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494,685 | 342,623 | 105,378 | 7 |
A different kind of film from Woody Allen
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Shadows and Fog is Woody Allen's tribute to German Expressionism , and it's very interesting , often funny , and at times downright strange . He gives no indication of the setting or time , and as is often true with Allen , there's a serious undertone . His nebishy character , Kleinman , is woken up in the middle of the night in his home for reasons having to do with a serial killer at large . Poor Kleinman doesn't know exactly what he has to do with anything , but as he puts it , everything seems to know what he's supposed to be doing but him . Across town , Mia Farrow is the circus performer Irmy , who finds out her boyfriend ( John Malkovich ) is cheating on her , so she leaves him . She winds up in a brothel with some real characters played by Lily Tomlin , Kathy Bates , and Jodie Foster . A client ( John Cusack ) declares himself in love with Mia and offers her money to sleep with him . When it gets up to $700 , she accepts . Later she meets Kleinman and sends him to the church to donate all but $50 . The priest is impressed , and the police cross Kleinman's name off the list of suspects . Then they meet a beggar , and she sends Kleinman back for half the money . Kleinman's name goes back on the list of suspects . Yes , it's an odd but fascinating film . The atmosphere is bizarre , very German - dark , bleak , and foggy , with a scary serial killer out of " M . " Big stars float in and out of the film , like Madonna , some with tiny roles . The funniest scene is when Kleinman tries to hide out at his ex-girlfriend's ( Julie Kavner ) who calls him every name in the book and then tries to turn him in . Kleinman is an innocent man caught in confusing circumstances and times , not sure which side he should be on - there are two factions trying to catch this killer , and both attempt to recruit him - and all the poor guy wants is a promotion at his job . Though his reactions are often amusing , imagine being awoken by the police in the middle of the night and having no idea what it's about . It's happened , though , as it happens in the film . As Kleinman wanders the streets , unsure of where he's going , we can relate .
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494,162 | 342,623 | 105,391 | 7 |
entertaining if preposterous
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This good looking film harkens back to the old-fashioned movies of the late ' 30s and ' 40s . Though predictable and not believable , it manages to be very entertaining and keeps one's interest . It would have been a little more believable for me if the Melanie Griffith character hadn't had to drag Liam Neeson's kids around with her everywhere . They most certainly would have told their father of their adventures .
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493,996 | 342,623 | 26,507 | 7 |
For opera lovers
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I Dream Too Much , nicknamed " I Scream Too Much , " is a 1935 film starring opera singer Lily Pons and Henry Fonda , who at this point in his life resembled Jane Fonda in a man's haircut . He was really at the height of his most adorable-ness . Fonda plays a composer named Johnny Street who marries a young woman , Annette , only to discover that she has an operatic voice . In attempting to push his opera , she sings some of it for the head of the opera company in Paris . He makes her a huge star and Johnny is stuck on the sidelines . When he finds out that she is paying for a production of his opera , he leaves her . This is a slight story no doubt prompted by the success of Jeanette MacDonald and Grace Moore that relies on the voice and personality of Lily Pons and the cuteness of Fonda . Eric Blore plays a neighbor who has a trained seal ; he's there for comic relief , and he was always funny . Pons was a huge opera star who actually sang for the last time in 1972 , when she was 74 years of age ! She was tiny at a time when opera stars ran very big , she was very glamorous , and her timing was impeccable - she arrived in America during the Depression and saved the Metropolitan Opera from bankruptcy . Her signature aria was the Bell Song from Lakme , an opera done infrequently today if at all . In it , she wore a bare midriff costume and showed off her F above high C and her coloratura technique . She was an ideal Rosina , Gilda , Lucia , Linda di Chamonix , etc . Women singers in those days were trained a little differently than they are today , with back placement of the high notes . Pons ' middle voice and extension above high C were lovely , but the notes from F to high C had a shrillness to them , at least in recording . Her speaking voice records shrilly as well . This is actually a sweet film that the actors make enjoyable . I could have done without the long , dragging number at the end , but it's a chance to see one of opera's legends and a very young Fonda .
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494,276 | 342,623 | 420,671 | 7 |
Lovely remembrance of a lovely lady
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Hosted by Kathleen Turner , " Myrna Loy : So Nice to Come Home To " is a good , if not terribly informative , documentary about Loy , the qualities she brought to film , and her evolution from exotic , mysterious female roles to light comedy . There is a heavy amount of focus on her film partnership with William Powell and the 14 movies they made together , including , of course , " The Thin Man " series . There is some biographical information provided and photos of the very young Loy , but the documentary clearly is concerned with her work as an actress . There are no interviews with friends , coworkers , or family , and nothing from the lady herself . Lots of film clips are scattered throughout , with emphasis on the " Nice to Come Home To " - showing various scenes of this , including Frederic March's return from the war in " The Best Years of Our Lives , " and coverage of the wonderful work Myrna Loy did for The Red Cross during World War II . She was as lovely inside as she was out , it seems . Very enjoyable .
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495,126 | 342,623 | 30,396 | 7 |
beautiful young Stanwyck and handsome Fonda
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This is a delightful comedy / mystery , very much of its time , starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda . Stanwyck does a great job as a madcap socialite ( though the title would have you think she's a crazy bag lady ) who gets involved in a murder and with reporter Fonda . Miss Manton has a mouthy maid played by Hattie McDaniel ( listed as McDaniels in the credits ) and many girlfriends , all of whom are at her beck and call . Stanwyck's gift for comedy is apparent , and Manton was a perfect character for her - sophisticated , clever , and vulnerable . Fonda is very juvenile and ardent . They make a great pair .
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493,785 | 342,623 | 39,396 | 7 |
A down and out man is set up to take a fall
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Glenn Ford is Mike Lambert in " Framed , " a 1947 noir also starring Janis Carter , Barry Sullivan , and Edgar Buchanan . Ford plays a man who takes a job driving a truck that ends up having no brakes . Once at his destination , he enters a bar / restaurant called La Paloma and comes to the attention of waitress Paula Lambert ( Carter ) - and vice versa . Turns out she's been waiting for someone like Ford to come along . Well , hasn't every woman ? Paula and her boyfriend , Steven Price , need someone to be identified as Price in a car accident / explosion so that she and Price can take off with the $250 , 000 Price has embezzled from his bank . Unfortunately for them , they're pretty sophomoric , and Mike gets suspicious . I can't share the deep thrill others have expressed about this film , though I love Glenn Ford's combination of gentleness , toughness , and sexiness . He had really just hit big stardom around the time of this film . As beautiful , slender and accomplished a Broadway performer as Janis Carter was , I thought her acting was - well , awful is the only word for it . This is a Lizabeth Scott / Ann Sheridan type of role - smoky , mysterious , ambiguous as to motive . Carter had none of these shadings , offering instead wooden line delivery with nothing going on underneath . A better actress would have made this a much stronger film . The plot ( to me anyway ) was very predictable , in part due to the casting . As for the denouement , there was no explanation as to how it all came together , i . e . , there were holes . Ford and Edgar Buchanan , who plays a miner hoping to get a loan from Barry Sullivan's bank , are very good in their roles . Sullivan is fine , but he has a non-showy part . A stronger female lead and a little more developed script at the end would have helped " Framed " immensely .
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495,115 | 342,623 | 30,413 | 7 |
lovely film
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Mannequin is a charming , Joan Crawford rags to riches story set in New York City . Desperate to get out of her family's Hester Street apartment , Jessie talks her boyfriend Eddie into getting married a little sooner than planned . At her wedding dinner in a Chinese restaurant , she is spotted by the very wealthy , well known John Hennessy ( Spencer Tracy ) who falls in love with her immediately . He's also impressed by the depth of her love for Eddie . But it's obvious to all but Jessie that Eddie is a jerk . This is not a big , splashy film , but a more intimate one , with a marvelous , heartfelt performance by a young Spencer Tracy , who plays a lonely man to perfection . His sincere performance drives the film . Crawford is photographed beautifully , all gorgeous eyes and softness . I'm not sure how many animals died so Crawford could be dressed so opulently in fur , but once she gets into modeling and then hits the big time , she wears some very expensive clothes . Curtis is an attractive louse , and Leo Gorcey is great as Jessie's impossible brother . Elisabeth Risdon gives a wonderful performance , with a poignant monologue to her daughter at one point . A sweet and satisfying film .
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494,646 | 342,623 | 35,020 | 7 |
surprisingly timely
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Henry Fonda is a college professor in danger of losing his job and his wife in " The Male Animal , " also starring Olivia de Havilland , Jack Carson , and Joan Leslie . Fonda plays a happily married intellectual . On the weekend of college homecoming , his wife's former beau ( Jack Carson ) , a jock , shows up , giving rise to the professor's insecurities . He's having problems in his teaching life as well when an editorial states that he plans to read a letter from Bartolomeo Vanzetti ( of Sacco and Vanzetti ) in his English composition class . The trustees aren't happy and want him to state that the article is incorrect . As he is up for a full professorship , his wife hopes he will back down also since three teachers have been fired for being " reds . " This is an odd film with a very timely message about censorship and its dangers that by itself would have made a good movie , especially with wonderful actors like Fonda and de Havilland . However , the home situation was played for comedy . This film didn't seem to know which it was . If I were to guess , I would say the studio wanted a comedy and the dramatic part was downplayed . It's a shame , because there was nothing special about that part of the film , except that Jack Carson was very good . The Henry Fonda character discovers that he has to become " the male animal , " i . e . , one who fiercely protects his home , and not only his home , but his role as a teacher as well . Today , when " Brokeback Mountain " isn't being shown in all areas , and more censorship is being urged , this is a good movie to see if only to remind us that the this is a war that has been fought for years . Nowadays I wonder if we're winning .
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494,994 | 342,623 | 35,018 | 7 |
Good entry into the series
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Ann Sothern again plays Maisie in " Maisie Gets Her Man , " a 1942 film featuring Red Skelton , Leo Gorcey , Allen Jenkins , Donald Meek and Lloyd Corrigan . Maisie's hired by a comedian , Hap Hixby ( Skelton ) who gets horrible stage fright , so her job is gone before she even gets to do it . However , the building owner ( Jenkins ) is impressed with Hap and gives him a job managing the building , and Maisie becomes his assistant . Hap and Maisie fall in love , but when Hap's fiancée shows up , Hap can't tell her the truth . Maisie leaves and gets a job in a show . But when she finds out Hap is in trouble , she decides she has to do something . This is a lively movie , in part because of Jenkins and Gorcey , who are very funny . I can't say I've ever been a Red Skelton fan , but MGM stuck him in every B movie as they attempted to build him up . Here he's nice-looking and plays it straight except when he's on stage . Sothern of course is a delight as the fast-thinking Maisie . Like most serials , the quality varies from film to film . This was one of the better ones , with a little more plot and a strong supporting cast .
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493,977 | 342,623 | 43,660 | 7 |
Okay suspenseful drama
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Valentina Cortese and Richard Basehart star in " The House on Telegraph Hill , " a 1951 film also starring William Lundigan . It's probable that Cortese and Basehart met during the filming of this movie , since they were married in March of 1951 . Cortese plays a concentration camp survivor , Victoria Kowelska , who takes the identity of her dead friend and travels to San Francisco to claim the woman's son , who is living with an aunt , and also her inheritance . When she arrives , the aunt is deceased , and the boy is being cared for by a snippy nanny ( Fay Baker ) . Victoria and the estate's trustee ( Basehart ) fall in love , marry , and live in the aunt's mansion . It soon becomes apparent from a series of mishaps that someone is trying to do away with Victoria . She finally confides in the Army officer who processed her papers ( Lundigan ) . Robert Wise does a good job with this suspenser , which combines some diverse elements - hidden identity , romance , shady nanny and a murder plot - though the script isn't the best . It drags in spots . Cortese is an effective actress while not being a conventional beauty ; her star shone brighter in Italy , where she worked until 1993 and then retired . " The House on Telegraph Hill " does hold the viewer throughout . It's enjoyable but nothing special .
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494,127 | 342,623 | 39,208 | 7 |
though true , it almost seems like a fable
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Very good drama , employing documentary elements , about attorney Homer Cummings ' pursuit of justice on behalf of a man wrongly accused of the murder of an episcopalian minister . Cummings went on to become Attorney General of the U . S . Given the sloppy cases put on by prosecutors today with the only goal in mind being a win , given the intense political influences often in play in bringing cases to trial , Boomerang comes off like a fable about the way justice should work . Harvey , the prosecutor in this case ( actually Cummings ) refuses to bend to political pressure and rely on sloppy police work to win an indictment in the case of the accused man , beautifully portrayed by Arthur Kennedy . The interrogation techniques shown in this film were pre-Miranda , but I believe interrogations like this still exist . Elia Kazan did his usual great job of directing this stark drama and the cast is uniformly excellent : Dana Andrews , Jane Wyatt , Kennedy , Ed Begley , Lee J . Cobb , Karl Malden , and Sam Levene . Toward the end of the film , Dana Andrews opens a book and reads a quote stating in part that the role of the prosecutor is to see that justice is done . In my experience and observation , it appears that most prosecutors have never read this statement . Maybe that's why Homer Cummings became U . S . attorney general and they haven't .
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494,040 | 342,623 | 47,944 | 7 |
much ado about drapes !
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Richard Widmark is a psychiatrist in " The Cobweb , " also starring Lauren Bacall , Lillian Gish , Charles Boyer , John Kerr , Susan Strasberg and Gloria Grahame . It's quite a cast , especially when you realize that they were directed by Vincent Minnelli . It's an absorbing story of the patients and the doctors at a mental institution . Widmark has basically taken over from the troubled Boyer - though Boyer retains his title , Widmark's contract gives him more power . Bacall , a recent widow , is a doctor on staff , and Lillian Gish is an administrator . The patient most focused on is Stevie , played by John Kerr . He is making good progress with his recovery , and in fact , some of the better patients are given control over designing their lounge . The sticking point becomes the draperies which become a political football . Widmark's wife , Gloria Grahame , wants to impose herself onto the institution that is taking her husband away from her by working with a board member on the drapes ; Lillian Gish wants to save money and go the cheap route ; and the patients have their own ideas . This is a very good drama with good acting from all involved . Grahame is a brunette here and has never been more beautiful , plus she gets to wear some beautiful clothes . She , along with the others , gives a terrific performance . The one with the best role is Lillian Gish , and she is fantastic . What an actress and what a career . Who could have believed she could play such a perfect bitch ? Well worth watching if the plot is a little thin .
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494,031 | 342,623 | 30,216 | 7 |
Fun and love in the Catskills
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Ginger Rogers is Thelma , a secretary seeking rest and relaxation at a Catskill resort in " Having Wonderful Time , " also starring Douglas Fairbanks , Jr . , Lee Bowman , Eve Arden , Jack Carson , Lucille Ball and Michael ( Red ) Skelton . Uptight Rogers arrives at the resort and gets off on the wrong foot with Chick , a law student working as a waiter ( Fairbanks ) . Eventually they discover they really like each other , but when Thelma expects a proposal from Chick , she gets a proposition instead and blows her stack . On the rebound , she picks up with fast Buzzy ( Bowman ) , who's been staked out by Miriam ( Ball ) . Complications arise . " Having Wonderful Time " is light entertainment that has nothing special about it except its talented young cast . Rogers is fine as the more serious , less flirtatious woman in a group of love-mad girls . Fairbanks is fantastic , using a completely different persona from other films ? he sports an American accent and comes across as a brusque handsome hunk rather than a British gentleman . Eve Arden's New York accent is over the top but she's funny as a resort guest , and comedy and slapstick are provided by pretty Lucille Ball and Red Skelton , who gets to do a couple of comedy routines . All in all good fun from RKO and recommended .
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494,495 | 342,623 | 26,421 | 7 |
More Busby and an early glimpse at an actress of ' Titanic ' proportions
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Golddiggers of 1935 stars Alice Brady as a cheapskate determined that her daughter will marry a wealthy older man as planned . In order to make sure this happens , she gives her daughter a last wish as a single woman , which is to let her do what she wants ( i . e . , have fun ) all summer at the resort where they're staying . So mom hires the student doctor at the reception desk , Dick ( Dick Powell ) to escort her around . Oh , and then there's the show for the milk fund . And what a show ! The daughter in question is the beautiful Gloria Stuart , who a mere 60 + years later will receive an Oscar nomination for " Titanic " and make it at last ! 96 at the time of this writing , Stuart today is completely recognizable as that dazzling blond of her youth . There's no mistaking those incredible eyes or wonderful voice . It was really a treat to see her in this . The film is remarkable for its milk fund numbers only - the rest of it isn't much . Berkeley pulled out all the stops with a mesmerizing array of moving white pianos played by chorus girls in gowns , and follows it up with " Lullaby of Broadway . " Sensational - so imaginative , dark , and atmospheric , truly one of the best numbers in cinema . Its unusual beginning ( also done at the end ) will cue you in immediately that you're about to see something different . The cast is first rate - Powell , Stuart , Brady , Hugh Herbert , Dorothy Dare , Glenda Farrell , and Adolphe Menjou . Parts of it are overacted , almost as if the actors were on stage , but you won't be sorry you saw Berkeley's work at its best .
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493,707 | 342,623 | 118,526 | 7 |
inspiring story
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Beautifully acted by Meryl Streep and the rest of the cast , this film is based on a true story of a mother who defied the medical profession to get her son on the ketogenic diet at Johns Hopkins . Due to the tremendous lobbying power of the AMA in this country , alternative treatments are not recognized here the way they are in Europe and in other countries . Yet people often have to be subjected to harmful , and often unhelpful medications . One hears a lot about animal experimentation - in the end , the guinea pig is always the human patient , as doctors " try out " drug cocktails and new drugs on patients who suffer horrible side effects from them , as did the child in this film . I won't give away the twist at the end of the film , but watch it clear to the end and you'll get a marvelous surprise .
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495,021 | 342,623 | 34,828 | 7 |
Lupino as barracuda
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Ida Lupino plays the ruthless , ambitious , domineering sister of Joan Leslie in " The Hard Way . " The film starts with Lupino attempting suicide by jumping off a bridge , and the resulting story is one big flashback . Unhappily married in an ugly industrial town , Lupino sees a way out for herself and her sister , played by Joan Leslie , when two vaudevillians , Jack Carson and Dennis Morgan , come into town . Carson soon is married to Leslie and Lupino joins everyone on the road , beginning her path of destruction to make way for Leslie in the big time . Ida Lupino does a terrific job , as does the entire cast , including a wonderful appearance by Gladys George . Leslie is fresh and young but no phenomenal musical talent , so one has to attribute Lupino's drive to her success ! A very good Warners Bros . offering .
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494,193 | 342,623 | 30,239 | 7 |
A governor's idea of how to get votes is a unique one
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John Barrymore , George Murphy and Joan Davis star in " Hold that Coed , " a 1938 film about politics and football . Murphy plays a football star turned coach of a state university , which has no funding and no equipment for its football players . Governor Gabby Harrigan ( John Barrymore ) is running for a Senate seat and has slashed the school's funding even further . The students , led by the coach , head for his office to protest . Harrigan refuses to see them ; a horrendous fight breaks out when the police arrive . The governor's secretary ( Marjorie Blake ) and his advisors warn him that his decision to cut funding and refusal to meet the students is going to cost him votes . He decides to do a switch - to pour money into the school and build a huge stadium which will also serve as a place to champion his election to the Senate . Of course , the school has to play only the biggest college teams . Just one problem - this team is a big loser . So a female ( Davis ) who is an amazing kicker is drafted , and two professional wrestlers who quit school are given government positions and put on the team . " Hold that Coed " is a funny satire with the kind of wild performance by John Barrymore that one expects by 1938 when he was well in his cups . Like his fellow politico , Ronald Reagan , George Murphy was an attractive , light leading man , but he could also sing and dance . Though the music in this movie isn't much , it's pleasant , as is Murphy , who never tried to move out of his range or go over the top . Joan Davis is funny as the tomboyish kicker - before she kicks , she does mincing type movements . Someone complained about the finale , which includes problems with strong winds ; I didn't mind it . The film , of course , belongs to Barrymore . You can never take your eyes off of him , and even when he hams it up , he's great . I never thought he was a hammy actor unless it was called for - and as the governor , he could be nothing else . Certainly his performances in " Bill of Divorcement , " " The Great Man Votes " and dozens of his other films prove his brilliance as an actor . Recommended ; very enjoyable .
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494,827 | 342,623 | 47,956 | 7 |
Interesting true story
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Gary Cooper plays the title role in " The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell , " a 1955 film based on the real-life court martial of former Brigadier General William Mitchell , who was demoted in rank after violating orders and later court-martialed for criticizing the Armed Forces in the press . Besides also starring Ralph Bellamy , Charles Bickford , and Rod Steiger , the film also features some later TV stars - Elizabeth Montgomery , Jack Lord , John Daly , Darren McGavin and Peter Graves . Apparently the film takes some liberties with the true facts , but Mitchell believed in the power of the airplane in war and wanted an upgrade in air power for the U . S . as well as the creation of an Air Force . Much of what he said about air power came to pass , and eventually the Air Force was formed , of which he is considered the father . However , at the time , the services were faced with budget cuts and narrow thinking . They weren't convinced of Mitchell's arguments . Mitchell ( in the film ) disobeys orders about the size of the bomb he's carrying , using one-ton bombs to destroy the Ostfriesland , which was an World War I prize from Germany . He is demoted in rank and sent to work in Texas . When a friend of his is killed in a " death trap " flier called The Shenendoah , Billy sets himself up for a court martial so that he can bring his cause to the American public . This is a good movie which holds one's interest . I have a confession , which is that I am not always impressed with the acting of Gary Cooper , though I do love him , and this was one of those times . One of the posters suggested that James Cagney would have been a better choice given the real-life character of Mitchell . Possibly . Cooper is passionate in a quiet way but a little too one-dimensional in his performance . There are strong performances from everyone , most especially Rod Steiger . He doesn't chew up the scenery ; instead , he uses his voice like a knife . He's very effective . Definitely recommended though it's not Cooper's best work .
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495,151 | 342,623 | 70,272 | 7 |
Interesting look at a great filmmaker
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King Vidor is unusual in the series " The Men Who Made the Movies " in that of all the directors , as a person , he had the least edgy , vibrant , quirky personality possessed by so many - Raoul Walsh , Hitchcock , and Sam Fuller , to name a few . Rather , for all his imagination and tremendous creativity , he is smiling and understated , looking more like a businessman than a great director . Interestingly , he is also the most optimistic of the men I've seen interviewed . " I think it's a beautiful world , " he said . Where Sam Fuller had three villain types in " Pickup on South Street , " Vidor felt he never had a complete villain in any of his films . This documentary takes a somewhat spotty look at Vidor's accomplishments - but manages to hit the high points - looking at his work , which reaches back to the sound era with classics like " Show People , " " Hallelujah , " and " The Big Parade , " then moves into talkies with films like " The Champ , " " Our Daily Bread , " " The Citadel , " " Duel in the Sun , " " " The Fountainhead , " and " Beyond the Forest , " which gave us Bette Davis ' " What a dump " line and was Vidor's foray into film noir . Well known for his battle scenes , the documentary opens with a magnificent battle scene from " Solomon and Sheba , " and we also see the ditch-digging scene from " Our Daily Bread , " and the sentimental end of " The Champ . " Vidor was certainly versatile , taking over for Victor Fleming in " The Wizard of Oz " when Fleming was called to do " Gone With the Wind . " " Every time I see ' Over the Rainbow , ' I get a thrill , because I directed that , " he commented . Vidor took great pride in his work and came up with inventive ways of using the camera before it could easily be moved , and speaks with frustration about his failure to synchronize the sound in " Hallelujah . " " There was no playback , " he explained . " They were just singing into the air . " Vidor , however , never directed into the air - he was totally grounded and organized . The films - epics like " The Big Parade , " melodramas like " Stella Dallas , " and comedies like " Comrade X " speak for themselves .
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494,519 | 342,623 | 26,393 | 7 |
gangster flick / tribute to the FBI
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G-Men is a 1935 film that was reissued in 1949 . At that time , the FBI was 25 years old , and a scene was added where David Brian , as an FBI head honcho , tells his rookies that they are about to see an early film about the FBI . He then starts the movie . " G-Men " is directed by William Keighley and stars James Cagney as Brick Davis , an attorney whose college friend Eddie ( Regis Toomey ) is murdered by a mobster ( Barton MacLane ) while working for the Department of Justice . Brick quits lawyering and joins the FBI . When the fact that he was close friends with a mobster ( who put him through law school ) turns up , Brick is able to supply a lot of information to the bureau . The action in this film is non-stop , with car chases , kidnappings , lots of shooting , and scenes at a lodge , reminiscent of a well-known real-life happening in Wisconsin . Cagney is excellent as usual , and Barton MacLane gives a strong performance as the enemy . Lloyd Nolan , as a fellow recruit , makes his film debut . The supporting actors are all good . Warner Brothers again proves why they were King of the Crime Flicks with this film . If you like Cagney and action , don't miss this one .
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494,570 | 342,623 | 47,969 | 7 |
Beautiful dance film with stunning stars
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How terribly sad that during such a delightful and romantic film , Fred Astaire was mourning the death of his wife . " Daddy Long Legs " is a sweet film with an utterly charming performance , in words and dance , by Leslie Caron , and Astaire's usual high-class , debonair , energetic work . Thelma Ritter and Larry Keating give fantastic support , and in looking over the cast list , I see that a future dance partner of Astaire's , the wonderful Barrie Chase , is an uncredited dancer . My only complaint is that the movie is on the long side , with the final dance being not only terribly long , but just one dance sequence too many . The highlight of the film for me was definitely " Sluefoot . " A fantastic number ! I noticed one hilarious comment about an " uncredited appearance by Cary Grant . " I remember my mom telling me how much Ray Anthony resembled Grant - I guess she was right !
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494,219 | 342,623 | 43,599 | 7 |
Romanticized biography of great opera star
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Mario Lanza , of course , is " The Great Caruso " in this 1951 film also starring Ann Blyth , Dorothy Kirsten , Eduard Franz and Ludwig Donath . This is a highly fictionalized biography of the legendary , world-renowned tenor whose name is known even today . The film is opulently produced , and the music is glorious and beautifully sung by Lanza , Kirsten , Judmila Novotna , Blanche Thebom , and other opera stars who appeared in the film . If you're a purist , seeing people on stage smiling during the Sextet from " Lucia " will strike you as odd - even if Caruso's wife Dorothy just had a baby girl . Also it's highly unlikely that Caruso ever sang Edgardo in Lucia ; the role lay too high for him . In taking dramatic license , the script leaves out some very dramatic parts of Caruso's life . What was so remarkable about him is that he actually created roles in operas that are today in the standard repertoire , yet this is never mentioned in the film . These roles include Maurizio in Adriana Lecouvreur and Dick Johnson in " Girl of the Golden West , " There is a famous photo of him posing with a sheet wrapped around him like a toga . The reason for that photo ? His only shirt was in the laundry . He was one of the pioneers of recorded music and had a long partnership with the Victor Talking-Machine Company ( later RCA Victor ) . He was singing Jose in Carmen in San Francisco the night of the earthquake . Instead , the MGM story basically has him dying on stage during a performance of Martha , which never happened . He had a hemorrhage during " L'Elisir d'amore " at the Met and could not finish the performance ; he only sang three more times at the Met , his last role as Eleazar in La Juive . What killed him ? The same thing that killed Valentino - peritonitis . His first role at the Met was not Radames in Aida , as indicated in the film , but the Duke in Rigoletto . So when it says on the screen " suggested by Dorothy Caruso's biography of her husband , " that's what it was - suggested . What is true is that Dorothy's father disowned her after her marriage , and left her $1 of his massive estate . They also did have a daughter Gloria together ( who died at the age of 79 on / 2007 ) . However , Caruso had four other children by a mistress before he married Dorothy . Some people say that Lanza's voice is remarkably like Caruso's , but just listen to Caruso sing in the film " Match Point " - - Caruso's voice is remarkably unlike Lanza's . In fact , from his sound , had he wanted to , Caruso could have sung as a baritone . He is thought to have had some trouble with high notes , further evidence of baritone leanings ; and the role he was preparing when he died was Othello , a dramatic tenor role , which Lanza definitely was not . Lanza's voice deserved not to be compared with another . He made a unique contribution to film history , popularizing operatic music . He sings the music in " The Great Caruso " with a robust energy ; he is truly here at the peak of what would be a short career . His acting is natural and genuine . Ann Blyth is lovely as Dorothy and gets to sing a little herself . Really a film for opera lovers and Lanza fans , which are probably one and the same .
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494,988 | 342,623 | 83,798 | 7 |
For classic film buffs
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Steve Martin is a Sam Spade-type detective who takes a case for a beautiful woman ( Rachel Ward ) in " Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid . " Like the 1983 " Zelig , " the film deftly mixes actual old clips in with the storyline very cleverly . In this case , the clips are all from old black and white movies featuring some of our biggest and most beloved stars : Ava Gardner , Barbara Stanwyck , Joan Crawford , Ingrid Bergman , Bette Davis , Alan Ladd , Burt Lancaster , Humphrey Bogart , Ray Milland , and others , all of whom have roles opposite Martin with the help of intercuts and some great editing . Besides these costars , Martin has one from the ' 80s , Rachel Ward , who fits in beautifully with the past goddesses . Martin is hilarious as PI Rigby Reardon . Of course , in order for some of these clips to work , his dialogue had to make sense as well , which makes it even more fun . I think the scene visiting Jimmy Cagney in prison is still my favorite , along with his impersonation of a beautiful blond in a grocery store ( the scene from Double Indemnity ) . We always see Martin from the back and then it cuts to his costar . Edith Head's recreation of the costumes is mind-boggling , and there is a lovely tribute to her at the end of the film , as this was her last . This film is very entertaining , though it has no real story and the gimmick wears thin toward the end . It's still a lot of fun and frankly better than Martin's latest recreations of light ' 60s movies - though you can see he had remakes in mind even back then .
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494,017 | 342,623 | 12,938 | 7 |
An exciting discovery
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The silent era continues to have surprises for us , such as this one , " Beyond the Rocks , " a film starring Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino once thought lost but since rediscovered and restored . Based on a novel by Elinor Glyn , it's a potboiler that doesn't hold up well today , but so little does at age 84 . It's the story of a young woman , Theodora , the hope of her family ( i . e . , the one with the youth and looks to nab a rich husband ) who meets a British nobleman ( Valentino ) when he saves her from drowning . Then she meets her betrothed , a short , old thing . She's disappointed , but for the sake of her father , marries him . She runs into Valentino on her honeymoon and this time , he saves her from falling off a mountain during a climbing expedition . They seem Meant to Be . But both are determined to honor her marriage vows . Valentino and Swanson are heavily made up , and both actually looked much better with a more natural appearance . In the beginning , with her hair down and less Max Factor , Swanson is lovely - petite , with amazing eyes and beautiful skin . Later on , however , she looks older than she is due to the make-up and hair-do . Her character has a great wardrobe , and Swanson wears it well . Both actors give good performances . Valentino had a tendency to be obvious in some of his emotions - it was more the style then - but he gives a more relaxed performance in " Beyond the Rocks . " Most of the movie looks beautiful with its sepia tones though there are some damaged sections . It's quite a find and a chance to see two big stars of the silent era together . Swanson wrote of parts of the film that don't seem to exist any longer - but as one of the comments here suggests , she perhaps was mixing this up with another film . Given the plot , it would be easy to do so .
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495,156 | 342,623 | 39,288 | 7 |
Two great stars in a disappointing film
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Barbara Stanwyck smells something rotten in her husband's family home in " Cry Wolf , " a 1947 movie starring a very famous wolf off screen , Errol Flynn , as well as Jerome Cowan , Richard Basehart , and Geraldine Brooks . Stanwyck plays Sandra , the widow of James Demarest , and arrives to consult with his uncle ( Flynn ) about James ' estate . James believed that his uncle was trying to take his money from him . She gets a cool reception from everyone except James ' sister ( Brooks ) . Hearing noises coming from the uncle's lab , Sandra becomes convinced that James is still alive , and she is determined to gain access to the laboratory . This is the kind of film you can't wait to see - two fabulous stars , a mystery , atmosphere - but though " Cry Wolf " screams " Cry Hit Movie " - it falls flat . If Flynn is supposed to be the Max de Winter or Mr . Rochester of the piece , he doesn't cut it . It's not his fault . The role does not play to his strengths at all . Incredibly handsome , charming , energetic , and debonair , Flynn was one of the greatest stars of the golden era . It's understandable that he became bored with the kind of roles with which he is associated , and there's no doubt he could have pulled this off , but the script and direction let him down . Instead , his performance seems one note , uninteresting , and lazy . At 38 , given his lifestyle , he looked bloated in certain scenes . It would seem like a wonderful idea to cast him with Stanwyck , but there's no there there . Stanwyck's role , on the other hand , does play to her strengths . She's tough , determined , and called upon to do some amazing physical stunts as she rides up and down in a dumbwaiter , rides horses , falls off of one , takes one over a tall fence - she's just great . Given the lethargy of Flynn's performance and the quiet steel of Stanwyck's , Geraldine Brooks by contrast seems like she's chewing the scenery . Basehart is so young he's almost unrecognizable in a small but good role . The film ends very abruptly with most of the plot telegraphed from the beginning of the film . However , there are some wonderfully suspenseful moments - Stanwyck hiding outside the lab as Flynn exits , the horse careening through the woods , and several others . Enjoyable , disappointing , but well worth seeing for the stars and the atmosphere .
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495,081 | 342,623 | 34,890 | 7 |
Bad Bette ! Bad , bad Bette !
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Holy Toledo - Bette Davis has played some really bad women in her life , but the part of Stanley tops it ! Davis , Olivia de Havilland , Dennis Morgan , Charles Coburn , and George Brent star in " In This Our Life , " an odd film from 1942 . Davis and de Havilland play Stanley and Roy ( guess dad wanted boys ) . Stanley is dating Craig ( Brent ) and Roy is married to Peter , a doctor ( Morgan ) . The film no sooner begins than Stanley and Peter run away together . It doesn't take long before Stanley becomes dissatisfied with Peter's lack of money as a young surgeon and his hospital hours . After Peter's suicide ( I wonder ) , the good Roy comes and brings her sister back home . Meanwhile , Roy has started to see Craig . Stanley hates being home and prevails upon her lecherous uncle ( Coburn ) to give her money so she can go away . Meanwhile , I swear she's trying to kill him by plying him with booze . It goes from there , with Stanley becoming more and more horrid with each passing frame of film . Her best line is " YOU'RE AN OLD MAN ! WHO CARES IF YOU DIE ? I'M YOUNG . I'VE GOT MY WHOLE LIFE AHEAD OF ME . " Totally outrageous . One comment asks if it's Davis or the script that wrecks this film . I blame the script . You have the too good sister , so good she's saintly - I mean , her sister stole her husband and she doesn't slap her silly - and then you have the bad sister , so bad she's absurd . Then there's the treatment of black people which is offensive - though that is acknowledged in the film . Plus , Sidney's relationship with Uncle William will give rise to a lot of speculation . At one point , Olivia de Havilland looks at a portrait of an ugly relation and says , " I'm not as pretty as she is . " Well , if that were going to be the case , someone should have done a better job on the painting . De Havilland is absolutely beautiful and gives a very good , sober , well-grounded performance - in juxtaposition to Davis batting her eyes , pouting , and sashaying . Huston obviously didn't know how to handle her . Davis was capable of brilliant performances but she had to be in sync with her director . She wasn't . Morgan and Brent are the mild types of leading men Warners usually cast opposite strong women . Morgan is very handsome and believable as the put-upon Peter - and if he did kill himself , you can't really blame him . Brent does a good job as the attorney who turns his attentions to Roy . As the young black man whose future is threatened by darling Stanley , Ernest Anderson gives a wonderful performance , giving his character the appropriate likability , intelligence , and lack of aggression . Always an excellent emotional actress , Hattie McDaniel scores as his mother . This thing is one big potboiler , complete with an overwhelming score by Max Steinberg that is really a bit much . So is the movie . And guess what , I still recommend it . Even an overdone Bette is better than no Bette at all .
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494,978 | 342,623 | 478,087 | 7 |
Loosely based on the true story
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21 is the story of the famous MIT Blackjack Team that plays fast and loose with the real story . Nevertheless , it's still a compelling and interesting movie . It's really a morality tale about a brilliant young man , Ben Campbell ( Jim Sturgess ) is talked by a professor ( Kevin Spacey ) into joining a blackjack group that counts cards , uses hand signals , codes , and disguises , and goes to Vegas every weekend . Ben has been accepted into Harvard pre-med but has no way of getting the $300 , 000 tuition . In this story , there are no such things as financial packages and student loans . Ben reluctantly joins the group but only until he can make his Harvard money . Of course , that's not what happens . Once in and living the high life , he can't stop . He finally becomes so arrogant that he makes what turns out to be a very costly mistake . The shots of Boston , where I went to school , and Vegas are great , and the acting is excellent . Sturgess is joined by the beautiful Kate Bosworth , Aaron Yoo , Liza Lapira , and Jacob Pitts . Laurence Fishburne has a small role , but he's scary as all get-out as a security man . Two real-life members of the Blackjack Team played card dealers . In the actual story , there were several of these groups out of MIT that played for years . In telescoping the story , there are a few holes . For instance , Campbell never wears a disguise until the end , which in real life , never happened . The only one who consistently wears a disguise is Bosworth ; these teams were much more careful than that . Also , they seem to go to Vegas every week instead of switching off with Atlantic City , for instance , or laying low for a time . There are a few interesting twists in " 21 , " and it moves quickly . Recommended - a very good movie .
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494,642 | 342,623 | 34,881 | 7 |
Fredric March is bewitched , bothered , and bewildered by Veronica Lake
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The summary line only applies to the film , however . This movie was intended by the studio for Joel McCrea . After making Sullivan's Travels , McCrea informed the top brass that he could not make another film with Veronica Lake . The role instead went to Fredric March , who declared " I Married a Witch " the most horrendous experience he'd ever had . It should be added that McCrea did work with Lake again 5 years later , after he had time to heal . I have no idea why these actors had problems with this tiny , beautiful woman . " I Married a Witch " is a delightful light comedy which I suppose is the basis for " Bewitched . " Apparently these Salem witches cursed an entire family so that they would be unlucky in love , and the movie quickly takes us through the generations of miserable men ( all March in assorted wigs ) until it gets to the present when March , a gubernatorial candidate , is set to marry a human witch ( Susan Hayward ) . When lightning strikes a tree which was grown over the ashes of burned witches , Lake and her father escape . She takes human form and March " saves " her from a fire ( that her father started ) . Then she mistakenly drinks a potion intended for him , and the situation really takes off . Lake was 23 when this film was made ; March was 45 , and McCrea , had he made the movie , was 37 . The very dignified March made a great politician , as the character in this film is - but he comes off as too old to be marrying Hayward or getting involved with Lake . Yes , we all know it happens . But this type of film was not March's métier . Eight years younger and ever boyish , of course , McCrea was more suited to the role in looks and acting . My favorite scene is the botched wedding in which the soprano has to sing the beginning of " I Love You Truly " over and over as Susan Hayward becomes increasingly outraged . It's a young Hayward , but all the feistiness and strength is apparent . Cecil Kellaway is Lake's father , and he gives a fine performance . Although her costars may not have agreed , I found Lake funny and beautiful in this movie , and it's a shame the last years of her life were spent as they were . She had a lovely screen presence .
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495,049 | 342,623 | 180,037 | 7 |
ooooh that HUGH
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It was in this film that I discovered Hugh Jackman . I saw " Paperback Hero " at a film festival in Los Angeles and promptly fell in love . At the time , I declared Hugh the next Mel Gibson . While he hasn't reached that stature , he's done some good films and made his mark on Broadway in " The Boy from Oz , " which I'm pleased to say I saw . He is an awesome performer . Hugh's great charisma and sexiness helps this light story of a macho male who has been writing romance novels under a pseudonym and convinces a woman friend to impersonate him . The film was done in Australia so it's quite interesting as far as the setting and the other actors . I'm not sure if this film received widespread distribution here in the states , but it is delightful .
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494,489 | 342,623 | 21,508 | 7 |
Lousy sound but interesting
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Spencer Tracy and Humphrey Bogart are " Up the River " in this 1930 film directed by John Ford and also starring Claire Luce and Warren Hymer . The movie makes for tough going , as the print I saw kept skipping and the sound along with it . Well , the movie is nearly 80 years old after all . Bogart is so young-looking in this it boggles the mind . He's actually playing the romantic lead , Steve , a young man from a good family . While in prison for a fight ( in which it's implied the other man was killed ) , he meets a woman named Judy ( Luce ) who was involved in a shady bond racket . She took the fall for her boss , Frosby ( Morgan Wallace ) . Judy and Steve fall in love , and when his parole comes up , he says he'll wait for her . After being back with his family for awhile , Forsby sets up his racket in town and is cheating Steve's mother . His friends , Saint Louis ( Tracy ) and Dannemora Dan ( Hymer ) break out of prison during a variety show and come to his rescue . I probably liked this better than most of the people who reviewed the movie here . The ongoing problems with the baseball team ( " the pitcher got paroled right before the big game " ) are amusing . I also liked the free-for-all atmosphere of the prison , with the warden's daughter and her dog wandering around the jail yard , friendly with all the prisoners . The warden's a lovable fellow too . I also liked the bit where notes are hidden in the hem of a charity woman's skirt on the women's side , and when she enters the men's yard , they all rush over and dust off her shoes , retrieving the letter at the same time . Finally , there's an ongoing bit based on the fact that Saint Louis deliberately drove off and left Dannemora in the lurch previously . They're now in the same prison together , Saint Louis swearing up and down that he thought the car had a rumble seat . Besides the bad sound , the film has the usual politically incorrect blackface number . I will say that the black prisoners seemed to be on an equal footing with the whites , if that means anything . " Up the River " is fascinating , too , for the use of microphones throughout the set and actors needing to be near them . No one really has figured out screen acting yet - Bogart speaks quickly while the woman playing his mother drags out every sentence . Tracy appears very natural , however . Films had a long way to go . This one was made quickly by a man destined to become one of the screen's greatest directors and two actors who would become two of the greatest stars ever . Humble beginnings .
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494,869 | 342,623 | 368,891 | 7 |
High entertaining
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Nicholas Cage , Diane Kruger , Sean Bean , Jon Voight and Justin Bartha star in " National Treasure , " a 2004 adventure film directed by Jon Turteltaub . This is one of those movies where you just have to totally give yourself over to the preposterous story and have a good time . Cage is a member of the notorious Gates family , who have claimed for years that there is a vast treasure somewhere hidden by our forefathers . Cage gets a wealthy man ( Bean ) to underwrite his quest , which leads to an important clue . That clue eventually leads them to an invisible map . . . behind the Declaration of Independence . By then , Cage and Bean are mortal enemies , and the race is on . " National Treasure " is tremendously fun and even has some historical information embedded in it that viewers should find interesting . Its success led to National Treasure 2 . Cage is always worth seeing , as is Bean . This is a film meant to be enjoyed - not dissected .
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494,435 | 342,623 | 34,923 | 7 |
London in wartime
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Journey for Margaret is a propaganda film but with a twist . Made in 1942 , right after the U . S . entered World War II , it's based on a real story . A reporter , John Davis ( Robert Young ) , and his wife Nora ( Laraine Day ) are caught in London during the blitz . Nora loses the baby she is carrying and eventually goes home to the states . John stays , but the passion that made him a powerful writer is gone . He's seen too much hopelessness and futility . While working an air raid , he helps to save a little boy , Peter , from a home where the rest of the family is killed . It leaves an indelible impression on him . John meets Peter again when he visits an orphanage run by Trudy Strauss ( Fay Bainter ) . There he also meets a very traumatized little girl , Margaret ( Margaret O'Brien ) . Peter and Margaret bond with John . When it comes time for him to leave England , he wants to bring them with him to the states and adopt them . But all the flights to Lisbon are full for months in advance , and the only way he can bring them is to bring them as his 40 pound luggage limit . So that means only one child can go with him . This is a really interesting film with excellent acting from everyone . Young gives a heartfelt performance , and Day is very touching as his wife . Margaret O'Brien , even at age 4 or 5 , was capable of strong emotional acting . Wonderful story .
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495,177 | 342,623 | 126,774 | 7 |
interesting legal drama
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Thirty Something star Ken Olin has certainly had a fascinating career since the series ended . He has become a very successful producer , for one thing . Acting wise , for as nice a guy as he played on the series , he has often been cast as a wife killer . In this movie , based on a novel by Alan Dershowitz , he's an attorney with a run of losses who takes what looks to be a slam-dunk case , defending a basketball star accused of rape . Along the way , it begins to look like the case isn't the winner he anticipated as inconsistencies in his client's story begin to emerge . As his investigator girlfriend , beautiful Mariska Hargitay gives a warm and honest performance . I first saw Mariska's work when she was a kid on " Falcon Crest " and my opinion of her has never changed . She was a delight then , and she has evolved into a wonderful actress while still maintaining a charismatic presence . Holt McCallany , as the defendant , gives nothing away in an enigmatic performance and will keep you guessing . This is a film that will definitely hold your interest . Only a lawyer could come up with a plot like this , however . I found it just a little too clever .
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494,267 | 342,623 | 39,581 | 7 |
Partially successful noir
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Henry Fonda goes through " The Long Night " after committing murder in this 1947 film noir directed by Anatole Litvak and also starring Vincent Price , Ann Dvorak and Barbara Bel Geddes . Fonda plays Joe , a returning veteran , now a blue collar worker who falls in love with young , pretty fellow orphan Jo Ann ( Bel Geddes ) , only to come up against Price . Price plays Maximilian , a creepy magician with a show that features dogs and Charlene ( Ann Dvorak ) . At first , Maximilian asks Joe to stay away from Charlene because she's his long-lost daughter and he wants better for her . From Charlene , Joe learns the truth - Maximilian is not her father , and she's attracted to his worldliness - though she claims to love Joe . Depressed , he turns to the sexy Charlene , his heart still with Jo Ann . During a fight in his apartment , he shoots Maximilian , and spends the entire movie under siege in his apartment as he relives in flashback and flashback within flashback what led him to this moment . Litvak , a talented director , stages this film in an interesting manner - it begins with a blind man ( Elisha Cook Jr . ) stumbling across the body of Maximilian in the hallway of the apartment building where he lives . Joe will not leave his room , and the police work throughout the film to get him out . The photography and direction capture the darkness and drabness of Joe's surroundings , the cheapness of the nightclub where Maximilian performs , and focuses a harsh light on Charlene's room and Charlene herself . Despite all of this great style , the film has a cheesy quality ; the characters aren't really likable except for poor Joe ; and the motivations of the characters aren't fully fleshed out , so the story ultimately doesn't make it . The acting is very good - Fonda shows us some still waters that run pretty deep in an excellently crafted performance . He's sexy as all get-out , too , when he lays down on Charlene's bed and smiles . Dvorak does a great job as a brittle Charlene , and Price is a complete sleazebag as the cruel Maximilian . Bel Geddes is incredibly young - this is her first film , and though she was 24 or 25 , she looks and acts about 18 , which is appropriate for this small-town , inexperienced girl . " The Long Night " has some interesting elements , but because of a spotty script , we're not invested enough in the film for it to be really intriguing or exciting .
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493,808 | 342,623 | 39,556 | 7 |
A Boston patriarch in 1912 finds times they are a-changin '
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Ronald Colman is " The Late George Apley " in this 1947 film based on a Philip Barry play , also starring Richard Ney , Peggy Cummins , Edna Best , Richard Haydn , Vanessa Brown , and Mildred Natwick . Apley is a stuffed shirt whose well-ordered family is suddenly not so well-ordered . His son ( Richard Ney ) is dating a girl from Worcester , which is seen by Apley as being someplace like the Black Hole of Calcutta , and his daughter ( Cummins ) loves a Yale man who lectures that Emerson was a radical . At first , George takes a firm stand , then relents at the behest of his understanding friend , who saw George give up the woman he loved 30 years earlier . When the Worcester girl's father actually rejects the Apley family , George rethinks his position . His daughter is sent to Europe to get away from her boyfriend , and his son is betrothed to his cousin ( Brown ) . Imagine going to Broadway shows in the ' 20s and ' 30s and attending one class-conscious play after another . Before the Depression , the sets were drawing rooms , the clothing was formal , everyone had British accents , and the plots had to do with the crossing of the classes . Frankly , I'm glad they finally intermingled . Ronald Colman is marvelous as George , and one sees his confusion , pain , and remembrance of the past on his face . He's a very sympathetic character . Peggy Cummins is very pretty and Richard Ney is nice-looking . Vanessa Brown , as the dowdy cousin , gives a sweet performance , and her story arc is very satisfying . If you're a fan of Ronald Colman , as I am , this is a good movie to see . Also , if you know Boston at all , you'll find hearing the street names interesting . Otherwise , it's a mildly interesting period piece that most people will find relating to difficult .
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494,546 | 342,623 | 35,766 | 7 |
Very good mystery
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I hope that TCM broadcasts more of the " Crime Doctor " series , based on the radio show . Starring Warner Baxter , 1943's " Crime Doctor " is one of the first films Michael Gordon ( Pillow Talk ) directed , and it's a good , solid B movie . Baxter plays a criminal named Phil Morgan who gets amnesia after being left for dead on the side of a road . He rehabilitates himself and , still not knowing who he is , becomes a noted psychiatrist named Robert Ordway who works with prisoners as well as other patients . However , Phil Morgan stole and hid $200 , 000 and his fellow gang members want the money . As word gets around that Dr . Ordway is Phil Morgan , the question is - does he really not remember , or does he know who he is and where he put the money ? Baxter was 54 years old when this film was made . Fifty-four in 1943 isn't what it is today , so when the character announces that " thirty years of his life " have been wiped out , one wonders which thirty years he's talking about . The film covers a span of ten years , but it's just as hard to buy he's forty . It's a minor point - Baxter gives a sincere performance with an undertone of real gentleness . The supporting cast includes the lovely Margaret Lindsay , John Litel ( who play Nancy Drew's father in the series ) , Perry Mason's Ray Collins , and Leon Ames . I hope TCM shows more of the " Crime Doctor " series .
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494,545 | 342,623 | 35,767 | 7 |
Nice B movie , part of the Crime Doctor series
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Warner Baxter is the " Crime Doctor , " and here he is in the second film of the series , " Crime Doctor's Strangest Case , " filmed in 1943 . This one has a perk for baby boomers as it stars a very young Lloyd " Sea Hunt " Bridges as a man acquitted of killing his boss who consults Dr . Ordway ( Baxter ) , the man who helped him in his case . Though he was found not guilty , he has had terrible trouble finding a new position . Now he's been offered a job working for a person instead of a company - a similar situation to his first job , and he wants to get married . Ordway recommends that he look instead for a corporate position , even if he has to leave town , and wait to get married . The Bridges character doesn't take Dr . O's advice , and when his boss is killed , it does look as though he was given the job so he could be framed . Ordway steps in to investigate , dueling wits with the detective in charge of the case ( Barton MacLaine ) . This " Crime Doctor " comedy in it , with Jerome Cowan as a musician who is careless with matches . There's also a hilarious , very fast change of identity . This is a good series , and I hope to see more of it on TCM .
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494,008 | 342,623 | 35,770 | 7 |
Female ensemble cast in World War II drama
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NO SPOILERS HERE A cast of some top actresses make up the ensemble of " Cry Havoc , " a film about war nurses and volunteers in Bataan , their courage , hard work , and sacrifices . Margaret Sullavan heads the cast in her second to last film . An accomplished stage actress , her last film was in 1950 , 10 years before her suicide . She is marvelous as the head nurse with two secrets . She is joined by Fay Bainter , Ann Sothern , Joan Blondell , Ella Raines , Marsha Hunt , and others . Even today , this is a difficult film to watch , and one can really feel the dirt , the fear , the hunger , the frustration , and the sorrow these women experienced . I can't imagine the impact when it was first released during World War II . We know that the World War II films produced in the ' 40s were whitewashed - men who were on the actual Bataan Death March think movies depicting it are a joke , and there was certainly nothing produced like " Saving Private Ryan " back then . I have no idea whether " Cry Havoc " was an accurate depiction of life at war but it presented nothing romantic , desirable , or pretty , except for the very brave nurses who represented the real thing serving our country in World War II . SPOILERS AHEADThough the ending of the film is somewhat depressing , nurses who served at Bataan and were taken prisoner were treated with great respect by the Japanese , and worked in an internment hospital until they were evacuated . According to what I've read , all the nurses who were there made it home .
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494,311 | 342,623 | 87,507 | 7 |
very funny spoof
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Michael Keaton is " Johnny Dangerously " in this take-off on gangster movies done in 1984 . Maureen Stapleton plays his sickly mother , Griffin Dunne is his DA brother , Peter Boyle is his boss , and Marilu Henner is his girlfriend . Other stars include Danny DeVito and Joe Piscopo . Keaton plays a pet store owner in the 1930s who catches a kid stealing a puppy and then tells him , in flashback , how he came to own the pet store . He turned to thievery at a young age to get his mother a pancreas operation ( $49 . 95 , special this week ) and began working for a mob boss ( Boyle ) . Johnny uses the last name " Dangerously " in the mobster world . There are some hilarious scenes in this film , and Stapleton is a riot as Johnny's foul-mouthed mother who needs ever organ in her body replaced . Peter Boyle as Johnny's boss gives a very funny performance , as does Griffin Dunne , a straight arrow DA who won't " play ball " with crooked Burr ( Danny De Vito ) . As Johnny's nemesis , Joe Piscopo is great . Richard Dimitri is a standout as Moronie , who tortures the English language - but you have to hear him do it rather than read about it . What makes it funny is that he does it all with an angry face . The movie gets a little tired toward the end , but it's well worth seeing , and Keaton is terrific as good boy / bad boy Johnny . For some reason , this film was underrated when it was released , and like Keaton's other gem , " Night Shift , " you don't hear much about it today . With some performances and scenes that are real gems , you'll find " Johnny Dangerously " immensely enjoyable .
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494,074 | 342,623 | 186,894 | 7 |
Lovely story
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Bounce is a nice 2000 film that , had I paid $10 to see it , I probably wouldn't have been very happy . It's got star power , all right - Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow - but Lifetime could have done this film with Heather Locklear and Stephen Collins , and the effect would have been about the same . Ben Affleck plays Buddy Amaral , an ad exec at O'Hare airport , waiting for his flight to leave for Los Angeles . Also to be on that flight is a writer , Greg Janello ( Tony Goldwyn ) who decides to take the $200 and free ticket and get bounced from the flight . Greg's wife ( Paltrow ) is extremely unhappy about that , and berates him because he's supposed to be home selling Christmas trees with his son the next day . Since Affleck has met an attractive blonde ( Nastasha Henstridge ) , he decides to stay the extra night and gives Greg his ticket . The plane crashes with 200 + people killed , Greg among them . Devastated , Buddy spends the next drinking and screwing up his business , eventually landing in rehab . When he gets out , he looks up the widow . The performances are very good all around . The story is predictable , but you find yourself caring anyway . Good Christmas movie that asks questions about guilt and fate .
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495,174 | 342,623 | 466,388 | 7 |
Livening up
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This entry into the Mystery Woman series had a lot more energy than some of its predecessors . The show seems to be moving a little faster as the characters are further developed . " Game Time " featured a familiar face , William Katt , as an eccentric mystery writer who is murdered . The plot was interesting , concerning a video game , an old high school friend of Samantha's and his partner in the game venture . I still think the show is directed too pedantically , with way too many shots of the Mystery Woman store exterior , but perhaps there were a few less . I agree with a previous comment about Kellie Martin . I am a long-time fan , and she is indeed an unusual woman . She was unforgettable as Lucy on " E . R . " I'm glad to see her have her own series . All of these Hallmark shows seem to be targeted towards baby boomers and older , those who were fans of the " Perry Mason " movies and series . The stories are clean , the regulars familiar , and the guest stars are people we're happy to see again . I for one say keep ' em coming .
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495,183 | 342,623 | 30,202 | 7 |
Johann Strauss II in words and music
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Jules Duvivier directed this opulent , highly fictionalized musical film about Johann Strauss II . " The Great Waltz " stars Luise Rainer , Fernand Gravet and Miliza Korjus . Strauss II married several times , but none of his wives were named Poldi Vogelhuber , but she is most likely modeled on Strauss ' third and last wife . The Carla Donner character , with whom Strauss falls in love , did not exist . Strauss did form an orchestra , however , consisting of friends at the tavern , and did play at Dommayer's Casino . He also was involved in the revolution on the side of the revolutionaries . None of these biographical facts are the point of this movie - it's about the beautiful music , the singing , and the romance . There it succeeds , and the film was an enormous success , especially in the European markets . Luise Rainer gives a lovely performance as Poldi , who faces losing her beloved husband to another woman , and Gravet is an effective Strauss . Thalberg gave the European coloratura Korjus , who plays operatic diva Carla Donner , a contract on the basis of one of her recordings . We can assume it wasn't a recording of her singing Die Fledermaus . Korjus was a good bet for Hollywood - she was beautiful , glamorous , a good actress and a good singer , with a few caveats . She had a lovely quality to her voice , glorious pianissimos , and her technique was adequate , but her coloratura high notes were straight and screechy . Her singing of Die Fledermaus toward the end of the film is massively off-pitch - it's surprising the recording was not re-done . The best scene in the film is Strauss and Donner going through the Vienna Woods and Strauss coming up with the Tale of the Vienna Woods while listening to the birds and hearing the different rhythms as they travel . A very fun scene . An incredibly expensive film with beautiful music , costumes and dancing .
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493,846 | 342,623 | 39,645 | 7 |
cute Hope comedy
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Bob Hope is mistaken for a detective in " My Favorite Brunette , " a comedy from 1947 costarring Dorothy Lamour and Peter Lorre . The film begins with Ronnie Jackson ( Hope ) making wisecracks as he sits on death row . He's visited by reporters whom he tells his whole story in flashback . A baby photographer who desperately wants to become a partner to the detective down the hall , Sam ( Alan Ladd in a cameo ) , Ronnie gets his chance when a lady in distress ( Lamour ) visits Sam's office while he's away . Ronnie pretends he's Sam and before you know it , he's in all kinds of trouble , running from a gang of thugs that includes Peter Lorre and Lon Chaney who are looking for a map . This is an entertaining comedy with good performances all around . Lon Chaney , Jr . is particularly funny as a strong man / imbecile . Besides Ladd , there's another cameo as well that adds to the fun . I like these light comedies of Hope's but confess to liking " My Favorite Blonde " better . This is still good , with the exotic-looking Lamour an able costar - and let's face it , as Hope's costar , she'd had a lot of experience .
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495,154 | 342,623 | 30,182 | 7 |
Nelson and Jeannette in the old west
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Girl of the Golden West , starring Nelson Eddy and Jeannette MacDonald , is based on the play by David Belasco . This play was also used for Puccini's opera of the same name , " La Fanciulla del West " where the chorus sings , " Vells Fargo ! Vells Fargo ! " One change - the heroine in the opera is named Minnie ; in the movie , she's Mary . Good move . The film deals with one of those double identity villain / good guys - Eddy plays the crook Ramirez , but as Gringo is giving gold to the Indians through the mission of Father Sienna , who knew him and comforted him as a child when his guardian died . When he robs a stagecoach , he meets the beautiful Mary . She owns the Poker Saloon ( which sounds with the heavy western accents like Polka ) . He's wearing a bandanna that covers most of his face . She's en route to visit Father Sienna , whom she also knew as a child . Determined to meet her as a gentleman , Gringo steals a uniform and introduces himself as Lt . Dick Johnson . He sweeps her off her feet , but he has competition in the local Sheriff , Jack Rance , played by Walter Pidgeon . Pidgeon wants Ramirez caught and Johnson out of Mary's life . There's lots of singing from a Romberg score here , as well as " Ave Maria " and " Liebestraum " and a big mariachi dance number . MacDonald is excellent as the uneducated , somewhat awkward Mary who can also be a real spitfire . MacDonald was a good actress as well as a beauty , and her middle voice sounds especially rich in the songs . Like many sopranos of that era , she sang her high notes in a way that is no longer taught today , but she produces some lovely soft tones in that range . Eddy was a magnificent singer but never was anywhere near MacDonald in acting . He's very likable , but his accent as Ramirez is an absolute scream . In fact , all of the accents , from Buddy Ebsen on up , are laid on with a spatula . H . B . Warner gives a beautiful performance as the gentle Father Sienna , and Leo J . Carrillo is on hand in his usual type of role . Pidgeon is an effective and handsome Jack Rance . Entertaining , and fans of Nelson and Jeannette will love it .
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494,437 | 342,623 | 408,985 | 7 |
very sweet
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Queen Latifah plays Georgia Byrd , a woman on her " Last Holiday " in this 2006 film also starring Timothy Hutton , Gerard Depardieu , L . L . Cool J , Alicia Witt , and Giancarlo Esposito . Georgia works in the cookware department of a big department store chain . She's incredibly popular with customers , and at home , she keeps a " possibilities " scrapbook with recipes she's cooked copying her idol , Emeril Lagasse , photos of exotic places , and a photo of her married to her dream man ( Cool J ) who works with her . But her dream of a restaurant , marriage , a family - she's too shy to really go after them . Then she learns that she only has three weeks to live . She cashes in all of her retirement menu and sets off for Prague . There , she entrances everyone she meets and is unafraid to say what she thinks or take chances . Her popularity and attitudes rankle the owner of the store where she worked ( Hutton ) who is suspicious of her . Queen Latifah is a natural actress who radiates warmth and honesty in her portrayal of Georgia Byrd . Borrowing from " Nothing Sacred " and " Living it Up , " the script emphasizes living life for all its worth and not being afraid to take chances . For all its simplicity , " Last Holiday " leaves the viewer feeling very good . It's predictable , somewhat generic , but delightful , with very good performances and the beautiful scenery of Prague as a backdrop .
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494,304 | 342,623 | 39,666 | 7 |
Warners potboiler gave the Oomph Girl even more oomph !
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Ann Sheridan is a nightclub singer who gets involved with a straitlaced , married doctor in " Nora Prentiss " - and the consequences are interesting indeed . The doctor is played by Kent Smith , well-remembered by yours truly as the husband of Simone Simon in " Cat People . " Though he never reached big movie stardom , Smith enjoyed a 40 + year career in film , on radio , and TV . In this , he's regimented and by the book , partly helped by his equally disciplined wife , played by another favorite of mine , Rosemary DeCamp , a wonderful actress . One night , Prentiss ends up in his office with a mild injury , and from then on , the good doctor can't imagine life without her and what he's been missing . Conflicted about asking his wife for a divorce , one day , an opportunity drops into his office , and nothing is the same again . This is an intriguing film , but it takes a little bit too long to get to the point . The ending by ' 40s standards took me by surprise . Though Sheridan is nothing like Kay Francis , they both are women associated with a certain era - you can't think of Francis without thinking of her in those flowing ' 30s gowns and outfits - and you can't think of Sheridan without tailored suits and shoulder pads . They went along well with her earthy quality and low speaking voice . The overall effect was of someone who had been around the block but still had her dignity and self-respect . Photographed by James Wong Howe in this film , she looks marvelous . Though IMDb doesn't state if she did her own singing in " Nora Prentiss , " if she didn't , the voice matched her speaking voice perfectly and sounded great . Kent Smith is very good as the pent-up , frustrated doctor . One criticism would be that most of the times , doctors look at bodies clinically and aren't usually embarrassed by the site of a woman's knee , as Smith is in one of the opening scenes . However , he's very effective , as are Robert Alda and the always reliable Bruce Bennett in smaller roles . This film apparently did a lot for Sheridan's career , which is understandable . Very good movie .
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493,734 | 342,623 | 39,676 | 7 |
pretty good
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John Mills is the " October Man " in this small 1947 British film costarring Joan Greenwood . Mills plays Jim Ackland , a man involved in a tragic train accident that killed the child of a friend ( actually played by Juliet Mills ) he was returning to town . He suffers a fractured skull and is hospitalized for a year , as he has developed some brain damage . He blames himself for the accident and is haunted by it . It's actually not clear if he has actual brain damage - he acts perfectly normal and is totally functional - or has developed psychological problems . He leaves the hospital , takes a room at a boarding house and gets a job . His neighbor in the house is a pretty young woman ( Joan Greenwood ) who apparently is always having money trouble and possibly traded either downright sex or nookies for money with another resident of the house , Mr . Peachy ( Edward Chapman ) . Meanwhile , she's seeing a married man . So one could say her life is complicated . Attempting to break the ties that bind with Mr . not-so-Peachy , she puts the touch on Jim for 30 pounds , and he writes her a check . The next day she's found dead in the Commons , the crumpled check nearby . Suspicion falls on Jim because of the check , the fact that he wasn't home that night she was killed and because of idle gossip started by Mr . Peachey . Meanwhile , Jim has fallen in love with his coworker's sister ; though his old terrors return , he realizes that he needs to keep fighting and clear himself of the murder . This is a good movie with a superb performance by John Mills and real British atmosphere which lends itself to the story and bumps up the suspense . As someone correctly stated , it is sort of a film noir but really more psychological in nature , which was all the rage after World War II . Very entertaining .
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493,884 | 342,623 | 25,601 | 7 |
Strictly for opera lovers
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Grace Moore stars in " One Night of Love , " a 1934 movie also starring Tullio Carminati and Lyle Talbot . Carminati plays a renowned vocal teacher , Giulio Monteverdi , who takes a young aspiring opera singer , Maria Barrett , under his wing . Still scarred from a disastrous love affair with a former student , Monteverdi makes it clear that the word love must never be mentioned . Maria isn't worried ; she believes she's in love with another ( Lyle Talbot ) . Nevertheless , the two fall in love but don't admit it . When Monteverdi's old student reappears , Maria becomes jealous and turns into an uberdiva . This delightful musical was a huge success - the operatic selections are wonderful , as is the title song , which was a big recording success for Moore . Moore's voice is absolutely beautiful . Female singers were trained a little differently in those days , often backing off of their high notes . Moore does a little of that but has a glorious extension above high C . Her best singing is in her rendition of " One Night of Love " ; unfortunately , the opera selections sung by " Maria Barrett " were vocally wrong for this charming lyric coloratura . Moore herself has a nice warm presence on screen , though I read once that she had an unfortunate resemblance to the comedienne Joan Davis . From certain angles , that is true , but she was photographed carefully and looks lovely throughout the movie , slender and beautiful . Due to marrying a Frenchman and living part-time in France , working at her opera career , concertizing and eventually entertaining the troops , Moore only made 9 films . She died in a plane crash in 1947 at 49 years of age . The opera selections were , as always , on the strange side . Only in Hollywood would a lyric coloratura with a weak lower register and no chest voice sing Carmen ! From the sound , female singers also were not taught to do a mix on the lower notes . The role for Moore in Carmen is Micaela , which is indeed the role she played . Surprisingly , she also in real life did Tosca and Butterfly , which must have been total disasters . Her Butterfly , the finale of the film , is not good , particularly at the end . Her voice just isn't powerful enough , nor should it be - she wasn't a spinto or dramatic soprano or even a big lyric ! The voice suffers , occasionally falling out of placement in the middle range . " Sempre Libera " was a series of wrong and skipped notes . And she scooped like crazy . This is nitpicking , but I would have preferred to hear some " La Boheme , " Mimi being her Metropolitan Opera debut , or the Jewel Song from Faust , or Micaela's aria , all of which suited her voice perfectly , and all of which she sang during her career . If you love opera , you'll love " One Night of Love " for its glorious music and the elegantly-voiced Grace Moore .
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493,969 | 342,623 | 39,438 | 7 |
Post-war psychological drama
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Rosalind Russell faces " The Guilt of Janet Ames " in this 1947 film also starring Melvin Douglas , Sid Caesar , Betsy Blair and Nina Foch . After the war , many , many films concerning psychiatry , mental illness , the mind , nerve disorders , etc . were released . Obviously readjustment and mental trauma were problems faced by many returning soldiers , and loss had to be coped with in many families . So it's no surprise that psychology became a huge subject . Rosalind Russell plays a war widow whose husband threw himself on a grenade and saved five of his platoon . Angry and bitter , she has the names of the men , and sets out to meet each one to see if any of them were worth her husband sacrificing his life . En route to see one of them , she is hit by a car and has an hysterical paralysis so that she is confined to a wheelchair . One of the names on her list is recognized as that of a reporter , Smitty ( Douglas ) , and he goes to the hospital to identify her . Though he has lost his job , is an alcoholic and due to leave for Chicago soon , he does a mental exercise with Janet that is inspired by the story of Peter Ibbetson . Ibbetson was an imprisoned man in a DuMaurier novel who was able through his imagination to leave the prison and reunite in dreams with his true love . Janet has to imagine each man , what he's like and what problems he's facing in order to gain some understanding of him . One man has a child , another man is married and he and his wife dream of building a house , another does work in the desert , one is a bouncer and another is a stand-up comic . Once she is through with this exercise , Janet is able to admit some demons she has been carrying with her since her husband's death . Then it's Smitty's turn to face some facts . Thanks to the acting of Russell and Douglas , " The Guilt of Janet Ames " is truly elevated . Russell looks beautiful , and her acting is wonderful . At first she's hard and angry ( the word neurotic is thrown around a lot ) , but gradually , her character softens . Douglas gets to do more than be the light , debonair leading man here , and as he proved later in his career , he is more than up to it . The message is that you can't live in the past and put yourself through the torture of what you did or didn't do , and it's an effective one that probably has as much resonance now as it did in 1947 . There's still a war on .
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494,452 | 342,623 | 53,247 | 7 |
two Alecs are better than one
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We've seen it done a hundred times - twins switching identities - but somehow , having Alec Guinness as the twins makes The Scapegoat a cut above the other switch films . Guinness , of course , played multiple roles with great success in the fantastic Kind Hearts and Coronets , so twins for him must have seemed a cinch . In Kind Hearts , he had the benefit of a variety of disguises and voices . In this film , he had to create two completely different characters who look exactly alike . Of course he does so magnificently . This isn't the most successful DuMaurier adaptation - that honor has to go to Rebecca , in my book , but The Scapegoat has a strong cast - Guinness , Bette Davis , Irene Worth , Pamela Brown , and the lovely Nicole Maurey . The atmosphere of this black and white film is somewhat depressing , given the gargantuan , ugly home the family resides in - but it is certainly the right mood for what Guinness inherits when his double disappears . Bette Davis is good , if on the grand guignol side . Guinness does so much with just a gesture , her histrionics seem out of place . All in all , it's a good film - it's very hard to go wrong when Alec Guinness is involved .
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493,621 | 342,623 | 289,992 | 7 |
strong and involving
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The Life of David Gale is not meant to be taken as realistic , for clearly , it is not . Although extremely convoluted , it is nevertheless compelling and keeps you guessing up until the very end . This is not a simplistic plot , but one that the viewer must follow carefully . This viewer was left with a couple of questions , in fact . Kevin Spacey's lecture to his students near the beginning of the film , and his monologue to Kate Winslett toward the end of the film are the bookends for a marvelous performance ; what he lacks in warmth , he makes up for in wryness and in the way he colors his performance . Laura Linney was her usual marvelous self . The beautiful Kate Winslett was excellent , her strongest scenes coming later on in the film . One thing that struck me was that the first 15 minutes seemed to be written by someone else . They are definitely not as good as the rest of the movie - the dialogue is awkward and Winslett definitely seems to be establishing a very stereotypical character - the beautiful but bitchy and ambitious reporter who feels the sting of sexism . Fortunately this script awkwardness faded quickly .
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494,956 | 342,623 | 43,371 | 7 |
Cute send-up of TV western stars and ad men
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Callaway Went Thataway is a slight comedy enlivened by some fine performances by Dorothy McGuire , Fred MacMurray , Howard Keel and Jesse White . As television was threatening to take over the film industry , MGM produced this send-up of the TV western hero craze . Smoky Callaway's old movies are being run on TV and are such a hit with kids that an enormous licensing potential develops for Smoky products and endorsements , plus the making of more Smoky movies . One small problem - Smoky done left the corral 10 years earlier and no one - including his agent ( White ) knows where he went . The ad agency partners ( McGuire and MacMurray ) find a lookalike , Stretch Barnes , a simple man with simple needs , and convince him to take Smoky's place , claiming that Smoky is dead . All goes well until Smoky's agent finds the real Callaway , a womanizing boozer , and brings him back . This is a fun film for baby boomers who grew up with Gabby Hayes , Roy Rogers , The Cisco Kid , The Lone Ranger , Roy Rogers etc . etc . and who used all the products that carried their hero's face : the cereals , the lunch boxes , the toys . Howard Keel is terrific in the dual role of sweet , sensitive , aw shucks ma'm Stretch and the hard-drinking slob Smoky . McGuire is lovely in her role , and MacMurray does well as her less conscience-stricken partner . MGM takes the opportunity to plug its stars - there are cameos of Esther Williams , Elizabeth Taylor , and Clark Gable , and there are lots of future TV stars as well . Besides Jesse White , there's Stan Frieberg , Natalie Schaeffer , and in an uncredited role , Hugh Beaumont . Fun viewing .
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495,155 | 342,623 | 39,464 | 7 |
great performance by Taylor
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Robert Taylor is Steven Kenet , accused of killing his unfaithful wife in " High Wall , " a 1947 film noir also starring Audrey Totter and Herbert Marshall . In our first glimpse of Steve , he's in a car with a dead woman careening down the road to get rid of her . The problem is , due to a brain injury suffered during the war , he can't remember what happened . He is institutionalized for psychiatric evaluation to see if he can stand trial as a sane person . Audrey Totter is Ann , the psychiatrist who takes in Steve's small son as well as works with her patient to try and uncover the truth . Herbert Marshall plays his dead wife's boss . After World War II , Hollywood began to explore mental and emotional disorders and the use of psychiatry to unlock the traumas of the mind . " Possessed , " " Spellbound , " and " The Snake Pit " are just a few of the dozens of films employing the use of psychiatry , mental hospitals , and / or psychotropic drugs . In " High Wall , " the psychiatry seems to be more of a plot device than something that is actually used to help the patient . It's there to provide flashbacks . Meanwhile , the Taylor character , once he has surgery , has a mind of his own and is constantly slipping out or in the psychiatrist's office window , hiding in her car , and visiting the scene of the crime . The biggest problem is that the character of the murder victim is never developed , and the reasons for her behavior are never made clear . Nevertheless , the film manages to hold one's interest , has a great atmosphere and a couple of really shocking moments . There are also some very funny bits throughout , including a scene where Steve meets the public defender . This is one of Robert Taylor's best performances . After " Johnny Eager , " one of Hollywood's biggest heartthrobs began to play more complex roles and more bad guys . It was a good move ; he played them very well . He doesn't get much support from Audrey Totter , who turns in a dull , somewhat cold performance in an attempt to be a professional woman . She doesn't give the role a lot of shading . Herbert Marshall seems somewhat miscast and is too lethargic for a role that requires some emotional range . Very watchable for handsome Taylor's excellent performance .
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494,341 | 342,623 | 784,990 | 7 |
Lots of affection but oy
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Dynasty Reunion : Catfights and Caviar was a fun reunion with some members of the cast : Linda Evans , Joan Collins , Al Corley , Pamela Bellwood , Gordon Thompson , Catherine Oxenberg , Emma Samms , and finally , John Forsythe . " Dynasty " was a fun , over the top show , and the cast seemed to really enjoy their reminisces . They also seemed to have a genuine fondness for one another , which was nice to see . A couple of things one wonders about , not the least of which is why ABC didn't air this show since Dynasty was an ABC staple for 11 years . The second thing is , why does Linda Evans look as she does ? One would think these actors could afford the very best surgery , yet Evans and Al Corley , once a beautiful man , looked beyond dreadful . I wouldn't want to see Joan Collins when she wakes up in the morning , but boy , can she still pull it off - and she's a good deal older than 61-year-old Evans . John Forsythe came on only at the end , which someone questioned - the man is 88 years old . God bless him , he seems in good health and in possession of his faculties - two things to be cherished . But I doubt he had the stamina to do an entire taping . It's a pity and not understandable why John James refused to be on the show or have clips of him shown . There was a talk show some years ago on which Linda Evans and a couple of other Dynasty people appeared and James was involved then . Wonder what happened . It was great to see the Moldavia Massacre , all the catfights , Krystle's double , and the clothes . I still remember a blue gown slit up the front that Linda Evans wore . She and a few other ladies in the ' 80s made being in your forties very fashionable . If I sound like I'm dishing her now - well , it's Dynasty , you know , and it brings out the Alexis in all of us .
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494,733 | 342,623 | 190,884 | 7 |
pretty good
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A woman goes after a crooked DA in " The Witness Files , " a 1999 film starring Yancy Butler , David Newman and Barry Flatman . Butler plays a victim of domestic violence , Sandy Dickinson , who killed her husband and was sent to prison . She is promised early parole by the DA who put her there ( Newman ) if she will pose as a witness to help him put away a mob boss . In order to be with her son , she agrees . Since she's a former actress , she's able to disguise herself as a street person and tell the police that she saw the mobster commit murder . Everything goes smoothly until someone tries to kill her . This is a far-fetched story but nevertheless absorbing , with the beautiful , throaty-voiced Butler handing in a fine performance as Sandy . David Newman is extremely likable as Dennis , the detective who falls in love with Sandy without knowing her true identity . And this is a plot hole - when it is learned that Sandy is missing , why did a detective working with the DA never look at a photo of her and realize she was the woman he fell in love with ? As stated above , the story is a little out there . A good rental .
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493,687 | 342,623 | 30,079 | 7 |
glory for one , oblivion for the other
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Unlike other posters , I found this film delightful and entertaining . But what was most fun was seeing all these stars as incredibly young people : Lana Turner , Paulette Goddard , Virginia Grey , Hans Conried . Luise Rainer was at her luminescent best with her big , soulful eyes , gorgeous bone structure , and beautiful speaking voice . The story takes place in France , with those dissolves that translate French into English right away . It concerns a young dramatic school student whose fantasies become real due to a series of happy accidents . The end is particularly delightful . I don't understand the backlash against Luise Rainer . She was a beautiful , principled actress who was discovered by Max Reinhardt , escaped Hitler , and came afoul of another dictator , Louis B . Mayer , who would not give her roles befitting the status of an actress who had won two Oscars . After an unhappy marriage to Clifford Odets , she found happiness in a marriage and left the U . S . She's still alive and works occasionally . You can't say that about many people born in 1910 or anyone in this film , including Ann Rutherford , who is still with us .
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494,230 | 342,623 | 60,880 | 7 |
Interesting spy film
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An almost unrecognizable George Segal stars in " The Quiller Memorandum , " set in Berlin and made 40 years ago . Segal is a very young man in this , with that flippant , relaxed quality that made him so popular . This time he's a spy trying to get the location of a neo-Nazi organization . The cast is full of familiar faces : Alec Guinness , who doesn't have much of a role , George Sanders , who has even less of one , Max von Sydow in what was to become a very familiar part for him , Robert Helpmann , Robert Flemyng , and the beautiful , enigmatic Senta Berger . This is a very good spy movie . Spy movies were the " in " thing in the ' 60s . This one doesn't have gadgets and goes more for subtlety . The last 30 minutes are tense and exciting , and the last scene , loaded with subtext , is just great .
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494,253 | 342,623 | 427,969 | 7 |
An ambitious actor in ' 50s Hollywood and his untimely death
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Hollywoodland has probably brought George Reeves more fame and celebrity than even he ever dreamed of - imagine being the subject of a feature film when you were most famous for being the TV Superman . Had he lived into his seventies , he might have been around for the renaissance of the old shows and stars due to the nostalgia of the maturing baby boomers . But he'd probably rather have it this way . Reeves started out in small roles such as one of the Tarlton twins in " Gone with the Wind , " and before going into the service himself , nabbed some good parts while the big stars were fighting the war . Like many young actors back then , after the war , his career had lost momentum . He ultimately landed the role of Superman and during that time appeared in " From Here to Eternity . " The film shows people recognizing him as Superman during the Hollywood premiere of " From Here to Eternity , " and as a result of the audience laughter , his role was severely cut . However , many people state that Reeves ' role in the final product was no smaller than it was originally . Unfortunately , in the ' 50s , once you were associated with a television role , it was a death knell . When Jack Larson ( Jimmy Olson in Superman ) went into an audition after the series , the director said to the others in the room : " Please don't embarrass this man . He knows I can't cast him , " or words to that effect . The actors today are more fortunate as the business has changed . It would be a steep upward climb if Reeves was to shake that Superman image . At the time of his death , he was forming his own production company and planned to go to New York . He also wanted to direct . " Hollywoodland " stars Ben Affleck , Diane Lane , Adrien Brody , Robin Tunney , Bob Hoskins and Lois Smith . It's the story of slimy detective Louis Simo ( Brody ) - a man who sells info to Confidential magazine and takes low-rent clients - and his investigation of George Reeves ' death , considered a suicide . During a small gathering in his home , Reeves went upstairs to his bedroom and allegedly shot himself . But many people believe he was murdered . Simo plays out different scenarios in his head with different suspects as he searches for evidence and motives . There were several people in Reeves ' life who had motives : Reeves ' long-time girlfriend Toni Mannix , wife of studio exec Eddie Mannix , a man with an unsavory past known by MGM as " The Fixer " ; Mannix himself , who was suspected of being involved in the death of Jean Harlow's husband Paul Bern and later on of faking a car accident in which Toni was killed ; and Leonore Lemmon , George's young girlfriend toward the end of his life , who expected to marry George . In the midst of his investigation , Simo has problems with a seedy client as well as difficulties relating with his young son . This is a beautifully produced film with some marvelous performances , particularly from Diane Lane , Bob Hoskins , and Ben Affleck . Affleck's resemblance to Reeves in some scenes is scary - particularly as Clark Kent ! Affleck even had Reeves ' vocal rhythm . An excellent performance , and hopefully one that will lead to some better films and roles for him . As Toni , Lane is superb - sexy , tough , and completely possessive of George ; Bob Hoskins is great as the bombastic , thug-like Eddie Mannix . Robin Tunney makes a gorgeous Leonore , a cheap low-life . Adrien Brody's Louis Simo is probably more cerebral than most detectives of this type , but he's still good . The problem is not so much in his performance as it is that his storyline is intrusive . The scenes filming " The Adventures of Superman " are fantastic , and I for one wanted to see more . " Hollywoodland " captures the reality of making a television show back then and evokes the atmosphere of Hollywood in the ' 50s beautifully . However , it moved slowly , and there was too much of Brody's problems and too little of George's relationships . While it was an interesting film and very worthwhile , it just didn't hang together as one would have hoped . Reeves ' friend , Jack Larson ( portrayed in the film by Joseph Adam ) , who was an adviser on the film , read several versions of the script , and met with the actors . His biggest concern was that the film not put Toni Mannix , with whom he was very close , in a bad light . Larson was very , very impressed by Ben Affleck's intelligence and personality and thought all of the acting was top-notch . One thing he was sure of - Reeves never had any intention of marrying Leonore Lemmon . " George lived big , " Larson said , " but it was Toni's money . " He adds , " No one wants to listen to me . . . He committed suicide . "
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494,860 | 342,623 | 53,133 | 7 |
One of those easy robberies where you just go in and take the money
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Harry Belafonte produced and starred in " Odds Against Tomorrow , " a 1959 film also starring Robert Ryan , Ed Begley , Gloria Grahame , and Shelley Winters and directed by Robert Wise . It's a depressing story of a bunch of losers who team up for what is supposed to be an easy robbery . For all of them it represents a last chance . A gritty , black and white film that takes place on lonely streets , barren roads , cheap apartments , and cheap night clubs , what makes it interesting is that at the end , there is very little dialogue and a big " Top of the world , ma , " finish that is both splashy and ironic . Other than that , it's routine stuff . Robert Ryan plays his usual cruel , deeply prejudiced wacko with an itchy trigger finger . Is it my imagination , or did his characters just get meaner as he aged ? Other than John the Baptist , that is . Supposedly , he was a wonderful man - it's amazing that these roles didn't get to him after a while . The story goes that while he was at RKO , the scripts for the year would be delivered at the annual Christmas party . Ryan would take half and Mitchum the other half . Somehow Ryan always ended up with the monsters . Winters is his clinging , desperate wife - also nothing new there , and Grahame is the horny neighbor . Not exactly a departure . Belafonte , a brilliant musical performer , gets to belt out a couple in the nightclub where his compulsive gambler character works . I have to agree with one of the comments - he's just too handsome and classy to be considered part of this bunch . If the character had been cast as a white man , would we have expected to see some hunk or a character actor ? His performance is very good , however , as a man who believes it's a white man's world , and he's sick of playing by their rules . Ed Begley is terrific as the seedy old man who puts the plan together but picks two people who are at terrible odds with one another . Which didn't give very good odds against tomorrow . Worth seeing for the actors and the exciting ending .
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495,034 | 342,623 | 43,299 | 7 |
Charming film
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Monty Woolley believes you're as " Young as You Feel " in this 1951 film also starring Thelma Ritter , David Wayne , Jean Peters , Allyn Joslyn , Russ Tamblyn , Albert Dekker , Constance Bennett and Marilyn Monroe . Woolley plays John Hodges , who at the age of 65 , is fired from his job in a printing company due to corporate policy that no one can work past 65 . Many baby boomers wish that were the case today , because in fact , they'll be working way past 65 . He finds out that the company he works for is a subsidiary of a huge company that is owned by a huge corporation . Finding out the name of the President of that huge corporation , he dies his hair and whiskers and poses as the man , comes to town , tours the plant , and makes a speech in which he declares that the knowledge of our elders is critical in printing , and changes the policy . And there the fun begins . The boss ' wife ( Constance Bennett ) , feeling unloved by her husband ( Dekker ) , falls for Hodges ; his granddaughter's boyfriend ( Wayne ) recognizes him and tells someone else at the plant ; and the corporation doesn't know what to do . This fake president has raised their stock and given them a fabulous profile , so much so that the labor union has settled their grievances with them . How can they call his bluff ? I seem to have enjoyed this film more than some of the other posters . Thelma Ritter , as John's daughter-in-law , is a scream . An ex-singer who gave up her career to marry George ( Joslyn ) , John's son , sings " Temptation " while in the kitchen - she's hilarious . Woolley is great as an older man not ready to be put out to pasture , and it's wonderful to see one of the great stars of the ' 30s , Constance Bennett , in a later role . This film is remembered today as early Marilyn Monroe . She plays the boss ' sexy secretary , and she does a wonderful job . It's a small role , but you can definitely see that she , Peters , who plays the granddaughter , and David Wayne are all getting the star buildup and are each at different stages of it . Monroe was just about to break through , and she and Wayne would appear together in " How to Marry a Millionaire " ( where he says , " I already think you're quite a strudel . " ) Entertaining and definitely worth seeing .
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494,014 | 342,623 | 25,720 | 7 |
Norma and Montgomery in another precode potboiler
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Norma Shearer teams up with Robert Montgomery again in " Riptide " which also stars Herbert Marshall as part of a love triangle . There isn't too much special about this , but the beginning scene , with Marshall dressed as an huge insect and Shearer as a spider is very funny . Having just finished Shearer's bio by Gavin Lambert , it speaks of figure problems she had , particularly with her legs , and how hard she worked at being in shape . It paid off . She is absolutely beautiful in this film . It's always difficult to realize that evidently , Herbert Marshall was once considered a romantic leading man , but given this movie and " Girls Dormitory , " which I saw recently , I guess he was . In this , he sweeps playgirl Shearer off of her feet ; they marry and have a daughter . After five years of wedded bliss , he goes on a business trip . While he's away , Norma meets old friend Montgomery at a party . He's always been crazy about her . They get drunk , kiss , and she runs for it . The next thing she knows , he's fooling around outside her window and throws himself off of her balcony . Scandal . Hubby comes home to headlines . Doesn't know if he can believe that nothing went on since the scripts hints that she was a slut while she was single . Marriage strained . Etc . This kind of story is a little hard to take these days , but Shearer and Montgomery are very good . In comparison to their lively performances , Marshall is rather dull - which is the point , so it's appropriate . The amazing thing about " Riptide " is an appearance by Mrs . Patrick Campbell , a theater icon . She's excellent as Marshall's aunt . I've often wondered if some of the early stage luminaries were as good as everyone claimed , but after seeing Campbell and the Barrymores in film , they sure were . For this reason and because it's pre-code , " Riptide " is worth seeing .
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493,702 | 342,623 | 30,031 | 7 |
old-fashioned entertainment
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This is the kind of old-fashioned entertainment that the studios used to churn out every week . Gorgeous Robert Taylor plays a prize fighter , Frank Morgan his moronic father , Edward Arnold a mob boss , and Maureen O'Sullvian is Arnold's beautiful daughter , who falls in love with Taylor . And hello , who wouldn't . This is a piece very much of its time . Today , the relationship between the Tommy McCoy character as a young kid and the light heavyweight title holder Martin would be instantly suspect . How the world has changed . The film manages to hold one's interest , especially with its exciting fight sequences . As an added treat , " Hart to Hart " co-star Lionel Stander , who played " Max , " has a supporting role . I'd know that voice anywhere .
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493,617 | 342,623 | 30,018 | 7 |
A film that was created for the title
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The Cowboy and the Lady starring Gary Cooper and Merle Oberon was written after Sam Goldwyn thought up the title - so it's the reverse of the usual process . It's a 1938 film about a wealthy , sheltered young woman ( Oberon ) whose father is about to announce his candidacy for President . One night , she slips out for a night of fun with her uncle ( Harry Davenport ) . When her name is discovered on a list of people who were in attendance at a club during a raid , she is sent out of town so her father can say she wasn't in town at the time . Since her name is Mary Smith , it could easily be another person . While on her vacation , Mary meets a tall , gorgeous hunk of man - a cowboy named Stretch Willoughby ( Gary Cooper ) . As any red-blooded woman would do , she falls for him . It's young Gary Cooper . He's a hottie . To put them in the same class , she says she's a maid . Before she knows it , she's married to him . The stars are very good in the film , as is Harry Davenport as the uncle with a twinkle in his eye . Cooper and Oberon are darling together - he's so tall and broad-shouldered and she's beautiful and petite , and they have a nice chemistry . When she first asks him about himself , Stretch answers with Cooper's famous " Yep " several times . Parts of the film are a little slow but it's a nice romance . I realize some people think it's a preposterous love story but I can see any woman , rich or poor , flipping out for Gary Cooper and any guy falling for Merle Oberon . They were , after all , two of Hollywood's great beauties . Very enjoyable .
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493,841 | 342,623 | 60,445 | 7 |
fun ' 60s " caper " film
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Michael Caine and Shirley Maclaine star in " Gambit , " a 1966 movie done in the style so popular in that era , the " caper " film . Inspired by the success and style of " Charade , " the ' 60s brought us " How to Steal a Million , " " Topkapi , " " Rififi " et al . - sophisticated , glamorous , international , breezy fun . In " Gambit , " Harry ( Michael Caine ) hires Nicole ( Maclaine ) to pose as his exotic wife so that he can get into the apartment of the richest man in the world , Shabhandar , played by Herbert Lom . " There's no such thing as the richest man in the world , " Nicole complains . " It's like the highest star or - " " Okay , the second richest man in the world , the third richest ! " Harry yells . Nicole is made up to resemble Shabhandar's late wife . The purpose : robbery . Without giving anything away , the beginning of the film is fabulous and draws the viewer in immediately . Caine is a riot as the gifted Harry , who finds that coping with Nicole is one part of the plan he hadn't counted on , and Maclaine is very funny as a performer who gets more involved in her assignment than she wanted to . Herbert Lom , as the first , second , whatever wealthiest man in the world , Shabhandar , is perfect portraying the urbane , suspicious , and calculating recluse . This isn't the top of the genre , but it's still very enjoyable .
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493,815 | 342,623 | 26,043 | 7 |
Grable tries to solve a murder which might involve a friend of Bennett's
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Clark Gable and Constance Bennett star in " After Office Hours , " a 1935 film directed by Robert Z . Leonard . Gable is Jim Branch , the go-getter editor of a newspaper , who is hot on the trial of a society love triangle . Irritated with the music critic , Sharon Norwood ( Bennett ) , he fires her , only to find out that evening that she is very good friends with all the parties . He then not so subtly tries to find out as much as he can . When the woman in the triangle is murdered , he's certain that he knows who did it - but since it's someone Sharon is close to , he's going to have a tough time of it . Gable and Bennett make a great team , though how Sharon ever believed a word coming out Branch's mouth is beyond me . Bennett is beautiful with outfits that match her elegant looks , and Gable makes a pretty glib Jim - also an insincere one . One assumes Sharon was in love with him and gave him the benefit of the doubt . You really couldn't blame her . A delightful film with two wonderful stars .
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494,958 | 342,623 | 320,643 | 7 |
The point of this film seems to have been lost
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In reading the comments , I notice there is quite a bit written about " Too Young to be a Dad " that focus on the fact that at 15 , the young boy in the film didn't feel ready to continue having sex with the more experienced young woman , who becomes pregnant . I'm not sure why that detail was included in the script , except it was probably meant to convey that he was a little more fine-tuned than other kids his age , and therefore would make the decisions he made later on in the film . But " Too Young to be a Dad " isn't about whether or not this kid wanted to have sex and whether or not this makes him gay or strange . It's about the reactions of two families , notably the boy's , to his getting a girl pregnant and its ramifications . Two of the finest actors around , Kathy Baker and Bruce Davison , play the boy's parents , because the story is about them as well . In this film , the boy takes full responsibility for his part in the pregnancy , and the focus is on him rather than the girl , which is a different take , and also why this , as well as " Unwed Father " was shown on Father's Day . His actions are commendable , and the point is well made , though there are some script elements that are bothersome . First of all , what kind of a place did these people live in ? The committee members the mom deals with , the kids on the bus , etc . , all act as if the girl was impregnated by an alien , and they'd never heard of such a thing . Hello , teen pregnancy is QUITE common . Secondly , unlike the harsh realities of " Unwed Father , " this boy is able to make his decision knowing he has tons of support from his parents and his sister - which makes it a lot easier . Nevertheless , the movie is well-acted with some lovely scenes , particularly the one between Davison and Baker when she brings him his coffee after he loses his temper . Pregnancy has consequences , something often lost in the fantasy of wanting a baby . The young girl in this film had no such fantasy , but many young girls do . It's good to have a few movies around that focus on adoption , parent reactions , and decisions that need to be made .
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493,492 | 342,623 | 60,490 | 7 |
Another great Newman performance
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Paul Newman is " Harper , " a detective called upon to find a missing husband in this 1966 film based on the book " The Moving Target " by Ross MacDonald . It also stars Lauren Bacall , Arthur Hill , Pamela Tiffin , Robert Wagner , Shelley Winters , Robert Webber , Janet Leigh and Julie Harris . Bacall , on the suggestion of the family attorney ( Hill ) hires Harper to locate her husband . Along the way , Harper meets some bizarre characters , including Strother Martin as an alleged religious guru , Harris as a junkie singer and others . There are enough twists and turns to keep the audience interested throughout . As Harper , Newman turns in another excellent portrayal as he beards Steve McQueen in his den - and wins . His characterization has wit and style throughout - he's the perfect ' 60s detective with a wife he needs but can't stay with , a home in his office , and a determination to get at the truth despite a great deal of danger . Though one usually doesn't associate Newman with warmth , he is perhaps more likable in this role than the ubercool McQueen would have been . Newman is , in fact , just plain great as he whips off those one-liners . Though down and out , his Harper plays it as it lays . The supporting cast is wonderful , top-notch all the way , and the film is accompanied by a terrific musical score . Paul Newman has given us some great portrayals . I put Harper near the top of the list .
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494,400 | 342,623 | 39,898 | 7 |
Some great swimming and easy listening
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Esther Williams stars in " This Time for Keeps , " costarring Johnny Johnston , Dame May Witty , Jimmy Durante , and Lauritz Melchior . I guess the Third Reich was still a little too close for comfort , because the magnificent Heldentenor Melchior only sings Italian repertoire in this film , albeit magnificently . He was , of course , one of the all time great , if not the greatest , Wagnerian tenor in history . Williams is the beautiful star of aquatic ballet when ex-GI Richard Johnson ( Johnston ) falls for her , having met her once while he was in the service . His father ( Melchior ) has other plans for him , and they include singing with an opera company and marrying the girl he left behind . It's a thin story - after all , there has to be room for lots of swimming and singing . Esther is a goddess both in and out of the water , and Durante is terrific as her protective friend and work partner . Although referred to as a handsome man and a magnificent singer , Johnny Johnston makes a goofy looking leading man with a pleasant voice that only a father could think was suitable for opera , though he had some pretty high notes . Melchior rips up the sound system with " La Donna e Mobile " and " M'appari . " Gorgeous . Durante's big number is " The Lost Chord , " a real delight . Entertaining , but a little draggy , with some beautiful location shots of Mackinac Island .
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493,625 | 342,623 | 260,866 | 7 |
scary as all get out
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This is a very suspenseful film with uniformly good performances . The film moves quickly , isn't boring and really sustains one's interest . And hey , an apartment at the Ansonia ! Reminiscent of another great thriller , Rosemary's Baby .
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493,487 | 342,623 | 39,694 | 7 |
A different kind of Hitchcock
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The Paradine Case , released in 1947 , is a courtroom drama directed by the master , Alfred Hitchcock , and it's obvious it isn't his thing , or else he didn't care about it . Gregory Peck plays a British attorney and Ann Harding his wife ; Alida Valli is Mrs . Paradine , a woman accused of murdering her blind husband , Louis Jourdan is her husband's valet , Charles Laughton is the judge , and Leo G . Carroll is the prosecutor . All that talent , and it's pretty slow going . Peck is Anthony Keane , a successful attorney with a very happy marriage to Gay . They are extremely affectionate and loving with one another , which is why it seems strange that five minutes after Keane meets Mrs . Paradine , he falls in love with her . Granted , Alida Valli is exquisite and mysterious , but the woman is accused of killing her husband . She becomes an instant threat to Gay , who tries to remain courageous . Peck's hair is grayed in this , and I was surprised to read in another comment that he had a British accent . I only heard an accent in one scene where he kept saying cahn't - and it sounded really odd . Louis Jourdan is Andre La Tour , whom Keane suspects may have committed the murder . Jourdan is so handsome , even Laughton's character comments on it ! The story drags on , and the trial is really a McGuffin , because the actual plot involves the Keane's marriage . Harding does her usual excellent job , and Peck , accent or not , is very good . It's the kind of film that leaves one flat . There's not too much to say about it except that given Hitchcock and the cast , one would expect a lot more .
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494,834 | 342,623 | 29,737 | 7 |
A runaway bride plot is an excuse for lots of fashions and music
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Joan Bennett runs out on her wedding day and takes up with fashion designer Warner Baxter in " Vogues of 1938 " which is a combination of musical numbers and fashion shows with a little plot in between . And it's in Technicolor ! Bennett has reddish-blonde hair here and resembles Lucille Ball a little but her voice is similar to her sister Constance . I'm so used to her as a beautiful brunette that the change took some getting used to - it has to be shortly after that she did a screen test for " Gone With the Wind , " and by then , she had dark hair . In this story , after she abandons her wedding , she falls for the married Baxter ( who designed and made her gown ) and becomes a model in his fashion house . Baxter's wife is an ambitious performer who persuades him to back a show she's in - and it nearly breaks him . There are some great scenes - I have to admit , I thought the roller skaters were spectacular . There was a wonderful scene at the Cotton Club , another at El Morocco , and the entire finale is a fashion show done as a musical . The gowns and suits are gorgeous . Precious little plot here but plenty of shots of the New York of the ' 30s , some good music , dancing , gowns - and oh , those roller skaters !
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493,486 | 342,623 | 43,090 | 7 |
Good film
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Union Station is a realistic 1950 film starring William Holden , Nancy Olson , Jan Sterling and Barry Fitzgerald . It was released after " Sunset Boulevard " so by the time it came out , Holden had actually moved up another level of stardom . Rudolph Mate directed the film in a quasi-documentary way , showing all levels of an attempt to rescue a kidnapped blind girl ( Allene Roberts ) , the daughter of Olson's wealthy boss . Holden plays the detective in charge of Union Station , and he doesn't like the idea of anybody messing with his turf . There are some very exciting scenes , particularly the one on the train , which as someone mentioned , very likely inspired " The French Connection . " Holden gives a strong , macho performance , which makes the scene where he visits Olson in her home extra delightful , as he becomes embarrassed when her mother fusses over him . It's amazing that after Golden Boy , he toiled in so many films beneath his ability . Jan Sterling is the gangster's girlfriend with a heart - it's a small but showy and sympathetic role . Lyle Bettger is the villain , and he's slime all the way through . The only problem with the film is the kidnap victim herself , Lorna , who screams non-stop . I'm surprised her father wanted her back , but you know how it is with parents . Really holds your interest . What a hunk Holden is . Highly recommended .
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493,728 | 342,623 | 22,111 | 7 |
early version of the classic
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Before Humphrey Bogart , Ricardo Cortez , as Sam Spade , was looking for that big black bird in 1931's " The Maltese Falcon , " also starring Bebe Daniels , Una Merkel , and Thelma Todd . Since it's 1931 and therefore pre-code , the emphasis is on sex and Sam's libidinous nature . In the first scene , a woman leaves his office straightening the seams in her stockings . Bebe Daniels as Ms . Wonderly takes a bath in Sam's tub , strips in the kitchen - you name it . Thelma Todd is on hand as the wife of Spade's partner , Miles Archer who , if you know the story , gets it in the first reel . Sam's had a thing with her too . He keeps them all on the hook . I found this version slow going , mainly because it's an early talkie - the dialogue pacing isn't quite right . You can drive a truck through the pauses . The only one with a more modern feel for the dialogue is the handsome , smiling Cortez , and he's absolutely marvelous as Spade . His Spade is more relaxed than Bogie's , less sardonic , more delightfully crooked - in short , he has a lot more fun . He fits just as well into this version as world-weary Bogie does into the 1941 version . Bebe Daniels is attractive and alluring as the greedy and totally ruthless Miss Wonderly . The gay subplot between Greenstreet and Lorre everyone assumes isn't as apparent in this film between Wilmer ( Dwight Frye ) and Caspar Guttman ( Dudley Digges ) . I found the comments in the first post on the actors ' approaches to their roles very interesting ; I'm not sure I totally agree , but for sure , Cortez spoke louder and Daniels did underplay ( which she did not do in " 42nd Street " - at all ) . However , as far as the pace , I still Cortez did better in keeping the dialogue going than anyone else . This is a fascinating film - so different from the 1941 version , which I hope to see this evening - it's definitely worth catching .
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494,026 | 342,623 | 35,370 | 7 |
Grable
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Springtime in the Rockies is another delightful 20th Century Fox musical , this time starring Betty Grable , John Payne , Carmen Miranda , Charlotte Greenwood , Edward Everett Horton , Cesar Romero , and Harry James . All of them are wonderful , but Grable really sparkled in this as Vicky Lane , a Broadway actress whose heart is broken by Dan ( John Payne ) . She quits the show they're doing and teams up for a song and dance act with handsome Victor Prince ( Romero ) . The show's producer ( Jackie Gleason ) is in need of backing for his next show , finds Dan in a bar , and insists that he get Vicky back to New York . She's currently performing at Lake Louise . Payne is drunk out of his mind , so the bartender ( Horton ) escorts him to the Canadian resort . Grable looks fantastic and dances with Romero beautifully . Romero was tall , handsome , a beautiful dancer , and could do drama ( Captain from Castile ) as well as comedy ( Julia Misbehaves ) . He enjoyed a wonderful career but had he not been Cuban , his film work would probably not been limited to supporting roles . Payne is handsome and delightful , and Carmen Miranda as Rosita Murphy is very funny . The scenery is gorgeous , the music upbeat with lots of great trumpet-playing by Harry James , and the actors marvelous . " Springtime in the Rockies " is a real treat .
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494,503 | 342,623 | 65,950 | 7 |
ahead of its time
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Agents are sent from the west to retrieve " The Kremlin Letter " in this 1970 film directed by John Huston and starring Patrick O'Neal , Richard Boone , George Sanders , Orson Welles , Max von Sydow , Barbara Parkins , Dean Jagger , and Bibi Andersson . O'Neal plays Rone , who is removed from military service and put on the mission because of his photographic memory . Each man and Parkins , who is a safecracker sent in place of her arthritic father , is assigned a group to infiltrate , all with the objective of finding this anti-Chinese letter . Or is that what the assignment is really about ? This is an extremely cold and vicious look at the spy game - it's no fun caper film . It's absorbing , moves quickly and is filled with marvelous , if not altogether likable characters . The last moment in the film will leave you breathless . With a cast like this , the acting should be uniformly excellent , and it is , with the not-so-talented but beautiful Parkins given a role where she doesn't have to do any scenery chewing . George Sanders is especially memorable as the spy assigned to the gay contingent . O'Neal underplays , which is ideal for his character . Many people on this board won't remember that Richard Boone was a prominent western TV star who had aspirations of being taken seriously as an actor . In fact , he even started some sort of repetory company , as I recall . He was very talented , and here plays the head man to perfection , blond hair , down-home accent and all . Very intriguing , done at a time when spy films were a dime a dozen . " The Kremlin Letter " stands out for its detachment and lack of sentiment .
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495,214 | 342,623 | 317,198 | 7 |
Not much reason for this sequel
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A great soundtrack and the delightful performance of Renee Zwelleger aren't good enough reasons for this " Bridget Jones " sequel : " Bridget Jones : The Edge of Reason , " the 2004 film starring Hugh Grant and Colin Firth as Bridget's suitors . The film continues as the relationship between Bridget and Mark develops , with Bridget's insecurities driving it toward disaster . Because of a promotion , Daniel is back in her life again - but out just as quickly . To top it off , she winds up in a Thai prison , and while there , she teaches fellow prisoners the right moves to " Like a Virgin . " Finding enough of a plot to for a feature-length script was obviously tough , so tough , in fact , that large parts of it become music videos . Everyone is very good , but one can't help asking why someone like Mark puts up with Bridget . They're not a realistic couple . At all . I'd have been furious if I'd paid to see this in a theater ; in fact , I would have been unhappy if I had rented it . I saw it for free on TV and on that basis , it's okay and fun to see the actors and listen to the songs . Alas , it's the only way to see it without feeling you've been had .
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494,000 | 342,623 | 35,360 | 7 |
Saturday afternoon at the movies
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Piper Laurie said of Tyrone Power , " Tyrone Power was Saturday afternoon at the movies . " " Son of Fury " surely must have been one of those films that young people flocked to see on a Saturday afternoon - an island adventure starring one of the biggest stars in Hollywood . Power costars with a great cast that includes George Sanders , Frances Farmer , Gene Tierney , Roddy McDowell , and Elsa Lanchester . Tierney is impossibly beautiful , certainly every boy's dream girl - and on an island , no less , and not speaking English ! Her final kiss with Power is socko . The film has some excellent performances by the supporting cast , McDowell and Lanchester in particular . Lanchester's scene with Power is especially touching . Fifteen years later , they'd work together on his last film , Witness for the Prosecution . Lovely Farmer , whose story is now legend , doesn't have much to do , which is a shame . Sanders is always excellent . He and Power would fight on screen again in " Solomon and Sheba . " Power collapsed while he and Sanders rehearsed a sword fight and died very shortly afterward . Son of Fury , of course , is the type of film at which Power excelled , and there would be many more period pieces to come before his contract , interrupted by the war , finally expired . He said at the end of his life that he was proud of only four films . He should have been prouder of a lot more , because he fed a lot of dreams and was responsible for many happy Saturday afternoons for 22 years .
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494,853 | 342,623 | 324,948 | 7 |
Entertaining look at a great studio
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20th Century Fox : The First 50 Years , narrated by James Coburn , gives us a history of the studio's dual beginnings , merger , and success as a great Hollywood studio under the aegis of the ambitious Darryl F . Zanuck . There are wonderful clips and homages to some of the stars that made 20th Century Fox great : Will Rogers , Shirley Temple , Tyrone Power , Betty Grable , Henry Fonda , Alice Faye , Don Ameche et al . What's usually missing in these compilations is depth because so much has to be covered , but in this case , they did an okay job . There were also brief comments by stars such as Alice Faye and Roddy McDowell . Of special interest were the early sound tests and a look at the development of Fox's sound system . The early sound clips featured two very young actors , Humphrey Bogart and Spencer Tracy . 20th Century Fox is a particularly fascinating studio because around the late ' 50s , the lunatics started taking over the asylum , the Cleopatra debacle being a great example as well as all the problems with Marilyn Monroe . There are some clips from the film she did not complete , " Something's Gotta Give , " that are great . That fact is , the radiant Monroe was always a problem , as anyone who has ever seen a documentary on Billy Wilder will attest . It's just that once a woman hit 30 in Hollywood - let alone travel down the road past it - the powers that be started to lose patience . The previous poster mentioned the fickleness of trends as demonstrated by this documentary . I submit it's not the fickleness of trends but of the studios who put some of these great stars out to pasture and / or treated them badly after they'd kept the studios solvent . Since 20th Century Fox is the subject , here are a few examples not mentioned . Alice Faye left because of the hatchet job done on her role in the film " Fallen Angel " in favor of Linda Darnell ; there was a small clip shown of " Nightmare Alley , " with no explanation that Tyrone Power pleaded with Zanuck to make it , and when Zanuck saw it , he was so terrified for Power's image that he withdrew it from distribution and never publicized it . Nice way to treat somebody who gave you hit after hit after hit . It also isn't mentioned that after " Marie Antoinette , " Zanuck refused to lend Power out - not for Ashley in " Gone with the Wind , " not for the " The Last Tycoon , " which was as a result not made until many years later , not to Harry Cohn , who was desperate to get him for anything . Linda Darnell was of no use to Zanuck when she got married and couldn't play virginal roles anymore , though to her credit , she staged a sexy comeback . And on and on . Despite its self-serving theme , " 20th Century Fox : The First 50 Years " is interesting and entertaining , though a little long . The producers also could have dug a little deeper for unusual clips and paid a little more attention to the clips that were shown . Not everyone has seen " Laura " - was it necessary to show the murderer ?
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494,494 | 342,623 | 43,134 | 7 |
Because it's there
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Because it's there - well , I suppose that's a good enough reason to climb a mountain . It was motivation enough to climb Everest . However , in " The White Tower " everyone has a different reason for wanting to climb a magnificent mountain peak in the Swiss Alps that defeated the father of Carla Alten ( Valli ) , a young woman whose goal in climbing is closure . Glenn Ford , as Ordway , is finally convinced to take the climb - his goal is Valli . And so it goes , as six climbers start on a ascent to the top . This is a gorgeous Technicolor film that was intended to be seen in a theater . The scenery is magnificent , and the cast of climbers is excellent : Ford , Valli , Claude Rains , Lloyd Bridges , Oscar Homolka , and Cedric Hardwicke . Like Walter Slezak in " Lifeboat , " Bridges plays the Aryan Nazi , Hein , who hasn't forgotten his Fuhrer . He puts himself in competition with Ordway ( Ford ) , the American looking for some post-war peace , and he hates Raines and Homolka for being the " weaklings " who are holding the team back . Rains is an alcoholic writer - he is unhappily married and wants to feel again ; Hardwicke was a friend of Valli's father and wants to support her quest . Homolka is a reluctant guide who goes on the trip in spite of himself . Valli is much more vivacious and outdoorsy than she was in " The Third Man " or " The Parradine Case . " Ford always has such a wonderful quality - shy , with a gentle manner , beautiful smile and that disarming , soft voice - how any woman could resist him is a mystery , though I give Valli credit for trying . He'll be 90 on May 1 , bless his heart . The film has some suspenseful moments and is definitely worth a watch .
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494,300 | 342,623 | 43,118 | 7 |
offbeat
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Joseph Cotten stars in " Walk Softly , Stranger , " a 1950 film also starring Valli , Paul Stewart and Spring Byington . Cotten plays Chris Hale , a con man who takes up residence in a small town under his new name . He has a sweet landlady ( Byington ) who loves him , a decent job and is enjoying a flirtation with the boss ' wheelchair-bound daughter ( Valli ) . However , he just can't resist one more opportunity to make a huge haul by stealing a gambler's money with a partner ( Stewart ) . After they split the money , the two go their separate ways , but Stewart panics and tracks down Chris . Chris is afraid he's led the gambler's men right to his door . This is a small , engrossing film with an excellent performance from Cotten . Someone on the board compared him here to Uncle Charle in " Shadow of a Doubt , " but Charlie was a murderer , which Chris is not , and also a psychotic , again , which Chris is not . Cotten is extremely likable as Chris , a basically good man who has a fatal flaw of liking fast , easy money . Valli is okay as the boss ' daughter - she's not quite as beautiful as she was in " The Paradine Case , " but she's still soulful with that aura of misery . That quality made many think she could be a new Garbo . Despite doing some good , high profile films , she returned to Italy shortly after this film and worked steadily until a few years before her death . To say she seems out of place in this small town is an understatement . You really pull for Chris all the way through the film . Maybe the ending was a bit of a stretch , but I was satisfied with it . Is it a noir or a romance ? This movie really doesn't know , but it's a good watch .
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494,082 | 342,623 | 39,757 | 7 |
off kilter , effective thriller
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Edward G . Robinson doesn't want his adopted daughter to go near " The Red House " in this 1947 film which also stars Judith Anderson , Lon McAllister , Allene Roberts , Julie London and Rory Calhoun . Robinson is Pete , who lives with his sister Ellen ( Anderson ) on a self-sufficient farm . They have a daughter they both adopted , Meg , who is now a teenager with a crush on Nath ( McAllister ) so she arranges for him to work for Pete . Nath is interested instead in the gorgeous Tibby ( London ) , a tramp in training who flirts with a randy local ( Calhoun ) . When Nath decides to go home via the woods , Pete becomes very agitated and tries to dissuade him . Meg and Nath decide to find out what's in those woods and start investigating . What they uncover is life-changing . Directed by Delmer Daves , " The Red House " is one scary noir with lots of night scenes that take place in the woods and a haunting ending . The story is also an allegory for growing up and going out into the world , which Meg and Nath are determined to do . Nath urges his mother to marry her long-time boyfriend and go north with him because it's time he was independent , and Meg wants to be treated like a young woman - not only by a young man , but by the people she sees as her parents . The more Pete tells her not to go into the woods , the more she rebels . There are several unsettling things in this film - the secret Pete is keeping , for one , as well as very unhealthy obsession with Meg . That is handled subtly for the most part , but is still there . That may seem an ambitious subject for 1947 , but it is also an obvious part of the plot of " In This Our Life , " as an example . We learn as the film continues that Ellen had a chance at having her own home and happiness with the local doctor , but because Pete would not allow her to take Meg with her , she never married and stayed on the farm . The fact that she wasn't willing to leave Meg alone with Pete is quite telling . As Pete becomes more unbalanced at the thought of anyone trespassing in the woods , we can understand her motives . Another interesting feature of the film is the blatant sexuality of Tibby as opposed to the naiveté of Meg . All the performances are good , but Robinson is a standout . He could be convincing as both a villain and a lovesick fool , a great man or a coward . Here he slowly fleshes out his character from that of a nice , gentle man to one who is becoming unhinged to complete disintegration in a truly frightening performance . Judith Anderson , so menacing in " Rebecca " underplays beautifully here and is perfectly convincing as Pete's sister . It's a sign of a great actress when she can be at home in Shakespeare and as a farmer's sister . London is stunning and does well as a gal trying to hedge her bets . Roberts and McAllister are appropriately young and have the necessary naive quality . The best way I can describe " The Red House " is to call it unsettling . The undertones and the end of the film are disturbing , and one can see the beginnings of the psychology and dark feelings that surfaced in film after World War II .
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495,200 | 342,623 | 29,806 | 7 |
Good Fox musical
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Alice Faye , Don Ameche , The Ritz Brothers , Louise Hovick ( Gypsy Rose Lee ) , Charles Winninger and Tony Martin star in " You Can't Have Everything , " a 1937 musical from 20th Century Fox . MGM musicals were glamorous ; Fox musicals were down to earth , glitzy , and just plain fun . This is one of them . Faye is a playwright , Judith Poe Wells , a distant relative of Edgar Allan Poe's , who takes herself very seriously . She meets a man ( Ameche ) at a restaurant while eating food she can't pay for and doesn't realize he is a major Broadway producer , George Macrae . He options her play , North Winds . In the meantime , his musical's ingénue ( Phyllis Brooks ) walks out of the show , and Judith is talked into replacing her by Sam Gordon ( Winninger ) , George's business partner . Though there's another woman ( Hovick ) , Judith falls in love with George and he with her . Complications ensue . Faye sings the title song and " Pardon Us , We're in Love " and she's wonderful - pretty , vivacious , and she sounds great . Ameche sings in a heady tenor , but the real male pipes in the film belong to Tony Martin , the star of the Broadway show , who sounds glorious . I admit to finding the Ritz Brothers annoying , especially because their numbers seem to go on and on . However , they do have funny moments here . Enjoyable film and a good example of a prime Fox musical .
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494,930 | 342,623 | 52,918 | 7 |
Engrossing tearjerker
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1959's " Imitation of Life " was a remake of the 1934 version starring Claudette Colbert , Louise Beavers , and Fredi Washington . Both are marvelous in their own way . The ' 59 version changes a few plot points - the Turner character isn't a Jewish businesswoman , and there's no pancake batter and a big business success for the two women . Rather , Turner plays an an aspiring actress with a small daughter who meets Juanita Moore and daughter at the beach . As with the original , Moore just kind of moves in , needing a place to live . When her daughter gets older , she tries to pass for white . The ' 59 version is done as a glossy soap opera - and why not , it stars Lana Turner in all her glamour and beauty and is directed by the master of this type of film , Douglas Sirk . Sandra Dee plays Turner's daughter - great casting - and beautiful Susan Kohner is Moore's daughter , Sarah Jane . Kohner's real life mother was an actor and her father a big-time agent / producer , Paul Kohner . Susan Kohner retired from show business when she married the designer , John Weitz . Today , their two sons are producers . The acting kudos in " Imitation of Life " belong to Juanita Moore , who gives a touching performance as Annie and just breaks your heart . Kohner is excellent as well ; in fact , the two were nominated for best supporting Oscars . John Gavin , Robert Alda , and Troy Donahue also appear in the film , Donahue in a nasty , small role and Gavin as Turner's love interest . One of the great tear-jerking melodramas of all time - a very different experience than the original - if you can see both , do so .
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495,025 | 342,623 | 22,021 | 7 |
Keeping your husband - a woman's only mission in life
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Yeah , as the above quote indicates , this is an old , old movie . But it's a darling one , starring Dorothy Mackaill and Joel McCrea . McCrea plays football star Dick Brunton , who now works for Mackaill's dad . Dad brings Dick home for dinner one night , which doesn't make anyone very happy - after all , they're filthy rich and he's just filthy , i . e . , a working man . Mackaill can't take her eyes off of him - and who can blame her ? McCrea is gloriously handsome and shy . After a month has gone by , Mackaill , a spoiled brat , has proposed marriage and bought herself an engagement ring . She tells dad they'll need $50 , 000 a year to live on . Since poor Dick only makes $180 a month , Dad says he'll make up the difference . Dick soon begins neglecting what little work he has to do as Vice President of the family company and starts feeling like a kept man . There are several " kept " men in this movie , the difference here being that Dot and Dick are truly in love . Mackaill does a beautiful job of being a manipulative daughter and wife , but we're able to see the vulnerable woman underneath who finally realizes what's important in life . McCrea , only 26 here , is at his natural , adorable , hunky best . Mary Carr gives a sweet performance as Dick's mom , the one who offers the summary comment quote . Ned Sparks is on hand with some funny lines and great delivery . All in all , a delightful movie , if dated , though I'm sure there are still some people today who think that keeping your man is all that matters .
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493,849 | 342,623 | 35,432 | 7 |
And introducing Alan Ladd
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Both Alan Ladd and Tyrone Power made their film debuts in 1932's Tom Brown of Culver ; by 1936 , Power was a star . It took Alan Ladd a long 10 years and something like 40 films to make it , but make it he did as a cat-loving contract killer in " This Gun for Hire , " also starring Veronica Lake , Laird Cregar and Robert Preston . Ladd plays Phillip Raven , a contract killer in San Francisco who is hired to " off " a blackmailer and retrieve a formula from him . What he doesn't know is that his employers paid him in marked bills and then reported him to the police as the killer of the man , hoping to get him out of the way . Their plan is to sell the formula to the Germans . A Senate committee is suspicious of one of the traitors , a night-club owner named Willard Gates ( Cregar ) and send in a performer , Ellen Graham ( Lake ) to work undercover for them , unbeknownst to her LA policeman boyfriend ( Preston ) . Graham and Raven are mistakenly connected by Gates , and soon both are on the run from him . " This Gun for Hire " is thickly plotted but nevertheless somehow holds the viewer's interest , most likely because of the characterizations . The diminutive , beautiful Lake is an absolute delight as a singer with a magician routine . As one of the villains , Laird Cregar creates an excellent character - a hugely built fraidy-cat who abhors violence . And Ladd's Phillip Raven , vicious though he is , is a man who learned in childhood not to trust anyone and not to get too close to anyone . He's a sad character - and this is as close to acting from Ladd as you'll get . In future films , he says his lines in a monotone , though his tough guy persona is very effective . Here , he plays a ruthless man given to outbursts as well as depression . His paired with Lake , which perhaps was continued because she was a good height for him , is heaven-sent - these are two noir actors who fit the genre perfectly , if for different reasons . " This Gun for Hire " makes for compelling drama , but it's sad to watch as well . Cregar died two years after the film's release , at the age of 28 , with what would have been a great career lost ; after a failed suicide attempt ( his mother was a suicide ) , Ladd would die of an alcohol and drug overdose at the age of 51 ; and the rage with her peek-a-boo hairdo , Lake , by the ' 50s , would be an alcoholic working as a bartender in a hotel before dying at age 54 . You could say this is a " curse " film , but one can say that about so many - the lives of the people who made these classics just weren't fun . A shame , because they left us with such great work .
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494,205 | 342,623 | 276,585 | 7 |
Reconstructing Marion
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Capturing the Truth : The True Story of Marion Davies is a pretty good documentary about the screen comedienne and mistress of publishing mogul William Randolph Hearst . The documentary was made to dispel assumptions that Marion is basis of " Susan Alexander , " the drunken no talent opera singer married to Charles Foster Kane in " Citizen Kane . " It goes on to tell of the love story between Davies and Hearst , with a 1951 interview of Marion's occasionally supplying interesting audio bytes . There was definite bias toward Hearst here , saying as much that he was within his rights to attempt to stop the release of " Citizen Kane . " In fact he abused his power many times and used it as a weapon . The good part about this documentary is that it shows Marion the actress and Marion the woman with recounts from friends about her sense of fun , her generosity and her devotion to Hearst . It is a good insight into the woman , into the Hearst marriage , and into the 30 years Hearst and Marion had together . Marion was talented and hard-working - would she have become a star if she hadn't had Hearst's support - given the right opportunities , probably . If her work seems old-fashioned today , it's because that work is 80 years old . Film and film acting were in its infancy . If people appeared in the documentary that were peripheral , as one of the posters here said , it's because it was hard to find people still alive who could speak about Marion or Hearst . As to was she or wasn't she Susan Alexander , perhaps partially , perhaps not . Hearst was obviously too sensitive about the whole project to be rational . Orson Welles said it was a compilation of tycoons , and it probably was to an extent , but there isn't any doubt with Xanadu , the publishing , etc . , that it relied heavily on Hearst . Welles was a 24-year-old boy who came from radio and the New York stage to make " Citizen Kane , " and Marion Davis at the time hadn't made a film in 4 years . Certainly it was well known that Hearst put the power of his publishing business behind her - to some people , that may easily have translated into thinking she had no talent . Frankly , I don't think that notion started with Citizen Kane . What Hearst was most upset about was that Susan Alexander was a drunk , and Marion had a drinking problem . That surely was put into the script to make the character more interesting . There was nothing of Marion's personality in Susan , and people who knew anything about her at all certainly recognized that at the time . Welles may have taken an idea that was floating around in the ozone and created a whole different scenario with it - modeling it , in fact , on Robert McCormick , a publisher who built the Chicago Opera House to promote his untalented girlfriend as an operatic star . It is sad that it remains a pervasive rumor that Susan is Marion - alas , sometimes rumors have more longevity than fact .
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493,459 | 342,623 | 29,808 | 7 |
depressing melodrama
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Fritz Lang did a great job with this well-acted , uniquely photographed drama from the ' 30s . It's not anything to see if you're looking for a lift , though . Henry Fonda and Sylvia Sidney , so young it's unbelievable , play a husband and wife escaping the law . Sidney is a secretary who falls in love with a convict and marries him as soon as he gets out of prison . He's a three-time felon and has a tough time getting back into society . Ultimately , he's convicted of a crime he didn't commit and sent to death row . He escapes with Sidney and they become sort of a Bonnie and Clyde on the run for the Canadian border . There are some plot problems , for instance , how Fonda got the gun in order to escape . Also , the boss at the trucking firm where he works is over the top in his dislike for Fonda and refuses to give him another chance . The acting is very intense from both Sidney and Fonda . Looking at the young Fonda , one can really see where Jane got her looks . This isn't a big film , nor is it a happy one , but it's worth seeing .
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494,328 | 342,623 | 47,408 | 7 |
lush ' 50s drama where the other woman is a violin
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Rhapsody is all about beautiful music and beautiful Elizabeth Taylor . Taylor , in a short , stylish hairdo , is at the height of her beauty in this stunningly photographed color film . And she's not the only beauty . Vittorio Gassman plays one of her love interests . Just try keeping your eyes off of him . Handsome John Ericson is the other man in her life . All in all , it's candy for the eyes and ears , gorgeous to watch and to listen to with all that classical music . Elizabeth Taylor plays a role perfect for her , i . e . , a spoiled , rich brat . She follows the man of her dreams , Gassman , a gifted violinist , to music school in Zurich , even though her own musical ability is pathetic and she'll have nothing to do except wait around for him to finish classes and rehearsals . When it's obvious that Gassman is totally immersed in his music , she begins to compete with the violin for his attention . All three leads are excellent , as is Louis Calhern as Taylor's father . Taylor wears beautiful outfits . I'm certain this film was intended to be a showcase for her beauty , and there it succeeds . Despite some harsh comments made on the board , I think this you just have to take it for what it was intended to be and no more . Very entertaining .
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495,186 | 342,623 | 35,413 | 7 |
Russell and her male secretary
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1942's " Take a Letter , Darling " is a fun look at life in the ' 40s , and no one could play a career woman like Rosalind Russell . Tough , intelligent , sophisticated and glamorous , she fits easily into a man's world . In this film , directed by Mitchell Leisen , A . M . MacGregor ( Russell ) is the active partner in an advertising firm with Atwood ( Robert Benchley ) , but she has both man and woman trouble . Men make passes and wives are jealous . To get around this , she hires a male secretary , Tom Verney ( MacMurray ) who in reality is an artist trying to save money to move to Mexico and paint . He takes notes , does research for her and , most importantly , poses as her fiancé at business dinners . Verney is wary of the job from the beginning and plays along reluctantly . When A . M . learns the often-married Jonathan Caldwell ( MacDonald Carey ) is looking for a new advertising company for his tobacco company , she also learns he hates women . She maneuvers a meeting but learns that his sister ( Constance Moore ) has to approve the campaign . Enter Verney - but when the sister turns out to be young , beautiful , and invites Verney to the southern plantation - A . M . finds she's jealous . Good movie , good fun , terrific cast , if somewhat predictable .
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493,745 | 342,623 | 43,053 | 7 |
A fisherman becomes the " Toast of New Orleans "
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Using the formula that worked so well in " That Midnight Kiss , " Mario Lanza , this time one Pepe Duvalle , is again discovered by someone with connections to the opera world while he's singing his heart out doing his normal job . Here he's a bayou fisherman , but after the loss of their boat , Pepe and his Uncle Nicky ( J . Carrol Naish ) head to New Orleans to look up the opera director ( David Niven ) who offered Pepe an opportunity after hearing him in the village when Pepe joins his prima donna ( Grayson ) in song . Pepe finds himself in love with the somewhat cold diva , who is being pursued by Niven . Lanza is in fine form as a crude , loud , uneducated man who , in order to fit into New Orleans society and the opera world , has to learn manners , as well as how to dance and dress . A natural actor , he makes his complete transformation believable . He sings Jose's aria from " Carmen " beautifully , and this film introduces his hit , " Be My Love " to audiences , which he sings with Grayson . With the diminutive soprano , he also does " Libiamo " from " La Traviata . " In the days in which this story is set , a singer like Grayson would have sung " Traviata , " though audiences aren't used to hearing a fluttery coloratura sing it any longer . The two perform the love duet from " Madama Butterfly " as well - an absolutely horrid choice for Grayson , calling for a much weightier voice . Obviously the repertoire was chosen with Lanza in mind . Had MGM not used " Lucia " in " That Midnight Kiss , " they could have perhaps used it here . Grayson gets to use her high extension in " Je suis Titania , " but the rest of the aria suffers from pitch difficulties . Lanza really helped to commercialize opera in the United States , but he did it without the help of MGM . Is it necessary for Niven to give the wrong explanation for the duet " La ci darem la mano ? " And why , during the Butterfly duet , which is total foreplay , does Grayson constantly try to get away from Lanza ? No matter her personal feelings , she was on stage playing a role . Grayson looks lovely in an assortment of magnificent gowns and hats , and if her voice doesn't match Lanza's , it doesn't mean she could not have sung opera , which is often the criticism . There is definitely a place for coloratura sopranos in the opera world - just not singing with spinto tenors . J . Carrol Naish plays an embarrassing , annoying stereotype as Uncle Nicky ; Niven is wonderful , if underused , and his perfect voice and smooth manners are in great juxtaposition to Lanza's bumbling Pepe . James Mitchell , known to soap opera audiences now as Palmer Courtland on " All My Children " has a good featured part as a friend of Pepe's from the bayou , and he and a very young Rita Moreno , who's in love with Pepe , do a spirited dance number . Lanza's reign at MGM was disappointingly short , and yo-yo dieting and drinking would claim his life nine years after this film . But what years , in which he gifted the world with his fresh , passionate , Italianate sound and thrilled millions of people all over the world .
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493,669 | 342,623 | 60,645 | 7 |
old melodrama gets gloss treatment at the hands of Ross Hunter
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The old chestnut " Madame X " has had something like 9 screen versions , not to mention a play and the book . There's an occasional change here and there but the plot remains basically the same : A young woman is thrown out of her home and separated from her child . She hits the skids , and 20 years later , the child defends her on a murder charge . So goes this version of " Madame X " as well , with a nice roster of stars : Lana Turner , Keir Dullea , John Forsythe , Ricardo Montalban , Constance Bennett , and Burgess Meredith . Turner is the unfortunate woman , happily married to Clayton Anderson ( John Forsythe ) a man with a good political future , and she's the mother of a young son . But the marriage becomes strained when Clayton is away too much , and Holly starts fooling around . When her husband comes home and she realizes how much she loves him , she tries to break it off with a roué ( Ricardo Montalban ) . During an argument , he falls down the stairs to his death . Holly's mother-in-law , played by Constance Bennett , arranges for her to disappear with a new identity . In Europe , Holly meets a wealthy musician who falls in love with her , but she runs out on him - a big mistake - and ends up turning to alcohol and easy sex . When she murders a blackmailer ( Meredith ) who is going to tell her son who she is , she ends up on trial - defended by her son . Well , the pot doesn't boil any better than this , and Hunter gives it a big , expensive production and sets Lana Turner loose in what is probably her best performance . Although the age / dissipation makeup is a little over the top , Turner gives the degenerate Holly a great , hard edge and a lot of frailty . It's a nice juxtaposition to the earlier sweetness and buoyancy of her character . Turner was one of those movie stars whose beauty , glamor , and private life often had critics not paying much attention to her performances , but she gave some good ones nonetheless . The other standout in the cast is Bennett , who's as slender as she was in the ' 30s and a lot tougher . Her voice has dropped a couple of octaves and her hair is a strange brown ( this was perhaps in deference to the blond Lana ) . Toward the end of the film , she gets white hair softly styled and looks beautiful - even with the age makeup that needed to be added to the 60-year-old . The role of Forsythe's manipulative , protective mother is perfect for her - - a fitting last film for one of the great and prolific stars of the 1930s . She died before the film was released . Keir Dullea is appealing as the son , and Forsythe is pleasant though he doesn't have a huge role . Try as they might , Madame X is from another time and by 1966 just wasn't great movie material . It is however , entertaining and engrossing . The most jaded person can't help but to be moved by the ending , though you may hate yourself for it .
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494,264 | 342,623 | 48,791 | 7 |
Sir Walter Raleigh and The Virgin Queen
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Bette Davis is again " The Virgin Queen " in this 1955 film , and this time , her attention is on Sir Walter Raleigh . Earlier , in a more interesting film , " The Story of Elizabeth and Essex , " she was the younger Elizabeth and the Earl of Essex was Errol Flynn . " The Virgin Queen " is sumptuous in its production , done in color , and the costumes deservedly won an Oscar . Here Elizabeth is older and becomes fascinated with Walter Raleigh ( Richard Todd ) when he comes to her court to request three ships to sail to the new world in search of treasure on behalf of England . She puts him in charge of the palace guard ; he in turn falls for a lady-in-waiting , Lady Elizabeth Throckmorton ( Joan Collins ) and secretly marries her . The queen grants him one ship , but while he's preparing it , he finds out that Elizabeth Throckmorton is pregnant with his child . Unfortunately , Elizabeth finds out too and has him placed under arrest . This is a mildly interesting film and historically not very accurate , though it is true that he married Beth Throckmorton secretly , she became pregnant , and he was arrested . The real story is simplified in the film . It makes for not very exciting viewing , though the acting is strong and the cast excellent - besides the stars mentioned , Herbert Marshall is Lord Leicester and Dan O'Herlihy is Lord Derry . Bette Davis does a marvelous job as Elizabeth , a tough , feisty , demanding and sometimes angry woman . Nobody could look as bad as Davis when she felt it was necessary for the role - she allowed four inches to be shaved from her hairline ( Elizabeth had lost her hair due to fever ) and wears what can only be called a fright wig . Hollywood stars back then would dress down , muss their hair , maybe cut back on the makeup , but Bette set the bar quite high for acting generations to come when it came to distorting her appearance . She is very effective in the role - as someone pointed out , she's a Yankee playing a British queen , and you never doubt that she is one . Richard Todd handles the language beautifully , but while he may have more depth than someone like Flynn , he doesn't exhibit the necessary charisma and charm . Joan Collins is young , beautiful , and does a good job as Elizabeth Throckmorton . Worth seeing for the elegance of production and for that fabulous force of nature , Bette Davis .
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494,710 | 342,623 | 51,459 | 7 |
a great cast in the film version of one of Tennessee Williams ' great plays
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Paul Newman , Elizabeth Taylor , Burl Ives , Judith Anderson , Jack Carson , and Madeline Sherwood star in " Cat on a Hot Tin Roof , " a watered down version of the Tennessee Williams hit play that starred Barbara Bel Geddes and Ben Gazzara on Broadway and was there directed by Elia Kazan . The film is directed by Richard Brooks , as apparently Kazan and Williams did not get along . Now for my big confession - I have never cared for this play because I find it extremely loud , strident , and ultimately irritating . This includes the television version with Sir Laurence Olivier , in which he looked like Colonel Sanders that also starred Jean Stapleton , Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood . I think the main problem is that " Cat " was written for the stage and doesn't play as well in any other venue - certainly not on television , where these larger than life characters become overwhelming . It's the story of a dysfunctional southern family with a dying patriarch and an alcoholic son who broke his leg recreating a moment of glory on the football field one drunken night . He has turned away from his wife ; meanwhile , his brother and sister-in-law continue to breed brats and hope to get most of Big Daddy's estate once he dies . The film is criticized because the censors demanded that references to Brick's homosexuality be eliminated from the script . Seen with today's eyes , it's an unnecessary criticism . Brick started drinking after Skipper's death ; Skipper hated Maggie , Brick's wife ; Brick started a football team because , while he was good enough to play with the big pros , Skipper wasn't ; and Brick isn't interested in sex with his gorgeous wife . Hello . How many other ways are there to say it ? As with anything that stars Paul Newman , there is some brilliant acting to be had , and as Brick , he delivers , though perhaps he isn't quite enough of a bum . Elizabeth Taylor has been blessed with many gifts - an incredibly beautiful face being one - but she was behind the door when the great voices were given out . As Maggie , her voice is particularly cloying , though she gives an excellent performance . She was working under the terrible burden of having lost her husband , Mike Todd , right after filming began . At the age of 26 , her professionalism is astonishing , and she looks sensational throughout the film during what must have been a horrible time for her . Supposedly the director insisted on repeat takes of the scene during which the family eats in order to get her to take some nourishment . Like Lana Turner , Taylor is one of those stars whose career accomplishments took second place to her private life in the mind of the public . Given the quantity and quality of much of her work , it's really not fair . Burl Ives successfully repeats his stage role ; Madeline Sherwood is brilliant as the annoying wife of Gooper , and Jack Carson plays Gooper well , though it's not much of a role . Judith Anderson makes a good Big Mama . Ives and Newman score big-time in their long scene together in the basement ; it's a very touching and magnificently acted . As far as Big Daddy favoring his alcoholic , childless son over his first-born - the scene where Big Mama admits to having been four months pregnant with Gooper when Big Daddy proposed says it all . Gooper probably isn't Big Daddy's son . Recommended for the performances , but keep the volume down on your television .
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494,745 | 342,623 | 60,287 | 7 |
Film from the swinging ' 60s
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Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round is a fun film , especially if you remember the ' 60s . It looks just like a movie from the ' 60s too - beautiful women , casual sex , calling the cops " the fuzz , " and as everyone else has mentioned , Harrison Ford as a messenger . Blink and you miss him . James Coburn plays a man of many names and professions who needs to raise $90 , 000 to buy building plans of a bank next to the airport so that he can commit a robbery . He gets it by seducing women , making copies of their keys , and then robbing them . Once he has the plans , he and his cronies decide to rob the bank the day the Soviet premier is due at the airport . This film really held my interest , and it had some very tense moments toward the end of the film . James Coburn does a wonderful job in the lead , and there's nice acting in a supporting role by Robert Webber as the self-important head of the security force at the airport . Camilla Sparv , as one of Coburn's women , received some big publicity in the ' 60s , but her U . S . career never went anywhere . Great twist ending . Baby boomers will get a kick out of this one .
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495,010 | 342,623 | 51,501 | 7 |
Suspenseful , small black and white film from the ' 50s
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Cry Terror , from 1958 is not a big-budget film , but it holds the viewer throughout . It's the story of a man , James Mason , who is duped into making small bombs which he believes are for government use . Only later does he realize that he made them for a criminal who intends to extort money by placing them on airlines and threatening to detonate them if the money is not paid . He and his family are kidnapped , and his wife ( Inger Stevens ) is used to collect the money so it seems as if he is the actual guilty party . Rod Steiger is the bad guy , and Jack Klugman , Neville Brand , and the nearly unrecognizable Angie Dickinson make up his gang , each with their own part to play . Without giving anything away , the story is preposterous at times but always suspenseful and effective . Steiger is terrific as a dangerous man whose quiet orders belie a violent temperament . Dickinson is only 26 here and brunette but her sultry voice and gorgeous figure are the same . Brand does well as a scary psychotic , and Klugman is good as a man under Steiger's domination . Mason is appropriately harried . The workhorse role belongs to Inger Stevens , a natural beauty who rose to fame in the TV series " The Farmer's Daughter " and who took her own life , after several unsuccessful attempts , in 1970 . In a way , one of her tries at suicide occurred during the filming of " Cry Terror " when she and Rod Steiger suffered carbon monoxide poisoning during a tunnel scene at the end of the film . She refused medical treatment , stating that she wanted to die . She gives an excellent performance in this movie , that of an hysterical , panicked , and ultimately nearly catatonic mother who fears for her husband and young daughter and her own assault by Brand . Unfortunately , due to the fact that Steiger and Mason are so underplayed , she comes off at times as overacting . She was , however , a wonderful and appealing actress who might have gone on to a much bigger career had she lived . She had it all - or so it seemed . This is a good movie loaded with the New York City atmosphere of the ' 50s , though in one scene , it looked as if Stevens was headed for Brooklyn using the Holland Tunnel . You'll never get there that way .
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494,472 | 342,623 | 40,153 | 7 |
Pretty good B movie
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Richard Carlson goes " Behind Locked Doors " in this 1948 film also starring Lucille Bremer . Carlson plays detective Ross Stewart who enters an insane asylum as a patient at the behest of a reporter Kathy Lawrence ( Bremer ) to find a judge who is on the lam from the police . For his trouble , there is a $10 , 000 reward , which he and Lawrence will split , but she has to make sure the Judge is in the asylum first . They play man and wife , and she has him committed . Once inside , Stewart discovers that the place is run somewhat inhumanely , and that the judge may be in a ward of the asylum that is locked and inaccessible to other patients . This is a B movie all the way with decent performances by Carlson and Bremer , Douglas Fowley and Tor Johnson and good direction by Budd Boetticher . I sort of hoped that , although the Bremer character was on the trail of the judge , that she might have been interested in some of the bad conditions at the asylum and wanted to expose them . Though things don't stay as they are there , it would have been nice if earlier , she had mentioned having any interest in it . Guess she just wanted the big story . Good but not exceptional .
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494,076 | 342,623 | 40,155 | 7 |
Post-war Tourneur
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Robert Ryan , Merle Oberon , Robert Coote Paul Lukas and Charles Korvin are on the " Berlin Express , " a 1948 Jacques Tourneur film about a multinational group headed for a conference in postwar Germany . In the film , Ryan is an agricultural expert from America , Robert Coote is a schoolteacher from England , Merle Oberon is a French national accompanying an important German , played by Paul Lukas . He has a plan to unify Germany once again . His protectors have anticipated some danger on the train , and when he appears to be murdered , the murdered man is actually someone impersonating him . As soon as the enemy finds this out , however , Lukas is kidnapped . The group on the train bands together to find him and also to clear themselves . This is a good film , historically significant , as it was the first Hollywood production made in post-war Germany and also because it shows the devastation in Germany as a result of all of the bombings . There are some suspenseful moments and a message for unity - Tourneur does a good job with the elements , though it doesn't compare with " The Third Man . "
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493,536 | 342,623 | 51,492 | 7 |
good British spy film
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Supposedly based on a true story , this British film starring Jeffrey Hunter is very good , considering what was in all probability low budget . The plot concerns feeding incorrect information to the Axis about where D-Day would actually take place . When a young woman comes from Holland to join the intelligence team , she needs to be checked out carefully , as she is suspected of being a spy . Hunter and Nigel Patrick do a very good job and Hunter's boyishness is especially appealing . He had a nice , relaxed way about him before the cameras and like so many other incredibly handsome men , undoubtedly had a tough time convincing anyone that he could really act . But he really could . Sad that he died so young . Anne-Marie Duringer is the love interest under suspicion . It may be a little slow at times , but also quite interesting .
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495,045 | 342,623 | 278,504 | 7 |
Al Pacino battles Robin Williams and no sleep
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Sumptuous scenery and a fresh , enthusiastic Hillary Swank are in sharp contrast to weary Al Pacino in " Insomnia , " about a legendary LA homicide investigator who goes to Alaska to assist in finding a killer . In the land of the midnight sun , Pacino finds there's no rest from his demons . This is a slow-moving film at times , though the performances are very good . Pacino makes one tired just to look at him . As the film goes on , and he's had no sleep due to the constant light , his voice becomes raspy , his eyes are nearly shut , and he looks stupefied . He plays a complicated man , hounded by a departmental investigation and now a blackmailing killer . Like many of his other characterizations , Pacino gives us many layers of an imperfect man . Hillary Swank is very good , though wasted in a role that doesn't give her much to do except be young . Robin Williams , as a mystery author , turns in an excellent performance . Former General Hospital actor Jonathan Jackson has a small part as the victim's boyfriend . Jackson is very much a chameleon , playing a bad boy as if he was born to it . This was probably a disappointment in a movie theater at $10 a shot ; it's perhaps more interesting as a rental or on television .
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494,559 | 342,623 | 25,251 | 7 |
Life on a farm
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Robert Montgomery plays a gangster hiding out on a farm in " Hide-Out , " a 1934 film also starring Maureen O'Sullivan , Edward Arnold , Elizabeth Patterson , Whitford Kane , and Mickey Rooney . With the police after him , Lucky Wilson takes off but ends up shot and unconscious . He is then found by a farmer Miller ( Kane ) who takes him home . There , Lucky , now calling himself by his real name , Jonathan , meets a normal American family , including an above-normal looking Pauline ( Maureen O'Sullivan ) , who is the daughter of the house . Jonathan stretches out his recovery and begins to enjoy the idyllic life of milking cows , feeding chickens , romancing Pauline , and being sort of a big brother to her younger sibling Willie ( Mickey Rooney ) . This is a sweet film with nothing special to recommend it except the beautiful young O'Sullivan and an amusing performance by Montgomery . In one of the best scenes , he sits at a ringside table and asks a singer out - while she's singing - and she answers him under her breath during short orchestral interludes . The end seems a little abrupt , but this is a pleasant film . If Mrs . Miller looks familiar , she was Mrs . Trumbull , the neighbor who babysat Little Ricky on " I Love Lucy . "
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