Movie review - "Lovers and Luggers" (1937) **** (re-watching)

 Fun. Saw the 90 minute version. Full of camraderie and good friendship. Lloyd Hughes the weak link but others around him strong. Stunning art design.

Movie review - "The Silence of Dean Maitland" (1934) **

 At one stage you couldn't go wrong with a horny man of God hooking up with a woman and this was a big hit for Ken G. Hall at Cinesound. At this stage Hall was still very much in learner director mode but he was fortunate to be protected by some solid IP - the story, though hoary, is very solid. John Longden is ideal in the title role as the tormented reverend. Charlotte Francis is ideally sexy as the woman who tempts him. I liked Jocelyn Howarth too as her daughter - she is relaxed and natural although her role is small.

Location filming helps a lot - the seaside town - and it's fun to see little Bill Kerr as a blind kid. There's some wacky comedy from a George Wallace type. The romantic male lead (not Longden, the guy after Howarth) is wet, as so many 30s Australian film leading men were.

The pacing is a little off - gaps between people talking, uncertain sound. It's not as confident as later Cinesound movies. Also I saw an hour long version so character development was cut right down.

Movie review - "The Hayseeds" (1933) **

 In the 1910s Beaumont Smith decided to cash in on the stage success of On Our Selection with a bunch of comedies about a yokel family, The Hayseeds. When Ken Hall had a huge hit filming Selection in 1932, Smith decided to cash in again, and blew the dust off his Hayseeds IP.

Canny Smith also hooked up with JC Williamsons, the theatrical management who dominated Australian commercial theatre. They (presumably) financed, or at the least "loaned" a  lot of their actors who were then appearing in a musical Music in the Air in Sydney. Most notable of these was Cecil Kellaway, a hugely talented South African-Australian comic actor who carved out a niche playing befuddled dads. He was given the role of Dad Hayseed.

The film quite shamelessly rips off the Rudds - Kellaway's Dad has a speech about drought and banks plunked in (which hokey but still would've carried weight in 1933), Tal Ordell's eldest son is horny and stupid and woos another stupid yokel, Kellaway has a wife who doesn't say much and there's a hot youngster who who gets romanced (a "Townleigh" though, not a Hayseed). 

The casting isn't quite right - Kellaway is awkward as a hayseed (that speech feels really forced), he's not good as an imitation Bert Bailey; he would be far better as a farmer in It Isn't Done. Tal Ordell seems older than Kellaway. They're better than Arthur Clarke who is the guy the hot daughter romances - he's terribly wet. So too is Shirley Dale, as his love interest.

The play of Selection cross pollinated with stage melodrama (the murder subplot). The Hayseeds feels more cross pollinated with JC Williamsons stage muscials - there's these dancing hikers who come through, and a plot about a girl getting lost in the bush who comes across a mystery man strumming a guitar. It turns out this man is the long lost nephew of a Lord. 

Both plots are resolved quickly and lazily - turns out mystery English man took the blame for theft for his relative who is really guilty; that relative dies off screen and confesses clearing his name. And Dad gets out of financial trouble by winning the lottery. There's also a plot involving one of Hayseeds' sons, I think that isn't resolved? I may have to check.

But still the speeches while manufactured have a basis in truth, the film loves Australia, there's fun with Kellaway and Ordell dressing up as Ned Kelly to help Clarke, the financial pressures on people were real, the songs are charmingly odd, there's a Busby Berkley number at the end which is quite good. There's lots to see.

Smith shot it mostly in studio but gets the cast out on Sydney streets to catch a tram. He also did some filming out at Pymble. He had a lot of get-up-and-go, did Smith.

Proposed Australian films of the 1930s to the 1960s

*Big Timber - from novel by William Hatfield  - announced 1935 - instead Cinesound filmed Tall Timber

*Call me when the Cross Turns Over - from novel by D'arcy Niland to be filmed in 60s with Diane Cilento and Sean Connery but not filmed

*Careful He Might Here You - optioned in 1963 by Josh Logan who wanted to make it with Elizabeth Taylor (who would've been great)

*Collits Inn - Frank Thring was going to film this musical but died

*Come Away Pearler - Colin Simpson novel optioned in 1954 by Joe Kaufman see here

*Come In Spinner - novel optioned in 1954 by Joe Kaufman

*Conn of the South Seas - Cinesound said in 1932 might remake The Adorable Outcast see here

*Desert Legion - Raymond Longford WW1 story

*The Delinquents - from novel adapted by Alan Seymour for producer Joseph Janni  and director Jack Lee - announced 1963

*Dig - story of Burke and Wills from Ralph Peterson script for Anthony Quayle  - announced 1957

*Don Bradman biopic - proposed by Ron Randell in 1952 see here

*Eureka Stockade - Ken Hall version 

*The Fatal Wedding - Cinesound said might remake this in 1933 see here - this may have just been a random announcement though Cinesound did make Silence of Dean Maitland

*Fisher's Ghost - sound remake by Raymond Longford of his 1925 hit - Tony Buckley says towards the end of

*For the Term of His Natural Life - Cinesound said in 1932 might remake it see here

*The Fortunes of Richard Mahoney - adaptaion of novel to be done by MGM in the late 40s with Greer Garson and Gregory Peck

*Ginger Murdoch - optioned by Frank Thring

*Gold Dust and Ashes - from novel by Ion Idriess announced 1935 by Cinesound see here

*The Green Opal - Chips Rafferty film about immigration

*The Haunted House - announced by Cinesound in 1938 see here 

*James Don't Be a Fool - EV Timms novel

*The Kelly Gang - Cinesound said in 1933 might remake it see here

*Les Darcy film - announced by Chauvel in 1947 to star Tommy Burns see here

*Life of Nellie Melba - proposed 1940 Cinesound film with Marjorie Lawrence

*The Long Shadow - 1947 Jon Cleary novel optioned in late 60s but not made 

*Mr Burke and Mr Wills - Burke and Wills story written by Terence Rattigan

*My Love Must Wait - novel about Matthew Flinders optioned by Charles Chauvel

*Naked Under Capricorn - published 1958 owned by Chips Rafferty

*Ned Kelly - directed by Karel Reisz starring Albert Finney announced 1963

*The One Day of the Year - Alan Seymour's play, filmed a few times for TV, optioned in 1970

*Overland Telegraph - 1939 announcement Frank Clune sold to Cinesound, he'd write it up in 1955

* Pearl of Great Price - late 30s Cinesound announced 1936 see here

*Pepper Trees  - Ealing film late 40s with Chips Rafferty and Tommy Trinder - scheduled for 1948 see here

*The Pioneers - Cinesound said in 1932 might remake it see here

*Redheap - novel by Norman Lindsay to be filmed by Thring 

*Return Journey - film about Burke and Wills which collapsed in the 1960s but resulted in a short

* Robbery Under Arms - Ken G Hall version, mentioned from the 1930s until the 1940s but killed off by Rank's interest and dud 1957 film

*Rudd's New Selection - announced in 1933 see here - became Grandad Rudd

*Sara Dane - from the novel, starring Sylvia Syms, proposed late 1950s

*Saturday to Monday - original of The Siege of Pinchgut - announced in 1950

*Sheepmates - started filming but abandoned

*Storm Hill - Eric Porter film announced in 1946

*Wake in Fright - directed by Joe Losey starring Dirk Bogarde - announced 1963 - there was also a proposed Morris West version

*Wards of the Outer March - novel adapted by Charles Chauvel  - announced in 1944

*When Cobb and Co Was King - novel optioned by Charles Chauvel

*Yellow Sands - Cinesound in late 30s - announced 1936 see here

Movie review - "The Broken Melody" (1938) *** (re-watching)

 A bunch of Hollywood tropes thrown in a blender which included FJ Thwaites' original novel - much changed but the bones are still there. It's about a nepo baby, awkwardly if likeably played by Lloyd Hughes, who is kicked out of college for brawling, then disowned by his dad, can't get a job, hooks up with Alec Kellaway and Diane du Cane, is poor, then eventually finds fame as a composer.

The relationship between Hughes and du Cane is contrived but nicely emotional. Rosalind Kennerdale is great fun as a diva though her being tied up at the end isn't that great - and my sympathy is kind of with her, I mean du Cane isn't entitled to a show. Frank Harvey hams it up.

Spectacular opera sequences. Striking opera. Hughes never convinces as someone who lives in Australia but he's fine.

I wonder why Shirley Ann Richards wasnt in this? Maybe the only natural role for her would be the sister which was too small. She could've played du Cane's part...

Movie review - "Mr Chedworth Steps Out" (1938) ***1/2

 Ken G. Hall wanted to fashion a film vehicle for Cecil Kellaway so came up with this (adapted from a novel). Kellaway plays Chedworth, a little man, likeable, with a useless gambling son, a nice daughter who is dating an aged idiot, a comic son, and a chirpy young daughter who can sing (Jean Hatton). Apparently Kellaway played these sort of roles on stage all the time back in the day. He's very good in these sort of parts (only in his forties but he looks older).

His character gets fired (excellent direction from Hall, lingering on Kellaway), he's kept on as a nightwatchman, discovers some money, it's forged, wins money on a bet, wins money in share investments that he's conned into by Sydney Wheeler who's also associated with the forgers, and who is the boss of son Peter Finch, and there's John Warwick as an old looking treasury man who likes Kellaway and romances Kellaway's eldest daughter, and daughter Jean Hatton enters a singing contest.

It's a bit all over the place but a lot of old 30s Hollywood star vehicles were - check out some of MGM's efforts.

I wonder why Shirley Ann Richards didn't play Kellaway's hot daughter. Maybe Hall felt he'd done that in It Isn't Done and didn't want to repeat himself. It's not a very big part - he's not in it very much. I did like how she dated a dodgy older guy, a shonk. But was there no better looking man than John Warwick as the treasury guy?

Rita Pauncefort has a high old time as Kellaway's greedy wife - the sort who was caricatured but when you think about it, suffered because she couldn't work. He tells her off early on but then she doesn't seem to change, spending all his money. 

Hatton is very likeable and engaging. No wonder Hall used her again in Ants in His Pants. Peter Finch is excellent and full marks to Hall for giving him a decent role. He's so skinny - no wonder Hall struggled to see him as a romantic lead. 

Frank Harvey juggles it well enough in his script. You can laugh at the gangsters but it does provide an element of pace. The film has a serious subtext and glimpses of Australia's class system and life.

Movie review - "Orphan of the Wilderness" (1936) ***1/2

 Beautifully made film - one of Ken G Hall's best. Simple story that borrows from Call of the Wild, the story of Chud the kangaroo who really goes through the wringer. Mum killed, finds nice family, tortured by local, threatened with death, escapes to circus, tortured again, chased again. It's full on.

Brian Abbott has a nice speaking voice and odd teeth. he'd be dead soon afte this, drowned. Gwen Munro is winning. I liked their relationship - grown ups. She works for the circus. He's a farmer with a mum. 

Colourful clrcus folk. People like Ron Whelan and Joe Valli.

A really lovely film.

Movie review - "Dad Rudd MP" (1940) ***

 The last official Cinesound film - shorts, and Smithy did follow, but Smithy was made for Columbia. Sad because this is so slick and confident. 

You do sense boredom from Hall with comedy. The firemen sequence is outstandingly funny. The Laughing gas scene not bad. Other stuff not as good - Dad telling Ossie Wenban the birds and the bees, Dad charming snobs at fancy dress... these seem like retreads of Dad and Dave Come to Town.

The film copies a lot of that - mum's inspirational speech. Alec Kellaway is back and just as gay.

Hall seems more interested in spectacle and Hollywood drama - Dad and Webster fighting over the dam, a crooked political machine smashing up operations a la Mr Smith Goes to Washington (Aussie politics is very corrupt here), trying to stop a dam flooding, a romance between charming Yvonne East and Grant Taylor (slim, handsome, balding, terrific). The backprojection of the dam. All the extras running to vote. There's even a little song and dance at the end where people celebrate Dad's victory.

East and Taylor are a sweet  team. Also very sweet is where Dad and Mum discuss their old romance.

Barbara Weeks is in it as a man trap American but she's hardly a threat. (This feels very "Frank Harvey" this plot. The political machine plot feels very cribbed from Hollywood especially Capra.)

Movie review - "Ants in His Pants" (1939) **1/2

Recut from the original Come Up Smiling - I'm not sure what was added. Maybe another song? I'm guessing the bit at the end when the kid shoves ants in Will Mahoney's pants.

Half a good film. Slick. Mahoney is engaging. Clearly talented.

Script a bit of a mess. It's a bunch of incidents and bits. Mahoney at the circus. Mahoney looks after soprano Jean Hatton (why not make them father and daughter? Why make Sid Wheeler Hatton's dad?) Mhoney raising money to help Hatton's voice. Gets in the boxing ring. There's something about gangsters. Mahoney in blackface with a lamb. Mahoney at a snobby party. Mahoney in love with Shirley Ann Richards who is with John Fleeting. Why? Richards could've been cut out of the movie. And Fleeting.

They should've made Richards into Mahoney's daughter. Or sister. She's helping raise Hatton - give her stakes. She's just in the film. Have her fall in love with Fleeting not be with Fleeting.

Evie Hayes is in it - Mahoney's wife. She helps him train, I think. Sings a number. There's a few numbers.

It's slick. Technically. Not story wise. Frank Harvey didn't write this and you can tell. 

Chips Rafferty is an extra but good luck spotting him.

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 - "Smithy" (1946) ***1/2 (re-watching)

 Have reviewed it a few times so only random thoughts.

- Ron Randell is good. Never this good in Hollywood movies. He lacked something to act maybe? Moodiness suits him? Anger? Better than Peter Finch, I think, would have been.

- Hollywood very much influenced this. The meet cutes.  Scenes in a train carriage. Maids at home. Plush sets.

- They invent Joy to be a woman. Fine. Why give her a big secret "does he know"... then it's revealed she's married off screen. Why not kill her in a plane crash then? Or with a disease?

- A bit of racism.  Alec Kellaway talking about Japanese as apes. Smithy meets a black porter (player by ???) and makes a joke about Australians being cannibals.

- Assumes a lot of audience knowledge. A lot of key incidents are referred to without being seen - Smithy crashing in desert, death of Ulm, etc. Also jokes need knowledge eg Bluey Truscott, that explorer. 

- Surprisingly down beat. Smithy feels like he's waiting to die. But it's effective. Moving.

- Muriel Steinbeck isn't in it til half way.

Movie review - "It Isn't Done" (1937) ***1/2 (warning: spoilers)

 The film that marked a new dawn at Cinesound - the Frank Harvey era, when he started writing scripts. There were other elements too but basically the whole studio became much more professional.

It's a little creaky, the pacing is off sometimes, but it's a warm affectionate movie. Cecil Kellaway is a lovely star - affable family man, slyly comic, fond of a drink, a little ditzy but not dumb. I enjoyed his impression of a koala bear. The vehicle adjusts around his persona - a Bert Bailey or George Wallace version of this would be far broader.

The film pokes gentle fun at the culture clash - Kellaway struggling to deal with a butler (Harvey Adams), getting drunk in the manor. Nellie Ferguson doesn't have much to do as Kellaway's wife. Shirley Ann Richards is green but lovely as Kellaway's daughter - photogenic, looks pretty, has a lovely warm relationship with her dad.

John Longden is a little too old for the love interest but at least he can act. He's a writer hero (Frank Harvey's influence? Carl Dudley's?)

There's impressive spectacle with a fox hunt and a ball. The film is actually best in its dramatic moments - the snobbery encountered by the family, whether the meanness from Frank Harvey's lord (shoving them in a library during a dinner party when they realise who they've invited - this is well done), the casual snobbishness of Aussies abroad (Campbell Copelin and his mother are tremendous fun), Harvey and Kellaway realising their sons died in the same day (lovely moment with a little lonely lady also putting down a wreath - she's not attached to the story, it's just lovely flavour) and bonding. Harvey Adams is funny as the butler and its great he goes to Australia at the end.

Movie review - "Gone to the Dogs" (1939) ***

 The second of two films George Wallace made for Ken G. Hall. This was the British version - there's a Renown logo at the top, and it only goes for 61 minutes when the Australian cut goes for longer. I sense from this they kept all of Wallace and removed the love plot because a love triangle feels very truncated.

Wallace works at the zoo. He lives in what I think is a share house, along with John Dobbie and Ron Whelan with Letty Craydon as the housekeeper. Dobbie is Wallace's sidekick. There's shenanigans with elephants and parrots, a tubby boss, a gorilla, a haunted house, a plane.

He's in love with Kathleen Esler, daughter of a rich man. The main romance is between Lois Green, daughter of Creydon, and John Fleeting, as a vet. They sing a love song duet which is very much in style of stage musicals of the time. Fleeting is a bit wet but Green is lovely - very pretty, a good singer, dancer and actress. There's quite a spectacular number 'Gone to the Dogs' headed by Wallace and Green.

There's some epigrammatic dialogue between Green and Fleet ("he gets in my hair" "well get a barber") that feels like Frank Harvey's influence. 

The humour is hokey but they just want you to have a good time. There's a lot of talent on display and things like the greyhounds are very Aussie.

1984 interview with Shirley Ann Richards

 Link is here. Another one is https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20080721102440/http://www.nfsa.gov.au/the_collection/collection_spotlights/shirley_ann_richards.html

Among the bits in the interview

- during making Tall Timbers Richards sang a song "tosti's (?) goodbye" on a train (she was studying singing) which apparently was bad luck and horrified the theatrical types in the cast (Richards didn't know at the time) - also Frank Leighton was appearing in The Student Prince with Glady Moncrieff - he was so run down he got boils on his neck which had to be camoflaged - Richards called him a "very precise" actor

- she was very close to Frank Harvey - he would run her lines - when she went away to US he wrote her a letter of advice about professionalism and life in general - she said she would pass on the advice to her sons - she still had the letter - said Frank wrote "I am writing to you as though you are another daughter" (he had a daughter, Helen)

- Ken Hall could be a bit aloof directing but he was busy

- she enjoyed the romanticism of Lovers and Luggers, and dressing as a boy

- adored Harvey Adams who would bring crabs and shrimps for lunch - "most charming"

- Ken G Hall used lots of rehearsal - everyone had excellent raaport, she never worked anywhere else where it was the same crew day in day out

- got along Lloyd Hughes... remembers making Lovers and Luggers nearly asphxiated on a lugger because of smoke

- George Yates v protective of Richards - when she was bullied by an actress Yates sabotaged a door for Richards

- says cast of It Isn't Done were "marvellously kind" to her and helped her enormously

- Campbell Copelin was "very much in love" with Elaine Hamill during the making of the film - they went to England together (a few weeks apart)

- she didn't have a good rapport with Bert Bailey who was a bit distant - this was in contrast to her work with other actors at Cinesound like Cecil Kellaway, they'd discuss the scene - she didn't have any sort of chat about the scene with Bailey, suggests maybe it was because he was shy, or had played the role for so many years, doesn't know if he'd do it with other actors - it was her only experience as an actor where she didn't have any sort of rapport with a co star - didn't get to know him even professionally

- Ken Hall sent a film with Richards when she went to America... this went missing so she had nothing to show when over there - they had to get film on her while over there - she got lucky though with the film The Woman in the House - no one else suitable for MGM, she got the part, that was seen, she was put under contract

- found MGM very big - she was used to same faces and same actors - but got used to it - you could do tests as well - she did one with Philip Dorn

- her husband didn't care for movies as much as the stage - he could do everything for himself on stage... different with film - he gave away showbusiness, he was a scientist

There's a very good look at Richards' life here.

Movie review - "My Forgotten Man" (1993) **1/2

 Frank Howson's biggest film to date. Originally entitled Flynn it was shot under the direction of Brian Kavanagh before being substantially reshot with Howson as director and Steve Berkoff, John Savage and Claudia Karvan added. The resulting film was not cinematically released in Australia but had a life on video.

It's a rare Howson film that is not shot in Melbourne and is period . But it does feature recognisably Howsian moments: photography is great, it's about showbusiness (someone who will make it in LA), and a man with a dream, the production values are high, there's a big ballad (the title track sung by Wendy Matthews), it has strong actors including newbies who went on to do well (Guy Pearce, Claudia Karvan) and some of his stock company (Pearce again, John Savage, Andrew Shepherd from What the Moon Saw as young Errol watching a topless Nicki Paull from Boulevard of Broken Dreams as Flynn's mum root a random).

There's location filming in Fiji standing in for New Guinea. Berkoff is good as the Hans Erben figure. 

Karvan is lovely and ideally cast alongside Pearce but has nothing to play, no character. Like many Howson scripts there's plenty of potential story but he can't extract all juice out of it. The potential is there... he could've done more stuff about Flynn and his dad, and mum, and Claudia Karvan... but its skimmed over.

It's raunchier than typical Howson films, with Pearce in bed with various topless women, a sort of Wake in Fright "seduction" scene where Steve Berkoff goes after a wasted Pearce, and Pearce rooting guys for cash in Sydney. 

Pearce does well enough in a thankless part - he's got the looks, and a pleasant screen presence. He doesn't quite convey the "bounder" aspect.

It's not dissimilar to the episode of Michael Willessee's Australians on Flynn - romance with an uptown gal, shenanigans in New Guinea, swapping himself for John Simon when auditioning for Charles Chauvel. Some actors play Charles and Elsa Chauvels and they ask if Ken Hall called which is fun.

I didn't mind this. It looks good, has pretty pictures. It doesn't nail is but is better than many other versions of this story.

Movie review - "Fragments of War: The Damien Parer Story" (1988) **1/2

 Damien Parer story sounds interesting - young good looking photographer who shot some of the most famous images of the war, killed by the Japanese in 1944. But is it dramatic...?  Do films about photographers work? If they have sex with models and take a photo of a murderer, yes (Blow Up)... but if they are nice people who take photos... I'm not so sure. They've tried to make the Robert Capa story for ages but never been able to do it.

That's what this is. Parer films things. Some recreation is cut in with his amazing photography. Parer dies.

The film is full of female characters commenting on how good looking Parer is, and one woman asks Parer to photograph her nude.  There's actually a few one-off scenes with Parer and female characters - a nurse whose brother has died, a woman in Europe. Look, maybe that happened, and it's good to have female representation I just can't wonder if Duigan did it in part to gives roles to actresses who he tried to seduce. The screen time would've been better spent on Parer's relationships with more important people in his life, not random women - his mates, his family, his wife. Anne Tenney seems too old as the wife, btw - she's a good actor, she just seems wrong. Nicholas Eadie is good.

Film buffs will enjoy the appearance of Maslyn Williams (Huw Williams), Chester Wilmott (Steve Jodrell), Osmar White (Jeff Truman), and Ken G Hall (Bob Haines). Maybe there's a more interesting version of this story to be told. Or maybe there isn't.

Movie review - "Newsfront" (1978) ****

Maybe it's because I've been watching so many Bruce Beresford films that I found the pace for this slow. But actually it isn't slow... it's deliberate. It's a stealth movie that builds. It became more and more effective.

It would mean more to me if I remembered the times depicted, but I heard about it, and it was an interesting time in Australia - the post war idealistic recovery period, with its communism fears and ALP split and growing American influence.

Marvellously cast. Bob Ellis had a real feel for the time, people and place. Like many Australian movies it just sort of ends - there's no build to Bill Hunter telling his brother to get stuffed. Also the conflict is muted - Gerard Kennedy's brother character isn't in the movie much, he's at the beginning then disappears then comes along at the end (he and Hunter never seem like brothers); and the rivalry with John Ewart is really some squabbles and that's about it.

But that does make it realistic. Pared back. Australian. I love how Phil Noyce used Ken G Hall's know-how for this.

Bill Hunter is a different sort of lead. Very effective. Wendy Hughes is excellent - achingly beautiful and a good actor (doing a lot with expressions). Bryan Brown, Drew Forsyth, Don Crosby, Lorna Lesley, Angela Punch, Chris Haywood are fantastic - everyone except Kennedy he and isn't bad, not really, just not as good as original choice Jack Thompson. Mark Holden is in it. And Steve Bisley. Plus a lot of reliable 50s faces like Tony Barry, John Clayton.

Bob Ellis gave a lot of credit to the music, which has been poo-pooed but the music is very effective. I don't think this is the greatest Australian film of them all, as many do, but it' s excellent.

Could it be remade for the 1980s?

Movie review - "Smithy" (1946) ***1/2 (re-watching)

Ken G Hall isn't known as a personal filmmaker but watching this it struck me how personal this movie must have been for him - the story of a man who achieves a lot of success and acclaim but can't establish a workable business, who is constantly scrounging for money, going around with a cap in hand although hating it because he knows that's what he has to do in an expensive industry.

Could the boomer critics who so disdained Hall's work in the 80s not see it? Did they have to have their auterist meanings shoved down their throat like Chauvel did? I don't want to bad Chauvel, I just wanted Hall treated with more respect.

This is of course heavily influenced by Hollywood biopics but it's done very well. Some of it is charming such as Smithy's meet cute with Muriel Steinbeck. Ron Randell is a very solid Smithy and you can see why Hollywood snapped him up - though he seemed to lose his edge over there.

It does assume knowledge on the part of the viewer over certain events which aren't as well known now as they would have been at the time such as the pilots who died looking for Smithy.

A remarkably adult and down beat movie in many ways. There are Hollywood ish moment like Smithy's meet cute and his wife, the character of the helpful American Joy feels inserted to have a woman in the first half, technically very polished. 

Makes me weep that Hall could not do another feature after this - talk about a man at the top of his game.

Movie review - "Lovers and Luggers" (1937) *** (re-viewing)

The central concept for this film is so silly - chase after a pearl so a woman will have sex with you. I mean that's just dumb. Sorry. But once this gets going it's fine albeit with the racial attitudes of the time. There's lovely camraderie on the island, Lloyd Hughes, a decent hero (though not really a believable composer) making friends. James Ragland looking emanciated, Shirley Ann Richards walking around in mens clothing, Alec Kellaway being nearly unrecognisable. Enjoyable atmosphere, I think Ken Hall was more impressed by the back projection than audiences today are lieble to be.

Movie review - "Tall Timbers" (1937) ***

Enjoyably silly melodrama which benefits from vigorous handling and excellent technical quality. There's always something going on, whether it's Shirley Ann Richards being plucked out of the ocean by Frank Leighton, Joe Valli's comic flirting with Letty Craydno and antics with George Lloyd, Frank Harvey and Campbell Copelin teaming up to be dastardly for Ron Whelan, Harvey's sister Aileen Britten sleeping with Copelin, union agitators, a timber drive.

I saw the shortened version - 74 minutes - which flies along. Ken G Hall's handing was very sure. Impressive special effects though it doesn't always mesh well with the back projection. Likeable leads - two fisted Leighton probably should have gone to Hollywood rather than Britain, and made Westerns; I wish Richards had more to do, but I love how she and Britten became friends. The reunion between Leighton and Harvey Adams feels undercooked. Harvey and Britten are excellent and Copelin is wonderful fun.