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| Clifton Webb as Mr. Belvedere teaches his new employers’ youngster an vital lesson on desk manners in 1948’s comedy “Sitting Fairly.” |
Sitting
Fairly was the kind of good-hearted comedy that twentieth Century Fox
did so nicely within the Forties and ’50s. Sitting
Fairly was a satire of post-war American suburbia, with the acidic genius
Mr. Belvedere offering the comedian sting.
Hummingbird Hill is the
suburban setting of Sitting Fairly,
which seems to be innocuous on the skin. A younger couple can’t maintain a housekeeper
to deal with their hectic offspring, a lot much less get a babysitter for date nights.
Exasperated, the spouse takes out an advert, and will get a response from a Lynn
Belvedere. She appears to have the entire {qualifications}, however the couple is
stunned when she seems to be Mr.
Belvedere, and a self-proclaimed genius at that! What follows is a still-funny
spoof of post-WW II social mores, all of which is duly famous by the mysterious
Belvedere. The prickly “manny”/housekeeper marches to his personal drummer, however
whips the frazzled household into form, whereas working his personal thriller challenge.
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| Mr. Belvedere will not be intimidated within the least by the busybodies of Hummingbird Hill, in 1948’s suburbia satire, “Sitting Fairly.” |
Mr. Belvedere is
performed by Clifton Webb, at his most acerbic. The younger couple, Harry and
Tacey King, is performed by Robert Younger and Maureen O’Hara. Although Younger appears a
bit mature because the junior lawyer, Father
Is aware of Greatest was simply across the nook, and his wry humor works nicely right here as
the movie’s straight man. O’Hara is gorgeous and spirited because the younger homemaker,
who might use a hand on the house entrance. Their younger boys are mainly lovely,
however rascals.
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| Maureen O’Hara & Robert Younger are the pleased however harried couple of 1948’s comedy, “Sitting Fairly.” |
The nosy neighbors are
an outdated biddy and her sissy son, a film and TV staple. The latter is Clarence
Appleton, performed by Richard Haydn, who made a profession of such fusspots, together with his
garments pin on the nostril voice. Haydn appeared in all the pieces from Ball of Hearth to The Sound of Music to Younger
Frankenstein, an skilled comedy actor. Ed Begley, Sr. is the alpha male boss
of Younger’s lawyer, full with cigars and barked orders. The bobbysoxer
babysitter, Ginger, who jogged my memory of an amped up Shirley Temple, is performed by
Betty Lynn. She later discovered TV fame as Barney Fife’s girlfriend Thelma Lou, on The Andy Griffith Present. John Russell and
Louise Allbritton are nice because the King’s greatest associates, Invoice and Edna Philby.
Russell, who regarded like a caricature of Clark Gable, later turned a western
star.
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| Clifton Webb as Mr. Belvedere, with John Russell & Robert Younger as younger attorneys, in 1948’s social satire, “Sitting Fairly.” |
I used to be pleasantly
stunned to see that Clifton Webb bought an Oscar nomination for his efficiency
as Mr. Belvedere. Comedy performances aren’t at all times acknowledged by the Academy,
however Webb’s razor sharp efficiency is the core of this movie. Webb lobs zingers
on the reactionary husband and nosy neighbors with comedic precision, but additionally
rations out the correct amount of heat as he grows nearer to the household. Webb’s
Belvedere is gleeful to look at as a result of he says and does precisely what he thinks.
And the final act, when Mr. Belvedere’s challenge is revealed, wraps all the pieces up
in a neat comedic package deal.
What’s fascinating
about Clifton Webb is that he turned a movie star immediately with Laura in 1944. There was nice concern
at Fox that Webb’s flamboyant character wouldn’t go over with mainstream film
audiences. Effectively, Laura was an prompt
traditional and Webb ought to have gained his first Oscar as Waldo Lydecker. However
sentimental fave Barry Fitzgerald gained Greatest Supporting Oscar for Going My Approach for that yr. Webb scored
one other nod for The Razor’s Edge as
socialite Elliot Templeton, one other nice efficiency. And his third and last nom
was for Sitting Fairly. He scored a
large hit in 1950 because the patriarch in Cheaper
by the Dozen and may need scored one other nom if the Greatest Actor class
didn’t have already got traditional comedy performances by James Stewart for Harvey and Spencer Tracy as Father of the Bride. The star character
actor additionally appeared in some large hits by means of many of the ’50s, like Three Cash in a Fountain and Titanic. Just like the later Paul Lynde, Webb
was hiding in plain sight as a homosexual performer, however he was so humorous and likable,
audiences did not both catch on or appear to thoughts. And particularly uncommon for the homophobic
period, Webb’s characters had been sensible and had the higher hand, and never the butt of
jokes.
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| Clifton Webb, as Mr. Belvedere, who provides creator to his laurels on the finale of 1948’s “Sitting Fairly.” Notice the statue on the precise, courtesy of O’Hara’s character. |
Sitting Fairly continues to be fairly darn humorous, with the celebrities at
their most charming. The story is so intelligent that I am stunned that no one’s
finished a remake. I might see Jim Parsons, who performed Sheldon on the beloved
sitcom The Large Bang Idea, as Mr.
Belevedere, however I believe the unique is simply fantastic.
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| See beneath for a hyperlink to “Sitting Fairly.” |
Right here’s a superb, free copy of Sitting Fairly on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgcNdOHZW6I
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| A hyperlink to my evaluation of “Laura” beneath, which made Clifton Webb a movie star. |
Right here’s my take a look at the timeless traditional movie noir, Laura, with Clifton Webb as venomous columnist
Waldo Lydecker:
https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2018/04/laura-1944.html
