Crawdaddy's "Random Thoughts" about Home Video, Film & TV (4 Viewers)

[Robert Crawford]

I was in the mood for Missy so I pulled out my 2001 Image DVD of "Lady of Burlesque" aka "The G-String Murders". This 1943 film was directed by William Wellman with his favorite actress Barbara Stanwyck. The rest of the cast included Michael O'Shea, Gloria Dickson, Charles Dingle, Frank Conroy, Pinky Lee and J. Edward Bromberg. The film is based on Gypsy Rose Lee so it's a musical, comedy and murder mystery. Missy was able to show off her dancing moves from her chorus girl days and those nice dancer legs of hers. The film centers around a burlesque troupe at a theater in which two murders are committed during shows. It's too bad they didn't make this movie in the pre-code days as what they could show in this film about the burlesque world was kind of limited. An entertaining movie that could've been better if filmed 10 years earlier.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Has anybody seen "The Deadly Companions"? If so, what are your thoughts on it.

I guess nobody has seen Sam Peckinpah's film debut as a director. Anyhow, I'm watching it now on Filmstruck.

 

[Robin9]

I guess nobody has seen Sam Peckinpah's film debut as a director. Anyhow, I'm watching it now on Filmstruck.

Eh? I have this film on DVD and I've watched it several times.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Eh? I have this film on DVD and I've watched it several times.

What's your opinion of it?

 

[Robert Crawford]

What's your opinion of it?

Well, my opinion of "The Deadly Companions" is that it's an alright western by Peckinpah with strong performances by Brian Keith and Maureen O'Hara. Interesting that those two actors would do "The Parent Trap" later that year. I didn't like the script much, but loved the acting performances by the two leads as well as Steve Cochran and Chill Wills. I read that O'Hara didn't enjoy working with Peckinpah as he clearly wasn't a good director for women at that point of his career and probably for his entire career. Also, Maureen displayed her lovely singing voice in this film. It was a missed opportunity that Hollywood didn't utilize her singing more often.

Man, she was one beautiful woman and a very good actress.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I also watched "Flamingo Road" (1949) again which is one of my favorite Joan Crawford films. The last two Sidney Greenstreet films I watched were this one and "The Woman in White" (1948) in which he plays his most despicable film characters. Zachary Scott playing the weakling Fielding Carlisle is terrific in the film.

 

[Keith Cobby]

Sydney Greenstreet gave great performance in all his (few) films. One of my favourites is The Verdict.

 

[Robin9]

What's your opinion of it?

I watched the DVD last night. It's a Scandinavian disc with subtitles available in four Scandinavian languages! The picture quality is excellent.

I first saw The Deadly Companions about 35/40 years ago in a re-run theater. It was a pretty rare film even then. I didn't particularly like it and last night I could see why not. First, the basic premise makes no sense. "Yellow Leg" is an ex-army officer who has been trained in guns. If he couldn't move his arm properly, an ex-army man would not fire his gun in a street even in there was a bank robbery in progress. Also, if his arm is so inflexible, how come he goes into a saloon, takes on a group of men . . . and wins? His bad arm is irrelevant anyway, unlike the situation with John Wayne's character in El Dorado.

Another point which is implausible is that a woman would try drive a wagon on her own across hostile Apache territory. Then they bury the wagon to make themselves inconspicuous . . . but drag the coffin across country anyway!

The ending is weak and would have been better if there had been an Indian attack, as in The Law And Jake Wade. Maureen O'Hara says the attack was in the screenplay but Sam Peckinpah refused to shoot the scene! I don't understand that. This was Peckinpah's first film as director: he had no clout, no status, he was just a workman for hire. There must be something more to that story. However, Brian Keith who requested Peckinpah never worked with him again but did work again with Maureen O'Hara so maybe Peckinpah was at fault.

The best element of the film was the landscape cinematography of William Clothier. I bet John Wayne recommended him!

I find the film interesting but irritating. It could and should have been better. I'm going to watch Ride The High Country today.

 

[Matt Hough]

Sydney Greenstreet gave great performance in all his (few) films. One of my favourites is The Verdict.

I love that one, too. I have never checked to see if a commercial DVD of it is available; I burned my own DVD-R of it from a TCM broadcast many years ago.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I love that one, too. I have never checked to see if a commercial DVD of it is available; I burned my own DVD-R of it from a TCM broadcast many years ago.

Yes, there is a 2009 WA DVD.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Sydney Greenstreet gave great performance in all his (few) films. One of my favourites is The Verdict.

He's a favorite of mine and I have to agree with your opinion.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I watched the DVD last night. It's a Scandinavian disc with subtitles available in four Scandinavian languages! The picture quality is excellent.

I first saw The Deadly Companions about 35/40 years ago in a re-run theater. It was a pretty rare film even then. I didn't particularly like it and last night I could see why not. First, the basic premise makes no sense. "Yellow Leg" is an ex-army officer who has been trained in guns. If he couldn't move his arm properly, an ex-army man would not fire his gun in a street even in there was a bank robbery in progress. Also, if his arm is so inflexible, how come he goes into a saloon, takes on a group of men . . . and wins? His bad arm is irrelevant anyway, unlike the situation with John Wayne's character in El Dorado.

Another point which is implausible is that a woman would try drive a wagon on her own across hostile Apache territory. Then they bury the wagon to make themselves inconspicuous . . . but drag the coffin across country anyway!

The ending is weak and would have been better if there had been an Indian attack, as in The Law And Jake Wade. Maureen O'Hara says the attack was in the screenplay but Sam Peckinpah refused to shoot the scene! I don't understand that. This was Peckinpah's first film as director: he had no clout, no status, he was just a workman for hire. There must be something more to that story. However, Brian Keith who requested Peckinpah never worked with him again but did work again with Maureen O'Hara so maybe Peckinpah was at fault.

The best element of the film was the landscape cinematography of William Clothier. I bet John Wayne recommended him!

I find the film interesting but irritating. It could and should have been better. I'm going to watch Ride The High Country today.

I have to agree with you about "The Deadly Companions". I'm not in any rush to have it on disc. It was okay, but with plenty of flaws. By the way for those interested, it is playing on Amazon Prime, though, I watched it on Filmstruck.

 

[Robert Crawford]

https://www.mediaplaynews.com/the-adventures-of-hajji-baba-review/

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I have to agree with you about "The Deadly Companions". I'm not in any rush to have it on disc. It was okay, but with plenty of flaws. By the way for those interested, it is playing on Amazon Prime, though, I watched it on Filmstruck.

While from Robin and your descriptions it doesn't sound like a great film, I am always interested in Peckinpah's movies. Thanks for the info on it being available via Amazon Prime -- I just added it to my watch list.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I watched "Madison Avenue" (1961) for the vary first time. A mediocre film about the advertising business that is centered around one ad executive. The cast is excellent with Dana Andrews, Eleanor Parker, Jeanne Crain and Eddie Albert. I don't know, I love the cast, but he film just left me cold.

 

[Robin9]

https://www.mediaplaynews.com/the-adventures-of-hajji-baba-review/

Doesn't he gush? Doesn't he ramble? It's not Harold Listen. Harold Lipstein was a very capable cinematographer with a good eye for color as Pal Joey shows. Oh, and I don't agree about Elaine Stewart. She gave good performances in The Bad And The Beautiful, Take The High Ground! Escort West, Night Passage and The Rise And Fall Of Legs Diamond.

 

[Robert Crawford]

This morning was a double feature starting with "Abandoned" a 1949 film noir/crime film starring Dennis O'Keefe, Gale Storm, Jeff Chandler, Raymond Burr, Marjorie Rambeau and Meg Randall. The story line is about a black market baby racket in LA that murdered a young woman and stole her baby. The mother's sister starts looking for her murdered sister and is assisted by a newspaper reporter. Some nice dialogue provided by the great William Bowers. This was my first viewing of this film and I found it very entertaining. This film helped Jeff Chandler's career as he played the DA investigating detective along with narrating the film with his very distinctive speaking voice. Man, I bet you the women he romanced in real life loved that voice. It's a shame he died so young.

 

[Robert Crawford]

My second viewing this morning for the first time was "Bunco Squad" (1950) a RKO crime film about the phony medium racket out in LA. The film stars Robert Sterling, Joan Dixon, Douglas Fowley, Ricardo Cortez, John Kellogg, Elizabeth Risdon and Dante the Magician. Another one of RKO's "B" crime films that is entertaining and short in length at about 67 minutes or so. Another film shot on location in LA.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Doesn't he gush? Doesn't he ramble? It's not Harold Listen. Harold Lipstein was a very capable cinematographer with a good eye for color as Pal Joey shows. Oh, and I don't agree about Elaine Stewart. She gave good performances in The Bad And The Beautiful, Take The High Ground! Escort West, Night Passage and The Rise And Fall Of Legs Diamond.

I love Mike Clark, but that doesn't mean I agree with everything he writes about films as I too like Elaine Stewart. Yeah, he needs to tighten up the typo errors.

 

[Robert Crawford]

On Noir Alley is "The Woman in the Window". I won't watch the film because I just watched not too long ago. Of course, I'll listen to Eddie's comments. My next moving viewing is "Nothing Sacred" on BD.