The Doctor And The Girl (1949)

After graduating from Harvard, an arrogant and aloof young doctor (Glenn Ford) from a prestigious family begins his internship at a busy hospital. His snobbery and lack of a bedside manner makes him an unpopular physician. But when he meets a young working class girl (Janet Leigh), a patient in the hospital, he begins to thaw. Based on BODIES AND SOULS by Maxence Van Der Meersch and directed by Curtis Bernhardt (A STOLEN LIFE). The generic title belies a rather intriguing storyline. It's both a family drama about a demanding patriarch (Charles Coburn) trying to control the lives of his adult children and a story about doctors needing to be more than medically proficient when dealing with patients and treat them with dignity as well as understanding their fears and feelings. The film is ahead of its time in addressing the issues of abortion and lack of medical care in poverty stricken neighborhoods. A good example of the level of craftsmanship at the MGM dream factory. With Janet Leigh, Gloria DeHaven, Bruce Bennett, Nancy Davis (later Reagan), Arthur Franz and Warner Anderson. 

Circus Of Horrors (1960)

After he botches the face of a patient (Colette Wilde), a plastic surgeon (Anton Diffring) goes on the run and assumes a new identity. He becomes a partner in a run down circus and soon transforms it into a profitable money making venture. However, mysterious "accidents" seem to happen to those performers who choose to leave his circus. Directed by Sidney Hayers (BURN WITCH BURN). what makes this a horror film is the constant threat of mutilation to beautiful young girls. Otherwise, it fits into the mold of thriller or mystery movies. It's an effective piece of pulp with Diffring (Truffaut's FAHRENHEIT 451) perfectly cast as a sadistic megalomaniac. It's compromised by having some of the circus animals like bears and gorillas obviously people in costume. While it stretches credibility (how long could you keep killing off your performers before the police uncovered you), there's something oddly compelling about it which makes it eminently watchable. The film spawned a hit song, Look For A Star which reached #16 on the record charts. With Donald Pleasence, Erika Remberg, Yvonne Monlaur, Jane Hylton, Kenneth Griffith, Conrad Phillips and Yvonne Romain.

The Parent Trap (1998)

At a summer camp for girls in Maine, two look alike girls (11 year old Lindsay Lohan in her film debut) discover they are twin sisters. They were separated shortly after their birth when the parents broke up and one went to live in England with her mother (Natasha Richardson) and the other to California with the father (Dennis Quaid). Directed by Nancy Meyers (SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE), this is a remake of the beloved 1961 Walt Disney classic which in turn was based on a German book DAS DOPPELTE LOTTCHEN by Erich Kastner. It's one of those rare remakes which retains most of the charm from the original which it sticks close to, so much so that the 1961 film's original screenwriter David Swift is credited with co-writing the screenplay. There are some changes with some of the characters. The grandmother is eliminated and we're given a butler (Simon Kunz) instead which was a mistaken attempt at being "cute". Lohan is adorable and actually manages to create two distinct characters which her predecessor Hayley Mills had trouble doing. Meanwhile, Quaid and Richardson provide suitable romantic leads. Joanna Barnes, who played the gold digging fiancee in the 1961 original here plays the mother of the gold digging fiancee (Elaine Hendrix). With Lisa Ann Walter and Ronnie Stevens.   

The Perfect Host (2010)

A career criminal (Clayne Crawford) on the run from the law after robbing a bank seeks somewhere to hide out. To this end, he talks his way into the home of a prissy gentleman (David Hyde Pierce) who just happens to be throwing an intimate dinner party in a few hours. It isn't long before the thief discovers he's gone from the frying pan into the fire! Directed and co-written by Nick Tomnay, this very black comedy takes awhile to get its rhythm going but when it does, it's a diabolical piece of entertainment. Not great mind you but clever enough to keep you watching its bizarre far fetched plot with a smile on your face. David Hyde Pierce seems to be having a ball as the psychotic "host" but unfortunately we're saddled with Clayne Crawford, an untalented Ray Liotta clone, as the crook. He brings nothing to the party (no pun intended). The film gives him a backstory in an attempt to make him more sympathetic but it doesn't work, he's still a creep. At least, Pierce's whack job is amusing. There's a "twist" toward the end that I didn't see coming. With Helen Reddy (rather good), Nathaniel Parker, Megahn Perry and Tyrees Allen.

A Star Is Born (2018)

A country rock star (Bradley Cooper) has a drinking problem which he manages to hide from his public. One night, he wanders into a gay bar and discovers a young singer (Lady Gaga) and his belief in her talent will give her the strength to follow her dream. But their personal relationship will suffer because of his demons and drug and alcohol abuse. Directed by Bradley Cooper, this is the fourth remake (1937, 1954, 1976) of A STAR IS BORN. The fifth if you count WHAT PRICE HOLLYWOOD? (1932) which many consider its source. Do we really need a fourth remake of A STAR IS BORN? Of course not! But it's surprising how very good this version is (especially compared to the heinous 1976 Streisand version). To those of us who've seen Lady Gaga's performance in AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL, that she can act is no surprise. She brings a wonderful naturalness as well as heartbreak to her performance. I'm no Bradley Cooper fan but he gives a career best performance here and their chemistry is on fire. It's not the definitive STAR IS BORN (that's still the 1954 version) but I'd easily rank it as second out of the four. The songs are actually pretty good too. With Sam Elliott, Dave Chappelle (just wonderful), Andrew Dice Clay and Anthony Ramos.

Ride Vaquero! (1953)

Set in post Civil War Texas, an outlaw (Anthony Quinn) terrorizes ranchers by burning their homes in an effort to drive them out. He is aided in his reign of terror by his right hand man (Robert Taylor). But when a homesteader (Howard Keel) stands up to the outlaw, it starts an inexorable tide that will break their bond. Directed by John Farrow (THE BIG CLOCK), the main interest in this western is the focus on its four main characters (Ava Gardner as Keel's wife is the fourth) and their conflicting relations with each other rather than your usual good guys vs. the bad guys shoot 'em ups. Which isn't to say this is a particularly good western because it isn't. It's rather weak. Still, it's an interesting piece with its unapologetic downbeat ending. It just needed a stronger screenplay. The acting isn't much either in spite of the star power involved. There's a decent score by Bronislau Kaper (LILI). With Kurt Kasznar, Ted De Corsia and Jack Elam. 

The Return Of The Vampire (1943)

A 200 year old vampire (Bela Lugosi) prowls the English countryside until his reign of terror is stopped by a pair of scientists (Frieda Inescort, Gilbert Emery) when a stake is put through his heart. But two decades later, the impact of a Nazi bomb during WWII accidentally resurrects him. Directed by Lew Landers, this is a middling vampire tale but not without its compensations. This film was produced by Columbia but the atmosphere is pure Universal horror as it purloins both the Dracula and Wolf Man characters but without naming them as such. For all intents and purposes and especially with Lugosi as the vampire, it feels like a Dracula movie. The film is notable in the casting of a woman, Frieda Inescort as the vampire hunter instead of a male protagonist. Fans of classic horror should be pleasantly entertained. With Nina Foch, Roland Varno, Miles Mander and Matt Willis, very sympathetic as the vampire's wolf like minion.  

The Eye Of The Storm (2011)

Set in 1972 in the suburbs of Sydney in Australia, the son (Geoffrey Rush) and daughter (Judy Davis) of a wealthy matriarch visit their dying mother (Charlotte Rampling). Suffering from the lingering effects of a stroke, the mother drifts in and out of the present and revisits her past. Based on the novel by Patrick White and directed by Fred Schepisi (SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION). Barely released in the U.S., this film should have received a better fate (though it did well in its Australian homeland). Parents (especially mothers) and children and the messiness that our lives become when there's a tear in the fabric of parental comfort and support which feels like a betrayal. None of the characters are really likable but there's an empathy for their pathetic desperation as they clutch to the remnants of a maternal bond. As the matriarch, Rampling is quite moving even in her controlling arrogance while Davis and Rush hold their own without making their siblings whiny victims. There's a lovely underscore by Paul Grabowsky. With Helen Morse, Colin Friels, Alexandra Schepisi and John Gaden.   

All The King's Men (1949)

A rough around the edges rural country hick (Broderick Crawford) slowly rises in political circles until he becomes the governor of his state. He also becomes a very dangerous man. Based on the Pulitzer prize winning novel by Robert Penn Warren and directed by Robert Rossen (THE HUSTLER). A thinly disguised version of the notorious 1930s Louisiana governor Huey Long, this kind of movie never loses its topicality. Alas, corruption in government never goes away. I've not read the source material so I don't know how it plays out in the book but the film is ambiguous towards Crawford's politician in the beginning. Was he an honest man corrupted by his political ambitions or was he always a bad egg. Crawford's Willie Stark and his manipulation of a blind adoring cult for whom he can do no wrong resonates in today's political climate. Crawford (in an Oscar winning performance) is terrific but he never again got such a plum of a role. This is hard hitting stuff, blunt but mesmerizing. The entire cast is excellent (even John Derek) and includes John Ireland, Joanne Dru, Mercedes McCambridge (also winning an Oscar for her work here), Shepperd Strudwick, Anne Seymour, Raymond Greenleaf, Walter Burke and Katherine Warren. 

The Phantom Of The Opera (1962)

Set in turn of the 20th century Paris, after the leading lady (Liane Aukin) walks out after strange things (including a murder) happen, a Paris opera house replaces her with an unknown singer (Heather Sears, ROOM AT THE TOP). But a mysterious "phantom" (Herbert Lom) makes it his business to train her. Based on the oft filmed novel by Gaston Leroux and directed by the Hammer veteran, Terence Fisher. As played by Herbert Lom, this Hammer horror features a kinder and less insane Phantom. Indeed, by Hammer standards, this family friendly version is far less lurid and gory than their usual fare such as the DRACULA or MUMMY films. Which is a pity because Michael Gough's despicable Lord D'Arcy deserves a horrible fate! Normally, young lovers are the dreariest part of horror films but the lovely Sears and Edward De Souza are appealing enough that you don't mind them at all. As usual for Hammer, the period settings and costumes are quite handsome for a small budget. The film's short running time caused Universal (who distributed the film) to film new scenes for the TV version to pad out the running time. With Renee Houston and Ian Wilson.

My Dear Secretary (1948)

An aspiring writer (Laraine Day) takes a job as a secretary to a best selling novelist (Kirk Douglas) in the hopes of learning more about the craft of writing. Instead, she finds he'd rather go to the races, go to Vegas, go to the beach etc., in fact anything but write! Directed by Charles Martin, this romantic comedy is hampered by uncomfortable dated sexist attitudes and two lead actors who aren't particularly good in comedy. I mean when you think of romcoms, is Kirk Douglas the first actor that comes to mind? Laraine Day has proved effective in dramas like THE LOCKET but a comedienne she's not. The movie's attitude of secretaries as sex playthings is so outmoded and no longer amusing. Fortunately, the supporting players are proficient in comedy and Keenan Wynn, Rudy Vallee, Florence Bates, Helen Walker, Alan Mowbray, Grady Sutton and Irene Ryan pick up the slack but not enough to save the movie. With Gale Robbins and Helene Stanley.

The Girl In White (1952)

Set in the early 20th century, a young woman doctor (June Allyson) struggles to gain access to the male dominated medical world when prejudice toward female doctors governs. Based on the autobiography BOWERY TO BELLEVUE by the pioneering female surgeon Emily Dunning Barringer and directed by John Sturges (THE GREAT ESCAPE). This low keyed feminist drama is an interesting look at how women doctors were perceived (as freaks) in the early 20th century. We've come a long way but I still know a few people who won't go to women doctors! The film isn't preachy on the subject and the screenplay tells Dunning's story in a straight forward and engrossing manner. As the film's ending approached, I was nervous that it would go all 1940s on us (where career women finally realized their place was at home) but the film stands firm and doesn't cave in. Allyson as the determined trailblazer is excellent in one of her strongest performances. The score is by the great David Raksin (LAURA). With Arthur Kennedy, Gary Merrill, Mildred Dunnock (just wonderful), Marilyn Erskine and Don Keefer.