A Broadway producer (Cary Grant) is at risk of losing his theater unless he can come up with $100,000. When he stumbles upon a kid (Ted Donaldson) who has a pet caterpillar that can dance, he exploits the caterpillar with the intention of taking the caterpillar away from the kid and selling it to Walt Disney. Based on the radio play MY CLIENT CURLY by Norman Corwin by way of the short story by Lucille Fletcher (SORRY WRONG NUMBER) and directed by Alexander Hall (HERE COMES MR. JORDAN). This could have been a charming whimsical fantasy in the right hands but what we get is a heavy handed attempt at an eccentric fancy. This is one of Grant's rare unsympathetic characters, he's a conniver and a liar out for himself (of course, he redeems himself in the end) but who wants to see a nasty Cary? Not much to recommend here except to the Grant completists but I'll concede the sappy ending is very effective. With Janet Blair, Lloyd Bridges, James Gleason and William Demarest.
Set in 1863, a Texas Ranger (John Payne) and a Union Army spy (Dennis O'Keefe) go undercover in Mexico to investigate American guns and ammunition being stolen in support of France seizing power in Mexico. Directed by Lewis R. Foster (THE BOLD AND THE BRAVE), this is a pleasing western programmer. This was the first of four movies Payne and Rhonda Fleming made together and their chemistry here shows why they were paired frequently. Payne and O'Keefe also have an easy going chemistry and they would also have made a nice team. The handsome exteriors have Sedona, Arizona standing in for Mexico with the masterful James Wong Howe (PICNIC) responsible for the Technicolor cinematography. There's nothing particularly special about this movie but western fans should find it agreeable enough. My only (minor) quibble with the movie, did costume designer Travis Banton deliberately go out of his way to make the overdressed Fleming look unattractive? With Fred Clark, Frank Faylen and Thomas Gomez.
After the death of the Pope, the Catholic church begins a papal conclave to elect a new Pope. But four cardinals who are considered front runners for the papal position are kidnapped. A man claiming to represent the Illuminati states a cardinal will be killed every hour until midnight when a massive explosion will then destroy the Vatican. Based on the novel by Dan Brown (THE DA VINCI CODE) and directed by Ron Howard (COCOON). This is the second entry in the Robert Langdon (played by Tom Hanks) three film franchise. Despite its huge budget and convoluted narrative, it's a potboiler. An entertaining one but still a potboiler nonetheless. I don't know a lot about the interworking of the Catholic church or the Illuminati as to the accuracy of this movie but the plot is incredibly farfetched and the Catholic church doesn't come off looking very good. It's a fast paced thriller and on that level, it succeeds but I suspect its preposterous plot (some major changes from the book) wouldn't bear up under scrutiny. With Ewan McGregor, Stellan Skarsgard, Armin Mueller Stahl, Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Ayelet Zurer.
During the Spanish American War, an American officer (John Boles) attempts to deliver a message of cooperation from President McKinley (Dell Henderson) to the Cuban revolutionary General Garcia (Enrique Acosta). To accomplish this, he is aided by an untrustworthy con man (Wallace Beery) and a Cuban girl (Barbara Stanwyck). Loosely based on an essay by Elbert Hubbard and directed by George Marshall (THE BLUE DAHLIA). Although very loosely based on fact, the film comes across as a routine programmer without much of interest. Beery is okay as the shifty grifter but Stanwyck doesn't have much to do as the "girl". In addition, she's miscast as a Cuban native, she speaks Spanish like a gringo! Most of the action takes place in the Cuban tropical forests which are obviously shot on a soundstage. With Alan Hale, Mona Barrie, Herbert Mundin and Juan Torena.
A wealthy playgirl (Isabelle Marchall) returning from a trip to the Orient brings several friends home with her to relax at the family estate. But instead of a fun holiday, a series of bloody murders begins occurring. Directed by Filippo Walter Ratti (using the pseudonym Peter Rush), this is a candidate for one of the worst gialli I have ever seen. I don't expect much logic in a giallo but I do expect some style and some atmosphere, both of which this movie lacks. Gratuitous sex scenes abound so that the film takes on the aspect of softcore porn! An irrelevant subplot involving the trafficking of illegal drugs is a red herring that has nothing to do with the serial killings. In spite of the film's lurid title, the murderer has no "crazy" desires other than greed. The underscore by Piero Piccioni is decent enough though. With Corrado Gaipa, Annie Carol Edel, Roberto Zattini, Gaetano Russo and Adler Gray.
A respected newspaperman (Walter Pidgeon) goes after the vicious petty dictator of a sheriff (Thomas Gomez) who holds a small town in his iron fist. In the midst of his campaign to expose the corruption, the newsman suddenly stops his crusade against the sheriff and leaves town. Why? Directed by Gerald Mayer (DIAL 1119), this is a nifty little noir-ish slice of suspense that although fictional, feels like those 20th Century Fox based on an actual events noirs like BOOMERANG (1947) and CALL NORTHSIDE 777 (1948). The film passed without notice (a flop at the box office) and isn't much remembered today but I found it a very satisfying viewing experience. The cast is good and director Mayer keeps it tight and lean (it runs under 90 minutes). Noir fans should be pleased. With John Hodiak, Karl Malden, Audrey Totter, Cameron Mitchell, Paula Raymond, Jeff Richards and Whit Bissell.
A successful businesswoman (Kay Francis) runs a magazine while her playboy husband (Kenneth Thomson) plays polo. This arrangement suits them. But when she hires an attractive male secretary (David Manners), there's a sexual tension between them. Directed by William Dieterle (HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME), this was Kay Francis's first film for Warner Brothers where she would rank as one of their most popular stars in the early and mid 1930s. This pre code melodrama deals openly with adultery and doesn't judge its characters. There's not much one can say about this movie other than if you're a Kay Francis fan, this should be right up your alley. As a film, it's of interest principally because of its pre-code attitude toward infidelity. With Una Merkel, Andy Devine, Claire Dodd and Elizabeth Patterson.
Set in a small Irish village in the 1920s, a glamorous widow (Natasha Richardson) moves into town and immediately charms the village matriarch (Joan Plowright). But one of the townswomen (Mia Farrow) takes an immediate and thorough dislike to the newcomer. Directed by John Irvin (GHOST STORY), this is a delightfully wicked comedy with a bit of mystery to it. The film is fortunate to have three of the best actresses around to play the three leads. Farrow brings an obstinate feracity as the village's "old maid" with a secret past, Richardson brings a sly deviousness as the intruder and Joan Plowright is perfect as the bullying dowager, who controls the women of Widows' Peak (the section of the village where the "right" people live). The original screenplay by Hugh Leonard is witty and pungent and Ashley Rowe's lensing of the Irish landscape is heavenly. There's a lovely score by Carl Davis. With Jim Broadbent and Adrian Dunbar.
Two school teachers (Joyce Howard, Tucker McGuire) take a holiday in the Yorkshire Moors where a fellow school teacher mysteriously disappeared the year before. While walking on the moors, a fierce storm forces them to take shelter in a secluded house inhabited by misanthropic recluse. Based on the novel by Alan Kensington and directed by Leslie Arliss (THE WICKED LADY). A limp romantic mystery in the style of JANE EYRE. James Mason was in his brooding phase here and while he makes an acceptable if pallid substitute for Edward Rochester, the rest of the cast range from acceptable (Mary Clare as the housekeeper) to irritating (McGuire's man crazy gal pal). Director Arliss provides a suitable fog shrouded semi Gothic atmosphere that helps the movie hobble along until it reaches its destination. The "surprise" ending is no surprise at all, I saw it coming and I suspect most others will too. With Wilfrid Lawson and John Fernald.
A San Francisco socialite (Greta Garbo) wants the freedom that men have, to take or leave love where they find it. She causes a scandal in her social circle when she runs off to the South Seas with a boxer turned artist (Nils Asther). When she returns, her reputation is ruined but not to the man (Johnny Mack Brown) who loves her. Based on the novel by Adela Rogers St. John and directed by John S. Robertson (DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE). I'm a fan of Garbo and her work in silent cinema but this one is one of her weakest vehicles. Boy, does this one creak! Not even her magnetism can hold it together. The film was a huge box office hit but its pre feminist doctrine of equality between the sexes caves in by the movie's finale with motherhood and fidelity winning the day. With Dorothy Sebastian and Lane Chandler.
Lead by the U.S. military, a group of scientists secretly parachute into Red China to find the truth amid rumors of a crashed Unidentified Flying Object. En route to the saucer's location, they encounter a group of Russians also searching for the spacecraft. Directed by Frank Telford, a TV director whose sole feature film this is. A red paranoia science fiction film that seems right out of the 1950s although it was released in 1968. To call it a B movie is an insult to B movies. It's hokey and patronizing and its bonkers plot aside, it's hideously amateurish. The mountainous Lone Pine, California substitutes (poorly) for Red China. There are some good actors like Dan Duryea (in his final film role) and Lois Nettleton in this and one can only wonder how they were roped into a mish mash like this! For connoisseurs of bad sci-fi movies only. With John Ericson, James Hong, Nan Leslie and Bernard Fox.
A private detective (Mark Stevens) has relocated from San Francisco to New York to start a new life. But his past catches up with him when he unknowingly becomes involved in a plot to make him the fall guy in a murder. Based on a serialized magazine story by Leo Rosten and directed by Henry Hathaway (TRUE GRIT). This convoluted example of film noir was well received critically but didn't fare well at the box office. Today, it has a solid reputation among noir fans but honestly, I found it unnecessarily tangled. As the movie's protagonist, Mark Stevens isn't an interesting enough actor to hold our attention but fortunately, he's surrounded by some solid performances. In a dramatic role, Lucille Ball as Stevens' secretary brings some strength to an underwritten role and Clifton Webb brings his trademark waspishness and elegance to his possessive husband. With William Bendix, Cathy Downs, Kurt Kreuger and Constance Collier.
A lawyer (William Powell) from New York's lower East Side is invited by an established uptown attorney (Alan Dinehart) to become his partner in his law firm. He accepts but soon finds himself mired in unethical situations and corruption. Based on the novel by Max Trell and directed by William Dieterle (DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER). This pre code drama is a predictable hash of cliches. You can guess exactly where it's going. Good hard working lawyer becomes corrupted by ambition and money but eventually realizes the error of his ways and goes back to his roots and goes back to helping the underdog. The End. Yawn! If this movie were done with any kind of style, sincerity or above average acting, there might have been a chance for it. As it is, there's nothing to hold one's attention. I'm a fan of William Powell but his charm can only hold up the film for a little while before it collapses. With Joan Blondell, Helen Vinson, Claire Dodd and Allen Jenkins.
A young man (Francois Civil) from Gascony is on his way to Paris to join the King's Musketeers. He antagonizes the first three musketeers (Vincent Cassel, Romain Duris, Pio Marmai) and challenges all three to a duel. Instead, they bond quickly together as they get involved in both domestic and political matters of King Louis XIII (Louis Garrel). Based on the classic novel by Alexandre Dumas and directed by Martin Bourboulon (DADDY OR MOMMY). Dumas' THREE MUSKETEERS has seen countless film adaptations between 1903 to 2013. The most notable being the 1921 Douglas Fairbanks silent film, the 1948 MGM version and Richard Lester's 1973 two part adaptation. Did we really need another one? Perhaps not but Bourboulon's take on the Dumas novel is darker, grittier, more brutal and violent than any other version I've seen. It dismisses the swashbuckle of the 1921 version, dispenses with the gloss of the MGM version and eliminates the humor of the 1973 Lester film. It also eliminates several characters including Planchet, Bonacieux and Rochefort to make the film tighter as well as beefing up the role of Queen Anne (Vicky Krieps). Like the Lester film, this movie takes the story of the Queen's Diamonds and ends it there. The Milady (TROIS MOUSQUETAIRES: MILADY) story is a separate film. The movie updates the novel a bit, Porthos is now bisexual. If you're a fan of the Dumas novel, by all means, definitely check this one out. With Eva Green, Lyna Khoudri, Jacob Fortune Lloyd and Eric Ruf.
A brutish hulk of a man by the name of Moose Malloy (Ward Bond) escapes from prison looking for the girl he left behind. But she seems to have disappeared. An amateur detective (George Sanders) takes an interest in the case when his right hand man (Allen Jenkins) becomes a suspect in a murder committed by Malloy. Based on the novel FAREWELL MY LOVELY by Raymond Chandler and directed by Irving Reis (ALL MY SONS). The Chandler source material would later get a proper remake in 1944 under the title MURDER MY SWEET and again in 1975 under its original title. The Chandler novel has Philip Marlowe as its detective hero, here the character of The Falcon is shoehorned in instead. If you can put aside that this movie is a travesty of the Chandler novel, it's actually quite entertaining. The film has comedic elements not in the original book. The supporting cast is good. With Lynn Bari, Anne Revere, James Gleason, Turhan Bey, Helen Gilbert (channeling Veronica Lake) and Hans Conreid.
A private investigator (Howard Duff) is hired by an attractive blonde (Janet Blair) to pick up an envelope at a prizefight and deliver it to her the next day. It sounds simple enough but when he gets drugged, beaten up and robbed of the envelope, he suspects there's more here than meets the eye! Written by Blake Edwards (THE PINK PANTHER) and directed by John Meredyth Lucas. Originally shown on television as part of the Ford Television Theatre, this is a compact little tale in the style of film noir with all the usual trimmings. Duff's private detective narrates the story in the hard boiled style of a Bogart or Mitchum in a Raymond Chandler opus. The lovely Janet Blair is a little too wholesome for a femme fatale but it hits all the right buttons and moves quickly. With Richard Crane and Michael Fox.
A flight attendant (Ursula Andress) agrees to deliver a letter from a stranger to a man (Woody Strode) in Naples. Suddenly she finds herself in the middle of a gang war between two drug kings! Written and directed by Fernando Di Leo (THE ITALIAN CONNECTION). A hot mess of a movie! Director Di Leo is best known for his violent Italian gangster movies and this attempt at fusing a brutal mobster movie with comedy falls flat. It's like a parody of his own films. The comedy is too broad and cringingly unfunny. The emphasis on comedy is pushed by Luis Enriquez Bacalov's clownish silent movie comedy underscore. Ursula Andress shows why she was nicknamed Ursula UNdress as she drops her clothing at every opportunity and parades her gorgeous body for all to view. A sad movie, really. For Ursula Andress voyeurs only. With Marc Porel and Isabella Biagini.
A young wife (Dorothy McGuire) is struggling with the responsibilities of marriage and motherhood while her husband (Robert Young) builds a successful career as an architect. Her immaturity leads her to behave unreasonably and suspiciously. Based on the short stories by Rose Franken and directed by Walter Lang (THE KING AND I). This was a sequel to the 1943 film CLAUDIA which had been a great success on Broadway starring McGuire, who recreated her role in the movie version. The first film was a big hit and this sequel also hit pay dirt at the box office. Honestly, this sequel didn't do much for me and I like both McGuire and Young. In between the two CLAUDIA movies, they did THE ENCHANTED COTTAGE which is a better film. The film benefits from an excellent supporting cast including Mary Astor, John Sutton, Gail Patrick, Rose Hobart, Florence Bates and Harry Davenport.
Set during the Sino Japanese war, a gunrunner (George Sanders) becomes enmeshed in a scheme involving fraudulent customs certificates. Meanwhile, he finds the time to fall in love with a mysterious chanteuse (Dolores Del Rio). Directed by Eugene Forde (CHARLIE CHAN AT MONTE CARLO), this exotic combination of romance and intrigue is very entertaining. Reunited from the previous year's LANCER SPY, Sanders and Del Rio make for an attractive couple and the Shanghai backdrop (actually the 20th Century Fox backlot) adds a bit of mystery and glamour. It's a minor film (CASABLANCA it's not) but one needn't try too hard to like it. A slight annoyance is the secondary romantic couple (June Lang and Dick Baldwin) who the movie could easily have done without as they add nothing to the story. With Leon Ames, Keye Luke, John Carradine and Harold Huber.
A jazz pianist (Richard Carlson) is about to be married when he is visited by a woman (Juli Reding) he had an affair with. She threatens to expose him to his fiancee (Lugene Sanders). When a railing high atop a lighthouse gives way, she falls clinging to the railing and asking to be saved but the pianist allows her to fall to her death. But that is not the end of her as her ghost stalks him. Directed by schlockmeister Bert I. Gordon (VILLAGE OF THE GIANTS), this low budget B (or is it C) movie is like an extended version of a TWILIGHT ZONE episode. Its ending is telegraphed so there are no surprises and Gordon isn't a stylish enough director to provide the requisite atmosphere that might have made a ghost story work. While absurd, it's not quite silly enough to qualify as "camp" but the movie has one stylish asset, the B&W cinematography of Ernest Laszlo (IT'S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD). With Joe Turkel and Susan Gordon.
The lives of songwriting team Bert Kalmar (Fred Astaire) and Harry Ruby (Red Skelton) and their rise to fame from Tin Pan Alley to Broadway to Hollywood. Directed by Richard Thorpe (IVANHOE), this is yet another glossy highly fictionalized biography of popular composers courtesy of MGM, who had recently done Jerome Kern (TILL THE CLOUDS ROLL BY) and Rodgers and Hart (WORDS AND MUSIC). The narrative is a tub of cliches but one doesn't watch movies like this for their plot (and certainly not their accuracy) but the songs and dances. In this case, that might be enough because we have Astaire partnered with Vera Ellen and Hermes Pan doing the choreography. There's also Debbie Reynolds as Helen Kane singing (dubbed by the real Kane) I Wanna Be Loved By You and Gloria DeHaven playing her real life mother singing Who's Sorry Now? There's also Arlene Dahl displaying a lovely singing voice leading one to wonder why MGM didn't put her in more musicals. With Keenan Wynn, Gale Robbins and Carleton Carpenter.
A young flapper (Colleen Moore) enjoys the wild life but she's really a "good" girl. When the son (Neil Hamilton) of a rich businessman (Edward Martindel) falls for her, his father cautions him against girls like her. Directed by William A. Seiter (YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER). Ah, the 1920s! Flaming youth! Flappers and sheiks doing the Charleston and drinking booze from silver flasks! This silent movie captures the frenzied spirit of the era wonderfully but its story is bland and inane. It's just a routine cautionary tale though Colleen Moore has a fiery speech about men who push girls to dress and behave a certain way for their male pleasure and then judge them as "bad" girls. Colleen Moore is the reason to see the movie! With her bobbed hair, slinky chemise and frenetic dancing, she embodies the flaming youth of the jazz age as much as Clara Bow or Joan Crawford. With Bodil Rosing and John St. Polis.
Set in the 1920s, a society heiress and flapper (Bess Armstrong) is living the high life in Istanbul. But she needs to find her missing father (Wilford Brimley) or risk losing her inheritance to her father's scheming business partner (Robert Morley). To this end, she hires a womanizing, hard drinking ex-WWI pilot (Tom Selleck) to fly her to Afghanistan where she believes her father might be. Loosely based on the novel by Jon Cleary and directed by Brian G. Hutton (WHERE EAGLES DARE). Tom Selleck was the first choice to play Indiana Jones in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK but he had to pass because he was tied up with the TV series, MAGNUM P.I. This action movie has a lot in common with RAIDERS (though the source material preceded the Spielberg movie) and we get a taste of what Selleck might have been like as Indiana Jones. Initial reviews were tepid but I suspect that's because it was considered a RAIDERS imitator. Today, it holds up very well. Unlike a lot of TV actors trying to transition to the big screen, Selleck has a strong screen presence. The aerial sequences are well done, Selleck and Armstrong have a nice chemistry and there's a beautiful score by John Barry. With Jack Weston, Brian Blessed and Cassandra Gava.
Set in 1870s Northern California, hydraulic mining sends floods of muddy water into the Sacramento Valley destroying land and water resources necessary to the wheat farmers in the valley. Against this backdrop, a mining engineer (George Brent) and a farmer's daughter (Olivia De Havilland) fall in love although their loyalties belong to different factions. Based on the book by Clement Ripley and directed by Michael Curtiz (CASABLANCA). The movie is a fictionalized take on the 1882 Woodruff vs. North Bloomfield Mining Company lawsuit. It's an agreeable potboiler more interesting for its landmark court decision than its anemic romance. The film was shot in the relatively new three strip Technicolor process. Unfortunately, the print I watched was somewhat faded and not very sharp. It needs a major restoration but it's not an important enough film to spend the necessary funds. With Claude Rains, Margaret Lindsay, Tim Holt, Sidney Toler and John Litel.
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