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493,633 | 342,623 | 116,265 | 7 |
fun Lifetime movie
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I admit an affection for this type of film , where the ugly duckling returns to seek revenge on those who wronged her . I caught " A Face To Die For " on Lifetime . I'm not sure of its pedigree , but it's typical for that network , although better than most of their productions . Yasmine Bleeth was such a gorgeous young woman before some of her personal problems hit , and she's in top form here . In this movie , she's an ugly , scarred girl with a drunk mother and a gorgeous sister . Thinking a man is in love with her , she is conned into helping with a robbery , for which she is imprisoned . As anyone who has ever seen one of these films before knows , if you want the best plastic surgery , go to jail . The story goes from there . It's very entertaining , and it's always a pleasure to see the beautiful Bleeth .
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495,084 | 342,623 | 28,665 | 7 |
enjoyable musical which reunites the 1936 cast members
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Eleanor Powell , Robert Taylor , Buddy Ebsen and Robert Wildhack reunite for " Broadway Melody of 1938 , " not to be confused with " Broadway Melody of 1936 " which is better . The 1938 film also stars Sophie Tucker , Judy Garland , Robert Benchley and Binnie Barnes . Taylor is now a producer named Steve instead of Robert , and Powell is newcomer to Broadway Sally Lee . Instead of knowing Steve from Albany , she now comes from a farm . Wildhack is doing scientific work on sneezing instead of snoring this time , and Buddy Ebsen still dances but has actually quit show business . The plot concerns the usual getting the money for a Broadway show , with horse racing thrown in for good measure . The musical numbers are nowhere near as good as in the past , but we do have the young Judy singing her " You Made Me Love You " to Mr . Gable and " Some of These Days " belted out by Sophie Tucker . At 15 , Garland had a very mature voice and was adorable . What a gift . It was also a rare treat to see Sophie Tucker . Here she plays Judy's mother and runs a rooming house for actors . Charles Igor Gorin plays an opera singing barber and sings the Toreador Song and Largo al factotum very well . As you'll see , the horse thinks so too . Taylor looks fabulous and provides the eye candy and Powell's dancing is great . There are some cute bits in the movie as well . The finale is absolutely enormous . Good fun .
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494,622 | 342,623 | 28,628 | 7 |
Slight , well acted ' 30s melodrama
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Luise Rainer and Spencer Tracy are an affectionate couple in " Big City , " a small film from MGM , which is surprising , since it has two big stars in it . The happy world of Joe and Anna is torn apart when her brother is killed as a result of a war between the independent cabbies in New York and a large cab company . Anna is blamed and plans are made to deport her . Rainer and Tracy make a sweet couple ; one really believes they're in love . Tracy is wonderful . Rainer is beautiful with soulful eyes , and of course , she gets another telephone call as in " Hello , Flo " in " The Great Ziegfeld . " Rainer takes a lot of heat for winning two Oscars in a row and basically disappearing soon after , as if this was her fault . She was , and still is , a strong-willed woman who came up against Louis B . End of story . He's long dead and she's still alive as of this writing , at the age of 96 , and made a film in 2003 . So take that , Louis . This film was made at a time when you weren't supposed to see a woman's pregnancy , and though Anna is pregnant in the story , in fact , far enough along to be ready to give birth , from the look of her , the baby should have weighed half an ounce . The end of the film is a free-for-all featuring some of the great sports figures of the day , listed in the cast , including Jim Thorpe , Maxie Rosenbloom , and Jack Dempsey . Look for Ruth Hussey in a small part as the mayor's secretary .
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495,201 | 342,623 | 39,080 | 8 |
Victorian mystery with one of the great screen pairs
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When historians talk about the great screen pairings , one hears Tracy and Hepburn and Bogart and Bacall tossed around , as well as other male-female combinations . One of the truly great screen pairings of all time was Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre - the former a large , sinister-looking man , and the latter a small , sinister-looking man with a quirky voice . They made nine films together , and when I see their names in a cast list , I know not to miss the movie . " The Verdict , " made in 1946 , is a heavily atmospheric mystery set around 1890 , when Supt . George Edward Grodman ( Greenstreet ) inadvertently sends an innocent man to the gallows for a woman's death and loses his job . The man claimed he had an alibi , but the person wasn't found until after the hanging . After many years in service , Grodman leaves with a blemish on his reputation . Replacing him is his ambitious nemesis , Supt . John R . Buckley ( George Coulouris ) . Grodman begins to write the stories of his various cases , in the hopes that it can serve as a primer for police investigations . When Arthur Kendall is murdered across the street from him , Grodman is pulled into the investigation , since Kendall's landlady ( Rosalind Ivan ) summoned him to help her get into the room . Kendall's aunt was the murder victim in the case where the innocent man was hanged . Before Kendall was killed , he visited Grodman , along with Grodman's friend Peter Emmric ( Lorre ) who lives in the same house as Kendall , and a politician , Clive Russell ( Paul Cavanagh ) , who hates Kendall . Russell and Kendall come to blows outside of Grodman's house . Grodman now finds himself in a position of helping the man who replaced him . This is an very clever mystery , brought up a few levels by the acting of Greenstreet and Lorre . Paul Cavanagh and George Coulouris turn in good performances in smaller roles , and Joan Lorring is fine as a dance hall girl who was involved with Kendall . Though not a great beauty , she has a great figure and conveys a low class background . Highly recommended . With the Victorian times , the heavy fog , and the presence of Cavanagh and Coulouris , the film reminds one of the Sherlock Holmes movies .
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494,848 | 342,623 | 35,238 | 8 |
Wonderfully old-fashioned love story
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A woman and an amnesiac fall in love in " Random Harvest , " based on the novel by James Hilton . Hilton is also famous for his novel " Lost Horizon , " which was made into a very successful film - well , the first time around anyway . Greer Garson is a beautiful young music hall performer who saves an escapee from a mental asylum , " Smithy , " played by Ronald Colman , who suffered trauma as a World War I soldier . The two fall in love , get married , and have a child . En route to a job interview in Liverpool , Smithy is hit by a car and regains his memory - and doesn't know what has happened to him in the last three years . He returns home to his wealthy family and a young woman ( Susan Peters ) who is in love with him , with no idea that he has a wife and child somewhere . This is old-fashioned romance and heartache at its very best . Colman is too old for the role but he and Garson make a great couple . Garson has rarely been more beautiful . This is a very sweet story that really touches the heart . Susan Peters plays the young girl in love with Rainier - the Colman character's real name . She's very spunky , but because of Colman's age , this doesn't seem like much of a match . However , she received an Oscar nomination and was really on her way with MGM . Unfortunately , she was shot during a hunting accident three years later . MGM kept her going by having her write an interview column for one of the fan magazines . She worked occasionally from a wheelchair after her injury in film and on stage , but died in 1952 , in her early thirties . A real tragedy . " Random Harvest " is an opportunity to see this truly lovely young woman during the all too short height of her career .
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493,776 | 342,623 | 39,066 | 8 |
gripping
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What a cast ! Hepburn , Robert Taylor and Robert Mitchum ! Hepburn here is paired with Robert Taylor , a scientist , who seems to have some very nervous employees and a some sensitive areas , one concerning an absent brother , Michael . When Hepburn meets one of Taylor's old girlfriends , a very well cast Jayne Meadows , she becomes suspicious of Taylor's motives for marrying her - and suspicious about what happened to Taylor's brother . Hepburn gives her usual intelligent performance , showing a vulnerable , feminine side that is very appealing . There is a scene in a fitting room where she is absolutely stunning . The scenes between her and her father , played by Edmund Gwenn , were delightful and realistic , as she complains that Taylor could not be attracted to her . " Look at me , " she demands , " what do you see ? " Her father smiles and says " Beautiful " and kisses her . It's this type of gentleness coupled with good acting , underlying suspense and excitement that makes Undercurrent a very good - - and very underrated - ' 40s film . Taylor is handsome and enigmatic in his role . Somewhere along the way , he stumbled into playing bad boys , as he does later on in " Conspirator " as well , and these roles suit him . Hepburn once said that Spencer Tracy made her seem very feminine ; Taylor does too . I have to add that I did find the casting quite odd but inspired , with Hepburn and Mitchum cast against type , and Hepburn paired with Taylor . I wish we had seen more of this in Hollywood .
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493,840 | 342,623 | 39,041 | 8 |
wonderfully acted and directed film
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On the brink of World War II , a man believed killed in World War I returns in " Tomorrow is Forever , " directed by Irving Pichel and starring Claudette Colbert , Orson Welles , George Brent , Richard Long , and Natalie Wood . After her husband John's death in the first world war , Elizabeth ( Colbert ) finds out she's pregnant . She ultimately makes a new life for herself with Lawrence ( Brent ) , and together they have a daughter . Lawrence raises the son ( Long ) as his own . When " Dr . Kessler " ( Welles ) , a scientist working with her husband , first appears at their home , Elizabeth doesn't realize it's John , who never returned to the U . S . because of his crippling , debilitating war wounds . He has a young child with him , Margaret ( Wood ) , who it turns out is the child of his late doctor and his wife . This is a beautifully done movie in every respect , including Max Steiner's music ( though a little strong at times ) , and holds the viewer's interest throughout . Colbert is lovely as a tormented woman who has to deal with the prospect of her son going off to war as his father did - and perhaps never returning . Her scene as she comes downstairs and sees Dr . Kessler for the first time is wonderful . Something about him startles and unnerves her immediately , and it's apparent on her face . Two young actors who died too young - Richard Long and Natalie Wood - also appear in the " Tomorrow is Forever . " Handsome Long , who would find success in television , makes a good impression in his first film . Wood , a blond here , is absolutely adorable and very accomplished , speaking German and then English with a German accent . Orson Welles is an actor whose magnificent presence , acting technique , and voice allowed him to basically phone in most roles - his whole purpose in movie acting was to make money for his film projects - but obviously Irving Pinchot didn't accept a phone-in from him . Welles gives a very touching and believable performance as both young John and the older , ill Dr . Kessler . " Living in the past will not bring back what you had , " he tells Elizabeth , " only destroy what you have . " A wonderful , wonderful movie . Have a box of tissues nearby .
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493,869 | 342,623 | 26,262 | 8 |
wild film
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Spencer Tracy travels the seven rungs of hell in " Dante's Inferno , " a 1935 film costarring Claire Trevor and notable for a dance sequence featuring Rita Hayworth , still Rita Cansino . I actually hadn't realized Hayworth was in the film , but when I saw the dancer's smile , I recognized her immediately . Tracy plays a man who lucks into carnival barking as a result of meeting a man , played by Henry B . Walthall , who runs a concession known as " Dante's Inferno . " Walthall soon becomes Tracy's father-in-law , and Tracy becomes a successful businessman . He launches a huge , gaudy Inferno employing ruthless means to get the property . Though a wonderful husband and father , in his corporate world , he stops at nothing to get what he wants , including cheating , bribery , and ignoring possible dangers . The consequences are disastrous . The film has an obvious allegory , and I'm still laughing at a previous poster who noted that when Walthall goes through a book with Tracy and the seven rungs of hell come to life , everyone had great physiques so hell must not take chubsters ! It's true ! Other than hell's preference for perfect 10s , the effects are amazing - the Inferno concession , the images in the book that come to life , and the fantastic ship scene which uses the Inferno images to great effect . Spencer Tracy is excellent in his role , a tender dad , sweet husband and cruel businessman all at the same time . Claire Trevor is young and lovely and provides strong support for Tracy . A very interesting film and highly recommended .
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493,913 | 342,623 | 65,063 | 8 |
Remember : You can't wear a beige shirt to rob a bank !
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Take the Money and Run is an absolutely hilarious Woody Allen film , done in a quasi-documentary style , about a career criminal , Virgil Starkwell , who has a very unsuccessful career . His prison breaks don't go as planned , his robberies are a disaster and usually coincide with someone else's robbery of the same place , and his planning of a job would be fine if only he weren't talking to the police in the booth behind him . One nice perk of failure : while attempting to rob a young woman's purse , he falls in love with her ( Janet Margolin ) . Virgil does admit at one point thinking of foregoing robbery and taking up a career in singing . He doesn't mention the cello , which gave him his start in music - and crime . This is one of those laugh out loud even when you're alone movies of which there are all too few . But this is one . Over a tough , FBI-type narration , we watch Virgil's futile attempts at making money through crime , see his parents ( disguised ) interviewed , as well as his wife and the various police and investigators he meets along the way . It's amazing to look at this film and then look at " Match Point " done 35 years later and see the evolution of this brilliant man . Woody Allen is capable of rock-solid comedy as well as provocative movie-making . Although he's had a few blips along the way , one wonders what he'll think of next .
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493,725 | 342,623 | 382,625 | 8 |
Tom Hanks and the Holy Grail
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Right off , I admit to not having read the book " The Da Vinci Code " but I was familiar with the story before seeing the film . Due to the lackluster reviews this movie received , I decided to rent it rather than rush out and see it . I find sometimes that films not well received in the theater do better as rentals . I'm not sure why . It may be the shelling out of so much money to see a film nowadays . Nevertheless , I suspect I had a better experience than some people . I won't bother to repeat the story , but I am one person who did not find this film dull , lackluster , or felt like nothing was happening . I found it suspenseful and interesting , with good performances , Ian McKellan being a standout . The scenery was stunning , as was the musical score - the whole look and sound was that of a very big money production , which of course it was . I liked both Tom Hanks and Audrey Tatou - Hanks never imposes himself on the material , so he didn't try to make more of the Robert Langdon character than is there - which isn't much . Just about anyone could have played the part . Hanks was the icing on an expensive cake . Audrey Tatou was very good in her role . But these parts take a back seat to the intricate and controversial story . " The Da Vinci Code " is provocative , exciting , and well done . My only complaint is that it had several of what I call false endings - i . e . , you think the film is over and it isn't . I loved the true ending - once it got there .
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493,659 | 342,623 | 365,076 | 8 |
The more things change . . .
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This is an excellent look at women in the pre-Code films . Narrated by Jane Fonda , it is extremely thought-provoking in this age of wardrobe malfunctions , hue and cry over a sexy Paris Hilton commercial , and Nicole Sheridan dropping a towel during a an ad on Super Bowl Sunday . I found this documentary comforting in a way - 70 + years later , we're still going through all the same stuff we did back then . The way things are going , we'll be back in 1933 before you know it . Fonda narrates with a lot of expression as she takes the viewer through pre-code movies showing prostitutes , women sleeping their way to the top , menage at trois , bisexuality , abortion , and unfaithful wives . If you're not familiar with movies done before Breen and Hays , this will be a revelation .
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493,914 | 342,623 | 43,915 | 8 |
Sweet film , with Cary at his handsomest and best
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Cary Grant is Dr . Praetorius , an unconventional medical doctor / professor / part-time conductor of the student orchestra who marries a pregnant , unmarried student ( Jeanne Crain ) in " People Will Talk , " a 1951 film also starring Hume Cronyn , Sidney Blackmer , and Walter Slezak . Grant first encounters Crain when she faints in his class . When she learns ( from him ) that she's pregnant , she clumsily tries to commit suicide after explaining that she could never tell her father ( Blackmer ) . In order to keep her from trying again , Grant informs her that her tests were switched with someone else's . By now - and it's been not very long - she's in love with him . After Grant visits the farm where she and her father live - run by her impossible uncle - they marry . The subplot is Hume Cronyn , as the weaselly Professor Elmwell , is desperate to get something on Dr . Praetorius ' past to discredit him . The best way to do this is to find out the past of " Shunderson , " ( Finlay Currie ) the old , usually silent man who is with Praetorius constantly . Grant is always handsome , but for some reason in this film , he seems even handsomer . Maybe it's because he was at such a perfect age for a man , 47 . His role is fairly serious but not without some wonderful scenes , including one where he , Sidney Blackmer , and Walter Slezak , who plays a friend , are running toy trains and they crash . Grant was the dispatcher , and he insists that he gave one man the signal beep , one the signal beep beep , etc . The argument is one of the best scenes in the film , to be topped only by the second last scene which is a hearing . The acting is fantastic , with people telling the craziest stories with perfectly straight faces . Crain is lovely as Mrs . Praetorius . Everyone does their roles to perfection - Finlay Currie's solemness makes him all the more delightful ; Hume Cronyn is hateful ; Walter Slezak is gregarious and bouncy , and Sidney Blackmer as Crain's sedate father gives no hint of his character of Roman in " Rosemary's Baby " some years later . Grant is a gem , his line readings as impeccable as his appearance . His confrontation with Hume Cronyn near the end is fabulous . This is a wonderful film that can't help but put you in a good mood . It's about humanity , it's very much of its time - and of our time , too . As an added bonus , the music ( conducted by Dr . Praetorius ) is great as well .
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495,176 | 342,623 | 43,914 | 8 |
Spencer Tracy uplifts a familiar plot
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An excellent performance by Spencer Tracy in " The People Against O'Hara " lifts this all too familiar plot line to a different level . Tracy is an alcoholic who , for the sake of his health and sobriety , becomes a civil attorney , only to be drawn back into criminal work when neighborhood friends need him to defend their son . The son is played by a pre-Gunsmoke , blond James Arness , and it was a pleasure to see him do something besides the one-note Matt Dillon . Diana Lynn does an excellent job as Tracy's protective daughter , and a pathetically young Richard Anderson is her patient fiancé . Tracy's performance drives the film , which is really just an excuse for a character study , and who better to essay it . He beautifully shows the man's torment and loss of abilities . The ending is tense and suspenseful . There is a fine cast , including the above , Pat O'Brien John Hodiak , Eduardo Cianelli , and William Campbell ( who in real life was for a time married to Judith Exner , the woman who went public with her affair with JFK ) . I think Spencer Tracy is always worth watching , and this film is no exception .
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493,987 | 342,623 | 38,975 | 8 |
It was a dark and stormy night
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Dorothy Mcguire is a mute young woman in " The Spiral Staircase , " a 1946 film also starring Ethel Barrymore , George Brent , Elsa Lanchester , Gordon Oliver , Rhonda Fleming , and Kent Smith . Helen ( Mcguire ) , whose job it is to help care for the bedridden Mrs . Warren , has mutism brought on by the trauma of seeing her parents burn in a fire . In the house also are two half-brothers - Steve ( Oliver ) , who is involved with his brother's secretary ( Fleming ) and the older Professor Warren ( Brent ) . There have been a series of murders of young women with some sort of affliction - lameness , etc . , and Mrs . Warren wants Helen to leave the house with the doctor ( Smith ) who wants to cure her mutism and also marry her . She knows somehow that the killer is in the house and that Helen is in danger . While the story may be somewhat predictable , based on a novel and a Mary Roberts Rhinehart story , the direction by Robert Siodmak is not . The atmosphere , location and suspense are among the best you'll see in any film : the old , dark house , the stairs , and best of all , the rainy darkness . I personally thought the killer was rather obvious but it didn't spoil my enjoyment at all . Mcguire , whom I saw on stage in the ' 70s , was a wonderful actress who was brought to Hollywood originally to recreate her Broadway success , " Claudia . " Her role in " The Spiral Staircase " is a far cry from the lightness of the child bride in " Claudia " - she is pretty , courageous yet vulnerable , and a young girl in the throes of love . Helen is frustrated and unhappy that she's unable to speak but in a way , she's afraid to hope for a change . Yet from the beginning we see that Helen isn't afraid of anything - she really wants to see what's going on at the murder scene in the beginning of the film . Barrymore is in her typical role of the grand dame , and the rest of the cast is just fine , Lanchester hitting the right note as a maid who loves the bottle . The ending is fantastic . The whole film is fast-paced and portends danger around every corner . Truly one of my favorite films . Highly recommended .
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494,422 | 342,623 | 112,740 | 8 |
Lots of action and good performances
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Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington face off aboard a submarine in " Crimson Tide , " a 1995 film fearing George Dzunda , Viggo Mortensen , Matt Craven , James Gandolfini , and Rick Shroeder . It's obvious from this site that there are people who have a lot to say about Naval procedures as they were shown in this film . I can only comment on what I saw on the screen , but I do appreciate what these people wrote . In the beginning of the film , Lt . Commander Hunter ( Washington ) is made executive officer under Captain Ramsey ( Hackman ) on the submarine USS Alabama . The premise of the film is that there is a coup in the old Soviet Union , and a rebel group there has taken control of a Soviet sub base . The Alabama is on the alert , and exchange torpedoes with a Soviet sub . Unfortunately , during that altercation , a command received is cut off when damage occurs to a cable . The question then becomes whether or not to attack since no one is sure what the government communication is ordering . Hunter and Ramsey disagree on what should be done . Hunter wants to wait until they know what the order says ; Ramsey wants to fire . " Crimson Tide " is well structured and builds beautifully both in the story and in the relationship between Ramsey and Hunter . The tension between them increases slowly , neither man showing his true colors , but it keeps the viewer on edge throughout , as does the situation with the torpedoes . This makes for gripping , exciting drama . Washington gives a very cerebral and controlled performance as the young Hunter , who is well educated and well qualified , but new to battle . When it's time for him to show what he's made of , he does , and it's worth waiting for . Hackman as the seasoned commander is tough and edgy . You're not exactly sure what he's thinking , and right until the end of the film , he continues to surprise . Both men do excellent jobs , and there is fine support from Dzunda , Mortensen , Gandolfini and Craven . Rick Shroeder has a small but showy role . Though much of this may have been unrealistic , the real story is the conflict between these two men , each with their strengths and weaknesses . Since this war of temperaments is conducted by two master actors , " Crimson Tide " is not to be missed .
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494,551 | 342,623 | 26,144 | 8 |
Great , great fun
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Robert Taylor is a Broadway producer and Eleanor Powell is his ex-girlfriend from Albany who wants a chance in his Broadway show in " Broadway Melody of 1936 , " also starring Jack Benny , Sid Silvers , Buddy and Vilma Ebsen , June Keith , Frances Langford , and Una Merkel . The plot is thin , as it often is with a musical is all singing and dancing , so who cares . But this plot is extra fun - Benny , as a columnist , creates a fake French star , La Belle Arlette ( the name of his cigar ) to tantalize Taylor , who can't find a lead for his new show . When Taylor's secretary finds Benny's assistant , played by Sid Silvers , sleeping in Arlette drag with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth , she knows it's a hoax . In the meantime , Taylor refuses to give sweet , unspoiled Parker a chance and escorts her to the train to Albany . Soon afterward , he meets Arlette , a fabulous singer and tap dancer . The songs include The Broadway Melody . " " You Are My Lucky Star . " " I Gotta Feelin ' You're Foolin ' , " " Sing Before Breakfast , " " All I Do Is Dream of You , " " On a Sunday Afternoon , " " Broadway Rhythm . " " I Gotta Feelin ' You're Foolin ' " won the Academy Award for best dance direction . Funny thing about MGM - they let their non-singing leading men do their own singing and dubbed their non-singing female stars . Taylor actually sings in this , and , like Jimmy Stewart , his voice is pleasant enough . Taylor is stunning , no doubt in the film for box office . Powell is fantastic - great dancing - not just tap but ballet - and her comedy is wonderful . Have to say I LOVED both her disguise and disguised persona . For some reason , I much prefer this to " Born to Dance , " but don't ask me why . It was also a pleasure to see a young Frances Langford and Ebsen dance with his sister , who would soon retire . A real treat .
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493,493 | 342,623 | 43,873 | 8 |
Nice film with a young Rock and James Dean
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Charles Coburn gives the family of the woman who rejected him $100 , 000 in " Has Anybody Seen My Gal , " a delightful 1952 comedy set in the 1920s . It's directed by Douglas Sirk and also stars Piper Laurie , Gigi Perreau , Lynn Bari , William Reynolds and Skip Homeier . It seems that when Samuel Fulton was a young man , the young woman who turned him down spurned him on to great things . Now , with no heirs , he wants to leave her family his money . Despite his belief that he's dying , he heads to their hometown and moves in on them as a " Mr . Smith " in order to observe them when they are presented with a check for $100 , 000 . Rock Hudson has a supporting role in this film - he plays a soda jerk and the love interest of Piper Laurie . Dancing the Charleston , he is darn cute . And if you think the kid at the soda fountain giving old man Fulton a hard time is James Dean , you're right , it is . People often say that James Dean only made three films . Wrong . He only STARRED in three films . Gigi Perreau is adorable without being cloying . Piper Laurie , in a Debbie Reynolds type of role , does a good job , though later on , she would shine more in drama . But at this point , she and Rock were just paying their dues along with William Reynolds , who became a TV actor . This is Coburn's film all the way - he's a riot as an old codger who gets a dose of health and love from the family and gives some back in return . " Has Anybody Seen My Gal " demonstrates the fine directing gifts of Douglas Sirk whose name would become synonymous with big budget soap operas . But in 1952 , it was fun all the way with Coburn and Universal's stable of young players .
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493,971 | 342,623 | 369,053 | 8 |
Excellent depiction of a relationship and its complexities
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Another great Tom Wilkinson performance punctuates " Separate Lies , " a 2005 film also starring Emily Watson , Linda Bassett and Rupert Everett . Directed by Julian Fellowes , it's the story of a married couple , James and Ann Manning where the husband ( Wilkinson ) believes he and his wife ( Watson ) are happy together . An accident near their house on the night they have a party brings the police around . It is a hit and run that killed their maid Maggie's Bassett ) husband . James becomes suspicious of a neighbor , Bill Bule ( Everett ) when he sees some damage on his car . He confronts Bule , who admits he did it and promises to go to the police the next day . When James arrives home , Ann is angry that he is making such a big deal out of it and states that she was driving the car . Of course , James then isn't so eager to rush to the police . She suggests that they call Bule and tell him their decision . " Oh , f _ _ _ Bule , " James says . " Well , that's just it , " Ann says . " I am f _ _ _ ing Bule . " James ' devastation is just the beginning in this well-crafted drama . Without giving the plot away , this is a good example of how gender switching changes a story . Example of what I mean : Susan Smith drives her car into a lake and her children drown . She gets life in prison . What if the father had done it ? The chair . You'd be surprised how often the outcome would be different . The same is true here - if it had been James having the affair and doing the subsequent activities , viewers might feel differently about the story . If Ann were in James ' place , it would be shattering . As it is , it's tremendously sad . Tom Wilkinson is heartbreaking as a man blindsided by the woman he adores , and Emily Watson does a beautiful job as Ann , who , once she frees herself from her lies - her involvement in the accident and the happy marriage - knows what she has to do . Rupert Everett as Bule is very effective - indolent , uppity and ultimately in need . Everyone here is very civilized in their dealings with one another , and no one is all good or all bad . There are separate lies - James that his marriage is happy , Ann's as listed above - and there is one uniting lie - the accident , about which all parties keep quiet . It's enough for Ann that Maggie knows . In the end , all must deal with the separate lies that the single lie uncovered . Brilliant film .
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493,498 | 342,623 | 56,541 | 8 |
Newman and Page - yowza !
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Geraldine Page , Paul Newman , Madeline Sherwood and Rip Torn all recreate their Broadway roles for the film version of " Sweet Bird of Youth , " a 1962 film based on Tennessee Williams ' play and directed by Richard Brooks . Again and as usual , some bite has been taken out of the original story in order to get past the censors . Geraldine Page is the drunk , drugged and over the hill movie star Alexandra del Lago , who has picked up with a Hollywood gigolo , Chance Wayne and promised him a film career . At present she's escaping from what she perceives as a disastrous comeback . Chance returns with her to his home town , yearning for the respectability and success that has eluded him . Instead he runs into trouble from his ex-girlfriend's crooked politician father , Tom Finley ( Ed Begley ) and Finley's son , Tom Jr . ( Rip Torn ) who want him out of town because of what happened to Heavenly ( Shirley Knight ) . In the play , Chance has given Heavenly a venereal disease ; in the film , she's had an abortion . Chance desperately tries to see and speak with Heavenly , appealing to her Aunt Nonnie ( Mildred Dunnock ) , but it leads to more trouble than he bargained for . Page is a powerhouse as Alexandra , more glamorous than we're used to seeing her and as sloppy a drunk and druggie as you'll ever find . Alexandra's a selfish user , and she's got the technique down pat . The role of Chance , another selfish user , came fairly early on in the handsome Newman's career - he came very close to being typecast as these fast-talking amoral men . In those days , Newman struggled with a lack of emotional availability and these roles fit him beautifully . Thankfully he grew to encompass parts in films such as he had in " The Verdict " and became one of our greatest American actors . Madeline Sherwood , so effective in " Cat on a Hot Tin Roof , " is equally good here as Boss Finley's girlfriend ; her scene with Begley in her hotel room is truly terrifying . Begley is fantastic , mean as dirt , as is Torn as his equally cruel son . And " Desperate Housewives " fans will be interested to see a slim , pretty Shirley Knight as Heavenly , a somewhat vapid role for such a strong actress . The DVD has a screen test for Chance by Rip Torn , who would later marry Page . He and Page perform a scene between Alexandra and Chance from the play - though the scene is in the film , it has been changed slightly . It's total stage acting , quite different from the film , but both are excellent , Torn giving Chance a lot of intensity . Though in those days he was very good-looking , he probably didn't come off as enough of a boy toy for the producers . It's a very interesting extra and well worth seeing , as is this somewhat watered-down " Sweet Bird of Youth . "
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494,764 | 342,623 | 217,869 | 8 |
intriguing
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Needless to say , after Sixth Sense , I watched this film with high expectations . Though it's no Sixth Sense , M . Night is one of the most interesting storytellers around . He manages to hold the audience's interest even with a rather slow pace which somehow didn't feel boring . This is a film about skewed perspective - we see constant images of things upside down . It's about opposites - comic book heroes and villains , ying and yang . And , as seems to be M . Night's trademark , it's about surprises . I'll take one of his movies over any overhyped junk any day .
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494,307 | 342,623 | 70,591 | 8 |
oh , this was absolutely wonderful
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This episode of " The Men Who Made the Movies " is fantastic because it features Raoul Walsh telling stories to students and talking with Richard Schickel ( with questions edited out ) about his life and career . He had a wonderful sense of humor , a great memory , and the students enjoyed what he had to say immensely . Walsh was a director kept very busy by Warner Brothers , and his descriptions of encounters with Jack Warner are hilarious . He talks about working with Bogart , Cagney , Flynn , George Raft , and all the tricks he played on them while shooting . There is a lot of footage from " White Heat , " " Gentleman Jim , " " They Died with their Boots On , " and also footage of Walsh as an actor playing John Wilkes Booth in a silent film . He also talks about discovering John Wayne for " The Big Trail " and picking the name Anthony Wayne for him , after a character in a book he liked . This was an invaluable episode . I wish IMDb had the Sam Fuller segment listed - perhaps I will try to add it myself - which was also excellent and featured the flamboyant Mr . Fuller talking about his work and life . We have some fine directors today , but these rough and tumble guys were from another era , and what they have to say is priceless . Worth every second of viewing .
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494,161 | 342,623 | 286,106 | 8 |
not your typical sci-fi thriller
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If you went to this movie expecting a typical sci-fi thriller , you doubtless left disappointed . If you went to this movie to see an M . Shamalayan Night film , you probably loved it , as I did . For me , the sci-fi aspects were a device to explore the lost faith of the Mel Gibson character , a man who had abandoned the ministry after a tragedy struck his family . The film asks the questions , are we alone in the world ( and he's not talking about aliens ) and is there such a thing as a coincidence ? In one particularly striking scene , as he talks with his brother , Gibson's bitterness comes through . I happen to think there's a place for spirituality in film and I love Night's take on it . I also like his old-fashioned type of film-making , the way he pays hommage to the greats and the way he surprises us . Night believes we don't listen enough , and if we do , there are messages abounding for us . I'd rather see this than a pretentious , dark , depressing film that pretends to say something .
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494,534 | 342,623 | 101,126 | 8 |
a Dominick Dunne soap opera about the lives of the rich and powerful
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Inconvenient Woman is a fabulous miniseries , based on the book by Dominick Dunne . Dunne took the plot partially from the Alfred Bloomingdale scandal . The movie is hot stuff , starring Rebecca de Mornay as Flo , the waitress who attracts the wealthy Jules , played by Jason Robards . Jules and his wife ( Jill Eikenberry ) are married in name only . Jules falls for Flo and sets her up in grand style . As the title suggests , Flo becomes inconvenient , particularly after Jules dies suddenly . The film is peppered with slimeballs , and they're all excellent , including Roddy Macdowell , Chad Lowell , Grant Cramer , and Alex Rocco . DeMornay is perfect casting as Flo . Peter Gallagher is the writer on whom it falls to tell Flo's story , and Chelsea Field is his love interest from a high social station . An Inconvenient Woman is entertaining , interesting , and sad . I loved it .
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494,099 | 342,623 | 43,827 | 8 |
Bob Hope in a dual role
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1951's " My Favorite Spy " stars Bob Hope , Hedy Lamarr , Francis L . Sulllivan and Mike Mazurki . Hope plays Peanuts White , a burlesque comedian , who bears a strong resemblance to a spy , Eric Augustine . When Augustine is injured , the government gets Peanuts to go in his place to Tangier with $1 million to collect some microfilm . Peanuts , like Hope's other characters , is a bona fide coward , but he goes after Harry Truman talks with him on the phone . ( " Oh , she's out on tour ? " Hope asks , referring to Truman's daughter Margaret , who at that time was pursuing a singing career . ) When Peanuts arrives in Tangier , he meets the woman with whom Eric was previously involved , the beautiful nightclub singer Lily Dalbray . She's under orders from the other side to get the microfilm , so she acts as if she's ready to resume things with Eric . Unfortunately , the real Eric escapes from the hospital and makes his way to Tangier , causing the situation to become even more confusing as everyone chases everyone else . Hope is very funny in this and does indeed create a second role in Eric Augustine , who has a much darker persona than Peanuts . There are some great laughs , my favorite scene being Hedy and Peanuts dancing in the hotel while his contact tries to get his attention . The part where Lamarr drives a fire engine while Hope hangs onto the ladder is funny as well . Hedy Lamarr was 36 or so at the time of the filming and looks glorious , particularly in the form-fitting white sequined gown she wears during her nightclub act . It's so unfortunate that in Hollywood , once a woman turned 30 , lead roles became so difficult to get . Lamarr was one of the most beautiful and glamorous women in film - at any age . She's basically straight man to Hope here and holds her own in what is a Dorothy Lamour part , right down to the nightclub act . She contributes to the foreign flavor of the film . This isn't Hope's best film , but it's still very good with some great bits and laughs .
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494,083 | 342,623 | 26,184 | 8 |
Forget that it's supposed to be Perry Mason and love it !
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The Case of the Curious Bride is one of the Perry Mason films of the 1930s that starred Warren William as Perry . Erle Stanley Gardner hated these films with a passion . His 1930s Perry in the books was a passionate young man given to intense speeches . He mellowed later on , of course , and it was Gardner himself who saw Burr at the audition for Hamilton Burger and said , " That's Perry Mason . " ( The original star of the series was supposed to be Fred MacMurray . ) So it's easy to see why Gardner despised everything about this particular Mason incarnation . Regardless of how Gardner felt , this film is a lot of fun , thanks to a breezy performance by Warren William , who flirts shamelessly with every woman who crosses his path and fools the DA time and time again . The dialogue is fast and witty , and Curtiz keeps the action going at a breakneck speed . Allan Jenkins is Paul Drake like you've never seen him - Perry calls him Spudsy - - and Della is the beautiful Clare Dodd . Margaret Lindsay is the woman Perry is defending , who comes to him with a marital problem , i . e . , the husband she thought was dead is alive - at first . Later , he winds up dead , in the person of . . . Errol Flynn in his first American appearance - and his wife is accused . Flynn doesn't have much to do except appear in flashback . For some reason , instead of Los Angeles , the story is set in San Francisco - more atmosphere , perhaps . William seems to have had the same approach to this character as he had for Philo Vance and the Sam Spade character he played in Satan Met a Lady , but he's so delightful , it doesn't matter . He always looks like he's having a blast , and the audience does too . Hard to believe that until he hit B movies in the mid-'30s , he generally played heavies , but he did , and played them well . When his leading man days were over , he continued in character roles until his death in 1948 . How great that we can see his talent now on Turner Classic Movies . This film is a great reminder that during the Depression , Hollywood gave audiences films that to enjoy and watch to forget their troubles for awhile . I'm not in the Depression per se ; I'm just depressed , but " The Case of the Curious Bride " put a smile on my face . It will yours , too .
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494,351 | 342,623 | 122,541 | 8 |
Truly excellent filming of a classic
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Jeremy Northam is " An Ideal Husband " who's about to get his clock cleaned by Julianne Moore in this gorgeous rendition of Oscar Wilde's play , also starring Rupert Everett , Cate Blanchett , and Minnie Driver . Northam is Sir Robert Chiltern , happily married to his lovely and adoring wife , Lady Gertrude ( Blanchett ) and guardian to his unmarried sister Mabel ( Driver ) . He is in Parliament and opposed to an Argentine canal project . Then he is visited by Mrs . Laura Cheveley ( Moore ) who tries to blackmail him into approving the project . She knows how he gained his wealth and position . If his wife finds out , she'll be devastated . In desperation , he turns to his bachelor friend Lord Arthur Goring ( Everett ) for help . Goring attempts to help , and for a while , it looks like he made things worse . This witty comedy is given wonderful direction by Oliver Parker , and the production is sumptuous . The actors all underplay , letting the brilliance of the material come through . Especially funny is the scene where everyone is in a different room of Lord Goring's house , with no one aware that the other is present . Most times , you'd see a scene like this with the host a frazzled mess , running around , trying to keep everyone quiet and hidden . Here , Everett never changes his expression and is unflappable , making the situation funnier . Highly recommended as the way a classic play should be filmed .
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494,404 | 342,623 | 35,169 | 8 |
Funny , wacky comedy of the ' 40s
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Claudette Colbert is a knockout who knows it . She wants the good life , which her inventor husband can't give her . So she leaves him , intending on marrying someone who can support her and finance his invention . Things don't quite work out . The opening of " Palm Beach Story " is a bizarre scene that only makes some sense ( and I'm emphasizing some ) at the very end of the film . It's certainly an original way to start a movie . There are some hilarious scenes in this film - desperate to get to Palm Beach for a quickie divorce , but with no money , Colbert accepts the invitation of the gentlemanly Ale and Quail Club to ride in their private train car as their guest and mascot . Unfortunately , the emphasis in this club is the ale and not the quail - shooting sugar cubes will do - also blowing out train windows , trashing whole train cars - you get the idea . Running from them , Colbert soon meets up with Rudy Vallee , who gives an absolutely delightful performance as a filthy rich man . He serenades her at one point , and it's great , hearkening back to his days as a crooner ! Mary Astor is his many times married sister , and when Colbert's husband shows , in the form of Joel McCrea , Astor sees her next mark . McCrea has a funny slapstick fall down a flight of stairs , but otherwise , doesn't have much to do except be angry and jealous of his wife . Colbert in her glorious clothes , Vallee , and a vivacious Astor upstage him a bit . A very funny film , produced during World War II to give America a much-needed laugh .
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494,689 | 342,623 | 38,984 | 8 |
A sudser with two Bettes and one Glenn
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Bette Davis is Kate and her twin Pat in " A Stolen Life , " a 1946 film which also stars Glenn Ford , Walter Brennan , Charles Ruggles , and Dane Clark . We first see Davis as the artist Kate visiting the family's New England cottage ( these people have homes everywhere ) . There she meets the drop-dead gorgeous lighthouse man Bill ( Ford , in his first role after the war ) . She falls hard . Then we find out she has a twin sister who is much less reserved , sexier , and who goes after what she wants . On her way to a lunch date , Pat sees Bill , who mistakes her for Kate . One look at him , and she's ready to play along . But really , who could blame her ? That day , Bill finds out that Kate is a twin , and that Pat turns him on - while he's only fond of Kate . Nature takes its course , and guess which Bette gets left out . This is a very entertaining movie with Davis creating two different characters . In the very beginning , you don't know Davis has a twin . She returns home and enters her room with the light off , and her sister starts talking to her from the other side of the room - with a perkier voice , so not even that gives it away . Slowly , we realize they're identical twins , and that she hasn't let Bill into the house because her sister is a man magnet . Glenn Ford is one film away from big stardom in " A Stolen Life " - - next , he would romance Rita Hayworth in " Gilda . " At 30 , he was stunningly handsome with the easygoing , gentle , and sweet manner that would hold him in good stead for the next 45 years . Truly an ideal leading man . He and Davis get excellent support from Charles Ruggles , in a nice performance as the girls ' cousin , and Walter Brennan , Ford's irascible lighthouse boss . Dane Clark's role is somewhat troublesome . In the John Garfield vein , he plays a rough , temperamental artist who teaches Kate to paint better and becomes interested in her , but his role drops off . The entire role could have been cut . Davis was 37 when she made this film , which she produced herself . With three years left on her contract , it was sadly her last hit at Warners . Deservedly so , because she is terrific in the dual roles . She would repeat this device later on in her career with " Dead Ringer , " and some of the plot points are reminiscent of that film . Wonderfully entertaining and a must for Davis and Ford fans .
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493,479 | 342,623 | 43,792 | 8 |
Delightful light comedy
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The Mating Season is a 1951 film that stars Gene Tierney , Thelma Ritter , John Lund , Jan Sterling , Miriam Hopkins and Larry Keating . Tierney and Lund play newlyweds Maggie and Val McNulty - she's a blue blood but broke , and he's up and coming in the corporate world . Val's mom Ellen ( Ritter ) owns a hamburger place but loses it and comes to see her son , only to find out he's getting married . Ellen makes her excuses and works until she has enough money for a new outfit . Then she calls on her new daughter-in-law - only to be mistaken as a maid hired to help with a party the couple is throwing . Ellen is a big hit , and , swearing her son to secrecy , stays on in the house . Then Maggie's arrogant , spoiled mother ( Miriam Hopkins ) comes to town to stay with Maggie and Val . Four becomes a crowd . This is a very sweet , funny film with wonderful ensemble acting and great characters . Tierney has her familiar hairdo ( which around this time she didn't always have ) and looks gorgeous . She's totally charming as Maggie . Lund does a good job as her harried husband , who wants to make good and has just a touch - a slight touch - of being a jerk . It's a weakness that we forgive him for later on . Of course , Ritter steals the show as Ellen , doing a role very familiar to her - a mouthy servant . Hopkins is bigger than life as Maggie's totally obnoxious mother , and Larry Keating is a delight as Val's boss ' father , who has better values than his son will ever have . Jan Sterling has a small part as Val's former girlfriend . As usual , she looks cheap and acts cheaper . Lots of fun - don't miss it .
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493,484 | 342,623 | 34,965 | 8 |
very funny , with Edward G . Robinson heading a great cast
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Larceny , Inc . is a 1942 film starring Edward G . Robinson , Broderick Crawford , Jane Wyman , Anthony Quinn , Jack Carson , Ed Brophy , Jackie Gleason and Henry Davenport . The idea behind this film consciously or subconsciously may have inspired Woody Allen's " Small Time Crooks . " Gangsters buy a luggage shop situated next to a bank in order to break through the wall into the bank vault ; instead , they find themselves dragged kicking and screaming into legitimacy . Edward G . Robinson is " Pressure , " an ex-con who at first tries to keep customers out of the store ( " if a customer comes in , blow him off " ) - but when he tells the young woman like a daughter to him ( Wyman ) that he's sincere , she starts working with a luggage salesman ( Carson ) on big promotions . Soon the store is jumping with customers . The merchants on the street ask for Pressure's support - the street is being torn up , and it's right before Christmas ; he becomes their hero . However , when an ex con comes into the store to borrow money , he realizes the store is a front for a bank robbery and goes back and tells a scary prisoner , Leo ( Quinn ) who escapes and decides to do the job himself . The funniest scene is the aggravated Robinson wrapping a suitcase when a customer asks for gift-wrapping . Robinson is hilarious - he could be doing Little Ceasar , he takes it so seriously , and he's all the funnier for it . Broderick Crawford did some comedy before " All the King's Men " - he's excellent as a dumb associate of Pressure's who's digging the hole to the bank . Jackie Gleason plays a soda jerk - and makes the most of it . Wyman and Carson don't have much to do , alas . The rest of the cast is uniformly delightful . This is a real gem - " Small Time Crooks " takes the basic plot and goes in another direction with it - both are wonderful films . Try and catch this one on TCM .
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495,050 | 342,623 | 91,541 | 8 |
The home version of " The Poseidon Adventure "
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Tom Hanks and Shelley Long star in this hilarious film about a couple who buy a million dollar home for $200 , 000 - only to find out it's going to cost close to a million to repair it ! Wood rot , raccoons in the dumbwaiter , a bad roof , bad plumbing , bad electricity - you name it , this house has it . Hard to choose the funniest scene - the staircase collapse or Hanks getting dumped in cement . The entire cast is excellent , from Maureen Stapleton , the former homeowner whose boyfriend is being deported , Hanks ' clients ( he's an entertainment attorney ) , the many workers who populate the house , or Douglass Watson , Hanks ' embezzler father who now lives in Rio . It would also be hard to choose the funniest line , but for anyone who has owned a home , probably the Shirks Brothers line when their team comes to repair the house - " Your name came up in a drawing - we work today ! "
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494,396 | 342,623 | 39,302 | 8 |
stylish noir with Bogie and Bacall
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Set in San Francisco , " Dark Passage " stars Humphrey Bogart as an escaped convict who was found guilty of killing his wife , and Lauren Bacall , as the woman who helps him . The Bogart character knows someone framed him for the murder and is desperate to get away from the police . To accomplish this , with the help of a chatty cab driver ( Tom D'Andrea ) , he has his face changed by plastic surgery . Though Bogart's distinctive voice is present throughout , the first part of the film uses the subjective camera , a la " Lady of the Lake . " In " Lady of the Lake , " the camera was at all sorts of odd angles and at one point , focused on a mirror where the viewer could see the face of Robert Montgomery . In this film , the camera is less obtrusive . Either that , or because it's an icon like Bogart , the viewer pictures him even though he's not on camera . After the plastic surgery , Bogart is revealed . The plot is okay , but it's really an excuse for great chemistry between the two stars , a rich atmosphere , and some wonderful cinematography . The idea of loneliness is everywhere ; it's in the bus station , it's in the isolated way that the Bacall character lives . And it's also about taking a chance and reaching out . Bogart gives a strong and honest performance , putting his strong presence to good use as he dominates the film even when only his voice is used . Bacall is at the height of her sultry beauty , with her luxurious hair framing a perfect bone structure , pouty lips , and sensuous eyes . She is absolutely fantastic to look at and listen to , and she imbues the role with vulnerability as well as a feeling of cold isolation and the loneliness she feels . The supercouple gets wonderful support from Tom D'Andrea , the Gillis of the Riley series I grew up with , Agnes Moorhead as a nasty friend of Bacall's , Bruce Bennett , and Houseley Stevenson as the excellent but borderline maniacal plastic surgeon . One almost expected thunder and lightning after he spoke . Very entertaining , highly recommended , and I loved the ending .
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493,784 | 342,623 | 240,772 | 8 |
Just great
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George Clooney , Brad Pitt , Matt Damon , Bernie Mac , Elliot Gould , Carl Reiner , Casey Affleck , Scott Caan , Shaobo Qin , Miguel Perez , and Livingston Dell make up " Ocean's Eleven , " a 2001 film directed by Steven Soderbergh . The film also stars Andy Garcia and Julia Roberts . This is a remake of the rat pack " Ocean's Eleven , " which I've never seen so I can't make comparisons . I suspect that this version has more emphasis on plot and the older one has more emphasis on the pack . The mastermind of a plot to rob Las Vegas ' Bellaggio Hotel vault of $160 million is Danny Ocean , a very recent ex-con who had lots of time on his hands in prison to plan it . With the help of his buddy , Rusty Ryan ( Pitt ) he recruits 9 people who specialize in a particular expertise to carry out the elaborate heist . Problems come in when Ocean , obsessed with his ex-wife ( Roberts ) , approaches her , to the annoyance of her present boyfriend , the owner of the hotel , Terry Benedict ( Garcia ) . He " makes " Danny by sending out a bulletin with Danny's photo to the hotel staff , which puts him out of his own plot at the insistence of Rusty . But Danny isn't one to exit easily , in either marriage or robberies . This is a fast-paced , tension-filled , exciting movie that's highly entertaining . The plot is completely improbable so you have to take it for what it is - fantastic fun . And you never know whether something is going wrong or if it's part of the plan . The chemistry between the actors , particularly Clooney and Pitt , is great , and there is some wonderful acting . Clooney is solid as Ocean , a passionate man of quiet determination ; Damon is terrific as an insecure participant ; Don Cheadle , sporting a Cockney accent , is hilarious as an explosives expert ; Elliot Gould is outrageous as their financial backer ; Carl Reiner is excellent as an older con man who can do accents . Just as they all contribute their different talents to the heist , they do so in this movie . This includes the acting in the smaller roles played by Bernie Mac et al - everyone is perfect . Andy Garcia is fabulous as Benedict - both elegant and scary , he whispers instead of shouts and stays in control for the most part . Megastar Roberts is wasted - she doesn't have much to do . Any actress could have done the role , but I guess the producers wanted an all-star cast . Highly recommended for blockbuster entertainment value and star power . Just don't look for it to be realistic .
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493,577 | 342,623 | 893,148 | 8 |
Fascinating show on Lifetime
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There are more things in heaven and earth , Horatio , Than are dreamt of in your philosophy . You have to approach " Lisa Williams : Life Among the Dead " with that attitude , or you'll hate it . Lisa , like Allison Dubois in Medium , sees and hears dead people . She's a real person ( as is Allison ) with a British accent , punk hairdo , sunny attitude and a husband and family . I don't have any idea how much the show is edited , but what appears on television is very interesting indeed , showing a strangely practical and paradoxically down to earth woman doing matter of fact , accurate readings for strangers on the street and others by appointment . How often she misses the mark , how many questions she asks , we don't know , again , because we don't know how much of the show is edited . Nevertheless , thanks to Lisa herself , this is a highly entertaining show , sometimes very touching and always fascinating . I have seen several episodes and then lost track of it . I hope Lifetime gets it on a set schedule .
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493,836 | 342,623 | 105,435 | 8 |
Entertaining film with a top cast
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Robert Redford , Sidney Poitier , Dan Ackroyd , Ben Kingsley , River Phoenix , David Strathairn , and Mary McDonnell star in " Sneakers , " a film about security guys who get involved in a scheme to steal for the government . Or so they think . Redford plays Martin Bishop , who has been on the run from the law since 1969 , when his friend Cosmos was caught hacking into some large bank accounts - like the Republican Party's , Richard Nixon's , etc . Bishop ( whose name back then was Brice ) was outside the building at the time and has been wanted ever since . Fast forward 20 + years and he's a securities expert in partnership with ex-CIA agent Poitier , Ackroyd , the blind Strathairn , and River Phoenix . The government wants them to get a black box invention from a Russian mathematician , promising to wipe Bishop's record clean . Except they turn out not to be the government . And the black box ? A decoder that can get into power plants , the Federal Reserve , and every other important place . This is a fast-paced , entertaining movie that has both funny and highly suspenseful moments . The story is way out there , the technical equipment is interesting and lots of it probably still holds up 16 years later , and the cast is great . I realize some of the comments are quite negative - I find " Sneakers " very enjoyable with great ensemble work and an intricate plot . Realistic ? Is Mission : Impossible ? If I wanted reality , I wouldn't be watching a movie .
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495,184 | 342,623 | 87,688 | 8 |
Tremendous acting in a though-provoking story
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Jack Lemmon and Zeljko Ivanek star in " Mass Appeal , " a 1984 film based on the Broadway play . It concerns a popular priest who is assigned a young , intense seminarian , Mark Dolson ( Ivanek ) . Dolson makes Father Farley question his values , his beliefs , and ultimately his courage to rock the boat . The conflict between these two men , exact opposites - one , Farley , who takes the easy way out every time - and Dolson , whose unabashed honesty causes constant difficult for himself - make for an absorbing drama . When Dolson's suitability for priesthood is at stake , Father Farley has to make a decision whether or not to ask his congregation for support , and in so doing , take a stand against a strictly by the book monsignor ( Charles Durning ) . The film throws a lot of Catholic beliefs into question , and I saw it at an interesting time in the Church's history , when priests are openly being accused of abuse of their ( usually male ) charges . This is also the subject of a play set in the ' 60s , the excellent Doubt . Abuse isn't the issue in " Mass Appeal , " but homosexuality in its way is , as the Monsignor suspects that two seminarians might be gay . When Dolson defends them , his sexuality becomes suspect also . Dolson's take is that it doesn't matter if the seminarians are gay or not - they are willing to take the vows of priesthood and live by them , as is he ( Dolson reveals his sexuality and past life experience during the film ) . One would be hard put to find better actors than Lemmon and Ivanek for their roles . Both are totally brilliant , giving full , deep characterizations of profoundly different men . Lemmon always cut to the chase , be it in drama or comedy . Missing are the technical machinations so many actors go through - all we see is an honest , naturalistic performance . The gifted Broadway actor Ivanek was still in his twenties when " Mass Appeal " was made . He holds his own with no problem against Lemmon . The rest of the cast is good , though the Durning character is a little too heavy-handed . An excellent film , wonderful script by Bill Davis that is both humorous and touching , with some beautiful music by Bill Conti . Underrated and recommended .
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494,364 | 342,623 | 35,016 | 8 |
Delightful Henry Fonda with a new philosophy
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A refreshing , funny film about a different kind of American dream - laziness . Dwight Dawson ( Don Ameche ) , peddling his success classes , launches a contest to find the laziest man in America . The plan is to turn the winner into an aggressive , driven success through his class and draw thousands of enrollees . The winner is Tad Page , beautifully portrayed by Henry Fonda . He's a happy man who feels that , though he's not rich , he has everything - he just wants the prize money to buy a fire engine for his town . He has no interest in taking Dawson's class . Then he falls in love - with Dawson's girlfriend ( Lynn Bari ) . This is a delightful movie about a man who has the true secret of life and is able to impart it to many he meets . As the original post indicated , it's a great life lesson and something to think about . The cast - Fonda , Ameche , Bari , Edward Everett Horton , are just great . The birthday party , during which Ameche and Horton try to keep Tad from realizing that Bari is Ameche's girlfriend - was especially funny . Highly recommended .
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493,690 | 342,623 | 52,278 | 8 |
Late Gable comedy
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Clark Gable quickly becomes " Teacher's Pet " in this 1958 film also starring Doris Day , Gig Young and Mamie van Doren . Gable plays gruff , self-educated reporter Jim Gannon who , after writing an insulting letter to a journalism teacher , is forced to go to the class by his boss . The teacher is Erica Stone ( Doris Day ) , and Gannon suddenly becomes very interested in learning . Using an assumed name , he impresses Erica with his natural talent for journalism , though he claims to be in the wallpaper business . He then learns that her father was a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist , and that she's being escorted around by a professor who hasn't got a thing wrong with him . This is a wonderful black and white comedy that Gable and Day perform beautifully and with great chemistry . Nowadays people comment on the age differences - I'm sure I didn't notice it the first time I saw the film , and it's one time where it doesn't matter . Gable gives us a fully-blown character , a man intimidated by his lack of education and therefore resentful of anyone who has one . In a wonderful scene between him and Nick Adams , who plays a high school dropout , he tells the young man that because of his lack of knowledge , " I've spent my life excusing myself from dinner tables and going to the mens room , and I don't want that to happen to you . " Day is a delight , relaxed , charming and beautiful . Her best scene is her imitation of Mamie Van Doren's nightclub act , singing " The Queen of Rock ' n ' Roll " to the embarrassment of Jim , who was seen with her by Erica and Hugo ( Young ) in a nightclub . Gig Young , who was nominated for an Oscar for his performance , is hilarious as superman Hugo , who believes drunkenness is nothing more than state of mine , speaks many languages , plays the bongos , and can exceed Jim's war service record . The confrontations between them are marvelous . In modern times , it's tough to find this intelligent kind of comedy anymore where there are actual characters who have their serious moments , but when one comes along , it's well worth it . " Teacher's Pet " is a great example of Hollywood at its finest - an excellent script , great stars in Day and Young , and a living legend , Clark Gable , doing what he'd been doing for thirty years .
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493,615 | 342,623 | 43,664 | 8 |
Slice of American life at the start of the Korean war
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I Want You is a 1951 film starring Dana Andrews , Dorothy McGuire , Farley Granger , Peggy Dow , Mildred Dunnock , and Martin Milner . The character that Dana Andrews plays , Martin Greer , is perhaps an extension of his character in " The Best Years of Our Lives " four years later . It's post-World War II , the men have returned , purchased homes , started families , and built businesses . Then troops begin to be sent to Korea and the draft letters start coming . The movie deals with the effect on a small-town family and the emotional exhaustion and recent memories of World War II . How difficult it must have been to go to war again , yet many did . Martin refuses to write a letter asking that one of his employees , whose father also works for him , be exempt due to being necessary to his business ; he begins an exemption letter for his brother at his mother's request , but he can't do it . In love with the daughter of a member of the draft board , Martin's brother Jack ( Granger ) believes that he is being drafted to put a distance between himself and his girlfriend ( Dow ) . " We both know the reason why my knee was exempt three months ago and isn't now , " he says to her father ( Ray Collins ) . When he suggests at dinner that rather than have people go into battle , the Army should just drop bombs , his sister-in-law ( McGuire ) throws him out of the house , causing bad blood between her and her in-laws . And it begins a domino effect : Jack and Martin's mother ( Dunnock ) goes home and trashes her living room , filled with war memorabilia supposedly brought back from battle by her husband ( Robert Keith ) but in truth purchased in pawn shops ; he spent the war as a general's orderly in a Paris hotel . What is fascinating is that some of the conversation sounds either like what one heard during the Vietnam days or hears today - one push of a button and we'll all be blown to bits and the desperation to get a deferment . Other parts are strictly Dark Ages : Jack's upper class girlfriend Carrie doesn't want to get married until she's 25 . She wants to travel , learn Japanese , and " maybe even get a job , " all of these things apparently not doable once she's married , the ultimate career goal . Most of the performances are excellent . McGuire gives a striking performance as a woman who lived as an army wife , and for whom the thought of her husband perhaps being asked to serve again brings up a lot of anger . " We've lived in this house two years , " she says . " Two years . Is that all the happiness people are allowed today ? . . . I don't want to be left alone anymore . " Dunnock's character is more restrained by equally effective in her disappointment in having to constantly say goodbye to her sons as they go to war . Matinée idol Granger , at the time under contract to the producer of the film , Sam Goldwyn , always had a youthful and likable screen personality , though he was never much of an actor . Dow is fairly one-note as his girlfriend ; she doesn't bring enough warmth to the role . Dana Andrews brings heart to the part of Martin , a man who tries to live by his own conscience and with honesty . He's really the anchor of the film . Though Andrews had a limited range , what he could do was always very good and with a solid presence . The end of the film is extremely touching , in large part due to him . I was not bored by this movie . I found it very interesting . We've changed in this country and yet we have some of the same concerns . A good deal of the rhetoric sounded quite familiar . Recommended .
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494,597 | 342,623 | 65,377 | 8 |
Before the sequels , before the parodies . . .
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. . . there was 1970's Airport , an all-star soap opera in the sky that started a franchise of campy films and send-ups . It would be hard to say that " Airport " is the best of the series of " Airport " movies because in fact , it's the only good one . Based on Arthur Hailey's novel , it's led by a cast that starts with the likes of Burt Lancaster and continues on : Dean Martin , Helen Hayes , Jean Seberg , George Kennedy , Maureen Stapleton , Van Heflin , Jacqueline Bisset , Barry Newman , Dana Wynter , Virginia Grey , Jessie Royce Landis , Lloyd Nolan and Barbara Hale . Also , take a look at the seat behind Helen Hayes , and you'll see a blond Marion Ross from " Happy Days " ; she had just gone through a divorce and asked the director to give her something to do as a distraction . On the ground , Burt Lancaster fights a snowstorm and his wife ( Wynter ) ; Seberg is his assistant and in love with him ; Barbara Hale is his sister , married to the philandering pilot played by Dean Martin , who is cheating on her currently with flight attendant Jacqueline Bisset - she's just found out she's pregnant ; Arthur Kennedy is Petroni , who is an expert on planes and in charge of cleaning up the airfields ; Helen Hayes is a professional stowaway ; Van Heflin is a passenger with $250 , 000 in flight insurance and a bomb in his briefcase ; Maureen Stapleton is his wife , who realizes when a refund check arrives from the airline that her husband is en route to Rome and not Milwaukee ; Lloyd Nolan is the customs inspector who spots Heflin and thinks something is strange about him ; Barry Newman is Martin's copilot , and Gary Collins also works in the cockpit . There are several outstanding performances . Helen Hayes ' hilarious sweet little old lady with the heart of a conniver won her an Oscar a mere 39 years after her first one . Van Heflin , in his last film role , is appropriately seedy , scary and desperate as the would-be bomber , and Maureen Stapleton is wonderful as his wife , in an excellent part . George Kennedy captures the no-nonsense , much respected Petroni well . Dean Martin carries his relaxed style a little too far , not really absorbing the role of a pilot with a plane in crisis . Burt Lancaster is fine in a role that could have been played by any leading man of the time . Seberg , Bisset , Wynter and Hale provide glamor and beauty . For those who remember the old days of flying , Airport is a reminder of friends allowed to accompany one to the plane , paper tickets , smoking on planes and planes taking off as little as an hour late in a snowstorm . Thanks for the memories .
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494,624 | 342,623 | 268,443 | 8 |
Falling in love again
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This documentary , made by her grandson , focuses on the fabulous Marlene Dietrich's contributions during World War II and the way she was viewed by Germans and the rest of the world due to her activities during that time . These include her becoming an American citizen and entertaining American soldiers despite German efforts to get her back in Berlin and supportive of her own country's war efforts . According to Maria Riva's fascinating biography of her mother , one of Dietrich's main reasons for going overseas as a performer during the war was to reunite with her lover , French film star Jean Gabin . However , it's apparent that the artist soon fell in love with the soldiers and became much more than part of a traveling show . She donned fatigues , she sat and talked with them , flirted with them , sang with them , and visited them in hospitals . For the rest of her life , veterans were known to her as " my boys " when they flocked to see her in Las Vegas , Israel , or wherever she performed . Her experience was summed up in an antiwar song that was part of her concerts , " Where Have All The Flowers Gone ? " The documentary goes into Dietrich's early career in Berlin and just touches on her Hollywood success . There are interviews with her daughter , friends , and historians throughout , and the documentary is peppered with home movies , interview footage , and performances . It's a much less cynical look at Dietrich than is found in Riva's book , where , for instance , she describes her mother telling everyone at one point that she was going to Germany to get her sister out of Bergen-Belson , failing to mention that it was the town of Bergen-Belsen and not the concentration camp . The documentary also stays out of most of Dietrich's personal life , which is covered in great detail in her biography . It would all be superfluous here . This is the story of a great icon , her roots , and how the watershed experience of World War II changed her art .
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493,674 | 342,623 | 30,442 | 8 |
Under-appreciated comedy
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Brian Aherne is a hobo taken in by Billie Burke to be a family chauffeur in " Merrily We Live , " also starring Constance Bennett , Alan Mowbray , Bonita Granville , Tom Brown , and Clarence Kolb . The film is basically the same story as " My Man Godfrey " but I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it's funnier , though " Godfrey " had the serious undertones ( and William Powell ) that this movie completely lacks . Unfortunately for " Merrily We Live , " it came out at a time when the screwball comedy had had its day . It's so interesting now to see these true gems that suffered from bad timing . " Bringing Up Baby , " regarded today as a classic , also suffered at the box office . The family Aherne comes to work for is never boring . The matriarch , Emily ( Billie Burke ) , is bonkers . She's constantly picking up hobos and hiring them . In the first scene , the last bum in residence has stolen all of the silverware so the family is using all kinds of devices as utensils in order to get through breakfast . The younger daughter Marian ( Bonita Granville ) spends most of her time fooling around with the chimes so that when the harried butler Grosvenor ( Mowbray ) tries to ring them , they fall apart . Grosvenor , by the way , keeps his bags packed and ready to go at all times and leaves in disgust at least once a day . When Marian isn't making Grosvenor's life miserable , she's hitting people up for money in exchange for information . Mr . Kilbourne ( Kolb ) drinks to escape . Jerry , the older daughter ( Bennett , who is 19 years older than Granville ) seems to be the one who keeps things together . Then she falls for Aherne . The last scene in this film should be regarded as the ultimate in screwball . It's one of those things you laugh out loud at even when you're alone . It was commented that Bennett was too old for the role - 34 . She definitely was playing a woman in her twenties , but given that Burke was 53 , Tom Brown ( the son ) was 25 , and Granville was 15 , the ages work out , and those age gaps exist in families . In those days , it was not uncommon , as in my own family , for a woman to have 9 pregnancies and only have three living children spread far apart . Bennett didn't have the best role but she was believable and beautiful . She was almost at the end of her " A " picture leads by 1938 . Tom Brown doesn't have much to do but is very good . Mowbray is terrific , as is Kolb , as a man who knows more about what's going on than he pretends . Patsy Kelly plays one of the house staff , and she gives a stagy and loud performance . She's seen to better advantage elsewhere . Burke is a delightful dingbat . Granville is energetic bordering on hyper , as she always was , and she's perfect as the mischievous daughter . Aherne is very handsome and makes not only a great hobo but a great butler . This was definitely one of his finest roles , and he handles it elegantly . " Merrily We Live " is a real treat , another lost treasure of the ' 30s .
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494,093 | 342,623 | 43,663 | 8 |
Strange title , good movie
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Susan Hayward is a determined , talented and ambitious woman in " I Can Get it for You Wholesale , " a 1951 film which also stars George Sanders , Dan Dailey and Sam Jaffe . The title comes from the novel but the actual plot is only very loosely taken from the book . The beautiful Hayward plays Harriet Boyd , a dress model in a small business in New York's Garment District . She talks the owner ( Sam Jaffe ) into putting up some money and going into business with her so that she can launch her own line . She gets the top salesman ( Dan Dailey ) to do the same , and she manipulates her own sister into offering insurance money for Harriet's share in the business . Harriet's ability and drive get the business going , and she's all work . Though Danny Sherman ( Dailey ) is in love with her , she gives him the brush-off . The two eventually stop speaking when Danny catches having dinner with a wolf-like buyer ( Harry von Zell ) . One night , at a big buyer's dinner , she meets J . F . Noble , the head of Noble's Department Store , probably comparable to Saks Fifth Avenue . She wants to launch a line of gowns , which will mean getting out of her contract with her partners . Noble wants more than Harriet's gowns ; he wants Harriet as well . This is a very good drama with fine performances from everyone involved . Hayward , of course , carries the film as a driven woman who ends up having to question not only what she really wants but her own ethics and sense of responsibility . Sanders is great as the elegant Noble , representing , in a way , the devil , who knows Harriet's heart but wants her to sell her soul . Sam Jaffe is perfect as the grandfatherly boss , and Dan Dailey steps out of his dancing shoes and proves himself a good leading man . Highly recommended and a must for Hayward fans .
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494,155 | 342,623 | 39,224 | 8 |
Great performances and direction highlight this prison film
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Brute Force is a 1947 film directed by Jules Dassin with a wonderful cast that includes Burt Lancaster , Hume Cronyn , Charles Bickford , Whit Bissell , Richard Hoyt , Howard Duff , Jeff Corey , Ann Blyth , Yvonne Decarlo , and Ella Raines . Lancaster et al . are in a prison overseen by a humanitarian warden , but his enforcer ( Muncey ) is another story . He doesn't believe in anything but discipline and beatings . The worst thing that can happen to a prisoner is to be dispatched to work in the drainpipe with its filthy conditions and foul air . Lancaster and his buddies , however , think they can use their latest assignment to their advantage and break out . On the wall of their cell is an image of a beautiful woman , and to each man , she represents the woman he left behind - for Lancaster , it's the crippled Ann Blyth , for Bissell , the greedy Ella Raines , for Duff , an Italian woman ( DeCarlo ) he met during the war . Richard Brooks wrote an excellent , compelling script that makes us care about these men , even though they're criminals , and want them to succeed . One of the main reasons we want them to succeed is the incredible performance of Hume Cronyn . Cronyn underplays and makes Muncey the iron fist in the velvet glove . He speaks softly , almost caressingly . Be invited to his office , with the classical music playing , a large picture of himself , and artwork , and see what happens to you . Not pretty . An absolutely brilliant portrayal of a sadist by one of the greats . The hunky Lancaster gives a compelling performance as a desperate man who will do anything to escape . The ending will knock your socks off . Don't miss it .
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493,959 | 342,623 | 43,625 | 8 |
A bad dream leads to a nightmare for a family .
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John Garfield's last film was " He Ran All the Way , " about a payroll robber who hides out at a young woman's apartment , frightening and intimidating her family . Shelley Winters , Gladys George , Norman Lloyd , and Wallace Ford also star . This looks to be a small film , written by blacklisted Dalton Trumbo under another name , but I found it very tense and very good with a wonderful performance by Garfield . He's an unwilling robber due to a scary dream the night before , but his friend , Norman Lloyd , forces him to go through with it on the day planned . When Garfield shoots a policeman , he runs to an indoor public swimming pool to get rid of the briefcase and hide . There he meets Shelley Winters . He sticks with her , ends up in the apartment she shares with her parents and her brother and decides to stay . Ruggedly handsome Garfield portrays a man capable of brutality due to his fear but who is basically good . Unfortunately the family doesn't understand how unloved he feels , and his friendly signals are rejected , causing him to act out . Winters handles a difficult role beautifully - a young woman without much life experience , attracted to this man and terrified for her family . Is her goal to get him away from them , or does she really care for him ? Wallace Ford , as the frustrated father who is unable to protect his family , is excellent . Like another poster , I would have wished for a bigger film as Garfield's last , but in the end , he handed in another excellent performance and elevated the movie . What was ahead for him ? Well , he was blacklisted - perhaps his friend Clifford Odets ' affirmation that Garfield had never been a member of the Communist party would have helped him , but we'll never know . Garfield died the day after Odets ' testimony .
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494,204 | 342,623 | 285,861 | 8 |
Truly excellent
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In " Owning Mahowny , " Philip Seymour Hoffman proved before his Oscar win that he is one of the great actors of his generation , playing a compulsive gambler who embezzles millions from the bank where he works . Mahowny is a fascinating character . He's a slob who drives an old car and is obviously cheap . He has a girlfriend ( Minnie Driver ) whom he loves , but in whom he hasn't confided very much . In fact , he lies to her , as he lies to everyone . His god is gambling - not money , just gambling . As Frank Perlin ( Maury Chaykin ) , one of the guys who takes his action attests , " He just wants to have the money to lose . " We watch Mahowny get in deeper and deeper , creating false loans and stealing from his clients . He becomes a VIP at an Atlantic City casino where he is given the best of everything and offered even more - but he's not going to do anything that takes away from his time at the tables . Unbeknownst to him , the Feds are interested in some of his associates and become curious about this Mahowny guy , thinking he may be in on a drug racket . This movie will keep you hooked throughout . Hoffman is brilliant and even sports a Canadian accent ( the film was made there and the real Mahowny is Canadian ) . Hoffman comes from my home town , and as we are close to Canada , he is familiar with the accent . He fits right in . The rest of the acting is uniformly good , with the standout being the remarkable John Hurt as the casino owner who wants Mahowny to keep throwing money at the casino and will do anything to keep him there . The insight into the gambling world is amazing - and may keep you away from the tables the next time you're in Vegas or Atlantic City .
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494,702 | 342,623 | 95,270 | 8 |
Baltimore teens dance and battle segregation in the ' 60s
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Ricki Lake plays Tracy Turnblad , a short , chubby teen with big hair who loves to dance in " Hairspray , " a 1988 John Waters film starring Divine , Deborah Harry , Sonny Bono , Ruth Brown , Jerry Stiller , and Mink Stole . " Hairspray " has now been immortalized on Broadway as an enormous , energetic , fabulously entertaining musical which kept the conceit of a man playing Tracy's mother , again with great success . " Hairspray " is highly exaggerated in parts , which makes it extra funny , and Waters captures ' 60s Baltimore beautifully . Corny Collins , who is the Baltimore Dick Clark , would like nothing better than to integrate his television show , but blacks are only permitted to dance one night a week . The van Tussles are for segregation - that would be Sonny Bono , running for office , his wife Harry ( on stage the former Miss Baltimore Crabs , in the film Miss Soft Crab ) . Harry's hairstyles are fantastic - HUGE - her last hairdo is in the form of an enormous loving cup . When Tracy's friend Penny takes up with the son of an outspoken black woman , Motormouth Mabel ( Ruth Brown ) , her hysterical mother has her kidnapped and put in the hands of a psychiatrist ( Divine as a man ) who tries to torture her to stop liking black men . It's so outrageous it's funny , and that's where Waters shows his talent . When Tracy gets a contract modeling for a plus-sized woman's shop , the owner's live ad on Corny's show begins , " Tubby , tubby , 2 x 4 , can't get through the kitchen door . " It's this madcap treatment that keeps any of this from being remotely offensive . All the performances are delightful , and there's a nice turn by Pia Zadora as a black-haired beatnik chick . " Hairspray " has a lot of warmth that emanates from Tracy and the Turnblad family , and the mood stays upbeat throughout the entire film as the characters dance through life , Tracy with an overlay of blonde hair over her dark flip . Great music , great fun . " Hairspray " in any version is wonderful .
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494,630 | 342,623 | 30,241 | 8 |
lovely film with a great cast
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Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant on paper , I suppose , look like an odd pairing , but they were absolutely marvelous together , and " Holiday , " directed by George Cukor , is no exception . Hepburn plays the unhappy , bored , but bright Linda in a dysfunctional , upper crust New York family . Her brother , Ned ( Lew Ayres ) is a miserable drunk , and her father controls the family with an iron hand and the ethic that money is their god . Their mother , who was like Linda , is deeply missed by her . Linda adores her younger sister , Julia , but has idealized her and doesn't see that she has the same upper class values as their father . When Julia brings home her fiancée , Johnny Case ( Grant ) , it is immediately obvious to the audience ( and later to the characters ) that Johnny fell for the wrong girl . " Holiday " is a film filled with heart , poignancy , and some warm humor provided by Johnny's friends , played by Edward Everett Horton and Jean Dixon , who come up against the society crowd at a party . Hepburn gives a beautiful performance as a young woman who wants to break free , and Ayres is heartbreaking as a man who can't . Grant , of course , is in the kind of role he did best in his early career , a young man from the wrong side of the tracks who is an independent spirit . He does some great gymnastics in the film , and he and Hepburn have a wonderful moment where she stands on his shoulders , and they fall into head rolls . Really marvelous stuff . The only problem I have is that the character of Julia , the younger sister , is so uptight and shallow , it's amazing that Johnny fell for her at all . Since they met while she was vacationing in Lake Placid , the audience must assume that out of the family home , she was more fun and playful , but when she comes up against her father , she falls right in with him . Hepburn and Grant worked together in " Bringing Up Baby , " " The Philadelphia Story , " and this film - actually , three films in a row - plus " Sylvia Scarlett . " One wishes they had appeared together even more . They had great chemistry .
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493,673 | 342,623 | 39,169 | 8 |
Whodo ? You do !
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Myrna Loy is a judge who sentences Cary Grant to Shirley Temple in " The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer , " also starring Rudy Vallee , Johnny Sands , Ray Collins , and Veda Ann Borg . Grant is Richard Nugent , an artist who gets into some trouble and comes before Judge Turner ( Loy ) . He leaves court and heads for a high school to give a lecture , only to encounter Judge Turner's 17 going on 35-year-old sister , Susan , played by Shirley Temple . Like the rest of the girls in the audience , Susan thinks Richard is dreamy but takes things a step further . She corners him in a room for a school paper interview and asks important artistic questions such as , " Are you married ? " and " Have you ever been in love ? " To get rid of her , Richard agrees to paint her portrait as America . When he returns home that evening , Susan is waiting in his apartment . Moments later , Richard is in jail , the Judge having figured out where her niece has gone . The court psychiatrist ( Collins ) talks the Judge into letting Susan get Nugent out of her system . It doesn't sit well with Richard , or Susan's quasi-boyfriend ( Sands ) . Grant's comic timing and mastery at underplaying is evident here as he reluctantly dates Susan , even dressing down and switching cars with her boyfriend to disillusion her . The scene at the picnic , when he tries his hands ( and legs ) at several events is hilarious . Toward the end of the film , he takes Judge Turner to dinner ; before long , the entire cast is at the table talking and arguing as the waiters continually sing " Happy Birthday " to one customer after another , and a diner at another table tries to retrieve Rudy Vallee's chair for his own party - it's a great scene . Loy is sophisticated and glamorous which belies her judge-like decorum in the courtroom , where she's all sternness and intelligence . Temple is very funny as she tries to appear older and calls Grant " Dickie . " Her pseudosophisticated talk and haughtiness are amusing , but Temple is at her best when she's being what she is - a teenager . Johnny Sands is positively adorable as her boyfriend Jerry . His bio says he got fan mail until the day he died - I can believe it . This is such a delightful movie , with a wonderful script by Sidney Sheldon and marvelous performances . The next time you're feeling blue , remember : " You remind me of a man ! " " What man ? " " The man with the power ! " " What power ? " " The power of whodo ! " " Whodo ? " " You do ! " " What ? " " You remind me of a man ! "
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494,904 | 342,623 | 30,265 | 8 |
Entertaining story of Francois Villon and Louis XI
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Ronald Colman gets his wish in " If I Were King , " a 1938 film also starring Basil Rathbone and Francis Dee . Colman plays the vagabond poet Francois Villon , who is overheard by the disguised King ( Basil Rathbone ) criticizing His Highness and talking about what he would do if given the chance . He and his entire party are arrested , and Louis makes Villon the Lord High Chancellor . Villon gets to work immediately and elevates the king's reputation among the people . He opens up the stores of food at the palace and gives it to the citizens - they have no food because the city is being held by the Burgundians . The sentences he passes out to anyone arrested are merciful and fair . It seems as if he has succeeded . But what the King has failed to inform Villon is that he is only Chancellor for a week - and he has that week to convince the French army , who are refusing to fight the Burgundian army , to do so and win . " If I Were King " is a great deal of fun , and Ronald Colman is delightful as Villon . But first , in response to a previous post , a word about accents . The previous poster asks if there was a vocal coach available , as there were people speaking in British and American accents - no French accents . Hollywood often confuses the accent issue of films set in foreign lands by casting one or two people who have some type of accent while the rest do not . The rule in acting is that no accent is necessary when doing a film or a play set in a foreign country . Why ? Because the people of that country are not speaking English . They are speaking their own language . They are NOT walking around France speaking English with a French accent . This is why when actors perform Russian plays , or Hollywood did films set in Nazi Germany , Budapest , Spain or anywhere else , the actors did not have to use an accent of that country . An accent would only be necessary if a German were in America speaking English , for instance . To get back to the cast , led by the wonderful Colman , Basil Rathbone is excellent as the hated Louis , and Frances Dee is lovely as Katherine de Vaucelles , who falls in love with the Lord High Chancellor . Someone complained because Errol Flynn did not play this role . Flynn would have been marvelous , as he was a very charismatic actor , but I think Colman is marvelous . His Louis is not only energetic and charming , but highly intelligent , and Colman is able to shade the role in a way that Flynn , who tended to be much more superficial in his characterizations , could not . An enchanting film , highly recommended .
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494,696 | 342,623 | 47,985 | 8 |
Excellent film from William Wyler
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Frederic March , Martha Scott , Humphrey Bogart and Arthur Kennedy are just a few of the people who endure " The Desperate Hours , " a 1955 film , based on the stage play and directed by William Wyler . On Broadway , the play was directed by Robert Montgomery and starred Karl Malden in the Bogart role and Paul Newman played his brother , here played by Dewey Martin . The film also stars Gig Young , Mary Murphy , Richard Eyer , and Robert Middleton . Having just seen Bogart in the 1936 " The Petrified Forest , " it was interesting to see him still taking hostages 19 years later - and in fact , looking like he'd spent the last 19 years on the run from the law . He was clearly ill during the making of this film . Though Dewey Martin looked 30 years younger than Bogie , he was in fact only 20 , making the fact that they were brothers a tiny bit more plausible . I also had recently seen " The Star Witness , " a 1931 Warner Brothers film with a similar plot , which won an Oscar for best original screenplay . By 1955 , it wasn't original any longer , but the execution of the story is compelling . Martha Scott is a housewife , Ellie Hilliard , alone in her suburban home when three escaped criminals ( Bogart , Martin and Middleton ) take over the place . Glenn Griffin ( Bogart ) wants to murder the Deputy Sheriff ( Arthur Kennedy ) who put him in prison , and he needs to wait for the delivery of some money to make good his escape . Dan Hilliard ( March ) and his daughter Cynthia ( Murphy ) walk into the situation , followed later by the Hilliard's little boy ( Eyer ) . You'll be wondering why the son isn't knocked off - by his parents - given the trouble he causes . The money is delayed , and of course , the police have no idea where the gang is , as Griffin has put his car in the Hilliard garage . So the hours turn into overnight . Although March and Cynthia are allowed to leave the house for work , and Cynthia has to keep a date with her boyfriend ( Young ) , they're too terrified to say anything for fear the mother and boy will be killed . Basically the gang as well and the family become prisoners as the hours drag on . Wyler gives us lots of frightening and suspenseful moments as the tension builds in the house , and he never lets the pace drag . Supposedly he made March and Scott do a goodbye scene for take after take because he thought March was " acting " and wanted to tire him out . An accomplished stage actor of the old school , March consistently had a great presence but didn't always emotionally connect with his characters - he does here . March and Bogart make powerful adversaries , March hitting just the right note as an angry father afraid for his family , but not afraid to talk back to Griffin . Bogart's Griffin is shrewd and admires brains and bravery in others ; the family impresses him with their guts . Bogart is marvelous in the role - though tired out , his character is determined to keep the gang together and free ; he's resentful of the middle classness of the family and how out of place he and his gang are in a nice home . Unlike his Duke Mantee in " The Petrified Forest " , Bogart's Griffin doesn't seem to have a sense of the hopelessness of his situation until the very end ; also unlike Duke Mantee , he has a vulnerability that he demonstrates at the end . Robert Middleton gives a scary performance as a witless member of the gang , and Martin , as Hal , displays Hal's disillusionment with the situation , his attraction to Cynthia , and the realization that he can never have someone like her if he continues down his brother's road . Gig Young is somewhat wasted as Cythia's boyfriend - it's unnecessary star casting . Martha Scott does a terrific job as the harried wife and mother . The wonderful Arthur Kennedy gives another good performance as the sheriff determined to catch Griffin . Highly recommended for its suspenseful story , fine direction , and top performances .
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494,729 | 342,623 | 39,190 | 8 |
a Christmas classic
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I watch this movie every Christmas with my sisters , and have for about 30 years . I absolutely love it . Obviously . It's a beautiful story with the gorgeous Loretta Young , Cary Grant , and David Niven - what more could you want ? The only giggle nowadays is all the stand-ins required for ice-skating and harp playing , but I can overlook that . Monte Wooley , Elsa Lancaster and James Gleason are supporting players . You really couldn't ask for a better cast to tell the story of Dudley , an angel who falls for a mortal - and reminds her husband of what's really important in this world . Karolyn Grimes , who plays Young and Niven's daughter , makes appearances occasionally and talks about this film and " It's A Wonderful Life . " She looks like Meryl Streep now . She says that Grant played with her all the time between scenes . If you want to get into the Christmas spirit , or hold onto it - this is one for you .
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493,781 | 342,623 | 30,287 | 8 |
Warner's answer to GWTW
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Bette Davis is a southern belle whose aunt ( Fay Bainter ) calls her Jezebel in a moment of supreme disappointment . This is a 1938 film also starring Henry Fonda , George Brent , and Donald Crisp . Bette is Julie Marsden , a brat engaged to Preston Dillard ( Fonda ) . She soon loses him for what appears to be the second time when she wears a red dress to a ball where all the women are in white . Press goes to the north and returns with a wife ( Margaret Lindsay ) . Julie sets out to win him back , with a bad result . " Jezebel " has many similarities to " Gone with the Wind " - the south , the red dress , the manipulative , strong young woman , her obsession with a man and the disapproval by the family of her actions . The period is the 1850s ; the place is Louisiana , where there is an outbreak of the dreaded yellow fever . Although the film is similar to " GWTW " it stands on its own . It doesn't have the sweeping scope of GWTW . It's the story of one woman's love for a man and the effect it has on those around her . There are some striking scenes : the dance sequence , when Press and Julia are the only ones on the dance floor due to her being in red ; and the end is very striking . Bette Davis is great in the title role . Under William Wyler's direction , it's a restrained performance . It's a good thing because she's appearing opposite the master of underplaying , Henry Fonda . All of the women look stunning in their gowns , Davis in particular . As with Scarlett and Ashley , we don't really know what the attraction is between Julia and Press , and the script doesn't tell us . Fonda seems a little on the dull side for a lively girl like Julia . Donald Crisp turns in a powerful performance as Dr . Livingstone , and George Brent is very good as the elegant Buck Cantrell . Highly recommended . One of Davis ' best .
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494,920 | 342,623 | 47,885 | 8 |
The more things change , the more they remain the same
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Glenn Ford enters the " Blackboard Jungle " in this 1955 film about high school youths . It also stars Vic Morrow , Sidney Poitier , Louis Calhern , Margaret Hayes , Richard Kiley , Anne Francis , Paul Mazursky and Jamie Farr . Ford is a young teacher who starts work at an urban school , only to learn that there is no discipline , precious little learning and that violence and racism are rampant . Though his colleagues are cynical , shell-shocked and / or burned out , Ford , who plays Richard Dadier , is determined to make the situation work . He has a pregnant wife at home and is committed to teaching . He tries different ways to get through to the students , including enlisting the help of one of the leaders ( Poitier ) , who initially rejects him . He and two other teachers ( Hayes and Kiley ) become victims of violence , and Dadier's wife begins receiving anonymous letters and phone calls suggesting that her husband is involved with an attractive teacher ( Hayes ) . The acting teacher Stella Adler claimed in one of her lectures that juvenile delinquency is a direct result of World War II , and there is a reference to that here - fatherless homes , working mothers and a general sense of world unrest . I had a teacher who used to say that with every war , people's manners became worse . One of the comments mentions that this film was not shocking when it was released ; I can believe it . Since I can remember , there have been schools where kids were unruly and violence occurred . Back in the ' 50s , over 50 % of students did not graduate from high school . What happened to them ? They entered the workforce . Today when a kid doesn't graduate from high school , it's a disaster because there's no workforce for them to enter . The film sports great direction by Richard Brooks , a wonderful soundtrack and superb acting , with Ford giving a fine performance as the determined Dadier . Richard Kiley does an excellent job as an idealistic teacher . Poitier plays a talented student , Gregory Miller , and he's very forceful , as is Vic Morrow as Artie West , an angry tough guy . The other students , such as Rafael Campos , Dan Terranova and Jamie Farr are very believable . " The Blackboard Jungle " doesn't offer much in the way of solutions , except that commitment and discipline do have an effect if you stick with it . I know several teachers who have walked into bad situations and done beautifully ; something happens when kids finally realize that you care . Unfortunately , there are all too few Richard Dadiers around and way too many Artie Wests .
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493,584 | 342,623 | 34,891 | 8 |
The effect of war
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Naval men watch their ship sink as they cling to a raft and remember the lives they left in " In Which We Serve , " a 1942 film starring Noel Coward , John Mills , Celia Johnson , and Bernard Miles . The story takes place in World War II and shows how the war affected the British soldiers and their loved ones . Noel Coward also wrote and co-directed this film with David Lean . Like Coward's Brief Encounter , there are no glamorous movie star types . This is the story of the common man bound together by war and by their ship . Coward is Captain Kinross , who has a wife ( Celia Johnson ) and two children . John Mills is " Shorty , " a seaman who falls in love while on leave , gets married and has a short honeymoon . Bernard Miles is Walter Hardy , a happily married man whose wife hates having him go away . Each man reflects on his story in flashback . The impact of " In Which We Serve " must have been very powerful when it was first released . The announcement of war by the Prime Minister which comes over the radio is met with a chilling silence that the audience feels along with the men . The devastation of a blackout , the impact of the bombs at sea are very real . " In Which We Serve " is the story of a ship , the HMS Torrin , but we learn quickly that a ship is about its people , united in one cause and who share a special camaraderie . The captain's final speech to his men is highly emotional , all the more so because it is so restrained . All of the acting is top-notch . Someone commented that Coward seemed stiff . I think his role called for a certain formality . Hard to believe John Mills was ever that young . Celia Johnson , in her first film role , is wonderful . Coward obviously had no problems attracting the best actors to the film , as every person fits his or her role perfectly . Like many classics , despite changes in film technique , the core story remains compelling , especially today with so many soldiers in Iraq . In one scene , the camera falls on some of the seamen as they go to their stations to do battle . Each man was carefully chosen to show his extreme youth . It was a terrible time for the world , but somehow the film is strangely uplifting . A no-miss .
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494,582 | 342,623 | 39,286 | 8 |
Important film , important message
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Crossfire is a justifiably famous 1947 noir that's a murder mystery with a strong message . It stars Robert Young , Robert Mitchum , Robert Ryan , Sam Levene , and Gloria Grahame , and is strongly directed by Edward Dmytryk . We witness the murder in shadow at the beginning , and for the rest of the film , Young , as the detective , Finlay , in charge of the case , seeks to figure out which of three soldiers is responsible for the death , and just as important , why . The victim , Joseph Samuels ( Sam Levene ) is someone the soldiers meet in a bar ; they go up to his apartment to continue their visit , and Samuels winds up dead . I don't know about 1947 , but seeing " Crossfire " today , one knows who did it and why the minute we see the suspects . I don't suppose it was so apparent back then , as these actors were just getting started . Nevertheless , the film packs a big punch with its powerful acting , good direction , violence , and unsparing anti-Semite language . The characterizations are vivid , including that of Gloria Grahame in a smallish role - she's a woman who meets Mitchell ( George Cooper ) , one of the suspect soldiers , in a bar and can provide him with an alibi . The big performance in the film belongs to Robert Ryan , but everyone is excellent . Robert Young especially is effective as a tough but intelligent police detective . Mitchum is very likable as a soldier trying to help his confused friend Mitchell , a lonely man unsure if he still has feelings for his wife . Truly excellent , and a must see .
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494,483 | 342,623 | 264,472 | 8 |
Two men out to destroy one another
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Ben Affleck is a lawyer and Samuel L . Jackson is a man trying to do the right thing in " Changing Lanes , " a 2002 film also starring Toni Collette , Sydney Pollak and Kim Staunton . Affleck is attorney Gavin Banek , late for court , when he has a car accident involving Doyle Gipson ( Jackson ) , who is also on his way to court to protest his wife taking his children to live way across the country . Not wanting to mess around with insurance companies , Banek offers to write Gipson a check . Gipson , however , is a recovering alcoholic and has made a commitment to do everything in a " clean " way . He wants to trade insurance cards . Banek can't be bothered and gets into his car , leaving Gipson standing on the highway in torrential rain , although he asked Banek for a lift . When Banek gets to court , he finds he does not have the power of authority necessary to prove that an elderly man knew what he was doing when he fired his board and assigned the law firm to administer his trust . He realizes that he left the folder at the scene . Gipson arrives to court too late to speak on his behalf and finds the Judge has made a decision against him . Banek is desperate to find Gipson and get his document back , since he has only until the end of the day to file it with the court . And Gipson ? Well , he just isn't in the mood to return it . Thus begins a war with each man having the goal of total destruction of the other . Despite other comments on this board , I truly enjoyed this film and found the hard lessons learned by both men as the result of a random accident very interesting . Banek is encouraged by an ex-girlfriend ( Collette ) to question the power of authority and the role of the law firm in administering the trust ; Jackson comes up against his own acting-out behavior , rage , and as his ex-wife says , addiction to drama . " Changing Lanes " is about changing one's path in life from a crooked road to a straight one . It's about values , and it may not be to everyone's taste . The acting was excellent , the film had a fresh feel to it , and I found it thought-provoking . Recommended .
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494,069 | 342,623 | 30,317 | 8 |
If you love horses , this is the film for you
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Loretta Young , Richard Greene and Walter Brennan star in " Kentucky , " a 1938 film about a longstanding dispute between two families , horses and the Kentucky Derby . Well directed by David Butler , the film was made in beautiful color . The film begins during the Civil War , when young Peter watches as the Yankees take the thoroughbred horses from the Goodwin farm and kill his father when he tries to stop them . He never forgets that the Yankee Dillon family is responsible and 75 years later ( as Walter Brennan ) still hasn't forgiven them . Now in his 80s , he lives with his son , his wife and daughter on the farm where they train and breed thoroughbreds . The farm is in trouble , and when his son can't get a loan from the bank ( presided over by his Dillon contemporary ) , he dies , leaving Sally ( Young ) his heir . Everything is sold off except for one horse , which is ruined for racing one night when Sally has to ride in the rain to get a doctor for her mother - the road is blocked by a tree so she can't drive . However , due to a bet Dillon and Goodwin made , Dillon has written a note offering any two-year old on his farm to Goodwin . Sally claims the horse for her father , a horse chosen by Uncle Peter . The younger Dillon ( Greene ) , angry with his family , gives Sally a false name and offers to train the horse for her . The two fall in love . Were it not for World War II , Richard Greene today might be on the list of stars of the classic era . He was getting the star buildup by 20th Century Fox and would have been a rival for Tyrone Power , but when war broke out in England , he returned to serve his country , losing all his career momentum . With his wavy black hair , widow's peak and dazzling smile , the handsome Greene resembles Robert Taylor in this film and is a good pairing with the beautiful Loretta Young . The great performance comes from Walter Brennan . Someone posted that he was 38 playing a man in his 60s . No , he wasn't . The film clearly states that it's 75 years since the Civil War , making Uncle Peter , who was about 10 when the soldiers arrived , nearer to 85 . Brennan pulls it off . He won an Oscar for his performance . The film boasts some exciting racing scenes as well as a good story . Brennan gives a great performance , and the romantic stars are attractive , but the true stars of " Kentucky " are the most magnificent horses you've ever seen . Although the trivia section of IMDb doesn't state it , those horses must have come from some thoroughbred farm . It's not only horses , but beautiful foals and colts . If you like horses , this movie is a no-miss . The animals are jaw-dropping , even better looking than Richard Greene and Loretta Young .
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493,657 | 342,623 | 39,243 | 8 |
Technicolor adventure starring Tyrone Power
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Tyrone Power is one hot Castilian as the " Captain from Castile " which costars Jean Peters , John Sutton , Cesar Romero , Thomas Gomez , Jay Silverheels , and Lee J . Cobb . Power is at his swashbuckling , heroic best as a man who flees with his family during the Spanish Inquisition to the new land , Mexico , along with Cobb and Peters . She's in love with Power . Tough acting assignment . The villain , whom Power believes he has killed , is played by John Sutton , an instrument of the Inquisition who winds up in Mexico as well after killing Power's young sister . The entire cast is great - and the scenery ! A live volcano , no less ! The music ! Sensational . A first-class production all the way . Power really didn't like doing these roles , but the public demanded them of him , and he is dashing and romantic throughout . Romero makes a fantastic Cortez . It's really difficult to single anyone out because they're all so good . John Sutton was beyond evil . Jean Peters had an interesting career at Fox . Here she is quite young and effective . Even when she was moved into second rate films , it seems as if she was always given the heavy acting role , so it's obvious that her talent was recognized by the studio . I believe that during the period in which the film was made , Power was involved with Lana Turner . Lucky woman , even if she did lose him to Linda Christian later on .
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493,483 | 342,623 | 34,919 | 8 |
World War II film set in Paris
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Paul Henried and Michele Morgan star in " Joan of Paris , " a 1942 film also starring Laird Cregar , Thomas Mitchell and May Robson . Henried is a Frenchman wanted by the Gestapo who escapes to England and joins some British pilots . Flying into France , they are all shot down and separate . Henried , who plays Paul Lavallier , ends up hiding in the rooms of a café waitress Joan ( Morgan ) , whose patron saint is Jeanne d'Arc . Joan and Paul fall in love , and she , with the help of a priest ( Mitchell ) get messages to the other pilots about plans for escape . All the while , a man trails Paul , and the Gestapo , headed up by Funk ( Cregar ) watches in hopes that he will lead him to the other men . " Joan of Paris " marked the U . S . debut of Paul Henried and Michele Morgan , a lovely French actress . Henried is photographed very well and is excellent as Paul Lavallier , and Morgan plays the sweet , courageous and devoted Joan beautifully . The movie is very atmospheric ; the black and white photography employs great use of shadows and darkness . This is one of those films the studios cranked out that one doesn't hear much about , right up there with one of my personal World War II favorites , Escape - though this isn't quite as good . " Joan of Paris " has the advantage of attractive leads , great atmosphere and some marvelous performances , a standout being Laird Cregar as the suave but evil Funk . Unfortunately , Cregar would die at the age of 28 , two years after this film . A huge man , a fine actor , and an out of the closet gay who wasn't afraid to bring gay overtones into a role , he was the chief villain at Twentieth Century Fox , actually scheduled to play Waldo Lydecker in " Laura . " What a loss , as is obvious from this film . May Robson , in a small role , is also a standout . Alan Ladd plays one of the fighters , and instead of being a stalwart , hardboiled detective , he's allowed to act . Though his role is a small one , he makes an impression . All in all , a wonderful film that TCM showed on Paul Henried's 100th birthday . Hopefully they will show it again .
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493,747 | 342,623 | 43,456 | 8 |
All hail Klaatu !
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The Day the Earth Stood Still is a timely , fun science fiction film from 1951 directed by Robert Wise . It has a great cast : Michael Rennie , Patricia Neal , Hugh Marlowe , Billy Gray , Sam Jaffe , Lock Martin , and Frances Bavier . It concerns the aliens Klaatu and Gort ( a 7'7 " actor discovered working as a doorman at Graumann's Chinese Theater ) who come to earth to talk to world leaders about their acquisition of atomic power and what it may mean to other planets . Klaatu is met with violence and distrust , but eludes his captors . He is helped by a woman ( Patricia Neal ) and her young son ( Billy Gray ) who live in the rooming house where Klaatu is hiding under the name of Mr . Carpenter . This classic movie has few special effects - certainly nothing like we would see today . It's a very simple story told in a straightforward way , but it remains timely as countries perceived as our enemies acquire not atomic power but nuclear power . Klaatu wants the world to live in peace and respect . Though it hasn't happened and probably isn't going to , it's still a worthwhile goal and is why the film remains on favorite lists . Klaatu barada nikto !
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494,443 | 342,623 | 69,906 | 8 |
great early Columbo
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Laurence Harvey stars as a win at all costs chess champion in " The Most Dangerous Match , " one of the original Columbo episodes . Harvey , number one at the game only because of the illness of the Russian champion ( Jack Kruschen ) the year before , panics when he plays a practice match with Kruschen and realizes that this year , he will lose his title . He then plots to get rid of his opponent , only to run afoul of the sloppy lieutenant on the case , Columbo . Harvey is wonderful in the role , a perfect villain for Columbo because he is so opposite - - arrogant , beautifully spoken , and immaculately dressed . He's also brilliant , but he doesn't recognize brilliance in someone posing a greater threat to him than the deceased chess champion - Columbo . Very entertaining .
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493,554 | 342,623 | 35,742 | 8 |
lovely movie
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I saw this film many years ago and remembered nearly all of it . It was a real treat to see it again . Dorothy McGuire recreates her stage role in a wonderful screen debut as Claudia , the guileless child bride of Robert Young . Her naiveté gets her into some difficulty with an amorous neighbor ( Reginald Gardiner ) and her attachment to her ailing mother ( Ina Claire ) is a concern to her husband . McGuire and Young make a charming screen couple - she is all energy and he is more deadpan - it's a nice contrast , and the two characters are obviously very much in love . Ina Claire turns in a warm and touching performance as Claudia's mother . McGuire sparkles in this role , particularly in the transition when Claudia is forced to grow up almost overnight . Of course , she went on to have a great career that spanned nearly 50 years in film . It's easy to see why when you watch " Claudia . " This was followed by a sequel , " Claudia and David . "
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494,258 | 342,623 | 53,084 | 8 |
A duchy wages war on the U . S .
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The Mouse that Roared is a very funny 1959 film starring Peter Sellers in three different roles , and he's brilliant in all of them . The supporting cast includes Jean Seberg and Leo McKern . A tiny , backward duchy's sole support is wine imported to the U . S . When a copycat comes in and destroys their income , the powers that be decide to wage war on the U . S . - well , they decide to declare war on the U . S . Then they plan to surrender . After all , after the U . S . is involved in a war , don't they come in with money , food and supplies to rebuild the country they were against ? In their medieval costumes , armed with bows and arrows , the country's motley group of soldiers head for the U . S . via ship . Once there , unable to find anyone to surrender to - everyone's underground because of a bomb test - and those who see them take them for outer space aliens - they take the creator of the powerful Q bomb , his daughter , and some policemen hostage . With the bomb , which looks like a football , they then control the world . It's a great concept , with two soldiers fighting over which one is going to get the Empire State Building ( " I saw it first . It's mine . " ) , and a display for the hostages on duchy soil that includes the orchestra playing " Frankie and Johnnie . " Sellers ' roles are that of Gloriana XII , the reigning duchess , Baron Montjoy , the prime minister , and Tully Bascomb , the shy , unwilling army commander who falls in love with the inventor's daughter ( Jean Seberg ) . He creates three completely different characters , all totally believable . Jean Seberg , who came to such a tragic end , is exquisitely beautiful but possibly one of the worst actresses ever to hit the screen . It's hard to believe someone gave her Joan of Arc - she could barely get through this . I remember her being much better in " Moment to Moment " and " Airport " and of course , she had a huge hit with " Breathless . " Here , up against the talents of Sellers , she's just saying words with false emotion . However , she's so beautiful , you can't take your eyes off of her , so she certainly makes a successful object of Tully's affections . All in all , a wonderful farce with a serious undertone . Highly recommended .
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494,867 | 342,623 | 454,848 | 8 |
Excellent and absorbing
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Inside Man is a wonderful Spike Lee film starring Denzel Washington , Clive Owen , Willem Dafoe , Jodie Foster and Christopher Plummer . It's about a bank robbery planned by Owen that turns out to be something very clever and very different . Washington plays a police detective under investigation for missing money who , knowing he's innocent , wants to prove himself and get to detective first grade . He and his partner investigate this bank robbery , which has 50 hostages , all who have been given outfits and masks so that they're dressed like the robbers . Therefore , it's impossible to tell who the robbers are . It's also increasingly difficult , as Washington attempts to negotiate with them , to tell what it is they're after . When Foster , a high-level negotiator hired by the bank owner ( Plummer ) enters the scene , Washington knows something much bigger than money is involved . Really excellent movie with twists and turns combined with humor and some really scary scenes . My only complaint is that Clive Owen is a bad choice to play someone who spends most of the movie in a mask . It's too frustrating to have someone that good-looking covered up .
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494,658 | 342,623 | 30,149 | 8 |
Very good ' 40s film overshadowed by a shot to stardom
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Four Daughters introduced John Garfield to audiences , and that is what is remembered most about this film today . Unlike some actors who appear in several films before their screen image gels , Garfield established his immediately , with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and talk of the fates being against him . It's actually the story of four girls , their widowed musician father ( Claude Rains ) and their various suitors , one of whom , Felix , is played by handsome Jeffrey Lynn . He's the one they all have a crush on , but he's in love with Buff ( Priscilla Lane ) . Then she meets ne'er-do-well Mickey Borden , who falls for her as well . When Buff realizes that one of her sisters is in love with Felix , she leaves him at the altar and marries Mickey . This is a fairly formulaic story given life ( and sequels ) by the acting . Garfield has already been mentioned , but Priscilla Lane was by far the strongest of the daughters , the most interesting , and the best actress . Jeffrey Lynn was a fresh and good-looking leading man , and this film got him off on the right foot with Warners . However , true stardom was not to be . Like many others of the era , he went into the service , and when he came out , he had a Bronze Star but not much of a career . He later went into television and real estate . Claude Rains is warm and wonderful as the patriarch . So popular was " Four Daughters " that it inspired " Four Wives " and " Four Mothers , " as well as reuniting much of the cast again in " Daughters Courageous " where the actors played different characters . Very enjoyable , a nice remembrance of simpler and probably happier times , and a chance to see John Garfield in his first film .
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494,325 | 342,623 | 104,493 | 8 |
emotional film
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Yeah , I think I went through a box of tissues on this one . This is a beautiful film about a family ruled by the mother's ( Lesley Ann Warren ) MS . Her husband ( Tom Skerritt ) and daughter are devoted to her , but the daughter is growing up and aching to have a life of her own , including college . The daughter has a great deal of guilt because she believes that by being born , she made her mother's MS worse , which her mother assures her is not true , explaining that she was determined to have a child no matter what the consequences . Finally , it seems to be the best thing for the Warren character to go into a full time care facility . There she meets other people like her whom she finds inspirational and understanding . On the outside , her husband has fallen in love with Marg Hellenberger . The denouement of this film is very powerful . I won't apologize , but I will say it's probably a total chick flick . All the actors did a wonderful job - Warren is effective , Skerritt is his usual vital self in a very sympathetic role , and Hellenberger is also sympathetic and warm as his love interest . You can't hate or resent anyone in this movie . Very well done and very compelling .
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494,588 | 342,623 | 53,226 | 8 |
A man's ambition , and the women who love him
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Laurence Harvey wants " Room at the Top " in this 1959 film also starring Simone Signoret and Heather Sears . Directed by Jack Clayton , the story concerns a young man , Joe Lampton ( Harvey ) , sensitive about being from a low British class , who wants to marry the boss ' daughter ( Sears ) for her money and position . She's part of a small amateur theater company , so he joins . There he meets an older woman , the unhappily married Alice Aisgill . The two drift into an affair and fall deeply in love . Two things stand in their way : Joe's ambition and Alice's brute of a husband . This is , to put it simply , a devastating story that will stay with you long after the film is over . The movie belongs to Signoret , so sexy , so beautiful , so sad - she's perfect . Her vulnerability , her frankness , her coolness , and her deep unhappiness will shatter you . She deserved her Oscar hands-down . Harvey is magnificent as Joe . He's handsome , sexy , greedy , bitter , evil , and utterly determined to punish the upper class because he was born poor . The last scene is a knockout . I haven't seen the sequel - I can only imagine ! Heather Sears does an excellent job as the whiny object of his affections , and Hermoine Baddeley , as Alice's friend , gives a marvelous performance . She was not only a top bawdy comedienne but a brilliant actress . Signoret was one of the great film presences , and if you see Room at the Top for no other reason , see it for her . The entire film is a knockout .
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494,837 | 342,623 | 39,437 | 8 |
Two sisters and their saga get the MGM treatment
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Lana Turner as Marianne marries her sister Marguerite's beau in " Green Dolphin Street , " an MGM extravaganza ( but in black and white ) that probably was meant to equal Gone With the Wind . The story concerns a family , the Patourels , living on the Channel Islands . Their mother ( Gladys Cooper ) was forbidden to marry the love of her life ( Frank Morgan ) and instead married Octavius ( Edmund Gwenn ) and has two daughters . Morgan returns to the area with a son , William ( Richard Hart ) and both of the girls go after him , though he falls in love with Marguerite ( Donna Reed ) . Eventually he ends up in New Zealand and , in a drunken stupor , writes to Octavius for his daughter's hand in marriage - except he writes the name Marianne , not Marguerite , thereby changing his life and the lives of the sisters forever . The film is a bit long but holds the viewer once it gets going . Its main problem when it's seen today is the painted backdrops and fake scenery , all extremely obvious . When one compares the backdrops and scenery of the earlier Gone with the Wind to this , it's obvious that Selznick demanded a lot more care from his artists than did the powers that be on this film . There are several striking scenes , but the best is Donna Reed climbing a tunnel inside of a cave to escape the rising tide . The earthquake scenes and the Maori attacks are also excellent and exciting . The role of Marianne is huge and well essayed by Lana Turner . Marianne is a smart , controlling woman whose guidance turns William into a success . Apparently the character in the book was somewhat plain ; obviously , Turner isn't , so she brings a femininity and beauty to the part as well as a strong core . Of course , when she's supposed to be pregnant , she's wearing a dress tightly cinched at the waist . It was considered indecent to show pregnancy back then , but it's ridiculous . As Marguerite , Donna Reed manages to bring some color into what is a somewhat thankless role . Van Heflin , as a friend and eventual partner of William , gives a wonderful performance as a tough but kind and tender man who makes William do the right thing by Marianne . Gladys Cooper does her usual fine job as Mrs . Patourel , and her final scene is beautiful . There were several very touching parts of the movie , and that was one of them . Newcomer Richard Hart , who died four years later , is William and looks good once he grows his mustache . The role , however , could have used a more exciting performance . Hart was from the theater and actually performed many of the classics on television in its early days . On an interesting side note , Linda Christian plays Turner's Maori maid . Turner at that time was seeing Tyrone Power . The story goes that Christian overheard Turner say that Power was going to be in Rome . Christian wangled the money for her and her sister , went to Rome , and stayed in the same hotel as Power . He never returned to Turner and the next year married Christian . Apropos of this , " Green Dolphin Street " asks age-old questions - are there mistakes in life , or a guiding hand ? Did William really write the name of the wrong sister , or was that as it was meant to be ? We all have to decide for ourselves . I'm not sure " Green Dolphin Street " will help one do that , but it's entertaining nonetheless .
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494,919 | 342,623 | 109,417 | 8 |
Nice noir
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Ed Harris and Madeleine Stowe are underneath the temperamental " China Moon " in this 1994 film also starring Benicio del Toro . Harris and del Toro are Kyle Bodine and Lamar Dickey partner detectives with a Florida police department . One night at a bar , Kyle meets Rachel Munro ( Stowe ) and falls for her immediately . She's unhappily married and has photos of her husband ( Charles Dance ) with another woman . He doesn't know this at the time , and tracks her down . They start seeing one another . When her husband winds up dead , Kyle helps her to cover it up . Though the plot is derivative , this is a classily done film with terrific acting , sensual love scenes between the two leads , an easy pace and beautiful photography . It reminded me a little of " Body Heat . " The plot won't be hard to figure out , but be prepared for a couple of twists . Ed Harris gives a forceful performance as Kyle , and del Toro is understated as Lamar . When the camera rests on Stowe , she's flawlessly beautiful , and what clothes ! She gives an effective performance and has a nice chemistry with Harris . " China Moon " is a small , meticulously done movie with loads of talent behind it . The story has been told many times , but somehow , if it's done well , it's always good for another encore .
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494,508 | 342,623 | 39,431 | 8 |
It's good news
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Peter Lawford , June Allyson , Joan McCracken , Ray McDonald , and Patricia Marshall star in " Good News , " a 1947 MGM musical about life at Tait University . Allyson is Connie Lane , working her way through college and living in a sorority house when she meets the big man on campus and star football player , Tommy Marlowe ( Lawford ) . It looks like love , but he's been after the flashy , uppity new girl ( Marshall ) who's only interested in a man with money . When she thinks Lawford has it , she turns her attentions to him , and he cancels his date with Allyson to the prom - on the night of the event . Had I been Allyson , the story would have ended right there , but this is 1947 and a movie , and it's a wonderful one - energetic and fresh , with good music and fabulous dancing from Broadway star McCracken and McDonald . " Pass the Peace Pipe , " a politically incorrect song by today's standards , is one of the best numbers . Allyson and Lawford make a great couple , and seeing Lawford so young and handsome , dancing and singing is not only a revelation but sad . He's terrific . Look for an unbelievably young Mel Torme in a small but showy role . Delightful - don't miss it .
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494,448 | 342,623 | 338,434 | 8 |
True-life story expanded
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Die-hard " Unsolved Mysteries " fans will remember the wonderful story told by a man named Fritz about a Christmas eve in the German woods when he and his mother were visited by American soldiers seeking to get out of the cold . It was a lovely story if you just stopped there , but German soldiers soon arrived and wanted to get out of the cold as well ! The mother insisted that everyone lay down their weapons and have a Christmas dinner , and they did so . One of the soldiers was wounded , and the soldiers on the other side helped him . They all spent the night with no incident , realizing that on whatever side you were on , you were still a human being . Well , if this didn't have all the makings of a movie , what does ? The story , of course , has been vastly expanded to include some conflict and some insight into the personalities involved . In real life , there wasn't intense communication since there were language barriers . This is a Christmas story that embodies the true meaning of the season in every sense of the word , all the more poignant because it's true . The performances are all wonderful . In real life , Fritz , who emigrated to America and became a baker , was looking to connect with the GIs he had met . The show found one of the old soldiers in a nursing home , and as he and Fritz reminisced , it was obvious that to both of them , the incident happened yesterday . This movie is highly recommended . It's about a remarkable woman who understood the term " peace on earth . "
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494,498 | 342,623 | 43,361 | 8 |
A blind man has his eyes opened
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Arthur Kennedy is Larry , a man blinded in WW II battle in " Bright Victory , " a 1951 film that also stars Peggy Dow , Julia Adams , James Edwards , Will Geer , Jim Backus , and Larry Keating . Kennedy plays a southern racist whose life plan of marrying his high school sweetheart ( Adams ) and joining her wealthy father's business comes into doubt when he is shot and his optic nerve shattered during combat . The film takes the viewer through Larry's training with other blind soldiers as he learns to adjust to a sightless life . One of the men , Joe ( Edwards ) is black and is his best buddy until Larry makes a bigoted remark ( and uses the n word for extra emphasis ) . A fellow soldier points out to him that from now on , he probably won't want to ask someone's race and religion before deciding if they pass muster . This sets Larry thinking . He meets a sympathetic young woman , Judy ( Dow ) , who falls for him but has to let him go home to the life he has there . But when Larry returns to his family , he finds that because he's changed , the world around him has changed , too . This looks to be a B movie but Kennedy received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor , and the acting in the film is A quality , as is the script and direction . Kennedy is excellent and does one thing , I believe intentionally , that is remarkable . At least to these ears , he has no southern accent in the beginning of the film . When he returns home , you start to hear a southern accent in his voice . Now , some might say that Kennedy's southern accent was in and out - I don't believe that was the case . He did what a lot of people with an ' acute ear ' do - he picked up the accent of those around him . As a blind man , of course , his ear would even be more acute , and in several scenes , he is shown to have a unique " radar " ability for " feeling " when he is near a building , which is considered by the Army to be a unique gift not shared by many . It would then be in character for him to easily fall in and speak with the same intonation as the accents around him . Kennedy , of course , went on to have a strong career as a character actor ( and receive more Oscar nominations ) while one of the bit players in the film , Rock Hudson , who is fairly bad even with a couple of lines , hit the superstardom jackpot . Fortunately , Hudson improved greatly before being handed leads . Julia Adams is lovely ( and strongly resembles actress Connie Selleca ) as Larry's frustrated girlfriend , and Dow is sympathetic as the girl left behind . After a few more movies , the very pretty Dow quit her film career to marry and subsequently raised five children . Will Geer , Larry Keating , and Jim Backus , three strong character actors , appear in this film as well . " Bright Victory " is an excellent movie and well worth watching , particularly for the complicated personality created by Arthur Kennedy .
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495,204 | 342,623 | 35,612 | 8 |
very good wartime spy film
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A good-sized budget , wonderful stars , a good script and excellent direction by Harold Bucquet make for a top-notch British film , " Sabotage Agent , " made in 1943 and starring Robert Donat , Valerie Hobson , and Glynis Johns . Donat plays a British soldier sent to destroy a poison gas the Nazis are making in Czechoslovakia . There , posing as an Iron Guard member , Jan Tartu , he draws attention to himself as a loud dresser and a ladies ' man while trying to infiltrate the underground . The severely asthmatic Donat goes all out in this one , playing his Tartu character to the hilt , preening and raising his arm as he says " Heil Hitler " every other minute , it seems . He definitely mines the humor in the role . His costar is the beautiful and elegant Valerie Hobson , who rooms in the same house as Tartu . Her family has lost everything and now seemingly consorts with Nazi generals , hoping to feather her nest . Glynis Johns plays a young girl who lives with her mother in the conscripted house , but she also works in the factory where " Tartu " is assigned as a guard . When she is caught at sabotage , his work is threatened . The film uses newsreel footage of London being bombed , and the laboratory set is quite interesting . A very exciting and well-acted film , highly recommended .
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494,116 | 342,623 | 43,278 | 8 |
Beautiful musical fantasy about Paris and love
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Gene Kelly is Jerry , an " American in Paris " in this 1951 film directed by Vincente Minnelli and also starring Leslie Caron , Oscar Levant , Nina Foch and Georges Guetary . Jerry is one of Paris ' many starving artists though he's a happy one , in a neighborhood where he knows everyone and has formed many friendships with fellow artists . Then he is " discovered " by an older patron ( Nina Foch ) who wants him for more than his art . Jerry , however , has fallen in love with his friend Henri's ( Guetary ) girl Lise ( Caron ) , though he doesn't realize that she is involved with Henri . Lise falls for Jerry , too , but feels a strong commitment to Henri . The beauty of Paris begins to fade . This is a beautifully directed film photographed in color , and some of it is really eye-popping . With Kelly and Caron as the leads , there is lots of great dancing to the Gershwin tunes , with Kelly at his exuberant , athletic best and Caron , introduced in this film , shown dancing a variety of styles from sexy to sublime . Levant is there with his dry quips and wonderful concertizing on the piano , and Guetary , an exciting singer , performs " Stairway to Paradise " and gives out with some great high notes in " By Strauss . " As the glamorous , lonely patron , Nina Foch is excellent , managing to evoke sympathy in a normally unsympathetic role . Reading through some of the comments on the board , I find them disturbing . " An American in Paris " is a vibrant , colorful musical with magnificent dancing and songs that capture the way of life everyone believes exists in France - the romance , the cafés , the fun of poverty and the beauty of the city of Paris itself . It isn't Ibsen . It isn't meant to be realistic ; it is meant to be charming , and in that , it succeeds . It doesn't need a script like The Grapes of Wrath ; it needs a script to get from song to song and give us feeling for the characters , and in that , it succeeds . There is a complaint that Jerry's interest in Lise is shallow . In film noir , a woman and a man's eyes meet , and they're instantly joined at the hip , and we accept it . We can't accept in a musical that Jerry saw Lise and fell for her ? My suggestion ? Take a film on the level it's presented and don't try to make it something it's not . So often on this board , people complain that a film didn't do this and didn't do that when it was never supposed to do this or that . Maybe it was supposed to do just one thing - entertain . And in that , " American in Paris " succeeds as well or better than just about anything else .
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494,402 | 342,623 | 22,279 | 8 |
very good adaptation
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I had the pleasure several years ago of seeing Lindsay Duncan and Alan Rickman on Broadway in Noel Coward's durable comedy , " Private Lives , " and they were magnificent . I admit I had low expectations for a film version . I was pleasantly surprised that , though scenes were added and changed , the film keeps the tone of the play . I actually saw part of this movie when I was about nine years old . James Card of the George Eastman House introduced it on a weekly old film program . To a nine-year-old , it seemed very foreign , given its age . Strangely , I have always remembered the line , " We're married in the eyes of heaven " - from that TV showing ! And sure enough , my memory was correct - that either says something about Montgomery's line reading , or that I had no understanding of what the line meant , or I have a weird memory . Not sure . I thought the two stars , Robert Montgomery and Norma Shearer , portrayed the couple excellently . Shearer is so often criticized for her acting , but I'm sorry , I've seen her in some very good performances , although I grant you , she was a movie star first and foremost . The couple also has great chemistry . I understand the apartment in Paris was changed to attract the German market , which eliminated the great part of the maid . In the end , the film is very enjoyable and the play , of course , set the stage for many ripoffs . I agree with another of the comments , it would have been fabulous to have Coward and Lawrence preserved on film .
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495,062 | 342,623 | 53,143 | 8 |
hilarious
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Operation Petticoat brings Tony Curtis and his idol , Cary Grant , together for a very funny film directed by Blake Edwards . Curtis , of course , does a great Cary Grant impression in " Some Like it Hot , " and working with Grant was a dream come true for the 34-year-old actor . And nothing about the experience disappointed him or the audience . The film also features Dina Merrill , Gene Evans , Dick Sargent , Arthur O'Connell , Madelyn Rhue , Virginia Gregg and Marion Ross . The film is shown in flashback as the submarine Sea Tiger is about to be junked . Grant , as Lt . Cmdr . Matt Sherman , looks at his log book and reminisces to a time when he was trying to get the Sea Tiger back into the war after his sub is nearly destroyed in an air raid . However , it is next to impossible to get supplies . Assigned as a replacement officer to the Sea Tiger is one Mr . Holden ( Curtis ) , a wheeler-dealer who got into uniform so he could meet the right people . Though he maneuvered a country club job as an aide to an admiral planning to go to Manila , the war intervened , and the admiral cancels his plans . Holden gets the Sea Tiger assignment . He promises that he can get supplies and presents one of his band of merry men , Ramon Gallardo , a prisoner whom he promises can travel on the sub . " But he's a Marine , " Sherman objects . " There isn't a thief , pickpocket , or fence in the islands that doesn't know , love , and respect him , " Holden answers . Holden gets supplies by any means necessary , including taking pipes from the bathrooms , part of the major's office wall , etc . He also manages to rescue five nurses who were stranded on an island , disrupting the entire sub . Though he finally confines Holden to quarters , Sherman realizes soon enough that if you can't beat ' em , join ' em , and calls on Holden for help again . " Operation Petticoat " has some hilarious moments , including Holden's stealing of a pig for New Year's dinner and the subsequent confrontation with the owner and military police on the sub , where Sherman and Holden refer to the pig as " Hornsby . " Unable to get the right color paint , the sub is painted pink and nearly bombed by a U . S . ship . Cary Grant is wonderful as the commander , authoritative , and then authoritative but frazzled as he is haunted by one of the nurses , a Jonas ( Joan O'Brien ) who causes disaster for him whenever she shows up . Tony Curtis is equally good , and he does not play the role for comedy ; rather , he has the comedy come out of the character - a former street kid , ambitious to marry money , with his own agenda in the Navy . The rest of the cast is very good , with pretty Dina Merrill being the love interest for Curtis , only to learn that he's already engaged to a wealthy woman . Arthur O'Connell is funny as the frustrated mechanic as nurse Heywood insists on helping him run the ship , at one point using a girdle to connect some of the parts . " Operation Petticoat " is a real treat - a very funny film with good direction , script and acting all around .
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493,603 | 342,623 | 454,769 | 8 |
Good documentary on a colorful actor
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Errol Flynn has always been grist for story mills - his off-screen life was as outrageous as his on-screen antics , so it's no surprise that a documentary about him appears from time to time on Turner Classic Movies , which owns the Warner Brothers Library . What made this Flynn story particularly interesting was the input from the family , ex-wives Patrice Wymore and Nora Eddington , and daughter Rory . They described him as a robe and slippers man who loved his home . That may come as a surprise to some people , but you can't booze and womanize , and it's clear from photographs that he loved his three children . The documentary fails to mention the death of Sean Flynn , probably because it happened after his father's death . The other element that puts this biography one step above is the interview with Olivia de Havilland , who speaks quite frankly about the attraction she and Flynn had for one another and how the romance was never to be . de Havilland's affection for Flynn , spoken of so emotionally when she was in the U . S . to receive an award at the time of her 90th birthday , is an indication that there was more to Flynn than young girls , drugs , and liquor . The classy de Havilland obviously saw something special in him , beyond the physical . The film clips from Robin Hood , Captain Blood and Flynn's other films are fun to watch . He was unique in that while other actors did musicals , dramas , comedies and adventure films , Flynn primarily did adventure films throughout his career . He was a tremendous natural athlete with great flair and charm , born to play the Robin Hoods and Captain Bloods . He could have been excellent in comedy , but his attempt didn't catch on . The problem for Flynn was that while others at Warners could act the big roles and play comedy as well as Flynn , no one at Warners was as adept at playing swashbucklers . This frustrated him , as a similar situation frustrated Tyrone Power at Fox , though Power had many more opportunities to do different types of films than did Flynn . The wonderful thing about this documentary is it debunks Charles Higham's Nazi premise ( which had already been debunked ) and , as one poster mentioned already , the homosexuality / bisexuality assertion is ridiculous . Flynn's big problem was underage girls . It's certainly possible that he experimented with the opposite sex under the influence - probably everybody did ! Why this is considered noteworthy is anybody's guess . Flynn was embarking on a career as a character actor at his death , and again , like Tyrone Power , he would have been happy with the meatier roles that supporting roles offer . Neither man lived to fulfill that potential . Flynn had a particular heartbreak in a film version of William Tell that was never finished and IRS problems . The end of his life was a sad one for someone with so much charm , beauty and humor .
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494,306 | 342,623 | 69,686 | 8 |
Hitchcock on Hitchcock
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One of the segments of " The Men Who Made the Movies " is on Alfred Hitchcock , concentrating mainly on his sound films . It would be impossible in the time allotted to give appropriate time to all of his great films , but there is some impressive footage to be had from " Saboteur , " " North by Northwest , " " Notorious , " " Shadow of a Doubt , " " Psycho , " " Frenzy , " and " The Birds . " My favorite Hitchcock films are those of the ' 40s and ' 50s - I've never seen " The Birds " because the whole idea scares me to death . I always felt Hitchock took a turn with " Psycho " into the horror genre that held no appeal for me ( though I do like " Psycho " ) . The star of this segment , of course , is the man himself , sitting calmly behind his desk and continuing to talk in the same measured tones after frightening scenes like the one shown from " The Birds " or " Frenzy . " He's so right on - " Frenzy " is frightening because the killer sounds so reasonable ; a " villain " has to be attractive , ergo , Joseph Cotten in " Shadow of a Doubt , " etc . One of my favorite Hitchcock moments is one so subtle it is never mentioned : In " Shadow of a Doubt , " the younger children won't sit next to Uncle Charlie . Hitchock knew that children's instincts , unspoiled by socialization , are always correct . In business , people used to talk about " thinking out of the box . " For these early filmmakers - and Hitchcock goes back to the silent era - there was no box . They created the whole thing . There were no rules . When there finally was a box , i . e . , the box they put the camera in to keep it immobile after sound came in , Hitchock took the camera out , and , as he put it , " The sound man walked off the set . " There is a lot of footage of Hitchock being interviewed available and several documentaries , but somehow , I never get tired of him .
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494,137 | 342,623 | 408,790 | 8 |
Smoke and mirrors
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Jodie Foster searches for her missing daughter on board a flight from Berlin to America in " Flightplan , " a 2005 film also starring Sean Bean , Peter Sarsgaard and Greta Scacchi . Foster plays Kyle Pratt ( the name kept though the character in the original script was a man ) , an aviation engineer who is bringing her husband's body back to the U . S . after he fell off of a building . When she awakens from a nap , her daughter is gone . After a search and a check of the flight manifest , the crew breaks it to her that her daughter was never on the plane , and in fact , died with her husband . Kyle's anxiousness soon leads to hysteria , and it's beginning to affect the other passengers . An even-tempered air marshall , Carson ( Sarsgaard ) is put in charge of her , but Kyle becomes increasingly out of control . She breaks away from him and , using her abilities , she sends the oxygen masks into the cabins and kills the power so she can continue to search the plane . The plot is not particularly new - in " So Long at the Fair , " Jean Simmons loses her brother , only to be told he did not accompany her ; in " Dangerous Crossing , " Jeanne Crain is a newlywed with a husband nobody saw . And this film brings Foster's " Panic Room " to mind - a woman and her daughter in bad circumstances . And , like " Panic Room , " " Flightplan " has some plot holes so large , it makes Swiss cheese look like solid rock . However , like " Panic Room , " as entertainment goes , it's first rate if you just go along with it and don't think about it too much . It's better than " Panic Room " in that this time , the plot takes place on a two-story 474 aircraft that is gynormous and spectacular . The suspense and tension is non-stop , plus it has a ferocious performance by Foster . She captures perfectly the various stages of such a traumatic situation . First she looks around the plane casually , then more thoroughly . She talks to the crew , she becomes nervous , then frantic , then aggressive - and then she just about goes out of her mind . Who wouldn't . Foster likes these girl power roles ; she does a great job with them and on top of it , always comes off as super-intelligent . Many actresses who play attorneys , doctors , scientists , yada yada - sometimes come off a little too dumb for their professions . Not Foster . She is ably surrounded by Sean Bean as the captain who fights to keep his temper once Kyle has lost hers , Greta Scacchi as a gentle psychiatrist who tries to help Kyle ; and Sarsgaard , who , though his face betrays nothing , you can read his mind . I was surprised to see the talented actress Stephanie Feracy , who has been around for years , playing a flight attendant . There has to be one helluva portrait in her closet . She looks amazing . You can analyze movies like this , " Panic Room , " " Oceans Eleven , " " Mr . and Mrs . Smith " and absolutely hate them because of the liberties and loose ends and stupidities - or you can get into the emotions of the characters and the excitement . I usually choose the latter ; it saves a lot of angst . I leave that to the characters .
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493,892 | 342,623 | 60,424 | 8 |
Matthau and Lemmon directed by Wilder in a Wilder script - who can ask for anything more ?
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When a cameraman is knocked over during a Cleveland Browns game , the sharks move in - or should I say shark - in the form of " Whiplash Willie , " his brother-in-law , in " The Fortune Cookie , " a 1966 film written and directed by Billy Wilder . Lemmon plays Harry Hinkle , a television cameraman , who is involved in a freak accident during a football game , when he is knocked over by " Boom Boom " Jackson . As soon as his brother-in-law , attorney Willie Gingrich ( Matthau ) hears that Harry suffered a compressed vertebrae in his youth ( from jumping off of a garage roof without opening his umbrella ) , he warns his hospitalized victim not to get well . He has a paroled dentist come in and shoot him up with drugs so that he can pass the insurance medical tests , puts him in a wheelchair , a collar , and a corset , and takes him home to recover . Meanwhile , the insurance company has a camera on him and his apartment bugged . Harry's tramp ex-wife ( Judi West ) , an aspiring singer , comes back to him as soon as she smells money to jump-start her career . The guilt-stricken Boom Boom becomes his servant . Boom Boom's football game suffers , and he turns to drink . Whiplash Willie , in the meantime , is negotiating a $200 , 000 settlement . Insurance fraud and ambulance chasers are still very topical . One has only to look at the number of commercials for attorneys telling you an accident is worth big bucks . Leave it to Billy Wilder and partner I . A . L . Diamond to write such a witty , cynical script about a man with a conscience up against a man who will stop at nothing to cheat the insurance company . Walter Matthau is an absolute riot as Willie , and won the Academy Award for his performance . Willie is an obvious cheat who knows all the angles and is able to get around them . Lemmon is great as a lonely man who goes along with the subterfuge with the carrot of his ex-wife returning dangling in front of him . Ron Rich gives a natural , sympathetic performance as Boom Boom , the devastated football player . The script is very witty and the performances are great . Billy Wilder was one of film's greatest writers and directors , and in " The Fortune Cookie , " he shows he's still got what it takes .
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494,899 | 342,623 | 39,850 | 8 |
Takes up where " Fruhlingssinfonie " left off
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Katharine Hepburn is Clara Wieck , Paul Henried is Robert Schumann , and Robert Walker is Brahms in " Song of Love , " a 1947 film directed by Clarence Brown and also starring Henry Daniell and Leo G . Carroll . " Song of Love " covers the marriage of Wieck and Schumann , while " Fruhlingssinfonie " ( Spring Symphony ) , which stars Nastassia Kinski as Clara , ends before the couple's marriage . The latter makes much more of a feminist statement . In that film , the well-known Clara Wieck realizes that upon marrying Schumann , there will not be room for " two pianos " as she puts it , and that her career , in fact , is over . While it is true that Schumann wanted a traditional wife and that in those days , it said bad things about a husband that let his wife go out and earn money , Clara Schumann did indeed continue her career up until 5 years before she died . Though there are some dramatic liberties taken with the script , much of it is true . As Schumann mentions in his conversation with Clara's father , he did live with the Wieck family for a time . Clara did take her father to court . Brahms was probably not in love with Clara , but the two were very close friends , and he did take care of the children as shown in the film . " Song of Love " is a little vague on Schumann's illness . Nowadays it is suspected to be syphilis that was treated with mercury ; another suspicion is that he was bipolar . But as the film documents , he became quite ill , indeed hearing the the note " A " in his head . There are also reports that Clara and Brahms destroyed his later works because they demonstrated the disintegration of his mind . In fact , one or two pieces were destroyed , but many were put into the repertoire . And Clara did indeed promote his music in concerts throughout her life . The glorious music of Schumann and Brahms is played throughout the film , and the performances are first-rate . Katharine Hepburn gives a beautiful characterization of Clara - strong , devoted , intelligent and gentle . Robert Walker is a warm , charming Brahms , and Paul Henried is excellent as the depressed Schumann . Schumann , Brahms , Liszt , Chopin - once composers roamed the world as dinosaurs did . Now composers are dinosaurs . Our technologically-based society is not conducive to producing great music or art , though musicians and artists now have a variety of technological advances at their disposal to incorporate into their work . Somehow it's not the same . Let " Song of Love " take you back in time . I highly recommend " Fruhlingssinfonie , " another beautiful film on the subject with a slightly different point of view . If you can , get it with subtitles rather than the dubbed version .
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493,915 | 342,623 | 26,029 | 8 |
What are the 39 steps ?
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The 39 Steps is the film that set Hitchock on his road to international stardom . Starring Robert Donat and Madeline Carroll , the movie is suspenseful as well as charming and filled with all those marvelous Hitchcock touches . The film begins in a music hall - the Hitchcock " ordinary " i . e . safe place . We are treated to a performance by that master of knowledge , " Mr . Memory " and see Richard Hannay ( Robert Donat ) in the audience . Then a shot is fired , and in the confusion and frenzy to get out of the theater , a woman attaches herself to him . She's obviously terrified of something - when they get to his apartment , she plasters herself between two windows . She tells him a wild story - she's an agent en route to Scotland . She's trying to keep important information from leaving the country . When she winds up dead in the middle of the night , Hannay takes her map of Scotland and sets off . Meanwhile , back home , he's wanted for her murder . An ordinary man , a victim of circumstances , and for Hannay , they haven't even begun yet . Once on the train , he meets Pamela ( Madeline Carroll ) and starts kissing her when the guards come around . She turns him in . He escapes . Once in Scotland , he gets another Hitchcock lesson - evil lurks in a small town and hides behind respectability . Eventually he runs into Carroll again and this time , they become handcuffed together in the Scottish countryside . Robert Donat is a very attractive Hitchcock hero / victim and Madeline Carroll is lovely as the Hitchock blonde . She's cool but feisty when she has to be . They have a nice repartee . You'll see bits of Hitchcock's other films in this - there are strong reminders of " Sabotage " here as Hannay gets help along the way ; he and Carroll are assumed to be a couple ; Pamela wants to turn him over to the police ; the honorable citizen is a traitor . The Macguffin here is the 39 steps . Like the neo-Nazis in " Notorious , " the 39 steps are but an excuse for a great story . And when Donat yells out , " What are the 39 steps ? " you're going to ask , after enjoying the entire film and not being bothered by them at all - yeah , what are the 39 steps ?
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494,679 | 342,623 | 29,852 | 8 |
classic entertainment
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The last time I saw this movie was probably the late ' 60s , when I watched it on television with a group of friends . I just saw it again on DVD , and it's as much fun as I remember it . In 108 minutes , I wouldn't be surprised if 90 minutes was music , and what music ! One Irving Berlin song after another , sung by either Alice Faye , Don Ameche , Ethel Merman , or Jack Haley . A young Merman , with a sexy figure , really pops in this film with her exciting belt voice . A thinnish plot surrounds the songs . It's the story of a classical musician ( Tyrone Power ) who forms a swing band and , because of the song " Alexander's Ragtime Band " takes the name Alexander for himself and the Ragtime Band for his group . The movie takes us loving , losing , and playing music through World War I and into the swing era , though there's not a gray hair to be found among our heroes . Ameche and Power were friends before either one of them was signed by 20th Century Fox , and with Faye , they made " In Old Chicago " together plus this film - and both Faye / Ameche and Faye / Power made other films together as well . The three work very well as an ensemble . Faye is especially lovely in this . She sings in a commanding contralto , wears some great fashions , and is appropriately feisty , low-class , or classy as the part demands . As lovely as she was , though , she's no competition for the most gorgeous one in the movie , Tyrone Power . He's pretty darn breathtaking in that tuxedo of his . He could have conducted me anywhere . Monumentally entertaining music and plenty of eye candy - highly recommended .
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494,613 | 342,623 | 35,583 | 8 |
Just when you think Rita Hayworth couldn't be more gorgeous . . .
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she is - this time in " You Were Never Lovelier , " a 1942 film starring Fred Astaire , Adolphe Menjou , and Xavier Cugat along with Hayworth . Menjou plays Eduardo Acuna , the father of four daughters in Argentina , and according to tradition , the girls must marry in order . Second to be married is Maria ( Hayworth ) . Unfortunately , in this case , the two younger daughters have suitors and Maria has no interest in marriage or in any of the dozens of men who have tried to win her heart . Her father hatches a plan to send her orchids and letters from a secret admirer . Then he plans for the secret admirer to disappear , hoping that she'll then turn to an ordinary man . When he has a dancer , Bob Davis ( Astaire ) who is trying to get a job in the club deliver the orchids , Maria thinks that Davis is her secret admirer . The two wind up falling in love , which doesn't fit in with Dad's plans . Hayworth's first entrance in this is as she gives her sister something for her wedding . She's so gorgeous it's ridiculous . It's said that during the making of Blood & Sand , Tyrone Power was so enamored of Hayworth that he couldn't stop staring at her ( and in fact , she's one of the few women who could match him looks-wise ) . Not surprising . What's wonderful about this film is that Hayworth wears fabulous gowns and dances with Fred Astaire . They make a terrific pair , and Astaire loved working with her . When they dance to " I'm Old Fashioned , " it's as if they're floating on a cloud . She seems to bring out a sweet side to Astaire's acting , and the character he plays is less sure of himself than the Astaire roles usually are . And of course , he dances like a dream , with a wonderful audition solo for Menjou . For this writer , there were many beautiful women in Hollywood . But two were the complete movie star package with superior beauty , personality , and raw sex appeal - Rita Hayworth and Ava Gardner . Rita , with her wonderful dance talent , probably has a slight edge . It's tragic that her personal life was so sad and that she herself was such a troubled woman . It just doesn't seem fair to be that sensational and that miserable at the same time . This is a lovely , romantic film produced specifically for the World War II audience - while we're not going through World War II today , most of us are depressed enough that we could be , so it's still a great watch .
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494,301 | 342,623 | 39,896 | 8 |
Very good noir that probably fell victim to the code
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Robert Young as a philanderer - that should tip you off that " They Won't Believe Me " is going to be unusual . Before finding success as a warm dad and a kind doctor on television , Young often played romantic roles , earnest roles , or the uptight boss . Occasionally , though , the role of someone with a criminal mind would sneak in . Here , Young plays a man who marries a woman for her money and then cheats on her constantly - though he always goes back to the comforts of home . After dumping one woman , portrayed by Jane Greer , he picks up with a secretary in his securities firm , a young Susan Hayward - he leaves her , too , but has second thoughts . The result is a very interesting drama , told in flashback . This is an excellent movie with a surprise ending that probably was insisted on to satisfy the code . The acting is very good all around . Young comes off as just slimy enough without being offensively so ; Hayward's gold digger is glamorous , sexy , and conniving ; and Jane Greer , in the most sympathetic role , looks fabulous and is her usual marvelous self as a woman who can't help loving this man , even with his flaws . Rita Johnson is very good as Young's attractive and determined wife . All in all , I really enjoyed " They Won't Believe Me . " Very entertaining .
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495,092 | 342,623 | 74,554 | 8 |
A bookie / cashier becomes involved in the ' 50s Red Scare
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Woody Allen is " The Front " for blacklisted television writers in the 1950s in a film also starring Zero Mostel , Herschel Bernardi , Andrea Marcovicci , and Michael Murphy . Several of the film's participants - director Ritt , writer Bernstein , actors Bernardi and Mostel , were themselves blacklisted . Woody's character , Howard Prince , has moments of humor , but " The Front " is a drama , and a very good one . Prince agrees to front for a writer-friend and later takes on other blacklisted writers for money . Then comes the day that Prince himself is subpoenaed by the committee , and he has to make a decision about where he stands . Along the way , Howard falls in love with a principled woman , Marcovicci , who becomes disgusted with the blacklist and quits her television job , and a pathetic comedian , Zero Mostel , who claims to have marched in a May Day parade and subscribed to a communist newspaper because he had a crush on a girl . Then he watches his career shrivel up . I grew up in the ' 50s and remember the Red Scare very well , as in school we were always told that the Communists were coming . In Hollywood and Washington , it was believed that the Communists were here infiltrating our government , films , and television . Whether it was true or not is a separate issue from the persecution and hysteria that took place . Actress Lee Remick , for instance , was blacklisted because she went to a funeral of someone who had been accused of being a Communist . John Garfield , Kim Hunter , Gale Sondergaard , Mady Christians , Larry Parks - just a few of the actors blacklisted . There are many examples of people whose careers and lives were ruined because they had once attended a meeting to see what this political ideology was all about , or had a friend who was a Communist . Land of the free indeed .
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493,751 | 342,623 | 60,522 | 8 |
Pure delight
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Peter O'Toole shows Audrey Hepburn " How to Steal a Million " in this 1966 caper film directed by William Wyler . The film also stars Eli Wallach , Hugh Griffith , Charles Boyer , and Fernand Gravey . Hepburn plays Nicole , the daughter of a renowned art collector , Bonnet ( Griffith ) , who in fact is not a collector but an expert forger . He has lent his famous Cellini Venus to the Paris Art Museum , only to find out that before it can be insured , there will be a technical test to assure its authenticity . Since it's a sculpture , and the chemical makeup was different from the material in the 14th century , the forgery will be easy to detect . In order to help her father , Nicole Bonnet contacts Simon Dermott { O'Toole ) whom she caught when he broke into the house she shares with her father , and asks him to steal the Venus from the museum . In the ' 60s , caper films were all the rage , and it would be hard to miss with two such beautiful and sophisticated stars as Hepburn and O'Toole . Their chemistry is great , the caper is clever , and the dialogue is witty . The supporting cast is excellent ; someone said Eli Wallach was miscast as an obsessive collector . Originally Wyler cast George G . Scott , but he was replaced when he arrived on the set late . Scott would have been more tycoon-like . Like bubbly champagne , " How to Steal a Million " tickles and delights throughout . Highly recommended .
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493,466 | 342,623 | 39,689 | 8 |
Excellent example of film noir at its best
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Full of atmosphere and heat , " Out of the Past " is a classic film noir , directed by a master , Jacques Tourneur . Although considered only an above-average B movie at the time of release , it's doubtful anyone thinks of it that way today , as it is superior to many " A " films . With a top-notch cast and a deceptively easy pace that belies the tension and danger underneath , " Out of the Past " makes for an intriguing , absorbing film . Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer make a great pair - both are sultry , sexy , hard to read , and gorgeous . I found Greer's performance quite interesting . In the beginning , she appears quite warm , frightened , and sincere , as opposed to , say , Lizabeth Scott in " Dead Reckoning . " When she turns hardboiled , it's subtle , with only a change in her eyes and voice , when she comments that Fisher isn't going to say anything to anybody . I love the way Mitchum sizes up women . He absolutely smolders , and 40 years later , in " The Winds of War , " he was still smoldering . Kirk Douglas is appropriately edgy in his supporting role as Whit . Rhonda Fleming has a small role , but no one that incredibly beautiful was going to go unnoticed for long . What a wonderful film , what a perfect example of a genre .
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495,163 | 342,623 | 25,878 | 8 |
The first of the series , and one of the best
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The Thin Man introduces film audiences to the Dashiell Hammett characters Nick and Nora Charles , portrayed by one of the great screen couples , William Powell and Myrna Loy . MGM was very surprised when the film , for which they had no ambitious plans , became a huge hit and even garnered four Oscar nominations . This Nick and Nora have very little to do with Hammett's Nick and Nora , and it's just as well . William Powell and Myrna Loy created a lively , fun , loving couple that's all their own . The two actors worked better together than probably any other team - they're the non-dancing Astaire and Rogers . Loy's entrance into this film - she's dragged by Asta into a bar while she's balancing Christmas gifts and ends up flat on her face - is one of the best . Nick is pretty much smashed through most of the movie - people drank a lot more in those days . Powell manages to be elegant , funny , smart , warm , and do slapstick - sometimes all at the same time . Asta has a helluva time keeping up with them . A very pretty Maureen O'Sullivan costars as a young woman whose father is missing and then is suspected of killing his ex-wife - that's for starters . He seems to be on a killing spree . Though Charles hasn't been involved in detective work in four years , she begs him to help her . After a visit from the police in the middle of the night , Nora asks Nick , " Are you going to take her case ? " " Take it ? " Nick asks , reaching for the booze . " I'm in it ! " Highly recommended for first-class chemistry , wit , humor , a good mystery , and overall enjoyment .
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494,447 | 342,623 | 39,725 | 8 |
Joan at Warner's - she ROCKS
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For the young Joan Crawford , MGM was the perfect studio . All that gloss , rags to riches , Gable , and gowns . But MGM had a hard time with actresses as they aged and the old formulas weren't working anymore - Shearer , Garbo , and Crawford being three such examples . The other two quit , but Joan went over to Warner Brothers and revived her career . It was a good move . I love the Crawford films at Warner's . They were grand potboilers enlivened by her presence . Possessed is post-war , and after the war , the new rage was psychology . This movie is full of it . I'm not sure the diagnosis and terminology is correct in the film , but in layman's term , Crawford plays a total whack job . As her story unfolds to a doctor , she's a nurse taking care of Raymond Massey's wife , and she's seeing Van Heflin on a casual basis . When she falls in love with him , Heflin announces he's restless because of the war and is taking off . And that's when Joan takes off - emotionally . She becomes completely obsessed with him , and this leads to hallucinations , hysteria , and finally a psychotic break . She has able assistance by Heflin , who pops in and out and gets involved with Crawford's stepdaughter ( Crawford is now married to the widower Massey ) . When the movie begins , she's wandering the street saying " David , " which is Heflin's name in the movie . One of the posters suggested Tyrone Power for this role . I'm all for him in any movie , and it's true , the presence of a big star as David would have elevated the film to a grander status . As it is , it's an excellent vehicle for Crawford , who runs the gamut of emotions . Raymond Massey is stoic and solid as Crawford's new husband , and the lovely Geraldine Brooks , who died too soon , plays the stepdaughter . Her youthful vivacity is in sharp contrast to Crawford's borderline insanity and makes for great watching . Heflin , as the object of all the possession obsession , is smooth and detached . But make no mistake about it . This is Joan Crawford's show and she makes the most of it . The script will keep you interested , and you won't be able to take your eyes off of Joan descending into madness .
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494,774 | 342,623 | 47,437 | 8 |
Delicious Audrey
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Audrey Hepburn is a chauffeur's daughter who sets her sets her sights on the playboy of the manor ( William Holden ) in " Sabrina , " a 1954 comedy directed and written by Billy Wilder and starring the above plus Humphrey Bogart as Linus , Holden's brother . Holden plays David - and he's the man Sabrina has loved from childhood . When she returns from studying cooking in Paris , she's grown into a beautiful , chic young woman , and David notices her for the first time . Because David is engaged to a " suitable " woman and fearful of him causing yet another scandal with a woman , Linus tries to distract Sabrina by making a play for her himself . All the actors are superb , of course , if the casting is a tad odd . As usual , Hepburn is playing opposite men many years her senior - Holden by 11 years and Bogart by 30 . People often ask the reason for this occurring again and again with Hepburn . The answer is easy . Though she is actually of the Tab Hunter-Robert Wagner era , which is the first group after the Golden Age of Hollywood , Hepburn was a much bigger star and much more sophisticated than anyone of her generation of actors - as big and sophisticated , in fact , as stars of the golden age . Therefore , she was always cast with equals . Can you see her costarring with Tab Hunter ? No . Sabrina is a perfect role for her - gamine , sophisticated in her Givenchy gowns , wide-eyed with that amazing smile . Bogart wanted Bacall in this role - she was too worldly to play Sabrina . Originally the Bogart character was to be played by Cary Grant , which makes a little , if not a lot more sense . Holden's hair was dyed blond to give him a younger appearance . At 35 , he is disarmingly handsome , very charming and quite funny . He and Bogart don't look much like brothers . A bigger problem , in my opinion , is that Hepburn and Bogart don't really click , as good as they both are in their roles , and they are great . When Wilder was asked about how difficult Bogart was , he shrugged it off . " Didn't he make fun of your accent ? " the interviewer pressed . " Oh , everyone did that , " Wilder said . " It doesn't matter . All was forgiven " - and he made reference to Bogart's dreadful death from esophageal cancer . I know many will not agree , but the only downside of this film for me was the ending - without giving anything away , I just didn't buy it . However , it is highly recommended and a wonderful movie . You might not share my feelings about the ending , which will make it even more enjoyable . Wilder told a story about not having the script finished and asking Hepburn to stall for time in filming the office scene where she pretends to be holding a board of directors meeting . " She would say she forgot a line . . . " Wilder recalled . " You see , what Marilyn did naturally , Audrey had to work at . "
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494,215 | 342,623 | 43,132 | 8 |
Another great 20th Century Fox noir
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Dana Andrews stands " Where the Sidewalk Ends " in this 1950 film that also stars Gene Tierney , Gary Merrill , Karl Malden and Neville Brand . Andrews plays New York City Detective Sgt . Mark Dixon , a cop with a bad temper who has gotten into trouble in the past for beating suspects . When a man is murdered at a gambling club owned by a mobster , Scalise ( Merrill ) , Dixon and his partner go to investigate . Scalise blames the murder on Ken Paine ( Stevens ) , who has now left the club after fighting not only with his wife , Morgan ( Tierney ) but the victim . Dixon thinks the victim won a lot of money and was killed as a result by the mobster's men . He goes to see Paine and , not realizing he has a plate in his head from the war , knocks him to the floor and inadvertently kills him . Now he must cover up the murder . As a further complication , he falls for Morgan ; her father ( Ken Tully ) , who went to Paine's apartment after he saw that Paine had hit his daughter , is arrested for the crime . This is a really terrific , gritty noir with some good performances . The ruggedly handsome and weathered Andrews is convincing as a tough yet nervous detective who has to stay one step ahead of his colleagues . The movie reunites him with his fabulous " Laura " costar , Gene Tierney , and she looks lovely as a model with bad taste in men who apparently is used to being roughed up . Little does she know , she's got another one on her hands . Ken Tully does a terrific job as her father , who protests his innocence despite some damning evidence . Karl Malden is very tough as Dixon's boss . My only problem with this well-directed , fast-moving and absorbing film is the ending . Pure Hollywood and , putting myself in Tierney's place , I doubt I would react the same way . A minor criticism for a film written by Ben Hecht and directed by Otto Preminger . I didn't find it as awe-inspiring as " Laura , " but few things in this world are . If you like film noir , this is a must-see .
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494,849 | 342,623 | 397,101 | 8 |
Do do that hoodoo that you do so well !
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Kate Hudson is a home care worker helping out an elderly couple in " The Skeleton Key , " an intriguing horror film also starring John Hurt and Peter Sarsgaard . Not being a horror fan myself , I was fascinated , scared , and intrigued by this movie . Under the direction of Ian Softley , the story moves fast and keeps you interested . Hudson plays a young woman who goes to a secluded old New Orleans home to help Gena Rowlands care for her ailing husband , played by Hurt . If this hadn't been a movie , she would have gotten out of there immediately , but since it was , she stayed . She discovers an attic room that is hiding some disturbing secrets and starts to investigate the history of the house and some of the voodoo / hoodoo paraphernalia she finds . If you like this kind of thing , you'll love " The Skeleton Key . " If you don't , you'll probably still like it . It's not a slasher film , but a solid story with an excellent cast . Heartily recommended - but I wouldn't watch it alone .
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493,511 | 342,623 | 52,950 | 8 |
Excellent film , excellent direction by Litvak
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Anatole Litvak directed the 1959 film , " The Journey , " starring Yul Brynner , Deborah Kerr , Robert Morley , E . G . Marshall , Anne Jackson , and Jason Robards . The film takes place during the 1956 Hungarian uprising and concerns a group of travelers having problems getting out of Budapest because of political problems in that part of the world . They are put on a bus to Vienna , but the Russians , led by Major Surov ( Brynner ) confiscate their passports and hold them for questioning . One of the passengers is Paul Fleming ( Robards ) , posing as an American but in reality a Hungarian freedom fighter , whom the major believes is being smuggled out of Hungary . In fact , Lady Ashmore ( Kerr ) is hiding him . She becomes the focus of the Major's romantic attentions . Very good film that conveys the tension and hassle of the Cold War , and all of the performances are wonderful . Brynner is particularly excellent as the passionate Major who isn't all bad , and Anne Jackson gives a realistic , powerful performance as a pregnant woman who doesn't want her child born in a Communist country . Good script , good director , good cast - there should be more films like this . Highly recommended .
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494,057 | 342,623 | 772,200 | 8 |
excellent independent film
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Robert Desiderio wrote a wonderful role for his wife , Judith Light , in " Save Me , " a 2007 film about a religious group , Genesis . At Genesis , the idea is to make gay men straight . One of the heads of Genesis , played by Light , blames her son's suicide on the fact that he was gay , unable to face up to the fact that it was her rejection of him that helped him along . Her second husband ( Steven Lang ) , not the boy's father , is a little more lenient in his views , and this causes conflict . When it's obvious that two of the men at Genesis ( Jeremy Glazer and Chad Allen ) are attracted to one another , she becomes increasingly more disturbed . This is a very good film about , as far as I'm concerned , a misguided attempt by fundamentalists to " straighten out " gay men on the premise that it's in the Bible . There's so much in the Bible that contradicts itself , but there's one thing pretty obvious in the New Testament - judgment is to be left to a higher power . A religious group that condemns someone not of their belief system isn't , in my opinion , Christian or religious . So much for that . The film beautifully demonstrates its own point of view - love and meaningful relationships are what matter , whether between the same or the opposite sex . Jeremy Glazer and Chad Allen give fine performances as two men who have found their way to clean lifestyles but still need to be who they are and seek love with another human being . The star , of course , is Light , who , deglamorized and with darker hair , bears NO resemblance to the elegant Mrs . Mead on " Ugly Betty . " What a performance - and she's been giving great performances for 30 years . One hates her prejudice but realizes that it's born out of her own denial at the same time . Her husband's attempts to understand her , his loyalty to her , and his desire to help her , are very touching . But he doesn't feel as she does . In " Save Me , " we're shown that a place like Genesis has its good points - there's nothing wrong with getting off of drugs and booze and contributing to the community - but it needs to stop there . You can be gay without drugs , booze , and indiscriminate sex . You can also , as so well shown in the film , be gay and religious at the same time . No matter what anyone says , God doesn't discriminate .
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495,039 | 342,623 | 52,911 | 8 |
Great send-up of manager versus labor union relations
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A young man ( Ian Carmichael ) works too fast and causes problems with the labor union in " I'm All Right Jack , " a 1959 British film directed by John Boulting . Boulting actually lost a suit against a labor union . This is his revenge . Stanley Windrush ( Carmichael ) is from a wealthy family and , after returning from the war , he wants to be in business . It's arranged for him to work at his uncle's firm as a laborer , against the wishes of his aunt ( Margaret Rutherford ) and work his way up . Unfortunately , Stanley just doesn't get it . At first he's suspected of being an efficiency expert designed as an employee , something the whole factory fears . Then he inadvertently does his job in front of an efficiency expert . It's found that he works faster than the other employees . This infuriates the union , who - again - go on strike , which they do every couple of weeks . It takes Stanley a while to figure out what's going on , but he does , in time for a television talk show . This film is known today for the brilliant performance of Peter Sellers as the shop steward , whose politics , he says , are private . He's fabulous . The film also features Terry Thomas , also very funny , and other excellent actors , such as Dennis Price and Richard Attenborough . Having worked in theater and read up on a recent Broadway strike , Boulting doesn't miss much . When Windrush asks why a bunch of men playing cards aren't working , in fact , unions often have quotas of how many people have to be hired , whether they're needed or not . Many people , of course , misses the point of unions . If people treated each other like human beings , we wouldn't have needed unions in the first place . However , " I'm All Right , Jack " understands , as Windrush's impassioned speech tells us . As long as I'm okay , I don't care what happens to you . It's an unfortunate if honest message . Don't miss this one .
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494,346 | 342,623 | 35,431 | 8 |
Good performances heighten World War II romance
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Tyrone Power is a man with a secret when he falls in love with upper class Joan Fontaine in " This Above All , " a 1942 film that also stars Thomas Mitchell and Gladys Cooper . Fontaine plays Prudence , a young woman from a wealthy British family who joins the WAFs . One night , a fellow WAF asks her to double date with her and her soon to be fiancée , and there , in the darkness of a blackout , she meets Clive Briggs ( Power ) , a very complicated young man who's not in uniform . The two fall in love and go on holiday together , and it is while vacationing that Prudence realizes that Clive has seen battle . She finally wrenches his secret out of him . This is a really lovely , dark film based on the book of the same name . Unlike the movie , the book is filled with sex so there , it disappoints . Thanks to the code , the couple have adjoining rooms , and Prudence tells her father , " We've done nothing to be ashamed of . " It's somewhat frustrating - I mean , it's Tyrone Power in the next room , and you're not sleeping with him ? Despite this , the performances are wonderful . Fontaine , with her soft , elegant beauty , is totally believable as both a compassionate and a passionate woman . Power's almost ridiculous beauty of the 1930s , that ethereal perfection that outshone his female costars , has been replaced by 1942 with the wonderful handsomeness that would carry him through the ' 50s . His looks - and the roles given him by his studio - caused him to be underrated as an actor . Here , however , he's the Larry Darrell of " The Razor's Edge " gone over to the dark side - troubled , pensive , sometimes cold , with moods that change abruptly - and he's excellent in what is a very different kind of role for him . One never loses what's Clive's about . For instance , Clive resents and hates the upper class . When he walks into the office of the commanding officer he begged to see and hears him making social plans on the telephone , his face changes , and you realize that this is the type of person that he detests . If only Mr . Zanuck hadn't been so enamored of Power's voice that he discouraged him from doing accents . There's no doubt , if his fooling around in " Rose of Washington Square " and suggestion of an accent in " Lloyds of London " are any indication , that he could have done a British accent without any problem were it demanded of him . But according to " Memo from Darryl F . Zanuck , " the studio head had very rigid ideas about his most important star . One poster thought this would have been a good role for Olivier - I disagree . Olivier would not have been as convincing as a common man as Power was . This is a propaganda film , of course , so Fontaine has a big monologue about England and what it means . It's a little melodramatic but appropriate given the times and the subject matter . This is a minor point in a film rich with characterization and atmosphere . When Clive and Prudence first meet , they catch a glimpse of one another while a cigarette is being lit - it's terribly romantic and sweet , as is the entire film . Highly recommended .
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493,888 | 342,623 | 35,417 | 8 |
Colman , Grant and Arthur - how can it miss ? It doesn't .
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Cary Grant is Leopold Dilg , " The Talk of the Town , " in this 1942 film also starring Ronald Colman and Jean Arthur . The outspoken Digl is framed for arson and murder and escapes from prison . He ends up in the home of a schoolteacher he's known since childhood , Nora Shelley . She's preparing her home to be rented the next day - except the renter , an attorney named Professor Lightcap ( Colman ) shows up right then . Since Leopold has a bad ankle , Nora lets him hide in the attic . Though Lightcap wants peace and quiet to write a book , things don't quite happen that way . Nora insists on being his secretary / cook - because she has to take care of Leopold - and every time Lightcap turns around , there's Nora's mother , the police looking for Dilg , furniture deliveries and a delivery of all of Nora's clothing - before he agrees to hire her . Nora and Dilg's attorney Yates ( Edgar Buchanan ) attempt to drag the brilliant ivory tower attorney into the unfair assumption of guilt of Dilg , but Lightcap refuses . His type of justice , it seems , is all on paper . He doesn't want to get involved with any real people . Leopold , posing as the family gardener , gets into some heated discussions with him , and at Leopold's urging , Nora gives Lightcap special attention . But is any of it enough to make him cave and help Digl ? This is a grand comedy with very serious undertones . Who would ever expect two of the most elegant men in film history , Grant and Colman , to be facing off in a comedy , no less , where one of them is very definitely NOT elegant . Grant is terrific , a truly great actor who rarely let his audience see anything but the famous " Cary Grant " persona . Here , he's a man of the people with a clumsy walk and casual clothes . His pantomime to Nora through his attic window of wanting something to eat is hilarious . The bearded Colman plays the role of a stuffy professor very straight . Lightcap is barely able to stand the chicanery of Nora's household at first , as he has a strict routine . Fast forward and he's flirting and dancing with a smart-mouthed beautician ( Glenda Farrell ) in order to pump her for information about her boyfriend . His acting , particularly his courtroom speech toward the end of the film , is magnificent . Arthur plays Nora as a dizzy , confused and nervous woman , completely thrown as a landlord , a friend and a woman by the appearance of Leopold and the brilliance of Lightcap , as well as his admiration of her . She's torn between the two of them - and keeps the audience wondering . Really a must-see for the lesson that true justice must be not read , not preached , but lived and for the wonderful characterizations and direction by Stevens .
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494,747 | 342,623 | 386,588 | 8 |
A date movie that's lots of fun
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Will Smith is " Hitch , " a love doctor of sorts who counsels men on how to get the woman of their dreams . He's very successful but stays out of relationships himself . Then he meets the beautiful Sara ( Eva Mendes ) , a gossip columnist , and starts to fall in love himself . This is a very well done movie . Smith is utterly charming and likable as a sincere man who creates opportunities for men who otherwise might not meet anyone , let alone a dream girl . One such man is Albert , madly in love with a Paris Hilton type , Allegra Cole ( Amber Valletta ) , who has all of her investments at the accounting firm where he works . After a lot of coaching from Hitch , Albert gets his chance with Allegra . One of the funniest scenes in the film is Hitch showing Albert how to dance - except Albert seems himself as an expert . Another great scene is Hitch teaching Albert the ins and outs of the kiss at the door . Not only did I think Hitch had some great advice , I think it is a fine film with some very good performances , particularly by Smith and a toned-down Kevin James . They are very well directed here . Eva Mendes does a terrific job as a reporter who becomes Hitch's love interest , who herself is trying to track down this love doctor after what she perceives as wrong advice hurt her good friend . A very funny script . Highly recommended .
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