In order to help his wife's (Dorothy Provine) best friend (Romy Schneider) receive an inheritance from her grandfather's will, an advertising executive (Jack Lemmon) pretends to be her husband. The will specifies that she must be married or lose the inheritance. Things get complicated when greedy relatives (Anne Seymour, Charles Lane) hire a private detective (Louis Nye) to keep an eye on the woman's activities and when the real husband (Mike Connors) shows up, things get really messy. Based on the novel by Jack Finney (INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS) and directed by David Swift (THE PARENT TRAP). This comedic farce would have benefited from some editing shears as it runs past the two hour mark and the material has exhausted itself by then. It's formulaic but there's still a bit of charm to the proceedings. Lemmon hadn't yet resorted to the sometimes over the top hysteria which marred many of his later performances, he's still a wonderful light comic actor here. Fluff but engaging nonetheless. With Edward G. Robinson's as a conservative right wing client of Lemmon's, Edward Andrews, Joyce Jameson and Linda Watkins.
Set in 1860 Sicily, a nobleman (Burt Lancaster) watches as history changes the landscape of his country. The aristocracy is fading while a more democratic but not necessarily better society emerges. He realizes his family must adapt to survive in the new Sicily yet he wants no part of it. Based on the novel by Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa and directed by Luchino Visconti (ROCCO AND HIS BROTHERS). A genuine epic in every sense of the word and visually, one of the most stunning films ever made. Words like sumptuous and opulent come to mind. Praise to cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno for his ravishing camera work. The lengthy ball sequence which ends the film (it runs about 45 minutes long) is the highlight of the film and you've likely never seen anything like it. The logistics of filming the sequence boggle the mind. Remarkably, when the film was originally released, the reviews were mixed to middling (in spite of it winning the Palme d'Or at the Cannes film festival). Fortunately, posterity has realized the film for the sweeping masterwork it is. Piero Tosi's impressive costuming received the film's only Oscar nomination. With Claudia Cardinale, Alain Delon, Terence Hill, Paolo Stoppa, Romolo Valli, Serge Reggiani and Leslie French.
A small time crook (Dennis Price), believed to be have been killed in WWII, kills a man during a jewel robbery. Unable to find a fence for the "hot" jewels since it involves murder and not just theft, he looks up his wife (Renee Asherson) who, believing him dead, has remarried to a wealthy publisher (Patrick Barr). He demands money from her to leave the country or he will tell her husband. Based on the play SECOND CHANCE by Ella Adkins and directed by Don Chaffey (JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS). This efficient economical little thriller is good fun with its share of twists and turns. Of course, if the wife did the logical thing from the start and tell her husband about the blackmail and then gone to the police, she could have avoided all the trouble that follows. But then, we wouldn't have much a movie, would we? If you're into thrillers and/or noir then this should be right up your alley. It's a minor film but manages to keep the tension quotient fairly high. With Duncan Lamont, Susan Shaw, Dandy Nichols, Mavis Villiers and Alfie Bass.
In 1926, the death of silent film star Rudolph Valentino (Rudolf Nureyev) causes a sensation not only in the headlines but with thousands of fans trying to crash his funeral. His life story is then told in flashbacks by the women in his life as he rises from a nightclub dancer to Hollywood star. Directed by Ken Russell (WOMEN IN LOVE), the film is a mess. Russell's flamboyant but often excessive style is problematic. Depending on the material, Russell's style can often be exhilarating (TOMMY) or an unpleasant shambles (THE MUSIC LOVERS). There's very little "truth" in this movie bio of Valentino but lots of Russell's extravagant style. It's a great looking film thanks to Philip Harrison's art direction, Shirley Russell's costumes and Peter Suschitzky's (EASTERN PROMISES) cinematography. As for Nureyev, while I can appreciate the eager to please charm he brings to the part, he's not an actor (at least judging by his work here). Russell's take on some of the real life characters (notably Alla Nazimova) is rather nasty and unsubstantiated. Russell hits a new low in a disgusting sequence in a Mexican jail that I won't even attempt to describe here. Reputedly, even Russell dislikes the film! With Leslie Caron as Alla Nazimova, Michelle Phillips as Natasha Rambova, Carol Kane, Seymour Cassel, Huntz Hall, Felicity Kendal, Anton Diffring, Peter Vaughan, Leland Palmer and Jennie Linden.
Spanning the years from 1871 and the Franco Prussian War to 1938 and the ominous clouds of WWII, the chronicle of one family as they deal with war and its effect on their lives. Directed by Julien Duvivier, this is sort of a French version of the 1933 film CAVALCADE although much superior. Its daunting task of covering over 60 years in a two hour running time doesn't give much opportunity for in depth characterization and what we get are highlights of this family's lives. Still, a couple of the actors manage to create sharply defined characters in the brief time allotted them like Louis Jouvet who suffers the loss of the woman (Renee Devillers) he loves to his brother (Lucien Nat) and goes off to Africa and Raimu as the high living Uncle who eventually loses everything. It's an ambitious film that might not manage to overcome the fragmented nature of its narrative but retains its power nonetheless. The film was started in 1939 but WWII interrupted its filming and it wasn't released until 1943. With Michele Morgan, Louis Jourdan, Suzy Prim, Harry Krimer and Jean Mercanton.
An evil sorcerer (Basil Rathbone) kidnaps a beautiful Princess (Anne Helm) to exact revenge on her father the King (Merritt Stone). He threatens to feed her to his dragon in seven days but a Knight (Liam Sullivan) and a young youth (Gary Lockwood) promise to rescue her. Directed by schlockmeister Bert I. Gordon (EMPIRE OF THE ANTS), this low budget sword and sorcery adventure is rather charming in its amateurism. As if sensing it wouldn't quite work as a straight fantasy film, Gordon infuses the film with humor. Most of it provided by Estelle Winwood as an inept sorceress with the Nick and Paul Bon Tempi as her Siamese twins assistants with Rathbone delightfully over the top as the wicked wizard. Both are in on the joke, I'm not sure Lockwood as the doltish hero was. Seven year olds and undiscerning adults should be modestly entertained. With Danielle De Metz and John Mauldin.
The fascinating true (but highly fictionalized) story of swindler James Reavis (Vincent Price), who, in 1880 concocted an elaborate scheme to inherit all the land in the territory of Arizona (not yet a state) and darn near did it. Written and directed by Samuel Fuller. The part of Reavis was reputedly Price's own personal favorite and one can see why. It's an atypical role for Price and a rare non-horror leading man role and he plays it for all it's worth. It's a low budget effort but with some first rate talent involved. In addition to Price and Fuller, the fine B&W cinematography is courtesy of the great James Wong Howe. The film lacks the hard edge that would come to distinguish Fuller's style in the ensuing years but he infuses the film with enough romanticism that you're almost pulling for the fraud to pull it off! Minor Fuller to be sure yet still a minor pleasure and a must for Price fans. With Ellen Drew, Beulah Bondi, Vladimir Sokoloff, Margia Dean and Reed Hadley.
Set in 18th century France, a young painter (Noemie Meriant) arrives at an isolated island in Brittany where she is expected to paint a portrait of a young girl (Adele Haenel) who is soon to be wed in an arranged marriage. But she must paint the picture surreptitiously as the girl refuses to sit for a portrait. Written and directed by Celine Sciamma, this is a painstakingly meticulous (a euphemism for slow moving) historical romance that I wish I liked better. It is a very good movie but when I first saw the trailer for the film sometime ago, my movie radar said, "No!" but the reviews were glowing and it was showing up on ten best lists so against my better judgment I went. I can tell it's a well made film but I just couldn't get involved in it. It's like movie medicine, see it because it's good for you. Okay, I've taken my medicine. I don't want to dissuade anyone from not seeing the film as I trust you'll appreciate its very fine qualities (like Claire Mathon's superb lensing) more than I did. PORTRAIT was on France's short list of films to be submitted to the Oscars international film category but they wisely went with the superior LES MISERABLES instead. With Luana Bajrami and Valeria Golino.
The famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Alfred Molina) is traveling on the Orient Express from Istanbul when a brutal murder occurs on the train. The victim (Peter Strauss), who had earlier attempted to procure Poirot's services but was turned down, was stabbed multiple times in his sleep. When the train becomes stranded because of a rockslide, the railway director (Fritz Wepper, CABARET) asks him to help solve the case. Based on the classic novel by Agatha Christie and directed by Carl Schenkel (THE MIGHTY QUINN). This misguided attempt to update Agatha Christie must have the poor lady spinning in her grave. Instead of using the "little gray cells" to solve the murder, Poirot does it via a laptop computer! Poirot is even given a sexy girlfriend (I'm not joking!). Several of the novel's characters have been eliminated: the butler, the missionary, the cook/companion. So what are we left with? A watered down, modernized Readers Digest version of the Christie book. Purists will be appalled. The only high spot is Leslie Caron who brings elegance and grace to the part of the Spanish grande dame (the equivalent of the Russian princess in the book). With Meredith Baxter, David Hunt, Amira Casar, Nicolas Chagrin, Adam James, Dylan Smith and Natasha Wightman.
A struggling writer (Richard Todd) is leaving his wife (Valerie Hobson) and running off with his mistress (Christine Norden). As their train speeds off to their destination however, he has second thoughts and pulls the emergency cord and gets off the train. But it doesn't end there for him, it turns into a nightmare when his mistress turns up murdered and he becomes the prime suspect. Directed by Daniel Birt, this faux Hitchcockian thriller (some refer to it as British noir) has a marvelous premise but that is squandered by a weak script and direction and an ending that's a total ripoff. A contrived ending that had been used before (and unfortunately many times since) when writers painted themselves into a corner and needed a quick out. It's a pity because the film had me intrigued until then. With Tom Walls, Vida Hope, Dora Bryan and Alexander Gauge as the mistress's husband, whose performance is so bad that it threatened to derail the movie even before that heinous ending.
A private detective (Humphrey Bogart) is hired by a wealthy old man (Charles Waldron) to deal with his younger daughter's (Martha Vickers) alleged gambling debts. But that's just the tip of the iceberg in a case that involves murders, blackmail, deceit and pornography. Based on the novel by Raymond Chandler (William Faulkner had a hand in the screenplay) and directed by Howard Hawks. One of the best of the 1940s film noirs, if this never quite reaches the greatness of a MALTESE FALCON or DOUBLE INDEMNITY, it's because its array of colorful characters and its convoluted plot have your head spinning and if you find it difficult to follow the baffling plot, don't feel bad. Reportedly the screenwriters didn't understand it either. But its bewildering plot doesn't get in the way of the incredible enjoyment that the movie provides. Snappy dialogue, witty performances and Hawks' assured direction carry the day. The actors, down to the smallest roles, are all wonderful. Max Steiner delivers one of his best scores. With Lauren Bacall (overdoing the femme fatale bit just a tad), Dorothy Malone, the wonderful Sonia Darrin, Peggy Knudsen, John Ridgely, Louis Jean Heydt and Elisha Cook Jr.
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