1942
APACHE TRAIL
MGM wasn’t particularly well-known for westerns. They only made a few in the 40’s. But “Apache Trail”, a compact little B, turned out pretty well. It focuses on a disparate group trapped at a remote stage outpost during an Indian uprising. Definitely a situation with plenty of built-in tension and director Richard Thorpe keeps it stoked. The script’s tight, the dialogue sharp and observant.
One of “Apache Trail” ’s strengths is its talented cast. William Lundigan’s the leading man (in spite of his third billing) and he does a great job. This is a guy that seemingly had it all. Tall, handsome, athletic – with an ingratiating manner and a beautiful speaking voice (he’d started out as a radio announcer in Syracuse, New York). Lundigan’s a virtual poster boy for the “why didn’t he become a big star?” sweepstakes.
And he’s possibly unique in that four major studios all saw his screen idol potential and signed him to contracts – Universal (1937-1939), Warner Brothers (1939-1941), MGM (1941-1943) and - after a four year interruption for military service and a couple of years freelancing - 20th Century Fox (1949-1953). The Fox years brought him closest to the top. After he aced a key role in the megahit “Pinky” in ’49, Fox short-listed him for the role of Celeste Holm’s playwright husband in “All About Eve”. Inexplicably the part went to colorless Hugh Marlowe. But Lundigan did get leading roles opposite some of Fox’s top stars – Dorothy McGuire, June Haver, Susan Hayward. But none of the films involved made much impact. And by the mid-50’s he’d transitioned – like so many others – to TV, where he enjoyed success as host of the popular “Climax” anthology program and star of the sci-fi series “Men in Space”. Lundigan’s potential is certainly there for all to see in “Apache Trail”. But soon after it premiered, he joined the Marines (eventually wounded at Okinawa) and when he came home, whatever career momentum had accumulated was more or less gone.
Good as he is, Lundigan’s not “Apache Trail” ‘s only ace in the hole cast-wise. Lloyd Nolan’s superb as a notorious bad boy gunfighter. The actor knows it’s a good part and grabs it with both hands. Also impressive is Ann Ayars, an Eastern adventuress who arrives on the stagecoach – not quite virtuous, not quite villainous , but completely intriguing. Ayars later became a renowned soprano with the New York City Opera. But the closest thing to coloratura trills in “Apache Uprising” are some Indian war whoops.
Only sour note in the cast comes from the usually dependable Donna Reed. Here she’s hopelessly at sea playing a Mexican senorita, complete with disastrous accent. A “No Sale” sign rings up on the cash register every time she opens her mouth. All-purpose character actress Connie Gilchrist plays her mother. And though she’s no more Mexican than Reed, she leans into her part so gamely – and with such great comic flair - that resistance is futile.
Bottom line: “Apache Trail” ‘s story’ is so solid that MGM remade it ten years later (as “Apache War Smoke”). And both versions racked up substantial profits on modest budgets.
CAPTAINS OF THE CLOUDS
Director Michael Curtiz was Warners’ in-house dynamo in the 30’s and 40’s. “Captains of the Clouds” came out near the beginning of ‘42; by December two more Curtiz films had appeared, “Yankee Doodle Dandy” and “Casablanca”. Not a bad year’s work. “Captains” isn’t as celebrated now as the other two but it’s always been a big favorite of mine. James Cagney’s in particularly fine fettle; granted, his character does some things that would get most other actors booed off the screen, but J.C. sells the part as only he can and makes you love it. It’s also his first film in color.
Warners shot the picture in Canada and the Technicolor cameras capture the scenery magnificently, especially the sweeping Ontario wilderness vistas. “Captains” is one of the few Hollywood films to focus on the Canadian WW2 effort. The story’s about flyers – civilian and military – with Cagney and the ever-affable Dennis Morgan as rivals, sometimes friendly ones, sometimes not.
A major bone of contention comes in the attractive form of Brenda Marshall. The actress (Mrs. William Holden at the time) was currently getting the star build-up at Warners; she’d just come off back to back leads opposite Errol Flynn. But I think her work in “Captains of the Clouds” is her very best. She’s fresh and feisty, radiating a sturdy outdoor beauty that needs little enhancement from Max Factor. The character she plays lives in a remote northern outpost. But harbors a yen for big city lights and excitement. Likeable but not perfect. Neither her character nor Cagney’s would win any ethics
awards but – though both have the clearly elevated appeal of movie stars - they’re believable and relatable. The eventual fate of Marshall’s character is genuinely affecting, perhaps even more so than the writers intended. Her last scene is played with a poignant ambiguity that leaves us wondering (and caring) what’s in store for her.
“Captains of the Clouds” reaches its blazing climax with an exciting display of battle action in the skies. This is very much a picture that cries out for Blu-ray release. And – by the way - what a beautiful title!
DESPERATE JOURNEY
I remember loving this WW2 movie when I last watched it about twenty years ago. Ran it again tonight and now I see why. It’s bursting with memorable moments – right from the first wordless sequence when a civilian blows up a German bridge in the night; he’s shot down, But in a last desperate act manages to release a carrier pigeon flying toward England with a vital message.
This is a story of downed Allied flyers trapped behind enemy lines in Germany. And If ever there was an actor born to play a charismatic leader men would gladly follow to Hell and back, it’s Errol Flynn, here at the peak of his stardom. The initial mission – a bombing raid on a critical German railroad junction – is handled with such vivid immediacy, you just feel swept up in it. Special effects are state of the art 1942 – but rather then seeming dated, they’re bathed in a period beauty that’s completely transporting.
Once the crew is downed, Curtiz and company make terrific use of fog machines and sound effects to heighten the atmosphere of tension and unknown danger.
Some may feel that the amount of banter between the imperilled airmen makes the picture seem more like The (Much) Further Adventures of Robin Hood and His Merry Men (especially with the presence of both Flynn and Alan Hale). But is that a bad thing? Especially since that banter is so darn good. Almost every gallows humor quip lands and there’s a mountain of them.
Raymond Massey as the Nazi major in relentless pursuit seems right at home barking out imprecations in German. And Ronald Reagan, in gamely good-natured wise-cracker mode, turns out to be a perfect sidekick for Flynn.
Granted, credulity might be strained by the endless string of hair-breadth escapes and against all odds coincidences. But – in the moment – they’re so skilfully constructed, so rousingly performed that you can hardly keep from holding your breath.
This movie, I suspect, was conceived as some sort of cinematic recruiting poster. If so, I’d guess it worked. It’s easy to imagine hordes of Saturday audiences pouring out of the theater afterwards in an ecstatic mood. Feeling that - with Flynn and company leading the charge - victory was just over the horizon.
SPY SHIP
By the mid-30’s double features had become the norm in most cinemas other than exclusive premiere houses. With a brief programmer (generally in the 60 -70 minute range) preceding the main attraction. To meet the demand Warners launched their own dedicated B-picture division. By the 40’s this had developed into a crack unit, turning out efficiently made, cost-conscious items one after another Not many out and out masterpieces, perhaps – but lots of lively little diversions that kept most audiences engaged and entertained. And with the impressive studio assets at their disposal, Warner B’s sported a level of production polish way beyond what the little Poverty Row outfits could muster. Personal favorite titles include “Tear Gas Squad”, “Calling All Husbands” and “Father is a Prince” (all 1940), “Singapore Woman”(1941) and this movie, “Spy Ship” from ’42.
The script borrows elements from an early 30’s Bette Davis potboiler called “Fog Over Frisco” and sprinkles them into an espionage tale set in the days leading up to the Pearl Harbor attack. No servicemen or battleships on display here, though. It all takes place stateside in a large coastal American city. Leading man is Craig Stevens, looking for all the world like Cary Grant circa 1932. But the real performance standout is elegant Irene Manning, who – had she caught the master’s eye – could easily have served as one of Hitchcock’s coolly provocative blondes. Here she’s a glamorous high-profile aviatrix, touring the country late in ‘41 to promote an isolationist agenda. She’s part of a “patriotic” organization called the AAA (America Above All), which is actually a front for a bunch of Heil Hitler types bent on sedition and sabotage.
Manning’s got great presence – and plenty of versatility. She makes intimate onscreen conversations seem like the real thing but – at the same time - her podium exhortations sound like they really could heat up a crowd in no time flat. Irene Manning even had gifts beyond the ones on display in “Spy Ship”. She was an outstanding soprano. But by ’42 the vogue for onscreen operetta was dying. And after teaming with Dennis Morgan for an elaborate Technicolor version of “The Desert Song” (with Nazis added to the plot), Manning just seemed to fade away. Just another example of how the old Hollywood studios had much more talent than they knew what to do with.
“Spy Ship” packs in enough plot for two and a half movies. At one point near the end, a minor character shouts out a whole barrage of story exposition lickety-split just to get us up to date. No problem - because, there’s never a dull minute in the picture, which even finds room for a couple of nicely unexpected plot twists. The whole thing ends in a lengthy, well-executed whizz-bang of flying bullets that’ll have you realizing that the last 59 minutes just flew by.
APACHE TRAIL
MGM wasn’t particularly well-known for westerns. They only made a few in the 40’s. But “Apache Trail”, a compact little B, turned out pretty well. It focuses on a disparate group trapped at a remote stage outpost during an Indian uprising. Definitely a situation with plenty of built-in tension and director Richard Thorpe keeps it stoked. The script’s tight, the dialogue sharp and observant.
One of “Apache Trail” ’s strengths is its talented cast. William Lundigan’s the leading man (in spite of his third billing) and he does a great job. This is a guy that seemingly had it all. Tall, handsome, athletic – with an ingratiating manner and a beautiful speaking voice (he’d started out as a radio announcer in Syracuse, New York). Lundigan’s a virtual poster boy for the “why didn’t he become a big star?” sweepstakes.
And he’s possibly unique in that four major studios all saw his screen idol potential and signed him to contracts – Universal (1937-1939), Warner Brothers (1939-1941), MGM (1941-1943) and - after a four year interruption for military service and a couple of years freelancing - 20th Century Fox (1949-1953). The Fox years brought him closest to the top. After he aced a key role in the megahit “Pinky” in ’49, Fox short-listed him for the role of Celeste Holm’s playwright husband in “All About Eve”. Inexplicably the part went to colorless Hugh Marlowe. But Lundigan did get leading roles opposite some of Fox’s top stars – Dorothy McGuire, June Haver, Susan Hayward. But none of the films involved made much impact. And by the mid-50’s he’d transitioned – like so many others – to TV, where he enjoyed success as host of the popular “Climax” anthology program and star of the sci-fi series “Men in Space”. Lundigan’s potential is certainly there for all to see in “Apache Trail”. But soon after it premiered, he joined the Marines (eventually wounded at Okinawa) and when he came home, whatever career momentum had accumulated was more or less gone.
Good as he is, Lundigan’s not “Apache Trail” ‘s only ace in the hole cast-wise. Lloyd Nolan’s superb as a notorious bad boy gunfighter. The actor knows it’s a good part and grabs it with both hands. Also impressive is Ann Ayars, an Eastern adventuress who arrives on the stagecoach – not quite virtuous, not quite villainous , but completely intriguing. Ayars later became a renowned soprano with the New York City Opera. But the closest thing to coloratura trills in “Apache Uprising” are some Indian war whoops.
Only sour note in the cast comes from the usually dependable Donna Reed. Here she’s hopelessly at sea playing a Mexican senorita, complete with disastrous accent. A “No Sale” sign rings up on the cash register every time she opens her mouth. All-purpose character actress Connie Gilchrist plays her mother. And though she’s no more Mexican than Reed, she leans into her part so gamely – and with such great comic flair - that resistance is futile.
Bottom line: “Apache Trail” ‘s story’ is so solid that MGM remade it ten years later (as “Apache War Smoke”). And both versions racked up substantial profits on modest budgets.
CAPTAINS OF THE CLOUDS
Director Michael Curtiz was Warners’ in-house dynamo in the 30’s and 40’s. “Captains of the Clouds” came out near the beginning of ‘42; by December two more Curtiz films had appeared, “Yankee Doodle Dandy” and “Casablanca”. Not a bad year’s work. “Captains” isn’t as celebrated now as the other two but it’s always been a big favorite of mine. James Cagney’s in particularly fine fettle; granted, his character does some things that would get most other actors booed off the screen, but J.C. sells the part as only he can and makes you love it. It’s also his first film in color.
Warners shot the picture in Canada and the Technicolor cameras capture the scenery magnificently, especially the sweeping Ontario wilderness vistas. “Captains” is one of the few Hollywood films to focus on the Canadian WW2 effort. The story’s about flyers – civilian and military – with Cagney and the ever-affable Dennis Morgan as rivals, sometimes friendly ones, sometimes not.
A major bone of contention comes in the attractive form of Brenda Marshall. The actress (Mrs. William Holden at the time) was currently getting the star build-up at Warners; she’d just come off back to back leads opposite Errol Flynn. But I think her work in “Captains of the Clouds” is her very best. She’s fresh and feisty, radiating a sturdy outdoor beauty that needs little enhancement from Max Factor. The character she plays lives in a remote northern outpost. But harbors a yen for big city lights and excitement. Likeable but not perfect. Neither her character nor Cagney’s would win any ethics
awards but – though both have the clearly elevated appeal of movie stars - they’re believable and relatable. The eventual fate of Marshall’s character is genuinely affecting, perhaps even more so than the writers intended. Her last scene is played with a poignant ambiguity that leaves us wondering (and caring) what’s in store for her.
“Captains of the Clouds” reaches its blazing climax with an exciting display of battle action in the skies. This is very much a picture that cries out for Blu-ray release. And – by the way - what a beautiful title!
DESPERATE JOURNEY
I remember loving this WW2 movie when I last watched it about twenty years ago. Ran it again tonight and now I see why. It’s bursting with memorable moments – right from the first wordless sequence when a civilian blows up a German bridge in the night; he’s shot down, But in a last desperate act manages to release a carrier pigeon flying toward England with a vital message.
This is a story of downed Allied flyers trapped behind enemy lines in Germany. And If ever there was an actor born to play a charismatic leader men would gladly follow to Hell and back, it’s Errol Flynn, here at the peak of his stardom. The initial mission – a bombing raid on a critical German railroad junction – is handled with such vivid immediacy, you just feel swept up in it. Special effects are state of the art 1942 – but rather then seeming dated, they’re bathed in a period beauty that’s completely transporting.
Once the crew is downed, Curtiz and company make terrific use of fog machines and sound effects to heighten the atmosphere of tension and unknown danger.
Some may feel that the amount of banter between the imperilled airmen makes the picture seem more like The (Much) Further Adventures of Robin Hood and His Merry Men (especially with the presence of both Flynn and Alan Hale). But is that a bad thing? Especially since that banter is so darn good. Almost every gallows humor quip lands and there’s a mountain of them.
Raymond Massey as the Nazi major in relentless pursuit seems right at home barking out imprecations in German. And Ronald Reagan, in gamely good-natured wise-cracker mode, turns out to be a perfect sidekick for Flynn.
Granted, credulity might be strained by the endless string of hair-breadth escapes and against all odds coincidences. But – in the moment – they’re so skilfully constructed, so rousingly performed that you can hardly keep from holding your breath.
This movie, I suspect, was conceived as some sort of cinematic recruiting poster. If so, I’d guess it worked. It’s easy to imagine hordes of Saturday audiences pouring out of the theater afterwards in an ecstatic mood. Feeling that - with Flynn and company leading the charge - victory was just over the horizon.
SPY SHIP
By the mid-30’s double features had become the norm in most cinemas other than exclusive premiere houses. With a brief programmer (generally in the 60 -70 minute range) preceding the main attraction. To meet the demand Warners launched their own dedicated B-picture division. By the 40’s this had developed into a crack unit, turning out efficiently made, cost-conscious items one after another Not many out and out masterpieces, perhaps – but lots of lively little diversions that kept most audiences engaged and entertained. And with the impressive studio assets at their disposal, Warner B’s sported a level of production polish way beyond what the little Poverty Row outfits could muster. Personal favorite titles include “Tear Gas Squad”, “Calling All Husbands” and “Father is a Prince” (all 1940), “Singapore Woman”(1941) and this movie, “Spy Ship” from ’42.
The script borrows elements from an early 30’s Bette Davis potboiler called “Fog Over Frisco” and sprinkles them into an espionage tale set in the days leading up to the Pearl Harbor attack. No servicemen or battleships on display here, though. It all takes place stateside in a large coastal American city. Leading man is Craig Stevens, looking for all the world like Cary Grant circa 1932. But the real performance standout is elegant Irene Manning, who – had she caught the master’s eye – could easily have served as one of Hitchcock’s coolly provocative blondes. Here she’s a glamorous high-profile aviatrix, touring the country late in ‘41 to promote an isolationist agenda. She’s part of a “patriotic” organization called the AAA (America Above All), which is actually a front for a bunch of Heil Hitler types bent on sedition and sabotage.
Manning’s got great presence – and plenty of versatility. She makes intimate onscreen conversations seem like the real thing but – at the same time - her podium exhortations sound like they really could heat up a crowd in no time flat. Irene Manning even had gifts beyond the ones on display in “Spy Ship”. She was an outstanding soprano. But by ’42 the vogue for onscreen operetta was dying. And after teaming with Dennis Morgan for an elaborate Technicolor version of “The Desert Song” (with Nazis added to the plot), Manning just seemed to fade away. Just another example of how the old Hollywood studios had much more talent than they knew what to do with.
“Spy Ship” packs in enough plot for two and a half movies. At one point near the end, a minor character shouts out a whole barrage of story exposition lickety-split just to get us up to date. No problem - because, there’s never a dull minute in the picture, which even finds room for a couple of nicely unexpected plot twists. The whole thing ends in a lengthy, well-executed whizz-bang of flying bullets that’ll have you realizing that the last 59 minutes just flew by.
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