The Mad Doctor (1941)

A smooth and sinister physician (Basil Rathbone) woos, weds and murders several of his wealthy female patients for their fortunes. He sets up a Park Avenue psychiatry practice and sets his eyes on "curing" a troubled heiress (Ellen Drew). But something different occurs ..... he falls in love with her. Directed by Tim Whelan (THIEF OF BAGDAD) with a script co-written by Charles MacArthur and Ben Hecht (THE FRONT PAGE). An above average thriller with a solid performance by Basil Rathbone in one of his rare leading man roles (the Sherlock Holmes franchise excepted). The nominal "hero" (John Howard) is unlikable and arrogant which gives a perverse sympathy to Rathbone's serial killer. As Ellen Drew's character says of him, there's something frightening about him but also something sad and this is what gives him a dual nature and makes him more interesting than the bland "hero". The film's last 15 minutes or so are very intense and director Whelan squeezes all the tension he can out of the material. With Martin Kosleck (very good as Rathbone's homicidal companion), Ralph Morgan and Barbara Jo Allen.

Smart Woman (1948)

A special prosecutor (Brian Aherne) is assigned when a grand jury is dissatisfied with the efforts of the district attorney (Otto Kruger) to prosecute crime in its city. And why would he? He's involved up to his teeth in crime and racketeering. Meanwhile, an attorney (Constance Bennett) is being blackmailed by the D.A.'s partner in crime (Barry Sullivan). Directed by Edward A. Blatt (BETWEEN TWO WORLDS). In the late 1940s as actors were freed by the studio system, many formed their own production companies to make their own films (Humphrey Bogart's Santana productions and Joan Fontaine's Rampart productions to name just two). One of the most popular actresses in the 1930s, Constance Bennett found her career floundering in the late 1940s and she formed Constance Bennett productions and SMART WOMAN was the result. While the film offers a juicy role for her, it's not much more than a melodramatic potboiler. It's watchable but it's also forgettable and did nothing to stop her sinking career and by 1951, her film career was over (she did return one more time in 1966 for MADAME X). Worth checking out for Bennett fans but everyone else can pass. With Michael O'Shea, James Gleason, Isobel Elsom and Selena Royle.

Three Sisters (1970)

Set in a small provincial Russian town, three sisters long to return to Moscow, the city where they grew up: Olga (Jeanne Watts) is a spinster who teaches school, Masha (Joan Plowright) is married to an older man (Kenneth MacKintosh) she has fallen out of love with and Irina (Louise Pernell), the youngest who fantasizes that everything will be fine if they could get back to Moscow. Based on the classic play by Anton Chekhov (the "The" has been dropped from the title) and directed by Laurence Olivier. Chekhov's great drama reflects on the dreams we have and how we must go on when they don't materialize. While the sisters' stoic acceptance of their situation may prove irritating to some (at times, I wanted to yell, "Do something about it instead of just talking about it"), Chekhov perfectly encapsulates their loneliness and entrapment and perhaps their passive acceptance is a comment (would they be any happier in Moscow?). The acting is very good and director Olivier has a supporting role as an alcoholic doctor. Not released in the U.S. until 1974. With Alan Bates, Derek Jacobi, Sheila Reid and Ronald Pickup.

The Lawyer (1970)

A Harvard educated Italian-American attorney (Barry Newman) practices law in a small Southwestern town where he's resented by the prejudiced locals. When he takes on the defense of a rich physician (Robert Colbert) accused of murdering his wife (Mary Wilcox), he has an uphill battle. Directed by Sidney J. Furie (THE IPCRESS FILE). Despite it's graphic violence and nudity, the film plays out a TV movie of the week. Indeed, it spawned a TV series named PETROCELLI (the name of Newman's character) also starring Barry Newman that had a two year run from 1974 to 1976 so the theatrical film seems like a TV pilot. The film's murder trial is based on the notorious Sam Sheppard murder case in 1954. If you're partial to courtroom dramas and whodunits as I am, there's enough here to hold your attention. The acting never rises above adequate and sometimes less than that. There are two awful performances that I found hard to watch: Harold Gould as the prosecuting attorney can't seem to get a grasp on his character so he continually pops candy into his mouth hoping that will define his character and then there's Jeff Thompson whose non stop grinning made him look mentally defective. With Diana Muldaur, Kathleen Crowley, William Sylvester, Michael Murphy and Ken Swofford.

Ma Saison Preferee (aka My Favorite Season) (1993)

Set in Southwest France, a brother (Daniel Auteuil) and sister (Catherine Deneuve) renew their tenuous relationship after their mother (Marthe Villalonga) suffers a stroke. Co-written and directed by Andre Techine (LES VOLEURS). Although very well acted and directed, I found Techine's film about a dysfunctional family creepy. Certainly it's possible (and it's been done) to make a film with screwed up characters at its center and still relate to their problems but Techine isn't able to make that connection. But Deneuve's adrift wife, Auteuil's self centered doctor, Villalonga's ornery mother deserve each other. As Deneuve's daughter (Chiara Mastroianni) states in the film, that side of the family is dangerous and she doesn't want to have anything to do with them and I couldn't agree more. My opinion isn't share because the film was a big hit in France where it received 7 Cesar (the French Oscar) nominations and both French and American critics gave it their approval. Still, there's no denying it has a certain power. With Jean Pierre Bouvier, Anthony Prada and Carmen Chaplin (Charlie's granddaughter).