Radio review – Lux – “Strangers on a Train” (1954) ***

Bob Cummings in the Robert Walker part – and what do you know, he really steps up. There could be something creepy about Cummings’ performance at times (eg The Carpetbaggers) and he’s excellent as the murderous Bruno. Dana Andrews is solid in the Farley Granger part – although I prefer Granger’s weakness, it made the story more believable. Virginia Mayo takes over the Ruth Roman role as Andrews’ love interest. But during it I kept thinking of the visuals of Hitchcock’s film – the murder in the park, the tennis game, the finale with the carousel.

Radio review – Lux – “The Winslow Boy” (1954) ***

Ray Milland is excellent as the uppity lawyer based on Sir Edward Carson in this decent adaptation of the famous play. I wonder why they still kept the finale courtroom stuff as reportage like it was in the play – you think they’d open this up. Dorothy Macguire and Brian Aherne are solid in support – being an American version this is a lot less golly gee whiz spiffing in its execution.

Radio review – Lux – “You Came Along” (1945) **

Van Johnson is extremely well cast as one of three very close army buddies who go on a bond raising tour – their guide is Lizabeth Scott and romance ensues. Most of this is bright slangy dialogue, little plot – that only kicks in when it turns out Johnson is terminally ill. Lots of talk about living for the moment, etc – Scott doesn’t seem very interested in Johnson. The screenplay was originally written by Ayn Rand! When Johnson is introduced at the end some bobby soxers in the audience squeal – that’s the second time I’ve heard that on a radio show.

Radio review – Lux – “No Highway to the Sky” (1952) **1/2

I remember hearing the synopsis of this thinking “that sounds exciting, but how do they get a feature out of it” – an engineer who has a theory about a certain plane falling apart after X number of hours in the air, finds himself aboard that type of plane and the hours are about to be exceeded. Well, it turns out that’s only a portion of the story – the engineer throws a tantrum on board, but the flight goes ahead and lands safely, and the engineer finds himself arguing against people who think he’s crazy, Mr Deeds style. So it's appropriate that former Capra leading man James Stewart is in the lead; he's a believable boffin – though the role really should be played by an English star to have been more effective. There’s a weird subplot where he chats with an aging starlet on the flight and strikes up a friendship – though he has his romance with a stewardess.

Radio review – Lux - “Tomorrow is Forever” (1946) **

This was one of Orson Welles’ most popular films as a star, but unfortunately he wasn’t on hand to repeat his role – that task goes to Van Heflin, as a man so disfigured during World War I he decides to stay on in Europe, pretending to be dead… only to come back later and run into his wife (Claudette Colbert) and son (Richard Long). He’s got a kid in tow – played by Natalie Wood, who like Colbert and Long were in the film (Long was also in The Stranger). 

 

It’s sudsy melodramatic stuff which would have had more resonance at the time, with so many people going missing during the war.

Book review - "Blade Runners, Deer Hunters And Blowing The Bloody Doors Off" by Michael Deeley

Deeley was a giant in the British film industry of the 1970s - kind of like being a fantastic cricket player for New Zealand... His name always seemed to be associated in various books with disasters and bitterness (eg Stanley Baker losing all his money after they sold a building and being in business with Deeley, re-cutting The Wicker Man) - so it was good to hear Deeley's side of the story. And when you look at it, his credits really stack up - as he points out, no sequels or crappy rip offs. Deeley obviously had a lot of get up and go, tenacity and an eye for talent. He also seems to have had a great ability to annoy people - he's not a particularly likeable raconteur. But the British film industry would have been better off keeping him in charge of EMI.

Some decent anecdotes: raising funds for the mega-flop Where’s Jack? ("the star of Zulu, the director of To Sir With Love, the writers of Point Blank equals a hit"); Warren Beatty trying to have the love scene cut from Don’t Look Down; David Bowie being anti social but professional on The Man Who Fell to Earth; Vanessa Redgrave was going to star in Robbery; adding Jason Robards to Robbery as the as the mastermind of the robbery at the request of Joe Levine (to appeal to US audiences) but then cutting him out because it was silly; Peter Collinson’s disregard for safety on The Italian Job, resulting in the near death of some of the crew; just missing a plane flight which blew up while shooting Murphy’s Law; Peter Yates turned down The Godfather; taking Convoy off the hands of Sam Peckinpah (a big box office name for distributors in the 70s); dealing with Michael Cimino’s arrogance on Deer Hunter and Noel Coward’s infirmity on Italian Job.

Deeley doesn't try to sugar coat himself. He was friends with Peter Yates, but that ended after Murphy’s Law; friends with Stanley Baker but that ended when Baker was turfed from British Lion; friends with Barry Spikings but that ended. He bags Julia Ormond for being a pain on Young Catherine; Christopher Lee for bagging him over the cutting of The Wicker Man; Lew Grade for his crap films; Michael Cimino for being an arrogant, lying prat. Very entertaining read if you're interested in any of his films or the British industry of the 70s.

Movie review – “Facing Ali” (2009) ***

A different sort of take on the legend of Ali – this focuses on his opponents. Well, some of them – about ten, I think. Aussie Joe Bugner doesn’t make the cut or does that Chuck bloke who inspired Rocky, but there are ones like Joe Frazier, Leon Spinks, George Foreman, Ken Norton, Henry Cooper. None of them are as charismatic as Ali – no one has the same gift of the gab, or is as good looking, but they have interesting stories. Canadian George Chuvalo lost sons to drugs and suicide, George Foreman comes across as confident and happy (When We Were Kings says he was destroyed by the Rumble in the Jungle, but he came back), Leon Spinks looks like a mess, Ken Norton was an amnesiac for a number of years. A genuinely different sort of sports documentary.

Movie review - “Hot Tub Time Machine” (2010) **1/2 (warning: spoilers)

John Cusack rarely looked more bored than in this half-successful attempt to do a Gen X Back to the Future. It’s got a decent enough set up – four friends find themselves transplanted back to 1986 at what was a key weekend in the lives of all four – and some very effective moments: the baddies being convinced our heroes are Red Dawn style commies, Cusack’s sister being a tramp, Crispin Glover constantly almost losing his arm, some of the darkness, Jessica Pare in the hot tub, Cusack’s dream girl turning out to be an idiot.

 

 But they waste too much time with stupid vile humour (catheters, urine, etc), Cusack brings it down, they don’t figure out they need to get the special drink until too late in the film (Marty McFly in Back to the Future always had his goal of getting back). 

 

Also it’s really annoying that Cusack decides to go back to the future at the end – he had a horrible life. So he goes back and misses out on falling in love with Lizzie Caplan, having a great career and all this fun… He should have stayed in the past. It made sense the black dude went back because he loved his wife and the young kid had his life in front of him… but not Cusack. 

 

Also Michael Sheen’s character in 30 Rock was right – the science is dodgy.

Movie review - “Sword of Sherwood Forrest” (1960) **1/2

Hammer were famous for their horror films but they actually had a longer history of adapting stories from TV and radio into films – Dick Barton, Quatermass, Man About the House, etc. Here we have Richard Greene reprising his role as Robin Hood, which he played to great success during the 50s. Its bright and colourful, with a bland Maid Marian and undercooked plot, but plenty of action, impressive production design and a support cat that includes Peter Cushing (as the Sheriff of Nottingham – killed off too early) and Oliver Reed.

Radio review – SGT - “Torrid Zone” (1942) **

A rehash of Only Angels Have Wings with Jimmy Cagney as a tough talking fruit manager in Central American – yep this is a glorification of United Fruit, perhaps the most notoriously evil corporation in American history. Despite that nasty undercurrent there is fun to be had with squabbling show girls, bandits, etc.

Radio review – SGP – “Mr and Mrs Smith” (1942) **

Neither Errol Flynn nor Lana Turner were known for their comedy skills, but both scrub up well enough here, Errol in particular. It’s not the strongest material, even though from Norman Krasna – a married couple find out they’re not really married and they wind up squabbling, helped along by a friend of Errol’s who’s always wanted Mr Smith. Even at only half an hour it feels long going at times; Errol really tries – I’ve found myself saying that a lot about his comedies. It’s a back handed compliment – but still a compliment.

Movie review – “Kings Row” (1941) ****1/2

I have such a powerful memory watching this film on a hospital TV screen when my girlfriend was in intensive care following an accident. It was only then I realised the power of soap – tragedy hits people, but they go on, finding happiness when and where they can. This is a rich film of epic sweep and adult themes, one of the best depictions of the joys and pains of small town living. 

 

I’ve never forgotten the bit where Robert Cummings asks Claude Rains about doctor Charles Coburn, who is looking after Cummings’ grandmother; Cummings knows that Coburn is a sadist and asks Rains for his opinion – Rains goes quiet for a moment then says in his grandmother’s case Coburn will do a good job. That’s what you do in small towns – get along with people as best you can, even when you know their secrets.

 

It gets off to a great start with adventures among the kids – the heartbreaking moment where no one turns up to the girl’s party, the early signs of Coburn’s sadism. The scenes involving Maria Ouspensaka are schmaltzy but you kind of need that considering the hard edge of stuff that follows. Then when the kids grow up it raises a notch; you expect Ann Sheridan to be good, and she’s excellent, but Cummings and Ronald Reagan really step up to the plate, too. 

 

There are superb supporting performances by Claude Rains (a monster with a heart), Charles Coburn (a plain monster – terrifying), Judith Anderson (mother ignorant of her husband's evilness), Betty Field (crazy girl#1) and Nancy Coleman (crazy girl#2). There’s a touching romance between Field and Cummings, and Reagan and Sheridan – both cases it’s heavily implied they have pre-martial sex. 

 

You can easily read a homo-erotic relationship in between Reagan and Cummings, and an incestual one between Rains and his daughter – okay, yes, that’s because that was in the original book, but there are implications of it here. (This film stands as a rebuke to all those who think you can handle heavy stuff in a G rating.)

 

Many wonderful moments: the kids party; Rains having a quiet smoke the night he goes on to kill his daughter and himself; Sheridan asking her portly brother if Reagan can stay; Reagan discovering about his legs; Cummings coming home. The last twenty minutes do feel a little tacked on, particularly the romance with the new girl – I think this was unavoidable really if they wanted to give Cummings a romantic ending. But its generally superb work from everyone – what a marvellous adaptation from Casey Robinson, direction from Sam Wood and James Wong Howe’s photography.

Movie review – “Bury Me an Angel” (1972) *

Famous for being a biker movie directed by a woman, Barbara Peeters, and you can tell a woman’s touch: it has an empowered female heroine, boys are objectified as much as girls, the women aren’t victims, a witch character isn’t treated disdainfully, due deference is paid to the trauma of rape and murder, lots of talk about the bad karma of seeking revenge (the plot is a girl avenging her brother’s murder), a sensitive art student (Dan Haggerty) as a lover. There’s a kind of twist where it’s said the sister and brother had incest, but too much of this is boring shots of driving and flashbacks where nothing much happens.

Radio review – TGA#36 – “Payment Deferred” (1946) ***

This helped Charles Laughton make his name as an actor in the early 1930s so it’s a delight to hear him repeat the role, especially with Elsa Lancaster playing his wife. He’s a greedy lower middle class type driven to murder of a long-lost cousin, who’s loaded – and from Brisbane, Australia! He doesn’t get away with it, due to his wife’s sincerity and the sluttishness of his daughter. Very entertaining with Laughton giving a strong performance, and memorable ending with Lancaster arranging for Laughton to be blamed for her death.

Movie review – “Final Cut: The Making and Unmaking of Heaven’s Gate” (2004) ***1/2

One of the most famous – if not the most famous – movie flops of all time deserved a good making-of doco and it got one. Some great interviews: Jeff Bridges, Brad Dourif, Steven Bach, David Field (UA exec at the time), Kris Kristofferson, various crew. Michael Cimino didn’t agree to be interviewed but there’s plenty of archival footage involving him. This isn’t a Cimino bash by any means – everyone comments on his dedication and determination to make the best possible film, but also point out this meant he didn’t really care about things like budget and schedule. The executives at UA such as Bach acknowledge their inexperience – I can see why they let things go overboard in Montana, but even after they cracked the whip, why did they then let Cimino shoot the Harvard sequence. It makes no sense. I hate the way critics tore the film a new one when it came out then turn around and say the re-cut version was better; blaming everything on the studio was incredibly childish.

Radio review – BP#23 – “Skylark” (1952) **

A popular 1940 stage hit, and you can see why, even if it isn’t very funny. No doubt New York audiences lapped up this tale about a well-off married couple, trying to keep the fire going after ten years; the woman can’t have kids, and would love for hard working hubby to take some time off – she’s tempted into a dalliance with a dashing lawyer who’s also the lover of a powerful married woman. This is quite saucy stuff from American theatre, with all it’s talk of affairs – it’s set in the world of advertising, and all the talk about sex and accounts reminded me of Mad Men. Very light and frothy, lacks some decent jokes and is heavily cast dependent; the playing here by June Havoc and Donald Cook isn’t that good.

Radio review – Lux – “Tom, Dick and Harry” (1941) **1/2

After listening to a couple of Ginger Rogers performances I thought she was under-rated, but then I heard this, where she mugs and has an attack of the cutes, with a silly voice. Maybe she was trying to give a bit of variation to her career girl performances; her character is less hard edged than other Rogers roles. 

She plays a girl given to day-dreaming who is torn between three men: ambitious Tom, rich Dick (played by Aussie Allan Marshall) and man of the people Harry (Burgess Meredith, not the first actor you’d think to play a romantic lead, but effective). No doubt shop girls and secretaries lapped this up at the time – a girl next door having three men fighting over her - as their equivalents would do if the film was remade today. Presumably they didn’t mind Ginger going off with a poor guy at the end. 

The fantasy sequences don’t work as well on radio.

Radio review – Lux – “Now Voyager” (1943) ***

If you needed proof of the differing abilities of Ida Lupino and Bette Davis check out this version of the famous woman’s film, which has Lupino in the lead. The basic story is still good – it’s different she doesn’t wind up with the guy at the end, but the child. (It’s very possible to do a gay reading of this film, with it’s repressed spinster heroine, forbidden love, oppressive mother figure.) Paul Henreid repeats his film role and is a bit bland to be honest – but then he tended to be bland on screen as well. Claude Rains’ absence is felt in the role of the shrink; for some reason, Warners made a couple of shrinks-are-good films around this time, such as Kings Row. Shrinks are often good in women’s films, I guess.

Radio review – Lux – “Stage Door” (1939) ***1/2

The Kaufman-Ferber play was altered substantially on its way to the big screen, although the central situation remains: conflict in an actor’s boarding house, the desperate and struggling girls, leading up to the suicide of one of the girls. Ginger Rogers repeats her film performance, and she’s really good – listening to a couple of Ginger Rogers’ performances on air, it struck me she never got her due as an actor, maybe because she played a lot of girl next door parts at a time when grand acting was thought to be dead queens and terminally ill (nothing’s changed, really). Garson Kanin once commented that Ginger Rogers could play any role as long as she understood it, and she’s very good here as the loyal, tough up and coming actor; Rosalind Russell plays Kate Hepburn’s part as the rich girl who’s slumming it – she’s okay but simply not as well cast as Hepburn. Adolphe Menjou is the producer and they include the suicide scene, which packs a wallop and gives the piece depth.

Radio review – Lux – “She Married Her Boss” (1939) ***1/2

Unexpectedly good career girl tale played by late 30s career specialist Ginger Rogers, better casting in a way than Claudette Colbert from the film. She’s a super-efficient secretary in love with her boss (George Brent) who winds up marrying her because he wants to keep her as secretary more than anything else. 

This has dated surprisingly well – the battle between career and family is still one that goes on and 30s career girl films tended to be less sexist than ones done in the 50s, although this does have a third act which involves Brent getting drunk and dragging Rogers off to his metaphorical cave, to her delight. 

The kid who plays Brent’s horrible daughter (the source of second act conflict) is great and for the most part this is a lot of fun.

Article on "The Conqueror"

Great article from People magazine from 1980 about The Conqueror - the film that killed. How many of them smoked though?

Play review – “Sunday in New York” by Norman Krasna

Krasna's last real success for the stage - produced in 1961 by David Merrick, directed by Garson Kanin, starring a young Robert Redford. His plays could be a little bit racy for the time, and he always pushed it slightly forward - this one is about a virgin, Eileen, who arrives in New York after having been dumped by her fiancee for not having sex. She thinks her pilot brother is a virgin too then goes out and meets a handsome man, Mike, who she sometimes tries to seduce and other times tries not to. It's a little confusing to be honest - Krasna gets on more sure ground when the ex turns up while Eileen and Mike are in bathrobes and Mike pretends to be the brother. That isn't really a great basis for a play but it's enough to power an act. This feels a bit more "opened out" than Krasna's previous farces - there's scenes of Eileen and Mike on a bus, in a restaurant, storm sequences. Was this Kanin's influence or just Krasna working in the movies? Like most of Krasna's stuff, it's sweet and charming.

Play review – “John Loves Mary” by Norman Krasna

The success of Dear Ruth saw Krasna have another go at a comedy involving family, romance and GIs on leave; it's more of a classic farce, albeit less sweet and lovey, mainly because it's more cynical about the parents and the GI is in on the deception from the beginning. John's life was saved by a mate, Fred, in Italy - so to repay the favour he finds Fred's English ex (thought to be dead) and brings her back to the US by marrying her. This is despite the fact that John has his own girlfriend, Mary - whose father is a pompous senator - and Fred has re-married. The shenanigans which ensue are bright and fun for the most part - I wasn't wild about the extended scene where John had his pants down, but there enjoyable digs at the army, and it was a good twist to have Fred and John's old mate O'Leary pop up. The initial concept stretches credibility, but if you can accept it you'll have a good time.

Play review – “Wishful Drinking” by Carrie Fisher

Carrie Fisher seemed vagued out for a lot, and when she sings it's like watching a Carrie Fisher impersonator - but it's Carrie Fisher. She could get a show alone out of just being the child of Eddie and Debbie - throw in Star Wars, Paul Simon, writing Postcards from the Edge, drugs and shock therapy, a gay husband, a friend who died in bed next to her... and the show could have gone for twice as long. (There was no mention of Shampoo, Dan Ackroyd and the SNL crowd, etc.)
 Lots of fun, full of pain and self-deprecating humour - there's something very Aussie about Carrie Fisher. I thought I knew a fair bit about her but there was stuff unfamiliar to me - involving Eddie Fisher's other kids, her pre-Star Wars career (I didn't know she studied in London), the battles with mental issues, the relationship with Paul Simon. The second half had some real emotion - I think it was a mistake to start with a Q and A and bring up the dead friend at the beginning. Lots of classic lines rather than a true narrative, but come on, it's Carrie Fisher.
 The performance I saw had an appearance by Rufus Wainwright - which didn't really have impact because I didn't know what he looked like. She puts on the Leia wig, recites her plea to Obi-Wan and has a go at George Lucas, which surprised me. (Seen on Oct 12 at the State Theatre)

Radio review – SGT – “The Devil and Miss Jones” (1946) **1/2

Norman Krasna’s farce has been reduced to half an hour and altered so it can be a vehicle for Van Johnson, who plays the Robert Cummings part, a rare union hero. The protagonist really should be Guy Kibee (as Charles Coburn) but they dispense with the set up in a quick bit of dialogue in order to introduce Johnson; most of the action centers around the Coney Island sequence, with Kibee getting arrested for pawning a watch and Johnson coming to his rescue. Donna Reed is fine in the Jean Arthur part. 

It doesn’t quite work – the Spring Byington plot is ignored altogether – but if you’re a fan of the film you’ll find it interesting. There are bobbysoxers in the audience who scream at the presence of Johnson – and there’s a joke where Van Johnson goes “who do you think I am? Van Johnson?”

Radio review – BP#2 – “On Borrowed Time” (1946) ***

I was resistant to this at first but eventually gave in because it’s got such a great central premise – what would you do if you could keep death at bay? That’s what Grandpa does here – death gets stuck up an apple tree while coming to get gramps. He doesn’t want his orphaned grandson going over to his snobby relative. It’s a rich theme, not really developed here – the main arguments are against Grandpa's power ("you are stopping people from getting release") with not that many in favour (eg what about a child dying of cancer). At it's heart this is quite pro-euthanasia. Still, it gives you something to think about. Written by Paul Osborne and co-starring Mildred Natwick.

Play review – Dear Ruth” by Norman Krasna

Very slight but extremely sweet play, the kind of which sitcoms have made irrelevant, really – you can see them on the small screen. But of its kind it's well done, and you can see why it would have been so popular on Broadway during the war. The first act is the best, setting up a warm family environment – blustering dad, smart but loving mum, hot elder sister, feisty younger sister, handsome soldier – and they set up the initial situation, of the soldier having written to the younger sister thinking it’s the elder: a comic twist on They Knew What They Wanted (or Cyrano). But once that’s set up there’s not a lot more misunderstanding – everyone goes along with the deception because the soldier’s going overseas, there’s some minor complications when his sister turns up – but not a lot. It’s certainly not as intricate as say Bachelor Mother or Devil in Miss Jones or even the later John Loves Mary (I kept expecting another more complicating factor, eg his ex fiancée turns up or they become nationally famous) – but it does have a lot of charm.

Play review – “Rope” by Patrick Hamilton

The movie improved this in many ways, particularly with the supporting characters: in the play the young man and woman are just nitwits without any real connection to the recently deceased, and there's no auntie character. But the central concept remains and is strong - the two thrill killers, bumping off a young man and inviting his family and friends around for tea and crumpets afterwards.

The character of the professor was more vivid here - a war veteran who has an injury and is sullen and dark; a lot more interesting than James Stewart in the film (although had Cary Grant or James Mason played the part, it could have been totally different). There's also more fighting in the play with the professor fighting away with a cane. Marvellous entertainment.

(I saw this in 2010 at the Chatswood Zenith Theatre and in 2011 at the Bondi Pavilion. The latter production was superior, helped by Josh Quong Tart's brilliant performance as Rupert. Also Iain Sinclair's direction was vigorous, including an opening rape and murder in the nude, to really convey the horror of the crime. In both productions however some actors have a tendency to ham it up with accents and characterisation.)

Radio review – Lux – “Tender Comrade” (1945) **1/2

This film is best remembered because so many of it’s key filmmakers were blacklisted and it supposedly featured commie propaganda. It’s definitely socialist,with a bunch of women left at home pooling their resources while the men are away. (What did die-hard conservative Cecil B de Mille make about introducing this?) There’s faithful (if impatient) wife, a "man hungry" type, a kid whose marriage hasn’t been consummated. The look at marriage and female independence remains fresh and interesting; there’s an evil isolationist (“why should we fight for foreigners”) and a woman warns her husband away from those Australian women. Olivia de Havilland comfortably steps into Ginger Rogers’ role; June Duprez and Dennis O’Keefe are in the support cast.

TV review – “Underbelly: The Golden Mile” (2010) **1/2

Underbelly Two had a great story that wasn’t very successfully realised; this one simply doesn’t have enough story to sustain it’s running time. What might have made an entertaining four hours (maybe give at a stretch) is dragged over 14 episodes. So we have endless scenes of people walking around Kings Cross in slow motion, or those irritating photo montages. Cops do something corrupt and go out for a meal, then do something corrupt again and go out for another meal, etc etc. Emma Booth as Kim Hollingsworth is let down by men something like four times - you get sick of the character. (In the long run, a hooker turned cop isn’t that interesting.)

The series has it’s good points: Emma Booth was really good (it’s not her fault she’s in such a repetitive story), Firass Dirani is a star in the making as John Ibrahim (who comes out of this very nicely), Cheree Cassidy’s bogan whistleblower was a little different as a hero. There are some good episodes where things actually happen: like Dieter Brummer betraying his fellow cops and the final segment with DK’s boys going nuts (which feels tacked on). But there’s too little of it. And many of the cast are simply not up to the job: Brummer is too young (in a sketchy party – the Trevor Haken episode of Australian Story was a lot more interesting), Diarmind Heidenreich and Daniel Roberts are disastrously light-weight as cops (when Wil Traval joins the police force and they cut to them, it’s laughable) (NB I wasn’t that wild about Paul Tassone either but at least he has a decent moment slapping Cassidy); the characters are generally too simple (eg Trevor Haken’s wife in Australian Story sounded interesting but Natalie Bassingthwaite’s character here is just another “why are you never home” type). Underbelly are getting over-confident in their casting of soapie actors in roles – really good actors like Matt Day are wasted on the sidelines.

Radio review – Lux – “Brewster’s Millions” (1937) **1/2

Jack Benny’s persona depicted him as a great miser, so it’s a shame this classic farce wasn’t more adapted to him: he’s got to spend one million dollars in a year to inherit six million. A year is too long for a farce, although there are still some decent jokes. Mary Livingstone plays his fiancée.

Movie review – “Valentine’s Day” (2010) **

Dreadful, overlong rom com which managed to be a massive hit by virtue of it’s mega cast and title. An ensemble piece set in LA about people known to those who work in the film industry: assistants, TV producers, mail room attendants, florists, kids, their teachers, army officers you sat next to on a plane once. The stars come off well enough – Jennifer Garner and Ashton Kutcher are particularly likeable. Eric Dane's performance made me think he was a real life football star trying acting – I didn’t realise he was an actual actor. Taylor Swift gives the sort of performance where she’s obviously been given too much encouragement and praise off screen – some criticism might have helped (the two teen romance stories are heavily pro-virgin). Lots of pretty clothes and shots of the male cast with their shirts off – everyone seems to go to the same personal trainer.

Radio review - SGP - "Bachelor Mother" (1942) ***

A bright, skilled condensation of the classic farce, with Ann Southern very comfortable in the lead, and Fred MacMurray more believable as Charles Coburn's son than David Niven. Coburn is marvellous and he gets the best lines - "I don't care who the father is I'm the grandfather" and "that's the first true words that have been spoken in the last 48 hours".

Radio review – SGP – “Abroad and Two Yanks” (1944) **1/2

An alright farce but fascinating for Australian audiences as it's set in Sydney during WW2. William Bendix and Dennis O'Keefe reprise their film roles as two horny Yanks on leave who fight over a girl; O'Keefe pretends to be Bendix but the girl (here played by Marjorie Reynolds) figures it out pretty quickly, which is not good for farce. The second half is an extended drag act, which doesn't work on radio and the story just seems to end (the role of Cyril is minimised here). Lots of weird attempts at Aussie accents - cockney, English and American. Bright fun.

Radio review – TGA#5 - “Ah Wilderness” (1945) ***

A decent adaptation of Eugene O'Neil's only comedy, a fore-runner of the Hardy family series. Lots of aw shucks, supposedly hilarious drunken-ness, a wise paterfamilias, some serious subtext to do with sex (the 17year old is tempted to sleep with a hooker), romance, a happy ending. Much better than the Orson Welles version.

Radio review – TGA#75 – “Macbeth” (1947) ***1/2

A chance to hear two theatrical legends, Maurice Evans and Judith Anderson, do their stuff. They are very strong - if a little old-fashioned in their approach (i.e. bombastic rather than neurotic). Highly enjoyable to listen to - even if Orson Welles used to bitch about the praise that went Evans' way.

Radio review – Lux - “Where the Sidewalk Ends” **

A solid premise - a cop accidentally kills someone and is assigned to investigate the murder - isn't played out that interestingly. Maybe there's too much sap - the cop falls in love with the daughter of the guy who gets falsely convicted. Dana Andrews is strong as the cop - he was a better actor than he got credit for, Andrews.

Movie review – “Buried” (2010) ***1/2

I was mainly interested to see how they pulled off ninety minutes in a coffin and I've got to say they did it - so three cheers to everyone involved. After the opening few minutes I got used to being stuck in there. Sometimes the logic didn't quite work - I felt Ryan Reynolds would be calling up everyone under the sun, telling his story and explaining what was going on. But then I guess his character is stuck in a box and not thinking well. Some clever stuff involving mobile phones; Reynolds' back story could have been developed a little more I felt (eg his relationship with his wife).

Movie review – “All the Young Men” (1960) **1/2 (warning: spoilers)

Alan Ladd's films became increasingly depressing towards the end of his life, due in no small part to his own physical degradation; this one, although flawed, was at least made by someone who cared.

For starters, it has an unusual setting (snow-drenched hills of Korea during the initial American offensive of the Korean War) and a decent story (a black sergeant is promoted to be in charge of a platoon to the chagrin of his troops).

It's also got Sidney Poitier in the lead as (surprise) the black sergeant; he plays the role with his customary authority and dignity - although he threatens to shoot his men a lot! Ladd's role is undeveloped - apparently it was boosted into a co-star role and you can tell. He plays a sort-of racist, not convinced that Poitier should take over but not as evil as Paul Richards. Ladd looks puffy but he doesn't drag the film down. And he gets his leg amputated after having it run over by a tank - full on!

There's some authentic looking combat footage and an awful lot of talk. The structure is talk-talk-bang-bang-talk-talk. There's a real odd ball cast, most of whom who get a chance to chat and do schtick: there's James Darren, who sings a song; Ingemar Johansson, the boxer, who talks about a farm; comic Mort Sahl (very believable as a GI) who does comic routines. It's easy to make fun of some of the liberalism here eg Poitier giving a blood transfusion to Ladd - but it was pretty gutsy at the time.

Radio review - Lux - "People Will Talk" (1952) **1/2

Perhaps the least well-known film from Joseph Mankiewicz's incredible hot streak at 20th Century Fox. It's smart and entertaining, well played by Cary Grant and even Jeanne Crain, and touches on some interesting themes (babies out of wedlock, medical treatment). But it's kind of a weird story, not that interesting - there's two main plot strands, Grant being attacked for unconventional medicine, and romancing a woman who is unmarried and pregnant.

Radio review - Lux - "Viva Zapata" (1952) **

A chance to compare the acting talents of Charlton Heston and Marlon Brando, with Chuckles taking over the role as the famous Mexican revolutionary. Who do you think would be better? It's a normal Heston performance, all teeth and reticence. Jean Peters repeats her film performance. The story is alright - I'm sure it was a big deal at the time but there's been a few other tales like this.

Movie review - "Ten Tall Men" (1951) **

As producer, Burt Lancaster dabbled in all sorts of adventure genres: Westerns, swashbucklers, pirate movies, South Sea films. This was his foreign legion tale, and despite the colour photograph and some bright moments the result is disappointingly flat. The circumstances of filmmaking couldn't have helped - the director was sacked during production (a not un-common thing for Lancaster movies) - nor do the lousy locations (I don't mind foreign legion films shot in Hollywood but not when they're so obviously shot in Hollywood) or uninspired story (they set up a villain and female in the first act and don't do anything with it; the central idea of ten convicts going on a mission is kind of thrown away). The action is surprisingly flabby; Lancaster is so-so, but better than the guys who play his mates. Michael Pate pops up as one of the convicts who go on the mission. Robert Aldrich was a production manager on this.

Book review – “Noel Coward Diaries” by Noel Coward

Noel Coward created many fabulous performances, songs, plays, scripts, etc - but few of them matched the fabulousness of his life. A constant whirl of hard work, travel, parties, theatre going, film going, moving around the globe... This diary is an enormously entertaining account of his life from World War Two to 1969, when he found out he was going to be knighted (he died a few years later). He starts on a massive career high: the war was the time of Blithe Spirit, In Which We Serve and Brief Encounter, plus his famous tours - but when peacetime came things were a bit more difficult. There were a few flops and fizzes - but he kept banging away, working hard, turning out plays and books and stories, etc. He enjoyed massive success as a cabaret entertainer and some medium size play hits - although none of his post-war work seems to have reached his pre-war highs. He also turned down an astonishingly high number of roles in films/shows that became classics: The King and I, My Fair Lady, Dr No, Lolita, The Bridge on the River Kwai. His diary is often witty, always fascinating - like a lot of people who've worked since they were a child he was very conservative. Always interesting to read his take on other plays and films (eg he wasn't a fan of the Angry Young Men, but he did like Pinter). A delight.

Book review – “Charlton Heston Journals 1956-76” by Charlton Heston

I never really thought much of Charlton Heston until I read this book - he was just this swaggering, noble looking guy who wasn't much of an actor and showed off his teeth through a bunch of epic films. This diary reveals an intelligent, thoughtful man, very serious about his craft, always capable of taking risks. It made me revisit his performances - sorry, nope, I still don't think he was much of an actor (I went through the same thing with Mark Wahlberg after Entourage - respect him more as a person, still don't think much of him as an actor).

But he certainly had a worthy star career: he backed Orson Welles for Touch of Evil and tried to use him on other films (including Anthony and Cleopatra, which Welles wasn't available for but really should have done instead of Heston); he backed Sam Peckinpah on Major Dundee to the point of giving up salary for him; was involved in Civil Rights and went on the March to Washington; backed newbie Tom Gries for Will Penny; pushed through The War Lover; took chances on films like Pro and The Planet of the Apes (which could have been a disaster); constantly took off time to do theatre.

His film career became unexciting in the 70s when he was bogged down in too many disaster films - although successful, they were very same-y, and when the tide ran out on the cycle, Heston's career never quite recovered. 

 

(I think part of the problem was he wouldn't read a script unless it was accompanied by a firm offer - he should have looked around a bit for other parts in films by top directors.)

Very stiff and Protestant, not a barrel of laughs, Heston didn't become a big time gun-toting right-winger until after this journal, where he's still considering the Democrat Party - personally I think his primary motivation for this was because it offered him a great role. 

 

Fascinating reading - a lot more interesting than most Heston performances.

Book review – “Backstory 5” Ed Patrick McGilligan

An interesting collection of interviews, but probably the weakest in the series so far, mainly because it includes too many writers turned directors (Albert Brooks, John Hughes, Nora Ephron, John Sayles, Barry Levinson), thus their careers have already achieved decent PR - Backstory was all about shining a light on people who hadn't received enough notice. Also a lot of the interviews aren't as thorough. 

I found the most interesting interviews were with people who aren't that well known: Jean Claude Carrier, Ronald Harwood, Barbara Turner, Rudy Wurlitzer.

Radio review - Lux - "Algiers" (1941) **

Charles Boyer and Hedy Lamarr were never more perfectly cast as a doomed criminal and the beautiful girl who loves him. They're all attractive and doomed and ya ya ya. I wasn't wild about it, probably because I'd only recently listened to the Orson Welles version - not that it was so much better, but I suppose there's only so much exotic romantic tosh I can take.

Film review – "Prisoner of Zenda" (1952) ***1/2

This version of the famous swashbuckler often gets pooh-poohed because it was a shot-for-shot remake of the 1937 David O Selznick film (MGM was remake crazy in the 1950s), but I really enjoyed it. The story is great (the adaptation was very good), and this has the advantage of being in colour, with terrific sets and nice action.

Stewart Granger doesn't have the reputation as an actor that Ronald Colman does, but I thought he was good; he doesn't smell of old school tie, honour and sacrifice like Colman but he's a more of a believable action man, with a darker side to his persona (Colman could never have played Rupert of Hentzau, but Granger could have).

Deborah Kerr is pretty in a role which doesn't require much more than that; James Mason (Rupert) and Robert Douglas (Michael) are strong villains, though I wasn't wild about Louis Calhern as Sapt or Robert Coote as Fritz (C Aubrey Smith and David Niven were better); Mary Astor was also better than Jane Greer. 

Still, lots of fun and I'm not surprised it made money.

Script review – “Heat” by William Goldman

I read a copy of this at the Margaret Herrick Library - it was a shooting script. Apparently production of the film was fraught - Goldman has been sketchy on the details in his memoirs (because lawsuits are still flying, he claimed), but having seen the film it did appear to be reasonably faithful. (My memory may be playing tricks here, it's been a while since I saw the film.) The problems of the film are evident in the script: mainly, there's not enough story. I really liked the novel, Edged Weapons: it was a terrific character study about a "chaperone" in Vegas, a gambling addict who is also a ruthless fighter. The joy came in the little details and the character mixed in with the occasional outbursts of violence - for it to work it would have needed a director willing to embrace the nuance and atmosphere of it's world (Robert Altman, who was attached for a while, would have been terrific). Like all Goldman screenplays, though, it's a pleasure to read.

Radio review – Suspense – “Three Skeleton Key” (1956) ****

One of the most famous radio stories, because it perfectly suits the imagination - Vincent Price is a lighthouse keeper inundated by rats. Very spooky and atmospheric and the mind works wildly at the thought of all these rats. Price is the perfect person to do the voice, too. Some great information about the story is here.

Radio review – Suspense – “The Plan”(1946) ** (warning: spoillers)

Meat and potatoes: Claire Trevor, a husband who may be insane, small town setting, a twist about identity (it’s the husband!), another twist (she was in it all along)

Radio review – Lux – “The Philadelphia Story” (1943) **

Philip Barry's play always had things that irritated me (it's snobbishness towards rich people, that awful scene where Tracy's father blames his infidelity on his daughter, the fact Tracy should really go off with the reporter, the undercooked romance between the reporter and the photographer... gee, I've thought about this, haven't I?) - but the playing in the film version and the musical remake were of such a high quality it didn't matter. 

Here the talent is strictly B grade - Loretta Young, Robert Taylor and Robert Young. Yuck! I mean, I don't mind these actors in other roles but none of them are high comedy experts. Fascinating in a way to listen to for that reason - just not that funny.

Radio review – Lux – “Strictly Dishonorable” (1952) *

I’ve never read or seen Preston Sturges’ hit play – the one that launched his career – but I bet it’s balls were cut off by this MGM adaptation. A subsequent perusal of its synopsis after listening to this proved me correct. MGM turned this into crappy pro-virgin fluff about an opera singer who offends a hopeless student and has to fight off a scandal involving a dopey fan. No real funny lines or situations, and bad playing from Fernando Lamas (replacing Enzio Pinza, whose film career was killed off by the failure of this and Mr Imporium) and Janet Leigh, neither known for comedy.

Radio review - Lux - “Wabash Avenue” (1950) **

A remake of Coney Island (it hit cinemas only seven years after the original did - the old days weren't that original) isn't as much fun to listen to without being able to see the colour and dancing and Betty's legs. Betty is likeable enough as the singer squabbled over by some competing men, including Victor Mature - who is engaging but not as good as George Montgomery (a sort of imitation Clarke Gable type who was really good in the original). There are some songs and a comic Irishman.

Radio review – Lux - “The Pride of the Yankees” (1943) ***

The Lou Gehrig story is a remarkable one, even without Hollywood dramatization – the son of an immigrant who became one of the greatest baseball players ever, before being struck down while still playing with a disease that was named after him. Gary Cooper is aw shucks and tentative in the lead role but they liked that then. Virginia Bruce replaces Teresa Wright as his wife. The device about the sports writing best friend then wasn’t as hackneyed as it became. The final speech remains very moving - this is perhaps the most famous "guy cry" movie, weepies for men (basically about sports people who become terminally ill eg Brian's Song, The Champ, Bang the Drum Slowly.)

Radio review – Lux – “The Petrified Forest” (1937) *** (warning: spoilers)

Dreamy Margaret Sullavan is better casting than the driven Bette Davis as the dreamy girl at the diner taken over by hoods; Herbert Marshall is an okay replacement for Leslie Howard as the drifting former writer (like Howard, Marshall specialised in wet roles, but I didn’t quite warm to him here; maybe he lacks the poetic quality that Howard had. Bogart is greatly missed; he’s replayed by some guy (Eduardo or someone Something) who turns in a standard gangster performance, without any of Bogart’s humour or sense of honour. The structure is still sound, and adapts well to radio (despite some crappy machine gun sound effects at the end) – and there’s the great moment where the poet asks the gangster to kill him and the gangster complies. Was that a happy ending I heard, where Marshall lived? I wasn’t sure. A special guest appears at the break – a man who worked for National Parks at the real petrified forest; he said some interesting stuff but he goes on and on.

Radio review - Suspense - "The Name of the Beast" (1946) **1/2

Vincent Price is a lot of fun as a painter who finds that he crook who has been modelling for his painting has recently robbed a pawnshop and killed someone. Eventually Price turns murderous as well. A concept strong enough to have supported a feature, with a great star performance.

Movie review - "Cop Out" (2010) **

A bad movie, and no amount of wishing is going to make it otherwise. It's incredibly frustrating, because you can see so clearly what Kevin Smith wanted to do - make a homage to 80s buddy cop films. But it fails for two main reasons, neither of them Smith's.

Firstly, the script is wrong - the buddy films worked because they were firstly dramatic/action stories, with comedy added (eg Lethal Weapon, Running Scared, 48 Hours) - this is just a silly story with a bit of action. It lacks a decent villain, climax, ideas, etc (although I did enjoy Sean William Scott's thief).

 Secondly, Bruce Willis looks bored and disinterested through the whole film - he has zero chemistry with Tracy Morgan (who doesn't quite get his character right either, but at least seems to be trying). He also plays an unlikeable character - he clearly was a dud dad, why should we care if he pays for the wedding or not?

Watching this, I kept wishing the budget had been ten times smaller with a Smith script and Smith leads (supporting actors Sean William Scott, Adam Brody and Jason Lee all would have been better) - or twice as larger so at least that way there would have been some decent stunts.

Radio review - Lux - "Hitler's Children" (1943) *** (warning: spoilers)

A massively popular B film from RKO, it remains a decent story, more than just an interesting period piece, kind of like a Young Guns meets the Nazis. It's about various young kids who are drawn into Nazi life prior to WW2 centering around the romance between a young couple in particular. There's a powerful ending with the two of them shot to death in a courtroom!!

This sort of young-people-dealing-with-big-issues story is universal; they could remake it. Bonita Granville, Otto Kruger and Kent Smith reprise their film roles; Tim Holt doesn't (Holt was a cowboy actor who kept popping up in really important/interesting films: Magnificent Ambersons, this, Stagecoach, Treasure of Sierra Madre, His Kind of Woman).

Radio review – Lux – “My Cousin Rachel” (1952) **1/2

Richard Burton made a starry debut in the film version and it would have been great to hear his big booming voice on radio – but unfortunately we’ve got Ron Randell. Randell is an Aussie who had a Hollywood career but never reached the top rank – his voice is a bit whimpy sounding and his performance lacks fire, which perhaps explains why. This is important as the whole story revolves around the jealousy of his none-too-stable character. 

Olivia de Havilland repeats her film performance; there's nothing wrong with it, she was an excellent actor, but I always felt she was slightly miscast. I think they were going for "Oh Olivia - she's not your cliched femme fetale so it's more interesting" - but the story would have been more fun with a femme fetale. (An excellent synopsis of the novel can be found here.)

Radio review - Lux - "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (1949) ***1/2

Bogie reprises his legendary film role in this enjoyable adventure tale. I'll put my hand up and admit I don't find this as sensational as some (apparently it was one of Kubrick's favourite movies) - something about it doesn't quite work... it feels a bit predictable, maybe? I can't quite put my finger on it. I like it, mind you, I just don't feel it's awesome. Bogart is very good, as is Walter Huston.

Radio review - Lux - "Hands Across the Table" (1937) ***

A high concept rom com which could be remade today - a pretty manicurist and a good looking man from an impoverished once great family both try to nab rich partners and fall in love. Claudette Colbert and Joel McCrea step into parts played by Carole Lombard and Fred MacMurray and do very well. Bright and fun, if not too heavy on plot. And it felt a bit yuck that Colbert dumps the wheelchair bound rich guy.

Radio review - Lux - "It Started with Eve" (1944) ***1/2

The announcer informs us that this was the first movie watched by American troops after they landed at D-Day - and I guess it was as good as any, a bit of light relief after those horrid couple of days. It was one of Deanna Durbin's best films, although she doesn't play her role - that honour goes to Susannah Foster, Universal's Durbin back up, who does her best and sings some songs prettily but is no Deanna. 

Dick Powell is a poor substitute for Bob Cummings - he just doesn't have Cummings' light touch - but Charles Laughton is excellent repeating his film role. At the end of the show Powell makes a crack about Laughton's weight and you can hear Laughton getting annoyed.

Radio review - Lux - "Adam and Evelyne" (1952) *

Why did anyone think this would make a good film? It's only interest comes from the fact it stars real-life couple Stewart Granger and Jean Simmons. Granger plays a smooth talking gambler who agrees to look after the orphaned daughter (Simmons) of his dead best friend - the first act consists of Simmons thinking that Granger is her dad. Yuck! Then she finds out the truth and acts two and three consist of Granger trying to hide from Simmons the fact he's a gambler.

That's a stupid story full of dodgy subtext and it's not very entertaining. Granger is better at comedy than I would have thought; Simmons' child bride character grates, on air at least.

Movie review – “The Snorkel” (1958) **

Tense little thriller from Hammer and writer Jimmy Sangster - an early version of his psycho thrillers which he later made to such great effect in the 60s. Peter van Eyck is very good in the lead, playing a smooth-talking man who kills his wife and sets it up as suicide (a terrific opening sequence) - but the woman's daughter (Mandy Miller) is convinced it was murder. Miller is dreadful - although something of a name at the time (due to her appearance in 1952's Mandy) here she's incredibly annoying; you keep hoping van Eyck will bump her off, and get frustrated when he doesn't. Occasionally it feels padded too (I've seen the 90 minute British version - apparently there's a shorter US version which might work better). Still, an enjoyable thriller.

Movie review – “The Mermaids of Tiburon” (1962) *

A scientist (George Rowe) is looking for a type of pearls. He has a rival (Timothy Carey) and gets involved with various mermaids well, topless women who swim under water. That’s in the later “nude edition” of this film. In the original 1962 edition there was less nudity – flashes of bare back mostly, plus shell bras.

The underwater photography is top quality and the woman attractive. This could be the best-shot film ever released by Roger Corman’s Filmgroup. At first it’s like “this is pretty hot, all these gorgeous women frolicking”. They frolic and frolic some more… and then after a while you start to wish something would happen. Carey turns up to be evil but he’s not that evil and it’s not exciting. None of the mermaids speak (there’s very little dialogue – most of it is done via narration.) The hero doesn’t even have a romance with a mermaid which I’m sorry is just crap. (In the original version – the one issued by Filmgroup, focuses on one mermaid, who has a fin and everything. But the director made a new edition where he added a bunch of topless swimmers without fins.)

Movie review – “The Magic Voyage of Sinbad” (1962) **

Having arranged for a Soviet Science fiction film to be re-cut into Battle Beyond the Sun, Roger Corman tried his luck again re-working another big budget Soviet production, in this case the 1953 opera Sadko. He again used Francis Ford Coppola to do his work for him, changing the hero’s name to “Sinbad”, cutting out the songs, and making the film about the search for the Blue Bird of happiness. There's plenty of production value – big ships, a fighting bear, great costumes and colour - and it should be liked by kids who enjoy fantasy films and don't mind dubbing.

Book review - "Running Wild" by David Stenn

Excellent biography of Clara Bow, who typified the 20s more than any other star, with her gum chewing and lively personality. Few movie stars seem to have been more likeable - crews loved her, she had a natural gift for the screen, she backed her family even though they ripped her off. 

Few had a tougher upbringing - her mum went mad and tried to kill her, she was born into extreme poverty, people were constantly mean, her studio exploited her. Mind you, she still got to make a lot of money, have a great time and sleep with heaps of famous, good looking men (Gary Cooper, Victor Fleming, Rex Bell, etc). She married a really nice guy who seems perfect for her - but mental illness made life with him impossible. No happy endings. 

Stenn partly rehabilitates the reputation of Bow's secretary who sued her - but the secretary still comes across as a bitch. Superbly researched and written - very moving.

Movie review – “Shutter Island” (2010) ***1/2

The story is silly, really, but Martin Scorsese's full-blown operatic directorial style suits silly stories (eg The Departed) and it's the big attraction here. Leo di Caprio is pretty good as the federal marshall who goes to an island which houses a lunatic asylum. 

There's plenty of spookiness and shocks - all those years of asthmatic Marty watching Hammer and Universal clearly pay off. He finally made a horror movie - for that's what this is, basically. The story doesn't really make sense when you think about it - would they go to this much trouble? - and is overlong but is done with total conviction and I enjoyed it.

Movie review – “Girl 27” (2007) ***

Documentary on a shocking, surprisingly unknown Hollywood scandal - an extra who was raped at an MGM party, tried to complain but was defeated by the system - unearthed by David Stenn, who wrote excellent biographies on Jean Harlow and Clara Bow. 

The story isn't quite big enough to justify a feature, though - so Stenn has to introduce himself as a character, and deal with his relationship with the girl, and talk about her life and family, and talk about another rape victim (Eloise Spann) and Loretta Young's daughter to Clark Gable. 

There are some great moments; the girl is excellent talent (I know it's strange to talk of a rape victim that way, but it's true, she is), there's some wonderful footage, and I enjoyed it a lot.

Movie review – “Frenzy” (1972) **

Hailed as a comeback for Hitchcock by some critics after Torn Curtain and Topaz and it was definitely more profitable than either of those - but I've got to admit, I didn't like it. It’s set in modern London with some nudity and sex (even some black people) but shot as if it was in the 30s – look at that opening head turning scene when the corpse is discovered; the broad character actors are as if they come out of 1935.

Jon Finch is perhaps the least likeable Hitchcock hero ever, even worse than Frederick Stafford -snarly and bad tempered, he's not good looking, charming or even funny. The murderer, Barry Foster, is more engaging. The two most likeable people in the film – Finch’s ex wife and girlfriend – are killed horribly.

 

Sometimes the film comes alive – the murder sequences in particular seem to be made by someone who cares (as were the murder sequences in Topaz and Torn Curtain). It’s too long and repetitive – in interviews Hitchcock used to show off how clever he was livening up exposition with a police detective by adding comedy with his horrible cook of a wife – but those scenes aren't even needed! And there's a horrible finale with the police acting too slowly to prevent another murder (I think they did this solely to have the end gag line “You’re not wearing your tie”) and Finch bashing a corpse (he thinks its Foster but it’s a dead girl – is it okay for it to be Foster?).

 

This film has its fans but honestly I think it's really people just feeling bad about bagging Hitchcock for his previous two films.

Movie review – “Edge of Darkness” (2010) **

A disgraceful bowdlerisation of the brilliant mini series, which replaces excellent ideas, scenes and characters with dumb ones. For example they reduce the great "discovery of the dildo scene" - one of the most skilled moments of screenwriting in history for my money (Bob Peck looking at a hope chest, discovering something childish, then discovering a dildo, then a Geiger counter, turning it on and finding everything is radioactivity) - to simply discovering a Geiger counter. They cut out the pro-environmental message of the mini series (all the stuff about Gaia) and have Mel Gibson beat up an environmentalist; they pull back on Jedburgh's involvement and remove the love interest and those two brilliant government spies; add a whole lot of stupid cliched ideas: the friend of the hero who turns out to be corrupt; getting a baddy to yell "Craven" before he's killed by Mel; giving all the information to a journalist at the end (this plot idea should be banned from Hollywood films for ten years). The only thing the film seems interested in his having scenes where angry middle aged men shoot other people with handguns. Mel Gibson is ideal casting but I blame him for a lot of these stupid changes (director Martin Campbell too); Ray Winstone is a good substitute for Joe Don Baker.

Movie review – “Step Brothers” (2008) **1/2

Funny, with moments of brilliance. The lead characters are basically retarded – I had trouble wrapping my head around it, I mean they're forty years old. Maybe if they had been sons of a rich cloistered family, like the Kennedys, or European royalty or something. Couldn't Mary Steenburgen have made the effort to look a little bit older? Maybe also I would have liked it a bit more if the relationship between the brothers had been a bit closer to the one I had with mine.

Movie review – “Cash on Demand” (1959) **1/2

Intriguing little B film from Hammer, very obviously adapted from a play, which starts out as A Christmas Carol - mean bank manager Peter Cushing is horrible to all his employees - then turns into a sort of Petrified Forest with Andre Morrell turning up pretending to be a bank dude then trying to rob the bank. For the first two-thirds this is tense stuff, very well acted from Cushing and Morrell - but it doesn't have a third act and ends with a bit of a damp squib. Morrell gives himself up very easily and you keep expecting Richard Vernon (as a bank employee) to do something interesting, but it never happens.

Radio review – Lux – "The Fighting 69th" (1942)**

Irish-Americanism Hollywood style, with Robert Preston as a cocky kid who grows up in the army during World War One with the help of his tough but loving CO, Colonel Donovan (the famous Wild Bill Donovan who people are always going to make a movie about but never get around to) and a loveable priest (yes you guessed it - Pat O'Brien). Good if you like that sort of thing.

Movie review – “Beautiful Boy” (2010) **1/2

An intriguing topic matter - what if you son was one of those nutters who go on a shooting rampage - with some excellent acting from Maria Bello and Michael Sheen (is she required to be nude in every film she makes?) but there's no real story. It's a series of incidents and bits which could have been done in any old order. The kid who plays their dead son is brilliant. Meat Loaf pops up in the support cast.

Movie review – “Rear Window” (1954) ****

Not as perfect as some claim, but it remains marvellous entertainment. It's a terrific idea of course, and John Michael Hayes' script expertly juggles subplots and provides some great dialogue. A wonderful cast - Grace Kelly is beautiful but what's with that massive dress that makes her look like a wedding case. It's also quite bloodthirsty when you think about it - it's about a guy who chops up his wife and buries her around the place. Some things irritate - why doesn't Stewart scream when Kelly is about to be attacked (I had a hard time forgiving him for this) and it feels long in spots.

Radio – Suspense – “The Pasteboard Box” (1946) **

Decent work with Joe Cotten as twins who gets up to - you guessed it - no good. And a box is involved. I enjoyed it, though I wasn't a massive fan - but some Suspense aficianados really love it (see here). Cotten is an excellent radio actor.

Movie review – “Me and Orson Welles” (2009) ***1/2

Sweet film which feels like it’s directed by Woody Allen rather than Richard Linklater. Zac Effron is likeable as the school student who gets involved in Orson Welles' production of Julius Caesar - although it would have been a better movie if we had more of a sense of Effron's character (where he came from, etc). Christian Mackay's Orson Welles is brilliant - very hard to do, but he pulls it off. Clare Danes is a bit of a nothing in her part (an easy one to play); excellent support cast, including Eddie Marsden as John Houseman and James Tupper (a real find) as Joe Cotten. The re-production of Caesar is excellent.

Movie review – “Man Made Monster” (1941) **1/2

Never quite as much fun as you think it’s going to be, this is nonetheless entertaining Universal horror stuff, particularly if you’re a Lon Chaney Jnr fan. This was his first horror film for Universal, and its an interesting precursor to The Wolfman - like that, Chaney is nice guy who tragically becomes a killer due to circumstances beyond his control (although the inspiration would have been Frankenstein). Chaney did great tragedy, with his big sad eyes and depressed air; Lionel Atwill is terrific fun as a mad scientist who turns Chaney into an electricity killing machine. There is weak support from the juveniles, and Chaney's rampage isn't quite satisfying: the first half of this is stronger than the second.

Movie review – “The Black Cat” (1941) **

Bela Lugosi gives another in his long, long, long (long, long) line of red herring performances – he’s a caretaker at a dark old house where a bunch of people have gathered for, you guessed it, a will reading. Attempts at Cat and the Canary style laughs are somewhat thwarted by having Broderick Crawford (!!) play a comic lead. He's not very funny; neither is Hugh Herbert as Crawford's constantly drunk sidekick. 

There’s stylish Universal photography -courtesy of Stanley Cortez - and a starry cast: in addition to Lugosi and Crawford there’s also Gale Sondegaard, Basil Rathbone, Gladys Cooper and a very young Alan Ladd, all wasted in this film (except for Cooper who gets some good scenes). Far too much time is spent on Crawford and Herbert.

Radio review – Lux – “Ride the Pink Horse” (1947) **

Dull mystery with Robert Montgomery south of the border seeking to avenge a friend’s death and doing some post war loss of idealism. Good thing a cute little Mexican comes along to restore his faith in humanity, or whatever. Yawn, snore – not a good story, at least not as adapted here. At the end Montgomery talks about recently visiting London for the royal wedding.

Radio review – Lux - “It Happened Every Spring” (1949) **

Silly fantasy about baseball which might mean more if you grew up loving baseball. Ray Milland is a professor who inventors a formula that makes him a top pitcher. I’m sorry, but that’s cheating.

Radio review – Lux – “Gentleman’s Agreement” (1955) **1/2

Dorothy McGruire and Ray Milland stepping in for Gregory Peck – no John Garfield or Celeste Holm, though. An okay adaptation of a piece of it's time.

Movie review – "Boytown" (2006) **1/2

A terrific idea - Glenn Robbins, Mick Molloy as a boy band making a comeback in middle age by making songs that appeal to middle aged women - but that's a situation, not a story. As a result this gets progressively more frustrating as it goes along. There's some conflict in the relationship between Robbins and Molloy, but it deals too much with stuff in the past (i.e. Robbins leaving the band originally) and is shunted too much to the side, instead of being dead centre, where it should have a la Spinal Tap. Sally Phillips, that girl who kept smiling in the Bridget Jones films, pops up as Robbins' wife - and she keeps smiling in this film too. Apparently they could have cast Jason Donovan - they should have, to give it more weight, instead of the same old Melbourne comic mates club we keep seeing in Melbourne comedies. And what's with the downer ending? Still, some very hilarious scenes.

Radio review – Lux – “The Web” (1947) ***

Little known noir with Edmond O'Brien, a weird kind of chunky star who played a surprising number of leads in the late 40s and early 50s, as a lawyer who goes to work for rich Vincent Price as a bodyguard and winds up being a witness in a murder. Good, solid stuff

Movie review - "Easy A" (2010) ***

A sensational idea - a good girl decides cultivate a reputation as a bad one out of boredom and a desire to help a friend - plus a brilliant star making performance from Emma Stone. It doesn't quite exploit the potentials of the idea - the sexual politics are skimmed, the Christians are all caricatures, the handling often broad. I kept thinking maybe this would have been better as a play where it could have more time to develop characters and themes. But it's energetic and lively and well acted on the whole; Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson are lovely as Stone's parents (there are some great family scenes).

Radio review – Suspense – “Smiley” (1947) ***

Donald O'Connor never quite got his due - too many crappy films at Universal, too close an association with Francis the Talking mule - but he was over-flowing with talent, something never more obvious than in this drama, where he plays a dish-washer who develops a grudge against women after being falsely convicted of a crime. O'Connor gives a superb, creepy performance in a very strong mystery.

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

Silly but fun version of the love lives of the Bronte sisters, in particular Charlotte and Emily (Jane Wyman and Virginia Bruce), who of course squabble over a man (Vincent Price). Supporting turns from Bramwell Bronte, and Thackeray. Fascinating fictionalised stuff.

Radio review – Lux - “I Walk Alone” (1948) ***

Tough, no-nonsense film noir with Burt Lancaster as a crim out of gaol determined to get revenge, falling in love, etc. Lancaster gives a strong performance as does Lizabeth Scott as the girl.

Radio review – Lux - “High Wall” (1948) ***

A tormented crim who could be a murderer and the shrink determined to get to the truth - it's Spellbound redux. I hadn't seen the film, so when I heard Van Heflin cast as the possible killer, I thought he could actually be the killer, giving the piece genuine suspense... More so than the film, where Robert Taylor played the role - and you know he never could have done it. So this improves on the film, even if you don't quite believe Heflin hooking up with Janet Leigh, not very convincing as the shrink. Good, solid story though.

Radio review – Lux – “The Naked Jungle” (1954) ***1/2

Very silly and lots of fun with Charlton Heston in fine glowering form as the plantation owner who buys himself a wife (here played by Donna Reed, not Eleanor Parker) and is upset to find out she's been married before. Then killer ants come and threaten to devour everything. This story had it's origin as a radio tale so it adapts very well - you can let your imagination run riot at the thought of these ants eating their way across the jungle. I enjoyed the melodrama of the married couple at the beginning too.

Radio review – Lux – “Stairway to Heaven” (1946) **

It's a famous movie but doesn't translate too well to radio, without that great set design and photography. Indeed, here the story comes across as plain silly, to be honest. At least David Niven is on hand to repeat his role; Barbara Rush plays the girl.

Movie review – “Gone with the Wind” (1939) *****

This film ages so well. Not just the quality that went into it's making - the stunning art design, costumes, colour photography, cast - but the relationship between Scarlett and Rhett. He's a creature out of romantic fiction but with a modern neurotic twist: he loves Scarlett but can't let her know because she'll crush him, which she ends up doing anyway; and she's so selfish and self-involved, chasing after a guy who doesn't want her. It's Edward Albee territory in a way, and remains powerful drama. The film has appalling racist depiction of blacks (although Hattie McDaniel's Mammy has spirit), but is a true epic, and Scarlett O'Hara is one of the great unsympathetic protagonists of all time. Perfectly cast: Vivien Leigh is so good, as is Clark Gable and Olivia de Havilland (wonderful in an impossible role). I liked Leslie Howard too as the wishy-washy Ashley. A huge tribute to the studio system.

Movie review – “Gone Baby Gone” (2009) ***1/2

Impressive directorial debut from Ben Affleck, with a strong, satisfying story (good characters and twists), strong tension, well handled bouts of violence, very good cast. I'm not a fan of Casey Affleck - his voice is so grating and he feels so lightweight - but everyone else is good: Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris (actually he's really good), old friend John Ashton (I wondered if he was still alive), Amy Madigan, Michele Monaghan (surely Jennifer Garner was considered for this?), and most of all, all those wonderful old Boston faces. It goes on a bit too long but is pretty impressive overall.

Movie review – “The Wolfman” (2010) ***

It took me a while to warm up to this remake of the 1941 classic, but once I did, I started to enjoy it. Benicio del Toro isn't quite as moving or tragic as Lon Chaney Jnr, Anthony Hopkins is mean spirited in the Claude Rains role and Emily Blunt very pretty in a not-much part. Impressive production design and special effects: the wolf man really cuts loose in this one, running riot through the fields and in London. He takes out a fair few innocent people - the death toll is high - so he does lack sympathy. The expressionistic, trippy sequences work well.

Movie review – “Field of Dreams” (1989) ***

Schmaltzy and silly - and the second and third acts basically repeat the first (i.e. man hears voices and does something crazy) but done with conviction and enthusiasm. It also benefits from the aw shucks charm of Kevin Costner in the lead role - could any other actor have pulled this off? Maybe Paul Newman. (Costner made so many interesting choices when he was a star; as a star he got puffy and went off the boil.) James Earl Jones and Burt Lancaster offer gravitas, and Amy Madigan is sparky in what is an under-written role, really. 

No matter how corny the film is I still got tingles up my spine in some scenes: "If you build it he will come", "well played played rookie", "do you want to play catch", etc.

Movie review – “Bullitt” (1968) ***1/2

I'm surprised I'd never seen this film until now. It's very cool and groovy, very late 60s Steve McQueen, who is in excellent form in the title role. The plot is a bit familiar now we've had all these cop shows, but McQueen and Peter Yates' flashy direction remain enjoyable. The famous car chase also impresses, mostly because it's done in a different style to those done today, i.e. it takes its time, uses long takes and doesn't go overboard with the stunts. Jacqueline Bisset is very pretty and sexy in a thankless part. You'll recognise the support cast from heaps of TV but good luck trying to recall their names, except for Bisset and Robert Vaughan. The climax at the airport surely influenced Michael Mann's Heat.

Movie review – “The Ward” (2010) **1/2

John Carpenter's return to the big screen shows he's lost none of his flair for visuals, mood or atmosphere. There's lots of great tracking shots, and spooky music, and night scenes. And this has a great central presence, about a spirited teen girl (Amanda Heard) who winds up in a psychiatric ward. Unfortunately the movie gets more confusing as it goes on; it's also repetitive, with too many scenes of Heard escaping then being recaptured, and a final reveal which doesn't really make sense (not to mention feels like a retread of Shutter Island). The quality of the acting is poor, except Jared Hess, who is perfect as a head shrink. Heard is adequate, no more - but she's better than the girls who play her fellow inmates, who are really bad. The 60s setting could have been used more.

Movie review – “Amigos” (2010) ***

John Sayles turns his considerable talents to a war about which I confess I didn't even know existed - the American-Philippine War which followed the Spanish-American War, where the Yanks kicked out the Spaniards but decided to stay. The parallels to Vietnam are astonishing: you have a troop of Americans taking over a village, where the locals are torn between loyalties to insurrectionists, the Catholic church, the attractions of the newcomers (democracy, money), desire for independence. There's even an IT techno geek amongst the Americans (played by DJ Qualls - only he's a whiz with the telegraph rather than computers).

Sayles is careful to paint things in shades of grey as opposed to black and white: the Americans introduce democracy... at the point of the gun and under their supervision; the Catholic Church offers great solace to the people... and rips off the locals; the rebels in the hills are brave and tough... and so ruthless they kill innocent victims to mess with the Americans' heads; the tough colonel (Chris Cooper) is ruthless... but out of a desire to end the war quickly; there's a real bad ass rebel who seems to be invincible... but he's not.

Strong performances from a very good cast. Joel Torres impresses as the head of the village, kind of a bank manager figure, a decent guy caught up in circumstances beyond his control, the poor bastard. The bald guy who plays the bass ass is also great - he could easily be an action hero. Production value is high as well.

My main criticism of the film is it could have been a bit more exciting... The central story is full of opportunities for a little more of that old New World pizazz - lonely sentries at night guarding an outpost surrounded by an infested jungle, late night raids, a race against the clock, romance, etc. Sayles could have kept all his story and political points, just thrown in some thrills as well. Maybe the effort to get this made meant he ran out of puff.

Radio review – Lux – “Spellbound” (1948) ***

Joseph Cotten is a good substitute for Gregory Peck (after all he played a mental patient in I'll Be Seeing You) but his Third Man co-star Alida Valli is a poor swap for Ingrid Bergman – as David O Selznick soon found out. The mystery and romance translate reasonably well, although it misses out on the visual stuff with the dreams, etc.

Radio review – Suspense – “Out of Control” (1946) **

Dull entry with Brian Donlevy as a cop who gets involved with a husband-murdering femme fetale. Most noticeable for the violent death of a dog at the end.

Movie review – “The Runaways” (2010) **1/2

A film with style to spare – terrific production design, camera angles, “feel”, etc. Not a super duper amount of story: band forms, have success, squabble, break up. There is a twist when Kirsten Stewart and Dakota Fanning have sex – I can’t imagine Richards and Jagger doing that! Stewart plays Joan Jett in a gauche, awkward style, very reminiscent of Bella in Twilight; Fanning does her best but is simply too mature and sensible to catch fire in the role (I watched some You Tube footage of the girl she plays – the real life edition had much more life and fire). As a result, the film lacks something (apart from a fully fleshed story).

Stewart Granger Box Office

Recently went through some MGM box office figures at the Margaret Herrick Library in LA - fascinating to read what made money and what didn't. Had a look at Stewart Granger's career.

King Solomon’s Mines (1950) - cost $2,258,000, revenue $10,050,000 (domestic $5,050,000, foreign $5,000,000) – profit $4,122,000. A massive, massive hit, although (to me at least) it doesn't hold up well today.

Soldiers Three (1951) - cost $1,429,000, revenue $2,248,000 (domestic $1,018,000, foreign $1,230,000) – profit $32,000. Granger used to bag this film but it still made a small profit.

The Light Touch (1951) - cost $1,163,000, revenue $1,290,000 (domestic $440,000, $850,000 foreign, including

£104,608 of receipts in the UK

) – loss of $398,000. MGM tried Granger in different roles, this one being a light comedy, but the public didn't like it (although he did play comedy well in Scaramouche). He can't have been helped by the fact that Richard Brooks wasn't exactly a renowned comedy director.

Scaramouche (1952) - cost $3,005,000, revenue $6,790,000 (domestic $2,740,000, foreign $4,050,000) – profit $1,094,000. A simply marvellous film that deserved every cent it made.

The Wild North (1952) - cost $1,282,000, revenue $4,032,000 (domestic $2,112,000 foreign $1,920,000) – profit $825,000. A real surprise that this did so well since it isn't that good, with Granger acting in a French accent. But it's bright and colourful and is an action film I suppose.

Prisoner of Zenda (1952) - cost $1,708,000, revenue $5,628,000 (domestic $2,078,000, foreign $3,550,000) – profit $1,759,000. This version of the famous tale is always mentioned as inferior to the 1937 one - which it copied - but was clearly still popular.

Young Bess (1953) - cost $2,423,000, revenue $4,095,000 (domestic $1,645,000, foreign $2,450,000) – lost $272,000. I thought this would have done better; I guess it actually made alright money, it just cost a lot.

Salome (1953) - made over at Columbia so I don't have the costs, but it was a big hit (Rita Hayworth starred), earning $4.75 million domestically.

All the Brothers Were Valiant (1954) - cost $1,816,000, revenue $4,710,000 (domestic $2,010,000 foreign $2,700,000) - profit $1019,000. A massive success - Granger at his box office height and Robert Taylor still potent.

Beau Brummel (1954) - cost $1,762,000, revenue $2,850,000 (domestic $1,050,000, foreign $1,800,000) – loss $383,000. Never seen this movie and to be honest have no real desire to; I have the feeling it would have done better in the 30s. Granger was better in tough guy roles.

Green Fire (1954) - cost $1,768,000, revenue $4,590,000 (domestic $1,840,000, foreign $2,750,000) - profit $834,000. I had thought this was a flop and it's certainly Grace Kelly's least well known film as a star but I guess she had too much potency at the box office - plus Granger in adventure mode.

Moonfleet (1955) - cost $1,955,000, revenue $1,680,000 (domestic $580,000, foreign $1,100,000) – loss $1,203,000. Definitely a film which deserved a bigger audience - but what a money loser!

The Last Hunt (1956) - cost $2,121,000, revenue $3,360,000 (domestic $1,610,000, foreign $1,750,000, including

£135,706 of receipts in the UK

) – loss $323,000. Another surprise, especially considering it co-starred Robert Taylor, was from Richard Brooks and was a Western. Surely the box office performance of this would have made MGM wary of keeping Granger.

Bhowani Junction (1956) - cost $3,637,000, revenue $4,875,000 (domestic $2,075,000, foreign $2,800,000) – lost $933,000. Not so surprised, as this was a badly cut-about film, but it's a real shame since this had the potential to be a classic.

The Little Hut (1957) - cost $1,662,000, made $3,600,000 (domestic $2,085000, foreign $1,515,000) – profit $340,000. I was surprised this made money - no one seems to say anything nice about the film - but then it had a strong cast, popular play source and racy subject matter.

Gun Glory (1957) - cost $1,707,000, made $2,550,000 (domestic $1,125,000, foreign $1,425,000) – loss of $265,000. Westerns were normally a surer bet than this but I guess (a) it wasn't a very good film and (b) by the late 50s Westerns were everywhere on the small screen.

North to Alaska (1960) - cost $3.8 million, made $5 million (NB this was a 20th Century Fox film. A really fun movie but I don't think you could put the strong box office performance down to Granger; he's not really in the movie that much. It's definitely a John Wayne film.)

Swordsmen of Sienna (1961) - cost $

1,065,000, revenue $2,250,000 (domestic $1,500,000, foreign $2,250,000) – loss of $100,000. A minor swashbuckler that nonetheless still performed okay.

Radio review - Lux - "I'll Be Yours" (1950) ***

Silly but fun version of a Deanna Durbin musical, which was a remake of a Margaret Sullivan vehicle written by Preston Sturges. When listening to this I thought Norman Krasna must have had a hand in the script since it felt similar to many Krasna scripts: a variation on the Cinderella story, use of mistaken identity, a dreamy female heroine, rich person saves the day. But no - although regular Krasna collaborator Bob Cummings is on hand to play the rather thankless part of the principled lawyer helped by the girl (Ann Blyth steps in for Deanna Durbin); Cummings would have been better value playing the rich old guy. William Bendix reprises his film role as Blyth/Durbin's good hearted friend.

(NB on the edition of this I heard, there's an interview with an older Bob Cummings who talks about how he was the godson of Orville Wright. He sounds like he has one foot in the grave but still has all his marbles.)

Radio review - Lux - "The Sisters" (1939) ***

David Niven once famously shared a house with Errol Flynn was well as making a couple of films with him, so it's interesting to hear Niven take over a role played by his old housemate. He plays the wastrel, weak writer husband of Irene Dunne (taking over for Bette Davis). 

Dunne is a good substitute for Davis as I always felt Davis was a bit too strong and sensible for her character; Niven is fine, although Flynn was better casting. Niven tells a joke at the end of the production with Cecil B de Mille.

Movie review – “Robin Hood” (2009) **1/2

Originally this was to be called Nottingham and have the Sheriff as the hero – which totally went against the DNA of what is one of the all time popular stories in the English language. Then they replaced it with a new story which also goes against that DNA.

 

I think why Robin Hood always works is that every little boy (and girl) at some stage dreamed of living in the forest with your mates, robbing from the rich to give to the poor, and fighting in a good cause. Here Robin is an archer, getting on a bit in years, fighting for Richard in Europe – who pretends to be a knight in order to get home (shades of A Knight’s Tale, also written by Brian Hegeland), including hooking up with the dead knight’s wife (Cate Blanchett, who gives a good performance – but honestly who cares if Maid Marian is played by a good actor, it’s a waste). There’s only one incident of robbing from the rich to give to the poor – he doesn’t get outlawed until the very end. Richard I dies at the beginning so Robin isn’t fighting for restoration of the monarchy, but rather a bill of rights – the Magna Carta (used in Bandit of Sherwood Forest); as presented here it feels a bit tacked on. 

 

It’s hard to tell some of the support cast apart, although the quality of acting is strong (William Hurt makes a surprisingly effective decent noble). Mark Strong, a bald Andy Garcia look a like, is a good villain. Plenty of action including a brilliant final battle and Rusty is a great tough guy hero but it never quite comes alive.

Movie review – “Going the Distance” (2010) **1/2

Not much of an idea for a rom com – a couple try a long distance relationship – but Drew Barrymore and Justin Long are very winning. The drama is very undercooked; they have these potential rival love interests who don’t deliver, plus there’s a promising sounding subplot about a Jonas Brothers-like band that is raised and ignored. Much of it feels improvised, which sometimes works, sometimes doesn’t.

Play review – “Gideon” by Paddy Chayefsky

Entertaining version of the famous Biblical story - not as highly regarded as The Tenth Man, apparently, but I enjoyed it more, mostly because there's more story. Fun dialogues between Gideon and God, plenty of spectacle and interesting characters.

Radio review – Lux – “Lady in the Dark” (1945) **

The Moss Hart play was a hit at the time, and much acclaimed – it’s hard to tell why from this radio adaptation of the film. Ginger Rogers is a magazine editor in love with a married man; she has a session with a shrink which leads to a number of musical fantasies and blah blah blah. Rogers is ordinary as is Ray Milland who plays the snarly guy at the magazine.

Movie review – “Track of the Vampire” (1965) *1/2

An early collaboration between two directors who later became cult favourites – Jack Hill and Stephanie Rothman, both working for Roger Corman. It starts with a sort of Bucket of Blood flavour, with a bunch of beatniks and artists (including Sid Haig, so you know Jack Hill directed that bit) hanging out in a café.

The film gets progressively weirder, as befits its reputation. Basically it’s about an artist vampire who kills his models and dips them in wax. But you’re more likely to remember the disjointed feel and shocking continuity. There’s a long sequence where a girl dances on the beach; a hot bit where William Campbell paints a topless model while he does this monologue about an insane artist; an attractive woman changes into a bikini, walks into the water then straight out again to be menaced; weird dream sequences; another actor to help flesh out William Campbell’s role; Patrick Magee badly dubbed; a laughable bit where a vampire jumps in a pool after a victim.

Still, there are some spooky bits – deserted streets at night, an okay finale with Campbell’s creatures rebelling against him; attractive women in the cast; the novelty of Sid Haig and Jonathan Haze as beatniks.

There five versions of this movie – the original part-Roger Corman-financed Yugoslavian film, Operation: Titian, starring Campbell and Patrick Magee (on which Francis Ford Coppola apparently worked); a version for this adapted for TV as Portrait in Terror; the Jack Hill version, Blood Bath, where Hill did some extra work in the US (why Sid Haig and Jonathan Haze are in the film); the Stephanie Rothman version, also called Blood Bath, which turned Campbell into a vampire (only with a different actor playing Campbell’s part); the extended Rothman version, known as Track of the Vampire, with additional footage inserted to make up the TV running time. Of interest for fans of Hill and Rotham, which is why I saw it, but for the most part this is a mess.

Movie review – “T Bird Gang” (1959) *

Undercover stories are normally sure fire and this one has a strong, basic plot – teen kid goes undercover as a member of a gang to find out who killed his dad. There’s all the familiar elements – ruthless cop who forces him to play for their side, concerned girlfriend, clashes in the gang – but it’s all done incredibly dully. I had trouble watching it all the way through. Roger Corman had some money in it, but the film could have done with more of his editing notes.

Radio review – Lux - “For Whom The Bell Tolls” (1943) **

I have to admit it - I just don't like Gary Cooper. He's meant to be tough and stoic but he always plays these whimps who whinge. Compare him to say Bogart or Lee Marvin or Bob Mitchum. This is one of his most famous roles, partnered with Ingrid Bergman and Akim Tamaroff, running around the mountains fighting the fascists. It was a massive film at the time, but this comes across as a run of the mill adventure tale - the finale however is moving.

Movie review – “Date Night” (2010) ***

Starts brilliantly - Steve Carrell and Tina Fey are a marvelous duo, and their teaming as a married couple is easily enough to sustain a film. The first half hour is great, but when the North by Northwest stuff happens it's less good and eventually things become tired. For instance, Mark Wahlberg's initial appearance is fantastic - but we go back to him far too often (literally; they keep popping back to his place). James Franco and Mila Kunis are funny in their bit too - I expected to see more of them. A good hearted film.

Play review – “The Tenth Man” by Paddy Chayefsky

This has a great idea – a modern-day exorcism of a girl by some Jews in New York city – and memorable characters and lines, particularly the suicidal lawyer. But there’s not enough story – it needed a reversal or something (although I did like the ending where the lawyer turns out to be exorcised.) Would look good on stage with all the rituals being done.