Good evening. What do you get when you have Katherine Hepburn, Robert Taylor and Robert Mitchum together on screen? Well, you get a heck of a good movie called Undercurrent. This movie, which I watched tonight on Turner Classic, was a mystery/ drama. Don't be put off by the slow start. In fact, the beginning seemed rather a silly stab at being cute or funny. I came within an ace of deleting it out of hand. I am so glad I did not. By the way, this movie was from 1946.
Katherine Hepburn stars as Ann, a normal girl-next-door type. Her father is a scholarly gentleman who makes the acquaintance of one of the wealthiest men in the world, a man named Alan Garroway. (Robert Taylor). Everyone is surprised when Alan falls for Ann and marries her. Ann is the most surprised person, as she is not exactly playboy material. Isn't this stupid of humanity? That old stuff of "They could have anyone, why pick that person?" As though looks alone were the end-all of relationships.
As the story slowly unfolds, a mystery begins to envelope us. After the couple marry we start to see quirks in Prince Charming. Why does he hate his missing brother so much? Did Alan make his fortune from an invention he stole? Why do all of Alan's servants, friends and employees act so odd around the bride?
A word here, a stare there and the plot grows, the mystery enfolds you like the fog off the bay at the Golden Gate bridge. Could it be possible that Ann is in danger? Could she be falling in love with a man she doesn't know? Is Alan actually his missing brother, Michael? Why would Michael's ex-girl, Mrs. Burton, try to destroy Ann's opinion of her husband? What's the deal with the crazy horse that seems to want to kill anyone that comes around the stables at the estate?
I will cut the review short, rather than ruin this fine mystery. Let me say that the early part is so like human nature. Because a movie, a book or a person doesn't knock our socks off at the beginning does not necessarily mean that they should be disregarded or disrespected. How often does a person grow more attractive or less attractive as we are exposed to them? Often, I think. A human is like a good mystery. If they are worth knowing, it is doubtful that they will be so shallow as water in a pool. Rather, they are like a view of the Grand Canyon. It changes with the light, morning or evening, summer or winter, if you are alone or with others, when you are happy or scared, frightened of it or at peace. People are so complex and hidden from our eyes and senses. Unless someone sets off alarms in you, scares the tar out of you, perhaps you should reserve judgement, attractive or not, rich or not, personable or not.
I fear that we as people are prone to throw away potential friends as though they were used tissue. It is a great tragedy. In our fast food world, we want fast friends, fast fun, fast relationships. Fast plots. Fast consummation of things best left for savoring.
From the author's green retreat, I'm CE Wills.
Katherine Hepburn stars as Ann, a normal girl-next-door type. Her father is a scholarly gentleman who makes the acquaintance of one of the wealthiest men in the world, a man named Alan Garroway. (Robert Taylor). Everyone is surprised when Alan falls for Ann and marries her. Ann is the most surprised person, as she is not exactly playboy material. Isn't this stupid of humanity? That old stuff of "They could have anyone, why pick that person?" As though looks alone were the end-all of relationships.
As the story slowly unfolds, a mystery begins to envelope us. After the couple marry we start to see quirks in Prince Charming. Why does he hate his missing brother so much? Did Alan make his fortune from an invention he stole? Why do all of Alan's servants, friends and employees act so odd around the bride?
A word here, a stare there and the plot grows, the mystery enfolds you like the fog off the bay at the Golden Gate bridge. Could it be possible that Ann is in danger? Could she be falling in love with a man she doesn't know? Is Alan actually his missing brother, Michael? Why would Michael's ex-girl, Mrs. Burton, try to destroy Ann's opinion of her husband? What's the deal with the crazy horse that seems to want to kill anyone that comes around the stables at the estate?
I will cut the review short, rather than ruin this fine mystery. Let me say that the early part is so like human nature. Because a movie, a book or a person doesn't knock our socks off at the beginning does not necessarily mean that they should be disregarded or disrespected. How often does a person grow more attractive or less attractive as we are exposed to them? Often, I think. A human is like a good mystery. If they are worth knowing, it is doubtful that they will be so shallow as water in a pool. Rather, they are like a view of the Grand Canyon. It changes with the light, morning or evening, summer or winter, if you are alone or with others, when you are happy or scared, frightened of it or at peace. People are so complex and hidden from our eyes and senses. Unless someone sets off alarms in you, scares the tar out of you, perhaps you should reserve judgement, attractive or not, rich or not, personable or not.
I fear that we as people are prone to throw away potential friends as though they were used tissue. It is a great tragedy. In our fast food world, we want fast friends, fast fun, fast relationships. Fast plots. Fast consummation of things best left for savoring.
From the author's green retreat, I'm CE Wills.
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