Movie review - "Studio Affairs: My Life as a Film Director" by Vincent Sherman (1996)

 Highly entertaining book. Sherman was a good director with a second-tier career. This book explains why - he was constantly given "go" projects that weren't always the best and it seems he wasn't too crash hot on script but he was excellent with actors. He would be called in to help on troubled projects.

The book is enjoyably non-discrete - he had affairs with Rita Hayworth, Joan Crawford and Bette Davis.  He did one of Errol Flynn's best movies and I wish they'd worked together again. He was blacklisted. Admits he was a shit to his wife.

Book review - "Joan Crawford" by Scott Eyman (2025)

 Very good book. Eyman loves to step up when redeeming maligned figures. He's sympathetic to Joan but doesn't gloss over her negative qualities. Solid research. A few too many smart ass asides.

Book review - "The Brothers Mankiewicz" by Sydney Stern (2019)

There have been biographies of Joe and Herman but they came out when key people were alive so it's an ideal time to revisit both. Joe inevitably overshadows his brother because he lived longer, did more, and was a director, so more of his work was clearly his, whereas Herman was often rewritten or rewrote... but it was Herman who paved the way, whether establishing himself in journalism, or in Berlin, or Hollywood, while Joe followed.

People seemed to adore Herman with his quick wit and genuine talent - he also got a lot of gigs because people felt sorry for his long suffering wife Sarah (who he seems to have been faithful to). A witty columnist, writer and guest he seemed to struggle to write anything of substance on his own - no truly memorable play or novel for instance. He thrived in the collaborative environment of Hollywood and was promoted to writer-producer, having a long run at Paramount. Actually he kept employed for a long time, turning out Citizen Kane of course (which earned him an Oscar) as well as fun pictures like The Spanish Main.

Joe also thrived in Hollywood, working as a producer at MGM. He must have been very charming - all the top stars wanted to work with him. He was more manipulative and destructive than possibly even he realised - he was constantly having affairs with insecure, self destructive women, and while sending them to psychoanalysis and treating them as smart, and leaving them loving him, in the long run they didn't turn out well: Joan Crawford, Judy Garland, his second wife Rose Strander, Gene Tierney, Linda Darnell.

The book is well written and excellent researched, accessing some private letters and what not. He clearly has tremendous admiration for his subjects but doesn't worship them - Herman's drinking and Joe's gaslighting get appropriate criticism.

It helps that so many of the films the brothers worked on were interesting - for Herman there's Citizen Kane of course but he caused entertaining trouble at Paramount. Some of Joe's films had memorably chaotic productions - The Barefoot Contessa, The Quiet American and of course Cleopatra. Worth a read. 

Movie review - "Trog" (1970) **

Joan Crawford's second film for Herman Cohen isn't as fun as the first, Berserk! but has its moments. It's an inherently silly story treated in a very straight faced manner, constantly undermined by the make up - the missing link is discovered in a cave, and scientist Joan tries to Get Through to Him before Dark Forces ruin it.

It's sort of Frankenstein with Crawford running around begging people to understand and the creature going on a rampage at the end. It could have done with another subplot or two and maybe a bit more over the top deliriousness - some more shocks/horror/camp.

The support cast feels as though it lacks a character or two - Michael Gough has some fun, but that's it. You missed say Diana Dors and Sally Gleeson from Berserk.

Still, it's quite entertaining in it's own way.

Movie review - "Beserk!" (1967) **1/2

I thought this was going to be a psycho biddy film because its starred Joan Crawford but it isn't really - it's a murder mystery. Someone is killing people at a circus run by Crawford. There's a bit of gore but not overly done - trapeze artists fall to their death, someone gets genuinely sawn in half, that sort of thing. As has been pointed out, it actually has more in common with Crawford's 40 melodramas than psycho thrillers - it's Mildred Pierce-y with its driven heroine, younger male lover, estranged daughter.

It's quite an entertaining film. I wish it was better directed - there's opportunities for spookiness which are thrown away - but they used a real circus. There's lots of circus action - animals, little people, etc.  The circus performers even put on a number - I wonder if this was something they really did.

The photography is atmospheric and the cast is fun - Crawford having a high old time as an MC with a younger lover (Ty Hardin, walking around with his shirt off a lot), estranged from her daughter (Judy Geeson), dealing with a bitchy performance (Diana Dors, great fun) and business partner (Michael Gough).

The dialogue is on the the nose and it could have used another subplot or something - or enriched what's there. (Say a romance between Geeson and Hardin). The circus acts do feel like padding, as if the actual plot ran short. But I had fun.

Book review - "Pictures Will Talk : the Life and Films of Joseph L. Mankiewicz" by Kenneth Geist (1978)

An extremely good look at the career of Mankiewicz, one of the best known writer-producer-directors from Hollywood's golden age. He had a remarkable career - he made it to the top relatively quickly and stayed there until the end. He managed to retire with his money, his respect and his marbles, which is pretty good.

Mankiewicz came from smart stock - dad was educated, so was mother. He got into films via his brother Herman, who was a journalist who became a screenwriter and was famous for co writing Citizen Kane and not living up to his potential. He drank and Joe didn't. Joe was also a better politician -he could charm, particularly actresses, many of whom he had affairs with. He found a good home at MGM and earned his reputation with Manhattan Melodrama.

I was surprised how many flops were on his resume but he always bounced back. He hit a sort of producing peak with Woman of the Year and The Philadelphia Story but Louis B Mayer wouldn't let him direct so he went to 20th Century Fox, where he thrived under Daryl Zanuck. He's best known for A Letter to Three Wives and All About Eve but made many other solid films, such as Five Fingers and The Ghost and Mrs Muir. Even misfires like People Will Talk are interesting.

Mankiewicz left Fox, whereupon a lot of Zanuck apologists say he never made another decent film. I think that's not true. He's work was always interesting, even when flawed - Guys and Dolls, Suddenly Last Summer, The Quiet American.  Of course the biggest "flawed achievement" was Cleopatra which almost killed Mankiewicz but has some great stuff in it - it's definitely one of the better epics, especially in the first half.

He hung on, managed to make a bunch of other films including Sleuth - this book features some fascinating observations of the making of the film, including Mankiewicz's directing technique.

There's lots of fantastic quotes, particularly from Mankiewicz who was very much alive when the book was written. Surprisingly little about his son Tom's career. The author admires its subject but not to the point of ignorance.

There are some annoying little errors - David and Bathsheba was actually a big hit - and some items where I questioned the writers taste (All the Presidents Men a bad screenplay?). Mankiewicz's power over women - they all fell in love with him apparently - seems a little more suspect to read about in the MeToo era, and also I note all the girls who loved him were neurotic actresses.

Still this is easily the best book on Mankiewicz out there.

Movie review - "Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice?" (1969) ***

The third in Robert Aldrich's psycho biddy trilogy although he didn't direct this, just produced it. Bernard Girard originally directed and was replaced by Lee Katzin.

The plot has recently widowed Genevieve Page  realise she's short of cash so she starts murdering housekeepers who have savings, and lives off said savings. A new housekeeper (Ruth Gordon) proves troublesome because she's looking into the death of a friend.

Page and Gordon are great fun - Page is clearly a bit too young but plays the role to the manor born. You know something, though? This really needed Bette Davis and Joan Crawford and it's a shame Aldrich found both so hard to work with. They simply have more charisma, and were more compelling on screen.

there's also far, far too much time devoted to Page's dull neighbour (Rosemary Forsyth), her young son, and Forsyth's romance with Gordon's nephew (Robert Fuller). Peter Brandon and Joan Huntington are better value as Page's nephew and his wife - but even with them the punches are pulled. If you make a film like this you've got to go for it.

I do love how Page is so smart and figures out Gordon's antics fairly early and Gordon's death is a genuine surprise. It's a solid film, worth watching, but falls short of a classic.

Book review - "Bette and Joan: The Divine Feud" by Shaun Considine (1989)

The story of the famous feud between two of arguably the greatest divas in Hollywood. At times as a book it felt a little hyped and gossipy - but Considine has done his research (I really liked his book on Paddy Chayefsky) and benefits considerably from interviewing many of Bette and Joan's colleagues.

Both of them were hard working, talented pieces of work, who had more in common than they cared to admit - sure, Bette was more of a serious actor, but both knew the importance of being a star, both had atrocious track records as mothers and in the world of long term relationships, both liked being with men who adored them but then grew bored with them, both were routinely attracted to arseholes, both could be troupers but also grossly unprofessional. Some of their behaviour was shocking - the carry on and antics.

Joan seems to have been more successful as a lover - she probably liked it more - and glam-bot while Bette was the better actor. Joan became a movie star first, dipping when Bette was at her peak - but then she came back; both got a career boost from the psycho biddy films of the 1960s.  Joan seems nicer than Bette. You come out of this being entertained but also sad that two women had such a knack for making themselves miserable.

Movie review - "Grand Hotel" (1932) *** (warning: spoilers)

MGM at its most Irvin Thalberg-y, a big glossy all star melodrama. I didn't realise how few Greta Garbo movies I'd actually seen watching this - she's a terrible ham, beautiful and charismatic to be sure, but emoting all over the place and chewing up the scenery as the tragic ballerina, one minute about to kill herself then madly in love.

Equally playing to the back row are Wallace Beery and Lionel Barrymore, as a dodgy businessperson and dying clerk respectively. Lionel is especially hard to take, ACTING all over shop, making dumb pronouncements about money and being a little man. You wish someone would pull out a gun and end him early.

Far far better are John Barrymore, in a genuinely sensitive and restrained performance as the thieving Baron (he's terrific), and Joan Crawford, as a kind of secretary slash model slash mistress (the film is pre Code and thus allowed to be a bit racy.... there's also Garbo about to commit suicide, Barrymore and Garbo pretty clearly have sex, Beery kills J Barrymore brutally).

Lewis Stone is irritating as a Greek chorus as is Jean Hersholt as a porter. The art direction is impressive. Dated in many ways but still worth watching.

Movie reviews - "Autumn Leaves" (1956) **1/2 (warning: spoilers)

Bob Aldrich was best known for his tough guy action films but he also made a number of melodramas with women in the lead. This was the first and is a vehicle for camp favourite Joan Crawford who is a lonely typist who falls for a younger man - Cliff Robertson, in an impressive early turn (he impressed from the beginning, did Robertson, but never became a star). She finds him attractive - Robertson walks around without his shirt a lot - but worries about their age difference. Robertson insists they make a go of it and they get married; they are happy for a time but it soon becomes apparent Robertson lies a lot about his past, is mentally unstable and has a former wife (Vera Miles).

Crawford gets to go through a lot of hand-wringing and eye popping acting as she wonders about her husband - who in one scene slaps her around and smashes her hand. But she forgives him. It's not his fault - it's because Vera Miles had an affair with Lorne Greene, Robertson's father (which is a nice twist). She goes to see one of the 50s movie psychiatrists with grey wavy hair who smokes and says her husband has problems and has ideas how to fix him. She's reluctant to do so because he mightn't love her anymore. But after Robertson sobs away one night Crawford gives in and Robertson goes off to a sanitarium where after some electro shock therapy he's cured. She worries that he won't love her any more and will be keen on a hot nurse but nope, he wants her.

Yep, that's right - this is a film about a middle aged woman who falls for a younger man who is a schizophrenic liar that smacks her around and cries like a baby.... but he's actually a goodie. Maybe that's my 2014 sensitivities talking, but I do feel it would have been a better movie had Robertson wound up a complete psycho who tried to kill Crawford - it would have been more exciting. As it is the film does feel as though the Lorne Greene-Vera Miles subplot is left hanging and unresolved.

Crawford is in fine middle aged form, Robertson a good foil, Greene and Miles ideal creepy quasi villains, Robert Aldrich's handling is brisk. It's a bit yuck and very very dodgy but that is part of its appeal.

Book review - "The Man Who Seduced Hollywood: The Lives and Loves of Greg Bautzer" (2013) by James Goldstone

Greg Bautzer is one of those people forever popping up in books about classic era Hollywood, either having affairs with movie stars, hanging out with big wigs or being involved in high level industry machinations. He deserved a book and James Goldstone did him proud. There's plenty of sex and saliciousness but Goldstone is a lawyer and a diligent skilled writer, so the legal/business side of Bautzer's career is well covered.

Bautzer was one of those improbably successful people who are the ultimate cool kid in high school: good looking, smart, loyal, great dancer, an expert womaniser (his technique: listen, pay attention, send them red roses and take them on a trip beforehand... plus be handsome and all that), a brilliant lawyer especially in the courtroom, a skilled negotiator, and brave (sticking up Bugsy Siegel). All of his exes spoke of him with fondness, his friends adored him - he was Howard Hughes' lawyer during the crazy years, worked for Kirk Kekorian, helped in the establishment of modern Los Angeles, represented Ingrid Bergman during her divorce and custody cases (rare defeats for the lawyer but not really his fault), was crucial in getting Robert Evans appointed to run Paramount and James T Aubrey to run MGM...

It's almost a relief in a way to come across his flaws: an alcoholic who got violent after a few too many, war service that was fairly bludgy (never got in harm's way). Still, he held on to his health reasonably enough and died of a heart attack without losing his position in Hollywood or his faculties.

Bautzer was conscious of his sex appeal and used the starlets he dated to raise his profile and help get him work (he would leak to Hedda and Louella constantly and his stud reputation impressed nerds like Kekorian). But he certainly seemed to take pleasure in his conquests, which makes for a very impressive reading: Lana Turner (took her virginity), Joan Crawford (rough, violent sex), Dorothy Lamour, Jeanne Crain (didn't know she was such a saucy minx), Ginger Rogers, Dana Wynter (who he married), Jane Wyman (?), Paulette Goddard, many others. He packed an awful lot in, especially with all those nagging clients. Terrific book.

Movie review - "Female on the Beach" (1955) **

Part of that sub genre of melodrama about middle-aged women who fall for hot younger spunks and are worried they are just after their cash and possibly want to kill them. Washington Square (without the murder), Gaslight, Suspicion, etc. Hollywood in the 50s seemed particularly fascinated by beach bum studs - Tennessee Williams and William Inge often wrote about them, and Jeff Chandler's character, perennially walking around in tight shorts, fights into that world, as does Joan Crawford's overheated widow.

She was a showgirl who married a Vegas guy who died. She is attracted to Chandler but resists him - then gives in but is worried he's a killer. There's lots of campy subtext here, whether it's Chandler in his tight shorts saying he doesn't like women, talk of forbidden desire from repressed middle aged spinsters who all pant over a beach bum,  and quite sexually explicit dialogue. In hindsight you can feel the influence of producer Al Zugmsith, with its black and white photography, jazzy soundtrack and small town salaciousness.

Mrs Howell from Gilligan's Island and Cecil Kellaway are fun as con artists, Charles Drake feels a little wasted as a cop, Jan Sterling tries to out act Joan Crawford but can't match her (it's the eyes), and Chandler makes a good match for Crawford - he doesn't seem too young or anything.

Radio review – TG – “The Last of Mrs Cheyney” (1947) **1/2

There was a time when theatre audiences couldn’t get enough of high society tales involving jewel thieves and that time was the 1920s when this was written but the story proved durable – partly because it offers a great role for an older female star. Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford and Greer Garson have all essayed Mrs Cheney on film and here it’s Gertrude Lawrence. She’s a woman pretending to be high society so she can rob people of jewels but falls in love. Guys pant over her, she's witty and wears great clothes (which you can't see). Not bad of it's type, but you have to like the type.

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

This was a follow up vehicle for Bette Davis in the wake of her All About Eve success – she played another aging, temperamental star, albeit one whose career is in worse shape than Margot Channing’s. She’s in complete denial, desperate for a comeback part – she tries to borrow money off her sponging rellies and her ex husband, now a star, and finds true love from a stalker. Whoops, I mean honest mechanic who was a fan and so bails her out of gaol when she’s put in for a DD conviction. That’s just one not-very-realistic account of Hollywood stardom here – another is the screenwriter who comes along at the end and pitches to the star the idea of making a film about a fading star who doesn’t realise she’s fading. Post-modernism 50s style. But it does get points for a rather unflinching look at it’s lead character (based on Joan Crawford apparently – although surely Davis was an inspiration too). Bette Davis doesn’t repeat her role here – Ida Lupino steps in adequately (appropriate since Warners kept her as a Bette Davis back up).

Movie review – “I Saw What You Did” (1965) **1/2

After a string of successful films at Columbia, William Castle moved his operation over to Universal – not that you can really discern any change in style. It starts off as a sort of cute teen comedy about two teenage girls who, while babysitting on their sisters, make prank calls. They call one lady, who is then promptly murdered by her husband in the shower – she calls him a freak beforehand (is he a cross dresser? I wasn't sure). It’s a shocking sequence, taking this from teen film to horror in the blink of an eye. 

 

In a way it’s not unlike Psycho, which went from heist to horror – although that didn’t feel as much of a gear shift. The girls make a return prank call, say “I saw what you did and I know who you are”. They’re intrigued by the guy’s voice and go to investigate…

 

Although the prank call component feels dated, stranger danger is just as relevant as ever, giving this an unexpected contemporary quality. What gives it extra kick is the climax involves the killer going one of the teens and her younger sister who are alone in the house. This is really scary - Castle films often had very strong endings and this is no exception. (Although I was thrown by another gear shift - the teen goes from severely traumatised to happy go lucky in the blink of an eye.)

 

Joan Crawford is top billed but is actually in quite a small role as the killer's (John Ireland’s) neighbour. I’m guessing they thought about having her play the killer but for the story to work the killer has to be a guy – to get the girls interested int racking him down. 

 

John Ireland is very good, and the writing displays some genuine flair as to how teenage girls act and think when they're on their own.

Movie review – “Straight Jacket” (1964) *** (warning: spoilers)

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? made old movie stars genuine box office attractions for the next couple of years, especially Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, the two big drag queen icons. Apparently this was originally meant to star Joan Blondell and Crawford only replaced her after Blondell was injured, which sounds strange – Crawford was always a bigger name especially in this sort of movie. Maybe this fact was wrong.

Anyway, Joan gives a typical “Joan Crawford” star performance – eyebrows flaring, a bit over the top but totally committed and right for the role, professional and strong. She plays a lady who married a younger man who was cheated on her (Lee Majors!); she found out and chopped his head off and so was put away to the nut house for 20 years. The story gets going when she’s released into custody of her daughter (Diane Baker).

Crawford supposedly flexed her muscles behind the scenes on this film – Anne Helm was originally cast to play the daughter, but Crawford had her fired and replaced with Baker – but Baker was a better actor than Helm. (She specialised in pretty ingénues with dark sides who were outshone by the female star.) Also she allegedly insisted on a big close up after Baker’s break down at the end – but dramatically it was entirely right that she got a close up.

There’s long slabs of time when not much happens in this film – not uncommon in psycho biddy movies – but the shocks, when they come are good: Joan lopping off Majors’ head, Joan waking up to find heads in the bed next to her, the axe murders (one of a dodgy looking George Kennedy), the finale. There’s also plenty of camp value, with Joan either being insane or going insane in various scenes, Joan trying to seduce Baker’s boyfriend, Baker going nuts – plus Pepsi Cola product placement, and a performance by some old guy who was head of Pepsi Cola. Directed in so-so William Castle style. But fun.

Book review – “Pieces of My Heart” by Robert Wagner

It is fitting that Robert Wagner’s memoirs came out around the same time as Roger Moore’s because they are two actors with a lot in common: smooth types who are greatly liked and respected within the industry, don’t enjoy reputation as great actors, thrived under contract for studios, had active love lives, had a career which went into several phases, enjoyed great success on the small screen, turned producer and thrived. Wagner never had a role in his career like James Bond or Simon Templar (although he could have played either role; indeed he says Broccoli approached him about Bond in the immediate post-Lazenby years but he begged off), but he was a bigger star than Moore in the 50s. The two men were friends – both close to David Niven.

This is even better than Moore’s book, not as funny but far better written (Scott Eyman co-wrote). I was familiar with a fair bit of Wagner’s life from an excellent unpretentious paperback bio Natalie and Rj but this adds a lot.

Wagner was born into a wealthy family who lived in Bel Air – his father was mates with Bill Wellman and he used to caddy for Clark Gable. Although Dad wanted RJ (as he is best known) to go into the family business, he wanted to act. Wagner wasn’t blessed with great natural talent but he was very good looking and Fox put him under contract as a sort of back up to Tyrone Power (like Jeffrey Hunter). Like David Niven, he had a great knack for being likeable and getting people to take him under their wing; he worked hard and was very keen and pro-active – he wasn’t his father’s son for nothing – and started to get little roles. A small scene as a soldier in With a Song in My Heart saw him become a bobby sox idol, up there with Tony Curtis, Rock Hudson, Tab Hunter and Rory Calhoun. Like many of them, his agent was Henry Wilson.

Wagner never reached the heights of Curtis or Hudson but he did reasonably well for himself. Fox gave him plenty of chances, and he definitely reached the second tier of stardom, playing juvenile leads to older stars in films like Broken Lance. But he never broke through to the top, even when given a chance. For instance Prince Valiant did well but Wagner had a tremendously silly haircut which made him something of a joke for a while; ditto Beneath the 12-Mile Reef, which became a hit off the back of CinemaScope but in which Wagner wore a golliwog wig; or in The Mountain in which he was absurdly cast as Spencer Tracy’s brother. 

Marriage to Natalie Wood gave him a few more years near the top, but when the tide ran out it ran out fast. It wasn’t entirely his fault – Hollywood was changing and Wagner was too associated with old school Hollywood. This turned to his advantage, however, when he became a television star. There were two semi hits, then a big one with Hart to Hart. His remarriage to Wood was one of Hollywood’s greatest love stories; her death from drowning one of its greatest tragedies.

I always figured Wagner was a ladies’ man, but also thought that he was the kind who wouldn’t kiss and tell. Well, I was wrong: we hear about flings with Joan Crawford (they went for a swim – she came out naked and dived into the pool which is kind of hot; apparently she was a domineering and yielding lover), Yvonne de Carlo, Anita Ekberg, Elizabeth Taylor (which surprised me), Joan Collins, chaste dating with Debbie Reynolds, plus a four year relationship with Barbara Stanwyck (a fire cracker in the sack apparently). He knocked back Bella Darvi and Noel Coward (he seems to have had many gay friends throughout his life – but then Natalie Wood was a big time fag hag star).

Wagner is one of those stars who seem to get along with everyone – he was particularly close to David Niven and Spencer Tracy; he even hit it off with Peter Sellers. Errol Flynn gave him a lift when he was a hitchhiker, which is nice of Errol; he later tells about walking in on Errol’s dressing room during the filming of Too Much Too Soon to find the swashbuckler getting a blow job from a blonde – Beverly Aadland?

Wagner was going to make a film with Flynn, Clifton Webb and Joan Collins in the late 50s for Fox called Lord Vanity (off the back of Flynn’s success for Fox in The Sun Also Rises) but Flynn died before it could get going. He was also going to make an interesting-sounded project with Dick Powell, Solo, about a jazz musician with a score by Andre Previn that was unfortunately watered down then cancelled; he turned down the second male lead in Flaming Star for fear it would hurt his career – I think that was a mistake; admittedly the film wouldn’t have done anything for his career, but it was a decent role and is one of Elvis Presley’s best films. He says Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was “dangled in front of him” for a bit – he would have been fine if not magical; he would have been very good as the husband in Rosemary’s Baby which he was apparently all set to do but he couldn’t get released from It Takes a Thief.

Wagner did clash with some people – Frank Tashlin, Maximillian Schell, Lesley Anne Downe, Stanley Donen… actually come to think of it that's a lot (I didn't know Charlie Brackett was gay.) Wagner also gets a bit grumpy at times about things – law suits, the population explosion in LA – and while he tells a good anecdote, he’s maybe a bit too worshipful of older Hollywood stars (maybe because they were his elders rather than his contemporaries eg Spencer Tracey, Fred Astaire, Bette Davis – I mean, what’s there is enjoyable anecdotes but the characters never feel as fleshed out as say in David Niven’s memoirs; it feels as though Wagner is overly deferential). Still a highly enjoyable book; at times very moving, and full of sensible advice for actors, both in terms of craft and career.

Movie review - "Johnny Guitar" (1954) ****

Cult film fave which like many cult films is probably more enjoyable if you discover it by accident. But this is still pleasingly odd, full of weird and off key touches - the slightly garish colour, Joan Crawford in the lead role in a Western, Mercedes McCambridge's scary intensity as the hysterical baddy, Sterling Hayden's macho yet still second lead title character, constantly quirky dialogue.

The McCarthyism parallels are fairly hammered in even to the point at the end McCambridge and her fellow mobsters are dressed in black (from a funeral) and she coerces a robber into pointing the finger at Crawford.

An irritating plot point though - Crawford is a bit passive when this happens surely she would put up a fight for her life instead of merely saying "save yourself!" And Crawford is responsible for a lot of her own problems by not turning injured criminals over to the law officers. Scott Brady is the desperado (leader of a memorable gang including Royal Dano and Ernest Borgnine), the "communist" (i.e. blamed for things he didn't do but still bad), with Crawford as the liberal, I guess you would call her(capitalist but sexually liberated, a feminist, and looks after her little gang of odd workers), pushed into the arms of the commies due to the manic actions of McCambridge and her men, the law officer who tries to do the right thing but struggles in the face of hysteria.

One point -the bloke who backs McCambridge is as bad as McCambridge in my book when it comes to baseless accusations but he doesn't get any come-uppance.

Movie review - Errol #34a - "It's a Great Feeling" (1949) **1/2

Bright, breezy musical with colour and energy and is perhaps best seen on a Saturday afternoon on television. It stars Jack Carson and Dennis Morgan, whom few remember today but who were used by Warners as their equivalent to Bob Hope and Bing Crosby (Carson played an girl-crazy egomaniac, Morgan the smooth crooner, both were pals but also rivals who double crossed each other); it also stars Doris Day who most know about - she's very bright, chirpy and girl-next-door-ish, no wonder she became a star so quickly (this was one of her earliest movies) - though the character she plays isn't very nice, a bit too mercenary-ish and whiny about wanting to be a star. She plays a character but Carson and Morgan play themselves - Carson's directing a movie and Day is the girl who is going to be in it.

This film has a lovely in-jokey quality - even those unfamiliar with Carson and Morgan (which I admit I was to a great degree) soon "get" their rapport, and there are heaps of cameos: Michael Curtiz, Raoul Walsh, King Vidor, and David Butler (NB I can understand Curtiz and Walsh and even Vidor - but did anyone really want to see a David Butler cameo? I guess you can do that when you direct the film), as well as stars such as Gary Cooper (very funny), Joan Crawford (funnier still, spoofing her image, spouting some typical Joan Crawford dialogue), Jane Wyman, Eleanor Parker, Ronald Reagan (always fun to see him - his and Wyman's daughter Maureen is also in it), Sydney Greenstreet, Edward G Robinson.

It has the feeling of a revue, with stars doing "turns" (something Warners helped pioneer with Stage Door Canteen - two years later that studio released one of the last of that genre, Starlift) - there is some poignance knowing that Warners would soon have to let most of them go. It does wear out its welcome after a while; Day's character isn't very likeable and the ending unsatisfying, with her returning home. This results in a strong gag - this is a spoiler but it's the reason I watched the film: at the very end Day marries Errol Flynn (shot through soft focus, looking handsome but a bit weary). The film makes the joke of Carson and Morgan going "life's going to be boring with this bloke" then they cut to Errol Flynn - but watching it you can't help think "hmmm... marriage to Errol would probably be a bit too interesting, you'd be better off being a movie star". (NB is the film endorsing marriage over career?)