| Genre: Classics, Comedy, Drama, Musical & Performing Arts Directed By: Robert Z. Leonard Written By: Bella Spewack, Sam Spewack, Guy Bolton, Samuel Spewack In Theaters: 1 Oct. 1945 On Disc/Streaming: 30 June 1993 Runtime: 130 minutes Studio: MGM Budget: $2,561,000 Box office: $6,164,000 | Cast: Ginger Rogers as Irene Malvern Walter Pidgeon as Chip Collyer Van Johnson as Capt. James Hollis Lana Turner as Bunny Smith Edward Arnold as Martin X. Edley Keenan Wynn as Oliver Webson Robert Benchley as Randy Morton Leon Ames as Henry Burton Phyllis Thaxter as Cynthia Drew Warner Anderson as Dr. Bob Campbell Rosemary DeCamp as Anna George Zucco as Bey of Aribajan Xavier Cugat as Himself Lina Romay as Juanita |
“Week-End at the Waldorf”, an American comedy drama film directed by Robert Z. Leonard premiered in Los Angeles on 17 October 1945.
The screenplay by Samuel and Bella Spewack is based on Guy Bolton’s adaptation of the Vicki Baum novel Grand Hotel, which had been filmed as “Grand Hotel” in 1932.
The film focuses on guests staying at New York City’s famed Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
Among them are lonely screen star Irene Malvern, in town with her maid Anna for a childhood friend’s wedding and the premiere of her latest movie; war correspondent Chip Collyer, mistaken for a jewel thief by Irene but playing along to catch her attention; flyer Capt. James Hollis, wounded in World War II and facing perilous surgery in three days; wealthy shyster Martin X. Edley, who is trying to sign the Bey of Aribajan to a shady oil deal; Oliver Webson, a cub reporter for Collier’s Weekly hoping to expose Edley; and bride-to-be Cynthia Drew, whose upcoming wedding is endangered by her belief her fiancé Bob is in love with Irene Malvern.
Also on the scene are Bunny Smith (Lana Turner), the hotel’s stenographer/notary public, who hopes to escape her low-income roots by marrying Edley; and reporter Randy Morton, who loiters in the lobby hoping to stumble upon a scoop for his newspaper.
Lana Turner plays Bunny Smith.
Lana’s fabulous long mane of “Marriage Is A Private Affair” and “Keep Your Powder Dry” had been cut on the advice of her doctor, who actually told her that the long, heavy hair was draining her energy and should be cut. Lana didn’t mind, because she always enjoyed experimenting with new hairstyles.
William Hannah and Joseph Barbera, the artists responsible for the popular Tom and Jerry cartoons used Lana’s character of Bunny Smith as the model for Toodles, a new cast edition to their series. Toodles, very much on the replendent side herself, made her debut later in 1945 in the MGM cartoon “Springtime for Thomas.”
Clip:
You can watch the film here.
Lana Turner did a lot of movies. She really loved being a moviestar.
Here are the most important films in which she starred. Just click the links for more info, photos and videos.
20 April 1937: A Star Is Born
9 Oct. 1937: They Won’t Forget
24 Oct. 1937: The Great Garrick
1 Jan. 1938: The Adventures of Marco Polo
22 July 1938: Love Finds Andy Hardy
12 Aug. 1938: Rich Man, Poor Girl
9 Dec. 1938: Dramatic School
28 April 1939: Calling Dr. Kildare
18 Aug. 1939: These Glamour Girls
29 Sept. 1939: Dancing Co-Ed
19 April 1940: Two Girls on Broadway
19 July 1940: We Who Are Young
25 April 1941: Ziegfeld Girl
12 Aug. 1941: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
2 Oct. 1941: Honky Tonk
18 Febr. 1942: Johnny Eager
27 Aug. 1942: Somewhere I’ll Find You
1 April 1943: Slightly Dangerous
19 Aug. 1943: Du Barry Was A Lady
13 Nov. 1943: The Youngest Profession
23 Aug. 1944: Marriage Is a Private Affair
8 March 1945: Keep Your Powder Dry
1 Oct. 1945: Week-End At The Waldorf
2 May 1946: The Postman Always Rings Twice
5 Nov. 1947 : Green Dolphin Street
1 Nov. 1947: Cass Timberlane
29 April 1948: Homecoming
20 Oct. 1948: The Three Musketeers
1 Sept. 1950: A Life Of Her Own
2 March 1951: Mr. Imperium
5 Sept. 1952: The Merry Widow
25 Dec. 1952: The Bad And The Beautiful
25 Aug. 1953: Latin Lovers
1 May 1954: Flame And The Flesh
7 Sept. 1954: Betrayed
13 May 1955: The Prodigal
4 June 1955: Sea Chase
14 Dec. 1955: The Rains Of Ranchipur
12 Jan. 1956: Diane
13 Dec. 1957: Peyton Place
30 Jan. 1958: The Lady Takes A Flyer
2 May 1958: Another Time, Another Place
30 April 1959: Imitation Of Life
23 June 1960: Portrait In Black
19 July 1961: By Love Possessed
2 Nov. 1961: Bachelor In Paradise
25 Dec. 1962: Who’s Got The Action?
24 Febr. 1965: Love Has Many Faces
27 April 1966: Madame X
30 April 1969: The Big Cube
7 Nov. 1974: Persecution
27 Oct. 1976: Bittersweet Love
31 Oct. 1980: Witches Brew
21 May 1982: Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid
Sources: Wikipedia, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, Lana’s biography “Lana, the Lady, The Legend, The Truth“, “The Films Of Lana Turner” by Lou Valentino and “Lana Turner, The Memories, The Myths and The Movies” by Cheryl Crane.