A humble Roman Catholic priest (Walter Connolly) doubles as a sleuth, using his intuition and keen understanding of human nature to solve mysteries and crimes. A notorious gentleman thief intends to steal the precious diamonds from a crucifix in Father Brown's church. Based on the short story THE BLUE CROSS by C.K. Chesterton and directed by Edward Sedgwick (EASY TO WED). I love a good detective mystery but this one is for the birds. I'm not familiar with Chesterton's Father Brown mystery stories but hopefully they're not as sanctimonious as the movie. Father Brown proselytizes to the jewel thief till he converts to a God abiding man doing the right thing. Is this any way to entertain crime solving fans? As the gentleman thief, Lukas is no Ronald Colman (RAFFLES). With Gertrude Michael, Una O'Connor and Halliwell Hobbes.
The grieving daughter (Annabella) of a murdered Parisian banker (Stewart Rome) vows to find his killer. With the help of a fraud investigator (Romney Brent), she sets out on her mission and discovers that all of the suspects happen to be her father's colleagues. Directed by Harold D. Schuster (MY FRIEND FLICKA). Made by the British branch of 20th Century Fox, I found this a congenial combination of mystery and romance with just the right amount of both. In her quest to find her father's murderer, Annabella gets to pass herself off as s Spanish Marquessa and an Indian princess. David Niven provides the continental charm as her suitor. Far from essential cinema but a pleasant diversion. With Paul Lukas, Francis L. Sullivan and Nora Swinburne.
A struggling actor (Daniel Gelin) witnesses a murder and fingers a suspect (Lino Ventura) as the killer. But when the man escapes from prison, he phones the actor telling him he has only three days to live before he's killed. Based on the novel by Peter Vanett and directed by Gilles Grangier (LE DESORDRE ET LA NUIT). An odd thriller in that the film's protagonist is unlikable. He's selfish, cowardly and abusive to other people. In comparison, the escaped convict is kinder and has a sense of integrity (slight though it is). One wonders why Jeanne Moreau, who plays the actor's girlfriend, puts up with him and his juvenile tantrums. For awhile, it looked like Moreau would hook up with Ventura's thug and I was hoping but alas, she stuck with Gelin. With Georges Flamant and Evelyne Rey.
After being acquitted by a bribed jury, a mobster (Lloyd Nolan) buys a newspaper with the intention of destroying the competition that exposed his corruption. The other newspaper's editor (Fred MacMurray) is determined to bring the mobster to justice but a lot of innocent people are going to suffer during the battle. Directed by Alexander Hall (HERE COMES MR. JORDAN). A huge miscalculation! The movie attempts to bridge two dissimilar styles and the juxtaposition is jarring. On one hand, it attempts to be a serious drama about ethics in journalism with a narrative that features murder, suicide, corruption and yellow journalism. On the other hand, it attempts to be a brassy newspaper comedy along the lines of THE FRONT PAGE and HIS GIRL FRIDAY! A smoother script and better direction could possibly have married the two comfortably but this effort is clumsy. I liked the dramatic aspects of the film but the comedy is lame. With Frances Farmer, Charles Ruggles, Horace McMahon and Fay Holden.
A jaded samurai warrior (Toshiro Mifune) helps an idealistic group of young warriors weed out their clan's evil influences. Based on the short story HIBI HEIAN by Shugoro Yamamoto and directed by Akira Kurosawa (HIGH AND LOW). A follow up to Kurosawa's hugely popular YOJIMBO from the year before. The element of humor is upped here and the tone is less bold than its predecessor. As the title protagonist, Mifune is as charismatic as ever and gives an authoritative performance. I have to confess I found the infighting rivalry confusing at times but not enough to take away from my enjoyment of the film. The wide screen (Tohoscope) lensing by Fukuzo Koizumi is impressive and despite some anachronistic bits, so was the underscore by Masaru Sato. With Tatsuya Nakadai, Keiju Kobayashi, Yuzo Kayama and the lovely Reiko Dan.
Two French nuns (Loretta Young, Celeste Holm) come to America to set up operations in a local stable in order to raise money for a children's hospital. Directed by Henry Koster (MY COUSIN RACHEL). Oy! A treacly sentimental slice of hokum with Loretta Young and Celeste Holm looking all beatific and pious as they obnoxiously hustle and annoy everyone around them but we're supposed to excuse them because they're nuns! These merciful penguins don't resemble the holy terrors from my childhood. Inexplicably, this sugary faith based movie received seven, count them, 7 Oscar nominations including three for acting (Young for best actress, Holm and Elsa Lanchester for supporting actress) despite the fact that their performances are adequate at most. Not as bad as GOING MY WAY (what could be?) but the schmaltz is piled nearly as high but thankfully no Barry Fitzgerald! There is one mildly amusing sequence with Holm playing a tennis match in her habit. With Hugh Marlowe, Thomas Gomez, Dooley Wilson, Dorothy Patrick and Mike Mazurki.
Set during the Great Depression, two drifters find some work on a ranch. One (George Segal) watches over his mentally challenged friend (Nicol Williamson) whose inability to control his strength is their undoing. Based on the novel by John Steinbeck (previously filmed in 1939) and directed by Ted Kotcheff (WEEKEND AT BERNIES). While I respect the source material, I've never found Steinbeck's book (and the various film, stage and TV incarnations) very appealing. This television adaptation is very well done, I'll give it that with fine performances by the two leads. Williamson doesn't overdo the backward hulk and Segal gives a sensitive performance treading the line of genuine love for his friend and frustration at how the burden of caring for his friend impedes his ability to lead his own life. But I still find Steinbeck's narrative unnecessarily unpleasant. With Joey Heatherton as the slutty wife who seals Williamson's fate, Will Geer, Donald Moffat, Don Gordon, Dana Elcar and Moses Gunn.
A popular Los Angeles photographer (Michael Callan) harbors a dark secret. His hatred of his slutty, alcoholic mother (Barbara Nichols) morphs into the need to kill. So he lures attractive women to model for him then photographs them in the throes of death! Directed by William Byron Hillman (DOUBLE EXPOSURE). A rather lurid B exploitation thriller that offers nothing new until the very end when a shocking twist ending that I didn't see coming (and I doubt you will too) makes you sit up but you have to sit through a very mediocre and poorly constructed movie to get to it though the ending is almost (I said almost) worth it. Callan's performance is over the top at times but it's not the actor's fault, the screenplay seems to push it in that direction. The score by Jack Goga is above average and gives the film some mystery. With Edward Andrews, Harold J. Stone and Spencer Milligan.
A social climber and gold digger (Myrna Loy) is determined to cement her reputation as a member of the upper crust. In her quest to live the opulent life, she betrays those closest to her. Based on the classic novel by William Makepeace Thackery (previously filmed in 1915 and 1923) and directed by Chester M. Franklin (THE THIRTEENTH HOUR). This is a "modern" adaptation of the Thackery novel and takes place in the 1920s and early 1930s as opposed to the mid 19th century setting of the Thackery novel. Although a pre code film, it takes a very moralistic attitude toward its heroine and her fate is more severe than the one Thackery gave her in his book. Loy (on loan from MGM) is very good but the rest of the acting is only adequate. Remade three years later as the first three strip Technicolor film. With Conway Tearle, Barbara Kent, Walter Byron and Anthony Bushell.
A high school senior (John Saxon) yearns to be a professional musician, much to the disappointment of his father (Edward Platt). He sets out to prove he can make it in the rock 'n roll scene in Los Angeles. Directed by Richard Bartlett (JOE DAKOTA). Never one to pass up making a quick buck, Hollywood jumped on the rock 'n roll band wagon in the 1950s with movies like ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK, ROCK ROCK ROCK (with Tuesday Weld), JAMBOREE, SHAKE RATTLE AND ROCK among them. This movie is the rock 'n roll equivalent of those adolescent Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland musicals from the 1930s and 40s. Alas, the songs are lackluster and the performances insignificant. A surly John Saxon scowls like a teenage Brando while Sal Mineo tries too hard to get us to believe he's a hep cat (he was much more convincing in THE GENE KRUPA STORY). With Luana Patten, Fay Wray, Shelley Fabares, George Winslow and popular 60s poet, Rod McKuen.
A young teenage girl (Linda Darnell) from Arkansas has stars in her eyes and an ambition to go to Hollywood and be a movie actress. When she gets there, she finds her dream isn't going to be easy to achieve. Directed by Walter Lang (CALL ME MADAM). Typical Hollywood fantasy about the "dream factory" and the movie hopefuls who were drawn to it. That being said, it's more entertaining than it has a right to be. I don't know if the parallels to Linda Darnell's rise in Hollywood were intentional (except for the pushy stage mother who's jettisoned) but they're there. She was signed by 20th Century Fox when she was 15 years old and by age 16, she was playing Tyrone Power's wife in DAYTIME WIFE! It's hokey but you can see why Darnell became one of Fox's most popular stars in the 1940s. With John Payne, Roland Young, Charlotte Greenwood, George Montgomery, Mary Beth Hughes, Donald Meek, Mary Healy and William Gargan.
A slick criminal defense attorney (William Powell) refuses to marry his girlfriend (Kay Francis) declaring he's not the marrying kind. When she steps out with another man (Scott Kolk), their late night date ends in a manslaughter charge after his car strikes and kills a pedestrian ..... but it was she that was driving. Directed by John Cromwell (OF HUMAN BONDAGE). A combination of courtroom drama and soap opera, the movie benefits from the star power of Powell and Francis, not quite the major stars they would soon be. Otherwise, it's a routine programmer without any particular attributes that would make it stand out. This was a Paramount film but Powell and Francis would find mega stardom at other studios (Powell at MGM, Francis at Warners). If you're a fan of either actor or the courtroom drama genre, there's every reason to enjoy the film for what it is. With William B. Davidson and John Elliott.
Released from an institution following a nervous breakdown, a young woman (Zohra Lampert) seeks the tranquility of a secluded home in the Connecticut countryside. But instead of a restful recuperation, she soon finds herself falling into a whirlpool of madness and the supernatural. Directed by John Hancock (BANG THE DRUM SLOWLY). At first, this seems yet another movie about an unstable woman being driven insane by those around her but it isn't. The heroine IS unstable but she isn't being driven batty by those around her. While the film (for what it is) is well done, I don't understand the love for it that has made it a cult movie. Hancock's direction is good so I suspect the movie's problems lie with its screenplay although I appreciated the deviation from the normal "gaslight" motif. Fortunately for the film, the female lead is played by the wonderful Zohra Lampert who creates a believable fragile character that makes us root for her as we slowly realize the genuine evil that surrounds her. With Kevin O'Connor, Gretchen Corbett, Mariclare Costello and Barton Heyman.
Many years ago, a wealthy shoe manufacturer (George Arliss) lost the girl he loved to a business rival, both now deceased. When he runs into their daughter (Bette Davis) and son (Theodore Newton) he realizes the wild living youngsters are headed for trouble. So, he decides to help them whether they want him to or not! Based on the short story THE ADOPTED FATHER by Charles Kenyon and Maude T. Howell and directed by John C. Adolfi (THE MAN WHO PLAYED GOD). I found this pre-code comedy delightful. Not great by any means but a pleasant romp. One doesn't normally think of George Arliss and comedy in the same sentence but he's very amusing here and young Bette Davis still in her ingenue phase makes for a lovely hedonist. Good fun! With Hardie Albright, Gordon Westcott and Douglass Dumbrille.
A widowed socialite (Anna Neagle) encounters financial problems that put her late husband's classical orchestra in peril. She loathes the current rock and roll music scene but rock and roll or rather a rock and roll singer (Frankie Vaughan) might be her salvation. Directed by Herbert Wilcox (NO NO NANETTE). A rather hokey effort that seems to have been made in an older era. If you remove the rock and roll angle, it could well have been made in 1945 with Frank Sinatra in Vaughan's role. The movie mashes rock and roll with classical music in the hope (one assumes) that music lovers from both camps will have something to take away. Vaughan was a huge star in England and 20th Century Fox imported him to Hollywood but after two films and an unsuccessful attempt to duplicate his British stardom sent him back. It's predictable but everyone tries so hard that it's not without a certain likeability. With Anthony Newley, Janette Scott and Wilfrid Hyde White.
Set in Russia during WWII, a group of guerrilla fighters hide in a forest while fighting the Nazi invaders. When a beautiful ballerina (Tamara Toumanova) is taken in by the group, the guerrilla leader (Gregory Peck in his film debut) finds himself falling in love with her. Directed by Jacques Tourneur (OUT OF THE PAST). One of several movies made during WWII that extolled the Russian people's courage fighting the Nazis. After the war, the U.S. turned against the Soviet Union and many of the creative talent involved in these films were targeted by the House Committee On Un-American Activities. The year before another film about a romance set against the backdrop of guerrillas fighting fascism, the superior FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS, was released and this effort seems very deja vu. Peck would survive this box office flop and go on to become one of Hollywood's biggest stars for the rest of his career. With Lowell Gilmore, Hugo Haas, Alan Reed, Maria Palmer and Glenn Vernon.
Set in New Orleans, a recently discharged soldier (Keith Charles) rents a room in a handsome old mansion. It is there, he falls in love with the pretty ward (Carol Williard) of the absent owner (Hurd Hatfield). But he soon senses that something is not right with the girl or the house. Very loosely based or perhaps inspired is a better word on the novella by Edward Bulwer Lytton and directed by Gloria Monty. What should have been a slice of atmospheric Gothic horror a la DARK SHADOWS comes off as a routine soap opera with horror trimmings. As in his most famous role (THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY), Hurd Hatfield manages to bring a bit of creepiness to his waxy villain. With Gretchen Corbett and Maryce Carter.
After being elected as the president of the U.S. during the Great Depression, a corrupt career politician (Walter Huston) who doesn't much care about the problems of its citizens is seriously injured in an auto accident that leaves him in a coma. When he emerges from the coma, he is a different man who might be touched by an angel. Based on the novel by T.F. Tweed and directed by Gregory La Cava (STAGE DOOR). A bizarre political fantasy with a slight religious bent that is both progressive and fascist in its ideals and ideas. Made during the Great Depression, the supernatural fantasy gave hope to the unemployed and hungry masses of the period but while the rogue president is doing good (and also bad, gangsters are executed by a firing squad without a civil trial), he's essentially an American version of Mussolini. A preachy curio of the period. With Franchot Tone, Karen Morley, C. Henry Gordon, Jean Parker and Dickie Moore.
Two bounty hunters (Gene Nelson, Kent Taylor) fight over who actually killed a wanted man (Jack Carr). They travel to the grave together along with the marshal (Russ Bender), the dead man's younger brother (Jerry Summers) and the brother's guardian (Joanna Barnes). Directed by Maury Dexter (THE DAY MARS INVADED EARTH). An undemanding B western programmer that doesn't wear out its brief running time (barely over an hour). Filmed in Arizona, the outcome isn't obvious so the narrative holds our attention. I'm a fan of westerns so perhaps I'm more tolerant of a simple western like this. Not memorable at all but a genial time waster. With Danny Zapien and Medford Salway.
A would be Broadway producer (Gene Raymond) mortgages his family home in order to partially fund a Broadway show starring a singer (Ann Sothern) he's in love with. But her con man father (Thurston Hall) unknowingly sets him up with crooked backers. Directed by Walter Lang (THE DESK SET). This limp musical comedy has every cliche in the book tossed in! And with one exception, the musical numbers are stale. The exception is the film's musical highlight with the great dancing Bill Robinson and Fats Waller at the piano who bring the movie temporarily to life. Otherwise, it's a dud! Ann Sothern's appeal helps it a bit but it can do only so much. It doesn't help that the two leading male characters are annoying especially Thurston Hall who takes advantage of people. With Lionel Stander, Pert Kelton, Maria Gambarelli, Etienne Girardot and Jeni Le Gon.
A Paris native and none too bright smuggler (Jean Paul Belmondo) uses a sportscar to transport gold to Lebanon. His contact and attractive traveling companion (Jean Seberg) seems to know much more about the operation than he does. Things go awry when when he decides to steal the gold for himself, setting off an international game of cat and mouse. Based on the novel by Clet Coroner and directed by Jack Becker (Jacques' nephew). A rather nondescript action movie that is enhanced by Edmond Sechan's (THAT MAN FROM RIO) wide screen B&W cinematography of the Greece, Switzerland, Italy, France and Lebanon locations. Then there's the chemistry of Belmondo and Seberg reuniting for the first time four years after Godard's BREATHLESS (1960). With Gert Frobe, Enrico Maria Salerno, Fernando Rey and Diana Lorys.
A private detective (Walter Pidgeon) is asked by a U.S. Senator (George Lessey) to assist in hunting down a subversive group of fifth column spies. He isn't interested but when he's a guest on a private plane and a man (Tom Conway) is murdered, he changes his mind. Directed by George B. Seitz (LOVE FINDS ANDY HARDY). The third and final entry in MGM's Nick Carter detective franchise is a decent enough murder mystery. The war in Europe was going on and it seemed just a matter of time before the U.S. became involved so its fifth column spy plot seemed quite topical. Its outcome is never in question but the journey is fun. Comedy relief is provided by Joyce Compton as a ditzy blonde detective wannabe and (again) by Donald Meek's bee obsessed sidekick. With Kaaren Verne, Edward Ashley, Chill Wills, Virginia O'Brien and Dorothy Tree.
Post WWI, three German soldiers open an auto repair shop. The first (Robert Taylor) finds love with a young woman (Margaret Sullavan in an Oscar nominated performance) in frail health. The second (Robert Young) joins an anti fascist nationalist group while the third (Franchot Tone) approaches each day with worldly cynicism. Based on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque (ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT) and directed by Frank Borzage (HISTORY IS MADE AT NIGHT). Much admired at the time of its release, I found it too sentimental. I liked the camaraderie of the four principals and the unsettling atmosphere of the growing domestic fascism between WWI and WWII but in spite of the luminous Sullavan (who's better than the material) and the agreeable male leads, it's overly mawkish. The screenplay was co-written by F. Scott Fitzgerald but I didn't find anything very Fitzgeraldian about it. For Sullavan fans only. With Monty Woolley, Lionel Atwill, Henry Hull and George Zucco.
A young film critic Jean Luc Godard (Guillaume Marbeck) from Cahiers Du Cinema decides it's time to make his first feature film. His unconventional methods drive his producer (Bruno Dreyfurst) crazy. His leading man Jean Paul Belmondo (Aubry Dullin) goes with the flow but his leading lady Jean Seberg (Zoey Deutch) is frustrated. Directed by Richard Linklater (BOYHOOD). The "behind the scenes" backstory of how Godard's revolutionary film BREATHLESS was made is a treat for cinephiles. Like BREATHLESS, it's shot in B&W in the 1.37 ratio and the recreation of 1959 Paris as well as the look and locations of BREATHLESS are amazing. Famous film people of the French "New Wave" and artists who inspired them pop up as minor characters like Francois Truffaut, Claude Chabrol, Jean Pierre Melville, Juliette Greco, Jean Cocteau and Roberto Rossellini among them. Talk about name dropping! More amusing than one would imagine, it's a loving recreation of an iconic piece of cinema.
A small ski resort town is the target of a serial killer who leaves no clues except the taunting messages spray painted in red near the bodies of his (or her) victims. The local sheriff (Andy Griffith) may be out of his depth but he is determined to track the down the killer. Directed by Jud Taylor (FADE IN). Surprisingly solid murder mystery made for television. It was successful enough for Andy Griffith to do four more sequels. While the characters are broadly (to put it mildly) drawn, the whodunit aspect is well done with a red herring thrown in to deflect from the real serial killer. Murder mystery fans should enjoy it. The underscore is by Jerry Goldsmith. With Nick Nolte, Sheree North, Louise Latham, Lawrence Pressman, Joyce Van Patten, Tim O'Connor, Robert F. Simon and Ruth McDevitt.
