Andy Hardy gets a bit sick of Polly and wants to dump her – but she gets in first. No matter, Andy has fallen in love with a famous debutante (played by Diana Lewis, who didn't become famous but who did marry William Powell), a girl famous for looking pretty and wearing dresses, which gives the story some unexpectedly modern resonance. As if to compensate for this, the film pours on the sexism – when Andy says he wants a woman like Cleopatra, Judge pitches for the old fashioned type of girl and argues Cleopatra destroyed every man who fell in love with her. Ma Hardy likes Judy Garland because she’s not afraid to be a homemaker. And Ma, Marian and Milly are shunted to the side – all the action is on Andy and the Judge.
Ok that’s not entirely fair – Judy Garland is back. The family heads to New York, where Judge can help save an orphanage (the syrup factor was really high in the series by now), meaning the family and renew it’s acquaintance with Judy Garland. Garland is touching and frenetic as the girl with a yen for Andy and sings a few songs.
There’s a nice correlation of the stories in that both Judge and Andy encounter snobbery on the trip – Judge in the courtroom. Andy can’t handle it and whinges, causing Judge to take him for a walk to the Hall of Fame, and point out all the great men who made American a free place for men – Jackson, Lincoln, etc. (No mention of blacks or women. Andy isn’t inspired and Judge calls him stupid.)
For the first time in the series, Andy actually asks his mother for help in something, to help get an introduction to the girl – she dithers and she steers him in the direction of an etiquette book. She spends a lot of time worried she’s burnt the house down. Great advertisement for women’s rights, Ma Hardy. Surprisingly, Marian isn’t given a plot – you’d thought New York would have been a natural place for her to fall in love with someone inappropriate but maybe MGM were getting sick of that story.
Some of the material here is strong: Judy pining after Andy, Andy going to a fancy restaurant. (Andy is always getting into financial strife, but you know what – so was his dad.) There’s also a really sweet climax, where the debutante turns out to be quite nice and tries to help Judy get Andy, and a lovely scene in a horse-drawn cab where Andy kisses Judy and she cries. (She wouldn’t get any less neurotic over the rest of her life.)
There’s some enjoyable dodgy subtext when Judge produces an orphan in the court case, and the opposition lawyer takes a shine to him and takes him home. “I’ll have him home by sundown,” he says. What’s he going to do to that orphan?!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Movie review – Hardy #8 – “Judge Hardy and Son” (1939) **1/2
In hindsight, it’s a wonder why it took eight films for there to be a plot where Andy undertook some investigative work for his father, it seems such a natural way to combine the two perennial story strands in Hardy family movies. Andy’s task is to locate the missing daughter of an old couple one of whom is Maria Ouspensaka. Aunt Milly, Ma and Marian head off on holiday so it’s really just the Judge and Andy for most of the running time. But it’s ok, Ma has arranged a cook to look after Andy and Judge.
This is the most sexist and syrupy of the Hardy films to date. In one scene Andy tells Polly that his father once claimed if a woman couldn’t cook her husband had the right to beat her up. In another Judge tells Andy that no woman is perfect but that a man can guide a woman into being the perfect helpmate. Is this why Ma Hardy is so fluttery and absent minded all the time? She’s particularly dithering in this film because she falls ill with pleurisy. It must be because of all the pain numbing drugs she’s presumably taken over the years have warped her brain. Even Aunt Milly looks at her with disdain.
Ma’s illness – which takes up the entire second act - leads to a lot of whispering and praying and blubbering from Andy and the Judge – Louis B Mayer must have loved it, especially the Andy bawling scenes. They really pour on the syrup with this one. Henry Hull, normally a bombastic actor, plays the family doctor in a relatively restrained manner. Marian and Andy have a nice touching scene together – Marian admits to being jealous of Andy because he’s a boy, which is interesting, but Andy simply replies that it’s harder to be a boy and that’s that.
It’s fun to see Andy on the investigative trail, talking to various women – a 14 year old who is really a lot older, an idiot, a Southern belle. Despite the syrup and sexism, it’s quite enjoyable, and the discovery of Ouspensaka’s long lost daughter is reasonably moving.
This is the most sexist and syrupy of the Hardy films to date. In one scene Andy tells Polly that his father once claimed if a woman couldn’t cook her husband had the right to beat her up. In another Judge tells Andy that no woman is perfect but that a man can guide a woman into being the perfect helpmate. Is this why Ma Hardy is so fluttery and absent minded all the time? She’s particularly dithering in this film because she falls ill with pleurisy. It must be because of all the pain numbing drugs she’s presumably taken over the years have warped her brain. Even Aunt Milly looks at her with disdain.
Ma’s illness – which takes up the entire second act - leads to a lot of whispering and praying and blubbering from Andy and the Judge – Louis B Mayer must have loved it, especially the Andy bawling scenes. They really pour on the syrup with this one. Henry Hull, normally a bombastic actor, plays the family doctor in a relatively restrained manner. Marian and Andy have a nice touching scene together – Marian admits to being jealous of Andy because he’s a boy, which is interesting, but Andy simply replies that it’s harder to be a boy and that’s that.
It’s fun to see Andy on the investigative trail, talking to various women – a 14 year old who is really a lot older, an idiot, a Southern belle. Despite the syrup and sexism, it’s quite enjoyable, and the discovery of Ouspensaka’s long lost daughter is reasonably moving.
Movie review – “Tarantula” (1955) ***
Very well made, enjoyable big bug film, quite logically worked out. A huge tarantula makes a different antagonist (or is it really the protagonist) and it was created for a decent reason - Leo G Carroll is developing technology to help feed the world’s population – as he says, in the year 2005, there may be as many as over three billion people on the planet. Only it makes tarantulas expand to a massive size.
It’s good to see John Agar as the hero, although he is a little smug at times, making a sexist joke about giving women the vote and asking the journalist not to say anything about the tarantula attacks at all until they know what’s going on. Isn’t it better they risk a little panic to people being gobbled up by a large spider? But at least Agar is a professional actor, unlike say Rex Reason, and he is well supported by Mara Corday and especially Carroll.
I loved the scientist’s assistant who keeps interrupting a scene between Agar and a scientist – “good night”, “that’s the last of the stuff you wanted”. There’s also a great climax where Agar arranges for the air force to napalm the crap out of the tarantula (Clint Eastwood is one of the pilots). In some creature movies you feel sympathy for the creature, but not for the nasty tarantula.
It’s good to see John Agar as the hero, although he is a little smug at times, making a sexist joke about giving women the vote and asking the journalist not to say anything about the tarantula attacks at all until they know what’s going on. Isn’t it better they risk a little panic to people being gobbled up by a large spider? But at least Agar is a professional actor, unlike say Rex Reason, and he is well supported by Mara Corday and especially Carroll.
I loved the scientist’s assistant who keeps interrupting a scene between Agar and a scientist – “good night”, “that’s the last of the stuff you wanted”. There’s also a great climax where Agar arranges for the air force to napalm the crap out of the tarantula (Clint Eastwood is one of the pilots). In some creature movies you feel sympathy for the creature, but not for the nasty tarantula.
Movie review – Falcon # 11 – “The Falcon in San Francisco” (1945) **
The Falcon and his comic sidekick get on a train to San Francisco when the run into a little rich girl whose nanny is killed. This is a brisk entry to the series, well handled by directed Joseph E Lewis, but not too memorable. I know this is just my Gen X cynicism but I was a bit uncomfortable with confirmed womanizer Falcon flirting with the eleven year old girl.
There’s a striking scene where the Falcon is beaten up quite badly by some hoodlums, a bit of down beat film noir for what was usually a bright and chirpy series.
The support cast benefits from the beauty of Rita Corday and the strength of Robert Armstrong, the original Carl Denham himself – although it’s a shame he doesn’t have a bigger role. Because it’s San Francisco there are some scenes set in Chinatown. The female villain is a strong presence.
There’s a striking scene where the Falcon is beaten up quite badly by some hoodlums, a bit of down beat film noir for what was usually a bright and chirpy series.
The support cast benefits from the beauty of Rita Corday and the strength of Robert Armstrong, the original Carl Denham himself – although it’s a shame he doesn’t have a bigger role. Because it’s San Francisco there are some scenes set in Chinatown. The female villain is a strong presence.
Movie review – Hardy #7 – “Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever” (1939) ***1/2
The Hardys stay in Carvel for a change and the result is one of the best films in the series – relaxed, charming and fun. It’s spring time and Polly is flirting with a naval officer so Andy is down in the dumps… until he sees his new drama teacher. Hardy films were often used by MGM as a way of introducing its emerging stars (Lana Turner, Kathryn Grayson, Esther Williams) – the role of drama teacher is played by Helen Gilbert who didn’t go on to do much, and while pretty is quite affected. But all she’s required to be is an object of Andy’s affection and Mickey Rooney is very strong in this. It’s one of his best performances in the series.
There’s a sweet plot where Marian realises that she’s doing nothing with her life (she’s not given a boyfriend on this one), so dad arranges for her to work with her business partners. He says he’ll pay her salary, but not to tell – way to go dad. (No one seems to consider sending her to college.)
Many lovely moments: Andy acting multiple roles in front of the mirror, Judge Hardy unexpectedly reciting Shakespeare, Andy calling his teacher by her first name and surprising them both, Andy showing off his voice, Andy and the teacher alone in the dark, a little kid (Terry Kilburn) seems to have a crush on Andy.
Ma Hardy is of course useless for anything except cooking and worrying and saying we’ll be ok” when the Judge makes yet another bad financial decision. Judge Hardy is a bit of a fascist (the minute he suspects something is up between Andy and the teacher he pops around there, trying to stop it – he also says there’s nothing wrong with a difference between the ages if it’s in the man’s favour). But it’s generally handled well.
The script was written by Kay van Riper, the most regular writer of the series til that point (although this was her last one – it’s a good one for her to go out on). The director was a newcomer, though – WS Van Dyke (George Seitz normally directed them).
There’s a sweet plot where Marian realises that she’s doing nothing with her life (she’s not given a boyfriend on this one), so dad arranges for her to work with her business partners. He says he’ll pay her salary, but not to tell – way to go dad. (No one seems to consider sending her to college.)
Many lovely moments: Andy acting multiple roles in front of the mirror, Judge Hardy unexpectedly reciting Shakespeare, Andy calling his teacher by her first name and surprising them both, Andy showing off his voice, Andy and the teacher alone in the dark, a little kid (Terry Kilburn) seems to have a crush on Andy.
Ma Hardy is of course useless for anything except cooking and worrying and saying we’ll be ok” when the Judge makes yet another bad financial decision. Judge Hardy is a bit of a fascist (the minute he suspects something is up between Andy and the teacher he pops around there, trying to stop it – he also says there’s nothing wrong with a difference between the ages if it’s in the man’s favour). But it’s generally handled well.
The script was written by Kay van Riper, the most regular writer of the series til that point (although this was her last one – it’s a good one for her to go out on). The director was a newcomer, though – WS Van Dyke (George Seitz normally directed them).
Movie review – Hardy #6 – “The Hardy’s Ride High” (1939) **1/2
A better Hardy film. Yet again, they are off to an exotic locale – in this case Detroit! (When it was thriving and full of cash, not diseased and crime-ridden). Judge Hardy goes there because he apparently has inherited $2 million, which turns the whole family a bit greedy. One thing no one mentions when talking about the Hardy family series – the Hardys were lousy with a buck, with the Judge constantly threatening to bankrupt himself with some bad decision, so no wonder they are happy to hear about the windfall. Of course they discover that money does bad things to them. (To be honest I got confused about the money stuff towards the end.)
Marian, with her unerring eye for bad romance, sets her eye at the young man who was supposed to inherit the money. Andy starts living the high life. Even though the Hardys are shown to be quite avaricious this feels more real than the previous entry in the series. There’s a plot where Marian buys a far too expensive dress, and a scene where Andy is confronted by a sexy chorus girl (Virginia Grey) – when I first saw this years ago I laughed, but actually it comes across very believable (it’s also nice that Judge Hardy admits he had a similar experience when younger). Aunt Milly is given her first plot in the entire series, where she romances a man who turns out to be a real estate agent – it was good when the movies pushed the darker material.
Andy is tempted by cigarettes and alcohol, good solid basic stuff about growing up – and it leads to a very funny final scene where Andy gets Polly back by pretending to be a boozer.
Marian, with her unerring eye for bad romance, sets her eye at the young man who was supposed to inherit the money. Andy starts living the high life. Even though the Hardys are shown to be quite avaricious this feels more real than the previous entry in the series. There’s a plot where Marian buys a far too expensive dress, and a scene where Andy is confronted by a sexy chorus girl (Virginia Grey) – when I first saw this years ago I laughed, but actually it comes across very believable (it’s also nice that Judge Hardy admits he had a similar experience when younger). Aunt Milly is given her first plot in the entire series, where she romances a man who turns out to be a real estate agent – it was good when the movies pushed the darker material.
Andy is tempted by cigarettes and alcohol, good solid basic stuff about growing up – and it leads to a very funny final scene where Andy gets Polly back by pretending to be a boozer.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Movie review – “This Island Earth” (1955) **
Most of Universal’s famous science fiction films of the 50s were in black and white so it’s a surprise to see this one in colour. Rex Reason is sure one of the most deep voiced leading men of the 1950s – he’s a scientist who, after a fair bit of scientific mumbo jumbo, goes to work for Jeff Morrow, whose high forehead and puffy white hair is one of the most striking things about the film.
It turns out Morrow is from another planet and he arranges for Reason to be picked up by a pilotless plane (good scene) and whisked off to a secret lab to work for said planet. There he’s met by Faith Domergue, who was once a personal project of Howard Hughes and reveals herself to be a pretty awful actor, and Russell Johnson, a sort of fourth-lead sci fi fave during the decade. Eventually Domerge and Reason wind up on the planet and do battle.
This film really tries – the sets and effects are imaginative, and it treats its subject seriously. I enjoyed the mutant heads (surely the model for the Coneheads), flying saucers and alien. You are kept in some tension – just how benign is Morrow and his people? This film must have inspired many other filmmakers who saw it as kids. But to be honest I found it a bit boring. There’s no heart to it – you don’t particularly care about the human race, or the aliens. (It was a bit touching when Uncle Tom Morrow burns to a crisp at the end). The colour photography is well done but there wasn’t really any much point for it. Maybe it's different if you first saw this when you were a kid.
It turns out Morrow is from another planet and he arranges for Reason to be picked up by a pilotless plane (good scene) and whisked off to a secret lab to work for said planet. There he’s met by Faith Domergue, who was once a personal project of Howard Hughes and reveals herself to be a pretty awful actor, and Russell Johnson, a sort of fourth-lead sci fi fave during the decade. Eventually Domerge and Reason wind up on the planet and do battle.
This film really tries – the sets and effects are imaginative, and it treats its subject seriously. I enjoyed the mutant heads (surely the model for the Coneheads), flying saucers and alien. You are kept in some tension – just how benign is Morrow and his people? This film must have inspired many other filmmakers who saw it as kids. But to be honest I found it a bit boring. There’s no heart to it – you don’t particularly care about the human race, or the aliens. (It was a bit touching when Uncle Tom Morrow burns to a crisp at the end). The colour photography is well done but there wasn’t really any much point for it. Maybe it's different if you first saw this when you were a kid.
Movie review – “Vicky Christy Barcelona” (2008) ***1/2
Woody makes another decent film during his sunset years – who would have thunk it? Match Point wasn’t a fluke after all. As with that film, one can’t help feeling that he was invigorated by a change in locale – in this case Spain. Apparently the Spanish government paid for a whack of the budget (via their film fund), annoying many Spanish filmmakers, and while I can sympathise with them, to be fair they’ll probably get their money back on this one, and also it’s a fantastic ad for Spain. The photography is gorgeous and pretty much every scene has the characters in a stunning house or great restaurant, or looking at some scenery. Throw in some attractive movie stars and a breezy air and you don’t mind the long running time and flabby nature of the piece. Well, not that much.
Javier Baderm is perfect as the womanising painter – who else could have played this role if the actor had become unavailable – and Penelope Cruz is terrific as his crazy ex (she’s a 110% better actor in Spanish). Scarlett Johansson is beautiful and in good form, too, as a typical Allen younger character, i.e. a love hungry crazy up for any sort of adventure (eg Juliette Lewis in Husbands and Wives, Scarlett in Match Point, Rhada Mitchell in Melinda and Melinda). Rebecca Hall is beautiful too as her friend although her performance is a bit iffy. Maybe I was having a hard time adjusting to her speaking voice or something. She was a little flat. The guy who played her fiancée was really bad. This is a film that needed a star – Badern, Cruz and Johansson are, Hall isn’t. (It’s like a film for a young Mia Farrow and Diane Keaton, but while they got the young Mia they couldn’t find the young Diana).
This is the first Allen picture in ages too which young people, especially young women, could enjoy – it doesn’t talk down to them and Allen seems to have affection for his characters. It doesn’t strike the false notes that pop up in so many of his other recent films. It probably could have done with a comedy subplot with a young Woody working at the American consulate or something – but Woody is too old now and who can play a young version of him?
Javier Baderm is perfect as the womanising painter – who else could have played this role if the actor had become unavailable – and Penelope Cruz is terrific as his crazy ex (she’s a 110% better actor in Spanish). Scarlett Johansson is beautiful and in good form, too, as a typical Allen younger character, i.e. a love hungry crazy up for any sort of adventure (eg Juliette Lewis in Husbands and Wives, Scarlett in Match Point, Rhada Mitchell in Melinda and Melinda). Rebecca Hall is beautiful too as her friend although her performance is a bit iffy. Maybe I was having a hard time adjusting to her speaking voice or something. She was a little flat. The guy who played her fiancée was really bad. This is a film that needed a star – Badern, Cruz and Johansson are, Hall isn’t. (It’s like a film for a young Mia Farrow and Diane Keaton, but while they got the young Mia they couldn’t find the young Diana).
This is the first Allen picture in ages too which young people, especially young women, could enjoy – it doesn’t talk down to them and Allen seems to have affection for his characters. It doesn’t strike the false notes that pop up in so many of his other recent films. It probably could have done with a comedy subplot with a young Woody working at the American consulate or something – but Woody is too old now and who can play a young version of him?
Movie review – “Frost/Nixon” (2008) ****
Terrifically entertaining look at what at first sounds like a not particularly interesting topic, but actually turns out to be very interesting. Frank Langella is superb as Nixon, all growly voice, torment and humour and Michael Sheen is also good as the chirpy, seemingly-out-of-his-element Frost. I wonder if Ron Howard was attracted to the material partly because of the Frost character – a person best known for trivial stuff, who actually had genuine steel. Hans Zimmer’s score helps keep up the pace and it's a terrific fresh way of looking at Watergate. Wonderful stage actor voices whom it’s a pleasure to listen to – Langella, Sheen, Oliver Platt, etc
Movie review – “Australia” (2008) **1/2 (warning: spoilers)
I remember hearing about the film during pre-production and being worried that it wasn’t based on a thoroughly tried and true story, like all of Luhrmann’s previous films – Strictly Ballroom was a play, Romeo and Juliet was Romeo and Juliet, Moulin Rogue was an opera. However, I was reassured reading that the plot would be about a toity-toity English miss who goes on a cattle drive with a tough drover type – that’s a great story. The Overlanders! Baz isn’t the first director you think to do The Overlanders, but he deserves the chance. Only one problem – it was going to end in Darwin 1942. Isn’t that going to be a defeat, a lot of Aussies being bombed? Ok… so maybe the cattle drive will end up there. No problems. Think positive.
It turns out I was half right. Australia is really two movies – the first half is The Overlanders, set in 1939, the second half set in 1941-42 is a spineless mess. If the film had stuck to one story, preferably the first bit, I think it would have been fine. Or else been tied together. I wonder why they didn’t set the whole thing in 1941-42? To make it easier for Nicole Kidman to travel out from England? To justify the ball at the end of that story? It wasn’t worth it.
I enjoyed the first half immensely. It starts a bit too Baz (wacky music, Nickers wearing funny glasses) but calms down a little and becomes engrossing. The story is a solid compendium of a heap of old Aussie melodrama and adventure films – Chauvel, Ealing, Ken G Hall. There’s a squatter’s daughter type (Nickers and the aboriginal females), the English silly ass (Nickers), the cattle drive, baddies trying to stop it, a drunken Irish type, romance on the trail. The aboriginal stuff fits in well and that kid Brandon Walters is a star (even if he doesn’t seem too upset when his mum dies). The cattle stampede on top of a cliff was genuinely thrilling and the ball looked terrific – good on Nickers pointing out the fathers of many of the half-castes were at the ball. Romance, action, melodrama, social comment all skilfully put together. Yes, it’s a bit camp (lots of Hugh Jackman torso, Hugh Jackman pretending to be a tough drover, homages to Wizard of Oz) but let’s face it most Aussie films are.
The second half is less strong. There are ten minutes or so of tap dancing where everything is fine and dandy and they get rid of Bryan Brown and you’re waiting for some story, any story… then the film becomes about Walters being whisked off to the mission. Which has a point but structurally it drags because Hugh Jackman and Nickers aren’t aware where Walters has gone for a long time. Baz seems to really like the word “creamy” to describe Walters because characters say it like ten times or something (don’t get me wrong, it’s an appropriate word, but how about varying the insults a little) – then it all becomes a mess. Brown is killed and replaced as king villain by Wenham. Essie Davis’ is given close ups and you think she’s going to be important but she isn’t really – also one minute she’s shown evacuating Darwin, then she’s back there. Jackman’s Aboriginal friend suddenly becomes important in the last ten minutes. And there is ending after ending – escape from Mission Island, Nickers and Hugh reunited, then Wenham rocks up (“don’t forget about me”!), then Walters goes on Walkabout.
I mean, it looks stunning, Nickers is ideally cast even if she’s starting to get a bit old (she looks better when she’s roughed up a bit), Jackman is no Russell Crowe or Heath Ledger but he does his best and looks handsome (it’s a shame they didn’t give him more of a dance number). I just wish they’d centered the whole thing around the cattle drive. Keep it simple to allow the other stuff to hang off.
It turns out I was half right. Australia is really two movies – the first half is The Overlanders, set in 1939, the second half set in 1941-42 is a spineless mess. If the film had stuck to one story, preferably the first bit, I think it would have been fine. Or else been tied together. I wonder why they didn’t set the whole thing in 1941-42? To make it easier for Nicole Kidman to travel out from England? To justify the ball at the end of that story? It wasn’t worth it.
I enjoyed the first half immensely. It starts a bit too Baz (wacky music, Nickers wearing funny glasses) but calms down a little and becomes engrossing. The story is a solid compendium of a heap of old Aussie melodrama and adventure films – Chauvel, Ealing, Ken G Hall. There’s a squatter’s daughter type (Nickers and the aboriginal females), the English silly ass (Nickers), the cattle drive, baddies trying to stop it, a drunken Irish type, romance on the trail. The aboriginal stuff fits in well and that kid Brandon Walters is a star (even if he doesn’t seem too upset when his mum dies). The cattle stampede on top of a cliff was genuinely thrilling and the ball looked terrific – good on Nickers pointing out the fathers of many of the half-castes were at the ball. Romance, action, melodrama, social comment all skilfully put together. Yes, it’s a bit camp (lots of Hugh Jackman torso, Hugh Jackman pretending to be a tough drover, homages to Wizard of Oz) but let’s face it most Aussie films are.
The second half is less strong. There are ten minutes or so of tap dancing where everything is fine and dandy and they get rid of Bryan Brown and you’re waiting for some story, any story… then the film becomes about Walters being whisked off to the mission. Which has a point but structurally it drags because Hugh Jackman and Nickers aren’t aware where Walters has gone for a long time. Baz seems to really like the word “creamy” to describe Walters because characters say it like ten times or something (don’t get me wrong, it’s an appropriate word, but how about varying the insults a little) – then it all becomes a mess. Brown is killed and replaced as king villain by Wenham. Essie Davis’ is given close ups and you think she’s going to be important but she isn’t really – also one minute she’s shown evacuating Darwin, then she’s back there. Jackman’s Aboriginal friend suddenly becomes important in the last ten minutes. And there is ending after ending – escape from Mission Island, Nickers and Hugh reunited, then Wenham rocks up (“don’t forget about me”!), then Walters goes on Walkabout.
I mean, it looks stunning, Nickers is ideally cast even if she’s starting to get a bit old (she looks better when she’s roughed up a bit), Jackman is no Russell Crowe or Heath Ledger but he does his best and looks handsome (it’s a shame they didn’t give him more of a dance number). I just wish they’d centered the whole thing around the cattle drive. Keep it simple to allow the other stuff to hang off.
Movie review – Hardy #5 – “Out West with the Hardy’s” (1938) **
The least entertaining Hardy film to date rehashes the same story of You’re Only Young Once and Judge Hardy’s Children – the family head out to an exotic location (the West, where a friend of the Hardy’s run a ranch), Judge gets into a financial pickle and risks his entire fortune (again), Andy learns humility (again), Marian falls in love with an inappropriate man (again), mother doesn’t do much other than be supportive and say it’ll all turn out alright (again).
Lots of unpleasant scenes: mother cries after doing some bad household duties and says she feels like killing herself (have some more prozac mother), despite having a boyfriend Marian falls for a widowed cowboy and wants to marry him but Judge Hardy talks her out of it by getting her to do – ha ha – housework for him, Andy almost kills a horse and cries like a girl, a little girl (daughter of widowed cowboy) says girls shouldn’t take credit for things even if they’re better than men, Andy says “who-hoo another Indian bites the dust”.
Andy isn’t given a romantic subplot apart from Polly Benedict shenanigans at the beginning and end. Ann Rutherford’s Polly is a breath of fresh air at the end – it’s a shame she couldn’t have been in the film more. Don Castle also reappears as Marian's boyfriend, who she just met at the end of Love Finds Andy Hardy - he's like the engineer she went out with in the first few films, just popping in at the end on the tail of some romance she'd had.
Lots of unpleasant scenes: mother cries after doing some bad household duties and says she feels like killing herself (have some more prozac mother), despite having a boyfriend Marian falls for a widowed cowboy and wants to marry him but Judge Hardy talks her out of it by getting her to do – ha ha – housework for him, Andy almost kills a horse and cries like a girl, a little girl (daughter of widowed cowboy) says girls shouldn’t take credit for things even if they’re better than men, Andy says “who-hoo another Indian bites the dust”.
Andy isn’t given a romantic subplot apart from Polly Benedict shenanigans at the beginning and end. Ann Rutherford’s Polly is a breath of fresh air at the end – it’s a shame she couldn’t have been in the film more. Don Castle also reappears as Marian's boyfriend, who she just met at the end of Love Finds Andy Hardy - he's like the engineer she went out with in the first few films, just popping in at the end on the tail of some romance she'd had.
TV review – “Office – Christmas Special” (2003) *****
Wonderful end to an excellent series – of course the regular characters are all funny but what sets this apart is the Dawn-Tim romance. This is strong enough for a feature and is one of the sweetest romantic comedies in the past ten years. David Brent’s character is softened a little, a forerunner of the character Ricky Gervais would play in Extras.
Script review – “The Sea Kings” by William Goldman (warning: spoilers)
This was one of two screenplays Goldman wrote for Joe Levine after A Bridge Too Far (the other being Year of the Comet) the saga of which he talks about in Which Lie Did I Tell? It wasn’t made, mostly due to cost, which you can understand because it’s an 18th century pirate movie for two stars and presumably would have cost a bomb. It’s a shame it was never made though – I particularly loved Levine’s idea of casting Sean Connery and Roger Moore, both would have been perfect (Roger Moore and Dudley Moore would have been awful). It’s much better than pirate movies made in the 70s and 80s – Scallywag, Swashbuckler, etc.
Some of it sags a bit – Bonnet’s desire to become a pirate feels a little clunk. Blackbeard’s initial appearance, with a tough guy backing away from fighting him the moment he realises who it is, is similar to Sundance’s introduction in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. But its very enjoyable. The part of Blackbeard is particularly excellent – tough, humorous, melancholic, prone to self doubt, regretful. Connery would have been great – also Lee Marvin, even Charles Bronson, one of the tough guys with sad eyes.
The climax doesn’t quite work, though – Blackbeard double-crosses Bonnet, who goes looking for revenge. There is a big fight, Bonnett and Blackbeard duel… then they decide to be friends again and flee from some Virginians. It’s like it needed another villain or something. You don’t feel too roused because you know they will both die shortly after. (I thought Goldman would get around this by having someone take one of their places eg Bonnett actually standing in for Blackbeard, like a franchise).
Some of it sags a bit – Bonnet’s desire to become a pirate feels a little clunk. Blackbeard’s initial appearance, with a tough guy backing away from fighting him the moment he realises who it is, is similar to Sundance’s introduction in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. But its very enjoyable. The part of Blackbeard is particularly excellent – tough, humorous, melancholic, prone to self doubt, regretful. Connery would have been great – also Lee Marvin, even Charles Bronson, one of the tough guys with sad eyes.
The climax doesn’t quite work, though – Blackbeard double-crosses Bonnet, who goes looking for revenge. There is a big fight, Bonnett and Blackbeard duel… then they decide to be friends again and flee from some Virginians. It’s like it needed another villain or something. You don’t feel too roused because you know they will both die shortly after. (I thought Goldman would get around this by having someone take one of their places eg Bonnett actually standing in for Blackbeard, like a franchise).
Movie review – “It Came From Outer Space” (1953) **
A space ship crashes in the desert, but everyone thinks it a meteor except for astronomer Richard Carlson. The space creature looks like an eye attached to a jelly fish and possesses people – cue some monster POV shots for 3D. Carlson has a girlfriend (Barbara Rush) who is also loved by the sheriff (Charles Drake) – and she winds up abducted, which is a little reminiscent of the Creature from the Black Lagoon.
Despite the famous title and decent premise this isn’t very interesting story – a lot of running around and humans looking like zombies, without every the feeling of menace of something like Invasion of the Body Snatchers. And there’s no personality monster like Creature. The aliens turn out to be quite benign – they’re only taking over human bodies so they can do work (they’re worried if they appear in their true form humans will be revolted, which is very considerate).
Fairly bland cast full of names familiar to B picture lovers – Carlson, Barbara Rush (who, for whatever reason, presented a whole bunch of Oscars), Charles Drake, Russell Johnson. I loved Russell Johnson’s trashy girlfriend. Decently directed by Jack Arnold, but just bland.
Despite the famous title and decent premise this isn’t very interesting story – a lot of running around and humans looking like zombies, without every the feeling of menace of something like Invasion of the Body Snatchers. And there’s no personality monster like Creature. The aliens turn out to be quite benign – they’re only taking over human bodies so they can do work (they’re worried if they appear in their true form humans will be revolted, which is very considerate).
Fairly bland cast full of names familiar to B picture lovers – Carlson, Barbara Rush (who, for whatever reason, presented a whole bunch of Oscars), Charles Drake, Russell Johnson. I loved Russell Johnson’s trashy girlfriend. Decently directed by Jack Arnold, but just bland.
Movie review – “The Ghost Ship” (1943) **
One of the lesser known Val Lewton films, partly because it was out of circulation for so long because of a plagiarism dispute. A third officer joins a ship captained by Richard Dix, who is soft spoken and seems kind (he stops the officer from killing a moth) and to have a crush on the officer. But it soon becomes apparent the captain is a bit of a nutter – to a homicidal degree.
This features several of the Lewton staples – lots of wind blowing on the soundtrack, literary allusions, one of the characters quotes Latin, Sir Lancelot plays a crew member and sings a song.
But it’s not very interesting. All the soft speaking gets irritating after a while; it’s also annoying how none of the other crew think Dix is weird. Dix’s character isn’t particularly interesting (he’s no Captain Queeg) and neither is the theme of “we must look out for each other” or whatever it is – something to do with no one believing the officer.
There is however an exciting fight at the end between Dix and a mute character.
Movie review – “Twilight” (2008) ***
Half good version of the popular novel. No wonder it’s popular, at least with girls – move to a new town and all the boys will like you and girls will be your friend, even if you are anti-social; the hottest boy in school will fall in love with you – and yes he’s a vampire but that means he’s braver, stronger, smarter and sexier than all of the rest, and besides he only lives off animals, and he’s been around for eighty years looking for you and he’s prepared to risk it all. And he has a loving vampire family who even though one of them is a bit mean the others are prepared to risk their lives to defend you. Oh and her mother and father love her too even if they are divorced.
Ok I’m making fun but it’s a good story, set in a beautiful locations, with pretty stars who can’t really act, being prone to Party of Five ticks (lots of pauses and hesitation). They aren’t that convincing at grand passion but they do look cute together and there is pace. This isn’t particularly well directed – some of the scenes are laughable, the inexperienced actors could have been better protected, the stabs at naturalism simply don’t work in what clearly has to be an expressionistic piece – but it looks handsome and there’s clearly enough here for a sequel.
Ok I’m making fun but it’s a good story, set in a beautiful locations, with pretty stars who can’t really act, being prone to Party of Five ticks (lots of pauses and hesitation). They aren’t that convincing at grand passion but they do look cute together and there is pace. This isn’t particularly well directed – some of the scenes are laughable, the inexperienced actors could have been better protected, the stabs at naturalism simply don’t work in what clearly has to be an expressionistic piece – but it looks handsome and there’s clearly enough here for a sequel.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Movie review – Hardy #4 – “Love Finds Andy Hardy” (1938) ***1/2
The first Hardy family movie to focus solely around Mickey Rooney, who was by now established as the break out star. This is sometimes called the best of the series and it remains warm and charming, with Rooney in good form – though sometimes he does mug a bit. The simple but highly effective plot involves him wanting to take Polly Benedict (Ann Rutherford, very good) to a Christmas dance – but she’s going away, so instead he takes another girl (Lana Turner, already a woman) as a favour to a mate. Lana looks great in a swimming costume and likes kissing, which you’d think would turn Andy on, but as in You’re Only Young Once, this actually turns off Andy. (His impotence in the face of sexually aggressive women would be a constant theme of the series).
The ace in the hole of this film is the appearance of Judy Garland, as the daughter of a music comedy star who comes to stay next door and develops a crush on Andy. She’s very cute, even if you can (with the benefit of hindsight), glimpse the madness in her eyes.
Marian only really appears at the beginning and end of film – her engineer boyfriend has gone on the town with some floozy, leaving Marian free to flirt with Judy’s cousin at the end (then he’s disposed of early on in the next Hardy movie). They get rid of the mother for most of the movie too, which is a good thing.
The ace in the hole of this film is the appearance of Judy Garland, as the daughter of a music comedy star who comes to stay next door and develops a crush on Andy. She’s very cute, even if you can (with the benefit of hindsight), glimpse the madness in her eyes.
Marian only really appears at the beginning and end of film – her engineer boyfriend has gone on the town with some floozy, leaving Marian free to flirt with Judy’s cousin at the end (then he’s disposed of early on in the next Hardy movie). They get rid of the mother for most of the movie too, which is a good thing.
Movie review – Hardy #3 – “Judge Hardy’s Children” (1938) **1/2
A similar structure to the previous Hardy film: the Hardies go on a trip (in this case to Washington, where Judge has to do some work on a committee), and Andy and Marian get involved in adventures, Andy’s are of a comic amorous nature which involve a scene where he can jitterbug and Marian’s more serious which involves in her heart being broken. Again, Judge Hardy almost gets in major financial strife but gets out of it at the end. Mickey Rooney’s wooing of a French girl is fun, and it’s intriguing to see Marian essentially get a crush on a girl, the glamorous Ruth Hussey (who is only using her). The guy who plays Hussey’s friend (not husband) is Leo Penn, dad of Sean.
One of the fun things about the series was it paid attention to continuity – we see a reappearance of Marian’s engineer boyfriend/fiancee at the end. A new actor plays Aunt Milly, as she would for the next movie before Sara Haden returned, but Aunt Milly does hardly anything in either movie. Judge Hardy has a scene where he’s disappointed in Andy and takes Andy to the Washington monument, and it’s clear the poor old Judge has a major hard on for the first president.
One of the fun things about the series was it paid attention to continuity – we see a reappearance of Marian’s engineer boyfriend/fiancee at the end. A new actor plays Aunt Milly, as she would for the next movie before Sara Haden returned, but Aunt Milly does hardly anything in either movie. Judge Hardy has a scene where he’s disappointed in Andy and takes Andy to the Washington monument, and it’s clear the poor old Judge has a major hard on for the first president.
Movie review – Holmes #14 – “Dressed to Kill” (1946) **1/2
The death of director Roy William Neill meant that this was the last of the Rathbone-Bruce Holmes films, although the two actors continued to play the roles on radio and later reprised them on stage. The standard of the series had slipped, but this is an okay entry. Like so many others in the series, it is a chase for a macguffin, in this case three music boxes. In good old bloodthirsty Holmes style, an old mate of Watson’s is murdered over one of the boxes, leading to Holmes getting on the case. The villains are pretty smart, though not no smart as to still leave Holmes hanging awaiting his death and assuming he’s dead instead of simply killing him. Watson quacks like a duck to cheer up a little girl and Aussie views will enjoy the fact that the music box plays “an old Australian waltz” (which I thought was going to be ‘Waltzing Matilda’ but I couldn’t recognise the tune).
Movie review – “Happy Go Lucky” (2008) **
The Mike Leigh method in a brighter mode, about a happy go lucky teacher called Poppy (Sally Hawkins) who is always smiling and laughing. I’ve met lots of girls like her – they always go out with dipshits and presumably that’s in Poppy’s back story somewhere which Leigh developed over a year or whatever he did. Despite all this work that he puts in some times the performances are a bit off.
No real story, just a collection of incidents – Poppy learns how to drive (the excellent Eddie Marsden, the best thing about the movie, unless you’re captivated by Sally Hawkins), runs into a homeless man, takes flamenco lessons, gets a boyfriend. Some of it is well done, but after a while I admit I got a bit bored.
Movie review – “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” (2008) ***
There are a bunch of movies about a girl who loses her boyfriend, job and flat all in the same day, so why shouldn’t the guys have one? Only the excellent Jason Seger hangs on to his job and flat – but his girlfriend is a TV star who runs off with a British pop star, so his humiliation is rubbed in his face that little bit extra. They both wind up on vacation at the same place, a slightly contrived notion but you go with it because the actors are excellent company, as in most Judd Apatow films (he produced). Also in common with many Apatow films, the supporting actors really get a chance to shine – it’s a film about making friends as much as anything (eg 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up). It could have done with a bit more of a story and at the time really feels like dragging.
The film is a combination of the authentic-seeming (the funny sex sequences, photo of the new love interest flashing her boobs on a bathroom wall), and wish fulfilment (the hot girl at the hotel desk will like you). But it’s entertaining.
The film is a combination of the authentic-seeming (the funny sex sequences, photo of the new love interest flashing her boobs on a bathroom wall), and wish fulfilment (the hot girl at the hotel desk will like you). But it’s entertaining.
Movie review – “Quantum of Solace” (2008) **** (warning spoilers)
One of the reasons I really like the Bond producers is they’re always making smart decisions which confuse idiots eg “why would you cast Daniel Craig instead of Pierce Brosnan?”, “why call a film Quantum of Solace?” Variety gave a half-hearted review of this and I think part of it was due to the anti-Americanism of the script (this would be the most anti-American Bond of them all, despite the nice Felix Leiter, with the CIA complicit in the plot of the baddies in order to get oil rights in Bolivia). It’s even a bit environmental too with the baddies out to control…the world’s water supply.
Daniel Craig is in good bruised form as Bond – every time he’s in an action sequence it seems to hurt him. He’s not bad with a dry quip, I wish they’d given him a few more. It’s a shame also they killed off his mate and the nice British girl he beds (in a homage to Goldfinger). (Having said that the death of his friend is the one really emotionally affecting scene in the movie... because it's about revenge for the death of a character in a previous movie.)
The cast is very strong, with a very good Bond girl and villain. Occasionally some of the chase scenes are a bit too reminiscent of the Bourne films (even the music is familiar) but they are still thrilling. (NB isn’t that a bit insensitive of me – all that work and skill for the sequence and I just wind up saying “a bit too reminiscent of the Bourne films”? Well it’s true).
Some great action sequences – good fights, car chase on a windy cliffside road (there’s always something especially exciting about car chases set in Europe, they seem so much more cramped for space there), some pleasingly exotic locations like Italy, Haiti and Bolivia, a striking Zabriskie Point-like climax with a hotel in the middle of the desert.
Daniel Craig is in good bruised form as Bond – every time he’s in an action sequence it seems to hurt him. He’s not bad with a dry quip, I wish they’d given him a few more. It’s a shame also they killed off his mate and the nice British girl he beds (in a homage to Goldfinger). (Having said that the death of his friend is the one really emotionally affecting scene in the movie... because it's about revenge for the death of a character in a previous movie.)
The cast is very strong, with a very good Bond girl and villain. Occasionally some of the chase scenes are a bit too reminiscent of the Bourne films (even the music is familiar) but they are still thrilling. (NB isn’t that a bit insensitive of me – all that work and skill for the sequence and I just wind up saying “a bit too reminiscent of the Bourne films”? Well it’s true).
Some great action sequences – good fights, car chase on a windy cliffside road (there’s always something especially exciting about car chases set in Europe, they seem so much more cramped for space there), some pleasingly exotic locations like Italy, Haiti and Bolivia, a striking Zabriskie Point-like climax with a hotel in the middle of the desert.
Movie review – Thin Man #1 – “The Thin Man” (1934) ***1/2
Married couples aren’t normally found as movie heroes – filmmakers prefer their leads to come together. There are exceptions, of perhaps which Nick and Nora Charles are among the most famous. They are a marvellous couple, excellently played by William Powell and Myrna Loy, whose enjoyment of their parts are infectious.
Nick Charles is a permanently drunk ex-detective married to rich Myrna Loy, who is the perfect match for him – capable of matching him drink for drink, enjoying his low life friends and swapping quips. She doesn’t even mind when he punches her out (to ensure she doesn’t get shot). Presumably she’ll miss him when he dies of cirrhosis of the liver – he drinks an awful lot, I mean he even gets up in the middle of the night to have a drink. (I wonder if this cute depiction of alcoholism inspired people to take up heavy drinking.)
This is made with MGM polish but has Warner Bros pace, if that makes sense – the director was Woody “keep it movin’” Van Dyke. The support cast is impressive, including Maureen O’Sullivan as the missing man’s daughter and Cesar Romero as (surprise) a gigolo, plus of course Asta the dog. The story is strong, the climax is a classic with Powell inviting all the suspects around for dinner.
Nick Charles is a permanently drunk ex-detective married to rich Myrna Loy, who is the perfect match for him – capable of matching him drink for drink, enjoying his low life friends and swapping quips. She doesn’t even mind when he punches her out (to ensure she doesn’t get shot). Presumably she’ll miss him when he dies of cirrhosis of the liver – he drinks an awful lot, I mean he even gets up in the middle of the night to have a drink. (I wonder if this cute depiction of alcoholism inspired people to take up heavy drinking.)
This is made with MGM polish but has Warner Bros pace, if that makes sense – the director was Woody “keep it movin’” Van Dyke. The support cast is impressive, including Maureen O’Sullivan as the missing man’s daughter and Cesar Romero as (surprise) a gigolo, plus of course Asta the dog. The story is strong, the climax is a classic with Powell inviting all the suspects around for dinner.
Book review – “Voyage Around John Mortimer” by Valerie Groves
Excellent bio on England’s national treasure was beaten to the punch by Graham Lord, who dug lots of the dirt – Mortimer’s countless love affairs and taste for kinky sex, his script for Brideshead Revisited was basically discarded, he didn’t stick up for the producer of the original Rumpole when she was let go, his selfishness, and – the big one – his illegitimate son to Wendy Craig. Indeed, Lord casts a shadow over this – Groves refers to the revelations of his book as a big moment in the lives of the Mortimers, especially Penny.
Although this is authorised, and Groves is a lot more affectionate towards Mortimer than Lord, she doesn’t spare him criticism – it’s clear Mortimer wants to be loved, is loveable, but also exasperating and selfish. You can’t have his output and not be selfish to be honest. She has the benefit of Mortimer’s co operation, and that of his family – they don’t hesitate getting stuck in to him. She talks about Mortimer’s writings in less detail than Lord (especially his early novels) – probably because Lord had to refer to them to flesh out the picture of the man, whereas Groves had access to Penelope Mortimer’s diary and interviews with Penny Mortimer, etc. She comes up with a great score too in revealing that Mortimer was sent down from Oxford for a sex scandal… with a man! (He had an intense amorous friendship with another male student).
Both books are a must for Mortimer fans – ok, well, Mortimer fans interested in finding out a little bit more about Mortimer. They complement each other wonderfully.
Although this is authorised, and Groves is a lot more affectionate towards Mortimer than Lord, she doesn’t spare him criticism – it’s clear Mortimer wants to be loved, is loveable, but also exasperating and selfish. You can’t have his output and not be selfish to be honest. She has the benefit of Mortimer’s co operation, and that of his family – they don’t hesitate getting stuck in to him. She talks about Mortimer’s writings in less detail than Lord (especially his early novels) – probably because Lord had to refer to them to flesh out the picture of the man, whereas Groves had access to Penelope Mortimer’s diary and interviews with Penny Mortimer, etc. She comes up with a great score too in revealing that Mortimer was sent down from Oxford for a sex scandal… with a man! (He had an intense amorous friendship with another male student).
Both books are a must for Mortimer fans – ok, well, Mortimer fans interested in finding out a little bit more about Mortimer. They complement each other wonderfully.
Movie review – Falcon #10 – “The Falcon in Hollywood” (1944) **1/2
The Falcon is a lot more at home in Hollywood than out west and this is a really bright, fast paced mystery, helped with Gordon Douglas’s quick handling. The Falcon is on holiday in the movie capital when he runs into a crim he once put away and gets involved in a mystery. Much of the action takes place on a studio backlot, adding to the fun, and there is an energetic collection of supporting characters: mad European director, Shakespeare-quoting producer, wise cracking female taxi driver (Veda Ann Borg, lots of fun - it's great to see a girl as the Falcon's sidekick), flaky actresses into numerology. Barbara Hale returns to the Falcon series but in a different role; there’s also Jean Brooks in her third Falcon – she plays a designer here. One of the best of the series.
Movie review – Holmes #13 – “Terror By Night” (1946) **1/2
The Rathbone Holmes series was on the slide by this stage – they had started rehashing plots, with the Macguffin again a Koh-i-Noor style diamond, in this case called The Star of Rhodesia. Pursuit to Algiers was set mostly on a boat; this one takes place mostly on a train. The shadow of The Lady Vanishes is apparent, right down to a cabinet with a secret compartment. This is especially interesting in light of the fact that Roy William Neill, who directed both this and the bulk of the series, was originally meant to direct the 1938 Hitchcock film.
Dennis Hoey as Inspector Lestrade makes his first appearance in a while. The actor who plays the son of the owner of the diamond is hilariously wet but it’s okay, he gets killed very soon and Holmes has to find the killer (and the diamond, which has gone missing).
There is a sexy femme fetale on the train but the most obvious suspect is Watson’s old army friend – who turns out to be Col Moran. This is the best thing about the film, the appearance of a decent villain – they really should have revealed him earlier to get more out of him instead of waiting 45 minutes. But Moran’s sidekick isn’t bad, like most films set on trains it is fast paced, and there is a fun scene where Watson tries to interrogate someone on the train.
Plot wise the film probably over-uses the “switch” factor – the diamond’s missing… but it’s not the real diamond, police appear… but they’re not real police, etc. Still, enjoyable.
Movie review – Holmes #12 - “Pursuit to Algiers” (1945) **
Holmes is asked to escort the prince of a tiny European nation to his homeland – in the end-of-war spirit, the ruler’s presence is essential for democracy. While Holmes goes in a plane, Watson is sent off on a boat. Around 20 minutes in come reports that Holmes has died in a plane crash – do you think he’s really dead? Of course he isn’t, and we find out fairly soon that he isn’t, but they already did this in The Spider Woman and it’s even more irritating here.
Most of the film takes place on a ship which you think is an interesting setting, but it quickly gets tired. There’s a lot of walking around, and murder attempts. Some of the actors playing assassins are ok but the prince is bland as cardboard and there’s all this time spent on a not particularly interesting singing character. The twist at the end isn’t bad (that the bloke you think is the prince is actually a stand in) but by then it’s too late – and it’s been used as a twist too often (eg The Narrow Margin).
Bruce’s Watson is particularly dim in this one, being of little help to Holmes (although he does regale passengers with the story of the Rat of Sumatra, and sings “Danny Boy”). They play up the Watson-and-Holmes-as-an-old-married-couple angle in this one – watch the bit towards the end where Holmes is practically sitting in Watson’s lap.
Most of the film takes place on a ship which you think is an interesting setting, but it quickly gets tired. There’s a lot of walking around, and murder attempts. Some of the actors playing assassins are ok but the prince is bland as cardboard and there’s all this time spent on a not particularly interesting singing character. The twist at the end isn’t bad (that the bloke you think is the prince is actually a stand in) but by then it’s too late – and it’s been used as a twist too often (eg The Narrow Margin).
Bruce’s Watson is particularly dim in this one, being of little help to Holmes (although he does regale passengers with the story of the Rat of Sumatra, and sings “Danny Boy”). They play up the Watson-and-Holmes-as-an-old-married-couple angle in this one – watch the bit towards the end where Holmes is practically sitting in Watson’s lap.
Play review – “Seven Keys to Baldpate” by George M Cohan (warning: spoilers)
A play I always wanted to read simply because RKO made so many versions of it (and it was available for one two dollars). What was the appeal? Well, it’s got a decent central idea, one location, a bunch of decent roles, and a twist ending. A novelist makes a bet he can write an entirely novel in twenty four hours at Baldplate Inn, for which he is given what is meant to be the only key. The Inn is a summer resort at winter time – was Steven King inspired by this for The Shining? As the title indicates there are six other keys, each one owned by a different person – a hermit, female reporter, gangster, corrupt mayor, etc. The macguffin is a safe full of cash relating to a corrupt railway transaction.
The writer character is a little irritating and he gets the drop on the others a bit too easily, but it’s very fast paced and the sheer number of characters alone mean that something is always happening. The twist ending surely must have inspired the Michael Douglas starrer, The Game – it’s very similar, from the reveal that everyone is an actor to the main guy still falling in love with the girl.
Book review – “Oscar Micheaux” by Patrick McGilligan
McGilligan is the best movie biographer working consistently today so every new work of his is worth consideration. I bought this without knowing anything about Micheaux and found it a fascinating, rewarding work, done with McGilligan’s typical thoroughness and skill. Michaeux was a black film director in the first half of the twentieth century, which is remarkable enough – he was also a best selling author, made over forty films, from the silent to the post WW2 era, made highly personal works. Although his reputation has increased greatly over the years he’s still not that well known, at least outside black historical circles – partly because he rarely worked with anyone who became well known. There were exceptions, the leading one of which was Paul Robeson, who starred in Michaeux’s Body and Soul. You also may have heard of Lorenzo Tucker, the “black Valentino” who was Michaeux’s leading man.
Michaeux’s career began oddly – he was a Pullman porter, then became a farmer, and did okay at it for a couple of years too despite living out in the middle of nowhere (the only black person in his region), then losing a lot of his money in land speculation; he turned his experiences into a novel, the rights to which were sought by black filmmakers and he turned director himself. At first I thought McGilligan spent too much time on Michaeux’s farming career but the period proved invaluable to his career – it provided him with material for which he returned to again and again in his films and books, but also taught him a lesson… never ever give up. (Was Michaeux the first farmer turned director? As in proper farmer, not hobbyist?)
Michaeux never enjoyed a consistent stream of luck - when he had a hit film he struggled getting money back, when he found a wealthy backer he ended up in court with them, when he made money via some best selling novels towards the end of his life he blew it on one more film and died poor. He didn't even enjoy consistent support from the black press. But he kept going at it - good on him.
Michaeux’s career began oddly – he was a Pullman porter, then became a farmer, and did okay at it for a couple of years too despite living out in the middle of nowhere (the only black person in his region), then losing a lot of his money in land speculation; he turned his experiences into a novel, the rights to which were sought by black filmmakers and he turned director himself. At first I thought McGilligan spent too much time on Michaeux’s farming career but the period proved invaluable to his career – it provided him with material for which he returned to again and again in his films and books, but also taught him a lesson… never ever give up. (Was Michaeux the first farmer turned director? As in proper farmer, not hobbyist?)
Michaeux never enjoyed a consistent stream of luck - when he had a hit film he struggled getting money back, when he found a wealthy backer he ended up in court with them, when he made money via some best selling novels towards the end of his life he blew it on one more film and died poor. He didn't even enjoy consistent support from the black press. But he kept going at it - good on him.
Movie review – Falcon #8 – “The Falcon Out West” (1944) **
At one stage the Falcon was engaged to a trashy Texan heiress but that character doesn’t appear in this Western-flavoured adventure, which starts with a Texan tycoon dying in a city nightclub … of a rattlesnake bite. The man’s fiancée is suspect number one and the Falcon tries to save the day, resulting in them staying at a ranch out west. One of the gals who works there is played by a pre-Perry Mason Barbara Hale, giving the support cast a bit of zing.
The series was a well-oiled machine by this stage – it feels confident and sure of itself. Having said that, it doesn’t quite work to have the Falcon operating on a ranch – he seems to suit the city and the night, not the great outdoors (its jarring to see him on a horse.) There’s a little bit of Hollywood liberalism at play here – it’s pointed out that the ranch is on land stolen by the Indians and the Indians are annoyed by it. Also a good scene where Barbara Hale’s father realises everyone think he’s guilty.
The series was a well-oiled machine by this stage – it feels confident and sure of itself. Having said that, it doesn’t quite work to have the Falcon operating on a ranch – he seems to suit the city and the night, not the great outdoors (its jarring to see him on a horse.) There’s a little bit of Hollywood liberalism at play here – it’s pointed out that the ranch is on land stolen by the Indians and the Indians are annoyed by it. Also a good scene where Barbara Hale’s father realises everyone think he’s guilty.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Movie review - "Uncivilised" (1936) **1/2
This would be the least regarded of Charles Chauvel's sound movies but its far from being his worst made -clearly Chauvel's attempt at making something "commercial", it's a fascinating mess, which is nonetheless surprisingly watchable.
Beautiful Margot Rhys is a female novelist persuaded to venture into Australia's unexplored north west where rumours say a white man has been raised among the locals, whom he rules. Rhys ventures north as part of a caravan, but is kidnapped by an Afghan trader and shipped to the white man (Dennis Hoey), who remarks that he's heard of the white lubra. Rhy has to deal with Hoey's burning passion (he slaps her around at one stage) and singing, not to mention the jealousy of a half-caste woman - who apparently cannot be with Hoey because she is half caste (and we're meant to believe that Hoey hasn't touched local women for fear of miscegination). There's also some opium smugglers plus a missing detective called Peter Radcliffe, whose name is mentioned a lot and who turns out to be as much as hero as Hoey, some rubies, a renegade aboriginal warrior and a drug (with historical basis - see this article).
As George MacDonald Fraser once said about Hamlet, to say this is racist is like describing Hamlet as a family row: although raised by local aboriginals, Hoey is shown to be superior basically because of his white skin and the film is obssessed with miscegination. None of the aboriginal characters are given any dimension, indeed they are lucky to get lines outside of chanting, and in terms of accuracy the thing is a mish mash - the aboriginals depicted were from Palm Island, not the Kimberly, and many will find the villainous witchdoctor characters and so on offensive. Actually many will find the whole thing offenive.
Having said that at least they are real aboriginals not white actors in blackface - Chauvel's documentary background ensures that, and it is always visually striking, with these great faces on the actors. There is plenty of plot and action, with a tremendous climatic battle, and it is all fast paced. Also Rhys goes for a quite sexy nude swim.
Dennis Hoey's physique isn't bad but he's too old and is no Johnny Weismuller - apart from his fine singing voice and white skin it's hard to see what Rhys sees in him. (He's not even that brave). Rhys is pretty and its fun to hear Aussie accents mouthing all the ripe dialogue - it's as if Chauvel was told he could direct the next Tarzan film by MGM and cast all his Aussie mates.
The film is available in the public domain and can be downloaded on the net.
Beautiful Margot Rhys is a female novelist persuaded to venture into Australia's unexplored north west where rumours say a white man has been raised among the locals, whom he rules. Rhys ventures north as part of a caravan, but is kidnapped by an Afghan trader and shipped to the white man (Dennis Hoey), who remarks that he's heard of the white lubra. Rhy has to deal with Hoey's burning passion (he slaps her around at one stage) and singing, not to mention the jealousy of a half-caste woman - who apparently cannot be with Hoey because she is half caste (and we're meant to believe that Hoey hasn't touched local women for fear of miscegination). There's also some opium smugglers plus a missing detective called Peter Radcliffe, whose name is mentioned a lot and who turns out to be as much as hero as Hoey, some rubies, a renegade aboriginal warrior and a drug (with historical basis - see this article).
As George MacDonald Fraser once said about Hamlet, to say this is racist is like describing Hamlet as a family row: although raised by local aboriginals, Hoey is shown to be superior basically because of his white skin and the film is obssessed with miscegination. None of the aboriginal characters are given any dimension, indeed they are lucky to get lines outside of chanting, and in terms of accuracy the thing is a mish mash - the aboriginals depicted were from Palm Island, not the Kimberly, and many will find the villainous witchdoctor characters and so on offensive. Actually many will find the whole thing offenive.
Having said that at least they are real aboriginals not white actors in blackface - Chauvel's documentary background ensures that, and it is always visually striking, with these great faces on the actors. There is plenty of plot and action, with a tremendous climatic battle, and it is all fast paced. Also Rhys goes for a quite sexy nude swim.
Dennis Hoey's physique isn't bad but he's too old and is no Johnny Weismuller - apart from his fine singing voice and white skin it's hard to see what Rhys sees in him. (He's not even that brave). Rhys is pretty and its fun to hear Aussie accents mouthing all the ripe dialogue - it's as if Chauvel was told he could direct the next Tarzan film by MGM and cast all his Aussie mates.
The film is available in the public domain and can be downloaded on the net.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Movie review – Holmes #11 – The Woman in Green” (1945) ***
The Rathbone Sherlock Holmes series were very violent – this one is about a serial killer bumping off young women a la Jack the Ripper and severing their finger. It starts with a more downbeat, film noir tone, with narration from a police inspector (not Lestrade – some other guy, Gregson, Matthew Boulton, not comic but he seems to be no more competent) – and there is lots of smoking.
This one has the benefit of Henry Daniell as Moriarty – after appearing in the series as a henchman and a red herring, it’s great to see him centre stage. Unfortunately after a great beginning, this doesn’t quite hit the top mark. There’s not enough duelling between Holmes and Moriarty (there’s only one scene together); indeed there’s not enough Moriarty full stop. Also, after they set up this killer plot it then gets bogged down into all this stuff about blackmail and hypnotism (there are two long hypnotism scenes). It’s awfully complicated of Moriarty to go around killing people in order to blackmail them – couldn’t he do something less violent? The finale isn’t that exciting because it’s obvious Holmes would never be hypnotised. With the benefit of hindsight, this can perhaps be seen to be the start of the series’ decline.
The support cast isn’t bad, with an okay femme fetale (Hillary Brooke) and an excellent creepy sidekick of Holmes who is the one who cuts off fingers. Moriarty plunges to his death for the fourth time in the series – I’m not kidding, the fourth time!
There’s a touching moment where Moriarty tells Holmes he’s kidnapped Watson and Holmes gets worried. Holmes aficionados will also love the bit where a woman offers to inject Holmes with a drug to help him sleep and he reacts badly to the idea of drugs.
This one has the benefit of Henry Daniell as Moriarty – after appearing in the series as a henchman and a red herring, it’s great to see him centre stage. Unfortunately after a great beginning, this doesn’t quite hit the top mark. There’s not enough duelling between Holmes and Moriarty (there’s only one scene together); indeed there’s not enough Moriarty full stop. Also, after they set up this killer plot it then gets bogged down into all this stuff about blackmail and hypnotism (there are two long hypnotism scenes). It’s awfully complicated of Moriarty to go around killing people in order to blackmail them – couldn’t he do something less violent? The finale isn’t that exciting because it’s obvious Holmes would never be hypnotised. With the benefit of hindsight, this can perhaps be seen to be the start of the series’ decline.
The support cast isn’t bad, with an okay femme fetale (Hillary Brooke) and an excellent creepy sidekick of Holmes who is the one who cuts off fingers. Moriarty plunges to his death for the fourth time in the series – I’m not kidding, the fourth time!
There’s a touching moment where Moriarty tells Holmes he’s kidnapped Watson and Holmes gets worried. Holmes aficionados will also love the bit where a woman offers to inject Holmes with a drug to help him sleep and he reacts badly to the idea of drugs.
Movie review – Holmes #9 – “The Pearl of Death” (1945) ***1/2
Evelyn Ankers was best known for playing really likeable screaming damsels of distress in horror movies, so it’s fun to see her as a femme fetale, a jewel thief in cahoots with crime genius Miles Mander. This must have been a fun role for Ankers to do, as both she and Mander undertake a variety of disguises.
They are after an expensive pearl with a dark history, rather similar to the Koh-in-Noor diamond. Mander gets away with the pearl due to stuff up by Holmes, which is a fresh twist – he has to track it down. A lot of the film is scene from the point of view of Mander and Ankers – Holmes is playing catch up a lot of the time.
There’s a joker in a pack – a ruthless killer, the Creeper, who goes around breaking people’s backs. (The next time you hear some old soul go on about violence in the movies today, tell them about the Rathbone Holmes series – bodies chopped up and put in suitcases, a killer who breaks his victims backs, throats ripped out.)
This one has more gadgets – a book with a dagger that lunges out of it, secret messages on plates. There’s also a bigger role for Lestrade and a clever bit where Holmes listens in on a conversation between Ankers and Mander, then impersonates Mander.
Mander is a smart crook (he steals a pearl from under Holmes’ noses, gets a gun off Holmes due to Holmes’s monologuing) but even though he admits to Holmes he gets a lot of ideas from him, Holmes says he doesn’t like crooks like Mander because they have the stench of cruelty. Personally I think he’s just a poor loser. (Though it is contrived that Mander doesn’t shoot Holmes at the end when he has the chance – and lets him chat away turning the Creeper against Mander).
Rondo Hatton is a surprise in this one, as the Creeper with the crush on Evelyn Ankers, who is used by Ankers and Mander for evil ends. He’s not very smart though, being easily conned by Holmes then charging at him. Still, an effective villain, and his appearance packs a wallop.
This is very strong Holmes entry, a lot of fun. No real war talk at the end, just Holmes going on about people being greedy over pearls and wouldn’t it be nice if we weren’t like that.
They are after an expensive pearl with a dark history, rather similar to the Koh-in-Noor diamond. Mander gets away with the pearl due to stuff up by Holmes, which is a fresh twist – he has to track it down. A lot of the film is scene from the point of view of Mander and Ankers – Holmes is playing catch up a lot of the time.
There’s a joker in a pack – a ruthless killer, the Creeper, who goes around breaking people’s backs. (The next time you hear some old soul go on about violence in the movies today, tell them about the Rathbone Holmes series – bodies chopped up and put in suitcases, a killer who breaks his victims backs, throats ripped out.)
This one has more gadgets – a book with a dagger that lunges out of it, secret messages on plates. There’s also a bigger role for Lestrade and a clever bit where Holmes listens in on a conversation between Ankers and Mander, then impersonates Mander.
Mander is a smart crook (he steals a pearl from under Holmes’ noses, gets a gun off Holmes due to Holmes’s monologuing) but even though he admits to Holmes he gets a lot of ideas from him, Holmes says he doesn’t like crooks like Mander because they have the stench of cruelty. Personally I think he’s just a poor loser. (Though it is contrived that Mander doesn’t shoot Holmes at the end when he has the chance – and lets him chat away turning the Creeper against Mander).
Rondo Hatton is a surprise in this one, as the Creeper with the crush on Evelyn Ankers, who is used by Ankers and Mander for evil ends. He’s not very smart though, being easily conned by Holmes then charging at him. Still, an effective villain, and his appearance packs a wallop.
This is very strong Holmes entry, a lot of fun. No real war talk at the end, just Holmes going on about people being greedy over pearls and wouldn’t it be nice if we weren’t like that.
Book review – “Around the World in 80 Days” by Jules Verne
Maybe creaks a bit but so many marvellous ideas – the central conceit, the character of Phileas Fogg, Passperteaut in trouble for not wearing the right shoes, cutting up a ship in order to make fuel, a duel on a train. There’s also a lovely sweet moment where Auoda (who is Indian – but Verne reassures us that she’s practically white) proposes to Fogg at his lowest ebb – this is really sweet.
Book review – “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” by Ken Kesey
Enjoyed it but preferred the movie – Jack Nicholson was so well cast. I struggled imagining Kirk Douglas in the part – he would have been too strong and mean somehow. The theme of striving to be an individual – “I tried at least, I tried” – hasn’t dated a jot, but its irritating how all the women are bitches or whores.
Movie review – Holmes #8 – “The Scarlet Claw” (1944) ****
French Canada always seems to have this glamour lacking in English-speaking Canada, and it provides a wonderfully spooky setting for this gruesome Holmes tale. A lady has been killed – her throat was ripped out, just like recent killings of sheep. Rumours blame it on a local legend, a la Hound of the Baskervilles (which Watson refers to) but when Holmes receives a letter from the deceased asking to help, he investigates.
There’s mysterious inn keepers, not one but two beautiful tormented girls, lots of lurking around the moors, a bit of special effects (a glowing creature running loose – which Holmes shoots at without first saying “stop” or anything), a scared judge in a wheelchair, a cosy pub where the fifty worders sing songs.
The story is very strong, one of the best in the series. Holmes has to work really hard to figure out what’s going on. The villain is strong, a crazy actor who is a master of disguise and very smart. He’s a different sort of villain to the normal Moriarty’s because we never know who he is… yet we’re aware of his presence for the last half hour (we see him in shadows, using false voices, etc). In one scary scene he kills a judge by taking over the judge’s maid’s identity (it’s a big shock – like Anthony Perkins in a dress in Psycho) – then basically ripping the judge’s throat out with a trowel!
So you can forgive the fact that there’s a monologing confession scene where he’s pointing a gun at Holmes and says to him “I can see no reason why I shouldn’t tell you” and delivers a batch of exposition. This is a lazy moment in an otherwise first-rate script.
There’s also a full on scene where they discover a young girl has been killed – this has special impact because Holmes is really affected by it, by more than any death in the series to date. (Watson takes it in stride.) The Spider Woman is more fun, but this is the darkest of the Rathbone Holmes – with Holmes quite happily letting the murdered be killed. It gets better and better as it goes on, although to be honest you can pick the main disguise the killer uses because the moustache is a bit too obvious. Miles Matheson is excellent as a paranoid judge,
There is no war stuff except for Holmes quoting Churchill on Canada at the end – maybe because to compensate for it not being a particularly positive depiction of that country (with moors and killers).
There’s mysterious inn keepers, not one but two beautiful tormented girls, lots of lurking around the moors, a bit of special effects (a glowing creature running loose – which Holmes shoots at without first saying “stop” or anything), a scared judge in a wheelchair, a cosy pub where the fifty worders sing songs.
The story is very strong, one of the best in the series. Holmes has to work really hard to figure out what’s going on. The villain is strong, a crazy actor who is a master of disguise and very smart. He’s a different sort of villain to the normal Moriarty’s because we never know who he is… yet we’re aware of his presence for the last half hour (we see him in shadows, using false voices, etc). In one scary scene he kills a judge by taking over the judge’s maid’s identity (it’s a big shock – like Anthony Perkins in a dress in Psycho) – then basically ripping the judge’s throat out with a trowel!
So you can forgive the fact that there’s a monologing confession scene where he’s pointing a gun at Holmes and says to him “I can see no reason why I shouldn’t tell you” and delivers a batch of exposition. This is a lazy moment in an otherwise first-rate script.
There’s also a full on scene where they discover a young girl has been killed – this has special impact because Holmes is really affected by it, by more than any death in the series to date. (Watson takes it in stride.) The Spider Woman is more fun, but this is the darkest of the Rathbone Holmes – with Holmes quite happily letting the murdered be killed. It gets better and better as it goes on, although to be honest you can pick the main disguise the killer uses because the moustache is a bit too obvious. Miles Matheson is excellent as a paranoid judge,
There is no war stuff except for Holmes quoting Churchill on Canada at the end – maybe because to compensate for it not being a particularly positive depiction of that country (with moors and killers).
Movie review – “Gypsy Wildcat” (1944) **1/2
After the Middle East and the South Seas, Maria Montez and Jon Hall found themselves in Europe, playing gypsies. The Technicolor photography was a big attraction for their earlier films, but not so much in this one – it’s a very black and white seeming movie, if that makes sense. Many of the support cast are normally found in black and white films – Gale Sondegaard, Nigel Bruce, Leo Carillo, Douglas Dumbrille – and the director, Roy William Neill, usually worked in black and white (including Sherlock Holmes and Frankenstein movies). Indeed, he directs like a black and white director. There’s a gypsy number towards the end that’s just like the one in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man.
Maria plays a gypsy girl (cue some dodgy dancing) who catches the attention of nobleman Hall. The gypsies are persecuted by an evil Baron (Douglas Dumbrille) and his henchman – something which has extra resonance considering the persecution real life gypsies were suffering at the time.
There are some more traditional swashbuckling moments – Hall represents the king, the baddies are rogue nobles (Hall is investigating the death of a good noble which Dumbrille is blaming on the gypsies), there are escapes from castles with moat, shenanigans with bows and arrows.
There’s also a Western influence, with Hall chasing down a stagecoach at the end and the gypsy cavalry coming to the rescue. If you think it’s odd Maria would be playing someone as low-ranked as a gypsy, don’t worry – she’s actually the long lost daughter of a noble. (NB and even though the gypsies ride off at the end, as if they’re not going to be hanging around in future scabbing off her)
Some guy called Peter Coe is billed above the title with Montez and Hall – presumably he stepped into a role meant for Sabu (who had enlisted). He’s this lunkish sort of actor, not bad looking but the type of guy who normally played suspects in the Saint movies, or members of gangs. It’s a shame this role isn’t played by Turhan Bey – I never thought I’d write those words, but Bey carried a sense of menace even in his sympathetic performances which would have added an extra dimension to this part. He does get a death scene at the end, but it would have meant a bit more had he been given a bit more character to play with.
If you found it odd that Richard Brooks worked on the script for White Savage and Cobra Woman, this one was co-written by James Cain. There is a clever bit where the gypsies get Hall away from the authorities by conking him on the head and dressing him as a clown.
Maria has a good moment when Dumbrille threatens to brand her and she reveals her bare shoulder and looks at him defiant as if to go, “get stuck in, then”. Dumbrille is a strong villain, smart and human (he loves Maria’s beauty) and he gets a neat death scene, impaling himself on an arrow by walking backwards while Hall watches. (NB Hall rarely got to kill the baddie in these films, either they walked backwards and impaled themselves or the work was done by an exploding volcano or a friend of Hall’s).
This is okay, but it lacks that special zing of madness, camp and colour that marked the first four Hall-Montez films. Those early movies really belonged to Hall and Montez, this one feels as though they could easily star Cornel Wilde and Patricia Medina, or some other combination.
Movie review – “Cobra Woman” (1944) ***1/2
The third and final collaboration between Maria Montez, Jon Hall and Sabu saw their talents complemented by one of Universal’s biggest names, Lon Chaney, and two filmmakers who would achieve great distinction, Richard Brooks (co-screenplay) and Robert Siodmark. If you had to pay your dues, why not on enjoyable tosh like this?
This one starts with Maria and Jon already going out – they’re engaged to be married, plans which are thrown when Maria is abducted by her people and taken to Cobra Island. It turns out that Maria is actually descended from a nasty tribe, and Jon heads off to fetch her with Sabu.
This film feels very Tarzan, complete with a lost civilisation ruled by an evil princess, plenty of action, and a comic chimpanzee. It is more fantastical than their other movies, with outrageous head gear and a strong element of magic. Maria has been brought back in order to help her people against her evil twin sister, also played by Maria… causing Jon Hall to innocently go the pash (one time rather awkwardly under water), and getting into all sorts of strife. Unlike the baddie in Arabian Nights we know evil Maria is evil because she’s really into human sacrifices.
The best thing about the film, apart from the beautiful Technicolour photography, are the sets. The image of evil Montez sitting in her cobra throne with cobra headdress has become deservedly famous (it’s the image of Montez that is best known). Some of it is a bit ludicrous.
The camp highlight is Montez doing a cobra dance around a cobra then pointing at various young women who are to be sacrificed – she looks like she’s having a fit at Studio 54 or something. Also funny is when evil Montez dies by walking backwards out a window (still with ten minutes to go). This set a template – Douglas Dumbrille would kill himself by walking backwards in Gypsy Wildcat.
But the story is perfectly serviceable, it’s got a woman coming to the rescue of a man at the end instead of the other way around (although it’s not too feminist – she gives up her crown for him at the end), Lon Chaney plays a dumb ally of Hall and Sabu, there is a fun climax with fighting, swinging on ropes and a volcano exploding.
Movie review – “White Savage” (1943) ***1/2
Audiences lapped up Maria Montez, Jon Hall and Sabu in Arabian Nights so Universal whisked them over another location ideal of technicolour escapism, the South Seas. This was the region that made Hall famous, back in 1937’s Hurricane, and was enjoying a resurgence of popularity around this time – Dorothy Lamour being the most notable star.
Maria Montez was an awkward actor but she’s very pretty and has fun as an imperious island princess. Her island contains some valuable natural resources – some jewels and sharks. Nasty Thomas Gomez wants the former, fisherman Jon Hall is only interested in hunting the latter (so he says).
Montez and Hall have better chemistry here than they did in Arabian Nights and Ali Baba – partly because their relationship doesn’t have the suspicion hanging over it in the other two films that Montez wants to marry Hall because he’s royalty; here he’s just a fisherman, so she genuinely likes him. It also helps that they joke around a bit and go for a swim together – both seem to be into each other.
Turhan Bey is very good in a role for which he is excellently suited, as Montez’s wastrel brother. Sidney Toler’s oriental lawyer suffers under too much make up but Sabu adds youth, energy and charm in his side kick part. Gorgeous technicolour photography and great sets – Universal didn’t stint on the budget for this one.
Richard Brooks is given sole credit for the screenplay (someone else is credited for the story) and he has nothing to be ashamed about; the card playing sequence involving Hall, Bey and Thomas Gomez feels a bit rougher-edged than many in these sort of movies – perhaps this was Brooks’ influence.
There are some spectacular special effects during the volcano climax, even if it does mean our heroes mostly stand around trying to avoid having things fall on them instead of doing something really heroic. Good fun.
Movie review – Falcon #7 – “Falcon and the Co-eds” (1943) **1/2
Falcon films ended with a damsel in distress asking for the Falcon’s help, but usually didn’t actually flow on to the next one. But at the end of The Falcon in Danger a woman told Falcon there had been a murder at her school – which is the plot of this one. Not that there’s too much continuity – this starts from scratch, with a girl (played by Amelita Ward, who plays the Falcon’s Texan fiancée in The Falcon in Danger) kissing the Falcon then asking him to help investigate a murder of one of the staff at a seminary. (Though the official line is that the person died of natural causes.)
There is a creepy element of all girls schools and this is alluded to in the shape of the psychic student (Rita Corday) and some mysterious staff who are clearly hiding something. Indeed, towards the end with the psychic freaking out and wind billowing through the trees and a woman about to kill herself by jumping off a cliff, with waves crashing below, it becomes very Val Lewton. Actually, if they’d gone along more this line, this would have been a classic. But they could never quite get the tone right.
The film is also comic, with laughs based on the Falcon running loose at an all-girl school, and a few songs performed by the girls.
Good performances – Jean Brooks, who plays the school teacher, was a good actor (like Ward and Corday she was in other Falcons).
Movie review – Holmes #7 – “The Spider Woman” (1944) ****
There’s a mysterious spate of suicides – but Holmes says he’s too ill to investigate it because of dizzy spells. He falls in the river and everyone thinks he’s drowned – which is a pretty full on way of starting the movie, even though of course he’s faking, because Watson, Lestrade and Mrs Hudson genuinely think he’s dead and are really upset. Watson is going through scrapbooks of their old cases (including The Giant Rat of Sumatra) when Holmes turns up. Apart from this rather nasty trick of Holmes, this is the best Rathbone Holmes movie – just over an hour, without an ounce of fat on it, everyone in top form.
Holmes is convinced that the crimes are committed by a woman because they are particularly malicious and cruel. In this he’s right – it’s Gale Sondegaard, a terrific antagonist for Holmes. So Holmes blacks up and goes undercover as an Indian royal… but it’s not long before Sondegaard figures out who he is.
The duels between Rathbone and Sondegaard are wonderful – lots of flirting and intelligence. It’s wonderful when Sondegaard visits Holmes place and each one knows what the other one has been up to, and are clearly enjoying the fact. But then, just to remind everyone that they’re not mates – she almost kills Holmes with a deadly gas. It’s a great shame she was never brought back again as a character in the series.
There’s also plenty of spook factor, with the baddies killing people using a combination of deadly spiders and a pygmy – even creepier is the scene with the little kid who catches imaginary fliers. Actually there’s lots of memorable scenes: Watson thinks Holmes has visited him in disguise – but it’s actually a real person; Watson does something genuinely useful, recognising a skeleton as one belonging to an adult, not a child; Holmes and Watson visiting a spider expert; Sondegaard luring Holmes to danger by appealing to his sense of drama (setting up at a sideshow); and a brilliant climax where Sondegaard tries to kill Holmes via a shooting gallery (Watson is a good shot but fortunately a bit slow).
War propaganda is limited to Holmes going to a sideshow alley and shooting at targets including Mussolini and Hirohito. No war speech at the end, although Holmes comments on how it was clever on Sondegaard to try and kill people in a crowd – perhaps a criticism of our selfish ways or something. Actually, nah., I’m just reading things into it.
Holmes is convinced that the crimes are committed by a woman because they are particularly malicious and cruel. In this he’s right – it’s Gale Sondegaard, a terrific antagonist for Holmes. So Holmes blacks up and goes undercover as an Indian royal… but it’s not long before Sondegaard figures out who he is.
The duels between Rathbone and Sondegaard are wonderful – lots of flirting and intelligence. It’s wonderful when Sondegaard visits Holmes place and each one knows what the other one has been up to, and are clearly enjoying the fact. But then, just to remind everyone that they’re not mates – she almost kills Holmes with a deadly gas. It’s a great shame she was never brought back again as a character in the series.
There’s also plenty of spook factor, with the baddies killing people using a combination of deadly spiders and a pygmy – even creepier is the scene with the little kid who catches imaginary fliers. Actually there’s lots of memorable scenes: Watson thinks Holmes has visited him in disguise – but it’s actually a real person; Watson does something genuinely useful, recognising a skeleton as one belonging to an adult, not a child; Holmes and Watson visiting a spider expert; Sondegaard luring Holmes to danger by appealing to his sense of drama (setting up at a sideshow); and a brilliant climax where Sondegaard tries to kill Holmes via a shooting gallery (Watson is a good shot but fortunately a bit slow).
War propaganda is limited to Holmes going to a sideshow alley and shooting at targets including Mussolini and Hirohito. No war speech at the end, although Holmes comments on how it was clever on Sondegaard to try and kill people in a crowd – perhaps a criticism of our selfish ways or something. Actually, nah., I’m just reading things into it.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Movie review - "Sudan" (1945) **1/2
After five films together with Jon Hall it's almost like watching infidelity when you see Maria Montez cosy up to Turhan Bey, despite the fact that Hall is still in the movie (and what's more is billed about Bey). Universal must have thought it was time to vary the formula a little. They also must have been building Bey into a star, although that didn't last long.
Bey is an odd sort of dashing leading man - he plays the part in his usual smooth-tongued gigolo style (only without a moustache). He's the leader of a band of ex-slaves turned rebels in Ancient Egypt. Maria Montez is an Egyptian princess who likes to pretend to be one of the people - she thinks Bey killed her dad and goes undercover to get him.
This saw Montez, Bey and Hall reunited with the writer and director of Arabian Nights, and the plot is similar to that film, with Montez instead of Hall as the royalty who who falls in with a rough crowd (Hall and And Devine as horse thieves) and a rebel, and there is palace intrigue involving a villainous adviser (here played by George Zucco). There's even a climax where the male romantic hero (here, Bey) fights the baddy (Zucco) - but the baddy is killed by someone else (Hall).
The best things about the film are, once again, the sets and colour - the ancient Egyptian setting is a real novelty. Maria Montez looks really lovely, but Bey is a bit out of his depth and he and Hall look a bit silly to be honest with their head gear and tight shorts. Some pretty shots of horses galloping across the desert (singing on the soundtrack but we don't see them sing). Not enough action.
Movie review - Holmes #10 - "Sherlock Holmes and the House of Fear" (1945) ***
Another very strong Holmes entry, even if it doesn't quite reach the top rank. Based on Doyle's story the "Adenture of the Five Orange Pips" this has Watson and Holmes investigate the deaths of members of a secret society in Scotland. This is pleasingly creepy, mostly set in a cliff top castle with lots of lightning and thunderstorms, with Aubrey Mathers fun as a batty member of the society (although the support cast isn't as strong as in previous entries). There is a solid twist at the end. No war propaganda.
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