Movie review - "Anna Lucasta" (1949) **

 Philip Yordan's play based on Anna Christie was about polish Americans then reworked to be about black Americans, became a hit, but this version is white. No one seems well cast though especially not Paulette Goddard. Actually John Ireland fits in - he's good - as Goddard's first boyfriend.

Goddard wasn't allowed to be a hooker in this screen versino, so she's a girl in a beret who hangs out at a bar. Her family asks her back. She has a romance with William Bishop, very dull and too handsome to be in need of a wife. 

It feels like a stage play with long scenes, and expositionary dialogue, and lacks the intensity that it would have had on stage. I can't see why this became a hit, even with a black cast - this might be why the piece is so rarely revived. 

Oscar Homolka lumbers around as Goddard's dad, dying off screen. Broderick Crawford booms around as a brother in law. It was hard to care. 

Movie review - "Paint Your Wagon" (1969) **1/2

 Big and silly and cost way too much but the locations are gorgeous, there's some nice tunes, and it's sweet to see Lee Marvin, Clint Eastwood and Jean Seberg in a musical. Everyone is trying. Seberg is more animated than in some of her efforts. Clint is getting into it too, and it's so novel to hear him sing, ditto Marvin. Decent tunes.

The movie never quite fixes on its story. The central conceit is Seberg winds up with two men but  it never really goes into that. We all know Seberg will be with Eastwood it's not a threat. There's no threat. The action dragged when a young man was introduced and this whol plot started in the third act.

The town collapsing is fun, the running time long, some nice tunes. This killed Josh Logan's movie career. 

Movie review - "Suspense" (1946) ***

 Monogram's first "million dollar movie" didn't need to cost that much - it's a rather stock, albeit entertaining noir about a drifter (Barry Sullivan) who works for a rich man (Alfred Dekker) and falls for the man's wife (Belita) and murder results. It reminded be of The Chase also written by Phillip Yordan. Belita was a skater though and there are lots of skating production numbers - it's a noir with skating. Which is different. 

And director Frank Tuttle tries and does a neat job. Nice mood. Sullivan is fine, and Belita ordinary off the ice, but they're trying too - Bonita Granville is too young really but very good as Sullivan's ex and I liked Dekker and Eugene Pallette (Dekker's offsider).

Stylish and moody. Belita isn't one of the great noir heroines but I liked it. Yordan's script is simple yet effective.