you're a fool, for which I am grateful

Well! When you see a lot of movies, you naturally win some, and you lose some. This set is a great example of that unevenness. Watch with caution, friends!

Wife vs. Secretary (1936) - "Magazine publisher Van Stanhope is a hard-working, dynamic executive, very happily married to his beautiful wife Linda. Although their relationship is built on unconditional trust, friends caution her about the dangers of allowing Whitey, her husband's extremely sexy secretary, to continue to have access to him. Even Van's mother warns Linda that Van's father philandered during their marriage, and Van, like all men, will eventually succumb to opportunity and temptation. Although Whitey has a faithful boyfriend, she secretly harbors unrequited feelings for her boss. When they take a business trip to Havana, circumstantial evidence convinces Linda that the rumors she's heard might have a basis in fact."
source: I borrowed the DVD from the public library
I watched it because: I was looking for a Clark Gable film to watch at family New Year's, and got sucked into the C.G. filmography
IMDB: 7.0/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: N/A% Audience: 71%
my IMDB: 8/10

notable quote: "'Did you tell Mr. Stanhope that Finney is waiting with the car?'

    'Yes. But, she's sitting on his lap and he hasn't even touched his trout!'

    'Whether Mr. Stanhope touches his trout or not is no concern of yours.'"

MPAA rating: Passed (TV-G)

directed by: Clarence Brown

my notes: madcap and moving very fast, this is a quick-witted, very smart, funny movie about trust and love. It hit me hard. Gable is wonderful as Stanhope, Myrna Loy is all class as his wife Linda, Jean Harlow is sexy, calculating, and the smartest of the bunch. And Jimmy Stewart is a hidden gem as Harlow's boyfriend Dave.
overall: highly recommended

The Return of Frank James (1940) - "When Jesse James's murderers are set free, his brother Frank vows revenge and, accompanied by his gang, sets out to track them down. To fund his manhunt, he robs an express office and is subsequently wrongly accused of the clerk's murder, but a newspaper reporter is determined to find out the truth."

source: I borrowed the DVD from my parents' collection
I watched it because: I really like young Henry Fonda, and I'd seen the first of this series (reviewed here)
IMDB: 6.6/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 83% Audience: 48%
my IMDB: 7/10

notable quote: "I can't talk without thinking - not being a lawyer."

MPAA rating: Approved

directed by: Fritz Lang

my notes: I liked this one even better than Jesse James. Frank had obvious chemistry with Eleanor Stone (Gene Tierney, in her debut role) despite their not having a romantic relationship in the film. Fonda is a deliberate sort of actor, and he's the perfect choice for the thoughtful and smart Frank. I also enjoyed Jackie Cooper as the hothead Clem.
overall: recommended

The Misfits (1961) - "While filing for a divorce, beautiful ex-stripper Roslyn Taber (Marilyn Monroe) ends up meeting aging cowboy-turned-gambler Gay Langland (Clark Gable) and former World War II aviator Guido Racanelli (Eli Wallach). The two men instantly become infatuated with Roslyn and, on a whim, the three decide to move into Guido's half-finished desert home together. When grizzled ex-rodeo rider Perce Howland (Montgomery Clift) arrives, the unlikely foursome strike up a business capturing wild horses."
source: I borrowed the DVD from the public library
I watched it because: it's another page in the Clark Gable story
IMDB: 7.2/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 97% Audience: 78%
my IMDB: 5/10

notable quote: "'Have you ever been outside Reno, Ms. Taber?'

    'Once I walked to the edge of town; doesn't look like there's much out there.'

    'Everything's there!'

    'Like what?'

    'The country!'

    'Well, what do you do with yourself?'

    'Just live.'

    'How does anyone "just live"?'

    'Well, you start by going to sleep. You get up when you feel like it. You scratch yourself. You fry yourself some eggs. You see what kind of a day it is; throw stones at a can, whistle.'"

MPAA rating: Not Rated

directed by: John Huston

my notes: this is a tough movie to like. The short story was written by Arthur Miller while he was divorcing his previous wife in preparation to marry Monroe. He also wrote the screenplay, which was adapted as they shot the film, and the dysfunction of Monroe and their marriage, from the get-go, shows through the script. Gable was 2 decades older than the character he was playing, and it showed. Monroe was incredibly gorgeous and had some moments of real brilliance, but a lot of the movie has her blowsy and confused. Montgomery Clift had recently been in an accident that he thought ruined his looks, so he spends the movie seemingly hiding his face from the camera and mumbling. I know this is supposed to be a subtle genius film, a hidden gem, but I thought it was a mess.
overall: only marginally recommended (for filmography completists)

Picture Perfect Royal Christmas (2020) - "Amanda is the assistant to a famous photographer. Her mean boss receives an invitation to photograph the Christmas festivities in the kingdom of 'Pantrea' and Amanda goes, posing as her. She will soon fall for Prince Leopold, despite not being a royalty."
source: streamed on Amazon Prime
I watched it because: I wanted another sweet, perhaps silly, modern Christmas movie (to break up all the cinema I've been seeing otherwise!)
IMDB: 5.4/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: insufficient ratings for score
my IMDB: 1/10

MPAA rating: NR, apparently?

directed by: Todor Chapkanov

my notes: it's actually worse than it sounds. I've seen better performance from grade school actors. The heroine is grating and dumb. The hero's accent wavers all over creation - as do the rest of his Pantera-mates. There is zero chemistry between any of the couples. The only redeeming quality to this movie is the setting, which is vaguely European and scenic.
overall: not even remotely recommended

[the title quotation is from Wife vs. Secretary]