Van Johnson, Lana Turner, Ginger Rogers, and Walter Pidgeon head a forged of MGM favorites in 1945’s “Weekend on the Waldorf.”

MGM’s all-star confection, Weekend on the Waldorf, used to be launched the
fall of 1945, on the finish of WWII. However it used to be filmed just about a yr previous, when
the warfare used to be nonetheless raging. Weekend is
MGM in complete dream manufacturing facility mode. Each and every storyline is a want achievement for its
characters, and by means of extension, the technology’s movie enthusiasts.

Moviegoers fed on Weekend
on the Waldorf like an all you’ll consume buffet. The remake of 1932’s Grand Lodge used to be a wreck and the largest
film of Ginger Rogers’ profession, and after Peyton
Position, Lana Turner’s, too. Weekend used to be
within the height ten grossing films of 1945.

Metro’s 1945 “Weekend on the Waldorf” used to be a field place of work wreck.

So far as Vicki Baum’s authentic novel or the ’32 movie
vintage is anxious, Weekend on the
Waldorf bears little resemblance to both works. The ’45 remake is ready in
a luxurious resort and there’s some naked bones persona equivalents. Greta Garbo’s
ballerina is now a movie celebrity—drained, however no longer suicidal; Joan Crawford’s
stenographer remains to be one, however some distance softer. Probably the most notable factor is that the
movie now not takes position in Germany, and may be very Americanized for WWII
audiences.

Ginger Rogers as a overworked film celebrity & Walter Pidgeon as a weary warfare correspondent fall for each and every different in MGM’s “Weekend on the Waldorf.”

Ginger Rogers is Irene
Malvern, an overworked film celebrity who has a Hepburn/Tracy-style romance with
warfare correspondent Chip Collyer (Walter Pidgeon). This made me marvel why MGM
simply didn’t forged Metro stars Kate and Spence because the bickering duo—too fluffy
for those positive thespians? Or why they borrowed Ginger when they might have re-teamed
their height celebrity Greer Garson with Pidgeon. Scheduling problems, I’m certain, as
movie-making used to be hitting its top.

Lana Turner is the resort stenographer with a cushy spot for soldier Van Johnson in MGM’s “Weekend on the Waldorf.”

Lana Turner is Bunny
Smith, the stenographer who makes injured soldier Jim Hollis’ desires come true.
Regardless that searching for a wealthy guy, this Bunny turns out extra cuddly than calculating.
This ’45 Weekend is sentimentally sanitized
on this means during. Additionally, the soldier (Van Johnson) takes a useless soldier
friend’s music to Waldorf’s resident celebrity appeal, Xavier Cugat, who in an instant
comes to a decision to accomplish it the following evening on his radio display.

Phyllis Thaxter is the
bride-to-be in Weekend on the Waldorf,
who wonders if physician fiancé Warner Anderson remains to be caught on his formative years
sweetheart, Ginger’s film celebrity. In fact no longer, movie enthusiasts! However this results in
contrived misunderstandings that force this film—and is correct of the entire
subplots in Weekend.

A tender couple desires
to honeymoon on the booked Waldorf, when a kindly millionaire who simply occurs
to be on the check-in table shall we the soldier and bride take over his suite for
the weekend. It’s that more or less MGM film!

The honeymooners desire a suite in MGM’s “Weekend on the Waldorf.”

Weekend on the Waldorf boasts just a little of location capturing from NYC,
the remainder used to be performed deluxe genre at MGM. In fact, Metro quickly recycled the
lavish units for Hedy Lamarr’s Her
Highness and the Bellboy.

Ginger Rogers sports activities some elaborate ‘dos in MGM’s “Weekend on the Waldorf.”

“Weekend on the Waldorf:” Leon Ames, reacting to Ginger Roger’s strains or hair ‘do?

Sydney Guilaroff and
staff should have labored additional time on Ginger’s locks and falls. All that hair for a
Weekend on the Waldorf! Ginger’s a
bit grand because the film celebrity, however for Rogers, reasonably restrained. Even though
Rogers’ general glance is just a little a lot, it’s toned down in comparison to what would quickly
come: blinding platinum blonde and an overdrawn make-up masks. Weekend would even be certainly one of Rogers’
remaining mega hits. The following one got here from MGM as smartly, taking on for Judy
Garland in 1949’s The Barkleys of
Broadway, and reuniting her with Fred Astaire.

The softer aspect of Lana Turner, as Bunny Smith in MGM’s “Weekend on the Waldorf.”

Lana’s very candy and
heat as Bunny; Turner’s early roles like this display what made audiences at the start
fall in love along with her. Except absolute best hair and make-up, Lana’s merely
dressed and plays merely and believably, as smartly. There’s a if truth be told
touching scene, the place Van Johnson’s soldier involves Bunny’s stenographer to
lend a hand him write a will. Lana’s responses to Van’s subtly performed soldier, who has
few circle of relatives or buddies, are maximum affecting.

Lana Turner’s stenographer is helping soldier Van Johnson write his will in a touching scene from MGM’s “Weekend on the Waldorf.”

Like Ginger, Lana’s hair-do
appears to be like find it irresistible used to be built! The hair-don’t ages her general glance, as she used to be
simply 24 on the time. Fortunately, the brilliant, cushy lighting fixtures tones the ‘do down a
bit.

The younger stars of “Weekend on the Waldorf” glance extra interesting within the movie than this p.r. picture. Van Johnson’s freckles have all been airbrushed. Lana Turner’s hair and make-up is so matronly right here, she used to be simplest 24!

MGM had a historical past of
pedaling Metro’s feminine stars backstories into their personas: Joan, Lana, and
Judy at the running elegance aspect, and in addition their British lasses, Greer, Deborah,
and Liz. Like Joan prior to her, Lana’s running elegance roots are combined into her
persona’s need to transport upwardly in existence.

Lana Turner as Bunny Smith & Van Johnson as Jimmy Hollis in “Weekend on the Waldorf.”

Van Johnson, because the
soldier with each shrapnel and Lana with regards to his center, may be very interesting in
his boyish early life—and I am not even a Van fan. Johnson used to be certainly one of Metro’s many
all-round gifted avid gamers: Van may just sing and dance decently, had an inherent ability for
comedy, and generally is a very herbal dramatic actor. Right here, as Jimmy Hollis,
Van’s fatalistic soldier is sympathetic, no longer maudlin.

Walter Pidgeon, Ginger Rogers, a stellar view in 1945’s “Weekend on the Waldorf.”

Walter Pidgeon is
livelier than same old, as a seen-it-all warfare journalist. Pidgeon has an amused
rapport with Ginger’s brittle film celebrity. I did not acknowledge Warner Anderson’s
document in the beginning, however the minute I heard him talk—Matthew Swain from TV’s Peyton Position! Anderson is a cast display
presence, providing recommendation to formative years friend Ginger, providing a 2nd opinion to
soldier Van, and a gradual Eddy to his insecure bride-to-be.

At the debit aspect have been
those following actors, simply my preferences, other people. Edward Arnold performs the
glad-handing villain as soon as once more, however by no means turns out as threatening, simply smarmy.
Keenan Wynn all the time provides me the creeps, like he’s looking to cover that he’s
loopy. When Wynn performs comedy, he’s very heavy-handed, as in his “inebriated” scene in
The Clock. Right here, because the cub reporter,
Wynn’s borderline obnoxious. Xavier Cugat is an got style as smartly—if you happen to
experience bombastic, you’ll love him. And Robert Benchley’s a kind of nice personalities
of the technology whose enchantment I’ve by no means understood, similar to Oscar Levant, Monty
Woolley, or Hoagy Carmichael. Their charms are misplaced on me.

MGM’s all-star forged are not simply phoning it in with MGM’s “Weekend on the Waldorf.”

If you’re within the temper
for nice escapism and celebrity looking at, that is possibly MGM’s largest and perfect
instance from the WWII technology. There’s additionally nostalgia for New York Town, the
Waldorf Astoria, and the sense of a swiftly converting technology. If any of those
causes enchantment to you, Weekend on the
Waldorf is a brilliant position to test in.

Right here’s my have a look at certainly one of
4 1941 films that cemented the stardom of Lana Turner, Ziegfeld Woman:

https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2021/02/ziegfeld-girl-1941.html

Right here’s my tackle a
dramatic musical that used to be an enormous wartime hit for Ginger Rogers, Girl within the Darkish:

https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2019/05/lady-in-dark-is-over-top-style-over.html

This robe’s sash make Ginger Rogers appear to be Rapunzel in 1945’s “Weekend on the Waldorf!”