The Bride Comes Home (1935)

When her father (William Collier Sr.) goes bankrupt, an heiress (Claudette Colbert) is forced to seek work to support them. To this end, she asks a rich playboy (Robert Young) who's in love with her for a job at the new magazine he's started. She immediately clashes with the magazine's editor (Fred MacMurray) but their mutual antagonism results in a romance. Directed by Wesley Ruggles (I'M NO ANGEL), this is a limp example of a screwball comedy. Colbert and MacMurray go into overtime trying to buoy things up but to no avail. It's not their chemistry which is solid (they made seven movies together) and except for his drunk scenes which are embarrassing, Young is an asset to the film. But I'll be damned if I know what's wrong except that nothing jells. The script is okay and Ruggles pushes his actors as far as he can but no dice. Chalk it up to a misfire. With Donald Meek and Richard Carle.

Around The World In 80 Days (1956)

Set in 1872, a British gentleman (David Niven) makes a 20,000 pounds wager with members of his club that he can travel around the world in exactly eighty days. They take his bet and the race is on. Based on the novel by Jules Verne and directed by Michael Anderson (LOGAN'S RUN). In 1956, this was an event film. The second movie to be shot in the 70 millimeter Todd AO large format process, this was a prestigious roadshow production (with an intermission and entr'acte). Seats were reserved in advance as if you were going to see a Broadway play. In New York, it played for 2 years in one theatre. The film also invented the "cameo", brief appearances by name actors who usually starred. The film was a huge hit winning the Oscar and New York Film Critics award for best picture. Alas, the film doesn't quite stand up today. What should have been a delightful and colorful diversion is hampered by the film's "everything but the kitchen sink" attitude which bloats the movie to an elephantine presentation. Just one example, the film stops cold with a lengthy bullfighting sequence in Spain that has nothing to do with the movie's plot but serves as a showcase for the Mexican comic actor Cantinflas (in his first English speaking film) doing his stuff and that's one of many examples. Lionel Lindon's Oscar winning cinematography still dazzles and the memorable score is by Victor Young. With Shirley MacLaine as a Hindu princess(!) and Robert Newton. Among the many stars making guest appearances: Frank Sinatra, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Boyer, Red Skelton, Trevor Howard, John Gielgud, John Mills, Buster Keaton, Ronald Colman, Glynis Johns, Noel Coward, Peter Lorre, George Raft, Gilbert Roland, Hermione Gingold, Cesar Romero, Evelyn Keyes, Charles Coburn, Robert Morley, Martine Carol, Beatrice Lillie and Fernandel.

Minato No Nihon Musume (aka Japanese Girls At The Harbor) (1933)

Set in the harbor town of Yokohama, two teenage girls (Michiko Oikawa, Yukiko Inoue) find their friendship strained by the appearance of a fast living boy (Ureo Egawa) whom both find attractive. Tragedy occurs when one of the girls (Oikawa) shoots another girl (Ranko Sawa) over the boy. Jump several years later and Inoue and Egawa are married and Oikawa is working as prostitute but fate isn't through with them yet. Based on the novel by Toma Kitabayashi and directed by Hiroshi Shimizu. Although by 1933, sound films were the norm in the U.S., silent movies still had a hold in Japanese cinema. Shimizu's silent drama is a lovely and impassioned melodrama dealing with four individuals who are victims of circumstance whose lives don't work out the way they foresaw it. Do they accept their fate or fight it? A highlight of Japanese silent film. With Tatsuo Saito as the failed painter in love with Oikawa. 

Ringside Maisie (1941)

A dancer (Ann Sothern) is kicked off a train and finds herself stranded. A chance meeting with a reluctant boxer (Robert Sterling) and his manager (George Murphy) changes the trajectory she was taking. Directed by Edwin L. Marin (NOCTURNE), this was the fifth of the ten movie Maisie franchise, all starring Sothern as Maisie. This may be the best of the lot, principally because of the dramatic arc the film takes in its last third. The script is solid and the characters are all given room to expand which gives the actors an opportunity to do good work. One scene toward the end where a horrified boxer (Eddie Simms) offers his sorrow to his opponent for blinding him is quite powerful. A couple of years later, Sothern and Sterling would marry and their union would produce the actress Tisha Sterling (COOGAN'S BLUFF). With Virginia O'Brien, Natalie Thompson, Maxie Rosenbloom, Jack La Rue, Rags Ragland and Margaret Moffatt.

My Salinger Year (2021)

Set in 1995, an aspiring writer and poet (Margaret Qualley) leaves Berkeley in California to move to New York City to become a writer. She obtains a job at a literary agency whose head (Sigourney Weaver) has very strict rules. Their no. 1 client is the reclusive author of CATCHER IN THE RYE,  J.D. Salinger (Tim Post). Based on the memoir by Joanna Rakoff (played by Qualley) and directed by Philippe Falardeau, a French Canadian. I liked it quite a bit even it it's not perfect. The script is intelligent although it threatens to cross over to pretentiousness at any moment. Its sincerity prevents sequences that don't work (like a fantasy sequence with people dancing in the lobby of a luxury hotel) from derailing the movie. As the would-be writer, the appealing Qualley gives of an aura of intellect that makes her believable which makes her choice of a boyfriend (Douglas Booth) perplexing. It takes her way too long to realize he's a total loser! Weaver exudes Manhattan literary aristocrat where lunch at the Algonquin or Waldorf is a regular thing. I wouldn't say seek it out but if it comes your way, by all means, check it out. With Colm Feore and Brian F. O'Byrne.

Immensee (1943)

A widow (Kristina Soderbaum) and a famous composer (Carl Raddatz) reunite after many years and over lunch, they reflect back on their youth when they were very much in love. Based on the novel by Theodor Storm and directed by Veit Harlan (the notorious Jud Süß ). This rather sappy romantic melodrama was made during the Third Reich but it's not a propaganda film. The war is not addressed at all. Not all that dissimilar to the kind of soap that Hollywood was turning out during that era, one could easily see an American version with Jennifer Jones and Tyrone Power with minimal changes. It's a handsome looking film, shot in Agfacolor by Bruno Mondi with some location work in Italy. The film was a huge hit in Germany (Soderbaum was a big star during the Nazi era but her career took a dive when the war ended) as the German public found its romance and color a relief from the war. An interesting artifact of non propaganda German film making during WWII. With Paul Klinger and Carola Toelle.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (1982)

Set in 1846, a former barber (George Hearn) with a troubled past returns to London after many years away. He connects with a dotty baker (Angela Lansbury) who runs a failing pie shop and she lets him use the room above her shop to ply his trade. There will be blood .....! Adapted from the play by Christopher Bond with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and directed by Hal Prince (the original stage production)) and Terry Hughes (the filmed production). A monumental contemporary American opera by the greatest theatre composer of the 20th century. This tale of revenge features one of Sondheim's most sophisticated and intricate scores. I was fortunate enough to see this cast perform the show when it opened in Los Angeles and theatrically, it was an overwhelming experience. This archival recording of that production captures some of the show's majesty. The cast is excellent. Lansbury's outlandish "go for broke" wacky Cockney provides the antidote to the darkness of the rest of the musical. A towering achievement in the American theatre and that's no hyperbole. With Cris Groenendaal, Betsy Joslyn, Edmund Lyndeck, Calvin Remsberg, Ken Jennings and Sara Woods.

Among The Living (1941)

After his father's death, a wealthy scion (Albert Dekker) discovers that the twin brother (Albert Dekker) he thought dead is still alive. Hopelessly insane, he had been locked away in secrecy to protect the family's reputation. After he escapes, the sane brother and the doctor (Harry Carey) who had cared for him attempt to hunt him down before he kills ..... again. Directed by Stuart Heisler (THE GLASS KEY), this slice of Southern Gothic with noir-ish trimmings is effective if simplistic. The film has developed a cult following since its release and certain quarters are highly disposed toward it. Personally, while I found it entertaining enough I wasn't impressed. It never extends beyond its B movie roots and parts of it are quite silly. Dekker's "good" brother and Carey's dubious doctor are morally responsible for the mayhem that follows because of their own selfish interests. The film's "hurry up and wrap it up" finale is almost laughable. As the wife, Frances Farmer is wasted but her Hollywood career was pretty much over at this point. The movie is taken over by Susan Hayward's vixen, not yet a major star but on her way. The one first rate thing about the film is Theodor Sparkuhl's (Renoir's LA CHIENNE) B&W cinematography which gives the movie a shadowy and menacing sheen. With Gordon Jones and Jean Phillips.

Across The Universe (2007)

Set in the turbulent 1960s, a shipyard worker (Jim Sturgess) in Liverpool  travels to the U.S. in the hopes of finding his G.I. father (Robert Clohessy). He becomes involved with an American girl (Evan Rachel Wood) and her brother (Joe Anderson). Directed by Julie Taymor, I'm tempted to call the film a piece of shit and leave it at that. But that would leave a lot of space. This is a series of mediocre music videos in search of a plot. The movie musical uses some 34 songs by The Beatles and incorporates some cliched narrative that has been done better by dozens of other movies set in the 1960s. With the exception of the Come Together number featuring Joe Cocker, the musical sequences are dire. One cringes for the poor actors. If I hadn't seen Evan Rachel Wood in other films, I'd never have guessed she's a talented actress. A pointless mess of a movie that deserved flopping at the box office although the film received several positive reviews including Roger Ebert and The New York Times. I suppose if you're nostalgic about the 1960s, this might appeal to you but you're better off with HAIR. With Eddie Izzard, Bono, Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther McCoy, Dylan Baker and Bill Irwin. 

Mary Stevens, M.D. (1933)

A woman doctor (Kay Francis) must contend with prejudice toward female doctors as she struggles to make a success of her practice. Complications ensue when she finds herself pregnant by her married lover (Lyle Talbot). Based on the short story by Virginia Kellogg and directed by Lloyd Bacon (MARKED WOMAN). I was taken aback by the frankness of this pre-code drama. Francis's doctor feels no shame about having a baby out of wedlock. In fact, she's quite happy about it. But this is 1933 Hollywood however so she's punished horribly for her transgression and boy does Francis suffer. The big mystery here is why she doesn't kick her lover to the curb! He's no good and when he gets in trouble with the law for unethical practices and goes on the lam, instead of being shocked at his criminal activities, she worries about him being caught! The movie lets Francis off the hook with the suffering and gives her a happy ending with the lousy lover, the one who caused all the suffering in the first place. With Glenda Farrell, Thelma Todd, Una O'Connor and Sidney Miller, who looks and acts like a young Woody Allen.   

Lone Star (1952)

Former President Andrew Jackson (Lionel Barrymore) recruits a cattleman (Clark Gable) to aid him in his plans for the annexation of Texas to the United States. Standing in his way is an ardent supporter (Broderick Crawford) of an independent Texas republic who will stop at nothing to prevent the annexation of Texas. Directed by veteran Vincent Sherman (MR. SKEFFINGTON)), this is a mediocre western with only some star power to (barely) hold your attention. It's a testament to Gable and Ava Gardner (as a newspaperwoman) that they're able to keep us from falling asleep. Other than that, there's not much of interest here unless you're passionate about Texas getting statehood. There is one sequence that does stand out, however. When a mob of anti-statehood rebels storm the Texas congress to prevent an annexation vote from taking place. It can't help but stir up images of the January 6th 2021 insurrection. With Beulah Bondi, Ed Begley, William Conrad and Moroni Olsen.

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

Set in a 22nd century post apocalyptic world, a child android (Haley Joel Osment) with the ability to feel love is given to a couple (Frances O'Connor, Sam Robards)  whose real child (Jake Thomas) is in a state of suspended animation until a cure is found for his rare disease. Wary at first, eventually his "mommy" accepts him. But when the real child returns home, things change. Based on the short story SUPERTOYS LAST ALL SUMMER by Brian Aldiss and directed by Steven Spielberg, who took the project over after Stanley Kubrick's (who had been trying to make a movie of it since the 1970s) death. A reimagining of the PINOCCHIO fairy tale, one can only wonder how it would have emerged under Kubrick's direction. Somewhat less sentimental no doubt and darker but what Spielberg has achieved still has a complex duality. What portions of the film were Kubrick's and what are Spielberg's have been subject to debate since the movie's release. All that aside, I found the film (mostly) an absorbing sci-fi touching on the irony of mankind's loss of humanity in the future while its robots are made gifts of it. Not Spielberg's best but a deserving entry in his filmography. The underscore is another excellent contribution by John Williams. With Jude Law (very good as an android male prostitute), William Hurt, Brendan Gleeson, April Grace and the voice talents of Meryl Streep, Robin Williams, Chris Rock and Ben Kingsley.