Movies at Home: Designing Woman, Decision to Leave and Spellbound

 

From 1953 comes Designing Woman, in what is basically an unlikely romantic comedy as a vehicle for the two stars, Gregory Peck and Lauren Bacall. The former a sports reporter and the other a fashion mogul. So yes,  a highly unlikely pair. But it makes for some innocent fun, some nice sets, good clothes and a witty if predictable screenplay. Directed by Vincente Minnelli, it hasn't really stood the test of time, the relationship has moments that would leave present day audiences with an audible groan. But still a fun movie.

When I first reviewed the superb Decision to Leave I said I would have to see it again as something did not quite make sense. Nearly all the way through it was all so straightforward, a death that could be an accident but might not, and the following investigation. The detective falls in love with the widow who maybe prime suspect. But how could she be?

When they meet again, years later, she is remarried. There are flashbacks to their past, but the later parts of the film seem quite hallucinatory. I'm still not sure what is happening. Until, that is the ending which is actually very sad.

Spellbound is a  Hitchcock psychological mystery from 1945. Gregory Peck is not quite all he seems when he sweeps Ingrid Bergman off her feet. Here, she is in her most sympathetic role, wondering what her new husband is up to. As we do. A supporting role for the British actor Leo Carroll as a doctor and who played in 105 episodes of The Man from Uncle and six Hitchcock movies.