Lux Presents Hollywood: These Three (1937)

     I'm changing the title of these from simply "Lux Radio Theater Presents: [whatever the title is]" to "Lux Presents Hollywood: [whatever the title is]". Not that any of you would have noticed the change, but whenever I'm listening to these shows I always look forward to hearing the announcer say "Tonight, Lux Radio Theater presents, Hollywood!" and blah blah blah (although these shows are never "blah" and you all just need to hear that again now). To me, hearing that phrase is a promise that the next hour of my life isn't going to be any waste of time.

     Now, These Three: 

 The plot concerns schoolteachers Karen Wright and Martha Dobie, both of whom are in love with Dr. Joe Cardin. The malicious lie of one of their students involves all three in a scandal which disrupts all their lives. [IMDb]

Radio Version:

Recorded: December 6, 1937

Director: Cecil B. DeMille

Starring: Errol Flynn, Barbara Stanwyck, and Mary Astor

Film Version:

Released: March 18, 1936

Director: William Wyler

Starring: Joel McCrea, Merle Oberon, and Miriam Hopkins

     Did you know Errol Flynn came from Ireland? No? Probably because he didn't actually come from Ireland. He was born in Tasmania, but that's not what Hollywood believed! That fact was one of the things he complained about in his auto-bio and he eventually resigned himself to being thought of as Irish. 

     And of Barbara Stanwyck this show said, "A wedding in the film capital is often front-page news, but there was one the other day which completely escaped the headlines. And properly so for you've never heard of the bride nor the groom, and perhaps you never will. The groom in fact is a stable boy, and the scene of the ceremony was the bunkhouse where he and the hired hands live. But I doubt if Hollywood ever witnessed a happier wedding, because one of our most distinguished stars supplied the wedding feast. And she herself attended and danced with everyone made them all forget that she's the groom's boss and that her name is, Barbara Stanwyck. That's the true character of the girl who returns to our stage tonight." That's my Missy for you, filling the world with her greatness.

     Then there was Mary Astor, in her very first Lux Broadcast. 

     I've never seen the film version of this, but if I was to choose radio or film just from looking at the cast I would pick the radio version. Nothing against Merle Oberon, but I've never seen a film of hers. Nothing against Miriam Hopkins, I particularly liked her in Wise Girl (the only movie of hers I've ever seen). And certainly nothing against Joel McCrea, I happen to adore him. But it's Errol Flynn and Barbara Stanwyck - and there are very few couples I would have liked to see in more movies together (they only did one). 

     The story was fine, I actually enjoyed it quite a lot - I kept hoping, though, that Missy would end up with Errol. I think the only thing I really didn't like about listening to this was listening to the school girls (not Stanwyck or Astor) scream "I didn't do it! I didn't see anything!" then "I saw it! It's true! It's all true!" it was quite honestly some of the most horrific screaming I have ever heard (right up there with the scene in Little House on the Prairie when Mary goes blind, if you know what I'm talking about). I would also like to mention that Barbara Stanwyck's voice is possibly the most devastating. ever. period. Oh, Stany, why do you find it necessary to make us weep after only hearing a couple of your tear-filled words?

Until Later On~