Reviews
Miss Marple: At Bertram's Hotel (1987)
Typical boring BBC production
My summary line says it all. My wife has been reading and enjoying Agatha Christie's Miss Marple books. She decided to buy this video to see if it was similar to the books she has read. She liked this film. As for me, it was exactly what I expected it to be. A long, boring teleplay with non-stop talk and absolutely no action until a very brief flurry appeared near the end.
Hail the Conquering Hero (1944)
I respectfully disagree
with all of the comments from those who think this is a great film. I found it extremely nerve wracking. With the exception of a couple of blessedly calm and quiet scenes, this film is one long mass confusion scene with an almost non-stop procession of marching bands, the entire population of a small town, pompous town officials and, Eddie Bracken, playing his usual stereotypical role as a put upon, confused, wimpy personna. The bit with the bands starting to play before they are supposed to is overdone to the point of nausea. And, throughout this film, I found myself giving thanks that Franklin Pangborn is no longer with us so that he can never again subject viewers to his annoying, over-the-top emoting. I could go on and on but, what's the point. By now, you get my drift.
My Fair Lady (1964)
Very Good (for a musical)
As a rule I absolutely despise musicals. The idea that people are talking and then, suddenly, burst into song would be enough, in the real world, to send for the looney wagon. But I must admit that, whenever MFL is shown on TV, I usually click on to it several times during the showing to try and catch some of the great songs. I could not care less about the storyline or what becomes of any of the characters. Marni Nixon has always been a favorite of mine and she has a voice that is stronger and much more pleasant than that of Julie Andrews, who was rejected by the film's producers for the role of Liza. I also enjoy Stanley Holloway and I was certainly perplexed when I read that he was not the first choice to play Liza's dad in the film. With their typical thirst for "name recognition" type actors, the part was actually offered to James Cagney who, wisely, turned it down.
Charlie Chan in Reno (1939)
Better than average Chan entry
This very good Charlie Chan mystery was made at 20th Century Fox. At this time the series still had the backing of a major studio and so the production values, acting, script, camera work, etc. were of good quality. Later, when Fox dropped the series and it found a home at Monogram, the Chan films got pretty bad with the look of cheapness in abundance. But, this film had some very good actors, such as Ricardo Cortez, Robert Lowery, and the always funny Slim Summerville supporting Sidney Toler as Chan. There seemed to be just the right amount of comic relief to keep the story moving at a good pace. Later Chan entries would go overboard with comedy with Mantan Moreland and company trying to avert the viewers from realizing what lame plots and bad acting they were watching. Of course, as in all Chan mysteries, there is no shortage of suspects in the case of a murder that is committed on a thoroughly unlikeable woman who seemed to go out of her way to alienate everyone. With several characters having a motive to kill the woman, Chan must sort out the clues and unmask the killer while continually being harassed by an inept (but very funny) sheriff, portrayed by Summerville. Victor Sen-Yung, as number two son, helps out when it counts while enduring the usual number of affectionate insults from his detective father. All in all, this movie is great fun.
The Whip Hand (1951)
Corny but entertaining anti-commie film
This film was, obviously, made during the era when communists were considered to be the major threat to the security of the USA. If the viewer watches the film strictly to indulge in approximately 85 minutes of escapism it can provide some low key entertainment. The story moves pretty fast and never bogs down with any over-emphasis on character development or plot.
I had never seen this film prior to my viewing it on Turner Classic Movies. I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of Elliott Reed. I have seen him in several movies and, in all of the others, he portrays, basically, the same type of character, that is, a slightly officious mid level executive, a spurned suitor, etc. I really enjoyed seeing him, in this film, actually portray a romantic, leading man hero, type of character. Yes, this film is strictly fluff. But, it can provide enjoyment and, IMHO, is notable, for the casting of Mr. Reed as the "star".
Airplane! (1980)
The gags never stop coming
If you're looking for good escapism in a comedy film, this one is for you. It's a very funny spoof of those 1980s Airport disaster films and it lampoons every possible cliche from that genre. Almost all of the actors do a great job with their characters. Deadpan Robert Stack is hilarious as the "no-nonsense" senior pilot who, via radio, talks down the troubled plane, being flown by Robert Hays. Lloyd Bridges is in command of the control center and I, personally, have never been as entertained by him as I was while watching this movie. Leslie Nielsen showed that he could play comedy as good as, or maybe better than, most actors. One down note for me: The character of Johnny, played by Stephen Stucker was, IMHO, not funny at all. In fact, he was extremely annoying as he acted like a real jerk throughout the story line. In real life, Stucker died in 1986 at the age of 37. Cause of death is listed as AIDS (Gee, what a surprise).
Pop Always Pays (1940)
Sometimes funny, sometimes annoying
This movie is another one of those "tours de force" for Leon Erroll. He can, at times be a very funny man. Unfortunately, at other times, he is simply nerve wracking and annoying. IMHO it's split about 50-50 in this film. Erroll has promised his daughter and her fiancee that if the fiancee is able to save $1000, he will give them an additional $1000. But, for reasons that are never adequately explained and are rather far fetched, Erroll suddenly becomes cash poor and will not be able to come up with the additional $1000. Of course all of this leads to a series of deceptions and mix ups as Erroll frantically tries to obtain the money without having to tell his family of his financial situation. If you are a fan of Leon Erroll you will probably enjoy this picture. All others should be warned that there are several scenes that will test your' patience and your' nerves. BTW, the family maid and the next door neighbor are both extremely obnoxious and very grating characters.
The Wild Man of Borneo (1941)
Typical Frank Morgan vehicle
This simple little film features Frank Morgan playing his typical flim-flam man role. Morgan was one of the best at portraying a bragging, self important grifter who was never at a loss for words when playing one of his con games. In this film he is a good hearted but under achieving father who desperately wants to provide a good life for his grown up daughter. He meets many obstacles along the way but also receives help from some old friends who, obviously, are very fond of him. One caution: Bonita Granville plays an obnoxious bratty young teen ager who never lets up throughout the entire film. Her performance caused me to almost bail out and change the channel on a couple of occasions. Her performance is pretty hard to take. But, all in all, if you have some spare time and wish to spend it watching a simple little "puff" piece, you may enjoy this film.
Targets (1968)
Strange story line
With all due respect to Leonard Maltin, I can see no way that this strange movie deserved a rating of 3.5 stars. It's simply, not that good. It appears to be two different stories contained in one movie. First, there is Boris Karloff, playing an aged, over-the-hill horror movie actor (how's that for type casting?)who decides to retire instead of fulfilling a personal appearance at a drive in movie theatre and doing a movie scripted by an aspiring young screenwriter. The second story concerns a real wacko gun freak who possesses an impressive arsenal of deadly weapons and, for reasons that are never explored in even the most superficial manner, starts killing people, mostly at random. When Karloff decides to make the personal appearance after all, the two stories come together in a manner that, while it is pretty exciting, is about as bogus as it can get.
Payment Deferred (1932)
Good story but looks very dated
A family which is on it's way to the poor house suddenly acquires wealth because of a murder. The husband enters into an affair with a nefarious woman who, naturally, proceeds to blackmail him. The attempt to cover-up both the murder and the affair form the basis of this movie.
The story line is a most interesting one. But, this film was made way back in 1932 and, by today's standards, the production is very dated and old fashioned. Charles Laughton, while undeniably a great actor, goes a bit "over the top" at times. The actress who plays his wife constantly overacts in a style that was probably "de rigeur" in the early 1930s but, to say the least, is somewhat annoying in these modern times. I am usually against remakes but I think that I would like to see a modern version of this story. I believe that it would be a very impressive film.
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
Ever try to get ketchup from a nearly empty bottle?
If you have, you know what an agonizingly slow process it is. Well, that's exactly how I felt during the first 45 minutes of this film. Now, it eventually turns into a barely tolerable suspense thriller during the last hour but it could have been a shorter and tighter film if Hitchcock hadn't seen fit to try and put his audience to sleep during the first hour. This film is extremely talky and flatly photographed. In addition there are two rather annoying brat kids, one male and one female, who play no real part in the basic plot. Personally, IMHO, this film does nothing to deserve the praise that many reviewers on this forum have heaped upon it. I guess we watched this movie from vastly different perspectives.
Underground (1941)
Early look at Nazi Germany
This movie was made before the US entry into WWII. But, the story line clearly indicates the concerns we had with the Nazi party in Germany and their blatant disregard for the well being of their citizenry. There are no war scenes and only a couple of short action sequences but, despite this, the story moves at a very comfortable pace. Very good acting all around with Philip Dorn excelling as the leader of an underground group striving to keep the citizens informed as to the real aims of their Nazi leaders. He does this via a clandestine illegal radio operation which, of necessity, must continually move to various locales to transmit. Jeffrey Lynn plays Dorn's brother, a German soldier who, minus most of his left arm, returns home but is still a loyal German who is unaware of his brother's underground activities. This story is a good one and avoids most of the cliches that permeated many similar WWII movies. Martin Kosleck plays his usual role, that of an officious German officer but, even he, tones down his role and does not appear as menacing as he later became in other similar films. I enjoyed this 95 minute story and definitely recommend it to all fans of the suspense melodrama genre.
Fingers at the Window (1942)
Very neat little mystery
Laraine Day and Lew Ayers always seemed to have great chemistry between them and this picture carries on that tradition. Ayers is an out of work actor who happens to see Day being followed by a man who is carrying an axe. He manages to save her and capture the would-be killer but it's obvious that there will be further attempts on her life. Ayers tries to solve the mystery of why she is being stalked and manages to get himself in trouble both with the law and with the mastermind of the killings. Basil Rathbone does his usual top job in a role that calls for someone who is both suave and has ice water in his veins. The cast is rounded out with many familiar faces of MGM contract players. All in all, a very good mystery with Ayers and Day providing just the right amount of light interplay.
The Get-Away (1941)
Enjoyable gangster flick
This is a good little crime movie that is often overlooked. It is not even rated in the Maltin book. But, if you enjoy movies with a nice simple plot about prisons, break-outs, federal agents chasing crime gangs, sister trying to save wayward brother, etc. you will like this film. Robert Sterling does a fine job and interacts well with Dan Dailey and Donna Reed. Dailey's role is that of a hard and tough criminal who resists all efforts to go straight. Donna Reed, as his long suffering sister does her best to reform him. There's a great shoot-out scene that will please action fans and the final ending is handled very well and contains real suspense.
The Big Heat (1953)
Well written and acted thriller
I absolutely loved this film. I am usually leery of film noir because of a tendency to overdo the "artsy" camera angles and to engage in long, boring and talky scenes. But, this great film had none of those faults. It was fast paced from beginning to end and never bogged down. The script was extremely well written and the cast of fine actors ran with it and made watching the story a most entertaining event. With a cast headed by the likes of Glenn Ford, Gloria Graham, Jeanette Nolan, Lee Marvin, Alexander Scourby and aided by many solid and dependable supporting actors, this film is now on my "favorites" list.
Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (1975)
Great fun!!!!
This is a VERY entertaining movie. A few of the reviews that I have read on this forum have been written by people who, apparently, think that the film was an effort at serious drama. IT WAS NOT MADE THAT WAY....It is an extremely enjoyable film, performed in a tongue in cheek manner. All of the actors are obviously having fun while entertaining us. The fight sequences are lively, brisk and, above all, not gratuitous. The so-called "Green Death", utilized on a couple of occasions, is not, as I read in one review, "gruesome". A couple of reviewers were very critical of the martial arts fight between Doc and Seas near the end of the film. Hey, lighten up... Again, I remind one and all that this is a fun film. Each phase of this "fight" was captioned, which added to the fun aspect. The actors were not trying to emulate Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan. This is NOT one of those martial arts films. Ron Ely looks great in this film and is the perfect choice to play Doc. Another nice touch is the unique manner in which the ultimate fate of the "bad guy" (Seas) is dealt with. I promise you that if you don't try to take this film very seriously and simply watch it for the entertainment value, you will spend 100 minutes in a most enjoyable manner.
The Bone Collector (1999)
Good film, no wasted time
I am one of those older folks who doesn't care for the kind of movies that are made these days. As such, my movie watching is generally confined to old classic films ala TCM and AMC. But, I do subscribe to all of the premium channels via DirecTV and, occasionally, watch a newer film if the plot synopsis appears to be one that I may be able to tolerate. I have read all of the previous reviews of this film on the IMDB and find them very interesting. Many of the reviews mention a movie titled "Seven". I have never heard of, much less seen, "Seven". I consider this fact to be a fortunate one because I was able to watch "The Bone Collector" without having to constantly compare it to a previous film. In short, I liked this movie. I was entertained royally precisely because I didn't take the story line too seriously. There was not much time wasted on character development. GOOD !! I don't need to know why the characters became the persons that they are. I simply want them to get on with whatever they must do. Another thing that I liked was the lack of sex scenes, which seem to be almost a necessity it today's movies. The two leads did a great job and their chemistry was excellent. Mr. Washington and Ms. Jolie were very believable. The killer? No big deal. I couldn't have cared less who did the killings. I simply waited for justice to be done. In short, I don't agree with any of the harsh criticism that I have read on this forum. I guess that's because I am a rather down to earth person who has no need to turn watching a movie into an academic exercise, complete with thorough analysis of character motivation, etc.
The Man Who Wouldn't Die (1942)
Enjoyable "B" mystery
Any movie from the Michael Shayne Detective series can be counted on to deliver an enjoyable mystery story. In this film Lloyd Nolan once again delivers a good performance as he works to solve a murder which took place at the estate of a wealthy US Senator. Everything wraps-up neatly in about 65 minutes which means that there is no wasted time with boring sub plots or long talky scenes ala todays' crop of over hyped and over long releases. A good supporting cast helps Nolan turn this into a fine stylish film. Olin Howlin does a great job and provides just the right amount of restrained comic relief as the police chief. Enjoy
Notorious (1946)
Vastly overrated and BORING!!!!!
I watched this supposed "classic" movie last evening. I expected a very good movie and was richly disappointed. There is almost NO action in this dull Hitchcock ego trip. It is basically one, overlong talkfest. Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman carrying on long conversations throughout the film is not my idea of a great movie. There's really nothing else I can say except HORRIBLE.........
They Call It Murder (1971)
A fine outing by Jim Hutton
This made for TV movie predates the Jim Hutton version of the Ellery Queen TV series by a few years. However, Hutton obviously used this role as his model for playing Queen in the series. He has a lot of fun with his role as DA and it is contagious. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Hutton as he appeared in virtually every scene as the relentless DA, investigating a murder that soon expands to even more homicides. This film is based on an Erle Stanley Gardner work and contains all of the elements of fine mystery writing which we would expect from Mr. Gardner. A good cast of names and faces familiar to TV watchers serves to keep up the interest and suspense as this excellent mystery unfolds. I would have preferred another actor in the role of the defense attorney played by Lloyd Bochner. But, I admit that I am nit picking here. I simply don't like Mr. Bochner since he plays every single role in exactly the same manner, smug and arrogant. Just once I would like to see him exhibit some semblance of warmth or humor. For me his performance was the only negative in this most enjoyable movie.
The Wrong Box (1966)
somewhat overrated
For some reason, people have this tendency to praise British films to a point that is beyond what they deserve. This certainly is not a bad movie and it does have several interesting and genuinely funny scenes. But, it is not nearly as good as the reviews would indicate. There are several scenes that serve to slow down the story to the point where the movie almost stops dead in it's tracks. The romantic interludes are agonizing in their length and slowness of pace. Far too much is made of Peter Sellers role as the disgraced physician. Yes, he did a good job but, again, his scenes dragged on and were too long. The plot is a very good one and there is some excellent acting by all parties. However, at almost two hours, it is much too long. One half hour could easily have been cut from the length and the pace of the entire film would have been much better.
Rope (1948)
HORRIBLE, a good cast wasted
Anytime the opening credits reveal that a movie has been adapted from a stage play, you can be almost certain that the movie will be dull, boring, and without any real action. "Rope" fits this description very nicely. Fine actors such as James Stewart are totally wasted in this abomination which takes place entirely in one room ( the old stage play bit). As I read through a description of how this movie was made it became apparent that Alfred Hitchcock used this vehicle to indulge himself and take a massive ego trip. Nuff said!!!!
Two Smart People (1946)
This movie is NOT a comedy
For some reason the Maltin book looks for laughs in this film. It is not a comedy. I guess some folks were expecting comedy because of the presence of Lucille Ball. In actuality she plays a con woman who is on the lam from the law in Arkansas. She meets up with John Hodiak, a con man who has struck a deal with New York police authorities and who is being transported back to New York by Lloyd Nolan, a good cop who has become friendly with Hodiak. Nolan agrees to indulge in a fun filled train trip back to New York, which ultimately includes stops in places such as New Orleans (at Mardi Gras time). Hodiak tricks Nolan into entering Mexico, where he intends to remain, outside US jurisdiction. But, Nolan comes up with a neat way to get Hodiak back to the US. Naturally, Ms. Ball just happens to be on the same train and is with the two men at all stops along the way. There's an attempt at a love story between Hodiak and Ball which is pretty lame. Another big mistake was the casting of Elisha Cook Jr. as a former partner of Hodiak's who had been double crossed. He is supposed to be a menacing figure throughout the train trip and during the Mardi Gras scenes in New Orleans. But, there is no way that Cook, with his wimpy look, could ever appear to be a menace, even when he has a gun pointed at someone and tries to talk tough. Nolan, by far, does the best job in this movie. He is believable as a very nice cop who stays one step ahead of Hodiak's plots. As I said before, this movie is not a comedy. Unfortunately, it is also not a particularly good film.
The Great Caruso (1951)
Two great voices make beautiful music
This is a most handsome film. The color photography is beautiful as it shows the lavishness of the Metropolitan Opera House in brilliant color. Other indoor scenes at various mansions, etc are equally brilliant. As for the music, what more can be said other than that Lanza's voice was at its' peak as he sang so many of the worlds' best known and beloved arias. The marvelous Dorothy Kirsten is also a joy as her soprano voice blends with that of Lanza in delightful harmony. Of course, Hollywood took their customary liberties with the life story of Caruso. There is precious little in the story line that relates to actual events. For example, the facts relating to his death are totally fabricated and bear no relationship to the truth. There are some very good web sites that tell the true story of Caruso and contain several pictures of him. These web sites can be located by using any good search engine. There are also several books available concerning his life history. But, the fictional story line does nothing to mar this beautiful film. The voices of Lanza, Kirsten, and the chorus members are the real stars of this movie. Enjoy, I know that I sure did.
City for Conquest (1940)
Too much music
This movie has a great cast of starring and supporting actors. But, there are lots of dance scenes, many of which last much too long. Then there is the long, drawn-out scene near the end where we must endure listening to an entire symphony selection. The point of that scene could have and should have been made by simply giving us a short version of this interminable selection. The cast did a good job but, for me, the music ruined it.