02/01/08
West Point on the Hudson (1942)
James A. Fitzpatrick
TravelTalk entry takes a look at West Point, NY and the history behind it. The Technicolor makes for some great visuals but that's about all this documentary has going for it. The backstory itself really isn't that interesting and we really don't learn too much about what's going on their in 1942.
02/02/08
Blonde Crazy (1931)
Roy Del Ruth
James Cagney and Joan Blondell are small time con artists in a small town but they get in over their heads when they go to the big city. This is a decent little film but if it weren't for the stars then I'm positive it would have been worse. Cagney is good in his role but it's certainly not among his best performances. I think the character was meant to be annoying so I can't really blame Cagney for this. Blondell certainly steals the show and her scene in the bathtub was certainly the highlight. Ray Milland plays a small role and comes off quite stiff. A couple others have mentioned the ending and said it was stupid because Milland wouldn't have done what he did but I'm not so sure I agree. A rich rat would do just about anything and trying to get Cagney out of the picture seems like something he could do. I doubt the screenwriters did much thinking about it but in the end this film has some nice pre-code stuff.
Return of the Whistler, The (1948)
Ros Lederman
The seventh and final film in Columbia's series tells the story of a man (Michael Duane) who checks his fiance (Lenore Aubert) into a hotel room but when he returns the next day she is gone. He eventually tracks her to a strange family who claims the woman is already married but there's more going on. The series certainly ends on a very high note and I have to wonder why more movies weren't made unless they simply weren't making money. Richard Dix is missing but Duane makes for a good leading man and carries the film just fine. Aubert, from
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, turns in a fine performance as does Richard Lane from the
Boston Blackie series. What has shocked me the most about this series is that all of the screenplays are "A" level in their style and sharpness. This film offers a lot of nice twists and turns, which make it worth watching for mystery or noir fans.
Red-Headed Woman (1932)
Jack Conway
Jean Harlow plays a sexy slut who sets her eyes on her moral believing boss (Chester Morris) in this racy pre-code. I've heard a lot about this film and all the hype surrounding it is certainly worthy and the film ends up living up to all my expectations. The sexual nature of the film is great and certainly among the most racy of its period. The dialogue or the director's willingness to shine the camera on Harlow's legs and chest throughout certainly makes this film memorable. Harlow is terrific in her role and really sells this slutty character. The way she seduces everyone is classic as are her outburst scenes. The cat like voice she uses when it comes to seduction was also very memorable. Morris is great as well as the dimwitted husband who bites the apple only to find a worm. The supporting cast is terrific as well and features May Robson, Lewis Stone, Una Merkle and Charles Boyer. The one thing I didn't like was the ending, which I felt was a major cop out. I'm not sure if this ending was forced on the studio but I think the fate of both Harlow and Morris was very cheap and too Hollywood unlike the rest of the film.
Hold Your Man (1933)
Sam Wood
MGM tearjerker has a couple con artists (Jean Harlow, Clark Gable) falling in love but after an accidental murder they're separated. Gable takes off and Harlow ends up in a reform school where she learns she's pregnant but fears that she'll never see her man again. I really wasn't sure where this thing was going as it blends a strange mix of comedy with drama but in the end I found it quite touching. The first half plays as a comedy and gets a lot of laughs including a hilarious scene where Gable tries hiding from the police by getting in a tub and putting soap all over himself. There are plenty of pre-code moments mixed in with most of them coming from Harlow showing off various limbs. Gable is as good as always but it's Harlow who really steals the show. This is the first time I've seen her take on a dramatic role and she nails it perfectly. She's given several emotional scenes and she comes off very well. The ending is very dramatic and contains a beautiful message that comes across very well. It's also worth noting that there's a black preacher in the film and I think this is the nicest role I've seen a black actor play in this era of Hollywood. The stereotypes we normally see in this type of film are thrown out the window and this must have been one of the earliest films to show a black man in such a nice form.
Girl from Missouri, The (1933)
Jack Conway
Jean Harlow plays a Southern girl who goes to the big city to land a millionaire and she thinks she finds on in a lawyer (Lionel Barrymore) but soon his son (Franchot Tone) starts coming onto her. The film has a pretty weak screenplay and there's really nothing too original going on. Even Harlow seems a tad bit bored as she doesn't contain any of that spark or energy that made her a legend. We do get several shots of her body, which are nice but it's not enough to save the film. Tone makes for a good leading man but it's Barrymore who steals the show with his maniac like performance. What laughs the film does get are due to Barrymore but Lewis Stone also comes off well in his small role. Oh yeah, one of Harlow's sexual scenes includes her being thrown into a shower with her clothes on and then walking out with her nipples showing through her dress.
Chato's Land (1972)
Michael Winner
Charles Bronson plays an Apache Indian who kills a racist sheriff and then takes off into the wilderness while Jack Palance forms a posse to go after him. The screenplay isn't exactly original but the film remains slightly entertaining, although it gets off to a very slow start. For an action movie there's very little action for the first hour, which really gets tiresome after a while. The first half of the movie deals with them tracking down Bronson so there's really not too much going on but things eventually pick up once the killing gets going. There's some pretty good action scenes and some rather strong violence but even then the film just keeps on going and going. Cutting out fifteen-minutes wouldn't have been a bad idea. Bronson is very good in his role which doesn't require him to speak much but he can say plenty with his body gestures and looks. He spends the second half of the film running around in a loin cloth so the ladies should like that. Palance is good in his role but his final speech comes off pretty funny. The supporting cast includes some familiar character actors including James Whitman and Victor French. It's also funny how much stuff you could put into a PG-rated film in 1972. There's a lot of violence here but there's also a couple rape scenes with plenty of female nudity.
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Ang Lee
My girlfriend wanted to see this, which was fine with me because I had been meaning to revisit it since the passing of Ledger. I think I enjoyed the movie more this time than when I saw it when it was first released but my thoughts on the opening remain. I think the first stretch in the mountains goes on a tad bit long and probably could have used some editing. Outside of that I really think this is a great love story that has nothing to do with homosexuality. Yes, I said it has nothing to do with being gay. I don't think
Dances with Wolves was the first movie to show Indians in a positive manor but it's the first film where the media picked up on it so they treated it like the film. The hype surrounding this film got so big for no reason that many people would believe this was the first film to feature gay characters. We all know that is bullshit. Having watched it for a second time my feelings on the best parts of the movie are still the same. I think the real story here has nothing to do with homosexuality but the impact that their secret has on the rest of their lives including their relationship with their wives. The best moments of the film are when Heath Ledger is going out "fishing" and just turning his back on his wife (Michelle Williams) and their two kids. I think the ending speaks volumes because how this secret between the two men really destroyed not only their own lives but the lives of those around them. The performances are great with Jake Gyllenhaal and Williams doing terrific work. I haven't seen all of Ledger's work but I think this film proves that he had great things in his future, which we won't be seeing any more of. I think silent acting is the hardest thing to pull off and Ledger does a great job with his here as his eyes, body gestures and just the way he carries his body tells you everything we need to know. I'm not sure if I'll ever watch this film again but it's certainly great and misunderstood IMO.
My girlfriend didn't care too much for it saying it was too slow and she didn't like Ledger's characters. She didn't care for the way he did things in the movie, like treating his wife, so she said she didn't care what happened to him, which I guess is a fair argument.
02/03/08
City for Conquest (1940)
Anatole Litvak
James Cagney's brilliant performance is the highlight of this film about a boxer (Cagney) who risks it all for the love of his girl (Ann Sheridan) and his brother (Arthur Kennedy). It's rather amazing at how great Cagney can be in so many different type of roles. Yes, he mainly played wise guys but whenever he broke this mode he just shows what a great actor he was and that's certainly true with his performance here, which has to rank as one of the greatest of his career. The transformations his character goes through is certainly a juicy role for an actor and Cagney nails all of the different moods without any problems. When the boxer starts to lose his site is when Cagney really shines and his performance here is brilliantly done. I'm not sure what they did to Cagney's eyes but whatever they did looked terrific. I didn't care too much for Sheridan as I thought she brought the film down and a better actress would have suited the film better. The supporting cast is excellent and features nice performances by Kennedy, Frank Craven, Donald Crisp, Frank McHugh and George Tobias. Anthony Quinn is terrific in his role as Cagney's rival and future director Elia Kazan also shocked me with how great he was. The big boxing scene was brilliantly filmed and looked extremely well bringing in all sorts of intense action. The ending is pretty hokey but otherwise this is a highly impressive little film.
Lady Killer (1933)
Roy Del Ruth
James Cagney plays a movie usher who gets fired and then gets mixed up with some gangster being led by Douglas Dumbrille and Margaret Lindsay. Soon a crime goes wrong so Cagney runs off to Hollywood where he starts work as an extra but quickly becomes a movie star. This is an enjoyable little comedy that works pretty well as a spoof of Hollywood and it gives Cagney a chance to make fun of his own image. Cagney is very good in his role, which once again shows him as a cocky, high tempered thug but there's also other moments including Cagney playing an Indian as well as showing off his comic side. Mae Clarke plays Cagney's love interest in Hollywood and the two are very good together with that infamous scene of Cagney dragging her across the floor by her hair. Both Lindsay and Dumbrille add nice support in their roles. One of the film's highlights is when Cagney orders two dozen monkeys to a party where they escape and cause all sorts of trouble. There's also plenty of nice gags aimed at Hollywood and directors. The film starts to run out of steam during the final act but if you're a fan of Cagney or films of this era then this is certainly worth checking out.
Castle of the Living Dead, The (1964)
Luciano Ricci
A group of entertainers are invited by Count Drago (Christopher Lee) to perform at his castle but soon they start to fall dead. An old evil witch (Donald Sutherland) would have you believe that the castle has a certain evil inside. This Italian made horror film is also known as
Castello dei morti vivi, Il but under either title this film is a dud. As with many Italian horrors of this period, you have the dark castle, creepy locations and weird storyline but none of them come off very well here. The story moves at a snails pace, which is another thing that haunts many of the horror films from this era. The music score was actually the best thing about the movie so l
