Cage Of Gold (1950)

A young artist (Jean Simmons) deserts her doctor fiance (James Donald) for an old flame (David Farrar). However, after getting her pregnant and then marrying her, the husband abandons her when he finds out she didn't have the money he married her for. When she reads in the newspaper that her husband was killed in a plane crash, she renews her relationship with the doctor and marries him. Two years later, the first husband shows up! Directed by Basil Dearden (SAPPHIRE). While this melodrama is watchable, it crams way too much plot in its under 90 minute running time thus leaving insufficient room for any detailed character development other than the superficial. I've little patience for movies where the female characters are obsessed with men who are obvious cads and treat them badly and here we have three of them! In addition to Simmons, there's Madeleine Lebeau as Farrar's French mistress and Maria Mauban as a banker's daughter. Fortunately, Simmons is a strong actress always worth watching and the movie holds as long as she's the focus. With Herbert Lom, Bernard Lee and Gregoire Aslan.

Call It A Day (1937)

Spring is here and for the Hilton family, romantic complications briefly turns the family upside down if only for a day. Based on the play by Dodie Smith and directed by Archie Mayo (THE PETRIFIED FOREST). A slight version of what we today would call a romantic comedy. Its theatrical origins are obvious as it's dialogue driven with minimal sets as its characters play out the moderately diverting situations. It's an ensemble piece so some of the stories are more interesting than others. The one I enjoyed most was the mother (Frieda Inescort) of the household being pursued by a love smitten bachelor (Roland Young). The least favorite was the oldest daughter's (Olivia De Havilland) infatuation with the married artist (Walter Woolf King) painting her portrait. This being a post code film, it only teases us with the possibilities of adultery but everyone on their most moral behavior. With Anita Louise, Alice Brady, Bonita Granville, Peggy Wood, Ian Hunter, Una O'Connor, Peter Willes and Beryl Mercer.

How To Commit Marriage (1969)

After 20 years of marriage, a couple (Bob Hope, Jane Wyman) decide to get divorced. But when their daughter (Joanna Cameron) comes home from college and announces she is getting married to a fellow music student (Tim Matheson), they continue the pretense of being happily married until after the youngsters are married. Enter the hedonistic father (Jackie Gleason) of the groom who doesn't approve of the marriage. Directed by Norman Panama (THE COURT JESTER). In the 1940s and 50s, Bob Hope was one of the funniest comedians in movies. But things shifted in the 1960s and Hope wasn't able to move with the times. After BACHELOR IN PARADISE (1961), his last good movie, his cinematic output was dire. In this one, he tries to keep up with the times what with hippies, rock and roll, Indian swamis, cohabiting without marriage all the target of the gags but the screenplay is clueless and out of touch. With Leslie Nielsen, Tina Louise, Paul Stewart and Maureen Arthur.

Ship Ahoy (1942)

Set during WWII, the lead dancer (Eleanor Powell) on a cruise ship is asked to transport a mine to Puerto Rico. Neither she nor her pulp fiction author boyfriend (Red Skelton) know she's actually working for Nazi spies ... who got the idea from one of his potboiler novels! Directed by Edward Buzzell (SONG OF THE THIN MAN). A patriotic WWII musical whose silly barely there plot seems like padding for the comic gags and musical numbers. Skelton is an acquired taste so his comic bits may not amuse you. I'm indifferent to Skelton but even I got annoyed by his drunk act which seemed to be his specialty. Still, all is (almost) forgiven when the leggy Powell goes into her dance numbers. When she taps, magic happens. With Bert Lahr (who's funnier than Skelton), Tommy Dorsey, Virginia O'Brien, John Emery, Hillary Brooke, Jo Stafford and in his film debut, Frank Sinatra.

The Case Of The Lady In The Lake (1988)

A tennis player (David Hasselhoff) is accused of murdering his wife (Doran Clark), a wealthy heiress. The evidence against him is overwhelming including his wife catching him in the arms of a former mistress (Liane Langland) the night before. Enter the renowned attorney Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) to defend him. The ninth entry in the 30 Perry Mason telefilms in the aftermath of the popular show which ran from 1957 to 1966. It's an adequate entry in the franchise although quite predictable. I guessed the "surprise" ending about halfway through the movie. The film makes Paul Drake Jr. (William Katt) look like an incompetent private investigator as he gets trounced not once but twice by not thinking with his head. Both times I thought, "Don't trust him/her" for obvious reasons but he naively walks into traps. With Barbara Hale, John Ireland, David Ogden Stiers, John Beck, Audra Lindley and Darrell Larson.

Hadestown: The Musical (2026)

A young woman (Eva Noblezada) is seduced by the the "king" (Patrick Page) of an underground factory and returns with him to the underworld. Her lover (Reeve Carney) follows her with the intention of bringing her back. Based on the Tony winning Broadway musical and directed by Brett Sullivan (KINKY BOOTS: THE MUSICAL). A clumsy and pretentious rendering of the Greek myths of Orpheus, Eurydice, Hades and Persephone in a contemporary setting. The fact that it won a best musical Tony award only signifies the decline of musical theatre on Broadway. I've seen better high school musical productions. Such horrors as MOULIN ROUGE! and DEAR EVAN HANSEN have also won best musical Tony awards in recent years. It's a perfect musical for people who hate musicals. The filmed production panders to its whooping and cheering live audience by constant shots of grinning, enamored fans shrieking wildly. I guess I should be grateful that it stuck to the myth and wasn't given a happy ending. The calisthenics (mistakenly identified as choreography in the credits) is by David Neumann. With Andre De Shields and Amber Gray.

Road To Singapore (1940)

Running out on his desk job and marriage minded girlfriend (Judith Barrett), a man (Bing Crosby) links up with a buddy (Bob Hope) and sets out for the farthest point on the map ... Singapore! Directed by Victor Schertzinger (BIRTH OF THE BLUES). The debut of the ROAD TO movies (all starring Crosby, Hope and Dorothy Lamour) that totaled seven in all (1940-1962). It set the pattern of the six Road films that followed: Hope and Crosby travel to some exotic place, get themselves in trouble, both fall for Dorothy Lamour who has to choose between the two of them with songs and dance thrown in. This one is just okay. There's some things that don't sit right in 2026 like the brownface Crosby and Hope put on to pass themselves as natives at a feast and there's a slight amount of male chauvinism but hey, it's 1940! The songs aren't very good but the camaraderie between all three is evident and the gags are plenty. With Anthony Quinn and Charles Coburn.

Condemned (1929)

A thief (Ronald Colman in an Oscar nominated performance) is sent to the infamous Devil's Island for bank robbery. He catches the attention of the warden (Dudley Digges) thanks to his Parisian sophistication. Eager for a servant appropriate to his status, the warden gives the thief the assignment. What he didn't count on was his wife (Ann Harding) falling in love with the convict. Based on the novel CONDEMNED TO DEVIL'S ISLAND by Blair Niles and directed by Wesley Ruggles (I'M NO ANGEL). An early talkie that was simultaneously released in a silent version (not all theatres had yet converted to sound). A melodramatic pre code film whose downbeat ending seems like it was made under the mandated Hays code. Colman is quite good in an antithetical role quite different from his usual urbane roles. As to the movie itself, it's pleasantly passable but not particularly noteworthy outside of Colman's performance. With Louis Wolheim and William Elmer.

Wicked Stepmother (1989)

Coming home from a vacation, a woman (Colleen Camp) discovers that her father (Lionel Stander) has remarried. Not only that, she's a chain smoking witch (Bette Davis) who shares her body space with her daughter (Barbara Carrera). While one is inhabiting the human, the other inhabits a black cat. Written and directed by Larry Cohen (GOD TOLD ME TO). Poor Bette Davis! If she'd turned this down, her swan song would have been the sublime WHALES OF AUGUST, not this turd. Actually, Davis sensibly abandoned the film before filming was complete and she's only in it for the first half hour or so. When she left, the script was rewritten and introduced a daughter (Carrera) to takeover Davis's character and finish the film. It's a black comedy but it's not funny and one can't help but feel sorry for the actors flailing about trying to squeeze laughs that aren't forthcoming. The only time I laughed was when we saw a photo of Stander's first wife and it's Joan Crawford! With Evelyn Keyes, David Rasche, Tom Bosley and Richard Moll.

All That Money Can Buy (aka The Devil And Daniel Webster) (1941)

A hard working farmer (James Craig) is trying to make an honest living but a streak of bad luck tempts him to do the unthinkable bargain with the Devil (Walter Huston) himself. In exchange for seven years of good fortune, he sells his soul to Satan. Based on the classic short story by Stephen Vincent Benet (who co-wrote the screenplay) and directed by William Dieterle (STORY OF LOUIS PASTEUR). While there's some rustic charm to the movie, ultimately I found it a heavy handed morality tale. The "good" characters aren't all that interesting, notably Anne Shirley as the goody two shoes wife and Jane Darwell's bible spouting mother. Much more fun are Walter Huston's sly and wicked Devil and Simone Simon as the seductress who steals Craig away from his wife. The two give the best performances in the film. The Oscar winning score is by Bernard Herrmann. With Edward Arnold as Daniel Webster, Gene Lockhart, H.B. Warner and Jeff Corey.

Folle A Tuer (aka Mad Enough To Kill) (1975)

A wealthy industrialist (Michael Lonsdale) hires a former psychiatric patient (Marlene Jobert)  to look after his recently orphaned nephew (Thomas Waintrop). But when the woman and the boy are kidnapped at gunpoint by a hitman (a sour faced Tomas Milian), it's a race against time to survive. Based on the novel O DINGOS, O CHATEAUX by Jean Patrick Manchette and directed by Yves Boisset (PURPLE TAXI). A mess of a thriller that shouldn't work but somehow does. It's implausible plot is loopy and none of the characters are very appealing including the obnoxious brat and frightened doormat that are kidnapped. Yet it's persuasive enough to keep you invested in what's going to happen next. The revelation of the mastermind behind the plot is supposed to be a surprise but its pretty obvious when you get down to it. The score consists of blasts of music by Giuseppe Verdi adapted by Philippe Sarde which adds nothing to the suspense. With Victor Lanoux and Michel Peyrelon.

Imitation General (1958)

Set during WWII France. Surrounded by Germans and with his commanding officer (Kent Smith) dead, a Sergeant (Glenn Ford) and a Corporal (Red Buttons) wonder what to do next. When a Corporal (Dean Jones) mistakes the Sergeant for a General, the Sergeant decides to pretend to be a General and lead a counterattack. Based on a short story by William Chamberlain and directed by George Marshall (DESTRY RIDES AGAIN). I'm not a fan of military comedies and I found this effort extremely vapid. Its plot is absurd and not sufficiently written to compensate for the preposterousness of the scenario. 1958 audiences however didn't agree, the movie was a big hit. Curiously, the film has its lone female character (Taina Elg) speak only French because she can't speak English yet she seems to understand everything that is going on! With Tige Andrews and John Wilder.