08/03/08:
THE MERRY MUTINEERS (N/A, 1936) 
Archaic swashbuckler spoof in cartoon form which, for no particular reason, includes several Hollywood caricatures. Two kids ‘battle’ their toy ships in a pool; we then go into the ‘clash’ proper: the crew of both vessels are made up of film-stars of the era, from dramatic actors such as Wallace Beery and Charles Laughton (who had just appeared in classic examples of the genre – TREASURE ISLAND [1934] and MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY [1935] respectively) to comedians including Laurel & Hardy, The Marx Bros., The Three Stooges and Jimmy Durante. Of course, at a mere seven minutes, it’s certainly harmless – but there’s very little genuine invention on display…especially since the comics are there mainly to individually engage in the familiar but corny ‘sailor dance’ routine!
08/03/08:
THE GREAT ADVENTURES OF CAPTIAN KIDD KING OF PIRATES [Chapter 1: PIRATE VS. MAN-OF-WAR] (Derwin Abrahams and Charles S. Gould, 1953)
Only the first episode of this 15-chapter serial has been included on Columbia’s “Icons Of Adventure” 2-Disc Set…which is just as well, since watching 25 minutes of this Sam Katzman cheapie is tolerable enough – but six hours of it would have been positively mind-numbing!
The historical figure of Captain Kidd has been popular with film-makers (he was twice played by Charles Laughton, for instance), particularly during the heyday of the swashbuckler genre; here, he’s played by a younger, leaner actor and is depicted as a one-dimensional villain (at least, judging solely by this first episode). In fact, his brief appearances throughout are seen via flashbacks recounted to the hero (appointed by the British Admiralty to infiltrate Kidd’s gang) by former associates of the notorious pirate. Incidentally, the little seafaring action we get to see is mostly comprised of stock footage – amusingly accompanied by the occasional studio-shot insert of Kidd shouting orders to his men!
To get back to what I said initially, I can’t imagine sitting through this in its entirety (and I usually enjoy vintage serials, mind you – actually, I’ve a handful of them still to go through)…given that even a mere sampling of it proved nothing more than utterly bland and instantly forgettable!
08/05/08:
THE TRIUMPH OF MICHAEL STROGOFF (Viktor Tourjansky, 1961) 
This is a rare instance of a prequel from this era in cinema and, even more so, an international production: in 1956, Curd Jurgens had appeared in an adaptation of Jules Verne’s “Michel Strogoff” – revolving around the adventures of a valiant and legendary Russian warrior. Now, I say this is a prequel because in the ‘original’ the protagonist is blinded – this, then, would seem to be a (probably fictionalized) previous mission of his. Anyway, I recall watching Jurgens’ first Strogoff film on a now-defunct Sicilian TV channel as a kid; I guess I had enjoyed it back then and, in fact, I’d like to re-acquaint myself with it…particularly on the strength of this one, which proved a surprisingly efficient – if rather stodgy and decidedly overlong – affair.
The plot of Russians-vs.-Arabs isn’t particularly exciting or novel; what holds the interest is Strogoff’s ambivalent relationship with both a famous singer (Capucine – who’s eventually revealed as a half-caste, therefore a spy) and the arrogant, impetuous Russian prince (whom the Empress has personally asked experienced officer Jurgens to keep under control and which, naturally, leads to many a clash over the military tactics to adopt in the campaign – including the treatment of prisoners). With a traitor in their midst and the systematic depletion of transport, equipment and rations (the camels, fitted with poisoned needles, are being killed off!), the prince is forced to capitulate and subsequently held captive in an Arab fortress. However, the resourceful Strogoff organizes a wild rescue attempt – he’s to infiltrate the prison armed with explosives and, at his signal, the Russian forces deployed outside the city walls will charge; needless to say, the ruse pays off – signaling Strogoff’s “triumph” and supplying the requisite action climax to the film.
By the end of it, the prince is humbled…while Capucine discovers that her love for Jurgens is stronger than her loathing of the Russians; the viewpoint is a romanticized one, then, but one hardly expected otherwise from a product designed for mass consumption as this clearly was! Incidentally, I should be getting presently to another Russian epic (but made in Italy rather than France) from the same director i.e. THE COSSACKS (1960)…
08/06/08:
SON OF DJANGO (Osvaldo Civirani, 1967)
I know there were scores of films revolving around the character of Django (though, to be fair, many of these were considered as such merely in export versions), introduced in Sergio Corbucci’s masterful Spaghetti Western with Franco Nero (and to which an official sequel was only made some 20 years later!). As far as I know, I’d previously come
upon just one such effort – DJANGO SHOOTS FIRST (1966), which was okay – and two more – DJANGO, KILL...IF YOU LIVE, SHOOT! (1967) and DEATH SENTENCE (1968), both excellent if unusual – which are known as
“Django” titles merely outside their native country.
This, then, is the third ‘official’ Django film I’ve watched: unfortunately, it turned out to be one of the least rewarding Spaghetti Westerns out there! As can be surmised, the narrative opens with the cowardly Jesse James-like assassination of the popular character, which leaves his kid son (who witnessed it) to avenge him as a grown-up – now played by Gabriele Tinti (later spouse of Laura “Black Emanuelle” Gemser, an extensive collection of whose dubious work I should be laying my hands on in the near future!). Typically, the Western town involved is divided between two warring factions; conveniently, both had been former associates of Django…as is the current preacher (top-billed Guy Madison – it was customary to engage the services of erstwhile American stars for this particular brand of “Euro” oater)!
The film features a reasonable amount of action throughout, but the execution is exceedingly inept (for instance, a number of shoot-outs occur during the first 10 minutes – as if the director mistrusted the attention span of possible viewers – but, given that we don’t know who is getting shot by whom or why, it’s all very confusing!). What, then, of his apparent need to have each and every bad guy make such a big moment of his death scene, irrespective of whether he had figured to some extent in the proceedings or not?! Also involved are a French card-sharp (with whom Tinti had shared a prison cell) and his gunfighter companion – who subsequently join the ranks of one of the rival outfits, while the brooding Django Jr. prefers to keep to himself. Female presences of any consequence are limited to a saloon hostess and the wife of a landowner whom one of the clan leaders kills in a duel (she herself unwittingly falls victim to the same man soon after when confronted by her in his room).
For what it’s worth, the film’s climax strives to be meaningful but only manages to be muddled – thus deeply unsatisfactory! Characteristically, then, Piero Umiliani’s score also emerges as a sub-par effort overall (despite a catchy main theme).
08/06/08:
INSURANCE ON A VIRGIN (Giorgio Bianchi, 1967)
This is one of a myriad low-brow comedies with a Sicilian backdrop made in the wake of DIVORCE, ITALIAN STYLE (1961) – with which it shares co-scriptwriter Alfredo Giannetti and co-star Daniela Rocca (though here she’s made to retain her looks!).
Anyway, the plot has both familiar and novel elements: the teenage daughter (Romina Power!) of a poor family is being asked in marriage by a middle-aged aristocrat (Vittorio Caprioli – not as broadly comic as usual). Goaded by a money-grubbing relative (Leopoldo Trieste), the father is made to insure his daughter’s virginity for a year: he will pay 1 million Italian Lire each month and if, by the time the policy term expires, she will have been retained her purity, the insurance will award the family 100 million Lire! Given that practically everyone but Caprioli (and, naturally, the bank) knows Power is in love with a local boy – who wishes nothing more than to make her his wife – the family has done this in the event that the relationship between the youngsters is consumed and the wealthy prospective groom rejects her (incidentally, he himself keeps Rocca as his mistress – who, needless to say, had always hoped she’d be the one to eventually inherit Caprioli’s fortune)!
Still, to appear in good faith, the family has the girl put into a convent school for the duration – while the boy is sent off to work on an oil rig far away; besides, all parties concerned (family, spouse, bank), have planted spies in the vicinity of the convent to observe the situation: actually, even here Power rouses the lecherous attentions of the elderly caretaker (who’s constantly being rebuked by the nuns for it)! In any case, Trieste has the upper hand for a while as he manages to have the boy infiltrate the convent grounds; the latter flees the place with Power in tow (after having entered the wrong room, he and Power are then embarrassed to be in the presence of religious icons). So, they go to the city intent on spending the night together…but events don’t go quite as planned here either; nonetheless, we get a happy ending of sorts – with the kids getting married and Caprioli deciding that Rocca was his ideal partner after all (the four newlyweds even share the same train during their honeymoon trip!).
Though essentially slow-going and rarely laugh-out-loud funny (being an early example of the rustic comedy type, it’s not as coarse as later outings either), all things considered the film emerges a pleasant-looking and generally engaging trifle – kept going by plentiful twists, but also the local color and sounds peculiar to European countries steeped in religious and family traditions.
