Radio review – Lux – “Seven Keys to Baldpate” (1939) ***

The RKO perennial turned into a vehicle for Jack Benny and Mary Livingstone, who play themselves – as does Cecil B de Mille! Benny offers to stay the night at de Mille's place and come up with a story - if he does so, de Mille will cast him in a film. It's a convoluted set up - even more than the original play - but once it gets going the action flies by and Benny is fun. Good fun. Perhaps one twist too many at the end.

Play review – “Titus Andronicus” by William Shakespeare

A good strong play – the lines of conflict are clear, the story works, the characters defined. Tamora is another great early female role; Aaron, the Queens’as lover, is a strong black role – villainous to be sure, but sexy and smart. It's a full on play: Titus is a top general who thinks he’s going to be the Emperor’s father in law, only his daughter runs off with the Emperor’s brother instead – causing the Emperor to marry the Queen of the Goths. Titus’s daughter is raped and has her hands cut off and tongue removed, while her husband is killed. Titus’s sons are blamed and executed; Titus offers up a hand to save them but it’s not taken. You feel sorry for Titus but then he kills his own daughter for being raped.

Shakespeare was probably going through an anti woman phase at this stage – taming Kate, raping pretty things, etc. Characters aren’t hugely deep and everyone is this pulsating mass of viciousness – Temora, Aaron. I think the fact this is not set in England meant Shakespeare didn’t have to worry about politics as much – no one had to be patriotic, everyone is ruthless. I’m surprised this isn’t better known - probably because of the violence.

Play review – “Comedy of Errors” by William Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s shortest play, adapted from Plautus (lesson from Shakespeare to up and coming writers: if you’re going to learn how to write, adapt an existing work – either historical record or something out of copyright. Also if you’re going to learn structure, write a farce). The plot is about two sets of twins who wind up in a town – mix ups result, accentuated by the fact that each twin has the same name, and revolving around. Throw in a ticking clock where an arrested man has a day to pay a fine or else he’s going to be killed.

The humour is very broad - jokes where masters beat servants (not really funny), jokes about a fat girl describing countries in her body, about going bald. It lacks any really memorable characters although I enjoyed the squabbling married couple, vicious in their insults (she’s convinced he’s cheating and gets a witch doctor to deprogram him).

On the the whole this is good fun – there's plenty of action, good structure, a bit of romance and a happy ending. It’s like a good solid sitcom, and that’s not a back handed compliment at all.

Play review – “Taming of the Shrew” by William Shakespeare

Great archetypal rom com plot – they are still doing variations on it today (and Shakespeare couldn’t have invited it for all his genius). It takes a long time to get going – there's this prologue with a lord, and servants, and some strolling players (what was the point of this?), but then once it gets going it's the battle of the sexes we all know and love and argue over.

There’s a theory Shakespeare had access to a good “female” actor in his early days because there were some good parts (not as good as for the blokes, true, but still good): Queen Margaret, Queen Anne, Juliet, and here, Katerine. She is a really nasty piece of work – she hits her sister and Petruchio. However she doesn't deserve her treatment here.

There's no doubt this is a sexist and misogynist play – you can make the argument that it isn’t, but why can’t people just accept just because Shakespeare was a genius doesn’t mean he can’t be sexist? Petruchio bullies Kate in to submission – he even starves her. But it’s got a great central situation, strong characters, lots of entertaining dialogue exchanges (in particular word play). I was surprise how mean and how little time spent on the famous duelling couple – as much time is spent on pursuit of Bianca. Not one of Shakespeare's great plays but very influential in its own way.

Radio review – Lux - “Only Angels Have Wings” (1940) ***

Lux was perhaps the most prestigious radio drama show of its day, for movie stars at least. This adaptation of the Hawks classic has Jean Arthur, Cary Grant, Thomas Mitchell, Rita Hayworth, Richard Barthemless, etc. This doesn't quite capture the flavour of the Hawks classic - you just need those visuals of the actors walking around being comfortable in their masculinity - but it's pretty close and it's rousing entertainment.

Movie review – “Foxy Brown” (1974) **1/2

A sort-of sequel Coffy with Pam Grier back as a hot black chick out for revenge under the direction of Jack Hill. Instead of being motivated by a drug addict sister (she does have a druggie brother but he’s totally unsympathetic) she’s out to get revenge on behalf of her murdered boyfriend (Terry Carter – Colonel Tigh from the first incantation of Battlestar Galactica). So she goes undercover as – what else? - a call girl. (Coffy was a nurse but Foxy Brown isn’t given a job.)

There’s a great credit sequence with Pam Grier dancing along to the terrific Willie Hutch theme song. Its reminiscent of James Bond movies and so is this film, with its sexy superhero and outlandish villains (one of whom even has a swivel chair). It is still 70s in some unpleasant ways, including the throat cutting of a naked woman.

Grier is fantastic value, all big afro, massive boobs and attitude. She shoots at her brother, beats up a bunch of lesbians in a barroom brawl (a another great Jack Hill girl on girl fight), various gangsters, etc. She also gets tortured and raped but manages to triumph by bringing in some black revolutionaries who help her castrate one of the baddies. Full on! Then Foxy delivers the dick in a pickle jar to the girlfriend of said baddy. Fuller on!

The audio commentary by Jack Hill is interesting – particularly as Hill seems bitter about his cavalier treatment by AIP. (Though to be fair he does admit some things he didn’t have control over and was opposed to at the time – clothes, music – he says really works.) He also complains about the fact the success of this and Coffy didn’t turn him into a hot property in Hollywood, partly because the films were dismissed as “black films”. (At the end of the commentary he says he’s doing what he really wants to do now – which is develop romantic comedies!) I'm surprised that Hill's career didn't kick on after the mid 70s, even if only as a script writer (most of his films had very strong stories and were full of great scenes and images); maybe he just got jack.

Radio review – CP#39 – “Lost Horizon” (1939) ***

Strong version of the classic tale with Orson Welles surprisingly not taking the Ronald Colman role, but the lama. It’s atmospheric and expertly produced; like all versions of this story there’s a dodgy undercurrent – the other two members of the expedition are determined to dig for gold and spread Christianity, why is the girl so keen to leave Shangri-La? That doesn’t bode well for them. The “star” is Sigrid Gurie, who specialised in playing oriental types around this time; she’s the female lead.

Radio review – Lux – “The Lady in the Lake” (1948) ***

Robert Montgomery reprising his film role in what turns out to be a solid, enjoyable version of one of Chandler’s lesser regarded novels. The story holds up without the POV gimmick – I like the visits to Bay City and first person Chandler adapts well to radio.

Movie review – “The Onion Movie” (2008) **1/2

Apparently, the production of this was a bit convoluted with people taking their names off credits and a release direct to DVD – which is surprising because surely there was a theatrical market with this, the same people who go watch Epic Movie, etc? Maybe they figured the problem was it’s not so much like those films as Kentucky Fried Movie – a bunch of sketches grouped together with a thin story about the corporatisation of news (David Zucker was an ep on this). Maybe another problem was this film has genuinely funny moments – the Britney like singer whose hits include ‘Take it from Behind’, Steven Seagal as ‘Cockpuncher’, the ability-challenged athletes. I didn’t recognise any of the main cast, but there are cameos from Seagal, Meredith Baxter Birney, and Michael Bolton. On the down side some jokes are repeated far too often (Cockpuncher wears out it’s welcome in particular) and there’s a dud climax involving Arab terrorists. It’s not as brilliant as the newspaper but there are definitely several laugh out loud moments.

Radio review - Lux – “The Phantom Lady” (1944) ***

I’ve never seen this highly regarded film noir but it’s a pretty good story, with loyal secretary investigating the imprisonment of her boss, who’s been accused of murdering his wife. Convenient, huh? Female sleuths were not that common around this time, but certainly more so than they would be in the 50s and 60s. Ella Raines reprises her film role with Brian Donlevy stepping in for Franchot Tone.

Radio review - Suspense – “Murder Goes for a Swim” (1943) **1/2

The first radio play version of the Lone Wolf, a private detective who works – you guessed it – outside the law. Warren William plays the role with Eric Blore has his sidekick. It’s alright entertainment, a bit odd to hear an episode of another series in the middle of Suspense. There’s some humour to be had at the beginning when it seems William and Blore lose their place with the script.

Radio review – Suspense – “The White Rose Murders” (1943) **1/2

Maureen O’Hara plays the fiancée of a detective who tries to solve a serial killing spree so said fiancée can get promoted and they can get married. It’s the sort of cute premise that popped up around this time – even though this one does concern serial killing. The ending where the killer confesses is a bit weak.

Radio review – “Lady Esther Show” (1941) **1/2

Weird show by Orson Welles that followed the Campbell Playhouse. It’s been described as literary vaudeville, which is close to the mark – an anthology of anthologies. Shows might feature two adaptations and a poem – which means you’re constantly having to recalibrate and it’s hard to pay attention. Later on the show changed to a more traditional format and involved the adaptation of just one story. A quick summary of the episodes I've heard"

Ep 1 – "Sredni Vashtar" – Odd pot pouri of a show – some adaptations of stories by Saki and Geoffrey Household (something Irish). Irritating Jiminy Cricket. Dolores del Rio talks about Mexican independence.

Ep 3 – “The Interlopers”. A lot better – "The Interloper" is a spooky tale. Then there’s a poem, and a reprise of “I am a Fool” which he did for Mercury – Orson in aw shucks mode. We didn’t really need to hear it again. Last appearance of Jiminy Cricket – thank God.

Ep 11 (part) “Wilbur” – fast paced story about a chimpanzee. Done with skill, but fast-paced Welles comedy still doesn’t seem to work.

Ep 13 - “Happy Prince” – part of a Christmas show. A decent enough tale. More interesting was reading from the Gospels and some Merry Christmas chanting from the Mercury gang.

Ep 16 - "The Apple Tree." Geraldine Fitzgerald and Welles in John Galsworthy's story of a cross-class romance which doesn't work out due to the weakness of the guy (it was turned into a film, Summer Story). Interesting to hear Welles in a romance tale where he plays a weakling rather than a dashing, brooding hero. Script is here.

Ep 17 - "My Little Boy." A reprise of a short story done on Mercury Theatre. He says this was the most popular the Mercury had done to that point - was this true? Surely War of the Worlds pipped it? Anyway it's a family tale with Welles as the father of a little boy watching him grow up. Yeah, yeah.

NB There is an excellent article on the show at the Wellesnet website - see here.

Movie review – “China Seas” (1935) ***1/2

A fascinating companion piece to Red Dust – made only a few years later, it’s far more glossy and polished (helped by the fact that the print I saw was better), with MGM giving it a bigger budget as befitting the now-huge popularity of its stars. It’s also a lot cleaner – Jean Harlow is a singer rather than a hooker, classy Rosalind Russell isn’t married but a widow, Clark Gable wears a nice uniform rather than rags, etc. 

Irving Thalberg spared no expense – in addition to Gable, Harlow and Russell, there’s also Wallace Beery and Lewis Stone, plus C Aubrey Smith and Robert Benchley (as a – surprise – drunken author).

There’s more plot than Red Dust – well, more correctly, subplots, with Wallace Beery in love with Jean Harlow, and pirates, and Lewis Stone as a disgraced sea officer who redeems himself. Good fun, some OK acting - but you can't help wishing it was a bit grittier.

Radio review – Bing Crosby – Boris Karloff (1945) **1/2

Bing Crosby had a lovely laidback style which adapted well to radio - a great contrast to the normal wisecracking style of Jack Benny, Fred Allen, Abbott and Costello, etc. This one has him visited by Boris Karloff - hijinks ensue.

Radio review – Lux – “Manhattan Melodrama” (1940) ***

This gangster story is remembered today when others have been forgotten because it's the film John Dillinger saw before being shot. William Powell and Myrna Loy reprise their screen roles but Clark Gable was not available so Don Ameche steps in. Don Ameche! Still, he’s actually not that bad and the basic story is pretty good - even if it's a bit creepy to feel that Loy wishes she didn't marry Powell. This was the film that started their legendary partnership. 

(NB The basic story of two childhood friends, one becomes a gangster the other a force on the other side of the law, became a staple of Warner Bros gangster films eg Angels with Dirty Faces, The Roaring 20s - but MGM's Manhattan Melodrama predates them.)

Radio review – SDP – “DOA” (1951) ***1/2

Most film buffs have heard of this movie, purely for it's central idea (man injected with fatal poison investigates his own murder) and the opening dialogue exchange ("I'd like to report a murder...mine.") It's the best known starring role for Edmond O'Brien, a chunky middle aged actor who had a surprisingly large number of leading man roles (including some classics like The Killers and White Heat); a solid actor rather than a star, O'Brien was often overshadowed in his films, but here he's front and centre and gives an excellent performance. You really feel sorry for him - the poor guy's an accountant who takes a week off to decide whether to marry his secretary and turns out to be poisoned only because he notarised a bill of sale (in film noir men are often punished from departing from the straight and narrow - in this case it's not marrying a woman who loves him.) O'Brien has a few emotional soliloquies and does them well. On the down side I notice his fatalistic "I'm dead anyway" attitude sees him rough up a few women. And personally I think he would be better off spending his last few days with his girlfriend instead of tracking down a killer - surely the police would have been able to do that.

Movie review – “State of Play” (2009) ***1/2

Entertaining thriller which manages to put fresh twists on the tired conspiracy/reporter genre. Russell Crowe (who looks like a real reporter, fat with a beard) does risk his life but he is also helped out on the paper – not only by a feisty female (Rachel McAdams) but by some supporting actors as well. Helen Mirren is great as the editor and although I didn’t buy Ben Affleck as a good friend of Crowe’s, I did buy him as an aspiring politician. I also liked Robin Wright Penn as his wife and Jeff Daniels was great as a born again conservative; Jason Bateman was funny too. Well directed with some great montages.

Radio review – Mercury Shakespeare - “Macbeth” (1940) **1/2

Solid, surprisingly unflashy version of the Scottish play from Orson Welles which goes for 80 minutes. Not as intriguing as the voodoo version or his later film version. Still interesting, especially to compare to those other works.

Radio review - Lux – “Laura” (1945) ***1/2

Very strong mystery with many great characters – the enigmatic Laura, the tough cop who falls for her dead "image", the magnificent Waldo, the gigolo fiancée – and twists – the revelation that the girl isn’t dead, the finale with Waldo on the radio. Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews and Vincent Price all reprise their excellent film performances but unfortunately not Clifton Webb. They replace him with some random actor (Otto someone) – surely they could have gotten someone like Laird Cregar or Sydney Greenstreet? Still, this is excellent entertainment.

Radio review – Lux – “Murder My Sweet” (1945) ***

I always enjoy first-rate adaptations of Raymond Chandler because the dialogue is so great and the characters so vivid - even if I always have trouble following the plot. (I've seen several versions of Farewell My Lovely and always get confused, except I know one of the girls turns out to be Velma - the upside of this is that each viewing is fresh.) Detective stories adapt well to radio too because they can be told in the first person and the atmsophere transfers well to radio. Dick Powell and Claire Trevor reprise their film roles to excellent effect.

Radio review – Lux - “Singapore” (1947) **1/2

Fred MacMurray isn’t the most ideal hero for a tale of amnesia and smuggling in the third world (it should have been Alan Ladd or Bogart or someone), but Ava Gardner is a perfect female lead, and the story isn’t bad. It works a lot better here than in the Errol Flynn remake Istanbul because of the whole fall of Singapore thing – that was a real excuse to bail on a country. Good junky exotica entertainment with a miscast star.

Radio review – SDP – “The Gunfighter” (1951) ***

You can’t help wishing a better actor than Gregory Peck played the lead role – or at least one who seemed more like a tough gunfighter – but for all that this is a pretty good story. It's also very adult, with its downbeat tone and Peck running into his illegitimate son.

Movie review – “The Swinging Cheerleaders” (1974) **1/2

Jack Hill enjoyed success with women in prison and women blaxploitation, so he turned his area to a sub-genre of the “three girls” movie – the cheerleader film. It gave him another financial success, although it’s not as well known today as Big Doll House or Coffy. The three girls here are Jo Johnson (a very likeable performer with an usual look whose career never really took off), Rainbeaux Smith (a sweet-looking thing who later got on heroin and who, like so many 70s drive in female stars, died young) and Rosanne Katon (token black).

The plot involves Johnson going undercover as a cheerleader to write an article, Smith trying to lose her virginity (she gets gangbanged in a very unpleasant sequence), and Katon having an affair with her professor. The best scene is when the professor’s wife goes Katon with a knife – it’s brilliant (Hill always did great female fight scenes and you wish the film had more of them). The support cast includes a young Colleen Camp (who doesn't go nude) as one of the cheerleaders. It's bright and energetic, though a little dodgy - Hill's own description of the film as "a Disney sex comedy" is spot on.

Movie review – Nurses#3 - “Night Call Nurses” (1973) *** (warning: spoilers)

One of Roger Corman’s best pieces of advice to young directors making a genre film was to make the best possible genre film they could, i.e. don’t slum it until you find material that’s personal to you, make what you’ve got work. Jonathan Kaplan took this to heart with this third "nurses" film - where all the leads work in a psychiatric hospital - and the result is energetic, flashy entertainment, where there’s lots of crazy editing and scenes with non-synchronous dialogue.

The three girls are all very pretty and likeable - Patti Byrne is particularly winning (whatever happened to her? Kaplan apparently offered her the lead in The Student Teachers but she turned it down and disappeared); Alana Collins is a rare "nurses" star who went on to have an ok career - she married George Hamilton and acted under the name of Alana Hamilton. The support casting includes Dennis Dugan and, as always, Dick Miller.

The adventures are typical of the time: the brunette (Byrne) gets involved in a sex cult run by a manipulative chap who accuses her of being a sex deviant (to do an experiment and to get her into bed) - this has a lot of creepy overtones which are quite effective; the black nurse (Mitti Lawrence) falls for a black revolutionary and ends up going on the lam at the end (the way the hispanic nurse did in The Student Nurses); the blonde (Collins) wants to marry a rich doctor but falls for a speed-addicted trucker (who at the end still seems to be addicted to speed - they don't do a good job of wrapping up this story).  There's another plot line about a stalker at the hospital who seems to be after Byrne but also perves on Collins.

There are lots of love making scenes and nudity, and the men are more prominent than in Student Nurses - was this because of a male director? But like that film (and unlike the others in the series) there are plenty of scenes of the girls together; they have real camaraderie and you get the sense that they are friends. (e.g. Collins and her boyfriend help Lawrence and her guy bust a prisoner/patient out of gaol)

There are lots of random sports interludes – water skiing, sky diving – which make it seem like a Beach Party movie at times. George Armitage wrote the script, although Kaplan claims it was rewritten; he also directed Private Duty Nurses, which wasn't very good, so I think Kaplan was right. One of the best of the series - people such as Joe Dante claim this is the best; I would rate The Student Nurses up there as well, because it's got the best "serious" subplot (i.e. about abortion) and my favourite is Summer School Teachers but these three are easily the best of the genre.

Movie review – “An Education” (2009) **

You may like this film if you’re a teenage girl with a thing for an older guy, or you’re a middle age woman who wants a trip down memory lane about how she almost ruined her life. I found it a bit flat. The acting is fine and the period detail memorable, but the whole thing felt too familiar. The girl knows the guy is dodgy – he lies about going to Oxford, lies to her parents. So it’s a bit rich she later blames her parents… but then, she is a boomer. Surely in years to come she’ll look back on it with some fondness? I mean she had a couple of great nights, a wonderful weekend in Paris, she lost her virginity romantically, etc. Carey Mulligan is very good, but it’s a terrific role – she’s in every scene.

This reminded me a lot of Guinevere, with Sarah Polley. Like that film, this lacks surprises – the heroine goes in with her eyes mostly open, she knows the older guy is dodgy but figures her life is boring so what the hey? Which is a mature characterisation and mature and all that stuff but it means that they film doesn’t really have anywhere to go (the same thing happened in Guinevere). I thought they wouldn’t have made the film without coming up with a fresh twist apart from the standard soap ones (eg he’s married, she gets pregnant) but they don’t.

Movie review – “Pets” (1974) **1/2

The first lead role for Candice Rialson. She’s very pretty, likeable with a warm screen presence, sexy as hell – although she doesn’t get to show off her comic ability, so effective in later films. She plays a hitchhiker who has a series of adventures: escaping from her controlling brother, then being rescued by some black dudes prologue), then kidnapping a sleazy married guy with this black girl she meets (act one), being picked up by a female artist (former Elvis co-star Joan Blackman) for whom she poses and then makes love (act two), goes to live with an artist who keeps her captive in his basement as a ‘pet’. Each section deals with people trying to imprison Rialson and ends with Rialson running away with a song on the background

It’s an exploitation film but at least they’ve made some effort – there are some interesting shot compositions, it attempts to tackle an odd sort of theme (it was based on a series of one act plays), there’s a few moments which actually surprise you (like where the black girl throws a dog off a cliff.) But the main reason to watch this is Rialson who is very impressive. She seduces two men – her abductee (an older guy) and a burglar, and is seduced by a woman. She does a lap dance, wears skimpy underwear, swimsuits, etc. If you’re a Rialson fan this is definitely worth seeking out.

Movie review – “Mama’s Dirty Girls” (1974) **

I’ve no idea whether this came before or after Big Bad Mama, but it follows a similar template – a tough woman and her sexy daughters use sex appeal to get what they want i.e. money. Gloria Grahame plays the lead – bit of a comedown for her in some respects, I guess, but it is a flashy part. Candice Rialson plays one of her daughters – it’s a more evil character than the likeable Candice normally plays but she’s pretty good (she’s a sort of Lolita-esque tease, who delights in tormenting chubby men). There are two other daughters, all of whom show a decent amount of flesh. (Including an utterly gratuitous one of Candice staring at herself in the mirror to open the film.)

The girls are all decent enough actors, and it’s a great concept – the girls look for men to seduce and kill – but the film is never as much fun as you think. They didn’t quite get the story right – the pace is too slow, unlike Big Bad Mama where there’s lots of driving around and action, here it’s mostly hanging around houses, and there’s no real driving narrative. Also who wants to watch a trashy three girls film where the guys triumph?

Movie review – “Chatterbox” (1977) *

Candice Rialson was a popular drive in star of the 1970s who never seemed able to break through to decent roles in mainstream films; this was partly due to the decline of the drive in market, but Joe Dante and Alan Arkush (who worked with her on Hollywood Boulevard) hypothesised that it was also starring in this film, where she plays a woman with a talking vagina. As always, Candice is very likeable and girl-next-door; she’s a great trooper and manages to take the sleaze out of everything she does (but still be sexy) and as always she gives 110%, but this film is not very enjoyable.

There are actually worse ideas for a comedy, the touch is light and fast, and you imagine with a really smart writer-director this could have taken off – maybe even been really feminist. But as used here the film is far too uncomfortable. Candice’s character clearly doesn’t like her talking vagina, who creates nothing but trouble for her. She also really goes through the ringer – a lesbian tries to rape her, she’s put naked on a board in front of a room of scientists while her vagina sings (and she’s clearly not having a good time), she’s forced to sing a big song and dance number where her clothes get ripped off, her love interest is an insecure drip (are we meant to be glad she gets with him in the end?); if I’m not mistaken she’s also gangbanged. So although there’s plenty of nudity, it’s not that fun. This is in contrast to films like Summer School Teachers where the nudity was less but at least it came about because of her character’s lusts and her character was in control.

There’s something actually quite moving watching Rialson in this film – trying so hard, giving it her all… in a role that is killing her career in with every minute of screentime. No wonder she got out of the game.

Movie review – “Red Dust” (1932) ****

Sexy pre-Code entertainment, from MGM of all places, has dated very well, due to a terrific cast, robust handling and a bright script. Clarke Gable is excellent (who else could have played this role?), Mary Astor sexy in her oh-I'm-so-demure-but-treat-me-a-bit-roughly-and-I'm-a-raging-volcano way, Jean Harlow very hot in her trashy brassy blonde way.

You keep being thrown by how sexy it is – Gable and Harlow clearly have sex the night they meet; Gable offers Harlow money the next morning!; Gable spies Mary Astor taking off her clothes through a window; Gable and Astor kiss in a storm and she's totally up for it (steam is practically coming off their clothes); Harlow takes a bath in a tub and you see her bare back (apparently in real life she leapt up at the end of a take showing her breasts saying "this is one for the boys in the lab"); on the night Gable is shot he tells Harlow to go up to bed and wait for him; Gable puts his hand up Harlow's leg at the end.

Gable’s performance is famous for his he-man aspect (bossing around coolies, ignoring Harlow) but he is genuinely touching and vulnerable in his love for Mary Astor. Harlow is hilarious, sexy and sympathetic as the prostitute who falls for Gable and has to jump and wave to get his attention. (The story is really about the Gable-Astor romance - he only goes with Harlow out of a default position.) Great fun, even if the bit where Astor's husband goes on and on about how much he loves Astor and admires Gable gilds the lily a bit and all the Asian characters are racist caricatures.

NB One extra thing - in articles on the making of this film, they often refer to the final scene being about Harlow reading Gable a kid's story while he puts his hand on her leg. Well, it is but actually the final shot is a guffawing comic relief Chinese cook. If people are going to recall pre-Code films with such fondness, they shouldn't forget the less pleasant aspects.

Movie review – “28 Weeks Later” (2007) ***

Starts with a massive bang and the first 30 minutes is gripping. It goes a bit wonky with a contrivance – it just didn’t feel real that those annoying kids would slip out and go home. This could have been an easy problem to fix – establish the kids are rebels, give them a good reason to go home, or simply have helicopter observers see the mother. It didn’t strike true either than the army wouldn’t leap on a possible vaccine. But once the outbreak starts again and things revert to the normal zombie paradigm – to wit, a chase movie – it’s very strong (although it’s a bit of a coincidence Robert Carlyle keeps turning up). I really liked the direction, the design, and the way the military wasn’t demonized, as it often is (and usually lazily so) in zombie films; it’s clear they’re put between a rock and a hard place. Indeed, if the film has a theme it’s “in times of disease outbreaks… follow orders, and crack down very hard on anyone who doesn’t.”

Movie review – “Group Marriage” (1973) **1/2

The success of Student Nurses led Stephanie Rothman and hubby Charles Swartz to set up their own shingle at Dimension Pictures, for whom Rothman made one well-known film, Terminal Island, and two lesser known ones, this and Working Girls.

This is closer to Terminal Island than her three girls film as it is about couples rather than girls (it’s a “three couples” film, really.) It focuses around some working girls in LA – Chris is having some relationship troubles with her mechanic de facto Xander; she jooks up with a parole officer Dave and winds up sleeping with him even though she loves Xander (“just because I love you doesn’t mean I can’t like him””). Dave has a pretty partner Jan – who hooks up with Xander. Xander and Jan go to bed with Dave and Chris – but they watch TV before going to bed. (The scene is played for laughs but is actually quite hot.)

They all go to the beach where Jan hooks up with a lifeguard Phil (Rothman always makes sure men are exploited as much as women). The boys are out for a jog when they run into a sexy jogger, lawyer Elaine (Claudia Jennings – alright!) who they ask to join their “group marriage”. Elaine agrees and she and Phil have a tender love scene. Later on there are troubles – the media get wind of the six of them leading together, they are car bombed, there’s a weird plot with a Hispanic parolee that doesn’t go anywhere, and Jan finds she wants to have sex outside the group.

There are gay caricatures (their neighbours) and when a bisexual man tries to join the group the men kick him out. The other set comedy scene results where Phil puts an ad in the paper for a sixth person to join and a bunch of wacky types walk up. However the gay couple are still friends of the lead six.

It's an interesting exploitation film, with typical Rothman good humour and intriguing sexual politics. Some of the acting is iffy, and the ease with which people join the group kind of dilutes its dramatic impact, but the women are very good looking, and frequently walk around in skimpy clothes and bikinis. One cute scene has Chris watch Attack of the 50 Foot Woman in bed – a homage to another quasi-feminist film?