There's quite a backstory to this picture, and knowing it makes the picture more interesting. Frank Capra directed it with only B-list stars and some actual homeless people he picked off the streets of Los Angeles. He really wanted to win an Oscar, and tried his damnedest with the sentimental tripe that permeates an otherwise rather funny movie. He failed, and although it was nominated several times, Lady for a Day lost in every category.
Then, of course, Capra went on to sweep the Oscars with It Happened One Night, a far superior film that I could watch a hundred times. I like to watch the less famous films of directors I like, just to make sure they're not underrated and unduly ignored, because sometimes those films turn out to be hidden gems. I can see why Lady for a Day, while an admirable attempt, isn't a classic like It's a Wonderful Life or Arsenic and Old Lace. The movie did have some funny moments, but I was not touched by the sentimentality and the entire time I was watching the movie, I found myself waiting for those beautiful Frank Capra moments, which never seemed to arrive. I wouldn't recommend Lady for a Day unless you want to see every Frank Capra movie.
I still want to see it. I think I have this problem with musicals where I just always want to see them. No matter what. Except for Repo: The Genetic Opera, which I am still on the fence about.
ReplyDeleteCLEARLY wrong post. (So clear, in fact, that I didn't even notice AT ALL until it was pointed out to me.) Love, Bethany
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