Movie review - "King of Kings" (1961) ****

 For some reason this film is called a flop when it did very nicely particularly internationally - maybe MGM were expecting Ben Hur Mark Two which it wasn't but it made a strong profit.

Handsomely made. Smart. Hunter does well in a difficult role. The support cast steal the show but they always do in Jesus movies.

Movie review - "Hell to Eternity" (1961) ***

 Some theatre owners looked at the money coined by To Hell and Back and hopped on the bandwagon with another true life WW2 story. It has the edge in that it's about a man raised by a Japanese family so it tackles the treatment of Japanese. Jeffrey Hunter plays that role. David Janssen is a sergeant.

The film takes it's time, over two hours. This makes for an effective first act where Hunter grows up we get to know the family. Act two is terrible - Hunter and his mates on leave, dancing with some women. This is slightly bizarre. Act three is the Battle of Saipan - epic and well done.  Karlson has a gift for violent scenes it's full of memorable moments.

Movie review - "No Down Payment" (1957) **

 Sex in the suburbs - at least that's what I'm assuming Phil Yordan wrote and attracted producer Jerry Wald, but director Martin Ritt was more interested in the economics. 

Lots of acting. Mixes older Fox contract players (Jeffrey Hunter, Sheree North) with newer ones (Joanne Woodward) and method types (Pat Hingle). Fun to see Tony Randall in a serious role. 

The male roles are better than the female - Randall is a drunken salesman, Cameron Mitchell a war veteran, Pat Hingle worries whether to help an Asian workmate. Woodward has some fun as Mitchell's boozy wife. Patricia Owens has a full on breakdown scene after she's raped by Mitchell.

Too diffuse to be effective -too many characters to follow. Still, of interest, especially the characters of Mitchell and Randall.

When Owens is raped Hunter listens for about five seconds then goes to attack Mitchell - but Mitchell easily overpowers him. That's interesting. 

The ending has all the characters go to Church. Life in the suburbs seems very depressing.

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

Jeffrey Hunter and Ron Randell from King of Kings star in this 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 - "Print the Legend: The Life and Times John Ford" by Scott Eyman

 Eyman can be counted on to do a good biography and he does very well by Ford - solid research, entertainingly written. Maybe a little easy on Ford's racism. And also doesn't cover the possibility of his homosexuality - it refers to crushes and possible affairs with women (Katherine Hepburn)... although these seem asexual. His torment, drinking, preference for male company, consistent use of Jeffrey Hunter (who is barely mentioned in the book).

I'm being salacious. The rest is well done. Ford wasn't always admirable but also was a genius. The most moving section is the end, with Ford longing to direct but also scared he'll be able to (there were some options), being feted, estranged from his son, with an alcoholic useless daughter.

Movie review - "Who's that Knocking at My Door" (1968) ***

 Full of energy, talent and verve. There's Harvey Keitel as the first in a long line of toxic male protagonists in Scorsese films, with his sex and religious hang ups, hanging out with dead beat mates, tormented by Catholicism, creepy with women whom he treats as Madonnas/whores. 

Zita Bethune is the woman (called "The Girl"). She's lovely. All the acting is good. Funny riffs on John Wayne and Jeffrey Hunter in The Searchers. There's long scenes with boorish friends crapping on.

The nude scene, put in at the recommendation of buyers, does perk things up. Scorses learned his lesson - for Mean Streets, which this has a lot in common with (bars, deadbeat mates, madonna/Whores) he added gangters and nudity.

It's very interesting, made by someone with talent, doesn't quite hang together as a feature. I gave it three stars considering the low budget.

Movie review - "Appointment with a Shadow" (1957) **

A film noir from Universal which gave a meaty lead role to George Nader, stepping in for Jeffrey Hunter who was going to star but fell ill.

Nader is an alcoholic journo whose wife wants him to give up drinking. She gives him a tip from her brother (Brian Keith) that a major crim is in town, with plastic surgery, and will be arrested. He turns up, sees the gangster shot dead by the cops (after drawing his gun, this isn't a corruption story), but then spots the real gangster. Problem is, because he's a boozer, no one believes him.

That's not a bad idea for a film. Alec Coppel worked on the script. It's quite gloomy. As if Ray Milland from The Lost Weekend was thrown into a thriller. But not bad. 

George Nader rises to the occasion even though Brian Keith who plays the cop would probably have been better in the lead. Joanna More does her best in the Jane Wyman part as the "c'mon you can do it" girlfriend. Virginia Field has more fun as a stripper who knows the gangster.

The alcohol stuff is interesting but this is a programmer. It lacks an extra twist or two - like say making the baddie or his stripper gal an alcoholic, or having someone force booze into Nader.

Still it was interesting. Richard Carlson, better known as an actor, directed.

Movie review - "Red Skies of Montana" (1952) ***

Didn't know much about this film other than it was meant to star Victor Mature but they pulled the plug during filming then re-did it with Richard Widmark. The story suits Fox's template of the time - there's a solid star part for a middle aged guy, a thankless role for a woman (who could be cut out of the whole film), a crusty support, and a good role for a male ingenue.

Richard Boone plays crusty, and Jeff Hunter is the ingenue - a fire fighter who comes to believe Widmark is responsible for this father's death. What helps this piece is that Widmark himself is unsure of this - he was knocked out during a fire. It adds suspense (even if we're sure Widmark didn't do it we don't know what happened), and gives Widmark a decent role to play.

Colour photography helps, as does location shooting and the fact it's an unsual world - that of parachuting fire fighters (the smoke jumpers who were the characters in that film arc on Entourage).

It's a solid script and director Joseph Newman does a polished job. They really should have done something for the female lead - made her the daughter of the dead guy or something.

Charles Bronson has a very small role.

Movie review - "White Feather" (1955) **1/2 (warning: spoilers)

The film that must surely have indicated to 20th Century Fox that Robert Wagner didn't have what it took as a movie star. Surely. He looks completely out of his depth as a cowboy who tries to negotiate peace with the Indians - it's based on a true story, and in case you start wondering "hey that sounds like Broken Arrow", well this too is based on a true story, has a white man marrying an Indian played by Debra Paget, was based on a script by Delmer Daves, and focuses on the friendship between a white man and an Indian (played here by Jeffrey Hunter).

It lacks the oomph of Broken Arrow. Wagner and Hunter are no James Stewart and Jeff Chandler - but in their defence their relationship isn't as well drawn. The romance between Wagner and Paget is sweet but doesn't have the kick of Arrow because neither of them die (which is nice in its own way it just doesn't have the kick).

The film weakens Wagner's character for some reason. It sets up both Jeffrey Hunter and Hugh O'Brien are anti Wagner because of the latter's romance with Paget. Both try to kill Wagner. But Wagner doesn't kill either - the Indian chief shoots O'Brien and the cavalry shoot Hunter.

There's this potentially really interesting subplot about Virginia Leith, the daughter of a storeowner - who hangs out with Wagner for a bit, and, it's hinted, was a rape victim. But she disappears from the story. Why? Why not have a love triangle? Or use the rape victim stuff? Or have her fall for an Indian? Or made her a baddy? Do something!

John Lund has a bigger role but it's pointless too. Why not make him a racist? A baddy? Or a do gooder or a comic relief or something? You could cut him out of the film.

It looks good I'll say that. It does personalise Indians and gives them characters to play, albeit by white actors. There are some lovely images of the cavalry and landscapes and what not - the influence of John Ford is clearly felt. The director was Robert Webb who doesn't get much critical love but I felt did a good job.

Movie revew - "Fourteen Hours" (1951) ***

This starts off fantastically -Richard Basehart (very good)  walks out on the ledge of a building, sending everyone into a tizz. Passing cop Paul Douglas tries to talk him down while he gets visits from shrinks, another cop, the guy's parents.

But the thing is the movie doesn't really have anywhere to go. The movie is about finding out The Reason Why He's On the Ledge - and because it's the early 50s you can guess it'll be because his parents were to blame, and because it's 20th Century Fox you can guess the parent was a woman (Zanuck's films had this misogynistic streak), and when Agnes Moorehead turns up as mom it's like "there we go"... the macguffin is the fact Moorehead wrong raised Basehart to hate his father (Robert Keith).

I get divorce does terrible things to children but my sympathy with Basehart did ebb over time. Maybe it's to do with the fact that Basehart, who is excellent, was 36 when he made the film and he looks it. It's sort of made me go "alright already" when better casting might have been a young nervy actor, like James Dean (or equivalent).

Also the subplots aren't that memorable. Grace Kelly gets one as a woman on her way to divorce husband James Warren. Kelly doesn't look as though she's a star here - she's actor-y and pretty enough, there's no magic. She is far too good looking for Warren and their story is dull - she's distracted in a lawyer's office then they decide to give it another try. (This film would be loved by Catholics - it's all about preventing suicide and the evils of divorce).

The other one involves Jeffrey Hunter and Debra Paget, office workers who meet, and Hunter uses it as an excuse to flirt with Paget. This is treated seriously.

Apparently Howard Hawks was offered this and wanted to do it as a comedy, so Fox went with Henry Hathaway instead. Hathaway's direction is excellent - brisk, fast moving, lots of cuts, skilful use of location footage. But I think it would have worked better as  a comedy. Around the edges you see glimpses of a more interesting film - an evangelist who approaches the man, Moorehead playing up for the cameras, people waiting impatiently to jump. I feel it need a more cynical, satirical edge - maybe not go as hard core as Ace in the Hole but along those lines. Or at least a few more subplots - two wasn't enough - or at least some more twists in the two that are there. As it is Hunter just asks out Paget the end, and Kelly and her husband decide to get back together the end.

Douglas is very good, as is Howard da Silva as a fellow cop. Martin Gabel is perhaps creepier than he was intended to be as a shrink.

Book review - "Brown on Resolution" by CS Forster (1929)

A delightful surprise - I was curious to read this because I enjoyed Sailor of the King, based on it. It has a reputation of a stiff upper lip tale which I guess it is - but it's extremely well written, with evocative descriptions and fast pace, anchored with research. It's also surprisingly racy, downbeat and cynical - Brown's mother meets a sailor while on holiday and decides to spend five hot days in bed with him. The sailor is dim but a good military guy with excellent prospects - when he sinks the ship at the end he's mostly glad because it improves his chance of a post career cushy job and fame. The mother decides to raise the kid on her own, is devoted to him, has a financial knock back but hangs in there, forces him into the navy, and dies very young of cancer - in part because, Forster makes clear, she was too proud to seek treatment early.

Brown is a very average sort of guy - amiable, obedient to his mother. He's a good sailor with solid prospects, keen for the promotional opportunities that war gives him. When he sneaks away to Absolution Island he could just hide out but he decides to do his duty even though he knows it'll probably mean death. He does it, and dies - again, mostly due to bad luck, from a bullet by a slacker German disobeying orders (I love this touch). If the Germans had gotten away half an hour earlier they would've been okay. And the kicker is, no one will know about Brown's heroism - the Germans knew but they are all killed in the ensuing attack. It's really great stuff.

The action sequences on Resolution are superb - the escape (relatively easy because the Germans don't really care), slipping into the water, climbing through the bushes. Forster is very good making a far fetched scenario realistic - he goes to great pains describing the German's slackness initially, the fact Brown is helped by the rough vegetation on the island which makes it hard to get through and provides excellent hiding places for Brown. The sequences are logically worked out - he escapes, finds a good spot, starts shooting the next morning, manages to fight off an initial boarding party due to his location, then changes locations over night and fights again, succeeds in taking out over 30 Germans.

You do get the sense it should be a short story - the stuff about the mother having an affair does feel a bit padded out. It's not as though Forster adds much character to Brown - for instance, he has a mate Ginger who survives the attack but with half his face blown off... Forster goes "oh they were friends for two years" but that's it. Still, a fantastic adventure book.

TV series - "Star Trek" - "The Cage" (1966) **

The original pilot for the classic series is of interest to see how it differentiates from what became famous. There is Spock but none of the other crew - however there is a crew. Instead of Kirk there's Captain Pike, played by Jeffrey Hunter, who supposedly turned the role down in a decision that in hindsight can be seen to be a major mistake.

I think Hunter would've been absolutely fine - he wasn't as talented as William Shatner and lacked the intensity and humour, but he had his own conviction.

It's a good solid story with imagination - Pike winds up on a planet where aliens want him to breed with a hot blonde. It does dip in the middle - there's a strong start with Pike and the others going on the planet and meeting the mysterious women, and the aliens, etc, but it gets bogged down with too much chat. I can see why executives were wary of this.

All the raw material is there though - it just needed finessing, which they did. More character interaction among the leads, more dramatisation of the themes, etc.

There's two women officers on the ship but their characters are disappointingly sketchy (one is a bit cold which has promise). There's too much Pike to be honest - maybe Gene Rodenberry was hedging his bets making it a solo vehicle. At least it's smart.

Thoughts on Jeffrey Hunter

Reading the script for The Searchers the other day made me appreciate how good the character of Martin Paulie is, though overshadowed by Ethan Edwards. In many ways the relationship between moral Martin and tormented Ethan is the heart of the movie - Ethan teaches Martin how to, well, be a vengeful maniac, but Martin teaches Ethan the importance of bringing Debbie home as opposed to, well, killing her.

It was probably the best role ever given to Jeffrey Hunter, an actor little remembered today - and to be honest probably little appreciated at the time. Hunter was a handsome lad, with a nice physique and handsome all-American looks. He was signed to a long term contract by 20th Century Fox who probably figured he'd be another Tyrone Power - they seemed to have similar thoughts about Robert Wagner, who also signed to the studio... though to be fair all the studios seemed to be signing up all-American boys in the early 50s: Warners had Tab Hunter, Universal had Rock Hudson, Columbia had John Derek, etc. One writer defined young male stars of this time as "brylcream boys" or "Brando boys" (Brando, Newman, Gazzara, Palance, Dean)... Hunter was definitely the brylcream brigade.

He was in a college play in 1950 when talent scouts saw him and Fox snapped him up. They were initially enthusiastic, giving him male juvenile leads or parts in war films such as The Frogmen - within three years he was given a lead in Sailor of the King. But it must've become apparently very quickly Hunter didn't have much charisma. He was handsome, he could act enough... but he had no personality, no charm, no individuality. He simply wasn't a star. Robert Wagner wasn't much of a movie star either - he had a slightly more brooding quality than Hunter which saw him outshine Hunter during the Fox tenure (in their films together - and they made several - Wagner almost always got the showier role); and Wagner went on to become a genuine TV star, something Hunter never managed.

Hunter's career is remarkable for the amount of lucky breaks he received, and failing to consolidate any of them - that initial contract, being cast in 14 Hours, a lead in Sailor of the King, The Searchers, playing Jesus in King of Kings, a TV show in Temple Houston, the original captain in Star Trek (he wouldn't do a second pilot). He was lucky to have been signed to a studio who did give him chances, he was lucky to have John Ford and Star Trek so people remembered him. I'm sure he was a nice guy and tried hard. But he was a bland actor and wasn't a star at all.

Nonetheless here is my Jeff Hunter Top Ten
1) The Searchers (1956) - brilliant Western and Hunter doesn't disgrace himself
2) King of Kings (1961) - Hunter does well in a difficult role
3) Sailor of the King (1953) - enjoyable movie which would've been better with a stronger actor
4) "The Cage" - the Star Trek pilot - would the series have been as successful with Hunter instead of Shatner? Who knows. It's still one of the better things he did
5) In Love and War (1958) - not bad all-Fox-young-stars WW2 epic.
6) The Longest Day (1962) - Hunter gets one of the best moments in this epic, dying on Omaha Beach
7) A Kiss Before Dying (1956) - Wagner gets the juicy role but Hunter does get to wear glasses.
8) Hell to Eternity (1960) - Hunter gets to play a real life hero in this war pic
9) Sergeant Rutledge (1960) - lesser known Ford with Hunter in the lead.
10) The Great Locomotive Chase (1956) - exciting Disney film.

Script review - "The Searchers" (1956) by Frank Nugent

It's a wonderful film but so much of that is in the script, particularly the character of Ethan Edwards, one of the most fascinating protagonists in Hollywood history. A bitter man, obviously hard to live with, a kind of vampire - sulkily refusing to be at the surrender of the South, or to accept the peace... you can see why Martha picked his brother instead of him. A complete bad ass - whip smart, cunning, knows heaps about Indians, a great shot, prone to scalp Indians out of spite so they don't get into heaven. Yet he's also human - his love for Martha, he saved Martin as a young boy, he tries to without news about Lucy's death from Brad. And in the end of course he doesn't kill Debbie.

It's a tough, exciting story - we plunge right into it with the arrival of Ethan, the dinner sequence accessing the backstory, the news of a cattle raid, the terrifying sequence of the Indians about to attack, the initial search (resulting in Brad's death). The historical detail all feels authentic.

It's almost relief to get some romance and comic relief visiting the Jorgensens with Martin being embarassed bathing around Laurie etc. The middle section is less brilliant - doesn't have the same pace, naturally, and making fun of Look feels a bit awkward... but it's redeemed in an odd way by having Look innocently killed along with other women and children by a glory hungry cavalry general. Structurally I felt it was a mistake to have them find Debbie, then lose her and have to find her again. I guess they wanted us to see her... but it feels like they would've taken her. The last act felt like repeat - with the Indians conveniently turning up and Martin going in to get her. But there were plenty of great moments - I actually love the comedy of Lt Greenhill and his sabre continually poking the reverend, and the final attack, and of course there's the ending.

The character of Martin often doesn't get much press because he was played by dull Jeffrey Hunter instead of iconic John Wayne but he is a fine creation too - a quarter breed, always questioned by Ethan, yet who earns his respect... as well as disdain by keeping a moral code. Who has to go on the search to save Debbie's life, not from the Indians but from Ethan. It's fitting that Nugent gives the killing of Scar to Martin not Ethan, and the happy ending - because he's been honorable, whereas to be blunt Ethan is a nasty piece of work, despite his good characteristics. (Ethan can't resist scalping Scar at the end out of sadism).

The script includes a large amount of big print that wouldn't necessarily be clear to the viewer - it is to the reader - but I guess writing it Nugent knew he had John Ford. The final ending wasn't in this script I read... Nugent has Ethan and Debbie enter the house together.  Far better that he doesn't go off into the sunset.

First class writing.

Movie review - "Custer of the West" (1968) *1/2

Terrible version of the famous general, which is big screen but looks cheap and feels like a mess. Its historical crap which would be alright if at least replaced with some decent drama but there isn't. I didn't realise Robert Shaw was then considered a big enough star for an epic, but I guess From Russia with Love was a hit...

In the opening scenes he has a maniacal glint in his eye and I thought maybe this could be interesting even though Shaw is English... playing Custer as cray cray. But his character is all over the shop - one minute decent, then drunk, then liberal, then killing people.

Indians are persecuted and the film is full of late 60s white guilt but they still have the capability to take over an entire town and de-rail and entire train off a bridge. Scenes are inserted to show off Cinerama without making sense dramatically - a soldier going down a long shute of water, train falling off a bridge, etc. A sequence involving Robert Ryan as a deserting soldier feels inserted solely to give Robert Ryan a brief showy part. Other scenes feel like "ideas" shoved in which might have worked in a more cohesive piece but which here are annoying - such as Custer seeing himself depicted on stage.

There's "conflict" between Custer and his officers, bleeding heart liberal Jeff Hunter and hard core Ty Hardin. Lawrence Tierney growls as General Sheridan, Mary Ure (Shaw's real wife) is wasted in a nothing part as Mrs Custer (she doesn't have that much on screen chemistry with her husband).

Its a haphazard mess and really annoyed me as a film.

Movie review - "The Longest Day" (1962) ***

Very long and far too often it falls into self importance with characters sitting around going "this is the most important thing that ever happened ever" (eg Rod Steiger's scene). The Canadians are once again pretty much entirely ignored, although they are mentioned once or twice.

But the use of real locations helps it as does the fact it's performed in German and French as well as English. While it was still filmed like a 50s/60s war movie - with the standard actors gripping their stomach and collapsing when shot, and bland dialogue - you get to see the real beaches, and countryside. The black and white photography was a good decision.

The all-star cast (even though at the time only John Wayne and Robert Mitchum could have been said to be box office draws) helps us follow the action, the music is rousing. It does go for long and I was surprised how large Richard Beymer's part is - he indicates all over the shop, giving a real "I am playing a GI performance" but it's part of the movie's charm.

The most memorable scenes for me: the German officer spotting the massive Allied Armada coming out of the fog, all those pop stars playing US Rangers (Fabian, Paul Anka, Tommy Sands... along with Robert Wagner and George Segal), Jeffrey Hunter being killed on Omaha, Sal Mineo being killed because of the click thing, Kenneth More with his bulldog and beard on the beach, random people like Mark Damon, Tom Tryon, Stuart Whitman and Steve Forrest hanging around in the side of frame, Aussie John Meillion as an admiral (Ron Randell is in it apparently but I must have blinked and missed them), Richard Todd defending a bridge, Red Buttons going deaf.

Sean Connery is pretty embarrassing as an Irish soldier and I wasn't wild about the French stuff - I had trouble telling the characters apart - in part because I didn't recognise the actors as well, but I didn't have that problem with the Germans. Peter Lawford underwhelmed me too in a terrific role (Lord Lovat). And some times the depiction of the action was hokey - not to mention long.

Still, a worthwhile movie with some excellent moments. Daryl F Zanuck made a lot of other better movies, but it's still pretty good.

Movie review - "Mardi Gras" (1958) **1/2

Pat Boone's first two movies were straight up star vehicles - this is more of an ensemble piece in the vein of On the Town, with Pat sharing the load with an interesting bunch: Tommy Sands, Christine Carere, Sheree North, Dick Sergeant, Barrie Chase, Gary Crosby and others.  Pat does carry the main plot but the others get their own little story - and also the songs are distributed among the support cast: North and Sands in particular get their own numbers.

Boone, Crosby and Sands are military cadets who visit New Orleans in Mardi Gras and get up to hijinks. The main plot also borrows from Roman Holiday and The Fleet's In: Boone wins a date with Hollywood star Carare, but she absconds to enjoy life as a normal person. She meets up with Boone, who doesn't recognise her, she pretends to be normal, and they fall in love.

That's an irritatingly implausible story. Boone's best friends Sands and Crosby are obsessed with Carare - yet Boone doesn't recognise her? And she is able to walk around incognito? Also Carare isn't believable for one second as a star who is big in Hollywood - she has this stunned bug-eyed look as if she's frightened of the camera and struggles to get out her lines. She also can't convey a character - she seems like this girl toying with old Pat, like a robot constructed like a china doll. On the plus side, she does have a nice figure. The logic of her romance with Pat Boone and her performance are the biggest problems with this movie.

The subplots are easier to swallow - Crosby romances Sheree North (Carare's assistant), Sands falls for a studious glasses wearing Barrie Chase who turns out to be a stripper, Sergeant goes off with Jennifer West. There are some bright songs and the film has a fun sense of camraderie amongst young people mucking around and having a good time. Director Edmund Goulding stages one song number with Sands, Crosby and Boone taking off their clothes and singing together naked in a shower - make of that what you will.

Crosby - who, like most of the lead cast was under long term contract to Fox at the time - imitates his dad a lot, who he does looks like - admittedly a blonder chunkier version. Sands isn't bad in a support role - he's a bit sleazy, but it suits his character and bounces off well against squeaky clean Boone. Boone remains stiff, struggles with Carare, and works well with his male co stars.

There is a hilariously shameless plug from Jerry Wald where a producer character announces he's brought the film rights to The Best of Everything, which Wald had done. There are also some cameos from Fox stars Jeffrey Hunter and Robert Wagner.

Movie review – “Princess of the Nile” (1954) **

Twentieth Century Fox didn’t go in much for Eastern swashbucklers, leaving that to Universal and Columbia, but they had some pretty young things under contract so obviously decided to give it a go. Jeffrey Hunter isn’t terribly Eastern, but then again neither were Rock Hudson or Tony Curtis – more of a problem is the fact he isn’t that charismatic. 

Still, he’s better than Debra Paget, who is pretty, and walks around in a variety of skimpy outfits and does dances and goes for swims etc but simply doesn’t have the presence to carry a leading role – her face is too indistinguishable or something. It blends into the surrounds – something that Maureen O’Hara, Yvone De Carlo or Piper Laurie never suffered. So what should have launched Paget seems to have confirmed her status as strictly pretty-young-thing only. 

Michael Rennie adds some much needed class as the baddy (I can't imagine he was too happy about this assignment though) and there is the usual supporting cast of wacky thieves and dancing girls.

Movie review - "The Frogmen" (1951) **

There are no women in the cast of this WW2 action film which might explain why Fox cast some of their young hunks (Jeffrey Hunter and Bob Wagner) and have a lot of the cast run around topless wearing tight shorts - anything to get the teeny boppers in. While there is some novelty of having a film about underwater divers in the war (who do their missions only wearing shorts - which threw me until I realised wet suits probably hadn't been invented), it's not much of a story. 

The guts of it is about new commander Richard Widmark sulking his crew respect their former officer, who was killed and who we never meet. Dana Andrews phones it in in a nothing role as a chief mate and scenes of people swimming underwater are shown yet again to be not that exciting on film. 

There's some decent action stuff above the water, which is done in a semi documentary style - I liked the touch of Hunter being wounded sticking up a gag sign for marines, that felt real. But it's too run of the mill on the whole.

Movie review - "Sailor of the King" (1953) *** (warning: spoilers)

If I'm being honest there really isn't enough story here for a feature film - it doesn't go for much longer than 80 minutes as is, and there's a bit of padding: the opening prologue involving Brown's mother, setting up the big battle, the big battle... almost an hour has clocked in before Brown gets on the island with his rifle taking pot shots at the Germans, and this bit doesn't go for very long. To be fair, I couldn't see how much longer it could go - the action as it is works out logically (the Germans try big guns, then a boat crew, then have to bail because the British are coming). I think the material was suited more to an anthology series.

Having said that, I did like it. It's professionally handled by Roy Boulting, the navy stuff seems real to someone who knows very little about the Navy (e.g. the battle sequences, terms used), there's some good performances from Wendy Hiller (proper girl who's up for five days constant shagging), Michael Rennie (all craggy dignity and that great voice), Peter Van Eyck (the German captain) and Bernard Miles (the lower decks sailor who along with Brown is the only survivor of the sunken ship and conveniently speaks German).

Jeffrey Hunter isn't that great - he seems like such a nice chap and made all those John Ford films, I want to like him more than I do, but the fact is he's bland. He runs around without a shirt for most of the movie, as if the filmmakers were aware of this and wanted to ensure they at least got some teen girls along. It doesn't help he plays yet another Canadian in the British army (yes, I know there were some, but there were South Africans, Aussies, Kiwis, Indians, etc too).

The Germans come out of this fairly well - they're not sadistic, Van Eyck is reasonable and doesn't torture Hunter, an officer tells the Brits about Hunter being on the island, Hunter's guards are friendly to him, the doctor looks after Bernard Miles even though he's injured, etc.

There are two endings - the copy of the film I saw actually had one ending after another. The first one involves Hunter dying and Hiller posthumously receiving a VC - the second one has him surviving. The second one is much better - it felt really mean to kill him off after all he'd been through.