Movie review - "One Way Ticket" (1997) **

 Aussie TV movie - seemingly shot on video tape - about a prison guard, Rachel Blakely, who has an affair with a prisoner Peter Phelps. Blakely is very good. So too is Phelps although how much you enjoy the film will depend on how much you enjoy their chemistry Phelps was a little too believable as a hardened crim for me and when he boogied to her along to 'Hold Me in Your Arms' it seemed silly. Casting someone like, say, a young Hugh Jackman would've changed the tone. The scenes between Phelps and Blakely were a little rapey - when he dances with her it's not entirely sexy. Maybe that's just me but their complete lack of sexual chemistry was the biggest flaw in the movie.

I've got to say Phelps completely commits - with his tatts and later shaved head. Blakely goes for it too - it's surprising to see her topless. Chris Haywood offers strong support and there's a bunch of familiar faces.

It's a solid story though curiously lacking in excitement. Richard Franklin's direction is competent rather than outstanding.

TV review - "Flatland Ep 1 Mists of Time" (2002) *

 Pilot for TV series set in China. Shot on video, it seems. Looks terrible. Confusing. People involved in something in the 4th dimension. Some fighting, multi national casst including Dennis Hopper. I couldn't follow it. There's some hot Chinese girl in a bikini, a black American guy, some random white guy, a hot blonde American babe, some British guy, plus Steven Grieves.

There's some karate and running up walls. An ancient warrior.

Richard Franklin apparently directed the pilot. Al Ruddy produced. It was just awful.

TV review - "The Beauty and the Beast Ep 1 Once Upon a Time in the City of New York" (1987) ***1/2

 Well made take on fairytales, skillfully updated to New York City, done with conviction. I mostly watched this pilot because Richard Franklin directed it. Beautifully photographed and it gave Linda Hamilton a chance to do something glam, and Ron Perlman a romantic leading man part.

It's fantasy but done with commitment and conviction. I enjoyed it. The series wound up lasting three seasons which isn't bad for something centered around a key central relationship - and Hamilton leaving after season two.

TV review - "The Lost World: The Journey Begins and Stranded" (1999) **1/2

 Pilot for the adventure series shot on the Gold Coast - there were a bunch of them made there around that time including Beastmaster, Tales of the South Seas and so on. It's silly tongue in cheek fun, played with conviction. The cast is fine - the standouts are the two women: feisty heiress Rachel Blakely (who has urst with the hunky hunter Will Snow) and the fur bikini wearing cavewoman. Variable effects, a sense of fun.

The director was Richard Franklin, who did a number of episodes, and the executive producer was John Landis.

Book review - "The Chill" by Ross MacDonald

 A lew Archer book that was adapted into a (as yet unfilmed) script by William Goldman. There's a lot of plot. A lot. I got distracted. Competently done. I wasn't into it, I'll admit that. I think the script was different, and better.

Book review - "Solid Ivory" by James Ivory

 Not a straight up memoir more a collection of pieces - essays on people Ivory has known (Lillian Ross, Raquel Welch, George Cukor plus of course Ruth and Ismail) and places (Venice, India), plus a long memoir section of growing up with a lot of gay content in it. Not a lot on the films though there are bits - a far wack on Shakespeare Wallah, getting Vanessa Redgrave on The Bostonians (it was almost Glenn Close), the development of Call Me By Your Name, working with Raquel Welch on The Wild Party. I would've liked more on the movies - the Weinstein dramas on The Golden Bowl, and the high points of Howards End and so on. The best bits are the chapters on Ruth and Ismail Merchant. I would've liked a different book, more film orientated, but this was interesting.

Book review - "Close-Up On Sunset Boulevard: Billy Wilder, Norma Desmond, And The Dark Hollywood Dream" by Sam Staggs (2002)

 Not as good as Staggs' book on All About Eve because that had the X factor of finding the Girl. This one he's done his research, especially on the musical versions (including Swanson's attempts in the 50s and 60s to do one), the original script, chatting to Nancy Olson as well as others...  I loved the opening scene of Wilder meeting a drunk DW Griffith at a party. I maybe would've liked more on the silent era stuff and Brackett (he gets points though for bothering to read Brackett's novels). A lot of it did feel like padding and I felt Staggs was unnecessarily mean about much of Wilder's non Brackett output.

After reading this I went back to Brackett's published diaries and those entries, short as they were, are far superior to what's on here.

Movie review - "Brilliant Lies" (1996) ***1/2

 Very expert version of a strong play. Didn't do much at the box office - maybe it was more telemovie material by then. There was Disclosure I know but that had the stars and a best selling novel.

The cast is excellent. Gia Carides is an ideal David Williamson female: sexpot, aggressive, loves middle aged men, lives off men. She's supported well by her sister Zoe and Anthony La Paglia looking trim and terrific. Michael Veitch is superb and touching as the Christian brother, Ray Barrett very good as the dad, and Neil Melville gives typically strong support.

La Paglia possibly plays his part too one note - all angry scowling - when a little more variation might've been more interesting. The wailing that "I'm a middle class straight white man the world is against me" is depressingly still relevant in 2022.

The direction is matter of fact rather than flashy. Lots of talk. Flashback sequences are perfunctory - maybe they should've shown the actual scenes played out. The family scenes are warm and well done (some critics carped the characters were unlikable but I don't think so... they're all funny and Zoe Carides and Michael Veitch are moralistic). The humour is sharp The theme of lying is expertly explored. But still... it's a TV movie.

I always felt they should've tweaked it so Catherine Wilkins was gay and hooked up with Zoe Carides.

Book review - "The First King of Hollywood: The Life of Douglas Fairbanks" by Tracey Goessel

 Very well researched, entertaining biography of Fairbanks who deserved a good new book - he's been unfairly overlooked. There's florid writing in places but it tells a gripping yarn. Fairbanks became successfully quite quickly: small town actor, Broadway success, then films. He found his medium: his athleticism and charm were a natural, he got the right collaborators (Anita Loos, Allan Dwan, etc), Hollywood was expanding. There was the romance with Mary Pickford, the bromance with Chaplin (both genuine), the creation of United Artists, his incredible international popularity, his artistic developments (the swasbuckler, colour).

His "fall" was alarming and rapid and surprising: he still had plenty of money (despite spending most of it), he could act with his voice. But he seemed to lose enthusiasm with talking pictures and his divorce from Pickford (caused by a few things... absences, her drinking, third parties, no kids, age, his love of travel). Despite a lot of good exercise he died quite young of a heart attack - but it was probably better that he did, the way he went.

I should watch more of his films.

Movie review - "Unforgettable" (2017) **

 A stock Lifetime-style thriller which has the sort of plot that is well worn on the soaps but for some reason got the big studio treatment including two stars and a cinema release. I guess there was a "slot". Also the director was a top exec for many years. Christina Hodgson has written a number of excellent scripts; this one is more paint by numbers (though one never knows why scripts turn out the way they did).

Rosario Dawson looks bored at times playing the good new wife of some random guy. Katherine Heigl plays it up to eleven, full ham, as a camp villain - she's still the best thing about it, even if you can hear her munching on the scenery. She gives the piece some life. Good to see Cheryl Ladd have a role as her mum. Whitney Cummings pops up in the support cast.

Movie review - "Psycho II" (1983) **** (warning: spoiilers)

 Its reputation is high now but it was a ballsy move to make in 1983 - how many long gestating sequels to classics pay off? It holds up well. It's a classy movie - respectful, very well made and acted, has a solid throughline: the gaslighting of Norman Bates. Tony Perkins is superb as Bates - different from his last incantation, a sane person driven insane; he has a kind gentle nature that works so well for the character, plus of course that intelligence. Meg Tilly matches him beautifully - sympathetic, seemingly innocent, vulnerable... Richard Franklin should have used her (and them) in Link. She had her moment in the sun, Tilly, then sort of vanished. (I think voluntarily.)

Tom Holland wrote a very good script - decent twists, clever homage, intelligent -  and there is excellent music from Jerry Goldsmith. Very strong support cast including Robert Loggia as a sympathetic shrink person (Maybe this should've been a female but I guess they wanted to do a Martin Balsam homage), Vera Miles reprising her role as Lila (they kill off poor old John Gavin's Sam), Dennis Farina as a great murder victim. 

There's a bit of gore and some slashes (notably Perkins grabbing on to a knife) but not a lot - it is mostly psychological and suspenseful. Very scary. Classy movie.

You know for the sequel they should've just put Mary Loomis (Meg Tilly) in a coma and had her come out of it.

Movie review - "Nature's Grave" (2008) **

 I wonder why they remake it? It's basically the same script. It is an interesting comparison.

Claudia Karvan is a much better actor than Briony Behets. But Jim Caviezel isn't as good as John Hargreaves - his American boorishness also doesn't work as well in an Australian film as Hargreaves' Aussie boorishness. It's nicely shot but not as well shot as Vincent Monton and it doesn't have the same creepiness. They kept the partner swapping plot which seemed to work better in the 70s. They keep the wife masturbating to a book scene. It's on digital and film is better.

De Roche talks about writing the film in a very good career interview here. He has a cameo in the bar and Roger Ward is the truck driver.

I love the intent behind it. I just can't see the point.

Movie review - "Link" (1986) **1/2

 A frustrating experience. The set up and idea is solid: student Elizabeth Shue goes to work as an assistant for enigmatic professor Terence Stamp who is doing research on chimps. As she stays she starts to worry that one of the chimps, Link, could have murder on his mind.

Jerry Goldsmith is credited for the jaunty, chirpy score which doesn't feel right. There's beautiful Scottish locations but too much of it seems shot inside a studio and that lacks atmosphere. I really wanted the atmos cranked up like with Rebecca - crashing waves, isolation, hostility. That isn't done.

Elizabeth Shue is very beautiful, likeable and chirpy - and I think her semi nude scene is justified (is that a body double in long shot?) because it does add to suspense with the creepy chimp looking at her - but maybe she's too chirpy. A more ostensibly mousy, scared actor could have brought more tension - I don't know like, say, Jennifer Jason Leigh or someone. She never seems too scared. I also think she should have been romantically interested in Stamp, leant into the Jane Eyre tropes more... Shue didn't need a boyfriend, the guys who visit at the end just could've been fellow students.

It does pick up in the last third when the chimp goes on the rampage. But it never quite conquers its case of the sillies.

Richard Franklin had a difficult time of it during the shoot. He had troubles with his crew, clashed with his producer, fidgeted with the script, fell inappropriately in "crush" with with leading lady. Maybe htat's why this didn't click. It certainly was not widely seen.

Book review - "Mary Astor's Purple Diary: The Great American Sex Scandal of 1936" by Edward Sorel

 One of those expanded New Yorker pieces - a part biography of Astor, part look at her diary trial, with a lot of the author inserting himself in the story (his bad first marriage, successful remarriage, career, obsession with Astor).

It's effective in it's own way. Astor was never a favourite of mine as an actor - competent, solid rather than awesome - but she had a great private life: horrible parents, early seduction by John Barrymore, widowed to Howard Hawks' low libido brother who died in a plane accident, crummy taste in husbands, torrid affair with George Kaufman (apparently great in the sack), alcoholism. 

Once I got into Sorel's approach - it took a while - I enjoyed the book. It's an entertaining yarn.

Woody Allen reviewed the book for the New York Times here. Pre-cancelled, I guess. It's an entertaining review.

Movie review - "The Devil's Daughter" (1973) *** (warning: spoilers)

 After Harold and Maude Colin Higgins wrote Killing Lydia (which became Foul Play) and two TV movies, this and The Distributor, which I don't think was made. This is a decent TV movie, a Rosemary's Baby knock off (I think the pitch was "Rosemary's Baby at 21") about a young woman (Belinda Montgomery vaguely familiar to me - I googled her and saw she was Crockett's wife in Miami Vice) who after the death of her mother (Diane Ladd) goes to live with one of the latter's mates (Shelley Winters) unaware mom was topped by Satanists who have a claim to Montgomery.

Atmospherically handed by Jeannot Swarzc and the cast is very strong (it includes the workmanlike Montgomery, plus Abe Vigoda, Joseph Cotten and Richard Foxworth). It does lack an extra twist or two - like, you can kind of guess charming Foxworth, the boyfriend, will be bad and that Cotten will be bad, and her BFF will be killed. Higgins got better at doing misdirects and twists later on.

The producers, Miller and Miklis, were big TV guys - they did a lot of TV movies, went on to do Happy Days - and they liked Higgins so much they went on to produce Silver Streak and Foul Play with him.  (Miller was gay and later formed a professional partnership with his real life partner, Bob Boyett)

Movie review - "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" (1982) ***1/2

 Production of this film was apparently rough with clashes between Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton and changes to the original musical. I haven't seen that but for me it makes complete sense for the story to be readjusted to be a love story between the leads, who match wonderfully and get along well - they should have made more films together. Parton is perfectly cast as the madam, ditto Reynolds as a good ole boy sheriff - Larry King (original book writer) was a whiner.

Nice tunes, a campy nude footballer number (well, a number involving some... but also good dancing), Dom de Louise chews scenery as the reporter (did he need a toupee and sock down his pants?), Charles Durning is superb as the governor, underwritten support characters - the other prostitutes, that single mother Reynolds has this relationship with that's not explored, Burt carrying what seems to be a Dolly Parton body double into the car, "I Will Always Love You", a sweet duet between Burt and Dolly... family entertainment in a way, and very consistent with Burt's good ole boy persona.

Book review - "The Black Arrow" by Robert Louis Stevenson (1888)

 Second tier Stevenson. The adventures of a 17 year old and the girl he hooks up with during the War of the Roses - he's on the Yorkist side i.e. ultimately unsuccessful though he wins in this one. There's fights, outlaws and derring do but I struggled to register it and my mind drifted listening (it was an audio book).

Movie review - "Cloak and Dagger" (1984) ***

 Franklin's success with Psycho II saw him given this enjoyably Hitchcock pastiche slightly muted by the fact that Henry Thomas isn't very charismatic, ET or not, and Dabney Coleman, while fun, isn't as much fun once you know that Franklin wanted Kevin Kline, who would've been better.

I didn't enjoy this as much when I saw it as a kid.  Still the San Antonio settings are fresh - the Alamo, a barge - the set pieces are enjoyable (the aiport finale) and the Hitchcock nods (little old couple turn out to be killers, dodgy fingers, etc). It's cleverly written by Tom Holland. The father-son stuff is touching.

It's an 80s kid film - I mean, Thomas shoots someone dead. The little girl is fine though presumably they wanted Drew Barrymore - I would've cast older and gone for some puppy love romance.

Movie review - "Silver Streak" (1976) ***1/2 (re-watching)

 Still fun. Unfortunate blackface. Well plotted. A bit long. Gene Wilder very likeable, ditto Jill Clayburgh, and Patrick McGoohan leads a strong array of villains (including Ray Walston and Richard Kiel). The show is stolen by Richard Pryor.

High death toll - Wilder kills someone. 

Movie review - "Nine to Five" (1980) ***

 The opening half hour is brilliant with its classic theme song, incendiary satire that is all too relevant today, terrific leads, star making debut by Dolly Parton, splendid work from Lily Tomlin, adequate work from Jane Fonda. It starts to wobble with some unfunny dream sequences (Tomlin's snow white bit excepted) then gets bogged down in plot with less satire.

It still works, just lacks some shine. Such as maybe a romance for Fonda's character (an end credit refers to her marrying the Xerox man, why not see him). It feels ramshackle and you can see the rewrites.

But the core is so strong it's not surprising that this piece has survived the years.

Movie review - "Foul Play" (1978) ***1/2

 Really fun Hitchcock style light thriller with Goldie Hawn terrific value as the woman who gets involved in an assassination plot. It's a thriller first - there is a very high death toll, and Hawn is in a lot of peril.

Some scenes do not age well - Hawn beating up dwarf Billy Barty, the albino killer. But it remains funny with a wonderful star, excellent male lead (Chevy Chase adapting very well and making one wish he'd played more male leads to female stars), superb support cast (Brian Denney as Chase's partner who practically has "I will be killed in the third act" on his head. Hawn's rape obsessed best friend, Dudley Moore hilarious as a horny conductor, Burgess Meredith as a karate snake owning landlord, Rachel Roberts as a baddie, the two little old ladies playing rude scrabble... Higgins did great support characters), and several impressive set pieces.

This movie just wants you to have fun. It's very endearing, even Barry Manilow on the soundtrack.

Movie review - "The Black Arrow" (1948) **

 Columbia went into swasbucklers in a big way after World War Two - they were usually produced by Sam Katzman or Edward Small. This one is a Small effort, based on the Robert Louis Stevenson novel with the hero aged up to make a vehicle for Louis Hayward, and a dash of Robin Hood and Hamlet sprinkled into the story.

Hayward returns from the wars to find his dad dead. George Macready blames another noble, whose daughter Janet Blair is under the control of Macready. There's a sassy fiar, outlaws in the woods, a trial by combat at the end, a cameo by the future Richard III in a sort of sympathetic but not really part (he's depicted as pompous)

Director Gordon Douglas does a decent job and there's fine production values even if in black and white. But it's a sluggish tale. Uninspired support cast. Not very engaging story. I had that issue with the novel (which is different to this).

Some decent Hayward-Blair flirting but that's about it.

Movie review - Aces of Action#11 - Mutiny in the Arctic (1941) **

 Richard Arlen and Andy Devine go on an expedition to the Arctic north to look for some radium type material but things get complicated when the first mate takes over the ship. He's played by Don Terry who later because an on screen mate of Devine in this Aces of Action series in Danger in the Pacific.

This makes heavy use of stock footage - female pilot Ann Nagel flying over the snow, ice breaking, avalanches, eskimos. There's some friendly eskimos. I wish Nagel's part was bigger but it is cool she gets to fly around in a plane. There's a lot of stock footage. Some of it quite impressive. The story gets mislaid as a result.

John Rawlins directed this.

Movie review - "Danger in the Pacific" (1942) **

 Part of Universal's Aces of Action series with Andy Devine - this one has Leo Carillo. They and Don Terry fly to the Pacific to discover some fly.

Don Terry is a bit of a charisma vacuum. Louise Albritton is on hand as Terry's aviatrix fiance and she's bright and fun but only is kind of involved. The rest we have Terry Carillo and Devine who look puffy and out of shape traipsing through the backlot jungle. It is set in the Pacific but feels more like fake Africa.

Turhan Bey has a small bit as a baddy henchman. Edgar Barrier has a bigger part as a villain.

This is sluggish and not very good.

Movie review - "Visitors" (2003) ** (warning: spoilers)

 I saw this at the Valhalla in Glebe with high ish hopes... it sounded intriguing a limited location film on a yacht, reuniting Richard Franklin and Everett de Roche in the thriller genre. There are some really spooky moments - a yacht is a creepy place, and star Radha Mitchell has a compelling presence with her look and beauty. Nicely shot. Effective sound.

Main problem - not enough happens. It's a series of scares. Other boat thrillers things happen - Dead Calm they've lost the kid in the opening sequence, they pick up Billy Zane, Sam Neill gets stranded and has his own B plot, he has a goal, Nicole has to sleep with Billy, etc etc 

De Roche/Franklin needed to think more in terms of acts... a real visitor on the boat, as opposed to a fake visitor (she can be unsure). Big things happening at home - not just an unexciting affair between Dominic Purcell and Totti Goldsmith but, say, her father having been murdered or her mother has escaped. Or, I don't know, a shark attack. Some progression.and genuine threat. Or have Radha follow in the footsteps of a woman who went missing on another voyage so they could solve that mystery.

I think a lot of it is too easy for her. There's no storms. No real threat. Even the pirates aren't real. Also very under-developed relationship with that random accountant.

I was getting more confused as it went on and the ending didn't seem to make sense with Radha not stepping off at the end (I mean, why not... okay Tottie rooted her boyfriend but she still ponied up the cash) No sense of triumph at the end. They should've killed off Radha at the end. At least that would've had some oomph.

Movie review - "The Mad Ghoul" (1943) ***

 Some second-tier names get a chance to shine - George Zucco as the psycho who uses Mayan zombie techniques to get David Bruce to commit murder so Zucco can woo Evelyn Ankers away from her paramour, pianist Turhan Bey.

Silly but spooky. Zucco commits as does the relatively little known Bruce.  Ankers is pretty and you wish her part was bigger, as normal. Bey stays around looking handsome and soulful and not being killed. Maybe he should have played Zucco's part so Ankers actually fell for him and had Bruce kill someone else. Just a thought.

Movie review - "Gypsy Wildcat" (1944) *** (warning: spoilers)

 Looking for variation in the Maria Montez formula, Universal came up with gypsies, and I guess why not... you have outfits, and dances, and gypsy hotblood-ness plus some nobles. Maria is a gypsy girl who turns out to be noble. Gale Sondegaard is a gypsy, Jon Hall an agent for the king. Peter Coe is in the Turhan Bey part as a gypsy in love with Montez who I kept waiting to turn evil. Other cast members include Leo Carillo, Douglas Dumbrille and Nigel Bruce - studio pictures really had their perks.

It's in colour but not lush colour. It feels like a black and white movie (Roy William Neill directed).  I've reviewed this film before and a lot of my previous thoughts still remain. It isn't as lush visually, has resonance because it's about gypsies, it's weird that James Cain wrote it.

Still fun, even if colour is wasted.

Movie review - "Cobra Woman" (1944) **** (re-watching)

 Some very smart people working on this - George Waggner, Robert Siodmak, Richard Brooks. It is silly but done with utter conviction, gorgeous colour and a lot of smarts. It's a combination of South Seas and Lost World as Maria Montez is abducted on her wedding day by people of her island who want her to rise up against her twin sister. Fiance Jon Hall goes to rescue her.

Montez gets to emote and wear an array of outfits. Hall does sturdy heroic stuff absolutely fine. Sabu is engaging and has stuff to do. There are outlandish sets and the cobra dance plus some decent conflict in that evil Montez wants to hop on and bang Hall, and an evil priest Edgar Barrier wants to marry bad Montez. Only 71 minutes!

Mary Nash is the old queen and Lois Collier has quite a lot of screen time as a good island maiden.

Grand fun.

Movie review - "Sudan" (1945) *** (re-watching)

 I'd be curious to know the development of this script. It starts out like a more stock Jon Hall-Maria Montez romance, with Montez as a queen sold into slavery by evil George Zucco. She is rescued by Jon Hall and Andy Devine, and I assume Devine was standing in for Sabu.

But then along comes Turhan Bey, who rescues Montex from some attackers... and Bey and Montex have this romance (It's implied they have sex).  Then Montez, Hall and Devine go back to the palace, Zucco leads a coup... and it's Hall who is tortured, and escapes and helps rescue Montez. And they get Bey.

There's a genuine love triangle because Hall loves Montez... but Bey is heroic too. And at the end Bey goes off with Montez - and she seems quite happy about it. Yet Hall gets a lot of sympathy (and second billing).  Bey is a bit wet to be an action hero - that careful enunciation is better suited for lounges.

Zucco offers expert villainy the sets and photography are fantastic. There's some impressive spectacle. Some dances and action.

Book review - "Buster Keaton" By James Curtis

 Long. Maybe didn't need to be - there's lots of description of synopsis and gags. The best bit is the first section - the tale of Keaton in vaudeuville with his parents, trying to stay one step ahead of the authorities. It didn't seem to do him much psychological damage. Maybe a little more time in the classroom would've made him a better businessman. Or maybe not (Chaplin didn't).

I think Keaton was a genius - brilliantly trained who sound the perfect medium - silent comedy. He had an ideal patron in Joe Schenck and was protected for many years. Keaton benefited from a perfect storm of good fortune (vaudeville training, patronage of Fatty Arbuckle, the fact films were so new and silent, and had been doing for just the right amount of time)... then had a perfect storm of bad things, some of which TBH were his fault (moving to control-obsessed and cost-conscious MGM, blowing all his money on a ridiculously elaborate house, and most of all boozing). He had a lousy 30s but even then remained a box office draw at MGM longer than is commonly thought... had a bad second marriage... but the last two decades of his life were happy: a nice third marriage, plenty of work, critical acclaim. Died at an old age for a smoker.

I like how this book have credit to the later AIP films (my first exposure to Keaton) and to television.

A fine life, a worthy tribute. Maybe a little overlong.

Movie review - "Arabian Nights" (1942) *** (re-viewing)

 A cheerful knock off of Thief of Bagdad - plenty of colour and movement, beautiful photography. Maria Montez plays the one sort of role she could play - a haughty danger. The script gleefully pillages old myths and stories: Montez plays Scherenadze, there's comic support characters Aladdin and Sinbad, plus Jon Hall as a secret prince and Sabu helping out. There's a fair bit of torture - Turnhan Bey appears as a cad who is tortured, and some other bloke is on the rack too.

Some action, dancing girls, a big fight. It set the template for the later Universal Easterns with Tony Curtis and Rock Hudson..

John Rawlins directed. He's not very famous but he does a dcent job. The studio techs are probably more to be praised.

Movie review - "On the Isle of Samoa" (1950) **1/2

 Jon Hall rarely played a villain but it did him the world of good. Opening scene is set in Sydney (!) with a moustached Hall robbing a business partner whose wife he was rooting. He leaves them both to get on a plane and takes off... and crashes on an island. There he discovers a paternalistic former doctor who has dropped out and is a kindly old protective man (another thief would've been better dramatically) and a dopey-eyed island girl, played by a very young Susan Cabot.

It's in black and white which is a shame though that does suit the noir opening. (They could've gone to colour once he landed on Samoa).

It's one of Hall's best ever roles - a crim who gets redeemed. He takes his shirt off in lagoon scene and looks out of shape, ducking into the shade.

This probably lacks another criminal character to cause trouble for Hall (and be extra heroic). I did like the convenient volcano. At the end when he hands himself in, isn't he going to prison forever?

Movie review - "White Savage" (1943) ***1/2 (re-watching)

 Effective because it's simple. A romance between fisherman Jon Hall and princess Maria Montez - simple conflict (he's rough and she's hoity toity) with Sabu hanging around. The complication is from Thomas Gomez trying to discover some treasure and being hot for Montez. This is simple, logical and well developed. Lovely colour and sets and briskly handled.

Movie review - "Invisible Man's Revenge" (1944) *** (re-watching)

 Fun. Jon Hall has a more character role - as a man conked on the head, which has made him insane, sent to a Cape Town psychiatric hospital, he escapes, goes home for revenge, runs into mad doctor John Carradine who turns him invisible. Solid entry, decent effects. Evelyn Ankers offers beauty, Gale Sondegaard and Carrdine offer strong support.

Jon Hall Top Ten

 In no particular order

1) The Hurricane

2) White Savage

3) The Invisible Man's Revenge

4) San Diego, I Love You

5) Last of the Redman

6) China Corsair

7)Aloma of the South Seas

8) Cobra Woman

9) Prince of Thieves

10) (for sheer camp) The Beach Girls and The Monster

Movie review - "The Hurricane" (1937) ***** (warning: spoilers)

 Not one of John Ford's most "personal films" which means there's not a lot of annoying Irish comedy. But it is a Ford movie: there is lyricism, beautiful photography and handling, lingering over depictions of ceremonies (a wedding), a portrayal of a tight-nit outpost, a drunken Thomas Mitchell, a martinet (Raymond Massey).

This has two superb villains, both entirely believable types: John Carradine as a nasty overseer, and Raymond Massey as a self righteous "I must enforce the law" type.

Hall and Lamour are very sweet. This was Hall's best film and performance - he is full of youthful energy and charm, a bright smile, with the drama deck stacked in his favour. The injustice of his cause is excellently conveyed: picked on because he's a native, slapped in the face, punches a man who happens to be well connected, given six months harshly, ignored by pompous Massey, beaten by guards, driven to suicide, eventually escaping. Carradine's look of triumph when this happens is chilling as is Massey's look of delight when Hall kills a guard - you can see the vindication in their eyes. This is all too familiar from people we see today.

Indeed, I was kind of disappointed Massey didn't die in the hurricane - he deserved to - and that Hall didn't kill Carradine - indeed, deserved. I wouldn't have minded if Thomas Mitchell, the boozy doctor, had died and felt for nice C Aubrey Smith and his parishoners being killed in a church which is wiped out. But that's a strength of the film - it "goes there".

You could argue the island cops the hurricane from God because it helps Hall. Just saying.

Script review - "Whiplash"

 Wonderful example of low budget filmmaking. Set it in an usual word - college music - and create a brilliant character for a star, and a leading man role for a young actor. Fletcher is an awesome creation - bullying, terrifying, homophobic, passionate, cruel. The type that has been consistently romanticised by Hollywood. Here it's clear he's a bully, although a talented one... and the ending, does seem to support Fletcher. "It was Fletcher who made him great!" It doesn't deal with two key aspects of bullying - is that the only way to do it, and the bully does it because he (or she) likes it.

This film must have triggered people who worked for Scott Rudin.

Movie review - "Last Train from Bombay" (1952) **1/2

 Jon Hall's last film for Sam Katzman sees him looking a little chunky and puffy - the lithe days were long gone. He wears a suit most of the time, he just doesn't seem as active as before.

The best thing about this movie is its setting - it takes place in India post-Independence during clashes with Pakistan. Hall is a diplomatic ("the vice counsel at Lucknow") tracking down an old friend who turns up dead and involved in an assassination attempt against a noble.

The piece doesn't quite work - it's very start stop - but it has novelty in its setting (albeit this means plenty of brownface). But when the action moves it's enjoyable. There's fistfights and assassinations and Hall steals a plane and parachutes out, pulls over a car, escapes from a guard house... it's got a serial feel. It's quite fun in the second half apart from puffy Hall. Decent support cast.

Movie review - "The Lion Man" (1936) **

Cheapie which was I think the first leading role for Jon Hall. That's how he was billed in the version I saw but I think that was a re-release after Hall became famous. Hall was billed as "Charles Loucheur".

It's stuff about a man who goes to live in a desert with his kid. He is killed (quite sad to see the boy embracing his dad's corpse) and he is raised by another Arab. It's similar to stuff Hall/Loucheur later made with Maria Montez: there's a white woman, a native woman hot for him.

I saw a poor copy of it - the photography was lousy. The handling is awkward and clunky. Hall is amiable - handsome, virile, all that. He doesn't appear until 30 minutes in (it's a one hour movie) but holds the screen.

I had read this was based on an Edgar Rice Burroughs story but apparently it wasn't and Burroughs sued them to try and get the name changed because he thought people would think it was based on Tarzan and the Lion or The Lad and the Lion. See here. Eventually they came to a settlement where they agreed that it was based on the story see here.

Ride of the Valkyries is used on the soundtrack. Presumably music stock.

Movie review - "Tuttles of Tahiti" (1942) **

 Jon Hall leapt to fame in a Nordhoff-Hall adaptation, The Hurricane, so it's not surprising to see him in another one. This was made at RKO, not known for South Seas tales - which may explain why it's shot in their pleasant black and white noir.  It was directed by Charles Vidor.

Hall is second billed - the above the title star is Charles Laughton. Hall returns home to Tahiti (where Hall grew up IRL), to rejoin his family headed by Laughton. This isn't really a standard South Seas tale, with island princesses and volcanoes and the like - it's more a wacky family comedy along the lines of Darling Buds of May or You Can't Take It With You with a charming paterfamilias and sprawling brood who never seem to work.

It's not that fun to watch - Laughton is always spending money, there's too much talk of money and loas. It lacks female interest - Hall's character really should be a female. There's a gal Hall kind of wants to marry (Peggy Drake) but her part isn't very big. Sher's just a dopey island girl - why not make her interesting to give it some conflict, like she's a stuffed shirt, or the daughter of the guy who has loaned Laughton money, or something.

Lughton's poor make up is annoying - he is given dark skin make up to make him Tahitian, I think, they just should made him English.

There are strong production values - a huge crowd at a cock fight, lots of extra greeting boats.

There's talk of a fighting chicken from Australia which is fun. It's owned by Florence Bates, whose duels with Laughton are the most entertaining aspect of the film. It's not really fun. Lacks atmosphere. Too hard. Too boysie. Laughton has a good moment when he thinks his kids have died.

Book review - "Catriona" by Robert Louis Stevenson

 Sequel to Kidnapped which actually has a strong idea, because it deals with a dangling plot strand - David Balfour knowing that an innocent man has been arrested for murder. He tries to save him, and gets in trouble.

The novel is named after a highland gal who is Balfour's love interest - this is more of a romance than a bromance, so Alan Breck gets shunted to the side. This isn't good. 

The story is more an amiable stroll. Some of the characters are interesting - Catriona, her deadbeat dad, but David is never really in peril. There's no classic set pieces. Some good bits but ultimately not that interesting.

Movie review - "Brave Warrior" (1952) **

 Some Sam Katzman fun, with a Robert E. Kent script, Jon Hall in the lead, Columbia colour and a slightly random time period for a Western: the War of 1812. Jay Silverheels is Chief Tecumsah, Michael Ansara as the Prophet, and James Seay as William Harrison - all real people.

History is distorted but it at least provides some novelty. It borrows from the Broken Arrow playbook by having a contrast between peaceful Silverheels and bloodthirsty Ansara, and Jon Hall as an Indian agent who has to battle corrupt whites.

It's got a sluggard pace and is hard to care. I couldn't put my finger on what was wrong. I think it was just dull. Lacked vivid characters. The colour is lovely.

The most memorable character is Tecumsah. He's in love with a white woman who throws him over for Hall, he has to fight against his brother who dies, the whites kill his people, he's left alone... But, er, he feels good about it because Hall and the girl are good. I think. It's unexpectedly moving and complex - far more so than the film.

Book review - "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman (re-reading)

 Bright, smart, funny. Lousy female characters. Its heart is with the villains. Serious subtext about pain and loss to counterbalance the silliness. Very Jewish in spirit. Slightly weird introduction - like he turned his kid into a fatty and his wife into a bitch.

Movie review - "Hell Ship Mutiny" (1957) **

 Jon Hall tried to get up another TV series and made some pilots - while he couldn't sell them, he turned them into this film. There's some classy names on the credits - the cast includes John Carradine, Mike Mazurski and Peter Lorre, Elmo Williams edited and directed (along with lee Sholem).

It's a return to the south seas adventures with Hall as an adventurer boating around the Pacific - not dissimilar to Adventures in Paradise but that was a hit. Presumably this annoyed Hall. I guess he was getting on.

It's not very good. It feels like cobbled television. Lots of sets, darkened nighttime scenes, fake South Sea backlot recreations. Stop-start plot. Island girls, kissing, moonlight, all that... just rote.

Lorre livens things up the most.