any of her hunches. Let’s face it. They have a lot of red flags as a couple. Then again, Torchy has enough red flags for both of them. For example, as a victim lies dying of poison, Torchy declares, “What a story!” Gahagan (Tom Kennedy), Steve’s driver, gives her a dirty look. He’s a less problematic writer, who constantly reminding everyone that he writes poetry . . . I mean, less problematic when he’s not creeping on Chinese dancing girls. Despite this being #7 in the movie series and full of nasty remarks about Asians, the mystery was pretty good. I mean, I did guess the bad guys before Steve, but probably not before Torchy. Torchy’s writing is really less of an issue in this film, whereas Gaahagan is almost drowned for his verse.

Torchy Runs for Mayor: This eight movie in the series really comes down to how far Torchy will go for a story. It starts with Steve being nervous that Torchy has run a series of investigative bylines accusing the current mayor of being political machine boss and having crime underworld connections (both of which are true). When the mayor threatens her paper, the story is pulled until Torchy gets proof. Gahagan helps her (after she sweet talks him about his poetry) to keep spreading the word which results in a political candidate murdered and Gahagan walking the beat. Steve writes in Torchy’s name as a candidate as a joke . . . so she runs. She puts on her best “look how innocent I am” dress and declares a platform based around protecting babies.

SPOILER: For once, Steve has to to solve the case because Torchy get kidnapped by the crime boss and mayor’s minion. She also wins the election and gives up her position of power - not to return to the newspaper world, but to marry Steve. I think it’s funny how everyone assumes she’ll settle down once she’s married. I suppose I’ll find out in the final film. Tune in next week!

Torchy Blane in Panama & Torchy Gets Her Man: Movies about Writing

Once again we turn in Glenda Farrell and Barton MacLane to show us how unethical journalism can be . . .

Wait. That’s not Glenda Farrell or Barton MacLane? What goes on here?

Torchy Blane in Panama: Actors Lola Lane and Paul Kelly take on the roles of Torchy and Steve respectively for this one movie. I guess they just weren’t feeling like themselves lately (ba-dum-dum-tsk). I confess, that I find this Steve McBride hotter. I have no idea why the switched out the cast for this one film. But Lola Lane is not as cool as Glenda Farrell (sorry). Gahagan, Steve’s driver, is still played by Tom Kennedy. Torchy is annoyed that Steve won’t let her have scoops anymore after another paper gets a bank robbery story before her. Still, she gives him her theories on the case which he uses to chase the criminal to Panama . . . without her. Torchy literally drops in on the ship by jumping out of a plane. After that she flirts with an entire passenger vessel of the order of Leopards and let’s Steve get jealous. Anything for a story, I guess. I won’t give away the mystery, but I will point out a few things. 1) They stop off in Cuba. Movies from before the Cold War constantly have me believing that middle class people just popped down to Havana for a day to dance and drink. 2) Torchy wears pants and Steve is having none of it. She, of course, continues to wear them and they actually become a plot point. 3) This movie sort of forgets her goal to write a story until the last five minutes.

Torchy Gets her Man: Farrell and MacLane return in this mystery about secret service agents and counterfeit money. Despite what’s stated in the previous film, the pair are still not married and Steve’s boss is still telling him to keep Torchy away from his cases. When Steve stands Torchy up for dinner, she declares that if she can’t have steak then she will get a scoop. Through racetracks, spy rings, and bomb threats, Torchy and Gahagan work a case that Steve doesn’t even realize it going on. They borrow a German Shepherd to help them track the bad guys, however he only speaks German. I’m kind of surprised they had Torchy attempting to speak German in 1938. This movie also has the baddies underestimate Steve and even wonder why a smart woman like Torchy is with him. When Steve figures out the plot, Torchy smugly jokes to the villain, “Isn’t he the dumbest thing”. Once again, this does not have Torchy writing and printing as much as in the other movies. There are a lot of conversation with her editor who she has wrapped around her little finger though.

Adventurous Blonde & Blondes at Work: Movies about Writing

“Can't you lovebirds find something to bill and coo about besides murders and bank robberies?"

Newspaper woman, Torchy (Glenda Farrel) and her homicide detective fiancee Steve McBride (Barton MacLane) continue their adventures in these hour long films from the 1930s. Torchy has “ink in her veins” which is the part of these films I”m going to write about instead of the individual mysteries.

Both of these, which came out one after the other, deals in the ethics of a journalist dating a member of the police force. These old films make it look like reporters did all of the police work. Steve’s boss points out that reporters printing evidence as it’s found can hinder an investigation. I can’t argue with him on that one. Plus, Torchy always gets the scoop and other papers call fowl play.

In fact, the other journalists are so annoyed that in Adventurous Blondes, they try to set up a fake story to humiliate Torchy, however, it turns into a real murder case that she tries to help Steve solve. All of this interrupts their wedding.

In Blondes at Work, Steve’s captain asks why he can’t just marry Torchy and keep her at home. Steve instantly knows that he could never keep her from writing and investigating, however, he stills makes a comment to her about quitting. She just laughs it off. Again, I’m not going to give away the ending. Still, I can’t help but point out how this one ends. Torchy gets arrested for being a nuisance in an active police investigation. While she’s in the “slammer”, Steve gives the final outcome to the mystery to her paper so they can run the headline with her name on it.

Smart Blonde & Fly-Away, Baby: Movies about Writing

These are the first two pair of mystery/adventure films about Torchy Blane (Glenda Farrell), a fast talking lady reporter who is always tagging after her police detective boyfriend, Steve McBride (Barton MacLane) in search of a story. There is a third side character in every film, a cop named Gahagan (Tom Kennedy) who sometimes gets a B plot.

Generally, the stories start with McBride (who Torchy calls Skipper) being annoyed that she’s there. They face various shenanigans, then pause to eat because McBride understands you should never let a woman get hangry. Even though McBride whines that he wants Torchy to be “more of a woman” and to “go write a story about cooking”, each film ends with him relying on her to help him solve the case. This is always followed by the start of another adventure holding up their plans to get married once again. It’s a formula that works so well that it inspired Lois Lane in the Superman comics.

In Smart Blonde, the first film in the series, Torchy doesn’t do a lot writing, mostly a lot of calling to her paper. A businessman is murdered after buying a nightclub which the original owner was reluctant to sell. Since she and McBride have different theories about “who done it”, they follow different investigative routes. That doesn’t stop McBride from double checking Torchy’s suspicions and constantly checking in her with her. Despite all of the banter, they save the day and save alife.

The second film, Fly-Away, Baby (made in the same year, 1937), show more of Torchy’s career as a newswoman. Hey, a Zeppelin! Torchy joins a race around the world, comparing herself to Nellie Bly, saying she wants her newspaper to win. After a murder involving a diamond heist, McBride is convinced the killer was a former jailbird. Meanwhile, Torchy is convinced that murderer is a spoiled nepo baby reporter from a competing paper. She joins in order to get the scoop and prove he’s a killer. In this film, she does more to keep track of clues and make notes that she can use for her articles later.

I won’t give away the endings. Each film is only an hour long. I’ll let you watch them for yourself.

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The Loved One: Movies about Writing

Holy stacked cast, Batman! It’s like every character actor of the 60s got invited to a really boring party that someone forgot to tell them was being filmed.

You would think a dark Comedy about an English poet dealing with the funeral industry would be right up my alley. However, Despite a few jokes that land really well, this movie is rather boring.

Robert Morse can’t keep his English accent as he plays Dennis, a poet who comes to Los Angeles on a whim and stays with his uncle, Sir Francis (John Gielgud). His vacation is put on hold when his uncle commits suicide after being fired from a Hollywood studio. The rest of the movie is about how Dennis is dealing with the cult-like funeral home and cemetery where his uncle wishes to be buried. Dennis starts working at the funeral home’s side gig pet cemetery and hoping to get closer to one of the employees, Aimee (Anjanette Comer). Jonathan Winters plays double duty as the Reverend running the funeral home and his less spiritual twin brother. Also, in the cast are Rod Steiger, Dana Andrews, Milton Berle, James Coburn, Tab Hunter, Roddy McDowall, Barbara Nichols, Robert Morley, and baby Paul Williams.

I’m not going to go into the plot, which I understand is loosely based on an Evelyn Waughn book. Dennis’s writing career is really more of a joke in the movie than anything else. He constructs a eulogy for his uncle that the Reverend reads out loud and is really more about the decay of the body than the loss of a soul. He quotes other poets more than he does his own writing. Aimee says that Dennis is very creative and thinks being a poet must be “wonderful”. “It would be marvelous to work as a poet,” she declares, referring to her job as a make-up artist to the dead. He tries to use his poetry in order to get into her pants. He suggests that they marry and she can support him while he writes. For some reason, this proposal does not win her over.

Lovers Courageous: Movies about Writing

How are Lovers Courageous? I/m not really sure. Maybe it just seemed like a good title? The pair of lovers do have good chemistry. Willie Smith (Robert Montgomery) is a struggling playwright who can’t hold down a regular job. He moves from country to country, collecting life experiences and writing home to his long- suffering parents. Meanwhile, Mary (Madge Evans) is a bored and flirtatious admiral’s daughter who hates living in “boring” South Africa. I would also hate living in South Africa, but my reasons would have to do with township districts and racism. To each their own, I guess. The pair accidentally fall in love after Mary goes to buy a box of Lucky Charms cigarettes for her friend Jeffrey (Roland Young) from the shop Willie works in. That’s right! She was after his Lucky Charms. For a pre-code film, this could’ve had more innuendo, but at least it had a lot about writing within the plot.

The movie’s sappy plot is mostly about how Mary’s family under her father’s (Frederick Kerr) instruction tries to keep them apart. This is partially because of Willie’s social status and partly because Mary is engaged to super British and super rich Jimmy (Reginald Owen). Jimmy calls her “old girl” and is obsessed with hunting. Jeffrey points out that married to Jimmy, Mary could still be rich and probably get away with as many affairs as she wanted. Willie agrees with the admiral, trying to make her understand that if she marries him, Marry could end up resenting him for never being able to give her a wealthy standard of living. Despite all this, Mary runs off with Willie, convincing him that they will be happy. Naturally, since this is a melodrama, their life is hard and he struggles to become successful. Boy gets girl. Spoiler alert: Boy loses girl. Boy gets girl back after having great success with his first play.

The character of Willie goes back and forth between being a charming goof and an intense realist. Willie grew up as a “good-for-nothing” in his father’s eyes, always skipping school and refusing to work in a post office when he grows up. Secretly, his father is proud that he never gives up and defends the wayward son to his other children. Willie’s mother always believes in him, understanding that his mind works differently and that sometimes creative types don’t fit into social norms. Mary is instantly interested in Willie’s desire to be a playwright, and later his desire for her. See! Innuendo! It’s super easy to throw out there and in a few years it wouldn’t be allowed. You missed a golden opportunity, screenwriters of the 30s!

Anyway, back to Mary’s support for Willie’s writing. Mary reads his play when they first become friends, telling him not to be nervous about his ideas. She helps him rewrite the love scenes (insert eyebrow wiggle here) and promises to go to his first opening night no matter where she is in the world at the time. He warns her that he might not ever sell his play, yet she still promises. After they are married, she keeps pawning everything she owns, hoping that if he’s not working as much he will finally finish and sell the play. SPOILER ALERT: He gives her up when he can’t get a steady job or sell the play. During the time they are apart, his play is being produced and he doesn’t know that she’s dying of an unnamed illness (I suppose we’re to assume it’s broken heart). When she isn’t at opening night, he he goes to her. Now that he’s got some money, they get back together like she didn’t just almost die.

Behind the Headlines: Movies about Writing

This one will be short and I’m not going to summarize the entire plot. Despite this being a pre-code film that’s only an hour long, there’s a lot of convoluted plot.

This a movie about competitiveness in writing circles. The U.S. government announces the opening of Fort Knox and how it will keep the nation’s economy protected (yes, Fort Knox was built in the 1930s). Eddie Haines (Lee Tracy) is a radio reporter who always out-scoops everyone because he has a radio set up in his coat to report instantly. His ex-girlfriend Mary Bradley (Diana Gibson) works for a newspaper and purposely listens in on his broadcast (after accidentally getting him fired). She’s so determined to out-scoop Eddie, Mary follows the same lead as him while he’s trying to prove to the radio that they should re-hire him. She ends up kidnapped by gangsters led by a corrupt federal agent planning on robbing a gold shipment to Fort Knox. Eddie is blamed for her disappearance, but she leaves clues that only he knows how to follow. As both Eddie and Mary foil the bad guys in different ways, he realizes that he, of course, still loves her. In the end, he lets her have the story and she says on the radio, “If you want a complete account of what happened, read my New York Star international service story in your local newspaper.”

On the one hand, I understand how reporters like to give the news as soon as possible. However, there are different skills involved in writing a story versus talking through a story while it’s happening. Despite Eddie giving a speech about how the two mediums should not be in competition, they are. It’s just like now, there is a difference between click-bait and legit news however they are in competition for views online.

Top Secret Affair: Movies about Writing

A lady publishing mogul in 1957! How shocking! Well, this is a comedy so I guess it was okay.

Susan Hayward is playing Dottie Peale, a magazine owner and editor who is angry that a family friend was passed over for a position in favor of Major General Melville Goodwin (Kirk Douglas). She and her team invite Mel to her home for an in-depth interview. In truth, she plans to use her journalism skills to dig up dirt about the general and publish a scathing expose complete with photographs. Mel is wise to her from the get-go, yet Dottie still gets him into some silly situations.

Despite Mel’s derogatory remarks (he compares women to poodles at one point), they fall in love. However, Mel is instantly ready to break it off just as Dottie is ready to give him a good article. She instead goes back to her scandal cover story and includes a top secret story that Mel told her in confidence. Mel changes his mind, wanting to marry Dottie, however, the magazine is about to run. This scandal ends up angering their readership and Dottie’s team tells her to apologize to Mel in the magazine. Oh, and there’s a Senate hearing over her printing classified stories.

At first, I thought his was going to be a story about how a woman journalist went to far because she was a woman. I kept waiting for more sexist remarks about how a woman shouldn’t run a magazine because she’s too emotional. Still, it’s pointed out that Dottie making rash decision and refusing to apologizing for her mistakes is not a “female issue”. Instead, it is established that she comes from a long line of family members with the same traits who all ran the magazine before her. The movie also brings up questions of interview ethics. Apparently, the words “off the record” didn’t exist yet. I agree that Dottie should have given up her place as publisher for not showing good judgement as a writer and journalist.

Come Live with Me: Movies about Writing

Let’s look at some scandalous behavior - 1941 style.

Johnny Jones (Heddy Lamarr) is an immigrant escaping Nazi occupied Austria. Barton Kendrick (Ian Hunter), her publisher boyfriend, is desperate to keep her in America, however he’s already married (gasp). By the way, how did this woman escape from Vienna DURING World War II. The real Heddy Lamarr got out before the war broke out. Johnny meets a broke writer, Bill Smith (Jimmy Stewart) and pays him to marry her so she can stay in the country. The exact amount is the bare minimum of his living and typewriter expenses and Bill plans on paying her back when the whole thing is over.

The arrangement is that once a week they meet up for her to pay him and he knows nothing else about her. Bill is instantly intrigued by their situation and starts typing it into a novel. Bill sends a carbon copy to every publisher in the city in a scene of him with pushing large packages into a mailbox. It looked exhausting.

Bart learns about this situation when his wife, Diana (Verree Teasdale - how’s that for a name) reviews Bill’s book for the publishing company. She gives him the summary, explaining how implausible it is and still needs an ending. Still, she’s confident that Bill’s writing is so strong that the book will sell.

Bart recognized the scenario and calls in Bill asking him where he got the idea of the story and why the character of the “other man” (who is Bart in reality) is not as well written. Bill states that the character is giving him a lot of trouble and hopes to write him out by the end of the novel. Bart debates the ending with Bill in front of Diana and gives away his affair. Diana also forces Bart to give Bill an $500 advance on his book. $500! Holy crap! Diana, I know you are realizing that you want Bill to get the girl so your husband doesn’t, but I still salute you.

Bart’s wife is really a key in his publishing business as she has more insight into public trends and what would ruin him. That having been said, he still cheats on her and is under the delusion that he’s successful on his own. Bill on the other hand has gifted kid syndrome. He’d been told he was a genius and feels like he has nothing to show for it. When he's working out the novel, he outlines each chapter with the questions he’d like to ask Johnny about her life. Realistically, Bill is working in his pajamas. I am currently doing the same. Respect, Bill. Respect.

My favorite scene is when the milkman asks Bill how the book is going. He told his wife the plot and she’s excited to read it, stating it will only be really good if the couple end up together. Bill admits that his characters aren’t together.

“What’s keepin em?” the milkman demands.

“The girl.” Bill states this after writing all night.

“Well, you’re never going to get no place if you let her act like that!”

SPOILERS

Bill refuses to to divorce Johnny unless she comes on a trip with him. He uses the $500 advancement to take her to meet his grandmother and see where he grew up. She calls Bart to complain about being coerced into the trip so he can come rescue her. Of course, by the time Bart shows up, Johnny is having a good time and falling for her husband. Bill tells her that writing about her is why he’s successful now because he needed to write about his real feelings. Naturally, Bart shows up just as Johnny decides she wants to stay married to Bill. There a brief moment where Bill worries that his new writing success is not based on his own merit, but Bart admits that Diane said it was good and he always trusts her. It’s a good thing he goes back to his wife at the end or he wouldn’t have a publishing house any longer.

Somewhere in Time: Movies about Writing

My mom loves this movie, especially the soundtrack. Richard Matheson wrote the book this is based upon where the main character is also named Richard. This Richard is a playwright portrayed by Christopher Reeve who falls in love withe a 1912 photograph of actress Elise McKenna (Jane Seymour) while staying in a historic seaside hotel. Through this obsession, Richard manages to time travel and meet Elise, causing her to fall for him as well. Matheson based the idea on his youthful obsession with a photograph of Maude Adams, who he researched and based Elise upon (although I’m fairly certain that the real Maude Adams was gay).

The movie opens with Richard as a college student who is presented with a pocket watch from a mysterious elderly lady who pleads with him to “come back to her” at his first successful play. Years later, while going through a writing block on his latest work, Richard goes to a hotel as a way to jump start his brain and sees the photograph, discovering that Elise was who gave him the watch almost a decade earlier. He gets personal information from Elise’s biographer Ms. Roberts (Teresa Wright), discovering that after a final performance in 1912, Elise completely shut herself off from the rest of the world.

Richard manages to hypnotize himself back in time to meet Elise and her obsessive (this story has a lot of obsessive men) manager William Fawcett Robinson (Christopher Plummer). The somewhat psychic Robinson believes that Elise has a destiny on the stage and objects to the budding romance between the pair. Jane Seymour does a fantastic job as a comedic actress of the time and Plummer is creep in his high back chair sitting in the wings. I do like a scene where Richard watches the 1912 cast being criticized by their playwright, showing that nothing ever changes.

SPOILER ALERT: The couple are very happy for a time, making plans to marry and run away from Robinson. The manager tries to separate them and make Elise think Richard doesn’t love her. However, she is steadfast and leaves Robinson to find Richard. Just as their lives look to be content full of future plans, Richard comes across a 1970s coin in his pocket which breaks the hypnotism and sends him back to his own time.

Long story short - Richard never finishes his play. He throw away a successful career to SPOILER ALERT (again) slowly dies of a broken heart. Don’t get me wrong, this is a great movies but . . . In my opinion, I get that they are supposed to be a great love story, but he sort of ruined both of their lives. She spent the rest of her life pining for him and he died young pining for her. I supposed they meet again in the What Dreams May Come afterlife.