I grew up poor. Money was alluded to in my parents’ everyday lives and their dreams. When we moved from New York to Phoenix, Arizona, we found a house, but we couldn’t afford furniture, drapes, or carpeting. The house was large, containing four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a huge living and dining area, a large kitchen, a family room, a garage with a storage area, and a yard that would be considered a substantial lot. My aunt provided the down payment, but for five years, all we could afford were the mortgage, food, clothes, and necessities. My dad worked two jobs, and my mom worked as well. We had aluminum foil on all the windows to maintain privacy while keeping the house cooler during the summer. We each had only a bed, a thrift store couch, a table, four chairs, and a small TV. We always had food and clean clothes. I don’t remember feeling poor, but when I went to my friend’s homes, it was pretty obvious.
I got caught one boring afternoon roller skating inside our home. My mom had been at work all day. This was an activity I chose to do while she was gone. I thought I was being smart since it was safer and cooler than being out in the Arizona heat. She was shocked to find me wearing my heavy-duty skates, but instead of getting into trouble, my mom invented a crazy game with my brother and me while we three sat on the floor in the empty house. We each took a turn thinking about what we could turn our vacant living room into if we had money. There were no wrong answers. We were encouraged to use our imaginations. So, we did. Oh, we thought of a bowling alley, a roller rink, a room with only balls of all sizes stored in every crevice, and my favorite of all, the indoor swimming pool. We loved that idea, and we all drew our designs for what it would look like one day. It made us laugh and feel lighter about our future, and I used to tell everyone at school about the indoor pool we were building in our house. I often wonder what my teacher must have thought about my family.
Money was never a domineering issue for us. My mom and dad knew it would be better one day, so they taught and demonstrated how to get through hard times calmly and with clarity. My parents made sure my brother and I had a community of friends, enriching our lives daily. There was always someone dropping by for coffee or a meal. Our empty home was a hub for singing and dancing parties. It was easy to spread your wings in a space, and dollar store decorations helped immensely. I always felt surrounded by love through my family and synagogue. In my mind, we were very rich.
Such was not the case for Geraldine (Claudette Colbert) and Tom Jeffers (Joel McCrea). Their lack of funds created a wedge between them, which eventually led to a zany, silly situation. It was 1942, and the world needed to laugh. It was the perfect timing for Preston Sturges’s insane comedy, THE PALM BEACH STORY.
Sturges was a consummate director. He had a stellar reputation in Hollywood, being known for his fast-talking dialogue. He loved mixing the incredulous with believable scenarios. He had a light hand when it came to guiding his actors through each scene, but he was a stickler for making sure every word in a line was exactly as written, and since he wrote the screenplay, he had it all memorized even better than the actors. He would stop the cameras if anything were not recited as written. Most were amazed at his accuracy without consulting a script.
THE PALM BEACH STORY also costarred two very famous actors of this period – Mary Astor and Rudy Vallee. Astor was a stage actress, and Vallee was a popular singer. THE PALM BEACH STORY changed the trajectory of their careers. It provided them with a foundation for rom-com movies, keeping them very busy. Vallee’s character was based on the real-life richest man in the world, John Rockefeller. Sturges hoped to draw some similar attention to the quirky traits of the extremely wealthy. He wanted to ensure his audience understood how easy it was to own a yacht, purchase expensive wardrobes and jewelry, or command everyone around. The number of marriages Astor’s character had did not pass the studio censors. Originally, the Princess (Astor) was to go through eight partners, but the number was later changed to “three marriages and two annulments.” They thought this would be a good way to poke fun at the idle rich.
It must be said that Colbert and McCrea were in sync. Their on-again, off-again marriage was at the core of this film. Their dramatic timing was terrific, as well as each comedic ruse and pratfall hitting with a bull’s eye.
The train scene with the good ol’ boys was not easy to film. So many coming, going, shooting rifles, and screaming was enough to drive anyone crazy, yet it was precisely planned second by second for the cameras without stopping. I would like to comment on how black actors were portrayed. What a waste of valuable talent within an entire generation. It felt uncomfortable and wrong. So many shoulders have had to pay too high a price.
The final frame of the movie is still a mystery to all who attend film school. It was unheard of to create the same character side by side, played by the same actor, and as tightly as Sturges had done. Usually, there would be a space, or today, CGI would be utilized. This scene has been studied in depth for decades without any answers, since no notes have ever been found. Sturges took that secret to his grave.
THE PALM BEACH STORY is a hilarious screwball comedy classic. Some say it inspired the fabulous film SOME LIKE IT HOT. The 40s were tough for the average couple or family. Making people laugh at the idiosyncrasies of the filthy rich felt good. War was surrounding our world, making it hard to laugh out loud about anything. THE PALM BEACH STORY didn’t win any awards, but it did help the public to laugh. Sometimes in life, this is all any of us can do. A valuable lesson to be sure. How wise my mom was.
THE PALM BEACH STORY is available on TCM.
