Movie review - "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" (1954) ***1/2

 A lot of MGM musicals started losing money around this time - people still went to see them, but they cost a lot - a trend that only accelerated as the 50s went on. This one bucked the trend despite not being basedon a Broadway musical and having stars that never, to be honest, quite became the top - Howard Keel and Jane Powell (fine actors, and decent careers, they just were never Gene Kelly or Judy Garland). 

It had colour, some location work, plenty of energy. Howard Keel has a ridculous red beard. The red hair of all the boys is silly. Jane Powell is very cute and winning. The only other brother who'll register is Russ Tamblyn. Jeff Richards became a star for five seconds as another one but I got confused. You'll spot Julie Newmar.

Rousing dancing. Bold primary colours. Abduction as humour. Nice tunes. I didn't quite get the magic of this though.

Movie review - "Lady in Red" (1979) ***1/2 (re-watching)

 Quentin Tarantino gushes about this script. It's a good script, smart... it's a John Sayles script... not amazing. Maybe the full length once was. Pamela Sue Martin is very cute and I'm sure it I'd grown up with her on Nancy Drew the nude scenes would have blown my mind. She is likeable and gorgeous but doesn't quite carry the lead. They offered it to Angie Dickinson who would've been too old... but she really would've nailed it.

Classy cast - Louise Fletcher, Robert Conrad, Chrs Lloyd. Dillinger is in it a very small bit, and there's a whole other section to go. Too cut about to be effective really and only occasionally livens are pure exploitaiton - the final car chase - but as a smart 30s gangster film it's good.

Movie review - "Follow the Boys" (1963) ** (warning spoilers)

 MGM tried to repeat the success of Where the Boys Are but never quite did - I think because they went too light, while Boys had an aspect of reality about it with the Yvette Mimieux plot.

This has an interesting idea - the story of women who follow their naval men from base to base around the Riviera. Yes they chase the men but also... it is the Riviera. It wouldn't be a bad life if you were into it.

The women are: Janis Paige, getting sick of chasing hubby Ron Randell; Paula Prentiss, determined to nab lothatio Richard Long, Dany Robins, who is French and with Russ Tamblyn, and Connie Francis, desperate to be rooted by her new husband.

There's pleasing views of the south of France and Italy. Richard Long is made for this sort of thing and Randell acquits himself well. 

The film is geared heavily towards Francis, who gets several songs - she's fine but her character is depressing and the storyline is sad. Because she wants to have sex and it's difficult. I think she should've just had a good old fashioned stalking storyline eg "you said you loved me I want you" - something fun.

Depressing endings - Randell gives up his dream of a command for Paige, Francis decides to stick it out with her guy but he's still carted off arrested ie they still haven't had sex, Prentis is with Tamblyn but they haven't resolved the fact she doesnt want to marry a naval guy and he wants to go career, Long is with Dany Robin but she's a debt collector and he's got no money... Literally no one's relationship looks like it has a future! 

No sense of camraderie or even funny set pieces.

Movie review - "Satan's Sadists" (1969) **

 A big hit for Al Adamson with its raping bikers, going sleazier than even AIP would go. There is a very interesting cast and some decent music. And the plot is effective low budget stuff - basically people in a diner cross with some bikers led by Russ Tamblyn and the bikers start killing people.

Tamblyn was in his hippy stage now and looks spaced but he's got an impressive, unsettling presence. It's a convincing performance as he goes mad.

Regina Carroll is fun as his moll and there's a lively support cast even though Ken Taylor is so square as the hero (he and a girl are the protagonists I guess). Desert location works.

Movie review - "Hollywood Boulevard" (1976) *** (re-watching)

 I've seen this a lot. I have such affection for it.

Random thoughts

- the rape sequence is very unpleasant but it does show Candice Rialson to be genuinely traumatised by it. And later on when watching the film at the drive in she's traumatised again. And then is almost raped again in a scene played for comedy

- likewise in the scene where Tara Strohmeier is shot dead it has a real impact - ditto when Rita George is killed

- the love for movies is so endearing, the injokes, the names, the cut in footage, the whole vibe.

- the drive in sequence drags and isn't fun - rape played for gags isn't great

- the camraderie between the three girls is very lively and a shame there isn't more

- the romance between Jeffrey Kramer and Rialson is sweet

- the ace in the hole were the actors - everyone is good,Rialson is wonderful, Kramer amiable, but Mary Woronov and Paul Barrel are the stand outs. I really liked Rita George too she's very pretty and competent I'm surprised she

- sometiems the exploitation is awkward (the wet T shirt scene), other times offensive (the rape sequence), other times very effective (the producer in bed with two girls, the three girls lying around topless) - I know Dante and Arkush didn't have their hearts in exploitaiton but they could do it well (eg slasher scene)

- the basic mystery is fine with clever leading that we think the killer is Kramer

Movie review - "War of the Gargantuas" (1969) **1/2

 Handsome looking kaiju with impressive effects and photography as two creatures run amok, a goodie and a baddie. Not Godzilla but Gargantuas, Frankenstein's monster types.

Russ Tamblyn ambles through it seemingly stoned. Apparently he improvised his dialogue. But his presence adds to the fun.

There's some singing people at camp, lots of destruction, a decent budget (it seemed to my eyes). Fun.

Movie review - "Bottoms" (2024) ****1/2

 A movie of some blinding brilliance, a worth successor to Heathers. The first half hour is dazzlingly good. I worried they'd be able to maintain it and there are wobbles but it keeps bringing out the goods - a genuinely moving romance, pushing the edge with the finale (going to murder), a shocking sequence where a girl is genuinely beaten up. The two leads are stars, the cast is fabulous.

MGM Films About Australia

 1) The Man from Down Under (1943) - created as a vehicle for Wallace Beery, turned into one for Charles Laughton, set in Australia

2) The Fortunes of Richard Mahoney - MGM proposed filming this in the late 1940s as a vehicle for Gregory Peck and Greer Garson which actually makes sense

3) Interrupted Melody (1955) - biopic of Australian opera singer Marjorie Lawrence, developed as a vehicle for Greer Garson, given over to Eleanor Parker - has some scenes set in Australia

4) Million Dollar Mermaid (1953) - biopic of Australian swimming star Annette Kellerman, turned into a (quite good) Esther Williams vehicle

5) Captain Bligh Returns - proposed sequel to MGM's Mutiny on the Bounty which Frank Lloyd wanted to make after that 1935 film's success, set during the Rum Rebellion

6) Dr Gillespie's New Assistant (1943) - Dr Kildare movie featured two Australian characters, one played by Aussie Shirley Ann Richards, the other by Richard Quine

7) The VIPs (1963) - Rod Taylor gets to play an Aussie

8) The Shiralee (1957) - MGM-Ealing film set and shot in Australia starring Peter Finch

9) Rhapsody (1954) - Elizabeth Taylor movie bassed on Aussie book by Henry Richardson

10) They Were Expendable (1945) - John Ford on US troops in the Philippines helping MacArthur escape to Oz

Movie review - "Rock n Roll High School" (1979) **** (re-watching)

 Saw this again because I read the book about it. It's just fun. Such a good heart. The film is about love. PJ Soles loves The Ramones, Joey Ramone loves pizza, Dey Young loves Tim Van Patten, Paul Bartel comes to love the Ramones, Mary Woronov loves Facism and is defeated. So much energy. Blowing up schools is probably less funny now with all these shootings but this is a great time.

Movie review - "Deathsport" (1978) **

 David Carradine, who hated the end movie, said the original script was great, but is that the case or just something that pepole say? It's very confusing - I can imagine it always was. It's in the future where there are city states and mutants and sort of jedi warriors.

I don't know why they just didn't make it like Ancient Rome, with rich people and poor people enlisted to entertain. That's simple and works. This is meant to be a competiton to entertain the masses but we never get the sense - they're driving in the desert. Who's watching? Is it on TV?

 What happens when the head dude dies? What's the stuf with Carradines novel? What job does Carradine have? Where are the mutants?

David Carradine is in great shape and ideal for this. Claudia Jennings is ideal action heroine with that splendid built. I

Corman insisted on nude scenes and they do liven things up I just wish they hadn't been torture-y scenes. Jennings and Carradine have pleasant chemsitry and you believe the characters would go for each other.

Some motorbike stuff isn't bad. I liked the duel between Carradine and Lynch,.

Good on Allan Arkush for trying to fix it. But I think what he needed to do was to clarify the story. That may have been impossible.

Charles Griffith wrote an unsued script. They couldn't use it?

Movie review - "Scoop" (2024) ****

 Great fun. Journalists digging at a story - really, it's all about the "get". Like a lot of British stories it's about class - the place of the royals, Prince Andrew's place within the royals (declining), his privelege (calling his mother "mummy" bringing up the Falkland Islands), but also within the BBC where Billie Piper is treated a little disdainfully and Gillian Anderson's presenter has been around the block.  Keeley Hawes' big sad eyes work a treat, because they make you wonder whether she did throw Andrew under a bus... or at least decided to expose some sunlight... I also loved how Hawes was a little star struck about Anderson. The costuming for the people who work in TV is spot on, especially Piper with her long hair, boots and keep cup. Rufus Sewell is very good in a tricky part but so is everyone.

Book review - "The Last Kind Words Saloon" by Larry McMurtry (2014)

 Short novel set in the old West involving Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday with appearances from Charles Goodnight and Indians and Nellie Bly, I think. Oh and Buffalo Bill Cody. One of McMurtry's "I write ten pages a day so here's a novel" books but it's easy to read, and. being about Wyatt Earp gives it freshness. There's amiable talk with brief interspersed violence, and some Indian torture - McMurtry really loved putting that in his later books. The gunfight at the OK Corrall is dealt with very quickly.

Bryan Brown Top Ten

 1) Newsfront

2) Money Movers

3) Breaker Morant

4) Palm Beach

5) Winter of Our Dreams

6) A Town Like Alice

7) Shiralee

8) FX

9) Two Hands

10) Dead Heart

Michelle Pfeiffer Top Ten

1) Grease 2 - a star from the get go!

2) Dangerous Liasions - got people to respect her even though Grease 2 should have done that

3) Married to the Mob - awful hair, great performance

4) Tequila Sunrise - mostly just hot but that's fine

5) Fabulous Baker Boys - stunning - and a good actor

6) Batman Returns - Catwoman is an actor proof part but still she's amazing

7) Hairspray - from her character actor period

8) Sweet Liberty - very funny

9) Dangerous Minds - okay, yes, white saviour but fun

10) What Lies Beneath - solid woman in peril film

Book review - "I Want You Around: The Ramones and the Making of Rock ‘n’ Roll High School" by Stephen B. Armstrong

 Affectionate, thorough account of the making of the cult classic. It had, as is generally well known, quite a turbulent birth, evolving from the "three girls" template at New World, then becoming a disco musical, before emerging as a rock musical, through the passion of Alan Arkush who really knocked it out of the park. It combined his irreverence towards authority and love of rock and old movies (like If, Marx Brothers and Hard Days Night). 

The film was blessed with luck in many ways - the script got progressively better, it seems, as opposed to worse; Arkush was the perfect director; PJ Soles the perfect star (though it's her and Dey Young who are the heart and soul of the film); New World had developed an excellent stock company by this stage including Dick Miller, Paul Bartel and Mary Woronov; they got the ideal band with the Ramones (apparenrlty Cheap Trick were considered... that might have worked).

Lots I didn't know - like Rosanna Arquette was up for the lead and tried to alpha Soles into not doing it ("well I'm going to get the part"), Young was last minute, the film previewed badly

I felt the writer was a little unfair to the writing of Charles Griffith (there's reference to "another Griffith stinker" - did Griffth write Deathsport?). Maybe his sccripts for this film were bad but the man is a genius. Or was.

Book review - "Mad as Hell: The Making of Network and the Fateful Vision of the Angriest Man in Movies" by Dave Itzkoff

 I think Network means more to Americans who didn't grow up with public broadcasting but I recognise the film's excellence and power. This is a worthy book - the writer did his research, especiallu going through the different drafts that Chayefsky did. Getting finance was not too hard - I mean, it wasn't super easy, but it was the 70s and The Hospital had made money. Also Sidney Lumet was idea and there were stars - William Holden, Faye Dunaway.

No one wanted to play the Peter Finch part. He wasn't on any lists but his agent pestered and he got it. Though he had to audition, sulked, then called back and said "sorry darling I forgot I was an actor". Finch stories are the most lively - he got bored acting opposite Ned Beatty during Beatty's speech so started impersonating a monkey, he moved to LA from "semi retirement" because the film reignited his career, he warned everyone that black extras would find him irresistible, he campaigned for his Oscar, he'd walk to the Beverly Hills hotel every day (couldn't drive) and wait until someone bought him breakfast (so he died trying to scab a freebie), William Friedkin organiser of the Oscars told Chayefsky that Finch's black wife couldn't accept the Oscar but Chayefsky or Lumet could, Chayefsky invited her up anyway.

Chayefsky was a pain on the film but Lumet could handle it -what a bummer they just didn't pay Lumet the few extra hundred thou to do Altered States (though what happened with Arthur Hiller?). 

William Holden was boozy and insecure with emotional scenes. Fay Dunaway was terrific but freaked out about her sex scene - the author makes diva claims but she had to do most of her career surrounded by men with their hands down their pants around her. She was very sympathetic here. I think the film and Oscar made her a bit nuts - she made it to the top and didn't know what to do next, went for star parts as opposd to best parts.

The impact/fandom of the movie is well conveyed. A totally decent book.

Script review - "When Harry Met Sally" by Nora Ephron

 This was mocked on a podcast by two males making fun of the premise, but it does operate as a decent thesis and also is a film of its time. This material has been much mined since by TV. It copied a lot of Woody Allen, but does offer a female point of view. It also feels, well, Jewish, in its emphasis on the importance of being married. But it's simple yet effective, smart, two contrasting characters, and the plot develops logically. I'm not sure how long they'll last married -Harry's got too many issues.

Sidebar: Meg Ryan really made the film go next level. Billy Crystal is absolutely fine but I get the feeling a bunch of other stars could have played the role but Meg is the heart.

Book review - "Roads" by Larry McMurtry

 A selection of writings by McMurtry about his road trips around the USA (significantly, only the USA no overseas travel for him). Entertaining and insightful - he does a lot of driving always has (that rural upbringing) spends a lot of time alone in a car, it clearly settles him. He associates areas with particular authors eg Hemingway in Key West so gets to chat about writers, a great McMurtry strength. This is as good and as revealing, if not more, than the official McMurtry memoirs

Book review - "Last Picture Show" by Larry McMurtry

 McMurtry was later very harsh on this book which he said was written very quickly without style although he admits it had a strong sense of character and time and place. Lots of sex and writing about sex - this book was actually more commercial than i remembered because it's about young people growing up and having sex trapped in a small town and there's always a market for that eg Peyton Place, Kings Row.

This is better written than them of course. The leads are okay - Sonny, Duane, Jacy - but the adults really well sketched: the gay English teacher kicked out of town, the most likely gay football coach, the coach's wife (beautiful portral), Jacy's mother (who roots Sonny here but it basically a nice person giving good advice... like the dad in Leaving Cheyenne come to think of it), Sam the Lion, the horny youth who winds up kidnapping a little girl (maybe not as minor a crime as McMurtry paints). He admits to hating Archer City when he wrote it and you can tell.

Things feel so true though like the "fast" party where everyone is nude and urban legends growiung. Other stuff feels more location specific like having sex with cows and visiting Mexico.

Movie review - "Kiss Me Kate" (1953) ***1/2

 Recognised as a sub-classic, I think it's fair to say, from MGM - perhaps because its stars were Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel, not the top tier, though they're lots of fun, though not so much fun as Anne Miller. Starts off great with Ron Randell as Cole Porter, a squabbling star couple, and Ann Miller dancing in tights in a fancy apartment. Then cuts to a Broadway show - we go back and forth between a musicalised Taming of the Shrew and backstage shenanigans.

I found Keenan Wynn and Dore Shcary fave James Whitmore a little annoying, though it was fun to see Bob Fossee and two mates do dancing.

A lot of talent. Didn't quite click. Maybe too domestic violence comedy and I didn't really go for the stars. Nice tunes though.

Book review - "Flim Flam" by Larry McMurtry

 Collection of essays on movies by McMurtry mostly from the 70s which McMurtry finds a lot to gripe about. Some interesting takes on film critics and theorists - I wasn't that wild about his thoughts on movies - he doesn't like Keith Carradine. Not really great analyst. I did like his enthusiasms and his pieces on his own films especially Picture Show and Loving Molly (he gets stuck into Sidney Lumet).  Last chapter from the 80s is about his friendship with Diane Keaton. He chats briefly about some odd films like Velvet Vampire (in a piece on Times Square) and Istanbul with Errol Flynn. Criticises his own plot for Hud.

Movie review - "Eureka Stockade" (1949) *** (re-watching)

 I've got it - they should've just made Chips play Dan McAlpine again and give him a family and plop them in the middle of the Eureka Stockade. The hot daughter could've romanced a digger and a cop, make the historical people background figures.

Movie review - "The Mississippi Gambler" (1953) ***

 Universal liked to use this title for different films - they had a hit with this one which enticed over Tyrone Power after a long stint at Fox. Unviersal put on colour, nice budget, Rudolph Mate as director, Seton I Miller wrote the story.

Power is a man who wants to get into gambling. So be befriends John MacIntire, who I kept thinking was Jack Elam, but it's really the Walter Brennan role. He manages to outsmart weak John Baer who is the brother of hot sister Piper Laurie.  This annoys Bae and Laurie, even though the latter is hot for Power. Their dad Paul Cavanagh kind of falls in love with Power because the latter is good at fencing. 

That's a strong domestic situation. Miller loses points by introducing another weak brother outsmarted by Power who has a hot sister, Julie Adams - but I liked Adams as a threat to Laurie, and all through the movie I wasn't sure who Power was going to end up with. Because Laurie marries her false love interest (Ron Randell, not a big part, but quite good)... but then fortunately he turns out to be an embezzler to clear the way. 

Everyone is trying to act, sometimes they can, Power was made for this, the girls are pretty, it looks good. I enjoyed it. Some action - a duel, a robbery. Racial issues are completely ignored.

Movie review - "The Tyrant Years" (1950) **

 Odd Sam Katzman movie. His films often fleeced through history and this was apparently once a tale of Captain Bligh then was fictionalised. It's about a tyrant in the British navy in 1803 - a captain, played by Rhys Williams, who I was vaguely familiar with, given a showy part. Williams isn't bad at all. The capain is basically turfed into retirement because he's brutal then brought back by Admiral Nelson (neat!) because he's brutal to go oon a special mission to wreck ships of the French. Ron Randell, in an awkward accent, is a lieutenant who falls for Williams' daughter.

The film is odd because Williams is a tyrant, an unfair tyrant - who abuses his crew, plays mind games... but the film never makes him a villain. He's victorious at the end, but wants to court martial Randell. Randell gets away with it because he's done his job. Then there's some cutesy stuff with Williams' wife who teases that they're going to have Randell as a son in law. This is played comically. But Wiliams has been shown to be a vicious commander, needlessly cruel. It feels as though the film might've been greatly rewritten. I could be wrong.

Not that much action except the battle at the end which is well done. It's in black and white not colour.

It's of interest mostly because of its ambiguous hero.

Movie review - "The Most Dangerous Man Alive" (1961) **

I know it's clunky and was shot hurriedly by Allan Dwan, and it's more a crime movie than sci fi in execution, but the story is strong - crim gets zapped and becomes indestructible - and Ron Randell is excellent as the guy, torment and energy. He really steps up to the plate. Nice turns from Debra Paget and various crusty old actors.

Book review - "Coopers Creek" by Alan Moorehead

Really enjoyed this. Didn't learn that much new but Moorehead is a good writer apart from the racist dismissial of Aboriginal Australians. The tragedies and complexities are well conveyed.

Movie review - "The Girl on the Pier" (1953) **1/2

 An attempt to make a decent film, thank you director Lance Comfort. It benefits from location filming at Brighton Pier, and a mixture of different characters - a policeman on holiday with his wife, daughter and son, a former robber and hs trashy wife who is sleeping with a local compere, a journalist.

The actor who plays the journo is weird, Brian Ropert. Veronica Hurst (briefly a bit of a name) is the blonde girl, Ron Randell her sleazy lover (his American accent is weird it must be him I keep making the same note), Eileem Moore who plays the daughter married George Cole. All the casting is accomplished.

There's a little boy who witnesses crimes, as often the case in 50s British films. There's also a spooky clown at a fun fair.

I liked the movie.

Ten key films in Roger Corman's career

 In honour of his 98th birthday

1) Monster from the Ocean Floor (1954) - little remembered but his first feature, part financed from some money from his dad

2) Five Guns West (1955) - Corman didn't direct the first two films he produced but went into it, to save money as much as anything but he handled it well and it launched his career

3) It Conquered the World (1956) - most of Corman's early films were actually Westerns but he soon discovered fantasy and sci fi were more lucratvie, such as this one - he was so prolific it's hard to specifc a turning point movie but this will do as well as any especially as Charles Griffith rewrote the script 

4) Machine Gun Kelly (1958) - Corman gets a good script and lead actor (Charles Bronson) and receives some serious critical attention for the first time

5) Little Shop of Horrors (1960) - most credit should go to Charles Griffth but Corman set up everyting around it and its wild freewheeling style shows just how confident he had become

6) The Intruder (1961) - Corman goes really serious, suffers backlash, a fantastic film for which he should be proud

7) House of Usher (1961) - Corman does his first Poe, it's terrific, launches a cycle

8) The Wild Angels (1966) - Corman kick starts the biker genre

9) A Time for Killing (1967) - Corman is wooed by Hollywood studios, but got fired off this one - he would occasionally work for them again but never consistently

10) Angels Die Hard (1970) - the first film from New World which kicked off that cycle of his career

Movie review - "I am a Camera" (1955) **

 The story has been so overshadwed by Cabaret but before then it was a hit straight play by John Van Druten. This was adapted by Romulus, a British outfit who aimed to do good work with an international focus.

Julie Harris is Sally. The film feels like a stage play with Harris hanging around Laurence Harvey's apartment with Anton Diffring and Shelley Winters. I missed the cabaret - there was more things happening there. Ron Randell adds a dash of energy as Harris' rich man but this is mostly Harris and Harvey.

Look, I mean, it's good this exists, I guess. They tried to make a good movie. Or at least capture some of the play - as much as they good. They had to straighten it up. I guess it's handy for posterity that Julie Harris' performance is perserved. It left me a little cold but maybe she was better live. I liked Laurence Harvey's work - he's a believable writer.

I didn't really care about any of the people or their relationships. The basic story is so clear - a gay writer and his crazy ditzy female bestie. This version was wonky. Why were they friends, what was the appeal, etc. The Breakfast at Tiffany's movie probably had the right idea just making it a flat out straight romance, with him being in love with her. At least there was a strong emotional connection. Here they try to hang on to the play and it's just unsatisfying.

Maybe it could have worked with more chemistry between Harvey and Harris. Actually that's the key - to show these two are friends. Doesn't work. It's weird - both aren't bad, quite good, they just don't mesh.

Book review - "Leaving Cheyene" by Larry McMurtry

 McMurtry described this book as "Jules et Jim on the plains" which is accurate - two blokes in love with the same gal, Molly, who loves them but in a different way. It feels very much of the world of Horseman Pass By  - it's set in the same town Thalia - with its endless monotonous work, cattle, cowboys, driving, etc

There's some great quotes about the love hate relationship you have withe the place that you grew up in that's yours- I related to this, and it would explain why McMurtry kept going back to Archer City.

I liked this book a lot. Because it's in three sections, each of the leads gets a chance to be fleshed out. It also has epic sweep.

Tony Perkins must've been so miscast in the film version. It would make a great movie if done well. Mind you hard to cast actors in such time jump roles.

McMurtry likes to write about dodgy marriages - here is one, well, several. Gideon keeps seeing Molly even though married to Melanie; Molly marries Eric despite loving Gideon and Johnny. No one who loves each other marries each other just like Chekov. People should travel more!

The bit about Molly and Gideon's son revealing in a letter that he's into dudes feels like a shock factor bit put in - but I might be being unfair. McMurtry later expressed regret he never thought of writing a day cowboy story before adapting Brokeback Mountain.

I loved the stuff with Gideon and his wise but cranky dad. The violence of the town is well conveyed as is the work and atmosphere. This has real heart.

You can feel McMurtry's blood, sweat and tears more in these novels.

Book review - "The Colonel and Little Missy: Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, and the Beginnings of Superstardom in America" by Larry McMurtry

 One of McMurtry's short lives of the old west though longer than his books on Custer and Crazy Horse. It ambles and rehashes other books and could have done with an edit but is entertaining. It's strongest in the two areas where McMurtry traditionally thrives - depictions of troubled marriages and reviews of books. Oh, and sardonic humour.

It's a fun read. McMurtry is clearly drawn more to Bill - while he has admiration for Oakley, she was a little dull (neo con, scared of poverty, afraid of rape, dogged) while Bill was more colourful, constantly on the verge of financial ruin and what not.

Movie review - "Strange Case of Dr Manning" (1957) **

 Dull British kidnap thriller directed by Arthur Crabtree who once enjoyed some hits for Gainsborough but like many of his colleagues struggled away from that studio.

Greta Gynt is blonde and not much more as the wife of a kidnapped doctor. Ron Randell is an American private eye who combines with a British doctor.

It's sluggish and not very interesting. Ron Randell's American accent was so awkward I thought maybe it had been dubbed but I've said that a few times about him maybe he just had a bad American accent.

Book review - "All My Friends Are Going to be Strangers" by Larry McMurtry

 McMurtry once wrote that musicians love this book -  James Taylor had the film rights - and it's not hard to see why with its artistic hero who is a down to earh Texan and keeps encountering women he wants to bed but also loves and somehow makes a mess of it. He marries one and wants to marry a bunch of others. There's the girl from Terms of Endearment (the McMurtry universe!), a hot one good at sex (who he marries and impregnates and who is the least complex), a neurotic mess in Hollywood who works as a cartoonist, a horny tennis playing housewife, a Mexican prostitute. The novel feels as though it builds to the lead dying but McMurtry says that isn't the case and he wrote a sequel with the character. I wonder how autobiographical this is - I assume a lot.

The world is a little like Don's Party -  a conservative society starting to swing, heavy drinking, people getting married young but the marriages being open, lechy academics.

Some of the language hasn't aged too well and McMurtry's hero is a little rough with his hands but the book does work. Interior in the best way, very strongly felt. The scene where Danny and a mate are attacked by cops is brutally excellent. Fun sketch of Hollywood and the book worlds. I loved the guy who is always writing scripts about the Seventh Cavalry.

Movie review - "Quincannon Frontier Scout" (1956) **

 Serviceable story - outsider scout called in to do one last job, fighting Indians but also anti Indian masscare - from the team of Koch and Schenck. 

Singer Tony Martin, in a rare non musical role, is hilariously bad as the tough guy scout. They make things worse by putting him in black a la Dirk Bogarde in The Singer NOt the Song. Ron Randell is a bad cavalry captain.

Many scenes shot at night presumably to hide the low budget. A Sam Katzman style film not made by katzman. The rest of the cast all feel familiar.

It's not a bad story and the handling is fine and I liked the colour (the brown face to play Indians for the whites, not so much). But Martin sinks it.

Movie review - "Davy" (1958) **

 The biggest flop of the six MGM-Ealing films, which tried to turn Harry Secombe into a star. He's cute, cuddly, can act and sing and be funny... the film doesn't quite work. It's about a man torn between performing in opera and doing a family act which isn't much of an idea. Especially as the "family act" don't seem like a real family. I mean, that's a basic flaw. I'm surprised they stuffed it - you could've easily just had a bunch of Welsh actors, mum and dad and nephew and nice. But instead they've got Ron Randell with an American accent and his wife and some old clown.

This needed to be about a man breaking away from his family. They've been together forever so it's a real wrench. As it is the family are basically four middle aged people who should be able to survive. They don't deserve him. If it had been his parents it might've worked. But no family feel = the movie is dead. When Secombe doesn't do opera at the end it's just sad.

Shot in CinemaScope and colour by Geoffrey Unsworth. Probably not worth it.

Most pathos comes from that little Bill Owens in love with Randell's wife.

Needed more songs. More family. More point. 

Ealing could really miss the boat with their films.

Was interesting to see Randell as a compere and doing skits like he often did on radio. Susan Shaw has a late in life appearance - she'd drink herself to death soon.

What films could Chips Rafferty have starred in?

 After The Overlanders he was signed to a long term contract by Ealing. Here's what resulted.

- Bush Christmas - perfect choice

- The Loves of Joanna Godden - awful

- Eureka Stockade - awful

- Bitter Springs - ideal.

Rank/Ealing made The Shiralee, which could've used Rafferty, though he wasn't that sexy - also Robbery Under Arms... as the boys' dad. He would've suited The Siege of Pimchgut as the lead instead of Aldo Ray. But really that film should've been about German POWs.

Ealing announced Pepper Springs for him and Tommy Trinder which doesn't sound that great but would've been better than Eureka Stockade.

He didn't really have the romantic look for the lead in Sons of Matthew.

Okay so here's what would've worked:

- Eureka Stockade with Rafferty as a fictional lead and Peter Finch or someone else as Lalor and someone handsome to do the romance

- Siege of Pinchgut with Chips as main cop

- an adaptation of We of the Never Never with Chips as the husband

- a variation of The Overlanders only set in New Guinea i.e. group fleeing Japanese

- adaptation of The Long Shadow by Jon Cleary 

- Mary Bryant story with Chips as Will

Movie review - "The Girl in Black Stockings" (1957) **

 A slasher film before you could see much -a killer has cut up a goodtime girl in a small town and sheriff John Dehner tries to find out who did it. 

The main perk of this is the cast - suspects include Lex Baxter, Ron Randell (in a wheelchair), Mamie Van Doren, Marie Windsor, Anne Bancroft, Hoss from Bonanza. Bancroft is very good; I also liked Randell playing a bitter man (was his voice dubbed?) and it's fun to see Van Doren randomly pop up.

The original story was set in South Africa. That would've been fun. Quite a high body count.

I didn't mind this film - nicely directed, a little sleazy. I think it needed to be sleazier, that's all.

Shirley Ann Richards Top Ten

 1) Dad and Dave Come to Town - her best role, best performance, very funny and lovely

2) It Isn't Done - great debut and a pretty good role even if she was mostly required to bat her eyes at John Longden she displayed an innate intelligence

3) Lovers and Luggers - a "girl" part but she gets points for wearing men's clothes, and it's thus better than Tall Timbers

4) Sorry Wrong Number - not an awesome part but probably her best film apart from Dad and Dave and she's very good

5) Badman's Territory - a girl part, but she gets to ride horses, point a gun and run a newspaper

6) Breakdown - flawed film, lacks focus, but Richards' husband gave her a decent part as a good girl in love with a bad boy

7) Lost Honeymoon - a good role as a protagonist, and she's great - it's just the story is so dumb

8) The Searching Wind - she's better than the play and her two co stars, a very believable "let's let it slide" type

9) Love Letters - flawed film, but Richards is very good as a loyal friend 

10) Dr Gillespie's New Assistant - she has two scenes but is sparky and lovely and should have played Richard Quine's role

Movie review - "Gold for the Caesars" (1963) **

 Jeffrey Hunter and Ron Randell from King of Kings in a peplum allegedly directed by Andre de Toth but apparently more by the second unit director. There's a gorgeous French girl and the setting and story aren't bad, a little like The Land of the Pharoahs - Hunter is a slave architect helping build a gold mine for his Roman overlords, Randell is a centurion but he's not the main villain the proconsul is (Randell should've played that role). Randell has a fight with Hunter's BFF while Hunter takes on the proconsul. Decent action and production values. Set just before Trajan came to power, and in Spain. They fight the Celts.

Book review - "Literary Life" by Larry McMurtry (2011)

 I found this second volume of memoirs more interesting than the first mostly because I find writing more interesting than book selling. Affectionate sketcfhes of people like Ken Kesey, Susan Sontag, Grover Lewis and Michael Korda. His formula isn't hard to digest - five pages a day every day, and if lucky sell your work to the movies. There's a lot of overlap with his other books of memoirs and like that one consistently wishes stories were told in more detail but it is still enjoyable.

Movie review - "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" (2024) **

 The action scenes are dark and murky and while there's plenty of plot I got confused - it had Pirates of the Carrbbiean sequel vibes which like this were loud and a bit confusing, but at least thought had been put in to it. There's a cute kid, plenty of set up and pay off, a random New Zealand woman, tired old rock on the soundtrack, Godzilla kills a lot of humans while being good and I still feel his head is small. The mother daughter stuff was nice.

Book review - "Custer" by Larry McMurtry (re-reading)

 McMurttry wrote at the back of his mind throughouy his career was the thought "I could always do a book on Custer there's always a market for it" and here it is. I liked the insights of Custer's marriage and his analysis of the writings of the time, areas of his strength. An enjoyable book, albeit one in a minor key.

Movie review - "Counterspy Meets Scotland Yard" (1950) **

 Decent B based on a radio series about counter espionage. The title Counterspy guy is played by middle aged Howard St John with Ron Randell as the Scotland Yard agent to do the legwork including putting on a disguise.

Quite dense with dialogue, betraying the radio origins, but smart. The baddies are smart - it's Cold War stuff - the acting sincenre, the playing fast. This was decent. Randell is lively.

Movie review - "Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back" (1947) **

 Ron Randell's second go at Drummond and it's absolutely fine and competent with a storng mystery but by 1947 television was digging in to the B market and all the series were being wound up - Kildare, Andy Hardy, etc.

This is a very British tale - it's set in Britain, all the actors play British. The John Howard Drummonds felt more American.

Movie review - "The Settlement" (1984) ***

 The sort of movie Bob Ellis loves with its low key recration of 50s small town Australia - pubs, ockers, boxers, yokels, religious trouble, good time girls, and its embracing of a healthy sex life and tolerance with tolerance mocked.

It's unexpected, subtle and well done. Howarrd Rubie was a very good director. There is tremendous feel for nuance and atmosphere, the costumes and sets and haircuts and stuff are splended.

I think at it's soul this was a television play, really. The s

One of the best films from the Queensland Film Corporation.

Movie review - "Touch and Go" (1980) *

 I can see the appeal of the concept - women decide to team up and rob the rich fror charity - and while Peter Yeldham was a decent writer Peter Maxwell was an ordinary director and the budget too low when it needed glossy treatment.

Easy to spot the flaws - couldn't tell the lead characters apart, too many leads, no progression or dynamics in the relationsips, minimal conflict, no baddy. There's three main girls - Wendy Hughes, Chantal Contouri, Carmen Duncan - but then they throw in Barbara Stephens as a teacher, and Jeannie Drynan and Liddy Clarke and Christine Amor. Why?

Why not have one turn traitor or die or something?

Queensland doesn't even look pretty. It's crap.

Movie review - "Uncivilised" (1936) *** (rewatching)

 Saw it on a nice print. So hokey but there's a story thanks to EV Timms. There's a spirited female lead due to Else Chauvel. There's lots of Tarzan riffs (and to be fair the white man growing up among locals was a thing). Margot Rhys is pretty and game and does a racy swim. Though it is funny how her character sfalls in love because Dennis Hoey won't bang her.

Hoey is hilariously bad. He can sing and is in shape he just has no business playing this role.

Some music is quite catchy the aborigina dancing impresses as does the location shooting.

Movie review - "Three Hearts for Julia" (1943) **

 Comedy of remarriage, which like many such tales these days comes across as a bit creepy and rapey for all the charm of Melvyn Douglas and Ann Southern. He's a journo back from Europe to reclaim wife Southern who works in an orchestra. He's been away for two years so she's had the arse - he keeps taking off on trips, and wants to move on with Lee Bowman, rich guy, and Richard Ainley, critic. This is very sympathetic. But Douglas wants her back. And because it's 1940s MGM we'll know he'll succeed.

He tries charm and then inevitably "charmingly" kidnaps her. The issues of their marriage aren't resolved, it's her giving in.

The most interesting thing is Southern plays in an all female orchestra. The conductor is a refugee from the Gestapo and briefly struggles with the notion of an all female band but that's presented cutely. The all female orchestra would've been enoug for a film - make it a three girl movie say.

Southern is sweet. Douglas has charm.  Shirley Ann Richards is in it briefly as one of the gals in the orchestra.

Richard Thorpe directed. I'm sure it came in on time and under budget.

The False Dawn of 1946

The Australian film industry had some false dawns before but never quite like 1946. After years of war, and no films, it seemed that movies would be done, and done properly. Ken G Hall made Smithy, Ealing made The Overlanders, Eric Porter A Son is Born and Chavel developed The Sons of Matthew. The first three came out in 46 and were hits - well, Son is Born made a profit.

What happened?

Smithy had been financed by Columbia, who released the film in the US and it didn’t do well so they cooled on Australia. It was a shame. Ken Hall tried to get up Robbery Under Arms via Rank but had no luck. He blamed cost overruns on Sons of Matthew. Possibly. Cost overruns on Ealing’s next film, Eureka Stockade would have not helped.

Movie review - “Sorry Wrong Number” (1948) ***1/2

The original radio play is a pretty much perfect 30 minutes - how do you expand it to a feature? You could have kept it with the main lady (Barbara Stanwyck) on the phone, added more twists and turns, or you go more into the motive... which is what this film does. It fleshes out the characters of her husband (Burt Lancaster), who grows to resent his wife’s money, controlling nature and ill health. There’s also her rich dad who is a great character, and her old friend (Ann Richards) who saw Something Suspicious.

It’s not a bad mystery, with William Conrad on hand to provide menace. Richards has another thankless best friend role but get some decent screen time and a suspenseful scene where she follows her husband out to a beach.

Not as good as the play but pretty good - probably Richards' best American film.

Book review - "Even This I Get to Experience" by Norman Lear (2014)

 Norman Lear shows never quite had the impact in Oz they did in Australia. Mostly because they weren't as prominent in syndication. I mean Diffrent Strokes was the exception, we all loved that; I recall Good Times and One Day at a Time playing during the say. But Maude was shunted at 3am and I don't recall The Jeffersons, All in the Family, Sanford and Son. Maybe their British originals were too better known. Maybe I'm remembering it wrong (this was the 80s-90s). Maybe the tone of Lear comedies was too aggressive and loud.

I'm so mixed on Lear. I respect and admire him - who could not? The battles he fought, the way he dominated'the culture in the 70s, investing in interesting films like Spinal Tab and Princess Bride, genuine war service in a bomber crew. All those fights with censors. He seemed to lose his TV touch from the 80s onwards but that happens. Tenacious. Taking on those terrible evangelists.

I enjoyed hearing about the actor conflics on Good Times and All the Family. And Jerry Lewis being a pain.

As a person... ah, I dunno. He whines about his shonky dad, and complaining mother. (Would he have been as good a salesman without his dad). Hard worker. Clearly very good writer and producer. Worked for Martin and Lewis on TV in the 50s and people like Martha Raye, Indifferent movie record - films no one gets too excited about like Come Blow Your Horn and Cold Turkey. Earned lots of money but always seemed to be about to lose it (even in the late 80s) then bounced back. two bad marriages. Third to a younger woman - he became a father later in life and had a surrogate. Lot of chat about how people love him, how he saved someone's life.

I stress, I have a lot of admiration and respect for Lear I just didn't dig this book. Maybe I just wanted more about his shows.

Book review - "Books: A Memoir" by Larry McMurtry

 There's some discussion of McMurtry's writing - his first few novels, his depression - but mostly this is about his adventures as a book shop owner and rare book collector. Sometimes interesting but not that interesting and probably better as an article. He makes fun of Peter Bogdanovich her and there which is entertaining. The books did help McMurtry keep his head screwed on - doing a job with physical labour, having a day job.

Book review - "Pirates Of Barbary Corsairs, Conquests and Captivity in the 17th-Century Mediterranean" by Adrian Tinniswood

 Really good book. Colourful, action packed. Depressing. Piracy was a real issue. So many slaves taken - this is mocked in romantic fiction but it happened all the time, so much so that a guy set up business in the barbary as an envoy to reunite people.

TV review - "Better Things Season 2-5" (2017-22)

 Grouping thoughts under the one entry. Very good. Consistently surprising. They key relationships that pop are Sam and white people (her mum, the douche ex of her friend, the gay bestie, her daughters) which I think prompted Pamela A to put in new besties who were diverse. Occasionally it was a drag that scenes were in there where Sam is nice to POC. It's like, alright, I get it, you're not racist. I missed her dating in later eps bc those were so funny but it made sense from a character arc. Love the development of the kids. Very good show.

Movie review - "Dr Gillespie's New Assistant" (1942) **1/2

 I've never seen a Dr Kildare movie - this was made after Lew Ayres had been given the boot for conscientiously objecting. So you had Lionel Barrymore interviewing three assistants - you kind of know that it's going to be Van Johnson, who got an early break in these movies, because he's the most regular guy, and he has charm. The other two are foreigners - Richard Quine as an Aussie (the movie's chief point of novelty, IMHO) and Keye Luke as an Asian (though born in Brooklyn).

Barrymore does his Barrymore thing in a wheelchair - kind of progressive to have a handicapped lead actor in a way, along with a prominent Asian actor. To make sure things don't get too commie Luke makes a joke about men being able to hit their wives and the doctors routinely betray female patient confidentiality.

There's a few subplots, a crusty old nurse, an admin guy, some orderly (nat Pendleton) up to no good. It's like a Student Nurses movie only without nudity.

The main plot involves patient Susan Peters - who is lovely - having memory loss, interfering with her marriage to some dude who I thought was going to be gaslighting her but it's benign and the docs figure it out via cobbled psychology.

Quine plays a doctor from Woolloomooloo and murders the Australian accent. I mean, he literally wrestles it to the ground. It's appalling and fascinating. He's studying tropical diseases. Cripes what a shocker of a performance.  But you can't stop watching. 

As an added bonus Shirley Ann Richards (billed without the "Shirley") pop up as an Aussie nurse. They meet, talk in slang, bond over how Americans can't understand them, which is funny actually, and fall in love straight away. I wish her part had been bigger or she'd played Quine's part. She's gorgeous and fun.

Luke is energetic. The handling of the film is clunky but it's done with MGM polish. Some attractive starlets in the background.

Movie review - "Love from a Stranger" (1947) **

 Gaslighting melodramas always work - the husband trying to kill the wife, driving her man, with malevolent intentions. It's all solid stuff.

But it's odd why Eagle Lion wanted to film this especially as it had been done in Britain in 1937. Maybe they wanted a vehicle for a British star - they didn't get one. Unless you count Aussie Ann Richards, who is nice, as Sylvia Sidney's friend, but barely in the film. Indeed, she could be cut out. John Howard, as Sidney's whiny ex, does all the worrying about Sidney stuff.

John Hodiak is the charming psycho husband.

The story lacks a twist. Naive Sidney marries dashing Hodiak. Everyyone thinks he's bad, eventually she does too, he is bad. Richards and/or Howard needed to be in cahoots with him.

Eagle Lion provided a decent budget, it's a period tale with costumes and houses by the coast. But it was money wasted. Why not set it in present day America? Differentiate it from the original? You could still make it so no one had a photo of the guy.

Sometimes films like this can be saved by A list actors but the collection here is B list - everyone can act, mind, but they don't have charisma.

Movie review - "The Searching Wind" (1946) **

 Lilllian Hellman was a great writer and her stage play was a hit in 1944 but no one talks about it much and she didn't like it that much either. I can see its appeal on stage during war time - chat about diplomatics who charmingly went along wiht the rise of fascism. It's not really dramatised in the way that say Watch the Rhine was - in that film a fascist was on the run and he had to shoot someone. This doesn't have that.

Robert Young is the posh diplomat and Ann Richards (quite good) is his wealthy wife. Sylvia Sidney is

There's glimpses of where the drama is, which is this: Young is basically decent, or can be, but is too attracted to peace, and getting along, and his wife, who is rich and likes to hang with facsists. With Sidney has his conscience.

This story can work - look at The Way We Were. But this doesn't bring it alive. There's no heat/attraction between Young and Sidney. Robert Young's blandness suits the role I guess but isn't very compelling.I've never liked Sidney and while she's got a great character - feisty journalist, telling the truth, drawn to a married man - Sidney never gets there, at least not for me. If these two had had some real heat it would've been so much better. Like , I don't know, Robert Cummings for someone charming and Barbara Stanwyck for someone to be tough. Joseph Cotten was offered the lead - he would've been better.

Dramatically someone needed to die - like Sidney really. To die for her conscience. It's weird that Shirley and Richards go "you're staying with Shirley" then Dick gives the speech.

Douglas Dick plays the son of Richards and Shirley who lost a leg in the war - Montgomery Clift played the part on Broadway. He has a big speech at the end. Dick is best known for being killed in Rope.

Movie review - "Irish Wish" (2024) **1/2

 The director and her team tried to make a good film. It's got pep and looks great. Interesting costuming. Nice Irish scenery. Not many laughs but it's sweet.

Movie review - "Badman's Territory" (1946) **1/2

 I'm not super familiar with the mid-period Randolph Scott cycle - the ones after his first Westerns, where he normally co starred with bigger names, and before the Renown cycle. This was a solid hit for RKO, who had a decent record making Westerns. The copy I saw had a gloomy feel to it but it may have been the print. 

Scott is a marshall chasing outlaws into a lawless territory. The feisty local newspaper editor is a woman - Australia's own Ann Richards, who was under contract to RKO. I think this is the only movie she made for that studio. There is definite novelty seeing her introduced on a horse with a gun, She's not entirely comfortable but is at home in a newspaper office. I like how she had a character to play - brave, crusading editor; jealous of Belle Starr.

The gimick of the story involves Scott trgint to find his brother who has been taken by real life outlaws - the Jameses, the Daltons,  Belle Starr. There's also some Indians.

Plenty of plot and action and spectacle. Shiny support cast including Lawrence Tierney, very good as Jesse James, and Tom Tryon as frank.

Gloomily shot but I enjoyed it more as it went on.

Movie reviews - "Love Letters" (1945) **

 I read this was a knock off of Cyrano de Bergerac and there's elements of that but really it's a reverse of. Random Harvest with Jennifer Jones as the amnesiac who doesn't realise that she once loved Joseph Cotten. Cotten knows it and hangs around being her friend, with Ann Richards (who was in Random Harvest) providing the exposition and pining at Cotten. 

There's other Random Harvest elements - Cotten has shellshock, though so does Jones; Cotten and Jones get married even though she doesn't realise she's his true love, Cotten doesn't tell Jones the truth, the ending results in Jones getting her memry back.

There are diffrenecs - Jones and Cotten fall off screen via letters, the Cyrano influence. It's not as good a movie.

I think it was a mistake not to see Cotten and Jones fall in love via letters and to build up the part of the loathsome guy who passed on the letters and was an abusive husband. He's seen at the beginning and the end... but a little more would've been ideal (or even just more evocative build up).

Richards is very good, as a decent, pretty loyal person. It's one of her better parts. She was up for the lead then was gazumped by Jones who was a bigger name. Jones is better because Jones had a whiff of insanity about her - the crazy eyes.

 There's a lot of character names in the script. Anita Louise's character (Cotten's ex) is kind of pointless. The script is choppy.

It's done classily though - decent budget looks nice. Cotten suits this material. Cecil kellaway, Richards' old Aussie co star, pops up as a colourful local..

Movie review - "Lost Honeymoon" (1947) **

 This is brightly handled with some skilled playing - Franchot Tone was adept at light comedy and Tom Conway livens things up; Ann Richards actually gets a deceent role and Frances Rafferty is beautiful and a lot of fun as the other woman.

But the story is so dumb and contrived. Richards was BFF of a woman who was married to Tone during the war in England (this was made by Eagle Lion and I think they were looking at co pros with England) then went back to the US. The woman has died leaving two kids. So Richards takes the kids to the US pretending to be the wife... because... ah... and Tone had amnesia during the war...

It doesn't make sense. Why doesn't Richard just tell the truth? If they'd come up with a better reason for her deception this would've been so much better.

The opening scene is clunky and feels as though maybe it was shot at a later date. More could've been made of Conway finding Richards attractive and Tone and his kds.

In a few scenes Richards flirts and sparkles and it's just like she's back at Cinesound. Rafferty, like Richards, should've had a bigger Hollywood career.

Leigh Jason directs with a nice light touch. I hadn't heard of him before. Just so dumb a story though.

Movie review - "Breakdown" (1952) **1/2 (warning: spoilers)

 Shirley Ann Richards' last movie was produced and directed by her husband Edmond Angelo - after which both quit the biz and he went into engineering. It's a sort of Warner Bros style movie set in the world of boxing, with no real one star and heaps of subplot.

William Bishop is a boxer out of prison for a crime he didn't commit. He wants to find out who framed him and falls in love with good girl Ann Richards. But leading man duties are shared with Wally Cassell, as the pathetic guy who gets him out of prison and is attached to Bishop and get jealous of Richards. And Cassell's brother Sheldon Leonard.

And Leonard has a girlfriend Anne Gwynne who hates Cassell because he promoted Gwynne's earlier boyfriend Richard Benedict who is now brain injured and eventually dies.

It's written by a former boxer and benefits from that inside feel. It just kind of is all over the place with a melodramatic ending of Bishop almost getting kiled in the ring and last minute confessions and Cassell having a stroke.

The acting is quite good. Leonard's voice reminded me of a cartoon character, I'm not sure which. Richards has essentially a support part but not a bad one - a good girl attracted to Bishop, she gets to be lively and pretty. Bishop is a little dull. Cassell is excellent as is Gwynne.

Brian Donlevy Top Ten

 He's been in some good movies even though he was usually outshone by his co star.

1) Beau Geste (1939)

2) The Glass Key (1942)

3) The Great McGinty (1940)

4) The Quatermass Experiment (1955)

5) Kiss of Death (1947)

6) Two Years Before the Mast (1946)

7) Kansas Raiders (1950)

8) Jesse James (1939)

9)The Crawling Unknown (1957)

10) Destry Rides Again (1939)

Movie review - "An American Romance" (1944) ** (re-watching)

 King Vidor must have had a lot of prestige to get this through MGM - it cost millions. I'm sure he pitched it well "it's about industry! Immigrants! America!" It's so dull.

Metro stumped up for colour - pointless, it may as well have been black and white. What's the story... immigrant arrives. Works in mine. Works in steel. Builds cars. Along way marries nice woman. Has children. Becomes rich car manufacturer. One son dies in World War One. Another gets married. Another works for his dad, becomes involved in the union.

The union conflict at the end is the most interesting thing about the film because this was made by MGM but Vidor was a little more progressive and it's wartime. Also the son gets involved in the union so there's drama.

There's no drama in the marriage - no conflict. Or with the immigrant's best friend. Why not a love triangle? Why not have the guy driven? Why not have some drama, King? Because the way was on.

Vidor blamed the leads - and it's true that if his original choices, Spencer Tracy, Joseph Cotten and Ingrid Bergman had been in it, it would at least have had some star power. But instead he's got - how's this for B list - Brian Donlevy, Ann Richards and Walter Abel. Richards was really pretty but is devoid of sex or spark here she's just nice. It's not very good work. Abel is fine, just lacking charisma - why not cast some young spunk? Donlevy's performance is dreadul with his immigrant accent and dumb acting. He was a second lead, not a lead. It's painful to watch.

The film needed a big injection of soap. Richards was with his best friend who died of an accident. He raised other people's kids. He has daughters who root around.

This is like a Dore Schary movie made by MGM before Schary went to MGM.

Vidor whinged about the half hour taken out of it. He's lucky it wasn't more. But the cuts don't really help, just shorten it. It was two and a half hours and they made it two!

Movie review - "Angel Baby" (1961) **1/2

 A few people on this who went on to become big names - Burt Reynolds, Haskel Wexler- and a lead role for George Hamilton at his peak.

I love how this film tried to do something smart, European. It's not dumb. Nicely shot. Good atmosphere. The world is interesting. Strong acting. Hamilton is very good but also Reynolds is terrific. Mercedes McCambridge and Joan Blondell are good as always. Salome Jens quite effective - she must've thought this was going to launch her in a big way. Paul Wendkos is an interesting director (Tarantino loves him).

The problem is structural. It starts well but when it should build it dissipates, separates Hamilton and Jens when they should be together. Or at least so I felt.

Still, an interesting movie, a bold try and a reminder of how good Reynolds was from the get go.

Movie review - "The Terror" (1963) *** (re-watching)

 I've seen this so many times but did it again in light of rewatching the Corman Poes. It's a jagged mess, full of charm, and familiar faces - even support like Jonathan Haze. It's better than Comedy of Terrors because it's serious and Corman goes for mood. The plot is erratic but at least stuff does happen. Sandra Knight is genuinely evocative and otherwordly. Jack Nicholson is charming. Poor Karloff in that flooding water!

Random thoughts of Corman Poe Films

(I just rewatched them all)
1. Vincent Price’s performances are consistently varied and wonderful - he does enigmatic and strong (Usher), weak (Pendulum), comic (Raven), truly evil (Masque), Byronesque (Ligeia) - it’s wonderful
2. Usher is sometimes taken for granted but it really se the scene and holds up well
3. The juvenile male leads were generally terrible and wet eg Richard Ney, John Kerr - Jack Nicholson was the best in the Raven - I think Corman was uncomfortable around macho younger actors
4. The abilities of the women varied but at their best they were marvellous and gave career highlight performances eg Barbara Steele, Elizabeth Shepherd, Hazel Court
5. Yes Cormsan had a strong crew but he also brought a hell of a lot himself - just watch Comedy of Terrors which despite Matheson, Crosby, Haller, Price, Karloff, Rathbone and Lorre is a mess
6. Ray Milland is no Vincent Price but it’s actually nice to see a film in the cycle without Price and Milland does a good job
7. Lovely to see Lon Chaney in Haunted Palace
8. Script work consistently great from Matheson, Towne, Beaumont etc... shame Griffith wasn’t given a go
9. The final two British films reinvigorated the franchise

Movie review - "A Time for Killing" (1967) **

 I only watched this because Roger Corman was fired as director shortly into filming. I wonder why he wanted to make it - to do a bigger budgeted Western I suppose. It's unremarkable, realy - Phil Karlson took over - although it has some good actors. George Hamilton is good as a Confederate officer who leads an escape from a POW camp right at the end of the war and tries to escape with his troops into Mexico. Hamilton is a bit of a fantatic. He's pursued by Glenn Ford, looking constipated as he was want to do. Inger Stevens is a girl of Ford's who is taken by Hamilton, who then rapes her to keep Ford angry at him and his men to keep the war going.

The cast is interesting. People pop up like Timothy Crey, Kenneth Tobey, a young Harrison Ford, Dick Miller, Max Baer, Harry Deean Stanton (billed as "Dean Stanton").

Ford can be good but phones this in. Stevens is competent. Hamilton presses. Nicely shot although the occasional obivous studio-for-location work jars. It's a downer of a movie. Everyone dies so pointlessly.

Apparently Robert Towne worked on the script.

Movie review - "Comedy of Terrors" (1963) **

 A film generally unloved despite its pedigree - AIP, Richard Matheson, Floyd Crosby, Dan Haller, Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, Jacques Tourneur. No Corman but still...

What went wrong?

Well The Raven worked bc it was still creepy. This is all played for laughs. It begings wonkly with silly sped up camera and music and that tone is pleasant all the way through.

The pain and terrors in Raven were real. This is too much of a joke. Vincent Price seems miscast.

It lacks a supernatural element too. It's all explained away. Rathboone comes back from the dead but because it's rigid. The material needed to be played straighter.

I'm glad Rathbone got to play Shakespeare and Lorre got the girl. The Corman Poe films worked this doesn't. Needed genuine scares.

Bug role for Joyce Jameson.

Book review - "MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios" by Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, Gavin Edwards

 Thoughts on MCU after reading book (was a good book)...

- What Feige did was amazing, very few producers have come close, maybe David O. Selnick from 30s to 40s before Benzedrine addiction and dumping his smart first wife wrecked his career.
- Other parallel is James Bond series which has been going since 1962 - this has interesting similarities... cultural phenomenon, many imitators but no one has surpassed it, has ability to reinvent, makes lots of mistakes but not fatal ones, isn’t afraid to go “small” (Bond films went from the big Moonraker to the small For Your Eyes Only, from the big Die another Day to the small Casino Royale), always be true to character (eg they always have a British or at least British Empire Bond)
- Main issues with MCU not actually their fault (a) no one else can make blockbusters as consistently successful (b) Disney keep wanting them to expand bc they make so much money
- If Marvel keep small, they will endure but if they keep expanding they are rooted
- I forgot how many dud Marvels there have been eg Thor 2 and 4, Ant Man 2 and 3... but historically there’s always been a classic around the corner eg Tom Holland Spiderman... it feels it’s been a while since a classic Marvel though - I actually feel Feige’s (a) run out of gas and/or (b) simply doesn’t have the same emotional connection to these new heroes as he did the original ones - but could be wrong
- I actually love though how Feige embraces all the history - even duds like Thorn 2 and the Garfield Spidermans, which have bad reps, get call backs - this has weird parallels to soap where previous “era” get overlooked - embracing dud eras I feel is something not nearly done enough in franchises or long serials
- Also amazing how bad and voluminous the corporate notes were even AFTER the films became successful - and the head of Marvel wanted to FIRE Feige... this was astonishing... and explains why so many Hollywood films are bad... that a great producer can produce great successful films and as a result the head of the company wants to fire him (not bc of a crime, but because of his success) - this is surprisingly common
- character is obviously king - (and casting so crucial to character) - problem with Captain Marvel (warning: mansplaining) us that Captain Marvel isn't much of character... but bc it made so much money that kind of got lost - Wonder Woman and Black Widow are great characters - problem Black Panther 2 IMHO was not fixing on a character - think there is so so much scope for female super heroes just make sure they have a good character and are well cast
- my predictions about what’s coming up
    - Thunderbolts - will tank bc it feels like leftovers
    - Captain America Brave New World - will tank bc no one will care and that director isn’t v good
    - Deadpool vs Wolverine, Blade, Fantastic Four - will go through roof bc Feige understands these characters
    -

Anyway lets see how I go

Movie review - "Fall of the House of Usher" (1960) ***1/2 (re-watching)

 Random thoughts

- really liked this on reviewing - it had a serious, romantic tone that was very effective

- felt padded at times with dream sequences etc but generally well written

- Mark Damon didn't annoy me this much - he's fine

- I really liked the lesser known woman Elizbaeth Fahey and the old butler - didn't know him, they were effective

- extremely well put together for its budget

- Price is so wonderful, campy yet honest

Book review - "Hollywood: A Third Memoir" by Larry McMurtry (2010)

 A series of reminisces by McMurtry about his adventures in the screen trade. He's had a very long career as a screenwriter - Horseman Pass By not only sold to the movies, it became a hit, so even though McMurtry had little to do with it, he benefited and was given screenwriting jobs. Since then he managed to have a big hit every decade or so - Last Picture Show, Terms of Endearment, Lonesome Dove, Brokeback Mountain.

 Buffs won't necessarily learn much new about Picture Show but I enjoyed glimpses of his random but long career: working for Lew Grade (including a stint on Raise the Titanic), various unmade films (including one on Wyoming lawman Ed Cantrell which sounded interesting).

He writes with great affection of good friend Diane Keaton, and collaborator Diana Ossana (who he started working with after his quadruple bypass and found he could still write novels but not the more disciplined sccripts). Moving account of Swifty Lazar who McMurtry liked but claims cost him $15 million with sloppy legal work post success of Lonesome Dove. He discusses his Dove sequel/prequel mini series, not in a huge amount of detail. There's talk of being on the Brokeback Mountain award trail. I wanted more - for instance more detail about his feud with Bogdanovich which he refers to, or if he had any thoughts why none of his lost Lonesome Dove books did that well as mini series - but this was very enjoyable.

Aside: he says George MacDonald Fraser wrote a script for the Lone Range film which I know he did but I thought that was a later one for John Landis, not for Lew Grade.

Howard Hawks Top Ten

 1) Scarface (1932) - terrific gangster flick even today

2) Red River (1948) - terrific Western even today (I'll stop saying that)

3) His Girl Friday (1940) - terrific etc

4) El Dorado (1967) - I like it better than Rio Bravo

5) Only Angels Have Wings (1939) - guys and gal bein' tough and Hawksian

6) To Have and Have Not (1944) - watch a couple fall in love

7) The Big Sleep (1946) - entertainingly confusing

8) Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) - make more musicals Howard

9) The Thing (1951) - of course it's his film

10) Ball of Fire (1941) - good Stanwyck

No I didn't forget Rio Bravo or Bringing Up Baby I'm not really a fan of either.

Ray Milland and Australia

 1) He made a bunch of films with John Farrow - Big Clock, Nick Beal, Copper Canyon

2) He played an Aussie in Three Smart Girls

3) He worked with Aussie director Peter Sykes in The House of Nightmare Park

4) The Pyjama Girl Case (1977) - he starred in this Italian gialo based on an Oz murder case

5) Hostile Witness - he toured here in the play in 1967

6) Starflight the Plane that Would Not Land - the plane is travelling to Australia

Movie review - "The Premature Burial" (1962) *** (re-watching)

 Watching this you do constantly feel "this would be more fun with Vincent Price" but Milland is a good actor, suits the period. It's a very good story, with fear of premature burial, and actual premature burial. I like Hazel Court more this time. Richard Ney is hilariously wet but I was prepared for him. Bit too much exposition at the end from the sister - better if this had been dramatised throughout. (Richard Matheson didn't do the script for this one, Charles Beaumont and Ray Russell did).

Ray Milland Top Ten

 Sort of a second rank star - great career, many classic films, not a great deal of individuality, buta very good actor. Was very at home at Paramount. Got chunky in the 50s and missed leading man parts.

Anyway top ten

1) Battlestar Galactica (1978) - the pilot, he's great as a smarmy fifth columnist

2) The Lost Weekend (1945) - basic choice but it's a very good film and he's excellent

3) The Major and the Minor (1942) - kinky comedy which would be banned now but he's very good

4) The Girl on the Red Velvet Swing (1956) - flawed film but he's very well cast

5) Arise My Love (1940) - more Brackett and Wilder, Milland is great

6) X the Man with X Ray Eyes (1963) - AIP gave Milland some excellent roles of which this was the best

7) The Big Clock (1948) - superb noir. Honorable mention for Alias Nick Beal.

8) Beau Geste (1939) - he's better cast than Gary Cooper

9) Reap the Wild Wind (1941) - glorious epic

10) Bolero (1934) - his part is small but I just really like this film.

Book review - "Horseman Pass By" by Larry McMurtry (1961) (warning: spoilers)

 I admired this. But didn't like it. Beautifully written with tremendous sense of time and place - Thalia 1954, with its cattle, small bars, pool rooms, back verandahs. But Hud here is so loathsome - he rapes the housekeeper who is now black, and kills the grandad. The film softened him a lot. The black housekeeper is given phoentic dialogue which dehumanises her - McMurtry was never great with POC characters.

I was interested to read about character Hermy, bragging about the big smoke of Oklahoma City - John Ashley played that role in the film and was cut out. You can see Ashley in the part esp as Ashley was an Okie. 

This is more from the POV of the young guy, Hud comes in and out. Hud is so loathsome the book is unpleasant to read at times though short. For me, anyway.

Book review - " Corman/Poe Interviews and Essays Exploring the Making of Roger Corman’s Edgar Allan Poe films, 1960–1964" by Chris Alexander

 Look, I guess this is fine. It's the sort of book I was always going to like. I just wish it was better. There's synopses and essays of the films, plus an interview with Corman on each of the films - but only of the main eight, not of the spin offs like The Terror or of the second wave of Poe adaptations with Price. And only talks with Corman, no one else. The definitive (or even a more comprehensive) book on this topic awaits.

Movie review - "Tales of Terror" (1962) *** (re-watching)

 Anthology series of Poe stories, which benefits from the virtues of this series - Vincent Price, gorgeous photography and sets, Richard Matheson's script.

"Morella" is competent but very familiar - grieving widower, "she's not really dead", ingenue, wife back from the dead, house burns down. Price acts his butt off but needed stronger support from Maggie Pearce or Leona Gage.

"The Black Cat" is much better. Peter Lorre is on hand as a drunk whose wife hooks up with Vincent Price. It's over the top but Lorre vs Price is a great battle of hams and it's a grim story - I mean, Lorre drugs the couple and bricks them up alive... and they die. That's full on.

"The Case of M Valdemar" is classy, helped with the ageing star power of Basil Rathbone to take on Price and a plot that doesn't whimp out.

Movie review - “The Haunted Palace” (1963) *** (re-viewing)

 This has its own little niche in the Corman Poe cycle - most of the others I group as duos (Usher and Pendulum, Raven and Tale of Terror, Premature Burial and X Ray Eyes, Ligeia and Masque).

It’s different but also it’s not, which is a weird thing to say but I’ll try to explain - it’s based on a Lovecraft novel, and there’s some things which are unique to this (a mob of villagers, transporting to another world) but other aspects are typical of the series (Price, Dan Haller, Price playing a good man haunted by his ancestor).

Maybe it was a mistake to have the early section happen so long ago - surely it would’ve been better for it to have been within the memory of the townsfolk. They could have played up the relationship between the doctor and Price’s wife, Debra Paget. Paget doesn’t have anything to play apart from being scared. She should’ve been possessed too. Or they could’ve made more of bringing back to life dead Price’s girl... made her a character.

It looks terrific, the music is lovely. I enjoyed it. I was aware of its second-tier status but as second tiers it's fun. This was one where you go "you know, Price is fabulous, but this could've handled a different star").

Play review - "A Local Man" by Bob Ellis and Robin McLachlan

 I'd be curious to see how this played on stage. A one man piece, with Ben Chifley talking into a dictaphone, and taking phone calls. It read well, like an essay - Ellis' essays are full of pieces on Chifley. He also loves to write about "oh poor me" and "if only". Mind you there's some interesting if onlys here... if only Labor hadn't lost Francis Forde or Nelson Lemmon (who I didn't know)... maybe. Most effective moment is him going to bed and the radio announces from four days later that he'd died.

British box office 1981

 

Evening Standard 21 Dec 1981

1. Superman 2

2. For Your Eyes Only

3. Flash Gordon

4. Snow White

5 Any Which Way You can

6 Clash of the Titans

7 Private  Benjamin

8 Raiders of the Lost Ark

9 The Elephant Man

10. Tess

11. The Jazz Singer

12. Chariots of Fire

Take out... a lot of films made in Britain. But British subject matter... well only Chariots, really.

British Box Office 1979

 

Daily Tele 29 Dec 1979

1. Moonraker & Superman

3. Every Which Way but loose

4. Alien

5. Watership Down

6. Deer Hunter

8/ Quadrophenia

12. Death on the Nile

13 Porridge

16 The 39 Steps and the Bitch & Lord of the Rings

British Box Office 1972

 

Daily Tele 27 Dec 1972

1. Diamonds Are Forever

2. The Godfather

3. Fiddler on the Roof and Bedknobs and Broomsticks

4. The Devils

5. Steptoe and Son

6. The French Connection

7. Nicholas and Alexandra

8. Ryan's Daughtet

9. Dirty Harry

10. mary Queen of Scots

11. A Clockwork Orange

12. Wht's Up Doc? 

13. Straw Dogs

14. Shaft

15. Klute

Daily Mirror 27 Dec 1972

Movie review - "Masque of the Red Death" (1964) ***1/2 (rewatching) (warning: spoilers)

 Odd film. Too lumpy to be a genuinely great movie - not enough story, the troubled script development does come across on screen. It lacks the logic of a Richard Matheson on the keys. Padding. Plots seem to come and go eg Asher's boyfriend and father.

But the elements are wonderful. The red death. Vincent Price as a truly evil man. The beauty and bravery of Jane Asher. The gorgeous photography. The cotsumes. Price revealing himself. The decaying skin at the end. Patrick Magee's creepiness. Hazel' Court being a groupie for Satan.

Some bits made you laugh, like a gorilla suit man on fire. Others are unsettling, like a little person and the young girl with a dubbed voice.

A unique piece.

George Sanders Top Ten

 1) Action in Arabia (1944) - George Sanders as a conventional hero

2) Rebecca (1940) - almost steals the film as Rebecca's "cousin"

3) The Black Swan (1942) - in a red beard as a pirate!

4) Samson and Delilah (1949) - excellent villain toasting the temple as it falls on him

5) Ivanhoe (1952) - another excellent baddy role, complex, in love with Rebecca 

6) The Saint Strikes Back (1939) - enormous fun

7) Call Me Madam (1953) - he sings, and well

8) Psychomania (1971) - sad bc it was his last film but what nutty gloriousness to go out on

9) Son of Monte Cristo (1940) - terrific villain and death

10) All About Eve (1950) - oh I guess so...

Book review - "Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood" by Edward Zwick

 Entertaining book. Some good goss - Matthew Broderick being a pain on Glory (his mother whinged about the script), developing Legends of the Fall, Julia Roberts being a pain in Shakespeare in Love, advising Sydney Pollack against Julia Ormond on Sabrina.

Skips past his 21st century career very quickly - I would've liked more on say Pawn Sacrifice. His relationship with Pollack is particularly interesting. Like a lot of genuine liberals he can't seem to spot his own blind spots (eg unable to understand why Muslims might be upset with The Siege - it's because there are no heroic Muslims, Ed). Also while he like many in Hollywood is keen to push his own log cabin narrative, shortly after arriving he was besties with major players and at 27 was story editor on Family.

Look, I'm being mean, he's obviously talented and has had a terrific career and made lots of interesting films and TV.

Book review - "My Name is Barbra" by Barbra Streisand

 I'm not a big Streisand head but have no particularly strong feelings about her. This book is very good though. Well written, enjoyable. Feels "her". Strong willed, eccentric, passionate. She's copped a lot of bad press over the years but from men trying to punish her. Arthur Laurents and Garson Kanin struggled to direct her with their "set and forget" methods. She had better luck with people like Jerome Robbins, William Wyler, and Peter Bogdanovich, people who challenged her. Did badly with weaker directors like Gene Kelly, Frank Pierson.

She writes affectionately of Elliot Gould which I liked - they had issues (he was partial to marijuana, jealousy and had a gambling habit) but was basically supportive. Also she has a lot of time for most of her exes: Ryan O'Neal, Geoge Lazenby (! - it was just a flirtation during On a Clear Day You Can See Forever), Kris Kristofferson, Warren Beatty (who she's not sure if she slept with), Pierre Trudeau, Omar Sharif, Anthony Newley (I didn't know that). Isn't nice about Sydney Chaplin who she had an affair with then called off and he behaved badly (Walter Matthau was a mate of his, hence his bad attitude on Hello Dolly). Likes most of her co stars even if she didn't fall in love with them (she was a method actress that way) - eg James Caan. She adored Brando and they had a friendship but not an affair (I don't think0).

Full of "gee I wish you'd done that" moments-  she should've turned director on A Star is Born, should've made Merry Widow with Ingmar Bergman

She's ambivalent about Sue Menges (says Menges begged her to be in All Night Long), Jon Peters.

Particularly fascinating accounts of her musicals and movies especially The Way We Were (admits to not remembering much about For Petes' Sake). Also deep dives her albums and TV specials.

Lots of good juice like Arthur Laurents sending her a mean letter after her first album - but she also liked him because of The Way We Were; Mandy Patinkin demanding to have an affair; Complex descriptions of Ray Stark, Sydney Pollack

There's a bit too much about clothes and blocking of scenes. And the last few chapters are really grim - the Clintons, politicis, philanthropy, her 21st century career. But def read the first bit.

Book review - "Miracle at Midway" by Gordon W. Prange

 Very thorough account of the battle. Sometimes I got lost. I appreciated the detail and genuine attempts to get it right. Useful summary. The Japanese truly almost won - the Yanks had three minutes of good luck that was crucial. But the luck added up. Little odd to read the attack on Sydney dismissed as a sideshow.

Movie review - "Tomb of Ligeia" (1965) ***1/2 (re-watching)

 Random thoughts:

- filming so much outside acts as a tonic - gives a different feel, ditto filming in UK

- Elizabeth Shepherd has a big part, bigger than Price - she does very well - complex, juicy role

- Price is a massive red flag but I guess life is dull

- good script from Bob Towne

- gosh the young male lead is a drip

Movie review - "Troubled Waters" (1964) **

 British B - "C" really - is a drama that probably would be more at home as a TV play. It gives Tab Hunter a decent chance as a criminal out of prison reconnecting with his wife and daughter. Wife has a new guy who is some British drip. It's not a conventional sort of gangster film - there's no one more job, which may have added to the film's appeal. Hunter is good as a person who is a bit of a psycho and there's solid tension in the scenes when he kidnaps his kid. Zena Walker is the wife.

It probably could've done with another subplot.

TV review - "Combat! Ep 1 Season 8 - The Celebrity" (1962) **1/2

 I don't think I've ever seen an episode of Combat! though I've heard of it. This wasn't directed by Robert Altman, but Burt Kennedy, and written by Art Wallace.

The series was famous for its relative realism at the time. It seemed to be to be a stock war story but I'm probably being unfair.

Look this was fine. Tab Hinter plays a baseball star who discovers bravey. I'm sure this was groundbreaking but it seemed like a regular show on the backlot.

Movie review - "Summer of '42" (1971) ***

 I think this would've had more impact at the time. Nostalgia, first love, talk about sex. Jennifer O'Neil is perfect as a fantasy figure, a young war bride on an island understandably loved by Gary Grimes.

The boys' talk is pervt and lechy. It's awkward to watch but it's true. 

Director Robert Mulligan is a dab hand at these sensitive tales. He didn't punk out with the casting - the kids all look like kids. I loved Grimes' geeky casanova mate, Jerry Houser.

The film has the soul of a television play (small cast, simple but it works as a film because of the island setting, and it's about sex (at its heart... I guess and love).

It was a script then adapted into a novel but the novel came out before the film.

Movie review - "Enchanted Island" (1958) **

One of the last films of Alan Dwan. It's not a bad south seas story from Herman Melville - man jumps ship on island with mate, finds locals, falls for native girl (Jane Powell!), mate leaves and Andrews worries if he was eaten. This bit is solid drama.

It's a patch film. It's fun to see how drunk Andrews is (he was good at hiding it but he slurs here), Jane Powell in a black wig playing an islander, Mexico standing in for the south seas. 

It's not really a good movie but I enjoyed it.

Movie review - "The Loved One" (1965) **

 The success of Tom Jones made MGM open its chequebook for Tony Richardson who decided to film Evelyn Waugh's late 1940s novel. It's zany satire, kind of peak gay Hollywood at the time - along with Richardson there's Roddy McDowall, Charles Isherwood, Tab Hunter, John Gielgud. Liberace...  Look there's plenty of straights too. Heaps of people are in it and behind the camera - Hal Ashby was a director, Haskell Wexler shot it and co produced, John Calley co produced.

The plot has Robert Morse, going for stardom after How to Succeed in Business, arrive from England (James Coburn as immigation officer) to Los Angeles to visit his Uncle John Gielgud. Gielgud words for a Hollywood studio along with Jonathan Winters, Rod Steiger and Roddy McDowall.

Members of the British expat community include Robert Morley and Alan Napier. Funderl workers include Anajette Comer (big part), Liberace, Tab Hunter (one scene as  a funeral guide), Milton Berle and Margaret Leighton (customers).

Then the last act switches to become a film about military and launching rockets with people like Dana Andrews (officer), Winters (dual role) and a young Paul Williams.

The gears switch, the film has its head up its ass and it got more annoying as it went on. Too much screen time is devoted to people who aren't up to it, like Comer and Jonathan Winters (who plays multiple roles Peter Sellars style as Quentin Tarantino pointed out).

It's beautifully shot and I can see why it's a cult but I can also see why no one wanted to see it. Some people are spot on like Morse, Hunter, Gielgud.

Movie review - "War Gods of the Deep" (1965) **1/2 (re-watching)

 I'm watching most of Tab Hunter's oeuvre and sometimes that's a slog so I put this on again, one of his most fun films for me. I know it's not that good with silly Gill Man make up and too-long scenes of swimmimg under water, but it's entertaining. Charles Bennett movies generally have a decent structure and this one does. Its more Jules Verne than Poe. I liked the art design, the underwater world, Vincent Price hamming it up, Tab Hunter and Susan Hart as juveniles. I could've done without David Tomlinson and the duck but there's even something endearing that Louis Heyward added that.

Michael Caine Top Ten

 I can't believe I haven't done this before

1) Zulu (1963) - of course

2) Water (1985) - no one likes this film but I do

3) Educating Rita (1983) - the less flashy role but he's supberb

4) The Italian Job (1969) - I hope this doesn't make me a film bro

5) Too Late the Hero (1970) - putting this up because it's fun

6) The Man Who Would Be King (1975) - David Shipman says his performance is bad in this sorry I cant see it

7) Dressed to Kill (1981) - understated, anchors the film, should work with De Palma more

8) Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) - does good Woody

9) California Suite (1978) - goes where American stars fear to tread

10) Alfie (1966) - oh I guess so...

My favourite musical soundtracks for this century

 (haven't seen most of them)

1) Hamilton

2)Shane Warne

3) Waitress

4) The Producers

5) Hairspray

6) Matilda

7)The Last Five Years

8) The Light Stop in the Piazza

9) Avenue Q

10) Book of Mormon

Movie review - "Players" (2024) **

 This starts brightly, Gina Rodriguez is a charming rom com hero and there's potential I guess in the concept of a team of friends who work at a paper using sports plays to get mates. This idea isn't really used and the film doesn't really have anywhere to go.

More problematic is that the actors don't have chemistry - Damon Wayans Jnr seems bored, he and Rodriguez don't seem to be friends, neither do the other members of the gang. There's three guys and a girl plus another girl who joins the group... that is very New Girl, Wayans' presence emphasises this, and I think the basic idea wouuld've made a decent New Girl ep only that would've had better characters and gags.

It's amiable, and nicely shot - I like the work the director did. The third act as a screenwriter type crisis ("you didn't read my piece" "you rewrote my piece").

Book review - "Comanche Moon" by Larry McMurtry

 Much better than Dad Man's Walk because it devotes more time to character as opposed to being a collection of action sequences - though there's still plenty of action, massacres and torture (was McMurtry having a deal downer of a time in the 90s?) It devotes more time to women too - Clara, Maggie, a captured white woman - and the Indians - Buffale Hump is still terrifying but more nuanced and now is up against an even more sadistic Mexican.

McMurtry features a couple of his supermen in this - the mighty Mexican warrior who loves torture, plus Inez Scull, the tough, academically brilliant adventurer. 

Part three, after the rescue of Scull, is very much like Lonesome Dove, more elegaic, less hard core violent.

Movie review - "The Marvels" (2023) **

 Feels like an episode of a TV series. Tired. Loud, Scenes in outer space. Sam Jackson. Two of the three leads don't seem to want to be there.  Iman Vellani does. Her parents were fun.

It's just dull. They throw in Tessa Thompson too.

Movie review - "Pleasure of His Company" (1961) **

 This should go down easy - widescreen, colour, nice settings and stars. But something about it is off.

Fred Astaire is fine, I guess, as the playboy who comes home to attend his daughter's wedding. And he becomes convinced that his daughte is wasting her life.

The dad is a deadbeat who hasn't been part of his daughter's life at all. This could have been easily covered - he sent her lots of presents, they were close, he'd been away for a year or so... As it is he's got no right to say a comment about his daughter. The film kind of acknowledges that. But still...

They've got Astaire's character talking in pidgin English to Palmer's Chinese servat which is awful.   Astaire clearly did some looping and his voice is all articulate and that got on my nerves.

Debbue Reynolds is too old for her part. She smiles and all that but she just seems like she's lived life.

Tab Hunter is fine. I like that he wasn't controlling just a bit of a hick.

There's no chemistry between Astaire and Reynolds, or Astair and Lili Palmer (his ex)... they never seem like Reynolds' parents. Imagine if Ginger Rogers had played the role!

One laugh. When Astair goes "sex isn't eveyrthing" and the old guy goes "so they keep telling me".

No one seems to work, not really. 

Maybe I was grumpy. But this was... oh whatever.

William Wellman on War and Peace

 That biography of William Wellman I read contained an interesting nugget - he pitched a version of War and Peace, without Pierre, that focused on the love triangle between Natasha, Andre andAnatole. Something to think about!

Robert Wagner Top Ten

 1) The Towering Inferno - effective death scene

2) Harper - good work

3) Pink Panther - lechy but funny

4) Titanic - sweet with Stanwyck

5) Heart to Heart - his best TV role

6) It Takes a Thief - his second best TV role

7) Kiss Before Dying - pretty boys make good psychos

8) In Love and War - good in war melo

9)With a Song In My Heart - good "being sung to" face

10) Austin Powers The Spy Who Shagged Me

Movie review - "Eat Your Heart Out" (1997) **

 Cheap rom com mainly of interest to Better Things fans because it stars a young Pamela Adlon and was directed by her husband - a co produced by his dad. So it fits into that universe, as a movie he made through his dad.

It gave Adlon (billed as Pamela Segall then) a lead role, and she's a cutie, totally perfect for the best friend who the male lead doesn't know is prettyt il it's to late. She goes topless in one scene briefly - what was this for? 

Christian Oliver is a debit as the male lead - handsome but awkward with English and he can't act (he died in a plane crash this year so I feel mean writing that but it's true).The guy who is their housemate is also annoying - I'm not qute sure I got his arc with Shawnee Smith (she seems scared of him at the end).

There's a knockout support cast - Linda Hunt, Shawnee Smith, Laura San Giacomo. It's also itneresting to see some Better Things themes - like, the importance of food, attending art galleries, having gay friends. So I assume she had a fair bit of creative input on it.

Some very contrived scripting i.e. Hunt and Giacomo won't tell Oliver his father is sick because... evil? 

I will give it points for the scene were Giacomo proposes to Oliver - she becomes vulnerable and scared and it opens up this whole side to the character. One that isn't really explored through the rest of the movie but she's a good actor and does that scene well.

Dana Andrews Top Ten

 Really solid A2 star whose career was hampered by his alcoholism. Some great films

1) The Ox Bow Incident (1943) - the heart and soul of the film

2) Laura (1944) - falls in love with a dead girl

3) The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) - that graveyard!

4) Night of the Demon (1957)

5) Fallen Angel (1945) - more noir

6) State Fair (1945) - aww... a musical...

7)  Beyond Reasonable Doubt (1956) - decent late period Fritz Lang

8) Duel in the Jungle (1954) - lower tier adventure that I liked

9) Ball of Fire (1941) -small role, good movie

10) The Frozen Dead (1967) - silly film and he's absurd but I'm putting this in for sheer silliness

Donald O'Connor Top Ten

 Let's see if I can do it...

1) Singing in the Rain (1952) - easy choice

2) The Milkman (1950) - fun comedy with O'Connor teaming well with Jimmy Durante

3) Feudin, Fussin and Fighting (1949) - O'Connor meets up with Percy Kilbrdige/Marjorie Main before they went off to their franchises - a joyous time

4) The Buster Keaton Story (1957) - look this isn't a good movie and it killed O'Connor's movie star career but he's very good and it's interesting

5) Call Me Madam (1953).- first rate musical

6) Anything Goes (1956) - not highly regarded and undercast female leads but a lot of talent and joy

7) Curtain Call at Cactus Creek (1950) - shenanigans out west sort of a musical Westerner and entertaining

8) There's No Business Like Show Business (1954) - ah, I know its flaws but it has Marilyn singing 'Heatwave'

9) Francis Covers the Big Town (1953) - I'll limit myself to one Francis and this 'll be it

10) Bowery to Broadway (1944) an all star Universal musical so the talent is B level but it's entertaining